A CHRISTIAN denomination in Bulawayo allegedly lost $75 000 and R31 100 to burglars who broke into its church hours after a fund-raising event.

The thieves also got away with 10 buckets full of coins that had not been counted.
They broke a window at Revelation Church of God premises in Kelvin North and cut the burglar bars to gain entry into the office where they took US$9 000, R31 106 and $69 000 in bond notes.

The break-in and theft occurred between 7PM on Sunday and 7AM on Monday.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango confirmed the incident and said investigations were still in progress.

“We are investigating a case of theft which occurred last week. We are not yet sure whether it was an unlawful entry or theft case. No arrests have been made yet but investigations are underway.

“We are appealing to members of the public to desist from keeping large sums of money at home or business premises as this attracts thieves,” she said.

A source within the church said Pastor Lovemore Moyo who resides at the church premises discovered the theft on Monday morning and reported the matter to police.
“The bulk of the stolen money had been raised during a fundraising event held last Sunday,” said the source.

Efforts to get a comment from Pastor Moyo were fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered.
When a Chronicle news crew visited the church on Wednesday, congregants became hostile and chased them away. They denied that the church lost money to thieves.

The congregants ordered the photographer to delete all the pictures he had taken. – state media

Bulawayo Mayor Alderman Martin Moyo says he will seek a second term in office although he faces stiff competition from aspiring candidates from his party, MDC-T.

In an interview after his valedictory message to review his term of office from September 2013 to March 2018 on Monday, Ald Moyo said he enjoyed serving the city of Bulawayo for the past five years and was pursuing a second term. He, however, said there was stiff competition, with party youths calling on older members to step down and pave way for the younger generation and fresh ideas.
“My wish is to serve for another term but I don’t know if I will win this time because there are people that are challenging me. We also have youths in the party who say they’re tired of older leaders and they want to be given a chance to run the city.

“I don’t know whether I’ll succeed but my wish is to come back for another term and push for the implementation of unfinished projects so that our generation creates a tangible legacy,” said Ald Moyo.

He added that there was also stiff competition in the party for seats in the National Assembly, which made it impossible for him to contest in the Parliamentary elections.

“As a party we have structures and we have our way of selecting contestants to represent the party. There are people who have already been selected to represent the party in the Parliamentary elections and I wouldn’t stand a chance. I’ll therefore stick to the council elections and my hope is to come back and finish off what we started,” said Ald Moyo.
He said during the period 2013 and 2018, the Bulawayo City Council faced a lot of challenges which were worsened by the ailing economy.

“It has been a long and difficult journey as the city council was faced with many challenges due to the unfriendly economic environment with cash shortages and an underperforming economy.
“Other challenges were also due to stringent national policies and it’s my hope that going forward the Government will be able to create an enabling environment for business,” said Ald Moyo.-state media

By A Correspondent| 7 people were injured and one feared dead following a fatal accident at Redcliff turn off, just after Kwekwe on the Harare to Gweru road. Details were sketchy at the time of writing. More to follow.

Harare West MP Jessie Majome did not at all refuse to participate in primaries.

She followed party policy line, hook, and sinker including paying in the $1,000 demanded in the party’s first policy.

The MDC-T internal election policy was not clear at all (likely deliberately so) and in the process Jessie Majome saw her opponent gaining unjustly as the 24 year old Joanna Mamombe was allowed to do as she willed at a time when contests were not allowed as per party policy. This was all party policy and nothing of Majome’s making… READ MORE…

By Paul Nyathi|While President Emmerson Mnangagwa and MDC Alliance coalition Presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa will be squaring it out in the fiery Presidential Election, their top aides will also be squaring out in another epic battle for the Goromonzi West House of Assembly seat in the harmonised elections set for July this year.

President Mnangagwa’s self confessed most loyal aide Energy Mutodi and MDC-T presidential spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka will square up in the potentially hot battle.

Tamborinyoka sailed through the MDC-T’s selection process at the weekend at a consensus-building meeting held at Munyawiri District Development Fund centre, ward 1 in Goromonzi West.

The consensus meeting, which confirmed Tamborinyoka as the party’s candidate, was presided over by Morgen Ncube, the organising secretary of the MDC-T youth assembly.

Tamborinyoka secured the party’s ticket to represent Goromonzi West after his rival Anna Denhere pulled out of the race and endorsed him “as her senior in the party”.

Mutondi convincingly won the ZANU PF primary elections last month.

“I am humbled by the people of Goromonzi West. The party has transparently completed its processes,” Tamborinyoka said in an interview.

“Unlike Mutodi, I am a Domboshava son, who has a comprehensive plan to uplift the lives of the people of this area, where I come from.

“I am convinced I will add value to the party in Parliament, given my professional background and my grounding in this community of my birth, where I reside.

“The party will have to make a formal announcement about its candidates but yes, I underwent a process of consensus in Goromonzi West.”

By Paul Nyathi|Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T spokesperson Linda Masarira claims to have been outwit by state security agents in a Constitutional Court case where she was challenging President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s eligibility.

Masarira and two other South African based activists challenged President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s right to hold office in the Constitutional Court in March and have been waiting for the court to call for their heads of arguments only to hear that their case was clandestinely withdrawn from the courts.

Masarira says she suspects that the case was withdrawn by suspected State security agents ahead of the hearing this month.

Masarira and two others, Bongani Nyathi and Vusimuzi Sibanda, had approached the High Court on March 1 this year challenging Mnangagwa’s ascendancy, claiming he assumed power illegally after pushing out former President Robert Mugabe through a coup last November.

The activists argued that Mnangagwa’s leadership was illegitimate, as he was catapulted to power following a coup.

The matter had been set for hearing before Chief Justice Luke Malaba on May 24.

Masarira, yesterday said she discovered that her application was missing after she went to court to enquire on requirements for filing the heads of arguments.

She claimed she was advised on May 10 that the matter would be heard in Justice Malaba’s chambers.

The three are self-represented after their lawyers allegedly declined to take up the matter for “security reasons”.

“Take notice that the above application will be heard before Malaba CJ in chambers on Thursday, May 24, 2018 at 11am or so soon thereafter as counsel may be heard,” part of the notice of hearing read.

The three were given up to May 18 at 4pm to submit their heads of arguments.

But Masarira said: “You know, I don’t now have lawyers. I went there today (yesterday) to enquire (sic) the court processes for us to file some heads of argument.

“I was shocked when I was told by court officials why I was doing so when we had withdrawn the matter. I told them we did not withdraw the matter and they showed me a letter of withdrawal purported to have been written by the three of us.”

She insisted that she did not withdraw the case, adding her co-applicants could not have done so either because they are both based in neighbouring South Africa and have never been back home since March 1.

Masarira claimed that court officials refused to give her a copy of her purported withdrawal affidavit, which had forged signatures.

“They told us that they could not give us a copy of our own withdrawal, arguing that we had it. There were three signatures despite that my co-applicants have not been in the country and I, personally, did not withdraw the matter,” she said.

Masarira said she was going to challenge the “deceit by the courts”.

“This is the highest court on the land and we experience such a thing? It’s terrible and we are going to challenge it,” she said.

“This is really shocking indeed and the judiciary should be answerable to this. We will not allow anyone to manipulate legal processes before the courts by forging signatures and filing papers without our consent.”

