First Lady Grace Mugabe yesterday took a swipe at some elements within and outside Zanu-PF seeking to pit her against Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, saying she had great respect for the man and had a lot to learn from him.
Speaking barely 24 hours after being quoted by the State Media stating that she harboured no other ambition apart from leading the Women’s League to which she was accosted and elected, Grace said she enjoyed cordial relations with VP Mnangagwa, adding that Zanu-PF and the country’s Constitution were clear that either of the two Vice Presidents would assume leadership should President Mugabe fall ill.
Addressing thousands of Zanu-PF supporters at Mataga Growth Point in Mberengwa, Midlands Province, Grace said she was conversant with the provisions of the Constitution and would not usurp powers of either of the VPs.
She was responding to a spirited campaign in the private media that sought to cast her nationwide rallies as a pitch for one of the VP posts, ostensibly VP Mnangagwa’s, at Zanu-PF’s 15th Annual National People’s Conference slated for next month in Victoria Falls.
VPs Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko attended the rally. “Ndanga ndichiti (during a closed briefing) vanhu vanoda kuabuser VaMnangagwa neni. VaMnangagwa is my close friend, my best friend.
“Kubva kudhara ndisati ndatombonzi First Lady ndichidya matomatoes kubva kwavari. Vachinditumira zvinhu kuState House, ini ndichivapawo mapotatoes nemanhanga. Handityi kudya zvinhu zvinobva kwaVaMnangagwa.
“I have respect for this man,” said Grace to wild applause from the crowd.
“President Mugabe ndivo President. Vice President mutevedzeri wavo. Makambonzwa rimwe zuva baba vakaenda (outside the country) ndikasara, makambonzwa kuti amai ndivo varikuactor? Haa, nonsense mhani! Hatidi kutaura zvisina nebasa rese (President Mugabe is the President, the Vice President is his deputy. Have you ever seen me act as President whenever the President travels? What utter nonsense!)”.
Grace said there was no way she would gun for the VP’s post because the country’s Constitution was clear when it came to national leadership.
“Constitution yenyika ina President pamusoro, kwakuenda maVice President — kuna VaMnangagwa kwozouya VaMphoko. Ataura (political commissar Saviour) Kasukuwere pano zvinonzwika. Ndovatungamiri vedu. Nyangwe nhasi zvikanzi Mugabe arwara, Constitution inotaura kuti ava (VP Mnangangwa) kana kuti vanga vagere apa (VP Mphoko) ndivo vanofano kubata tsvimbo. Hapana pakanyorwa kuti nekuti ini ndiri mukadzi wavo, ndinosheya mubhedha navo, ndinodya mundiro navo, hapana pakanyorwa kuti Mai Mugabe ndivo vanoita take over. Tiri vanhu vemutemo. Tinotevedzera mitemo. Ndiri munhu akadzidza mhani ini. Ndinonzi Dr Mugabe ini! Ndinoverenga Constitution ndichinzwisisa. Vanoda kundiita sechimunhu chisina zvachinoziva. Handiite usurp mapowers evanhu,” Grace said to applause from the thousands in attendance.
She said all the work she was doing nationwide had the blessing of the three leaders.
“Ndingoriwo neprivilege yekuti kana tichigara muPolitburo ndinogarawo kumberi navo chete. Ndoprivilege yandinayo iyoyo otherwise ndiri pasi-pasi apo ini. Ndiri mutsva muZanu-PF. Vanhu vari kungotaura zvisipo. Ndichiri kudzidza. Ndinoda kudzidza. Ndinoda kudzidziswa. Ndange ndichitaurira nababa VaMnangagwa nababa VaMphoko kuti ndidzidzisei makabva kure imi. Mune experience yandisina inini. I want to learn from you.”
Grace said she did not want her good working relations with the two Vice Presidents to be spoiled.
“Kune vamwe vanoda kutarisa tsotso iri muziso reumwe munhu asingaoni iye zidanda riri muziso make. Tanga iwe wabvisa danda iwewe riri muziso mako wouya wobvisa tsotso iri muziso mangu — ndokunge ndakubvumidza nokuti rako zidanda unenge usati wapedza naro. MuZanu-PF tine gwara ratinotevedza.
“Saka ini ndiri munhu wegwara. Ndinoda kuti Mwari vandibatsire kuzvininipisa ndiri munhu akazvininipisa. Ndinogara nemunhu akazvininipisa. Ndakaona nyange tiri kumameetings havaite zvekuti iwe handikuteereri. Ndozvinoita wisdom, ndozvinoita leadership — ari kutaura zvine musoro, ari kutaura zvisina basa unongoteerera.”
Mugabe said she was entitled to meet the people as Zanu-PF Secretary for Women Affairs or even in her capacity as First Lady, listening to their challenges and assisting in the best way she could.
Mugabe described the trio of President Mugabe, VPs Mnangagwa and Mphoko as hardworking people adding some people were so blind not to recognise hardworking leaders.
“Baba ava vari apa ava (VP Mnangagwa) vanoshanda ava. Zviuya zvakawanana vari three vakamira kudai. Vanoshanda varume ava. Vanotishandira nemoyo yese. Hongu ndange ndichitaura history yaVaMugabe. Ivava vane history tsvene, tsvene ava. Vakarwa hondo ava. Hapana anga zviramba izvozvo. Ndakambotaura ndikati baba ava munhu akazvibata vagere apa.”
Mugabe said the forthcoming Zanu-PF conference was not an elective one, but a meeting to take stock of the party’s activities throughout the year, adding the Congress held after every five years chose leaders.
“But every five years ndopanonosarudzwa maleaders. Ndiri correct here baba (referring to VP Mnangagwa)? Hanzi correct nababa. Ndapiwa 100 percent! Ndopanosarudzwa utungamiri ipapo. Saka before taenda kuma elections 2018 tichaita Congress yedu baba. Ndopachasarudzwa maleaders. Apa (forthcoming conference) hapanei nekuti uyu, munhu ari muchigaro chake anongogara ipapo tozoenda after every five years ndopanosarudzwa new leadership.”
The First Lady slammed some elements that claimed that she was angling to takeover as one of the Vice Presidents, adding such people wanted to retard Zanu-PF’s development agenda.
“The war we have is an economic one. So you see, we follow our constitution, everything that we do is written down. There is nowhere written that once you become secretary for Women Affairs you automatically become Vice President. Its not true. Musafurirwe inhema. Ndingori Secretary ini weWomen Affairs ini — ndobasa rangu randakanzi ndiite.’’
She said there was nothing wrong with the two VPs taking notes during her meetings because she would be presenting them challenges from the Women’s League and Zimbabweans at large in her capacity as the leader of women.
She said while she stayed with President Mugabe, it was not easy to tell him all the problems that she got from people, hence her decision to convey some of the challenges to his VPs.
Before addressing the rally, Grace attended a briefing of senior party officials where, according to sources, she told party members that she consulted both VPs before she agreed to lead the Zanu-PF Women’s League.
Grace, according to the source, said there was no way she could be in an antagonistic relationship with the two VPs since they both endorsed her to lead women after members of the Women’s League had approached her to do so.
“She told the briefing that they even exchange milk between her and VP Mnangagwa and you know milk is such a sensitive product and that shows the faith and respect that exists between them,” said the source.
In her two hour address, Grace urged people in Mberengwa to be wary of former Zanu-PF Politburo member, Mr Rugare Gumbo who was expelled from the revolutionary party for being part of the Mujuru putschist cabal to join a political outfit called People First being led by Dr Joice Mujuru.
Grace latter handed over agricultural mechanisation equipment to two irrigation schemes in Mberengwa, several tonnes of rice, maize, soap to the villagers.
The event was attended by Government ministers, senior Zanu-PF officials, traditional leaders, and other senior Government officials.(State Media/Additional reporting).

Zanu-PF Second Secretary and Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko yesterday rapped the party’s provincial acting chairperson for Midlands Province Kizito Chivamba for failing to pronounce his name during introductions at a campaign rally in Mberengwa.
This happened during a rally that was addressed by First Lady Grace Mugabe at Mataga Growth Point, Mberengwa District in the Midlands Province.
Chivamba had initially been asked to introduce members of the Zanu-PF provincial executive and had made reference to Amai Mugabe, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and VP Mphoko during salutations.
During his address, Chivamba was interjected by Zanu-PF national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere, who asked him to correctly pronounce VP Mphoko’s name following the expression of reservations by VP Mphoko.
This was after Chivamba had pronounced the VP’s name as “Mboko.” When VP Mphoko was eventually asked to give a brief address and introduce Amai Mugabe, he first made a go at Chivamba.
VP Mphoko first invited Chivamba, who was also on the top table, to come to the podium.
“Are you the chairman? Wanditukaka iwe. What does Mboko in Shona mean? You do not deserve to be the chairman,” said VP Mphoko.
The two were later seen together as Chivamba accompanied VP Mphoko who left the event earlier.
First Lady Grace Mugabe, appeared to later diffuse the tension when just before her address jokingly chided VP Mphoko for failing to know her MaNcube totem.
VP Mphoko had referred to the First Lady’s totem as VaChihera. In his speech, VP Mphoko castigated tribalism.
“Tribalism is the mother of corruption. For you to be a tribalist, you must be a fundamentalist. This country will not tolerate tribalists. President Mugabe is not a Zezuru, he is the President of this country.”
“Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa is not a Mukaranga, he is the Vice President of this country. I am not a Ndebele, but a leader of this country,” said VP Mphoko to rousing applause.
Speaking at the same occasion, VP Mnangagwa commended Amai Mugabe for her good work to the people of Zimbabwe.
He said people had not only benefitted from agricultural mechanisation equipment and the foodstuffs that she had distributed, but also to the exhorting words that she delivered.
“We have been convening meetings here for the past 35 years, but none of them have been well attended as today’s meeting,” said VP Mnangagwa. State Media

A NATIONAL Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) security guard yesterday shot and injured one of seven suspected robbers who were trying to target the parastatal’s Mpopoma suburb’s sub-station. The suspect escaped but was arrested when he turned up at Mpilo Central Hospital seeking medical attention.
The security guard Washington Masasi, 38, is alleged to have fired three warning shots before shooting one of the suspects who was advancing towards him wielding an iron bar.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango said the injured suspected armed robber was arrested after he struggled to escape and ended up seeking help from members of public.
“He escaped but because of bleeding he was forced to ask for assistance from members of the public. They took him to Mpilo Central Hospital resulting in his arrest. He is admitted under police guard,” Insp Simango.
She said property worth over $1,000 which had been targeted by the suspects was recovered.
Insp Simango said police were still looking for other suspects who are on the run.
NRZ public relations manager Fanuel Masikati said the incident happened at about 3AM yesterday.
Masikati said the security guard was forced to shoot one of the suspects as they had intended to attack him.
“He fired three warning shoots but the suspects advanced towards him wielding iron bars. He then shot one of the suspects on the leg,” said Masikati.
He said the robbers wanted to steal some of the company’s equipment at the sub-station.
Masikati said NRZ premises were out of bounds for members of the public.
“The NRZ premises are prohibited to members of the public. We understand the suspects wanted to steal some iron bars at the premises,” said Masikati.
He bemoaned vandalism on NRZ infrastructure saying it was worsening the challenges the parastatal is facing. State Media

Kill me if you want to stop me – Grace
Staff Reporter | First Lady Grace Mugabe has challenged all those trying to stop her from going up the ZANU PF hierarchy to shoot her as nothing else will stop her.
Grace Mugabe said this while addressing about 10 000 ZANU PF supporters in Mbare Harare yesterday. The First Lady told the gathering that she is aware of sectors within the ruling party that are against her holding the women’s affairs secretary position and even holding the nationwide rallies she is undertaking.
“I come to you as the wife of the state president who you all love and as secretary for women’s affairs of the party and I have work to do which no one must think of stopping me,” she said.
“I will not keep quiet when people destroy the party. I will speak and no one will silence me. If you want to silence me come and shoot me,” said the First Lady in a loud cheer from the crowd.
A section of the liberation war veterans loyal to Vice President Emmerson Munangagwa have vowed not to accept the ascendency of Grace Mugabe to the helm of the party. On the other hand, the women’s league and the youth league have expressed their backing for the First Lady as the battle to succeed President Mugabe intensifies.

