MDC-T secretary-general Douglas is facing de-registration any time in the next 5 months after he was reportedly convicted by the LSZ of professional misconduct after he allegedly used a forged or irregular notice of appeal in a bid to stop eviction of a client from a disputed property.

Mwonzora and two other lawyers face de-registration by the Law Society of Zimbabwe for various acts of misconduct. Mwonzora is a senior partner at Mwonzora and Associates law firm.
The firm has been mired in a fraud case that resulted in Mwonzora being hauled to court facing criminal charges. The cases are still pending.
Mwonzora and two other lawyers — Ollyn Kanyenze and Tererai Gunje — on Friday had their cases in which the Law Society of Zimbabwe is seeking to de-register them deferred to September this year.
Mwonzora’s case was not on the roll although he had been notified of the hearing.
Justice Chinembiri Bhunu chairs the Disciplinary Tribunal, which hears such cases at the High Court.
Other members of the tribunal are Justice Felistas Chatukuta and lawyers Mrs Sarah Moyo and Mr Davison Kanokanga.
The LSZ applied to deregister Mwonzora after it convicted him on charges of misconduct.
Mwonzora has approached the High Court to quash the LSZ decision citing procedural flaws.
In his review application, Mwozora argued the LSZ showed bias against him when it applied to de-register him as a lawyer, notary public and conveyancer on a matter pending before the Supreme Court.
“It obviously anticipated my acquittal on the criminal charges and wants to prejudice me,” stated Mwonzora in his papers.
“The disciplinary proceedings against me are tainted by gross administrative irregularities, which include, among others, bias, gross unreasonableness, lack of respect and observance of principles and rules of natural justices.”
Mwonzora was convicted by the LSZ of professional misconduct after he allegedly used a forged or irregular notice of appeal in a bid to stop eviction of a client from a disputed property.
The LSZ is now seeking to have his name struck off the register of practising lawyers.
Advocate Lewis Uriri is acting for the LSZ in the matter.

Zimbabwe’s former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has failed to get his State Benefits for over two years a situation that is blamed on President Robert Mugabe.
Newsday|Tsvangirai has not received his terminal benefits two years after leaving government amid claims he was being fixed by President Robert Mugabe because of their political differences.
Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka yesterday said the MDC-T leader had not received any benefits from government despite the fact that he was entitled to them.
“It is true that he has received nothing and there has not been any communication either way,” Tamborinyoka said.
“They owe him, but you must know why he is not making a fuss about it. It is because for his participation in the GNU (government of national unity) was never about his personal material needs.
“It was about service and sacrifice and this is why for three of the four years he was Prime Minister, Tsvangirai was staying in his own house.”Tsvangirai stayed at his Strathaven house in Harare before switching to a government-owned mansion in Highlands.
The move caused controversy after some in government tried to push for his eviction following his defeat in the 2013 elections.
Tamborinyoka insinuated that the former Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions leader was being punished for refusing to recognise Mugabe’s election following the controversial 2013 polls.
However, he said the government had no right to withhold the benefits. “But these are his entitlements and he earned them. However, he is not going to beg anyone,” Tamborinyoka said.
“If the condition is that he must first say the 2013 election was legitimate for them to give him his dues, then tough luck. That is not going to happen. He is not going to endorse that fraud.”
A senior MDC-T official told NewsDay that Tsvangirai, who served as PM between 2009 and 2013, was legally entitled to terminal benefits.
“He has not received anything from the government, not his pension, not even a car,” the official said. “Most of his compatriots who served as ministers were allowed to take the vehicles they were using.
“Mugabe is punishing Tsvangirai for refusing to recognise his 2013 electoral theft. Most, if not all, of his juniors walked away with off-road vehicles as well as other cars, but he only got the battered Mercedes-Benz (vehicle) that is now beyond repair.
“This is despite the fact that according to the agreement used to form the coalition government, Tsvangirai and Mugabe shared executive powers.”
Tsvangirai’s house in the leafy suburb of Highlands was reportedly valued at $4 million after renovations and upgrades that cost around $800 000. Efforts to get a comment from Mugabe’s spokesperson George Charamba over the matter were fruitless as his mobile phone was not reachable.
Tsvangirai has lost three times to Mugabe, but the opposition leader claimed massive vote-rigging during the polls.

A suspected bed-hopping pastor and founder of Gospel of the Kingdom Ministries reportedly hired thugs to eliminate two of his congregates for exposing him as a sexual pervert.
Thomas Makoni (28) of 2588 Mainway Meadows, Waterfalls, Harare, was not asked to plead to two counts of incitement to commit murder charges.
Makoni appeared before Chitungwiza magistrate Ms Renika Dzikiti who remanded him out of custody to July 27. The prosecutor, Mrs Ntombikayise Nleya said allegations against Makoni arose on June 5 this year when he hired his childhood friend Talent Nyakunengwa to kill two of his congregates accusing them of being the cause of his problems.

It is alleged that this was after Kudakwashe Elliot (27) and Afra Nhanhanga (40), both of Chitungwiza, had exposed his shenanigans with several women at his church.
Makoni allegedly went to Nyakunengwa’s house during the night where he narrated his story and plan.
The court heard that Makoni tasked Nyakunengwa with the elimination of Elliot by beating him to death. He offered $30 and a Samsung Vinovo cellphone as a reward.
But Nyakunengwa revealed the plot to Elliot. Nyakunengwa then went to Makoni’s church in bandages and told him that he had done the job during which he sustained his injuries.
Makoni paid Nyakunengwa as promised.
Two days later, Makoni approached Nyakunengwa and allegedly ordered him to kill Nhanhanga and all occupants in his house using a petrol bomb. Nyakunengwa alerted Nhanhanga.
Nhanhanga and Elliot later reported the matter to police.

Budiriro 5 residents woke up to a gruesome murder Sunday morning as the naked body of a young woman was found close to Budiriro 5 Primary School.
Budiriro police were into Monday evening still at pains investigating the suspected murder.
Witnesses say the body was dumped from a car early Sunday morning. The woman’s head was butchered beyond recognition and a friend identified her.
The name is soon to be announced by the cops.
The friend said the deceased is part of a group that operate as ladies of the night.
They also said the victim was a mother of two, staying with her kids plus a maid at some lodgings in Budiriro.
More to follow…

Condolence on Chenjerai Hove’s passing
The MDC has learnt with sadness the passing of renowned author Chenjerai Hove who succumbed to liver failure while in exile in Norway yesterday.

At least $5000,00 have been paid by individuals each so they can be accepted into secret meetings with Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Newsday|Emmerson Mnangagwa is in the eye of a storm after some of his close allies allegedly demanded bribes from under siege commercial farmers trying to seek audience with the top Zanu PF official.
It is understood that some of the VP’s associates devised a way of profitably making use of their links to him to charge people seeking audience with him. Mnangagwa last night said the culptits would face the full wrath of the law.
“I don’t do that . . ., tell the police to arrest them, they are thieves who are abusing my good name. Please tell the police to get them arrested. It’s bad. I will not tolerate such things,” he said.
One of the victims, Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU) chief executive officer Hendrick Olivier told NewsDay last week the officials openly demanded bribes ranging from $500 upwards when farmers sought meetings with Mnangagwa.
Olivier said he was a victim of the scam himself amid fears more farmers could have been coerced to part with large sums of money to meet President Robert Mugabe’s second in-command.
“I must say from the outset that I cannot blame the Vice-President for what happened or claim that he is part of it but two officials who work in his office openly demanded for a ‘brown envelope’ with a minimum $500 to which I responded that I did not have,” he said. “I also told them that it is not the way I operate.”
The CFU boss said he wanted to meet Mnangagwa to discuss continued disruption of farming activities at white-owned commercial farms around the country by suspected Zanu PF supporters.
Olivier said he had officially requested to meet Mnangagwa before he received a call on July 2 that the VP was ready to meet him at 08:15 that same day.
“I had and still have a standing official request to meet the Vice-President. I still await my chance to meet him,” he said.
Olivier said when he got to Mnangagwa’s office, two men (names supplied) demanded $5 000 before he could meet the VP. He said Mnangagwa’s secretary appeared to know the men.
“It became clear as time moved that she was aware and knew the two men. I was asked to stay downstairs, but after two hours I gave up,” he said. On Friday, one of Mnangagwa’s aides confirmed that there was a “white man” who visited the VP’s offices recently.
“He came here last week in the company of two guys known as Tonde and Maburutse, who are members of the Zimbabwe Congress of Students Union (Zicosu),” the aide who declined to be named said.
“But he did not have an appointment with the Vice-President. The Vice-President has two offices here at the Ministry of Justice and at Munhumutapa Building so I am not sure which of his secretaries Olivier is talking about, we move around a lot, but I know him as an official of the Commercial Farmers Union.”
Efforts to track Tonde and Maburutse were fruitless. Sources said a group of Zanu PF activists a few weeks ago invaded some farms whose owners approached officials in Mnangagwa’s office for assistance.
The farmers were reportedly asked to part with $5 000, but ended up paying $2 000 to get the Zanu PF functionaries removed.
Impeccable sources said the official claimed to have phoned Mnangagwa, as well as “very senior military and police officials” in the presence of the affected farmers.
“An order was then issued and within hours the invaders had been pushed out of the farms,” the source added. Information, Media and Broadcasting Services ministry principal director Regis Chikowore described the allegations as “very serious”.
“These are serious allegations that you as a paper need to verify the veracity of. You cannot take what he (Olivier) says as fact on the face of it because as of now I am not even sure it happened,” Chikowore said.
“However, if he was serious and sure that it happened as you are saying, he should have made a police report.”
Mnangagwa, who is one of Mugabe’s longest serving lieutenants having been drafted into the country’s first Cabinet at independence 35 years ago, was appointed VP following a Zanu PF congress last December.
He took over from the country’s first female Vice-President Joice Mujuru who was sacked from her positions both in the ruling Zanu PF party and government following a plethora of allegations among them extortion, corruption, bribery and plotting to assassinate Mugabe.
However, Mujuru has denied all the charges levelled against her and challenged her detractors to take the matter to court.
Mnangagwa is now seen in the ruling party circles as front-runner to take over from 91-year-old Mugabe whose over half a century political career is in its sunset period.
Mugabe recently warned Zanu PF youths against using names of senior party leaders for financial gain. Suspended Zanu PF Harare provincial youth league chairman Godwin Gomwe is facing trial for allegedly extorting over $46 000 using First Lady Grace Mugabe’s name in the capital.

A top magistrate Mr Joe Kabiti has continued his job for a whole 33 years since the start of the infamous Gukurahundi massacres in 1982.

The Zvishavane magistrate Mr Joe Kabiti, who was early this year forced to retire after working for 33 years without basic five Ordinary Levels, has taken the Judicial Service Commission to the Constitutional Court contesting the decision.
Mr Kabiti was forced to retire on February 19 this year by the JSC after it emerged that he was not a qualified magistrate.
He argued that he was employed as a presiding officer on the basis of a Community Court certificate he obtained from Domboshawa Training Centre in 1981 and his status as a war veteran.
Mr Kabiti was given a chance to upgrade himself and acquire five O- Levels when the presiding officer’s post was phased out in 2006, but he refused insisting that he should simply be elevated to be a magistrate by virtue of him being an ex-combatant.
Part of his response reads:
“Pursuant to that, I was appointed to the office by virtue of some qualifications, that is being an ex-combatant . . . “The war was fought and it is over. I am an ex-combatant. I was retained for the post by virtue of such qualifications.
“With all due respect, I seem to wonder as to what you mean by upgrading myself. Are you saying the war should be started over again and I improve on my war veteran status: obviously no,” he said.
The JSC retired him with full package and benefits but he is contesting the retirement arguing that he has not reached the retirement age.
The Labour Court threw out the review application on the basis that Mr Kabiti had not exhausted the available remedies before approaching the court.
It was the Labour Court’s finding that Mr Kabiti had not been fired but he was retired.
Justice Custom Kachambwa said the local forum of approaching a labour officer must first be exhausted before approaching the Labour Court.
The decision did not go down with Mr Kabiti who then filed a review application at the Constitutional Court.
In his constitutional application filed at the Constitutional Court this month, Mr Kabiti argued that the JSC did not follow the proper procedure in retiring him.
“The first respondent (JSC) enforced its decision to retire me without taking heed of the basic tenets of justice, in particular, the audi alterum rule.
“I was not given an opportunity to be heard fairly and my side of the story was never heard, before effecting an aggravating decision on me,” he said.
Mr Kabiti argued that the JSC did not follow the procedural requirements laid down under Section 17(5) of the Judicial Service Regulations in summarily retiring him.

First Lady Grace Mugabe is believed to have personally booted Mashonaland West Chairman Ziyambi Ziyambi.
ZANU PF provincial executive members in Mashonaland West Province yesterday passed a vote-of-no-confidence on acting provincial chairman Ziyambi Ziyambi accusing him of being dishonest and failing to prepare the groundwork for election of a substantive committee.
Ziyambi was booted out after 27 out of 50 provincial executive members who included MPs, central committee and politburo members voted against him. The decision was sealed during a meeting held at the party’s provincial offices in Chinhoyi.
Party sources said Ziyambi was being removed in favour of flamboyant businessman and central committee member, Phillip Chiyangwa who refused to comment on the issue yesterday.
The provincial Women’s League also resolved to recall MP Joani Tsogorani from Parliament accusing her of manipulating her election under the women’s quota system.
Tsogorani also serves as provincial vice-chairperson.
Ziyambi is accused of being dishonest by misrepresenting facts to First Lady and Zanu PF Women League boss Grace Mugabe about the state of affairs in the province.
He reportedly received a serious tongue-lashing from Grace over allegations that he attempted to block her from presiding over the launch of a housing scheme in Kadoma two weeks ago.
Ziyambi is also said to have refused to endorse Angela Muchemeyi as the Mashonaland West Women’s League chairperson, a move that reportedly angered the First Lady.

