Harare(ZimEye)The MDC-T party said today it unearthed a $25000 bribery scam engineered by ZANU(PF) to lure its legislators to vote for its speaker of parliament candidate.
“Five of our MPS received $5000 each from a coordinator of the syndicate a senator Believe Gaule which they quickly handed over to us the chief whips of the party as evidence of the scam. We are in possession of the of $25 000 which our MPS have surrendered this morning,”MDC-T chief whip Innocent Gonese told reporters at a press briefing in Harare Tuesday morning while her deputy Dorcas Sibanda was showing the bribe.
ZANU(PF) has nominated Simon Khaya Moyo for the position of the speaker of house of Assembly, while MDC-T has returned the ousted Lovemore Moyo for the same post whose elections are due this afternoon.
Gonese who refused to divulge the names of his party MPs who were given the bribe by ZANU(PF) said they are investigating 10 more MDC-T MPs who were promised farms and cash if the assist ZANU(PF) to win the speakership post.
“From the evidence we got from our sources from both ZANU(PF) and the MDC the people coordinating are Jonathan Moyo,senator Believe Gaule and Kudakwashe Basikiti,”Gonese added.
Efforts by this reporter to get a comment from ZANU(PF) spokesperson Rugare Gumbo were fruitless as his mobile phone was not reachable. The position of speaker is up for grabs after the Supreme Court nullified the election of incumbent Lovemore Moyo following a challenge by former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo. (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

By Zvamaida Murwira |Herald| DETHRONED House of Assembly Speaker Mr Lovemore Moyo will be barred from attending proceedings when the House resumes sitting to elect the new presiding officer, Clerk of Parliament, Mr Austin Zvoma has said.
In an interview on Wednesday, Mr Zvoma said adequate security measures would be put in place to restrict the voting process to only eligible members.
“Mr Moyo will not be among the members who will participate in voting but he is eligible to stand as Speaker, but during the election, he will be barred from entering the Chamber as he is a former Member of Parliament.
“The Clerk will put adequate measures for this,” Mr Zvoma said.
Mr Moyo was elected House of Assembly Speaker on August 25 2008.
He was, however, dethroned on March 10, after the Supreme Court ruled that his election was marred with irregularities.
This followed an appeal by Tsholotsho North legislator Professor Jonathan Moyo to quash Mr Lovemore Moyo’s election.
Mr Zvoma said following extensive consultations to understand the legal implications of the Supreme Court ruling nullifying Mr Moyo’s election, he concluded that Mr Moyo ceased to be a legislator.
Mr Moyo, he said, could not expect to have his constituency seat reserved for more than 30 months while waiting to have an outcome of a court challenge by Prof Moyo.
“That would suggest Lovemore Moyo was holding both the position of Speaker and MP, since the 25th of August 2008,” he said.
Mr Zvoma said until it was proven otherwise in a court of law, he will continue holding the view that Mr Moyo ceased to be MP for Matobo North when he became Speaker, considering the long period he executed duties as the presiding officer of the Lower House.
He said he had since written to President Mugabe updating him on what transpired and what his office was doing to comply with the Supreme Court judgment.
“The Clerk has written to His Excellency, the President for purposes of consultation as the President is part of the legislature telling him what has happened and why it is happening like that and to reassure him that things will be done properly.
“So I have consulted the President and have also included legal advice and will announce the dates for the election of Speaker in due course,” Mr Zvoma said.
He slammed MDC-T secretary-general Mr Tendai Biti for failing to have an appreciation of the law by claiming that the Clerk of Parliament had no authority to move the date of sitting by the House forward.
“I am disappointed that a person like Minister Biti, a lawyer chooses to react emotionally and not rationally by seeking to denigrate the person of the Clerk on a flawed basis and interpretation of the implication of the Supreme Court ruling by misleading the public that the Clerk is flouting the law by varying the dates to which the House had adjourned,” he said.
Mr Zvoma said it was critical to note that the Supreme Court judgment superseded the sitting of the House on March 22 2011.
As the Clerk, in the absence of a legitimately elected Speaker, he said, he had lawful authority to defer the sitting of the Lower House.