Staff Reporter| Former Gwanda mayor, Lionel de Necker has been dragged to the magistrates’ court to answer fraud charges, after he allegedly sold a commercial stand to two prominent Gwanda businessmen at the same time.
De Necker briefly appeared before Gwanda magistrate Sheila Nazombe, who remanded the matter to November 30 for trial to allow the former mayor’s legal representative, from Phulu and Ncube Legal Practitioners, time to go to court, as he was said to be tied up elsewhere.
According to court records, from December 2013 to August 2015, De Necker 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.
Mutiyeni, Tshuma and Mandlenkosi Moyo, the economic development officer at the municipality, will be called as State witness.
De Necker is pleading not guilty on the matter.

Staff Reporter|A teacher at a high school in Gwanda wrote an O’level mathematics paper for a pupil.
The pupil has failed the subject for the last 6 years running and the aforementioned is also a lecturer teaching at a local college.
Information availed to ZimEye.com by sources within the school narrates the teacher who runs private mathematics lessons, connived with the lecturer who has been failing Mathematics for the last six years to have him write the paper for him at the cost of $250.00.
The teacher went into the examination room on the date and pulled a copy of the question paper and answer sheets which he took to his office and wrote the exam with the candidate’s name and details on the answer sheets.
Towards the end of the examination the teacher is said to have worked in cohorts with the invigilator and got the papers to the candidate who in turn handed them in to the invigilators at the end of the examination as his.
The development comes as the Public Service Commission recently warned that it will retire all civil servants working without a pass in mathematics in areas where mathematics pass is a requisite qualification. A number of civil servants particularly those engaged in the period up to the turn of the century were hired without a mathematics pass on condition that they will study and pass it while at work. Most of them never even attempted doing the studies but remained at work.
The Public Service Commission audits have caused a huge panic amongst the government employees affected who have gone on a fast trek bid to pass mathematics. The urgency to get the maths pass is what could have pushed the perennial maths failing lecturer to resort to buying his way through.
The sources revealed that the headmaster of the school is aware of the incident but did not take action. The sources allege that they have a strong conviction the headmaster is part of the syndicate in which more incidents of this nature in other subjects are the norm at the school.

AN investigation into the death of Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo’s daughter in South Africa last month has been “elevated to the most senior ministerial levels in both governments”, it was announced yesterday.
South African President Jacob Zuma dispatched his Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi to Harare this week to take control of what has become an ugly and messy affair after Prof Moyo’s family voiced disquiet with the way investigators in Cape Town were handling the unexplained death of 20-year-old Zanele, found dead in her apartment on October 17.
President Robert Mugabe and Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko both called for a thorough investigation in the days shortly after Zanele’s death.
Dr Motsoaledi yesterday met Prof Moyo’s family in Harare in the presence of his Zimbabwean opposite number, Dr David Parirenyatwa, after which the two ministers pledged to “expedite and take the matter to finality” in a joint statement.
The two ministers said they met the family “to discuss the puzzles around the unfortunate death of Zanele Moyo”, a second year student at the University of Cape Town.
“The issues discussed were pertaining to concerns surrounding the events of the investigation and the manner in which the postmortem was handled,” Dr Parirenyatwa and Dr Motsoaledi said in their statement.
“After a thorough discussion, the three parties agreed that since the matter involves two sovereign states and due to the problems and confusion encountered thus far, it was decided that the matter be elevated to the most senior ministerial levels in both governments.”
They also agreed, they said, “that a process be set up between the Minister of Health in South Africa and his Zimbabwean counterpart, with the help of relevant authorities and experts from both countries, to expedite and take the matter to its finality.”
The process, the ministers said, would involve a review of the investigation and progress made to date; an examination of postmortem procedures and conclusions as well as the repatriation of the outstanding remains.
After Zanele’s body was repatriated to Zimbabwe, a second postmortem conducted at the request of her family and conducted at Parirenyatwa Hospital revealed that her heart had been removed — it is thought during the first postmortem conducted by Dr Sipho Mfolozi at the Salt River Forensic Pathology Laboratory in Cape Town.
Zanele was laid to rest at the Glen Forest Memorial Park in Harare on October 22. Her family was informed of the missing heart after burial, prompting them to write to both South African police and the Salt River lab seeking answers — which have so far not been forthcoming.
The Moyo family lawyer Terrence Hussein, in a letter of complaint, said the discovery that Zanele’s heart was missing “had only compounded the grief that they have had to endure”, adding: “At no point did our clients consent to the removal of any organ, nor were they even informed of this.”
He said the Moyo family felt “their beloved daughter had been disrespected and violated” in ways that “seriously violate their cultural beliefs and sensitivities.”
Both the Salt River lab and South African police have so far declined to comment. But in off-the-record briefings with the South African media, police appeared to suggest Zanele could have died from alcohol poisoning.
The New Age newspaper quoted a source close to the investigation as stating: “The preliminary autopsy report has been concluded and ruled out any foul play. Her death might have been caused by alcohol poisoning. “We’re also looking into reports that she tried to commit suicide twice and ended up in rehab last year as a result of alcohol abuse. We are just waiting on the toxicology report.”
Another unnamed source told the same paper: “It remains unofficial that some internal organs burst as a result of excessive drinking.”
The reports deeply upset Zanele’s family, who were told in the early stages of the investigation that toxicology test results which hold clues to the cause of Zanele’s death could take up to five years owing to the huge amount of murders the Salt River Laboratory handles. The lab receives between 10 and 15 bodies daily — around 3,300 bodies a year.
Now, following President Zuma’s intervention and the prioritisation of the case, Prof Moyo’s family hopes the toxicology tests will be expedited.
Described by her sister Lungile as a “very happy person who loved to make people laugh” and “very wise for her age”, Zanele was studying for a degree in political science, international relations, and gender studies. She lived off campus.
Her friend, Nicole Bento, last saw her on Wednesday, October 14, at her apartment. She was in the company of a Zambian man who has been named as Stephen Kenneth Newman Chitobolo, 29.
Nicole has told investigators that Chitobolo — whom she had earlier observed smoking cannabis — called her at about 9PM on that same day and said Zanele was “passing out”. He claimed he was leaving for Zambia because his father had died.
Nicole, a high school friend of Zanele’s, was unable to go over to her friend’s apartment because her mother had visited. She tried to reach Zanele on Thursday and Friday without success until Saturday, October 17, when Zanele’s mother, Beatrice, called from Zimbabwe and instructed her to find a locksmith and get inside the apartment.
Zanele’s door had been locked from inside. On finding her, she was dead and lying in a pool of blood. The building’s caretaker, it is reported, pulled Zanele’s body hoping to turn her over and administer first aid – leaving a trail of blood smeared on the bathroom floor. A small amount of cannabis was also found in one of the rooms.
It remains unclear if Cape Town police have been able to interview Chitobolo, who is thought to be the last person to see Zanele alive. Zanele’s family believes Chitobolo is a key figure in her death. chronicle

Zanu PF has shut down all talks on replacing President Robert Mugabe.
Zanu PF secretary for the youth Pupurayi Togarepi says the party will not tolerate President Robert Mugabe’s succession debate in his life time.
Mugabe (91) has been at the helm of Zanu PF since 1975 and has ruled the country since independence in 1980.
The aging leader has never allowed succession debate in the party and has  eliminated anyone who shows interests in  challenging his long stay in power.
Last year the veteran leader with the influence of his overzealous wife Grace expelled his deputy  Joice Mujuru on allegations of plotting to topple him from power.
Togarepi told reporters in Harare recently that  the party  wait for Mugabe to die for them discuss his succession.
“Our youths are given opportunities in politics, and I think you would agree with me that we have so many youths in government and in parliament,”said Togarepi.
“We give these people opportunities not because they are our friends or political allies but we give them as a strategy to learn from the leaders or elders so that when they are given this country tomorrow because there won’t be a platform when we are going to seat down and say now we want to give you the reins of power and here is a ceremony to do it no,” he said.
“As we mix with them, as we talk to them they will learn the skills and they will learn how to do it and there naturally they will fill up the posts as others retire or die”.
“So politically I think we have done well as a political party and as government, we try by all means wherever there are elections for legislature or something that we give youth and give them an opportunity”.

MDC MP Nelson Chamisa interrogates Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa in parliament over Grace Mugabe rallies. FULL TEXT:

HON. CHIBAYA: My question is directed to the Leader of the House, the Vice President, Hon. Mnangagwa. Hon. Speaker, is the Government able to deliver anything, given the vicious in-fighting and power struggle in the ruling party? I thank you.
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. MNANGAGWA):I thank the Hon. Member for asking that question. You did not only help the people in this House, but the entire region, that Zimbabwe is among the most peaceful countries in the region. Zimbabwe is the most stable country we have in the region. We are so peaceful. Other parliamentary institutions in the world fight in parliament. We do not have that in here; we are so peaceful and dignified. I am so happy that this is the country which ZANU-PF rules – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER:Order Hon. Members, particularly those to my right. The Hon. Vice President is talking and we are busy shouting at each other, we should show respect.
HON. MNANGAGWA:The stability we are enjoying in this country is a result of ZANU-PF being in power.
HON. CHIBAYA:Hon. Vice President, I am talking about the in-fighting in ZANU-PF. Do you not think that this in-fighting in ZANU-PF will deter investment?
HON. MNANGAGWA:Madam Speaker, I understand that this side of the House (signaling to the right side of the House) is of the ruling party and the other side is of the opposition. A member of the opposition is talking about the ruling party. I am not so sure whether he has crossed the floor and has the knowledge of what is happening in the ruling party. We in the ruling party are not aware of any in-fighting. We are so united in our political party.
HON. CHIBAYA:Hon. Speaker, I think it is within my responsibility as a Member of Parliament to ask the Leader of the House. I belong to the opposition yes, but what I am talking about here is; one of the factors which is considered by investors when they want to invest is political stability. Therefore, what I am talking about here makes sense. We get worried when we hear that some people in Chitungwiza got killed whilst doing party business. This is a pertinent question Hon. Speaker and with all due respect Hon. Vice President, I deserve an honest answer.
HON. MNANGAGWA:Indeed, the Hon. Member deserves an honourable and honest answer. The honest answer in relation to the case he has mentioned is that some murder was committed, which is criminal. The person who committed the crime was arrested. This shows how the rule of law applies in this country. It does not matter which party you belong to, if you commit a crime, you will be arrested. Whatever type of crime you commit, you will get arrested.
However, we are so happy that this country is peaceful and stable. Committing of a crime where a person has been murdered cannot be the reason for anybody who wants to invest to stop investing. There is not even one single country you can point to me and say in this country, there has never been a murder. I thank you.
*HON. CHAMISA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I am surprised by the answer that was given by the Vice President. It is good that the country is peaceful. Hon. Vice President, from the time that you were elected into office, are you happy? Are you having a good night sleep because the First Lady has been moving around all over the country and the slogan has beenHandei naAmai, Handei naAmai –
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: On a point of order. My point of Order is that before the Vice President answers, let him respond to the fact that Hon. Chamisa is being insulted by the MDC-T. So, can he answer that as well?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I do not think there is any need to keep on raising point of orders. Hon. Chamisa posed a question to the Vice President, can you please give a chance to the Vice President to answer that question.
*THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. E. D. MNANGAGWA): I was asked by this boy –[AN HON MEMBER: What is muchinda?]- The Hon. Member who asked the question spoke in Shona. Honourable is not a Shona word. In the kings court, members are referred to as machindawhich is a Shona word which refers to a virtuous person. If he does not understand vernacular, then I will call him honourable because he does not know the vernacular word. He asked if I am getting a good night sleep. Do I look like someone who is not getting a good night sleep? – [Laughter] – He knows my wife is here and why did he not ask my wife if I slept well? You can even find out from my sister-in-law if I do get a good night sleep. If you are too shy to ask my wife, you can find out from my sister-in-law over there.
Coming to the second part of the question that was asked about the First Lady holding rallies across the country, the First Lady is conducting ZANU PF rallies and not MDC-T rallies. Why should you be bothered by that?
 

