Fast rising musician Ashton Tapiwa Nyahora, better known as Mbeu, has abandoned his matrimonial home to live with a “small house”.

It appears the vocalist and guitarist, whose music is largely influenced by music superstar Oliver Mtukudzi, has been heavily gripped by the very same disease that has threatened careers of extremely talented artistes like Rockford “Roki” Josphats and of late Andy Muridzo.

It is alleged that his private, or rather bedroom life, is in the fast lane.

Information obtained by this publication indicates that Mbeu dumped his family, which includes his heavily pregnant wife, young sister and brother at his yet to be completed family home in Norton late last year.

Reports are that the young man is now staying in a rented apartment in Warren Park with a lady that he hooked up with in one of the popular Harare CBD imbibing joints that he has a regular weekly slot.

Fame, it seems, has exposed him to various blossoms of the world, in the process making him reconsider his first love whom he married late last year.

And his decision to open another “nest”, it is said, has been causing massive strain on the musician’s pocket and subsequently his family.

Sources say because of these developments, the musician has become more of a visitor in Norton.

As a result, his wife Praise Knoway Chipungu now spends more time at her mother’s place who also stays in the same neighbourhood. That is where The Sunday Mail Leisure crew found her after failing to locate her at her home last week.

Mbeu’s manager, Eugine Museredza, has also been fingered as the major contributor to the talented entertainer’s “crisis”.

This publication got hold of Mbeu’s manager through telephone and requested a face-to-face interview with him and his artiste over these issues but he declined, instead opting for WhatsApp. However, they were both cold in their responses and gave minimal details.

“That’s not true. It’s my home, that’s where I stay. I don’t visit where I stay. I am staying with my family,” said Mbeu after we asked about his new Warren Park home and family.

His wife, Praise, who has a clear distaste for Museredza, sings a different tune. She hesitantly confirmed the allegations.

“People are talking and they have been telling me that he moved in with another woman but like I said I am still to come up with proper evidence,” said a visibly troubled Praise.

“He moved to Warren Park in December last year ostensibly to work on his new album that is set to be released. I once travelled to that place and I found the room occupied with guys and with mats but that they stay with a female or not I would not know. Maybe he took me to a wrong place, you wouldn’t know but I spent a whole night at the place and slept on a rug.”

Mbeu’s wife, a holder of a diploma from the Zimbabwe College of Music, went on to divulge more details.

“He usually visits on Sundays but that has also since become subject to his ‘work’ schedule. His support for me, his school-going sister and brother that he left in my custody, has since declined. Perhaps it is because of the room that he is now renting in Warren Park. I don’t know how much he pays for it though.”

But despite all the drama, Praise is still hopeful that her husband will come out strong and get rid of all the negative forces that are threatening to derail his life and promising career. She feels her husband needs time to grow and discover himself. This, she nonetheless opine, will only be possible if he hangs around people that give him sound advice.

And according to her, Museredza, whom she says she knew before Mbeu, is not one of the people that will take his husband to the “Promised Land”.

“I’m told his manager is the one responsible for all this and is the one that is encouraging him to have affairs. I failed to click with Eugine (Museredza) who was once my teacher at school because I’m a no nonsense person. My bone of contention with him stems from the fact that he is overstepping his boundary by trying to manage both my husband as an artiste and our personal life,” she said.

“He is giving Ashton (Mbeu) wrong advice all the time and I have always been correcting my husband until recently when he discovered it and that is why he is now trying to get rid of me. He (Museredza) needs to know Mbeu is the one he manages and Ashton is mine to manage. Actually, I’m told he is the one who looked for a new place for Ashton.”

Museredza, however, defended himself.  “I have nothing to do with his private life,” he said.

But Praise dug in: “Ashton has had issues with ladies before but I don’t blame him, the ladies throw themselves at him, he is a human being and not God, miyedzo inombo muwandirawo (temptations sometimes get too much for him). I can never change him, it has to be a personal decision.”

Mbeu’s music growth can best be described as phenomenal having grown into a household name in a few months.

Getting his first shot on the big stage at Sam Mtukudzi’s commemoration gig last year in March, the artiste struck the right chords and won the hearts of many music lovers with his mesmeric performances.

While sharing the stage with some of the biggest acts in the county who include Oliver Mtukudzi and Jah Prayzah might have greatly contributed to his visibility, it cannot be disputed that he is hardworking and talented.

Doing an average of four shows per week at venues that include Jazz 24/7, Pakare Paye, City Sports Bar, Time & Jazz and most recently Legends Sports Bar in Bulawayo among others, fortune seems not so far from the young man.

But all the gains made thus far could come to naught if he stays on the stray path.

It is hoped that such disturbing developments will not derail his promising career as well as plans to release “The Mhodzi Diaries”, an album which he is finalising and is set to launch both in Zimbabwe and South Africa. – State Media

ROMAN Catholic youths across the country have been encouraged to go on a fast of WhatsApp for 40 days during the Lenten season.

During the Lent season, Catholics relive the experiences that Jesus Christ went through before and after his crucifixion, right up to resurrection.

It therefore leads into and encompasses the Easter holiday.

This year, the period starts from March 1 and ends on April 15.

It is against this background that Tendai Karombo, a representative of youths in the Roman Catholic Church in Zimbabwe, implored youths to abstain from using the free messaging application which has taken smart-phone uses, mainly the youths, by storm.

Speaking on a pre-recorded video during the launch of the 2017 Roman Catholic Church Lenten DVD in Harare last week, Karombo said this was an opportunity for youths to show their commitment.

“Lenten season is that time when we journey together with Jesus, the passion, His crucifixion and His resurrection that is the moment we show Christ our allegiance to Him.

“But as Catholic youths, the concept of fasting is something which is not clear to us. However we do fast. Those who fast mainly fast food following the dictates of their parents but this coming Lenten season we will try and fast WhatsApp. We have never done it but I want to believe that we can do it,” Karombo said.

Concurring with Karombo, Father Reki Mashayamombe from Seke Rural parish said abstaining from WhatsApp as a form of fasting is a prudent idea because most of the youths are spending their time on the platform.

“If they abstain they will concentrate on God during the Lenten season and also it shows an act of sacrifice,” he said.

According to an online source – fin24.com – WhatsApp chief executive Jan Koum was reported to have confirmed that the application had 700 million users by 2015.

Said Karombo, “I must admit that not many of us fast due to various reasons that range from school commitments and peer pressure. But we are slowly but surely getting there,” she said. She added that young people in the Catholic Church are showing interest in participating in church activities.

“We had elders participating most in Lent activities such as alms-giving and fasting. But for the past two years youths have become more active to the extent that even our Lenten campaigns are becoming overwhelming.

“This is because of the teachings we are getting from elderly people in the church. We understand that we are the church of today and the church of tomorrow, hence we also have to be active in campaigns such as the Lenten season,” she said.

Asked about the significance of fasting WhatsApp, Zimbabwe Catholics Bishops Conference (ZCBC) general secretary, Father Frederick Chiromba said it may be the choice of particular individuals depending on how they perceive and use WhatsApp.

He said Lent prepares the believer through prayer, penance, repentance of sins, alms-giving, atonement, and self-denial.

“Lent is a season for prayer, fasting and alms-giving. Individuals may choose specific forms of fasting. I have not heard about Catholic youths choosing to collectively abstain from WhatsApp this Lent. But it may be the choice of particular individuals depending on how they perceive and use WhatsApp,” said Father Chiromba.

He added, “Under normal circumstances platforms such as WhatsApp can be considered neutral, neither good nor bad as the qualification comes with the usage.

“The youths would be correct if their current perception and usage of WhatsApp is bad and needs to be reformed. Yes, fasting can take the form of abstention but beyond that we are also encouraged to revive good Christian practices where we may have lapsed,” he said.

Father Chiromba revealed that the major highlight of Lent in Zimbabwe, as in the universal church, is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent; and the Lent exercises of prayer, fasting and alms-giving.

“This year we can also expect to see Christians reciting and following the way of the cross in churches and in the open, individually and collectively. Many will pay more attention to their spiritual exercises and draw closer to Christ and His church during this season.

“Lent is especially exciting because of what it precedes and leads to, Palm Sunday, which marks the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, followed by the Easter Triduum, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday,” he explained.

Lent is a period of reflection. lt is observed in the Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, and Roman Catholic churches.

Jesus Christ spent 40 days and 40 nights alone in the desert as Satan tempted him. – State Media

A 35-year-old man who raped his 11-year-old stepdaughter on three separate occasions was yesterday sentenced to 45 years in jail.

The man pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Hoseah Mujaya. However, he was convicted following a full trial. He will serve an effective 25 years in prison.

Mr Mujaya sentenced him to 15 years on each of the three counts. Count one and two will run concurrently leaving the man with a 30-year jail term. Of the 30 years, Mr Mujaya suspended five years on condition that in the next five years the man does not commit a similar offence.

The court heard that on November 27, 2016 at around midnight, the minor was asleep at their home in Kuwadzana Extension, Harare.

The stepfather sneaked into the minor’s bedroom and lowered her shorts. The court that the minor woke up when her stepfather was already on top of her. He raped her. After the offence the stepfather told her not to tell her mother The following day the stepfather sneaked into the minor’s bedroom during the night again.

She woke up while her stepfather was already raping her. He gagged her mouth. On December 1, 2016 the minor was watching television with her stepfather in his bedroom.She fell asleep. he stepfather pulled down her panties and she woke up.

The minor held onto her panties tightly but she was overpowered by her stepfather who then raped her. He ordered her not to tell her mother. The minor later opened up to her mother leading to the stepfather’s arrest. – State Media

VENDORS Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (Viset) has approached the Supreme Court challenging a High Court decision to dismiss their appeal against the removal of hawkers from the central business district (CBD) in Harare.

The High Court over two weeks ago dismissed the challenge by vendors to vacate the CBD.

Harare City Council, in its bid to sanitise the capital, ordered vendors off the streets, but the vendors appealed to the High Court, saying the ban was unlawful.

In its notice of appeal, Viset, represented by Mupanga Bhatasara Attorneys, said it wanted the judgment by the High Court overturned.

It cited City of Harare, Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri as the first, second and third respondents.

“The court a quo (High Court) erred in fact and in law in finding that the respondents did not violate section 68 of the Constitution in that appellants were said to have been given four days to comply with a prohibition statement to cease vending operations,” the appeal read.

“Specifically, the ban was made without prior consultations with those who were affected by it, who had a legitimate expectation to be heard, making the decision substantively and procedurally unfair.

“The court a quo (High Court) erred in fact and in law in finding that the conduct of the respondents fell within the permissible limitations envisaged in section 86 of the Constitution. The misdirection was compounded by the fact that there was no evidence placed before the court by the respondents to link the outbreak of typhoid and the carrying out of vending by first appellant members,” the application read.

Respondents must have dealt with garbage collection as well as supply water and ablution facilities to deal with the typhoid.

The vendors said the High Court erred in concluding that they came to court with dirty hands when it was established that they did not have permits out of their own fault, especially when Harare City Council had admitted that it had no capacity to accommodate all vendors within its designated vending sites. – Newsday

Shyleen Mtandwa| President Robert Mugabe celebrated his 93rd birthday with a message, wearing a cowboy hat what appeared like a warning shot to his many enemies within the ruling party and in the country, that he is still the only game in town, “ready to shoot”.

In typical Machiavellian fashion, the 93 year old despot Mugabe seems always to outwit his enemies, keeping them guessing as to his next move, playing his cards close to his chest as he ruthlessly crushes dissent.

The highlight of his birthday celebration today was the following quote, “People who are busy forming their own groupings saying vaMugabe must go, I ask myself where should I go?”

The message to desperate Zimbabweans in need of change was simply that the cowboy is going nowhere.

Staff Reporter | Factional wars within the Joice Mujuru led faction of the Zimbabwe People First party took a nasty turn this morning, after conflicting claims on the fate of Women’s chair leader Marian Chombo emerged.

Members of a faction within the faction of the party controlled by Mujuru from the Mashonaland West structures, claimed this morning to ZimEye with video footage, pictures all evidence of a meeting held to apparently give the recently promoted Chombo a vote of no confidence.

Claims soon disputed by party spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire who told ZimEye, “Wanted to tell you that the story on Marian Chombo is a lie. It’s based on a document that is not authenticate. Right now Marian is with the President in Bulawayo where she will address supporters in about 10 minutes. Will send you the video and Marian’s pic with the President in a few minutes.”

The controversial letter above has a list of allegations against Chombo which include; failure to coordinate provincial activities, misrepresentation and alteration of official provincial executive council resolutions, failure to account for card sales cards and or abuse of office and fanning factionalism.

