Terrence Mawawa Mwenezi | Unruly Zanu PF supporters have threatened to burn down shops at Rutenga Business Centre if the owners do not vote for party candidate Joosbi Omar in the coming by-election.

At least 20 Zanu PF members disembarked from two vehicles today and moved around the shops at Rutenga Business Centre where they ordered the shop owners to vote for Omar.

A shop owner at Rutenga Business Centre said the Zanu PF supporters said the only way to prevent her shop from being burnt was to vote for the ruling party candidate.

” The Zanu PF supporters threatened to burn down my shop.I don’t know what to do.They also accused me of being a sellout,” she said.

A shopkeeper at a local food outlet said:”The Zanu PF supporters told me to vote for Omar and said they were closely monitoring the situation. ”

Two Zanu PF vehicles were at the sprawling business centre in the afternoon and shop owners said the situation was tense.

Zanu PF has remained undefeated in Mwenezi and political observers say the ruling party has managed to win elections at all levels in the area through violence.

Ray Nkosi | President Robert Mugabe’s Politburo decision to nullify Zanu PF Masvingo Province election results have provoked the Emmerson Mnangagwa faction into action.

Mugabe ordered a rerun of the Zanu PF Masvingo Provincial elections, which had been resoundingly won by a Mnangagwa ally Ezra Chadzamira.

Mugabe’s Politburo (which operates under his command since the changing of the Zanu PF constitution in 2013) nullified the February 23 elections which had seen former Masvingo chairperson Ezra Chadzamira thrashing his rival Mutero Masanganise with 12 393 votes against 4 888. Masanganise is touted to be a G-40 candidate in the crucial elections.

Speaking to the Daily News Mnangagwa allies threatened to ‘crush’ the G-40 a faction aligned to Mugabe’s wife Grace.

“Whatever the G-40 does will not change anything. Initially, they didn’t want elections because they knew they were going to lose, but when they felt they had oiled their rigging machine they accepted elections but still lost,” a bigwig in the Lacoste team is quoted saying.

He goes further to say, ” the best that they (the G-40) can do is to block the elections. But then again, we have our counter strategy. They cannot do anything here. Ngwena ndiye baba kuno (Mnangagwa is the boss of Masvingo),” the bigwig said.

A LOCKBOX containing gem-quality diamonds disappeared from a Mbada Diamonds sort house on the day government announced the closure of Chiadzwa mining activities to pave way for the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) in February last year, the Zimbabwe Independent has established.

This comes amid reports that since the end of Mbada operations, illegal panners have breached security to loot more than 150 000 tonnes of diamond ore stockpiles that were ready for processing.
Investigations have revealed that when the ZCDC executive moved in, a lockbox containing pure diamonds, measuring about 30cm x 30cm, was stolen from the X-Ray Transmission (XRT) 2 sort house between February 24 and 27 2011.

This is one of the four lockboxes which are part of the automated XRT 2 machine. The stolen box is on average equivalent to a week’s production worth millions. Mbada’s production target per month was 500 000 carats.

On February 22 2016, government moved in to stop the operations of all the seven companies that had formed joint ventures with Marange Resources, a subsidiary of the state-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC), after establishing the ZCDC which is currently running the mines.

“The police officers who were securing the mine after the closure reported the theft of the box to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Mutare on February 27 2016,” an informed source said.

“The case was subsequently registered at ZRP Marange under crime register number CR42/2/16.”
The box, which automatically locks after being removed from the XRT machine, can only be opened by another machine located at the sorting room at Harare International Airport.

Sources said by the time Mines minister Walter Chidhakwa announced the closure of the mines, police officers who had been deployed the previous day immediately moved in and forced the Mbada personnel and security out of the concession.

“At Mbada Diamonds the police force and officials from the ministry of Mines and Mining Development, assisted by managers from Marange Resources, swiftly moved into the mine and rounded up all managerial employees and support staff,” the source said. “Police seized their cellphones to prevent them from communicating with the outside world.”

Sources say the lockbox contained gem diamonds because the area Mbada was mining in February last year was producing high-quality stones.

However, the quantity of the diamonds in the box as well as their value had not yet been ascertained because “that is only done in Harare at the sorting room”. Although national police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba was not answering her phone, Manicaland police spokesperson Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa said he is unaware of the case. This is despite the availability of a crime register (CR) number.

“I am hearing this from you for the first time. From the CR you are referring to, the case happened a long time ago, if indeed it happened,” he said.

The reports on the missing diamond box also come at a time when Mbada recently launched an urgent chamber application to stop the ZCDC from looting its diamond ores in Marange.

In the application, which was granted, David Kassel, chairperson of Grandwell Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, a company which owned a 50% stake in Mbada, said the ZCDC executive was looting its ores as well as the diamonds which were in the vaults.

In his affidavit, Kassel said: “The first respondent (ZCDC) through its officers led by one Ridge Nyashanu and accompanied by officers of the Zimbabwe Republic Police have and continue to collect from the third respondent’s (Mbada Diamonds) concession area, diamond ore mined by the third respondent which they take to the first respondent’s concession area.

“The first respondent entered Marange concession area during the night on the 20th of January 2017 and evening on the 21st January 2017 and unlawfully removed stockpiles of diamonds ore from the third respondent’s red zone, a zone that should not be entered without the approval of the third respondent’s security personnel. No approval was obtained.”

Kassel also said ZCDC tampered with “the sort hours lockboxes and the main vault together with safes”. The vault, lockboxes and safes contain diamonds.

“The first respondent entered the vault and safe area in the third respondent’s concession area in the company of Erwin Smith, a specialist who used to assist the third respondent with servicing and calibrating security machines and safes.”

Kassel’s affidavit also states that the CCTV infrastructure was disabled and vandalised following the abrupt forced closure of Mbada’s mining activities.

High Court judge Justice Amy Tsanga interdicted the ZCDC from collecting Mbada’s ore as well as from interfering in any manner with security arrangements in the concession area.

This is not the first time that diamonds have gone missing and unaccounted for in Zimbabwe. In 2010, a 30kg consignment of diamonds disappeared after being removed from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. The diamonds, owned by African Consolidated Resources, were stolen when the company was fighting a legal dispute with the then mines minister, Obert Mpofu.

During the same time, almost two million carats of diamonds worth over US$80 million mined by Canadile Miners in Chiadzwa during the joint venture between ZMDC) and Core Mining and Mineral Resources disappeared as well.

The diamonds were allegedly moved from Canadile Miners’ sorting house in Mutare to an unknown destination by ZMDC and Marange Resources employees.

This news article is part of an ongoing ground-breaking investigation into the Marange alluvial diamonds discovery and subsequent plundering at various stages by state and non-state actors. The special series is supported by the Investigative Journalism Fund. – Independent

Ray Nkosi | Local Government minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, has instituted an investigation into alleged corruption in the awarding of tenders to land developers in Norton.

Norton Town Council is accused by residents of corruptly awarding tenders to companies which are developing both residential and commercial stands in the rapid growing Mashonaland west town.

In January, Member of Parliament for Norton, Temba Mliswa, met with Norton Town Council, where some of these complaints were raised by residents.

At the meeting, Mliswa, ordered Norton Town Council, to provide him with all documents that the local authority uses to run the affairs of the town, so that he could assist them lobby government to provide resources the local authority needed to improve service delivery.

According to Mliswa, Norton Town Council is yet to respond to his request. The local authority has also been snubbing his community development meetings he would have invited them to attend.

This week, through Mliswa’s initiative, Local Government minister, Saviour  Kasukuwere, met with   the Norton  Town Council,at his Harare offices,  and told the MDC-T run local authority to explain to him how they were giving tenders to land developers.

Kasukuwere, in the meeting is said to have told Norton Town Council that he was instituting an investigation into the alleged corruption in the council.

“The minister and the meeting were shocked to learn that some, if not most of all land developers do not have approved land development permits and council was failing to supervise them,” said one of the residents who was part of the closed door meeting.

“And the minister said that he was sending a fact finding mission to investigate and address the issue of land developers in Marshlands,  Galloway,  Kindsdale,  Tralfager,  Nkowe and Tangatara as they  are acting illegally by just continuing developing at times haphazardly  without following the law,” he said.

“Building on wetlands, again this matter  was discussed and noted that it  was illegal, and should be stopped and an investigating team will dispatched soon to get to the bottom of issues before action is taken,” the resident said.

Shyleen Mtandwa | Outspoken Member of Parliament for Matebeleland South Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga has rubbished talk of a National Transitional Authority.

Speaking to ZimEye LIVE BLAST Last night, Mushonga questioned the practicality in establishing an NTA, ” it would need to be an ideal situation for where we are and where we want to go, but that’s not going to happen. The thing is it’s not working, simply put it’s something that you dream about and it just won’t happen.”

She goes further to say; ” Secondly, for some of us who were in the inclusive government, I am not interested in anybody telling me about setting something up, so it can do ABCD because, we had the support of the African Union, we had the support of SADC, we set up an entire government, we spent five years in it, we came out, we are still in that mess.”

