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.

Hoardes of armed police officers Thursday morning stormed Chinyamukwakwa village in Chisumbanje and terrorised villagers for allegedly stealing a GPS car gadget belonging to businessman and Zanu PF apologist, Billy Rautenbach who owns Green Fuel, a local ethanol producing company.
The allegedly stolen GPS device costs no more than $80.
According to villagers, the raid happened at 0300hrs when everyone was asleep.
“Their first port of call was at Mr Muchatiroto Mashava where they demanded everyone out of their houses as they searched everywhere for GPS,”said one of the the villagers.
“In the process they handcuffed him and one of his sons Gondai Mashava accusing the two of plotting to destroy Green Fuel properties”.
They said the police found nothing from Mr Mashava’s and proceeded to another homestead which belongs to one Mr Bhebhe where they did the same and again found nothing.
The villagers said they believe that the move was an intimidation meant to frustrate their efforts of resisting the existence of Green Fuel which has encroached into their land.
Rautenbach displaced more than 1 700 households with an estimated 10 000 members from their traditional 10 00 hectares of land.
The businessman said he needed 45 000 hectares for cane production when the factory is at full capacity, suggesting that the land grab will continue.

President Robert Mugabe’s trusted apologist Aeneas Chigwedere was allegedly caught dabbling with so called “Satanic goblins”.
The Former Education Minister and erstwhile Mashonaland East Governor is being sued by his son for allegedly practising witchcraft and possessing goblins that have reportedly terrorised the whole clan.According to papers filed at the Harare Civil Courts by his son Magwiza Chigwedere yesterday, the erstwhile minister has reportedly caused untold suffering to his children and the extended family.
Also being sued is his wife Emilia Zharare Chigwedere, stepmother to Magwiza. The Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (Zinatha) has also been cited as a third respondent. Magwiza wants Zinatha to use its expertise to rid the family of the goblins.
“This is an application Applicant makes against the respondents in terms of Sections 97 (a) (1), 98 (2) of Chapter V of the Code and Sections 16 (1), 19 (1), 2 (c), 3 (b) (ii) and 20 (1) (e), Section 83 (b)(c) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.20) Act 2013 for indulging in non natural and uncultural practices to instil fear in family members, cause injury and or death, cause disease and or disability and condemn the said family members to abject poverty.
“The facts I depose of to hereunder are to the best of my knowledge true and correct reflections of what has transpired and still transpires,” said Magwiza in his founding affidavit. He accused his father and stepmother of possessing goblins which they allegedly unleash on other family members.
Magwiza alleges the victims are fleeing Hwedza for refuge elsewhere.
“First and second respondents — Aeneas Chigwedere and Emilia Zharare Chigwedere — possess goblins which have created untold hardships within the Chigwedere clan resulting in many clan members adopting different nomenclature to avoid association with first and second respondents or to flee their roots in Hwedza to unknown destinations hoping the goblins will not catch up with them. All this in futility.”
Adds Magwiza: “First respondent is also in possession of two pieces of ivory on one of which names of clan existing, and family members and those deceased are inscribed in pencil. The one with names has been concealed and only the blank one remains now.” Magwiza alleged the Chigwedere clan has lost a number of members because of the actions of his father.
“Female members of our clan cannot marry or if they do, many do not conceive. Some have been married for 17 years but have failed to find the fecundity during such a long period, no matter how hard they try consultatively. Those who conceive remain in the clan as wives of the goblins. Broken homes, broken marriages, lost dreams, lost lives,” he alleged.
Magwiza further claims his father performs bizarre and fiendish rituals on other family members’ offspring. The former minister allegedly sits the relatives “on reed mats, getting them to hold crookedly carved wands and getting them to gulp the brew”.
“Due to the quasi-supernatural powers vested in him by the goblins and his physical presence and stature, First respondent gathers the whole clan at his residence, fills a dish with porridge concocted with herbs. First respondent then makes deep cicatrices (nyora) on the little finger of each and everyone present drop blood and then scoop the porridge and eat it using that bleeding little finger. This was done in order of seniority down to those little ones who were still being breastfed. At every end he remained with a dish full of blood droppings from everybody present,” claimed Magwiza.
He accuses his father of performing numerous strange rituals annually “on the pretext that those are done to appease our ancestral spirits — yet in fact they are done to please the goblins.”
“Thereafter we experience incessant health problems — inexplicable physical pain, headaches, leg and back pains, tedium, weight loss, lack of sleep and dementia as those in Kambuzuma who are indeed a sorry sight,” said Magwiza.
He claims his father threatens to kill anyone who dare challenges him over the matter.
“First and Second respondents are calculatingly very cruel and deceitful to the point of deriving excitement in the destruction of their family and members of the clan. The name Chigwedere — though synonymous with affluence in its provenance, Hwedza, is in effect fraught with disasters for everyone else except the First and Second respondents.”
Magwiza further alleges that his father because of the power vested in him by the goblins, is capable of “domineering everyone in which ever way his prowess in unnatural and spiritual allows him to.” He said Chigwedere was an expert on tradition and culture and twists all acceptable cultural norms to suit his “dark designs”.
“This is the reason why third respondent’s (Zinatha) expert involvement is required — to engage the said goblins into agreeing to leave the family at whatever charge they demand in monetary terms.” Magwiza is seeking an order stopping his father from indulging in uncultural practices designed “to be detrimental to the well-being of his offspring, immediate family and clan members.”
He also wants an order directing Chigwedere “to send off all the goblins in their possession by paying all the charges the said goblins shall demand as per culture.” Magwiza wants the court to force Chigwedere and his wife to allow traditionalists and apostolics unhindered access to their homestead.
He wants the director general of Zinatha to appoint three traditionalists and two apostolic prophets with unquestioned expertise “to successfully conduct the send off ceremony referred to in paragraph 3 above in the presents of family and clan members available”.

By Tinoonga Mawere Gutu | Teachers and pupils here were yesterday ordered to remain at their respective schools and hurriedly craft impressive traditional dance stunts for First Lady Grace Mugabe.
The affected primary schools are Mushayavanhu, Mabugu and Magadzire respectively. The traditional dances will be performed live on ZBC TV  to add flavour to Mrs Mugabe’ s rally.
A teacher at Mushayavanhu Primary School told ZimEye.com teachers and pupils were forced to remain at the school to polish up their performances ahead of Grace’s rally.
The teachers and pupils have been ordered to extend the school term by at least another day since schools in Zimbabwe have now been officially closed. The pupils were made to endure a full night away from their homes so to perfect their dances for Grace Mugabe.
“We had to cancel our holiday trips because we have to remain at school to lead the rehearsals as well as the actual performances tomorrow(Friday).It is unfortunate pupils will be detained over political matters. It is also our right to go and rest since the school term has officially ended,” the female teacher who chose not to be named told ZimEye.com
In other provinces Grace has also reportedly disrupted normal lessons during the school term and teachers and pupils have been force-marched to her whirlwind rallies.

Binga Rural District Council chief executive officer, Joshua Muzamba, has reportedly been staying in a lodge since his appointment in 2012, draining thousands of dollars from the already cash-strapped local authority.
Kabuba Ward 17 councillor, Themba Munkombwe (MDC-T), claimed that when Muzamba was employed as council boss in 2012, he stayed at Stand Stone Lodge and later moved to another one close to Rest Camp, where council is forking out $800 every month in rentals.
“Since 2012 up to now, the CEO stays in a lodge with council paying the bills. The documentation to that effect has been hidden,” the councillor claimed.
“The conduct of the CEO when discharging his duties is very unfair and partisan since he is a central committee member of Zanu PF. He is furthering the interests of a political party instead of focusing on development.”
Munkombwe said the CEO allocated himself stands adjacent to Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority offices and Kulizwe Lodge without councillors’ consent.
He also accused Muzamba of failing to implement council resolutions that were not in his favour.
Muzamba declined to comment yesterday, referring all questions to council chairperson, Dube Munkombwe.
“I am just a council employee, I cannot comment on those issues, you better call council chairman,” Muzamba said.
Contacted for comment, the council chairman yesterday accused his namesake of breaching council procedures, by taking the matter to the Press before exhausting internal remedies.
“The council is renting a house for the CEO. It’s not a lodge, but a house which is owned by the late Nkululeko Sibanda,” Dube said.
“Munkombwe is not being honest by claiming the house is a lodge. We, as council, lost a case against the former late CEO Shadreck Mudimba, whom we failed to pay some benefits and his family has remained in the council house to date.”
Dube said when they hired the new CEO, they had no option but to rent a house for him.
“Munkombwe should have moved a motion at a council meeting that he is not happy about council renting a house for the CEO and we would see if the rest of the councillors support his motion,” he said.
“It’s the duty of council to accommodate the CEO and if they feel it’s not right then the council has to give him that $800 so that he finds accommodation on his own.”
Binga has 23 MDC-T and two Zanu PF councillors.-SouthernEye

There was drama when a senior public prosecutor at Bulawayo’s Tredgold Magistrates court was arrested for demanding a bribe from a man accused of raping his daughter.
Mr. Vincent Shava was arrested during a sting operation after the suspect reported him to the police.
Paul Nyathi, National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent yesterday spoke on the development. “I can confirm that police are conducting investigations following the arrest of acting regional public prosecutor for Bulawayo Vincent Shava. He was arrested on allegations of criminal abuse of office,” he said.
He however, declined to disclose further details, saying he did not want to compromise investigations.
Sources alleged Shava had demanded a bribe claiming that he was responsible for convincing the man’s daughter to withdraw the rape case.
“Shava is the one who handled the case when it came to court. A girl had accused her father of raping her. However, she withdrew the case as she admitted that she had lied that she was raped,” said the source.
The source said Shava demanded $300 for ‘his services’.
“The suspect paid $100 and was left with a $200 balance. Shava was pestering the suspect to give him the remaining money. The exonerated suspect reported the matter at Hillside Police Station,” added the source.
The source said a trap was set for Shava on Wednesday afternoon leading to his arrest.
“The case was reported at Hillside peace intelligence where serial numbers for bank notes were recorded. The suspect handed the money to Shava in the city at about 1PM,” said the source.
Prosecutors are agents of the Prosecutor General and represent the interests of the general public in the criminal justice system.
They also have a duty to act in a way that strikes a fair balance between the competing interests of convicting the guilty, protecting citizens’ rights and freedoms and protecting the public from criminals
Shava’s arrest come a year after his predecessor was arrested and jailed on similar allegations.
Admire Chikwayi, who was the regional prosecutor is serving an 18-month sentence for criminal abuse of office.
Chikwayi, 31, solicited a $300 bribe from a complainant in a fraud case.
Police used the same modus operandi to set a trap for Chikwayi.(State Media/Additional Reporting)

