Khupe Refuses To Negotiate With Chamisa, Shuts Him Away

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) March 24, 2018

The majority of Zimbabweans 57 percent of 246 respondents to a ZimEye.com online poll believe Thokozani Khupe by snubbing overtures from Advocate Nelson Chamisa and the church mediation to remain in the party, has destroyed herself.

So far 246 people have participated and a strict IP filter was used to screen out non human beings. Of these 31 percent believe Chamisa is stronger now, with 8 percent voting that Khupe has taken the MDC and only 4 percent believe Zanu PF will rescue her.

Exiled Prof. Jonathan Moyo has rebuked any insinuation of Zimbabwe going back the bloody route of the 2008 violence against innocent citizens. Moyo responds to the latest US position on Zimbabwe on his Twitter portal, arguing that the international community has not fully embraced the coup government.

First, those like you who have thus far celebrated the 15 Nov military coup & claimed that it had international support must now face the reality that your honeymoon is over. Second, it’s insensitive & wrong for you to threaten the 2008 atrocities in response to coup remedies! https://t.co/zXHQNi3rTu

— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) March 24, 2018

Lionel Saungweme | Bulawayo- Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) supporters are protesting yesterday’s award of free bail to Abednigo Bhebhe (52), Witness Dube (41) and Eliot Doctor Moyo (52) for the 4 March 2018 violence at the party offices. Bhebhe and Dube are respectively former (MDC-T) National Organising Secretary and former MDC-T Vice President Thokozani Khupe’s personal assistant.

After violence broke out, a report was immediately made to police at Bulawayo Central by Edith Moyo. She was accompanied by Sandra Moyo, Sibusisiwe Masina and Persuade Jena. Edith also acted as informant for Malusi Fuyana, who had been rushed to hospital after sustaining serious injuries. Police did not act on the incident report.

When the four were leaving the station, they met Bhebhe, Dube and Lovemore Moyo’s personal assistant, Artwell Sibanda going to lodge their own report. The trio accused MDC-T Bulawayo Provincial Chairman, Gift Banda, Mlandu Ncube, Michael Mabasa, Edith Moyo, Sibongubuhle Sibanda, Takunda Madzana, Robson Tera, Eric Gono, Donald Mabutho, Felix Mhaka, Raymond Gombedza and Kunashe Muchemwa of causing violence.

On 5 March 2018, the twelve were arrested, charged with Public Violence, Contravening Section 36 (1) of the Criminal Law [Codification and Reform] Act Cap 9.23 and detained overnight at Bulawayo Central Police station. The following day, Magistrate Franklin Mkhwananzi gave the first, third up to twelfth accused bail at US$50, while second accused Gift Banda was released after paying US$200.

Lawyers for the 12 argued in court that their clients’ report, which had been lodged prior to their complainants,’ had been ignored. Magistrate Mkhwananzi replied by ordering police to action the report. It was only thereafter that Bhebhe, Dube and Moyo were also charged with ‘Public Violence, Contravening Section 36 (1) of the Criminal Law [Codification and Reform] Act Cap 9.23. However, in contrast to bail conditions awarded to 12 pro-MDC-T President Nelson Chamisa’s supporters, Magistrate Mkhwananzi gave free bail to Khupe’s allies.

“Why the unequal treatment on a similar case? Why did the police not act on Edith Moyo’s report, which was made before Bhebhe, Dube and Sibanda lodged theirs? Why is it that the twelve are asked to pay while Khupe’s allies get their freedom scot-free?” asked Mascillyn Chihelele, a pro-Chamisa supporter from Chitungwiza.

Chihelele has vowed, “I will ask Hon Chamisa to instruct lawyers for the twelve accused persons to make a court application for review of the bail conditions. Why should accused persons be treated unequally? All of us are equal before the law,” thundered Chihelele.

#currentsituation in Murehwa pic.twitter.com/5dQNCm6HSI

— The Nelson Chamisa Campaign (@chamisa4pres) March 24, 2018

Thousands of MDC Alliance supporters have gathered in Murehwa to hear from their leadership led by advocate Nelson Chamisa. More to follow.

Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank you particularly because you are affording me this time to deliver this very important statement to the nation, to Parliament, so that we can see the perspective of where we are with regard to the industrial action that is in the health sector.

Mr. Speaker Sir, I will take you through and chronicle to you what has happened

Nurse managers and nurse educators raised concerns in a meeting held in 2017 where they cited their low packages as compared to junior nurses, noting their critical responsibilities. The Health Services Board submitted a request to Treasury for funding of an equalisation allowance for health in order to address the issue of the nurse managers, including management or workers in management.

Treasury did not support this request. When workers were informed about Treasury’s position, they appealed for reconsideration of their case. The Board, working with the Ministry, identified areas where savings could be realised in order to fund the introduction of the equalisation allowance.

On 18th January 2018, the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) wrote to me citing concerns over the continued plight of the nurse managers and nurse educators. The Executive Chairman of the Health Services Board acknowledged receipt of the communication and on 5th February, 2018 gave a seven day final ultimatum to have their salary issues addressed, failure of which they would withdraw their services with effect from 13th February.

The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZIDA), in an updated letter addressed to the Executive Director Health Service’s Board, Permanent Secretary for Health and Child Care received on 18th January, raised minimum expectations within 100 days and these are the minimum expectations that the doctors raised,

· That the vehicle duty assisted framework agreed upon with the Health Services Board in 2017 be urgently implemented. No doctor should have to resort to public transport when they rush to respond to medical emergencies and on call duty.

· The current pathetic on-call allowances paid to doctors of $360 per month must be urgently reviewed upwards to $720 per month as per 2014 agreement.

· The third concern they raised was that the blanket fees for recruitment of doctors and other heath workers must be urgently scrapped. Currently, we have one doctor per

250 000 people.

ZIDA requested that the Government delivers on the key demands within 100 days or else they would resort to industrial action for these issues to be resolved. As a Ministry, we believe that the doctors and the nurses have genuine grievances that need to be addressed by this nation. Negotiations for the review of the working conditions is done within the health services bipartite negotiating panel called the BNP which comprises health workers representatives and Government representatives. The issues from both the nurses and doctors were discussed in the BNP meetings and the contact person in all this had been Dr. Munatsi, the then President of the Hospital Doctor’s Association (ZIDA) who tendered his resignation to his association on 28th February, 2018.

Dr. Munatsi’s resignation followed a meeting with Executive Chairman of the Health Services Board held on 27th February, 2018. A new management of doctors took over and proceeded with industrial action. Before a deadlock was reached, 271 junior doctors withdrew their labour with effect from 1st March, 2018. The junior doctors, Mr. Speaker Sir, mostly junior resident medical officers in central hospitals and Government medical officers at Mutare Provincial Hospital were over the course of the past two weeks joined by junior and senior registrars. As at 20th March, 2018 a total of 391 doctors have withdrawn their services or labour and this figure, some of the doctors have withdrawn their labour for 21 days as at 21st March, 2018.

For nurses Mr. Speaker Sir, the nurses withdrew their labour with effect from the 16th March, 2018 and the withdrawal of labour was called off on the 18th March, 2018 just after two days after the signing of the BNP agreement on the 16th March, 2018. The BNP agreement was signed through the ZIDA representatives though the ZIDA representatives walked out, but they noted that there was a quorum. The issues that were discussed at the BNP are as detailed below:

1. Urgent procurement of standard hospital equipment and essential medicines. Mr. Speaker, it should be noted that procurement is dependent on the available resources from both Treasury and the Health Services Fund. Within the harsh economic environment Zimbabwe is facing, commitments have been made by Government to ensure that all public hospitals provide at least all basic services in line with the health care packages delivered or defined for the various levels of care.

Furthermore, Government in December, 2017 disbursed US$22 million from the Health Levy Fund. This has been used primarily to support the procurement of medicines and medical sundries, hospital equipment and the reduction of the cost of blood from an average of $120 to $50 per unit at public institutions. Government continues to accord the health sector priority status in foreign currency allocation for the procurement of medicines, medical sundries and hospital equipment.

2. The other issue that was discussed at the bipartite meeting was the upliftment of the blanket freeze on the recruitment of doctors and other health workers. In 2017, in recognition of the critical role played by doctors in health services provision, Treasury approved the creation of an additional 250 posts for completing their internship. Currently, there are efforts to identify critical posts for unfreezing across the health services. Treasury concurred to the appointment of 162 junior resident medical officers with effect from 1st March, 2018. These positions were communicated to ZIDA leadership through the bipartite negotiating panel.

3. Clearly defined working hours. In terms of the ILO Standards each worker should work a maximum of 40 hours per week. It is then the responsibility of the local management to design duty rosters that are appropriate for their institutions taking into account the available human resource base. This may need further defining.

4. Payment of all locum hours owed to all doctors. Payment of all outstanding locum claims commenced in February, 2018. Doctors had been owed monies from November, 2017 and from February, they have started paying those locums.

5. Regarding of doctors to their correct salary grades. Treasury in its minute dated and regarding SRMOs, middle level and senior registrars with effect from March, 2018.

6. Cessation of current practice to scrap housing allowance and post-internship housing. Mr. Speaker, what happens is when doctors come as housemen, they are supposed to be staying at their places of work and that is why they are called resident medical officers. So, they deserve either a proper housing at the institution or compensation for that housing if they stay outside. Interns who do not reside in institutional accommodation are given an out of residence allowance of $250 per month in addition to the standard housing allowance of $131 per month to enable them to rent accommodate closer to their work stations, while those that stay in institutional accommodation are given the standard housing allowance only. On completion of internship, the out of residence allowance no longer applies. On deployment as GMOs or HMOs the doctors should now be paid the standard housing allowance.

7. Suspension of contracts for interns. When a doctor finishes housemanship after two years, before they start that internship they are supposed to sign a contract so there was a lot of negotiation around that. Some saying no there should not be, others saying there should be a contract so that we know what is expected of you. So, it was discussed at the bipartite negotiating panel. Everyone is expected to sign a contract of employment on commencement of their internship. This is mandatory and it is standard practice.

8. Implementation of doctors’ vehicle scheme. Doctors and other health professionals have argued and we have argued that doctors do need vehicles and reliable transport. They should not be jumping into kombis when they are going for emergencies. So, a vehicle loan scheme for all health workers has been established as a revolving fund for $10 million and this is immediately available. It will be implemented in terms of the framework designed by the bipartite negotiating panel and approved by the Board. This was communicated to ZIDA in the last BNP meeting.

