The state owned main newspaper has taken a solidarity speech by Tanzania’s president, John Magufuli, to mean a backing for ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa. Below was the full text:

Tanzanian President Dr John Magufuli has tipped President Mnangagwa to win elections slated for July 30.

Speaking at a press conference here yesterday, the East African country’s fifth president after independence from Britain on December 9, 1961, said the rains that coincided with President Mnangagwa’s visit portended victory for the Zanu-PF candidate.

President Mnangagwa, said President Magufuli, had a “human heart, a patriotic heart and the spirit of love”.

“Zimbabwe,” he added, “will show you back the love by overwhelming voting for you (in the next elections).”

President Magufuli thanked President Mnangagwa for taking time off his busy schedule, especially at a time when Zimbabwe was in the middle of preparations for the forthcoming elections, to accede to a request to visit East Africa’s second-biggest economy.

This, he said, was “sufficient indication of the cooperation between the two countries”.
President Magufuli indicated that his guest, who was one of the pioneers of the military camp at Bagamoyo in Tanzania in the early 1960s, will visit the historic place today.

Zimbabwe and Tanzania are inextricably linked as the latter used to provide political, material and social support to Southern African countries in their fight for independence.
The East African country notably hosted the OAU (now AU) Liberation Committee, which supported liberation movements during the 30-year period from 1963 to 1994.

President Mnangagwa is in Tanzania for a two-day State visit which ends today.
Former secretary-general of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Cde Abdulrahman Kinana delivered the invitation when he met President Mnangagwa at his Munhumutapa offices on May 23.

He has, however, since resigned as the head of the secretariat of the Tanzanian ruling party.

During his visit to Harare, Cde Kinana was accompanied by Cdes Gaudensia Kabaka (CCM’s chairperson of the women’s wing), Edmund Mndolwa (chairperson of the parents wing) and Kheri James (chairperson of the youth wing).

A Tanzanian delegation to Harare earlier in the year was part of the pre-election observation team led by Cde Ngemela Lubinga from Tanzania’s ruling party CCM.

During their four-day visit, the delegation met the various political parties.

President Magufuli, who was unanimously elected as chairperson of CCM, recently commended Zimbabwe for the peaceful transition that took place in November last year.

He was elected President in October 2015 after garnering 58 percent of the vote in elections that were largely considered to be the fiercest to have been faced by the party in its 54 years in power.

Seeing this shocking video, where is the party's offices, HARARE, HURUNGWE or HELL ? https://t.co/iGX7QeGiwB

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) June 28, 2018

Terrence Mawawa

Two suspected state security agents last week confiscated identity documents from two European Union Election Observers in Chiredzi.

While President Emmerson Mnangagwa is saying this year’s elections will be free, fair and credible, the incident could dent hopes of holding the polls in a conducive environment.

EU officials have remained tight- lipped on the matter.

Sources in Chiredzi told ZimEye.com two state security agents confiscated identity documents from Christophe Menou and Santner Friedarike.

“Two EU election observers were harassed by state security agents last week.

The CIO operatives forcibly took the two’ s identify particulars.

Chiredzi is a politically volatile place and there is widespread intimidation in the area,”government sources said at the weekend.

Terrence Mawawa

A woman from Mubaiwa Village in Masvingo District was last week severely bashed by her husband for wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’ s portrait.

Farai Nguvaino has since been arrested for assaulting his wife.

According to the police at Nemamwa Growth Point Nguvaino returned home from work and found his wife Nyembesi Gwatiringa wearing a Zanu PF t-shirt.

Nguvaino also learnt that Nyembesi had gone to Mnangagwa’ s rally at Mucheke Stadium B Arena, without informing him.

“Nguvaino ordered her wife to stop wearing Zanu PF regalia but the latter remained defiant.

Nguvaino returned home from work and found Nyembesi wearing a Zanu PF t-shirt.

He then assaulted his wife and she sustained serious head injuries,” police at Nemamwa said.
Nguvaino was fined $ 50 for the offence.

