Below is former Vice President Joice Mujuru’s committee for her newly formed party, People First. Dr. Mujuru sits at the top deputised by two founding elders, Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo.
Beyond this committee, are national coordinators for the UK and the other for South Africa.
NATIONAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
1. President Dr. JTR Mujuru
2. Founding Elder/Advisor Didymus Mutasa
3. Founding Elder/Advisor Rugare Gumbo
4. Office of the President/Secretariat Sylvester Nguni & Cougan Matanhire
5. Mobilisation Committee Chair Dzikamai Mavhaire
6. External Relations Committee Chair John Shumba Mvundura
7. Inf & Publicity Committee Chair Methuseli Moyo
8. Legal Committee Chair Gift Nyandoro
9. Provincial Security Committee Chair Christopher Ndiweni
10.Research & Strategy Committee Chair David Butau
11.Committee Members TBA

By Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo|Scores of villagers were stranded for hours at Great Zimbabwe after failing to secure transport to travel back home after President Robert Mugabe’s lavish birthday bash on Saturday.
After being ferried by haulage trucks and buses to the monuments it was not rosy for the Mugabe loyalists-mainly from Hwendedzo and Zishumbe areas respectively-who had to walk for 30 km back home after being stranded for hours at the monuments.
The two areas are now occupied by mainly Zanu PF supporters since 2000 -following the controversial land grab exercise. The villagers had to endure several hours until they decided to walk back home around midnight. Despite the chilling weather and drizzle, the villagers still managed to walk back to their respective homes.
Tererai Chaduka a resettled farmer from Zishumbe area said he could not manage to link up with the truck driver who ferried him and his family to the venue.
“There was confusion on the night so we could not link up with the truck driver. We tried to raise the issue with the provincial leaders but they were nowhere to be found. Everyone was busy so we braved the drizzle and walked back home. Of course we were given food but no one cared about the transport logistics,” said Chaduka.
Mbuya Mare an elderly woman from Hwendedzo area in Masvingo District village B also walked back home after being stranded at the venue.
ZimEye understands scores of several other people went back home in frustration after being left stranded at Great Zimbabwe into the night.
Analysts say Mugabe’s birthday bash chewed up close to one million dollars -yet the ruling party failed to reflect courtesy after dumping its loyal supporters at the venue.
Surprisingly some of the villagers told ZimEye.com they would continue to support Mugabe despite the humiliation.

Parliament Of Zimbabwe workers have turned the parly building into a flea market, through selling different wares for survival as  government fails to  to pay them in time, an opposition legislator has said.
According to Newsday, Glen View North legislator Fani Munengami (MDC-T) on Tuesday said most Parliament staffers were selling different items in their respective offices in order to survive.
“We cannot blame Parliament staff for doing this because they are also suffering like other civil servants,” he said.
Munengami said the Parliament Standing Rules and Orders should deal adequately with issues of salaries of Parliament staff and MPs, some of whom have been spotted boarding cheap buses to get to Harare for sittings.
“Honourable (Robert) Mukwena travels all the way from Chiredzi, which is 800 kilometres from Harare. He has become well known at bus terminuses boarding ‘chicken buses’ to attend Parliamentary sittings. It is not about him only. It is about every MP who is suffering,” he said.
Buhera South legislator, Joseph Chinotimba (Zanu PF) congratulated President Robert Mugabe on turning 92, describing him as “God-given”.
“He (Mugabe) is different from other presidents who have photos taken with prostitutes,” he said in apparent reference to MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, who recently made media headlines over pictures of him with a number of women, some seemingly scantily-dressed, outside a lodge in Gweru.
Tsvangirai has since defended the pictures, saying the women in the photos were just his “fashionably dressed” supporters.
It has turned out the women were on holiday and had requested Tsvangirai for the photo shoot.
Munengami went on to raise a point of order with Deputy Speaker Mabel Chinomona, saying the word “prostitute” was un-Parliamentary and illegal.
Proportional Representation MP Nomvula Mguni (MDC-T) also contributed to the debate, saying Bulawayo was now a ghost town due to lack of investment, policy inconsistency and corruption.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe National Defence University Bill sailed through the National Assembly, with Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi saying it would also enrol civilians and include departments where students will learn manufacturing of modern equipment.
Southerton MP Gift Chimanikire (MDC-T) said while the university was welcome, the curriculum should not produce military personnel that were partisan.

Prosecutor General Johannes Tomana has filed an application seeking the court to allow him to be tried by a foreign judge.
Tomana is on bail for criminal abuse of duty as a public officer or alternatively defeating or obstructing the course of justice after he allegedly ordered the release of Makumbe and Pfupa and turned them into witnesses.
Pfupa and Makumbe — who are attached to 1 Field Regiment and Zimbabwe Intelligence Corps, respectively — are challenging their placement on remand on the basis that Tomana had not authorised their prosecution.
The two soldiers are accused of trying to petrol-bomb the First Family’s Alpha Omega Dairy Farm in Mazowe.
According to the state media Tomana is of the opinion that judges in Zimbabwe will not be impartial in dealing with his case.
The High Court is expected to determine the matter next week.
PG Tomana is challenging the Judicial Service Commission’s intentions to investigate his suitability to continue holding office.
The JSC is basing their arguments with the cases in which he is believed to have erred.
 
 

A Time for Truth, A Time for Transformation and A Time to
BUILD
Today is a historic day.
Today we present ourselves to you in humility and the humbling
comfort of the people’s support. There has been intense speculation
from our detractors. There has been strong anticipation from our
supporters. We had to resist the temptation. The temptation to
formalize our being and existence without adequate consultation with
the people of Zimbabwe. This is a day of great significance in our
great country’s political history. Today we confirm the existence of a
viable, home grown and inclusive political party. It is now public
knowledge that:
ZIMBABWE PEOPLE FIRST IS HERE!
ZIMBABWE PEOPLE FIRST IS NOW!
The times we are living in call for truth to correct our past wrongs,
change for good, unity and determination to BUILD a new Zimbabwe
in peace. Zimbabwe faces an urgent need for political, economic, and
social reform.
2.We are living under an unjust system. There is selective application of
the law, one for the poor and powerless, one for the rich and
powerful, one for opposition party supporters and one for ruling party
supporters.
The right to self-determination and self–dignity has disappeared. The
ordinary person’s capacity to earn a living continues to disappear.
People’s savings have long since disappeared. Government itself
faces a severe cash squeeze. Many of our civil servants work
tirelessly without adequate tools or resources, not to mention lack of
timely and adequate remuneration.
Zimbabwe does not even have a currency of its own for nearly ten
years now. Infrastructure is old and dilapidated and urgently in need
of repair, if not complete replacement with the most modern
technology. The investment environment is crowded by multiple
incoherent policies; inadequate and unaffordable credit finance and an
urgent need to reform a parasitic, non-performing parastatal sector.
3. This has given rise to economic decay in both urban and rural centers
across the whole country. Zimbabwe urgently needs investor friendly
and market driven policies to stimulate economic activity. In order for
all this to take effect, the scourge of corruption will need to be totally
uprooted so that the nation is rid of this cancer and evil spirit.
There is an urgent need to create jobs for the huge growing army of
unemployed and hopeless people out there. A wholesale review of the
Indigenisation Act will be effected. We shall instead, emphasise
Economic Empowerment that attracts investment and promotes the
broad based socio-economic and infrastructure development
objectives of BUILD. The Agricultural, Banking, Financial,
Manufacturing, Mining and Tourism sectors are all in need of well
designed restructuring to make them geared to a 21st century
emerging African economy that creates jobs and promotes economic
growth.
4. Faced with an imminent drought season and a political management
team without focus, there is no credit finance, no irrigation
infrastructure and no marketing mechanisms to mitigate the
agricultural challenges that lie ahead. Farmers lack adequate inputs
and where the few farmers produce, they find no markets. A welldefined
land policy should be instituted and properly administered to
ensure full and sustainable utilization of land by recipients. There
should be an independent land audit to weed out multiple farm
ownership and to support sustainable land use.
A more acceptable security of tenure will replace the “offer letter”
which leaves both recipients and lenders very insecure. Bankable and
transferable leases are not an option but a given.
Zimbabwe is a broken country. In dark times such as this, we look to
the government of the day to serve as BUILDERS of a better country
for all. We look to the government of the day to bring the change that
is desired by all. We know we will not get this from the government
of the day. It has broken the social contract that should exist with the
Zimbabwean people. The people of Zimbabwe voted for a new
democratic constitution in 2013 but it is still to be fully implemented.
In line with the new constitution, we need the electoral laws reformed
to ensure a free and level playing field. Is the government of the day
5. looking at this? NO. The suffering masses through their political
representations, need to make this point loud and clear, so that the
next election is not in any way disputed or considered flawed or
rigged so as to deny legitimacy to any outcome thereof.
Our great nation is crying out for transformation.
My fellow citizens, change and hope lie in the promise of honesty and
hard work. Zimbabwe People First stands for accountability, hard
work and transparency to BUILD a better Zimbabwe. Corruption in
any form at any level has no room in a Zimbabwe People First
government. This is the commitment of Zimbabwe People First to
you. The commitment to serve Zimbabwe honestly and justly. The
commitment to bring about change. Our Blueprint to Unlock
Investment and Leverage for Development (BUILD) outlines our
policy thrust to change Zimbabwe for good.
6. Zimbabwe People First believes in a Zimbabwe that belongs to all
people who call it home, regardless of disability, ethnicity, gender,
nationality, political affiliation, race, or religious affiliation. This was
an important value of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle and Zimbabwe
People First is entirely devoted to this particular value. Zimbabwe
People First is therefore an inclusive party. It is a party made of many,
a diversity of Zimbabweans brought together by common values
inherent in us and the vision for our nation that we carry and the
realization that we have to save this great nation from wanton
destruction by those who do not see what the people value and want.
Zimbabwe People First is informed by the values of Zimbabwe’s
liberation struggle. The legacy of the liberation struggle belongs to all
Zimbabweans. We fought for the right to self determination, the right
to freedom, the right to vote under the principle of one person one
vote and NOT one “man” voting for us ALL. One of Zimbabwe’s
greatest sons in the liberation war, General Josiah Magama
Tongogara, once said: “We are not fighting against the white man.
We are fighting against a system. It is the system, the system, that
system which is unjust”. Today that unjust system ZANLA, ZIPRA
and the Zimbabwean masses fought against, remains a noose around
our necks, as that system has stolen any hope for the people of
Zimbabwe.
7. Zimbabwe People First is a dynamic party that embraces the future. A
party that offers transformation and hope to the young and old people
of Zimbabwe. A party that will remove the unjust system once and
for all through economic, political and social reform.
Zimbabwe People First believes in a Zimbabwe where the civil
service is apolitical, efficient, meritocratic, professional and
transparent in its conduct. Without these traits, we cannot BUILD a
better Zimbabwe. We cannot bring about change and restore hope.
The effective civil service we shall assemble provides a basis for the
vibrant economy we aim to BUILD. We shall encourage and institute
e-government throughout the service to achieve set targets by set
timelines and curb corruption. We shall ensure that government’s role
is to facilitate, promote, regulate for a level and a sustainably stable
economic playing field.
8. Zimbabwe People First is committed to ensuring that Zimbabwe
regains its rightful place in the global community of nations. We shall
rejoin the Commonwealth. We shall be committed to meeting our
international debt obligations. We will seek rapprochement with
countries that currently have poor diplomatic and difficult economic
relations with Zimbabwe, without sacrificing our national
sovereignty. Zimbabwe shall strengthen its relations with all those
countries it currently enjoys good relations.
Let me now address a certain level of skepticism, which is bound to
be directed at Zimbabwe People First by some stakeholders. That
skepticism which says: “you were in ZANU PF for many years. Why
then should we believe that you will transform this country?” My
simple answer is that Zimbabwe People First is a new entity, with
new values and followers from every political party in Zimbabwe,
including those who had never joined any political party before, from
every province and ethnicity. We are the People and what brings us
together, all of us, is our desire to transform and to BUILD a better
Zimbabwe.
9. We are not a one- simple woman party. What we are, is a
party with a one People Center of Power.
I must also speak for myself. I have known only one political party
since I joined the liberation struggle. I am now outside that party. I am
neither an assassin nor a witch. This is now there for all to see. I have
never been a pretender that is why you never heard me encourage or
promote hate speech. If there is any crime that I am guilty of, it is the
belief in the periodic constitutional and democratic renewal of
leadership from within, and this is the same position I am now
promoting within Zimbabwe People First.
In the coming months, Zimbabwe People First will make preparations
for an inaugural Elective People’s Convention to usher in substantive
leadership to all positions within the party, from the Ward to the
National level. To this end, I will be announcing a national
management committee to spearhead this process. The emphasis and
objective being to hold a successful inaugural Elective Convention.
10. At this stage let me highlight Zimbabwe People First’s position on
coming and working together with other likeminded political
organisations. We will stand by and support all those that believe in
what we stand for: Peace, Freedom, Democracy and Prosperity for all.
To this end, we will strive to ensure a coming together and meeting of
minds on this vision. To this end, we will encourage and promote
dialogue amongst all likeminded organisations. To this end, we will
support a convergence of minds and views under an objective to attain
peace, freedom, democracy and prosperity for all. To this end, we will
seek the mandate of the People First members to take this to its
logical conclusion.
Let me conclude by calling on all Zimbabweans within and without
our borders, from all walks of life to be part of this agenda to restore
practical and meaningful hope to our people. We accept political
diversity. We embrace political tolerance and abhor political violence
and intolerance in any form whatsoever. We wish well to all the
people of Zimbabwe as we embark on this huge challenge of
transforming our country to embrace and adopt all the above. We urge
all our War Veterans, the Police, the Army, the Air Force, and
Intelligence services to defend the Constitution of Zimbabwe. So
people of Zimbabwe let us bring the transformation that brings the
hope that everyone is looking for.
11. Zimbabwe People First is carrying the desire for transformation and
hope for all Zimbabweans.
On behalf of People First, I want to appeal to all Zimbabweans to
rally behind this call to BUILD our country in peace, whilst some
revolutionaries are busy pulling Zimbabwe down.
12. Thank you and God bless you all.
Dr. Joice Teurai Ropa Mujuru
President, Zimbabwe People First

