By Terrence Mawawa, Chiredzi|A self-proclaimed Rastafarian priest, stunned all and sundry when he claimed before a Chiredzi magistrate he uses mbanje to worship “God” at his shrine.
Paradzai Manjonjo (42), appeared before Chiredzi magistrate Constance Mutandwa last Friday after being arrested for selling mbanje.
The dreadlocked Manjonjo was arrested when the police raided his house following a tip-off. The police discovered 284 rolls of dagga weighing 2,3 kg in his house.
Manjonjo sent the court gallery into stitches when he claimed the drug was used as holy incense at his shrine during the sabbath.
He claimed his church imported the drug from Mozambique to burn it so that worshippers can move around in circles while praising God in the billowing smoke.
“Look here I am a Rastafarian priest and we use the plant during our services .We burn mbanje in a gourd and we then move around the altar as part of our prayer exercise.This plant helps us to communicate with our gods .When convicted I opt to go to Rusape or Mutare so that my followers and relatives will visit me,” said Manjonjo.
He was sentenced to 12 months in jail for the crime after six months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
There has been a sharp increase in the number of people selling the drug as a result of various factor including unemployment in Zimbabwe.

Government has admitted that it has no ideas of reviving the depressed economy and now pins its hopes on prayers for the recovery of the ailing industry and production sector.
The desperate appeal was on Monday made by Harare Provincial Affairs Minister Miriam Chikukwa while addressing members of various church denominations as well as Muslims in Harare.
Chikukwa appealed to the Church for more prayers so that the country’s industries re-open.
“If you look at the industries, I know a lot of people including Christians and Muslims have been saying industries have closed and when I look at them I say they will come again according to Ezekiel 37 which says ‘every bone in the valley will know where it is suppose to go,’; and I believe very well that after this prayer (6 February) when we come together we will have more development , economically , spiritually , socially and politically,” she said.
When they were campaigning prior to the 31 July 2013 elections Chikukwa’s Zanu PF party promised to create 2.2 million jobs for Zimbabweans.
But two and a half years after the polls the contrary has happened with more than 22,000 becoming jobless in less than 2 weeks alone.
Chikukwa could not end the meeting without praising her Boss President Robert Mugabe who she said was the only Zimbabwean leader.
“We know we have one President and one flag and we need to work together,” she said.
“We do not need to fight; we need to work together for the benefit of our nation”.

The State yesterday withdrew charges against two of the four people accused of attempting to petrol bomb the First Family’s Alpha Omega Dairy Farm in Mazowe, and turned them into its witnesses.
Solomon Makumbe (29) who is attached at 1 Field Regiment and Zimbabwe Intelligence Corps and Silas Pfupa (37), will now testify on behalf of the State against little known Zimbabwe People’s Front political party leader Owen Kuchata (34) and Borman Ngwenya (30).
Kuchata and Ngwenya are facing allegations of possessing weaponry for sabotage and money laundering for terrorism purposes.
Harare magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo withdrew charges against Makumbe and Pfupa before plea at the State’s consent. The prosecutor Ms Sharon Mashavira told the court that she wanted to use the two as State witnesses.
“The State wishes to withdraw charges against the two and will use them as its witnesses,” she said. Kachata and Ngwenya will be back in court on February 8 for trial.
Ms Mashavira alleged that on Friday last week at around 4pm, police received a tip-off that the four were planning to bomb Alpha Omega Dairy’s processing plant and tuck shop during the night.
The dairy’s processing plant and tuck shop are located at Gushungo Dairy Estate, Jumbo Road in Mazowe. Acting on the tip-off, the police proceeded to the farm and laid an ambush about 100 metres from the quartet’s target.
Around 10pm, the detectives saw the men approaching the dairy’s processing plant and immediately arrested them. They searched them and recovered four Molotov cocktails (bombs) made of petrol, ammonium nitrate, nails and sand in 750 millilitres Chateau empty bottles.
They also recovered Zimbabwe People’s Front party manifesto, party constitution and documents relating to party activities.
The quartet reportedly held several meetings to acquire funding during preparations to carry out the banditry, terrorist and sabotage activities. herald

A woman from Chirumhanzu allegedly killed her two-year-old son from a previous marriage to please her new husband and in-laws.
Precious Hamandishe, 27, of Ritize Village, headman Chigegwe in Chirumhanzu, said after finding new love earlier this month, she was ordered to surrender her son, Tadiwa Mangoma, to her former husband if she entertained any thought of staying with George Runesu (Jnr) as her husband.
Hamandishe told Bulawayo High Court Judge, Justice Martin Makonese, sitting at the Gweru High Court yesterday, that after failing to take her son back to her former husband, she strangled him with a tree bark fibre.
She then went to her new husband and lied that she had returned the boy to her former husband, the court heard. Hamandishe, who pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder, was remanded in custody to February 1 for sentencing.
In her defence, she said she wanted to please her new husband and his family who did not want to see her child.
“This was my third marriage and my new husband and his family ordered me to take my son back to his father if I was to stay at their homestead. At the same time my son had a heart problem and the nurses had told me that he was going to die. So I took it upon myself to kill him to save my new marriage,” Hamandishe said.
The state called six witnesses who testified that Hamandishe indeed killed her son.
Prosecutor, Mirirai Shumba told the court that sometime in January 2015, Hamandishe got married to Runesu.
He said she took her son with her to her new husband’s village. “However, her in-laws were not comfortable with the child living with them. The in-laws advised the accused to surrender custody of the boy to her former husband,” said Shumba.
He said Hamandishe did as she was ordered and on January 7 attempted to take her son to her former husband but was unsuccessful. Shumba said the woman took her child back to her new husband’s village.
“On the way back, she took her son to a certain spot and placed him on a rock. She proceeded to make some bark fibre and tied his neck with it and strangled him. The boy died and she left him there,” he said.
On January 18, the body was discovered and police were informed. Investigations led to Hamandishe’s arrest. “The police visited the scene and discovered the deceased body in a state of decomposition,” Shumba said.State Media

The Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (RTUZ) Programmes Officer, Mr Pride Mkono, who was stripped naked in an attack by ZRP cops was today discharged at Mbare Magistrate Court where he was facing charges of assault.
Mkono had pleaded not guilty at the opening of the state’s case arguing that he was instead a victim of police criminal conduct in which case he had been assaulted, stripped naked, dipped in muddy water and had his cell phone stolen before being framed on the charge of assault.
At the close of the state’s case, a prima facie case could not be established to warrant him to go to his defense as there were glaring loopholes in the evidence before the court.
Allegations before the court were that Mkono had assaulted one Perkins Govero who was in company of police officers at Kuwadzana 2 shopping centre on the 28th of December 2015.
Perkins alleged that Mkono had punched him with clenched fists on his chest but he had not sustained any injuries. This assault is alleged to have been committed in the presence of police officers.
However, none of the police officers had been called as witnesses and neither was there any other independent witness besides the complainant. The complainant, under cross examination from award winning Human rights lawyer Gift Mtisi, failed to give any valid reasons as to how the police who were present had failed to give eye witness statements to corroborate what he was saying.
At the close of the state’s case, Mr Mtisi, filed an application for discharge which was duly granted by the Magistrate who reasoned that “the accused cannot be put to his defense simply to prop up a weak state case”.
Meanwhile, the trial of RTUZ President, Obert Masaraure and another, continued today at Mbare Magistrate courts with two police officers giving evidence, under cross examination from Mr Mtisi, the two police officers denied witnessing the assault but instead said they had been told by the complainant of it.
The matter was postponed to the 9th of February 2016 at Mbare Magistrate Courts and the state will call its last witness, a doctor from Harare Central Hospital to give testimony. The doctor was subpoenaed after the defense counsel of the accused had objected to the production of a medical report that “was clearly forged”.
These charges are emanating from an incident which occurred on the 28th of December 2015 at Kuwadzana 2 shopping centre where a group of police officers who the Union suspect to have been working on the orders of the intelligence, descended on the RTUZ team and assaulted them as they were coming from a planning meeting of the 4 January 2016 bonus demonstration.

Victims of Airport illegal structures demolitions have been resettled in Harare’s South’s Stoneridge suburb with the MP for the area Shadreck Mashayamombe yesterday appealing to elements resisting the resettlement exercise to heed the government’s call.
Speaking to the affected families in Harare South yesterday, Mashayamombe appealed to donor partners to chip in and assist in providing shelter to the newly-resettled families.
“We have been in touch with the committee spearheading the process and they have told us that this will be completed soon, you are now all here and as the MP, I would like to urge you to maintain peace and heed the government call.
“I know there are some people who are resisting and are even threatening to engage Sadc,” said Mashayamombe.
While Mashayamombe noted that most of the families have agreed to be moved, he admitted that there were some elements who are bent on dragging President Robert Mugabe in the demolitions issue “even though they were illegally settled”.
“We have always maintained that the houses were illegal and people who were settled there knew it was a transit camp, however there is a housing cooperative going by the name Nyikavanhu that sold the land to people mostly Nigerians and they are leading the resistance.
“I have been told by some that they want to drag the President to the African Union or Sadc. What is shocking is that these people know that there are settled there illegally.”
Apparently, at the behest of Mugabe, the City of Harare — working with the Zanu PF leadership — has been demolishing homes in Arlington farm adjacent to the Airport road but it has not been smooth sailing.
“I would like to urge all those whose monies were squandered by Nyikavanhu to engage the police and have the people who sold them the stands arrested.
“There is no need to politicise this issue but only to make sure that justice is served. As we speak, we are aware that when people are removed some come in the evening and resettle there again,” said Mashayamombe.
Speaking on the sidelines of the same meeting Smith Marara, a member of the Zanu PF central committee and former MP for Harare South, said as far as he remembers most of the people whose houses lay adjacent to Airport road were aware that they settled there illegally.
“We have asked the police to move in and monitor the process because there are some people resisting the programme. Some are even saying Mashayamombe and the president should first move to Stoneridge. They say they have the papers but the truth is in 2005, government moved them and some returned.”
“Attempts to move them in 2007 and 2011 were difficult because of the elections. When Mashayamombe became MP, he told these people that they would be moved.
“But those from Nyikavanhu Housing Cooperative were assured by their landlords that they will not be moved,” said Marara.
Marara traced the Arlington Farm settlers to the days when Hubert Nyanhongo was still the MP for Harare South.
Zanu PF chairperson for the district, Isiah Murove said some rogue elements are seeking to benefit from the resettlement programme.
“People who are resisting are not originally from the area but opportunists. We have always known that we were there illegally so we are happy that we now have some legal place to stay,” he said. Daily News

More lions were this week reportedly captured so to be shipped to China.
The animal advocacy LionAid NGO reports that they were on Tuesday morning approached with information that the first lion captures of this year began on Monday.