9. Upward review of all call allowances to a minimum of $1 500. On call allowance was reviewed from 1st April, 2017 in terms of the collective bargaining agreement of the health service bipartite negotiating panel. On call allowances reviewed by 50% with effect from the 1st April, 2018. What has effectively happened is that from 1st April, 2018 whatever call allowances the doctors are getting now will be put up by 20%. This I must say the doctors are clearly not agreeing to this.

10. Post basic allowance. This is mostly for nurses. The Government has reintroduced a post-basic allowance. This is because when a nurse finishes their training becoming a registered general nurse, some go on to do post-graduate training and this was not being recognised. So, the Government has reintroduced a post-basic allowance for nursing staff who are acquire approved additional qualifications up to a maximum of two qualifications. If you have one post basic and acquire another post-basic qualification then you will be given an allowance. This will be in fact from the 1st April, 2018.

11. Nurse managers allowances. Nurse manager allowances have been reintroduced with effect from the 1st April, 2018 for nurse managers in recognition of their added responsibilities. Among the nurses, there are others who are managers who manage other nurses like the provincial nursing officer, principal nursing director and so, they are going to be given because they were now been superseded by nurses who were below them. This is a way of trying to equalize that. This is an outstanding issue which should be tabled and agreed upon.

Thereafter, after this bipartite agreement and negotiations were held quietly, we issued a press statement, the Government then offered what they can offer. The Government made a public offer to the doctors who were on strike. In that offer specifically, this was what was offered by Government that all those who are doing on call allowance; it should be reviewed by 50%. If you are getting a call allowance which is very small, your 50% obviously is small as well. This is a bone of contention for doctors.

Locum payment of all outstanding locum claims, Government says that we have already started paying that from February 2018. Night duty allowance for nurses who do night duty, whatever their allowance was, it was put up by 50%. There are also others on standby or call out, this also was reviewed upwards by 50%.

The Government has reintroduced a post basic allowance for nurses who have acquired a maximum of two qualifications. This has been introduced for nurse managers in recognition of their added clinical responsibility. I have already alluded to the vehicle loan scheme; this is another thing that was offered by Government. This was communicated but the doctors did not accept this because to be fair; they were in the bipartite negotiating panel but they then walked out. Those who remained signed this agreement. If you are at a negotiating panel and you have all the panelists there and you walk out, this is a bone of contention which has made the doctors to stay out.

We believe that there should be continued discussion. The doctor should be given a forum to continue to discuss. I am aware now that we have reached a very critical stage in trying to negotiate. I say it is now a critical state because the negotiations have been elevated to the highest levels and the doctors assisted by senior doctors and consultants, are in consultation with Government in negotiations at a higher level. At this stage, we would like these negotiations to be treated as delicate as they are delicate so that we chart our way forward with the doctors. We generally hope that the impasse can be resolved soon. We want our doctors to come back to work because the real victim is the patient of this country. The real victim is the one we all should strive to assist, that is the real victim that we should all take care of as best as we can.

We need to prioritise the health delivery system of this country as a people. I urge you to try and ring fence the health sector so that it is given the priority that it deserves. If we continue to make it dispersed, then we continue to have these problems. I am however pleased that our principals are now at the center of this in terms of finding a solution and I hope that this can bring some finality to the issue.

The opposition MDC-T has expressed joy at the extensions of sanctions against Zimbabwe by the United States under the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA.)

The party’s U.S provincial chairman Den Moyo told journalists with the Voice Of America on Friday that his party is more than exited by the extension of the sanctions on Zimbabwe even after the removal of former President Robert Mugabe.

Moyo said that the coming in of incumbent President Emerson Mnangagwa was not justification that Zimbabwe has changed and deserving the removal of the sanctions.

“The US government has always been straightforward from the onset on the sanctions that it will only remove them when there is real change in Zimbabwe,” he said. ”

“As the MDC-T we are very happy that the U.S. government has realised that there is no such change which people have been claiming since the removal of Mugabe,” said Moyo.

Moyo said that the MDC-T is further excited by the U.S. government move as it is inline with the party’s electoral reforms demands.

“The U.S government requirements for the uplifting of sanctions is inline with the electoral reforms that we have been demanding for years and in that regard we will also only help in lobbying for the removal of the sanctions only when the reforms have been implemented,” said Moyo.

Moyo said that the ZANU PF government under Mnangagwa has continued restricting opposition parties from the state run airwaves which makes the run up to the elections uneven.

“Mnangagwa has said that he will only open up the airwaves after the elections and that will be a hopeless move as opposition parties would not have got the same opportunities to campaign as the ruling party,” he said.

The U.S government said that it will only remove sanctions on Zimbabwe only when free and fair elections are held in the country.

The world power stated that ZIDERA can only be relaxed if all opposition parties are provided with the voters roll prior the elections.

The US insisted that the Zimbabwe government must create a new independent electoral commission whose members will include people seconded by the opposition parties.

Zimbabwe was also told to make sure that members of the military are removed from campaigning for any of the political parties and be relegated to do their job in the barracks.

The US also implored that the Mnangagwa government must open up for international observers to monitor the Zimbabwean elections from the pre election period right up to post election period not only during election days.

Mnangagwa was also told to account for all persons that have gone missing at the hands of suspected state security. These include activists Patrick Nabayana, Paul Chizuze and Itai Dzamara.

A 19 year old domestic worker from Bulawayo beat up two knife-wielding men and sent them fleeing after they broke into a house and tried to rape her and her employer’s daughters aged seven and 14 years.

Police tracked down the would-be rapists less than an hour after they “escaped” from the house, with the pint sized maid in pursuit.

Sniffer dogs followed a trail of blood left by one of the assailants who was stabbed by the “super maid” after she disarmed him.

The incident which has set Trenance suburb abuzz occurred on Thursday last week between 9 and 10 PM.

The maid, who asked not to be named or photographed, told The Chronicle she became aware there were intruders trying to break into the house as she knelt down for her evening prayers.

She said within minutes, two men armed with knives had entered the house.

“They rounded us up into one room. One of them stood at the door while the other ordered me and my employer’s children to undress and lie on the bed,” said the domestic worker who still appeared shaken.

She said the children undressed out of fear but she stood her ground.

“One of the men ordered the children to twerk while lying on the bed. He stripped and watched them while playing with his manhood until he ejaculated,” she said.

The men, said the domestic worker, threatened to slit her throat and announced they would rape all of them.

“The naked one who was masturbating got distracted as he watched his friend who was threatening me and I grabbed his knife,” said the domestic worker.

“In the scuffle, I held the handle and he grabbed the blade, which cut his palm. He started biting me and I kept stabbing his hands. He bit into my neck and I bit his thumb until he screamed, begging me to let go,” she said.

The woman said when she finally broke free and faced the two men, they took to their heels.

“When police finally came, there was semen and blood all over the house. Our landlord who was away when the these knife wielding men pounced, fired some shots to ensure the rogues did not return when we told him what had happened,” she said.

The police dog section, she said, had the easiest of tasks to track down assailants who were hiding in a nearby bush.

Finishing her narrative between sobs, the maid said the experience taught her never to go to bed without praying.

“If I had not prayed that night, I might not have seen the men until it was too late. I feel violated because it was my first time to see a naked grown up man,” she said.

The heroic maid’s employer said she had gone away on business when the incident occurred.

“This helper that I have is a Godsend. She put her own life on the line, fighting thugs just to save my children from rape and who knows what else,” she said.

The woman said her children had been having nightmares since the attack and throw up after eating.

A neighbour, Mr Amon Sibanda, heaped praises on the domestic worker.

“I am impressed and at a loss for words at this girl’s selfless actions. We are always hearing stories of horror maids abusing children or conniving with criminals but she has restored my faith in domestic helpers. She did what some parents would not have been able to do and she deserves a medal,” said Mr Sibanda.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango confirmed the incident but could not give further details as the case has been handed over to the courts.

“I cannot comment on the matter because it is now before the courts,” said Inspector Simango. – state media

Former Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) Commissioner-General Mr Gershem Pasi has been slapped with a $217 000 lawsuit for unjust enrichment and poor administration that financially prejudiced the taxman.

Mr Pasi resigned from his position on May 17 last year when pressure mounted ahead of a disciplinary hearing on allegations ranging from mismanagement, gross negligence and abuse of office among others.

During his tenure, Zimra argues, Mr Pasi unjustly enriched himself with $12 445 through fraud and abuse of office in violation of his contract of employment.

The authority is claiming $205 178, excluding interest plus cost of the suit, as damages for financial prejudice caused by Mr Pasi’s grossly negligent and reckless management of Zimra during his tenure as the Commissioner-General.

Kantor & Immerman Legal Practitioners issued out summons on behalf of Zimra.
Mr Pasi, according to the plaintiff’s declaration, was employed by Zimra as Commissioner-General from November 1, 2011 until May last year when he resigned.

It is believed that a forensic audit carried out on 2016 revealed that Mr Pasi unjustly enriched himself through fraud and abuse of office.

“Between July 1, 2014 and June 2015, the defendant wrongfully and unlawfully caused the plaintiff to incur running costs in respect of fuelling, servicing and insurance in the sum of $8 509,25 for his Toyota Hilux and Toyota Corolla after he had purchased the said vehicles from the plaintiff.

“As a result, the plaintiff was prejudiced of the sum of $8 509,25, which is due and payable by the defendant,” reads the declaration.

When Mr Pasi travelled to the United States of America in June 2014, he received an accommodation allowance at the rate of $279 per night. He, however, failed to produce receipts for the accommodation expenses in violation of Zimra’s policy.

“However, on return, the defendant produced invoices for five nights out of 12 nights that were supposed to be accounted for. He therefore failed to acquit seven nights for which he had been paid travel and subsistence allowance approved by the ministry,” reads the declaration.

To that end, Zimra was prejudiced of $483. In 2010, Mr Pasi allegedly made a double claim of travel and subsistence allowance when he travelled to Kenya. He received $1 372,50 instead of $631.

Mr Pasi is alleged to have claimed a refund of $2 080 as airport transfer costs when he travelled to Seychelles for a holiday.

