By Paul Nyathi

Former President Robert Mugabe initiated new opposition party the National Patriotic Front has officially availed itself as a formal party to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

In a letter dated the 6th of March, 2018, party President Retired Brigadier General Ambrose Mutinhiri proclaimed that the party is going to be contesting all elections in the country conducted by ZEC.

According to the letter the party was established on the 7th of December, 2017. The date shows that the party was established within less than a month after Mugabe was removed from power on the 14th of November.

According to Zimbabwean laws, political parties do not need to register as an organisation but just formulate themselves and only advise ZEC of their intentions to contest elections.

By Paul Nyathi

The Zanu-PF Youth League has fired warning shots at former President Robert Mugabe after he endorsed the New Patriotic Front (NPF) party.

The party, which is a direct split from the ruling ZANU PF, is being led by Retired Brigadier General Ambrose Mutinhiri who was endorsed by Mugabe last week.

Pupurai Togarepi, the 54-year old leader of the Zanu-PF Youth League as well as a Politburo member warned Mugabe that the youth are not happy with his involvement in the opposition politics urging him to refrain from the political involvement.

“What Mugabe should know is … we respect him only if he respects us,” said Togarepi.

“If he decides to rock the boat and then his actions affect the stability of the party … he should be ready for the storm to come…we will not be soft with him,” said Togarepi.

The youth leader under played Mugabe’s newly initiated opposition party describing it as “child play of politicians who have lost political relevance”.

“As the youth league. we view this as child play and we are ready for them,” he said.

“To us, it’s a bunch of failures trying to come back into politics, but that they are failures is their problem, not ours.”

Members of the expelled G-40 faction including former First Lady Grace Mugabe can only rejoin Zanu-PF after five years.

“Confirmed by the extra ordinary Congress, (the G40 members) remain expelled and can only reapply if they wish to join the party after five years,” Zanu PF spokesman Simon Khaya Moyo reported back on the Politburo meeting. Former President Robert Mugabe recently reported to the African Union that since his ousting from power by the military last November Grace cries everyday.

By Talent Gondo|

Harare councilors today moved a motion to rename one road in the central business district , Harare after the late MDC T founding father and President, Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.

The councillors, the majority of whom are from the opposition, Movement for Democratic Change said this motion was above board considering the important role played by the late Tsvangirai in the country’s politics.

Tsvangirai, 65, succumbed to colon cancer on February 14 2018 and was buried at his rural home in Humanikwa Village, Buhera.

The late opposition leader was offered a state assisted funeral despite calls for him to be buried at the national shrine.

He was however denied hero status and was not buried at the National Heroes Acre, a development which has over the years sparked outrage as heroes’ status is determined by Zanu Pf’ s highest decision making body, the politburo.

The motion to rename one road in Harare was moved by MDC-T councilor, Peter Moyo who represents Rugare.

Councilor Moyo proposed the motion suggesting that the country should not ignore the late MDC-T leader’s contribution to the development and democracy of Zimbabwe.

Last year, opposition parties reacted angrily to the renaming of Harare International Airport after President Robert Gabriel Mugabe in a process which gobbled over $500 000.

Obert Gutu, the party’s spokesperson is on record saying the party abhors and condemns “the personalisation and privatisation of national institutions.”

By Paul Nyathi

Giant government owned mobile phone service provider Netone has refunded over 180 000 subscribers data bundles that allegedly disappeared from their mobile phones unused.

The refunds follow a Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) directive to NetOne ordering the mobile network operator to refund subscriber’s funds which “disappeared” when using OneFusion in January and February this year.

The authority had reported that it had received numerous complaints from subscribers and decided to take action.

Netone is refunding 150 Megabytes data to all the 180 000 subscribers starting Wednesday morning.

We publish the authority’s letter which was sent to Netone in February in full below:

RE: BILLING COMPLAINTS ON NETONE DATA BUNDLES

We refer to the above matter.

The Authority has noted the billing challenges you are facing with the Onefusion product. We have also noted that you have sent a communication to your subscribers advising and admitting the same challenges. Given the extent and magnitude of complaints raised to the Regulator by the subscribers, we hereby direct you to compensate the affected consumers in accordance with the prejudice they endured. This is done in the spirit of promoting the consumers’ right to complain and redress.

Accordingly, you are further requested to provide the Authority with a database of affected subscribers that provides details of the subscriber including the name, number, and the extent to which each of them was affected in monetary terms and the compensation levels extended to the affected subscribers. The database will enable us to conduct an audit trail on whether all affected subscribers have been compensated accordingly. The database should be submitted to the Authority by 28 February 2018. You are also advised to furnish the authority with measures that you have put in place to ensure that challenges of this nature will not recur.

An Ordinary Session of the Zanu PF politburo is underway at the party headquarters in Harare this Wednesday morning.

Issues of major concern in the deliberations centre on preparations for the elections.

The meeting is tackling the party manifesto, regalia and party campaign and mobilisation activities.

The party guidelines and principles on primary elections are also on the agenda.

The session has also seen the coming on board of Kenneth Musanhu as a new member of the politburo.

Musanhu’s advent into the politburo follows the announcement made by President Emmerson Mnangagwa when he visited Mashonaland Central and told the people that he will add another politburo member from the province since Retired Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri was the only one in that organ from there at the time.

The late George Rutanhire who both hailed from that province had not been replaced. – state media

More details to follow…

By Paul Nyathi

Zimbabwean women have sent an ultimatum demanding urgent equalization with their male counterparts in the political adminstration of the country.

Hundreds of women drawn from across the country met in Harare on Tuesday where they demanded that government enforces the provisions of the Constitution and give 50 – 50 opportunities to women against males.

Convened by the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus, the women launchec a manifesto which they demanded that government adopts as a matter of urgency.

Part of the demands by the women was a call to amend the constitution to extend the term of the women’s quota representation in the National Assembly.

The women further called on political parties to stick to the constitutional provision to present half their party leadership to women.

Officially adopting the manifesto, speaker of parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda urged all political parties to align their constitutions with the constitution of the country to enable the realisation of the 50/50 gender representation in parliament or risk litigation.

The achievement of 50/50 gender equality across all sectors in line with the constitutional provisions on equality remains an illusion as most political parties have not adopted this in their constitutions.

Advocate Mudenda implored the women to challenge the status quo and fight hard for their constitutionally enshrined rights to equality.

“You must take up the matter with your political parties ahead of the election. The constitution is very clear that women should have equal representation in the socio – economic and political sphere in society,” he said.

Women parliamentarians from across the political divide converged and came up with a manifesto for the 2018 – 2023 period which sets the guidelines for them to be voted into political office. 

ZWPC Chairperson, Cde Monica Mutsvagwa implored women to use the manifesto as their campaign guide.

“Let’s use this manifesto as our campaign guide and ensure that we get our space,” she said.

The women’s manifesto is a 30-paged document spearheaded by women parliamentarians from Zanu PF, MDC-T and MDC.

It lays out the basis for voting women into power, access to justice and equal benefit of the law and women and economic development, among other issues.

The women also came up with an elections charter for the 2018 harmonised polls.

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa will today make his inaugural address to Zanu-PF youths when he delivers a key note address during the Youth League’s national assembly in Harare. The Zanu-PF Politburo also meets today at the party’s headquarters.
Both meetings are expected to set the tone for the revolutionary party’s campaign for the harmonised elections later this year. Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday said: “The Zanu-PF secretary for administration Dr Obert Mpofu is advising that there will be a Politburo meeting tomorrow at 9AM at the party headquarters. All members are requested to be punctual.”

Cde Khaya Moyo did not reveal the Politburo agenda, but indications are that focus will be on election preparations, as well as economic issues.

Zanu-PF secretary for Youth Affairs Cde Pupurai Togarepi confirmed the wing’s national assembly meeting today.

The national assembly draws together all provincial members of the Youth League and is a party constitutional meeting that should be held twice a year.

“We are fulfilling a party constitutional requirement and we expect more than 400 youths from all the 10 provinces,” Cde Togarepi said. “This will be the party youths’ first meeting with the First Secretary and President Cde Mnangagwa in the new dispensation.
“We urge all provincial members to attend. We have high expectations as we continue laying the ground ahead of elections in a few months to come.”

The Youth League yesterday held a national executive meeting in preparation of today’s indaba.
Cde Togarepi said the youths would have an opportunity to present issues affecting them to the President.

