By Morgan Tsvangirai | Reports in the Sunday Mail edition of August 28, 2016 portraying the MDC as a terrorist organisation are extremely disturbing, grossly offensive and patently untrue.
The fact of the matter is that the MDC is not training any terror squads allegedly to destabilize Zimbabwe. For the record, the MDC is a lawful and peace-loving social democratic political party that was formed in September,1999. False reports to the effect that the MDC has been training its youth wing in para-military tactics and urban violence should. therefore, be dismissed with the utter contempt and disdain that they rightfully deserve.
If anything, it is the MDC, over the years, that has been the victim of relentless and sustained State-sponsored violence, thuggery and banditry. Zimbabweans still vividly remember how President Morgan Tsvangirai and other top opposition politicians were brutally assaulted by some rogue Police officers and CIO agents in Harare in March, 2007. So thuggish and brutal was the assault that it eventually forced SADC to urgently intervene in order to resolve the Zimbabwean political crisis and impasse.
President Robert Mugabe recently said that there shall be no Arab Spring in Zimbabwe. We totally agree with him. It is not the intention of the MDC and its leader, President Morgan Tsvangirai, to violently and unconstitutionally overthrow the Zanu PF regime. Of late, it is the Zanu PF regime itself that has been unleashing wanton violence and brutal physical force on peaceful demonstrators. On Wednesday, August 25, 2016, the Zimbabwe Republic Police embarked on an orgy of violence in downtown Harare ; beating up and vandalizing innocent and peaceful demonstrators who had been embarking on a lawful march led by the MDC Youth Assembly.
In the process, some Zanu PF thugs and CIO agents set alight two motor vehicles belonging to the ZRP and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. These Zanu PF thugs also looted several city shops, including Choppies supermarket that is partly owned by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko.
The MDC, together with seventeen (17) other opposition political parties under the NERA platform, also embarked on a peaceful demonstration, calling for electoral reforms, on Friday, August 26, 2016. This demonstration had been sanctioned and authorized by a court order that was granted by Justice Hlekani Mwayera. In flagrant violation and disobedience of Justice Mwayera’s court order, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, once again, unleashed wanton violence and thuggery on peaceful demonstrators.
Tear gas canisters were randomly thrown at peaceful demonstrators and in the process, hundreds of innocent demonstrators were injured and maimed as the ZRP indiscriminately beat up the demonstrators. This clearly proves and shows that the Zanu PF regime has gone rogue and that they are even prepared to disregard and disobey lawful court orders. Both the Commissioner – General of the ZRP, Augustine Chihuri and Home Affairs Minister, Ignatious Chombo, should be held personally responsible for the mayhem and barbarism that was caused by the Police in Harare on Friday, August 26, 2016.These two key Zanu PF regime operatives should also be charged and prosecuted for contempt of court. We cannot allow a situation whereby lawful orders issued by our courts of law are arrogantly and flagrantly disobeyed as what happened last Friday. Heads must certainly roll.
The MDC would like to call upon the Zanu PF – controlled media to immediately desist from peddling lies and falsehoods that are wickedly meant to portray the MDC as a violent, terrorist organization. As the fourth estate, the media should, at all times, report facts and desist from fabricating malicious, false and defamatory stories against President Morgan Tsvangirai in particular and other opposition political leaders in general. The people of Zimbabwe are watching. One of these fine days, all these evil men and women who are violating and thrashing the people’s constitutional rights shall be brought to book. That’s for sure.
Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko yesterday blasted “spineless” opposition party leaders for covertly abusing youths to commit criminal acts under the cover of street protests.
His remarks follow last week’s orgy of violence in Harare unleashed by opposition parties under the banner, National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera). The opposition parties’ thugs also stoned police officers and deflated a police vehicle.
Vice President Mphoko said the youths who are being used by craven opposition parties to commit acts of criminality were mainly targeting the ordinary citizenry.
“At times people do unimaginable things under the cover of so-called peaceful demonstrations. People who are mostly being attacked by these rowdy youths during these violent protests are ordinary men and women selling tomatoes in the streets,” he said.
The Vice President questioned the rationale behind shop lootings and acts of violence, yet the organisers of the demonstrations claimed the protests were peaceful.
Staff Reporter | A hoax news article generated by an online publication onetainment.com claiming that President Robert Mugabe has called for the arrest of all Zimbabwean Rio Olympiads has attracted huge attention and condemnation from people across the globe.
The article titled “Mugabe calls for the arrest of Zimbabwean Olympic team” claims that Mugabe instructed Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri to arrest all the 31 Zimbabwean athletes for failing to bring and medals and wasting state resources.
The article attracts the ire of the world when it quotes Mugabe as having described the athletes as rats who failed to achieve even copper and brass positions (4th and 5th finish).
The best position a Zimbabwean athlete got close to a medal was an 8th position finish.
“We have wasted the country’s money on these rats we call athletes. If you are not ready to sacrifice and win even copper or brass medals as our neighbours Botswana did, then why do you go to waste our money” Mugabe is quoted as having said.
”If we needed people to just go to Brazil to sing our national anthem and hoist our flag, we would have sent some of the beautiful girls and handsome guys from University of Zimbabwe to represent us.”
“This situation is like an impotent man who is married to five women, what is the essence? I will make sure we share the cost across board for all of them to pay back to government chest even if it takes 10 years to recoup, now it turns out to be a soft loan we have given them to go and visit Brazil as tourist, they are useless” Mugabe is quoted in the article.
The story has attracted a huge read throughout the world with some reputable media like the BBC Africa and Indian Times also picking up the story and running it.
Prominent South African media personality Masetshaba Motsepe also picked up the story which she shared and immediately found the story being run by some South African radio stations including South Africa Broadcasting Corporation SAFM.
A Nigerian daily picked up the story and further described Mugabe as Nebuchadnezzar for his hard hand on Zimbabwean citizens.
Efforts to get a comment from Presidential spokesperson George Charamba on the issue failed as he was said not to have got to the office at the time of writing.
Controversial United Family International Church (UFIC) leader Emmanuel Makandiwa has made a shocking admission that he is in the business of taking away people’s money to impoverish them under the “prosperity jingle”.
Makandiwa who also said Zimbabwe must use its own currency “bond notes”, even vowed he will continue preaching his message of materialism (the US Prosperity Gospel) and manipulating people to give more into his pockets.
Top scientist and innovator, Brian Oldrieve says Africa does not need the US Prosperity Gospel, it is already rich. Oldrieve, a top Zimbabwean farmer whose scientific innovation on farming “using God’s method”, has been bought by over 31 countries of the world, says the Prosperity Gospel is not needed in Africa. Oldrieve argues that Africa has been robbed by preachers the likes of Makandiwa who have adopted the jingle which burdens people to pay preachers money before God can ever bless them. READ MORE HERE – Billions Buried On Top Of Zimbabwe’s Soil.
Makandiwa made his shocking revelations at the Judgment Day 4 sermon held at UFIC church’s headquarters site in Mt Hampden last Friday.
Addressing thousands of congregants who braved the cold weather to attend the sermon, Brand Makandiwa said his mission was to eradicate poverty in Africa.
“The Lord gave me the power to break poverty. Do not tell me to preach something else, which, is not prosperity. My mission is to take people from one place to another. My mission is clear, to deal with poverty.
“I will not change my gospel message. I said industry will reopen and it shall reopen.
“Poverty is a demon. We should not entertain poverty. Even the devil knows that the more one is blessed, the more he becomes close to God. If a person is broke, there are more chances of backsliding.
“When the Lord visited me, he told me about my mission. I am aware of my mission.
“God openly told me that as long as I live, no man will stand in my way.
“My ministry is characterised by money. Life has to be sweet,” he said.
He rubbished rumours that his prophecies were lies and that he sought supernatural powers outside the country.
“We cannot fake encounters with God, it is impossible. We have living testimonies and witnesses,” he said.
Your wedding is special and only comes once. For this reason it needs some serious planning.
By Oluhle Sibanda |Tips for finding a perfect wedding dress.
1. Set your wedding dress budget and look at dresses that are in your price range.
– When you visit your local bridal shop tell the salesperson how much you want to spend before she starts bringing out gowns. Do so to avoid impulse buying.
2. Resist snap judgement, any dress can look lovely on a hanger therefore try on many dresses of different styles because once a dress is on a woman’s body it takes on a different shape and look.
3. Bring back up like accessories e.g. your special necklace and shoes to fit your dress.
– If you love high heeled shoes always consider your partner’s height and compare it with yours to avoid being taller than him on your special day, therefore choose your high heels wisely.
– If you are much shorter than him, relax girl and go for the highest platform you are comfortable on.
4. A well fitting bra can actually help in your search. Look for a new bra not the one you have worn for years.
– Remember the top of your dress is what people will notice most and will show up in most wedding pictures and you will be looking at those photographs of that dress for years to come.
– The top part of your wedding dress should hang well therefore a well fitting bra is very important.
5. Choose the perfect dress for your body shape.
– If you are straight lined choose a dress that will create curves were you don’t have and a padded bra will be recommended if you have small burst.
– Don’t choose a style because you saw your friend or a celebrity looking gorgeous in it.
– Remember women come in different shapes and sizes therefore choose what suit your own figure.
– I’ll advise you to invite your wedding planner to all your fittings. Your wedding planner will help you in choosing the right style that suit your body well.
– Be careful with some friends and relatives, some might make you to take what does not suit you for their own interests.
– You should be comfortable and confident in your dress.
– Lastly if you get your perfect dress get it in writing, go over the contract with your bridal consultant and make sure your dress will be ready before your special day.
Fadzai Mahere | There will be no ‘Arab Spring’ in Zimbabwe, so the argument goes.
The citizens of Zimbabwe are not looking for an ‘Arab Spring’. We aren’t asking the UN Security Council to use military intervention to change our government as happened in Lybia. We aren’t seeking an overthrow of government as occurred in Egypt. We don’t want want the nation to descend into civil war like Syria.
We want a ‘Zimbabwean Spring’ where sustainable change is brought about by peaceful protest, where the voice of the citizens is heard, where the Constitution is fully observed in terms of how any election takes place and where the Bill of Rights is respected by the authorities and no reprisals are meted out against citizens for desiring a better Zimbabwe. We aren’t asking for foreign intervention or assistance – we insist on full ownership and agency over this process.
Opposition political parties have raised concern that President Robert Mugabe could soon declare a state of emergency in a bid to thwart increasing violent protests, NewsDay has established.
A shadowy State media columnist Nathaniel Manheru — widely believed to be presidential spokesperson George Charamba — at the weekend insinuated that Mugabe’s government could throw out the Constitution and declare a state of emergency to deal with the persistent protests.
“The line has been crossed. From now onwards, it shall be another country. This caring world can go hang. We have a country to protect. And govern. After all, we have hit the bottom. We can’t fall,” Manheru wrote.
FIRST LADY Grace Mugabe’s Manicaland ally, Letina Undenge’s bid to contest the Chimanimani parliamentary seat on a Zanu PF ticket went up in smoke at the weekend when she was walloped by Nokuthula Matsikenyere who entered the party primary elections as an underdog.
Matsikenyere romped to victory after garnering 2 881 votes, while Undenge got 1 204 votes. Other parliamentary aspirants Taisen Dube and John Gwatidzo got 553 and 87 votes respectively.
The seat fell vacant after ex-minister Munacho Mutezo was axed from Zanu PF and Parliament for reportedly supping with former Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s opposition Zimbabwe People First.
Although Manicaland provincial chairperson Samuel Undenge was not reachable for comment yesterday, sources said his wife Letina, who is Women’s League secretary for administration, was planning to travel to Harare to challenge the results. Sources said Letina lost because of her dictatorial tendencies.
Following last week demonstrations in Harare, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Walter Mzembi has blasted opposition activists for staging violent demonstrations saying their activities are affecting local tourism.
While addressing gospel music lovers at the Gospel Music Festival in Gwanda on Saturday at Phelandaba Stadium, Minister Mzembi said his ministry’s efforts to market the country were being plunged into the drain because of the violent protests.
He went on to say, “After a good day’s work, month or years as has been the case with tourism, people have chosen to reverse our work by their actions. Recent events and protests have hurt tourism and Zimbabwe badly.
Tourism cannot package and sell conflict. We have succeeded to date in repositioning Brand Zimbabwe, largely because despite national differences, they havee not translated into public conflict to the extent where it constitutes a security threat warranting travel advisories, which we successfully negotiated away in 2009.
Anyone who seeks to govern one day, or form an alternative government must invest in peace. We should all roundly reject violence of any shade as a means of expression of our Zimbabweaness.
We fought for democracy to make the ballot box the theatre of change, not street fighting. So anyone who aspires to govern must invest in peace, dialogue and superior ideas. So let’s get off the streets, exercise mutual tolerance for our diverse positions and meet in conference rooms like the educated and enlightened people we are and design the Zimbabwe we want.”
According to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) 2014 tourism overview report, tourism receipts recorded a marginal three percent decline from US$856 million to US$827 million.
Tourist arrivals increased by about 2.6 percent after vigorous marketing and proof the country was a safe international destination.
Staff Reporter | Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), Law and order officer commanding for Harare province Assistant Commissioner, Crispen Makedenge, has ordered his police officers to shoot and kill scores of opposition political parties who they want to arrest for inciting the last Friday violence in central Harare.
On the list of the police’s hit squard are Mugari Joelson, who is in the coalition of political parties’ secretariate (NERA), Tembedza Lawrence, MDC-T Youth Assembly leader Happymore Chidziva, also known as Bvondo, Kalonga Tawanda and Machingauta Cosmas.
Sources within the ZRP’s law and order section at Harare central police station said they have started a man hunt for the listed activists adding that a directive to shoot and kill has been authorised should the activists try to run away.
ZimEye.com is reliably informed that the listed activists have gone into hidding fearing for their lives.
Staff Reporter | ZANU PF has all but managed to rope to their side South African based Gwanda born millionaire businessman Justice Maphosa.
Maphosa who is the brains behind the million dollar annual Gwanda Gospel Music Festival was literally declared as the latest ZANU PF scoop by high profile government and ZANU PF officials officiating at the just ended three day music festival.
Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko welcomed Maphosa into ZANU PF and government in a speech read on his behalf by tourism Minister Engineer Walter Mzembi.
Mphoko praised Maphosa for taking the decision to invest into the people of Zimbabwe through partnering with the government in the music festival and several other unnamed projects.
The Vice President praised Maphosa for agreeing to work with the government as opposed to other people in the diaspora who turn against the government and refuse to invest in the country.
Minister Muzembi declared to the more than 20 000 people attending the music festival that ZANU PF was prepared to reserve a special place for Maphosa who is based in South Africa.
Maphosa who himself is a member of the South African African National Congress Youth League was immediately declared the chairman of the newly established South Africa and Zimbabwe Business Forum by the Vice President in his speech.
Vendors and retailers — whose vehicles and wares running into hundreds of thousands of dollars were looted and destroyed in violent demonstrations that rocked Harare last week — have demanded compensation from MDC-T or else they will take the battle to the party’s headquarters, Harvest House, in Harare.
According to state media the group also implored Government to ban demonstrations which affected the ordinary man. However, the state media report does not take into account the fact role played by the police and state security agents, but instead seeks to set the vendors and retailers against the opposition political parties who were involved in the protests.
Shops and vending stalls were destroyed resulting in the looting of goods in parts of Harare’s central business district by opposition supporters under the banner of the National Electoral Reform Agenda last Friday.
Most retailers and vendors were still to quantify the value of the goods they lost.
Shops selling laptops, cellphones, jewellery, electrical gadgets, clothing items, alcohol, fruits and vegetables were looted.
Shops selling laptops, cellphones, jewellery, electrical gadgets, clothing items, alcohol, fruits and vegetables were looted.
Most vendors said they had loans and were not sure how they would repay their creditors.
National Chairman of Grassroots Vendors’ Association Mr Alexio Mudzengerere said MDC-T offices should be relocated out of the CBD to enable people to conduct their businesses peacefully.
“We are still gathering information on what was lost and the value of the goods. We want our goods back. Our stalls are our mainstay and we have no alternative ways of earning a living.
“Our stuff was burnt and we do not have anything left. We do not even know where to start from. Why should the protesters burn our goods? We saw the people who burnt our goods and we have videos. They were wearing MDC-T T-shirts.
“Some of our members made a follow up of the goods and saw the looters carrying them into Harvest House. Demonstrations should not be allowed. They do not benefit us at all. They are now used as a way to loot shops.
“Vendors are supposed to develop and grow into huge enterprises, but how do we graduate when people destroy us like this?”
Ms Loice Karimazondo who sells snacks at Copacabana said looters left broke.
“I was away on Friday and had left my goods locked up in the locker but they were all burnt. I do not know where to get the money to restart the business.
“I am a single mother and need to pay school fees for my children. I need to pay rent. Violent demonstrations are not conducive for business,” she said.
“We are yet to ascertain the value of the shoes we lost. We have so far established that 250 pairs of shoes worth over $3 000 were stolen.
“It is a pity people ended up looting goods. Some street kids took advantage of the situation and went on to loot shops as well,” he said.
Naganji sales and marketing manager, Mr Tinaye Kwenda said they lost clothing worth thousands of dollars including school wear, bags, men’s suits and ladies suits.
“We lost goods worth thousands of dollars that were on display and others that were in the shop. The protestors broke into the shop and looted our goods,” he said.
Efforts to get comment from Mr Stan Zvorwadza who leads to pro-MDC-T National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe were fruitless amid reports he could be among the people picked up in connection with the disturbances.
Lawyers who spoke to our sister paper The Sunday Mail over the weekend said people who lost their goods to the looters could sue the National Electoral Reforms Agenda (Nera), the organisers of the demonstrations.
Lawyer Mr Terrence Hussein said: “In this case, most insurers are likely to refuse to pay claims and at law, they are justified to do so. The victims can, however, sue the organisers and inciters of the violence and claim damages. They have a strong case in this particular instance.
“However, suing could be expensive for most of people so the quicker way would be through a law gazetted by Parliament to provide for the compensation of victims,” he said.
Another lawyer, Miss Rutendo Mudarikwa said, “They can claim damages, but that is if they can prove beyond doubt that the perpetrators are linked to the organisers. In such situations, criminals can take advantage of the situation so that is why you have to prove that the demonstrators were incited,” she said.
President Mugabe recently urged Zimbabweans to remain calm and united against anti-democratic forces bent on reversing the country’s economic fortunes.
“Even if our economy is not doing well, do you have to go into the streets and even burn some of those little shops that the people are depending on? Burn their cars in the streets, do you have to do that?” he said.
CHIEFS have demanded a salary for presiding over traditional courts saying they have more duties compared to the magistrates’ courts.
Speaking during a two-day consultative workshop on the alignment of Traditional Leader’s Act that started in Bulawayo on Thursday, Zimbabwe Chiefs’ Council president, Chief Fortune Charumbira, said traditional leaders attend to more cases than magistrates.
“Considering that 70 percent of Zimbabweans live in the rural areas, falling directly under the jurisdiction of traditional leaders, this clearly indicates that traditional leaders have more duties on their hands.
The Zimbabwe human rights commission has issued a strong statement saying police violated peoples’ rights during recent protests.
There has been condemnation after pictures emerged of police teargasing protesters and in one case kicking an elderly woman.
The human rights commission is state-funded and has previously been accused of being ineffective.
“It is noted with great concern that police did violate the fundamental rights of the people as evidenced by facts gathered on the ground,” the constitutional body said.
“The ZHRC is, therefore, extremely concerned about the recent violent conduct of the ZRP. The ZHRC has received complaints on allegations of police brutality and our on-going investigations have revealed unbecoming and violent conduct on the part of the police.”
“The ZHRC is also concerned by the indiscriminate teargasing of centres occupied by people some of whom may not be involved in the demonstration. This should stop and we call for due diligence and care to ensure that the rights and freedoms of innocent citizens are respected and protected.”
