A MBERENGWA man has left fellow villagers dumbfounded amid allegations he was in the habit of engaging in sex with his three daughters and allegedly sired three children with them. It is understood that the man from Chief Maziofa had a child with his first daughter, two children with his second and is believed to be sleeping with his third daughter. Sunday News visited the area last week, where traditional leaders and villagers alleged that the man who cannot be named for ethical reasons had indeed sired children with his children. Mabhiza village head Mr Moses Hove “confirmed” that the man has children with his daughters and was once arrested for incest.
“This issue is an old one. He has been doing that for a very long time and we are worried that when he was arrested, he was released despite my brother Sarai reporting him to the police. Personally I have never caught him in the act but from the information that we have gathered, he has three children with his two daughters. I am prepared to stand before the court and testify to what I know and what I have been advised by fellow villagers. This is unacceptable culturally. Incest is taboo. I can even go with you to his homestead and confront him in your presence,” said Mr Hove.
Other villagers claimed the man impregnated his first daughter in 2003 and the child was now 13 years old and doing Grade Seven at a local primary school. He was arrested after his son teamed with a fellow villager Mr Sarai Hove and reported the matter to the police but was allegedly released without being charged.
Another villager who said naming him will create tensions with the man said he chased away his son after he revealed to fellow villagers that his father was sleeping with his children and had impregnated one of them. The villager said the man then went on to impregnate his second daughter and the child is doing Grade Two. The man, the villager further alleged, had a second child with the second daughter who has just started the Early Childhood Development (ECD) education level.
“Everyone in the village is aware that the man sleeps with his children. He is such a shameless man. He has a child with his first daughter and two children with the second and now he is sleeping with his third daughter. He was once arrested but was released by the police. We suspect that he uses juju,” said the villager.
The villager added that it is suspected that the third daughter is also pregnant for her father. However, when the Sunday News crew visited the man’s homestead, he claimed that villagers were framing him. The man said the second daughter only had one child and said the last two children, which are said to be hers were his wife’s.
“I do not know about that. It is news to me whoever told you was lying,” he said. The man was, however, evasive when asked on why he was arrested in 2003 referring all questions to his wife. “Wait for my wife she is taking a bath,” he said.
The wife professed ignorance but did not corroborate with her husband on the number of children they have. While the man said they have seven children, his wife said they had six. Contacted for comment the third daughter referred the news crew to her father while others could not be located.
ZANU-PF Youths Beat Each Other Up
THERE was chaos at the Zanu-PF Convention Centre in Gweru yesterday during the revolutionary party’s Midlands Youth League inter-district meeting with members engaging in sporadic fights. Tensions exploded during the meeting with some youths engaging in scuffles after they formed small groups and tried to prevent each other from entering the venue. Police in anti-riot combat had to be called in to control the youths resulting in the meeting being delayed from 10am to 2pm.
Midlands Zanu-PF acting chairman and National Secretary for Education Dr Jorum Gumbo condemned the youths’ behaviour and vowed to discipline the perpetrators. He bemoaned lack of discipline among the youths saying it would tarnish the image of the party.
“I am embarrassed with the behaviour that you have exhibited today. The worst part of it is that you did it right in front of our guests. We had to call the police to restore order here as if we are not peaceful people. We have the names of the perpetrators and we will discipline them. Whoever was causing chaos is anti-President and Zanu-PF. Do not come here to cause violence,” Dr Gumbo told the youths.
Acting Midlands Zanu-PF Youth chairman Prosper Machando claimed the youths were being used by some political leaders who have ulterior motives. He claimed some members of the party who have amassed a lot of wealth were in the habit of bribing youths and buying them intoxicating substances so that they use them to their advantage.
Machando also blamed the national executive of the youths for allegedly creating rapport with a selected few in the province and circumventing proper channels of communication within the Youth League structures.
“We are worried that there are some members of the party who bribe our colleagues because they have accumulated wealth. They buy them beer and they cause confusion. Our province is united. Another challenge is that some people are going to the national executive and start confirming dates of the one million men march before we receive any formal communication as the provincial leadership. That is very wrong,” said Machando.
Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs Kudzanai Chipanga said the youths wanted a direct link to President Mugabe and no longer wanted a Youth Secretary who is not a member of the Youth League.
“We want a direct link between the Youth League and the President. We want to create a platform to interface with President Mugabe. Kwete zvekuisirwa madhara mberi kwedu (not to put old representatives in front),” he said.
Chipanga said the youths would want to engage the Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement, Dr Douglas Mombeshora to speed up the farm downsizing exercise to enable youths to benefit from the land reform.-state media
Minister Dokora “Steals” School Money-REPORT
Controversial Primary Education Minister, Lazarus Dokora, has caused another uproar following his banning of Christian activites in schools, this time stretching his hands to snatch away private money paid into schools by parents.
Dokora has passed a ministerial directive to give him access to school levy cash so he can take a slice of it “for ZANU PF uses”, as parents charge saying Dokora is going to use the money to prop up his party.
Schools which have been struggling financially, are now saddled with an extra burden to offload their last remaining cash reserves to government-the first time such a thing has happened since independence in 1980.
“This is another ploy to just steal our money, the Minister must stop this”, a parent of two pupils at Girls High school, said.
Although the state media reported claiming that new signatories would be created so parents can access the bank accounts, ZimEye.com can reveal Dokora has surreptitiously hatched a plan to dip his fingers into the moneybags of every school in Zimbabwe. He has communicated his plot saying “we have been having the building fund since 1980 and we have developed a blueprint for levies which we have sent to schools requesting ideas.
“If I can get three or five percent from the building fund then I can get a pool fund for schools,” he said.
As a result, school development associations will now lose control of development levies, with Dokora’s officials being dispatched to monitor and administer the funds.
But Dokora’s Secretary, Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango, argues that the School Services Fund is key to curbing fraud and misappropriation.
Dr Utete-Masango said, “We, as the ministry, have proposed a School Services Fund that will be resident at schools, with tuition fees and levies being deposited into that single account. The account will have many signatories who include parents’ representatative bodies, school heads and other SDA officials. And once the accounts are established, there will be extensive monitoring by the relevant authorities to prevent misuse of funds.
“We will concretise this proposed system after receiving stakeholder feedback. The ministry is consulting stakeholders across provinces and a team is already dealing with the feedback. Further, we are working on various Statutory Instruments and the Education Act with the ultimate objective of aligning them with the Constitution.
“And also, the accounts will help learning institutions come up with School Development Plans designed to fulfill the funding requirements necessary to spur school development.”
Govt Blows $400million on ZimAsset
The state has blown over $400million on its controversial ZimAsset programme, the state broadsheet reports.
Government spent more than US$400 million on projects under the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation in 2015, with more resources expected to be channelled towards energy, housing, agriculture and other areas.
Zim-Asset, adopted in 2013, is Zimbabwe’s foremost economic blueprint and covers infrastructure and utilities, social services and poverty eradication, food security and nutrition as well as vaue addition and beneficiation through to 2018.
In a letter of intent to the IMF contained in the lender’s latest market report, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr John Mangudya said US$431,9 million went to water, energy, transport, irrigation and housing infrastructure last year.
Although he could not readily provide the breakdown, Minister Chinamasa told The Sunday Mail there was ample evidence of Zim-Asset’s progress.
Part of the letter reads, “We conducted a mid-term review of our economic blueprint, Zim-Asset. The outcome of that review suggests that we need to mobilise more financing and prioritise projects.
“To finance some of our projects, we have resorted to non-concessional loans, especially in the area of infrastructure investment, development partner support as well as statutory funds.”
The IMF report notes that Government recognised the importance of infrastructure to increasing productivity and competitiveness.
In the energy sector, Government is seized with several projects, including hydro, coal fired, diesel and solar power, all of which are at various implementation stages.
The UN has also come in full support of Zim-Asset, signing the Zimbabwe United Nations Development Framework that will see the world body mobilising US$1,6 billion between this year and 2020.
Zundaf has an average US$400 million annually to support development programmes as guided by Zim-Asset.
It will also support six national priority areas: food security and nutrition, gender and equality, HIV and Aids, poverty reduction and value addition, public administration and governance and social services and protection.
The IMF report states that the African Development Bank Group was involved in Zim-Asset implementation. “The (AfDB) engagement is anchored on the Government’s main economic policy blueprint—the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset, 2013–2018).
“The bank supports the country through basic infrastructure rehabilitation in the water and energy sectors for inclusive service delivery; capacity building and technical assistance for strengthening institutional governance; and private sector participation for job creation. “
The IMF commended Government for implementing economic policies successfully despite adverse weather conditions and low commodity prices.
“(Government) underscored the importance of maintaining fiscal prudence and pressing ahead with ambitious structural reforms to address impediments to investment, foster private sector-led growth, and reduce poverty, making the best use of the Fund’s targeted technical assistance. “Further progress on these fronts, as well as on clearance of external arrears, will pave the way for full re-engagement with the international community, allowing Zimbabwe to regain access to external financing, particularly from the Fund, in support of its development agenda.”
True Leaders Don’t Use Force
Lesson on Leadership
By Bishop Henry Muzhari
Don’t follow the leader — be the leader.
Leadership is the art of persuasion—the act of motivating people to do more than they ever thought possible in pursuit of a greater good.
It has nothing to do with your title.
It has nothing to do with authority or seniority.
You’re not a leader just because you have people reporting to you. And you don’t suddenly become a leader once you reach a certain pay grade.
A true leader influences others to be their best. Leadership is about social influence, not positional power.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. —John Quincy Adams
You don’t even need to have people reporting to you to be a leader. A janitor can influence people and lead just as a CEO can.
Likewise, anyone can become a follower, even while holding a leadership position.
If you’re a slave to the status quo, lack vision, or don’t motivate everyone around you to be their absolute best, then you’re a follower. Even if you happen to have a leadership title, people won’t follow you when they see those behaviors present.
A senior executive who creates unnecessary bureaucracy, locks himself in his office, and fails to interact with others in any meaningful way is no more a leader than an antisocial software engineer who refuses to do anything but write code.
Of course, the real question is—are you a leader or a follower?
To find out, you need to ask yourself some very important questions. Think carefully as you respond to each one, and you’ll soon know for certain.
1. Do you go above and beyond?
Followers do their jobs, and that’s it. No matter how good they may be at those jobs, it rarely occurs to them to go beyond their basic functions. Leaders, on the other hand, see their job descriptions as the bare minimum—the foundation upon which they build greatness. Leaders see their real role as adding value, and they add it whenever and wherever they see an opportunity.
2. Are you confident?
Followers see the talents and accomplishments of other people as a threat. Leaders see those same talents and accomplishments as an asset. Leaders want to make things better, and they’ll take help anywhere they can find it. Leaders are true team players. They aren’t afraid to admit that they need other people to be strong where they’re weak.
3. Are you optimistic?
Followers see the limitations inherent in any given situation; leaders see the possibilities. When things go wrong, leaders don’t dwell on how bad things are. They’re too busy trying to make things better.
4. Are you open to change?
Followers are content to stick with the safety of the status quo. They see change as frightening and troublesome. Leaders are maximizers who see opportunity in change. Because leaders want constant improvement, they’re never afraid to ask, “What’s next?”
5. Are you decisive?
Followers often hesitate to act, out of fear that they’ll do the wrong thing. Leaders aren’t afraid to make a call, even when they’re not sure if it’s the right one. They’d rather make a decision and be wrong than suffer from the paralysis of indecision.
6. Are you accountable?
When mistakes are made, followers are quick to blame circumstances and other people. Leaders, on the other hand, are quick to accept accountability for their actions. They don’t worry that admitting fault might make them look bad, because they know that shifting the blame would just make them look worse.
7. Are you unflappable?
Followers often let obstacles and mishaps throw them off course. When something goes wrong, they assume the whole project is doomed. Leaders expect obstacles and love being challenged. They know that even the best-laid plans can run into unexpected problems, so they take problems in stride and stay the course.
8. Are you humble?
Followers are always chasing glory. Leaders are humble. They don’t allow any authority they may have to make them feel that they are better than anyone else. As such, they don’t hesitate to jump in and do the dirty work when needed, and they won’t ask anyone to do anything they wouldn’t be willing to do themselves.
9. Are you passionate?
Followers are trapped in the daily grind. They go to work and complete their tasks so that they can go home at the end of the day and resume their real lives. Leaders love what they do and see their work as an important part of—not a weak substitute for—real life. Their job isn’t just what they do; it’s an important part of who they are.
10. Are you motivated from within?
Followers are only motivated by external factors: the next title, the next raise, the next gain in status. Leaders are internally motivated. They don’t work for status or possessions. They are motivated to excel because it’s who they are. True leaders keep pushing forward even when there’s no carrot dangling in front of them.
11. Do you focus on titles?
Followers care a lot about titles, both their own and those of the people they work with. They’re very conscious of who outranks whom, because they lack the skill and motivation to create leadership from within. Leaders, on the other hand, focus on what each individual brings to the table, regardless of what’s printed on a business card.
12. Are you focused on people?
Followers focus on what they can achieve individually. Leaders are team players, because they know that greatness is a collective feat. A leader is only as good as what he or she can achieve through other people.
13. Are you willing to learn?
Leaders, while confident, know that they’re neither superhuman nor infallible. They’re not afraid to admit when they don’t know something, and they’re willing to learn from anyone who can teach them, whether that person is a subordinate, a peer, or a superior. Followers are too busy trying to prove they’re competent to learn anything from anyone else.
Bringing It All Together
Take another quick look at the questions above. There’s not a single one about title, position, or place on the org chart. That’s because you can have the title and position without being a leader.
You may have worked for someone who fits that description. And you probably have colleagues who serve in leadership roles without a title.
Leadership and followership are mindsets. They’re completely different ways of looking at the world. One is reactive, and the other is proactive. One is pessimistic; the other is optimistic. Where one sees a to-do list, the other sees possibilities.
So don’t wait for the title. Leadership isn’t something that anyone can give you—you have to earn it and claim it for yourself.
Uebert Angel Mocks the Poor
Prosperity-spiritist, Uebert Angel has been found in a Rihanna bong, as he attacked less privileged people.
ALSO READ – Uebert Angel Sex Scandal ;
Angel who also says everyone who criticises President Robert Mugabe is poor, has this time suggested that every person who looks facially unattractive (ugly), is simply broke.
ALSO READ – Uebert Angel Demands Sex from Church Girls;
Writing in a message on his social networking portal with pictures of US singer, Rihanna, Angel (real name changed after he was exposed for academic fraud) said, “sometimes you not ugly, you just broke.” PICTURE:
Harare Bashed by Tsholotsho FC
Harare City. . . . . . . . . . .(0) 0
Tsholotsho FC. . . . . . . . . . (1) 1
TSHOLOTSHO just love beating Harare City.
After stunning the Sunshine Boys in their in their maiden top flight match at Rufaro last season, Lizwe Sweswe and his boys were back to heap more misery on the home side yesterday.
Bruno Madanhire’s goal on five minutes earned the visitors maximum points, leaving Harare City coach Taurai Mangwiro searching for answers.
“It was one of those days when we were just negative especially in the first half when we fell behind and then left ourselves with a mountain to climb in the second,” he said. “Consistency is the key word here. We were our own worst enemies in letting them surge ahead first and, despite the improved showing in the second half; we were never comfortable after that. We are never comfortable chasing games.”
Mangwiro has every reason to feel annoyed with his team.
A weak clearance by goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube was intercepted by Simbarashe Gorogodyo, who obliged by chipping the ball behind a static Harare City defence.
With the entire City defence looking for the offside flag, Madanhire latched onto the ball and beat Dube.
The home side battled hard to come back into the game but the visitors’ goalie Chang Mariyoni was unyielding.
Sweswe was elated by his team’s performance.
“It was a tough game, but we had a plan in place and I am happy my charges adhered to it and we won the game,” he said. “I am glad to see my team showing their experience in this league, and that same experience is starting to turn into confidence. As far as the result goes, I am glad we managed to get the full three points, away from home. Every point will count later on in the second half of the season, when teams beef up their squads and come out stronger.”
Teams
Harare City: T Dube, J Tigere (K Kumwala), A Chiveya, T Ndhlovu, B Moyo (N Diro), F Madhanaga, T Samanja, W Manondo, P Manuvire, G Kufandada (B Maglas), H Chimutimunzeve
Tsholotsho FC: C Mariyoni, M Phiri, N Moyo, T Ncube, W Stima, B Ncube, K Chitiyo, R Mufudze, B Madanhire (N Gama), S Gorogodyo (D Chivandire), M Ponyera (S Dube)
Snake Inside Hospital Building: FRESH DETAILS EMERGE
UPDATE: – Fresh details have emerged from the investigation following the snake find at Mvuma Hospital on Friday. It has been asserted that the snake (pictured) is not native to the Mvuma area. Authorities are now probing the possibility of an employee having smuggled the reptile into the institution.
A hospital is the last place one would expect to find a snake – workers at Mvuma Hospital were Friday morning shocked to find a slithering surprise inside the building.
It was no lizard, and no small snake, but a giant, 3 metre serpent taking a dip inside one of the attached offices.
Impeccable sources told ZimEye.com, the office was locked, adding to the mystery that this could have been the work of witchcraft by one of the workers. ZRP officers were called to the scene.
Continue reading “Snake Inside Hospital Building: FRESH DETAILS EMERGE”
21 Zimbos Escape Kuwait
Twenty-one more victims of human trafficking have returned home from Kuwait amid reports that some are still stranded in some small Gulf states as the government continues to seek ways of flying the country’s citizens home.
Efforts by the government and various stakeholders is bearing fruit as more victims of human trafficking arrived in the capital on Friday.
Speaking to journalists in Harare, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs Cde Kindness Paradza said the arrival of the 21 victims shows the government’s commitment to ensuring human trafficking victims are brought back home.
A number of Zimbabweans have been duped by unscrupulous employment agencies to travel to various parts of the world all in a bid to search for greener pastures.
Most of them have ended up being subjected to working as slaves with some being sexually abused.
Air Zim Boss Buried
Air Zimbabwe public relations executive Shingai Taruvinga Dhliwayo who was found dead in a bush in Botswana last week has been laid to rest in Norton.
Hundreds of relatives, friends and colleagues convened in Norton to pay their last respects to Shingai.
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport chairperson, Cde Dexter Nduna and Musha Mukadzi Zimbabwe Armed Forces Foundation national chairperson Mrs Marry Chiwenga said that thorough investigations should be carried out to bring the murderer to book.
Family spokesperson and father to Shingai, Salvation Army church pastor, Major Zindoga Nathan Taruvinga (Retired) said the family has lost a hardworking and loving daughter.
Friends and workmates said Shingai will be missed as she was a loving person who worked well with everyone in society. Shingai is survived by husband Totizirepi Dhliwayo and three children.
Coltart Defends Dokora
Former Minister of Education, Sport and Culture David Coltart has defended the recently launched national pledge saying it is principally correct but wrongly implemented.
The pledge was launched in schools at the beginning of the second school term on May, 3, but was received with mixed feelings as public schools embraced it while a majority of private ones rejected it.
Parents and churches have been campaigning against its recital saying it violates the country’s Constitution and their religious beliefs.
However, the Government has defended it saying its contents are derived from the Preamble to the country’s Constitution.
Addressing journalists at the Bulawayo Press Club on Thursday, former MDC Bulawayo Senator Coltart said Minister Lazarus Dokora’s intentions may be good but misunderstood.
Primary and Secondary Minister Dokora deputised Mr Coltart during the inclusive Government.
“Firstly, it’s not wise for any former minister of education to sit and criticise the current minister of education. It’s a difficult job, sometimes good intentions are misinterpreted. You’ll not see me on social media lambasting Dokora,” said Mr Coltart.
He said the pledge can promote patriotism among pupils.
“In principle the pledge is fine. In principle there is nothing wrong about getting children to recite a pledge. Many nations do it, it can build patriotism in children,” he said.
However, Mr Coltart said, the method of implementation had led to the outcry from parents and guardians.
“My concern about the pledge is two-fold. Firstly, I don’t think there was adequate consultation done and that’s not necessarily Minister Dokora’s fault. It might be a fault within the ministry. It seems to me in a Christian church and among other parents, rightly or wrongly, it came as a surprise,” said Mr Coltart.
“It wasn’t a good way of implementing a policy. Secondly, the pledge is too complex. We’re talking about a pledge that primary schoolchildren have to remember and recite.”
Mr Coltart said the pledge was also too long and not easily understood by pupils.
PICTURE: Mugabe Drinks Beer as Zimbabwe Burns
“Every Shona is Guilty Of Gukurahundi”, Mzila Ndlovu forms Party
By Chrispen Tabvura| All is set for former Minister of National Healing in Zimbabwe’s GNU, Moses Mzila Ndlovu’s new regional party.
Memos seen by ZimEye.com show plans are now at an advanced stage in the prepare for Ndlovu’s party.
Ndlovu accuses all Shona speaking people, for participating in the infamous Gukurahundi massacre of the 1980s, however perpetrated by the notorious mass murderer, Enos Nkala (a Ndebele) together with his boss, Robert Mugabe.
One email written to members reads, “ Dear Dinuzulu Mbikokayise Macaphulana
I contact you on behalf of a group that is working on the formation of a Regional Party which will focus its efforts at contesting and winning elections in Matebeleland. The group’s interim leader is Moses Mzila-Ndlovu.
We would like to build up a strong, well-informed and expert team of technical advisers. Having followed you for some time now, I am convinced you’re one of the sharpest political minds that we have in the region.
Our aim is to fight, among other things, for the following: implementation of devolution of power, operationalization of the NPRC, decolonization, land restitution which should see land restored to our people, preservation of our cultures and languages, and most importantly, access to job and economic opportunities by our people in their own region.
I would like to invite you to think about this project and if you may want to be part of it and how you can participate.
Let me clarify that it is still at the early stages, with the first deliverable we have completed now being consultation with various political and civic groupings in the region. The response has been very positive and encouraging, with many stating that they believe this is the right way to go.
We also note that a regional party is actually a novel idea in the country, novel in the sense of actual operationalization. Many have toyed with it but not really pursued it to the point of winning and/or losing elections.
As such we believe that it hasn’t really been tasted, and lack of such a regionally focused party has deprived our people of an option to reassert themselves politically and realize their economic dreams.
It will be a huge honor to have you become part of this what we believe to be a noble, just and righteous project.
Best regards,
Ndzimu-unami Emmanuel Moyo”
In a recent meeting, Mzila Ndlovu emotionally accused all Shonas, of involvement in killing Ndebeles while addressing guests at the National Transitional Justice Working Group Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.
The Gukurahundi massacres were masterminded by Enos Nkala (a Ndebele) on then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe’s instructions.
But Ndlovu charged saying, “I would like this to be known that, all Shona speaking people are accomplices of the Gukurahundi massacre that killed more than 20 000 people of Matabeleland in the 80s. To date, some of our Shona colleagues are quiet about the genocide and opt to keep it silent, while our hearts are bleeding as victims,” he said.
He also went on to explain why in his view his attacks on Shonas are justified. “I was arrested several times while on duty as national healing minister, and again our Shona friends did not intervene,” he said.
