President Robert Mugabe flew back into Harare today after attending the inauguration ceremony of President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.
Mugabe was met at the Harare International Airport by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko and several cabinet ministers.
President Mugabe was among the 15 heads of state and government who witnessed the installation of President Museveni for a 5th term at the Kololo ceremonial grounds in Kampala today.
Presidents Edgar Lungu of Zambia, John Magufuli of Tanzania, King Letsie III of Lesotho, Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Idriss Deby of Chad, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Omar Al Bashir of the Sudan, Theodore Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, Salva Kiir of South Sudan, Baboucar Keita of Mali, Prime Minister Desalign of Ethiopia and two former presidents of Tanzania Ali Hassan Mwinyi and Jakaya Kikwete were also in attendance.
The mood at Kololo ceremonial grounds, the venue of the installation ceremony was ecstatic as the capacity crowd cheered and chanted slogans.
Soon after taking his oath, President Museveni gave his acceptance speech, pledging to increase exports of processed goods, uplift the standards of living for most Ugandans and build national infrastructure especially dams for provision of hydro energy.
“Uganda is on the threshold of attaining middle class status, and we are going to work hard to increase exports in order to reach this goal. We are also going to work hard on infrastructure development, and the building of more dams for irrigation and electricity generation is among this government’s priorities in the next five years,” said Museveni.
Last night, President Museveni hosted a dinner for the visiting heads of state and President Mugabe received great honour as his attending counterparts received him with a huge standing ovation.

President Robert Mugabe has cracked the whip and ordered war veterans to take part in the planned solidarity march organised for him by the Zanu PF youth league despite their earlier threats to boycott the event.
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association spokesperson, Douglas Mahiya confirmed the development yesterday.
“It is no longer a million-man march, but a parade that has been called by the President. Now as military people, we have decided that we will take part because it is our leader who has called on us and not some ideologically bankrupt group with ulterior motives,” he said, adding they could not defy a directive from their party leader
The Zanu PF youth league has been struggling to co-ordinate the march and in a last ditch attempt last week ordered provincial structures to marshal funds enough to transport 100 000 people each to the capital for the procession tentatively set for May 25.
Early this week, war veterans dismissed the planned march as a waste of resources at a time the majority of ordinary Zimbabweans were facing grinding poverty, but Mugabe flexed his muscle and reined them in.
“We are taking part to provide leadership and the ideological direction that was lacking. We feared it would have been hijacked by some people to push their own agenda. The planned march did not have the correct political ideology and a formula to mobilise people and we are going to provide that,” Mahiya said.
“It is basically the politburo, chaired by the President that has officially invited us and Zanu PF has its ways of raising funds. We always had a problem with the exclusion of war veterans in the planning for the march. But now we think this is the beginning of a proper political programme that should turn into economic programmes that benefit the people.”
Tensions between the youth league and war veterans, have been simmering for some time with both sides trading verbal spats.
This comes amid reports that a section of the youth league was supporting the G40 faction fronted by First Lady Grace Mugabe, while part of the war veterans’ association was sympathetic to Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Both Mnangagwa and Grace are reportedly jostling to succeed Mugabe, although they have publicly denied harbouring such ambitions.- Newsday

There is no u-turn on the fate of controversial Education Minister, Lazarus Dokora, who is in trouble following his raft of measures which have destroyed Christian liberties in Zimbabwe’s schools, a development that has roped in First Lady Grace Mugabe.
Christians countrywide have vowed to effect the minister’s ouster as it emerged many in ZANU PF’s highest decision making body, the Politburo, are also secretly conspiring against Dokora.

To add to his woes, churches are also holding a mass demonstration  penned for the 18th May against Dokora who two weeks ago launched what has been described as the early flames of a bloody jihad and victimisation of Christians on Zimbabwean soil.
As public opinion swells, the First Family who are devout Christians, First Lady Grace Mugabe being a tongue talking pentecostal ZAOGA follower, have been alerted, sources saying the reason why Mrs Mugabe ( who is riled by revelations that Dokora has also opened the door for sexual abuse of young girls having banned social workers supporting vulnerable girls), is quiet at present, is because she is held up while taking care of her newly born grandson, as per African tradition.
Dokora has in recent weeks courted controversy over unilateral policies in which he has among other things, banned the voluntary club, Scripture Union, in schools countrywide. While religious plurality is acceptable as a suggestive, Christians have queried why the minister, who is a Muslim, has not simply for instance introduced an Islamic Union club for pupils who are muslims and chose rather to destroy Scripture Union. It turned out that the minister has been promised millions of dollars by muslims to build new schools, a promise which has come with a pre-condition that Scripture Union and the Bible must be abolished.

Residents of Gwanda have accused their councillors of “turning themselves into estate agents” by allocating themselves prime stands in the town and immediately selling them at a huge premium.
In a note seen by ZimEye.com, the residents claim that the predominantly ZANU PF councillors “have moved from rags to riches in just two years into their term of office after allocating to one another prime land and selling it willy nilly.”
The residents also claim that the councillors have had land dealings with land barons from Harare who have been given a huge number of residential stands and giving the councillors kick backs that include huge amounts of cash and motor vehicles.
“We reliably have it on record that a land baron from Harare has been allocated more than 600 stands and been buying cars for the councillors every time they give him stands,” reads the note.
In the note, the residents further claim that the land barons acquire the land from council from as low as $1 000 and sell the stands to the public for as much as $10 000 on a long-term payment arrangement.
According to the residents, the land barons demand a twenty percent deposit for the stands and monthly payments of up to twenty four months at an interest forcing the cost of the stand to multiply tenfold.
Contacted for a comment on the issue, Gwanda Residents Association chairperson Bekezela Fuzwayo said that his association has also received a similar note from anonymous residents and will be investigating before making a confirmed statement on the matter.
“We have received the accusation too from the residents and we will be making our own investigations on the matter this week,” he said.
Several local authorities are currently under Ministry of Local Government land audits following revelations of corrupt dealings on stands by councillors and council staff.
The biggest land scandal is expected to be reported from the audits being carried out at the City of Bulawayo and Chitungwiza Municipality.
Local Government Minister, Saviour Kasukuwere has warned that heads will roll in all local authorities where any land irregularities are unearthed. The Minister has also previously ordered for the prosecution of any officials found on the wrong following the audits.

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo| An MDC official escaped an abduction attempt by suspected CIO operatives at the weekend.
Nkululeko Ndlovu a district executive member for Masvingo Urban Constituency told ZimEye.com, suspected CIO operatives stormed his house in Rujeko suburb at the weekend and searched his bedroom before attempting to abduct him.
Ndlovu said the dreaded state security agents accused him of initiating acts of sabotage.
He said the three men and a woman wanted to bundle him into a waiting Isuzu truck but he managed to escape.
Hundreds of opposition supporters were abducted ahead of the disputed presidential election runoff in 2008. Civic organisations and opposition parties say over 500 people were murdered in 2008 alone.
A visibly shocked Ndlovu said the state security agents pounced on him while he was at home and forcibly ransacked his house.
“I am still shocked and confused. I don’t know what to do and I am fearing for my life. I strongly believe that the people who searched my house are CIO operatives. They accused me of being a sellout. They also took some party regalia in my house,” he said.
Although the motive of the attempted abduction was not known, it is widely believed the CIO operatives are strategically pouncing on opposition party supporters.
Political analysts have warned such incidents mirror the resurfacing of political violence.
In Gutu district,a traditional leader told villagers they would be killed if they desert Zanu PF.