The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) has lodged an appeal advocating for the cancellation of admission of guilty fines which 16 of our members were made to pay after being arrested during a peaceful march on the 13th of November 2015.
We held a peaceful march in the CBD on Friday the 13th of November 2015 in our quest to hand over a petition at the Parliament. This led to the unfortunate arrest of 16 of our members all of them females while some managed to escape arrest but we were badly beaten by the truncheon armed police officers. The 16 who were arrested were detained at Harare Central Police Station for a night were some heartless police officers denied them access to medical treatment irrespective of the fact that they were visibly injured as a result of the brutal beatings orchestrated by the police officers.
After one night detention the 16 arrested were made to pay US$20.00 fine each something which they did with a heavy heart because it was against their will but circumstances which were prevalent at that moment forced them to oblige.
It is against such a sad background that we have seen it fit to seek the cancellation of the admission of guilty fines because it remains clear that our members were and are not guilty of any case. Our members only paid the fines not that they were guilty but simply because they had no better option but rather do something that would allow them to seek immediate medical attention. It is an open secret that all of them were in serious pain yet they were denied medical attention in the cells hence like any other human being in bid to serve their lives, the payment of fine was the only option that would allow them to be released so as to seek medical attention something which was a crucial necessity at that time following the brutality at the hands of the police station.
We would like to categorically state that the march was a peaceful one hence it was a justifiable cause even up to now. We were simply exercising our freedom to demonstrate and petition as clearly enshrined in the national Constitution under section 59. With this we profoundly believe that the arrests were unlawful, more so the brutality and detention
were indeed uncalled for hence we feel we can’t continue folding our hence in the face of this wicked machination.
Up to date it remains unjustifiable and baffles our minds on the reason why our members were arrested when they were acting in accordance with the Constitutional provisions. It also leaves a lot to be desired when we try to think the reason why armed police ruthlessly pounced at our innocent members who were only armed with placards carrying simple and clear messages.
In the meantime we have instructed our Lawyer Obey Shava to appeal to the Officer in Charge (Law and Order) to cancel the admission of guilty fines as soon as possible, failure of which we will not hesitate to take further steps with our legal legs to ensure that justice prevails. We are glad that our Lawyer has since written a letter which has already been served to the Officer in Charge citing all the injustices they are presiding over, we are waiting to hear from them before we take another step. We are prepared to sue the state once and for all because we strongly feel it is now high that the continued violation of human rights that has been existing in our country since time immemorial immediately comes to an end.
Statement issued by:
Tererai Obey Sithole

State Live Updates of Grace Mugabe’s Mat South rally.
1322: Dr Grace has donated sugar, 2000 kgs of soap, 1800 litres of cooking oil, 10 soccer kits for secondary school, 30 footballs, 30 netballs, 6 tractors, 40 knapsacks, Compund D fertiliser, 27 tonnes of cotton seed, 6 food hampers for the Chiefs, 100 litres worth of fuel coupons for each chief
1312: “The fourth one is Value Addition and Beneficiation…I think the clusters are not enough though because some of the agreements signed with the Chinese don’t quite fit in the four clusters. There must be clarity. Government doesn’t want us to mine our minerals and not add value to those minerals. It is now law that minerals should be beneficiated.
Here you have wild fruits like the Baobab instead of just plucking that fruit from the tree you can actually make juice from that fruit. There is an Italian company that wants to come help us breed amancimbi so that we rear them throughout the year instead of just waiting for their season to come.”
1300: “The third one is the Utilities and Infrastructure cluster that looks at such areas power generation and for the irrigation infrastructure to work properly we need power and currently we are facing power shortages. Amongst the agreements signed between President Mugabe and President Xi are agreements that will see the rehabilitation of Hwange Thermal Power Station that will add 600MW to the national grid.
“These are important things that are being done buy our Government, this cluster is the one that talks of irrigation cluster. There are tractors coming from China, Brazil and Belarus and these are going to those with irrigation schemes only and others will get later. This cluster includes roads as well and the agreements included the rehabilitation of our roads and airport as well as the building of a new Parliament building. Buses will also soon be assembled locally.”
1252: “This area is good for livestock and Government is buying cattle in order to supplement the national herd. President Mugabe has the Presidential Input programme in which he gives us inputs. President Mugabe wants us to live well.
The other cluster is Social Services, the whole country had one university at independence and the Government cares for human capital development. This cluster also deals with health and the Chinese will build a warehouse to stock medicines. They also helped us with digilisation. I saw it here you have an information centre, an informed society is an empowered society.”
1245: “This area is drought prone that’s why Government set up irrigation schemes like the one being doine here by ARDA. We want to see more schemes like this happening. Yes we were the breadbasket of this Southern Africa region and if we do these schemes properly we shall return to that pinnacle.
“Some of you got farms and your Government saw it fit that it looks for implements that can work on such large tracts of land. This is to mshow you that even though times are hard they had to ensure that they fulfill their promises.”
1241: “ZimAsset is a programme that has been well thought out. Under this programme, the President and his lieutenants came up with four clusters and one of that cluster is Food Security and Nutrition…all of here we are soldiers of this country and must work for this country but for you to execute your role you must be well fed with nutritious food.
Government saw it fit that they approach friendly countries like China, Russia, Brazil and Belarus and you know the President went to China last year on a State visit and i had the privilege of accompanying him. He went with the ZimAsset programme and asked for their help. He spoke to Brazil as well. I’m explaining this because there are others that come here and lie that we can’t implement this programme.”
1235: “You can see with Tsvangirai’s ways. When he was made prime minister he saw it as a chance for him to womanise. Don’t waste your time with such people because there are people who still believe the MDC will save the nation. They only come towards election time and they never say what they are doing for the people.
“They laughed when President Mugabe launched the Look East policy but today those who mocked the President for looking East, they are now the same ones going to the East with their begging bowls. Mugabe knew what he was doing because during our struggle for independence we went to China for assistance and we managed to accomplish our mission.”
1230: “Now you should tell them that we don’t want your food. Tell them to open doors for foreign investment because we want to take care of ourselves. We know we were given this country by God and know that we have leaders and a party, Zanu-PF, that we follow and if you love us make it possible for us to leave a legacy for our future generations.
“Morgan Tsvangirai personally called for sanctions and you wonder what kind of a leader is he that wants to people to suffer. It’s just like when you were courting your wife, you didn’t beat her up first for her to love you. You approached her in a courteous way and convinced her.”
1223: “That’s why the British helped in starting the MDC so that it competes against Zanu-PF which they could not infiltrate through the use of money. You saw many people joining the MDC because they thought the MDC would bring the desired development yet they were lied to. I’m happy that with the passage of time people have realised that the MDC is not a homegrown party but are puppets of the West.
“Yes we may have people who are unemployed and other failing to take care of their families but we should not forget especially here in Matabeleland South where Dr Nkomo hails from. We may struggle, yes, but the country is ours and we should remember that we should take heed of our actions today as well as their impact on the future generations. I say this because there are NGOs who come and donate foodstuffs yet they don’t provide the means for you to sustain yourselves.”
1215: “The war was not fought for independence only but for the land as well so our Government led by Zanu-PF saw that the time had come for people to get land for them to farm and saw it fit to take back the land which the British did not like and led the West in imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe. These sanctions are meant to hurt the people so that they perceive their Government as incapable of running the country.”
1213: “We are saying this so that we remember the sacrifice that brought our nation. We say this so that all the time we have respect for the fighters of the liberation struggle. We are happy today in Zimbabwe because of these people that brought independence. We have them here the like of Moyo and Mohadi…who others claim to be wealthy but they are not but are people who sacrificed a lot for the country’s independence”
1209: She says Zanu-PF got all 13 constituencies in the 20113 elections and would like to thank the people of the province. She says it could not have happened either way because this is an important province from which Father Zimbabwe, Dr Joshua Nkomo hails from. She says the unity brought about by Dr Nkomo should remain so that his soul rests in peace.
“Dr Nkomo is one of the biggest heroes that led Zimbabwe to freedom. He struggled in his life for Zimbabwe to gain independence.”
1200: Dr Grace Mugabe is now making her address.
1157: Kasukuwere has invited the First Lady to address the gathering.
1155: Kasukuwere the reasons behind the First Lady’s countrywide tour saying she never started her philanthropic activities when she became First Lady or chairperson of the Women’s League but before. He also says Dr Mugabe is in Matabeleland South to thank the people for the support they give to President Mugabe.
1134: Zanu-PF national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere is the Master of Ceremony. He is now introducing members of the Politburo on stage as well as ministers present. Some of the ministers present include Kembo Mohadi, Simon Khaya-Moyo, Abednico Ncube and Thokozile Mathuthu.
1116: The First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe is in Maphisa, Matabeleland South, as part of her countrywide tour in which she has been addressing thousands of Zanu-PF supporters as part of the Women’s League rallies.

Under Robert Mugabe’s administration, the National AIDS Council says they are going to accommodate gays and sex workers in the country’s HIV programming to curb the further spreading of the pandemic.
This was announced by NAC Chief executive Dr Tapuwa Magure to gays who are attending the 2015 International Conference on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in Africa (ICASA) in Harare.
Magure said “We are not going to discriminate anyone in HIV programming”.
“Although we have managed to reduce HIV prevalence in general from 29% in 2007 to the current 14% prevalence in key populations’ remains higher and this calls for action from government,”   Magure told Gays, sex workers and Women who have Sex with Women.
Magure said they have scaled up the number of people living with HIV on treatment to slightly above 900 000.
Zimbabwe has 1.4 million people who are living with HIV and still struggles to place all of them on treatment.
The country depends on donor funding for AIDS treatment on top of a 3% AIDS levy it deducts from formal workers.
Government is planning to levy the informal sector as a way of augmenting the dwindling AIDS funding.

A Bulawayo man who was recently acquitted of attempted murder and rape, was dragged to court for indecently assaulting his sister-in-law.
Edson Phiri, 31, of Sizinda suburb appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Abednico Ndebele for indecently assaulting his 37 year old sister-in-law. He allegedly lowered his trousers and rubbed his manhood against her backside, while she was talking on the phone with his wife.
Phiri was not asked to plead and Ndebele remanded him in custody to December 8.
He pleaded not guilty. “I never committed the offence I’m being accused of by my sister- in-law,” said Phiri.
Prosecuting, Mufaro Mageza said on November 24, 2015 at around 2PM the woman was at home with Phiri and his nephew.
“Whilst the complainant was in the dining room talking to the accused person’s wife on the phone, accused person came from behind and held her by the waist with his pants down to his knees. Accused person rubbed his penis on the complainant’s buttocks,” said Mageza.
In April this year, Phiri- dubbed the blood hunter- appeared in court for allegedly attempting to rape a 66-year-old woman at Ingozi Mine Squatter Camp in Bulawayo. He allegedly cut the woman with a knife on the throat before stabbing her in the chest and abdomen.
Yesterday, he told prosecutors he was acquitted of the crime.