Mr Elasto Mugwadi chairs the human rights body.So this strong statement will be seen as a positive move by many in the rights sector.
The commission does not single out any protest in particular but it says police have at times indiscriminately used teargas on people who weren’t involved in street protests.
The body says there is evidence that police violated the fundamental rights of Zimbabweans and it says reports should be made to the body by those who feel they were unjustly treated.
Police stopped top opposition leaders from leading a march on Friday but they say they’ll try to march again this week.
Matabeleland North Resident Minister and Politburo member Cde Cain Mathema (pictured above) was yesterday involved in an accident along the Tsholotsho-Nyamandlovu Road.
Cde Mathema escaped with minor bruises on his hands, but the vehicle he was driving was a complete write-off.
The accident is reported to have happened 10km before Nyamandlovu as the minister was on his way to Bulawayo.
Witnesses told this publication that the suspected cause of the accident was not clear as the minister lost control of his vehicle which later overturned.
“He lost control of the vehicle and it swerved off the road onto the other side,” said one witness who preferred anonymity.
POLICE in Bulawayo have busted three suspected drug dealers, one of them a woman, and recovered 85kg of mbanje with a street value of about $86 000. Detectives arrested Simangeni Ndlovu (34), the lady, Farai Aruchupeta (39) from Pumula South and Shepherd Edson Town (37) of Emganwini for peddling the dangerous drug. Following up on a lead in a case of theft from vehicles, police found the suspects smoking mbanje. They implicated Ndlovu as the source of the drug.
Sustained intelligence gathering and investigation resulted in the arrest of all three suspected drug dealers. The last suspect was arrested on Wednesday night. Acting Bulawayo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Abednico Ncube said the trio was arrested separately at their homes.
The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, has called on the Zimbabwean government to respect people’s rights, saying the international organisation was “closely monitoring the country’s situation”.
This comes as Zimbabwe’s political and economic crisis is deepening, with people taking to the streets demanding President Robert Mugabe’s immediate resignation.
Police have unsuccessfully tried to quash the protests by brutally attacking protestors.
Responding to journalists during a briefing at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday, the organisation’s secretary-general Ban Ki Moon’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric expressed concern over police brutality in Zimbabwe.
“We’re obviously watching the situation in Zimbabwe very closely. We urge the authorities, the government of Zimbabwe, to ensure that people’s right to peaceful protest and assembly be fully respected,” he said.
“Steph, the Zimbabwe police today (Friday) put down violently a court-sanctioned protest calling for electoral reforms. Part of those petitions are that the UN observe elections in 2018. What are your thoughts on how the police reacted to that, to this protest?” a journalist had asked Dujarric.
A visibly shaken and not well President Robert Mugabe who is attending the 6th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Nairobi, has held bilateral talks with his Kenyan counterpart President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Mugabe obstinately flew out of a burning Zimbabwe, oblivious to the bedlam around him to attend the Nairobi conference.
While tempers flared in Harare and the situation threatened to explode into full-scale anarchy, for Mugabe it was business as usual.
Pro-democracy groups and opposition parties have in the past few months cranked up pressure against Mugabe’s increasingly authoritarian regime through protests.
Mugabe who was pictured sleeping on the first day of the crucial summit, had his spin doctors go into overdrive spreading these pictures as proof of good health and suitability to lead.
Despite a very tight schedule as head of state of the host country, President Kenyatta held bilateral talks with President Mugabe on the sidelines of the TICAD summit.
The closed door meeting lasted close to 40 minutes and Foreign Affairs Minister, Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi who attended the talks said the two leaders had a very warm and very friendly exchange of views over a very wide range of issues that cover regional, continental and global matters.
Cde Mumbengegwi said both leaders did appreciate the change of focus on the part of Japan that instead of simply looking at aid in the traditional terms, Japan is now looking at the whole question of industrialisation and value addition.
In terms of global issues, the two leaders discussed the United Nations reform and the leaders were very clear that Africa’s position remains firm as spelt out in the Ezwulini Consensus.
Cde Mumbengegwi said both leaders indicated their firm commitment to the common African position.
President Kenyatta also briefed President Mugabe on the threat caused by terrorists in Kenya and the East African region and the measures being taken to end the threat.
Political relations between Harare and Nairobi are very good but the two leaders agreed that more should be done to improve economic relations. zbc
Terrence Mawawa Masvingo |The current protests against President Robert Mugabe have spread to the rural areas of Zimbabwe as pressure mounts on the veteran leader to step down.
As opposition parties, civic organisations and the people of Zimbabwe in general continue to pile pressure on the nonagenarian and his cronies to step down, the incessant protests have spread to rural parts of the country.
#Zimbabwe Yadzoka, a pressure group, is mobilising villagers in Gutu and Zaka districts to participate in the nation wide anti-Mugabe protests. #ZimbabweYadzoka coordinator, Victor Chimhutu said the group was determined to mobilise villagers to participate in the protests against the Mugabe administration. He also said the group was on the ground mobilising grassroots membership.
“We have structures in Gutu and Zaka because we want the people in the rural areas to join the wave of anti-Mugabe protests. We are receiving overwhelming support in the rural areas and we are not afraid of the regime. We hold meetings at night and people are ready to fight for freedom. We spread our messages through graffiti, fliers and branded t-shirts. Our vision is to call on the people in the rural areas to join the demonstrations. We want Mugabe to leave office and we have nothing to do with ordinary Zanu PF members. I was arrested several times so there is nothing to fear at all.The people in the rural areas have been passive for too long .We strongly condemn police violence against the people,”said Chimhutu. Speaking from his hospital bad last week, National Vendors Association of Zimbabwe leader Stern Zvorwadza condoned the involvement of villagers in the anti-Mugabe protests.
Former Highlanders player Bruce Kangwa has finally been toppled at the leading goal scorer in the Castle Lager Premiership, months after he left the domestic league.
Before his mid-season departure to cash rich Tanzania’s Azam FC, Kangwa had scored seven goals.
However, Hwange FC Gift Mbweti has surpassed Kangwa by one goal.
This Sunday afternoon, Mbweti grabbed a brace to help Hwange secure three points in an eight goal thriller against Triangle.
Top Four goal scorers
Gift Mbweti (Hwange) 8
Bruce Kangwa (Highlanders) 7
Leonard Tsipa (Caps Utd) 6
Kuda Gurure (Mutare) 6
Uniformed soldiers on Friday night emptied Harare’s night clubs and ruthlessly attacked people on the streets after police triggered violent protests in the capital earlier in the day as President Robert Mugabe’s government fought to suppress dissent against his rule.
Zimbabwe’s 18 opposition parties including former vice-president Joice Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People First and MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai had obtained a High Court order barring police from interfering with their intended demonstration.
The parties under the banner of the National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) and Coalition for Democrats wanted to protest against unfair electoral laws and systems, but were violently blocked by the police; minutes after the High Court had okayed the event.
The situation turned violent and for close to 12 hours, police were engaged in running battles with protestors in the central business district. Th protesters were angered by the police provocation. Some ran amok, looting shops, smashing cars and setting property ablaze.
But as it appeared the police were losing ground, the military took over in the late hours and spent the rest of Friday night patrolling the CBD and surrounding areas such as the Avenues where they attacked people on the streets, including commercial sex workers.
Truckloads of soldiers were seen patrolling the Avenues area and raiding night clubs where revellers were bludgeoned without reason or explanation.
Most revellers fled from the city centre fearing for their lives. Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi was part of a press conference by Home
Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo where the government threatened to unleash terror on protestors last Thursday.
Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Alphios Makotore yesterday refused to comment when asked about the involvement of the military in patrolling streets, referring all questions to the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
However, police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said she was out of town.
Opposition political parties and observers yesterday said they were worried about the involvement of the army, saying it showed how Mugabe, who has realised he was now sitting on a cliff edge was desperate to defend his continued hold on power.
Douglas Mwonzora, MDC-T secretary general who is Nera’s legal affairs head said opposition parties would not be intimidated by the army.
“This shows that the system is in a fix,” Mwonzora said.
“This is the work of a now panicky regime which is afraid of its own shadows.
“This was supposed to be a peaceful protest that was disrupted by the state itself. We won’t be intimidated. We are not fighting the army, we are fighting the system.”
Nera has called for another protest next Friday, which the union’s convenor Didymus Mutasa said would be of a greater magnitude.
ZimPF spokesperson, Jealousy Mawarire said deployment of soldiers to do crowd management was unconstitutional as soldiers were not trained for such tasks.
“Reports that the army has been deployed in the streets of Harare is in fact a declaration of a state of emergency,” he said.
“In fact there is already a curfew in Harare because residents are being forced out of the city centre at particular times by people alleging to be members of the army.
“This will not intimidate or cow us from continuing with the planned Nera demonstration on Friday.
“No amount of intimidation will break the resolve by Zimbabweans to change the socio-economic and political situation obtaining in the country.”
Zanu PF aligned business organisation yesterday condemned violence, describing the actions by Nera as barbaric.
Political analyst Eldred Masunungure said Mugabe was clearly standing on weak ground following Friday’s protests and other demonstrations which have rocked the country in the past few months.
Masunungure said the situation was made worse by his diminishing stamina both physically and mentally, which the protestors were now aware of, to deal with the ever increasing voices of dissent.
He said Mugabe loathed his power and he foresees him fighting to the end.
“He will continue in power until some of his pillars (particularly the army) which he used to learn on has abandons him. Deploying the military in the evening shows the military still wants to defend its commander in chief,” Masunungure said.
“But to what extend the army will go depend on if Mugabe secures fresh source of funding to pay them on time.
“The army is his remaining trump card, but a few months ago he has failed to pay them. If he fails to find new funds it will mark his waterloo.”
Masunungure said Mugabe was in a precarious position and will likely give in the coming months and not years.
“There is no doubt about that, he is in a fix. Things could go out of hand and the situation could have a multiplier effect. He will decide to deploy the army as his last resort, but that still will be having a domino effect,” he said.
“In my view, it will be the last thing he would want to do to deploy the army against a civil authority.
“However, there are symptoms that he could deploy the army if the situation develops inexorably. He can do anything to extent or defend his power.”
He said this will directly have consequences and attract direct intervention and not “quite diplomacy” from the region, African Union and the international community, especially the west that has already castigated the conduct of the police.
“The Zimbabwean issue could be an agenda when Sadc meets, but I see the AU taking a leading role, extending to the UN,” Masunungure said.
“Remember that pastor Evan Mawarire said he is organising a big demonstration at the UN, with the UN general Assembly coming soon. So Mugabe is in a fix.”
Meanwhile a State media columnist Nathaniel Manheru, who was outed by Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo as Mugabe’s spokesperson George Charamba, threatened that the government would be ruthless in future.
“The line has been crossed,” wrote yesterday. “From now on wards, it shall be another country.
“This so “caring” world can go hang. We have a country to protect. And govern. After all, we have hit the bottom. We can’t fall.”
Mugabe and his wife Grace have in the past expressed fears of a repeat of the uprisings that toppled North African dictators in what became known as the Arab Spring.-Standard
Government has been forced to reduce duty and surtax on some products imported from South Africa in response to concerns raised by that country over the restriction of imports under Statutory Instrument (SI) 64 of 2016.
Early this month, South Africa gave Zimbabwe two weeks to remove duty and surtax on 112 products after Zimbabwe had restricted the importation of 43 products under SI 64.
Sources told Standardbusiness last week that after Industry and Commerce minister Mike Bimha took the matter to Cabinet, a few concessions would be made.
The source said: “government will be falling back on trading protocols from the World Trade Organisation to avoid some of the stipulations in the Sadc Trade Protocol of 1996. South Africa also has restrictions of its own on what Zimbabwe can export to that country.”
Industry and Commerce deputy minister Chiratidzo Mabuwa last week said the government’s response to the request to reduce duty on the 112 products would be revealed at the Sadc regional meeting.
An extraordinary committee of ministers’ meeting was held last week on August 24.
“If the SI 64 of 2016 affected, for example the informal traders, it is government’s duty to come up with alternative means such as looking at (what could be done about) other products that are still permissible to bring in,” Mabuwa said.
“For example, we have the importation of palm oil, olive oil, fridge-free margarine, washing powder, so we can let it go now but as long as firms for these products are established here, we have to create a market for them. We go and do our due diligence, look at what is involved, go into the industries where economists do their work, come up with what the national demand is, and what it is that we can do and how can we produce it.”
SI 64 of 2006 came after a number of imports regulations — SI 6 of 2014, SI 126 of 2014, SI 18 of 2016, SI 19 of 2016 and SI 20 of 2016 — which were introduced to support local industries.
Some of the 43 restricted imports include coffee creamers (Cremora), camphor creams, white petroleum jellies and body creams.
“In 2016 we issued Statutory Instrument’s number 18, 19 and 20 looking specifically at issues but it is just that SI 64 is the fattest because it has 43 items that have been grouped together. If you look at it, we did not issue anything in 2015 which means we had a lot of representations from industry and we came up with these 43 items and it is not going to be the last one. We might come up with more depending on the representations,” Mabuwa said.
Buy Zimbabwe chief executive officer Munyaradzi Hwengwere said South Africa had in the past introduced the preferential trade arrangements on Zimbabwe’s textiles. He said South Africa imposed a 65% duty on textile products, a move which suffocated textile companies in Bulawayo.
Deputy Agriculture minister Paddy Zhanda said companies complaining about the effects of import restrictions should be “ignored”.
He said trading was not really free and was actually a “war” suggesting that Zimbabwe deals with the costs of the potential effects. However, Mabuwa disagreed saying there was need to honour trading agreements.
Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce president Davison Norupiri said although some companies had been affected, others had seen increases well above 30% capacity utilisation and increased productivity.
“We have got companies that have registered growth in terms of capacity utilisation [and] employment [creation] which is something we cherish as a chamber. The government also whet the appetite of those who want to invest in our country. We have also witnessed massive expansion on most of the oil companies in this country,” Norupiri said.
Zimbabwe is South Africa’s fifth biggest export market in Africa. In 2015, Zimbabwe imported goods and services worth $1,8 billion from South Africa, according to statistics from South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry.
South African firms like trading with Zimbabwe due to the strong currency the country uses at a time when the South African rand has been volatile.
Outspoken, militant Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) leader, Jenni Williams, has jetted into the United Kingdom, where she has already hit the ground running, meeting exiled Zimbabweans in the fight for justice and human rights.
Wlliams is a source of encouragement as she connects the struggle back home to the fight being waged by diasporans.
#MZYWCAN hosted Women Of Zimbabwe Arise, Williams in their Outreach Meeting in Woking, yesterday.
In a public statement David Kadzutu said, “Manchester get ready, we had a very productive, enlightening and very inspiring meeting with Jenni yesterday. We didn’t have a meeting as such we dedicated all the time to Jenni so that we hear more things. Yes we did hear and we’re very motivated after that.”
“Jenni is joining us in our next Outreach in Manchester on Saturday 10/09/16. She is very enthusiastic and supportive that we are doing a good thing with demos, such that she also would like to be part of the next one there. So please let’s get on with those dates. She commented highly on the Chinamasa and Singapore demos.”
Staff Reporter | A Gwanda disabled human rights activist, Kukhanya Mkandhla was yesterday picked up by police in the town for walking in the streets with a placard inscribed “Mugabe Must 90.”
The placards cleverly inscribed “90” could perfectly be read as “Mugabe Must Go” from a distance got state security agents pouncing on the disabled activist.
It was at his arrest that they realised that the placards only read “90”.
He was initially released into the custody of his father who is former MDCT Member of Parliament for Gwanda Mr Thandeko Zinti Mkandla.
The activist was this morning released without any charges against him after Lawyers For Human Rights intervened on the matter.
Staff Reporter | MDC spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora has just issued a strong statement on ZimEye Live in response to the planned Zanu PF attack on party headquarters Harvest House, “If they attack Harvest House, we will attack Zanu PF headquarters.” He said the party is not cowed down and they are ready to defend themselves.
Militant unrestrained Zanu PF youths who have been given access to army weapons, say they are on their way to attack Morgan Tsvangirai’s offices at Harvest House, in what is feared could be a tragic repeat of the bombing of the Daily News printing press in 2001.
Highly placed sources in the violent Zanu PF Harare provincial leadership said this was meant to revenge last Friday’s demonstration against President Robert Mugabe which was staged by a coalition of opposition parties.
Some MDC-T youths at Harvest House on Sunday told ZimEye.com that they had received the message of the planned attack, threatening to fight back.”We’re reliably informed that ZANU PF youths want to attack our HQ harvest house today. As MDC T Harare youth assembly we are not going to fold our hands watching them, we are going fight and if Zanu PF do that it will be clear declaration of war. I want to inform the police that if they allow that to happen they will carry the blame because people might die,”he said.
The state media story which appeared on ZimEye.com saying the 13 people currently in police cells have been denied bail, is false and misleading ZimEye has been told.
The 13’s lawyer Adv Jeremiah Bamu told ZimEye Sunday morning contrary to the state media claim, the 13 have not been denied bail. They are scheduled to appear in court tomorrow Monday at 8.30am, Mr Bamu told ZimEye.
Their hearing is going to be in court room 6.
The 13 have been charged for allegedly burning two vehicles belong to the ZRP and the ZBC last Wednesday. Videos shot by the Mugabe broadcaster at the scene, ZBC show different people participating in the burning of the two vehicles.
The latest in the Walter Magaya sex scandal has seen the necromancer invoking his “Spiritual Stronghold,” the Nigerian based preacher, TB Joshua.
Magaya directly shot into First Lady Grace Mugabe’s face while hailing his Nigerian superior.
A fresh confrontation with the President’s wife is now expected. Mrs Mugabe has strongly and vehemently attacked the Nigerian preacher saying he is a deceiver and her warnings are celebrated as proven true after Zimbabweans and South Africans (116 in total) who ignored her statements were soon killed by Joshua’s staff members in that country in 2014.
TB Joshua early this year riled Mrs Mugabe when he attempted at a “prophecy” on “the death” of President Robert Mugabe, a prediction which flopped.
Mrs Mugabe says Zimbabwe should stay clean of “deceivers” the likes of Joshua who as Magaya says, has prophesied that Zimbabwe will in 2016 receive a massive economic boom.
Joshua is known for doctoring prophecies using cheap video editing techniques and was humiliated for aiming at another falsehood claiming he foretold the Brussels bombing, SEE VIDEO:
But speaking while addressing his sex scandals, Magaya said he is planning for TB Joshua to visit Zimbabwe. Joshua was this year exposed in a secret phone recording when he telephoned a Magaya victim seeking to discourage her from suing Magaya.
Said Magaya, “I would really want him to come and time will tell.”
He continued, “at the moment he has not seen it fit to come. We will need bigger infrastructure for him to come so that he is accommodated and currently we don’t have. Also it depends on whether the hosting government is willing, ready to invite him. So, I will look into that as well. But yes, one day he will come. I pray for that”.
MLO releases a statement raising concerns about the Government’s on going raids, harassment and persecution of Paul Siwela’s family:
Sad news reaching MLO is that On Saturday morning 27 August 2016 heavily armed members of Zimbabwe Republic Police Law and Order section and Zimbabwe s Central Intelligence Organisations descended at number 18 Fourth Avenue Woodville Bulawayo, the home of Cde Paul Siwela for the umpteenth time.
The gun totting bunch arrived at Cde Siwela’s home around 10:00 Yesterday morning driving a green Land Rover Defender, without registration numbers and found his daughter who was home at the time.
They demanded to know where Cde Paul Siwela was and when she explained that he never came back since he left in 2013, they got angry and became more hostile in their interrogation. They started to falsely accuse the family of not reporting Cde Paul Siwela’s presence at his mother’s funeral and leaking their previous raids of the house to the media.
After threatening and ordering that their raids must be kept secret they proceeded to ransack the house without a search warrant.
MLO Supreme Council is greatly disturbed by these incessant unannounced and illegal visits that violate Cde Siwela family peace more so during their time of mourning the loss of Cde Siwela’ s mother.
