Scores of passengers and commercial vehicles were on Monday stranded for more than three hours along the Chiredzi-Checheche Highway after rowdy touts barricaded the road, protesting against the proliferation of pirate taxis.

The touts, who accused pirate taxis of taking away business, used stones and logs to block the highway at the Chiredzi River Bridge. The irate touts threatened to deliver instant justice on pirate taxi drivers who dared to continue plying the route.

Normal flow of traffic was only restored after the police, with the assistance of the Zimbabwe National Army arrested the rowdy touts. Masvingo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Charity Mazula could neither deny nor confirm the incident.

“I am not aware of what you are asking about, but you can check with me later on because I have something to attend to,” she said.

Efforts to contact her thereafter proved fruitless as she repeatedly said she was in meetings. Police sources in Chiredzi said they had to engage the army after failing to control the errant touts.

“We failed to stop their blockade because the touts were so many and were saying they only respected soldiers. Our superiors then engaged the army and the touts fled from the scene after an army truck appeared from one side of the road,” said a police officer who refused to be named.

Police sources said about seven touts were arrested. Witnesses said the touts threatened to set the pirate taxis alight. Of late, there has been a rise in pirate taxis plying the Chiredzi-Checheche Highway.- agencies

Terrence Mawawa
Three cases of the deadly cholera epidemic have reported in Zvishavane District, a medical expert has said.

Zvishavane District Hospital Medical Superintendent, Doctor Mavurayi told a weekly paper three cholera cases were reported in the mining town last week.

He attributed the outbreak to the water crisis that rocked the town two weeks ago.

“Three cholera cases were reported in Zvishavane last week. I am relieved to tell you that all the patients three patients who had been diagnosed with cholera were treated.

We are ready to deal with any emerging cases and we are closely monitoring the situation,” said Mavurayi.

Officials at Zvishavane Town Council told ZimEye.com yesterday efforts were underway to ensure the provision of clean water.

“We are making frantic efforts to repair burst water pipes in the town.We hope everything will be in order very soon,” said a council official.

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo
A senior MDC Official has castigated President Emmerson Mnangagwa for attempting to hoodwink the electorate by “decorating empty political rhetoric with high sounding words.”

Addressing an MDC Alliance Rally at Chikuku Business Centre last weekend, MDC provincial chairperson, James Gumbi said Mnangagwa was worse than Mugabe and further charged that the former Vice President’ s trump card was violence.

“My message to Mnangagwa is crystal clear- please stop fooling us.No sane person will buy your cheap political rhetoric,” said Gumbi.

He added the people of Zimbabwe were fed up with meaningless political grandstanding.

“Nothing is happening on the ground. Mnangagwa has totally failed to make an impact so he must go just like his predecessor Mugabe.

Instead of concentrating on nation building and economic recovery programmes, Mnangagwa is firing his perceived political foes,” said Gumbi.

Former president Robert Mugabe has been given the iconic Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard limousine he was using for official duties as part of his exit package following his dramatic ouster last November, the Zimbabwe Independent has established.

The ultra-luxurious bulletproof and blast-proof car, whose cost is estimated at US$1,6 million, has been outfitted with civilian registration plates.

Mugabe buckled to pressure on November 21 after he was placed under house arrest by the army, expelled from the ruling Zanu-PF and threatened with impeachment.

His successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa, announced in December that Mugabe would get a house, a fleet of private cars and was guaranteed first-class air travel as part of a retirement package funded by the state.

Details of the long-time leader’s exit package were published in the Government Gazette in December, in terms of Section 3(1) of the Presidential Pension and Retirement Benefits Act.

Sources familiar with developments at Mugabe’s palatial “Blue Roof” home in Borrowdale suburb said the limousine now has ordinary yellow number plates (AAX 3270). Before that the car was registered as “Zim 1”.

Sources said since his return from an annual holiday, the Mercedes-Benz S600 has been parked at his home.

“The old man has been keeping a low profile since his retirement. The number of soldiers and security details at his mansion has also been reduced. He has not been frequenting his Zvimba rural home too,” a source said.

The retired president will also be entitled to first-class overseas air travel restricted to four state-funded trips per year and three cars — a Mercedes-Benz S600 series sedan, a four-wheel drive vehicle and a pick-up truck. Government also undertook to pay for his fuel.

Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa assured African Union leaders at the just-ended AU summit that Mugabe is well and safe.

“May I inform this august chamber that, your brother President Mugabe is safe, secure and well,” Mnangagwa told regional leaders.

Towards the tail end of his rule, Mugabe’s wife Grace, full throttle in expanding her real estate portfolio, splurged millions of dollars on houses, cars and jewellery despite the fact that her business empire, under the Gushungo Holdings’ Alpha and Omega Dairies banner, is in the doldrums, incurring perennial losses since 2013.

In 2011, Grace and her former business partner, Ping Sung Hsieh — a Taiwanese-born South African — bought trucks, trailers and equipment worth almost US$1 million with money transferred through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

Grace and Hsieh were later locked in a fight over a US$5 million mansion in Hong Kong.

Grace’s Mazowe empire already includes an opulent double-storey mansion on Mapfeni Farm, which can be seen from Manzou Farm where she began evicting thousands of villagers in 2011 to establish a game park. There is also a dairy farm, orphanage and a school. Grace has also grabbed land which belonged to the former Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed agro-producer Interfresh’s Mazowe Citrus Estates.

Former President Robert Mugabe has to eat humble pie and lead the process of healing people in Midlands and Matabeleland who were victims of the infamous Gukurahundi.

While Mugabe was forced to retire from politics, it is to his advantage to tackle the Gukurahundi issue and apologise because this dark episode will haunt him forever.

Even if he were to die, his children will continue to carry the Gukurahundi skeletons wherever they would be.

Mugabe was the commander-in-chief of the defence forces and president of Zimbabwe when these atrocities happened; hence he knows what really transpired during that time.

The massacres cannot just be wished away and there are choruses from several quarters that are calling for the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s intervention.

They believe Mugabe is being persistently arrogant when he knows he oversaw an ethnic genocide or ethnic cleansing.

But as Zimbabweans we are saying before the ICC route, Mugabe must be given the chance to ask for forgiveness and possibly lead the healing process.

While I applaud President Emmerson Mnangagwa for appointing his deputy Kembo Mohadi to head what he calls an “independent commission” to deal with Gukurahundi, I strongly believe that the commission is not really independent.

In the past we have had vice presidents who were tasked to lead this healing process and they failed dismally.

And why is it that those leading this process have to be Ndebele speaking, from John Nkomo to Phelekezela Mphoko and now Kembo Mohadi? How independent are these vice presidents so as to head the Organ for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration?

I agree with playwright Cont Mhlanga’s assertion that any apologies for Gukurahundi should not be made to the gallery or media and that this Gukurahundi enterprising in posh hotels must come to an end.

Indeed no Gukurahundi victims are buried in hotels and none in the cities share their everyday lives with Gukurahundi mass graves.

Any apology should be for the people of Midlands and Matabeleland and Mnangagwa should facilitate for Mugabe to come to the districts and have dialogue with the local people in the presence of traditional leaders.