But Ziyambi, who spearheaded the expulsion of former provincial chairperson Temba Mliswa, has accused party members of campaigning for his ouster.
“They have always wanted to lead the province at whatever cost and those are the people going behind my back,” he said. – Newsday/Additional Reporting

Residents of Matabeleland South capital Gwanda have applauded the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority for closing down a hotel cum brothel operated as a partnership by the Member of Parliament for Gwanda North constituency Ndodana Sibanda and his siblings as a family business.
The hide-out operating as Pumula Hotel was closed down by the tourism authority last week following complaints from the residents of the town after the hotel with two branches in the town had become home to scores of prostitutes. According to residents the prostitutes were operating their immoral business in broad day light posing semi naked in the area around the two hotel sites at the busy Jawunda high density business centre.
“This is a very welcome move by the responsible authorities as the situation at the hotels was getting out of hand,” said a resident Dorcas Ndlovu. “These women had resorted to pry on men in broad day light without regard to age or social status right in front of the society’s eyes.”
Another similar lodge, Tusanang Lodge also operated by Gwanda South based ZANU PF provincial executive member Martin Mawuva was also shut down by the authority for not meeting the standards expected by the ZTA. The lodge also housed several prostitutes who targeted mostly long distance truck drivers who park their trucks overnight along the Johannesburg highway near by.
Gwanda is expected to host a very high profile music concert at the end of August which will feature at least five music artist from neighbouring South Africa and tourism authorities are under going a clean up programme to make sure that all tourism standards are met by service providers. Residents have also in the meantime asked authorities to check the standards of two night clubs Iocated in the town’s CBD which are said to be operating from dilapidated buildings and running for nearly 24 hours becoming a home for prostitution and other crimes.
A section of the residents complained that the closure of the brothels had very little impact on eradicating the immoral women as they were quickly absorbed into the community by land lords who took them into their homes and gave them lodging. Some media reports claim that some of the evicted ladies were seen carrying their belongings and finding their way to Beitbridge and Bulawayo to continue their trade.
According to national statistics, Gwanda town ranks very high in terms of HIV/AIDS infections and the business of sex workers in town is reportedly booming due to the availability of the small scale informal gold miners in the area.

First Lady Grace Mugabe’s blue-eyed-boy wants every corrupt person in Zimbabwe executed by a firing squad.
Mrs Mugabe’s preferred Vice President Simon Khaya-Moyo told ZimEye.com Zimbabwe must be merciless to corrupt individuals. The country must adopt the Chinese model of killing corrupt persons, ZANU PF’s spokesperson said. – Click here to read full story VIDEO:
 
 

Cabinet has given the green light for the Lands and Rural Resettlement Ministry to take over the collection of land rentals and unit tax from all A1 and A2 farmers following reports that some rural district councils (RDCs) were abusing the money.
Until the recent announcement, the RDCs had been collecting the levies.
The new Cabinet directive would see the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement handing over the land levies to Treasury to ensure accountability.
Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora yesterday confirmed the latest development, adding that land levies would only be collected from beneficiaries of State land, while those with title deeds to their land would be spared.
Government recently introduced land levies for land holders that saw A1 farmers paying $15 per year for the land they have. Under the scheme, $10 is land rental while $5 is unit tax that goes to RDCs.
The A2 farmers pay land rentals of $3 per hectare per annum and $2 unit tax per hectare, resulting in the farmers forking out $5 per hectare per year. Private companies using State land will now pay $10 land rental per hectare per year and $2 unit tax.
To date, Government has resettled 145 775 families on 5,979 million ha under A1 and 18 289 people on 2,978 million under the A2 model. This means Government can collect about $15 million from A2 farmers alone and $2 million from A1 annually.
Said Minister Mombeshora: “It is true that the Ministry (of Lands and Rural Resettlement) has taken over the collection of levies from RDCs. Cabinet approved that all land rentals and unit tax should be collected by the ministry after which it will be handed over to Treasury that will later distribute unit tax to RDCs,” he said.
Before the Cabinet directive, some RDCs were collecting the money and there were challenges with accountability.
However, the 26-member Hurungwe RDC in Mashonaland West Province frowned at the new arrangement.
They feel the new arrangement will compromise service delivery since their council now realises less revenue than under the old system.
After the reading of a Government circular advising of the new system during a full council meeting held at Magunje Growth Point last week, some councillors condemned the new system for contradicting Section 6:2 of the Finance Act of 2009, which stipulates levies RDCs collect from communal, A1 and “It had rather been better to continue using the old system with council remitting the Government’s portion since we already have the special resources for revenue collection – trained personnel, databases, vehicles for the exercise – and everything else,” suggested one councillor.
According to some councillors, the move was also likely to cause problems in the enforcement of council by-laws particularly in environmental management and conservation.
The councillors believe that the farmers will have less respect for an authority that does not levy them right on the ground, hence making it difficult for council to implement some of its by-laws.
The councillors also claim that under the old system their personnel would simultaneously attend to most of the environmental and conservation issues during their revenue collection visits, which would now be expensive to carry out under the new system.
Before the new set-up the Third Schedule of the RDCs Act (Chapter 29:13) as read with the Finance Act, Section 6:2 of 2009, empowered Hurungwe RDC – whose land falls under three regional classes (2, 2Aand 2B) – to levy communal farmers.

Expelled vice president Joice Mujuru has been caught having falsified her late husband’s wealth, the State Media reports claiming.
Last month Mrs Mujuru said that her husband’s Estate is worth minus 2 million dollars as she faces a legal battle with close to 100 children sired by her late husband with different women. ZANU PF speculates that the estate is in the contrary worth over 10 billion dollars.
DETAILS of the late Retired General Solomon Mujuru’s vast empire have started emerging despite concerted efforts by his widow, former Vice President Joice Mujuru, to conceal the riches, The Herald can reveal.
Rtd Gen Mujuru died in August 2011 in an inferno, leaving behind an empire ranging from real estate, pharmaceutical, farming, to diamond mining – igniting a battle between Mrs Mujuru and some of the intended beneficiaries – mainly children.
Documents in The Herald’s possession show that Rtd Gen Mujuru ranked among the richest people in the country.
He had 100 percent shareholding in such companies as Kalmic Investments (Pvt) Ltd, Maidei Kumbirai (Pvt) Ltd, Rylance Farms, Tapfumaneyi Holdings, J and H Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd, Oriel Pharmacy (Pvt) Ltd and a 50 percent stake in Kupukile Resources (Pvt) Ltd.
Kupukile Resources (Pvt) Ltd was Rtd Gen Mujuru’s investment vehicle that had equity in River Ranch Diamond Mine in Beitbridge.
Rtd Gen Mujuru also had 100 percent shareholding in Thurlow and Company (Pvt) Ltd and Kumirinje Farms (Pvt) Ltd.
He had a million shares in hospitality firm Africa Sun, a stake in Ruwa Golf Resort Holdings, Merzig Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd, Zimbabwe Motor Assemblers and Distributors (Pvt) Ltd.
According to documents submitted to the executor of Rtd Gen Mujuru’s estate, Mr Stern Mufara, by the hero’s lawyer, Mr Thakor Kewada, the late general also had vast interests in real estate judging by the inventory of the houses he owned.
Mr Kewada cites the following properties as belonging to Rtd Gen Mujuru, Stand 95 Hogerty Hill Township 3 of Hogerty Hill A, measuring 1,4 hectares, Stand 96 Hogerty Hill Township 3 of Hogerty Hill A, measuring 555 square metres, and Stand 810 Marandellas Township.
He also had three other properties cited as Remainder of Sebastopol (in Goromonzi measuring 329ha) Inverangus of Sebastopol (also in Goromonzi 304ha) and Stand 9 Tara Township of Tara of Sebastopol (6,4ha in Goromonzi).
“All the above three properties were held by or transferred to J and H Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd and held under Deed of Transfer No. 4269/83, which title deed was collected by General Mujuru on 8th October 2004 as he sold one portion of the land to Damafolds Investments. The shares of J and H Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd were held by a number of individuals of the James Henry Verwey Family. They each signed declarations of trust and dividend waivers in favour of General Mujuru or his nominees being the Solomon Mujuru Family Trust. The original title deed and declarations of Trust and dividend waivers were retained by General Mujuru,” wrote Mr Kewada.
Gen Mujuru also owned Lot 1 of Lot 283 of Greendale, which property was subdivided to create Stand 1113 Greendale Township, House Number 18 Coghlan Road Greendale and Number 4 Springfield Close, Chisipite in Harare.
With regards to River Ranch Limited, Gen Mujuru’s Kupukile Resources had 5 000 shares as at August 17, 2007.
In Zimbabwe Motor Assemblers and Distributors (Pvt) Ltd he had 4 430 shares, while in Zimbabwe Sun Limited Gen Mujuru had a million shares under his company Tapfumaneyi Holdings (Pvt) Ltd c/o Interfin Merchant Bank.
He had shareholding in Ruwa Golf Properties (200), Ruwa Golf Resort (10).
At times Gen Mujuru would buy a property, but fail to transfer ownership to his name by not paying his lawyers such things as conveyancing fees.
Such properties included Stand 75 Shamva Township and Stand 5735 Warren Park.
Gen Mujuru also owned Remainder of Shamva Mine A, Shamva Mine B, Hexagon and Hexagon Extension.
In Bindura, Gen Mujuru owned Stands 22, 23 and 24 of Bindura Township.
Furthermore, Gen Mujuru owned Stand 214 Bindura Township, Stand 241 (Bindura Township), Stand 18 Bindura Township, Stand 449 Bindura Township and Lot 1 Ballantry.
In Chiwaridzo Drive in Bindura, Gen Mujuru owned stands 1399, 1400, 1401, 1402 and 1403.
In Shamva he had two undeveloped stands.
“In addition to the above, the General was the beneficial “owner” of the Beatrice Farm (where he died) together with all farming implements and farming assets,” notes Mr Kewada.
“The residential property at 4 Springfield Close, Chisipite, Harare. He bought this land and the next door land from or through a Mr Chapfika who developed the land with the buildings currently on the property. The General paid for the lands and buildings in full. He instructed Chapfika to transfer the properties to one of his companies,” notes Mr Kewada.
He added: “Apart from the farms and lands, the General bought J and H Enterprises, he owned another farm in Ruwa and also Atherston Farm in Bindura.
Gen Mujuru also had Hexagon Farm.
“We have no knowledge nor any details of the Gold Mines the General owned but we are aware one of his daughters (Nyasha) and her husband operates one of the General’s Gold Mines. The General may have owned other assets of which we have no knowledge of,” further stated Mr Kewada.
The estate executor, Mr Mufara, is unhappy with the reluctance by Mrs Mujuru to co-operate in the identification of properties her husband owned.
In a letter to Mrs Mujuru’s lawyer Kantor and Immerman dated June 16, 2015, he said: “Mr Kewada’s letter/schedule of assets does not include movable property. Since your client did not compile any inventory as per your earlier advise, I will be attending to compiling the inventories and evaluation of the movable and immovable properties for purposes of determining the value of the deceased’s shareholding in the following entities… Rylance Farm (Pvt) Ltd, Ruzambu Farm (Pvt) Ltd…”
He also demanded a schedule of Income and Expenditure for all the rentals collected by Mrs Mujuru from properties owned by Gen Mujuru.
“I also request the financial statements of the following companies from your client as at 16 August 2011 and thereafter to today’s date: Rylance Farms (Pvt) Ltd, Backbarrow (Pvt) Ltd, ZAMASCA, Desirable Investments (Pvt) Ltd, Turn Point – Karoi. Micah Gold Processing Plant, Natural Stones (Pvt) Ltd, Kupukile Resources (Pvt) Ltd.”

Prolific writer and poet, Chenjerai Hove has died.
He passed away in Norway of liver failure ZimEye.com can reveal.
Family sources confirmed to ZimEye.com the man died and plans are underway to repatriate his body to Harare. His friend Dr Chirikure-Chirikure said he died on Sunday afternoon of liver failure.
“He died of liver failure,” Chrikure said.
He had been in political exile, in Europe for several years.
He was born in Mazvihwa near Zvishavane in 1956 and attended school at Kutama College and Marist Brothers in Dete, near Hwange.
He became a teacher and then took degrees at the University of South Africa (UNISA) and the University of Zimbabwe.
He has also worked as a journalist, and contributed to the anthology ‘And Now the Poets Speak.’
Hove has published numerous novels, poetry anthologies and collections of essays and reflections and one of his pieces stands bold as one of Zimbabwe’s great scripts of the millennium – READ MORE– Click here.
His publications include:
•    And Now the Poets Speak (co-editor; poetry), 1981
•    Up In Arms (poetry), Harare: Zimbabwe Publishing House, 1982
•    Red Hills of Home (poetry), 1984; Gweru: Mambo Press, 1985.
•    Bones (novel), Harare: Baobab Books, 1988; Heineman International AWS, 1989. ISBN 0-435-90576-7
•    Shadows (novel), Harare: Baobab Books, 1991; Heinemann International Literature and Textbooks, 1992. ISBN 0-435-90591-0
•    Shebeen Tales: Messages from Harare (journalistic essays), Harare: Baobab Books/London: Serif, 1994
•    Rainbows in the Dust (poetry), 1997
•    Guardians of the Soil (cultural reflections by Zimbabwe’s elders), 1997. ISBN 0-908311-88-5
•    Ancestors (novel), 1997. ISBN 0-330-34490-0
•    Desperately Seeking Europe (co-author; essays on European identity), 2003
•    Palaver Finish, essays on politics and life in Zimbabwe, 2003
•    Blind Moon (poetry), 2004. ISBN 1-77922-019-7
•    The Keys of Ramb (children’s story), 2004
Honours and awards
•    1983 Special Commendations for the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa, for Up in Arms
•    1984 Inaugural President, Zimbabwe Writers Union
•    1988 Winner, Zimbabwe Literary Award, for Bones
•    1989 Winner, Noma Award for Publishing In Africa, for Bones
•    1990 Founding Board Member, Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (Zimrights)
•    1991-94 Writer-in-Residence, University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
•    1994 Visiting Professor, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, Oregon, USA
•    1995 Guest Writer, Yorkshire and Humberside Arts and Leeds University, UK
•    1996 Guest Writer, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Germany
•    1998 Second Prize, Zimbabwe Literary Award, for Ancestors
•    2001 German-Africa Prize for literary contribution to freedom of expression
•    2007-08 International Writers Project Fellow, Brown University
 
More to follow…

Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Shuvai Mahofa last week aborted a trip to Samba Ranch in Chiredzi after angry settlers warned that they would beat her up.
Mahofa and officials from the Ministry of Lands intended to evict newly resettled farmers from the ranch, allegedly to pave way for a well-known Harare businessman who could not be named for legal reasons. The businessman wants to embark on a sugarcane project on that piece of land.
According to sources, the resettled farmers had threatened war on anyone coming to evict them, forcing Mahofa to cancel her trip to meet them and instead, singled out village heads for a closed door meeting at the District Administrator’s office.
The villagers had been on the ranch for the past 15 years and the businessman is keen to kick out the villagers so that he can expand his sugar cane farming business.
Mohafa’s advance team which had visited the ranch earlier in that morning alerted the
Provincial Affairs minister that the villagers were baying for her blood, forcing an about-turn in the minister’s proposed meeting with the villagers.
The Standard later caught up with one of the chairmen soon after the meeting and he confirmed that Mahofa could have been harmed had she dared to visit the ranch.
Although no journalists were allowed in the closed meeting that lasted for seven hours, sources who attended it, told The Standard that Mahofa was forced to stop the intended evictions following fierce resistance by village heads.
“We were told not to talk to any reporter but the issue is that we have been spared for now,” one village head who attended the meeting said.
“We are not sure whether the issue is over but we have made our point heard that we are prepared to spill blood for our homes some of us have built permanent and expensive houses and we have huge livestock so where can we go.”
Efforts to get a comment from Mahofa yielded no results as the minister swiftly drove off straight after the meeting.
Clara Muzenda, Chiredzi District Administrator whose office hosted the meeting was also whisked away from journalists who swooped on her for a comment soon after the meeting.
About eight village heads attended the meeting.
Villagers alleged that government was trying to reverse “the gains of struggle” by evicting them on the 4000 hectares piece of land to give way to a sole farmer, who has supplied vehicles the government.
Meanwhile, Chiredzi Ward 3 Councillor Tarusenga Makamba was manhandled by vendors and commuter omnibus owners, accusing him and his fellow councillors of chasing them from their selling point at Nyore-Nyore, in Chiredzi town.
A day before commuter omnibus owners, vendors and Chiredzi town councillors clashed after the later forcibly removed them from their usual trading point at Nyore-Nyore in Tshovani.
On Thursday, council police forcibly removed vendors from the place to another close to the railway station, where vendors are saying there are no toilets and water. The manhandling stopped upon arrival of the news crew.
“We want council to upgrade the new area where they are relocating us. After all we are paying money every day and where is that money going,” said a commuter driver who only identified himself as Oscar.
Makamba said he was not aware of the evictions but he is only a victim because the area is in his ward.
“I was just passing by and these people mobbed me. I told them that we have to sit as council and them to hear their grievances unfortunately they could take none of that hence this situation.” -Standard

An MDC T female supporter stripped naked yesterday in protest against illegal arrest after she together with 67 activists were abducted outside the Zimbabwe grounds where the Itai Dzamara prayer rally was being held.
People were just rounded up outside the rally venue as they were coming from buying food. They were forced onto Police trucks and taken into cells at Machipisa.

