Terrence Mawawa

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

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

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

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

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

Terrence
Mawawa

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

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

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

Terrence
Mawawa

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source ZBC News Online

By Paul Nyathi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Paul Nyathi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Paul Nyathi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Susan was born on 24 April 1958.

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

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

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

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

By Paul Nyathi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another would be candidate is one Retired Colonel Piki.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Paul Nyathi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Terence then accompanied Brenda to her house.

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

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

The two shared a bed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has been plunged into fresh turmoil as civil servants threaten to down tools with only a few months left before make-or-break polls to be held before July 31.

This comes as doctors in major hospitals across the country downed tools on Thursday, protesting low salaries and poor working conditions.

But as government fights to contain the doctors’ strike, the Daily News on Sunday can report that potentially explosive undercurrents are raging among other groups of civil servants.
The Apex Council — the umbrella representative body for civil servants — told the Daily News on Sunday on Friday that they too would soon join the industrial action by doctors if their employer does not address their concerns.

The Apex Council is demanding a salary increase that can cushion civil servants against the high cost of living, fuelled by price increases of basic goods and services experienced towards the end of last year.

George Mushipe, the council’s treasurer, said they were deeply concerned about the plight of public sector workers who have not demanded for a salary adjustment in the past four or so years.

“The three-tier pricing system and the unilateral pension deductions have eroded our disposable income. We demand a poverty datum line (PDL) linked salary now to ameliorate the plight of all civil servants,” he said.

“We also demand that those that have attained higher relevant qualifications be upgraded to levels commensurate with their new qualifications. There is a lot of bunching of salaries which is a worrying scenario,” he added.

The lowest earning civil servant takes home below $300, which is way below the PDL, estimated at about $600.

Mushipe said leave for teachers remained banished even though the relevant Statutory Instrument (SI) 1 of 2000 has neither been repealed nor amended.

“The welfare of civil servants is pathetic to say the least. Individual unions are trying very hard to improve their membership welfare like in our case we have embarked on a massive housing scheme where members get into their complete houses and pay over long periods depending on their remaining years of service.

“Government should come in and improve working conditions for its workforce. Morale is at its lowest ebb. Confirmation that bonus will be paid, though staggered was accepted. Some felt it is coming late, others took solace in the fact that it’s coming,” Mushipe said.

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) weighed in yesterday, saying teachers have lost hope in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration despite his pledges when he took over from Robert Mugabe, whose regime was rocked by frequent job actions.

When he was inaugurated as president on November 24 last year, Mnangagwa promised better working conditions for civil servants and said his government would commit itself to paying annual bonuses.

But 100 days later, there has not been any marked improvement, amid report his government is trying to placate the military which helped him assume power from Mugabe by addressing transport problems, reviewing their salaries and providing better houses for troops as part of sharing the spoils of Mugabe’s toppling.

“We are very disappointed as teachers. The president has seen everyone who matters except workers but for any economy to function the government need workers. There is nothing positive in this new regime; our conditions are worse now. We demanded a salary increment as of yesterday, workers are suffering — the government must engage us,” said PTUZ secretary-general, Raymond Majongwe.
“They are dillydallying with our bonuses. We have suffered enough. They must brace for action from teachers, who are suffering,” he said.

Nurses are also threatening to down their tools, with Zimbabwe Nurses Association secretary-general, Enock Dongo, saying in a terse response: “We are not happy at all.”
Following the industrial action by doctors, government immediately pressed the panic button, with Health and Child Care minister David Parirenyatwa telling the press yesterday that efforts were underway to attend to their grievances.

In a statement, Parirenyatwa said: “Through Statutory Instrument 111 of 2006, the Health Service Board (HSB), as the employer, has put in place a framework — the Health Service Bipartite Negotiating Panel, which guides discussion of all the conditions of service and other issues of mutual interest to both the employer and the employees.

“Following submissions by the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) to the minister of Health and Child Care through a letter dated February 5, 2018, highlighting their grievances, which included locum payments, motor vehicle scheme, availability of equipment and medicines at hospitals, staff establishment, freeze of vacant positions and review of various allowances, government has been attending to these issues.”

