Terrence Mawawa, Bikita | The mere calling of Retired Major General Englebert Rugeje’ s name in Bikita District sends shivers down local villagers’ spines.

Villagers here have expressed cynicism about the newly appointed Zanu PF Political Commissar, Rugeje’ s sincerity in embarking on a peaceful campaign.

The villagers related how Rugeje tormented and intimidated suspected anti- Zanu PF elements in the area.

A villager from Chikuku Area, Bikita East Constituency, told ZimEye yesterday the appointment of Rugeje as the political commissar was an indication the new government was prepared to subvert the will of the people.

“There is commotion here following Rugeje’ s elevation to the top echelons of the Zanu PF Commissariat,” said the villager.

Another Villager from Bhengura, ward 4 Bikita South Constituency said he was tortured by a group of Zanu PF youths who were instructed by Rugeje to beat up local individuals thought to be sympathetic to the opposition.

“So you expect us to hear no evil, speak no evil and see no evil when we are still nursing injuries and traumatic memories?

The Zanu PF mandarins are busy propagating the message of reconciliation simply because they want our votes.

We are tired of being fooled by the cunning ruling party honchos,”

A local teacher said:” I fled to South Africa because Rugeje and his men wanted to punish me for refusing to be used by the regime to manipulate the voting process. “

An employee with Premier Tobacco Auction Floors has been charged with fraud after she allegedly hacked into the banking system of a local financial institution from which she spirited nearly $10 000.

Lizzie Kandengwa, 40, was released on $50 bail when she appeared before Harare magistrate Josephine Sande charged with fraud.

As part of bail conditions, Kandengwa was ordered to continue residing at her present address and not interfere with witnesses and investigations until the case is finalised.

She was remanded to January 24 next year.

The complainant is a local financial institution.

Prosecutor Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that on November 21, this year Kandengwa connived with Stanley Mariko, Melody Basera, Hardlife Kafiramani, Tendai Chikumbirike, Erisha Kaitano and Tendai Meki and hatched a plan to defraud the bank by manipulating tobacco farmers’ accounts.

The court heard that Kandengwa then contacted Eustinah Chivige, a farmer from Headlands, and asked to use her bank account on the pretext that she wanted to receive money from a cousin.

At that stage Chivige’s bank account with the complainant had no money and she agreed to supply her bank details and mobile number.

It was alleged that Kandengwa and her accomplices then transferred $4 910 into Chivige’s account using the Zipit platform.

The court was told that Kandengwa then logged into the bank’s system using Chivige’s mobile number and another for Loveness Munzara.

It was alleged that using fraudulent means Kandengwa linked the two mobile numbers to the bank account.

She went on to use Chivige’s phone number and reversed the $4 910 transaction sending the amount into one of her accomplices Basera’s bank account, it was further alleged.

The court heard that Munzara immediately made another reversal of the $4 910 before the complainant had captured the first transaction.

It was further alleged that on November 27, Mariko misrepresented to another farmer Lameck Mukuwaza that Premier Tobacco was offering loans to tobacco farmers.

Mukuwaza wanted a loan and supplied his banking details and mobile number which is linked to the bank.

His account had no money and Mariko transferred $4 990 using Zipit but later reversed the transaction and offered to give the farmer cash.

Using the same modus operandi Kandengwa made a reversal of the $4 990 transfer to Kafiramani’s bank account while Munzara immediately moved the same amount before the complainant had picked the anomaly.

Mukuwaza’s bank account was subsequently overdrawn by $4 990.

The State alleges the complainant lost $9 890.

Source:Daily News

A Gweru man left Chiredzi people shocked when he was caught having sex with another woman during his wife’s funeral service.

Circumstances are that the accused Luscious Chiturumani stayed in Gweru with his wife Sibongile Mthetwa who allegedly died after a short illness.

Since Chiturumani had not fully paid the bride price, it was then decided that the deceased be buried in Chiredzi, her parents’ rural community.On arrival the deceased’s husband was accompanied by a woman whom he claimed to be his sister and he was accorded full respect as a son-in-law of the family.

The two were then given a courtesy room for them to rest as a family and they then retired to bed earlier than other people as visitors. More people were expected to join them in the room but none did and they took advantage of the situation and woke up to some early morning se_x.

Claims are that just before 6am someone smoking outside leaning on the window heard some funny sounds emanating from the room which the two were resting in.

The unidentified man then decided to call others to see what was happening inside. Unfortunately the doors had no locks and the two were found busy having se_x.

A close relative of the deceased identified as Grace Mtethwa confirmed the incident saying that Chiturumani had brought disgrace to their family as the case will remain the talk of town.

“It is very much disgusting what my uncle has done. Humbwa chaiwo.

“He has proven to be a dog and lacking any sense of morality. How can someone come all the way from Gweru to have se_x here aaah? I had never seen anything like such in my entire life.

“Apa haana kumbopedza kubhadhara roora racho but he found the courage to bring a prostitute saying it was his sister.

Mthetwa added;

“We gave them a room to sleep in at around 9pm.

“You know the setup yepanhamo taitoti in that room kwaizopinda vamwe vanhu 6 vozorara navo imomo zvanga zvisina problem coz ma rooms anenge asingakwane.

“You know at a funeral very few people retire to bed and if they do so it will be around 1am vatoneta nekuimba so I guess that is the advantage which the so called brother and sister took because no one joined them in their room.

“At around 5am a certain man came to a place where my aunts and I were sitting saying we should visit the room where he heard some sounds assuming there was a problem.

“Tichingopindamo takaona haasi mashura iyawo bhudhi na sisi vakanamirana, ndakazarirwa nehasha ende ndakanyara, in fact ndichiri kunyara nezvandakaona,” she said.

Mob justice is said to have followed for disrespecting the dead, the in-laws and again for deceiving people that the lady was his sister and agreeing to share a room with her.

The two were force-marched out of the room and Chiturumani was being slapped and kicked as he made the short walk to a car that was waiting for him in the yard.

Chiturumani’s phone has been off up to the time of going to print.

Source-H metro

Ray Nkosi | After President Robert Mugabe’s resignation last November, many escaped total humuliation for a weaker and much emasculated former head of state soon to be subjected to further public humiliation.

However, this has not been the case it seems, for Mugabe and his wife Grace as they have literary walked away without the political power they enjoyed before but with very little changing in their lavish lifestyle – courtesy of new President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The local Daily News reports that Mnangagwa’s government has given the country’s  deposed former leader Robert Mugabe an eye-watering exit package which includes benefits commensurate with those of a sitting head of State.

Details of the frail nonagenarian’s massive golden handshake were announced in the Government Gazette on Friday under Presidential Pension and Retirement Packages Notice 2017.

Meanwhile, the Daily News has also learnt that the publicised exit package does not include the $10 million which was dangled to the soon to be 94-year-old as part of the negotiations which led to his ouster last month — and which also culminated in him being granted immunity from prosecution.

Mugabe, who ruled Zimbabwe with an iron fist for close to four decades, “resigned” from the top office on November 21 this year — hours after Parliament had initiated proceedings to impeach him.

This happened after he had refused to leave office during eight tense days that began with the military intervening in the governance of the country.

“The president, in terms of section 3(1) of the Presidential Pension and Retirement Benefits Act, hereby makes the following notice: “A former president of Zimbabwe, who has at any time since the 31st December 1987, been president of Zimbabwe for at least one full term of office, shall be entitled to the enjoyment of the following services, facilities and allowances — staff (a) the services of — (i) such security personnel as may be determined by the president, but no less than six, and to be increased by such number as may be determined by the  president whenever and for such period as the need arises; and (ii) two drivers and (iii) two private secretaries; and (iv) two aide-de-camp officers or personal assistants; and (v) two office attendants,” read  the notice in Friday’s Government Gazette.

The publicised raft of benefits details the number of staff at Mugabe’s disposal, as well as office and accommodation arrangements, including a private residence on a 5 000 square metres piece of land; comprehensive medical cover for him, his wife and children, as well as transport that includes top-of-the-range vehicles.

Mugabe and Grace are also entitled to diplomatic passports and private, first class international air travel up — to a maximum of four trips per  year. Mugabe will also receive a Mercedes Benz S500 series or any equivalent vehicle, one four-wheel drive station wagon or an equivalent vehicle, and one pick up van.

Apart from maintaining and fuelling the vehicles, government will also be obliged to replace all the vehicles after five years.

The 93-year-old also has the option of maintaining his long motorcade after government notified that Mugabe was entitled to the provision of “such adequate number of vehicles as may be determined by the president and which must be put at the disposal of the security  personnel and other staff serving the former president”.

Mugabe will also be entitled to a landline telephone, a cellphone, two computers and “such other office equipment and materials as may be determined by the president”.

In terms of accommodation, the former Zanu PF supremo will be provided with “a fully furnished official residence at any place in Harare”.

The housing benefits will also include any such befitting request made by Mugabe within two months of leaving office.

According to the gazette, Mugabe may request the construction of a single private residence at any place of his choice in Zimbabwe, and it will be granted. If he so chooses, he can also request for the payment of a lump sum which is equal or equivalent to the value of the private residence he so desires.

“In the case of his official residence … if the president (Mugabe) dies, his or her surviving spouse, or if there is no surviving spouse, his or her dependent child must continue to be provided with suitable state residential accommodation until – (i) in the case of a surviving spouse, the date on which he or she dies or remarries, whichever event occurs first; and (ii) in the case of the dependent child, the date which he or she dies or the date on which he or she attains the age of 21 years, whichever event occurs first,” the gazette reads.

