A 27-year-old kombi driver from Gokwe has been sentenced to six years in jail for stealing a police officer’s vehicle that he later sold.
Erick Chinyaure from Gandiwa Village under Chief Nemangwe pleaded guilty to car theft before Kwekwe-Gokwe regional magistrate Amos Mbobo.
Chinyaure will, however, serve an effective four years in prison after two years were suspended for five years on conditions of good be- haviour.
Prosecuting, Robert Ndlala told the court that on June 11, 2014, Chinyaure approached Johnson Ndabambi, a Gokwe-based police officer, who had recently imported a Mazda vehicle worth $7 000.
He told the cop that he would use the vehicle to carry passengers for a fee.
The court heard that Ndabambi knew Chinyaure as a public service transport driver in Gokwe hence he agreed to the arrangement.
“Instead of adhering to what they had agreed, Chinyaure went to Norton with the vehicle the same day he received it and never returned or call Ndabambi advising him of his whereabouts,” said Ndlala.
He later sold the vehicle to one Liberty Mbofana in Norton.State Media

The Morgan Tsvangirai led MDC-T has ended its election boycott and will now contest the 2018 general polls despite its “No Reforms, No Elections” campaign adopted in 2014.
Zanu PF has capitalised on the “No Reforms, No Elections” campaign by grabbing all parliamentary by-elections held since last year as MDC-T boycotted.
In Bulawayo alone, Zanu PF won all six by-elections that the MDC T boycotted in June last year.
“We are preparing to participate in the 2018 elections and we are very categorical about it,” Tsvangirai told journalists at the Bulawayo Press Club on Friday night.
“What we are saying is that when we go to that election, it must give the people the confidence that the election will not be usurped like the 2013 one.”
He added: “We are participating in the 2018 elections and we are very confident that obstacles that were placed in our way before will be removed by the time we go to the polls.”
The MDC-T leader, however, insisted on key electoral reforms to ensure a level playing field.
“Our demand for no reforms no elections, was a campaign. It was not a decision to boycott the 2018 elections. We are not boycotting any election, come 2018. We are going to be there,” he said.
“We are going to make sure that we minimise the conditions that have militated against us. We are going to insist we have a level playing field.”
A decision to boycott by-elections did not go down well with MDC-T officials and legislators, especially those from Matabeleland where Zanu PF had in the past struggled to make inroads.
In Bulawayo, Zanu PF had not won a single seat since 2000.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) commissioner, Qhubani Moyo, said Tsvangirai’s announcement showed a vote of confidence in the country’s electoral system.
“As an electoral management body official, it is good news as it reflects a vote of confidence in the electoral reform processes done so far. We have taken charge of the voters’ roll from the registrar general,” Moyo posted on his Facebook page.
“We have also introduced marker pens and not ink dipping. We are preparing for biometric voter registration. That is how far we have gone so far, but we still have a few more things to do and we are happy that people are already happy.” Standard

Wedzerai Gwenzi from Chisumbanje asks with regret why his late father abandoned his family to join the liberation struggle.
Gwenzi says while his father played his part in liberating the country; he died after independence without anything — a pauper who had his land taken away by a white man, businessman Billy Rautenbach.
“I now blame my father for wasting his time fighting for independence and land ownership because during the time he spent at war, he could not mobilise resources for our education,” an emotional Gwenzi told delegates last Thursday at a Transparency International Zimbabwe launch of a documentary on women, land and corruption.
“Thirty six years later I am still fighting to take back our land in Chisumbanje. Government allowed one man, Rautenbach to displace close to 30 000 villagers for his sugarcane plantation.”
Gwenzi said the ethanol project at Chisumbanje had impoverished villagers to the extent that some women ended up selling their bodies to headmen, just to be given half a hectare of land to plough and feed their children.
“‘Sextortion’ is now the order of the day in Chisumbanje, and women are sexually exploited by headmen and other powerful people to get small pieces of land. They are scared to make reports for fear of losing the land — their only source of livelihood,” she said.
“Rautenbach is a powerful man and he has the backing of people at the top. We used to see former state security minister Didymus Mutasa and MPs threatening people whenever they tried to resist occupation of their land to make way for the ethanol project. Right now in Chisumbanje, there is need to capacitate women to be self-sustaining so that they can defend themselves from sextortion.”
Robinson Nyakurwa (74) said he was born in Chisumbanje and had seen different companies setting up in the area.
“A company called Tilco which was the first to set up in Chisumbanje looked after the villagers well. It used to build schools and people would be contracted to remove tree stumps and be paid well for it. Arda then took over from Tilco and they assisted us with tractors. They only requested that we buy diesel to use their tractors for ploughing,” he said.
Nyakurwa said when the ethanol project started the situation in Chisumbanje changed.
“He [Rautenbach], however, does not help people. He made an agreement with Arda to acquire 5½ hectares of land and we did not have qualms with that. But [although he has now taken thousands of hactres], he should leave the pieces of land where he has not worked to enable us to farm because we are now unsure where our next meal will come from,” Nyakurwa said.
Claris Madhuku, the director for Platform for Youth Development, said “sextortion” of women desperate for land in Chisumbanje was happening under cover, with most of them lacking courage to speak out.
“There is need to increase awareness on the affected women so that the cases can be reported. As the Chisumbanje community, the biggest problem we have is that since 2009, everything that was promised to the community has not been delivered,” Madhuku said.
Chinhoyi University lecturer Patience Mutopo who authored a book on women, land disposition and biofuels, said what was happening in Chisumbanje was a negation of human rights principles and protocols which Zimbabwe was signatory to.
“We cannot talk of the existence of working gender policies in Zimbabwe. We need responsive national gender policies which include views of rural women. Land policies should look at the rights of women and children, business human rights and corporate social responsibility,” Mutopo said.
Manase Chiweshe, an associate coordinator of the Chinhoyi University Unesco Saich Platform said urban land was desirable for women because unlike rural land, it could be sold.
“Land is now also a political tool and when we have elections in 2018, people will be allowed to build on illegal land but the houses will be demolished after elections,” Chiweshe said. Standard

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa has exploded onto the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) saying they are corrupt.
Speaking at the Trade Fair in Bulawayo, Mnangagwa blamed the ZACC for corruption. We soon found that they were corrupt as well, the VP said.