CONTINUE READING- CLICK HERE

Video courtesy of eNCA.
Mourners salute David Masondo
By The CITIZEN|A family man who always put his children first. This is how mourners attending the memorial service of legendary musician David Masondo, described him on Thursday.
Masondo, the lead singer of the traditional music group The Soul Brothers, died on Sunday in a Johannesburg hospital. He was 67. He died after he had admitted after complaining of exhaustion.
“Despite his burning passion for music, he always managed to find time for his children. He almost made it a point that they received the love of a parent,” the singer’s friend and neighbour Dumezweni Mcoyi, said.
Mcoyi, who was one of the speakers during Masondo’s memorial service at the Hammersdale Elangeni College attended by more than a thousand people, said Masondo’s love for children went beyond the singer’s family.
“He also showed the same love that displayed to his kids to his neighbours’ children – he was such a caring person,” he said.
Joy Mbewana, from the Creative Workers Union of SA (CWUSA) said the union was proud of the way Masondo had conducted himself as a musician.
“He brought back our dignity and dispelled the perceptions that musicians were irresponsible people who misused their money,” she said.
“He was a shining example of how responsible musicians should live. Today as I speak on behalf of musicians, I’m filled with pride because I’m speaking on behalf of someone who had been a role model.”
Another memorial serivice was held at the Bassline in Newtown, Johannesburg, where people paid their respects to Masondo.
Masondo started his career doing gigs around the townships of Durban in the 70s.
In 1974 Masondo co-founded The Soul Brothers – a group that went on to become a household name within the African continent.
Considered a pioneer in the Zulu soul music genre, the group went on to release more than 30 albums and sold millions of copies throughout Africa.
KwaZulu-Natal Social development MEC, Weziwe Thusi, who was representing KZN premier Senzo Mchunu, said the province was proud to have produced an outstanding person such as Masondo.
“We are not here to mourn but to celebrate David’s life – he lived life to the fullest and fulfilled all the tasks that God had given to him,” she said.
Artists, Thusi said, should draw lessons from Masondo’s well lived life.
“The reason why some many people had come for his memorial service today is testimony to the good life that Masondo lived.

KNIVES are out for acting Zanu PF Mashonaland West chairperson Ziyambi Ziyambi, with a petition being circulated to remove him in favour of flamboyant businessman and central committee member, Phillip Chiyangwa.
Sources said a vote of no confidence was set to be passed against Ziyambi who is being accused of dishonesty and disloyalty.
Zanu PF provincial executive members told The Standard that the signing of a petition against Ziyambi was almost complete and the announcement of his removal would be made this week.
Ziyambi is being accused of failing to revamp structures in all the districts to pave way for provincial elections. The provincial structures collapsed when several officials linked to former Vice-President Joice Mujuru were fired.
Ziyambi is accused of being dishonest by misrepresenting facts to First Lady and Zanu PF Women League boss Grace Mugabe about the state of affairs in the province.
He reportedly received a serious tongue-lashing from Grace over allegations that he attempted to block her from presiding over the launch of a housing scheme in Kadoma two weeks ago.
Ziyambi is also said to have refused to endorse Angela Muchemeyi as the Mashonaland West women’s chairperson, a move that has reportedly angered Grace.
Mashonaland West Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) had initially refused the imposition of Muchemeyi as the provincial women’s boss by the Grace-led national executive last month without the blessing of the provincial committee at their last meeting in Chinhoyi. But they were forced to reverse their decision overnight.
Ziyambi yesterday said he was not aware of such a plot to remove him.
“I am not aware of such a move but if I am accused of having failed, then the whole provincial executive committee has failed, not Ziyambi alone,” he said.
He claimed district committees were restructured but they were only awaiting verification.
Ziyambi said he was aware of some officials who have always wanted to chair the province noting they were the ones responsible for sowing seeds of confusion in Mashonaland West.
“They have always wanted to lead the province at whatever cost and those are the people going behind my back,” he said.
Ziyambi spearheaded the removal of former provincial chairperson Temba Mliswa — the same scenario that has come back to haunt him.
Chiyangwa yesterday refused to comment on the issue.-Standard

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was yesterday attacked for wearing a hat during prayer time.
This was at the Itai Dzamara prayer rally at Zimbabwe Grounds in Machipisa.
“Why is he the only person wearing a hat during prayer time when there is no reason for wearing a hat on this cold Saturday”? asked one attendant.

An MDC T female supporter stripped naked yesterday in protest against illegal arrest after she together with 67 activists were abducted outside the Zimbabwe grounds where the Itai Dzamara prayer rally was being held.
People were just rounded up outside the rally venue as they were coming from buying food. They were forced onto Police trucks and taken into police cells at Machipisa.
For over two hours, desperate police officers failed to declare charges. As the arrested activists and worshipers continued demanding answers, an angry woman stripped her clothes beyond her undergarments in protest.
“Why have you arrested us? What have we done? You better kill me along with Dzamara then,” she lashed out.
In the following video footage, she is seen screaming aloud in anger as others in equal rage break in song.
By this time, their sadza meals they had bought at the shops had gone cold.
Many are wondering on the implications of democracy in Zimbabwe. Sadly the same woman who dared to openly flaunt her activism will have to stay in prison until Monday as her MDC party led by Morgan Tsvangirai forsook her.
Despite close to 100 party members being arrested in broad daylight, there was no mention whatsoever of the incident in party spokesperson Obert Gutu’s statement at the end of the day.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Morgan Tsvangirai were fruitless.
During the time that the group of elderly men and women were all in the police cells, one woman in her periods struggled for hours pleading for cotton wool. The scene was so humiliating and disturbing as she was heard by men young and old begging for cotton wool. She was only later assisted by the Zimbabwe lawyers for Human Rights Jeremiah Bamu who saved the day managing also to bring some sanitary wear.
Stay watching to see and hear their ordeal: VIDEO LOADING….

A BULAWAYO man has allegedly been forcing his wife of 28 years and their five children to sleep next door so as to make way for his girlfriend. As if that is not enough, Beatwell Nyathi has also been beating his wife, Florence Mlilo, who has since applied for a protection order from her husband. According to Mlilo, Nyathi, a Bulawayo City Council cleaner at Zulukandaba Primary School, has since brought his girlfriend into their matrimonial home.
Nyathi and Mlilo appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Miss Evelyn Mashavakure.
Mlilo told the court that she has been married to Nyathi since 1987 and they have five children.
“Your Worship, two of our children are minors and I live with them in our rural home, while my husband stays in our house in Makokoba but now he has a girlfriend. Whenever I come to visit with the children, my husband chases us out of the house, insults us, and sometimes assaults me,” she said.
“He chases me out while he lets his girlfriend stay at our house. He has been abusing me since 2004. The incident last occurred on 1 July where my husband chased me out of the house and verbally abused me resulting in me sleeping next door, while he enjoys with his girlfriend.”
Mlilo stated that the conduct of her husband was disturbing her peace and that of her children.
“I have been embarrassed enough. I pray that my husband be ordered not to chase me out of the house, not to insult me, and that woman who now stays in our house be ordered to leave,” said Mlilo.
Nyathi, however, denied the allegations and told the court that the woman his wife was referring to was actually not his girlfriend but his second wife.
“Madam, these are my two wives. I actually married them at the same time. It is not true that I am denying my wife access to the house, instead she leaves on her own,” he said.
Miss Mashavakure granted Mlilo the protection order and Nyathi was barred from harassing, assaulting and insulting her.
“If what your wife has said is true that you are harassing her. I urge you to desist from such practice. You are ordered to keep peace with your wife. You are not supposed to emotionally, physically and verbally abuse her.
“Lastly, I’m referring you and your wife for counselling,” said Miss Mashavakure.

ZimEye.com reveals footage from the cells at Machipisa Police’ Station where Itai Dzamara Prayer Rally attendants are currently held… just as the number continued to rise on Saturday afternoon –  FULL STORY – Click here to read–Police Raid Dzamara Rally, Arrest MDC-T Supporters:

 

LIVE UPDATE:  16:45 – The arrested are now being forced to pay fines on charges of “Public Drinking.” ZLHR lawyer Jeremiah Bamu tells ZimEye.com the police later became conciliatory and made the arrested pay fines. Still not clear how many have the money to pay and will be released.
16:28 – The number of the arrested continues to grow…is now more than 60 men and women. They are denied to see their lawyer, Jeremiah Bamu (ZLHR).
16:07 – A woman in her periods is stranded inside, and is currently begging for cotton wool. Police are ignoring her repeated requests.
16:01 – Another woman has stripped naked in protest. VIDEO LOADING
 
ZRP Cops have just raided worshipers and democracy activists just outside the Dzamara rally venue and arrested over 50 MDC-T supporters.
ZimEye.com can reveal over (50) fifty MDC-T supporters men and women are locked up at Machipisa Police Station at present (Saturday 1530Hrs).

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights advocate Jeremiah Bamu told ZimEye.com, “I am just getting to the police station right now,” he said.
Although Bamu was earlier told by the police the raid is disconnected from the Dzamara rally, ZimEye can exclusively reveal the arrest has everything to do with the rally as the people were arrested at the entrance to the rally and are all prayer-rally attendants. “Yes but current indications are that its nothing material and entirely disconnected from the prayer meeting,” Bamu said.
But upon a follow up with Machipisa Police Station, ZimEye.com was told the move was a deliberate on the rally to frustrate the Dzamara prayer. One of the incarcerated told ZimEye.com:
“We had just gone to get some food, where we were rounded up. They beat up some of us and put us into a truck.”
ZimEye can reveal the police have shifted statements on the reason they have arrested the activists and at the time of writing, Mr Bamu later said: “The police are saying they are yet to decide and are requesting for time.”
At 16:10 Hrs, Mr Bamu was told by the police that the charge is “public drinking.” But the large crowd of mature men and women seen by ZimEye had no alcohol at all on them.
 More to follow…

Expelled former Vice President Joyce Mujuru is missing at the Itai Dzamara prayer rally which started early Saturday morning, ZimEye.com can reveal.
It is 1330 Hours in Harare here, and Mrs Mujuru the topmost special guest is nowhere to be seen.

Expelled former Zanu-PF Politburo member Mr Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, yesterday appealed to the Supreme Court against the decision by High Court judge Justice Bhunu to throw out his review application.
Justice Bhunu dismissed Mr Bhasikiti’s review application on the basis that the politician had rushed to the High Court without exhausting the available domestic remedies in terms of Zanu-PF’s constitution. It was the court’s finding that Mr Bhasikiti jumped the gun and the matter was dismissed on preliminary points.
In the notice of appeal filed at the High Court soon after the dismissal of the High Court review, Mr Bhasikiti wants the Supreme Court to direct the High Court to hear the review application on the merits.
Mr Bhasikiti’s lawyers Tendai Biti Law Chambers, argued that the judge erred in dismissing his application.
“The court a quo grossly erred as a question of law and fact in holding that the appellant had a duty to exhaust domestic remedies in this matter by way of appealing to the Central Committee of the Second respondent (Zanu-PF).
“The court further erred in ignoring the fact that the appellant had approached the High Court, in its role as a Constitutional Court in respect of which he had raised constitutional breaches perpetrated against him by the respondents and therefore the court, was obliged to treat the matter as an application in terms of the Constitution of Zimbabwe not subject to outdated common law rule,” reads the notice of appeal.
Mr Bhasikiti said the court wrongly hound that there was a lawful judgment by the National Disciplinary Committee. He argued that even if the said judgment had been issued, it was never communicated to him.
Mr Bhasikiti contends that members of the Politburo and the National Disciplinary Committee were also members of the Central Committee, hence appealing to the Central Committee would not have helped.
He argued that the court should have heard full arguments of the matter before making a determination.
Justice Bhunu dismissed the application saying Zanu-PF’s constitution clearly indicated that an aggrieved party may challenge expulsion with the Central Committee before approaching the High Court, but Mr Bhasikiti jumped the gun.
The judge said the expulsion was done in terms of the party constitution and cited Section 82 of the Zanu-PF constitution which reads: “For the avoidance of doubt, only the National Disciplinary Committee shall have the power to expel a member from the party.”
Justice Bhunu also cited Section 74 of the Zanu-PF constitution which empowers the Central Committee to review decisions of the disciplinary committee.
The section reads: “The Central Committee may, on appeal, or review, confirm, amend or reverse the decision of the National Disciplinary Committee.”

The ZimPolicy Dialogue Institute this week hosted Prof Welshman Ncube for discussions on the 9th July. The below are questions randomly grilling Prof Ncube and the answers he provided. Please note that minimum editing has been done so as not to dilute the essence of the questions and answers.
The Zimbabwe Policy Dialogue Institute is a global think tank comprising Zimbabwe’s finest academics, influential businessmen and society members based in Harare, Johannesburg, Washington, London and Glasgow. Operating  on the Whatsapp network, it strives to reform Zimbabwe through open forum national policy discussions.
Invited guests are randomly asked questions. No names will be stated other than Prof Ncube’s and ZPDI will stand for any member who asked the question.
 