The striking doctors have gone back to work bringing sanity to Premier Services Medical Investments hospitals and clinics,after the parent company, Premier Services Medical Aid Society,injected $5 million earlier this week.
Since November 23 when doctors and other staff downed their tools overunpaid salaries going beyond five months, business had been affected at the PSMI hospitals and clinics .
The arrears built up due to outstanding money owed to PSMAS by the Government. The situation improved after Government paid part of the debt and PSMAS forwarded the money to PSMI as part of clearing its own debt to its subsidiary. A visit to some of the PSMI clinics in Harare yesterday showed that the workers were going about their duties as normal.
PSMI said in a statement that workers at its clinics across the country had resumed duty. “PSMI is pleased to inform its valued stakeholders that our practitioners are back at work,” said the firm. “Management and staff have reached an understanding that they resume their work while we work round the clock to address their grievances.

Grace Mugabe’s cyclonic rallies have made a Masvingo turn and she is now to address a rally at Mushayavanhu Business Centre in Gutu District.
She is expected to meet thousands of Zanu-PF supporters at the venue as it has been the pattern in other provinces across the country she visited recently.
Mr Ronald Ndava who is the Masvingo Zanu PF spokesperson confirmed Mugabe’s visit and said preparations for the rally, which is expected to be attended by many people from all the districts, are at underway.

He  went to say people will be transported to the venue by buses which have already been mobilised. Mr Ndaba urged people to come in big numbers to meet the First Lady and be able to share their problems with her.
Grace Mugabe, in many places that she held her rallies,she blamed those party members who are causing problems and dividing the party.
 

Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko was on Monday kicked out of the Presidential suite at the expensive Rainbow Towers hotel.
The controversial CIO agent was pushed down to a smaller diplomatic enclosure after President Robert Mugabe indicated the visiting Chinese President needed the Presidential suite.
The move came as activists protesting Mphoko’s immediate removal from the hotel, were released by police on the same day.
Mphoko, the second of Zimbabwe’s two vice presidents, checked into the hotel on December 14, 2014.
Govt has since blown at least $151 000 on bed and breakfast to date.
The revelation comes as government claimed it wanted to cut costs and was already carrying out staff and pensioner audits, the report said.
In March, the vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, defended Mphoko saying the government was still constructing his house.
Mnangagwa had been asked in parliament to explain why Mphoko was staying in a hotel.
“VP Mphoko’s house is being constructed and once painting is finished, he will stay there,” Mnangagwa was quoted as saying at the time.
Mnangagwa also hinted at the time that the government house being used by ex-prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai could not be occupied by Mphoko as it did not befit his status.
This was after a suggestion that Mphoko could move into the house used by Tswangirai since the former PM had left government.
Media reports in January indicated that Mphoko’s wife, Laurinda rejected three houses, among them, a mansion in Harare’s affluent suburb of Ballantyne Park worth $3m (R41.8m), claiming that it was too small for a person of the VP’s stature.
The Mphokos, the reports reveal have also refused to move into a house left by the late vice president Joseph Msika in Harare’s leafy suburb of Mandara, saying they wanted a house of their own, not the one vacated by others.

Five activists and friends of abducted activist Itai Dzamara arrested for protesting against Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko’s hotel blow on Monday, have been released.
The fearless five are calling for Mphoko’s immediate exit from the Rainbow Towers hotel where he has blown over $152,000 of taxpayer money to date.
They were Wednesday afternoon released without any conditions and their court appearance cancelled after spending two nights at the Central Police station.
The activists are Dirk Frey, Tendai Tendayi, Lynnette Mudehwe, Irvin Takavada, Elvis Mugari, and Tonderai Chigumbu.
The police had attempted to use Section 46 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act.
Meanwhile, commenting on the development before their release,the DARE Youth Movement said it demands the immediate freedom of our youth leaders arrested for demonstrating against abuse of state resources by government executive officials.Indeed the extravagance of government leaders does not reflect the dire state of our economy. The opulence and grandeur of Zimbabwe elite is in fact criminal in the face of starvation and poverty among Zimbabweans. Our hospitals are short of drugs and equipment with a dire medical staff remuneration discord. That a vice president would acrue a bill of more than two million dollars on hotel fees is surely the worst insult to Zimbabweans.DARE political party condemn the selfish, looting mentality of Robert Mugabe, Phekezela Mphoko and Emmerson Mnangagwa.
We are equally astounded that the police who are lacking in resouces to police the state for lack of budgetary support brutally crush demonstrations. In fact the requirement to notify police is an unjust requirement flying in the face of freedom. Faced with a crisis of mammoth proportions, it is pathetic that Zanu Pf decides to fight democracy by silencing the demand for just expenditure. We can not continue to be pushed into state debt through negligence and corruption.We are concerned that Ziscosteel and some state companies are folding for lack of resources. Indeed we are moving into a new era where we can not accept abuse of office and state resources for party or personal whims. The same situation happened during the constitutional commission with Jonathan Moyo spending nearly a year at the Rainbow Towers at the expense of the state. Indeed we must remind the executive arm of government that Zimbabwe is poor and can not sustain their opulence hence the peacefull request for the present government to step down forthwith.They have failed to create wealth yet spend whatever little is coming through high taxes. We call upon the people of Zimbabwe to demand the immediate release of DARE cde’s and friends.We categorically warn that looting will not be tolerated in our impoverished nation.Once again we hasten to call and invite Zimbabweans to action against the Zanu Pf regime. We ask for cancellation of the RBZ bill and the takeover of private or corporate debts by the state where there is proven recklesness of resources.We ask for the auditor general’s report to be investigated throughly by an independent body to get to the bottom of missing $5 billion gvt funds.We are clear that awarding without procurement process Nikuv Projects a tender to clandestinley run elections in Zimbabwe in 2013 is a crime that must be answered. We indeed ask why George Charamba is still in government when he was fingered in the PSMAS scandal.We are stupefied why David Kajese Parirenyatwa is still a minister of health despite looting the PSMAS fund and creating new terminology to cover up stealing.It is time we stand up for democracy and freedom of expression and speech.We once again call on the police to desist from brutal crackdowns on opposition supporters.It is clear that repression and suppression will not deter our struggle for democraticaly restored and empowered Zimbabwe.Aluta Continua

There was drama at the Zvishavane Magistrate’s Court when a man who wanted to justify his reason for severely assaulting his former wife almost pulled out his private parts to show the magistrate the scars that had been caused on it by the former who had pulled it.
Ralph Black (34) said he did not just assault his former wife but the two were fighting. To prove that they were fighting he wanted the magistrate to see bruises caused on his private parts by Delta Charlie (23).
He said Charlie pulled his private parts until there were bruises on them. Magistrate Peter Madiba however, declined the production of such exhibit in court.
It is the Sate case that the two were staying together as husband and wife and there was a misunderstanding when Charlie wanted to take away some of her property which she left when the two divorced.
On November 15, 2015 and at around 5pm Charlie arrived at Black’s house where she saw the accused’s mother. The complainant arrived soon afterwards. The accused allegedly assaulted the complainant with fists several times on the face and on the head. Charlie made a Police report. Black was arrested and charged with domestic violence and physical abuse. Mirror

Ex mayor claims MDC wanted him sent to jail
Staff Reporter
Former Gwanda mayor, Lionel De Necker claims that he was today cleared of $20 000 fraud charges at the Gwanda magistrates court and blames his former party the Welshman Ncube led MDC for being behind the efforts of having him thrown to prison.
De Necker a former National Executive Member of the MDC and elected Mayor under the MDC ticket claims to media that some officials in the party were in the lead in trying to get him down. Speaking bitterly, De Necker claims that the matter is not yet over as he is preparing to take legal action against all those who were behind tarnishing his image.
De Necker was accused of selling a commercial stand to two prominent Gwanda businessmen.
Two weeks ago he briefly appeared before magistrate Sheila Nazombe accused of selling the stand to the two businessmen for $15 000 and $20 000.
He wrote on his twitter account soon after the court ” Fraud case against me was thrown out of court today at the Magistrates Court in Gwanda.
“I feel justified, but the damage has been done”.
Recently he posted another tweet saying “Facing one of my toughest battles yet. 
 They want me gone for good. Huge betrayal from former colleagues”.
Sources within the MDC offices in Bulawayo expressed ignorance on the allegations against the party raised by De Necker referring questions to the party Matabeleland South Provincial chairman Pilate Ndebele who was not reachable for comment. However, a party member in Gwanda who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that De Necker had serious personal clashes with some members of the party in the town.
“De Necker has personal problems with a member of they party who happens to be friends with one of the businessmen involved in the case and their clash doesn’t warrant throwing the party into the matter,” said the member.
Between December 2013 to August 2015, De Necker was said to have approached Joseph Mutiyeni, proprietor of Growly Enterprises, and advised him that he was selling a commercial stand, Number 635 Soudan Street, which he had bought from council.
The two entered into a deal and the stand was sold for $15 000, with Mutiyeni initially making a deposit of $5 200 and later settling the balance.
De Necker allegedly later went to Charles Tshuma, proprietor of Oasis Hardware, and sold the same stand for $20 000.
Mutiyeni became suspicious in August last year when he realised that “his” stand was being developed by Tshuma and reported the matter to the police, leading to De Necker’s arrest.
It is still not clear yet to media how the case was thrown out of court.

Oscar Pistorius has been found guilty of murder by the Supreme Court. Judge Eric Leach announced that the state’s appeal in the Oscar Pistorius case was successful.
Last year a judge gave Pistorius a five-year jail sentence for “culpable homicide” of Reeva Steenkamp, but prosecutors say he should be convicted of murder for firing four shots through a locked toilet door.
Leach said that he found Judge Thokozile Masipa’s thinking confusing.
“Even on the finding that he did not know it was Steenkamp behind the toilet door‚ it did not matter. Even if he was under the impression that Reeva was in bed‚ he had necessary intent to bring [about] the demise of the person behind the door‚” said Leach.
Hence whether Pistorius knew it was Steenkamp behind the door wasn’t actually relevant on this issue.
Leach said that in light of the improbabilities in Pistorius’ testimony, and the three different versions he provided, one can’t really say why he fired.
Leach held that a retrial would be impractical. The court has set aside the culpable homicide conviction. Pistorius is guilty of murder. He will have to go before a court again – to argue over his sentence.

