“Zanu-PF will win this election and continue to rule until eternity.”

President Mnangagwa has said his party is set to ” rule until eternity”.

Speaking Matabeleland North Province at Nabushome Primary school in Hwange district yesterday, Mnangagwa said the coming election, due in July this year, will be a defining moment for Zimbabwe’s democracy.

Mnangagwa spoke of  “unity, peace and love” to ensure this year’s plebiscite was free, fair and transparent.

“We are going to have elections in July this year. We are determined to have free, fair and transparent elections in Zimbabwe. There is no reason for anyone of us to resort to violence. People should choose and vote for whoever they like.

“”But people will vote for a party with a record of development, a party that liberated them and that party is Zanu-PF. I have no doubt Zanu-PF will win this election and continue to rule until eternity,” he said.

Mnangagwa also called for the lifting of sanctions imposed on the country due to historic happenings, saying Zimbabwe has already shown a new path. – Herald

Murder accused Rodney Tongai Jindu is living it up behind bars, B-Metro has learnt.
He is in remand prison, having failed on numerous occasions to get bail. He is facing two counts for the murder of his childhood friend Cyprian Kudzurunga (28) and neighbour Mboneli Joko Ncube (30) before burying them in shallow graves.

In refusing Jindu’s last get-out-of- jail bid, Bulawayo High Court Judge, Justice Nicholas Mathonsi said there was real danger the suspect could commit more murders.
As such, the suspect has one option, that’s to make jail life bearable considering that he could possibly be in longer.

A recently discharged inmate told B-Metro of Jindu’s lifestyle in the slammer.
“He’s very particular about what to eat. In most cases he resorts to eating isitshwala and tinned foods such as beef and baked beans. I rarely saw him eat boiled vegetables or sugar beans (staple food in jail),” said the former inmate.

Breakfast at the prison comes in form of white or sorghum porridge without sugar at 8am. Thereafter, inmates are served with quasi-lunch at 10.30 am before they go for an early supper at 2pm.

Since Jindu is not a convict but a remand inmate he is allowed daily visits on week days.
“At Khami Maximum Prison, convicted inmates are visited on Saturdays and Sundays between 9am to 3.30am and their family members are allowed to bring them tinned stuff.

“Remand inmates are visited by their family members from Monday to Friday (9am to 3.30pm) and their family members are also allowed to bring them tinned stuff that includes beans, fish and beef,” Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) Bulawayo Metropolitan public relations officer, Principal Correctional Officer Garainashe Moyo said.
Jindu is also said to have brought into jail his elegant dress code.

“A sun hat is a must in his wardrobe. Not long ago he paid tailors (also prisoners) to make new outfits for him, “ added the former jail bird.

The medium of exchange behind bars is soap, cigarettes and other groceries that one receives from outside. However, he does not take part in public events at the prison.
“He usually keeps to himself reading magazines or chatting with a few elderly inmates,” said the source.

While other inmates will seek to kill time by playing football, chess and other social activities, Jindu is yet to develop a hobby.

“I never saw Jindu grace any of the football matches. Actually, there is an elected Khami Football Association board that runs both the Premier and Division One Leagues. Both leagues are made up of  – eight clubs each and matches are either played during the week or during weekend days,” said the source adding that Highlanders, Dynamos, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Medics are some the names that were accorded to clubs that make up Khami’s football family. – BMetro

Zanu PF legislator, Justice Mayor Wadyajena says former president Robert Mugabe is desperately trying to divide Zanu PF and must be ignored.

Addressing hundreds of party supporters yesterday in Gokwe Nembudziya, Wadyajena said Mugabe is supporting opposition political parties to dilute the party’s votes in the forthcoming elections.
He said that it is the responsibility of party members particularly the youths to be vanguards of the revolutionary party and be alert to any forms of diversion that may result from opposition political parties.
Wadyajena implored the electorate to vote for the party’s presidential candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The country is set to hold its elections this year with the clarion call by President Mnangagwa being for peaceful, free and fair elections.

Preparations for the elections have already been given thumbs up by various regional organs including SADC, and the African Union, with the latest greenlight coming from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP. -state media

Seemingly evasive gang of 10 notorious armed robbers, that pounced on several businesses in Mutare and stole thousands of dollars after blowing up safes, resurfaced on Tuesday morning and hit a Sakunda Service Station in the city using the same modus operandi.

A security guard and two attendants at the garage were assaulted and later had their hands tied by the cheeky criminals who went on to blow up a safe using dynamites.
They got away with cash amounting to $4 400, fuel coupons valued at more than $100 and an assortment of electrical gadgets that included laptops.

To cover their tracks, the criminals destroyed a CCTV system and took the main server. The incident happened at around 3am at the filling station situated at Corner C Avenue and Fourth Street.

A robbery docket has since been opened at Mutare Central Police Station under RRB 3461741. Manicaland police spokesman Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa confirmed the robbery.

Circumstances were that the three complainants, Mary Marume (33) who is a fuel attendant, Happymore Chivorese (27) a security guard and Clariata Gedhe who is employed as a shop attendant were approached by two of the criminals who were armed with pistols.
The robbers searched the security guard to establish whether he had a firearm. They also took cell phones belonging to the three complainants and an eco agent cell phone for the service station registered in the name of Hlupekire Kandiero.

The two suspects then called their accomplices who were numbering up to six to join them. They were armed with picks and iron bars. One of the robbers forced marched Marume and Chivorese to the main office leaving Gedhe in the supermarket.

While in the main office they tied the two complainants using computer cables that had been disconnected from a computer. The other robber who remained in the shop with Gedhe demanded cash and she gave him $160.

After handing over the money she was also force-marched to join her workmates in the main office where she also had her hands tied.

The robbers then used picks to break five doors which led to different offices. In one of the offices the criminals destroyed a CCTV hard drive and went away with it.
They proceeded to the manager’s office and blew up a Geni money safe using dynamites. They took US$4 415 which was in the safe. The robbers also took two Lenovo laptops, fuel coupons valued at US$145, a CCTV hard drive server, a Nokia cell phone and a few grocery items from the shop and disappeared.

Moments later Gedhe managed to untie herself and she went on to untie her colleagues. A report was then made at Mutare Central Police Station.
Detectives quickly attended the scene and recovered a piece of the dynamite that was used to break open the safe.

They also found three cell phones belonging to the three workers that were later dumped by the robbers as they fled.

When The Manica Post visited the scene of the crime, one of the victims was at pains to explain to detectives the horror she experienced at the hands of the robbers.
She said as soon as the robbers got into the shop one of them snatched her jacket and also took a cap from the security guard and went outside at the forecourt.

“While outside, the robber who was now clad in our uniform, told off clients who wanted to buy fuel saying we had run empty. He did this to cover up the robbery, which was in progress inside the shop.

“They assaulted us and even made us to sing some songs. As they were about to go after collecting their loot, they ordered us to sing Jah Prayzah’s song “Kutonga Kwaro,” she said.

From analysing the way they are executing the robberies, detectives revealed that the same gang is responsible for the robberies that happened at a bus company in the city, a shop heist in Odzi and another service station robbery in Dangamvura. – Manica Post

Zimbabwe’s ousted president Robert Mugabe is of the view that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and South Africa in particular let him down when the army forced him into retirement in November last year.

Speaking to journalists for the first time since his removal in Harare on Thursday‚ Mugabe said a bad precedent has been set.

“In a way I feel betrayed‚ but you also have to look at their (neighboring countries’) conditions. Besides South Africa‚ most of them did not have the capacity to intervene. South Africa could have done more‚ but it didn’t. They set a bad precedent‚” Mugabe said. When Mugabe was holed at his private residence during the military operation‚ he spoke telephonically with then president Jacob Zuma who later sent a team of negotiators led by Minister of Defence and Military Veterans‚ Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula‚ and the Minister of State Security‚ Advocate Bongani Bongo.

At the time Emmerson Mnangagwa had fled to South Africa. He returned when Mugabe had been forced to resign.

But before returning home‚ Mnangagwa separately met with Zuma and his then deputy Cyril Ramaphosa.

Meanwhile‚ responding to interviews granted to international media houses by Mugabe‚ President Emmerson Mnangagwa said his former boss is free to do as he pleases since he resigned from office constitutionally.

“On 21 November 2017‚ former president Robert Mugabe tendered his resignation in terms of Section 96‚ subsection 1 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. He is entitled to express himself freely‚ as in the case of any private citizen‚” Mnangagwa said.- Timeslive

“Zanu-PF will win this election and continue to rule until eternity.”

President Mnangagwa says Zanu-PF has all the credentials to win the next election and would not resort to violence in order to get the mandate to govern.

He told a bumper crowd of party supporters in Matabeleland North Province at Nabushome Primary school in Hwange district today that the coming election, due in July this year, would be a defining moment for Zimbabwe’s democracy. The President urged all Zimbabweans to embrace unity, peace and love to ensure this year’s plebiscite was free, fair and transparent.

“We are going to have elections in July this year. We are determined to have free, fair and transparent elections in Zimbabwe. There is no reason for anyone of us to resort to violence. People should choose and vote for whoever they like.

“”But people will vote for a party with a record of development, a party that liberated them and that party is Zanu-PF. I have no doubt Zanu-PF will win this election and continue to rule until eternity.”

The President has also urged Zimbabweans to register in their large numbers to vote, saying he will soon proclaim an election date after which an aggressive campaign process will be rolled out.

He urged party members to maintain their calm ahead of primary polls and should choose leaders with quality credentials, who are honest and willing to serve the nation.

He reiterated the desire to transform the economy under the “Zimbabwe is open for business” mantra saying the new dispensation has generated a lot of investor confidence.
President Mnangagwa said the era of isolation of Zimbabwe in the international community is over as his administration is pursuing an aggressive re-engagement process.

He also called for the lifting of sanctions imposed on the country due to historic happenings, saying Zimbabwe has already shown a new path. – Herald

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo

It seems the claims that reports of kidnapping and beheading of children have political connotations hold water after all.

While some alarmists strongly believe the reports are true, political analysts argue that Zanu PF has mooted a ploy to declare a state of emergency in the country – thereby suspending the holding of elections.

Speaking in an interview with ZimEye.com, Masvingo Centre for Research and Community Development (MACRAD) Director, Aleck Tabe said villagers were no longer participating in voter registration programmes as a result of social media reports about rapists and rituals murderers.

“Our programmes in Chivi District have been severely dented by the reports of kidnapping and beheading of children.

We are struggling to mobilise villagers to participate in our programmes because they are extremely afraid of the said rapists and ritual murderers.

We call on the police to get to the bottom of the matter as a matter of urgency,” said Tabe.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been named in an ugly court case in which prominent businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei accuses his former business partner, youthful legislator Justice Mayor Wadyajena, of extortion — following an out-of-court agreement that has since turned sour.

Tagwirei is the proprietor of diversified conglomerate Sakunda Holdings which has vast interests in energy, mining, power and agriculture.

Wadyajena, the feisty MP for Gokwe-Nembudziya, and Tagwirei were once business partners before the latter turned to politics in the run-up to the 2013 harmonised elections.

