Ray Nkosi | There has been a social media uproar over the presence of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo’s sons in China.
In what social media critics described as ‘Babies Day Out’ the two boys were pictured together with their friends with the Zimbabwe delegation in China, bringing back memories of the former President Robert Mugabe and his family abusing such trips for selfish ends.
Zanu PF politician Nick Mangwana has attempted to explain what really was going on.
Regarding Minister SB Moyo’s son and Collins Mnangagwa, it is my understanding that the 2 live in China and naturally they went to meet up with their parents. They did not fly with their parents on taxpayers’ tab.
Poverty hit Zanu PF MPs are reported to be sweating to raise US$600 ‘subscription fees’ for party membership over the past five years.
The legislators are reported to have cited “financial challenges due to the current economic problems characterised by a chronic liquidity crunch and cash shortages.”
The weekily Independent quotes potential candidates saying; “We had just come from submitting our CVs (curriculum vitae) at Davies Hall (Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial offices), but we were shocked to be told that we have to pay US$600 each for the last five years or we will not be able to contest in the party’s primaries,” one MP complained. “Should this happen, we will be unable to seek re-election in our constituencies during the forthcoming general elections.”
Another legislator said the move was unacceptable, as this now amounted to a ploy by the provincial leadership to elbow them out of their seats, so as to impose preferred candidates or those with money.
Zanu PF is expected to fight for its parliamentary dominance against a resurgent MDC Alliance and motley groupings of fringe political parties involved in the polls.
“This is a very clear strategy of exclusion,” the MP said.
“They want us to fail to pay so that they can they put their own people in our constituencies. They know that most of us are unable to pay such amounts and they see this as an opportunity to sneak in their friends and allies.”
Checks by the Independent showed that most of the legislators were relying on parliamentary allowances for their sustenance. Some of them have no independent means of survival, making the allowances their only source of livelihood.
“If you check, most of these MPs are unemployed. Some of them are retired; others are ex-liberation fighters. They have been relying on parliamentary allowances to sustain their lives and families. Now if you ask them to pay US$600, they can’t afford that,” a senior Zanu PF official in Bulawayo said.
“The party’s commissariat needs to carefully look at this issue and resolve it otherwise the party will lose elections here because of these electoral barriers and effectively imposed or moneyed candidates.”
In an interview yesterday, Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial secretary for administration, Elphas Mashaba, said the money being demanded from the legislators was not exclusively from them alone but all party members. He added the money was part of a systems re-introduction programme at the party.
“It is funny that some people see this as a ploy to exclude them from their seats,” Mashaba said.
“What we have done as a party is that we have said in Bulawayo, for instance, we need to put in place administrative systems. These are necessary systems for the functionality of the party.
“Part of the systems require that members update their membership. For all general members, for example, one is expected to pay one dollar per month, which is US$12 a year, hence US$60 for the last five years.
“For other senior provincial members, those in the politburo and central committee members, the monies differ according to the different levels and positions one occupies; that is how we get US$600, which covers the last five years.”
Mashaba said payment of subscription fees by party members was a show of commitment to the party. He said those that would have failed to pay the subscriptions would be dealt with according to the party’s laid down procedures.
“We have a circular from the party’s commissariat which deals with these issues. Anyone who fails to pay will have to be dealt with through provisions in the circular.
Disqualification of any candidate on the basis of failing to pay his or her subscription is something that we will have to look at as a party, but in line with the dictates of the circular from the administration department.
MDC president Nelson Chamisa is disgusted by the deployment of soldiers in the rural areas, challenging the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to investigate and deal with the matter.
The local Daily News reports that this comes after a former army brigadier, Ambrose Mutinhiri, who quit Zanu PF last month to protest the removal of former president Robert Mugabe, claimed that at least 5 000 soldiers have been deployed to rural areas ahead of elections in July. The army has refused to comment on the allegations.
Addressing journalists at the party headquarters, Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House in the capital, the MDC Alliance presidential candidate said both his party and the ruling Zanu PF supporters were reporting that members of the military were demanding voter registration slip serial numbers.
“I can confirm to you that we are receiving reports of people who are probably masquerading as the army and most of them are under what are called champion farmers while some are called commissars,” Chamisa told reporters.
He also alleged that others were intimidating villagers masquerading as Agritex officers in various wards countrywide.
“We are in the process of compiling the list of names of the individuals, they are stationed in the villages. Some are under the auspices of Agritex officers and they are across the over 1 958 wards in the country.
“It is incumbent upon the Zec to ensure they deal with the issue of the so-called ‘boys on leave’. We need to establish why they are in the villages and now they are coordinating serial numbers and marshalling traditional leaders into that process which is a violation of the Constitution and it’s a big issue.
“They are telling people that they are going to repeat what they did in 2008 and we all know what happened.”
There was a brutal response to former president Mugabe and the ruling Zanu PF’s loss in general elections in March 2008 that saw the ruling party launching a campaign of violence against MDC activists and supporters, mobilising a system of repression and violent intimidation marked by widespread abuses, including killings, torture, beatings, looting, and burning of property. At least 200 people were killed and some 5 000 were tortured or beaten, with tens of thousands more displaced by the violence, which eventually forced the winner of the first round of polls Morgan Tsvangirai, now late, to withdraw from the poll, leaving Mugabe to declare himself the winner of the one-man contest.
Chamisa urged Zec to take immediate steps to prevent a repeat of 2008 political violence in mid-year elections.
“They are telling traditional leaders that if Chamisa wins they are all going to be dismissed. There is now polling station-based intimidation, it has been localised because we are doing polling station-based voting,” Chamisa told the news conference.
“What is surprising is that Mnangagwa has not said anything about the abuse yet he is aware of it. We have brought it to his attention but he has not responded and this is what worries us because he is a lawyer himself but he has not uttered a word. What he has only told us is that Zimbabwe is open for business. Why is his government open for business when it is not open to political accountability?”
Mnangagwa has said Zimbabweans must brace for free, fair and credible elections.
But Chamisa, who has written to Mnangagwa seeking a meeting with him to discuss these and other electoral issues, said his nemesis was not sincere. He said if Mnangagwa does not accept the MDC’s demands for comprehensive electoral reforms, then there won’t be an election.
“We will not boycott the election but will not accept this Zanu PF tomfoolery. Make no mistake about it; we will not accept a movie of an election. We are prepared to surrender ourselves first before we surrender our rights,” he declared.
Chamisa added: “We requested a meeting with him and we got a response to acknowledge receipt of the letter but no date has been set. Maybe he is too busy for us but time is not on his side because very soon we will also be too busy for him.”
Meanwhile, Chamisa said his party will be heading to Bulawayo at the weekend to drum up support for his party.
Pressed to say whether the rebellion launched against him by former MDC vice president Thokozani Khupe will not affect his campaign, Chamisa said the former Makokoba MP’s resistance was inconsequential.
“That she masquerades as MDC-T does not bother us because we are dealing with that so that she stops masquerading. Don’t worry about her, this is not the first time this has happened.”
The polls, which will be held in three months’ time, will be Chamisa’s first test at the national level after he took over as MDC leader following the death of Morgan Tsvangirai in March. Daily News
– As splinter ZimFirst distances itself from CODE launch
By Talent Gondo | ZimFirst President, Doctor Maxwell Shumba has threatened to take the Coalition of Democrats (CODE) leader to court over the continued use of his party’s name in CODE activities.
Dr Shumba, who also distanced ZimFirst from the planned CODE launch set for April 14 2018 at the Freedom Square in Harare said CODE President, Elton Mangoma should stop soiling his party’s name by communicating falsehoods and portraying ZimFirst as one of the parties within his coalition.
Dr Shumba, who fell out from the Mangoma led coalition which now has only 4 political parties revealed that he will soon take CODE to court over the continued use and association of his party’s name in CODE activities and as a member of the coalition.
“We will be taking Mangoma to court for his continued soiling of our name,” said Dr Shumba.
“ZimFirst is not party to the April 14 CODE Rally and any mention of ZimFirst name on any CODE flier is a fraud and is the reason why we are taking CODE and Mangoma to court.”
Efforts to get a comment from CODE President or it’s spokesperson, Mjobisa Noko were futile.
CODE is however set to launch its coalition and election campaign on April 14 2018 at the Freedom Square in Harare.
The parties set to participate at this launch are the Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe (RDZ) led by Mangoma, Derek Lupemba’s (ZimFirst), Marceline Chikasha’s African Democratic Party, Dumiso Dabengwa’s ZAPU and the Simba Makoni led Mavambo Kusile Dawn.
Statement | People’s Rainbow Coalition (PRC) led by Dr J. R. Mujuru notes with serious concern that despite writing to Mr E. D. Mnangagwa a plea for political and electoral reforms on the 23rd of February 2018, and which correspondence was also copied to Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on the same day; PRC’s plea has neither been responded to or acknowledged by Mr E. D. Mnangagwa’s office. Further, there is nothing on the horizon of Zimbabwe’s political landscape to demonstrate that the current military regime has the will power to ensure that electoral reforms are done besides globe trotting and misrepresenting to the world that Zimbabweans are now in a new era. Yes the regime could be given the benefit of doubt that Zimbabweans are now in a new era of worse of dictatorship. PRC, as the government in waiting, insists that electoral and political reforms are a must; should the country hope for a free, fair and credible elections.
To that end, PRC now puts the regime on notice that should key reforms be ignored for the holding of free, fair and credible elections, then PRC as the government in waiting is going to take every constitutional means available in order to protect the Zimbabwean democratic vote. PRC hereunder reminds the military regime of its unwavering demand for reforms as follows;
Preamble
The People’s Rainbow Coalition (PRC) consisting of the Democratic Assembly for Restoration and Empowerment (DARE), National People’s Party (PDP) and Zimbabweans United for Democracy (ZUNDE).
Concerned with the military activities of 13, 14 and 15 November 2017 which reproduced a crisis of legitimacy through an unconstitutional change of Government of Zimbabwe
Believing that any election that takes place in a context that is poisoned by military diffusion into the political arena can neither be free, fair or credible;
Noting that elections should be held within the next six months;
Concerned with political violence against members of the opposition including the brutal attack on the PRC Presidential Candidate Dr Joice Mujuru on the 1st of February in Glen View Harare; and
Desiring to restore constitutional order and legitimacy of Government in Zimbabwe.
Hereby demand that the following key Political and Electoral Reforms be urgently implemented ahead of the forthcoming Elections in Zimbabwe.
Electoral Integrity
PRC calls upon SADC, AU Commission and UN to assist Zimbabwe with maintenance of purity and transparency of the 2018 election process. We implore these supranational bodies to ensure that the forthcoming elections are conducted in line with the SADC Principles and Guidelines governing elections as well as the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance among other regional and international instruments which guarantee the integrity of elections.
Traditional leadership authority
PRC calls for the immediate depoliticisation of the fetishised institution of the traditional leadership authority. Section 281 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe stipulates that traditional leaders including chiefs, headmen/women and village heads must remain apolitical, impartial, fair and inclusive in their communities. Like the colonial regime before it, ZANU PF has usurped the institution of the traditional leadership authority and made it an extension of itself and this must be stopped immediately to allow rural voters to freely exercise their right to elect a government of their choice without fear and intimidation.
Demilitarization of the electoral process
PRC calls for the demilitarization of the electoral process. All members of the security forces, in adherence to the Constitution must first and foremost protect the Zimbabwean citizens despite their political affiliation. ZANU PF Commissariat and government have deployed an estimated 3000 military officials in civilian clothes into both urban and rural communities to campaign for ZANU PF ahead of the elections. These and other security personnel deployed in various institutions including Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) should be weeded out urgently. They have no role in an election except maintaining peace and security for all. Above everything else; PRC demands the military should make a public declaration of non-interference with electoral processes before the elections of 2018 are held.
Political violence and intimidation
One of the defining epithets of elections in Zimbabwe is political violence. Widespread intimidation of voter persists and organized ZANU PF thugs spread fear across communities in the build up to the 2018 elections as witnesses on the 1st of February 2018 against the PRC Presidential Candidate Dr Joice Mujuru and her supporters. ZANU PF party officials are also going around the communities recording serial numbers of Voters Registration Slips as an election intimidation tactic. PRC therefore demands an end to the recording of serial numbers of potential voters. PRC also demand that the electoral environment must be free from political violence, selective prosecution and suppression of political campaigns, repressive laws and practices and protection of electoral criminals.
Media reforms
PRC believes that the media plays a pivotal role in elections and therefore reiterates its call for substantial and urgent equal access to the State Media both print and electronic. All political parties have the right to have their content aired on State Television and Radio Stations. PRC further demands that State Newspapers and Reporters report news in a professional and impartial manner. Further, the public must not be used to promote hate speech against sections and views of those opposed to the ruling party.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission
PRC demands the immediate dissolution of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and the creation of New Electoral Management Body that should be negotiated by all political parties in an inclusive platform. The current ZEC in not independent, and has been at the centre of all the flawed electoral process in Zimbabwe.
Diaspora vote
Despite the clear directions of the Constitution on the rights of all Zimbabwean citizens to vote, ZEC is yet to make arrangements to enable the Diaspora to exercise this right. Section 67 of the Constitution provides that every Zimbabwean citizen has the right to vote in all elections and referenda. We demand that Zimbabwean Diaspora should be allowed to vote in the next general elections wherever they are. Arrangements should be made for the Diaspora population to register to vote wherever they are and cast their votes in the 2018 elections.
Voters roll
PRC demands that the voters roll must be published on website and be advertised electronically and be given to any Zimbabwean upon request.
Election materials
PRC demands that all electoral stakeholders, including Political parties, be part of the decision making of the procurement, storage, counting, dispatch and use of all election material which include, ballot papers, ballot boxes, indelible ink, voting pens and al polling station material, at any and all stages of the election.
Independent election material audit
PRC demands that there be independent election material auditors at each stage that involves election material, procurement, storage, counting, dispatch and use, right up to after the announcement of the election results to ensure that every piece of material particularly the ballot papers, are counted for and their use verified by an independent body.
Election observation ad monitoring
PRC demands that all the processes of the forthcoming elections be observed by accredited observers and monitors from civic society and regional and international community. The Regional and International bodies are urged to urgently deploy their teams in all parts of the country and particularly in remote areas.
Independent electoral courts
PRC calls for the creation of wholly independent, impartial accountable and fair electoral courts with at least one such court in each and every province in the country. Their scope, independence and impartiality must be enshrined in the Electoral Act.
Independent mechanism for receiving complaints
PRC calls for the establishment of an independent mechanism for receiving and investigating complains from the members of the public about the misconduct on the part of members of security services and for remedying and harm caused by such misconduct as defines by Section 210 of the Constitution.
Election stakeholders
PRC demands that all interested political parties must be consulted on all issues pertaining to the forthcoming elections as opposed to the current situation where only parties that are represented in Parliament are consulted. The 2018 election will be a new election with new players whose input is crucial if Zimbabwe is to ensure electoral integrity. The guarantee of independence of ZEC depends a great deal on the trust nd credibility it enjoys with all political parties, media and ivil society.
Electoral roadmap
The issue of when the elections are due and how they will be administered must be outlined as a matter of urgency. The roadmap should include the critical elements such as the reforms outlined above, printing of ballot papers, nominations, campaigning and regulations that will guide these elections.
Conclusion
In conclusion, PRC believes that only a firm political will and commitment to reform, with support from citizens, media, SADC, AU, and UN can enable the country to put in place the political and electoral reforms that can truly provide a level playing field to all and fulfill the criteria of free, fair and credible elections in Zimbabwe.
South Africa’s ex-President Jacob Zuma appeared in a Durban court Friday to face multiple corruption charges relating to a billion-dollar arms deal in the late 1990s.
It’s a dramatic U-turn for Zuma, who just weeks ago held the highest office in the land. He resigned on February 14, forced out by the leadership of the ruling African National Congress, his own party.
Thousands of people turned out to support Zuma as he arrived at the high court for his first hearing. They had been asked not to wear ANC colors, but many wore wraps and T-shirts with the former president’s image.
Zuma supporters demonstrate outside the High Court in Durban on Friday.
Some supporters sang as Zuma entered the courtroom. He turned, smiling, to acknowledge them.
The former President is charged with 16 counts of corruption, money laundering and racketeering, stemming from the billion-dollar government arms deal. He is accused of receiving 783 questionable payments in connection with the deal.
Zuma, who has always said he wanted his day in court, denies any wrongdoing.- CNN
Who is Jacob Zuma?01:17
After a brief preliminary hearing, the judge adjourned court proceedings to June 8.
Despite its brevity, the hearing was notable in a continent where leaders — former or current — don’t generally face the law.
Andrew Feinstein, a former ANC member of parliament, has long accused Zuma of corruption. “But the question is, can Zuma keep himself out of court using legal machinations?” he asked.
Up until his Durban court appearance, Zuma’s legal team had been successful in doing just that with a series of mostly procedural maneuvers.
In court Friday, his defense team said it would challenge the decision to prosecute.
Slew of scandals
The arms deal controversy clouded Zuma’s reputation for decades, even before a slew of other scandals rocked his presidency.
In 2005, Zuma’s former financial adviser Schabir Shaik was convicted for “overwhelming evidence” of corruption and found guilty of organizing multiple payments to Zuma to help facilitate and protect an arms deal with a French arms company.