Judicial Services Commission acting secretary Walter Chikwana last night declined to comment on the matter before seeing the court record.

Source: Newsday

Former Home Affairs Minister, Ignatius Chombo whose passport was being held by the state following a raft of allegations levelled against him since November last year some of which include corruption, abuse of office and being a criminal nuisance on Tuesday breathed a sigh of relief after he was given back his passport to enable him to travel to South Africa for medical attention.

Chombo will have the passport until June 13 2018 as he seeks treatment for an undisclosed ailment in neighbouring South Africa.

Through his lawyer, Lovemore Madhuku, the former minister had applied for the release of the passport indicating that he wanted to travel abroad when he appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Victoria Mashamba for routine remand. He was remanded to June 13.

Chombo’s co-accused – Rejoice Pazvakavambwa, the deputy director of valuations and estate management in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, and Lazarus Chimba, the registrar of valuers – were remanded to May 16. However, they applied for refusal of further remand.

Chombo is facing a raft of charges ranging from corruption to abuse of office, fraud and criminal nuisance.

He is also accused of allocating residential stands to illegal settlers at Whitecliff Farm in Harare before demanding and receiving a bribe of a 3 712-square metre stand from the landowner to help remove them.

The land owner, Eddies Pfugari Property Developers (Pvt) Ltd, lost property worth $200 million in the process.

Pazvakavambwa and Chimba are accused of facilitating the illegal transfer of council property worth $900 000 into Chombo’s name.- state media

By Paul Nyathi|Masvingo High Court Judge Justice Garainesu Mawadze on Wednesday granted an order in favour of Elton Steers Mangoma and his Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe party represented by ZLHR lawyers against Chief Fortune Charumbira, National Council of Chiefs and Local Government Minister, where the Judge banned all traditional leaders from partisan politics.

Justice Mawadze, sitting at Masvingo High Court ruled further that:

The President of Chiefs Council – Chief Fortune Charumbira, and the National Chiefs Council (representing all 282 Chiefs in Zimbabwe) is banned and prohibited from making further political statements on their involvement or allegiance on any public platform.

All traditional leaders who include chiefs, head persons or village heads as provided in section 280(2) of the Constitution, must not be involved in partisan politics as this is a violation of the right to a free and fair election as provided in section 67 of the Constitution.

Conducting of campaigns on behalf of [any party] by traditional leaders was declared unconstitutional and a violation of the right not to be treated unfairly in a discriminatory manner on bases of political affiliation.

The Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing is ordered to initiate processes to set up the integrity and Ethics Committee as provided in section 287 of the Constitution. The integrity and Ethics Committee is mandated with developing and enforcing integrity and ethical conduct on the part of traditional leaders and to deal with complaints against traditional leaders.

By Talent Gondo| Teachers have threatened to down tools and take to the streets tomorrow (Friday) arguing that government’s offer of increasing their salaries by 15 percent fell far too short of their expectations.

Government had initially offered the teachers a 10 percent increase before increasing the figure to 15 percent, with effect from July 1 2018.

This resolution was agreed at during a meeting between the teachers unions and the employer through the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC).

However, the teachers are not fazed with the offer insisting that the revised figure should be consistent with the poverty datum line (PDL).

The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) issued a statement revealing that they were planning a protest on Friday, dubbed the Red Friday of Rage.

“What the government is offering in not in line with the prevailing economic situation, as the salaries are way below the PDL, which now stands at $720 according to the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe,” said the Artuz.

According to Artuz, the Apex Council, chaired by Cecelia Alexander, let the teachers down during the NJNC, sentiments that were also echoed by the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta).

Zimta’s national secretary-general Tapson Nganunu Sibanda said during the NJNC meeting government negotiators offered to increase salaries by a paltry 15 percent and a rural allowance pegged at five percent.

“Furthermore, government indicated its willingness to pay cash in lieu of leave for the 38 359 teachers with overdue leave days by the 1st of July 2018. However, government was not ready to furnish us with the logistics of how this amount would be paid. We also demanded that government produces a paper detailing the housing project they are offering to workers,” Nganunu said in a letter to members dated May 14, 2018.

“We have maintained that salaries of the least paid teacher in Grade D1 should be pegged way above the PDL, as is the case with other professionals employed by the same government”.

However, the teachers’ body revealed that further engagements were still expected today.

Government has been under pressure from the civil service, who are pushing for better wages and improved working conditions. The lowest paid government worker earns $253 per month.

As a way of trying to improve working conditions for teachers, government last week rescinded its decision to bar teachers from going on vacation leave.

It said teachers who were short changed by the vacation leave ban will be paid cash in lieu for the accrued days effective from July although the payments will be staggered.

The planned protests by the teachers have also been set in motion at a time when the Unemployed Teachers Association of Zimbabwe has written a letter to Education minister Paul Mavhima and the Public Service Commission, demanding recognition.

“We are writing this note with bitter and heavy hearts. It is (has been) long since you recognised us. Each year almost 3 000 qualified teachers are realised into the country adding to the almost 10 000 destitutes. Since 2016, when recruitment was frozen, qualified teachers were wondering from province to province, district to district in anticipation of jobs, but to no avail.

We were surprised when you mentioned us as a reserve army of desperate teachers who are waiting for an opportunity,” the organisation said, threatening to take unspecified action.

“Of late you were saying your government does not have the capacity to recruit more teachers, even though we received the news with pain.

We are asking the government to make arrangements with governments of surrounding nations who are in need of this neglected, committed workforce.

As unemployed teachers we are declaring that, within seven working days upon receipt of this note, failure to address our issues will attract wrath from the legion of unemployed teachers,” the organisation said.

Source:Daily News

By Paul Nyathi|MDC-T National Executive member Job Sikhala has exposed an alleged internal scheme to sabotage party Preaident Nelson Chamisa from winning the elections.

In a sensational Facebook post on Wednesday, Sikhala accuses some senior party members for deliberately suffocating the candidates identification process in order to tarnish Chamisa’s accolades in the electorate.

Writes Sikhala in full:

Hitler new there were back stabbers and Ian Douglas Smith knew there were great betrayers. Some people think we are not seeing their back stabbing and betrayal actions against our young President Nelson Chamisa. These are people who are:

1) Removing other candidates’ names from the contesting panel so that their weak and unwanted surrogates avoid primary elections and stand a chance to stand as a party’s candidate.

2) These are people who want to impose themselves through chicanery knowing well they have got no support. They name drop the President’s name as if they are friends when in actual truth they are not.

3) These are the people who want to build their empire for the future eye of an office. So they are building false fiefdoms through trying to impose those they think are their own and blame shift to the young President.

MDC is a party founded on democracy and all its tenets and material elements. The actions of these people are purely to create a huge constituency of disenchantment from the general membership and supporters of the party so that they become apathetic at the forthcoming national polls, to the disadvantage of our march to freedom.

President Chamisa has now taken a position that no member of the party should be corruptly removed from contesting. I applaud this decision because leaders take positions. That’s why I always agreed with our late leader Morgan Tsvangirai when it comes to taking decisions. No matter how you will disagree with his decision, it did not deter him from taking a decision. Decisions are taken after serious considerations.