He continued, “In 1984 my relative was tied to a tree in Plumtree and his wife was raped by Shona speaking red beret soldiers who said in Shona, ‘tinoda kukuratidza kuti mushona anoberekwa sei,’ meaning – we would like to show you how Shonas are pro-created.
“The rape resulted in a son who is now an adult, and we do not even know the real father as the ten raped the woman,” he said emotionally.
“Also in Lupane, in 1985, teachers were buried alive at their schools, and there are bones which are now protruding at the corner of a class room in that mass grave. Schools were closed when teachers fled to the neighbouring SA for safety, resulting in many of Matabeleland children’s education nose diving.
“Today statistics of pass rates in this region is a reflection of the Gukurahundi massacres that scared away a number of Ndebele speaking teachers to other countries where they are living in squalor. To my disappointment, the perpetrator is still in power and is not even willing to heal the wounds of the victims of his cruelty,” he charged.
HORRIFIC ACCIDENT: Soccer Team In Near Fatal Car Crash | BREAKING NEWS
ZIFA South Zone First Division championship hopefuls Bulawayo Chiefs Football Club was yesterday involved in a near fatal road accident on their way to Hwange for a fixture scheduled for today.
The accident happened on the main Bulawayo Victoria Falls highway just after the Halfway Hotel. Sources told ZimEye.com, the driver tried to negotiate a sharp curve at a high speed and lost control of the bus resulting in the bus rolling over twice.
Three passengers who have not yet been identified, suffered severe injuries and were rushed to Hwange Colliery Hospital where their condition could not be established at the time of writing.
The rest of the team members suffered minor bruises.
The team immediately returned back to Bulawayo after the accident.-ZimEye
Mugabe Concedes Government Failure To Feed Nation
Terrence Mawawa, Gutu| President Robert Mugabe has conceded the government is struggling to secure enough food to feed the nation.
Addressing party supporters at a rally held at Chamisa Primary School in Gutu yesterday, Mugabe said the government was facing challenges in securing food relief for the nation.
Mugabe said lack of transport facilities was hampering government efforts to provide food relief.
Masvingo Province is one of the areas severely affected by drought.
“We know that there is severe drought here and we are making efforts to secure food relief.However we cannot supply adequate food aid because of the challenges we are facing. The government is battling to provide adequate transport facilities therefore we can only supply a limited amount of food.However let me reiterare that we will make sure no one starves. Mugabe also boasted of Zanu PF’s victory in the 2013 polls saying his party would win resoundingly in 2018.He said he would never lose sleep over the formation of the Joice Mujuru led Zim People First.
“I would like to thank the people of Masvingo for their unwavering support for Zanu PF.I know that you will keep on supporting Zanu PF. I am not even worried about the mushrooming opposition parties,” he said.
With the 2018 polls beckoning ,it remains to be seen whether Mugabe’s Zanu PF will romp to victory.
Political analysts believe the formation of a grand coalition will defeat Mugabe and Zanu PF.
Magaya Aides Fail To Raise Dead Woman
The three PHD officials arrived at the hospital and ordered the nurses to stop taking Chipo Mashanda’s body to the mortuary. Mashanda who was a Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA)employee collapsed at a local hair salon and died on adimission at the hospital.
It is understood Mashanda died while she was preparing to travel to Harare to meet Magaya.
The three PHD officials told the nurses at the hospital not to put the body into the morgue, claiming she would come back to life.
Nurses at the hospital told ZimEye.com Mashanda’s body was placed in the resuscitation room from 11am after her death until in the evening.
“She died at around 11 am and some PHD officials came and asked if they could pray for her,” said a nurse at the hospital.
It is understood the three Magaya officials were given up to evening to try and bring the woman back to life. They prayed for her hoping the miracle would manifest.
Mashanda’s husband Miidzo Murawa also confirmed the incident. “They(PHD officials) prayed for her but their efforts did not materialise,” he said.
CFI Profits Drop $25Million
Agro-industrial group CFI holdings on Friday reported an after tax loss of $25 million in the full year to September compared to $9 million last year, as revenue plummeted by over a quarter.
CFI is the holding company of several agro-industrial concerns including Agrifoods, Crest Breeders, Victoria Foods as well as retail chain Farm and City Centre. It also has interests in real estate and retail in consumer goods and hardware.
It recently instituted a management shake-up in a bid to revive its fortunes. Last month, it retired its chief executive Stephen Kuipa and replaced him with Timothy Nyika, who was appointed in an acting capacity.
Chairman Simplicius Chihambakwe and another board member, P Bwerinofa also left the company last month, while former finance director Acquiline Chinamo quit at the end of last year.
NicozDiamond Insurance managing director, Grace Muradzikwa, was appointed acting chairperson of one of the country’s largest agro processing firms, whose fortunes had been affected by slowing turnover, sustained losses and working capital deficits over the past two years.
The group’s turnover during 2015 dropped to $51,4 million compared to $71,1 million achieved in the previous year. Of the total turnover, the Retail Division contributed 42 percent while the Poultry Division and specialised units contributed 20 percent and 37 percent respectively.
Retail and Poultry Divisions revenue declined 26 percent and 49 percent respectively due to inadequate working capital and the effect of operation streamlining efforts adopted in order to curtail losses.
The Specialised Division registered a growth of 327 percent on the back of increased supplier support for the milling business at Victoria Foods.
Finance costs were lower at $2,3 million compared to $4 million in the prior year while retrenchment costs amounted to $520,000 as the group sought to rationalise overheads.
In statement accompanying company results, Muradzika said the company would be pursuing a “broader recapitalisation process, including but not limited to rights issue”.
The company’s capital base stands at $120 million against liabilities of $50 million.-The Source
Married Man Threatens Girl, 12, with His Manhood
MAN from Pumula suburb in Bulawayo has been arrested after he allegedly exposed his private parts to a 12-year-old girl.
Norman Sivango, 38, a married father of two, allegedly met the girl, who cannot be named for ethical reasons, in a bush where she was picking up plastics to make a fire.
He allegedly held his member in his hands and charged towards the girl. The court heard the girl ran away with Sivango in pursuit. She alerted a member of the neighbourhood watch who reported the matter to the police.
“I met the accused in the bush and he instructed me to stop as he held his privates. I started running and he ran after me but failed to catch me,” said the girl.
Sivango attributed his bizarre behaviour to evil spirits. “Your Worship I wasn’t in my right mind when I acted that way. I was possessed by evil spirits your Worship,” he told Western Commonage magistrate Themba Chimiso as he pleaded guilty to a public indecency charge.
Chimiso remanded him in custody to May 16 for sentencing. “You behaved very disrespectfully towards this young girl and you’re a disgrace to your family,” he said.
Prosecuting, Steward Madzore told the court that on May 12, 2016 at around 7PM, the girl was fetching plastics behind End of Time Message church when Sivango approached her.
“The accused instructed her to stop. He ran towards the complainant with his private parts in his hands. The complainant ran away and he continued to follow her. The complainant informed a member of the neighbourhood watch committee who searched for the accused and managed to apprehend him,” said Madzore. State Media
MUGABE HEALTH: Frail Hand Brain
Dear Editor.
President Robert Mugabe caused another shocker on his waning health, this time in Uganda where he upon jetting down, left police guards shocked and stunned.
In what strongly suggests Mugabe is being forced to act for the job of President, the man failed his mental-grip when saluted by a bodyguard. Mugabe clearly seeing that this was a mere salute, would consciously motion his hand over to greet the guard as an equal. See the picture here…
Mugabe Warns Masvingo: “Follow Mujuru At Your Peril”
President Robert Mugabe has told the people of Masvingo that following Joice Mujuru is attacking the nation’s sovereignity.
Mugabe further warned Masvingo Province against being “tricked” into joining political outfits like the Joice Mujuru-led Zimbabwe People First (ZPF), saying such parties are no different from the other opposition parties as they seek to fight Zanu PF as opposed to preserving the country’s sovereignty.
Addressing thousands of party supporters gathered at Chamisa Primary School in Gutu, Mugabe said the opposition in the country is bent on bringing back the whites and reverse the land revolution by taking the land back to the white people.
Mugabe said the government is aware that some people who benefited from the land reform programme are clandestinely inviting some white people to work with them, warning that the government will not hesitate to take the land from such people.
He also announced that he is now a grand dad after his first child, Bona Chikore gave birth to a baby boy.
On drought, Mugabe said government is doing all it can to avert the devastating effects of the drought that affected most parts of the country.
Mugabe implored school authorities to be sensitive and not send school children back home for failing to pay fees as this is a difficult year for most parents.
Mujuru Won’t Prosecute Mugabe
An official with the opposition Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) says they will not persecute ageing President Robert Mugabe if they assume power in the eagerly-anticipated 2018 elections since the nonagenarian is past his due date.
In a statement to the Daily News, former Masvingo minister of State Kudakwashe Bhasikiti said even though Mugabe and his Zanu PF government have been in breach of the country laws on several occasions — retribution is not on the ZPF agenda.
“Fresh free and fair elections will usher in a new political leadership to extricate Zimbabwe from this demise. No one can persecute such an old man. He has run past his race. The economic laws of diminishing returns are taking their toll on him. No one can expect fruits from a dry fig tree,” Bhasikiti said.
Bhasikiti, who was sacked from the governing party along with former Zanu PF bigwigs, ripped into Zanu PF’s so-called one centre of power.
“It is extremely surprising to hear Zanu PF asking those it expelled or suspended to write letters of appeal. Unashamedly, they set up a kangaroo court to hear those appeals. I just wanted to give free advice to Mugabe and his wife. They should simply apologise to all the people they abused with their unwarranted expulsions and suspensions.
“Nevertheless, they owe all the people they abused by these expulsions and suspensions an honest apology,” said Bhasikiti.
Pointing to recent confessions by suspended and expelled Zanu PF youths that there were used to vilify that former vice president Joice Mujuru Mujuru in 2014 — Bhasikiti said no “self-respecting cadre” should “glorify Mugabe’s’’ abuse by writing unwarranted letters of appeal for there is nothing to appeal for but receive an apology from abusers”.
But Bhasikiti noted that hoping to get an apology from Mugabe is perhaps asking for too much considering that the 92-year-old strongman has never apologised for the Gukurahundi atrocities of the 1980s which resulted in the death of over 20 000 people.
“This same arrogance and self-denial is seen in the handling of the Gukurahundi massacres. All that is required from Mugabe . . . is to publicly apologise together with all the soldiers who participated in that ordeal.”
According to Bhasikiti, all what Mugabe has to do is ensure that people who suffered at the hands of his long rule are compensated and find closure.
“This might see Mugabe go to his exit with some dignity and respect as we are all compelled to forgive those who persecute us.”
With the introduction of bond notes the talk of town, Bhasikiti said piecemeal solutions will not solve the country’s economic problems.
And with Zanu PF seemingly ready to embrace comrades who were expelled at the height of the 2014/15 purges Bhasikiti said he would rather die than join “a dead party”.
“I can go on to advise that he (Mugabe) should peacefully resign for he has run down our economy. The plan to reintroduce Zim dollars by the back door through bond notes will do nothing to avert this deterioration as economic performance has long ceased.”
RBZ Governor Transfers “Quail Demons” to Citizens
John Mangudya
Professor Welshman Ncube This Week,
Friday, 13 June 2016
“RBZ Governor Transfers Quail Confusion to Citizens”
Dr John Mangudya is an eminently reasonable and sincere fellow. Passionate and intense about his country. I know this because I worked with him closely during my days as Minister of Industry and Commerce. However it is difficult to understand what demon has since possessed him given that he is one I would have vowed would be aware of the West African saying that, ‘a child whose fingers have been burnt by touching a fire fears a fire’. The road that John has decided to tread on was well trodden by his predecessor at the Reserve bank Gideon Gono, who not only burnt his fingers but burned the bodies of virtually every citizen of this country. Our memories are painfully fresh of the consequences of the monetary and fiscal policies that wiped the savings, the pensions of Zimbabweans and hence it is shocking that John has decided ostrich style to unlearn the lessons of our recent history. That the cocktail of measures announced by John will lead to our collective ruin as a people is as certain as the fact that the sun will rise and set tomorrow.
The conflation of politics with monetary policy in Zimbabwe is nothing new, but when John looks corporate and private citizens straight in the eye, without flinching, and claims that printing ‘bond notes’ is good for them, one can only express shock. When I was heading the Industry and Commerce ministry in 2009, the country had just emerged from unprecedented and bruising economic experience. The economy was brain dead, battered by a combination of political patronage and history-making incompetence on the part of then Reserve Bank Governor of Zimbabwe (RBGZ) who had dedicated his career to diverting millions in foreign currency into ZANU PF political programs. In order to cover his tracks, the willy governor unleashed a torrent of worthless paper on the market which drove inflation figures to millions of percentage units. The ‘agri bills’ set Zimbabweans on an irreversible and accelerated course of obscene and abject poverty. The trend of economic self-immolation benefitted only ZANU PF’s political cronies, extended President Robert Mugabe’s disputed reign and made us the laughing stock of the financial world. After being rescued by the GNU, we are heading back again to the monetary abyss as Dr Mangudya re-introduces ‘local currency’ in another form – Bond Notes.
It is not even a year since the ZANU PF dominated Parliament frog-marched Zimbabweans into accepting a law to pay back a billion – dollar debt accumulated by Dr. Gideon Gono on behalf of that party. A week ago, Zimbabweans woke up to Mangudya’s decree that he would introduce Bond Notes to mitigate Zimbabweans deteriorating liquidity situation. This triggered an avalanche of protests from all quarters, not least that President Mugabe had already ‘confessed’ that fifteen billion dollars’ worth of diamonds had been spirited out of Zimbabwe. Ironically President Mugabe is himself one of the biggest exporters of the US dollar. Each time he travels out of the country, which is often, he uses up hundreds of thousands of dollars. And as usual it is the rest of us Zimbabweans who have to pay the price!
In a feeble attempt at pacifying angry Zimbabweans, Mangudya confronted stakeholders at a ZNCC breakfast meeting on Thursday with a message that they have to trust him because he could not deliberately lead Zimbabweans into another tailspin of hyper inflationary insanity. There was no doubting of Mangudya’s sincerity when he repeatedly pleaded that the nation should trust him, but equally there can be no doubting that were we to trust him we would be doing so at the certainty of our own peril.
Our people have been hurt, plundered and savaged before by monetary policies concocted by individuals who advance the political cause as their core mandate. In all successful economies that I know, monetary trust is earned, not demanded. The RBGZ is blaming citizens for discarding the Rand and ‘hiding’ what he referred to as an over-valued United States Dollar from formal banking circulation. I do agree that we Zimbabweans never truly emerged from the ‘currency burning mentality’, however, the central bank boss was supposed to first engage stakeholders for consensus on how to re-gain their trust in a new monetary matrix. His colleague, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa embarked on a more ‘civilised’ course of engaging the international financial sector, which is why we ended up with the IMF’s Staff Monitored Program (SMP). The dialogue and engagement that Mangudya referred to in his Thursday meeting was only a result of anger on the part of citizens.
His assertion that we are recklessly using the phrase ‘liquidity crisis’ to instigate a rebellion against his policies has no substance, because both individual citizens and companies are hamstrung by the lack of cash. Assuming he is right that bank queues are a natural result of month end pay-outs, how is it that when you eventually get to the teller, she ‘tells’ you that there is not enough money for a withdrawal? My point is that in order to deal with the cash shortages, we should not be emphasising dealing with the haemorrhage but encouraging more exports, import substitution and of course, turning Zimbabwe into a tourist and tax haven. Whatever conditions people are pursuing in Panama we should re-create them here to attract that money. Regaining our leadership position as a tourist destination and also ensuring that investments by foreign companies are safe will guarantee inflows of a reasonable stock of hard currency.
I also refer to investments because I watched with animated horror as our ZISCO Steel deal fell victim to political bickering, thereby jeopardizing the welfare of thousands of Redcliff citizens. Dr Mangudya has no capacity to stabilise the economy by promoting investments. That is a political problem. ZANU PF ministers are so contradictory that any one investor listening would wonder if they are from one country. Investment money follows the trail and scent of security and safety, not predatory bravado. Indigenisation laws in their current form will repel the most adventurous of all potential investors. Over relying on commodities like tobacco, gold, diamonds and platinum without value addition again is leaving us too exposed to volatile international commodity prices. Even with the best of all export incentives, as long as capacity utilization is stifled by high operating costs, our exports will never be competitive.
There are quarters that were, at the Thursday meeting, proposing anti-free trade tariffs in order to ‘protect local industry’. My point can be better explained with the South African car industry. It is not possible to import a second hand car into South Africa because there is enough variety and financial support to back up local manufacture. That country has the right elevation in plant and equipment to manufacture latest models even for export. Their government does come in with export subsidies, but the industry has the depth to sustain local demand. If that country has a problem with the value of their rand, they do not change currency but tamper around with interest rates. Dr Mangudya mourned a lot about liberalization, but does it mean leaning towards authoritarian centrism will solve our problem? As one economist put it, over the past twenty years, Zimbabweans have been inundated with one form of control or another and nothing has prevented mischief. I am for a well-managed economy, not an obsession with control. Human innovation thrives in a free environment not stifled by primitive bureaucracy.
I have always intimated that the fact Zimbabwe has three million citizens in the Diaspora has very little to do with our ‘education exchangeability’ but bad governance at home. Nonetheless, the same conditions that attract foreign direct investment are more or less what incentivizes Diaspora remittances. My government would make them participate in governance, voting and think tanking, so that they use that umbilical connection as a conduit to invest back home.
I want to conclude that if RBZ was truly an independent institution immune from political influence, we would have faith even in their printing of money. The Zambian Kwacha and Mozambican Meticash at one time were almost as worthless as Gideon Gono’s bearer cheques, but Zambians retained confidence in their use. A currency printing machine in the hands of a political governor becomes a weapon of mass monetary depreciation. Commercial banks in a functional economy have enough depth to manage their affairs with minimum supervision. For now, we will simply treat Bond Notes like Bearer cheques – with the contempt they deserve.
WARNING DISTURBING PICTURE-Mother Kills Daughter Over Sex with Boyfriend
A 31-YEAR-OLD woman from Kwekwe allegedly beat her daughter to death with an electric cable after accusing her of indulging in sex and drugs at an early age.
Vimbai Mashiri yesterday appeared before Kwekwe Resident Magistrate Taurai Manwere charged over the death of 14-year-old Thelma at their section 5 Mbizo home on Monday evening.
Mashiri is alleged to have used a black electric cable that was over two metres long to fatally assault her daughter.
“The now deceased was beaten all over the body with an electric code resulting in her sustaining bruises and most of her body turning black,” according to a report prepared by the prosecution.
Prosecutors advised against granting her bail, warning she was suicidal and had received threats to physically harm her from her inlaws.
Manwere remanded Mashiri to May 24 and advised her to apply for bail at the High Court.
Simeleni Nkala appeared for the state.
Mashiri is alleged to have been angry after discovering that Thelma was indulging in sex and not sleeping at home. She had also become addicted to hard drugs.
Neighbours told the state media yesterday that Mashiri called an ambulance after assaulting her daughter thinking that she was unconscious, but the ambulance crew pronounced her dead on arrival.
They said Mashiri then handed herself to the police.
“Mashiri’s husband is a kombi driver and on that night he was not home,” a neighbour said.
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state media
Gumbo Crosses the Floor Back Home
Gumbo who has been coaching top flight clubs in Malawi and Botswana has been a target of several local clubs but turned down all the offers opting to remain in Botswana.
The former Highlanders and National Team player and coach previously turned down offers from local giants Highlanders and Dynamos at times when the clubs were desperate for seasoned coaches.
Gumbo takes over at Chicken Inn from champion coach Joey Antipas who is leaving the country to join former ABSA Premiership side AmaZulu of South Africa.
Chicken Inn secretary Tawona Hara told media that Gumbo is coming in to take over from where Antipas left off, gunning to land a second championship in a row.
South Africa:Gwede Mentashe Zimbabwe statements irresponsible
With concern, the ZimPF RSA province have viewed as irresponsible and reckless the statement of labelling the Zimbabwe opposition movements as Western sponsored and stooges by ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe in the media. The statements are not only spurious but also profane and pejorative.
It is scandalous, slippery and disheartening that a whole Secretary General of a party such as the respected ANC ooze such statements with full knowledge that his spoken words represents the general attitude and feeling of the ANC as a whole.
Historically the ANC is a sister party to Zanu PF and that umbilical code is the reason for political stereotyping by the ruling party of South Africa.
As a province we would like to declare with a bravado and brouhaha that we are a home grown political party with aims to achieve a free, democratic and prosperous Zimbabwe that will see every citizen prspering to the highest of their potential. The Zimbabwe People First party in particular is there as a messenger of the people of Zimbabwe-the poor, the downtrodden and the dejected masses who are willowing in poverty as a result of Gwede Mantashe’s best friends in Zanu PF.
The behaviour of the ruling parties and particularly individuals who view opposing forces as sponsored and foreign aided remains a mystery which surpasses even the dissapearance of the Malasyian plane. It is the wish of Zimbabweans in general and ZimPF in particular that tolerance among national and international political parties be compulsorily observed as a way to bury ancient methods of political dealing.
We shall BUILD a new Zimbabwe for all
Gen FSG Mufambi
Provincial Convener
Bona Mugabe’s Child’s Name
President Robert Mugabe’s recently born grandson has been named.
Mugabe family relatives contacted this week confirmed Mr Simba Chikore’s son born on the 16th April, has been secretly named. They however at the time refused to reveal the name.
Zimbabweans have been kept guessing as to what Zimbabwe’s “second couple,” as they are publicly termed, has named their son. Family sources said due to social network mocking that his name should be, “Far East,” a pun borrowed from US singer Kanye West’s child who is called, “North West,” the grandmother Grace Mugabe, has demanded secrecy over the name.
On the ground in Dubai, a war of words has since erupted with wild suggestions the boy should be named after his grandfather. But there is already another Robert junior, the lad’s uncle.
So what really is the child’s name?
As Zimbabweans remained puzzled over Bona’s child’s name, a blogger wrote yesterday quoting a US website, Live Science, that the easiest part of the decision can sometimes be agreeing on the one name that they absolutely do not want. Last year, one single name stood out above all others as the name to avoid at all costs — even though it had been steadily rising in popularity for the past several decades.
Throughout 2015 in the U.S., there was a steep downward turn in the number of people who named their child “Isis.”
Before “ISIS” became associated with the name of the Islamic State militant group, the name “Isis” had long been linked to the revered Egyptian goddess of the same name. Isis was one of the oldest deities in the pantheon and was linked to a general sense of female empowerment, according to Laura Wattenberg, author of “The Baby Name Wizard: A Magical Method for Finding the Perfect Name for Your Baby” (Three Rivers Press, 2013). [The 50 Most Popular Baby Names of 2015]
Bona Mugabe’s Child’s Name is:
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) May 13, 2016
But the recent rise of the ISIS militant organization eclipsed associations with the name. As a result, new parents who might have previously found “Isis” attractive were looking elsewhere.