Harare(ZimEye)-Education, Art, Sport and Culture Minister David Coltart said the government is going to reintroduce night school learning throughout the country in order to assist children who dropped out of school in the past decade of economic decline adding that he had raised the funds to be paid to the teachers who shall do the work.
Thousands of school going people dropped out of school before the inception of the Government of National Unity (GNU) because of most parents’ failure to raise school fees school.
Some of the affected crossed the border for the Diaspora without completing their education.
“I have just finalised the funding deal with donors which will see teachers being paid for extra lessons countrywide. We have realised that it is essential to establish night schools so that people who dropped out of school can go back and at least get basic education that will enable them to fend for themselves,” Coltart said at an electricity commissioning programme at Westlea Primary School.
Coltart said the funding will also reduce the burden which parents were carrying of giving incentives to teachers.
As a result of  the depressed economy teachers were demanding incentives from parents
The Incentives parents were paying were meant to improve teachers’ salaries.
This then resulted in an inequitable treatment of students from impoverished family backgrounds (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

South Africa ANC Youth league president wants the South African government to take over 60% of Anglo American Corporation’s shareholding, city press reports.
Julius Malema who turned 30 on the 3rd of March said Friday:
“If we don’t do it (nationalisation), we’ll always stay poor. The Oppenheimers don’t need to worry because we only want 60 percent of Anglo American’s money…”

The ANC has been to be backing Malema in many of his controversial announcements. Following his birthday last week, the party said in a statement that they wish he ‘grows more radical and militant’.
Malema said that Anglo had agreed to give 51 percent of its mining interests to black people in Botswana and seemed to ask why the company did not want to do the same in South Africa accusing the mining giant of thinking black people were what he termed ‘idiots’ and of abusing the black population in South Africa.
In an emotional speech seemingly sympathetic with the dissatisfied working class masses, Malema said that political freedom was useless without economic freedom.
“We’re now economic freedom fighters. The revolution started to get food. We don’t have to apologise, or be shy about this struggle.”
With an unpopular surge in inflation, South Africa is also faced with an unemployment crisis that has also seen the ANC fearing a rising working  class turning against it in coming polls. (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

Harare(ZimEye)A Harare Magistrate’s-Court public prosecutor was Saturday severely assaulted by her husband after she was found in an adulterous act with a boyfriend in their matrimonial home.
The prosecutor, Patience Chimusaru, who stays at Harare central prison camp was struck in the head by her husband at their camp house after the man had found the two making love.
The matter was later reported to the police but in denial that she had been attacked for adultery, Chimusaru who has not sought legal action against her husband, was swift to withdraw before journalists had picked up the story.
A source at Harare magistrate’s court’s prosecution department confirmed the incident though no finer details were provided. The prosecutor was however seen by ZimEye bandaged in the head where the assault is alleged to have been directed.
“This is really true but I have no authority to comment on such issues as they are personal issues,” said the source. (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

Harare(ZimEye)-President Robert Mugabe’s wife Grace has been implicated in illegal foreign currency dealings in 2007, and a truck fraud case with a South African Haulage Company by the name of Fast Truck Haulage, a case which led to the arrest of four South African nationals at the weekend.

Grace Mugabe’s name cropped up when three of the disputed trucks were on the 19th February dumped at her Mazoe Orphanage home. According to the state outline in 2007 Olga Bugu who in her affidavit said was at that time not employed, transferred from RBZ US$1million to South African based business man Ping Sung HSIEH’s Chantria Trading Account at Standard charted bank south Africa after the two greed that six IVECO haulage trucks were to be delivered at number 67 Chancellor Road under the facilitation a Zimbabwe based Mr. Stanley Nhare who is a co-Director of the company with Ping Sung of South Africa.
The six vehicles were supposed to be delivered to number 67 Chancellor Road Harare. There are only two premises situated at in Chancellor Road, and they are all part of the state house. Chancellor road begins at corner Josiah Tongogara and Seventh Street and ends at number 1 Borrowdale road. The only building between the two roads is the state house.

The state alleges that the fraud case against Ping arose after he failed to deliver the consignment in 2008 and dumped three of the six trucks at Grace Mugabe’s Orphanage home on 19th February.

“The four Cassim Jee Bilal (28), Henry Radebe(57), Samuel Risimati Baloyi and Sydney Masitho Sekgobela(40) drove from South Africa three Iveco trucks with trailers, registered in South Africa under the Fast Track Haulage Company with a temporary import expiry date of 4 March and left them at Grace Mugabe’s orphanage home in Mazoe on 19 February to security guard Givemore Matambwa making him also to sign a document acknowledging the receipt of the trucks on behalf of Stanley Nare,” read the court case outline.
It is the state’s case that the four drivers were arrested the very day after the guard alerted Nhare who refused the trucks because they were not enough.
Representing the four, prominent Lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa argued that they were not linked to the fraud saying they were mere hired drivers. She also challenged the state to provide evidence of the origins of the $1million which was transferred from RBZ for the purchase of the six haulage trucks.
“We want the state to give us the evidence where the money transferred from the RBZ in 2007 came from given that this was the time when the illegal money burning was rife in the country. We know that at this time people were prosecuted for burning money, “she challenged.
The state represented by a senior law officer in the Attorney General’s Office,
Chris Mtangadura said by delivering the vehicles the four connived with Mr. Ping to defraud Omega Bungu and should be denied bail and convicted together the with Mr. Ping who has since been indicted by the South African government with his hearing being scheduled for the 4th of March.