“Since this is our first meeting, the youths have various issues across sectors and they will be presented tomorrow and unlike those Interface Rallies we expect the President to respond,” he said.
He said the Youth League was oiling its machine ahead of the elections with meetings being held across the country. “We are geared up and we are moving around the country conscientising the youths on our programmes, where we are coming from, where we are and where we are going,” Cde Togarepi said.

“This time we are even having meetings at district levels as we continue to capture the grassroots. We are moving with the ED Has My Vote hashtag and nothing will stop us from posting a resounding victory with the ground we have laid.

“A large number of people registered to vote in this year’s elections are the youths and it means they have a big role to play in deciding our destiny.

“First, we have been encouraging the youths to register and now its time for the final blow and we are urging them to vote for Zanu-PF as it is the only party, in the wake of the new dispensation, with capable leaders to deliver on their aspirations.”

Women and youths dominate the number of registered voters ahead of the polls.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) latest statistics show that from the 5,3 million people who registered to vote 54,5 percent of them are women and 45,5 percent are men.

The electoral commission statistics also show that youths between the ages of 18 to 34 constitute 43,5 percent of registered voters, followed by the 35 to 59 age group who make up 42,9 percent of registered voters.

Zec also revealed that those who are 60 years and above make up 13,6 percent of registered voters. Herald

EUROPEAN  Union Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Philippe Van Damme has bemoaned the intra party violence within the opposition MDC-T saying the party was losing credibility as a political movement.

Violence erupted at the MDC-T Bulawayo offices over the weekend as supporters of the party’s president Nelson Chamisa allegedly targeted a rival faction led by Dr Thokozani Khupe.
The MDC-T has been thrown into turmoil following the death of its leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai last month.

The party’s national council has since confirmed Mr Chamisa as the party’s leader and presidential candidate in the forthcoming polls while Dr Khupe argues that constitutionally, she is the opposition party’s acting leader pending Congress.

The differences have triggered intra party violence. Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a civil society meeting in Gweru yesterday, Ambassador Van Damme said the violence being witnessed in the MDC-T has resulted in the party losing credibility as a political movement.

“Political violence has to be condemned in all circumstances, loudly, clearly and without any reservations. Political violence is totally unacceptable in the democratic debate. If it relates to intra party as we have indeed seen over the last couple of weeks, this also penalises the party’s concerns and credibility so they have to work on that,” he said.

Ambassador Van Damme challenged MDC-T leaders to address the violence as a matter of urgency.
“They have a challenge and they have to address that challenge. We hope this will not degenerate further and see also inter-party violence which will have an impact on how elections will be viewed,” he added.

President Mnangagwa has pledged to ensure that the forthcoming general elections will be free, fair and credible.

Speaking during an interactive meeting with heads of church denominations in Harare on Monday, President Mnangagwa urged political parties to shun violence ahead of harmonised elections this year saying those with better ideas will win the polls. Herald

By Farai D Hove| As the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai struggled on during his last days, MDC Deputy President Elias Mudzuri allegedly obtained the below letter of appointment as his successor.

Is this Tsvangirai picture authentic?

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) March 7, 2018

If proven true, the matter will elbow out the elected Vice President Thokozani Khupe who has been claiming she, not Nelson Chamisa, is the one meant to be leading the party at present. In that event also, Mudzuri will be found guilty of taking pictures of the MDC leader during his weakest moments. Is the below picture authentic?

The hearing of a matter involving 15 Gweru-based Regina Mundi High School pupils who were blacklisted by the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) for alleged examination cheating has been set for March 12.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo will preside over the hearing.

The 15 pupils, through their parents, filed a court application at the Bulawayo High Court challenging the nullification of their November 2017 results by Zimsec.

They are seeking an order directing Zimsec to set aside its decision to cancel their November 2017 examination results.

In papers before the court, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Professor Paul Mavhima and Zimsec were cited as respondents.

One of the pupils, believed to be the mastermind, is alleged to have mobilised her classmates to contribute $3 each towards raising money that was used to purchase copies of the November 2017 Examinations question papers for English Paper 2 and Mathematics Paper 2.

According to court papers, the pupil allegedly received the question papers on her mobile phone via social media platform, WhatsApp, and shared them with her classmates. They then allegedly smuggled the papers into the examination room.

One of the 15 parents representing the pupils said Zimsec blacklisted his child without making an inquiry to establish the facts.

“This application is made to review the decision adopted by Zimsec to annul all the results of the applicants on allegations of cheating. It is also the basis of this application in that the reasons of the decision reached by Zimsec have not been availed. At the same time, there is no averment on the inquiry made and its nature before the decision was arrived at, let alone the evidence used in the process,” the parent, whose name has been withheld to protect the identity of the minor, said in his founding affidavit.

He said the pupils were unfairly treated.

The parent said they received the message of the nullification of results from a school official through WhatsApp.

He also said Zimsec conducted its own inquiry and quizzed two pupils who then ultimately implicated all the applicants.

The parents’ lawyers, Garikayi and Company, said the pupils’ rights were violated in terms of section 3 of the Administrative Justice Act because they did not appear before a proper board to defend themselves.

Section 34 (3) of the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council Act stipulates that it shall not be necessary for the Zimsec board to consult or hear representations before cancelling or annulling the results of an examination.

They said the decision by Zimsec to blacklist the pupils and nullify their results is draconian, irrational and grossly unreasonable.

“The nullification of results for subjects which do not form part of the allegations is unfair and unjust considering that there was no misconduct alleged in these examinations,” said the lawyers.

Recently, High Court judge Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo overturned Prof Mavhima’s order compelling all the 260 000 students who sat for last November’s Ordinary Level English Paper 2 examination to be re-examined.

The judge ordered Zimsec to release results using the outcome of the English Language Paper 1 examination and the examinations body complied with the order.

Prof Mavhima had ordered a re-sit following reports of massive leakages of the paper through social media.-state media

A Correspondent| As the days to the upcoming 2018 elections draw near, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced he will be dishing out properties to pastors and other church leaders.

This follows a meeting presided by a preacher who was once beaten up by Vapositori in Budiriro 3 years ago.

Mnangagwa on Monday told pastors he will support them on a request for stands.

Pastors have asked for residential and church stands.

During the Monday meeting, pastors requested free stands with the leader of the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe Johannes Ndanga launching the demands.

Ndanga is the same man who once prophesied that former President Robert Mugabe would “rule the country until his death.”  Moreover in 2013, Ndanga said,

“As the ACCZ we stand guided by a 1934 prophecy by prophet Masedza that Mugabe would rule this country until he dies hence we will support him at the elections to ensure the prophecy comes to pass.”

Mnangagwa was then likened to the Biblical Joshua who led the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land.

The controversial Ndanga said Mnangagwa’s administration should give free land to domestic churches the same way white colonial governments did to missionary churches.

Mnangagwa then announced that he shall honour his pledge.

“They have a challenge and they have to address that challenge. We hope this will not degenerate further and see also inter-party violence…”

EUROPEAN Union Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Philippe Van Damme has bemoaned the intra party violence within the opposition MDC-T saying the party was losing credibility as a political movement.

Violence erupted at the MDC-T Bulawayo offices over the weekend as supporters of the party’s president Nelson Chamisa allegedly targeted a rival faction led by Dr Thokozani Khupe.
The MDC-T has been thrown into turmoil following the death of its leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai last month.

The party’s national council has since confirmed Mr Chamisa as the party’s leader and presidential candidate in the forthcoming polls while Dr Khupe argues that constitutionally, she is the opposition party’s acting leader pending Congress.

The differences have triggered intra party violence. Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a civil society meeting in Gweru yesterday, Ambassador Van Damme said the violence being witnessed in the MDC-T has resulted in the party losing credibility as a political movement.

“Political violence has to be condemned in all circumstances, loudly, clearly and without any reservations. Political violence is totally unacceptable in the democratic debate. If it relates to intra party as we have indeed seen over the last couple of weeks, this also penalises the party’s concerns and credibility so they have to work on that,” he said.

Ambassador Van Damme challenged MDC-T leaders to address the violence as a matter of urgency.
“They have a challenge and they have to address that challenge. We hope this will not degenerate further and see also inter-party violence which will have an impact on how elections will be viewed,” he added.

President Mnangagwa has pledged to ensure that the forthcoming general elections will be free, fair and credible.

Speaking during an interactive meeting with heads of church denominations in Harare on Monday, President Mnangagwa urged political parties to shun violence ahead of harmonised elections this year saying those with better ideas will win the polls. – state media

President Emmerson Mnangagwa will today make his inaugural address to Zanu-PF youths when he delivers a key note address during the Youth League’s national assembly in Harare. The Zanu-PF Politburo also meets today at the party’s headquarters.