The private residence is to be constructed on land not exceeding 5 000  square metres and the residence itself may not exceed a reasonably-sized house with five bedrooms, a guest wing with three bedrooms, a study, a swimming pool, two guardrooms and two garages.

In connection with the residence, government will on behalf of Mugabe employ three domestic workers, two gardeners, two cooks, two waiters and two laundry personnel.

Mugabe along with Grace will also be entitled to first class air and rail travel within Zimbabwe as well as first class international travel up to a maximum of four trips a year.

Other benefits will see Mugabe getting an entertainment allowance as determined by Mnangagwa.

Mugabe will also be entitled to payment of telephone expenses, water and electricity charges. The curtain fell on the veteran former Zimbabwe and Zanu PF leader on November 21 when he resigned moments after Parliament had started proceedings to impeach him.

This followed a military intervention code-named Operation Restore Legacy which saw the nonagenarian and his wife being placed under house arrest.

Several Cabinet ministers linked to the Generation 40 (G40) faction who had coalesced around Grace were targeted in the operation which ended only recently, with the soldiers only retreating to the barracks after five weeks of executing the operation.

Mugabe was accused of turning Zimbabwe, which was once the bread basket of Africa, into a basket case due to years of mismanagement and executive corruption.

Today, Zimbabwe is ranked among the poorest countries in the world.

With 2018 harmonized elections now a few months away, the church has already set its sight on a peaceful plebiscite with the Chitungwiza based Victory Power International Ministries’ crossover all night prayer on the 31st of December dedicated to praying for a violence free process.

Victory Power International Ministries led by Bishop Believe Paradise and Pastor Mitchel Paradise believes God’s power will ensure the country remains peaceful during elections, something he reckons will help rebuild Zimbabwe.

In an interview with 263Chat, Bishop Paradise said the crossover night which will be punctuated by manifestation of the spirit of God and prophecy will also be about seeking divine guidance during the forthcoming elections.

“On the crossover night we are expecting the hand of God to move in the church and the purpose of the service is to make God lead our country in the coming year,” said Bishop Paradise.

“A lot of miracles are going to happen on the night, as well as deliverance, healing, thanksgiving and prophetic declarations,” he said.

“There is also going to be performances by our church choir, Africa Praise, as well as surprise guest Artist”

“We are inviting the Christians all over Zimbabwe to come and praise God with us on the night and those who will come will see the hand of God in the life” he added.

The role of the church in a country can never be under-estimated as it has always taken a leading initiative in praying for peace. With President Emmerson Mnangagwa promising a peaceful, free and fair elections in 2018, Bishop Paradise’s effort is a welcome development for the country especially now that the focus is on rebuilding the battered image.263chat

A man from Victoria Falls allegedly slit his throat in a suspected suicide attempt.

He is reportedly battling for his life at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo.

The Officer Commanding Victoria Falls District, Chief Superintendent Jairos Chiwona, confirmed the incident.

“I can confirm there is a case where somebody slit his throat reportedly as a suicide attempt, but the case is still under investigation. He is battling for his life in Bulawayo. We are neither saying there was foul play or not,” said Chief Supt Chiwona.

Tshuma, who attends Zaoga Church, is said to have been fasting and on Thursday he became unusually quiet and refused to sleep in the same room with his wife.

It is said that his wife went to check on him on Friday morning and found the room empty.

A search was carried out and he was later found walking, wearing only underpants.

His family took him to the hospital suspecting a mental illness and they could not get the help they wanted. They then took him to a prophet who prayed for him and he was taken home in Mkhosana, Victoria Falls.

Tshuma reportedly ran away from home.

He was later found crying while holding his neck which was bleeding profusely from a visible cut on the throat.
Tshuma was taken to Victoria Falls District hospital and due to the severe injuries, he was transferred to Mpilo hospital. – state media

The Government will not license a donkey abattoir that is being built in Bulawayo.

Bulawayo SPCA Veterinary Surgeon, Dr Anele Dube said the donkeys which were being kept at a feedlot at Manningdale low density suburb were killed two months ago after the animal welfare organisation noted that they were in a bad condition.

This followed a visit by the SPCA and Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Zimbabwe (VAWZ) officials who recommended that the animals be euthanised as they were severely injured while others were sickly.

“We went there and identified about a dozen donkeys that were seriously sick and those were destroyed, they were euthanised humanely and we didn’t have any problems with (Mr Gareth) Lumsden (owner of the donkey abattoir) and we go there regularly at least once a week,” said Dr Dube.
Battlefront Investments had bought about 200 donkeys from areas such as Kezi, Plumtree, Nkayi and Gokwe for slaughtering at the abattoir in Waterford which was supposed to start operations before the end of October.

Pressure has been mounting on Mr Lumsden to drop the initiative with animal welfare groups considering instituting legal action.

DLVS director Dr Josphat Nyika said:

“We don’t know about the donkey abattoir, when it was constructed or if the construction has been completed. I have never seen any application for the setting-up of a donkey abattoir. We are the registration authority and after all we don’t have laws that allow for the registration of a donkey abattoir.

“It’s not even there on (Abattoir Inspection and Certification) SI (Statutory Instrument) of 1995 of the Veterinary Public Health thus it can never be registered. As the Department of Veterinary Services we report to the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development,” said Dr Nyika.

The other SIs that fall under the Abattoir Inspection and Certification are SI 111 of 1984 and SI 369 of 1998.

The non-licensing of the abattoir means Battlefront Investments’ investment of over $150 000 has gone up in smoke if the company does not convert the infrastructure to serve another purpose.

The company had intended to export donkey meat and hides to China where they are in demand especially the latter, to produce a traditional Chinese product called ejiao.

Efforts to get a comment from Mr Lumsden by the time of going to press were futile as his cellphone went unanswered. – state media

Hehehehe @ZimEye there we go. Thts the thread tht got me arrested… pic.twitter.com/SaniCDw9Fl

— #khuliyo (@NkueNkala) December 28, 2017

Ray Nkosi | Nkululeko Nkala, known as Khuliyo in music circles has come out to share more on the social media joke which got him arrested.

Responding on the ZimEye.com twitter account Nkala said, “Hehehehe @ZimEye there we go. Thts the thread tht got me arrested.”

Nkala, known as Khuliyo in music circles, did not know that his joke would land him in trouble when he posted a fake South African number claiming it belonged to Oskido and claiming that those who wanted cheap tickets could get hold of the Kalawa Jazmee boss.

He had jokingly claimed that people could get tickets for as low as $5, yet the lowest selling ticket was going for $15.

His joke did not go well with the organisers of the most-attended annual show who thought he was illegally selling tickets and promptly reported him to the police.

The organisers, who include SA-based Oskido – the brains behind the famed event – caused the arrest of Nkala who was dragged to Bulawayo Central Police Station yesterday morning.

A video of Nkala seated on the police station benches was circulated on social media yesterday afternoon, with Oskido also pitching up at the station. Nkala is seen trying to justify himself saying it was just a jest.

“I was just playing on the WhatsApp group with one of the guys who was asking if he could get $5 tickets for the Homecoming show. I just randomly put a number saying its Oskido’s so if he wants cheap tickets, he should get in touch with him. It was just a plain joke,” Nkala is overheard explaining at the police station.

At that point, Oskido then interjects saying: “Do you know how much money we put into this gig. We don’t even make money. We’re trying to uplift local people, yet you mess up the show.”

In an interview, local Kalawa Homecoming organiser, Vusumuzi Siqalaba, said Nkala was made to clarify that there were no Homecoming tickets being sold for $5 through social media messages.

“We told him that he had to create another social media message stating that tickets are only being sold at Rainbow Hotel. And that the number he had sent does not belong to Oskido.

“There’re no fake tickets anywhere,” Siqalaba said.

Nkala said he had since apologised and paid a fine, insisting that he was joking. However, he said it seems someone was bitter with him, hence the need to try and embarrass him with an arrest.

A social media joke turned nasty for a Bulawayo artist who was nearly jailed yesterday for claiming to be in possession of cheaper and counterfeit Kalawa Homecoming tickets ahead of the show which took place last night.

Nkululeko Nkala, known as Khuliyo in music circles, did not know that his joke would land him in trouble when he posted a fake South African number claiming it belonged to Oskido and claiming that those who wanted cheap tickets could get hold of the Kalawa Jazmee boss.

He had jokingly claimed that people could get tickets for as low as $5, yet the lowest selling ticket was going for $15.

His joke did not go well with the organisers of the most-attended annual show who thought he was illegally selling tickets and promptly reported him to the police.

The organisers, who include SA-based Oskido – the brains behind the famed event – caused the arrest of Nkala who was dragged to Bulawayo Central Police Station yesterday morning.

A video of Nkala seated on the police station benches was circulated on social media yesterday afternoon, with Oskido also pitching up at the station. Nkala is seen trying to justify himself saying it was just a jest.

“I was just playing on the WhatsApp group with one of the guys who was asking if he could get $5 tickets for the Homecoming show. I just randomly put a number saying its Oskido’s so if he wants cheap tickets, he should get in touch with him. It was just a plain joke,” Nkala is overheard explaining at the police station.

At that point, Oskido then interjects saying: “Do you know how much money we put into this gig. We don’t even make money. We’re trying to uplift local people, yet you mess up the show.”