Notwithstanding, the doctors insist they are not calling off the strike until they see progress on their complaints.
The doctors gave notice of their intention to strike last month, which they say was ignored by Parirenyatwa.

Their first correspondence to Parirenyatwa was made on February 5.
ZHDA vice president and spokesperson, Mxolisi Ngwenya, said Parirenyatwa should first address their issues and not embark on cheap media propaganda.

“We have had enough. Patients die on our watch because of shortage of equipment. Patients are buying medicines from their own pockets, a clear abuse of the taxpayer’s money. Imali eyanikwa ihealth ingaphi (where is money given to the health sector?) We earn paltry salaries and can’t even afford our own selves. Whoever has that money allocated to health should go to work. Thina asfuni bumbulu (We don’t want nonsense),” Ngwenya charged.

“It has always been said that plans are in progress to resuscitate our health sector by acquiring necessary materials and essential medicines, but little to no progress has been seen on the ground. When will tangible, objective results be seen at our hospitals? We sought clarity as to when the locums will be paid, and that was not mentioned in the response from the HSB,” said Ngwenya.

In a letter submitted to the ministry and HSB, the association highlighted that they needed government to create more posts from the current job freeze to lessen their workload.

“The effort made to create posts in 2017 was noted and appreciated. However, these posts remain in sufficient. Our initial letter implored the ministry to create more posts, not to remind us of those previously created. A promise was made to increase on-call allowance to $720 three years ago. The effort made to increase it by $72 last year is notable, but falls short of the 2014 promise by over 100 percent. Working hours still remain undefined and have seemingly been left to the discretion of hospital administrators,” reads the letter obtained by the Daily News on Sunday on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) has also warned of imminent industrial action if the government fails to address the civil service’s resistance to its relocation to the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC).

Zimta chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu said the shunting of the civil service to the Office of the President and Cabinet, announced on December 27 last year by Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services permanent secretary George Charamba, was an unconstitutional move by the government meant to disenfranchise civil servants.

“We want to create dialogue before conflict but our members are running out of patience. During the (provincial) annual general meetings we recently held they have been speaking very clearly that they are now ready to throw caution to the wind.

“We have tried engage government it looks like they are too busy with the legacy issues instead of addressing some of these fundamental issues affecting the workers in the civil service,” Ndlovu told the Daily News on Sunday.

The Zimta chief executive officer hinted that the transfer of the civil service to the OPC will figure prominently when Zimbabwe’s largest teacher’s union holds its annual general meeting next month.
In response to pressure from its restive membership, Ndlovu said Zimta, which regards the shift of the civil service to OPC as a blatant attack on workers’ rights, has since written to Mnangagwa to register its disapproval of the move.

In the three-page letter dated January 19, signed by Zimta secretary-general Tapson Nganunu Sibanda, the teachers union attacked the Mnangagwa administration for violating the Constitution.
“The shift of the civil service to the OPC will amount to acting in violation of the supreme law of the land i.e the Constitution of Zimbabwe, in that the civil service will be left with no minister. This will be contrary to section 201 of the Constitution which mandates that ‘the President must appoint a minister to be to be responsible for the civil service,” reads part of the letter.

The absence of a minister in charge of government workers, according to Zimta, effectively renders the civil service ineffective.

“In terms of section 203 (3) of the Constitution, the Civil Service Commission also exercises its functions in accordance with general policy directives which the minister responsible for the civil service may give. As announced, there will be no minister responsible for the civil service owing to the reconfiguration.

“This will make the Civil Service Commission, a creature of the Constitution, ineffective since there will no minister to give them policy directives. Any other directive given by any other person who is not a minister to the commission will be unconstitutional,” said the Zimta secretary-general, adding that Mnangagwa has no constitutional mandate to directly superintend the civil service.

“…there is no provision to the effect that the OPC has an active role in the administration of the civil service. The functions are exercisable by the commission and the minister responsible for the civil service.”

Zimta is convinced that the relocation of the civil service to the OPC was motivated by the Mnangagwa administration’s determination to disempower civil servants from engaging in industrial action.

