A Zanu PF youth was raped as she walked from Matopo to Bulawayo after President Robert Mugabe’s birthday party which saw dozens more also endure a 40km plus walk after being dumped at the venue.

According to a petition sent to President Mugabe and his top leadership within Zanu PF, youths were forced to take the walk after some party officials allegedly stole fuel which was meant for their transport back home.

The youths were among thousands of party supporters who had attended the 93 year-old leader’s bash which was held in the Matebeleland South area last Saturday.

“The province received 6 800 litres of fuel for the transportation of youths to Matopos,” angry party youths revealed in the petition.

“Through a systematic and corrupt way, the secretary for transport Maqhawe Sibanda, conniving with Dean Hlomai converted 3 600 litres (of the allocation) into their personal use.

“A total of 15 buses were left with no fuel as the pair was alleging all the fuel allocation was being administered by Eunice Sandi Moyo who they also secretly accuse of taking the larger part (sic) of the stolen fuel.”

The fuel scam, youths allege, saw one of their members raped after separating with her colleagues while walking home in the dead of night. No further details were revealed.

In the petition, the youths recommended that the officials cited as culprits in the scam and several other misdeeds be sacked from the party.

Zanu PF national youth chairperson Kudzanai Chipanga was not taking calls when attempts to seek his comment were made.

Mugabe’s annual birthday festivities have in the past been rocked by allegations of corruption by senior party officials who allegedly use the event to misappropriate resources meant for the gala.

A million-man march organised by party youths last year was also marred by a similar debacle as several youths were left stranded in Harare’s streets as they could not get transport or travelling allowances.

During preparations for the latest celebrations, party provincial youth members, Munashe Mtutsa and David Muhambi were reportedly suspended for allegedly mishandling preparations for the event.

Funds embezzlement allegations have also followed football matches which have also been staged before to celebrate the nonagenarian leader’s birthdays. Radio Vop

The downing of tools by overwhelmed midwives at Parirenyatwa Hospital has put lives of women and their babies in mortal danger as they are now going through childbirth without expert care.

The adverse consequences are already being felt with unconfirmed reports that some babies may have died at Mbuya Nehanda maternity wing due to unavailability of expert midwives and doctors.
“My sister lost her baby yesterday and as a family we believe she did not receive enough attention (akaregererwa),” said a relative of a patient whose baby died on Wednesday night.

A tour of the facility revealed that even women who had been discharged after giving birth were displeased with the service.  “All is not well because we were being managed by student nurses. This is my third baby, but I was nervous after learning that the midwives were on strike along with doctors,” a woman, who had been discharged along with her newborn baby boy, said.

The reception was quite busy with patients checking in. Many were clearly unsettled about the fact that there were no doctors and midwives.

“I have no choice because I cannot afford private care. All my pregnancies have complications and I was referred from a clinic,” Moreen Chitenje said with a resigned voice.

Midwives at Parirenyatwa joined other healthcare personnel who are on strike to press the government for better remuneration and working conditions and on Wednesday claimed that the situation was now beyond them.

“We are overwhelmed with the continuous inflow of patients due to the fact that the other hospitals are not functioning and are working under stressful conditions with little resources,” part of a statement from midwives dated March 1 read.

The midwives also said their situation was no longer bearable for them and patients.
The role of midwives has been key in addressing the challenge of maternal deaths currently pegged at 525 mothers per 100 000 live births down from an all-time high of 960 deaths per 100 000.

Two-thirds of the deaths are avoidable if there is a regulated system which provides for the midwives and caters for their concerns which are currently not being addressed adequately.

“People are dying in hospitals because there are no doctors and nurses,” Itai Rusike, director of the Community Working Group on Health, said.

Rusike also said there was need for honest dialogue that delivers lasting solutions to the problems facing health workers while at the same time prioritising the lives of the majority poor.

“In as much as the Minister of Health, David Parirenyatwa, has tried to address the grievances of health workers, we genuinely believe that the ministry has been more reactive than proactive,” he said.

He added: “These kneejerk reactions of opening up 250 new posts for junior doctors and 2 000 for nurses at the last minute just to avoid an impending strike breeds suspicion and mistrust. The deployment of security medical personnel in the hospital is just a stop-gap measure, we need a lasting solution.”

Meanwhile, Chitungwiza Central Hospital CEO Obadiah Moyo has dispelled reports that all admitted patients had been discharged due to the critical shortage of staff.

While admitting that they were operating on skeletal staff beefed up by some Congolese and Cuban doctors, Moyo said the situation was under control.

“We have combined wards and are attending to all critical cases. Our casualty department is open as well as the maternity wing,” he said.

The situation remains dire as the government continues to dither on the demands that have been tabled by the healthcare personnel.

The strike was initiated by public hospital junior doctors some two weeks ago. Since then, senior and expert medical officers and nurses have joined in, further crippling the services of the struggling health facilities. Newsday

CBZ Bank Limited has suspended one of its employees on charges of being allegedly involved in fraudulent activities and underhand foreign currency dealings which involved about US$600 000, it has been established.

The Zimbabwe Independent understands that Chipo Meda, who had been working at the CBZ Westgate branch as operations manager or teller, was suspended as part of the company’s disciplinary hearing.

The group’s marketing and corporate affairs executive, Laura Gwatiringa, confirmed Meda’s suspension, adding that investigations were ongoing.

“We confirm that Chipo Meda was suspended from the bank following some misconduct. Investigations, which are still being finalised, have established that the extent of the potential prejudice is not material, whilst recovery prospects are very high,” Gwatiringa said in a written response to questions sent by this paper.

Sources at the CBZ said the bank demanded that she pay back US$100 000, which was the actual prejudice, as she had allegedly been debiting from customer accounts for personal use. It is understood that Meda engaged in the actions with the help of her boyfriend.

Since the adoption of the multi-currency system in 2009, several banks have reported cases of fraud and corruption involving banking employees.

Last week, the Independent reported that Steward Bank had been prejudiced of more than US$200 000 through a scam suspected to involve the financial institution’s employees who electronically approved point-of-sale transactions from a closed and underfunded account.

The bank is investigating the matter to establish how one Jonathan Nhamburo from Mt Darwin managed to swipe US$215 800 yet his account had been closed six months prior to the numerous transactions. Independent

REVIVAL Centre World Mission Church founder – Prophet Adventure Mutepfa – is at the centre of a shocking adulterous case in which a senior church member is accusing the cleric of having an affair with his wife which he uncovered late last year.

This was revealed at the Mutasa Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday during a civil matter in which the prophet made a spoliation application, demanding back his BMW 735i sedan which he allegedly gave the congregate in a bid to buy his silence over the extra-marital affair.

In his application done by his lawyer, Mr Lloyd Mvere of Mvere, Chikamhi, Mareanadzo Legal Practitioners, before Nyanga magistrate, Mrs Gloria Takundwa, Prophet Mutepfa said he was forced to give Vincent Ndlovu his car through blackmail.

However, Ndlovu of House Number 9641, Pegasus in Dangamvura, who was represented by Mrs Ndafa Muchanyara of Pundu and Company Legal Practitioners, refuted the blackmail claims, saying Mutepfa freely gave him his car as compensation for the adulterous relationship he was having with his wife.

He told the court that he was in possession of WhatsApp text messages between his wife and the prophet that confirmed that the two were madly in love.

Ndlovu said he was at liberty to show the court the nude pictures which the prophet sent to his wife. Conversely, in his founding affidavit, Prophet Mutepfa, said he was a victim of blackmail.

“I have been suffering blackmail from the respondent for some time. Respondent is claiming that he is in possession of nude pictures of myself and is threatening to publish them if I do not give him my blue Toyota Prado. The threats were made most of the time when I will be in Mutasa on business.

“Out of abundance of caution and upon receiving legal advice to the effect that attaching copies of the pictures to this application may constitute a criminal offence I have omitted to annex the alleged photos of myself to the application. I am, however, willing to produce the copies on the return date subject to the condition that the hearing will be done in camera,” he said and added:

“On the 14 of February 2017, the respondent successfully exerted his undue influence over me resulting in me handing over my BMW 735i and registration book to him against my will. I was convinced by respondent that if I did not give my BMW he will publish the pictures and that would affect my reputation within my church congregation, my business, my family and my marriage. The vehicle was in Watsomba at the time but is now in respondent’s possession in Mutare.”

The prophet said he was not the one shown in the nude pictures. “I am not the person who appears on the pictures. In fact the face of the person is not shown. However, a publication of the photos and respondent’s claims will still reflect badly on my reputation even if I later manage to prove my innocence. Respondent is aware of this and that is why he has devised this scam in order to extort me of my property. I was in peaceful and undisturbed possession of my brown BMW 735i motor vehicle prior to the respondent’s wrongful actions,” he said.

Prophet Mutepfa said Ndlovu continued to extort more property from him through blackmail tactics.

“Respondent has been phoning me on a daily basis demanding my Toyota Prado and the only reason why he has not executed his threats is that I told him that the vehicle is undergoing repairs in Nyanga.”

In his opposition papers Ndlovu – a soldier based in Harare – said the Mutasa Court does not have jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

“This is because the respondent resides at Number 9641 Pegasus Dangamvura and the applicant resides at Number 133 Louise Road Fern Valley. The cause of action, that is, the towing of the motor vehicle took place here in Mutare. The motor vehicle was towed from Number 133 Louise Raod Fern Valley. To further support that is the supporting affidavit of Moses Mujaji who towed the motor vehicle. Respondent was never at any time in Mutasa. He never at any point met the applicant in Mutasa.

“The applicant has misled the court with intent to cause this court to have jurisdiction over the matter. There is nothing that gives this court jurisdiction on this matter.”

Ndlovu agreed that he towed the BMW 735i which the applicant had given him.

“I do not dispute that the applicant owns his Toyota Prado. The applicant donated to me the BMW …and I have attached hereto a copy of the agreed donation. The applicant gave me the BMW with intent to lure me to conceal his adultery affair with my wife. Sometime in 2016, I learnt that the applicant was in a love relationship with my wife to whom I confronted her and she admitted. I also confronted the applicant and he admitted and he told me not to tell anyone even his wife. He told me that he was going to give me a BMW in a bid to conceal this information because of his position in society. The applicant then phoned me inviting me to his office on 3 February 2017 in the presence of his son and wife and they wrote an agreement of donation. He advised me to tow the vehicle since it was dysfunctional,” he said.

Ndlovu said he never threatened the prophet, saying he was in possession of communication that took place between his wife and the prophet.

On claims that the prophet was not the one in the nude pictures, Ndlovu said conversations on the phone clearly show that it was the prophet. He said Mutepfa was the very person communicating with his wife sending nude pictures.

Mrs Takundwa granted the spoliation order by consent after both parties agreed on some of the contents of the Rule Nisi.

Ndlovu said he no longer wanted the broken down BMW 735i which he tried to repair but to no avail.

Soon after court, Ndlovu and his lawyer, Mrs Muchanyara, revealed that they were going to file adultery damages against the prophet and claim compensation. They said they were in possession overwhelming evidence to support their claim in the form of text messages and pictures. – Manica Post

Zimbabwe Republic Police law and order officers interviewed deputy Higher Education minister Godfrey Gandawa last month as part of an investigation into last year’s break-in at the ministry’s office where several confidential documents reportedly went missing.

This came after his boss Jonathan Moyo complained to President Robert Mugabe and other ministers over the lax security at his office, prompting police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri to launch an investigation into the unlawful entry.

Moyo has suggested to the National Assembly that the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) probably broke into his office and unlawfully seized documents, an insinuation they denied.

It is understood that following Moyo’s complaint, Mugabe then ordered an investigation into the break-in after suggestions that either Zacc or its agents were behind the incident.

A probe into the break-in follows a cabinet meeting held last year where Moyo reportedly accused the state-run Sunday Mail of publishing confidential documents that disappeared after intruders broke into his government office and stole computers and confidential documents.

Sources said during the meeting in December, after Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi had presented a report on security, Moyo raised concern over lax security at government offices.

Moyo, sources said, cited a Sunday Mail article alleging that Zacc had gathered more incriminating evidence against Moyo.

Moyo is accused of abusing nearly US$400 000 of state funds administered by the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef).

Moyo and Gandawa were last year arrested for allegedly siphoning Zimdef funds through private companies Wisebone Trading and Fuzzy Technologies.

Gandawa confirmed that police had interviewed him over the matter.

“I can confirm that the officers from law and order interviewed me. I cannot divulge the details of what they wanted since the matter is under investigation,” Gandawa said in a written response to questions sent by this newspaper.
Contacted for comment on the investigation, police spokesperson Charity Charamba referred all questions to national spokesperson, Paul Nyathi, who said he was engaged in a meeting.

Last August, nine offices at the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Development were broken into and ransacked. Official documents and laptops belonging to directors were reportedly stolen.

Moyo, speaking in parliament recently, all but accused Zacc of unlawfully accessing confidential documents from his ministry.

“How do they stumble on the ministry’s work? These documents that they claim to have stumbled on the same or among them are documents that went missing from the ministry when it was broken into on the 6th and 7th of August last year,” Moyo told lawmakers.

“These documents were not lawfully taken from the ministry and now they think they are clever to say we have stumbled on them. Then we hear people boasting that they stumbled on documents. You do not take documents by breaking into offices; that is unlawful. You use warrants.”

Investigators that were also quoted in the Sunday Mail story also said they believed that Gandawa moved US$16 000 from his company and personal bank accounts to a Harare firm. In its story published on December 18, the weekly reported that Zacc was investigating a new case allegedly linking Moyo and other government officials to “suspicious” transactions involving over US$6,4 million.

The transactions, according to investigators cited in the article, include payments made from Zimdef between 2014 and 2016.

Following the December cabinet meeting, Moyo wrote to police chief Augustine Chihuri complaining how the matter had been handled and also advising him on the cabinet resolution.

“On Tuesday 20 December 2016 cabinet directed that I bring to your attention suspected criminal use by the Sunday Mail of 18 December 2016, government documents stolen from our ministry’s office . . . It turns out that some of the examples of transactions cited in the Sunday Mail story that the documents which the paper claims to have seen and which Zacc is alleged to have stumbled on leading to the start of a new investigation, are among the documents that were stolen from the ministry when its offices were broken into on 6/7 August 2016,” Moyo wrote in a letter dated December 23 that was also copied to Home Affairs minister Igantius Chombo and senior officials in the Ministry of Higher Education.

“This revelation is the reason for this complaint which is being brought to your attention on the directive of cabinet. May I also use the opportunity to report two other incidents that the ministry believes point to the criminal correspondence between some Zacc officials and other third parties in a manner similar to Zacc’s unlawful engagement with the Sunday Mail.

“In one case last September, protected and confidential government documents were legally given by Zacc to a person not authorised to receive documents. The ministry has evidence of this and we believe a crime was committed. In another case, we have since learnt that following my report to cabinet on 20 December 2016 about Sunday Mail’s use of stolen documents obtained through Zacc, the chief secretary to the cabinet, Misheck Sibanda, contacted Zacc and directed them to withdraw from the investigation Verify Engineering, whose transactions are specifically mentioned in the Sunday Mail. The ministry is the view that the directive was illegal and thus warrants investigation.” – Independent

Ray Nkosi | The Zimbabwe Republic Police has arrested three senior journalists, Richard Chidza (Chidza Sachidza), Wisdom Mudzungairi and Sifikile Thabete over a story they covered on President Robert Mugabe’s health condition.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers For Human Rights (ZHLR) reports that lawyer Obey shava is offering emergency services to get the three journalists freed.

“Chidza, Mudzungairi and Thabete have now been formally charged with undermining or insulting the President in contravention of Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act,” writes ZHLR in an alert.

The police also claim that the journalists insulted President Mugabe after they published an article titled “Mugabe in fresh health scare” on Thursday 02 March 2017 where they alleged that Mugabe is afflicted by prostate cancer.

Ray Nkosi | Former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s European Union Representative Elliot Pvebve has been honoured by Leicester University, recognising his political and academic journey over the years. The university wrote on its website;

Elliot Pfebve, MBA Business Administration – 2012

Elliot is currently the MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) EU Envoy (Ambassador). He also advises the MDC President, and former Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Dr Morgan Tsvangirai on International Affairs, with a focus on EU bilateral relationship. In 2014 Elliot attended the EU/AU Summit in Brussels, with Former President of Botswana, Festus Mogae.

”I attend Forums and Summits on Africa – EU bilateral relations; I therefore have to be acquainted with socio-economic issues on both sides of the continents. The MBA qualification I gained from the University of Leicester has given me competitive advantage to articulate and impress on political and economic issues.”