The Grain Marketing Board  has been ordered by the government to reduce the price of maize from $23 per 50 kg bag to $15 to enable the majority of people affected by the El Nino-induced drought this year to buy the staple food.
In the mean time, Government will continue distributing maize for free to vulnerable families countrywide. The country has stocks enough to feed the nation for the next three months.

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s office was not broken into by thieves and the suspected objects found on the ground yesterday were a result of water leakages through the ceiling, police have confirmed.
In an interview, chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba, said this was arrived at following an analysis of the objects by police and other security agents.
“An official report was received from VP Mnangawa’s office to the effect that they had observed some abnormalities when they reported for work in the office of the Vice President.
“Following that report, a Ferret Team comprising of ZRP and other security sister organisations visited the crime scene and made an analysis. They observed that there were no visible disturbances in the office,” she said.
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said the team observed a hole on the ceiling panel on the western side of the office.
“The team observed some fallen panel chips on the carpet directly below that hole. So they conducted investigations as a team. They also summoned the Police Forensic Science experts.
“They examined the carpet area and so far initial investigations indicate that there was no evidence of drilling and the hole appeared to have been perforated by dripping water. The fibre glass within the hole was unbroken and intact suggesting that no object was used to perforate the hole,” she said.
“Also observed was an initial development of a similar hole manifesting on the same panel due to water dripping and seepage. There was a roof bolt directly above the hole. The ceiling panel in question is adjacent to the previous panel from the January 13 incident.”
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said the findings indicate that there were no signs of forced entry into the VP’s office through the door, window and ceiling.
She said the ceiling and the panel that had a hole was beyond reach from within the ceiling. Snr Asst Comm Charamba said police and other security organisations were still investigating the other cases in which VP Mnangagwa’s office was broken into by unknown culprits.
In January, there was a break-in at VP Mnangagwa’s office and Government expressed concern at continuous attempts on his life as it pledged to bring the culprits to book.
This was the sixth time unidentified culprits had tampered with VP Mnangagwa’s offices in Government and at the Zanu-PF headquarters.
VP Mnangagwa’s offices have been broken into four times at the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and once at Defence House when he was Defence Minister.
His offices at Zanu-PF Headquarters in Harare were broken into by unknown elements in 2014 who laced his desk with cyanide, poisoning his secretary who had to be hospitalised.
In the latest break-in at the Government Complex, the culprits drilled a ceiling panel to gain entry. There were no indications of anything stolen.
VP Mnangagwa could not be reached for a comment as he is out of the country on official business.-Daily News

By Terrence Mawawa, Chiredzi|Five self proclaimed Madzibaba prophets stormed a local funeral wake last week and forcibly took the corpse to the mountains claiming they wanted to declare life to the deceased.
Chaos reigned at the funeral in Nyamangambe Village when Piason Musimari and four other self confessed prophets forcibly took the body of the late Michael Garapo to a nearby mountain claiming the deceased would come back to life.
The late Garapo was expected to be buried last Tuesday but as the mourners were making final preparations for the burial, the five Madzibaba prophets told the mourners they were about to bury someone who was alive.
During the scuffle the five men forcibly took the corpse to a nearby mountain . Moses Mangule, a local villager said the entire community was shocked by the prophets’ behaviour.
Musimari was briefly detained by the police but later released.
Local villagers said the prophets stayed with the corpse in the mountain for three days and they only released the body following police intervention.
“They stayed with the body for three days in the mountain and we were really puzzled by their behaviour. Garapo’s decomposing body was later buried under police supervision since everyone was in a state of shock,” said a local villager.

The National Prosecuting Authority has nullified a decision by Prosecutor-General Johannes Tomana to drop charges of possession of weaponry for sabotage against two soldiers accused of trying to petrol-bomb the First Family’s Alpha Omega Dairy Farm in Mazowe.
Solomon Makumbe (29) and Silas Pfupa (37) appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Sandra Mupindu charged with possession of weaponry for sabotage after the State reinstated the charges which had been withdrawn before plea.
Tomana is on bail for criminal abuse of duty as a public officer or alternatively defeating or
obstructing the course of justice after he allegedly ordered the release of Makumbe and Pfupa and turned them into witnesses.
Pfupa and Makumbe — who are attached to 1 Field Regiment and Zimbabwe Intelligence Corps, respectively — are challenging their placement on remand on the basis that Tomana had not authorised their prosecution.
Through their lawyers Mr Shingai Mutumbwa, Mrs Gamuchirai Dzitiro and Mr Taurai Mandiki, the duo made an application barring the media from covering proceedings.
They argued that they had previously gone to the High Court and had been granted an order for the trial to be held in camera.
“The High Court has considered that this matter is so sensitive that it must be held in camera,” Mr Mutumbwa said.
The prosecutor Mr Michael Reza opposed the application. “Indeed there is such a document from the High Court but the record referred to in the High Court order is different from the record before this court. In view of the differences on the record numbers and contents, the High Court does not extend to this record.”
Mrs Mupindu concurred with the State and dismissed the application. This was their second bid to have the matter held in camera after they unsuccessfully made the same application before Harare Provincial magistrate Mr Vakayi Chikwekwe.
Makumbe and Pfupa made another application to cancel the summons issued to them to appear in court arguing that the PG had not authorised their prosecution according to section 34 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act.
Mr Mutumbwa said: “On January 26 the Prosecutor General withdrew charges against these two. It is inconceivable therefore that he would turn around and authorise their prosecution.”
Mr Reza tendered a document signed by Mr Tomana’s deputy Mrs Florence Ziyambi authorising the prosecution of Makumbe and Pfupa.
“Your Worship Mrs Ziyambi has such delegated authority therefore the application for cancellation of the summons ought to be dismissed since the State has complied with all the statutory requirements for this prosecution,” he said.
Mrs Mupindu is expected to rule on the application today. Their alleged accomplice Owen Kuchata (34), who is the leader of Zimbabwe People’s Front, pleaded guilty to the charges and was jailed nine years.
Another suspect Borman Ngwenya (30) is on trial.

Zimbabwe People First leader Joice Mujuru says she has witnessed “horrifying” conditions where people have shown her scars of  wounds which emanated from political violence which was perpetrated on them by Zanu PF.
The President Robert Mugabe’s former deputy said this when she was announcing her long awaited Zimbabwe People First’s political party, in Harare Tuesday.
“Through our meet the people meetings, I have met horrifying situations where people have been showing me scars which have been inflicted over the years and up to now no medical attention has been given to those in order to heal the wounds,” she said.
“The surprising thing is that whenever we meet for these meeting we start by a prayer and a real one, and we tell people to make an oath before they give their testimonies”.
Mujuru said unlike what they used to do when she was a member of Zanu PF; they have put investigations of political violence and human rights cases on the agenda of their political movement.
“At the moment we have one thing and one thing first that is of working out a united force to build Zimbabwe and everything else becomes second”.
MDC-T is on record complaining that its supporters continue to be persecuted by Zanu PF.

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s office was on Monday night broken into again, police officers say.
Intelligence and police officers on Tuesday morning rushed to the VP’s office as investigations commenced.
This is the seventh time unidentified culprits have tampered with or intruded into Mnangagwa’s offices in Government and at party level, according to the State Media.
Mnangagwa’s offices have been broken into four times at the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and once at Defence House when he was Defence Minister.
His offices at Zanu-PF Headquarters in Harare were broken into by unknown elements in 2014 who laced his desk with cyanide, poisoning his secretary who had to be hospitalised. In the January break-in at the Government Complex, the culprits drilled a ceiling panel to gain entry.
Like the January incident at the first, in last night’s attack, there were no indications if anything had been stolen.
The development comes as Mnangagwa faces the succession storm against President Robert Mugabe’s wife, Grace.
Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Christopher Mushohwe after the January break in, said Government was concerned with relentless break-ins at Acting President Mnangagwa’s offices.
“We are concerned, especially with this one because you can see the holes that they drilled and pulled the ceiling from the roof and used the hole as an entrance. We do not know what they wanted here or what they have done or taken from the office because experts are yet to do thorough investigations,” he said.

Bedridden Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Shuvai Mahofa at the weekend failed to attend President Robert Mugabe’s 92nd birthday bash in the province, amid reports of deteriorating health.
Mahofa has not reported for duty since the beginning of the year and has been bedridden for close to three months after her health deteriorated soon after the Zanu PF conference last December, amid speculation she ate poisoned food.
She is currently in South Africa where she is receiving medical treatment.
News Day reports that Mahofa’s  close family members have dismissed the narrative as false, saying she has a heart and kidney problem.
At Mugabe’s bash on Saturday, Mahofa had been slotted in as one of the speakers, but Psychomotor minister Josaya Hungwe stood in for her.
Mugabe, in his speech, confirmed Mahofa’s absence and urged party members to pray for her.
“We are sorry that Mai Mahofa is still ill, but we hear she is recovering. We pray that God gives her strength to recover and come back to work,” he said.
Mahofa, dubbed the Iron Lady of Masvingo, set tongues wagging ahead of the party’s conference after she rejected First Lady Grace Mugabe’s presidential bid, saying she only recognised her as the Women’s League chairperson and wife of the President.
Grace is locked in a bitter succession war with Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s faction – to which Mahofa reportedly belongs – to replace Mugabe, who is now in his twilight years.
 