Wattenberg, founder of the baby-name website babynamewizard.com, recently assessed popularity trends among 2015’s baby names, and evaluated the “Isis” decline. She estimated that it dropped in popularity in the U.S. by 70.5 percent in just one year — the biggest one-year drop seen in any name in history, based on records compiled by the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
“The percentage drop in Isis was unprecedented for a name that had many years of steady usage,” Wattenberg told Live Science. “That’s where it’s really remarkable for a name to fall off the cliff.”
“Isis” was also once a name associated with fighting supervillains. “The Mighty Isis,” by DC Comics, debuted in November 1976, based on a Saturday morning television show.
“Isis” was also once a name associated with fighting supervillains. “The Mighty Isis,” by DC Comics, debuted in November 1976, based on a Saturday morning television show.
Credit: DC Comics
Wattenberg told Live Science that “Isis” was a go-to name choice for decades, beginning in the mid-1990s. Perhaps parents who were naming their babies then recalled the 1975 Bob Dylan song “Isis”, “The Secrets of Isis” TV show from the mid-1970s — about a science teacher who acquired superpowers after discovering an Egyptian amulet at an archaeological dig site — or the DC Comics superhero modeled on the TV character.
“All sorts of different positive associations have been undercut,” Wattenberg told Live Science. She said the name “Iris” rose quite a bit in the ranks in 2015 — possibly because some parents liked the sound of “Isis” but balked at the negative image it now conjures.
“I wonder if parents who might have, in the past, liked the name Isis might have moved one letter away,” Wattenberg said.
The politics of naming
But that profoundly negative association is only part of the story, Wattenberg said. Even before ISIS was in the public eye, names linked to politics in any way had been steadily declining in popularity since the 1970s.
“Parents today tend to avoid political names,” Wattenberg said. “This is a huge change from past generations, when they used to name babies after presidents, presidential candidates, even generals who had won important battles.”
Some politically inspired names are still popular choices — but only if the person who originally carried the name is dead.
“Madison, Jefferson, Jackson — these have all been popular,” Wattenberg added. “And when Ronald Reagan passed on, there were suddenly a lot more “‘Reagans.'”
Does this mean we could see a resurgence of interest in the name “Hamilton,” based on the wildly successful Broadway musical about the “10-dollar founding father”?
“There’s a bit of a nickname challenge for that one,” Wattenberg laughed. “But I’ll be watching for it next year.”
Magaya Begs Court Not to Be Grilled On “Mystery Deaths”
Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries leader Prophet Walter Magaya has written to the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) seeking to avoid testifying in the ongoing inquest into the death of 11 people at his church’s crusade in Kwekwe in 2011.
Prophet Magaya was summoned by Kwekwe magistrate Taurai Manwere to appear at the inquest on May 17. PHD lawyer Everson Chatambudza, in a letter to the prosecutor, Fiona Mukwena, said Prophet Magaya had no relevant evidence to give to the court.
Chatambudza said Prophet Magaya was not in the stadium at the time when the stampede occurred. He said there was therefore no need for the church leader to testify.
“We wish to say our client has nothing relevant to tell the court as far as the inquest is concerned. Our client had a statement recorded by the police which is self-explanatory that when the stampede occurred he was not there.”
“In fact the bulk of the evidence shows that when the stampede took place he was not present and thus did not witness anything,” reads part of Chatambudza’s letter addressed to Mukwena.
the precast wall which was brought down by the congregants after police allegedly blocked the exit points. (Pic by Munyaradzi Musiiwa)
The precast wall which was brought down by the congregants after police allegedly blocked the exit points. (Pic by Munyaradzi Musiiwa)
He said they were approached by the investigating officer, Chief Inspector Muchedzi on May 6 who had the instructions from the court to subpoena Prophet Magaya.
Chatambudza, of Rubaya and Chatambudza Legal Practitioners, said Chief Insp Muchedzi said Prophet Magaya was supposed to attend court on May 17.
“Unfortunately he was unable to see Prophet Magaya as the prophet was preparing for an all-night prayer scheduled for the same day hence he was referred to our offices,” he said.
Chatambudza referred Mukwena to Rule 6 of the Inquest Rules which states that the sole reason of the process is to ascertain who the deceased was, how, when and where the deceased came to his or her death.
“Given the clear provision of Rule 6, we do not see how our client will assist the court in so far as this inquest is concerned. As such we are of the view that the court shall call evidence of people who witnessed the stampede to enable it to achieve its objectives in terms of Rule 6,” said Chatambudza in the letter, a copy of which the state media has.
He said in his statement to the police, Prophet Magaya clearly stated that he left the venue at about 10:05PM before the stampede.
“For avoidance of doubt paragraph 7 of our client’s statement reads as follows, ‘I left at about 2005 hours and was escorted to my place. At 2050 hours I got a call that there was a stampede at the stadium.
“I drove to the stadium and found out that the stampede had already happened,’ That’s our client’s statement which is in your possession which is saying he did not witness the stampede.
“He does not know how the eleven deceased met their death,” said Chatambudza.
The inquest continues on May 17. the state media
MURDER HORROR:White Farmer Brutally Killed In Chiredzi
Terrence Mawawa, Chiredzi| A Chiredzi based white sugarcane farmer was brutally killed in a grisly murder incident.
Adolph Willem Botha’s body was found lying in a pool of blood and blood stained footprints were noticed near his lifeless body, ZimEye.com reveals.
According to details from Triangle Police Station, Botha was found dead by his workers on Saturday morning.
“Botha had earlier gone to the bank to withdraw $6500 to pay his workers’ wages,” said a police officer based in Triangle”.
They continued, “he went with Christopher Musiiwa and the two were together from that time until the day Botha was found dead. Musiiwa has since fled from the farm and he is on the run. A housemaid identified as Chemedzai Mudziviro reported for work in the morning.
“She rang the bell at the gate but she did not get a response. She waited for the supervisor, Joram Muvazhi, who opened the gate. On entering the house, the two saw blood on the doorstep and rushed to report the matter to the police. The police officers opened the door and found Botha’s body lying in a pool of blood. His cellphone was on the table and drawers in the bedroom were open,” they added.
Police sources further indicated Musiiwa was spotted at Chingwizi a day after the murder.
He is expected to assist the police with investigations. It is believed Musiiwa was well aware of the fact that Botha had withdrawn cash from the bank.
Masvingo Provincial Police spokesperson, Inspector Charity Mazula was not readily available to comment on the matter.
Chombo Warns Tsvangirai On Bond Notes: “TRY IT AND SEE”
Home Affairs Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo yesterday warned political parties against using human trafficking victims and the proposed introduction of bond notes to gain political mileage.
Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday on trafficking in persons as well as appreciating businessman Mr Wicknell Chivayo who bought air tickets worth $50 000 for human trafficking victims, Minister Chombo said the victims should be wary of the dangers of being thrust in the public limelight, as it would expose them to the traffickers who might want to victimise them in order to conceal evidence.
Minister Chombo said Government was seized with the case of repatriation of the victims and therefore, politicians should desist from misrepresenting facts on human trafficking and that clear procedures must be followed if they wanted to demonstrate.
To date, 70 women have safely returned home after being lured to Kuwait to work as housemaids, but ended up being abused as sex slaves.
Nineteen more are still at the Zimbabwean embassy in Kuwait preparing to be repatriated home.
“There are political parties that are going out and promising people that we need to go and have a march or a demonstration against bond notes, and even against trafficking of these girls. I don’t want to see any political party or anybody, agitating people to demonstrate without following proper procedures and due processes”, he said.
“Politicians want to take advantage of this situation and political parties involved know themselves. We are simply warning them not to do it again. I want to warn political parties that you cannot simply go out there and threaten demonstrations for whatever reason.”
“If they do, they only have themselves to blame, so convey the message properly. I have never seen a political party which marches against money expect the ones you know. How do you protest against money?”
Asked on the intended one million men march by Zanu-PF, Dr Chombo said, those organising it, should follow the same procedures of obtaining relevant documents to authorise that march.
He said the One Million March did not threaten anybody as it was a solidarity march and not against anyone.
Questioned on whether Government had the budget to repatriate other stranded girls in Kuwait or it will seek the services of Mr Chivayo again, Minister Chombo said, “Don’t abuse the young man. It is the duty of Government to make sure that once all the processes are done, the 19 girls are sent back home.”
He called on syndicates involved to be prosecuted as victims who had been repatriated had given valuable information, with his ministry investigating on how many Zimbabweans in the last two years had been given visas to travel to Kuwait.
This was after it was revealed that 13 accused persons had appeared in Court with one James Tungamirai Maroodza who owns one of the recruiting agencies, having been issued with a warrant of arrest.
International Organisation for Migration chief of mission Lily Sanya, said they were committed in working with the Government on the process of integrating the girls back into the communities so that they don’t fall prey again.
Social welfare representatives said a follow up had been made to the 32 girls repatriated and they were in the process of ascertaining challenges they were facing as well as empowering them to start incoming generating programmes. – State Media
White Farmers Get Compensation: Govt
State Media – White former commercial farmers who lost land after Government embarked on the fast-track land reform programme in 2000 have started receiving compensation, Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said yesterday.
This comes as Government has dispatched 14 teams of experts countrywide to evaluate properties on farms for the purposes of paying former landholders on improvements they made.
This, however, comes against the backdrop of liquidity challenges that have seen people — including farmers — failing to withdraw money to finance their operations after selling their produce.
Said Dr Mombeshora: “We have dispatched 14 teams throughout the country that are carrying out evaluation on farms that were acquired for resettlement under the land reform programme. We want to establish the total compensation that will be paid because in some cases we only pay for improvements on the land, while in other cases we will pay for both the land and improvements”.
Dr Mombeshora said the teams were expected to complete their work next year after which Government would have established the total compensation to be paid.
“In actual fact, compensation of those who lost their land under the land reform programme has already started, but so far only a small number of people have been paid, especially those where evaluations were completed,’’ he said.
However, he did not disclose how much the first batch of farmers received.
‘’The compensation will be paid as and when funds are available but we will surely pay and Government is committed to pay.’’
More than 300 000 indigenous landless blacks benefited under the land reform programme after Government compulsorily acquired land mainly from white former commercial farmers to redress colonially-engineered inequities in the land ownership system in Zimbabwe.
Government undertook to pay for improvements only on land acquired from white former farmers with the state paying for both land and improvements for acquired farms that were protected under the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA).
Dr Mombeshora said Government would go ahead with compensation for land acquired by the state for resettlement purposes.
He said Government wanted to establish the total cost of compensation to be paid for all acquired land and properties hence the ongoing evaluation exercise.
Government has since introduced land rental for both communal and commercial land reform programme beneficiaries mainly to raise funds to pay compensation.
Former white farmers who lost their land have been making noise demanding to be paid compensation with Government insisting that payment would only be for improvements on the land.
The Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement has since started collecting land rentals, which were approved by Cabinet before being subsequently gazetted in June last year.
Dr Mombeshora said Government expected to rake in $20 million annually from land rental to be used to compensate former white farmers and also funding infrastructural development in the resettlement areas.
The rental would also be used to finance a planned land audit to identify underutilised farms that would be repossessed for allocation to landless.
Dr Mombeshora said model A2 beneficiaries would pay $5 per hectare per annum comprising $3 rental plus $2 unit tax.
The Lands ministry took over the collection of unit tax from rural councils.
Model A1 beneficiaries would pay $10 rental per annum plus $5 unit tax with all funds being handed over to Treasury before allocation to relevant ministries.
The Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister said the land rental would encourage productivity on the farms and warned those who fail to pay it that they risk having their farms repossessed by Government.
Grace Mugabe Banned By War Vets
Terrence Mawawa, Chiredzi|While she is away in Dubai, war veterans and war collaborators leaders here have held a meeting and ordered a ban on First Lady Grace Mugabe’s name in party slogans. They ordered their members to stop chanting the Pamberi naGrace Mugabe slogan -in a fresh internecine struggle between the First Lady and the former freedom fighters.
The war veterans held a feedback meeting to update their members on the outcome of their encounter with President Robert Mugabe. In a move that has sparked a fresh wave of open confrontation between the veterans of the liberation struggle and Mrs Mugabe’s supporters, the war veterans openly denounced the pro-Grace Mugabe slogan during their meeting.
At the meeting held at Mutirikwi school in Triangle, the war vets said they concurred with her husband, Robert, that the slogan should be stopped forthwith.
Robin Hove an executive member of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, Chiredzi district told ZimEye.com following the meeting, only Mugabe’s name should be mentioned during sloganeering.
“Since the formation of the party or even during the liberation struggle, we never chanted slogans in favour of other people other than the president. Therefore it is not allowed to chant any other person’s name other than the president. Many people are lost and as war veterans, it is our mandate to properly guide them.
“Mrs Mugabe is the leader of the Women’s League and she does not deserve to be praised through slogans. We therefore wish to put the record straight,” said Hove.
The move is seen as the former freedom fighters’ direct response to Mrs Mugabe’s attacks on them during her rallies held across the country last year and early this year.
It is understood there are two factions battling to succeed Mugabe. According to party insiders, the war veterans back a faction led by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa while another group identified as the G-40 backs Mrs Mugabe.
Chinotimba Beats Chinamasa in Parliament Drama
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa was exactly 12 years ago bashed by former MP Roy Bennett before everyone’s eyes in the parliament house. This week Chinamasa received another blow in the face, not in the brawn but right in the brain, as ZimEye.com reveals.
Buhera South legislator, Joseph Chinotimba, laid into the treasury boss, a jibe on the disturbing bond note development which has embarrassed government on its plans “to return the Zim dollar,” as claimed and argued by analysts.
There has in the last week been fierce resistance to the introduction of bond notes announced by the central bank last Wednesday.
The solution, Chinotimba appeared to joke, is to introduce “bond coins.”
Chinotimba told Chinamasa to his face that it would be noble for the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to mint a $100 bond coin, saying this will clear confusion on planned bond notes.
Chinoz added that $1, $2 to $100 should be minted as people are resisting the bond notes.
Responding to Chinotimba’s proposal, Chinamasa said the suggestion was difficult to implement as people would need an entire truckload of $5 coins to buy some goods. VIDEO ABOVE…
CIOs Raid Paul Siwela’s House
Dear Editor.
Matabeleland Liberation Organisation leader, Paul Siwela’s family and neighbours are living in fear after plain clothes police raided his Woodvale home in Bulawayo.
Heavily armed plain clothes police arrived at Mr Siwela’s home at around 12 midday on 10 May 2016 driving a white Isuzu truck. They surrounded the house and demanded that Cde Paul Siwela comes out.
The maid who happened to be the only person at home came out and spoke to them. They wanted to know where Cde Paul Siwela was and she informed them that she did not know. They recorded her name, ID number and cell phone numbers. They searched and ransacked the house without a warrant of search, kicking and banging doors but found nothing of interest.
As they were leaving, Paul Siwela’s daughter arrived and was subjected to vicious questioning. They also took down her name ID number and cell phone numbers.
Thereafter they proceeded to the neighbours, asking them about Paul Siwela whereabouts and recording their names, IDs, and cell phone numbers.
The family and neighbours were petrified and traumatised by the harassment they endured. After about an hour they left threatening to raid the home regularly as they believe Paul Siwela sneaks into the country regularly to visit his family.
As MLO we condemn in all strongest terms this cowardly action by the Zimbabwe government. Cde Paul Siwela is old enough and mature to think independently and speak his mind. His family and neighbours have nothing to do with what he says or does. Therefore it is very unfair, disrespectful and abuse of human rights to raid Cde Paul Siwela and his neighbour’s houses without a warrant of search let alone squeeze information out of his family and neighbours at gun point.
We are aware that this raid comes after many previous raids in the past years.
However, we are not surprised that the government of Zimbabwe, which butchered many innocent Matebeles, persecuted and abused Cde Paul Siwela several times, is now scared of him. This is exactly what JK Rowlings meant when he said, “Have you any idea how the tyrants fear the people they oppress? All of them realise that, one day, amongst their victims there is sure to be one be one who rises against them and strikes back!”
Cde Paul Siwela is the Moses of our time he is the man who will deliver us from the bondage of Zimbabwe. MLO is 100% behind him. No amount of intimidation or abuse or persecution will stop us from demanding back what belongs to us. An idiot is one who believes that we are happy to see our people and leaders being abused. A fool is one who believes that by intimidating and persecuting us he will continue seeing our smiles.
Legions of soldiers or desperate CIOs will never stop an idea who’s time has come.
Matabeleland independence by 2018!
Izenzo kungemazwi!
Israel Dube
MLO Secretary for publicity and private affairs.
Masvingo Declared “Sex City Of Southern Africa”
Masvingo Province’s Ngundu Growth Point has been declared the region’s “Sex City” – the highest sexually transmitted infections (STIs) zone, the National AIDS Council (NAC) has announced.
Ngundu has become a hub of sex workers due to a hive of business activities mainly by more than 1,000 cross border trucks which pass through that area every day.
Masvingo provincial NAC Co-ordinator , Evos Makoni told the state media on the sidelines of a visit to the centre by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health, that his organisation was engaging on a massive HIV and STI education campaign in the area.
The campaign, he said was aimed at educating the truck drivers and the commercial sex workers to control the spread of STIs.
“Ngundu is the epicentre for STIs and as NAC, we are coordinating a number of activities that are going on at Ngundu. SESHA is working with us helping with treatment. We have different categories in the sex workers, some of them offer their services secretly,” said Makoni.
Former deputy Health Minister, Dr Paul Chimedza said that lack of employment was causing prostitution not only at Ngungu but in various towns and rural settings.
“The nature of this business centre is that there is a lot of movement for people and not much is there to generate income. But as leadership, we need to make sure this is stopped. We are targeting 0% new infections,” Dr Chimedza said.
The parliamentarians took time to listen to the concerns of the sex workers, some of whom narrated how they ended taking up the world’s oldest profession.
SESHA, an AIDS based organisation is also working together with the NAC to empower the sex workers on ways to protect themselves as well as offer treatment.
The sex workers commended the organisations for providing them with information and treatment for STIs.
TSVANGIRAI LUMUMBA VOGUE: Ditch RBZ Bond Notes
Zim Girl Shines at FIFA | Rudo Neshamba’s Amazing Story!
ZURICH. — Just over a year ago, Zimbabwe international Rudo Neshamba took a hard look at her football career and did not like what she saw. She decided to enrol in a two-year journalism course at a college in Harare and she continues to work on that goal, but the 24-year-old now has a moredramatic task at hand: helping the Mighty Warriors make an impact at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016.
Neshamba and Zimbabwe were shock qualifiers for the finals and the draw did them no favours — pitting them against 2012 bronze medallists Canada, two-time world champions Germany and a rapidly-improving Australia.
But befitting her other life as a storyteller, Neshamba realises that Zimbabwe’s outsider status should help them work their way into the event.
“Of course it is a tough group, and we will not be the favourites to advance to the next round,” she admitted to FIFA.com.
“But I think that leaves the pressure on the other sides. We are the underdogs and all our opponents will be expected to beat us. That should allow us to play without pressure and approach our matches as we normally do, while they might underestimate us.”
A fourth-place finish in the 2000 CAF Africa Women’s Cup of Nations is considered the high point of achievement for Zimbabwe’s national team.
So being one of two qualifiers for Rio 2016 — along with neighbours South Africa — was indeed a shock, but they proved themselves a team of fate in qualifying.
After receiving a bye into the second round, Zimbabwe played Zambia and it was the Bulawayo-born striker who scored the all-important away goal in the 2-1 defeat.
A 1-0 victory in the return leg, saw the team advance to the third round, where they faced Côte d’Ivoire. After failing to travel to West Africa for the away leg, the match was awarded 3-0 to Côte d’Ivoire, who in turn did not travel to Zimbabwe for their away game.
The match was re-scheduled, but Côte d’Ivoire withdrew from the competition, giving Zimbabwe a place in the final round.
There they faced 2012 Olympic participants Cameroon and again it was Neshamba who proved to be the match-winner.
She gave her side the lead in Yaounde and although France-based Madeleine Ngono Mani scored twice to give Cameroon the 2-1 victory, Zimbabwe had the chance to turn things around in Harare.
There too, Neshamba did the damage, as her eighth minute goal was what separated the two teams in the end and ensured a first-ever trip to the Olympics for the Mighty Warriors.
Neshamba says that the team did not consider themselves realistic contenders until late in the process, but that the country’s response has been a thrill.
“It was only after our first leg game in Cameroon that we believed we had a chance. Then we actually thought that we would make it.
“I am incredibly proud to help my country achieve this dream. The victory was celebrated throughout Zimbabwe and we can feel that the whole country is behind the team.”
When Zimbabwe kick-off their Brazilian adventure against Germany on 3 August in Sao Paulo, few will expect them to escape the group stage, but Neshamba knows that the event can only help female football in the country.
“Qualifying for the Olympics is a big thing for the whole country and officials are making sure that we will have the best preparations possible. It is then up to us to produce the goods on the pitch.”
But no matter what happens, Neshamba has no plans to give up her studies.
“At the beginning of last year, I looked at my football career and at the things I had achieved. I had a number of medals and I had seen quite a bit of the world, but I was not in a position to earn a living from playing football in Zimbabwe.”
A talented footballer from an early age, Neshamba won her first cap in 2008 and decided not to continue her education despite achieving good results in her final school exams.
She says it’s a mistake she will not make again.
“I did not think at the time of continuing with my studies and combining that with football. Maybe it was due to the excitement of representing my country, but I think that was a very poor decision on my part and one that I did not want to repeat.
“I will be writing my exams this year and then have some more exams next year before finishing the course.” — FIFA.com.
Australia Creates Jobs in Zimbabwe, Boosts Bulawayo Nutritional
By Chrispen Tabvura| As the Zimbabwean government fails to look after its own retrenched citizens, Australians have taken a step forward into the well-being of retrenched workers and starving pensioners by empowering them with self-help projects.
Sally Foundation’s Mike Roche travelled to Zimbabwe, from Australia, for the official opening of the community project that is catering for thousands of Bulawayo’s residents.
Australian Ambassador Suzanne McCourt, last week travelled to Bulawayo to officially open the Sizinda-Tshabalala nutritional garden which is funded by Australia’s Sally Foundation and Global Development Group, and facilitated by the Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust, in a move set to restore hope in the community.
Recently, the media has been filled with the disappearance of a US$15b chunk the latter which could have improved the lives of millions, and which the government of Zimbabwe admitted is all due to corruption. Zimbabwe’s vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa told a packed international business conference during the recently held Trade Fair that the government has since fired the anti-corruption commission for being corrupt.
“I am pleased to be part of this successful project, which started as a pilot for the people of Bulawayo. This will go a long way in reducing poverty, as shown by the efforts you are putting in making it one of the best urban community run projects,” said Ambassador McCourt.
The Australian embassy has also supported the projects, by funding the poultry project. The Australians’ funding has improved the lives of more than 300 families, as they are now earning a living by selling their produce from the solar powered garden.
“On behalf of the people of Australia, who contributed their money towards the establishment of community based empowerment projects to you, I hereby officially open this community garden and hope you will grow from this level to another high one,” added Ambassador McCourt.