The costs, according to Zimra, were already catered for by the “spending money” provided for under his contract of employment, hence, the authority was prejudiced of $2080. During employment, Mr Pasi allegedly conducted himself in an unlawful, negligent and reckless manner, prejudicing Zimra of $205 178.

He authorised payment of thousands of dollars to undeserving employees to the prejudice of the employer.

At some point, he employed two human resources directors at the same level, contrary to a board resolution. – state media

Khupe Refuses To Negotiate With Chamisa, Shuts Him Away

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) March 24, 2018

By Staff Reporter| ZimEye.com brings our valued readers and viewers details exposing how the self proclaimed (now expelled) MDC President, Thokozani Khupe spent her last moments hanging onto loose shreds of power.

The below is revealed in an exclusive interview with the MDC National Chairman Morgan Komichi.

The interview was conducted late Friday night at the party’s HQ. It is revealed President Nelson Chamisa went the extra mile to engage Khupe the best way he could so to avoid a humiliating end for Khupe. This included travelling all the way to Bulawayo and spending over 5 hours in the same room with her. Sources in Khupe’s camp have corroborated on the below expose to ZimEye.

Chamisa, as ZimEye.com reveals this weekend, also engaged pastors and high level Bishops to talk to Khupe.

Komichi told ZimEye.com: “even after being instructed by the previous National Council to expel Hon Thokozani Khupe, he (Chamisa) did not; instead he asked the NC to give him more time so that he could engage with HON VP Khupe.

He went further to explain to ZimEye how, “after being given that authority by the NC President Chamisa went to set up a commission, a team of pastors, renowned personalities, Bishops to go to Bulawayo and engage madam Khupe in order to convince her to come back. Several meeting were set in between in which on the 17th March, President Chamisa travelled to Bulawayo and met with HON Khupe for more than 5 hours with mediators but nothing came out.

“Last weekend on Saturday, President Chamisa travelled to Gweru and waited for madam Thokozani Khupe to come from Bulawayo to come and meet President Chamisa. he waited for her up to 11pm, she was always saying she is in a meeting, she is going to come; but eventually she did not come. he came to Harare during this last week when parliament was on and made an appointment to meet her, again she did not come to the negotiating forum. However other leaders came who are in the parliament, MPs from Mat North and Bulawayo came, and also other leaders from the provincial executive of Mat North came and held a meeting with president Chamisa and confirmed their support and really assured President Chamisa that they were going to work with him.

“These are the people that really matter, because these are the people on the ground, even today in the National Council they attended. The entire delegation from Mat North province was in attendance. The entire delegation from Bulawayo was in attendance.  The entire delegation from Mat South was in attendance in support of President Chamisa’s leadership. So whilst yes of course we were going to gain more if madam Thokozani’s had come back to the party, but what I am trying to say is that the impact will be very insignificant because the people that really matter are the people on the ground, in the districts, province, wards are in support of President Chamisa. That’s our position.”

Meanwhile, concerning Khipe’s meeting last Sunday, the Bulawayo province’s spokesman Felix Sibanda told ZimEye.com, “the MDC T Bulawayo province has been vindicated that Khupe had a rented crowd composed of apostles, civic society organizations, and dubious or bogus political parties . These bogus political parties had tribal solidarity which is counteroffensive, counterproductive and retrogressive to say the least Instead of uniting with other like minded political parties Khupe has chosen to work with reactionaries. The irony is that Khupe is anti MDC Alliance but choice to work with ZANU PF and dubious and tribal groupings.

“We as MDC T are calling our members to be steadfast and be peaceful and continue with registration as voters and adhere to the party constitution and all party resolutions.”

Villagers in Chipinge’s Manesa area were left shaken last Wednesday following the discovery of the body of a man believed to have been murdered for ritual purposes.

The corpse, which was in an advanced state of decomposition, and had some body parts missing, was discovered by herdsmen near Chiororo Tavern.

Chipinge criminal investigations department spokesman, Detective Assistant Inspector Daniel Chimhini confirmed the murder.

He said investigations were in progress.

“The deceased, Trymore Muchini, was last seen in November 2017 at Tanganda Halt bound for South Africa by his brother, Artwell Muchini (44) of Manesa Village in Chief Mutema’s area. Sometime in February 2018, the now deceased phoned Artwell using a South African line indicating that he was well.

“On March 14 at about 12pm, Munashe Sithole (13) of the same village was herding cattle when he came across a dead body.

“He rushed home and alerted other villagers who then made a report at Mutema Police Post under RRB 344096,” he said.

On March 16 detectives attended the scene. A set of tyre marks were observed about ten metres from the deceased body a sign which indicated that the was dumped at the scene.

Detective Assistant Inspector Chimhini said no arrests had been made as yet.

He appealed to members of the public to provide information which will help them in bringing to book the culprits.

Villagers have since taken precautionary measures to protect their families with some even escorting their children to school as cases of ritual murder rise.- agencies

Ray Nkosi | Leading constitutional lawyer Dr Lovemore Madhuku has come out to express concern at the “illegal” ousting of former President Robert Mugabe by the army led by General Constantino Chiwenga.

Mugabe was ousted from power last November with his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa taking over from him.

Madhuku is quoted in the local Daily News making a presentation at a meeting organised by the Southern African Political and Economic Series (Sapes) Trust dubbed, Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Coup Crisis: The Way Forward, “I think the debate about a coup or no coup is mixing issues, it’s, do you like the coup or you do not like the coup.

“I mean this nonsensical debate whether there was a coup or no coup, I think it’s a completely, I would use the word nonsensical, in the sense that there was a coup from a legal perspective, whatever the meaning there was.”

He said even though the word coup does not exist in the Constitution, words like unlawful or unconstitutional or contrary to the Constitution are used instead.

He said the aspect of putting pressure on a sitting president, with a view of pushing him out is described as a coup.

He said even if 100 million people say an elected president must go, if that pressure is put and the president feels threatened, that would amount to a coup as the only lawful process to remove a president is through an election.

“The moment that he claims that his resignation was not voluntary, if he says that, then you investigate if it was voluntary or not and if you find that it was not voluntary, then clearly it will be difficult to sustain a situation where you say it was in accordance with the Constitution.”

He further said in terms of the Constitution, the president alone is the one equipped with the power to deploy the army into the streets, which was not the case during last year’s army intervention.

Madhuku further said the events of November 15, 2018, can be defended politically but not legally.

“In the legal environment, with the precedent that has been set, the army will do it at any other time and that they will not be targeting Mugabe’s party now, I think they will be targeting another person or another leader.

“We have had countries that have gone through this, until one country that used to say a coup happens, as long as it succeeds its fine, then they found there were more and more coups and decided for a coup to be valid, it must be approved by the courts.

A suspected Makonde illegal miner is allegedly abusing President Emerson Mnangagwa’s name to torment a resettled farmer, who now has endured illegal gold mining metres from his house.

Gibson Liason Muyambo (60) said he has endured two years of verbal and emotional torture at the hands of Captain Chidikwindi, a civilian, who allegedly takes advantage of his first name to pretend to be an officer in the army.
Muyambo’s eight roomed farmhouse, at plot 25, about 30km south west of Chinhoyi, is threatened with collapse after a 25 metre deep pit was dug less than two metres away by Dairai Mining Syndicate owned by Chidikwindi, who allegedly claims to work in Mnangagwa’s office.

Walls in five of the rooms were now cracking from inside after the invasion by illegal gold panners.

The dining room, which was dug as part of their illegal operations, has been refilled with gravel, but is now an eyesore for a floor that has tiles.

Outside, a huge mountain of gravel sticks out as evidence of a trail of destruction on part of the house doorsteps.

The farmhouse, situated near a mountain, enveloped under shades of muonde trees, traditionally regarded as a “tree of peace”, under Chief Nemakonde has been part of controversy as they are now living under a cloud of uncertainty.
The gully, about eight metres wide, poses a threat to both domestic animals and the family living here.

Muyambo, a member of Mwazha sect, was clad in his apostolic white garment during a midweek visit.

He was visibly dejected throughout the interview.

Muyambo is among 24 plot holders at Highway off Musina farm, suffering over unfound gold deposits at his own farmhouse yard.

“All seemed to be well for us until February 2016 when Captain Chidikwindi came claiming he had authority to mine gold from my plot. He forcibly entered into my yard and hired 35 workers, who dug up the pit near my house. Drunk workers held night vigils with women partying, hurling verbal abuse at me, my wife and my workers. It was a torture camp,” he narrated.

Muyambo said a potential investor only identified as Wayne from Harare said there not enough gold deposits at the site, but Chidikwindi brought three others for several months and nothing has come out productively.
“When Chidikwindi came, he said he is untouchable from high office of President ED. He wanted me to sign a partnership deal, but we had to seek legal advice that resulted in us selling 17 beasts,” a dejected looking Muyambo, explained.

At one time, they approached the High Court to bar his operations, but they had to withdrawal the action on the understanding the illegal miners would leave peacefully.

However, as fate would have it, they have lost several goats and chicken, but cannot question the hostile land grabbers for fear of being attacked.

Muyambo’s daughter Tafadzwa (29) who lived in South Africa, returned but was threatened with unspecified action and verbally abused in April last year. “They shouted unprintable words in my parents’ presence and we are living under captivity. Fortunately, the majority of the workers disappeared over non-payment late last year,” she said.
Former Dairai Mining Syndicate official, Stanley Murahwa confirmed that he moved out of a “wild goose” mines deal fronted by Chidikwindi.

“There was no reason for us to remain where there is no gold. He (Chidikwindi) used dubious political muscle against farmers, claiming to be from Mnangagwa’s office, linked to Minister of Water, Environment Oppah Muchinguri among other political heavyweights. It is all false,” Murahwa said.

He added that an environment impact assessment was never done for the project.

Chief Wilson Mhende Nemakonde alleged that Chidikwindi was also claiming chieftainship.

Speaking through his spokesperson, Never Kamurayi near Lions Den, he said Chidikwindi was “dubious.”

“He claims that he is Murindagomo, the mediator between Chief Makonde and Nyamusva from time immemorial.
Traditionally, the sitting chief does not talk directly with Murindagomo but Chidikwindi has been here on several occasions breaking our traditional values culturally and it is unacceptable,’’ Kamurayi explained.