Instead Mushonga said, “the debate that we should be talking about as Zimbabweans is how do we create a system, how do we create a coalition, that is so organised that it not only deals with its capacity to win an election over Zanu PF but its capacity to take over power from Zanu PF.”

Shyleen Mtandwa | Zanu PF youths have disrupted  National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) bill hearings which were being held in Chinhoyi.

According to people who took part in the  public hearings, scores of Zanu PF youths who were chanting  their party’s  campaign slogans  heckled and disrupted the hearing accusing fellow participants of being opposition party members.

“This led to the Parliamentary team led by Justice Mayor Wadyajena to stop the hearing as the team had failed to restore order,” participants narrated the events.

Similar disturbances also happened in Bindura on Thursday, where Zanu PF slogan chanting hooligans disrupted the NPRC public hearing meeting.

During the course of the hearing, a participant who is a victim of 2008 political violence was threatened with violence as he made his contributions by several participants who were chanting PF slogans.

The hearing had to be momentarily stopped as participants continued to heckle one another during submissions.

In a statement Friday, Heal Zimbabwe Trust, a peace promotion NGO said the development was worrying.

“Heal Zimbabwe notes that the high levels of intolerance exhibited during the hearings in Bindura and Chinhoyi is worrying and serves to affirm that Zimbabwe is in dire need of healing and reconciliation.

“Heal Zimbabwe notes that views of people on the provision of any Bill before its enactment is critical as it enhances the democratization processes and the rule of law,” said the NGO.

Talent Mudzamiri (46) from Matanga village in Mberengwa collapsed to his death while attending a neighbour, Eunice Sigauke’s funeral wake.

Three diamond sorters who allegedly swallowed pieces of diamonds while on duty at the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) in Chiadzwa last week, have been granted $200 bail each by a Mutare magistrate.

Pfungwai Sithole (31), Talent Madeure(27) and Tendai Masango (32) have since appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mr Innocent Bepura facing allegations of theft and an alternative charge of unlawfully dealing in or being found in possession of precious stones.

Mutare lawyer, Mr Chris Ndlovu of Gonese and Ndlovu Legal Practitioners represented the trio.

Public prosecutor, Mr Fletcher Karombe told the court that on March 5, 2017 around 3am at ZCDC, the three diamond sorters who were unblocking a blockage on a diamond convey belt, were seen by a security guard swallowing diamonds.

The accused were subsequently arrested.

The matter took a twisted turn as the defence counsel applied for a dismissal of the matter before prosecution accusing the police of ill-treating, degrading and letting the trio go through inhuman treatment in their hands.

“They went through inhuman treatment in the hands of the police, they were ill-treated and forced to eat groundnuts and fresh milk only for days, something that made them suffer from running stomach.

“The police would also force them to excrete in buckets while they watched them thereby denying them their right to privacy. They went ahead and ordered them to go through their own stool in search of the said diamonds. How worse could ill-treatment go?,” argued Mr Ndlovu.

He further argued that the trio had been illegally taken to the hospital and a private surgery for X-rays without their consent and that the doctor had breached the doctor to patient privacy by telling the police information concerning the trio’s health without their consent.

The investigations officer, Detective Elliot Mucharuona however, denied the allegations. But he admitted to having taken the accused persons to the hospital and conducting x-rays.

“Your Worship, they were never fed groundnuts and milk, those are lies. And when they were taken to hospital, they had consented. The matter of monitoring their stool however, was a different story as those were investigative measures of gathering evidence against the suspects otherwise the police’s efforts would be fruitless,” said the detective.

He further pointed that all evidence they had collected so far pointed out that the three suspects were at fault and all they needed were further investigations to produce the foreign bodies that were detected by the X- rays.

The application was however dismissed by Mr Bepura who said that there was not enough evidence that the trio had been ill-treated. He also concluded that they had not been over-detained since he was the one who had dealt with the matter when the police had made an application for further detention.

The State went ahead and opposed bail stating that since the foreign bodies were still in the accused persons’ bodies then they needed to be remanded in custody so that their stool be monitored.

However, the defence stood its ground and stated that the monitoring of the trio’s stool was inhuman and illegal. The trio was not asked to plead to the charges and was remanded out of custody to March 27, 2017. Bail was set at $200. – State Media

Murisi Zvizvai, MDC T national executive member and Deputy Minister of Information and Publicity ran for dear life at Chipanza Business Centre in Zaka on Saturday after Zaka West ward and district members charged at him accusing him of trying to rig a verification process in favour of a sitting Member of Parliament.

Documents in the hands of The Mirror indicate that there was pandemonium at the Zaka West verification process and the exercise had to be abandoned when members went for Zvizvai who then abandoned the stage and sensing danger, fled for dear life.

Masvingo provincial secretary, Tongai Matutu confirmed the incident and said a petition had since been written to him over the matter.

According to a letter written by Doctor William Zivengo, an aspiring MDC T candidate for the same constituency, Zvizvai who was part of the three-men verification team in Zaka West started of the process by calling Zivengo to the front and denigrating and labelling him a CIO because he worked for the Great Zimbabwe University. He allegedly advised delegates against associating with him in the party.

The petition further alleges that Zvizvai went further to remove Zivengo’s wife, Petty Muziyonzi from a party post as district secretary. Zivengo alleged that all this was done to boost support for sitting MP Festus Dumbu ahead of the party’s primary elections billed to take place soon after the constitutional referendum.

The petition further alleges that the delegates; the majority of who were in support of Zivengo got incensed by the insults and humiliation bandied around and started hitting back before they charged forward.

“When party members tried to seek justification of such an unwarranted behaviour, they were undressed and humiliated. Members were not happy and they charged at him, finally he sensed danger and then left the place running away for safety,” said the petition. – Masvingo Mirror

THE Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) has dismissed social media messages saying it was embarking on a recruitment exercise starting next Monday.

ZNA Public Relations Director, Lieutenant Colonel Alphios Makotore said the recruitment messages were false.

He said the army was concerned about the continued misuse of social media platforms by some criminal elements soliciting for payment in return for non-existent jobs in the army.

“As from Friday 10 March 2017, there were false social media notices to the effect that there will be a mass recruitment of the Zimbabwe National Army recruits throughout the country.  The army wishes to categorically emphasise that there is no such recruitment taking place. The ZNA would like to advise the public that it does not have recruitment agents and does not recruit through the social media,” said Lt Colonel Makotore.

“All ZNA recruitment programmes are advertised in the mainstream print and electronic media. Prospective applicants then respond through written applications after which selections are then carried out at the different military cantonments throughout all the country’s provinces.”

Lt Col Makotore said the criminal elements masquerading as recruitment agents are in no way representing the ZNA or any of its members.

Zimbabwean police in the northern city of Kariba have arrested a man on allegations of insulting and disrespecting the country’s national flag. Courage Mushunje (25) has been charged with contravening Section 6 of the Flag of Zimbabwe Act Chapter 10:10 after he allegedly kept on walking when the national flag was being hoisted down at Kariba Border Post. Mushunje was arrested as he was processing the clearing of his two vehicles brought from Tanzania through the Kariba border post.

Prosecutors claimed Mushunje failed to respect the national flag as he kept moving while the national flag was being hoisted down by a security guard. He allegedly defied orders to stop and stand at attention as other citizens were doing. When confronted by an unidentified member of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) on why he was disrespecting the national flag, Mushunje reportedly told the state security agent not to bother him as the national flag did not belong to the member.

Government is likely to lose property to the Sheriff of the court after the High Court invalidated the law that prevented companies and individuals from attaching State property.

In a landmark ruling on Wednesday, Justice Edith Mushore struck down Section 5(2) of the State Liabilities Act (Chapter 8:14), saying it was unconstitutional.

This followed an application by Mutare businessman Mr Tendai Blessing Mangwiro seeking an order declaring the section unconstitutional.

He cited Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo as respondents.

Mr Mangwiro won several court applications for the police to release $78 900 and a further $1,5 million impounded from him when he was arrested, but has not received a single cent yet.

The impugned section made it impossible for him to attach Government property for purposes of execution.

Justice Mushore ruled that the section was unjustly hindering Mr Mangwiro from realising an award of damages granted in his favour by the High Court in case number HC4766 /13.

“Section 5 (2) of the State Liabilities Act (Chapter 8:14) be and is hereby declared to be inconsistent with the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe and is therefore invalid,” said Justice Mushore.

The judgment will now be referred to the Constitutional Court for determination in terms of the law.

If it is confirmed, it will mean that all Government property will be amenable to attachment by the Sheriff to honour judgments given against the State.

Justice Mushore accepted submission made by Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara that the impugned section violated Mangwiro’s rights and was inconsistent with Section 56(1) of the Constitution.

She also accepted the lawyer’s argument that the State was hiding behind the Section 5(2) of the State Liabilities Act (Chapter 8:14) to frustrate Mr Mangwiro.