In the papers filed at the High Court yesterday by Wadyajena — where he is seeking to have Tagwirei pay him an outstanding $2 million — Mnangagwa is said to have mediated between the two former business associates, leading to the withdrawal of Wadyajena’s $7 million lawsuit against Tagwirei that had been lodged at the Supreme Court as damages claims following a business disagreement.

In his summary of evidence that has now been filed before the High Court, Wadyajena said that he and Mnangagwa would give evidence in the case following the president’s prior involvement in the matter, as he seeks to end the ugly dispute with his former business partner.

“At the trial of this matter, plaintiffs will lead evidence from Justice Mayor Wadyajena and His Excellency, the president of the Republic of Zimbabwe Honourable Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa,” the court has been told.

The main civil case, according to the court papers, involved a matter in which Wadyajena initially demanded a total of $7 121 064,07 from Tagwirei in proceedings that went as far as the Supreme Court.

“Whilst this appeal was pending, third defendant (Tagwirei) approached the then vice president of Zimbabwe Honourable Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, requesting that the then honourable vice president mediate between the parties with a view to having the $7 121 064,07 claim pending in the Supreme Court withdrawn in favour of an out-of-court settlement.

“Following the mediation efforts by the then vice president as aforesaid, a verbal out-of-court settlement was ultimately reached between the parties in terms of which the Supreme Court appeal case was withdrawn by the mutual consent of the parties — on the condition, among other things, that defendant pays plaintiff $2,6 million,” the court was told.

The agreement was later put down formally in April last year, with Tagwirei subsequently paying Wadyajena $616 334. However, the former was now reneging on the outstanding $2 million, leading to the fresh suit, according to Wadyajena.

In response, Tagwirei claims that the agreement that the two had entered into after mediation had been premised on alleged “threats of extortion”.

“Whilst the fact of the purported agreement is conceded, defendants aver that the agreement was entered into as a direct result and only because of threats of extortion.
“The contract was illegal and void, or alternatively voidable — a product of extortion and or duress,” Tagwirei said, demanding the dismissal of Wadyajena’s claim.

But Wadyajena insists that the agreement was entered into by both parties freely and voluntarily.
“The defendants are put to the strictest proof of their claims of extortion and duress. In any event, the defendants have just made bold allegations of extortion and duress. The particulars of the alleged extortion and duress have not been pleaded.

“If there was any truth of their claims, defendants reasonably ought to have filed a police report, which was never done because the allegations are unfounded and are simply a reaction to plaintiff’s claim for specific performance,” he said.

Wadyajena asserted further that Tagwirei was never coerced or extorted into signing the agreement.
“After plaintiffs had duly and fully complied with the terms of the agreement, defendants paid three belated instalments totalling only $616 334.

“Thereafter, and despite demand and despite fervent promises by defendants’ legal practitioners that overdue payment would be made, defendants then completely stopped making any further payments,” the court was told.

Wadyajena said Tagwirei’s lawyers also sought ”indulgences and time extensions” concerning tender performances, in terms of the agreement.

The court papers say Mnangagwa is apparently willing to testify that he was approached by Tagwirei over the long-standing civil and criminal disputes between the two parties, including the claim of $7 121 064,07 which was pending before the Supreme Court.

Wadyajena also says Mnangagwa will come to court to give evidence to the effect that following his mediation, the parties ultimately came to a verbal agreement whose terms were as follows: that the Supreme Court appeal case be withdrawn by the mutual consent of first plaintiff and first defendant on condition that third defendant and/or any of his companies pays first plaintiff $2,5 million following such withdrawal.

“That third defendant and/or any of his companies immediately purchases a brand new motor vehicle for first plaintiff at a value of $100 000 so that first plaintiff would then vacate No. 152 Robert Mugabe Road (Tagwirei’s property he had occupied) and that the agreement relating to certain trucks be respected.” Daily News

17:07 – As we prepare for elections please vote for the people you want, please no imposition, you all have the right to chose your own leaders.

17:05 – Now turning to elections which will be held in July the time has come to show everyone that Zanu-PF is ours, we have to vote for our party so we continue ruling as we have been doing. Zanu-PF is the only party with a history of bringing our independence hence let us vote to ensure that we protect our independence.

17:02 – We must be a listening leadership, I am a listening President because our strength comes from the people not ourselves. After informing our chiefs we then called our Christian leaders so that we get the blessings of our Lord. We then moved to our captains of industry as we know they are the very people who run our economy. Now we will meet the youths and war vets and we will have finished.

17:00 – When we started our new government we called our traditional leaders to tell them that we now have a new government

16:58 – We have now moved on, we have a new government taking over. Even our former President Mugabe ran away when he saw what had happened was not right. But now the past is behind us we have to move forward and learn from the past. The most significant lesson is that our party has stood the test of time. We have managed to take back our land. We have managed to unite our people. We must however continue consolidating the spirit of unity. Of course as we go forward we will have sellouts that will fall by the wayside, like the G40 has fallen by the wayside. The true Zanu-PF will remain and go forward.

16:52 – President Mnangagwa now addressing the crowd…

“Dr Mpofu has related to you what happened to lead to the activities on 24 November 2017. We all saw the interface rallies, we all saw some big wigs being poisoned and we all saw some even becoming border jumpers.”

16:51 – “Today we have a real man, a man with no pride who is loving to all. He has time for everyone,”  Dr Mpofu ends his speech.

16:45 – “After independence he worked for the government where he worked in various Ministerial positions and held a number of positions within the party. He rose through the ranks until he became the country’s President.

“He worked hard but as we all know in everything that is beautiful there is something bad which crops up. There came the so-called interfaces, we were being called names, being told off by a woman. Our President was called all sorts of names but he never raised a finger, he instead smiled and clapped. President Mnangagwa was eventually fired from power. This is when people like General Chiwenga came in and even some of us rose and worked at reviving our party. We eventually called back our President and fired the very people who were causing havoc in our party.”

16:42 – Some might see this gentleman as someone without, guts but trust me he is one with guts. He is a man who was given a death penalty during the liberation struggle, he spent ten years in solitary confinement but he was only saved from the death penalty because he was under age. When he was released he went back to the liberation struggle where he trained as a lawyer. It is his experience as a lawyer which has made him well informed in terms of the law of the land which is why everything he does he ensures it is above the law – Dr Mpofu on ED.

16:38 – Dr Mpofu now introducing President Mnangagwa…

“The man we are here about is a loving man, a man of the people, a man who knows no race or tribe, a man who loves every Zimbabwean, a man who wants only to be identified as a Zimbabwean.”

16:35 – Next to be introduced is VP Chiwenga…

“This man is a man of principle, a man when he saw that things were not moving within Zanu-PF, stood up and made sure that he ushered the joy which we are experiencing today,” – Dr Mpofu says as he introduces VP Chiwenga

16:30 – “People from Matabeleland North you have surely made us proud, you have shown your love for President Mnangagwa. To the President I am promising you that in this area you already have two constituencies in the bag, here we do not play, we mean business,” Dr Mpofu says.

16:28 – Cde Moyo now invites Zanu-PF Secretary of administration Dr Mpofu to welcome the President and introduce those who accompanied the President Mnangagwa to the rally.

16:25 – President ED please do not be stressed by social media and TV interviews because as the people of Zimbabwe we are yours President as you see for yourself we are here in our numbers, we mean business, come election time we promise a resounding victory so much that those people who are busy making noise on twitter will be silenced – Cde Moyo

16:22 – Zanu-PF provincial chairperson Cde Richard Moyo now chairing the rally.

16:19 – President Mnangagwa and his delegation now at  Lortondale Primary School where he is expected to address a rally. Proceedings start with Inyathi High School students leading in the singing of the national anthem.

“We are here in Matabeleland North to understand what is happening, your problems and how we can solve them. At the end of the day we are all Zanu-PF. We are preaching unity, unity and unity. There is no going back we are moving forward as a united force. I have always said Zimbabwe is open for business and my administration and myself are serious about this.

Zimbabwe has been under sanctions for the past 18 years because among other things the land reform but this is now behind us. We have to move forward and ensure we develop our nation. From the past we are taking only that is good, this issue of interfaces we are leaving. In July we are having elections and this is to cement our rule as Zanu-PF.”

15: 45 – Dr Mpofu now greeting delegates and apologises for the late commencement of the programme, saying that President Mnangagwa had to tour the Gwayi-Shangani dam site and meet chiefs before coming here.

“The President is here to view key projects and appreciate progress on the ground.”

15:50 – Minister Mpofu now inviting President ED to greet delegates and give a short speech at the dam site.

15:43 –  President Mnangagwa has arrived at the bridge site.

15: 40 – Vice President Chiwenga has arrived at Ingwingwizi Bridge. President Mnangagwa is expected to arrive shortly. Also present is Speaker of the House of Assembly Cde Jacob Mudenda.

The principals of the People’s Rainbow Coalition (PRC) this morning led a high-powered delegation of its Joint Steering Committee (JSC) and it’s secretariat to meet with the SADC Election Advisory Committe.

The meeting is part of the regional body’s assessment tools to measure Zimbabwe’s preparedness for the 2018 elections and the PRC was able to use this opportunity to appraise the SEAC on issues impinging on having a truly free, fair, credible and transparent election in 2018.

The PRC Presidential candidate, Dr. JTR Mujuru, was flanked by her peers PDP President Lucia Matibenga, Dr S Nkomo, ZUNDE President Farai Mbira led the briefing while the PRC Secretary General, Dr Gorden Moyo, gave an account of the PRC concerns based on highlights from the PRC’s document on Political and Electoral Reforms.

The PRC team advised SEAC that it was not possible to hold credible, free, fair and transparent elections in Zimbabwe under current conditions where the military (3000 soldiers) have gone back to the barracks after the November 2017 coup, removed their uniforms and redeployed into the community harassing and intimidating the electorate and coercing them to vote for Mnangagwa and ZANU PF in the forthcoming elections. Since the coup there has been a noticeable and deliberate redeployment of military personnel from the back office to the front office of operations both in the ZANU PF party and in government, as well as in important institutions of government such as ZEC.

PRC highlighted that its preferred position on the impeding elections would be for the Zimbabwean government to seek SADC’s help in running a free, fair, transparent and credible election that, among other things, allows opposition to equal access to the media, unrestricted access to the electorate, etc.. The following issues were also highlighted;
* Partisan traditional leadership – while the PRC respects traditional authority it was disturbed by utterances from some traditional leaders openly declaring their support for ZANU PF. They provide the leg work for the ruling party and are its ‘soft-power’ while the army provides the ruling party with ‘hard-power’.
*Violence – perpetrators of political violence are not brought to book, eg violence visited upon our members on 20/2/2018.
* Military meddling in politics – pronouncements by the military that they will not salute anyone without liberation war credentials are intimadatory to say the least. We wonder how the military will treat an electoral victory by the PRC because President Dr. JTR Mujuru is a decorated liberation war fighter. We wonder if a coup can be staged against a PRC government.
* Media – reforms are long overdue. ZANU PF continues to enjoy exposure on public airwaves and in the public print media at the expense of opposition parties.
*Political parties liaison committees – call by Mnangagwa to meet principals of opposition parties should be channeled through ZEC so that when principals meet, they meet as equals.
* Diaspora vote – constitution allows for all Zimbabwean’s, wherever they are, to exercise their right to vote.
* Law alignment – need to speed up the alignment of laws including the enactment of laws on Devolution.
* BVR – the exercise is secretive with stakeholders not made aware of how auditing of materials will be done. All BVR processes should be open to all political parties and other interested stakeholders.
* Observers – long-term observers should be already deployed in Zimbabwe in view of the November 2017 events. The security nature of Zimbabwe demands the immediate presence of long-term observers and their deployment especially in rural areas.
* Elections roadmap – ZEC has only been meeting those parties represented in parliament, leaving other opposition parties out. All opposition political parties must gbe included in the discussions with ZEC.