A FOUR-YEAR-OLD boy was mauled to death while another 10-year-old child was left for dead allegedly by about eight vicious dogs in Masvingo’s Eastvale suburb. Success Kasanhayi of Shakashe Street was playing with four other children outside his parents’ house when the dogs belonging to Ahamad Amon and one Mukaratirwa pounced on him on Sunday at around 4 PM.
The dogs allegedly dragged Success into a nearby bush and mauled him all over the body, leaving him bleeding profusely. He was rushed to Masvingo General Hospital by one of the owners of the killer dogs, Amon, where he was pronounced dead hours after admission.
The dogs, which were roaming around the medium density suburb, allegedly set upon a 10-year-old boy, two hours after they pounced on Success. “When we were still seized with Success’ matter at the hospital, I received a call from home that my dogs had again attacked another boy. I then came back, only to find the boy writhing in pain with injuries on his hands and legs. I rushed him to hospital,” Amon said.
When The Chronicle visited Eastvale suburb at around 1PM yesterday police, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and officers from the department of veterinary services were hunting down the dogs.
By yesterday afternoon, they had tracked and put down four of the dogs. Success’ mother, Charity Mabhiza, 24, was distraught.
“I left my son at home playing with his friends while I went to buy some onions in town. My husband was at the shops,” she said. “On my way back, I met my husband and he instructed me to follow him without explaining where we were going. We then caught a taxi which was going to Masvingo General Hospital and when we got into the children’s ward, I was taken aback to see my son on life support.”
Mabhiza said she suspects that excessive bleeding caused her son’s death. The boy’s father, Grafton Kasanhayi, 30, said when he heard children screaming, he rushed to the scene but his son had already been rushed to hospital.
“It’s devastating but there is nothing we can do. But I feel the owners of the vicious dogs have a case to answer,” said Kasanhayi. Amon said he regretted the unfortunate incident. He said his dogs were last vaccinated four years ago and offered to have them put down.
“I want to testify that my dogs had not been vaccinated against rabies or any diseases for four years now. We last took them for vaccination in 2012. I’ve six vicious dogs and am keeping them for security reasons. I stay with my mother who is 94-years-old and she needs security since most of the time she’s left alone. Of late there are fuel thieves around and at one time I was a victim,” said Amon.
SPCA Masvingo provincial manager John Chikomo said if the dogs were not vaccinated, the owners should be charged by the police. “The owner of the six dogs told us that they were not vaccinated. That’s a crime on its own but it’s left to the department of veterinary service to write a report which will be used by the police to do their job,” said Chikomo.
He said the unfortunate incident could have been avoided if the dogs had been locked inside the yard. Acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Kudakwashe Dehwa confirmed the incident but said he was still waiting for finer details.-State Media

Terrence Mawawa, Chiredzi|In a move suspected to be a ploy by Robert Mugabe’s CIO agents to decimate opposition parties, flyers bearing the Zimbabwe People First logo flooded the lowveld town last week carrying derogatory words against MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
The two parties have already started trading accusations over the fliers with the MDC describing the distribution as a reflection of naivety and cowardice while the Zimbabwe People First claimed Tsvangirai has dismally failed to defeat Zanu PF.
The fliers described Tsvangirai as a liablility and political spent force who had overstayed in opposition politics.
“Tsvangirai and his followers must realise they have failed to win elections for the past two decades and they must join a more vibrant party-the People First,” read the message on one of the fliers.
MDC provincial spokesperson Dust Zivhave described the development as a desperate attempt to denigrate the MDC and its leader Tsvangirai.
“Whoever is behind the printing and distribution of the fliers is misguided. We will not be deterred by such trivial issues,” he said.
The MDC also said in a statement last week:”This is clearly the work of the CIO and Zanu PF. They want to turn our attention from mobilising the people for 2018 because they are afraid of Tsvangirai.
The increasing war of words between Tsvangirai’s MDC and former Vice President Joice Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People First have put the expected formation of the highly expected grand coalition in a quandary with Tsvangirai saying his party was not desperate for the formation while Mujuru’s party said the former premier must join her instead in order to salvage his dwindling political career. Observers feel a grand coalition is likely to end decades of chaotic governance by President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF bandwagon.

Zanu PF Councillors and traditional leaders in the Midlands province are looting drought relief maize meant to benefit the starving members of the community, a senior government official has said.
Midlands Provincial Affairs Minister Jaison Machaya told reporters at the weekend that he has received reports from Zvishavane and other areas in the province of officials looting food aid.
“These reports are disturbing and we want to warn such individuals that the long arm of the law is going catch up with them,” he said.
“These are leaders who should be in the fore front of protecting their people and it is a shame to hear that they are abusing their authority”.
Meanwhile a Zanu PF councillor and three party youths have been slapped with an 18-month jail term each for stealing drought relief maize meant to benefit underprivileged members of their community.
The four according to News Day — Makonde-Obva ward 8 councillor Wilbert Kanyama (46), Zanu PF youths Gift Chikoreki (33), Tapiwa Handiseni (36) and Grahem Mareva (40) — were convicted and sentenced by Chinhoyi magistrate Brenda Dhliwayo last Friday.
The court, however, set aside six months of the sentence on condition of good behaviour and another 12 months on condition they performed 410 hours community service starting today.
 

At least 200 families in Chitungwiza are on the verge of losing their houses to a local bank after a Zanu PF land baron Fredrick Mabamba failed to service a land development loan he secured from the bank.
According to officials from NMB bank, Mabamba who is the former Zanu PF Chitungwiza Ward 25 Councillor  borrowed hundreds of thousands of dollars for land development.
Mabamba  is also on $2000 bail on allegations of selling nearly 4000 stands worth $8 million on land belonging to Chitungwiza Municipality.
Some of the land Mabamba sold was reserved for cemeteries, open spaces, schools, wetlands and road buffers.
The officials who refused to be named said the Mabamba had given as surety some 200 stands for the loan which he is now failing to service.
ZimEye.com talked to some of the people who are set to lose their houses.
“We are confused to hear that NMB is the owner of the land which we bought from Mabamba,” said one elderly woman.
“ We have been paying rates to the  council  on the pretext that they are the owners of the land but now we are told that there is a bank which wants to take  our houses,”said another affected house owner.
Efforts by ZimEye.com to get a comment from Mabamba were fruitless as his phone was not reachable.
 
 

Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo| President Robert Mugabe on Saturday urged the people of Zimbabwe to reject food donations from gay associations, despite the critical food shortage the nation is facing.
Speaking during the 21st February Movement celebrations at the Great Zimbabwe monuments, President Mugabe described food from donor agencies as ‘dirty’ and called on Zimbabweans to reject such donations. Despite severe drought ravaging the nation, especially Masvingo, Midlands and parts of Matabeleland South provinces, Mugabe said the government had the mandate to thoroughly vet who should bring food aid to the country.
Ironically senior government officials including acting Masvingo State Minister Josaya Hungwe have appeared on national television appealing for food aid from well wishers. Mugabe reflected his resentment for same sex marriages when he reiterated that Zimbabwe would never accept such marriages. “We will not accept food aid from gay associations and we will reject such assistance. We will never accept food donations from some gay associations that masquerade as food relief agencies. In Zimbabwe we will never tolerate same sex marriages. Let them keep their dirty food items we do not need them. No we will not accept it.” said Mugabe.
Although Mugabe did not clarify the relief agencies he was referring to many observers said the ageing president could dent food relief efforts through his reckless utterances.
The government has already indicated it does not have the capacity to feed millions of hungry Zimbabweans. Mugabe also attacked some western donor agencies for pushing for regime change in Zimbabwe adding the government will watch out for such organisations.
Mugabe’s comments are likely to frustrate food relief efforts since donor organisations could feel unsafe to operate in Zimbabwe following Mugabe’s sentiments.

A sex worker from Chikanga was angry when her client failed to pay the agreed  $10 for services provided.
When a man allegedly failed to honour his promise, the hooker hired bouncers who threatened and forced the man to sell his Huawei smart phone for $10.
Nomatter Masamba (28), was arrested after Brian Makura (32) reported her to the police.
She denied the assault charges when she appeared before senior Mutare magistrate, Mrs Sekai Chiundura.
She argued that she did not assault Makura as alleged, but only poured a bucketful of water on him after he had tried to have unprotected sex with her.
It was the State’s case that on February 8, Masamba together with two accomplices assaulted Makura and forced him to sell his cellphone for $10 so that he could pay her the money for services rendered.
Masamba told the court that Makura had hired her for a one-night stand, but nothing happened as he fell asleep before the act.
She said he woke up an hour later and tried to have unprotected sex with her.
“I met him at around 3am in town and he hired me for sex. He was supposed to pay me $10 after the session, but we did nothing because when we got home he suddenly fell asleep.
“An hour later he tried to have unprotected sex with me, but I pushed him aside and poured water on him since he was acting against my will,” said Masamba.
It is reported that the complainant allegedly sustained injuries and was referred to Mutare Provincial Hospital for medical examination. – state media
 

MASVINGO — President Robert Mugabe — the world’s oldest leader — yesterday celebrated his 92nd birthday at a lavish affair.
Thousands of party loyalists, foreign representatives and members of the public watched as Mugabe released 92 balloons in the air, with songs and ululations ringing out around him.
Several cakes were on display at the public festivities, one in the shape of Africa, another a whopping 92-kg replica of the party venue: the Great Zimbabwe ruins, a Unesco world heritage site built in the 13th Century as the headquarters of the Munhumutapa empire.
Balloons and cake, however, did little to hide the infighting that has defined the ruling Zanu PF party in the last year as Mugabe continues to avoid naming a successor, despite his advanced age and recent speculation over his health.
Mugabe, who turned 92 last Sunday, has ruled for 36 years during an era marked by vote-rigging, mass emigration, accusations of human rights abuses and economic decline.
On his actual birthday, State media poured praise on his leadership since independence from Britain.
In its 16-page special supplement, The Sunday Mail said on its front cover: “Thank You Bob, We now have a voice, since 1980”.
Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa is viewed as the likely next president, but in recent weeks he has been publicly criticised by Mugabe’s wife Grace in a sign of growing rivalry.
The scale of the celebrations, costing a reported $800 000 this year, attracts annual controversy in Zimbabwe, which recently declared a “state of disaster” due to an ongoing regional drought and widespread food shortages.
“There is very little to celebrate for a 92-year-old who has presided over the collapse of the economy, reducing the country to a nation of vendors and beggars,” Takavafira Zhou, a political analyst at Masvingo State University, said.
Zimbabwe has suffered a series of food crises and hyper-inflation since Mugabe’s land reforms when farms were seized from white farmers for redistribution.
On Tuesday, scores of young supporters from the MDC-T party staged a protest in Masvingo.
Protest placards read: “No birthday when children are starving” and “We want jobs, not bashes.”
Local media reported that party activists ordered teachers and villagers in the rural districts of Masvingo to make cash donations to help pay for this year’s celebrations.
The MDC-T called the celebrations “obscene”.
Mugabe has dominated Zimbabwe politics since independence from the UK in 1980.
The event, which was televised and featured schoolchildren reading poetry about the president, was held in the drought-stricken Masvingo.
Money used for the event should be used to import maize “to avert the impending starvation” in Masvingo and other areas, said Obert Gutu, the MDC-T spokesman.
Eddie Cross, an MP for the MDC-T said: “The obscenity of this particular exercise is that he throws this bash not just based on public funds… but he does it in one of the worst-affected drought-stricken parts of the country.”
The UN’s World Food Programme said food production had fallen by half compared to a year earlier, because of a severe drought.
The government said about three million people were food insecure and earlier this month it asked for nearly $1,6 billion in aid.
Mugabe has blamed his country’s economic troubles on Western meddling.-Standard

By Chrispen Tabvura|A massive demonstration against ZESA’s tariff increment is at an advanced stage following the announcement by the company management that they will still go ahead next month.
ZimEye.com is reliably informed by the leaders of Bulawayo’s 29 residential community leaders, that more than 300 000 residents have appended their signatures to march to the regional office to offload their displeasure.
“We have informed our 29 ward Councillors and our Community Action Team Leaders that we will this coming week demonstrate at ZESA offices in Bulawayo, and also hand over our petition to the management to stop their evil decision,” said David Moyo of the Bulawayo Residents’ Association.
The demonstration that is set to attract police action, a few days after the bashing of Zimbabwe’s Liberation War Heroes, is expected to cause chaos as the cops are also affected by ZESA’s poor services.
ZimEye.com attended the residents meeting in Mpopoma yesterday where more than 200 residents gathered at the community hall.
Last year, close to seven hundred thousand residents thronged the streets of Bulawayo, and business was put to a halt over pre-paid water meters.
Bulawayo City Council ended up suspending their plans as a result.
ZESA officials who preferred anonymity told ZimEye.com today (Sunday) that the increment will still go ahead.
Efforts to get comment from ZESA’s western region area manager, Lovemore Chinaka, were fruitless, as his mobile was not reachable at the time of going to press.