By Own Correspondent| There is raging debate on social media regarding the heroes status of the two Presidential aides who died at Mpilo hospital following the White City Stadium bombing incident in Bulawayo.

Below are some of the views shared on both Facebook and Twitter.

Brighton Jackson Zenda: Give to these guys national heroes status for sacrificing their lives for the entire leadership.

Their families must receive president’s salaries forever.

All of their Family members to be employed and be given diplomatic statuses.

Kevin Du Boil: Thank God you not our leader.

Asher Asherman Mapuranga: Heroes for what?

Mai Elcy: mazita avo where not even mentioned pa ztv .kureva havana kukosha.hero status my foot.vakafa vari pabasa,mayb havasi ma zanu fut.ngatingoti nematambudziko,zvimwe izvo hazvife zvakaitika,zviroto.

L

Terrence Mawawa

MDC Mwenezi District Chapter says Zanu PF is desperate to divert the electorate’ s attention by creating a false sense of despondency.

Below is a statement from MDC Mwenezi District Chapter:

What happened in Bulawayo was just a staged
thing.Zimbabwe’s security sector is intact and nothing like that can just
happen.

If it was genuine,ED could have been
hiding by now but to our surprise,ED and bleechy

Chiwenga are still walking freely.

A meeting was conducted between ED ,Chiwenga and other Top security chiefs.

ED wanted to kill Chamisa but
Chiwenga told him that ‘you can’t just kill Chamisa so easily,it will cause great chaos’.

So they came up with a plan and agreed that chaos should happen within Zanu PF.

This whole thing was dramatised.
If you watch that video several times ,you can see that Chiwenga delayed walking from the stage because he was aware of their
plot.

ZANU PF has realised that it’s not easy to rig this election.

Terrence Mawawa

The Joice Mujuru led National People’s Party (NPP) has called on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to apologise for the atrocities that occurred before the June 2008 Presidential Election Rerun.

In a statement issued in honour of thousands of opposition supporters who were brutally killed by suspected state security agents, NPP Spokesperson Jeffryson Chitando yesterday said Mnangagwa and his henchmen must apologise for the atrocities.

” Every peace loving Zimbabwean must remember that June 2008 is the day when Zanu PF declared a one man race that was won by Robert Mugabe.

Zimbabweans must understand and remember that Zanu PF killed hundreds of peace loving Zimbabweans under the slogan 27 June VaMugabe muhofisi,” said Chitando.

“The 2008 bloody campaign was led by Zimbabwe National Army officers who are currently leading this country as if they are saints.

These people led a bloody campaign to retain Mugabe’s power.

Chiwenga , Shiri,Moyo,Rugeje and Mnangagwa can preach peace today but they must understand that hundreds of Zimbabweans lost relatives as they protected Mugabe’s rule,” added Chitando.

LIVEBLAST – refresh to watch

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s new envoy to the UK was yesterday officially accepted by Queen Elizabeth II. This was all amid complaints by political activists who said that this is a betrayal against democracy. ZimEye hears from the Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation who staged the demonstration

By Own Correspondent| President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday sent messages of condolences to the families of his two security aides, who died due to injuries sustained during a bomb explosion that occurred at White City Stadium in Bulawayo on Saturday.

The blast, which occurred just as President Mnangagwa was leaving the podium left more than 45 people injured including some senior party cadres including Vice President Kembo Mohadi.

Mnangagwa who escaped the explosion unhurt described the attack as a cowardly act of terror.

Said Mnangagwa in a statement:

“This cowardly terrorist attack at a public political meeting was indiscriminate and calculated to achieve a bloodbath which is hard to fathom.

Above all, it sought to subvert the will of the people of Zimbabwe by attempting to destabilise the ongoing electoral programme, which our entire nation wishes to see unfold in an environment of perfect peace, all for a free, fair and credible electoral outcome, which we have pledged to ourselves and to the rest of the world.

These merchants of terror must not be allowed to succeed or to stop the march of democracy, economic recovery and national progress which our people deserve.”