“Three lions, which were taken from Hwange National Park, are already in cages awaiting shipment to China,” the organisation said.
There are now worries that the situation will damage both the ecosystem and in particular the predators’ livelihood.
“There are huge concerns about the number of lions left now in Zimbabwe, especially in Hwange. There are indications that they are simply not enough to form a sustainable basis and the few remaining animals may well become inclined to become aggressive towards humans,” the statement further read.
The report could not be independently verified at the time of writing.
Meanwhile, it is speculated that the capture of elephant calves may resume around March.

We are going to win against the government, teachers expressed confidence Friday morning as they headed to court for their fight against the cancellation of their leave allowance.
The case is being heard in the Judges’ Chambers in Harare, Friday morning the 29th at 10am (GMT 8am).
“We are convinced such a move by the Commission is an open attack on the workers and has to be fought legally and physically. We have to defend our gains at whatever cost,” the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe said.
They however expressed caution saying they “…are however aware that there are several forces interested in the outcome of this matter,”
For the latest update on the case, refresh this page in the next two hours.

No teacher will go on vacation leave until Government is in a position to pay relief teachers who replace them for the three months they will be away, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira has said.
This comes amid indications that Government intends to increase the number of years it takes before a teacher is eligible to go on vacation leave. The eligibility period for vacation leave for teachers is seven years.
Government last week recalled 2 000 teachers who were supposed to be on leave this term, a development which irked the educators’ representatives.
In recalling the teachers, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education did not proffer any reasons, choosing only to say “schools will be visited by the Civil Service Commission Inspectorate soon to ensure that all such members have assumed duty”.
Minister Mupfumira, who superintends over the CSC, yesterday said Government could not afford relief teachers and as such, vacation leave had been deferred until the situation normalised.
She said the rest of the civil service, outside the education sector, were not bringing any financial burden to Government if they went on vacation leave because they were not replaced.
“Whenever a teacher goes on vacation leave, a relief teacher has to be engaged with full salary and allowances for the duration of the vacation leave, which is an added cost to the fiscus,” she said.
“Meanwhile, as this happens Government continues to pay full salary and allowances to their member on vacation leave. Given such circumstances, review of the prevailing situation was inevitable. If an accountant in Government goes on vacation leave, he or she is not replaced and it has no monetary effect to the employer.”
Engaging the relief teachers would have seen Government parting with a $2,565 million for the three months the substantive teachers would be on leave.
Teachers accrue one day for every 20 days worked, meaning in one year they accrue 18 days and at that rate they need seven years to accrue 126 days.
The rest of the civil servants accrue one day for every 12 days worked, including weekends meaning, for one year worked, they accrue 30 days for vacation leave.
Minister Mupfumira added: “We are saying we have deferred the vacation leave until our ability to pay improves. This term 2 000 teachers wanted to go on leave and the same number would have been engaged as a replacement and this means an extra cost which we are not affording at the moment. This issue will be revisited when the situation improves, but for now, they cannot go on vacation leave. We cannot pay two teachers per class.”
The development has prompted the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) to approach the Labour Court, arguing it was a violation of their labour rights.
Minister Mupfumira said Government was “simply doing what is within our means” and such austerity measures were needed to rationalise the civil service.
She said Zimbabwe was the only country in southern Africa which allowed teachers to go on vacation leave for a whole term.
“It is worth noting that after a comparative study of similar situations in the region, it was established that other countries had scrapped such vacation leave completely and teachers now go on vacation leave just like any other civil servant,” she said.
“This policy position should not be taken as denial for leave but an adjustment that will enable the education sector as a whole to continue enjoying the benefit in a manner that is sustainable.”
She said the vacation leave policy for the education sector was inherited from the colonial era.
“The period originally has been set at three months to enable the ex-patriate teachers to have adequate time to travel to their respective countries. This was manageable because they were in the minority. At independence, the privilege was extended to the majority. Extending the privilege to all had financial implications that were not envisaged at the time.”
Minister Mupfumira went on: “Now, we are addressing the idea of over staffing and the Civil Service Commission inspectors should find people at their workplace.
“We want to make sure everybody is in place to avoid the previous challenges. We are going to meet staff associations to talk about some of these issues.”
About 3 000 teachers last year had their salaries withheld after CSC auditors found them absent at their work places.
The audit revealed that there were 5 588 teachers over the authorised establishment.
The head count, ordered by Cabinet, was meant to weed out ghost workers and only those who proved they were bona fide civil service were retained on the pay roll.
It unearthed that some people who left the civil service years ago were still drawing salaries, while some went on leave without signing any documents.
Some civil servants were drawing salaries without setting foot at their work stations, while several schools, especially in rural areas, were manned by two headmasters and close way before official dates.
More than 80 percent of the Government revenue is going towards salaries, starving other sectors like infrastructure development. State Media

A member of the African Apostolic Church (Mwazha) died, while several others were injured after being struck by lightning at a shrine in Chitungwiza on Monday.
Tragedy struck while members of the Mwazha Apostolic Church were attending an evening prayer session at an open space in Nyatsime.
Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the incident and urged members of the public to take precautionary measures during the rainy season.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police has noted with concern recent cases of fatalities as a result of lightning occurring around the country, she said. The most recent case occurred in Chitungwiza on 25 January 2016 at around 1830hrs.
“Following a heavy down pour, the congregation was struck by lightning. Five people sustained burns and were ferried to Chitungwiza Central Hospital where one was pronounced dead. The other three are in a stable condition, while the other one is critical.
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said people should avoid seeking shelter under tall trees, avoid contact with electrical gadgets and avoid being a sole target at an open space when it is raining.
Earlier this month, a woman from Bulilima in Matabeleland South died and a 33-year-old man was severely burnt when three homesteads in the area were struck by lightning.
Gugulethu Dube (23), failed to escape from a burning hut and was burnt beyond recognition, while Bigboy Tshuma, who was in a separate hut at the same homestead, was severely burnt in an incident that occurred at Dupute Village in Makhulela Ward.
Eight people also died last year after they were struck by lightning in separate incidents in two days.

The European Union has announced dishing out $4.5 million to Zimbabwe which will be used to assess the intensity of drought.
Zimbabwe is facing a severe drought this year as a result of poor rainfall.
According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee, an estimated 1.5 million rural Zimbabweans will be food insecure in the first three months of this year.
This figure is likely to increase if El Niño, as predicted, causes continued drought and a poor April to June 2016 harvest.
In an interview with reporters in Harare Thursday EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe Phillipe Philippe Van Damme said they are mobilising more resources for Zimbabwe.
“I have not had the opportunity yet to announce to the government but I have just the confirmation that yes we will probably get another $4.5 million   for Zimbabwe to start the close monitoring of the challenges and the quantification of the matrix to the quick assessment  being organised by Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) that we will have more precise figures which will allow not only EU  and its member states but also other international partners to go back to their capitals and find out what additional support can be mobilised, ” he said.
Last week the US  government  through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) extended  an additional $5 million to  Zimbabwe towards the eradication of hunger .
 
 

The Tendai Biti led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has appointed Economist and Political commentator Vincent Musewe to be the its secretary for finance and economic affairs.
Announcing Musewe’s appointment in Harare Thursday PDP Secretary General, Gorden Moyo said the incorporation of the independent economist into their party was going to add value to their economic planning policies as the government in-waiting.
“He has the capacity to drive this party’s main agenda, and the economy because it’s very clear the ruling party Zanu PF is suffering from poverty of ideas, and intellectual kwashiorkor,” said Moyo.
He went on to welcome the man. “I want to welcome him (Musewe) on behalf of the party and general membership because he is a man so passionate about economic justice and will certainly drive our agenda of economic rehabilitation,” he said.
Accepting the offer Musewe said he was going to change the country’s economic situation and perception.
“There is too much political consideration and too much patriotism which is not yielding anything. What needs to be done is to move away from the mere analysis of the situation to the application…” said Musewe in passing.
“There is lack of general appreciation of what needs to be done.
“We need to think before we act, having looked at the country’s 42 parties, there is nothing so far in place as better as PDP,” he continued.

A coalition of champions is secretly bussling out Zimbabwe which will make another Zimbabwe possible, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Tendai Biti has said.

Zimbabwe is facing a multitude of crises, which have been worsened the lack of national leadership while the country burns and continues to deteriorate and the Zanu PF government remains clueless on how it can turn around the country’s economy, Tendai Biti said Thursday.
Biti said this while addressing the PDP first press conference at the party headquarters in Harare.
“What we are seeing is an implosion of failure, hatred but no thought leadership. That 36 years after independence we have over 91% unemployment while the majority of the people are surviving on less than $0.35c per day and per capita income is below $200 is unacceptable,” Biti said.
“We are concerned by the lack of leadership. The Indigenisation and Empowerment Act must be repealed as it is a policy that is only serving Robert Mugabe and his cronies. The country is facing serious food shortages and over 1, 5 million will be in need of food add but even up to now there government is not declaring a national food disaster so that the international food agencies are able to mobilise food aid.
“Zanu PF has failed and we should not expect anything better from them. As a party we are concerned with the demolitions that are taking place in local councils some of which are controlled by the opposition political parties,” he said.
Biti said the demolitions were illegal as they were taking place without court orders and the occupiers without being offered compensation as enshrined in the Constitution.
“The new Constitution demands the right of decent shelter to every citizen. As PDP we are also concerned by the collapse of social service delivery with the roads lacerated with potholes which are resulting in a high number of accidents and lives being lost,” he said.
The president said schools opened three weeks ago but a high number of students failed to return to class as their parents failed to pay for their school fees.
“The situation is bad in both urban and rural schools that in some schools there are now a high number of teachers compared to students. Of all the rights in the Constitution, the right to education is the most important but Zanu PF has killed the BEAM facility in breach of the Constitution, which is proof that this government has failed and must resign and resign yesterday,” he said.
He expressed concern over the delays by the government in implementing key electoral reforms ahead of the 2018 elections while the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has failed to provide a fresh voters’ roll.
“The excuse that they provide is that they will start with in the by-elections but that is not good enough. We demand a brand new voter registration exercise. It should be biometric. The minimum demand is the use of fingerprints should be available. This process demands about $38 million and it should start now,” said Biti.
On coalition talks, he said the PDP will continue to occupy its strategic space.
“We are building a coalition of champions bound by values and principles and we are working so that it becomes a reality. Those are sufficient conditions for change in Zimbabwe and we genuinely believe that another Zimbabwe is possible,” he said.
Meanwhile, the PDP secretary general, Dr. Gorden Moyo at the same press conference announced the announcement of prominent economist and writer, Vince Musewe as the new PDP’s secretary for finance and economic affairs.
“The man is passionate about economic affairs. The nest chapter of the struggle for a new Zimbabwe requires thought leadership and we are proud to say that as PDP we occupy that space and that we have thought leadership in Vince,” Dr. Moyo said announcing the appointment.