Present at the meeting that fired her were, two national members and the Provincial structure; Women Wing Chairperson for the province. The Youth structure, the Freedom fighters, All the representatives of the 20 constituencies in Mash West; Eternal Affairs Secretary, Itayi Tawona who also also sits in the National Executive under External Affairs Department. Also present is the Information and Publicity Secretary: Chris Mangisani; National Member from the Women Wing (national), Abigail Sauti, and the province’s Vice Chairperson .

The Mayor of Gweru, Councillor Hamutendi Kombayi was sacked because he bought MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai and his party lunch with council funds.

Kombayi spent $1 339 on lunch and drinks without a council resolution. He refused to pay back the money. A tribunal found that Kombayi invited Tsvangirai to Gweru and held a meeting at Antelope Park with his party faithful using the municipality’s funds.

“For him to come to Gweru and benefit or prejudice the rate payer’s money baffled the tribunal. The first respondent (Clr Kombayi) clearly stated that the delegates to the tour composed of Morgan Tsvangirai, Sesil Zvidzai (Gweru Urban MP), councillors who are respondents and other various unidentified people presumably MDC-T supporters and sympathisers. The tribunals analysis unanimously concluded that the March 5, 2015 gathering was a political function and not a council event and as such council has no business in funding such an activity,” reads part of the tribunal finding.

By Staff Reporter | Police have arrested nine members of the Tajamuka social movement for demonstrating against President Robert Mugabe, during his birthday celebrations.

The nine who include Linda Masarira, were arrested this afternoon at Parirenyatwa hospital were they were staging a demonstration against Mugabe.

Thier concern was that President Mugabe was enjoying a birthday bash in the Matopos while doctors are on strike.

They said Mugabe should have rather donated over $2 million he is spending for his birthday to the revive hospitals.

Former Zanu-PF Mashonaland Central youth chairperson Godfrey Tsenengamu, who is facing allegations of subverting a constitutionally elected Government or alternatively undermining the authority of President Mugabe, has approached the High Court seeking bail.

Tsenengamu also stands accused of contravening the Public Order and Security Act by holding a press conference without notifying the regulating authority.

His lawyer, Mr Zivanai Macharaga, yesterday confirmed that they filed their application at the High Court.

“We have filed our application today (yesterday) at the High Court,” said Mr Macharaga, without giving the finer details of the matter.

Tsenengamu was remanded in custody to March 9 after the magistrates’ court advised him to seek bail at the higher court.

His attempt to challenge his placement on remand on the charge of subverting the Government was thrown out.

Charges against Tsenengamu arose on February 20 when he convened a public meeting at the Media Centre in Harare without notifying the responsible authorities.

The court heard that he went on to publicly and unlawfully make statements urging war veterans across the country to push President Mugabe out of office through unconstitutional means.

He was quoted as telling journalists that it was time to go public about the succession “thing because some of us have since identified our candidate and it’s none other than Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.

“If (President) Mugabe does not like him, that is up to him, but we are saying we now want him to lead now”. – State Media

Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ally, Ezra Chadzamira, has taken the lead in the inconclusive elections for the Masvingo Zanu PF provincial chairmanship post against President Robert Mugabe’s uncle, Mutero Masanganise, provisional results released by the caretaker leader, Joram Gumbo, reveal.

Chadzamira had polled 12 393 votes against Masanganise’s 4 888 after 64% of the districts voted. A total of 143 papers were spoilt, while 17 422 votes were cast.

Other districts, like Mwenezi, could not vote due to inaccessibility caused by flooding. In other areas, some members could not vote due to various reasons, including that structures were no longer fully constituted, Gumbo said.

JEYS Marabini, Sandra Ndebele, Clement Magwaza, Iyasa, Sulumani Chimbetu and Mathias Mhere will today entertain delegates at the 21st February Movement Celebrations at the Rhodes Estate Preparatory School The artistes are expected to entertain over 200 000 delegates expected to attend the President’s bash.

Joining the jovial mood instigators will be Derrick Majaivana, Khuliyo, Born Free Crew, Black Umfolosi, Ndux Junior, Sungura Masters, Guluva 7, Ramsy K and Nkwali among others at the celebrations themed: “Honouring our icon, unlocking the value in youth”.

The musicians will be belting out tunes in between speeches as part of the entertainment. Yesterday, the artistes were upbeat about performing for Africa’s most illustrious leader.
Jeys Marabini said people should be ready to be blown away.

“Kuzokulunge will be there in full force to celebrate the President’s birthday. We’ve been hard at work fine tuning our act so that delegates are treated to great music that is mellow and moves the body in joy,” said Jeys.

Black Umfolosi’s Sotsha Moyo said they wanted to remind people about unity during the day.

“As we celebrate the Presidents’ birthday, we want people to remember the unity he always preaches. Therefore that song Unity will be one of the highlights of our performance. We promise nothing but good music,” said Moyo.

Kokotsha Makokotsha hit-maker Clement Magwaza said he was geared to make people dance to his music.

“My speciality is to make people dance and that’s what we’re going to be doing at the President’s birthday. It’s a time to celebrate and we’re looking forward to thrilling people,” said Magwaza.

Yeukai Simbanegavi, who is in charge of entertainment at the bash, said all was set. – State Media

LEGISLATORS on a fact-finding mission of Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund projects have said they will not tour Tsholotsho North where Government Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo is alleged to have diverted money from the fund to buy bicycles.

Prof Moyo, the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Development, is also the Member of Parliament for Tsholotsho North.

Parliament’s committee on Higher Education is touring Zimdef projects at Chinhoyi University of Science and Technology, Kwekwe Polytechnic and Bulawayo Polytechnic, but chose to avoid Tsholotsho North constituency where Prof Moyo was accused of using Zimdef funds to raise his political profile.

During a briefing at Zimdef House on Tuesday, Proportionate Representative MP Dr Ruth Labode (MDC-T), asked why the committee had not included Tsholotsho as one of their areas of fact finding mission.

Dr Labode said it was prudent to include Tsholotsho North, so that the committee would see bicycles bought for the traditional leaders using Zimdef funds.

Committee stand in chairperson and Zaka Central MP Cde Paradzai Chakona (Zanu-PF), shot down the proposal, saying it was not part of their mandate.

In an interview, Cde Chakona said Prof Moyo had given the committee voluminous documents when he appeared before them last week where he responded to some of the issues. “From the oral evidence we had with Zimdef, we asked them if it was a priority and they said they do not know anything and that issue should be directed to the Trustee (Prof Moyo),” he said.

“When the Trustee came, he gave us all the evidence and all the information pertaining to the bicycles, how they were bought, and staff like that, and we have that information, but we have not yet gone through it. We will be calling the Minister after we have gone through it.”

Asked why they did not regard as prudent to include Tsholotsho, Cde Chakona said: “Bicycles are not a project and if you say buying of a bicycle is a project there is a serious problem.”

He said after they interacted with Zimdef, they were invited to tour the project and have an appreciation.

“After we conducted oral evidence from Zimdef, they wrote a letter to Parliament requesting the committee to have a look at Zimdef funded projects,” said Cde Chakona. “Those are some of the issues that came out during oral evidence. This is why we are now moving around at their invitation.”

Prof Moyo and his Deputy Dr Godfrey Gandawa, had been a subject of investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission over allegations that they abused $450 000 from Zimdef.

They have since mounted a constitutional application with the Constitutional Court for the apex court to determine whether or not Zacc has arresting powers. – Agencies

Sydney Barson| The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee public hearing on constitutional amendment number one suffered a still birth in Mutare Friday, it has been learnt.

This came after Hon Ziyambi Ziyambi, who was chairing the process interjected a speaker in order to introduce some parliamentarians Hon. Irene Zindi and Hon. Justice Mayor Wadyajena who had come late.

“Matters then came to a head on when the speaker who had the floor insisted on finishing his presentation instead of being interrupted midway for late comers.

However instead of apologising for the late coming of the MPs Ziyambi went into a tirade declaring that the speaker will not be allowed to speak.” said Endy Ziyera a Mutare resident.

“Ziyambi and the infamous Katsiru were adamant that they will not allow him to speak.”added Ziyera

Another resident Tashaya Mashayahanya said a stand off ensued with residents declaring that unless the speaker was allowed to speak his mind, then noone else will speak.

Said Mashayahanya, ” It was after introductions by Chairman Ziyambi Ziyambi. He then nominated the first five people to participate . The first three made their contributions when the chairman stopped the forth participant to introduce the late comers Wadyejena and Irene Zindi that is when people rejected that order as everyone knew the program started at 2pm and everyone should have been seated”.

“This is what is wrong with our Parliament, they come and pretend they want to hear us, but then they lecture us and try to put us down”. said one resident who declined to be named.

“Some of us were trying to salvage what we could of the meeting by telling people to send their written submissions about the Constitutional Amendment Bill to Parliament by post but noone could listen,” another resident said.

Earlier, residents had asked the two late comers Zindi and Wadyajena to apologise for coming late but Wadyajena chose to declare in ZANU PF style that he won’t apologise.

Thus the die for confrontation with Mutare residents had been cast.

The following legislators attended the process, Honourables Lawrence Katsiro, Mawere Mubvumbi, Innocent Gonese MP for Mutare Central, Hon Matsikenyere, Wadyajena and Irene Zindi.

Marula Primary school is located along Bulawayo – Plumtree road, about 32km from Plumtree town. It is a medium school situated in a rural resettlement area, and has an enrollment of 400 pupils.

The school takes both boarding students and day scholars, but most of the children are from the local community comprised mostly of farm workers. Therefore most of these children have difficulties in paying school levies, meaning the school does not have enough money to cover all the necessary school activities.

Despite these challenges the teachers and children are working very hard academically and in co curricular activities and this has made the school to perform very well in Music.

In 2014, the school choir came second in the province. After that they have consecutively represented Matabeleland South at National Competitions in 2015 and 2016. Appealing for assistance, Mrs Dube, the choir mistress said, “we face financial challenges, especially when it comes to buying choir uniforms, as other schools have beautiful uniforms which make them presentable in front of the judges. Therefore, we are appealing to well wishers out there to help our school choir, because we believe that if we can get this help we can perform much better.

We play Marimba. We also have percussion bands, and we feel that with enough required instruments our bands can do better because most of these children are talented.” Last year we went through a hard time preparing for the national level competitions because we did not have adequate resources, hence our appeal for assistance.”

Last year in the national competitions our choir came 5th out of 9, which was a great improvement compared to the previous year,” recounted Mrs Dube.

Mrs N Dube can be contacted on the following number. 00263 785262959.

Those willing to donate, below is the school bank account.

Marula Primary School. Stanbic Bank.

Account No. 9140 0003 09892.

Controversial Norton MP, Temba Mliswa (independent), who had a nasty fallout with MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai has gone further to insult him in Parliament.

Mliswa was ejected from the National Assembly after clashing with MDC-T legislators after he accused them of being “lazy” and “unelectable”.

The former Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial chairperson, who normally sides with MDC-T, this time around turned against them as he accused them of being cry-babies whenever they were defeated in elections.

“You always claim rigging; you don’t know how to work on the ground. Stop claiming rigging and go on the ground and campaign,” he shouted at MDC-T MPs, as Zanu PF lawmakers cheered him on as he moved to disrupt a question by MDC-T legislators, who were probing Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa on the biometric voter registration exercise.

“They say if you can’t beat them, join them. You are good at crying, complaining of rigging. Go on the ground and work. People support those who work.”

Mliswa received support from Hurungwe East MP, Sarah Mahoka (Zanu PF), who continuously shouted: “Tell them!”

But the opposition MPs, who during the recent Norton by-election supported him, accused Mliswa of being a “sell-out” and working with a faction in Zanu PF linked to Mnangagwa.

“You are a sell-out, we know that you support Team Lacoste, shut up!” shouted Bulawayo East legislator, Thabitha Khumalo.

Acting Speaker, Reuben Marumahoko, had to send the sergeant-at-arms to eject Mliswa after he continued with his rants.

Mliswa attempted to sneak back into the House after 10 minutes, but Marumahoko ordered him to stay out for the rest of the session.

Mliswa, last week, had a nasty altercation with Hurungwe West MP, Keith Guzah (Zanu PF), which forced Deputy Speaker, Mabel Chinomona, to kick out the latter, before reprimanding the Norton MP.