According to the below state media report, the organization’s bosses splurged US$5,5 million on luxury homes, top-of-the-range cars and executive furniture at a time when the commission was being accused of doing little to fight corruption. A fortnight ago, four top managers were suspended for alleged misappropriation of funds.
Sunday Mail report:
The houses were bought in 2009 after the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe provided funding through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the apex bank and ZACC on October 10, 2008.
ZACC chairperson Dr Job Wabhira yesterday said the “commission was looking at the issue to clean up what happened in the past”.
He said although he did not work with the commission in question, his office was seized with dealing with any corrupt activities which might have occurred.
“We are looking into everything; we will look at the issue (procurement of houses and cars).
“The commission is working in liason with the National Prosecuting Authority, judiciary and the police; we are not competing but complementing each other,” said Dr Wabhira.
Those who benefited from the largesse are said to be still occupying the luxury homes – five years after leaving the organisation.
Documents at hand show that former commissioners who left office in 2011, benefitted as follows:
Prosecutor-General Mr Johannes Tomana got a house at 366 Glen Helenway, Glen Lorne valued at US$280 000;
Then commission deputy chairperson Dr Rutendo Faith Wutawunashe received a property worth US$200 000 at 42 Stratford Greystone Park;
Then commission chairman Mr Abdulman Eric Harid was given number 22 Dawning, Greendale(US$100 000);
Mrs Bessie Nhandara 24 Honeybear Lane, Helenslave (US$180 000);
Ms Alice Nkomo 8 Uxbridge, Bluffhill (US$90 000);
Retired Brigadier Elasto Madzingira 11 Iffley Close, Greendale (US$110 000);
Retired Police Senior Assistant Commissioner Casper Khumalo 50 Garlands Rise, Mt Pleasant (US$150 000);
Mrs Juliet Machoba 17 Dougal
Avenue, Mandara (US$160 000);
Mr Kuziwa Nyamwanza 4 Hilmorton Road, Meyrick Park (US$60 000);
Jailed former ZACC chief executive officer Mr Ngonidzashe Gumbo reportedly benefited through a US$1 026 912.50 house.
Suspended ZACC general manager investigations Ms Sukai Tongogara, received a house worth US$637 192.50, while Mr Edwin Mubataripi (general manager prevention and corporate governance) benefited a US$753 267.50 house.
These two are on suspension together with Mr Christopher Chisango (general manager finance, human resources and administration and Mr Gibson Mangwiro (manager finance) pending a hearing over alleged corrupt activities.
They are being accused of being involved in a case in which Mr Gumbo was jailed for two years for defrauding the agency of US$435 500 in a deal which saw the purchase of ZACC headquarters located at 872 Betterment Close in Mt Pleasant.
Apart from the houses, the ZACC bosses also benefited top-of-the-range vehicles such as Mercedes Benz ML 350 worth US$160 000 for Mr Gumbo, and two other same Mercedes cars for the commission.
Other vehicles include Toyota Fortuner worth US$60 000, four Toyota Hilux double cab each valued at US$40 000 and 13 Isuzu KBs each valued at US$18 000.
ZACC also splashed US$558 738.31 on executive office furniture, carpeting, office security and surveillance systems.
Another US$50 629 was spent on cellphones, switchboard, telephone receivers and fax machines
The suspended ZACC general managers also stand accused of allocating themselves 700 litres of fuel per month each while investigations vehicles get 200 litres.
A whistleblower said, “They (ZACC general managers) awarded themselves 700 litres, landline and cellphone allowances monthly and these are backdated whenever Treasury releases funds for operations.
“On 7 January 2015, they awarded themselves with backdated fuel coupons and other self-approved allowances in excess of US$2 000 each time the commission was on annual shutdown.
“What business were they doing when the commission was not investigating any crimes?

Nyagomo Confronts Mugabe Over Workers’ Plight

A 30-year-old Harare man fatally shot his maid with his service rifle after accusing her of deliberately infecting him with HIV, the court heard yesterday. It is alleged that Phelimon Chigwada shot his wife Memory Mahari who is battling for her life at Parirenyatwa Hospital after she had tried to cool his temper. Chigwada, who is a security guard, was facing murder and attempted murder charges when he appeared before magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe.
He was remanded in custody to May 5 and advised to approach the High Court for bail application. Allegations are that on April 23, Chigwada had a misunderstanding with Chiedza Rambanepasi whom he was accusing of deliberately infecting him with HIV.
The court heard that during the dispute, Chigwada took his service 303 rifle and shot Rambanepasi who died on the spot. It is the State’s case that after shooting Rambanepasi, Chigwada turned to Mahari and shot her in the jaw.
A report was made leading to Chigwada’s arrest.
Meanwhile, a jilted Harare man appeared in the same court on Monday accused of fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend with a kitchen knife in the heat of a dispute. Emmanuel Chikwanda (25) was charged with murder. He was remanded in custody to May 9 for trial.-State Media

Anglican Bishop Sebastian Bakare says President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party should be cursed for looting the Marange diamonds.
Bishop Bakare told western diplomats, members of the civil society, and politicians gathered at a private venue for the official launch of a book titled “Facets of Power” Politics, profits and people in the making of Zimbabwe’s bloody diamonds, in Harare Thursday that maggots were waiting for the “corrupt” Zanu PF diamond looters.
“Reading through the pages of this book, one cannot fail to understand the plight and struggle of the powerless peasants of Marange caused by selfish and the brutal elite with no regard and human dignity,” said Bishop Bakare.
The man of the cloth said Mugabe destroyed Manicaland.
“The story of bloody diamonds has however not only scandalised, shamed and destroyed the image of the Marange community alone, but also of the entire nation. The recent announcement of the disappearance of $15 billion affects us all since all natural resources should benefit the people and the entire nation.
“Never, never again should we allow the power hungry, shameless and corrupt elite system that denies equal opportunities for all,” said Bishop Bakare.
Government in 2008 deployed soldiers in the Chiadzwa diamond fields who brutalised local villagers, also killing many.
The administration allocated the diamond claims to the Chinese and known top state security officials.