Surprisingly they were asking Cde Siwela’s family why they did not report his presence during the funeral yet they were there through out the funeral wake and burial.
Can the Zimbabwe authorities tell us which law in their country says that if an individual is accused of treason, his children or family must suffer the consequences and why it only applies to Cde Paul Siwela and the Ndebeles?
The apartheid system of Zimbabwe breaks its own laws to punish or even kill innocent Ndebeles .
In 2008 MDC T President, Morgan Tsvangirai, fearing for his life, found refuge at the Dutch Embassy and Botswana. His house was not raided and his family not harassed.
Joyce Mujuru was accused of plotting to assassinate President Robert Mugabe using hired hitman and witch doctors from Nigeria. Besides the government of Zimbabwe having evidence that Nicholus Goche went as far as South Africa and Israel looking for experienced assassins to bring down President Mugabe, both Joyce Mujuru and Nicholus Goche were not charged let alone questioned and their families were not touched.
War vets leaders, Victor Matemandanda and Douglas Mahiya were accused of writing a treasonous communique but they were given a lenient charge of undermining the authority of the president. And again no one touched their families.
Morgan Tsvangirai and Joyce Mujuru are walking free and continue to lead violent ant- government mobs that are burning police vehicles, looting and burning shops. We wonder what was going to happen if Cde Paul Siwela was the one leading those violent mobs!
Why is the government of Zimbabwe after Cde Paul Siwela’s life and tormenting his family even at funerals? One thing clear is that, the government of Zimbabwe treats Shonas differently from Ndebeles
MLO Supreme Council demands that the humiliation, persecution and harassment of Cde Paul Siwela, his family and Ndebeles at large must stop here and now. We wonder if it is still application of law or declaration of war. If it is indeed, declaration of war the government of Zimbabwe must inform us so that we prepare ourselves for the battle.
We wish to inform and advise the government of Zimbabwe that MLO Supreme Council and entire membership stands shoulder to shoulder with cde Paul Siwela in his demands for the restoration of Matebeleland Statehood and that this demand must be effected by 2018 without fail.
Izenzo kungemazwi!
Israel Dube
MLO Secretary for Information and Public Affairs.
A 76 year old Beatrice man appeared before Chivhu magistrate Court on Thursday for raping a 15 year old juvenile.
The juvenile who cannot be named because of age, is also a form 1 student at Muzavazi secondary school in Chegutu,
She resides at Muzavazi village, Headman Chinamaringa under Chief Mushayamombe.
The accused Isaiah Nyamande, a senior vet member of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, stays at plot 78 Gwalia farm in Beatrice.
The state outline is that the two are not related but the accused was paying school fees for the complainant.
The State case against Nyamande is that on the 13th May this year, he called the complainant’s mother Lizzy Mavhunduka asking if the complainant could come to his place of residence to take care of his property while he was away.
The complainant arrived at his residence the following day but found out that he had already left on his journey. The complainant stayed at the homestead alone until the return of the accused two days later. Upon his arrival from his visit, the complainant asked to return to her home but she was stopped by Nyamande insisting that it was late.
On the same day the complainant began preparing supper at the homestead fireplace while Nyamande was in his bedroom.
He called the unsuspecting girl into the bedroom and upon entering he grabbed her both hands and pushed her onto his bed. He forcibly pulled up her skirt to waist level and when the girl tried to resist, he threatened to withdraw paying her school fees and the girl complied.
Nyamande went on to remove the girl’s skin tight and underwear before removing his trousers and under garments which he left scattered on the floor.
He then forced himself on top of the hapless juvenile and had sexual intercourse by penetration without her consent and without any protection.
After finishing off with the girl, he again threatened to withdraw paying school fees for her if she ever divulged the ordeal.
He also gave her $10 so as to “zip her mouth”.
The following morning the complainant went to her residence and told her mother but the parent kept silent until a tip off came from the girl’s friends four months later who alerted Constable Pilate Chinorumba at Beatrice Police station.
The Police officer interviewed the complainant on 09 August and she revealed what transpired leading to Nyamande’s arrest. A medical report which is set to be produced in
Court as exhibit on the trial date shows that penetration was effected but the girl is not pregnant.
Nyamande was remanded in custody to 9 September 2016.
Dancehall warrior Tocky Vibes last night broke through solid glass notes.
The man took revelers to another level during his UK tour. Other musicians billed for the show were Shinsoman, and Fungisai et alia (see poster below)
True to form government officials continue to bury their heads in the sand as they blame western countries for the protests that have rocked the country over the past few weeks.
Zimbabweans across the board have been up in arms against the ruling Zanu PF party, and in particular President Robert Mugabe who they feel should now call it a day and let fresh blood take over. Mugabe has presided over the worst economic and political crisis in the country, is not likely to turn its fortunes as things get worse and citizens become more restive.
However, instead of finding solutions to the myriad of problems, faced by citizens, ruling party officials instead blame the west.
State media reports that foreign countries that have been sponsoring violent demonstrations through opposition parties and their proxies in the civil society have finally come out in the open. Demonstrators drawn from mainly MDC-T and their appendages in the civil society, have been looting shops, burning cars, blocking roads, stoning cars and destroying property as well as attacking innocent people who were going about their business in Harare.
It goes further to insinuate that yesterday morning, the United States, Canadian and Australian embassies issued separate statements supporting the violent protests and condemning law enforcement agents for maintaining peace and order by reining in the hoodlums. The statements were meant to coincide with a demonstration that flopped in Harare yesterday.
“The United States is troubled by the economic policies and financial strains that have prompted numerous recent protests in Zimbabwe and we join many Zimbabweans in their deep concern over reports of violence during some of the protests,” reads the statement released by the US Embassy in Harare yesterday.
“The United States supports freedoms of speech and assembly and we call on the Government of Zimbabwe to exhibit restraint and respect the human rights of all Zimbabwean citizens, including those basic rights.”
While the US embassy said it supported non-violent demonstrations, it did not condemn the violence instigated by opposition elements over the last few months that led to the destruction of property. The US Embassy also said it was “monitoring recent threats to crackdown on activists using social media”.
On the other hand, the Canadian Embassy said: “The Embassy of Canada to Zimbabwe is increasingly concerned with reports of violence and human rights violations in response to public protest.
“The Embassy of Canada calls for calm and stresses the importance of peaceful dialogue. The Embassy of Canada reiterates its call on all stakeholders to respect the Constitution of Zimbabwe, in particular, the freedom to peacefully demonstrate, the right to personal liberty, the right to personal security and the rights of arrested and detained persons.’’
On its part, the Australian embassy said it shared the “concerns of many Zimbabweans at the violence, which has occurred over recent weeks in Zimbabwe. “The use of violence is not acceptable under any circumstance. The Australian Embassy wishes to emphasise that the rule of law, respect for human rights, right to free speech, freedom of assembly and other democratic freedoms are at the heart of the Zimbabwean Constitution and must be respected by all parties.
“We encourage the Government of Zimbabwe to ensure the democratic freedoms of all Zimbabweans are fully protected.” But political analysts said their statements vindicated Government position that some of these countries sponsored the current protests.
“While we hear those embassies gleefully rubbing their hands at the chaos, we did not hear them condemning the violence being perpetrated by these elements,” said political analyst and lawyer, Mr Terrence Hussein. “Government must only be guided by the Constitution and the laws of Zimbabwe. If they feel the laws are being violated then they must act accordingly.”
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs, Kindness Paradza said the statements vindicated Government position that Western countries were behind the current wave of violent demonstrations.
“All along, we have been saying these countries and their allies are sponsoring illegal regime change in Zimbabwe over the years through all sorts of machinations with the latest one being these violent protests targeting properties.
“As the committee on Foreign Affairs, we warn these embassies and their Governments that their freedom ends where ours begin. “They must not interfere in our internal affairs. What they must know is that we are different from Libya, Syria and Afghanistan. Our security forces have the capacity to deal with these hooligans,” said Paradza.
Legal practitioner, Mr Tendai Toto, said it was important for the embassies to also condemn violence that was being perpetrated by protestors. “It is right that these embassies take constructive diplomatic efforts to help address concerns identified.
Thirteen suspects were yesterday brought to court on allegations of torching two vehicles belonging to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation during the launch of the MDC-T’s #MyZimbabwe campaign on Wednesday.
Official records from Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) show that a total of 13 976 motor vehicles were imported through Beitbridge Border Post against 14 358 vehicles that were imported during the same period in 2015.
This shows there has been a 2,7 percent decline in car imports through Beitbridge Border Post between January and June this year compared to the same period last year.
It is reported that the imports through Beitbridge have gone down as many importers and car dealers now prefer to use Plumtree, Kazungula and Chirundu border posts which are less busy.
Recently Zimra stopped accepting values of second hand vehicles which are being sold in South Africa saying they were below standard market values. This has resulted in importers opting to buy vehicles direct from Japan or Tanzania, where prices are relatively low.
Zimra’s director of legal and corporate affairs, Ms Florence Jambwa on Thursday said they were processing an average of 72 vehicle imports per day at Manica Transit Shed. “For the period January to June 2016, 13 976 motor vehicles were imported through Beitbridge Border Post, compared to 14 358 vehicles which were imported during the same period in 2015,” she said.
Ms Jambwa said Zimra was practicing standard valuation procedures that are consistent with the prevailing market values.
“Where the declared values are way below the prevailing market values, the law provides that an assessment of the value be done.
“If the sales prices are in line with prevailing market values, they are accepted by ZIMRA. However, if the declared values are not in line with prevailing market prices, an assessment of the value is done to establish the correct Value for Duty Purposes.
“This is to ensure that the correct duty is paid for that particular importation,” she said.
Ms Jambwa added that during the same period under review they witnessed a decline in the volume of commercial vehicles accessing the country through Beitbridge Border Post.
She said a total of 55 509 north-bound commercial vehicles passed through the port in the first half of this year, while 58 309 were recorded last year.
“We had a total of 60 745 commercial vehicles leaving via Beitbridge in the period January to June this year and in 2015 we had 66 003 vehicles, ” she said.
She added that the volume of transits trucks going either side of the border remained at between 12 000 and 15 000.
Ms Jambwa said with respect to those who failed to clear their goods on time, Zimra was disposing them off through rummage sales.
“The law provides that seized goods be disposed of after 90 days.” However, this may take longer in cases where the matter is before the courts or where there is an appeal.
“For goods/cars held by Zimra on a Receipt for Items Held, disposal is after 60 days, provided there is no appeal or no court process with regards to the detained goods,” said Ms Jambwa. – State Media
A PLUMTREE magistrate has issued for the second time a warrant of arrest for a local traffic cop who has failed to turn up for trial at court twice for allegedly stealing roadblock fines. Clacious Chatikobo’s trial was supposed to kick-off on Wednesday at the Plumtree magistrate’s court after he pleaded not guilty to stealing $205 and R640 in State funds which he collected while performing police duties.
He was last month issued with a warrant of arrest which was later cancelled after he explained his absence. His lawyer Mr Prince Butshe of Mathonsi Ncube Law Chambers did not object to issuing of the warrant citing that he was also unaware of his client’s whereabouts.
In a twist and turn of events, controversial soothsayer, Emmanuel Makandiwa, who is the leader of the United Family International Church (UFIC), has begun backing bond notes that are set to be introduced in October, saying every country should have its own form of trading tool.
Makandiwa had previously spoken against bond notes also predicting in a prophecy, that President Robert Mugabe’s end was near; “There will be a wave of demonstrations, they would stop, and start again and on the fourth time the situation will get out of hand and foreign peace-keepers will be called (sic). Remember, my prophecy about bees flying to come to bite other bees that will be stinging the people,” Makandiwa at that time, said during his Sunday service streamed live on YouTube.
This was Makandiwa’s first reversal of another prophecy delivered earlier on the 31st December 2015 when he charged claiming God had revealed to him that under Mugabe Zimbabwe is going to prosper in 2016: is going to have no sorrow and no depression.
In another prediction twist earlier in 2014 Makandiwa had said the economy would boom as gold would mysteriously bulge out of the ground everywhere and Zimbabweans would freely pick up the precious mineral like stones. That did not happen.
Meanwhile, the preacher was after his 2016 rubbishing of bond notes, immediately attacked by the long time Robert Mugabe supporter, Johannes Ndanga, the president of the Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ), who threw his weight behind the introduction of bond notes. Ndanga speaking through state media said, “The man (Makandiwa) that refused the bond notes clearly stated that he doesn’t trust the Reserve Bank Governor (Dr John Mangudya) even if what he has planned makes sense.”
Ndanga went further to bizarrely claim that the “Holy Spirit” had revealed to his church last year that Zimbabwe would produce a local currency that would only be used locally.
Prophecy and Pocketcy
Last week ZimEye.com revealed a CIO plot to arrest Makandiwa who has for years enjoyed police protection despite a plethora of underhand dealings. This would be due to his latest attacks on ZANU PF policies under the guise of so called “prophecy.”
ALSO READ – Makandiwa Hit By Wife Belly Bulge.
Makandiwa so called “prophecy” has since been changed by the preacher who claims to be the authoritative voice of God the Creator. The Mugabe owned state media reports celebrating that he has since reversed his prediction and while addressing thousands of people during this year’s edition of Judgment Night 4, Makandiwa said people cannot claim to be blessed when they are only using the United States dollar, a foreign currency.
“Some people requested to hear my view on bond notes and I told them that we should use our own currency for God to bless us,” he said. The charismatic prophet also said Africans should not depend on foreign investors, rather they should exploit Africa’s natural resources.
“God did not create us to be poor, He created us to be in charge of what we are supposed to do. Christians should not survive with salaries only, we should open companies because God gave us the anointing long back.
“What we should know as Africans is that everything started here is Africa,” he said. He also spoke on how missionaries abused the word of God in their quest to loot Africa’s diamonds, gold and other precious stones.
“They came here years ago and discovered that we had vast minerals, they abused the word of God. On one hand, they were holding the Bible while on the other they were holding maps. They wanted to control our wealth.
Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries (PHD) leader prophet Walter Magaya, who has been under the media spotlight over many issues to do with his conduct, including sexual escapades involving women in his church has made a pledge of silence.
Magaya has been in the media recently being exposed, for dubious multi-million dollar land deals, and also stands accused of allegedly raping a congregant.
State media reports that he said he will not speak much during his church services as he is going through a difficult time. Addressing congregates during a mid-week service last Wednesday in Waterfalls, prophet Magaya said he will concentrate more on prayers.
“For this coming month, my strategy is going to change a bit. I want you to listen to me, I don’t want to speak to you more but rather I want to pray for you more. I will speak, yes, but not much,” said prophet Magaya.
During the previous Sunday service, he encouraged his congregants to be strategic in every situation they face.
“There is a lot that has happened to me so I don’t want to burst, I want to pray, I want to pile all my anger towards the devil so I will pray for you more.
“Today I will pray for you, on Friday I will pray for you and on Sunday I will also do likewise. I will lay hands on each and everyone who will attend the service, musandinzwire tsitsi I am doing my job,” he said.
Prophet Walter Magaya was last Friday night arrested and arraigned before the courts the following day on allegations of raping a 25-year-old woman last year in July.
He was detained at Rhodesville Police station and appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Vakai Chikwekwe who granted him $2 000 bail coupled with stringent conditions.
Harare residents have to wait longer for consistent water supplies as rehabilitation of Morton Jaffray Water Works will only be completed in December 2017. Prince Edward Water Treatment Works has also encountered problems, pumping water three hours a day on the back of its sources — Harava and Seke dams — running low, mainly affecting Sunningdale, Prospect, Mainway Meadows and Chadcombe suburbs.
Morton Jaffray, the capital city’s biggest water treatment plant, should have been upgraded to produce 600 mega-litres of water by July 2016.
However, authorities pushed back that deadline, saying sticking to it would have meant shutting down the entire plant for months. Since the project began in 2013, Harare City Council has been cutting supplies to residents and businesses at weekends to enable installation of new equipment. The initiative was financed by China Export Import Bank to the tune of US$144 million.
Harare Water distribution manager Engineer Hosiah Chisango told The Sunday Mail, “We will continue to have water cuts across the city because Morton Jaffray is now scheduled to be completed in December 2017 instead of July this year as initially stated. This is because we cannot completely shut down the water plant for repairs; it’s the main supplier at the moment thus we have to work on it at weekends only.
“This will be the arrangement for now, with shut down schedules increasing during the rain season, particularly in January. Some of our supplies are fast dwindling; therefore, we have reduced the amount of water that is being pumped per day at some of our control stations.”
Eng Chisango said three of Morton Jaffray’s four major pumps would supply water to the Alex and Letombo reservoirs, with the fourth serving Prince Edward Water Treatment Works.
“We are now planning to start drawing water from Morton Jaffray, and this will not be enough to supply the entire city. This means some suburbs that were getting water from Prince Edward Water Treatment Works will get supplies at weekends only, and others during the week.”
Residents interviewed by The Sunday Mail were livid, labelling council disorganised and “not having the people at heart”.
Mrs Rosemary Dzawo of Highfield said, “These people are fussy when it comes to paying your water bills, but are rather lethargic when it comes to the interests of ratepayers. Yes, we know Morton Jaffray is being rehabilitated, but they should have, from the outset, told us that the July deadline was unrealistic rather than raising our hopes and then dashing them in this manner.
“My advice to them is: ‘Be organised.’ People will only take council seriously if it takes itself seriously. Where are the water bowsers to alleviate the problem? Where are the boreholes? These are the measures they should take for now while they sort out their unending drama at Town House. Lacking water is not good.
‘‘Think of the risk of disease, and the nursing mother who has to wash nappies everyday.”
Mr Darlington Chisvo of Sunningdale who embraced prepaid water metering weeks ago said: “When the system was introduced, we thought it was going to be better as we would manage our water consumption.
‘‘However, it is actually worse because we do not have the water even after paying for it!
“And when water supplies resume, the meter registers a different reading, suggesting you will have consumed a certain amount of water when that is not the case.”
President Robert Mugabe has enjoyed the largess of being patron of the ZNLWVA, a priviledge he is about lose as the former fighters dig in, turn their backs on him, and hammer the last nail to his political coffin.
Mugabe has over the years enjoyed the unquestioned support of the former freedom fighters, until recently when they decided to enter the murky succession Zanu PF waters, in a communique, telling him to step down and endorsing his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Mugabe retaliated and through his wife Grace’s running dogs, partisan police, attacked the former fighters in all manner, their leadership was arrested, with calls for fresh elections to do away with the former loyal fighters.
The tables have turned, according to the association’s spokesperson Douglas Mahiya, the former freedom fighters are now looking for financiers to begin the process that could officially end Mugabe’s relationship with his wartime comrades.
“The ZNLWVA met on Thursday and decided to go back to basics. By this we mean going back to the people to explain the country’s political, social and economic situation. We want to meet our members as well as Zimbabweans in general to explain our position going forward,” Mahiya said.
MASIMBA MAVAZA | When the people are afraid of government it is called tyranny; when the government is afraid of the people it is called LIBERTY!
It is not a secret that Zimbabwe has lost respect in the international world. We are the only country which can be outdone by itself. The country where the losers make sure they will cause mayhem and make the country ungovernable.
Mugabe did not impose himself on the people of Zimbabwe. He was voted by popular demand. He was repeatedly brought back into power by the people. The events of these few days have shown the serious undemocratic ways of the opposition. Trying to force a regime change knowing very well that Zimbabwe will hold elections in 2018. There is an up-to-date information on the standing of the rebellion, the processes opposition use to defeat the legitimate government, judiciary and police and the mechanisms in place for Zimbabweans to protect themselves against the rigours of modern life in the quasi-police state named Zimbabwe.
What is lawful rebellion?
THE CONSTITUTION OF ZIMBABWE states our unalienable RIGHTS derived from the common law. They are beyond the reach of government and they can NEVER revoke (repeal) them. The reason why this is so is the fact that both the constitution and the Declaration of Rights are peace treaties between the Government as an institution, not an individual) and the people who should lawfully rise up when their liberty is threatened and were their livelihood is pissed on.