“The civil service is now being placed under the OPC which also houses the security forces who are exempted from the enjoyment of certain labour rights such as collective bargaining, right to organise and to engage in collective job action, strike or sit-ins.

“As it stands, we also submit that our constitutional rights to just administrative action was not respected since there was no consultation and no reasons whatsoever availed to us or our concerned members,” the teachers union said. Daily News

Former Mashonaland East Minister of State Brigadier-General Ambrose Mutinhiri (Retired) has been reportedly “anointed” by former President Robert Mugabe and former First Lady Grace Mugabe as the leader of G40 cabal’s new political project, New Patriotic Front (NPF) after a meeting at which he was described as “doubly beholden” to Mugabe.

He was reportedly rescued twice from political doom and was reportedly at First Family’s residence at Blue Roof Mansion in Borrowdale on Thursday last week, senior Government sources have claimed.

Brig-Gen Mutinhiri (Rtd) then made an announcement the following day on Friday that he was leaving Zanu-PF on flimsy reasons about the new dispensation despite the fact that he had shown eagerness to participate since the military intervention in November last year. The former minister, who has blivion, is understood to be in the process of recruiting new members to the political enterprise, which is believed to be a mutated version of the G40 group.

Sources said those that have since been conscripted include Engineer Walter Mzembi and Jappy Jaboon in Masvingo, Makhosini Hlongwane in the Midlands province and Simbaneuta Mudarikwa, Edgar Mbwembwe and Beatrice Nyamupinga in Mashonaland East. Eunice Sandi Moyo, who ironically was hounded out of Zanu-PF’s Women’s League by Mrs Mugabe, is understood to be the outfit’s proxy in Matabeleland.

She, together with Hlongwane and Eng Mzembi, also reportedly visited the Blue Roof Mansion on Friday last week, which the source said has now evolved to become “a cell to launch opposition politics”.

It is believed that Brig-Gen Mutinhiri (Rtd) is being used as a Trojan Horse of the First Family – which is desperate to protect its unravelling “sprawling business empire” that includes a haul of 21 farms, local and foreign investments, including claims of Black Granite in Mutoko – because of perceived appeal to the Matabeleland region.

“On Thursday last week, Mutinhiri had a meeting with the former President (Robert Mugabe) and the former First Lady at their Blue Roof at which the issue of launching the New Patriotic Front was the subject matter, and the fact that he was invited to Blue Roof obviously means that the former President and his wife are part and parcel of the New Patriotic Front, which means they have been working in cahoots with Jonathan (Moyo), (Patrick) Zhuwao and (Saviour) Kasukuwere in order to rescue their G40 project,” said the source, who cannot be named for professional reasons.

“And the decision of that meeting was that Ambrose Mutinhiri was then appointed or anointed as the interim leader of the NPF. Obviously, there is still a presumption that former President Mugabe retains an appeal and, therefore, anoints leadership to this new, old political formation. This is G40 by a different name. “And the idea being to appropriate the Patriotic Front in order to give it the decency and resonance of the liberation struggle so as to undermine Zanu-PF during the forthcoming elections.”

It is believed that Brig-Gen Mutinhiri (Rtd) will assume leadership in the interim before Mrs Mugabe eventually takes over, as was previously mulled before the military intervention in November. It has also been revealed for the first time that while Cde Mugabe, in his initial political estimation, was preparing the ground for his wife’s eventual takeover of State power, Prof Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere – key members of the G40 faction — were also angling to eventually take over from the Mugabes.

But Brig-Gen Mutinhuri (Rtd), the source said, has been hand-picked by the former President as he is also considered to be a stop-gap and “safe pair of hands”. “Well, Ambrose is a stop-gap; he is viewed as, one, a stop-gap, and a safe pair of hands, whilst G40 is reorganising itself following the state of disarray which it suffered in November last year,” said the source. “He is a safe pair of hands because his chequered past in Zapu, which included defection to Frolizi, makes him a weaker candidate in the long-term and in fact at Independence, Ambrose Mutinhiri was rejected by Zapu and sank into oblivion in his rural home in Mahusekwa until he was rescued by former President Mugabe, who then gave him a job, which culminated in his appointment as an ambassador.