Before the fracas, MDC-T MPs grilled Mnangagwa on government’s move to take over the acquisition of biometric voter registration(BVR) kits from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Mnangagwa said the government had decided to fund the procurement of the BVR kits, which UNDP had wanted to procure on behalf of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. – Newsday

Senators have moved a motion urging Zimbabweans not to embrace birth control measures saying they do not promote population growth.

According to the 2012 Zimbabwe Population Census, the population growth rate was pegged at 1,1 percent for the last 10 years.

The population growth rate was also at 1,1 percent in the 2002 census.

Senators said this was worrying and one of them suggested that people should have a minimum of eight children and be supported by Government to sustain their families.

The population motion, which was supported by senators from across the political divide, was moved by Mashonaland West Senator, Mike Byton Musaka (Zanu-PF).

The senator said there was a link between investment and low population.

“If you look at the population of Zimbabwe and compare with those countries that are even five times smaller than Zimbabwe, take for example England, it is five times or four times smaller than Zimbabwe. It has got a population of 76 million or more and the dynamics of development is enormous,” said Senator Musaka.

“We have only about 14 million people and even that 14 million may actually be a political figure, we could be less than that. The country is vast with many resources but empty. We have no people. We should be serious about development. The issue here is a very serious one. Let us take development alone which investor would come to Zimbabwe to invest seriously for 14 million people?”

Manicaland Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said she lived in China for five years when her husband Mr Chris Mutsvangwa was the ambassador there and they found it very difficult to attract big Chinese corporations to invest in Zimbabwe because of its population.

She said China’s population which stands at a staggering 1,357 billion was partly the reason why that country has transformed from among the world’s worst performing economies 40 years ago to be the second largest economy globally.

“They have taken advantage of their population. In our efforts as diplomats in China to try and bring a lot of companies to Zimbabwe, the first question they would ask is what the population of Zimbabwe is. The moment you tell them we are about 14 million; they will all look around and say ah, I do not know how I can continue. What we have done as a country in China, we came together as a Sadc group, so that when we spoke to these companies, we gave them a population of 250 million which is the population of Sadc and that is when they got interested. I am talking about the big businesses,” said Senator Mutsvangwa.

MDC-T Midlands Senator Morgen Komichi described the motion as very good and said the decision to have fewer children was due to colonialism.

“If you go to Britain, Germany or any other country, there are a lot of families that give birth to many children because they know that you cannot separate the population and economic development. If you look at countries like Britain, they have a population of nearly 70 million and yet it is a small country.

“They did that because of economic development and also to have a good army for defence,” he said.

“When we de-colonised Africa and won the liberation struggle, they sat down with the IMF and World Bank and they came up with human rights issues and started teaching our women and children that you do not need to have many children because of the cost of living. That is a lie.”

Registrar-General Mr Tobaiwa Mudede has previously urged Government to ban contraceptives.

Mr Mudede urged Zimbabweans to stop using contraceptives arguing that their use was a ploy by powerful nations to retard population growth in Africa. – State Media

TIKI Primary School in Lupane District has been closed and teachers have sought refuge at a police camp following attacks, some of them sexual, by suspected goblins, authorities have confirmed.

The state media was told that both male and female teachers claim to have been sexually abused at night.

Strange happenings such as knocking on doors, banging of tables as well as footsteps including on roofs with no one in sight have been reported.

The school is located between Lupaka and Mzola areas and a cleansing ceremony has been set for tomorrow to chase away the suspected goblins.

Six of the teachers allegedly spent Tuesday night at Lupane Police Station and on Wednesday they reportedly travelled to Bulawayo to seek help from either prophets or inyangas.

The District Schools Inspector Mr Lovemore Ncube confirmed receiving a report on the goblins terrorising teachers. “We received such a report and we have sent it to the Provincial Education Director. It’s true that teachers are not conducting lessons and parents have been assured that on Monday the kids will go back to school after a cleansing ceremony,” said Mr Ncube.

He said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education will be guided by the community following the problem but teachers will compensate for lost time during the holidays.

“The community has sent a delegation to the chief to seek permission to conduct a cleansing ceremony. It is said that the suspected goblins are sexually abusing both male and female teachers,” Mr Ncube said.

A villager who spoke on condition of anonymity said some of the strange occurrences’ take place during the day. “The latest incident happened on Tuesday morning when a female teacher was in class while pupils were writing an exercise. She went to write something on the board and when she returned to her chair she noticed it was smeared with blood.

“She alerted the headmaster who came to check and he accidentally stepped on some blood stains on the floor and banging of desks started. Teachers and pupils panicked and fled because of the deafening sound yet they couldn’t see any human being. Even at night teachers don’t sleep because of strange things where doors are banged while there are also footsteps,” said a villager from the area.

Last year teachers at Sibangani Primary School in the same district fled from the institution claiming goblins were sexually abusing them.

Villagers sought the services of some prophets popularly known as wafa wafa from Tsholotsho for a cleansing ceremony and the problem stopped.

In 2015, teachers at Siyangaya Primary School in Tsholotsho also fled from the school claiming that a baboon was having sex with them at night.

Another school in the province, Nengasha Primary School in Hwange was also last year affected by suspected goblins and was opened days into the third term. – State Media

A ZAMBIAN man has been jailed for six months for possessing an unregistered firearm suspected to have been used for poaching and armed robbery in the country.

Daniel Mudimba Muzamba (20) was arrested on Monday in a bush near Cross Dete in Hwange District.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing a firearm without a licence when he appeared before Hwange magistrate Ms Sharon Rosemani.

Muzamba was slapped with an effective six months jail term and his firearm, a Point 375 rifle, was forfeited to the State.

Asked where he got the rifle from, Muzamba said: “I got it from Zambia and crossed into Zimbabwe on January 24 through Mlibizi in Binga.”

Mlibizi is a crossing point widely used by Zambian traders who cross into the country using canoes after obtaining a day’s pass from the police.

The Zambian admitted that the firearm was used to shoot elephants in illegal hunting activities in Binga and Hwange although no particular incident has been established where he used it.

Muzamba reportedly lived in Chuziya Village under Chief Sinagonde in Lusulu, Binga from where he had been allegedly committing other crimes with an unnamed local who has also since been arrested.

The pair is expected to appear in court soon to face charges connected with using the firearm.

“On February 20 and in a bush area near Cross Dete, the accused person was caught with a .375 rifle serial number 70403. Investigations were carried out with the Central Firearm Registry and it was established that the firearm isn’t registered,” said the prosecutor, Mr Onias Nyathi. – State Media

A man from Gwanda allegedly killed his wife by slitting her throat before hanging himself from a tree by the roadside at a time when the couple was in the process of divorcing, police confirmed yesterday.

Dumisani Siziba (27) of Lushongwe village in Gwanda allegedly cut his wife, Pretty Moyo (19)’s throat and phoned his brother to inform him that he was taking his life at around 8AM on Thursday.

The incident occurred after Siziba’s wife, who had been away at her parents’ home for a week, returned to her home to pick up her two-year-old child and clothes.

Siziba allegedly offered to escort her to her parents’ home to resolve their marital problems, but along the way he allegedly killed her and then committed suicide.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed the couple’s death and said investigations were underway.

“We received a report of murder and sudden death by hanging. A man murdered his wife by cutting her throat before taking his life too. He was found hanging in a bush a few metres away from where his murdered wife lay on Thursday morning. His family discovered the bodies,” he said.

Insp Ndebele said the couple’s bodies were taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals for post mortem.

He appealed to members of the public to share their problems and seek advice from friends, relatives, police and church.

“People should not take their own lives even when they’re having problems. It’s important to engage other people who can assist and they must learn to solve disputes amicably to avoid unnecessary loss of life,” Insp Ndebele said.

Gwanda’s Ward 9 councillor, Mr Mozitha Moyo, told The Chronicle that Siziba phoned his brother, Mehluli, telling him that he was killing himself.

“After hearing about his intention, Mehluli in the company of their father, Judia Siziba went to look for him where he said he was. They found his body and that of his wife a few steps away. She had been butchered; her throat cut.

“The two phoned me and I engaged the police. Together we went to the scene. The weapon used was not found at the scene but surely it was a sharp object which he used to slit her throat,” he said.

Clr Moyo said the couple was having problems and about a week ago, the wife left her in-laws’ home where they lived and went back to her parents’ home.

“Dumisani followed his wife in a bid to resolve issues. After the two failed to mend their relationship, he informed police at a nearby base that his wife had left a two-year-old son at their home. Police intervened and ordered the woman to return and collect her child.

“The two returned to their home. The following morning the couple left their home heading to the wife’s parents home so that they discuss a way forward. When the two left, they seemed well together and no one imagined they would even fight along the way,” he said.

Mr Moyo said it is suspected that the couple had a heated argument, resulting in Siziba allegedly killing his wife.

“In his phone call, Siziba said he was killing himself since he had a misunderstanding with his wife. He also mentioned that he had done something wrong to his wife and they were going to find his body in a foot path at Sonyane area in Lushongwe village,” he said.

The councillor said he knew Siziba as a well-disciplined young man and it was difficult for him to believe that he committed such a gruesome murder.

“This incident is a first of its kind in my area and we are shocked,” he said. – State Media

THE Civil Protection Unit (CPU) has said about 2 000 homesteads have been destroyed by rains leaving 635 families homeless countrywide.

In disaster situation report dating back to October, The CPU indicated that on Wednesday seven pupils were injured when a classroom block collapsed on them at Nakapande Secondary School in Binga.

The extent of injuries was not ascertained.

The report highlighted that 105 people drowned, 593 were marooned while 40 were rescued and three died. In the same report it was highlighted that lightning struck 118 people killing 12.

The CPU stated that 71 schools and five health institutions have also been affected while 71 community dams have burst.

The report shows 2 315 domestic animals died in the same period.

CPU deputy director Ms Sibusisiwe Ndlovu said Sipepa in Tsholotsho remain at high risk of flooding.

She said due to the spilling of Gwayi River children were no longer going to school.

“This is arguably the most severely affected district in the country to date and a considerable number of households have lost their homes to flooding or excessive moisture… The total number of the displaced is 850 to date inclusive of school children and infants. The local school also flooded and children cannot access the school,” she said.

Ms Ndlovu said she was happy with the swift reaction by humanitarian organisations that are already on the ground to assist the affected villagers.

She said human/animal conflicts are emerging in Lupane where animals such as buffalos were terrorising villagers.

Ms Ndlovu said prevalence of fall army worm remained a challenge for communities.

She said in Midland’s Mberengwa District, about 80 homesteads were destroyed while livestock were washed away in the process.

“The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society is making arrangements to deliver tents to the affected households. Efforts are underway by District Development Fund and state roads to repair the damaged bridges. The district is making arrangements to engage responsible authorities to carry out repairs to water supplies in affected institutions and to repair downed power lines,” she said. – State Media

When presidents meet……..

FIFA president Gianni Infantino met with President Robert Mugabe at state house this afternoon.

The UK Supreme Court has upheld British Prime Minister Theresa May’s “harsh” £18 600 minimum income rule for those wishing to bring in non-European spouses in a ruling slammed by Zimbabwean campaigners as perpetuating the separation of thousands of families.
The seven justices at the UK’s highest court announced their decision on Wednesday, ruling that “the minimum income threshold is accepted in principle”.
On top of the £18 600 minimum threshold, one must earn an additional £3 800 for the first dependent child and £2 400 for each further child.
In their full judgment, the justices, however, noted that the Home Office’s rules and instructions failed to take full account of the children involved and “has caused, and will continue to cause, significant hardship to many thousands of couples who have good reasons for wanting to make their lives together in this country, and to their children”.
This comes as the UK has attracted thousands of Zimbabwean migrants, desperate for work and a chance to send money home, with the southern African country now in the UK’s Top 10 asylum receiving nations.
In 2016, Zimbabwe received formal Diaspora remittance receipts of $780 million, a 17 percent decline from $935 million recorded in 2015, in part reflecting the impact of the appreciation of the US dollar against other source currencies, particularly the South African rand, according to Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa.
The ruling means thousands of Zimbabweans that have migrated to the UK cannot bring or remain with their spouses in Britain, because they do not earn enough money.
Taffi Nyawanza of the Zimbabwe Diaspora Investment Group said while the minimum income requirement of £18 600 was harsh, there were three positives from the ruling.
“For the first time, the Home Office will now be required to take into account the income of the spouse coming from abroad. This is significant and a game changer,” he said.
“If there are children involved, potentially there must be flexibility in the assessment of the rules and the Home Office has been ordered to propose how it will take this into account.
“Finally, where the spouse is already in the UK and is an overstayer usually where the couples have met in the UK but there is sufficient income, the court has said there is no need to send that spouse out of the UK for the purpose of making a visa application which would be granted anyway.”
The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) said yesterday the rules were “tearing families apart and significantly harming children.”
“This judgment confirms that the (UK) government’s position is now untenable and they must now take immediate steps to protect the welfare of children in accordance with their legal duty,” JCWI chief executive, Saira Grant, said
The UK government says the minimum income rule is to prevent unqualified spouses coming to the UK and becoming dependent on the State.
The rules were first introduced on July, 9, 2012 by May when she was home secretary.
There is a significant population of Zimbabweans who have been living in the UK for many years without receiving a positive decision on their application for asylum, unable to undertake paid work or receive support from the UK government, with many asylum seekers facing destitution, unable to reunite with their families back home.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Brian Paddick said: “ . . . May and (UK home secretary) Amber Rudd seem hell-bent on reducing immigration at all costs regardless of the heartbreak and suffering it results in.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The current rules remain in force but we are carefully considering what the court has said in relation to exceptional cases where the income threshold has not been met, particularly where the case involves a child.” – Daily News

A group of Bubi villagers were yesterday forced to withdraw their lawsuit against Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko after the ex-ambassador and businessman’s lawyers successfully argued before the Bulawayo High Court that the farmers had no right to stop their eviction.