CHIVHU  : A daring school head here opened two examination papers for his relatives in yet another incident that has reflected Zimsec’s ineptitude. The headmaster of Mhari High School in Chikomba District ,Godwell Manyame(48), appeared before Chivhu Magistrate Archie Wochiwunga facing two counts of unlawfully opening the Zimsec papers .
Manyame who was in possession of school keys when the incidents happened last month allegedly gained entry into the examination store-room and opened the Zimsec Advanced Level Business Studies paper 2 and gave the paper to Prince Zisadza an A Level candidate who allegedly discussed it with a friend. Manyame also reportedly opened the Geography A level paper 2 and revealed it to the same candidate. Zisadza was found in possession of pre-written examination scripts and the invigilators alerted the school deputy head but Manyame allegedly ordered the invigilators to continue with the respective examinations despite the leakage.
The examination leakages that have been reported across the country are a cause for concern among educationists and parents who feel the education standards in the country have been compromised. Some educationists have called on the government to revert to the Cambridge Examination system . There are fears that incidents of such magnitude have been swept under the carpet since the Zimsec system has created loopholes that have resulted in numerous exam leakages.

President Robert Mugabe’s wife, Grace has invaded another dairy farm, and this time one owned by a liberation war collaborator. Mrs Mugabe utilised armed police officers to terrorise the Goromonzi based farm owner. The development will now turn Grace into a tripple owner of vast farmlands in the latest acceleration as she reportedly races against time before her husband’s imminent death. It also comes after Mrs Mugabe within months made destitude hundreds of jobless families in Mazoe where she displaced the people opting to put wild animals in their stead.

Over 20 armed police officers escorted First Lady Grace Mugabe’s aide, Deputy Police Commissioner Olga Bungu, to evict prominent dairy farmer and liberation war sponsor, Gillian Munn from her Mashonganyika Farm in Goromonzi last week.
The family claims to have been heavily involved in the liberation war, where they funded Zanu PF war efforts and continued to support the party well into independence. Last Monday, the family and its farm workers had their property thrown out of the farm and dumped outside, where they watched helplessly as the property was soaked by rain.
“Now I have become a hot potato. Emmerson [Vice-President Mnangagwa] knows that my husband was there at Lancaster [House at which the agreement to grant the then Rhodesia independence was inked in 1979]. But now he is scared, he cannot say anything.
“I have spoken to [Douglas] Mombeshora [Lands minister]. He says he wants me to continue going to his office, and instead of resolving this issue, he wants to give me an alternative farm. But I do not need an alternative farm. I want my farm,” she said.
“On Saturday, I was picked up and detained at Goromonzi Police Station until my lawyers came to my rescue. I was in police cells until Sunday. Now I have been moved out by Bungu, but she is still following me around. She wants my dairy equipment”.
Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson, Nolbert Muzondo said if the farmer had a problem with police conduct, she had a right to lodge a complaint.
“It seems she has a complaint against police and our procedure is that she can use our national complaints desk at Police General Headquarters,” he said, without specifically responding as to whether police had used brute force in the eviction.
Munn is now operating from a nearby farm, where a colleague has sheltered her family.
She said she would be approaching the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) for redress.
“I am going to the ConCourt and I will sue this woman [Bungu] for everything she has. She has disregarded a High Court appeal that should have suspended any other judgment that could have been passed. She wants everything I won, including accusing me of vanadalising my own property. It is insane,” she said.
President Robert Mugabe has in the past reportedly assured the Munns that they would be protected but seems to have developed an indifferent attitude to the widow’s plight.
Munn’s late husband owned a printing and publishing company, Munn Publications, which used to publish Prize Magazine to prop up Mugabe’s rag-tag guerilla army during the war.
The 209-hectare farm, registered in 2002, produces nearly 10 000 litres of milk per month, grows about 110 hectares of maize and employs over 100 workers.(Newsday/Additional Reporting)

By Tinoonga Mawere, Masvingo| Zanu PF activist and well known Grace Mugabe ally Gilbert Chikwata has resisted an eviction notice from Masvingo City Council following non payment of the trading licence of his ZimAsset shop, ZimEye.com can reveal.
Chikwata, who is the director of People’s Shop a multipurpose business enterprise he started as a beneficiary of Mrs Mugabe’s patronage, defied a directive from the city council to close the shop at Mucheke Terminus and also chased municipal officers from the premises.
The ZimAsset programme has been criticised for benefiting only Zanu PF functionaries while nothing is done to eradicate poverty among millions of Zimbabweans many who are unemployed and are droving the streets.
Chikwata who is facing arrears of up to $30 000 in unpaid licence fees and other utility bills, is using political muscles to defy the council directive. Several attempts to evict him have hit a brick wall since he boasts of being backed by Mrs Mugabe.
“Chikwata will not be evicted by people who are working all round to discredit the Dr Amai Mugabe inspired ZimAsset so no one will move him away from this shop,” said a worker at the People ‘s Shop.
Although Masvingo City Mayor Hubert Fidze was not readily available for a comment, Chikwata has reportedly vowed to continue with his business at the shop.
He also reportedly accused the municipal police officers of being imperialists and sellouts.

THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has moved in to tame a cash shortage that saw some banks running out of money since Friday last week.
A snap survey conducted by Chronicle in Bulawayo showed that banks such as the People’s Own Savings Bank (POSB) branches had no cash over the weekend to Monday.
Those wanting to withdraw their cash were told to wait for cash from depositors.
The situation was the same at ZB Bank branches where depositors spent several hours in the queue only to withdraw a maximum limit of $100.
Similar reports were made in the Midlands province where gold miners failed to get money from ZB Bank-run gold buying points between Friday and Saturday.
ZB runs the centres on behalf of Fidelity Printers and Refineries, the country’s sole gold buyer.
Central bank governor, John Mangudya, on Monday acknowledged the shortage but said the monetary authority had moved in to disburse cash to Bulawayo banks.
The situation was expected to have normalised by yesterday.
“It has been brought to our attention that some banks in Bulawayo had run out of cash since Friday. And this was a temporary cash challenge emanating from the fact that some of the banks had underestimated their cash requirements and had what they thought was normal despite being a monthend when companies would be paying salaries,” said Mangudya.
“We’ve this (Monday) afternoon disbursed cash to the banks in Bulawayo.”
He said since the country was importing money, it was imperative for banks to plan ahead as they were logistical issues that required to be sorted out to ensure availability of money in the economy.
Since the adoption of the multi-currency system in 2009, the apex bank has not been printing money and the economy has been dominated by the United States dollar.
Other currencies such as the rand, pula, pound, yuan are also used for trading purposes.
“Going forward, as the central bank and the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe (BAZ), we need to plan to avoid the cash crisis particularly during the festive season when demand for cash is high taking into consideration that the country is a cash economy as opposed to use of cards,” Mangudya added.
An official from a ZB Bank in Bulawayo admitted the bank had experienced a cash shortage.
“The challenge that you’re referring to was experienced last week so, now there’s nothing to talk about because it has been sorted. It was just a minor glitch,” said the official who declined to be named.
Comment could not be obtained from POSB.
In his 2015 mid-term monetary policy statement, Mangudya said the banking sector’s aggregate core capital base had increased significantly by 19 percent from $753.3 million to $899.10 million from June 30 last year to June 30 this year.
He said growth in the aggregate core capital position was largely underpinned by increased retained earnings.
“As at June 30, 2015, all operating banking institutions were in compliance with the prescribed minimum capital requirements.”
In terms of the banking sector performance, Mangudya highlighted that financial institutions remained profitable with an aggregate net profit of $43.01 million (excluding Tetrad Investment Bank — under provisional judicial management) for the half year ended 30 June 2015, up from $26.53 million during the corresponding period in 2014. A total of 14 out of 18 operating banking institutions recorded profits for the half-year ended June 30, 2015.
Losses which were recorded by the remaining institutions were mainly attributed to increased levels of provisions.
Such provisions, Mangudya said, had been narrowing over the period under review.
“To enhance earnings performance, a number of banking institutions continue to rationalise operating costs, while simultaneously implementing revenue enhancing measures, which include growth of non-funded income through introduction of new technology driven products and corporate finance structures,” he said.-State Media

Some 62 MDC supporters at Nyagundi Resttlement have been left homeless after their homes were burnt down by Zanu PF supporters.
The Zanu PF supporters were led by Darlington Fungurani who claimed that the MDC supporters had settled on his land.
But villagers said that the Provincial Lands committee allocated five hectares to each family at Nyagundi resettlement. However, Fungurani claims that 17 hectares of land within the Nyagundu, 35 hectares resettlement belongs to him. After heated arguments last Wednesday, Fungurani is alleged to have torched the activists’ homesteads as a way of forcing them to vacate his land.
One of the affected villagers, Enoch Mugumbate said that he had lost property worth over $500 as well as cement, maize seed and fertiliser.
“Last Sunday I was not home and my wife was at a funeral. My child was alone at home and told to me that some men asked him for my whereabouts. The child did not where I was. A few moments later some villagers approached me and told me that my garden was on fire,” said Mugumbate.
“We rushed to the garden and as we approached, I realised that my house was on fire as well. We recognised Fungurani and two of the other three men seen at my homestead, these men were Average Fungurani and Patrick Machacha. Unfortunately it was too late to put the fire out,” he said.
“Some youths came to my place and accused me of occupying someone else’s land and then torched and destroyed my property,” another villager Simon Charles told this reporter.
The villagers reported the various incidents to the Odzi Police station and although some officers came to view the scene, they have done nothing except tell the villagers that they would get back to them.
The villagers did win a court order in Mutare that barred Fungurani from evicting any families from the area.
Contacted for comment Fungurani said he was not the person who torched the homes.
“I do not know about that. I am not the one who torched their houses. In fact these people are the ones that torched their own houses in order to fix me and make an issue out of it,” said Fungurani.
He did admit to burning their gardens: “I only burnt their gardens because I was preparing my fields and got some villagers to help me. I have witnesses to prove this. The land belongs to me and I have the right to remove these families from my land,” said Fungurani.
A police officer at Odzi who attended the scene commented as follows: “This is political. We are too junior to comment on such issue. We will wait to hear from our superiors on what action to take.”
Police spokesperson, Luxon Chananda was not available for comment. – The Zimbabwean

 
State Media-Two police officers died on the spot while a woman was seriously injured when the vehicle they were travelling in collided head on with a haulage truck on the outskirts of Gweru yesterday morning.
The Mazda vehicle which was coming from Kwekwe, was being driven by one of the officers. The injured woman was rushed to Kwekwe General Hospital and her condition is said to be critical.
When the State Media visited the scene of the accident, which is about 20km from Gweru at around 10AM, the bodies were still at the scene covered with jackets.
Police officers later placed them in one coffin before they were taken to Gweru Provincial Hospital mortuary at around 10:30AM. Witnesses said the accident occurred at around 5AM.
“I saw the white Mazda encroaching onto the lane of oncoming traffic leading to a head on collision,” said a motorist who declined to be named.
Another witness Tinei Masuku said the haulage truck veered off the road after the impact.
Efforts to get a comment from Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Joel Goko were fruitless as he was said to be out of office.
His mobile phone went unanswered.