Previously Elliot was the MDC Zimbabwe MP Candidate for Bindura and is currently the preferred and official MP candidate since 2000.

Elliot also lectures in Management and Leadership at Coventry University. His role involves lecturing and giving tutorials in Leadership, Business Strategy, Strategic Marketing, Organisational Development and Organisational Behaviour. He also teaches part time in Corporate Finance. Alongside this Elliot is the West Midlands STEM Ambassador, illuminating students to reach their potential in becoming future scientists, engineers and mathematicians.

Elliot is a member of the Royal African Society, a think tanker of African Affairs, which advises Westminster party parliamentarians on African bilateral relations, engagements and conflict resolutions.

Elliot’s political career started at the age of just 27, when he was appointed as one of the founders of MDC. He has been campaigning for democracy and the rule of law, including taking President Robert Mugabe to US Federal court in 2000 and 2001. He has attended numerous forums and summits in Lisbon, Geneva and America. He also receives annual invitation to EU forums and seating’s in Brussels.

Elliot’s motivations for enrolling on a course at the University of Leicester stemmed from the global recognition of the University. He explains, ” I wanted my qualification to give me an edge in politics. I was interested in the micro and macro economic perspective, finance, leadership, and policy marker. Furthermore global recognition was very important to me and the fact that University of Leicester is one of the very few universities in UK to offer an MBA under the banner of a global brand was the pull for me. As a politician, globalisation is a sensitive issue and any qualification has to be internationally convertible.”

If you would like to get in touch with Elliot, he is reachable across a number of platforms: LinkedIn, YouTube, Blog and Email.

Terrence Mawawa, Chiredzi | Controversial Masvingo State Minister Shuvai Ben Mahofa has accused three Zanu PF MPs  aligned to First Lady Grace Mugabe of looting rice donated by President Robert Mugabe.

In response to calls by the Members of Parliament on Mugabe to fire her, Mahofa instead lashed out at Kalisto Gwanetsa (Chiredzi North), Denford Masiya (Chiredzi East) and Robert Mukwena (Chiredzi South)-accusing the trio of looting rice meant for the socially disadvantaged. All the three legislators are known G-40 members.

Mahofa’ s utterances come at a time the ruling party is grappling with internecine factional battles.
Addressing party supporters at a Zanu PF inter-district meeting Mahofa threatened to report the matter to the police. Mahofa further claimed she had overwhelming evidence to prove the three MPs stole the Presidential rice.

“We are giving them time to address the issue or else we will report the matter to the police. We will not tolerate such behaviour,” said Mahofa. Gwanetsa dismissed the allegations and said Mahofa was out of sync with reality. He said the rice was yet to be distributed. Masiya also described Mahofa’s threats as null and void.

Mahofa was incensed the caucus meeting held at Flamboyant Hotel.At the meeting,the MPs agreed they would call on Mugabe to dismiss Mahofa and Psychomotor Minister Josaya Dunira Hungwe
.
“Mahofa is battling to expose the MPs who attacked her. Her comments epitomise the battle between G-40 and Team Lacoste,” said a party official.

Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment minister, Patrick Zhuwao has invited opposition parties and human rights organisations to raise their concerns over the National Youth Service (NYS) programme with him.

Opposition and human rights activists often accuse the programme, a brain child of the late Zanu PF national commissar, Border Gezi, of producing Zanu PF militias terrorising people during election times.

But Zhuwao defended the programme saying it was provided for in the Constitution, before challenging the opposition to come to his office with evidence proving graduates of the programme were engaging in human rights abuses.

“Opposition parties should come to me to complain, if they have anything to talk about (national youth service),” Zhuwao said on the sidelines of the Midlands provincial youth expo in Gweru yesterday.

“I want to be able to engage them and not this futile conversation through the media. I know there was something said by ZPP (Zimbabwe Peace Project), I will engage them directly so that I can understand their concerns and so that they can also understand what the youth service is all about.”

He said the fact that he was Zanu PF did not mean that the programme was a ruling party project.

Zhuwao said everyone, regardless of political affiliation, was welcome to join the youth service, which he claimed was a national programme meant to instil discipline and national pride in youths.

“The Constitution provides that the national youth service programme should be conducted in a non-partisan manner,” he said.

Addressing guests at his 93rd birthday celebrations in Matobo last Saturday, President Robert Mugabe promised to re-launch the NYS programme saying the training, was slowing down.

War veterans have said their much-anticipated meeting will be held in Harare on March 10 to map the way forward on a wide range of issues affecting their members.

In an interview yesterday, Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association spokesperson Douglas Mahiya said police had been notified about the event, but had not yet been given a response.

Last year, war veterans were teargassed after they tried to meet in the capital to push the government to address their grievances.

“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.

He said the meeting is meant to take stock of what they have achieved with regards to their objectives as war veterans.

“We want to look at ourselves as people who joined the liberation struggle and what did we want as groups or as individuals. When we did that, what did we achieve?

“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 said.

He said they will also be looking at why, after investing so much for the freedom of Zimbabwe, they were allegedly being rendered irrelevant.

Mahiya said the meeting would also seek progress reports regarding their meeting with President Robert Mugabe last year. – Newsday

The Grace Mugabe WhatsApp boob in which her conversations with a Lebanese businessman leaked, has seen Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri stepping in.

Chihuri has accused prominent human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa of seeking to jeopardise police investigations into Lebanese businessman Ahmed Jamal.

Jamal is embroiled in a nasty $1,35 million diamond ring wrangle with First Lady Grace Mugabe.

In his bid to shield the force in the pending civil suit, Chihuri this week issued the warning through the Officer Commanding Crime, CID Law and Order, Superintendent Nyambo Viera.

According to Jamal’s application deposited by Mtetwa, the Lebanese said Chihuri, Viera and Senior Assistant Commissioner Thulani Ncube should be joined in his civil suit in which he is suing First Lady Grace, her son Russell Goreraza and one Kennedy Fero for the return of his properties that were allegedly seized by police at the behest of President Robert Mugabe’s wife.

Commenting on the First Lady’s involvement in the matter, Viera said: “The insinuation that the police are acting in concert with the second respondent (Grace) in the main case is ludicrous and meritless. The police are carrying out their mandate by investigating cases in which the second respondent in the main case is a complainant.”

But communication between Grace and Jamal allegedly showed the First Lady warning that Jamal could be barred from entering the country.

Viera said Mtetwa’s application on behalf of Jamal was “meant to jeopardise police investigations that are underway and are not connected” to the diamond ring saga.

“The police cannot divulge the finer details of the investigations to Ms Beatrice Mtetwa, who is representing the first applicant (Jamal), who is on the run. I remain cognisant of my duty to inform the applicant upon his arrest of the reason for his arrest. I cannot pre-empt to him as doing so will impact negatively on the investigations,” Viera said.

“One wonders why his (Jamal) lawyer, who is an officer of this honourable court, is assisting her client to play hide-and-seek with the police. Ms Mtetwa is entitled to her thinking, but she should desist from interfering with police investigations.”

He said Mtetwa was surreptitiously hoping to get information which concerns police investigations by seeking the joinder of the law enforcement agency in her civil action.

“I aver that joining the police to the civil action will seriously prejudice police investigations as information which is going to be used against the first applicant will be availed to him and that would afford him the opportunity to conceal or destroy evidence, thereby defeating police efforts,” Viera said.

The police boss said he had been investigating Jamal since 2016 and had uncovered evidence that the Lebanese had committed a series of offences.

“For the sake of clarity, it must be noted that I (Viera) commenced investigating applicant (Jamal) in early 2016 after receiving information about his suspicious criminal exploits which include theft, fraud, money-laundering, contravention of the Exchange Control Act, contravention of the Immigration Act and his dealings in diamonds,” Viera said.

“So far investigations have unravelled that there is credence to the information the police have gathered as a number of suspicious activities by the first applicant have been established which amounts to offences.”
Jamal has accused the police of acting on Grace’s orders rather than follow due process.

Viera further said investigations had also shown that Jamal accumulated vast wealth and properties which included both movable and immovable properties whose acquisition was also the subject of investigations, adding “a warrant of arrest has been issued against him (Jamal).” – Newsday

A KOMBI driver from Emakhandeni suburb in Bulawayo was killed by unknown assailants who assaulted and stabbed him on the neck, leaving him to die by a roadside yesterday.

Residents alerted the police and Gift Moyo (38)’s family when they found him dead at about 6AM.

The Chronicle visited the spot where he was found dead and residents from nearby houses said they heard people quarrelling at about 12AM.

The dead man’s relatives allege a mystery woman who allegedly knocked on two houses near the place he was killed at midnight, could identify his attackers.

His brother Mr Mthokozisi Moyo said: “I don’t really know what happened. It still doesn’t make sense to me. But I was told that there is a woman who was heard knocking at two houses in the area near where his body was found,” said Mr Moyo.

“The residents didn’t open their doors for her so she slept in the toilet of one of the houses. The house owner found her still sleeping today this morning.

She refused to view his (Gift’s) body,” he said.

Mr Moyo said the unknown woman told residents that she was from Njube suburb.

“She is said to have told the residents that she didn’t want to see my brother’s body. But that story is not clear to me. She could know the events leading to my brother’s death,” he said.

His family said they got worried when Gift did not return home the previous night.

Mr Moyo said the family last saw him alive on Wednesday night.

“He arrived home at about 8PM but didn’t enter the house. He left and never returned. We only heard this morning (yesterday) that there was Gift Moyo who was killed. I went to Luveve Police Station where I described my brother’s clothes and police confirmed it was him,” said Mr Moyo.

He said he did not even go to identify his body as the information that the police gave him satisfied him.

He said police had not found any leads by late afternoon yesterday.

Residents expressed shock on waking up to Gift’s body.

One of the residents, a granny, Mrs Beauty Moyo, said the painful incident traumatised her.

“He was just lying there,” said Mrs Moyo, pointing to the spot where Gift’s body was found.

“On closer look we discovered that he was dead. I’ve been terrified ever since. I’m diabetic and due to shock I failed to eat and take my pills. Some residents have said they heard people arguing in the middle of the night,” .

The Chronicle observed that the spot where Gift was killed had been covered with soil and some grass.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango could not be reached for comment.-state media

Beitbridge (Newsday)- Five people have died of malaria and close to 1 000 positive cases have been recorded in Beitbridge district since the onset of the rainy season.

Beitbridge acting district administrator Kilibone Ndou this week confirmed the development and said the cases were announced by the district health services committee.

“It’s true we have such a development, we got that report from one of our district development committees,” she said.

Government officials at Beitbridge had in turn through usual channels informed central government hoping for assistance.

Although exact places of death occurrence were not mentioned, five people were confirmed to have died of malaria.
Another 879 people had been found to be malaria-positive across the district.

The malaria outbreak was likely to bring a poorly-funded health system in Beitbridge further down to its knees and with more questions than answers.

Already Beitbridge district is struggling to feed patients admitted at its 120-bed referral hospital amid other claims that their ambulance fleet was now being funded by patients.

“We are educating people about the disease through the usual existing channels,” Ndou, who is also the chairperson of the district civil protection committee, said.

In 2008-2009 Beitbridge recorded close to 4 000 cholera deaths in one of the worst outbreaks in the country.

Health services in Zimbabwe are in the intensive care due to prohibitive funding and most non-governmental organisations have withdrawn services.

Acting President Phelekezela Mphoko has said the Government will not dig up mass graves of people who died during post-independence disturbances in Midlands Province and Matabeleland region, saying doing so is un-African.

The acting President who is also the Minister of National Healing, Peace and Reconciliation said the Peace and Reconciliation Bill was already in place and would be tabled before Parliament next week.

“We cannot go to the mass graves and start digging. It’s not in our African culture. What we are only going to do is to put a big plaque which will indicate that there are people who were buried there,” he told Parliament on Wednesday.

“Those with bones that are visible by the grave site, we will take the bones and rebury them properly. It will be done within the law.”

He said the drafting of the Peace and Reconciliation Bill was now complete to address the “five scars of the disturbances.”

“I would like to indicate that the Act is coming next week to Parliament. What is important is that what the Member of Parliament is asking is where we are exactly. I would like to indicate that we have five major points that we are looking at as the minister responsible, which is what we refer to as the scars of Gukurahundi,” said Acting President Mphoko.

He said among the scars was the issue of identity documents and reburial of people buried in open graves.

“I’ve said there are five scars of Gukurahundi. The first one is death and birth certificates. The second one is the reburial of people especially those who had bones that are still visible outside the graves. The third one is empowering the people. Mr Speaker Sir, those five points are critical because we have already spoken to the Minister of Home Affairs about it,” he said.

An announcement would be made and there will be mobile stations in all the areas all over the country for people to get birth certificates.

“The second one is where we will be dealing with the open graves and those are the only points we will be dealing with,” said the Acting President. – State Media

Five people in Beitbridge District have died following an outbreak of a strain of falciparum malaria, while over 800 cases have tested positive, it has emerged. The disease, which at the onset of the rainy season was concentrated on the eastern parts of the district, has spread rapidly across Beitbridge. Sources in the border town said three of the victims are reported to be children while two others are adults.

Malaria is a life-threatening disease typically transmitted through bites by an infected anopheles mosquito.

Known signs and symptoms of malaria include: vomiting, profuse sweating, nausea, diarrhoea, anaemia, headache, high fever and shaking chills that range from moderate to severe among others.

Matabeleland South Provincial Medical Director, Dr Chipo Chikodzore, could not be drawn to comment on the issue and referred all questions to Dr Portia Manangazira, who is the Director of Epidemiology and Disease Control in the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

“I am not allowed to discuss any health-related issues with members of the media. You may call Dr Manangazira”, she said.

Dr Manangazira further referred this paper to Dr Joseph Mberikunahse who is the National Malaria Control Programme Director.

“You may contact Dr Mberikunashe. He is the one dealing with issues relating to malaria,” said Dr Manangazira.

However, Dr Mberikunashe said he was out of the country and was yet to get a brief on the matter.

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Gerald Gwinji promised to respond to questions sent to him, though he had not done so by the time of going to print.

A health expert who preferred to be anonymous said cases of malaria started increasing across the country as the rainfall heightened.

“The rains have created breeding places for mosquitoes, which also spread malaria and that is not a problem peculiar to Beitbridge.

“Most malaria-risk areas were sprayed between October and December last year, though some people from Beitbridge were somehow resistant.

“In some cases, the deaths are a direct result of delays in accessing medication attention by the victims, ”said the official.

Beitbridge District Administrator, Mrs Kiliboni Ndou, who also chairs the local Civil Protection Unit confirmed the outbreak, but could not release any figures.

“Yes, we have an outbreak of malaria and we have started mobilising resources from other players to combat the disease.

“It’s unfortunate you will have to contact the Ministry of Health for the actual figures,” she said.

Mrs Ndou said they had teams on the ground educating people on the disease and the importance of seeking early treatment to reduce mortality in the district. – State Media

The government through minister Savior Kasukuwere yesterday launched an international humanitarian appeal following floods that affected nearly all parts of the country’s provinces and killed 246 people.

At least 128 people were injured, 1 576 marooned, while  1 985 were left homeless in floods that left a trail of destruction.

The floods have also resulted in 74 schools being damaged, 70 dams breached and five health institutions damaged.

The appeal for assistance comes after President Mugabe this week declared the floods a state of disaster as they have ravaged most parts of the country, with $100 million needed to repair road infrastructure.

Speaking on behalf of other line ministries yesterday, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Kasukuwere, said the affected people were in dire need of assistance to rebuild their homes, rehabilitate social amenities as well as recover lost property and livelihoods.

As such he said, gaps still existed, therefore interventions from different stakeholders were needed to assist the affected families. “It’s apparent that extraordinary response measures to alleviate suffering of citizens of this country in communal, resettlement and urban areas have to be intensified. The thrust of the Government is to go beyond emergency response to ‘building back better in the post disaster recovery period’,” he said.

“I’m therefore appealing to the development partners, private sector and general public, inclusive of those in the Diaspora, to rally with the Government to support the emergency relief programmes in line with policy, which requires that every citizen has a responsibility to avert and/or limit the effects of a disaster.

“There is an inadequate supply of tents, foodstuffs, drugs for the displaced people. There is need for blankets and clothing for the affected families as they are at risk of contracting pneumonia and acute respiratory infections. Girls and women need sanitary wear and school children need stationery and classrooms,” said Minister Kasukuwere.

The flood disaster, Minister Kasukuwere said, was to be managed by the Cabinet Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Management Committee under his chairmanship as well as Provincial and District Administrators.