This was after Vusa Ncube and 67 others had dragged the government number two to court for allegedly annexing nearly 300 hectares of Shilloh Farm, which shares a boundary with his Mdlawuzo farm in Umguza District.

“A preliminary issue was raised . . . in respect of the locus standi of your clients to institute proceedings of this nature taking into account the gazetted land status of the property in dispute as well as the fact that our client is in possession of an offer letter granting… lawful authority to hold, use and occupy a subdivision of the gazetted land,” the VP’s lawyer Gerald Mlotshwa said in a letter deposed before Justice Moyo yesterday.

“The point was emphasised that your clients (villagers), to the extent that they could even be considered to be settled on the sub-division allocated to our client (a point denied by our client), had in reality no lawful authority to occupy . . . the land.

“From the bundle of documents forming . . . founding papers, it was not even manifest . . .  whether or not they were not even on the gazetted land, let alone that portion (of Shilloh) forming a part of our client’s offer letter,” he said.

While emphasising that the parties had agreed that the villagers would withdraw their urgent chamber application by February 23, Mphoko’s Titan Law representatives also stressed the point that Ncube’s application was “riddled with factual and legal errors”.

And as the matter draws to a conclusion or resolve, Mlotshwa has even suggested an inspection in loco to ascertain the true position regarding Mdlawuzo and Shilloh farm’s boundaries.

With Mphoko’s holding lying on the borders of Bubi and Umguza districts, the President Robert Mugabe deputy has been quarrelling with fellow resettled farmers for allegedly encroaching into the adjacent property, in a move that has caused or necessitated the eviction of some of the settlers.

“The writer also suggested that it would be prudent for your clients to withdraw their patently flawed application, and that if this request was acceded to by yours, he would not persist with a claim for costs,” the retail investor and businessman’s lawyers said.

Thus, the villagers were given a “right to pursue the matter if they were not satisfied with the issue of boundaries” and dispute resolution mechanism or settlement, and they should not litigate the matter through the media. – Daily News

Staff Reporter | A Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa ally Ezra Chadzamira is leading in the hotly contested Zanu PF Masvingo provincial elections.

Chadzamira, a strong member of the Team Lacoste said to be firmly behind the Midlands godfather, Mnangagwa took on Retired Colonel Mutero Johannes Masanganise, a member of the G-40 Team in the battle to land the party’s top post in the province.

Chadzamira is leading in the race , with provisional results showing him garnering 12 393 votes ahead of his rival Colonel Mutero Masanganise (Retired) who has 4 888 votes.

Chadzamira was leading with 64 percent of districts having voted, as voting did not take place in other areas because they were inaccessible after heavy rains.

Announcing the provisional results, Interim Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chair Jorum Gumbo said he will seek guidance from the Politburo on what to do with the inconclusive Masvingo polls. More details to follow….

Staff Reporter |An angry Matobo headman in Natisa Village some 15kms away from President Robert Mugabe’s birthday celebrations venue has defied ZANU PF orders for him to force match his subjects to attend the massive bash quizzing whether the ruling party was rehearsing for Mugabe’s funeral by forcing numbers for his birthday.

The elderly village head was speaking to ZimEye.com in Bulawayo this morning where he claims to have come for refuge to escape abuse by ZANU PF militia gangs who are forcing traditional leaders to frog match people to Mugabe’s birthday.

The headman told ZimEye.com that he will be going back to his home after the weekend when the celebrations are over as he cannot stand being harassed by “young people” who are flocking to his home everyday to check on progress in compiling the list of people from the village who must all attend the celebrations.

“I am old and unwell as you can see, I can no longer manage to do some of the things these people want us to do just for someone’s birthday,” said the emotional old man.

“The way they are doing their things is as if this is Mugabe’s last birthday. We can’t stand the harassment.” he said.

The organisers of the bash have set a target of getting 200 000 people to attend the celebrations and to achieve that number people living within the Matobo district have all been ordered to attend. Each ward in the district has been allocated four trucks to ferry people to the birthday celebrations.

Three trains have also been set out to ferry people from Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North and Harare. The trains which will carry people for free to Bulawayo will leave Harare, Victoria Falls and Beitbridge simultaneously at 7pm tonight destined for Bulawayo’s Heany Junction station where buses and trucks will be on standby to received the passengers and take them to Matopos early tomorrow morning.

All government owned ZUPCO buses from all over the country have been recalled from their normal service to ferry the guests. Government schools have also been ordered to release all their school buses to augment the transport for the guests.

A 49-year-old man who allegedly proposed love to his 15-year-old stepdaughter on Valentine’s Day before having sexual intercourse with her yesterday appeared in court.

The man appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Victoria Mashamba facing charges of having sex with a minor. He was remanded to March 9.

Prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that on Valentine’s Day this year, at around 8pm, the man was accompanied by his stepdaughter to OK supermarket in Mufakose, Harare. They intended to buy meat and vegetables for supper.

It is alleged that the man drove in the direction of Mufakose Polyclinic and parked his vehicle.
He allegedly proposed love to his teenage stepdaughter and she agreed. They had consensual sexual intercourse in the vehicle, it is alleged. The offence came to light when the teenager gave her friend a 50 cent coin.

The friend was questioned by her grandmother and she mentioned the complainant’s name.
When the complainant was called she denied the allegations. – State Media

Her friend later revealed that the money came from the complainant’s stepfather. On interrogation, she revealed that she had had sex with her stepfather. A report was made to the police leading to the man’s arrest.

In a similar case before the same magistrate, a police constable stationed at Morris Depot was charged with having sex with a minor. Const Ngonidzashe Paswavaviri (28) was remanded to March 9 on $100 bail.

It is alleged that on February 18 this year the complainant was walking alone on her way to buy freezits. She passed through Paswavaviri’s house. Paswavaviri, who was standing at his door, invited the teenager into his house.

He had sexual intercourse with her. She tried to resist but was over- powered. He later ordered the teenager to proceed with her journey. It is alleged that three days later the complainant broke down during a school lesson.

Her teacher quizzed her and she revealed that she was raped by Paswavaviri. A report was made to the police leading the arrest of the police constable. Herald

Terrence Mawawa, Zaka |A Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) cop lost his ear after being bashed by illegal gamblers who were angry because the officer had confiscated their cash and converted it for his personal use.

Constable Chapeyama of Zaka is nursing serious injuries after being attacked by the angry gamblers. He is currently admitted at St Antony’s Musiso Hospital.The incident happened last week. The cop allegedly seized $60 from the gamblers.

Chapeyama raided the three gamblers and confiscated their belongings -including cash. He however did not take the money to the police station. On noticing that the cop did not take the cash to the police station the gamblers plotted a violent retaliation. The three gamblers pounced on the cop as he was drinking beer at a local bar.

“The three men entered the bar and attacked Chapeyama accusing him squandering their cash on beer.One of the gamblers bit Chapeyama’s ear and tore off a piece. Chapeyama was quickly rushed to hospital following the attack,”said Paul Chigaro, a bar attendant.

Acting Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa said he had not received the report. Police in Zaka said one of the gamblers, Douglas Siyawarewa was arrested immediately after the incident and his two accomplices ran away.

Shyleen Mtandwa| Bulawayo residents have rejected the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 1) Bill 2017 saying the current charter has not been fully implemented, needing trial before any amendment.

Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No.1 Act 2017 proposes that the Chief Justice, the deputy Chief Justice and the Judge President of the High Court to be appointed by the President after consultation with the Judiciary Services Commission.

Speaking during a Parliamentary consultation meeting held at, Iminyela Hall, residents resoundingly rejected the constitution amendment with no doubt.

Residents said the Amendment Bill would vest much power on the Executive depriving the Constitution of the separation of powers.

Former Magwegwe House of Assembly member, Felix Magalela Mafa Sibanda, said the President’s role is to protect the Constitution not to come up with the amendments, which satisfy the Executive only.

“I strongly believe in the doctrine of separation of powers meaning the Judiciary must be independent from the Executive and Legislature, therefore the President should not be allowed to choose judges alone,” said Sibanda.

He said they died for the current constitution and every amendment should be done through a referendum.

“The doctrine of separation of power is trying to neutralise absolute power to an institution and l believe correctly that absolute power corrupts absolutely,” said Sibanda.

Previously the appointment of the Judge President was done by the Chief Justice.

Another resident, Duncan Ncube, said the government must tell the public the reason behind the constitution amendment since people were the ones who scribed the current constitution.

“We find it so insulting when we come up with what we want as citizens and the government try to shift public’s view and put their own ideas which are in favour of them alone,” said Ncube.

“Our Constitution is fairly new and very attractive so what are we amending because we haven’t implemented the current constitution fully.”

Other amendments will be in paragraph 18(3) of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution titled Commencement of this Constitution, Transit Provisions and Savings, where the amendments will exclude the words “vacancies in the office of Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice”, from the scope of that provision.

Charles Ncube of Pumula said Section 180 of the Constitution allows people to elect Judges but the amendment does not involve public participation in the electing process.

A resident, Kenneth Chirimuda, said amending the Constitution would pave way for undemocratic practices.

“We feel it is too early to amend the Constitution, the reason being we are now opening floodgates of amendments,” said Chirimuda.

He blamed MPs for not bringing the Bill in advance so that people could read it in advance.

“The delivery of Constitution amendment copies clearly shows that the Parliament did not want our views because we cannot debate without fully reading and understanding the paper,” said Chirimuda.

The Bill also seeks to amend Section 174 to clarify conditions of service for judges of the High Court and judges of the Labour Court and Administrative Court.

Another resident Mthokosizi Ncube said Zanu-PF wants its ideologies to be the one’s dominating in the country.

“In this amendment, the President now wants to violate the Constitutional rights since the amendment will give the President absolute power,” said Ncube.

He said the amendment was done for the coming elections so that the ruling party will easily rig the elections.

Another resident, Minenhle Sibanda, said the consultations were just a formality and the findings will not be implemented.

“The Parliament should have consulted us whether to amend or not than to discuss the already amended constitution with the parliamentary views,” said Sibanda.

A UNIVERSITY of Zimbabwe student has dragged outgoing Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) contesting a ruling that set aside an application challenging the selection of the top judge’s successor.

Romeo Taombera Zibani, whose bid to stop the ongoing process to select Chief Justice Chidyausiku’s successor using provisions in the Constitution fell flat a fortnight ago after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), is now challenging the composition of the bench that threw out his case.

The JSC successfully appealed against a High Court judgment that sought to halt interviews for the next Chief Justice in the Supreme Court.

Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa had backed Zibani’s case, arguing that the government was already in the process of amending the Constitution to give President Robert Mugabe the sole right to pick the country’s top three judges.

On Wednesday, Zibani, through his lawyers Venturas and Samukange Legal Practitioners, filed the latest ConCourt application arguing that the appointment of retired Supreme Court judge, Justice Vernanda Ziyambi, to preside over his matter was unconstitutional.

He cited President Robert Mugabe, Mnangagwa, Justices Chidyausiku and Ziyambi as respondents.

“The appeal was procedurally set down and was heard by Justices Ben Hlatshwayo, Bharat Patel and retired Justice Ziyambi, who was included after her purported appointment, which is the basis of this application,” Zibani said.

“I submit that the fourth respondent (Justice Ziyambi) was not eligible for appointment, having reached the age of 70 and having retired in 2016.

“Her appointment was, therefore, unconstitutional.