In an interview, local Kalawa Homecoming organiser, Vusumuzi Siqalaba, said Nkala was made to clarify that there were no Homecoming tickets being sold for $5 through social media messages.

“We told him that he had to create another social media message stating that tickets are only being sold at Rainbow Hotel. And that the number he had sent does not belong to Oskido.

“There’re no fake tickets anywhere,” Siqalaba said.

Nkala said he had since apologised and paid a fine, insisting that he was joking. However, he said it seems someone was bitter with him, hence the need to try and embarrass him with an arrest. – state media

By Farai D Hove| President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s personal advisor, Christopher Mutsvangwa has opened the lid saying he was part of the team that organised the booing of former First Lady Grace Mugabe at the Bulawayo Youth Interface Rally last month in November.

The events of the last 8 weeks have been filled with much drama that saw the whole world turning its cameras on Zimbabwe. The highy animated and riveting scenery included President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his former boss, Robert Mugabe. Mnangagwa was humiliated to the extent of being labeled a border jumper when he was eventually forced out of Zimbabwe.

This all began when at the Bulawayo rally on the 4th November when Mugabe screamed out that he was just about to drop Mnangagwa down. It was at that rally that his wife, Grace was booed.

The latest developments have seen a stampede by ZANU PF members as they compete on claiming they were the heroes of the moment. :ast week, former War Vets Minister Tshinga Dube laid claim that he was the one who organised the booing.

But this time, Mnangagwa’s advisor Mutsvangwa has also begun claiming the credits.

Mutsvangwa has been quoted by the NewsDay paper while reportedly giving details on the historic plot to topple Robert Mugabe.

Mutsvangwa said, “we did everything in our power to remove Mugabe, but Mnangagwa was never part of it. He was Zanu PF VP and it became apparent to us that it was impossible to force him to dump the party and Mugabe.

“We could not have spoken on his behalf because we had been expelled, but the booing in Bulawayo was a watershed moment we organised and celebrated. It exposed Mugabe for who he was and opened Mnangagwa’s eyes to what was going on. I must say though that we will always cherish any attempt at unity by the liberation movements or any political parties in our country.”

President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday announced a hefty retirement package for his former boss, Robert Mugabe. The package includes a full private residence with a swimming pool.

With respect to private residence, the property shall be constructed on land which in total may not exceed 5 000 square metres. The residence, if it was to be built, should not exceed a reasonably sized house with five bedrooms, a guest wing with three bedrooms, a study, swimming pool, two guardrooms and two garages.

“There shall be employed in connection with the residence of the former President (i) three domestic employees, and (ii) two gardeners, and (iii) two cooks and two waiters and (iv) two laundry persons,” read the regulations. READ MORE CLICK HERE

Terrence Mawawa | The HIV prevalence rate has dropped significantly while the life expectancy range has risen, a Government Minister has said.

It has emerged the life expectancy in the country has shot up from 37 years to 59 while the HIV prevalence rate has dropped sharply, according to Health and Child Care Minister, David Parirenyatwa.

“Zimbabwe had one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Africa but we worked so hard and we are seeing the positive results.

New infections have dropped drastically.
The likelihood of an HIV positive mother giving birth to an HIV positive baby was at 40 percent, but because of treatment that we give it is now at 5,4 percent,” said Parirenyatwa.

“Now I am being invited all over the world to talk about prevention. Recently I was in Rome after being invited by the Pope to talk about prevention,” said Parirenyatwa.

“When you want to see the markers of an improving health system you look at issues like the life expectancy and the prevalence of epidemics such as HIV and AIDS. Our life expectancy had fallen to 37 years, but it has shot up to 59 years,” he added.

President Mnangagwa yesterday gazetted pension and retirement benefits which a Zimbabwean former Head of State and Government should enjoy on retirement. The benefits were published in a Statutory Instrument of an Extraordinary Government Gazette in terms of Presidential Pension and Retirement Benefits (Services and Facilities for Former Presidents) Notice, 2017. Former President Robert Mugabe is expected to be the inaugural beneficiary of the entitlements.

“A former President of Zimbabwe, who has at any time since the 31st December 1987, been President of Zimbabwe for at least one full term of office, shall be entitled to the use and enjoyment of the following services and allowances,” read the notice.

Regarding staff, the regulations provide that there will be security personnel as might be determined by the President but not less than six, and to be increased by such number as might be determined by the Head of State and Government whenever and for such period as the need arise.

He/she shall be entitled to two drivers, two private secretaries and two aide-de-camp officers or personnel assistance and two office attendants. On office and equipment, there will be provision of a fully-furnished office accommodation and a landline telephone and a cellphone, two computers and such other office equipment and materials as might be determined by the President.

Regarding housing and household, the former President will get a fully-furnished official residence at any place in Harare. A former President will also be entitled to a housing allowance to be determined by the sitting President, or a single private residence acquired or constructed on his or her behalf at any place of his or her choice in Zimbabwe or payment of a lump sum equal to the value of the private residence.

“In the case of the official residence referred to in paragraph (c) (i) [of the notice] if the former President dies, his or her surviving spouse, or if there is no surviving spouse, his or her dependent child, must continue to be provided with suitable State residential accommodation until (i) in the case of a surviving spouse, the date on which he or she dies or remarries, or whichever occurs first and (ii) in the case of a dependent child, the date on which he or she dies or the date on which he or she attains the age of 21 years, whichever event occurs first,” reads the notice.

With respect to private residence, the property shall be constructed on land which in total may not exceed 5 000 square metres. The residence, if it was to be built, should not exceed a reasonably sized house with five bedrooms, a guest wing with three bedrooms, a study, swimming pool, two guardrooms and two garages.

“There shall be employed in connection with the residence of the former President (i) three domestic employees, and (ii) two gardeners, and (iii) two cooks and two waiters and (iv) two laundry persons,” read the regulations.

There will be an allowance covering medical aid contributions for the former President, his or her spouse and any dependent child. A former President, together with his or her spouse, will be entitled to a diplomatic passport, first class air and rail private travel within the country up to a maximum of four trips per year.

There will be international air private travel up to a maximum of four trips per annum including the spouse if he or she accompanies the former President. On transport, a former President will be entitled to one sedan (Mercedes Benz S500 Series or an equivalent class of motor vehicle), one four-wheel drive station wagon or equivalent, and a pickup van.

An adequate number of vehicles as might be determined by the President should be at the disposal of security personnel and other staff serving the former President. Fuel costs will be borne by the Government and all the vehicles must be permanently at the disposal of the former President and be replaced after every five years.

Other benefits are entertainment allowance to be determined by the President and payment of utility bills such as water, electricity, telephone in respect of the office and official residence of the former President.

Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa has set January 1 2018 as the date on which the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act will come into operation. The law seeks to clip the wings of the State Procurement Board by decentralising procurement.- state media

President Mnangagwa has appointed General Constantino Guvheya Dominic Nyikadzino Chiwenga (Retired) and Kembo Mohadi as Vice Presidents of Zimbabwe. The two will be sworn-in at State House in Harare today. Acting Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colonel Christian Katsande (Rtd) confirmed the development yesterday.

“In terms of Section 14,sub-paragraph 2 of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, upon assuming office, must without delay appoint not more than two Vice Presidents, who hold office at his or her pleasure,” he said.

“Accordingly, His Excellency the President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, has duly appointed Honourable General (Rtd) Dr Constantino Guvheya Dominic Nyikadzino Chiwenga and Honourable Kembo Campbell Dugishi Mohadi as Vice Presidents of the Republic of Zimbabwe. The swearing-in will be held at 1000hrs on Thursday, 28th December 2017 at State House, Harare.”

Gen Chiwenga (Rtd) and Cde Mohadi were last Saturday appointed Zanu-PF Vice Presidents and Second Secretaries. Presidential Press Secretary Mr George Charamba said the appointments were done after extensive consultations.

These consultations, he said, included getting sentiments from the political leadership, war veterans, security arms of Government and traditional leaders. Mohadi was born on November 15, 1949 in Beitbridge. He did his Sub A up to Standard One in Beitbridge, including at Mtetengwe Primary School, before proceeding to Gwanda Primary School for Standard 2.

He proceeded to Manama High School in Matabeleland South province for secondary education and then to Goromonzi High School in Mashonaland East where he was kicked out while doing Form 3. Mohadi joined the liberation struggle in the early 70s when he left the country for military training in Zambia via Botswana.

He later went to Russia for further training and on his return was attested to a department within Zapu called Zimbabwe Intelligence Services under the command of Ethan Dube but was detained at Khami Prison in 1976 until his release at Independence in 1980.

He was appointed Defence, Security and War Veterans Minister last month. He had served as the Minister of State for National Security in the President’s Office (2015 to 2017) and Minister of Home Affairs from 2002 to 2015. Gen Chiwenga (Rtd) was born on August 25, 1956 in Wedza, Mashonaland East.

He attended secondary school at St Mary’s Mission in the same district before joining the liberation struggle as a 17-year-old and received military training in Zambia and Tanzania. In 1974, he was appointed a member of the Zanla General Staff and rose to become a member of the Zanla High Command as deputy commissar in 1978.

During the ceasefire period, Gen Chiwenga (Rtd) was appointed to the ceasefire monitoring team assigned to Manicaland in 1980 and later moved to Masvingo the same year. He was commissioned a brigadier on April 16 1981 and within the same year was appointed Commander of 1 Brigade.

In 1984, he was appointed Commander of 5 Brigade and later as brigadier-general based at Army Headquarters until his promotion to major-general, becoming Chief of Staff (Administration and Quartermaster).