Following the Commissioner General of Police’s recent swipe on cops who are involved in illegal acts hiding behind their jobs, officers in Lupane Matabeleland North have reportedly gone into a rush to acquire fake driving licences.
Information made available to ZimEye.com by impeccable sources within the police station at the Matabeleland North Provincial capital claim that at least eleven officers who for a longtime have been driving personal and police vehicles without driving licences, sourced the fraudulent disks from a man who is a “ZRP agent” at the Vehicle Inspection Department in the Hwange.
The sources claim that the Officer In Charge at Lupane Police is aware of the allegations as they were reported to him via a tip-off from members of the public. According to the sources, the senior official did not do anything about the information despite the names of the concerned officers having been given to him.
One of the officers involved in the scam is reported to have been involved in an accident recently and failed to produce a driver’s licence as he feared producing it. The case is still at court.
A comment could not be immediately obtained from the Officer In Charge at Lupane who was said to be out of office on police business in Masvingo.

President Robert Mugabe yesterday castigated attacks on the First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe by some Zanu-PF youths saying such lack of discipline would not be tolerated in the party.
Speaking at his 92nd birthday celebrations at the Great Zimbabwe Monuments in Masvingo, Mugabe bemoaned lack of discipline among some youths who have been attacking the leadership lately saying the Youth League would be supported in censuring those found on the wrong.
Mugabe also condemned leaders fanning factionalism within the party by sponsoring youths to pursue their agendas. Responding to Zanu-PF Secretary for Youth Affairs Pupurai Togarepi’s earlier address, Mugabe said he was happy with efforts to preserve the status of the structure by strongly discouraging wayward and disrespectful behaviour among its ranks.
“Now if you look at the way they are behaving, you wonder if they are drunk or they would have smoked marijuana. They insult elders and even go on to insult party leaders. It’s shameful. They even insult Amai Mugabe, the wife of the , taking them (insults) to Al Jazeera, composing and recording songs on that. Who are they doing this for? Who are the enemies amongst us? Youths who were brought up in proper homes, with their fathers and mothers would not dare say such words,” said Mugabe.
“We got to a point of asking if the Youth League was aware of all this, but I was relieved when I heard Togarepi saying they would deal with such elements, discipline them and chuck them out of our party. We cannot have people with such mentality. Never, never! We cannot lead such misguided youth. No! The youths have got to be well disciplined, well behaved and respectful, and among ourselves too as elders, because we are the ones who will be behind these youths, inciting them. We’ve got to know, understand that as we destroy the culture of respect among ourselves, we are destroying the unity of our nation and oneness we need for our people to continue to work together. We don’t want that.”
Mugabe called on the youth to blow the whistle on officials causing divisions and factionalism in the party saying some senior members were behind the sponsoring of factionalism in the party.
“Factionalism, factionalism and I repeat, factionalism has no space, it has no place at all in our party Zanu-PF. It should never be allowed to exist because we have platforms for discussions, platforms for pitting one idea against another and for entertaining even views which are negative, we examine them and throw them out even if we don’t see any merits in them,” said Mugabe.
“The genesis of factionalism seems to be coming from the senior party members, the so called political gurus who are using the youth in pursuit of their own evil interests, taking advantage of the challenges affecting the youths today. Power will never come through such means. You don’t get into power through fighting among yourselves. There is only one way, just one way which is the Zanu way, to any position or positions in the party. It is the way of the people, you must be chosen by the people and the people must see you and judge you from your works, from what you do, what you say, how you act, how you interact. Are you a well behaved person, are you a hard worker, what record have you in the party to deserve this position or that position? Those things must be taken together.”
Mugabe pledged his support to the Youth League but said there was a need for discipline in all the party’s wings.
“If the youths lose focus, we are done, if the Women’s League does the same, we are done as a party. Those wings should be strengthened so that there is unity. The idea of insulting each other, we have always said down with that,” said Mugabe adding that the party needs to work hard to maintain its dominance in the political playing field.
“People showed us in 2013 that they are behind us. Some parties have split beyond recognition and you can’t even patch them up together anymore. Those who split from MDC-T, you can’t even tell what they call themselves now. There are also those who came from us. They have tried taking our name but modified it a little bit and called themselves People First. Soon they will split and you will soon hear there is a people second, people third and people fourth,” said Mugabe.
He paid tribute to Togarepi for the successful hosting of the party and also revealing that the Youth Affairs Secretary had assured him that there won’t be any incident of chaos at the event.
“I’m proud of you but be strong because there are some wayward youths, we want to see discipline, direction and principles,” said Mugabe who also described Togarepi’s deputy Kudzai Chipanga as dynamic and jokingly spoke about how he was on the news for allegedly threatening war veterans before clearing the air that the youth leader actually did not threaten the former freedom fighters. The said the youths have to work harmoniously with the former freedom fighters.
Mugabe called for discipline among the youths and war veterans and for both to adhere to discipline and the principles of the party. He also spoke against the abuse of liberation war credentials by some war veterans who want to use their status to domineer over others as everyone was important in the party.
“Now together, we must find our way to the problems that we face together. They will have a lot to learn from the war veterans of course because they are war veterans, they fought the war but I don’t want them (youths) to be bullied,” he said.
“Let us use that principle, take advantage of that principle of sitting down to discuss our differences. They call it the principle of dialogue. We should remain united and use proven channels to solve our differences.”
Mugabe said while people embrace Information Communication Technology (ICT) particularly social media in broad areas of research and communication, there was a need for responsible use of those platforms as they should not be used to carry anti-social and divisive activities.
Commenting on the choice of the historically rich Great Zimbabwe Monuments, Mugabe said, “We have come to this special place. There were our fathers, our ancestors, the likes of Munhumutapa. Your decision to host this party here was no coincidence. It’s a decision that has a lot of intrinsic significance. We get the inspiration from our ancestors and ancestral spirits will inspire us to leave this place with a new spirit to work for Zimbabwe.
“We called ourselves Zimbabwe not Rhodesia because of this place, so that we stay in touch with our ancestors and be one with those that left, those who are here and our future generations. That spirit should fill you, it should fill you and inspire you to desist from tribalism. Yes, Masvingo people are the custodians of this place, no one doesn’t know that they are the hosts, but this does not mean that Togarepi who is from here should give people from here priority. Even us, as we come from where we come from we must shun nepotism. If one is your relative and they are qualified you may give them the position, it is allowed. We don’t want nepotism.
“These structures would not have been, had our ancestors not been united, these structures were not built by people who were not united, they were not built by people who were not brave, they were not built by people who were not focused. This would not have been possible if people were fighting among themselves. There were ways, ways which we inherited from our elders, ways that came from ancient times.”
In his address, Togarepi said there were some misguided elements within the youths bent on destabilising the party and threatened to rein over those found on the wrong side. He also deplored the use of social networks to create discord within the party instead of tackling developmental issues that will help the country.
“I feel ashamed when the First Family is denigrated by our youths. Some youths want to cause destabilisation within the party and we want to rein over them. When attacking the First Family, these youths are targeting our revolution. I would ask for permission from you, to discipline misguided elements within our youth and even remove them from positions with your guidance,” said Togarepi.
He said that youths are behind the First Family and guard Mugabe’s legacy as young people without fear.
“As youths we are going to guard your legacy jealousy and support one centre of power, Gushungo. We call upon the Government to regulate the national youth services in schools for our young people, the same way the party wants to establish Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology,” he said.
Masvingo acting Zanu-PF chairman Amasa Nenjana distanced the province from the attacks that the First Lady received from some malcontents and declared unconditional support on her.
“We are not part of those who attack the First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe. We are fully behind her and those who are talking bad about her do not belong to us. We are united here in Masvingo and we would continue supporting the and the First Family,” he said.
National Youth Political Commissar Innocent Hamandishe said attacking the First Lady was tantamount to attacking the youth and that will not be tolerated.
“We respect our leaders as youths and it is a lie that our Deputy National Youth Secretary Kudzanai Chipanga attacked the war veterans as it has been reported in the media. We respect our war veterans and besides, his father is a full war veteran and the mother is in the structures,” said Hamandishe.
Secretary for Administration Luis Matutu thanked Mugabe for helping the youth in shaping their future through education but, however, apologised for the insults that some members have uttered to the party leadership.
“We thank you, Gushungo for the direction you have showed us. We are indebted as youths and we shall continue supporting the revolution. We, however, apologise for wayward behaviour shown by some of our youths,” said Matutu.-State Media