The burning of shops destroying buildings and burning cars and looting shops is far away from being peaceful. However people are absolved from their allegiance to government when the government fights its own people.
When the great country wakes up to the insurgents, setting an example to be immediately followed by other towns, she practically made an error of complacence.
The Minister of Home affairs and all security ministers thus take an honoured place among the band of patriots to whose initiative Zimbabwe owes her Charter of Liberties. Gave a strong warning against the rebels masquerading as democrats to desist from the unlawful rebellion. Yes it is granted that “Right of Lawful demonstration sets lawful title to Country and the limitations which bind the state the only fear in regime change is that the conqueror could pretend to acquire the right to possess the rule of Zimbabwe and not to alter the nature of the government.
Here then we must drop our race to state house at least for and concentrate on building a nation not destroying it. 2018 is here so changes can be done then.
Until then the aim of the constitution is to protect the people from a corrupt or despotic government providing us lawful authority to refuse to cooperate with any Government agency.
It is important to bear in mind that the legal term “statute” has two meanings. The original, which pre-dates the first is “A re-statement of the law by the Sovereign as an exercise of the National Prerogative”. Acts of Parliament are also described as statutes. They can be repealed by the institution which made them by the common law rule that no Parliament may bind its successor.
The core of the Petition is it is our humble duty TO PETITION The government to withhold the RULE OF LAW to uphold and preserve the rights, freedoms and customs of the citizens subjects as set out in the Declaration of Rights, which the president our swore before the nation to uphold and preserve in his Oath of Duty.
We have the honour to be loyal and obedient Zimbabweans when we have loyal leaders.
All Zimbabweans have a constitutional OBLIGATION to disrupt operations/activities to the best of their abilities.
All Zimbabweans have a constitutional OBLIGATION to disrupt operations/activities to the best of their abilities.
All Zimbabweans have a constitutional OBLIGATION to seize government buildings and assets and retain possession until redress of grievance to the best of their abilities. This could be any building including Courts, police stations, town halls.
We have rebutted court summonses, warrants of arrest and criminal custodial sentences with impunity and will continue to do so until redress of grievance.
the rights the Act confers, having the quality of constitutional rights, will be regarded by the courts as fundamental. . . “
The greatest constitutional document of all times – the foundation of the freedom of the individual against the arbitrary authority of the despotic tendencies is the constitution.
There is a lot more that could be said here but too much too soon. . . Most people seeing this for the first time are, quite frankly, shocked. . . Suffice to say, only those who have taken their country seriously understands what it means to stand up peacefully
Zimbabwe is experimenting with “soft power” approaches to its restive minority populations, but brute force remains an omnipresent threat. The Zimbabwean government is experimenting with gentler approaches to pacifying restive populations but it has far from forsaken its “iron fist In recent years, opposition parties all over Zimbabwe have grown progressively more restive, with peaceful demonstrations increasing alongside violent terrorism.
Thugs in the opposition have launched attacks against government buildings and innocent bystanders, while others have engaged in civil disobedience — included hundreds of self-immolation blocking roads destroying their on future.
The government’s initial response has been to crack down on these anarchic forces” with an iron fist as a means to maintain social order and a semblance of unity.
Yet this response has only led to deeper resentment, the government should explore alternative measures which includes engaging the opposition and other groups.
Although the government has not completely abandoned the “iron fist it has devised a number of other strategies to address unrest. Many of these fall into the category of “soft power.” Nowadays the leadership is vigorously pursuing both approaches, deploying a carrot or a stick depending on the circumstances.
Younger generations have been the most vulnerable to these sanctions, since they find themselves targeted by the authorities as trouble causers targeted by the authorities.
The government is not only targeting children and average citizens, but also the local opposition leadership. But without forsaking its “iron fist,” the government is now experimenting with different approaches to balancing majority-minority relations without the use of force.
A common ground has to be found and more freedoms have to be granted if Zimbabwe is indeed going to maintain its internal cohesion in a peaceful and productive way. All the government has to do is to is to deal with corruption. Deal with rotten few ministers. We do not have a courageous force to arrest the culprits and silence the restive masses.
The overnight arrests and the higher degree of surveillance imposed in Zimbabwe shows that the government will not hesitate to keep the country unified by any means. The long-term effects of such actions, however, might potentially escalate the existing volatile actions.
After Mawarire left the country many lost hope for the peaceful road to equality that he actively supported. It’s not too late, however, for the government to realise that a policy of carrots will be more successful in the long term than the sticks that it has recently.
For zimbabwe to gain international respect our human rights have to improve.
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ZimEye has reported over the past months on how food aid distribution in drought stricken areas of Zimbabwe, is being politicised with powerful Zanu PF politicians denying their opponents food aid donated by the international community.
Unless there are mechanisms in place to de-politicise the distribution of food aid, even those who have no particular party affiliation will starve to death.
State media reports that the United Nations in Zimbabwe has availed $190 million in the last five months to address the effects of drought as latest figures show that the number of people in need of food aid has doubled from two million to 4,1 million.
United Nations resident co-ordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative in Zimbabwe, Mr Bishow Parajuli said the world body has reached 1,5 million in need of food with the mobilised resources.
“In response to the Government’s appeal issued in February 2016, the United Nations, humanitarian partners and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) developed a Humanitarian Response Plan through collaborative and joined-up efforts. The focus of the plan is to save lives, while ensuring linkages to early recovery and resilience building programmes,” said Mr Parajuli.
“Of the $360 million requested for the period of April 2016 — March 2017, nearly $190 million has been committed enabling the UN and humanitarian partners to reach 1,5 million people with relief assistance.”
But because of the increase in the number of people seeking aid, Mr Parajuli said UN was revising its response plan to ensure more resources are mobilised to meet the growing number of people in need of food aid.
He said the new plan will be availed at the end of the month where UN will be looking forward to raise more money to cater for more people.
President Robert Mugabe early this year declared the EI Nino induced drought “State of Disaster” and urged developmental partners to assist in raising $1,5 billion for drought relief. As part of UN’s humanitarian response plan, the resident co-ordinator said his organisation has worked with other developmental agencies to address food security and agriculture, health and nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, education and protection.
He said: “Since the onset of the drought, thus far, over 1,5 million people have received food assistance, through in-kind assistance and cash-based transfers from WFP and a number of NGOs such as CARE, Save the Children, and World Vision. In addition, over 8 000 households received subsidised survival stock feed saving 13 000 cattle from deaths from FAO. (Food and Agriculture Organisation)
“A total of 270 boreholes and three piped water schemes were rehabilitated, restoring safe water supply to nearly 75 000 people by Unicef. And over 100 000 people were reached with critical life-saving water, sanitation and hygiene non-food items and messages. Moreover, over 65 000 people received non-food items and over 200 000 children were screened for malnutrition and provided with nutritional support by UN and NGOs.”
Mr Parajuli said beyond the ongoing drought response, UN through the 2016-2020 Zimbabwe United Nations Development Assistance Framework (ZUNDAF) will support Zimbabwe in enhancing preparedness and disaster risk reduction capacities at all levels and support early recovery, resilience-building and long-term development programmes.
Staff Reporter| Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri yesterday spent the day preaching and dancing in Gwanda while his police were involved in intensive running battles with rioting members of the public in Harare.
At exactly midday while Harare was on fire, Chihuri was himself on fire preaching at the Gwanda Gospel Music Festival contrary to what was expected of the Commissioner of Police at that moment.
Chihuri was joined by several other high ranking police officers from Harare and Bulawayo who all looked oblivious of the burning capital city delighting themselves in heavy lunch and dinner at the festival.
Members of the public interviewed by ZimEye.com all expressed concern at the presence of the commissioner at the music festival when he was expected to be somewhere at Police General Headquarters monitoring the deteriorating security situation in the country.
A staunch ZANU PF supporter who only identified himself as Zulu castigated the Commissioner General describing his behaviour as being tantamount to “insurgency and conspiracy to the regime change agenda.”
The ZANU PF supporter called on President Robert Mugabe to recall Chihuri immediately.
“Chihuri knew before he even left Harare that the situation in Harare was tense but he chose to come and spend the day eating and preaching instead of protecting the nation,” said another resident Mkhululi Moyo.
“After all there are dozens of pastors at the festival why should it have waited for him specifically to do the preaching at the expense of his national duties,” he added.
Efforts to get a comment from Chihuri were futile as those around him refused media to talk to him. He was however a little later spotted giving an interview to state controlled media journalists commenting on the festival and not on his neglect of duty.
He is expected to give another sermon at the continuing festival again today and at the Brethren In Christ Church Gwanda service on Sunday.
Platform For Concerned Zimbabweans | Zimbabwe is a country in crisis, bereft of any capacity to reform – neither politically nor economically. This is common cause for all Zimbabweans, and a major reason for the citizens to protest increasingly loudly. The crisis is exacerbated by the crisis of succession in a mortally-divided ZANU PF, with all the potential for worsening internecine conflict and bloody fighting.
The current crisis in Zimbabwe is the product of outmoded and predatory politics and discriminatory economic policies, and only a radically new approach will be able to reverse the inevitable march to domestic collapse. The Platform for Concerned Citizens (PCC) reached consensus that there are three critical principal issues that must be addressed.
Firstly, there is a crisis in governance and the economy that is evident for all Zimbabweans to see, and requires urgent attention lest the nation suffer domestic collapse.
Secondly, there is profound alienation of the citizens of Zimbabwe, who have lost faith in governance, political parties, and leadership in general.
Thirdly, there is a critical need for transformative reforms that will pre-empt elections or any other elite processes or pacts, and/or succession arrangements, not underpinned by crucial reforms that prioritise the interests of the citizens.
The Process towards an NTA
The process towards the establishment of the NTA requires consultations across the nation and abroad, with a regional and global “buy-in” , or external scaffolding, to ensure a peaceful and smooth transition, as happened at Lancaster House and the Global Political Agreement. The NTA is thus nothing new in Zimbabwe’s political life, but the process and form may be an improvement on the previous attempts at a solid political settlement.
The NTA will need expert inputs towards its design, and the ensuing legal instrument will then be submitted to parliament as a Bill that can be passed by a simple majority. The constitution will remain in place and already offers all the framework necessary for an NTA to carry out its work of reform and lead the country to genuine elections.
The NTA framework
A primary purpose for the NTA is to heal and nation and embark on a limited political and economic reform agenda. The NTA cannot solve all the problems that afflict the country, but will provide the necessary first steps to move the country to international legitimacy and deeper democracy.
The debate has already begun.
The political parties have responded, broadly accepting the idea. Civil society is engaged in serious consultation as evidenced by the Sapes Trust’s Policy Dialogue Forum last Thursday, 18th August: the large turn-out, reflecting a healthy curiosity about and interest in the idea of the NTA; the general consensus that this could be a “soft landing” that could save Zimbabwe; and the assertion by Dumiso Dabengwa that the alternative could be tantamount to “continue folding our arms” and watch the situation develop into the inevitable chaos that is quickly enveloping the country.
However, there remains scepticism in some quarters.
Three reasons have been given for this being a bad idea. The first was that there was already a legitimately elected government and all patriotic Zimbabweans should throw their energies behind this rather than seek new solutions. The second was that no elected government, and especially ZANU PF, would ever concede to devolve power against its own narrow, and not national, interests. The third was that it did not seem possible that such an entity could emerge as a constitutional body, and that it matters more that we be constitutional than solve pressing problems: in short, a slide into illegality was unacceptable.
We have previously dealt with all these arguments in the position paper issued by the Platform for Concerned Citizens (PCC), issued on the 23rdJuly, and re-articulated many times.
Those, as reflected in some sections of the media, who have attacked both the notion of the NTA and the messengers recommending it, appear to reflect more the knee jerk reactions of a faction in a mortally-divided ZANU PF/State apparatus than a considered analysis of the current situation in Zimbabwe. Clearly, the critics are oblivious of the extent to which principals in the state are already engaged with the idea.
On our part, we are encouraged by the favourable feed-back from the various political persuasions across the board, including the leadership therein. The effect is that the idea of the NTA is already being considered, even though there is yet no consensus towards the following principles which the PCC outlined in the position paper mentioned above. Here the PCC outlined a set of critical reforms:
The PCC also outlined a set of suggested principles for the operation of the NTA:
Our hope is that the National Consultative Conference, scheduled for 15thSeptember will assist towards consensus building and the establishing of a National Task Force that will thereafter drive the process to its intended conclusion.
Towards the Regional and International undergirding of the NTA
A Regional/International Consultative Conference is scheduled for 26-27th September in Johannesburg. This will seek to secure the buy-in and support of regional and global factors for a process that necessarily be both delicate and complex. It will also offer an opportunity for our brothers and sisters in the diaspora, so often neglected by the national debate, to participate and help shape the process.
In this regard, we welcome the statement of the Elders – Kofi Annan, Graca Machel and Jimmy Carter – in their appeal to SADC this week, “to consider how they can support a successful and inclusive transition in Zimbabwe that will return stability and growth to the country”. These words seem wholly consonant with the vision that the PCC offered in its position paper: “An inclusive nation that guarantees its citizens freedom and ALL human rights, and develops its resources, both human and material, in an equitable manner”.
Ibbo Mandaza and Tony Reeler are the Convenors of the Platform for Concerned Citizens (PCC)
Below is a statement ZimEye has just received from the Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, the government crackdown against innocent civilians continues, this is yet the most diabolic and worst experience any journalist can cover.
RTUZ | Today, 27 August 2016, Gift Ostallos Siziba RTUZ public relations officer, #Tajamuka Spokesperson Promise Mkhwananzi and 70 other citizens appeared before a Harare magistrate facing fabricated charges of public violence.
Gift Ostallos Siziba was abducted, tortured and robbed by ZANU PF thugs while walking along Reilgh street in Harare.
He was tortured for hours at ZANU PF headquarters by youths led by one Kudzai Chipanga who is a ZANU PF youth leader.
During the henious and callous torture, comrade Ostallos sustained broken arms, fractured neck and a crushed groan as well as several cuts and lacerations all over the body.
He was also forced to copulate with two elderly women who had been abducted and on refusal he was assaulted heavily.
The blood thirst Mugabe thugs, acting on instructions from ZANU PF administration secretary Ignatius Chombo, stole Gift Siziba’s phone and robbed him of $30.00 cash.
The abduction and torture comes 17 months after the abduction of human rights activist Itai Dzamara. It also comes amid calls by Mugabe to assault and abduct human rights activists and anyone who dare questions his 36 years of misrule.
The manner in which comrade Ostallos was abducted is synonymous with the tactics deployed in the abduction of Itai Dzamara. It further vindicates our long claims that the party-state is culpable for the abduction and torture of human rights activists.
It also comes on the back drop of over 415 activists having been arrested in the last 3 months since protests against Mugabe’s misrule intensified.
The car which was used by the abductors is registered as ABA 9705 and belongs to one Alfred Murumbi.
RTUZ is concerned by the levels of state support, collaboration and outright protection which is being accorded thugs and hooligans.
In fact the state appears overwhelmed by pressure from citizens to the extent that Mugabe has resorted to the use of thugs. As it stands, ZANU PF headquarters has become a torture base for anyone who dares speak out. This is unacceptable.
In fact Mugabe wants to push the nation into civil war as he is punishing innocent citizens for demanding an end to poverty and economic disenfrichisement.
RTUZ appeals to Zimbabweans to come in their numbers and support Gift Siziba, Promise Mkhwananzi and others who are being persecuted by the regime for demanding their rights from Mugabe’s moribund dictatorship.
RTUZ will petition the UN, AU and SADC on the political situation in the country.
Meanwhile RTUZ is mobilising for 31 August 2016 shutdown.
Released by;
RTUZ Information
+263 775 643 192/ 776 129336
Bishop Dave Chikosi | Lord we pray that justice catches up real quickly with political leaders who continue to orchestrate and oversee the physical abuse of ordinary citizens who are going about the business of exercising their Constitutional right to protest against government corruption & mismanagement of our national economy.
We cast the corporate demon of violence out of members of the ZRP. May every policeman with baton stick lifted high against defenseless citizens receive divine retributive justice and may they have a Damascus moment even as they brutalise our old and infirm mothers and fathers for daring to ask what happened to the 2.2 million jobs in a land where government ministers build 50 bedroom mansions. God help us!
Let freedom rain and reign in this potential breadbasket of the continent, which has now been reduced to a basket case, even though we are a country endowed with extensive and rich mineral deposits, which deposits seem to have benefitted no-one except the ruling elites.
We pray that come election time in 2018 no rigging plan or Nikuv cheating device formed against the people will prosper or prevail and that the will of the people be respected by both winners and losers in a free and fair plebiscite.
We are praying that the cheapening & coarsening of political discourse that we have seen over the last several months stop forthwith, in favor of civilized discussion and debate, a devoid of profanity & lewdness. May the tongues of those in high political places who defile our public spaces with filthy invectives cleave to the roof of their mouth. Selah.
The activists arrested by police over the past two days under spurious reasons have been remanded in custody and will appear in Court for bail hearing on Monday the 29th of August.
These include #Tajamuka and #MyZimbabwe and #NERA activists, who include Promise Mkwananzi, Gift Ostallos Siziba and 63 others.
Updating on the Court procedures this morning, lawyer and #ThisFlag campaigner Fadzai Mahere wrote;
1. The application challenging his placement on remand was dismissed. The court ruled that the threshold for the placement on remand is very low and that the mere assertion by the police that he connived with Tajamuka to burn a police car and a ZBC car were adequate to have him placed on remand. This is notwithstanding the defence on his warned and cautioned statement that he was at a conference hosted by SAPES Trust on the day in question.
The Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai has alerted that its deputy chair for Harare Province has been abducted.
In an urgent alert party National Executive member Charlton Hwende wrote, “Our Harare Province Vice Chair Mai Dewa was abducted last night by 17 armed men.”
A family member (name withheld) also updated; ” 18 armed unidentified men have besieged our home in Glen View 1 just now and abducted my mum the MDC T Harare Province Vice Chairperson Mai Dewah, the men demanded to see her Identification particulars and her phone. They refused to disclose where they are taking her. Their vehicle could not be identified as they had packed away from the house.”
Pastor Evan Mawarire’s home was also raided yesterday. More To Follow
Staff Reporter | Morgan Tsvangirai, Joice Mujuru and Tendai Biti, have survived a second round of police threats and raids, on themselves and their supporters.
They were yesterday forced to flee for cover after overzealous riot police threw tear gas at them, at the venue of the of the planned NERA march.
The leaders fled the rally in their cars while protesters ran for cover as police firing tear gas and water cannons broke-up the core of the demonstration.
ZimEye, Saturday, followed up on the opposition leaders, who are all recovering in their homes. Zimbabwe People First leader, Mujuru’s spokesperson said; “She did not seek medical attention for the tear smoke, she chose to take it in her stride like many of the cadres who were senselessly teargassed by the police even though we had a court order allowing us to congregate at the venue before marching to handover our petition to ZEC.”
While Tsvangirai’s spokesman Luke Tamborenyoka said, his boss was; ” A bit exasperated but he is ok.”
While sources close to Peoples Democratic Party leader, Tendai Biti say even though he inhaled the tear gas, he is fine.
“She did not flee, she made a strategic retreat like all those who had gathered at Freedom Square and for more than three hours, she was by one of the gates to the Zimbabwe Agricultural show grounds at Glamis Arena, barely 10 metres away from the bellowing tear smoke,” said Mujuru’s spokesperson.
Clashes then spread through the streets of Harare as riot police fought running battles with protesters who hurled rocks at officers, set tyres ablaze and burned a popular market to the ground, in some of the worst unrest since food riots in 1998.
“Mugabe’s rule must end now, that old man has failed us,” said one protester before throwing a rock at a taxi.