Chidikwindi burst into laughter when he was addressed as “Bhoki ,” his village nickname during a telephone interview on Wednesday night “Who gave you that information about my background as Bhoki? It is a long story young man and we need more time to discuss this. For the record, I am the Chief Nemakonde,” he said.

He confirmed that he was fighting Chief Nemakonde over the tittle.

On mounting allegations that he grabbed the farm without proper documentation using an expired prospecting licence, Chidikwindi said: “I have all papers in order and we scanned the farmhouse to prove that there is gold underneath. I do my qualified operations on my own and have several workers.”- Newsday

Afro-jazz musician, Dudu Manhenga, who was sent to prison in 2013 after being convicted for negligent driving and causing the death of motorcyclist Graham Martin Millward in 2010, has opened up about her experience.

She was handed down an 18-month jail term that was quashed a year later by Justices Francis Bere and Charles Hungwe, who said the penalty was too harsh and instead, slapped her with a wholly suspended sentence for the offence after establishing that the accident was not due to “gross” negligence.

Speaking out about the incident for the first time in five years, Dudu who has been keeping a low profile since her release from prison, said she had taken a break from the limelight to focus on her family.

Chatting with Sokostina on Zimpapers Capitalk FM on the Inspired show earlier this week, Dudu said she was glad that she had recovered from the whole incident.

“The first step to recovering is to accept what has happened. I thank God I’ve always been the sort of person who quickly accepts things. This accident had happened in 2010 and in 2013 when everything was coming out, I was thinking ‘may this thing end already’.

“I prepared for the worst and there were so many disturbances in my life during that period,” she said.

And when she was convicted, Dudu said though saddened, she felt relieved as it had become annoying being in and out of court and having the police on her case. Turning to her time in prison, Dudu said she did not feel at home.

“If I was to write a book about my experience in prison, the title would be, Not home, not hell. For me, being in prison was sort of a relief as I was like ‘finally, I can get this behind me because this case had hung over our family for a long time, the court procedures and all.

“It became more prison being out of prison than being in there.” She said she met amazing women in prison whom she would always remember.

“These women changed my perception of life because of the conversations we had while sitting under the shade. Some shared their plans to better themselves which were all inspiring.”

But in all this, Dudu blamed the community for being judgmental. “While in prison, I discovered that no matter what a person has done, there are some people who are in prison but are not supposed to be there. So people there need care and love and families shouldn’t abandon them as their time there is supposed to be correctional.

“The stigma against them shouldn’t be condoned,” said Dudu.

On her part, Dudu said corporates she used to work closely with abandoned her when she got out of jail as they cancelled her contracts despite her efforts to assure them that her voice was still in tune.

“Some company I worked with refused to go on with my contract when I left prison as they didn’t want to associate with me. But people need to know that someone who has served their time in prison has already gone through so much trauma and deserves a second chance,” she said.

She said when she attends some events now, she first breaks the ice by mentioning her prison encounter so that people stop looking at her in a queer manner.

Dudu, however, said her imprisonment for driving with a provisional driver’s licence and running over a person, had impacted society positively.

“Whatever it was, had its benefits as some woman I met said she had changed her behaviour on the road and vowed not to drive with a provisional driver’s licence because she learnt it’s illegal after following my case. This was because she had seen her role model go down.

“I looked back and realised so many lives were saved after that incident.”

On her decision to lie low after the prison encounter, Dudu who has four children, said she wanted to reprioritise things that matter to her and spend more time with her children.

“I thought to myself, if my children were to write a book about their mum, would it be the same as the public’s that will write good stuff about this great woman and all they’ll do is complain that they never had a mum as they rarely ever saw me.

“So, I took time to help my children heal and find their own space with their mum and assure them that mum is here. I needed to be close to family members as some times we run so fast and even run past goals we’ve set.”

Prior to being jailed, Dudu, who is now a pastor, had started attending Bible school.

“I was doing my first year in 2013 when I went to jail. When I was released, I completed my studies and graduated in 2015 and have been serving as a pastor for the past two years.

Turning to her music career, the artiste who was born in Bulawayo said she would not be releasing an album anytime soon though she has composed a lot of songs.

“Recording costs a lot of money so for now, my focus is on mentoring and producing other artistes songs, especially those from my church. I’ve composed a couple of tracks but just haven’t had time to record an album,” Dudu said.

Other than music, Dudu has released an anthology of poems where she speaks about a number of things including her jail experience and the dynamics in her family.

On the head gear, which she has become synonymous for with some fans believing that she is dreadlocked like Winky D, Dudu said it was tailor made by her mother when she was young, not knowing it would become part of her brand.

“We had this big show happening in Bulawayo with regional artistes performing. The likes of Percy Phakela, Lovemore Majaivana and Busi Ncube were on the lineup and I was at high school then. I had ‘cooked hair’ so I thought to myself, ‘how will I stand there and be the person I want to be’.

“So, I went and bought this doily top which I felt wouldn’t look good with cooked hair so my mum and I decided to reproduce that Matabele hat they wear in SA like Brenda Fassie’s. But, we didn’t have the money so we bought a woollen hat and stuffed it with some cloth and I wore it. We also bought a metre of cloth and put it on top of the hat to accessorise it.

“When I went on stage, the MC said ‘here’s a young lady who has embraced being African’ and I loved the compliment. The next time I went on stage without the gear, I didn’t get that powerful introduction and it was as if I was a totally different person so each time I wore it, I felt beautiful as I’d get encouraging compliments. At home, I was never described as the beautiful one so this for me was a major endorsement of my beauty.”

Since then, Dudu has been donning the head gear when performing though she does not move around with it while conducting her day to day activities.

“When off stage, I don’t wear the head gear as it allows me to go through my duties as a normal person. Some think I’m dreadlocked so when they see me without the head gear in public, I can tell they don’t recognise me and I like it that way.” – state media

A man from Lupane died after drinking “holy water” that his mother got from a prophet to assist him to get employment, police confirmed.
Thembelani Sibanda (48) of Ndamuleni village, under Chief Mabhikwa was given the water by his mother, Ms Eddy Ndlovu (69), on Monday afternoon and died on Tuesday.
A police source said they suspected poisoning.

A source close to the family said: “After drinking the water, he immediately started complaining of stomach cramps and he started vomiting. Within a few minutes his neck had swelled.” “Family members and neighbours rushed him to St Luke’s Mission Hospital where he was transferred to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo.”

The source said after treatment, Sibanda was referred back to St Luke’s Mission Hospital but died on the way.

“He passed on at Mbembesi Bridge along Bulawayo- Victoria Falls Road and the body was taken to St Luke’s Mission Hospital mortuary for post mortem,” said the source.

Matabeleland North Police spokesperson Inspector Siphiwe Makonese confirmed the incident saying investigations were underway.
“We are investigating a case of sudden death of a man who died after allegedly drinking some holy water that he was given by his mother. The man complained of stomach pains, began to vomit and his neck got swollen. He died the following day.

“We await post mortem results to ascertain the cause of his death,” she said. Chronicle

Bye Zimbabwe @usembassyharare pic.twitter.com/3yqGxBmH6r

— Amb Harry K. Thomas (@harrykthomasjr1) March 24, 2018

A visiting US preacher has indicated that the enemies of the November transition, (the G40) thrived on “creating chaos and their power was found in the darkness.”

Bob Scott, was speaking at the Foundations For Farming project in Harare run by Zimbabwean science innovator Brian Oldrieve. The latter has a breakthrough method of farming previously exported from Zim to over 30 countries of the world and set to bring billions to Zimbabwe’s economy following Robert Mugabe’s removal.

Bob Scott began his speech saying,  “…and in the beginning of November (2017) I started getting this strange sense on my soul that there was a significant transition coming, and in light of that I sat down and wrote this blog called “Transitions”, and I ended up publishing it and going to bed and waking to the news that you all…

“Waking up the next morning to the news that you all had gone through the most significant transition in 37 years – well all that took my attention as you might imagine because my mind started wondering what does all that mean, you know what’s going on? Anyway I watched in there just before Christmas somebody called me on the phone and said you know you need to go back to Zimbabwe… I thought about it for a little bit and I just said you know if I go back I want to go as a bouncer  of (sic) so I don’t want to force myself there but if I get an invitation I will come. I went to sleep and woke up the next morning and I saw an email from Brian and Craig saying ” would you come?,” and it just melted my heart, and it just melted my heart, so I titled my speech “Why Zimbabwe, A Spiritual Journey in Search of Authentic Christianity” and discovering the true power of peace and reconciliation, oh. My socks thank you…

• • “Show them (Zimbabweans) who they once were.”

“So in asking God what is it that I could share…?, in asking God what would You have me share with them, He replied, “tell them your story and in doing so show them who they once were“, so I’m here today to dust up dust off an old mirror if you open your heart to me I’ll be grateful to share my story with you and in the retelling of my story it’s my hope you will see God’s purpose not only individually but for you as a nation God wants to entrust in you the people of Zimbabwe with an opportunity to display the kingdom of God on earth as his most precious and profound peacemakers. Over the course of time some driven by ulterior motives tragically some in your midst did not want this peace, why? Because they profited by living in the murky shadows; they thrived by creating chaos and their power was found in the darkness; they were enslaved, bound by resentment and greed and they in turn enslaved others with the same attitudes… peace was a threat to their personal agenda.

“Over 30 years have now passed since God first extended invitation to the various groups which make up this nation to live together in peace treating each other with respect. I’m here today to state before you put to proclaim that God once again is extending you Zimbabwe another invitation he has requested your participation in his grand plan and I’m asking you on his behalf are you willing to accept this and participate in what God got in store for you because it’s something very special…?

“As we journey together over the next few minutes I would appreciate you keeping this word in mind the great question after CS Lewis once wrote, you can’t go back and change the Beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending of the past present and future; we can always have two of those…there is this present moment in the future; it’s My Hope together in the present with our eyes towards the future, we can redirect Zimbabwe’s decade-long downward trajectory and we could change the ending of this story.