A male Prophet took sexual advantage of a 19 year old pregnant woman after promising her he would through the act amazingly alter the countenance of her unborn child.
Police in Mashonaland East have launched a manhunt for the 32-year-old self-styled Murewa prophet, who allegedly raped a 19-year-old pregnant woman on the pretext he wanted to perform a miracle on her.
Gilbert Chiwanza of Mutawatawa village, under Chief Mangwende, is allegedly on the run after fooling a fellow villager to lie down so he would perform a miracle to change the looks of her unborn baby, so that it would resemble the father.
Efforts to get a comment from Mashonaland East province police spokesperson Inspector Nobert Muzondo were fruitless yesterday, but reliable sources confirmed that the prophet had since fled after raping the woman.
It is reported that on November 11 this year, the complainant went to the prophet’s homestead for a prayer session. It is said that the accused told her that he wanted to perform a miracle that was going to change the image of her unborn child so it would resemble its father.
Chiwanza allegedly told the complainant to enter a room, remove her panties and lie on the white cloth that was spread on the floor so that he could perform the miracle.
The complainant complied before Chiwanza allegedly forced himself on her and raped her once.
The complainant allegedly screamed, but the prophet threatened to cast an evil spirit on her.
After the act, the complainant did not disclose the matter to anyone.
However, the matter came to light after her husband noted a change in her behaviour, prompting him to ask.
She spilled the beans and the matter was reported at Murewa Police Station.Newsday

Tinoonga Mawere, Gutu| A teacher at Majada Secondary School wrote a Mathematics examination paper for an  Ordinary level candidate last week, an incident that has exposed the Zimsec ineptitude. The teacher allegedly wrote the Mathematics paper 2 examination for a candidate who was absent from the examination room. He reportedly took two question papers out of the examination room and went to his house where he wrote the paper. He later returned to the exam room with answer sheets and attempted to leave the papers where the absent candidate was supposed to be sitting. He was then stopped from leaving the papers by one of the invigilators present.
The Zimsec blunders have continued unabated at a time the government claims to have revolutionised the education system for the better and educationists say the education standards have plummeted because of the local examination board’ s glaring errors.
Gutu District Education Officer Sonny Chirikure confirmed the incident and said the police were investigating the matter.”We have such an incident but the police are investigating the matter,” he said. When the government localised the examination process ,educationists were sceptical of the development and it has since been realised their projections were correct. The Zimsec system has created loopholes that have seen leakage of examination papers and corruption taking centre stage.Concerned educationists say the education standards have been compromised by Zimsec’s gross incompetence.

The main opposition Party leader Morgan Tsvangirai is holding a $500 per head dinner and  Zimbabweans,who wish to mingle and socialise with the former Prime minister,should pump out $500.00.
It has been revealed that Tsvangirai will today ( Thursday) host a fundraising dinner for his MDC-T party’s presidential campaign fund, where guests who will share a table and interact with the former trade union leader and his wife Elizabeth will  pay out $500 per head at the top presidential table where 10 chairs have been reserved.
Political tension has been rising in Zimbabwe as the country heads towards the  2018 general election.
The banquet will be hosted at Nomads Garden in Harare under the theme “embracing tradition as we enhance our health in fighting poverty” where organisers indicated that guests will be served with “typical Zimbabwean food”.
There are 130 chairs reserved for VVIP guests who are expected to fork out $100 per person and they will be sitting with the Standing Committee which is the party’s top leadership. Another set of  210 chairs is for the VIP section where guests are being asked to pay $50 per head.
Organisers have said the function is a fundraising initiative to boost the opposition leader’s presidential campaign fund.
Tsvangirai has recently been reaching out to his former allies to rejoin his MDC-T party to unite and aim to dislodge power from Mugabe and his Zanu PF.  He has succeeded in doing this as Job Sikhala, Joubert Mudzumwe and Edward Mkhosi have since rejoined him.
Zimbabweans at the moment are faced with various hardships ranging from high unemployment, poverty and company closures.
 

Zanu PF Harare province says it is ready to host the First Lady Grace Mugabe on Thursday at a rally slated for Mbare’s Shawasha Grounds and is confident of a huge turnout.
The province says it has made adequate arrangements for Thursday’s big event where the First Lady is set to meet Mbare residents and hear their concerns.
Zanu PF Harare province Secretary for Information and Publicity Abicia Ushewokunze says the provincial leadership is ready to welcome the First Lady to Mbare and expressed confidence of a huge turnout.
“We are ready for Thursday’s big day and we are looking forward to a huge turnout. This is a special day to Harare residents to interact and air their grievances to the First Lady,” said Ushewokunze.
Mbare remains one of the most populous suburbs in the country with a rich history.
Mbare’s residents continue to face challenges in particular poor service delivery from the city fathers.
Non-collection of refuse has also been a major source of concern.State Media

As chaos in the post-congress Zanu PF continues to reign supreme, the party’s youths are lobbying for the ouster of national youth league secretary Pupurai Togarepi over alleged incompetence and his replacement with President Robert Mugabe’s nephew and Indigenisation minister Patrick Zhuwao.
Although the party leadership has stated that the party conference in Victoria Falls will not be elective, youths and women’s league members from various provinces aligned to the Generation 40 (G40) faction told the Daily News yesterday that they wanted Mugabe to demote Togarepi at the Zanu PF conference in December because he was allegedly working with a rival faction led by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the battle to succeed 91-year-old Mugabe.
“We want the president to appoint Zhuwao as our representative in the politburo because we are fed up with Togarepi’s incompetence which has seen so much indiscipline within the youth ranks where national executive members such as Sibongile Sibanda are administering a provocative WhatsApp group called Zim 1 on which they attack the person of the first lady daily,” a Mashonaland Central youth provincial executive member said.
“The same thing is happening in this province as the majority of youths are participating in a Godfrey Tsenengamu-administered platform, Dare Rechimurenga, which is also critical of her, yet Togarepi has not condemned what is happening”.
Tsenengamu refused to comment on the allegations saying he was not allowed to speak to the independent media.
Four provincial youth chairpersons including Tsenengamu (Mashonaland Central) and others from Mashonaland West, Harare and Bulawayo provinces aligned to the Mnangagwa camp have so far been suspended for various reasons, a development which has reportedly emboldened the G40 youths to go for their boss’s head.
On the other hand, the sources say, the Zanu PF women’s league is miffed by Togarepi’s apparent ingratitude to First Lady Grace Mugabe “after she plucked him from obscurity to the revolutionary party’s politburo and now he is flirting with the enemy for tribal reasons as he is a Karanga”.
While Togarepi was also not immediately available for comment on the plots against him, he and Zhuwao have in previous interviews with the Daily News, attempted to play down the fallout.
Curiously, Togarepi did not attend the launch of the youth fund by Zhuwao a fortnight ago, triggering speculation that the two are not in the same “basket”.
“I did not attend the launch of the youth fund because I had other commitments. The youth league was aware of the commitments I had, so they represented me not that I snubbed the event or that there was someone who was uncomfortable with my presence,” Togarepi said.
However, youths aligned to Togarepi said while the G40 youths could successfully lobby for his ouster, it was not automatic that their choice for Mugabe’s nephew who was appointed Indigenisation minister in a recent Cabinet reshuffle would sail through.
“It is not Zanu PF’s culture to have people lobbying for an individual’s appointment to Cabinet or politburo as it is the president’s sole prerogative.
“The only person whose appointment was successfully lobbied for was the first lady when she was appointed women’s league secretary so it could be anyone,” an official from the Midlands province said.
The youths also accuse Togarepi of not working hand-in-glove with Zhuwao during his tour of provinces to meet youths, raising suspicion over his factional allegiance.
This, according to insiders, was also the reason why Grace snubbed the Togarepi-chaired Zimbabwe National Liberation War Collaborators Association (Ziliwaco) conference held in Masvingo a fortnight ago.

The Supreme Court has dismissed MDC Mt Pleasant House of Assembly losing candidate Jameson Timba’s bid to access the 2013 general elections’ ballot boxes, which he intended to use in challenging Zanu PF candidate Jason Passade’s win.
Timba initially lost the case at the Electoral Court, prompting him to file an appeal at the Supreme Court. However, Supreme Court judges Elizabeth Gwaunza, Vernanda Ziyambi and Antonio Guvava yesterday unanimously dismissed Timba’s appeal.
“In the result, it is ordered as follows: The appeal be and is hereby dismissed with costs,” the court ruled.
In the application Timba cited chief elections officer Constance Chigwamba, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) chairperson Rita Makarau, Zec, Passade and Peter Victor Mukuchamano as respondents.
The Electoral Court had previously dismissed Timba’s application on the basis that by granting his request, it would result in him simultaneously accessing election residue pertaining to the presidential and Local Government election results in circumstances where no pending petitions existed in relation to those results.
The court further ruled that it did not have jurisdiction to determine Timba’s petition.
However, the Supreme Court in its judgement said that, “…the court a quo had and should have properly exercised jurisdiction to hear the matter on the merits. That is, absent any procedural or other legal barriers.”
The Supreme Court further said that Timba should have cited other candidates in the presidential and Local Government elections as respondents, since they had a direct and substantial interest in the matter.
“Applied to the circumstances of this case, I find that candidates in the elections other than the applicant (Timba), had a direct and substantial interest in both the subject matter of the litigation, and its possible outcome,” Gwaunza said in the judgment that was consented to by Ziyambi and Guvava.
In the application, Zec argued that due to the harmonised nature of the elections, various functionaries of the commission had participated in the sealing of the ballot boxes in the presence of all interested parties.
“That being the case, I do not doubt that the granting of an order requiring the unsealing of such ballot boxes in the absence of those who had participated in such sealing, would visit unfairness, if not prejudice, on the affected candidates,” Gwaunza said, in support of the idea that Timba should have cited all interested parties.
The Electoral Court has since upheld Passade’s win in the Mt Pleasant constituency.