In closing, the PRC pointed out that issues were many and could take days to enunciate but the bottom line is that the electorate knows whom they would want to vote for and whom they would want to lead them in government if assured of an environment conducive for a free, fair, transparent and credible election in 2018.

From the office of the PRC Information department

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo

The man who propagated Grace Mugabe’s so called philanthropic efforts last year, Killer Zivhu stunned Zanu PF supporters in Chivi when he castigated Mrs Mugabe and the G-40 cabal.

Zivhu, a sworn G-40 member, was one of Mrs Mugabe’s foot soldiers in Masvingo Province.

” I am a Zanu PF member and I have nothing to do with the G-40 and Mrs Mugabe, ” Zivhu told stunned Zanu PF supporters at his homestead in Chivi.

Zivhu is eyeing the Chivi South Parliamentary Seat.

Last year Zivhu donated several food items and second hand clothes on behalf of Mrs Mugabe.

Terrence Mawawa| A self declared war veteran, Obert Mpofu, who raped his wife’s younger sister, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Mpofu allegedly raped the 15- year- old girl after threatening to shoot her.

Mpofu raped the minor between May and October 2017.

Rusape Magistrate Livingstone Chipadza heard that Mpofu sneaked into the minor’s blankets, fondled her breasts and raped her.

Mpofu also raped the juvenile twice when his wife had gone to Gaza Business Centre for a church meeting.

Terrence Mawawa

A Gutu man died mysteriously on his way to the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai’ s funeral.

Percy Gonese(34) of Basera Growth Point in Gutu left his home to attend Tsvangirai’ s burial but he never reached Humanikwa Village.

Gonese’ s decomposing body was found near Nyazvidzi River last week, according to the police.

“A man who wanted to cross Nyazvidzi river to attend Tsvangirai’ s funeral was found dead last week.

He was buried at his rural home last Saturday,” police in Gutu said.

Terrence Mawawa

A Gutu nurse has appeared in court for allegedly raping his own daughter(15).

Onias Shamu, a nurse at Chinyika Rural Hospital, appeared before Gutu Magistrate Edwin Marecha on Wednesday. He was charged with rape.

Facts were that on February 9 2016, Shamu was at home with his daughter and he took advantage of his wife’ s absence and raped the minor.

“The two slept in one room and during the night, Shamu got out the blankets and began to fondle his daughter’ s breasts. He also kissed her.

He inserted his fingers into the minor’ s private parts and raped her,” the court heard.

Shamu was remanded out of custody.

President Nelson Chamisa and fellow MDC Alliance principals will this weekend address huge rallies in Kwekwe and Gweru as part of the national effort to rally Zimbabweans to vote for transformation, opportunities and prosperity in the forthcoming elections.

The Midlands rallies kick off when President Chamisa and his allies address a rally at Mbizo 4 Grounds in Kwekwe.

On Sunday, the MDC alliance principals juggernaut rolls into Gweru where the leaders are set to address another huge rally at Mkoba Stadium in the Midlands provincial capital.

On the sidelines of the two rallies, President Chamisa will take the opportunity to engage students, informal traders, pastors and small scale miners (makorokoza), among other social groups.

The MDC Alliance presidential candidate and his team are moving around the country exhorting Zimbabweans to vote for change and unveiling a cogent policy programme that will bring positive change in the lives of the people. The policy programme is firmly anchored on the tripod, whose key pillars are Transformation, Opportunities and Prosperity (TOP).

Mammoth crowds continue to turn up at all MDC Alliance rallies and President Chamisa and his team will soon be moving to Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central provinces to drum up support in these mainly rural provinces.

Throughout the country, Zimbabweans across the spectrum have affirmed their support to President Chamisa and all the MDC Alliance candidates that will be fielded in the watershed plebiscite that is due in a few months time.

Luke Tamborinyoka
Presidential Spokesperson and Director of Communications

Woes continue to mount for ex- deputy Finance minister and Zanu PF Mutoko South MP David Chapfika after he was dragged before the High Court for failing to pay $300 000 for electricity consumed at his farm.

According to the application filed by the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (Private) Limited (ZETDC), the various amounts owed are in respect of Chapfika’s garden project and for different points at his Grove Farm.

The court was told that ZETDC’s sales manager Maxwell Kudinha will give evidence to the effect that the two parties entered into an agreement for the politician to be supplied with electricity.

“It was agreed that the defendant (Chapfika) would pay for the electricity supplied by the plaintiff and in the event of his failure to do so: the plaintiff (ZETDC) would be entitled to disconnect electricity supply, and/or take legal action against the defendant claiming the amount due.

“In breach of the said contract, the defendant, had not been paying for electricity consumed and as at September 21, 2016, he was owing the plaintiff a sum of $307 622, 37…,” the court heard.

The power company said that Chapfika has failed, neglected or refused to pay the money despite demand and having admitted his indebtedness on November 2, 2016.

According to court papers, he had agreed to make monthly payments of $17 090, 13, but nothing was paid, which culminated in the court application.

“Due to the nonpayment, the plaintiff, as it was entitled to do, disconnected the supply of electricity to the defendant and instituted this action claiming payment of the said sum of $307 622, 37 together with interest and legal costs. In the premises, judgment should be entered against the defendant in favour of the plaintiff as per summons and plaintiff’s declaration,” the power company said.

Chapfika, however, disputed the amount being claimed by the power company.

“Notwithstanding that I disputed the bills relating to my different accounts with the applicant I signed the acknowledgment on the basis that the applicant was going to continue supplying electricity to enable me to conduct my farming operations and pay the applicant in terms of the acknowledgment of debt and that the applicant will hold onto the summons.

“Barely less than 24 hours later, the applicant immediately issued summons and disconnected electricity in total disregard of the new agreement as captured in the acknowledgment of debt,” Chapfika said.

He said in the acknowledgment of debt, he never accepted that he owed $307 622, 37.

“If this application is granted, I will be forced to pay an exorbitant amount than what is actually due to the applicant also bearing in mind the breach by the applicant and this will not be in the interest of justice,” the court heard.

The power company later filed an application for summary judgment, as it sought a verdict without going to trial, which was, however, dismissed by the High Court.

The matter is yet to be heard on merits before the High Court.- Daily News

Although former president Robert Mugabe’s dramatic return to active politics has been dismissed by Zanu PF as inconsequential, some analysts are convinced that he could inflict significant damage on the ruling party in this year’s general elections — particularly in the three politically restive Mashonaland provinces.

His ties with the recently formed National Patriotic Front (NPF), an opposition party led by liberation struggle stalwart Ambrose Mutinhiri, have rattled President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s cage, introducing a new dynamic that could shape Zimbabwean politics in profound ways.

Mugabe, whose 37-years in office ended in November 2017 following a military intervention that was widely supported by the generality of Zimbabweans, has derided the Mnangagwa administration as illegitimate and unconstitutional.

The former president’s perceived backing for the NPF is seen as a catalyst that could galvanise all ex-Zanu PF members who were unceremoniously booted out of the party at the height of factional wars.

Mugabe has expressed disquiet over how his erstwhile confidante, Mnangagwa, is trashing his “legacy”.

He has complained about how the current administration is allegedly stalling the release of his pension package.

Mugabe also says his wife Grace is constantly weeping due to the harassment his family is being subjected to.

While viciously clamping down on dissent at home, Mugabe spent the twilight years of his rule railing against Western governments and projecting himself as a fiery pan-Africanist.

His association with the NPF has drawn the attention of Mnangagwa, who has cautioned that Mugabe’s political manoeuvres will be closely monitored by his government to ensure that they do not cause destabilisation.

Mnangagwa reckons Mugabe’s ultimate strategy now could be centred on frustrating his political ambitions as part of a bigger scheme to destroy Zanu PF.

“The former president paita nyaya (there is an issue). Mnangagwa said last week, shortly after Mugabe had met Mutinhiri at his palatial “Blue Roof” mansion in Harare’s Borrowdale suburb.

Mutinhiri, who resigned from Zanu PF in protest against how Mugabe was pushed out of power, said the NPF would now work towards restoring democracy in Zimbabwe.

Political analysts contend that the NPF, largely a grouping of Mugabe loyalists who coalesced around the G40 faction during his rule, is to garner significant votes in the three Mashonaland provinces where Mnangagwa is perceived to be unpopular.

The three provinces include Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central.

During his rule, Mugabe predominantly held sway over the Mashonaland constituency, a Zanu PF stronghold and home to millions of Zezuru people. Mugabe is Zezuru while Mnangagwa is a Karanga.

The Karanga tribe is based mainly in the Midlands and Masvingo provinces.

In terms of political calculus, the NPF’s strategy to upstage Mnangagwa in the elections is also pivoted on the idea that he will fare badly in urban areas and Matabeleland provinces because of his instrumental role in the Gukurahundi massacres in the early years of independence.

Mnangagwa, who has tried to downplay his role during the Matabeleland atrocities that claimed an estimated 20 000 mostly Ndebele people, served as state security minister during the time of the mass killings.

Voting and political mobilisation in Zimbabwe have followed ethnic lines.

Mugabe has also met his former deputy Joice Mujuru at his Borrowdale home and might also be considering forging alliances with other opposition parties as part of his grand scheme to wrest power from Mnangagwa in the forthcoming polls.

Political analyst Ibbo Mandaza said the formation of the NPF and its association with Mugabe would further weaken Zanu PF ‑ which has been systematically disintegrating since 2015 when it expelled Mujuru.

“The impact of the NPF is to exacerbate the division of Zanu PF. It reflects the disintegration of Zanu PF.

“The disintegration began with the ousting of Joice Mujuru followed by the coup and now the formation of the NPF.

It has left Zanu PF in tatters,” Mandaza said, noting that the MDC-T, as the largest opposition party in Zimbabwe, would be the biggest beneficiaries at the polls as Zanu PF systematically implodes.

Mandaza said Mugabe, who has reportedly scoffed at any chances of working with Zanu PF under its current leadership, will do “anything” to derail Mnangagwa’s political ambition. Mnangagwa, he said, would not survive the NPF onslaught.

“Mugabe will do anything and everything to bring down ED (Mnangagwa). I do not think ED will survive,” Mandaza said.