“If Section 5(2) is being used to frustrate justice as is clearly the case in the present case, then it is not justifiable in a democratic society based on openness, justice, fairness, human dignity equality and freedom,” she said.

“I have made the observation that the respondents (Ministers Chinamasa and Chombo) deliberately obstructed the court processes and positively ignored court orders under cover of the immunity.”

Having identified that Section (5)2 of the Act was destructive of important rights, which the Declaration of Bill of Rights speaks to and represents, Justice Mushore said, “If those rights are impeded, the Declaration of Rights implementation is severely impeded.”

She said Mr Mangwiro was already in possession of a court order granted in 2015 and had not been of any use to him, which she said was an unacceptable reality.

Mr Happy Magadure from the Attorney-General’s Office argued that it was the duty of the State to ensure public order and safety overrode Mr Mangwiro’s desire to attach State property.

He argued that chaos and confusion would ensue if Mangwiro was to be allowed to proceed with execution of State assets.

Mr Mangwiro was wrongly arrested on charges of theft in 2008 and subsequently acquitted in February 2013.

After his arrest, police seized two vehicles and cash amounting to $78 000 and ZWD 46 135 000 000.

Police eventually released the vehicles to Mr Mangwiro, but failed to reimburse him his cash.

In November last year, High Court judge Justice Amy Tsanga ordered the jailing of Minister Chombo for 90 days, following his conviction for defying a court order demanding that he facilitates release of Mr Mangwiro’s money.

Minister Chombo filed a Supreme Court appeal challenging the decision.

He also argued that he had since purged the contempt through a letter written to Treasury in March last year requesting that the money be released in terms of the State Liabilities Act.

This prompted Mr Mangwiro to file the fresh application seeking to order Chinamasa, as the Treasury chief, to release the money in terms of the request made by Minister Chombo.-state media

#ThisFlag Movement founder Pastor Evan Mawarire yesterday took the State to task after it failed to honour its promise to provide him a trial date and demanded the scrapping of all bail conditions or removal from the remand.

Mawarire’s demands came after the State asked the court to postpone the matter, in which he is facing charges of subversion, to April 21, saying the docket has been sent to the Prosecutor-General’s Office for perusal.

The cleric’s lawyer Harrison Nkomo demanded the court to variate the bail conditions to allow his client to carry out his day-to-day business.

Nkomo told the court that the State was prejudicing and frustrating his client before the trial, arguing he should be given the chance to live a normal life before trial.

He further told the court that due to the State’s delay in providing a trial date, his client was incurring costs of hiring lawyers in this harsh economic environment.

Nkomo also urged the court to remove Mawarire from remand, saying the State indicated during his initial remand that investigations would be completed by February 28. He argued that up to now, the State had not revealed its witnesses.

However, the State, represented by Sebastian Mutizirwa, opposed the application, saying Mawarire should approach the High Court for variation of his bail condition as the magistrate’s court has no jurisdiction over his bail.

Mutizirwa also argued that Mawarire cannot complain over the State’s delay in providing the trial date as he had been on remand for only a month.

Magistrate Barbara Chimboza was expected to rule on the application late yesterday.

According to the State, during the period extending from July 13 to December last year, Mawarire, who is the founder of #This flag Movement and senior pastor at His Generation Church, went to print and electronic media inciting the Zimbabwean populace to revolt against the constitutionally-elected government of Zimbabwe.

The State alleges Mawarire urged all Zimbabweans not to go to work and to shut down the country. The State further alleges people took heed of his calls and engaged in violent demonstrations resulting in the stoning of cars, blocking of roads and damaging of property.

Mawarire allegedly went on social media thanking Zimbabweans particularly the youths who had responded to his call for the demonstration. He allegedly encouraged the populace to prepare and participate actively in other demonstrations.

The State alleges that despite warnings, Mawarire continued circulating videos on social media platforms inciting Zimbabweans to stage demonstrations.

On September 15 last year, Mawarire allegedly through social media further called on Zimbabweans in the United States of America and all over the world to converge in New York to confront President Robert Mugabe, who was attending the United Nations General Assembly.

The State alleges Mawarire’s actions were meant to embarrass Mugabe on the world front.

It is the State’s case that Mawarire should have foreseen that there was a real risk or possibility that his actions might lead to the violent demonstrations that took place in Zimbabwe as a result. – Newsday

THE Government has created more than 93 000 jobs for young people in the country through young entrepreneurs who have benefited from the economic empowerment revolution.

The Deputy Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Empowerment Development, Retired Major Mathius Tongofa, said this in a ministerial statement delivered in Parliament on Wednesday.

Cde Tongofa said his ministry had come up with a publication called ZimCHEER Herald that outlines the ministry’s initiatives to acknowledge and celebrate young entrepreneurs who are innovatively contributing to the country’s economic transformation.

“Pursuant to this, the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Empowerment Development will be celebrating Zimbabwe’s champions and heroes of the economic empowerment revolution. During the last quarter of 2016, the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, through all of its youth officers spread across all the country’s wards, districts and provinces, has identified 39 385 young entrepreneurs who have created a total of 93 692 jobs,” he said.

Police in Matabeleland South are hunting 92 dangerous criminals – some of whom have been on the run for more than 10 years – for crimes ranging from stocktheft to murder.

The criminals committed all the crimes in Kezi in Matobo District. Top on the list is Polani Moyo of Pharaoh Moyo’s homestead under village head Mr Tom Makiwa, who committed murder in 2004.

Officer Commanding Police Matabeleland South Province Senior Assistant Commissioner Learn Ncube handed over the list of the fugitives to Chief Bango at a crime awareness campaign in Sontala, Matobo District, on Wednesday.

The names of the wanted persons will be distributed among community leaders who have been engaged to help in apprehending the criminals. Included on the list are 14 rapists, a fraudster, 12 stock thieves and 31 wanted for assault and attempted murder.

“There are 92 wanted persons in Kezi alone and today we are engaging all community leaders to help us apprehend these criminals to clean-up our communities.

Terrence Mawawa Chiredzi | A local residents’ association has vowed to sue Local Government Minister, Saviour Kasukuwere for protecting corrupt council officials.

Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association officials last week called on Kasukuwere to act on matters to do with corruption raised by the association. The association has also said Kasukuwere is shielding corrupt council officials.

Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association chairperson, Jonathan Muusha Mupamombe ,said Kasukuwere was sitting on a report compiled by local residents, despite overwhelming evidence about corrupt council officials.

Mupamombe said despite completion of investigations on corruption, Kasukuwere had chosen to remain mum on the matter.

He also said the association had written a letter to Kasukuwere but he did not respond. The investigation team led by Engineer Alpha Nhamo unearthed massive corruption in the council and forwarded the information to Kasukuwere.

“We met and came up with a decision to approach the court to force the Minister to act on the matter in accordance with the recommendations forwarded to him by the investigation team,” said Mupamombe.

He said the report was explicit such that his association expected Kasukuwere to address the matter last year. “The findings were clear and we expected the Minister to act swiftly on the issue. We are therefore puzzled by Kasukuwere’ s silence. We have since approached our lawyers so that we can pursue the legal route,” said Mupamombe.

Kasukuwere has claimed all corrupt council officials would be sacked.

July agenda continues.

War veterans have vowed they are continuing with their July agenda meeting saying they are now suing the police who are blocking them.

Last year July war vets told Robert Mugabe he must step down and ever since then the President has sought to frustrate their meetings with the police last week issuing a warning that the envisioned upcoming war vets indaba is under a ZRP ban.

But the vets have vowed they will sue the cops. “It is true, we have notified the police as is required by the law and the police have totally not given us the nod for the meeting. “This denial has left us with no option but to take the matter to court if they continue denying us. War veterans should anticipate coming to a meeting in Harare that is possibly set for March 23,” the spokesperson Douglas Mahiya said.

The war vets have said their much-anticipated meeting will be held in Harare on March 23 to map the way forward.

Last year following their July meeting, they were teargassed after they tried to meet in the capital to push the government to address their grievances as Mugabe said they were following up on their so called “July 2016 agenda”.

“We notified police about nine days ago and they couldn’t give us a response. So we complained to them that we might take time to organise an event that might not materialise. We were left with no option, but to seek legal advice and we were told that police must not approve, but must be notified. We don’t want a repeat of what happened last time,” Mahiya said last week.

He continued, “Did we achieve our objectives of going to the liberation war? And if we failed, why did we fail and what is it that we failed, what is it that made us to fail? We will come out with a way forward,” Mahiya told the local Newsday.

By Sukoluhle Sibanda| Some Zimbabweans say Zimbabwe is not ready for a Female President, but a woman can easily replace President Robert Mugabe tomorrow and even today, right now. In 1980 was Zimbabwe ready for a Black President? Someone back then said, never in a thousand years would this ever happen. Zimbabwe has never been ready even for Jesus. But He has come, change has always been inside this small country.  – These comments emerged from a LIVE discussion on ZimEye yesterday and were fired by a male contributor.