A team of senior police officers has been dispatched to Botswana to assist in probing the death of Air Zimbabwe public relations executive, Mrs Shingai Dhliwayo, who was found dead in a bush in the neighbouring country.
The team, mostly from Bulawayo and Matabeleland South provinces, will also be present when the post-mortem is conducted today. Some of them left the country last night.
In an interview yesterday, chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said there were no developments on the case. She said police were also waiting for post-mortem results.
“As of now there are no developments on the case and investigations are still in progress. Once post mortem is done tomorrow (today) that is when we will be able to furnish you with more concrete details concerning the case.
“A team from ZRP will also attend the post-mortem,” she said. On Monday, police and their Batswana counterparts with the help of the International Police Organisation (Interpol), intensified investigations to ascertain the cause of Mrs Dhliwayo’s death.
Mrs Dhliwayo’s body was found tied onto a tree with both hands and legs also tied with a rope in a sitting position. Her mouth was gagged with a cloth and she was bleeding from the nose. The body was found about 5km from Plumtree Border Post in a bushy area and it is suspected that she had been lured by unknown assailants to travel to Botswana in a bid to rob her.
It is suspected that there is a syndicate that is luring Zimbabwean businesspeople after promising them “lucrative deals” and then rob them after crossing into Botswana.
Police in Botswana reportedly found her body and sent it to an unnamed hospital mortuary where her parents identified it on Saturday.
Airzim passenger and cargo general manager Mr Chris Kwenda recently said they had also put in place a team that would assist till the case was finalised.
He said details of the burial would be announced once post mortem had been conducted.-state media

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has named over 280 Zimbabweans, including prominent businesspeople, who reportedly syphoned billions of dollars out of the country.
The businesspeople, mostly of Caucasian extraction, have links to offshore investment vehicles. The list is contained in data from over 200 countries that was leaked to the Panama Papers and contains information about offshore companies and the people behind them.
The Panama Papers are 11,5 million leaked documents that detail financial and attorney–client information for more than 214 488 offshore entities.
The leaked documents were created by Panamanian law firm and corporate service provider Mossack Fonseca, some dated back to the 1970s.
The latest release with information on Zimbabwe includes the names of over 200 prominent local businessmen and company executives who have been making use of the Panama law firm.
Prominent names featuring on the list include Innscor Africa directors Zinona (Zed) Koudounaris and Michael Fowler, John Legat, Kingstone Munyawarara and former Cottco chief executive Happymore Mapara.
Investigation data alleges that the two Innscor directors, like others on the list, engaged the services of lawyers and accountants to open four companies in the British Virgin Islands.
However, a representative of Messrs Koudounaris and Fowler said the offshore investments were legal and the two had done nothing criminal as they run businesses outside Zimbabwe.
“With respect to Mr Fowler, he inherited an offshore structure from his father which has continued to exist lawfully. The two have not been involved in any externalisation.”
Business tycoon and prominent property mogul Ken Sharpe is also listed in the Panama Papers’ leaked data files, while Zimplats chief executive Alex Mhembere is also part of the list.
But Mr Sharpe said he had been approached by a United Kingdom investment consultant to make a $25 000 property investment offshore. The list also features sports personality, rally driver Conrad Rautenbach.
According to legal experts, it is not necessarily an offence or illegal to have an offshore company or bank account, but some of them have in the past been used for tax evasion and externalisation.
According to the RBZ, $1,8 billion was spirited out of Zimbabwe in 2015 alone through illicit transactions, inflated management and technical consultancy fees to foreign entities.
The hidden wealth of some of the world’s most prominent leaders, politicians and celebrities leaked through Panama Papers has between 2009 and 2015 showed an unprecedented release of millions of documents that show the many ways in which the rich have been exploiting secretive offshore tax regimes.
Although it is said that there is nothing unlawful about one being linked to offshore companies or bank accounts, the files leaked raise fundamental questions about ethical conduct in tax havens.
The data released by ICIJ through Panama Papers includes postal addresses; displays links to more than 200 countries and users can filter the information by country and by offshore jurisdiction.
The extensive data also explores the role of banks, law firms and other gatekeepers of the financial system in facilitating the creation of offshore companies for high net worth individuals.
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Dr John Mangudya, said that the issue around the operation of offshore accounts and companies depended on a particular situation at hand.
However, he said whenever money from Zimbabwe was taken outside of the country’s borders, this would be externalisation.
“It’s all about externalisation or capital flight,” he said. “The second question is it legal or illegal and if it is legal, even if one has exchange control approval, is it morally right or wrong to take money from an economy that is not doing well and to an economy that is doing well?” the RBZ governor said.
Dr Mangudya said some individuals and companies have externalised proceeds generated from Zimbabwe under the guise of free funds.
That is the reason why he said the RBZ had taken the position that there should be no more free funds except for Diaspora remittances and funds belonging to NGOs and embassies.
For instance, Dr Mangudya said, there was no justification for taking money from Zimbabwe to a foreign jurisdiction under the banner of free funds if it was generated from domestic economic activity such as artisanal gold mining or tobacco sales.
The governor said there was need to critically look at the situations where money had been spirited out of the country, which has been facing a debilitating cash crisis over the last few weeks, to determine whether this was done legally or illegally.
The ICIJ, however, said having one’s name on the list did not necessarily mean one had an offshore account.