The unpopular candidates are currently on the desperate tactics to corruptly get their contestants removed from the race. It will not happen and people will defend their right to have a candidate of their choice to represent the party not removed. I feel pity for the trauma those whose names were removed without explanation are currently going through.

I saw one grown up man collapsing when his name was removed through the chicanery of those contesting against him. The old man is now in psychological trauma that I think he needs counselling. Let everyone interested be given the opportunity to be exposed to the people. Democracy in motion.

By Talent Gondo| MDC Alliance President, Nelson Chamisa has been equated to football legend, Lionel Messi who “is unstoppable”.

The comments came through twitter as citizens responded to  The Herald’s Tuesday edition which had 6 articles on Chamisa.

"Chamisa a bad ambassador for youths"

"Chamisa stays in cloud cuckooland"

"Violence rocks Chamisa's MDC-T"

"Cracks emerge in MDC Alliance"

"Chamisa & Biti: Hubris personified"

"Chamisa expecting victory, yet planning defeat"

All in 1 paper. Welcome to Zim's election season

— C.E Mambo ?? (@cemambo) May 15, 2018

Citizens appreciated The Herald for covering him “excessively” alleging that the Alliance Presidential candidate “had the ball” hence was sending “shivers to President Emmerson Mnangagwa” as the country heads for the watershed polls.7

By Paul Nyathi|The government has told Zimbabweans not panic as the country enters a third day with most filling stations empty of both diesel and petrol.

Minister Of Energy and Energy Development Simon Khaya Moyo has issued a statement assuring the nation that government is attending to the issue as a matter of urgency.

Minister Moyo urged the nation to stop the hoarding of the little fuel currently available.

Most major urban centres have been facing critical fuel shortages since the beginning of the week with long queues beginning to be the order especially in the capital Harare.

Minister Moyo blamed the fuel shortages on foreign currency shortages.

By Paul Nyathi|Children of the war veterans have turned their backs on President Emmerson Mnangagwa vowing that they will make sure that he loses the upcoming elections.

Operating under the banner Children of War Veterans of Zimbabwe Association, the group vowed that they will do everything within their reach to fight to Mnangagwa does not win the elections.

Chairperson of the Association Munyaradzi Shoko told journalists that his Association launched a campaign against Mnangagwa tagged #operationjuntamustfall.

The youthful association accused Mnangagwa of failing to run the country exactly the way former President Robert Mugabe did.

“There is no difference in leadership since Mugabe left,” said Shoko.

“The economy is still as bad as it was before and to make matters worse, the country is now being run by the army and that is not proper,” he said.

The known ZANU PF aligned group said that it will go all out to influence the country to vote against Mnangagwa in the elections set for July or August this year.

Commissioners from the electoral management body, ZEC have unanimously agreed that it is unconstitutional for political parties to be part of the ballot papers procurement process.

Following loud clamours by opposition parties to be included in the process, ZEC commissioners met in Harare on Wednesday to discuss the matter.

ZEC Chairperson, Justice Priscillah Chigumba said the outcome of the meeting was unanimous.

“It was agreed that allowing that to happen would be in violation of the constitution and also impinges on the independence of the electoral body,” she said.

However, the commissioners also unanimously agreed to consider allowing political parties to observe the printing process.

According to Justice Chigumba ZEC will now engage other stakeholders to come up with modalities of how this can be achieved.

Source: zbc  

“There is no evidence that ZEC’s 2018 elections will be credible if nothing changes” writes Don Chigumba

He is of the opinion that the ZEC is likely To Plunge Zimbabwe Into Chaos Before the 2018 Elections. Below is his opinion piece.

By Don Chigumba
I am writing this piece with the aim of appealing to ZANU PF and ZEC to seek wisdom from above before handling sensitive electoral issues.

The procurement/printing of the ballots, inspection of the voters’ roll by an independent body, dropping employees who are also in Zimbabwe’s security organs from ZEC and inclusion of the stakeholders in the process are key issues to a credible, transparent, free and fair poll.

It is evident that the ZANU PF government has totally refused to implement electoral reforms because of the reasons best known to them. The parliament (ZANU PF MPs in particular) are not ready to speed up the implementation of electoral reforms.

I got shocked when some sections of the media quoted ZEC saying that there is no legal provision for it to involve political parties in its procurement process for the ballot paper and printing. Such kind of utterances could have been avoided because they will fuel citizens’ suspicious on the level of transparency and credibility of the 2018 elections. The statement is likely to push opposition followers to their political boiling point.

ZEC should develop skills of handling angry and hungry people for the sake of peace in Zimbabwe. ZEC should know that there is no legal provision that can stop them from involving stakeholders in the election process.

ZEC should be by now working towards neutralizing temper among the opposition forces. The elections body should study carefully their statements before disseminating them for the public consumption.

Why is ZEC not willing to involve its stakeholders in the procurement of ballot papers? If stakeholders are involved, Zimbabweans will be able to share collective accountability and responsibility of the election process and outcome. Such action will definitely ensure that peace prevails in Zimbabwe during and after elections.

The credibility of the next Zimbabwean leader should be rooted in the conduct and process of the 2018 election. ZEC should make sure that the forthcoming harmonised polls are conducted under a transparent, free and peaceful atmosphere.

We cannot risk going into an election where opposition parties are disgruntled. This is not good for a credible poll. The demands by other stakeholders especially opposition should not be taken for granted and ZEC should move fast and address their demands before chaos reigns in our country.

Instead of addressing the demands of opposition parties in Zimbabwe, ZEC is busy adding salt to their injury. The suffering, unemployment and people’s expectations have already reached a boiling point and the government and ZEC should be careful with what they say and do.

There are allegations in the media that Webster Shamu was caught pants down with marked ballot papers in his car during the primary elections of ZANU PF. These allegations are dangerous because if party heavy weights like Shamu (who is a minister) are caught with marked ballot papers, what may stop him/them from tempering with ballot papers for a national election?

ZEC should therefore make sure that all political parties/stakeholders are involved in the procurement of ballot papers. The opposition is afraid of ‘election ballot thieves’ who are ministers and political gurus. If it is true that Shamu was found with marked ballots during the ZANU PF elections, ZEC should be worried and President Mnangagwa should force him to resign.

In conclusion, President Mnangagwa refused to implement the election reforms and ZANU PF MPs boycotted bills for election reforms in parliament.

Today, ZEC is claiming that there is no legal provision for stakeholders to be involved in their procurement process. All these allegations pushed the patience of opposition supporters to their limit and ZEC should take necessary actions to address this situation or accept responsibility in case of chaos and disorder in the country.

They once said ‘people’s voice is the voice of God’. Therefore, ZEC and the government should be worried about the ‘shut down’ threats from the MDC alliance. There is no evidence that ZEC’s 2018 elections will be credible and if nothing changes, Unity Government may not be overruled. ZEC should therefore be condemned now for brewing disaster and chaos.

Don Chigumba is a mixed methods research specialist, can be found on Twitter @Donchigumba

By Paul Nyathi|Prominent Harare businessman and owner of Kurai Coaches Bus Services MacCloud Zvavaviri Mapanga was shot dead by his wife on Monday.

Mapanga died at his Strathaven home in Harare after he was shot by his United Kingdom-based wife, Bridget Makaza, who accused him of marrying a third wife.