Another promotion in 1994 saw him assume the rank of lieutenant-general and Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army on the formation of the Zimbabwe Defence forces. In 2004, Gen (Rtd) took over as ZDF Commander upon the retirement of the late national hero General Vitalis Zvinavashe.- state media

Government’s plans to revive flag carrier Air Zimbabwe (AirZim) are dead in the water for now after it failed to secure partnerships with reputable airlines that were put off by the massive debts at the struggling airline.

At present government has no money to bail out the haemorrhaging AirZim which this year made a loss of $24 million.

“There is nothing to expect from that front (reviving AirZim) unless we get money. For now, it’s a sinking company.

“For example, AirZim asks government to purchase fuel for it on a daily basis and it cannot run on its own,’’ Transport minister Joram Gumbo told the Daily News in an exclusive interview.

AirZim is currently saddled with a $300 million debt and was said to be making a $2 million loss every month. Gumbo told the Daily News that government had pursued partnerships with reputable airlines but these fell through as a result of the financial problems at the national airline.

He said contrary to widespread reports that the new airline Zimbabwe Airways (Zim Airways) was a government project established to replace AirZim, the airline was privately-owned and had nothing to do with them.

Gumbo said Zim Airways is actually run by a private company known as Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company (ZALC) and government’s role was to facilitate the deal after initial efforts to revive AirZim fell through.

He told the Daily News he had personally courted Zimbabweans living in London and Dubai to invest in the Zimbabwean aviation industry.

“Cabinet approved the recapitalisation of AirZim. After the approval, we went around to negotiate with at least 12 airlines which included two African airlines, Ethiopian Airways and Kenyan Airways.

“We also targeted Air Malaysia, Lufthansa, Qatar Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Emirates Airways, Qantas Airways, Singapore Airways and China Air but we discovered that we were not going to succeed in our negotiations because AirZim’s financials are in shambles and they were not attractive to any one of the airlines to try and go into partnership with us,” Gumbo told the Daily News.

“However, I did not get discouraged. I tried to negotiate with Ethiopian Airlines so that we could get into some kind of an agreement where they could even have a higher shareholding structure than us. It did not work.

“Discussions with Air Malaysia however, became very interesting when we gathered that they had grounded some of their planes but after looking at our books and realised our indebtedness as an airline, they were put off but they then offered to sell us their grounded Boeing 777ER planes.

“Six of them had been grounded because of what had happened earlier when they had mishaps where one plane fell into the sea and another was shot down. So they were saying we do not want to have anything to do with them anymore,” Gumbo explained further.

“So our negotiations started with them seriously and since they said we cannot partner with you because of your issues. “We were discussing with Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC). We agreed that they could sell the planes to us.

“So I started negotiating to buy and so I informed government that I had clinched a deal with Air Malaysia to buy four Boeing 777 planes at $70 million for all of them and I thought this was a good deal for Zimbabwe. But again government failed to raise the money. I was buying these for AirZim.

“So after government introduced the policy to engage the Diaspora, to invest in the country, I reached out to them. There was a group in London and another in Dubai. “I engaged them to say here is an opportunity if you are interested. My role as minister of Transport is to ensure that there is activity in the country, therefore I facilitated for one of these groups to negotiate with Air Malaysia through (PWC),” added Gumbo.

This group then formed the Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company. Gumbo said ZALC has so far purchased two planes and is currently fundraising to acquire the remaining two under the terms of their agreement which stated the group would buy four planes in total.

“They are also trying to bring smaller planes to service local routes and they want to bring six smaller planes so that we can promote tourism in the country. My interest is that we keep Zimbabwe on the global aviation map,” said Gumbo.

Accusations have been flying since September that government was ditching AirZim for Zim Airways which was at first said to belong to deposed former president Robert Mugabe’s family and his son-in-law Simba Chikore.

Ray Nkosi | Exiled Zanu PF politician Savior Kasukuwere has come out to mourn the late Ezekiel Guti Junior.

Wrote Kasukuwere on twitter, “We begin to remember not just that you died, but that you lived. And that your life gave us memories too beautiful to forget. RIP shamwari.”

The state media reported that Guti Junior the son of the founder of the Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (ZAOGA) church died while in South Africa.

Guti Jr was in South Africa for the Holiday with his family. ZAOGA’s Acting Secretary General Reverend Misheck Nyambo confirmed the death Wednesday afternoon in a statement.

Government’s fight against corruption has gathered momentum with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) widening its dragnet to include the private sector and local authorities where the anti-graft body is investigating tender scams which might have prejudiced government tens of millions of dollars

This comes as former ministers and senior parastatal officials who served in deposed ex-president Robert Mugabe’s government have been arrested and brought before the courts in a crackdown which could net more former Zanu PF bigwigs in the coming week.

Zacc spokesperson Phyllis Chikundura told the Daily News yesterday she was still on holiday and would know the individuals and companies that are under investigation when she resumes work tomorrow.

However, authoritative sources at Zacc said the anti corruption body was almost finishing its investigation on several executives and council officials.

“We held preliminary investigations early this year but shelved them due to a number of reasons, some which were a matter of public knowledge.

“However, we have now gone back to those cases we had temporarily suspended due to various reasons and you shall know those involved once we have finished our investigations.

“We are not selectively applying the law. So far you have seen politicians but I can tell you we have widened our investigations to include local authorities and private players,” a senior Zacc official told the Daily News.

“You are going to see high profile politicians and well-known businesspeople appearing before the courts soon. So this idea of saying we are pursuing a factional agenda or selectively targeting people is not correct.

“If we have 100 corrupt people and start by arresting five, is that not a starting point? We have begun the fight against corruption in earnest,” added the Zacc official.

The Daily News can reveal that Zacc has been investigating the multi-million dollar tenders at Harare City Council and has been furnished with documentation regarding those tenders.

Last week, Zacc was said to be pursuing former Energy minister Samuel Undenge and his wife, Letina, in connection with the multi-million dollar energy tenders supplied to high-living Harare businessman, Wicknell Chivayo’s company, Intratek Zimbabwe.

Undenge has previously denied having played a role in Chivayo’s tenders by arguing that when he became minister in 2015, the Harare businessman had already clinched the tenders. Undenge took over from Dzikamai Mavhaire who was one of several bigwigs sacked from government and Zanu PF in the run up to the party’s congress of 2014.

Chivayo has been staring down the barrel over the past few weeks over the power deals which he signed with Zesa Holdings and its subsidiary the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) — which have come under the spotlight after his company, Intratek, apparently failed to deliver on them.

Among the deals, the burly businessman — who is often referred to by his associates as Sir Wicknell — was awarded a $200 million tender for the Gwanda Solar Project.

ZPC senior management now stand accused of advancing $5 million to him for this project’s pre-commencement works, despite Chivayo not providing a performance guarantee as required by law.

The performance guarantee acts as financial security and is supposed to be presented by the contractor before the commencement of works. It insulates the client in the event that the contractor fails to fulfil obligations set out in the contract.

Chivayo was also awarded a further $73 million for the refurbishment of the Harare Power Station, $163 million for the restoration of the Munyati Power Station, and $248 million for the Gairezi Power project by the ZPC.

Apart from Zesa board meeting to review Chivayo’s contracts, Parliament has said that it is gathering facts on his projects before making a determination.

Last week, Chivayo was ordered to submit his bank statements, contract documents and cash books to the National Economic Conduct Inspectorate as part of widening investigations into the Zesa deals.

Presenting his State-of-the-National Address (Sona) last week in a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said his government would leave no stone unturned in the fight against graft.

“Corruption remains the major source of some of the problems we face as a country, and its retarding impact on national development cannot be overemphasised. The goal of my government is to build a new Zimbabwe based on the crown values of honesty, transparency, accountability and hard work.

“On individual cases of corruption, every case must be investigated and punished in accordance with the dictates of our laws. There should be no sacred cows. My government will have zero tolerance towards corruption and this has already begun,” Mnangagwa said.

A number of individuals who include former Cabinet ministers Joseph Made, Walter Chidakwa and ex-Midlands provincial affairs minister, Jason Machaya, were arrested last week in an expansion of the crackdown against corruption.

Former Finance minister Ignatius Chombo has so far been arrested twice on multiple charges that include fraud and abuse of office, while ex-Mines ministry permanent secretary, Francis Gudyanga was also nabbed on corruption-related charges.

Zimbabwe’s central bank has also ordered banks to freeze accounts belonging to former Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo and former Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere amid claims that they were involved in corrupt activities while working for the Zanu PF government.

Mnangagwa’s sceptics have accused his government of pursuing a factional agenda by arresting senior officials and former Cabinet ministers in Mugabe’s government who were linked to the Generation-40 (G40)faction.

“The current charade is nowhere near fighting corruption. These are clear retributive attempts to punish those aligned to the now-defunct G40 cabal. No amount of propaganda can hide that fact.

“How else can you explain appointments of thoroughly discredited individuals like Obert Mpofu in this Cabinet. Most of these ruling party leaders including the president himself will have problems explaining their wealth.

“This government has paid lip service to the anti-corruption agenda only to further political goals since the era of Mugabe and nothing has changed. What we need is genuine commitment to anti-corruption as a principle and policies/ legislation that are set up and implemented without fear or favour,” political analyst, Gladys Hlatywayo told the Daily News.

However, other analysts have said it is too early to judge Mnangagwa and have urged caution as he implements his policies.