State Media Updates:
President Mugabe is now cutting the cake.
1519: President Mugabe has promised to take the youth’s suggestion that 21 February be made a youth day by taking the suggestion to the party and if it’s agreed it will be taken to parliament. He has finished his address.
1514: President Mugabe laments the bad agricultural season and says they have had to ask for help as they seek maize and other forms of grain.
“We are doing our best to feed our nation..yes, we need more funding in order to buy it…we shall certainly get through this bad patch. I just want to say to the youth league well done..I’m sure we shall be well fed.”
1510: “I fail to get what is to get these people to abuse children, if it was one incident you would say maybe it’s madness but it’s now so widespread. There have been suggestions that the punishment being given by the courts is not enough.”
1309: “Let us recognise that although we may differ, although we may have different affinities..there is room in our country for all us and that must be recognised, that is the right of self determination, we work together, we allow democracy to have it’s role in society and accept the rule of law and the fact that we have a Constitution.
“Compliance with that Constitution is a must  that’s the start of the rule of law, elections must held when they are due but they must be free and fair just like the 2013 elections were free and fair.”
If aid is going to be given on the principle that we accept gay marriages then let that aid stay were it is, it is rotten aid, filthy aid…I thank the Zanu-PF youth league for organising this event…to everyone here celebrating my 92nd birthday I want to thank you all.”
1500: “The youth league is our vanguard in the revolution in the event of divisionists coming to divide the party, you the youth should blow the whistle…the youth should always embrace the use of ICTs in various facets of our development…however the use of social media platforms should be used for the development spectrum of the nation.”
1456: “We should remain united and use proper channels to solve our differences.”
1454: “I’m glad to share with you that i treat this event with the seriousness it deserves….the movement is dedicated towards the development of youths in all walks of life….The situation nin country socially, politically and economically has not been favourable to our youth mainly caused by the illegal sanctions…the British and Americans have utilised this opportunity to individuals from outside and within which has led to factionalism.”
1448: He addresses Kudzanai Chipanga saying the youth should find a solution and a workable relationship with war veterans and not deride each other. He says people can’t say they fought the war like they fought alone. The youth have a lot to learn also from the war veterans they fought the war.
President Mugabe is now introducing other VIPs on the podium.
1439: “May I on behalf of my family…my lovely wife apa Grace, and my daughter Bona and her husband Simba, then Robert Tinotenda, he’s the tallest in the family akuita architecture and Bellarmine..Vakwashawo vauya futi Reverend Chikoore ve ZAOGA naMai vauyawo futi.”
1435: “Tauya kuno kuZunde..nzvimbo yakakosha..kusarudza kwamakaita ana Togarepi tigovapano handifungi kwaive kwekungoti kunonzi Great Zimbabwe saka handei asi kusarudza kwaiva nekufunga kwaka dzama…It was a choice to have the ancestral spirits inspire us to work for the people. Ko takazviti Zimbabwe pamusana penzvimbo ino.
“Tirege kuva nepfungwa yekuti uyu anobva uko uyu anobva uko…hongu Masvingo ndovachengeti vemusha uno..sevatungamiri torega nyaya yekuti uyu mzukuru wangu saka ngaaende pachigaro ichi kwete.”
1429: “Zvikwata zviri kungotuka izvo takati pasi nazvo….Zanu-PF will remain Zanu-PF very strong, I thank you for the respect you have given me.”
1426: “I want to thank our children in the youth league of our party for this event which is an event to show respect not only to me but all elders both men and women coming from the youth league. We heard what they have said led by Togarepi and the pledge of respect…while we are here at Great Zimbabwe, this was the pillar of the house of Munhumutapa, this is the place that has given us a new life. We fought with the life that was here in our minds.
“The unity they had ensures the spread of their rule all over, across the Limpopo even if you go to Mapungubwe or Khami Ruins…this could never have been built by a people who were not united. There was a way of life, a life we have been given…we wonder whether some youths would have smoke ganja by some youths..it’s quite unbecoming the way the President’s wife has been abused with some even giving news to the likes of Al Jazeera…I was happy to hear Togarepi say that they would be punished even chased from the party.
We cannot lead such misguided youths, no, the youths have to well disciplined..respectful. We, the elders need to be straight forward also because we will be behind..we don’t want that..powers and positions are not won by attacking each other, there’s only way which is the Zanu way to any positions in the party. It is the way of the people, you must be chosen by the people…are you a well behaved person, what record have you in the party.”
1414: President Mugabe is now on the podium.
1342: The youth league invited President Mugabe’s inmates when he was incacerated during the colonial era and they have now been invited on stage to meet with the President.
1339: He warns those involved in corruption saying the youth league will face them head on. Togarepi says the youth league has put in place programmes to enhance productivity that include housing projects with financial support being already in place, ideological training amongst other projects.
He says the President’s name will always be remembered and he wishes him more years. He proposes that the 21st of February be a holiday.
1328: Secretary for youth affairs Pupurai Togarepi is now on the podium. He says the youth leadership has shown great maturity and leadership in making the event a success. He praises President Mugabe for good leadership of the African Union and Sadc. Togarepi lauds the President’s stance on the reformation of the United Security Council as well as his stance on unity in the Southern African region.
He says the party’s resounding victory in the 2013 elections is testimony of the people’s confidence in the President. Togarepi says the youth league has been working hard on the empowerment of youths. He lambasts the abuse of social media as a weapon to disrupt the party. He says the target is the revolution. He says any member of the youth league who abuses social media should be removed from their positions.
1313:  Zanu-PF youth league national secretary for commissariat Innocent Hamandishe is the Master of Ceremony for the day.
1310: School children are now reciting poems.
1253: Josiah Hungwe is now addressing the gathering on behalf of Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Shuvai Mahofa who is ill. He welcomes those gathered and urges them to enjoy the celebrations.
1239: Six foreign youth league organisations are also at the celebrations and they include BDP from Botswana, FRELIMO from Mozambique, ANC from South Africa among others
1232: Matutu is now introducing the youths who are part of the celebrations.
1231: He says the 21st February Movement is a non partisan development organisation. He calls upon all citizens of Zimbabwe to unite because unity is the glue that binds the people together.
Matutu says it is disheartening the way the young and others behave in the party yet unity is what is needed. He apologises on behalf of the youth.
1228: Zanu-PF youth league national secretary for administration Lewis Matutu is now on the podium.
1212: Tha National Anthem is now being played.
1203: President Mugabe and Amai Grace Mugabe have arrived to wild cheers and ululation.
1155: VP Mnangagwa and his wife have arrived.
1150: Walter Chidhakwa, Simon Khaya-Moyo, Dr Ignatius Chombo and Dr Lazarus Dokora have arrived.
1121: School children are now reciting poems.
1109: ZCC Mbungo Choir has got the delegates on their feet with their energy filled music and dance.
1101: Senate president Edna Madzongwe, chief secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Sibanda and Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Patrick Zhuwawo are also among the delegates.
1046: VP Phelekezela Mphoko has arrived accompanied by his wife Luaurinda.

Tonnes  of Tuberculosis (TB) drugs are expiring in the country’s public hospitals at a time thousands of patients  are dying, a senior government official has said.
“We have ballooning stocks of TB drugs in our hospitals and if they were vitamins we could all them, but  the unfortunate thing is that they are expiring ,”HIV/TB deputy director in the ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Charlse Sandy told reporters attending a TB reporting workshop which was organised by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) in Kadoma this week.
According to government records Matebeleland has the highest number (27%) of people dying of TB.
But Dr Sandy said the rising number of TB deaths cases were not related to the availability of drugs which are expiring.
“It could be delays in seeking care and that’s where issues needs to be addressed on raising awareness in communities on the symptoms of TB and what are the available facilities for those who might need them,” he said.
“Other cases might be emanating from people who might not be resident in the country; they come back at the time their situation has deteriorated”.
It also emerged at the workshop that in some parts, the people walk for at least 20 kilometres to the nearest health care centre for services.
It was also highlighted that  there are few facilities  which offer both TB and HIV services.
Statistics show that least 70% of TB patients have HIV.
An official with International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), an organisation which provides TB and health services to communities said they were going to assist government in expanding one stop HIV/TB service shops throughout the country.
Currently there are 26 such centres and most of them are in urban areas.

TWO female police officers bravely fought off a knife wielding five-men gang that attacked a police base and tried to rape one of them. Licking their wounds, the gang fled from the base, near Amakhosi Cultural Centre in Bulawayo, minutes before reinforcements from the canine section arrived at the scene. The incident happened at about 1AM yesterday.
Police with sniffer dogs tracked down and arrested two of the suspects. A manhunt has been launched for the other three. Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango referred questions to national police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi.
Chief Supt Nyathi could not be reached for comment as his cellphone rang unanswered. Police sources said three police officers, one male, were at the tent which is used as the base.
“When the five arrived, the male police officer was outside. Apparently unaware of his presence, they immediately attacked the women,” said a source. The source said a scuffle
ensued as one of the attackers tried to rape one of the officers.
“The two female officers fought hard to keep their attackers at bay while the male officer called for backup at Bulawayo Central Police Station,” said the source.
“The raiders apparently realising they were coming out second best, fled into the bush and a few minutes later, the reinforcements arrived.” The male police officer, said the source, showed the dog squad the direction taken by the fleeing criminals.
“The dogs immediately picked the scent and two of the fleeing suspects were arrested,” the source added. It could not be ascertained yesterday why the gang raided the police base.
Following their arrests, the bruised suspects were taken to Bulawayo Central Police Station where they are assisting with investigations. The Chronicle visited the police base yesterday and it was business as usual. Officers at the base refused to shed light on the matter saying only their public relations officers were allowed to speak to the Press. – State Media

A Bulawayo man was arrested for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl six times in one day. Ndodana Ndlovu, 33, of Nkulumane appeared before Provincial magistrate Abednico Ndebele to answer rape charges and was remanded in custody to March 3.
The court heard that on Tuesday last week the teen’s mother sent her to collect money from Ndlovu who had bought eggs from her on credit.
Prosecuting, Stewart Madzore told the court that on February 16 the girl set out but failed to locate Ndlovu’s house. “She decided to sleep at her aunt’s house in Nkulumane.
“The next day she woke up and went to look for Ndlovu and met him on the road,” said Madzore. “The accused who was with a co-worker greeted the complainant and they invited her into a kombi that he was driving.”
The prosecutor said Ndlovu took the girl to his house where he ordered her to strip naked. “The accused raped the complainant six times,” said Madzore. The girl later reported the assault to her brother leading to Ndlovu’s arrest.

A soldier lost $300 to a hooker he had hired for a one night stand. But the prostitute says she took the money as revenge as the soldier had removed her female condom during sex.
Priviledge Manyora (21) of Dangamvura, pleaded guilty to stealing $150 from Trymore Zviitirei (26) when she appeared before senior Mutare magistrate, Mrs Sekai Chiundura.
The State did not accept the limited plea and she was granted $20 bail. The case goes for trial on March 4.
Manyora told the court that she stole the money from Zviitirei who is stationed at 3.1 Combat Group as revenge after she found out that he had removed the female condom she was wearing when they were being intimate.
“We agreed that he pays $10 for one night. After having sexual intercourse, I observed that he had removed the female condom I was wearing. I discovered it in the morning after we were done. I took $150 from his pockets because I wanted to use it for medication and to get tested. I fear for my health, so he should pay for that. He is now fabricating that I took $300,” she said.
Mrs Chiundura advised her to look for better ways to make a living.
“Aren’t you ashamed of your behaviour? You should find something to do rather than stealing or being a prostitute,” she said.
Allegations are that that Manyora stole $300 from Zviitirei’s pockets and left him sleeping in her house.
A total of $150 was recovered from Manyora’s friend, Abigail Stima. Manica Post

Kwekwe Central MP Masango ‘Blackman’ Matambanadzo has been involved in a car accident, details reaching ZimEye.com claim.

President Mugabe who pledged 300 head of cattle to the African Union Foundation last year has honoured his promise. The President has met with Mr Erastus Mwencha, the AU Commission deputy chairperson who in the country yesterday to receive the cattle.
The President, who was by then AU and SADC chairman when he made the pledge last year in June made the donation as a way of dissuading Africa from over-reliance on external partners whose donations come with strings attached.
Speaking after meeting President Mugabe at State House, Mr Mwencha said the cattle contribution would go a long way in capacitating the Foundation.
“I am here for very good news,” he said.
“His Excellency the President during his tenure as chairperson of the African Union made a contribution and a donation to the private sector and as we know that last year when we had Ebola the private sector came up in a very strong way to support the African Union. So His Excellency also showed his commitment in that direction.

The African Union Foundation is the brainchild of African Heads of State and Government and was created for the purposes of collaborating with the private sector, philanthropists, individuals and the Diaspora to solicit donations and seek voluntary contributions towards the financing of Africa’s development priorities in pursuit of Agenda 2063.
The Foundation seeks to promote the development of skills and human resources on the continent, women empowerment and gender equality and to promote integration and management of diversity, youth development and entrepreneurship, advocacy and support for the African Union
Mr Mwencha said they were yet to make a decision on whether to sell the cattle or “get a place to keep them so that they multiply”.
President Mugabe, who has repeatedly called on African countries to depend on themselves, said he hoped the donation would “keep the foundation going”.
“I am happy that the gift we offered to the AU is at last received by the beneficiary,” he said.
“I just decided that we make a gift in kind, it just struck me that no one had ever thought of a gift by way of cattle to the AU and since we are cattle people why shouldn’t we also make a gift to the AU in cattle form? So we are very happy to make such a contribution, it (AU) is our organisation. And we hope the cattle, as will be decided now by the AU, will play some part in establishing the foundation, making the foundation keep going.”
Kadoma businessman Mr Jimayi Muduvuri, who is looking after the cattle, said he had seen it fit to assist President Mugabe who always had a busy schedule.
“I am the one who said President you cannot do that for yourself, being the chairman for AU (by then), it is not his job. He is working for us and that is our duty to support our President,” he said.
Mr Mwencha is expected to go and see the cattle at Vuka Farm in Karoi today. – State Media

By Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo |Tension continues to mount ahead of President Robert Mugabe’s birthday bash scheduled for Saturday with MDC youths staging a demonstration against the president’s lavish ceremony while millions of Zimbabweans are facing starvation.
Placard wielding MDC youths on Tuesday marched along the streets of Masvingo expressing concern at the state of the economy and starvation while Mugabe ‘s bash chewed up at least $800 000. MDC national youth chairperson Happymore Chidziva urged Mugabe and Zanu PF to address matters of national concern instead of blowing close to a million dollars on the bash.
“It is unacceptable to blow up such a lot of money just to celebrate Mugabe’s birthday while millions of people are hungry. So our message is very clear, Mugabe must address the disastrous situation with immediate effect. The economy is crumbling everyday and hundreds of graduates are roaming the streets so we call upon the government to address these matters of national importance,” said Chidziva.
The MDC youths also slammed the current infighting in Zanu PF saying ruling party stalwarts were concentrating on factional battles ignoring the plight of the people of Zimbabwe. “Zanu PF bigwigs are fighting each other while the entire nation is suffering. What we want is food on the table.We want jobs not Mugabe’s bash which does not benefit the nation. Masvingo Province is hard hit by drought and instead of wasting money on the bash, Mugabe must feed the nation and the province of Masvingo,” said Chidziva. Meanwhile members of Mugabe’s security team have occupied all the luxurious lodges and hotels in the city of Masvingo.
Analysts say thousands of dollars have been committed towards Mugabe’s personal security at a time drought is ravaging the province of Masvingo and parts of Midlands and Matabeleland provinces respectively.