Makaza (34), of 56 Kenworth, Coventry in the UK, appeared before Harare magistrate Nyasha Vhitorini on Wednesday facing murder charges.

The matter was remanded to Thursday for bail ruling after her lawyer, Tungamirai Muganiri, unsuccessfully challenged her placement on remand, arguing his client had been detained for more than the stipulated 48 hours before being brought to court .

It is the State’s case that on May 14 this year at around 3am, Makaza who was angry over Mapanga’s decision to marry another wife and drew a pistol before fatally shooting the bus operator three times with a revolver while he was deep in his sleep.

In a bid to cover up the offence, Makaza allegedly screamed for help, claiming they had been attacked by robbers.

Neighbours rushed to the scene following the alleged false alarm, but Makaza drove off and dumped the firearm along Mukuvisi River before proceeding to Mabelreign Police Station, where she filed a robbery report.

Sebastian Mutizirwa appeared for the State.

Source: Newsday

By Paul Nyathi|The Nelson Chamisa led opposition MDC Alliance coalition has expressed displeasure at the British Government’s $100 million benevolence extended to the Zimbabwe government.

The British government this week took the financial world by surprise when it penned a $100 million loan deal with the Zimbabwean government which will see the British release working capital and infrastructure loans to Zimbabwean companies through Standard Bank for the first time in twenty years.

The move has not been received favourable by the MDC Alliance finance and economic official Tendai Biti who feels that it is a mistimed endorsement of the ruling ZANU PF government shortly before the crunch 2018 elections.

Media reports indicate that Biti expressed displeasure with what he sees as the UK’s sudden pro President Emmerson Mnangagwa policies, especially ahead of crunch elections expected in July.

“This attempt to put lipstick on a crocodile is most unfortunate,” The Financial Times of Britain quotes Biti, referring to President Mnangagwa’s crocodile nickname.

“The elections are only a few months away. Let’s see the quality of this election first.” said Biti urging foreign governments to wait bankrolling Zimbabwe until credible elections take place.

President Mnangagwa has been attracting a lot of sympathy from the international community with his promises to hold a credible election this year.

Opposition MDC Alliance coalition officials point out that he was for years a powerful figure in former President Robert Mugabe’s autocratic regime and is leading ZANU PF, the party that has ruled since independence in 1980, into the poll.

Zimbabwe has been starved of foreign loans since it defaulted on its debt to the International Monetary Fund in 2001 following a dispute with the international community over chaotic land redistribution exercise executed by Mugabe and ZANU PF which Mnangagwa is now leading.

Three war veterans from Bulawayo have been arraigned for allegedly breaking into a fellow freedom fighter’s room and stealing property worth more than $1 000.

Casper Sibanda (60), Shadreck Dube (62) and Simon Ngulube (67) are facing unlawful entry and theft charges for breaking into Ms Sinikiwe Siwela (53)’s apartment at Castle Arms Hotel in Richmond suburb.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Sthembiso Ncube who postponed the matter to May 22 for continuation of trial.

Ms Siwela said Sibanda, Dube and Ngulube broke into her house after destroying her padlock while she was in South Africa visiting her son.

“They came into the house and took my bed, plates, lights for the chickens, containers, blankets and clothes,” she said.

Through their lawyer, Ms Taboka Nyathi of Makiya and Partners, the trio said they never broke into the apartment but entered the unlocked room as they had been ordered to do so.
She said the three denied unlawfully entering the premises as Ms Siwela was not at the time entitled to the place due to non-payment of rent.
“They had the authority to use the premises as an office since Ms Siwela unlawfully kept chickens in a dwelling place for people which was against the municipality rules,” Ms Nyathi said.

“The place had no padlock and was unlocked when they occupied it. The alleged stolen property is still at the address where it was abandoned by Ms Siwela and has been kept there since 2017.”
Mr David Maduna who witnessed the incident said Sibanda, Dube and Ngulube did not steal property as alleged by Ms Siwela.

“They came and asked us to assist them in removing the property and we placed it outside the room. I only saw rags and no blankets in the room,” he said.

Prosecuting, Ms Lilian Nkomo alleged that in July last year, the three went to Castle Arms Hotel, broke a padlock and gained entry into Ms Siwela’s apartment where they stole the property worth $1 136. – state media

State Media – Police in Bulawayo have arrested a suspected murderous robber who is part of a three-man gang linked to armed robbery and murder incidents in the city and Matabeleland North.

The gang allegedly carjacked two Honda Fit drivers in Bulawayo and killed them in cold blood before stealing their vehicles.

Police have linked the same gang to a third robbery and killing at a shop in Inyathi.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango said detectives using their internal intelligence unit gathered information that Fred Dube (40), one of the suspects in the robberies and killings was hiding at his rural home.

They raided Dube’s homestead in Nothi village in Lower Gweru on Friday and recovered material connecting him to the murder and carjacking of two Honda Fit drivers in Bulawayo in March.

She said one of Dube’s accomplices, Never Mpofu, was arrested last month and a third member of the gang, Thinkwell Moyo, is still on the run.

“Police investigations have led to the arrest of the second suspect linked to the carjacking, robbery and murder of three people in Bulawayo and Inyathi in Matabeleland North.

“Two of the murders occurred in Bulawayo where Honda Fit drivers were killed in Killarney suburb and near McDonald Bricks in Cement Siding,” she said.

In Killarney, the gang allegedly killed Tinashe Hunyanyiwa (32) and got away with the Honda Fit he was driving.

Insp Simango said the Hunyanyiwa’s Honda Fit is yet to be recovered.

She said Dube, on being arrested, developed an epileptic seizure and fell unconscious.

“He was referred to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) where he has been admitted.

The police spokesperson said detectives recovered material that links Dube to the triple homicide cases.

“He was found in possession of a laptop, mats for Honda Fit vehicles and a cellphone tablet that was stolen in a robbery and murder incident that occurred in Inyathi,” said Insp Simango.

She appealed for information that could lead to Moyo’s arrest.

“We believe he is very dangerous and may even commit more crimes. We are calling on people who may have information that may lead to his arrest to come forward. Those with information on his whereabouts should contact any nearest police station,” said Insp Simango.

She urged motorists to install trackers on their vehicles to make it easy to locate them once they are stolen.- state media

The Mash West Minister Webster Shamu today told ZimEye.com he is very popular having won the ZANU PF primaries twice within days. SEE INTERVIEW –

Below are the results from the just ended primary re runs which also show his wife, topping the table:

MPs
Shamu Webster. 3373
Musengi vengai 1808
Murombedzi Julius 1059
Spoiled 144
Total votes 6384

Women’s qouta
Shamu constance 1520
Chasi nyarai 1099
Bhobho Hilda 211
Spoiled 206
Total cast 3036

By Paul Nyathi|As the 2018 election draws closer, the ruling ZANU PF which is enjoying a monopoly of the state run national broadcasters has all but extended its election campaign mouthpiece through the introduction of the Zimpapers run television to be launched soon.

Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) Ltd was granted the television broadcasting licence by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ).

This makes the government run media house the first and only media house in the country with a footprint in publishing and digital, radio broadcasting, printing and packaging and now television broadcasting.

Zimpapers Group had already set up Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN) as a production house where it has been producing mostly political documentaries featuring ZANU PF and liberation war events.