ZESA prices are set to shoot up to 114%, it has emerged.
They will rise by about 14 percent once Cabinet has endorsed the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority-approved application for a tariff hike which was made by Zesa Holdings.
According to impeccable sources, an inter-ministerial committee is studying ZERA’s determination to have electricity charges raised from 9,83 cents per kilowatt per hour to 11,2c.
Zesa Holdings, through the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), had applied for a tariff increase of 14,6c/kWh to help finance imports to mitigate power shortages and expand generation capacity.
“We have an inter-ministerial taskforce that is studying what has been brought by ZERA through the Ministry of Energy and Power Development to ensure that there is a win-win situation to both the power utility and the consumers,” said a source.
“The truth of the matter is that ZERA, after conducting their stakeholder consultations, made a determination to peg the price at 11,2c/kWh.
“An inter-ministerial committee, senior officials from about four ministries, are meeting with members of the Office of the President and Cabinet to look at this development and they agreed on that figure.
“The ministries involved include that of Energy and Power Development, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Industry and Commerce as well as that of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services.”
Added the source: “The agreement is that the Ministers, after their deliberations and finding a common position, will take the position to Cabinet for endorsement, through the ideal ministry. In essence the 11,2c/kWh is waiting for Cabinet approval only. ZERA had promised to come back with a determination two weeks after their consultations in January but now it is more than four months. The reason being that they had to find a win-win situation.”
ZERA has repeatedly said it is still consolidating stakeholders’ input before making a determination. ZETDC managing director Engineer Julian Chinembiri said they were still waiting for a response to their application.
He said the delay in announcing the tariff was affecting their operations.
“They (ZERA) recently wrote to use saying they will soon give us a tariff and we are still waiting,” he said.
“On our part, if we do not get that tariff it means our operations will be affected heavily. The cost of the power which we are now importing is high and we also need money to meet maintenance costs. Failure to do so will see us returning to the load shedding era because all our imports, which are significantly contributing to the current stability in power supplies, are prepaid.
“Without a tariff, we won’t be able to pay in advance. In short, short we are channeling most of our revenue to power imports at the moment and we have put a number of things on hold.”
Zimbabwe is spending millions of dollars importing power mainly from South Africa (300MW) and Mozambique (40MW) on a cash basis model.
The development has seen Zesa cuttging down on load shedding consumers since December last year.
The situation is unsustainable as the import tariffs are higher than what is currently obtaining especially when the power utility is saddled with a more than $1 billion debt.
The power utility is currently working on supply side interventions that entail expanding capacity at Kariba South hydro power station by 300MW and Hwange by 600MW.
Eng Chinembiri said power cuts being experienced in some areas were a result of faults not load shedding.
“We now have a stable power supply since the end of last year and our hope is this will continue,” he said.
“During this period, we are not load shedding and people with no electricity should report to nearest depots because it will be due faults. We do not have systems to monitor low voltage faults in homes and that is why we are appealing to our consumers to report.-state media

 

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission today took its preparations for ending Robert Mugabe’s current tenure to another gear, calling on opposition parties to a special meeting.

ZEC All Stakeholders meeting on voter registration options, which option do you choose? @263Chat @erczimbabwe

— Jessie F. Majome (@JessieFMajome) May 10, 2016

The meeting currently being held at Crowne Plaza and began at 10am, has legal experts of opposition parties who were called in for vital talks. The discussions centered around voter registration options, are the opposition’s last chance to ensure the nation is ready for free and fair elections.
MDC-T’s MP for Harare West, Jessie Majome, standing in Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party, has requested Zimbabweans to make their choice known:

ZEC All Stakeholders meeting on voter registration options, which option do you choose? @263Chat @erczimbabwe
— Jessie F. Majome (@JessieFMajome) May 10, 2016

MDC-T Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora, says he is happy after holding different rallies in the Midlands Province, where ZANU PF members have defected to his party.
Yesterday the MDC-T completed its round of cluster rallies in the Midlands North Province with an emphatic rally in Ngezi, Kadoma. These rallies are interactive and meant to assess the state of the Party in each province. They are meant to enable the party to assess what the topical issues and concerns are in each province.
Said Mwonzora: From the rallies done so far we are happy to note that the support of the MDC-T is excellent. A number of people have defected from Zanu PF to join MDCT. Some people who left the MDCT for other parties have also retraced their footprints and rejoined the party. We are naturally elated by this and in terms of our big tent approach we welcomed them with both hands.
The issues that were canvassed at these rallies include the grinding poverty to which Zimbabwe has been consigned by this vile regime, chronic unemployment, total collapse of industry, corruption by state officials and the politicization of food aid. Zimbabweans are riled by the theft of their $15bn as acknowledged by President Mugabe recently. They are mifed by the fact that in spite of its undertaking to create 2.2 million jobs, Zanu PF government has instead exacerbated unemployment. Even those who are employed can not get their salaries. Of those few whose employers have paid salaries, can not access same because there is no money at the banks.
There is general agreement that instead of tackling the national problems, the Zanu PF bigwigs are enmeshed in the debilitating succession conundrum. The people are therefore agreed that the only way of moving Zimbabwe out of it social, political and economic quagmire is to remove the regime of Robert Mugabe.
Of course signs of panic on the part of Zanu PF are there for all to see. In order to affect the turn out at the MDCT rallies, the Zanu PF slaughtered a number of cattle to temporarily feed the people. The good thing is that the people ate the meat and still attended the MDCT rallies.
MP Paul Mavhima tried to incite violence against the MDCT leadership. He however pathetically went into hiding behind some dilapidated shop when he saw Vice President Thokozani Khupe. We will not be intimidated. We shall overcome. Victory is certain.

MDC-T Harare councillors have reportedly rebelled against their leadership and are set to defy the opposition party directive to rescind a resolution they made last Thursday to send town clerk Mr James Mushore on forced leave without benefits. Mr Mushore was sent packing barely a month after his appointment by the same councillors. The former NMB chief executive was appointed without following laid down procedures.
Government rescinded the appointment of Mr Mushore soon after a council meeting that announced his appointment, arguing that council flouted procedures of appointing a town clerk as outlined in the Urban Councils Act and the Local Government Board and some residents associations rushed to the High Court to contest the decision.
The MDC-T ordered its councillors to reverse their decision and allow Mr Mushore to come back to work, failure of which they face unspecified action, although the court is still to rule on the matter.
They were made to sign affidavits at Harvest House on Thursday confirming that they will adhere to the party position, but the councillors felt otherwise.
Councillors who spoke to The Herald said they would not risk the wrath of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, as they were family men who needed to fend for their families.-state media

National Political Commissar Saviour Kasukuwere has has encouraged the ruling party supporters to consider President Robert Mugabe’s reputable leadership qualities and the ideals he stands for, as good reason to vote for him in 2018.
He said this while, addressing members of the Zanu PF women’s league from Hurungwe at Chikanwe stadium in Karoi.
Kasukuwere said there is no logic in voting into power some crazy young men yet the country has a tried and tested leader in the person of President Mugabe, whom he said deserves the vote in 2018.
Kasukuwere, who is also the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, pledged residential stands to members of the women’s league in Hurungwe and tasked the leadership in the area to identify land for the purpose.
Zanu PF Deputy Secretary for Women’s Affairs Eunice Sandi Moyo also challenged the women to take up income generating projects such as farming to fend for their families.
The Karoi rally was organised by the women’s league secretary for finance Sarah Mahoka. – State Media

Teachers graduating from various colleges are joining the jobless market.
After collecting their certificates, these newly qualified teachers walk into the world of unemployment to join hundreds of thousands of other qualified people who have been rendered unemployed by President Robert Mugabe’s government through its disastrous economic policies.

With the economy crisis deepening and the government also reeling under an acute revenue inflow decline exacerbated by the declining economic activity in the country has plans to “drastically reduce the civil service wage bill”, with Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa having said during the 2016 national budget presentation last December that the “rationalisation of the civil service would save $14,2 million per month”.

The rationalisation measures were announced on the back of another announcement last year that in its employment, government had thousands of teaching staff who held non-teaching qualifications and there were plans to replace the non-qualified teachers with fresh graduates, a move that would create 20 000 jobs for the newly-qualified teachers.
This has not happened, as government appears to fail to adequately fund the current civil service salary requirements, amid allegations some fringe ministries are harbouring ghost or non-essential workers that unnecessarily burden the public service salary bill. – State Media

The famous Kariba pastor who last year told President Robert Mugabe to his face to resign, Patrick Mugadza, was today forcibly taken away by police officers.
Pastor Mugadza was protesting with several women in Unity Square campaigning for the rights of cancer patients.
Protest coordinator and leader Lynnette Mudehwe seen in pictures as Pastor Mugadza was whisked away, told ZimEye.com the 31 protesters were raided in Africa Unity Square this afternoon.