However, political analyst Maxwell Saungweme contends that the NPF can only effectively compete with Zanu PF in Mashonaland East and West, with Mashonaland Central now under the control of Mujuru through her National People’s Party.

“It (NPF) has a huge influence on Mashonaland East and West. Mashonaland Central support is already taken by Mujuru.

“So whatever Zanu PF support remained in Mashonaland West and East will be shared between NPF and Zanu PF,” Saungweme said positing that some “disillusioned” voters in those provinces sympathetic to Mugabe would choose to vote for the opposition. Political analyst Muchesa Chatsama said the endorsement of the NPF by Mugabe, who still enjoys considerable support within Zanu PF, would scupper Mnangagwa’s chances at the polls this year.

Ultimately, Chatsama concurred with Mandaza that Mugabe’s aim was not to win power as such but to derail Mnangagwa’s electoral campaign.

“Gauging by the response of the public media you can tell how Zanu PF has been unsettled by NPF and Mugabe. As we speak right now, some people in those areas still think Mugabe is still president.

“These guys (NPF) may not really count their chances in this election. I think they just want to spoil the party for ED and company. Mugabe endorsing NPF is a big blow to Zanu PF,” he emphasised.

Mnangagwa, Chatsama said, could however counter the threat posed by the Mugabe-backed NPF, by coming up with an election manifesto that intends to address the myriad of challenges besetting the country’s fragile economy.

“But my strong advice to Zanu PF would be for them not to lose focus. They must not lose focus of critical things,” he cautioned.

“Instead of concentrating on pulling down NPF and Mugabe, they should rather work on removing bank queues, dealing with corruption and other macroeconomic fundamentals. People will judge them by their results.”- The Independent

Opposition National People’s Party (NPP) leader Joice Mujuru has dismissed speculative reports that she was in coalition talks with the newly-formed National Patriotic Front fronted by former resident minister Ambrose Mutinhiri.

Mujuru’s deputy, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo told NewsDay they would not enter into an alliance with a party associated with former President Robert Mugabe.

“I don’t think there is a possibility that we will work together. The first thing is Mutinhiri is said to be president of that party, but we are aware from our intelligence that the real powers behind that party are Mugabe and his wife. We don’t want to work with those people,” he said.

Mutinhiri, a former Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs minister was recently announced as NPF leader hours after meeting Mugabe at his private residence. He then claimed the former Zanu-PF leader had “promised to lend his full weight” behind the new political project viewed as a plot by an angry Mugabe still smarting from his inglorious exit from power last November at the hands of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his acolytes in the military.

Asked if Mugabe had brought up the issue of a possible coalition when he met Mujuru last month, Sipepa Nkomo said: “That did not arise at all. Mugabe and president Mujuru discussed outstanding issues from her expulsion from the party and government. They prayed and parted ways. I would have known if that had been discussed.”
But a source close to Mujuru insisted that she was warming up to the idea of joining hands with NPF.

NPF spokesperson Jealous Mawarire could not confirm nor deny the proposed coalition deal.

“We have formed a political party to contest elections and we are working on our structures. We are not looking at what others are doing.

“Be that as it may we are open to working with any Zimbabwean who wants to join us and that is not limited to Dr Mujuru. We welcome any Zimbabwean to our project regardless of political parties they are currently working with,” he said.

Mujuru was unceremoniously expelled from Zanu-PF and government in December 2014, as part of a brutal purge meant to stem factionalism in the party. Mugabe reportedly later apologised to Mujuru for the fiasco which he blamed on his wife, former First Lady Grace.

Mugabe is reportedly working on a plot to spoil Mnangagwa’s chances of winning the election by stitching up a coalition between Mujuru and Mutinhiri to dilute Zanu-PF’s support in Mashonaland East, West and Central in particular. The three provinces are considered Zanu-PF’s strongholds.

Mujuru currently leads a group of fringe political outfits under the banner of the People’s Rainbow Coalition where she is presidential candidate. Newsday

The below is an update on the verdict as ZimEye.com reveals, which was passed by Justice Maxwell Yakima as he ordered MDC Deputy President Thokozani Khupe to vacate the party’s offices at Stand 41A, Fort Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenue and surrender the same to (the party’s) Bulawayo Provincial Chairman Gift Banda.

In granting the writ of mandamus (spoliation order), Justice Yakima ruled that Banda was the “highest ranking official” in the province with full loci standi in judicio to sue for recovery of the premises. Justice also noted that Banda had “been in peaceful and undisturbed possession and occupation of the MDC-T Bulawayo Provincial offices.”  – CLICK HERE TO READ MORE 

By Staff Reporter| In  major setback against her, the High Court has ordered MDC Deputy President Thokozani Khupe to leave her office at the party headquarters.

The verdict was passed by Justice Maxwell Yakima who ordered her to vacate the party Stand 41A, Fort Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenue and surrender the same to (the party’s) Bulawayo Provincial Chairman Gift Banda.

In granting the writ of mandamus (spoliation order), Justice Yakima ruled that Banda was the “highest ranking official” in the province with full loci standi in judicio to sue for recovery of the premises. The judge also noted that Banda had “been in peaceful and undisturbed possession and occupation of the MDC-T Bulawayo Provincial offices.”

The development was hailed by her nemeses who exclaimed saying, “the High Court of Zimbabwe, sitting in Bulawayo today, the 16th of March 2018 has granted order of immediate eviction of Khupe cabal from the said authentic provincial offices.

“We are excited and applaud due process applied therein. We have been vindicated that the cabal has no legal bases to violently invade our offices. We appeal to our membership to follow due processes and retrain themselves when provoked by the same.

“We as MDC T party are none violent and adhere to legal and due processes by the competent Courts as it should,” the provincial spokesman FM Sibanda announced.

By Bulawayo Correspondent| Beleaguered MDC-T Deputy President Thokozani Khuphe appears to be getting unexpected endorsements from varied sectors within Matabeleland region amidst revelations that several Civil Society Organisations from the region have confirmed that they will be attending her rally in Bulawayo on Sunday.

Organisers of the rally indicated that at least thirty of the CSOs under the banner of Matabeleland CSO Collective have indicated that they will be attending the rally with a few of them allocated space to give solidarity messages.

“We enjoy a very cordial relationship with the regional CSOs who issued a statement condemning the attack on Dr Khuphe and others when she was nearly burnt alive in Buhera last month,” said one of the organisers.

“We have invited about thirty Civil Society representatives operating under the banner of the Matabeleland CSO Collective and they have indicated their willingness to grace the event,” he said.

“We will however not be able to give all of them a chance to give solidarity speeches but will pick a few to represent the different sectors of the society.”

National Organising Secretary for the MDC-T Abednico Bhebhe invited the CSOs in a letter sent on an official party letter head on Thursday.

Part of the invitation provided to ZimEye.com reads,

“On behalf of Hon. Dr Thokozani Khupe and on my own behalf may I express our profound appreciation for your public statement issued as the Matabeleland Region CSOs Collective following an unprecedented attack, hate speech and attempt on our lives in a funeral of our late dear leader in Buhera on 20/02/2018.

“I believe that all progressive people who still care about a democratic agenda for a future Zimbabwe free from all forms of discrimination, violence and underdevelopment would appreciate your collective stand against violence regardless of its source.

“We would like to reaffirm our commitment to social justice and a democratic country
which the majority of the impoverished and oppressed citizens aspire for.

“Inspite of the challenges and crisis in the democratic movement, especially on the political front we urge you to continue your vigilance and being the voice of the voiceless.

“It is in that spirit that I take this opportunity to invite you and your constituency to have an observatory role on our public meeting on 18th March 2018 at Bulawayo
Amphitheatre from 10am and give a five minute solidarity message.”

The sources who would not be named said that they are expecting civil society organisations from the women’s movements, the youth, church, vendors and residents movement within the region to be represented at the gathering.

Confirmed reports also indicate that some members of the radical Mthwakazi Kingdom restoration proponents have offered to attend the meeting “to give Khuphe the much needed support.”

Speaking to ZimEye.com on Thursday, Dr Khuphe’s personal assistant Witness Dube would not be drawn to disclose the agenda of the meeting only stating that it is one of Khuphe’s continued consultation meetings.

Lawyers for the Nelson Chamisa-led Bulawayo MDC executive have approached the High Court here to challenge their ban from using the opposition party’s provincial headquarters, hoping for a green light that will allow them to use the offices that have been seized by Thokozani Khupe.

In an urgent High Court chamber application filed this week, Bulawayo provincial chairperson Gift Banda appealed against their banishment from the office by Khupe, who is claiming to be the legitimate MDC leader.

The application for a spoliation order seeks to restore “Stand No 41A, Fort Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenue, Bulawayo” to Banda who was “in peaceful and undisturbed occupation and possession of the property in his capacity as the chairman of the Movement for Democratic Change- Tsvangirai (MDC-T) Bulawayo Province.”

Thokozani Khupe and her supporters namely Abednigo Bhebhe, Witness Dube, Artwell Sibanda, Gershom Zimba, Samson Mubhemi, Elliot Doctor Moyo, Mthokozisi Ncube and Mbuso Sibanda are all cited as respondents respectively.

Strangely, the 8th respondent cited is Mthokozisi Ncube, the Secretary General of the Progressive Democrats of Zimbabwe (PDZ). Ncube allegedly participated in the violent takeover of the offices.

Court papers state that the MDC-T members are being “excluded from their offices during a crucial election period when they need their offices the most for use around election matters such as the processing of candidate coordination and administratively servicing their structures in preparation for an election to be held anytime between 22 July and 22 August this year.”

Failure to grant the spoliation order “might even encourage counter violence … as young members might feel that the law has been unable to come to their aid,” says the document.

Banda is praying that the High Court orders Khupe and eight other respondents “not to interfere with Applicant’s occupation,” that they are “prohibited from interfering with and/or disrupting any meetings, programmes and activities” or from “vandalising any property of the MDC-T.”

He is asking the court to direct the member-in-charge, Bulawayo Central Police Station or any of his details “to arrest and detain” Khupe or her agents if they refuse to comply with the spoliation order.

Through propaganda, such as flooding social media with third respondent, Witness Dube’s pictures, Khupe’s supporters portrayed themselves as victims while concealing the fact that they had violently seized the party offices, the application alleges.- Daily News

Flamboyant businessman and Zifa president Phillip Chiyangwa’s wife, Elizabeth (nee Jumah) has finally succeeded in nullifying the couple’s 30-year-old marriage after High Court Judge President Justice George Chiweshe granted the divorce order on Tuesday last week.

The nullification of the couple’s marriage followed an application by Elizabeth when she rekindled the litigation on January 11 this year after the initial application that had been filed in 2013, failed to materialise, following what appeared to have been efforts to amicably resolve the duo’s matrimonial impasse.

Elizabeth said she married the business mogul on November 11, 1988 in terms of the Marriage Act chapter 37 now Chapter 5:11, but had, however, lost love and affection for the Native Investments Africa Group founder over alleged infidelity.

Apparently, when the couple’s marriage hit hard surface, the pair, through their lawyers, drafted a consent agreement on the issue of property sharing, but the document was not made public.