The ruling party currently enjoys use of the only television channel, ZBC TV to cover all its election campaign rallies and programmes.

Political analyst and critic Hopewell Chinono described the issuance of a content distribution television license to Zimpapers as a monumental terrible joke.

“The Government of Zimbabwe can’t continue playing this game where it gives broadcast licenses to its surrogates and expect this to be called media reformation,” he wrote on Facebook.

“It shows lack of foresight and creativity by those in charge of the media “repressive” section of the Government of Zimbabwe.”

President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently indicated that his government is not yet ready to open up the airwaves and will only do so after the elections.

By Paul Nyathi|MDC-T Harare West legislator Ms Jessie Majome says that members of her party youth league have told her to quit parliament and retire to the rural areas and herd donkeys.

Speaking in a very emotional interview on Capital Talk Radio on Tuesday evening, Majome said that she is very touched by the insults and abuse she is getting from members of the party she has served for most of her adult life.

Majome last week announced that she was pulling out of the party primary elections pitting her against 24 year old Joanna Mamombe for the Harare West Constituency seat.

She cited huge electoral irregularities in the party’s electoral system as her reason for pulling out of the primary election.

Majome who claims to have since acceded to calls by the Harare West Constituents to stand as an independent candidate says some party officials were saying she was old and must go herd donkeys in the village. She likened the abuse she is getting to a form of political violence.

In the interview Majome said the MDC-T youths had created a WhatsApp group which they used to continuously attack her.

“I have experienced incredible abuse on social media particularly WhatsApp run in some quarters in the party. It seems like youths chauvinism,” she said.

“I have very malicious accusations. For example, they say I am old and must ship out. One of my competitors is a 24- year-old girl. They say you are old, get out and go. They say chembere ngadziende kumusha dzindofudza madhongi.”

Ms Majome said ironically, at 46, she belonged to the same generation as Mr Chamisa and was wondering why she was deemed “too old”.

“Chamisa is young and is 40 years old. I am six years older than him. I am of that generation. How is it that when it comes to Jessie Majome she is old and must herd donkeys wherever?”

She also said some party officials were saying she had been MP for 10 years and must give others a chance.

Majome said there were other senior party officials like Mr Tapiwa Mashakada and Mr Innocent Gonese, who had been MPs for over 10 years.

Majome also confirmed ZimEye.com’s revelations that the MDC-T President Nelson Chamisa has been pressured by party leaders to engage with her not to contest as an independent candidate.

She said a senior official in Mr Chamisa’s office, Sessel Zvidzai, phoned and indicated that he wanted to meet her.

Majome also confirmed that party chairman Morgan Komichi, also sought audience with her and they had a discussion.

“After hearing the news of my decision, Mr Morgan Komichi approached me. I availed myself to him because I respect the party leadership.

“Mr Komichi gave me an opportunity to explain myself while he listened. After the discussion, he indicated that he would get back to me,” she said.

Ms Majome said she was still MDC-T and was ready for dialogue.

“I am MDC-T. That is my party. I love it dearly. I am not fighting my party. I do want my party to succeed in the election and I am open for dialogue,” she said.

By Paul Nyathi|The Mayor of Harare Councillor Ben Manyenyeni has been humiliated by the City of Harare authorities after the city removed a public toilet he had set up in a hurried deal in the city centre.

The Mayor lamented the City’s move in a facebook post on his official page on Wednesday morning. Manyenyeni felt the humiliation requires for city mayors to be accorded executive powers to avoid such incidents.

Wrote the Mayor:

When we say the City needs an Executive Mayor (as in all PROPER dispensations!) you people don’t seem to appreciate the agony of doing even the most obvious of things.

I drove past NBS Bank yesterday morning and I stopped when I saw these crowds who have been in the queue for up to 4 days – to get pension money out of our cashless banks.

In discussions with long-suffering pensioners they begged for toilet facilities.

I knew very well that a city council “solution” would take FOREVER so I called long-standing friend Philip Mataranyika of the robust Nyaradzo Group for a Corporate Social Responsibility-SOS from their vibrant Sahwira Events company.

It took less than three minutes for him to say they would dispatch a mobile toilet immediately for a week and they did.

Our job, our gap, their kind help.

I drove past this morning – NO mobile toilet but my driver swore he actually saw it in place yesterday.

They have been chased away by council – they must apply for a licence!!

We are so so competent and compliant when we avoid what’s necessary.

When I said in my State of the City Address in April Harare City Council needs a sjambok this is the kind of crap that needs a sjambok.

STUPID……no apology.

Thank you, Sahwira Events and thank you, Nyaradzo Holdings.

By Paul Nyathi|A 61 year old man who was being accused of stealing more than R10 million from a company he was working for in South Africa was on Tuesday acquitted of the charges against him.

Reginald Bernstein (61), originally from Bulawayo but residing at 30 Canterbury, Avondale could not believe it when a Victoria Falls magistrate Rangarirayi Gakanje cleared him to go home as a free man.

Gakanje ruled that there were no compelling reasons to have him extradited to South Africa for trial after the State failed to prove its case.

Bernstein had been in custody for about eight weeks following his arrest in March, as his lawyer Mr Givemore Mvhiringi of Mvhiringi and Associates challenged the extradition.

Discharging him, the magistrate said: “Both the State and their counterparts in South Africa failed to produce enough evidence to this court to prove that the accused committed the offence. There were no witnesses who were brought to testify against the accused. The defence said that the accused was authorised by the company he was working for to cause payment to First National Bank and there was no one who came to this court to dispute all this,” said Ms Gakanje.

The magistrate said the court also considered that the State failed to produce certified documents or an affidavit as required for extradition in terms of Section 32 and Section 25 of Extradition Act Chapter 9:08.

“I therefore do hereby discharge the accused and order his release from custody with immediate effect,” said Ms Gakanje.

The State’s case was that Bernstein allegedly stole some money from his employer in neighbouring South Africa.

“Between April 7, 2009 and November 27, 2015 and at Danger Golf Estate in Gauteng Province, the accused took cash amounting to R4 214 177,52 which belonged to Dainfern Golf Estate and Country Club Home Owners Association. During the same period, he misrepresented that he was authorised to cause payment to be effected to First National Bank of South Africa for maintenance work and defrauded the company of R6 616 172,39,” prosecutors alleged.

By Talent Gondo| Youth wings from various political parties have merged in a new joint initiative which is set to be revealed to the world this morning (Wednesday).

Representatives from the Youth Wings of the political parties listed below will at 10:30 am issue a joint press statement:

(i) ZANU PF, (ii) MDC-T, (iii) ZAPU, (iv) NPP, (v) MDC and (vi) Transform Zimbabwe (TZ).  

ZimEye will be live streaming events as they unfold on our Facebook Page.Follow and Like Us there.

Subscribe for our Facebook Live updates.

In a case of precedents, a sitting magistrate has ordered a minor to pay $30 maintenance.

The Mutare based magistrate, Nyasha Kuture slapped the 17-year-old minor to pay $30 per month maintenance for his child.

The teenager cannot be named for legal reasons.

He had pleaded with the court offering to pay $20 per month as he said he was unemployed after impregnating the mother, Chance Choronga (18).

Choronga sued the teenager saying he was not contributing to the child’s upkeep.