“The appointment is in contravention of section 186(2) (of the Constitution), which reads as follows: Judges of the Supreme Court, the High Court and any other judges hold office from the date of their assumption of office until they reach the age of 70 years, when they must retire.”

Zibani averred that Justice Chidyausiku acted unconstitutionally by appointing Justice Ziyambi.

“I submit that when the Supreme Court sat to hear my case on February 13, 2017, it was not properly constituted, as there were only two judges qualified to hear the case,” he said.

“The sitting did not constitute a Supreme Court bench, as is required by law and, therefore, the judgment by that court is a nullity.”

Zibani, who was cited as the first respondent in the JSC matter, was barred from participating in the Supreme Court hearing after the judges ruled that he had not filed heads of argument to enable him to be part of the proceedings.
Justice Chidyausiku is set to retire next week.

The selection of the Chief Justice has been marred by Zanu PF factional politics amid allegations that a faction linked to Mnangagwa wants Judge President Justice George Chiweshe to succeed Chidyausiku.

However, Deputy Chief Justice Luke Malaba emerged as the top candidate in public interviews held by the JSC in December last year as per the Constitution.

He was followed by JSC secretary Justice Rita Makarau and Justice Paddington Garwe. – Newsday

MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai will this weekend descend on President Robert Mugabe’s stronghold of Mashonaland East province to meet party structures, churches, business and traditional leaders, as he concludes his nationwide consultative meetings on the proposed coalition of opposition parties.

Tsvangirai is punting the coalition as an indispensable strategy to dislodge the 93 year-old leader in next year’s elections.

Top MDC-T officials said Tsvangirai would spend three days meeting village heads, chiefs and other influential leaders in Mashonaland East,

starting this week, as part of his new strategy to penetrate provinces previously regarded as “no-go areas” for opposition politicians.

“He will be in Mashonaland East and will possibly make stops at Uzumba and other rural areas, where he is expected to speak with traditional leaders.

“The final programme has not been released for security reasons,” said an official.

Since the 2000 elections, Mashonaland East has been the bedrock of political violence mostly targeted at opposition supporters. Zanu PF supporters have made the province a no-go area for the opposition, particularly areas such as Uzumba, Mudzi and Mutoko.

MDC-T spokesperson, Obert Gutu, confirmed Tsvangirai’s impending visit to Mashonaland East.

He said Tsvangirai will be consulting party structures and other interested groups on the current economic decay and coalition, among other issues.

“President Morgan Tsvangirai is continuing with his countrywide consultative programmes, where he will be touching base with local opinion leaders and getting their views regarding all pertinent issues such as the economy and political alliances, among other issues,” he said.

“As you know, he has already covered most parts of the country on a similar mission.”

However, Gutu disputed assertions that Mashonaland East and West provinces were Zanu PF strongholds, saying the MDC-T has enjoyed massive support in the areas since its birth in 1999.

“It’s a myth that Mash East is a Zanu PF stronghold,” he said.

“The MDC is the largest and most popular political party in Zimbabwe and we have got thousands of supporters in Mash East and West provinces.

“We are very confident that, just like in all the other provinces that our leader has toured to date, there will be very good attendances in all the three Mashonaland provinces.”

Tsvangirai has covered Matabeleland, Manicaland, Midlands and Masvingo, among other provinces, in his consultative meetings which started last month.

He recently announced that he was close to forming a coalition with former Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People First and other opposition parties. – Newsday

Ray Nkosi | Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa has once again dumped his allies during the hour need.

This is soon after President Robert Mugabe has declared that he is not grooming a successor going further to state that among those in his leadership none has the leadership qualities to replace him.

Mugabe in his statements effectively snubbed his deputy Mnangagwa who has been angling himself to succeed him as a touted heir apparent.

In a new twist Mnangagwa said those pressing for him to be President while President Mugabe is still in office must be expelled from Zanu-PF. This is a deja-vu moment after Mnangagwa publicly dumped expelled war vets led by Christopher Mustvangwa in their moment of need when they were under siege within the ruling Zanu PF party.

Mnangagwa is reported describing such people “mad” and said some of them had since been expelled from the ruling party.

This is outside the fact that one of Mnangagwa’s most vocal loyalists  Godfrey Tsenengamu who was arrested after he held a press conference, denouncing First Lady Grace Mugabe has been denied bail.

The former Zanu PF provincial youth chairperson, was slapped behind bars for the charges of holding a presser without notifying the police.

“There are these mad young people who move around saying they want Cde Mnangagwa to be President and I told them you are mad. We don’t want to hear that. We have our father (President Mugabe) who has led us for over 60 years. We have travelled with him that far and you hear young people, some of them born after independence, saying such bad things,” said Mnangagwa the state media reports.

“We don’t want that. Yes, even in a family set-up you can have a bad apple among your children. We must all know that if you want to succeed in our country, you must be a member of the ruling party; the party that has a liberation struggle history; a party with leaders we can bank on because they sacrificed a lot for this country,” he said.

“Today we have President Mugabe as our leader. White people might fume and say all sorts of things but President Mugabe will soldier on with his people.

President Mugabe always tells them that he does what the people want, reminding them to mind their own business,” he said.

Mnangagwa said the success of Command Agriculture was because of the fast track land reform programme ushered in by President Mugabe.

“President Mugabe said the principal cause of the liberation war was the land question. He has fought hard to ensure that the landless majority reclaim their land. President Mugabe did not stop there for he proceeded with indigenisation that economically empowered our people. So Command Agriculture is empowering the people,” the VP said.

“Zanu-PF will rule forever and those ruled will forever be ruled and I don’t understand why you opt to move away from the rulers and stay with those being ruled. That’s pure madness. Zanu-PF is the party that brought independence under the leadership of President Mugabe.”
VP Mnangagwa said President Mugabe would be re-elected in 2018 to lead the country.

THE Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Saviour Kasukuwere has fired Gweru Mayor Councillor Hamutendi Kombayi and Clr Kenneth Sithole following recommendations made by an independent tribunal.

Clrs Kombayi and Sithole were among the 15 councillors who appeared before an independent tribunal headed by Mr Isaac Muzenda for alleged gross misconduct, incompetence and mismanagement of council funds and affairs following their suspension in August 2015.

Kasukuwere and Local Government Ministry permanent secretary Engineer George Mlilo visited Gweru and told councillors at the town house yesterday that Clrs Kombayi and Sithole had been fired.

The minister also announced the end of the tenure of the three-member commission headed by Mr Tsunga Mhangami that was running the affairs of the city following the councillors’ suspension.

The commission will hand over the running of the city to councillors before the end of this month.

“The independent tribunal completed its investigations and recommended that Mayor Hamutendi Kombayi and Councillor Kenneth Sithole be discharged.

They were found guilty of the charges they were facing. Other councillors, although they were found guilty have been reengaged,” he said.

Kasukuwere said according to the country’s laws, the two councillors were free to appeal to a higher court.

He said councillors who have been spared would have to start afresh.

The minister said the councillors would be re-inducted into council with a training programme.

“There will be an additional training on conflict management in an effort to bring harmony and progress to the chamber so that we can maintain the momentum started by the commission,” he said.

“Secondly, you need to receive a handover-takeover report from the commission so that any work started by the commission can be brought to its logical conclusion. Thirdly, you will be expected to elect a new mayor and deputy mayor at your first special council meeting, office bearers to lead you with integrity and dignity. Fourthly, the committee system will need to be re-established. Town clerk you are to rearrange the committees and put in place terms of reference so that all aspects of the council activities are covered.”

The minister said all resolutions passed by the outgoing commission should not be rescinded without his authority.

He said the councillors were still on travel embargo and any proposed trips will only be approved by his ministry.

On the contentious mayoral regalia which is allegedly still in the hands of Clr Kombayi, Kasukuwere said from now onwards it would be kept by the town clerk and will only be used for official events.

He said the mayoral vehicle will only be used for official duties. – State Media

PRETORIA/LONDON. – Amid confirmation that MTN’s offices in Nigeria’s capital were vandalised by anti-xenophobia demonstrators, the International Relations Department says South Africa’s ambassador has been summoned by that country’s government to explain the attacks on foreigners here.

The cellphone service provider has issued a brief statement calling on people to remain calm and to exercise restraint.

It’s understood their offices in Abuja were vandalised and office equipment was stolen during a protest against attacks on foreigners in South Africa.

International Relations’ Clayson Monyela has confirmed that South Africa’s ambassador to Nigeria has been summoned to that country’s foreign ministry for a meeting.

“They want to get an understanding of these sporadic attacks in South Africa as reported on some foreign and South African nationals. We did explain that these are sporadic criminal attacks.”

The Nigerian Union of South Africa’s Emeka Collins says they are worried about the anti-immigrant march in Pretoria today, which has been given the green light.

“We hope the protest march tomorrow will not give leverage to setting criminal elements to take the law into their own hands. We have confidence in the authority.”

The police say they will not tolerate any violence.

Nigerians in Abuja reportedly staged an anti-xenophobia protest outside the South African embassy in the capital Abuja on Wednesday, calling on authorities to “stop attacks on African nationals”.

According to BBC Live, the protest, organised by members of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, urged the South African government to urgently address the situation.

The protesters carried placards such as “South Africa we say stop killing our people” and chanted slogans denouncing the attacks, the report said.

“We are doing this because of the killings taking place in South Africa, we want to express our displeasure over that and urge them to take measures to address the situation.

“We presented a petition in which we want them to call their people to order. We have foreigners here and it will not be good if there is reprisal attacks that will not make world a peaceful place to live,” one of the protesters was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba yesterday warned unethical businesses that employ illegal immigrants that they are going to be dealt with harshly and the managers will be arrested for not adhering to the law.

“Companies, businesses: Be warned. We are coming for you. We will charge them, there’s no doubt. The manger will be charged. Often times, we focus on the undocumented employee and not the company,” he said.

They would deport the illegal immigrants, he said, but the businesses would not be left unscathed.

Gigaba made an example of a large supermarket group that had employed 63 people without documentation.

Three shops were found to have employed undocumented immigrants, and two managers were arrested, while another manager was not on duty at the time. SA labour laws require businesses to employ a minimum of 60 percent South Africans.

“But we are not saying businesses should only employ 60 percent of South Africans. Go higher,” Gigaba said, briefing media in Cape Town.

Businesses were a critical factor in dealing with some of the challenges facing communities, such as Rosettenville, he said. — News Agencies.

AS the Lazarus Magaya storm hit the public domain on Wednesday, the former Masvingo United coach was forced to skip class in shame at the ongoing CAF A course in Harare.One of the course’s instructors, Nelson Matongorere, warned the participants against sabotaging each other.

Magaya has been working here for the past eight months in which he has coached three teams and Malanti Chiefs co-director, Victor Rodriguez, appealed for psychological assistance to help the troubled coach.

“Lomuntfu akaphilanga kahle la enhloko udzinga lusito (Magaya needs psychological assistance), the earlier the better,” said Rodriguez.

“This is the same stance he pulled on us more than a year, pleading with me to hire him. It’s not amazing at all that he has struck again.

“I have the chats to prove that. We brought him into the country, he trained our team and after we had agreed on a figure he disappeared, changed numbers and at that time he was in touch with Green Mamba and (Manzini) Wanderers officials.

“To me this is a clear sign of a man with a psychological problem who needs help, the sooner the better before it causes further hatred with other coaches.”

Two of the alleged victims to Magaya’s unethical shenanigans, Hebert Maruwa and Julius Chakupewa, said they had long forgiven him. – State Media

THE Plumtree Magistrate’s Court has dismissed an application by Mangwe Rural District Council to evict its former Chief Executive Officer from a council house saying the matter must be resolved by the Labour Court.

The local authority recently dragged Mr Nketha Mangoye Dlamini to court accusing him of refusing to vacate a council house in Plumtree which is reserved for the CEO.

Plumtree magistrate, Mr Joshua Mawere said Mr Dlamini had approached the Labour Court complaining that he was coerced into resigning due to unfavourable working conditions.

He said the matter was pending at the Labour Court and Mr Dlamini could be reinstated if the matter goes in his favour.

“The applicant has approached the wrong court to deliberate on the issue as this is entirely a labour matter. If constructive dismissal is alleged and the matter is before a labour officer one of the available remedies is reinstatement.

“Tendering a resignation doesn’t mean termination of an employment contract. This then ousters the jurisdiction of this court as it can’t make a ruling whether employment relation between the applicant and defendant is terminated or not. Therefore this application is dismissed,” said Mr Mawere.

On November 18 last year, the local authourity filed an application for summary judgment for the eviction of Mr Dlamini who had resigned from his post in May last year.

