A Victoria Falls man has had successful surgery after he was attacked by an elephant which ripped his stomach open while he was admiring a baobab tree early last month.
Mr Obadiah Sithole has, however, been stuck at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo as he has no money to travel back to the resort town. Mr Sithole, from Chinotimba suburb, was discharged three weeks ago but is still at the hospital.

The 58-year-old Mr Sithole, who has no wife or children, said he did not notice the elephant which was behind a baobab tree.
“I was admiring a baobab tree and I did not notice that there was an elephant on the other side so it lifted me with its tusks and dropped me to the ground. The tusks ripped through my stomach; luckily it didn’t trample me,” he said.
After attacking him, the elephant went away.
Mr Sithole lost part of his intestines during the attack and surgeons had to stitch together what was left of them.
He was transferred from Victoria Falls to Mpilo Central Hospital for treatment where he has recovered enough to go back home.
In an interview on his bedside, Mr Sithole appealed for assistance for bus fare.
“I need money to just go back to my home; I can pay it back if I find someone who is willing to give me. This is now my third week here since I was discharged and I am stuck,” he said.
The acting chief executive officer for the hospital, Mr Leonard Mabandi, said the institution has no funds to cater for people like Mr Sithole.
“It is unfortunate that we do not have an allocation for people like Sithole who will be stranded. The best we can do is to get him on an ambulance that will be coming from Victoria Falls with patients,” he said.
Mr Mabandi explained that years ago there were travel warrants that were given to people in Mr Sithole’s situation but they stopped issuing them out.
“Travel warrants assisted people like Sithole, he would just present it to any bus company and he would be taken to his home, then the Ministry of Transport would in turn pay the company but all that is gone now,” he said.
He also said society has lost its moral fabric as people now care for themselves and are not concerned about helping others.
He encouraged people to make follow-ups on their relatives who will have been admitted to health institutions so that when they have challenges they can be addressed.
The acting CEO said the burden of feeding the discharged patient was on the institution and it was affecting the operations of the hospital.
In another case at the same institution, a woman spent a month at the maternity section after she gave birth but failed to go home as she had no one to collect her.
A source within the maternity ward said she was detained until her relatives were contacted.
“She was discharged with her baby but we could not let her go as the rule states that a patient is allowed to go only when there is someone to collect her, she cannot go alone,” said the source.
She said the person collecting a person from maternity has to produce their national identity card and the details are recorded.
“You collect the patient when you have produced a valid ID because we are avoiding instances where babies are stolen so we keep records for reference sake so that when there is a challenge we have a starting point,” she said.
The acting CEO also concurred.
“We want to ensure the safety of the mother and the baby so we usually want the husband to the patient, a mother or close relative so that we know they are in safe hands. We cannot just let a patient go,” said Mr Mabande.SundayNews

A Harare man is demanding over $500 000 from the Zimbabwe Electricity and Transmission Distribution Company (ZETDC) after he was electrocuted and heavily injured by a live cable that left him permanently disabled.
The man, Munashe Magwaza, has since approached the High Court seeking $505 000 in damages from the Zesa Holdings’ subsidiary.
In his court papers, Magwaza who is represented by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said that he was electrocuted after stepping on live electric cables in the Msasa industrial area on his way to work.
“The exposed live high voltage electricity cables had fallen to the ground and concealed by the grass.
“As a result of the electric shock, the plaintiff (Magwaza) sustained extensive injuries, including deep burns to the lower limbs and numerous deep burns to the chest,” Magwaza said.
The court heard that, “The plaintiff went through shock and excruciating pain as he was being electrocuted to an extent that he passed out for several hours.
“Thereafter, the plaintiff was hospitalised for nine months at Harare Central Hospital. Whilst in hospital, he was in pain and had to undergo major surgeries that include skin grafting.”
According to Magwaza, ZETDC acknowledged liability and in October 2012 paid $11 480 to him for special damages through Cell Insurance Company.
As a result of the serious injuries and disability of his limbs, Magwaza said he suffered the embarrassment of being left by his wife as he could no longer offer her conjugal rights.
“Plaintiff has suffered loss of amenities of life in that he can no longer have the blessing of any unclouded mind, healthy body, sound limbs and the ability to conduct unaided basic functions of life such as running, eating and dressing,” the court was told.
The court further heard that, “Before the shock, plaintiff was a fit person who used to work as a security guard and earning $350. He however, lost his employment whilst in hospital.”
“The defendants have ignored, neglected or simply refused to pay the general damages despite the first defendant (ZETDC)’s acceptance of liability on October 8, 2012. The distribution and transmission of electricity is the exclusive domain of the first defendant.”

The Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Association (ZCIEA) has petitioned government over the continued criminalisation of vendors by state security agents.
The petition was drafted at the coalition of vendors and informal traders’ annual conference which was held this week in the capital.
ZCIEA President Loraine Sibanda said the petition was overdue adding that it was high time government transforms informal to the informal economy.
“It is in this vein that this conference seeks to find ways and means of placing and recognising the informal economy to its rightful place where the government and local authorities recognise and respect informal traders as legitimate economic players and not criminals,”she said.
“Are we asking for too much by saying informal traders are seeking to be afforded the necessary recognition through engagement with government and other stake holders, respect and appreciation of the work they do to sustain livelihoods?”
Informal traders at the conferences said a “radical” approach was imminent should the authorities continue to harass “us”.
“This is very possible if we unite as we have done today,” they vowed.
“We are saying enough is enough, they have harassed us enough. They have confiscated our wares and failed to account for them and the next step now is to take them head on”.
According to the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, the informal economy has outpaced formal employment and its now at 94.5%.
The labour movement says 98% of the   country’s youths are in engaging in informal activities where 52% are partaking as informal traders.
Despite being the current pillar to economic survival informal traders continue to be harassed by local authorities and the state security.
In Harare and vendors and municipal police are ever on each other’s throat.
 
 
 

Zifa president Phillip Chiyangwa is set to lose property from his Borrowdale mansion after the now-defunct Interfin Bank obtained a writ of execution against him to recover over $4 million in debts.
In a letter addressed to the Sheriff dated December 10, 2015, Interfin Bank’s lawyers, Sawyer & Mkushi, instructed the Sheriff to proceed with attachment of Chiyangwa’s property after paying attachment fees.
Part of the letter read: “We request you to attach and remove defendant’s property at the following address: 11 Crowhill Road, Borrowdale, Harare. Enclosed is the sum of $567 as per your request. Let us have your return of service once execution has been effected.”
Attached to the letter was also a writ of execution receipt showing fees paid by the lawyers in the sum of $97.
Last month, Chiyangwa and his businesses, Pinnacle Property Holding and Native Investment Africa, lost a case at the High Court and were ordered to pay the bank $4 060 110 after failing to defend the claim.
High Court judge Justice Lavender Makoni entered a default judgment against Chiyangwa after striking off the business mogul’s appearance to defend and his plea following an application by the bank’s lawyer, Antony Chagonda.
Justice Makoni ordered: “Whereupon after reading the documents filed of record and hearing counsel, it is ordered that: (1) 2nd defendant’s (Chiyangwa) appearance to defend and plea be and are hereby struck off. (2) Judgment with costs on a legal practitioner and client scale and collection commission provided for under the Law Society of Zimbabwe by-laws (1982) be and is hereby entered against 2nd defendant for payment of: (a) $2 000 000 being capital; and (b) $2 000 000 being interest.
“(c) $60 110 being bank charges and (d) interest on the sum of $4 000 000 at the penalty rate of 10% per annum over and above the rate of interest applicable to 1st defendant’s (Pinnacle Property Holdings) overdraft from time to time from the date of judgment to date of full payment.”
The bank claimed sometime in April 2011, it extended a credit facility of $2 million to Pinnacle Property Holdings and charged total interest of $2 million and bank charges of $60 110, thereby producing a total payable amount of $4 060 110.
The bank also sought an order compelling Chiyangwa to pay legal costs after having agreed with the bank to cover such costs in the event of him defaulting. – Newsday

Staff Reporter | President Robert Mugabe has acknowledged the country’s massive unemployment rate and mourned the future of the thousands of Zimbabwean university graduates who graduate from the state universities every year.
Addressing the five thousand ZANU PF delegates attending the party’s 15th National Conference in Victoria Falls today, the President said he was worried about the unemployment rate in the country and urged people graduating from the state universities in the country not to sit back and expect employment but join the informal sector and start small businesses.
“I have been capping thousands of graduates at the universities around the country and I look at them and say where to from here,” said the president.
He urged the colleges and universities to start teaching courses that will allow the graduates to be immediate business people and not seek employment.
“We must adopt education which will make our graduates ready to be employers not employees,” he said.
“Those who have already graduated must start thinking of engaging in programmes that will give them income instead of going out to search for employment. Yes, we can absorb a few here and there but the rest must engage in other income generating projects in the small business sector.”
The President’s statement comes shortly after his party won an election in which the party manifesto promised the nation 2.2 million jobs if elected to government. Contrary to the election manifesto, the two years since the last election has seen the largest number of company closures, retrenchments and increase in the unemployment level than ever in the country.
Most of Zimbabwe’s university graduates are failing to get employment matching their qualifications and are either employed as teachers or roaming the streets as vendors some as low as airtime vendors. Neighbouring countries are also awash with highly qualified Zimbabweans doing menial jobs such as waiters and security guards for survival.

Harare West MP Jessie Majome has been selected for the prestigious Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) Community Human Rights Defender of the Year Awards.
Majome who is the first MP in history to successfully challenge ZBC licence nuisances, is leading in a pack of four that includes former MDC legislator David Coltart, Hope Sadza and Itai Dzamara.
Those wishing to vote for her via Whatsapp may do so by sending her name to this number +263784784497 or using the following link . http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=5665c016e4b092a588110afc

The polls close at 9pm tonight.
Your MP

By Henry L Ncube| WAR Veterans have moved to block Grace Mugabe from succeeding her aging husband President Robert Mugabe as both the Zanu PF and country’s President.
A faction called G-40 which comprises Mugabe’s nephews Philip Chiyangwa and Patrick Zhuwao, Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Jonathan Moyo, Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere had been calling for Grace to be the President.
They were fighting against the party’s constitution which says the first vice President automatically occupies the office of the President should Mugabe die anytime before the holding of national elections.
But liberation war fighters attending the party’s annual conference in Victoria Falls yesterday made it clear that Grace, should remain where she is up “to 2018 and beyond”, suggesting they would not back her as party leader.
Grace is the party’s Women’s League boss.
Japhet Phuti, the ZNLWVA(Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association) secretary said the party’s constitution should be amended and accommodate a female in the Presidium and urged that the female should be Ndebele, a clause that pushes Mrs Mugabe out of the picture.
“We also support the women’s league statement, that women should have a quota in the presidium and be maintained on rotational basis and now should go to Ex-ZAPU/ZIPRA members,” said Phuthi.