“Historically, he stands rejected by his original party and he also stands beholden to the former President for rescuing him, which means in terms of the NPF’s calculation, he enters into this structure not as a substantive leader.”

Though Brig-Gen Mutinhiri (Rtd) was previously linked to the Gamatox faction of Zanu-PF, which was led by former Vice President Joice Mujuru and purged at the party’s December 2014 Congress, he was rescued by the former President who, in his “typical divide and rule” style, promoted him the Minister of State for Mashonaland East in order to weaken Dr Mujuru’s party, then known as Zimbabwe People First. It is also believed that Cde Mugabe has since made an undertaking to introduce him around the country as the interim leader of the NPF.

Added the source: “So, he is a man who is doubly beholden from history and from contemporary politics. So, they met on Thursday and he was designated the interim leader. And then there was a commitment by the former President to take him around the country in order to introduce him as the interim leader of the NPF in the absence of Jonathan Moyo, Kasukuwere and Zhuwao.”

Yesterday, the Mashonaland East-based politician reportedly met Cde Mugabe — believed to be
anxious to stage a “second coming” using Mutinhiri as a proxy — again at the Blue Roof Mansion in the company of former Zimbabwe People’s First spokesperson Mr Jealousy Mawarire and a Mr Shephard Nyakudanga and Mr Nyasha Vera. The relatively unknown trio are being roped in as the technical team that will, however, be equally hand-held by the self-exiled trio of Zhuwao, Moyo and Kasukuwere.

Mr Mawarire yesterday said he could not give a comment at night, while Brig-Gen Mutinhiri (Retired) was not picking up his phones. “Essentially, what it means is it’s the former President who is trying to stage a “second coming” behind the person of the dutiful and beholden Ambrose Mutinhiri,” said the source. “And the hope, of course, is as it were revalorise the character of his wife.”

The former First Lady is reportedly desperate to protect the family business empire. “Revamping the G40 project, which is obviously destroyed beyond redemption, is meant to secure their sprawling investments, which they thought Mai Mugabe would mind having either wrestling or legitimise wrestling the power through Kasukuwere,” said the source.

“There is an issue of farms that they (Mugabes) have been leasing to whites. Here was a President who was preaching one-person, one farm, but who has 21 farms. But a good number which was being leased to white farmers. And he knows that the new Government will have to want to choose one out of the 21.

“But some of his investments, including the dairy and the children’s project, were benefiting from a blurred accounting system between those business propositions and State coffers. Now, they are worried that unless they recapture State power, all those projects will crumble.”

There are also reports that after attempts by the New Patriotic Front to lobby regional bodies such as Sadc and African Union came unstuck, the grouping decided to bring their political project in the open.

Cde Mugabe’s new endeavours, sources say, were disingenuous since he is the same person actively asking for his pension, while at the same time relaunching himself as an “active opposition leader”.

“What is noteworthy is that the former President, who by the way is being pushed by the First Lady, on one level seeks to enjoy the package of retirement as a former Head of State, while relaunching himself as an active opposition leader in the present,” said the source.

“He wants a Zanu-PF Government to continue to look after him, to continue to feed him at Blue Roof, which he has turned into a cell to launch opposition politics.

“Whether or not the new order will continue to be that generous, that remains to be seen because essentially what he is doing is to spurn overtures of goodwill which have been shown him in the vain hope that there is still an appetite for a political Robert Mugabe.
“But that is an illusion that he still thinks he is popular.”

It is believed that New Patriotic Front’s agenda was not to win the elections, but to spoil the victory for Zanu-PF, but the chances are understood to be waning by the day.
“This new formation, which the former President is trying to launch, at huge cost to himself, will have to battle the MDC Alliance and vanquish it; and will have to battle Zanu-PF and vanquish it in order to restore G40. It’s a tall order,” explained the source.