Zimbabwe’s Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku on Thursday dismissed an urgent chamber application by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights(ZLHR) to stay the reciting of the national pledge in schools until the court makes a ruling on the case.
ZLHR lawyer, David Hofisi says the Constitutional Court will only hear the matter in June.
Government, through the ministry of education, introduced a national pledge which school children have to recite and Minister Lazarus Dokora said schools would start enforcing it starting next month.
President Robert Mugabe will now join 4.2 million pupils, parents and guardians in the inaugural national schools pledge to be recited in all schools on May 3.
The urgent application was filed Tuesday by a parent Mathew Sologani. The respondents were cited as Dokora, the headmaster of Mashambanhaka Secondary School, Mashonaland East, the headmaster of Chizungu Primary School in Harare and the Attorney General.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights is representing Sologani, a father of three. The lawyers had argued in papers filed Tuesday that, the applicant (Sologani) is entitled to an urgent hearing of the matter due to the fact that he will suffer irreparable harm if his children are compelled to recite a pledge which is contrary to their views, opinions and beliefs.
The lawyers further said Sologani prayed for the following order:
The policy requirement for recitation of the national pledge in all schools and by all schoolchildren as required by the 1st Respondent be and is hereby stayed pending the determination of the Constitutional Court Application filed in Case Number CCZ /16.
Consequently, there shall be no recitation of the national pledge as required by the 1st Respondent pending the determination of the Constitutional Court Application filed in Case Number CCZ 31/16.
As such, the 2nd and 3rd Respondents shall not, require school children, including Applicant’s children, to recite the national pledge as formulated pending the determination of the Constitutional Court Application filed in Case Number CCZ 31/16.
Each party to bear its own costs.
The National Pledge
The pledge reads” “Almighty God in whose hands our future lies: I salute the national flag. United in our diversity by our common desire for freedom, justice and equality Respecting the brave fathers and mothers who lost lives in the Chimurenga/Umvukela. We are proud inheritors of the richness of our natural resources. We are proud creators and participants in our vibrant traditions and cultures. I commit to honesty and dignity of hard work.”VOA

A HIGH Court judge yesterday ordered prominent Matabeleland South commercial white farmer David Connolly to vacate Centenary Farm and blasted the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Paddy Zhanda for allegedly shielding him.
Connolly, through his company, JC Connolly and Sons (Pvt) Ltd, has since 2014 been locked in a protracted legal wrangle with the Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Ray Ndhlukula, over the ownership of the farm.
The ruling by Justice Joseph Musakwa of the Harare High Court follows an application by Connolly who sought the confirmation of a provisional order which was granted in his favour in 2014.
The order, by a Bulawayo High Court judge, barred Ndhlukula from evicting Connolly from Centenary Farm. The order also interdicted Ndhlukula from occupying the farm and bringing in his cattle into the disputed piece of land pending the finalisation of the matter.
Justice Musakwa said Connolly was in occupation of gazetted land, which was compulsorily acquired by the state in 2000.
In discharging the provisional order, Justice Musakwa said although Connolly has not been charged for unlawful occupation of the disputed farm, he had no right to remain on the property.
“The applicant has no legal right to the land in question and the elements of a clear right as a requirement for the interdict hasn’t been met. In my final analysis, the provisional order is hereby discharged with costs,” ruled Justice Musakwa.
The judge also blasted government officials, among them the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Paddy Zhanda, for “legitimising” Connolly’s occupation of the farm through their frequent visits to encourage him to continue with his farming activities. “It matters not that the applicant has received covert encouragement from government officials. In fact, it was duplicitous of those government officials to have given the applicant such false hope without ensuring he’s issued with a legal permit to remain on the land,” said Justice Musakwa.
Connolly, through his lawyers Webb Low and Barry, argued that since the acquisition of the farm he has been in peaceful and undisturbed occupation of the property and productively utilising the land.
Ndhlukula, through his lawyer Gerald Mlotshwa of GN Mlotshwa and Company, said Connolly failed to establish a clear right to the land. He said the farm belonged to him, arguing that he had an offer letter from the Lands and Rural Settlement Minister Douglas Mombeshora.
In March last year, Connolly celebrated a short-lived victory after the Bulawayo High Court ordered Ndhlukula off the farm and subsequently sentenced him to a suspended 90-day jail term on condition that he complied with the order issued in 2014 within 14 days.

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo| Controversial Remnant Ministries leader Phillip Mugadza staged a one man demonstration in Masvingo last Saturday- calling for President Robert Mugabe’s immediate resignation as a result of his failed economic policies.
Mugadza rose to prominence last year when he was arrested following the one man protest he held in Victoria Falls ahead of the Zanu PF annual conference.
He spent several weeks behind bars.
The outspoken pastor held the demonstration in the city centre saying Mugabe must resign because his government has brought the country to a hault as a result of controversial and failed policies.
Mugadza said Mugabe was not God and he should hand over power and give others a chance to lead the nation.
The pastor recently caused a stir in Masvingo after chaining himself on a pole to indicate the lack of freedom in the country.
“Zimbabwe is chained and there is no freedom of expression and association. Those who oppose the government are brutally silenced. That is not a Godly way of leading. There is need for total freedom from oppression. The government has done nothing to improve the plight of the people. I came to my home town(Masvingo) to deliver this strong message. I will not be intimidated. I will travel to all towns around Zimbabwe to express the same message,” said Mugadza.
The controversial pastor addressed passers-by at an open space near Glow Petroleum in the city centre-a few metres from Masvingo Central Police Station and the Central Intelligence Organisation(CIO) provincial offices. Mugadza was accompanied by the president of the Christian Voice International, Pastor Clement Zenda, who said religious leaders should come out in the open and speak against violence and intimidation.
Mugadza drew the attention of scores of people who showed keen interest in his message, an indication the people of Zimbabwe are hard pressed by social and political challenges.

Below is Youth Advocacy for Reform and Democracy(YARD) leader, Temba Mliswa’s press statement regarding the disturbance of the YARD Press Conference of Wednesday 27th April 2016:
Wednesday’s riotous disturbance at the Media Centre during YARD’s press conference was certainly no surprise. We were expecting this sort of behaviour and now have the violent nature of Zanu Pf and its youths clearly evidenced.
This is what we are up against as citizens of Zimbabwe , the regime in its full brutal glory. If ever there was any doubt about Zanu PF’s affiliation to ZICOSU or of the party’s intimidation tactics and violent nature then the truth has been exposed for all to see!
What is sad to note is that the poor misguided youths have been brainwashed to serve political expedience at the expense of students rights and basic needs. Students continue to be victimised in institutions, fees continue to be out of reach of the ordinary student, basic sanitation and living conditions continue in their deplorable state whilst the rate of sexually related infections and diseases continues to sky rocket as our youths are forced into compromising situations to get by.
Are these the education standards that were envisaged when the free education initiative was implemented? Is this the educational environment that parents look forward to for their children and died during the liberation struggle for? No wonder why all the top brass send their children abroad for further education and yet they are the very same people who create the unsavoury environment that our children are forced to deal with.
Our streets are littered with thousands of degreed vendors who even after struggling to go through the university system continue the struggle after school….when does it all end?
We are victorious that the regime played into our hands and we will be making a report to the police to further test the judiciary system. Let us see how unruliness is handled. This display will not deter us, it is this very anti-tolerant and violent nature that we as YARD advocate against. One by one the youth will realise that there is no future in chaos and although a process, Zimbabwe will one day overcome. We cannot fault the youth as its is the system that has turned them into the monsters that they are today but all is not lost and sanity will be restored and that restoration lies with each and every one of us who yearns for a democratic, peaceful Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe we once knew and were safe, the bread basket of the continent that had its own currency in before greed and corruption stole our heritage.