A man who returned home to find his wife naked on top another man, stabbed her before hanging himself in a nearby cemetery.
Farai Machokoto (37) from Silobela, acted on a tip-off and caught his wife Natasha Machokoto (28) sitting on top of her lover on Thursday last week.
He confronted them but the boyfriend Dakawira Moyo took to his heels. Natasha was then stabbed and left for dead.
Farai hatched a plan after he got wind that his wife was playing away. He phoned her, telling her that he would come after a week from in Bulawayo. But he came on the same day.
“He caught her sitting on top of him while they kissed each other. That did not go down well with Farai who then took out an Okapi knife, tried to stab Moyo who ran away. But his wife couldn’t run so he stabbed her twice on the shoulder, once on the hip and she collapsed,” said the source. He thought she was dead.
Chief Malisa confirmed the incident. “I can confirm that I received a report that one of my subjects from Leke village caught his wife kissing her lover.
After that he stabbed her and went on to hang himself at the gravesite,” he said.
Contacted for a comment Natasha denied the allegations and said the late was always hinting that he would hang himself and finally he did.
“He was so jealous and got so angry after finding me discussing with a male churchmate at our homestead. He then accused me of cheating on him after that he said he wanted to end my life and he stabbed me several times on the body and I collapsed. He left and hanged himself at the gravesite,” she said.-State Media

The recent murder of a Gweru woman allegedly by her teenage son has left relatives and residents of this otherwise peaceful city shocked. Although close relatives and neighbours were well aware that Kudakwashe Ashley Sibanda (19) always gave her mother trouble, they never thought he could be so heartless. Kudakwashe allegedly stabbed his mother Babra Sibanda seven times on the left side of the chest, killing her on the spot and locked the body inside the house.

He is accused of stealing his mother’s Nissan Bluebird and proceeded to Total garage in the city where he made attendants fill the tank and drove off without paying. Kudakwashe went for joyrides with prostitutes on a three-day drinking spree.
When news of the murder began spreading, he fled to Harare where, on his way, he ran over a pedestrian at Norton and killed him. Kudakwashe now faces three counts — murder, culpable homicide and theft.
His actions have left his friends and relatives with unanswered questions and Gweru residents dumbfounded. According to relatives interviewed by The Herald, Kudakwashe always gave his mother a torrid time. “This was bound to happen one of the days because we knew Kudakwashe as a spoilt brat,” said a relative who refused to be named.
“His mother loved him so much and would give him everything he wanted. “He was a mama’s boy and she gave him special treatment.” People close to the family said problems started when Kudakwashe was expelled from Thornhill High School for stealing a vehicle that belonged to his teacher.
He was also in the habit of stealing from fellow pupils. Kudakwashe would steal money from his mother and demanded huge sums of money from her. His sister, Audrey Nyaradzo Sibanda, would sometimes send him money so that he would not bother their mother.
Before the murder, Kudakwashe had been arrested for stealing $900 from a tenant before he stole the tenant’s car and went for a beer binge with friends. For his actions, Kudakwashe was convicted and sentenced to performing community service at Lundi Primary School.
He once stole $100 from school authorities at Thornhill and his mother had to restitute the school to save him from going to prison, as the case would have attracted a custodial sentence as a repeat offender. Kudakwashe’s friends said he was addicted to beer at a tender age and was also into drugs.
There was chaos at Mrs Sibanda’s funeral wake as Kudakwashe’s siblings, McDonald and Audrey, quarrelled with their uncle who was demanding 10 beasts as compensation for the murder.
The heated argument opened the Pandora’s box, as it emerged that Kudakwashe was a half brother to his three other siblings Munyaradzi, Mcdonald and Audrey.
It was divulged during the no holds barred verbal war that Mrs Sibanda allegedly cheated on her late husband and football legend Willie Sibanda and had Kudakwashe with her unknown lover.
“Audrey openly told their uncle who was demanding compensation from her and her brothers that Kudakwashe was not of their blood and they could not be held responsible for his actions,” said a relative. Munyaradzi, Audrey and McDonald looked distraught during the funeral wake.
McDonald barred other people from taking food to Kudakwashe in prison. When asked about his opinion on the murder he said: “I don’t think this is the right time to discuss such issues. I think we will have to find another day to discuss this”.
Audrey shared the same sentiments. “As a family, we are still failing to come to grips with the untimely death of our mother,” she said. “We might release a statement later as a family, but for now we are grieving and we might not be at liberty to give you any information.”
Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe executive moderator Bishop Johannes Ndanga attributed Kudakwashe’s behaviour to evil spirits, culture erosion and westernisation. “The bible says honour thy father and thy mother and this is the fourth commandment,” he said.
“What this young man did shows that he was being used by the devil. This might also be the effects of violent films that young people are obsessed with. Our culture and religion have been eroded. “However, God says we should always forgive and the relatives must learn to forgive the child because this will also help in his rehabilitation.” State Media

A Harare man, who claims that he was unlawfully arrested, assaulted and detained by cops has filed a $30 000 lawsuit against the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
In the papers filed at the High Court, Mercedes Nyamande, is demanding $10 000 for the alleged unlawful arrest and detention, $15 000 for assault and $5 000 damages for contumelia.
In the application Nyamande cites Home Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo, commissioner-general of police Augustine Chihuri, police officers identified as Godfrey Masvimbo, Charuma and Zinyama as respondents.
Nyamande, who is represented by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, told the court that he was taken from his Glen Norah residence in February last year by Masvimbo, Charuma and Zinyama to assist with investigations of stolen gas bottles.
“Upon arriving at the Harare Central Police Station, the plaintiff (Nyamande) was shocked when the third defendant (Charuma) started to heavily assault him with open hands and clenched fists trying to force a confession from him to admit to having stolen the alleged gas bottles,” Nyamande said.
“In an act that is inhumane and disrespectful to his inherent dignity and an act that is inconsistent with Section 50 (1) (c) of the Constitution, the third defendant handcuffed the plaintiff’s hands and forced his left leg on top of the handcuffed hands and he continued with the assaults and intensified the attack on the defenceless plaintiff by striking him several times with a thick wooden log and electricity cables all over the body.”
Nyamande said that due to the assault, he sustained deep lacerations and he bled profusely to such an extent that he almost passed out.
He further claims that after the assault, he was medically-examined at Harare Hospital and a medica l doctor concluded that he sustained severe injuries.
“Despite the serious injuries suffered by the plaintiff, the third, fourth and fifth defendants without a lawful reason yet again detained the plaintiff in violation of his constitutional right…was also denied a phone call to call his relatives or spouse to notify them of the arrest and he was further denied medical treatment despite having made a request.
He was only released the following morning without receiving any formal charge.
Nyamande says he has already filed criminal charges against the police officers. DailyNews/Agencies

• Army Captain (retd) Albert Matapo speaks
• A very dangerous situation

Zimbabwe’s cash-strapped government has hit a dead-end on the issue of civil servants’ bonuses prompting a very dangerous situation in which the army may revolt.
Army captain (retd) Albert Matapo told ZimEye.com his view that the army after being lied to can easily revolt.
The government is currently scouting for alternative funding to the tune of nearly US$250 million to pay civil servants bonuses, as Treasury wrestles with other unbudgeted-for expenditures critical to avert a humanitarian crisis.

ZANU-PF yesterday expelled three more officials, including a former Government minister, in a move which also saw two officials being suspended for five years and four others for two years for indiscipline.
Former Minister of State in former Vice President Joice Mujuru’s Office, Sylvester Nguni, who was serving a three-year suspension, was expelled by the Central Committee.
Nguni is the Member of Parliament for Mhondoro- Mubaira and his expulsion from the party is expected to trigger a recall from the legislature to pave way for another by-election.
He was also a Central Committee member for Mashonaland West province.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo confirmed the development after a Central Committee meeting in Harare yesterday.
“Also expelled is Christwell Mutematsaka who was a Central Committee member from Mashonaland Central and Batsirai Musona, who was also the provincial secretary for security in Mashonaland Central province,” he said.
“There are also members who were suspended for five years and these are: Godfrey Tsenengamu, the former provincial chairperson for the Youth League in Mashonaland Central and Paul Rwodzi, who was the provincial secretary for administration in the Youth League in the same province.
“The others were suspended for two years and these are Chiratidzo Mukarati, who was the Harare provincial chairlady, Godwills Masimirembwa, former Harare provincial chairperson Happiness Nyakuedzwa, who was the provincial chairperson of the Women’s League for Manicaland and Danny Musukuma, former Harare provincial secretary for Legal Affairs.”
The expulsion and suspension of the cadres follow a similar fate that befell Mujuru and other former senior officials such as Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo.
The action was taken after it was discovered that there was a group within the party operating under the Mujuru cabal which was angling to remove President Mugabe through dubious means.
Khaya Moyo said the Central Committee confirmed the positions of acting chairpersons and substantive ones.
Bulawayo is chaired by Dennis Ndlovu, Harare – Charles Tawengwa, Manicaland – Samuel Undenge, Mashonaland Central – Dickson Mafios, Mashonaland East – Biggie Matiza, Mashonaland West – Ephraim Chengeta and Masvingo – Ezra Chidzamira.
Rabelani Choeni chairs Matabeleland South while Kizito Chivamba chairs Midlands and Richard Moyo (Matabeleland North).
Khaya Moyo said there were resolutions made by all the provinces that would be presented at the party’s 15th Annual National People’s Conference in Victoria Falls.
“All the provinces supported the President and First Secretary of the Party as the sole candidate for the position of President and First Secretary of the party and the country at the 2018 elections and beyond,” he said.
“This was the position from all the provinces. It was unanimous. The Women’s League has gone further through resolutions that were read by the National Political Commissar ( Saviour Kasukuwere) that they continue to support the First Lady as secretary for the Women’s League for the current term and beyond.
“They also resolved that there was a need for gender parity where they want the Zanu-PF Constitution to be aligned with the national Constitution where it says there must be 50-50 representation in all positions.
“The women also resolved that they want the party Constitution to be amended and reinstate the previous position that one of the Vice Presidents must be a woman.”-State Media

A 44-year old woman from Nkayi allegedly seduced her 17-year-old herdboy, bedded him twice and offered him money and a beast to conceal the matter, a court heard yesterday.
Bahle Msipa reportedly made sexual advances to the teenager after he was hired as a herdboy and was in the habit of urinating naked or undressing in his presence.
Msipa, who is facing two counts of aggravated indecent assault, pleaded not guilty when she appeared before regional magistrate Sibongile Msipa-Marondedze.
She claimed she was in love with the herdboy.
“I was in love with him and I got arrested as I was trying to recover some money that he stole from me. He proposed love and I told him I was too old for him. He persisted saying he had experience as he had bedded several older women,” said Msipa.
“I gave in and we started seeing each other. We eventually slept together one day when I was nursing him in my bedroom.” Msipa claimed the boy stole her money and ran away from her homestead in Dandadema village.
“I caught up with him at the police station where he had made a false report that I forced him to have intercourse. A policeman interviewed me and advised me to plead guilty to the charges so that I could be freed,” she said in her defence outline.
“I was ready to forgive him and move on but had to plead guilty to the charges not knowing that I was implicating myself. I then found myself in custody because of that. I was in love with the boy and that’s all I can say”.
The boy testified in camera and told the court that Msipa started seducing him when he fell sick.
“She asked me to sleep in her room so she could monitor my condition. She started touching my privates and I drew back but she continued touching me,” said the boy.
“I ended up giving in to her advances and from that day onwards, she started calling me sweetie. She would follow me during the day and relieve herself in front of me. She continued caressing my privates without my consent.”
Magistrate Msipa-Marondedze remanded Msipa in custody to today.
Prosecuting, Concilia Ncube said sometime in October at around 9PM, Msipa invited the boy to watch a soccer match in her bedroom.
“While they were watching the game Msipa, who was dressed in a petticoat, then grabbed the boy’s shoulders and started fondling his manhood. She offered him $1 to undress and show her his manhood and the boy refused,” said Ncube.
“She then forcibly undressed the boy and they had sex once without his consent.”
Ncube said the boy continued sleeping in Msipa’s room.
“On October 26, Msipa approached the boy and started touching him all over the body. She then grabbed his manhood and had intercourse once without his consent.”-State Media

A Marondera farmer died this morning at Carolina Farm after an altercation with his 28-year-old female employee over salary arrears.
It is alleged that the farmer, Julio Jairos (45), found the former employee, Ruth Pakanongwa (28), who is still staying at the farm compound, arguing with farm manager and asked what she was still doing at the farm as she is no longer an employee.
The two are said to have exchanged harsh words before they went to the ex-employee’s house where the now deceased intended to throw her belongings out.
A witness said he then heard the farmer crying that he had been hit. It is believed that the deceased was hit by a rail bar on an unknown part of the body before he collapsed.
He was taken to Borodaile hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The woman was arrested and is currently in police custody while the body has been taken to Marondera hospital mortuary for post mortem.
Mashonaland East Police Spokesperson, Inspector Nobert Muzondo confirmed the incident, saying an altercation ensued as a result of outstanding salary to the accused.
He appealed to members of the public to solve their differences amicably. – State Media

 
London – A church pastor was last week caught in the act with a congregant’s wife.
British police had to be called in to calm angers as the man was nabbed while pants down with the married woman.