“The second side is that this amnesty that was declared of people who externalised funds and who were using Zimbabwe money to buy properties abroad is making them anxious. Not to say they are guilty. What it is that is making them anxious, we will probably know on the 19th.” – state media

By Farai D Hove| MDC leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday promised to set up a government that will among other things ensure that Zimbabweans process passports and birth certificate applications via the internet.

He also spoke of lightning fast printing of birth certificate processing which will be done at the source, as soon as a child is born inside a hospital.

Chamisa said this to thousands of supporters who braved against the rain in Chinhoyi.

He promised people his government will turn Zimbabwe into a Switzerland. VIDEO ROLL:

…

State Media – President Emmerson Mnangagwa has congratulated the newly appointed MDC-T leader Advocate Nelson Chamisa following the death of the party’s founding president Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.

Adv Chamisa was elected substantive leader of the MDC-T last Thursday to replace Mr Tsvangirai who succumbed to cancer of the colon on February 14.
He has since been confirmed as the opposition party’s presidential candidate for the 2018 harmonised elections. In a Facebook post yesterday, the President welcomed Mr Chamisa as his opponent in the forthcoming elections.

“I would like to congratulate Nelson Chamisa as he takes over the leadership of the MDC. We look forward to a competitive, peaceful and positive election campaign, providing the people of Zimbabwe with a clear and democratic choice.

“I hope all my opponents will keep this campaign calm, clean and allow you, the people of Zimbabwe, to decide which direction Zimbabwe will take over the next five years.

“Let us all join in remembering, that above all, the people are our judges and we are merely their servants. The Voice of the People is the Voice of God,” said President Mnangagwa.

In a statement released soon after a six-hour meeting of the national executive and national council last Thursday, presidential spokesperson Mr Luke Tamborinyoka said they had unanimously confirmed Adv Chamisa as the new leader to take over from the late Mr Tsvangirai.
“That in line with Article 18 as read together with Article 9.21.1 of the party Constitution, the party through the National Council, has resolved that Hon.

Advocate Nelson Chamisa is confirmed as the party’s substantive leader and the party’s presidential candidate for 2018,” said Mr Tamborinyoka.

He said the party also gave seven days for engagement processes to take place with senior leaders VP Thokozani Khupe, national chairperson Lovemore Moyo and organising secretary Hon. Abednigo Bhebhe.

Mr Tamborinyoka said after that the leadership of the party has been mandated to take the necessary action by operation of law.

The opposition party also fully endorsed the MDC Alliance and Adv Chamisa has since been confirmed as the Alliance’s presidential candidate in the harmonised elections.

Mr Chamisa is involved in a power struggle with Dr Khupe and the other VP Engineer Elias Mudzuri. – state media

Relatives of a Harare vendor, who was shot dead by police recently, are demanding $5 million from the Zimbabwe Republic Police as compensation.

Two other people were also killed and several were seriously injured when police tried to enforce a shortlived ban on public transport vehicles from entering the central business district on February 22.

Annatoria Kaseke, a groundnuts vendor, was reportedly shot in the chest and abdomen by the police.

On Thursday, National People’s Party leader Joice Mujuru pledged to support the National Vendors’ Union of Zimbabwe to secure legal assistance so that the victims of the shootout get compensation.

Representing the victims, Gift Nyandoro of Hamunakwadi and Nyandoro Law Chambers wrote to Home Affairs minister Obert Mpofu demanding $5 million as compensation for Kaseke’s death.

Nyandoro gave the police a seven-day ultimatum to respond or face the music.
He said the deceased left behind a husband and seven children and another additional three dependants who survived on her efforts and contribution as a vendor.

“Therefore, we are instructed to demand on behalf of our client that the deceased’s surviving spouse, children and dependants be compensated to the tune of $5 million within seven days from the date of demand, failure of which our client will be left with no option but to take appropriate legal action as remedy for the same,” reads part of the letter to the police.

“We believe this will be necessary for such a legal suit will also be on a punitive scale against your office.”

In his letter to Mpofu, Nyandoro said police were accepting responsibility, but that alone would not be enough for the deceased’s family.

“While it is heartening to note your public acceptance of full responsibility for the police’s irresponsible and reckless behaviour that has since led to the loss of an innocent life, it is our client’s view that an apology and public censure alone do not suffice in the circumstances,” the lawyer wrote.