Both meetings are expected to set the tone for the revolutionary party’s campaign for the harmonised elections later this year. Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday said: “The Zanu-PF secretary for administration Dr Obert Mpofu is advising that there will be a Politburo meeting tomorrow at 9AM at the party headquarters. All members are requested to be punctual.”

Khaya Moyo did not reveal the Politburo agenda, but indications are that focus will be on election preparations, as well as economic issues.

Zanu-PF secretary for Youth Affairs Pupurai Togarepi confirmed the wing’s national assembly meeting today.

The national assembly draws together all provincial members of the Youth League and is a party constitutional meeting that should be held twice a year.

“We are fulfilling a party constitutional requirement and we expect more than 400 youths from all the 10 provinces,” Togarepi said. “This will be the party youths’ first meeting with the First Secretary and President Mnangagwa in the new dispensation.
“We urge all provincial members to attend. We have high expectations as we continue laying the ground ahead of elections in a few months to come.”

The Youth League yesterday held a national executive meeting in preparation of today’s indaba.
Togarepi said the youths would have an opportunity to present issues affecting them to the President.

“Since this is our first meeting, the youths have various issues across sectors and they will be presented tomorrow and unlike those Interface Rallies we expect the President to respond,” he said.
He said the Youth League was oiling its machine ahead of the elections with meetings being held across the country. “We are geared up and we are moving around the country conscientising the youths on our programmes, where we are coming from, where we are and where we are going,” Togarepi said.

“This time we are even having meetings at district levels as we continue to capture the grassroots. We are moving with the ED Has My Vote hashtag and nothing will stop us from posting a resounding victory with the ground we have laid.

“A large number of people registered to vote in this year’s elections are the youths and it means they have a big role to play in deciding our destiny.

“First, we have been encouraging the youths to register and now its time for the final blow and we are urging them to vote for Zanu-PF as it is the only party, in the wake of the new dispensation, with capable leaders to deliver on their aspirations.”

Women and youths dominate the number of registered voters ahead of the polls.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) latest statistics show that from the 5,3 million people who registered to vote 54,5 percent of them are women and 45,5 percent are men.

The electoral commission statistics also show that youths between the ages of 18 to 34 constitute 43,5 percent of registered voters, followed by the 35 to 59 age group who make up 42,9 percent of registered voters.

Zec also revealed that those who are 60 years and above make up 13,6 percent of registered voters. – state media

Twenty one players in the tourism industry recently had their passports withheld by the German embassy in Harare after the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority failed to pay $47 000 to a tourism organiser based in Berlin.

Government, ZTA officials and other tourism players are expected to attend the ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin) that will run from 7-12 March. The officials are led by Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Prisca Mupfumira. ZTA chief executive officer, Mr Karikoga Kaseke, said the passports were withheld after the authority failed the organisers.

“It is true that passports belonging to 21 tourism operators were withheld by the German Embassy. This was done because we had delayed in paying the organisers of the ITB expo and they in turn had asked their embassy in Zimbabwe to withhold the passports until we paid.

“The operators only got their passports on Thursday last week after we paid,” Mr Kaseke said.

He said ZTA was facing financial problems as Government has not released funds to capacitate its programmes. Mr Kaseke said the prevailing challenges have seen ZTA failing to pay some of its employees on time.

“The ZTA failed to pay on time because the Government has not released funds to us although we submitted our budget for the year,” he said.

“This is despite the fact that there’s an agreement between us and the Finance Ministry on certain events that we must attend. They funded us for these shows last year. Honestly speaking we’re taken aback by these delays.”

Mr Kaseke said ZTA has engaged Vice President General Constantino Chiwenga (Retired) who promised to engage relevant authorities over their financial shortcomings.

He said the ZTA was being hamstrung in its efforts to fulfil its mandate of selling destination Zimbabwe due delays in allocation of funds. The ZTA has already attended the Fitur exhibition in Spain before the Meetings Africa expo in South Africa while another expo has just kicked off in London and all have been serviced by the ZTA without funding from Government.- state media

Media Statement

Zimbabwe African Peoples Union wishes to congratulate the Chiefs of Matebeleland for heeding the call to unite and stand firm with their people on the issue of the coronation of Crown Prince Bulelani Khumalo.

The unity of purpose displayed by the Chiefs in the face of a paranoid repressive regime blocking the event over the weekend was demonstration of astute and resolute leadership.

ZAPU, as believers in peoples power stand firm behind the Matebeleland Chiefs and are supportive of their brave stance against the repressive Zimbabwean establishment that is prepared to disregard the constitution and international statutes on human rights in order to push a hegemonic system that violates rights of citizens.

Failure to interpret the law and constitution leading to the weird High Court provisional order over the matter is testimony that the ZANU PF system is so hell bent on perpetuating it’s evil on the people even in areas the constitution seeks to protect them.

It is constitutionally provided that a people can practice their culture without hindrance and interference of any sought. It is also constitutionally provided that a traditional leader of a peoples choice can preside over their traditional and cultural affairs.

The courts decision around this matter, after the monumental failure to read the constitution and law not only smacks of hypocrisy, but as insulting arrogance to everything legal and constitutional by a regime whose existence is a result of a military coup which is not provided for in the Zimbabwean constitution.

How the country’s courts endorsed the November coup and deny coronation of a Ndebele Crown Prince beats the legal mind, especially considering the constitutionality around the Ndebele monarchy and it’s historical connotations.

The involvement of ZANU PF in this matter, together with assigning Fortune Charumbira to interfere in this matter is not only off the point but deliberate ploy to delay the revival of the Ndebele culture and traditions.

ZANU PF and Charumbira are not at all versed about the Ndebele culture, so how do they seek to preside over what they are not aware of? They have never known a King throughout their inflated history.

ZAPU knows fully well that had ZANU PF and Charumbira had a King in their history, by now that monarchy would have been restored. They however can never respond positively to the Ndebele Crown since it’s not part of their culture.

ZAPU also notes with sadness the involvement of one of the Khumalo clan members, Peter Zwide Khumalo who filed in the same courts of Zimbabwe challenging the coronation. The fact that his unveiling went on unhindered is testimony that he has become the hand of the evil system that has oppressed and suppressed the Ndebele nation since it’s fall 1893.

The mother party fully supports the resolution by the Matebeleland Chiefs to remain resolutely united until the King is coronated.

We support the legal and constitutional route they have announced, and any other that is meant to facilitate realization of full rights of all citizens without prejudice.

*Iphithule Thembani Maphosa*
*ZAPU National Secretary for Information Publicity and Marketing*

Terrence Mawawa

A social media analyst, Antony Taruvinga has launched a scathing attack on embattled MDC Vice President Thokozani Khupe, claiming she is to blame for the intra-party battles rocking the movement.

Below is a statement written by Taruvinga:
KHUPE is the chief perpetrator of violence and
divisions within the MDC-T.

She has always pretended to be
the victim to gain public sympathy when in actual fact she is the
troublemaker.

She joined politics for selfish reasons and has
amassed untold amounts of money using the name of the Movement for
Democratic Change.

It is very unfortunate that Dr.
Morgan Tsvangirai passed on without putting to an
end the Khupe problem.

Yesterday, she clearly stated that she did not
recognise Nelson Chamisa as the president of the party.

She went on to say she was in charge of the party,
in the process lying about the Constitution.

Zanu PF is
good at manipulating such blunt characters as long
their goal of weakening the opposition is realised.

They don’t care about giving you the money as long
the job is done.
The violence that occurred in Bulawayo yesterday
was state sponsored.

The worst is
coming if the leadership does not take swift action to rectify
the matter.

Terrence Mawawa

Political analyst and National People’s Party(NPP) Spokesperson Jeffryson Chitando has pointed out that the country’ s main opposition party, MDC, is to blame for the rampant corruption in local authorities.

Commenting on Facebook yesterday, Chitando said: “ZanuPF failed the nation but we must also ask who
failed urban areas?

Service delivery and roads in
urban areas are in a sorry state while
we have
councils run by the opposition?

The voters will ask for a
justification of re-electing the same.

The councillors bought houses from meagre $60 allowances and how can that be justified?The voters
have every reason to react by voting against such
corrupt leaders. NPP and PRC both
led by Dr Joice Mujuru demand assets declaration before
one assumes public office.”

The Zimbabwe Republic Police has effected yet more changes in the force, with senior officers in the Police Protection Unit (PPU) — who were providing security to the Mugabes — being redeployed. This was revealed last week in a police radio announcement.