Temba Mliswa, a former Zanu PF bigwig who now leads the Youth Advocacy for Reform and Democracy (Yard) pressure group, has scoffed at threats by Zanu PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere to seize his farm.
Addressing thousands of Zanu PF supporters at a rally at Chikangwe Stadium in Karoi, Kasukuwere said the former Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial chairman and Hurungwe West MP Temba Mliswa, had nothing to offer.
Kasukuwere, who is also Local Government minister, threatened to subdivide Mliswa’s Spring Farm on the outskirts of Karoi and distribute the residential stands to Zanu PF supporters.
“There are youths who are following Temba Mliswa, do not follow him,” Kasukuwere said.
“We want to look at his farm if it is close to Karoi, we want to take it and make sure we get stands and see what happens. Yes kana wakanda chibhakera wotosimba. Kana wakanda chibhakera ku Zanu PF tinovhika but kana takudzosera tinorova paunonyatsozwa kuti ka chapinda (If you pick a quarrel with Zanu PF you must be prepared for a big fight because we hit where it hurts the most),” Kasukuwere said.
“Do not follow his Yard because it’s a back yard.”
But Mliswa scoffed at Kasukuwere’s threats yesterday.
“I am not moved by Kasukuwere’s populist but foolish Zanu PF opinion because it is not government policy,” Mliswa told the Daily News.
“The land reform was a government programme and I am a holder of a 99-year lease.
“That is a Zanu PF problem to deal with, such loose cannons that contradict their desire to attract foreign direct investment when their officials do not respect property rights.”
He added that Kasukuwere as Zanu PF political commissar was feeling the effects of not having him in Zanu PF ranks as he was struggling to attract supporters for the party in the province.
“I know it’s pretty cold to come to Mashonaland West without Mliswa. He is feeling the chilly weather, especially of Hurungwe West, because they cannot attract any support without me.
“I own the province, my heart is in Hurungwe West, and they cannot do anything about it,” Mliswa said.
Following Mliswa’s decision to stand against Zanu PF as an independent candidate in the Hurungwe West by-election after he was expelled last year, party youths invaded his farm, allegedly attacking indiscriminately any person remotely linked to Mliswa, including his workers.
Business at Mliswa’s sprawling properties — that include a service station, a restaurant, a thriving farm and a lodge — was brought to a halt as the boisterous youths vowed to take it as a way of punishing the outspoken legislator, who dared challenge the deeply-divided ruling party as an independent candidate for Hurungwe West in the by-elections.
The Zanu PF yobs only left after the intervention of the courts.
In his address, Kasukuwere who was visibly angry, said Mliswa had nothing to offer except stammering.
“He has always been like that; he has nothing to offer except stammering, noise and claiming to know everything.
“He once claimed that he had invented cricket, that he had manufactured Dynamos and farmers,” Kasukuwere said.-Daily News

The announcement by the former President Canaan Sodindo Banana’s son, Nathan, that he has formed a political party has been received with mixed feelings by the public.
Nathan made headlines Monday saying that  he is launching a political  party, the Freedom Justice Coalition Zimbabwe, in Bulawayo, with the aim of ridding Zimbabwe of President Robert Mugabe.
But most of readers had no kind words for the late Banana’s son who they said the nation has neither forgotten nor forgiven his late father’s homosexual behaviour.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for this Banana boy to involve himself in politics, he may attempt to ‘liberate’ gays and popularise gay practices”, wrote one reader.
“Congrats Nathan, but do you also “lead from behind” like your father? And if you’re gonna bring your father’s “leadership qualities” into the picture, please remember to also address the damage your father did to the buttocks of his bodyguards,” another one added.
Nathan’s father who died in 2003 at the age of  67, in 1999 was found guilty of 11 counts of sodomy and abuse of power in which he was said to have carried out “unnatural acts” with men, most of whom were on his presidential staff roll.
In his trial which included testimony of sex with gardeners, cooks and bodyguards overshadowed his much celebrated reputation of ending the Gukurahundi massacres in the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces during his tenure of office.
Another reader commented ,“I know; it’s a dirty game he is getting himself into and he needs to prepare; the Tsvangirais won’t just call him a CIO they will say he’s also gay, and the Jonathan Moyos will even go further to claim Banana never fathered any kids”.
Others however said Banana had made a wise choice because Zimbabwe was better with anyone else who is not with President Robert Mugabe.
“Anyone can do better than Mugabe. Mugabe is the worst leader this country will ever have,” said a reader who sympathised with Banana.
“Zimbabwe is a democratic country. If he is eligible, then he can run,” another one added.

THE LATE former president Dr Canaan Sodindo Banana’s son, Nathan, has followed in his father’s footsteps by launching a political party, with the aim of ordering a full-fledged campaign that will see him participate in the 2018 general elections. Banana’s Freedom Justice Coalition Zimbabwe (FJCZ) party has been launched in the UK.
Nathan, who is Dr Banana’s third born son, however, declined to comment on these developments referring reporters to the party’s information desk.
“This is not really my party but it is a political party in its structuring and formative phase, being developed in Zimbabwe and across the world by ordinary Zimbabweans. I am simply helping as I like their vision and mission objectives,” he said.
According to the party’s website, Nathan is listed as a founding member together with Mr Tonderai Chivengwa, Mr Jammel Asani, Mr Tau Muluswela, Mrs Evenly Mudzingwe, Mr Maqhawe Mpofu and Mr Senda.
In April 2014 before the launch of Freedom Justice Coalition Zimbabwe, Nathan wrote on his facebook page: “I have had many individuals recently encouraging me to offer myself for political leadership in Zimbabwe. Perhaps because of the history behind my name, or from a genuine belief in my ability and capability to influence positive change in society.”
“Much as my internal emotions compel me to embrace the invitation, I think that such an approach to leadership is not transparent enough in terms of properly assessing a prospective candidate for any leadership role. If I was selfish, arrogant and perhaps egoistic I would have jumped at such an opportunity to be imposed on the humble and innocent majority who have been fooled by missed deadlines and broken promises.
“I strongly believe that true and sincere leadership is not manufactured in education institutions, nominated to be successors by those before them, hereditary nor chosen because of the power they wield in society, be it financial wealth or any other type of power that has not been fully appreciated by the people whom it is meant to represent.”
According to a Freedom Justice Coalition Zimbabwe source the new political party would target disgruntled supporters of the MDC-T.
However, it is unclear what Nathan’s contribution has been to the community of Zimbabwe besides the track record of his family name. His father Canaan served as the first President of Zimbabwe from 18 April 1980 until 31 December 1987 but was disgraced in 1998 when he was found guilty of 11 charges of sexual assault.
He was sentenced to 10 years in jail, nine of which were suspended, and his wife and family, including Nathan, sought political asylum in Britain in October 2000.