Some analysts have also said the fact that Mnangagwa’s government is arresting those alleged of corruption is a good start.

They have also argued that his recent moratorium on those who externalised foreign currency and stashed assets in foreign lands should not be looked through the factional lenses as this was targeted at business executives and corporate.

In a statement, early this month, Mnangagwa revealed that Operation Restore Legacy uncovered cases whereby huge sums of money and other assets were externalised by individuals and corporates, thereby prejudicing the country of the much-needed foreign currency.

Operation Restore Legacy refers to a military campaign that targeted “criminals” around the then president, Mugabe.

As a first step towards the recovery of the externalised funds and assets, Mnangagwa’s administration gazetted a three-month moratorium within which those involved in the practice can bring back the funds and assets with no questions being asked or risk charges being preferred against them.

“The period of this amnesty stretches from December 1, 2017 to the end of February 2018. Affected persons who wish to comply with this directive should liaise with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) for the necessary facilitation and accounting.

“Upon the expiry of the three-month window, government will proceed to effect arrests of all those who would not have complied with this directive, and will ensure that they are prosecuted in terms of the country’s laws.

“Those affected are thus encouraged to take advantage of this three-month moratorium to return the illegally externalised funds and assets in order to avoid the pain and ignominy of being visited by the long arm of the law,” said Mnangagwa.

The externalisation of foreign currency is a serious offence in Zimbabwe covered under the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act (Chapter 9:24) and the Exchange Control Act [Chapter22:05].

In the event of a conviction, the courts can impose a fine not exceeding the value of the currency or a sentence of imprisonment not exceeding 10 years, the whole of which can be suspended on condition that the currency is repatriated to Zimbabwe within a specified period.

The statutes also allow the courts to impose harsher penalties unless the convicted person satisfies the court that there are special reasons in the particular case, which shall be recorded by the court, why a lesser fine should be imposed.- Daily News

On A Wednesday afternoon in November, Grace Mugabe stood outside the Zanu PF headquarters in full party regalia before a crowd of thousands.

Her husband’s face was stamped across one sleeve, her wrists stacked with armbands in Zanu green and yellow and red and black. She was smiling.

Her biggest rival, Emmerson Mnangagwa, had been fired just two days earlier.

It had been a year-long campaign of sustained insult and innuendo.

But it was her booing by a crowd at a weekend rally — in front of her husband, no less — that got the job done.

Mnangagwa was out, finally, and she stood in prime position with the backing of both the party’s women and youth leagues to fill his seat.

The police had even launched a manhunt to find and arrest the hecklers from the weekend before.

She was a first lady at the peak of powers, in a seemingly unstoppable trajectory to the top job in the country. And this rally was for her.

Less than two weeks later, Grace was expelled from Zanu PF and her husband removed as party leader.

The reliably fawning state media turned, and first lady Amai Grace Mugabe was suddenly recast in the ignominious role of the crude secretary-mistress whose Lady Macbeth-level ambition brought to an end one of the longest running presidencies on the continent.

That Grace’s showdown with Mnangagwa should have ended so badly must have come as a surprise in a year when she was literally allowed to get away with assault.

“She cornered me and started beating the hell out of me,” South African model Gabriella Engels said of the alleged August incident when she was attacked by an extension cord-wielding Grace in a Sandton hotel room where the wayward Mugabe sons were said to be wasting away the family fortune.

“She just had this sort of look in her eyes, that she was furious,” Engels told News24.

“She was well-dressed and I had no idea who she was. She kept screaming, asking where her son was.”

In her deposition, Grace went on the attack. Again. She called Engels “intoxicated” and “unhinged” and alleged the model came at her with a knife.

Not that it was necessary. On a Sunday morning, the South African government quietly and retrospectively granted Grace immunity. And as journalists waited for her to hand herself over to the police, Zimbabwe’s state press reported that their First Lady had returned home safely.

In ousting Mnangagwa, Grace consulted the same playbook she’d used to get rid of his predecessor, Joice Mujuru, in 2014: hints and light jibes that over the months turned to outright public condemnation and claims of witchcraft, scoring Grace a position as head of Zanu-PF’s women’s league – and a seat at the table of the party’s all-powerful politburo.

The day before Mnangagwa was sacked – the day after his supporters had publicly booed her – the First Lady brought her year-long campaign against him to a crescendo, telling a rally of thousands that he had been plotting a coup for decades. An accusation that would have seemed just her brand of crass political opportunism had Mnangagwa not gone and done exactly that a week later.

The fall, when it finally came, was stunning.

Thousands of Zimbabweans took to the streets in a historic celebration.

But the party that had always remained fiercely loyal to Mugabe did so even as he fell. On carpets. Down stairs. From power. His sins – the destruction of an economy, the fixing of elections, the abduction and torture of dissidents, the crushing of uprisings – were seemingly forgotten behind the glare of Grace’s enormous ambition.

“Grace, a mad woman with no brains, was in charge of the country on behalf of her cohorts,” said war veterans’ leader Chris Mutsvangwa.

“She lacked grooming and true motherhood… it is unfortunate that the president allowed her to usurp executive authority from him thereby destroying both the party and government,” said the turncoat youth league.

“One can only speculate how the legacy of Comrade Robert Mugabe might have ended had his wife not exhibited and indulged her political ambitions in such a crude fashion,”lamented the treacherous state media.

Gone was First Lady Grace.

Gone was Amai Mugabe, Mother of the Nation.

In her place: Lady Grace Macbeth, standing in the middle of a hotel room with a fistful of too-much power, wreaking havoc. – Daily Maverick

The Professor Welshman Ncube-led MDC will not field candidates outside the agreed 32 constituencies allocated to it in the MDC Alliance, the party’s secretary general, Ms Miriam Mushayi, has said.

Ms Mushayi revealed this in a memorandum to the party’s provincial chairpersons which also stated that aspiring candidates should start forwarding their applications for vetting.

“You are hereby notified that the process of candidate selection will commence on January 3, 2018 and is expected to be completed by 31 January 2018.

Accordingly you are hereby requested to receive applications from interested candidates and forward them to my office for vetting. The closing date for the receipt of applications shall be 14 January 2018,” she said. Chronicle

State security agent Rodney Mashingaidze has reportedly relaunched his bid to grab Maleme Ranch in Matabeleland South province, two years after he was blocked by chiefs, civil society and villagers before then Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko ordered him to vacate the property.

Mashingaidze in 2015 attempted to grab Maleme Ranch from Peter Cunningham, sparking protests from the local community, chiefs, civic groups and opposition political parties, forcing him to back off after Mphoko intervened in the wrangle.

Mphoko then directed the Lands ministry to identify a farm for him elsewhere, saying Maleme Ranch should be preserved as it houses key State institutions, Big Cave Camp and Ebenezer Agricultural Training Centre.

Villagers in the area recently wrote to new Lands minister Perrance Shiri, seeking his intervention to stop Mashingaidze’s renewed interests in the property.

“It has come to our attention that Mashingaidze has been telling people that he is planning to come and retake operations of Maleme and Ebenezer,” the villagers’ letter read in part.

“This has been reported over the last two weeks with recent reports that he has been trying to mobilise village heads from the homestead area where he has been paying them monies to support him in his move to grab the farm.”

The villagers claimed the farm was benefiting at least 800 families, with Cunningham being credited for assisting villagers with various projects, including raising chickens and teaching them modern farming methods.

Maleme Ranch offers grazing pastures to the villagers, who were also given pieces of land by Cunningham to do their small-scale agricultural projects, like poultry.

Villagers, chiefs, political parties and civic groups in Matabeleland argue Mashingaidze should go and grab a farm in his home province, saying that they were fed up with situations where people from outside the region were coming to “grab everything” from jobs to farms from them. Newsday

Wilbert Mukori |Zimbabwe is not in this political and economic mess by accident. We are where we are because we, as a people, have not stopped to think through what  it is we want and hence for the last 37 years we have blundered from pillar to post. Some of our social media based protest groups have been have had their share of blundering.

“I think it’s important for us to note that there have to be a moment with which we distil what has happened before we react,” Pastor Evans Mawarire of #Thisflag told New Zimbabwe.

“It’s important for now to just respond and not necessarily react. There is still need for analysis really on which direction are these people (government) taking.”

Pastor Mawarire has never really understood what it is exactly the nation has been fighting for these last 37 years. His understanding of anything has been very superficial at best. Admittedly it is impossible to have an intelligent debate on any subject much less on politics with someone whose starting baseline is zero and stick to the 140 characters maximum twitter limit.

Pastor Mawarire’s latest blunder emanates from his failure to appreciate that the military coup that forced Mugabe to resign and in the purge of all G40 loyalists from Zanu PF had everything to do with the dog-eat-dog factional war that has been raging in that party for the last three years. The coup had nothing to do with advancing the ordinary Zimbabwean’s fight for democratic changes to restore individual freedoms and basic human rights including the right to free and fair elections. 

“Operation Restore Legacy”, as the coup plotter call the coup was about stopping Mugabe handing political power to his wife Grace and her G40 faction and handing it back, restoring it, to the Joint Operation Command (JOC), the Junta comprising of security services top brass and headed by Mnangagwa and Mugabe himself until the coup. JOC has ruled the country all these last 37 years with an iron fist, it has master minders and executed all the corruption, vote rigging, tyrannical oppression and murders. 

All the coup has done is effect a change of JOC leader from Mugabe to Mnangagwa otherwise nothing else has changed. It is only those who are political naïve and gullible who equate the departure of the dictator, Mugabe, with the demise of the Zanu PF dictatorship. 