She told the court she was left with no other option than to seek legal recourse.

There was drama when the male teenager had told the court he had been forced to be intimate with Choronga by the complainant’s mother.

But in another contrary witness statement, he later told the court he was in love with Choronga and begged her to come back home. He said, “I love this woman your worship. I am asking her in front of the court that she returns home so that we can be a family again.”

 

By Paul Nyathi|Following the surprise allowances back pay to government nurses, doctors and nurses have also come trailblazing on government demanding processing of their own outstanding payments.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe Obert Masaraure declared in an interview on Tuesday that the teachers have been irked into action by the payments made to the nurses.

Masaraure said that the teachers have rejected the 15% salary increase offered to them by the government demanding that salaries be pegged on the poverty datum line.

The teachers are also demanding for an immediate payment of their outstanding cash in lieu of leave.

“We are disturbed that the government decides to easily listen to nurses but turn a blind eye to the teachers,” he said.

Masaraure warned that the teachers will definitely be going on a mass job action anytime to cement their grievances to government.

The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association spokesperson Dr Mxolisi Ngwenya has also raised concerns that government has failed to stick terms agreed on at the end of their one month job education in April.

Speaking in an interview on Tuesday Ngwenya said that the government failed to settle the dues as agreed but have been able to settle the nurses due.

Dr Ngwenya said that government through the Health Services Board paid their salaries in April as agreed but failed to stick to the agreement in May.

Ngwenya warned that the doctors will do anything possible to push the Health Services Board to release their payments immediately.

By Paul Nyathi|Shocked nurses who got an unexpected windfall from government have been assured to use the money without fear as there is no mistake from government.

Government employed nurses on Monday received lump sum payments of up to $5 000 as payment of outstanding allowances leaving some of them in disbelief of the “huge” amounts of money deposited into their accounts.

“Do not use the money before getting clarification. It might be a mistake. The moment the Ministry (of Health and Child Care) realises the error, you may be garnished and go up to next year without getting paid,” warned a nurse in a WhatsApp chat group.

Speculation was thrown around with the major source of confusion being the huge differences in the amounts individual nurses received.

However, Ministry of Health and Child Care permanent secretary Retired Major General Dr Gerald Gwinji yesterday allayed the fears saying the payments were in order.

He said nurses should not be afraid to spend the money as it was what the Government owed them.

“The amounts reflected in some of our nurses’ personal accounts are not at all out of order. A lot of our nurses were wrongly assimilated when Government rationalised the Civil Service between 2008 and 2009,” said Dr Gwinji.

“Most were placed in grades below where they should have been resulting in their being prejudiced of the correct level of remuneration including allowances like housing and transport from 2010 until early this year. So cumulatively they were owed money by Government.”

Dr Gwinji said nurses who retired or resigned recently after having served during the period, were likely to get the money as well.

“It’s only technically sound to address the issue of retired nurses who were working during the period and Government may pay them as well.

“With the finalisation of this corrective exercise SSB has begun a phased approach to pay off these accumulated shortfalls, for some running into several thousand dollars given the time under prejudice. Recipients should therefore not be afraid to utilise their earnings. However if anyone is in doubt they can always approach our Human Resources Departments to get the necessary assurances,” said Dr Gwinji.

“I got $5 200 in my account and I am not sure where it came from. We just decided to first wait because this was unexpected,” said one of the nurses.

“We did receive different amounts of money and we are not yet sure what criterion was used. Some of my juniors received more money compared to what I got and we hope to get clarity from the Health Services Board,” said another one who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Letter to Conte Mhlanga By Gary Thwala Jackson|May I greet and honour you as the Godfather of arts in Zimbabwe. I hope you and your family are in good health noma nje kuvunguza umoya womqando okungathelela abantu umvimbano lengubhane.

You may wonder who I am but let me introduce myself before I dive into a message I would like to convey to you. Ngizalwa eGwanda, Matshetsheni lijaha lakoThwala lentombi yakoNcube kodwa nje seyasitshiya. Ngilizibulo khehla kanti ukhona umzukulu egumeni yena ngamethesa ibizo elithi Travis Nhlanhla Thwala. Ngelanywa yintombazane uNomaswazi Sicelo Thwala besekuyimuli yangakithi nje leyo.

I penned this letter after I read with disbelief from so many publications what you “claimed” about the Legend uBaba uLovemore Magee Majaivana. May I say I was young when I came to know and listen to his very popular music of which all of his songs are still a hit with Zimbabweans from all walks of life and as a matter of fact I play his music on social media and not even a single time will I do a show without his songs being requested. For you mntomdala to claim if the Legend comes he will not even fill McDonald Wall is not true. Angitsho ukuthi lilamanga Baba uMhlanga kodwa ngithi elikukhulumileyo akusilo qiniso, that was far fetched. We may agree the Legend did have not that much support but we know exactly the circumstances he operated under and at that point in time his followers including myself did not have the mentality we now have hence the demand for his comeback to perfoming.

Kungizwise ubuhlungu when you even advised that he does not come back toEmagumeni, kusani lokhu? Sokunguwe oxotsha abantu ekhaya yini because that is where inkaba yakhe ekhona and his fans miss him but a man of your stature have the guts to say such reckless ill thought statements. Baba uMhlanga it is very important as an influential arts guru that you mind what you say about fellow artists. We understand you might have had an intention to warn/alert him on the situation on the ground but you seem to have gone too far. It is even embarrassing for you to claim people waited until after Mapfumo performed in Zimbabwe before they suggested Magee comes. You choose to worship Mukanya by means of talking down on us kodwa khehla! Have you taken a shower in the same waters Enos Nkala did? For your own info people have always tried to get him to perform in the diaspora and back home many times. A fellow artist that you may be familiar with Madlela Skhobokhobo Power even recorded a video in an effort to get Magee to heed the call and go back on stage and wow his fans. A lot of promoters have publicly made a call to try and convince him to perform unfortunately he has turned down their pleas.

We know for a fact usukhulile sibili kunganjani uzibe kancane ukukhuluma ngezinye izinto kumbe ubuze ungakawuvuli. I am a hardcore fan of yourself and Magee as such I feel obliged to respond for okungasiloqiniso okukhulumileyo kodwa akusomanga ngoba abadala vele akutshiwo ukuthi balamanga noma bekhulume okungamanga. Aluhlaza tshoko! ……….ngitsho amahlamvu ezihlahla khehla!*

By Paul Nyathi|Police in Bulawayo have arrested a second woman in a case involving trafficking of cocaine valued at over $300 000.

26 year old South African based Kwanele Sibanda was picked up by detectives in the streets of Bulawayo on a tip off after she sneaked into the country to follow up the arrest of her collegue Tholiwe Tshuma last month.

Sibanda allegedly sent Tshuma to collect 3,14kgs of cocaine with an estimated street value of $314 300 on her behalf at Bulawayo Post Office while she was in South Africa last month.

She was not asked to plead to charges of dealing in dangerous drugs before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Sheunesu Matova.

The magistrate advised her to look for a lawyer and remanded her in custody to May 28 saying the State had provided solid reasons to remand her in custody.

“For today, the State has managed to furnish me with compelling reasons to remand you in custody,” he said.

Prosecuting, Mr Tawurai Hondoyemoto opposed bail saying Sibanda could flee the country and abscond court as she had been using an expired passport in the neighbouring country.