A Mutare-based businessman has dragged Home Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo to court to force him to facilitate the re-imbursement of $78 900 seized by the police following his arrest in 2008 on theft charges.
Tendai Blessing Mangwiro, filed an application for mandamus (a judicial remedy) on Monday, demanding Chombo to act in terms of his duties and facilitate the release of his money.
Mangwiro, who was cleared of the theft charges in 2012, said that since an order for the re-imbursement of the money was done over a year ago, Chombo has not acted in terms of the directive.
“…it is respondent (Chombo)’s failure as the minister of Home Affairs to comply with the statutory duty on him…which prompted me to make this application…,” Mangwiro said.
He accused Chombo of misleading his lawyers, following several communications, where the minister claimed, “all necessary arrangements have been made to request and pay the amounts due to your client as granted by the court.”
Mangwiro said according to Section 5 of the State Liabilities Act, where a person successfully sues the State, the court cannot order execution or attachment against the State’s property.
He however, said Chombo as the nominal defendant and Home Affairs minister had an obligation to have the money paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
“…I implore this honourable court to hold the respondent as a public servant to be personally held liable for not complying with the honourable court’s order because he has failed or neglected to perform a mandatory duty which is cast upon him by the statute because the statute has set him as an agent of the legislature,” Mangwiro said.
He is now seeking a directive for Chombo to comply with the court order, failure of which he argues the minister must be declared to be in contempt of court.
In his previous court papers, Mangwiro said that the police seized US$78 900, Z$46 135 000 000, which he said was equivalent to US$1 537 837, 33 and two vehicles.
The two vehicles were released in 2008, but he is still to get the confiscated money. Daily News

ZIMBABWE was slowly becoming a “market for other countries” with very little exports in return to drive the economy forward, Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.
Addressing delegates at the International Business Conference hosted by the Zimbabwe International Trade (ZITF) company, Mnangagwa said the country was not doing enough in terms of exports urging the public and private sector to work hard to address the anomaly.
“Meanwhile, the government has noted with concern that Zimbabwe is slowly becoming a market for other countries with very little export in return. Efforts are underway to arrest the trend and revive domestic industry,” Mnangagwa said.
According to national statistics agency, Zimstat, Zimbabwe recorded a trade deficit of $323 million in the first quarter of the year. The agency said imports to March amounted to $490 million against $167 million exports, which remained heavily skewed towards consumptive products following a significant drop in raw materials importation.
Most of the imports were consumptive products such as bottled water, sugar, soap, cooking oil, cellphone handsets, electronics, vehicle spares, vehicles, generators and second hand vehicles.
Cumulatively, to March, Zimbabwe’s imports stood at $1,3 billion, while exports amounted to $626 million.
Mnangagwa said there was need for a paradigm shift by industry and business towards the use of abundant domestic resources and skills to provide goods and services of competitive quality.
“This will in turn undoubtedly endear Zimbabweans to locally produced goods and make them competitive on the international market. To this end, government remains committed to assisting industry and business in their efforts to re-tool in order to ensure business viability,” he said.
He urged businesses to invest in innovation and technology to improve productivity and quality of goods and services.
During the question and answer session, Mnangagwa also spoke about the issue of corruption. He urged both the private and public sector to fight corruption.
“For any country to succeed, corruption must be fought left, right and centre. Let it not be a duty of the government alone but everyone,” he said.
Asked by participants what the government was doing about the $15 billion money which President Robert Mugabe alleged disappeared in thin air, Mnangagwa said he “believes investigations were taking place” to ascertain whether the allegations were true or not.
The fair running up to Saturday under the theme Innovate, Integrate and Industrialise, would be officially opened by Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé tomorrow.
Sixteen countries, including Zimbabwe, were represented. These were Botswana, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.
This year’s edition had attracted about 390 direct exhibitors, compared to the closing total of 387 last year. The figure included 32 direct foreign exhibitors, the same as was achieved in 2015. -Newsday

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo| Scores of teachers from the rural areas were stranded in the ancient city of Masvingo after failing to get their salaries from their respective banks, amid indications the 2008 chaos could resurface.
The teachers were forced to sleep on the pavements after being told the banks had no cash. Some of the teachers travelled from as far as Mwenezi about 180 kilometres from Masvingo. In a snap analysis carried out by ZimEye.com yesterday some banks limited the daily cash withdrawal to $200 while others did not have the money to pay the desperate civil servants. As the country’s economy continues to deteriorate, there are speculations the chaos that rocked the nation in 2008 could resurface.
Economists have warned the treasury has been overburdened with expenses while the nation’s industry is stagnant. Speaking on Independence day last week President Robert Mugabe surprised all and sundry when he claimed the nation was experiencing economic prosperity,in sharp contrast to the plight of the civil servants. Teachers who spoke to ZimEye.com said they spent the whole night sleeping on the pavements despite the biting cold as winter approaches.
“I am from Mwenezi and I slept on the pavement because I had no money to go back home. I had no option but to sleep on the pavement. I might be forced to sleep here (on the pavement again) since I have to wait for bonus.I need at least $14 to travel to and from Mwenezi. I do not have any extra cash and last night I only drank a bottle of water,” said the teacher from Maranda Mwenezi.
Another female teacher from Rutenga, Mwenezi said : “I don’t know anyone here so I slept on the pavement. I went to BancABC and there was no cash.We were told to wait for another day.Hundreds of teachers are stranded .The situation is highly critical.”
The government has claimed agents of regime change are working tirelessly to sabotage the country’s economy. It remains to be seen whether the teachers will get their bonuses on Saturday as earlier announced by Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa.