In other countries former heads of state are usually engaged as peace brokers and Mugabe as a statesman should take up the challenge and bridge this gap between the affected people and those in authority.

I am sure with political will-power resources can be sourced that could go to compensate the victims some of whom left behind children, husbands, wives and parents.

If Mnangagwa’s government is promising to compensate the white farmers who lost their land, I do not see why it cannot compensate those who lost loved ones.

I spoke to a number of political and social analysts recently after the Gukurahundi issue resurfaced at the Davos interviews that Mnangagwa held and they were of the view that unless this dark episode is amicably resolved, there will be no total peace in the country.

But the analysts are of the opinion that no one should apologise for the Gukurahundi genocide except Mugabe.

And they argue that if Mohadi has been tasked by Mnangagwa to lead on Gukurahundi then all he has to do is bring Mugabe to the districts so that the dialogue can move to a closure.

The issue of choosing a Ndebele to lead the processes, which Mugabe also used to do, has the analysts thinking these appointments are just cosmetic and that even
Mnangagwa is not genuine in all this.

Indeed what type of independent commission is chaired by a vice president, who himself also suffered directly or indirectly from the atrocities and has been compromised over the years by being opted into the camp of the perpetrators?

And if Mugabe remains arrogant and refuses to apologise or engage with affected communities, then it would be unfortunate as this will force Mnangagwa to apologise and compensate victims as he was part of the team that executed the operation.- Daily News

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo
Ousted Masvingo State Minister Paul Chimedza has finally resurfaced in public after spending two months in hibernation.

Chimedza finally emerged out of the cocoon and addressed a group of curious Masvingo residents near FBC Bank today.

As soon as Chimedza stepped out of the bank, curious residents trailed him as they were eager to ask him about his political fate.

He waved at the swelling crowd and said everything was fine with him.

“There is no problem at all, everything is fine with me,”said Chimedza.

Chimedza was kicked out of government following the resignation of Robert Mugabe.

A 19-YEAR-OLD self-confessed hooker regrets giving her contact details to her married former lover who is now tormenting her demanding free sex.

Tsitsi Kujeke narrated how she was forced into prostitution three years after she was drugged and raped at a party.

She said Petridge Mbangani was wasting her time.

She also narrated how Petridge leaves his wife in the dead of the night and visits her for free sex saying she is losing potential clients because of the time he spends with her.

“Petridge visited me last Friday and we had sex and afterwards, he took me to a food court where he spent time with me achindiudza zvekumba kwake apa haandibhadhare. My colleagues tracked us and we were photographed together at a food court and my message to Petridge is loud and clear that he must stop pestering me for free sex,” said Tsitsi.

Tsitsi also opened up about her upbringing and how she joined sex work to ease her sorrows.

“The person who raped me is the one who broke my v-rginity and from that time I was sexually abused by various men.

“I want to raise money to further my education not to be used by someone who is married and is after free sex.

“I met him some time ago and he asked for my contact details haachabvi kumba kwangu and I regret giving him (the contacts).”

She also told H-Metro that she eases her sorrows by listening to Alick Macheso’s tracks.

“I am a staunch follower of Alick Macheso mainly because of one of his songs ‘Pabva zino’ (Chara Chimwe) which clearly describes my life as an orphan and what I went through,” said Tsitsi.

“Panofa amai vana dzatova nherera. Pasina baba Tsitsi uye woshupika that is what Macheso says in that song.

“I fell in love with Petridge after transferring to a college from a school where my schoolmates were stigmatising me over being raped.

“I was drugged and raped when I was 14 years old and my guardians could not take me seriously vachinditi kanzenza kemwana and I strongly suspect that they received bribe from the person who raped me.

“I left home and made efforts to look for my mother following the death of my father who had separated with my mother when I was young.

“To be honest with you, I feel bitter when I meet the lawyer who represented the person who raped me and because of this I am into prostitution to raise money to further my education.

“I want to study law and make sure all perpetrators of rape are behind bars for life because it’s not by choice to hook various men for sex daily,” she added.

She said one of her clients wanted to give her money to celebrate her birthday but Petridge disturbed the meeting.

Contacted for comment, Petridge confirmed bedding Tsitsi saying he was not aware she was now a ‘thigh vendor’ since they were lovers at college.

“Check (sic) man I have got a wife at home so if this story is published it will affect my marriage,” said Petridge begging H-Metro for the story not to see the light of the day.

Wife of Harare businessman Bigboy Pachirera, Marygold, yesterday laid criminal charges of kidnapping and robbery against former police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri at Marlborough Police Station under RRB 3448723.

Marygold is alleging that she was kidnapped by police officers — Nemaisa, Nxumalo and Jachi — who sexually harassed and threatened her to disclose the whereabouts of a Jeep Cherokee and Mercedez Benz belonging to her husband.

The vehicles were reportedly registered in Marygold’s name and her daughter.
Chihuri is fighting a $3 million lawsuit from the businessman for allegedly forcibly taking his luxurious vehicles and properties.

It is believed that during the ordeal, Nemaisa summoned Marygold’s lawyer Mr Rungano Mahuni to CID Morris Depot, where the businessman’s wife was still in police custody.

Mr Mahuni was ordered to cooperate with the gun-toting police officers or risk being hurt.
The serious allegations against Chihuri and the police officers are contained in a recent letter written by Mr Mahuni — on behalf of the businessman — to Chihuri.

“I managed to contact Deputy Commissioner-General (Josephine) Shambare and we were called at Police General Headquarters,” he alleged. “I was told that the matter was serious because it involved the “boss” and that we should comply with every directive for our safety.

“We went to Kambanje where they took the Jeep and Mercedes Benz, which was kept at a friend’s house.”

Mr Mahuni dismissed the assertion that Pachirera voluntarily gave up his Highfield property to Chihuri as “compensation for stealing from him”.

He said the letter was contrived by senior police officers. In fact, Mr Mahuni said in the letter that Senior Assistant Commissioner Godfrey Munyonga instructed CID Serious Fraud Section police officers to dictate a letter to “mend” the broken relationship.

“Mr Manyonga was your point man and was instrumental in the execution of the criminal acts,” he said. “My client denies all allegations levelled against him as malicious.

“In fact, my client made it clear that he was unwilling to surrender his property to Chihuri. In regards to the Highfield house, the preamble states that my client owed $20 000. What happened to the balance of the house, which was worth $50 000?

“Your office prepared the agreement of sale without the input of my client.” Herald

Armed supporters of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ruling Zanu PF party allegedly beat up opposition leader Joice Mujuru and her National People’s Party (NPP) supporters at a rally in Harare yesterday where she was due to speak, her NPP has claimed.

The alleged Zanu PF youths disrupted the opposition party’s rally in Harare’s high density suburb of Glen Norah.

Mujuru told a news conference she sustained loosened teeth and a swollen face and had to seek urgent medical attention.

Mujuru’s doctor recommended that she undergoes an X-ray examination to establish the extent of the injuries she suffered, according to a medical report seen by the Daily News.

“This meeting was legal, it had been cleared by police and we don’t know why they chose to attack us,” Mujuru said.

