Botswana President Is Younger Than ZANU PF’s 57y Old Youth Leader

By Ndaba Nhuku| In what loudly spells drama between two civilisations, it has emerged Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi (54), is younger than Zanu pf’s youth league Chairman Pupurai Togarepi (57) – who is just 2 years from dying according to the latest published mortality rate stats.

They say age is not necessary when it comes to leadership – but who can society accurately describe as youth; can a 57 year old man be labelled a youth leader? I did a search and found out that Zimbabwe is the only country in the world with a youth leader who is less than 7 years from the retirement age mark line and just two years left to live on earth.

Zimbabwe/Life expectancy age marker is 59.16 years.

What does this say then about our politics and our principles as a nation? Could we in anyway say that we are somewhere near social and institutional reform? Are the political leaders of this great country Zimbabwe open and happy to be seen internationally with a ruling party youth leader who is encroaching the mortality line?

Musarurwa Visits Tsvangirai Grave

MDC politician Yvonne Musarurwa today took the opportunity to visit the Morgan Tsvangira’s resting place. Tsvangirai died last February after a battle with cancer of the colon. Tsvangirai was buried next to his wife Susan who died in 2008 in a fatal car accident. Musarurwa was in prison at the time, only being freed under a presidential pardon two weeks ago.

Mandela Family Speaks On Winnie’s Death

Media statement: It is with profound sadness that we inform the public that Mrs Winnie Madikizela-Mandela passed away at the Netcare Milpark Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday the 2nd of April 2018.

She died after a long illness, for which she had been in and out of hospital since the start of the year. She succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones.

Mrs Madikizela-Mandela was one of the greatest icons of the struggle against Apartheid. She fought valiantly against the Apartheid state and sacrificed her life for the freedom of the country. Her activism and resistance to Apartheid landed her in jail on numerous occasions, eventually causing her banishment to the small town of Brandfort in the then Orange Free State.

She kept the memory of her imprisoned husband Nelson Mandela alive during his years on Robben Island and helped give the Struggle for justice in South Africa one its most recognisable faces. She dedicated most of her adult life to the cause of the people and for this was known far and wide as the Mother Of The Nation.

The Mandela family are deeply grateful for the gift of her life and even as our hearts break at her passing, we urge all those who loved her to celebrate this most remarkable woman.

The family will release details of the memorial and funeral services once these have been finalised.

For more information, contact Victor Dlamini, the Mandela Family Spokesperson, on +REDACTED….

Winnie Mandela Dies – UPDATED

RIP Winnie Mandela

By Paul Nyathi| The late Nelson Mandela’s ex wife, Winnie has died.

Her death comes after she was some weeks ago hospitalised for a kidney infection.

Her spokesman, Victor Dlamini at the time said the 81 year old had complained of a loss of appetite and also that one of her legs was troubling her with immense pain.

Her death was Monday afternoon confirmed by her PA, Zodwa Zwane.

ZimEye reveals the family statement below:

It is with profound sadness that we inform the public that Mrs Winnie Madikizela-Mandela passed away at the Netcare Milpark Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday the 2nd of April 2018.

She died after a long illness, for which she had been in and out of hospital since the start of the year. She succumbed peacefully in the early hours of Monday afternoon surrounded by her family and loved ones.

Mrs Madikizela-Mandela was one of the greatest icons of the struggle against Apartheid. She fought valiantly against the Apartheid state and sacrificed her life for the freedom of the country. Her activism and resistance to Apartheid landed her in jail on numerous occasions, eventually causing her banishment to the small town of Brandfort in the then Orange Free State.

She kept the memory of her imprisoned husband Nelson Mandela alive during his years on Robben Island and helped give the Struggle for justice in South Africa one its most recognisable faces. She dedicated most of her adult life to the cause of the people and for this was known far and wide as the Mother Of The Nation.

The Mandela family are deeply grateful for the gift of her life and even as our hearts break at her passing, we urge all those who loved her to celebrate this most remarkable woman.

The family will release details of the memorial and funeral services once these have been finalised.

PICTURE BLAST: Chinos Wabantu

The ‘Ambassador of Happiness,’ a comic character and a politician, Joseph Chinotimba has seen his developmental meetings being oversubscribed as people from all walks of life enjoy his comic statements.

The comedian cum pastor and politician is the sitting Buhera South legislator and he considers happiness as the best natural medicine.

Chinotimba is just gifted with the ability to make people laugh, and many people attend his meetings and rallies just to see and mingle with him.

Chinoz with the people

Such was the mood at the Zanu PF district meeting in Buhera South where he was on the dance floor with his supporters after distributing part of the 40

000 plates he sourced from China.

The supporters who attended Chinotimba’s meetings said his addresses are captivating and make them happy.

The ‘Ambassador of Happiness’ says he is humbled by the jovial mood of his supporters whenever he calls for meetings in his constituency.- state media

FULL TEXT: Nyambirai Responds To Allegations Of Evicting 80 Workers At Acturus Mine

By Paul Nyathi| Popular businessman, Tawanda Nyambira has responded to allegations of evicting elderly people residing at his newly acquired TN Arcturus Mine as seen in the pictures below:

Below is his full statement: Dear Paul, your article is very unfair. It is also very unfair for you to bring Strive’s good name in matters that do not concern him. This is very irresponsible of you.

Tawanda Nyambirai

The 80 people whose families were evicted had their employment terminated well before I acquired the mine. They appealed against their dismissal and their appeal failed. They had been dismissed on various grounds including engaging in unlawful collective job action. They had held onto company houses because they had not been paid. As part of the deal, I undertook to clear their arrears on the basis that they would vacate upon being paid. After I paid them approximately $700,000.00, some of them engaged lawyers and refused to vacate. Some of them were involved in illegal gold panning. I had to litigate to get them evicted. I acquired Arcturus so that I can exploit its mineral resources and real estate for commercial gain. In the process, I am creating employment and contributing to the national economy. I also have rights. Why should I let people occupy my houses for free, use power that I pay for, at my expense for free, use water and sewerage reticulation facilities at my expense for free? I treat the sewage and purify the water at my expense. Why do you attack me for being a responsible investor and for following due process? If Zimbabwe is open for business to foreigners, it must also be open for business to locals like me. You should be reporting about the politically supported makorokoza who moved in heavy equipment and are processing gold illegally in part of my mine. I have an urgent application pending against them, therefore your allegations of human rights abuses is unfounded. It is my human rights that were being abused.

Kind Regards

For and on behalf of Mr Nyambirai

Godknows.

Joana Mamombe Can Think For Her Self

Whitlaw Mugwinji | I have been following the Jessie Fungayi Majome versus Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe primary elections debate on social media.

What was supposed to be a very exciting discussion about the contest between these two brilliant female comrades, has been turned into a shame.

Some progressive comrades (male and female), who in the past have been champions, advocating women to enter politics have unfortunately turned misogynistic in their bid to defend their preferred candidate.

Yes, I consider it misogyny to take away Joana’s agency and accuse her of being used by males. Joana is a very capable young woman who is more than able to decide whether to contest or not, on her own.

Can we please return to the real debate on who should represent MDC Alliance in Harare West between these two excellent comrades, not this misogyny.

Mnangagwa To Sign Diamond Processing Deal With Botswana

Zimbabwe is reportedly set to sign a diamond processing deal with Botswana within the next three months, after President Emmerson Mnangagwa met with his counterpart, President Ian Khama, last month in Gaborone.

According to the state-owned Herald newspaper, Mnangagwa was in Botswana on a state visit.

Mnangagwa toured the world renowned Diamond Trading Company (DTC) that would assist Zimbabwe in polishing, cutting and valuing its diamond.

The DTC is regarded as the world’s most sophisticated diamond sorting and valuing hub. Its arrangement with Zimbabwe would likely see the southern African nation sending its vast diamond to Botswana for processing, cleaning and polishing before being sold.

The move would see the country’s diamond make better returns than their current price of $50 per carat, the report said.

Zimbabwe lost more than $15bn in diamond revenue over a 10 year period.

In February 2016, ex-president Robert Mugabemade headlines after revealed that diamonds worth billions of dollars were looted in the eastern mining area of Marange.

Mugabe said at the time that the state treasury received less than $2 billion.

Mugabe’s revelation prompted the country’s opposition parties to call for a thorough investigation into the disappearance of the diamonds.

Movement for Democratic Change spokesperson Obert Gutu said at the time that the disappearance of the diamonds was “very astounding and startling”.- News24

PICTURE BLAST: Zanu PF Offices In Ruins

RICH MEN LOVE: Chiwenga, Mathema And Their Young Wives

When it comes to love, they say age is just but a number. What was once frowned upon as a bad social practice, is now widely accepted as okay especially among Zimbabwe’s powerful and influential men.

Infact, it has now  become some sort of a trend: Zimbabwean older men, usually rich ones, successfully getting married or dating younger gorgeous women.

These things are now getting noticed because among many of these couples, the age differences is getting wider, in some instances getting to extremes, up to 40-year age differences.

 

Whilst society frowns upon such unions, with many accusing the younger wives of being gold-diggers, the elite seems not to care about that much.

Of course the first obvious example is ousted president Robert Mugabe who has a 42-year age difference with his wife Grace.

In 1996, Mugabe wed Grace four years after the death of his first wife Sally. Mugabe is now 94, and Grace 52.

Those in support of such unions say love is not measured by age, money or looks. What matters, they argue, is love, respect and accepting each others differences.

In 2016, Zimbabwe witnessed the wedding of Matabeleland North minister of State Cain Mathema, 70, to Bathabetsoe Diana Nare, who was only 23.

Their difference is 47. There was rancour and newspaper headlines over this union, but relationship experts say women are attracted to confidence and power and there is nothing unusual about this.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, 62, got married to Marry, who is 27 years younger than him. The former model is 35.

There are several young women married to powerful Zimbabwean men.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority boss Karikoga Kaseke, 56, also married a youthful ex-model Betty Nhambu Kaseke who is 22 years younger than him. Betty, a legislator, is just 34.

Former Zanu PF heavyweight Didymus Mutasa, who is in his 80s, married a youthful wife who is in her 40s.

The phenomenon is not only in Zimbabwe but worldwide with the example of Nelson Mandela, who married Graça Machel in 1998, on his 80th birthday. She was 53 at the time. They remained married until Mandela’s death in 2013. Mandela was married twice before with both marriages ending in divorce.

Donald Trump also married Melania Knauss in 2005, when he was 58 years old and she was 34. The couple is still married today.

Films stars and other international celebrities fall also into this bracket.

Clint Eastwood married Dina Ruiz on March 31, 1996, when he was 66 and she was 31. Ruiz filed for divorce from Eastwood in 2013. Harrison Ford began dating Calista Flockhart in 2002, when he was 60 and she was 38. They married on June 15, 2010, and they parent her adopted son Liam.

This is Flockhart’s first marriage, and Ford was married twice before.

Sylvester Stallone married Jennifer Flavin in 1997, when he was 51 and she was 29. They have three daughters, Sophia, Sistene, and Scarlet. Stallone was married twice previously. One of his ex-wives is the actress Brigitte Nielsen.

Hugh Hefner married Crystal Harris on December 31, 2012, when he was 86 and she was 26.

Hefner has been married twice previously, and he has been in several long-term relationships.

Newspaper mogul Rupert Murdoch married Wendy Deng in 1999, when he was 68 and she was 30. Murdoch filed for divorce in 2013.

He had been married twice previously, with both marriages ending in divorce.- Daily News

China Seals 2 Mega Deals

Two Zimbabwean companies, Platinum Agriculture and Princewood Enterprises have sealed three deals to the tune of US$520 million for the procurement of mining, irrigation and other agriculture equipment.

The fourth deal pertaining to public mass transportation for provision of buses is still in the making with Allan Bus public transport system.

Addressing Zimbabwean journalists in Beijing, Platinum Agriculture and Princewood Enterprises Director, Mr Dakarai Mapuranga said the transportation deal signing has been delayed due to the need to make alterations so that the buses become more suitable for the road system in Zimbabwe.

Pertaining to the agriculture and agricultural equipment he said those wishing to access the facilities will do so through their banks under some revolving facility.

“Our week-long visit has yielded positive results for Zimbabwe’s economy. We have sealed a US$400 million deal with China’s Lovol company that produces heavy machinery for agriculture and mining, while a US$40 million revolving facility was secured with Good Agro-Rising for the supply of chemicals for tobacco and other export-oriented crops. Those wishing to benefit will do so through their banks as this is a revolving fund. Let me make it clear that nothing is being given for free like what happened under some previous facilities that have not been paid back,” he said.

Mr Mapuranga added that under the deals, Dayu Corporation will supply centre pivots and drip irrigation equipment at the tune of US$80 million.

Mr Mapuranga said the two companies that are working closely with government ministries chose to support agriculture and mining as the two sectors are the biggest foreign currency earners for Zimbabwe.

The business delegation is accompanied by technical people who are capable of advising the government on the suitable and appropriate technology required in the sectors and avoid a situation where the equipment and machinery is bought without backup.- state media

Why Did Khama Step Down?

Farai Maguwu | Why does Ian Khama have to step down a year before elections, and without any tangible reasons, and impose an unelected leader on the people of Botswana ahead of the 2019 elections. Is this meant to give the BDP candidate an unfair advantage over others, come 2019? Is it about time we must begin to scrutinize the Botswana system of governance in search of genuine democratic competition for power

ZIMPARKS Defends Russian Who Shot An Elephant

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has said the killing of a collared bull elephant by a Russian trophy hunter outside Gonarezhou National Park was legal as there is no law that prohibits the hunting of animals under research.
The elephant which was wearing a research tag was shot dead by a Russian trophy hunter on March 7 about 5km outside the Gonarezhou National Park.

In an yesterday, ZimParks spokesperson, Mr Tinashe Farawo, said the hunting was above board.
“That elephant was legally hunted; everything which was done was above board. Yes, it was collared. After the harvesting of the elephant, the collar was returned to the researcher. It’s important for people to understand that we don’t have a law that protects collared animals from being harvested or hunted,” said Mr Farawo.

He said the hunters did not see the collar and mistakenly hunted down the elephant.
“It’s also important to note that when people are harvesting or hunting these elephants it’s difficult to see the collar. By the way it was not harvested in the park. We don’t allow hunting in the park. It was hunted in the safari area and it’s allowed in line with international regulations the CITES and the like,” he said.

Mr Farawo said various stakeholders have been pushing for a law that protects the iconic animals
“Some of the issues that stakeholders are pushing that the researcher or the person monitoring the animal must also communicate with the hunters so that at least these animals are protected. There is no law. Stakeholders are saying let’s have a law,” he said.
“As it is now, harvesting a collared animal is legal in Zimbabwe. Nothing amiss about what happened in Masvingo”.

International media reports say while it is not illegal to shoot animals wearing tags, it is considered unethical. It is reported that the hunters claimed not to have noticed the tag until after the animal was dead.The bull elephant had been tagged inside the national park but had wandered outside the unfenced boundary into an area known as the Naivasha Community Conservancy, which has been set aside for hunting by locals.

Reports say Martin Pieters, ex-chairman of the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association, was leading a legal 14-day excursion near Gonarezhou when the killing happened. Pieters and his Russian client, who has not been named, were with his unarmed friend, two trackers, a parks ranger and a local council representative when they picked up the elephant’s tracks on day six of the expedition.The group began tracking the animal and found it in thick bush, meaning they were not able to see the whole body of the elephant.

Pieters, after seeing the elephant’s large tusks, ordered his client to shoot, the Zimbabwe Professional Hunter and Guides Association says.

The bull had been in the area since around February 20. Pieters had not been made aware of this fact, reports say.

Asked by Netwerk 24 about the loss of the elephant, Pieters said: “It does not matter, the hunt was completely legal.’’

The tag belongs to the Frankfurt Zoological Society which collared elephants in the park in 2009 and again in 2016. It is not clear precisely when this male was collared.The killing of the giant bull follows the killing of Cecil the lion by hunter, Walter Palmer in Zimbabwe in July 2015. The lion was also tagged by researchers. – state media

Khupe Demands Share Of USD1.8million

Former Deputy Prime Minister and self-appointed leader of a break-away group of the opposition MDC-T, Thokozani Khupe, has written to government demanding her share of money allocated to the opposition party under the Political Parties Finance Act.

This came after MDC-T leader Nelson Chamisa’s administration collected $1,8 million disbursed by Treasury, as its share of the Political Parties Finance Act. But the Khupe faction’s spokesperson, Obert Gutu, yesterday insisted they would get their share of the spoils.

“We have written to the relevant authorities and the response has been good. We are happy with the communication we have had with authorities and are confident we will get our money.

“We maintain that we are the legitimate MDC-T and president Khupe has the constitutional power to run the party because she received a mandate from congress and not these pretenders,” Gutu said in an apparent jibe directed at Chamisa.

“It would not be proper for us to discuss these issues with the Press. We cannot go into detail, but can tell you all is in place and we are happy.”

Chamisa has reportedly already triggered a process to recall Khupe and her acolytes from Parliament, after the latter were sacked for refusing to recognise his appointment as party leader following the death of the MDC-T founder Morgan Tsvangirai.

The two groups are already at each other’s throats over the party’s name, with Chamisa having given Khupe an ultimatum to refrain from presenting herself as “MDC-T acting president”, setting the stage for a bruising legal battle.

A battle for the name of the party could potentially confuse voters in the upcoming elections.
The original MDC also split in 2005 after Tsvangirai disagreed with another former secretary-general Welshman Ncube, resulting in another legal wrangle for money.

Khupe has set her sights on cementing herself as party leader by convening a congress on April 21, in a move that could push Chamisa into the spotlight.

But the Kuwadzana East lawmaker rejected calls for an elective gathering after Tsvangirai’s death, pushing his way to the top using party structures like the national council. Newsday

Botswana To Build Another “ChamisaGhetti” Road

By Farai D Hove| After successfully completing a spaghetti road at Francistown, the neighbouring Botswana is building another major road uplift.

The major development is to see an easing of congestion which consequently brings improvement business movement.

The works are in the prepare on the A1 Lobatse road at Ramotswa turn off, sources say. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE SPAGHETTI ROADWORKS AT FRANCISTOWN.  

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa was ridiculed after he made promises to build spaghetti roads across Zimbabwe.

Chihuri Runs Away

Former Police Commissioner-General Dr Augustine Chihuri who is facing a $240 000 maintenance suit cannot be located, with the messenger of court and police saying they are not aware of his whereabouts.

Failure by the messenger of court to locate the former top cop has forced his estranged mistress based in Bulawayo Ms Sithulisiwe Mthimkhulu to resort to publishing a notice in the national media to notify him of the summons.
Revelations of the difficulties by the messenger of court to locate Dr Chihuri comes at a time when police have also told Parliament that they were failing to locate him so that he can appear before lawmakers to answer questions related to a diamond mine allegedly owned by the police.

In the maintenance case, Dr Chihuri is supposed to pay $3 655 per term for school fees, $349 in monthly medical aid, and $650 as monthly maintenance for the upkeep of his Grade Four daughter and is reportedly defaulting payment.

The woman is also demanding a lump sum maintenance of $240 000 from the former police boss for the upkeep of his child.

The maintenance case was initially expected to be heard on February 26 this year at the Bulawayo Magistrates’ Court where it was filed but Dr Chihuri did not turn up for the hearing.

In an interview yesterday, Ms Mthimkhulu’s lawyer, Mr Godfrey Nyoni said they were not sure of the former police boss’ whereabouts and had failed to deliver the summons hence they had resorted to a public notice in the press to communicate with him.