Mr Dlamini resigned immediately after he was suspended for a month for allegedly issuing a tender for road maintenance works in an unprocedural manner to Enfund Construction Company.

In its application, council which is being represented by council chairperson Mr Roland Mafesi Ncube said the current CEO was now forced to stay at a local lodge in the border town as Mr Dlamini was refusing to move out of the CEO’s house.

Mr Dlamini was employed by Mangwe RDC from 2006 up to May 30 last year when he resigned.

Mr Ncube said Mr Dlamini was first issued with a three months’ notice to vacate the house but refused stating that council owed him money in outstanding salaries and benefits.

He said council issued summons for Mr Dlamini’s eviction but he also failed to comply.

In response to the application, Mr Dlamini said he still had a claim to the house as he was unfairly dismissed.

Mr Dlamini recently dragged the local authority to the Labour Court for alleged unfair dismissal.

He said he was forced to resign because the council chairperson was intimidating and harassing him. Mr Dlamini said the council chairperson had created a hostile environment that made it impossible for him to carry out his duties.

He approached the Labour Court demanding compensation for forced resignation, his outstanding salary and a package.

The court advised the local authority to meet Mr Dlamini to discuss his benefits and outstanding salary. – State Media

President Robert Mugabe unwittingly confirmed Zimbabwe’s worsening rot — which is widely blamed on him and his misfiring government — when he revealed during his annual birthday interview with the ZBC last week that even he kept money at home fearing bank failures.

Mugabe also hinted in that televised interview that Zimbabwe should adopt the South African Rand to mitigate the country’s severe liquidity and cash challenges.

But it was the nonagenarian’s rare, frank and ready admission that he too, along with many other Zimbabweans, kept his money at home rather than with banks that surprised observers.

“They (ordinary Zimbabweans) carry those earnings into their pillows and briefcases back home and hold funds back home and become reluctant to release them. Then the banks will not have any resource and will continue to talk of illiquid banks in the system.

“That is what has happened. Dzimba idzi dzizere nemari (Many homes are full of cash). Tikati kumapurisa nemasoja (If we instruct the police and soldiers to) go house by house and dig for the funds that are being hidden there . . . You will be guilty and I will be guilty.

“I don’t know who will not be guilty here … Dzimwe nguva ukaona tumari twako wotya kuti aah ndikanoisa uko kuti ndizonoitora mangwana hapana (If you have savings you will be afraid of depositing them in the bank because tomorrow you may not get that money).

“So you tend to keep it. It’s not your fault . . . It’s the fault of a system that has not yielded enough cash. Mind you, the (American) dollar is not our currency,” Mugabe said.
He spoke as long-suffering Zimbabweans continue to experiences pain and chaos at banks as they desperately seek to withdraw their money.

This is despite the government’s recent introduction of bond notes in its desperate bid to improve the availability of money.
On its part, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has blamed the shortages of cash on rampant externalisation and high imports.

Last month one of the government’s advisors, Ashok Chakravarti,  revealed that the country only had $304 million in hard cash in circulation, including $73 million in bond notes.

“If you look at comparative studies from other economies cash to deposit ratio should be between 10 (percent) to 12 percent. If an economy has got less than 12 percent, it faces a liquidity crisis … We need $900 million in cash to have adequate liquidity,” he said.

And as Zimbabwe’s economy continues to die, the World Bank last year downgraded the country from its list of improved economies to the unflattering tier of struggling countries, as Harare’s political and economic turmoil continues to escalate.

In its publication titled Africa’s Pulse, the Bretton Woods institution said the country had failed to register significant economic growth over the past few years.

“Zimbabwe’s fiscal deficit has deteriorated as remedial actions have been limited and this has resulted in the country registering a negative correlation between the cyclical components of government consumption and GDP,” it said.

Meanwhile, economists also say average incomes in Zimbabwe are now at their lowest levels in 60 years, with more than 76 percent of families having to make do with less than $200 a month.
This, they add, means that poverty levels have reached “numbing levels”, amid indications that the situation will worsen in 2017, as the government continues to demonstrate its inability to fix the Zimbabwe rot. – Daily News

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo| As the political turbulence continues unabated in the faction ridden ruling  Zanu PF party, National Political Commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere, has been accused by members of the rival faction Team Lacoste, of tilting today’s provincial polls in favour of the G-4O Team.

Kasukuwere has also been accused of influencing the reversal of Ezra Ruvai Chadzamira’s reinstatement as the provincial chairperson. The relentless Chadzamira , a strong member of the Team Lacoste said to be firmly behind the Midlands godfather, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa took on Retired Colonel Mutero Johannes Masanganise, a member of the G-40 Team in the battle to land the party’s top post in the province.

Party sources alleged to ZimEye.com that Kasukuwere clandestinely addressed polling officers at the command centre at the Chevron Hotel and instructed them to tilt the elections in favour of G-40 members.

“Kasukuwere was at Chevron Hotel today where he addressed officials at the command centre. He conspired with Masvingo Urban Constituency MP , Daniel Shumba to rig the polls. Perceived G-40 rivals were barred from attending the caucus meeting addressed by Kasukuwere and Shumba,”claimed a party official.

Party officials also accused Kasukuwere of tampering with the electoral college. “The whole process is fraught with irregularities because Kasukuwere has already manipulated crucial documents. He is battling to tilt the results in favour of his G-40 allies,”said the officials. The hefty politician (Kasukuwere) was spotted at Chevron Hotel where he briefed party officials. Efforts to get a comment from Kasukuwere were fruitless.

South African officials will inspect workplaces to see if firms are employing undocumented foreigners, the home affairs minister says.

Malusi Gigaba added that more than 60 employees of retail chain Spar “without documentation” had been arrested.

Mr Gigaba warned that firms would be “penalised” if they breached the law, and said they should not fuel tensions by “playing locals against foreigners”.

His comments come amid concern that xenophobia is rising in South Africa.

Many unemployed South Africans accuse foreigners of taking their jobs.

In the past week, Nigerian nationals have been attacked in the capital Pretoria; on Monday, 34 foreign-owned shops were looted in parts of Pretoria, and a local group has called for a march for Friday to protest at immigrants it says are taking their jobs.

The attacks triggered condemnation by the Nigerian government and a call by MPs for Nigeria’s ambassador to South Africa to be recalled.

But South Africa’s foreign affairs department dismissed claims that Nigerian nationals were targets of xenophobic violence.

Spokesperson Clayson Monyela said the attacks were nothing more than sporadic criminal incidents. The government also said inflammatory social media statements by South Africans and foreign nationals against each other were unnecessary.

However, Thursday saw protesters in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, target the head office of South African telecoms company MTN in apparent retaliation for violence against Nigerians in South Africa.

Mr Gigaba, whose comments have been published on the government’s Twitter account, said South Africans should not be portrayed as “mere xenophobes”.

He added that 33,339 people had been deported in 2015-16.

In his budget speech on Wednesday, South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said that 35% of the labour force was unemployed or had given up looking for work.

South Africa experienced its worst outbreak of violence against foreigners in 2008, when more than 60 people died.

Two years ago, similar unrest in the cities of Johannesburg and Durban claimed seven lives as African immigrants were hunted down and attacked by gangs. – BBC

The Rusape woman, who was mauled by a lion while taking pictures with her boyfriend at a game park is recovering from the disturbing injuries.

Ngoni Hera nearly had her life cut short when she was savagely mauled by a lion on the right hip while interacting with the predator at Eco Nyati Game Park in Headlands.

All this took place while her boyfriend watched from a distance as she was being photographed by a guide.

Hera (34), of 923 Sanzaguru, Rusape, had been taken out for game viewing at Eco Nyati Game Park, by her lover Lovemore Sakarombe (38), of BC 1286, Vengere, Rusape.

She suffered serious injuries on her right hip following an attack by a caged white lion.

Sakarombe rushed Ngoni to Makuma Medical Centre in Rusape and was later transferred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare where she was admitted.

The incident has gone viral on social media in Rusape, with various theories flying around.

The state media says when Hera and Sakarombe arrived at Eco Nyati Game Park, they paid their entrance fees and were directed to a section where domesticated pets are kept.

There are two species of lions at Eco Game Park, namely the brown ones which are kept in a standard fence and no one goes into the fence, even the guides, as they are very dangerous, and the white lions, perceived to be friendly, which are kept in a separate standard fence where tourists are allowed to enter, with guides, guiding the activity. It is this fence, where other tourists were interacting with the lions that the incident which has become the talk of Rusape, occurred. Sakarombe refused to comment on the incident that left his lover with stitches on the hip, referring the state media to the “one who gave you the pictures and the story in the first place”.

“No comment. Boss, you have to get facts from the person who gave you the photos, please don’t call me,” said Sakarombe, who is popuolarly known as Divine.

When Manica Post journalists insisted that he explains circumstances leading to the attack as several theories were swirling.

“What story do you want to hear from (me) yet (the) online version of The Manica Post makatonyora. Then hear from akakupa story from the first place,” argued Sakarombe.

Manicaland police spokesperson Inspector Tavhiringa Kakohwa confirmed the incident.

He said Sakarombe made a report about the attack on his “girlfriend” at Headlands Police Station on February 9, 2017.

“Ngoni was attracted by what the other tourists were doing, and decided to get into the cage to have a feel of the lions. Sakarombe refused to get inside,” said Insp Kakohwa.

Ngoni was accompanied into the lions’ den by Enock Makwanye, a guide at Eco Nyati Game Park.

“The two got down on their knees with the victim playing with the lions, which were tied down around the neck with a leash. Robert Mucharambeyi, also of Eco Nyati Game Park, was taking pictures as the victim played with the predators.

All of a sudden, the lion got wild, went around Ngoni sniffing. The ferocious carnivore got attracted to the pound of flesh at its disposal and went for the bite.

“The lion mauled her once on the right hip before letting go. It locked its jaws, and only released Ngoni and darted off after being poked with a stick by Makwanye,” said Insp Kakohwa.

This is not the first time that the Headlands zoo has hosted problematic lions, as some years ago a pride of lions was wiped out after wreaking havoc in the area. In 2013, a Lions and Cheetah Park employee, who had been dispatched to train workers at the private exotic animal zoo, on how to relate to animals was viciously attacked by rabid lions after failing to lure the lions into another pen after feeding them. Gun shots had to be fired in the air while other guides hurled stones to scare away the vicious animals and safely reach the wounded man. – Manica Post

Expelled Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) elders — Rugare Gumbo and Didymus Mutasa — have threatened to sue the party’s interim leader Joice Mujuru (pictured) for allegedly making “defamatory” sexual remarks against them, unless she publicly apologises.

A fortnight ago, Mujuru accused the pair of seeking to turn her into a sex slave, after proposing that she be the opposition party’s “queen bee” — a claim First Lady Grace Mugabe went to town about at her recent rally in Buhera.

In an audio recording of her addressing provincial structures in Masvingo, which has since been posted on Facebook, she accused the once close allies of asking her to sleep with male colleagues in the party, taking advantage that she is a widow.

“I was supposed to mate with all the men in the party. I was supposed to be their wife. I was supposed to work for them because they had seen that while I was still in Egypt (Zanu PF) I used to work hard. So they wanted to borrow that hard-working spirit to work for them and I told them that I can’t be your queen bee.

“I am a woman of substance even though I am a widow, I have an image to protect and since the death of my husband (Solomon Mujuru), I have no appetite for men. I told them that I am here to work for Zimbabwe and this did not make them happy,” she said.

But Gumbo and Mutasa came out guns blazing yesterday, demanding Mujuru retracts her statement and apologise publicly.

They threatened litigation, if she does not.

In a February 20 letter through their attorney Gerald Mlotshwa of Titan Law, the duo took exception to Mujuru’s allegations.

“Your words were malicious and deliberately intended to tarnish our clients’ respective reputation and standing,” Mlotshwa wrote.

“We have instructions to demand from you, on behalf of our clients, as we hereby do, a full retraction of your allegations along with a public apology in respect of the unfounded statement made denigrating our clients,” he said.

“Should we not have received any such retraction and public apology by close of business this Friday, February 24, 2017, we will have no option but to proceed with our clients’ further instructions to sue you in the High Court for combined amount of $5 million,” Mlotshwa threatened.

Responding to the demands, Mujuru — through her spokesperson Gift Nyandoro, who is also her lawyer — said she was ready to stand trial and described Gumbo and Mutasa as State agents desperate to destroy her political career.

“We are seized with the letter from the two and notwithstanding that, we are in the process of taking instructions from our client. We must hasten to say the claim is ill-advised and misplaced to say the least,” Nyandoro told the Daily News yesterday.