Chaotic scenes erupted afterwards with the man being filmed while stark in his explicit Adamic covering shortly before being whisked away by a police officer.
The damning video being webcast on ZimEye.com Thursday shows the pastor, a Congolese man who has visited Zimbabwe, begging for clemency…

Zimbabwe’s embattled national airline has said that it wasn’t raw effluent that was photographed running down the aisle of one of its planes at the weekend.

It was “clean” water from a hand basin that had overflowed, Air Zimbabwe insists.

The embarrassing incident happened on a Sunday morning flight between Harare and Johannesburg.
A passenger on the flight snapped a picture of the water – which admittedly looked very much like raw sewage – flowing down the carpeted aisle, with another passenger clearly keeping his sandalled foot well out of the way.
The passenger, identified as Kene Esom by Zimbabwe’s privately-owned Newsday paper, was quoted as saying: “Rather than make an announcement explaining what was happening to bewildered passengers, the crew was upset that I was taking pictures.”
“They threatened to hand me over to security operatives for trying to embarrass the airline,” he said.
The plane is understood to have been carrying some non-Zimbabwean delegates who had been attending a international conference on HIV Aids and STIs, making the incident even more embarrassing for the airline.
‘Minor fault’

In a statement on Wednesday, Air Zimbabwe spokesperson Shingai Dhliwayo said the incident was the result of a “minor fault” and claimed it was technically impossible for raw sewage to enter the cabin.
“Water overflowed from the handwash basin and overflowed onto the lavatory floor and subsequently into the cabin aisle during descent into Johannesburg,” Dhliwayo said in the statement, which was seen by News24.
She said the water only looked like sewage in the photograph because of a “light glare”.
“The online reports which suggest that [sewage] was flowing into the cabin are not true because it is technically impossible for [sewage] to flow back as the B767 aircraft uses a vacuum source to a collector tank,” she added.
“At no time during the flight was the safety and health of the passengers and our crew compromised,” Dhliwayo added.
Air Zimbabwe has been battling for years to remain viable and faces an added challenge in the recent entry of low-budget airlines on the Johannesburg to Harare route.
Earlier this year, company secretary Grace Pfumbidzayi and former CEO Peter Chikumba spent five months in jail on a fraud conviction.
Source: News24

A family from Sikabela area in Hwange District has fled its homestead after lightning struck three times reducing a hut to rubble and destroying property. Acting Chief Mvuthu confirmed receiving a report of the incident. Neighbours told The State Media they suspected evil spirits were haunting the family following weird occurrences that included another lightning strike in 2011.
The bizarre incident occurred on Wednesday last week in Lusaba Village under Chief Mvuthu. Sibusisiwe Ngwenya, 23, and her two-week-old baby narrowly escaped death as they were in the hut when the lightning struck the bed they were sleeping on.
Her mother-in-law Simangaliso Dube, 46, was rushed to hospital and treated for shock. Dube, who is diabetic and has hypertension, was admitted for three days at Victoria Falls District Hospital.
A State Media news crew visited the deserted homestead where it found the rubble of what used to be a hut. “What happened here is so sad. The baby only escaped with one napkin while the family lost everything. We suspect there could be some evil spirits because this is not the first time this has happened,” said a neighbour who asked not to be named. Whoever heard of lightning striking the same place twice, let alone thrice within minutes?” asked the neighbour.
The news crew tracked Dube, her son Honest and daughter-in-law Ngwenya to Chinotimba suburb.
Ngwenya said: “I was lying on the bed with my daughter when I heard a loud bang. As I looked up, there was a something that looked like a star on the roof. I screamed, grabbed my daughter and fled to the kitchen where my mother in-law was”.
Dube said the lightning struck around 5PM. Even the heavy rains that pounded for about two hours, she said, could not put out the inferno as the hut was destroyed. “I was cooking in the kitchen hut when my daughter in-law suddenly screamed. We realised the bedroom hut had been struck by lightning,” said Dube.
She said she tried to go out but lightning struck again twice before the room collapsed destroying all property inside. The bolt reportedly struck the roof of the hut before striking for the second time, getting through the window and setting a bed alight.
Dube and the rest of the family have since sought refuge at her brother-in-law’s house in Chinotimba suburb. She said they lost all food stocks, maize seed, household furniture, blankets, utensils, solar panels, building material, $300 and the only clothes they remained with were the ones they were wearing.
As if that was not enough, Dube said, suspected thieves broke into her brother’s house on the day she was discharged from hospital and stole close to $200 which was in a handbag. State Media

President Robert Mugabe’s nephew and Indigenisation Minister Patrick Zhuwao, has begun banishing Chinese and Indian retail businesses.
The sector according to the “ever shifting” black empowerment laws, is reserved for locals.
It is however occupied by Indian, Chinese and Nigerian nationals who are into car spares and food stuff selling.
Zhuwao said starting next year  government will be evicting foreigners who are  in the  retail sector.
“Starting next year in January we will be enforcing and following the indigenisation laws, where I will be pronouncing that there are reserved sectors which are for Zimbabweans.
“The truth at the moment is that these reserved sectors have been infiltrated by foreigners and the problem with these foreigners is that they are taking all the money and profits to their countries “, he said.
This is not the first time government has threatened to displace foreigners who are in the retail sector.
Five years ago some pro-Zanu PF youths groups which include Upfumi Kuvadiki wrecked havoc in Harare when they tried to evict Nigerians from these sectors.
The organisation staged several demonstrations against the awarding of a street parking contract to a South African company Easi-Park by the Harare city council.
Zhuwao said companies which refuse to indigenise will be forced to pay an indigenisation levy which will also be introduced early next year.
“We are saying because of that when we enforce the empowerment levy we shall put some rebates but those who would benefit from these rebates will to the extent of that company,” said Zhuwao.

A Mutoko woman allegedly shielded her two boyfriends who raped her 10-year-old daughter on three different occasions and concealed the offences while treating the wounds on the girl’s private parts with salt and water.
The woman (31) committed the offence when she was staying in Chitungwiza sometime in 2011. She would give her daughter some unknown tablets and would treat her with salty hot water each time she was sexually abused. The woman also allegedly promised to report the offences to the police, but did not.
She allegedly forced her daughter not to go to school for two weeks until she got healed and instructed her not to reveal the abuse.
The matter came to light after the minor relocated to Chegutu where she narrated her ordeal to her aunt leading to her mother’s arrest. The court heard that during their stay in Chitungwiza, the girl’s mother went away leaving her alone at home.
It is alleged that her first boyfriend came and sexually abused her. After the offence, the man went away and when the minor’s mother came, she told her of the abuse.
Allegations are that the woman would assure her daughter that she was going to report the offence, but to no avail.
Further allegations are that after sustaining injuries on her privates, the girl’s mother would soak her private parts in salty water. As a result, the minor would not to go school for two weeks since she had problems in walking.
On the second occasion, the man allegedly raped the girl when her mother had gone to the bar. During the same year, they relocated to another place in the same area and her mother started having an affair with another man.
The man came when the minor’s mother was not at home with ice cream which he gave to the girl and raped her.
As usual, the girl would inform her mother, but she would treat her and promise to report the offences. Appearing before Chitungwiza magistrate Ms Jessy Kufa, the woman denied obstructing or defeating the course of justice. She was remanded out of custody to December 15.

Five Seke brothers allegedly teamed up to murder their uncle by setting him ablaze and attacking him with a knobkerrie, as they accused him of possessing goblins, the court heard.
One of the brothers, David Mahungo (28) of Chamunorwa Village, Chief Seke has since appeared in court charged with murder.
Mahungo who has pending charges of malicious damage to property on CRB 92/11/15 was not asked to plead to the charges.
He appeared before Chitungwiza magistrate Mr Lazarus Murendo who remanded him in custody to December 21. He was advised to seek bail at the High Court.
According to the indictment papers, Mahungo allegedly convened a meeting with his four brothers on Sunday to discuss issues to do with witchcraft in their family.
The court heard that they identified their now deceased uncle Musekiwa as being the source of their troubles. They allegedly teamed up and went to Musekiwa’s house in the same area.
On arrival, they started accusing him of possessing goblins that have been wreaking havoc in their lives. The court heard that Mahungo and his brothers took turns to beat up Musekiwa claiming that he was a wizard.
Further allegations are that the brothers manhandled the now deceased and set him ablaze. They also allegedly attacked him with a knobkerrie and further assaulted him with switches and blows.
Allegations are that Musekiwa died on the spot as a result of the injuries. The matter was reported to the police leading to Mahungo’s arrest.
Mr Tatenda Mukatera prosecuted.-State Media

A woman from Mucheke A in Masvingo who allegedly had small boys leaking her private parts before having sex with some of them has been further remanded in custody to February 10, 2016.
She was arrested on October 21 2015 after it emerged that five boys from the neighborhood who are aged between three-and-half years and 15 would visit her house where she would abuse them.
Gladys Gumbiti (35) appeared before Masvingo Regional Magistrate Judith Zuyu last week.
The State says on one of the days, the accused instructed one of the minors aged 15 to come into her bedroom, removed her clothes, lied on her bed and had sexual intercourse with the minor in full view of the other minors.
The alleged victims were tested for HIV and Aids at Masvingo General hospital following an order from the court and Magistrate Zuyu told the court that the medical results show that the kids were abused.
Hordes of people swarmed Chikato Police Station to see the accused woman when the story broke. Mirror

Veteran politician Dumiso Dabengwa shrugged off competition from fellow party presidential aspirants to retain his post as president of Zapu, ahead of the party’s congress to be held in the city from December 15 to 17.
This emerged from the party’s pre-congress provincial conferences that were held over the weekend across the globe. The conferences were meant to deliberate on suggestions on party policy and possible amendments to the party constitution, as well as make provincial nominees to the National Executive Council that will take over the reins at congress.
It had been anticipated to be tough for Dabengwa after three senior members, party secretary-general Ralph Mguni, party alternate secretary-general Strike Mnkandla and little known UK-based Thulani Nkala had indicated that they were going to challenge the liberation war hero for the top post.
South Africa, Matabeleland South, Bulawayo, Midlands and Europe are among the provinces that have finished the nomination process.
By late yesterday, there was still no confirmation from the Northern provinces where incidentally, no one had expressed intent to challenge Dabengwa. In Matabeleland South province, Mnkandla reportedly got a miserable three points with Dabengwa scoring over hundred votes.
In the Europe province, Mguni reportedly failed to get any nominations while Nkala also lost to Dabengwa with an unconfirmed margin. Party spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa confirmed Dabengwa’s endorsement during the provincial conferences.
“A provincial conference is an important process for each of our provinces that precede our people’s congress,” he told the Daily News. “This is when provinces deliberate and agree on the direction of the party policy and a deeper look is given to the party constitution.
“There can be no congress without provincial conferences.” Asked about Mnkandla’s challenge to Dabengwa, Maphosa said it was only an example of how democratic Zapu was unlike in Zanu PF where no one dares challenge President Robert Mugabe.
“We are not like Zanu PF where challenging Mugabe is criminal to such an extent that you get killed. In our party, anyone is free to go for any post. “It is encouraging and a healthy development to see Mnkandla standing up and availing himself for duty.
While election results and numbers are not important to us, we are happy that an internal democratic process was allowed to take place and everyone is happy with the result,” he said.