“First though let us visit what we cannot change the past and why because there are lessons back there to be gleaned from. Question I would like to hear before you today was what was the Genesis of my journey to Zimbabwe in the first place, what drew me back here in 1984 what was I looking for?  It is crucial to start back at the beginning of the story and why is because context matters contact the last us to fully appreciate how we got here to this moment. Context allows us to fully appreciate where we’re going contest also largest a fully appreciate what I feel compelled to share with you… Because context brings dimension and width and depth stories… secondly the reason that we need to start at the Beginning is because relationships matter most every aspect of life moves across relation of bridges the very essence of any attempt the reconciliation is due to the personal but is face-to-face between two people on a single space we might plan national peace and reconciliation movements but in the end we have to look each other in the eyes and say I’m sorry. That’s if we wanted to have any lasting effect I’ve come to understand that god works for both organically and relationally… the value that at the very DNA of foundations for farming philosophy.

“What I’m prepared to share with you today it’s weighty, substantive but it’s taken me a lifetime to learn a very, another very important lesson…

And that is you can’t drive 10 tonne trucks over 1 tonne Bridges. …”

By Dorrothy Moyo| President Emmerson Mnangagwa was during the week told to remove the current Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and replace it with one formed under consultation with opposition parties.

Early this month US President Donald Trump slapped President Mnangagwa with the same hard sanctions previously flung on former President Robert Mugabe in 2002.

On Thursday, the US Senate also demanded that soldiers should be removed from the ZEC (there are currently 45 ex-soldiers working inside the ZEC).

Senator Coons, said the legislation updates the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 and sets forth the steps Zimbabwe needs to take to have sanctions on its country lifted.

“After 37 years of suffering under the repressive rule of Robert Mugabe, the people of Zimbabwe should be excited about the possibility of a brighter future. To ensure conditions throughout the country improve, the international community should insist on concrete actions from the new government of Zimbabwe before lifting sanctions and renewing investment in the country. This bill is intended to outline the U.S. Senate’s expectations of the steps President Mnangagwa and other leaders should take,” said Senator Coons.

Part of the statement reads:

“PRE-ELECTION CONDITIONS.-The following pre-election conditions are met: “(A) Establishment and public release, without cost, in both paper and digital formats, of a biometric voter registration roll that is endorsed by all registered political parties. “(B) An independent electoral management body is selected, the members of which should be nominated by all political parties rep-resented in the parliament of Zimbabwe, and permitted to entirely carry out the functions as-signed to it in section 239 of Zimbabwe’s 2013 constitution in an entirely independent manner. “(C) The Defense Forces of Zimbabwe are neither permitted to actively participate in campaigning for any candidate nor to intimidate voters, and must verifiably and credibly uphold their constitutionally mandated duty to respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all per-sons and be non-partisan in character.

“(D) International observers, including from the United States, the African Union, the Southern African Development Community, and the European Union are permitted to observe the entire electoral process, both prior to, on, and following voting day, including by monitoring polling stations and counting centers, and are able to independently operate in a man-ner enabling them to access and analyze vote tallying, tabulation, and the transmission and content of voting results. “(E) Candidates are allowed free and full access to state media, which must afford equal time and coverage to all registered parties, in an impartial manner, and must be able to campaign in an environment that is free from intimidation and violence. “(F) Civil society organizations must freely and independently be able to carry out voter and civic education, and to monitor the entire electoral process, including by observing, re-cording, and transmitting public-posted or announced voting results, including at the ward, constituency, and all higher levels of the vote tallying process, including through the conduct of one or more parallel vote tabulation exer-cises.”; (2) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (5) as paragraphs (7) and (8), respectively; (3) by striking paragraph (4); (4) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-lowing new paragraphs: “(3) PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.—Zimbabwe has held an election that is widely accepted as free, fair, and credible by independent international and domestic civil society monitors, and the president-elect is free to assume the duties of the office. “(4) UPDATING STATUTES.-Laws enacted prior to passage of Zimbabwe’s new Constitution in March 2013 that are inconsistent with the new Constitution are amended or repealed so that they are consistent with the Constitution. “(5) UPHOLDING THE CONSTITUTION.-The Secretary of State has certified that all elements of the Constitution, including devolution, are being im-plemented. “(6) ECONOMIC REFORMS.-The Government of Zimbabwe has demonstrated a sustained commit-ment to reforming Zimbabwe’s economy in ways that
will promote economic growth, address iiiiemploy-ment and underdevelopment, and restore livelihoods. “(7) DIAMOND REVENUES.—The Secretary of State has certified that a transparent and credible accounting for all diamond revenues since 2000 has taken place.”; and (5) in paragraph (7), as redesignated by para-graph (2) of this subsection, by striking “consistent with” and all that follows through “September 1998”. SEC. 7. REMOVAL OF AUTHORITY TO PAY LAND ACQUISI-TION COSTS. Section 5(a)(2) of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 is amended by striking “, including the payment of costs” and all that follows through “thereto”. SEC. 8. INCLUSION OF AUSTRALIA IN CONSULTATIONS ABOUT ZIMBABWE. Section 6 of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 is amended by inserting “Australia, and the United Kingdom” after “Canada,”. SEC. 9. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PAST ATROCITIES AND HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES. It is the sense of Congress that the Government of Zimbabwe should take immediate action to—

By Paul Nyathi| A Bulawayo man, Amon Munyuku will forever regret asking his four year old son to disembark from a school transport service and go home with him as that was the last he saw his son alive.

Moyo’s son Tymon was knocked down by a speeding commuter omnibus within seconds of him coming out of the school bus on Thursday.

According to Moyo, he was driving home when he saw his son in the school bus and asked the driver to let him out so he finishes the journey home with him.

The boy got out of the school bus in a hurry trying to cross the road to his father whereupon a speeding Kombi knocked him down killing him on the spot.

“I was driving from work and I saw the car that Tymon boards to pre-school, so I stopped the driver so that I could take my son home. I think he got too excited to see me and rushed out of the car. When I saw the kombi approaching, I tried stopping him from crossing but he didn’t hear me and the kombi driver was speeding such that he could not apply emergency brakes,” he said.

“Tymon was thrust beneath the kombi. When the ambulance arrived he was already dead. Sadly the driver of the kombi is someone I know from the neighbourhood. It was distressing to see my son lie there without being able to help him.”

Bulawayo police provincial spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango confirmed the incident.

A police detective and his Nigerian accomplice who duped a licenced diamond dealer of precious gems worth over $2million have been slapped with a four year jail-term.

Goodhope Mavhengeri (42), a Bulawayo-based criminal investigations department officer and Tinayi Mudavanhu (32) from Mutare’s Chikanga high-density suburb learnt the hard way that crime does not pay when Mutare provincial magistrate, Mr Tendai Mahwe sentenced them to four years imprisonment each.

They were sentenced last Friday. The pair was convicted of fraud, theft and contravening the Precious Stones Act – charges they had been facing since June 2008.

Mavhengeri and Mudavanhu had been denying the charges but they were convicted after a full trial. The State led by public prosecutor, Mr Cuthbert Bhosha, provided overwhelming evidence which warranted a conviction. The diamonds weighed 275 carats.

“Mudavanhu was approached by the complainant, Magaret Nyandura, who was looking for diamond buyers. Mudavanhu approached Crimeson Dzapasi, an investigating officer with the ZRP who then introduced him to a Nigerian national who purported to be the diamond buyer.

“Mudavanhu, Dzapasi, and the unidentified Nigerian buyer together with their accomplices who are still on the run went to Nyandura’s residence sometime between May and June 2008 with an intention to buy the said diamonds,” said Mr Bhosha.

The court heard that Mavhengeri purported to be the Nigerian buyer and while at Nyandura’s place of residence, two men arrived and told Mudavanhu and the two other accomplices that they were under arrest for dealing in precious stones.

“This arrest was a ploy for the suspects to get hold of the diamonds. The police officers then took Mudavanhu and his accomplices indicating that they were going to the police station leaving Nyandura behind.

“Mudavanhu later came back with 36 pieces of diamonds which Nyandura refused to take arguing that she wanted all her 275 carats that she had given him,” said Mr Bhosha.

In her testimony, Nyandura who is a holder of a valid diamond dealer’s license told the court that she approached Mudavanhu and asked him to look for diamond buyers for her since he was well-versed with diamond buyers in the city.

She also said she promised to give him a token of appreciation if he brings the buyer.
Nyandura further indicated that the deal was botched because of two men who arrived and indicated that she and the others were under arrest, but surprisingly left her at her home and took the diamonds with them.

Mr Mahwe sentenced the duo to 4 years imprisonment. He however, suspended one year on condition of good behaviour for the next five years. They will each serve an effective three years imprisonment.

They were being charged with contravening Sections 136, 113 (1) and 3(1) of Precious Stones Trade Act Chapter 21:06.- Manica Post

MDC Acting President Nelson Chamisa made several attempts to restore the renegade (and now expelled) Vice President Thokozani Khupe. This was revealed by the party’s National Chairman Morgan Komichi Friday afternoon in an exclusive with ZimEye.com FOLLOW THE LIVE INTERVIEW BELOW:

A teenager appeared in court on allegations of strangling a three-year-old girl to death using a neck chain in Epworth two weeks ago.

To cover up for the offence and purport as if the death was due to an accident, it was reported that Talent Kuvimba went out of the house and left a burning candle on the bed where the body of the girl was.

Eventually, the candle reportedly burnt the whole house including the body of the toddler.

Kuvimba, 18, was not asked to plead when she appeared before Harare magistrate Tilda Mazhande charged with murder.

She was advised to apply for bail at the High Court and the matter was remanded to April 5.

The State alleges that on March 10, at around 10pm, at number 1702 A, Chinamano in Epworth, Kuvimba strangled to death a toddler using a neck chain.

To cover up for the offence and purport as if death was due to an accident, Kuvimba went out of the room and left a burning candle on the bed where the body of the toddler was.

The candle eventually burnt the whole house including the toddler’s body beyond recognition.

Kuvimba came back later from the shopping centre and she proceeded to the police station and reported that the toddler had been accidentally burnt in house.

The police officers proceeded to the accident scene and the body of the toddler was taken to Harare Central Hospital Mortuary.

On March 12, a forensic post mortem was done and it was concluded that the death was due to a deep injury on the neck.

It was also discovered that there was a neck chain that had sunk in the toddler’s neck.- state media

Terrence Mawawa | President Emmerson Mnangagwa’ s decision to free prisoners under the Presidential Amnesty has been branded a pure masterpiece by political analysts.