“The accused person is a Zimbabwean who has been residing in South Africa for the past 10 years. Her Zimbabwean passport expired and she did not bother to renew it. The information at hand is that she came to the country by means of border jumping and she might not come to court as she managed to enter the country without proper documents,” he said.

Sibanda said she had a passport, but it had expired hence she intended to renew it in Harare.

“I have a passport though it has expired and it is not true that I have been in South Africa for 10 years. I have never seen the cocaine or dealt with it,’ she said.

The prosecutor said on April 11 this year, Sibanda contacted Tshuma who is already on remand and asked her to collect the cocaine on her behalf.

“Sibanda phoned Tshuma and told her to collect 3,143kg of cocaine from Bulawayo Post Office and forward it to South Africa where she would receive it,” the prosecutor said.

The court heard that Tshuma was stopped and searched by the detectives and was found in possession of cocaine weighing 3,143kg with a street value of $314 300.

Tshuma will be back in court on June 1.

Her lawyer Ms Taboka Nyathi of Makiya and Partners said Tshuma was not aware that the parcel contained cocaine and was only told that she was supposed to receive fabrics and forward them to South Africa hence she submitted her details.

State Media- MDC-T is today expected to announce constituencies where it will hold primary elections before Saturday following its aspiring candidates’ failure to reach consensus in the constituencies.

The party recently resolved not to hold primary elections opting for consensus building to avoid tensions and violence in the party.

However, even its consensus building process where aspiring candidates had to agree among themselves degenerated into violence and protests by some party members.

MDC-T acting national chairman Mr Morgen Komichi yesterday said: “Where consensus building process failed to produce a single candidate the party will release constituencies where internal polls will be held.”

He said on Saturday May 19 the party should have completed the selection exercise. “We expect to be done collecting data by the end of tomorrow,” he said.

Mr Komichi said in Matabeleland region the party is set to hold primary elections in about nine constituencies.

“In Matabeleland North only two constituencies are going for primaries and that is Hwange Central and Hwange West.

“In Bulawayo I need to get my facts right but we had five constituencies reaching consensus and in Matabeleland South we have three that are going for primaries. We had consensus in Gwanda North and Bulilima,” said Mr Komichi.
In Bulawayo the party is set to go for primary elections in Magwegwe, Entumbane-Emakhandeni, Bulawayo South and Pelandaba-Mpopoma constituencies.

In Matabeleland South he said MDC-T will hold primary elections in Umzingwane constituency but did not reveal the other two, saying he did not have details off hand.

Mr Komichi said in the Midlands the party had consensus in Zvishavane-Ngezi and Shurugwi North among other areas.

He said although the party did not reach consensus in all the constituencies he considers the process a success although it needs improving on.

“This is a new practice. Consensus building has not been done before. But it is giving quite encouraging results. I have witnessed so many Members of Parliament who have agreed on a common candidate and councillors agreeing on a common candidate,” said Mr Komichi.

“It’s a process that we need to improve and build on. It’s a new form of democracy which we are nurturing in our party, it lowers the level of tension. It’s quite good. I like it.” – state media

THE founder and leader of Bread of Life Ministries in Bulawayo who disobeyed a court order to pay maintenance is in arrears of $1 858 and has dragged his ex-wife to the Maintenance Court seeking a downward variation from $250 to $30.
Last year when Pastor Muvirimi was ordered to pay $250 for the upkeep of two minor children he refused saying he was poor and could not afford the amount. He left the court in a huff without collecting bank account details for his ex-wife, Ms Dudzai Kurehwandishe, to deposit the money.

Pastor Muvirimi appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Sheunesu Matova seeking a downward variation from $250 to $30 a month.

“You worship, I don’t have a fixed salary. I rely on tithes and offerings from the congregants. The problem is that there are a few congregants in my church. If you ask the congregants to pay tithes and offerings they run away from the church because times are hard and money is difficult to come by. These days offerings are hard to come by. I rely on the church and I don’t have any other source of income. I cannot afford $250, if the money is reduced to $30 I will be able to pay it,” he said.

His ex-wife Ms Kurehwandishe rejected the offer of $30.
“He gets a lot of money from tithes, offerings and the pastor’s basket. The last time we were before this honourable court he said he did not have any money and I conducted
investigations only to find out he was lying. $30 is insufficient for two children, I know he can afford $250 and he is lying in court. He recently travelled to Nigeria and he has re-married which is proof he can afford the money I am claiming,” she said.

The court papers show that Pastor Muvirimi is in arrears of $1 858 as he has been defaulting since March 2017 and the couple agreed out of court that he will pay $30 towards the arrears.

“I agree that I am in arrears of $1 858 and I have agreed with Ms Kurehwandishe that I will pay $30 a month towards the arrears from March 2018,” read the court papers.

He said he wanted the money for the upkeep of his children to be reduced to $30 to allow him to pay up the arrears.

Mr Matova varied the money from $250 to $200 a month and ordered Pastor Muvirimi to clear the arrears. – state media

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, cancelled his presser slated for Tuesday morning.

Chamisa it was hoped, was going to address the thorny matter of the Jessie Majome – Joana Mamombe debacle. He instead released the below article issue:

From London to Marange with love

Introduction
It was a tumultuous week in week in which I interacted with Zimbabweans in the United Kingdom and came back home to Zimbabwe where I spoke to the young and the old in rural Buhera, Makoni and Marange all in Manicaland province.

From London to Zimbabwe, I interacted with fellow Zimbabweans all brimming with hope and optimism for the country they so much love. For those talented and professional Zimbabweans in the United Kingdom, it was sad that they were slugging it out in foreign lands because of lack of opportunities back home.

We pledge to correct that situation when we form the next government in the next few months.

For those in Zimbabwe, they are holding out their hope that their vote for the MDC-T Alliance in the next few months will positively change their fortune.
Zimbabweans have waited too long for positive change and they rightly believe this is their year.

We will not fail them.

A heartening spirit in London
I was in London for the better part of last week where I addressed think-tanks, met with ordinary Zimbabweans and interacted with the government and the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

I also had the opportunity with investors and business people.

I was heartened by the spirit of Zimbabweans who, though away from home, retain a positive spirit about better prospects for the country. I addressed a mammoth crowd in Bedford and assured Zimbabweans that we are determined to correct things in the next few months so that they can be able to come back home.

We told the proper script to the UK government about where we are as a country and that they should join the rest of the international country in calling for a free, fair and credible election so that a legitimate government can begin to transact the affairs of the country.

We had occasion to discuss a host of issues with the UK government. In particular, we took the opportunity to thank both the government and the people for their role s an inexhaustible fountain of charity and solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe in their struggle for democracy, the colonial period notwithstanding.

We also took the opportunity to commit ourselves to re-engagement on an equal platform and to the readmission of Zimbabwe into the family of nations.

We underscored the need for Zimbabwe to return to legitimacy through free and fair elections. We further requested the UK government to have a clear definition of what constitutes a free and fair election, complete with clear benchmarks and standards against which an assessment of the credibility of the election can be measured.

We also underscored the importance of the scaffolding and stewardship of the transition in Zimbabwe to ensure that the process is guaranteed by credible bodies for the subsistence and sustenance of peace before, during and after the elections.