He added that Government would be moving in most areas to continue with the assessment so that they have clear areas of engagements.

Minister Kasukuwere said hydrological indications were that the rainfall season was expected to continue with 85 percent of dams in the country already full and spilling.

Chances of river banks bursting were high.

To date, Minister Kasukuwere said, there have been heavy rain falls, which have surpassed all previous years as Rupike, which is 70km from Masvingo received 224 millimetres, Bikita District received 200 millimetres and Zaka received 196 millimetres in 24 hours.

“The 2016-2017 La-Nina season is in contradiction to the 2016/16 seasoned characterised by the El-Nino phenomenon. This entails an outstanding shift from a drought condition to an excessively wet situation. By mid-February 2017, most areas in the country had received above normal rainfall, and the ground was already saturated,” he said.

The worst affected areas include Tsholotsho, Lupane, Nkayi, Binga, Umguza and Hwange urban in Matabeleland North Province where a total of 859 people in Tsholotsho were left homeless and are currently in a transit camp with an additional 100 households being at risk.

In Chitungwiza, Old St Mary’s suburb, nine aged houses collapsed and more than 2 500 houses are at risk of collapsing.

In Harare’s Mabvuku suburb, about 500 aged houses are at risk of collapsing with Mbare,  Epworth, Waterfalls, Hopley and Budiriro also affected.

Matabeleland South Province’s affected areas are Matobo, Umzingwane, Bulilima, Insiza, Beitbridge and Gwanda

In Midlands Province the worst affected areas are Gokwe North and South, and Mberengwa; while in Masvingo Province it is Chivi, Mwenezi, Chiredzi, Masvingo rural and Bikita.

Mashonaland West Province’s affected areas are Kariba, Zvimba and Hurungwe, while in Manicaland, it is Mutare rural, Mutasa, Buhera, Chipinge and Chimanimani.

In Mashonaland Central Province, Guruve and Mt Darwin have been affected while in Mashonaland East Province it is Mutoko and Marondera Rural District.

In Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Mahatshula, Four Winds, Kingsdale, Emganwini, Nketa 8 and Cowdray Park have been affected.

United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Zimbabwe Bishow Parajuli, said it was a sad development, which required partners to join in and support the Government.

He said they have heeded the appeal and will see how they would mobilise resources.

“It is a sad development, after working hard responding to the effects of drought as now, the same people are now suffering because of excessive floods. UN stands committed in working with partners to support. We have demonstrated great partnership and l am hoping we will respond to the needs of the people,” he said.

Line Ministers present were Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa; Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo, and his secretary Mr Munesu Munodawafa; Defence Minister Dr Sydney Sekeramayi; Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri; Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Tapiwa Matangaidze; Local Government Public Works and National Housing secretary Engineer George Mlilo; Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Colonel (Retired) Christian Katsande; humanitarian partners; principal directors and different stakeholders. – State Media

Staff Reporter| The husband of a prominent lawyer, who was last year indecently assaulted by a Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) pastor, has seen the church revenge on him.

The man (NAME WITHHELD) has since taken the church to court for slapping him with a seven-month censure without conducting a proper disciplinary hearing.  Church elders insisted that the matter was not reported to them as said by the complainant. But documented correspondences show that they received fully a written complaint dated 26 June 2016, (SEE BACKGROUND AT THE BOTTOM OF ARTICLE).

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his wife, said he was censured by members of the board, deacons, deaconesses and elders’ councils for confronting the pastor who had indecently harassed his wife and reported him to the police.

The censure bars the applicant from participating, by voice or vote, in the affairs of the church. It also prevents him from leading any church-related activity and terminates his election or appointment to all positions in church.

“The church set in motion a process of investigating my wife and I after Pastor Brighton Ndebele was convicted of indecently assaulting my wife in October 2016. My wife was told that she was being investigated for failing to follow Matthew 18 after the pastor abused her,” he said.

The church allegedly used verses 15 to 17 in the chapter, which read: “15- Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

“16- But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

“[b] 17- And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”

The man said his traumatised wife went through a counselling process after the abuse.

Last year Bulawayo magistrate Ms Adelaide Mbeure convicted Ndebele (32) of indecent assault and sentenced him to 12 months in jail. After suspensions, Ndebele performed 315 hours of community service at Hillside Police Station.

The lawyer’s husband yesterday filed an application at the Bulawayo High Court citing SDA’s Bulawayo City Centre branch and the church’s headquarters, South Zimbabwe Conference of the SDA Church, as respondents.

On April 20 last year at around midday, Ndebele went to the lawyer’s workplace to discuss church business since the complainant was also a head of social committees in the church.

After the discussion and when he was about to leave office, the pastor solicited for a hug from the complainant and she declined.

He then forcibly pulled the woman by the hand and squeezed her to his chest, before holding her waist and caressing her back and buttocks.

The complainant narrated her ordeal to a fellow congregant before she reported the matter to the police, leading to Ndebele’s arrest.

The victim said the church’s failure to deal with the matter gave her an impression that it accepts as normal “predatory sexual proclivities from its pastors”.

She accused the church of allegedly trying to sweep Ndebele’s sexual mess under the carpet.

BACKGROUND.

After the attack last year, Pastor Ndebele sent Whatsapp messages to the woman asking for another encounter with her but she turned him down and that whole encounter infuriated her, prompting her to expose him. ZimEye.com is in possession of some of the WhatsApp exchanges after they leaked to the media.

Speaking during the church business meeting held at the church, one of the elders, Elder Promise Ncube said they were not aware of the issue concerning the sexual harassment although he said they will investigate the matter following the publication of the story in the state media. “We as the church were not aware of such an issue and the complainant did not inform the church about this matter and we only heard about it in the media. We are urging the congregation not to be iudgemental on this issue or to speak to anyone until we carry out our own investigations, said Elder Ncube.

Church elders insisted that the matter was not reported to them as said by the complainant. But documented correspondences show that they received fully a written complaint dated 26 June 2016.

The lawyer who is married woman has since decided to lay charges on the pastor.

A daring Bulawayo tout has been fined $100 for sending an insulting message to his girlfriend’s husband via WhatsApp.

Brighton Mpofu (32) of Richmond suburb pleaded guilty to contravening a section of Postal and Telecommunication Act when he appeared before Bulawayo Provincial Magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya.

He was sentenced to 40 days in prison (or a $100 fine).

Mr Tashaya warned Mpofu to stay away from married women and find his own girlfriend.

“You grossly offended the complainant. People are being murdered everyday out there for snatching people’s partners. You should be grateful that the complainant didn’t beat you up. Find your own woman,” he said.

Mpofu told the court that he was not aware that his girlfriend, whose name was not mentioned in court, was married.

“Your Worship I’m very sorry for my conduct. My girlfriend didn’t tell me that she was married. When her husband sent me messages telling me to stay away from her I thought he was just a jealous boyfriend. I sent that message to spite him,” said Mpofu.

Prosecuting, Miss Leane Nkomo told the court that on January 23 this year, Mpofu sent messages to Mgcini Mafu calling him an idiot.

“Complainant saw love messages from accused in his wife’s phone. He sent accused messages advising him to stay away from his wife because she was already married. Accused felt offended and responded with an insulting message,” said Miss Nkomo.

Part of Mpofu’s message read: “Do whatever you please. You shouldn’t force a woman to be with you. Leave her alone. You’re only with her because she gave you a love potion. I’m sleeping with her too you fool. I always sleep with her behind a bush close to your house. Mark my words that even if you leave her she won’t suffer because I will take care of her. Stop being a pain in her flesh. Just enjoy her while you can you idiot.” – State Media

Terrence Mawawa, Chiredzi | A Chiredzi Christian College school bus was involved in a terrible crash while ferrying Zanu PF supporters to President Robert Mugabe’ s birthday bash.

Schools across the country were ordered to provide transport to and from Matopos.
Sources at the school told ZimEye. com that Chiredzi West MP Darlington Chiwa, ordered the authorities to provide transport for Zanu PF supporters. “We were ordered to provide transport for the ruling party supporters and we had no option. The sad part is that the bus was involved in an accident. Nothing has been said in terms of compensation,” said a staff member at the school.

The bus was hit from behind by a GMB truck along the Tanganda- Ngundu Road. Several party supporters were injured in the accident. “The bus was involved in an accident but there was nothing grave. I believe the bus will remain on the road,” Chiwa tried to downplay the incident.

Chiredzi Christian College head, Johnson Chikwati confirmed the accident. Police in Chiredzi also said they were aware of the accident. “We reported the matter at Chiredzi Police Station but no action has been taken so far. We hope the police will act on the matter. It seems the police are unwilling to take action ,” said a staff member at the school.

ZimEye.com would like to announce to our valued readers and contributors the appointment of Grace Kwinjeh to the ZimEye network.

Miss Kwinjeh brings a wealth of experience spanning over 19 years of media creation and management.

She is now a senior editorial moderator in the news network.

ONE of Zimbabwe’s veteran politicians, Didymus Mutasa (DM) took some time this week to chat, in his personal capacity, with the Financial Gazette News Editor, Nelson Chenga (NC) over many issues, including the recent fallout in the Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) party. Below are excerpts from the interview.

NC: Nyathi (Mutasa’s totem) it’s good to see you. How are you?
DM: Oh I am great, how are you yourself?
NC: I am very well Nyathi. I notice that you have a very interesting ringing tone these days on your cell phone. You have the gospel tune Mhepo inoperekedza. What inspired you to choose that particular song as your ringing tone?
DM: (laughs) I set it (ringtone) by mere mistake. Someone wanted to share with me that song and in the process of getting it, it ended up where it is now and people have been asking about it. And honestly, I don’t know how to remove it (more laughs).
NC: You have had quite an illustrious career and you have written a book called Rhodesian Black Man Behind Bars. Do you have any plans to write another sequel of your life journey since independence in 1980?
DM: Definitely, but I seem not to be finding the time as you can see that instead of resting at my age, I am still running around doing exactly the same things that I have been doing the whole of my life. I hate, let me repeat, I hate injustice and I will fight it wherever I might find it. I found it as regards the Tangwena people and we fought it successfully to the extent that the late Chief Tangwena became a very important person in this country. Before independence, we were fighting against the white people’s government in this country which was not just. I started fighting for justice in 1946 when I was 11 years old by trying to let our people see that there was something wrong in this country. I got that revelation from the treatment of my father by the native commissioner. The whites were very arrogant and they were oppressors. When I later worked for the white government during the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, I realised even more injustices as regards the differences in salaries. Blacks used to get half of what whites were earning in nursing, for instance, and we fought it successfully… At one time I was detained in solitary confinement because of my activism. And during that time I learnt a lot about human beings. I got to understand what a human being is and I realised that our people are afraid, they are very, very afraid of challenging injustice. Right up to today people are still living under situations that are totally undesirable. They could free themselves if they free themselves from that fear.
NC: You sacrificed quite a lot for this country, have you enjoyed any fruits of that sacrifice?
DM: No! No! I am still fighting because there is no justice and it is a lie that any educated person who is not a member of ZANU-PF is happy. No one is happy because the situation is just bad. No one should ever lie to themselves that we are in a free country. There is no freedom in this country. And I doubt if there is anyone, even in ZANU-PF, who is enjoying the situation we are currently experiencing.
NC: You are slowly being stripped of all your assets through debts. How much do you owe and what effect is this having on your net worth?
DM: I don’t owe anyone anything. They are taking me to court fraudulently and I have asked from this lawyer (Nyakutombwa Mugabe Legal Counsel) an itemised bill of the things they claim they did, but they haven’t given me. Unfortunately, the justice system in this country is complicated in that to be in court you have to have a lawyer and the process of affidavits and all is just something else. We have very good judges who are very straight forward, but the system is just too complicated. To appear in court you need a lawyer, and the lawyer needs money. And I had a lawyer who now wanted money for work he had not done. The work I know, was done by (Tendai) Biti and the rest of the work was done by (Mbizvo) Muchadehama (Makoni Legal Practitioners) and not this Nyakutombwa Mugabe Legal Counsel; no! And they are demanding US$26 000 and I am asking them, US$26 000 for what? I am demanding an itemised bill which they are not giving me.
NC: Can there be some politics at play here?
DM: I don’t know whether its politics or not, but I am only telling you what is happening. They even went as far as to lie that I locked the Sheriff of the High Court out of my house. I was not even there and when they later came back when I was at home I let them in and they took whatever they wanted and I never fought them. I answered every question they asked me…And for goodness sake that is happening in Zimbabwe today; in a country where a lot of blood was shed for our freedom… This is shameful. But I am glad that it happened to me because I am able to tell you what happened and to complain. But it is happening to a lot of other people, who can’t complain; who cannot be visited by reporters like you and tell them why their properties are being taken away. This is terrible, terrible, very terrible! And when I say lets fight against this, I don’t mean physically. I am a non-violent person and I have always advocated for non-violence.

NC: You must have helped a lot of people make it through in life during your lengthy tenure in government, with some of them now owning big businesses in Zimbabwe today. Have they abandoned you seeing how creditors are descending on your assets without them chipping in to assist you?
DM: They are scared to help me. I have a case of a businessman who approached me wanting to assist me till my farm and he begged me to never ever tell anyone that he had assisted me. Two of them, three of them have approached me and that is the fear I have been describing. It’s very serious. They are very scared. What is happening now is happening in exactly the same manner as it happened when I got arrested in the 1970s by the (Ian) Smith regime. The fear I was talking to you about exists… But as we fought, many in ZANU-PF had hoped that the Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) would win (the forthcoming poll) and then they would have come later and reap where they didn’t sow.
NC: Being a war veteran yourself, why is there so much bad blood between the war veterans?
DM: I really don’t know, but what I think is what I would describe as corruptive leadership; corruptive political leadership. Why should anyone have all these people(bodyguards) behind them to protect them, from what? All leaders, even those in the opposition have selfish interests and always seek protection. Protection from what in your own country? I move around unprotected and if I get killed by Zimbabweans, fine, I don’t care.
NC: What is your comment on how war veterans have been treated so far?
DM: They have been treated very badly and they don’t have the correct leadership. Their leaders should come out in the open and demand an audience with President Mugabe and all the political leaders in the country because they fought for the freedom of this country… but unfortunately if they do that they will be tear-gassed after being provoked. I have been telling my fellow war veterans that we should approach the President and assure him that we don’t want to harm him, all we want is a better Zimbabwe. We just want to assist him.
NC: Is this why you phoned him last year?
DM: That is very true. I used to talk to him almost every day and so why should I not talk to him now? I merely wanted to talk to him about these issues. He probably mistook it as if I was seeking to come back to ZANU-PF. But no, there is no ZANU-PF to return to, it’s in pieces.
NC: In 2014, you were at the forefront of a cabal that stood by Joice Mujuru when she came under attack in ZANU-PF, which eventually led to your dismissal. Do you still feel you were right in your decision to support her given the bad blood that now exists between you?
DM: There is no bad blood between me and Amai Mujuru although I don’t know why she expelled me. Did she expel me because she alleges I wanted to sleep with her? Did she expel me because I wanted to steal her money? Otherwise there is no bad blood between us. Similarly there is no bad blood between me and President Mugabe nothwithstanding the fact that he has not explained to me why he expelled me.
NC: Was Emmerson Mnangagwa, the man who benefited the most from the purge, involved in your persecution? Who else was behind it?
DM: The truth is I don’t know and I don’t want to lie. The person who expelled me from ZANU-PF was President Mugabe. I have nothing to do with all the others who might have played a part in my expulsion.
NC: Professor Jonathan Moyo once remarked that it’s cold outside ZANU-PF; are you feeling the cold?
DM: (laughs) That’s a very wrong assumption. It’s actually the opposite. If I was still in ZANU-PF I would currently be very ashamed to be associated with that party. In other words, he (Moyo) was saying there is nothing to be ashamed of being associated with the rot that ZANU-PF has brought about. Can anyone be proud to be associated with ZANU-PF in its current state?
NC: You are one of those people who went out of their way to lure Professor Moyo back into ZANU-PF in what became his second coming. What did you see in him that led you to beg him to return to the revolutionary party? Do you regret it?
DM: The man is very hard working. He is the one who, in 2012 or there about, wrote the manifesto that gave birth to Zim-Asset. He is such an intelligent man. If we can have such brains like Jonathan Moyo and we use them properly, this country would be one of the best. But if then you misuse them, how can you be better as a country when you misuse brains like Jonathan Moyo and many others. They are there free of charge for you to use, but you misuse them.
NC: So you don’t regret to have helped bring back Moyo back into ZANU-PF?
DM: Nooo! No! No because he is a brain to reckon with; and a brain to use and not to misuse. And if you use him properly, that would be good. There are others, but don’t misuse them.
NC: In very few words, what led to the fallout in the Zimbabwe People First?