President Mnangagwa revealed that the government would meet all funeral and burial expenses, as well as medical costs for the more than 40 people who were also injured in the explosion.

The statement comes amid revelations by the State security agencies that they had not yet established the source of the explosion, with the stadium still sealed off.

“The investigations are still ongoing, and no arrests have been made,” National Police Spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said.

The ZRP has also issued a statement appealing to members of the public to assist them solve the mystery behind the explosion which mostly believe was an assassination attempt on the country’s first citizen.

An undisclosed reward is being offered to anyone who can lead to the apprehension of the perpetrators of the act which claimed two lives and left dozens others injured and maimed for life.

In a related development, a funeral parade for one of the deceased aides, Sergeant Kudakwashe Mugunzva was held at the Presidential Guard Barracks in Dzivarasekwa on Wednesday morning. Mugunzva is survived by wife Prisca and four children.

By Paul Nyathi|President Emmerson Mnangagwa says that he does not fit the characteristics of his nickname “Ngwena” for crocodile, describing himself as soft as wool.

Asked in an interview by the BBC if his nickname crocodile (Ngwena) portrayed his character as similar to that of the reptile, which is patient and ruthless, Mnangagwa described himself as soft as wool,a Christian and family person.

He said people should look at what he was currently doing for the country, not what the old dispensation, which he was also part of, did.

“You have read so much bad publicity by my enemies, which has sunk into you. I don’t blame you, but as we relate more you’ll discover that those people were wrong.

“The people of Zimbabwe should believe what I am doing not the perceptions they have. In the past we had traffic roadblocks all over, but I’ve removed all those. We have also opened political space, which has seen the country having 133 political parties. This is factual, not a perception,” said President Mnangagwa.

Mnangagwa made the passionate plea in an interview with the BBC’s Fegarl Keane on Tuesday in which he said members of the G40 cabal were behind his attempted assassination at Bulawayo’s White City Stadium last Saturday.

“My hunch without evidence is that the people who are aggrieved by the new dispensation are the G40. That’s a logical and reasonable conclusion one may make but we have to wait for evidence to be brought forward and we pin down the responsible persons and the reasons why they did it.

“I think this is a political action by some people aggrieved by the current democratic dispensation in the country,” said President Mnangagwa.

Asked whether he trusted Mrs Mugabe, the President said: “On what basis would I trust somebody who was used by a cabal to say things which had no basis at all? I have sympathy for her because in my view she was politically immature and easily used as a tool by those who wanted to get at me.”

President Mnangagwa said there would be no countrywide security clampdown and elections scheduled for next month will go ahead in a free and fair manner.

“There’s no need for us to say there would be a security clampdown or putting the country into security alert. This is a criminal activity, which doesn’t bring any dent to the stability and the law and order of our country.

“However, we must make sure the population is protected and we hunt down these criminals. It is only after apprehending them that we will assess the extent to which the network spreads,” said President Mnangagwa.

In the region, he added, Zimbabwe was the most stable country in terms of law and order and foreign investors had no reason to worry.

“Foreign investors are still safe and there is no reason for anybody to worry about an incident at a rally,” he said.

By Paul Nyathi|In probably the biggest bungling by the country’s biggest opposition party, the MDC Alliance has failed to field a candidate in the country’s usually most contested parliamentary seat in Mbare, Harare.

In the list of parliamentary candidates gazetted by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on Wednesday, the opposition coalition is missing in three House of Assembly seats while it has more than one candidate in fourteen constituencies.

The MDC Alliance is a coalition of seven opposition parties including the MDCT arguably the biggest opposition party in the country.

The coalition failed to field candidates in Mbare, Insiza North and Hurungwe East constituencies.

MDC Alliance spokesperson Professor Welshman Ncube said it was “too late to rectify” the problem in relation to the 14 constituencies that have two candidates from the Alliance.

He said supporters needed to be persuaded to vote for one of the two candidates.