Prof. Weshman Ncube: We had agreed that I take questions at 6 pm today. I am now available for the discussion
ZPDI: Please don’t react to what I’m about to say, I’m not aligned to any of the MDC’s but all progressive Zimbabweans and I think its time to look beyond positions and come together as a collective for a greater good. No disrespect to Honourable leaders of political parties but I think they should step aside and let new faces within their structures take up leadership ‘roles’..not positions to structure a coordinated alliance for change.
I think the current leaders stepping aside will send a significant message to Zanu PF about the commitment of opposition forces of a political leadership environment where everyone deserves a chance to bring positive change to our society.
In doing so we need to ensure that structure can continue to harness the wisdom of those in previous leadership roles but creating an Advisors Council which will also ensure these leaders continue to be utilised in terms of achieving long term objectives.
Every struggle is about making strategic sacrifices, its not like you will be loosing their valued leadership but changing the game which is most likely to attract interest from even external actors.I’m just asking for sacrifices.
Prof Ncube: The only question I remember from the contributions yesterday morning is the question from Xxxxxx  about what happened to the reunification process. The long and short of it is that our colleagues in Renewal requested a suspension of the reunification roadmap to allow them to go to their Congress first so that they could have a structured and properly elected national leadership. So that process is on hold until they get back to us after their Congress
ZPDI:  My question to Pro is—- why are u sticking to the name mdc which Tsvangirai very well says it belong to him —–why is they so much disintegration in yo party with some top members crossing the floor and resigning from your party. Are you not the same as MT?
Prof Ncube:  We are the MDC until such time that the owners of the party assembled at Congress by a two thirds majority agree to change the name. At the last Congress the National Council recommended to Congress a change of name. Excluding the members of the National Council, out of over 4000 delegates, a handful of less than 20 voted for the change. An overwhelming majority simply rejected the proposal. I still think that vote was not in the interests of the party but am bound by it and must fully honour and respect it
ZPDI: Prof I appreciate your ‘President on Friday’ articles, well researched & quite detailed, what are u doing to translate these into practical action? What’s there for any ordinary Zimbabwean?
Prof Ncube: : Party programs are normally not based on the thinking aloud articles I pen on Fridays. Currently, the party is involved in internal discussions on rebranding itself around such matters as it’s name, symbols, slogans, etc with a view to having Congress decide on these issues. We are also reviewing our policy documents and rebuilding the structures. Obviously the issues raised in the  Friday articles will find their way into the policy debates and into our action programs on both party building and mobilization
ZPDI: Also isn’t it wiser for your weekly articles Pro to be published in newspapers like Newsday, Herald ,Daily News
Prof Ncube: The articles are sent by our media department to all newspapers. Some choose to publish them others don’t
ZPDI: Thanks Prof. for your time. Regarding you weekly articles, how about also having them in local languages?
Prof Ncube: Our information department is working on executive summaries for the articles which will in turn be translated into local languages
ZPDI: Good evening my President. This chat group is more often than not lobbying for a united front under the leadership of Morgan Tsvangirai. There is however sectors that emphasise on the difficulty of this unified opposition under Tsvangirai. For the record, what challenges are there in trying to come up with a united front under Tsvangirai. I know you have explained it eloquently in some sectors but some of us in this group have maybe failed to articulate it as well as you would. Please help.
ZPDI member responds: Xxxxx, speak for yourself don’t generalise baba.  For me l am not for Tsvangirai and will never be for him because of some unstableness character in the self and character so to say we want Tsvangirai to be the one l think that is not true.  My question to prof is it looks like opposition part sink into oblivion after elections and reappear only when its time for election. Why is it like that. Or l can say the questions is also true for elected members. But more specifically to the opposition.  I think l am saying this because people tend to look closely at the opposition?
ZPDI: Thank you Prof.  How do you see The People First in the coalition matrix? Are you, as a coalition, prepared to work with them?
Prof Ncube: Cde XXXX coalitions can only be built among parties without antagonistic contradictions which are capable of being reconciled. It is this context that we negotiated and agreed on a coalition document with Renewal, Mavambo, NCA and ZAPU.  That document was then to be taken to the lower structures of the parties at the request of ZAPU. I hope we will get feedback from them and see how to move forward. Speaking for the MDC we have antagonistic contradictions with MDCT which make a coalition with them impossible and unconscionable for us.
ZPDI: Who is this Prof sorry to ask Cdes
ZPDI member responds: It’s Professor Welshman Ncube.
ZPDI : Oh ok thank you Cde. Yah I am now taking this group seriously
ZPDI: Prof, do you ever see opposition forces joining hands and creating a formidable force against ZPF? If not why and what could be the reasons for such an attitude. We are 3 years away from a general election, do you the status quo changing with the mediocrity in the opposition camp in so far as unity is concerned?
I think I have already answered your question. I am optimistic that it is possible to build a coalition of none antagonist opposition parties before 2018.
Prof Ncube: The People First question is a hypothetical one and therefore difficult to answer because that party does not yet exist and hence we don’t know what it’s values and principles and policies will be. Thus we don’t know if we will have anything in common with them bearing in mind that the desire to remove Mugabe and ZPF is neither a value nor a principle nor for that matter is it a policy. We thus cannot identify ourselves with them simply on the basis that they too might be in opposition to Mugabe if and when they are formed. If it were so what would stop us from declaring in advance that we would be prepared to work with Grace,  should she stand up one day and she too says she is then opposed to Mugabe and wants him to go?
I don’t understand the excitement about people first given that they are not yet formed and that we don’t know what they will stand for and further that they are out of Zpf only because they were kicked out and not that they stopped being believers
ZPDI: The prof is speaking like a prof for sure. His talk of policy alternative is one which lacks in our opposition and even on this platform . People are so obsessed with this Mugabe must go phenomena without saying what they will do differently.
As much as I am proudly and 100% ZANU PF , I need a country with systems that are functional and the Prof seems to be objective playing the game not the person.
ZPDI: ZPDI: Prof I am made to understand that your constitution says you can only be at the helm for a maximum two five year terms? If you do not make it to State House by then (which seems most likely) will you step aside and let someone take over the button or you will try to manipulate the constitution to extend your longevity?
ZPDI: Still waiting for your answer on leading your party beyond your mandate. Will we see another Mugabe, Tsvangirayi, Madhuku handiende yawakataura?
Prof Ncube: I will save no more than two terms under all and any circumstances! Stepping aside does not arise then as I would have run the maximum two terms. Stepping aside can only arise at the next Congress where it remains possible that the party might think it best to let someone else lead or I might myself come to the conclusion that my leadership can longer grow the party any further in which case I would not avail myself for re election. I am not and have never been a professional politician. I am a lawyer by profession and that is where I will stay for my lifetime
ZPDI: Well said Prof. I for one know that you mean every word in that statement
ZPDI: Well it seems coalition challenges are actually on leadership Prof. Would you go into a coalition with any of the opposition parties where you would be relegated to a junior and less meaningful post like Vice President, or Chairman? It seems everyone in opposition wants to be the President.
Prof Ncube: I don’t think coalition challenges are on leadership. At least not yet.
ZPDI: I take it you have deliberately avoided answering my first question.
ZPDI1: Prof boycotting appears not to be effective. Can you not think of another strategy?
ZPDI2: Now that by – elections were boycotted, what then stops Zanu Pf from bringing back the Zimdollar given that the opposition has been depleted in parliament? And is boycotting an important election advisable? Think there is need for another strategy to force reforms.
Prof Ncube: Boycotting elections is a strategy to put pressure for implementation of reforms which are already the law but which law is not being practiced more particularly around ZEC, voter registration and the voters role.
ZPDI: Yes prof please confirm or deny the general view that were it bot for personality clashes your side of the Mdc would have re united the that of Tsvangirai and the only reason why there us a prospect if unification between your party and the renewals is the exclusion of Tsvangirai in the matrix
Prof Ncube: The issues that separate us from MDCT are not about MT but about the practices of that party so it would not make any difference who leads that party as long as its practices remain the same
We have nothing personal against MT. We just represent opposed world views on the things we are in antagonistic contradiction in the same way we have nothing personal against RGM but are in total conflict with him and Zpf on just about everything we stand for.
In the party I lead we never shoot from the hip and hence don’t do knee jerk reactions. The decision to stay out of by elections was taken deliberately after careful thought. Whether we succeed or not remains to be seen but we’re were deliberate about it
ZPDI: Prof are you at liberty to enumerate the things that you are antagonistic to when it comes to Mdct?
Prof Ncube: Yes, Cde xxxxx  I am willing to enumerate them. They are already a matter of public record and include the following. We are in antagonistic contradiction on the use or resort to the use of political violence as an instrument of political organization. We stand totally opposed to its use in both our values and in practice as violence not only dehumanizes, negates our humanity but also injures and sometimes kills. We believe and cherish the equality of all regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, etc and hence reject the deployment of ethnicity as an instrument or shield for political gain.  We believe in collective democratic leadership where decisions are taken by the collective and bind everyone from the President down.  No one should ever have power or authority to reverse as an individual collective decisions.
ZPDI: Prof. There are two issues that were raised yesterday. The first is that the reunification excluded the masses and as such was never going to work and secondly that it was a power pact between Tendai Biti and Ms P Mushonga which was going to attract some funding. What would be your reaction to these?
Prof Ncube: the statement that reunification excluded the masses is a political cliche devoid of content. It’s often made by individuals who want to appropriate for themselves the label of being the exclusive representatives of the masses. All political coalitions and or unifications are made by representatives of political parties at leadership levels! No agreement since time immemorial has ever been made by the masses. The masses express their approval or rejection  at two levels. Firstly, as ordinary members of the parties when asked to approve or reject thru party processes and structures or as truly in mass form at election time. These coalitions are constructed by political parties so that they can be more appealing to the masses who can only express themselves at election time.
ZPDI: I will try again Prof. My second question was about the willingness of opposition leaders (including yourself) to sacrifice their “president” or senior party positions in a grand coalition. It does seem to make sense that the only possible way to mount a realistic chance of unseating ZANU PF if if all opposition parties come together and fight the elections as one.
Prof Ncube: I answered that question implicitly twice in two contexts. But let it answer it directly for you. In the reunification process the question of who would lead the reunited party was to be decided by the two parties through agreement and then endorsement at the reunification congress. The President could come either from us or from Renewal. I signed that agreement. That means I accepted that I could be deployed by the reunited party to some other position other than President and indeed I remain prepared to even become an ordinary card carrying member. That is what I meant by restating that I am not a professional or career politician. The coalition agreement I spoke about also provides that the Presidential candidate will be one agreed to by the coalition parties. That means that anyone other than myself could be the consensus candidate! I and my party approved that coalition agreement for signing. Again that means  am prepared to serve under the leadership of anyone chosen by the collective.
ZPDI: That’s music to my ears, I respect your clarity and position on the issue of leadership. Thank you
ZPDI: The other question is about strategy. ZANU PF is already gearing for 2018, if you look at Mugabe’s recent Cabinet reshuffle. What is the opposition doing?
Prof Ncube: We are all gearing for the 2018 elections. In part that is why we are boycotting by elections to put on the agenda the issue of implementing the electoral reforms which are so necessary for a credible 2018 election. Of course, it will be foolish of me to disclose our strategies.
ZPDI: By Boycotting By elections  Prof you are digging your own grave and denying ur supporters right to exercise their birth right
Prof Ncube: While we have no doubt that even some of our own members would rather be in the ring in every contest against ZPF I still think that in the long term we are better off boycotting by elections as I believe the boycott will bring us closer to the implementation of reforms by 2018 than participating while crying foul all the time
ZPDI: @ Professor,  I was your student in Con Law in 1989.I remember vividly how you articulated that for a govt to be democratic,it starts with intra party democracy.Over the years,I have had the privilege to hear you talk at various fora. My view is that you understand and respect democracy and would like to urge you to keep it up.
ZPDI: Good presentation but your last point is misleading people
ZPDI: And your parting words Prof
ZPDI: We all heard from the Mdc President and our learned Professor. Thank you for your time and thank you to all those who participated in the discussions. Our Panel of Experts is indeed growing. Thank you Prof
ZPDI: But you have been in the government for 5 years if im not mistaken . You just raised concern about reforms but what have you done in regards with these reforms??? Also how can you criticise a But do you still remember NCA saying let these reforms be part of the constitution and what your response…i mean all parties who were in government ???
Prof Ncube: We were in government for for years and every week Cabinet was an arena for fights over governance and electoral reforms. Those reforms were agreed to and some included in the Constitution and others in amendments to the electoral law. Before Parliament could enact that electoral law and before the reforms could be implemented, Zpf aided by the Supreme Court, frog marched us into an election, which in hindsight we should have boycotted. Those amendments have since been enacted by Parliament but remain paper reforms bearing no relationship with what happens in practice
ZPDI: Thanks Prof for your time. My question is an extension of Xxxxxxxxx’s one on reforms. I think the judiciary, the police and the army remain an impediment to opposition parties in Zimbabwe. Asking from a lay man’s perspective, are there no avenues that can be explored to reform those entities before opposition parties participate in the 2018 election.
Prof Ncube: Cde xxxx, there are some things which we have to win inspite off and those include the security apparatus
ZPDI: Are you supporting Morgan”s decision to donate seats to zanu pf
Prof Ncube: We did not create the 21 vacancies. Accordingly we can not be properly be associated with their “donation ” to ZPF. Our view was and remains that if MDCT knew it was not contesting by elections then it should not have recalled the MPS.
Prof Ncube: I think I have tried to respond to all the issues raised. Three hours later I think you can allow me to say goodbye for today and thanks to all for the lively discussion. Good night
ZPDI: I hope next time we can engage on policy issues from your party and less on politics if you can accord us the time. It would be interesting to know what your party’s vision is regarding education, health, commerce and industry (wealth and job creation), transport, agriculture etc.
ZPDI: Help me to thank our good Prof and good night

• Thanks prof ….I think you are a good leader ….the way you are engaging and mixing with people means a lot on someone who have vision to lead Zimbo. U are different from other leaders of others  Parties who can not swallow their pride to give time and space to discus issues with other people. Thanks thus leadership
• Very insightful, thanks for bringing him on board. We hope you will be able to bring President Mugabe and Tswangirai too, I’m sure Uhuru may also spare half an hour..kkkkkk..jokes aside thank you I enjoyed the exchange…
• We are happy for your responses prof. on behalf of Zimpolicy we have a request for you to become a member of an advisor on our panel of policy experts. We hope you wl consider our invitation. You are indeed a national assert
• ZPDI: Great input by The Prof. An honest and no holds barred discussion.