Lindela Ndlovu Collapses and Dies | BREAKING NEWS 

A Bulawayo thief yesterday confessed to an angry mob, after a bashing, that he uses his penis, to detect money from unsuspecting shoppers and street -merchants in the city.
The thug (pictured) who was forced by the furious mob to surrender all his loot, was seen holding his hard erect manhood, before begging for forgiveness.
He vowed never to rob shoppers again.
Asked why he chose to rob people, the man said that he tried to look for employment without success, thereby landing dangerous and life threatening job after assurance from a Makokoba traditional healer, that he will one day score.
“I was working as a Messenger for a company in Kelvin, and the company closed two years ago, and I had no option but visit Malume Mhloloza in our township of Makokoba to help us with charms for lucky.
I have always been successful in my job. When my penis erects, it’s a sign that the person who has just passed near me has a lot of cash or a reasonable amount of money,” he said to a laughing crowd.
Unlucky Lucky was whisked away by plain clothes police officers to Bulawayo Central Police station, where he is helping police with investigations.
ZimEye.com visited the named traditional healer in Makokoba, for comment, but were denied to take pictures of his place of residence, as bouncers pushed this reporter away. Maulume Mhloloza could neither deny nor confirm that he assists thieves with lucky charms.
“Go and ask the guy who told you that I help, on what kind of help he requested. If you also need help from me I can give you, what I need is everyone to survive,” he said before warning this reporter on taking pictures.

Hail descended on Bulilima District killing three primary school pupils, in the latest tragedy which befel the area on Monday.

The three died following a deadly hailstorm that hit the area on Monday. Many more pupils were stranded and their families searched for them well into the night, leading to their rescue after large hailstones pounded several villages.
Two Early Childhood Development pupils from Sevako Primary School, both girls aged six years, died in the violent weather while a third, a boy from Ndolwane Primary School whose age and grade could not be ascertained, drowned yesterday.
The Bulilima Civil Protection Committee chairperson who is also the District Administrator for Bulilima, Ethel Moyo, said the ECD pupils died on their way home from school while the other pupil drowned in a flooded pit latrine at the school.
The hailstorm which hit the area on Monday afternoon also destroyed homes, shops and schools in different parts of the district. “I’m coming from Ndolwane area where I left villagers trying to retrieve the body of the pupil who drowned in a school toilet pit. The area received heavy rains and the toilets were flooded. This pupil couldn’t make out where the pit was and he fell inside,” said Moyo.
“There’s another incident involving two ECD pupils from Dombolefu area who were killed by the hailstorm while they were going home.”
The councillor for Dombolefu Ward, Morgen Ndebele, said the two pupils who are from Village 24 knocked off from school when the rains were starting at around 3PM. He said the weather condition worsened, trapping some children before they reached home.
He said some of the pupils were left stranded in the bushes and they were only rescued by villagers in the middle of the night.
“Two children from my area, girls both aged six-years-old, were killed by a hailstorm which struck the area on Tuesday. The rains started in the afternoon and later worsened amid a hailstorm which was raining large hail stones,” he said.
“A lot of children were stranded in the bushes and villagers had to conduct a search for them at night. Unfortunately two children didn’t survive the harsh storm and they were found dead in the bushes. It’s fortunate that most survived because that storm was severe.”
Ndebele said in his ward, a homestead belonging to Thomas Nkomo of Village 29 was reduced to ashes after it was struck by lightning during the storm.
He said Nkomo and his family fled from the homestead during the storm.
A villager from the area Mtshiyeni Nleya, who has a child who was trapped in the bushes during the hailstorm, said the once-in-a-lifetime incident had left a number of pupils and parents terrified. “I can’t recall experiencing such a terrifying ordeal and I can’t even imagine what the children were going through. Some of the pupils had reached their homes but those walking long distances such as my child were still on the way,” he said.
“I was troubled throughout the storm for the safety of my child and when the rains stopped we decided to search for them. Some children were hiding under trees. Some were lying in pools of water, it was a terrible sight. It’s unfortunate that our neighbours lost their children in the process.”
Benjamin Nleya, the councillor for Dombodema Ward, one of the affected areas in the district said several homesteads and a primary school in his area had been severely damaged.-State Media

PHILLIP CHIYANGWA’S COMMENT TO THE PETITION BY LIFELONG FOOTBALLERS’ TRUST OF ZIMBABWE.
I am normally incompatible with dubious and irrelevant people who seek attention by making statements that mention my name. However in light of the decision I have made to humbly offer myself for the office of the President of the Zimbabwe Football Association I consider it in the public interest to cast light on very clear issues which have been distorted by merchants of darkness purporting to be interested in the affairs of Zimbabwean football.
Firstly the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) is an exclusively a member based organisation and in terms of the ZIFA Constitution a member is crisply defined as:
“a legal or natural person that has been admitted into membership of ZIFA by the Congress”.
The purported Lifelong Footballers’ Trust of Zimbabwe (LIFTZ) is clearly not a member of ZIFA. It is existentially and functionally a consortium of disgraced individuals who have been convicted of indulging in criminal shenanigans and who have received bans from both ZIFA and FIFA. It is an epitome of corrupt gangsters of charlatans who have not only failed in football but in life, business and any even corrupt activities. This is most certainly true of the alter ego of the organisation one Francis Zimunya a vile character synonymous with the corrupt image of Zimbabwean football.
The LIFTZ lacks locus standi to participate or comment in any football activity or matter in Zimbabwe. Apart from the shameful scars left by its proprietors in the governance of football affairs in Zimbabwe, the organisation lacks legitimacy, credibility and common decency. It is a matter of public record that Francis Zimunya is disqualified from participating in football matters in Zimbabwe due to his shady history. It is most ironic that he has the temerity of joining hands with other failures of his ilk in making unfounded and groundless allegations against me.
The allegations made by LIFTZ manifests outright illiteracy in reading the Constitution of ZIFA and in understanding the invaluable contribution i have made to football and the Zimbabwean society at large. None of the nonsensical allegations can stand to scrutiny, for instance the sham organisation confuses Old Citrus Farm Football Club and a non-existent entity they allege to be “Mazoe Citrus”. These failures are so desperate as to fabricate fictitious fallacies believing in them and publicly parading their feigned lunacy. I will not stoop so low as to allow for a moment my name to be mentioned in the same context with the proven enemies of Zimbabwe.
None of the so called members of LIFTZ (which i think is a misspelling of looters) have any status, standing or position in any of the formal structures of football in Zimbabwe. It is a pack of wolves who cannot even fit into sheepskin by all manner of pretence. LIFTZ has not made any contribution to Zimbabwean football and cannot be allowed to pollute our sports matters with their hogwash.
It is clear that the laughable allegations being made by LIFTZ are an integral part of strategy by those who have nothing to offer to Zimbabwe football prop up their candidate who is a man of an equally shady football administrative history, who despite lacking a Zimbabwean passport is vying to be considered as a leader of Zimbabwean football. The ultimate objective is to perpetuate plunder and destruction of not just football but the reputation of the Zimbabwean society at large. We shall not allow their evil machinations to see the light of day.
P.C

By Henry Ncube| The Minister of Sport and Recreation, Mkhosini Hlongwane,  on Tuesday issued a stern warning on aspiring ZIFA Presidential candidate Philip Chiyangwa who is reportedly threatening fellow contestants.
While Chiyangwa denies the allegations, below was the Minister’s full statement issued after reports naming the businessman were filed in his office.
“We have received with dismay news of threats against certain candidates who are participating in the ZIFA board elections slated for the 5^th of December 2015.
In light of the news, Government would like to reiterate the following:
1. The dissolution of the ZIFA Board on the 3^rd of October 2015 has given the football community an opportunity for a new lease of life under a new dispensation. This opportunity must not be squandered.
2. All those interested in partaking in the ZIFA Board elections must be enabled to do so under the same electoral atmospherics.
3. Any threats against any candidates who have been cleared by ZIFA to stand in the election by anyone, be they participants in the election or not, will not be tolerated and condoned.
4. The transitional ZIFA organization has a duty of making sure that it delivers to the football community and to Zimbabwe at large, a credible election process that has the buy in of the football community and the millions of football loving Zimbabweans.
5. The Ministry of Sport and Recreation suggests that all ZIFA presidential candidates be subjected to a public debate, live on radio and/or television, to afford them a chance to articulate themselves on their manifestos. This will also assist the candidates to tolerate one another and to differ with dignity.
6. Government’s intention is to remain as neutral as possible throughout this election process but a line in sand will be drawn if unorthodox means and ways are used to disadvantage ANY candidate at the expense of others.
7. Government would like to reiterate that the ZIFA Board elections must necessarily usher in a new dispensation that unleashes football’s potential so that this very important economic sector begins to contribute to the economy of our country.”
Hon Makhosini Hlongwane
Minister of Sport and Recreation

Staff Reporter|ZimEye| A cabal of ZANU PF youth in Gwanda is lobbying for an urgent renaming of two of Gwanda’s main roads in President Robert Mugabe and his controversial wife Grace’s names.
A member of the ZANU PF Matabeleland South youth league told ZimEye.com through a confidential tip off, that a section of the youth league backing Grace Mugabe for party presidency met over the weekend and resolved to push the party to force Gwanda Town Council to effect the name changes urgently. According to the details, the group intends to engage some war veterans said to be loyal to Grace and the women’s league to push the agenda through.
The group is said to be targeting the name changes to be done before the party goes for its annual conference in Victoria Falls on the 5th of December. Similar pushes are said to be being undertaken in all the major centres in the country as the youth league garners support and publicity for the First Lady ahead of the conference.
Media reports claim that 91 year old President Mugabe is expected to announce his successor at the conference and also declare his retirement from active politics. ZANU PF is dissipate into two rival factions ahead of the make or break December conference. One section is backing Vice President Emmerson Munangagwa and the other backing Grace Mugabe to head the party.
According to the information provided, the youth league will demand that the main road passing through Gwanda from Bulawayo to Beitbridge be named Robert Mugabe Way. The Bigburn Road which links the town’s CBD with the Western High Density suburbs in Jawunda Township be called the Grace Mugabe Road.
Last year the ZANU PF women’s league in the town tried to push to change the name of the town’s oldest primary school, Jawunda, to Grace Mugabe Primary School. The proposal was strongly rejected by residents of Gwanda and the ruling party soon shelved it off .
Asked for a comment, political analyst and Residents leader in Gwanda, Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo said that the renaming of Gwanda Streets and buildings is not necessary a matter for ZANU PF to do but that of the community in Gwanda.
“The issue of renaming Gwanda streets is not a privilege for ZANU PF only but all of us in Gwanda. As residents we have made it clear to our local authority that when the time comes to name or rename streets and properties in Gwanda, a committee of stakeholders be set up and ZANU PF can be included among the stakeholders if they have a burning desire to see some names included, but all names will be assessed on an equal footing and those of paramount relevance to Gwanda will get a priority” said Fuzwayo.
“It will be a mistake to allow the current political issues amongst political parties to influence our decisions of years to come. If MDCT fights today and they demand to give (Thokozani) Khuphe publicity then we name a street in her name we will lose relevance and credibility as a community,” he added.