Mugabe’s opponents have become emboldened by rising public anger and protests over an economic meltdown, cash shortages and high unemployment. Mugabe, 92, has led Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.
More than a hundred police officers in riot gear, backed up by water cannons and armoured trucks, occupied the venue that opposition parties planned to use for their demonstration.
As opposition supporters arrived for the march, they were told by the police to leave. The officers then fired teargas and a water cannon when parts of the crowd refused to comply.
Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said she was still to get details on Friday’s protest.
“Demonstrating is the only solution left to force the dictator out of office,” said Tapfuma Make, an unemployed 24-year-old from Chitungwiza town, south of the capital Harare.
POLICE DEFY COURT
High Court earlier ruled that police should allow the protest to proceed between 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.in what Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) called a “victory for democracy”.
MDC-T secretary general and lawyer Douglas Mwonzora told journalists yesterday, the police had disregarded the court order and accused ZANU-PF youths of infiltrating the crowd to disrupt the protest.
Opposition parties leading the protests say the electoral commission is biased in favour of the ruling ZANU-PF and is run by security agencies loyal to Mugabe, charges the commission denies.
The protesters want the next vote in 2018 to be supervised by international observers, including the United Nations. They are also calling for Mugabe to fire corrupt ministers, scrap plans to introduce local bank notes and end cash shortages.
The latest demonstrations come nearly two months after the biggest large scale ‘stay at home’ strike in Zimbabwe since 2007, inspired by social media movements such as #ThisFlag led by pastor Evan Mawarire.
Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo on Thursday called opposition leaders “foreign agents” using protests to cause chaos in order to justify international intervention in Zimbabwe’s affairs.
Police used teargas and a water cannon on Wednesday to break-up a march by MDC-T youth supporters who were protesting over economic mismanagement and what they say is brutality by security agencies.
President Robert Mugabe has been caught on camera sleeping once again. This is the 11th time Mugabe has dozed through crucial meetings (PICTURES BELOW). As Zimbabwe’s ailing 92 year old leader attended the 6th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, he brought more embarrassment for the nation.
Staff Reporter | While the state propaganda machinery goes into over drive blaming innocent citizens for the chaos that has erupted in the country, more and more evidence is emerging on how innocent civilians were randomly targeted and attacked. The sequence of the pictures taken of this elderly woman tell a very sad story.
Staff Reporter | In the midst of the chaos that ensued as opposition political parties set aside their differences, formed a united front in a bid to push President Robert Mugabe to agree to crucial electoral reforms, police invaded exiled Pastor Evan Mawarire’s home.
#ThisFlag pastor yesterday said, “Plain clothes police’ at my house in Harare right now looking for ‘those who caused violence yesterday & today’…seriously guys! #ThisFlag.”
There was chaos and scenes of violence in Harare after the Zimbabwe Republic Police ignored a High Court order that a planned NERA march should go ahead.
ZimEye.com brings our valued readers updates from the Promise Mkwananzi court case in which the activist is being tried for committing public violence.
1605 – Mkwananzi loses case:
1. The application challenging his placement on remand dismissed. The court ruled that the threshold for the placement on remand is very low and that the mere assertion by the police that he connived with Tajamuka to burn a police car and a ZBC car were adequate to have him placed on remand. This is notwithstanding the defence on his warned and cautioned statement that he was at a conference hosted by SAPES Trust on the day in question.
1355 – Court Room 6 (where Mkhwananzi is being tried) is packed to the full.
1300 – Commentary by Ralph Mguni
0845 – Pro-democracy campaigner Promise Mkwananzi, who is represented by ZLHR lawyers is now being taken to appear at Harare Magistrates Court following his arrest on Friday for allegedly committing/inciting public violence.
0700 – HRDs Alert
27 August 2016
PROTEST AFTERMATH-STATE SECURITY AGENTS, POLICE CLAMPDOWN ON POLITICAL AND PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS
HUMAN rights lawyers on Friday 26 August 2016 endured a hectic day as they mounted searches for several political and human rights activists, who were reported missing after they were picked up by some state security agents and police officers in a retributive exercise following the suppression of anti-government protests.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) deployed its members across some police stations located in Harare in search of human rights campaigner Gift Ostallos Siziba, who was seized and bundled into a vehicle in central Harare during a High Court sanctioned protest to demand substantive electoral reforms.
Siziba was later located at Harare Central Police Station, where ZLHR lawyers also discovered that Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers had rounded up several political and human rights activists including a pregnant women.
ZLHR lawyers are also still searching for freelance photo-journalist James Jemwa, who is reported to have been seized while covering the Friday protest, which was blocked by ZRP officers who dispersed protesters and fired teargas canisters.
In Harare’s Glenview high-density suburb, some unidentified armed men raided the home of Kerina Dewah, a 61 year-old women, who serves as the Vice Chairperson for the MDC-T party’s Harare province and seized her under some unexplained motives. ZLHR lawyers are working towards ascertaining her whereabouts.
ZRP officers also quizzed pro-democracy campaigner Sten Zvorwadza before releasing him without pressing a charge against him over his role in organisng Wednesday’s anti-government protests in which protesters demonstrated against rising incidents of police brutality.
On Saturday 27 August 2016, another pro-democracy campaigner Promise Mkwananzi is expected to appear at Harare Magistrates Court following his arrest on Friday 26 August 2016 for allegedly inciting and committing public violence.
Meanwhile, Harare Magistrate Tendai Mahwe on Friday 26 August 2016 postponed to Monday 29 August 2016, hearing of the matter involving 13 men, who were arrested on Thursday 25 August 2016 and charged with committing public violence during Wednesday’s protest against police brutality.
ENDS
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
“The people’s anger is very deep”, said Tsvangirai as he encouraged more protests while also hailing Zimbabweans for expressing themselves during Friday’s shutdown protest. VIDEO:
A hooker appeared in court and was sentenced to two years in prison for ripping off the ear of a man who turned down her sexual advances.
Beauty Zhou (23) of Mpumalanga Township in Hwange but lives in Binga, went berserk when Mr Bee Mukonka (33) showed no interest in having sex with her. Zhou, commonly known for attracting her potential clients by suggestively caressing their manhood at a beer garden in Binga, grabbed Mr Mukonka’s manhood but he brushed her aside, leading to an argument
Yesterday, she appeared before Binga resident magistrate Mrs Aelene Munamati and pleaded not guilty. But due to overwhelming evidence she was convicted. Mrs Munamati sentenced her to 24 months in prison of which 18 months were suspended leaving Zhou to serve an effective six months in jail.
Handing down sentence, Mrs Munamati chided Zhou for the uncouth method she used to attract clients. She said men in Binga were now afraid of the hooker. Zhou said she acted in self-defence after Mr Mukonka attacked her over an undisclosed issue.
“Your Worship I’m a commercial sex worker and came to Binga to look for money. “On the day in question we had a misunderstanding with the complainant leading to a fight. It is then that I bit his ear as I was trying to defend myself,” said Zhou.
State witnesses dismissed her claims. They said Zhou was in the habit of caressing her potential clients’ private parts. Prosecuting, Mr Bruce Maphosa said on August 13, 2016, Mr Mukonka entered Kula Beer garden in Binga where he saw Zhou sitting close to the entrance. Suddenly she grabbed his private parts and started playing with them.
Confused by the sudden turn of events, Mr Mukonka bent down to protect his manhood and asked Zhou what she was doing. Stung by the rebuff, Mr Maphosa said, Zhou threw a tantrum and attacked Mr Mukonka.
“She responded by biting his ear. She ripped off a chunk of the ear as other patrons tried in vain to restrain her. “Mukonka lost most of his ear as a result of the assault and was referred to Binga District Hospital for treatment. “A report was made to the police leading to her arrest,” said the prosecutor.- State Media
Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) founder, Walter Magaya (WM) has admitted that his sex scandal is real and has caused disturbances in his wife’s family.
He said his wife’s relatives are disquieted as revelations unravel of his relationships with several women in his church. “Yes some might have doubts and feel as if their daughter is in trouble, but most of them understand that these things would just be lies”, said Magaya (FULL INTERVIEW BELOW). The preacher (WM) spoke to the Standard within days of his court appearance for alleged rape. He addressed Xolisani Ncube (XN) saying that: because of his popularity many people were trying to extort money from him using cooked up stories. Below are excerpts of the interview.
XN: It’s now five years since your ministry started; a lot has been written about you, including allegations that you are a bed-hopper. How does your wife respond to things that come out against you?
WM: She is a hero I can tell you, a marvel. I just imagine if I had married a wrong wife things would have been different by now.
She would have left me long back. But she has remained with me, yes at first she was worried but now she understands me better and knows what would be happening. You know at times she laughs off at things that would be said against me because she knows the truth.
At times a person would lie that I was with Magaya last night when in actual fact we would be together in South Africa on a private visit.
At times someone would claim that I called her or him and discussed something when she would be the one with the phone. So she is really a hero.
XN: How did she react to initial stories that you were involved with other women?
WM: She was really upset, I had to give her my phone. I had to give her the management of my finances, my private emails and all sorts of personal things. That really helped rebuild the trust between us. She has access to my phone, my email and finances.
I try to treat her well because she is a hero. She is very courageous. She prays for me, in fact she is more prayerful than me.
XN: How about her relatives, how do they react to such allegations?
WM: They too are very supportive, yes some might have doubts and feel as if their daughter is in trouble, but most of them understand that these things would just be lies. Do you know that some people are after pulling the ministry down and they are looking for ways to extort me daily, threatening to tarnish my image and that of the ministry?
But I thank the one who anointed me to deliver people for he is taking us through despite all that and people who are taking their time to listen to what I am taking from God are being blessed.
There are some, say a girlfriend from school days who can come and make all sorts of unfounded claims because the popularity I now enjoy. They think they are justified to benefit from me because we once interacted.
I may have communicated with some and said something like “advancement” but even if one does not pursue it, they still come and lie that he is or was my boyfriend and so on and so forth.
Some misinterpret what you would have communicated to them and think otherwise. So it’s a real challenge.
XN: How do you deal with extortionists?
WM: You know what, in economic hardships, God stands with his people and some are trying to survive by extorting me and steal from the ministry but here we are, I value my wife and thank prayer partners for standing with me.
It is amazing that in all this, I realised that God gave me real friends when I was young and all those friends are with me in the ministry. Some come to milk and they go and some come as friends to find ways to tarnish my image and they fail, but as a ministry we are witnessing God’s hand and he is taking us through. If you look at the stories that are published, they come from people who would have failed to extort me, but I thank God we have managed to survive and grow.
XN: We have read reports that you don’t have a mobile phone, but here you are saying you gave your wife a phone. Can you explain?
WM: I don’t have a phone number which I can give to everyone. I just use my phone to communicate with my wife,overseer Admire Mango and those really close to me, that’s all. The reason being that I don’t want to have too much communication because some people would misinterpret a simple message like “hi, how are you” to mean something else, so I avoid that.
XN: In the past we have read reports of a sour relationship between you and other prophets. How is your relationship with bishop Ezekiel Guti and Emmanuel Makandiwa?
WM: I have never met Baba Guti. I would really want to meet him. He is a great man and I really respect him. Prophet Makandiwa is a nice man, very nice and amazing indeed. He has love and great respect for others. I thought he would not relate to me well when I reached out to him, but I was really surprised with his reaction and hospitality. He is a great man of God, that you can’t take away from him.
XN: How do you know that he is a great man of God? How do you measure that?
WM: Time tests every person and I believe the growth of their ministries has more to do with their steadiness in facing challenges. Prophet Makandiwa is such; he has stood the test of time and overcame many challenges.
XN: What’s your relationship with other prophets and those who leave your church for greener pastures? I am talking about those who would have been senior and close to you.
WM: I have no beef with those starting their ministries and those looking for greener pastures as I look forward to grow to where church leaders like Guti of Zaoga and Makandiwa are. We have so many people who have left and have started their own things. We wish them the best.
XN: At the beginning of the year, you prophesied that this year would be a year of “overflow and abundance”, but we are seeing different things, where is the overflow?
WM: It’s there and this project we are working on is testimony to that. We are witnessing 90 000 houses being built in such a Zimbabwe, my Lord. Yes, you will have to come to church and witness the overflow. Oh yes, that message was for “my children”. If anyone wants to enjoy the overflow, they must come to church.
XN: But surely not all can be PHD members. Are you saying those Christians who are not seeing the overflow and abundance are not praying to God?
WM: They must receive what their God is giving them. They must be receiving according to what their prophet or bishop or pastor is giving them. “My children” are receiving and witnessing an overflow which is visible.
XN: What motivated you to start the housing initiative that you launched in Bulawayo and what do you seek to achieve?
WM: I look at the love and passion which my partners have for me. These people have stood with me through thick and thin. They have given all they have, all they could afford for the cause of the ministry and the gospel. They have loved me with a great passion which even today, I do not know how to measure.
If you look at the journey we have travelled as a church or ministry, it has been difficult, a lot of issues have been written about me, a lot of them negative, but these people have stood with me and shared my vision.
I asked myself, how can I pay them back besides being their spiritual father? I thought it was noble and indeed important for me to say thank you to them. These people ignored all the issues and continued to support the church. In fact, the support grew such that I am humbled. Given that, I thought I needed to start something which would redeem their time… something they will benefit from and this is exactly the project. We are redeeming our time. My focus is to make sure my partners get the best life here on earth and in heaven.
The thrust of this project is to ensure our partners, some of them really sacrificed everything for their faith, have a place to call home. Some have been lodgers for many years and we are saying it’s now a changed game. They are now going to be landlords.
XN: Who is funding this project and how will they benefit?
WM: This is a project funded by partners; the people who have stood with the church since its formation. We don’t have any other funding other than the partners who have been contributing towards this initiative.
XN: Are you giving out these houses to your partners for free or they will have to pay?
WM: They will pay a minimal amount because as a church we have a construction firm which will do most of the work for them. Do you know that the bigger cost in construction is the servicing part? So my company Planet Africa, will do the servicing of the land, build houses for them for free. They will only pay for the land and the house which brings the cost down by 60%. More so, they will pay in instalments so that every partner gets a house of his or her own. That is my wish and dream.
XN: You are saying the project will benefit your partners only, are you not tying them to your church?
WM: In this country we have freedom of worship and we believe in that as well as a ministry. We are not tying anyone to our ministry. I have told the partners that in the event that they leave the ministry, they will still own their properties. But, as a closed village, we will have rules, the dos and don’ts of that community.
XN: Where are you getting the land from? Are you buying or you are using your political connections to get it?
WM: We are buying from both government and private owners. I can tell you 80% of the land we have was bought from private land developers.
And we appreciate our government for facilitating that we get the remainder of the land we are building on. The purchase of this land around the country has been transparent and in line with the laws of the land.
In areas where there are people settled there either illegally or otherwise, we will follow the law in removing them. We have land in Bulawayo where we are going to build 5 000 houses and we have land in Mutare, Kwekwe and Harare.
In Harare our land is in Chishawasha. It will be a massive development; we are looking at building a school, shopping malls and other facilities to cater for the people who will reside there.
We want to build state-of-the-art houses. We are not just building houses, but luxurious houses that will attract tourists and be a model for the future.
XN: How do you feel embarking on such massive projects when the populace is suffering? Where are your partners getting the money to fund this kind of a project given the economic situation?
WM: Xolisani, we declared this year a year of overflow and abundance, indeed it is that year. “My children” are prospering because they have listened to the voice of the Lord. In any case, whenever there is an economic crisis, not all suffer and my children, because of the favour from God, they are succeeding.
We are going to succeed in this kind of an environment and I know with God on our side, we will succeed. Yes, I may have a few other businesses to complement the partners, the main funders of this project are my partners both locally-based and those in the Diaspora. I have a few mines and farms, all doing well, but still the partners are the key people in this initiative.
XN: Are you not biting more than you can chew, considering the many projects you are now involved in?
WM: The bible says faith without works is dead; we have to work here on earth and live happily here on earth as well as in Heaven. The housing initiative will not disrupt other projects. I am a good planner and I manage these issues well. The stadium we wanted to build will no longer be for public use, it will now be for “my children”; those who will be staying at our villas in Waterfalls, Prospect. We will build a public stadium in Chishawasha where we have planned will be various facilities. So don’t worry, I will complete all the projects in time without prejudice to any of the works.
XN: Let’s talk about the villas you are building in Prospect, are they for public use and how will you maintain the aspect of them being owned by the church and the public demand to have things like beer and prostitution there?
WM: No, they are not for public use. They are for “my children”. That facility is for those who want to come to church and would need time to pray. They will stay there, away from the city’s noise, go to the prayer mountain and have time with God. Let me make it clear, it’s for “my children” and visitors who would be coming from outside the country. They will be staying there, while I minister to them. This will afford me more time to visit them easily and at a lower cost.
XN: How can you assure potential buyers of the houses that they are safe?
WM: Definitely safe and sound, the city inspectors are there and we even surpass their expectations. We are building to the best that this country cannot even think of. The works there are really to the best of our ability.
XN: Did Nigerian preacher TB Joshua have some influence in this project?
WM: He is my role model and I copy a lot from him. But when it comes to the strength of those villas, we are far much better [than TB Joshua’s guest houses that collapsed in 2014 killing several people].
XN: We have seen a number of spiritual fathers of various prophets visiting their sons and not yours, why? Will he ever come to visit your ministry?
WM: That really depends with the kind of a son the person is visiting. I would really want him to come and time will tell. At the moment he has not seen it fit to come. We will need bigger infrastructure for him to come so that he is accommodated and currently we don’t have. Also it depends on whether the hosting government is willing, ready to invite him. So, I will look into that as well. But yes, one day he will come. I pray for that.
XN: Your last words to your partners and Zimbabweans at large.
WM: Let us remain faithful to God, he will heal us. Let us increase our faith and God will increase his blessings to us.
To my partners, this is your time, I will never forsake you. For every cent you contributed to God, he will surely reward you in accordance.
ZRP officers who abused citizens in Harare today were given a thorough bashing as people fought back in self defence. Some of the cops tear-gassed each other (see pictures below) and were seen by ZimEye sources battling for water taps.
In a battle of battles still ongoing at the time of writing, the policemen ran away in top unprecedented speed from furious Harare residents many who were not part of the #MyZim protest.
The police committed violations upon violations against both legal and moral laws. They openly violated a High Court order judicially instructing them not to interfere with people’s protest rights in today’s march. Even before the Court Order, they had no right whatsoever to ban the protest as they did on Thursday (Read more on Supreme Court position).
In the pictures below police officers are seen being either subdued, or fleeing in speed. ALSO READ – LIVE UPDATES
Song Soldier Jah Prayzah has shot a hot video with his wife inside their car. The video starts with the singer announcing, “This time it is the wifey who is in charge.”
The clip was taken with the singer dressed in completely different stage clothes- a sleek dinner suit while flanked by his wife sitting at the right side.
The singer then immediately erupts into song singing one of his latest hits, Mudhara Uriko…. SEE THE VIDEO HERE:
A 60-YEAR-OLD man from Zaka who was allegedly caught having sex with a goat had to run for dear life when enraged villagers tried to mete instant justice on him.
Romic Tafireyi of Mauto Village under Chief Nhema fled half naked leaving the animal tied to a tree. Acting Masvingo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Kudakwashe Dehwa said the incident occurred on Saturday at around 10.30AM.
“I have received a report involving a Zaka man who was caught having sex with a goat. The old man fled from the scene but he has since been arrested and is assisting police with investigations. He will appear in court soon facing charges of bestiality,” said Asst Insp Dehwa.
According to a villager, Mr Steven Chinyukwi (58), Tafireyi is alleged to have a penchant for being intimate with livestock.
Mr Chinyukwi said he saw Tafireyi tying the goat to a tree, apparently to restrict its movement before having sex with it.
“On Saturday at around 10:30am, Tafireyi who is alleged to have a long history of bestiality in the village was seen loitering suspiciously in the bush some distance from Mauto Village,” said Mr Chinyukwi.