The feud between Transport Minister Obert Mpofu and ZANU PF Spokesperson Simon Khaya-Moyo rose to a deadly graphic on Friday afternoon as factionalism and hatred continue to rip Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF apart. [VIDEO AND AUDIO to be webcast on Saturday morning].
Minister Mpofu is the one who sabotaged Khaya-Moyo the Vice Presidency post causing him to lose to Phelekezela Mphoko last year sparking sworn enmity between the two.
That hatred flared to a peak when today(Friday) Khaya-Moyo said he knows one Transport Minister who was found hanged. He appeared to blood-finger the so called “corrupt” Mpofu suggesting in direct symbolism that he should be killed for corruption. Khaya-Moyo said Mpofu’s colleague in China (the Transport Minister for that country) was found hanged after being merely accused of receiving a single bribe.
Khaya-Moyo told ZimEye.com “the Chinese method of eliminating corrupt persons is the only remedy.”
Moyo said that the failure of the economy is caused by corruption, which he said has reached an alarming level.
In his address during the Save Matabeleland Coalition Beyond 2015, the Minister said some senior Government officials were highly corrupt, to the extent that the country is going down to its knees.
“Our country has become a haven of corruption and this has derailed development. Investors have also lost confidence in us, and we need to desist from this practice so as to reconstruct our ailing economy,” he said.
He continued, “I can tell you that there was one investor who visited Zimbabwe, with the intention of investing in the Bulawayo industrial area, and he was delayed for three months. He ended up getting married while waiting for the approval of his business, thereby jeopardising the purpose of his visit.
“In Harare, some of our several potential investors returned to their respective countries, after they were asked to pay a 30% kick back of their total investment. They were blocked from meeting the relevant investment authorities by corrupt and illegal middle men,” he said.
Asked by ZimEye.com on how he would personally work to end corruption. He said,
“I think the Chinese method of eliminating corrupt persons is the only remedy. The government needs to be leading by example in the elimination of corrupt leaders.
“China has the firing squad, to eliminate all corrupt officials. When I visited China a few years ago for a business trip, I complemented the railway line structure and asked to deliver my complements to the official, only to be told that the minister of that country’s transport section had been hanged the previous week, after he received a bribe,” he said.
He also told the delegates that they must also contribute to the reduction of corruption by reporting the perpetrators to the police.
[VIDEO AND AUDIO to be webcast on Saturday]

Affirmative Action Group’s National Vice President Sam Ncube has sparked outrage by accusing the region’s prospective business people of dwelling on what he termed “the old mind-set, which has stalled development”.
Bulawayo which had Zimbabwe’s flagging status of being the country’s industrial hub is currently in shreds.
Speaking at the conference organised by Save Matabeleland Coalition Beyond 2015 at a local hotel, Ncube told a packed conference room that the Bulawayo business community is to blame for their failures. “I would like to openly tell you today that you, people of Bulawayo and the entire Matabeleland are to blame for the failures of this region. You have been ignoring successful business proposals from Harare our only capital city, because you were saying it is a Shona thing.
Today you are in poverty because of your poor mind-set. Wake up and smell the coffee, because if you keep your dirty mind-sets misleading you, then you will die poor.”
His sentiments were echoed by Zwelibanzi Ndlovu, who is an international business researcher and transformer.
“Most of the Bulawayo business community and prospective business people have a tendency of blaming their failures on government without first changing their attitudes. Their attitude of being cry-babies is affecting their efforts to business,” said Ndlovu.
The theme of the conference which will end today after the official launching by Zimbabwe’s Minister of Economic Planning, Simon Khaya Moyo ‘understands the fundamental causes of declining economic development in Bulawayo.
The conference was officially opened by the Mayor of Bulawayo Councillor Martin Moyo, yesterday, while Simon Khaya Moyo will officially launch the project, Matabeleland Coalition Beyond 2015 today 10 July 2015.
Affirmative Action group’s Secretary General, Clement Malaba, also blamed the Bulawayo community for rushing to jump borders to South Africa and Botswana, instead of thriving to develop their own region.
“We must teach our children to have Bulawayo at heart, and also to desist from rushing to develop neighbouring countries at the expense of our local industries. We must learn to create business ideas that will develop us not foreign countries,” said Malaba.

The former Zimbabwean ambassador to Australia has won $180,000 in a defamation case in Canberra against a journalist who published damaging allegations about her.
The journalist, Reason Wafawarova, has been ordered to pay Jacqueline Zwambila $160,000 in general damages and $20,000 in aggravated damages after he falsely claimed she had lost her temper and stripped to her underwear in front of three embassy officials.
The article suggested she was angry when the three denied leaking information to The Herald newspaper in Harare.
Ms Zwambila said the claims were not true but did irreparable damage to her reputation when they were published in newspapers in 2010 in her home country including The Herald.

The action was brought in the ACT, where Ms Zwambila was based at the time the story was published.
She told the ACT Supreme Court she was recalled to Harare to explain and feared losing her post as ambassador.
“The alleged statements of fact about my conduct in the article were not only untrue, but particularly hurtful because in over 13 years of working in politics, I had diligently worked to gain respect and the reputation of being worthy of the position of my country’s ambassador,” Ms Zwambila said.
“My initial reaction to the article was one of deep upset, surprise and distress.
“The assertion that I was capable of stripping naked in front of my colleagues in anger was abhorrent to me, not only because the allegations were shocking, but also because such allegations have particular cultural significance in Zimbabwe.”
Ms Zwambila, whose term as ambassador ended in December 2013, is now seeking asylum in Australia.
Wafawarova told the court he could not properly defend the case because the Zimbabwean government would not give permission for staff to give evidence about the incident.
But Justice Hilary Penfold rejected that and found he had not only defamed Ms Zwambila, but had aggravated the situation by not apologising.
“I am satisfied that the defamatory article would have damaged the plaintiff’s reputation among many members of the Zimbabwean community who read the article but who had no personal knowledge of the plaintiff,” Justice Penfold said.
“For some people the damage to reputation would have related to the plaintiff’s alleged failure to conduct herself properly in her workplace and for others it might have related to their doubts about the plaintiff’s sexual and other morality.”
Wafawarova has also been ordered to pay a large proportion of the court costs. ABC News

On Wednesday Parliament  had yet  another argument over the use of language as Deputy Speaker Mabel Chinomona ordered an MP to speak in English instead of Ndebele.
The (MDC) MP for Umzingwane Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga asked Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi a question, and in Ndebele which is spoken by most of her constituents.
Out of the 16 official languages spoken in Zimbabwe,only English, Ndebele and Shona have been approved for parliamentary debates.
Parliament employs interpreters and MPs can use supplied headsets when faced with a language barrier, but it is thought these have not worked for months.
“I’d like to ask the Minister of Tourism why when investors come to Zimbabwe they face visa problems,” Misihairabwi-Mushonga said in Ndebele, as one legislator yelled ‘taura neShona!’ (speak in Shona!).
The MP paused, and then pressed on: “Can you work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that when investors come in they don’t have problems? Some Chinese were chased when they came here. What are you doing to rectify this?”
Chinomona, in the Chair, then asked the MP to speak in English, stating that Mzembi does not understand Ndebele.
“… I would want to appeal to you to speak in English as the Hon Minister is not versed in Ndebele and I know that you’re able to speak in all the languages,” said Chinomona.
“May you ask your question in English so that the Minister can understand your question?”
Misihairabwi-Mushonga complied with the Deputy Speaker’s ruling saying: “I’ll do so Madam Deputy Speaker, but I think that he should be able to understand Ndebele. I think he said he understands Ndebele.”
Minister Mzembi, in his response, said: “I’m born of a Ndebele mother and a Karanga father. For the benefit of the greater audience, because her question is really international, I would plead that she just recasts it in English and I know that the Ndebele audience from my mother’s side will benefit from the answer in English.
“So, may I plead with the Hon Member to just recast it in English?”
Chinomona reiterated: “I thought I had already given a ruling on this issue. Hon Misihairabwi, can you please assist the Hon Minister because he doesn’t understand the language.”
Chinomona  faced the same situation last year on the same seat when she ordered then Transport Minister Obert Mpofu to answer a question in Shona, and the minister refused.
Speaking in Shona, Zanu-PF legislator Monica Chigudu, quizzed the Ndebele-speaking minister about the lack of progress on the upgrading of the Harare-Beitbridge highway where fatal accidents continue to occur.
Since his interlocutor had chosen to speak in their mother tongue, Mpofu, the MP for Umguza, elected to respond in Ndebele.
Minister Mpofu: “Honourable Chigudu ubuze umbuzo oqakathekileyo. Kunzima ukulungisa yonke imgwaqo sikhathi sinye kodwa ngiyathembisa ukhuthi iMasvingo iyabe isile dual road ngesikhathi esifitshane [Honourable Chigudu you asked an important question. It’s very difficult to fix all roads at once, but I promise that Masvingo will have a dual carriageway soon].’’
There was no order and, the Deputy Speaker quickly decided to intervene.
“Order! Honourable Minister, I plead with you Honourable Minister to try to respond to the question in the language that she has posed the question. Honourable Members, behave yourselves in the House,” said Chinomona.
Mpofu shot back: “I think it would be better if I use English for the interpretation in the Hansard.”
A raucous noise followed with inaudible interjections from legislators after which Mpofu added: “I’m advised by my colleagues that I should proceed in Ndebele.”
Mpofu did proceed in Ndebele.

263Chat|A local councilor has poked fun at ZANU PF as he denied the presence of vendors despite their flooding of the main street.
Vendors have been slowly creeping up Hebert Chitepo despite government’s directive that all street vendors should vacate the streets in all urban areas.
Councilor for Ward 14 Blessing Tandi made this remarks on the sidelines of an ongoing technology project to enhance service delivery and communication between municipality and its stakeholders.
The project Mutare City Dialogue and Technology for Accountability (MDATA) saw the setting up of a SMS hotline platform where residents will send messages for a nominal fee to city fathers.
The outspoken councilor said people should be left in the street as he responded to queries of how city council was proposing to deal with the issue.
Tandi said vendors were Zanu PF supporters and should therefore be left in the street.
“Takongonzwa ma vendors achitaurwa kuHarare kuno hatimboazivi chii chinonzi ma vendors? (We just heard of vendors being talked about in Harare we don’t know them here. What are vendors?)
“Ma vendors vanhu vakanga vari kuAerodrome vachiti pamberi ne Zanu PF (Vendors are people who congregated at Aerodrome chanting Zanu PF slogans –when presidents addressed a bumper rally in the run up to the 2013 elections)
“Vanhu ngavatengese handiti ndizvo zvamaitaura here kuMarondera kuti vanhu ngavatengese pese pese handiti nyika ndeyedu yakasunungurwa navaMugabe saka regerai vanhu vatengese.
(Let the people sell just like they were saying in Marondera that people should sell anywhere. The country is ours and it was liberated by President Mugabe so let the people sell their goods)” he said.
Mutare City Council had tentatively identified the open space at Chidzere Bara as a possible site for vendors to use but the vendors remain adamant they want to be closer to their customers.
One vendor who spoke to 263Chat on condition of anonymity said they were not ready to move from the streets because they were getting their livelihood from the streets.
“Isu tirikuponera muna main saka zvekunzi endai kuChidzere ipo pasina kana structure hazviite. (We are getting our livelihood from the streets so for Council to tell us to go to Chidzere where there are no structures is impossible)
“Tinoda kuuya pedyo nevanhu saka tichigara mu street kutostavaga kurarama,” (We want to be nearer to the people that’s why we are on the streets. We are looking for a means of survival),” said the vendor.
Vending on Main Street has increased visibly over the last month, despite residents having been granted that weekends are ‘free for all’. However residents now come even during the week to sell their wares as City Council charges a dollar per day from the vendors.

A FAMOUS Gweru businessman allegedly kidnapped, drugged and sodomised two primary school boys aged 11 and 12 years.
Smile Madhaka, 34, of Mkoba 19 suburb, who runs night clubs in Mkoba 1, 9 and 11 and a Pool Club in the Midlands capital, allegedly picked the boys from school and abused them for a period of three months.
He appeared briefly before Magistrate Judith Taruvinga yesterday facing two counts of aggravated indecent assault. The court heard he gave the boys $5 to buy their silence.
Madhaka was not asked to plead.
He was remanded in custody to July 21 for trial after his bail application was denied.
The court is also awaiting medical results from the doctor who examined the boys.
For the State, Daniel Tafuma told the court that sometime in April this year, Madhaka who has a night club in Mkoba 1 which is close to Bumburwi Primary School went to the school where he met the two juveniles.
He said Madhaka offered the boys a lift. “Inside his vehicle, he offered them bread and drinks. After consuming the food which could’ve been laced with a drug, the boys fell unconscious,” said Tafuma.
He said after some time the boys gained consciousness only to realise they were in Mkoba 3 near the Salvation Army Church.
Tafuma told the court that the boys had been dumped there by Madhaka. “When the boys recovered they realised that they were near Salvation Army Church and that their pants were soiled,” said Tapfuma.
He said before he dumped them, Madhaka told the boys that he was going to pick them up at Mkoba Police Station bus stop on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The abuse went on till June 26 this year.
Tafuma said Madhaka would intoxicate the boys with laced food and drinks before sodomising them. He said he also gave them $5 to share. Tafuma said the matter came to light after the boys’ parents reported to the police leading to his arrest.
Meanwhile, police in Midlands have called on parents and guardians to always keep an eye on their children while monitoring their behaviour. Midlands Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Joel Goko said even boys were at risk of sexual abuse.
“Every child is at risk of sexual abuse and we therefore urge parents and guardians to always monitor their behaviour. There are perverts out there who prey on innocent children and we therefore urge parents to always keep an eye on their children to curb such crimes,” he said. chronicle

A 28-YEAR-OLD Lalapanzi man was caught in the act raping a 19 year old schoolgirl before he fled the scene.
The man was sentenced to serve a four year prison term with labour for abusing the school girl when he appeared before a Gweru magistrate.
Tapiwa Mutsauri, who is unemployed and resides in Chishuku village, was found guilty when he appeared before magistrate Musaiwona Shotgame and got a custodial sentence for attempting to rape a 19 year old school girl.
Prosecutor Bernard Nyoni told the court that on March 18 last year at around 6:00pm, the girl was on her way home from school where she was doing extra lessons.
Mutsauri followed the girl and proposed love to her, but she turned down his advances. The accused continued to follow the girl until they got to a bushy area. He then grabbed the girl’s right leg and she fell down.
Mutstauri pulled down the girl’s skirt and undergarments to knee level. The complainant screamed, drawing the attention of two men who were passing by and rescued her while Mutsauri fled the scene.
On July 3 2015 at around 7:00pm, police got a tip off that Mutsauri was at Chishuku Business Centre.Two police officers proceeded to the business centre where they arrested Mutsauri.
On being searched, police discovered the accused was in possession of a twist of dagga. Shotgame also found Mutsauri guilty of possessing the twist of dagga weighing 10 g. He was warned and cautioned for the offence.-SouthernEye

The United States government has blown their horn once again calling for abducted democracy activist Itai Dzamara’s release.
In a statement released yesterday as Zimbabwe marked four months after the 9 March incident the US Embassy criticised his abductors.
The presser read:
Today marks four months since the disappearance of Zimbabwean civil society activist and leader of Occupy Africa Unity Square, Itai Dzamara. The United States remains deeply concerned about Mr. Dzamara’s whereabouts and wellbeing, and we are equally concerned by the apparent lack of progress by authorities in their investigation.
We join the European Union and the Embassy of Australia in their calls to the Zimbabwean authorities to mobilize their resources to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr. Dzamara’s abduction, to accord Mr. Dzamara the full protection of his fundamental human rights and freedoms, and to ensure that those responsible for his abduction are brought to justice.
The United States places the protection of human rights at the center of our foreign policy. The United States stands together with Mr. Dzamara and the people of Zimbabwe in supporting their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. We call for Mr. Dzamara’s immediate and safe return to his family and friends.