In a court order dated March 6, 2018, Justice Chiweshe said: “Whereupon, after reading documents filed of record, examining the plaintiff (Elizabeth) and hearing counsel who applies for a decree of divorce and other relief on the grounds of irretrievable breakdown under the provisions of section 5 of the Matrimonial Causes Act (Chapter 5:13), it is ordered that a decree of divorce be and hereby granted.

“The consent paper signed by both parties shall regulate all issues relating to property matters of the parties to marriage. Defendant (Chiyangwa) to pay costs of suit.”

Chiyangwa and Elizabeth’s marriage deteriorated sometime in 2013 whereupon Elizabeth filed divorce papers claiming 85% of the couple’s wealth and $83 000 per month for 120 months as maintenance after the termination of the marriage.

However, a year later the businessman wrote to the High Court requesting that his divorce case be scrapped off the court roll, as the parties were reportedly locked in out-of-court negotiations to stop their acrimonious divorce.

In her declaration filed with the court then, Elizabeth said she was demanding a lion’s share of the family’s $230 million estate.

But, Chiyangwa objected to the divorce, accusing Elizabeth’s lawyers of incompetence for listing some properties that did not belong to him without verification.

Consequently, in January this year, Chiyangwa, through his lawyers Kantor and Immerman, filed an appearance to defend the divorce litigation.

But in her court papers through her lawyers, Zigomo Legal Practitioners, Elizabeth insisted she had since lost love and affection for Chiyangwa and both had a mutual wish to be divorced.

“The relationship between plaintiff and defendant has irretrievably broken down and there are no reasonable prospects for the restoration of a normal marriage relationship, more particularly in that; the parties have been living apart for a continuous period in excess of 12 months, since plaintiff moved out of the matrimonial home on September 18, 2016,” Elizabeth said.- Newsday

The three robbers who stormed a construction site in Umwinsidale, which is believed to belong to Ms Bona Chikore (nee Mugabe), were yesterday sentenced to an effective 18 months each in jail.
Robson Kandenga (45), Peter Mangwiro (40) and Brighton Chisiko (30) appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Noel Mupeiwa and pleaded guilty to robbery.

Mr Mupeiwa slapped the trio with 30 months each in prison, but suspended 12 months for each sentence on condition of good behaviour.

When they initially appeared in court on Tuesday, the gang was being charged with armed robbery, but the charges were later altered to robbery as it is understood that no weapons were used when the crime was committed.

The court heard that on December 31 last year, Kandenga, Mangwiro and Chisiko approached the police officer, who was guarding the site and pretended to be asking for directions to an unnamed place.

The unsuspecting police officer then left his guardroom to assist them. He was suddenly disarmed of his AK47 service rifle before being punched and kicked all over the body.
His arms and legs were subsequently tied using a wire that had been retrieved from the site.

The trio proceeded to take the complainant’s personal items, including two phones, and 80 wooden construction boards, which all amounted to $4 800. – state media

Former Zimbabwe national football team coach Callisto Pasuwa was yesterday convicted and fined $150 by a Chitungwiza court for illegally occupying land in Rubatika Village, Seke.

Pasuwa pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Chitungwiza magistrate Ms Yeukai Chigodora, but was convicted because of the overwhelming evidence against him.
He now has to pay a $150 fine or spend 30 days in prison.

The gaffer claimed that he bought the land through a chief, but his name was not found in the council’s database.

Prosecutor Mr Norman Koropi proved that on November 8 last year, Manyame Rural District (RDC)’s security sergeant Mr Emmanuel Watyoka was conducting assessments in Rubatika Village, Seke communal lands, when he visited Pasuwa’s home.

He asked the former Dynamos coach to produce an allocation letter or any approval that justified his occupation of the land.

When Pasuwa failed to produce the documents, Mr Watyoka made a report at Dema Police Station, leading to the ex-footballer’s arrest.

Meanwhile, a Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) Radio Zimbabwe worker has appeared in court for maintenance arrears worth $10 600.

Jabulani Ncube (37) was dragged to court by his former wife, Pamela Maruta (35).
He appeared before Chitungwiza magistrate Mrs Blessing Murwisi for contravening Section 23(1) of the Maintenance Act.

Ncube pleaded not guilty and the case was postponed to March 23.
The prosecutor, Mr Tendai Katonha, alleged that on September 9, 2013, a Chitungwiza court ordered Ncube to pay $200 monthly towards the upkeep of his two minor children.
It is alleged that he never made any payments and his arrears ballooned to $10 600. – state media

ZANU PF’s new National Commissar, Gen Engelbert Rugeje has stopped aspiring ZANU PF candidates saying they must cease from campaigning activities until directives are issued.

Gen Rugeje reportedly said the aspiring candidates must wait until the allocated date and time;  they must cease from speaking to the electorate regarding what they have to offer in terms of service delivery to the people.

The comments were conveyed by the party’s secretary for information, Simon Khaya Moyo who said the time for campaigns has not started yet.

Khaya Moyo said, “the time for campaigns has not yet started. The National Political Commissar, Lieutenant-General Engelbert Rugeje (Retired), who is the chairman of the Elections Commission, will communicate to all the provinces when campaigns will start. Those who are already campaigning must cease such efforts forthwith.

“As regards to primary elections, those aspiring candidates in a given constituency will campaign together in all meetings and be allocated time to speak to the electorate regarding what they have to offer in terms of service delivery to the people.”  – state media

By Dorrothy Moyo| President Emmerson Mnangagwa appeared shocked on the fact that there are 107 parties intending to contest in the upcoming election.

Mnangagwa “took a jump” while addressing journalists on the sidelines of the 5th CEOs Round Table meeting in Victoria Falls.

The Head Of State said he had to cancel a meeting after hearing of the number of parties.
He said, “I thought I will be meeting between 8 and 15 (political parties) so I cancelled the date so that I really find out if it is true that there are 108 political parties in the country.

“I must check on that and perhaps find criteria on who must come and say if you are a political party come to the table.”

Earlier in the week, A ZEC Commissioner told the US based VOA Studio 7 of the number of registered parties.

“Already 107 parties have informed us that they exist and so indications are they will be participating in the general elections,” he said.

He continued saying, “he usually hold a meeting with political parties ahead of elections and they normally come in large numbers … about 80 or 90. When we checked our numbers yesterday they were 107 political parties.”

Moyo also said the Robert Mugabe “linked” National Patriotic Front, which worries Mnangagwa is among these political parties that will contest the polls sometime this year.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected in the country today to discuss issues of mutual concern with his counterpart, President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

President Ramaphosa, who is also the chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), will also visit Mozambique on the same day.

In a statement, the South African presidency said President Ramaphosa’s visit forms part of a long standing tradition in the Sadc region where newly elected Heads of State pay courtesy calls on neighbouring countries.

“During the visit, President Ramaphosa and his counterparts will discuss bilateral co-operation as well as regional, continental and global issues of mutual concern. It is expected that the Sadc Heads of State will pay a particular focus on the latest political and security developments in the Region including the regional economic integration agenda in the Southern African Development Community,” reads the statement.

“President Ramaphosa will be accompanied by the Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu and the Minister of State Security, Ms Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba.”

The ANC leader was inaugurated as South African Head of State last month following the resignation of Jacob Zuma.

Last November, President Mnangagwa also paid a courtesy call on the then President of South Africa, Zuma, following the resignation of ex-President Robert Mugabe.

After meeting Zuma, President Mnangagwa addressed a high profile business conference in the neighbouring country in line with the “Zimbabwe is open for business” mantra.- state media

By Paul Nyathi| Former President Robert Mugabe says that Zimbabweans have never experienced as bad an army operation as was seen in the period the army toppled him from power.

Mugabe said this in his first ever televised interview on SABC News on Thursday evening.

Narrating the ordeal he went through in the hands of the army at his Blue Roof home, Mugabe said that the nation was terrified to submission by the presence of the heavily armed soldiers. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW…

“Never before have Zimbabweans seen such from the soldiers,” said Mugabe.

The defiant former President declared that his removal from power was not constitutionally but was a military coup.

“Many have refused to acknowledge that it was a coup but Emerson (Mnangagwa) would never have been President without the assistance of the army which makes it a coup,” he said.

The former strong man said that the army disarmed both the army and the Central Intelligence Agency in the process crippling state security.

“The police had all their weapons completely taken by the army.”

Mugabe said that members of the CIO were rounded up with some of them maimed and killed.

“They were bashed on the heads, some of them killed and some still missing up to today at the hands of the army,” lamented Mugabe.

Critics have harshly attacked Mugabe for his cries on the treatment he claims to have got at the hands of the army claimimg that he exposed Zimbabweans through worse treatment in his near four decades of rule.

“Mugabe can not claim that Zimbabweans saw the worst of the army because he was being removed from power, did he see the Gukurahundi soldiers,” questioned a commentator on social media.

In the interview Mugabe tried to justify his self orchestrated Gukurahundi atrocities claiming that his government was dealing with fellow liberation movement PF ZAPU he accused of hiding arms of war after the liberation war.

Over 20 000 people were murdered by the soldiers he deployed, a figure which Mugabe disputed in his interview.

Mugabe however claimed that his wife, Grace’s few security details managed to deal with an army unit that was bombarding homes of his two right-hand men Professor Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere and rescued them with their families.

Mugabe claimed that Kasukuwere and Moyo raised a cry for help from the former First Lady when the army was attacking their homes where on she disbursed her security details to rescue them.

“She sent her personal security details to rescue them and told them to go out and rescue the families though they risked being killed on the way.”

He confirmed previous speculations that Moyo and Kasukuwere took refuge at his home for a while before they fled to exile.

“The two were rescued with their wives and children and brought here to us.”

“We later told the two to leave and go out of the country and leave their children with us,” he said.

“We don’t know how they found their way out or where they went to.”

Statement By Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) notes with concern the appointment of Mr Utoile Silaigwana as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Acting Chief Elections Officer. As CiZC, we would like to categorically state that the appointment of Mr. Silaigwana is another unfortunate incident which continues to put into doubt the credibility of ZEC through acts of brazen militarisation.

Mr Silaigwana, a former member of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), was part of the 2008 ZEC secretariat that withheld the March 2008 election results for close to a month.

It must also be noted that he was appointed to ZEC when he was still a serving member of the ZNA and was thus among the people that led to the militarization of ZEC and eventually presided over the 2008 elections whose outcomes were heavily contested.

Mr Silaigwana’s image is tainted with accusations of election rigging and his latest appointment raises eyebrows on the credibility of the ZEC Secretariat and ultimately the credibility of the 2018 polls.

It is becoming quite apparent that Interim President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s promise of a free,fair and credible election is mere rhetoric. Mr. Silaigwana’s appointment comes after President Mnangagwa’s declaration that the bloody 2008 elections which resulted in the death of close to 300 opposition supporters were free and fair.

To add on to this, Justice Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi is on record saying there is no need for reforms ahead of the 2018 elections.

CiZC would like to draw the attention of the visiting SADC Electoral Advisory Council (SEAC), which is in the country on a week-long pre-election assessment, to take note of crucial matters which might be a hindrance to free, fair and credible elections in Zimbabwe.