She also urged her party members to show courage and not be intimidated.
“These are the things that should unite us and give us courage. It should show the world that we are a party that does its business in peace. We don’t fight.

“Some of the parties are used to this culture of violence, but let’s not retaliate. Let’s show them what should be done. From now onwards, there is no turning back because even Mr Mnangagwa has said elections are set to take place soon. So we must forge ahead, advertising ourselves,” she added.

According to NPP secretary-general, Gift Nyandoro, police arrested five of the suspected Zanu PF activists believed to have taken part in the violence.

Police were not immediately available for comment.
Several other NPP members suffered various head and body injuries as the attackers charged at them armed with stones and sticks. Mujuru’s own security team battled to shield her from the stones that rained in her direction.

The former Zimbabwe vice president was, however, not so lucky as she said one of the stones hit her on the cheek. Some of her party members had their vehicles smashed.

One of the female NPP members alleged that she was stripped naked and forced to lie on her stomach before they took turns to savagely beat her with logs. Daily News

A Mutare woman says she gave birth to a baby boy, but left Mutare Provincial Hospital maternity ward with a girl child and claims there was a baby swap involving medical staff at the hospital. The matter has since been reported to police, and investigations are in progress. Manicaland Police spokesperson Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa said the culprits will face kidnapping charges.

“Yes, we have received that report of an incident which is said to have occurred at Mutare Provincial Hospital. We are investigating the matter and can only be in a position to give a comprehensive comment after getting to the bottom of it,” said Inspector Kakohwa.
However, information gleaned by The Manica Post shows that Mrs Precious Musara gave birth to a premature baby boy at her Chitakatira Village home, Mutare district, on November 24, 2017. Her husband Mr Lloyd Chikuni and neighbour Mrs Melody Machikiti played the midwifery role.

After the home delivery, Mrs Musara was taken to Chitakatira Clinic where she was given a blue baby card as further confirmation of having given birth to a baby boy. She was then referred to Mutare Provincial Hospital for further incubation of the premature baby. Sources at Mutare Provincial Hospital said during the period Musara was admitted at the referral centre’s maternity ward, another expecting mother in the same ward was said to have been under pressure from her husband to give birth to a boy.

“When the woman from Chitakatira (Mrs Musara) was admitted at Mutare Provincial Hospital maternity ward, there was also another woman in the same ward who is believed to have been under pressure from her husband to conceive a boy. Unfortunately she gave birth to a girl, and connived with medical personnel at the hospital to swap babies so that she would go home with a baby boy as per the demands of her husband.

“Mrs Musara actually confronted the nurses on duty over the swap of babies but they insisted that she had given birth to a baby girl.

The nurses at Mutare Provincial Hospital had the guts to exchange the blue baby card she had been given at Chitakatira Clinic for a pink baby card that is normally given when one gives birth to a girl,” said the sources. Mrs Musara was discharged on November 22, 2017 and lodged a report to police two days later. Manica Post

By Staff Reporter| A poster was circulated yesterday claiming that Health Minister David Parirenyatwa’s daughter, Ruvheneko, has joined Joice Mujur’s party and will be contesting for the 2018 elections.

The poster says she is taking the Harare East constituency.

But her father is a ZANU PF Politburo member.

Ruvheneko replied ZimEye with a pejorative chuckle Friday morning rubbishing the claims. (interview upcoming). She was grilled on her picture on the poster if it is not hers, and she chuckled back once again.- More to follow

The poster has her name printed as R Parirenyatwa.

By Farai D Hove| The former Zanu-PF youth leader Kudzanayi Chipanga’s court appeal for a relaxation of his bail conditions has been dismissed.

Chipanga was met with a rejection handed him yesterday by Harare magistrate Mrs Rumbidzai Mugwagwa.

Magistrate Mugwagwa advised him to approach the High Court on the basis that it had granted him bail.

Chipanga was arrested following the military coup that deposed former President Robert Mugabe and became the face of the “Coup Apolo-Shirt”.

He was arrested together with former Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo and another youth leader Hamandishe, the trio who have all been kicked out of ZANU PF for supporting the G40 faction.

He is now facing charges of publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State as defined in Section 31 (a) (iii) of the Criminal (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9.23, or alternatively causing disaffection among the police force or defence forces as defined in Section 30 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

He is currently on $500 bail and reports twice times a day at Borrowdale Police Station.

In his bail relaxation application, Chipanga had petitioned the court to order him to report once a week at the police station.

Police have expressed concern over the increase in rape cases involving children after they recently arrested a 76-year-old Chivhu man on allegations of raping his five granddaughters aged between three and seven years on several occasions and threatening to beat them up if they revealed the act.

The matter came to light last week when the grandmother discovered that one of the granddaughters was having difficulties in walking. She interrogated the minor and she revealed the incidents. The grandmother reported the matter to the police, leading to her husband’s arrest. Police urged parents and guardians to constantly check on their children.
“We advise you to regularly monitor and supervise them as they play and avoid sending them to bushy or far away areas unaccompanied,” reads a statement on the ZRP website. Also ensure that you give custody of your children to responsible people who are trustworthy.”

In a related incident, a 78-year-old man of Plot Number 30, Somnene area in Figtree, allegedly raped an 11-year-old girl who was herding goats at a nearby grazing land around 3.30pm on January 11. He threatened to beat her up if she disclosed the matter to anyone.

On the same day at around 5pm when the girl returned home from herding goats, the suspect called her into his bedroom and raped her for the second time. The girl informed her grandmother who examined her and discovered blood stains on her privates.

On January 12, the grandmother made a report to the police, leading to the arrest of the suspect. In another case, a two-year-old girl from Msasane Village, Izimnyama area, Plumtree, was allegedly raped by an unknown person.

The matter came to light when the complainant started complaining of itching pain on her privates to her grandmother who took her to Plumtree District Hospital where it was revealed that she had been sexually abused. Investigations are in progress.-STATE MEDIA

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) has discovered four elephant carcasses at Hwange National Park following suspected cyanide poisoning.

Separately, two people have also been arrested in Binga after they were found in possession of two pieces of ivory.

Speaking at a passout parade for rangers and dog-handlers in Hwange recently, Minister of Environment, Water and Climate Mrs Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri gave the green light to Zimparks rangers to shoot to kill.

“Due to Hwange National Park’s magnitude of wildlife diversity, poachers are attracted to rob our nation of its wildlife heritage,” she said.

“These poachers have become so daring to the extent of using sophisticated methods such as poisoning of our elephants in search of their raw ivory in great demand on the black market.
“Let me at this juncture reiterate that wildlife crime is a serious issue and as such our rangers will not hesitate to shoot and kill those found on the wrong side of the law.

“Eradication of wildlife crime requires collaborative efforts both locally, regionally and internationally.” Herald

By Paul Nyathi | Before the 2018 elections date has even been announced, Harare East Constituency is already a hive of activity with a n incredible number of candidates from all political parties throwing their names in for the election.

While the drama in the constituency has been around the MDC Alliance coalition duo made up of Obert Gutu and Tendai Biti who have drawn battle lines to contest each other, the Joice Mujuru led NPP has also come into the fray.

Two candidates from her party have also declared their intentions to contest each other for the House of Assembly seat.