Army Secret Base Stations By NetOne At Night
The government controlled mobile phone network service provider NetOne is illegally, during the night, constructing base stations in the middle of the road at senior army officials’ houses, the Harare city council has complained.
Mobile phone network companies are required to apply for permission to erect their base stations from the local authority which would inspect the area before giving them the go ahead.
But Harare city council’s land development manager, Booker Masasi, said only private owned Telecommunication companies were complying with these by-laws.
“I do not want to mention names but it would appear that the private ones are more compliant than the one that has an affiliation to government,” he said.
Masasi said at one point they tried to stop the company from erecting a base station along Borrowdale road and the “chief executive officer of that company passed through in his Mercedes Benz smiling at his boys urging them to continue”.
“Residents in Greystone Park, Hoggard Hill and lots of other areas are complaining and I have had numerous correspondences with the company to say that your base stations are infringing on other people’s rights but they still continued.
“One of these base stations is at an Army general’s house,” he said.
Dokora’s “Expulsion Day” Moved to 18th May
The date for the anti-Dokora march by united churches countrywide has been moved to the 18th May.
Dubbed “Dokora’s Expulsion Day,” the 18th May is to see churches countrywide meeting in Harare to demand the sacking of Education Minister Lazarus Dokora, who has crushed Christian liberties in schools. READ MORE
Mliswa Dares Kasukuwere for a Bashing Over Farm
Former ZANU PF Chairman for Mash West, Temba Mliswa says he is ready to defend his farm from Local Government Minister Savior Kasukuwere.
Mliswa told journalists in Harare he is not scared of Kasukuwere who last week threatened to invade his Karoi farm.
Mliswa, who is the Youth Advocacy for Reform and Development (YARD) founding leader, said he is not intimidated by the violent threats posed by Kasukuwere and said he will approach the courts to defend his constitutionally given farm.
Mliswa who is Kasukuwere’s former fitness trainer, said he is not intimidated. “I am not intimidated by such people who incite youths to go and fight. We expect people like him to be coming with economic initiatives that can recover the economy rather than fighting individuals,” said Mliswa.
“If he wants to incite violence on me, then tell him I’m ready to fight. I know how he operates so I’m not afraid. He knows I can take him down at any given time,” said YARD boss.
Mliswa vowed that the farm in Karoi is his and no one can take it away, as he is a beneficiary of the Land Reform Programme initiated by the government in 2000.
“That farm is protected by the laws of this country. I own that infrastructure,” he said adding that he is different from most of the beneficiaries of the land reform because he paid for most of the land.
“So they cannot wake up and just talk about invading my land.
“They have always targeted my farm for residential purposes but they cannot jump to Karoi and target my farm alone, there is also a farm owned by Minister Chombo’s wife as well as the prison farm, so it is a process. Most of these things that he says contravene the urban Act,” Mliswa said.
He challenged Minister Kasukuwere to invade his farm but warned that it will not be an easy task as there are laws that protects his ‘rightfully acquired farm’. He added that there was no way government through Kasukuwere can confiscate the farm.
Temba Mliswa also took time to encourage people to speak out against injustices being perpetrated by the ZANU PF led government . He rallied behind Ace Lumumba for finally ‘seeing the light’ following his dig deeper videos which seek to unearth corruption government.
“I urge everyone to take up arms and speak out against misrule and injustices against the ZANU PF regime. Thanks to my brother Ace for finally realizing that, I hope it is not too late but he is doing a good thing.
“I also urge the youths to stay out of politically motivated violence as they will rot in prison. Those that send you will abandon you when all explodes. We want youths who are progressive that is why we have Youth Advocacy for Reform and Development.
“This organization stands for the development of this country and that is why we will support anyone who will contest against ZANU PF. We will campaign for them.” – Lovejoy Mutongwiza/263/Additional Reporting
Zim Tax Debt Shoots $2,5Billion
Zimbabwe’s tax agency says net revenue collections in the first quarter of the year were 16 percent below target at $724 million, as most tax heads underperformed in the struggling economy.
The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) on Thursday reported that gross revenue collection amounted to $782 million and refunds consisting of Value Added Tax (VAT) and Customs duty stood at $57 million.
Net collections were at $724,9 million, down nine percent compared to the first quarter last year, against a target of $861,8 million.
Zimra chairperson Willia Bonyongwe said the authority was struggling to contain a tax debt which rose by 31 percent to $2,58 billion in the quarter.
Parastatals, state-owned enterprises and the private sector accounted for a combined 73 percent of the debt. Municipalities owe 26.7 percent of the debt while government has a 0,18 percent share of the debt.
“It is noteworthy that the debt is composed of 53.1 percent as principal while penalties and interest are 20.2 percent and 26.6 percent respectively,” she said.
The bulk of the revenue was realised from individual tax at 23 percent with excise duty at 22 percent. VAT on local sales contributed 18 percent while VAT on imports contributed 11 percent.
Revenue from excise duty amounted to $160 million compared to $165,4 million in the same quarter last year. Excise duty fell short of the $179 million target.
Excise duty on fuel was the main contributor to the revenue head with a contribution of 79 percent. Duty on beer and airtime contributed 8.92 percent and 6 percent respectively with the remainder coming from excise duty on tobacco, second hand vehicle and electric lamps.
Individual tax was down 16 percent to $167, 4 million, against a target of $196 million, reflecting the impact of job losses and pay cuts for those still employed as companies struggle to survive.
The pay as you earn (PAYE) debt at the end of the quarter stood at $692 million up from $578 million last year.
“This largely reflects the incapacity of most companies to pay, some of which may no longer be operational. In the short term, this tax head will remain under pressure and performance is not expected to improve all things remaining equal,” she said.
The mining sector performed poorly with royalties contributing a mere two percent as revenue declined 31 percent to $13, 3 million. Collections from sector were 45 percent below target.- The Source
NSSA Fires Boss
The National Social Security Authority (Nssa) has sacked its acting general manager (GM) Hashmon Matemera who is facing charges of conniving with Chinese nationals to facilitate the externalisation of over $300 million.
In a staff announcement released yesterday, Nssa said while the allegations in question occurred before Matemera’s time as Nssa acting GM, the pensions and social security body wanted to allow the former BancABC boss space to deal with the matter.
“In order to enable Matemera the space and time to deal fully with the allegations, he has been relieved (with immediate effect) from his duties as acting GM of Nssa.
“In the interim, Henry Chivova (the current director of benefits) will with immediate effect act as the GM of the authority,” Nssa said.
In the statement, Nssa said it had also noted allegations in the media and the court processes in the Matemera case.
“It is important to note that these allegations, which are presented to the relevant authorities, relate to a period before Matemera’s appointment to the Nssa board.”
Matemera, 52, appeared before Harare provincial magistrate Vakayi Chikwekwe on Tuesday charged with contravening the Exchange and Control Act, particularly externalisation, but was released on $10 000 bail with the court ordering him to surrender $250 000 as surety.
The former BancABC boss was appointed as acting Nssa GM last year after the authority embarked on a major top management shake-up that resulted in the departure of former GM James Matiza and five bigwigs, who were all accused of misappropriating funds.
While his term at the authority was supposed to end on March 31, 2016, the Nssa board extended all acting appointments as it continued hunting for new management.-state media
Mugabe Flies Back
President Robert Mugabe flew back into Harare today after attending the inauguration ceremony of President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.
Mugabe was met at the Harare International Airport by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko and several cabinet ministers.
President Mugabe was among the 15 heads of state and government who witnessed the installation of President Museveni for a 5th term at the Kololo ceremonial grounds in Kampala today.
Presidents Edgar Lungu of Zambia, John Magufuli of Tanzania, King Letsie III of Lesotho, Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Idriss Deby of Chad, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Omar Al Bashir of the Sudan, Theodore Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, Salva Kiir of South Sudan, Baboucar Keita of Mali, Prime Minister Desalign of Ethiopia and two former presidents of Tanzania Ali Hassan Mwinyi and Jakaya Kikwete were also in attendance.
The mood at Kololo ceremonial grounds, the venue of the installation ceremony was ecstatic as the capacity crowd cheered and chanted slogans.
Soon after taking his oath, President Museveni gave his acceptance speech, pledging to increase exports of processed goods, uplift the standards of living for most Ugandans and build national infrastructure especially dams for provision of hydro energy.
“Uganda is on the threshold of attaining middle class status, and we are going to work hard to increase exports in order to reach this goal. We are also going to work hard on infrastructure development, and the building of more dams for irrigation and electricity generation is among this government’s priorities in the next five years,” said Museveni.
Last night, President Museveni hosted a dinner for the visiting heads of state and President Mugabe received great honour as his attending counterparts received him with a huge standing ovation.
Woman Caught Stealing In South African Shop
HORRIFIC ACCIDENT in Harare Caused By Police | BREAKING NEWS
Harare – ZimEye.com is receiving reports of an accident at cnr Robson Manyika Avenue and Simon Muzenda St, Thursday morning at 8am, allegedly caused by ZRP cops.
(4) Four people were severely injured when a kombi travelling from Mabvuku was dangerously spiked by a policeman. The injured were whisked away by an ambulance.
In the mishap, the kombi after losing its balance having been spiked, veered off the road and smashed into a nearby building close to Amtec Motors, a source told ZimEye.com
Navigate to the satellite map below:
Details were sketchy at the time of writing and an official statement from the police unfruitful. ARE YOU AT THE SCENE? Send in your video, pictures and details of your experience right now to +447426863301
Air Zim Boss Was Strangled
The post-mortem was conducted at a Francistown hospital in Botswana and a team of senior police officers was dispatched to assist in probing the death of Mrs Dhliwayo.
The team, mostly from Bulawayo and Matabeleland South provinces, was also present when the post-mortem was conducted.
Some of them left the country on Tuesday night. Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba yesterday confirmed the latest developments and said investigations on the case were still in progress.
“Post-mortem has been conducted today (yesterday) and the results are; ‘Homicide as a result of a combination of strangulation and gagging’. Our officers who are being led by Superintendent Musasira were present when the post-mortem was conducted and later on they got a debriefing from their counterparts about the results.
“Investigations on the case are, however, still in progress,” she said.
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said there was also another post mortem that was conducted for another Zimbabwean man who was shot in the neighbouring country for a case of burglary.
She, however, could not divulge much information concerning the burglary case.
Meanwhile, Airzim passenger and cargo general manager Mr Chris Kwenda, said Mrs Dhliwayo’s body had since been handed over to her relatives by Botswana authorities.“They are now working on the paper work to repatriate the body back to the country and hop efully by tomorrow (today) the body will have arrived,” he said.
On Monday, police and their Batswana counterparts with the help of the International Police Organisation (Interpol), intensified investigations to ascertain the cause of Mrs Dhliwayo’s death.
Mrs Dhliwayo’s body was found tied onto a tree with both hands and legs also tied with a rope in a sitting position. Her mouth was gagged with a cloth and she was bleeding from the nose.
The body was found about 5km from Plumtree Border Post in a bushy area and it is suspected that she had been lured by unknown assailants to travel to Botswana in a bid to rob her.
It is suspected that there is a syndicate that is luring Zimbabwean businesspeople after promising them “lucrative deals” and then rob them after crossing into Botswana.
Airzim has also put in place a team that would assist till the case is finalised.-state media
War Vets Perform U-turn on Million Man March
President Robert Mugabe has cracked the whip and ordered war veterans to take part in the planned solidarity march organised for him by the Zanu PF youth league despite their earlier threats to boycott the event.
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association spokesperson, Douglas Mahiya confirmed the development yesterday.
“It is no longer a million-man march, but a parade that has been called by the President. Now as military people, we have decided that we will take part because it is our leader who has called on us and not some ideologically bankrupt group with ulterior motives,” he said, adding they could not defy a directive from their party leader
The Zanu PF youth league has been struggling to co-ordinate the march and in a last ditch attempt last week ordered provincial structures to marshal funds enough to transport 100 000 people each to the capital for the procession tentatively set for May 25.
Early this week, war veterans dismissed the planned march as a waste of resources at a time the majority of ordinary Zimbabweans were facing grinding poverty, but Mugabe flexed his muscle and reined them in.
“We are taking part to provide leadership and the ideological direction that was lacking. We feared it would have been hijacked by some people to push their own agenda. The planned march did not have the correct political ideology and a formula to mobilise people and we are going to provide that,” Mahiya said.
“It is basically the politburo, chaired by the President that has officially invited us and Zanu PF has its ways of raising funds. We always had a problem with the exclusion of war veterans in the planning for the march. But now we think this is the beginning of a proper political programme that should turn into economic programmes that benefit the people.”
Tensions between the youth league and war veterans, have been simmering for some time with both sides trading verbal spats.
This comes amid reports that a section of the youth league was supporting the G40 faction fronted by First Lady Grace Mugabe, while part of the war veterans’ association was sympathetic to Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Both Mnangagwa and Grace are reportedly jostling to succeed Mugabe, although they have publicly denied harbouring such ambitions.- Newsday
Mutasa vs Mujuru – from Gamatox to Chirenje
A leopard will never lose its spots so goes the old saying.
Founding member of the Joice Mujuru led Zimbabwe People First party and former ZANU PF Secretary For Administration Didymus Mutasa, might soon be thrown out of the party on allegations of fanning and leading factional fights in the party.
Mutasa who was fired from ZANU PF for creating and leading a ZANU PF factionĺ tagged Gamatox which was accused of wanting to overthrow President Robert Mugabe, has now emerged at the ZANU PF splinter, now leading a faction tagged Chirenje which is fighting to overthrow Mujuru from leading.
According to very reliable sources within the party, Mutasa who claims to have founded the organisation, wants Mujuru deposed because she has become more popular than him.
Backed by senior party leaders all formerly with ZANU PF, the Chirenje faction also accuses Mujuru of aligning herself too much with members who joined the party from other opposition parties which according to them is against the objectives of their forming the movement.
The sources claim that Mutasa’s faction is heavily against people who came from opposition parties holding key positions which on the other hand is what Mujuru is advocating for on claims that some former ZANU PF members “have a soiled history” from their activities while at ZANU PF and cannot effectively lead the party.
The sources revealed to ZimEye.com that Mutasa’s Chirenje faction is being coordinated by former ZANU PF members Brighton Matonga, Jabulani Sibanda and ex-ZANU PF warlord Jimmy Kunaka.
The faction is reported to be going around the provinces creating parallel structures composed only of former ZANU PF members in a bid to neutralise the former opposition parties’ members.
As the parallel structures are being set up, the Chirenje faction structures are made sure to be the party’s official structures in the provinces and is fed with all the information on the activities of the party making sure that the other faction remains isolated.
According to the sources, Mujuru has immediately despatched a task team to visit the provinces to try and solve the factional fights. The task team will be led by newly elected women’s wing chairlady, Margret Dongo and party Secretary for Administration, Dzikamai Mavhaire.
According to the sources, the task team is going into the provinces to make sure that there is equal representation of members in the leadership between those former ZANU PF and those former opposition movements.
The team will also investigate the existence of the Chirenje faction with a possibility of eventually leading to the removal of Mutasa and his colleagues from the party.
Telephone calls to Mutasa were fruitless after it emerged he has since changed numbers.
Provinces said to be hit most by the alleged Chirenje infiltration are Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Harare, Bulawayo and Matabeleland South where the party had managed to recruit mostly from the opposition parties.
Barber Caught Pants Down With Manager’s Wife
Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo | There was drama in the small mining town of Mashava when a Communications Manager based in South Africa caught his wife having sex with a local barber in the couple’s matrimonal house.
Messiah Mavodo, who is a Communications Manager with a South African company,could not believe his eyes when he found his wife Chipo Moyo having sex with Abraham Tafa, a local barber. According to documents shown to ZimEye.com by the police in Mashava, Mavodo arrived home from South Africa around 11pm last Wednesday and noticed a red car parked at his house.
When he got to the door he heard queer sounds coming from his bedroom. He then knocked on the door to announce his arrival.
On hearing Mavodo’s knoc, Tafa escaped through the backdoor while stark naked. Mavodo pursued him and smashed the windscreen of the barber’s vehicle with a crest-fallen Moyo shivering with fear.
Tafa later claimed he was unaware Moyo was a married woman. He also said he would not report the damage to his car because he was afraid Mavodo would sue him for adultery.
“I cannot report the matter to the police because I will be sued for adultery. I was not aware of the fact Chipo is still married to Mavodo. I fell in love with her because she told me she had parted ways with Mavodo,” Tafa was quoted telling his workmates at Smart Deal Barber Shop in Mashava.
– more to follow
Tomana’s Court Application Thrown Out
Mr Tomana is seeking to block JSC from instituting proceeding for his removal from office.
While the challenge was pending, Mr Tomana sought referral of the matter to the Constitutional Court raising various points, chief among them the constitutionality of him appearing before a sitting judge of the High Court.
Justice Lavender Makoni today threw out Mr Tomana’s application for referral of the matter to the Constitutional Court.
This means his urgent chamber application to stop JSC from suspending him or embarking on the process leading to his possible removal from office will now be heard by Justice Makoni.state media
ZANU PF Hit by Divisions Over Bond Notes
Zanu PF is reportedly divided over the move to introduce bond notes as a stop-gap measure to address the current cash crisis, with some legislators expressing fears that the move could trigger hyper-inflation and panicky cash withdrawals, as depositors fear a repeat of the 2008 economic meltdown.
Ruling party MPs and officials, quoted by the local Newsday, said the move was akin to addressing symptoms instead of the root cause of the cash shortages.
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Finance and Economic Development acting chairperson Terrence Mukupe, posting on his Facebook page, said: “We are addressing symptoms and not the root cause of our problems. We have a flight of the United States dollar out of our economy causing the cash shortages.”
Other Zanu PF MPs, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was hard to convince people to accept bond notes in view of the massive losses they suffered during the switch-over from the Zimdollar to the multi-currency system in 2009.
“We should have put in place measures to address capital flight way back and avoid reverting to bond notes because that is likely going to create chaos,” a Zanu PF MP, who requested anonymity fearing a backlash from the ruling party, said.
Another MP weighed in saying they would adopt a wait-and-see attitude, while also taking precaution on their savings.
“The way we operate in Zanu PF is that there is no room for divergent views. Although the bond notes are going to solve the immediate problem, they will, however, create a bigger problem and in no time the black market will be a thriving business,” he said.
“I think the matter should have been discussed at different levels in consultation with the people.”
Zanu PF activist and Harare provincial secretary for tourism Acie Lumumba said different sectors of the economy were likely to be affected.
“Imagine trying to explain to a tourist they must convert their US$ in exchange of bond notes – it’s a total mess,” he said.
“The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor (John Mangudya) did the right thing to stop the bleeding and I feel for him, but the real problem is how we ended up here. Bond coins are a pain killer, but the real cancer is self-destructive management.”
But Zanu PF chief whip Lovemore Matuke said MPs and other ruling party officials who did not understand the policy measure should seek assistance from relevant authorities.
“We will try to engage the MPs on the matter and find common ground, (because) probably those who don’t appreciate that lack understanding,” he said.
Zanu PF secretary for finance Obert Mpofu was optimistic the bond notes would address the prevailing liquidity crisis.
“I know that whenever there is a policy change, there are sceptics who don’t believe the benefits that come with it,” he said.
“But let me assure the public that as Zanu PF, we have looked at this policy carefully and evaluated its benefits and non-benefits, if any. There is no governor of a county who would introduce such a policy which is against the public.”
While senior Zanu PF members were buoyant, informal sector representatives have threatened to mobilise their members to withdraw their money from banks and keep it elsewhere in protest.
But RBZ governor Mangudya told NewsDay that he had engaged banks to ensure that they tap into the unbanked money circulating within the informal sector.
“We are advocating for reasonable interest rates on their deposits, no bank charges and a guarantee for their deposits. This is aimed at instilling confidence and value to their money,” he said.
“The reason why most informal traders are not banking is about the benefits, which banks are no longer offering and we are working on that. Imagine you have $100 and you take it to a bank which when you demand it, they give you $90, that becomes a challenge for most traders.”
Mangudya said the apex bank was working on modalities to ensure the inclusion of the informal sector in the mainstream banking economy and for its members to access loans.
“We are attending to their concerns through the financial inclusion strategy. We are also putting in place a credit registry so that they can access loans from the banks easily,” he said.
Analysts said the government had a tall order in instilling confidence in the people that past challenges associated with the Zimdollar would not be repeated. newsday
Maziwisa Strangles ZESA
ZANU PF MP for Highfield West, Psychology Maziwisa has been named as part of a notorious plot currently squeezing Zesa of thousands of dollars.
Energy and Power Development Minister Dr Samuel Undenge directed Zesa’s subsidiaries to hand-pick Maziwisa’s private firm to do public relations consultancy in an arrangement that is bleeding the power utility of tens of thousands of dollars monthly.
Zesa Holdings and its subsidiaries have fully-fledged public relations departments, which are drawing full salaries and benefits. This comes as the financially hamstrung power utility is proposing to hike energy charges by an average 14 percent from 9.87 cents to 11.2 cents per kilowatt hour, further burdening industry and residents.
The hired firm, Fruitful Communications, was engaged in January and is doing “a media campaign” for the power utility’s subsidiaries until 2018. This leaves the internal PR departments redundant.
The company — whose profile only has Highfield West legislator Psychology Maziwisa (principal director) and former ZBC news anchor Oscar Pambuka (media strategy executive) — has duties that include organising conferences and Press briefings.
Dr Undenge gave the directive to the Zesa management in a letter he wrote in January this year.
Reads the letter in part: “They (Fruitful Communications) have done publicity work for the Ministry of Energy and Power Development by putting me, as the principal voice at the forefront of explaining our vision as well as the different interventions that are currently being undertaken by the ministry.
“I have found them to be incredibly useful in this regard and hereby direct that you work as closely as possible with them at intervals of six months per engagement until 2018.”
Another correspondence written by Zimbabwe Power Company managing director, Mr Noah Gwariro on December 14, 2015 to Zesa chief executive Engineer Josh Chifamba, also confirms that the directive to engage Fruitful Communications had come from Dr Undenge.
ZPC is Zesa’s power generating unit.
“The MP (Maziwisa) has proposed a media campaign for Zimbabwe Power Company for ZPC and has highlighted that this is an initiative from the Ministry of Energy and Power Development,” wrote Mr Gwariro.
Despite the letters, Dr Undenge yesterday said he had not directed anyone and claimed Fruitful Communications was doing the services for free.
“They are people in public relations and there is no formal contract with anyone and if anyone wants to help for free, we allow them to do that,” he said.
“They felt they wanted to explain something to the public. Its just like you, you write a lot of things but we do not pay you.”
Told that the state media was in possession of documents showing some of the transfers made into the Fruitfull Communications Stanbic account number 0240598176501, Dr Undenge said: “Well, pamwe vanenge vafunga panoda kuti paitwe something I dont have that detail. Maybe they think that if they utilise them then things will move accordingly. It will now be a prerogative of the organisation nothing to do with the Minister.”
Maziwisa yesterday confirmed the marriage between his company and Zesa.
“We are doing consultancy for them,” he said.
Asked about his company’s terms of reference, he retorted: “Hindava (Why do you ask). Kasi mukuita story?.”