PPU — comprising five sections namely Parliament, relief, diplomats, escorts, and State House — specialises in providing security to VVIPs, VIPs and members of the diplomatic corps. The latest changes mainly affected the State House section and those who were assigned at deposed Robert Mugabe’s private residence.

The radio message read: “The . . . transfers have been approved and are to be implemented immediately.” “Please submit casualty returns as soon as transfers are effected.”

The changes affected senior officers who had been providing close security to the Mugabes — PPU Commissioner Olga Bungu, who has moved to Police General Headquarters (PGHQ) as Commissioner for Economic Surveillance.

Economic Surveillance did not have a commissioner before, so this is a new post created.

Senior Assistant Commissioner Martin Kwainona, who was Mugabe’s aide, has been moved from PPU and posted to PGHQ to the Economic Surveillance section.

Assistant Commissioner Vincent Mariga has also been moved from PPU to Depot as Assistant Commissioner in charge of administration.

The cleansing ceremony also hit the traffic section of the police with Assistant Commissioner Ngonidzashe Chogugudza being moved from national traffic to Midlands as Assistant Commissioner in charge of operations.

Assistant Commissioner Crispen Chihwehwete in charge of Transport at PGHQ has been transferred to Midlands as Assistant Commissioner crime.

Commissioner Rabson Mpofu has been moved from Planning and Development to becoming the chief of staff in the office of the commissioner general.

Mpofu has helped the organisation in the drafting of policy and his move is seen as strengthening the office of commissioner-general Godwin Matanga.

Senior Assistant Commissioner Elliot Mind Ngirandi has been moved from Police Staff College to Planning and Development as Chief Staff Officer.

Insiders canvassed by the Daily News yesterday said the PPU changes were symptoms of the mistrust and suspicions that have become deep rooted due to the police’s stance at the height of infighting in Zanu PF before the military intervention.

During the twilight of Mugabe’s reign, intense infighting over who should succeed him saw Mnangagwa tightening his security following suspicions that his rivals may have been out to eliminate him physically in the wake of his alleged poisoning.

A long-time aide of Mugabe turned arch rival, Mnangagwa was allegedly poisoned in August 2017 at a Zanu PF youth interface “meeting” in Gwanda, resulting in him being airlifted to South Africa after brief treatment in Gweru, which was meant to stabilise his condition.

Alarm was raised after the doctor who attended to him in South Africa disclosed the extent of the damage that was caused by the alleged poisoning.

Since then, Mnangagwa has been seen in public with the military providing his close security — in addition to personnel assigned by the police and the Central Intelligence Organisation.
“This is mainly inspires by the fact that ED prefers the soldiers so those who were at the PPU first family have been reassigned,” said an insider.

“The involvement of the army is yet another demonstration that the president or his family now has little faith in the usual security.” Daily News

Terrence Mawawa

Renowned political analyst, Pedzisai Ruhanya has slammed “naive elements” for rejecting Nelson Chamisa’s bullet trains proposal.

Ruhanya urged all progressive minded Zimbabweans to rally behind the youthful Chamisa.

In his Twitter message Ruhanya said:
“Some Zimbos shock me; you refuse to embrace
Chamisa’s bullet trains proposal but you stampede to
accept ZANU PF’s witchcraft policies through Rotina
Mavhunga’s Chinhoyi diesel ‘discovery’.”

Terrence Mawawa

Church leaders who met with President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said former President Robert Mugabe never listened to their plight.

The church leaders thanked Mnangagwa for finding ample time to interact and interface with the men and women of the cloth.

“Christians constitute 80% of the country’s population.

We kindly ask for a review of the New
Curriculum. We approached the former President
regarding this issue but he turned a deaf ear to it.

Please help us. Christians constitute the
majority of the population,” said Bishop Mukonongwe.

Terrence
Mawawa

A clergyman yesterday equated President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga to biblical characters Joshua and Caleb.

Reverend Muchechetere who was the Director of Ceremonies when Mnangagwa met with church leaders in Harare yesterday said the two political figures would take the nation to the Promised Land.

“Reverend Muchechetere likened Chiwenga and Mnangagwa to
Biblical characters Joshua and Caleb. He said the two would lead the
nation to the Promised Land. I don’t know whether the comparison can be justified,” said one observer.

Terrence
Mawawa

A clergyman yesterday equated President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga to biblical characters Joshua and Caleb.

Reverend Muchechetere who was the Director of Ceremonies when Mnangagwa met with church leaders in Harare yesterday said the two political figures would take the nation to the Promised Land.

“Reverend Muchechetere likened Chiwenga and Mnangagwa to
Biblical characters Joshua and Caleb. He said the two would lead the
nation to the Promised Land. I don’t know whether the comparison can be justified,” said one observer.

LIVE-BLAST: By Simba Chikanza| President Emmerson Mangagwa is a Wildlife Person, an EU Parliamentary hearing on hunting and wildlife management has heard. These comments were made by Zimbabwe’s largest in the Save Conservancy white land owner, Willie Pabst. FOLLOW THE LIVE DISCUSSION HERE:

Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda has bemoaned the ill-treatment of the late MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s widow Ms Elizabeth Macheka by family members following the death of her husband over inheritance issues.

Adv Mudenda said this while launching the Women’s Manifesto, Election Women’s Charter, The Pledge and the 50-50 Advocacy Campaign in Harare today.

“I was disheartened to hear squabbles in the family of the late leader of the Movement for Democratic Change vaTsvangirai. Family members trying to involve themselves in the inheritance issues. The law must be respected,” he said.

“I wish we had spiritual power of waking up from the dead. Myself I would wake up and defend my spouse. The matrimonial property is hers and mine and for the children. Unfortunately we cannot get up but the law can wake up on your behalf…”-263chat

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has promised to dish out free land to churches in a move likely to be seen as a tactic to sway the electorate ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

Traditionally, Zanu PF — even during deposed Robert Mugabe’s time — has appealed to churches during election season.

Mnangagwa made the promise after church leaders demanded free residential and church stands at a meeting held in Harare yesterday, with the leader of the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe Johannes Ndanga leading the call.

Likening Mnangagwa to the Biblical Joshua who led the Israelites to the land of Canaan from Egypt after taking over from Moses, Ndanga said Mnangagwa’s administration should give free land to domestic churches as the white colonial governments did to missionary churches before independence. Daily News

Harare councillors have proposed to name one of the streets in the CBD after the late opposition MDC founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai — who died last month aged 65 after a long battle with colon cancer — is credited for changing the face of Zimbabwean politics after winning against deposed long-ruling Robert Mugabe in the 2008 elections.

During a full council meeting last week Friday, Rugare councillor Peter Moyo said council must honour Tsvangirai, who was denied national hero status, despite massive calls by public.
“Before we start the business of the day, let me state that I think the city should honour the late Tsvangirai by naming a road after him.

“We cannot ignore the fact that Tsvangirai has contributed immensely to the development and democracy of Zimbabwe,” Moyo said. He added that the late opposition leader’s contribution to the improvement of the lives of Zimbabweans could not be left unnoticed.

Greendale councillor Stewart Mutizwa seconded the motion, which was later said to be addressed by the MDC-run council formally.

The proposal comes as councillors have argued that road naming should be left to local authorities after the unofficial naming of the civic centre adjacent to the Harare Magistrates Courts, which most MDC supporters call the Freedom Square while others refer to it as the Robert Mugabe Square.

Glen Norah councillor Herbert Gomba has argued that public places should not be named after little-known politicians.

“The civic centre is called so many names that we do not know what to call it. Can we be weary of naming our streets and spaces after fly-by-night politicians?

“We need to lead by example and show some semblance of order in the way we do our things.
“We cannot have people who are not elected councillors bulldozing the names of areas for us. Let us not name streets after people who are popular for a season,” he said. Daily News

Fears have been raised over the extensive soil erosion on the slopes of the Mabvuku road over rail bridge, with indications that if not urgently attended to, the bridge could expose motorists to serious hazards.

Less than a year after the bridge was commissioned, there are already signs of sub-standard workmanship on this project as huge gullies caused by run-off now occupy the better part of this bridge.

Local engineers from the road authority who were on the ground refused to comment on the matter, referring the subject to the department of roads which is said to have been responsible for this part of the road.

However, they agreed that the level of damage on the bridge poses a serious risk which can eventually lead to damage of the road if not addressed urgently.

During a site visit by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development, the committee raised the red flag on the hazard, calling for the responsible authority to move in with speed and avert the potential danger.