In 2009, the charges against Zuma were dropped just before he ascended to the presidency. They were reinstated after years of legal wrangling.
“On one level, Zuma has just run out of legal options, but there has also been a political change and it is unfortunate that that political change has meant that the National Prosecuting Authority is doing what it should have done all along,” said advocate James Grant, a former professor of law at Witwatersrand University.
By Talent Gondo | Harare’s Third Street will soon be renamed after the late Movement for Democratic Change founder and President, Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.
Harare Mayor, Bernard Manyenyeni confirmed the development saying the renaming of Third street was a council resolution from yesterday’s full council meeting.
Manyenyeni however said, while council had endorsed the proposal, the process of renaming Third Street after Tsvangirai would have to go through cabinet.
“Yes, council resolved to rename Third Street after the late Tsvangirai,” said Manyenyeni.
He however said the resolution would soon be tabled before cabinet for approval before it is implemented.
“It has to go through cabinet and that is due process,” said Manyenyeni.
Following the death of the opposition icon on February 14 2018, councillors within the MDC T dominated Harare City Council began tabling the proposal to name one of the streets in the central business district (CBD) after their late leader.
Tsvangirai, succumbed to colon cancer aged 65.
The late opposition leader is credited for changing the face of Zimbabwean politics after winning against former President, Robert Mugabe in the 2008 harmonised elections.
Rugare councillor, Peter Moyo moved the motion to have one of the roads named after Tsvangirai during a full council meeting in March 2018.
Moyo argued that since the late opposition leader had not been accorded hero’s status by the Zanu Pf led government, there was need to rename one of the streets in the CBD after Tsvangirai as a way of honouring and remembering his contribution towards democracy in Zimbabwe.
As we count down to a sure to come new Zimbabwe this July, all roads lead to Bulawayo when MDC-T President Adv. Nelson Chamisa and his MDC Alliance juggernaut roll into the country’s second largest city with a rally at the White City Stadium tomorrow.
The people’s President and his MDC Alliance partners have so far addressed huge and buoyant crowds in Manicaland, Chitungwiza, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands North, Midlands South, Masvingo, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central provinces.
The momentum for real change and transformation has truly gripped the country.
Zimbabweans have given huge thumbs up to President Adv. Chamisa’s vision of a new Zimbabwe anchored on the tripod pillars Transformation, Opportunity and Prosperity.
Before addressing tomorrow’s rally in Bulawayo, President Chamisa, whose whirlwind campaign has left the nation in awe, will engage business leaders, pastors, civil servants, war veterans, cultural icons and other stakeholders to receive their input into his vision for a new Zimbabwe.
Everyone in Bulawayo is welcome to attend tomorrow’s historic rally.
Behold the New!
Luke Tamborinyoka
Presidential Spokesperson and Director of Communications
A 58 year old man from Bulawayo allegedly beat his 35-year-old son to death after accusing him of stealing his cellphone.
Frazer Sibanda from Mpopoma suburb allegedly assaulted his son Dennis with a plank all over the body on Wednesday last week. The son died in hospital on Sunday. Sibanda allegedly lied to police that his son had died of Aids.
He produced his medical cards and claimed his son had stopped taking his medication leading to his death. Sibanda allegedly destroyed the murder weapon but a postmortem showed his son had died as a result of a violent attack.
The accused yesterday appeared before Western Commonage magistrate, Mr Stephen Ndhlovu, facing murder charges. He was not asked to plead and remanded in custody to April 19.
Mr Ndhlovu advised Sibanda to apply for bail at the High Court.
Prosecuting, Mr Petros Shoko said On March 28 at around 11PM Sibanda, his son and Francis Washington Sithole were in the sitting room.
“The accused left the two in the sitting room and got into another room where he brought with him plank which was about a metre long which he used to assault his son several times all over the body accusing him of stealing his cellphone,” said Mr Shoko.
He said after the assault, Sibanda allegedly destroyed the plank which he had used to assault his son. Dennis sought medical examination on the following day as he was frothing through the mouth and he died on Sunday.
The court also heard that Sibanda went to the police to report his son’s death and he brought with him his son’s medical cards which indicated that he was on antiretroviral therapy. Sibanda, said Mr Shoko, told the police that his son had died of Aids but the postmortem results indicated that he had died from assault.
Investigations were carried out leading to Sibanda’s arrest. A month ago, another Bulawayo man was arrested for allegedly fatally assaulting his maid whom he was having an affair with after discovering that she was HIV positive.
Godson Zondo (36) from Emganwini suburb allegedly assaulted his maid Khethiwe Zimba with a plank all over the body in February after he discovered that she was on ART.
The maid, who was having an extra-marital affair with Zondo, had not told him that she was HIV positive.
Zimba died in hospital a day after the assault from excessive bleeding. Zondo’s wife was working outside Bulawayo and the alleged crime is said to have been committed while she was at work. Chronicle
Staff Reporter | The MDC led by Advocate Nelson Chamisa has suspended all primary election campaigning until full vetting of all prospective candidates is completed.
ZimEye.com spoke to MDC National Chairman, Morgen Komichi, who explained the internal procedure; “Those confirmed by the National Council will then start campaigning. The vetting of potential candidates will include if they are persons of good standing, have no criminal record. Also if not an infiltrator, because we need to look at that, when the euphoria is so high your opponent will easily deploy people to your camp.”
The MDC leader said by the 26th of April all vetting would be complete and candidate lists ready. Below is the circular sent to all party provinces;
Provincial Chairs: The Party is currently working on the establishment of the Candidates Panel. We have not yet finished compiling the list of the legitimate candidates. The National Council shall announce all the qualified candidates to go for Primaries. Those who have started campaigning now are showing a high level of indiscipline. So Stop It. I put full responsibility on the Provincial Chairpersons to stop the practice in their respective areas. Those aspiring candidates who do not take heed of this instruction face very serious censure.
MDC t National Chairperson
Hon Senator Morgen Komichi
Former MDC youth leader, academic Bekithemba Mpofu has bounced back to the political arena and is reported to be eyeing the Vice President post which was previously held by Thokozani Khupe.
Mpofu, a senior academic at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, took to social media to announce his come back. He talks to the local Newsday.
NN: Who is Dr Mpofu? BM: I consider myself as one of the true Matabeleland South sons of the soil. With origins in Mtshabezi, I was born at Mpilo Central Hospital in 1973 and l did most of my primary and secondary education in about five schools in the province (Matabeleland South): Fairbridge Primary, Bezha Primary, Beitbridge Primary, Beitbridge Mission Primary and Mzingwane High School. Like most kids those days, I spent most of my holidays in the village herding cattle, in the fields and/or playing football. My political interests started at the University of Zimbabwe, where l held various positions including being a member of the Student Representative Council. I then joined the MDC as a member of its interim leadership led by the late Learnmore Jongwe. At the inaugural congress, I was elected as the first secretary general of the youth assembly of the party under the leadership of our president, Nelson Chamisa. Wonderful years we had as we worked so well together, complementing each other.
Apart from political interests, I am a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI) and a Certified Member of the British Institute of Facilities Management (CBIFM). I obtained a PhD in Financial Economics (Econometrics) from the University of St Andrews and an MSc in International Finance from Westminster University on a Chevening Scholarship as well as hold a professional real estate qualification from the Real Estate Institute of Zimbabwe, a BSc (Hons) in Urban Studies, and a Master of Business Administration, both from University of Zimbabwe.
I started my career in the real estate sector in 1995 as a university intern, then took up another internship (as a junior project quantity surveyor) with FMI Costain, and later became property investment portfolio manager at a Financial Holdings company. I then joined a building society as a senior bank executive, with remit for mortgage valuations, housing development projects, administration and banking premises facilities management. Prior to taking up a Chevening scholarship, and then St Andrews scholarship to study for an MSc in International Finance and PhD, l was the principal and shareholder in a property consultancy firm. I have also worked as an associate dean in a university in the United Kingdom and a senior academic at a South African university. NN: What has made you pack your bags from UK and seek political office? BM: I, like many concerned Zimbabweans, have felt hopeless and helpless watching the Zanu PF government run down Zimbabwe to its current, unacceptable state. So last year I relocated so that I can offer my experience and knowledge to the struggle by availing myself as a candidate for public office. A few of my friends felt and still feel my decision is irrational because they think nothing can change given that some believe Zanu PF will not step aside even when they lose an election and they correctly cite the 2008 election. Personally, I believe in fate, and when the opportunity to relocate presented itself I knew this year is our election, it is the year the new generation ushers a new path for Zimbabwe. I firmly believe that in Nelson Chamisa we have a leader whose vision for Zimbabwe has been clear since our youth leadership days.
Now back to your question, why seek political office: I have worked in the private and education sectors since graduating from the University of Zimbabwe in 1998 and the experience I have gained from the different senior positions has improved my own ability to lead teams in developing solutions for complex issues. I believe Zimbabwean problems require practical solutions; thinking outside the box; a modern approach/outlook to these challenges, and this is what I know I can offer in public office. Moreso having worked as the secretary-general of the youth assembly, I know how these experiences can be applied to a political environment with appropriate care and consideration. NN: Is it true that you are eyeing the vacant MDC-T deputy presidency post? BM: Like any dedicated party member, I am committed to the idea of being deployed to any position our members believe can best serve the interest of the party. If that position is VP then I will be honoured. NN: Why do you think you deserve the VP post? BM: The word deserve is not only inappropriate, but irrelevant in this case or in the political environment. For a start, there are a number of deserving party leaders, second leaders are elected to lead in positions the party members believe best serve the party and personally, the notion that one deserves a particular post is incongruous with the politics I believe in unfortunately.
NN: What is the nature of your relationship with Chamisa and other MDC-T members in Matabeleland, for example Tabitha Khumalo, who is said to be eyeing the VP post? BM: President Chamisa is my friend, we have worked together for an number of years (since 1999) within and outside party structures. We chat here and there about issues and how Zimbabwe can be transformed into a better society. One thing I like about him is that he is a good listener and takes constructive advice seriously.
I am not aware of anyone currently eyeing the VP position, but I work well with party members in
Matabeleland. At the weekend, I was chatting to Mxolisi Ndlovu the acting chair of Matabeleland
North about this weekend rally, and this morning I have been chatting to my provincial chair and provincial secretary separately. So I consider my relationship with party leaders very good as we need each other to turn the 2013 tables in this year’s elections. Newsday
South Africa’s ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Mphakama Mbete has paid a courtesy call on Acting President Retired General Constantino Chiwenga this morning.
Ready to go to court to block electoral reforms agreement, Joice Mujuru.
By Paul Nyathi
Leader of the People’s Rainbow Coalition Dr Joice Mujuru has legally challenged the electoral reforms agreement entered into between the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and three political parties currently represented in parliament.
In a letter to ZEC from her party’s lawyers Hamutendi and Nyandoro legal practitioners, Mujuru challenged ZEC to immediately cancel the agreement because it did not include her political outfit.
According to Mujuru, ZEC erred in only engaging the three political parties ignoring all other opposition parties in coming up with the agreement.
The letter by the lawyers claims that ZEC promised that it will involve the PRC in all its engagements when it registered the party in it’s data base in January which makes the reforms agreement invalid as it excluded her party.
The three political parties represented in Parliament, ZANU PF, MDC-T and MDC on Tuesday agreed on electoral reforms that have since been submitted to the Ministry of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for consideration.
Parliament is in the process of amending the Electoral Act ahead of the country’s elections to be held by August this year.
Zanu-PF, MDC-T and the Professor Welshman Ncube led MDC, the only parties whose members are legislators, have been working on an electoral code of conduct that they want to be part of the Electoral Act.
The political parties tentatively agreed on a roadmap that will provide tolerant and violent free elections. The parties agreed to disclose to the public details of the agreement when the agreement is crafted into law through parliament.
“We have submitted our agreement to the Ministry of Justice. We want the code of conduct to be made part of our electoral laws. There is an amendment before Parliament and we are hoping that the electoral code will be included in the electoral law amendment,” said ZANU PF Secretary for legal affairs Paul Mangwana in an interview after the meeting.
“We resolved that there should not be any political violence during our elections, that there should be peaceful campaigns and that the political parties undertake to respect one another,” Mangwana said.
MDC secretary general Ms Miriam Mushayi said the Ministry of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs guaranteed them that their submissions would be taken on board.
“We are happy with the code that we have produced but remember these documents are living documents and are determined by the current context, current political environment. We’re cognisant of the fact that documents of this nature will always remain living documents to an extent that there is a need to have a relook at them. But at the moment we’re really happy with contributions that we have made,” said Ms Mushayi.
She said the code of conduct calls for equal access to the media for political parties as well as objective reporting on elections.
Ms Mushayi said as political parties they recommended that the electoral code should also govern other institutions including traditional leaders and civic society organisations as they are actively involved in political processes.
Mujuru has given ZEC a week to reverse the agreement or risks having the issue taken to court.
“Priscilla Wa Bantu” urging women not to put on underwear to the polls
By Paul Nyathi| The expelled former MDC Deputy President, Thokozani Khupe yesterday received backing from a cluster of women in politics.
The female activists at the weekend held a solidarity gathering with the troubled politician over alleged victimisation by male politicians on her simply because she is a woman.
The women met at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds in Bulawayo as they held a prayer session for fellow female politicians in the country.
Among the scores of women who attended the gathering was MDC parliamentarian Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga who called on fellow women to go to the polls without their underwear to underscore their support for Khuphe and remind them that they are women.
“Some of us women are beginning to forget who we are and agreeing to be subjected by men,” she said.
“When we go to the elections this year we will be protesting this and we will go there without our underwear to remind ourselves that we are women and not vote for any male candidates,” she said.
Misihairabwi Mushonga hailed the women who attended the meeting claiming that their presence diffused the perception that women are divided and always fail to support each other.
Addressing the same gathering, leader of the People’s Democratic Party splinter party Luciah Matibenga also urged women to vote for fellow women candidates in the coming elections.
Matibenga also hailed the women for coming in their numbers to give Khuphe support at a time when she is being tormented by the MDC-T leadership that denied her leadership of the party to give it to Chamisa outside the provisions of the party.
“This is a very important day for us as women and especially for our sister Khuphe who is being persecuted for being a women in the MDC-T,” she said.
Matibenga urged women in the country to unite and give their full support to Khuphe as an injury to one woman is an injury to all women.
Khuphe thanked the women for giving her the support especially for attending the gathering organised by her supporter Lorraine Ncube in a short notice.
“I want to thank you so much for coming in your numbers and for the support and want to assure you that I will never give up this fight,” she said.
Dismissed MDC-T National Organising Secretary Abednico Bhebhe was the only visible high profile male person at the ceremony.
The three women, Khuphe, Mushonga and Matibenga are meanwhile reported to be cementing a women biased coalition with People’s Rainbow Coalition leader Joice Mujuru.
Khuphe, Bhebhe and Obert Gutu were dismissed from the MDC-T recently and have since formed their splinter MDC-T preparing to contest elections in this year’s plebiscite.
Government has gone ahead to implement controversial former Education Minister, Lazarus Dokora’s dejected curriculum.
This comes despite protests from hundreds of thousands of parents and teachers who since last year have been complaining that the curriculum change was too sudden, unplanned and disorderly. Two days ago teachers particularly in the capital city told ZimEye.com the whole education system has been overhauled by and this in a destructive way. The latest development comes as teachers announced that they are preparing legal papers to take the government to court over what they say is not only a violation of their employment contracts, but also an abuse of students and pupils.
Notwithstanding, Dokora’s successor, Prof Paul Mavima yesterday moved ahead to launch the second batch of new curriculum textbooks in Harare, procured under the $9 million Education Development Fund (EDF) facility, which is administered by UNICEF.
Mavima said the total number of textbooks procured for the whole country in Phase 1 was 1,2 million. He was quoted by the state media saying, “these books were bought at a total cost of $1,8 million. The textbooks distributed were for ECD A, Grades 1 and 3 as well as Forms 1 and 3. During today’s launch, we will see 60 726 textbooks for the updated curriculum being distributed to three districts – Mazowe District (37 primary and nine secondary), Shamva District (18 primary and five secondary) and Zvimba District (74 primary and 16 secondary).
“The exercise will continue to the rest of the districts, we expect them to get books before the start of the second term. The books for the primary schools are 54 992 and for the secondary schools are 5 734.”
By Sports Reporter| Norton MP, Temba Mliswa today speaks on the dismissal of Cricket coaches Heath Streak & Tatenda Taibu.
The Press Conference will be beamed on ZimEye.com and the details are below:
*Date: Friday 6th April 2018*
*Time: 11:30hrs*
*Venue: Media Centre, 2nd Floor Bothwell House, 66 Jason Moyo Avenue, cnr. First Street/Jason Moyo Ave. (next to Barbours)*
*SPEAKER*
• Hon. Temba P. Mliswa (MP)
*TOPIC*
1. Remarks following….
i. The recent dismissal of Heath Streak & Tatenda Taibu
ii. Zimbabwe’s failure to qualify for the cricket World Cup
2. Going all out to restore pride in our National Cricket team…the current ZC Board must go!
By A Correspondent| MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has reportedly resolved to punish with explusion all rebels who support the party’s renegade banished Deputy President, Thokozani Khupe.