“It’s too late to rectify by withdrawing anyone at this stage because the period for withdrawal has expired,” Prof Ncube said. “The only way we can mitigate the difficulty is by getting one candidate to withdraw in the sense of both campaigning and working with the other candidate so that the voters know who the candidate is.

“Otherwise even if they withdraw now their names will still appear on the ballot paper. That is the reality of the situation. We have to just accept that in those 14 constituencies the ballot paper will have two candidates for the alliance.”

“We have been doing rallies almost every day,” he said. “We have not found time to have a meeting where everyone will be present. We are only going to meet next week on Tuesday, but that (double candidates) will not necessarily be the agenda because there is nothing now that can be done about it.”

In Bulawayo South, MDC Alliance is fielding Francis Mangwendeza and Kunashe Muchemwa, while in Harare South Shadreck Mashayamombe and Samuel Saurombe will represent the coalition.

In Mabvuku Tafara, James Maridadi will represent the alliance on the same ballot with James Chidhakwa.

The MDC Alliance will have two candidates in Mazowe North — namely Stephen Muchenje and Mcumillan Ndlovu.

The same situation subsists in Mazowe South where Gamuchirai Chakwera and Gift Chimanikire will represent the pact, while in Mazowe West, the alliance has Thamarie Chimanzi and Rorana Muchihwa as its candidates.

In Muzarabani North, Takawira Kagura and Larence Mushori will represent the coalition and in Bikita East, MDC Alliance will have Bonface Mudzingwa and Jacob Ngarivhume as candidates.

The MDC Alliance has two candidates in Gutu Central — namely Ernest Mandigo and Zvovuno Musoni, while in Gutu North, the pact will field Juniel Manyere and Edmore Maramwidze.

In Gutu West, the alliance candidates competing against each other are Stanely Manguma and Knowledge Mupini.

Another double nomination by the alliance is in Masvingo South where Justin Makota and Lovemore Matongo will be candidates.

In Zaka West, two alliance candidates Festus Dumbu and William Zivenge will be on the ballot paper, while Luke Tamborinyoka and Clifford Nhamburo will contest in Goromonzi West on an MDC Alliance ticket.

In the local government elections, the opposition Alliance failed to field candidates in 46 wards that have since been won by Zanu-PF uncontested.

MDC Alliance has also fielded double candidates in several wards for the council elections.

By Farai D Hove|The state broadsheet media has explained through its own version why President Emmerson Mnangagwa bunked his stadium rally in Hwange this afternoon.

In the below tweet, the state media said it was all because of “his busy schedule.” FULL TEXT:

#InCaseYouMissedIt A rally that was expected to be addressed by @edmnangagwa at the Colliery Stadium earlier today was postponed to a later date due to his busy schedule. He had earlier officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony for the expansion of Hwange Thermal Power Station. pic.twitter.com/N8C1ppu8Yj

— The Herald Zimbabwe (@HeraldZimbabwe) June 27, 2018

Terrence Mawawa

The country’ s main opposition party, MDC has released a statement in honour of activists who were allegedly murdered by state security agents before the bloody June 27 2008 Presidential Election Rerun.

Below is the statement that has been released by the party’ s Veteran Activists Association(VAAA):

It is with a heavy heart that we recall the victims of the struggle on this day,the 27th of June.It surely has not been an easy road.

A bunch of selfish individuals maimed and killed innocent citizens.

The horrific scenes of the past two decades have surely put a lasting dent on this once prosperous country.

It goes against the tenets of civilization as Zimbabwe is known as a nation with violent leaders, who are supposed to act in line with the world’s best practices of promoting peace,harmony and tolerance.

Morgan Tsvangirai house was turned into a refugee camp with people coming from different areas,fleeing ZANU PF militias,during the rerun.

It was state sponsored terrorism against the masses.People were murdered and some lost their limbs,houses and livestock.

By Farai D Hove| Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has announced that a new currency is on plan to be introduced so to ease the cash crisis.

VP Chiwenga made the comments at his rally function in Mataga Growth Point, Mberengwa.