“You can’t serve anything on him. They don’t allow anyone at his house. Even to know whether he is in or not you won’t know. The security guards don’t take any letter or anything. We have tried serving him with summons twice and failed,” said Mr Nyoni.
Mr Nyoni said in the event that Dr Chihuri does not respond to the notice the courts were likely to issue a default judgment against him.

In a notice published in the media last Friday, Mr Nyoni said: “Take notice that on the 9th day of April 2018 at 8AM, an application shall be heard wherein applicant will be seeking an order for lump sum maintenance in the sum of $240 000 and for the minor child Shanine Mthimkhulu.

“Further take notice that if you desire to oppose her application, you will need to file your opposing papers before the above stated date and to appear before the magistrate for an inquiry into the above claim. If you do not file any opposing papers or appear in court an order shall be granted against you for the above amount and costs.”

Dr Chihuri has not responded to the court application.
Details of his affair with his former subordinate are contained in a maintenance suit filed at the Bulawayo Maintenance Court under case Number 191 /18.

In her summons, Ms Mthimkhulu revealed that she and the retired police boss have a child together born on July 2 in 2009.

She said Dr Chihuri neglected her from the time she fell pregnant and has failed to take care of his daughter.

“When it was time for us to go and get the child’s certificate, the respondent refused. I ended up doing it all on my own and that is why the child bears my surname and not his,” said Ms Mthimkhulu.

Recently police said Dr Chihuri’s whereabouts are not known as they had failed to locate him to appear before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy.
His successor Commissioner General Godwin Matanga told legislators that he had unsuccessfully tried to locate his former boss.

Dr Chihuri did not turn up for first hearing on March 16 when he was supposed to appear before the committee, along with Comm Gen Matanga, and former Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo. He again failed to turn up on March 23 and this prompted committee chair Mr Temba Mliswa to order Comm Gen Matanga to leave no stone unturned in his search for Dr Chihuri.- state media

Andy Muridzo In Tremendous Stager In UK

By Showbiz Reporter| Andy Muridzo lived up to his name in Coventry at the weekend.

The hit maker took possession of the whole stage as he went into tradition stompings backed by his all male team one lady team.

Muridzo also staged some impressive backhand guitar playing.  (SEE VIDEO BELOW)

TD Vibes’s Sonny Chibuwe wrote of the experience saying, “I feel this guy has too much talent. He is yet to reach his full potential….Impala Y2K Sama Festival Coventry. United Kingdom.”

ACCIDENT AT EASTER: 163 Injured, 32 Killed

By Redley Mugabe|  Preliminary figures collated so far indicate that at least 32 people died and 163 injured in road accidents over the Easter holiday.

A total of 32 fatal crashes were recorded during the Easter break while police noted that this is an increase from 18 people, who perished last year.

Police spokesman Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said of yesterday, 265 road accidents were recorded countrywide with 20 of them being fatal.

The Police quoted by the state media, said the mishaps were caused by speeding, inattention and failure to observe road rules among others.

Zhuwao Brief Reloaded Article 12 (ZBR12)

Between a Rock and a Hard Place:

The Quandary of Zimbabwe’s Independent Candidates
by Hon. Patrick Zhuwao on 1st April 2018

This week saw several young people announcing that they will contest local polls in the
forthcoming general elections as independent candidates. Over the past few weeks, I have
been engaging with a number of these candidates to try and ascertain this development,
whose pitfalls have been witnessed before. Most of them said their main reason for this
trend is the marginalisation of women and youth by the mainstream political parties.
But how can this be the reason, given that these political parties have vibrant women and
youth wings?

 

Upon closer scrutiny, independent candidates find themselves between a rock and a hard
place. They are in a quandary. The rock is defined by Zimbabwe’s mainstream political
parties that have proven to be a major disappointment to themselves and their founding
values, principles, ideologies and constitutions.

 

For example, ZANU PF was formed as a liberation movement to free the people of
Zimbabwe from colonial bondage under which they lost their political and civil liberties.
ZANU PF’s founding values, principles, ideology and constitution have been eroded with
the most recent and dramatic assault being the 15 November 2017 coup that trampled on
the Party’s time-honoured principle that politics must lead the gun. The recent massive
expulsions of ZANU PF members in 2015, 2017 and 2018 were in the same vein.

 

The same malaise has been seen in the MDC which was formed in 1999 by, mainly, former
ZANU PF members as a critique to ZANU PF’s reliance on the bullet against the ballot
under the grip of stockholder politics. This MDC challenge inspired a broader quest for
democratic change under the banner of “Movement for Democratic Change”. Alas, the
excitement around the MDC promise was short-lived as it too suffered the same fate as
ZANU PF when it came to the Party’s failure to live by its founding values, principles and
constitution. The highlights of this are the MDC splits of 2005, 2014 and 2018.
Young people who wish to engage in politics are alive to these ZANU PF and MDC
failures. Plainly put, the current ZANU PF and MDC leadership are not products of
democratic processes. Neither Emmerson Mnangagwa nor Nelson Chamisa are duly
elected Presidents in their respective parties. Both of their incumbencies are tainted by
cases of violence that have invited the speculation that they are two sides of one junta coin.

 

This point is aptly made in Derek Matyszak’s 27th March 2018 article for the Institute of
Security Studies (ISS) entitled “MDC-T does succession the ZANU PF way”
Consequently, some young aspiring politicians who eschew violence associated with both
ZANU PF and MDC are understandably opting to stand as independent candidates to
escape from the rock of mainstream parties. But as they do that, they find themselves
arrested by the political weaknesses of the independency of an individual.

 

This is because independent candidature implies a dissociation from others; yet politics by
its nature is inherently about association. Politics is about groups. Group is the opposite of
independent candidates. The importance of the fact that to be political is to associate, is
demonstrated by the provision of that right in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of
Zimbabwe. The freedom to associate does not need to arise if a person is alone; if they are
independent. To be an independent candidate is to be a political hermit. That’s neither
practical nor desirable in any community.

 

It is therefore no surprise that 11 independent candidates for local elections in Harare have
formed a coalition of independent candidates. One of the members of the coalition, called
People’s Own Voice (POVO), has said they intend to field candidates in all 46 wards in
Harare. That sounds so much like a political party!

 

It’s ironic that independent candidates are constituting themselves into a group. How does
an independent candidate simultaneously become a member of a group of divergent
individuals with no common manifesto? What happens if there are other individuals that
want to contest in the same wards that these independent candidates are standing? Do they become default members of the coalition in which members contest against each other?

 

Whilst there is speculation that POVO is a political party in the making, the reality is that
the POVO conceptualisation is schizophrenic in seeking to confine independent candidates
within some form of political formation which now limits that independence even by the
simple act of having common regalia, let alone an admittance criteria.

 

I suspect that the POVO project will suffer the same fate as that of the association of Simba
Makoni’s independent candidates in the 2008 elections. Makoni stood as an independent
presidential candidate together with a collection of independent local and parliamentary
candidates none of whom won a seat. After having been walloped, they then formed a
political formation, Mavambo Kusile Dawn, which was stillborn after the false start of
seeking to hoodwink Zimbabwe’s sophisticated electorate with fake independent
candidature.

 

It’s clear that when independent candidates seek to avoid the rock of mainstream political
parties by being independent, they end up in a hard place which is no better than the rock.
Their situation becomes akin to that of a person who loses his car keys on the dark side of
the street only to look for them on the lit side, foolishly hoping to find them there! He needs a strategy that addresses the fact that there is no light on the dark side of the street. Similarly,

 

Zimbabwe’s aspiring candidates, including those who have been disillusioned by the bad
behaviour of mainstream political parties, need frameworks that address the challenges of
mainstream political parties that are forcing some of them into independent candidature.
Tine basa rekugadzira hurongwa hwacho (we have the responsibility of developing those
frameworks).

 

Iwe neni tine basa. Umsebenzi loUmkhulu. Asante Sana

President Mnangagwa’s Daughter is Safe

By Farai D Hove| Contrary to fears around her life, President  Emmerson Mnangagwa’s daughter was not part of the crew who died in a tragic accident in the Zambezi river last Sunday.

Tariro Mnangagwa (32) is the President’s youngest daughter and recently joined the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF) team in December to show her support for the women and their role in the re-building of Zimbabwe.

Three of her colleagues however tragically drowned in the river last Sunday. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON THE STORY .

News readers have complained saying the rangers should have been trained in swimming and survival techniques.

The head of the organisation has told ZimEye.com that contrary to reports that the rangers were taking selfies, they were not at all doing that. He said while the rangers do carry cellphones, they were not at all careless – CLICK HERE TO READ MORE. 

Video Of Makandiwa Allegedly “Playing With Demons” In Anointing Oil Trances | OPINION

Which Spirit Is Makandiwa Using To Replace God’s Spirit In People’s Bodies?

By Julius Western| Don’t Judge Me – But this is what I think about Emmanuel Makandiwa and his Oil. 

So there are pictures that have gone viral on Facebook, and everyone is talking about them (For obvious reasons – they are outrageous). They are from some sort of meetings held by a preacher from Zimbabwe in Africa, called Emmanuel Makandiwa, believed to be a prophet. He has an accommodation facility where he meets different people from around the world called Life Haven. Why hundreds of people gather from far and wide to have to then lay down scattered all over the floor lifelessly – who knows. It is very unusual to say the least!

Lets talk abit about these pictures people – But before we do, here’s abit about me, I’m from Milwauke Wisconsin, USA (I’ve never been to Africa – hope to some day), I believe in God, I do go to church, and I know enough to challenge a wrong ideology concerning my faith, especially when I smell a rat. That being said, these pictures caught my attention and I feel I need to really take time to air my views on this one. Something I don’t normally do. (Here are the pictures if you haven’t had a look at them: https://www.facebook.com/LifeHaven1/photos/pcb.566500033749379/566499037082812/?type=3&theater)

Right – When you take a very close look at the pictures above, you ask yourself a lot of questions, and the predominant one being, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON HERE? You’ve got an entire room with hundreds of people (adults for that matter) lying flat on the floor as though they are unconsciuos. All of whom seem to be in some sort of comatose (There’s even a video circulating about it – check out this link: https://www.facebook.com/LifeHaven1/videos/566840313715351/ ). Men and women alike. Its so bewildering to the point where that troubling question relentless continues to play over and over again in your mind, WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON HERE? You’ll go further to try and understand – these are adults, all lying on the floor unashamed, surely this could not have been rehearsed, there is no way you can get this number of people on the floor together in some sort of weird gimmick to trick whoever sees these images (this thinking is justified – we’ve seen a lot of Pastors doing strange things for attention – but not at this scale, with so many people). Lets say this is true, if its a sick joke and these people are in on it – what are they trying to achieve really?

So, in the video (link above) Emmanuel Makandiwa comes out saying (paraphrasing) – He had been asking God for a long time if there was a way that people could prophecy about their own lives for themselves without him prophesying to them, then God told him that there are options in the spirit. He then introduced an anointing oil – which he called the Separation Anointing Oil (a biblical concept that we all know is rightly aligned with scripture, its found in both the New and Old Testament – so no argument there). God then instructed him to transfer his spiritual gift of the ability to see visions about the past, present and future by the Holy Spirit (much like how he prophesies), into the Anointing Oil, and then giving it to the Body of Christ.

Already as I was listening to this – Alarms went off in my head – how can you put a spiritual gift in something physical – is this even biblical???

It gets even more bizarre – He said, when he sprays this Oil onto someone’s forehead their spirit separates from their body, as if they are dead, and yet they are alive, in an unconscious, trance state. Then they will instantly begin to see various visions about themselves and their lives -prophetically. As if that’s not enough – this oil when it was making contact with the people’s skin as he was administering it – just a few drops of it and they were falling uncontrollably to the floor and becoming unconscious within a fraction of a second, from then on, they were gone – even their faces were blank and expressionless as if they were no longer there.

(PAUSE: OK OK – at this point, I’m scratching my head going – yeah right, there’s a chemical in there thats making the people faint like that- and anyway, an anaesthetist can do the same thing with a patient on an operating table)

These people were falling flat on the ground and after several minutes they would come back and confess to having had spiritual experiences – visions of their lives, their loved ones, their God intended careers, business opportunities – single women were even claiming to have seen their future husbands – just like that.

Visibly you could see that there were more than 500 people in that room waiting for their turn, one after the other they were being sprayed with that Oil on the forehead. And each one followed suit, not one person was left standing, all 500+ of those people went into trances

(At this point it was getting really weird for me – this was the highest level of deception I’d ever seen)

At the end of the video you see Emmanuel Makandiwa giving each person their own bottle of Oil to go and use for themselves at their homes. (How can you do that if it actually doesn’t work – very risky move – but I’ve been following their movements on their facebook account – https://www.facebook.com/LifeHaven1/ – and each week new groups of people are being given that Oil to go with back to their homes)

I’ve read books about Men of God (bible included), but nothing of this kind has ever happened. To those who saw these happenings and believed them, forgive me for seeming so critical and borderline cynical about the possibility of Oil making people fall asleep in a matter of seconds and letting them see into the spiritual realm. Allow me to take you through my journey of my thoughts regarding the possibility of this idea being remotely possible.

I did a lot of digging into this video about the effect this Oil had on these people, searching in and out of scripture. I went as far as consulting with Dr Mark Adams the head anaesthesiologist at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Centre (Milwaukee), as well as other specialist doctors with expertise in human consciousness.

My enquiry was motivated by this one question – WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON HERE?

Many times people launch arguments that are baseless and have no intelligence. I’ll try and lodge in my sentiments here, I know many of you have also gone in-depth in trying to quantify or expel these strange occurrences in Emmanuel Makandwia’s meetings.

Here’s what I found:
Lets look at it from three angles: 1. Spiritual (which is scripture) 2. Medical (scientific research) and 3. Physical (our human laws of operation)
On the Spiritual front:
Emmanuel Makandiwa was claiming to be able to place his spiritual gift in Oil. Mind you, Oil is physical NOT spiritual matter. Based on scripture can this exchange happen?
According to scripture Men of God used physical objects which contained a virtue from their spirit, and anyone who got into contact with those objects would access something of a spiritual gift and value from them. We see this from the Old Testament right into the New Testament.

In 2 Kings 2 vs 13, Elisha picks up the mantle of Elijah when Elijah had been taken up by the chariot of fire. When he did so, he immediately performed his first recorded miracle. He took the mantle of Elijah and used it to split the river Jordan. A feat only possible because of the mantle from Elijah, a physical mantle with Elijah’s spiritual virtue. When placed in the hands of Elisha could allow Elisha to perform this miracle.
This same Elisha later died and was buried, and in 2 Kings 13 vs 21 a man was being buried in the grave of Elisha, and as soon as he made contact with Elisha’s physical bones the man was raised from the dead. Just by making contact with Elisha’s physical bones which had his spiritual virtue, the man was raised from the dead.

In the New Testament, handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched the body of Apostle Paul would heal the sick and diseases and evil spirits would leave people in Ephesus, we find this in Acts 19 vs 12. A physical object would carry Apostle Paul’s spiritual virtue, and that virtue in physical objects such as handkerchiefs and aprons would give people the gift of health, eradication of diseases and evil spirits.

Even Jesus himself – in John 9 vs 6, Jesus took a blind man and placed mud and saliva in his eyes to perform a miracle to heal the blind man’s eyes. Jesus transferred his spiritual virtue into the physical mud and saliva, and when they made contact with the blind man’s eyes, his eyes could then see. This was the transference of the gift of sight to the blind man, through the mud and saliva.

Does this argument hold weight on the physical front where we have human laws in place:
I looked at the world economies and I found that some economies run on what is known as the gold standard. This means countries measure the strength of their local currency by the amount of gold they have stored up. So, instead of walking around with the gold and using it directly as their medium of daily exchange to purchase goods, this gold is placed aside and these countries print paper notes instead, and to these paper notes they were given a value according to the amount of gold value assigned to it. So a specific value is conferred on the paper notes based upon the gold which cannot be presently seen, but is represented by the paper money. In the same light, the gold is that spiritual gift, and the paper money plays the role of the Oil. The spiritual gift is conferred on a physical object such as Oil, and this Oil becomes a physical tool that works as a conduit that carries the spiritual gift.

Now, from a medical stand point a person can be chemically induced into seemingly the same unconscious, trance like state, but the key defining feature would be, does the person experience anything in that state – be it a dream or a spiritual experience.
it is reported that people who come back from commas only remember the last moments before they are induced and they have no experiences whilst they are induced. Often times such experiences can be noted by random eye movement (REM) that occurs during the 4th stage of a standard sleeping cycle. This stage of deep sleep is characterised by dreams and the brain waves slow down and become much larger. Therefore; when a person is chemically induced into a comma and they become unconscious they do not have any dreams or out of body experiences,

The only time a patient has any such experiences is when they have near death experiences where they confess of having out of body experiences. Apart from that there are no such activities that take place. Contrary to this the Oil administered by Emmanuel Makandiwa made the people fall unconscious and these individuals had out of body experiences immediately – as they confessed to seeing various kinds of visions and dreams whilst they were unconscious because of the Oil.

In addition it takes several minutes for any drug to enter into the human system and induce an unconscious state in such a short space of time, whether it is adminstered oraly, by injection, by inhalation, topically, through the Rectal or vagina. With the Oil, the people who received it fell unconcious immediately after it was applied on them. Working faster than any known drug.

Aside from these perspectives on chemical induction – different people react differently to comma inducing chemicals depending on various physiological and hormonal qualities they uniquely possess. So an anaesthesiologist prepares specialised doses for every individual who is induced – no two people are compatible and stabilised with the same dosages. However you find that Emmanuel Makandiwa appeared to spray every individual the same dosage/amount of the Oil and their responses were the same, a sudden – immediate loss of consciousness.

This then left me questioning my notion that this Oil was some sort of chemical and these people where somehow chemically induced into an unconscious state. If this was the case Emmanuel Makandiwa would not have gone further to allow people to leave with their own bottles so that they could continue with the experiences at their homes – So it wasn’t about that one bottle he was holding and using to spray the people – it is in every single bottle that comes from him to the people. Giving people that Oil was going to be a very risky move if it was a scam, because people would never come back for more – but since I found out about this story, I’ve been following up with the events occurring at Emmanuel Makandiwa’s venue of choice for these experiences – “Life Haven” (http://lifehaven.co/) – and every weekend people flood the place asking for more of that Special Oil. This Oil goes above and beyond any chemical known to mankind.

As much as it surprised me, my small case study of this bizarre video led me to these shocking results. By Scripture, yes a Man of God can transfer his virtue in form of a spiritual gift into a physical object and that object can be used by any person to whom the Man of God gives it to. This object will serve the purpose that he would have sent it to do. As is the case here, the Oil used by Emmanuel Makandiwa to anoint, contains his prophetic spiritual gift that gives the people who come to his meetings the ability to access the spiritual realm and see the past, present and future for themselves without him having to physically prophecy to them.

With me being a Christian from the US, I’ve seen many games being played, a lot of so called Men and Women of God breaking the laws of God (Won’t mention names). With ministries riddled with lies, it was hard for me to see the truth for what it was. My only wish now is to experience this Oil for myself and be a part of those people who have met their destinies through Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa.

I went from “What in the world is going on here” to “ALL I WANT IN THE WORLD IS TO BE THERE!”

These are just my thoughts, feel free to come up with your own conviction about the issue.

Thanks for reading! Share this truth with as many people as you can!

Body Of The Late Abel Muchenje Stranded In Belgium

In his hay days… Abel Muchenje

By A Correspondent| The body of the Zimbabwean cyclist, Abel Muchenje, is still languishing in Belgium.

Muchenje, 33, risks being given a paupers’ burial in Belgium.