National Political Commissar Mr Saviour Kasukuwere has said that forthcoming Zanu-PF’s 15th Annual National People’s Conference is a crucial indaba meant to forge forward the economic empowerment agenda, but not about leadership change. Therefore ,Zanu-PF cadres should be contented with their current positions.
Addressing delegates during a Mashonaland West provincial inter-district conference on Sunday, Mr Kasukuwere said those carrying out covert operations were wasting their time as the revolutionary party’s focus was on improving the livelihoods of Zimbabweans.
This is contrary to misinformed assertions by some sections of the media that the conference, slated for December 7 to 13 in Victoria Falls, would see the Zanu-PF constitution being amended and some leadership changes taking place.
“Our conference is coming and, we’re going there to discuss about empowering the people not about President Mugabe. That issue has been finalised,” Kasukuwere said.
“We’re aware of clandestine, stupid moves. They’ll not succeed. I’m happy where I’m as secretary for the commissariat, Mr (Ignatius) Chombo is secretary for administration and he’s happy where he is, the chairman of the province (Ephraim) Chengeta,  (Edna) Madzongwe, (Josiah) Hungwe, (Christopher) Mutsvangwa and everyone else should be happy and contented with where they are.”
Mashonaland West province endorsed President Mugabe as the party’s 2018 election candidate.
Mr Kasukuwere said the conference theme: “Consolidating People’s Power through Zim-Asset” was all about transforming people’s lives.
He added that those angling for the party’s top post would be dumped along the way as President Mugabe remained the people’s favourite.
“Going astray and selling out isn’t about what you do physically, but what you think when you’re sleeping with your wife, dreaming of when you’re in a post already occupied by someone,” he said.

“The danger comes when you start thinking about succession. Temba Mliswa did the same and look what he’s doing. Today he’s with MDC, tomorrow he’s with Mai (Joice) Mujuru. He’s everywhere. The issue of defending President Mugabe is non-negotiable. For some of us, it’s a matter of life and death. Be focused, defend the President.”
Mliswa was part of a putchist cabal led by former Vice President Joice Mujuru which wanted to topple President Mugabe ahead of Zanu-PF’s Congress last December.
Ring leaders of the cabal were sacked while other members were suspended from the party.
Mr Kasukuwere warned party members against consorting with opposition forces saying Zanu-PF was not afraid of booting them out and having by-elections, where necessary.
“Those who’ve been suspended from the party, toe the party line,” he said.
“The moment you start hobnobbing with people the party is against, you’re on your own and we’re ready to come back for by-elections and I assure you Zanu-PF will still prevail. This is a message to those wavering. In politics there’s no wavering just like in the church you can’t worship God and Satan at the same time.”
He said the First Lady Grace Mugabe, who is the Zanu-PF Women’s League secretary, deserved respect as she had played a leading role in bringing back stability in the party that had been rocked by factionalism steered by the former VP Mujuru’s cabal.
“Amai Mugabe is our First Lady, she must be respected equally alongside the President of our country,” Kasukuwere said.
“We support the President and you can’t say you don’t support his wife. We asked her to come into politics and she did a good job, helping in the kicking out of the wayward ones. The country and stability of the party was being threatened. The Americans and their money had found their way here and your farms were now under threat.”
He added: “One thing Zanu-PF isn’t scared to do is to discipline someone. Even If I go astray I’ll be disciplined. No one is above the party. No one owns the party, it belongs to the people of Zimbabwe.”
Mr Kasukuwere commended Mr Hungwe for leading the restructuring programme in Mashonaland West.
“What’s now important is to unite and move forward building the party. Down with forming small groups that have sinister agendas,” he said
“Mr Chengeta, you’re the provincial chairperson and if there’re any grey areas (in the district elections) go back and let the people’s will prevail. You’ve the support of the Politburo, don’t be scared.”
He said mobilisation and strengthening of the party structures should continue ahead of the 2018 general elections. – Herald

The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association says no sane and patriotic Zimbabwean should defend Health Minister David Parirenyatwa for siphoning the the Premier Service Medical Aid Society.
On Sunday former Health Minister who is now the health adviser to in the office of the President and Cabinet Dr Timothy Stamps wrote in the Sunday Mail defending Parirenyatwa.
Below is Dr Fortune Nyamande the ZHDA President’s response to DR Stamps
I write this article in response to the remarks made by Dr T Stamps on the controversial disbursement of $100 000 US dollars to the Minister of Health  Dr Parirenyatwa company’s CHEST account .
Labeling  Dr Parirenyatwa as an “impeccable character” and applauding him for reintroducing capitation is a gross misrepresentation and diversionary strategy.
It is common knowledge that not all medical practitioners in Zimbabwe enjoy the selective application of this otherwise noble scheme of capitation.
Isn’t it ironic and a gross moral misnomer that the same Minister who has superintendent the financial demise and decay of PSMAS becomes one of the few if not only general practitioner to benefit from the scheme?
Is it also financially sound for an indebted company to extend advances? Why then would such a company be immune from attachment of property for failing to settle long standing debts?
Dr Parirenyatwa should be reminded that his duties include the promotion of public good, social justice and advancing the access to health care for all Zimbabweans.
These allegations, if true will definitely infuriate doctors and other service providers who have continued to treat PSMAS medical aid holders with the hope that their debts will be settled.
It should also be highlighted that the preferential and gross overpayment to the Minister of Health can never be justified and is also a clear breach of the Zimbabwean constitution. Ministers whilst holding public office must not undertake paid work.
The case also inextricably places the embattled minister in a position where there is conflict of interest.
His office  regulates the medical aid societies and therefore he must be the last person to get preferential treatment ahead of the less politically connected and influential doctors should we pretend that capitation is now back at PSMAS.
It will be a great injustice should this case fail to be thoroughly investigated and the supposed funds returned immediately to the broke PSMAS.
Isn’t it a case of unparalleled barbarism that a minister who should be exploring avenues of clearing the PSMAS debt is the first one in the queue to get monetary advances for patients he may fail to treat in a couple of years?
I have no doubt that I respect Dr Stamps for his excellent contribution to Zimbabwe’s health delivery system and am sure that his leadership exploits in the ministry are greatly missed by many.
However it should be on record during our generation that this transaction by Dr Parirenyatwa through his company is highly immoral and must always be condemned in the strongest possible terms!
This article was written by Dr F N Nyamande.
Dr Nyamande is the current president of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association and writes in his personal capacity.
For and on behalf of the ZHDA

Rattled by the dramatic re-entry into formal politics by former Vice President Joice Mujuru two months ago, as well as the prospects of her working with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai ahead of the 2018 national elections, some members of a panicky Robert Mugabe controlled post-congress Zanu PF are apparently stepping up efforts to lure her back into the ruling party.
Well-placed sources in President Robert Mugabe’s warring party told the Daily News yesterday that while the overtures to Mujuru were “not universally supported”, there was widespread agreement that her brutal purge late last year had left the party more divided and seriously weakened.
“Yes, there are some overtures to her, but I don’t think that these have yet reached a formal stage, and they are certainly not universally supported.
Many hardliners are opposed to such a move as it would threaten their positions.
“One thing that is not in dispute any more is that Mai Mujuru’s ghost looms large in the party,” a senior Zanu PF official said when asked to comment on the overtures.
Since the popular widow of the late liberation struggle icon, Solomon Mujuru, was ruthlessly purged from the ranks of the former liberation movement on untested claims of working to dethrone and assassinate Mugabe, Zanu PF’s deadly factional and succession wars have escalated.
The politburo member who spoke to the Daily News said some party bigwigs were “desperate to let by-gones be by-gones”, which would see Mujuru and her allies being brought back into the party fold, for the sake of the party and the country.
“There is no doubt that things are not going well in the party. Many senior members now say privately that if Mai Mujuru is brought back into the party, we will win the 2018 general elections without any problems.
“The other issue is that everyone in the party (Zanu PF) wants to avoid a coalition between Mai Mujuru and Tsvangirai, because if the two join hands, this could be the end of our party,” he said.
Tell-tale signs of the overtures to Mujuru and her supporters first emerged at First Lady Grace Mugabe’s recent Rushinga rally, where she extended an olive branch to party members who were either dismissed or suspended on allegations of being linked to Mujuru.
“I always say if you see that you have done something wrong, apologise to the party. Even God forgives and as Zanu PF we do the same,” she said.
And in another indication that the ruling party is trying to bring Mujuru and her allies back, the inappropriately named State media columnist, Bishop Lazarus, said recently that Mujuru would return to Zanu PF.
“Mujuru’s silence is being presented as a strategy to ambush Zanu PF towards 2018. That is not the case as she is insisting that she can’t imagine herself fighting against Zanu PF in general and President Mugabe in particular.
“Gumbo and Mutasa are said to be pinning Mai Mujuru down as they try to force her to come out in the open. The Americans and the British are coming from the back, leaving Mai Mujuru with no room to breathe. It’s that bad.
“Seeing that she is in a fix, Mai Mujuru is said to have decided that she won’t comment officially on the People First project, with reports that the Build document that was attributed to her was published against her wish.
“Bishop Lazarus knows where her heart lies, but then let me not rush things here. Gumbo, Mutasa, Americans and the British will one good day know that they are and can’t be cleverer than Zanu PF,” the columnist said.
In the meantime, Mujuru’s allies say the former VP has no intention of going back to Zanu PF or meeting Mugabe as is being suggested in some circles.
Dismissing the speculation, the spokesperson of the “original” Zanu PF that uses the slogan People First, Rugare Gumbo, said there was a deliberate ploy by the country’s spies to sell the public a dummy and portray Mujuru as a sell-out who was longing to return to Zanu PF.
“We have been alerted that there are Zanu PF propagandists and security services personnel who have been assigned to fabricate and plant dubious stories in the media to the effect that (Dr) Joice Mujuru is still Zanu PF and that she intends on re-joining the faction-riddled and internally-decaying political outfit,” Gumbo said in a statement.
“We seek to set the record straight herein, that (Dr) Mujuru last met Mugabe on December 1, 2014, a day before Mugabe’s party held its congress and no other meeting between the two, or their representatives, has taken place subsequently.
“(Dr) Mujuru has no intentions to meet Mugabe or go back to Zanu PF as she is busy putting in place a strong political entity that will provide a platform for Zimbabweans, in our diversity and with the multiplicity of our skills, to turn around our economy, rehabilitate our service delivery system, restore hope to our long-suffering people and provide jobs and better livelihoods to the thousands of college and university graduates that the current government has condemned to perpetual poverty and destitution,” Gumbo said.
Mujuru recently launched her Blueprint to Unlock Investment and Leverage for Development (Build) manifesto, which caught the post-congress Zanu PF flat-footed and left many in the party visibly rattled.
“We reiterate that (Dr) Mujuru and all progressive Zimbabweans working with her will not be distracted from charting a trajectory that will return our country to economic prosperity through a people-centred political formation whose primary goal is to restore dignity to our people through providing mechanisms for economic sustainability rooted in an inclusive socio-economic and political system.
“No amount of lies, or infertile imaginations, is going to stop the people’s movement,” Gumbo said.DailyNews

BY DANFORD ZIRUGO| A police woman was on Thursday arraigned at Mbare magistrate court after she allegedly assaulted a community service officer.
The woman, Barbara Chipatiso (28) pleaded not guilty before magistrate Stanford Mambanje who remanded her in custody to 18 November.
Allegations against Chipatiso are that on November 4 she and her colleague approached community service officer Shingirai Matavire at the Mbare Community service office seeking a record for an ex-convict.
The state alleges Matavire’s supervisor told Chipatiso and her colleague that the said records had been taken to Rotten Row courts by the Director of Community Service.
It is further alleged then she started accusing Matavire for defeating the course of justice.
Chipatiso is said to have begun blocking the duty supervisor from going out for lunch resulting in Matavire intervening in the case.
Chipatiso is said to have gone on to grab Matavire’s neck by one hand intending to assault her.
Matavire’s supervisor restrained Chipatiso from hurting Matavire.
Lawrence Gangarahwe appeared for the state.

A woman who has a habit of stealing hundreds of  thousands dollars from unsuspecting rich foreigners using fake documents to claim mantainance has appeaated in court.
She would claim maintenance from different men for children he bore during her earlier marriage with another man .
In one of the cases, Olga Mukwindidza Bhatti (33), who was once married to an Asian, swindled Akram Mahammed (60) of $200 000 through fraudulent means, which included blackmail.