“Justice demands that the surviving spouse, children and dependants of the deceased be compensated for justice delayed is justice denied.”

Mpofu publicly apologised for the killings by the police. – Standard

Terrence Mawawa
Thousands in Zimbabweans suffering from renal diseases may not travel abroad to seek medical services because a Kidney Transplantation Unit will be opened at Chitungwiza Central Hospital.

According to Chitungwiza Central Hospital Chief Executive Officer, Dr Obadiah Moyo, the eagerly anticipated Sally Mugabe Kidney Transplantation Unit would be officially commissioned by the end of March.

“We are only waiting for the final inspection of the unit and once that has been done, everything will be fine,” said Moyo.

Hundreds of Zimbabweans struggling with renal problems are travelling abroad to seek medication.

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo
A Zanu PF councillor and a group of disgruntled parents last week forced staff members at Chekai Secondary School in Masvingo District to suspend lessons over poor results.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has strongly condemned the forced suspension of lessons.

Below is a statement written by PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou:

Chekai Secondary School in Masvingo District was closed by parents on 2 March 2018 around 12 noon. Parents who had been invited to an Annual General Meeting turned against the school head and teachers for producing poor results.

The parents under the influence of a local Zanu PF councillor ordered all pupils to go home.They then wrote a petition to the district after which they commandeered the school head to accompany them to the district to hand over the petition calling for his dismissal together with other teachers.

As PTUZ we condemn such lawlessness and blame game of teachers for doing so much with too little.

Teachers have always pointed to bloated classrooms, shortage of resources and limited learning time due to Dokora’s myriads of games yet no one listens to them.

Sadly, when students fail, parents and other officials are quick to blame teachers yet there are so many individuals who are destroying the education system in Zimbabwe – including rogue parents.

PTUZ would like to remind parents that creating a harmonious relationship with teachers will also help in the effective learning of students rather than being antagonistic and acidic to teachers.

Mnangagwa’s government has also done virtually nothing to improve the plight of teachers who are lowly paid and discriminated as professionals -as they are not enjoying vacation leave as other civil servants while student teachers’ peanuts allowances are likely to be removed.

We certainly should not be blamed for any eventuality should teachers go on industrial action any time as government has turned a deaf ear to the plight of teachers.

The ruling Zanu-PF will on Wednesday hold a Politburo meeting where the issue of dates for its primary elections as well as modalities on the selection of candidates will be up for discussion.

Speaking at a Provincial Co-ordinating Committee meeting in Gwanda town yesterday at the party’s provincial headquarters, party national spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said those aspiring to represent the party should wait and get the direction from the party.

“Do not be misled by people saying we will be having our primary elections on 15 or 16 March. We will be meeting on Wednesday as the Politburo and the issue will be raised. I will issue a statement after the meeting about the way forward. You will be notified via the correct channel in the form of a circular,” he said.

Moyo urged party members to talk about things that make the party stronger instead of engaging in issues that end up destroying the revolutionary party. He said the party should unite and retain all the 13 seats won in the 2013 harmonised elections.

“There is a bit of disappointment in the province as there is a lot of gossip and this should stop. We are not going to allow that. Wake up and stop it. Let us be bold as the late Vice-President (Joseph) Msika taught us to be frank with each other. Let us not fail to have principles and be committed to the party,” said Moyo.

He said a number of heroes in the country came from Matabeleland South and Zanu-PF could not afford to betray them.

“This is where Father Zimbabwe was born, JZ Moyo, T G Silundika, Edward Ndlovu, Thenjiwe Lesabe and many more. Given that history we cannot fail to be an example in the country. We have to win all those 13 seats.

“Unity among ourselves made us win and we should win again. Make people realise that we are serious leaders,” he said.

Moyo said with at least 84 political parties willing to participate in the coming elections, it was clear that the ruling party would win resoundingly.

“A party like us can never dream of losing an election to all these small parties. The President also made it clear that the elections will be free and credible as he has already called on observers from around the world to come,” he said.