Muchenje was one of the stars from the TV program ‘Allez Allez Zimbabwe’, who were allegedly ill-treated upon landing in Belgium (after being picked up from Zimbabwe’s street as teenagers), a development that later led him to becoming bankrupt, the HLN publication reports.

He was dead found in his flat in the West Flemish Wielsbeke.

It has been alleged in the media that the reality program ‘Allez Allez Zimbabwe’s, Roger De Vlaeminck literally picked a few teenage boys from the street in Zimbabwe to make up as field riders in Flanders. The program had a large viewing figure in 2004, but the boys’ cycling careers went for the worse.

“Perhaps his death has to do with the epileptic fits that he had from the time of the program,” says Marianne Boute, who caught him when he arrived in Belgium. “They examined him then, but they could not identify a real problem at that time. He himself was firmly convinced that he was bewitched by his neighbor in his hometown Bulawayo. “Marianne Abel did not see much anymore. “He was always the quietest of that group.”

In his latter years, Abel worked as a warehouseman at a crane company.

At the time of writing it was not easy task to reach his parents and relatives in Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwean Mr Milton Chiturike told ZimEye they’re struggling to raise 7500 euros to send the body back to Zimbabwe. To donate to this cause, click below…

Principles For A Truly African Democracy in Zimbabwe | ZUNDE EXCLUSIVE

By Denis Moyo Hunt| Recently, there was this exchange on Twitter between political analyst Vince Musewe and Zimbabweans United for Democracy (ZUNDE) –

Musewe: We must stop being masterminded by the West. It is their socio-economic paradigm which underdeveloped Africa in the first place.

ZUNDE: “We believe that in the long run the special contribution to the world by Africa will be in the field of human relationship. The great powers of the world may have done wonders in giving the world an industrial and military look, but the great gift still has to come from Africa—giving the world a more human face.” (Steve Biko 1970)

That put me in mind of Michael Auret’s account of his 1979 discussion with Jesuit anthropologist Father Patrick Galvan who had spent 40 years studying the people he ministered to in Zimbabwe.

Auret: I asked him what he thought would happen when the war was over, when the majority had taken over the government.

Galvan: “In time they will destroy everything white and rebuild it in their own way.”

Auret: I pooh-poohed that thought as it was clear that no-one would ever destroy so developed an infrastructure or economy.

Galvan: “I’m not talking about infrastructure or buildings, I’m talking about white thinking, white attitudes and white domination. They will certainly attempt to rid themselves of that.” [Auret, M 2009, From Liberator to Dictator, pp vii-viii]Hunhuism or Ubuntuism book cover

The destruction foreseen by Father Galvan has come to pass. Now we have to set about bringing into effect the vision of Steve Biko. We have to think our way out of the situation we are in and develop sound strategies for the restoration of freedom, human rights and good governance to ensure that Zimbabwe rises again. It is incumbent on us to develop a set of principles for building a truly African democracy in the new Zimbabwe.

We could well begin with the principles expounded by another visionary, Professor Stanlake Samkange, a Zimbabwean historiographer, educator, journalist, author, and African nationalist, who in 1980 published Hunhuism or Ubuntuism: A Zimbabwe Indigenous Political Philosophy. (Unhu is the Shona equivalent of the Nguni Ubuntu.)

Samkange highlighted three principles that underpin the philosophy of unhuism/ubuntuism:
1. To be human is to affirm one’s humanity by recognizing the humanity of others and, on that basis, establish respectful human relations with them.
2. If and when one is faced with a decisive choice between wealth and the preservation of the life of another human being, then one should opt for the preservation of life.
3. The king owes his status, including all the powers associated with it, to the will of the people under him. According to Samkange, this is a principle deeply embedded in traditional African political philosophy.

Steve Biko’s vision of the great gift still to come from Africa—giving the world a more human face—is encapsulated in the first of these principles.

The second principle points to maintaining the harmony and spirit of sharing among the members of our society that are embodied in unhu/ubuntu and are diametrically opposed to the socio-economic paradigm of the West eschewed by Vince Musewe.

Samkange’s third principle defines unhu/ubuntu as a permanent, essential, and characteristic attribute of a truly indigenous democracy in Zimbabwe.

We would do well to examine our national Constitution and political custom and practice through the lens of Samkange’s erudite exposition of a Zimbabwean indigenous political philosophy with a view to publishing a substantive work expounding the principles and a code of practice for good governance in the new Zimbabwe.

A new kind of parliament

We have inherited the parliamentary system from the British and it serves people well in nations where it operates properly. Zimbabwe needs to adapt the parliament in a truly African way if it is to serve our country to the best advantage.

For example, there is no need for the parliament to be an adversarial forum where government is pitted against opposition. Southern Africa has the venerable tradition of the dare/indaba where issues are thrashed out until a consensus is reached and then all unite to support that consensus. This will not hinder robust debate but it will require resolution and humility once a majority decision has been made.

Political parties would continue to contest elections to win the privilege of representing their constituents but, in order to get the benefit of the best talent available, Ministers would be chosen from various parties. Politicians do not have to be adversaries – they can collaborate to achieve a common purpose. This is the kind of political maturity that is lacking in Zimbabwean politics. This is what we need.

Unhu/ubuntu requires that our politicians put national interest ahead of self-interest and work together for the common good. This is how Zimbabwe can build a truly indigenous democracy.

A new kind of politician

The plunder of Zimbabwe’s resources and the brutal means by which Zimbabwe’s current political elite have accumulated their ostentatious wealth are clearly at odds with the Samkange’s second principle. In time, they will be called to account for failing to maintain the harmony and spirit of sharing among the members of our society that are embodied in unhu/ubuntu.

Unhu/ubuntu requires national leaders who understand that election to public office is a vocation to public service, a call to work selflessly and tirelessly for the freedom, equality and wellbeing of all Zimbabweans.

Politicians who have unhu/ubuntu will build a Zimbabwe characterised by the rule of law, integrity, transparency and accountability in government, sound economic management, and a prosperous and peaceful populace.

This is not an impossible dream. A commitment to unhuism/ubuntuism would have to be backed by legislation with teeth and the establishment of an effective national anti-corruption organisation, an independent parliamentary integrity commissioner with investigative powers, and a multi-party parliamentary committee to penalise those who use public office for personal or political gain.

No panacea

Professor Samkange’s political philosophy is no panacea but it does provide us with a clear perspective to view the Zimbabwe situation and language in which to express our vision for a truly African democracy. We have to look for new ways to express the traditional values of unhu/ubuntu and apply them as Zimbabwe takes its place in the world as a 21st Century democracy.

ZUNDE strongly supports establishing the principles for an African democracy in Zimbabwe and is committed to working with like-minded parties and movements to bring it about.

Now is the time to spell out the vision and values to underlie a strategy to rebuild Zimbabwe. Now is the time to fire the imagination of the populace with a vision of what Zimbabwe can be.

Hidden in the seeming disaster that is Zimbabwe today, unhu/ubuntu is the spark of rebirth, renewal and hope. We must work to build a new Zimbabwe in the spirit of unhu/ubuntu.

Munhu munhu nekuda kwevanhu.

BREAKING NEWS- Police Arrest Harare-Chirundu Fraudster

police source revealed that Takawira is in police custody assisting with investigations under fraud charges.

By Snodia Mawupeni| KARIBA- Police have arrested a suspected fraudster in Kariba in connection with fraud after duping desperate job seekers several thousands of dollars under the guise of the Harare-Chirundu road project, ZimEye.com can exclusively reveal.

 

Although details were still sketchy at the time of writing, the suspect has been
identified as Tichaona Takawira from the Mafuriranwa Construction Company which is based
in the resort town of Kariba.

 

He was arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department officers on Sunday
afternoon in Nyamhunga suburb and was at the time of writing as ZimEye reveals, detained while assisting with investigations.

 

Police sources said Takawira was picked up after several people identified him of
duping them under the claim that Mafuriranwa Construction Company was recruiting potential workers for the highway road project.

 

The company under John Mafuriranwa is recruiting job seekers who include
builders, general hands claiming that they ‘won’ a tender for the Harare-
Chirundu road project.

They have recruited several hundreds of job seekers in Kariba, Karoi, Chinhoyi
and Harare since last year. The highway road project is still to kick off.

A police source revealed that Takawira is in police custody assisting with
investigations under fraud charges.

The source who cannot be named on Sunday said, ‘We are still yet to get finer
details but it is a scam where some builders paid $10 each while general hands
were paying $5 each. Several people were duped by these conmen claiming
they were sub contracted by the Government to recruit potential workers for
the Harare-Chirundu highway,’ said one of our sources.

Another source told ZimEye, ‘He is likely to appear in court on Tuesday as we are trying to get more evidence on the case,’

A former worker for the construction company, Rogers Kaitano charged saying that
his former boss Mafuriranwa is a fraudster.

‘These guys are conmen and are stealing money from desperate job seekers. I
fell out of favour when I confronted Mafuriranwa that it is criminal for anyone to pay to be employed. After all they are not registered as recruiting agencies,’ said Kaitano in a telephone.

Mafuriranwa had all his three mobile phones switched off when ZimEye tried to contact him over the issue at the time of writing.

Transport minister Joram Gumbo is on record saying Government awarded road tenders to international companies but dismissed local companies that claim to have been sub contracted on the road network project nationally. – ZimEye will keep our valued readers, and viewers informed on developments.

Chamisa’s Felix Sibanda | PROFILE

By Henry Madiro| Felix Magagela Mafa Sibanda is a name synonymous with the struggle for freedom in post independent Zimbabwe. He is indeed a man who has royalty in his blood, a trade unionists, a teacher, a politician, human rights activist and a unifier par excellence.

Felix’s lineage starts in Zululand where his great great grandfather Masonginyoka traveled with king Mzlikazi as his personal doctor. His grandfather Tshokomela was also king Lobengula’s personal doctor. Tshokomela then gave birth to Felix’s father I Maphahla who was nicknamed Mafa Sigodo meaning the *heir*. Thus Felix Mafa or Ilifa became the heir. This royalty propelled him into doing outstanding things for his community and country at large.

Felix Magagela Mafa Sibanda was a trade unionist who became the first black Zimbabwean to organize a national Civil service strike in independent Zimbabwe. In 1981 Felix organized a strike which was aimed at better wages and working conditions including fighting for the right to pensions and medical services.
In an Oral testimony making rounds being recounted by a Gogo Makhubhe a radio and TV host who is a retired teacher, she almost comes to tears narrating her testimony on how Felix offered his life as a sacrifice to the riot and police instead of arresting and killing pregnant and civil servants. “Mr. Mafa told everyone to lie down in their bellies. He climbed the tree and shouted to the police to leave them alone and kill him instead for he was responsible for all that was happening”. According to Gogo, 181000 civil servants attended from rural areas and as far as from Bulawayo, Karoi and many places using busses. Many were arrayed and some died after tear gassing and beating. The prisons were filled up and up to thousands detained for two days. The strike was joined by miners and sanitary workers halting the cities forcing the government increase pay from $68.00 to $128.00.
Felix continued to press government for better working conditions. He was president of Zimbabwe Teachers Union for many years. The strike was declared illegal and Felix was arrested and fired from the Civil service for organizing the strike even though he was later reinstated and charges dropped.

Teachers are not made but they are born. Felix was born a teacher and he is a holder of a diploma in education and a bachelor of education degree both from the University of Zimbabwe. He also holds a masters degree in political sciences from UNISA, Law and human rights (paralegal) certificate, conflict resolution management, by the legal resources foundation(LRF) He taught in many schools and even managed to groom politicians also.

Felix Magagela Mafa Sibanda is a politician who stood for the Glen View constituency in 1985 under a PF ZAPU ticket after being asked to do so by Joshua Nkomo himself. His Glen View house went on to be burnt by ZANU PF thugs. He was chased from Harare to Bulawayo. In Bulawayo Felix under the MDC ticket became a Member of Parliament of Magwegwe constituency in the seventh Parliament of Zimbabwe. He assumed this political office in September 2008. His involvement with MDC has never faulted since its formation and has been a very loyal Cadre.

In 1987 Felix’s eldest son Canaan Mafa, a former ZIPRA combatant was abduct by ZANU PF Fifth Brigade and drowned in the might Zambezi River. This drove Felix to become an outspoken human rights activist advocating for the stopping of Gukurahundi atrocities. He eventually founded the Post Independence Survivors Trust, a pressure group to find justice against Gukurahundi perpetrators and healing for the victims.

Having walked a long journey filled with challenges and upheavals Felix Magagela Mafa Sibanda sibanda has remained focused and continues to for a better Zimbabwe for everyone regardless of race and origin. It is indeed befitting for him to be considered for the vice presidency of the MDC. This appointment would fuse youth and old age into the leadership of this political organization.

MDC as an organization would benefit a lot from Felix Magagela Mafa Sibanda’s wisdom, experience and age and help to stabilize this party and make it a party for the future and of all ages. He has has held several deputy posts including NCA, ZimRights and Advocacy chair. Mafa enjoys overwhelming support and respect in the rural Matebeleland. A key ingredient for drinking out the vote in the watershed election.
Mafa Sibanda has a rural home in Membesi, 45 km from Bulawayo.

[email protected]. He writes in his own opinion based on his research on the iconic Felix Magagela Mafa Sibanda’s life.

Mnangagwa Carries 10 Ministers, Business Execs To China

By Dorrothy Moyo| President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday flew out of the country to China with a delegation of 10 ministers plus several business executives.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Lt-General Sibusiso Moyo told the state media the President was travelling with several business executives from the private sector since they were the anchor of the country’s economy.

He said, “His Excellency, the President will be accompanied by about 10 Ministers and various officials and the private sector. Remember the thrust is that the Government is there to provide appropriate business environment and the private sector is the foot-soldier and in that regard there are 77 business-people to attend several meetings that have been lined up here by Chinese people for them to interact,” said Rtd Lt Gen Moyo.

The state owned Herald also quoted him saying, President Mnangagwa’s trip to China was significant in many ways.
“It is very significant because this is the first State visit by His Excellency outside Africa and it is not by coincidence but by design because of the bi-lateral relationship between the two countries. The objective is primarily to deepen relationship between the two nations and above all to concretise and revitalise economic co-operation between the two countries,” said Rtd Lt Gen Moyo.

Mpofu Says: Grace Is Lying

Home Affairs Minister Obert Mpofu has said Grace Mugabe is lying on the issue of security details being withdrawn from her. Below was his written statement:

 

Courageous Rangers Who Drowned Were Not Careless

NATIONAL NEWS

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

We are contacting you to correct some factual errors contained in your article of March 27: “Zimbabweans Found Dead In River Were Busy Taking Selfies When They Drowned”

 

The rangers were not being careless or “busy taking selfies” at the time. Publishing this implies that these brave and professional women were somehow at fault in their own deaths.

 

The women all carry work-issued phones which they use for backup communications. Whilst on patrol the phones may also be used to take pictures/video of water levels, vegetation, tactics, wildlife: anything which may be significant in their role as wildlife rangers. This media is used during training and to update the operations room so there is better real-time understanding of any situation. This operational use of phone cameras is very different to “taking selfies”.

 

We ask that you amend the article accordingly in order to pay due respect to these fine Zimbabwean women and their instructor.

 

Sincerely,

 

Damien Mander
Founder – International Anti-Poaching Foundation
www.iapf.org

UPDATED: Where Zimbabwean Rangers Were Found Dead In Zambezi River

The horrific scene as the victims were being taken out of the water

By Snodia Mawupeni| HURUNGWE- Three anti-poaching unit rangers who drowned in Rukomeshi river on Sunday afternoon had their cell phones with them, ZimEye.com can exclusively reveal.

Primary investigations show that the victims were one male and two females who work for an anti-poaching unit, Akashinga based in Nyamakate, Hurungwe Ward 7.

The trio as ZimEye reveals, have been identified as Former Tazman aged (35) Edzai Mhlanga aged (33) and Tendai Hungwe (25).

‘The three went for a photo session along Rukomeshi River, that is the boundary between Hurungwe and Zambezi escapement to Mana Pools where the incident occurred, ” a highly placed source told ZimEye.

They continued saying, “they were at a cliff (REDACTED REDACTED) when Mhlanga fell from the cliff and drowned.

“Tazman tried to rescue her but drowned and not much is known of how Hungwe drowned as well,” said the source speaking on condition that they are not named.

Another worker added that they used to have regular selfie photo sessions in the outlying areas as part of an anti-poaching unit within Hurungwe during weekends.

The trio drowned last Sunday afternoon and were only retrieved when members of the community teamed up with Makuti police, and officers from Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management in the early hours of Monday.

The accident left villagers shell shocked as they saw Tazman and Mhlanga bodies being ferried to Karoi for post mortem while Hungwe’s parents refused to have her ferried to the hospital.

“Hungwe’s relatives did not want to have her body ferried to Karoi saying no one will incur the transport costs and she will be buried in Nyamakate on Tuesday,”  said a villager privy to the developments in the area.

Mashonaland West provincial spokesperson Inspector, Clemency Mabweazara was out of office to give an official comment over the matter.

He said, “I am sorry, I am out of office. I am in Harare and will only be back in office on Tuesday and no one can comment and I do not have details of the issue,”

The trio were among 35 rangers trained by Damien Mander, founder of International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF) who is a former Australian special forces sniper.
IAPF has been part of an ecosystem conservation unit in Lower Zambezi.
They group are from disadvantaged women from the local community who include unemployed single mothers, sex workers, victims of sexual and physical abuse, widows and orphans who are the most vulnerable women.

The victims were undergoing training for patrolling, first aid, dangerous wildlife, human rights, safety and conservation ethics, among other anti-poaching methods so they end up working with the community to stop illegal wildlife crime.
End

HORROR VANISHES: Doctors’ Strike Ends Thanks to ED’s “Swift Action” – But Where Was Mnangagwa These 38 Years?

By Nomusa Garikai| The doctors strike is over, hurray!

In their statement announcing the end of the strike, the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) National Executive raised some interesting points and I have just picked a few to comment on.

1. Procurement of essential medicines and drugs is in motion and we expect an improvement soon, so as to offer quality health care to ALL patients.

I wish I could share the doctors’ optimism, I do not. The Zimbabwe economy has been in the doldrums for decades now and there is nothing that has happened to make me believe things are about to change.

President Mnangagwa and his Junta regime have made a big song and dance about “Zimbabwe is open for business!” to attract the much-needed foreign investors. Sadly, there has been no takers because investors continue to shy away from Zimbabwe because the still see it as a lawless nation ruled by thugs.

The regime’s failure to implement the democratic reforms and thus deliver free, fair and credible elections it has been promising since the November 2017 coup has only confirmed to all that the Zanu PF dictatorship is very much alive or be it under different management.

Zanu PF is rigging this year’s elections. Indeed, one can even say “the elections are done” as SADC leaders said a month before the 2013 rigged elections. No investors are going to do business in a country in which the next regime change is yet another coup or “military assisted transition”, as the coup plotters would put it.

With no meaningful prospects of meaningful economic recovery, it is naïve to expect hospitals to have drugs, basic equipment, etc. anytime soon. These things cost money and this is another regime promise, just like free and fair elections, that will never be honoured.

2. We have received an upward review of on call allowances, noting that members work round the clock for up to 360 continuous hours. This is a health specific allowance. Understanding the current limitations in the economy, we hope to continually review until we attain regional and international standards.

Well doctors will be lucky if their reviewed allowance will ever be paid, especially once the regime has rigged the elections when the usual political arrogance returns with vengeance. As for doctors earning becoming comparable to those in the region – dream on.

Zimbabwe’s economy will never improve until we deal with this cancer of bad governance, so graphically rubbed in by Zanu PF’s periodic blatant rigging of elections in the name of the party’s no-regime-change mantra.