In 1979, Mrs Shanangu Madangure cut a lonely figure as the only woman at the Lancaster House conference among many men. She played a crucial role representing women in a transitional deal that would give birth to a new Zimbabwe. Others who played a crucial role during this period include Sally Mugabe who was soon to become Zimbabwe’s First Lady.

Women have played a crucial role in conflict situations from the time of the liberation struggle to date and yet their voices are often muted on the political power negotiating table.

The Lancaster House situation repeats itself in post independent Zimbabwe, many decades later women are still fighting to be heard and to be counted.

Our guests this evening are Marcellina Chikasha the President of the African Democratic Party, which was formed in April 2014. She is also a religious leader, a pastor at Joy Unspeakable Ministries. Chikasha is one of the few Zimbabwean women who in 2018 will be challenging President Robert Mugabe for the Presidency.

Hon. Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga is the MDC legislator for Matebeleland South. In 2009 she was appointed Minister of Regional Integration and International Cooperation during the Government of National Unity.

A student teacher at Hillside Teachers’ College, Kwanele Moyo (36) from Mzilikazi suburb in Bulawayo, collapsed and later died while doing gymnastics at the institution’s sports ground on Wednesday afternoon. She died at the college’s clinic where she had been taken for treatment.  It could not be established yesterday how advanced her pregnancy was.

Moyo becomes the second person to collapse and die at the teachers training college in a space of a week.  Last Friday an English lecturer, Paul Ndlovu, was found dead in his office after he had allegedly collapsed. Sources who spoke to The Chronicle said Moyo collapsed at about 3PM and died a few minutes later.

“She started vomiting and collapsed before being rushed to the Hillside Teachers’ College Clinic where she was attended by a college doctor. Unfortunately she died a few minutes after admission,” said the source.

The Chronicle yesterday interviewed her brother, Mr Nqobizitha Moyo who expressed sadness over her sudden death.  He said she was a first year student.

Mr Moyo said his sister did not show any signs of distress before her death.

“We didn’t expect this. I was just talking to her yesterday at about 10:15AM when she was enquiring if I knew any builder who could plaster the walls of a toilet in her home. We were just chatting and I told her that I didn’t know any. She wanted someone to plaster a toilet in her home. We’re told that she was even sweeping the yard at her home before leaving for school on Wednesday. We’re shocked by her death,” said Mr Moyo.

He said the mother of one was pregnant at the time of her death.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango confirmed the death saying investigations were in progress.

Moyo becomes the third student at a higher and tertiary institution to collapse and die in Bulawayo.

Late last year in separate incidents, two National University of Science and Technology medicine students collapsed and died, one of them was jogging in the morning while the other was on work related learning at Mpilo Central Hospital.-state media

A Johannesburg motorist is waiting for his driver’s licence to be returned after it was “confiscated” by a traffic officer in a recorded altercation that went viral.

“So this is our professional Ekuruleni Metro Police. But they messed with the wrong guy today‚” wrote Diederick Stopforth in a Facebook post that has generated a heated debate.

Stopforth uploaded a video of himself approaching the officer‚ who is not wearing a badge‚ along with a running commentary about how the officer took away his licence and refused to give it back. The officer lashes out‚ slapping the phone to the ground.

Ekuruleni metro police spokesman Wilfred Kgasago said the incident had been handed over to their integrity and standards unit for investigation. Times

The ruling Zanu PF party claims it has already won the Mwenezi East by-election. The party known for rigging elections and employing violence strategies to win elections, says it has no opposition to fear.

The opposition party led by Morgan Tsvangirai and other parties have boycotted this election, with only about four contesting.

The state media claims that the troubled ZimPF whose leader is not yet clear is failing to hold rallies in the constituency.

The embattled ZimPF, along with the NCA and Free Zimbabwe Congress party, have been struggling to hold campaign rallies ahead of the by-election with only Zanu-PF visible in the area.

The Mwenezi East parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of Zanu-PF National Assembly member Joshua Moyo in December last year.

Businessman Joosbi Omar of Zanu-PF will wrestle with ex-Masvingo provincial affairs Minister Mr Kudakwashe Bhasikiti of ZimPF, Mr Turner Mhango of Free Zimbabwe Congress Party and Mr Welcome Masuku of NCA in the April 8 poll.

Omar yesterday said everything pointed to an emphatic victory for Zanu-PF.

“It’s a walkover for the revolutionary Zanu-PF here (Mwenezi East) because ever since we started campaigning, we never came across our opponents on the campaign trail.

“They are nowhere to be seen and it’s a foregone conclusion that we will definitely bag Mwenezi East with an even bigger margin than the previous elections,’’ he said. Zanu-PF Mwenezi Central Committee member Tafadzwa Shumba echoed Omar’s sentiments saying the revolutionary party wanted to send a clear message to political rivals that Mwenezi was a “no go area’’.
Mr Bhasikiti conceded that his party had failed to hold even a single rally ahead of the by-election saying the move was a strategy. “I am going to win in Mwenezi East otherwise what is the point of getting into an election if I know I will lose,’’ he said.

“We have not held any rally here not because of lack of support as our rivals are saying, but it is because we do not want our supporters to be known by our rivals. “We are doing door-to-door campaigns and we have never applied to hold any rally and we will never do that. How does Zanu-PF know that the people who attend its rallies are its supporters?’’ said Mr Bhasikiti.

He accused Zanu-PF of vote buying by giving people rice and maize ahead of the by-election. – State Media

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has said bond notes in circulation have increased to $102 million as the central bank continues to pay out the Afreximbank-backed $200 million export incentive.

In an interview with the state media, RBZ governor Dr John Mangudya said the bond notes together with bond coins account for 1,8 percent of deposits at the banks. He added that the bond note continued to trade at par with US dollars but indiscipline and a general lack of confidence in the economy were fuelling the parallel market.

“It is lack of discipline and confidence that cause some traders to have multi-tier pricing system on some products, especially essential products such as cooking oil.”

Generally, bond notes have overcome the initial skepticism and have been well received by the market to an extent reflecting a new confidence in the central bank, however, unscrupulous traders including some fuel stations are now using different prices for selected goods.

On interest rates, Dr Mangudya said rates must reflect the strength of the dominant currency in the economy to make borrowing by productive sectors more affordable.

The central bank chief’s remarks come after he directed banks, in his 2017 monetary policy statement, to whittle down annual lending rates to a maximum 12 percent effective April 1, 2017.

More than 1 000 people from about 200 homesteads in Sibhula village in Gwanda have clocked more than a month marooned due to flooded rivers, a development that has seen pupils failing to attend school.

The villagers have been restricted within their area as they still cannot not cross two flooded rivers, Hovi and Maleme in Gwanda North, denying them access to essential services.  About 200 homesteads in the area are located between the two rivers which have been overflowing for over a month.

The villagers cannot access shops, grinding mills and schools, among other service centres.  They are surviving on food hand-outs sent to them by a helicopter by the Civil Protection       Unit.

In an interview yesterday Acting Gwanda District Administrator, Mr Judge Dube said the situation remains the same although the villagers have adequate food and medication.

The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council is committed to being the centre for excellence within the sub-region and beyond in quality assessment in education. Our commitment extends the parameters of the organisation to reach every stakeholder in professionalism and innovation. After a Cabinet decision in 2015, Zimsec came up with a facility which is meant to assist parents, guardians and sponsors of prospective candidates to pay the national examination fees over an extended period of time. Taking into consideration the financial plight of many candidates, this facility seeks to afford every candidate an opportunity to sit for examinations.

Did you know? Examination fees for Grade Seven, Ordinary Level and Advanced Level are now be payable in instalments over a period of two years starting from Grade Six, Form Three and Form Five respectively . The Scheme works as follows;

A PREGNANT student at Hillside Teachers’ College collapsed and later died while doing gymnastics at the institution’s sports ground on Wednesday afternoon.

Kwanele Moyo (36) from Mzilikazi suburb in Bulawayo died at the college’s clinic where she had been taken for treatment.  It could not be established yesterday how advanced her pregnancy was.

Moyo becomes the second person to collapse and die at the teachers training college in a space of a week.  Last Friday an English lecturer, Paul Ndlovu, was found dead in his office after he had allegedly collapsed.

Sources said Moyo collapsed at about 3PM and died a few minutes later.

“She started vomiting and collapsed before being rushed to the Hillside Teachers’ College Clinic where she was attended by a college doctor. Unfortunately she died a few minutes after admission,” said the source.

The Chronicle yesterday interviewed her brother, Mr Nqobizitha Moyo who expressed sadness over her sudden death.  He said she was a first year student.

Mr Moyo said his sister did not show any signs of distress before her death.

HARARE – Little-known Zimbabwe First (ZimFirst) party leader Maxwell Zeb Shumba has threatened to take legal action against Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo accusing them of “stealing” his party’s name.