The Zimbabwe government will pay full school and boarding fees for all students in public schools who register for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects this year, higher education minister Jonathan Moyo announced on Wednesday.
President Robert Mugabe’s government has targeted the development of STEM skills as a key part of Zimbabwe’s long-term human capital objectives.
In a statement issued late Wednesday, Moyo said his ministry had launched a multimedia programme to encourage students who took their O-Level examinations in 2015 and who register at least a ‘C’ in Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry to take a combination of these subjects at A-Level.
The programme intends to trigger an increase in students who will enroll for STEM degrees at the country’s universities from 2018, Moyo said.
“The ministry will pay full school and boarding fees for all students in public schools who register for STEM subjects in 2016,” the minister said.
The ministry will also run a competition which will see 10 STEM students getting the opportunity to visit Microsoft and other Silicon Valley STEM firms. There are also cash incentives for schools promoting STEM enrolment.
“There is solid evidence that the fastest growing and highest earning careers in future will be in STEM fields,” Moyo said.
“Available evidence supports the view that currently sustainable socio-economic transformation is driven by investing in STEM disciplines.” – The Source

DEMANDING compensation from suspects in murder cases is illegal and people who do so should be prosecuted, Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Martin Makonese, said yesterday.
Sentencing a Zvishavane man, Simplicio Huku, convicted of culpable homicide, Justice Makonese said the courts frown upon families that demand compensation in the form of cattle or young girls before burying their loved ones who would have been murdered.
“The courts condemn the practice of demanding compensation for avenging spirits. That practice is widespread in the country and is unlawful as it is tantamount to extortion. Demanding compensation as a precondition for burial of a deceased is archaic and the court condemns such behaviour.
It’s a culture that must not be practiced in this modern world,” he said.
Justice Makonese said in some cases, the girl child normally falls victim to forced marriages.
Huku had earlier told the court that he was forced to part with 15 head of cattle, $700 for the coffin and also covered all the funeral expenses for the burial of a fellow villager, Everson Mushangwa, after he caused his death.
Justice Makonese said contributions towards funeral expenses, when done voluntarily, help to heal wounds of family members.
He said he found Huku not guilty of murder but guilty of a lesser charge of culpable homicide.
The judge said Huku struck Mushangwa once on the head that resulted in his death in a revenge attack.
“The court takes into account that Huku paid some form of compensation to Mushangwa’s family. The two years three months pre-trial incarceration period has also been taken into account. The accused is therefore sentenced to eight years in prison of which three years are suspended on condition of good behaviour,” said Justice Makonese.
Prosecutor, Tafadzwa Mupariwa, told the court that on October 19, 2013, Mushangwa and Huku fought.
He said the following day at about 11 AM, Mushangwa was walking along a foot path which passes through Huku’s homestead.
He said Mushangwa picked up a stone and threw it at Huku and it missed him.
In retaliation, Huku picked up a stone and threw it at the deceased. The stone hit him on the head and he fell down and his attacker fled from the scene.
He was taken to Mapanzure clinic where he was treated and referred to Zvishavane Hospital where he died on admission.
A report was made to the police leading to Huku’s arrest. State Media

Former editor of The Sunday Mail Edmund Kudzayi was allegedly duped of a motor vehicle worth $3 000 by the late James “Jimmy Jimalo’’ Chiyangwa’s son in a botched car deal.
Mike Harris Chiyangwa (28) of Number 4282 Old Highfield appeared before Mbare magistrate Mr Reward Kwenda charged with fraud. He denied the allegations and was remanded to February 10 on $50 bail.
His bail conditions included residing at the address he gave to the court and not to interfere with witnesses. Prosecuting, Mr Lawrence Gangarahwe, alleged that on October 24 last year, Chiyangwa borrowed $200 from Angeline Shonhiwa.
The court heard that he then gave Shonhiwa a car, Honda CRV, as surety for payment.
Allegations are that the car Chiyangwa gave away as surety belonged to Kudzayi.
Chiyangwa had allegedly given the car away without Kudzayi’s consent.
The State alleges that on different occasions Chiyangwa would return to Shonhiwa and borrow more money. It is alleged that Chiyangwa borrowed $2 240 in total. The State further alleged that in November, Chiyangwa approached Shonhiwa and told her he was selling the car he had given her as surety in order to settle his debt.
He allegedly sold the car for $3 000. The court heard that Chiyangwa and Shonhiwa signed an agreement of sale yet Chiyangwa was fully aware that the car was not his. The matter was reported to the police, leading to Chiyangwa’s arrest. The value of property prejudiced was $3 000 and nothing was recovered.State Media

By Pamela Shumba|Reports that teachers whose schools post poor results could forfeit as much as three months’ pay annually are a “cruel hoax”, a Cabinet Minister said yesterday.
Two newspapers claimed this week that teachers would be hit with the cuts starting 2017.

The reports cited the 2016 National Budget presented by the Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa as the source of the shock announcement which has left unions contemplating strikes.
They alleged that teachers at all schools which register below 50 percent pass rate at Grade Seven and O-Level would forego their April, August and December salaries.
The newspapers also reported that the Ministry had also revised the Early Childhood Development (ECD) teacher pupil ratio to 1:25 from 1:20 and 1:40 up from 1:35 for junior schools.
The purported statement by Chinamasa has turned out to be a social media hoax and yesterday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Lazarus Dokora blasted:
“Those claims that found their way into national newspapers are disgusting and without foundation at all. Minister Chinamasa’s statement is widely available, even online. He said nothing of the sort.
“Journalists are now quoting creative artists. The same thing they were doing about O-Level examination results claiming I spoke about their release when those results are not even out. It’s nonsense”.
He said there was clear evidence of rampant and irresponsible journalism purporting to report on education while calculated to stampede the sector into some reaction.
“As far as the ministry is concerned, we’ve not received any official communication to the effect that teachers’ salaries will be cut or discontinued during holidays.
“The same article makes reference to the teacher-pupil ratio which is not congruent with the ministry’s position. If anything, the teacher pupil ratio has been adjusted in favour of the teachers at infant level as it now stands at 1:25 from Early Childhood Development (ECD) to Grade Two,” said Dokora.
Previously, he added, the teacher-pupil ratio was 1:40 for Grade One and Two. “The teacher pupil ratio for junior school has never been 1:35. It has always been 1:40 and it remains the same,” said the Minister.
Ministers fear that the false reports risk demoralising teachers countrywide. State Media

It certainly does not rain but pours for Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa after it was learnt last night that the embattled Midlands godfather’s party foes were initiating a petition within the warring post-congress Zanu PF to oust him from both his party and government positions.
Well-placed sources told the Daily News, that so fed-up with him and his allies were Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF detractors that they had resolved that now was the time to move in for the kill.
“Successionists (Zanu PF code for Mnangagwa faction) have caused enough damage in the party as seen in the Midlands fiasco of the past few weeks. The party cannot be allowed to crumble because of the misplaced ambitions of one man and his suicide bombers.
“Because of this, comrades have resolved to campaign vigorously for a petition in all the party’s provinces calling for the ouster of Ngwena (Mnangagwa), as a way of ending the terrible fights and unnecessary confusion engulfing the party. We are now sick of it all,” a party official linked to the Generation 40 (G40) who are opposed to the VP, and who see him as “unelectable”, said.
Another reliable party source said those opposed to Mnangagwa were planning to mobilise at least 60 000 signatures from each of the country’s 10 provinces, as the raging Zanu PF war to succeed an increasingly-frail President Robert Mugabe escalates.
“Among some of the charges that Mnangagwa will face are the fact that he is dividing the party and also always abuses his powers each time he is left as the acting president,” the central committee member claimed, adding that it was also “revealing” that the VP had not disassociated himself from his supporters who publicly posed for pictures at the weekend wearing T-shirts labelled “Team Lacoste”.
“This was an open act of defiance against the president’s repeated calls for an end to the factionalism eating the party. Team Lacoste is in effect much, much worse than the cabal that was linked to former Vice President Joice Mujuru,” he said.
The G40 — who allegedly include Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere, Mugabe’s nephew and Indigenisation minister Patrick Zhuwao, and Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo among others — are said to enjoy the backing of Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko and influential First Lady Grace Mugabe.
Others who strongly support the first lady in the deadly succession wars are businessman Philip Chiyangwa, Labour minister Prisca Mupfumira, Harare South MP Shadreck Mashayamombe and Zanu PF heavyweights, Sandi Moyo and Sarah Mahoka.
At the same time, the fate of Mnangagwa’s alleged close allies — who are under the cosh in his Midlands heartland — now firmly lies in the hands of his co-deputy and high-office competitor Mphoko, who heads the ruling party’s national disciplinary committee (NDC).
In a move that puts paid to the premature celebrations of the past few days by Team Lacoste (Mnangagwa faction), following the acquittal at the weekend of the VP’s alleged allies on a litany of serious charges by a regional disciplinary committee, the three ministers at the heart of the saga have now moved to formally appeal for Mphoko’s intervention.
This latest body blow on Team Lacoste comes after Zanu PF national political commissar Kasukuwere also confirmed to the Daily News on Monday that the party officials who are under the gun in the Midlands were not off the hook — adding emphatically that only the NDC, and not the regional disciplinary committee, could finalise their matter.
At the heart of the Midlands crisis, linked to the ruling party’s escalating succession wars, are claims by ministers Makhosini Hlongwane, Tapiwa Matangaidze and Annastancia Ndhlovu that they have been the victims of harassment by Gokwe Nembudziya legislator Justice Mayor Wadyajena, his Gokwe-Kana counterpart Owen Ncube and Midlands youth league secretary Edmore Samambwa.
But in a hotly-disputed verdict, the regional disciplinary committee, which was tasked by Kasukuwere to look into the ministers’ complaints — and which now stands accused of having been led by alleged allies of Mnangagwa, and of reaching “a decidedly factional” verdict — concluded that the ministers had failed to substantiate their claims.
Not only did the ministers savage the verdict as “shamelessly partisan” on Monday, they have now written to Mphoko asking him to intervene and raising what they said were their “serious reservations” about the process followed by the Midlands disciplinary committee.
In their letter, the ministers argued that while the Midlands provincial executive had discussed and agreed to set up a disciplinary committee chaired by Zvishavane Ngezi MP John Holder regarding their complaints, the one that had been chaired by Mackenzie Ncube had been set up instead, allegedly at the behest of Zanu PF deputy secretary for administration July Moyo — allegedly to influence the outcome of the matter.
“That disciplinary committee (chaired by Holder) has not been disbanded by the provincial executive committee and true to the predictable culture of impunity and disregard of party processes and bullying of the executive, another committee was set up on January 8, 2016.
“Further, the fact that the decision of the first disciplinary committee was ignored in favour of setting up another one means that the disciplinary process is subject to manipulation and undue influence by external forces to itself,” the trio charged in their letter.
They also claimed that party protocol had been breached in the process of setting up the second disciplinary committee, further arguing that Mackenzie Ncube as a central committee member from Kwekwe was never going to hand down a fair hearing “given the well-documented relationship of all but one of the accused as they share the same neighbourhood in Kwekwe”.
“Thirdly, Cde Mackenzie Ncube, once appointed the vice chairman of the provincial executive committee, went on to preside over the preliminary stages of the disciplinary hearing, this notwithstanding the fact that he had not formally withdrawn his membership of the central committee, thereby creating a situation where a central committee member was presiding over provincial disciplinary processes,” they added.
In their Monday statement, the ministers — initially seen as Mnangagwa’s allies but now perceived to be aligned to the G40 — described the Midlands disciplinary committee as “shamelessly partisan”.
“If the committee has concluded the hearings, can it tell the nation, instead of engaging in cheap propaganda, where it carried out its investigations? Did it go to Mberengwa, Mataga for example?
“Did they talk to witnesses who were in Victoria Falls during the pre-budget meeting for example? Did they speak to minister A Ndhlovu? In short, did they conduct an inquiry to establish the facts and where did they do so?” they charged.
A Zanu PF politburo member who claims that he is “non-aligned” in the ruling party’s seemingly-unstoppable factional and succession wars said it appeared that Mnangagwa was beginning to “run out of both rope and oxygen”.
“Like Mai Mujuru before him, there is an impression that he is beginning to run out of both rope and oxygen in the party, unless the president rescues him like now.
“Remember that the women’s league quota system demands within the presidium are also still hanging around his neck like the proverbial sword of Damocles,” the senior party official said. daily news

The High Court has ruled against Prosecutor General Johannes Tomana who was seeking to prosecute Human Rights Lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa.
Passing the verdict this morning, Justice Garainesu Mawadze dismissed with costs Tomana’s lawsuit against the ZLHR Board Chairperson.