3. With effect from today, until latest 02 April 2018, ZHDA members will report for duty. Normal work has resumed. Should the HSB fail to honour the agreement, we will have no choice but to express our grievances again. We would like to thank His Excellency, Cde. E. D Mnangagwa for his intervention and swift action.

His Excellency was a senior member of the Zanu PF regimes that has ruled this nation with an iron-fist these last 38 years. He has played his part in the total destruction of the Zimbabwe economy. Of all Mugabe’s cronies, President Mnangagwa was the tyrant’s right-hand man and played a leading role in all the looting, vote rigging and political murders that took place. Over 30 000 innocent Zimbabweans were murdered by the regime to establish and retain the one-party dictatorship that still dominate and rule supreme to this day.

Like Pontius Pilate, President Mnangagwa, will never wash the innocent blood he has shed. Shine the light of justice on ED and he will glow like a scorpion under ultraviolet light!

This latest Doctor’s strike has lasted a whole month; he had time for the usual globe-trotting and plenty of cash to buy the Chiefs new twin cab trucks but did not have time and cash to pay doctors and or buy incubators for new born-babies!

“Swift action!” What swift action are you talking about?  – zsdemocrats.blogspot.co.uk

 

Mnangagwa Flies To China

Below are state media (ZBC) pictures of President Emmerson Mnangagwa as he left Harare for Beijing Sunday night:

China is expected to announce a new package of assistance to Zimbabwe in a few days time and Afreximbank is expected to announce measures to help ease the liquidity crunch in Zimbabwe.

Addressing a media briefing at the Chinese embassy in Harare on Friday, Chinese Deputy Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Zhao Baogang said the Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold bilateral talks with President Mnangagwa this coming week where China is expected to announce a new assistance package for Zimbabwe.

“A Chinese commercial bank and Afreximbank are holding discussions to find ways of easing the liquidity crisis facing Zimbabwe and measures to be implemented are expected to be announced during President Mnangagwa’s state visit to China,” said Mr Zhao.

President Mnangagwa’s itinerary in China will include the signing of Bi-National Cooperation Agreements with his Chinese counterpart, attending a business promotion meeting, visits to various Chinese companies and discussions with the Communist Party of China.

Deputy Ambassador Zhao also said the Chinese government is forging ahead with a number of projects that it has undertaken to fund like the new parliament building, a pharmaceutical warehouse and the airport expansion project among others.

Zimbabwean Doctor Caught On Camera Dangerously Driving Finally Imprisoned

By Farai D Hove| The Zimbabwean doctor who was caught on camera driving dangerously in Namibia while in an apparent stupor, is now in prison.

Dr Yaukai Chiradza was exposed on a video which went viral on the 9th March,  day after he absconded a court hearing for a case of culpable homicide.

The Zimbabwean doc’s video shows him driving recklessly on the road between Otjiwarongo and Okahandja.

 

Chiradza was taken to the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court, denied bail, and then transferred to Karibib on the same day last week.

State prosecutor Eden Amutenya said Chiradza’s lawyer did not apply for bail formally, but the doctor was still remanded in custody until his next appearance on 25 June 2018 for trial.

Chiradza is implicated in the death of three people in a road crash in July 2015, and ZimEye is reliably informed police suspect that he was high on drugs and not alcohol as previously assumed. His employer has revealed that he has previous cases of substance abuse, well known to his employer.

The development is set to open discussions on how the Namibian Health Ministry allowed him to continue taking care of patients while knowing fully that he is a substance abuse patient.

He was only stopped from working after the dangerous driving video became viral at the weekend.

After he was stopped from working, a warrant of arrest was issued on Monday 12th March.

The Namibian Press Association reports that part of charges on Chiradza on file are the deaths of Konrad Louw, Welmine Louw and Aletta Junius when Chiradzi’s car sideswiped the vehicle they were in on the Karibib-Us.

His video (BELOW) was streamed on ZimEye.com on the 9th March.

Drama As “Coup” President Museveni Slaps Taxes On Facebook, WhatsApp And Twitter Access | UGANDA LATEST

So how does that work?

By Dorrothy Moyo| Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has torched a storm after he imposed taxes on social media access services.

There was drama all over the country when journalists woke up to the Presidential announcement.

Museveni came into power via a coup in the 80s and has secured power for himself by appointing his own children to senior posts of army and Intelligence agencies. When Robert Mugabe was removed last November, he rushed to change his army generals.

So how will Museveni tax Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp since they are foreign companies?

Below was a reaction by a top Media practitioner

 

Is Mnangagwa Aware Of This Bloodless Coup, Fake Or Flake?

“Mnangagwa was the president for the last 3 months, I am now the new president, in another bloodless coup!”

By Farai D Hove| President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been declared illegitimate, not by Robert Mugabe, but by a certain Mr Tinashe Jonasi.

The ZEC fully registered little known politician, is one of 117 other opposition leaders who in the video below declares himself Zimbabwe’s new President.

Jonasi announces saying, “Mnangagwa was the president for the last 3 months, I am now the new president, in another bloodless coup!”

“I am the 3rd civilian president of Zimbabwe. Mugabe was civilian he changed to be military using the army and the CIO, Mnangagwa used the army. I am the new President of Zimbabwe. Those who doesn’t believe in that, lets take it on.

“If I am illegitimate, lets look at how Mnangagwa is legitimate. If I am illegitimate, lets look at how Robert Mugabe was illegitimate, because people are running this country based on personal decision, either backed by the army or whatever,” he says.

ZimEye analysts present that there has been a sudden gush of new political parties in the last 12 months. ARE THESE GENUINE PARTIES?

“Also, is Mnangagwa aware of this bloodless coup, on a lighter note?” as Dr. Victor Chimhutu asks.

Zuma Appears In Court This Coming Week, Police Speak

Former South African president Jacob Zuma is set to appear in court on April 6 to face corruption charges, police said Monday, in a case that could see him jailed.

Zuma is accused of taking kickbacks before he became president from the $5 billion (4.0 billion euro) purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and military equipment manufactured by five European firms.

He resigned as president on February 14 after the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party turned against him following a nine-year reign marred by corruption allegations, an economic slowdown and diminished popularity.

“We can confirm that the summons has been served to the former president,” Hangwani Mulaudzi, spokesman for the Hawks police investigation unit, told AFP.

“The case is going to be heard on April 6 at the Durban High Court. It is the formal charging.”

Mulaudzi added that the former president would have to be present in court for the hearing.

Local media said Zuma’s lawyers would appeal against the reinstatement of the charges, which date back to the 1990s.

Prosecutors dropped the charges in 2009, just months before Zuma became president.

They said that tapped phone calls between officials in then-president Thabo Mbeki’s administration showed undue official interference in the case.

French firm Thales was also issued with a summons on Monday over the allegations and is due in court on the same day.

Zuma, 75, denies any wrongdoing, while Thales has declined to comment.

Zuma will face one count of racketeering, two counts of corruption, one count of money laundering and 12 counts of fraud — all of which are punishable by lengthy custodial sentences.

From high office to high court

The charges relate to arms procurement deals struck by the government in the late 1990s and from which Zuma is accused of profiting corruptly to the tune of four million rand ($345,000, €280,000).

In 2005, Zuma’s former financial adviser Schabir Shaik was convicted for facilitating bribes over the contracts and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was later released on medical parole.

Zuma was deputy president from 1999 to 2005, when he was sacked by Mbeki.

The previously loyal ANC last weekend distanced itself from its former leader, saying that it was determined “to put the sad chapter of systemic corruption” behind the party.

Once in office, many of the graft allegations against Zuma centred on the Gupta business family, who are accused of unfairly obtaining lucrative government contracts and even influencing Zuma’s ministerial appointments.

Zuma’s successor Cyril Ramaphosa, a multi-millionaire former trade union leader, has admitted graft was a major problem in the previous government and vowed a clean-up.

In local polls in 2016, the ANC recorded its worst electoral result since coming to power in 1994 with Nelson Mandela at the helm as white-minority rule fell.

Zuma’s hold over the ANC was shaken in December when his preferred successor — his former wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma — narrowly lost to Ramaphosa in a vote for the new party leader.- AFP

IN PICTURES: Nyambirai Throws Mine Residents Out Into The Filthy Rains, Elderly Testify On Eviction Horrors

By Paul Nyathi| One of Strive Masiyiwa’s closest business partners, Tawanda Nyambira has allegedly done the most unexpected of him evicting elderly people residing at his newly acquired TN Arcturus Mine.

Information made available to ZimEye.com by sources at the mine indicate that Nyambira’s security personnel have evicted people some who have lived at the mine for all their life.

While a comment from the businessman was awaited at the time of writing, the elderly victims blamed the businessman in person.

“Atidarireiko Nyambirai uyu veduwee? ” asked one mother of five.

Scores of others were seen being chased out of their houses. (See pictures).

Nyambirai went popular when he was a lawyer to leading businessman Strive Masiyiwa for his bid to license Econet Wireless Zimbabwe.

Nyambirai, recently acquired one of Zimbabwe’s oldest gold mines, Acturus Mine.

Details on the evictions are still come through.

Mnangagwa Preaches Peace And Forgiveness

By Terrence Mawawa| Zimbabweans should remain united and focus their energy on building a prosperous nation, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.

The Head of State and Government said oneness and forgiveness were fundamental to rapid socio-economic transformation, according to a State controlled weekly publication.

Mnangagwa addressed thousands of Zion Christian Church congregants at their Easter conference at Mbungo Estates, Bikita yesterday.

With him were Vice-President Dr Constantino Chiwenga and senior Government and Zanu-PF officials.

He said, “For this country to develop and prosper, we need to put God first. The Bible says if you build without involving the Hand of God, you would have done nothing. Let us build a new Zimbabwe born out of the recently-ushered new dispensation.

“Let us preach love, peace and forgiveness for God to bless our nation. Let us build a new Zimbabwe, and I am sure if we are united, we can build a prosperous and peaceful nation.

“I think you have heard that there is a new dispensation in the country. It is a new beginning for Zimbabwe and my appeal to every Zimbabwean and church leaders, in particular, is that they preach unity and peace.

“If we are to develop and succeed as a nation, let us unite and live in harmony and that way we will be able to achieve all our goals and targets.”

Mnangagwa implored Zimbabweans to include God in all endeavours.

“We are now in a new dispensation and we have a new Government, but it is all because of God’s plan for this country. Like Christ, after His resurrection, we also now have a new life, but it is all God’s planning. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow, but God knows everyone’s future.

“It is God’s plan for me to be President. It was in God’s plan that I was going to eat poison and survive; become a border-jumper and survive. It is God’s plan to be where I am here today. We do not know about tomorrow. It is all God’s planning.”

The President said churches should encourage congregants to register to vote.

“Churches should be at the forefront of promoting peace and unity. I will continue spreading the gospel of non-violence, emphasising that there is no benefit to us if we always fight and engage in conflicts.”

ZCC leader Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi said Zimbabweans should thank God for the peaceful manner in which Operation Restore Legacy was executed.

“It is clear from what happened during Operation Restore Legacy leading up to the new dispensation that God’s hand was at work. The whole process had God’s blessings and it was His plan,” said Mutendi.

Mnangagwa Must Release Gumbura And Kereke – Peter Handina

By Farai D Hove| President Emmerson Mnangagwa must pardon the jailed pastor Martin Gumbura, the UK based Peter Handina suggests.

Supporters of the preacher allege that Gumbura did not commit a crime but was merely prosecuted by the president’s nemesis for the state house who is also his predecessor, Joice Mujuru.

He must also consider it for the jailed MP,  Munyaradzi Kereke, adds Handina.

Both were arrested and jailed for rape.

“A Presidential Pardon and Amnesty must also be considered for Gumbura and Munyaradzi Kareke though rape is a harsh and violent their convictions raised anxious scrutiny and fragnantly unpertifuge,” wrote Handina on ZimEye.com

Can Mugabe Destroy Mnangagwa Using Oratory FirePower?

Robert Mugabe is a dark black beast when it comes to speech firepower. He can manufacture anything between heaven and earth using the flip of his tongue… and many western Heads Of States used to dread any meeting with him particularly in the years after the fall out with Great Britain. But even 30 years before, Mugabe had more bullets and bombs inside his mouth than at all the barracks and arms caches around Zimbabwe, as it were. He never ran away from journalists like other presidents do and at one time he humiliated a CNN journo inside her studios.
……

Football Official Suspended For Assaulting Chiyangwa

Terrence Mawawa

Namibia Football Association secretary general,
Barry Rukoro has been suspended for allegedly assaulting COSAFA
president, Philip Chiyangwa in South Africa last
month.

Rukoro was
advised he would remain suspended for 90 days-
pending the finalisation of his case.

Rukoro reportedly struck Chiyangwa during a heated
discussion at the football body’s annual general
meeting held in Johannesburg.

“…the Committee received reports suggesting gross
misconduct in relation to your reported attack
on the president of COSAFA.

You are hereby called upon to submit your
representations to the Secretary-General of COSAFA,
in writing, on or before 30th April 2018 showing
cause as to why your case may not be referred to the
COSAFA Disciplinary Board for appropriate action.

In the interim and in view of the seriousness of the
matter, you are placed on suspension for a period of
90 days- pending the finalisation of the matter,” read part of the letter.

Winless Dembare, Bosso Clash In Battle Of Zimbabwe

Terrence Mawawa

Perennial foes Dynamos and Highlanders will clash in a potentially explosive Castle Lager Premier Soccer League encounter at Rufaro Stadium tomorrow.

Below are the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Match-day 4
Fixtures:

Sunday, April 1, 2018
Herentals vs Yadah FC (Rufaro Stadium)
Bulawayo Chiefs vs Chapungu (Luveve Stadium)
Black Rhinos vs CAPS United (NSS)
Monday, April 2, 2018
Dynamos vs Highalanders (Rufaro Stadium)
FC Platinum vs Bulawayo City (Mandava Stadium)
Mutare City vs Harare City (Vengere Stadium)
Nichrut vs Ngezi Platinum (Ascot Stadium)
Triangle vs ZPC Kariba (Gibbo Stadium)
Chicken Inn vs Shabanie Mine (Luveve)
Kickoff time for all matches: 3 pm.

Mukonori In Fresh Mugabe Negotiations

Father Fidelis Mukonori

By Paul Nyathi| Father Fidelis Mukonori continues to baby seat former President Robert Mugabe amidst reports that the man of the cloth is involved in fresh negotiations to bring peace around the former head of state and his family.

According to impeccable sources, Father Fidelis Mukonori and Kadoma businessman Jimayi Muduvuri met the 94-year-old former Zanu PF leader at his Blue Roof mansion in Harare recently in efforts to bring peace between Mugabe and his successor President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Mukonori, who was one of the negotiators when Mugabe was put under house arrest by the military in November, confirmed the meeting in an interview with the weekly Standard Newspaper last week, but said he could not elaborate.

“Yes, we saw Mr Mugabe, but I am in church. I can’t talk to you. Today we are busy,” he said.

Muduvuri refused to comment saying he would speak at the “appropriate time.”

Standard Newspaper sources said Mugabe told Mukonori he was being harassed and that his legacy was being threatened.

Mugabe said some of his family members were now afraid to be associated with him fearing reprisals.

“He lamented that for all the years he had worked with Mnangagwa, how he helped him rise politically, this is how he is treating him,” the source said.

“He is worried that his private investments are being targeted, his family is under the spotlight and his political legacy is now being destroyed by people who do not understand history,” the source said.

A government source said Mnangagwa was eager to reconnect with Mugabe.

“[Former] president Mugabe cannot be ignored, but Mnangagwa does not want to be seen as if he is begging his former boss for reconciliation,” the source said.

“He wants his boss to just wish him well as the election period starts.”

Sources said soon after Mugabe’s ouster, the former ruler had open lines of communication with former generals now in government, but they were cut after complaints of tribalism.

The former generals were allegedly accused of trying to kowtow to Mugabe to advance a tribal agenda.

Sources said Mnangagwa was under pressure to make peace with Mugabe after African leaders raised concern over issues the veteran politician raised during his recent interviews.

Mnangagwa Is Worse Than Smith- NPP

Terrence Mawawa

National People’ s Party(NPP) Spokesperson, Jeffryson Chitando has said the electorate will not be moved by Zanu PF ‘s redundant vote buying gimmicks.

Chitando was commenting on the donation of tonnes of rice by the ruling party in Gokwe.

“Zanu PF celebrates your poverty.

Zanu PF officials think it is important to donate substandard rice to the poor people.

Ironically Zanu PF has created the mess in the country,” said Chitando.

“During Smith’s colonial regime
every family was able to purchase its basic needs,” he added.

MDC To Blame For Chaos In Major Cities- Residents

Terrence Mawawa

MDC mayors and councillors have contributed to the mess in the country’ s major cities and towns, political observers have said.

In a Facebook message posted yesterday, Honest Rwodzi wrote:

To my MDC-T Comrades,
While I am aware of Central Government’ s interference with local authorities’ affairs, the councils you are run particularly in
Bulawayo and Harare – you guys leave a lot to be
desired.

How can you insult us by
giving us financially illiterate councillors
who can’t even read a balance sheet?

Just a word of advice during the coming elections, many
will not vote for a candidate simply because he or she
belongs to a certain party, the CV will matter.

It’s
going to be strictly based on merit.

I suggest that you draw lessons from what happened to Ben
Manyenyeni and Councillor Moyo(Bulawayo Mayor). We are tired of excuses.

MDC MP Candidate Says ‘Mnangagwa Will Rig 2018 Polls’

By Terrence Mawawa| A former MDC aspiring Parliamentary candidate for Masvingo North Constituency, John Vincent Chikwari has sensationally claimed President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the ruling party Zanu PF will surreptitiously rig the 2018 polls.

Chikwari wrote on Facebook yesterday:
“You might think that elections weaken autocrats.

Think again. Elections can actually help despots
shore up their grip on power.

Holding flawed polls
can enable embattled governments to secure
access to valuable economic resources like
foreign aid, while reinvigorating the ruling party
and — in many cases — dividing the opposition.

Consequently, a number of authoritarian regimes
that appeared to be in their death throes have
used the ballot box to re-establish their political
dominance.

Mnangagwa is fully conscious of the fragmented state of the opposition and do not rule out massive electoral theft.”

Chamisa’ s Achievements Immeasurable-Kuwadzana Residents

Terrence Mawawa

Kuwadzana Residents have dismissed claims that Nelson Chamisa has done nothing to develop the area.

Responding to claims by Chamisa’ s critics that the youthful legislator for Kuwadzana East Constituency is an idle figure, residents of the populous suburb have described the charismatic MDC leader as a cut above the rest.

Elyson Tongoona Chigerwe wrote on Facebook:”Chamisa has done a lot in his
constituency, the list of the things that he has done
is just too long.

He is one unique MP who frequently
visits his constituency and always spends time with
the people of Kuwadzana East.

Chamisa is a man of
action.”

Talent of Kuwadzana also wrote: “When he was the
Minister of ICT in the GNU government-he did a lot of
tangible things .Every Zimbabwean can now afford to
buy an Econet,NetOne,Telecel line all because
Chamisa’s radical changes and policies that he
implemented as the Minister of ICT.

He was also voted the ‘Best Minister’ during the GNU era.”