Khupe was removed from her post after a protracted period of nearly 10 months in fights with the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and later Chamisa himself.
The development comes as thousands of MDC suppoters screamed out against Khupe.
The party’s acting spokesperson, Ms Thabitha Khumalo, is quoted by the state owned Herald paper saying provinces have been ordered to compile lists of “rebellious” members whose fate “is already sealed.”
“It was a resolution made by the national council that all provinces must go back and everybody who has joined the Khupe cabal must be expelled. That is the national council resolution. It’s a matter of being identified and provinces should advise and we take the necessary action,” said Ms Khumalo.
She said she was aware of several individuals in Bulawayo who have been recommended for expulsion.
“Mguni (Nomvula) provincial secretary, declared that she is now the provincial chairperson for the Khupe faction. So she is expelled and women’s assembly chairperson, Tamani (Moyo) as well,” she said.
“It’s going to be determined by what provinces send to the national council. Because we need proof that the identified individuals are no longer part of the MDC-T. If anyone declares his or her position, the national council’s resolution will be activated.”
Hon. Khumalo said Adv Chamisa will soon appoint a replacement for Dr Khupe in line with the party’s constitutional provisions.
She said with elections fast approaching, the party will also be replacing other expelled members.
“In line with the party’s constitutional provisions president Chamisa is empowered to disappoint and appoint people who will be working in those positions because we cannot work in a vacuum; nature doesn’t allow that. We have three months to the elections. We have to make sure that the cockpit is intact,” she said.
Khumalo said Dr Khupe’s faction should also cease using the party’s name.
“We expelled them; they are no longer our members. They are masquerading and that is fraud. They should come up with their own party. The constitution is guiding us on the course of action to take. If they continue to do what they are doing, we will take corrective measures,” said Ms Khumalo.
…this man has worked all his life paying taxes. Bought a home and now retired. A burglar brakes into his home. He defends his home. Burglar dies. Pensioner arrested.
London – There was outrage in the UK when a 78 year old pensioner who was burgled and to his defence reportedly attacked the intruder, the latter who died as a result of injuries, was later charged for murder.
The development has seen the suspected burglar being revealed as a well known individual on the police database for a previous break in.
The burglar, Henry Vincent, 37, was named on Thursday who was fatally wounded at the London home of the 78 year old Richard Osborn-Brooks.
Mr Brooks has since been arrested on suspicion of murder.
According the report, Vincent together with an accomplice threatened the 78-year-old with a screwdriver during the burglary in the early hours of Wednesday morning and Vincent was stabbed after a struggle broke out.
A witness told reporters the alleged accomplice dragged Vincent away towards a white van before leaving him for dead. He described seeing a white Vauxhall Astra van pull up next to a man “moaning and groaning” and ”bleeding heavily from his chest through his shirt”. – Agencies More to follow…
By Paul Nyathi| President Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced that his government has resolved to start afresh the tendering process on the dualisation of the accident prone Beitbridge Harare Highway.
Mnangagwa revealed this in China to Chinese engineers on Thursday announcing the withdrawal of the tender awarded to Austrian firm, Geiger in May 2016.
Briefing the Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Corporation (AFECC) Mnangagwa said Government had become impatient with lack of construction activity on the very busy highway whose condition has deteriorated badly leading to massive deaths caused by accidents on the very bad road.
“In the area of infrastructure development, we need bidders for the dualisation and widening of the Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu Highway,” he said.
“For two years we have had problems with Geiger, so Cabinet has taken a decision to institute a legal process to terminate the deal as a result of non-performance.”
Mnangagwa who obviously looked kin to engage the Chinese company take over the road works told AFECC executives that there was room for the firm to take up some of the oppportunities presented in infrastructure development in the country.
He commended AFECC for investing in Zimbabwe.
“We are very grateful to AFECC for taking the risk to invest in Zimbabwe at that time during which only very few companies could do so,” said President Mnangagwa.
AFECC has so far constructed the Zimbabwe National Defence College in Harare, Longchen Plaza also in Harare and the Golden Peacock Hotel in Mutare, and intends to put up a hotel and conference centre in Victoria Falls.
The company worked with the Chinese companies that looted diamonds revenue in the Chiadzwa Diamond fields during former President Robert Mugabe’s government.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa holds discussions with Chinese executives flanked by his Zimbabwean delegation.
By Paul Nyathi
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced that his government has resolved to start afresh the tendering process on the dualisation of the accident prone Beitbridge Harare Highway.
Mnangagwa revealed this in China to Chinese engineers on Thursday announcing the withdrawal of the tender awarded to Austrian firm, Geiger in May 2016.
Briefing the Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Corporation (AFECC) Mnangagwa said Government had become impatient with lack of construction activity on the very busy highway whose condition has deteriorated badly leading to massive deaths caused by accidents on the very bad road.
“In the area of infrastructure development, we need bidders for the dualisation and widening of the Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu Highway,” he said.
“For two years we have had problems with Geiger, so Cabinet has taken a decision to institute a legal process to terminate the deal as a result of non-performance.”
Mnangagwa who obviously looked kin to engage the Chinese company take over the road works told AFECC executives that there was room for the firm to take up some of the oppportunities presented in infrastructure development in the country.
He commended AFECC for investing in Zimbabwe.
“We are very grateful to AFECC for taking the risk to invest in Zimbabwe at that time during which only very few companies could do so,” said President Mnangagwa.
AFECC has so far constructed the Zimbabwe National Defence College in Harare, Longchen Plaza also in Harare and the Golden Peacock Hotel in Mutare, and intends to put up a hotel and conference centre in Victoria Falls.
The company worked with the Chinese companies that looted diamonds revenue in the Chiadzwa Diamond fields during former President Robert Mugabe’s government.
Joan Mamombe who if elected in party primaries is to stand on an MDC Alliance ticket in the forthcoming elections narrates her ordeal at the hands of the former President Robert Mugabe regime; when she was expelled from university and only saved later under a scholarship programme the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai accessed for her and others. Joan relives her ordeal to party structures in Harare West.
The 25 year old scientist and human rights activist Mamombe holds a Bsc in Biotechnology from the Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) and an Msc in Genetic Manipulation and molecular cell biology from the University of Sussex UK. Her research focused on cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo | Dr David Parirenyatwa, 70% of people who reported at the hospitals died in the last 31 days because of your poor adminstration yet you remain in that office as Minister of Health and Child Care. I am certainly not yet done with my push for you to resign. You have not responded to my letter, am going into the next office. Those offices are our offices as citizens. We got you there to serve us and we shall never hesitate knocking at the door when the service we put you there for is not forthcoming. Dr Parirenyatwa its time to quit.
The junior Zuma has been a vocal proponent of his embattled father in his latest brush with the law.
He appeared in a bright yellow ANC T-shirt at an ad hoc protest outside the Durban University of Technology on Thursday night.
He had earlier this week locked horns with ANC NEC member and Police Minister Bheki Cele over the flying of party colours outside the Durban High Court.
The ANC has warned its members not to wear party colours when attending the court case and instead show support as individuals.
In a statement‚ Edward said: “As a member of the ANC myself I shall be attending court in my own ANC shirt unfortunately leadership.
“I wish to take this opportunity and assist my leader comrade Bheki Cele by putting things into perspective. Firstly‚ the Zuma family we did not mobilise any support nor are we in the business of such.
“It is people of South Africa who correctly believe that they need to support the former president Jacob Zuma as it’s clear that the witch-hunt against JZ is being intensified from all corners and levels.
Edward Zuma has hit out at Police Minister Bheki Cele‚ insisting that nothing would stop him from wearing his ANC colours at the court appearance of …
POLITICS
2 days ago
“It would be absurd to deny people the opportunity to show and vent their support and anger at this ludicrous charges laid against Jacob Zuma. The name of the ANC was never used by the ZUMA family but its members of the ANC who are and we can’t stop them‚ hence as a member of the ANC myself I shall be attending Court in my own ANC shirt unfortunately leadership.”
Zuma made good on his promise to wear the yellow‚ black and green. I want to be with the people who are innocent and I am one of them‚” he said.
“I have not spoken to my father but I would suppose that as an innocent man he is not worried‚” he added.- TimesLive
Former vice president and National People’s Party (NPP) leader Joice Mujuru (pictured) has been dragged to the High Court for failing to pay $387 000 in a tractors deal.
Peppy Motors (Private) Limited, trading as Agritech, Sabrina Sarpo and Tony Sarpo are the complainants, while Mujuru, Ruzirun Investments (Private) Limited and a bank (name withheld) are cited as respondents.
The court heard that Agritech entered into a loan facility agreement with the bank in 2012, in which it demanded $350 000 for the purchase of various tractors. According to court papers, the maturity date for the loan facility was July 31, 2013 and the Sarpos bound themselves as sureties to the facility.
“On July 25, the tractors which were purchased by the first plaintiff (Agritech) using the loan facility were in turn sold and bought from the first plaintiff by the second defendant (Ruzirun Investments) represented by the first defendant (Mujuru) in terms of which the final payment to the first plaintiff would be due by April 2015 and in terms of which there remained an outstanding balance of $226 000 upon which an agreed monthly interest charge of 23 percent per annum would be charged,” the court heard.
According to court papers, Mujuru paid $10 000 to the bank and did not make any further payments.
The Sarpos are now seeking an order for them to be replaced by Mujuru and her company as debtors to the bank and pay the outstanding $387 583, 22.
In the alternative, the Sarpos are seeking “an order that first and second defendants, jointly and severally pay to the first plaintiff as represented by the second and third plaintiffs the capital sum of $226 000 due in terms of an agreement of sale between the parties dated 25th July 2014.
“An order that first and second defendants, jointly and severally pay to the first plaintiff as represented by the second and third plaintiffs interest in the amount of $169 821, 77 due in terms of an agreement of sale between the parties dated 25th July, 2014.”
Mujuru has not yet respondent to the application.- Daily News
Former ZIFA boss Vincent Pamire has challenged the football mother body’s leadership to adhere to its own constitution.
This follows widespread debate on the right to stay in office of the ZIFA structures.
Debate has centred on whether the Phillip Chiyangwa board still has a mandate to run the association after it assumed office to complete the former president, Cuthbert Dube’s tenure.
In the midst of the debate two executive members, Piraishe Mabhena and Felton Kamambo, stepped down citing they strongly hold that elections are due and that as executives they have completed their tenure.
Pamire, the man who was at the helm of the soccer mother body in the country when Zimbabwe qualified to its first AFCON in Tunisia 2004, urges the football administrators to abide by the constitution for the sport to retain its respectability.
“They must go by the book. Follow their constitution and not have personal interests and protect the game. They are not protecting it. I’m sorry, a lot of people including sponsors are losing interest. We hope common sense will prevail,” he said.
Pamire went on to advice the ZIFA leadership that failure to sort out the issue would incite the involvement of government to correct matters which should not be the case.
“They mustn’t in the end cry foul when the government gets involved because there is no way a government can just watch this thing falling apart. The most important sport in the country is football and if football goes down, the government also goes down. So i would be surprised if the government lets them do as they wish because it is not their sport. It belongs to all of us,” said Pamire.
Fifa has recently indicated that it was closely studying the ZIFA congress resolutions and would be making their position public soon.- state media
Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition members march through the streets of Harare demanding electoral reforms.
By Paul Nyathi
Hundreds of civil society members on Thursday defied a blockage by heavily armed anti riot police to continue with a scheduled demonstration for electoral reforms in the streets of Harare.
About five hundred members of civil society organisations affiliated to the Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition assembled at the Africa Unity Square in the capital mid morning preparing to march into the city before police details attempted to block them.
Holding onto a police notice from Harare central police clearing the demonstration, the marchers took to the streets and proceeded to deliver a petition at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission offices in the city before proceeding to drop similar demands at the Ministry of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
The march ended at the Parliament of Zimbabwe where another petition signed by 162 civil society organisations was delivered for the Speaker of Parliament.
Speaking to journalists at the end of the march, the Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition director Thulani Mswelanto took swipe at the police for attempting to disrupt the march.
“Its unfortunate that police attempted to deny people of their constitutional right to demonstrate and petition,” said Mswelanto.
Mswelanto said that the demands from civil society were genuine demands for a free and fair election which they have been raising with government for the last three years with no joy from the government.
“We are demanding for the implementation of the electoral reforms presented to government in a petition by the Election Resource Centre in a petition three years ago,” he said.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been going around promising that his governement will this year thrive to present a credible, free and fair election.
Government has however deliberately continued to ignore implementing the reforms with just under five months to the next election.
Circled is Collins Mnangagwa, son of the scarfman. Him and his mates jumped on that taxpayer-funded $3 million private jet to live it up in China pic.twitter.com/hUvuqAlnDC
Terrence Mawawa | Respected human rights activist and political analyst, Joy Mabenge has said ZEC must deregister all political parties that fail to garner at least a single seat in the coming elections for sanity to prevail.
Mabenge said too many political parties were creating discord within the opposition ranks.
“For sanity to prevail in the Zimbabwean political space, all parties that fail to get at least one seat either at council or parliamentary level in the forthcoming 2018 elections must be deregistered. There will be at least two parties to join,” wrote Mabenge on Facebook.
The Acting President Retired General Constantino Chiwenga has sent a message of condolences to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa following the passing on of Cde Winnie Madikizela-Mandela on the 2nd of April at the age of 81.
In a statement Acting President Chiwenga described Winnie Mandela as a liberation struggle icon and veteran stalwart of the ruling African National Congress of South Africa.
“On behalf of the government and the people of Zimbabwe, Zanu PF party and on my own behalf, I wish to express our deepest condolences to Your Excellency and through you to the government and the people of the Republic of South Africa, the ANC as well the Madikizela and Mandela families on the loss of this legendary heroine,” said Acting President Chiwenga.
The Acting President said Cde Madikizela-Mandela will be remembered for her bravery and numerous sacrifices she made in the epic struggle against the inhuman apartheid, a struggle for which she suffered personal humiliation, house arrests, banishment, solitary confinement and prolonged disruption of family life.
“Inspite of all these brutal attempts by the apartheid regime to break her resistance, she remained strong and resolute. She became the leader and personification of the internal opposition to apartheid,” he said.
Acting President Chiwenga said in Cde Madikizela-Mandela Zimbabwe had friend and Cde in arms to rely on.
He expressed confidence that the people of South Africa, ANC and the Madikizela-Mandela family will find solace in her rich legacy bequeathed to them all and to those still fighting for liberation against forces of oppression.- state media
University of Zimbabwe vice chancellor Levi Nyagura, who is accused of corruptly awarding a PhD to former first lady Grace Mugabe, has approached the High Court seeking to stop his trial before the Harare Magistrates’ Court.
In the urgent chamber application, he cited Harare magistrate Tilda Mazhande and the State as respondents.
“This is an urgent chamber application to stay criminal proceedings being presided by the first respondent (Mazhande) under CRB 2287/18 pending the determination of an application for review currently pending in this court under case No.HC2653/18,” Nyagura said.
He applied for review after Mazhande ruled that he must stand trial over the allegations of criminally abusing his office.
“I have an inalienable right not to be deprived of my liberty arbitrarily or without just cause by virtue of Section 49 (1) (b) of the Constitution and by virtue of Section 50 (1) (e). I am entitled to challenge the lawfulness of my arrest before a court. These are the rights I seek to enforce under case No. 2653/18, which is pending before this honourable court. I aver that those rights are clearly established.
“If the interim interdict I herein seek is not granted, I fear that I will suffer irreparable prejudice. The Constitution authorises deprivation of my personal liberty where there is reasonable suspicion of my having committed a criminal offence. Without a reasonable suspicion my remand is unconstitutional,” he said.
He said if criminal proceedings against him before the Harare Magistrates’ Court are not stopped and the process is quashed on review, he would suffer prejudice, through waste of time and resources.
He further said there were high chances that his charges would be quashed through his application for review.
“I had given notice that I intended to challenge my placement on remand. I requested, before formally making the application, that the investigating officer be present so that a factual inquiry can be conducted. The first respondent directs me to put my request in writing. I do so, and also outlines the procedure to be followed where existence of a reasonable suspicion and the lawfulness of an arrest are put in issue.
“The first respondent hands down a ruling which dismisses the application I intended to make, before I have made it. The effect of the ruling is to close the doors for me to make the application on the same grounds in the future, for they now stand determined.
“The effect of the ruling is to deny me my right to challenge my placement on remand in what I consider the best way to do so.
“Therein lies the gross irregularity justifying interference in pending proceedings. Therein lies the grave injustice to the applicant,” Nyagura said. The High Court is yet to make a determination in the matter.
Allegations against Nyagura are that sometime in 2011, he single-handedly accepted and approved Grace’s application to study for a PhD in Sociology without the knowledge of the Department Board and Faculty of Higher Degrees Committee.
The court heard that Nyagura then appointed two professors to supervise Grace’s thesis without the board’s approval.
Nyagura is further accused of usurping the powers of the UZ senate by single-handedly appointing examiners for Mugabe’s research in violation of the UZ Act chapter 25:16 and Ordinance 1998/99.
Sometime in 2014, Nyagura allegedly led supervisors and examiners to Grace’s Mazowe Estate where the defence oral examination was purportedly done without knowledge and approval of the academic committee.