The road hosts a number of vehicles every second of the day, but not many motorists are aware of the cancer that is slowly tearing into a surface which they perceive to be the safest part of this highway when compared to other trunk roads that are littered with potholes

Source ZBC News Online

By Paul Nyathi

Want out MDC-T National Organising Secretary Abednico Bhebhe has described the new party President Nelson Chamisa’s behaviour as that of the 1980s ZANU PF initiated Gukurahundi mass murderers.

Speaking on VOA Studio Seven’s Livetalk program on Monday evening, Bhebhe said that he is not prepared to engage in any talks with Chamisa who sends people to attack party leaders from Matabeleland then invite them for negotiations.

Bhebhe said that the last time he saw a similar behaviour was during the ZANU PF led Gukurahundi era where twenty thousand people were killed by the soldiers before the perpetrators invited the victims into truce negotiations.

“We can not talk to people who behave like the Gukurahundi which butchered 20 000 people then invited for negotiations to end the killings,” said Bhebhe.

“The very same people who are calling us for negotiations are the same ones that are sending thugs to beat us up as Matabeleland people and expect us to negotiate with them to stop beating us,” fumed Bhebhe.

The outspoken MDC-T senior official was referring to a weekend incident where the party supporters were involved in a bloody battle at the party offices in Bulawayo.

Bhebhe is adamant that the people who attacked them while they were in a meeting at the offices were dispatched from Harare to attack them.

On the other hand rival members claim that Bhebhe hired the thugs from South Africa to come and attack them in a planned move to disgrace new party leader Nelson Chamisa.

The MDC-T has since dispatched a team of investigators to investigate the violence.

By Paul Nyathi

Concerned MDC-T supporters in the United Kingdom and Ireland have urged the new party leader Nelson Chamisa to talk to beleaguered rival Deputy President Thokozani Khuphe and resolve their differences.

In a media statement produced by the organising department of the UK and Ireland Province on Monday, the party members urged Chamisa to engage in dialogue with Khuphe for the good of the party and the nation.

“The organising department of the province would like to encourage Advocate Chamisa to get into serious dialogue with senior leaders like Dr Khuphe and others to ensure that tbeir concerns are addressed to the best advantage of the entire MDC-T family and the nation,” said the statement.

Chamisa and his co deputy President went into loggerheads on the leadership of the party shortly after the death of party leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Valentine’s day.

Chamisa was eventually endorsed by the party’s National Council as the party President through a process which Khuphe said was uncostitutional.

Khuphe maintains that she is the genuine leader of the party as she was elected by the party congress in 2014. Chamisa has since given her seven days which expires on Thursday to accept his leadership or be dismissed from the party.

Khuphe has since rubbished the ultimatum claiming that it is an illegal process.

The foreign based supporters further urged Chamisa to address issues of intra party violence that are rocking the party as a result of the leadership wrangle.

“We are also asking the party leadership to urgently flex its muscles to put an end to the ugly face of violence which is bedevilling some of our structures.”

The MDC-T has seen continous incidents of violence between Chamisa loyalists and Khuphe loyalists.

The violence went a gear up over the weekend where Bulawayo CBD was turned into a war zone as the party supporters clashed at the party offices in a two hour battle that left fifteen people hospitalised and property worth thousands of dollars damaged.

TWO Burundi officials have been arrested after their town’s football team allegedly “roughed up” the country’s president.

President Pierre Nkurunziza often features in his own team’s – Haleluya FC – starting line up in games across his country.

Usually, his opposition are fully aware they are playing their president and no player dares to seriously take him on, according to the BBC.

But that was apparently not the case over the weekend during a game against the Northern town of Kiremba’s team.

Kiremba’s administrator Cyriaque Nkezabahizi and his deputy Michel Mutama were accused of recruiting Congolese refugees living in a camp in the town to play in the match who allegedly went hard on the President.

One witness said: “These Congolese obviously didn’t know President Nkurunziza because they roughed him up during the match, attacking each time he had the ball and making him fall several times while the Burundian players were careful not to get too close to him.”

Opposing players who know him usually go easy on the President during games and allow him to score.

The officials were imprisoned after being arrested on charges of “conspiracy against the president.”

The 54-year-old “born-again” evangelical Christian plays up to three matches a week and travels with his own choir – “Komeza gusenga” – which means “pray non-stop” in the local Kirundi language.

Nkurunziza built a 9,000-seat stadium in his home town as well as dozens others across the country.

By Paul Nyathi

Wind back to today in 2009, then Prime Minister now late MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai survived a horrific road accident which however would not spare his wife Susan Nyaradzo nee Mhundwa.

When news of the passing on of Susan was announced, the MDC-T Deputy Spokesperson, Thabitha Khumalo described her “as a mother figure for the whole nation,”  a nation which nine years on shouldn’t allow the day of her passing on to pass unrecognised.

Nine years on, Susan Tsvangirai now lies peacefully next to her husband, Morgan, who passed on three weeks ago. The late MDC-T President was buried right next to Susan at their rural home in Humanikwa Village, Buhera.

Susan Tsvangirai was killed in a collision accident on the Harare-Masvingo Road on 6 March 2009.

Her husband, Morgan, who had been prime minister less than one month at the time of the accident, was injured in the crash.

The couple had been going en route to their home in Buhera, where they had planned to stay the night before attending an MDC-T meeting the following day at Murambinda Business Center, a few kilometres from their home.

They were travelling in a Land Cruiser within a three car convoy when a truck belonging to the US aid agency, the United States Agency for International Aid (USAID) travelling in the opposite direction crossed into their lane and side-swiped their vehicle, causing it to roll over three times.

Morgan said his wife’s death was an accident. The British foreign ministry said the truck was part of an aid project jointly funded by the US and UK and that the crash appeared to be “a genuine accident”.

Susan was born on 24 April 1958.

She was raised in the Gunde area of Buhera District, which is near Dorowa Minerals.

The late Susan Tsvangirai met her future husband, Morgan, in 1976 at the Trojan Nickel Mine in Bindura, Rhodesia, while visiting her uncle.

Morgan, at this time was working as a foreman at the mine.

Morgan reportedly told a friend at the time, “That is the girl I am going to marry!” They married in 1978 and the couple had six children during their marriage, which lasted for 31 years.

By Paul Nyathi

The opposition Coalition Of Democrats is certainly posed for a collapse as the partners continue to pull out of the Elton Mangoma led coalition.

Founded by Professor Welshman Ncube of the MDC shortly after the 2013 elections, the coalition which at one moment housed nine opposition parties has come down to three.

Barbara Nyagomo’s Progressive Democrats of Zimbabwe is the latest to pull out of the coalition sighting lack of transparency and for being a briefcase movement.

In a notice to the CODE leadership announcing her party’s resignation from the coalition, Nyagomo accused the leader Elton Mangoma for making unilateral decisions in the running of the party and disregarding her own party.

“PDZ is pulling out of CODE because there is lack of transparency and accountability,” said Nyagomo.

“A Principal or principals take unilateral decisions in CODE. CODE has remained a boardroom organization and not visible on the ground,” she said.

Nyagomo who was seconded as the Deputy President of the coalition further indicated that she felt unappreciated as a principal in the coalition.

Nyagomo’s pull out from the coalition follows that of Maxwell Shumba of Zim First party which also pulled out of the coalition a couple of weeks ago.

Founding members, Ncube’s MDC and Tendai Biti’s PDP were the first to dump the coalition to establish the MDC Alliance coalition with the late MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Other members, Gilbert Dzikiti of DARE and Farai Bira of ZUNDE also dumped the coalition to join the Joice Mujuru led People’s Rainbow Coalition.

The departures leave only Mangoma and his Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe with Simba Makoni’s MKD and Dumiso Dabengwa’s ZAPU.

Dabengwa might not last any longer in the coalition as he is being coerced into the Mujuru led PRC.

Efforts to get a comment from Mangoma were not successful at the time of writing.

Suspended Zimbabwe Immigration workers revealed in Parliament yesterday that three former Zimbabwe Republic Police assistant commissioners now deployed to head Immigration Department were allegedly corrupt, taking bribes and engaged in sexual harassment of female workers.

The three — Givemore Charamba (now director of operations in Immigration), Steven Museki (director administration) and Clemence Masango (principal director) — were described by the workers as “having joined Immigration from the police wearing sun-scorched suits and residing at Chikurubi Police Camp, but now own mansions in the affluent suburbs of Waterfalls, Damofalls and the Grange”.