Mnangagwa Intervention, Doctors Agree To Go Back To Work

ZHDA PRESS STATEMENT ON DOCTORS STRIKE

Inserted By Paul Nyathi

31 MARCH 2018

The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association wishes to advise members of the press,
stakeholders and its public on the following developments on the strike by government
doctors which started on the 1
st
of March 2018.
1. Following the intervention of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe
Cde E. D Mnangagwa, there has been positive developments. We have entered an
agreement with the Health Services Board.
2. Procurement of essential medicines and drugs is in motion and we expect an
improvement soon, so as to offer quality health care to ALL patients
3. We have received an upward review of on call allowances, noting that members work
round the clock for up to 360 continuous hours. This is a health specific allowance.
Understanding the current limitations in the economy, we hope to continually review until
we attain regional and international standards
4. With effect from today, until latest 02 April 2018, ZHDA members will report for duty.
Normal work has resumed.
Should the HSB fail to honor the agreement, we will have no choice but to express our
grievances again.
We would like to thank His Excellency, Cde. E. D Mnangagwa for his intervention and swift
action.
We would also like to thank the public for sympathizing with our cause, and all who assisted
in this positive move towards restoring normalcy to the health sector.
MAY WE ALL STAND GUIDED ACCORDINGLY
ZHDA NATIONAL EXECUTIVE

ZIFA In Crisis, Board Members Quit Accuse Chiyangwa Of Capturing The Association

By Paul Nyathi

Zimbabwe football is set for a major crisis as Board Members of the football mother body the Zimbabwe Football Association begin mass resignations from the board.

Two senior members of the board this week resigned from the board accusing the ZIFA President Phillip Chiyangwa of capturing the football adminstration body and running it according to his terms against the board.

Resigning from the board last week, board member responsible for Futsal and Beach soccer, Felton Kamambo accused Chiyangwa creating a leadership crisis in local footfall.

Kamambo, announced his withdrawal from the Zifa leadership on Wednesday following the expiration of the constitutional term of office of the Zifa executive committee last Thursday.

His resignation came hours after Piraishe Mabhena, another board member (in charge of competitions), had also announced his decision to step down, plunging Zifa into a leadership crisis that leaves the local game facing an uncertain future.

Opening up for the first time on his decision to step down, Kamambo exposed how Chiyangwa’s domineering leadership style since his election into office in December 2015.

“Upon being elected into the Zifa board, I, alongside other board members, tried to embrace good corporate governance, best practices and constitutionalism during our two years in office, but we met with fierce resistance from the Zifa presidium, who unfortunately had captured the association,” Kamambo said.

“Board meetings were not properly convened as the presidium did not respect the constitution in terms of due notice. No AGM [annual general meeting] was duly convened in compliance with the Zifa constitution as the presidium would convene meetings which were unconstitutional and unlawful in terms of due notice.

“Our Zifa board/exco [executive committee] was reduced to some circus as we were reduced to an extension of the presidium’s captured hostages and no wonder why only the presidium would attend the so-called board meetings. How could one attend meetings not provided for in the Zifa statutes?”

The Central Region boss also revealed how board decisions were being unilaterally made by the Zifa presidium and anyone who dared to question was labelled a rebel and silenced by threats of suspensions and expulsion.

“Board decisions were taken by the presidium who happened to be beneficiaries of the decisions. We tried to engage the presidium to respect the Zifa constitution, but to no avail as anyone who raised pertinent issues of governance was labelled a rebel and no wonder why the late former Zifa board member, Edzai Kasinauyo, was hounded to his final resting place. MHSRIP. Edzai was cleared by courts of concocted match-fixing allegations, but was never accepted back into the Zifa board for reasons best known to the Zifa presidium.”

The revelations by Kamambo come after a Zifa financial report compiled by Baker Tilly Gwatidzo auditors unearthed a number of anomalies with regard to corporate governance.

Kamambo also hit out at the Zifa leadership’s failed attempt to co-opt the Premier Soccer League [PSL] Emergency Committee chairperson and women’s football boss into the board following their recent resignations.

Dynamos boss Kenny Mubaiwa had been hastily co-opted into the Zifa board together with women’s football chairperson Rosemary Kanonge, but the former turned down the offer saying his co-option was not done in accordance with PSL statues.

”Attempts to smuggle members from Premier Soccer League and women football show how desperate the presidium is to sanitise an illegitimate arrangement which violates the Zifa statutes for selfish reasons. Attempts to have the Zifa assembly regularise the co-options were resisted by some of our board members,” Kamambo said.

“Why the presidium would want to unlawfully and unconstitutionally extend their stay at Zifa beyond their constitutional mandate needs to be interrogated. Isn’t the fear to constitutionally relinquish power driven by an agenda to conceal skeletons from the football family in Zimbabwe and the general public?

“The association is best served by men and women who respect the Zifa statutes. Some of our members in football administration who think that Zifa is their personal property are mistaken and our game shall call such characters to order. Those who may have pillaged resources from our game must be held accountable.

“There are some rented voices in our midst who have been hired to denigrate all those who defend constitutionalism, but they must know that the game of football is bigger than individual egos and selfish interests.”

While Kamambo maintains that the current Zifa board’s term of office ended last Thursday, the trio of Chiyangwa, his deputy Omega Sibanda and board member (finance) Philemon Machana insist they will continue to wait for guidance from Fifa on the association’s election roadmap.

Kamambo, however, said the move was illegal as the Zifa constitution has no provision for extension of mandate.

“It is a fact that the Zifa administration that was elected on March 29, 2014 would only be in office up to March 29, 2018 and any attempt to extend that tenure would not only be illegitimate, but would be unlawful, immoral and illegal. As we speak now, Zifa has three members who claim that they still have the mandate to run Zifa business yet their tenure ended on 29th March 2018,” he said.

Mnangagwa Frees Mvuma Accident Killer

By Farai D Hove| The driver of the truck which killed more than 20 people in Mvuma last year, Mr. Regis Mungwari who was convicted of culpable homicide, has benefited from Presidential Amnesty.

He is now a free man after languishing at Hwahwa prisons, ZimEye is told.

He has since joined his wife Ivy Taruberekera who is teaching in Buhera, a source told ZimEye.

On April 5 2017, Mungwari, who was driving a Harare-bound haulage truck with South African registration plates, side-swiped the bus, in an accident which ended the lives of several victims. The South Africa-bound Proliner bus caught fire along the Harare-Masvingo Road.

Phone Recordings Of Uebert Angel’s Alleged “Abusive Activities” Fully Backed By Law

By Staff Reporter| There are several reasons why controversial preacher, Uebert Angel’s recorded phone interview responses were openly broadcast at the weekend. ZimEye has legal cover and backing for the development, some of the reasons which are also at the bottom of this article.

Below is a short background:

Uebert Angel telephoned ZimEye.com on Friday afternoon for the first time in history, saying that he has never blocked interviews to him and never ordered for ZimEye journalists to be attacked by his bodyguards. He referred to an incident where ZimEye was blocked from interviewing him on the 18th June 2015 when we visited his church meeting at El Shaddai church in Birmingham, UK. There has been a hanging matter over complaints of abuse by women receiving services by him in his church. He attempted to sideswipe the matter saying he would like a family relationship meet up with someone he called “Mukwasha”, but would at the same time call him “Baba Mudiki”.

His telephone call on Friday just after 2pm came at a time when he is faced with a rising number of complaints over his moral conduct (as a Service Provider) towards church members, particularly women.

Now as ZimEye contends, that there is Prima Facie evidence that there are serious violations of human rights, and moreover bad conduct by a service provider (Uebert Angel himself), it behoved us to invoke the Public Interest and the Public Safety rights of citizens as accorded by both British and international laws and conventions.

  • ‘Prima Facie’ evidence is the information that on the face of it, makes it evident, that the behaviour we are intending to capture secretly is either taking place already or is intended to take place. Without clear existing prima facie evidence ZimEye will not normally carry out secret recordings. Our guidelines are that the more serious the infringement of privacy in any secret recording, the stronger the prima facie evidence may need to be. In Angel’s case, the evidence backed by documents, IP traces, LIVE video recordings over several years, and more so, his own corroborations to the effect, is insurmountable.
  • It is without question that Uebert Angel was asked for an interview and given the opportunity to take down questions for a later interview, upon which time, he chose to respond immediately via phone while the questions were being read out.
  • He was also asked not to respond, but continued to reply to all questions save for one to do with identity fraud.
  • Bullying and threats of violence. It is also without question that Uebert Angel did not deny bullying people who have questioned his conduct. Uebert Angel has for several years bullied people saying he is trained in martial arts. People at one of his meetings were also told that they will receive (eternal death) apocalyptic woes if they question him.
  • Crime being committed. There is also the issue of crimes being committed, and there is evidence that Uebert Angel has and continued to cunningly coordinate criminal activities.
  • There is also the issue that Uebert Angel has revealed that he has for over 3 years been deliberately avoiding either scrutiny or answering questions on his conduct and will only speak to favourable media.
  • Lastly, there is the issue of women who complained that they have been abused. There is evidence to show that attempts have been made to suppress their citizenship rights of freedom of expression.
  • For these reasons, ZimEye at the weekend began coordinating and encouraging victims to come forward with their cases, or approach their nearest law enforcement agencies for assistance.
  • After Uebert Angel eventually disconnected his phone call at around 11pm, the preacher wrote back saying that he knew the call was an interview and he was no longer comfortable with the type of questions. SEE BELOW –
  • Our practices are consistent with the law and industrially accepted journalistic practice and we endeavour to ensure that the subject or person to be secretly recorded should normally be the target of any investigation, for which there is prima facie evidence of wrongdoing or intended wrongdoing. Any attempt to secretly record people who are not involved in committing the behaviour under investigation will require a strong public interest justification – the ends should justify the means.

Uebert Angel In Bribery Scam Following Sex Scandal Complaints

Uebert Angel with his wife, Bebe

By Staff Reporter| As a list of complaints rose against him, spiritist preacher, Uebert Angel has been caught in a bribery scandal.

The preacher was in a rush on Friday when he telephoned ZimEye.com for the fist time in history begging for what he termed a “family relationship meet up for a conversation.”

His call came nearly 3 years after he dodged ZimEye for interviews in June 2015.

He telephoned ZimEye at around 2.50 pm Friday when he was told it was not the best time for a call.

He was later called-back in the evening at around 9pm when he held a brief conversation when he swiftly referred our reporter to a man he referred to as his new media aide, while saying that he was watching a movie with his children.

While it was not immediately clear why he had done this, the preacher’s media aide upon picking the phone began talking about financing this publication through adverts.

“Let Uebert fill up the space with money,” said the preacher’s aide.

The aide, who requested anonymity for professional reasons, then stated that Angel chose  to cut the phone down because he was now afraid, upon-which questions were then raised how and why the preacher would fear.

At about 11pm, Angel received his-callback and he appeared to have assumed that a deal had been struck upon which he went further to make offers and he spoke of paying for free air fares to various destinations. He can be heard in the below video recording (recorded in the public interest seeing the serious nature of the matter at hand) speaking.

ALSO READ (the upcoming article)- PHONE RECORDINGS OF UEBERT ANGEL.. LEGAL BRIEF.

This whole matter follows a string of expose’s by a former church employee of Angel’s associate, Shepherd Bushiri, the South Africa based, Mr Leroy Elliot.

Mr Elliot was during the week profiled by other media houses and later last night on ZimEye.com’s LIVEBLAST. (SEE VIDEO BELOW).

A woman named Melody Dzingai is at the centre of the allegations.

Miss Dzingai is said to be dating Enlightened Christian Gathering leader Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, who is Prophet Angel’s “spiritual son”.

While repeated efforts to get comment from Uebert Angel (born Hubert Mudzaniri) were fruitless last week, ZimEye.con her privately telephoned ZimEye seeking what he termed a “family relationship conversation.”

While speaking in a conversation he has termed “an interview,” Uebert Angel chose to respond on the allegations and after being told to wait for an appropriate time, he chose to speak on them one by one, apart from two.

In the conversations, Uebert Angel offered to pay for several flight tickets for ZimEye’s Simba Chikanza and a large lumpsum was promised by a journalist who he referred to as his aide.

WATCH THE RECORDING BELOW ON ZimEye.com

Meanwhile, the state media says a man who identified himself as Pastor Tim promised to “get an official statement” but nothing had materialised.

Miss Dzingai referred questions to her “brother” Mr Maynard Manyowa, who dismissed the leaked chats as fabrications by a disgruntled former employee, Mr Leeroy Elliot.

“The chats are not genuine. In fact my sister lost her two iPhone and a Samsung S8 phones. We have made a police report and Elliot must return the phones,” he said.

“Elliot demanded R50 000 but we refused to be blackmailed and he threatened that he was going to expose what he calls dirty messages, but it’s all fake. He is bitter because he was fired as Melody’s personal driver.”

Prophet Bushiri’s director of public relations Mr Kelvin Silungwe’s mobile phone was not reachable.

Miss Dzingai forgot her phones in Mr Elliot’s car. According to Mr Elliot, he only handled the phones when Miss Elliot got in touch with him and made threats against him if he did not immediately give her back the gadgets.

Mr Elliot says the level of her agitation and the use of threats piqued his interest, and he picked up one of the phones and discovered it was not password protected.

On scrolling through the WhatsApp messages, he came across the damning conversations between Prophet Angel (who is married to Prophetess Bebe) and Miss Dzingai — who expressed her “love” for Prophet Bushiri. Prophet Bushiri is married to Prophetess Mary.

In one message, Prophet Angel demands that his “spiritual granddaughter” hunts for women who will play hard to get.

“I want you to find the highest quality. People you think will say NO.” Miss Dzingai responds, “Hahahaha….NO? The difficult ones granddad.”

He writes back: “Yea. The difficult ones are the most attractive ones.”

Miss Dzingai then sends pictures of one Charmaine for Prophet Angel’s approval, and the preacher gives her the green light to link them.

Miss Dzingai sends pictures of other girls, and the prophet responds to one of them saying: “She posts about me a lot. She comments.” His fixer says: “Really? Can I talk to her then? I like Imelda…she’s nice.”

Prophet Angel orders her: “Talk to her now; no wasting time. She is married. You are slow.”

Oddly, in some messages, Miss Dzingai waxes lyrical about Prophet Angel’s wife, saying she runs out of words to describe her.

On another occasion, she apologises for taking long to send pictures of potential targets because she was in church.

The young woman declares her love for Prophet Bushiri, whom she refers to as “My Love Malawi”. Prophet Bushiri is from Malawi but based in South Africa.

“Awww you are so so sweet my love. I am flattered…I love you so much. Baby you should rest I know you are tired. I will call, you when you are awake my hubby. I will tell you again how much I truly and completely love you,” she writes.

Mr Elliot says he has been threatened by people linked to Prophet Bushiri for exposing the shenanigans.

In a recorded phone conversation between Mr Elliot and Prophet Bushiri’s publicist, Mr Silungwe, the former says: “I know you are working with Bushiri, don’t try to be clever. Kelvin, I am not afraid; don’t threaten me. I have dirty videos which I can post.”

Mr Silungwe has denied threatening Mr Elliot. Mr Elliot has posted a video on Facebook in which he says he has overwhelming evidence about what is going on.

“I was trying to handle this issue in a professional manner but these people, including Kelvin Silungwe, hacked my account and posted a statement on Facebook page that I had apologised retracting my statement that Melody Dzingai was organising girls for Ubert Angel and she is dating Shepherd Bushiri.

“Whatever I was saying is the truth. I stand as Elliot Leeroy, Leeroy Elliot, I am not reversing this. They are trying to offer me money and they are tracking me. I am on the run, help me. I have been exposing the rot in the church; I have more sensitive videos and will post it if you try anything to harm me. I will never apologise, even in 100 years.”

Mr Elliot dismissed claims that he demanded money from Miss Dzingai as payment not to leak the videos, saying he tried to engage the subjects in the interests of the church but they responded by threatening him.

He says that is when he took the decision to leak the messages.

Chamisa MDC Stole My Scarf Design, Says Mukupe

By Dorrothy Moyo| ZANU PF MP for Harare East, Terrence Mukupe alleges that Nelson Chamisa’s MDC stole his scarf design.

Writing on Saturday afternoon, Mukupe attacked the MDC for lacking “originality.”

While presenting his proof, Mukupe (in pictures) said Nelson Chamisa’s scarf was “clearly plagiarized from the designs from my team that I posted online a month ago.

“Plagiarism is the utopia of academic genocide confined to those with very empty heads and full of hot air!

“Anyway what’s to be expected from those led by a boy who talks of constructing airports at village level to carry tomatoes from Murehwa to sell in London!,” he wrote on his portal.

ZEC Set To Copy Russia’s CCTV Inside Polling Stations Method

..new technologies which we can possibly adopt here…

By Dorrothy Moyo  |The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has set its eyes on copying Russia’s method of having CCTV cameras inside polling stations.

This was revealed in an interview cited by the state media.

At a time when she has been accused by political activists of travelling to Russia so to copy their methods of alleged vote rigging, “the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s chairperson Priscilla Chigumba is quoted in the Sunday Mail saying, “I learnt of new technologies which we can possibly adopt here. I looked at the technology and asked myself, ‘How can we make our elections have less challenges of disputes?’ ”

“Russians have cameras in all their polling stations,” she said.

Chigumba has been under fire for refusing to allow diasporans to vote and in a recent ZimEye feature, Justice Chigumba said her decision is decided by the New Constitution which is different from the South African one. (SEE TIMELINE 1h:17min).

Meanwhile speaking on her move to copy the Russian CCTV system, Justice Chigumba said, “in terms of technology, that is very good. The cameras were not directly above the polling booth, but would capture images of everyone going in and out.

“I was also acquainted with the electronic ballot box which automatically switches on when polling begins. It has an electronic counter that counts the number of ballot papers as people vote, and you will be able to know the number of people who would have voted at any given point.

“… We got to one polling station at 10:30 am, and they had registered exactly 1 170 voters in just a couple of hours. The ballot box is tamper-proof. It cannot be opened and switches off automatically when polling stops. It transmits information electronically to the election information centre.”

She laughed off allegations peddled in opposition circles that she was in Russia “to learn election-rigging”.

“The President of Zimbabwe accepted an invitation by his Russian counterpart for Zimbabwe to observe Russia’s elections. We went to Russia as a seven-member delegation comprising Zec’s legal director, staffers from Parliament and the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa and I.

“The reason for that visit was that since I came into office, I had never observed elections. So, this was my first time to do so.” Justice Chigumba said Zec was cross-checking polling station entries and possible double registrants in the voters’ roll, with public inspection of the register slated for May 2018.

Mujuru Will Boost Opportunities For Youths

By Robson Melasi| You have always heard that youths are the future of this nation. But when you look at the current state of our youths, what do you see?

The People’s Rainbow Coalition led by Dr JTR Mujuru notes that young people are almost three times more likely to be unemployed than adults and continuosly exposed to lower quality jobs, greater labour market inequalities; and longer and more insecure school-to-work transitions. Youth represent the majority of the population in the country and they do face a myriad of other challenges, apart from unemployment-ranging from inequality, corruption, poverty, human trafficking, emigration, drug addiction as well as the HIV and AIDS pandemic. They tend to bear the brunt of all these socio-economic ills, and that is not sustainable. This is why it is crucial that youths continue to be engaged into community development programmes that keep them morally grounded. We have a big role to play to safeguard a bright future for our youths by creating adequate empowerment and job creation opportunities for them, and work hard to reverse the adverse effects of youth unemployment that are already manifesting everywhere. But to find the right solutions, we must first understand the problems and barriers to the employability of youth. It is important to capacitate our youths with relevant skills and abilities that can unlock their full potential so that they can optimally contribute to economic growth and development.

If you look into the history of our country, you will realise that every revolution was championed by the youth who were determined to improve their status. The liberation war was fought and won by the youths.