Pressed further to clarify since public funds were involved, Maziwisa said: “Ndivanani ivavo? Izvo munotobvunza vakapa basa kwete vakapiwa basa.”
Pambuka was evasive when contacted for comment.
“I think you are talking to the wrong person because I don’t work with Zesa,” he said.
“Infact, I don’t even know what you are talking about mukoma. That is not the name of my company,” he said, unware this reporter was in possession of the company’s profile which also has his picture.
Fruitful Communications is also reportedly offering similar consultancy to other parastatals under contracts yet to be gleaned.
Sources yesterday said Dr Undenge’s directive was against the cost cutting measures Zesa was implementing.
“Surely which firm can do work for free in this era as Dr Undenge us suggesting,” said a source.
“ Maziwisa and Pambuka have taken over the public relations and if they are to continue it means Zesa has to dissolve the public relations departments existing. Zesa management and the Minister cannot even justify what skills these guys are bringing, which cannot be offered by the current team. You cannot outsource for something which you have and what makes it worse is that the company was just hand-picked. There was no room for management to choose but it was dictated to them.”
“The team is paid tens of thousands every month and at the same time Fullard Gwasira (public relations manager) and his team are getting salaries and benefits for the same job. If this is not stopped then it means the burden on the consumers will continue.”
Matemera Externalised $330 million, Govt Claims
The National Social Security Authority (NSSA) has appointed Henry Chikova as the acting General Manager of NSSA, replacing Hashmon Matemera who is facing allegations of externalising $330 million when he was still managing director at BancABC.
The NSSA board said the state-run pension fund was commited to good corporate governance, transparency and acting decisively and in the interest of its stakeholders.
Matemera appeared in court on Tuesday but was not asked to plead when he appeared before provincial magistrate Vakai Douglas Chikwekwe. He was granted a $10,000 bail and remanded to June 15.
“It’s important to note that Matemera’s allegations relate to the period before his appointment to NSSA Board.
“In order to enable Matemera the space and time to deal fully with the allegations, he has been relieved from his duties as Acting General Manager of NSSA. In the interim, Henry Chikova will with immediate effect act as the General Manager of the Authority.”
Charges against Matemera dates back to 2011 when he was still the managing director of Bank ABC when Jinan Mining was formed through a joint venture agreement with Marange Resources, a subsidiary of the government-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Company and a Chinese company, Anhui.-The Source
Dokora Dead End | UPDATE
There is no u-turn on the fate of controversial Education Minister, Lazarus Dokora, who is in trouble following his raft of measures which have destroyed Christian liberties in Zimbabwe’s schools, a development that has roped in First Lady Grace Mugabe.
Christians countrywide have vowed to effect the minister’s ouster as it emerged many in ZANU PF’s highest decision making body, the Politburo, are also secretly conspiring against Dokora.
To add to his woes, churches are also holding a mass demonstration penned for the 18th May against Dokora who two weeks ago launched what has been described as the early flames of a bloody jihad and victimisation of Christians on Zimbabwean soil.
As public opinion swells, the First Family who are devout Christians, First Lady Grace Mugabe being a tongue talking pentecostal ZAOGA follower, have been alerted, sources saying the reason why Mrs Mugabe ( who is riled by revelations that Dokora has also opened the door for sexual abuse of young girls having banned social workers supporting vulnerable girls), is quiet at present, is because she is held up while taking care of her newly born grandson, as per African tradition.
Dokora has in recent weeks courted controversy over unilateral policies in which he has among other things, banned the voluntary club, Scripture Union, in schools countrywide. While religious plurality is acceptable as a suggestive, Christians have queried why the minister, who is a Muslim, has not simply for instance introduced an Islamic Union club for pupils who are muslims and chose rather to destroy Scripture Union. It turned out that the minister has been promised millions of dollars by muslims to build new schools, a promise which has come with a pre-condition that Scripture Union and the Bible must be abolished.
His actions have been deemed set to undermine Christianity in the country. The churches called on the body of Christ to “stand up for Jesus demanding that Dokora resigns”.
Dokora first announced a ban of Scripture Union in all schools, after which he went to make life difficult for churches who have traditionally worshiped in school premises to continue doing so.
In response, the churches organised under the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), not at all amused, are now mobilising for a two million men march.
“Every believer in Christ must be gathered opposite parliament by 1000 hours. If possible fast and pray for this march on Wednesday,” read part of the call for Christians to attend the march.
The church leaders vowed to stop Dokora’s actions. The circular went on stating, “this will be done without failure to put a stop to this madness if nothing is not done to stop this Dokora by the authorities.”
RBZ Performs U-turn On Converting Exports Cash into Rand, Euro
Zimbabwe’s Reserve Bank on Tuesday abandoned plans to automatically convert export proceeds into the Rand and Euro currencies, the second tweak within a week of a major policy intervention, as it battles a crippling cash shortage.
On May 4, the central bank announced a raft of measures, including plans to introduce domestic ‘bond notes’ to circulate alongside foreign currencies, but a public outcry triggered by fears of a return of a much loathed local currency prompted a ‘clarification’ on Friday last week, with governor John Mangudya describing the move as an export incentive.
On Tuesday, the central bank said it had scrapped plans, announced just last week, to convert 40 percent of all export proceeds into Rand and 10 percent into Euro. However, exporters would now have half of their earnings held in their banks’ accounts with the central bank.
“Authorised Dealers are advised that 50 percent of all new foreign exchange receipts from the export of goods and services denominated in USD shall be transferred into the Reserve Bank immediately on receipt of funds. The remaining 50 percent shall be credited into the exporter’s FCA in USD,” said the central bank in a statement released late on Tuesday.
“On receipt of the 50 percent export proceeds into its Nostro Account, the Reserve Bank shall immediately credit the same amount plus the 5 percent export incentive /bonus in USD into the Authorised Dealer’s RTGS Account for the exporter. Accordingly, the requirement for the apportionment of 50 percent of foreign exchange receipts into 40 percent ZAR and 10 percent EUR, has been removed with immediate effect.”
Exporters receiving proceeds in other currencies will get 100 percent of their earnings credited to their corporate FCA accounts immediately, plus the 5 percent bonus.
RBZ’s swift shift on policy may be the result of pressure from exporters, who had criticised the conversion of part of their USD earnings into weaker currencies, particularly the volatile rand. Legal experts had also advised that the conversion could have exposed the bank to possible litigation. It is unclear how exporters will receive the new measure announced Tuesday.
The RBZ also announced the removal of a 10 percent Nostro account threshold by banks. Also removed is a 15 percent cash holding requirement announced in September 2014.-TheSource
Kasukuwere Beats Manyenyeni, Sad Day | BREAKING NEWS
A sad cloud hovered on Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party’s Harvest House building today, as the High court dismissed an application in which Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni, was challenging his suspension by controversial local government minister, Saviour Kasukuwere.
Justice Mary-Zimba Dube last week had heard the case and reserved judgement.
Lawyers representing Manyenyeni, David Hofisi and Dzimbabwe Chimbga, confirmed to ZimEye.com the mayor has lost the case. Earlier on as they were still at court at 11am, a senior official within the Zimbabwe Lawyers Human Rights, an organisation representing the Harare Mayor, who refused being cited due to authorisation issues, said they have lost the case. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW-
“Yes, it is true, but for more details please get in touch with the lawyers who are still at the courts, ” the official told ZimEye.com.
At 1.45pm, advocate Dzimbabwe Chimbga, finally told ZimEye that it is true that Kasukuwere has won. Questioned on the basis of the judgement and if they will appeal, he told ZimEye, “we have not seen the judgment yet but we intend to appeal as per client’s instructions.”
MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu said he had not yet received the judgement, at the time of going to press.
“I haven’t been advised of the judgement yet,” he responded.
The development may serve to vindicate the popular analyst, Brett MuVet, who warned the Mayor against going to court, shortly before Brett was attacked by MDC loyalists for expressing his views that the courts would not rule in their favour.
– THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY. CHECK ZimEye.com in 60 minutes’ time for the latest update–
Manyenyeni (MDC-T) was on the 20th April last month suspended by Kasukuwere on allegations of insubordination.
Kasukuwere said that Manyenyeni and some City of Harare Councillors had acted unlawfully and defied his directive ordering them not to approve the appointment of banker James Mushore to the position of Town Clerk.
ZRP Female Cop Pulls Man’s Genitals
Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo|A female cop based at Masvingo Central Police Station is in trouble after she assaulted and pulled prominent human rights activist, Prosper Tiringindi’s genitals.
Constable Mercy Dzafunwa will soon appear in court facing charges of assaulting and pulling Tiringindi’s genitals.
On February 25 around 4 pm, Tiringindi was at Pick n Pay Supermarket in Masvingo when Dzafunwa (pictured below) who was in civilian attire, charged towards him and pulled his genitals.
She then took a baton stick and assaulted Tiringindi all over his body.She accused him of interfering with police duties.With the help of other police officers, Dzafunwa bundled Tiringindi into a police vehicle and drove off to Masvingo Central Police station.
It is claimed the police also accused Tiringindi of participating in the demonstration held against President Robert Mugabe’s birthday bash.
Tiringindi is also the leader of Masvingo Residents Trust, a local pressure group.
Speaking to ZimEye.com yesterday, Tiringindi said witnesses set to testify against Dzafunwa were at present being threatened by suspected state security agents.
“Our key witnesses in the matter are now afraid of testifying against Dzafunwa. They are receiving anonymous calls are now afraid of going to court,” he said.
He continued, “we are being followed by state security agents. We are now fearing for the worst because we are also being intimidated by state security agents.
“When I went to the police station to report the matter I was surprised when the police actually accused me of attempting to obstruct the course of justice. The police are deliberately trying to cow me into submission ,” said Tiringindi.
Councillors turn into estate agents” – Residents demand audit
Residents of Gwanda have accused their councillors of “turning themselves into estate agents” by allocating themselves prime stands in the town and immediately selling them at a huge premium.
In a note seen by ZimEye.com, the residents claim that the predominantly ZANU PF councillors “have moved from rags to riches in just two years into their term of office after allocating to one another prime land and selling it willy nilly.”
The residents also claim that the councillors have had land dealings with land barons from Harare who have been given a huge number of residential stands and giving the councillors kick backs that include huge amounts of cash and motor vehicles.
“We reliably have it on record that a land baron from Harare has been allocated more than 600 stands and been buying cars for the councillors every time they give him stands,” reads the note.
In the note, the residents further claim that the land barons acquire the land from council from as low as $1 000 and sell the stands to the public for as much as $10 000 on a long-term payment arrangement.
According to the residents, the land barons demand a twenty percent deposit for the stands and monthly payments of up to twenty four months at an interest forcing the cost of the stand to multiply tenfold.
Contacted for a comment on the issue, Gwanda Residents Association chairperson Bekezela Fuzwayo said that his association has also received a similar note from anonymous residents and will be investigating before making a confirmed statement on the matter.
“We have received the accusation too from the residents and we will be making our own investigations on the matter this week,” he said.
Several local authorities are currently under Ministry of Local Government land audits following revelations of corrupt dealings on stands by councillors and council staff.
The biggest land scandal is expected to be reported from the audits being carried out at the City of Bulawayo and Chitungwiza Municipality.
Local Government Minister, Saviour Kasukuwere has warned that heads will roll in all local authorities where any land irregularities are unearthed. The Minister has also previously ordered for the prosecution of any officials found on the wrong following the audits.
Tsvangirai Official Escapes “CIO Abduction Plot”
Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo| An MDC official escaped an abduction attempt by suspected CIO operatives at the weekend.
Nkululeko Ndlovu a district executive member for Masvingo Urban Constituency told ZimEye.com, suspected CIO operatives stormed his house in Rujeko suburb at the weekend and searched his bedroom before attempting to abduct him.
Ndlovu said the dreaded state security agents accused him of initiating acts of sabotage.
He said the three men and a woman wanted to bundle him into a waiting Isuzu truck but he managed to escape.
Hundreds of opposition supporters were abducted ahead of the disputed presidential election runoff in 2008. Civic organisations and opposition parties say over 500 people were murdered in 2008 alone.
A visibly shocked Ndlovu said the state security agents pounced on him while he was at home and forcibly ransacked his house.
“I am still shocked and confused. I don’t know what to do and I am fearing for my life. I strongly believe that the people who searched my house are CIO operatives. They accused me of being a sellout. They also took some party regalia in my house,” he said.
Although the motive of the attempted abduction was not known, it is widely believed the CIO operatives are strategically pouncing on opposition party supporters.
Political analysts have warned such incidents mirror the resurfacing of political violence.
In Gutu district,a traditional leader told villagers they would be killed if they desert Zanu PF.
Makandiwa: “I Am Jesus Christ”, Same Character| VIDEO
UFIC leader Emmanuel Makandiwa has through his church made claim that he is equal to Jesus Christ of the Bible.
Announcing in an official video advertorial, Makandiwa claiming that he stopped the death of South Africa’s Vice President Cyril Ramaphosa, is introduced as being at the same level with Jesus Christ.
In the church video below, Makandiwa advertises himself at the beginning [time marker 00:29] saying: “His(Emmanuel Makandiwa’s) character is the character of Jesus Christ. He expresses God’s love to his people, he extends God’s compassion to humankind. Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa is called by God and is a true indication that God still speaks today”.
Air Zim Boss Murder: Cops Dispatched to Botswana
A team of senior police officers has been dispatched to Botswana to assist in probing the death of Air Zimbabwe public relations executive, Mrs Shingai Dhliwayo, who was found dead in a bush in the neighbouring country.
The team, mostly from Bulawayo and Matabeleland South provinces, will also be present when the post-mortem is conducted today. Some of them left the country last night.
In an interview yesterday, chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said there were no developments on the case. She said police were also waiting for post-mortem results.
“As of now there are no developments on the case and investigations are still in progress. Once post mortem is done tomorrow (today) that is when we will be able to furnish you with more concrete details concerning the case.
“A team from ZRP will also attend the post-mortem,” she said. On Monday, police and their Batswana counterparts with the help of the International Police Organisation (Interpol), intensified investigations to ascertain the cause of Mrs Dhliwayo’s death.
Mrs Dhliwayo’s body was found tied onto a tree with both hands and legs also tied with a rope in a sitting position. Her mouth was gagged with a cloth and she was bleeding from the nose. The body was found about 5km from Plumtree Border Post in a bushy area and it is suspected that she had been lured by unknown assailants to travel to Botswana in a bid to rob her.
It is suspected that there is a syndicate that is luring Zimbabwean businesspeople after promising them “lucrative deals” and then rob them after crossing into Botswana.
Police in Botswana reportedly found her body and sent it to an unnamed hospital mortuary where her parents identified it on Saturday.
Airzim passenger and cargo general manager Mr Chris Kwenda recently said they had also put in place a team that would assist till the case was finalised.
He said details of the burial would be announced once post mortem had been conducted.-state media
Panama Papers: 280 Zimbabweans Named
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has named over 280 Zimbabweans, including prominent businesspeople, who reportedly syphoned billions of dollars out of the country.
The businesspeople, mostly of Caucasian extraction, have links to offshore investment vehicles. The list is contained in data from over 200 countries that was leaked to the Panama Papers and contains information about offshore companies and the people behind them.
The Panama Papers are 11,5 million leaked documents that detail financial and attorney–client information for more than 214 488 offshore entities.
The leaked documents were created by Panamanian law firm and corporate service provider Mossack Fonseca, some dated back to the 1970s.
The latest release with information on Zimbabwe includes the names of over 200 prominent local businessmen and company executives who have been making use of the Panama law firm.
Prominent names featuring on the list include Innscor Africa directors Zinona (Zed) Koudounaris and Michael Fowler, John Legat, Kingstone Munyawarara and former Cottco chief executive Happymore Mapara.
Investigation data alleges that the two Innscor directors, like others on the list, engaged the services of lawyers and accountants to open four companies in the British Virgin Islands.
However, a representative of Messrs Koudounaris and Fowler said the offshore investments were legal and the two had done nothing criminal as they run businesses outside Zimbabwe.
“With respect to Mr Fowler, he inherited an offshore structure from his father which has continued to exist lawfully. The two have not been involved in any externalisation.”
Business tycoon and prominent property mogul Ken Sharpe is also listed in the Panama Papers’ leaked data files, while Zimplats chief executive Alex Mhembere is also part of the list.
But Mr Sharpe said he had been approached by a United Kingdom investment consultant to make a $25 000 property investment offshore. The list also features sports personality, rally driver Conrad Rautenbach.
According to legal experts, it is not necessarily an offence or illegal to have an offshore company or bank account, but some of them have in the past been used for tax evasion and externalisation.
According to the RBZ, $1,8 billion was spirited out of Zimbabwe in 2015 alone through illicit transactions, inflated management and technical consultancy fees to foreign entities.
The hidden wealth of some of the world’s most prominent leaders, politicians and celebrities leaked through Panama Papers has between 2009 and 2015 showed an unprecedented release of millions of documents that show the many ways in which the rich have been exploiting secretive offshore tax regimes.
Although it is said that there is nothing unlawful about one being linked to offshore companies or bank accounts, the files leaked raise fundamental questions about ethical conduct in tax havens.
The data released by ICIJ through Panama Papers includes postal addresses; displays links to more than 200 countries and users can filter the information by country and by offshore jurisdiction.
The extensive data also explores the role of banks, law firms and other gatekeepers of the financial system in facilitating the creation of offshore companies for high net worth individuals.
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Dr John Mangudya, said that the issue around the operation of offshore accounts and companies depended on a particular situation at hand.
However, he said whenever money from Zimbabwe was taken outside of the country’s borders, this would be externalisation.
“It’s all about externalisation or capital flight,” he said. “The second question is it legal or illegal and if it is legal, even if one has exchange control approval, is it morally right or wrong to take money from an economy that is not doing well and to an economy that is doing well?” the RBZ governor said.
Dr Mangudya said some individuals and companies have externalised proceeds generated from Zimbabwe under the guise of free funds.
That is the reason why he said the RBZ had taken the position that there should be no more free funds except for Diaspora remittances and funds belonging to NGOs and embassies.
For instance, Dr Mangudya said, there was no justification for taking money from Zimbabwe to a foreign jurisdiction under the banner of free funds if it was generated from domestic economic activity such as artisanal gold mining or tobacco sales.
The governor said there was need to critically look at the situations where money had been spirited out of the country, which has been facing a debilitating cash crisis over the last few weeks, to determine whether this was done legally or illegally.
The ICIJ, however, said having one’s name on the list did not necessarily mean one had an offshore account.
ZESA Prices to Shoot 114%
ZESA prices are set to shoot up to 114%, it has emerged.
They will rise by about 14 percent once Cabinet has endorsed the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority-approved application for a tariff hike which was made by Zesa Holdings.
According to impeccable sources, an inter-ministerial committee is studying ZERA’s determination to have electricity charges raised from 9,83 cents per kilowatt per hour to 11,2c.
Zesa Holdings, through the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), had applied for a tariff increase of 14,6c/kWh to help finance imports to mitigate power shortages and expand generation capacity.
“We have an inter-ministerial taskforce that is studying what has been brought by ZERA through the Ministry of Energy and Power Development to ensure that there is a win-win situation to both the power utility and the consumers,” said a source.
“The truth of the matter is that ZERA, after conducting their stakeholder consultations, made a determination to peg the price at 11,2c/kWh.
“An inter-ministerial committee, senior officials from about four ministries, are meeting with members of the Office of the President and Cabinet to look at this development and they agreed on that figure.
“The ministries involved include that of Energy and Power Development, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Industry and Commerce as well as that of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services.”
Added the source: “The agreement is that the Ministers, after their deliberations and finding a common position, will take the position to Cabinet for endorsement, through the ideal ministry. In essence the 11,2c/kWh is waiting for Cabinet approval only. ZERA had promised to come back with a determination two weeks after their consultations in January but now it is more than four months. The reason being that they had to find a win-win situation.”
ZERA has repeatedly said it is still consolidating stakeholders’ input before making a determination. ZETDC managing director Engineer Julian Chinembiri said they were still waiting for a response to their application.
He said the delay in announcing the tariff was affecting their operations.
“They (ZERA) recently wrote to use saying they will soon give us a tariff and we are still waiting,” he said.
“On our part, if we do not get that tariff it means our operations will be affected heavily. The cost of the power which we are now importing is high and we also need money to meet maintenance costs. Failure to do so will see us returning to the load shedding era because all our imports, which are significantly contributing to the current stability in power supplies, are prepaid.
“Without a tariff, we won’t be able to pay in advance. In short, short we are channeling most of our revenue to power imports at the moment and we have put a number of things on hold.”
Zimbabwe is spending millions of dollars importing power mainly from South Africa (300MW) and Mozambique (40MW) on a cash basis model.
The development has seen Zesa cuttging down on load shedding consumers since December last year.
The situation is unsustainable as the import tariffs are higher than what is currently obtaining especially when the power utility is saddled with a more than $1 billion debt.
The power utility is currently working on supply side interventions that entail expanding capacity at Kariba South hydro power station by 300MW and Hwange by 600MW.
Eng Chinembiri said power cuts being experienced in some areas were a result of faults not load shedding.
“We now have a stable power supply since the end of last year and our hope is this will continue,” he said.
“During this period, we are not load shedding and people with no electricity should report to nearest depots because it will be due faults. We do not have systems to monitor low voltage faults in homes and that is why we are appealing to our consumers to report.-state media
Mnangagwa’s Lacoste Blocks G-40 From ZiFM
Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF faction, Team Lacoste, has blocked Grace Mugabe’s G-40 from being interviewed on its national private radio station ZiFM Sterio.
The two factions are fiercely fighting to succeed President Robert Mugabe.
On Monday Zanu PF legislator for Highfield West who is also a member of the G-40, Psychology Maziwisa, was scheduled to debate with MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu on ZiFM at 19.30hrs.
The radio station is owned by Information Communication Technology and Courier Services Minister and Zanu PF MP for Nyanga South, Supa Mandiwanzira who belongs to the Mnangagwa faction.
The Maziwisa–Gutu radio debate was cancelled on the 11th hour for unexplained reasons when the latter was on his way to the national private radio station.
On his Facebook page MDC-T spokerson Obert Gutu said he was informed by the radio station that Maziwisa was blocked by Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo from attending the interview.
“ZiFM Stereo has just phoned me a few minutes ago saying that the Platform program that was scheduled to be aired LIVE on air tonight @ 19.30 hours has been cancelled because Psychology Maziwisa, who was supposed to speak on behalf of Zanu PF during the radio debate, has been ordered not to come for the interview by S.K.Moyo, the Zanu PF spokesperson”, said Gutu.
He continued exclaiming that “Zvakaoma – It is hard!”.
UK PM Cameron calls Nigeria and Afghanistan ‘fantastically corrupt’
BBC- British Prime Minister, David Cameron, has described Nigeria and Afghanistan as “fantastically corrupt” in a conversation with the Queen.
The PM was talking about this week’s anti-corruption summit in London.
“We’ve got some leaders of some fantastically corrupt countries coming to Britain… Nigeria and Afghanistan, possibly the two most corrupt countries in the world,” he was overheard saying.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, elected last year after vowing to fight corruption, said he was “shocked”.