Commenting on Mnangagwa’ s latest gambit, political observers described the veteran politician as a shrewd tactician.

“Mnangagwa is a shooting star.
Give him time to prove his mettle,
stop criticizing and cooperate,” wrote Farai Mpofu on Facebook.

Lovemore Vengesai wrote:
“Thank you ED you have my vote.”

Nancy C wrote:”Thank you President for the kind and noble gesture, we are solidly behind you.”

Terrence Mawawa, Zaka

A Masvingo based Non Governmental Organisation, Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development(COTRAD), has called on public officials to be transparent and accountable in their conduct.

Speaking at a feedback meeting facilitated by COTRAD in Zaka last week, ward 19 residents acknowledged the responsiveness of local leaders to the community’s social accountability demands, as the Zaka Rural District Council prioritized the refurbishment of Magwede Bridge.

The bridge was revamped with the plough back funds disbursed by Zaka RDC.

The social audit conducted by Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD) Action for Accountability Groups (AAGs) has revealed that service delivery has been severely hampered by poor road networks.

The community engagement meetings facilitated by COTRAD between villagers and public officials helped Zaka residents to press for the rehabilitation of Magwede Bridge and the resuscitation of dilapidated roads.

Zaka Central Constituency ward 19 Councillor, Peter Imbayarwo highlighted that, Zaka RDC managed to rehabilitate the Magwede Bridge which links Jerara Growth Point with Mushayavanhu, Magwede, Chipezeze, Chisinde, Mukachana and Marare Villages.

“As public officials we encourage all villagers to pay their development levy contributions in time so that the council will have sufficient resources to improve service delivery and community development,” said Imbayarwo.

“COTRAD maintains that it is the role of public officials and Rural District Councils to pay attention to social service delivery and infrastructure development concerns raised by the people in their districts.

It is enshrined in section 276 (1) of the Constitution that, the rural district councils should raise sufficient funds for them to carry out objectives and responsibilities in areas of their jurisdiction.

COTRAD also encourages villagers to engage public officials and relevant Ministries to present issues affecting their communities,” said COTRAD in a statement.

Home Affairs minister Obert Mpofu yesterday opened up for the first time on the source of his wealth, claiming he earned all that he has through hard work.

Mpofu has been rumoured to be among the richest in Zimbabwe, if not the sub-region, with much of his wealth concentrated in real estate.

In fact, it has been said before, and not denied until yesterday, that Mpofu owns half the commercial properties in the resort town of Victoria Falls.

Critics accuse him of accumulating his wealth when he joined former president Robert Mugabe’s regime, under whose reign Zimbabwe scaled up the corruption ladder from position 43 in 1998 to 157 last year, out of the 176 countries surveyed by Transparency International.

The spotlight has particularly fallen on his days at the Mines and Mining Development ministry — between February 2009 and September 2013 — when he presided over the controversial Marange diamond fields in Manicaland.

Mugabe claimed on the eve of his 92nd birthday in February 2016 that $15 billion was lost in diamond revenue through sweetheart deals involving syndicates.

It is for this and other reasons that Parliament has now taken it upon itself to crack the jigsaw puzzle, and recently summoned Mpofu to explain himself.

When he appeared before the parliamentary portfolio committee on Mines and Energy last month, Mpofu refused to respond to some of the questions, and now faces possible contempt of Parliament charges.

Yesterday, Mpofu opened up to the Daily News, saying he has never taken a bribe in his life and was in fact, a hard worker who is as clean as a whistle.

Despite claims that he earned his wealth through corrupt dealings and vulture capitalism, the Home Affairs minister said the most expensive asset he has is the famous seven-storey York House building in Bulawayo.

“I have worked hard with my family to be where I am and I do not owe anybody anything and I appeal to anybody who thinks he gave me or bribed me to come forward and tell the public about it as I have never, in my whole life, received anything from anybody as an inducement for I do not need anything from anybody,” Mpofu told the Daily News.

The Zanu PF secretary for administration spoke as a report contained in the third investigation by Partnership Africa Canada into illicit activity in Zimbabwe’s diamond sector said Mpofu built much of his wealth through “vulture capitalism” — a money for nothing appropriation of profitable businesses and or assets that are later “legitimised” through normal business activity.

The report accused Mpofu, who grew up in rural Jambezi, from a family of limited means and now has financial and political prestige, of going on a real estate buying spree, in Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, since the Marange diamond rush.

Mpofu rubbished the claims that he dominates the real estate sector in Victoria Falls saying he owns no property in the resort town, challenging anyone with documents proving ownership of these properties to come forward.

“I am aware of the nonsense that has been peddled by political and social opponents who feel challenged by my successes. I am proud of what I have and no one will take away what I have sweated for because I have worked for everything I have,” Mpofu said yesterday.

“The most expensive asset I have is the famous seven-storey York House building which the family bought from Old Mutual in 1998. The Victoria Falls nonsense that I own the whole or most of it is as stupid as the idiots who are peddling it. Can they list those assets so that I can take ownership of them if they ever exist,” he said.

Government this week released a list of companies and individuals who externalised funds and did not heed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s call to return the funds.

Mpofu who in 2000, was appointed governor of Matabeleland, and five years later minister of Industry and International Trade — during the hyperinflationary period of empty shops — said it was not by coincidence that his name was not among those listed to have externalised millions of dollars from the economy.

“I and my family nor my business have never (sic) maintained a foreign account or acquired any immovable asset outside the country. Please go through the list of the looters and you will never see anything associated with me or my family in it to the great disappointment of prophets of doom,” he said.

Mpofu is not considered a heavyweight in terms of his liberation war credentials.
But hate him or like him, one cannot take-away his survival instincts.
His switch from Zapu to Zanu around mid 1980s endeared himself with Mugabe’s ruling Zanu PF party, declaring himself the despot’s “most obedient son”.

And when Mugabe’s rule was challenged by the military, he emerged as one of Emmerson Mnangagwa’s staunchest backers, earning the post of secretary for administration.
He is reported to have an interest in Trebo & Khays, the vehicle he used to acquire the then Zimbabwe Allied Banking Group (ZABG), which became Allied Bank, before it twisted in the wind.
Other companies that have been linked to him include Maminza Transport, Khanondo Safari and Tours, Khanondo Car Hire, Horseshow Estate, KoMpofu La Sports Bar, Luna Rainbow Tours, Guest Paradise Lodge, Good Memories Lodge, Mswelangubo Farm, New Miners Restaurant (Hwange), Accut and Crews Village, Moya Security, Matetsi Meat Butchery and the Zimbabwe Mail, which has since exited the newspaper market.

His acquisition of ZABG was talk of the town, but when it was forced to hand over its licence to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) after it faced several constraints ranging from liquidity challenges and failure to meet minimum capital requirements, many began to question his business acumen.
Turning to ZABG Bank, Mpofu said he did not pay cash for the asset, insisting it was a property-based deal.

He said: “I bought the ZABG Bank from government where it is alleged I paid $22 million for it. Again, this was a property-based transaction and please ask the Reserve Bank if I paid them a cent for it”.

Earlier this month, businessman Lovemore Kurotwi told a parliamentary committee on Mines that Mpofu demanded a $10 million bribe from him to give his company a licence to mine in Chiadzwa in 2009.

This came as Kurotwi’s company, Core Mining and Minerals, had won the tender during Amos Midzi’s tenure as minister to mine in Chiadzwa under Canadile, a joint venture with the State-controlled Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation.

“(Core Mining director) Yehuda Litcht used to complain to me that the minister (Mpofu) is asking for money. He did that I think three times asking for money from Yehuda, until Yehuda did not know what to tell the minister. He was asking money for getting the permission to mine in Chiadzwa. That was the money to bribe for permission to get the licence,” said Kurotwi.

Mpofu later appeared before the same committee and clashed with Mines and Energy committee chairperson Temba Mliswa over the country’s missing $15 billion revenue from the gem-rich Chiadzwa diamonds fields.

The burly Zanu PF secretary for administration later vowed never to appear before the committee to answer any questions relating to the missing funds as long as Mliswa was presiding over the emotive issue — also suggesting that he had something damaging on the garrulous Norton legislator.

Analysts yesterday ratcheted up pressure on Home Affairs minister Obert Mpofu, saying he should give a detailed account of how he acquired his wealth.

Harare-based lawyer and MDC official Obert Gutu said more often than not, perception can easily become reality, implying Mpofu must do much more to remove perceptions that he might have bent the rules to acquire his riches.

Without suggesting by any stretch of the imagination that Mpofu is corrupt, Gutu said out there, people generally think that he is villainous.

“Whether or not he is corrupt is neither here nor there. It is a fact that Mpofu is fabulously wealthy.
“He, in fact, openly admits that he’s stinking rich. How he acquired his wealth is a matter of conjecture.

“What he can do for now is to publicly avail a detailed schedule of his properties and explain precisely how he acquired each and every one of his several assets,” said Gutu.

“In the court of public opinion, unfortunately, Mpofu is perceived to be a corrupt politician. The ball is now firmly in his court to publicly prove that his wealth was acquired through honest, hard work and not through sleaze and graft,” he added.

Crisis Coalition told the Daily News yesterday that there was a problem in the country, especially when public officials flaunt their wealth and duck the responsibility and transparency test.
Tabani Moyo, spokesperson of Crisis Coalition, said if the new government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa wants the world to think for a second that it’s a “new” administration, it has to ensure that it spells out a mechanism of public officials declaring their assets and account as to how they acquired them for them to be entrusted with public resources.

“The case at hand is that of entitlement, where the public officials are larger that the State and protected from answering to the allegations of corruption,” opined Moyo. “It is therefore a cause of concern that the government has the courage to publish a list of alleged looters when its backyard is decorated with such filthy lucre”.

Crisis Coalition is a conglomeration of more than 350 civil organisations in Zimbabwe working on human rights issues, democratic governance, political freedom, women’s rights, electoral reform, and constitutional reform.

Political analyst Vivid Gwede said no one in this country stops people from being rich, but what people were asking were fair questions about the origins of some government officials’ vast wealth, Mpofu included.

He said that Mpofu was recently called to Parliament to answer questions about Zimbabwe’s most precious resource in terms of diamond revenue and showed arrogance raised people’s eyebrows even higher.