According to State papers the oral examination is supposed to be done on UZ premises. Daily News
Dynamos and their Cameroonian star striker Christian Joel Epoupa Ntouba
reached an agreement after holding a crucial
meeting yesterday.
The Harare Giants owe the Cameroonian in excess
of $16 000 in signing-on fees and other allowances
and the player, under instruction from his manager
David Sengwe, has been refusing to play for the
team until they pay him at least half of that amount.
But the manager told The Herald that the forward
would resume playing for the Glamour Boys again.
“We are still to discuss other issues but, at the
moment, I can safely say Epoupa is now available
for selection if Dynamos make sure he has his work
permit,’’ said Sengwe.
“If they successfully apply for the document by
Friday, then he will play for them in their next
assignment – which I understand is on Saturday
against ZPC Kariba.
We will have a meeting tomorrow (today) just to tie
some loose ends otherwise it is now done and
dusted.”
Dynamos face ZPC Kariba at Nyamhunga Stadium in a must win game at the weekend.
Zimbabweans desperately queuing for cash at a bank.
By Paul Nyathi
Two innocent women, a mother and daughter were brutally attacked by a lone thug in Gwanda town on their way to joining a bank queue for cash in the early hours of Thursday morning.
A relative close to the pair told ZimEye.com that the two were attacked by a knife branding male thug at around 3am when they were on their way to join a bank queue at a bank in the town centre.
The two women who were identified to ZimEye.com by the relative were each stabbed numerous times all over their bodies by the thug after they failed to comply to his demand for cash and any valuables on them.
The two were assisted by a security guard at premises about 200 metres away from the scene after the younger woman managed to walk the distance to seek for help.
An ambulance was called and took the two to Gwanda Provincial Hospital where the mother was immediately transferred to the United Bulawayo Hospital in a critical condition.
Sources at the hospital confirmed that the younger woman is still admitted in Gwanda and in a stable condition.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been insisting that the cash crisis in the country has stabilised and people no longer need to spend nights at the bank.
The situation on the ground however remains dire and desperate as banks are failing to provide the cash needed by the population especially those from rural areas who have limited access to other methods of payments.
The rural populace, especially pensioners, are having to spend days up to a week sleeping outside banks that give them a maximum $20 withdrawal a day.
Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo | Embattled MDC vice president Thokhozani Khupe is targeting areas perceived to be MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’ s strongholds.
Well placed sources told ZimEye.com yesterday Khupe has deployed her team to Masvingo Province in a bid to unsettle her rival.
“We are likely to witness a raging battle between Chamisa and Khupe.
Khupe’ s team is in Masvingo Province on a fact finding mission.
Their objective is very clear – they want to destabilise Chamisa’ s campaign programme,” an MDC official said yesterday.
Masvingo based political writer Batsiranayi Ngugama yesterday described the leadership crisis in the MDC as a jigsaw puzzle that would impact negatively on the party’ s hopes of winning the coming elections.
The Zimbabwe Football Association(ZIFA), has announced
the gate charges for the Mighty
Warriors’ Africa Women Cup of Nations second leg clash
against Namibia.
The match is scheduled for Rufaro Stadium on
Sunday.
The cheapest ticket has been pegged at $1 while
the Upper Grand Stand charge is $3. The VIP stand is going for
$10.
Meanwhile, the Mighty Warriors will take on Namibia in the first leg today.
Iconic Zimbabwean business tycoon Strive Masiyiwa has described the late Winnie Madikizela Mandela as a true champion of the struggle for economic emancipation in Africa.
Below is Masiyiwa’ s statement on Winnie Madikizela Mandela’ s death:
The day Winnie Madikizela-Mandela came to
visit me.
“She is here! It’s her, and she is sitting waiting for
you in our board room!” said my PA, barely able to
contain herself with excitement.
“Who?!” I asked.
“She told me not to tell you, because it’s a surprise.”
So I followed her, not knowing who she was talking
about.
“My boy! My son!” she shouted gleefully as she
rushed from her seat, and with those words she
enveloped me with the huge hug of an African
mother!
She was bubbling with joy as she greeted me.
I can still see her now, in this amazing headwear
that only she could wear with such abandoned
elegance.
It was Winnie Mandela!
We had never actually met, but it didn’t seem like
that. It was as though I had known her all my life!
Which in a way was true.
As I was growing up in Zambia (amongst the exile
communities from Zimbabwe and South Africa)
Winnie Mandela’s life and travails were daily fare for
us.
We may not have had social media platforms
like Facebook and Twitter, but we all “followed” her
like any celebrity today.
She was our celebrity, our heroine, our symbol of
defiance with courage and dignity.
My mother had two older sisters (both now late) and
their own husbands were in political detention in the
then Rhodesia.
One served 11 years, whilst the other
collectively did more than 20 years. The pain in the
lives of those two women was like the life of Winnie
Mandela without the fame. And even though my
mother never met Winnie Mandela, to her she was
the public face of her struggling sisters.
In those days, when pictures of the beautiful Jackie
Kennedy would appear in magazines, my mother and
her friends would just scoff and say, “She is not as
beautiful as Winnie Mandela!”
Now she was in my office, looking like she had
walked off a movie set!
That evening I called my mother.
“Guess who came to my office, Mama… Winnie
Mandela!”
“Shuwa! Shuwa!”
“Shuwa, Mama!”
“Ah!Ah!” she exclaimed. “So how was she dressed?”
“Like a queen Mama! Even Jackie Kennedy could
not dress like that!”
“Then you have met my Winnie!
Winnie Mandela had heard that I was being
persecuted back home in Zimbabwe, and wanted to
make me welcome in South Africa.
She told me she
would fight for me “if Thabo Mbeki tries to send you
back to Mugabe”!
I assured her I didn’t think it would come to that. We
then chatted over a cup of tea about charity work,
and she told me about her non-political interests.
Then she was gone like a fragrant gust of wind. I
was not sure what to make of it, but I appreciated it.
That was nearly 17 years ago.
I did not see her again, except at occasional public
events, but if she spotted me, she would always
come over and ask how I was doing. I appreciated
it.
Like everyone else, I have read a few things about
her, both good, bad and sometimes also
disappointing.
I will leave that all to the great Judge
Himself now.
Today I thought to just share this little memory to
celebrate her life.
That day when she came to visit me at my office, is
my own memory of her captured and stored forever.
My deepest condolences to her family, and the
people of Africa who saw her as a mother in the
struggle for Africa’s dignity.
Gone are the days when news reporters used to be crammed in urban areas.
Media Centre and its partners invaded Mashonaland East Province previously regarded as a no go area for Non Governmental Organisations and successfully held a training programme for citizen journalists on Tuesday.
“We carried out a Citizen Journalism Training Programme in
Mash East Province where community members
from Mudzi, Murehwa, Mutoko and UMP were
trained on how to become effective and authentic news reporters.
This was a move necessitated by the need to
involve the citizens in spearheading the advocacy for
pro-development initiatives within their communities
and also as way of demanding accountability and
transparency from their local and national leaders.
We also incorporated BVR_Education , emphasising
the need for those not registered to visit their
nearest ZEC District offices as a matter of urgency.
We also emphasized the
need for the participants expose perpetrators of violence during and after the polls,” said Media Centre Director Earnest Mudzengi in a statement posted on Facebook.
Embattled MDC vice president Thokhozani Khupe is targeting areas perceived to be MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’ s strongholds.
Well placed sources told ZimEye.com yesterday Khupe deployed her team to Masvingo Province in a bid to unsettle her rival.
“We are likely to witness a raging battle between Chamisa and Khupe.
Khupe’ s team is in Masvingo Province on a fact finding mission.
Their objective is very clear – they want to destabilise Chamisa’ s campaign programme,” an MDC official said yesterday.
Masvingo based political writer Batsiranayi Ngugama yesterday described the leadership crisis in the MDC as a jigsaw puzzle that would impact negatively on the party’ s hopes of winning the coming elections.
Terrence Mawawa | Fiery Zanu PF critic and social media analyst Antony Taruvinga has urged all progressive Zimbabweans to support MDC Alliance Presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa saying the youthful leader will lead the nation out of the current economic mess.
“Let us shelve our political differences for the sake of nation building.
It is happening in Kenya imwi veZanu PF muchingoti its
impossible.
I know Zanu PF knows change is inevitable but
the ruling party has no capacity to transform the economy.
ZANU PF is full of certified
looters.
Nelson Chamisa deserves a chance to make
Zimbabwe a better place for all.
A New
Zimbabwe with equal opportunities and shared
prosperity,” wrote Taruvinga on Facebook.
By Staff Reporter|LIVE-BLAST: The visiting German broadcaster, Deutshe Welle’s boss has made a comment on Zimbabwe as an investor friendly nation.
Speaking during a panel discussion with Zim journalists at Meikles Hotel in Harare, Mr. Peter Limbourg was quizzed by TV presenter Ruvheneko Parirenyatwa who said, “Mr Limbourg are you willing to invest in Zimbabwe?”
He replied saying, “I think well, I am not a private entrepreneur. If I would be a private entrepreneur, I would probably invest in Zimbabwe because given that your government is doing the right things; because I believe this is a great country, great people and highly educated, and dedicated, so I think people should invest in Zimbabwe if the rules of engagement are sufficient, and if you know as an investor that this is going to be a solid investment, then for us at DW we have correspondents here…we hope to get closer but we saw the past the international media wasn’t so much welcome, and we hope to see…”
(ARTICLE ROLL CONTINUES) – FOLLOW THE LIVE BROADCAST BELOW
Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo | A local Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) will host an explosive public debate here on the need to empower youths ahead of the 2018 polls.
The public debate will be facilitated by Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development at the Charles Austin Theatre on Friday.
“The public debate seeks to enlighten the youth in the country on the need to participate in key national processes.
We are conscious of the fact that youths are key stakeholders in nation building,” said a COTRAD official in a statement yesterday.
The MDC Alliance will be represented by Happimore Chidziva, Phainos Makwarimba will speak on behalf of Zanu PF while Gilbert Bgende will represent the People’ s Rainbow Coalition.CODE will be represented by Fortune Manyonga.
DW Director, Peter Limbourg next to Ruvheneko Parirenyatwa
Delegates from the media fraternity
By Staff Reporter| A four member delegation from Germany’s largest broadcaster, Deutsche Welle (DW) arrived in Harare yesterday. In the above panel comprised of local journalists, DW’s Peter Limbourg and moderated by Ruvheneko Parirenyatwa, the topic under discussion is, “Adapting to an evolving media landscape.”
The journalists representing both print and broadcast media shared their experiences.
The German delegation, comprising of DW Director, Peter Limbourg, Head of DW International Affairs, Klaus Bergmann, and Head of DW Distribution Africa, Sevan Ibrahim- Sauer, took time to see for themselves how Zimbabwe is now in the New Dispensation.
Since the events of last November, there has been a flood of investors seeking opportunities in Zimbabwe, in what has seen US and UK officials sounding positively about Zimbabwe, and in January the then US envoy, Harry Thomas said President Emmerson Mnangagwa has started his leadership on a good note.
MISA Harare Advocacy Chairperson, Garikai Chàunza hailed the visit by the DW delegation saying such visits provided “the platform for local media houses to exchange notes and explore possible opportunities and challenges with Germany’s largest broadcaster.”
Advocate Nelson Chamisa | Almost two months after the untimely death of the national legend and founding leader, the iconic President Morgan Richard Tsvangirai. Notwithstanding the sad loss of our leader, whom the country continues to mourn to this very day, the party remains a strong and formidable unit ready for the watershed polls due in a few months time.
We are a solid family of democrats that is growing stronger every day. Our footprints in all that we do have shown that we are sticklers to constitutionalism and the rule of law. We are the game changers, the movers and shifters.
As a party, we are proud social democrats that eschew the values of empathy, solidarity, tolerance, freedom and justice.
On the national scale, I remain touched by the people’s sorry predicament. The cash shortages persist and citizens are finding it hard to access their hard-earned cash. Unemployment continues to be a huge challenge while the few that are employed are finding it hard to survive due to inadequate remuneration.
Civil servants, including our hard working doctors and nurses are struggling to survive. The paltry salaries of just over $300 do not befit the dignity and status of civil servants who expend sweat and tears to keep our country running.
The national crisis is crying out for a new government that will truly respond to the needs of the people.
Redefining the narrative—April is Independence month
Indeed, we are a proud pan-African political formation whose broad mandate is to complete the unfinished business of the liberation of struggle.
It is in line with our character as a proud-African movement and pan-liberation movement that we have declared April the independence month.
For us, as a day is not enough to accord the befitting veneration to our liberation struggle in which so many of our patriotic sons and daughters paid the ultimate price.
April is therefore an independence month in which we will take part in many activities to celebrate our liberation struggle; the bloody and intractable struggle in which we shed blood to rid the country of oppression, subjugation and racism.
It is in line with that redefinition and rebranding that as a party, we will seek to play a prominent role in all national events including the country’s national Independence Day activities.
National days must be inclusive and must not continue to be arrogated or dominated by a single political party. It is demeaning of our independence to ascribe it to the sole efforts of a political party. It was a struggle by all Zimbabweans that must be celebrated by all.
As I have already said, under our leadership, we will set aside the whole month of April—and not just a single day—to the celebration of our uhuru.
April will indeed be an Independence month.
3.Election Preparedness
Within the context of independence, it is important to restate that the party remains strong and ready to participate in the forthcoming polls. Our liberation struggle was mainly about one-man-one-vote and we stand ready to participate in a truly free, fair and credible plebiscite.
To attest to our readiness, the party’s Elections directorate has received CVs from aspiring candidates who wish to stand in the local government and parliamentary polls. We have received a total of 3 911 CVs from aspiring candidates and this attests to the willingness of Zimbabweans to represent the party at both parliamentary and local government level.
Our preparation is well on course and in the next few weeks, we will have a complete panel of candidates that will represent the party at all levels.
We are determined to meet the 50 percent threshold for women and the 20 percent youth quota in line with the constitution and the resolutions of the supreme organs of the party.
3.1 Electoral reforms
Last month, we launched our Plan and Environment for a Credible Election (PEACE). That document has 10 key demands of what we want addressed if we are to have an undisputed election.
We will do all that is possible to ensure that Zimbabweans are given a chance to freely express their sovereign will in fair and credible poll.
Our 10 demands include, but are not limited to:
1.Independence of the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC), including the independence and professionalization of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Secretariat.
2.The creation of an authentic biometric voters’ roll properly audited and signed off by all stakeholders.
3.Full disclosure and transparency around the ballot paper, its technical status, its printing and its distribution thereof.
4.The complete de-securitisation of election institutions and the electoral process, incorporating the exclusion of Zimbabwe’s security sector from managing the incumbent ZANU PF’s election campaign.
5.Provision for Zimbabweans residing in the Diaspora to vote in the election.
6.Media reforms allowing for equal access to public media by all contenders in the election.
7.The enactment of major amendments to the Electoral Law and the repealing of restrictive laws such as: the Public Order Security Act (POSA); Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA); and the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA).
8.Allowing entry of international monitors and supervisors at least 3 months before the 2018 election and provision for the United Nations to supervise the poll.
9.Absence of violence and intimidation before, during and after the election.
Political impartiality of traditional leaders, including abolition of politicized food aid in election campaigns.
Conclusion: The road to Victory (R2V)
As a party, we are ready to roll. We are fine-tuning our policy programme and our people’s manifesto that will truly respond to the challenges facing the despondent citizens of this nation.
We have rebranded and revamped this movement and in the next few weeks, we will be unveiling the detailed policy programmes of how we will rescue this country from the abyss.
We have done it before and we will do it again. Zimbabweans are under no illusion about the MDC’s capacity to govern, given our record during our stint of delivery between 20019 and 2013.
With our competent hands on the wheel of government, the future can only be bright for the people of Zimbabwe.
The party is ready; Zimbabweans are ready and they continue to show their confidence judging by their participation in the party’s activities. The region and the world are anxious for a truly new dispensation that delivers to the people.
Staff Reporter | April fools day was only a few days ago but it seems some are still in the mood for jokes, this time using big names, Strive Masiyiwa and Mutumwa Mawere.
A media invitation is doing the rounds informing journalists of a press conference at which business mogul Masiyiwa is to launch a new political party, United Democratic Movement (UDM).
The press conference is said to have been called for by South African based businessman Mutumwa Mawere, it reads in part, ” Agenda: Notifying the nation of the coming in of business mogul Strive Masiyiwa into the country’s politics as president of United Movement for Democracy Party. Speakers: UMD Party Secretary General, Aaron Muzungu and;: Mutumwa Mawere.”
ZimEye.com contacted South Africa based Mawere who responded laughing saying;”I do not know anything about it, it is some mischievous person, there are mischief makers out there.”
Mawere said another journalist had also sent him the same circular. The press briefing is to be held in Harare while both Masiyiwa and Mawere are still based out of the country. However, ZimEye is also informed that the Media Centre has been booked for such an event.
The prominent businessman Masiyiwa last year poured cold water on claims that he would lead a coalition of opposition parties to challenge President Robert Mugabe in this year’s elections, this was before the later was ousted.
Bostwanas Masisi, SA’s Ramaphosa and Zim’s Mnangagwa
The convention across most of Africa is that a new president is usually sworn in after elections. Some countries allow vice presidents to complete the terms of their bosses in case of death or resignation. Elsewhere, there is the need for a by-election for the next president to be chosen.