Grace Mugabe who is the Zanu-PF Women’s League secretary is not interested in succeeding her husband, the State Media reports claiming.
Her deputy Eunice Nomthandazo Moyo quoted by the state broadsheet media has rubbished the stories which she said are being peddled by sections of the private media.
During the interview Moyo said the subject was discussed at the Women’s League national executive meeting in Harare on Wednesday, where the leadership was concerned about the misconception over the First Lady’s position.
“The issue of the First Lady harbouring ambitions to succeed His Excellency (President Mugabe) is misleading. We have not discussed that as the Women’s League and we don’t know where it’s coming from,” she said.
Moyo said the Wednesday meeting discussed the Women League’s resolutions ahead of the December 2015 zanu-pf annual national people’s conference, which seem to have been misconstrued.
The party’s conference was held in Victoria Falls.
“It came to our attention as the Women’s League executive that our resolutions for the conference were not clearly understood hence we needed to clarify that.

“We have said we wanted the constitution to be amended by 2016 and not that we wanted the Vice Presidency by 2016. What we want this year is to have the constitution corrected so that when the time to elect leaders comes (at congress in 2018) one of the VPs will be a woman. This has to be clear so that we are protected by the constitution as women.”
Moyo is also Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo. She went on to Say the league’s recommendation for a constitutional amendment should not be taken out of context and be confused with “succession” politics.
She  pointed out that as an organ of the revolutionary party, Zanu-PF, the Women’s League was fully behind the First Family.
“We want to set the record straight because some people are being misled. As the Women’s League we’re in solidarity with the First Family. We always work and go with the First Lady and at no point has she declared an ambition for any higher post.
In fact, she has said she is content where she is. People should stop giving her a position she has not asked for.” – state media

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) says Johannes Tomana is not a “fit and proper person” to continue in the esteemed office of Prosecutor-General in the wake of defying court orders from the superior courts.
In terms of the Constitution, for one to hold the office of Prosecutor-General, he/she “must be a fit and proper person”.
However, Tomana yesterday filed an urgent chamber application seeking an interim order staying the process for his possible removal from office.
Tomana, who is facing criminal charges at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts’ involving Gushungo Dairy bombing, was in October last year slapped with a 30-day term of imprisonment for contempt of court after he defied court orders to issue certificates for the private prosecution of Bikita West legislator Dr Munyaradzi Kereke and Telecel shareholder Dr Jane Mutasa.
Kereke was accused of raping an 11-year-old relative, while Mutasa was facing charges of swindling the company of airtime recharge cards worth millions of dollars.
Tomana was fined by a nine-member judges’ panel of the Constitutional Court led by Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku.
The sentence was, however, wholly set-aside on condition that he complied with the court orders and issue private prosecution certificates to Mr Francis Maramwidze and Telecel, within 10 days, failure which he would be barred from practising as a lawyer in Zimbabwe.
The following month, Tomana was again at the centre of another storm for allegedly abusing the court process to rubber-stamp the acquittal of former Zupco board chairman, Professor Charles Nherera, who was charged with corruption.
The abuse reportedly occurred at the time when Tomana was the Attorney General. Prof Nherera was acquitted by the High Court in November 2009, barely a year after Tomana was appointed to the post of then AG.
It emerged yesterday that the JSC has taken steps towards removing him from office, when it wrote to him about his unsuitability to continue holding the office of Prosecutor-General.
He was given 10 days to respond to the letter dated February 12 2016 signed by the JSC chairman Chief Justice Chidyausiku.
Attached to the letter were two judgments one from the Constitutional Court and the other from the High Court.
“ It is the view of the Judicial Service Commission that they both speak to your suitability to continue to hold the office of Prosecutor-General,” reads the letter. “ On the basis of these judgments, the JSC is of the view that a prima facie case exists for it to act in terms of Section 259(7), as read with Section 187, of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, subject to any submissions you may wish to make in this regard.”
He was given 10 days to respond, failure to which the JSC would proceed to determine the matter on the basis he had no submissions to make. On Tuesday Chief Justice Chidyausiku wrote again to Tomana explaining what he meant in his first letter.
He explained that the Constitutional Court had found as a fact that he disobeyed orders of the court. “ This was common cause and, in my view, no detailed reasons are required in this regard,” said Chief Justice Chidyausiku. “ I, however, attach to this letter two judgments whose orders you failed to obey. The Constitution Court considered your failure to obey these court orders constituted a violation of Section 165 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and imposed on you what it considered appropriate punishment for such transgression.
“ The fact that the Constitutional Court found as a fact that your disobedience of the court orders merited the punishment it imposes triggered, together with the other allegation, the mechanism for the Judicial Service Commission to consider whether or not it should exercise the power conferred on it in terms of Section 159(7) as read with section 187, of the Constitution.”
The Chief Justice said in determining Tomana’s case, the JSC will look into whether or not he disobeyed court orders. If he did disobey court orders, what are the legal consequences that flow from his conduct?
In particular, whether or not Tomana’s disobedience of court orders constitutes contempt of court which, as he knew, was a criminal offence. The JSC, furthermore, would consider that by disobeying court orders did Tomana violate section 164(3) of the Constitution, as the Constitutional Court found. If it found that Tomana violated the section alluded to, does that constitute a violation of his oath of office to uphold the Constitution.
“It is hoped that your submissions on the above will assist the Judicial Service Commission in determining what advice, if any, it should give to the President in terms of section187 of the Constitution,” said Chief Justice Chidyausiku.
“It is not for the Judicial Service Commission to delve into details of the allegations or determine whether such conduct constitutes a violation of section187 (1)(a), (b) and (c) of the Constitution. That is the function of the Tribunal, if one should be appointed. I am making the above observation in the hope that it helps in understanding the process of the JSC.” Tomana yesterday responded to the matter by an urgent chamber application in the High Court seeking to stay the process in the interim, pending the finalisation of the matter. He argues that the process seeking to remove him from office was unlawful and was activated by the JSC.
In his application, Tomana cited the JSC and Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa as respondents.
“…I seek a declaratory order bearing on the invalidity of the process which has been commenced by the first respondent (JSC) purportedly in terms of section 187 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” said Tomana 11-page affidavit.
“Pending determination of this matter I seek in the interim a temporary interdict stopping the commencement of the process.”
Tomana argues that the Constitutional Court judgment which committed him to jail unless he issued certificates for private prosecution was issued from a court of no jurisdiction.
“The orders I was held to have been in contempt of are orders of the High and Supreme Courts respectively,” said Tomana. “Compliance with those orders is enforced by the High Court. In fact as at the date of the order of the Constitutional Court, proceedings for contempt had been instituted in the High Court. The constitutional Court has no jurisdiction to relate to a matter which was within the purview of the High Court.”
He also contends that the order was also invalid in that the Constitution dealt with a matter which was not before it. The Constitutional Court, he added, cannot at law deal with a contempt of court matter. He said the matter that was before the apex court was an ex-parte application he had made which sought the declaration on the question of his independence.
He also argues the proceedings that gave rise to Constitutional Court order were a nullity given that the Deputy Chief Justice Luke Malaba was not part of the bench when the order was granted. “Constitutionally, the Constitutional Court cannot be properly constituted within the first seven years of its life if it does not consist of the Chief Justice and the Deputy Chief Justice who must sit together in hearing any and every matter,” he argues. “ An order by an improperly constituted court is obviously a nullity.”
Tomana also argues that a citizen, Rooney Kanyama, has challenged the validity of the Constitutional Court order committing him to jail. He attached Kanyama’s application that was filed in the Constitutional Court yesterday.
“The main order upon, which the first respondent seeks to proceed is, therefore, under challenge. I will shortly be filing my position to the matter of the challenge of the order.”-State Media

Zimbabwe’s largest financial group, CBZ  Holdings, on Wednesday reported a 7 percent increase in after-tax profit to $35.2 million in the full year to December 2015, but said it had written off $24 million in bad debts as the country’s deteriorating economy adversely impacts asset quality.
CBZ, which operates the country’s biggest retail bank as well as insurance and asset management subsidiaries, reduced the amount of total loans advanced to $1,021 billion during 2015, down from $1,126 billion previously. In 2014, the bank wrote off $4,45 million.
Zimbabwe’s central bank has created a special purpose vehicle to buy bad loans from the banking sector, thereby reducing the industry’s non-performing loan ratio from about 20 percent in June 2014 to 10.9 percent by December 2015. The central bank’s asset manager has so far purchased nearly $300 million bad loans from banks, improving their asset quality.
CBZ’s non-performing loan ratio did improve marginally to 7.45 percent in 2015, from 7.63 percent in 2014, with interest having been suspended on loans worth $76 million, their financial statements show. The bank’s decision to keep a huge chunk of non-performing loans in-house, as opposed to selling them off to the state asset manager, suggest they are betting on their ability to recover some value.
The group’s total assets grew 18 percent to $1.974 billion, while total income, minus interest expense, was $184 million, a 19 percent improvement on the prior year. CBZ’s insurance business weighed in with net underwriting income of $12.5 million last year, up from $8 million in 2014.
CBZ’s flagship commercial banking unit weighed in with $140 million, or 76 of total income. The banking subsidiary’s after-tax profit for 2015 was $26.1 million, up from $16.3 million in 2014.
The group had closed the year with $42.5 million cash in the bank, down from $73 million in 2014. – The Source

Two Harare city council employees yesterday chocked to death during an operation to unblock a wastewater line.
The two Wilson Nyerukai (43) and Mugove Musariri (33) died in an accident that happened on the corner of Penny Close and Bay Close.
“The City of Harare announces with a deep sense of sorrow the death of two of its employees today (yesterday) in Msasa Park during an operation to unblock a wastewater line,” reads the death notice from City of Harare.
According to the notice, “One of the officers Wilson Nyerukai (43) (senior wastewater operator) went into the wastewater manhole to unblock a sewer line. He was overwhelmed by the force of flowing unblocked wasterwater and the gas in the seven metre deep manhole. His workmate Mugove Musariri (33) then entered the manhole to rescue him but he also choked to death.”
Fire brigade squad attended the scene and retrieved the bodies, which were then collected by the police. Nyerukai and Mugove joined council in 1999 and 2010 respectively.