Mtetwa was dragged to court in 2015 by Tomana, who sought to set aside the feisty human rights lawyer’s acquittal on charges of defeating or obstructing the course of justice, a charge which she was acquitted of in 2013.
ZLHR in a statement following the outcome, said it “is vindicated that the Prosecutor-General’s pursuit of Beatrice was simply motivated by malice and is yet another proven example of the abuse of criminal prosecution powers by the Prosecutor-GeneralProsecutor-General”.

The Municipality of Gwanda has finally succumbed to pressure from the residents and withdrew its proposed compulsory installation of prepaid water metres.
 
For close to two years the Municipality and the Gwanda Residents Association had been battling each other in a protracted war over the water-metres, slammed as “rubbish gadgets” by residents.
 
Speaking to media, the Mayor of Gwanda councillor Knowledge Ndlovu said that his council has finally decided to listen to the wishes of the residents and is withdrawing from their previous stance of compulsorily installing the metres on all the houses in the town.
 
According to the Mayor the metres will be left optional for those residents who would voluntarily ask for the metres to be installed at their homes. The move by the Municipality Of Gwanda comes at the back of a similar retraction by the City of Bulawayo which also bowed to Residents pressure and made the installation of the gadgets optional.
 
The Gwanda Residents Association has however received the news of the Mayor’s statement with caution. The Association says that it will only find cause to celebrate the Mayor’s statement after a full council resolution to the effect has been passed by the local authority.
 
Speaking to ZimEye.com the General Secretary of the Association Mr Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo said that they will not take the Mayor’s individual accession on the matter as the final position of council until it has been tabled before a full council meeting.
 
“We are dealing here with a council holding a history of factions amongst itself and until they have met and come up with a confirmed resolution on the matter we will consider the battle as still on,” said Fuzwayo.
 
Fuzwayo however expressed excitement on the fact that council has acknowledged the voice of the residents to some extent.
 
“While we wait for the council resolution we are indeed at least joyed that some sectors of council have heard our call and agreed to it, that’s all that matters as a starting point,” he said.
 
Residents throughout the country’s major urban centres have been holding demonstrations against the prepaid water metres. Gwanda Residents demonstration against the metres was last year thwarted by the police at the last minute citing security concerns as reason for the blocking.

The latest twist in the lawsuit against former Education minister Aeneas Chigwedere in which he is accused of being “a bloody witch” filed by his son, Magwiza, at the Harare Civil Court, was yesterday rejected on the basis of jurisdictional grounds.
Newsday reprot

Presiding resident magistrate Brighton Pabwe said Chigwedere’s son ought to have filed the application in Marondera where both parties are permanently based.
“The Harare Civil Court cannot have jurisdiction to dwell on the matter because both parties reside in Marondera and the action happened in Marondera,” Pabwe said.

Chigwedere, through his lawyer Tendai Masawi, had last week challenged the hearing of the matter in Harare citing unprocedural flaws.
In his application, Masawi had argued the Harare Civil Court was not the correct one to deal with the case as both parties were based in Marondera.
He had also argued that Magwiza had raised constitutional issues in his application and, therefore, the matter would be best heard in the Constitutional Court.
But, in his response, Magwiza said he felt his application would be better held in Harare because he feared his father would tamper with the course of justice in Marondera.
However, in his ruling, the magistrate said the issue of Chigwedere being a figure of influence in Marondera was not significant in the matter.
“The application is dismissed on point of jurisdiction,” Pabwe said.
Mangwiza approached the courts late last year accusing Chigwedere of practicing witchcraft, claiming he had goblins that were terrorising other family members.
Chigwedere was being sued together with his wife, Emilia Zharare, who is Magwiza’s stepmother.

By Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo|Prolific MDC T MP(former) and now People First member, Jeffryson Chitando says his boss Joice Mujuru will bash President Robert Mugabe in a crashing defeat in the 2018 elections.
He said this is primarily because she is a knowhow guru in Zanu PF’s survival tricks.
Speaking to ZimEye.com in Masvingo early this week Chitando, the former MP for Masvingo Central Constituency, defended himself on why he dumped both Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC) and Tendai Biti(PDP) to join Mujuru’s People First. He lambasted both Biti and Tsvangirai saying they were political liabilities in the country.
Chitando has been criticised for being a political nomad who has switched camp several times but the former Tsvangirai think tank said he would not leave Mujuru’s party.
“Mujuru is the best candidate to defeat Mugabe and his wife Grace because she is well aware of the veteran leader’s tactics. She is going to hand Mugabe a crashing defeat in the 2018 polls. I decided to leave Biti because his party is not different from Tsvangirai’s MDC. Tsvangirai could have won in the previous elections but he has failed so it is time to focus on People First. Remember no ordinary opposition can win against Zanu PF and as People First -we are well positioned to win resoundingly in 2018,” said Chitando.
The outspoken politician also tore into his former bosses saying they are uselelss and must come and join Mujuru in order to revive their waning political careers.
To date Mujuru has taken over large chunks of supporters in Matebeleland and the Midlands area and in South Africa coordinators led by Francis Mufambi are routing supporters through vigorous door to door campaigns. PICTURE
Meanwhile Tsvangirai has hinted there are challenges in his crisis torn party and many critics believe the former premier is running out of steam ahead of the 2018 polls. But the MDC leader also attacks Mujuru saying she is structure-less.
Batsiranai Ngugama a local political writer however believes Tsvangirai has the momentum to defeat Mugabe.

Two teenagers from Binga have been arrested for allegedly taking turns to rape a 16-year-old girl at night after a church service.
Ndubeko Mwembe, 18, Kampandu Village and a 15-year-old boy from Sialozi Village both under Chief Dobola, in Kariangwe, Binga, appeared before Hwange regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga yesterday.
Mwembe faces two counts of rape while his partner in crime faces one. The two denied the charges and were remanded in the custody of their parents to today for continuation of trial.
Mwembe and the 15-year-old boy are friends and allegedly pounced on the girl when they spotted her walking home along a path with her cousin who later fled and informed the girl’s mother.
Prosecuting, Tawanda Sigauke said the rape allegedly occurred on December 7 last year.
“On December 7 last year at around 8PM and at Kampandu bush, the complainant and her cousin were walking home from a church service. They were approached by the two accused persons who grabbed the girl by the hands. The complainant’s cousin fled and went home to inform the complainant’s mother about what had happened.”
The court heard that Mwembe and his accomplice tripped the girl and pulled her into the bush.
They allegedly took turns to rape her while pinning her down.State Media

The Police say they are worried by the  increasing number of murder cases in Masvingo province which they suggest can be reduced if traditional leaders, the church and civil society organisations embark on education awareness programmes which encourage communities to value human life.
According to the state media 2015 saw an increase of 29% in murder cases compared to the previous years.
The state media reports that the concern was raised by Commissioner Rabson Mpofu who was representing ZRP Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri in Masvingo at the Province’s belated end of year party.

“It is imperative that you remain cognisant of the fact that some crimes of concern remain prevalent in your policing area. I therefore urge you to employ robust crime prevention strategies to tame this malady of crime,” he said.
On a positive note, cases of armed robberies in the province declined by 39 percent, with stock theft cases also decreasing by 2 percent.
In a related development the state media also reports that the judiciary was worried has expressed concern with the upsurge of brutal killings and domestic violence cases in the country.
This came out at the official opening the 2016 legal year for the Gweru High Court circuit.
Speaking in Gweru during the ceremony, Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Martin Makonese expressed concern with the continued increase of brutal killings committed by both sexes around the country.
He said despite lengthy prison sentences imposed on offenders, there is still an upsurge of brutal killings, adding that it is worrying that even juveniles are also committing such brutal crimes.
“We now live in a society where the respect for human life for some people simply does not exist. Knife stabbings have become common and all types of weapons such as hoes, shovels, logs spears and axes are used to inflict injury against fellow human beings over petty disputes. The courts shall continue to impose heavy penalties on offenders who show little regard for human life,” said Justice Makonese.
He added that all stakeholders such as traditional leaders, religious organisations and social organisations must play their part in educating communities on the need to resolve disputes without resorting to violence.’
Justice Makonese also lamented the increase of domestic violence cases and crimes of passion and commended police for apprehending offenders and bringing them to account.
 

By Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo| Zanu PF stalwart and well-known Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa sympathiser Addmore Hwarare last week threatened to kill a police inspector investigating a corruption case implicating him.
Hwarare who is also a war veteran is the former Zimbabwe Sugar Milling Industry Workers Union(ZISMIWU) boss, was booted out of the union following a spate of corrupt activities. He is facing various charges of corruption and embezzlement of funds.
According to court records Hwarare arrived at the Chiredzi magistrate court while Inspector Henry Dowa of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) was processing papers in the company of a female detective. He then allegedly threatened to kill the police officer soon after the cop has submitted the court papers.
Prosecutor Liberty Hove confirmed the incident and said Hwarare stormed the public prosecutor’s officer and threatened the police inspector with death.
“Inspector Dowa came to my officer in the company of a lady .They were seeking clearance to have Hwarare’s bank accounts frozen while his case involving corruption and abuse of funds was being investigated. I compiled the draft application and soon after completion Hwarare got into the office and threatened to kill the police officer,” said Hove.
Hwarare is now being charged with threatening to commit murder as defined in section 186(1) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23.
Meanwhile sources in the ruling party claimed Hwarare’s political foes wanted to tarnish his image because of his allegiance to Mnangagwa.Some even said the case is being pursued to silence the outspoken Hwarare.
However political observers argue the controversial war veteran was caught offside when he threatened a police officer on duty .