DM: There were some decisions that were made by the National Committee that we wanted implemented. One of those things was the removal of Dzikamai Mavhaire from organising party activities because there had been many complaints about him from the structures. We then advised Mai Mujuru to find him another job instead. And we agreed. Mai Mujuru did not act immediately and we asked her the reason and she said she would act on it. Then she called me the other day from her house saying Mavhaire was at her house so should she tell him the National Committee’s decision to reassign him to another post, and I said of course yes tell him. Then soon after that conversation I heard that she had actually called for a press conference at her house to fire us.
NC: Will the current problems in ZPF end soon enough for the party to prepare for the 2018 elections?
DM: Yes, our side of the party is preparing and we will be ready.
NC: But you are currently fighting over the name of the party?
DM: It’s ours. The name is ours and we are taking the issue to court because we are the ones who started this organisation.
NC: But Mujuru is already active on the ground; she is all over the place using the ZPF name.
DM: She is all over destroying herself and if she had taken our advice she would not be doing that. We told her that “old woman you don’t know anything so can you step aside and let those who know do the job, and you just relax like a queen bee”. But she refused to listen to us.
NC: What did you actually mean by referring to her as queen bee?
DM: (Laughs) That was just figurative speech to implore her to just step aside and rest while the party takes care of things. We indicated that this job was very different from what she used to do in government and so that is why we had asked her to step aside.
NC: So are you saying she took that out of context?
DM: Certainly! Certainly, yes!
NC: Has ZPF approached Mliswa or anyone else for that matter regarding leadership of the party?
NC: No, that’s not true. We never ever approached him. I mean, why should we approach a leader of another political group to come and lead our political group? He was in it before and went away complaining.
NC: Are there any particular individuals you have approached to lead the party?
DM: Yes of course there are.
NC: Who in particular?
DM: No I can’t tell you that.
NC: Are these individuals from within or outside the country?
DM: Some are within and some from outside, but these names will only be announced at a later date when we are ready.
NC: But does Mliswa qualify?

DM: (laughs) No I don’t know; the committee will have to decide that. We are scanning as a group.
NC: When you were asked in 2015 on your 80th birthday whether it was not high time you retired you said it was actually time for you to take up more responsibilities because you were now wiser. Do you still feel the same?
DM: If there weren’t these injustices happening today I should have retired long back to my home in Rusape. I have never seen such a beautiful place like Rusape. Our leadership, our political leadership is not serving the interests of the people. There is too much corruption… and many of the leaders don’t even understand that they are in leadership to serve the people.
NC: What chances do you and the opposition in general have against ZANU-PF and President Mugabe come 2018?
DM: Can’t you see the corruption that is going on there (in ZANU-PF)?
NC: So are you saying corruption in ZANU-PF is good enough reason for people to vote for the opposition?
DM: Corruption is sitting right in the midst of ZANU-PF. For instance, what happened to the US$15 billion diamond money? Should we accept that the money simply vanished and that is it? Is it not this money that they are now using for their campaigns?
NC: You have also been accused of looting of the diamonds. What is your comment?
DM: How can you go to fight for freedom and then come back to steal from the very thing that you were fighting for?
NC: You have claimed before that ZANU-PF has been cheating during past elections. Is ZPF or any party for that matter capable of stopping the ruling party from the alleged cheating?
DM: That is why NERA (National Electoral Reform Agenda) is engaging the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to create a conducive environment for free and fair elections.
NC: But government has already sidelined the UNDP is procuring the biometric voter registration kit.
DM: Then the regional and international community should come to our assistance.
NC: When they have never come to the country’s assistance over past electoral disputes?
DM: (Mockingly) Now that there is Donald Trump in America things could be different.
NC: So you reckon Trump may get involved in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs?
DM: No I don’t know, but he is a straight forward man.
NC: Zimbabweans are wary of the security forces’ involvement in the country’s politics. You have been a state security minister yourself before. In the event that the opposition outrightly wins next year’s elections, how is the security establishment likely to react?
DM: I am sure if they have their country at heart they will act in the best interest of our country.
NC: You have indicated before that President Mugabe is now powerless and some “vultures” around him have usurped his power. Who are those “vultures”?
DM: I will respond by giving an example. People had to demonstrate against Vice President (Phelekezela) Mphoko for staying at a hotel. Was that demonstration wrong? We have leadership in this country that is selfish and is serving own interests.
NC: Did you ever actually get to know President Mugabe in person? If so, what sort of person is he?
DM: He was a very good man.
NC: He was; what do you mean he was?
DM: He was a good man until some people came along. I will end it at that.
NC: President Mugabe says there appears to be no one capable of leading this country in both ZANU-PF and the opposition. What is your comment?
DM: Well, our dear old man should not say that. There are many in this country who are capable of leading. We have very capable leaders. (laughs) He says there are no capable people when he has stayed for 37 years in power; why didn’t he train someone to be a capable leader?
NC: In the event that President Mugabe suddenly decides to leave office today, what do you think will happen in ZANU-PF?
DM: Ah there would be fights. There would be real physical ones, not these ones you are seeing. They will fight each other because nobody has trained them to be good leaders, as such they have no time for others.
NC: You and the opposition and many others seem to have a common enemy. Why are you all failing to work together?
DM: We are actually working together as NERA and there are others working as CODE (Coalition of Democrats) and we should be able to finally come up with a single (presidential) candidate whom we will all support for 2018. We should be able to bring all opposition parties together. The situation that pertained in the 1960s persists up to today. As I have been working among the opposition I have been asking people: ‘Why do we keep fighting each other because what we want is exactly the same so let’s get together and fight together’; and I am glad that is what is going on right now. But what pains me is to fight against who? To fight against ZANU-PF; ZANU-PF which was fighting for the freedom of this country and is now the very same party that is denying others freedom. And the opposition have got to organise themselves to fight against them; an African government for that matter. It doesn’t make much sense. It doesn’t. But I support those who are fighting for justice because I am for justice. If it were possible the government should come from a grouping like NERA because it represents the people’s aspirations.
NC: In the past, you have described MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai as a sellout. Do you still hold this view?
DM: No I don’t speak like that of other people. In fact, I like Morgan Tsvangirai very much because he is very courageous. I like him as well because he has done as much as he can do under very difficult conditions and anybody who calls him a sellout, I don’t think they know what they would be talking about.
NC: Are you willing to work with him in a coalition to dislodge ZANU-PF and President Mugabe from power?
DM: Yes I will work with him in a coalition. I am working with him now and I used work with him in the Government of National Unity and I used to speak very frankly each time he was being unfairly criticised.
NC: How would you want to be remembered?
DM: As Didymus Mutasa (chuckles).
NC: Thank you very much for your time Nyati.
DM: Thank you too.

Government’s surrogate currency known as bond notes has negatively affected vendors at the country’s biggest informal market of Mbare in Harare, Parliament heard yesterday.

Vendors at the bustling market told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that the bond notes have a tendency to be devalued by their suppliers when they seek to replenish their stocks.

“The introduction of bond notes has really affected us. When we go to buy stocks to places like South Africa using the Rand we have to exchange the bond notes on the black market.
“Some people reject the bond notes and in the instances where they are accepted they devalue the currency which leaves a huge dent on our pockets,” Memory Taonenguwo, secretary for Mbare Musika women’s League said.

The SMEs also said that they were facing challenges with plastic money. “We do not want to use mobile money transfer as a means of buying and selling because sometimes the charges are too high,” Agnes Watungwa said.

“We are proposing charges of less than 3%. Currently we are charged between 10 to 15%, which is unprofitable when dealing with perishable goods. We cannot afford to borrow from banks right now because their rates are also beyond our reach. If we borrow, to a greater extent we are bound to fail to pay them back and the banks will end up suing us. Our businesses are unpredictable, we sell perishable goods hence they rot and profit is not guaranteed.”

The committee, which was on a tour of the market collecting views on the Movable Property Bill, also heard that vendors and people in the informal sector had challenges accessing cheap finance to fund their businesses.

“If the Movable Property Bill is to be passed we would be very glad. Some of us we have got more than 50 cattle that the banks can actually use as collateral but cannot borrow money from banks because we do not have properties such as houses and payslips,” Abel Dzotizei said.
The Movable Property Bill seeks to allow the use of assets such as cattle as collateral in financial transactions. Newsday

Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni has jumped to his Bulawayo counterpart Martin Moyo’s defence, over the latter’s acquisition of a top-of-the range car a year before elections.

Manyenyeni took to social media to argue that Bulawayo residents needed to accept the car, which will be used by successive mayors going forward.

While acknowledging Moyo’s mounting troubles over the vehicle, Manyenyeni said he has had to use alternatives.

Manyenyeni, however, indicated Bulawayo has the capacity to buy its mayor the expensive car.

“The City of Kings (Bulawayo) is our second largest city and is bigger than some government ministries which are headed by ministers and deputies with two cars which they walk away with – no excuse, but just to compare. The mayor heads the best-run municipality in the country – having enjoyed significant levels of independence from central government for many years,” he said.

Manyenyeni added that Bulawayo has also largely been spared Harare’s run-ins with the Local Government ministry.

“This has allowed the Bulawayo city managers to be very professional – with obvious results. Bulawayo politicians across the divide have (in the past) defended their municipality to run without too much politicking from Harare.

Their mayor is probably busier than most MPs and some ministers. ‘His’ current car has seen its better days.

“I know that black BT50 Mazda double-cab well. Mayoral jobs in Zimbabwe are impossible missions – largely because of the rough political terrain, the non-executive template, and poor resources (collection and management),” he said.

According to Manyenyeni, there was failure to understand the “underlying” issues to service delivery, adding “three or so council managers (out of nearly 50 of them) can gobble the same cost per month as all 45 councillors and mayor combined”.

The Harare mayor has had a proposal to reduce salaries of city executives blocked by councillors.

“Our residents don’t even bother to understand that … we are just labelled as one greedy bunch. I don’t know how many times I have been accused of enjoying my big fat salary,” he said.

While arguing he has had to defer Harare’s purchase of the mayor’s $200 000 executive car, he had reduced the budget to $70 000, Manyenyeni told Bulawayo residents.

“To the residents and ratepayers, please, receive the new mayoral (not mayor’s) vehicle without protest. Look after it well … it is yours and it does not really kill service delivery, check out the numbers!” Manyenyeni said.

Moyo took delivery of the Mercedes Benz recently, causing an uproar in the city. – Newsday

The intrigue surrounding clergyman, Evan Mawarire, never ceases to grab anyone’s attention.

Days before Mawarire disappeared into South Africa following months of heightened political temperatures over his highly-charged social media protests against the ZANU-PF government’s rule, the maverick cleric’s popularity had soared after being arrested and released on a technicality.

The State failed to charge him for inciting public violence under the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) of 2002 following his involvement in calling for a nationwide work boycott which successfully shutdown the whole country on July 11 and 12 last year.

During the trial, the State tried to alter the charges to that of subverting a constitutionally elected government, but that too failed leading to his release from custody.

The social media following Mawarire had amassed back then had been so phenomenal that his sudden disappearance left many followers dejected.
But six months later, Mawarire has resurfaced from the United States after his disillusioned followers had packed their bags and moved on. Returning from a self-imposed exile recently Mawarire fell straight into the waiting hands of State security agents at the Harare International Airport.

He has appeared before the courts to face charges of subverting a constitutionally elected government and has been released on a US$300 bail after spending a few days in remand.

And his sudden return from the US has set tongues wagging both at home and abroad as many a Zimbabwean questioned the wisdom of his return.
His revelation last week that he would not mind running for the country’s top job has excited those of his followers who still believe in him.
“If the need arises or if it becomes necessary for me to participate in the elections I really want to be available for that,” he told reporters outside court last week.
“I believe it is my duty as a citizen to serve my nation in that way… I haven’t made that decision as yet but certainly I don’t want that door to be closed.” That slightest hint that he may want to throw his hat into the ring may embolden those behind his persecution. It may also pollute the atmosphere in the opposition camp, where every leader would want to lead the country one day.

Instead of standing with Mawarire at this critical juncture in his life as an activist, opposition leaders might distance themselves from him, seeing he has become a competitor. Be that as it may, his supporters are happy to have him around.
Perhaps it could explain why he took the bold decision to come back home knowing full well that the thought police would be waiting for him.
About his return, Mawarire denies a rumour doing the rounds that his visa had expired. He also denied that he went to the US on a green card, an immigration process of becoming a permanent US resident. The green card serves as proof that its holder, a lawful permanent resident, has been officially granted immigration benefits, which include permission to reside and take employment in the US.
“I have a personal visa which is still valid. I can travel to the US tomorrow on that visa if I got my passport back,” said the clergyman, whose bail conditions include passport forfeiture.
He said his family would return home when it is safe for them to do so.
“One of the reasons why we left the country was that they were harassing my family. Mobs of people would come to my place and harass them. Even when I was arrested at the airport, the people who arrested me asked me to disclose the whereabouts of my wife and children, but they are not part of what I am doing. I decided that it was wiser that they stay where they are safe until such a time when it would be safe for them to come back home and be with us,” he said.

He also added that he never applied for asylum as some have previously suggested, stating that he was always determined to come back home. He hoped that his return would inspire scores of Zimbabweans living outside the country to return and try to solve the country’s problems along with the others.

“To say I sought asylum is an absolute lie. I never applied for it. If you followed my communications from the time I left, you would realise that I have always wanted to come back home. I was not fooled or pushed by anyone to return. I am a Zimbabwean by birth. I needed to use my return to inspire all Zimbabweans who have fled the country because of economic hardships or any other cause to come back home so that we work together to improve the situation. This is the season when we need each other more than ever,” he explained.

But for any student of history, answers to topical present-day issues are never far away because history almost always repeats itself. Mawarire’s arrest mirrors the arrests of the nationalists during their fight against colonial rule.

Without any weapons of war, decades ago President Robert Mugabe, the late vice president Joshua Nkomo and many other nationalist were detained for years by the late Ian Smith regime for merely demanding equal rights between the black majority and racist minority white people. That the same script is repeating itself in the same country and in the same interesting milieu has been described by analysts as sad to say the least.

Political observers, however, expressed optimism that Mawarire could have his Lazarus moment if he keeps the faith of his convictions.
The Lazarus moment phrase is borrowed from the biblical narrative of a character called Lazarus who was dead for four days, but was brought back to life by Jesus Christ. But given how things have changed over the past months to lopsidedly skew against all voices of dissent it is difficult to even imagine Mawarire’s defence team of Harrison Nkomo and Fadzai Mahere achieving much.
And even if they did manage to win him his freedom, the many followers that once followed him seem to have made other plans in the past six months that he was in self-imposed exile. Political analyst, Otto Saki, recons that the problem lies with a cowed Zimbabwean citizenry and not with Mawarire.

“Many of us are used to cowing in our cocoons, be overly critical of the few that have taken great personal risks to raise the political cost of the predatory and poor governance. In fact, we place the burden of making Zimbabwe better on their shoulders, not ours and after that, we condemn them. We have a theory for every move they make. We fail to identify with their cause because we think it is money-driven or counter-intelligence plots, never that they desire for a better Zimbabwe,” Saki lamented.

“The campaign is once again on the global radar because of the punitive arrest,” he added. Political commentator, Rashweat Mukundu, believes Mawarire could still salvage something from his waning political movement, although he is likely to face a rutted road.

“The change of fortunes which we have witnessed on his return suggests that he is entering into an entirely new game which demands more from him in terms of organisation and mobilisation. Mawarire will end the year 2018 (when there are general elections) either as somebody or a nonentity,” Mukundu opined.
The great teacher, history, too is not short on examples of promising political phenomena that fatally miscalculated situations and ended up in sheer embarrassment.

Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn leader, Simba Makoni and youthful former British Labour Party leader, Ed Miliband, are examples of political stars whose brightness only shone brightly and went out. Indeed, even as observed by satirical American writer, Chuck Palahniuk in his 1999 book, Survivor, modern day events are nothing more than new patterns underlain by old patterns. The satirical book has a paragraph which poetically goes like this: “There are only patterns, patterns on top of patterns, patterns that affect other patterns; patterns hidden by patterns; patterns within patterns. If you watch close, history does nothing, but repeat itself.