“As a former Mines minister, he had an opportunity to furnish his fellow citizens with answers, but
squandered it. Such behaviour makes people speculate about his own involvement in shoddy dealings, which resulted in losses of diamond revenue,” said Gwede.

“In other civilised nations, that is not a joking matter because we are talking about massive prejudice to the country. It could get someone a nice stay in prison, which is why it is in his own interest to clear himself at the earliest opportunity, but instead, the whole nation has to wait for him,” said Gwede.

He added that if Mnangagwa finds that his government is fast losing sympathy, these unresolved issues were some of the reasons.
“People are fed up!” he remarked.

Political analyst Maxwell Saungweme said one would be curious to know what line of business Mpofu does which made him so affluent in a short time in government, out from a humble background a few years back.

“It could be just fluke that he joined government an unassuming bloke, then started to be so conspicuously opulent and sumptuous while at helm of the Mines ministry. It also could be mere quirk that the alleged $15 billion diamond revenue supposedly ebbed when he was minister of Mines, yet at the same time he was doing very well in his own private business,” said Saungweme.

“It could also be interesting to learn how he and other ministers did very well during the time our economy was sinking and government could barely pay civil servants. These could be mere coincidences, I guess,” said Saungweme.

He added that on the bank he could be right. “But when was the tender advertised and who else was a bidder. It will be interesting to understand the legality of him as a minister buying a bank. This is definitely a conflict of interest case of sorts.” Daily News

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo | President Emmerson Mnangagwa is totally in charge of Steelmakers Company Limited, it has emerged.

Steelmakers Limited is the biggest iron smelting company in Masvingo Province and it is preparing to resume operations after five years of inactivity.
A company official who cannot be named has sensationally claimed Mnangagwa is the man at the helm of the company.

The information has been disclosed at a time Mnangagwa is propagating the Zimbabwe is open for business mantra.

“Mnangagwa is in charge of the company so he has roped in funders to sponsor his own business,” claimed the official.

Last week Masvingo State Minister Josaya Dunira Hungwe said sellouts would not be considered for employment at the company.

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo | Zanu PF Provincial Chairperson Ezra Chadzamira has blamed party officials in Masvingo Urban Constituency for attempting to sabotage President Emmerson Mnangagwa’ s political activities.

Chadzamira was riled by the poor attendance at a party meeting at Chief’ s Hall in Masvingo last week.

A fuming Chadzamira confronted party officials in Masvingo Urban Constituency and accused them of deliberately plotting to thwart Mnangagwa’s political strategies.

The poor attendance stunned senior ruling officials as they got a rude awakening in the volatile constituency.

“We will identify the culprits very soon. We know the people who are trying to thwart our strategies,” thundered Chadzamira.

Dr Nkosana Moyo | We spent a whole day in Chinhoyi a few days ago meeting Zimbabweans from all walks of life. Our passion for a functional Zimbabwe drive everything we do, and the “less noisy” but ultimately highly impactful approach we take.

Alliance for the People’s Agenda – APA

Lionel Saungweme | Bulawayo Magistrate, Franklin Mkhwananzi has granted Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) National Organising Secretary Abednigo Bhebhe (52), MDC-T Vice President Thokozani Khupe’s personal assistant, Witness Dube (41) and Eliot Doctor Moyo (52) free bail in the violence that took place at the MDC-T offices on 4 March 2018.

The state has also preferred to alternatively charge the accused with public violence as defined in Section 36 (1) b of Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Cap 9:23. The state outlines records “… that on the 4th March 2018 and at MDC-T offices situated along Fort Street along between 2nd and 3rd Avenue Bulawayo, Abednigo Bhebhe, Witness Dube and Eliot Doctor Moyo or one or more of them acting in concert and to a serious extent disturbed the peace, security or order of the public or any section of the public or invaded the rights of other people intending such disturbance or invasion or realising that there is a real risk or possibility that such disturbance or invasion may occur that is to say the accused persons disrupted a MDC-T meeting, engaged in stone throwing battle with fellow MDC-T members, Malusi Fuyana, Edith Moyo Sandra Moyo Persuade Jena and Sibusisiwe Masina with stones.”

The trio is accused of assault as defined in Section 89 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Cap 9:23. Prosecutor Nkathazo Dlodlo will state “that on the 4th March 2018 and at MDC-T offices situated along Fort Street along between 2nd and 3rd Avenue Bulawayo, Abednigo Bhebhe, Witness Dube and Eliot Doctor Moyo or one or more of them unlawfully committed an assault upon Malusi Fuyana, Edith Moyo, Sandra Moyo, Persuade Jena and Sibusisiwe Masina.”

The state will allege “that Eliot Doctor Moyo picked up a half brick and struck Malusi Fuyana on the back of the head, he fell down, Witness Dube, Abednigo Bhebhe and unknown MDC-T members then joined Eliot Doctor Moyo and assaulted Malusi Fuyana until he became unconscious and was ferried to Mpilo Hospital where he later gained consciousness.”

It will be further alleged that “Bhebhe then ordered MDC-T youths who could not be identified to drag Edith Moyo away from the gate and they dragged her. He also picked up some stones and struck Sibusisiwe Masina on the buttock and right arm and she sustained bruised buttock and pain on the arm. Abednigo Bhebhe then ordered the youths to assault Sandra Moyo. The youths pushed and dragged Sandra Moyo into Abednigo Bhebhe’s car which was parked at the MDC-T office she resisted until she was saved by a passerby. She sustained a twisted knee.”

“Witness Dube and two unidentified MDC-T members” alleges the state outline, “dragged Persuade Jena into a Range Rover vehicle and he resisted. One unidentified MDC-T youth who was a passenger in Witness Dube’s car then struck Persuade Jena on the forehead with a will (sic) spanner and banged the vehicle door injuring his three fingers.”

“Malusi Fuyana, Edith Moyo Sibusisiwe Masina, Sandra Moyo and Persuade Jena sustained injuries and were referred to Mpilo Hospital for medical attention,” states the outline.

According to the report “medical reports can be produced as evidence” and that “accused persons had no lawful right to disturb the peace, security or order of the public or any section of the public or invaded the rights of people.”

The case will be heard next on 13 April 2018.

Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) has said it is not going into an alliance with Thokozani Khupe’s MDC faction.

This comes after a Khupe rally held at Amphitheatre here over the weekend, where national organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe introduced members of Mthwakazi, together with the Joice Mujuru-led PRC and Ansa led by Moses Mzila Ndlovu.

The parties in question were said to have attended the rally in solidarity with Khupe’s cause of splitting from the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC.
MRP said there was no alliance with Khupe.

“We woke up . . . to the social media buzz on the participation of MRP at Khuphe’s rally,” the party’s secretary-general Ackim  Mhlanga said.

“Although we are conveniently positioned to defend our own from Mthwakazi, we have never formerly engaged Khupe or taken a decision to meddle ourselves in shameful MDC issues,” he said.

The Mqondisi Moyo-led party has gained friends and enemies over their radical stance on issues to do with the Gukurahundi atrocities and ethnicity.

Mhlanga said they had no interest whatsoever to be dragged into the main opposition party’s internal squabbles.

“We distance our brand from this alleged association with Khuphe’s MDC, and reiterate that our party does not identify with parties that push a nationalistic agenda. We are fighting for the independence of the territorial and economic independence of Mthwakazi,” he said. Daily News

A CHIKANGA man was forced to spit three diamonds he had hidden in his mouth by Minerals and Border Control detectives at 22 Miles Business Centre last week.

Francis Mukandatsama (32) has since appeared before the courts for contravening the Precious stones Act as defined in Section 3 (1) a read with Section 3 (2), Chapter 21:06.

He was not asked to plead to the charges when he appeared before Mutare provincial magistrate, Mr Tendai Mahwe.

Allegations were that on March 12, detectives received information to the effect that Mukandatsama was in the possession of diamonds which he intended to sell.

Reacting to the tip-off, the detectives teamed up and spotted a Toyota Vits which was parked at 22 Miles Shopping Centre. –  state media

By A Correspondent| The MDC-T national council is meeting today to deliberate on key and far-reaching decisions to do with candidate selection and the outstanding issue of Vice President Hon. Dr Thokozani Khupe and other senior party leaders, among other critical issues.

The party will be holding a press conference after that meeting and the press is urged to be on standby. The time for the presser will be duly announced towards the end of this crucial meeting that is meant to make critical decisions aimed at strengthening the party ahead of the watershed election due in a few months time.

Former Police boss Augustine Chihuri is missing at parliament house Friday morning, a development that (at 9.45am) left the Chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio for Mines And Energy exclaiming how “is it that, the former Commissioner General is not known where he is?” – WATCH THE LIVE coverage here:

WATCH ! LIVE Parliamentary Proceedings today on ZimEye.com from 9am

Government is working on a Command Housing project to expand housing facilities in old townships and areas to ease congestion.

The idea mooted by President Emmerson Mnangagwa is aimed at elevating families from bad conditions and has already been adopted by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing as part of its 100 day strategies.
Responding to questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday during a question and answer session, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo said the Government was aware of the squalid living conditions in some suburbs.

“There are a lot of our people who are living under extreme conditions of pressure from lack of adequate accommodation, crowded accommodation and dilapidated accommodation, some of it dating way back to the early days of colonialism.

Government is very aware of this situation and we are saying, as we plan ahead, the President has said, let us have a Command Housing programme which does not only looks at housing expansion in new areas but looking at old townships or old areas where our people lived and see how we can uplift that housing pressure,” said Min Moyo.

He said plans for the launch of a housing programme that does not only focus on new houses were at an advanced stage.

“We are advanced in planning for the launch of a housing programme that will take care of not only the new houses but, also concentrating on building flats so that we do not continue to gobble arable land.

Also at the same time, looking at those old areas and see whether we can go and either put flats so that we can build better and more accommodation in areas that are restricted without too much expansion,” Min Moyo told Parliament.
He said the plan will also will lessen pressure on sewerage and on water supply because they will not be expanding.

“The way we were now building our accommodation was just expanding too far, the local authorities cannot afford to pay for the services. So, I want to thank the honourable member for raising this issue which Government is looking at very seriously in order to alleviate the problems that our people are facing,” said Min Moyo.

“I cannot give a timetable as to exactly when we will be alleviating all these. But, let us not also forget that every city, Kadoma included, Bulawayo, Masvingo and Mutare, where you have had all these old accommodation, some of which we call misana yenzou, we need to pay attention to that.”