Itai Munyoro and a Miss R Parirenyatwa both from the NPP have taken to social media canvassing for votes in the upcoming elections on an NPP ticket.

The seat which is currently occupied by Deputy Minister of Finance Terrence Mukupe of ZANU PF has also seen two independent candidates Garikayi Mlambo and activist Linda Sibanyoni declaring their interests on the seat.

MDC Alliance coalition leader Nelson Chamisa declared to media this week that Gutu will not be allowed to contest the elections while Gutu insists that he will not be moved from contesting the seat.

NPP Secretary General Gift Nyandoro has also dismissed the two members who are throwing in their names for the constituency saying that the party is still in the process of finalising its candidates identification process.

Nyandoro said that maybe the members were canvassing for possible primary elections and not the national election.

Nyandoro said that all members aspiring to be candidates have been invited to a summit in Gweru where a roadmap to the elections will be explained to them.

“We are at a stage of aspiring MPs and hence our aspiring MPs summit on 14 February in Gweru,” he said.

Nyandoro said it is not surprising to see people already lobbying as final candidates will only be decided in primary elections to be held soon.

“That is very normal. People are just lobbying and we are yet to do primary elections,” said Nyandoro.

NPP spokesperson Jeff Chitando collaborated Nyandoro’s sentiments saying that there is nothing out of the world with party members declaring interests to contest but people in the constituencies will decide who will represent the party in the election.

“NPP has no problem with having even a dozen aspiring candidates for one constituency for we believe the people will decide on the best candidate from those who would have indicated their wish to represent the people,” he said.

“NPP is in coalition with other political parties who also have candidates who are vying for same constituencies but to us it good for democracy,” added Chitando insisting the coalition will hold democratic primary elections to decide on candidates.

Johannesburg – Springs police have arrested the wife and son of a farmer accused of force-feeding faeces to one of his employees.

Springs police spokesperson Captain Johannes Ramphora said the two were arrested on Thursday on charges of crimen injuria, assault, kidnapping and defamation of character.

Ramphora said the farmer, his wife and their son took part in assaulting and humiliating the worker at their farm near Endicott, east of Johannesburg, before forcing the worker to eat faeces.

He said the incident occurred in early December and the worker was allegedly tortured after he failed to switch on the engine of a septic tank pump on the family’s smallholding outside Springs.

“The farmer’s wife and his son were arrested today, but we are still looking for the farmer,” Ramphora said.

Ramphora said once the farmer had been arrested more charges could be added.

The two are expected to appear in the Springs Magistrate’s Court on Friday morning. News 24

Ray Nkosi | Acting MDC President Elias Mudzuri has embarked on a humanitarian campaign visiting hospitals and the less priviledged, in the process obliterating the campaigns that First Lady Auxilia Mnangagwa was carrying out.

Mnangagwa made headlines recently as she visited orphans and hospitals, telling the world she was touched by the plight of the less privildged.

Mudzuri has in the past days also visited hospitals, made a tour of areas talking to vendors.

In a statement the MDC said the acting President urged interactive co-existence between Harare City Council and the vendors. He acknowledged that vendors were a reality in Harare that had emerged as a result of the failure by the Zanu PF government to create meaningful employment for the people, adding that the ruling party had dismally failed to meet its promise of creating 2,2 million jobs.

The acting President, who was accompanied by Harare city councilors, senior party officials and MDC alliance partners, said vendors and council authorities should work together to ensure the city does not experience the outbreak of diseases such as cholera and typhoid.

Hon. Mudzuri said it was remiss on the part of government to threaten to unleash the army on the vendors, adding that the issue of informal traders should be demilitarized and soldiers should remain in the barracks.

It emerged at the meeting that contrary to claims of a purported joint statement between the City of Harare and government giving vendors an ultimatum to leave the streets, the Mayor of Harare and his council were never consulted.  It emerged that government had unilaterally issued the ultimatum and misrepresented that it as a joint position with the MDC-run council in Harare.

On their part, the vendors, thanked the party leaders for creating the interactive platform and urged the council to sort out problems such as toilet and ablution facilities in the city. They also urged council to re-look into issues of punitive fines and prohibitive rates charged on informal traders, among other issues.

The acting MDC President urged the vendors to vote wisely in the next election, adding that President Morgan Tsvangirai had shown in the inclusive government that he could address the challenges facing the people and the country.

A self-confessed hit man who testified to the police alleging a senior government official issued him an assassination order to take out former Foreign Affairs minister Walter Mzembi has been arrested.

Munyaradzi Mupazviripo — who had claimed in a police report lodged at Borrowdale Police Station that Tourism and Hospitality Industry permanent secretary Bradah Maunganidze had told him he would receive a $50 000 cash payment for executing Mzembi — was arrested and charged with filing a false police report against Lands and
Agriculture deputy minister Davis Marapira in a separate case.

Mupazviripo is alleged to have filed a report against the deputy minister alleging he threatened to shoot him with a gun at his offices when he went there to inquire about the consummation of an offer letter for a farm he had applied for.

Mupazviripo reportedly wanted to see Lands and Agriculture minister Perrance Shiri to protest against a demand for a $900 bribe by one of the ministry’s rank-and-file officials to get his offer letter stamped. He claims he could not see Shiri and was then referred to Marapira, who he claims threatened to shoot him alleging he was a loose cannon.

Mupazviripo has retained counsel, leading Harare lawyer Admire Rubaya.

Those who managed to see him yesterday claimed he had been beaten up for allegedly leaking classified information to the media and attempting to soil the image of government as well as scuttling re-engagement efforts. He reportedly told his visitors in police cells that he was infact arrested for leaking top secret information to a news organisation and also alleges he was accused of being a member of the G40 Zanu PF faction that was backing former first lady Grace Mugabe. The Daily News could not independently verify this information.

Rubaya had promised to give us a full account of the arrest details, but did not manage to do so right up to the time of going to print as he said he was tied up with the case.

Police spokesperson Charity Charamba told the Daily News last night: “He was arrested by homicide for lodging a false report. He is going to court tomorrow (today).”

In his damning report filed at the Borrowdale Police Station on January 24, Mupazviripo provided granular details of how Maunganidze allegedly gave him instructions in May 2015 to carry out the extra-judicial killing.

Maunganidze has dismissed the allegations as lies.

The hit man said he has now been targeted for disobeying the order and was living in fear of being murdered. In his raw account in the docket, he said his refusal to carry out the assignment means he was as good as dead.

In an interview with the Daily News days before the arrest, Mupazviripo said he had conducted many covert operations, notably in the areas of propaganda and psychological warfare.

He said in his last mission, he was assigned as an agent to infiltrate and monitor the State broadcaster, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.- Daily News

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has extended the closing date for payments and submission of supporting documents and biometrics for the new Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) to February 15, 2018.
Through their website, SA’s Home Affairs Department yesterday said the cut-off date was initially November 30, 2017.

“By January 29, 2018, 176 605 applicants had completed the entire process, which includes honouring their appointments with VFS and submitting supporting documents and biometrics,” the statement read.