“It is a desperate attempt by the two to decimate Mujuru at all costs and to the full aspiration of the regime being Mugabe and Zanu PF,” he said, adding that “but the battle lines have been drawn because we are ready to expose the two for who they really are and we are ready to face (President Robert) Mugabe’s puppies.”

Mujuru has claimed that the party had been heavily infiltrated. – Daily News

Top Emmerson Mnangagwa aide, Godfrey Tsenengamu who was arrested after he held a press conference, has been denied bail.

The former Zanu PF provincial youth chairperson, was this afternoon slapped behind bars for the charges of holding a presser without notifying the police.

Tsenengamu’s fate comes after he sought to be released from remand because of the state’s failure to obtain the Prosecutor General’s authorisation.

But Tsenengamu was remanded in custody to the 9th of March.

Magistatre Ms Vicky Mashamba ruled that there was no need to set aside the court proceedings, saying the State could always seek the Prosecutor General’s permission to prosecute during trial.

Tsenengamu was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.

BACKGROUND.

On Monday the 20th of February 2017 Tsenengamu held a presser where he said that First Lady Grace Mugabe was not presidential material.

He also said that Grace had only agreed to be President Mugabe’s wife because she wanted to be First Lady and warned her not to talk about President Mugabe’s alleged successor who he said is Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Tsenengamu was initially charged with subverting President Robert Mugabe’s authority before the charges were changed to:

• subverting a constitutionally-elected government,
• undermining the authority of the President
•  conducting a Press conference without notifying the police under the Public Order and Security Act (POSA).

Striking medical doctors yesterday vowed to continue with their industrial action, which started nine days ago, as they accused the government of not taking their grievances seriously.

The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors’ Association (ZHDA) said, although the government had taken steps to meet their demands, it had not shown commitment to fulfilling the promises it was making.

“As of today, the Health ministry has made some effort in establishing general medical officer posts, but we still await distribution list of the posts and we also want assurance that registrars, who are working for free in hospitals, will be included in these posts,” ZHDA said in a statement.

“The other two demands have not yet been addressed. The sluggish response (Health) minister David Parirenyatwa has given these issues shows how little he values the healthcare of Zimbabweans.”

Parirenyatwa yesterday said he was touring all public hospitals to assess the situation.

“We have bent backwards almost on everything to attend to their demands,” he told NewsDay last night. “I can guarantee them that all will be sorted and the posts are available.”

Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa had told the National Assembly during question time that Cabinet had tasked Parirenyatwa to engage the striking doctors so that they return to work while their grievances were being addressed.

Mnangagwa said Parirenyatwa had presented a long list of demands that doctors wanted addressed before they could return to work and the ministry was working on them.

Among the demands, the doctors want an increase in their on-call allowances to $720 per month, as well as provision of a facility to import vehicles duty-free into the country. The strike intensified last week after senior doctors from the department of obstetrics and gynaecology joined in, saying they would only resume their duties after the return of junior doctors, as they were now overwhelmed by work.

The doctors alleged that some authorities had resorted to threatening them, as a way to force them back to work.

“This is a major setback to all negotiations we have done so far. Let’s be united in these times and save our healthcare system in Zimbabwe. Let’s be the voice of reason for our patients,” ZHDA said. – Newsday

The People’s Democratic Party notes with concern that President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF are determined to drag Zimbabwe into a civil war.

Mugabe’s recent utterances in which he denigrated his deputies, defining them as unfit to hold office if he leaves, are not only reckless, but must not be said at a volatile stage, which, if not managed, will result in the unfolding of chaos.

The fact that Mugabe criticised everyone while heaping praise on his wife shows that he has already made up his mind, anointing his wife and recklessly choosing to impose a dynastic arrangement on the citizens of Zimbabwe.

Grace lacks the capacity to lead and has no defendable stature, even at least respect from any corner of society. Any reasonable individual will obviously oppose a move which is aimed at her taking over the reins and, sadly, this includes the Lacoste faction.

The fact that the Lacoste faction includes the military junta makes it dangerous for Mugabe to try and impose his wife in a process which must normally be determined by a democratic election. Mugabe has always deprived the people of Zimbabwe their right to freely choose.

The recent utterances by Godfrey Tsenengamu are evidence that the succession wars in Zanu PF are a danger to many Zimbabwean lives, his utterances must be taken seriously.

The current environment is volatile; it has many ingredients for a civil war. The toxic hate speech exchanged every day across the Zanu PF factions is at the same level with that witnessed before the genocide in Rwanda.

As we mentioned in both HOPE and ARREST, Zimbabwe needs a National Transitional Authority (NTA) which must be established to buy peace for the citizens.

We mention in ARREST that part of the NTA’s work must be to ensure a peaceful transition from the current authoritarian set-up to a proper democratic environment where people are free to pursue happiness.

It is our strong view that the political fighting mode that Zimbabwe has been exposed to for a very long time is a recipe for war and bloodshed.

Experience has taught us that once a country plunges into civil unrest and a war erupts, it is very hard to recover; the case of Libya is one example which must give us lessons and demand that an NTA be established to avoid our nation being plunged into war by Mugabe who lacks any care for the Zimbabwean people.

Together another Zimbabwe is possible

A member of the Zanu PF youth, Godfrey Tsenengamu, who is pushing Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Presidential ambitions, has appeared in court, charged with subverting a constitutionally-elected Government or alternatively undermining the authority of the President.

He is also being accused of contravening the Public Order and Security Act by holding a press conference without notifying the regulating authority.

Prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa argued that Tsenengamu be placed on remand until the authorisation letter is provided.

Magistatre Ms Vicky Mashamba will deliver her ruling today at 1415hrs on Tsenengamu’s refusal to be placed on remand.

More to follow…..

Staff Reporter | There was mass confusion this morning at most schools in Bulawayo and Matabeleland South following a two day holiday declaration and immediate reversal by the Ministry Of Education and The President’s Office.

Reports from most schools suggest that most pupils did not report for school today on the basis of the first Ministerial directive. When the late night reversal of the order was made, most kids had gone to bed and missed the directive.

Further to that some schools who refused to be disclosed claim that they have already started receiving some ZANU PF guests who want to use classroom blocks as lodging for the weekend President Robert Mugabe birthday celebrations to be held in Matopos on Saturday.

The ZANU PF youth members who are reported to be already at the schools, are said to be demanding school authorities to remove some boarding pupils for the weekend as “the party needs to use the facilities.”

The schools further claim that all their school buses and vehicles have been called up to transport the guests and schools ordered to fuel the buses. The authorities also claim that almost all of their teachers have been summoned for “national duty” at the celebrations as from today until Sunday.

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has cried out to US president Donald Trump saying the new world leader could remove sanctions. Speaking on the occasion of his birthday, Mugabe said “we are now under sanctions imposed on us not by Donald Trump but by Obama…give him time. He might come up with better policies and even free us from the thrall of sanctions which we have suffered from for so long…” VIDEO:

THE Gweru branch of Nigerian televangelist Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s Christ Embassy Church, has been taken to court over rental arrears and outstanding water bills amounting to $53 000.

According to summons filed at the Bulawayo High Court this week by the property managers, Central Real Estate, the church, also known as Believers Loveworld Incorporated, owes $53 607 in unpaid rentals, water bills and service charges for its rented premises at Alice Centre.

The building is owned by Brainman Investments.

The estate agent said the church was supposed to pay $1 632 monthly as rentals, management, sundries, cleaning, rates and water bills.

“In breach of the 2014 lease agreement, the amount of $14 439 accrued. In 2015, the arrears went to $19 584 and in 2016 the rentals arrears accrued to $53 607, which is now due. Despite demand, the defendant has failed or refused to pay,” the declaration read.

The estate agents prayed for an order for the eviction of the church from its rented premises.

The church is yet to respond to the summons.

Christ Embassy started in Nigeria in 1990 and has grown into an international denomination, attracting millions of followers. – Newsday

Terrence Mawawa, Chiredzi | A 64-year-old man stunned the local community after he raped a 12-year-old Grade Four pupil.

The man, Isaac Masakadze, of Jekiseni Village under Chief Tshovani in Chiredzi appeared before Magistrate Judith Zuyu facing rape charges last week. He was convicted and sentenced to 13 years in prison. The court heard that on June 29, 2016, around 5pm the juvenile was sent by her mother to Masakadze’s homestead to collect a mobile phone which was left on the charger.

On arrival at the homestead she sat on the verandah since Masakadze was in his bedroom. He told the juvenile to collect the mobile phone in the house but she refused. Masakadze emerged from the house and dragged the minor into his bedroom,gagged her mouth and fondled her breasts.

He also proceeded to fondle the girl’s private parts and forcibly removed her clothes. The court heard Masakadze performed crude sexual acts on the minor before releasing her.He threatened her with unspecified action and ordered her not to tell anyone about the incident. The matter came to light when the girl experienced severe stomach pain. In passing sentence Magistrate Zuyu said it was the duty of the courts of law to protect minors.She said the sentence was a stern warning to would be offenders to desist from abusing minors.

PUBLIC Service minister Prisca Mupfumira has come under fire for claiming the majority of civil servants want residential stands in lieu of 2016 bonuses.

In a stinging statement yesterday, the Apex Council secretary-general, David Dzatsunga, said the civil service umbrella union would soon seek audience with President Robert Mugabe over the issue.

“The Apex Council is dismayed by statements attributed to the Public Service minister (Mupfumira) purporting that most workers are for residential stands, but are being let down by their union leaders,” he said.

Dzatsunga accused Mupfumira of violating the Constitution.

“The minister, in her anti-union pronouncements, is unfairly attacking union leaders, who enjoy the mandate of their membership and is in violation of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and International Labour Organisation conventions. The so-called survey by the Civil Service Commission is null and void since the minister, in her statements, already concludes that the majority of workers prefer stands in lieu of bonuses,” the civil servants’ body said.

“Workers are already waiting for their cash bonuses. The manner in which the so-called survey was being conducted is a negation of our role as unions, making the February 27 meeting a prejudged process. The stands-for-bonuses issue is pie in the sky, as there is no formula according to which the government will be able to avail stands for every civil servant in the short run.

“The Apex Council would like to advise its members that our self-initiated housing scheme has no relation whatsoever to the bonus issue. In the event that the cash bonus remains in contention, the Apex Council will be left with no choice, but to seek audience with President Mugabe, who has been consistent in his defence of the workers’ rights to a bonus.”

The government last month proposed to give workers residential stands in lieu of their 2016 bonuses, but this was rejected.

Mupfumira, this week, claimed her office has been inundated with requests for stands by civil servants.

“Many civil servants have been approaching our offices saying they need residential stands as soon as yesterday and considering that a huge chunk of workers are not unionised, we decided to carry out a survey through the Civil Service Commission,” she reportedly said, adding a survey was underway.

The Apex Council represents all government workers. – Newsday

First Lady Grace Mugabe has reportedly sanctioned the removal of two of her women’s league allies from their senior positions after allegations of abuse of funds.

Grace allegedly gave the nod to a resolution by the women’s league to fire her deputy, Eunice Sandi Moyo, and finance secretary, Sarah Mahoka, after allegations against the Hurungwe East legislator during two meetings held at the First Family’s farm in Mazowe early this week.

Zanu PF’s Goromonzi West MP, Beatrice Nyamupinga, reportedly moved a motion that led to the drastic resolution.

“Nyamupinga moved a motion to have Sandi Moyo and Mahoka removed from their positions for alleged abuse of party funds,” a women’s league source said yesterday.

“It could also be some sort of factional re-alignment by Grace in the succession battle.

“Mahoka is accused of abusing party funds for factional programmes, while Sandi Moyo is accused of protecting Mahoka, among others.

“Some people want the two out after claims surfaced that Sandi Moyo was overheard arguing she would not attend Grace’s rallies because they are meant to destroy the party.”

Nyamupinga could neither deny nor confirm that she moved a motion that led to action against the two.

“I do not speak on behalf of the party because I am only a provincial chairperson,” she said.

Mahoka confirmed an executive meeting of the women’s league was held, but said the Grace-led organ had no powers to discipline Sandi Moyo.

“I have no idea about anyone being expelled or removed from a position,” she said.

“We did not hold a meeting at night, but I know we held a meeting of the women’s league’s top 10 to discuss national issues.

“Sandi Moyo is an appointee of the politburo and has a great relationship with the First Lady. She cannot be removed by anyone.”

The legislator, who ruffled feathers in Zanu PF last year, when she publicly accused Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa of promoting factionalism, said she did not abuse party funds.