Hundreds of families in Zaka’s Masvingo province are surviving on wild fruits at a time President Robert Mugabe is blowing millions of dollars on foreign travels.
President Mugabe as of march this year had blown $15 million on foreign travel.
The trips included his last December retreat to the Far East for the festive season.
According to the state  media hunger in Masvingo has reached alarming levels with hundreds families are resorting to wild fruits as they cannot afford even a single meal a day.
The most affected are those who live in the Gumbo and Rudanda areas.
Most families say the little grain they harvested in the 2014/2015 farming season was finished by June.
Wild fruits mostly Mashuku and seasonal fruits such as mangoes have become their means of survival during the day as they save the little grain to ensure at least one hot meal a day.
But that too is fast running out and the villagers are now desperate.
Some of the villagers rely on selling the wild fruits on the highway to raise money to buy grain.
According to some of the villagers, some children have since stopped going to school due to hunger.
While hopes had been pinned on the newly planted crop, the long dry spell is threatening to wipe out any life.
Livestock in the area is also in a poor state due to water shortages.
 

Former Dynamos  Football Club great, Freddy Mukwesha, has died.

He was 74.

According to the state media Mukwesha at the age of 25 in 1966 was Zimbabwe’s first football export, signing for Portuguese side, Sporting Dé Braga.

Upon his return he coached Caps United and later joined Dynamos as a director.

Family spokesperson Moses Mukwesha said Freddy was a family unifier, humble and hardworking man.

Mourners are gathered at 6815 Glen Norah A flats in Harare.

President Robert Mugabe would have been in a grave by now having been shot while in mid air by former Vice President Joice Mujuru in March this year.
The government witness testifying in a case in which jailed church leader Robert Martin Gumbura is accused of masterminding a foiled jailbreak yesterday alleged the Vice President was plotting to shoot down Mugabe’s plane on his return from Egypt.
State witness Claudius Mutizwa narrated to the court how Gumbura was working with former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru and her followers to dethrone the Government and assassinate Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Mutizwa said Gumbura was being used by Dr Mujuru and other former Government officials who wanted to form their own political party.
Mutizwa the “informant” told the court that Gumbura was to mobilise inmates while alleged coup plotter and former army captain Albert Matapo was to mobilise manpower and weapons to start a civil war.
“The outside manpower was to advance towards Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison and assist the prisoners to escape. The signal was going to come from the burning blankets,” he said.
“If they had managed to escape, they were going to get hold of Government officials while President Mugabe was in China. They wanted to get military weapons from the army and police bases and their main target was Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa who was the acting President then. They did not even want President Mugabe to land in the country,” Mutizwa said.
He added that the coup plotters were going to be joined by Dr Mujuru and other political heavyweights who followed her. He said Gumbura would then be heavily rewarded.
“While they were planning, they said that for their plans to succeed, there should be bloodbath,” he said.
Mutizwa also said that deputy officer-in-charge of Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison Superintendent Jealous Dumbura, who was working with them, was promised “heaven on earth” after the mission.
He said that Dumbura was always complaining to Gumbura that he had not received anything from ZPCS despite serving in the force for 20 years.
“He told Gumbura that he was not being promoted to a more senior rank. Gumbura then promised him heaven on earth if he was to work with them,” the court heard.
Gumbura’s lawyer, Mr Tapson Dzvetero, read part of Mutizwa’s police statement in which he exonerated Gumbura from any wrongdoing saying that he did not participate in the foiled jailbreak. However, Mutizwa denied saying that to the police adding that it could be a typing error.
Mutizwa left the gallery in stitches when he was asked by Mr Dzvetero if he had any proof to substantiate his allegations against Gumbura.
“Yes, I have tangible proof that the accused person is sitting in dock, which means he has a case to answer and the other evidence is that I am testifying against him,” he said.
Magistrate Mr Francis Mapfumo rolled over the matter to today for continuation of trial. Mr Michael Reza prosecuted.
Gumbura is jointly charged with Blessing Chauke (25), Lucky Mhungu (38), Taurai Dodzo (47), Thomas Chacha (37), Thulani Chizema (32), Jacob Sibanda (28), Elijah Vhumbunu (38) and notorious armed robber Lucky Matambanadzo (39). The nine are accused of masterminding a foiled jailbreak.

Government has started relocating residents who had built illegal structures near the Harare International Airport to Stoneridge Park in Harare South. This followed concerns by President Mugabe during the official opening of the first phase of Harare International Airport Road last month that the illegal residential settlement tarnished the image of the country as many visitors passed through the place.
The squatters are staying at an open space reserved for the airport’s expansion at corner Harare Drive and Joshua Nkomo Express Way formerly Airport Road.
In an interview with The Herald, Harare South legislator, Shadreck Mashayamombe said the relocation of illegal residents started last week and the last batch would receive their stands today.
“We have not yet started demolishing the illegal structures. We are relocating the illegal residents and we started last week,” Mashayamombe said.
“Local Government is providing the stands and the last batch is expected to be given land tomorrow (today).”
He also said that they had agreed with the residents and all stakeholders on the period the residents had to relocate before Harare City Council demolishes their houses.
“We have held three meetings with the residents on the reason why they should move and many have already started relocating.
“We also talked to the mayor and the council will remove residents who fail to meet the date we agreed on,” said Mashayamombe.
Mashayamombe said Government issued out 2 000 stands at Retreat Farm in Harare South in 2013 for these illegal residents but they failed to vacate the place leaving them with no option but to forcefully move them.
The settlement is administered by a housing cooperative called Nyikavanhu and is largely composed of makeshift house

THREE men armed with knives stormed a house in Bulawayo’s Famona suburb where they threatened to kill the occupants before looting property worth more than $17,000 and escaping in the victims’ car. The suspects, who are still at large, are said to have left their victims tied up with USB cables. Acting Bulawayo police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Garikai Chipfunde said police are hunting the suspects following the robbery on Thursday last week.
“Police are investigating an unlawful entry case where three suspects broke into a house, stole property and loaded it into their victims’ car before driving away in it,” said Asst Insp Chipfunde. Sources said the trio entered the Famona residence owned by Eugene Fransch and his wife at about 11PM after the couple had retired to bed.
“The robbers, who were armed with knives, threatened to stab the couple if they didn’t follow their orders. They demanded cash and were given $600,” said a source. The source said the robbers were enraged with what they called a pittance.
“They looted household property and loaded it into the family’s car. They used USB cables to tie up the couple before driving away,” added the source. “They stole a Nissan Tiida which they used as their getaway car. They stole property worth about $17,700. They took away $600 in cash, two cellphones, an Apple laptop, PA system among other things,” said the source.
He said police discovered the vehicle abandoned along Masiyephambili Drive the following morning. A Chronicle news crew yesterday visited the house where the robbery occurred but a gardener said there was no one at home.
Meanwhile, Asst Insp Chipfunde appealed to Bulawayo residents to increase security in their homes especially during the festive season. He urged members of the public who may have information on the whereabouts of the suspects to contact the police.
Yesterday, The Chronicle published a story detailing how a five-man gang armed with axes and knives is causing terror in Mpopoma suburb, breaking into three houses in two nights. The gang members, according to residents, paint their faces a “scary black”.

Five people died on the spot while nine others were seriously injured on Sunday morning when a Nissan Vannette truck they were travelling in burst its rear tyre and veered off the road near Green Diamond Hotel in Gokwe, Midlands province.
National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi confirmed the accident last night.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police would like to confirm the death of five people in a fatal road traffic accident which occurred at the 130km peg along Kwekwe-Gokwe Road near Green Diamond Hotel, Gokwe, on December 6, 2015, at around 1145 hours,” Nyathi said.
Accident of kombi crushed
“Circumstances are that, Farai Maseko (21) was driving a Nissan Vannette towards Gokwe with 13 passengers on board. On approaching the 130km peg, the vehicle burst its left rear tyre. The driver lost control of the vehicle and it veered off the road to the right and overturned before landing on its wheels.”
He said the injured were taken to Gokwe District Hospital for treatment.
“The bodies of the deceased were also taken to Gokwe District Hospital for post-mortem,” Nyathi said.
He said the names of the deceased would be released in due course once their next of kin had been advised.-NEwsday

ZIFA PRESIDENCY ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

Dr Philip Chiyangwa

I have triumphed in a national election that was more vicious, gruelling, bitter, most personalized, in the shortest electioneering period and above all employing the full arsenal of traditional media and multi-media stratagems in ways that has never been seen before in Africa. This election had more intrigue, subterfuge,and drama than the normal national General Elections- and I won.  I won conclusively and resoundingly without fear or favour because the football family desired a break from business as usual. What won the day was the greatness of the desire to see accountability, transparency and normal business principles reign over the smallness of our petty and contrived differences. The contest of ideas truly went to the wire, but I cherish the clean mandate to put into practice my well-crafted, inclusive, sustainable and well thought-out ideas on taking our football forward.

I salute and applaud the ZIFA councillors for giving me the space to be heard, grow in my understanding of the tasks ahead, and in the process becoming a true partner and friend to most of them. I drew strength and inspiration from my family. I could have not made it without my unflinching allies in politics and business. It was truly uncomfortable to bear the pain of most personal onslaughts on my family’s efforts, dignity and quiet courage to see me through this process. I truly thank them for their tenacity. While it is always the refuge of the scoundrels and uninformed among us to believe that elections are won by money-the reality is much further than this simplistic understanding of the electoral process. Good strategy does triumph over boatloads of cash any day. Kune vamwe vakadyiwa, nekupfekwa, nekunwiwa zvekuenda pawheel chair yekubroker before me and lost many elections in spite of all that. In the contest for the ZIFA Presidency I was the rank outsider-indeed more disadvantaged like a Prophet at a beerhall brawl, and still pulled it off.
 