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo|$200,000 has reportedly disappeared as a raging storm brews at the Roman Catholic owned St Antony’s Msiso High School with parents accusing the head of gross abuse of funds.
Disgruntled parents yesterday accused the school head Emmaculate Tinago of rampant corruption and gross embezzlement of school funds to the tune of USD200,000.
The parents also accused Tinago of constructing a sub standard structure at the boarding school after failing to account for the hostel construction levy collected from the parents for over six terms.
The parents said the school constructed the below standard structure claiming it cost $ 200 000.
“We have been paying the hostel construction levy for more than six terms. Initially she told us the levy will be paid for six terms but to our surprise the payment period has been extended. The head also took school equipment to her farm. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is deeply reluctant to act on the matter. We have written several letters to the ministry to no avail. The head has a habit of inflating figures.
She also inflated figures for the borehole construction project at the school. We have gathered evidence that she also demands kickbacks from companies that supply goods at the school,” said one parent who spoke to ZimEye.com.
Efforts to get a comment from Tinago did not materialise but sources at the school claimed the head was being protected by senior education officials. Another angry parent said:”The Ministry has to send a team of auditors to analyse the school’s financial records. The head is concealing a lot of sinister motives. She spends most of her time at her farm in Chiredzi. The school’s high standards are waning with each passing day.”

A MARRIED man from Gweru who sodomised his neighbour’s 12-year-old son has been slapped with a 15-year jail term.
Never Noah, 24, of Chihota Farm, appeared before Gweru Regional Magistrate Morgan Nemadire facing one count of indecent assault. He pleaded guilty and was jailed for 15 years.
Noah will, however, serve 12 years of the prison term after Nemadire suspended three years for five years on condition of good behaviour. In passing sentence, Nemadire bemoaned the increase in sodomy cases in the Midlands province.
“Indecent assault cases have increased and that’s a cause for concern. You were cruel in the manner you committed the crime on a young boy aged 12. You weren’t sexually starved since you’re married. You deserve a long prison term and hence l’ll sentence you to 15 years in prison. Furthermore, three years will be suspended on condition of good behaviour,” he said.
Prosecuting, Andrew Marimo said on April 24 this year, the complainant was walking alone along Matobo Road in Gweru when he met the accused.
“Noah grabbed the complainant, dragged him into a nearby bush where he laid him on his chest before he removed his trousers and sodomised him once,” said Marimo.
The court heard that the boy was screaming for help as Noah sodomised him.
Noah, the court heard, released the complainant when some people were approaching the scene.
“The accused was chased by John Deke who was among the people who heard the boy’s screams. He was caught after sprinting for a distance of 200 metres. The accused was handed over to the police,” said Marimo. – State Media

Prosecutor-General Johannes Tomana erupted in court complaining that the stalling of his criminal abuse of duty trial by the State was prejudicing his functions.
The trial, which was scheduled for yesterday, was reset to June 1 and Tomana’s bail condition was relaxed to reporting once a fortnight at CID Law and Order instead of every Friday.
Tomana is charged with criminal abuse of duty as a public officer or alternatively defeating or obstructing the course of justice after he allegedly ordered the release of two men — Solomon Makumbe and Silas Pfupa — suspected of trying to petrol-bomb the First Family’s Alpha Omega Dairy Farm in Mazowe.
Through his lawyer, Mr Tazorora Musarurwa, Tomana insisted his trial should have started yesterday.
“When the matter was last remanded, April 27 was set as the trial date, this means today (yesterday) trial should have started,” he said. “On February 14 we went to the national director of prosecution informing them that we had not yet received State papers.
“They said we should be served with State papers immediately so that trial could start. Today we are served with witness statements, which were recorded at the beginning of February.
“There is no reason State failed to serve us in time. We thought with the sensitivity of the matter State would want to conclude it in time.”
Mr Musarurwa said they wanted an earlier trial date and Tomana should be removed from reporting every Friday at CID Law and Order because it was affecting his functions as the Prosecutor General of the country.
The prosecutor, Mr Timothy Makoni, submitted that the judiciary system is like a conveyor belt and other matters are already in queue.
“It would be unfair to remove other matters to accommodate the accused. He should wait his turn in that chain of events,” said Mr Makoni. “We are amenable to have accused’s reporting conditions reduced to once a fortnight.”
Harare magistrate, Mr Vakayi Chikwekwe, adjourned the matter and relaxed Tomana’s reporting conditions. He is on $1 000 bail.
It is the State’s case that Makumbe, Pfupa, Kuchata and Borman Ngwenya were arrested for possession of weaponry for sabotage and money laundering for terrorism purposes.
On January 25, their request for remand placement forms were taken to the National Prosecuting Authority where Mrs Ziyambi, Mr Mutsonziwa, chief law officers Michael Mugabe and Chris Mutangadura went through the documents and gave the greenlight for the four to be placed on remand.
The quartet was taken to court for initial remand and was remanded in custody.
On January 29, the ,State alleged Tomana, knowing that police investigations were still in their infancy and without having sight of a complete docket, directed the withdrawal of charges before plea against two of the accused Makumbe and Pfupa.
The two were released from remand. He unilaterally suggested that the two be treated as witnesses, which was contrary to the evidence at hand which is linking them to the offence, the court heard.-State Media

ZANU PF businessman, Wicknell Chivayo is said to have rescued 32 Zimbabwean women who were lured to Kuwait to work as housemaids but ended up being abused as sex slaves.

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa today admitted to the presence of corruption in his boss Robert Mugabe’s administration. Speaking at the (ZITF) Zimbabwe Trade Fair in Bulawayo attended by ZimEye, Mnangagwa said even the Mugabe appointed Anti Corruption Commission itself, was recently found to be corrupt. AUDIO:

At least seven homes belonging to Elton Mangoma’s Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe party supporters have been razed down in Manicaland’s Chiendambuya rural areas.
One of the party officials in Harare who requested not to be named until “we” have verified the arson, said they were rushing to the scene to establish the facts.
“We have just been informed that there are seven homes which have been burnt by suspected Zanu PF supporters in Chiendambuya ,” she said.
“As we are speaking we are on our way there and we will give you details when we get there”.
More to follow…….
 

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s wife, Auxillia, is hunting down faction gangs deployed in the Midlands area.
Auxillia Mnangagwa was appointed by the ZANU-PF Midlands leadership among a seven-member taskforce moving around the province looking into the causes of rampant factionalism by members of First Lady Grace Mugabe’s G40 faction.
The decision was made during the first Midlands provincial coordinating committee meeting held at the weekend following the appointment of Joram Gumbo as the acting provincial chairperson.
Provincial spokesperson Cornelius Mupereri told the state media the holding of the PCC meeting was a move in the right direction towards returning to normalcy in the Midlands.
Members of two factions that were holding parallel meetings before the Politburo dispatched national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere to deal with factionalism in the province recently, attended the weekend’s PCC.
“We had a PCC over the weekend, the first after the intervention of the Politburo. All provincial members were present as we work for the greater good of the party,” said Mupereri.
He said a taskforce to find out problems bedevilling the province was set up and its findings would be presented before the Politburo.
Mupereri said the seven member taskforce was headed by Gumbo who was going to be deputised by Auxillia Mnangagwa.
“So the taskforce is made up of seven members from the central committee.
“They’re going to look into the root causes of the problem we’ve been experiencing as a province,” he said.
Mupereri said the taskforce was going to visit all the eight districts in the province to interview party members. ‘‘After their findings, they’ll report back to the Politburo,” he said.
Tapiwa Matangaidze, who had been acting as the provincial chairperson, reverted to his position as provincial secretary for administration, while Daniel Mackenzie Ncube remained as the deputy provincial chairperson.
Before Kasukuwere’s visit, Matangaidze was acting chairman.