The southern Africa region has in less than six months sworn-in three leaders without substantive elections – Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana.
Zimbabwe in November last year, South Africa in February 2018 and Botswana on April 1, 2018. This article looks at the three instances exploring the specific dynamics that underline each of them.
Mugabe’s decades reign ends with resignation
In Zimbabwe, the unlikliest of political situations played out when long serving leader, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, was forced to resign his post after over 30 years in charge.
Mugabe fired his vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa leading to the intervention of the army. In the end, street protests, regional mediation led by South Africa, pressure from ruling Zanu-PF and threat of parliamentary impeachment forced Mugabe to step down.
His exiled vice-president returned from South Africa to assume leadership of the ruling party and to ascend to the presidency. Mnangagwa will see out Mugabe’s mandate ahead of elections scheduled for later this year.
Jacob Zuma’s roller coaster presidency ends with resignation
In South Africa, embattled president Jacob Zuma went out through the same door he came in. Zuma backed a recall by the ruling Africa National Congress (ANC) of then President Thabo Mbeki. Mbeki had earlier fired Zuma as his vice over corruption scandals.
As is the case in South Africa, the president is deployed by the party that holds a parliamentary majority. So when the ANC went to Congress in December 2017 and elected Zuma’s deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, as leader, talk of two centers of power came up.
After a series of negotiations within the ANC as a party and in parliament, backed by a massive opposition push for Zuma to be impeached, he resigned his post giving way for Ramaphosa to be sworn in as president of the republic.
Cyril Ramaphosa sworn in as new South African
Botswana’s Khama steps down for Masisi
Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), the country’s ruling party, has a rule of substantive presidents stepping down eighteen months to the end of their second and final terms in office. The measure is to allow the vice to become president and govern till the next elections.
So, Seretse Ian Khama’s stepping down as fourth president of the country was known long before April 1 when Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi was sworn into office as the fifth president of the diamond-rich country.
Khama, a former soldier had also benefitted from a similar arrangement when Festus Mogae stepped down in 2008. However, when a president steps down, his vice is sworn in as substantive president. Masisi’s vice will be sworn in today.
Botswana swears in its 5th leader, President Mokgweetsi Masisi
Prosecutor-General (PG) Ray Goba faces possible arrest after he allegedly personally interviewed Kudakwashe Elliot, a rape suspect, who is also a State witness in Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries leader, Walter Magaya’s rape trial, without reporting him to police.
In a letter written to Goba and copied to Justice minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc), the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the Judicial Service Commission (Jsc), the lawyer representing Elliot’s rape victim gave the PG a 24-hour ultimatum to explain his actions.
“From our understanding, you have personally interviewed Kudakwashe Elliot and that despite having knowledge of the fact that he is an accused, who had put himself beyond the reach of the law.
“You have nonetheless tried to put himself beyond the reach of the law. You have nonetheless chosen to interact and consort with him without informing the police. In this regard, our client is aware that you had a duty to report Elliot’s presence to the police,” the lawyers said.
“You have, accordingly, aided and abetted a criminal, who has incessantly tried to put himself beyond the reach of the law. You have, in this regard, committed a serious criminal misconduct for which you are liable to be prosecuted. We, therefore, demand that you do the following within the 24 hours: explain to us, for the benefit of our client, why you have abdicated your constitutional function in this most reprehensible manner . . . Should you not do so, we shall be proceeding to make a formal report with the police for your immediate arrest and eventual prosecution.”
According to the lawyers, Elliot was reported to the police under RRB number 2890093.
Goba is yet to respond to the allegations levelled against him. Newsday
Robert Mugabe and wife Grace as he celebrated 94th birthday
Ray Nkosi | President Emmerson Mnangagwa remains a ‘homeless’ head of state even after his inauguration last November.
Mnangagwa took over from Mugabe after a military coup which ended the latter’s almost four decade rule in power. Months later it has emerged that Mugabe and his wife Grace are refusing to vacate the state house.
The local Daily News reports that the Mugabes have refused to remove their property, including other valuables to pave way for Mnangagwa.
Mugabe recently came out in the media saying the ‘disgraceful’ coup which removed him, must be undone. “I say it was a coup d’etat – some people have refused to call it a coup d’etat,” said Mugabe.
Ray Nkosi | Outspoken Norton Member of Parliament Temba Mliswa has angrily reacted to the recent appointment of special advisor to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Chris Mutsvangwa’s son Neville to the Ariston Holdings board by the National Social Security Authority (NSSA).
Wrote Mliswa on social media, “Advisor Mutsvangwa needs an advisor himself! How can he accept his son’s appointment to Ariston when he was pampered on the dissolved ZimParks?Were there no other warvets he could recommend? The revolution wasn’t about 1 family and others have children just as intelligent that qualify.”
The appointment is with effect from April 1, 2018, according to a letter dated March 27 and signed by NSSA general manager, Elizabeth Chitiga.
Neville who was accused of raping a woman in 2016 is the son to politicians Christopher and Monica Mutsvangwa. Mliswa blasted the family further saying, “Mutsvangwa’s Ariston appointment smacks of intimidatory tactics in Norton’s interests considering Ariston has a strong operation at Kent Farm. NSSA clearly in cahoots with Mutsvangwa against me but this move doesn’t disturb me or deter my resolve to see corruption uprooted at NSSA.”
Adv. Chamisa briefs the media at Morgan Tsvangirai House
Grace Kwinjeh | Over the past years national events such as independence celebrations have been politicised, a preserve for the ruling Zanu PF party only and shunned by the country’s opposition.
This time round it is going to be different as MDC President Nelson Chamisa breaks with the past of deeply polarised politics, announcing today that the MDC will attend all national events, including independence celebrations on April 18. Zimbabwe attained independence in April 1980, an event that has been used to foist upon the nation liberations values, which have often gone against the spirit upon which the war was fought, such as the ideal of one man one vote vote.
Here is what Adv. Chamisa says about the MDC and future independence celebrations: “
Redefining the narrative—April is Independence month
Indeed, we are a proud pan-African political formation whose broad mandate is to complete the unfinished business of the liberation of struggle.
It is in line with our character as a proud-African movement and pan-liberation movement that we have declared April the independence month.
For us, as a day is not enough to accord the befitting veneration to our liberation struggle in which so many of our patriotic sons and daughters paid the ultimate price.
April is therefore an independence month in which we will take part in many activities to celebrate our liberation struggle; the bloody and intractable struggle in which we shed blood to rid the country of oppression, subjugation and racism.
It is in line with that redefinition and rebranding that as a party, we will seek to play a prominent role in all national events including the country’s national Independence Day activities.
National days must be inclusive and must not continue to be arrogated or dominated by a single political party. It is demeaning of our independence to ascribe it to the sole efforts of a political party. It was a struggle by all Zimbabweans that must be celebrated by all.
As I have already said, under our leadership, we will set aside the whole month of April—and not just a single day—to the celebration of our uhuru.
April will indeed be an Independence month.
Welshman Ncube led MDC Youth Secretary General Descent Bajila says that the youth in the country are not only against President Emmerson Mnangagwa because of his age but as an agreement for the youth to adapt to the changes in time.
In a social media post on Thursday explaining the popular “Generational Consensus” theory being run by the youth in the campaign for young people in this year’s elections, Bajila said that the theory seeks to remind the old that times are changing and the youth need to begin to be part of the future of the country.
“A Generation is not an age group. It is bigger than that. It is rather a group of people living under a particular moment and having a similar understanding on the aftermath of the moment,” said Bajila.
“Therefore, it is scandalous, malicious and reckless to argue that Generational Consensus is about hatred of the old and unreasonable love for the young. Far from it,”
“Generational Consensus is about understanding the times we live in and making efforts that the old and the young have equitable stake in the journey to a common future.
“A desire to completely obliterate the old and experienced from playing a role in the affairs of society is against Generational Consensus. Likewise a desire to marginalize the young from matters of national development and leadership is against Generational Consensus.”
Bajila’s sentiments come amidst concerted efforts to have young MDC-T leader Nelson Chamisa take over the leadership of the country from a 76 year old Mnangagwa.
The youth are also heavily campaigning for young people to be elected into parliamentary and local government positions in the elections set for July or August this year.
Bajila, however, underscored that the Generational Consensus” does not open up for poor representation from the youth but will require the best of the young people to assume leadership of the country.
“The aim of Generational Consensus is however unapologetic on the need to achieve increased quantitative and qualitative presence of the young people in spheres where they have previously been systematically marginalised,” he said.
“Priscilla Wa Bantu” urging women not to put on underwear to the polls
By Paul Nyathi| A cluster of women in politics over the weekend held a solidarity gathering with troubled MDC-T faction leader Thokozani Khuphe to give her support in what they called victimisation by male politicians on her because she is a woman.
The women met at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds in Bulawayo over the weekend holding a prayer session for fellow women politicians in the country.
Amongst the scores of women who attended the gathering were controversial MDC parliamentarian Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga who called on fellow women to go to the polls without their underwear to underscore their support for Khuphe and remind them that they are women.
“Some of us women are beginning to forget who we are and agreeing to be subjected by men,” she said.
“When we go to the elections this year we will be protesting this and we will go there without our underwear to remind ourselves that we are women and not vote for any male candidates,” she said.
Misihairabwi Mushonga hailed the women who attended the meeting claiming that their presence diffused the perception that women are divided and always fail to support each other.
Addressing the same gathering, leader of the People’s Democratic Party splinter party Luciah Matibenga also urged women to vote for fellow women candidates in the coming elections.
Matibenga also hailed the women for coming in their numbers to give Khuphe support at a time when she is being tormented by the MDC-T leadership that denied her leadership of the party to give it to Chamisa outside the provisions of the party.
“This is a very important day for us as women and especially for our sister Khuphe who is being persecuted for being a women in the MDC-T,” she said.
Matibenga urged women in the country to unite and give their full support to Khuphe as an injury to one woman is an injury to all women.
Khuphe thanked the women for giving her the support especially for attending the gathering organised by her supporter Lorraine Ncube in a short notice.
“I want to thank you so much for coming in your numbers and for the support and want to assure you that I will never give up this fight,” she said.
Dismissed MDC-T National Organising Secretary Abednico Bhebhe was the only visible high profile male person at the ceremony.
The three women, Khuphe, Mushonga and Matibenga are meanwhile reported to be cementing a women biased coalition with People’s Rainbow Coalition leader Joice Mujuru.
Khuphe, Bhebhe and Obert Gutu were dismissed from the MDC-T recently and have since formed their splinter MDC-T preparing to contest elections in this year’s plebiscite.
From dancing partners to praying partners, Desperados Joice Mujuru and Robert Mugabe
By Paul Nyathi
National People’s Party leader who is also the presidential candidate of the People’s Rainbow Coalition Dr Joice Mujuru has confirmed links with the ousted ZANU PF G40 cabal claiming that former President Robert Mugabe assured her of the cabal’s support after a prayer at the former President’s home recently.
Mujuru made the revelation while addressing her party members in Bindura on Easter Friday.
“We held hands and prayed. I told him that I have my own party in Mashonaland Central and I am working with G40 members here. He told me that he advised his boys in G40 to work with me,” said Mujuru.
Mujuru dismissed claims that her meeting with the 94 year old Mugabe was to get her to go back to the ruling party which harshly dismissed her in 2014 on accusation of wanting to topple Mugabe who was the President at the time while she was his deputy.
“There is an issue that is confusing people that I met with Mugabe and that I have returned to Zanu-PF,” she said. “I did not rejoin Zanu-PF. Be happy that Mugabe realised his mistakes. He is a human being and wanted to gauge the extent of anger against him.
Dr Mujuru then indicated that her party was considering working with other political parties in the forthcoming elections.
“As NPP, it is impossible to get into Government alone and we looked for alliances,” she said.
“Election is about numbers. We are into alliance with PDP led by Amai Mativenga, ZUNDE led by Farai Mbira, DARE led by Gilbert Dzikiti and Zimbabwe Economic Freedom Fighters joined recently. Two more are interested.”
Dumiso Dabengwa led ZAPU and Thokozani Khuphe led splinter MDC-T are the likely parties to join Mujuru’s alliance soon as they have been confirmed to have been discussing possible alliances.
No challenge. Zimbabwe Darts Champion David Nyemba
By Paul Nyathi
Minister of Provincial Affairs for Mashonaland Central Advocate Martin Dinha stole the limelight when he became the toast at the just ended National Darts Association of Zimbabwe National Darts Championships held in Mvurwi over the Easter weekend.
Branding the now popular multi coloured scarf associated with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Minister Dinha forced a four hour delay in the kick off of the heavily congested games as he officiated at the opening ceremony of the event on Easter Friday morning.
Addressing players and delegates at the annual event, the jovial Minister invited the more than three hundred participants to join him at his residence in Bindura for a braai to celebrate his and ZANU PF’s imminent election victory when the teams return to the province in August for the Annual Heroes Holiday interprovincial championships.
“We will host all of you at our provincial statehouse in Bindura when you come in August probably after our election victory,” said Dinha.
Zimbabweans are expected to go to the polls in July or August to elect a new government.
Turning to the sport, Minister Dinha called on NDAZ to continue developing the sport of darts in the country turning it into a full-fledged professional sport and not a pub game.
“I have always known darts to be a pub sport but today I am very happy to see that the sport is growing into a real professional sport and you must continue developing this game into a professional level,” said Dinha.
Addressing the closing ceremony of the event NDAZ President Menard Moyo called on the provincial darts associations to hid to the Minister’s call and take the initiative to turn the sport into a professional game a major priority.
Meanwhile, Mashonaland Central province continued to dominate Zimbabwean darts clinching the men’s national championship after dismissing rivals Harare Province in the finals.
National Champion David Nyemba still failed to get a challenge big enough to wrestle the crown he has taken hold of for over a decade. Nyemba shook off the challenge from Selesio Gunda of Manicaland to retain the open singles title before dismissing a determined Modekai Dheka of Harare in the main event the closed singles.
In the ladies session, Midlands Province led by national team players Thebeth Zhoya and Letwin Svavisai retained the championship for a second year running. The two ladies went on to claim the singles and double crowns between them confirming them as the best two darts playing ladies in the country.
Overall Results:
Ladies:
Team Events:
1st Place
Midlands Province
A Chinese woman lost more than $2 million to four suspected fraudsters who allegedly lured her into Zimbabwe under the pretext that they could buy diamonds on her behalf.
The complainant (name not supplied) brought with her US$2 120 000 in small denominations, but was allegedly advised by Mathew Musengezi (36) and his alleged accomplices – three Chinese men, including Huang Fei – that since they intended to buy the diamonds at ZMDC (Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation), they needed US$100 notes only.
The quartet ostensibly took the money to change it into the said denominations.
The gang, the court heard, then vanished with the money and nothing was recovered. One of the accused persons, Musengezi, appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Gideon Ruvetsa on Saturday, charged with fraud.
His alleged accomplices are reportedly still at large. Musengezi, however, walked out of the court a free man after his lawyer Mr Tawanda Takaindisa of TK Takaindisa Law Chambers successfully challenged his placement on remand.
In his application, Mr Takaindisa submitted that his client was not properly before the court, arguing that he was not warned and cautioned of the charge he was facing.
“Your Worship, my client did not sign the warned-and-cautioned statement as evidenced by the fact that it is not even attached on the request for remand form. He is improperly before the court,” he said.
“The complainant also is approaching the court with dirty hands because she is not licensed to deal in diamonds and, as such, the court is made to regularise an illegality.”
In response, prosecutor Mr Michael Reza opposed the application, arguing that at the remand stage, the warned-and-cautioned statement was not necessary.
“At this stage, it is not necessary for the warned-and-cautioned statement to be attached to the request for remand form. For purposes of placement on remand, all what is needed is a reasonable suspicion that the accused person did what he is alleged to have done,” he said.
“In this case, the accused person drove the complainant to ZMDC in his vehicle and at some stage he told her that her denominations would not be accepted before taking the money on the pretext he wanted to change into $100 notes.
“She gave him the money and the accused has to explain what he did with the money.”
Mr Reza then unsuccessfully applied to have the matter remanded to yesterday (Tuesday) to allow the investigating officer to bring the warned-and-cautioned statement. The magistrate ruled in favour of the defence.
“There is no evidence that the accused signed a warned-and-cautioned statement, therefore, placement on remand is refused,” he said. – state media
Job Sikhala | I am seeing people shouting and exchanging harsh words on different platforms about the primary election duel of Jessie Majome and Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe. This is the beauty of politics. It is a gruelling journey that brings emotions out of people. I always warned many people never to use emotions in politics, otherwise it is the recipe for hypertension and death through stroke.
If I were Jessie Majome, I would be so happy to find someone calling on the constituency that I have interests on. Going through the mill of public scrutiny and the democratic process gives legitimacy to your representation of the people. The pride driven from the people driven mandate is worth more than all the silver and gold we have.
I know Joana very well. She is a strong woman in the mold of Winnie Madikizela Mandela. She is an activist of note, fearless and aggressive. Such strong women are a rare breed. She also has intellect and great oratory skills. I remember she fought a vicious battle at CUT to dethrone the ZANU PF aligned ZICOSU from controlling the politics of the college. She invited me to address CUT students at CUT University Hotel and left the University well acquitted with the politics of activism. She is one of the first ones to join Itai Dzamara at the Occupy Africa Unity Square. She was in the OAUS Strategic Committee which was being Chaired by Itai. She grew the ZINASU brand during her leadership as Secretary for Gender. She became more of a real de facto ZINASU leader through her astuteness. Lets be frank to each other. This woman is something else.