Former Masvingo provincial minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti has warned his former comrades in the warring post-congress Zanu PF to prepare to salute First Lady Grace Mugabe as the party’s leader, saying sarcastically that “she is going to inherit what is rightfully hers”.
Speaking tongue-in-cheek in an interview with the Daily News yesterday, amid a push by Grace’s supporters that she and not Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa succeeds Mugabe, Bhasikiti said the ruling party was no longer “a people’s party, as it is now a Mugabe fiefdom”.
Bhasikiti, who was sacked from the ruling party together with dozens of other party bigwigs for supporting former Vice President Joice Mujuru, said the constitutional changes that had been adopted during Zanu PF’s damp squib “elective” congress in December last year “effectively entitle Grace to take over from her husband, and subsequently her children as well”.
“Grace is totally right in her aspirations to succeed the president because there is no way she can let her family estate be taken away by outsiders.
“The party is Mugabe’s property and it is only normal for a wife to take over the administration of the Gushungo family property from her husband and subsequently hand this over to her children,” Bhasikiti said.
He added that those senior party officials such as Mnangagwa who were allegedly angling to take over from Mugabe when he “finally calls it quits are day-dreaming”.
“Do not expect any other leader besides Grace because that would be abnormal. Even at law, it is the immediate family — that is the wife and children, who inherit a husband’s property.
“As it stands now, since December 2014 Grace has every right over the party. Party officials should by now know who the owner of the party is. Grace is perfectly correct in demanding her rightful place in the party,” he added.
However, the former Mwenezi legislator was quick to emphasise that Grace’s “proprietary rights” were only limited to the post-congress Zanu PF.
“When it comes to the national presidency she will have to meet us as People First, where we believe in putting the interests of the people at the front burner of everything.
“There, she has no rights as we will provide the national president. When you look for the country’s president, look no further than People First because we are the people’s party,” he said.
Chipping in, MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora said Zanu PF had never been a democratic institution, hence “its personalisation by the First Family”.
“We all know about the undemocratic nature of Zanu PF. They have, unlike us in the MDC, never held democratic elections. So, whether it is Grace or Mnangagwa, it really doesn’t help Zimbabweans.
“What we know is that come 2018, the MDC will provide the country’s president and that will be Morgan Tsvangirai,’’ Mwonzora said.

Zanu PF on Tuesday bused hundreds of hungry school going children and forced them to go to the Harare International Airport for the visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping who arrived in Harare Tuesday morning.
The Chinese leader who has a pre-scheduled trip to South Africa where he will chair the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) from December 2 had been begged by President Robert Mugabe to pass through Harare on his way to Johannesburg and is expected to seal the so-called mega deals he discussed in Beijing last August with the aging Zimbabwe leader.
Scores of school children from as far as Chitungwiza’s St Marys’ high school and Harare’s Girls high were bussed to the Harare international Airport to welcome the Chinese leader.
Some were also paraded at the Rain Bow Hotel where Jinping went for lunch.
At the weekend more than 50 international delegates attending ICASA were displaced by the Chinese President’s advance team.

Opposition Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD) leader Simba Makoni has claimed Zanu PF does not exist anymore as a political party and has completely lost support of the grassroots.

Two detectives from Beitbridge yesterday were each fined $400 for demanding a $2,000 bribe from a suspected smuggler.
Macdonald Mbombi and Stanford Muzombi, allegedly intercepted Organizer Makuwe who was illegally transporting a truckload of unrefrigerated apples from South Africa to Zimbabwe. The police officers pounced on the truck soon after it had entered the country through Beitbridge border post. The detectives both pleaded not guilty to criminal abuse of office. Beitbridge resident magistrate, Gloria Takundwa how ever convicted due to the sufficient evidence provided.
She fined them $400 each.

She further gave them three months in jail, which she suspended on condition that they pay $1,300 to Makuwe. The prosecutor, Jabulani Mberesi, told the court that on June 22 last year, the detectives received a tipoff that there was a truck carrying smuggled apples.
Following the tipoff, they found the truck at Redan Service Station and arrested Makuwe.
The court heard they arrested Makuwe and demanded $2,000 to release the truck. After negotiations the detectives settled for $1,300, which Makuwe transferred to their cell phones via Econet’s EcoCash service. Soon after he ttransfered the money, Makuwe reported the matter to the police and two the detectives were arrest.

Staff Reporter| ZimEye| A cartel of shoplifters in Gwanda has been arrested for stealing from the Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko owned, Choppies Supermarket, located at Phakama business centre, hardly six months since it opened its doors.
A shoplifting syndicate that includes a security guard appeared at the Gwanda Magistrates court facing theft charges from the Vice President’s busy shop.
Friday Sibanda (22), Fanel Tshuma (38) and Hannah Ngwenya, employed as a security guard appeared, before Gwanda magistrate, Sheila Nazombe, after they were caught on closed-circuit- television (CCTV) stealing goods from the supermarket.
The trio who were represented by McAllister Ncube denied the charges, but were convicted by Nazombe due to overwhelming evidence after they watched the CCTV footage.
They were sentenced to 18 months behind bars, with 3 months suspended on condition they pay restitution of $30 each to Choppies. The remaining 15 months were wholly suspended on condition that they each perform 420 hours of community service.
The court heard that on November 8, Sibanda and Tshuma walked into Choppies pushing a trolley just like any other customer. While inside the shop, Sibanda started to load the trolley with goods while Tshuma pushed it around.
The pair proceeded to buy a piece of cake which they paid for before going to purchase electricity and they proceeded to the exit with Sibanda now pushing the trolley laden with goodies worth $90.
Ngwenya who manned the exit, allowed the pair to leave without them producing a receipt for the goods in the trolley. An alert security guard, who suspected the three had connived approached management and asked them to play the CCTV footage which revealed the trio had worked in common purpose to steal the groceries leading to their arrest.

Government has moved salary pay dates for all pensioners to next week after failing to raise the money this week.
In a statement, the secretary for the Public Service Commission (PSC), Mrs Pretty Sunguro said Government — through the Ministry of Finance — will be paying the salary of all pensioners by December 10.
She said the PSC regretted any inconvenience caused by the change in the pay dates.
“The Public Service Commission wishes to advise that the Ministry of Finance (Treasury) has moved the November 2015 pay dates for pensioners,” Mrs Sunguro said.
“War veterans’ pension, war veterans’ spouse and children’s pension, ex-political prisoners, detainees and restrictees’ spouse and children’s pensions, and national heroes’ spouses and children’s pension will be paid on December 8 where as the rest of the pensioners will be paid on December 10 this year,” she said in a statement.

A crocodile that has been wreaking havoc along Mukuvisi River in Harare was shot dead last Friday by a Parks and Wildlife Management Authority team.
The crocodile’s presence became known after some members of the Prophetic, Healing and Deliverance Ministry led by Prophet Walter Magaya, which has its church building along the river, spotted it a few months ago.
Prophet Magaya once raised alarm on the presence of the large reptile near his church. The more than three-metre-long reptile was shot twice after some months of hiding in the muddy waters.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority officials last Friday paraded the dead crocodile in the city centre to raise awareness on the dangers of provoking wild animals. Scores of people thronged streets near Herald House to witness the rare spectacle, with the officials educating them on the dangers of crocodiles and their behaviour.
“This is the crocodile we have been receiving reports on,” said Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority public relations manager Ms Caroline Washaya Moyo.
“At one time there was a teenager from Prophet Magaya’s church who reported the presence of this crocodile.
“They were citizens concerned that it was posing a threat to humans and we have been monitoring it together with the police who were also receiving reports to do with this particular crocodile. People thought the crocodile had disappeared, but it never went anywhere. Mukuvisi River is heavily polluted, so it would easily hide.”
Ms Washaya Moyo appealed to people to be cautious on approaching water bodies this rainy season as crocodiles have a tendency of flowing along with the water. “We decided to put it to sleep today by shooting it and it was shot twice,” she said.
“It put up a fight, but finally succumbed to the wounds. The question that has been asked is if it is male or female? With crocodiles, unless you skin it, you cannot tell because its sexual organs are inside.”
Ms Washaya Moyo said at least 37 people were killed by crocodiles countrywide between January and October this year while 24 others were injured. State Media

Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko says that there is no single tribe in Zimbabwe solely entitled to rule the country.
Addressing ZANU PF supporters at the party fund-raising dinner dance in Bulawayo over the weekend, Mphoko told Bulawayo based party members to rise up and be counted in the party leadership and not leave leadership as a preserve of people from outside Matabeleland regions.
The controversial Vice President threw accusations at members of the party from other regions who go around spreading campaign that the leadership of the country can only come from one sector of the country, describing them as senseless.
“Those who are saying there must be a certain tribe to lead the country are misplaced. There is nothing like that. We never fought the war on tribal grounds,” said the Acting President.
Prior to Mphoko’s statement, the ZANU PF chairman for Bulawayo province alderman Naison Ndlovu also castigated people who come from outside Matabeleland regions and dominate the people of the region. Ndlovu warned members from outside the region against bringing cultures that are foreign to the people of the area.
” Don’t come to Bulawayo with your ideas and behaviours from Masvingo, Harare and Mutare and expect to force them here in Bulawayo. We have our own way of living which must be respected and we be accorded priority in running our own thing, ” said Ndlovu.
Vice President Mphoko reiterated Ndlovu’s sentiments challenging the people of Matabeleland and Bulawayo against accepting second fiddle in the affairs of the country.
” People of Bulawayo you have to do things on your own. We must not look down upon ourselves because we have the potential to do well. You must stand up and do things for yourself and Bulawayo has everything hence I urge you to stand up and be counted,” said Mphoko.
The fundraising dinner which the party has described as a huge success, was to raise funds for the party’s conference scheduled for Victoria Falls next week. In attendance were Kembo Mohadi who is the party’s Secretary for Security and also the Minister of State for National Security, the Deputy Minister of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators and Former Political Detainees Tshinga Dube, Fred Moyo who is the Deputy Minister of Mines, Mining Development, Bulawayo Parliamentarians, party members and the city’s business community.