A FORM three pupil at Zwangendaba Secondary School in Lupane has been arrested for sodomising a six-year-old neighbour after promising to give him a memory card.
The 17-year-old boy and his victim, a Grade one pupil, both live in Daluka Village in Lupane.
The schoolboy pleaded guilty to aggravated indecent assault when he appeared before Hwange regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga.
The teenager who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded for leniency. “May the court have mercy on me. I will never do it again,” he said in mitigation. Malunga sentenced the pupil to a wholly suspended two year jail term.
The schoolboy will also receive four strokes with a rattan cane to be administered by a prison officer. Prosecuting, Tawanda Sigauke said the incident occurred on March 18 at Daluka Village.
“On March 18, the complainant was herding goats with friends at around 4PM when the accused approached them indicating that he was selling a memory card. The complainant’s 11-year-old friend told him that they didn’t have money,” said Sigauke.
The court heard that the teenager then asked the complainant to accompany him if he wanted the memory card.
“The complainant agreed and followed. While they were in the bush the accused grabbed the complainant by both hands and forced him to lie on his stomach. He pulled the boy’s pair of shorts to knee level and mounted and had anal sex with him once,” Sigauke said.
He said the teenager threatened his victim if he revealed to anyone what had happened.
The little boy went back to his friend and narrated the incident.
His friend informed the victim’s father who then reported the matter to the police. State Media

FOUR highway robbers fired a gun shot before pulling a woman from a vehicle and gang-raping her, police said yesterday.
A haulage truck driver and his male passenger were robbed of their belongings and stripped naked in the incident on Monday night near the Mahatshula North suburb turn-off in Bulawayo.
Police say they are looking for four men who are believed to be armed and dangerous. They have appealed to the public for help to arrest the gang.
A haulage truck driver stopped for the four men in Shangani and offered them a lift to Bulawayo. The truck already had three other passengers — another driver whose haulage truck had developed a mechanical fault and two women, according to national police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi.
Chief Supt Nyathi said the four men, who pretended to be innocent hitchhikers, turned out to be criminals.
After picking up the quartet, Chief Supt Nyathi said one of the female passengers disembarked at Kombo in Insiza. “As they reached Mahatshula turn-off, one of the four men told the driver that he had reached his drop off point.
“After disembarking, he went to the left side of the haulage truck, which is the driver’s side, while his accomplices remained inside,” he said.
Chief Supt Nyathi said the man pulled the driver out of his vehicle before firing a shot at the truck. “He fired once using a pistol and his accomplices joined in as they started assaulting the two male passengers and the remaining female passenger. One of the men dragged the female into the bush where he raped her before exchanging her with his other three colleagues,” said Chief Supt Nyathi.
After raping her, the suspects robbed and stripped the driver and his male passenger before disappearing into the darkness.
“The three — the female, the driver and male passenger — were assisted by members of the public with clothing before they took them to a police station to report the incident. They were robbed of valuables including cellphones, money and clothes among other things,” he said.
Chief Supt Nyathi urged members of the public who may have information that may lead to the arrest of the four criminals to come forward.
He urged motorists to desist from offering lifts to strangers as they risked falling victim to criminal gangs.
“We want to encourage motorists, be it haulage truck drivers or private vehicle drivers, not to divert from the purpose of the journey and start picking up passengers no matter how desperate they seem.
“Some of the hitchhikers are turning out to be criminals,” he said.State Media

Terrence Mawawa, Gutu | President Robert Mugabe’s perennial political arch rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, has firmly warned of a possible election boycott if reforms are not implemented before the crucial 2018 polls.
The MDC leader, who has been criticised by many political analysts as a political liability, called the shots at the weekend as he addressed party supporters at Man’a Business Centre,ward 27 Gutu South Constituency.The event was organised to celebrate Councillor Jefrey Tangemhare’s victory in the 2013 polls.
Although local political analysts dismissed Tsvangirai’s remarks as cheap and typical political rhetoric,the opposition leader said the MDC will make sure all the necessary reforms are put in place ahead of the plebiscite. Tsvangirai did not mention how the party will stop Zanu PF from manipulating the electoral process.
“We will make sure that all the necessary reforms are implemented before the elections and we will not participate in a flawed electoral process. This time we will not take part in the elections if there are no reforms.We are tired of electoral theft and rigging. Many people have been pressing us on the issue of elections. The MDC position is very clear,there must be genuine reforms first before elections. We will make sure that has been put in place,”said Tsvangirai.
He said the MDC was not desperate for a coalition but the party would embrace all democratic forces to fight the Mugabe regime.
“A lot has been said about the coalition of opposition parties and let me reiterate the fact that the MDC is not desperate for any form of union. Rather we are willing to work with pro-democracy groups so that we can fight Mugabe,” he said.
Although some political observers view the former premier as a tired war horse, the crowd that attended the rally on Saturday could be a testimony the veteran opposition leader still has a considerable degree of influence in the political sphere in the country.