Speaking on Wednesday afternoon, Chiwenga said the cash crisis will soon be over as government is planning on “introducing a local currency and stiff penalties to curb money laundering.”

He did not go into details to reveal its name and the specific timing.

He was still speaking at the time of writing.

 – The rally continues – REFRESH THIS PAGE FOR UPDATES

MDC Zimbabwe says: #Remembering June 27 2008 victims.

Today we remember fellow comrades who lost their lives in the 2008 Zanu PF state sponsored political violence. Never again shall the people of Zimbabwe be exposed to such cruelty.

#27June2008
#electionyebenzi
#Neveragain
#HandeiKwekwe

Writes Hardlife Mudzingwa: “Today 27 June is a day that reminds us of the effects of a corrupt and rotten political culture.

Whilst people live to tell a story, some today have vivid memories of the agony they went through. Will have 3 incidents to narrate in memory of 27 June 2008.

1) My mom’s form of livelihood was looted under the guise of “protecting Zimbabwean sovereignty”. Zanu-pf youths came during the night and took all the road runners and pigeons that my mom kept for us to enjoy. Under the “Command Element” of Major Svosve who had been deployed to our rural area under Operation Maguta, youths were instructed to collect food in the same manner that comrades did it during the war. My own young brother was forced to flee the area wearing a dress like a woman. I have not stated this as a water activist but let me do so today: I WILL NEVER CELEBRATE MILITARY INTERVENTION IN POLITICS INCLUDING THE SO-CALLED “OPERATION RESTORE LEGACY”. I lost relatives and friends because of Command Elements and military involvement in politics.

2) A touching story is that of a friend of mine whom i visited during era of GNU in Uzumba. He invited me to tell a secret. In exchange with life Zanu-pf youths told his two wives to satisfy their sexual desires at the base. They raped these two women everyday @the base. Some of the people involved are part of the “NEW DISPENSATION”. One guy was forced to sit on a hole with a cobra inside. Full details of these cases are contained in a document entitled “THE ANATOMY OF TERROR”.

3) Personally i was not spared in Glen View North. People working in CSO sector were labelled “agents of regime change” pushing Must Must Go mission. Surprisingly the same military pushed for Mugabe Ouster in November 2017 and our current government is wining and dining with the same British Government that was labelled evil and devilish. I was bashed by army @ the gate of Glen View 8 Primary School. Thanks to the Counselling & Services Unit for providing free medical services including the plaster on my left arm.

By Talent Gondo| Serious fissures rock the MDC Alliance supporters in Zengeza East over the candidature of Job Sikhala, amid allegations that he was imposed on the electorate as a strategy by Nelson Chamisa stalwarts to eliminate all those suspected to be aligned to Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora.

Sikhala’s candidature has seen the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Simon Chidhakwa filing nomination papers to contest as an independent candidate in the July 30 polls, a development likely to cost the Alliance the seat.

Chidhakwa an aggrieved member of Chamisa’s party said party supporters endorsed his candidature and they were working with him in his campaign.

He however claimed that the party’s primary elections had been rigged in favour of Sikhala adding that the party leadership was behind the  divisions rocking the party through the imposition of candidates.

“I feel betrayed by what transpired. I think it was a well-calculated plan meant to get rid of us. I have always questioned why Sikhala would seek to contest in Zengeza West instead of St Mary’s Constituency which he has represented before.

The primary elections were also marred by irregularities. The party leadership went back on its promise that we would be protected from contestation. I was tasked to go and campaign in rural areas where the party does not have representation only to receive calls from colleagues who told me that they had been asked to hold primary elections in my constituency. Even if you look at the results, you will see that Sikhala got votes which were more than our registered members in certain Wards,” said Chidhakwa.

He said recent calls by the party’s national chairperson, Morgen Komichi urging those who registered as independent candidates to withdraw their candidature was an attempt to legitimize illegal processes.

Party sources alleged that the decision to replace Chidhakwa was because he was loyal to party secretary, Douglas Mwonzora.