Mugabe lost the March 2008 elections to Tsvangirai by a staggering 73%, for example. It was Mnangagwa and the other JOC members who told the tyrant not to throw in the towel. They masterminded the six weeks recount to reduce Tsvangirai’s victory to 47% and thus force the run-off. Again, it was Mnangagwa & co. who masterminded and executed Operation “Mavhotera papi!” (Whom did you vote for!) in which the electorate were subjected to barbaric abuse and wanton violence to punish them for having voted Tsvangirai in the March vote. Mugabe won the run-off by a warping 84%.

The most immediate proof of the JOC being perfectly capable of carrying on without Mugabe, is the November coup against the tyrant. It is clear that Mugabe himself never doubted Mnangagwa & co. were capable of staging a successful coup against him because his wife told us the tyrant was “sleeping with one eye open”. 

Mugabe was the figure head of JOC but one the Junta could do without when push came to shove. Mugabe was no more than the tail of the autotomy gecko, when the JOC members were threaten they forced him to resign just as readily as the gecko, captured by its tail, will shed-off the tail to make good its escape.
    
The 2008 to 2013 GNU presented the nation a golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms necessary to restore the individual freedoms and human rights the Zanu PF dictatorship had systematically eroded away. Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends failed to get even one reform implemented and the chance was wasted. 

The dog-eat-dog infighting in Zanu PF has left the party divided and weak, other than the GNU years, the weakest it has ever been in all its 37 years in power. This is another half chance for povo to their demands to implement the democratic reforms.

“I think these are all moments which are helping us to locate ourselves in this new dispensation; how do we posture ourselves in relation to this new government, what is our messaging, what are our key concerns so far in these first 50 or 100 days as we go,” argued Mawarire.

Wait, wait for what? Wait for Zanu PF to regroup and consolidate its power? No, you hit the metal whilst it is still hot, you press for reforms whilst Zanu PF is weak! 

President Mnangagwa has promised “free, fair and credible” to take people’s attention off the demands to implement reforms before elections. Of all the Zanu PF leaders, he knows all there is to know about rigging elections and why the reforms are important because he, unlike the likes of Joice Mujuru who were spectators, masterminded and executed all Zanu PF’s vote rigging schemes in the past. He wants everyone to go into next year’s elections believing the elections will be free because he said so although he has not implemented even one reform. 

President Mnangagwa is aware Zanu PF is already rigging next year’s elections. As Minister of Justice, he delayed the start of the on-going voter registration knowing ZEC will not have the time release a verified voters’ roll before the elections. He also knows that many of the party’s vote rigging schemes would have been exposed if ZEC had produced a verified voters’ roll for the July 2013 elections. The party does not want a verified voters’ roll for next year’s election for the same reason. 

If people are naïve enough to allow Mnangagwa to get away with yet another rigged election; he will willingly take full advantage of their naivety.  

“I think it’s still premature for protest movements to go into the streets and protest because the president has only been there for less than a month now and we have to give him a long rope to hang himself,” chipped in Linda Masarira, another human rights campaigner who heart is in the right place but, sadly, her intellect has not been sound.

“We also have to consider that he has an obligation to try and reform Zanu PF and the system per se and reform does not happen overnight.”

Madam, that is precisely the point; Mnangagwa is not even trying to reform Zanu PF. He and the JOC cabal risked life and limb to stage a coup to restore their iron grip on power; many JOC members are now in his cabinet; those thugs are not going to risk being booted out of power by allowing free election especially when they are not under any pressure to implement any democratic reforms. 

President Mnangagwa is not a democrat and he and his JOC Junta have no intention of reforming themselves out of office. 

We made the mistake of giving Mugabe and his Zanu PF thugs a long rope in 1980 and for the last 37 years they have frog-marched the whole nation into this hell-on-earth; harassing, beating, raping and even murdered over 30 000 along the way. We must not make that mistake again.

If next year’s elections are free, fair and credible; then they will be the country’s first free and fair elections. The nation’s priority then would be to make ensure they are not the last free and fair elections by voting to end Zanu PF’s reign of terror.

If next year’s elections are NOT free, fair and credible; which is a certainty given the party has failed to implement even one reform, there will be no verified voters’ roll, etc.; this will be proof that Zanu PF is not going to change. The nation must unite and demand reform BEFORE elections. The people must have nothing to do with the flawed elections.

SADC leaders advised Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends, and through them the Zimbabwe people, not to contest the July 2013 elections with no reforms. The regional leaders accepted the futility of participating in a flawed process and then complain about it afterwards. If MDC and/or the Zimbabwe electorate had heeded SADC leaders’ advice then the regional grouping would have had no problem declaring the rigged July 2013 elections null and void.

Making sure the democratic reforms are implemented before any elections has been the number one priority on Zimbabwe’s national agenda since the 2008 rigged elections. It was foolish of the MDC leaders to take their eyes off the ball during the GNU. It equally foolish of the nation to do so again when Mugabe resigned because that, in itself, had nothing to do with implement the reforms. If anything, his resignation should have prompted us to push even harder for the reforms.

“Give Mnangagwa a long rope to hang himself,” says Masarira. We made the same mistake with Mugabe and he and his Zanu PF thugs thrived whilst we languished poverty and despair. It is insane to make the same mistake with Mnangagwa with the same team of Zanu PF thugs; they will string us up!

In most cases, when a man is jailed for a long period, his world comes down crashing on him, and all hopes and dreams about life fade away.

And the situation is especially tough for the man’s wife, if he is married.

Left behind to fend for the children, if any, and face the world alone, many try to brave it for a while, but would soon pick their pieces and move on, finding new love.

In the worst cases, the woman simply packs her bags as soon as the husband is caged and sets off.

But not so for Diana Murindi, wife to MDC official, Tungamirai Madzokere, who was last year caged for 20 years by the High Court following his highly controversial conviction for the murder of police inspector, Petros Mutedza, in 2011.

The two are set to wed.

Madzokere — widely known as Tunga in political circles — and Diana are expected to tie the knot this Saturday December 30, 2017 in the prison — Chikurubi Maximum Prison.

The solemnisation of their marriage will illuminate life behind the dark, impenetrable walls of Chikurubi, proving that there is indeed life and hope after jail.

Madzokere, a former Glenview Ward 32 councillor, was jailed in September last year along with two other MDC officials, Last Maengahama and Yvonne Musarurwa.

The couple obtained a marriage licence at Harare Magistrates’ Court on December 13 and preparations are underway for the ceremony to be hosted at Zimbabwe’s largest correctional facility.

They were part of the original group of 29 Glen View residents who were charged with contravening Section 47 of the Criminal Law Act.

Of that original group, some were found not guilty and released at the close of the State’s case in 2013, while one of the MDC activists Rebecca Mafikeni succumbed to ill health while incarcerated at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.

An excited Murindi yesterday told the Daily News that she was meeting with prison officials to finalise on administrative and other issues ahead of the wedding ceremony.

“Our plans were to get married in September last year but unfortunately he was sent to prison but that did not break our plans. I am still finalising with prison officials and from our church on certain issues before the wedding takes place,” Murindi said.

Madzokere’s lawyer Gift Mtisi, a member of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights who represented the group together with Beatrice Mtetwa said he had been invited to the event.

“I saw him last week when he was collecting his marriage licence with his wife and he extended his invitation to the wedding. He said the plan is to have the wedding at Chikurubi courtyard and hopefully I will attend,” Mtisi said.

When Madzokere and fellow party officials were jailed, High Court judge Chinembiri Bhunu said Mutedza had not provoked the MDC activists when he was murdered, adding that they were liable for the death.

He also said because their co-accused Musarurwa was female, they would be spared the hangman’s noose.

The new Constitution prohibits the death penalty for all women, as well as men who are under 21 at the time of the crime and those who are over 70.

“Mutedza was a gentle giant who requested that they finish what they were doing and disperse. Though armed with anti-riot gear, Mutedza and his colleagues chose to flee the scene and not attack anyone. His conduct did not warrant such a barbaric attack. A stiff and deterrent sentence is called for.

“Both Madzokere and Maengahama have been spared the death sentence because Musarurwa who committed it with them is a female and cannot be given the ultimate punishment. I also did not want to extend the 20 years as none of the three delivered the fatal blow,” Bhunu said. – Daily News

Ninet people were killed in 89 road traffic accidents recorded on Christmas Day, down from 16 people who died during the same period last year, police said yesterday.

In a statement, police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said 42 people were injured this year against last year’s 45.

“Last year on Christmas Day, we recorded 96 accidents in which 16 people died. However, for this year, 89 accidents were recorded and of those, nine people were killed,” he said.

This reduction in accidents, according to the police, was due to good driving conduct by some motorists “who are taking heed of ongoing campaigns by the ZRP and other stakeholders such as Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe”.

However, the police said they had noted there were still some errant drivers who were still practising bad driving habits.

“Police are urging motorists to be observant, cautious and ensure they do not speed, overtake in dangerous situations and safeguard lives on the road.”- Newsday

Farirai Madhumbe | Senior MDC politician Eddie Cross ditched Morgan Tsvangirai to start work with the Emmerson Mnangagwa team, well before the coup it has been revealed.

Cross has caused a political furore after openly claiming that Mnangagwa will deliver on his new job, while seeming to be giving his long time boss Tsvangirai a vote of no confidence.