“The extension to February 15, 2018 is only for submitting biometrics (fingerprints) and supporting documents at the 10 VFS offices, as well as for those who have submitted online applications by November 30, 2017, but did not pay the prescribed fee. New applications will not be accepted. By the end of September 2018, the department plans to have completed the whole project, including finalising adjudications and issuing out of all new permits.”

“The ZSP started in 2014 with 197 951 permits issued, which expired on December 31, 2017. ZEP permit holders will be allowed to work, study or conduct business in South Africa. The ZEP permits are valid for a maximum period of four years, effective from January 1, 2018 and expiring on December 31, 2021, notwithstanding the date of issue. Exemption permits like the ZEP permits are not permanent or long-term. ”

The department said they only serve a specific purpose with a view to ultimately have people returning to their countries of origin to build their lives anew. Newsday

A lawyer representing Harare businessman Bigboy Pachirera, who is demanding $2,9 million from retired police commissioner-general Augustine Chihuri, has revealed how he was approached with a settlement plan to return some of the property allegedly forcibly taken by the ex-police boss.

After 23 years of enforcing law and order as the country’s top policeman, the tables turned against the former police commissioner-general after he was forced to retire, with Pachirera accusing him of impounding five cars and later changing ownership into his name while still heading the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).

Pachirera has listed Chihuri, his wife Isabel and their company Kidsdale Enterprises as respondents to his claim of compensation and damages of $2 968 000 incurred after his vehicles and property were impounded, causing him to lose business.

According to a letter dated January 15 compiled by Rungano Mahuni, Chihuri offered to return two of the motor vehicles — a Mercedes Benz and Jeep Cherokee.

“In your settlement plan, you only mentioned the Mercedes Benz and Jeep Cherokee motor vehicles. Our client is amenable to receive the said two motor vehicles in lieu if we have the chance to inspect them and determine their condition,” Mahuni said.

“However, there was no mention of the trucks and the house. Our client’s reasonable demand is that your client (Chihuri) returns all the trucks and the house plus an additional truck or its value just to mitigate the loses he has suffered in business for the past three years.

“Our client is aware that your client is earning income out of the use of those vehicles which are working on the Harare-Mutare highway.

“We also advise that we are amenable to the parties having a round table conference in order to deal with this matter.”
Chihuri had claimed that Pachirera surrendered the property to him willingly as compensations for a spiral of thefts that he committed after running a parallel company to the former police boss’s Kidsdale Enterprises during his tenure as transport manager.

He claims that Pachirera would divert funds and contracts awarded to Kidsdale Enterprises to his company Chelnpac Investments (Pvt) Ltd — which was allegedly registered without declaring interest.

However, Pachirera told the Daily News that he was subjected to torture by members of the police homicide department and made to give up his property under duress.

He claims to have made several efforts to recover the motor vehicles and house during Chihuri’s reign but to no avail.

“We note that you have not responded to our letter requesting you to release our client’s property still in police custody to which we perceive there is no reason for your continued action of despoiling our client of his property,” reads a letter addressed to Police Serious Frauds Department on March 6, 2014.

“In the circumstances, we further intimate to you that we are very loath to invoke legal recourse to assert our client’s rights but should you persist in this course, we shall have no option but to pursue the route.”

Mahuni maintains that a team of detectives from homicide led by Joseph Nemaisa stormed his offices to seize the cars since he had been given custody by Pachirera.

He said police officers first went to his residence and poisoned his dog called Queen before he received a call in the morning threatening him with “consequences” if he continued resisting surrendering the cars.

“True to their word the notorious police hit man Nemaisa went to my office then situated in Samora Machel and brandished guns before our receptionist. He indicated to the receptionist that they wanted the Mercedes Benz and Jeep Cherokee before I was informed that my client’s wife had been abducted,” Mahuni said.

He said whenever they attempted to engage the police, Mahuni would be told to comply with any directive that came his way because “the matter was complicated since it involved the boss”.

The businessman told the Daily News that he could speak openly about the issue fearing for his life because of threats that he received from the police over the issue.

“My residence was kept under police surveillance, each time I went out, police would follow me. I got to a point where two armed police officers displaying guns roamed about 100 metres from my residence. I think it is because of God’s grace that I am alive today,” Pachirera said.

In a December 5, 2017 letter delivered to Chihuri’s Shawasha residence and private business offices in Alex Park, Harare, Pachirera’s lawyers Mahuni Gidiri Law Chambers demanded the damages and property to be returned.

“Since the time you unlawfully despoiled our client of his property, he has lost business and income in excess of $1,4 million and also suffered personality infringement in the sum of $1 million.

“The value of the property that you deprived our client amounts to $470 000 and $50 000 for the Highfield home . . . he was earning $1 000 in rentals from that property and has lost income of $48 000.”

Pachirera’s lawyer claims that no action was taken by Chihuri since receiving that letter and they have resorted to courts for reprieve.

The businessman told the Daily News that he could not speak openly about the issue fearing for his life because of threats that he received from the police over the issue.

Chihuri was retired from the ZRP by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in December and was replaced by Godwin Matanga, albeit in an acting capacity.

The 64-year-old ex-combatant’s tenure was marred by widespread allegations of corruption and gross human rights violations, which were levelled against him and the police force.

Chihuri had been under intense pressure to quit the police force ever since the Zimbabwe Defence Forces carried out Operation Restore Legacy which led to the fall of former president Robert Mugabe who resigned on November 21 after Parliament had put in motion impeachment proceedings against him.

This was further highlighted by thousands of ordinary Zimbabweans who booed him at Mnangagwa’s inauguration on November 24 when he was about to take his oath of allegiance to the new president.

Chihuri was firstly booed as he arrived at the packed 60 000-capacity stadium.

His humiliation reached the peak when he read his loyalty pledge as people vented their anger and chanted “he should go, he should go, he should go”, while others rolled hands to signal a substitution, a sign that is normally used in football.

Contrary to the gratitude expressed to other members of the security sector, Chihuri, reportedly seen as part of a component of the security forces who wanted to defend Mugabe’s hegemony, had a torrid time maintaining composure as he struggled to read through his loyalty pledge.

Chihuri was mainly unpopular for the numerous roadblocks which were being mounted by the police which the public alleged were meant to extort motorists.

Apart from triggering a public outcry, the ubiquitous roadblocks drove away international tourists who complained of harassment and demands of bribes by cops manning them.

Chihuri received his military training at Mgagao in Tanzania and had been the longest-serving police chief after he assumed the helm of the force in 1993.

He took over the reins as acting commissioner in 1991 replacing Henry Mukurazhizha.

Two years later, he eventually became substantive police commissioner in 1993.

In 2008, he was appointed commissioner-general when the post was created to replace that of commissioner.- Daily News

Tweets by euinzim

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has installed and sworn in commissioners who will lead a commission of inquiry into the matter of sale of state land in and around urban areas since 2005.

The commission to run for a period of 12 months was sworn in today at State House.

The commission is being chaired by Justice Tendai Uchena.

Other members of the commission are Mr Andrew Mlalazi, Mr Steven Chakaipa, Dr Tarisai Mutangi, Dr Heather Chingono, Ms Vimbai Nyemba and Ms Petronella Musarurwa.