By Tinoonga Mawere, Masvingo| Residents of Rujeko suburb are unhappy with the commotion caused by drunk patrons who frequent a sex-shebeen owned by a local police officer.
The residents who include vendors told ZimEye.com on Saturday the shebeen, owned by a  ZRP Inspector based at the Central Police station, was creating mayhem in the suburb as drunk patrons had the habit of shouting obscenities at nearby vendors and residents who include toddlers in the area.
The shebeen is situated a stone’s throw from Rujeko police camp yet the police are reluctant to apprehend the patrons and the shebeen owner. On the contrary the police are harassing nearby vendors -some of them who are university graduates trying to eke out a living in the harsh economic environment.
“We wonder who will police the police because the shebeen is well known and it is owned by a police officer. We are having sleepless nights because of people who throng the place. When drunk they shout obscenities at us and our clients. Some of our clients are afraid of coming to our market place. They even shout insults at our children; it is really a traumatising experience.
“We reported the matter at Rujeko Police but some of the officers accused us of stirring trouble. Some times the patrons shout insults at us in full view of the police.
“The situation is terrible; how can a police officer own a shebeen? Our efforts to report the matter have since hit a brick wall since the police are effectively refusing to act on the matter,” said a vendor based at Jazire business centre in the suburb.
In Zimbabwe one has to obtain liquor licence in order to sell alcohol.
The police have been accused of failing to protect the citizens and the vendors alleged they were threatened with arrests and raids when they filed a complaint at Rujeko police camp.

A 33-YEAR-OLD Emganwini man, who resides at his mother-in-law’s house, yesterday allegedly attacked his wife on the head seven times with a machete before breaking her two fingers, accusing her of refusing to have sexual intercourse with him.
The man identified as Alfred Lunga, was staying together with his wife Sikhululekile Ndlovu (22) at Christine Mudzami’s house, where the incident reportedly occurred.
The couple has a one-year-three-month-old child.
In an interview with Southern Eye, Mudzami said she was at the United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH) accompanying her daughter after she was attacked by Lunga, who ran away soon after committing the offence.
Mudzami said the attack occurred at around 7am.
“My son-in-law struck my daughter seven times on the head with a machete and also broke her two fingers, one from each hand,” she said.
“He attacked her in my presence. I tried to restrain him, but he overpowered me. He even wanted to strike the child, but I ran away with the baby. He then ran away, but we have reported the matter to the police.”
Mudzami said her daughter was bleeding profusely and the blood was all over the house.
“When I asked him why he wanted to kill his wife like that, he said he had to have sex with her, but she kept on refusing and he got angry,” Mudzami said.
“I was keeping this boy at my house and he could not even bring anything home. He was only a consumer. Look at what he has done to my daughter. I want him jailed. As I speak, the police are looking for him and I hope he will be arrested soon.”
Mudzami said they were not aware of Lunga’s home, all they knew was that his mother stayed somewhere close to Fairbridge in Bulawayo.
Contacted for comment, Bulawayo Police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango advised Southern Eye to call later.-SouthernEye

A 16-year-old mother who was in a forced marriage has been arrested for suffocating her newborn baby.
The teenager, from Phihli Village under Chief Bunina in Lower Gweru who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Gweru Magistrate Judith Taruvinga facing a charge of infanticide.
She pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded in custody to November 25 for trial.
For the State, Daniel Tafuma told the court that the teenager was married sometime this year after she fell pregnant and killed her baby after giving birth eleven days ago.
He said she was living with her mother-in-law when she committed the crime.
The prosecutor said a neighbour who heard the baby crying from the girl’s room came and forced open the door, only to find the dead baby in a plastic bag.
“On November 5 this year at around 9AM, she didn’t tell anyone about her labour pains and gave birth while alone in a room at her mother-in-law’s residence,” said Tafuma.
He said the accused took the baby and put it in a plastic carrier bag and suffocated it.
The neighbour reported the matter to the police leading to the teenager’s arrest.
The post mortem results showed that the baby died due to suffocation.
The teenager however insists that the baby was already dead when she delivered hence she decided to put the body in a plastic bag to take it to a nearby clinic.
She told the court that it was best for the child to die because her husband was denying responsibility.
She said her husband always told her that his mother had forced him to marry her.
The teenager said the baby could have died during delivery as she was alone when she gave birth.
She said she was alone at home when she went into labour so there was noone to take her to hospital.
“Your worship I didn’t kill the baby as alleged but I couldn’t get anyone to take me to the hospital so I suspect the baby died during delivery. I didn’t have clothes for the baby so after delivery I had to wrap it in a plastic bag. When I was preparing to go to hospital that’s when my neighbour walked in and found the baby in a plastic bag and suspected that I had killed it,” said the teenager close to tears.-State Media

Former Vice-President Joice Mujuru has rubbished claims from some political quarters that she could be weighing her options with a view to jumping back to Zanu PF, saying that will never happen.
Speaking directly for the first time in response to the allegations, Mujuru told The Standard on Friday: “Do you see Teurai doing such a thing?” (Teurai-Ropa is Mujuru’s liberation war name.”
The former VP usually speaks through former Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo and ex-administrator of the party Didymus Mutasa, who have aligned with her in her new political endeavours.
The Standard managed to secure a brief interview with her in which she insisted on accurate quotes, failure of which she said no interviews would be granted in the future.
“I have more important people’s things to do than to talk about non-existing issues. Uri kuona zvichiitwa naTeurai izvozvo? [Do you see Teurai doing such a thing as re-joining Zanu PF?] When I am ready, I will do what the real suffering people of Zimbabwe want me to do,” she said.
Her statement follows utterances by ex-Zanu PF provincial chairman for Mashonaland West Temba Mliswa, who claimed that Mujuru was working with a Zanu PF faction dubbed G40.
“Zimbabweans must learn to respect others and even respect themselves,” Mujuru said. “I am a person of my own ways… I don’t just do things. I have my own way of doing things.”
Gumbo, who now acts as the spokesperson of an outfit linked to the former VP, yesterday corroborated Mujuru’s statements, saying it was “wishful thinking” for Mliswa to suggest Mujuru wanted to return to Zanu PF.
“How can she go back to a party that ill-treated her like that? There is no way she is going back,” he said, adding that Mujuru had made it clear she would be contesting for the presidency in the 2018 elections.
“These allegations are mere dreams which should be forgotten. It is the work of the agents who are bent on distorting information,” Gumbo said.
He said Zanu PF was paying agents to do the “dirty work of misleading the masses”.
Political analyst Alois Masepe said one would have to be “insane” to want to go back to a party that was fraught with so many problems.
“It is a fact that she was ill-treated and to imagine her going back is too far-fetched. The ruling party is on fire, why would Mujuru want to go back?” he questioned.
Masepe said it would take a lot of persuasion and wooing to get the former VP to go back to a party that is “highly unstable”.
He, however, said politics was very unpredictable.
“Politics is the art of the possible, so one can never be certain of how things will eventually turn out,” Masepe said.
Mliswa, the former Hurungwe West MP who was kicked out of Zanu PF together with Mujuru and several other senior members, recently told our sister paper NewsDay that the ex-VP would only be powerful if she returned to Zanu PF.
Along with Mutasa, Gumbo and many others, Mujuru is part of a loose coalition of former Zanu PF liberation stalwarts, reportedly mulling the formation of a party currently going by the name People First.
Mliswa claimed Mujuru was now working with Young Turks within the ruling party opposed to the ascendancy of Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa to the presidency.
The group (G40), according to reports, boasts among its ranks the likes of Zanu PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere, Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo and Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao.
Although they all deny belonging to a faction, this has not stopped internal party hawks from linking them to the ambitious group.
“The G40 has realised that it is losing grip. They are losing the internal war with Mnangagwa because the on-going restructuring exercise has put Mnangagwa firmly in charge. His [Mnangagwa’s] people are in charge of Manicaland, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland East,” claimed Mliswa.

Four people died on the spot last night when their Honda CRV vehicle collided with a train in Emganwini, Bulawayo. They were driving towards Emganwini while the train was travelling from Botswana to Bulawayo. According to witnesses, the driver of the vehicle attempted to cross the railway line ahead of the train, ignoring the train’s warning hoot resulting in the accident.

By Tinoonga Mawere Masvingo|Kudakwashe Machako, an ally of First Lady Grace Mugabe has landed a top government post in the Minister of Provincial affairs, Shuvai Ben Mahofa’s office in a move aimed at neutralising Mrs Mugabe’s opponents.
Machako formerly the provincial head in the Ministry of Youth ,Indigenisation and Empowerment ,landed the cosmetic post of director -created to neutralise Grace’s perceived opponents in and out of government. The post was created in September since it was noticed Mahofa was failing to stamp her authority in dealing with anti-Grace elements.
The appointment comes at a time the cash strapped government is failing to pay some civil servants’ salaries and some government employees have gone for up to 3 months without pay. “It is true Machako has been appointed director in Minister Mahofa’s office and I can confirm that the post is new but we are waiting for some clarifications from the head office .Some things have to do with policy changes,” said a source at Benjamin Burombo centre .
Both Mahofa and Machako confirmed the latest development but denied it was a political appointment.
However political observers here believe Machako who was hand picked by Saviour Kasukuwere, an ally of Grace Mugabe, has been roped into the office to neutralise Mrs Mugabeo’s perceived elements.
Machako will be given a top range vehicle among other perks as his incentives at a time the government is staggering salary payments .

President Robert Mugabe is in Antalya, Turkey to attend the G20 summit which begins tomorrow Sunday.
A Turkish government official told ZimEye.com that government is convinced that Mugabe’s presence provides new opportunities to reflect Africa’s views. The Turkish G20 presidency “is convinced that Zimbabwe’s active participation in G20 activities in 2015, as Chair of the African Union, enhanced Africa’s voice in the platform and provided new opportunities to reflect Africa’s views on the G20 llgenda,” they said. ALSO READ:
Progress During Turkey’s 2015 G20 Presidency
G20 TURKISH PRESIDENCY KEY MESSAGES
Mugabe was met at the Antalya airport by the Governor of Antalya, Turkey’s Minister of Economy, Turkey government officials, and Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Iran and Turkey Ambassador Nicholas Kitikiti.

He is accompanied by his wife Grace Mugabe, Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and several senior government officials. Because of ISIS threat, high security measures have been instituted for the summit.
A total of 13 400 police officers including 1 400 traffic police, will be on duty during the summit 24 hours a day.
The venue for the summit which is situated in a resort called Belek has been declared as a red zone and no visitors without an accreditation card will be allowed entry.

Amateur footage has emerged of the moments when soldiers attacked ZBC journalists yesterday, Friday. FULL STORY CLICK HERE

Police yesterday arrested 16 female college and university students who were demonstrating in Harare against exorbitant fees and sexual harassment at tertiary institutions.
National police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the arrests, saying the march was illegal as it was not sanctioned by police.
“Sixteen of them were arrested. I think people think it’s now fashionable, but police will not stop maintaining order. The march was not cleared by police,” she said.
Zimbabwe National Students’ Union (Zinasu) spokesperson Avoid Masiraha said Obey Shava; a member of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, was by last night battling to secure their release.
“We had a demonstration from Rezende Street to Second Street when police intercepted and started assaulting everyone there. Some were seriously injured,” he said.
“The march was all about female students from different tertiary institutions who were protesting against poor accommodation, sexual harassment and exorbitant fees as well as the right to education.”
The arrests came hard on the heels of a massive clampdown on demonstrations being organised by the main opposition MDC-T against the worsening economic situation in the country. Newsday

The Zanu PF Harare province youth league has endorsed President Robert Mugabe as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2018 elections.
Scores of the Zanu PF youth league from Harare province attended a youth league provincial conference held in the capital.
“President Mugabe will go into the presidential elections in 2018 unchallenged by the Zanu PF members,” declared Harare youth chairperson Edson Takataka.
Speaking to the State Media, the national secretary for youth affairs and politburo member Pupurai Togarepi took a swipe at the MDC youths who allegedly attacked the police and described the act as barbaric and uncivilised.
“The recent attack on the police by the MDC youths is inhuman and barbaric,” Togarepi said.
Meanwhile, the Zanu PF inter-district conference for Harare province that was slated for Saturday the 14thof November at Girls High School has been cancelled until further notice.