The PRC government will therefore pay particular attention towards concrete policies that support employment and lift aggregate demand, while simultaneously increasing incomes. If you look at the demographics of land ownership in the country, you will see that virtually everyone who owns agricultural land is an elderly person and the youths can only get it through inheritance. There is need for a deliberate programme targetted at allocating land to youths with potential on the sector to empower them.

*We are the future*
*We have the solutions*

*#mujuruforpresident*

*robsonmelassi@peoplesrainbowcoalition*
*whatsapp:0777300979*
*email:[email protected]*
*fb:Robson Amisi Melassi*

“ED thinks Wi-Fi Means Wife,” Says Chamisa – But Unlike You, ED Knows Some Hidden Secrets

By Patrick Guramatunhu| “We have the keys to unlock the economy, we are the young generation, we can work with the international community, we can call (France president Emmanuel) Macron and say can you please help us to grow our economy,” said MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa.

“Do you think Mnangagwa can do that if Macron asked him about Wi-Fi he will think that Macron is asking him about his wife. This is an old generation, we are going to give them a rest in the next election, we are going to say our elders you did a great job go and rest.”

Chamisa, your harping on and on about how young you are compared to ED is putting people off! The people of France will be insulted with your innuendoes that they elected President Emmanuel Macron because he is young. The French people are a lot more mature to know what they want in a good and competent leader and they saw those qualities in President Macron. They would have voted for him if he had been 75 years old, they have elected older leaders than that in the past and will do so in future, because they know age alone does not make a good or bad leader.

The way Chamisa is harping on and on about anyone 75 years of age being too old to do anything; does this mean President Chamisa will seek help from the French and any other nation with a leader his age? Zimbabwe will not seek any help from Germany, British and the USA, for example, until these nations replace their 60 plus leaders with the Wi-FI 40s generation!

Ironically, Zimbabwe’s elections will not be decided on which of the contestants know what a Wi-Fi is but on whether the election process itself is free, fair and credible – something President Mnangagwa is expert in and Chamisa has completely failed to understand. Zanu PF has been rigging elections to stay in power these last 38 years and the three men who have masterminded the vote rigging are former President Mugabe, Professor Jonathan Moyo and the now President Emmerson Mnanagwa.

Even if Zimbabweans had failed to figure how to stop Zanu PF rigging elections, SADC leaders spelt it all out in the 2008 Global Political Agreement (GPA) following the rigged 2008 elections. SADC forced Zanu PF to sign the GPA agreeing to the implementation of a raft of democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging elections. The important task of implementing the reforms fell to Morgan Tsvangirai, then MDC leader, and his MDC colleagues of whom Nelson Chamisa was one of the MDC cabinet ministers.

MDC failed to implement even one reform in the five years of the GNU. Not even one reform!

SADC leaders fought a lost battle to get the MDC leaders to implement the reforms. Robert Mugabe, aged 84 years at the start of the GNU, bribed the MDC leaders to make sure they forgot about the reforms. Nelson Chamisa, aged 30 years and, no doubt, knew more about Wi-Fi than Vic Hayes many considers “father of Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)”, was one of the MDC leaders outwitted by an 84 year old!

Zanu PF went on to rig the 2013 elections and stay in power because MDC had not implemented any of the reforms to stop the regime rigging elections. What good was it then to the nation that we had young MDC leaders who knew everything there is to know about Wi-Fi but nothing about the most important task on hand – implementing the reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections?

When MDC failed to implement even one reform during the GNU, SADC leaders advised MDC not to take part in the elections without first implementing the reforms.

“‘If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done!” SADC leaders had warned Tsvangirai and company in 2013, according to Dr Ibbo Mandaza who was at the Maputo Summit that year.

SADC leaders’ warning is still valid for this year’s elections and the advice should be ringing in MDC leaders’ ears like church bells.

The American and Canadians have also joined in the call for reforms to be implemented before the elections but MDC leaders like Chamisa still ignore the warning.

President Mnangagwa may not know much about Wi-Fi but he certainly knows plenty about vote rigging, after all he has been Zanu PF’s pointer man on such matters as vote rigging and use of violence. Ever since taking over from Mugabe, Mnangagwa has carried on with the Zanu PF vote rigging activities as if the November coup that deposed the dictator never happened.

It is no exaggeration to say “Zimbabwe’s 2018 elections are done”, to repeat SADC leaders’ 2013 prediction!

Zimbabwe is in this political and economic hell-hole because the country was stuck with a corrupt and incompetent regime that rigged elections to stay in power. MDC has had many golden opportunities to implement the democratic reforms and stop Zanu PF rigging elections. Sadly, the party has wasted them all because the leaders took their eyes off the reforms to concentrate of gravy train ministerial limousines, generous salaries and allowances, $4 million mansion for Tsvangirai, etc., etc. and Wi-Fi for Chamisa!

Zimbabwe is not going to dig herself out of this hell by having leaders corrupt and incompetent leaders; so, so incompetent, even with the whole world telling them to focus, they still think Wi-Fi is more important than implementing the reforms necessary for free, fair and credible elections.

Yes Chamisa, President Mnangagwa may well think that Wi-Fi refers to wife but he will win these elections because he knows that with no reforms in place, he can rig the elections! What good is it to the nation that MDC knows all about Wi-Fi when that is not going to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections again after 38 years of rigged elections!

State Media Expose’ On Uebert Angel | LIVE REVIEW

The state owned Sunday Mail says it has established that that the mobile phone number on chat records presented by a whistleblower on controversial preacher, Uebert Angel was truly used by Prophet Angel.

This follows a string of expose’s by a former church employee of Angel’s associate, Shepherd Bushiri, the South Africa based, Mr Leroy Elliot.

Mr Elliot was during the week profiled by other media houses and later last night on ZimEye.com’s LIVEBLAST. (SEE VIDEO BELOW).

A woman named Melody Dzingai is at the centre of the allegations.

Miss Dzingai is said to be dating Enlightened Christian Gathering leader Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, who is Prophet Angel’s “spiritual son”.

While repeated efforts to get comment from Uebert Angel (born Hubert Mudzaniri) were fruitless last week, ZimEye.con her privately telephoned ZimEye seeking what he termed a “family relationship conversation.”

While speaking in a conversation he has termed “an interview,” Uebert Angel chose to respond on the allegations and after being told to wait for an appropriate time, he chose to speak on them one by one, apart from two.

In the conversations, Uebert Angel offered to pay for several flight tickets for ZimEye’s Simba Chikanza and a large lumpsum was promised by a journalist who he referred to as his aide.

WATCH THE RECORDING BELOW ON ZimEye.com

 

Meanwhile, the state media says a man who identified himself as Pastor Tim promised to “get an official statement” but nothing had materialised.

Miss Dzingai referred questions to her “brother” Mr Maynard Manyowa, who dismissed the leaked chats as fabrications by a disgruntled former employee, Mr Leeroy Elliot.

“The chats are not genuine. In fact my sister lost her two iPhone and a Samsung S8 phones. We have made a police report and Elliot must return the phones,” he said.

“Elliot demanded R50 000 but we refused to be blackmailed and he threatened that he was going to expose what he calls dirty messages, but it’s all fake. He is bitter because he was fired as Melody’s personal driver.”

Prophet Bushiri’s director of public relations Mr Kelvin Silungwe’s mobile phone was not reachable.

Miss Dzingai forgot her phones in Mr Elliot’s car. According to Mr Elliot, he only handled the phones when Miss Elliot got in touch with him and made threats against him if he did not immediately give her back the gadgets.

Mr Elliot says the level of her agitation and the use of threats piqued his interest, and he picked up one of the phones and discovered it was not password protected.

On scrolling through the WhatsApp messages, he came across the damning conversations between Prophet Angel (who is married to Prophetess Bebe) and Miss Dzingai — who expressed her “love” for Prophet Bushiri. Prophet Bushiri is married to Prophetess Mary.

In one message, Prophet Angel demands that his “spiritual granddaughter” hunts for women who will play hard to get.

“I want you to find the highest quality. People you think will say NO.” Miss Dzingai responds, “Hahahaha….NO? The difficult ones granddad.”

He writes back: “Yea. The difficult ones are the most attractive ones.”

Miss Dzingai then sends pictures of one Charmaine for Prophet Angel’s approval, and the preacher gives her the green light to link them.

Miss Dzingai sends pictures of other girls, and the prophet responds to one of them saying: “She posts about me a lot. She comments.” His fixer says: “Really? Can I talk to her then? I like Imelda…she’s nice.”

Prophet Angel orders her: “Talk to her now; no wasting time. She is married. You are slow.”

Oddly, in some messages, Miss Dzingai waxes lyrical about Prophet Angel’s wife, saying she runs out of words to describe her.

On another occasion, she apologises for taking long to send pictures of potential targets because she was in church.

The young woman declares her love for Prophet Bushiri, whom she refers to as “My Love Malawi”. Prophet Bushiri is from Malawi but based in South Africa.

“Awww you are so so sweet my love. I am flattered…I love you so much. Baby you should rest I know you are tired. I will call, you when you are awake my hubby. I will tell you again how much I truly and completely love you,” she writes.

Mr Elliot says he has been threatened by people linked to Prophet Bushiri for exposing the shenanigans.

In a recorded phone conversation between Mr Elliot and Prophet Bushiri’s publicist, Mr Silungwe, the former says: “I know you are working with Bushiri, don’t try to be clever. Kelvin, I am not afraid; don’t threaten me. I have dirty videos which I can post.”

Mr Silungwe has denied threatening Mr Elliot. Mr Elliot has posted a video on Facebook in which he says he has overwhelming evidence about what is going on.

“I was trying to handle this issue in a professional manner but these people, including Kelvin Silungwe, hacked my account and posted a statement on Facebook page that I had apologised retracting my statement that Melody Dzingai was organising girls for Ubert Angel and she is dating Shepherd Bushiri.

“Whatever I was saying is the truth. I stand as Elliot Leeroy, Leeroy Elliot, I am not reversing this. They are trying to offer me money and they are tracking me. I am on the run, help me. I have been exposing the rot in the church; I have more sensitive videos and will post it if you try anything to harm me. I will never apologise, even in 100 years.”

Mr Elliot dismissed claims that he demanded money from Miss Dzingai as payment not to leak the videos, saying he tried to engage the subjects in the interests of the church but they responded by threatening him.

He says that is when he took the decision to leak the messages.

$158,4 Million For Accident Victims, Mujuru Proposes

Joice Mujuru and Thokozani Khupe

By Robson Melasi|  The country consumes about 2,5 million litres of diesel and 1,5 million litres of petrol daily, which translates to over one billion litres per year. Assuming that we adopt the South African model of collecting eleven cents per litre of fuel, it translates to $158,4 million annually to cover accident victims.

We have been witnessing sad accidents where ambulance services had been hesitant to attend to accident victims because of uncertainty over payment of services rendered. This should be a thing of the past once the fund is introduced. Current economic challenges have left ordinary Zimbabweans constrained in accessing medical services, with some health institutions demanding payment upfront even in cases of accidents. Therefore, we believe the new fund should be thoroughly researched and debated so that would-be accident victims are assured of proper health care while the deceased’s family will not have to endure the pain of scrounging for resources to bury their loved ones. Social security nets are critical in a country’s development process, hence why the People’s Rainbow Coalition views this idea of a proposed framework of such a fund as one such facility that should ease the livelihood of most Zimbabweans.

We have the solutions!

*#mujuruforpresident*

*robsonmelassi@peoplesrainbowcoalition*
*email:[email protected]*
*whatsapp:0777300979*
*fb:Robson Amisi Melassi*

Calls For Grace Mugabe’s Arrest

Liberation war fighters are piling pressure on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to arrest former first lady Grace Mugabe over her attainment of a doctorate degree under controversial circumstances but analysts have cautioned that any punitive action against the first family might backfire for Zanu-PF at the polls.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (Znlwva) said failure to arrest Grace, alleged to have been corruptly awarded the PhD by officials at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) would make a mockery of Mnangagwa’s anti-corruption crusade.

“The president has made a clarion call to permanently destroy the vice of corruption, leaving no sacred cows. This means the conduct of all those who hold office, impacting on other people’s lives, should be open to rigorous public scrutiny and they must be held accountable without fear or favour,” Znlwva said in the statement.

“It is mind-boggling that an institution, (such) as the University of Zimbabwe, mandated to nurture and educate our young members of society is led by people who protect and cover-up corruption and abuse of office. Why should corruption at UZ be considered a sacred cow?”

Grace was awarded the PhD in 2014 after about three months of study.

Doctorates typically require several years of full-time research and writing.

Levi Nyagura, the vice chancellor of the UZ was arrested last month after the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission initiated investigations into the matter.

He is currently out on bail.

Znlwva yesterday said it believed that the saga provides a litmus test for Mnangagwa’s government, which has pitched the fight against corruption on top of its agenda.

The association said unfettered investigations should commence forthwith into the conduct of the country’s oldest university to rid the institution of any practices that taint the current dispensation as this potentially poisons learners.

The war veterans said if government fails to handle the case properly, it will tarnish the integrity of Zimbabwe’s education system.

“We, veterans of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle and the vanguard and custodians of the revolution and architects of this new dispensation demand explanation from all involved institutions and organs of the State mandated to uphold our educational system. These organs must perform the honourable task of explaining to the Zimbabwean public the exact circumstances, the procedures and all the processes followed in awarding Grace … a doctoral degree by the UZ.

“We cannot afford to have our education system marred by individuals who use their positions of office to circumvent rules, customs and practices that all others are subjected to. We shall leave no stone unturned in our demands,” said Znlwva.

They further said, “We know that Generation 40 (G40) elements thrive in our midst and are fighting to sustain and cover up the vice. Prominent G40 activists jump the fence and start to advance their agenda in the new dispensation. These individuals do not repent and consider themselves as irreplaceable which is totally fallacious.”

Grace is also facing charges of illegal dealings in ivory while she was still the first lady.

Police have confirmed that they are investigating her.

Analysts canvassed by the Daily News this week said Mnangagwa cannot move against the former first family now as that would hurt Zanu-PF in the forthcoming elections.

They said the threats coming from government targeted at the Mugabes were more of sabre-rattling and designed to remind the former president and his wife that things have changed with the aim of silencing them.

Political scientist Eldred Masunungure said for now Mnangagwa just wants to send warning shots to his former master, who has been throwing barbs at his administration, accusing him of ruling “illegally”.

“I am not sure the aim is to arrest. This is meant to embarrass her and show her that there is a new sheriff in town and that they should watch their steps; it’s really to tell the former first family where the power now lies. She is just being reminded that the power has left and now lies elsewhere,” he said.

Political analyst, Maxwell Saungweme, said while Mnangagwa can move against Mugabe, such a move would be “suicidal”.

“It is possible to move in against them. But it is politically heedless. It will backfire since the regime has so many skeletons in the cupboard Mugabe and G40 are aware of,” he said.

“A move on Grace and Mugabe will be good for the transparency and ridding the country of corruption, but will also rope in Mnangagwa and the military. It will be a self-defeatist manoeuvre. It will end the junta admin- good for democracy,” added Saungweme.

Professor of World Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London in the United Kingdom, Stephen Chan, said Mnangagwa was better advised to leave Mugabe in peace.

“It should wait till after the elections have accorded it full constitutional legitimacy, and then take action through the courts. Even in the case of the Mugabes, there needs to be a new page with rule of law and transparent procedure,” said Chan.

After the military arm-twisted Mugabe into resigning in November last year, Mnangagwa was elected Zanu-PF leader and subsequently sworn-in on the 24th of the same month as the country’s second executive president.

Although he promised to protect Mugabe’s legacy, Mnangagwa is now seemingly growing impatient with his former master with his loyalists pushing for his expulsion or even arrest. – Daily News

MPR Scoffs At ‘Coup Govt’ Apologist Obert Mpofu

Ray Nkosi | The Mqondisi Moyo-led Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) have refused to be intimidated by Minister of Home Affairs and Culture, Obert Mpofu.

Mpofu threatened to arrest the vocal group for for disrupting meetings of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC).

The Daily News quotes the group saying; “We take note of the warning by the coup government apologist…Mpofu….of the imminent arrests of MRP activists and supporters.”

“Our knowledge of the history of Mpofu reminds us that he has never spoken from his own job description, but that of the…Zanu PF clique. This proves beyond doubt that Cabinet business in Zimbabwe is not done according to the Constitution, but Zanla command.”

The youths have demanded that President Emmerson Mnangagwa answer’s for his role in the Gukurahundi atrocities. NPRC meetings have had to be cancelled.

Mnangagwa Intervenes, Doctors End Strike | BREAKING NEWS

Ray Nkosi | Doctors have announced an end to a crippling strike that has been going on for weeks now.

The doctors announce an end to strike at a critical stage that major referral hospitals were no longer accepting new patients and ZNA soldiers being deployed in some hospitals to ease the situation.

In a letter dated 31 March, the doctors say after the intevention of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, “there has been positive developments. We have entered an agreement with the health services board.”

 

Mutasa, Gumbo Join Forces With Mnangagwa

Former Zanu PF bigwigs, Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo, who were sacked from the ruling party in 2014, have expressed their willingness to rejoin the ruling party.

This comes after the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (Znlwva) recommended on Thursday that they be re-admitted into Zanu PF, along with former war veterans’ chairperson, Jabulani Sibanda, and other ex-combatants who were stampeded out of Zanu PF about four years ago.

Mutasa and Gumbo were expelled from Zanu PF by Mugabe along with a host of other officials who were seen as loyal to former vice president Joice Mujuru who had fallen out of favour with former president Robert Mugabe at the time.

Upon receiving their marching orders, they teamed up with Dzikamai Mavhaire, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, Mujuru and many Zanu PF cadres who were disgruntled with Mugabe’s autocratic tendencies to form the Zimbabwe People First (ZPF).

A few months after its formation, ZPF split because of irreconcilable differences between its founders.

Mutasa and Gumbo were among those who clung to the party’s name and offices while Mujuru moved on to form the National People’s Party.

On Thursday, Znlwva secretary-general, Victor Matemadanda, told the Daily News that they wanted Mutasa, Gumbo, Sibanda and many others to be re-admitted into Zanu PF, which is now under the leadership of Emmerson Mnangagwa who came to power after Mugabe was toppled in November last year through a soft military coup.

He said: “What came out most was the resolution of asking the party to readmit all expelled war veterans, especially the likes of comrade Jabulani Sibanda, Didymus Mutasa, Rugare Gumbo and others back into the party because we feel the party becomes strong and stronger when people are working together”.

The recommendations would be forwarded to the ruling Zanu PF party for consideration and possible ratification.

Contacted for comment yesterday, Gumbo said they were still talking to the war veterans so that they could rejoin the ruling party.

“There are number of issues we need to discuss before rejoining Zanu PF,” he said, without elaborating.

“We are still consulting and I think if they can manage to clarify some issues, we are going to rejoin the party. We are having talks with war veterans but the talks are not yet formal and I think as war veterans, we need to work together for the good of our country. For us, the war veterans are stating an obvious thing because if you are a war veteran you will remain as a war veteran,” Gumbo said.
This seems to suggest that the expelled ex-combatants do not want to be re-admitted into the party as ordinary card-carrying members.

Before their sacking in 2014, Mutasa was the party’s secretary for administration while Gumbo was its spokesperson.

Both were members of the party’s Soviet-style political bureau, otherwise referred to as the politburo.
Zanu PF’s constitution requires any individual willing to return to the party to appeal to its central committee, which is its policy-making organ.

Thereafter, the appeal is taken to an ad-hoc appeals committee of congress whose decisions shall be final.

Gumbo’s precondition could be based on the fact that the powers-that-be in Zanu PF are known for bending the rules when it suits them and could be out to extract some concessions before his re-admission.