“What we call chaos is just patterns we haven’t recognised. What we call random is just patterns we can’t decipher. What we can’t understand we call nonsense. What we can’t read we call gibberish. There is no free will. There are no variables.”
In the same vein, while what both Mawarire and the State are up to might be difficult to decipher or understand, they and their actions are part of the Zimbabwean narrative: A history that does not benefit present, but future generations; the generations whose futures, maybe Mawarire and a few others are genuinely fighting for.
Or maybe not! – Fingaz

MORE than 1,4 million villagers in 11 districts are set to benefit from a £12 million grant availed by UK’s Department of International Development (DFID) for the extended rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme.

Speaking during the announcement of the new grant, teputy representative for Unicef Zimbabwe, Jane Muita said access to safe water and adequate sanitation remained critical to the realisation of fundamental human rights.

Muita said poverty assessment research shows that improved access to water is the most important element to the creation of strategies that alleviate poverty.

“Lack of access to water, sanitation and hygiene remains a major concern to Unicef, as it has a great bearing on the health and wellbeing of women and children,” she said.

A strong gender imbalance exists in rural areas, where women and girls do the great majority of manual and management work for water and sanitation services at the household level.

“These activities can deprive women of time to engage in economic activities to enhance their livelihoods and compromise the girl child’s ability to reach her full education potential,” Muita said.

DFID head of mission, Annabel Gerry said the grant will improve the lives of some of the poorest people in Zimbabwe and mitigate the risk of catastrophic diseases.

“The programme has already improved access to drinking water for over three million people across 33 rural districts of Zimbabwe,” Gerry said.

Under the first phase of the Rural WASH programme 1 620 new boreholes have been drilled; 1 600 schools have access to adequate gender sensitive sanitation facilities; 2 500 villages have been declared Open Defecation Free; 32 piped water schemes rehabilitation and over 10 000 boreholes have been rehabilitated.

Permanent secretary in the Water, Climate and Environment ministry and also chairperson of the National Action Committee (NAC) for WASH, Prince Mupazviriho said the grant will greatly assist the country to achieve the SDGs targets that require government to ensure safe water and dignified sanitation for all.

According to Unicef, at least 32% of people in rural Zimbabwe do not have access to improved sources of drinking water, while about 52% do not have access to safe sanitation facilities. – Newsday

MOST parts of Harare’s Central Business District have been dry for the past two days after council experienced technical challenges at Warren Control.

Harare City Council spokesperson, Michael Chideme confirmed the local authority was facing water supply problems in the city centre, the northern suburbs, Msasa and the heavy industrial area.

“Warren Control had a power failure and this affected our delivery lines into the city,” Chideme said.

“We are currently working on the technical faults and expect complete restoration of water supplies by 1 March (yesterday).

He said the western and southern suburbs and Mbare were not affected by the shortages as they get their water directly from Prince Edward and a direct feed from Morton Jaffray. – Newsday

The case in which Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, is being sued for allegedly failing to pay for political consultancy allegedly rendered by a Harare man in the run-up to the 2013 harmonised elections will be heard in the Labour Court next week.

Justice Lilian Hove will on March 6 hear a case in which Moreprecision Muzadzi, president of little known Voice of the People party, is seeking the court’s permission to sue Tsvangirai out of time saying he could not have instituted legal proceedings earlier because he had confidence that a person the former Prime Minister’s stature would act in good faith and honour his side of the bargain.

Muzadzi claims his consultancy services to Tsvangirai involved lobbying leaders of all opposition parties in Zimbabwe not to contest the 2013 presidential elections, but to rally behind the MDC-T candidate, on the understanding that Tsvangirai would pay him in cash and kind, which promise Tsvangirai has since reneged on.

“I did a job for Morgan Richard Tsvangirai from January 2013 to July 2013 as a negotiator for his opposition grand coalition project for his presidential candidature in 2013 presidential elections,” wrote Muzadzi in his founding affidavit.

Muzadzi said he together with Kisinoti Mukwazhe, the leader of another microscopic political outfit, the Zimbabwe Democratic Party, managed to get leaders of at least 16 opposition parties to agree to stand aside in favour of Tsvangirai in the 2013 presidential election.

Muzadzi said together with Mukwazhe, they were each promised US$7 800 and a Nissan NP200 vehicle by Tsvangirai.

He claims the embassies of Australia, the United States of America and the head of the European Union delegation in Zimbabwe were supporting the clandestine project.

However, the deal later did not materialise, resulting in Tsvangirai refusing to pay for the services rendered.

Muzadzi said a follow up on Tsvangirai showed that the former trade unionist was unwilling to pay for the work done for him, hence his belated decision to approach the Labour Court.

“The applicant didn’t want to tarnish the reputation of the former prime minister of Zimbabwe over the ‘paltry’ allowances (US$7 800 and Nissan PN200),” said Muzadzi.

Under Zimbabwean law, claims of a labour nature usually prescribe after two years, which is the reason why Muzadzi has applied for condonation of late noting of his appeal. Fingaz

President Mugabe is a great pride of the nation and a source of inspiration to many people including his enemies, Retired Chief Justice Godfrey Guwa Chidyausiku has said.
He made the remarks at a farewell dinner hosted for him by the Judicial Service Commission in Harare on Tuesday.

Justice Chidyausiku’s tenure of office ended on Tuesday after serving as the head of Judiciary for 16 years after reaching the mandatory 70 years of age last week. He told the gathering that President Mugabe’s sense of propriety was beyond reproach.

“I do not think there is anybody in my generation who fails to be inspired by His Excellency, the President,” said Justice Chidyausiku. “He (President Mugabe) is the kind of person who inspires people whether you like it or not, even his enemies talk well of him.

“He is the single Zimbabwean, I can say who has provided more inspiration to me than anybody else.”

The former Chief Justice said during his tenure as either a judge, Attorney-General or Chief Justice, President Mugabe never influenced his decisions.

“On occasions, I did brief him on what was going on,” said Justice Chidyausiku.
“He just listened without comments and he would never ever attempt to influence you.”
The former Chief Justice took the occasion to reflect on his successes and challenges he faced during his more than 40-year-long career, as a lawyer, attorney-general, and in the judiciary.

He spoke of the decentralisation of the High Court, the work he left unfinished, transformation of the Judicial Service Commission and the decisions made by his bench.
He highlighted the role he played in the land reform programme as a major achievement in his career as Chief Justice.

Justice Chidyausiku expressed no regret on the landmark decision he made on the land case, which ended up at the disbanded Sadc Tribunal in Namibia. The Retired Chief Justice said he belonged to the generation that fought the liberation struggle to correct the historical land imbalances.

“The most satisfying thing to me is the role that I played in the land reform programme,” he said.

“Some people believe the judiciary was not independent because some of the judgments were perceived to be in favour of the Government.

“But the real reason is, I belong to that generation that fought for this country. And that is what really impressed my perception, not that I wanted to please anybody.”

The former Chief Justice said both his paternal and maternal grandfathers Chief Chinamhora and Chief Chiweshe respectively, lost land to the colonial regime.
To this end, he said, it would have been betrayal to the ancestry if he had not performed a key role in the land reform programme, as the head of the judiciary.

Justice Chidyausiku singled the discord over his successor as the biggest disappointment in his professional career.

“There are times when things are not going the way they should. One of them (disappointments) is the way we are quarrelling about my successor,” he said.

“It’s a big disappointment, but it is nothing that we cannot overcome. I am sure we will overcome it without any difficulty. My view is, there is really no dispute, there is really no issue. With the passage of time, things are going to fall into place.

“I would have wanted to leave one, very united judiciary that is fearless, independent and with the back bone of steel.”

Justice Chidyausiku was appointed as Zimbabwe’s new Chief Justice in July 2001.
Born on February 23, 1947 in Domboshava, Chief Justice Chidyausiku attended Mutake School at Makumbi Mission, and then St Ignatius College in Chishawasha.
He got a place at the then University of Rhodesia from 1968 to 1972 where he read law. He then went into private legal practice.

At the 1974 general election, Justice Chidyausiku won the Harare African Roll Constituency, standing with the unofficial support of the African National Council which had been set up by Zanu, Zapu and Frolizi. He acted in opposition to the government of Ian Douglas Smith.

Justice Chidyausiku stood down at the 1977 election. In the 1980 election, Chief Justice Chidyausiku was elected as 12th on Zanu-PF’s list for Mashonaland East Province when Zanu-PF won 14 seats.

He was Deputy Minister in the then Ministry of Local Government and Housing and of Justice from 1980, and was promoted to be Attorney-General in 1982.

Chief Justice Chidyausiku was later promoted to be a judge and served as chair of the constitutional convention charged with drafting a new Constitution for Zimbabwe in 2000.
After the resignation of former Chief Justice Anthony Gubbay, Chief Justice Chidyausiku was named as Zimbabwe’s new Chief Justice in July 2001. – State Media

Terrence Mawawa, Mutare| A senior official of the Morgan Tsvangirai led MDC has accused the police of lying that he evaded arrest.

MDC Manicaland Provincial chairperson, David Anthony Chimhini said claims by the police he evaded arrest were baseless. The police last week claimed Chimhini evaded arrest during an unsanctioned NERA demonstration last year.

Chimhini was initially arrested following the NERA demonstration and was released after the court ruled that the case would proceed by way of summons. Chimhini said he was shocked when the police claimed he ran away during the NERA demonstration.

“The police said I took part in the NERA demonstration and went into hiding but that is not true.I have always been around because the state said I would be called to court by way of summons. I will therefore wait to hear from them,” said Chimhini.
Party sources said the police got angry when Tsvangirai expressed concern at the presence of cops at a meeting he addressed in Mutare.

“Honourable Chimhini was called by the police who said he was facing charges of barring officers on duty from attending the meeting that was addressed by President Tsvangirai. The police later accused Honourable Chimhini of running away from the law enforcement agents,” said Takudzwa Magwere, the MDC Provincial Youth Organising Secretary.

The High Court has ordered the release of three bogus cops who were last year each sentenced to five years in jail after they used fake police identification cards to mount illegal road blocks and extort $70 from two motorists.

Zibusiso Sikhosana (23) and Brian Mbewe (27) both of Greenhill and Marvellous Ndlovu (23) of Cowdray Park were convicted of extortion and impersonating a police officer by magistrate Mr Stephen Ndhlovu who sentenced them to an effective three years imprisonment after conditionally suspending two years.

Justice Nicholas Mathonsi, who was sitting with Justice Maxwell Takuva during the criminal appeals court, set aside the sentence. The judge said the sentence imposed by the lower court did not fit the offence committed by the trio.

He said the three men were supposed to have been fined or given community service.

“This is a case in which the penal provision being applied allowed the sentencer to impose a fine. The offenders were youthful first offenders who committed the offence under the influence of intoxicating liquor and they only extorted $70 which is no doubt a very small. Of that amount $50 had already been repaid to the complainants at the time of the conviction,” he said.

Justice Mathonsi substituted the sentence with 12 months in jail for each of the trio.

He suspended six months for five years on condition that they do not within that period commit a similar offence.

Of the remaining six months, the judge set aside three-and-half months on condition they jointly and severally restituted the two complainants $20.

Justice Mathonsi said since the three men had already served two-and- half months, they were entitled to immediate release.

The court heard that on November 23, last year at around 7PM, the three men were travelling in a Honda Fit along Nketa Drive when they mounted a fake police vehicle check point and stopped motorists. Sikhosana and Mbewe waved at Mr Tapiwa Pikirai, a prison officer stationed at Khami Remand Prison to stop.

They produced fake police identity cards and told him that they were plain clothes police officers conducting an operation targeting illegal pirate taxis.

The court heard that the bogus traffic police officers told Mr Pikirai that they were taking his car to the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID). Mbewe asked Mr Pikirai if he had any money on him, and he produced a $50 note.

Upon receiving the “fine”, they got out of the complainant’s car and told him to drive off.

Mr Pikirai saw the trio at another place soliciting a bribe from a different motorist and then teamed up with him to report them to the police.

On the second count, the trio extorted $20 from Mr Lawrence Zingwevhu of Nketa 8 suburb. They used the same method of impersonating a police officer. – State Media

The High Court has issued a landmark ruling outlawing beating of children at school and in homes.

Justice David Mangota held that parents and teachers must not lay their hands on children even if they misbehave.

Recently another High Court judge Justice Esther Muremba, ruled out caning of juveniles as judicial punishment, but the decision now awaits confirmation at the Constitutional Court.

Justice Mangota also declared unconstitutional Section 69(2) (c) of the Education Act which permits corporal punishment.

Sections 3 to 7 of the Education Disciplinary Regulations 1985 contained in Statutory Instrument 362 of 1998, was declared to be in violation of the Constitution.

Justice Mangota will write a detailed judgment giving reasons for his decision. However, the matter will be sent to the Constitutional Court for confirmation.

Constitutional law expert Mr Tendai Biti, filed the court application at the High Court in June last year on behalf of a parent whose child was being beaten by a teacher at Belvedere Primary School in Harare.

Mrs Linah Pfungwa, with the support of Justice for Children’s Trust, filed the court application arguing that corporal punishment was a form of violence and must be abolished. She indicated in her affidavit that her daughter who was in Grade One, was severely assaulted with a rubber pipe by her teacher identified as Mrs Chemhere.

The reason for the punishment, Mrs Pfungwa said, was that the girl’s reading book had not been signed by guardians as confirmation that she had done her homework.

“My child suffered major bruises and I took photographs and pictures of the same. She had deep bruises on her back and she could hardly sleep properly.
“I posted the pictures of my daughter on our WhatsApp group for other parents to observe and it turned out that other children had also been assaulted.”

Mrs Pfungwa and other family members approached the headmistress at Belvedere Primary School with the complaint and she undertook to investigate.

The woman’s lawyers even wrote to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education complaining before filing the court application.

Mrs Pfungwa argued that that corporal punishment was inhuman. “I believe corporal punishment is violence against children and I do not believe that children should be subjected to any form of violence. I further believe that corporal punishment is a physical abuse of children.

“It amounts to deliberately hurting a child, which causes injuries such as bruises, broken bones, burns or cuts..”

She also argued that corporal punishment in schools was dangerous because it was administered indiscriminately without any measure of control.

At home, Mrs Pfungwa said, she did not beat up her child.

“If my child misbehaves, I ground her by denying her access to television as well as denying her pocket money or other goodies like sweets and presents.

“If she does well, I reward her by presents or extra hours of watching television.

“My child is well-behaved and well-brought up simply as a result of the dialogue that I use as a means of discipline,” she said. – State Media

One of the four armed robbers that allegedly killed a security guard at a Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church-run primary school in Bulawayo’s Pelandaba suburb last month, was back in court yesterday facing charges of possessing a gun without a licence.

Martin Dlamini (36) of New Magwegwe whose hand got fractured last month during his arrest, is still in plaster.

Police arrested Dlamini last month with Tomson Phuthi (40) of Mabuthweni suburb, Ndabezinhle Mpofu (25) of Old Pumula suburb and Onious Bhebhe of Old Magwegwe suburb for allegedly killing Mr Burton Sikalonga and savagely attacking Mr Vusumuzi Tshuma who were guarding the school’s premises.

Dlamini pleaded not guilty to possessing a gun without a licence and the magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya remanded him in custody to March 14.

Prosecuting, Mr Nkathazo Dlodlo said on January 23, police received a tip off that Dlamini had a gun.

“Police carried out a search at his place of residence leading to recovery of a star pistol and one live round of ammunition hidden in a disused refrigerator in his kitchen,” he said.

Mr Dlodlo said Dlamini initially admitted ownership of the firearm.

The state said it could produce the star pistol and bullet as exhibits in court.

Mr Sikalonga died on admission to Mpilo Central Hospital following the attack while his workmate Mr Tshuma sustained injuries.

The four robbers who were allegedly armed with a gun, stole three laptops, five SDA T-shirts and nearly $300 at the school and church which are on the same premises.

The court heard that the suspects struck Sikalonga with an iron bar on the head and all over his body before stabbing him with a hunter’s knife on January 17 at around 3AM.

The four accused who are facing murder charges were last month remanded in custody to March 17. – State Media

A Gweru man allegedly doused his wife with paraffin and set her on fire resulting in her death while the couple’s seven- year old son watched.

Eddy Mpofu was allegedly angry after his wife, Bongani Nyathi received a message on her phone.

The boy testified that he saw his father dousing his mother with paraffin before setting her on fire but Mpofu maintains that his wife committed suicide.

Gweru Magistrate Mr Musaiwona Shotgame sitting as a coroner heard that Nyathi died after her husband, attacked her in August last year.

The couple’s seven-year-old son told the coroner that Mpofu found him and his mother at the shops.

“At the time he entered the shop my mother received a text message and my father demanded to be given the phone.

“My mother gave him the phone and he started asking her who had sent her the text message. “Father gave back the phone to my mother and he proceeded to a bar.