Cross has since told Tsvangirai to step down as MDC leader on medical grounds.

Writing on his twitter portal, analyst Jealousy Mawarire said, ” Eddie Cross, for 36 months,worked with Mutsvangwa drumming up support 4 ED & were at times based in Capetown. After Coup, he met Mangudya, Chinamasa & ED on the same day first meeting Mangudya & Chinamasa at 12:30 then ED at 14:30 to present a doc on what Chris calls “Currency Swap”.

Writes Cross in a long article in which he outlines Mnangagwa’s leadership credentials, “Mnangagwa is in absolute control of the State and I think he is going to deliver. One of the key elements behind this strategy is that he knows the opposition is in shambles. The other thing he knows full well is that only a democratically elected Government will be recognised by the International Community and recovery and reconstruction of the Zimbabwe State and Economy is not possible without that.”

It was not immediately clear at the time of writing if the opposition will allow Cross to remain in its ranks.

By Paul Nyathi | Following the controversial and conflicting statement by the MDC-T Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora, calling on party members to start sending in applications to be considered as parliamentary election candidates, MDC Alliance coalition partner the MDC led by Professor Welshman Ncube has also opened for its members to start sending in applications too.

Impeccable sources within the smaller MDC faction toldZimEye.com that due to the lack of coordinated statements by the bigger MDC Alliance partner, MDC-T, the party has also resolved “to stay prepared for any eventuality” by setting up their own candidates in all the 210 constituencies country wide.

Mwonzora’s statement sent shivers down the Alliance partners who have always believed that the parliamentary seats will be allocated to the parties on an agreed proportion.

Mwonzora indicated to the media that he was not aware of any arrangement to share parliamentary seats with the coalition partners hence his calling for applications from members across the country.

His statement was however heavily condemned by the MDC-T President Morgan Tsvangirai who accused Mwonzora of giving misdirected information.

Mwonzora however insisted on his stance saying that he is following the party constitution and carrying out his duty as Secretary General.

“I am following the constitution of the party. If anyone is affected by the coalition agreement, which I am not privy to, then they will relinquish their seat,” said Mwonzora to the media.

Speaking to ZimEye.com on Boxing Day, the MDC Secretary General Miriam Mushayi dismissed the information that her party was inviting applications from all the 210 constituencies.

Mushayi said that her party was only taking applications from 32 constituencies which were allocated to her party by the Alliance agreement.

“It is true that we sent out a notice as the MDC led by Prof Ncube asking our party members to apply to be Members of Parliament but only in constituencies that have been allocated to us as a party under the MDC Alliance Agreement,” she sid.

“We did not and will never ask for applications for all the 210 contested constituencies since these are spread across the seven Alliance partners under the Alliance agreement.”

“By asking for the applications the MDC as a party is living to the spirit and letter of the MDC Alliance agreement as we prepare for the forthcoming harmonised elections by doing our candidate selection so that we have our foot soldiers in place who will run with the campaign so we totally remove the ZANU PF system of government through our Alliance Presidential candidate Dr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai,” said Mushayi.

A 34-year-old man drowned at sea near Gordons Bay in the Western Cape on Tuesday while trying to save his 10-year-old son.

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said it responded to reports of a drowning in progress in the surf below Crystal Pools, between Gordons Bay and Koegel Bay at around 15:30. Bystanders had reported that a father and son in the surf and in difficulty.

The man, from Athlone, and his son were fishing when the child was swept into the surf by waves, said NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon in a statement.

The father jumped in to help rescue the boy but both got into difficulty, he said.

Lambinon said despite extensive CPR and other efforts to resuscitate the dad, he was declared dead.

“The child has been transported to hospital by EMS ambulance in a stable condition for treatment for shock and for observation for secondary drowning symptoms,” said Lambinon.

The body of the deceased man has been taken into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services and police have opened an inquest docket.

In an unrelated incident, 63-year-old man, from Athlone was declared dead on scene after he was found floating unresponsive in the water at an education camp in Soetwater.

Lambinon said it was suspected that the man had been diving.

After all efforts to resuscitate the man were exhausted, he was deceased.-News24

A Bulawayo jilted woman gave her ex-lover a shocking ultimatum to either take her back or face erectile dysfunction for the rest of his life.

Alerta Shatayi is alleged to be using a padlock and muthi to lock Morris Nyathi’s man_hood every time he attempts to leave her.

“Every time I try to leave her she threatens to lock me and embarrass me till I die. But it is her continued jealousy that has always forced me to leave her.

“She has issues with clients from work and has always assumed that I sleep with every woman I talk to. But this other day I told her I will end up dating them,” said Nyathi.

Little did he know this idle threat would make Shatayi use muthi on him.

“In July she took me to court over maintenance and I assumed that our relationship was over and this led me to move on but I was shocked when I realised that my man_hood was now dysfunctional when I tried to sleep with my new girlfriend.

“I sought help from various prophets including Colson Ndlovu who advised me that it was Shatayi only who could give me a permanent solution as she had the ability to lock me even if another healer cleansed me,” he said.

Shatayi did not dispute the claims.

“I locked him because he is always talking to women and I wanted him to be faithful to me. I advised him to bring his family so that we would discuss the issue and I have never refused to unlock him. But I have conditions for me to free him,” said Shatayi.

B-Metro gathered that Nyathi was fully operational when he was with Shatayi but was not operational with other women and has been begging her to unlock him.

Shatayi, however, gave him an ultimatum to either come back to her or face the embarrassment for the rest of his life.

“I am not giving him the cure because I know he wants to leave me for his girlfriend after he fully recovers. He should come back home and fully commit to me,” she said.- state media

A NUST lecturer cum businessman is alleged to have used gun threats to scare off a city man who had peed next to his car.

Dumisani Madzivanyati, a lecturer at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) business school and proprietor of popular pub, East 68, had a confrontation with a city dealer, Zibusiso Hadebe who had opened his zipper for the “number one” job at around 7.30 pm on Tuesday 21 November next to the businessman’s Toyota Land cruiser.

Madzivanyati is alleged to have told Hadebe to pee far away from his car and in a brief exchange of harsh words a mini fight broke out.

“He had parked his car at the centre parking of Haddon and Sly complex where he approached me when I was peeing and accused me of messing his vehicle and I apologised but he moved closer and said I was wetting his legs.

“I tried to apologise. He didn’t listen and started beating me up. I then had to defend myself and my friends intervened,” said Hadebe.

Sources who saw the drama unravel said Madzivanyati, who was in the company of a woman, then left the scene only to return later in the company of a soldier. But not before he threw a punch and received two on his face that staggered him off balance.

“The soldier was not interested in the matter, he only said that Madzivanyati gave him a lift into town when he was on his way from Mater Dei Hospital and didn’t know he was going to be involved in something of that sort,” said the source.

After the soldier left, the gun issue came into play.

“He jumped out of the car and came straight to us holding a gun threatening to shoot us. We never moved and after his threats he left us,” claimed Hadebe.

Madzivanyati told B-Metro that he had a gun that day because as a businessman, he moves around with a lot of cash.

“I had a gun during the incident but I didn’t point it towards anyone. I am a businessman and I was carrying a lot of cash that day so it was for self defence,” he said.

A crowd began to gather around to watch the spectacle and the businessman sped off only to return with police officers.

“We were shocked when he returned later in the company of police officers claiming we had destroyed his car. That was fabricated and I don’t have any idea what happened to his car,” added Hadebe.

The police then summoned Hadebe and a colleague Alfred Chitambo over the fracas.

“We kept going to the police, we went about three times and Madzivanyati never pitched. At the end the matter was moved forward for a pre-trial,” said Chitambo.

It was at the pre-trial last week that Zibusiso and Chitambo raised the gun allegations. The matter was then sent back to the police for further investigations.-statemedia

Ray Nkosi | Augustine Chihuri must be ruing the day he arrested and tormented Zimbabweans including politician Temba Mliswa.

Mliswa has now taken time to hit back at retired Commissioner General of Police, Dr Chihuri  who arrested him perhaps unfairly back then.

Local media reports that the Norton member of Parliament Mliswa has said Chihuri ran the police force the same way as former president Robert Mugabe did with ZANU-PF.

Mliswa made these remarks on Boxing day via social media Twitter.

He said Zimbabwe is looking forward to “refreshing new appointment of Matanga to restore the damaged reputation of ZRP.”

Reads Mliswa tweet: “Chihuri ran the ZRP as RG did with ZANUPF. We look forward to the refreshing new appointment of Matanga to restore the damaged reputation of ZRP and implore that a reshuffle of PROPOL is also effected. Matanga served well as the head of the Lands Inspectorate and is a good choice”

Chihuri ran the ZRP as RG did with ZANUPF. We look forward to the refreshing new appointment of Matanga to restore the damaged reputation of ZRP and implore that a reshuffle of PROPOL is also effected. Matanga served well as the head of the Lands Inspectorate and is a good choice

— Hon. Temba P. Mliswa (@TembaMliswa) December 26, 2017

Chihuri was relieved of his duties last week after weeks of speculation since the new President Emmerson Mnangagwa took over from Robert Mugabe.

Stanely Goreraza | Reading the most recent Eddie Cross blog it’s clear he has no problems with Emmerson Mnangagwa being President and that is most likely because he is unhappy with his own party, the MDC. And he is not the only white person who seems to have taken a great liking to Emmerson Mnangagwa. A lot of white people prefer him over the MDC and not because some of them have got their land back, but because the MDC does not make a better alternative.