De-militarization of ZEC as well as ensuring that ZEC Secretariat is apolitical is critical to ensure free, fair and credible elections. .

Former President Robert Mugabe says he saved President Emmerson Mnangagwa from the noose during the liberation struggle. Mugabe speaks for the first time after he was ousted in a coup last November not mincing his words and feelings of betrayal by his former deputy.

Mugabe says he never thought new President Emmerson Mnangagwa would turn against him and denounced Mnangagwa’s move to oust him last year as a coup, in an interview broadcast on Thursday (March 15), Reurters reports.

Mugabe, 94, ruled Zimbabwe from independence in 1980 until he stepped down under pressure from Mnangagwa’s allies in the army in November.

Viewed by some as a liberation hero, others remember Mugabe for turning a promising country into an economic basket case and international pariah.

Mnangagwa, deputy president under Mugabe, has promised to open up Zimbabwe to foreign investment and mend ties with the West since assuming power.

“I never thought he whom I had nurtured and brought into government and whose life I worked so hard in prison to save as he was threatened with hanging, that one day he would be the man who would turn against me,” Mugabe said in the interview with South African state broadcaster SABC from Harare.

Mnangagwa was convicted of sabotage under white minority rule and sentenced to death. But he was spared the noose because it was deemed that he was a minor when he had committed the crime.

Mugabe said he was ousted in a “military takeover” and that Mnangagwa had assumed the presidency illegally.

“I don’t hate Emmerson, I brought him into government. But he must be proper, he is improper where he is. Illegal,” Mugabe said. “We must undo this disgrace, which we have imposed on ourselves. We don’t deserve it.”

Since his fall from power, Mugabe has stayed at his Harare mansion with his wife Grace. His ousting was the culmination of a power struggle between Mnangagwa and Grace Mugabe, who was being groomed by her husband as his potential successor.

Mugabe was granted immunity from prosecution and assured that his safety will be protected in his home country under a deal that led to his resignation.

Mugabe quit as parliament began a process to impeach him, triggering wild celebrations in the streets.

Zimbabwe was once one of Africa’s most promising economies but suffered decades of decline as Mugabe pursued policies that included the violent seizure of white-owned commercial farms and money-printing that led to hyperinflation.

Mnangagwa has said Zimbabwe still wants to end discrimination between black and white farmers but will seek new ways to compensate those who have lost their properties. Former colonial ruler Britain said last month that Harare should press on with transparent and fair land reform.- Reuters

MDC Statement on doctors strike

15 March 2018

The ongoing strike by doctors and nurses at the country’s major referal hospitals bears testimony to the disastrous 100 days of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s time in office. The unfolding events in the health sector are showing that the only thing President Mnangagwa’s administration has amassed to date is a pile of dead bodies in public hospitals.

The rapid deteriorating health standards under the junta administration are alarming. The fact that a junior doctor can be made to earn $369 per month before allowances shows that the health sector is clearly not a priority for the government. Public hospitals are ill equipped, and have infact become death traps themselves.

We were told by President Mnangagwa’s government that $250 million has been recovered to date from looters. Why is that money not going towards redressing the state of affairs in the health sector?

This industrial action that has endangered lives of thousands of patients is no doubt a direct result of Government stubbornness, incompetence and misplaced priorities.

Doctors are simply asking for drugs, functional equipment and better remuneration so they can better perform their duty of saving lives. What hospital can function without basic requirements such as gloves and drugs?

Government should as a matter of urgency address doctors’ concerns to avoid the suffering and deaths of patients. This is a matter that has been ignored for far too long. Patients should not have to die in their thousands first before government considers attending to doctors’ plight.

Surely the absence of doctors in health institutions during a time of frequent outbreaks of diseases such as typhoid and cholera is toying with human life.

As MDC we are convinced that Mnangagwa and his government do not care about the welfare of people.

Zimbabweans should not be hoodwinked by the ‘New Dispensation’ mantra that is being forced down their throats via the state media.
Facts are stubborn. And right now they show President Mnangagwa has glaringly failed to expeditiously attend to grievances raised by health workers, instead he has been turning a deaf ear and threatening to fire them while patients are dying in hospitals. Is this someone Zimbabweans want to elect as President in the forthcoming elections? We think not.

Kurauone Chihwayi
MDC National Spokesperson

By Paul Nyathi

The National People’s Party has quashed social media rumours that their leader Joice Mujuru will be attending the Thokozani Khuphe rally set for Bulawayo this weekend.

NPP National Spokesperson Jefferson Chitando rubbished the rumour indicating that the NPP has long lost appetite to deal with the MDC-T in any way.

“Dr Mujuru is very busy on her campaign programs on the ground and has absolutely no reason to divert and go and attend an undefined MDC-T gathering,” said Chitando.

“Our President and party are now concentrating on the work of the People’s Rainbow Coalition and has long put aside any links with the MDC-T,” he said.

Social media was on Thursday awash with rumours that Mujuru will be attending the controversial rally to declare a new solidarity with Khuphe.

The rumours also indicated that PRC partner Luciah Matibenga leader of a breakaway People’s Democratic Party was going to accompany Mujuru to the rally.

Chitando’s sentiments were confirmed by Khuphe’s personal assistant Witness Dube who declined any knowledge of Mujuru attending the rally.

Dube indicated that the gathering is not necessarily a public rally but one of Khuphe’s continued consultation meetings.

“Dr Khupe is continuing with her consultative and campaign meetings,” said Dube confirming the gathering set for the Bulawayo Amphitheatre on Sunday.

According to Dube, Khuphe will be meeting with party structures from the region to discuss the prevailing conditions in the opposition party.

Dube confirmed that the rally has been cleared by the police who will also provide security to curb possible violence due to the intra party rivalry in the party.

“Police have guaranteed full protection for this meeting in terms of the law,” he said.

Asked to confirm information provided to ZimEye.com by other sources close to Khuphe that she will be announcing a split from the party, Dube invited media to attend the rally and hear Khuphe speak.

“Can’t comment on your enquiries. I am sure you will find your answers from Dr Khupe if you come to the Amphitheatre.

“It’s a structures meeting but I am sure when journalists come for information they may not be denied accessible sessions of the meetings because things must be done transparently,” he said.

Asked to comment on Khuphe’s prospects in case she pulls out of the MDC-T, Chitando said that the NPP and Mujuru wish Khuphe the best as long as she is in a fight against ZANU PF.

“We really wish Khuphe all the best in her future as long as she remains in our concerted fight to remove the ZANU PF government,” said Chitando.

ST Mathius Tsonzo High school in Mutasa has been rocked by student riots which are allegedly being instigated and sponsored by some teachers in a bid to push out the school head Mr Obvious Chikata.

The demonstrations started last Friday and involved mostly Forms 3, 4 and 6 students who were protesting over the suspension of two of their colleagues on allegations of drug and substance abuse.

The riots reached the fiver pitch on Sunday evening as male students wearing balaclavas stormed into the girls’ dormitories and ordered them to join the demonstrations around 11pm.

Security guards and school authorities who tried to restrain the riotous students were pelted with an assortment of missiles.

The students vandalised the security fence around the learning area to troop out of the school premises, forcing the school authorities to summon police to quell the situation.

Mutasa District School Inspector Mrs Chipo Mlambo was holed at the school on Monday trying to break the impasse. Though Mrs Mlambo said the situation had stabilised, reports indicate that the students were threatening to strike again on Tuesday.

Provincial Education Director Mr Edward Shumba said the matter was still being investigated.- manica post

Terrence Mawawa

Caps United Skipper, Hardlife Zvirekwi is optimistic about returning to the soccer pitch.

Zvirekwi had his left hand amputated from the wrist
after his hand was crushed when his vehicle veered
off the road last week.

Zvirekwi has however remained optimistic he will bounce
back despite the setback.

“Obviously, these are painful moments, but still we
have to praise God that I am still around and I will be
back soon,” said Zvirekwi.

“I want to thank everybody for the support – the
Minister (Kazembe Kazembe), our club president (Farai Jere) and
the whole nation.

They have been so supportive, they
have been with me in their prayers, so I thank
everybody for showing love,” added Zvirekwi.

A Harare woman was busted secretly operating a brothel that recruited young girls from the age of 12 at a rented cabin at the Roman Catholic Church in Eastview’s Phase 1.

Vimbai Fungisai, 22, appeared in court jointly charged with Tendai Masiya, 45, who was offered one of the girls for his sexual enjoyment.

The duo is appearing before Harare regional magistrate Temba Kuwanda facing two counts of rape.
One of the pimped out minors’ aunt testified in court yesterday that she discovered that Fungisai was operating a brothel at the Roman Catholic Church after her niece went missing. She found her niece at Fungisai’s rented cabin at the church together with 11 other girls.

“I had been searching for my niece and heard that she was staying at the gazebo at Roman Catholic Church. When I arrived there, there were 12 other girls whom I interviewed and revealed that Fungisai was keeping them there for sex with her clients,” the aunt testified in court.

“They told me that older men would come around and they would be forced into engaging in sex all at once in one room. Fungisai would entice the children with food and money.

“I then took my niece away and suspected that she had a sexually transmitted infection.
“When we went to the doctor, she was diagnosed with an STI and treated and I confronted Fungisai about child prostitution and the brothel because I felt that she had no right to use young girls.”
A few weeks later, the minor escaped her aunt’s custody and returned to Fungisai’s brothel.
Her aunt followed up on her but she still returned to the place.

Prosecutor Valerie Ngoma alleged that sometime in October last year, Masiya went to Fungisai’s residence and asked to have sexual intercourse with the victim but she refused.
The court heard that Fungisai and Masiya forcibly tore the child’s underwear and laid her on the blankets before she was raped.

It was alleged that after the incident, Masiya gave Fungisai money as payment for the sexual services.
The matter was later reported to the police leading to her arrest. Daily News

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo

Irate MDC supporters have accused provincial chairperson James Gumbi of undermining the authority of party president Nelson Chamisa.

The supporters also took a swipe at Gumbi for boasting of paying Morgan Tsvangirai’s medical bills.

Gumbi riled party members last week when he bragged about the role he played in the payment of Tsvangirai’ s medical bills.

“We have an audio recording of what he said so we will present it to Honourable Chamisa,” said a senior party member.

“Gumbi must quality his remarks because uttered derogatory words,” said another MDC official.

Gumbi further claimed he was the chief financier of the party.

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo

A Zimbabwe National Army soldier went berserk and harassed journalists in Masvingo last week.

The soldier, Donald Manenji and Shamiso Tavaruva, the daughter of prominent Masvingo businessman, Tanda Tavaruva, popularly known as Mhunga, stormed the Tell Zim offices and threatened journalists at the weekly publication following story that was published by the paper last week.

The paper reported that the two severely assaulted a Masvingo man for allegedly abusing his former girlfriend.

The soldier threatened to assault the paper’ s editor, Passmore Kuzipa.

The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists last week condemned the harassment and intimidation of innocent news reporters.

“We strongly condemn such uncivilised behaviour,” said ZUJ in a statement.