The Central Intelligence Agency, CIO, has lauched a clampdown on foreign gays and lesbians attending the International Conference on Aids and STI’s in Africa (ICASA) in Harare and seized their workshop material at Harare International Airport.
Suspected State security agents yesterday pulled down an exhibition stand mounted by the group to display and house its members and sex workers at the conference venue. The exhibitors were later allowed to display their wares, following massive protests and lobbying by local and international human rights groups.
Addressing a pre-conference workshop for key people, Kene Esom, the executive director of African Men for Sexual Health and Rights (AMSHeR), said the confiscation of most of their material by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) had disrupted the group’s programmes.
“The material is still held because the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority is still conducting an assessment on them. The challenge is that we have attended many conferences of this nature and we have never been required to pay duty on such conference material, especially when you had bid to host the conference,” Esom said.
“As you can see, it has impacted on the quality of the pre-conference because we have agenda material and information material for interaction, which we haven’t gotten.”
Esom said when Zimbabwe won the bid to host the conference, his organisation made an effort to lobby Health and Tourism ministers, as well as the National Aids Council (NAC), among other stakeholders, to guarantee the non-discrimination of key populations such as transgender people.
He also disclosed that their exhibition stand was temporarily ransacked and pulled down, after State security agents felt offended by some of the material on display.
Esom challenged the local community to break the silence on same-sex relationships and be more tolerant.
Speaking at the same event, NAC chief executive Tapiwa Magure said it was not fair to discriminate key populations because they would be left behind in terms of accessing vital information.
“I want to assure you that we will not discriminate anyone in this country. I want to make sure that information reaches out to everyone,” he said.
President Robert Mugabe has, however, repeatedly sounded his disdain for homosexuality and repeated his anti-gay stance at the just-ended United Nations Summit in New York, the United States.
Mugabe has often described lesbians and gays as “worse than pigs and dogs”.
The local gay population has accused the country of “dodging” the question about the participation and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in Zimbabwe and those attending the on-going ICASA.
Gays and Lesbians’ Association in Zimbabwe director Chesterfield Samba in a statement said the government had always exhibited homophobic attitudes to these groups, hence it was a high risk population.
“Sex between men is criminalised in Zimbabwe, thus driving them underground and making
them difficult to reach with HIV interventions,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAids) yesterday marked the ICASA official opening with a call for countries to further accelerate their response to Aids.
The conference is taking place in Harare this week against a backdrop of great progress in the Aids response, even though stakeholders in the health sector still face a number of challenges in reducing the spread and impact of the disease.
“Africa is on the brink of breaking the Aids epidemic. We have no time to lose. We have five years to fast-track the Aids response,” UNAids executive director Michel Sidibe said at a Press conference in the capital.
UNAids is introducing its new fast-track strategy which involves front loading investments in the Aids response to reach an ambitious 90-90-90 treatment target by 2020, where 90% of people living with HIV would be in a position to know their status and an equal number accessing treatment .
The conference was opened by Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, where he made a veiled attack on gays and lesbians saying: “We equally reject attempts to prescribe ‘new rights’ which are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs.” Newsday/Additional Reporting

Elton Mangoma’s RDZ party members were on THursday assaulted by ZANU PF thugs.
The thugs reportedly numbering between 25-30 attacked party youths preparing for the bi-election in Kuwadzana 14. One of the RDZ youths was seen with agonizing in pain while wearing a torn t-shirt.
 
 

 
“We were attacked Zanu pf thugs in Kambuzuma (Joshua Nkomo area) while putting up our posters for our local gvt candidate Ebinate Rwodzi who resides in same area,” Mr Fortune Manyonga told ZimEye.com.
 
He continued, ”
“It was around 2pm they physically attacked four of us, and removed our posters saying Zimbabwe is no place for opposition politics.”
Leading the attackers’ group was one Gweshe and another only known as “Munemo”.
A police case was opened at Marimba police station under the docket number “RRB 2576169.”
Meanwhile the party’s National Organiser, Trymore Mpofu told ZimEye, the group is “not surprised by this victimisation of our members and this shows us clear that our party RDZ is a threat to this Government of Zanu PF.”
He continued, “I would like to warn all the Zanu PF youths and their leaders that this time we wont allow them to victimise the innocent Zimbabweans in front of our eyes. I also want to send a clear message that we don’t recognise the so called Zanu PF bases that were created as a tool of intimidating the opposition voices.We will make sure that this violation of human rights is coming to an end.

A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy from Hwange is lucky to be alive after he was rescued from the deadly jaws of a crocodile by alert prison officers.
The prison officers allegedly jumped into the bloodied waters of a pool where the animal was dragging the tot. They reportedly wrestled with the predator, forcing it to release its deadly grip on the child’s arm.
Tapiwa Chadoka of Mpumalanga suburb was swimming with his friends in a pool last Wednesday when the huge reptile attacked him. He was rushed from a clinic in Hwange to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo last Thursday.
Doctors had to amputate his left arm after the crocodile clamped its jaws around them, causing irreparable damage on the body tissues and bone.
When The State Media visited the boy at the hospital’s intensive care unit in the paediatric ward, he seemed to be in terrible pain.
His parents were at his bedside, continuously soothing him. The severed limb was wrapped in bandages. The boy’s father, Wadson Chadoka, who is based in Botswana, said the incident occurred on Wednesday shortly after 3PM.
“I had to rush back home from Botswana where I’m working after I got a report that my son was attacked by a crocodile.
“It appears he was swimming in a pool in Mpumalanga together with his friends when a wandering crocodile appeared from nowhere and attacked him,” said Chadoka.
He said the reptile sank its teeth into the boy’s left arm, twisted and rolled as it pulled him to the bottom of the pool. The tot, said Chadoka, screamed attracting the attention of some prison officers who were passing by.
“Luckily some prison officers who were passing by heard my son screaming for help and they quickly rushed to the scene and wrestled with the crocodile until it released him,” said Chadoka as he struggled to hold back tears.
“I’m, however, thankful to God because my son is alive although he lost his arm. As a family we’ll give him all the necessary support during this difficult moment.”
In February, a teenage herdboy from Masvingo was killed by a crocodile while on a fishing expedition along Mutirikwi River. The animal devoured some of his body parts.
The victim was identified as Shingirirai Mangwengwe of Mangare village. His death occurred against a background of increasing reports of crocodiles attacking villagers’ livestock. – State Media

Veneranda Langa| Shamva South MP, Joseph Mapiki (Zanu PF) had people who attended a meeting of MPs and Population Services Zimbabwe (PSZ) officials on family planning in Nyanga (Monday) in stitches, when he suggested that birth control pills for men should also be introduced.
Mapiki’s arguments were premised on the fact that some men were hoodwinked into having more children by their wives when they no longer wanted them.
“Are there family planning pills that have been manufactured for men to ingest to ensure they do not get tricked into impregnating women when they do not want children because some men are forced by their wives to have more children when they do not want to?
“It is also important for men to have an interest in family planning issues so that they understand when their women suffer side effects due to the family planning methods that they will be using,” he said.
PSZ acting country director Pester Siraha said although such a pill was not available in Zimbabwe, some countries were already doing research on the possibility of having birth control pills for men.
According to an analysis on an online newsletter RH Reality Check by Valerie Tarico, more men were now questioning whether they should trust women to manage contraception.
“Interest in better male controlled contraception varies widely depending on country and culture, but in a wide variety of countries, more than half of men say they want better male birth control methods,” Tarico wrote.
Siraha said it was imperative for men to also have an interest in family planning, or even to accompany their wives whenever they visited family planning clinics.
A good example of a man who is interested in family planning is Trymore Saunyama, a father of three from Nyakadzodzo village in Mozambique, which borders Chatindo village in Nyanga.
Although his village is geographically in Mozambique, it is just a 10km walk to Chatindo Clinic in rural Nyanga. This is where Saunyama accesses medical care together with his family.
On Monday, Saunyama got wind that the PSZ mobile Blue Star family planning services would be stationed at Chatindo Clinic to help villagers who have to walk very long distances seeking medical care to access the services, and to get counselling on different family planning methods like jadelle, the loop, tablets, tuba ligation, vasectomy and many others.
What was interesting about Saunyama is that he did not only accompany his wife to get advice on family planning, but he also came to the clinic with a baby strapped on his back — a rare sight.
“I accompanied my wife Dorcas Nyamanhu to the clinic because I think it is very important for men to understand the family planning method that will be recommended for their wives,” said Saunyama, with the baby sleeping soundly on his back.
“We have three children, and two of them are still very young. My wife cannot carry the two young ones so I have to help her as the clinic is 10km away from my village in Mozambique.”
Saunyama said even though he was from the Mozambican side, he was allowed to access medical treatment from Zimbabwe for a fee, including family planning services offered by PSZ mobile Blue Star clinics.
“We pay $2 consultation fees, and the family planning tablets are provided for free,” he said.
“I think men should support their wives and accompany them to family planning sessions so that they decide together which methods of family planning they would like to take. There are long term and short-term methods.
“It is imperative for couples to decide together how many children they would like to have because unwanted pregnancies can be costly. It is also not a good idea to have many children that one then fails to educate, feed or clothe,” Saunyama said.
Tariro Chimombe, the clinic team leader, said a maximum of 60 rural women accessed family planning services from the clinic every day.
“People from the neighbouring villages in Mozambique take advantage of our services and access family planning services.
“They have the same privileges as their Zimbabwean counterparts and we do not charge an extra fee,” Chimombe said.
Siraha said mounting mobile clinics in remote rural areas was helpful in ensuring women did not have to walk very long distances to access modern family planning methods.
“Most of them choose to take long-term family planning methods that can be effective for five years because it is difficult to continuously travel long distances to access family planning tablets,” Siraha said.
Legislators from the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care visited the mobile family planning clinics in Nyanga.
Chairperson of the committee, Ruth Labode said mobile family planning clinics should be spread out to the very remote areas of the country that did not have clinics in order to assist women to ensure they avoided unwanted pregnancies.
Labode said she would also advocate for laws that would allow already sexually active children to access reproductive health education to avoid unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
Members of the committee said they would work with PSZ to disseminate information on reproductive health issues because knowledge and use of family planning reduced maternal mortality.
Sarah Shaw, the Marie Stopes International regional policy advisor for east and southern Africa, said Zimbabwe was well advanced in family planning systems, adding women used the same modern family planning methods as used in developed countries like England.
“The difference is that in England, use of family planning is more widespread because there are no cultural barriers. It is also free and easy to access,” she said. – Standard. By Veneranda Langa