 
From the combat of ideas so passionately, and publicly laid out and sometimes most personal we have a task before us to rebuild, restore and reposition a powerful football family and legacy so conceived and so dedicated, that it can long endure. From the pain and acrimony of disunity we are rededicating ourselves to the great task before us. We cannot fail, must not fail and will not fail Zimbabwe in this most sacred trust of presiding over an institution so central to the creation and maintenance of our sense of unity and pride as a nation. Elections come and go for a season but the sacred trust in God and country long endures and springs eternal. We need each other’s need to have a football institution that is structured, operating and producing clear results that we all can be proud of.
 
Like any normal person I had my moments of doubt, and this victory has most invigorated me. I discovered that I had more fight in me as the intensity of recriminations from my detractors betrayed their great fear and respect in my capacity to be a game changer. I thank my enemies for going the distance with me as it makes my victory all the sweeter. Today there are no enemies and supporters, but members of the great football family, and I commit myself to win their trust, favour and above all respect and cooperation. I have a better track record, more political and business game than Donald Trump and it served me well when the going got tough.
 
In victory I extend a hand of gratitude and friendship to the worthy and committed candidates (my good brothers Mr. Trevor Carelse-Juul, Mr Lesley Gwindi and Mr James Takavada) who all fought a good fight and had the best interests of the sport at heart. In humility I ask for their continued counsel and contribution in making this a historic break for accountability, productivity and excellence in our football. There is no loser as football is the great winner today as we embark on an exciting but gruelling journey to reclaim the lost glories of our most favourite and treasured pastime. One ZIFA, one football family, one nation under God-we shall have a new birth of sporting pride-a new business template for doing things.
 
I shall not betray the sacred trust that the football family has bestowed on me, and will never take this mandate for granted.
 
Thank you and stay blessed. Ndinokudai mese and together we can and should do more for our country, our people and our football.
 
Dr Philip Chiyangwa
President-Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA)
 
 
 
 

Indeginisation minister Patrick Zhuwao says finance and war veterans’ ministers Patrick Chinamasa and Christopher Mutsvangwa risk expulsion from the party for lobbying for Foreign Direct Investment which is opposed to the party’s 2013 election campaign manifesto.
Prior to the July 2013 elections Zanu PF promised to  create 2.2 million jobs through indigenisation.
But within a period of 24 months in office , hundreds of thousands of people had lost their jobs.
Zhuwao who is President Robert Mugabe’s nephew says he was employed to full the aging leader’s election company and warned “anyone” who tries to block the sabotage the indigenisation policy of expulsion from the party.
Chinamasa is engaging the World Bank , the International Monetary Fund and the west seeking for FDI, while his collegue Mutsvangawa is advocating for strengthening the country’s look east policy for investment.
“I was given this job by President Robert Mugabe and the job is in line with his 2013 election campaign manifesto of creating jobs through indigenisation and economic empowerment”,he said.
The deadlocked minister said he was aware of ministers who were opposed to the indiginisation policy .
.
“There are some of us who are saying that we should set aside indigenisation and go for foreign direct investment”.
“To those who are saying that and moving around looking for foreign direct investment wherever you go, please leave my indigenisation field”.

 
Harare province (ZANU PF) is demanding Grace Mugabe presidency.
It appears as if it does not rain but pour for Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF camp, as well as the VP’s mooted ambitions to succeed President Robert Mugabe.
Harare became the latest province yesterday to formally agitate for a return of a women’s quota system in the warring ruling party, setting the stage for a stormy meeting when the former liberation movement meets for its annual conference this week.
Bulawayo, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central have already called for the re-incorporation of the women’s quota system in the party’s constitution — which was successfully used to hinder Mnangagwa’s rise to power in 2004.
If the proposal sails through at the party’s conference that is being held in Victoria Falls, it would most likely see Mnangagwa once again paving the way for a woman vice president as he did a decade ago — as the other VP, Phelekezela Mphoko, looks safe as he is the face of the Unity Accord signed between Zapu and Zanu PF in 1987.
The embattled Mnangagwa is said to be currently embroiled in a bitter fight with the ruling party’s ambitious Young Turks, the Generation 40 (G40), in the bitter fight to succeed Mugabe — raising growing fears among his supporters that he may go down in the same manner that former Vice President Joice Mujuru was deposed from power late last year.
To that extent, insiders say this week could prove to be one of the most important and significant periods in the long political life of Mnangagwa as the war to succeed Mugabe gets hotter and nastier by the day.
“We have resolved that as the women’s league, we would want to be well represented at all levels of the party in line with the national constitution,” a Harare provincial executive member told the Daily News yesterday.
Mphoko unexpectedly attended Harare province’s meeting yesterday and is said to have urged it to push for strict discipline in the party “to get rid of rotten apples” that were not supportive of Mugabe.
“Those who are insulting the first lady are insulting the president. When you say she is leading a faction, then you are saying the president is also leading a faction.
“Can you say because I support Mai Mugabe so I am a member of G40 even when I am 40 years? These are the things you must address in your resolutions chairman. Deal with these crimes, the treason that is being committed under the cover of darkness,” Mphoko said.
The decision by the party’s Harare province sets the stage for an explosive conference, amid revelations of plots and counterplots by the two antagonistic camps to outdo each other at the increasingly-important annual gathering.

Psychomotor minister, Josaya Hungwe has warned that Mugabe is in grave danger of being poisoned by his ambitious underlings who are impatient to succeed him as the mindless bloodletting in the warring post-congress Zanu PF gets nastier and more confused by the day.
Giving the vote of thanks at First Lady Grace Mugabe’s rally in Gutu last Friday, Hungwe suggested that the ruling party’s seemingly-unstoppable factional and succession wars were now so bad that they could even claim the life of Mugabe.
Giving his spine-chilling vote of thanks, Hungwe — said to be a close Mnangagwa ally — urged Grace to be more vigilant about taking care of her increasingly-frail nonagenarian husband saying there were some bigwigs in the ruling party who hated him so much that they could even poison him.
In that light, he added, Grace needed to make sure that she consistently and thoroughly vetted the people around Mugabe, as well as the source of the food he ate.
“There are those who do not like him (Mugabe). They are many and some will be born tonight. We do not care about them.
“Chatinongokumbira chete amai ndechekuti musarega vachingodya pese pese (All we ask from you mother is that you remain vigilant and mind the food that Mugabe eats for he could be poisoned),” Hungwe warned.
However, he also promised Grace that Mugabe would be protected by his many supporters.
“The people who are here are his supporters. If one Mugabe enemy is born today, his supporters multiply. If one is born tonight, five supporters of his will also be born the same night,” Hungwe opined.
A Zanu PF insider who spoke to the Daily News yesterday said while Hungwe was “a little guilty of overzealous bootlicking”, the ruling party’s unending wars suggested that there was “an unhealthy stampede to succeed Gushungo (Mugabe)”.
“Unfortunately, many of those who are either fighting for the party’s top position or sponsoring their favourite candidates appear as if they are becoming increasingly impatient with the president remaining in office. This can only be destructive to the party and the country.
“It is also for the same reason that some comrades feel that what happened during the official opening of Parliament in August, when the president ended up reading the same speech as the one he presented during his State-of-the-Nation Address, was not a genuine error by officials but a calculated plot by one of the warring factions to expose him (Mugabe) as no longer fit to rule,” the senior Zanu PF official said.
Commenting further on the succession puzzle, the party bigwig said the Constitution of Zimbabwe said if a vacancy arose in the presidency by death, resignation or incapacitation of the incumbent, the political party that was represented by the departing president would have the power to select a replacement within a period of 90 days.
In the interim, the person who was the last acting president would be in charge of the country.
“Recently, the ruling party, in order to comply with the national Constitution resolved that if a vacancy occurs in the office of national president requiring the party to nominate a successor, Zanu PF can hold a congress at the insistence of the secretary for administration,” he said.

ZANU PF national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere and War Veterans minister Christopher Mutsvangwa bashed each other up verbally at the weekend.
ZANU PF infighting degenerated to frightening levels yesterday, with Saviour Kasukuwere and Christopher Mutsvangwa engaging in a bare knuckle verbal fight ahead of the party’s national conference starting in Victoria Falls today.
Kasukuwere demanded Mutsvangwa to account for money that allegedly went missing from the State broadcaster Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) during his tenure as director-general.
He was quoted by the local Newsday daily. Kasukuwere had apparently been angered by Mutsvangwa’s decision to back Bulawayo war veterans’ call for the national commissar’s post to be reserved for freedom fighters.
“He [Mutsvangwa] can go to hell. Why is he harassing us? He has no title deeds for the war he always talks of. He must account for the money he stole at ZBC,” he said during his address at a meetingwhere Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko was guest of honour.
“We will respect him if he stops attacking us. We are not his children. We have worked well with other war veterans before like the late Chenjerai Hunzvi and others. Why should he continue attacking us when we know he is pushing for a succession agenda? I don’t think the war veterans will accept the nonsense he is doing. Let us work together for the good of this country.”
Contacted for comment, Mutsvangwa said the ZBC issue was dealt with by a competent court of law, challenging Kasukuwere to stop abusing the “institution of marriage” by dragging the First Family whenever he is cornered.
“We will always respect the institution of marriage and he is confused and conflating the institution of marriage and that of the State,” he shot back.
“Clarity of mind is an issue with him. For a country where everybody went to school after independence, he was late to go to school unfortunately. In that dragnet of education made possible by President [Robert] Mugabe and war veterans, he gets left out.”
Mutsvangwa said Kasukuwere had failed as a commissar, adding that since the latter assumed the commissar’s post, Zanu PF had experienced a yawning ideology gap.
“There is a crying poverty of institutional memory in the commissariat department,” he said.
Meanwhile, Harare provincial commissar Shadreck Mashayamombe said the province had resolved to rename the Harare International Airport after Mugabe.
Mashayamombe said the party also resolved to have the quota system, a move that would see a woman being included in the presidium.
“We also resolved that everyone who is heard saying down with G40 be expelled from the party because it’s fanning factionalism.
We resolved that any party member who castigates the leadership on WhatsApp or social media be disciplined. We also resolved that Harare International Airport be named after Mugabe like in South Africa where they have the OR Tambo International Airport named after the late African National Congress leader Oliver Reginald Tambo,” he said.(Newsday/Additional Reporting)

Former Zanu PF Mashonaland Provincial chairperson Temba Mliswa says First Lady Grace Mugabe has to stop masquerading as a senior to vice-presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko.
Grace on Friday told Zanu PF supporters in Gutu, Masvingo that she was more powerful than both Mnangagwa and Mphoko by virtue of her being the wife of President Robert Mugabe.
Mliswa said Grace’s utterances claiming to be more powerful than members of the presidium posed a serious threat to the country’s constitution as there was nowhere in the charter describing the roles of a First Lady.
“In fact, the constitution does not even recongnise such a position,” said Mliswa, who is also Youth Advocacy for Reform and Democracy (Yard) chairman.
“The First Lady’s utterances were a clear indication that Zimbabwe will end up having important Cabinet decisions being made in the bedroom. This poses a threat to the constitution.”
Last year, former war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda was fired from Zanu PF after he said he would move to block a “bedroom coup” after Grace started moving around campaigning for the ouster of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru.
Mliswa said the campaign against Mujuru and her subsequent ouster had set a wrong precedence, which was why Grace no longer had respect for the country’s vice-presidents.
“That was not respectful. Remember Mujuru’s husband, the late General Solomon Mujuru single-handedly gave Mugabe the powers under the Mgagao and Chimoio declarations. But look at the way Grace campaigned for his wife’s destruction,” he said.
Yard spokesperson Obert Masaraure concurred with Mliswa saying youths were worried about Grace’s utterances.
“As Yard, we are not happy by a bedroom coup muted by the First Lady. We are worried about the trajectory she is taking the country. We are worried that executive decisions will be made in the bedroom. We say Grace must stop it,” Masaraure said.
“We also urge Zanu PF to whip her into line. She is a threat to democratic structures of the country. The First Lady position is not provided for in the constitution and her utterances could cause a constitutional crisis. We recognise the supremacy of the constitution and what Zanu PF is trying to institute through Grace is a serious constitutional crisis.”
Masaraure also said Grace’s claims that Mugabe would rule the country from a wheelchair showed how much she had no regard for the voters as it is voters that should have the final say on whether or not Mugabe should continue to rule. The Standard