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo| A 20 year old woman here sexually abused her 11 year old stepson and threatened to kill him if he disclosed the incident.
Netsai Joramu of village 4 Mkosi Resettlement area in Masvingo took advantage of the absence of other people from home and sexually abused the minor. Joramu appeared before Magistrate Langton Dokera last week facing charges of aggravated indecent assault.
On an unknown date in November 2015,Joramu was left at home with the minor and called him into her bedroom. She held the juvenile by the hand and removed his pair of trousers. She proceeded to remove her undergarments and lied on the floor on her back and forcibly placed the minor on top of her. She forced the minor to insert his manhood into her private parts.
Joramu threatened to kill the boy by way of food poisoning after abusing him several times. She also orderd the boy not to disclose the matter.
Sometime in December 2015, Joramu again dragged the boy ,who was playing outside the house, into her bedroom and raped him.
However when the boy’s mother phoned him,he narrated what had transpired. The boy’s mother who was in South Africa, came back to Zimbabwe and reported the matter to the police leading to Joramu’s arrest.
The boy was also medically examined and the report will be read in court as exhibit.

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo| The government last week kicked out at least seven families -comprising veterans and war collaborators from Southwill farm, 25km east of Masvingo, leaving the resettled farmers exposed to the biting cold.
The war veterans and war collaborators invaded Southwill farm belonging to one, Orsman Khan, at the height of the land grab exercise in 2000. Hundreds of other commercial farmers were displaced while some were killed as Zanu PF supporters and the veterans of the liberation struggle moved in to occupy so called “white-owned land” under the controversial Third Chimurenga farm invasions.
There has been a protracted legal battle between Khan and the war veterans and the Lands and Resettlement Ministry with the help of the Messenger of Court, last week ordered the eviction of the seven families from Southwill farm.
The war veterans who spoke to ZimEye.com accused the Provincial Lands Committee of being sponsored by known Zanu PF politicians to humiliate the former freedom fighters.
“The whole system is corrupt and we have been evicted because of factional politics. There are some senior Zanu PF officials who are determined to embarrass us. We are sleeping in the open where our belongings have been dumped,” said Vanda Marwei, one of the affected war veterans.
Their houses were destroyed last week and they have been sleeping in the open for close to a week and their crops are also likely to be destroyed.
As the Zanu PF factional fights continue to escalate, war veterans have been caught up in the raging storm-with the First Lady, Grace Mugabe openly denigrating the former freedom fighters. Zanu PF used the chaotic land reforme exercise as a campaign strategy after losing in the 2000 referendum. It is understood the referendum loss triggered the nationwide farm invasions.

Judgment in a case in which Beitbridge area prosecutor Muchiwande Forbes Sithole (35) is accused of assaulting two people and kidnapping another person who was beaten by his three unknown accomplices until he suffered serious kidney injuries, has been set for June 3.
The matter proceeded to defence when the presiding magistrate, Mr Collet Ncube, dismissed Sithole’s application for discharge and ruled that he had a case to answer.
Sithole, of 38 Flamboyant Street in the border town, is alleged to have assaulted two men who had allegedly broken into his house and stole property worth R7 300. He is also accused of handing over his car, a Toyota Surf, to three unknown men who beat up the suspect until he nearly died due to kidney injuries.
The area prosecutor denied all the charges when the trial opened before Masvingo regional magistrate Mr Ncube at the Beitbridge Magistrates’ Court. Through his legal representative, Mr Listen Zinyenge of Zinyenge Rupapa Legal Practitioners who is being assisted by Mr Patrick Tererai of Tererai Legal Practice, Sithole argued that the victims were arrested by members of the community through citizens’ arrest.
Sithole said he was a victim of a grand plan to victimise him and tarnish his image. He said the complainants were mere pawns in the game. Masvingo senior prosecutor Mr Elson Chavarika told the court that during the night of September 8 last year there was a burglary at Sithole’s house and an assortment of property, which included footballs boots, grocery items and blankest were stolen.
He said on September 15, Sithole got a tip-off that Clemence Moyo and Knowledge Mike were selling property similar to his at a flea market at Dulibadzimu Terminus. Sithole then identified the football boots which the duo was selling.
A citizen’s arrest was effected. Mr Chavarika said the accused who was in the company of unknown two men then ordered Moyo and Mike into his vehicle and drove to their house.
The prosecutor said upon reaching the complainants’ house he assaulted them.
They implicated John Navhaya. Sithole then drove to Navhaya’s house together with Moyo and Mike. He then effected a citizen’s arrest of Navhaya. Sithole and his accomplices allegedly forced Navhaya to tell them where the rest of the stolen property was and he implicated Gabriel Choruwa.
The State further alleges that the prosecutor invited Choruwa to his workplace. He handed over Choruwa to an unknown man. The accomplice later teamed up with two others and kidnapped Choruwa. They drove to a secluded area where they beat Choruwa until he ruptured his kidney. state media

Millions of Zimbabweans are set to starve with the government putting in place a plan for the importing of grain for food relief from outside the country extending into the year 2018.
Maize imports from regional and international countries have begun trickling in under the government and the private sector import plan, that will see the country receive grain past the 2017 rainy season.
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made, said that the number of people who require food aid continues to increase, hence a long term import plan that will last until 2017 has been put in place.
More than three million people are in need of food aid following the El Nino induced drought that hit country this season.
The government has assured local farmers who harvest and sell their crop to GMB that they will be paid cash on delivery.

The National Aids Council (Nac) has released the results of their research, indicating that although the national HIV prevalence has been declining in the past two years, it is four times high in other community groups like commercial sex workers.
Amon Mpofu, Nac monitoring and evaluation director told Parliamentarians on a countrywide tour and capacity building programme on HIV and Aids interventions that although the prevalence rate nationally stood at 13, 8 percent as of December 31 last year, down from 15,3 the previous year, indications were that 56,4 percent of commercial sex workers were infected.
 
“It’s sad to note that although we’re making efforts to reduce new infections we still have a problem in other community groups among them commercial sex workers and those in densely populated areas like growth points where the incidents rate is increasing,” said Mpofu.

“We’ve mapped out some of the high risk areas which include Bulawayo, Matabeleland South and Manicaland provinces and research on 1,000 sex workers shows that prevalence rate on sex workers aged between 18 and 24 years stands at 36 percent, 25 to 29 (55 percent), 30 to 39 (69 percent) and those age 40 years and above its 77 percent,” he said.
Mpofu said it was very important for parliamentarians and traditional leaders to play a leading role in formulating effective HIV and Aids intervention policies.
 
He said it was important for the government to focus on key population areas in the country who needed specific needs in implementing intervention programmes.
 