In a suspected case of ritual murder, a five year old boy from Nyakuchicha area under Chief Makopa in Chiweshe was brutally killed and his body was discovered six days later with some limbs missing.
The dismembered body of the boy, Patrick Mungazvombo (pictured) who went missing on Sunday last week was discovered on Saturday.

The 17th of January 2016 will be a Sunday the Murongazvombo family under Headman Mbisva, might not want to remember.
The day had started with normal routines of attending church but by its end, their beloved son, Patrick had gone missing.
He was never to be seen alive again. The 5 year old disappeared from the cattle kraals where he was playing after coming from church that Sunday afternoon.
Patrick’s dismembered body was found after six days in an advanced state of decomposition, with both hands and legs missing.
When the ZBC News visited the Murongazvombo homestead, villagers attending the funeral of the boy were yet to come to terms with the mysterious death.
Elders in the area suspect that the way the body of the boy was butchered could have something to do with ritual practices.
The murder follows another incident in Kwekwe’s Rutendo suburb where two four year old boys were also found dead on Thursday with some body parts missing.
Another case was reported in Marondera last week, and Knowledge Kapesa, who is accused of murdering his brother’s 6 year old boy, Tashinga, appeared in court on Saturday and was remanded in custody to the 4th of February.
Meanwhile, Zzimbabweans have been called upon to tighten the social moral fabric to protect defenseless children.
The church, traditional healers, social commentators and organisations that deal with children are all agreed that more has to be done to bring culprits to book.
“There has been an upsurge in serious crimes related to children and these killings might be a result of greedy individuals who after consulting traditional or faith healers are told to use the blood of the innocent, a situation which should be investigated and condemned,” Childline National Director, Ms Stella Motsi said.
“The law must be enforced for the benefit of society,” Msasa Project Director, Ms Netty Musanhu said.
“Such behaviour is retrogressive as the country had made great strides in protecting and upholding the rights of children,” Mr Toindepi Kamusewu of Action Aid said.
Human rights activist and Tag a Life International Director, Ms Nyaradzo Mashayamombe believes the trend has created uncertainty and fear among communities to an extent that children are no longer free to move around and carry out their activities.
Traditional healers are often accused of misleading people into believing that they can make money through ritual killings.
“This evil practice is detestable just as that practiced mostly in East Africa where albinos are targeted. All such rituals have never made people rich but make people suffer as the blood of the innocent will always avenge,” said George Kandiero, the ZINATHA President.
Pentecostal Association of Zimbabwe Reverend Never Muparutsa noted that the mushrooming of some dubious churches cannot just be ignored as some are evil.
“Leaders of some so called churches are satanic in nature and believe in rituals in an effort to gain membership and get rich,” he said, adding that people must be vigilant and protect their children.
What is frightening is that some of the murder cases are suspected of having been perpetrated by relatives.
With reports of increasing cases of domestic violence, it is feared the home has become the most dangerous place to be.-State Media

Urban dwellers should brace for more water shortages until December after government on Monday directed local authorities to tighten water supplies because of the drying water sources.

Water, Environment and Climate Change minister Oppah Muchinguri- Kashiri on Monday told reporters that councils should with immediate effect monitor water supplies to ensure that the precious liquid is conserved until the next raining season.
“Our existing water infrastructure needs to be well secured and gone are the days when we allowed leakages in our networks, and our water delivery pipe network must be closely monitored 24/7 so that we reduce unaccounted –for- water to the barest minimum ,” said Muchinguri.
“Our local authorities cannot continue to leave burst pipes of raw and treated water unattended and we advise that we plug all leaks in order to reduce unaccounted water and keep losses to the lowest figure possible”.
Muchinguri –Kashiri said all the country’s major sources of water are on average 51% full.
“As I speak some of the major dams are drying up for example in Manicaland Osborne dam stands at 33% full, Chesa and Mazowe in Mashonaland East 33% and 31% full respectively,. Seke and Kotwa East are 34% and 14% full. Chibero and Suri Suri dams in Mashonaland West are 29% and 35% full,” she said.

• “Resisting indigenisation is like shouting at my uncle, Robert Mugabe”

Youth Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Minister Patrick Zhuwao has liked the controversial black empowerment laws with deadly AIDS pandemic which has as he said “infected” all foreign companies.
President Robert Mugabe’s nephew was bragging at a business meeting in Harare which was also attended by a few remaining white businessmen when he said foreign companies have to learn to live with the disease (Indigenisation law).
“The position from a policy point of view is extremely clear, ( Totongo gara nayo yatofanana nechirwere kana watoenda kuNew Start centre waongororwa ropa wangoziva kuti ndozviripo wotopinda pachirongwa) It  is like HIV after you have tested positive that you have no option but to start taking Anti Retroviral drugs”said Zhuwao.
Zhuwao said resisting the Indigenisation law was tantamount to shouting at his Uncle President Mugabe.
“Indigenisation and economic empowerment ladies and gentleman is not something  that is to be debated, it is something that was taken as a political manifesto item by Zanu PF and Zanu PF won a two thirds majority on that,” said Zhuwao.
He continued, “no matter how much you may want to turn around and say to political powers, listen, can we re-look at this, the political powers have been given a particular mandate. So it will be a waste of time to talk about renegotiating the policy that is a reality that we need to live with”.
The indigenisation laws which dictate that foreigners get minority shareholding in business ventures with locals have divided the President Mugabe’s administration with conflicting statements coming from different cabinet ministers.
The law has also reduced investment energy from ernest investors who fear losing their money.

The CEO of Harare Central Hospital, Ms Peggy Zvavamwe who blew nearly $90,000 of hospital cash on a personal vehicle while the infirmary continues to fail to buy basic such as painkillers, was this morning stormed by angry workers.
There was drama when furious workers charged towards her office as they ordered her to resign.
She is accused of freezing vital medical procurements until the US$88 000 was raised for the purchase of her new car.

Zvavamwe was saved from humiliation by the hospital’s security guards who bullied the protesters.
An atmosphere of fear and anger reigned at the institution as the guards moved to secure every corner leading to her office block. The Chairman and the Organising Secretary of the Hospital Nurses Association branch, Lucas Sharara and one Mr Goko, were then detained by the hospital’s internal security, the State Media reports.
Harare Hospital one of the country’s major referral hospitals deals with infectious diseases and has in recent years failed to supply even bathing water for its patients.
The hospitals’ Public Relations Manager, Mrs Philisia Mandeya refused to comment referring all the questions to the CEO who was said to be out of office.
On Friday, the State Media reported that a payment of US$88359 had been made to CMED under a CBZ account number 02322454270019 and that the poshy black Jeep Cherokee vehicle had already been delivered.
The hospital is the worst affected in terms of drug shortages with patients being ordered to buy for themselves simple drugs such as pain killers and other sundries.

Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party has laid blame for the house demolitions in Harare last week on Robert Mugabe and his ZANU PF party.
In a broad statement released on Monday, the MDC-T which is the council authority over Harare and has been slammed for the attacks on residents, said the contrary is true, that the entire blame is on ZANU PF.
The revealed this in their statement titled “ZANU PF RESPONSIBLE FOR DEMOLITIONS OF HOUSES.” The statement read:
The Constitution of Zimbabwe provides for the fundamental human right of freedom from arbitrary eviction. Section 74 of the Constitution provides that no person may be evicted from their home, or have their home demolished, without an order of court made after considering all the relevant circumstances.
In the past few days, some residents of Harare had their houses demolished by agents acting on the instructions of the Zanu PF government. Several houses that were built along the Airport Road in Harare were demolished. The MDC understands that the people who had built the demolished houses belonged to members of a Zanu PF-controlled housing co-operative society known as Nyakavanhu Housing Co-operative. It is always very painful and distressing to witness the demolition of houses belonging to people who would have worked extremely hard in order to provide shelter for their families. The right to shelter is indeed, a basic and fundamental human right.
As a social democratic political party, the MDC will never, ever condone the indiscriminate, illegal and insensitive demolition of any citizen of Zimbabwe’s place of residence. As such, we call upon all local authorities in the country to exercise restraint and circumspection when it comes to the decision to demolish houses. More importantly, no house should ever be demolished without strictly taking into consideration the provisions of Section 74 of the Constitution.
Because of rampant and unmitigated corruption, many urban centres in Zimbabwe are now facing the scourge of greedy and criminal land barons. Most, if not all, these unscrupulous land barons are senior members of the faction-ridden Zanu PF political party. These greedy land barons have illegally parcelled out municipal and in some cases, even State land, to unsuspecting members of the public. Members of the public are being made to pay huge amounts of money to these greedy and corrupt land barons who would then, illegally parcel out land for housing development. Most local authorities, particularly the Harare City Council and the Bulawayo City Council, have literally lost all control of municipal housing land to these greedy but politically, very powerful Zanu PF land barons.
As a law-abiding and peace-loving political party, the MDC also calls upon the country’s law enforcement agencies to ruthlessly clamp down on the illegal activities of these Zanu PF land barons. We would also urge all our councillors in the local authorities that we control to ensure that no municipal land is illegally allocated to any land baron or any other individual for that matter. Sanity and order should be allowed to prevail in all our urban centres. We cannot allow and/or tolerate a situation whereby people are illegally allocated residential stands. In some cases, residential stands have been allocated even in open spaces designated for recreational use such as public parks. We have also experienced a situation where residential stands have been illegally allocated in wetlands; thus leading to serious ecological challenges such as the lowering of the water table as well as the depletion and/or extinction of natural plants and animals.
As part of the holistic harmonisation of the country’s urban housing policy, the Zanu PF government should move very swiftly to enact a new and appropriate Urban Councils Act to overhaul the old Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29 : 15). The Constitution of Zimbabwe was unanimously adopted in May 2013,but almost three years down the line, there are more than four (4)hundred pieces of legislation that are yet to be harmonised with the country’s Constitution. We still do not have formally legislated metropolitan councils in Harare and Bulawayo. As a result, these two big cities still have ceremonial mayors whose day to day functions and activities are essentially directed by the central government through the Minister of Local Government.
The Zanu PF government must be compelled to respect the provisions of the country’s Constitution. The Constitution of Zimbabwe is the supreme law of the land. Section 2 (1) of the Constitution clearly and unambiguously states that the Constitution is the supreme law of Zimbabwe and any law, practice, custom or conduct inconsistent with it is invalid to the extent of the inconsistency.

By Terrence Mawawa | Three ministers linked to Grace Mugabe ‘s G40 faction in the Midlands Province face expulsion for perjury after raising false or unproven allegations against members of a rival political faction.