In re-admitting former Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo into the party in 2013, Zanu PF took the unprecedented step of inviting the serial political flip-flopper to return to the party because it was desperate at the time to utilise his propaganda skills.

Moyo had been expelled from Zanu PF in 2005 for refusing to give way to a woman candidate for the Tsholotsho constituency after the ruling party had reserved the seat for a woman.

The sharp-tongued politician, who is now in self-imposed exile following former president Robert Mugabe’s ouster, had fallen victim to purges that targeted Zanu PF members who had organised an unsanctioned meeting in Tsholotsho to oppose the election of Mujuru as vice president.

While Sibanda refused to comment on the matter, Mutasa, who is former State Security minister, said he was prepared to work with his former comrades.

“Zanu PF without Mugabe, I will go; I am ready to join, I am ready to talk to them. We went to war for democracy and not for Mugabe, so we are ready. What the war veterans are saying — that we had the same objective — that is very true,” he said.

Mutasa recently set tongues wagging after he met with opposition National Patriotic Front (NPF) leader, Ambrose Mutinhiri, sparking speculation that he could be considering joining the party, which is linked to Mugabe.

As an elder in ZPF, many also believe it would be duplicitous for him and Gumbo to dump their party for another.

Mutasa admitted talking to NPF and ZPF officials. “Yes I still talk to people in People First,” he said.
“I talk to everyone, I cannot turn down people — I will talk to anyone. Of all the parties that I have been part of, Zanu PF is the one I spent most of my time in. There are many people who sacrificed (for our independence) and had we not taken part (in the liberation struggle) we could not be where we are today. People such as Emmerson (Mnangagwa) and others — if they were not there — Zanu PF would not be there. Of course, Mugabe did something but he is the one who destroyed (the party),” he added. Daily News

New China Package For Mnangagwa Govt

China is expected to announce a new package of assistance to Zimbabwe in a few days time and Afreximbank is expected to announce measures to help ease the liquidity crunch in Zimbabwe.

Addressing a media briefing at the Chinese embassy in Harare this Friday afternoon, Chinese Deputy Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Zhao Baogang said the Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold bilateral talks with his Zimbabwean counterpart President Emmerson Mnangagwa this coming week where China is expected to announce a new assistance package for Zimbabwe.

“A Chinese commercial bank and Afreximbank are holding discussions to find ways of easing the liquidity crisis facing Zimbabwe and measures to be implemented are expected to be announced during President Mnangagwa’s state visit to China,” said Mr Zhao.

President Mnangagwa’s itinerary in China will include signing of Bi-National Cooperation Agreements with his Chinese counterpart, attending a business promotion meeting, visits to various Chinese companies and discussions with the Communist Party of China.

Deputy Ambassador Zhao also said the Chinese government is forging ahead with a number of projects that it has undertaken to fund like the new parliament building, a pharmaceutical warehouse and the airport expansion project among others.

Ambassador Zhao also dispelled misconceptions that the company that supplied biometric voter registration kits, Laxton Group is a Chinese company but rather a South African entity.
He said the Chinese government supports Zimbabwe’s efforts to hold free and fair elections, but are disturbed by attempts advanced by some quarters to undermine the relations of the two friendly nations.

A number of Chinese nationals were mentioned on the list of externalisers and Ambassador Zhao said the embassy has since engaged the government because most of the Chinese nationals and companies were erroneously mentioned because the purported externalised funds are in actual fact remittances that are above board.- Agencies

Armed Rebels Attack Kabila’s Home

Armed rebels killed at least one soldier during an attack on a house owned by Congo President Joseph Kabila in the restive east where a number of conflicts have flared in recent months, rebel and Congo military sources said on Thursday.

Kabila was not present when Mai-Mai militiamen attacked the house near the town of Beni and clashed with state soldiers, who were able to fend off the attack.

The second assault on a presidential residence in three months points to a deteriorating security situation in Congo stoked in part by Kabila’s refusal to step down in 2016 when his mandate expired.

A home belonging to Kabila was attacked and set on fire in North Kivu province in December. A policeman died in the incident.

The security situation in the east, already a tinderbox of ethnic tensions, has worsened this year as state authority slips, forcing tens of thousands to flee and threatening to destabilise the whole country.

A spokesman for the Mai-Mai rebel group said it killed three soldiers during the attack. An army spokesman said one of its soldiers and one assailant were killed.

A spokesman for the president was not available for comment.

The Mai-Mai comprise a number of armed bands that originally formed to resist Rwandan invasions in the 1990s. They have since morphed into a wide variety of ethnic-based militia, smuggling networks and protection rackets.- Reuters

Masisi Takes Over From Khama

Ian Khama, a retired army general, stepped down as president of Botswana on Saturday, handing the diamond-rich country to his deputy after a decade at the helm.

Mokgweetsi Masisi becomes only the third leader to take charge of the southern African nation outside the Khama political dynasty that has dominated national politics since independence from Britain in 1966.

Masisi, 55, inherits a country that has for decades been heralded as a beacon of African democracy and sound economic management but faces a huge task of reducing the country’s dependence on diamonds.

“I am not sure about his competency in as far as the economy is concerned, but if he has the respect of his ministers then he should be able to make them deliver,” said political analyst Ndulamo Anthony Morima.

Masisi, a trained teacher who has also worked for the United Nations Children’s Fund as an education project officer for eight years until 2003, was elected lawmaker in 2009. He served in the president’s office as a minister of public affairs from 2011 until 2014 when Khama named him minister of education, a post he held until appointed vice president last year.

“The business community sees him as being more business-friendly so that should work well for the economy. He seems to be more likely to come up with regulation that enables more economic activity,” said RMB Botswana economist Moatlhodi Sebabole.

Masisi takes office more than a year before the election under Botswana’s constitution that restricts the president to serving two five-year terms. Khama, son the son of Botswana’s first president, Seretse, also took over from Festus Mogae a year before the 2009 election.

One of the world’s poorest countries in the 1970s, Botswana transformed itself into one of the fastest-growing economies by harnessing around $3 billion a year in diamond sales, to become one of the world’s biggest producers, and gained middle-income status.

But dependence on its wealth from the diamond industry might be catching up with the landlocked country of just two million after the collapse in commodity prices in 2014 tipped its economy into recession three years ago.

“He is well versed with current challenges that the country is facing and I am sure he is quite capable of delivering,” said Mothusi Sename, a 41-year-old taxi driver in Gaborone, referring to Masisi.

END OF POLITICAL DYNASTY?

 Khama’s departure leaves his younger brother and tourism minister Tshekedi as the only member of the family holding a high-profile post in the government, and depending on who Masisi picks as vice president, it would be the first time a Khama is not part of the top tier of national leadership.

Khama, a 65-year old bachelor, is known as a straight talker having publicly criticized leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump for an alleged slur against African countries and then-president Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe for overstaying his welcome.

Khama was born in Britain after his father a married a white British woman Ruth Williams, defying convention and opposition in Africa and Britain. Their story was depicted in the 2016 film ‘A United Kingdom’.

His party, Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), is expected to name Masisi as its presidential candidate for next year’s election.

Masisi will be inaugurated on Sunday.- Reuters

What Next? Sekeramayi Speaks Out

Former Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi, who was at one time tipped to take over from former President Robert Mugabe in the hot Zanu PF succession war has spoken out.

Sekeramayi who has remained a member of Zanu PF, has lost his former allies who  include exiled Professor Jonathan Moyo and others who have formed the National Patriotic Front, led by General Ambrose Mutinhiri with the blessing of the Mugabe family.

The local Daily News reports that Sekeramayi who became a career Cabinet minister under Mugabe’s iron-fisted rule, has opened up for the first time on losing his job when his mentor was stripped of power through a soft military coup last November

At one time tippled to succeed Mugabe, 94, before the pendulum swung in the penultimate stages of the despot’s rule, Sekeramayi crushed out of government in November last year, when President Emmerson Mnangagwa named his inaugural Cabinet, made up of the deadwood in Zanu PF.

He had served in Cabinet since independence in 1980, becoming the only Zanu PF cadre to consistently serve under Mugabe for 37 years.

Sekeramayi, 74, opened saying he was over the heartbreak of losing his post and was now content with just being a Zanu PF politburo member and senator for Mashonaland East.

He said he was not bitter at all over his current circumstances.

“Everything has got its time. I have been in politics and when politics comes to an end, I will find something else,” he said.

He, however, appeared to confirm the long-held belief that those thrown out of the Zanu PF gravy train have always found it difficult to survive without the luxury of the featherbeddings they used to enjoy while still in positions of influence.

The former Health minister said ever since he was cashiered out of government he has been getting by through allowances from his seat as senator for Mashonaland East.

“I am a member of Zanu PF; I am a senator for Mashonaland East province and that’s it,” he told the Daily News when asked how he was making ends meet outside Cabinet.

Although he could only laugh after being pressed if he wants his job back, Sekeramayi who served as Defence minister from 2001 to 2009 and State Security minister from 2009 to 2013 has been showing face at government meetings.

On Monday, he was among the VIPs at the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Caledonia, attended by various Cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament and civil society organisations.

At the event, he emerged as the unlikely candidate to be given the task of introducing then acting president Kembo Mohadi.

Ever the shy character, Sekeramayi played down the significance of his new found favour with Mnangagwa’s administration.

“We were celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities that’s why we were here. I am here in my capacity as the Senator for Mashonaland East,” he said.

He could not be drawn to comment on his future.

“I am a senator, let’s end there,” he insisted.

The fall of the media-shy Sekeramayi could perhaps be traced back to when his name was thrown into the Zanu PF succession ring by then Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo at a public meeting in Harare in June last year.

Moyo set the cat among the pigeons when he declared that Sekeramayi was a shoo-in to succeed Mugabe on account of his alleged seniority.

Former first lady Grace Mugabe also revealed at one of the youth interface rallies held last year that her husband confided his closely-guarded secrets to Sekeramayi, implying he was his preferred successor.

At no point did Sekeramayi refute Moyo and Grace’s dismissal of Mnangagwa and their approval of him as his silence appeared to be a confirmation.

Thereafter, he temporarily basked in glory before it emerged that it was Mugabe’s nagging wife who was the despot’s preferred successor.

While these incidents could have strained his relationship with Mnangagwa — for long touted as Mugabe’s heir apparent — it was events in Gwanda in August 2017 during one of Mugabe’s whirlwind youth interface rallies that must have spoilt it for him.

Sekeramayi’s name was bandied among those that could have poisoned Mnangagwa, although he strenuously denied it and even dragged an ally of Mnangagwa, Energy Mutodi, to court after he made the damning claims on his Facebook page.

He jointly sued the businessman, along with Health and Child Care minister David Parirenyatwa, accusing Mutodi of posting falsehoods.

After Mugabe’s fall, Sekeramayi threw his weight behind Mnangagwa’s presidential bid, declaring he never wanted to take over the presidency and was happy Zanu PF had chosen Mnangagwa.

At a hastily arranged Zanu PF special Central Committee session whose main agenda was to recall Mugabe, reinstate Mnangagwa and elevate him as the interim party president, Sekeramayi ululated, jumped and punched the air as his former paymaster was recalled to pave way for Mnangagwa.

He, however, sang from a different hymn book in an interview with the Daily News on the sidelines of the special Central Committee meeting held to remove Mugabe last year.

“I was equally shocked by what was happening. I wasn’t a part of that,” Sekeramayi told the Daily News then as he danced away to Jah Prayzah’s Kutonga Kwaro.

Pressed if he was in agreement with Mnangagwa’s presidential candidature he said: “I’m a servant of the party and I follow what the party wants,” he said jovially before being whisked away by his security details.


Chamisa Mocks “Elder” Mnangagwa

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has mocked President Emmerson Mnangagwa over his scarf, adding that the 75-year-old politician does not even know what Wi-Fi is.

Speaking at a rally in the capital this week, Chamisa said “He (Mnangagwa) is going around putting a scarf even when it is hot”.

“I said old man yarova sei chinja yakupfekedza scarf nekunopisa (you are being frightened by MDC to an extent of putting on a scarf even in hot weather),” he said, adding “we don’t have anything to do with that old man as we are going to defeat him in this year’s election”.

Mnangagwa has made the Zimbabwe flag-designed scarf part of his fashion statement.

Since the time he went to Davos, Switzerland, Mnangagwa has consistently worn the scarf, be it at party events or government engagements.

Chamisa went on to say Mnangagwa could not pretend to be the solution to Zimbabwe’s problems.

“We have the keys to unlock the economy, we are the young generation we can work with the international community we can call (France president Emmanuel) Macron and say can you please help us to grow our economy. Do you think Mnangagwa can do that if Macron asked him about Wi-Fi he will think that Macron is asking him about his wife,” Chamisa said, adding “this is an old generation, we are going to give them a rest in the next election, we are going to say our elders you did a great job go and rest”.

“There is no question we are going to win this year but we are demanding electoral reforms,” Chamisa said. This comes as a leading political analyst, Ibbo Mandaza, recently predicted a victory for Chamisa in the forthcoming elections, as long as the polls are free and fair.

For the first time in two decades, the forthcoming elections will not feature ousted former president Robert Mugabe and the popular late MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai — who lost his valiant battle with colon cancer in February this year.

Mugabe’s 37-year, iron-fisted rule was dramatically ended by the intervention of the military last November, paving way for the installation of his long-time aide, Mnangagwa, as his successor both in government and in Zanu PF.- Daily News

 

 

Dear Chris Mutsvangwa Please Reflect On Your Actions First With Grace Mugabe To Now As ED’s Advisor

Dear editor please publish my letter for me.
Dear Advisor in President’s office, Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa, I am writing to you with a sad face because you have disappointed me. I believe that you are a learned man, a man with ideas that you used to express through press conferences when you were suspended from Zanu PF.
I picked a number of progressive ideas from your utterances against Jonathan Moyo and Savior Kasukuwere and I guess thats why president chose you to be his advisor. Let me not believe that you were pretending to be a “born again christian” because you were barred from participating in your “deceiptful & thuggery organisation” you wanted friends and sympathisers yet you were not a changed person.
We know you very well mr Mutsvanga for your verbal attacks against Joyce Mujuru and her allies in 2014, when she was being persecuted by the then 1st lady Grace Mugabe whom you proudly called doctor Amai after she was awarded with a controversial PHD.
You rallied behind Dr Amai whilst your fellow war veterans were being persecuted. You were at the forefront dennouncing them with your “infamous vocabulary”. When the same Dr Amai started persecuting you with the aid of the G40 members which you prefer to call G40 cabal, you gained conscious and realised that Grace Mugabe was up to no good in both Zanu PF and Zimbabwe as a whole thats when you sided with the majority and other expelled party members.
We (the masses) were behind you, supporting you and clapping hands for you as you were exposing Grace Mugabe and her ‘cabal’. We thought that you have realised how Zanu PF has failed Zimbabwe and you were against oppression of the masses and looting of resources. Unfortunately you were just making noise because you were a bitter man who had missed a spoon that used to feed him whilst he is sleeping. You are back in government through back door of coup de’tat of November 17 2017 and you have completely forgotten matters of the people outside government.
I thought you felt how it feels to be an ordinary person in Zimbabwe whilst government officials are living large but, you have completely forgotten in a space of few months. We are not crying to see you addressing the public since you are now working in the office of the president. Your task is to give advice to our president who seems to be cluesless on this statesman post. You should talk through president’s actions but we have not seen anything positive. We had hope in a cabinet that was going to be made by new president but it ended up as a disappointment.
We held our breath on the list of externalisers but it came out as a joke. Then Major Sibusiso Moyo announced on national TV in November 2017 that he was targeting criminals around the president (R G Mugabe) but no one has been convicted of criminal activity. Sometimes I wonder if Mugabe was the criminal because he is the one who ended up being a biggest loser but there were no charges against him.
Everything about this new government is a joke and pain to Zimbabweans. Is that what you are advising ED, mr advisor? What exactly are you doing in your your office on a daily basis? Have you gone to your old system of eating quietly?
Is that true what I am thinking, that we supported you in November 2017 to just retain a place in government so that you can start squandering tax payers money as usual?
Mr advisor, elections are around the corner. I am sorry ED has NO my vote and there are many people out there crying like me, brace yourself because there will be no coming back in government this time if you fall by the way side. Pass my greetings to your wife Monica, I heard she was appointed a minister of state in one of Zimbabwe’s provinces by ED maybe from your advice. Yours Mwanawevhu

PICTURE BLAST: ED Removes Scarf

Ray Nkosi | President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appeared in public for the first time without wearing his trademark colourful scarf.

Mnangagwa joins thousands of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) members who are gathered at Mbungo in Masvingo Province for their annual Easter.

The gathering is reported to be the biggest gathering in the country every Easter with congregants drawn from all over the world.

JUNTA LATEST: Soldiers Demand Free S*x For Mugabe Coup

Zimbabwean soldiers have been demanding free sex since Robert Mugabe was removed from power‚ according to the National Aids Council (NAC).

Its report on attitudes and practice towards key populations such as sex workers‚ gays‚ lesbians and drug users revealed that army personnel in some parts of the country were demanding sex at gunpoint.

“Soldiers have become a menace in various areas as they demand free sex especially in the wake of the recent Operation Restore Legacy‚” the report says.

Operation Restore Legacy refers the military takeover of the country in November last year‚ during which Mugabe was placed under house arrest. He resigned six days later as impeachment proceeding started in Parliament.

Soldiers felt entitled to free sex because they believe they brought a renewed form of freedom with the end of Mugabe’s 37-year rule‚ according to the report.

“They claimed to have brought freedom to the country and as such they should be rewarded.”

The report added that police were also in the habit of demanding free sex but soldiers instilled fear in sex workers. “For fear of guns the sex workers end up giving in.”

The research was carried out in towns and rural areas.

Opposition leader Joice Mujuru‚ of the People’s Rainbow Coalition‚ claimed in a letter to President Emmerson Mngangagwa that 3 000 soldiers are using intimidation tactics in their campaign for the ruling Zanu-PF.

Mugabe tells of ‘great betrayal’ in ‘secret’ interview”Zanu-PF political commissariat and government have deployed an estimated 3 000 military officials in civilian clothes into both urban and rural communities to campaign for Zanu-PF ahead of the election‚” she wrote.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance believes the active participation of the army in civilian life will compromise the elections to be held in July or August.

“If soldiers are removed from the villages‚ from intimidating people [Nelson] Chamisa will go to State House‚” said MDC Alliance partner Professor Welshman Ncube.

Part of the United States’ conditions for the removal of sanctions in Zimbabwe is electoral reforms‚ chief of which is the withdrawal of the army from politics.- TimesLive

Chidhumo Protege Now A Preacher Of The Word Of God

An ex-convict from Mutoko who frequented the courts to answer to 70 counts of such serious crimes as rape and robbery has turned to preaching and is currently in Masvingo town where he is spreading the word of God and exposing his evil past.

Forty-three-year-old Christian Bvunzawabaya Kabasa said he spent most of his time behind bars having started stealing at a very tender age. Kabasa said he was initiated into criminal activities bythe late notorious robber and murderer,Stephen Chidhumo, days after meeting him in Nyamapanda.

“When I met Chidhumo, we had an eye contact and there was a demonic bond. I just liked him though I didn’t know who he was. We met for three days and never talked. I then went to look for him at a club where he had booked a room. When I entered his room, I saw guns and other tools and he taught me how to use them,” said Kabasa.

His first mission, as instructed by Chidhumo, was to steal a car belonging to another man who had also booked a room at the same place. He was however arrested by the police while trying to drive the stolen car into Mozambique and was later sentenced to three years behind bars. He however received strokes of the caneinstead of being sent to jail due to his age.

He was to be caned again seven more times due to different criminal offences he committed as a juvenile.