Mutasa and Gumbo’s opposition party — formed in 2016, way after Shumba’s — is named Zimbabwe People First (ZPF).

In a March 9 letter, Shumba — through his lawyers, Tsara and Associates — gave the duo a 14-day ultimatum to make a written undertaking to stop using the ZPF name, failure of which he would drag them to court.

Shumba, a former adviser to MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, claims Mutasa has been ignoring his calls to resolve the issue amicably, leaving him with no option, but to take the legal route.

The United States-based politician also claimed that he had advised Mutasa that he registered his party with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) in May 2015 under the names Zimbabwe First, People First and Country First.

“Your actions have severely inconvenienced  our clients and is prejudicial to their business  as a party  and it is not in dispute that  the electorate and the public  in general are confused  as to whether  there are two parties  with the same name  or whether one party is a faction of the other ,” Shumba’s attorneys wrote.

Join ZimEye LIVE to participate in a debate focusing on syndicates that are stealing Gofundme funds meant for good causes.

A power deal between Zimbabwe and South Africa could not sail through this week after it emerged that an inter-ministerial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was meant to be signed on Monday had not been vetted by the Attorney-General (AG).

A local weekly reveals that Energy and Power Development Minister, Samuel Undenge, was meant to seal the MoU in which Zimbabwe was to agree to purchase close to 600MW of excess power daily from Eskom, one of Africa’s biggest power producers, for the next five to 10 years.

The MoU was hurriedly put together over the weekend in Harare and was expected to be signed on Monday at Undenge’s offices.

South Africa’s Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson was represented by the country’s top diplomat in the country, Mphakama Mbete, as well as officials from the Ministry and Eskom.

Undenge was accompanied by Partson Mbiriri, the secretary for the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, while ZESA’s chief executive officer, Josh Chifamba and other senior officials represented the power utility.

Matshela Koko, who replaced Brain Molefe in December last year at the helm of Eskom, led the delegation from the South African power utility.

Matshela Koko, who replaced Brain Molefe in December last year at the helm of Eskom, led the delegation from the South African power utility.

Matshela Koko, who replaced Brain Molefe in December last year at the helm of Eskom, led the delegation from the South African power utility.

Undenge is said to have been advised by ZESA officials and government technocrats to postpone the signing of the power supply deal in order to seek legal advice from the AG.

He had hoped to announce the deal soon after a closed door meeting with senior officials from the South African government and ZESA and Eskom officials, but failed to do so after conferring with the officials.

It was not immediately clear if Undenge had consulted the technocrats and ZESA representatives prior to the meeting or not, but sources said the development later turned into an embarrassment for the Zimbabwe government as it clearly showed they had not prepared sufficiently for the engagement.

Well-placed sources who attended the meeting on Monday told the Financial Gazette that Undenge, who along with Mbiriri could not respond to questions sent to their mobile phones, had prepared to sign the deal, but was advised against the move by senior government officials, who said he should first seek legal advice from the AG’s office.

“The Minister was ready to sign the MoU but was told not to because the AG, who has the legal oversight over government contracts, had not been consulted,” one source who spoke to the Financial Gazette on condition of anonymity, said, adding that “eventually the document was put aside”.

After the meeting, Undenge and Mbete refused to give details of their discussions, despite an invitation to the press to witness the occasion.

Undenge said: “It’s a commercial arrangement. There are various modalities that we are discussing.”

Mbete said: “We are hoping out of this (engagement) there will be stronger consolidated bilateral energy collaborations which will strengthen our economies on a long term basis.”

The Financial Gazette has it on good authority that an inter utilities MoU, which was also hurriedly put together at the weekend in Harare, was signed by ZESA and Eskom, paving way for further discussions on the power deal.

This, however, is dependent on Zimbabwe’s commitment to guarantee the deal.

ZESA already has a power purchase agreement with Eskom which is coming to an end.

Sex workers embraced each other and fought back tears as internationally acclaimed artist Zwelethu Mthethwa was found guilty of murder in the Western Cape High Court on Thursday.

Mthethwa was convicted of kicking and beating to death 23-year-old sex worker Nokuphila Kumalo on April 14, 2013 in Ravenscraig road, Woodstock.

The Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce’s (SWEAT) Sally Shackleton welcomed the guilty verdict: “We are elated with the verdict and believe its fair. We have been monitoring the case and the outcome is very meaningful to us. We hope this will set a precedent for other cases. We eagerly await sentencing.”

Defence lawyer William Booth asked the court to extend Mthethwa’s R100 000 bail until sentencing proceedings, arguing that Mthethwa had cooperated throughout the trial and had handed in his passport.

Bail was revoked, which means Mthethwa will don prison overalls and spend his first night behind bars. He has no previous convictions.

Goliath accepted crucial CCTV footage which captured the kicking and beating of Kumalo in the early hours of April 14, 2013, in Ravenscraig Road, Woodstock.

Describing it as a “silent witness”, she said CCTV footage had become crucial in the collection of evidence and the finding of truth in criminal cases.

She said the case had been largely based on circumstantial evidence that she had weighed up “holistically”.

ThisFlag Pastor Evan Mawarire’s hearing has been postponed again.

Mawarire is challenging being placed on bail.

The hearing was moved forward after the state indicated that it was not ready to proceed.

The Magistrate refused to remove the bail conditions and the matter has since been referred to the High Court on the 21st April 2017.

Mawarire was charged for Subversion of a constitutionally elected government; for organising protests in Zimbabwe and in New York.

Other charges are that he allegedly “insulted the national flag” to brand criminal activities and wearing the flag while subverting the government.

He was granted bail by Justice Clement Phiri in the High Court, the latter who said the state was very weak and Mawarire was granted $300 bail.

National People’s Party leader Joice Mujuru has become the first female African politician to enter a written message into Nelson Mandela tribute book alongside international icons such as former United States President Barack Obama and former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan.

The book, being administered by the British House of Commons and to be sold across the world to raise money for charity, already has over 700 signatures from most prominent people in the world.

Some of the people who have entered their written messages include three British Prime Ministers and hundreds of leading international business and community leaders as well as sports, music and film stars.

David Beckham, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Richard Branson, the late Maya Angelou, Russell Crowe, Chris Rock, Kylie Minogue, Thierry Henry, Spice Girls and Will Smith were also among a host of global stars who have written messages in the book.

In her message, Mujuru, who was in London last week where she was honoured for her contribution towards community development, said Mandela’s legacy would continue to inspire generations to come.

“Dear father, Thatha, a freedom fighter, selfless leader of our great people. We applaud the sacrifice and indomitable spirit that you showed all of us who fought for democracy,” Mujuru’s message read.

“You inspired us, you showed us what it means to love your people, yes, you showed the world what love is. We know you are always among us, you live in us for heroes never die. We shall forever be grateful to have lived during your time. Siyabonga! Thank you for being one of us, baba. R.I.P.”

According to the invite to Mujuru to enter the written message dated March 8, the book will be printed in China and published and sold around the world with all profits donated towards helping children’s causes in the countries where the book will be sold.

“The aim is to launch the published version of the book later this year. Last July [Mandela Day] at London’s Roundhouse, I organised the first Nelson Mandela Remembered Concert ‘Unite against Hatred’ with some of the world’s top musicians and dancers performing,” read the invite signed by Nic Careem, founder of the House of Commons book to Nelson Mandela.

“To be edited by my dear friend the author Janis Kearney, former White House diarist to President Bill Clinton, the book will be a major tool to help continue Nelson Mandela’s mission to end child poverty and racial intolerance. A global figure will be invited to write the foreword for the book.”

The invite added: “It is important we continue with Nelson Mandela’s desire to end extreme poverty and social injustice, hopefully the book in his honour will help bring awareness to this noble cause.”

“My aim is to set-up Blue Sky Village Charitable Foundations in the countries where the book is sold. The Blue Sky Village Foundation will support a number of causes specifically relating to children.” – Agencies

Tichafa Matambanadzo’s tax evasion case rages on with a Zimra official testifying yesterday that the prominent radio personality — popularly known as Tich Mataz —under-declared his merchandise upon entry at the Harare International Airport from China.

Matambanadzo is standing trial for contravening Section 182 of the Excise and Control Act.

He appeared before Harare magistrate Lazini Ncube this week for commencement of trial on smuggling charges.

The Zimra official, Munyaradzi Mhanda, attested that 48-year-old Matambanadzo was brought to his offices after it was discovered that he had declared lesser goods than he was actually carrying.

“He had declared that he had five pairs of shoes instead of seven and five suits instead of 10. When he was brought to me, our machines were slow and I moved to another office and advised him to follow after me with his luggage so that I could calculate his duty,” Mhanda told the court.

“He did not come to that office and when I returned to check on him, he was gone. We had to file a police report.”

Matambanadzo refuted allegations of smuggling and claimed that he was attended to by an unidentified female official after Mhanda left.

He claimed the Zimra official gave him the green light to leave because their machines were down.

Mhanda disputed that claim and said the alleged female official could have informed him about the development on the day.