The three, Makhosini Hlongwane(Sports minister), Tapiwa Matangaidze(Deputy Labour) and Anastacia Ndlovu(Deputy Tourism), are in hot soup following the dismissal of their harassment allegations against Zanu PF Midlands youth chairperson Edmore Samambwa, Gokwe -Kana MP, Owen Ncube and Gokwe-Nembudziya MP, Justice Mayor Wadyajena-all linked to a faction led by Midlands godfather and Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The development comes as the battle between Grace’s G40 team and Mnangagwa camp intensifies.
Party sources said the three ministers are likely to be charged and face expulsion as Mnangagwa hawks seek to block the trio from defending their parliamentary seats. It will see the three ministers face court with Sports Minister Hlongwane first in the queue. He will be tried for perjury which is the offence of wilfully telling an untruth or making a misrepresentation under oath. A court ruling against the minister will empower the President to take action, sources said.
“The charges were totally fabricated for the purpose of creating factionalism and tension in the party.As such the three ministers are facing serious charges that may lead to their expulsion.The fact is that they raised false allegations of harassment -against fellow party members .As it appears they are likely to be blocked from defending their parliamentary seats,” said a party official.
Zanu PF Midlands Spokesperson Cornelius Mpereri said no charges had been preferred against the trio but he said the ministers’ conduct was sad and unfortunate.
The factional battles in Zanu PF have seen Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa or his accomplices being rumoured for allegedly staging crimes for the sole purpose of gaining social traction by playing victim. It comes as the VP had six (6) intrusions at his offices at various times and one of them the latest one has seen not a DNA trace being “found”. The tradition of playing victim is not new to ZANU PF and even President Robert Mugabe has been publicly fingered for the same repeated act which saw several of his opponents including MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai being jailed for treason. It later turned out that the government had simply set the man up having forked out hundreds of thousands of dollars to alleged Israeli secret Ari Ben Menashe who staged a dodgy video recording for the purpose of incriminating Tsvangirai. The MDC leader was eventually cleared of the charges through the help of the late Nelson Mandela’s lawyer.

By Terrence Mawawa|The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority(ZIMRA), has “attacked travellers” once again increasing the duty fees for imported goods as the broke government seeks to raise money to pay civil servants.
Sources in the parastatal told ZimEye.com yesterday the travellers’ rebate and the daily remission of duty have been drastically reduced meaning travellers have to part with a lot of money to have their goods cleared at Beitbridge border post.
Sources at Beitbridge disclosed to ZimEye.com, there was no time to notify travellers because the government was in desperate need to boost its coffers to pay civil servants.
It is understood the government now solely depends on Zimra for revenue collection and payment of civil servants.
“The duty free allowance -travellers’ rebate has been reduced to $ 200 from $300 per calendar month-meaning those travelling from South Africa have to fork out extra money for payment of duty. Same day travellers used to bring in $50 dollars worth of duty free goods but the duty free fee has also been reduced to just $10 dollars. The daily remission of duty has therefore been drastically reduced,” said a ZIMRA official at Beitbridge border post.
Informal transporters known as malayichas have also been affected since they are now expected to pay for the goods they transport under commercial importation and in turn they will also increase their charges, it has emerged.
The raft of changes introduced by Zimra are set to negatively affect travellers as government desperately seeks to boost its virtually dry coffers in order to pay civil servants.
Sources also said all goods previously classified as duty free commodities would now be taxed by the parastatal in a desperate bid to increase cash inflow.
“Almost everything will be taxed in some way. We are being issued with directives so there is nothing we can do about,” said the source.

A top Masvingo businessman has been swindled of his mercedes benz plus thousands of dollars, by a 32-year old prophet who promised healing for a troublesome illness and to destroy a goblin.
Soshangane Nzumakase (32) allegedly forced the tycoon’s wife Anesu Mamboininga of Rhodene suburb to surrender cash and property worth nearly $50 000 to get rid of a goblin that was haunting her husband.
The prophet referred by some as a “N’anga”, Nzumakase of Runyararo West suburb in the city, demanded over $30 000 and a Mercedez Benz worth over $15 000 from Mamboininga whose husband Teedzerai Ndige was seriously ill because of an alleged goblin haunting him.
Nzumakase has since appeared before Masvingo provincial magistrate Mr Langton Ndokera facing extortion charges.
He denied the charges arguing that he helped Mamboininga and Ndige after allegedly teaming up with three other Chipinge-based prophets and n’angas to kill a powerful goblin that was haunting Ndige.
Nzumakase, who is represented by Mr Collins Maboke of Ruvengo and Maboke also argues that he lost some of his household property to fire after he tried to burn a big snake that Ndige kept at his house only to get the shock of his life after the snake started to torch his clothes back home.
Mr Ndokera remanded Nzumakase out of custody to February 15 for trial.
The prosecutor Mr Tavonga Musona told the court that sometime in 2012, Mamboininga approached Nzumakase for help after Ndige had developed mental illness which could not be treated by other prophets, doctors and traditional healers. Mamboininga allegedly went to Nzumakase’s house in Runyararo West were he found him dressed in traditional healing garb and started performing rituals before demanding payment to save Ndige from death.
Nzumakase then allegedly went to Mamboininga’s Rhodene suburb house where he also performed some rituals and said Ndige was going to die unless the spirit and goblin that was haunting him was tamed.
In a bid to save her husband’s life, Mamboininga went to Nzumakase’s house a few days later and asked for help whereupon she was told that Ndige was being haunted by a goblin that could only be killed with the help of powerful traditional healers in Chipinge.
They teamed up and went to the Tamandai area of Chipinge where rituals were performed but Ndige’s condition worsened. In January 2013, Nzumakase told Mamboininga that he had saved Ndige from death the previous month and demanded a bus as payment or the equivalent.
Mamboininga gave Nzumakase $6 600 and a Mercedez Benz worth $15 000.
Nzumakase allegedly continued to threaten Mamboininga that her husband was going to die and was paid $12 000 realised from sale of household property.
Early this month, Nzumakase allegedly lied to Mamboininga that he had found some human flesh in her Mercedez Benz and demanded the car’s registration book so that he could go and burn the goblin in Bulawayo. Mamboininga became suspicious and made a report to police leading to Nzumakase’s arrest along the Masvingo-Mbalabala Road. – Agencies

At a time when the hospital is failing to buy basics such as painkillers, Harare Central Hospital has blown over $88,000 for its CEO, Mrs Peggy Zvavamwe.

State Media report

Harare Central Hospital chief executive officer Mrs Peggy Zvavamwe is under investigation following her recent cash purchase of an executive vehicle worth over $88 000 at a time when the institution is struggling to provide even pain killers for patients, sources have revealed.
Sources close to the happenings told The Herald that Mrs Zvavamwe was placed under investigation by the Ministry of Health and Child Care two weeks ago after she ordered the finance department last month to stop all other procurements until they raised $88 359 required for her Jeep Cherokee in line with her conditions of service.
The ministry’s acting principal director for curative services Mr Douglas Mangwanya promised to provide details, but later stopped picking his mobile phone.
Sources said the money was raised from daily revenue and instead of buying medicines and other sundries, it was used to pay for Mrs Zvavamwe’s vehicle.
The payment was effected last Thursday and a black Jeep Cherokee was delivered to the health institution on Friday.
Suppliers are now said to be demanding their dues after learning that the institution raised such huge cash amounts.
“This is shocking, considering the fact that hospitals, including Harare Central Hospital were blaming the economic environment for shortage of medicines in institutions yet they can raise such amounts in a short space of time,” said a source.
“This shows that our priorities are completely misplaced. Imagine patients are walking away with prescriptions every day. The hospital does not have antibiotics, painkillers or even cotton wool. Patients are being asked to buy medicines because the hospital cannot provide them yet they not only prioritise purchase of a vehicle but cash purchase of such magnitude,” added the source.
Another source from the Ministry of Health and Child Care head office weighed in and said that hospitals were expected to purchase vehicles for their CEOs through bank loans and not cash from the hospital coffers.
“The approval from Treasury was that they secure loans for procurement of executive vehicles, which will be paid in monthly instalments. That was a better arrangement as it does not suffocate other areas of service provision,” said the source.
But Mrs Zvavamwe dismissed the allegations saying everything done was above board.
Mrs Zvavamwe said every year end, the institution experiences financial difficulties resulting in suspension of all procurements except for medicines and kitchen goods and 2015 was not an exception.
She said the drug shortages experienced at Harare Central Hospital were similar to those that were being experienced by other central health institutions in the country.
“Our theatre is functioning at full throttle; the children’s hospital is functioning. If there are no medicines, how do these departments work? The shortages we are experiencing are not peculiar to Harare Hospital,” she said.
Mrs Zvavamwe said they started saving for the vehicle in April last year and the money was only paid to suppliers at the beginning of January.
She said getting a loan from the bank would still mean the hospital will be paying something monthly to the bank.
She dismissed allegations that the hospital was now saving money for vehicles for directors saying the approval was only for the chief executive.
Central hospitals throughout the country are experiencing drug shortages largely due to financial challenges experienced in the country.
Usually, hospitals would get their drugs from Natpharm at subsidised rates but Natpharm is unable to procure medicines due to financial challenges.
According to Natpharm, medicines for Government institutions stored at the company only constitute 10 percent while the rest were bought by donors and are meant for specific conditions such as HIV and Aids, tuberculosis, malaria, and maternal health.- State Media

Motor Action FC founder and businessman, Eric Rosen has died.
He was 69. Rosen died early this morning at the Borrowdale Trauma Centre in Harare where he was being treated after suffering a heart attack.
According to his widow, Elizabeth, who is also an ardent football fan and Motor Action’s number one supporter, Rosen’s death was sudden.
Rosen’s son, Sydney said his father was passionate about football and a successful businessman who will be sadly missed by the family, the community and the country.
Rosen owned Motor Action Spares and Distributors and a football club named after his business.
The club, affectionately known as the Mighty Bulls, came to be in 1999 when Rosen bought the Blackpool franchise.
The Mighty Bulls went on to win the Premier Soccer League (PSL) title in 2010 and represented Zimbabwe in the CAF Champions League in 2011.
In 2012, Motor Action were Zimbabwe’s representatives in the CAF Confederations Cup after losing in the Mbada Diamonds Cup to the then champions, Dynamos.
The team produced stars such as 2006 Soccer Star of the Year, Clement Matawu, Quincy Antipas and Allan Gahadzikwa, among others.
Rosen is survived by wife, Elizaneth, three children and four grandsons. Mourners are gathered at his home, number 64, Glen Lorne Drive, Glen Lorne in Harare.
Meanwhile, the Sports and Recreational Commission (SRC) has expressed shock at Rosen’s untimely death.State Media

Harare – ZimEye brings you updates on the missing 14 year old boy, Jonathan Mhlanga who disappeared Sunday 17th January at around 8pm in Hatcliff.
Information coming through from witnesses who called in following the ZimEye article is that he was spotted on Monday in Domboshawa while dropping off a kombi. The location of the citing is the Domboshawa showgrounds. Despite this information, however, his exact whereabouts at present are still unknown.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Batsani Nyoni on cellphone +263717172347
The Police reference is RRB 2661018 READ MORE ON THE STORY – CLICK HERE

The infamous so called “Nikuv rigging system” will now be a thing of the past once the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has moved to adopt a finger print and eye scan system.