Moyo commended the war veterans for being diligent and urged everyone to fight against corruption as President Mnangagwa himself is doing.

Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs Abednico Ncube also insisted on unity and reiterated that gossiping was not good for the growth of the party.

The PCC meeting also endorsed the firing of party members namely Soul Mahalima Ncube, Johns Nkomo, Siphethokuhle Moyo, Sister Bhebhe, Ephraim Moyo and Christopher Masuku.

Meanwhile, war veterans, collaborators, ex-detainees and widows in Matabeleland South Province will on Thursday meet the National Secretary of the War Veterans Association, Victor Mademadanda in Gwanda. All war veterans from the province are invited.- state media

Terrence Mawawa
Controversial musician Andy Muridzo has described fellow artiste, Jah Prayzah as a selfish, greedy and cunning individual who thrives on using other people for self aggrandisement.

An emotional Muridzo has quit Jah Prayzah’ s Military Touch Movement in a huff.

Muridzo launched a scathing attack on the lanky musician whom he accused of reneging on his promises.

“Jah Prayzah is converting every opportunity that arises for personal benefit.

I was supposed to do a collaboration with a musician from Mozambique and Jah Prayzah grabbed the opportunity.

What then is the reason for having the movement?I am not happy with what is happening,” a charged Muridzo told The Sunday Mail.

He also accused Jah Prayzah of being unprofessional in his conduct.

Terrence Mawawa
Controversial musician Andy Muridzo has described fellow artiste, Jah Prayzah as a selfish, greedy and cunning individual who thrives on using other people for self aggrandisement.

An emotional Muridzo has quit Jah Prayzah’ s Military Touch Movement in a huff.

Muridzo launched a scathing attack on the lanky musician whom he accused of reneging on his promises.

“Jah Prayzah is converting every opportunity that arises for personal benefit.

I was supposed to do a collaboration with a musician from Mozambique and Jah Prayzah grabbed the opportunity.

What then is the reason for having the movement?I am not happy with what is happening,” a charged Muridzo told The Sunday Mail.

He also accused Jah Prayzah of being unprofessional in his conduct.

By Paul Nyathi

Ousted MDC-T National Spokesperson Obert Gutu made a surprise appearance at the ill fated party meeting in Bulawayo on Sunday declaring his suspension from the party as baseless.

Gutu was last week suspended from the party pending dismissal by the National Council allegedly for not adhering to party policies.

On Sunday he was a surprise attendant of the meeting suspected to have been a meeting to launch a split of the party.

The meeting ended prematurely when party supporters loyal to new party President Nelson Chamisa stormed into the meeting and thoroughly beat up the people who were attending the meeting ordering them to leave the offices.

Violent clashes ensued resulting in about ten people being ferried to nearby Galen House Medical Centre.

Addressing journalists on his presence in the meeting, Gutu said that there was nothing wrong with him attending the party meeting as he considers himself as still the official spokesperson of the party.

“I am not suspended,” Gutu said.

“The National Council that claims to have suspended me is bogus and does not have the authority to suspend me,” he said.

Meanwhile, deputy President Thokozani Khuphe continued to declare herself as the genuine leader of the opposition party.

Speaking in an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation on the sidelines of the violence skirmishes, Khuphe said that she does not recognise Chamisa as the President of the party.

“I do not recognise Chamisa because he was not elected by congress,” said Khuphe.

“I am the genuine acting President of the MDC-T as I was elected by congress in 2014,” said Khuphe.

“They will see that we are the genuine leaders of the party and that we have the people,” vowed Khuphe in reference to the Chamisa faction.

Khuphe who has been given a seven day ultimatum to accept Chamisa’s leadership or be kicked out of the party appears to be adamant and prepared to be dismissed from the party.

The move by Khuphe appears to be leading to yet another split of the MDC-T.

Ray Nkosi |  Following violent clashes at the MDC Bulawayo offices where property was damaged and Vice President Thokozani Khupe’s aide badly injured, the matter has been reported to the police.

MDC Organising Secretary Abednico Bhebhe has singled out pro Chamisa MDC member Gift Banda and others as allegedly being behind the violence amidst claims that they have since been reported to the police.