The new US envoy to Harare Harry K. Thomas (Jr) says he will challenge President Robert Mugabe on human rights violations, if any happens during his term of office.
Since 2000 when she slapped Mugabe with sanction on allegations of gross human rights violations, America has been encouraging Harare to respect human rights.
“The Government of the United States and the Government of Zimbabwe share the desire for a better future for the people of this great nation and whenever we may differ on the best means of achieving these goals, I will seek to engage in a dialogue that is respectful and that seeks to uphold the universal values and rights that Zimbabweans fought so hard to gain 36 years ago,” Thomas told President Mugabe when he met him this week.
US said respect to rule of law and human rights remained its benchmark towards the re-engagement process.
“We stand by the commitments that we made to the people of Zimbabwe at independence in 1980; to work together to promote democratic institutions, equitable economic growth, public health, and food security,” he said.
“The United States shares the desires of the people of Zimbabwe, who want to see a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous Zimbabwe that provides for its people and contributes to regional stability”.
“To realize these goals, we strongly believe that it is important to engage with government and non-governmental entities alike to promote our shared values and to work together in areas of common concern. We view this ongoing dialogue as part of building the bilateral relationship”.
 

By Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo|Schools here have been forced to suspend lessons so to prepare for President Robert Mugabe’s lavish birthday party.
Investigations carried by ZimEye.com this week revealed local schools were ordered by CIO agents to release their pupils and teachers to assist in preparations for the 21st February celebrations scheduled for the Great Zimbabwe monuments on Saturday.
Staff members at Chirichoga, Mapanzure and Mapakomhere secondary schools told ZimEye.com they were last week ordered to release pupils to help in the preps for the massive bash. While the CIO operatives ordered the respective schools to release pupils to prepare for the bash nothing has been done to compensate for the lost time that has lapsed.
“We were ordered by men from the president’s office to release pupils to assist in the preparations for the birthday bash. We had to suspend lessons for the past two weeks since we had to comply with the directive from the office of the president. We do not know how we are going to compensate for the lost time,” said a school head who declined to be named. ZimEye.com is reliably informed pupils and teachers from neighouring schools have been ordered to take part in the preparations for the bash during the normal school hours.
Mugabe has in the past boasted of achieving a high literacy rate and the latest development has irked the local parents who feel shortchanged because of learning time lost in preparation for the bash.
The massive bash is expected to blow up at least $800 million .

Some private schools are in the process of consulting parents about increasing fees after the government’s withdrawal of  around 500 teachers from the institutions countrywide.The schools charge between $700 and $4,500 in school fees every term per child.
As a way of cuting down expenditure, the government gave private schools an ultimatum to either employ the teachers or release them for redeployment into the public service.
On November 17, 2015, Cabinet adopted the 2015 civil service audit report which, among other issues, recommended the withdrawal of funding of employment costs of government teachers in trust and private schools.
Over 500 teachers have been recalled from private schools with trust schools being the worst affected.
School heads who spoke to The Chronicle yesterday said the Bulawayo Provincial Education Director, Dan Moyo last week issued letters to the affected teachers.
“We received letters from the PED dated February 16 to the effect that government teachers are being recalled for re-deployment in the public service and must respond within 14 days,” said a school head who declined to be named for professional reasons.
The head said teachers have to make a decision individually on whether to resign or go back to government.
“What had to happen now is that teachers who decide to stay have to reach an agreement with the school before they resign or they go back to government for re-deployment,” said the school head whose school had seven affected teachers.
“We have started consulting parents on the way forward as they are the ones who run the schools. If we are to take the teachers back it means we have to boost our finances to meet the costs,” said the head.

Chairman of the Combined Heads of Independent Schools in Zimbabwe, Robert Sibanda confirmed receipt of the letter from the PED.
“The letters were released by the PED to be handed to teachers. Unfortunately I can’t comment further,” said Sibanda.
He said the Association of Trust Schools (ATS) has indicated that 406 teachers have been affected while scores more from private schools had been recalled.
Some of the ATS schools are Centenary Primary, Christian Brothers College, Dominican Convent Primary and High Schools, Girls College, Carmel, Falcon, Lomagundi, Midlands Christian College and Petra High School.
Some school heads said fees might go up next term as the redeployment would not affect lessons this term.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Sylvia Utete-Masango, in a circular dated January 28 this year, said the recalling of teachers was in line with the civil service audit which is underway.
“You are hereby recalled for redeployment in Public Service. May you therefore acknowledge receipt of this letter and respond within 14 days. By failing to respond, you shall be deemed to have resigned from Public Service,” wrote Utete Masango in a circular dated February 3.
Presenting the 2016 budget last year, Finance Minister, Patrick Chinamasa said the government would stop paying teachers employed by trust schools with effect from January 1 this year.
This was reiterated by Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira who said teachers at private and trust schools, who gobbled $72 million in 2015 in salaries and allowances, would no longer get anything from the government.
“The position is that this is an unfair charge to public funds and these institutions are run on a commercial basis and should cater for their employment costs,” she said. – State Media

The Bulawayo police are looking for three women who allegedly kidnapped a man from Cowdray Park and forced him to have sex with them before taking away his semen.
These suspected women who are allegedly collecting sperms are said to be driving a white Toyota Cresta.
The incident took place on February 8 after the suspects allegedly offered a lift to a man who was hitch hiking along 6th Avenue. The man was travelling to Cowdray Park at around 8PM.
One of the women allegedly used a condom while the others had unprotected sex with him.When they had raped him they allegedly took his semen with them.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango yesterday said the suspects are still on the run. She said they would be charged with aggravated indecent assault once they were caught.
“They picked their victim at an illegal hiking point along 6th Avenue at about 8PM on Tuesday, February 8. “Their victim was travelling to Cowdray Park and while on the way they changed the route prompting him to inquire where they were taking him. They told him they were taking a short cut,” said Insp Simango.

“One of the women used a condom while the others had sex with him without protection. They then took away his semen before dumping him,” she said.
Insp Simango urged members of the public to stop boarding taxis at undesignated places saying it made them vulnerable to criminals. She appealed to members of the public who have information that may lead to the arrest of the suspected sperm harvesters to come forward.
Sperm harvesters made headlines in 2011 when they were pouncing on motorists along the Gweru-Harare highway. In 2011, three Gweru women were arrested after they were caught at a roadblock with 31 condoms that contained semen.
Rosemary Chakwizira, 24, Sophie Nhokwara, 26, and Netsai Nhokwara, 24, all of Mkoba Village Four, faced 17 counts of aggravated indecent assault but were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
Last year, a Gweru commuter omnibus driver Edson Nkiwane allegedly offered an 18-year-old vagrant accommodation at his house before collecting his sperm that he stored in a bottle, after performing oral sex on the homeless man. – state media

Four Harare City Council traffic officers who went on a spree to impound a commuter omnibus as a way of fixing the crew for causing the arrest of a municipal officer have been sentenced to 18 months in prison for abuse of office.
Mbare resident magistrate Ms Anita Tshuma locked up the four, Pardon Chifanza (26), Talent Mujere (25), Gerald Marwa (32) and Alpha Muzvidzwa (59) — after finding them guilty of the offence that bordered on corruption.
Prior to the impounding of the vehicle, a driver with the commuter omnibus company in question, had caused the arrest of Kosam Ngoma, a council traffic officer, and his colleagues went on to the streets to hunt down the vehicle on a revenge mission.
The quartet, in typical mafia-style, threw spikes on the vehicle before towing it away without issuing any traffic ticket or informing the crew of the offence.
In terms of Statutory Instrument 104 of 2005 of the Harare (Clamping and Town Away) By-Laws, 2005, no motor vehicle can be clamped or immobilised without a ticket being issued.
The vehicle was towed to Harare Central Stores where it was detained.
The court heard during the trial that one of the four shouted at the driver, Mr Sunnywell Kamudira, that “wakasungisirei mumwe wedu anonzi Ngoma?” (Why did you cause the arrest of our colleague called Ngoma?).
The jailing of the four came at a time the motoring public was crying foul over abuse of authority by some overzealous city traffic officers, some who were demanding bribes and, at times, unlawfully impounding vehicles to fix those who fail to comply with their monetary demands.

When the case was reported to the police, the four sought cover under unsatisfactory claims that the vehicle was obstructing the free flow of traffic in the city. However, Ms Tshuma established that the defence raised by the four was fraught with inconsistencies and in fact corroborated the complainant’s claims that the officers were on a revenge mission.
“However, from their evidence, the accused persons failed to show that the vehicle in question was obstructing the smooth flow of traffic. “It is clear that the accused persons, who are members of the municipal police, had targeted this commuter omnibus.
“In any event, it is quite clear that if there was any obstruction, they (the four) are the ones who caused it when they placed a spike in front of the complainant’s vehicle,” ruled the magistrate.
Ms Tshuma said the offence committed was very prevalent and serious hence a custodial sentence was appropriate to curb such lawlessness. “The court is of the view that a custodial sentence is appropriate under the circumstances as it will send a clear message to the society and would-be offenders that the courts do not condone such behaviour,” said Ms Tshuma.
Facts are that on July 9 last year in the morning, Mr Kamudira was driving the kombi (ADC 6624) along Samora Machel Avenue on his way to the Harare Magistrates’ Courts for a court case involving another traffic officer and he stopped at a traffic light.
Three police officers went to the driver’s side and told him that he was not supposed to drive in the central business district. One of the officers questioned the crew why they caused the arrest of their colleague and demanded that they withdraw the case.
Mujere and Marwa pulled Mr Kamudira off the driver’s seat, manhandling him before assaulting him. Within 15 minutes a council towing vehicle arrived and towed the kombi away without issuing a traffic ticket. – State Media

An apostolic sect prophet has been arraigned for allegedly fondling a 14-year old girl’s private parts and breasts during a healing session.
Kaunda Muleya, 30, of Bulawayo’s Kingsdale suburb appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Tancy Dube facing an indecent assault charge.
The teen’s parents, the court heard, had invited Muleya to pray for her aunt who had suffered a stroke. The court heard that the aunt requested the prophet to extend the healing prayers to the girl who has a problem with her legs.
The teenager, in her warned and cautioned statement, said Muleya ordered her and her aunt to inhale steam as part of the healing session. “After steaming, he ordered me to go to the bathroom to finish the session. My aunt remained in the bedroom,” said the girl.
“He ordered me to remove my blouse and skirt. He then started sprinkling water on me. In the process, he started fondling my breasts and held my lower abdomen, lowered his hands further and fondled my private parts.”
Dube did not ask Muleya to plead and she remanded him out of custody to March 4.

By Terrence Mawawa, Gutu|In an incident that has left the entire local community stunned, a married man got the shock of his life when he discovered that his private parts were swollen after sexual intercourse with his girlfriend, a condition that has left health experts at Masvingo General hospital speechless.
The man John Chinyenga from Wildbeast area(popularly known as Hwiribisi), went to his girlfriend’s house on February 11 in the same area where he had sexual intercourse with her.
Chinyenga was shocked to see his private parts protruding and he consulted local traditional healers to no avail. The visibily shaken girlfriend, Gladys Makandinzwanani, said she was unaware of what could have caused the problem. “I am equally shocked because I am also in pain and I do not know what really happened. I thought it will be fine with us after a few days but things are getting worse. I am now worried about the situation. John’s privates continue to bulge and it is really disturbing,” Makandinzwanani told reporters from her bedside at Masvingo Provincial Hospital last week.
Tavada Mutero, a kraal head from the Wildbeast area said the two were bewitched following their promiscuous affair.
“Going to hospital will not help at this moment. They have to consult prophets and traditional healers for a quick remedy. The whole community is now aware of the incident. Since Chinyenga got involved in an extra marital affair it is highly possible he was trapped either by his wife or by a jealousy rival out there,” said Mutero.

• “I am the only candidate that contested independently and I had a credible 4200 votes, which really you look at, is the third to Mugabe and Tsvangirai.”