“We need to seriously look at sector communities. As Nac we’ll continue providing services and capacity building programmes,” he said.- state media

President Robert Mugabe has all but endorsed the vote of no confidence that was recently passed against Zanu PF youth league boss Pupurai Togarepi by his executive, after the nonagenarian allowed him to be kicked out of Wednesday’s politburo meeting in Harare.
Well-placed Zanu PF sources told the Daily News on Sunday that Mugabe’s aides had told Togarepi bluntly that he could not attend the meeting or continue to be a politburo member, until his suspension from the youth league was mediated and finalised by the party’s national disciplinary committee (NDC).
“Togarepi appeared to have been taken by surprise, as he genuinely believed that the president would save him. But it was not to be, and was subsequently booted out of the meeting,” one of the sources said.
This was corroborated by a party official linked to Zanu PF’s ambitious Young Turks who go by the moniker Generation 40 (G40) — who are rabidly opposed to embattled Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa succeeding Mugabe.
“Togarepi had to leave soon after His Excellency’s arrival because the president’s security told him that he was not welcome. It was an embarrassing scene as he had to leave immediately and he was close to tears because he never anticipated it.
“Remember that Team Lacoste (Mnangagwa faction) has been blocking the NDC from handling the case as they wanted the president to use his discretion to save Togarepi as an appointee by the president. Lacoste were thoroughly shocked by the decision,” the second source said.
Togarepi was booted from the youth league by his colleagues last March, together with his secretary for administration Lewis Mathuthu and committee member Sibongile Sibanda — all alleged staunch allies of Mnangagwa.
He had until now remained defiant, saying his suspension was a nullity, and that only Mugabe, who appointed him to the post of youth league leader, had the authority to fire him — as Zanu PF’s deadly factional and succession wars continue to escalate.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Togarepi — while confirming that he had left last week’s politburo meeting prematurely — denied that he had been ordered to leave.
“I left early because I had other issues to attend to. Do not listen to what your sources are telling you because they have their own agenda.
“Nothing of that sort happened,” he said, while refusing to shed light on how long he lasted in the meeting.
“Do I have to explain that to you? What do you want to know? Is that a question you would ask all politburo members? I will not respond to that,” he said angrily, referring further questions to Zanu PF national spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo.
But Khaya Moyo referred all questions on the matter to secretary for administration, Ignatius Chombo, saying he was not in the politburo when Mugabe arrived at the meeting — as he was attending to some other business.
Chombo’s mobile number was not reachable until the Daily News on Sunday went to Press last night.
However, a youth league national executive member asserted that Togarepi was a “Team Lacoste kingpin”, adding that he had got his “comeuppance”.
“The reason why he (Togarepi) had the guts to attend Wednesday’s meeting after he had boycotted the previous one was that his faction had told him that the NDC, which they accuse of bias, would not be handling his case because he was appointed by the president.
“But now his case is closed, and he will not be taking part in any youth league events, including the forthcoming million-man march,” the official said.
A confident Togarepi told the Daily News on Sunday’s sister paper, the Daily News, soon after the youth league’s decision to pass a vote of no confidence against him, that he would stay put, saying only Mugabe could fire him.
“I serve at the pleasure of the president and I will only listen to what he directs me to do. In the meantime, I am actually at work, in the office at the party headquarters,” he said then.
Announcing the vote of no confidence, Togarepi’s deputy Kudzanai Chipanga said his boss had resigned from his post after realising that he was “not equal to the task” of leading party youths.
Chipanga also claimed that Togarepi had, in addition, recused himself from chairing the meeting that resolved to elbow him out of the party.
“He diplomatically resigned after he had acknowledged that he felt that he was feeling guilty that he failed the youth league and we found it prudent to pass a vote of no confidence against him,” Chipanga said.
“We are not going to tolerate anyone who indulges in factional politics and indiscipline in the party. We respect everyone in the party but when it comes to support, we only support one person that is the president.
“There are some people who want to tamper with the youth league and the women’s league but we resolved in 2014 that we have one centre of power, whose wings are the two leagues.
“So, whoever wants to tamper with those wings will be viewed as attempting to tamper with the centre of power which we are not going to allow,” Chipanga added.-Daily News

The High Court has ordered Matabeleland South commercial white farmer Mr David Connolly to vacate Centenary Farm and pave way for Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Dr Ray Ndhlukula, who was procedurally allocated that land.
Justice Joseph Musakwa said Dr Ndhlukula was the rightful owner of the farm after Government gave him a valid offer latter for the property.
“The applicant (Mr Connolly) has no legal right to the land in question.
‘‘That means the element of a clear right as a requirement for the interdict has not been met,” he said.
Justice Musakwa took a swipe at Government officials— including Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister Paddy Zhanda — for attempting to give “false hope” to Mr Connolly.
“It matters not that the applicant has received covert encouragement from Government officials.
‘‘It was duplicitous of those Government officials to have given the applicant such false hope without ensuring it is issues with a legal permit to remain on the land. In the final analysis, the provisional order is hereby discharged with costs.”
Justice Musekwa concurred with Dr Ndhlukula’s contention that Mr Connolly’s matter was indistinguishable from similar cases, and the validity of the offer letter and legality of the acquisition favoured the Deputy Chief Secretary.
Mr Connolly had sought confirmation of a provisional order granted in his favour in 2014 by the Bulawayo High Court barring Dr Ndhlukula from evicting him from Centenary Farm.
The provisional order also interdicted Dr Ndhlukula from occupying the farm pending finalisation of the matter.
But Justice Musakwa found that Mr Connolly was occupying land legally gazetted by the State for compulsory acquisition in 2000.
In discharging the provisional order, Justice Musakwa said although Mr Connolly had not been charged for unlawful occupation of the farm, he had no right to remain on the property.
Mr Connolly had argued that since acquisition of the farm, he had been in peaceful and undisturbed occupation of the property and productively utilising the land.
Dr Ndhlukula’s lawyer, Mr Gerald Mlotshwa, counter-argued that Mr Connolly had failed to establish a clear right to the land-state media

Controversial preacher, Uebert Angel, has been called upon to deal with President Robert Mugabe’s nephew, Patrick Zhuwao who is allegedly making it impossible for foreign investment.
Filing in his third video clip, ZANU PF youth, Acie Lumumba recently fired by Zhuwao from a government post, emotively called upon Angel saying he should come in to help. Lumumba who says of Zhuwao, “this man has to go!,” refers to Angel as his pastor.
“Dear Prophet Angel ask God to come help us,” said Lumumba in a post. He continued lamenting, “Where is the Empowerment? Is it in making it so hard for Strive Masiyiwa, James Makamba, Mutumwa Mawere and countless Zimbabwean Captains of Industries in the Diaspora and professionals in the Diaspora to come home and build our nation,” he added as he streamed the following video:

The “This Flag” campaign spearheaded by prolific church leader, Evan Mawarire, has seen its ferocious lava spread beyond the 7th May deadline.

Millions of Zimbabweans across the nation and around the world are for the first time in history, rising in anger protesting at the country’s economic woes.