“When he came home later that evening my father refused to eat, locked the door and started beating my mother demanding to know who had sent her the text message.

“He pushed her against the wall, took a bottle that contained paraffin and poured it on her before he lit a match.

“My mother who was now on fire screamed for help, that is when my father took a blanket that was on the bed and covered her.

“He called for a car which rushed my burnt mother to the clinic,” said the child.

Mpofu said he had a domestic dispute with his wife that led to a fight.

“My wife then went on to pour paraffin all over her body and lit herself up with a match. I then put out the fire by covering her body with a blanket and took her to the hospital,” he told the coroner.

The inquest continues on March 20. – State Media

In yet another major setback for Zimbabwe’s international standing, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) yesterday released a damning report in which 10 000 tourists complained about the police — with 500 of them promising never to return to the country again, citing harassment by law enforcement agents.

At the same time, 14 358 tourists also condemned the sorry state of the country’s roads, which they branded as “very poor” in a visitor survey conducted by the government at the country’s 10 ports of exit between July 2015 and June 2016.

This comes as Zimbabwe’s tourist industry, already battered by the country’s poor international political standing, is struggling to attract visitors because of its uncompetitive product offering and the complaints of harassment by police on the country’s roads.
ZimStat’s tourist survey findings come amid the outcry by locals that pervasive, bribe-seeking police roadblocks are making travelling by car in the country an impossible mission.

“Roads were rated poor and very poor by 42,4 percent of visitors. Similarly, police services were rated poor and very poor by 25,1 percent of the visitors.

“Visitors who had no intentions of visiting again or recommending destination Zimbabwe to others were asked for the reasons and the major one cited were high prices (63,2 percent), harassment by police (43,2 percent) and poor infrastructure and other facilities which accounted for 31,1 percent,” the survey concluded.

A cross section of Zimbabweans, including Parliament and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), has regularly raised serious concerns about the heavy presence of police on the roads, saying it was a hindrance to both the growth of the tourism sector and commerce generally.

Zimbabwe boasts of having some of the world’s most renowned tourist destinations, including the majestic Victoria Falls and scenic Eastern Highlands attractions among many others.

However, poor local infrastructure and the ubiquitous police roadblocks have seen deep-pocketed international tourists giving the country a wide berth, in favour of other regional destinations like South Africa and Mauritius.

“We have observed as Parliament that there is no law concerning roadblocks and they are just being erected willy-nilly.

“Tourists driving from Beitbridge to Victoria Falls on average go through about 20
roadblocks. They have been checked at the border and passed through customs and immigration,” National Assembly Speaker Jacob Mudenda complained last year.

“In Tanzania, road blocks have been reduced from 58 to 15. In Kenya, they used to have 35 police road blocks between Mombasa and Malawi but by 2013 all road blocks had been removed.

“Now you bring an investor from outside and they land at Harare International Airport, they go through Customs and Immigration and just as they leave the airport, where there is our independence banner there is a road block!

“Can this investor be a criminal in that five metres they have travelled? Come on, this does not make sense. Let us not be our own enemies against strengthening the ease of doing business,” Mudenda added.

In a desperate bid to maintain acceptable occupancy levels, one of Zimbabwe’s most popular hotels, Leopard Rock, last year took the unprecedented step of re-imbursing tourists their money which they would have spent on paying traffic fines en route to the hotel.

Last week, the High Court ruled that there was no law that allowed police to confiscate licences and impound vehicles of drivers who refuse to pay spot fines.

In the High Court application filed by Andrew Makunura, who was represented by Tonderai Bhatasara, in which he sought an order barring police from demanding spot fines, and that he be given back his driver’s licence, police made the welcome concession that paying spot fines was optional.

Judge Esther Muremba subsequently ruled that spot fines were illegal.
“In their plea, the defendants (including Home Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo and Chihuri) denied that when the plaintiff failed to pay the spot fine he was detained or compelled to pay it as paying a spot fine is optional to motorists who are willing to do so.

“The defendants averred that spot fines have already been declared to be unconstitutional in terms of the old Constitution and as such they (defendants) have no reason to disrespect the law,” Muremba noted. – Daily News

Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) elders — Rugare Gumbo and Didymus Mutasa — have said they will not fight former ally Joice Mujuru over the party’s name but co-exist as separate political entities using the same name.

Gumbo told the Daily News yesterday that while he and Mutasa were the founders and custodians of ZPF, his camp will not approach the courts in an attempt to block Mujuru from using the party name.

“If they think they can hold a congress, they can go ahead, it is their democratic right and we will not make any attempt to stop them because we are going to have ours in May, if all goes well,” Gumbo said.

“What is a fact and cannot be wished away is that we formed this party and we remain its bona fide owners after she (Mujuru) had failed in the mandate we had given her to lead us,” he said.

“Now the reality is that we head ZPF. Anything they want to do in the name of a congress is a circus and that is why we will not challenge them,” Gumbo said, adding “we have other serious issues to worry about than to think about what other parties are doing”.

This comes as Mujuru — who no longer sees eye-to-eye with Gumbo and Mutasa following a fallout over her leadership — has reportedly drafted a list of preferred lieutenants to take up key positions in her camp, ahead of their convention.

These include Samuel Sipepa Nkomo and either John Shumba Mvundura or Elliot Kasu as her two deputies.

While Mujuru’s ZPF spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire has said the congress is set for end of March or beginning of April, the exact date is expected to be announced tomorrow after a national executive council meeting.

He, however, said “the fact that we are going for national convention means that all positions, including that of the president down to the lowest position, are vacant and anyone can contest because we are a democratic party”. – Daily News

A High Court judge has blasted magistrates, describing them as “little kings and queens” who have a proclivity for power in their areas of operations where they have influence and likely to corrupt the judiciary system if let loose.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Francis Bere made the scathing remarks as he quashed a sentence imposed on a Gweru teenager who was convicted of unlawfully detaining his 16-year-old girlfriend and sentenced to 15 months in jail.

The matter had been brought to the High Court for review.

Abundance Sibanda (18) of Mkoba suburb was sentenced to an effective nine months in jail by a Gweru provincial magistrate for unlawful detention of his lover.

Justice Bere said magistrates wield so much influence and power which if not properly used was likely to corrupt the entire judiciary system.

“I must hasten to say that the office of the magistrate occupies a central role in the administration of both the civil and criminal justice system. Because the magistrate’s court is usually the court of first instance, the magistrate wields so much influence and power, which if not properly used can result in the corruption of the whole system.

“Magistrates are regarded as little kings and queens in their areas of operation and therefore it is important that they exercise extreme restraint and caution in executing their duties to avoid the possible abuse of power they hold, especially when dealing with a youthful and unrepresented accused person,” said the judge.

Justice Bere said it was wrong for the magistrate to opt for a prison term without first exploring the possibility of a fine.

“There is a need to treat youthful offenders with a measure of extreme mercy and to differentiate their treatment from those of mature individuals. The penalty provision in the charge preferred against the accused person in this case does in fact provide for a fine or imprisonment where the kidnapping or unlawful detention was not committed in aggravating circumstances,” he said.

The judge said it was clear that Sibanda did not use violence when he unlawfully detained the complainant.

“It is equally true that despite age, the victim appeared to have prevailed over the accused by deliberately refusing to immediately go back to her place and opting to return after the weekend. It cannot escape the mind of the court that despite her age, the victim showed signs of maturity that went beyond her age when she persuaded the accused to take her to his place,” said Justice Bere.

The judge said the sentence imposed on Sibanda was too harsh under the circumstances.

“The court in this case is clearly at large as regards the sentence. The court a quo’s sentence is set aside and substituted with a sentence to pay a fine of $150 in default of payment to undergo 20 days imprisonment,” ruled Justice Bere.

The judge said Sibanda, having already served a period in excess of the alternative period of imprisonment, is entitled to automatic release.

The court heard that on January 2 this year, the complainant, a Form Two pupil, visited her boyfriend at his home in Mkoba 16 after school and the two lovers stayed together until evening.

They spent the weekend together until January 23 when Sibanda decided to visit his parents in Shangani. When the complainant returned home her parents quizzed her about her whereabouts and she revealed that she was with her boyfriend. A report was made to the police leading to Sibanda’s arrest. – State Media

Social movements have said they will join a planned protest march by civil servants in order to put pressure on the government to address the social and economic problems facing the country.

Civil servants will on Monday next week embark on a strike over government’s failure to commit to paying them their 2016 bonuses.

Already the cash-strapped government is looking into the possibility of paying civil servants with residential stands, a move workers unions were not comfortable with. Social movements, who have been in hibernation since last year’s series of sporadic protests, have jumped to support the job action.

“A national shutdown has long been overdue. The Zanu PF government’s mis-prioritisation needs to be challenged. How can they spend millions on President Robert Mugabe’s senseless birthday when civil servants have not been paid? We are endorsing the strike and urging all progressive forces to support the strike. Mugabe must go as a matter of urgency and national security,” Promise Mkwananzi of Tajamuka/Sesjikile said.

National Vendors’ Union of Zimbabwe leader, Sten Zvorwadza said its members will stand in solidarity with colleagues from other sectors in order to pro-actively engage in governance issues rather than being passive citizens.

“It is commendable to see groups of people coming together as citizens to demand their rights as it is mandated by the Constitution of Zimbabwe. It is a healthy culture that should be encouraged and exercised as a constitutional right without harassment or being brutalised by the enforcement agents,” he said.

Patson Dzamara, brother of the abducted activist, Itai, said: “I will join the civil servants on their strike against exploitative labour practices by their employer, the government of Zimbabwe. We must continue to stand against all forms of exploitation and repression and will identify with all sectors of society which resist evil and stand up for good.”

He said the crisis in Zimbabwe was multi-faceted, hence, the response to it has to be equally multi-dimensional. Newsday

Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa have blasted Johannesburg mayor, Herman Mashaba, describing him as “xenophobic and arrogant”, after he allegedly displayed a hostile attitude towards them during a meeting held at his offices yesterday.

The meeting was expected to find ways to end hostilities between South African citizens and foreigners based in Johannesburg. Ngqabutho Mabhena, chairman of the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa (ZCSA), said the meeting ended in a deadlock, as Mashaba turned hostile and attempted to politicise the issue.

“On December 19 2016, we joined the African Diaspora Forum (ADF) to hand over a memorandum to the mayor of Johannesburg, following his xenophobic utterances,” he said.

“Today (yesterday), we were part of the meeting in the mayor’s office with ADF, as a follow up to the December 19 memorandum and the recent xenophobia attacks. Our meeting this morning did not achieve anything at all. The mayor of Johannesburg is xenophobic and arrogant. He seeks to deal with issues outside his mandate as part of the Democratic Alliance political programme for 2019.”

The meeting comes after a fresh round of xenophobic attacks preceded by an anti-immigration march in Pretoria on Friday last week and the continued looting of foreign-owned small shops in Pretoria and parts of Johannesburg at the weekend.

Mabhena said Mashaba was insisting on the “documentation of foreign nationals before protecting undocumented migrants in and around the city of Johannesburg”.

“This, in our view, is reactionary, as he seeks to recruit migrants into his political agenda. While we support the call for the documentation of migrants, we reject the call that undocumented migrants are involved in criminal activities. Most undocumented migrants are abused and exploited by their employers, who force them to work long hours for a little pay,” he said.

Mabhena added that the ZCSA would continue to work with South African President Jacob Zuma’s government in seeking a solution to the migration challenges facing that country.

“As the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa, we will continue working with the Department of Home Affairs on documentation issues,” he said.

Meanwhile, local human rights group, ZimRights has called on Sadc to urgently intervene and stop the xenophobic attacks happening in South Africa.

“ZimRights condemns the recent acts of xenophobic violence on African migrants, who include Zimbabweans in South Africa.The physical violence, destruction of property and abuse of African foreigners constitutes a violation of human rights, which the South African authorities and society must end urgently,” ZimRights said in a statement yesterday.

“The Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) must take the issue of the migrant population and the human rights problem of xenophobic violence as a regional problem that South Africa needs to solve together with source countries. The xenophobic violence should be looked at from all sides as a hate crime and symptom of a genuine migration flow exacerbated by skewed regional development.

“For Zimbabwean migrants, there are push factors that drive them to South Africa such as the economic and governance deficiencies, which resulted in about 200 000 Zimbabweans, leaving the country and getting officially registered under the Special Dispensation Permit that expires on December 31, 2017. Equally, outside Sadc, other African countries where migrants come, such as Nigeria, have security concerns.” newsday

Government has ordered former Energy minister, Elton Mangoma to reimburse part of the allowances he received amid allegations that he was erroneously paid after termination of his services in 2013.

In a letter dated January 31 this year and addressed to Mangoma, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) alleged that the Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe party leader continued to receive allowances payable to Cabinet ministers between August 23 and 31 2013 due to late notification of termination of his services.

According to the letter, which was signed by Stephen Dihwa, on behalf of the Secretary for Energy and Power Development, Mangoma is expected to reimburse $1 064,61 to the government.

“The SSB [Salary Services Bureau] raised a surcharge of $1 064,61 in respect of salary and allowances overpaid for the period stated August 23 2013 to August 31 2013 . . . and to the late notification of termination of your services as minister,” part of the letter read.

But Mangoma yesterday questioned why it had taken the SSB so long to realise that they had overpaid him.

“The SSB should actually be paying me monies owed to me by government for my services as Energy minister. I am equally shocked that they want money from me and it is not the other way round,” he said.

Dihwa could not be reached for comment, as he was said to be in a meeting.

Mangoma was among top MDC-T officials appointed Cabinet ministers in the inclusive government, which also included Zanu PF and MDC. – Newsday

A 27-YEAR-OLD Harare man, who allegedly mounted an illegal police roadblock near State House, where he demanded spot fines from traffic offenders, appeared in court on Saturday charged with attempting to rob a newspaper delivery van.

Martin Ndoorwi was remanded in custody to March 9 by magistrate, Josephine Sande.

Ndoorwi is being charged alongside Innocent Pamire (32) and Khadri Amin (43), who are yet to appear in court.

Allegations are that on February 24 this year, a Patriot newspaper driver, Milton Shumba and his wife, Elizabeth Chuma were driving past State House along Borrowdale Road, when they were blocked by the suspects’ car, forcing them to stop.

The State alleged Ndoorwi, who was clad in police uniform, got out of the car, while the other suspects remained in their getaway vehicle.

Ndoorwi allegedly accused Shumba of driving past a red traffic light.

Ndoorwi and Chuma then jumped into Shumba’s car and ordered him to drive back to State House.

On approaching the State House entrance, Ndoorwi allegedly ordered Shumba to drive towards Harare Botanical Gardens, alleging that they wanted to use the back entrance.

The State alleges the suspects demanded to drive the vehicle themselves, but Shumba refused after suspecting that they were criminals.

The suspects then wrestled with him in a bid to grab the vehicle, before Shumba lost control of the vehicle and hit a pavement.

After the accident, Ndoorwi and Chuma allegedly jumped off and took to their heels, before members of the public gave chase and arrested the former.

The other suspects, who were in the getaway car, sped off with Shumba’s wife, whom they later dropped in Mt Pleasant.

Ndoorwi later implicated Pamire, Amin and two other suspects only identified as Gondo and Joe. He also allegedly led police officers to his house, where a riot police jacket, three riot trousers and one webbing belt were recovered.

Pamire was arrested at Pamuzinda in Kuwadzana and he led to the recovery of the getaway car and the subsequent arrest of Amin, who was found in possession of a police identity card in the name of a Constable Zondo, and a pair of handcuffs.

Nancy Chandakaona appeared for the State. – Newsday

NURSES at public hospitals yesterday joined striking doctors to pile pressure on President Robert Mugabe’s cash-strapped government to honour its undertaking to pay them 2016 bonuses and improve their working conditions.

Doctors downed tools a fortnight ago over similar demands.

The nurses’ strike came after the Zimbabwe Nurses’ Association (Zina) wrote to the government last week demanding specific dates for their 2016 bonus payments, among other grievances.

Zina secretary-general, Enoch Dongo, yesterday told NewsDay that nurses at Harare Central Hospital were the first to heed the strike call.

“Yes, we have downed tools because the government was not showing commitment to pay us our bonuses,” he said.

“Our job is a bit different from any other job, we cannot handle patients well when our morale is low. So we decided that the nurses, who are not psychologically prepared to do their jobs should stay at home to avoid making mistakes that could put patients’ lives in danger.”

Dongo said he was informed that nurses at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals held a meeting yesterday and resolved to join the strike starting today.