President Mnangagwa said the terms of reference of the commission are hinged on five areas among them to investigate and identify all state land in and around urban areas that was acquired and allocated to the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing for urban development since 2005.

“To investigate and ascertain the status of such land in terms of ownership, occupation and development; to investigate methods of acquisition and or allocation by current occupants and owners of such land; to investigate and ascertain the actors involved in allocation, occupation, and use of the land; to conduct visitations where necessary, summon witnesses, record proceedings and document and manage all the information gathered and findings and make recommendations to the President,” said President Mnangagwa.

The problem of illegal acquisition and or allocation of land for urban development near urban settings has been a cause of concern which has seen many families living in unplanned settlements and without basic hygiene facilities due to unscrupulous practices in the allocation and distribution of land giving birth to the phenomenon of land barons.

-ZBC

(Reuters) – African leaders say they have decided to refrain from issuing a resolution to criticise Donald Trump’s alleged reference to their nations as “shithole countries” because the U.S. president sent them a letter expressing respect for the continent.

The leaders who met at an African Union summit in the Ethiopian capital were initially set to demand an apology from Trump over the remark reported by sources at a meeting on immigration with him this month. Trump denies making the comment.

Reports of the comment touched a nerve because they come on top of decisions by the Trump administration, particularly on visa restrictions, that many Africans say unfairly penalize the continent.

As the summit was being held at ministerial level, the gathering drafted a resolution calling on Trump to “publicly apologise to all Africans”.

Anything short of that would force them to suspend a cooperation deal signed between Washington and the bloc, said the draft seen by Reuters.

African leaders are “dismayed and shocked by the increasingly consistent trend by the Trump Administration to denigrate of African descent … thereby promoting racism, xenophobia and bigotry,” it said.

But a Jan. 25 letter sent by Trump prompted a change of tack at presidential level.

One summit official said the final resolution that is yet to be released contains no reference to the issue after the leaders concluded the meeting late on Monday.

“I want to underscore that the United States deeply respects the people of Africa and my commitment to strong and respectful relationships with African states as sovereign states is firm,” Trump said.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would “travel to Africa for an extended visit,” he said.

The AU Commission had “taken due note” of the letter, which wished the summit success, Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said during the closing press conference.

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, who met Trump last week on the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said Trump’s reported comment had no impact on the AU summit.

“When the United States decided to give us Trump as their president we deal with that president of the United States. It is not an issue of whether you appreciate him for this or for that, it is a job that he is doing for his country,” added Kagame, who assumed the African Union’s chairmanship this year.

He said both he and Trump had stressed the need for more cooperation.

Source: Reuters

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has sworn-in the new Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba at State House this morning.

Justice Chigumba is a judge of the High Court and will lead the elections administration body following the resignation of former chairperson Justice Rita Makarau in December 2017.

The appointment of Justice Chigumba follows consultations with the Judicial Service Commission and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rules and Orders.

Justice Chigumba obtained her law degree in the United Kingdom and joined Gollop and Blank law firm in 1994.

She practiced as a lawyer for six years before joining PG Industries as assistant company secretary and later formed her own law firm.

Justice Chigumba joined the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs as a magistrate in 2004 and served as a resident and provincial magistrate before being seconded to work as a senior professional research assistant in the Office of the Chief Justice.

She was sworn in as Justice of the High Court in December 2012.

Her appointment comes at a time when ZEC is compiling a new voters’ roll ahead of harmonised elections to be held in five months time.

More details to follow…

-ZBC

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s pledge of a new dispensation stands a challenge after he announced that his predecessor “Robert Mugabe never made mistakes,” during his time as Head Of State.

Mnanggwa has now opposed the patrons of the New Dispensation, the war veterans whose uprising against Robert Mugabe was solely on the basis that he has done a lot of harm including assassinations going back to Rhodesian times and for more than 37 years after independence.

Mnangagwa, in an interview with a Russian news agency, Sputnik, stated that Mugabe “never made any mistakes” during his 37 year tenure until the G40 came on the scene.  Mnangagwa had been asked to state one of the mistakes which Mugabe had made and which he wished to avoid making as the new President.

Mnangagwa instead chose to blame Mugabe’s failings on the G40 Faction which only came on the political scene 4 years ago.

Below was an excerpt from the interview:

Sputnik: And summarizing the political situation in your country now, in your opinion, what was the main mistake of the previous leadership, of president Mugabe, which you would not like to repeat?

A: No, the president never made any mistakes. There was a small cabal of individuals in the relationship around the first lady. Because the president is now quite advanced in age, they took advantage of his age, and we were having persons who were making executive decisions, which is against the constitution of the country. And our people reacted to people usurping power, which is not given to them by the constitution, so this was corrected by the masses of Zimbabwe.

Sputnik: The level of corruption grew pretty high during the time of President Mugabe…

A: With the new disposition, the new order, one of the primary issues that we’ve put forward is that we need zero corruption, we will not tolerate any corruption at all. I’m now about 54 days in power, and so many people now have been taken to court on the case of corruption. So it’s one of the things that we want to eradicate in our society, we want to have a clean society. People must work hard to earn their living, and we must provide those of talent, we must have the environment where people who have talent must be rewarded and become rich if they can, but properly and honestly.

A month after Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed Zimbabwe’s presidency, trivial arrests that characterised former president Robert Mugabe’s era continue.

Charges that range from criminal nuisance and undermining the authority of the president – which were pressed against people after saying or doing anything that offended Mugabe, Zanu PF or his family — are still in force.

Recently, ex-Cabinet minister Iganatius Chombo, former party youth leaders Kudzanai Chipanga and Munyaradzi Hamandishe were arrested and charged with criminal nuisance after wearing Zanu PF regalia.

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo | The fighting between Masvingo State Minister Josaya Dunira Hungwe and Zanu PF Political Commissar Englebert Rugeje is intensifying with each passing day as the two battle to control political affairs in the province.

Impeccable sources revealed to ZimEye.com the two exchanged harsh words during a provincial meeting held in Masvingo last week.

Rugeje who is in charge of party structures is unwilling political discuss important matters with Hungwe while the latter feels he is literally at the helm of all party activities in the province, according to Zanu PF Officials here.

Last week Hungwe said he had the authority to command soldiers to attack opposition supporters and the sentiments did not augur well with Rugeje who felt the veteran politician was belittling him.

“Hungwe and Rugeje openly clashed during a party meeting last week.

Rugeje told Hungwe he should not meddle in commissariat issues.

On the other hand Hungwe stated he was in charge in charge of all political activities in the province,” said a Zanu PF Official.

Hungwe is also unhappy with the fact that Rugeje is too authoritative in his approach towards political affairs in the province.

2017 — the epochal year that was for Zimbabwe. Things unravelled fast. Many people — including former President Robert Mugabe himself and his G40 faction handlers led by his wife former First Lady Grace — were caught flat-footed by the ouster of Zimbabwe’s hitherto sole ruler since the attainment of independence in 1980. Everything else was overshadowed by this. It’s as if Mugabe’s fall was the sole event that happened during the whole of that year.