The lava exploded last month when around independence celebrations time, Mawarire shot a motion video of himself bewailing Zimbabwe, currently at the mercy of its leadership.
The This Flag campaign which began on the 1st May, involves people wrapping themselves with the national flag every single day. By Thursday even ZANU PF youths had joined in with one top Mugabe supporter, Acie Lumumba ding the same (pictured).
Announcing the extension yesterday, Friday, Mawarire said, “we are now on Day 6, carrying our flags as a way of sending a message to our government that Enough Is Enough. It is obvious we need more time. So we are adding more days,” began Mawarire.
He continued saying the government is listening. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW-

“Our government is listening kuti Enough Is Enough”.
He spoke directly to the nation’s leadership saying, “Our Madara angu you have failed us as your young ones. We need you to hear us”.
Mawarire continued laying out the timeline for the protest.
“Africa Day is the last day that we will carry our flags,” he added.
Meanwhile people wishing to connect with Mawarire may do so via his portal –

Government has warned new farmers who have turned their farms into “braai resorts”, saying they risk losing the land if they remain unproductive.
Agriculture deputy minister (crops, mechanisation and irrigation) David Marapira said government was aware of farmers who owned huge tracts of land, but were doing nothing except hosting
Speaking at a field day marking the launch of two new hybrid maize seed varieties by Pioneer Seed Company held at Tshuma Farm in Mazowe on Thursday, Marapira said such unproductive farms would be seized and redistributed to other farmers.
“I was at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair when I got shocking news that there are farmers who go on top of the hill with braai stands and boast of owning large tracts of land. We are going to take over those unproductive lands. Those who bring braai stands to their farms, please do so, but the government will seize the farms and allocate them to serious farmers,” he said.
Speaking at the same event, Chief Chiweshe took the opportunity to warn farmers who were selling part of their land to other people.
“I know what is happening in this area. Some farmers are selling land to their friends and relatives. We have farmers with land without proper paperwork in this area and we will not tolerate that,” Chief Chiweshe said.
Meanwhile, government has approved two new maize seed varieties manufactured by Pioneer Seed Company.
The hybrid PHB 30G21 and P 3883W are early maturity seed varieties that farmers are encouraged to plant in a bid to adapt to the climate change phenomenon.
Pioneer Seed Company country manager Robert Nkatazo described the two seed varieties as resistant to diseases, among other merits.
“Climate change is not about droughts only, we can experience a lot of rainfall and this will result in the increase of diseases, hence there is need for seeds that adapt to that. The two varieties, yield under good management exceeds 12 tonnes per hectare,” he said. newsday

A 37-YEAR-OLD Chimanimani traditional healer was last week arraigned before the courts for sleeping with a minor.
Samuel Nota (30) of Manase Village under Chief Ngorima in Chimanimani briefly appeared before senior Mutare magistrate, Mrs Sekai Chiundura and was not asked to plead.
Nota was tasked with the casting out of an evil spirit that was allegedly tormenting the family’s seven-year-old twins.
Nota told the younger sister that a coin was to be thrown in the absence of other people leading to the minor and Nota to move to a distant place.
He grabbed the minor and raped her once. He was spotted in the act by a passerby and he ran away leaving the minor half naked and he was handed over to the police. – Manica Post

Sixteen more Zimbabwean women who were lured to Kuwait to work as housemaids, but ended up being abused as sex slaves, have escaped from captivity and are now under the care of the country’s Ambassador to Kuwait Mark Marongwe.
Several other women have since returned home after a Parliamentary delegation that went to Kuwait a fortnight ago after a bilateral engagement secured the release of 32 other women who came back home at the weekend.
MPs now want President Mugabe to ban visas for domestic workers in Kuwait.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs, Kindness Paradza, who was part of the delegation to Kuwait headed by National Assembly Speaker Advocate Jacob Mudenda, said he was going to present a report in Parliament on human trafficking to Kuwait.
“As I speak, I have just been informed by our Ambassador to Kuwait Mark Marongwe that 16 more girls have escaped from their abusive employers and are now camped at the embassy seeking assistance to be brought home,” said Paradza.
“I was also told that the figure of those run-away girls is swelling and is expected to rise by the weekend.
“Our wish as Parliament is to have a complete ban on all visa applications to Kuwait under Section 20, which commits into slavery anyone who enters that country under that section.
“President Mugabe as the father of the nation must use his Presidential powers and direct the Minister of Foreign Affairs to effect the ban.
“Other African countries like Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana have since banned their citizens from traveling to Kuwait under that section.”
Paradza said there was a possibility that the total number of Zimbabwean women who were lured to Kuwait under the same circumstances could be around 500 amid indications that some of them left via Kenya, South Africa and Botswana.
He appealed to Government, women organisations and human rights activists to embark on awareness campaigns to conscientise Zimbabwean women about the problems in Kuwait.
“As Parliament, we also want our security agencies to hunt down all those locals who are working in cahoots with Kuwaiti syndicates on this issue and bring them to book.
“Last week, the Philippines also managed to evacuate 143 of their girls from Kuwait who had fallen victims to similar acts of modern day slavery.
“Our worry as a committee is that Government has not availed funds to have our girls flown back home, which could end up being difficult to account for all the girls as some of them have been transported to other countries like Saudi Arabia or Qatar on arrival in Kuwait,” said Paradza.
Businessman, Mr Wicknell Chivayo had to intervene last week by paying air tickets for the 32 women.
There were indications that Treasury was constrained to pay for their return.
But Paradza implored Government to set up a special fund for repatriation of all Zimbabwean women stuck in Kuwait. herald

Terrence Mawawa, Chivi | A local woman who was desperate to woo back her husband after he left her for another woman sneaked into Berejena Mission Hospital and stole a one-day-old baby.
Rester Mapombwa(31), whose husband dumped her for another woman, sneaked into the hospital’s maternity ward and stole Tatenda Nhinga(18)’s baby. Mapombwa appeared before Chivi Resident Magistrate Bishard Chineka last week facing kidnapping charges.
She lied to her husband that she was pregnant. In her defence she said she was the first wife and her husband had deserted her for another woman.
She said she was the first wife in a polygamous marriage and her husband had dumped her for another woman. She further claimed her husband was not taking care of her and by stealing the baby she wanted to please him.
The incident happened on April 26 when Mapombwa went to the maternity ward masquerading as a relative of one the women in the ward. She lied to the women that their clothes had fallen from the washing line. All the women in the ward went outside to check their clothes and Mapombwa proceeded to take the baby belonging to Nhinga and placed it in a bag she was holding. She then left the maternity ward soon after taking the baby.
Upon realising that one of the babies was missing, the women alerted security officers at the hospital and Mapombwa was found with the baby in her bag. She tried to run away but she was quickly apprehended by the alert security personnel.
She was sentenced to three years in prison.

WOZA and members represented by the following leaders

JL. Williams Magodonga Mahlangu

On July 17, 2015, ZimPapers published a story in which it claimed Rita Chinyoka was fired from her position as Publisher of Alpha Media Holdings boss. The story was published based on information provided by a source, which is untrue and all the claims made therein unsubstantiated.
Zimpapers and The Herald have since retracted the story and unequivocally apologised to Ms Chinyoka for the distress, embarrassment and damage caused to her reputation, person and career.
A statement by the editor further said, “we further acknowledge that due care should have been taken to verify the story before publication and would like to assure Ms Chinyoka that there was no malice intended and sincerely wish her the best for the future.”