My interview with MDCT organising Secretary Abedinico Bhebhe on today’s violence at the MDC T offices in #Bulawayo.@citezw @ZimMediaReview @povozim #Asakhe. https://t.co/UNWrd32HSM

— Zenzele (@zenzele) March 4, 2018

A special kind of women’s waist beads that will make their husbands have multiple erections and literally “lock” them from sleeping with other women has evaded the market.

Most of these beads have been perceived as fashion ornaments or accolades for completing sexual training, popularly known as chinamwari, which is common in Malawian cultures.

However, Mbuya Muchadura Mamoyo, as Sandra Maburuse is affectionately known, does not make the ordinary beads; hers are “cooked” in concoctions containing African herbs (muti) that will lock husbands from promiscuity.

“Most cases I am dealing with women these days are about enhancing their sexual lives as sex is an important element of marriage life. I help women with herbs that increase the heat in their bodies and have a special kind of beads that have saved a number of marriages,” Maburuse said.

“These beads will tickle a man’s sexual appetite and after a sexual encounter if the wife causes the beads to come into contact with her husband’s organ he instantly gets another erection and they can make love again.

“I assure you that your man will not be able to have sex with another woman if you always wear these beads when you sleep together.”

Maburuse who claims to also offer seductive sexual dances as part of her product offering to clients said her customers who include white women always come back for more.

Most of her clients are married women with ages ranging from 18 to 30, seeking to protect their relationships.

She draws 19 years of experience, assisting people with different life issues and health problems.

“I have had this gift since birth and there were moments when I would actually die and later wake up while people were already preparing for my funeral,” Muchadura narrated.

“I would see witches and hear their plans from a distance and was always sick most of my childhood. I even dropped out of school because of that and my breakthrough came after I got married and had my first child.

“The child refused to be breastfed at eight months and my in-laws thought I had an extra marital affair. They started taking me for spiritual assistance and were told that I possess a great spirit. After that incident, my family was accused of conspiring to rape.”

It was alleged that her father had raped a minor, while her siblings held the victim’s legs and hands.

She claims to have performed rituals that secured the family bail and eventually cleared them of the allegations in court.

“I then had a dream in which I was told to perform a ritual that would assist them being cleared of the malicious allegations. I did so and they got bails before being acquitted of the false claims,” Muchadura said.

She now survives on the trade and has a shrine in Harare’s Southly Park suburb where she carries out most of her work.- Daily News

Terrence Mawawa
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is in a panic mode as opposition parties team up to challenge him in the coming elections, it has emerged.

A government controlled weekly publication has reported that the panic stricken President will preside over an emergency Politburo meeting to discuss the coming elections.

Following the regrouping of the country’ s main opposition party, MDC, Mnangagwa foresees a daunting task beckoning ahead of the harmonised elections, according to political observers.

Zanu PF National Spokesperson, Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday confirmed Mnangagwa would chair the Politburo meeting slated for this week.

Moyo was in Gwanda yesterday where he conceded the party had to work to overcome the opposition.He made the remarks while addressing members of the Matabeleland South Provincial Coordinating Committee.

“Do not be misled by rumour mongers, the Politburo will deliberate on nagging issues that are affecting the party on Wednesday,” said Moyo.

PRESS STATEMENT

The MDC would like to set the record straight on erroneous media reports of 02 March 2018 which suggested that the party will not conduct primary elections in preparation for the 2018 harmonised elections.

This is patently false and incorrect.

Our constitution is clear on this matter and we remain guided by that.

We wish to advise our members to rest assured that primary elections are on. As a democratic party which respects the will of its entire membership and the sacred party constitution, all aspiring candidates will be subjected to primary elections with the exception of cases where there is consensus among aspiring candidates as is the norm. The MDC will not bend on that.

The times and venues for the primary elections which will be free and fair will be announced in due course.

We regret that the erroneous media reports may have caused unnecessary anxiety across the length and breath of our membership and our Alliance partners.

Kurauone Chihwayi
MDC National Spokesperson

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