And a senior Afghan official said the characterisation was “unfair”.
After Mr Cameron’s comments, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby intervened to say: “But this particular president is not corrupt… he’s trying very hard,” before Speaker John Bercow said: “They are coming at their own expense, one assumes?”
The conversation took place at Buckingham Palace at an event to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday, attended by political leaders and other public figures.
At a garden party later on Tuesday, the Queen herself was caught on camera making unguarded comments about the Chinese government.
The Queen discusses the Chinese state visit with Commander Lucy D’Orsi
She told a senior police officer that she had heard the Chinese had been very rude to Britain’s ambassador to China during President Xi’s state visit last year. The Queen also agreed that the Chinese state visit had been a testing time for the police and told the officer it was “bad luck” that she had been in charge of security at the time.
Missing Girl Found Alive| BREAKING NEWS
Bulawayo – Parents of an 8-year-old girl, Tsepo Ngwenya, who endured several hours following the girl’s disappearance, were Tuesday night delighted to be told she is still alive.
Tsepo (pictured) had last been seen in the afternoon at 2pm before she vanished.
At 9pm the mother told ZimEye.com, her daughter was still nowhere to be seen.
But Newsreaders coordinated, finding her, and soon located the mother an hour later at around 10pm.
ZimEye.com can reveal the lass is now safe with her mother. The mother told ZimEye, “I have just seen her right now,” after she was led home by well wishers.
“Thank you for your help, may God bless you,” she added.
She explained that the girl had been delayed due to a vehicle mishap. Tsepo’s school is several kilometres away from home and so travels via transport provided by well wishers. – More to follow…
Chitungwiza Mayor Faces Axe Over Corruption
Morgan Tsvangirai’s provincial executive has set up a team of private investigators to investigate the local authority’s Mayor over corruption allegations recently unearthed by an internal audit.
The audit which leaked to the media last week, exposed massive corruption by Chitungwiza council officials including the Mayor, Phillip Mutoti who is a senior member of MDC-T.
In the damning audit, Mutoti and his councillors are said to have looted 90 residential stands.
In an interview with ZimEye.com in Harare Tuesday, Lloyd Damba, the MDC-T Chitungwiza provincial secretary, said his party was taking the audit seriously.
“As a party of excellence which does not condone corruption, the executive (MDC-T Chitungwiza), has unanimously resolved that we set up a private investigation team which will probe the allegations,” he said.
“The provincial executive has also appointed a three observer team from within itself: one from the main body, one from the youth wing and the other one from the Women’s Assembly.”
“We have done this as part of our mandate to jealously guard the values and principles of the party because allegations of corruption are of a serious nature and they have a great potential of denting the image of our party,” he said.
Dzamara Pat Re-Surfaces Out Of Police Station
By JuiceCard|Then Patson Dzamara started to address the people,
Then the police drag Patson away from the square,
Then the police detain Patson at their First Street post,
Then Patson tells the police it’s his right to demonstrate,
Then the police release Patson,
Then Patson marches back to the square addressing people on the streets,
Then Patson addresses the people at the square,
Then the police drag Patson into their truck,
Then the police detain Patson at Harare Central Police Station,
Then the police drive Patson around town,
Then Patson argues with the police that he is protected by the Constitution,
Then Patson “grew tired and simply climbed out the truck”.
Is it only me who thinks ZIMSEC should be in charge of toll gates money?
WATCH:Dokora Abuses School Kids
Teachers To Put On Uniform | OPINION
Dear Editor,
At a time when government is failing to supply uniforms for the police and armed forces, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora this morning pulled yet another shocker after he announced a move set to be met with the highest resistance by school teachers. ALSO READ – WATCH:Dokora Caught On Camera Abusing School Kids|
Before dust around the issues of the recently introduced national pledge and the banning of Scripture Union has even settled, he has announced that with effect from July 2016 , all Primary and Secondary school teachers shall be wearing a ‘national uniform’ so as to create a distinct identity.
“Just like nursing, teaching is a crucial fraternity that deserves notice and respect. Every teacher ought to be recognised and identified in society, hence the introduction of the national uniform for our learned teachers” said Dr Dokora.
According to the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, the uniform will bear our national colors and will be in the same design for both primary and secondary school teachers.
REMOVING MUGABE: 724 Days Left to 2018 Elections, ZEC Asks on Voting Options
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission today took its preparations for ending Robert Mugabe’s current tenure to another gear, calling on opposition parties to a special meeting.
ZEC All Stakeholders meeting on voter registration options, which option do you choose? @263Chat @erczimbabwe
— Jessie F. Majome (@JessieFMajome) May 10, 2016
The meeting currently being held at Crowne Plaza and began at 10am, has legal experts of opposition parties who were called in for vital talks. The discussions centered around voter registration options, are the opposition’s last chance to ensure the nation is ready for free and fair elections.
MDC-T’s MP for Harare West, Jessie Majome, standing in Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party, has requested Zimbabweans to make their choice known:
ZEC All Stakeholders meeting on voter registration options, which option do you choose? @263Chat @erczimbabwe
— Jessie F. Majome (@JessieFMajome) May 10, 2016
Mnangagwa Nephew In Trouble Over Replacing Mugabe Talks
ZANU PF central committee member, Emmerson Mnangagwa nephew, and Kadoma businessman Jimaya Muduvuri, has been summoned to appear before the ruling party’s Mashonaland West provincial disciplinary committee to explain his role in “cleansing Mnangagwa’s faction’s soiled public image”.
Muduvuri confirmed the development over the weekend, saying he would soon appear before the committee headed by vice-chairperson Keith Guzah.
“I asked my sekuru (uncle Mnangagwa) if it was true that he wanted to succeed President (Robert) Mugabe now or in the near future and he told me that those were lies. I requested him to go public dispelling those notions. That’s when he sent me to do it on his behalf . . . (On) Friday, I was in Manicaland and today (Sunday), I’m coming from Mashonaland East preaching the same gospel,” Muduvuri told NewsDay.
Two months ago, Zanu PF women’s league secretary for finance Sarah Mahoka challenged Mnangagwa to declare his interests in the ongoing succession battle amid reports he was clandestinely campaigning to succeed Mugabe.
Mnangagwa is reportedly locked in a bitter tussle for control of the ruling party with First Lady Grace, who reportedly leads another Zanu PF faction known as G40.
Mnangagwa and Grace have both denied harbouring any presidential ambitions, at least while Mugabe “is still alive”.
Muduvuri’s issue has also allegedly caused fissures within the provincial women’s league structures in the ruling party, with knives out for acting chairperson Angeline Muchemenyi.
Muchemenyi took over from the late Joana Tsogolani.
Insiders claim Muchemenyi and Muduvuri were now being accused of having changed factions and now rooting for Mnangagwa, hence the current tensions and move to “remove them”.
Contacted for comment, Muchemenyi said some people were not happy with her political rise without elaborating.
Zanu PF Mashonaland West chairperson Ephraim Chengeta referred questions to Guzah, who also refused to shed light.
“I can only respond to issues that are before the disciplinary committee which I chair. Anything outside that has to be responded to by the head of the province, who happens to be Chengeta,” Guzah said. newsday
Zanu PF Members Join MDC – Mwonzora
MDC-T Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora, says he is happy after holding different rallies in the Midlands Province, where ZANU PF members have defected to his party.
Yesterday the MDC-T completed its round of cluster rallies in the Midlands North Province with an emphatic rally in Ngezi, Kadoma. These rallies are interactive and meant to assess the state of the Party in each province. They are meant to enable the party to assess what the topical issues and concerns are in each province.
Said Mwonzora: From the rallies done so far we are happy to note that the support of the MDC-T is excellent. A number of people have defected from Zanu PF to join MDCT. Some people who left the MDCT for other parties have also retraced their footprints and rejoined the party. We are naturally elated by this and in terms of our big tent approach we welcomed them with both hands.
The issues that were canvassed at these rallies include the grinding poverty to which Zimbabwe has been consigned by this vile regime, chronic unemployment, total collapse of industry, corruption by state officials and the politicization of food aid. Zimbabweans are riled by the theft of their $15bn as acknowledged by President Mugabe recently. They are mifed by the fact that in spite of its undertaking to create 2.2 million jobs, Zanu PF government has instead exacerbated unemployment. Even those who are employed can not get their salaries. Of those few whose employers have paid salaries, can not access same because there is no money at the banks.
There is general agreement that instead of tackling the national problems, the Zanu PF bigwigs are enmeshed in the debilitating succession conundrum. The people are therefore agreed that the only way of moving Zimbabwe out of it social, political and economic quagmire is to remove the regime of Robert Mugabe.
Of course signs of panic on the part of Zanu PF are there for all to see. In order to affect the turn out at the MDCT rallies, the Zanu PF slaughtered a number of cattle to temporarily feed the people. The good thing is that the people ate the meat and still attended the MDCT rallies.
MP Paul Mavhima tried to incite violence against the MDCT leadership. He however pathetically went into hiding behind some dilapidated shop when he saw Vice President Thokozani Khupe. We will not be intimidated. We shall overcome. Victory is certain.
Fireworks as Manyuchi Jets Into Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s victorious boxer, Charles Manyuchi made a triumphal jet-in yesterday following his bashing of Russia’s unbeatable giant.
Manyuchi touched down aboard an Emirates flight at 5:10pm yesterday.
The arrival of the poor-boy-turned-superstar had the who-is-who in the sports sector present at the airport to welcome him. They ranged from fellow pugilists who could not manage a single win in their careers, coaches and administrators.
Drum-beating fans, transported to the airport courtesy of Manyuchi’s local sponsor, Mr T35, drowned the airport in song.
Then came the kilometre-long convoy of cars from the airport that could have done well with a police escort, especially given the rush hour in which the short trip into the central business district was undertaken. It took a whole hour to reach Rainbow Towers Hotel where a banquet awaited an ambassador who, like the rating of the hospitality facility he was whisked to, had put up a five-star performance.
It now remains to be seen how fat a beast the nation will slaughter for the industrious brand ambassador, although it will only take a blind marketing department of any corporate entity to ignore the mileage associated with this brand called Manyuchi. His principal sponsor in the country, Mr T35, have already made a worthy contribution and from the look of things Manyuchi could be riding in car number three from the sponsors, a Honda CVR latest model.-State Media
Quail Cash: Digging Deeper| Brett Muvet
ZVIHUTA ZVIRI KUTENGESWA NEMABOND COINS VAMWE VACHICHERA MAKOMBA GOING DEEPER.
Manheru akanaka varanda veZimbabwe.
Nyaya hadziperi muNyika yedu yeZimbabwe. Hurumende yakagara pasi, varume vakuru, vamwe vacho vakadzidza vanemaDegree asiri eFake, vakawirirana kuti Zvihuta hazvichabvumirwi kuchengetwa neVanhu. Vamwe vanorarama nazvo, kana kuzvidya, nekutengesa. Kana nyika ine hurumende yapererwa semaperero eJunta ririkutonga muZimbabwe, ndopavanouya nezviMitemo zvisina kana basa. Kupererwa neNzira dzokuba mari dzedu, saka vakuda kusungisa vanhu neZvihuta.
Apa Pfidza neTuckshop yake yakatadza kuvurwa naPresident, akatanga kuStocker Zvihuta zvacho, $1 for 2, last week but 2, nhasi zvakunzi hazvibvumirwe?
Bond coins nemaPaper eNyika arikuda kuuya aya, hameno kuti vakuru veJunta kuti varikufungei? Vanhu vakawanda vari kunyora maziArticle vachiedza kutsanangura zvichaitika tikabvumira kuti Bond paper money ridzoke. PaNhau dzaBRETT Mu vet, regai tiedze kutsanangura zvokuti even Plumber seni zvangu anogona kunzwisisa… $US haichawanikwi apa hurumende haina mari kubhadhara vashandi.
Saka varikuunza mabond paper kuti vakwanise kuPrinter madiro sezvakaitwa muna2007/2008. Zvichatanga pama Civil servants, vachabhadharwa nemaBond, kubva ipapo Black market ichavurwa zvakare.
Nokuti Junta rakavarisa industry muZimbabwe, maCompany vanoimporter zvinhu. VanoImporter nema$US asi vachitengesa nemaBond?
Vanozowana ma$US kuzoStocker kupi? VanotoCharger nema$US obvious. Black market igozara nema$US, asi kwete ne1:1
Asi nyaya guru, ndeiyi; Vanhu veJunta vachawana ma$US kuBank, nokuti ndivo vanaChef ka. Iwewe neni tikaenda ikoko tonoudzwa kuti hakuna. Apa vachipiwa ne 1:1. Ndivo vachavurisa Black market, vachitengesa ma$US, maybe 100 bond to one $US. Vapedza kudharo, voenda kuBank ne100 bond iye, vowana $US100!!! Imagine kana yave $US1Million munhu arikuita $US99 MILLION PROFIT BABA!!! Hakusi kuti Junta vakupenga aiwa, vakatongwara, inzira yokuba mari yeNyika zvakare.
Lets Dig Deeper. Aiwa, munhu kana achirwisa Junta, tinomuti Shamwari wedu. Asi vamwe vanoda kumbobvunzwa Kuti sei manga makanyarara makore ese aya? Asi huuori wacho wakangotanga pawakadzingwa iwewe? Pese apa wangausingaone here kana kuti wanga wakatopusa zvako zvekuti hapana chawakaona? Zvinondishamisa kuti vana ZIDAZ- Zanu Idiot Demonstrating Against Zanu- vanongovurika maziso pavanodzingwa chete. Kuita kunge munhu abva kuBhabhatidzwa paanobudiswa muMvura muye, maziso kuita kunge Zizi.
Apa munhu wese anobuditswa muZanu anochema chema asi make sure kuti pakati pekuchema anoti…… “but I still support my President” Kurwara chete. Ndopaunoona kuti kuchema kwake ndezve Fake. Nhasi ndopaurikuda kuita zvinhu paMutemo? Nhasi ndopauri kutarisa Constitution? Nhasi ndopaurikuda kutiudza kuti vamwe varikuba? KoPese apa wanga wakanyarara sei? ZIDAZ REMUNHU.
Lets dig deeper inyaya yakangofanana nedzimwe nyaya dzana STOP IT, nana GAMATOX nanaG-40 nana G16-35. Zvinhu zvokuba muZimbabwe zvakuenda zvichiita zvishoma nezviShoma. Saka kana zvakudaro, mbavha dziye dzinenge dzakuda kubira dzimwe Mbavha nokuti hapasisina zvokuba muNyika. Ndopatiri kuona kuti Junta pachezvavo, vakupandukirana nekuti varikuda zvinhu zvevamwe vavo. Kana munhu ajaira kuba $100 000 paMwedzi, kuti adzikise ku$50 000 hazviite. Ngavadyanane zvavo, tinozopedzirana neasara wacho. Ndopanoperera nhau dzanhasi.
CIO Wife Raids Zimra
The wife of CIO boss, Happyton Bonyongwe has raided the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) and unearthed a mine of said “corrupt activities” in which more than 400 cars were allegedly smuggled into the country this year alone by a syndicate of Zimra officials and clearing agents who have been processing counterfeit undervalued import documents to smuggle vehicles and other products.
The state broadsheet reports that five suspects have been arrested in connection with some of the cases after they allegedly cleared 52 cars in Harare using the fake documents.
Although the details are still sketchy, sources quoted by the Herald following the arrests, said the suspects were found in possession of more than 100 fake clearance certificates. Investigations carried out revealed that the suspects managed to acquire registration number plates for at least 52 vehicles and this was discovered by officials at the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) last week.
By yesterday, it was still not clear how the suspects managed to obtain the fake documents as investigations are still in progress. It has also emerged that for the past few years, several car dealers in and around Harare had their cars seized by Zimra after it was discovered that most of them had fake documentation.
According to some of the car dealers, the clearing agents are working with some Zimra officials to smuggle the cars into the country and then impound them for auction. Some of the dealers have since taken Zimra to court in a bid to recover their vehicles.
Last week the Zimra board suspended its Commissioner-General Mr Gershem Pasi and five other senior executive managers after questions were raised over the importation of vehicles.
This comes amid reports that Zimra was losing millions of dollars to dealers who processed counterfeit undervalued import documents to smuggle vehicles and other products into the country.
Mr Pasi and the five executive managers were sent on paid leave to pave way for investigations. The other five executives are Charlton Chihuri (40), loss control director ; Anna Mutombodzi (50), Commissioner of Customs and Excise; Tjiyapo Velempini (49), director ICT and infrastructural development; Clive Charles Majengwa (52), director internal audit; and, Sithokozile Thembani Mrewa (47), director human resources.
Zimra board chairperson Mrs Willia Bonyongwe confirmed the suspensions in a statement. She advised members of the public that the authority now had a hotline on which any corrupt activity by any Zimra employee can be reported. The toll-free hotline numbers are: Econet (0808190); Telecel (0732880880) and WhatsApp (0772 135690).
Zimra has been losing millions of dollars to a syndicate of dealers who process counterfeit undervalued import documents to smuggle in vehicles. Several people, some of them former Zimra employees, allegedly act as clearing agents and have been arrested for prejudicing the State of various amounts of money in separate incidents.
Senior Zimra officials who are supposed to be custodians of customs and excise laws, have reportedly used bogus clearing agents to import personal vehicles. Some of the offences were unearthed recently after the owners approached Zimra offices to check the authenticity of documents for their vehicles.
In one of the incidents, two Harare men were arrested on allegations of processing import documents to smuggle in six vehicles through Beitbridge Border Post, prejudicing the State of $157 500,24.
Timoth Simfukwe (39) and Liberty Tinashe Mahembe (30) this week appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe, who remanded them to May 27 on $500 bail each.
They are facing six counts of fraud for offences committed between June last year and January this year. Simfukwe is the director of Eftrade Ventures, while Mahembe is employed by Vonlet Trading (Private) Limited as a manager.
The two are accused of hatching plans to undervalue cars and preparing counterfeit import documents for Chihuri, Mutombodzi, Velempini, Majengwa and Mrewa. All of them had received loans ranging between $90 000 and $120 000 to purchase Toyota Land Cruiser and Toyota Prado vehicles.
They all handed their money to Simfukwe on separate occasions last year who then used the same method of operation, conniving with Mahembe to process the fake documents.
Stands Dishing-Out Is aPolitical – Kasukuwere
State Media-The allocation of 20,000 residential stands to youths in Bulawayo by the government will not be done on political grounds, a Cabinet Minister has said.
The Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Saviour Kasukuwere told MPs during the National Assembly’s question and answer session on Wednesday that local authorities have been sitting on land instead of offering it to residents.
He was responding to questions by MPs who questioned the motive behind his ministry’s offering stands to youths. Minister Kasukuwere said the government would no longer watch while local authorities commercialised land at the expense of suffering citizens.
“First and foremost, we’re not distributing or let alone having people access stands on the basis of their political cards. We want to ensure that all Zimbabweans where possible, have housing opportunities,” said Minister Kasukuwere.
He said it was disappointing that local councils have resorted to commercialising land instead of offering it to home seekers.
“For a very long time, government has been making land available to the city authorities. However, if you see the records by city authorities, most of the land was distributed to land barons and cooperatives, to the extent that many of the people who accessed the land didn’t pay for the land even to the city authorities,” he said.
Minister Kasukuwere said the government cannot allow citizens to continue struggling at the mercy of local authorities.
“We felt this process or system can no longer be acceptable. We’ve authority within government; the Urban Development Corporation which is charged with ensuring that we develop housing and house our people. We’re going for a transparent process – a system that will ensure that the majority of our people has access to land,” Minister Kasukuwere.
The Minister lashed out at Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo for downplaying the importance of housing citing the city father’s recent comments that the 100,000 housing waiting list was not an issue.
“It would have been my desired route to work with the city authorities and give them land but some of them have publicly said they don’t want the land, with 100,000 people on the waiting list. I can’t force cities which have said that publicly and I can quote the Bulawayo Mayor,” said the Minister.
“He said the 100,000 people on the waiting list aren’t an issue. How can 100,000 people be not an issue to a city father? We’re saying we’ll move into Bulawayo and ensure that we give land to the people; irrespective of their political persuasion, we’re going to house them.”
Last week Minister Kasukuwere unveiled land in Bulawayo where housing stands will be pegged.
Councillors Rebel Against Tsvangirai
MDC-T Harare councillors have reportedly rebelled against their leadership and are set to defy the opposition party directive to rescind a resolution they made last Thursday to send town clerk Mr James Mushore on forced leave without benefits. Mr Mushore was sent packing barely a month after his appointment by the same councillors. The former NMB chief executive was appointed without following laid down procedures.
Government rescinded the appointment of Mr Mushore soon after a council meeting that announced his appointment, arguing that council flouted procedures of appointing a town clerk as outlined in the Urban Councils Act and the Local Government Board and some residents associations rushed to the High Court to contest the decision.
The MDC-T ordered its councillors to reverse their decision and allow Mr Mushore to come back to work, failure of which they face unspecified action, although the court is still to rule on the matter.
They were made to sign affidavits at Harvest House on Thursday confirming that they will adhere to the party position, but the councillors felt otherwise.
Councillors who spoke to The Herald said they would not risk the wrath of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, as they were family men who needed to fend for their families.-state media
Vote For Mugabe, Forget His Age – Kasukuwere
National Political Commissar Saviour Kasukuwere has has encouraged the ruling party supporters to consider President Robert Mugabe’s reputable leadership qualities and the ideals he stands for, as good reason to vote for him in 2018.
He said this while, addressing members of the Zanu PF women’s league from Hurungwe at Chikanwe stadium in Karoi.
Kasukuwere said there is no logic in voting into power some crazy young men yet the country has a tried and tested leader in the person of President Mugabe, whom he said deserves the vote in 2018.
Kasukuwere, who is also the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, pledged residential stands to members of the women’s league in Hurungwe and tasked the leadership in the area to identify land for the purpose.
Zanu PF Deputy Secretary for Women’s Affairs Eunice Sandi Moyo also challenged the women to take up income generating projects such as farming to fend for their families.
The Karoi rally was organised by the women’s league secretary for finance Sarah Mahoka. – State Media
Pastor Bashed at Funeral
Terrence Mawawa, Chivhu| A prominent local pastor with a pentecostal church was last week severely bashed by a woman at a funeral as he preached against witchcraft.
Pastor Petros Chatikobo of the United Body of Christ Internatonal Church (UBC), was beaten up by the woman as he spoke against withcraft and the late Netsai Chipare’s relatives felt the clergyman had accused them of bewitching the deceased.The late Netsai was a member of Chatikobo’ s church.
The incident delayed the burial programme as Spiwe Chipare, the elder sister of the late Netsai charged towards Chatikobo and grabbed his shirt by the collar and shook him aggressively, until some buttons fell off the shirt. The pastor’s aides restrained her from further harming him.
She accused Chatikobo of lying that someone had bewitched her sister. She also shouted obscenities at Chatikobo.
Chatikobo said he was shocked by the incident.
“I have never encountered this before. Castigation of witchcraft is in the bible, the book of Matthew to be precise. I never mentioned anyone’s name, neither did I accuse anyone of bewitching the late Netsai,” he said.