The “Midas Touch”, as he is also known, will file his application for discharge at the close of the State’s case today.

Shyleen Mtandwa | President Robert Mugabe has just commissioned a $82 million Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) plant in in Msasa Harare.

It is expected that the plant will produce 700 000 tons of cement per year and create employment, although the plant will generate less than 100 jobs directly.  Also present were;  Ministers Joseph Made, Mike Bimha, Walter Chidhakwa, Chief Secretary Misheck Sibanda and Deputy Chief Secretaries Katsande and Mupamhanga.

Shyleen Mtandwa | #ThisFlag Pastor Evan Mawarire used his birthday a few days ago as an occasion to raise funds to help the needy.

Mawarire used funds raised to buy starter packs for women in need who have just delivered. Among the beneficiaries were mothers at Wedza Clinic.

Terence Mawawa Masvingo | The deadly malaria disease has killed 20 people in Masvingo Province over the past few months, health officials have said.

Officials at the Ministry of Health and Child Care offices in Masvingo told ZimEye. com this week the 20 deaths were recorded in Chiredzi, Bikita, Zaka and Mwenezi Districts respectively.

The health officials said the disease killed 11 people in Chiredzi, seven people succumbed to malaria in Bikita, one person died in Zaka while the deadly disease also claimed the life of one person in Mwenezi.

Health experts have attributed the increase in cases of malaria to the incessant wet spell this season.

Provincial Medical Director, Dr Amadeus Shamu said health workers were working tirelessly to combat the deadly disease.

“I can confirm that malaria related deaths have been recorded in Masvingo Province. However health workers are on the ground and we hope there will be no more deaths,” said Shamu.

An official at the provincial health offices also said: “There are treatment centres in the affected areas and I can assure you everything is under control.”

Non Governmental Organisations here have blamed the government for a lethargic response to the outbreak of malaria in the province.

” We are readily available to assist the government with medication but the whole thing has been politicised by lazy officials in the Health Ministry. Malaria can be easily treated but there is no commitment from the government,”said a nurse who works for a local NGO.

POLICE have banned members of the public from carrying dangerous weapons in Tsholotsho, Lupane and Umguza for the next three months in the interest of public order.

In a statement, the acting Officer Commanding Lupane District, Superintendent Jadiel Mutepfe, said the carrying of axes, catapults, machetes, swords, knives and daggers was prohibited until June 13.

The order was made in terms of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA).

“I, Superintendent Jadiel Mutepfe believe on reasonable grounds that the carrying of weapons in public whether openly or by concealment is prohibited.

“The weapons include the following items which may be used as weapons in public disorder according to Section 14 of the Public Order and Security Act,” said Supt Mutepfe in a notice of prohibition order.

He said that any traditional weapon was also banned from the area covering Tsholotsho, Lupane and Umguza administrative districts.

“I hereby issue an order prohibiting the carrying of such weapons in the area or any part for a period not exceeding three months, from March 14 to June 17, 2017,” said Supt Mutepfe.

Last year, police in Bulawayo effected a similar order that expired in November saying it had been necessitated by the prevailing volatile political situation.

At that time, the Officer Commanding Bulawayo West District, Chief Superintendent Mthokozisi Manzini-Moyo, said due to incidences of marches and demonstrations, it was his belief that public order would be disturbed.

Chief Supt Moyo said history had proved that such gatherings may be characterised by malicious damage to property, assault and all forms of public violence, hence the ban on carrying dangerous weapons in public.

He said the prohibition was not in violation of freedom of expression guaranteed under the constitution. – state media

Former Education minister Aeneas Chigwedere’s son, Mangwiza, yesterday pleaded with the full Constitutional Court bench to entertain his application, seeking to force the whole Chigwedere clan to undergo a cleansing ceremony, claiming postponement of the case would be disastrous as more family members would perish through witchcraft.

Mangwiza’s plea followed an indication by the court to have the matter postponed after it emerged that four of the 32 cited respondents, had not been properly served with papers inviting them to attend court.

Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza, who was leading the bench, informed Mangwiza that the court would not proceed in the absence of confirmation that the outstanding respondents had been served and were aware that the matter was in progress.

“Are you, therefore, saying this matter cannot proceed just because four other respondents are not here? Are you saying we perish because the sheriff has not served other respondents?” Mangwiza asked, but he was interrupted by the court which postponed the matter “sine die to allow applicant (Mangwiza) to file the necessary certificate of service”.

Last year, Mangwiza approached the court seeking an order to compel his father, step-mother and the whole clan to undergo a cleansing ceremony with a view to exorcise the whole clan against alleged witchcraft activities which he claimed were causing several deaths.

In his application, Mangwiza cited the former Cabinet minister Chigwedere, his stepmother Emilia Zharare-Chigwedere, his aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters and 22 others, including Arts and Culture minister Abednego Ncube, Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere, National Council of Chiefs, Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, Traditional Medical Practitioners’ Council, Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers’ Association and the Zimbabwe National Practitioners’ Association as respondents.

In his founding affidavit, Mangwiza said he was still convinced that his father and stepmother were practicing witchcraft and/or sorcery or incorrect cultural procedures that were tormenting the whole clan. – Newsday

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on foreign affairs, Kindness Paradza, said during Mugabe’s recent visit to Ethiopia, Mumbengegwi took him to the official opening of the Equatorial Guinea embassy in Addis Ababa, while avoiding the Zimbabwean chancery which is now in a state of dilapidation.

Paradza said this in the National Assembly on Tuesday while moving for the adoption of a motion on the committee’s visits to embassies. The report by the committee showed that the Zimbabwean embassy in Ethiopia had overgrown grass and loose electricity cables, posing a danger to staff members.

“When we were in Ethiopia, we were surprised to see Minister Mumbengegwi taking His Excellency, the President, to go and officially open the embassy which belongs to Equatorial Guinea,” Paradza said.

“It is a marvellous piece of architecture, but he did not take the President to go and view our embassy, which is so dilapidated that you cannot believe it is an embassy.”

In response to Paradza’s motion, Foreign Affairs deputy minister Edgar Mbwembwe said the findings by the committee were disturbing but pertinent.

“With regard to the chancery in Addis Ababa, treasury availed $20 000 for the repair of the leaking roof soon after the esteemed committee members had visited the station. With respect to our embassy in Gaborone (Botswana), the ministry last received $15 000 in 2012 for repairs and maintenance. Currently, we are waiting for funding for the renovation and repairs that need to be undertaken at the chancery,” Mbwembwe said.

The deputy minister said embassies had not been spared from the economic situation facing the country.

But, Paradza said since the committee’s return from Addis Ababa in 2015 and the availing of the $20 000, up to now, no maintenance work had been done at the embassy in Addis Ababa and elsewhere.

The committee recommended that $1 million be allocated at least every year by Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa towards the building of one embassy.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda said Parliament would introduce biometric registration for MPs to automate Parliament entrances so that their attendance records at Parliamentary debates and committees were properly recorded.

“MPs and staff of Parliament will be able to enter Parliament building without identity cards once registered by the system. Additionally, the system will also generate an electronic attendance register of both sittings of the Houses and committee meetings, thus reducing the prevalence of human error in recording the attendance of MPs,” Mudenda said. – Newsday

By David Moyo| At a time when not much attention is being paid to atrocities committed by the government before the year 2000, including Gukurahundi massacres, ZANU PF MP Lawrence Katsiru has opened wounds saying Ndebele people must first pay compensation for the 19 century Mzilikazi raids before they can receive compensation for the 1980s Gukurahundi massacre.

MP Katsiru is a convicted rapist and once served 9 years in jail for raping a juvenile.

Speaking during consultations for the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Bill held bat Mbuya Nehanda Hall in Marondera, Katsiru said closure over the genocide cannot be arrived until the Ndebele people have first paid lobola and compensated the Shonas for violating Mashonaland.

In the mid 1800s the Khumalo tribe later to be called Ndelebe, crossed the Limpopo over to present day Zimbabwe and established a kingdom whose throne was in Bulawayo. They were not the only tribe to migrate into the region as Shonas had 900 years before descended from Tanzania and displaced the Khoi San people many who then relocated to Botswana.

But Katsiru said the Ndebeles are foreigners who came and abducted Shona women and raided Shona cattle.

He said, “I agree with the Bill for various reasons, our sisters and cattle were taken in Mashonaland by the Ndebeles. They should pay lobola for kidnapping and forcing our sisters into marriage.

“They should compensate for the cattle they stole from Mashonaland; I was in Bulawayo during the Entumbane uprising in the 1970s and I saw Shonas being murdered in the streets because they could not speak Ndebele. These people should be compensated, then we should consider paying for Gukurahundi,” he said.

He added, “historians know how much was looted during that period. Compensation should start from the beginning, the era of Mbuya Nehanda not 1980 and onwards.”

Meanwhile, in Matebeleland Bulawayo residents have rejected Katsiru’s Bill.