President Robert Mugabe’s cousin Philip Chiyangwa who was a gun-totting policeman during Ian Smith times working for that evil racist regime, has revived his Rhodesian butchery of black people.
Philip Chiyangwa to whom earlier this year Minister Ignatius Chombo illegally dished out land owned by the Orda Housing Development Consortium, has this time received police favours to arrest the 13 directors of The Consortium.
Barely a few days after Chombo, Chiyangwa’s personal friend was made Home Affairs minister, Chiyangwa has obtained a police warrant of arrest now listing the owners as criminals.
The development has seen the 13 now bullied by the police, seeking a settlement proposal with Chiyangwa.
This led to the state Media claiming that the land belongs to Sinsene Investments, a subsidiary of Pinnacle Property Holdings owned by Chiyangwa.
The broadsheet Herald reported stating:
The 13 are linked to the housing development consortium in connection with the illegal sale of stands at Orda Farm, commonly known as Southlea Park in Harare South.
The police are offering a reward for their arrest.
Orda Housing Development Consortium, through their lawyers Tamuka Moyo Attorneys, had submitted a settlement proposal to Chiyangwa undertaking to pay compensation for the land.
But Chiyangwa said yesterday that he had rejected the proposal, adding that the offer was just a deceptive move to buy time by the individuals who were facing arrest.
In their proposal, the consortium had offered to buy the disputed land at a rate of $12 500 for every 240 square metres, among other things.
“That our client accepts the standard you proposed of using the Fidelity Life Assurance process for the project at the rate of $12 500 for a piece of land of 240 square meters,” the lawyers said.
“That our clients will acquire from you the entire section of Orda Farm with the exception of approximately 8,5 hectares which are under the control of Sensene Investments (Private) Limited.
“The approximate area of 605 hectares will thus be sold, in its entirety, to our clients.”
But Chiyangwa dismissed the proposal as mere posturing.
“The fact of the matter is that I have rejected the proposal which is just a ruse by these crooks in order to buy time,” said Chiyangwa.
“This consortium is made up of discredited people who are being sought by the police and the proposal was signed by the same people who are facing arrest.
“They must just forget it and I will only deal directly with the beneficiaries of the illegal sale of my land. I have title deeds to the property.”
The housing consortium comprises 56 corporates that illegally settled over 8 000 people at the farm, which Dr Chiyangwa said is rightfully owned by Sensene.
Although the Government recently returned the farm and two other farms in the area to Dr Chiyangwa, the consortium has resisted moves by the business mogul to take over the farms.
The consortium officials contend that the decision by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to return the farms to Dr Chiyangwa was null and void.
The consortium contended that Dr Chiyangwa could not claim ownership of the farms since the land had been compulsorily acquired by Government to benefit low-income home seekers.
Dr Chiyangwa had previously refused to negotiate with the consortium, offering instead to engage directly with the beneficiaries of the stands in relation to compensation while threatening to evict stand holders who refused to subject themselves to Sensene.
Government recently warned land barons involved in corrupt and illegal allocation of residential stands that they faced prosecution.

The Electoral Court has dismissed with costs an application by ousted Minister of State for Masvingo Province, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti Chuma, who is challenging his expulsion from Zanu PF and subsequently Parliament.
Dismissing the application, Justice Chinembiri Bhunu ruled that political parties are associations of people of common purpose and interests, hence domestic remedies are best suited for such a case.
Justice Bhunu said that the applicant had approached the court before exhausting domestic remedies at his disposal, adding that the Electoral Court has no appeal jurisdiction and is limited to its review, whereas the Zanu PF Central Committee is capable of determining Bhasikiti’s case fully by delivering both procedural and substantive justice.
He also found that domestic recourse remedies is a less complex and faster process that relieves applicant of the complexities and controversies of the need to seek leave to sue the President as head of state.
Bhasikiti was expelled from the ruling party on allegations of pushing for regime change and ouster of the president.
His expulsion from the party led to his sacking from parliament and loss of his ministerial post in terms of the constitution.

The outgoing Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition director Mcdonald Lewanika is being accused of continuously siphoning the coalition’s funds through unsanctioned international trips at a time he was supposed to have left the organization.
Lewanika who was kicked out of the civil society representative grouping last year  after being slapped for allegedly abusing donor funds, flouting tender procedures among other bad corporate governance issues, remains at the helm of the organization with the blessings of a “few”  divided   board members.
Using the Coalition’s finances Lewanika, and others allegedly chewed over $15 000 on allowances on top of a sponsored  one week long Zimbabwe-Europe Network in  Brussels.
A respected source within the disgruntled coalition’s workers told this reporter on Thursday that the three who returned early this week “illegally’ went to Europe.
“The three had gone there to present on behalf of Civil Society Organizations’ the country’s situation to Europe about the Zimbabwe situation”, said the source
“Although their trip was sponsored by the hosts their attendance was illegal because the board had not sanctioned it. When attending such high level meetings the board should sit and select members to attend on behalf of the coalition”.
Late last month Lewanika  indicated that he was leaving the organization “soon” and appointed his Programmes Manager Nixon Nyikadzino to the acting directorship.
“He told us that he is leaving in August and we understand that he wants to left the $8 00 000 which was donated by some development partners recently exhausted,” added the sources.

There was chaos once again in Harare on Thursday afternoon when police exhausted themselves attacking vendors stationed various locations in the CBD, shortly before the attacked men and women began preparing to return to sell.
In what is now a thrilling drama, vendors vowed to return to their selling posts albeit after being brutalised as more than thirty were arrested.
The cops used brute force on them resulting in many sustaining injuries. The police demonstrated that they have been given military training, the Zimbabwe Informal Sectors Organization (ZISO) said.
ZISO’s director Promise Mkwananzi said the municipality police were too swift in manhandling the vendors.
“The skill and efficiency which the vendors were decimated reflect military training,” Mkwananzi said.
“It could be that the regime shied away from a total military operation by camouflaging the army with municipal uniforms,” he said.
But Mkwananzi said the vendors cannot be cowed down.
“More than thirty vendors were arrested and heavily assaulted.
“We have resolved to reconstruct structures tomorrow and continue sell,” Mkwananzi said.
The move comes after government ordered the vendors off the Central Business District sending them off to remote outposts. Following the fall of the economy, Zimbabwe’s vendor community now numbers more than six million – Zimbabwe’s entire voting population.

The ministry of youth, indigenisation and economic empowerment has been involved in mysterious money transactions with the employment creation fund that falls under it.
This was revealed in a recent report on public accounts following an audit by the Auditor General (AG).
The audit revealed that the ministry paid a grant to the youth development and
employment creation fund account and later borrowed from it. Subsequently, the ministry reimbursed the money to the youth fund under unclear circumstances.
“The practice of borrowing money from the fund cripples operations of the same and exposes financial resources to misappropriation. The ministry should desist from borrowing financial resources from the fund as this may negatively affect its operations,” read the report.
At the beginnng of 2014, the ministry owed the fund some $130,000 while during the same year, expenditure amounting to $9,863 was met from the fund’s resources. “My concern is that this may result in the fund account failing to meet its objectives. The practice of borrowing money from the fund is not in line with current regulations,” said the AG, Mildred Chiri. In response, the ministry said the money was borrowed to “cover pressing issues that had arisen within the ministry with the intention of reimbursing the fund”. It accused treasury of availing resources to the ministry “as and when it liked”, forcing them to dig into fund coffers.
In addition, the ministry’s houses at vocational training centres from which it was collecting rent were not classified according to size and type for easy management of the rentals, noted the report. As a result, the AG could not do the monthly rates as stipulated by treasury regulations.
Contrary to the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act (Chapter 22:19) the ministry had long outstanding revenue amounting to $93,687 accrued from departmental surcharges.
“Delays in recovering outstanding departmental surcharges and disallowances may result in the outstanding amounts being irrecoverable.
This also deprives the government from using the money for other activities,” reads the report. Out of $534,598 loans given out to youths, only $47,847 was recovered. “No allowance was created to recognise the potential loss that could arise as a result of irrecoverable loans,” noted the AG. thezimbabwean

• Kasukuwere labelled an animal

Saviour Kasukuwere the new Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister on Thursday morning clashed with the chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Justice Mayor Wadyajena.
Both men who are ZANU PF, tore into each other over a $10 million indigenisation Trust Scheme with Kasukuwere being labelled an “animal,” by Wadyajena
The two slammed each other when Minister Kasukuwere appeared before the committee chaired by Wadyajena this morning to give evidence on the circumstances surrounding the Zimunya-Marange Community Share Ownership Trust.
Minister Kasukuwere accused Wadyajena of abusing his position as committee chairperson to witch-hunt him while the latter said he (Kasukuwere) was not an animal worthy witch-hunting.
Minister Kasukuwere was in charge of the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment when the Community Trust was established in 2012 at a ceremony where he indicated that the five diamond mining companies in Chiadzwa had pledged $10 million each towards the Trust.
But when the same companies appeared before the same committee, the majority of them claimed that they did not pledge anything to the Trust.

Prophet Uebert Angel of The Spirit Embassy Church is pleasuring himself on church women he claims to be conducting deliverance prayers for, an investigation has found.
The married Uebert Angel whose real surname is Mudzanire, changed after he was listed for academic fraud, is using Psycho-Spiritist technics on his victims, as he lures them simply using the phrase, “This is Papa.”
Angel’s episode came to light following an investigation spanning over 24 months.

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Do you have brilliant business ideas?  – The upcoming Innovation Baraza Fair could be the right place for you.

Nearly forty (40) innovative ideas beat out hundreds of competitors, across sectors, to be represented at the Innovation Baraza Fair to be held on Friday July 10th at the Baraza Pavilion in Tynwald, Harare. Organizers announced last week that the successful ideas include innovations in the agriculture, finance, health, resource management, infrastructure, community, retail, and trade sectors of Zimbabwe.
 
According to Udugu Institute, the event organizers, “Africa has 7 of the 10 fastest growing economies, a forecasted higher working age population than anywhere else in the world, and countless other metrics that all point to one simple thing: new and alternative ways to grow are required to create sustainable value and an inclusive society. Innovation Baraza is a platform to connect the Zimbabwean society, and investment and market potential, with the ideas that will make Africa better.”
 
The Friday fair, open to the public from 10:30am to 4:30pm, will feature exhibits, food vending, and an inspirational formal program that includes Minister of ICT, Honorable Supa Mandiwanzira and more. Top Zimbabwean innovators will present their game changing ideas and new approaches that challenge the norm and improve Zimbabwean lives throughout the day for judges across sectors and the overall public – which has a crucial vote in the process. The top five finalists on Friday will be invited to the prestigious Simba Savannah Investors Forum later this year.
 
The United States Embassy, along with a number of other sponsors, are supporting the initiative which features the eight most active incubator and accelerator hubs in Zimbabwe in a crucial role.
 
“We are excited to support this opportunity for Zimbabweans who are crafting innovative solutions to local challenges, and who are seeking investors to bring those solutions to market.” said Karen Kelley, Counselor for Public Affairs at the United States Embassy. “Our support for entrepreneurship is one of the most critical ways that we can support efforts that will lead to economic prosperity in Zimbabwe, which is an important goal for the U.S. mission here.”
 
The successful contestants have been working with technology centres such as the Hypercube Hub, Emerging Ideas, Area 46, and MotoRepublik who have been preparing them for the Innovation Baraza showcase. The tech hubs will continue to mentor all budding entrepreneurs with what it takes to get started and what it takes to make it as a Zimbabwean entrepreneur.
 
Admission is free. And your vote matters. Come to Innovation Baraza and be inspired by the
“Zimmovators.” For more information, see www.innovationbaraza.com.
 
Innovation Baraza 
10 July 2015 
 
10:30 AM 
Doors Open to Public
 
Master of Ceremony: Asa Jogi, CEO, The Jogi Group
 
10:30 – 12:00 PM 
Public Exhibition and Judges Rounds
 
Judges:
Chipo Mtasa – Managing Director, TelOne.
Mustafa Sachak – Chief Executive Officer of Zimnat Insurance Group
Mary–Jane Mberi – Associate Director, PWC
Representative TBD – CBZ
Catalyst Vote – Collective of the 8 partner hubs for Innovation Baraza
 
12:00 – 12:30 PM 
Keynote Speaker Supa Mandiwanzira
Minister of ICT, Postal & Courier Services
 
12:30 – 1:30 PM 
Lunch + (Judges Convene for Innovator’s Hunt Selections)
 
2:00 – 3:00 PM 
Public Innovator Presentations
 
INNOVATOR’S HUNT 
3 x 5 min Innovator Pitches 
Inspirational Speaker (3 min): Takunda Chingonzo, Co–Founder, NeoLabs, Saisai Wireless 

1. x 5 min Innovator Pitches 

Inspirational Speaker (3 min): Dr. Nozipo Maraire, Neurologist 

1. x 5 min Innovator Pitches 

Inspirational Speaker (3 min): Nomvula Mhambi, Founder, Disruptive Innovation  
 
3:00 – 3:30 PM 
Interlude (Judges Convene for Simba Savannah Selections)
 
3:30 – 3:45 PM 
Simba Savannah Innovators Pack of 2015 Announced
 
4:00 PM 
Closing Remarks and Open House
Closing Remarks By: Quinton Kanhukamwe – Vice-Chancellor of Harare Institute of Technology (HIT)
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PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s latest Cabinet reshuffle undermined Unity Accord between PF Zapu and Zanu PF after he handed the Home Affairs portfolio back to his original party, analysts said yesterday.