State Media – Two women allegedly went on a spree defrauding fuel companies and service stations after lying that they were in the business of selling bulk fuel, the court heard last week.
They allegedly used the same method to defraud other people of chickens, beef, cellphones and kapenta after telling them they owned such businesses. It was alleged that Maggie Muchanyara (50) and Shuvai Chimedza (36) would approach fuel companies and misrepresent that they owned service stations and at the same time they would approach service stations and misrepresent that they owned fuel supplying companies.
Thereafter, they would ask the fuel companies to deliver fuel to service stations promising cash on delivery. Once allocated the fuel, they would lead the delivery truck to the service station pretending to have brought the consignment, get cash from the garage owner and disappear, leaving the truck driver stranded.
The driver would be left engaged in a heated argument with the garage owner over payment for the delivered fuel. The two appeared before Mr Tendai Mahwe facing several counts of fraud involving more than $40 000 and were remanded in custody after prosecutor Mrs Idah Mateke-Maromo strongly opposed bail.
It is the State’s case that on November 4, Muchanyara and Chimedza went to Primero Fuel Suppliers and pretended to be fuel buyers. They misrepresented that they were the owners of MCH service station and were given quotations for 10 000 litres of diesel.
They proceeded to MCH service station and pretended to be owners of Primero Fuel Suppliers and were given an order to supply 10 000 litres. The pair went back to Primero Fuel Suppliers and requested for an order of 10 000 litres of diesel promising to pay cash on delivery.
Muchanyara and Chimedza led the delivery truck with the 10 000 litres of diesel to MCH service station where they ordered the driver to park while they collected the payment from the office.
In the MCH offices, they met Brian Chisaka and misrepresented that they had brought the fuel and needed their cash and were given $5 000. The balance of $5 000 was to be paid after offloading. Muchanyara and Chimedza went outside and disappeared. MCH officials later asked the truck driver to offload the fuel, but he refused arguing that he wanted payment before offloading.
The officials told him that they had already paid his bosses while referring to Muchanyara and Chimedza. Using the same method, the pair duped Mashwede Diesel Services of $5 260 after misrepresenting that they were owners of RNF Petroleum in Mbare.
In another similar charge, Muchanyara and Chimedza approached Ndaitei Renzva and misrepresented to her that they owned a canteen and wanted chickens. They were given 88 chickens worth $440 and disappeared before paying.
They used the same method to dupe Agnes Ali of $196 after she had supplied them with 59kg of beef. Kapenta dealer Jonathan Hakunavanhu lost $10 200 worth of kapenta to the pair, the State alleged. Chimedza also swindled Vengai Shonhiwa of $4 570 after he had given her five cellphones on credit and also conned July Tasunungurwa of $2 000 using the same method.

Zimbabwe is on high terror attack alert following a spate of terrorist attacks in Mali and France in the past few weeks, the Minister of State Security, Kembo Mohadi, said yesterday.

Staff Reporter| Residents of Gwanda have rubbished the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology’s public consultation on the Gwanda State University and Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences Bills.
Recently appointed Gwanda Residents Association Spokesperson Aifheli Mudau, told media that residents of the town have expressed disappointment and anger at the parliamentary committee’s below par consultative meeting held in Gwanda on Tuesday.
The committee is said to have hurried the residents through the bill with very little time accorded for the residents inputs to the bill.
“The Portfolio Committee that came to Gwanda on Tuesday to discuss with the public The Gwanda State University Bill failed to deliver what was expected of them,” said Mudau.
According to the residents the bill will not warrant to be enacted into law as per the constitution due to lack of citizen inputs.
“Bills are proposed pieces of legislation which, if passed by parliament, become law binding on everyone in the country. As such members of the public must be afforded enough time to debate and air their views. In Gwanda people were rushed through the Bill before most could make their contributions,” added Mudau.
The parliamentary committee is reported to have got to Gwanda without notice to the residents resulting in a very low turnout. They are also accused of having brought only two copies of the bill which people battled to share.
“The Bill was never argued carefully simply because they never ensured there were enough copies for distribution to every member which left most people blindly contributing to the deliberations with most people totally lost to what exactly was happening.
The residents have since made a submission to the clerk of parliament demanding for the portfolio committee to come go to the town and make a proper consultation.
“With all due respect, We therefore as residents of Gwanda request through the Clerk of parliament that the concerned committee be sent back to Gwanda and re-engage the public.

Nearly 16 000 employees from Tongaat Hulett in Chiredzi have gone on strike demanding a salary increment.
The Tongaat Hulett workers went on industrial action starting Friday the 27th of November claiming the employer has flatly refused to review their salaries.
The lowest paid worker at the sugar milling company gets US$170 a month, a figure which the workers say is not realistic given the performance of the company.
President of the Zimbabwe Sugar Milling Workers Union Mr Freedom Mudungwe says they want the lowest paid worker to get at least $300 but the employer is only prepared to give a US$5 increase.
According to Mudungwe what has angered the workers is that Tongaat Hulett’s employees at the Zambia and South Africa branches are being paid more than double what their Zimbabwean counterparts are getting.
“We engaged our employer and they are willing to give us just $5. Other Tongaat employees in neighbouring countries are being paid way more than what we are getting,” said Mudungwe.
Contacted for comment Tongaat Hulett corporate affairs and communications manager Adelaide Chikunguru gave the State Media a written document which among other issues states that the minimum wage of US$170 the workers are being paid is among the highest in the agriculture and agro-processing industries.
Chikunguru says they will, however, continue to engage with the employees for an amicable solution.

A Harare man suffered serious burns while torching a vehicle belonging to another man he suspected of having an adulterous relationship with his wife.
Businessman Munyaradzi Nyandoro was allegedly involved in a dramatic high-speed chase with Tendai Mujakachi who suddenly stopped and escaped from his vehicle.
Nyandoro then looked for petrol and sprinkled it on the vehicle, a Mercedes Benz, but some of the liquid splashed on his clothes.
When he set the car ablaze he also caught fire because of the petrol on him. Nyandoro sustained burns on his face, chest and hands and is admitted at Parirenyatwa Hospital. He was last week remanded to December on his hospital bed by magistrate Mr Vakayi Chikwekwe facing charges of malicious damage to property.
The prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that Nyandoro, who had long been suspecting his wife Stella of cheating, locked her in a toilet before grabbing her cellphone which he used to lure Mujakachi to his house.
Initially, Nyandoro had told Stella that he was travelling to South Africa and she communicated with Mujakachi advising him that he could visit her house.
Nyandoro returned in the evening and Stella is said to have texted Mujakachi telling him not to come.
According to the State, Stella’s sister visited them and by the time Stella escorted her to the visitor’s bedroom, Nyandoro took her cellphone and went through the messages.
He then started communicating with Mujakachi inviting him to the house pretending to be Stella. It is alleged that in the text messages Nyandoro told Mujakachi that “her husband” had now gone to South Africa.
When Stella returned to their bedroom, Nyandoro allegedly lured her to the toilet and locked her inside before continuing to lure Mujakachi using her phone.
Mujakachi texted on Stella’s phone notifying her that he was outside the house and Nyandoro, who was already outside started his vehicle and drove towards Mujakachi.
Mujakachi jumped into his vehicle and sped off, resulting in a high-speed chase. It is further alleged that Mujakachi later dumped his vehicle after it had hit a pot hole and took to his heels.
Nyandoro got to the vehicle, removed the keys from the ignition and locked the doors and went to buy petrol. He sprinkled the petrol on the vehicle and set it ablaze, but he also caught fire because of the fuel that sprinkled on his clothes. – State Media

President Robert Mugabe’s order to ministers to remove over 200 families, mostly Zanu PF supporters in Harare South, from an illegal settlement near the Harare International Airport has invited scorn from the settlers.
The residents, who have been given until Tuesday to relocate after Mugabe raised objections to their settlement, told The Standard yesterday they were ready for a battle with authorities to protect their properties which they claim to have bought from government.
Mugabe last week ordered his Cabinet ministers to clear off the area, saying the settlement was an eyesore and situated in an area meant for airport expansion.
But the residents were defiant and some were yesterday still building their houses, some of them so big they could be classified as mansions.
Titus Runesu is building a medium-sized house which is now at roof level about 200m away from the airport road.
Runesu said while Mugabe might have a genuine concern about the developments, his government was to blame as they allowed them to build the houses and even approved their building plans when they were aware that the land on which they were settled was not suitable.
“We did not allocate ourselves this piece of land. Government in 2005 gave us this land and we have been here since then; so for them to come today and want to remove us is surely an injustice,” he said.
“We did not build these houses overnight. We have been building slowly and they were quiet, but today they want us to go just like that, surely we are not slaves in our country.”
On Friday, government dispatched Miriam Chikukwa (Harare Provincial Affairs minister) who was in the company of Harare South MP Shadreck Mashayamombe to engage the people so they could be relocated to Retreat Farm in accordance with Mugabe’s directive last week.
The settlement is being administered by Nyikavanhu Housing Cooperative.
While there are many proper houses that have been constructed or are under construction, the site gives a view of a haphazard “squatter camp” as it is largely composed of makeshift structures.
Mugabe, who was cutting the ribbon to officially open the first phase of the Harare International Airport Road last week, looked at the settlement and was not impressed. He said the settlement tarnished the image of the country and the settlers should be immediately relocated.
Mashayamombe said the settlers have until Tuesday to start moving their properties and raze down their structures before being resettled at Retreat farm in Waterfalls.
“They will move. We are engaging them and we are hopeful that they will go to a suitable place which is convenient for them as well as government. This is a directive from the president and we can’t ignore it,” Mashayamombe said.
“We have identified land for relocation and they have Monday and Tuesday to start moving from that area.
“We went there with the minister for Harare province Cde Chikukwa and agreed with them that they should vacate the area as directed by the president.”
Although some of the settlers are genuine members of the housing cooperative, Mashayamombe said there were many others who were illegal occupants. He said most of these had just moved onto the farm from Epworth.
But the residents in question said; “today we are illegal but during election time we were important”.
The Airport Road settlers are among many other Zimbabweans who have been duped by Zanu PF officials and land barons taking advantage of their desperation especially during election times.
When The Standard visited the area on Friday afternoon, most of the settlers looked unsettled and worried.
The government officials, including the provincial minister and local MP had come to address and advise them of their impending relocation.
“It’s tricky my brother that we have to leave this area considering circumstances that surrounds our stay here.
“We came here because of Zanu PF but we are now being told to leave the area by the same people. Anyway I can’t say much to you guys.
“We will see how to handle the situation,” said one Petros Kavhukatema as he walked out of the meeting that had been addressed by Chikukwa.
Some of the settlers, especially those that had just put up makeshift structures could be seen pulling down their ‘houses’ while others declared they were determined to fight.
As The Standard news crew drove through the settlement in the afternoon yesterday, grief stricken settlers appeared suspicious of strangers and refused to give interviews.
One of the women leaning against the wall of her hut asked the motive of the news crew.
“What are looking for here? This is not a playing ground my brother, there is no through road near my house go back and use the other road,” the woman shouted in anger.
Zanu PF linked housing cooperatives control most of the new settlements around Harare and some of the so-called land barons were arrested early this year.