A pastor with National Apostolic Church appeared in court last week charged with fondling his 16-year-old daughter’s breasts and private parts.
The pastor was charged with indecent assault when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Takundwa Mtetwa. He will be back in court on December 10 for trial. Allegations are that from August to November this year the pastor fondled the girl’s breasts and private parts whenever they were alone at home.
He would sometimes commit the offence while the girl’s siblings were asleep in their rooms.
The matter came to light when the girl was assaulted by the pastor after she declined to be abused.
It is alleged that this angered the girl who then revealed the matter to her stepmother, brother and other relatives.
The court heard that the pastor continued assaulting his daughter for exposing him. The girl alerted an uncle and the case was reported to the police leading to the pastor’s arrest.-State Media

A 19-year-old Gweru man is said to have gone berserk last Thursday and stabbed his mother five times in the chest with a kitchen knife, killing her instantly. He also ran over and killed a pedestrian instantly in Norton as he fled to Harare.

Reports are that after he killed his mother, Kudakwashe Ashley Sibanda locked her body in the house, stole her car and went on a drinking spree before fleeing to Harare.
Officer Commanding Gweru District Chief Superintendent Elias Chivandire confirmed the tragic incident.
The mother has been identified as Barbra Sibanda of 11 Stanley Street, Southdowns.
“I can confirm that police in Gweru are investigating a murder case where on December 3 this year a 19-year-old male adult allegedly killed his mother by stabbing her five times on the left side of the chest inflicting deep lacerations. He locked the house and took his mother’s Nissan Bluebird Sedan vehicle and fled to Harare. While on his way he knocked down a pedestrian in Norton and the victim died on the spot,” he said.
Sibanda’s body was discovered by a neighbour on Saturday morning.
“The matter came to light on Saturday when a neighbour and family friend Chounlai Chindanga went and checked on Barbra but found the door locked. He became suspicious and tried calling her but she was not picking up (the calls). He alerted the police who then broke into the house and found Sibanda’s body in the lounge lying in a pool of blood. He informed the police that when he last heard from Barbra she was quarrelling with Kudakwashe,” said Chief Supt Chivandire.
Police launched an investigation and were tipped that the suspect had been spotted in Mbare. They arrested him in the suburb.
“The suspect is in police custody assisting with investigations. He will appear in court soon. The body of the deceased will be taken to Bulawayo for post-mortem tomorrow (today),” he said.
According to neighbours, Kudakwashe often stole money from his mother and went for drinking sprees.
“When he committed the crime he took his mother’s vehicle, went and picked up his girlfriend with whom he attended a series of wild parties. While on the drinking spree Kudakwashe’s girlfriend inadvertently divulged to friends that he had killed his mother. He then went back home and packed his clothes and left for Harare,” said a neighbour who claimed he had earlier attempted to kill his mother with a kitchen knife while she was asleep.
Kudakwashe was actually on bail after stealing $900 from a tenant.
“He dropped out of school last year when he was expelled for stealing at Thornhill High School. He stole money from fellow pupils and also stole teachers’ vehicles, going for joy rides with friends,” added the neighbour.-State Media

The late socialite and patron of the Miss Zimbabwe Trust, Kiki Divaris, has been declared a liberation war heroine.
Mrs Divaris (90) died in the early hours of Saturday morning at the Trauma Centre where she had been hospitalised.
In a statement, the Zanu PF Secretary for Administration, Dr Ignatius Chombo said Mrs Divaris will get a state assisted funeral.
“His Excellency, the President and First Secretary of Zanu PF, Robert Mugabe, has conferred a state assisted funeral to the late Liberation Heroine, Kiki Divaris,” said Dr Chombo.
Speaking to the ZBC News yesterday, family spokesperson, Dimitri Divaris, said the family has suffered a great loss.
The modelling industry has been paying tribute to Kiki, as she was affectionately known, with Miss Zimbabwe Trust chairperson Mrs Marry Chiwenga describing her as a mother, mentor and conqueror who worked hard to make the dreams of young girls come true.
Former Miss Zimbabwe for 2004, Osley Muringai Matsikinyeri says Kiki was a formidable woman, a great mother, respected member of her community and a philanthropist of note.
Kiki, a former Miss Zimbabwe, was one of the most prominent figures of the Greek community in the country.
Mourners are gathered at Number 68 Churchill Avenue in Alexandra Park.
Burial arrangements will be announced in due course.

Zim Scientist and researcher Moses Murandu is in Zimbabwe for a series of seminars.
Murandu whose Medsugar has caused shockwaves across Europe, Russia and America, will be conducting free public seminar sessions at key universities including the University of Zimbabwe, Africa University and ZEGU. He will be sharing his knowledge with his countrymen at the ZEGU university, Bindura (10am, 7th December), University of Zimbabwe, Harare (1-2pm 9th Dec) and African University, Mutare (10am 11th Dec). Posters below:

Hell has broken loose on Former Transport minister Nicholas Goche who has been sucked into the mystery surrounding the disappearance of $3 million belonging to the government-owned Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED).
Goche was last year accused of plotting to kill President Robert Mugabe while siding with Joice Mujuru.
Evidence presented to investigators probing the theft of the money also says the President’s Office knew about Goche’s alleged involvement but made efforts to protect him for political reasons.
Goche is one of the many ministers that were booted out of Cabinet and fired from Zanu PF last year on allegations of plotting to overthrow President Robert Mugabe.
According to documents of a disciplinary hearing which led to the firing of CMED managing director Davison Mhaka this week, the President’s Office knew, through its investigations, that Goche allegedly had a hand in the misappropriation of the money but chose to protect him.
A 470-page document that carries minute detail of the $3 million scandal where government paid for fuel which was never delivered, was obtained by The Standard last week.
According to the document, the government is alleged to have roped in Goodwills Masimirembwa as the parastatal’s board chair sometime in June last year, in an alleged effort to kill incriminating evidence that would have led to the prosecution of senior government officials involved in the matter.
In his evidence during the disciplinary hearing, Mhaka told the committee that he was being sacrificed in the matter after refusing to take orders from Masimirembwa to falsely incriminate fuels manager, one Brian Manjengwa, who was being falsely accused of colluding with First Oil directors to swindle CMED.
Mhaka said Masimirembwa drafted a statement on his behalf with the intention of incriminating Manjengwa on the basis that the latter “was a problem” and ought to go, and when he refused to play ball, Mhaka said: “As a result of that, he was very much irritated, I got a vitriolic letter.”
Asked by his lawyer what efforts he made to establish the whereabouts of the CMED cash, Mhaka said he attempted to meet Mugabe himself.
“I went to a number of offices. I highlighted that I went to the president’s chief secretary’s office,” he said.
“I went to the office of (then Transport) minister Obert Mpofu who had come in….I went to see the director-general again but I couldn’t come up with anything in terms of where exactly the money was.
“I also went to the State House as I highlighted. Well, the first intention was to present my report to his Excellency, the president, but I couldn’t.
“I ended up discussing with the principal director, Dr Tizora, of the State House, who then highlighted some of the issues which disturbed me, which eventually became reality.”
Mhaka said Tizora showed him a copy of a document which had already been authored to the effect that he [Mhaka[ was going to be suspended sometime in August this year and that his suspension would open “a Pandora’s box”.
He added: “Dr Tizora said to me, ‘look, we know what is happening. The information that we have is that the Gula-Ndebele report was meant to protect Nick,’ and then I said to him, ‘who is Nick?’ and then he said to me, ‘Nick refers to former Minister of Transport, the Honourable NT Goche’.”
Efforts to contact Goche for comment were fruitless up to the time of publication.
Asked if he had any indications of where the money was, Mhaka said he had information which he obtained from a businessman, one Nkululeko Sibanda, who sent him a text message saying he had been called by Goche to his farm.
“He went to his farm and when he came back he indicated to me ‘I have been sent to South Africa. Mhaka, South Africa, that’s where your money went’. I did not believe him at that time. On Friday he flew to South Africa,” Mhaka said.
While in South Africa, Mhaka said Sibanda phoned him saying: “I have got the gentlemen who has your money and his name is Daniel Roscheffer.” When he asked him how much it was, Sibanda allegedly said he had seen a statement of $2 360 000.
Mhaka said bearing in mind CMED had transferred $2,7 million, he told Sibanda the money was not the amount they were looking for but he later decided to find out with his office.
“When I was told that it was $2 360 000, I phoned the fuels manager to check the transfer copies and he confirmed to me that what actually went on the telegraphic transfer, the copies from the bank was $2 360 000, I was taken aback,” he said.
Early this year, CMED filed a lawsuit against First Oil and its directors, Maxwell William Katunga, Lynon Gilbert Katunga, Alex Kudakwashe Mahuni, Gavin Allen Katunga, Mhaka and Manjengwa accusing them of swindling the government in a botched fuel deal.
But when the matter was taken to court and in a bid to clear its name, First Oil carried out investigations and established that instead, the cash was allegedly embezzled by ZB Bank, its finance director Phanuel Kapanje and Kiliana Bangure.
“The first defendant [First Oil] hereby prays for a stay of the present action pending the third party joinder of ZB Bank Limited, Phanuel Kapanje and Kiliana Bangure under rule 93 of this court’s rules,” First Oil said in its supplementary heads.
“These persons must indemnify the 1st defendant from any judgement that this court may enter against the 1st defendant.”
In its narration of events, First Oil said prior to the agreement with CMED on the fuel deal, it had never banked with ZB Bank but it opened an account with the financial institution at the instigation of the government-owned institution as the provider of funding in a structured finance arrangement.
The firm said it later transferred, through ZB Bank, $2,7 million into its account with the same bank at the Avondale branch and gave the institution strict instructions not to release the cash to fuel suppliers until given the greenlight to do so, but ZB Bank acted otherwise.
“The first defendant executed an MT 103/23 instruction to ZB Bank Limited to transfer $2 360 000 to Micro Petroleum Inc in Hong Kong as the purchase price of the plaintiff’s diesel consignment. The effect of the instruction was that the bank would not release the money until confirmation of the satisfaction of the terms of the contract covered by the structured finance agreement,” First Oil said.
“ZB Bank Limited deliberately ignored the MT 103/23 requirement to await confirmation of delivery and effected an EFT transfer and immediately effected transfer to Micro Petroleum Inc.”
The firm said ZB Bank allegedly ignored the MT 103/23 instruction because Kapanje and Bangure had an existing arrangement with one Richard David Myburgh of South Africa, “to defraud” First Oil of the funds.
The matter is pending at the High Court.(State Media /Additional Reporting)

• 
• …Simply rolling over to other side of bed straight into Presidential power.
  