The workers, who were suspended since 2013 for standing up against the three, had appeared before the Magna Mudyiwa-led Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Service, where they told MPs they had resorted to reporting their case to Parliament after then Home Affairs ministers, Kembo Mohadi (now Vice-President), Ignatius Chombo and now Obert Mpofu failed to address it.

“All our efforts to report the corrupt activities by the three came to naught, and before the coming in of Mpofu as Home Affairs minister we sought the help of former First Lady Grace Mugabe through her secretary, but nothing materialised, as we hoped that Grace would take up the matter to former President Robert Mugabe,” Immigration workers’ representative Nkosana Mthunzi narrated to MPs.

“The major stumbling block was Home Affairs secretary Melusi Matshiya, who gets hypnotised by his subordinates, and inferences are that he is very much part of the gravy train,” Mthunzi said.

Serious allegations were levelled against the three to the effect that they were taking up to $10 000 bribes per week to protect illegal immigrants of Pakistani, Nigerian, and Chinese origin. The committee was told that some of the affected foreign nationals were even willing to appear before Parliament to testify.

The three bosses were said to be well-connected to top politicians and whenever their corrupt activities were reported, they just went scot free.

Two females, Sheila Moyo and Emily Mupeti, who also appeared before the committee broke down in tears as they narrated how Museki sexually harassed them, and after they rejected his advances, they were suspended since 2017. There were other serious allegations that two water tanks donated for border posts were instead taken by Museki and mounted at his two houses owned by his two wives.

The committee heard that there were several cases of female workers impregnated by the Immigration bosses, and other bosses fingered for corruption were Admire Makani, Godfrey Kondo, Prosper Kambarami, Francis Mabika and Evans Siziba.- Newsday

Tongai Mnangagwa, who is reportedly claiming to be President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son, was last week humiliated and chased away from a meeting of the Zanu PF’s structures in Harare South constituency.

Sources told NewsDay that Tongai intended to use his connection to the First Family to muscle his way and stand as Zanu PF’s candidate in the volatile peri-urban constituency in which Zanu PF has doled out stands as a campaign tool.

“He (Tongai) is claiming to be the President’s son, but he is not. He is a close relative, but we have learnt he uses a different surname. The dropping of the President’s name is supposed to scare his rivals.

“Last week, he stormed a meeting of party structures near [a popular abattoir], but was chased away by angry youth. He initially tried to hold his own meeting to counter the one chaired by provincial chairman, [Goodwills] Masimirembwa, but this was very poorly attended,” an insider said. “He then decided to attend the meeting of structures hoping he might use his name to get a slot to campaign.”

But Masimirembwa, who confirmed chairing a meeting of the Zanu PF structures last week in the area, denied that Tongai was chased away.

“He was not chased away. We held a successful meeting and everything ended well with no skirmishes,” he said.

A retired soldier, Major Leonard Tagwirei, who lost in Zanu PF internal polls ahead of the 2013 elections to former lawmaker, Shadreck Mashayamombe has been ring-fencing the constituency and last month his supporters were reportedly behind the violent disruption of a meeting by another aspirant, Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association spokesperson, Douglas Mahiya.

Another would be candidate is one Retired Colonel Piki.

“He has been dropping hints that he wants to stand, but has really done nothing to show his intentions,” NewsDay heard.

Tongai was not available for comment, as his mobile went unanswered.

Zanu PF has been struggling to contain its members, who are angling to become MPs ahead of the elections later this year, forcing the ruling party to issue a decree against early campaigning, amid reports some aspiring candidates in Mashonaland Central could be disqualified.

Reports also abound of serving and retired soldiers showing keen interest in representing the party, buoyed by the military intervention in November last year that forced former President Robert Mugabe to resign, paving the way for Mnangagwa.

Several Zanu-PF legislators yesterday distanced themselves from the newly formed New Patriotic Front launched by disgruntled members of the G40 cabal whose leader Retired Brigadier General Ambrose Mutinhiri met former president Robert Mugabe at his Borrowdale residence in Harare last week to discuss the morphing of the cabal into a political outfit.

This came as the NPF yesterday confirmed meeting the former President at his Blue Roof mansion on Thursday last week where Rtd Brig Gen Mutinhiri was anointed as the NPF’s interim leader.
The NPF confirmed the meeting through its nomadic spokesperson Mr Jealousy Mawarire.
Rtd Brig Gen Mutinhiri, the NPF said, was its presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections.
In the meeting, Mr Mawarire said Mr Mugabe told Mutinhiri to rope in youths in the project saying:
“I hope your NPF party will empower the youths to take over. Don’t oppress them; make sure they are not harassed.”

One of the G40 cabal members, Mr Makhosini Hlongwane distanced himself from the outfit saying he would today issue a joint statement with his colleague Dr Walter Mzembi, both of whom have been linked to NPF.

“We are preparing a comprehensive joint statement with my brother, Dr Mzembi responding to the media reports linking us to that political outfit. It is unfortunate that the stories were published without seeking our comments,” said Mr Hlongwane.

One of G40 members, Mr Jeppy Jaboon said he was not aware of the existence of the political outfit and wondered how his name was roped in.
“I am dismayed that The Herald has not checked and verified its intelligence source alluding to the formation of NPF whose conscription include people like me and other comrades whom I know are equally disappointed with the reckless name dropping into the structures of this party. I for one was expelled from Zanu-PF and am not part and parcel of the formation of this outfit,” he said.

Mr Jaboon was Bikita South legislator before he was expelled both from Zanu-PF and Parliament over his links with the G40 cabal.

Another G40 member, Mr Shadreck Mashayamombe said he was not a member of the political outfit neither did he attend any of its meetings.

“I want to make it categorically clear that I am not a member of the NPF. I do not know who its members are neither have I ever attended any of its meetings. I have just read about its formation in the media,” said Mr Mashayamombe, who is former Harare South legislator but was subsequently fired over his links with G40 cabal.

Uzumba MP Cde Simba Mudarikwa rubbished claims linking him to the political outfit.
“I do not have time to waste. I am one of those MPs who were ready for the impeachment debate last year and why would I join a political outfit whose origin I have no idea of?” said Cde Mudarikwa.
Chikomba East MP Cde Edgar Mbwembwe said he had no links with the NPF and accused some politicians of trying to smear his name. “I am annoyed by the allegations which are completely unfounded. There are criminal elements lingering somewhere which are not comfortable with my presence who are simply expressing their wish which unfortunately will not materialise,” said Cde Mbwembwe.

In a statement NPF spokesperson, Mr Mawarire claimed that the party commanded two thirds of Zanu-PF members while another third was still undecided.

Rtd Brig Gen Mutinhiri resigned from Zanu –PF last week to lead the NPF, which he said was conceived on November 19 2017 after the military intervened to avert the deteriorating situation through Operation Restore Legacy.

The NPF sought to discredit the new dispensation led by President Mnangagwa despite receiving a thumbs up from regional and international organisations such as Sadc, African Union and the United Nations, among others.

Several countries particularly in the West have already expressed interest to work with the new dispensation.

Rtd Brig Gen Mutinhiri made an announcement last Friday that he was leaving Zanu-PF on flimsy reasons about the new dispensation, despite that he had shown eagerness to participate since the military intervention in November last year. Herald

A 30 year old man from Pumula suburb in Bulawayo died after he was allegedly stabbed by his wife who is said to be a shebeen queen following a misunderstanding.

Dube, who is popularly known as ‘Hlengiwe’ in the neighbourhood, allegedly runs a shebeen at her family house where she was staying with her husband.

Neighbours told The Chronicle that Dube killed her husband in the presence of their two children.

“It was sad to hear their Grade 2 child state that ‘mommy killed daddy and threw the knife in the garden.’ Hlengiwe has always been known as a violent woman who has previously chased many people at knife point but we didn’t see this coming,” said one woman speaking on condition of anonymity.

Bulawayo Metropolitan Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango confirmed the murder incident.

“I can confirm that we are investigating a case of murder where a woman from Pumula suburb stabbed her husband following a misunderstanding. He managed to stagger outside the house before he collapsed and died,” she said.

“We continue to warn the public to desist from being violent as we continue to lose lives unnecessarily. In this incident, a woman allegedly killed her husband in front of their children and this is bad because it will haunt their children for the rest of their lives.”

A neighbour who only identified herself as MaMoyo said Dube was not new to violent confrontations with people.

“On this particular night, Dube followed her husband at a local bar where the two argued for a while before she returned home in the company of her friends. They purchased a number of bottles of whiskey and they drank through the night.