To many ordinary people, it was: “Thanks for going, Mr President!” as seen in the jubilant mood in the streets of Harare and elsewhere across the country on November 21, 2017 when Mugabe finally conceded that his stay in power had become untenable and tendered his resignation to avert the ultimate humiliation of impeachment. Mugabe had to be driven out — that’s what happens when you overstay your welcome.

It has not been a perfect year, not even a half-perfect year. Far from it. We still have serious unresolved issues regarding the need for a new political culture and on that one President Emmerson Mnangagwa has to walk the talk with elections looming next year.Cash shortages and other structural crises are still prevalent. But so are hopeful signs after the removal of Mugabe that things cannot get any worse. There is now a new sense of purpose and realism. Listed below are some memorable quotes regarding that.

Wrote development macro-economist Prosper Chitambara: “. . . the 2018 National Budget contains pragmatic measures to cut unproductive and wasteful recurrent expenditures while scaling up social and capital expenditures. This should provide a solid foundation for medium-term development if implemented.” (Zimbabwe Independent, December 21, 2017 — January 4, 2018).

Observed economist Vince Musewe: “It does not take a month to repair an economy that has been damaged for 37 years.” True, true!

Remarked journalist Loughty Dube: “In normal countries, new governments are rated for performance over 100 days. In Zimbabwe, in just over a month you have people parroting how good or bad a government is. Time will tell. Let the government run the course and the results will speak for themselves.” That’s political maturity writ large.

But some in the opposition seem to have adopted an attitude of political spite. They are condemning anything and everything associated with the new government, citing, among others, what they call the unconstitutional removal of Mugabe. But only on November 21, 2017, they were prepared to vote on the side of the “putschists” together with Zanu PF MPs to impeach Mugabe, only to be denied the chance to do so by the arrival of Mugabe’s resignation letter. When did they finally realise that this was, after all, an illegal removal of a government? Would they have said the same had Mnangagwa included them in the government? Such a sour grape reaction is not lost on the people; they neither take it lightly nor kindly.

Wrote another scribe Andrew Kunambura: “The opposition in Zimbabwe should be careful and wary. Their actions and words appear like they wish that Mugabe had stayed on and, by so doing, they risk further alienating themselves from the populace. The vast majority of Zimbabweans did not want Mugabe anymore from many years back. If they (the opposition) continue on this silly boulevard, they could be donating free votes to Zanu PF. This is the time they need proper thinkers, not the pretenders who went to Washington DC recently and carried with them an unwanted stowaway.” Heavy stuff, eh? But true, true

Indeed, the MDC-T has proper thinkers in its ranks like the level-headed Eddie Cross, whose take on the new Zanu PF government has been measured in tone and tenor and so will not alienate not only the floating votes of those people who have seen a lot of good in the ouster of Mugabe and also the initial steps taken by Mnangagwa, but also the votes of MDC-T supporters who, over and above being loyal to the party, have a sense of fair-mindedness and that sense of proportion that they are Zimbabweans above everything else.

Let me illustrate my point. I saw this even-mindedness in September 2017 when Dynamos Football Club supporters, more than supporters of any other club, expressed outrage when Zimbabwe Football Association chairperson Philip Chiyangwa, a known Dynamos supporter, unilaterally rescinded the red card issued to Dynamos’ top striker at a key stage of the season to obviously and blatantly enhance the clubs’ chances of winning the league title.

So, the opposition had better be warned that people, ordinary people, have collective wisdom, and will not swallow hook, line and sinker anything and everything coming their way from whoever and whatever. People are guided by an internalised and institutionalised sense of fairness and justice. There will come a time —if it hasn’t come already — when it does not matter to the people who says this or that as long as he delivers.

These opposition elements are being misled by armchair radicals — those people who act like activists, but from an armchair, from a totally inactive, theoretical position, mostly on social media. They profess radical aims without taking any action to realise them. Their ideas require them to be physically involved in political struggles, but they instead choose to be intentionally dismissive of real-world issues and problems so as to continue believing in the false reality that their views create.

The latest false reality created by such armchair radicals is that former Vice-President Phelekhezela Mphoko’s terminal benefits have been cut on tribal grounds without taking into consideration that this is in line with his short stint in office, as opposed to the late Vice-President John Nkomo, who served much longer and got a much bigger package.

They view the world solely according to their own perceptions, instead of concentrating on what they should really do — absorbing the physical and practical reality of the situation. Instead, they distort people’s understanding of complex issues by abusing social media.

As we head into 2018, we should make a resolution not to be misled by such armchair revolutionaries because we are not that far apart, and neither are we irreconcilably so.- Newsday

Harare City Council’s top executives plundered at least $389 000 from the traditional beer levy account which they used to buy personal vehicles, an audit report has revealed.

According to the report by a tribunal chaired by retired High Court judge, Justice George Smith which was tasked to look into how senior management at Town House were running the local authority, funds meant for water, sanitation and health were diverted and used to buy vehicles.

“The diversion of the funds to the personal accounts for the personal benefit of a select

group of members of executive management was illegal,” reads part of the report.

“The purchase of vehicles by members of executive management was also unprocedural in terms of the council’s own policies and procedures.”

Among those who allegedly benefitted were Prosper Chonzi ( health director), Tendai Kwenda (finance director), R.T. Chinengundu, Cainos Chingombe (human resources). The directors were suspended following the audit.

Smith’s team said according to law, money from the traditional beer levy should only be used to “fund the provision of services that include water and sanitation, health, education, recreation and other related interventions.”

“The money shall not be part of the general revenue of the local authority and must only be used for the welfare of the community as approved by the minister,” the report stated.

Chonzi allegedly received $130 000 from the fund and bought a second-hand accident-damaged vehicle purportedly for the sum of $110 000.

“He failed to transfer the excess funds received back to the council bank account. This amounts to misappropriation of council funds,” the audit report read.

On Kwenda, the report says; “a vehicle worth $70 000 was assessed as appropriate for his grade of employment, yet mysteriously he opted to import a Jeep Cherokee from the USA worth $97 500, hence contributing a total of $27 500 from his personal funds.

“This is despite his full appreciation, at the time, of the fact that the amount advanced was not a loan and the vehicle purchased belonged to his employer.

“Secondly, despite his full knowledge that council vehicles are insured by council, he went on to insure the vehicle using his personal funds, which funds he demanded back from council.

“This is particularly absurd because the insurance department falls under his portfolio.

“Thirdly, he did not register the vehicle in the council’s fixed assets register and has not done so to date.

“His culpability in not entering the asset on that register may suggest an intention to prejudice council.

“As the custodian of the assets of council, he was aware of the implications of his actions and did not act in the best interests of council. The vehicle was registered in his name.

“Chingombe purchased a brand new vehicle from Toyota and registered it in his name, despite being the proposer of the scheme, which was devised only to avoid the cumbersome state procurement process, and not to enrich himself and other executives unjustly.

“The registration of the vehicle in his name was a clear violation of the spirit in which he received council’s approval of his illegal recommendations.” Standard

Ahead of the Christmas holiday, Kadoma-based businessman Jimayi Muduviri (JM) donated food to Danhiko Trust (Danhiko) – an organisation for the disadvantaged and people living with disability – and invited First Lady Auxilia Mnangagwa to take over the programme that was once ran by her predecessor, Grace Mugabe, raising questions over his true motives. Our Chief Writer Fungi Kwaramba (FK) sat down with Muduvuri; below are excerpts of the interview.