First Lady Grace Mugabe is taking over from her husband anytime from now, vivid projections show.
The latest pointers show that after eight rallies across the country’s provinces in a whirlwind campaign, clearly similar to her blitz against ousted Vice-President Joice Mujuru, Grace is now rolling over to the other side of her bed straight into Presidential power.
This comes even though she might not have been prepared for the roller-coaster ride in Masvingo on Friday.
Click on the red spots in map, ZOOM in to peruse the activity data from Grace Mugabe’s rallies:

That rally falls exactly a year after her epic and vitriolic campaign function last year when she denounced former Vice President Joice Mujuru soon before the latter was kicked out of the ZANU PF party.
The moment of truth arrived when Zanu PF women’s league secretary for administration Esphinah Nhari threw the cat among the pigeons. She chanted the slogan, “Pasi neG40” at Grace’s final rally at Mushayavanhu High School in Gutu.
One of Grace’s known enforcers, Sarah Mahoka, would have none of it and demanded that Nhari explain what G40 [a Zanu PF faction believed to be behind Grace’s audacious bid for the presidency] was.
The brawl drew in Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Shuvai Mahofa, who used strong language to reprimand Mahoka.
Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko trained his guns on Nhari, bizarrely claiming that saying there was a G40 faction in Zanu PF was an indirect attack on President Robert Mugabe.
“As a leader, assist the First Lady,” he thundered. “You were so close to disrupting the rally but you have no evidence of what G40 is.”
The televised fracas was probably the first time the simmering war in the women’s league exploded in public since Grace took over from Oppah Muchinguri a year ago.
Her elevation was ostensibly engineered to unite the fractious Zanu PF, as vultures circled over her ageing husband, but the fissures in the women’s league show she has a long way to go.
The divisions have become more pronounced in Manicaland where a faction linked to Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa and another alligned to G40 have left the league paralysed.
University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer Eldred Masunungure said the widening factionalism in the women’s league was an indictment on Grace’s leadership qualities.
“Grace had an ambition to unify the party, but has been betrayed by her manner and style of doing things,” he said.
“She is belligerent, combative and angry, as well as too aggressive in her approach.
“It would have rather been better for her to be diplomatic and not side with any of the factions.”
Grace has tried to dissociate herself from the two factions fighting for control of the party in the post-Mugabe era, but her attacks against war veterans has led to speculation she is backing G40.
Masunungure said Grace had failed to hide her ambitions to succeed Mugabe, hence her inability to unite the Zanu PF factions.
“While she is now trying to claim she has no ambition to lead the party and government, it is too late,” he said.
“The party is now more fractured than it was before she came along.
“Her personality and style is not one of reconciliation and this is why we have seen a further deterioration of the situation.
“Grace has alienated the very constituencies she is supposed to bring together.
“These groups have justifiable interests and she was supposed to play mother to all of them, instead of condemning any of them. She has actually compounded the problem.”
Masunungure said Grace might also have been blinded by growing ambition.
“The problem with power is that once you get a morsel, you want more.
“It is like money, the imperative is to seek for more. It does not agree to the economic imperative of diminishing returns.
“While at the beginning she did not realise the kind of power that was being thrust upon her, as she got along, suddenly there is a realisation that there actually is a launchpad for the ultimate prize.
“However, I think that would be a grave mistake on her part.
“The best she can do is to have a strong say in who takes over after Mugabe. Be the king or queen maker as it were,” he said.
But Harare-based political commentator Takura Zhangazha said Grace’s intention was to stop, not to unite factions.
“I do not think that in the aftermath of the Mujuru debacle, Grace has been more divisive,” he said.
“I think she has just tried to assert her authority as boss of the women’s league on the understanding that she had capacity to influence the direction Zanu PF could take.
“However, there was a danger of negative reaction to such moves by a person who is not the leader of the party.
“But we must admit she has put everyone in Zanu PF on their toes and they are now guarded as regards their quest for power,” Zhangazha said.
He agreed that Grace had largely failed in her mission to unite the ruling party, which has been divided by Mugabe’s reluctance to pass the baton.
“I think her intention was not to unite factions, but to prevent them and then get people to gather around her,” Zhangazha said.
“But because of the statements she has made relating to succession, she indeed has failed in this regard.
“Her toning down is an indication that she has become aware of her limitations.”
Meanwhile, Grace Mugabe has said her husband may choose her as his successor when the 91-year-old leader decides to leave office.
“I cannot be counted out,” Grace (50), told the Masvingo rally. “President Mugabe has the prerogative of choosing his successor.”
Her statement appeared to contradict remarks she made at a November 20 rally that she had no presidential ambitions.
Zimbabwe is scheduled to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in 2018.
Known by her critics as the “First Shopper” and “Gucci Grace,” — owing to her extravagant lifestyle — Grace has built support among the G40 faction because most of them are in their 40s and played no role in Zimbabwe’s war for independence.
Her main adversary in a run for the top job is Mnangagwa, who previously served as State security and Defence minister.
Doubts about Mugabe’s competence increased in September when he read the wrong speech at the opening of Parliament without realising he had delivered the same address a week earlier.
Zimbabwe’s economy is stagnating, with slumping consumer demand pushing the country into deflation and 83% of government expenditure going to civil servant wages.
“Given the level of factionalism in Zanu PF, there is no force strong enough to oust him,” said Mark Rosenberg, Africa director at New York-based Eurasia Group.
“If he doesn’t die in office and he steps down beforehand, he will try to control the process as much as possible and will probably succeed.”
Zimbabwe faces its worst economic crisis since its virtual collapse in 2008, when inflation soared to 500 billion percent, prompting the government to abandon its currency in favour of the use of foreign exchange including the US dollar in early 2009.
Mugabe has become increasingly frail, often needing help to walk. Should he realise his frailty, analysts say, he may decide to empower his wife’s G40 allies, which would still bolster her chances of succeeding her husband.
The lifestyles of members of the G40 group, characterised by mansions and sports cars, make them unpopular in a nation where about 72,3% of the people live on less than $1,25 a day, according to the United Nations Development Programme.
For her part, beyond her husband, Grace must win over the military — a task complicated by the fact that she has no struggle credentials. The military won’t readily contradict Mugabe while he’s alive. — Additional reporting by Bloomberg/Standard

Foreign trips by President Robert Mugabe and his cabinet have gobbled more than US$33 million between January and September 2015 which is more than what has been spent in the same period by key ministries like Industry and Commerce.
The ministries are critical to the revival of the country’ economy ravaged by liquidity constraints, company closures and job losses.
Figures from the 2016 budget statement show that much more is being spent funding Mugabe’s foreign trips compared to what is allocated to economic ministries which should be spearheading the country’s economic revival efforts.
Actual figures of expenditure up to September 2015 outlined in the estimates of expenditure, referred to as the “Blue Book” by Chinamasa, show that Mugabe’s office spent US$33 270 491 on foreign trips, overshooting the budgeted US$27 446 000.
This does not take into account Mugabe’s trips to India, Turkey and most recently France.
This exceeds by almost three times the US$11 817 053 spent by the ministry of Industry and Commerce, a ministry that is expected to spearhead the revival of the manufacturing sector hard hit by low capacity utilisation, which now stands at 34,3%, company collapses and power cuts, during the same period.
Mugabe is known for globe-trotting even when the country is burning. This year, he made several trips to the Far East and within Africa, gobbling millions at a time Treasury is hard-up. Mugabe has among his jaunts been to Japan, Russia, United States, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Algeria and South Africa this year.
What Mugabe spent on foreign trips is nearly 10 times than what the ministry of Mines’ expenditure of US$3 487 584 up to September this year.
The money spent on trips abroad also exceeds that spent by the ministries of Small to Medium Enterprises, Tourism and Transport combined.
The President’s Office spent a total of US$156 621 766 for the first nine months of the year, of which US$10 563 414 was splurged on rentals and hire expenses.
Another US$47 281 627 was spent on goods and services with US$1 811 303 spent on maintenance.
Economist and MDC-T MP for Bulawayo South Eddie Cross said the amount of money spent on foreign travel by Mugabe’s office is disproportionate to meagre funds available which should be channelled to other critical obligations.
“The expenses on travel show an administration which completely cows to the President. Whatever funds the President demands, he gets no matter how much there is available,” Cross said.
He noted that the amount spent on trips is excessive considering how broke the government is as evidenced by their failure to adequately fund vital programmes such as the fight against corruption and the Basic Education Assistance Module, meant to fund the education of under-privileged children.
The failure by government to adequately fund Beam has resulted in thousands of children dropping out of school.
“There is need of a bit of belt tightening by the President but the question is who shall rein him in?” Cross said. Zimbabwe Independent

Grade 7 final examination candidates will soon write more than four subjects under the new education curriculum, which, among other innovations, demands “thorough” aptitude testing.
Multiple choice questions will be reduced, while continuous assessments and practical examination scores will constitute a significant percentage of the final mark.
The curriculum comes aboard in 2016, and the Primary and Secondary Education Ministry has already directed the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council to action it.
This dispensation has Grades 3-7 pupils compulsorily adopting nine key learning areas, among them Physical Education, Mass Displays and Sport, Visual and Performing Arts, Science and Technology and Heritage studies.
Mathematics, English, Ndebele and Shona remain in the mix, with pupils being examined on all learning areas come Grade 7. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora
told The Sunday Mail: “The way examinations are structured will change. We do have expression to what the children are learning and we cannot produce that in four (examined areas).
“Four is what the current curriculum is anticipating. We have given Zimsec the task to look at the framework and see how the exam plan can be worked out. Of course, it will carry a lot of the learner’s profile record, and continuous assessment will be factored
in.”
He continued: “Certainly, there will be broader inclusion; all learning areas will be reflected in the examinations. We have moved a long way from the traditional Grade 7 examinations. If you compare the previous junior school module and the current one, (you will realise) that they are different.
“The current module has expanded. So, we want an examination that assesses these children who are transitioning from junior school to secondary school. The learning areas ought to be examined and none of them are optional. We expect students to be thoroughly examined at the end of the module.”
Dr Dokora said Government wanted to mould all-rounders.
“There is inclusion of Physical Education and Sport, and (pupils) cannot (opt) out. No one will say ‘I am a Science person, therefore, I will not be involved in any sporting activities’.
“We had created a very bad culture for our children; for children to opt out and only those interested in sports will be involved in sport.
“Thus, Sport and Physical Education will be compulsory. Every child must have a sport.”
Respected educationist Professor Caiphas Nziramasanga — who led the 1999 Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Education and Training — said public examinations should be scrapped altogether.
“I do not see any reason for national examinations. I think we should only concentrate on school-based examinations as they are more informative and truer.
“Headmasters and teachers assess students through written assignments, and they know how these students perform. This reflects a better picture of the children’s performance.”
Another educationist, Dr Peter Kwaira, said: “We have a new curriculum that will be introduced soon, thus we need a new way of assessing and examining students. As long as the approach is good, children will not be affected.
“Children of today are flexible due to various technological gadgets that have been introduced into their everyday lives. They are developing at a very fast rate. There shouldn’t be a mismatch between the curriculum and examining methods. Therefore, changing the examination structure is very appropriate.”
From 1990, Zimbabwe has been refining education quality following its massive school expansion programme in the first decade of Independence under the Education For All policy.
The “quality reforms” also focused on curriculum relevance.
In 2014-15, Government primed the primary and secondary school curricula for needs-driven education to prepare learners for life and work.
The approach emphasises Mathematics, Science and Technology, Vocational Training, Humanities and Heritage studies — all compulsory throughout.
This framework is based on the 1999 Nziramasanga Report, which recommended leveraging economic and industrial development through practical subjects.
Part of the report reads, “Many people were not happy with the Grade 7 examinations and
wanted them abolished. In place of such examinations, they suggested that primary schools should provide information on pupils when they go to secondary school.
“This comprehensive profile, to accompany the child to secondary school, should state all the achievements and abilities developed by each child at primary school level. This assessment should not be left to Grade 7.”
It also says: “The Grade 7 examinations should be replaced by comprehensive school-based examinations which are recorded, and accompanied by a comprehensive end of primary school report. Respondents said that a seven-year cycle of education is inadequate on the grounds of the age of the children, and its capacity to equip pupils with useful life skills.
“The Commission believes that every child has a right to this basic education. In the Commission’s view, that nine years of basic education will equip children with literacy, numeracy and practical skills.
‘‘Earliest experiences of learning have immeasurable effects on an individual’s future. If the foundation has deficiencies, it will be difficult to remedy the situation
“. . . The Commission agrees with the arguments advanced by parents and teachers that vocational subjects be re-introduced at the basic education level. Children should spend more time outside the classroom than inside it. That is to say, in addition to literacy and numeracy, there is also need to pay attention to operacy or the skill of doing things.”
Countries like China have similar models prioritising Mathematics, Pure Science, Technology and Gymnastics at primary school level.