THE Mutore family from Vumba is failing to come to terms with the brutal murder of their relative who was allegedly lured into neighbouring Mozambique by a friend before meeting his fate. The late Trymore Mutore (25) was allegedly slain last month for ritual purposes in that country’s Magaka area.
An aunt of the deceased, Ms Pfungwa Mutore, said they were suspecting that the case was being swept under the carpet and want investigators from Zimbabwe to also look into the matter.
She said on April 9, Denford Mhangere (28), a friend to the late Trymore came to collect him at their Vumba residence around 3am.
“They went to Mozambique after illegally crossing into the country’s Magaka area through Zonwe River in Burma Valley.
“On the same day, the accused, Denford, came back around 12-midnight with the news that Trymore had drowned in Zonwe River on their way.
“My brother, Solomon (the father of the late) refused to accept the news as it was unbelievable. Denford then came to my residence, which is nearby in Vumba to break the news of Trymore’s death and seek my backing. We gathered as a family and decided that the next day (April 10) we would go with the accused to the drowning scene,” she said.
The family and other neighbours who escorted the search party failed to find the body after combing the area the whole day.
Ms Mutore said in the evening of that day they camped near Zonwe River, but were later told by some Mozambicans to move to another area. This was after they were told that a big snake frequents the area and they risked their lives by sleeping near the river.
“We moved for a distance and we did not suspect anything. At around 11pm, we heard the sound of a vehicle driving towards the river. Nobody bothered to check what was happening. We remained where we were until dawn.
“The following day we went to the river to continue with our search. We found the heavily mutilated body at the same area we had combed the previous day. The skin around the eyes was removed as well as some private parts,” said Ms Mutore.
A brother to late Trymore, Wilson, said he immediately reported the matter to the Mozambican police.
“Police investigations revealed that the cause of the death was not drowning, but murder. The Mozambican police authorised us to transport the body of our brother back home. They arrested the accused Denford and is still in custody. When we try to do a follow-up on the case, we are being moved from one station to the other. As a family we want justice to be done because we believe that our brother was murdered in cold blood,” he said. Manica Post

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo|A man from the Boroma area of Masvingo was last week caught having sex with his cow in broad daylight -in a ritual exercise after being instructed to do so by a traditional healer.
The police revealed to ZimEye.com, Simon Dhewa was herding cattle in the grazing area in village 3, Boroma area, Masvingo District when he tied the cow’s legs with a rope.
Villagers also told ZimEye.com, Dhewa was being haunted by family problems and he visited a local traditional healer who instructed him to have sex with his cow to exorcise the bad omen tormenting his family.
Dhewa was spotted by local villagers having sex with his cow while uttering strange words in the bush near the grazing area where he was herding cattle.
“The man went to a n’anga who instructed him to have sex with his cow. He is being tormented by a spate of family challenges so he wanted to exorcise the supposed evil spirits troubling his family,” said a local villager.
Dhewa has since been arrested and will soon appear in court facing bestiality charges.
Acting Masvingo Provincial Spokesperson Kudakwashe Dhewa said he was waiting to receive a report on the incident.
As a result of socio-economic challenges, desperate Zimbabweans have been forced to perform rituals in order to attain affluence.

The European Union has urged President Robert to respect the constitution and stop blaming the media for the country’s failure to lure foreign investors.
Mugabe (92) accuses the private media of chasing away investors through critiquing his policies.
The aging Zimbabwean leader has over the past two decades been enacting repressive media laws which stifle media freedom and freedom of expression.
Addressing journalists Wednesday evening, at a MISA-Zimbabwe organised World Press Freedom Day commemoration event in Harare where he was giving the western blocs perception on media freedom and freedom of expression, European Union ambassador to Zimbabwe Philippe Van Damme, said bad governance and inconsistent economic policies were the sources of  the low uptake of investment by western investors.
“I have to be very frank; I do not think an international investor can make decisions based on newspaper reports. The decisions are made based on facts. The legal framework, the credibility of the legal framework, rule of law in terms of the judiciary, these are things which influence investment,” he said.
The controversial indigenisation policy is one of the economic laws scaring away potential investors.
The controversial economic policy has not only driven away investment but also caused divisions within the President Mugabe’s faction ridden Zanu PF party.

Harare North MP, Tongesai Mudambo has caused shockwaves with touching pictures of his road repairs.
Mudambo has led a crusade of road fixing work over the last year with several successful patches being made in some of Harare’s most dangerous road spots. Mudambo does the job himself with his bare hands with the help a group of volunteers. Yesterday was an area close to Pomona bridge. PICTURES:


Continue reading “Amazing Pictures: MP Mudambo Levels Potholes”

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe boss, John Mangudya has won his farm battle with the government.
Mangudya will now get back to his farm in Rusape after the High Court this week ordered the reversal of its compulsory acquisition.
Government erroneously acquired Inyamasitza Farm in Makoni District and allocated it to four new farmers under the land reform programme, in violation of the Constitution and the land reform policy that protects indigenously-owned farms from compulsory acquisition.
High Court judge Justice Samuel Kudya nullified the compulsory acquisition of the farm after it came to light that the farm belonged to Dr Mangudya. Dr Mangudya bought the farm in December 2000 from a white farmer, but Government compulsorily acquired it.
The court reversed Government’s decision after the Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement Dr Douglas Mombeshora admitted that his ministry erred in acquiring the farm.
The Attorney-General’s civil division filed a notice of opposition to Dr Mangudya’s application, but in a U-turn, Minister Mombeshora deposed an affidavit confirming Dr Mangudya as the legitimate owner of the farm.
“Consequently, such land was then acquired in error in violation of the policy aforesaid. In the circumstances of this case, the first respondent considers that the land in question is indigenously owned by the applicant,” he said.
He said he had no objection to the acquisition of the land being lifted.
“First respondent has no objection to the acquisition of the land in terms of section 16B (2) (a) of the former Constitution being lifted on the basis that at the time the farm was gazetted for acquisition, the acquisition was inconsistent with the purpose and intent of Se4ction 16A of the former Constitution, which sought to benefit indigenous people who had been previously disadvantaged under colonialism,” he said.
The minister said the other four farmers who had been issued with offer letters for the farm, will be allocated alternative land elsewhere.
In the application filed at the High Court on April 7 this year, Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement Dr Douglas Mombeshora was listed as a respondent. In his founding affidavit, Dr Mangudya said the acquisition of his farm was erroneous and that the court must order its immediate reversal.
Dr Mangudya said he was a serious farmer with a track record of productive farming for the development of the nation and that the court should rule in his favour.-state media

A cop who was suspended for demanding bribes at a roadblock has appeared in court after being allegedly caught with mbanje.
Roe Junior MacDonald’s latest troubles came after he tried to take a sweet worth three cents from a vendor. The dispute ended at a police station where, upon being searched, officers recovered a stash of illegal drugs in his pockets.
Yesterday, MacDonald, 28, pleaded guilty to possession of mbanje and possession of unregistered drugs before Bulawayo magistrate Evelyn Mashavakure.The magistrate remanded him in custody to May 9 for sentencing.