Local people rejected the bill saying it does not address the Fifth Brigade atrocities that left at least 20,000 people dead in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.

They said there won’t be any peace and reconciliation as long as the Gukurahundi atrocities are not addressed.

The locals slammed the bill for not addressing the issue of the atrocities and others also criticized it for ‘giving too much power’ to the justice ministry in a number of instances.

President Robert Mugabe has ordered a rerun of the Zanu PF Masvingo Provincial elections, which had been resoundingly won by an Emmerson Mnangagwa ally.

Mugabe’s Politburo (which operates under his command since the changing of the Zanu PF constitution in 2013) nullified the February 23 elections which had seen former Masvingo chairperson Ezra Chadzamira thrashing his rival Mutero Masanganise with 12 393 votes against 4 888. Masanganise is touted to be a G-40 candidate in the crucial elections.

As the internecine battle to succeed President Mugabe rages on in the ruling party, Zanu PF leadership blames heavy rains and logistical challenges for the inconclusive election result.

Zanu-PF secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo confirmed the nullification of the Masvingo elections after the party’s 307th Politburo meeting in Harare.

“The elections will be re-done at a date to be announced,” he said.

About 64 percent of the 408 party districts in the province had voted.

Voting was still to be done in 165 districts and out of these, 10 were from Masanganise’s home area, while 40 were from Chadzamira’s home area.

Sources said President Mugabe would soon meet with his two deputies,  Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, to choose the person who would be in charge of the elections.

Politburo member Joram Gumbo presided over the first elections.

“Much time was devoted on the Masvingo issue and there was debate on whether or not to confirm the elections,” said a source. “In the end, it was agreed that elections be held again to give everyone a chance to have a say in the election of their chairperson.

Parliament is set to investigate unidentified opposition MPs who yesterday labelled Highfield West legislator Psychology Maziwisa a homosexual during the question-and-answer session.

Maziwisa had stood up to ask Energy minister Samuel Undenge to explain government policy regarding payment of electricity bills by senior citizens when some opposition MPs lampooned the Zanu PF MP, labelling him gay.

Buhera South MP Joseph Chinotimba (Zanu PF) then raised a point of order with National Assembly Speaker Jacob Mudenda saying the allegation that Maziwisa was gay had come from Musikavanhu MP Prosper Mutseyami (MDC-T).

“In terms of our Parliament Standing Orders, we need to maintain the decorum of the House and avoid name-calling which is unsubstantiated,” Mudenda said.

Court documents have finally shown the significant chunk of properties owned by tycoon Macro-Economic Planning and Investment Promotion minister Obert Mpofu.

This, however, is perhaps just a tip of the iceberg and most certainly points to the fact that many of his colleagues in government and Zanu PF are also owners of vast estates.

A few years back, it also emerged that Home Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo owned several properties across the country, after his then wife, Marian, filed for the dissolution of their marriage.

Zimbabwe Defence Force Commander General Constantino Chiwenga was also exposed by his then wife, Jocelyn, as the wealthy owner of real estate in upmarket areas of Harare before he applied for a court injunction barring the media from reporting on the matter.

A MAN from Cowdray Park suburb in Bulawayo has been arrested after he allegedly attacked his wife and niece with an axe resulting in the two women being hospitalised.

Absalom Phakathi (35) arrived home at around 1AM on Sunday and demanded some money and when his wife Ms Egnes Shonhe refused to give him, he allegedly hit her with the back of an axe twice.

Phakathi also allegedly struck his niece, Ms Similo Hove, with the same axe on the head.

The two women sustained serious injuries and were rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital where they were hospitalised.

The High Court ruled that workers who lost jobs following a Supreme Court ruling which allowed workers to terminate employment contracts on three months notice will not get anything. This comes after Government relieved workers by amending the labour act to provide for companies to pay workers retrenchment packages in retrospect.

Zimind Publishers (Pvt) Ltd which fired 75 workers on August 20, 2015 following the July 17 Supreme Court ruling, approached the High Court challenging the constitutionality of Section 18 of the Labour Amendment Act Number 5 of 2015. The publishing firm wanted the court to strike down the section which had the effect of declaring all terminations that occurred after the Zuva ruling illegal unless a minimum retrenchment package was paid by the employer.

In a landmark ruling yesterday High Court Judge Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo ruled that Section 18 of the Labour Amendment Act Number 5 of 2015 takes away the employer’s vested rights to terminate worker’s contracts on notice making it unconstitutional in a democratic society.  She also said that the section was inconsistent with sections 3(2)(k), 56(1) and 82 of the Constitution. The matter will now be referred to the Constitutional Court for determination in terms of section 167(3) of the Constitution. READ MORE

Ray Nkosi | An Assistant Commissioner with the Zimbabwe Republic Police has been arrested for wife bashing.

A report received by ZimEye.com from internal police sources indicates that Assistant Commissioner Antony Mangezi, stationed in Hwange has been arrested for assaulting his junior cop wife.

According to the above attached Police Report of the crime, Mangezi (50) last Sunday used clenched fists to batter his wife. The complainant is identified as Ropafadzo Manyande.

Recently a women’s rights group Musasa Project reported an increase in domestic violence cases which it attributed to economic hardships.

A security guard at a tertiary college (name withheld) in Masvingo allegedly raped a female student in return for her Identity Card he had confiscated after finding her with a boyfriend outside campus. Pedzisai Takawira (35) was not asked to plead when he appeared before Masvingo provincial magistrate Mr Langton Ndokera who remanded him in custody to March 21. He faces rape charges.

In denying him bail, the state led by prosecutor Mr James Murambiza, argued that Takawira was likely to interfere with state witnesses since he was employed at the college where the complainant was a student. The state further argued that he could also abscond trial since he was facing a serious offence that could cost him his job and result in his incarceration.

Allegations against Takawira are that on March 4 he saw the complainant and her boyfriend who is also a student at the college walking outside the college premises after permitted hours.

He allegedly confiscated the complainant’s student ID together with that of her boyfriend and ordered them to return to their hostels. Later that evening Takawira proceeded to the complainant’s hostel and summoned her to the guardroom at the college on the pretext that he wanted to give her the ID back.

Upon arrival at the secluded guardroom near the college dining hall, Takawira allegedly demanded to be intimate with the complainant in return for the ID.

He proceeded to rape the complainant once in the guardroom before giving her back the ID.

About 60 Zimbabwean women who are victims of human trafficking are still literary held hostage  in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.

The Government has rescued about 161 women who were lured to Kuwait under the pretext of business and job opportunities since last year.

Responding to a motion on a bilateral visit to Kuwait by MPs in Parliament on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Edgar Mbwembwe said there are still more women who need to be brought back home.

“Our Embassy in Kuwait estimates that approximately 50 Zimbabwean women are still in Kuwait while about 10 could be in Saudi Arabia. Government will continue to assist all our nationals who wish to return home,” said Mbwembwe.

He said the Kuwait Government has been helpful in the repatriation exercise and arrest of kingpins of the human trafficking syndicate.

“A request was made for the Kuwaitis to arrest and deport Zimbabwean criminals who have been identified as members of the criminal syndicates involved in the trafficking of nationals to the State of Kuwait.

A teacher who axed his two granddaughters to death before attempting to kill his wife, abused cocaine and other dangerous drugs leading to insanity, a High Court judge heard yesterday.

Bulawayo High Court Judge Justice Martin Makonese yesterday ruled that Reuben Maphosa (53) of Mafuku Primary School Cottages in Guyu area, Gwanda, could not be held legally responsible for his actions as he was mentally disturbed due to drug abuse.

“From the evidence presented before the court, there is a reasonable possibility that the accused person suffered from mental illness at the time of committing the offence. The accused is therefore not legally responsible for his actions,” said the judge.

Justice Makonese returned a special verdict of not guilty because of insanity in terms of the Mental Health Act.

He ordered Maphosa to be confined to Mlondolozi Mental Institution for further treatment, saying he was a danger to society.

Maphosa was facing two counts of murder and one of attempted murder.

In his ruling, Justice Makonese expressed concern over an upsurge in murder cases committed by mental patients.

FIFTY social welfare officers, deployed by the government to “clean up the mess” following the rescuing of several Zimbabwean women trafficked to Kuwait on the pretext they would get lucrative jobs, have been denied visas by the Gulf country.

This was revealed by the chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs, Kindness Paradza, after Foreign Affairs deputy minister Edgar Mbwembwe responded to a motion on a bilateral visit to Kuwait.

Mbwembwe had told the House that when his ministry intervened in the matter of the distressed women, the Kuwaiti government was co-operative and even assisted in identifying the victims and arresting the human trafficking syndicates.

“What is worrying is that the Kuwaiti embassy has denied visas to social welfare officers from the Ministry of Public Service that are supposed to go there for clean-up operations,” Paradza said. “As MPs, we have set up a committee of Parliament against trafficking of humans and we work together with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to ensure we assist these returnees to embark on income-generation projects and the fund has been set up through IOM.”