Phillip Chiyangwa has won the ZIFA Presidency.

 
TOTAL VOTE TALLY – Click here for the full votes as they are announced live in Harare

P Chiyangwa 40

Trevor Juul 13

James Takavada 1

Lesley Gwindi 2

Indigenisation Minister Patrick Zhuwao was this week drowned down by youths at the City Sports Centre, and could not finish reading his 41-page speech.
This happened as Zhuwao ordered CABS and Old Mutual to institute legal action against youths who benefited from the $10 million government Youth Fund and failed to repay the loans.
Zhuwao gave the order while addressing his First Economic Empowerment Conference in Harare on Thursday.
The minister, who was booed by youths at City Sports Centre, could not finish reading his 41-page speech as rowdy youths kept interfering and hectoring him.
“For the remaining few 2015 days, go to the bank where you borrowed and make payment plans. I am not going to protect anyone who borrowed and is not paying back,” he said.
“I am saying to Lillian (a representative of CABS present at the event), go and tell your bosses that Zhuwao is saying that I am not going to protect any defaulter because they are blocking others from accessing loans.
“Those who are failing to pay back the loans, take them to the courts from January 1, 2016. That is my message to you.”
The $10 million Kurera-Ukondla Youth Fund was first established in 2011 as part of Old Mutual’s indigenisation agreement with the government in an effort to improve levels of unemployment and act as a stimulus to economic growth in the country.
Last week, Zhuwao said government was going to attach properties of the youth fund defaulters. Disbursing institutions say about 97% of the youths who benefited from fund did not pay back.
Out of the $11 million facility, $4,9 million was disbursed to the youths through Old Mutual, but only $1,7 million was repaid. The other $5,1 million has not been accounted for, with the minister unable to shed any light on what happened to the money.
Zhuwao said the whereabouts of the $5,1 million remained unclear, amid suspicion the money could have gone into wrong pockets.
Some of the Zanu PF youths who have failed to repay the money they got from the $10 million Youth Fund, which government secured from Old Mutual, have skipped the country, the fund administrators have said.
There were also reports of corruption in the distribution of the loan facility with some senior Zanu PF members being implicated.
The official from Old Mutual identified only as Lillian who was part of the guest speakers at the First Economic Empowerment Conference, said they were struggling to locate some of the defaulters.
“Some of the challenges we are facing in trying to recover the loans are that some of the beneficiaries have relocated and we are failing to track them. We hear that some have even gone out of the country,” she said.
She confirmed that most of the beneficiaries abused the funds.
“Some diverted the loans to other projects and they are failing to service their loans,” she said.

By Tinoonga Mawere, Gutu|CIO agents ordered School Bus Drivers to ferry Zanu PF to and from Grace Mugabe’s rally at Mushayavanhu High School yesterday.
School bus drivers were left stranded having travelled long distances to the venue.
The bus drivers told ZimEye.com yesterday they were grounded at the venue hoping to be given fuel coupons as reimbursement for the expenses incurred but they were rudely told by state agents to wait for further consultations. Some of the schools that own the buses are Dewure, Gutu High Alheit, Mupandawana, Mukaro Mission and Mutero.
Mrs Mugabe’s rallies have chewed up thousands of dollars at a time the country ‘s economy is crumbling with each passing day. Such schools are also operating on stringent budgets due to the harsh economic conditions. One school bus driver yesterday said around 7pm they were still waiting for the fuel coupons.
“We are still waiting for the coupons and we are now confused. We were instructed to ferry Zanu PF supporters to and from the rally but now we are still waiting for the coupons. We used school resources to transport the Zanu PF supporters and we are now fearing for the worst,”said a bus driver who spoke on condition of anonymity.
While everything at the rally appeared to be glamorous, it has emerged Mrs Mugabe’s rally has left several institutions battling with arrears as a result of costs incurred before and during the rally. It has also been reported Gutu Central Constituency MP Lovemore Matuke who is a businessman, went into overdrive and donated several crates of soft drinks and beer in a bid to please Mrs Mugabe.
The First Lady has been accused of being insenstive to the plight of thousands of suffering Zimbabweans and she has also been lambasted for her penchant for expensive shopping.

Sexually Transmitted Infections have skyrocketed in the country’s universities with over  35 %  students engaging in promiscuity.
Report by NewZimbabwe.com
Research carried out by the Students and Youth Working on reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT) in June at four local universities established that students were indulging in sex despite limited access to contraceptives.
It was also established that despite the high numbers of STIs at these institutions, access to treatment for the infections and ARV therapy was limited at just 20 percent.
The research further noted that there was no provision of Post Exposure Prophylaxis which is given to victims of rape so that they do not contract HIV or get pregnant.
“There were not ART initiation, no post rape care, no post abortion care services as well as cervical cancer screening and control,” reads the report.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com SAYWHAT official, Tawanda Nyamangara, said government and parents should come to terms with the fact that youths are indulging in sex.
“This is happening in colleges and universities, and there is need for stakeholders to double their effort if we are to save the lives of this key population,” he said.
“The problem we have also discovered is that there is no comprehensive information on sexuality in tertiary education which we think is crucial to this sexually active age group.
“In some cases condoms are available in college hospitals but students cannot access them because they feel embarrassed to do so.”
 

First Lady Grace Mugabe has announced that she is senior to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

ALSO READ – Grace Confirms Presidential Shoot State Media – First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe yesterday corrected media reports that insinuated she had said Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa was her senior. Responding to a headline that appeared in The Herald when she addressed a rally in Mberengwa last week, Amai Mugabe said while she had great respect for Vice Presidents Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, the pair was not senior to her.
She said this while addressing thousands of people at Mushayavanhu High School in Gutu during her ninth rally to connect with the people. The First Lady has been to all the provinces save for Bulawayo. “I said I respect VPs Mphoko and Mnangagwa and I did not say they are my seniors,” Grace said.
“There are some mischievous people in the media industry. (The) Herald, what is it that you wrote that VP Mnangagwa is my senior? I never said that. I said he has more experience in politics than me. It does not mean the First Lady is below the VP.”
She added: “I said I just got into Zanu-PF and the fact that I said that does not mean I am lower than someone. I am the wife of the President. I humble myself and respect the people. VP Mphoko I refer to him as my father because he is our Vice President, but despite the fact that I call him father, he knows my position that I am the wife of their leader. It is my right, and even in the Politburo that’s why I seat at the front.”
At the Mberengwa rally, Mugabe said she had a lot to learn from VP Mnangagwa in politics and the pair enjoyed cordial relations.
She was responding to a spirited campaign in the private media that sought to cast her nationwide rallies as a pitch for one of the VP posts, ostensibly VP Mnangagwa’s, at Zanu-PF’s 15th Annual National People’s Conference that begins in Victoria Falls on Monday.

By Tinoonga Mawere, Gutu | Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s absence at First Lady Grace Mugabe’s rally at Mushayavanhu High School has all but confirmed the perceived bad blood between the two Zanu PF heavyweights.
Mnangagwa whose key stronghold is the Masvingo Province, was expected to attend the rally but he was nowhere to be seen. Mrs Mugabe was accompanied by Vice Phelekezela Mphoko -who is now viewed as the First Lady’s apologist, Saviour Kasukuwere and other several senior Zanu PF officials .
While Mnangagwa bunked the much touted rally,there were fresh claims that Mrs Mugabe did not donate the plastic shoes she dished out at the rally but rather used funds raised by the Fushai Women’s project. Grace only ordered the shoes from China using the raised funds, reports say.
As usual Grace donated 200 tonnes of maize,180 tonnes of fertilisers ,3400 litres of cooking oil ,320 kgs washing soap and 268 pairs of plastic shoes allegedly bought using Fushai funds. The First Lady attacked Zanu PF politicians for bribing journalists to peddle falsehoods against her -a statement directed at her political foes -including her alleged nemesis Mnagagwa .
She also attacked NGOs for being used by Western countries to advance imperialist ideologies in the country.
“When NGOs come tell them to remove sanctions and not just bring food. Tell them that you want to work for yourself. The west assumed that if industries close down people would turn against President Mugabe. We know that some top Zanu PF officials are also paying journalists to write falsehoods and we will face and you have to explain yourself,” said Mrs Mugabe .
Fresh evidence has pointed out Mrs Mugabe only facilitated the purchasing of the plastic shoes and did not donate the goodies .
The First Lady’s call on the villagers to snub relief food from NGO has angered the local community since there is looming starvation in the area .

By Sydney Barson | Church leaders have added their voice to the current 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based violence campaign by committing themselves to living as positive role models, leading by example, educating their congregants and using the pulpit for religious activism.
Speaking at the just ended 3 day workshop held in the sleepy town of Lupane, Mrs. Polite Matibiri Gender and Women’s ministries focal person at the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ) said the workshop was organised to take a closer look at GBV “using the transformation and
restoration used by Jesus” Christ.
“Our christian response to Gender is grounded in and motivated by the word of God. As followers of Christ we want to be God’s representatives and respond to God’s calling to you as his children,” said Matibiri.
The 16 days campaign runs annually from November 25 to December 10.
The workshop was organised by Channels of Hope, a program of Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe and UDACIZA in partnership with World Vision Zimbabwe. It is operational in 10 districts spread over Midlands, Masvingo, Matebeleland North and South provinces.
The workshop comes barely a week after Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa’s widely criticized 2016 Budget Statement where he allocated more resources to the Defence, CIO and the police while giving a paltry to gender and women’s affairs.