A MAN who turned his 18-year-old daughter into a sex slave with the knowledge of his wife has been jailed for an effective 13 years.
The 46-year-old dad of six, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, started raping his daughter in 2011 when she was then aged 13. Even after she got married early as a way of escaping the abuse, her father seemed undeterred as he ordered her to return home after every three days to have sex with her. She eventually fell pregnant.
Regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga slapped the rapist, who is from Lupane, with a 15-year jail term before conditionally setting aside two years.
She, however, had no kind words for the convict whom he labelled a cruel man who had tormented and traumatised his own daughter by threatening her with death and disappearance.
“You’re a cruel man who traumatised your own daughter by threatening her with death and disappearance so you would continue raping her. You were supposed to protect her but you turned aggressor and a long custodial sentence is appropriate considering the circumstances that you impregnated her,” said Malunga.
The girl’s three-month-old pregnancy was legally terminated at Mpilo Central Hospital. The victim’s mother told the court that she was afraid to denounce her husband’s actions as he had threatened her with death and was a well-known violent person.
“I knew about my daughter’s abuse from the time it started because every time he would want to rape her he would tell me. I was afraid to report it to the police because of the death threats that he would make against me and my daughter. Knowing my husband’s short temper and his violence tendencies which are well known in the area where we live, I decided to keep quiet,” she said, fighting back tears.
In January this year, the victim’s former teacher sensed that something was amiss with her former pupil and when she interviewed her, she opened up on the years of abuse. Chronicle

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai has said his party is not involved in any coalition talks with the Joice Mujuru-led Zimbabwe People First.
Tsvangirai, speaking in Gweru last Friday, said there is no truth to reports of the alleged talks with Mujuru. “Coalition with ZimPF, there is no truth in that. It remains a speculative position by the media. Some have even concluded that the MDC has walked away from the talks. There’re no talks, if there’re talks, the nation would be informed and if there’re any points of difference or agreement for convergence, the nation will know but we can’t work on the basis of speculation by the media,” he told The Chronicle in an interview.
The MDC-T leader claimed that a “national convergence of opposition parties” was needed if they were going to entertain any thoughts of winning the 2018 election. “A national convergence position is needed to make sure in 2018, the country take a new direction. We said we need a big tent so there’s need for people to discuss to negotiate and work together,” he said.
Tsvangirai was also overcome by nostalgia for his days working with President Mugabe and claimed that the two worked reasonably well during the Government of National Unity (GNU) between 2009 and 2013 when his party lost dismally to Zanu-PF.
He said during the GNU, he shared some private moments with President Mugabe which he said were not forced upon the leaders. “We shared some private moments because we had to share since we had agreed. We had to share State issues, issues of government work programmes and we worked reasonably well and achieved positive results,” said Tsvangirai.
He said demonstrations held two weeks ago in Harare and others planned in the remaining provinces were just a way by the MDC-T to express itself and not to stage a coup as the government in place was constitutional. This is a departure from the MDC-T’s leader’s unsubstantiated claims of vote rigging in the aftermath of the 2013 polls.
“We said that our intention of expressing ourselves is never to be misinterpreted as an attempt to oust or overthrow the government. We made that clear. This isn’t an expression of overthrowing a government which is constitutionally in place,” he added. Chronicle

Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe has been slapped with what will be his first international criminal court action for torture and unlawful arrest.
Former army captain Albert Matapo, the United Crusader for Achieving Democracy (UCAD) party leader, who endured 7 whole years under unlawful arrest in 2007, made the chilling announcement at the weekend. Breaking the news in the ZimEye newsroom, Matapo who now lives in exile, revealed Mugabe is in trouble.
A High Court (Zimbabwe) verdict seen by ZimEye.com declares that Matapo’s 7 year prison stay (with neither conviction nor trial), was illegal.
Matapo was in 2007 accused of trying to topple President Robert Mugabe and replace him with Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa. This was at a time when expelled former VP Joice Mujuru was in charge and Matapo was subjected to four days of torture having been blindfolded and driven away at high speed for interrogation for four days, afterwhich he was imprisoned for alleged treason for which neither conviction nor trial materialised for a whole 7 years.
His alleged accomplice, Mnangagwa was never touched.
High Court judge Justice Yunus Omerjee in a 2010 ruling said of Matapo and several of his colleagues, “It is apparent that the appellants should not have been commuted to custody.”
ZANU PF legal analysts scoffed at Matapo saying it is impossible for Mugabe’s court prosecution to proceed since Zimbabwe is not signatory to the Rome statute that extends the jurisdiction powers to the International Criminal Court at the Hague. But independent legal analysts said it is still possible for ICC to prosecute such cases simply utilising UN special charters.

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo|A form two pupil at Zvamahande Secondary School has dramatically reversed her statement that a teacher at the school fondled her breasts.
The minor reported the case at ZRP Mashava in August last year, claiming the teacher, Kudakwashe Dhliwayo fondled her breasts and caressed her buttocks.
The minor appeared before Chivi Magistrate Bishard Chineka for falsely reporting that the teacher had fondled her breasts twice and caressed her breasts.
After reporting the matter to the police, the minor later changed her statement saying she had made a false report about the incident of indecent assault. She did not specify the reasons for falsely implicating the teacher.
The magistrate sternly warned the minor before dismissing her.
Sources at Zvamahande Secondary School said the juvenile also recently refused to live with her parents for unknown reasons.
Speaking to ZimEye.com at the weekend, sources at the school said the pupil surprised all and sundry by making false and unfounded allegations.
“We are still liaising with the girl’s parents to establish what is happening in the family because the minor made a false report against one of our staff members. The minor lied that the teacher sexually abused her,” said a senior staff member at the school.
The incident has left entire local community stunned. The girl has also refused to disclose her motive for “lying”.

News24 – A ZIMBABWE pastor’s searingly honest account of both loving and feeling alienated from the flag of the country of his birth has stirred the emotions of thousands and prompted a flood of “flag selfies”.
In a video that’s had more than 85 000 views in just three days, Evan Mawarire, a well-known Harare author, speaker and church leader, details the mixed emotions Zimbabwe’s black, red, yellow and green flag provokes in him.

The clip was posted early on Wednesday, two days after Zimbabwe marked its 36th anniversary of independence.
Staring into the camera as he twists the flag in his hands, Mawarire acknowledges the “official” meaning of each colour as millions of Zimbabwean schoolchildren will have learnt.
In words that appear to have resonated with many Zimbabweans torn between unshakable loyalty to their country and pain at a difficult economic and political situation that has gone on for years, Mawarire says: “This flag, this beautiful flag, they tell me that the green is for the vegetation and the crops. I don’t see any crops in my country.
“The yellow is for all the minerals… I don’t know how much is left. I don’t know who they sold it to and how much they got for it.”
His words appear at least in part to be a reference to controversy over Zimbabwe’s missing diamond wealth, with a recent acknowledgement from President Robert Mugabe that up to $15bn worth of gems had disappeared in recent years.
“They tell me that the black is for the majority people like me and yet for some reason I don’t feel like I am a part of it,” Mawarire says.
Mawarire’s words prompted an outpouring of emotion on social media, with hundreds of comments and nearly 2 000 shares.
Dozens have adopted his #ThisFlag hashtag, posting pictures of themselves with Zimbabwe’s flag on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Among them was business mogul and former banker Nigel Chanakira who tweeted: “#ThisFlag. Make a bold statement for Our nation Zimbabwe. We can do better!”
Zimbabwean mbira player Hope Masike posted photos of herself with the flag on Instagram, urging Zimbabweans to “Share, tag your tribe”.
Mawarire, who sprung to prominence with his books about sex and marriage, has not made such a strong public statement about Zimbabwe’s long-running crisis before. He does not name Mugabe or his government in the video.
After more than three decades in power, the 92-year-old president does not take kindly to criticism from churchmen.
Several who have dared voice criticism have found themselves humiliated.
Pius Ncube, an outspoken former archbishop in the Roman Catholic Church had to resign in 2007 after he was shamed in a sex scandal that many still believe to have been a set-up.
Mawarire posted to Facebook: “At some point one has to throw caution to the wind and jump. Tired of standing on the edge.”
In his video he says of the Zimbabwe flag: “The green represents the power of being able to push through soil, push past limitations and flourish and grow. That’s me, my flag. I will fight for it and live for it and stand for it.”
He has acknowledged that some people are “upset” with the clip.
Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party is torn by increasingly public bitter struggles for power as hunger grows on the back of the drought.
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa told a politburo meeting in early April that as many as 5m Zimbabweans could be in need of food aid, according to a report from the state ZBC broadcaster.