He said nurses have had several concerns, but the issue of bonuses broke the camel’s back. Some of the concerns, Dongo said, included poor staff grading, short staffing and poor working conditions.

“Nurses have several challenges, but the issue of bonuses has triggered this action. The ministry has postponed meetings to deliberate on the issue and instead, claim they are conducting consultations to get feedback on those who want to be paid by residential stands, a process we conducted a long time back and concluded that we want cash payment.”

NewsDay visited Harare Central Hospital and observed that most patients were being turned away by a skeletal staff manning the hospital and supported by student nurses.

The rest of the civil service has threatened to go on strike on Monday over the outstanding bonus issue. – Newsday

Terrence Mawawa, Mutare | A local juvenile and her friend connived to steal cash from the latter’ s boyfriend in a dramatic incident.

Bridget Mhlanga (18) and her friend (14) were convicted of stealing $6500 cash from Mhlanga’s boyfriend, Dawn Mazendure. The two appeared before Mutare Magistrate, Tracy Muzondo facing theft charges.

The court heard that on October 30, last year, Mhlanga and her friend were cleaning Mazendure’ s house. The minor searched Mazendure’s tool box and found $6500 and she connived with Mhlanga to steal the cash.
The two then shared the cash and Mhlanga got $3000 while the teen got $3500.
The two went to the city centre where the minor gave the cash to one Tafadzwa while Mhlanga gave part of the cash to one Ambitious Machite.

On November 4 Mazendure checked his tool box and discovered that the cash was missing.
He questioned Mhlanga who revealed she had connived with her friend to steal the money. After investigations only $240 was recovered.
Magistrate Muzondo sentenced the two to 24 months in prison and six months were suspended on condition of good behaviour. However, the minor will serve her sentence when she turns 18. The rise in crime cases of such magnitude has been largely attributed to the rising socio-economic challenges in the country.

Former Zanu PF Mashonaland Central youth chairperson, Godfrey Tsenengamu, who is facing charges of subverting a constitutionaly-elected government, insists President Robert Mugabe must retire to make way for his deputy, Emerson Mnangagwa, arguing such utterances have nothing to do with toppling the 93-year-old leader from power.

Tsenengamu said his remarks during a recent Press conference in Harare, were mere political statements that had so far been misconstrued by the law enforcement agents, who have since sought to drag the government into simple party politics.

In his bail statement filed last week, Tsenengamu said Mugabe was the Zanu PF leader, while Mnangagwa was also from the same party.

He said calls for Mugabe to step down in favour of his deputy should not be interpreted as calling for uprisings.

Tsenengamu reportedly said: “The ball is now in your hands, the war veterans, the same way you removed Sithole to replace him with Mugabe. We now want you to lead us so that Mnangagwa becomes the next party president, going forward.”

Through his lawyer, Zivanai Macharaga, Tsenengamu told High Court judge, Justice Priscilla Chigumba, his quoted speech was simply talking about replacing Mugabe with Mnangagwa as a party president.

“What was being discussed wasn’t State President, but party president. There is a difference between political party and State Presidency. It is not a crime to advocate the removal of a party president, but when it comes to State President, one has to look if the removal is unconstitutional or not,” Macharaga said.

“President is defined in terms of section 89 of the Constitution as, ‘the President is the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. The President described by statutes is not a political party president, but State President.”

Tsenengamu further said although he was being charged for making reference to a party president, he made reference to Mugabe and Sithole, “while it is not clear which Mugabe and Sithole are being mentioned”.

“Let’s say he is talking of President Mugabe, who is a Zimbabwean and Zanu PF president, while Sithole is former Zanu PF president, whose history says he was replaced by Mugabe as Zanu PF president, this will only go to show that the replacement of leadership that he was talking about is a political party president,” his lawyers said.

The matter was supposed to be heard yesterday, but prosecutor, Tapiwa Kasema sought postponement to today to enable him to file the State’s response.

Meanwhile, another bail application involving incarcerated Kariba-based Remnant Church cleric Patrick Philip Mugadza, who is alleged to have committed a criminal offence by prophesising that Mugabe would die on October 17 this year, was yesterday further postponed to March 8 this year.

The postponement of the matter followed an application by Mugadza’s lawyer, Obey Shava, who told the court he needed time to file a fully transcribed court record before the matter could be heard.

Prosecutor, Editor Mavuto, is appearing for the State. – Newsday

Lundi Girls High in Mwenezi District has been shut down while bridges in Mberengwa have been destroyed leaving nine districts inaccessible as floods continue to ravage the southern parts of the country.

The Civil Protection Unit has since urged communities living in low lying areas to be prepared to move to higher ground as there is still a risk of flooding in the country with most parts expected to receive more rainfall.

The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) was called to rescue 270 pupils and 23 staffers after water threatened the structural integrity of hostels at Lundi High School.

The girls were marooned on Sunday night before being evacuated to the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ)buildings for safety on Monday as water levels in the swollen Runde River rose to unprecedented levels, spilling into their hostels. Mwenezi District Administrator Ms Rosemary Chingwe said a rescue team comprising soldiers came to the school around 9PM on Monday and managed to rescue 23 employees who were marooned as their houses were surrounded by water.

She said although the situation is almost under control with the levels in Runde River having subsided, infrastructure like homes, roads, bridges and some toilets at some schools was destroyed by the heavy rains.

“The situation is under control after 270 girls were marooned but evacuated from their hostels to the nearest RCZ church. The 23 staff members including the matron whose houses are located on the same side with the girls’ hostels were also marooned but were rescued by the soldiers who went to the school around 9PM on Monday. They were initially evacuated into classrooms,” said Ms Chingwe.

She called on the Government to attend to infrastructure in the district as a number of activities are now at a standstill following widespread destruction.

“Infrastructure such as roads, toilets and some schools and clinics has been destroyed. Some areas are no longer accessible because small bridges have been swept away,” Ms Chingwe said.

“Coordination of rescue efforts at Neshuro Business centre where local authority and some Government offices are located including the district CPU offices is now difficult given the damaged roads. These rains have caused untold destruction in the district and I am told the situation is even worse in districts like Chivi where families were left homeless”.

Elsewhere, a humanitarian disaster is looming in Mberengwa West as the district has been cut off from other areas following the destruction of two high level bridges — Jeka-Chegato and Mwenezi along the Mwenezi River.

The Government says it needs about $500 000 to repair Mwenezi Bridge so that humanitarian aid can move in and villagers access other areas for health assistance and other social amenities.

As of yesterday, 4 000 homesteads, houses and Government structures had been destroyed by the floods which have also destroyed crops and livestock.

Pupils are reportedly not attending school while villagers and patients are failing to access Mnene District Hospital because the district has been cut off from the rest of the country.
Brave pupils and parents are using a makeshift but dangerous ladder balancing on the remains of Mwenezi Bridge to reach schools and the hospital.

Mberengwa West — the hardest hit district by torrential rains — has nine wards which are no longer accessible after flooding which has cut communication in the entire district.
The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development, Dr Joram Gumbo, who is also the Member of the House of National Assembly for the area, said Mwenezi Bridge was a major priority for the district to return to normal.

Midlands Provincial Roads Engineer, Mr Stephen Kamutema, said: “Equipment for the repair of the bridges is already on the ground. We are waiting for the rains to stop so that we start backfilling”.

Meanwhile, Tsholotsho district administrator, Ms Gladys Zizhou, has said floods are now affecting communities in Tsholotsho South.

“We’ve been evacuating people from communities affected by floods in Tsholotsho North but people in Tsholotsho South are now coming forward seeking assistance as their homesteads are being destroyed by the rains.

“Areas affected are wards 10, 11, 14 and 15. These include Dinyane, Gariya and other parts under Chief Gampu,” she said.

Ms Zizhou said a team of assessors was visiting the affected families and identifying what they need so that they can be assisted. She appealed to well-wishers to donate in cash and kind to the affected families.

CPU deputy director Mrs Sibusisiwe Ndlovu yesterday said low lying areas that include Tsholotsho, Muzarabani, Middle Sabi, Malipati and Chiredzi should be primed for evacuation.

“There is still a risk of flooding in the country as most parts are still receiving heavy rainfall. The ground is saturated and most of the rainfall received is being converted to runoff. Therefore, there are still chances of flooding in most of the low lying areas of the country.

“Communities living near all major rivers such as Mzingwane, Runde, Save, Shashe, Limpopo, Bubi and Mwenezi are urged to remain on high alert and monitor the situation closely and be prepared to move to high ground if the need arises,” said Ms Ndlovu.

She urged the public to desist from crossing flooded rivers. The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) corporate communications and marketing manager Mrs Majorie Munyonga said the national dam level average was now at 71,5 percent up from 65,5 percent.

“The majority of the major dams monitored by Zinwa are now full and spilling. Major gains have been recorded in dams such as Mzingwane Dam which is now full, Tokwe-Mukorsi Dam which is now 49 percent full and Inyankuni at 74,5 percent.

“The national dam level average stands at 71,5 percent up from 65,5 percent. The increasing number of spilling dams raises the risk of flooding in areas downstream of such dams,” said Mrs Munyonga. – State Media

Fired Gweru Mayor Councillor Hamutendi Kombayi allegedly victimised council employees to the extent that they were afraid to pursue the recovery of about $400 000 the former mayor’s companies owed to the local authority in unpaid bills.

An independent tribunal that recommended the firing of Clr Kombayi made the allegations in a report.

“It is alleged that the Mayor (Kombayi) abused his office by victimising council employees not to pursue recovery of money owed to council by accused and his companies which amount to $425 023,” reads part of the independent tribunal’s report.

Meanwhile, the local authority was allegedly prejudiced of thousands of dollars in illegal plan approvals and permits for subdivisions by an officer from the section of Town Planning.
In his progress report on the cash strapped local authority, the Minister of Local
Government, Public Works and National Housing, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, alleged that open spaces in Gweru were converted into residential stands by the Town Planning section with some stands encroaching into road ways.

He said the then Acting Director of Engineering Services was left by council and management to run the department unsupervised and pocketed money from illegal stands sales.

“One of the worst breakdowns of systems in the city of Gweru was in the area of development control and spatial planning. City officials had a culture of creating stands willy-nilly to the extent that most of the open spaces were converted into residential stands and some stands encroached into road ways.

Normal controls were non- existent. The town planning laws were violated as the acting director of Engineering Services was left to run the show unsupervised giving him the opportunity to pocket monies paid for plans and subdivisions he approved,” said the Minister.

Those who did not make the requisite illegal payments, he said, had their plans thrown away.

“Today internal control systems are now in place and the backlog on plan approvals has since been cleared. The chaos in the town planning section resulted in council being deprived of significant income from approval of plans and permits for subdivisions, money that should have been spent on council projects,” he said.

Minister Kasukuwere said an IT company would be engaged to capture all properties within the city boundaries and rate them so that all residents contribute to the council coffers for service delivery to improve further.

Last week, the minister fired the mayor and Clr Kenneth Sithole for gross misconduct, incompetence and mismanagement on the recommendation of an independent tribunal headed by Mr Isaac Muzenda.

The tribunal held hearings following the suspension of 15 Gweru councillors in August 2015.
The other 13 councillors have since returned to work. – State Media

Education Minister Lazarus Dokora has been tagged a secret jihadist preying on young children to indoctrinate them for religious fundamentalism, just after the Mugabe cabinet minister claimed that Zimbabwe’s first religion at independence in 1980 was Islam.

The development came as teachers and parents booed Dokora during a public meeting on Monday. He stated that Islam is Zimbabwe’s “re-designated indigenous religion.” His 1980 claim was dismissed by several teachers.

Dokora last year banned the Bible and voluntary club Scripture Union before reinstating the organisation following protests after falsely claiming that it is part of the education curriculum. 

Speaking on Monday, Dokora listed the Islamic religion as number one for Zimbabwe while pushing Christianity down to number (4) four.

While addressing panelists at a function covered by ZimEye.com, Dokora responded saying (VIDEO LOADING):
“And then of course there were the questions raised that: ‘is my my child going to be taught Islam?, is my my child going to be taught indigenous religion?’ said Dokora.

He continued saying, “in 1980 the curriculum that we fashioned for the republic, includes Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity, Bhudiism,” he voiced while using his fingers to elaborate the importance by order.

He emphasised saying, “I was a teacher, I was just a teacher in the classroom, and those were introduced at Grade 2.”

He reiterated his comment saying that the curriculum has always had the religions in the order laid out according to his list.

“Do you think we should take these themes and teach them to ECB?  Can I follow your thread, because you think its a new thing, and I am trying to get you to appreciate that it has always been there in the formula (order) that I have described to you..” WATCH THE FULL VIDEO BELOW:

Western governments have escalated machinations to influence next year’s harmonised elections by funding ‘dubious’ opposition projects and fomenting instability in the country using civil society organisations.

This comes in the wake of a surprise donation of US$5 million to the civil society by the European Union ostensibly to strengthen democratic participation and accountable monitoring by non-governmental organisations in Zimbabwe.

Government yesterday said that it was following the events with interest. The donation was announced by the EU embassy in Harare in a statement on Monday.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Mr George Charamba, yesterday said Government was on the lookout for all nefarious and underhand machinations by the West ahead of the polls.

Said Mr Charamba: “The beast is in heat again. We are slowly inching towards elections and the Westerners are back with their mischief except they don’t know we are watching. We are also aware of their involvement in other areas including fomenting instability in the labour market.”

Political analyst Mr Godwine Mureriwa said the Western funding was aimed at aiding the opposition campaign especially in rural areas where they were perennial dismal performers.
“The timing of the funding is perfect for the opposition,” said Mr Mureriwa.

“The funding is being used as a basis for uniting opposition parties to form a coalition and this is why you see both (Morgan) Tsvangirai and (Joice) Mujuru were making desperate overtures to come together despite their organic ideological differences. Given their deep rooted interests in Zimbabwe’s political affairs, the EU also wants to have a formidable force outside the opposition structures to do the campaign especially in rural constituencies.

“They (EU) have elections in my mind and the civil society is just being used as a smokescreen to shield the real political agenda.”

In their statement the EU said: “The European Union in Zimbabwe has strengthened its support to civil society with a fresh call for proposals to promote democratic participation, good governance and accountability as well as dialogue amongst the different stakeholders in the country.

“In total, the EU provides 5 million EUR (5 315 000 USD) for proposals that address one of the two specific objectives.”

The first component is directed at Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that seek to enhance the role of civil society in the promotion of transparency, good governance and accountability to meaningfully participate in policy dialogue. CSOs that furthermore address gender equality and the rights of marginalised groups are particularly encouraged to apply.

“For this component, the EU provides EUR 3.5 million (3 720 500 USD).  The second specific objective for which proposals are invited is to strengthen civil society’s watchdog role in the implementation of the National Indicative Programme (NIP) focal sectors of governance and institution building, health and agriculture-based economic development for improved, accountable and effective development outcomes as well as sustainability. For this objective, the EU provides EUR 1.5 million (1,594,500 USD).”

The EU embassy in Harare had not responded to questions sent to it. An embassy official who spoke to this publication said he would only respond today.

Since 2000, Western governments have been funding opposition campaigns through non-governmental organisations. It is unfortunate that the funding has not yielded the desired results. The electorate is alive to what the local opposition stood for and beyond that much of the donor fund was used to fatten pockets of a few activists.

After the 2013 harmonised elections, the United States government admitted that donor funds were abused in Zimbabwe and withdrew most of its funding thereby plunging most opposition leaders into destitution. – State Media

Three Zanu-PF councillors in Gweru who were last week acquitted of gross misconduct will receive about $15 000 in backdated allowances.

Clrs Tiripapi Chipondeni, Charles Simbi and Joas Tsanyau will get allowances dating back to August 15, 2015 when they were suspended.

The Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, said the councillors were entitled to the allowances following their acquittal.
An independent tribunal headed by Mr Isaac Muzenda investigated 15 councillors for alleged gross misconduct, incompetence and mismanagement of council funds.

The three councillors are each set to get $4 750 for the 19 months they were on suspension while 10 MDC-T councillors will get nothing after having being found guilty of some of the charges they were facing.

“The three councillors will be paid their allowances backdated to the date they were suspended because they were found not guilty by the independent tribunal. Those who were found guilty but were reprimanded will get nothing from the council,” said Minister Kasukuwere.

The minister last week fired Gweru Mayor Hamutendi Kombayi and Clr Kenneth Sithole after a recommendation from the tribunal. He said by-elections will be held in the wards left vacant after the firing of the two MDC-T councillors.