“I went with four villagers. We saw him tying the goat to a tree before mounting the animal. We moved closer to investigate and found Tafireyi having sex with the animal. He quickly fled the scene into a thicket while pulling up his lowered pair of trousers,” said Mr Chinyukwi.
He said angry villagers launched a search.
“Tafireyi was spotted hiding behind a tree some hours after the incident. We effected a citizen’s arrest. He is lucky there were elders who stopped villagers from assaulting him,” said Mr Chinyukwi. – state media
ZRP cops today attacked a pregnant woman, it has emerged.
ZimEye.com is reliably told a pregnant woman was one of the people pounced on by the police on Friday afternoon.
ZRP cops have been randomly targeting civilians while also brutally attacking them. Their attacks include tear-gassing which on Friday saw cops even attacking other (read more – ZRP Cops thoroughly bashed).
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights are courageously assisting the frail mother. She was still behind bars at the time of writing. “ZLHR lawyers are currently attending to a group of people who were arrested over the NERA demonstration which took place today. A pregnant woman and her fiancée are among the group whose figure is yet to be ascertained.
“We will provide more details when they become available,” the ZLHR said in their statement.
Victory for the masses and for justice – democracy activist and National Vendors Union leader, Sten Zvorwadza has been released.
Zvorwadza who was arrested earlier in the day following a notorious police crack-down, is now a free man.
He announced his release Friday night, “I was arrested this morning on trumped up charges as usual but was later released.”
Meanwhile Tajamuka activist Promise Mkwananzi and several others were still in cells at the time of writing and scheduled to appear in court Saturday morning. “Several other people were arrested including Promise Mkwananzi. They will be appearing in court tomorrow morning,” said Zvorwadza.
He asked Zimbabweans to throng the magistrates courts today, Saturday in their support.
“Lets all go and support them at Rotten Row 8:30am. Clearly this regime is clueless and losing”, he added.
A GOLD panner from Lower Gweru died early yesterday morning after he was stabbed allegedly by four fellow illegal miners in a suspected turf war. Villagers from Pihli, Ward 7, under Chief Bunina told The Chronicle that the area had become a “war zone” with frequent bloody clashes involving armed gangs vying for control of gold claims.They said they discovered the bloodied body of Godlove Mgezelwa Sibanda (24) in a ditch soon after midnight. He had been stabbed on the chest and armpit. Police have arrested Marvelous Sibanda (20), one of the four people suspected to have attacked Godlove.
The other three are on the run. Villagers said the quartet had a running rivalry with Goodlove over goldfields. Detectives recovered an okapi knife with blood stains in Marvelous’ possession.
It is believed to be the murder weapon. Acting Midlands provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende said investigations into the killing were underway. “We received a murder report which happened in Lower Gweru involving a male adult. One suspect has been arrested and investigations are in progress”.
The Chronicle visited the area at around 10AM and found villagers gathered around Godlove’s body which was covered with a blanket. Godlove’s brother — Mlungisi — said he was awoken by a phone call around midnight telling him his younger brother, a father of two, had been killed.
“That’s my brother lying there. He has two stab wounds, one on the chest and the other under the armpit. There is blood all over. One suspect has been arrested and we know him. Three other suspects are on the run,” he said. Mlungisi said Marvelous told the police that they attacked Godlove around 11PM on Wednesday as he was leaving Woodpecker night club.
Terrence Mawawa | Gweru Midlands State University Professor Ngwabi Bhebhe has suspended a student at the learning institution for attending an MDC rally.
In a reflection of desperation by the Robert Mugabe regime, Bhebhe a declared Zanu PF sympathiser suspended Archibold Madida, a History and International Relations Student from the university for attending the MDC rally held in the Midlands capital two weeks ago.
Madiba was served with a suspension letter dated August 17 2016 titled ‘ Suspension From MSU’. According to the letter Madiba violated Section 3.1.4 of ordinance number 2 of 2000 in that he engaged in conduct likely to be harmful to the interests of the university.
Bhebhe charged in his letter that the student was pictured holding a placard which carried an MSU logo alongside the MDC symbol. He further indicated the student used the MSU logo without Bhebhe’s approval. MSU spokesperson Mirirai Mawere said she was not in a position to comment on the said suspension. “I am not aware of what you are saying -mostly such issues do not come to us-they just go through the normal disciplinary channels,”said Mawere.
Madida was ordered to vacate the university premises upon receipt of the letter and was also barred from attending lectures until further notice. The clueless regime has dismally failed to deal with the socio-economic slide the nation is facing. As a result of frustration the regime has resorted to bully boy tactics, as pressure continues to mount on President Robert Mugabe and his cronies to step down.
Yesterday morning, the United States, Canadian and Australian embassies issued separate statements supporting the violent protests and condemning law enforcement agents for maintaining peace and order by reining in the hoodlums. The statements were meant to coincide with a demonstration that flopped in Harare yesterday.
“The United States is troubled by the economic policies and financial strains that have prompted numerous recent protests in Zimbabwe and we join many Zimbabweans in their deep concern over reports of violence during some of the protests,” reads the statement released by the US Embassy in Harare yesterday.
“The United States supports freedoms of speech and assembly and we call on the Government of Zimbabwe to exhibit restraint and respect the human rights of all Zimbabwean citizens, including those basic rights.”
While the US embassy said it supported non-violent demonstrations, it did not condemn the violence instigated by opposition elements over the last few months that led to the destruction of property. The US Embassy also said it was “monitoring recent threats to crackdown on activists using social media”.
On the other hand, the Canadian Embassy said: “The Embassy of Canada to Zimbabwe is increasingly concerned with reports of violence and human rights violations in response to public protest.
“The Embassy of Canada calls for calm and stresses the importance of peaceful dialogue. The Embassy of Canada reiterates its call on all stakeholders to respect the Constitution of Zimbabwe, in particular, the freedom to peacefully demonstrate, the right to personal liberty, the right to personal security and the rights of arrested and detained persons.’’
On its part, the Australian embassy said it shared the “concerns of many Zimbabweans at the violence, which has occurred over recent weeks in Zimbabwe. “The use of violence is not acceptable under any circumstance. The Australian Embassy wishes to emphasise that the rule of law, respect for human rights, right to free speech, freedom of assembly and other democratic freedoms are at the heart of the Zimbabwean Constitution and must be respected by all parties.
“We encourage the Government of Zimbabwe to ensure the democratic freedoms of all Zimbabweans are fully protected.” But political analysts said their statements vindicated Government position that some of these countries sponsored the current protests.
“While we hear those embassies gleefully rubbing their hands at the chaos, we did not hear them condemning the violence being perpetrated by these elements,” said political analyst and lawyer, Mr Terrence Hussein. “Government must only be guided by the Constitution and the laws of Zimbabwe. If they feel the laws are being violated then they must act accordingly.”
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs, Cde Kindness Paradza said the statements vindicated Government position that Western countries were behind the current wave of violent demonstrations.
“All along, we have been saying these countries and their allies are sponsoring illegal regime change in Zimbabwe over the years through all sorts of machinations with the latest one being these violent protests targeting properties.
“As the committee on Foreign Affairs, we warn these embassies and their Governments that their freedom ends where ours begin. “They must not interfere in our internal affairs. What they must know is that we are different from Libya, Syria and Afghanistan. Our security forces have the capacity to deal with these hooligans,” said Cde Paradza.
Legal practitioner, Mr Tendai Toto, said it was important for the embassies to also condemn violence that was being perpetrated by protestors. “It is right that these embassies take constructive diplomatic efforts to help address concerns identified.
“Equally weighty efforts must be attached to denouncing violence and destruction of private and public owned property and the violation of equally valid and guaranteed freedoms of others alongside the calls for the respect and protection of the freedoms of expression and assembly that underpin the occurrences and execution of the demonstrations,” said Mr Toto. – state media
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s government is blowing tax payers’ funds by providing state security at his in law’s Marlborough house, it has emerged.
Security sources said Mugabe’s government was providing security to the Chikores whose son Simbarashe is married to the president’s only daughter, Bona. The development comes at a time government is struggling to raise salaries for its bloated civil service workforce which gobbles over 80% of government revenue.
Sources this week said the Chikores are being provided security by a team from the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s (ZRP) Police Protection Unit (PPU) State House province, although they are not entitled to the protection.
PPU provides security to the first family and senior government or public officials such as ministers, judges, attorney general and prosecutor general among others.
The State House province concentrates on providing security to the First Family.
“ZRP officials provide evening security every day,” said a senior police officer.
“Police details begin their shifts every day at 6pm in the evening until the following day at 6am in the morning.”
The Chikores came into the limelight when Simbarashe married Bona in March 2014.
Government authorities, however, said the Chikores were not public officials and were therefore not entitled to receive state security.
“Why should this family be given such treatment yet they are not public officials?
This is just an abuse of resources,” said a government official.
Police spokesperson Charity Charamba said she had no comment over the matter.
In June, Mugabe office also protected his in-laws when his office blocked the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment from investigating Sakunda Energy after being awarded the tender for the controversial Dema Diesel Power Plant.
IT is night in the late 1970s. Some senior comrades fighting the Rhodesian army during the war of independence arrive at one of the liberation camps in Mozambique sparking joy and jubilation among the fighters in the camp.
Everyone rises to greet them after which a conversation starts on the state of the liberation struggle. The senior comrades announce that the guerillas will soon receive new weapons, increasing the excitement in the camp.
Beer and whisky brought by visitors from Maputo is passed around and the soldiers take a swig as laughter erupts.
For others this becomes a cue to take to the dance floor. They gyrate to fast-paced rhythms that betray a heavy influence of the kanindo music then popular in Tanzania where most of the combatants received military training.
Meanwhile, Comrade Liberty is asleep, but is woken by one of the male soldiers: “Some comrades want to see you,” says the guerilla.
Liberty wants to know why, but in the typical ‘yours is not to reason why, but yours is to do and die’ as English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson would say, she is curtly told to just come. Liberty finds comfort in asking whether she can bring her friend, Comrade Flame.
The male comrades’ faces light up upon seeing the female comrades arrive.
“These are comrades from higher offices, they have come from Maputo, sit, sit,” one of the guerillas tells Flame and Liberty.
The commander of the camp, Cde Che, calls Flame and asks her to accompany him to his room, while her friend Liberty is taken by one of the male guerillas from Maputo.
Liberty tries to resist his demands, but is given a blow to the face. The blow floors her.
While in his room “Cde Che” tells Flame: “You are such a beautiful woman and also very intelligent. Why do you hate me?” to which she responds “I don’t hate you.”
“Do you know something Flame, I love you, why don’t you come closer,” continues Che as Flame moves backwards, trying to resist his advances.
“No, No, No please,” she shouts, to no avail. Che uses his strength to overpower and rape her.
She confides in Liberty about the sexual abuse, but chooses not to report the case to anyone.
The sexual abuse continues until it becomes a routine and a way of life for Flame. She eventually bears a child as a result of the abuse.
This is a scene from a 1995 Zimbabwean movie Flame, which highlights the tragic and often unspoken experiences of the country’s female freedom fighters during the liberation struggle. The movie suggests that the war was far from a purely heroic endeavour in which courageous fighters of both sexes successfully confronted the forces of imperialism and racist hegemony.
Flame was initially conceived as a documentary project detailing women’s experiences in the liberation war. However, when all the participants refused to appear on screen, Ingrid Sinclair who directed the movie, decided to develop a fictional representation of their experiences.
The movie brought to the fore stories of pain, violence, bitterness and a history of broken promises. It is a graphic tale of sexual harassment, gruesome sexual abuse and sex for food. It is a movie that was released to self-righteous howls of indignation by the patriarchal leaders in Zanu PF which sought to deny the pain and abuse of women.
Few people have openly spoken about the abuse of women fighters during the liberation war, but a story published in the state media this week alleging that former vice-president Joice Mujuru, then a teenager, slept with a commander during the liberation struggle, ignited debate on how women were abused during the struggle.
“It does not matter whether the story is true or false, but certainly it highlights the abuse of young girls during the war. Young girls were vulnerable to armed commanders and freedom fighters. That is the untold story of the liberation struggle,” said a Zanu PF official and ex-combatant who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“I can’t say whether it happened or not, but it was difficult for a teenager possibly around 15 or 16 to refuse to bow down to the advances of a commander. In many cases resistances did not matter because they would just force themselves on you.”
United Kingdom-based Zimbabwean journalist Chofamba Sithole said women combatants had a rough time during the liberation war at the hands of male colleagues and commanders, as exposed by the film Flame.
“It’s sad that the suffering of female combatants during the war has hardly received official recognition by the government, 36 years after the war ended. Female fighters endured not only the trauma of war, but also carried the added burden of being sexually abused by some of their own comrades and commanders, a number of whom may still occupy positions of leadership and authority in the government and state institutions.
“It’s rather callous and morally inept of the misogynistic men who control the state media to seize on these sad experiences and use them as political muck to soil the reputation of a female rival. It conveys the suggestion that President Mugabe’s liberation history is so insecure that it requires such vile tactics to shore it up.”
While some women have denied stories of rape and abuse, others, including the late Freedom Nyamubaya, an outspoken ex-combatant, maintained raped was rife.
Nyamubaya is on record saying Zimbabwe should accept the truth of what really happened during the war.
Among Nyamubaya’s works, the poem For Suzana which narrates ordeals of a woman who sacrifices her life to train and carry arms for freedom before suffering humiliation through rape when her body becomes a “church for high-ranking monks to relieve their stress”.
In her book Re-Living The Second Chimurenga: Memoirs of Zimbabwe’s Liberation Struggle, former education minister, Fay Chung, who was there, also highlights how thousands of young women guerrillas were used as sex slaves by commanders.
“Sometimes, women did not enter into these casual unions willingly, but were forced into them. I remember two incidents when I was in Pungwe III, a military camp on the banks of the Pungwe River deep in the heart of Mozambique. I was awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of commotion — many angry voices could be heard shouting from the women’s barracks situated a hundred metres from my posto1. The next morning I was told by a young commander that (the late Zanla commander, Josiah) Tongogara and his retinue had arrived in the middle of the night and had demanded women to entertain them. Such women were euphemistically called warm blankets,” reads Chung’s book.
“The sycophantic camp commander had immediately gone into the women’s barracks and called out the names of several young women for ‘night duties’. These women knew what this meant and refused. The commotion was caused by the fight between the camp commander and the young women, whose fierce opposition to being carried off to grace the beds of the commanders was termed ‘rebellion’. Despite their shouts and screams, they ended up in the beds of the top Zanla commanders that night.”
Political commentator Stanley Tinarwo says the story “fitted into the unfortunate narrative of attempting to vilify women and their role in the liberation struggle and to portray someone who was a victim of gender violence as a perpetrator”.
Outspoken former female freedom fighter Margret Dongo was quoted last year saying, “The truth of the matter has not yet been told … abuses of female ex-freedom fighters were so high and sophisticated that they deserve to be paid damages.” Environment minister Oppah Muchinguri has also spoken about the abuse of women during the liberation struggle. the independent
Dr Brighton Chireka | We are witnessing a population that has had enough of the suffering and is now protesting. Sadly the government of Zimbabwe is as usual deploying the riot police fully equipped with tear gas . The main aim is to disperse and frighten the citizens but no attention has been or is being given to the health effects of that tear gas. I have tried to ask some of the riot police if they knew the effects of the gas on themselves and those people they are trying to chase away. The honest answer I got was, “we do not know and we do not care all we want is for you to stop demonstrating ”
Tear gas is commonly known as CS gas a name derived from the first letters of the surnames of the scientist that discovered it . ( Ben Corson and Roger Stoughton) .
Sometimes methylene chloride is used as a solvent for the tear gas and it is known to cause cancer. The other solvent in which CS is dissolved is Methyl Isobutyl Ketone (MIBK) which is also classified as harmful.
I have looked at research that has been done to look into this area and found that in Turkey studies have been done and the results are worrying. Victims of tear gas have been followed up by Turkey doctors and the results are showing that there is lung damage that occurs after exposure to the gas. Victims were found to have symptoms similar to asthma and also reduced capacity for their lungs to breathe properly. This is worse in those that already have underlying breathing problems.
In 2011 Chile temporarily suspended the use of tear gas after a university of Chile study linked it to miscarriage and foetal harm. Physicians for human rights in 2012 found that local doctors in Bahrain were reporting increased numbers of miscarriages in exposed areas. UN officials have also connected tear gas to miscarriage in the Palestinian Territories . CS gas is also known to damage the heart and liver as well
In Egypt , CS gas was reported to be the cause of death of several protestors in Mohamed Mahmoud street near Tahrir during the November 2011 protests.
These effects of the tear gas are not only seen in people involved in demonstrations. The CS gas does spread and cover a large area thereby affecting people who may be away from the scene of demonstrations.
Some News reporters are able to cover the riots regardless of tear gas because they wear gas masks, mask and googles. These work well but not everyone can afford them. If you have no protection then it is advisable to cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief. Avoid being in a confined space, try to stand in fresh air. Remember that you will need to wash yourself and all clothes as the gas will remain on you and your clothes.
Any exposed skin should be washed with soap and water. Use shower to clean yourself and do not bathe. Don’t rub your eyes or face as this will make it worse.
Use of CS in warfare is prohibited under the terms of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) but domestic use is allowed. The reason is that if allowed for military use then other forces will end up using chemical weapons such as nerve agents. This does not make sense to me because we know that desperate governments do not follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on how to use tear gas. Research as stated above shows that it is not safe to use CS gas even in domestic cases.
In Zimbabwe we have witnessed tear gas canisters being thrown into confined places such as vehicles (Kombi). This is not only cruel but it is illegal . There are instructions on how to use and not to use the tear gas and I doubt if our police are fully trained. If this abuse of tear gas continues then a call for an export ban of the tear gas is justified. I have personally witnessed these riot police throwing tear gas canisters into halls of residence at the University of Zimbabwe.
A responsible government does not use dangerous chemicals on its own people regardless of disagreements . My question is why then do we allow tear gas to be used as a crowd control agent when studies are showing that it is not safe. Some governments use statement by the manufacturers that it is safe when independent research is showing otherwise. In view of the current research I call for the stoppage of the use of tear gas until the Zimbabwean government can show us the independent evidence that it is safe to use and that our police is trained on how to properly use it. We also need more research on the effects of tear gas on Zimbabweans who live within and near harare city centre. The health of a nation must not continue to be jeopardised in the quest to retain political power.
President Robert Mugabe has fled for Nairobi, Kenya, somewhat running away from the chaos in the country. Harare is on fire as running battles continue between riot police and angry protesters, whose march was this morning sabotaged when police threw teargas randomly at citizens going about their own business.
State media reports that Mugabe who deliberately avoided the troubles in the country, will attend a meeting where he will join more than 35 African Heads of State and Government attending the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) Summit.
Mugabe is joining more than 35 African Heads of State and Government attending the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) Summit.
VP Mphoko is acting President.
TICAD promotes high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and the continent’s development partners on issues relating to economic growth, trade and investment, sustainable development, human security, peace and stability and government.
The summit, to be held at the Kenyatta International Convention Center from 27 to 28 August, is coming to Africa for the first time since its inception in 1993.
In 1993, Japan co-hosted the inaugural TICAD conference and has done the so in the subsequent years on a five year interval.
ZimEye.com today brings our valued readers and contributors live update coverage of the #My Zimbabwe #ShutDown March by coordinated by opposition parties, MDC(Morgan Tsvangirai) and ZimFirst (Joice Mujuru).
19:20 – HARARE: General calm in the capital city in the last hour.
18.29 – HARARE: Evan Mawarire announces from his US base:’Plain clothes police’ at my house in Harare right now looking for ‘those who caused violence yesterday & today’…seriously guys! #ThisFlag
14.44 – HARARE: Morgan Tsvangirai will join other political leaders under the National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA) for a Press Conference at the Bronte Hotel (Friday, 26 August 2016) at 1500hrs following the brutal suppression of a sanctioned peaceful march.