He said they were engaging local authorities on the programme so that they do not forget about all these areas where dilapidation has taken place. – state media

A 31-year-old Harare woman has been jailed 20 years effective for facilitating the trafficking of five Zimbabwean women to Kuwait where they were turned into slaves and prostitutes.

Norest Maruma, the ring leader of the trafficking gang, was in December convicted on five counts of contravening the Trafficking in Persons Act by magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube who could not pass sentence because his jurisdiction is limited.

In Zimbabwe, crimes of this nature attract a penal provision of life imprisonment or more than 10 years per count.

This prompted Mr Ncube to refer the matter to the High Court for sentencing where Justice Tawanda Chitapi yesterday slapped her with a combined 50 years in jail after sentencing her to 10 years in prison on each count.

However, counts one to three are to run concurrently as well as four and five which are also going to run concurrently, leaving her with a 20-year jail term.

When he convicted her, Mr Ncube ruled that there were no special circumstances in her case to warrant the court to dis­regard the mandatory sentence.

In his ruling, Mr Ncube said Maruma, in submitting special circumstances, said she was also a victim of human trafficking.

“It is clear that the victims were trafficked on different dates and for money,” he said.
“The fact that she was a victim who turned perpetrator is aggravating,” he said.
Maruma is the first person to be sent to jail in the Kuwait human trafficking saga that left several women stranded in March 2016 after being lured to the Middle East country on the pretext that they were going to be offered lucrative jobs.
Maruma acted as a local agent.

Prosecutor Ms Francesca Mukumbiri said Maruma trafficked eight people, but the State only managed to get hold of five.

One of the victims narrated to the court how she worked with another woman from another African country as slaves, but the woman later died.
She told the court that their master kept the corpse in the house.

In aggravation, Ms Mukumbiri said Maruma’s moral blameworthiness was high taking into account that she was once a victim of human trafficking before she was roped in as an agent by the syndicate.

“After she had also been duped, she went further to recruit other unsuspecting victims to Kuwait promising them jobs as waitresses only for them to discover that they had been duped after being placed in refrigerated rooms in Kuwait.

“After she trafficked the women, they called her for help, but she threatened them saying they should continue working.

“She met some of her victims at the embassy who beat her up and instead of being apologetic, she told them that there was nothing special about being trafficked because even rotten meat is sold.
“Some of the victims were forced into prostitution and they are suffering the after effects, which include trauma and diseases,” Ms Mukumbiri said.

Ms Mukumbiri said, “Your Worship, the offence she committed is serious and she deserves to be severely punished.”

In 2014, a 62-year-old cross-border trader, Jessica Mahuni, who recruited two Zimbabwean women to work in Angola before forcing them into prostitution was jailed for one-and-a-half years.

Mahuni was given a lighter sentence because the Trafficking in Persons Act had not been enacted then and she was convicted of violating Section 83 of the Criminal Codification and Reform Act, which prohibits leaving the country with the intention that the other person may become a prostitute.

Ms Mukumbiri proved that between December 2015 and March 2016, Maruma unlawfully and intentionally recruited unsuspecting victims to Kuwait using facebook and WhatsApp.

She misrepresented to the complainants that housemaids in Kuwait were paid $750, before sending them pictures of some girls she said were well paid in Kuwait.
The victims sent their medical examinations and police clearance to Maruma and communication was through the WhatsApp number.

Soon after the victims arrived in Kuwait, their passports were taken away by their employers and they fell into slavery and exploitation.

They would work for more than 22 hours a day without rest and were called “Khadama”, which means slave.

They were not allowed to communicate with anyone. -state media

A grade 4 pupil died on Thursday morning after being mauled by four vicious dogs on Wednesday in Beitbridge.

It is understood that the girl was attacked by the dogs along Arcacia Drive while coming from school at around 4pm.

“She was taken to hospital and was in the intensive care unit where she died this morning. The matter was then reported to the police,” said a source close to the case.

The deceased name is yet to be established.

According to sources, the girl was attacked by the dogs which had strayed from a house in the low density suburbs of Beitbridge.

The police officer commanding Beitbridge Chief Superintendent Francis Phiri said the matter was still under investigations.

“We received such a report and are still conducting investigations,” he said.- state media

A Zimbabwean man based in South Africa slit his ex-wife’s throat, kept the body in his room  before hanging himself in his employer’s office three days later.

Bekithemba Moyo (27), from Gonde Village in Plumtree killed Portia Ndlovu (22) of Diba area in Plumtree on Saturday after she refused to give him a second chance having ditched her himself.

He murdered her in a cottage within his employer’s home. The couple have a one-year-old son.

The finding of Moyo’s lifeless body in his employer’s office led to the discovery of Ndlovu’s naked and decomposing body which lay in a mass of dried blood in his bedroom at his employer’s home.

Zimbabwe’s consul general to South Africa, Mr Batiraishe Mukonoweshuro, yesterday confirmed the incident but said he would comment further today after getting more details.

A source close to the tragedy said Ndlovu left a relative’s home to meet Moyo, after he had called her to collect some money for their child’s upkeep.

“We suspect he killed her on that very night and kept the body inside his room. On Monday he left for work with his employer, returned and actually slept with the body in his room. Again, his employer informed us that they went to work at his factory premises near Bramley Police Station.

“When they arrived home that evening, Moyo asked for the factory keys, claiming he had forgotten something. Realising he had taken too long to return, his employer tried phoning him but he was unreachable. He decided to drive back to office, only to find Moyo hanging from the roof of one of his offices,” said the source.

The matter was reported to police and Moyo’s family was contacted.

Moyo and Ndlovu’s cellphones, were found smashed to pieces next to his body.

Sources said Ndlovu’s family read the news of Moyo’s death on social media, prompting them to become curious about her whereabouts.

“On Wednesday morning both Moyo and Ndlovu’s families went to his employer’s home. A bad smell alerted them of the grisly killing as they approached his bedroom. Ndlovu’s throat was cut open and her body was covered with a blanket.”

“Moyo, we are told, dumped Ndlovu in January and told her to return to her parents. The couple had fought constantly with Moyo having sent Portia packing on many occasions,” said the source.

“He threw her out of the house many times but after she had finally abided by his order and left him in January, he began to stalk her through WhatsApp, begging her to return to him.”

The source said it was sad that Moyo had killed Ndlovu after she had picked herself up and had moved on.

“Moyo thought Portia would crumble after leaving him but when he saw her glowing and happy, he began to communicate with her, threatening her. On many occasions he phoned her demanding that she stops putting her new boyfriend, Lucky, on her WhatsApp profile.”

The source said her family had started searching for Ndlovu frantically, when they received news of Moyo’s suicide.

“They were shaken. They contacted Moyo’s family, informing them that Ndlovu was missing.

“On Wednesday morning they discovered her body in Moyo’s bedroom,” said the source

ZCTU – Our Anti Corruption Demonstration against ZESA CORRUPTION has been banned by the ZRP. The Police overstretched the import of a High Court order ZESA got in another matter that is before the Supreme Court.

The United States Ambassador met President Emmerson Mnangagwa to bid farewell.

Farewell call on H.E. President Mnangagwa – confident that bilateral relations are on a better footing @usembassyharare pic.twitter.com/pTRShJ8Hca

— Amb Harry K. Thomas (@harrykthomasjr1) March 22, 2018

Police in Bulawayo yesterday reportedly declined to open a genocide docket against former President Robert Mugabe after members of the Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) sought to have him charged for Gukurahundi massacres.

The secessionist party wanted to lay a formal criminal charge against Mugabe in terms of Section 98 (2) of the Constitution after the former Zanu PF leader was quoted as saying the Gukurahundi massacres “were necessary”.

MRP official Mxolisi Mhlanga, said officer commanding Bulawayo west district, Chief Superintendent Mthokozisi Manzini-Moyo, declined to open a genocide docket against Mugabe, saying they only deal with cases of murder.

“We were told genocide is too big for police and what we can do is go to the office of the prosecution and lay a charge. We even asked about the High Court, they told us we should start with the smaller court going up with the hierarchy till we reach the top. We are going to fight anyway,” he said.
Contacted for comment, Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Precious Simango, said she was unaware of the MRP issue.

In a related development, Zapu leader Dumiso Dabengwa has threatened to demand a review of his 1983 treason trial alongside the late Zipra commander Lookout Masuku, to dispel claims that the former liberation party was to blame for the Gukurahundi massacres.

The treason trial revolved around the discovery, in February 1982, of arms caches on a property owned by Zapu with Mugabe’s government accusing Zipra combatants of plotting to overthrow him.
The discovery was the final straw that torched off the Gukurahundi mass killings in Matabeleland and Midlands which left over 20 000 civilians dead.

Dabengwa and Masuku were later acquitted of treason charges in April 1983, but immediately rearrested and detained until Masuku’s death in 1986.

In July last year, Dabengwa formed the Dumiso Dabengwa Foundation (DDF) to, among other things, push for restorative justice for the Gukurahundi and political violence victims in the country dating back to 1980.

On Tuesday, the foundation announced that it was reviewing the treason trial evidence to ostensibly prove that the discovery of the arms cache was used as a cover up to deploy the North Korean-trained Five Brigade on innocent civilians.

“Due to the persistent argument that Gukurahundi was in response to a cache of arms meant to overthrow government by Zipra; The DDF will be reviewing the treason trial evidence, exhibits and judgment of its patron Dabengwa, his friend Lookout Masuku and five others,” the DDF said in a statement.

“The purpose of such a review will be to prove that the arms cache had nothing to do with overthrowing the government and that those tried for treason were acquitted. Perpetrators of Gukurahundi must then give another explanation for Gukurahundi …”

Mugabe last week denied responsibility for the 1980’s mass killings, arguing: “Zapu and Zipra are also to blame.” He also questioned the 20 000 deaths resulting from the mass killings.

In January, Dabengwa told a dialogue forum to discuss Gukurahundi in Bulawayo that the mass killings were planned as way back as 1979.

Dabengwa said Mugabe and President Emmerson Mnangagwa and other army generals were told during the Lancaster House talks that Zapu and Zipra were “enemies of the State” that had to be dealt with after the 1980 elections, culminating in the Gukurahundi massacres. Newsday