“I am as clean as Bob (President Robert Mugabe) and no amount of mudslinging will stick,” she said. “I am not moved.”

Sandi Moyo was not reachable for comment over the past two days. Sources said Mugabe was against the decision to fire Sandi Moyo and Mahoka.

“The President was and is still against the idea and the politburo will likely reverse it, but the mere fact that Grace has attempted it points to something brewing,” a source said.

The two have been Grace’s most outspoken backers since she entered politics in 2014 before she was elevated to lead the women’s league. – Newsday

A TRAFFIC cop who is suspected to be part of a gang of armed robbers that raided West Service Station in Lupane on Monday night and was allegedly involved in a shootout with detectives in Bulawayo has been arrested.

Sergeant Alfred Zvapera (31) of Senga 2 suburb in Gweru allegedly surrendered himself at Nkulumane Police Station on Tuesday evening.

He allegedly claimed three armed men kidnapped him and his girlfriend in Gokwe on Sunday and drove around committing robberies.

“Zvapera walked into Nkulumane Police Station around 4PM and made a report that he had been kidnapped with his girlfriend (her name could not be established) by armed robbers who had asked for a lift in his Toyota Noah vehicle in Gokwe,” said a source.

Driving the black Toyota Noah, registration number AED 5411, the robbers allegedly sent police officers scurrying for cover as they hit drums and sped through a roadblock about 150km from Bulawayo.

The source said Zvapera told police that the armed men held them captive as they drove his car committing robberies.

“They robbed a service station in Lupane of $161 and sped off without paying for fuel worth $54.

“The gang proceeded to Bulawayo speeding through roadblocks,” said the source.

Zvapera allegedly said the three robbers released him and his girlfriend at around 3PM on Tuesday somewhere in Nkulumane suburb.

He said they went to Nkulumane Police Station to report the matter.

Police recovered his vehicle in Burnside suburb yesterday morning.

It could not be verified whether Zvapera is also wanted for robbery cases allegedly committed in Mashonaland West, Masvingo and Matabeleland South provinces by the same gang.

Zvapera has allegedly not been reporting for duty since last week.

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Homicide Bulawayo detectives ambushed the robbers at Falls Garage, about 10 km from the city centre as they fled from Lupane but failed to apphrehend them on Monday.

“There was an exchange of gunfire with the detectives as the robbers sped into the city centre. A high speed chase ensued but the detectives lost track of the suspects in Burnside suburb,” said a source.

Meanwhile, Zvapera is said to be in custody at Bulawayo Central Police Station where he is assisting police with investigations.

National police spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi could not be contacted for comment. – State Media

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has warned that residents who block the city’s drainage system will be prosecuted for property damages that may occur due to floods.

Council issued the warning after flash flooding experienced in some suburbs last Friday.

The local authority said it is illegal for anyone to deliberately block the free flow of water and those found guilty will be charged under the Roads Act.

It pointed out that it is an offence for residents to block normal water flow from neighbouring properties passing through theirs.

The city’s Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube, said the country’s laws compel residents to ensure that their properties have a functional drainage system.

“BCC wishes to raise public awareness that under Part VIII of the Roads Act [Chapter 13:18], owners, occupiers or users of any land are obliged to take all reasonable steps to ensure that:- water is not prevented, obstructed or impeded from draining into, onto, under or through their land from a public road.

Water, soil or other material is prevented from flowing or falling onto a public road from their land,” said Mr Dube.

He said those who fail to comply with the country’s laws may be charged for the infrastructural damages that may occur due to water blockage.

“Owners, occupiers or users of any land may also be liable if accidents occur as a result of water being prevented from draining off a public road into, onto, under or through their land, or water, soil or other material flowing or escaping from their land onto a public road,” Mr Dube said.

He said residents should also open weep holes on their precast walls to ensure free flow of water.

Mr Dube said failure to heed the council’s notice will be a violation of the Environmental Management Act.

“It is an offence not to comply with such a Notice, or with any Planning Enforcement Notice, which if pursued through the courts may result in prosecutions and fines,” Mr Dube.

“Please further note that without the consent of Bulawayo City Council, it is an offence to: Scour, deepen, widen or fill in any existing drain or excavate any new drain within the boundary of a public road. Interfere with, or carry out any works which interfere with a bridge, culvert, retaining wall, embankment or other structure providing lateral or other support for a public road”. – State Media

THE Meteorological Service Department (MSD) has predicted more rain and thunderstorms in the next 10 days, although the downgraded Cyclone Dineo phenomenon has left the country.

Last week, the tropical storm hit the southern parts of the country destroying homes in Midlands and Matabeleland provinces.

In an interview yesterday, MSD forecaster Mr John Mupuro said the country will continue to experience heavy rains.

He said the rains will be concentrated in the northern parts of the country but Matabeleland North and Midlands in the south will also receive heavy rains.

He said lesser downpours are expected in Matabeleland South and Masvingo provinces.

Mr Mupuro said flooding remains a matter of concern as the ground is soaked resulting in increased run-off.

“Run-off may cause flooding especially in areas near riverbanks and we urge the people not to attempt crossing flooded rivers. They should also stay indoors especially when they see that a storm is brewing,” said Mr Mupuro. – State Media

One of Zimbabwe’s prominent no-nonsense judges, Deputy Chief Justice Luke Malaba is taking over the Chief Justice job.

Justice Malaba in 2013 (in a case in which Jealousy Mawarire sued Morgan Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe compelling the two to set the date for the election), was one of only two dissenting judges together with Justice Patel opposing Mawarire.

Malaba will now take over as acting Chief Justice in the next five days when the incumbent Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku retires after reaching the mandatory age of 70.

The appointment is according to the terms of the Constitution.

Malaba will act until Mugabe appoints a new Chief Justice.

Section 181 (1) of the Constitution provides that: “If the office of the Chief Justice is vacant or if the office holder is unable to perform the functions of the office, the Deputy Chief Justice acts in his or her place, but if both offices are vacant or both office holders are unable to perform their functions, the next most senior judge of the Constitutional Court acts as Chief Justice.”

It is not clear which route the President will use to appoint the new Chief Justice since there are two legally permissible processes in place.

The first is for President Mugabe to choose one candidate from the list of three candidates submitted to him by the Judicial Service Commission after public interviews.

The three are DCJ Malaba, Justice Rita Makarau and Supreme Court judge Justice Paddington Garwe.

Another route is for the President to wait for a constitutional amendment, currently underway, to be completed and if passed, to pick a candidate of his choice.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs secretary Mrs Virginia Mabiza yesterday said in terms of the Constitution DCJ Malaba would take over in the interim.

In terms of modalities on how DCJ Malaba assumes the office, Mrs Mabiza said she had written to Attorney General Advocate Prince Machaya seeking advice on the proper procedure to follow.

“What we normally do with such executive posts is that we write a Cabinet minute for the President to confer authority to the incoming candidate,” she said.

“In this case, a vacancy has arisen by operation of law so I have written to the AG seeking advice on the proper procedure to follow, that is, if there is need for the acting CJ to take oath of office or assumption of office has to be automatic.

“We are still waiting for the AG’s response to guide us.”

Advocate Machaya refused to share his views on the matter with The Herald yesterday, saying: “My duty is to advise Government. I will respond to the request from the Ministry of Justice and it will be up to them to share with you my response. It will not be proper for them to start to hear my response from the media.”

Constitutional lawyer and University of Zimbabwe lecturer Professor Lovemore Madhuku said the acting Chief Justice should not act for a period exceeding six months, otherwise the President might be sued for breaching the Constitution.

He said although the Constitution was silent on the specific timeframe when the President should appoint a substantive Chief Justice, the period must be reasonable.

“There is a time limit within which the President should appoint a new CJ,” said Prof Madhuku.

“The time limit is a reasonable period. That period is not defined in terms of days or weeks or months or years. If an acting CJ acts for unreasonable time, the President may be sued for breaching the Constitution. A benchmark for reasonable period is defined in the Constitution where it provides that if a vacancy arises in the Office of the President, the acting President should act for 90 days and that is reasonable period. The office of the Chief Justice is not as important as that of the President and as such the person acting in that capacity should not exceed six months. Section 342 (1) obligates the President to fill in such constitutional positions.”

Section 342 (1) says: “A power, jurisdiction or right conferred by the Constitution may be exercised, and a duty imposed by this Constitution must be performed whenever it is appropriate to do so.”

Prof Madhuku said the answer on the route that President preferred to follow to appoint the new Chief Justice could be sought by raising a question in Parliament.

Wife of senior Bulawayo journalist, Innocent Kurwa, Getrude and her mother died when the vehicle Getrude was driving collided head-on with a bus in Gweru on Tuesday.

Midlands provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende confirmed the accident.

She said Mrs Kurwa died on the spot while her mother died later at Gweru General Hospital.

“I can confirm that the accident occurred near Regina Mundi High School and one person died on the spot,” she said.

In Bulawayo mourners are gathered at the Kurwa family house at number 103 Walsingham Drive in Sunninghill.

Mr Kurwa said yesterday that burial dates will be announced in due course. Mrs Kurwa is survived by husband and three children. – State Media

TWO men armed with a gun pounced on Blue Skies Shop in Bulawayo’s Mpopoma suburb and robbed a shop attendant of $28.

The shop owner, Mr Enos Nkani said the robbery occurred at around 8PM and only his shop, which he opened two weeks ago, was robbed at Thikili shopping centre.

“Two unidentified men arrived at the complex and one of them entered my shop. He produced $1 and ordered one tablet of bath soap. He thereafter ordered a soft drink can and a 20 cigarette pack. As my shop attendant collected the ordered stuff, she heard the sound of a gun being cocked,” said Mr Nkani.

He said the shop attendant turned to see a man pointing a gun at her.

“The one who had pretended to want to buy, quickly changed tone and demanded all the cash she had. She didn’t resist but pointed to a blue lunch box which contained cash under the counter.”

CHIPINGE South legislator Enock Porusingazi’s farm equipment and vehicles worth $99 000 have been attached over an outstanding loan with Interfin Banking Corporation Limited.

Porusingazi entered an agreement with the bank which resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars being extended to him in batches, but failed to fully service the loan.

By February 11 2011, he had partly paid back the loan but left a balance of $80 024 plus interest.

Interfin Bank, through Mr Raymond Nembo of Sawyer and Mkushi law firm issued summons against the politician at the High Court.

Justice Owen Tagu in 2014 ordered Cde Porusingazi to pay $94 371 plus interest calculated at the rate of 15 percent per annum from July 2013 to date of payment in full.

A writ of execution was obtained against Porusingazi and property was attached at the politician’s Middle Sabi farm in Chipinge.

The property include:

Combine harvester (wheat) serial number 580R205763

Tractors x3

Ford Everest (ACY3330)

Mercedes Benz (ACI 1667)

Toyoace Truck (ADG 9684)

When the property was attached, Porusingazi engaged the bank for a settlement and managed to stop execution.

The property remained under judicial management for some time, but no payment has been effected.

Interfin Bank’s lawyers last week instructed the Sheriff to remove the attached property and take it for auctioning.

“Proceed to remove and auction the first and second judgment debtors’ (Porusingazi and wife Joyline) property situated at Lot 33 AB, Middle Sabi, Chipinge.

The lawyers have since transferred $1 500 into the Sheriff’s bank account for use in ferrying huge machinery like combine harvestors and tractors to the auctioneer.

In January 2011, the parties entered a credit facility agreement in which sums of money were advanced to Porusingazi.

The credit facility was for $275 990.

Under the revolving credit facility, Cde Porusingazi made capital withdrawals of $275 990.

The bank charged total interest in the sum of $9 478 and bank charges to the tune of $623.

That left the total payable amount at $286 092.

As at February 11 2011, Porusingazi had repaid a total sum of $206 067, leaving a balance of $80 024.

Despite demand,  Porusingazi and his wife failed to settle the debt, prompting the bank to approach the High Court.

When the property was attached, the debt had ballooned to $99 412 including the Sheriff’s costs.

The total debt could be now in excess of $200 000 including interest. – State Media

The Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Dr Christopher Mushohwe has castigated the leader of South African opposition Democratic Alliance party, Mmusi Mmaimane, for calling on President Robert Mugabe to step down.

In a statement to the ZBC News, Dr Mushowe said an elementary knowledge of the genesis and growth of Apartheid in South Africa, and the subsequent trans-border expansion and entrenchment of white settler colonial interests in the rest of Southern Africa towards the close of the 19th century, will help the SADC region understand and situate an emerging, trans-border opposition narrative vainly agitating for a post liberation era in Southern Africa.- State Media