Mugabe on Monday reassigned long serving Home Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi, a former PF Zapu official to State Security in his second Cabinet reshuffle inside seven months.
The Home Affairs portfolio headed by the likes of late Vice-President John Nkomo and Dumiso Dabengwa was a preserve of PF Zapu members since the peace accord to end the Gukuruhundi atrocities in 1987.
Mugabe, last December was criticised for appointing Phelekezela Mphoko to take the Vice-Presidency slot usually reserved for PF Zapu members as he succeeded Nkomo.
Mphoko was originally a PF Zapu member, but he was accused of deserting the party at the height of the liberation struggle while posted in Mozambique to join Zanu PF.
Mugabe was also criticised for abolishing the Zanu PF chairperson post at the last congress as he demoted Simon Khaya Moyo, who is now the party’s spokesperson.
Paul Siwela, a 2002 presidential candidate now in self-imposed exile after escaping a treason trial, said the Unity Accord was always prone to manipulation by the 91-year-old leader.
“That agreement confirmed the defeat of Joshua Nkomo and PF Zapu by Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF,” Siwela said.
“That defeat was effected by PF Zapu losing its leadership and surrendering all political power to Zanu PF in return for nothing.
“They further lost their identity by accepting the already-existing Zanu PF name though foolishly agreeing that they had been accommodated by Zanu PF.”
He said PF Zapu policies and programmes were thrown into the dust bin including political friends.
“Zapu surrendered its political base and any meaningful resource without compensation in the purported political power sharing arrangement,” he said.
“The agreement further exonerates Zanu PF from genocide and makes PF Zapu assume the blame.”
Siwela said PF Zapu members got a raw deal from the very beginning.
“The ascendency to political leadership in both Zanu PF and the government for former members of PF Zapu right from the beginning was based on the whim of President Robert Mugabe and not the agreement,” he said. “Current and future developments would always be based on Zanu PF ideology.”
The former Zapu Federal Party leader said Mugabe valued the agreement only in so far as it confirmed the defeat of late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo and PF Zapu.
“I note that Mohadi becomes the first Ndebele person to be appointed State Security minister,” Siwela said. “This does not surprise anyone given the internecine succession wars in Zanu PF.
“It became not only prudent, but very imperative for Mugabe to appoint a very loyal and honest person without divided interest to monitor the unfolding ugly situation which would ultimately destroy Zanu PF. Mohadi became the most suitable person for the office.”
Dabengwa and other top officials pulled out of Zanu PF in 2008 citing lack of respect for the Unity Accord.
His Zapu party insists that those who remain in Zanu PF do not represent the former liberation movement.
Bulawayo-based political commentator Methuseli Moyo said there was no longer a substantive Unity Accord, but Zanu PF wanted to pretend the deal still subsisted.
“What is important now for Mugabe is managing succession politics in his party than any other pressing matter,” Moyo said.
“In fact, the Unity Accord had no terms, but just traditions which Mugabe chose to abandon to deal with current dynamics in the party.”
South Africa-based political commentator Ezra Maplanka said the Unity Accord had lost relevance.
“I personally feel this accord has lost relevance if ever it was relevant to start with,” he said.
“It failed and it still fails to show its meaning to the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans especially those from the south-western part of the country.
“It only managed to portray itself as a mere political arrangement for the former liberators to bring a common ground to settle old scores and work together on that level.”
The Unity Accord only specified Zanu PF and the government having two Vice-Presidents, one from PF Zapu and the other from Zanu PF. Its signing is still celebrated on December 22 annually.-SouthernEye

There was chaos in Harare yesterday when municipal police pulled down illegal vendors’ tents and tables to force them off the streets, but their action was in vain as the traders were back on the streets and pavements within hours. -READ MORE-Violence as Police Attack Vendors Again.

The vendors appeared to have responded positively to the relocation as they left the illegal vending sites upon being ordered to do so, but returned to illegal street and pavement vending despite the presence of municipal police and the watchful eyes of the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
ZRP officers were present on the streets, but did not take part in the exercise as they only monitored developments from their vehicles.
There were fistfights among illegal vendors who had rushed to some of the designated sites upon discovering that council had double allocated some of the vending booths.
The fighting ended after the vendors restrained each other and agreed that it was not their fault that vending booths had been double allocated.
Harare mayor Councillor Bernard Manyenyeni said yesterday that council had no capacity to remove the vendors and was now seeking a meeting with Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere for help.
The mayor said he had since cancelled a foreign trip so that he could meet the minister.
“I would want to see the minister after I meet officials on the ground so that we can present to him what we think are our shortcomings inasmuch as the relocation of the vendors is concerned.”
The city authorities had earlier vowed not to remove the illegal vendors, arguing that they were following the opposition MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s utterances that Government must not act on them.
Harare City Council is dominated by MDC-T councillors. But Minister Kasukuwere yesterday said it was the responsibility of Clr Manyenyeni to ensure that city by-laws are followed.
“The mayor is in charge of making sure that the city’s by-laws are adhered to.
“I have not heard the mayor saying he has failed to contain the situation. All we want is a clean environment where business is conducted freely.”
Minister Kasukuwere on Monday warned council authorities that if they did not clean up the mess brought by vendors, he would instead clean up Town House.
He also vowed to end lawlessness in Harare and other local authorities saying he wanted to see the upholding of law and good administration of both rural and urban areas.
Vendors told The State Media that they were willing to move to the designated sites, but there was no infrastructure and ablution facilities.
It is council’s responsibility to provide the required infrastructure at the vending sites.
A fruit vendor, Mr Proud Mureverwa, who registered to trade at Copacabana, blamed council for making double allocations.
“Council allocated us to sell from here, but we were surprised when a group of vendors whose tents were pulled down by council came here claiming to have been allocated the same booths to sell their wares,” he said.
“This is the reason you saw vendors exchanging blows. We cannot have fruit and clothing vendors trading from the same place.”
Ms Martha Sithole, a clothing vendor, said after the city council pulled down their tents they had no choice but to go to Copacabana where they were allocated the booths.
“We were also given vendor cards to operate at Copacabana, but it seems the city made a double allocation,” she said.
The city’s principal communications officer Mr Michael Chideme admitted that the city had made double allocations.
“The issue of double allocation is an administration issue which we are currently looking at,” he said. “We are happy with the progress and the way our municipal police are handling the matter.”
National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe (Navuz) director Mr Samuel Wadzanai said vendors will remain put if the city did not facilitate proper infrastructure for them to trade.
“Our members are still operating at their respective sites,” he said. “We will move out once council provides us with proper infrastructure, not open spaces without ablution facilities.”
Other vendors’ unions said they were prepared to move to the designated areas while the city council makes finishing touches in providing the required infrastructure.

SEVEN Zimbabweans were killed on the spot, while nine others were seriously injured when a Musina-bound commuter omnibus they were travelling in collided with a haulage truck about 2km from Beitbridge Border Post along the N1 Highway in South Africa early yesterday.
Witnesses said the two vehicles collided around 5am near the weighbridge.
They said the driver of the border post-bound haulage truck made a right turn in front of the speeding kombi which was travelling towards Musina with 15 passengers, resulting in a collision.
“Seven people died instantly and nine others were seriously injured as a result of the collision. It was horrific.
“Bodies were strewn all over the place before emergency workers and the police took them to Musina government hospital” said Mr Phefumula Sibanda who arrived at the scene soon after the accident.
Limpopo Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ronel Otto said they had since opened a charge of culpable homicide against the truck driver.
She said the deceased were conveyed to Musina government mortuary.
“The circumstances around the accident are being investigated and a case of culpable homicide was opened.
“Seven people died on the scene and nine were injured, including the driver of the taxi, and were taken to a hospital at Musina for treatment.
The driver of the truck was not injured” she said.
Lt Col Otto said all the 15 passengers in the kombi were from Zimbabwe adding that the deceased names would be released once their next of kin have been informed.
She said eight of the injured were undergoing treatment at Musina Government hospital while another critically injured had been taken to Polokwane Provincial Hospital.
She added that motorists should always abide by road traffic regulations to avoid unnecessary loss of life.
The N1 highway is one of the busiest roads in South Africa as it links that country to the rest of Africa and it is the route, which handles a lot of commercial cargo movement.
The road has also become a death trap for Zimbabweans and citizens of countries north of the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers.
Last year over 10 Zimbabweans were killed in road carnages between Musina and Polokwane in Limpopo province.
In July 2011, 14 Zimbabweans perished, while nine others were seriously injured when a bus they were travelling in was involved in a horrific crash along the same road near Witvlag turnoff between Louis
Trichardt and Musina towns when the driver of a Johannesburg-boundTrans Africa Lux bus lost control of the vehicle.
Twenty four other Zimbabweans perished in a pile-up accident between Louis Trichardt and Polokwane towns on the N1 highway.
In 2005, 19 Zimbabweans died when a kombi they were travelling in plunged into a dry riverbed 15km from Louis Trichardt.

VOA|Some factories that were forced to shut down due to the harsh economic situation in Zimbabwe are now serving as churches.
Tapiwa Mashakada, a top member of the Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai, made this claim during a parliamentary debate on the state of the economy Wednesday.
Mashakada took aim at the Zanu PF government for failing to deliver on its promises to create 2 million jobs, adding many people were now living on one dollar a week.
But Zanu PF lawmakers defended their record, saying the economy was suffering because of western sanctions.
MDC-T legislator Dorcas Sibanda said it was sad that companies have shut down leaving thousands of people unemployed.
She said it was the duty of President Robert Mugabe’s government to cater for the needs of all Zimbabweans. -VOA

Former Vice President Joyce Mujuru, her ally Didymus Mutasa and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai are special-invited guests to the Itai Dzamara Saturday prayer rally, but MDC formation leaders Elton Mangoma, Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti are all blocked, it has emerged.
 
The powerful Zimbabwe Policy Dialogue Institute members largely concluded that it is only Vice President Joyce Mujuru and Tsvangirai who have been invited to the prayer function and by Wednesday night indications were that the others are blocked.
 
Heads were rolling on Wednesday afternoon when analysts at the famous policy think-tank debated what they said portrays Mangoma, Biti and Ncube in serious bad light, after it was confirmed the names of the three were out-rightly excluded from Saturday’s prayer program.
But how can Tsvangirai invite his “poisonous” arch enemies Didymus Mutasa and Joyce Mujuru who he previously accused of burning alive MDC activists including little Christpowers Maisiri, while at the same time ironically blocking Ncube, Mangoma and Biti, policy thinkers debated.
 
Some began to speculate saying that the rally is no prayer function at all but a publicity venture as said by former MDC spokesman, Mr. Nhlanhla Dube.
There were numerous emotional exchanges which led to Tsvangirai’s rally-commissar Job Sikhala hurriedly promising to contact the Dzamara family to beg them if for instance Biti can attend.
“Let me phone the Dzamara family and hear whether there is any problem to have Tendai Biti on the prayer Gala. I agree Promise, there is absolutely nothing sinister to invite Tendai Biti on this occasion. I personally want to see Biti present,” said Sikhala who also said others were invited.
But MDC leader Welshman Ncube interjected saying Sikhala was not telling the truth. Wrote Ncube, ” Job, a person of your standing should refrain from telling untruths.
 
“At no time has any one of the organizers contacted me personally or my office or any office in the party.
 
“This morning the media kept asking our information department as to how it is that our party or leadership are not being referred to in any of the statements relating to the event.
 
“As a result the Byo office contacted Cde Kurauone Chihwayi, our Secretary for External Structures  to find out from him if he had any information on the matter. He did not have but he then took it upon himself to talk to Bishop Magaya and asked him how and why it is that we have not been were invited.
 
“The good Bishop then claimed that they had our written invitation but did not know how or where to contact us as they were not aware of the addresses of our offices or any of our party emails or the telephone numbers of any officer or official of the party.
 
“In short, none of them as organizers knew how or where to find us. Cde Chihwayi then gave him our HQ address in Harare whereupon the good Bishop promised  that the invite would be delivered today.
 
“The good Bishop later foned Cde Chihwayi around 4pm today advising that the letter was unlikely to be delivered today.
 
“If you believe the good Bishop’s story that they had the invitation for us but they did not know how and where to find us then please also believe that my mother is a virgin.”
 
Om the other hand Elton Mangoma separately told ZimEye.com “We havent yet seen the invitation. As a party we strongly sympathise with the Dzamara family and still reiterate that the government is responsible for his disappearance . We demand that he be handed back to his family alive,” he said

The recent reassignment of the former Information and Media Minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo, to the Higher Education Ministry has been welcomed, by the community of Matabeleland as a blessing.
In a ZimEye.com opinion survey yesterday, 70% of Bulawayo, Tsholotsho, Lupane, Kezi and Lukosi, expressed their appreciation for Mugabe’s cabinet reshuffle, as most said on the side they believe Professor Jonathan Moyo’s could be the person to address tribal imbalances at the country’s universities.
The sample for the survey numbered 10 randomly selected people.
“Jonathan is a goal getter, he is the most educated person to be found in Matabeleland, and as we are still without science schools, all this could soon be history, as our own son is now responsible for higher education,” said Nompilo Mkandla of Mbuyazwe in Nyamandlovu.
Another Bulawayo resident who comes from Lukosi district of Matabeleland North, Laimon Gwala, also concurred with Mnkandla.
“The current government had deliberately ignored improving the education system in our provinces, in a move that was calculated to reduce scientists from our regions. We have very few science schools and yet we have a Science University in our province.
All those who are at our highest institutes of learning, are from outside of our villages, as most of our children cannot qualify to enrol because of the lack of science schools,” said Gwala.
Arnold Bhule, a retired educationist, also told ZimEye.com that this is the time Mugabe has realised his blunder for the people of Mnthwakazi. “Mugabe has long been disadvantaging the education of Bulawayo people and Matabeleland. This time he has recognised us by giving us our son Jonathan to revive our lost education pride.
I would like to thank our ancestors for getting into Mugabe’s thick head and hard heart, by reminding him that Matabeleland people need education too,” said Bhule.
University Students Council representatives also welcomed their new Minister Jonathan Moyo to the Ministry of higher and Tertiary Education, and they said he was capable of bringing a tremendous change in the sector.
Professor Jonathan Moyo takes over from Mrs Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri, who has been reassigned to head Water and Environment Ministry.

Violence has broken out in Harare this morning as municipal police attacked vendors in a potentially explosive situation likely to hurt many vulnerable pedestrians.
Municipality police are at present “everywhere” in the CBD physically pushing vendors to move to designated areas.
In retaliation vendors who are fully registered, are grouping and shouting slogans against the move.
A witness told ZimEye.com people should stay at away from the city centre today. “If one does not have serious business in town today let them stay out of the hot zones. The situation is likely to be bad later in the day as some rowdy elements come into town,” they said.
Promise Mkhwananzi the Programs Coordinator of the Zimbabwe Informal Sectoe Organisation told ZimEye.com the attackers are municipal police.
“They are municipal police,” he said adding they are in groups of fifties.
He further added saying,
“Vendors are being kicked out under our nose. We have learnt nothing and forgot nothing.
” Murambatsvina came and passed we pledged that never again would such an opportunity pass under our nose. Here it is.
“Passing as we watch arguing which leader can give a better speech than the others.
 

thezimbabwean| Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa scored victory over Jonathan Moyo when he successfully lobbied President Robert Mugabe to demote the former information minister to the higher education portfolio.
Mugabe on Monday reshuffled his cabinet and surprised many by removing Moyo from the powerful information ministry. Former allies Mnangagwa and Moyo had become sworn enemies over the Mugabe succession issue. The vice president was angered by Moyo’s continued use of the official media to denigrate him and his other political foes.
Sources told The Zimbabwean that Mnangagwa curried favour with Grace Mugabe to convince her husband to shift Moyo because of his manipulation of the media.
“Mnangagwa has been lobbying behind the scenes to have Moyo removed. His trump card was Amai who he used to push the president to move him,” said the source. Mugabe’s wife is now widely believed to be virtually running government affairs as age and illness take a toll on the president.
“It is all about the succession war in the party. Apparently, Moyo had teamed up with a number of powerful party members to throw their weight behind VP Mphoko as a way of spiting Mnangagwa,” said the Zanu (PF) insider.
The sources said the Monday reshuffle would worsen divisions in the party. “The party is at great risk of disintegration. It is clear that the party has been forgotten as the succession wars get hotter. Non-one cares about Zanu (PF) now and it is about personal political gain,” said the first source.
The sources agreed that Moyo, Kasukuwere and others opposed to Mnangagwa would intensify their battle to gain more political clout ahead of the 2018 general elections, adding that Grace might end up being politically alienated as the vice presidents felt humiliated by her revelation that they grovelled at her feet.
The information ministry was left vacant and the labour minister, Prisca Mupfumira, will continue acting. The reshuffle also saw Ignatius Chombo, who ran the local government ministry for many years, moving to home affairs.
Chombo, the new Zanu (PF) administration secretary, is believed to be Mugabe’s strategic ally who protects his estate and other interests and being moved to home affairs is considered a reward, even though the minister was at one time linked to the Mujuru faction. Kembo Mohadi, who held the home affairs portfolio, went to state security.