Zanu PF’s expulsion of suspected loyalists of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru is coming at a big cost to the fiscus as the government is compelled to hold by-elections for legislators recalled by the party, analysts say.
The ruling party last week resolved to expel two Members of Parliament — Sylvester Nguni (Mhondoro-Mubaira) and Chriswell Mutemasaka (Guruve South) — on allegations that they were working with Mujuru.
Zimbabwe has held a series of by-elections since the 2013 elections and most of them were triggered by infighting in Zanu PF and MDC-T.
The highest number of by-elections held in one day was on June 10 when voters in 14 constituencies chose new MPs after MDC-T fired legislators that had demanded the resignation of party leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Zanu PF has already triggered 12 by-elections and the number could continue to rise as the infighting in the party has not abated.
According to a budget presented by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) early this year, each by-election requires no less than $2 million to be conducted.
Political analyst, Alexander Rusero said President Robert Mugabe was to blame for the unending by-elections.
“As long as the succession issue is not resolved, because it is the source of infighting in Zanu PF, and there is intolerance in the party, we will witness more by-elections emanating from the purging in that party,” Rusero said.
“The way the succession issue is being handled has opened room for competitors to plot against each other and in the process cause purging of one faction by the other.
“By-elections are a democratic process unavoidable when there is no political stability in any country and in this case, due to infighting in Zanu PF, it is unavoidable.”
At least eight by-elections have been held to replace dismissed Zanu PF MPs, or those who have died due to circumstances surrounding the political environment in the ruling party since December last year.
The first by-elections to be held were those to fill vacancies created by the removal of Mujuru from office and the subsequent elevation of Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Auxillia Mnangagwa was elected to replace her husband in Chirumanzu-Zibagwe and Barnwell Seremwa took over from Mujuru in Mt Darwin.
After that, two more elections were necessitated by the ouster of former Zanu PF secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa and his nephew, Temba Mliswa.
Epworth MP Amos Midzi committed suicide after being suspended and removed from his Zanu PF post for allegedly working with Mujuru.
Also, Aquiline Katsande, the ex-Mashonaland East provincial women’s league boss, died after a short illness, with party members alleging that she suffered hypertension due to the manner in which she was kicked out of the party on allegations of working with Mujuru, resulting in a by-election in Mudzi West.
Ex-deputy Environment minister, Simon Mushanhu collapsed at his Harare home and died at a time when he was being investigated within Zanu PF for his alleged links to the Mujuru camp, causing another by-election in his Hwedza North Constituency.
More elections were held to replace Marondera Central MP, Ray Kaukonde and Mbire legislator, David Butau — also accused of supporting Mujuru.
Political analyst, Ernest Mudzengi said as long as political parties were intolerant, the country would remain in election mode until the next general election slated for 2018.
“Some of these costs could be avoided but because of intolerance and refusal to engage in succession talks by all the major parties, by-elections will remain with us,” Mudzengi said.
“As a country, we need to respect divergent views and learn to appreciate that we are Zimbabweans in our different political understandings.
“Political parties ought to understand that intra-party democracy is about respecting divergent views and appreciating that we are people that see things differently.”
Opposition parties have been boycotting the elections demanding electoral reforms. standard

A Grade Five pupil in Binga left villagers shell-shocked on Tuesday after he threw a stone which killed a fellow pupil during break time.
The boy (12) from Samende Village under Chief Sikalenge and whose name cannot be published for legal reasons, is alleged to have been playing with his friends when he attacked the deceased pupil.
Sources who spoke to Sunday News gave a detailed account of the events which led to the death of the minor.
They said the pupils were playing during break time when one of the children picked a stone and threw it towards a group of fellow pupils, hitting one of the pupils on the back of the head.
“After threatening his friends saying anyone who caused a stir was going to get a beating,” said a source, “the boy allegedly threw a stone and hit the deceased on the back of the head leading to his death on the spot.”
According to sources, teachers were called to the scene but it was too late as the boy’s condition had already reached a critical state.
“School authorities could not help the deceased since he lost his breath in a short space of time,” said a source. The source said the matter was immediately reported to the police.
However, Matabeleland North provincial spokesperson Assistant Inspector Eglon Nkala, said the police had not received the information.
“I’m currently not in the office but will look into the matter when I get there,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Sikalenge confirmed the incident. He said the children were playing but the situation ended badly when one of them “hit a friend on the wrong part of the body”.
“We received some disturbing news about a boy who killed his friend,” said Chief Sikalenge.
“The children were playing when the victim was hit by a stone on the head and collapsed. He died before receiving any treatment.”
The body of the deceased was taken to Binga District Hospital mortuary and his family was by yesterday still making burial arrangements.-SundayNews

A dark cloud of mystery hangs over civil servants’ bonuses as the State Media reports claiming the workers must not panic over Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa’s silence in the National Budget Statement.
The government broad-sheet claims that Government’s position on the 13th cheque remains unchanged.
The journos quote Cabinet Minister Prisca Mupfumira making the promise.
Chinamasa presented the 2016 National Budget Statement on Thursday but was mum on the issue of civil servants bonuses and the tax-free bonus threshold, sparking concerns among workers. He could not be contacted to give clarity on the matter. Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Prisca Mupfumira, however, said workers should not be worried as the silence on the matter implied that the tax-free bonus threshold had not changed from last year.
“Well the fact that he didn’t say anything about it implies that the tax-free bonus threshold remains unchanged. You may want to get in touch with him so that he gives you a clearer position. In any case he is better placed to comment on that matter,” she said.
On payment of civil servants bonuses, Mupfumira said Government’s position had not changed and her ministry was only waiting for Treasury to announce the payment dates.
“We are just waiting for the dates. The Minister (Chinamasa) is the one who is going to announce the dates to us. Nothing has changed from our initial position and nothing will change. Civil servants will get their bonuses,” said Minister Mupfumira.
The Government is likely to stagger the payments for civil servants. Last year Government had promised to pay civil servants bonuses at once but ended up staggering the payments due to cash flow challenges. Some Government workers received their 13th cheque as late as June this year.
President Mugabe, in April, dismissed plans by Minister Chinamasa to suspend civil servants’ bonuses for two years due to dwindling revenues. Civil servants hailed President Mugabe for his stance.

ZimEye.com brings live photo coverage from the Nehanda Housing Cooperative Chairman’s house in Harare which was petrol bombed on Sunday morning.
Mr Simba Moyo’s family is currently stranded outside as the fire service clear the property, the inferno having been dealt with. ALSO READ – Click Here
ALSO READ – Click Here

Government could soon take over management of Premier Service Medical Aid Society to restore viability and ensure members benefit optimally.
Cabinet recommended the take over in early November 2015, and the Attorney-General’s Office is exploring modalities under a five-stage plan.
The Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Ministry, according to the proposal, will assume oversight and administrative functions, with the Health and Child Care Ministry retaining its regulatory and licencing mandate.
PSMAS board appointments will become the State’s prerogative. Documents seen by The State Media show that Step 1 entails publishing findings and recommendations contained in the latest forensic audit report on the health insurer to “highlight that continued schisms at PSMAS” have aggravated its default position.
A default medical aid society is one in a precarious financial position and operating ultra vires good administrative and accounting practices.
The institution will have also failed to comply with prescribed minimum financial requirements.
Step 2 sees the Secretary for Health announcing this default position, with PSMAS’ registration cancelled and an interim manager appointed in Step 3.
In Step 4, Government amends the law to empower the Health Ministry to demand and enforce good corporate governance at all medical aid societies based on international best practices.
The fifth stage will see the interim manager tweak PSMAS’ constitution and implementing the forensic auditor’s recommendations.
Public Service Minister Prisca Mupfumira said, “We have submitted our proposal on this possible take-over to the Attorney-General’s Office. Cabinet made this recommendation, and we are now seeking guidance from the AG’s Office on how it can be enforced legally.
“What we are concerned about is that PSMAS members are bearing the brunt of the poor corporate governance of a group of people with selfish interests. The squabbles at PSMAS have gone on for too long. The executives continue to play dirty tricks to ensure they remain in office.”
She continued: “Implementation of programmes like Zim-Asset is at risk because PSMAS carries with it the dependents of most primary members who also contribute to the country’s economy.
“We are concerned that PSMAS does not seem to take medical insurance as a priority. For example, they allocate 60 percent of what they get to Premier Service Medical Investments, which is an investment arm, and allocate less to their core business of medical insurance.”
Human resources expert Mr Memory Nguwi said the plan “would be the best way forward if it is done according to the book”.
“I do not see any problem with such a take-over. It may actually be the best solution. However, it should be done according to the law. Proper procedures must be followed so that Government does not send wrong signals.
“In addition, the owners of PSMAS – civil servants – have to be consulted since they form the largest component of Psmas membership.”
Mr Sifiso Ndlovu – a member of the Apex Council, an umbrella body comprising all civil service representatives – said, “We are worried that our voice is not being heard on issues relating to PSMAS. Firstly, the PSMAS board is not engaging us.
“There are various platforms like workshops and seminars where they can interact with us and map the way forward together. Therefore, we feel wide consultations should be done before any Government take-over.”
PSMAS has been in turmoil since it emerged in 2013 that the previous Dr Cuthbert Dube-led management was earning huge salaries and allowances. As group CEO, Dr Dube was taking home some US$500 000 monthly, even as service delivery declined.
PSMAS has roughly 900 000 members, mainly civil servants, and many are turned away by health service providers over non-payment of claims.

A BUHERA man has been jailed 18 years for raping a 22-year-old mental health patient. Kudakwashe Bhiza (33) of Tangwena Village under Chief Nyashanu was convicted by Rusape regional magistrate, Mr Livingstone Chipadza who suspended three years of the sentence on condition of good behaviour. Bhiza, a married man, pleaded guilty to the offence telling the court that he was prepared to marry his victim.
Public prosecutor, Mr Tafara Chawatama, told the court that Bhiza proposed love to the woman and later raped her. At law, a mental patient cannot consent to sexual intercourse.
“On July 15, 2015 around 9am, the accused was selling his wares and he found the complainant alone at her homestead. Bhiza proposed love to the complainant and she accepted. After the proposal Bhiza went away. On the same day at around 3pm the accused person returned to the complainant and he asked her to accompany her to Mvurachena River and she complied.
“Upon arrival Bhiza proceeded to rape her. The matter came to light when a relative of the woman heard about the case. A police report was made leading to Bhiza’s arrest,” said Mr Chawatama. State Media