Look, 20% of monies that reach the MDC go to Morgan Tsvangirai and this atrocious madness was added to their constitution. Imagine if the presidents office received 20% of the national budget allocation then Emmerson Mnangagwa would have $1 billion to use as he sees fit. This would be taking corruption and consitutionalizing it. On top of that he has control over party accounts!

A Lupane State University (LSU) student, Honour Makovere, posted nude pictures of his ex-girlfriend on a students’ WhatsApp group in a jealousy- driven vendetta.

He posted explicit pictures of his former lover Mietto Mavela showing her face and private anatomy.

A distraught Mavela said she was finding it hard to come to terms with what Makovere, someone she once trusted, had done to her.

“I’m emotionally hurt by what he (Makovere) did to me. We might have been going through a rough patch in our relationship but that is not an excuse for embarrassing me like that. Now my life has been tainted by the graphic pictures and I’m now a laughing stock,” she said.

When B-Metro sought a comment from Makovere, his mobile phone was answered by one Daphney Matselele.

While claiming to be Makovere’s new girlfriend Matselele seemed to condone her new flame’s actions.

“I think what my boyfriend did was okay because Mavela has been nagging him to get back with her. This is a good lesson for her to stay away from our relationship,” said Matselele.

Director for Public Relations and Marketing for LSU, Zwelithini Dlamini was not aware of the issue.

“I have not received such a report. But if it happened then it’s a disgrace and such students will be dealt with accordingly.”- BMetro

Sihle Murizigwa is one woman who died sticking by her word as her husband beat her to death for refusing to bless him and his newly found lover.

Murizigwa’s husband Burayaui Moyo (55) kept the deceased’s body in the house for three days praying for a miracle which never happened.

He was left with no choice, but to alert relatives about what transpired.

The relatives found Murizigwa’s body in a decomposing state and reported the matter to police, leading to the accused’s arrest.

Moyo was hauled before Masvingo provincial magistrate Langton Ndokera facing a murder charge and was remanded in custody to 5 January.

Prosecuting, Willard Chasi told the court that on 25 November, Moyo informed his wife that he had found another woman whom he intended to marry as a second wife.

It seems the woman never supported the idea and a misunderstanding arose after she had told him that she was not supporting him in marrying the other woman.

Moyo, in a bid to influence the late to change her mind, took a Mopani switch and assaulted her all over the body.

Unfortunately, Murizigwa maintained her word despite realising that her life was in danger and Moyo’s efforts to force her to change her mind hit a brick wall.

He continued beating her and only stopped after realising she was no longer crying and upon checking on her, realised she had died.

In fear of the long arm of the law, he decided to keep the woman’s death issue to himself by locking the corpse in one of the rooms.

Three days later, he failed to contain the smell and his children’s unending questions concerning the whereabouts of their mother forced him to inform relatives about the incident.- state media

Terrence Mawawa, Buhera |A daring man has been nabbed for illegally wearing a Zimbabwe National Army Uniform and intimidating villagers.

James Nharu(24), from Buhera, appeared in court for illegally possessing an army camouflage.

Nharu also threatened villagers in Buhera while wearing the camouflage.

Nharu appeared before Magistrate Dennis Mangosi and he was charged with contravening Section 32 of the Criminal Law( Codification and Reform Act).

The Act prohibits members of the public from possessing army or police uniforms.

The court heard that Nharu wore the camouflage and went to Nerutanga Business Centre in Buhera.He then introduced himself as a member of the Zimbabwe National Army and he began to intimidate villagers.

The disgruntled villagers reported the matter to the police and Nharu was arrested.

Nharu was remanded in custody to December 27.

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo | Farmers here have expressed optimism at the new government’ s potential to revive agricultural activities in the country.

The farmers who spoke to ZimEye.com last week commended President Emmerson Mnangagwa’ s efforts to revive agricultural activities in the country.

Agriculture is regarded as the backbone of the country’ s economy.

Zimbabwe’ s agro based economy tumbled following the violent occupation of land owned by white commercial farmers.

Speaking at a seminar facilitated by Zimbabwe Super Seeds in Masvingo last week the farmers said they were willing to work with Mnangagwa’ s government to revive the country’ s economy.

Micah Chabata, a farmer from Mushandike Irrigation Scheme said he was confident that the new government would support farming activities across the country.

“Our irrigation scheme has the potential to contribute about $ 5 million per annum towards economic development.

We are happy to note that the new government is willing to fund our projects,” said Chabata.

“President Mnangagwa initiated the Command Agriculture Programme and he has passion for farming so we have no doubt he will support our projects,” said Rutendo Mhaka a Zaka based farmer.

Terrence Mawawa, Gweru | In an incident that stunned court officials, a local woman dumped her husband for not bathing properly.

The woman also shocked her in-laws when she parted ways with her husband because he did not want to be hygienic as she expected.

The woman’s husband, Ishmael Mhanga, (23) of Mkoba 14, Gweru, appeared before Gweru Provincial Magistrate, Pathekile Msipa last Friday facing domestic violence charges.Mhanga allegedly assaulted his wife with clenched fists following an argument.

The court heard that Mhanga wanted to have sex with his wife and she refused arguing that he was stinking.

Mhanga’ s efforts to plead with his wife came to naught and a heated argument ensued.

“On December 4 Mhanga wanted to have sex with his wife but she refused.

This angered him and there was an argument. The wife then rushed to the police station where she reported that she had been assaulted by Mhanga,” the court heard.

The woman also left the couple’ s matrimonial home and told her in-laws she was not happy with Mhanga’ s refusal to bath properly.

Mhanga pleaded guilty and Magistrate Msipa acquitted him.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government is seeking the services of Interpol for the extradition of former Zimbabwean ministers Professor Jonathan Moyo, Saviour Kasukuwere and Patrick Zhuwao, who allegedly committed some crimes while they were serving under ousted former president Robert Mugabe.

According to the privately-owned Standard newspaper, the government is using all channels at its disposal to arrest the three, believed to be the ringleaders of a botched grand plan for former First Lady Grace Mugabe to succeed her husband.

The newspaper quoted Home Affairs Minister, Obert Mpofu, as saying they are looking for individuals, who committed crimes inside and outside Zimbabwe.

He said, without elaborating, “We are doing everything possible to ensure that those that have committed crimes within Zimbabwe and are outside Zimbabwe are brought to book. If it means engaging Interpol, we will go that route.

“The process is two-pronged, we are looking at the local investigations and outside investigations and outside investigations, they involve Interpol … We are talking about all those that committed crimes in Zimbabwe and if they committed crimes, they will be involved in this exercise.”

The three escaped when the Zimbabwe Defence Forces seized control of key state institutions on November 15 and put then president Robert Mugabe under house arrest after declaring that they wanted to get rid of “criminals” surrounding Mugabe.

The army claimed that Mugabe was no longer able to government due to the individuals who were forcing Zanu PF members aligned to Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was eyeing the presidency at that time, to step down from state and party positions in preparation for the Zanu PF Extra Ordinary Congress designed to put Mrs. Mugabe in a striking position for the presidency.

The Zimbabwe Defence Forces defused the move resulting in Mnangagwa of the so-called Team Lacoste faction of the ruling party to become president. Mrs. Mugabe and her Generation 40 members were then forced to flee.

Professor Moyo and Kasukuwere are believed to be living in Kenya while Zhuwao is said to be in South Africa.

VOA Studio 7 was unable to independently verify the latest developments with Interpol, the world’s largest international police organization, which according to www.interpol.intel, comprised 192 member nations.- VOA

President Emmerson Mnangagwa told potential investors in South Africa last week that it was time to forgive and forget the past.

He has forgiven the “cabal”- the G40 faction of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front that was about to take over the country and install former first lady Grace Mugabe as vice-president- except for three.

“Whatever offence we committed to you, please put that behind you. The word says forgive, forgive,” he said.  “I forgive the cabal, I have said bygones are bygones and they are back in the country except for the three who still are doing something funny but it will also end.”

It is not clear who the three are but two are obvious. They are Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere who are reported to have fled to Kenya.

Kasukuwere has been relatively quiet but Jonathan Moyo has been on the attack through his twitter account arguing that what happened in Zimbabwe was a military coup and the junta has taken over.

Although Moyo said he was quitting tweeting on 15 December because he had “major offline work to do” he came back on 23 December to comment on the appointment of Constantino Chiwenga as vice-president of ZANU-PF.

Moyo said this was confirmation of what he told the politburo in his video on 19 July.

Moyo thanked former President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace “for saving us when the Junta tried to kill us on 15 Nov.”

It is not clear how Mugabe and his wife saved Moyo and his colleagues or who the “us” was but one of the people Moyo was with was Saviour Kasukuwere.

It is also not clear who the third person Mnangagwa was referring to as some reports say it is Paddy Zhanda while others say it is Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao.

Zhuwao only made noises before his uncle resigned and has been quiet since, though reports say he is in South Africa.

Whispers in the social media, however, question whether Moyo and Kasukuwere really escaped especially in view of what Moyo said on his twitter account that the house in which he and Kasukuwere were together with their families was attacked by 25 SAS (special air service).

Their escape to Kenya, the whispers say, could be a ruse because Moyo’s current wife, Beatrice, comes from Kenya, and her family is highly politically connected.

Her father was a Member of Parliament and her brother Nicholas Salat popularly known as Nick took over his father’s seat, though he is currently not an MP.  He is the secretary general of the Kenya African National Union (KANU).- insider