Sources at the funeral told ZimEye.com Chatikobo castigated witchcraft in front of the mourners in preparation for Netsai’s burial. It is understood the mourners felt the clergyman had accused them of bewitching Netsai. There was commotion as mourners were deeply divided over the clerygyman’s remarks.
Thousands Residents Face Eviction
A large number of families, allocated stands at the remainder of Retreat Farm in Waterfalls, Harare, face an uncertain future following an application by the farm owner, Retreat Farm (Pvt) Ltd, to have them evicted from the property.
The farm was acquired by government under General Notice Number 474 of 2011, four years ago, for residential settlement after which it was allocated to various housing cooperatives, that have since constructed houses for scores of home seekers.
However, on April 8 this year, the farm filed summons under case HC3708/16 seeking the eviction of Harare South Co-operative Apex Board and Harare South Housing Union members from the property.
In its declaration, Retreat Farm said it was still the registered owner of the land measuring 624, 5039 hectares held under title deed 1723/76.
“The defendant, board and its members unbeknown to the plaintiff and without plaintiff’s authority/consent and without any legal basis illegally settled themselves on plaintiff’s property. Despite various demands the defendants refused/neglected to vacate the said property,” Retreat Farm said.
The same company recently filed another application challenging the constitutionality of the compulsory acquisition of the property and also filed different summons under case HC4232/16, seeking the eviction of the families settled on the property.
Ministries of Local Government and Lands were cited as defendants in the matter whereas President Robert Mugabe was also cited in his official capacity as third defendant.
In the plaintiff’s declaration prepared by a Harare law firm, Tamuka Moyo Attorneys, the company argues the acquisition of the said farm was unconstitutional.
“No notice of this acquisition was given to the plaintiff; indeed no notice at all was given to the plaintiff. No fair and/or adequate compensation was given to the plaintiff for the compulsory acquisition,” it argued.
The firm also argued the acquisition was effected in the absence of an order from a competent court of law.
The lawyers said Section 5 of the Land Acquisition Act that was used to acquire the land does not apply when the said land was to be used for residential development.
“The plaintiff is thus entitled to occupation and full ownership of its land and any occupation, settlement or other use of the plaintiff’s property by the defendants or any person claiming the right of occupation through them, is unlawful, unconstitutional, void and invalid,” the lawyers said.
In both matters, no appearances to defend notices have been filed yet. – State Media
Tsvangirai Deals With Zimbabwe’s Economic Issues
Presidential Spokesperson and Director of Communications Movement for Democratic Change, Luke Tamborinyoka has released a statement that MDC-T leader will convene an urgent meeting to discuss pressing national issues.
MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai will tomorrow convene what he calls an “urgent Shadow Cabinet meeting to discuss pressing national issues; top of which is government’s ill-advised move to bring back the Zimbabwe dollar through the back door.”
The country is mired in a monumental crisis and the MDC shadow Cabinet and the party’s national executive that will also be convened soon, will chart a robust and comprehensive political reaction to this madness. The MDC is taking the government’s ill-advised decision seriously, hence the urgent meeting of the Shadow Cabinet and the national executive to discuss this urgent matter of national interest.
The huge national crisis is summed up by the chilling fact that more than half of the country is now surviving on domesticating and selling what only a year ago were wild birds (zvihuta). It would be futile to expect Zanu PF to get us out of this mess that it has created as that would be tantamount to expecting a mosquito to cure malaria.
The MDC is preparing a robust political response to this madness and the party reserves its right to mobilize the people against this ill-advised decision that is certainly not backed by economic logic. Zimbabweans have fresh memories of the traumatizing experiences with the “bearer’s cheques” of 2008. The so-called bond notes, with a value of up to $20, signify a return to the stressing national times off eight years ago. Ordinary Zimbabweans lost their savings, pensioners lost their life-time savings and companies and other institutions were shortchanged as the economy tumbled until the MDC presence in an inclusive government brought stability and unprecedented economic annual growth figures, which peaked at 12 percent in 2012.
The cash crisis which led to the decision to print bond notes stems from a crisis of confidence. There is no confidence in both the economy and in the banks, all stemming from a crisis of legitimacy arising out of the stolen election of 2013. Unfortunately for Zanu PF, the printing of bond notes cannot be a panacea to what is essentially a political crisis that needs a political solution.
One cannot mask illegitimacy under the veil of bond notes that are essentially a sanitized version of ordinary bond paper or newsprint. Bond coins, bond notes all point to the cluelessness of what has become a “bond” government that is running the affairs of State.
Between 2009 and 2013, President Tsvangirai and his team worked very hard to steer the ship of State towards an economic Canaan, but President Mugabe’s government seeks to reverse all the gains and return the country to the long suffering years in Egypt.
The printing of bond notes will be the death knell to this economy. Zimbabweans have walked this road before. They have not forgotten the dark days when they were poor quintillionaires. President Tsvangirai and the MDC will do all they can to save the country and to return it to logic and common sense.
The huge national crisis is summed up by the chilling fact that more than half of the country is now surviving on domesticating and selling what only a year ago were wild birds (zvihuta). It would be futile to expect Zanu PF to get us out of this mess that it has created as that would be tantamount to expecting a mosquito to cure malaria.
The MDC is preparing a robust political response to this madness and the party reserves its right to mobilize the people against this ill-advised decision that is certainly not backed by economic logic. Zimbabweans have fresh memories of the traumatizing experiences with the “bearer’s cheques” of 2008. The so-called bond notes, with a value of up to $20, signify a return to the stressing national times off eight years ago. Ordinary Zimbabweans lost their savings, pensioners lost their life-time savings and companies and other institutions were shortchanged as the economy tumbled until the MDC presence in an inclusive government brought stability and unprecedented economic annual growth figures, which peaked at 12 percent in 2012.
The cash crisis which led to the decision to print bond notes stems from a crisis of confidence. There is no confidence in both the economy and in the banks, all stemming from a crisis of legitimacy arising out of the stolen election of 2013. Unfortunately for Zanu PF, the printing of bond notes cannot be a panacea to what is essentially a political crisis that needs a political solution.
One cannot mask illegitimacy under the veil of bond notes that are essentially a sanitized version of ordinary bond paper or newsprint. Bond coins, bond notes all point to the cluelessness of what has become a “bond” government that is running the affairs of State.
Between 2009 and 2013, President Tsvangirai and his team worked very hard to steer the ship of State towards an economic Canaan, but President Mugabe’s government seeks to reverse all the gains and return the country to the long suffering years in Egypt.
The printing of bond notes will be the death knell to this economy. Zimbabweans have walked this road before. They have not forgotten the dark days when they were poor quintillionaires. President Tsvangirai and the MDC will do all they can to save the country and to return it to logic and common sense.
Graduating Teachers Join The Jobless
Teachers graduating from various colleges are joining the jobless market.
After collecting their certificates, these newly qualified teachers walk into the world of unemployment to join hundreds of thousands of other qualified people who have been rendered unemployed by President Robert Mugabe’s government through its disastrous economic policies.
With the economy crisis deepening and the government also reeling under an acute revenue inflow decline exacerbated by the declining economic activity in the country has plans to “drastically reduce the civil service wage bill”, with Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa having said during the 2016 national budget presentation last December that the “rationalisation of the civil service would save $14,2 million per month”.
The rationalisation measures were announced on the back of another announcement last year that in its employment, government had thousands of teaching staff who held non-teaching qualifications and there were plans to replace the non-qualified teachers with fresh graduates, a move that would create 20 000 jobs for the newly-qualified teachers.
This has not happened, as government appears to fail to adequately fund the current civil service salary requirements, amid allegations some fringe ministries are harbouring ghost or non-essential workers that unnecessarily burden the public service salary bill. – State Media
Pastor Mugadza Abducted by Police
The famous Kariba pastor who last year told President Robert Mugabe to his face to resign, Patrick Mugadza, was today forcibly taken away by police officers.
Pastor Mugadza was protesting with several women in Unity Square campaigning for the rights of cancer patients.
Protest coordinator and leader Lynnette Mudehwe seen in pictures as Pastor Mugadza was whisked away, told ZimEye.com the 31 protesters were raided in Africa Unity Square this afternoon.
“Right now we are in Africa Unity Square, and the riot police has just dispersed people who wanted to pray,” said Mudehwe.
She continued, “Right now I can’t even tell you where Patson is, and where the pastor is,” she added.
Indications at the time of writing suggested the pastor had been taken to Harare Central Police station. However, no trace of the man could be obtained at the place.
In a statement The Zimbabwe Women in Politics said it is “deeply concerned with government negligence and denial of Zimbabwean citizens to their constitutional right to health exhibited by its wanton failure to urgently resuscitate or replace one of the only two radio therapy machines the Ministry of health has to treat cancer patients”.
Linda Tsungirirai Masarira, founder and national coordinator of ZWIPA said government must honor its mandate to ensure the ministry of health is fully capacitated to discharge its duties especially to critical patients like those affected by cancer. “Every Zimbabwean has a right to health, the radiotherapy machine for cancer patients at Parirenyatwa hospital has been down for the past four days. It is not the first time; this machine is always down posing a threat to the premature loss of life of cancer patients. It is the responsibility of the Minister of health to ensure that all cancer patients receive and get the treatment they need,
“Do we have a Minister of Health in Zimbabwe? Why is the Ministry of Health silent when cancer patients are not being afforded proper and sound health care because of their incompetence and lack of sound health ethics”, said Linda.
It is disheartening that the government of Zimbabwe splashes money on trivial matters at the expense of basic healthcare services of Zimbabwean citizens. Zimbabweans are being denied their constitutional right as enshrined in section 76 of Zimbabwe’s constitution on the RIGHT TO HEALTHCARE. The money that was used to celebrate Mugabe’s birthday should have been used to acquire radiotherapy machines for cancer patients. Mphoko should immediately vacate rainbow towers and that money used to pay for his lavish hotel lifestyle should be channeled to assisting cancer patients in Zimbabwe.
“I am challenging Dr. David Parirenyatwa to ensure that, the radiotherapy machine is fixed by Friday. Failure to do so , ZWIPA women are taking to the streets to demonstrate against the government of Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Health. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that cancer patients are afforded basic healthcare services”, she said.
Radiotherapy treatment is very critical for cancer patients. It is sad that the government of Zimbabwe is silent about cancer patients and their treatment yet they are fully aware that there are only two radiotherapy machines in Zimbabwe. One machine is at Parirenyatwa Hospital and the only machine that caters for all patients suffering from cancer the whole of Zimbabwe whilst the other one is at Karanda Mission Hospital in Mount Darwin, the statement narrated stating.
Chinamasa Begs for Diaspora Money, Expertise
To Min. Chinamasa, No Diaspora Funds Without Government Reform…
…..By Adrian Moyondizvo
With shock, we hear that you plan to engage the diaspora community to help with cash remittances. You need them to help the dying economy. That’s a noble cause but so well misplaced given the recent developments in Zimbabwe. Here is why:
Cuthbert Dube paid himself millions of dollars for doing nothing. What has the government done with the wasted dollars issue? Nothing.
ZACC officials abused government funds. What is the government doing? Nothing.
$15 billion worth of diamonds vanished into thin air. Besides the hot air broadcast on national airwaves, what has government done to practically account for the stolen cash? Zero.
Thieves and robbers are flaunting millions of dollars from tender money with the First Family in Dubai restaurants. After such wastefulness, diaspora people should help government to have more to splash. Really?
And ministers are building million dollar 50 bedroom mansions in this cash crisis. No one is saying anything. And you still want our dollars from the diaspora? What an insult!
Even the President’s appetite for travel with large numbers has not stopped. He is in charge of the economy and the country. Does he care?
There is much wastefulness of public money. The government doesn’t care. They keep splashing money. Tenders rules are being violated. Not a single project has taken off.
People in the diaspora have no business with corrupt people killing the country and pocketing resources in line with ZimAsset. You’re chasing business using Zhuwao’s Hitler laws of indigenization. And you still expect the world to take you seriously?
Why is China, your all weather friends not helping you after sucking all the diamonds from Chiadzwa? You will never be a colony again but you’re begging to be colonized. You can’t have your cake and eat it. This is what you get for lacking business ethics.
Mliswa Jibes Kasukuwere
Temba Mliswa, a former Zanu PF bigwig who now leads the Youth Advocacy for Reform and Democracy (Yard) pressure group, has scoffed at threats by Zanu PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere to seize his farm.
Addressing thousands of Zanu PF supporters at a rally at Chikangwe Stadium in Karoi, Kasukuwere said the former Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial chairman and Hurungwe West MP Temba Mliswa, had nothing to offer.
Kasukuwere, who is also Local Government minister, threatened to subdivide Mliswa’s Spring Farm on the outskirts of Karoi and distribute the residential stands to Zanu PF supporters.
“There are youths who are following Temba Mliswa, do not follow him,” Kasukuwere said.
“We want to look at his farm if it is close to Karoi, we want to take it and make sure we get stands and see what happens. Yes kana wakanda chibhakera wotosimba. Kana wakanda chibhakera ku Zanu PF tinovhika but kana takudzosera tinorova paunonyatsozwa kuti ka chapinda (If you pick a quarrel with Zanu PF you must be prepared for a big fight because we hit where it hurts the most),” Kasukuwere said.
“Do not follow his Yard because it’s a back yard.”
But Mliswa scoffed at Kasukuwere’s threats yesterday.
“I am not moved by Kasukuwere’s populist but foolish Zanu PF opinion because it is not government policy,” Mliswa told the Daily News.
“The land reform was a government programme and I am a holder of a 99-year lease.
“That is a Zanu PF problem to deal with, such loose cannons that contradict their desire to attract foreign direct investment when their officials do not respect property rights.”
He added that Kasukuwere as Zanu PF political commissar was feeling the effects of not having him in Zanu PF ranks as he was struggling to attract supporters for the party in the province.
“I know it’s pretty cold to come to Mashonaland West without Mliswa. He is feeling the chilly weather, especially of Hurungwe West, because they cannot attract any support without me.
“I own the province, my heart is in Hurungwe West, and they cannot do anything about it,” Mliswa said.
Following Mliswa’s decision to stand against Zanu PF as an independent candidate in the Hurungwe West by-election after he was expelled last year, party youths invaded his farm, allegedly attacking indiscriminately any person remotely linked to Mliswa, including his workers.
Business at Mliswa’s sprawling properties — that include a service station, a restaurant, a thriving farm and a lodge — was brought to a halt as the boisterous youths vowed to take it as a way of punishing the outspoken legislator, who dared challenge the deeply-divided ruling party as an independent candidate for Hurungwe West in the by-elections.
The Zanu PF yobs only left after the intervention of the courts.
In his address, Kasukuwere who was visibly angry, said Mliswa had nothing to offer except stammering.
“He has always been like that; he has nothing to offer except stammering, noise and claiming to know everything.
“He once claimed that he had invented cricket, that he had manufactured Dynamos and farmers,” Kasukuwere said.-Daily News
10 Real Causes of the Financial Crisis in Zimbabwe
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by Dr Tapiwa Mashakada, MDC Shadow Minister of Finance,
The banking sector plays an intermediary role in the economy through a process called financial mediation. In lay man terms this simply means mobilizing surplus deposits and lending to borrowers. Moreover, these deposits can be short term, medium term, long term, fixed or on-call.
The majority of the $6 billion dollars annual deposits have been in the form of demand deposits, which means that depositors can withdraw them on demand at any time. In other words banks must ensure that they maintain healthy balance sheets to avoid a situation where liabilities exceed assets.
The whole banking system is therefore strictly regulated and supervised by the Reserve Bank in order to maintain financial stability and confidence in the banking system.
Beginning January 2016, public and business confidence started to wane due to a plethora of reasons. Peoples’ confidence in the banking system deteriorated fast and things came to a head in May 2016. The reasons for the collapse of confidence in the banking sector can be unpacked as follows:
1. Indigenization
The bickering in government over the indigenization policy and the lack of consistency on this matter triggered panic from investors and depositors. You may recall that Minister Zhuwao threatened all non-complying firms with forced closure or expropriation. This included banks. At the same time Minister Chinamasa preferred a case by case approach to indigenization which sharply contradicted Zhuwao’s wholesale approach. In the end, the 2 Ministers issued out an ambiguous indigenization framework in January 2016.
In April 2016, Zhuwao was at it again, issuing yet another threat to companies who had not complied. The net effect was capital flight. Yet it is abundantly clear that the indigenization policy has damaged economic recovery over a long period. It is the elephant in the living room because it scares investors.
2. Payment of war veterans transfers
Mugabe had to avert a potentially explosive situation and doled out $6.4 million dollars towards school fees for children of war veterans. I don’t have any problem with the payment of fees but my point is that government did not have this kind of money. It dipped its fingers into depositors funds.
3. Tobacco Farmers
When the tobacco marketing season commenced, government commandeered all farmers to open bank accounts. The government then pounced on the banked funds to meet its recurrent expenditure which include the staggered payment of bonuses.
4. The Lima Agreement
Last year in Lima the capital of Peru, Chinamasa signed an agreement with the IMF, World Bank and AfDB wherein he undertook to pay the $1.8 billion dollar arrears within 3 months ( February, March, April 2016). Chinamasa had hoped that the repayment would unlock new funding. Of course this was a grave mistake. Government had to run like a headless chicken to look for the $1.8 billion dollars. Government had to borrow from the banking sector and other sources.
5. Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS)
Government pounced on all RTGS funds at the Reserve Bank in order to pay its financial obligations. This had a huge impact on banking sector liquidity.
6. Public Borrowing
Government has been issuing Treasury Bills now amounting to $2 billion dollars. The problem is that all the TBs were rolled over upon maturity. This seriously affected banks’ cash flows. In fact some banks were driven to the brink of collapse by the purchase of TBs.
7. Illicit financial outflows
Corruption, lack of transparency and accountability, all roled into one, combined to perforate fiscal revenues. The $15 billion dollar heist from Marange is one typical example.
8. Poor revenue performance
ZIMRA revenue collections are dwindling every month because companies are closing. Growth is plummeting and there is a general slump in production. The economy has negative Savings.
9. Zanu PF Implosion
The infighting in Zanu PF has not helped the situation. In fact it has imperiled the functionality of government leaving the economy to freeze. The absence of an economic stimulus program has weakened growth. The boomerang effect is that the overall liquidity situation of the country is impaired.
10. Worsening Trade Deficit
The current account balance has worsened due to the depreciation of the Rand. Zimbabwe’s annual import bill is $6 billion dollars compared to exports to the tune of $2.9 billion dollars. This leaves a trade deficit of $3 billion dollars. The trade deficit and budget deficit are like twin deficits. Twin relationships are always problematic.
Conclusion
Dollarization requires that the economy be opened to business without any hindrances. The supply of United States Dollars are from the following sources:
(1) official development assistance, which is not forthcoming because of the debt overhang, and governance and human rights issues that have resulted in sanctions
(2) Balance of payments support from multi-lateral institutions which is not forthcoming
(3) Lines of Credit which have dried up
(4) Exports, which are depressed because companies are operating below capacity and the proceeds are
externalized
(5) Foreign Direct Investment which is not coming because of Indigenization and policy inconsistency.
At the end of the day we can see that through its omissions and commissions, government is culpable for the current cash shortages. MDC rejects any scapegotting or red herrings.
The re-introduction of the Zim dollar means that government now has access to the printing press where it can then create superficial credit in the economy through seigniorage revenue revenues, a process which stokes hyperinflation. We are back again to the days of vodoo economics and financial engineering – all to the detriment of the economy.
Next I will offer alternative solutions to the current financial crisis from the point of view of the MDC
Makandiwa Shot at by Minister, Rubbished
President Robert Mugabe’s nephew and Mines Minister, Walter Chidakwa has shot into the United Family International Church leader, Emmanuel Makandiwa, dismissing the latter’s claims that he is the one who prophesied the recent discovery of minerals along the Zambezi Valley.
Government recently discovered mineral deposits at the Gatshe Gatshe River mouth, after Makandiwa at one point last year had told his followers that he was foreseeing huge oil deposits that would turn around the country’s economic fortunes overnight.
In his own words at the church gathering which he held at the National Sports Centre Makandiwa said, “I saw our fathers following a very big river and from the skies I looked down and I saw them looking for something here, looking for something there. But they were following a very big river,” he said back then.
He continued,“…when I was taken to the place, I saw the sons of the fathers mining in a different place. I saw a generation maybe that’s not your generation, maybe it is the next generation, maybe it is our sons.”
But Chidhakwa speaking while addressing a Zanu PF rally in Karoi, said the mineral deposits had accumulated over the years from the Great Dyke into the Zambezi Valley escapement.
He said gold and diamond deposits had also been swept by the Save River into Mozambique, adding there was sufficient scientific and historic evidence to prove his claims.
In March 2011 when the ruling party launched its Anti-Sanctions campaign, they invited Makandiwa to grace the event.
The prominent Harare church leader was made to give an opening prayer at the event before he joined the Mugabe cabal in signing a petition against the travel restrictions imposed on President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF elite.
Makandiwa was then added to the list of high-profile sect leaders to join the Zanu PF bandwagon after Anglican faction leader Nolbert Kunonga, Pentecostal Assembly of Zimbabwe’s Trevor Manhanga, African Apostolic Church leader Paul Mwazha and Obadiah Musindo, among others.
Banana’s Gay Sex Attacks: Readers Riot
The announcement by the former President Canaan Sodindo Banana’s son, Nathan, that he has formed a political party has been received with mixed feelings by the public.
Nathan made headlines Monday saying that he is launching a political party, the Freedom Justice Coalition Zimbabwe, in Bulawayo, with the aim of ridding Zimbabwe of President Robert Mugabe.
But most of readers had no kind words for the late Banana’s son who they said the nation has neither forgotten nor forgiven his late father’s homosexual behaviour.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for this Banana boy to involve himself in politics, he may attempt to ‘liberate’ gays and popularise gay practices”, wrote one reader.
“Congrats Nathan, but do you also “lead from behind” like your father? And if you’re gonna bring your father’s “leadership qualities” into the picture, please remember to also address the damage your father did to the buttocks of his bodyguards,” another one added.
Nathan’s father who died in 2003 at the age of 67, in 1999 was found guilty of 11 counts of sodomy and abuse of power in which he was said to have carried out “unnatural acts” with men, most of whom were on his presidential staff roll.
In his trial which included testimony of sex with gardeners, cooks and bodyguards overshadowed his much celebrated reputation of ending the Gukurahundi massacres in the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces during his tenure of office.
Another reader commented ,“I know; it’s a dirty game he is getting himself into and he needs to prepare; the Tsvangirais won’t just call him a CIO they will say he’s also gay, and the Jonathan Moyos will even go further to claim Banana never fathered any kids”.
Others however said Banana had made a wise choice because Zimbabwe was better with anyone else who is not with President Robert Mugabe.
“Anyone can do better than Mugabe. Mugabe is the worst leader this country will ever have,” said a reader who sympathised with Banana.
“Zimbabwe is a democratic country. If he is eligible, then he can run,” another one added.