“The town clerk (Ms Elizabeth Gwatipedza) will work on modalities to the effect that the council by-elections are held in the vacant wards,” said Minister Kasukuwere. – State Media

Protesting civil servants have won their battle against the government at least so far after the state yesterday came out saying it is committed to paying their full 2016 bonuses.

The government however said those calling for industrial action should give dialogue a chance.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira, made the revelations yesterday.

Her remarks follow threats by civil servants under their umbrella body, the Apex
Council, to embark on industrial action if their bonus promises are not honoured.
Government has been offering stands for bonuses, a gesture some of the workers turned down.

Mrs Mupfumira said the threat to down tools was unfortunate as it was not only retrogressive, but defeated all efforts that had been made towards creating effective dialogue over the bonus issue through the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC).

“Government has received news of a threat to embark on an industrial action by the civil servants Apex Council over the non-payment of bonuses with surprise,” she said.

“Government remains committed to honouring the payment of bonuses as announced by His Excellency President R.G Mugabe. Civil servants have always been engaged through the NJNC or directly by myself as the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and my colleagues the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Hon. P Chinamasa or Reserve Bank Governor Dr John Mangudya where the reasons for the delayed payment of civil servants bonuses have always been explained fully,’’ she said.

Mupfumira said Government was ready to engage the workers and give feedback on March 6, the proposed date for the next meeting.

She said the Apex Council should be mindful of the meeting they held on the 25th of January where they resolved to consult their constituencies and said follow up meetings could not be held on the agreed date as one of the key stakeholders was not available.

Mupfumira’s words come after nurses from various Government health institutions countrywide yesterday downed tools demanding that their employer announce dates for payment of bonuses.

The nurses who join junior doctors who have been on strike for the past two weeks, are also demanding managerial positions in the public health system, which are currently reserved
for medical doctors.

They are also demanding an upward review of the nursing establishment and revision of their grading system.

A visit to Harare Central Hospital yesterday, showed that a few nurses from the maternity and paediatric departments were attending to patients while the casualty and out patients departments was manned mostly by student nurses.

It was business as usual at Parirenyatwa Central Hospital while reports from Rusape, Karoi, Mutare and Chinhoyi indicated that most of the nurses did not report for duty.

In an interview yesterday, Zimbabwe Nurses Association general secretary Mr Enock Dongo, said their members wanted Government to announce bonus dates instead of continued postponement of meetings.

“Members have agreed that they will only return to work when their issues are solved. So far, no engagement has taken place,” he said.

In their letter addressed to the Health Services Board, the nurses also demanded Government to review its structure, which currently gives priority to medical doctors at the expense of other professionals such as nurses.

The nurses are also demanding Government to review nursing posts as a matter of urgency as more and more graduates are becoming redundant soon after training.

“The process of reviewing staff establishment is long overdue. Over 4 000 of our members are still roaming the streets despite having trained and qualified,” said Mr Dongo. He said until these grievances were addressed, their members would consider returning to work.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association has welcomed the move by nurses to down tools calling on Government to urgently address challenges affecting the health sector.

ZHDA president Mr Farai Munatsi said while they had reservations on some of the issues raised by ZINA, their decision to join medical doctors was testimony to continued neglect to issues affecting the health sector. The latest development by nurses to down tools is likely to affect the health service delivery system in a big way since nurses form the bulk of health workers in Zimbabwe and are also the entry point to healthcare. – State Media

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has issued a 30-day eviction notice to scores of Mabutweni residents- including a woman who owes the local authority 47 cents- to vacate the municipality-owned houses.

The eviction letters are dated February, 23 and the residents are supposed to have left the houses by March, 23.

In the letters, the council accused the residents of leasing out the houses in breach of their agreements with council.

The residents have denied that they are sub-letting the houses.

Council also cited delays in paying rent as another reason leading to the municipality repossessing the houses.

“The rent is not paid by the 7th of the following month and there is no explanation and that amounts to breach of the agreement…..You owe the council the sum of $0.47,” read the eviction notice to one of the residents.

“Could you therefore show cause why council cannot repossess and re-allocate the property to deserving persons on the council waiting list within a month of this notice. Failure to respond council will proceed to repossess and re-allocate the property without further reference to you.”

The affected residents have since approached the area councillor Lot Siziba to express their displeasure.

In an interview yesterday, Clr Siziba said it was illegal for the council to evict the residents.

He said some of people that have been given eviction letters know no other home except the Mabutweni houses.

Clr Siziba said the eviction of the residents was a result of corruption in the council’s housing department.

“I’ve raised this issue more than once. How does the council know that these people are not the owners of these houses? How did it conduct its audit to make conclusions that these people are not occupying these houses,” said Clr Siziba.

He said he has engaged human rights lawyers to investigate the matter.

“I will be presenting this to both the full council meeting and the Town Clerk (Mr Christopher Dube) because these people have nowhere to go.

“The council should not repossess a house because its owner has died and children are now occupying the houses. Where are the children supposed to go?” he said.

Mr Dube said residents occupying municipality houses should abide by the city’s by-laws.

He said plans were on course to transfer the houses to individuals but before that breach of ownership such as sub-letting of the houses remained illegal. – State Media

South Africa’s Home Affairs department has started raiding companies employing illegal foreigners around Gauteng Province to diffuse xenophobia related violence targeted at mostly Africans in the neighbouring country.

In April 2015, they also launched a similar operation dubbed ‘Fiela’ when confronted with a similar situation. The department is reported to have intensified the raids last week succumbing to calls by the instigators of the mayhem claiming that immigrants contributed to escalating social economic imbalances south of the Limpopo River.

The attacks, which are driven mainly by afrophobia, have been more pronounced in Pretoria where many Africans in that country are living in state of fear.

Home Affairs spokesperson, Mr Thabo Mokgola, said yesterday there was nothing sinister about the inspections they were conducting as they were in line with the law.
He said organisations or businesses in that country were bound by the law to ensure that at least 60 percent of the employees should be local citizens.

“There is nothing sinister about the inspections and the enforcement of the law.
“People should be documented and where there are violations, we won’t hesitate to enforce the law by weeding out the culprits,” he said.

In the last few weeks, tensions have been increasing around Gauteng, where immigrants were attacked and some had their shops looted forcing President Mr Jacob Zuma and his

Home Affairs Minister, Mr Malusi Gigaba, to intervene.

Mr Gigaba met with 35 African ambassadors and High Commissioners in Johannesburg last Friday, where he reaffirmed his government’s zero tolerance to xenophobia related violence against fellow Africans.

President Zuma also met his minsters of justice, crime prevention and security last Wednesday, where he set up an inter-ministerial committee on migration to tackle the new wave of violence in the neighbouring country.

“We strongly condemn the acts of violence and call upon citizens and non-nationals to exercise restraint, unite against crime and work with authorities to bring perpetrators to book,” he said.

President Zuma said it was wrong to solely blame foreigners for all criminal activities in South Africa.

In an interview yesterday, Zimbabwe Exiles Forum Chairperson, Advocate Gabriel Shumba said Zimbabweans and other foreigners around the Gezina and Sunnyside in the City of Pretoria were among those raided by home affairs officials.

“The raids apparently started last week. This is unfortunate in that it coincides with the advent of xenophobia attacks,”he said.

“Whilst the law is clear about issues of legal status. Let’s remember that invariably, those with valid papers have been frustrated when trying to renew them”.
Adv Shumba added that the behaviour of some law enforcing agencies deliberately or unwittingly fuels xenophobia either in acts or omissions.

He added that it was politically wrong to start or intensify searches for documentation when the situation was still volatile.

“Instead, all of us should be working towards prevention, healing, early warning and combating recurrence among other issues. There should be dis-juncture between rhetoric and practice. At present we need the fire of afro-phobia doused,” said Adv Shumba. – State Media

A man  from Matobo was yesterday acquitted of raping his “under-age” girlfriend who was said to be 12 years old when it was proved in court that she is 19.

The woman further destroyed the State’s case when she said the two were lovers.

Methuseli Ncube (30) had pleaded not guilty to a rape charge.

He told the court that he was in a relationship with Simangaliso Nkala.

“She insisted that we have sex. She told me that she was 16 years old. I suggested that we wait till she turned 18 but she laughed at me saying I’m not a real man.  I’m the only one who sees her as an underage girl. She said she had slept with men before,” said Ncube.

He said he finally gave in to her taunts and slept with her in August last year while he was accompanying her to her grandmother’s home.

“She sent two children to fetch me. On our way she said she was tired and wanted to rest. She suggested that we sit behind a rock. That was when we slept together. I realised that she was not a virgin. I used a condom but she mocked me for doing so,” he said.

Bulawayo Regional Magistrate Mrs Sibongile Msipa-Marondedze acquitted Ncube after Nkala testified that they were lovers.

Nkala said she had consented to having sexual intercourse with Ncube.

“We slept together on several occasions. On the reported date he accompanied me and my younger brother home. Along the way we diverted into the bush leaving my young brother by the roadside. We didn’t have sex,” she said.

“I crafted the allegations because my parents were coercing me to tell them what happened. Had my younger brother not snitched on me I wouldn’t have mentioned to my parents that I was in a relationship with Ncube,” said Nkala.

Prosecuting, Miss Caroline Matanga told the court that on September 4 last year, Ncube met Nkala on their way from church.

“Complainant was in the company of her younger brother. Accused grabbed complainant by her back and carried her into the bush. They left complainant’s younger brother by the roadside. He raped her once then sent them home. Complainant’s younger brother told his mother what he had seen and complainant said she had been raped,” said Miss Matanga. – State Media

VIDEO LOADING…
Zimbabwe’s elderly pensioners have been pushed into a life of shocking abject poverty as the government fails to pay them 4 years running.

The pensioners, most of whom have retired to their rural homes, are still receiving monthly stipends, some as low as $40, a sizeable chunk which disappears on transport travelling to travel to town-centres to collect their pensions.

ZimEye in this special explores the plight of over 3,000 of them who are under the Zimbabwe Progressive Pensioners Trust.

The organisation’s chairperson Mrs Gertrude Zunde, speaks to ZimEye:

Shyleen Mtandwa | Troubled Zimbabwe People First President Joyce Mujuru is headed for more trouble as allegations emerge that she plans to impose her close ally as National Executive members of the party.

Discontent in the party came after a list of people purported to be earmarked to be “elected” into in top six positions was leaked in the social media.

Mujuru failed to do justice to the leaked information when she all but confirmed the list by driving party members to accept the aged trio of Ambassador John Mvundura, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo and Dzikamai Mavhaire as her First and Second Vice Presidents and National Chairman respectively.

Mujuru made the matter obvious when she told party members in a poorly attended rally in Bulawayo that as party President she will not be able to work with a young Vice President who will need orientation but would prefer elderly persons who have been in politics for many years.

The party goes for its inaugural elective congress within the next few weeks and a list of the top six officials who are going to be “voted” for at the Congress was last week leaked out of the party’s closets by a social media political analyst code naming himself “The Fox.”

The list puts Mujuru as the President deputised by her elders Ambassador Mvundura and Sipepa Nkomo with equally aged Dzikamai Mavhaire taking the National Chairmanship position an arrangement which has been heavily criticised by people within and outside the party.

Current Presidential spokesperson Gift Nyandoro formerly with the Tendai Biti led PDP is listed as the potential Secretary General while Mujuru’s most loyal supporter Bulawayo Provincial Chairlady Pastor Esnath Bulayai is expected to come in as the party Treasurer General.

Political commentators and analysts have already tagged the proposed leadership of the party as the weakest that the new party could have come up with in comparison to the leadership in the other political parties in the country.

The commentators are lambasting Mujuru for fighting to remove Mugabe who she accuses of old age and claiming to have failed to work with founding elders Rugare Gumbo and Didymus Mutasa for their age yet she has roped in the three veteran politicians of similar advanced age to be her immediate right hand people.

Several analysts who commented on Mujuru’s team described her as exhibiting signs of leadership insecurity on her part forcing her to want to rely and hide behind the influence of the old politicians.

A source within the party who spoke to ZimEye.com said that the team of six which Mujuru was building was designed by Mujuru and Mavhaire who are literally running the party on their own. The source said the team was not built on merit but on specific design by the two and Sipepa Nkomo who joined them at a later stage.

According to the source Mavhaire picked his long standing friend and colleague in ZANU PF Ambassador Mvunduru for the first Vice President position while he brought in Sipepa Nkomo who he recruited into to the party on a specific promise for Vice Presidency.

The source further reveals that in the scheming, Sipepa Nkomo was given a chance to pick one of his former PDP members into the top six where on he hand picked Nyandoro to be the Secretary General. The reliable source said that Nkomo’s initial choice was former PDP Deputy National Chairman Washington Sibanda but was turned down by the caucus as the Secretary General position was “reserved” for someone from Harare Province which saw Nyandoro as the obvious choice to come in with Sipepa Nkomo.

Sibanda has since been set up to be appointed as the Deputy National Chairman by Mujuru at the Congress according to the source.

In her own reserved appointment gap Mujuru is reported to have then picked on her long standing loyal backer Bulayai who is currently the Bulawayo Provincial Chairlady to the position of Treasurer General.

According to the source Mavhaire has already completed marketing the arrangement into the provinces and the set up is guaranteed of getting at least seven provinces nominating them unopposed for endorsement at the upcoming congress.

According to the proposed party electoral rules a person nominated by at least six of the ten provinces into the top six of the party is automatically elected into the position. Mavhaire’s planned campaign is said to have failed to get through into Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East and Matabeleland South provinces where the provincial chairpersons are reported to have outrightly rejected the imposition of the candidates into the members.

Government yesterday said it will continue soliciting views from civil servants on whether or not they want residential stands for their 2016 bonuses despite threats by union leaders to stage a demonstration. Unions under the banner of Apex Council met yesterday and announced they would be holding a demonstration over delays in bonus payments. 

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira said the survey being conducted by the Civil Service Commission would inform Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa on what decision to take. The unions demanded immediate payment of the bonuses.

Minister Mupfumira said the employer had a right to solicit for worker’s views as not all civil servants were unionised.

“We expect the results from the CSC survey tomorrow (today) and this is for Minister Chinamasa to get a view of what people are saying on the ground,” she said.

“We felt the views of those outside Apex Council have to be captured also, hence the survey and this is helpful to both parties. We will simply tell Minister Chinamasa to consider what would have come out of the survey. They can threaten to strike, but as long as they follow laid down procedures there is no problem. We will continue to dialogue with them and we do not tolerate threats.”

Some civil servants have since indicated that they prefer stands to cash, which come at zero deposit, as payment for their bonuses.

Minister Mupfumira said Minister Chinamasa was away, hence the decision to shift the dates of the meeting between Government and the union leaders.

“We are told the key stakeholder, Minister Chinamasa, is away and would be available on
March 1, hence our decision to move the meeting to March 6,” she said. “No one is playing politics because we cannot meet when the holder of the purse is not around.”

The meeting was initially scheduled for February 20 before being moved to yesterday and postponed to next Monday.

The meeting will also involve Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr John Mangudya.
Apex Council members yesterday said they would go ahead with their demonstration.
They described the Government survey on bonuses as “a phony”.

“Observing that Government has been shifting dates of meeting willy-nilly without due notice to the unions, disgruntled with Government practice of informalising crucial meetings on important issues such as the 2016 bonuses and collective bargaining, aggrieved by the unsolicited attacks on union leadership and undue interference with our members in contravention of Section 65 of the Constitution, the undersigned Apex Council members hereby serve due notice to Government that civil servants will hold a demonstration on Monday the 6th of March demanding immediate payment of our 2016 bonuses as per tradition and a stop to the public attacks on unions by Government,” Apex Council said in a statement.

Government recently offered its workers three payment options for 2016 bonuses, which included residential stands, a cash stipend coupled with non-monetary benefits and property investment bonds.

The employer is operating on a “shoe-string” budget and has been shifting the workers’ pay dates.- State Media

National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe (Navuz) leader Sten Zvorwadza was yesterday removed from remand in a case he is alleged to have threatened to burn a local five-star hotel.

Zvorwadza was removed from remand by Harare magistrate Victoria Mashamba after considering that the State witnesses were not availing themselves for court.
She advised the State to proceed by way of summons.

Allegations against Zvorwadza were that on June 26 last year, he took a seat in the hotel foyer and began shouting that he wanted to have breakfast.

Hotel management informed the police before he was ordered to leave the hotel.
Zvorwadza reportedly refused to leave the hotel and instead shouted: “You police are always disturbing my peace and abusing me. I am spending my money but you are after me.”

Zvorwadza allegedly demanded that Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko check out of the hotel because he was wasting taxpayers’ money. He is alleged to have threatened to burn the hotel.