14.33 – HARARE
02:20 – HARARE:
02:17 – HARARE – Police fire live ammunition at Cappa Cabbana to disperse protesters burning markets stalls.
01.46 – HARARE –
01:44 – HARARE Still confusion in and around the city centre, roads being blocked, most shops closed, incidents of violence continue.
12.36 – HARARE – Zimbabwe People First leader, Joice Mujuru at venue
12:10 – HARARE – Update MDC Tsvangirai –
11:56 – HARARE : Robert Mugabe way down, some humour as protesters take down the sign of the street named after the President.
11:37 – HARARE: March now scheduled to start at 12 noon. However, reports continue of police firing tear gas using water cannons to disperse demonstrators. More than six armored police vehicles patrolling at Freedom square .The open space is now cleared and only police details could be seen in the square.
11:20 – HARARE : More images of protesters blocking roads.
11:17 – HARARE : Reports reaching ZimEye from that riot police are firing teargas and water canons.
11:15 – HARARE : Protesters block roads near venue.
10:49 – HARARE: Picture youths at venue even though teargas was thrown earlier. 
10:20 – HARARE: High Court grants that demo goes ahead at 11AM.
09:50 – HARARE: Violent scenes reported in Mbare hotspots.
09:35 – HARARE: About 500 people gathered at Rotten Row grounds. They are now being dispersed by water canons.
09:25 – HARARE: Promise Mkwananzi arrested at Harare Central Police station, charged with public Violence over Wednesdays’ #MyZimbabwe launch. Ass Ins Makedenge came threatening him for sending warning to other alleged offenders.
He will be going to court to at 11am morning. We will keep you up to date as we get more information
0900 – HARARE: ZLHR member Kudzayi Erick Kadzere has filed an urgent High Court application on behalf of the National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA) which intents to hold its march on Friday 26 August 2016.
NERA is seeking an order to stop the police from interfering in their peaceful demonstration. They are appearing before Justice Mwayera.
0845 – HARARE: Small hoardes of police officers seen in some city areas, Dzivarasekwa, Mufakose, Mabelreign, Avondale, and the CBD.
0834 – GWANDA: Minister Walter Muzembi has just arrived for the concert.
0759 – GWANDA: Calm all over the place at 0750. Situation in Gwanda was very calm at 7.50am morning, everyone preparing for a musical concert that kicks off at 11 today. The events start with a procession that will walk about 2km from the CBD to Pelandaba Stadium. There is heavy police presence as several high profile persons are expected to be in the procession amongst them Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri, Deputy Minister of Tourism Annastencia Ndlovu and musicians from South Africa amongst them Rebecca Malope. A heavy contingent of anti riot police are on stand by at the Gwanda Police Camp visible to members of the public just in case some people take advantage of the procession and gathering to lead a protest.
0730 – GWERU: Mkoba area very quiet. No public transport here.
0548 – CHITUNGWIZA: No public transport to ferry people to work. Opposition youths singing loud songs early in the morning in St Marys. Send us your story of what is taking place in your area-WhatsApp: +447426863301
MEGA DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM
1. 0800hrs Participants gathering.
2. 0900hrs Organising department take charge.( introductions)
3. 1000hrs Principals arrival at Ambassador Hotel.
4. 1030hrs Principals leave for Fredom Square
5. 1100hrs March start
6. 1230hrs Arrival at ZEC and handover
7. 1300hrs Freedom Square Principals address
Staff Reporter | Harare is still on fire, roads blocked, while riot police continues to terrorise innocent civilians, the organisers of today’s protest march have regrouped, are currently at Bronte hotel.
They are addressing a press conference on the sabotaged march today.
Meanwhile the National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe Chairperson, Sten Zvorwadza has been arrested on allegations of inciting public violence.
Zvorwadza was arrested at Harare Central Police station where he had gone to report as part of his bail conditions.
#Tajakumuka spokesperson, Promise Mkwananzi was also reportedly arrested earlier on same allegations.
The two are currently detained at the CID Law and Order Section.
By Luke Tamborinyoka| Morgan Tsvangirai and other political leaders under the banner of the National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA) did their best to comply with the law in organizing today’s mega-demonstration to press for comprehensive electoral reforms ahead of the next election.
After the police wrote late yesterday gave flimsy reasons why the peaceful march could not proceed, the law-abiding political leaders, had no option but to approach the courts.
The High Court specifically ordered the respondents, the Minister of Home Affairs and the police, “not to interfere, obstruct, or stop the march but facilitate the applicants’ constitutional and freedom to petition in a peaceful manner.”
Notwithstanding this clear and unambiguous order, the police indiscriminately and brutally dispersed the crowd that wanted to march in compliance with a court order. They assaulted and rained teargas in the city centre and at the Freedom Square near the Harare magistrates’ court.
This naked police brutality exposes one Ignatius Chombo and his colleagues, who had said the police would quash any illegal gathering. They actually meant to say they would quash any legal gathering, as they have done today by suppressing a sanctioned march. Now that it is the government and the police who have obstructed a sanctioned march in violation of a court order, it stands to reason that this government is working very hard to provoke the law-abiding citizens of this country.
It is Chombo himself and the police that are in contempt of court and that have brazenly violated and trampled upon the constitutional rights of the citizens of this country. In any case, the petition the leaders wanted to lodge had nothing to do with the government, but with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, a supposedly independent Commission.
The government’s quest to brutally stop citizens from petitioning an independent Commission can only be testimony to the incestuous relationship that exists between the two. Otherwise why is government getting worked up on a petition that has nothing to do with it?
Tomorrow is not yesterday and the new Constitution is here to stay. Today’s brutal suppression of the people will not stop them from exercising their rights as given by the Constitution. The police should stand warned not to continue to provoke the peace-loving and innocent people of Zimbabwe whose only crime today was to attempt to exercise their rights. This regime that is now in its sunset hour should stand warned that citizens are like a spring, the more they are suppressed, the greater the rebound!
Luke Tamborinyoka
Presidential spokesperson and Director of Communications
Movement for Democratic change
By Duncan Banda| Harare’s Copacabana area has been set on fire. ZimEye.com is receiving pictorial updates from the area as the #My Zimbabwe protest continues today, Friday.
Protesters who blockaded the main road, killed a dog and deliberately laid its corpse aside a pulled-down inscription titled “Road Mugabe Rd.” As this continued, a raging inferno gutted market stalls at the famous Copacabana rank. The fires were still on at the time of writing. More to follow as the story develops
Running battles continue between riot police and protesters, this has not stopped the opposition leaders who have now arrived at the venue.
So far ZimEye is informed that Joice Mujuru and Morgan Tsvangirai are now at the venue. We have not received information of the presence of other leaders. There were delays to the start of the demo organised by over 18 political parties under the banner NERA which is pushing for electoral reforms.
Meanwhile, we are receiving reports that activist Sten Zvorwadza has been arrested for allegedly inciting public violence.
The High Court gave a nod this morning for the demo to go ahead.
See below statement issued by Canadian Embassy on ZRP violence;
The Embassy of Canada to Zimbabwe is increasingly concerned with reports of violence and human rights violations in response to public protest. The Embassy of Canada calls for calm and stresses the importance of peaceful dialogue.
The Embassy of Canada reiterates its call on all stakeholders to respect the Constitution of Zimbabwe, in particular, the freedom to peacefully demonstrate, the right to personal liberty, the right to personal security and the rights of arrested and detained persons.
The Embassy of Canada reiterates its call on the Government of Zimbabwe to make every effort to ensure that public policing and justice are consistent with the Government’s constitutional obligation to respect basic human rights and freedoms.
Released on 26 August, 2016
Embassy of Canada to Zimbabwe, 45 Baines Avenue, Harare, Zimbabwe (263-4) 252 181/5
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has conceded failing to discharge one of its core functions of registering voters on a continuous basis, as stipulated by the law, due to an apparent lack of resources.
The breach was divulged in a letter from Zec chairperson Justice Rita Makarau responding to a complaint filed by eligible applicants, who had been denied the right to be registered as voters.
Dzoro and Partners Legal Practitioners had written to Zec on behalf of individual voters who intended to register.
“It is ever correct that the commission is not registering voters in the wards and constituencies where there are no by-elections pending due to financial constraints. As soon as finances permit, we shall register all eligible voters on a continuous basis, countrywide,” Makarau said in a letter dated August 17, 2016.
VICE-PRESIDENT Phelekezela Mphoko was on Wednesday caught in yet another eye of a storm when he paid an impromptu visit to Carswell Farm in Mashonaland West province under the guise of resolving a land dispute.
According to sources privy to the visit, the VP claimed his mission had been sanctioned by First Lady Grace Mugabe. Mphoko, however, had to leave in a huff after local Zanu PF politicians questioned his unannounced visit and interest in the disputed property.
Recently, Mphoko caused another dispute after he allegedly stormed Avondale Police Station and ordered the release of two top Zinara officials implicated in a multi-million-dollar scam. The VP has also been caught up in two other land disputes in Matobo district and Mashonaland East province.
The farm is at the centre of an ownership dispute between Carswell Montana Meats and Joseph Dzvaka Chirau. The latter claims to be in possession of a government-issued offer letter dated 2005.
Mphoko, who was accompanied by Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs minister Faber Chidarikire along with the provincial police commander, only identified as Senior Assistant Commissioner Mushaurwa, and district police boss, Chief Superintendent Antonio, reportedly further incensed the local political leadership after he allegedly barred them from attending the meeting.
Chief Chirau (born Charles Chabvutagondo) was equally not amused with the convening of a meeting of that stature in his absence.
He said he only got to know about the meeting late and by the time he got to the farm, proceedings were already winding up.
“I am like a visitor in my land. I was not even aware we had a high-profile individual in the person of the VP of the country coming until I got here and was not even given due recognition. I am afraid to say there appears to be something fishy in all this and who and why this meeting was organised in the first place, we are keen to find answers,” the traditional leader said.
Contacted for comment, Chidarikire curtly said: “We were on a fact-finding mission and we have been presented with facts . . . decisions will be made later and we will inform those concerned, including the beneficiary, when the time comes.”
However, documents in the possession of this paper show that on July 18 thisyear, Chidarikire allegedly usurped the role of the provincial lands committee and wrote to Carswell Montana Meats, giving them guarantees that they would not be evicted from the farm.
Mphoko indicated that Chirau would be allocated another farm elsewhere. This was despite the fact that Chirau had, on two occasions, been granted the right to occupy the farm by the High Court, which also gave an ultimatum to Carswell Montana Meats to vacate the premises.
“In terms of Section 9 of the Land Acquisition Act, the applicant (Carswell Montana) is obliged to vacate the property after 45 days from the date upon which the land vests in the acquiring authority. It also seems to me that the applicant is seeking from this court an order entitling him to remain on the property when statute clearly prohibits him from doing so,” wrote Justice Antonia Guvava in a High Court judgment dated July 27, 2005.
After the meeting, a visibly angry Zanu PF district chairman, Solomon Nacho, confronted Mphoko and blocked him from getting into his car, and challenged him for barring the party’s top leadership from attending the indaba.
“I speak on behalf of a leader chosen by the leadership which includes you and I want to categorically inform you that what has happened here today is not right. Both your person and your office have disregarded the very people you trusted with the responsibility to lead,” he told a stunned Mphoko.
The VP is not a stranger to controversy as his continued stay at Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare since his appointment as Mugabe’s co-deputy in 2014 has exposed him to the wrath of rights activists and opposition parties.
THE National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA), an association of 13 opposition political parties, has won a High Court order granting that its scheduled march goes ahead as planned.
NERA yesterday approached the High Court seeking permission to hold their demonstration in Harare today.
A judge ruled in favour of the political parties this morning. This comes after Government warned activists against unsanctioned demonstrations. The parties say they seek to hold a peaceful demonstration in the streets of Harare today as a way of expressing their discontent with the state of the electoral landscape.The group says it plans to lobby for electoral reform through the demonstration.
In a founding affidavit, NERA organising secretary Mr Joelson Mugari said the group notified the police of the intended street march and procession on August 12 this year.
On August 15, Mr Mugari said, police responded to the notice discouraging NERA from holding the street march.
“In particular, the first respondent (Officer Commanding Harare Police) stated that his office discouraged the applicant’s intended march on the basis that the number of intended participants cannot be accommodated in the central business district as it would interrupt the smooth flow of both human and vehicular traffic.
ZimEye.com has performed an investigation in the wake of reports that another woman has joined the queue of (rape) complainants in the case of controversial preacher Walter Magaya.
Angela Charakupa was on Tuesday morning reported to have teamed up under prosecutors’ guide to incriminate Magaya.
Charakupa earlier in the year was mentioned in a hot case in which she sued Magaya for unlawfully pleasuring himself on her. She used her lawyers in the case which was filed for a six figure sum. “Angela Charakupa today entered court to testify against the preacher,” the report said.
Charakupa’s original case is one of many against the controversial man of the cloth. One of them is that of Miss Chipo Chakanyuka who died under Magaya’s nose after he had sent her on a mysterious mission to purchase what he termed “church uniform: SEE VIDEO:
On the Chakanyuka matter, it was reported with recorded evidence that Magaya who on Saturday walked into court with a confident face, allegedly dishes bribes to police officers in order to close police investigations. SEE RECORDING:
Meanwhile the Tuesday report claimed Angela Charakupa has since been added to the list of rape complainants. Reporters however vigorously investigated between Tuesday night and Wednesday and found that there is no truth whatsoever on the claims. A case was not opened at the magistrates courts. A ZRP source told ZimEye, “We have no such person on the case.” It was understood yesterday that Charakupa is highly unlikely to appear at court on the matter. More to follow…
NottinghamPost – A healthcare assistant was listed as a doctor and allowed to carry out tests including internal examinations at Dr. Sylvester Nyatsuro’s Carlton surgery.
The employee saw hundreds of patients at the Willows Medical Centre before inspectors intervened in June and closed the practice.
The Nottingham doctor at the centre of a Zimbabwean land-grabbing row has resigned as a practising GP after his practice was put into special measures.
Dr Sylvester Nyatsuro resigned on Wednesday, the day before a damning inspection report on his surgery, the Willows Medical Centre, in Carlton, was published.
The highly critical report made by the Care Quality Commission unearthed a catalogue of failures including that an unregistered healthcare assistant staff at the practice was referred to as “doctor” and undertook diagnoses and assessments of patients.
This member of staff recorded almost 900 clinical events at the practice and undertook a number of duties which were “outside of the scope and competency of a healthcare assistant”.
The report also found there was not enough staff to keep patients safe, with medication reviews undertaken by non-clinical staff. There was evidence which demonstrated that tasks which should have been done by a nurse were being routinely done by staff who did not have appropriate training.
Data from the national GP survey revealed that just over half of the patients said they would recommend the practice to someone new to the area.
The watchdog’s report branded the surgery ‘inadequate’ overall, with individual ratings of ‘inadequate’ for its safety, management, effectiveness, and responsiveness. Its level of care was rated as “requires improvement”.
The practice, which was closed earlier this year, is expected to remain closed while NHS England works with the local clinical commissioning group to decide its future.
It has been at the centre of protests over the past year after Dr Nyatsuro was accused of seizing land from Zimbabwean tobacco farmers.
Dr Nyatsuro said the land lawfully belonged to him and his wife, Veronica, and rejected allegations that he has taken it as part of Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe’s controversial redistribution scheme.
Dr James Hopkinson, clinical lead for NHS Nottingham North and East Clinical Commissioning Group said: “We are shocked by the CQC’s findings and we are sorry that the patients served by the Willows Medical Centre have been let down in this way. As commissioners, we also feel let down by this practice.
“What has happened is an unacceptable breach of trust and the standards of care we expect for our patients. We want to reassure patients that this is highly unusual and is not representative of the standards upheld by the overwhelming majority of our GPs and practice staff.
“Our CCG is responsible for planning effective and safe levels of care for around 150,000 people served by 21 GP practices. We are extremely grateful for the support of four other practices in the immediate area which have stepped in to make sure that the majority of the 3,600 patients registered at the Willows continue to receive the ongoing care they need.”
The CCG confirmed that it and NHS England “had received a formal resignation from Dr Nyatsuro in relation to his GP contract”.
Janet Williamson, deputy chief inspector of general practice and dentistry in CQC’s central region, said: “Staff confirmed they felt there were not enough staff and told us that requests for additional staff had been refused.
“The practice had no clear leadership structure, insufficient leadership capacity and limited formal governance arrangements. The provider did not have arrangements in place to ensure safe, high quality care was provided to patients and had knowingly employed a healthcare assistant to undertake medical examinations which were outside the scope of the role and for which the individual was not registered or regulated.
“There was a culture of fear and blame within the practice and we were not assured that all significant events were reported and used as opportunities toimprove safety within the practice.
“CQC is continuing to work closely with Nottingham North and East Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS England to ensure all patients of the surgery have continued access to alternative GP services in the area.
“We will continue to monitor this practice closely alongside partner agencies to check whether sustainable improvements have been made.
“If insufficient improvements have been made such that there remains a rating of inadequate for any population group, key question or overall, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures to begin the process of preventing the provider from operating the service. This will lead to cancelling their registration or to varying the terms of their registration if they do not improve.”
The details of Dr Nyatsuro’s resignation have not been disclosed. Dr Nyatsuro was unavailable for comment.
A helpline for anyone who has concerns about their care has been set up. The number is: 0115 883 1814. – NottinghamPost
President Robert Mugabe’s wife, Grace says Zimbabwean farmers are not innovative.
Speaking at the Harare Agricultural Show, she said farmers need to improve themselves. Grace made the call after touring some of the stands where various agricultural equipment and products were on display.
Speaking to journalists after the tour, Grace said exhibitions at the agricultural show were impressive. She however called for the farmers to be “innovative in ensuring food security for the nation with much emphasis on small grains”.
“Let us conserve the environment,” she said.
She added praising local universities for coming up with different innovations, which she said should be supported.
“Our universities have students who are also very much raring to go in terms of technology. I saw a lot of things they are trying to do technologically and hopefully they will be supported so that they can compete with other international universities technologically,” she said.
Grace went on to say that tertiary institutions are doing well regarding the utilisation of technology though there is need for government to assist in funding some of the works being done at tertiary institutions.
Her port of call was the Women’s University in Africa stand then the Midlands State University stand.
She concluded the tour of tertiary institutions by stopping over at the Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University stand.
Tanaka Power, a firm which deals with agricultural equipment, was the centre of attraction for the tour with an exhibition of modern equipment dealing with veldt fires.
The First Lady also toured the POTRAZ stand, Miss Tourism Zimbabwe Trust, ZIMRA stand the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce stand.
To conclude the tour, Grace’s entourage visited Gushungo Dairy where various products were on display.
By Shiellah Sibanda| President Robert Mugabe failed to walk yesterday. Mugabe nearly tumbled down while walking on his own and was filmed on the national broadcaster, ZBC.
There have been rumours Mugabe is being artificially kept awake using eastern medicines.
President Mugabe has also been seen requiring physical assistance for basic tasks such as greeting. He was spotted so while attempting to greet the widow of former Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union, Mrs Rhoda Hungwe. “So our dear leader can’t raise his hand now he has to be assisted,” commented a ZimEye reader.
In February, a Zimbabwean opposition supporter asked the constitutional court to rule on Mugabe’s mental and physical fitness to do his job.
Tinomudaishe Chinyoka, who describes himself as a long-time member of the Movement for Democratic Change and qualified lawyer, presented an affidavit to the court in Harare outlining a series of blunders and media speculation that have raised questions about Mugabe’s ability to govern the southern African nation.
“Having a president that may lack capacity to carry out the job threatens democracy, undermines the constitution and all the rights therein and puts in jeopardy the very foundation, security and future of the nation,” Chinyoka said in the statement.