Q: What motivated you to make the donation to Danhiko; was it not a political gimmick?

A: I am a disabled person and I was actually invited by the directors of Danhiko, who said to me that since their patron Grace Mugabe was gone, they felt alone and wanted someone to assist them, so I bought some foodstuffs and gave them. When I was there, they also said that they wanted the first lady (Auxilia Mnangagwa) to take over the programme and I did not see anything wrong with that.

Q: But you were also a close ally of Grace weren’t you?

A: She was the first lady and in 2015 I invited her to my housing project in Kadoma. I also invited the then vice presidents Phelekezela Mphoko and Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is my uncle, and they graced the occasion. I remember very well, back then she did not attack anyone and during that event (former Zanu PF political commissar Saviour) Kasukuwere was not there. I can say without any doubt that back then she had not been hijacked by the G40 cabal.

Q: So why did she start attacking Mnangagwa?

A: I am not sure, but all I remember is that she started holding rallies where she was saying bad things about Mnangagwa and I initially went to the rallies unaware that the people were already on a programme to smear the name of my uncle. And when (Hurungwe West MP) Sarah Mahoka called the VP a duck, I called politburo member Pupurai Togarepi and we went and met the VP and we asked whether he was leading the Team Lacoste faction and he said he was a loyalist of President Robert Mugabe.

He then assigned me to go around the country’s provinces to look for the people who were calling him their leader. I told Kasukuwere and he said I was on a campaign trail for the VP and I had to abandon the mission, but I could not follow his orders since he was subordinate to the VP. I remember we attempted to go to Marondera and (former Defence minister) Sydney Sekeramayi said we were not welcome in the province. I then enlisted the help of war veterans, who told me that they were not campaigning for Mnangagwa, but were against what was happening in the party.

After that, I compiled a report that I took to Mugabe and he also gave it to his deputies and wife. The report showed that Mnangagwa was not leading any faction, but the fights continued. During our mission, the now VP Kembo Mohadi, who was State Security minister, called me to his office and asked what our mission was. I told him and he said go ahead.

Q: And why were you on the forefront attacking Kasukuwere; you were at the centre of the votes of no confidence against him?

A: The demonstrations against Kasukuwere were ignited by members of the (Zanu PF) women’s league who were not happy with Mahoka and so, we started to move against her. Remember what she had said about the VP. Kasukuwere warned her to resign and so the demonstrations exploded even in his province where I worked with MPs like Kazembe Kazembe. There was no way for him to hide. He phoned and threatened me but I was unfazed and so the fights raged on. However, when we thought tapedza munhu (we are finished with him), Grace said he had no case to answer and we were left shocked.

Q: Obviously he came for you when he regained his power. What did you do?

A: He came to Mashonaland West province and told people I had to go because I was a pawn of the VP, but before he moved for the kill, the whole game changed and he was on the receiving side. That is how I survived.

Q: And on that so-called Super Sunday, why did you not join other churches? Isn’t it that you lead one?

A: I did not go because I had better things to do. Grace had attacked my uncle and it was better to visit him than be with them. Of course, that was the last straw and the gods turned against them. The whole G40 cabal was there and there were baying for the VP’s head. That Sunday I called him and he said he was quitting politics. I actually think he resigned before he was fired on the following Monday.

Q: And lastly who is Muduvuri?

A: I am a businessman and also a politician. I do not aspire for any position but to see the country moving in the right direction. Lately churches have approached me and I am there patron, my mission in the church is to get rid of corrupt elements and improve the welfare of members and their leaders. – Daily News

Two people were killed while two others were seriously injured when a Toyota Regius they were travelling in collided with a bus along the Beitbridge Masvingo highway.

The accident at One o’clock this afternoon near the Masvingo-Bulawayo turn-off. According to witnesses, the bus was travelling to Mutare while the Toyota Regius was heading towards Beitbridge town.

The injured were rushed to Beitbridge District Hospital. No passenger in the bus was injured. Matabeleland South Police spokesperson, Inspector Philisani Ndebele was not immediately available for comment. state media

School uniform and stationery prices have been caught up in the recent price frenzy that has hit the country with parents sounding alarm bells at the punitive prices as they prepare for the beginning of the 2018 school term.

The price increases have put pressure on most parents dampening their festive mood which is traditionally associated with spending sprees and partying while incessant calls by President Emmerson Mnangagwa for price reductions have not been heeded to.

The development comes at a time when the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has also banned schools from forcing parents to buy school uniforms from them.

A snap survey by Sunday News last week showed that some of the leading retailers in Bulawayo had increased prices of school uniforms by between 40 and 50 percent.

Parents who were interviewed expressed concern at the increases appealing to the Government to intervene.

A full set of uniform for a Grade One pupil costs an average of $120.

School shoes now cost $20 up from $16, a satchel $15 up from $11, shirt and short $24 from $14 (dress $18 up from $15), blazer $41 up from $30, hat $11 up from $6, socks $4 up from $3 and tie $9 up from $5.

A set of uniform for a child enrolling for Form One costs an average of $130 for boys and $124 for girls.

The shirt and short now cost $25 up from $18, (dress $24 up from $18) jersey $22 up from $15, ankle socks $3, (boys socks $4 up from $3) shoes $21 up from $16, satchel $15 up from $11 and tie $9 up from $5.

Some parents said they were now resorting to individual tailors who sell school uniforms at reasonable prices, albeit the uniforms in some instances are of low quality.

“Retailers are just being greedy. There is nothing that can justify the price increases.

“The prices being charged by retailers are forcing us to resort to individual tailors, who, however, make low quality uniforms. We have few options,” said Mrs Princes Mthethwa.

Mr Michael Sibanda said retailers were taking advantage of the increased demand for uniforms to make a quick profit.

He appealed to the Government to come to the aid of parents.

“Prices were much lower just recently in December. Retailers are simply taking advantage of the high demand for uniforms as everyone is now running around preparing for schools opening.

“I feel the Government needs to step in and engage these retailers to normalise the situation. It’s not only applying to school uniforms but across all products,” said Mr Sibanda.

Mrs Sibonginkosi Ngwenya concurred, “We are being ripped off by retailers. All these uniforms are locally made, none are imported. So what justification do these retailers have to increase prices?”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has said schools should not force parents to buy uniforms exclusively from them.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Dr Sylvia-Utete Masango said parents should be allowed to buy uniforms from outlets of their choice where they can afford.

She said schools should simply direct parents on the right colour codes of their uniforms.

“We have since sent a communiqué to schools directing them not to force parents to buy uniforms from the school.

“Schools should just prescribe their requirements on colour codes, shades among other specifications.

“They can’t make it mandatory for parents to buy uniforms from the school. Parents should be allowed to buy from retailers of their choice,” she said.

Some schools include the cost of uniforms on the overall school fees for newly enrolled pupils, often profiteering from the practice at the expense of desperate parents.

In most cases schools charge more than retailers for the school uniforms. – state media