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai in the aftermath of the 2013 elections blamed the outcome on the Israeli company Nikuv which he said facilitated for systematic rigging through identity duplications. But the new identity checking system now to be taken should close all and any loopholes. Zimbabwe will engage international experts for implementation of a biometric voting system for the 2018 general election, among other significant changes to the polling framework.
The biometric system the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission plans to introduce will scan for either fingerprints or the iris (coloured part of the eye) and is already in use in African countries like Kenya and Ghana.
As part of the electoral modifications, Zimbabwe will for the first time use polling station-based voting as the country seeks to engender greater transparency and dispute-free elections.
Our Harare Bureau understands ZEC is currently assessing demonstrations by international biometric service providers to ascertain which technology works best for Zimbabwe. Biometric voting is fast, accurate, reliable and helps maintain the integrity and credibility of electoral processes by reducing mistrust and irregularities.
Responding to inquiries from our Harare Bureau, ZEC spokesperson Mr Justin Manyau said: “In order to ensure that the commission is conversant with biometric voter registration technology, it has invited several international service providers in bio-metrics to carry out demonstrations with the hope of assessing applicability of the technology locally, the cost factor, usability and sustainability of the new technology.
“The commission is still at a consultative stage in terms of bio-metric voter registration. Working in collaboration with the UNDP and other co-operating partners, ZEC has engaged consultants in voter registration and voter education to advise on the various options that may be available to the commission. The cost of adopting bio-metric voter registration depends on the type of technology selected. Since the commission is still at a consultative stage concerning the adoption of this technology, it is not possible to put an exact cost to the system.”
He said while introduction of the polling station voting system is still at the formative stage, the commission was piloting the system. The system was first piloted in the 19 September, 2015 Marondera Central by-election and was also used in the Nkulumane by-election of 19 December, 2015. Polling station-based voting is provided for under Section 22A of the Amended Electoral Act.
In terms of the law, ZEC consults all interested parties when determining polling station locations. A roll is prepared for registered voters in a given area. Each voting centre gets a unique code incorporating polling station and ward numbers as well as local authority and district codes.
The polling station threshold is expected to be between 500 and 1 500 voters to ensure manageable voter distribution. The provision on polling stations will become effective once a notice is published in the Government Gazette fixing the date on which Section 22A becomes operational.
The section reads, in part: “(1) The commission shall — (a) subject to section 51, determine — (i) the places where polling stations are to be situated within each ward and constituency for the purposes of all elections in terms of this Act; and (ii) the areas within the ward or constituency concerned that are to be served by each such polling station; and (b) subject to Parts IV and V, prepare a voters’ roll for each polling station area determined in terms of paragraph (a)(ii), on which roll shall be entered the names of all registered voters ordinarily resident within the area.
“(2) The commission shall consult all interested parties when determining the location of polling stations and their areas for the purposes of subsection (1).
“(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, where a voters’ roll has been prepared for a polling station area — (a) voters who are registered on that roll shall cast their votes in any election at the polling station for whose area the roll was prepared, unless they are permitted by this Act to vote by post or to cast a special vote.”
Several reforms have been carried out by Government to eliminate electoral disputes. These include amendments made to the Electoral Act that President Mugabe signed into law in 2014. Other reforms are that ZEC must announce Presidential election results within five days of polling day, while police officers are barred from “taking part or interfering with the electoral process beyond maintaining law and order.”
ZEC is obliged to warn election candidates, election agents or parties implicated in acts of political violence and to set up special courts to try such cases.(State Media/Agencies)

The Zimbabwean Government will cut salaries of teachers who will fail to produce good results especially for public examination classes, among a cocktail of measures aimed at improving the quality of education in the country.
This comes into effect this month following an announcement in the budget statement presented by Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa last year which also recommended that teachers at all schools which will register below 50 percent pass rate at Grade 7 and O-level will forego their April, August and December salaries.
The development comes at a time when teachers are also quaking in their boots following increased visits by officials from Civil Service Commission who are conducting impromptu checks and head counts. In Bulawayo, some teachers said inspectors were checking records of mark books, scheme books and pupil’s registers.
“Sometimes they even inspect if teachers are properly dressed. Most of these inspectors are rough,” said a teacher at a local school.
Another teacher said at his school some teachers were coming to work at around 11am since they teach hot seating classes, but inspectors were not prepared to listen to such cases.
“They argue that teachers are supposed to be at work for eight hours. The inspectors said all those who were not at school when they visited must bring their books to the regional offices or they will be struck off the payroll.”
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira defended the unannounced visits and said they were not targeted at teachers only but all civil servants.
“CSC is the employer and it is within its mandate to inspect Government workers. The inspections are an ongoing process and they are being done in all Ministries not only in schools, to make sure that work is being done,” she said.
In addition to the visits, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has also increased the teacher-pupil ratio.
According to the guideline sent to all heads the new teacher-pupil ratio for Early Childhood Development has been revised up to one teacher per 25 pupils from the previous one teacher per 20 pupils, while for junior schools it is now one teacher per 40 pupils up from one teacher per every 35 pupils.
For secondary schools, Form One to Four, the ratio has been reviewed to one teacher per every 35 pupils from the previous one teacher per 30 pupils, while for examination classes, Ordinary level it is now one teacher per 33 pupils up from one teacher per 25 pupils.
Practical subject teachers will now be superintending over 100 pupils each up from the previous one teacher per 75 pupils.
Meanwhile, thousands of relief teachers have been sent back home, hardly two weeks after being hired, after Government terminated their contracts last week following the recalling of teachers on vacation leave.
The exact number of affected relief teachers could not be immediately established as officials from both the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare were not forthcoming with details.
A circular from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education dated 18 January, which also announced the recalling of all teachers who were on leave said relief teachers who had been engaged had to leave work in 24 hours.
“Reference is made to the Permanent Secretary’s minutes dated 18 January 2016 that all teachers who had applied for vacation leave be recalled to their respective stations. Teachers on relief posts should be given 24-hour notice to leave stations if they had already been engaged,” reads the circular signed by Matabeleland North acting provincial education director Mr Jabulani Mpofu.
However, teachers’ unions said they believed what was happening in the education sector was a direct attack on teachers.
They indicated that they were planning to file papers in court challenging the issue of recalling teachers on leave while consulting their members with a view to down tools in protest over “harassment”.
Zimta chief executive officer Mr Sifiso Ndlovu said their lawyers were already working on papers which they will file in court this week.
“That decision has already been made. Our lawyers are already working on the papers which we expect to file this week. We have told the Government that this is the route we are taking if they do not reverse that decision. This decision was necessitated after consultations with our members who have all said that this is an illegal decision hence the need for us to take them to court,” said Mr Ndlovu.
He said teachers felt they could only be given an ear if they strike.
“I cannot rule out the possibility of a strike, everything that is happening now is building up towards a strike. First was the budget presentation by the Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa. We were never consulted during its making but there are a lot of provisions that negatively affect our membership. After that we are told of a 450 page-report on the sector that was presented to Cabinet. We do not even know its contents, we were supposed to meet with the Government on 20 January to discuss this report and other matters but this never materialised. We are consulting our membership and we will surely have a way forward soon,” said Mr Ndlovu.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Mr Takavafira Zhou also said they were consulting their members on the way forward.
“It is like we do not exist at all. This is a clear fight. Our members are now looking at us to get a clear way forward because every teacher is frustrated, first nothing is being said about our bonuses and then all these other mind boggling policies. When you look at it, it is like someone is sitting at a certain office tasked with frustrating teachers. As it stands I will not rule out a strike, the only question right now is when?” said Mr Zhou.-State Media

A man has killed his six-year-old nephew in Marondera.
Mr Knowledge Kapesa was arrested after admitting to killing Tashinga Kapesa.
The lad’s body was found floating in a nearby river where the uncle had dumped him.
At the time of writing the motive for the killing was not yet known.
The murder by the man who is brother to Tashinga’s father has since caused an extremely disturbing family row as the father Blessing has begun accusing his father, Emmanuel Kapesa of conniving with the murderer.
The elderly Kapesa had to flee and seek refuge elsewhere after Blessing threatened to axe him.
Kapesa spent the whole night hiding but later returned after being persuaded by neighbours. A neighbour to the Kapesa family, Mr Chrispen Mashayamombe says the whole community is still in shock following the tragic incident.
Tashinga was an Early Childhood Development pupil at Grand Chase School.

Veteran journalist and former editor of The Sunday Mail Pascal Mukondiwa has died. Mukondiwa (70) died at Chitungwiza General Hospital yesterday morning.

The second child in a family of five, Mukondiwa was born on February 14, 1945 in Kadoma. He studied journalism with the London School of Journalism in the late 1970s before joining the then Rhodesia Printing and Publishing, now Zimpapers, through a cadetship programme in 1978.
He worked for titles that include The Manica Post, The Chronicle, The Sunday News and The Sunday Mail, where he rose to become editor before leaving in 2000. He came out of retirement to join the fledgling Patriot newspaper in 2012 and retired again in August 2015. Mourners are gathered at his home in Norton.
According to his son, Robert, Mukondiwa’s body will be taken to his rural home Chiuriri Village, Mutoko today for burial tomorrow.
Robert described his father as “a unifying figure, model of generosity, virtue and love. He inspired several lives in the thankless but gratifying profession of journalism. He was a respectable father, brother and friend. He will be forever missed”.
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists secretary-general Foster Dongozi said Mukondiwa’s death was a loss to the media industry. “On behalf of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists and the journalism family I would like to express shock and sadness following the death of Cde Pascal Mukondiwa,” said Dongozi.
“He was a good man, a teacher to upcoming journalists. His death is a loss to the industry and the nation as a whole.” Former ZUJ president and Zimbabwe Media Commissioner Mr Matthew Takaona, who worked under Mukondiwa, described the late journalist as an expert communicator.
“Most journalists at Zimpapers and across the media in Zimbabwe who are now in management went through Pascal’s hands. I would like to pass my condolences to his family and the entire media fraternity.” – State Media

Constitutional Court Ruling on Child Marriages

The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) applauds the Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe for handing down a progressive judgment today, the 20th of January 2016, in which marriage of children under the age of 18 years has been outlawed. The judgement will go a long way in preserving the sexual reproductive health and human rights of minors who are below the age of 18.
ZADHR has always campaigned for the abolition of early and forced child marriages, emphasizing that such marriages compromise the health, education and basic human rights of the child.
The Constitution of Zimbabwe in terms of section 81 guarantees that children under the age of 18 years have the right to health, the right to be protected from sexual exploitation or any other form of abuse, the right to education, and the right to be protected by the law. In abolishing child marriages the Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe has given life to section 81. However, there is need to realign any laws which are at variance with the constitution’s provisions and which are at variance with the judgement.
Early and forced child marriages are known to perpetuate the cycle of poverty. Every year, worldwide, it is estimated that 15 million girls, some as young as five years old are forced into marriage. Over 700 million women worldwide alive today were married as children and that 1 in every 3 girls in the developing world is married by the age of 18. Judging from such statistics it is clear that early marriages are inimical to development and predisposes young girls to health complications such as HIV/AIDS, cervical cancer, fistulas and stunted growth in children born of young mothers, factors which also lead to an increase in both maternal and child mortality.
In light of the foregoing, ZADHR will intensify its efforts in campaigning against early and forced child marriages. It has been observed that early marriages in Zimbabwe are most common in former commercial farming areas and amongst certain religious sects. The Constitutional Court judgement thus opens up space for civic education and empowerment of the girl child and communities through mass awareness of the girl child and women in general.