We also emphasized that the UK government and others in the international community must guard against being hoodwinked into believing in the empty rhetoric of free and fair elections without the attendant tangibles to validate those claims on the ground.

From Buhera to Marange
On Saturday, I addressed a rally at Murambinda growth point in Buhera West. Just like elsewhere in the country, the land of Buhera is still shaken following the loss of a national icon and a gallant fighter for democracy, our late leader Dr. Morgan Richard Tsvangirai, who was born in the area.

Zimbabwe is a country of heroes and heroines; a cradle of fighters prepared to pay the ultimate price for their liberty and freedoms. I told the people of Buhera about the thousands who lost their lives during the liberation struggle. I reminded them of other heroes in the struggle for democracy who came from the area such as the late president Tsvangirai as well as talent Mabika and Tichaona Chiminya who were brutally murdered in post-independent Zimbabwe.

The weather-beaten people of Buhera for better prospects in the country, Justas the people at Rukweza business centre in Makoni South, where I addressed another huge crowd on Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday, I had the occasion to address the despondent people of Marange; this rich land of alluvial diamonds that was ravaged by a corrupt and avaricious government that spirited away billions of dollars leaving a hopeless and forlorn people with nothing to show for the wealth that god gave them.

Manicaland depicts a sad national story. This is the site of the once-famous Kondozi, the land known for its rich Tanganda fields and the rich diamond pickings that are all a heart-rending story of the past.

We need to bring back the glory days of Manicaland; days where the entirety of Zimbabwe was a land of grandeur and splendor.

In this rich land where diamonds were spirited away is a derelict infirmary called St Andrews hospital. Given this richness of the land, one would have expected to see a well-equipped modern hospital but alas; all we saw was a struggling health institution with no staff and no drugs in this supposedly rich land of plenty.

I had the opportunity to hold prayers with some of the infirmary’s patients and staff after hearing horrendous stories about the challenges that the hospital faces. The challenges include accommodation challenges, poor remuneration of staff, lack of drugs and other ancillaries as well as dilapidated infrastructure.

I also took the opportunity of my presence in the area to interact with community leaders in the area.

I had inspiring moments with him and other community leaders in the area.

Later, I heard a very sad story about the collapsed infrastructure in the area and how minister Chris Mushowe, who comes from the area, ensured that there was a tarred road only up to his homestead.

The people there said the “honourable” Minister at one time removed a transformer from the area after he was defeated by the MDC-T’s Shua Mudiwa in 2008.

This is the calibre of leaders that continue to drop off the decrepit Zanu PF conveyer belt of “national” leaders!

Come the next election, we pledge to end this wanton tale of selfishness; this distressing yarn of inept leadership that continues to curse our land.

Our incoming government will infuse new hope and optimism in the lives of the long-suffering people of Zimbabwe.

Our track record speaks for itself.

One Zimbabwe, one people.
One Zimbabwe, one future.
One Zimbabwe, one vision.
God bless Zimbabwe.
God bless Africa
Behold the new!

By Staff Reporter| Zanu Pf stalwarts in Mazowe West constituency reportedly boycotted the party’s primary elections re-run for the women’s quota in protest that their complains against election irregularities which saw Kazembe Kazembe romp to victory had not been addressed.

Zanu PF ordered for a re-run of its primaries in 15 constituencies countrywide after an outcry of massive rigging and voting irregularities which saw President Emmerson Mnangagwa describe the primary elections as “shambolic”.

Similar and serious such irregularities were reported in Mazowe West where the siting Member of Parliament, Kazembe Kazembe was accused of perpetrating violence against his strongest contender, Tafadzwa Musarara’s supporters.

Party supporters from Mazowe West constituency who spoke on condition of anonymity said they were surprised to hear the party announcing an election re-run in the women’s quota which “had not” raised any complaints.

In protest, Zanu Pf supporters boycotted the rerun with only a handful of people casting their ballots (Monday).

“There is nothing to vote for because our grievances were on the MP’s because that is where there were gross irregularities and we thought that the party was going to conduct a re-run for the legislator,” said one man at Ceaser mine where only 62 people voted.

“We are going to play the “bhora musango” if they do not reverse this decision .Why can’t they give us the chance to elect the candidates we want?” said another Zanu PF supporter at Concession who confirmed boycotting the election rerun.

The supporters said they wanted to meet the President and raise their grievances.

“We are want to see the President and tell him that we are going to spoil the ballot come national election day because of this kind of dictatorship which we thought had died when Robert Mugabe was kicked out,” added Sheila Dube.

Contacted for comment, Zanu PF political commissar Engelbert Rugeje said he was going to call for a press conference later today (Tuesday) to announce the results of all the 15 constituencies where re-runs were conducted.

Zanu Pf supporters from Mazowe West last week thronged  their party headquarters and demanded to see President Mnangagwa over what they said were violations of the electoral processes within their constituency by Kazembe, who is the chairperson for Mashonaland Central.

Reports said Mnangagwa pleaded with the protesters promising them that they were going to be afforded another chance to vote.

The supporters alleged that hundreds of them did not vote because Kazembe had pulled their names out of the voters’ roll, an allegation which Kazembe dismissed.

“I do not have time for that. Those allegations are not true,” he said.

By Talent Gondo| War veterans Spokesperson, Douglas Mahiya has reportefly lost the primary elections rerun to Tongai Mnangagwa.

Unconfirmed reports says Mahiya garnered 1 794 votes while Mnangagwa got 2 590 of the total 8 091 votes.

Chipinge Central’s Raymond Machingura has romped to victory after he garnered 3 039 votes against contenders Dorothy Mabika who garnered 2 589 votes, Sherperd Mutingwende who got 783 votes and Moses Tasa who got 294 votes.

In Chipinge South, Enock Porusingazi got 9 600 votes while rivals Wilson Tarugarira Khumbula got 1 900, Angelina Hobwana 400 votes and Pikani Bhila got a paltry 16.

Find below some of the election results as they trickle in:

MPs HARARE SOUTH

1. Tongai MNANGAGWA —2590

2. Douglas MAHIYA—1794

3. Maxwell MUNONDO- 988

4.Tonderai NKOMO—694

5.Leonard TARWIREI—651

6Nyasha MADZAMBA—620

7. Kingstone GUDYANGA—361

8. Monday MUGWISI-116

9.Reclif CHIKWENHURE—98

10.Paul MAFIMINI—55

11.Henry ZIWERERE—50

12. Peter MATAMBO—45

Spoilt—29

Total cast—8091

SENATORIAL :

1.Edith KAGORO—3310

2.Godfrey GIJIMA—3089

3. Samuel MAKUREYA—2403

4.Concilia DZITIRO—1898

5.Jaqueline GUJIMA—1260

6.Tapera MAVENYENGWA—1104

Spoilt—295

Total cast—13064

WOMEN’s QUOTA:

1.Miriam CHIKUKWA —4130

2.Memory MAMHIYO—1981

3.Rudo Loire CHITSA—1068

4. Concilia MASUKUMA—767

5. Sarudzai MATSA—318

6.Gladys TUKUNYU—276

Spoilt —81

Total cast—8540

Chipinge Central
Cde Raymore Machingura 3039
Cde Dorothy Mabika 2589
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Cde Moses Tasa 294