BUBI Rural District Council (RDC) has suspended an MDC-T councillor who was arrested last month for posting a message on a WhatsApp group denigrating President Robert Mugabe.
The MDC-T ward 18 councillor, Nduna Matshazi, was arrested for posting the message insulting President Mugabe on a councillors’ group chat on the social media platform.
The group’s administrator notified the police about the message, leading to Matshazi’s arrest.
The councillor adulterated the Lord’s Prayer to denigrate the President.
Bubi RDC Chief Executive Officer Patson Mlilo said it was decided before a budget consultative meeting on Thursday that Matshazi should be suspended.
“The team felt they could not deliberate their ideas in the presence of a member with that kind of behaviour. The full council resolved that he be suspended until his case is finalised,” said Mlilo.
He said police said yesterday that they were still carrying out investigations.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Siphiwe Makonese could not immediately comment on the suspended councillor’s case.
Last month, the administrator of the chat group, who declined to be named, told The State Media that he was offended when Clr Matshazi digressed from discussing development issues that councillors had created the group for.
The WhatsApp chat group, Bubi RDC, has 23 councillors and three council officials as members.
“We created this group solely for communication as council. As council we notify each other on meetings dates, agendas and other business. When Matshazi’s message reflected on the group chat, everyone reacted with shock and we later reported him to the police,” he said.-Chronicle

With President Robert Mugabe looking increasingly frail and unable to stop the factional and succession wars devouring his ruling post-congress Zanu PF, analysts warn that the party’s ugly infighting could turn violent before, during and after its annual conference to be held in Victoria Falls next month.
While such gatherings have traditionally been uneventful and boring, this year’s is promising fireworks as bitterly-opposed factions linked to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Mugabe’s controversial wife Grace jostle to gain decisive advantage in the brutal succession war.
And with the opposing camps ratcheting up their rhetoric against each other over the past few days as tension rises, analysts told the Daily News yesterday that the threat of serious intra-party violence was becoming a distinct possibility, particularly given the past tendency by party hardliners to default to violence when their hold on power was threatened.
As it is, there have been disconcerting threats within ruling party circles this week that unaccredited rival youth groups may be bussed to Victoria Falls, which if it happens, will further raise the chances of violence breaking out at the conference.
The Zimbabwe Youth Action Platform (ZYAP) — a youth group that supports Mnangagwa — has already not only savaged the party’s ambitious Young Turks known as the Generation 40 (G40), who are rabidly opposed to the VP, they have also threatened violence against these alleged mafikizolos (party Johnny-come-latelies) that include national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere and Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao.
Another group calling itself the Children of Zimbabwe National War Veterans Association has also threatened the alleged kingpins of the G40, also demanding not only that Kasukuwere apologises unreservedly for having once insulted some war veterans as drunkards, but that he is also ousted from his powerful party position.
The political analysts who spoke to the Daily News yesterday said given this “fraught climate” — as well as the fact that Mnangagwa had recently been reported to have upped his personal security, while some of the ruling party’s stalwarts such as Solomon Mujuru and Border Gezi had died in disputed circumstances — the spectre of bloody disagreements could not be discounted.
University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Eldred Masunungure, said a person like Mnangagwa could “ill-afford to be reckless”, especially after reports that his offices had been sprinkled with cyanide in an apparent attempt on his life by alleged party rivals.
“With the succession issue becoming more vicious, nothing can be left to chance. Mnangagwa has been forewarned and given his experience in the party during the liberation struggle where eliminations were a common feature, he wants to ensure that no such thing happens to him,” Masunungure posited.
Academic Ibbo Mandaza said Mnangagwa “probably knows better that … many have died under our watch from the 1970s until today, including the suspicious death of Rex Nhongo … so one cannot rule out anything”.
Afghanistan-based political analyst, Maxwell Saungweme, said there were many incidences of ambitious officials who had died in mysterious circumstances that included “road accidents”.
“That Mnangagwa is reported to have upped his security is testament to what the party is capable of doing,” he said, adding that “cases of violence  involving members are well documented”.
And as paranoia continues to grip the party, the VP’s supporters are pointing out to last year’s car accident and the cyanide attack at his Zanu PF offices as some of those ominous signs that have also made his family, specifically his wife Auxillia, vulnerable.
All this is happening as Grace’s allies are ratcheting up their efforts to “checkmate” Mnangagwa’s presidential aspirations at the ruling party’s annual conference next month.
Well-placed sources linked to the G40 — who are rallying behind Grace as the race to succeed Mugabe hots up — told the Daily News on Wednesday that the embattled VP would face his Waterloo at the increasingly-important Victoria Falls gathering.
“Everyone agrees that it is now time to end all these misguided plots by secessionists (G40 code for Mnangagwa camp) that the president plans to retire soon and that their man will finally be king.
“We will end all this silly excitement once and for all in Victoria Falls, as it will be checkmate time. Just keep watching this space,” one of the sources, a senior Zanu PF official, declared boldly without giving details.
But further investigations by the Daily News showed that just like the VP’s allies are hoping will happen, the G40 faction is also hedging its bets on the Victoria Falls gathering becoming an elective conference.
This would see constitutional changes catapulting Grace to the party’s vice presidency using Zanu PF’s abandoned women’s quota system — which would in turn see Mnangagwa relegated to a lower position, possibly that of party chairperson which was dropped last year.
Under this scheme, the G40 would push for Zanu PF to revert to its old constitution, under whose Article 7 (31) it declared that four members of the party’s central committee were supposed to be a president and first secretary, two vice presidents and second secretaries — “one of whom shall be a woman” — and a national chairperson.
“We will be pushing to see to it that Dr Amai Grace is nominated to the vice presidency post, while Comrade Mnangagwa may become the chairperson, which currently alternates between him and Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko,” a confident women’s league official said, arguing that the old party constitution was “in line with the Unity Accord” which was agreed by Mugabe and the late Father Zimbabwe Joshua Nkomo in 1987.
“VP Mphoko should keep his post by virtue of being the Zapu representative, which will mean that Comrade Mnangagwa has to be accommodated somewhere else,” she said.

By Tinoonga Mawere, Masvingo|The Zanu PF provincial executive here is expected to pass a vote of no confidence on First Lady Grace Mugabe and endorse Vice President Emmerson as President Mugabe’s successor in tomorrow ‘s meeting, it has emerged.
It is also understood Zanu PF members loyal to First Lady Grace Mugabe face expulsion ahead of the Victoria Falls conference if they fail to endorse Mnangagwa as Mugabe ‘s successor.
The provincial executive led by acting chairman Ezra Chadzamira is reportedly campaigning for Mnangagwa by holding a series of meeting across the province. Party sources told ZimEye.com senior officials have been holding caucus meetings at posh venues for that pupose.
“The Provincial executive will meet tomorrow here and it is quite clear they will endorse Mnangagwa as President Mugabe’s successor.Their stance is Grace should concentrate on the Women ‘s League affairs . Meetings are being held across the province -last week we met at Chivi Growth Point and Nemanwa Growth point over the same issue. People respect Grace as the First Lady but they are not happy with the way she is positioning herself,” said a provincial member who chose not to be named.
Chadzamira and provincial secretary Jappy Jaboon who are both MPs are reluctant to comment on the issue for fear of being reprimanded by Grace who is increasingly becoming the force behind the troubled ruling party. It has also emerged Chivi ward 5 councillor Grace Mukungunugwa ironically Grace’s namesake was last week threatened with expulsion by Mnangagwa loyalists.While Zanu PF is splashing money on factional fights, the party is yet to act on the need for urgent food relief in some parts of the province.
Mukungunugwa allegedly told the Mnangagwa apologists Mrs Mugabe would ascend to the presidency and she was threatened with expulsion .
“Mrs Mugabe appears to be losing grip in Masvingo province but we must not rule her out because she is a fighter.Some of her supporters are being victimised here,” said another party official . Although the party denies the beef between Grace and Mnangagwa, it is understood the tussle will see senior officials being sacrificed ahead of the explosive conference.

United States outgoing Ambassador to Zimbabwe Bruce Wharton  has described described President Robert Mugabe as a lion of Africa who has dedicated his whole life to liberating the continent.
Wharton, speaking to journalists in Harare, said he was leaving the country at a time when relations between the US and Zimbabwe were showing some improvements.
He pointed out that there were still some grey areas that needed to be polished before his country removes its sanctions against Zimbabwe. He also commended the country for holding peaceful elections in 2013, that were won by Zanu-PF.
“Robert Mugabe is a lion of Africa. He has dedicated his life to creating a free and independent … a lion of Africa … he is one of the leaders, not only of Zimbabwe’s liberation but of the Frontline States,” said Wharton. He said there were areas in which credit was due for Zimbabwe.
“We do recognise the improvement in the human rights situation in Zimbabwe. Thank God, the election of 2013 was peaceful. It’s a huge step forward,” said Wharton, who is returning to Washington to become the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs at the US Department of State.
Wharton, however, alleged that some people still disregard court rulings.
Wharton said there was need to restore property rights and compensate former white farmers, but added that he believes Zimbabwean authorities were sincere when they say they are presently incapacitated economically to pay compensation.

He also talked about the disappearance of MDC-T activist Itai Dzamara, but was quick to add that he could not prove in a court of law who was responsible for his abduction.
Wharton said he accepts the government’s explanation that people disappear everywhere including in the US, but added that he feels more could be done in Dzamara’s case, including roping in Interpol.
On the economic front he said “a small number of policy reforms” were needed to improve the country’s economy, and praised Zimbabwe’s empowerment policy, though adding that it needed to be made clearer.
“The indigenisation idea is a very worthy concept. All governments have the responsibility to protect their own citizens’ economic rights first, but the implementation of the indigenisation law has remained hard to predict and it seems to change from time to time and that has a chilling effect on an investor’s willingness to put money into a country,” added Wharton.
He said as he leaves Zimbabwe, some of his achievements are that he has been able to
facilitate high level meetings between government officials, adding that people on the sanctions list “were 25 fewer” since he came.He said for the past 12 months, he supported the IMF staff monitoring programme in the country and was supportive of the country’s debt repayment plan, which he said may clear the way for debt relief and new loans.
The US ambassador said as a result of that support the US “did not bang our shoes at the podium and say no, no, no” at the recent meeting in Lima, Peru, where Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa met the IMF and World Bank officials to resolve the debt issue.
“Fundamentally, the most important determinant of Zimbabwe’s future will be the actions of the people and government of Zimbabwe.
“You’ve heard me say the future of Zimbabwe is in the hands of Zimbabweans. I absolutely believe that,” he said.