Banana’s Son Starts Own Party, Vows to Remove Mugabe
THE LATE former president Dr Canaan Sodindo Banana’s son, Nathan, has followed in his father’s footsteps by launching a political party, with the aim of ordering a full-fledged campaign that will see him participate in the 2018 general elections. Banana’s Freedom Justice Coalition Zimbabwe (FJCZ) party has been launched in the UK.
Nathan, who is Dr Banana’s third born son, however, declined to comment on these developments referring reporters to the party’s information desk.
“This is not really my party but it is a political party in its structuring and formative phase, being developed in Zimbabwe and across the world by ordinary Zimbabweans. I am simply helping as I like their vision and mission objectives,” he said.
According to the party’s website, Nathan is listed as a founding member together with Mr Tonderai Chivengwa, Mr Jammel Asani, Mr Tau Muluswela, Mrs Evenly Mudzingwe, Mr Maqhawe Mpofu and Mr Senda.
In April 2014 before the launch of Freedom Justice Coalition Zimbabwe, Nathan wrote on his facebook page: “I have had many individuals recently encouraging me to offer myself for political leadership in Zimbabwe. Perhaps because of the history behind my name, or from a genuine belief in my ability and capability to influence positive change in society.”
“Much as my internal emotions compel me to embrace the invitation, I think that such an approach to leadership is not transparent enough in terms of properly assessing a prospective candidate for any leadership role. If I was selfish, arrogant and perhaps egoistic I would have jumped at such an opportunity to be imposed on the humble and innocent majority who have been fooled by missed deadlines and broken promises.
“I strongly believe that true and sincere leadership is not manufactured in education institutions, nominated to be successors by those before them, hereditary nor chosen because of the power they wield in society, be it financial wealth or any other type of power that has not been fully appreciated by the people whom it is meant to represent.”
According to a Freedom Justice Coalition Zimbabwe source the new political party would target disgruntled supporters of the MDC-T.
However, it is unclear what Nathan’s contribution has been to the community of Zimbabwe besides the track record of his family name. His father Canaan served as the first President of Zimbabwe from 18 April 1980 until 31 December 1987 but was disgraced in 1998 when he was found guilty of 11 charges of sexual assault.
He was sentenced to 10 years in jail, nine of which were suspended, and his wife and family, including Nathan, sought political asylum in Britain in October 2000.
Woman Rapes Son
Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo| A 20 year old woman here sexually abused her 11 year old stepson and threatened to kill him if he disclosed the incident.
Netsai Joramu of village 4 Mkosi Resettlement area in Masvingo took advantage of the absence of other people from home and sexually abused the minor. Joramu appeared before Magistrate Langton Dokera last week facing charges of aggravated indecent assault.
On an unknown date in November 2015,Joramu was left at home with the minor and called him into her bedroom. She held the juvenile by the hand and removed his pair of trousers. She proceeded to remove her undergarments and lied on the floor on her back and forcibly placed the minor on top of her. She forced the minor to insert his manhood into her private parts.
Joramu threatened to kill the boy by way of food poisoning after abusing him several times. She also orderd the boy not to disclose the matter.
Sometime in December 2015, Joramu again dragged the boy ,who was playing outside the house, into her bedroom and raped him.
However when the boy’s mother phoned him,he narrated what had transpired. The boy’s mother who was in South Africa, came back to Zimbabwe and reported the matter to the police leading to Joramu’s arrest.
The boy was also medically examined and the report will be read in court as exhibit.
Govt Kicks Out War Veterans from Invaded Farm
Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo| The government last week kicked out at least seven families -comprising veterans and war collaborators from Southwill farm, 25km east of Masvingo, leaving the resettled farmers exposed to the biting cold.
The war veterans and war collaborators invaded Southwill farm belonging to one, Orsman Khan, at the height of the land grab exercise in 2000. Hundreds of other commercial farmers were displaced while some were killed as Zanu PF supporters and the veterans of the liberation struggle moved in to occupy so called “white-owned land” under the controversial Third Chimurenga farm invasions.
There has been a protracted legal battle between Khan and the war veterans and the Lands and Resettlement Ministry with the help of the Messenger of Court, last week ordered the eviction of the seven families from Southwill farm.
The war veterans who spoke to ZimEye.com accused the Provincial Lands Committee of being sponsored by known Zanu PF politicians to humiliate the former freedom fighters.
“The whole system is corrupt and we have been evicted because of factional politics. There are some senior Zanu PF officials who are determined to embarrass us. We are sleeping in the open where our belongings have been dumped,” said Vanda Marwei, one of the affected war veterans.
Their houses were destroyed last week and they have been sleeping in the open for close to a week and their crops are also likely to be destroyed.
As the Zanu PF factional fights continue to escalate, war veterans have been caught up in the raging storm-with the First Lady, Grace Mugabe openly denigrating the former freedom fighters. Zanu PF used the chaotic land reforme exercise as a campaign strategy after losing in the 2000 referendum. It is understood the referendum loss triggered the nationwide farm invasions.
Air Zim Boss Found Dead In Bush
Family members, in a series of Facebook posts last week, seemed to suggest that Dhliwayo, whose maiden name was Taruvinga, had been kidnapped. Police in the neighbouring country reportedly found her body and sent it to an unnamed hospital where her parents identified it on Saturday.
Air Zimbabwe passenger and cargo general manager Chris Kwenda yesterday confirmed Dhliwayo death.
“Details of her death are still very sketchy. I don’t even know the city where the body was found. What I can say is that she travelled to Botswana on personal business last Saturday soon after the Trade Fair intending to come back the following day and she never came back,” said Kwenda.
He said Dhliwayo’s parents started panicking on Monday but they thought since it was a holiday she had decided to delay her return.
“They got really worried on Wednesday when there was still no communication from her,” he said.
Kwenda said Dhliwayo’s husband and parents decided to travel to Botswana to look for her. That is when police told them of a body at the mortuary.
He declined to give details of the family saying they were still fragile and grief stricken following the untimely death of their loved one.
Kwenda said Dhliwayo’s body was still awaiting repatriation.
Her sister — Shuvanayi Taruvinga — yesterday morning wrote on her Facebook page: “In the name of Jesus Christ. God we pray for Shingai Taruvinga ngaadzoswe kwatiri baba (She must be brought to us Lord). It has been a week my sister tisingazivi kwauri asi Jehovah vanewe (not knowing where you are but God is with you). Please carry her home Lord. She cannot just go missing. May you bring her kidnappers to shame God.”
On May 3, when the family was still looking for her, Taruvinga wrote: “We love u girl. God is looking out for u . . .”
On the same day her husband Totizirepi appealed for his wife to call him.
“Love looking everywhere for you, please call,” he wrote.
Unconfirmed reports say Dhliwayo who ran Shekinah Wedding Décor Unlimited; a catering company had been invited for a business meeting in the neighbouring country intending to return the following day.
“We hear that her body was found in a bush and she was probably murdered,” said sources.
Dhliwayo was last seen on duty at the just ended Zimbabwe International Trade Fair at the parastatal’s stand.-state media
Mujuru Anointed by fr.President Banda in Dubai | BREAKING NEWS
People First leader Joice Mujuru has been anointed by former President Joice Banda (Malawi) in Dubai.
ZimEye.com exclusively reports of the live function in Dubai, on Sunday 8th May, organised by the highly resourced elite organisation, the Sheroes Forum.
Mujuru was flanked by MDC bosses with their millions of backers, Thokozani Khupe and Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga, in a case somehow demonstrating how Zimbabwean women can come up with a formidable challenge together against the previously male dominated politics in the country and fix the nation’s woes once and for all.
She received a special international award for courage and bravery.
The ceremony venue chosen was Dubai, disturbing First Lady Grace Mugabe in her resort hide-out, in what could be seen as a clear political statement that her family dynasty of autocratic rule is over. Mujuru’s incorporation is part of the “ELECT HER IN AFRICA”INITIATIVE” whose function began today and ends on Tuesday the 10th May. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW…
Mujuru was hounded out of the ruling ZANU PF party by Grace Mugabe after the latter raised a plethora of sensational allegations of misconduct, none of which has been proven two years later.
ZimEye.com’s Grace Kwinjeh and Simba Chikanza are reporting live on the Dubai updates as the function continues.
More to follow…
Magaya Insists his “Prophecy” that 2016 is A Year of Economic Boom for Zimbabwe
PROPHETIC Healing and Deliverance Ministries leader, Walter Magaya, has insisted his claims in which he says that 2016 is a year of overflow, urging Zimbabweans currently under the prevailing economic scourge, to remain focused saying the country will overcome the prevailing economic challenges.
He said the current challenges were not new since the country has once gone through a bad patch before, but managed to survive.
Magaya said this while fielding questions from journalists last Friday, on the sidelines of his church’s crusade dubbed “Miracle Night”, at his Waterfalls base where thousands of people attended.
“Hope is there. There is always a way. You shall see. The same time next year I will be asking you what did I say? God will always create a way. Look at what happened in the past years. God created ways and we have survived over the past years,” said Magaya.
He said hardships in some instances were meant to create a window for miracles to happen. “In tough times, it is an opportunity for miracles. You can only identify a miracle where there are tough times,” Magaya said.
He said other renowned prophets have made the same predictions that this year was fruitful.
“Look, almost all the prophets said the same thing. (United Family International Church leader) Prophet (Emmanuel) Makandiwa prophesied on the issue of overflow, we (as PHD) are saying the same thing of overflow and abundance, my father (TB Joshua) also said this year is a year of reward. So it is about following the Word. In Christ there are many opportunities,” said Prophet Magaya.
Commenting on prospects of conducting a church service together with Prophet Makandiwa, Magaya said while they had discussed several issues they had not substantively discussed on the subject, but was keen to share a stage with the UFIC leader.
“We have not discussed that, but we have a lot that we have discussed in goodwill and in good terms. We have not really gone into that. He has a busy schedule and I have my own busy schedule. But it would be nice, I would not mind for that event to happen, but I cannot say when,” said Magaya.
“He does not have an obligation to visit my church. I went to his church, he will visit ours at the correct time. I love him, I respect him, he has shown us the way, we are all respected here as prophets,” he said.
Asked why the “madman” in Rusape that he healed last year was not staying in the new house bought for him by the church, Prophet Magaya said the man, Garikayi Zindi, was no longer comfortable staying in the town.
“He is fine. His only complaint is that I do not want to go to Rusape. Please sell the house in Rusape and buy me a house close to the church. One reason is that there are no relatives of his in Rusape, he was staying there as a ‘mad man’ so he says it reminds me of my memories so he wants a separate place. That is his main reason. He wants to stay close to the church. He is afraid that he can be attacked again by evil spirits,” said Prophet Magaya.
Asked how the church responded to that, Magaya said: “We are still looking into it, we are calm, we are not in a hurry, why should we hurry? It’s our ministry, it’s our pace, so at the right time we shall move and do it according to what we want. We are not doing it to satisfy anyone.”
Prosecutor Up for Assault
Judgment in a case in which Beitbridge area prosecutor Muchiwande Forbes Sithole (35) is accused of assaulting two people and kidnapping another person who was beaten by his three unknown accomplices until he suffered serious kidney injuries, has been set for June 3.
The matter proceeded to defence when the presiding magistrate, Mr Collet Ncube, dismissed Sithole’s application for discharge and ruled that he had a case to answer.
Sithole, of 38 Flamboyant Street in the border town, is alleged to have assaulted two men who had allegedly broken into his house and stole property worth R7 300. He is also accused of handing over his car, a Toyota Surf, to three unknown men who beat up the suspect until he nearly died due to kidney injuries.
The area prosecutor denied all the charges when the trial opened before Masvingo regional magistrate Mr Ncube at the Beitbridge Magistrates’ Court. Through his legal representative, Mr Listen Zinyenge of Zinyenge Rupapa Legal Practitioners who is being assisted by Mr Patrick Tererai of Tererai Legal Practice, Sithole argued that the victims were arrested by members of the community through citizens’ arrest.
Sithole said he was a victim of a grand plan to victimise him and tarnish his image. He said the complainants were mere pawns in the game. Masvingo senior prosecutor Mr Elson Chavarika told the court that during the night of September 8 last year there was a burglary at Sithole’s house and an assortment of property, which included footballs boots, grocery items and blankest were stolen.
He said on September 15, Sithole got a tip-off that Clemence Moyo and Knowledge Mike were selling property similar to his at a flea market at Dulibadzimu Terminus. Sithole then identified the football boots which the duo was selling.
A citizen’s arrest was effected. Mr Chavarika said the accused who was in the company of unknown two men then ordered Moyo and Mike into his vehicle and drove to their house.
The prosecutor said upon reaching the complainants’ house he assaulted them.
They implicated John Navhaya. Sithole then drove to Navhaya’s house together with Moyo and Mike. He then effected a citizen’s arrest of Navhaya. Sithole and his accomplices allegedly forced Navhaya to tell them where the rest of the stolen property was and he implicated Gabriel Choruwa.
The State further alleges that the prosecutor invited Choruwa to his workplace. He handed over Choruwa to an unknown man. The accomplice later teamed up with two others and kidnapped Choruwa. They drove to a secluded area where they beat Choruwa until he ruptured his kidney. state media
Millions of Zimbabweans to Starve Until 2018 Elections
Millions of Zimbabweans are set to starve with the government putting in place a plan for the importing of grain for food relief from outside the country extending into the year 2018.
Maize imports from regional and international countries have begun trickling in under the government and the private sector import plan, that will see the country receive grain past the 2017 rainy season.
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made, said that the number of people who require food aid continues to increase, hence a long term import plan that will last until 2017 has been put in place.
More than three million people are in need of food aid following the El Nino induced drought that hit country this season.
The government has assured local farmers who harvest and sell their crop to GMB that they will be paid cash on delivery.
More Hookers Infected With HIV Everyday
The National Aids Council (Nac) has released the results of their research, indicating that although the national HIV prevalence has been declining in the past two years, it is four times high in other community groups like commercial sex workers.
Amon Mpofu, Nac monitoring and evaluation director told Parliamentarians on a countrywide tour and capacity building programme on HIV and Aids interventions that although the prevalence rate nationally stood at 13, 8 percent as of December 31 last year, down from 15,3 the previous year, indications were that 56,4 percent of commercial sex workers were infected.
“It’s sad to note that although we’re making efforts to reduce new infections we still have a problem in other community groups among them commercial sex workers and those in densely populated areas like growth points where the incidents rate is increasing,” said Mpofu.
“We’ve mapped out some of the high risk areas which include Bulawayo, Matabeleland South and Manicaland provinces and research on 1,000 sex workers shows that prevalence rate on sex workers aged between 18 and 24 years stands at 36 percent, 25 to 29 (55 percent), 30 to 39 (69 percent) and those age 40 years and above its 77 percent,” he said.
Mpofu said it was very important for parliamentarians and traditional leaders to play a leading role in formulating effective HIV and Aids intervention policies.
He said it was important for the government to focus on key population areas in the country who needed specific needs in implementing intervention programmes.
“We need to seriously look at sector communities. As Nac we’ll continue providing services and capacity building programmes,” he said.- state media
Mnangagwa Savaged By Mahoka Again
The sharp-tongued Mahoka also all but accused Mnangagwa — among a litany of other thinly-disguised charges — of working feverishly to topple President Robert Mugabe from power.
Addressing thousands of Zanu PF supporters yesterday, at her latest no-holds-barred rally at Chikangwe Stadium in Karoi, Mahoka said pointedly that all senior party officials who were angling to succeed Mugabe would “definitely be disappointed”.
Although Mahoka did not mention Mnangagwa by name throughout her address, she left little to the imagination that the beleaguered VP was the main target of her attack.
“There are people who mislead some of our leaders that they have people and supporters when they have nothing. They want to lead when our president is still around. Down with them. We have only one president, VaMugabe chete (only),” she said.
Mnangagwa suffered the indignity of addressing a virtually empty Rufaro Stadium on Workers Day — leading his Zanu PF enemies to mockingly claim that he was unelectable as he allegedly had no social base.
“They (Zanu PF bigwigs) also go about saying Mugabe is old, yet they are as old as him, probably two years’ difference,” she said — also in apparent reference to Mnangagwa, who says he was born on September 15, 1942.
“They should go first. Others hold secret meetings in offices that they were given by Mugabe. They should be warned that the women’s league is coming to destroy them,” she added.
Zanu PF officials opposed to Mnangagwa succeeding Mugabe claim that his age and liberation struggle credentials are among the many things about him that “don’t add up”.
One of the VP’s detractors who spoke to the Daily News recently said it was a fact that Mnangagwa
had escaped the hangman’s noose in Rhodesia in 1965, because he had been under 21 years of age then — which meant that he could not have been born in 1942.
Mahoka, who was recently reported to have had a hit ordered against her on the alleged account of her regularly skinning the embattled VP, has said she is not intimidated by the claims of the plot to kill her, adding that she is “ready to die for Mugabe and his powerful wife Grace”.
Yesterday she also moved to rubbish the push by war veterans aligned to Mnangagwa to dethrone Zanu PF national political commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere, from his position.
“Some say Tyson (Kasukuwere) cannot be political commissar and that the post must be held by war vets. They are dreaming. They should know that they are a mere association who have no power to dictate to the party,” Mahoka said.
The disgruntled war veterans recently made presentations to Mugabe, during their Harare indaba with the nonagenarian last month, where they called for the complete overhaul of the commissariat department, saying it should be led by a person with liberation war credentials.
Mahoka also alleged that there was an ongoing harassment of women in the provinces, which she said was a desperate bid by Mnangagwa’s supporters to stop the women’s league from agitating for the elevation of a woman into the presidium.
The claim comes as the women’s league, supported by Mnangagwa’s avowed party enemies, the Generation 40 group, has stepped up its demands for the return of the women’s quota system in the party, which will see Mugabe appointing a woman as one of his two deputies — a move that is said to be targeted at demoting Mnangagwa.
Zanu PF women’s league deputy secretary Eunice Sandi-Moyo also took the opportunity to heap praises on Mugabe and Grace at yesterday’s rally in Karoi.
“There are people who say Dr Amai (Grace) is wrong, that she attacks others at rallies, but at heart she is an angel. She easily forgives and we must emulate her.
“The party cannot be strong without the women’s league because we hold the keys to development. Some say there is too much infighting in the party, yet we will be helping each other run the party, redirecting those who may have lost the way.
“What we know is we have only one president. He is the one we chose. We went to war as war vets not for positions, but to liberate the country. Those who are yearning for leadership renewal are dreaming. We will be supporting the youths in their million-man march to support our president,” the Bulawayo Provincial minister of State said.
When it was Kasukuwere’s turn to speak, he attacked former Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial
chairman Temba Mliswa, who now leads the pressure group Youth Advocacy for Reform and Democracy (Yard), saying the former Hurungwe West legislator “has nothing to offer” to youths.
“Youths, don’t follow Mliswa. He has nothing to offer except stammering. We will take his farm and make it into residential stands for our people,” he warned ominously.
“You started a fight against Zanu PF, and so we will show you that your fist is smaller. You are only good at talking. Do not follow his Yard because it’s a backyard,” Kasukuwere added, urging Zanu PF supporters not to also back Joice Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People First (ZPF).
“Do not follow ZPF, they are ‘People Fired’. It’s a case of sour grapes, they have nothing new to offer,” he said. daily news
Mugabe Boots Out Togarepi
President Robert Mugabe has all but endorsed the vote of no confidence that was recently passed against Zanu PF youth league boss Pupurai Togarepi by his executive, after the nonagenarian allowed him to be kicked out of Wednesday’s politburo meeting in Harare.
Well-placed Zanu PF sources told the Daily News on Sunday that Mugabe’s aides had told Togarepi bluntly that he could not attend the meeting or continue to be a politburo member, until his suspension from the youth league was mediated and finalised by the party’s national disciplinary committee (NDC).
“Togarepi appeared to have been taken by surprise, as he genuinely believed that the president would save him. But it was not to be, and was subsequently booted out of the meeting,” one of the sources said.
This was corroborated by a party official linked to Zanu PF’s ambitious Young Turks who go by the moniker Generation 40 (G40) — who are rabidly opposed to embattled Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa succeeding Mugabe.
“Togarepi had to leave soon after His Excellency’s arrival because the president’s security told him that he was not welcome. It was an embarrassing scene as he had to leave immediately and he was close to tears because he never anticipated it.
“Remember that Team Lacoste (Mnangagwa faction) has been blocking the NDC from handling the case as they wanted the president to use his discretion to save Togarepi as an appointee by the president. Lacoste were thoroughly shocked by the decision,” the second source said.
Togarepi was booted from the youth league by his colleagues last March, together with his secretary for administration Lewis Mathuthu and committee member Sibongile Sibanda — all alleged staunch allies of Mnangagwa.
He had until now remained defiant, saying his suspension was a nullity, and that only Mugabe, who appointed him to the post of youth league leader, had the authority to fire him — as Zanu PF’s deadly factional and succession wars continue to escalate.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Togarepi — while confirming that he had left last week’s politburo meeting prematurely — denied that he had been ordered to leave.
“I left early because I had other issues to attend to. Do not listen to what your sources are telling you because they have their own agenda.
“Nothing of that sort happened,” he said, while refusing to shed light on how long he lasted in the meeting.
“Do I have to explain that to you? What do you want to know? Is that a question you would ask all politburo members? I will not respond to that,” he said angrily, referring further questions to Zanu PF national spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo.
But Khaya Moyo referred all questions on the matter to secretary for administration, Ignatius Chombo, saying he was not in the politburo when Mugabe arrived at the meeting — as he was attending to some other business.
Chombo’s mobile number was not reachable until the Daily News on Sunday went to Press last night.
However, a youth league national executive member asserted that Togarepi was a “Team Lacoste kingpin”, adding that he had got his “comeuppance”.
“The reason why he (Togarepi) had the guts to attend Wednesday’s meeting after he had boycotted the previous one was that his faction had told him that the NDC, which they accuse of bias, would not be handling his case because he was appointed by the president.
“But now his case is closed, and he will not be taking part in any youth league events, including the forthcoming million-man march,” the official said.
A confident Togarepi told the Daily News on Sunday’s sister paper, the Daily News, soon after the youth league’s decision to pass a vote of no confidence against him, that he would stay put, saying only Mugabe could fire him.
“I serve at the pleasure of the president and I will only listen to what he directs me to do. In the meantime, I am actually at work, in the office at the party headquarters,” he said then.
Announcing the vote of no confidence, Togarepi’s deputy Kudzanai Chipanga said his boss had resigned from his post after realising that he was “not equal to the task” of leading party youths.
Chipanga also claimed that Togarepi had, in addition, recused himself from chairing the meeting that resolved to elbow him out of the party.
“He diplomatically resigned after he had acknowledged that he felt that he was feeling guilty that he failed the youth league and we found it prudent to pass a vote of no confidence against him,” Chipanga said.
“We are not going to tolerate anyone who indulges in factional politics and indiscipline in the party. We respect everyone in the party but when it comes to support, we only support one person that is the president.
“There are some people who want to tamper with the youth league and the women’s league but we resolved in 2014 that we have one centre of power, whose wings are the two leagues.
“So, whoever wants to tamper with those wings will be viewed as attempting to tamper with the centre of power which we are not going to allow,” Chipanga added.-Daily News