Jessie Majome is one of the finest female Members of Parliament ever to emerge post independence. She is a hands on MP and is so obsessed with human rights issues. Issues to do with human rights is her calling. She is simple and has no trait of arrogance in her. She won several annual Human Rights awards as a lawyer and as a legislator who raised issues of human rights to another level.
Let the best women battle it out. Throwing an innuendo that some hands have set one woman against another is ridiculous and myopic. Democracy demands that people decide whom they want. Let them wrestle it out. It’s game on. Democracy in motion.
Controversial politician Obert Mpofu has chickened out of Zanu PF primaries citing old age. Mpofu is under pressure from the public to account for his alleged bcorrupt activities including his role in the missing USD 15billion, with many calling on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to arrest him.
The state media reports that some senior Zanu PF leaders in Matabeleland North Province have withdrawn their curricula vitae for primary elections and instead pledged to support the candidates who will win on the 5th of May.
The decision comes amid concerns by the party leadership that there are too many aspiring candidates for both council and National Assembly seats.
Zanu PF Secretary for Administration, Dr Obert Mpofu who has also been serving as the legislator for Umguza constituency for more than 20 years will not contest for the position but will now focus on being a senator.
The sitting legislator for Bubi Constituency, Clifford Sibanda has also pulled out from the race and pledged to support the candidate who will win in the primary elections.
One of the guidelines of the party requires the province to have a woman parliamentarian who is less than 35 years of age.
In this regard, the sitting National Assembly member in the women’s quota, Sikhanyisiwe Mpofu has offered to step down to make way for a young woman.
Announcing the decision at the Zanu PF Provincial Coordinating Committee meeting in Lupane, Dr Mpofu said it is disheartening to see more than three candidates contesting for one position, saying it shows selfishness, disrespect and lack of unity.
“You can withdraw and people will actually respect you for supporting your fellow comrade. My wife has said she is stepping down to make way for a young woman. We spoke about this at home and had a debate for some time over the issue and finally agreed. Even Sibanda, we all know him, he was the Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office before the new dispensation. He came to me and said, ‘look, I am stepping down and I will support the incoming candidate.’ That is what we want comrades,” said Dr Mpofu.
Zanu PF Secretary for Business Development and Liaison, Sithembiso Nyoni said the party has engaged an independent commission which will assess the curricula vitae to determine those who qualify before handing over the final recommendations to the National Electoral Directorate.
“When the independent commission has handed over to us as the National Electoral Directorate, we will then present the report to the Politburo which will then decide on the final outcome,” she explained.
The party’s Provincial Chairperson, Richard Moyo called on the members to be united and abide by the guidelines when the announcement has been made for candidates to begin campaigning for the primary elections.
“Let us also remember that the people you have in your cell will determine whether you will win or lose. We are assuming all of you have cells basing on the reports that you were bringing to the province,” he said.
Constituencies such as Binga North, Binga South and Lupane East each have seven candidates for the National Assembly while Nyoni is the only candidate for Nkayi North constituency.
FILE PIC – On a warpath Thabitha Khumalo takes on Thokozani Khuphe
By Paul Nyathi| Acting MDC-T National Spokesperson Thabitha Khuphe has hit the road running in her new post declaring once close friend Thokozani Khuphe a nobody in the party.
In her first official party media statement as spokesperson, Khumalo castigated the lady who introduced her into politics twenty years ago claiming that she does not have the mandate to speak nor act on behalf of the MDC-T.
Khumalo said that Khuphe does not have the authority to convene an MDC-T congress of any nature as she was officially dismissed from the party.
Khumalo’s full media statement reads as follows:
“Former Vice President Thokozani Khupe, Abednigo Bhebhe and Obert Gutu remain expelled from the party and have neither the power nor the mandate to call for a purported extra-ordinary Congress under the name of the MDC-T.
The facts are that Ms Khupe is just an individual; an expelled one for that matter with no power at all to call for any Congress or any meeting of the party.
The National Council, the supreme decision-making body between Congresses, has in its wisdom already put to rest the issues that she purports to be complaining about. Khupe has the right to exhaust all available domestic and internal remedies as provided for in the party Constitution.
The Constitution is very clear on how and who should call for an extra-ordinary Congress and former members that have been expelled have no such powers. Their cause has no support from any of the organs of the party, including any of the 12 provinces or of the 1 958 wards the party.
Theirs is simply a lost cause. The party president and the leadership even extended the time frame given to him by the national council in order to give dialogue a chance but the former comrades remained obstinate.
All stakeholders, including members of the public and the press are advised not to entertain the aforementioned as officials acting for or on behalf of the party.
The party is pursuing all remedies and putting in place the necessary measures to stop the abuse of the party, its name and/or property.
Everyone awaits the advent of a new Zimbabwe and this is certainly no time for needless sideshows meant to distract us from the key matters at hand.”
Hon. Thabitha Khumalo
Acting national spokesperson
Movement for democratic Change
The Registrar-General, Mr Tobaiwa Mudede, is being sued at the High Court for turning down requests by men who wish to acquire birth certificates for their children in the absence of the minors’ mothers.
The RG’s Office allows requests by women seeking birth certificates on behalf of their children without conducting any tests to prove paternity, but the same office stands accused of discriminating against men.
Children who apply for birth certificates through their fathers are being denied the right to the official document due to policies at the RG’s Office. Men must always bring the mothers of the children to the RG’s Office.
Justice for Children Trust, through its director Ms Petronella Nyamapfene, is challenging the constitutionality of the practice, arguing it is discriminatory and had the effect of violating the rights of the innocent children.
The voluntary organisation raised the issue after a Harare man, Mr Albarn Nyamadzawo, approached their offices crying foul over the conduct of the RG in a case where his daughter’s mother was not cooperating.
She was reportedly refusing to assist the child to acquire the identity document.
Justice for Children and Mr Nyamadzawo filed an application at the High Court seeking an order compelling the hospitals and other maternity health institutions to issue birth confirmation records of children to their fathers on request.
They are also seeking to compel the RG’s Office to register the children in the absence of their mothers.
The applicants are also seeking an order for costs against Mr Mudede and Home Affairs Minister Obert Mpofu in their official capacities.
In the application, Ms Nyamapfene argued that a number of fathers were struggling to acquire birth certificates of children born out of wedlock.
“A category of clients that have been knocking on the doors of Justice for Children across the country is that of fathers who are struggling to obtain birth certificates for their children,” she said.
“This is for two reasons: mothers who cannot be located and mothers who are unwilling to cooperate with the fathers in registering children.
“The latter is the problem of the second applicant (Mr Nyamadzawo) in this case. First respondent (RG) has been refusing to register children who are born out of wedlock and whose applications for registration are made by their fathers in the absence of the mothers or the documents of the mothers.”
The lawyers argued that Sections 11 and 12 of the Birth and Deaths Registration Act allows for children born out of wedlock to acquire birth certificates through their fathers, without the involvement of the mothers.
Denying a child a birth certificate, the applicants argued, was tantamount to denying him or her a number of rights.
“To deny a child a birth certificate for any reason is unconstitutional,” read the papers.
“If a child is denied the right to register simply because the mother is refusing to cooperate, then the child is also denied the rights to citizenship, which flow from one being properly registered as proof of such citizenship. Anything that hinders or substrates from compulsory registration is unacceptable at law.”
The lawyers argued that if a mother abandons the child, the father can still register in her absence or even without the mother’s documents.
“A man who comes forward and claims to be the father of a child should not be presumed not to be the father unless proven otherwise,” argued the lawyers.
“Rather, the one who claims that the man is not the father should bear the onus to prove his or her claims. This rebuttable presumption is what applies to mothers.
“There is nothing to be achieved in placing an extra burden on fathers to prove their paternity prior to registration.
“Mothers are not asked to prove their maternity when they register the children.
“All they bring is a birth record if the child was delivered in a hospital or clinic or a witness if they delivered elsewhere.”
The best interests of the children, the lawyers said, cannot be served by preventing their fathers from registering them when such fathers come forward and accept responsibility and fatherhood.
The lawyers argued that such discrimination was not reasonable and justifiable under Zimbabwe’s constitutional framework. – state media
Some MDC activists have created the below cartoon graphic which scoffs at the way their leader Nelson Chamisa has in recent days been criticised for his bullet train banter:
Air Zimbabwe plane grounded at Robert Mugabe Airport
By Paul Nyathi
President Emmerson Mnangagwa could see the national airliner, Air Zim shut down during his term in office.
Mnangagwa is flying in and out of the country using charted flights while the national airliner, Air Zimbabwe is on the verge of an imminent closure.
Air Zimbabwe, is reportedly operating with only two aircrafts out of a possible ten and with only four pilots who are all exposed to extremely long hours of work.
Sources within the airline indicated that the carrier is on the verge of an imminent closure as passengers have lost confidence in the airline which is battling with long delays and cancelled flights.
“Things are definitely not well within the company,” said a source at the company’s offices at Bulawayo airport.
“The company is currently operating with only two planes and four very disgruntled pilots who are working very long hours putting passengers at a serious risk,” said the source.
Last week the airlines had a six hour delay on a Harare to Bulawayo route when the pilots meant to take the plane refused to fly all claiming to be exhausted.
A junior less experienced pilot had to take the hour long flight at midnight when passengers had been waiting for six hours after checking in.
Commenting on a similar concern on state media on Tuesday, Air Zimbabwe spokesperson Tafadzwa Mazonde confirmed that the government run venture is facing problems acquiring spares for its fleet and is currently running well below capacity.
“It’s only the issue of equipment; if we had equipment we could deploy all the other planes. Right now we’ve got two big planes. As management we are mobilising resources and trying to engage people that can give us planes because the purchase of an aircraft is done as a joint effort between the company and Government as a major shareholder. We are working together on that front. Very soon we will be doing something,” said Mazonde.
Mazonde battled to dismiss confirmed speculations that the pilots were on a go-slow which resulted in the cancellation of flights.
“There is no go slow or strike which we as management have been told. Our pilots are actually working overtime considering their numbers. All things being equal they should be okay but the other pilots are there but their planes are not flying so as a result it puts a strain on those that are flying.
“An aeroplane is different from a bus where you can jump from an AVM into a Volvo,” said Mr Mazonde.
ZimEye.com sources disputed Mazonde’s statement indicating that the pilots were indeed on a job action with some very experienced ones intending to tender their resignations from the airline this week.
“The pilots are indeed on a serious go slow as they are giving themselves deliberate long resting hours between flights,” said the source.
“This will be confirmed by resignations from the company by some of the few pilots within the next few days,” said the source.
President Mnangagwa has himself snubbed the national carrier preferring to use chartered flights from privately owned airlines for his numerous trips using millions of dollars in the process.
By Business Reporter| India has beaten Zimbabwe by launching out to build its own bullet train, the hyperloop train which will travel at more than 1,000 miles per hour – The British Businessman behind the first hyperloop train, Richard Branson speaks saying, with Virgin Hyperloop One, passengers and cargo will be loaded into a pod, and accelerate gradually via electric propulsion through a low-pressure tube. The pod quickly lifts above the track using magnetic levitation and glides at airline speeds for long distances due to ultra-low aerodynamic drag. We’re incredibly excited about the technology behind Virgin Hyperloop One and the way it could transform passengers’ lives.
Ever since our creation, Virgin has been known for disruption and investing in innovative companies. From our airlines to our trains to our spaceline, we have long been passionate about innovation in transport too, especially the development of technology that could transform people’s lives. This is just the latest example. Importantly, Virgin Hyperloop One will be all-electric and the team is working on ensuring it is a responsible and sustainable form of transport too.
As ever, the team behind the business is just as important as the product. I love to invest in people, not just technology. We’re pleased to be working with the co-founders, Executive Chairman Shervin Pishevar and President of Engineering Josh Giegel, who previously worked at Virgin Galactic, and their experienced executive team.
You may first have heard of the original hyperloop name through Elon Musk and SpaceX’s white paper back in August 2013. Hyperloop technology has been explicitly open-sourced and others have been encouraged to take the ideas and further develop them. Virgin Hyperloop One are leading the way in these efforts and are working on exciting projects in the Middle East, Europe, India, Canada, and the US. WATCH VIDEOS:
By Staff Reporter| President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s scarf has exploded in the United Kingdom and will be the main feature when Zimbabweans converge in Nottingham to celebrate independence next week Saturday 14th April. The event will coincide with the upcoming visit of a high powered ministerial delegation from Zimbabwe. FULL DETAILS ARE BELOW:
By Farai D Hove| The People’ Rainbow Coalition (PRC) leader Dr Joice Mujuru has scoffed at President Emmerson Mnangagwa saying he is just dancing on a Chinese MOU which has no cash either inscribed or implied.
In a statement, Dr Mujuru said she “urges Zimbabweans not to be fooled and misled by the Coup President Ed Mnangagwa’s falsehoods and propaganda of having signed economic mega deals in China.
“The kindargaten and exaggerated praises of Ed’ s China visit stands out as a classical demonstration of a military administration that lacks primary understanding of the definition and meaning of what constitutes a memorandum of understanding. Put simply, a memorandum of understanding is just a statement of intention of wanting to work together between parties subject to fulfilling of suggested requirements. As such it remains an intention and for a whole military cabal to celebrate the mere appending of a signature to a statement of intention to work together between china and Zimbabwe, would obviously be no different from allowing Satan to run away with a christian bible from a christian pulpit. The so called china visit is a terrible tragic tale of a scarf man without clue on how to rescue Zimbabwe from economic turmoil ; to the extend that a coup President celebrates mentioning of remote possibilities notwithstanding absence of tangible evidence to sustain such misplaced expectations for sudden economic recovery for our country.
“It is a shame that a country once the bread basket of Southern Africa is now a basket case of non mitigated begging of individual interests. Zimbabweans needs to be told by the military administration as of whether as a country we paid off what we owed multilateral financial institutions like World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Africa Development Bank just to mention a few. The country needs to be told the truth regarding what has since become of the LIMA plan Chinamasa once negotiated and put in place for the country’ s possible economic recovery? Put simply, the military administration needs to appreciate primary economics that a country that borrows only survives if borrowing is for national investment and not individual consumption. Our citizens need to know how much as a country we are burdened with from Afreximbank and Eximbank loans and how we propose to repay the same?
“The military administration needs to desist from celebrating so called economic mega deals which are nothing but a desperate and hopeless walk into extreme borrowing without a back up plan of strategic retreat. Ed Dambudzo needs to appreciate that in this 21st century there is nothing called Free Lunch. Before so called mega deals are to be implemented; our legislature should have an oversight role to ensure that our country and its natural resources are not mortgaged for the selfish ends of greed individuals. An example in point was the abuse of agricultural equipment loaned from Brazil which equipment found its way to benefit Zanu pf individuals and not the nation. Regrettably when the loans are taken they are taken in the name of Zimbabwean Government and not Zanu pf. More worrying is that when the loans are not repaid, a method in the madness way of doing business appears wherein the Government assumes debt through debt assumption bill and it is the poor taxed man who eventually pays for the individually appropriated national assets. Put simply, as long as the money we borrow as a nation is not put to good use; we remain a nation of perpetual borrowers and when we fail to repay because of corruption; interests rates and penalties kick in and our nation remains mortgaged in perpetuity of servitude to our financial masters.
“In the circumstances Ed and his military handlers need to understand that the country’ s economic challenges are not resolved through perpetual propensity to borrow without backup plan to repay. That applies both to offshore and domestic debt. Zimbabwe needs to return to status-hood of being a good standing member in the scope of financial multilateral institutions. Responsible national leadership should and must not mortgage the country and its natural resources to passing by economic exploiters like Russia and China on the pretext of non beneficial so called mega deals. Is it not ironical that China companies topped the list of corporates who externalised money from our country? So is china an all weather friend or all weather thief? Zimbabwe needs to fight corruption as number one enemy. Secondly, the country needs to urgently move away from command mentality and way of doing business. The role of a responsible Government is simply to create a conducive business enviroment.
“Furthermore, the Government of the day should prioritise security of investments. That involves respect for Bippas, repatriation of profits, stable financial system, ease of doing business just to mention a few. The military administration needs to appreciate that:
1. The Chinese are the only people sitting on trillions dollar surpluses which they build by being hard nosed businessmen, and by being ruthless on two fronts of performance and fighting both tigers and flies of corruption without protecting corrupt factionalists unlike Zimbabwe where professional corrupt individuals like Obert Mpofu superintends ministry of home affairs.
2. Secondly , Chinese have been operating in Zimbabwe for years and are very much aware of Zimbabwe’ s two biggest weaknesses which are corruption and defaulting on loan and interests repayments. That means Zimbabwe will live the life of perpetual borrowing if way of doing business is not changed.
3. Thirdly, The military administration needs to appreciate that when china gives money, its part of its national resources, it expects the borrower to pay back the capital plus interest. The question of further borrowing becomes an issue of ability to pay back existing and new loans. Does the current regime have the paying back capacity?