By Paul Nyathi | An eighty year old gogo from Harare’s Arcadia Suburb has been kicked out of her home of nearly thirty five years by the Messenger of the High Court.

Gogo Violet De Souza was evicted by officers from the court into the streets on Wednesday afternoon with all her belongings.

Her offence being for outstanding death taxes that were left unpaid by previous occupants of the house.

ZimEye.com sources close to the old lady indicated that gogo Desouza moved into the house in 1994 when her late husband was bought the house by his employer as a retirement gratuity.

“A year ago the courts started pestering the old lady about the death taxes of the previous owners,” said a source who claimed to be a close neighbour to the old lady.

“Apparently she did not understand the papers from the courts until she saw people from the courts coming to evict her yesterday claiming that the house had been sold to recover the taxes,” said the neighbour.

Zimbabwean law requires that the estate of every deceased person be registered with the courts within 14 days from the date of death.

The registration is done by way of completion of a death notice and filing it with the Master of the High Court for a person who was married under the Marriage Act (Chapter 5:11), or who left a will; and with the Magistrates’ Courts for a person who was married under the Customary Marriages Act (Chapter 5:07) or was in an unregistered customary law union.

The person expected to complete and file the death notice is the next of kin or connection who stays near or at the place that the deceased passed away.

If these are not available to register the estate, the person who at or immediately after death has chief charge of the house or the place at which the death occurred is expected to complete the death notice which is the provision that incriminated gogo Desouza as they appear not to have executed a change of ownership of the property when they moved in.

A death certificate is not a requirement to register an estate unless the master calls upon the person registering to produce it.

It is a criminal offence to fail to register the estate of a deceased person.

Speaking to ZimEye.com on the matter, human rights activist who is also an aspiring parliamentary candidate for the area, Linda Masarire, said that the courts will need to revisit the old lady’s case as the eviction of the lady contradicts her constitutional rights to the property.

“Our ethics and character as a nation should be judged by the way we treat the elderly citizenry in our communities,” she said.

“The national objectives cited in the constitution of Zimbabwe is quite specific on section 21 In upholding the rights of the elderly. Evicting this 80 yr old granny flies in the face of these constitutional provisions besides being morally ubsurd,” added Masarire.

“The old granny should be allowed to enjoy the right to shelter which is part of our constitution. Being evicted should be the last thing to be expected by the elderly.”

Asked on what interventions they have taken as human rights activists for the old lady, Masarire said that they had sourced a tent for the old lady in case it rains as she is staying outside the property at the gate.

Masarire also indicated that they have engaged a human rights lawyer for the old lady who has since met with the lady and will be filing an urgent case at the High Court to get the lady back into her property.

Gogo Desouza is adamant never to leave the property vowing to die staying outside the gate.

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo | A senior MDC official, stunned party members when he claimed he was in charge of the country’ s largest opposition party.

Controversial MDC Masvingo Provincial Chairperson, James Gumbi told the shell shocked party members at the party offices at the weekend he personally instructed Morgan Tsvangirai to appoint Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri as vice presidents.

“I told Tsvangirai to appoint Chamisa and Mudzuri as vice presidents.

As such I am practically in charge of the party.

I will not take instructions from anyone. Above all I do not report to anyone.

This time I will personally select both local government and Parliamentary candidates.

I will personally recommend the candidates who will represent the party in the coming elections,” said Gumbi.

Disgruntled party members claimed Gumbi was under the influence of alcohol when he made the remarks.

Britain’s immigration authority has denied a ministerial delegation from Zimbabwe visas to attend a key investment conference in London convened to discuss investment opportunities in the southern African nation.

Three ministers and a deputy minister were set to be speakers to the Zimdaba London 2018 Conference that opens today, but were denied visas by the United Kingdom authorities.

Industry, Commerce and Enterprise Development minister Mike Bimha, Energy and Power Development minister Simon Khaya Moyo, deputy minister of Finance and Economic Planning Terence Mukupe and chairperson of the Special Economic Zones Authority Gideon Gono had applied for five-day visas to attend the Zimdaba London 2018, which runs for two days from today, and is to be hosted at The Royal Geographical Society in London.

Only Mines and Mining Development minister Winston Chitando was reportedly granted a visa and arrived in London yesterday.

Chitando is a former executive chairman for Mimosa Mine — a joint venture between Implats and Acqurius and was appointed Mines and Mining Development minister in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Cabinet in November, with his appointment sending positive signals to business and investors.

The Daily News understands there were also efforts to issue Bimha a visa late yesterday.

Earlier, two other ministers had opted not to travel to London for the conference after it became apparent that the UK administration was not going to grant them visas.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade minister (retired Lt-General) Sibusiso Busi Moyo — who appeared on State television on the morning of November 15 to announce the military intervention with the memorable words “the situation in our country has moved to a new level” — had been invited to the London indaba together with Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement minister (retired Air Marshal) Perrance Shiri, but were removed as speakers at the last minute after their visa denial reportedly prompted an angry reaction from the two military men.

Shiri is a former head of the air force who led the Fifth Army Brigade during the Gukurahundi massacres in Matabeleland in 1983-84.

The UK Visas and Immigration did not respond to applications for visas or give reasons why the ministers were not permitted entry to the UK.

A British embassy spokesperson in the Harare told the Daily News yesterday: “We do not comment on individual visa cases.”

Munyaradzi Majoni, the director of Consolidated Africa Services (CAS), which is organising the conference, said the ministerial delegation was not denied visas but there was a delay.

“There has been a hold-up,” Majoni told the Daily News yesterday.

“We have been talking to the British Embassy in Harare and London and they have okayed everything. We are awaiting for Pretoria. We have nowhere where we have been told that no one has been denied a visa, but there was a delay in the process.”

Asked if they are postponing the conference which was set to open today, Majoni said: “We are not postponing, we will change the programme. We will amend and adjust the programme for those that have been delayed.”

He said the indaba has been fully subscribed.

“It’s over 100 percent oversubscribed. In our delegate list, we were looking for 350 people to attend, across Europe, UK, the Americas and Asia. At the moment, we have over 700 delegates registered and others on the waiting list. We cannot postpone.”

Majoni said besides the ministerial delegation, there were directors standing in for various ministries and some from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC).
“They have already travelled,” Majoni said. “So the conference will go on and successfully so.”

Asked why the Foreign minister Moyo had been scrapped from the programme, Majoni said “he has been highly engaged elsewhere”.

“He has another engagement in London in a couple of weeks from now,” he said.

He said Shiri had decided not to travel over the visa hassles but has delegated “his director of agricultural economy,” to stand in for him.

All business players earmarked to speak at the conference were issued with visas and allowed to travel.

These include the president of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries Sifelani Jabangwe; president of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce Divine Ndhlukula; Andrew Gaines, managing director of DeRisk; Edward Haslam, the former chief executive officer (CEO) of Lonmin Plc; John Siko, head of Business Intelligence, Africa, Risk Advisory Group; Chantele Carrington, chief operating officer of PwC Africa Business Group.

Other business players travelling and speaking at the indaba are Bob Diamond, chairman and co-Founder of Atlas Mara; Andrew Moorfield, head of natural resources at Exotix Capital; Nico Bezuidenhout, CEO of Fastjet; Ana Hajduka, CEO of African GreenCo; Narrotam Somani, chairman of Surface Wilmar; Reason Machigere, head of planning and investment promotion at the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority; Gerald Mlotshwa, senior partner at Titan Law; Ross Alexander, CEO of AML; Hopewell Mauwa, director of global markets and Mining & Metals EY; Tobs Strong, CEO of Rift Valley Corporation; Mark Tunmer, CEO of Imara Capital Zimbabwe; Igor Higer of Great Dyke Investments; Alexander Mavros, director of Mavros Safaris & Explore Zimbabwe and Alan Gullan from the private sector.

Britain, Zimbabwe’s former colonial power, has previously stood at the forefront of efforts to isolate Zimbabwe, but the Mnangagwa regime has been keen to mend relations as a critical step towards re-establishing ties with the West and international financial institutions.

Diplomatic ties between the UK and Zimbabwe soured during the turn of the century over charges that the ruling Zanu PF party had rigged elections and used violence to cling to power.

British conglomerates also divested from Zimbabwe during the 2000-2008 period at the height of an economic crisis, put off by Britain’s frosty ties with its former colony after the ruling party’s often-violent grab of commercial farms belonging to white farmers.

The Zimdaba London 2018 brings together business leaders and investors from the UK and Europe, together with a high-level business and ministerial delegation from Zimbabwe, to discuss and action investment opportunities here.

It is the largest gathering of Zimbabwe ministers and business leaders outside of Africa since Mnangagwa took office in November 2017 in a soft coup that toppled long-ruling despot Robert Mugabe.

Formally endorsed by the OPC, the event has been marketed as an opportunity for investors from around the world to attend and hear firsthand about the numerous business opportunities available in Zimbabwe.

But Britain has refused to issue visas to the Zimbabwean ministers, in a move being interpreted as a shift in Whitehall’s engagement with Harare.- Daily News

By Paul Nyathi | An eighty year old gogo from Harare’s Arcadia Suburb has been kicked out of her home of nearly thirty five years by the Messenger of the High Court.

Gogo Violet De Souza was evicted by officers from the court into the streets on Wednesday afternoon with all her belongings.

Her offence being for outstanding death taxes that were left unpaid by previous occupants of the house.

ZimEye.com sources close to the old lady indicated that gogo Desouza moved into the house in 1994 when her late husband was bought the house by his employer as a retirement gratuity.

“A year ago the courts started pestering the old lady about the death taxes of the previous owners,” said a source who claimed to be a close neighbour to the old lady.

“Apparently she did not understand the papers from the courts until she saw people from the courts coming to evict her yesterday claiming that the house had been sold to recover the taxes,” said the neighbour.

Zimbabwean law requires that the estate of every deceased person be registered with the courts within 14 days from the date of death.

The registration is done by way of completion of a death notice and filing it with the Master of the High Court for a person who was married under the Marriage Act (Chapter 5:11), or who left a will; and with the Magistrates’ Courts for a person who was married under the Customary Marriages Act (Chapter 5:07) or was in an unregistered customary law union.

The person expected to complete and file the death notice is the next of kin or connection who stays near or at the place that the deceased passed away.

If these are not available to register the estate, the person who at or immediately after death has chief charge of the house or the place at which the death occurred is expected to complete the death notice which is the provision that incriminated gogo Desouza as they appear not to have executed a change of ownership of the property when they moved in.

A death certificate is not a requirement to register an estate unless the master calls upon the person registering to produce it.

It is a criminal offence to fail to register the estate of a deceased person.

Speaking to ZimEye.com on the matter, human rights activist who is also an aspiring parliamentary candidate for the area, Linda Masarire, said that the courts will need to revisit the old lady’s case as the eviction of the lady contradicts her constitutional rights to the property.

“Our ethics and character as a nation should be judged by the way we treat the elderly citizenry in our communities,” she said.

“The national objectives cited in the constitution of Zimbabwe is quite specific on section 21 In upholding the rights of the elderly. Evicting this 80 yr old granny flies in the face of these constitutional provisions besides being morally ubsurd,” added Masarire.