“When Ncube arrived home at around 1AM, he knocked for a very long time before his wife opened the door for him. We suspect he was annoyed by this and once he got inside the house, he questioned her over why she took too long to open for him and why she had followed him to the bar earlier on,” she said.

“An argument ensued and the woman grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed him. She ran out, half dressed and started knocking at their neighbours’ house, screaming that she had killed her husband.”

MaMoyo said last month, Dube threatened to stab a woman who lives a few houses from her residence.

“It was over a misunderstanding which didn’t even involve her, but because she loved fighting, she went up in arms with her, threatening to kill her,” she said. – state media

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo | Masvingo State Minister Josaya Dunira Hungwe’ s remarks about the need to grab the properties in the Save Valley Conservancy have riled officials from the European Union.

Hungwe last week vowed to kick out white people occupying 13 properties in the Save Valley Conservancy.

Of the 27 properties in the Save Valley Conservancy only 13 are owned by foreigners.

Officials who accompanied EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Philipe Van Damme during his visit to Chiredzi last week said Hungwe’ s remarks were unfortunate.

“We regret to say the Minister’ s remarks are detrimental to the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements,” said an official who declined to be named.

However Van Damme skirted the matter when he addressed government officials in Chiredzi last week.

Delays by Zanu PF in distributing new party regalia emblazoned with Emmerson Mnangagwa has resulted in continued use of paraphernalia emblazoned with toppled despot Robert Mugabe’s face, it has emerged.

Despite President Mnangagwa’s ruling party prohibiting the wearing of Mugabe’s regalia following his military aided ouster last year, T-shirts bearing Mugabe’s name remain a common sight among Zanu PF supporters

The situation has seen party provincial bigwigs having to repeatedly warn Zanu PF supporters against continued use of paraphernalia inherited from the “ancient regime”.

Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo confirmed that information had not yet reached all of the party’s supporters that the Mugabe regalia is now considered obsolete.

“The commissariat department is the one responsible for ensuring that supporters put on the proper party regalia and I am sure are in the process of communicating that information to the provinces and sooner than later it will be uniform throughout,” Khaya Moyo said.

Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu told journalists in Bulawayo recently that the party was now done with designing the new regalia that has since been approved by the Zanu PF politburo.

“The regalia will appeal to the majority of our members.

“It is quite a well thought-out design which I think all of us will be happy with,” said Mpofu.

Manicaland provincial chairperson Mike Madiro recently reminded Zanu PF supporters in the province that they needed to start marketing Mnangagwa’s name ahead of elections.

“We have those with old party regalia such as Zambia cloths and T-shirts displaying former president (Robert) Mugabe’s face, we should stop putting them on and wait for the new regalia emblazoned with … Mnangagwa’s face so that we can market him in districts ahead of the polls.

“We want people to know him,” Madiro reportedly told an inter district meeting at Mutare Hall last week.- Daily News

By Paul Nyathi| President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday afternoon met with church leaders who incidentally also met the rival MDC-T leader, Nelson Chamisa last week.

Speaking to the church leaders, Mnangagwa implored that he is eager to see a free, fair and violence free election.

“We want to hold a peaceful election this year with no violence or intimidation,” said Mnangagwa.

Speaking on the intra party violence within the opposition MDC-T, Mnangagwa said that he will make plans to meet with Nelson Chamisa and leaders of other parties to discuss the issue of violence.

In his Facebook post, Mnangagwa called on the church to take the lead in promoting peace in the country.

“Today, I met with church leaders to encourage them to play a central role in promoting love, unity and forgiveness in the run up to the elections and beyond,” said Mnangagwa.

“I told them that both church and government must preach the gospel of peace and preach the gospel of reconciliation. My administration has preached, and will always preach, peace and unity,” he added.

By Paul Nyathi

Disposed former National People’s Party National Spokesperson Jealous Mawarire has re-emerged in Zimbabwean politics this time as spokesperson of the new political party the National Patriotic Front.

Mawarire revealed himself as the spokesperson of the party in an interview with Voice Of America’s Studio Seven on Monday. The party is being spearheaded from the sidelines by former President Robert Mugabe.

Mawarire revealed that the party will be officially launched within the next few days in preparation for the upcoming elections.

Asked to reveal who the party leadership is, Mawarire would not disclose claiming that the party leadership will be disclosed at the launch.

Meanwhile, sources close to the party indicated that Retired Brigadier General Ambrose Mtinhiri who resigned from the ruling ZANU PF party last week has been seconded by Mugabe to lead the party in the interim.

Several former ZANU PF members who were in the G40 faction are reportedly part of the leadership of the party.

Former First Lady Grace Mugabe is expected to eventually take over the leadership of the party at some stage and be the presidential candidate for the party.

Former Cabinet Minister Samuel Undenge has hit hard times and is struggling to raise money to travel from Chimanimani to Harare where he is supposed to report at Highlands police station as part of his bail conditions, the court heard today.

The former Energy and Power Development minister is accused of prejudicing Zimbabwe Power Company of $12 650.

Undenge appeared before magistrate Ms Tilda Mazhande today and successfully made an application for variation of bail conditions

Through his lawyer, Mr Alec Muchadehama, Undenge informed the court that he was now into farming in Chimanimani hence was finding it difficult to travel to Harare every week due to financial constraints.

When he initially appeared in court, Undenge was ordered to report once a week to the police as part of his bail conditions.

“Having to travel every Friday to make a report, is now a burden to him since he is no longer employed,” Mr Muchadehama said.

In an incident that left Gweru residents awestruck a man has backed his wife up against allegations of prostitution where she shared a bed with a stranger the whole night who later stole from her.

Terence Kondo of Ascot Infill Gweru appeared before Gweru magistrate Mildred Matuvi facing theft charges.

He was convicted on his own plea and was remanded to today for sentencing.

Brenda Hwata’s husband appeared in court defending his wife that she was coned after she rendered help to a man who was in need.

He also testified that he trusted his wife because she was faithful and loyal adding that there was no way she could betray him.

It is the State’s case that Brenda a 40-year-old of Mutapa suburb spent the night with a 22-year-old Terence Kondo while drinking at Sacalo Night Club.

Terence then accompanied Brenda to her house.

When they got to her place, Terence asked Brenda for a place to sleep for $10.

Brenda gave Terence her Nokia 1202 to put his line and do an Ecocash transaction since his phone was off.

The two shared a bed.

During the night, Terence sneaked out while Brenda was sleeping and stole the cell phone he had been given to make payment for the night, another Sony cell phone, a pair of jean trousers, one pair of shoes, DStv decorder and $146.00.

It is alleged that Brenda is a well-known ho_oker in Mutapa. However, the husband argued otherwise in court.

Brenda was awakened by her husband who arrived that morning from Kwekwe who noticed that there were missing goods.

The case was reported to the police following Terence’s arrest.

He was able to recover $18 of the $311 valued stolen property.

Time is running out for MDC vice president Thokozani Khupe to build bridges with the party’s new leader, Nelson Chamisa, with whom she is fighting a terminal turf war.

The MDC’s national council gave Khupe — one of the founding members of the labour-backed party — a seven-day ultimatum last week to smoke a peace pipe with Chamisa or ship out.
This was after the party’s highest decision-making organ in between congresses resolved to endorse Chamisa, who turned 40 years last month, as the party’s substantive president mid last week.
Khupe is now left with two days before her fate is sealed.

So far, there is no sign that Khupe will give in as she insists that she is the only legitimate leader of the MDC, having been elected vice president at the party’s congress in 2006.

Chamisa, along with Elias Mudzuri, were appointed vice presidents by Morgan Tsvangirai (now late)
in July 2016 in what became the genesis of the strained relations between the MDC founding president and his second in command.

Although Khupe could not be reached for comment yesterday, her spokesperson Witness Dube told the Daily News that her boss will not comply with the national council’s decision.
“To say we are complying is rather too strong a word. We are trying our best to make the MDC-T work as a unit. That’s all,” he said.

In the aftermath of the ultimatum, Khupe has been on a frenzied tweeting spree, rubbishing Chamisa’s endorsement.

About 24 hours after she was served with the order for compliance with party decisions, she tweeted:
“It is regrettable and very revealing that while the Guardian Council leadership is yet ceased with sensitive matters in the party, some take pleasure in bullish threats, ultimatums and suspensions. For the record, I have always been acting president of MDC-T in the absence of the late president Tsvangirai since 2006, up until the late president left Zimbabwe on what was to be his last trip to South Africa in January 2018, when he left Hon Mudzuri as acting president.”