In his statement, Mbwembwe said the Kuwaiti embassy estimated that at least 50 Zimbabwean women were still stranded in Kuwait while 10 were in Saudi Arabia. He said Kuwait assisted with identifying Zimbabwean women and collecting their personal belongings.

Mbwembwe said a total of 161 women were repatriated, with 33 assisted by relatives, 28 assisted by Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda’s Young Women’s Christian Association and 32 assisted by businessman Wicknell Chivayo after MPs asked him to do so. One was assisted by her employers and the rest got help from the government.

“Government of Kuwait is identifying Zimbabweans issued with Article 20 visas with a view of returning them to Zimbabwe and facilitate their immediate repatriation, as well as helping in identifying Zimbabwean criminals involved in human trafficking syndicates,” Mbwembwe said.

Mbwembwe said some of the steps government had taken to curb human trafficking were stopping issuance of Article 20 visas by Kuwait.

He said around 200 Article 20 visas were issued, but out of that number only 15 were issued through the Kuwaiti embassy in Harare while the rest were done by criminal syndicates.

Below are pictures of the Emmerson Mnangagwa man, Nathaniel Mhiripiri who was assassinated early this week. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) will not use e-voting in the 2018 harmonised elections although it is intending to procure biometric registration kits to register voters.

In an interview with the state broadcaster, ZBC, ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau said the biometric kits being acquired by government will only be used to capture the usual identity details plus the finger prints in order to improve the credibility of the voters roll and avoid disputed election results.

Biometric voter registration (BVR) is expected to capture voters’ unique biometric features, specifically fingerprints and facial imaging which will be recorded in a database.

When voters check in at their respective polling stations (which will be the same stations they register at) in 2018 these same features will be used to verify if they are part of the voters roll, thereby eliminating ghost voters and increasing the voters’ roll’s accuracy.

Government last week announced that it has secured funding for the purchase of biometric kits and the State Procurement Board (SPB) is in the process of finding suppliers. Initially, the UNDP had offered to fund the equipment.

A 38-YEAR-OLD taxi driver is on the run after he allegedly petrol-bombed his ex-girlfriend’s house in the middle of the night on suspicion she was accommodating another man.

Llyod Tranos of Dzivaresekwa Extension, is now on the police wanted list after he failed to appear at the Harare magistrates’ court answering to attempted murder and assault charges.

Magistrate Lucy Mungwaru has since issued a warrant of arrest. Tranos is accused of attempting to kill Chipo Mburuma using the Molotov cocktail he prepared out of suspicion that she was seeing another man.

It is said that on October 23 last year at around 1am, Tranos visited his former lover in Dzivaresekwa 1 whilst in the company of another woman.

Upon his arrival at Chipo’s place of residence, Trainos knocked on the door and asked his former lover to accompany him to a nearby tuckshop. Chipo reportedly refused arguing that it was too late.

This did not go down well with Trainos who then threatened Chipo with unspecified action.

Trainos is said to have returned to Chipo’s place after an hour, this time armed with a Molotov cocktail.

The 38-year-old is said to have knocked at Chipo’s door before he went to the window, which he tried to forcibly open. Upon realising that it was her former lover who was trying to force open the window, she then switched off the light.

The court heard that Trainos then bombed Chipo’s room resulting in her sustaining burns on her leg. Chipo then took the matter to the police.

On November 5 last year, Trainos went back to Chipo’s place demanding to know why she had lodged a complaint against him with the police. Trainos attacked Chipo with fists and she was only rescued by passersby.

Trainos was arrested and taken to court where he also failed to attend his hearing. – H Metro

A HERD of 200 elephants has reportedly escaped from Hwange National Park and is causing havoc in Tsholotsho North’s Wards 4 and 5.

Radio Dialogue citizen journalist, Norman Ncube said the elephants have destroyed crops from several villages in ward 4 under Headman Mfunda and ward 5 under headman Mcetshwa.

“The elephants have invaded several fields in Mabhandeni, Mfunda, Matshake and Sikali villages, said Ncube.

“They destroyed crops at Gcekeni and Nkwalini villages where a herd of elephants from Forestry area descended to the community fields.”

He said villagers are helpless as they watch elephants feast on their crops as there is nothing they can do to chase them away.

Ncube mentioned that villagers are living in fear of being attacked by the elephants.

“The villagers informed the local authorities and the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE),” said Ncube.

Efforts to obtain a comment from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks) are still underway.

This catastrophe comes amid excessive rains that hit in most parts of the country causing a myriad of problems to farmers where their crops submerged in water resulting in low yields.

Tsholotsho is one of the hard hit areas by the recent cyclone induced floods and international community has intervened to help the affected with foodstuffs and clothing. – RadioDialogue

Shyleen Mtandwa | The Harare City Council has prejudiced the local authority of over $1.5 million it over paid to nine of its former senior executives as part of their retirement packages, a government audit has revealed.

The scam was exposed in an audit which was instituted by government last year and the results came out last week.

The audit said the $1.5 million should be recovered by the local authority in the earliest possible time.

“The minister (Saviour Kasukuwere) should cause through the council further intentions into the over payments and the HCD to be charged with misconduct and be suspended from duty as he processed $1,618,610.63 more than what was agreed on negations.

“Harare City Council should have the executive payroll subject to verification including by its internal audit in compliance with the public finance management,” said the report.

The following are the names and over payment figures of the former Harare City Council nine executives.

Mungofa S,($729,404.80),Chiromo RZ ($24,605.37), Chivavaya J ($203,373.42), Muza E ($4,967.49),Gandiwa M ($10,735.24), Dhliwayo P, ($38,027.00), Chiwanga PC,($278,573.58), Chiyangwa J ($29,881.45) and Zvakaramba C, ($299,042.28).

The report said these individuals should be approached and made to return the money.

Cabinet has approved the payment of civil servants’ bonuses in cash and workers are guaranteed their 13th cheque beginning next month, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira has said.

The Government needs an additional $180 million to pay its workers their 2016 annual bonuses.

Minister Mupfumira yesterday said the issue of residential stands would now be handled under the National Joint Negotiating Council, a platform that brings together the Government and civil servants unions.

“To give assurance to the workers, Cabinet approved the March 6 agreement that was sealed between Government representatives and the workers,” she said.

“It means the move has the support of the country’s leadership and it was also agreed that the issue of residential stands be handled through the NJNC.”

Civil servants representatives were anxious about their bonuses after last year’s incident when Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa sought to suspend payment of the 13th cheque for two years, a decision reversed by Cabinet a few days later.

ONE more person has died following last week’s horrific accident that occurred near the National University of Science and Technology, bringing the death toll to 15.

Enert Sibanda who had been admitted to Mpilo Central Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit died yesterday morning.  Her death came on the same day when seven other victims of the same accident were being buried in moving scenes at West Park Cemetery.

Fourteen people from two families died on the spot on Wednesday night last week when they were travelling in a commuter omnibus to a funeral in Masvingo.

Sibanda suffered serious head injuries and on Sunday, her family sent a plea for $600 for her to undergo a CT head scan.  Her brother, Mr Kenny Sibanda who also lost three children in the crash wept throughout the funeral service and could not hold up even at the cemetery where the other seven accident victims were being buried.

An emotional service was conducted at Kings and Queens funeral parlour where family, residents and friends shed tears as the seven coffins were paraded.

Speaking after the burials, Mr Sibanda said he was devastated by his sister’s death in hospital after the others died on the spot.

“When I thought she would survive, the Lord took her as we laid her fellow kinsmen to rest. I am hopeless, I have lost my children, now it’s my sister…I wonder how I will recover from this tragic loss,” said Mr Sibanda.

His children – Gift, Gracious and Sovia, his younger brother Luke, his ex-wife Magret Dube and her younger sister Rebecca Dube as well as a neighbour Grace Ndemera (48), who was accompanying the mourners to Masvingo when the accident occurred, were buried at West Park Cemetery.

Ray Nkosi | A Facebook group that is run by Zimbabwean mothers has been shut down by the company for allegedly selling firearms.

Zimbabwe’s first women’s group on Facebook Pahushamwari Hwedu is still closed up to now, with the administrators informing members that, ” Ladies : PH main group has been disabled by Facebook. Violation – Selling firearms. We are ‘cleaning’ up the wall, after which we will ask Facebook to review the group and reinstate it. No one has been removed by admins.”

Police have arrested four suspects in connection with last week’s brazen heist at OR Tambo International Airport, but are still searching for the stolen money.

One of the suspects is a police officer.

Acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane said last night two of the suspects had appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court yesterday on charges of armed robbery.

Phahlane declined to comment on the identity of the police officer who had been arrested, or his three alleged accomplices.

“The policeman is still being questioned and has not yet appeared in court. At this stage, we cannot rule out whether more officers will be arrested or not.

“The policeman is still being questioned and has not yet appeared in court. At this stage, we cannot rule out whether more officers will be arrested or not.

“What I can say is that none of the money has been recovered.”