“People such as Chidhakwa supported Mwonzora during the 2014 party congress held but they should not be penalized for that especially if we claim to be a democratic party. Sikhala was imposed on Zengeza West and that has divided the party because some members prefer to work with Chidhakwa,” said a source.

A party insider claimed that the MDC Alliance campaign machinery had been weakened after Chidhakwa was elbowed out.

“The move is quite suicidal considering the fact that Chidhakwa commands a lot of respect and support in the constituency. There are many party members who are not happy with the endorsement of Sikhala. The fact that he had to abandon St Mary’s Constituency to contest in Zengeza West certainly points to a ploy to get rid of Chidhakwa and that could prove costly,” added the insider.

There was also an outcry in Chitungwiza after some incumbent MPs, Unganai Tarusenga (St Mary’s) and Godfrey Sithole (Chitungwiza North) were confirmed as candidates without going through primaries.

Tarusenga refuted allegations that he was imposed while Sithole was not reachable for comment.

The MDC-T secretary for Chitungwiza, Lloyd Damba confirmed that a number of losing candidates had decided to contest as independents but expressed optimism that the MDC Alliance would win.

By Dorrothy Moyo| President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been quoted making the clearest indication of who he suspects the Bulawayo bomb attacker to be.

Mnangagwa indicated that the person is a ZANU PF insider.

Mnangagwa was quoted by the BBC saying, “I don’t know whether it was one individual – I would think it is broader than one person.

“I would think this is a political action by some aggrieved persons… On what basis would I trust someone (Grace) who was used by a cabal to say things that had no basis.”

This comes at a time when his own aides also pointed inwardly for suspects. READ MORE HERE…

By Farai D Hove | Following a highly controversial survey which claims that ZANU PF bombed itself on Saturday, top Mnangagwa aides have blamed the attack on their own comrades.

Yesterday a large host of both named and unknown sources (those requesting anonymity) said they blame insiders for carrying out the White City stadium attack.

While a senior source said “the attack was clearly carried out by an expert in ammunition and ballistic technology,” another said, ” the timing and how it was all done shows this was someone very close.”

Mnangagwa himself told the BBC, “I don’t know whether it was one individual – I would think it is broader than one person. I would think this is a political action by some aggrieved persons… On what basis would I trust someone (Grace) who was used by a cabal to say things that had no basis.”

Youth League Secretary Pupurai Togarepi said his own list of suspects was endless.

Said Togarepi: “As any other Zimbabwean would think, maybe it could be those elements who used to enjoy those things they can’t enjoy now because we have a straightforward president so they may be tempted to killing. To kill the people of Zimbabwe to create that instability. So there are people out there and what could motivate them? So anyone I can tell you the list of might suspects (sic – suspicions) is so long because …. (sic.) But I am hurt to tell you the truth, that we have a man who is preaching peace, who is preaching development, who wants to see Zimbabweans united, and there are people  out there who would want him dead; you don’t understand; you know it’s painful. But then this is not for Zanu PF. This is for all political parties, all religious groupings. This is something that is attacking the culture that we have known for a long time in Zimbabwe of peace. We have characters who would want to create instability in this country and we as Zimbabweans, not only the security services sector, but all Zimbabweans must stand up and say we don’t want this, this is foreign, and can’t be part of our lives, we can’t live in fear,  in a country that is as free as Zimbabwe; because there is somebody with selfish ends; that we should stop and it can only be stopped by Zimbabweans, no one else. Thank you.”

Meanwhile the below survey was done by the popular Trends SADC organisation on their Twitter handle. For reliability, a strict IP filter was used to ensure only real human beings participate. The findings blamed both ZANU PF and military elements for the bomb blast that could have easily killed Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and his wife, (although other analysts have claimed President Emmerson Mnangagwa was also targeted. ALSO READ – Nonsense – Stop Lying That You Didn’t See The Grenade Thrower! Below were the details:

Who planted the bomb in your opinion. Issa it

— Ngoma Kurira (@Ngoma_Kurira_) June 24, 2018