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AT least eight suspected murderers are on the loose in Matabeleland South and police are seeking information that could lead to their arrestA police schedule of wanted persons gleaned by Southern Eye showed that several murder suspects, allegedly heinously attacked and killed a number of people in different parts of the province before disappearing.
Among the most wanted persons was Peter Phiri of Dulibadzimu in Beitbridge, who allegedly savagely killed his girlfriend near a railway line in Gwanda by stabbing her several times all over the body, before leaving an Okapi knife lodged in the victim’s neck earlier this year.
Another suspect, Zibusiso Mangena of Phakama in Gwanda, who allegedly stabbed to death a police constable at Phakama business centre in 2012 before fleeing, was also being sought by police.
Other suspected murderers, who are on the police wanted list, are Jabulani Dube of Filabusi, Bongani Ndou of Matopo, Mncwonywa Ncube and Frank Gatsheni of Guyu, Nkosilathi Ndlovu of Manonywe Village in Gwanda as well as Jabulani Dube Nyoni of Gwakwe area in Gwanda.
According to the notice, police are urging members of the public with information on the whereabouts of the suspects to approach their nearest police station.-SouthernEye

Harare City Council has offered ousted town clerk, Dr Tendai Mahachi, a $500 000 exit package but Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Ministry has reduced the amount to $100 000.
Sources close to the deliberations said Dr Mahachi, through his representative Mr Chenjerai Daitai of Magwaliba and Kwirira Legal Practitioners, was holding out for a $700 000 golden handshake.
They, however, said a team appointed by Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni, led by Councillor Enock Mupamaonde to negotiate a package with Dr Mahachi’s representatives, had offered $500 000, an amount subsequently agreed to by both parties.
“The team reported to the mayor that they had settled for $500 000 and the mayor in turn briefed the ministry. The ministry felt the amount was hefty and slashed it to $100 000, a figure which Dr Mahachi’s representatives have rejected,” said the source.
Mr Chenjerai Daitai confirmed that they had reached an agreement with the city but that council was dragging its feet on payment.
“We reached an agreement with the city on a certain figure which I cannot disclose but the city has not yet implemented our agreement.
“We have written two letters which the city did not respond to. We will be filing an application at the High Court challenging the city to fulfil its obligations,” he said.
Mayor Manyenyeni was diplomatic saying progress had been slow in negotiations.
“We are still discussing his retirement from council. Progress has been slower than we had hoped for. Nothing has been agreed to yet,” he said.
Council endorsed a decision by the human resources and general purposes committee in September to terminate Dr Mahachi’s employment contract.
Mayor Manyenyeni was authorised to negotiate a package with Dr Mahachi’s lawyers during a special council meeting.
Dr Mahachi had made an application at the High Court arguing that Section 139(2) of the Urban Councils’ Act requires that prior to the termination of a contract of employment in respect of a town clerk, the Local Government Board must approve the termination.
He, however, withdrew the application in which he wanted an order compelling the city to reinstate him following the negotiations.
Prior to making the High Court application, Dr Mahachi had demanded a golden handshake from the city and among his 22 demands he wanted a mansion in Belvedere and two top of the range vehicles.
According to a letter written by his lawyers to Manyenyeni, Dr Mahachi, who earned more than $27 000 per month, wanted the city to pay him more than $100 000 for every year he served the city.
He joined the city in 2007.-State Media

• New Ndebele King coming, VP Mphoko guarantees.
• Revival of the Kingdom, the only way resources can comeback

Staff Reporter| The controversial revival of the Umthwakazi Kingdom of the Ndebeles appears to be gathering momentum following this weekend’s Gadade Battle commemorations.
An estimated 5 000 ethnic Ndebele people gathered at Gadade in Ntabazinduna on Saturday to commemorate the day the last Ndebele Kingdom under King Lobengula Khumalo was destroyed. History records that the point at Gadade is where the last of Lobengula’s bravest warriors were killed off by the cannon gun wielding British forces on their way to burning down KwaBulawayo Lobengula’s palace.

All dressed in Ndebele traditional outfit, the thousands of people who gathered at the event sang and danced to Ndebele war songs calling for the revival of the Mthwakazi Kingdom. Some opportunistic elements in the gathering used the chance to send messages demanding for the cessation of Mthwakazi from the rest of Zimbabwe.
Leaders of the Mthwakazi Kingdom revival groups used the stage to call upon government to immediately facilitate for the crowning of a new King for the Ndebele people. They also demanded that government accords the Ndebele warriors who were killed at the Gadade battle the national heroes status and declare Gadade as a national monument.
Addressing the crowd, Chief Nhlanhla Ndiweni of Ntabazinduna where Gadade falls under, called on government to start respecting the cultures of the people of Matabeleland and have the income generated from the region benefiting the people in the region.
Chief Ndiweni castigated the marginalisation of Matabeleland region by the ZANU PF government since independence claiming that the region fought the toughest battles in the liberation of Zimbabwe but it’s never recognised for its efforts. He also took swipe at people who are bent on dividing Matabeleland into different ethnics groups.
Ndiweni reiterated his recent remarks that he was not happy with having the Police and Prison training depots in his area while they do not employ locals. Ndiweni claimed that his father the late Kayisa Ndiweni had allowed for construction of the depot as a skills training centre to benefit local people but was shocked when it was unceremoniously turned into a Training Depot for the police and prisons services.
Addressing the same gathering, Chief Gumede of the Ndebele people based in South Africa called on the people of Matabeleland to remain focused on fighting for the restoration of the Mthwakazi Kingdom. He claimed that the revival of the Kingdom will be the only way under which the people of Matabeleland can begin benefiting from the resources in the region.
The Gadade commemorations come just a couple of months after the King Mzilikazi commemoration which was attended by a similar crowd including Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko. In his address, Mphoko assured the people that government was working hard in ensuring that the king of the Ndebele people is coronated before the end of this year. Speakers at the Gadade commemorations assured the crowd that the king will be coronated before the end of the year as promised by Vice President Mphoko.

The police in Mrewa have  arrested and detained 35 year-old man Moenda Mberi for allegedly blaming President Robert Mugabe as the author of the country’s economic crisis, which has “brought untold suffering among some of his ruling Zanu PF party sympathisers.”
Mberi (pictured) was been charged for undermining authority or insulting President Mugabe in contravention of Section 33 (2) (b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
The police led by one Detective Sergeant Munotumani of the CID Law and Order Unit in Mashonaland East province claimed insulted President Mugabe after he allegedly accused the 91 year-old ZANU PF party leader of having run out of ideas to arrest the country’s agonising economic crisis.
The police charged that Mberi, who was being represented by Kennedy Masiye of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), and was said to have uttered some unpalatable words at a beer retail shop located at Juru Growth Point in Goromonzi North constituency in Mashonaland East province.
The police alleged that Mberi blamed President Mugabe for the poor fortunes of some ruling ZANU PF party supporters, who are experiencing weight loss despite the promises from their leader who in the run-up to the 2013 general elections had pledged to create two million jobs and help fix the economic crisis.
Mberi was however on Wednesday released at the Murehwa Magistrates Court before he could appear in the courtroom after prosecutors declined to proceed with the matter as they had not secured authority to prosecute the villager from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head and Prosecutor-General Johannes Tomana as provided under the law.
There has been a dramatic increase in the arbitrary application of Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act (Chapter 9:23) in recent years, where individuals have been charged with allegedly “insulting or undermining the authority of the President”.
Since 2010, ZLHR has attended to more than 100 cases where clients have fallen foul of this law and the bulk of the victims are residents and villagers residing in the politically volatile Mashonaland Central province.

ZLHR has challenged the constitutionality of Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act (Chapter 9:23) on several occasions, on the basis that it infringes on freedom of expression, particularly of a public figure, and one who must be subjected to scrutiny as a political candidate.
In courts, the NPA has in recent years and months been withdrawing charges against several suspects after declining prosecution and conceding before Constitutional Court judges that the allegations do not disclose the commission of an offence.
This would be after ZLHR attorneys would have petitioned the country’s apex court seeking orders challenging the constitutionality of the insult law.

Three months after President Robert Mugabe made a cabinet reshuffle, he is still failing to find a suitable person to appoint as Minister of State for Presidential Affairs in Matabeleland South province.
High ranking officials in the ZANU PF Provincial set up claim to ZimEye.com that the President is failing to pick a person for the position in the province because a majority of the high ranking party members in the province are sympathetic to ousted former Vice President Joice Mujuru.
In the reshuffle, President Mugabe removed his self confessed most loyal son Abednico Ncube from being his eye in the politically sensitive province as Minister of state to a new Ministry for Cultural Affairs and Rural Development.
The party sources claim that the President “is at sixes and sevens in trying to come up with Ncube’s replacement” made worse following the ouster of former party Provincial Chairman and strongman Andrew Langa. Langa who is generally credited with helping the ruling party win all the thirteen seats in the province, draws a huge respect from party members who he is now suspected to have dragged with him to the Mujuru People First yet to be launched party.
Mujuru’s project is said to be threatening to totally take over Matabeleland South province as it continues to secretly gather very senior members from all the political parties.
The sources claim that the yet to be unveiled party is making massive inroads in the province which is likely to eventually turn out to be the party’s stronghold.
“Mugabe does not have anyone of trust anymore in the province and will not be able to come up with his best trusted resident Minister from anyone in there,” said the sources.
“This problem is not only with Mugabe but all the political parties no longer have anyone to work with in the province as the Mujuru factor has silently swept through the province,” added the sources.
“People in Mat South must wait for shocking surprises when the party is launched as some very big names from will be unveiled…”
Asked on who the President may likely appoint to the position, the sources claimed that the position is being earmarked for former Gwanda senator Japheth Dube at the recommendation of his trusted aides.

Ex ZIPRA fighter fingers Mphoko in Gukurahundi terror
By Tinoonga Mawere, Gutu | A man who claims to be a former ZIPRA fighter during the liberation struggle has made sensational claims Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko was part of the intelligence system that masterminded the Gukurahundi atrocities.
James Nhongonhema Chamisa (70) of Gutu District further claimed Mphoko was sitting on the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission programme because he was part of the technical team that was behind the Gukurahundi terror.
Chamisa also claimed Mphoko was a CIO operative during the time and he was actively involved in shaping strategies during the terror period that resulted in the death of thousands of Ndebele speaking people in Matabeleland and Midlands.
“I know that chap(Mphoko) -we fought together in the liberation struggle as a ZIPRA soldiers just before independence .He then joined the CIO and that is why he is afraid of the Gukurahundi shadows.
This is the reason behind his reluctance to act on the peace and reconciliation programme.He has been on record defending the government on the Gukurahundi issue because he was part of the system. Many people were surprised when he ascended to the post of vice president but I am not amused.Mugabe also wanted to coax Jacob Zuma-who is close to Mphoko and he wanted to hoodwink the Ndebele speaking people . Mark my words young man Mphoko will continue to drag his feet on the Gukurahundi issue.I have the facts to substantiate my side of the whole story and I am not afraid to meet him (Mphoko),” said Chamisa.
Many Zimbabweans were amazed by Mphoko’s rise but Chamisa claimed he had all the information about his controversial elevation.
The Mugabe regime has reflected a general lack of zeal in addressing the sensitive issue and Mphoko who has been tasked to head the peace commission on Gukurahundi is seemingly reluctant to implement the exercise . The Mugabe administration has been accused of gross violation of human rights.In 2008 hundreds of MDC supporters were murdered while some were maimed ahead of the controversial presidential election run-off and Zimbabweans now fear for the worst following reports of political violence in Harare.

The outgoing US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Bruce Wharton says Zimbabweans should continue fighting for democracy “because” change is inevitable.