He cited as examples the 91-year-old leader reading out the wrong speech at the opening of parliament in September, repeating the state-of-the-nation address he delivered a few weeks earlier, as well as photos from last year that showed Mugabe descending stairs from a podium when he mis-stepped and fell.
Mugabe’s medical trips abroad, for what his office describes as check-ups, have also fueled speculation about his well-being and who may succeed him. The ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front party is divided into camps, with supporters jockeying for his wife Grace Mugabe, who says she could be chosen, or Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo | President Mugabe’s woes have worsened as more war veterans in the ruling Zanu PF party sympathetic to the ousted Chris Mutsvangwa -led executive met at a secluded venue in Masvingo Province, where they endorsed Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the legitimate Zanu PF leader, to replace President Robert Mugabe, ZimEye can exclusively reveal.
The war veterans caused a storm in Zanu PF weeks ago when they published a communique which demanded Mugabe to step down. They told him in writing that they would not campaign for him in future elections and went further to boldly declare Mnangagwa as their preferred heir to the throne.
Although Mutsvangwa was expelled from the party, he still commands support among the former freedom fighters. War veterans led by Mutsvangwa, Douglas Mahiya and Victor Matemadanda have been pushing for Mnangagwa’s ascendancy at the expense of his long time boss President Robert Mugabe.
The war veterans have been sharply divided over Mutsvangwa’s dismissal and the faction aligned to the former war veterans minister met near Roy Business centre, 40 km from the city of Masvingo last week and endorsed Mnangagwa as their presidential candidate for 2018. They also concurred President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace must vacate the State House.
A war veteran who attended the meeting told ZimEye.com Mugabe would not win the elections without the former liberation fighters’ assistance. “Mugabe desperately needs the war veterans but we no longer have confidence in him. So we have resolved to back Mnangagwa,” said the war veteran. However, Masvingo provincial war veterans chairman Tendeukai Chinooneka described the meeting as a non-event. “The provincial leadership was not notified and I do not even know who was there so we are not even worried about the so called meeting,” said Chinooneka.
Food security across the country’s prisons and correctional facilities is stable and no inmate will starve, the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) has said.
Speaking during a tour of the ZPCS stand at the Harare Agricultural Show yesterday, Commissioner-General Paradzai Zimondi said prisoners’ projects had the capacity to sustain inmates when fully supported.“We have the capacity to produce food for our inmates, we have 23 farms nationwide and we have the labour and expertise to maximise the land at our disposal,” he said.
“Our only problem is that we do not have the equipment to maximise our readily available labour.
“We could be producing excess food stocks for our inmates but the lack of inputs like fertilisers, grain and working tools is a setback; that is why we continue relying on taxpayers’ money.”
He said inmates contributed to the country’s economic blueprint, Zim-Asset, by prioritising innovation through sewing, mechanical engineering, upholstery, book binding and horticulture.
Comm-Gen Zimondi said prisons across the country had enough basic food.
“No one will starve in our prisons because as it is, we have the basics particularly sadza as the main staple food, cooking oil, salt and a few cooking ingredients are what we run short of,” he said.
“At the moment the situation is under control and we can assure the nation that our prisoners will not starve, the basics are there.”
He said: “We may not follow the standard diet and nutrition in the food that we serve to our inmates but what matters most is that the food is actually there and we can only push for the provision of better and more appealing nutrition for our inmates.”
Comm-Gen Zimondi hailed the Presidential amnesty for decongesting the country’s prisons.
“Although the issue of overpopulation remains a major concern in our prisons nationwide, with the Presidential amnesty earlier this year we managed to decongest our facilities,” he said.
“Aggregates are showing that we are slightly above the holding capacity of 17 000 and we are a little overpopulated but the numbers are still manageable.” He said inmate transfers to other provinces across the country were some of the initiatives adopted to manage cases of overpopulation at prison institutions.
Comm-Gen Zimondi said prisons faced challenges with habitual offenders. “Since the Presidential amnesty already 106 prisoners who were saved by the amnesty are back behind bars for different crimes,” he said.
“Barely three months after being saved, some prisoners are already back behind bars for different reasons. Some are failing to adapt to the outside life while others do not have relatives out there hence the prison is the only place they can call home.”
ZPCS statistics show that there are a total of 17 477 inmates across the country, a decrease from the 19 267 recorded during the same period last year while the cost of each inmate’s upkeep currently stands at $3,05 per day.
Mashonaland Central, Mash West, Midlands and Bulawayo are some of the provinces with under- populated prisons.-state media
By Fadzayi Mahere| Contrary to popular misconception, the police simply do not have the power to ‘ban all demonstrations’ – even if one demonstration, for whatever reason, happens to have turned violent.
The right to demonstrate peacefully and present a petition is given to every Zimbabwean in terms of section 59 of the Constitution. If one person abuses this right during the course of a demonstration, the criminal law should take its course in respect of that individual. Such a person should be arrested, formally charged and brought before a court – not beaten to a pulp and gassed until he or she cannot breathe. There is no reason why the demonstration should not be allowed to continue after any violent protester is removed from the scene. Professional law enforcement as required by the Constitution entails the police protecting any protesters from violence during a demonstration and not the police instigating or enabling it.
And it must be borne in mind that the Constitution does not limit the number of times demonstrations can be conducted in any given period. So long as they are peaceful, demonstrations can be conducted every single day should the holders of this right deem it necessary to do so.
The police fall under the Constitution and have no right to deprive citizens of rights that are constitutionally guaranteed. They have an obligation rather to comply fully with the Constitution – even where they or their handlers do not like the cause behind the exercise of these Constitutional rights. We all know that the Zimbabwe Republic Police are capable of doing the right thing – we see it each time Zanu PF holds a demonstration, without any formal permission for that matter. We long for a Zimbabwe where non-Zanu PF protesters are treated with similar dignity, professionalism and respect. We all have a right to the equal protectiom of the law under section 56(1) of the Constitution.
Reprisals, throwing teargas into moving public transport and the arbitrary punishment of onlookers and the public during a demonstration is a violation of freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment under section 53 of the Constitution. It should never be allowed to happen and police officers who breach the Constitution in this regard are acting unconstitutionally.
And so it is not competent for the police or anyone else to issue a blanket ban on demonstrations. Zimbabwe is a constitutional democracy not a high school.-Fadzai Mahere
Seemingly unmoved President Robert Mugabe today showed his face at the Harare Agricultural Show, at a time when he is faced with the strongest resistance to his rule, in many years.
Mugabe whose Zanu PF party is imploding as the battle to replace him rages on, put up a fine show in dress and posture as he sent his many enemies an ‘I do not care’ message.
Opposition political parties will make history tomorrow when they form a united front, take to the streets led by among many Mugabe’s own former deputy, Joice Mujuru, his former Finance minister Simba Makoni; other long time opposition figures who include Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, Nelson Chamisa, and new parties represented by Barbara Nyagomo among others. It is the first time Zimbawe’s opposition has been able to unite and take a stand on issues of common interest, tomorrow will test the unity and its durability.
State media reports that President Mugabe was accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Dr Joseph Made, the president of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) Mr Ngoni Kudenga, the chief executive of ZAS Dr Anxious Masuka, the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda and his deputy Retired Colonel Christian Katsande.
A twenty four year old gold panner from Lower Gweru St Faith was fatally stabbed three times on the chest and in the abdomen over an unknown dispute.
Villagers in Mudhubiwa village were left shell shocked by the death of the 24year old man Godlove Mugezelwa who is alleged to have been stabbed by his niece Never Mpofu and colleague Marvellous Sibanda.
Scores of #MyZimbabwe protesters who were arrested yesterday have been released without charge.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers For Human Rights reports that police released the 17 women and 42 men before charging them. Police provoked peaceful Morgan Tsvangirai protesters yesterday, resulting in running battles in the city centre, cars and properties were damaged.
TWO armed robbers pounced on a Redan Fuel Station in Bulawayo’s Mpopoma suburb and got away with $150 and a cellphone after attacking a security guard with a hammer.
Police sources said the Monday night robbery followed a similar attack at a fuel station in Nketa suburb a few days earlier.
When journalists yesterday visited the Redan Fuel Station and spoke to the security guard, Mr Brighton Ngwenya, who was attacked by the two robbers.
Mr Ngwenya said his assailants arrived at the fuel station at about 9.40PM under the pretext of buying fuel using a R200 note.
“They brought a five litre container and requested that we sell them fuel.
“As we were in the process of attending to them, one of them said he didn’t want to be changed using bond coins and US dollars. We had an argument with them until the other one who was wearing a blue worksuit started cooling down, saying it didn’t matter whether we gave them coins or US dollars,” said Mr Ngwenya.
He said when they thought everything had been resolved, he was struck on the head with a hammer.
Langton Ncube | Hundreds of desperate home-seekers in Harare South have lost over US$5000 to local Zanu PF land barons.
The victims, most of them Zanu PF supporters said this happened last week when unidentified Zanu PF officials congregated “us” near Stone-Ridge farm in Harare South, and said they had been given land by the party for us to build houses .
They said the officials then demanded US$10 from each member which they said was for administration purposes.
“They had a letter which had a Zanu-PF date stamp as well as the party logo and that alone convinced us that they were genuine and they said the fees were for processing of the required paper work ,” said one of the Zanu PF supporters who were duped.
“What then surprised us was that they came with a person who they said was a surveyor who was very quick to allocate us some stands during that night.
“The surveyor said that the area had been approved by the local council and he was had been hired by the party to assure us that indeed the area was suitable for building residential stands,” said another victim.
The victims said that they came to know that they had been duped after one of “us” made efforts to confirm with Zanu PF head offices where he was told that the party had not allocated any farm for residents to build their houses.
“ The problem we have now is how to recover our money because one of the officials who addressed us is saying that they took the money to other chefs in the party who have links with the province and us being ordinary party members we can not go to the HQ alone,” he said.
Efforts by ZimEye to get a comment from Zanu PF political commissar for Harare Province, Shadreck Mashayamombe, were fruitless as his mobile number could not be reached.
Last month Zanu PF mobilized party youths who gathered at the Zanu PF head quarters where they promised to give them some residential stands in Harare.
At the meeting, the party said that they had identified several farms in peri-urban Harare which they would allocate to their party supporters for the purposes of building houses.
Staff Reporter | In the face of threats of arrest opposition leaders, Morgan Tsvangirai and Joice Mujuru have come out to assure their supporters that they are not intimidated, the NERA protest slated for tomorrow is on and they will together with others lead it.
Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo has threatened the leaders with arrest should they tomorrow, Friday, make history, join hands and lead thousands of their supporters in protest, against President Robert Mugabe’s misrule.
Below is their statement issued after Chombo’s threats;
Silas Memory Madondo | The blocked Anti-Police Brutality Motion proposed by Hon . Nelson Chamisa could have been used by the government of Zimbabwe to normalize the boiling temperature between the police and the Zimbabwean citizens. Hon Chamisa and his party MDC-T demonstrated (through the proposed motion) that they value peaceful means of conflict resolution. On the other hand, ZANU PF MPs exposed their party as violent and brutal by snubbing the Anti-Police Brutality Motion which could have been a peaceful process to conflict resolution.
The aim of this article is to support that, ZANU PF MPs have DNA of violence in their blood and that the blocking of the Anti-Police Brutality Motion could have triggered war between police and civilians. The ZANU PF MPs refused to give peaceful conflict resolution (through parliament) a chance and that could have angered the civilians and forced them to confront the police violently.
The aim of the proposed motion was to summon the Minister of Home Affairs to the parliament to answer allegations of police brutality against peaceful protesters. The ZANU PF MPs were convinced that the police brutality was/is normal and stormed out of the parliament.
This did not come as a surprise to the majority of Zimbabweans because we know ZANU PF as a party of violence from the time of the liberation struggle up to present. ZANU PF party under the guidance of Mr. Mugabe murdered 20,000 innocent civilians in Matabeleland soon after independence. A lot of blood was claimed by ZANU PF since the formation of MDC in 1999, white commercial farmers were also slaughtered. All the evil acts of the ZANU PF regime are documented.
I condone violence and always advocating for peaceful means of forcing ZANU PF government to resign. The media have exposed violence between police and the Zimbabwean citizens, images and videos of burnt police cars and running battles/confrontations between police and civilians were broadcasted.
The incidences were unfortunate but I feel the action of blocking the Anti-Police Brutality Motion by ZANU PF MPs could have pushed the Zimbabwean citizens to their limit. ZANU PF MPs surprised majority of us, by refusing to give peaceful conflict revolution a chance! Majority of the Zimbabwean citizens were surprised by such action and violence/confrontation was observed soon after the motion was blocked.
Message To ZANU PF MPs
In the light of the recent confrontation/violence between police and civilians, I am urging ZANU PF MPs to swallow their pride and give the proposed Motion of Anti-Police Brutality a chance. ZANU PF MPs should avoid pushing the citizens of Zimbabwe to their limit and they should always promote peaceful means of conflict resolution.
The ZANU PF MPs should know that blocking of Anti-Police Brutality Motion is likely to result in the following (in the coming months);
Isolation of police by members of the society because they are now behaving like ZANU PF members
Declaration of war between police and civilians
May trigger civil unrest
May trigger the process of resignation of ZANU PF and ZANU PF government may not go beyond 2016
Conclusion
ZRP should respect the constitution of Zimbabwe and know that assaulting innocent and peaceful protestors may eventually backfire.
ZANU PF MPs should not take violence of their party to parliament and should therefore give peaceful means of conflict resolution chance. Rejecting the Hon Chamisa motion means brewing violence to the disgruntled Zimbabweans.
ZANU PF MPs should reconsider the Anti-Police Brutality Motion and work to normalize the relationship between the Zimbabweans and the police. They should know that the boiling temperature between police and civilians is a time bomb.
Zimbabwe will never be the same again and ZANU PF government should be geared for the worst. Brutalizing citizens in this age is a misplaced strategy vanhu vajamuka baba VaMugabe.
Silas Memory Madondo is a lecturer and a Mixed Methods Researcher and can be conducted via [email protected]
Shamiso Joylene Mtandwa | Opposition leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Joyce Mujuru will be arrested on site at the proposed NERA march scheduled for Harare tomorrow, Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo has threatened.
Speaking to the media last night, Chombo declared that the police will definitely pick up the opposition leaders who are going to be leading the historic march in the capital.
The visibly angry Chombo described Tsvangirai and Mujuru as spent political forces who are trying to garner relevance in the current volatile political situation by engaging the nation into demonstrations and riots.
“These are spent political forces who can no longer fit in the current political environment and they are trying hard to build their relevance by engaging in violent acts and we will deal very hard with them,” he said.
“Tsvangirai and all those other opposition leaders who are going to be leading that march are definitely applying for prison and we shall pick them up there and then when the march goes wrong,” said Chombo.
Chombo was speaking in response to the anti President Robert Mugabe riots that erupted in the central business district in Harare yesterday, in which Zimbabweans refused to be cowed by riot police, resulting in running battles in the city centre.
Chombo was quick to blame the civil unrest on the opposition Movement for Democratic Change led by Tsvangirai.
Almost all of the country’s major opposition political parties leaders will in a rare moment tomorrow lead their members in a march against the government in Harare.
The march expected to attract up to a hundred thousand people will be the biggest anti Mugabe demonstration of the several sporadic demonstrations that have been taking place throughout the country’s major urban centres.
Meanwhile, the capital city this morning woke up to an unusual high presence of heavily armed police and army patrols around the cbd and other usually volatile residential suburbs.
Former Midlands governor and ex-Zanu PF politburo member Cephas Msipa has said it would be folly for his party to ignore the demands of the people, particularly in the wake of reports of plans by opposition parties to form a coalition against President Robert Mugabe.
Msipa yesterday said in any democratic country, it would be wise to listen to demands of the people.
Recently, 18 opposition parties under the banners of National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) and Coalition for Democrats (Code) met in the capital where they set the stage for a planned coalition that will see them planning to field one presidential candidate against Mugabe ahead of the 2018 polls.
Tomorrow, the 18 opposition parties, among them Zimbabwe People First led by former Vice-President Joice Mujuru, the MDC-T led by Morgan Tsvangirai, Welshman Ncube-led MDC, Tendai Biti’s People’s Democratic Party, Elton Mangoma’s Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe, Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn led by Simba Makoni, are planning “the mother of all demonstrations” to force Zanu PF government to implement electoral reforms.
Zanu PF has since dismissed the coalition as a waste of time with political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere recently saying his party was not moved by such a move despite unleashing State security apparatus when such forces take to the streets.
But Msipa said Zanu PF could not afford to ignore the recent developments where opposition forces join hands.
“It would be folly for people (in Zanu PF) to bury their heads in the sand when people are making a lot of noise, you can only ignore people at your own peril,” Msipa told NewsDay in an interview.
Asked if Mugabe could stand a presidential candidate from the envisaged opposition coalition, the former Midlands governor was non-committal in answering the question choosing to just say the country was in a difficult situation.
“That is a difficult question. I am retired and would choose to watch from the terraces, things as they unfold,” he said.
“I would not want to go public about that (Mugabe versus a possible opposition grand coalition leader). I reserve my comments serve to say I agree there is need for change (within Zanu PF).”
In the past, Msipa had openly said there was need for Mugabe to pass on the baton to a younger leader in the party.
The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association’s (ZNLWVA) bid to stop the election of new leadership took a new twist yesterday after the High Court threw out the application for procedural deficiency.
Only two weeks ago, the ZNLWVA successfully sought an interdict blocking six members of a splinter group — Cdes George Mlala, Charles Mpofu, Joseph Chinotimba, Esther Munyaradzi, Stephen Moyo and Robert Mukwena — from convening a special meeting to elect a new executive.
But, the other seven — Cdes George Matenda, Patrick Nyaruwata, Future Piriyana, Wellington Chitehwe, Rueben Chikono, Thomas Matambe and Thomas Kunaka — stood their ground, attacking the urgency of the matter and the inadequacies that were fraught in the urgent application.
After hearing submissions on the preliminary points raised by the seven’s lawyers, Advocate Garikayi Sithole, T B Ndoro and F F Hwenira, the court ruled in favour of the seven.
Justice Joseph Musakwa ruled that the deponent to the affidavit on behalf of the association Cde Agnes Siyakurima had no legal basis to institute the proceedings.
He also found the certificate of urgency to be invalid because it was “a mere rehash of some portions of the founding affidavit” among other inadequacies.
MDC MP Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga has taken to task President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party over its insulting women who fought in the liberation struggle.
She added her voice to those criticising Zanu PF for belittling the role of female combatants of the country’s liberation war following State media’s so-called “exposés” of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s alleged sexcapades during the liberation war.
In an interview with journalists in Bulawayo yesterday, Misihairabwi-Mushonga said allegations that Mujuru was a bed-hopper were an insult to all women who participated in the liberation struggle as it insinuated they were sex slaves to the freedom fighters.
“For a ruling party that has been for years drumming into people’s minds the issue of the importance of the liberation struggle, and 36 years later to begin to reduce the liberation struggle to a sleeping contest is to destroy the entire legacy of the liberation struggle,” Misihairabwi-Mushonga said.
THREE nurses at Ingutsheni Central Hospital in Bulawayo have been attacked while attending to mental patients as the institution grapples with a shortage of anti-psychotic drugs to stabilise them.
The hospital’s chief executive officer, Mr Nyasha Chibvongodze, told The Chronicle on Wednesday that the hospital only has 10 percent of the required drugs, putting the lives of both patients and staff at risk.
Mr Chibvongodze was speaking on the side-lines of a hand-over ceremony of 37 mattresses donated by the Rotary Club of Bulawayo South. He said due to the shortage of drugs, mental patients become aggressive and abuse nurses.
“Since January we had two incidents where nurses were assaulted by patients while the third one had his spectacles broken by a patient. However, we can’t blame the patients for this because they’re ill. We need the anti-psychotic drugs to stabilise them,” Mr Chibvongodze said.
He said Treasury released only $70 000 in February from the $900 000 that was allocated to the institution in the 2016 budget.