Zanu PF in Mashonaland East Province is appointing village heads into its structures.
The involvement of traditional leaders in politics is a breach of the Constitution which states that traditional leaders should neither be members of any political party nor act in any partisan manner.
One disgruntled Zanu PF official based in Mutoko who requested not to be named told ZimEye.com that a number of local village heads and their assistants are being incorporated into the party’s cells.
He said the latest case happened last week at Murewa centre at Zihute hall where Zanu PF held its provincial meeting which was presided over by Mabel Nkatazo (proportional representation MP for the area) and Daniel Garwe.
Both Zanu PF Mashonaland East Provincial Chairman Joel Biggie Matiza and MP Nkatazo could not pick up calls when ZimEye.com contacted them for comment.
Commenting to the development People’s Democratic Party’s Mashonaland East Chairperson Langton Matuku said they are aware of the inclusion of traditional leaders by Zanu PF in its provincial structures.
Matuku said his party was in the process of preparing some papers with the aim of suing Zanu PF for breaching the constitution.
“While they (Zanu PF) have a right to mobilise membership from ordinary people, we regard their targeting traditional leaders as going offside and would like to warn both the Zanu PF provincial members concerned and any traditional leaders who comply with such illegal orders that PDP will take legal action to stop this madness,” he said.

By Terrence Mawawa, Masvingo|A Bikita man has left the local community shell shocked after brutally killing his son for farting .
In a cold blooded murder incident, Solomon Musaengana of Musaengana village stunned local villagers after bashing his grade 7 son over farting.
According to a police report the incident happened last Sunday night when his son Munyaradzi farted in the kitchen sending his father into a fit of rage.
Narrating the sad ordeal a relative to the family said Musaengana charged at the child and killed him by crashing his head against a rock outside their hut.
“Munyaradzi had just returned from herding cattle so his mother gave him sadza to eat and he farted in the process.Her mother chased her out of the kitchen and Musaengana followed him, caught the boy and crashed his head against the rock.Musaengana continued to assault the boy with a whip until he collapsed and died instantly ,” said the relative.
Musaengana who has since been arrested claimed he wanted to teach his son conventional rules of social behaviour.
Musaengana ‘s wife screamed for help as her enstranged husband brutally killed their son.By the time local villagers arrived Munyaradzi was already dead.
Kraal head Musaengana said the incident was attributed to demonic possession.
“We are still in a state of shock and I strongly believe the incident happened as a result of demonic influence,” he said.
The police here have also expressed concern over the increase of murder cases across the province .

A HOPE Fountain man who clobbered his father to death with a knobkerrie while his mother watched helplessly, has been freed after the High Court ruled that he was mentally unstable when he committed the brutal killing.
Vulindlela Ncube, 41, fatally assaulted his father Enos Ncube, 64, after accusing him of bewitching him. Vulindlela of Village B, will however, be restricted to a special institution to receive medical treatment after Justice Francis Bere of the Bulawayo High Court passed a not guilty verdict.
The judge ruled that Vulindlela could not be held legally responsible for killing his father as he was mentally ill at the time of committing the crime.
Justice Bere returned a special verdict of not guilty to a murder charge because of insanity in terms of the Mental Health Act. Medical reports compiled by psychiatrists showed that Vulindlela was suffering from mental health problems when he killed his father.
“From the evidence given in court, Vulindlela was examined by psychiatrists and the medical report showed that he was suffering from a mental disorder. He has been found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity and therefore can’t be held legally responsible for his actions,” ruled Justice Bere.
The judge said Vulindlela was a danger to society and ordered him to be taken to a mental health institution for further treatment.
Prosecuting, Whisper Mabaudhi said on May 14, 2010 shortly after 5.30PM, Vulindlela arrived home from a beer drink and proceeded to the sitting room where he took a teapot and a mug.
The court heard that when his father took a knobkerrie and rebuked him, Vulindlela became violent and he disarmed his father and started assaulting him.
“Ncube fell down and Vulindlela struck him in the face and forehead until he died,” said Mabaudhi.
Vulindlela’s mother alerted her neighbours and they came and apprehended Vulindlela. A report was made to the police leading to his arrest.-Newsday

By Terrence Mawawa Masvingo|School pupils at Zimondi Secondary School in Chikomba District teamed up with the local community and boycotted lessons in protest against the school head who is being accused of corruption and fraud.
At least 200 pupils at the school refused to attend lessons last week protesting against the headmaster Isaac Huruva who is being accused of corruption and fraud.
Huruva who was on suspension last year for allegedly defrauding the school of $ 12 000, resurfaced this term, irking the parents and the pupils .
The pupils refused to attend lessons demanding Huruva’s resignation, reports state. “About 200 pupils refused to attend lessons demanding the school head’s resignation. Only 40 pupils attended lessons and we hope there will be sanity. There are allegations that the headmaster siphoned money from the school coffers and the matter is being investigated,” said a source at the school.
Chikomba District Education officer Ngoni Mujuru confirmed the incident and claimed the poor attendance was common during the opening weeks of the school term.
However ZimEye.com is reliably informed Huruva appeared in court last year on allegations of fraud and the headmaster is also expected to appear before the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education investigating team in the district this month.

Minister of Local Government Saviour Kasukuwere has reportedly launched a move to increase the number of chiefs countrywide. He is allegedly creating chieftainships according to a report by the VOA.
His ministry according to the report has already created several chieftainships in some provinces in a move that has been linked to the ruling party’s succession battles.
VOA – The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change charges that this is meant to purge its supporters ahead of the 2018 polls.
Traditional leaders are generally regarded as custodians of the country’s customary law and culture but in recent years they have been linked to national politics.
The Local Government Ministry, headed by Saviour Kasukuwere, who is also Zanu PF’s secretary of the commissariat, has reportedly been creating new chieftainships in most parts of the country.
Wilson Mugari of Nharira village in the Chikomba district, Mashonaland East province, claimed that two new chieftainships have been created on top of the five traditional posts.
“It’s quite surprising and alarming because the chieftainships are being increased. We do not know for what purpose, and for example, last week when we were at the funeral of our colleagues who died the chief of the area who was supposed to give a speech was not there and the guy who came and we know him as the subchief  and we were surprised he was given the onus as the chief.
“ … and we hear that his chieftainship was celebrated recently meaning it’s one of these increases and it was not in his jurisdiction for him to come and officiate at that funeral, his name is Maromo and we hear they is another one called Kareya in the same and we don’t know what is going to happen next but chieftainships are being increased and we don’t even understand what’s happening.”
Mugari said celebrations to mark the official installation of the new traditional leaders, Chief Kareya and Chief Maromo, are set to be held next month, adding that villagers are now being asked to contribute towards the ceremonies.
VILLAGERS/MDC WORRIED
Another Chikomba resident, who only wanted to be identified as Kenneth Musarurwa, who lives in the Hokonya area, said he is also worried by this development.
“What I can tell you is that this is an issue that has been going on in this community and people are very surprised with such kind of moves but we do not what’s the  reason because we are being told that there more chiefs here. What we know is that whenever we are going for elections, Zanu PF coerces people to vote for them but we don’t know what really happening here.”
Both Chief Maromo and Chief Kareya refused to discuss their new status referring questions to Kasukuwere.
Meanwhile, the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change led by former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai says it fears that the creation of new chieftainships in most provinces countrywide was a well-calculated move by the ruling Zanu PF party to target its supporters ahead of the 2018 polls.
According to Piniel Denga, the opposition party’s chairperson for Mashonaland East province, people are now fearing that they will be victimized as voting will be conducted at ward level.
“Mostly if you look at it, they are people who are related to top Zanu PF officials, So we are seeing Zanu PF mobilizing people to vote for Zanu PF through village heads and chiefs in most rural communities so people are going to be forced through their village heads to vote for Zanu PF.”
Chiefs and headmen have been accused by the opposition of allegedly working with Zanu PF to manipulate the people’s will in previous elections although the ruling party says the polls were free, fair and credible.
ZANU PF FOLLOWERS ALSO SURPRISED
Musarurwa, who is also a Zanu PF supporter, said President Robert Mugabe’s succession battles are increasing within his party, adding that the move to create new chieftainships was mooted by a Zanu PF group loyal to First Lady Grace Mugabe calling itself Generation 40 in order to weaken a faction reportedly led by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Musarurwa said mistrust is now the buzzword within the ruling party’s top hierarchy hence the move by G40 to seek to control of traditional leaders.
“They no-longer trust anybody including those current chiefs so what they are trying to do is to create other chieftainships so that they put new people whom they trust because those at the helm are no longer trustworthy or they are no longer loyal to them.”
Denga said this would further strain the country’s fiscus. “We are struggling as a government to pay civil … We are going to increase their allowances including new vehicles for them and if you look at village heads they are being paid more than $30 per village head and we have got hundreds and thousands of these village heads meaning that we are suffocating our budget and using that money paying people who are supposed to be in their communities surviving in their communities.”
Kasukuwere was not reachable for comment as he was not responding to calls on his mobile phone.
His personal assistant repeatedly said her boss was in meetings. But some officials in his ministry, who refused to speak on tape, told Studio 7 that the new chiefs were being introduced to cater for some settlements created countrywide following the land reform program.

A  Harare court heard that a man beat his wife for allegedly practising witchcraft and possessing goblins.
Fiona Murisa yesterday appeared before magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa saying her husband, Callisto Mujera, who is a police officer, accuses her of possessing goblins which are blocking his success.
Murisa, who was seeking a protection order, claimed that Mujera has barred her relatives from visiting their matrimonial home, accusing them of being witches out to hurt him.
“He is my husband ,but he assaults me saying that I am a witch,”.
“He also rebukes me calling me all types of derogatory names such that I had to leave our matrimonial house because I could no longer stand his abuse. I want him to be barred from coming to my house because he will assault me again,” Murisa said.
Her husband, Mujera denied the allegations and told the court that Murisa was the one abusing him.
“She is lying before the court and I wish the court to grant a reciprocal protection order because she also abuses me,” he said.
She tries to turn my children against me, by telling them bad things.
“She tells our children that I am a promiscuous man. I cannot be banned from going to her house as she has told the court because she is living at a college where I am doing my studies,” Mujera said.
The magistrate ordered Mujera to stop abusing his wife and accusing her of witchcraft and possessing goblins as he does not have any evidence. –  State Media