I do not support VP Emmerson Mnangagwa, Youth Advocacy for Reform and Democracy (YARD) leader Temba Mliswa writes saying. He deliberates on this as he responds to questions raised in the ZimEye newsroom on Tuesday:
To caveat my response below, I want to make sure that there is no misunderstanding about the polarity of my support for any particular candidate. What I am merely trying to do is see the situation for what it is, in line with the respective office that the leaders are, have and will potentially hold. Our position should be about respecting the office, not the person in the office. Therefore when I talk of Mnangagwa and his current footing, this is not about me being an Mnangagwa supporter, it is about an understanding of the current and future dynamic he holds within and out of the office.
Same applies to Mai Mujuru, Simba Makoni, Morgan Tsvangirayi et al, it is about the office they held or might hold and not them as person or personality.
As the electorate and political commentators, I believe we need to bear in mind that our observations and commentaries should be about offices and their functions:what is the purpose of that office and how it is executed not about personalities. In addition, we have to ensure that we have the right granular leadership qualities in play in the potential candidates. We need leaders that have a gamut of skill, that can influence and break down barriers with our amassed ‘antagonists’. This is vital to the person who takes on the leadership role in 2018 as they have a huge mountain to climb gaining credibility with firstly the electorate, and more importantly the international community so we can revive the economy. So, do we have these skills within our current cohort of potential leaders? Well, in my opinion our current eco-system of leaders does not have a clear bell curve, most of them are all out-liers who will need careful synergy to bring together a leader who has the team that supports him effectively.
Now I jump to the question of leader working with one another: Do Mujuru and Biti share the same ideologies or Makoni and Tsvangirai possibly have the same agenda? Will these people be able to work together and form credible opposition? Mujuru is disadvantaged as leader as she is yet to stand up and challenge Mugabe of his history as the leader of the country, the corruption and the economic down turn. She is yet to test her electorate on support by running independently. To be a credible opposition leader one has to be able to recount the history of in the incumbent leader, their track record and failures, highlighting how they would have made better choices for the people. This gives the electorate a flavour of the leader mind set and their thinking as voting in most cases is centred on speculative reasoning of the electorate in light of the current trajectory. In addition it is also important that, as a potential candidate to have tested the waters to determine the level of support on the ground.
This is the difference between Tsvangirai and Mujuru. Tsvangirai already has the votes and seats in parliament to prove he is seen as a leader despite the issues that are present within his party at the moment; whilst Mujuru on the other hand is holding speculative support. Mujuru, has yet to come out openly and play her hand. She is still hiding behind PF and has not come and officially let her intentions be known or formally put in a challenge for the leadership. This puts her at a disadvantage; however it is common knowledge that Biti and some others are willing to join forces with her and form a party to that will rise as opposition. Aside from this where does Jabulani Sibanda sit in all of this? The War vets still have a strong authority and voice and need to be incorporated. The opposition need to understand the different factions in Zanu pf and court them into their camp so they have the numbers needed to get into government. Politics is about numbers and not personalities.
In order to be in government, one has to have support on the ground. Therefore 2015 numbers become relevant. None of the expelled Zanu Pf candidates ran as independents, therefore there is no indication of the support they have. I am the only candidate that contested independently and I had a credible 4200 votes, which really you look at, is the third to Mugabe and Tsvangirai. Whilst on the subject I must thank Jim Kanaka, Farai Kuvheya, Prosper Gavanga, and Munyaradzi Gomeza for their support when I ran as an independent….
 

He said there were people who were no longer diplomats but who were used by the Executive to carry out several diplomatic assignments hence the decision to allow them to continue using such documents.
“The Executive regards them as part of their pool of diplomatic personnel whom they can use in carrying out its work, like to be special envoys and so on. That is where you see someone who once qualified directly still holding diplomatic passports. It is because he is used from time to time to assist the Executive,” said Minister Mumbengegwi.

Government has warned that it will now block all those who want to take chances to get into council seeking fortune at the expense of service delivery.
Only qualified and competent people who own properties in town are the best candidates to seek election to become councillors as they will be able to assist in moving council business forward.
Speaking at an all stakeholders consultative and planning workshop, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Mr Saviour Kasukuwere said there was need to have councillors competent in fields such as engineering, town planning and finance to move council business forward.
“We are going to review the callibre of councillors we have in our local authorities. This ‘bamba zonke’ approach can’t continue. We can’t have someone who, just after herding cattle, stand as a councillor and win. This is not how we can run our local authorities and a country,” he said.
“We are going to look at the constitution and l am sure, we will find a way. A councillor should have either assets and is paid up. I have visited some districts after they summon me because they will be fighting over trivial matters, I cannot even speak of today.”
“As Zanu-PF political commissar, we must look at the calibre we send to council. Someone who can’t read or write is said to be a councillor and the fellow doesn’t even have a road going to his house, but wants to chair the public works committee. People with experience and capacity must come in.”
Mr Kasukuwere said this had forced his ministry to increase the allowances of mayors and councillors to nip the levels of corruption threatening service delivery.
Last year, Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni also bemoaned the majority of councillors in Harare lack essential skills, and said there was need for political parties to forward individuals with reasonable educational qualifications to ensure the smooth running of council.
As such, Minister Kasukuwere said the mess presiding over in local authorities which included flagrant disregard of city by-laws, proliferation of illegal settlements could cease if the ease of doing business is applied and normalised.
“The bureaucratic delays cost us a lot. l was talking to the town clerk of Harare and asked, how long it takes for one to buy land in Harare — seven to eight months, and I am sure this is the situation across the country. We have to cut that bureaucracy to a maximum of 30 days.-State Media

By Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo | MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has described First Grace Mugabe’s presidential ambitions as wishful thinking adding the outspoken Zanu PF Women’s League boss has no capacity to lead the country.
Addressing party supporters at a rally in Mashava last Saturday Tsvangirai said Mrs Mugabe would never succeed her husband. Political observers quickly pointed out Tsvangirai’s utterances could be a reflection of the veteran opposition leader’s lame duck approach towards political events in the country.
Tsvangirai said Grace was daydreaming about her presidential ambitions. “I have heard Grace saying she will push Mugabe in a wheelbarrow to the state house and that she is well positioned to replace Mugabe.Let me clearly state that we will not allow that to happen.They (Mugabe and Grace) are running the affairs of the entire nation like a private company.Grace will never rule this country,” said Tsvangirai. The MDC leader who is regarded as a key player in the formation of the much anticipated grand coalition said he was not in a hurry to join the much touted coalition.
Grace Mugabe has earned herself the ‘Stop it’ tag through vitriolic attacks on both opposition supporters and Zanu PF members. Tsvangirai urged party supporters to demand food aid from Mugabe when he comes to Masvingo for his 92 birthday bash on Saturday.
Grace and her husband are likely to face a hostile reception following Mrs Mugabe’s attack on war veterans and senior party supporters, including Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

A Gwanda based political activist Shyton Elliott who was reported abducted last week by suspected state agents has been found alive but “very sick”, human rights lawyers have said.
Matebeleland South Human Rights chairperson, Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo said Elliott (46) was found on Monday and is “at a place of safety” within the country.
“We have been following the case and have managed to locate him as of today (Monday) and he is at a place of safety within the country. His case has been presented to the lawyers for human rights and they are handling the case,” Fuzwayo said.
“He is alive but not very well. We are in the process of getting him a medical assessment because according to him, he was made to drink some chemicals and has been having a running tummy for the past four days.
“He looks dehydrated, very weak and in a state of very serious shock. He doesn’t want people around him and lawyers for human rights are facilitating an immediate counselling,” he added.
Fuzwayo said Elliott believed that he was abducted by the members of CIO because they took him to the offices of the CIO Gwanda district where they tortured and interrogated him.
“He has shown us his physical scars, signs of swollen hands, signs of being handcuffed. At the time of disappearing, he was wearing a very long dreadlock and he said it was violently cut-off. According to him, they used a knife to cut it off and is not aware where the dreadlock is,” Fuzwayo added.
Fuzwayo said according to Elliott, he was picked up by a group of 12 people in broad daylight at a shopping centre in Gwanda. Contrary to media reports, he said he was not detained overnight or any number of days.
“They picked him up around 1pm in the afternoon and dumped him in the boot of a car somewhere in the Central Business District of Gwanda around 6pm from where he found his way to rural areas; where out of trauma perhaps has been hiding for the last four or five days when everybody was looking for him. He made his way to Bulawayo over the weekend where he presented himself for safe keeping through human rights organisations,” he narrated.
Fuzwayo said Elliott did not belong to any political party and was just a critic of President Robert Mugabe.
“He can’t tell what the motive behind abduction was. It can be political because he said during the torture he was told to stop opposing the ruling party.”
Fuzwayo said more details would be released after the report has been made to the police as for now it was not safe.
The abduction follows another one of a political activist Itai Dzamara who was abducted in Harare in a similar manner and has not been seen almost a year on.-RadioVOP

A FORMER policeman who was dismissed from the police force for allegedly accepting a bribe has successfully challenged his conviction and sentence at the Bulawayo High Court.
Edmore Nyarugwe, 30, was stationed at Fairbridge Camp near Bulawayo when he was fired in 2014. He was charged with criminal abuse of duty as a public officer for allegedly accepting a $300 bribe from two brothers Ronald and Tariro Chasaya and their friend John Mundozo.
Nyarugwe then allegedly attempted to bribe a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) officer to allow the trio’s truck full of goods to enter the country without being searched at Victoria Falls border post.
The ex-cop, who is now employed as a security guard in Masvingo, was fined $400 by then Victoria Falls magistrate Sharon Rosemani. Three months were wholly suspended for three years on condition of good behaviour.
Nyarugwe appealed to the High Court in Bulawayo against both conviction and sentence. Appeals court judges, Justices Francis Bere and Maxwell Takuva set aside both the conviction and sentence last Tuesday.
“Whereupon after reading the documents filed of record and hearing appellant respondent it is ordered that the conviction and sentence be and is hereby set aside,” reads the ruling.
Nyarugwe appeared in person while Whisper Mabhaudi represented the State. Initially, the appeals judges turned down his appeal because he was a self-actor but he convinced the court that there were merits to his case hence the need for condonation.
“I plead for condonation as a self-actor. I had two witnesses who were declared hostile by the State and the case has tarnished my name as I’ve also lost my job and all benefits. If the court doesn’t hear me I may not be able to exonerate myself in society as I would carry the burden of a crime I didn’t commit,” said Nyarugwe in court before the appeals bench allowed the case to be heard.
He argued that the lower court erred by overlooking evidence presented by two witnesses Ronald and Gamuchirai Chirikure, who denied that the cop received a bribe. Chirikure is a cop and was on duty with Nyarugwe when the alleged crime was allegedly committed.
Nyarugwe who was then represented by Givemore Muvhiringi had pleaded not guilty to the charges. The State case was that on July 28, 2014, Nyarugwe was deployed to Victoria Falls border post where he allegedly received $300 bribe from the Chasaya brothers and Mundozo.-State Media

Former Education Minister and Mashonaland East Governor,  Aeneas Chigwedere on Monday  appeared at the Marondera civil court in a case in which his son, Magwiza, is accusing him of practicing witchcraft.
Chigwedere made an initial appearance before magistrate Shayne Kubonera, and his matter was moved to Friday this week.
The matter had been filed at the Harare civil court but was rejected on the grounds that the courts had no jurisdiction over the matter as both parties reside in Marondera.
The historian  is being sued together with his wife, Emilia, who is Magwiza’s step mother.
In his court papers Magwiza wants ZINATHA, cited as third respondents, to deal with the goblins he alleges are kept by his father to torment other family members.
In his initial opposing affidavit, Chigwedere through his lawyer, Tendai Masawi denied the allegations, describing his son as a mental patient who needs psychiatric treatment.
He added that the charges are frivolous and a waste of time.
The Chigwederes left the court separately with the father leaving in his car while Magwiza left on foot in the company of other relatives.