President Robert Mugabe blasted off into the sky, his 23rd flight yesterday, in another expensive unnecessary this time to the United States of America which saw his wife, Grace join him, the latter who has bunked Mugabe trips to African countries saying she is too ill to travel.
But yesterday Mrs Mugabe’s cancer temporarily left her as she joined her husband headed to the US to speak at a United Nations conference that can be attended by Mugabe’s large ambassadorial  staff stationed in that country who can easily read out his speech.
Besides numerous diplomats there in the United States, the president has two idle ambassadors one at the US government outpost and another to the United Nations.
Despite the large human resource in that country Mugabe left for New York, for the purely chat based conference which merely discusses the Ebola crisis.
Zimbabwe has had no problems whatsoever with the ebola disease.
He was accompanied by a group of hangers on, his wife, Grace Mugabe, Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Health and Child Care Minister David Parirenyatwa, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa, Presidential Spokesperson George Charamba and a untold number of government officials.
The state Media  reported  attempting to justify the trip saying: the Ebola haemorrhagic fever has devastated three West African countries since its outbreak left more than 11 000 people dead and affected more than 27 000 others.
 
UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon is hosting the International Ebola Recovery Conference as part of efforts to ensure the affected countries receive resources and the necessary support that they require to overcome the Ebola outbreak.
Heads of state from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, the three countries most affected by Ebola, have been invited to the conference and President Mugabe has been invited as leader of the African continent.
Affected countries will share their national as well as regional recovery plans and budgets for the next two years.
Officials from the AU, the African Development Bank (ADB), the European Union and the World Bank, among others, are expected to attend the conference.
The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history and affected a number of countries in West Africa.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as of the end of June this year, 27 551 cases and 11 236 deaths had been recorded with the majority in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
874 health care workers in the three most affected countries were infected with the Ebola virus and 509 of them died.
After months battling with the disease, WHO declared Liberia Ebola free on the 9th of May 2015 after 42 days with no new reported cases.
The situation in Guinea and Sierra Leone is also improving with most new cases emanating from registered contacts.
The projection is that by August 2015, the two countries will also be declared Ebola free.
While the number of Ebola cases have started to go down, the three countries are still in need of financial and technical resources to support and totally eradicate the disease.
The AU has been spearheading continental efforts to respond to the epidemic under the Africa Against Ebola Solidarity Trust, as well as the AU Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa, and the support from international partners will complement the AU efforts.
Governments in the affected countries, the African region and the international community are coming together to stop the outbreak and the conference convened by the UN is thus expected to further strengthen the recovery and reconstruction of the affected countries in particular and the West African region in general.
On his departure, President Mugabe was seen off at the Harare International Airport by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, cabinet ministers, service chiefs and several government officials.

Bulawayo – ZRP officers were caught assaulting Freelance photographer, Crispen Ndlovu.
A large group of witnesses caught the cops taking the law into their own hands, torturing the journalist in the city.
The police officers, who were manhandling a cell-phone thief, butchered the journo for taking press pictures.
Ndlovu has since reported the matter to the Bulawayo Central Police station, and the docket on assault, case number IR5412/15 was opened.
Zimbabwe’s police have been on record assaulting journalists and even persecuting them for carrying their duties, with cases of the brutal attacks of Photo-journalist Angela Jimu, Chrispen Tabvura, Tapfuma Machakaire and Privilege Musvanhiri.
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists Secretary General, Foster Dongozi, blamed the police for breaking the law by attacking media practitioners for performing their duties.
Ndlovu was attacked by police while he was photographing members of the Police beating up a suspected cell-phone thief. Police details forced him to delete his photographs which he was later able to recover.
He is currently being monitored by doctors.
Dongozi condemned the assault, saying police needed to be taught that journalism was a lawful profession in the country. “Police must behave themselves and conduct themselves in a professional manner and not go about beating journalists. That kind of policing cannot be professional and only serves to portray the force and the country in extreme negative light,” he said.

Former Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti has again taken President Robert Mugabe to court over the Mwenezi East by-election after the veteran ruler ignored a court order against setting a poll date for the constituency.
Bhasikiti, fired last month on allegations he supported former Vice-President Joice Mujuru, had on June 25 won a High Court order stopping Mugabe from proclaiming a by-election date until the former Mwenezi East MP’s case challenging his expulsion from Zanu PF was dealt with by the courts.
Mugabe last Friday set July 20 as the date for the sitting of the nomination court for the Mwenezi East by-election to be held on September 19.
In an urgent chamber application filed at the Constitutional Court by lawyer Tonderai Bhatasara yesterday, Bhasikiti said Mugabe was in contempt of court.
Mugabe is cited as the first respondent while the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission was cited as the second respondent.
“I further contend that the first respondent’s actions are in breach of the order of the 25th of June and clearly in contempt,” Bhasikiti said.
“The first respondent was a party to the proceedings in case number CCZ45/2015.
“In other words he was aware of the order and the basis in respect of which this honourable court had proceeded to make the judgment.”
Bhasikiti said Mugabe was making a High Court matter academic yet it was also his duty, like any other citizen to respect the laws of the land.
He said the proclamation of the by-election date would prejudice his rights to a fair trial as the matter was still to be concluded.
He said his case was pending before the courts and allowing the sitting of the nomination court to go ahead would deny him the right to participate in the by-election.
Bhasikiti said Mugabe had violated the court order, the Constitution of the country and the principle of the rule of law.
“This court and all the judges who sat in that hearing, will recall that in arriving at the decision, the court and the lawyers concerned took note of the fact that a by-election had to be held by the 10th of September 2015,” he said.
“That being the case, it meant that in terms of Section 38 of the Electoral Act, the nomination Court, could sit at least 30 days before, which would have been the 10th of August 2015.
“The first respondent would have been aware of this and was aware of this, but notwithstanding this; he fixed the date of the proclamation in such a manner as to interfere with the integrity of the order of this honourable court.
“The proclamation is null and void to the extent that it provides for a by-election way out of the 90 days provided for by Section 159 of their Constitution.”
He said the matter was very urgent because he stood to be prejudiced of his right to participate in the elections.
“In any event, once the nomination court has sat and I lose the case, it means I would have been denied by right to participate in that election as a candidate even an independent candidate for Mwenezi East,” he said.
Bhasikiti is one of the former top Zanu PF officials who have vowed not to take their expulsion from the ruling party for allegedly supporting Mujuru lying down.-SuthernEye

Registrar-General Mr Tobaiwa Mudede has urged Zimbabweans to use natural family planning methods as modern contraceptives present serious health complications to women.
He accused the West of promoting dangerous birth control measures to depopulate developing nations.
In a presentation to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Mr Mudede said the withdrawal method and rhythm (safe phases of the menstrual cycle) method could be used safely for birth control.
Committee chairperson Cde Beatrice Nyamupinga said Mr Mudede was summoned to explain the dangers of birth control methods, especially Jadelle, which he denounced.
“Most women have panicked and are no longer sure of what they should use for birth control,” she said.
Mr Mudede said he received several responses and some threats and said this would not deter him from fighting for his cause.
“I am working in the interest of the nation. Birth control methods particularly Norplant has 51 side effects. Research has shown that Norplant was banned in America, where it was manufactured but is still being used in Zimbabwe.
“A study carried out by the University of California in the United States showed that participants who took birth control drugs for three years doubled their risk of developing an eye problem, glaucoma,” he said.
He pleaded for funding to support research on the natural birth control methods, which he said were being ignored as emphasis had always been on Western drugs, despite negative effects on users.
He said control of black populations in the world had been a Western policy since 1972 when Henry Kissinger, then director of the USA national security council suggested that population in the developing countries had to be controlled.
“This explains why millions of dollars are being poured into birth control programmes than into development projects.
“For the past 10 years, the Zimbabwean population has not been growing significantly due to the use of these drugs,” he said.
Mr Mudede’s counterpart, Mr Richard Hondo, a physio neurologist said side effects of the drugs included cancer, obesity, low libido, back pain, migraine headaches and bleeding, among other things.
Witnesses brought by Mr Mudede said they switched to natural methods after side effects such as decline in sexual drive, bleeding and eye problems.
Ms Chipo Matowanyika said she abandoned the pill after developing blood clots on her body.
“I also experienced headaches and developed pimples and this stopped when I started using the natural methods,” she said.
Mrs Moreblessing Shava said she bled continuously, gained weight and felt nauseous because of continuous use of Jadelle.
Ms Shingai Mandaza said : “I now rely on natural methods and I have since lost 12 kilogrammes,” she said.
Senator Hubert Nyanhongo said Mr Mudede’s project was noble but urged Mr Mudede to work with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to educate the nation,” he said.

THE Zimbabwe Community in South Africa (ZCSA) is seeking an audience with newly-appointed Home Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo to apprise him on “sticking immigration challenges”.
ZCSA is an organisation assisting Zimbabweans to comply with the new South African permit system and immigration requirements.
The lobby group’s chairperson Ngqabutho Mabhena told Southern Eye in an interview yesterday they were keen to interact with Chombo though the Zimbabwean embassy in South Africa.
“We would like a meeting with him through the Zimbabwe embassy to brief him about the work we do and solicit his views,” Mabhena said.
He said ZCSA was grateful to former Home Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi who was instrumental in “thrashing out a fair permits deal” for Zimbabwean immigrants in the neighbouring country.
The permits issue has remained a thorny one in the aftermath of South Africa’s setting of new regulations compelling Zimbabweans to compulsorily register.
South Africa first issued the special permits in 2010 to regularise the stay of illegal Zimbabwean immigrants in that country that conservative figures put at around two million.
The permits expired last year before the special dispensation was extended to 2017 and permit holders were required to apply for renewals.
Zimbabweans whose applications for work and business permits were turned down were recently given a lifeline after appeals.
The South African government is expected to issue Zimbabweans with the new special permits by end of July.
South Africa’s Home Affairs department has reportedly processed more than 100 000 special dispensation permits for Zimbabweans since October last year.
The permits were given to Zimbabweans who at the time held the Zimbabwean Special Dispensation Permit (ZSDP) valid until December 31 2017.
A ZSDP permit allows Zimbabweans to remain in South Africa and apply for a visa relevant to terms of stay in that country.
Millions of Zimbabweans are scattered across the globe fleeing political, economic and social upheaval at home, with the majority of them in South Africa.-SouthernEye

More than 3,000 illegal gold panners have been left stranded in the farming town of Bindura, Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland Central province, following their eviction by the police two weeks ago.

The situation nearly turned nasty in Harare on Tuesday as some vendors resisted an attempt by council to relocate them to vending sites that have been set up by the local authority.
Police officers tried to destroy market stalls erected by vendors at Copa Cabana and urging the street traders to relocate to new vending sites that have been set up by the city council, a move that was resisted by the vendors.
Promise Mkwananzi, programs coordinator of the Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Informal Sector Organization, told Studio 7 that the actions of the municipal were unjustified because council has not yet put proper infrastructure at the new newly-designated vending sites.
Mkwananzi urged the council to ensure that all the street traders were accommodated in stalls that have proper infrastructure and are moved after government has agreed with all stakeholders on proper ways of relocating vendors.
He added that authorities should ensure that they create employment and put the country’s economy back on track first before evicting the street traders.
The board secretary of the vendors union of Zimbabwe, Justice Munayi, who also sells wares on Harare’s street pavements, condemned the municipal police action. He tells Studio 7 that removing vendors from the streets will have a negative impact on their lives as the economic downturn shows no signs of abiting.
Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni said his council’s policy is that no vendor will be forcibly evicted from the city center.
Meanwhile, the drama at Town House over the suspension of Town Clerk Tendai Mahachi continued today with Manyenyeni giving him a two-day ultimatum to submit his employment profile.
This comes after Mahachi returned to resume his duties at Town House yesterday, less than a week after being sent on forced leave.
The Harare mayor told a news conference that he would now engage the newly-appointed Minister of Local Government, Savior Kasukuwere, over Mahachi’s matter.
But Kasukuwere noted that he was still new in the ministry and would want to get an insight into the affairs of the Harare City Council before making any pronouncements.
Mahachi was suspended for allegedly failing to give the city salary schedules for council executives.

Leading politicians will on Saturday converge at the Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfield, Harare, for a prayer meeting for abducted journalist and activist, Itai Dzamara.
Dzamara was abducted by unknown men on March 9 and his whereabouts are yet to be established.
There is widespread suspicion that he was taken away by state security agents following his protests calling on President Robert Mugabe to step down due to governance failure.
The prayers meeting will be attended by MDC-T’s Morgan Tsvangirai, Joice Mujuru, Simba Makoni, Dumiso Dabengwa, Rugare Gumbo and Temba Mliswa among others who represent the opposition.
Mujuru is leading an informal political formation calling itself People First that emerged when she and other former Zanu (PF) heavyweights were expelled from the ruling party for allegedly seeking to topple Mugabe.
Religious leaders and civil society leaders will also attend the meeting. A similar gathering was recently thwarted by the police.
A prayer meeting conference will be held tomorrow morning at the Media Centre in Harare. Talk of a grand political coalition to fight Zanu (PF) rule is gathering momentum. -TheZimbabwean

Police have descended onto vendors at Harare’s Copacabana rank area in the CBD.
Hoardes of officers are in chaotic battles with street merchants stationed here at present. Scores of elderly family women fearing for their lives, are struggling to flee from the marauding officers.
The development comes barely 24 hours after controversial land baron Minister Ignatius Chombo was handed the police portfolio under the Home Affairs Ministry, his new appointment by President Robert Mugabe.
Zimbabwe’s vendor business soaring with over (6) six million members, now constitutes a significant part of the entire gross domestic product.
More to follow…