After his conviction on the car theft charge, Kabasa moved to Murewa and finally to Harare where he got involved in all sorts of criminal activities that saw him spending no more than three months outside of police cells.

“Hapana mhosva yandisina kupara in my life, hapana chandisina kuba kusiya kwemunhu chete. I did armed robbery, rape, cattle rustling carjacking and any other criminal activities you may want to think of. I stole cars with alarms and tracking systems,” said Kabasa.

Finally, he was arrested in the year 2000 and was charged with 70 counts and was convicted on 50 of them. He was sentenced to 36 years but was later released through a presidential pardon following a long illness while in Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.

“After serving seven years, I started experiencing fit attacks (pfari) and that it could not be treated. I later underwent a CT scan of the brain and was diagnosed with a diseases called toxoplasmosis which the doctors said could not be treated and the condition could not be reversed,” he said.

Kabasa said he owed his repentance to Mai Pazvakavambwa, Pastor Mufema, and a Sister Angie of Faith Ministries International who came to preach at the prison.

“They would come to preach to us and they will bring some goodies with them to help get our interest. I was baptised, but simply so that I could receive the goodies more often. One day, however, they gave me a small booklet but I spent six months before reading it. When I finally decided to read it, I did so for 77 times before understanding what the story said. When I finally understood, I was inspired so I took the story to be mine.

“There is communication which happens in the spiritual realm of demonic forces before two potentially-evil people meet. That is what happened between me and Chidhumo,” said Kabaya.

He said he invited God and asked to be blessed and be freed from prison as he was terminally ill. He was then advised to put a request for a presidential amnesty in writing, which he did, leading to his release in 2012.

The ex-convict then started preaching to other people and visiting jails where he preached to inmates. He also began seeking donations from the people he would have preached to and sending those donations to inmates.

He said he had committed himself to travelling around preaching the gospel of the Lord and spreading his own testimonies. In Masvingo, he is staying with in Majange with Pastor Paul Mandala of the Life Revival Ministries.

Kabaya’s story and testimonies as well as the work he is doing is available on Facebook and he can be contacted on 0771 387 262 for audio discs. – tell zimbabwe

Mnangagwa Govt To Forfeit Assets Of Corrupt People

NATIONAL NEWS

Magistrates at the anti-graft courts have been ordered to forfeit assets purchased from proceeds of corruption according to the law, as a deterrent measure to the vice.

Addressing stakeholders in the fight against corruption during the launch of two specialised Anti-Corruption Courts for Harare and Bulawayo yesterday, Prosecutor-General Advocate Ray Goba said the laws of the country allowed for forfeiture of assets upon conviction of criminals.

Chief Justice Luke Malaba officially opened the specialised courts in the two cities, scaling up Government’s fight against corruption.

Adv Goba said investigators of corruption should go beyond investigating the suspects and move towards targeting their assets.

“Because the motivation for corruption is always profit, investigating agencies are now required to not only investigate and target the predicate criminal conduct, but also the assets and the processes that are undertaken by criminals to conceal the illicit origins or tainted nature of those assets through money laundering,” he said.

“Therefore, sentencing processes must include forfeiture of assets upon conviction. The money laundering law of Zimbabwe now provides for non-conviction-based forfeiture of assets.

“The courts will increasingly be called upon to deal with different types of quasi-civil applications in criminal proceedings, not only for warrants of seizure, but also for interdicts, restraint and forfeiture orders.”

Officially opening the specialised courts, Chief Justice Malaba said the Judicial Service Commission refurbished three courtrooms at Harare Magistrates Court and two others in Bulawayo to deal with corruption related matters.

The magistrates, together with selected prosecutors, have received thorough training on handling corruption cases.

“We have identified seven magistrates for Harare, who include the chief magistrate (Mr Mishrod Guvamombe) and his deputy (Mr Gibson Mandaza), two regional magistrates and three provincial magistrates to preside over these courts,” said Justice Malaba.

“In Bulawayo, we have identified five magistrates, together with a team of prosecutors selected by the Prosecutor General, who have undergone training to prepare them for the task ahead.”

Chief Justice Malaba said the purpose of the courts was to ensure that those guilty of corruption were prosecuted, convicted and punished accordingly.

Anti-graft courts, he said, were a product of a protocol crafted by stakeholders to the Against Corruption Together (ACT) campaign that was launched in 2016.

“The protocol provides for setting up of the anti-corruption courts, the operational parameters for the special teams, the general procedures in court and timelines to be observed,” he said.

Chief Justice Malaba urged magistrates to deal with corruption without fear and deny any form of influence from other quarters.

“I expect our magistrates to preside over cases brought before them independently, impartially and efficiently,” he said. “There should be no undue influence to bear on any of the stakeholders involved in the administration of justice from any quarter.”

Permanent Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mrs Virginia Mabiza, said the opening of the courts was a milestone achievement for the ministry.

“To us in the ministry, this is a milestone towards the attainment of our vision,” she said. “Setting up of anti-corruption courts is one of our goals and we have partially met our target in terms of the 100-day Rapid Results Initiative (RRI).”

Mrs Mabiza said the latest development was a sign of commitment by the stakeholders to fight corruption under the national anti-graft movement initiated by President Mnangagwa.

“That is clear evidence of commitment to stamping out corruption,” she said.

“Honourable Chief Justice, colleagues, a new dispensation has dawned upon us and we stand with His Excellency  the President on his stance that corruption no longer has a place in a new Zimbabwe that is open and conducive for business.”

More courts to deal with cases of corruption will be established in all the other eight remaining provinces.- state media

Shock As Man Keeps Skull In Field

Villagers relocated from Marange to Arda Transau were left shell-shocked after it emerged that one of them had reportedly been keeping a skull in his field for the past two years, in a suspected case of ritual killing.

The cranium was discovered on Monday by Brighton Shinga at his garden before investigations showed that it had originated from Mr Herbert Mukura’s field in Tenzi Mavhima’s area.

Some believe the skull was being used to scare away baboons and boost harvests while there also have been reports of ritual killings following the mysterious disappearance of three people from the area.

The skull has since been taken to Chief Zimunya where Mukura and his former worker, Hoseah Muzaniwetu, were called to explain how the skull ended up at his field.

Mukura and Muzaniwetu were accompanied by the village head and other villagers who had once seen the skull before being taken to Chief Zimunya. The two confirmed having seen and laid their hands on the skull at the field for the past two years.

They said they believed the skull was of a baboon.

“I first came to Odzi in 2015 and it was when I got employed by Mukura sometime in November 2015 that I saw the skull when I was working on the fields,” said Muzaniwetu.

Muzaniwetu (36) said he first saw a dog coming from the direction where the skull was, which raised his suspicion before he went to investigate.

“When I picked it, the skull was discharging a heavy stench, which forced me to drop it. I thought it was a baboon’s skull. I left the skull and continued with my work. I kept on seeing the skull over the years and I had never thought of it being that of a human being. All along, I was thinking it was a baboon skull,” he said.

Asked by Chief Zimunya why he kept the skull in the field for the past years without throwing it away and why it maintained its position over the period without being displaced during planting period, Muzaniwetu remained mum.

He later told Chief Zimunya that he left Mukura’s place to stay on a piece of land he had allocated him and it was when he also started hearing stories of the skull.

“After I left his place, it was when I heard that Mukura’s former employee wanted to take the skull to his aunt who is a faith healer in Bocha. I also heard that the skull was taken from the field and placed in a Mukwakwa tree facing the direction of a nearby mountain. I heard all was being done to scare away baboons from ravaging their fields,” he said.

Muzaniwetu said he once came across a ghost on two separate occasions , which he believes had something to do with the skull.

“I once came across a ghost on two separate occasions and I want to believe that it was as a result of this skull. I was still staying at Mukura’s place when it happened,” he said.

On the other hand, Mukura said he only came to know about the skull in January last year. He said he was also of the view that the skull was of a baboon.

“When I saw the skull I called Muzaniwetu who laughed at me saying it was a baboon skull. I never touched it. I stay in town and I only visit Arda Transau once in a while.

“During my visits to the fields I would come across the skull. This year, I also saw the skull at the boundary of my field although it had changed position. It was only on Monday that I was surprised to be told that it was a human head,” he said.

Mukura said he then engaged their village head who suggested the skull be taken to Chief Zimunya. He said they decided to take the matter to Odzi police station where statements were recorded.

Chief Zimunya reported the matter to the police.

“We have to engage the police first and after the police have dealt with it, we will also then deal with it using our traditional means. There have been reports of people using skulls to scare away baboons especially in areas such as Chitakatira. However, I have heard of three people who mysteriously disappeared at Arda Transau,” he said.

Muzaniwetu and Mukura were handed over to the police for further investigations of the matter. Manica Post

Ethiopia Elects Chamisa Age Mate Ahmed New Leader

Ethiopia’s ruling coalition late Tuesday named a chairman set to become the country’s new prime minister amid the latest state of emergency in Africa’s second most populous nation.

The young, outspoken Abiy Ahmed is now poised to take power, as the ruling coalition and its regional affiliates hold all parliament seats. A vote by lawmakers is expected on Wednesday.

The announcement followed months of the most severe anti-government protests in a quarter-century and the surprise decision by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn early this year to release prominent politicians, journalists and others from prison to free up political space.

But Hailemariam later announced his intention to resign and a new state of emergency, the second in less than two years, was imposed in one of Africa’s fastest growing economies. Earlier this week, a number of recently freed politicians and journalists were re-arrested and accused of gathering without authorities’ prior knowledge.

Abiy will be the first person from Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, the Oromo, to hold the post of prime minister since the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front came to power in 1991. Credited with co-founding the National Intelligence and Security Service, he was elected last month as chair of the Oromo People Democratic Organization, one of the ruling coalition’s four core parties, paving the way for his premiership.

The new leader, who is in his 40s, is widely seen as a fresh face in the ruling coalition, which long has been dominated by the smaller but more powerful Tigray Peoples Liberation Front.

The ruling coalition on Tuesday also decided to keep Demeke Mekonnen as deputy prime minister.

Ethiopians had eagerly awaited news of their new leader for days. This will be the third prime minister since the current ruling coalition came to power close to 30 years ago after overthrowing the Derg military regime by force.

Many hoped the development would bring calm to the nation of 100 million people after the months of protests demanding wider freedoms. “A fair justice system works only when human rights are respected,” Abiy said during a recent meeting in the Oromia region.

“I believe that the Oromia region president, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, is the answer to Ethiopia’s youths’ questions,” Yonas Alemayehu, an activist in the restive region, told The Associated Press. The Oromo people, despite their numbers, have long felt marginalized and have played a main role in the demonstrations.

The outgoing prime minister at times had been labeled as weak and in the shadow of former strongman Meles Zenawi, who died in 2012. Others argued that Hailemariam successfully continued the late leader’s core policies: economic transformation and repression.

In a 2016 interview with the AP, Hailemariam acknowledged that good governance was in decline in Ethiopia, a key security ally of the United States.

“That is the main reason why people are protesting,” he said at the time. “This is really a positive sign. I have recently apologized in front of the parliament for our mismanagement and lack of responsibility that have generated these dissents. We are now taking measures to address those grievances.”

However, the protests have continued to this day.

Yilikal Getnet, a prominent opposition figure, said the declaration of two separate states of emergency and now the change in leadership showed that the tight grip that ruling elites once had over the public was now deserting them.

“This change in leadership is an indication of how unstable the government is,” Yilikal told the AP. “It has got nothing to do with opening up for democratization or a peaceful transfer of power. It’s time for the ruling party to admit that solving Ethiopia’s current woes are beyond its capacity.”- AFP

After 2 Terms Botswana’s Khama Steps Down Peacefully, Hands Over To Masisi

Khama has visited all of Botswana’s 57 constituencies since December, bidding a long goodbye to a population of just 2.2 million after serving the constitutional maximum of 10 years in office.

He will be succeeded by Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi, a full 18 months before elections.

Khama’s two terms in power have been defined by his country’s rapid development thanks to lucrative diamond and beef exports and by a reputation for good governance.

He has also become renowned for straight talking — breaking with diplomatic convention to criticise leaders including US President Donald Trump and then-president Robert Mugabe in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

On Tuesday, his tour finished in his ancestral village of Serowe in the east of the country, with a day of songs, poems, gifts, ululation and pleading for him to remain in office.

Thousands of jubilant villagers dressed in blue, white and black, gathered in a kgotla, a traditional courtyard, to hear Khama speak.

“I was a soldier, I didn’t have interest to join politics, I had future plans, away from politics,” he told the crowd, adding that his predecessor Festus Mogae had to persuade him to take over in 2008.

Son of independence leader

Khama, 65, has cultivated a down-to-earth image — despite his father Seretse Khama serving from 1966 to 1980 as Botswana’s first president after independence from Britain.

Edna Monyena, a village elder in her 80s, lavished praise on the outgoing president, telling him that he was “an honest man, a straightforward man” who showed “real love”.

Many elderly female villagers wore blue dresses printed with portraits of Khama’s father, and some used cow bones as percussion instruments as they stood up to sing and dance.

Khama was showered with gifts including a 4×4 truck, 143 cows, hundreds of chickens, over 415,000 pula ($44,000), and a fully-equipped luxury caravan that his brother Tshekedi dubbed a “mobile state house”.

The avid conservationist also received a framed picture of a rhino.

“I wanted him to be 50 years more in office, I want him to work until the Almighty calls him,” unemployed Sadie Moleta, 23, told AFP in Serowe, where Khama is a chief of the Bangwato tribe.

Khama, a former pilot and military chief, demonstrated his outspoken streak when he recently accused Trump of promoting policies that encourage poaching, and summoning the US envoy over Trump’s alleged slur against African countries in January.

Khama called on Zimbabwe‘s Robert Mugabe to step down well before the nonagenarian was ousted, and his government has also urged Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila to resign after his term expired in December 2016.

The Botswana leader’s on-schedule departure has made a public display of obeying the constitutional term limit.

But his own record in office has not been without its critics, who accuse him of an autocratic leadership style.

He led the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) to landslide victories in two elections, although the party won less than 50 percent for the first time in the 2014 vote.

Uneven legacy?

Often seen as one of Africa’s success stories, Botswana has recorded rising unemployment since 2009 as diamond prices fell.

The drop in revenue forced Khama to halt many planned investments in recent years.

“Internationally, he positioned himself as a moral leader in the region, stepping down as an example of a leader who respects laws and traditions — and inviting both President Kabila and Mugabe to respect democracy and the rule of law,” Matteo Vidiri, a BMI Research analyst, told AFP.

“(But) a slowing economy and increasing public discontent has damaged the narrative of Botswana’s ‘special character’, of a country being able to escape the ‘resource curse’.”

The opposition blames Khama for creating a society of “beggars”.

“He killed the spirit of self-reliance creating dependency through handouts,” Kesitegile Gobotswang, deputy president of the Botswana Congress Party, told AFP.

“The economy shed jobs under his leadership.”

Khama, who is unmarried, was born in Britain as his father married white British woman Ruth Williams — a mixed-race partnership that caused widespread shock in Africa and Britain.

Incoming president Masisi, 55, will be inaugurated on Sunday.- AFP

ED’s Looters List Backfires

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s decision to name and shame companies alleged to have externalised funds and assets has turned into a nightmare for local companies that are being snubbed by potential suitors and trading partners.

This came out during a breakfast meeting organised by the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) yesterday, where representatives of a number of companies said they have been struggling to do business ever since the list was published by the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC).

On March 19, the OPC released a long list of companies purported to have illegally taken money and assets outside the country.

Initially, Mnangagwa had given the culprits a 90-day window period within which they were to return the loot in exchange for their freedom.

The period stretched from December 1, 2017 to February 28, 2018.

After the expiry of the three-month moratorium, he further extended the deadline by another two weeks, to February 19. During that period, government neither asked questions nor preferred charges against those that repatriated the money or assets.

This included cases that were before the courts where judgments were yet to be passed.

A few individuals and companies came forward, but many opted to play hide-and-seek with the authorities.

On Monday last week, Mnangagwa lived up to his word by naming and shaming the alleged culprits who could not take advantage of his moratorium.

Government has said it would subsequently use legal instruments to those that have failed to comply, including triggering prosecutions.

The list, however, emerged as scandalous as it turned out that most of the companies appearing on it were actually legitimate importers and exporters whose transactions were not processed on time and were thus erroneously criminalised.

This has had the effect of compromising their standing since most foreign partners are reluctant to do business with firms that have criminal records.

ZNCC president Divine Ndlhukula said several member organisations are desperately trying to engage the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) to clear their names and salvage their reputations.

“Their partners abroad are now a bit jittery and obviously that is affecting them. I think there is need for the list to be revised so that only people that externalised are the ones that would appear on it,” she said.

“Currently, there are a lot of people that are on the list who never externalised. It’s important that those companies are cleared because that affects their brands and their business and it’s important that something be done about it,” she said.

Ndlhukula advised the affected companies against suing government for wrongfully exposing them.

“I don’t think going the legal route is the best way. I think the powers-that-be, whoever and wherever that list was generated from; they should revise that list and say these were stated wrongly so that those people can go back to their partners and say we have been cleared.

“If it is the RBZ, obviously they have got to revise that list. I’m sure by now they have had over a 100 engagements by a number of people who feel that they were put on that list when they do not belong to that list. So they should really correct that,” she added.

Jeffrey Rugare, a local businessman who runs an alternative energy solutions concern, narrated how his business partners in Zambia spurned him after his company — Global Solar Company — was wrongly put on the list.

He said the RBZ mistook his $50 000 deal to import solar power equipment for externalised funds, adding that Global Solar Company was wrongly put on the list because of a malfunctioning Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) system, which missed its acquittals.

This was during the time when Zimra was processing transactions manually.

“Government is expecting my company to bring back the money when we imported goods which are already circulating on the market. We did not externalise, we are Zimbabweans. We have created employment in the country. We are the first company owned by young Zimbabweans to start manufacturing energy bulbs in the country and we are appearing on the list.

“So if they criminalise us, who is going to do business (with us)? We instead attracted money into the country from our foreign investors who made this business possible. We have a lot of questions to ask. I believe somebody lied to the president. We need a cure from that list because it is affecting our brand. For example, we also operate in Zambia and I sent a message to our partner there to say we wanted to come and start manufacturing there. But he said, ‘hope Mnangagwa will not say you externalised’. We are trying to do business for our country and a foreigner writes this.

“This list, people believe it but it’s a fake list. We want to build our country, it’s our home. But if you do this, you are killing us,” he pleaded.

ZNCC members also heaped the blame on local banks saying they were complicit in the production of the “fake list”.

Former ZNCC president Luxon Zembe opined that the list was replete with companies doing their best to stay afloat despite the difficult operating environment in Zimbabwe.

He pointed an accusing finger at the banks for misinforming the OPC.

But Bankers Association of Zimbabwe (Baz) president Charity Jinya refuted the blame saying it lay squarely with the companies that did not clear their transactions on time.

“I don’t believe it because if it’s more than 90 days, there was an opportunity for banks to write to clients asking for transactions to be cleared. This gives the opportunity for the company to say it should be off the list. No one is perfect, mistakes are common, but there is a process where banks communicate with clients and clients communicate with banks formally and on the back of formal communication, information is then passed through to the RBZ because this is the system which is also under the control of the RBZ,” Jinya said.

She also denied allegations that banks breached client confidentiality by divulging information about their clients to third parties, saying government had direct access to such information through the RBZ.

“The entire banking system is connected to the central bank, they know everything and the clients know it too,” she said.

Deputy Finance minister Terrence Mukupe admitted that government had erred and had now started the process of clearing those that were wrongly implicated.- Daily News