Terrence Mawawa, Zvishavane|A Zvishavane man last week placed his hand on a chair that a woman was about to sit on and proceeded to poke the lady’s private parts.
Evans Sibanda in submissions seen by ZimEye.com has since denied the accusation claiming he accidentally placed his hand on the chair.
He appeared before Magistrate Peter Madiba last week and was remanded in custody.
The court heard that Sibanda caressed the complainant’s buttocks before poking her private parts when she sat on the chair in the hair salon.
The woman arrived at the Salon at Makarios Building on March 2 and she picked one free chair and sat on it without realising that Sibanda had placed his hand on the chair. She only realised it when Sibanda poked her private parts.
The complainant reported the matter to the police leading to Sibanda’s arrest.
Sibanda argued he placed his hand on the chair by mistake, however the court dismissed his claim.
Meanwhile eyewitnesses also maintained Sibanda deliberately touched the woman’s buttocks.
“There was no coincidence in the matter because Sibanda deliberately touched the woman’s private parts,” said an eyewitness.
They continued saying, “it happened in broad daylight in the hair saloon. He even touched the woman’s buttocks and it was a deliberate move. We were all surprised by Sibanda’s action.
“Although he claimed the woman sat on his hand, we witnessed what actually transpired. The woman wanted to have her hair done,” the witness said.

MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday summoned acting Harare mayor Chris Mbanga, amid fears by the party the councillor appears willing to take Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere’s instructions on the ongoing dispute surrounding the appointment of a new town clerk.
The MDC-T was left in a quandary last week after Mbanga gave in to Kasukuwere’s demands to stop new town clerk James Mushore from reporting for work despite the party’s position to challenge mayor Bernard Manyenyeni’s suspension on constitutional grounds.
Kasukuwere suspended Manyenyeni last week for refusing to heed his directive to stop Mushore from coming to work.
MDC-T local government secretary Eddie Cross confirmed that they were bewildered by Mbanga’s action, contrary to the party’s position that Kasukuwere’s directives were a legal nullity.
“Our decision to appoint Mushore is irreversible and currently Mbanga is meeting the party president to discuss the issue,” Cross said.
Cross also said MDC-T had rejected a Zanu PF proposal to settle the impasse outside the courts.
“They have approached us to stop the court action against Kasukuwere and have talks to settle the matter, but this has been scuttled by the minister’s insistence that Mushore should be stopped from coming to work,” he added.
Tsvangirai’s spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka confirmed the meeting, but did not disclose the nature of the discussions.
“Tsvangirai meets party members every day and it’s true that he met with deputy mayor Mbanga,” Tamborinyoka said.
Tsvangirai’s former advisor Alex Magaisa yesterday publicly questioned Mbanga’s action on social media and how he was voted deputy mayor.
“Where is Mbanga getting the audacity to do what is patently unreasonable and against the principled position which the party or any of its councillors should take?” questioned Magaisa. “Does he have powerful backers within the party who are advising him that it’s okay or has he simply gone rogue?
“Did the MDC do any due diligence on this chap before they nominated him to be deputy mayor?”
Kasukuwere’s suspension of elected mayors, particularly from MDC-T controlled councils, is widely seen as a move by Zanu PF to gain control of urban areas through the back door.
Manyenyeni’s suspension follows Kasukuwere’s decision to suspend Gweru mayor Hamutendi Kombayi and his entire council on charges of financial impropriety.
The Gweru city fathers successfully challenged their suspension at the Bulawayo High Court, but Kasukuwere is defying the court order as he is yet to reinstate them. Standard

ZANU PF has won yet another by election by a large margin.
The ruling party won the Guruve South by election polling 9 153 against Nca’s 818.
The seat fell vacant following the expulsion of former ZANU PF legislator Chriswell Mutematsaka from both party and parliament on allegations of planning to removing President Mugabe from power unconstitutionally.
The main opposition political parties continue to boycott by elections being held in the country demanding electoral reforms before they can take part in elections.

FOUR managers at the struggling Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) are set to be retrenched as the coal mining firm has started restructuring as part of its survival programme, it has been learnt.
In an interview yesterday by telephone, the company’s managing director, Mr Thomas Makore said the retrenchments have been approved by the board.
“We are now at a point where the company has started the restructuring programme which was approved by the board and the major shareholder. It will start at management level cascading downwards.”
Mr Makore refused to say which management positions have been identified for retrenchment.
“Obviously, we are dealing with human beings here and we have to be careful how we handle the matter and therefore, I don’t think it would be fair to start naming individuals,” he said.
However, sources within the company said four managers who are likely to lose their jobs have been identified for the exercise. The former coal mining giant is now a pale shadow of itself saddled with debts worth millions of dollars resulting in some of its property being auctioned. Workers at the mining company are owed about two years in unpaid salaries amounting to more than $16 million.
But the company’s managing director said he was optimistic that once the restructuring programme which is part of efforts to turn around the concern’s fortunes is put in place, HCCL should be back on its feet.
Last month, the HCCL acting chairman, Mr Jemester Chininga announced that the restructuring programme would result in a reduction of the wage bill by $15 million.
As of December last year, the company owed its creditors $287,3 million. Recently, the company’s workers took their employer to court alleging corruption and asking for it to be put under judicial management. They also sought HCCL’s delisting from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, the Johannesburg bourse and the London Stock Exchange as part of the turnaround strategy they were proposing for the company.-Sundaynews