Zimbabweans needs to appreciate that the current military regime is completely clueless on how to take the country forward. It is very unfortunate for the country to expect the people who were actively involved in creating the present mess to provide solution for same. Rather the coup President has already demonstrated to the world that he is a fanatic follower of the deeds of Mugabe and if not worse in the way he does business. To expect different results from the same way that created current problems then that befits the best definition for madness. For Zimbabweans, time has come to vote wisely in 2018. PRC is your only credible Government in waiting.”
By Farai D Hove| President Emmerson Mnangagwa flies back to Zimbabwe tomorrow after signing 7 Memorandum Of Understandings.
President Mnangagwa says it was a huge success which will see the refurbishment of Hwange Power Station Units 7 and 8 and also the setting up of offices by the China Communication Construction Company.
He said, “While my visit to the People’s Republic of China has been my first State visit outside Africa, it has been a resounding success. We had a very long discussion with President Xi Jinping and we covered an array of issues political, economic, regional and international.
“I am so happy with the chemistry that has developed between us. Zimbabwe is going through a new dispensation and there is a lot of hope and expectation, so we have come to the People’s Republic of China as our first port of call outside Africa and I am hopeful that the assistance in terms of grants and loans will see help us greatly.”
By Dorrothy Moyo| The man who created the Econet brand right at the company’s inception, Nkosana Moyo has alleged that MDC leader Nelson Chamisa does not understand how the economy works.
Nkosana Moyo is the leader of a new political party in Zimbabwe called the Alliance for the People’s Agenda, APA. VIDEO CHOP….
Nelson Chamisa doesn’t understand how the economy works – Nkosana Moyo #ZimCampaign2018
*Nelson Chamisa is the leader of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, the MDC-T
*Nkosana Moyo is the leader of a new political party in Zimbabwe called the Alliance for the People’s Agenda, APA pic.twitter.com/lzcc82oDww
By Staff Reporter| A four member delegation from Germany’s largest broadcaster, Deutsche Welle (DW) arrived in Harare yesterday.
The delegation, comprising of DW Director, Peter Limbourg, Head of DW International Affairs, Klaus Bergmann, and Head of DW Distribution Africa, Sevan Ibrahim- Sauer will take time to see for themselves how Zimbabwe is now in the New Dispensation.
Since the events of last November, there has been a flood of investors seeking opportunities in Zimbabwe, in what has seen US and UK officials sounding positively about Zimbabwe, and in January the then US envoy, Harry Thomas said President Emmerson Mnangagwa has started his leadership on a good note.
The DW delegation will for the next few days meet and other community stakeholders.
Furthermore they are also set to hold an interactive session with the media and other players at Meikles Hotel in Harare (Thursday). The function begins at 3pm.
MISA Harare Advocacy Chairperson, Garikai Chàunza hailed the visit by the DW delegation saying such visits provided “the platform for local media houses to exchange notes and explore possible opportunities and challenges with Germany’s largest broadcaster.”
Former Dynamos defender Tapfumanei ‘Dodo’ Gweshe has died.
He succumbed to Esophageal Cancer Tuesday at his family home in Chitungwiza. He was 34.
Gweshe’s football acumenship was spotted by Dynamos Football Club during his school days and rose through the team’s youth policy and was later loaned to Sundowns before being part of the famous KidzNET team alongside Leo Kurauzvione, Trymore Mtisi, Norman Maroto around 2004 to 2006.
In the 2004 season he scored an early opener against Sporting lions in a game which Dynamos won 3-0.
Gweshe is survived by his wife Angeline Chivere and two children, Sasha and Wayne.
Meanwhile mouners are gathered at 56 Nungu Street Zengeza 2, Chitungwiza.
By A Correspondent| FORMER FIRST LADY Grace Mugabe has been named in allegations of invading the mining property of a Mazowe businessman.
Last week Grace descended onto a mining plot area belonging to Mr Shepherd Nyazvigo.
Mr Nyazvigo tells ZimEye.com that he has rights to the property dating back to several years before Grace Mugabe’s so called “special grant” which was only in 2014.
He has also showed ZimEye his High Court order (reference HC293/18) which bars police and Mugabe’s Gushungo Holdings from interfering with his group’s mining activities.
Grace caused a stir when she was drowned in chanting songs at the plot in a scuffle that saw her begin to scream back saying, “come and beat me up you have been making noise on me come and beat me up,” as Nyazvigo tells ZimEye.
Soon after that Grace then rushed to the nearby police station where she made a police report alleging theft of property.
“I was surprised to find 400 men busy panning gold. I then asked them to stop their activities since I am the owner of the farm and I am the holder of a special grant,” said Grace.
She also said, “theft cases have occurred at the (her Children’s) home.”
Yesterday, Nyazvigo said he has since instructed his “lawyers to file for a lawsuit.” ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW….
He said, “she can’t claim that we are invaders, illegal occupants, when we were the first people to be allocated the property and she know this, but was abusing the political muscle that she had,” he said.
Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo| Residents of the city of Masvingo have accused city council bosses of spending the ratepayers’ hard earned money on posh vehicles while the roads in the ancient city are dilapidated.
Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (MURRA), spokesperson Godfrey Mtimba blamed city council officials for ignoring the plight of the ratepayers.
“Council bosses are neglecting ordinary residents. They are concentrating on maintaining roads in the leafy suburbs because they want to drive around comfortably.
The council bigwigs do not pay even a single cent yet the residents who pay monthly rates are suffering.
We are calling on the council to the repair roads in the high density suburbs as soon as possible,” Mtimba told a local community radio station.
By Terrence Mawawa| The gloves are off and it is bare knuckles time as the adage says.
Members of the MDC Youth Assembly in South Africa have said they are returning home to take on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ruling party Zanu PF in the coming polls.
MDC aspiring candidate for Mwenezi East Constituency Innocent Nsingo Mzansi yesterday said the youths were ready to embark on a massive campaign programme to dislodge Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF mandarins.
“The youths of Zimbabwe in SA support the leadership of His Excellency,The People’s Choice, Hon Advocate Pastor President Nelson Chamisa.
We are returning home in numbers to remove Mnangagwa via the ballot box,” said Nsingo.
By Dorrothy Moyo| As three people died after stealing the late Apostle Charles Chiriseri’s money, the remaining person, a police officer, Tawanda Mawere (32)has begun refusing a disciplinary hearing over the matter.
The three died after stealing money and goods at the scene of the accident that killed Pastor Chiriseri at the 388KM peg along the Harare-Bulawayo highway on September 15 in 2016.
The third person, a Constable Mkhokheli Mpofu (30), died in March last year after he was hit by a vehicle driven by a former police officer who failed to stop at a roadblock. The aforementioned accident happened near the spot where Mpofu allegedly stole $200 from pastor Chiriseri’s body.
The second suspect, a Kurai Bus Service conductor, Forget Chikweya, who allegedly stole a Samsung S6 at the accident scene, died just after a month after Pastor Chiriseri’s passing away.
Chamber application.
The state owned Chronicle reports on how police officer, Tawanda Mawere yesterday filed an urgent chamber application at the Bulawayo High Court citing Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga and one Superintendent Ngirazi in his capacity as the trial officer, as respondents.
He wants to block his bosses from conducting a disciplinary hearing pending the determination of a court application for review under HCR397/17 in which he is seeking an order directing Comm-Gen Matanga to permanently stay the unlawful disciplinary hearing.
Mawere wants an order interdicting his bosses from going ahead with the hearing after he was charged under Police Act for misconduct (discrediting the police service).
Mawere, it had been alleged, connived with another cop Mkhokheli Mpofu (30) who has since died and Mthandazo Rick Dube (34) from the Bulawayo Fire Brigade to steal the late Apostle Chiriseri’s money.
Mawere and Dube were, however, found not guilty of theft and acquitted by Bulawayo magistrate Ms Sithembiso Ncube last year in September.
In papers before the court, Mawere argued that there was no basis upon which he should be brought before a disciplinary hearing after having been cleared by the court.
“I was acquitted and therefore expected that this clears me of all allegations of theft in line with provisions of the law. However, the first respondent (Comm-Gen Matanga) erroneously pushed that I be charged again on the same allegations in terms of the Police Act,” he said.
Mawere argued that the disciplinary court could not make a criminal finding since the criminal court had already acquitted him.
“The respondents are clearly attempting to try me for theft unlawfully under the cover of the Police Act. I have a right not to be tried two times on the same facts, especially after having been acquitted,” he said.
Mawere said his bosses’ decision to try him was a violation of his constitutional right.
He also wants an order interdicting the respondents from conducting the hearing in Harare.
“I have a clear right and am entitled to administrative action that is procedurally and substantively fair and just. More so a right to a fair hearing as encapsulated in section 69 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” said Mawere.
The late Apostle Chiriseri was travelling to Bulawayo with his wife Pastor Pertunia Chiriseri who suffered serious injuries and was admitted in hospital for about a month. Mthandazo was said to have retrieved the deceased’s body from the wreckage and searched it.
He then allegedly took $505,95 from the wallet and recorded it in the Famona Fire Brigade log book and Mawere and Mpofu appended their signatures in the presence of Mount Olives International church Pastor Gordon Dube who was one of the first people to arrive at the scene. When Pastor Dube left the accident scene, the trio allegedly connived to steal $200 from the money they had recovered.
The theft was discovered when a relative to the late apostle, Bishop Colin Nyathi of Harvest House International Ministries, communicated with Pastor Dube who revealed to him the amount of money that was found in Apostle Chiriseri’s pocket.
Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo/A Masvingo based Non Governmental Organisation(NGO) has strongly condemned the intimidation of villagers by traditional leaders.
Kraal head Mudemba Chatindi of ward 27, Masvingo South Constituency openly declared allegiance to Zanu PF last weekend.
He also ordered local villagers to surrender their voter registration serial numbers.
Kraal Head Chatindi also openly chanted Zanu PF maxims.
Speaking at a dialogue meeting held at Rupike Business Centre in the Constituency yesterday, Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD) Programmes Manager, Zivanai Muzorodzi said Kraal Head Chatindi’s remarks were dangerous and detrimental to democratic processes.
“It is illegal to demand voter registration serial numbers from villagers.
COTRAD will lodge a formal complaint with ZEC.
We are also working with the Zimbabwe Human Rights Lawyers to make sure that perpetrators of political violence and those who harass innocent villagers are brought to book,” said Muzorodzi.
He added:” As much as we are apolitical, we also strive for democracy and fundamental human rights. “
Terrence Mawawa| Ajax Cape Town’s appeal against the South African Football Association (SAFA)’s ruling on striker Tendai Ndoro was dismissed by the Southern Gauteng High Court on Tuesday.
Ajax had sought to interdict the decision after Ndoro was ordered to stop playing for the Urban Warriors following the Premier Soccer League’s appeal against a decision passed by its own Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC).
The 32-year-old’s eligibility dispute stems from a Fifa ruling that a player may not turn out for more than two clubs in a season.
The Zimbabwean striker played a game for Orlando Pirates in August‚ then signed and played for Al Faisaly in Saudi Arabia‚ before signing for Ajax in December.
President Nelson Chamisa is currently meeting with the British Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Her Excellency Catriona Laing. Among issues under discussion is the situation in the country ahead of the watershed election due in a few months time. pic.twitter.com/NLcKmBacFi
Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo | Zanu PF honchos are trembling following the announcement of massive voter registration numbers by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), it has emerged.
Party sources have revealed plans to counter the huge voter registration figures have been mooted.
Commenting on the latest figures that were released by ZEC, NPP Spokesperson, Jeffryson Chitando said opposition parties would triumph over the disjointed ruling party.
“The total number of registered voters in Masvingo Province indicates that the people of Zimbabwe have had enough of this regime, “said Chitando.
Below are the voter registration figures for Masvingo Province that have been released by ZEC:
As he submits CV to contest Harare South Fights It Out With War Vet Mahiya and Soldier Tagwirei
By Talent Gondo | Tongai Mafidi Mnangagwa, who is reportedly President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa’s ‘son’ has thrown his hat in the ring to contest for the Harare South legislator post in the forthcoming polls slated for July 2018.
Tongai, reportedly submitted his curriculum vitae to the party, where he is hoping to be considered to run for the party’s primary elections set for May 5 2018.
Sources close to the development told ZimEye that Tongai successfully submitted his curriculum vitae, a development confirming that he has officially joined politics.
ZimEye is also reliably informed that Mnangagwa was in Hoplea, Harare South where he is “meeting the people.”
Last month, Tongai was allegedly chased out of Harare South, one of the country’s volatile peri-urban constituency where Zanu PF has dished out stands to party stalwarts and other citizens as a campaign gimmick.
If successful, Tongai is therefore set to battle it out in the Zanu Pf primaries with outspoken Douglas Mahiya who is the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association Spokesperson and Leonard Tarwirei, a former soldier who have also declared their interest for Harare South Constituency.
By Talent Gondo | The MDC has dismissed the extra ordinary Congress being organised by its former Vice President, Thokozani Khupe as a non event which party supporters should shun since the organiser of the Congress remained expelled and powerless to call for it.
In a statement issued today, the party’s Acting National Spokesperson, Tabitha Khumalo said Khupe, Abednigo Bhebhe and Obert Gutu remained expelled from the party and if they still wished to be part of the MDC T family, they knew and were welcome to follow the proper channels within the party.
“Former Vice President Khupe, Bhebhe and Gutu remain expelled from the party and have neither the power nor the mandate to call for a purported extra-ordinary Congress under the name of the MDC-T,” said Khumalo.
“The facts are that Ms Khupe is just an individual; an expelled one for that matter with no power at all to call for any Congress or any meeting of the party.”
Khumalo said the party’s highest decision making body between congresses, the National Council, had already concluded the issues being raised by Khupe.
“She (Khupe) has the right to exhaust all available domestic and internal remedies as provided for in the party Constitution,” said Khumalo.
“The Constitution is very clear on how and who should call for an extra-ordinary Congress and former members that have been expelled have no such powers. Their cause has no support from any of the organs of the party, including any of the 12 provinces or of the 1 958 wards the party.”
Khumalo said Khupe’ s issues were now a “lost cause” since she had shunned the dialogue which the party president and it’s leadership sought before the party’s supreme decision making body reached consensus on how to handle her, Bhebhe and Gutu.
“The President, Nelson Chamisa extended the time frame given to the trio by the national council in order to give dialogue a chance but the former comrades remained obstinate,” said Khumalo, adding that stakeholders, including members of the public and the press are advised not to entertain the aforementioned as officials acting for or on behalf of the party.
“The party is pursuing all remedies and putting in place the necessary measures to stop the abuse of the party, its name and or property,” she said.
Khumalo emphasised the importance of remaining focused adding that since Zimbabwe was heading towards elections, it was “certainly not the right time for needless sideshows meant to distract the opposition from the key matters at hand”.
Seven people died on the spot while two others were seriously injured today at the 126 km peg along the Masvingo- Beitbridge highway when the vehicle they were traveling in was hit by the trailer of a bus headed in the opposite direction. More details to follow.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is reported to have travelled to 13 countries over the past few weeks almost breaking the record of the most travelled President his former boss Robert Mugabe.
Mnangagwa currently in China with his wife and dozens of hangers on has attracted much criticism over the trips most Zimbabweans see no value addition to their daily lives.
The local Daily News reports that opinion was starkly divided yesterday over President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s jet-setting, which has made him a visitor in his own country.
Mnangagwa has been aggressive in his external engagements, both regional and internationally.
While his publicists argue that the visits were meant to re-open doors for the country, shut during former president Robert Mugabe’s autocratic rule, his foreign trips have infuriated some who believe they are a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Piers Pigou, a senior consultant at the International Crisis Group, said Mnangagwa must balance domestic and intentional priorities.
He said while he needs to ensure he keeps key foreign relations in hand, he must avoid emulating Mugabe’s incessant travel.
Pigou said concerns centred on the associated costs of these trips, where a surplus of bureaucrats and hangers-on was in evidence.
“Whilst building legitimacy and support is a necessary focus, this will only be underwritten by domestic legitimacy and tangible actions or improvements in lives of ordinary Zimbabweans. The voters will determine whether he had delivered and in so doing struck the right balance,” Pigou told the Daily News.
Stephen Chan, a professor of world politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, said it was a fact of life that a president must travel.
“In the case of Mnangagwa, he has to address the concerns of the Sadc presidents that the elections will be clean, because that is the one huge test before the international community will confer legitimacy upon him,” he said.
As for China, he said, Mnangagwa needs to persuade Beijing to kick-start what he knows are existing standby funds that will help Zimbabwe.
“They want more action still on corruption. They are asking why they should throw good money after bad.
“And they feel they were treated very unkindly over mining rights,” he said, referring to Chinese-run Anjin Investments, which was ordered to halt work and leave the Marange diamond fields after investing millions.
“Who bites the hand of the one feeding you? In traditional Chinese manners, that was churlish behaviour. President Xi is a very hard man.
“So Mnangagwa has got to assure many countries he is more than just brave words. They have been wonderful words but, really, so far they have been mostly words and not enough deep action.”
Chan said if Mnangagwa was travelling with a huge entourage, this will send the wrong signal.
“He wants to travel lightly with a few core expert advisers. He does not want to turn up and have people think, ‘what a bloated entourage!’