“The old granny should be allowed to enjoy the right to shelter which is part of our constitution. Being evicted should be the last thing to be expected by the elderly.”

Asked on what interventions they have taken as human rights activists for the old lady, Masarire said that they had sourced a tent for the old lady in case it rains as she is staying outside the property at the gate.

Masarire also indicated that they have engaged a human rights lawyer for the old lady who has since met with the lady and will be filing an urgent case at the High Court to get the lady back into her property.

Gogo Desouza is adamant never to leave the property vowing to die staying outside the gate.

Terrence Mawawa

A Zanu PF Youth League member was murdered by his colleague during a nasty brawl over the selection of candidates.

Zanu PF Chiundura District youth leader, Claudius Chikope was struck with an empty bottle by one Washington Mutetwa.

The incident happened at Zaloba Business Centre in Chiundura District, Midlands Province last Friday, according to the police.

The two clashed over the selection of candidates in the area.

“Zanu PF Chiundura District youth leader (Claudius Chikope) was killed by his colleague as they argued over the selection of candidates. Chikope’ s neck was slit open after being attacked by Washington Mutetwa at Zaloba Business Centre,” said the police in Gweru.

Midlands Provincial Police Spokesperson, Ethel Mukwende confirmed the incident but would not disclose what led to the tragedy.

Statement : President Nelson Chamisa today visited stranded patients at Harare hospital following a strike by doctors and senior medical personnel that has crippled the country’s health services sector.

After the tour, President Chamisa immediately called on the government to look into the very reasonable demands by the country’s doctors, whom he said were earning far much lower than their peers in the region and on the continent.

The doctors are striking over low salaries, on-call allowances, poor working conditions and lack of essential drugs, among other reasons.

President Chamisa toured various wards at the hospital speaking to patients before calling on the hospital’s chief executive to appreciate the enormity of the crisis at one of the country’s major national health referral centres. The chief executive told President Chamisa that the outpatients department had been seriously affected by the work stoppage by doctors.

Addressing journalists outside the hospital’s maternity wing at the hospital, President Chamisa urged the government to urgently look into the genuine grievances by the country’s doctors.

He said President Mnangagwa cannot continue with his mantra that the country was open for business when it is not open for health. He said the country’s medical staff worked under very difficult conditions and the government had to prioritize the health of citizens.

He said doctors and medical personnel in countries like South Africa and Rwanda earned far much more and enjoyed better working conditions than the health workers in Zimbabwe.

He pledged that his incoming government would take seriously its responsibility particularly in the social sectors such as health and education.

President Chamisa said the party would do all it can to ensure that the next elections are free and fair to enable a new government to attend to the myriad challenges facing the people.

He was accompanied by the party’s Health Secretary Dr Ruth Labode, Secretary for Elections Hon. Murisi Zwizwai, the MDC Harare Province Chairperson Hon. Eric Murai, National Youth chairperson Happymore Chidziva, Deputy Treasurer General Mr. Charlton Hwende, several MPs and other senior officials in the party.

Luke Tamborinyoka
Presidential Spokesperson and Director of Communications

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo | Masvingo State Minister, Josaya Dunira Hungwe is making frantic efforts to impose his cousin as the Zanu PF Parliamentary candidate for Masvingo Urban Constituency.

Hungwe declared that his cousin, Goddard Dunira was the party’ s sole candidate for Masvingo Urban Constituency, party insiders said yesterday.

Dunira, who is a councillor in Chivi is facing tough competition from Eddison Zvobgo Junior, who is eyeing the same Parliamentary Seat.

“Hungwe told party members during the Provincial Coordinating Committee meeting at the weekend Zvobgo’ s credentials were questionable because of his late father’s chequered political record.

Two other candidates are also eyeing the same constituency,” said a party insider.

Both Hungwe and Zvobgo Junior have dismissed talk of beef between them.

Relatives of the late former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai are challenging the legality of Ms Elizabeth Macheka’s marriage to the politician, accusing the widow of fraudulently leaving out five houses and 17 vehicles in the inventory of properties filed at the Master of High Court’s office.

The Tsvangirai family members have instructed prominent Harare lawyer Mr Jonathan Samukange of Venturas & Samukange Legal Practitioners to request a meeting with all the interested parties before the Master to discuss the matter.

He has also asked the Master to invite all the interested parties for a roundtable meeting.

“We have instructions to challenge Elizabeth Macheka as the deceased’s surviving spouse and the inventory that she lodged with yourselves. The inventory left out several properties and it is our firm belief that this was done fraudulently”.

The family members contend that Ms Macheka deliberately under-declared the properties left behind by the late politician.

Ms Macheka rushed to register the estate of the late politician indicating that she was the only surviving spouse.

She went on to declare only one house in Strathaven, Harare, as the only immovable property that the late politician owned.

She listed six vehicles, a herd of 45 cattle in Kwekwe and others in Buhera as the only property forming the estate.

The vehicles were listed as follows:

Mercedes Benz S350         (ABI 6365)
Mercedes Benz GL        (ADV 9705)
Toyota Prado             (ADQ 1536)
Isuzu KB300            (ACG 6324)
Isuzu KB250            (ACB 8661)
Isuzu KB250            (ACB 8559)

Mr Samukange, in a letter dated March 8 2018, informed the Master of High Court that the following immovable properties were fraudulently left out by Ms Macheka:

Highlands house
Borrowdale house
Philadelphia house
Number 16 Kent Road house
A farm in Mazowe

The following vehicles, according to the relatives, were also left out on the inventory: three Mercedes Benz vehicles, a Range Rover, Nissan Navara, three Toyota Prado vehicles, a Toyota Vitz, a Toyota Hilux, five Isuzu trucks, a BMW X5 (at Gwanda Police Station) and a Toyota Land Cruiser (at CMED).

The Master of High Court is yet to respond to the request.

Meanwhile, Ms Macheka has also requested for an edict meeting to appoint an executor dative to the estate it has since been set for March 27 this year.

Nine children—one minor and eight majors—were also listed as the children of the late Tsvangirai.

The names are; Edwin, Vimbai, Millicent, Miriro, Ethen, Garikai, Rumbidzai, Vincent and Richard.

Tsvangirai died on February 14 in South Africa after battling cancer of the colon at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre.

He was accorded a State assisted funeral and he was buried at his rural home at Humanikwa Village in Buhera.

Apparently, Ms Macheka has been accused of kicking out children of the late MDC-T leader from the majestic Highlands mansion anticipating that the Government will honour its promise and grant the property to her as the surviving spouse.

President Mnangagwa is on record undertaking to fulfil all the promises that the Government made on the late Mr Tsvangirai, including transfer of ownership of the State mansion into his name.

The mansion was the matrimonial home for the late politician and his widow.

By Paul Nyathi

Scores of Welshman Ncube led MDC members in Gwanda Central over the weekend declared that they were leaving the party to join the Dumiso Dabengwa led ZAPU.

The sixty members who included a majority of the party’s ward committees told Voice Of America’s Studio Seven on Saturday that they were quitting the party because of its lack of principled top leadership.

According to the reports the members claimed that the MDC operates as a brief case party and never gets to be seen in between elections only to appear canvassing for votes at election time.

“We last saw Welshman Ncube or any of his people here in 2013 while other parties have been appearing and attending to our issues,” said one of the members.

While others were taking swipe at the MDC Alliance coalition partner, others claimed that they were joining the Dabengwa led ZAPU to revive the old spirit of the late Joshua Nkomo.

“We have always been ZAPU and we joined these other parties because our ZAPU had disappeared into ZANU PF, now that ZAPU is back we have no alternative but to go back home and revive the spirit of Joshua Nkomo,” said one lady.

ZAPU has been out on a massive campaign in the Matabeleland region where it is expecting to draw a following for the upcoming harmonised elections.

The party is expected to hold its first star rally of the campaign in Gwanda in April.

By Paul Nyathi

Ambitious and power wanting MDC-T Deputy Information Secretary who has been eying the third party Vice President position is likely not to get the position after all.

Khumalo has been positioning herself to land the position likely to fall vacant when incumbent Thokozani Khuphe who was equally eyeing the party presidency position leaves the party anytime soon.

Khuphe positioned herself for a long time as the heir to the late founding President Morgan Tsvangirai only to be out manoeuvred by Nelson Chamisa right at the end of the succession race.

In a similar manner, Thabitha Khumalo is at a huge risk of losing the Vice President positioning she is vying for so much to fellow female Matabeleland leader Bulawayo Central legislator Dorcas Sibanda.

Impeccable sources within the MDC-T indicated to ZimEye.com that members of the party in Bulawayo are secretly lobbying to sideline Khumalo who they claim to be “power hungry” and responsible for some of the party squabbles in the province.

According to the sources, senior party leaders in the City have since advised party President Nelson Chamisa that the region’s preferred replacement of Khuphe when she eventually leaves the party is Sibanda instead of Khumalo.

The two women have over the years taken turns to hit headlines with various controversies that may taint their social standings as Vice President.

Khumalo has on more than one occasion voluntary undressed in public in dramatic protests while Sibanda was at one time dragged into controversy for assaulting a hair dresser and refusing to pay her.

ZimEye.com could not get a comment on the developments from the MDC-T Bulawayo Province Chairman Gift Banda.

By Paul Nyathi| Beleaguered MDC-T Deputy President Thokozani Khuphe will be holding her first public address since the death of former party President Morgan Tsvangirai which saw her get involved in severe party leadership squabbles.

The rally which was postponed at the last minute last week on the advice of the police will be held at the Bulawayo Amphitheatre on Sunday.

Highly reliable sources close to Khuphe revealed to ZimEye.com that the rally has been cleared by the police who have also undertaken to provide security at the gathering.

Police in Bulawayo last week declined to sanction the rally raising fears of intra party violence within the MDC-T feuding factions.

Two weeks ago MDC-T supporters brutally attacked each other at the party offices as the rivalry in the party leadership intensified.

Khuphe is involved in a bitter fight for the leadership of the party with Nelson Chamisa who she accuses of unconstitutionally spiralling himself to the leadership of the party.

She is also strongly against the allocation of seats in the MDC Alliance coalition agreement where she claims the MDC-T was not given enough stake against coalition partners she claims are bringing no value into the Alliance.

Khuphe’s rally has surprisingly attracted a huge attention from varied sectors within the Matabeleland region.

Social media commentators in the region have been pledging to go out in numbers to show support for Khuphe who they claim is a victim of tribal and sexual discrimination by the Chamisa leadership.

Coalition partner Welshman Ncube of the MDC last week told a rally that Chamisa’s rise to the leadership of the MDC-T and the Alliance was endorsed by feared and respected Ndebele spirit medium, Njelele of Matopo, effectively ruling out any tribal discrimination against Khuphe.

Efforts to get a comment from Khuphe or her personal assistant Witness Dube on the agenda of the meeting were fruitless at the time of writing.

However, the sources indicated that Khuphe who “will be accompanied by surprise MDC-T senior members” will announce the inevitable third split of the party at the rally.