In terms of the MDC constitution, the Guardian Council acts as the party’s advisory board.
It is chaired by MDC Senator James Makore.

Career politician and veteran trade unionist, Cephas Makuyana, who once served as Senator, is also a member of the Guardian Council.

Its role is to offer advice and wisdom to the national leadership of the party, including the national executive and the national council.

It also performs and/or carry out any such functions which the national council may from time to time delegate to it, which may include investigations, arbitration and reconciliation in disputes within the party structures and/or among members.

On Friday last week, Khupe had another tweet saying: “This means that by all manner of calculations, when he passed away, I had not been away from party business for eight months as widely claimed.”

“I last saw president Tsvangirai alive on the 28th of January 2018. I made an effort to resolve issues in the MDC-T by going in person to meet and share notes with Hon Chamisa at his law chambers on the 13th of February 2018, a day before president Tsvangirai passed on,” she said.

But her twitter followers took her to task, some suggesting the need to engage arbitrators in order to solve the issue.

“How do you address allegations of insubordination, absconding meetings, fanning factionalism. With all due respect @DrThoko_Khupe can you seek some mediation and resolve this through internal party structures, have you tried these,” wrote one Brighton Kunaka.
She responded by saying she had written to the MDC’s Guardians Council, asking for their intervention in the impasse but that effort has so far been frustrated by Chamisa.

“I personally went to Hon Chamisa’s Law Chambers on the 13th of February 2018. I wrote a letter to the party’s Guardian Council for them to intervene in terms of our constitution. They are the internal arbiters and are seized with this matter even as ultimatums are being issued,” she wrote in response.
Not to be outdone, Chamisa wadded into the debate and, re-tweeting Khupe’s posts, he wrote: “That ain’t smart Dr. You refused to meet MRT (Tsvangirai’s full initials) in Harare saying it wasn’t safe for you but there you were, in Chamisa chambers.”

He added: “Khupe is just stubborn; it’s all about positioning herself without the people at heart. Greedy and opportunist she is, I can say!”
Khupe responded angrily and accused Chamisa of employing violence and bullying tactics to win power.

“A comment yet more revealing of the characters that support bullish political tactics. With all due respect Mr, I may be a woman, but I am not easily fazed by such. Very resolute and on principle, very unflinching! CONSTITUTIONALISM & DEMOCRACY are not a respecter of any person,” she responded.

The bad blood between Khupe and Chamisa started in 2016 when Tsvangirai elevated the Kuwadzana West legislator to the position of vice president.

Since then, the crafty legislator, nicknamed The Cobra after the menacing serpent, has worked his way to the leadership of the party, effectively dealing Khupe a body blow.
Their relationship soured even more last month when Khupe had to take refuge in a hut during Tsvangirai’s funeral to escape the wrath of MDC thugs who were baying for her blood before she was rescued by sympathisers. Daily News

As the nation approaches elections in the next few months, the church has been urged to reach out to its congregants with the message of love, unity and forgiveness.

The call was made by President Emmerson Mnangagwa when he met church leaders at local hotel in Harare today.

President Mnangagwa said dialogue must continue, adding that his door will always remain open.
“Since taking office, I have used every opportunity to preach love, unity and forgiveness. I shall be meeting with other political parties to spread the same message of unity.

“While there may be some disagreements, we must never allow it to become poisonous. The church and government must preach the gospel of peace and preach the gospel of reconciliation. The new administration preaches peace and unity,” said President Mnangagwa.

The President said his administration remains committed to protecting rights of freedom of worship, saying bitterness that is engulfing some people in the country needs prayers.

“It is duty of the church to urge people to refrain from vindictiveness. The Bible says usadzorera chakaipa nechakaipa,” President Mnangagwa said.

He implored the church to partner the government for the development of the economy, reiterating that he is a listening President.

“Hatirambe tichiumba nyika yedu ikwirire tisapfimbike matarenda at akapiwa naJehovah. (Let us continue to build our country using the talents or resources that God gave us).
“As government, we also invite the church to participate in policies like command agriculture and others,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said the success of 2016/ 2017 farming season has spurred the government to expand it to other crops and fisheries.

He called upon church elders to come up with income generating projects to help the young generation and keep them out of mischief.

Turning to the issue of corruption and quoting Romans 12:1-2, Cde Mnangagwa said it takes time to weed out the corrupt elements but with commitment from all Zimbabweans, it shall be won, adding that real change will not occur overnight.

“In the last 3 months, we have managed to attract US$3 billion worth of investment (FDI) into our country. Real change takes time and will not occur overnight. Together we will drive this nation to success.

“It is time to boldly reclaim our space on the international arena. The period of an inward looking Zimbabwe is over. Focus of the new dispensation is to resurrect our economy,” he said.
The President promised to look into some of the requests by the church leaders which include restoration of a national day of prayer, having a Minister of Religion, restoration of land that churches lost during land reform, establishment of an Economic Christian Forum and church representation in parliament.

“You mention that you need more land to build churches and developmental projects and my government is supportive of that. We are glad by your declaration that the church supports the govt of the day,” said the President.

President Mnangagwa reiterated that Zimbabwe is open for business and expressed gratitude to church organisations for contributing to the development of the nation by building schools and clinics. – agencies

Zimbabweans in the Diaspora are planning to stage a protest at the Zimbabwean embassy in London on Wednesday in a bid to push government to deal with police brutality.

This comes amid calls by civil society activists for authorities to compensate families of two people that were recently shot dead by the police.

The protest is being organised by Restoration of Human Rights Zimbabwe United Kingdom Chapter together with the MDC, Zapu, Women of Justice Arise, Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation and MaZimbabweans Yes We Can.

This is also happening at a time when social activists are calling for the police to compensate families of the bereaved.

Several organisations have expressed outrage over the killing of the two civilians by members of the ZRP, following a heated scuffle in Harare’s Central Business District (CBD) recently.

Harare’s CBD resembled a war zone as law enforcement agents blocked commuter omnibuses from either dropping or picking passengers in the capital.

This followed an unpopular directive by the Harare City Council to ban commuter omnibus operators from ferrying passengers into the city centre under an operation code-named Clean-up Harare CBD.

Police commissioner-general Godwin Matanga had to issue a formal apology following the incident, even though he insisted the police had been provoked and that they were not aware that the operation had been called off.

Following this incident, the Tendai Biti-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) said repression and police brutality had no place in modern democracy.

“The deaths are a result of a conflict emanating from the failure to deal with a peripheral issue of congestion.

“A government with no respect for human life must be jettisoned, removing (former president Robert) Mugabe and a few G40 fellows is tinkering with the deck while the titanic is sinking,” PDP said.

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) also criticised the police over the killings.

“CiZC condemns in the strongest sense, the inappropriate and violent law enforcement process which resulted in the death of three innocent civilians as police tried to forcefully enforce an ill-timed ban of commuter omnibuses in Harare’s CBD,” the organisation said.

Ancelmo Magaya’s Zimbabwe Divine Destiny also said: “The horrific pictures of burning vehicles right in front of the ZRP Harare Central Police Station and the stoning of the same which came as a result of public indignation over reckless shooting of at least two people by a trigger-happy police detail, paints a very gloomy and dark picture of the state of governance in our nation”.

Zimbabwe’s police have a history of using excessive force when it comes to enforcing certain statutes.

Some police officers have been previously sued in their personal capacities over these senseless brutal attacks.- Daily News

Statement | The MDC has condemned the violence that took place at the party offices in Bulawayo and has immediately dispatched a two-member team to normalize the situation.

In addition, the party has ordered the party’s chairperson for Bulawayo province, Mr. Gift Banda, to submit a detailed report to President Nelson Chamisa by end of day today.

The party has today dispatched the party’s Arbiter-General and the head of Security and Intelligence, Mr. Giles Mutsekwa to normalize the situation in Bulawayo.

The party’s national council, the supreme decision-making body between Congresses, last week decisively pronounced itself on the matter and said violence was not part of the culture and the DNA of the MDC.

The national council resolved that stern action be taken against the instigators of the disturbing incidences of violence if they are found to be party members.

The party is concerned with the trend that started with the incident in Buhera and now the similar incident in Bulawayo. Of particular concern to the party is the convening of unsanctioned meetings by senior leaders in Bulawayo, the dereliction of duty by some senior officials as well as the possibility of an external hand in the disturbances.

Hon. Thabitha Khumalo
Acting secretary for Information and Publicity
For more information please contact Luke Tamborinyoka on +263773011263