“That impresses nobody these days. You are important if you and your people know what you are talking about in detail, in projections, and in terms of optional outcomes. Otherwise he will be sent away with the wrong sort of smiles,” Chan said.
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition southern Africa coordinator Joey Mabenge said the challenge Zimbabwe was already facing with Mnangagwa was that he is falling in exactly the same trap Mugabe was in, “wasting national resources on globe-trotting and bringing very little if anything, back home.”
“ . . . ED needs to spend more time home in Zimbabwe dealing decisively with governance issues; electoral reforms, political reforms and economic reforms.
“There is overemphasis by ED on international re-engagement and ED is over-talking to the outside world and not to Zimbabweans who need him most, unfortunately.
“International re-engagement should be balanced with dealing with more pressing national questions whose solutions are resting with a genuine national dialogue and open national democratic processes,” he said.
Political analyst Maxwell Saungweme said the trips were not justified especially when the country is so broke and he wrested power on a promise of change from Mugabe’s wasteful ways.
“There is no political and economic sense in him travelling to countries where we have ambassadors. He should take cue from Magufuli,” he said referring to Tanzanian President John Magufuli, nicknamed “the Bulldozer”, who has introduced anti-corruption measures and tough economic reforms, including cuts to wasteful government spending, since taking office in November 2015.
Academic and fierce pro-Mnangagwa loyalist and newspaper columnist Reason Wafawarova said:
“The frequency of travel is concerning. The purpose is in two parts: Regional engagement and investment. Given the way he came to power, regional engagement is important. Investment is the only answer he can give for all questions on the economy.”
United Kingdom-based academic George Shire said “Mnangagwa’s strategy is paying off in that for the first time in 18 years, Zimbabwe is talked about positively on the international scene and that in itself is providing positive investor confidence in our country.”
“Perception matters a great deal in politics,” he said. Daily News
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy has summoned a number of political bigwigs as it seeks to wrap up investigations into the alleged disappearance of $15 billion worth of diamonds from Chiadzwa.
The committee’s chairperson, Mr Temba Mliswa, said the summoning of current and former high ranking government officials does not mean that they are guilty, but is only part of investigations into the alleged looting of diamonds at Chiadzwa during ex-President Robert Mugabe’s rule.
In an interview yesterday, Mr Mliswa said those who will appear before the committee on Monday are Vice President Kembo Mohadi in his capacity as former State Security as well as Home Affairs Minister, former Defence Minister Dr Sydney Sekeramayi and former State Security and Presidential Affairs Minister, Mr Didymus Mutasa.
Commissioner General, Godwin Matanga, former Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo and former Mines and Energy Minister Walter Chidhakwa have already appeared before the committee in connection with the probe.
Mr Mliswa said they are working to conclude investigations and come up with recommendations.
“So we have asked for the former Minister of Home Affairs now Vice President Mohadi, former Minister State Security as well as Presidential Affairs Didymus Mutasa and the former Minister of Defence Sydney Sekeramayi. We are not saying that they are guilty but we would like to find out whether they knew about the concessions and who was running the concessions because all this information is very necessary,” said Mr Mliswa. “They have been summoned, they have received letters already and its done. VP Mohadi, Dr Sekeramayi and Didymus Mutasa have received their letters. They are definitely coming”.
He said all the interested parties including permanent secretaries and others would be there so that no-one passes the buck to the other.
Mr Mutasa yesterday said he had received his letter.
“I have received my letter to attend on Monday and since I am being called by Parliament, I will attend,” he said.
Mr Mliswa said the committee intends to leave no stone unturned in investigating the alleged diamonds looting at Chiadzwa and was keen to interview former police Commissioner General Dr Augustine Chihuri whose whereabouts remain unknown.
“In terms of the whereabouts of Chihuri, the police Commissioner General has assured us that he will find him. It’s important that he comes before the committee to clear the air on diamonds. We will meet him on Monday,” said Mr Mliswa.
“So I’m sure that all is being done to ensure that everybody attends so that this issue about the $15 billion and leakage of diamonds and the under buying of diamonds is resolved once and for all by parties involved so that there cannot be finger pointing at anybody”.
Comm Gen Matanga appeared before the committee and said he was not aware that the police force had a mining concession at Chiadzwa diamond fields in Marange.
He told legislators that he had only read about it in the media and his predecessor, Dr Chihuri, was best placed to explain further.
However, on two occasions Dr Chihuri failed to appear before the committee with Comm Gen Matanga revealing that they had failed to locate him.
Dr Chihuri did not turn up for first hearing on March 16 when he was supposed to appear before the committee and again did not turn up on March 23. Mr Mliswa ordered Comm Gen Matanga to leave no stone unturned in his search for his predecessor. – state media
Advocate Nelson Chamisa who now leads the MDC Alliance was once the youngest MP in Zimbabwe, at 25 years old. The vibrant outspoken Chamisa then became a minister and now leads Zimbabwe’s biggest opposition party. At 40 he is the youngest Presidential candidate. Following in his footsteps is 25 year old scientist and human rights activist, Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe, who has shown interest in standing in the Harare West constituency.Mamombe holds a Bsc in Biotechnology from the Chinhoyi University of Technology and Msc in Genetic Manipulation and molecular cell biology from the University of Sussex UK. Her research focused on cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Below is one of her campaigners writing.
Obey Tererai Sithole | Today I have decided to use this platform to share a story of one young and vibrant woman whom I have had the privilege not only to know but to work with and share a lot with in the Zimbabwean democratic journey. Her name is Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe a.k.a Madikizela, she is 25 years old. Guess what, at 25 she has exhibited great capacity in fighting for a just, free and democratic Zimbabwe.
She was victimised, brutalised and arrested but that has never killed her resolve to fight on. This year, ahead of the 2018 elections she has decided to take the fight to the house of assembly representing the people of Harare West under the MDC Alliance ticket.
In a few weeks she shall be going through the party primaries to win the ticket, many have tried to ridicule her for the decision run but that’s unfortunate because we are with her.
I know she is capable because she has led before, she still leads and the results speak for her. We need such young and vibrant minds in parly, a rare calibre she is coming from the STEM family.
Contestation is democracy, let our Joana run the race!!!
#HerHarareWest
#OurHarareWes
It is with a heavy heart that I address you today. As I struggle to accept your transition, I take solace in the fact that you have risen to become one of the brightest stars in the sky where you will remain ever present and radiantly shining. You will continue to serve as a guide to your loving family, your grateful nation, our beloved Africa, and indeed, the world.
The extraordinary life you led is an example of resilient fortitude and inextinguishable passion that is a source of inspiration to us all of how to courageously confront challenges with unwavering strength and determination. Thank you for your brilliant wisdom, your fierce defiance, and your stylish beauty.
Fortunately, stars shine brightest during the darkest of hours. I know you will continue to illuminate our sky, even through the storms and clouds. Your legacy will be an uplifting beacon from which we can continue to draw guidance and strength during difficult times.
You loved our people unconditionally and sacrificed so much for our freedom. It is my prayer that as befitting tributes are paid to you both at home and abroad, all of us will internalize the values you helped to mould and birth into existence. As a nation, I hope we will stand tall and proud, and as uncompromising as you were in the defense and protection of our rights. As one of our brightest stars, continue to be the lioness that protects your children and your grandchildren. Warm their hearts so that while your transition may shake them, it does not break their spirit.
Love and Respect Always,
Your little sister, Graça
The replacement of errant leaders who violate the founding principles and constitution of the ruling party is not something new in Zanu PF as former president Robert Mugabe would want the world to believe, as he himself took over leadership from the late Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole whose actions were perceived to be against the anti-colonial revolution.
This was said by the Zanu PF Youth League Political Commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu while launching the #EDHasMyVote campaign in Mhondoro – Ngezi.
Tsenengamu said the people rejected Mr Mugabe on the same basis the Mgagao Declaration propelled the former president to the helm of Zanu PF in the late 1970s.
The firebrand ruling party youth leader went further to say the former first family had relegated Zimbabweans into second class citizens, adding that history shows that Mr Mugabe is not the founder of the revolutionary party as he joined it at some stage.
“Mugabe is the least person to complain over his removal. He did the same at Mgagao before he was confirmed by congress in 1977. The same process of confirmation of President Emmerson Mnangagwa took place after the resignation of Mugabe. We are not second class citizens, so if Mugabe fails to respect our new leaders, we will denounce and shame him,” said Tsenengamu.
During the launch of the #EDHasMyVote campaign, Zanu PF Mashonaland West Provincial Youth League Chairperson, Vengi Musengi rallied his charges to refrain from violence, saying those caught on the wrong side of the law will face the music on their own.
“We are saying no to violence especially among youths. If you are given beer so as to engage in violence, know that you will not get that beer in court or jail,” he said.
Zimbabweans are expected to go for harmonised polls this July or August.- state media
Scientist Joana Mamombe with an interest in cancer research
Why l choose to stand with Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe
1. I choose to stand with Joana because she is a fellow young woman who is seeking public office.
2. I choose to stand with Joana because her aspirations are my aspirations as a gender and political activist.
3. I choose to stand with Joana Mamombe because her choice to seek representative mandate from the people of Harare West must and should not be muzzled.
4.l choose to stand with Joana Mamombe because this battle is not hers alone,all youthful candidates resonate with it.
5. I choose to stand with Joana because there should be no sacred cows in political spaces.
6.l choose to stand with Joana because everyone, youths included, should go through democratic processes in their quest for public office.
7.l choose to stand with Joana because l believe in her capacity.
8.l choose to stand with Joana because l am a firm believer in the youth and women quota.
9.l choose to stand with Joana because youths are leaders of today not tomorrow.
10.l choose to stand with Joana because capacity is not defined by age.
I am not apologetic about my choice because what affects Joana today affects every youth in this political terrain.
#teamJojo #youthquota #youngpeopleareleadersoftoday
#generationalconsensus #leavenoyouthbehind
By Isabel C Mwonzora
National Secretary for Constitutional and Parliamentary affairs Youth Assembly MDC-T
The late Winnie Mandela with her also late former husband Nelson Mandela
Inserted By Paul Nyathi
Statement From the Zimbabwe Communist Party
The Zimbabwe Communist Party joins with the family of Comrade Winnie Madikizela-Mandela,
the African National Congress and the entire South African people in mourning the passing and celebrating the life of one of the greatest struggle icons in the battle against apartheid.
This was a woman unafraid to speak her mind, a woman who could not bow down to the demands
of either racism or patriarchy.
We respectfully lower our Red Banner to her honoured memory.
Hamba Kahle Comrade Winnie, Famba Zvakanaka.
Comradely,
Ngqabutho Nicholas Mabhena
General Secretary
on behalf of the
National Steering Committee
and the entire membership of the
Zimbabwe Communist Party.
By A Correspondent| In what could turn out an all out full fledged legal war – former First Lady Grace Mugabe has been slapped with a lawsuit by miners she says are land invaders and thieves.
Last week Grace descended onto a mining plot area belonging to Mr Shepherd Nyazvigo.
Mr Nyazvigo tells ZimEye.com that he has rights to the property dating back to several years before Grace Mugabe’s so called “special grant” which was only in 2014.
He has also showed ZimEye his High Court order (reference HC293/18) which bars police and Mugabe’s Gushungo Holdings from interfering with his group’s mining activities.
Grace caused a stir when she was drowned in chanting songs at the plot in a scuffle that saw her begin to scream back saying, “come and beat me up you have been making noise on me come and beat me up,” as Nyazvigo tells ZimEye.
Soon after that Grace then rushed to the nearby police station where she made a police report alleging theft of property.
“I was surprised to find 400 men busy panning gold. I then asked them to stop their activities since I am the owner of the farm and I am the holder of a special grant,” said Grace.
She also said, “theft cases have occurred at the (her Children’s) home.”
Yesterday, Nyazvigo said he has since instructed his “lawyers to file for a lawsuit.” ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW….
He said, “she can’t claim that we are invaders, illegal occupants, when we were the first people to be allocated the property and she know this, but was abusing the political muscle that she had,” he said.
South Africa’s crack crime investigation department, the Hawks, has confirmed investigating prophet Shepherd Bushiri on allegations of money laundering.
Hawks spokesperson Hwangani Mulaudzi confirmed in South African weekend media that the crime fighting unit is investigating the wealthy prophet for illegally sending out of the country millions of Rands to his native home in Malawi.
According to the Hawks, Bushiri is reportedly sending out to Malawi at least R15 Million cash on a monthly basis to his business units in Malawi.
“The matter has been brought to us and its under investigations,” said Mulaudzi.
“It is not our policy to give details when we are still investigating a matter but we are indeed investigating Bushiri,” he said.
The crime fighting unit indicated that it got interested in investigating Bushiri after disgruntled members of the church provided them with information on him illegally exporting cash and cheating people of their money through fake miracles.
Bushiri is said to be sending out the money to his home country using his private jet and does not put the cash into the country’s banking system but invests it directly into his numerous business ventures.
The senior members of the church allegedly spilt the beans on Bushiri when he failed to pay them and other people after them giving fake confessions and testimonies of being healed and being helped by the prophet.
The Hawks claim that the members are normally paid amounts of up to R100 000 for giving testimonies of them being helped by the prophet’s prayers.
Bushiri who runs the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church is popular in Zimbabwe for giving Vice President Kembo Mohadi a prophesy that he was going to land the second highest office in the country.
In recent days several reports have been made of Bushiri running prearranged miracles and using technology to dupe people to believe that he is doing miracles from God.
The opposition MDC-T led by Nelson Chamisa is facing a stern democracy test as it begins a process to select candidates to contest the landmark election set for July or August this year.
The party’s national elections directorate met at the Morgan Tsvangirai House party headquarters in Harare on Tuesday to deliberate on the selection of party candidates in preparation for the elections amid reports of heavy infighting for the 114 parliamentary constituencies reserved for the party in the MDC Alliance coalition agreement.
Very reliable reports from within the party indicate that the party is preparing to impose some candidates in a bid to protect some highly ranked party officials from being contested in the internal party process of choosing the candidates.
The reports indicate that the party has made an unfavourable ruling that all the current sitting members of parliament will not be challenged so are members of the party Standing Committee who wish to stand as candidates for the party.
Party secretary-general, Douglas Mwonzora is on record saying that the opposition party is trying by all means possible not to hold internal primary elections to choose candidates but would want to get aspiring candidates to get into a consensus on who will best represent the party before the divisive primary elections can be held.
Hundreds of party members have submitted their applications expressing their desire to represent the party in the forthcoming elections. Some have submitted applications challenging very senior party members who have been in parliament for sometime.
Tuesday’s meeting went through all the applications that have been submitted with the reports indicating that some aspiring candidates have been disqualified from contesting with no reasons provided yet on the disqualification.
The meeting was also meant to come up with the date for primary elections which the National Standing Committee agreed should be held before the 15th of April where a consensus can not be reached.
The MDC-T is part of the MDC Alliance, a coalition of seven opposition parties namely Transform Zimbabwe, MCD, ZimPF, PDP, Zanu Ngonga and MDC.
Some MDC-T members are reported to have deliberately submitted applications to contest in seats “reserved” for other coalition partners. The move has seen an outburst from the coalition partners.
Party sources who spoke to ZimEye.com indicated that the candidates selection process will likely see a number of disqualified aspiring members defecting to join the Thokozani Khuphe led faction which has indicated that it will contest against the MDC Alliance coalition candidates.
Yesterday’s meeting was meant to vet candidates and iron out issues that can potentially result in the anticipated rebellion from those who fail to make it to represent the party.
Meanwhile, indications from the Welshman Ncube led MDC the second biggest partner I the MDC Alliance coalition are that the party closed for applications last week.
The party has also set up a candidates vetting committee which will look into the CVs submitted for its thirty two seats in the Alliance agreement.
Sources in the party indicated that the party is also working on avoiding holding primary elections and will allow the committee to select the candidates for the party.
“Ours is not going to be a difficult process as the selection committee will come up with the names of possible candidates and submit these to the constituencies for adoption,” said the source.
“Primary elections will only be held where more than one credible candidates are selected by the committee and the candidates will have failed to agree on who between them should contest the seat,” added the source.
The sources who would not be mentioned said that the party will not consider applications from aspiring candidates who at one stage defected from the party and have returned to the party in the wake of the MDC Alliance agreements.
“One of the key qualifications that the selection committee will consider is loyalty to the party and that will automatically disqualify members who at one stage left the party and want to return to take seats provided by the Alliance,” said the highly placed source.
The below US policeman was given a chase by a suspect of the white race during a confrontation for an arrest. Despite the presence of several officers at the scene, the suspect eventually ran away, successfully so up to the end of the video.
If this suspect was “black,” would the same have happened?
…this man has worked all his life paying taxes. Bought a home and now retired. A burglar brakes into his home. He defends his home. Burglar dies. Pensioner arrested.
By Farai D Hove| President Emmerson Mnangagwa flies back to Zimbabwe tomorrow after signing 7 Memorandum Of Understandings.
By Staff Reporter| A four member delegation from Germany’s largest broadcaster, Deutsche Welle (DW) arrived in Harare yesterday.
By A Correspondent| FORMER FIRST LADY Grace Mugabe has been named in allegations of invading the mining property of a Mazowe businessman.
Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo| Residents of the city of Masvingo have accused city council bosses of spending the ratepayers’ hard earned money on posh vehicles while the roads in the ancient city are dilapidated.