“The four should be denied bail and answer road charges because they acted in common purpose with Mr. Ping. They were aware that the trucks they drove from South Africa had temporary import permits which expire 4 March and deceived the complainant. To further
incriminate themselves they are the ones who processed these temporary import permits yet they knew they were going to dump the trucks in Zimbabwe, “said Mtangadura.

Harare Provincial magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe who was presiding over the case remanded the four in custody to 2 March pending trial of the case on the 14th March.
“Given the fact that the four processed the temporary import permits, it convinced me that they acted in common purpose with the principal accused who is Mr. Ping. Other factors to consider are that the four are foreign nationals. If granted bail chance of them skipping to their South African boarder are high, “ruled Guvamombe. (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

Harare(ZimEye)The number of activists charged with treason is not 46 as reported by other media houses, ZimEye can reveal.
Many journalists erroneously reported that there were (46) arrested activists in court when in actual fact they were only (45) present.
At the beginning of procedings the charged were in total 46 but one Rinos Chari (42) was dropped from the list before procedings bringing the final list that appeared in court to 45.
We publish below the FULL list of ISO activists arrested for plotting the said ‘Egypt’ style protest.
They are:

1 Munyaradzi Gwisai (46)
Zimbabwe Labour Center

2 Antonater Choto
Zimbabwe Labour Center
3 Tatenda Mombeyarara
Zimbabwe Labour Center
4 Michael Sozinyu
Medical Professionals and Allied Workers Union
5 Edson Chakuma
United food and Allied Workers Union
6 Hopewell Gumbo
Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development
7 Welcome Zimuto
3rd Year student, Chinhoyi University
8 Philip Magaya
Unemployed
9 Prolific Simbarashe Mataruse
Unemployed
10 Godknows Biya
Zimphos
11 David Mupatse
Unemployed
12 Douglas Muzanenhamo
Unemployed
13 Reki Jimu (40)
Chitungwiza Central Hospital
14 Ganizani Nunu (41)
Unemployed
15 Josphat Chinembiri Terenyika (44)
Unemployed
16 Strutton Nyaya Muhambi (42)
Unemployed
17 Trevor Chamba (21)
Unemployed
18 Clarence Mugari (39)
Zimbabwe Graphical Workers Union
19 Munyaradzi Maregedze (35)
MARS
20 Willie Tinashe Hlatswayo (25)
4th year Student, UZ
21 Ian Muteto (23)
2nd years Student, Bindura University
22 Tinashe Mutazu (24)
Unemployed
23 Pride Evidence Mukono (age not given)
2nd year Student, UZ
24 Lenard Kamwendo (30)
Kubatana Trust
25 Tinashe Chisaira (24)
Zimbabwe Labour Center
26 Trust Munyama (25)
4th year Student, Harare Poly
27 Peter Garanewako (22)
Unemployed
28 Elizaberth Chipo Makume (53)
Unemployed
29 Megline Malunga (47)
Unemployed
30 Daison Bango (29)
Unemployed
31 Malvern Hobwana (24)
Unemployed
32 Tashinga Mudzengi (24)
Org not given
33 Ednar Chabalika (24)
Unemployed
34 Thokozile Mathe (34)
Unemployed
35 Francesca Thomson (41)
Unemployed
36 Masline Zvomuya (23)
Crossroads House
37 Nhamo Kute (36)
Unemployed
38 Annie Chipeta (42)
Unemployed
39 Tabeth Chideya (63)
Unemployed
40 Charles Mbwandarikwa (42)
Mutasa Pri School, Highfields
41 Thomas Chibaya (31)
CPL PVT (LTD)
42 Fatima Manhando (50)
Unemployed
43 Blessing Muguzaya (33)
Unemployed
44 Robert Muhlaba (54)
Seke Teacher’s College
45 Tinashe Muzambi (22)
Unemployed
The presiding magistrate Mutevedzi rolled the matter over to Thursday(today).
The activists complained of failing to access their lawyer Mr Aleck Muchadehama who was representing them when they
where detained at the notorious Law and Order section of the Harare Central police.
Muchadehama however applied to the court to have time to take instructions from his clients after the court leant that he had not
been allowed to see his clients when they were in police custody. 
ZimEye will keep our valued readers and the rest of the Zimbabwean population informed on the procedings. (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

London(ZimEye)27 year old writer, Tendai Tagarira has claimed to predict Robert Mugabe’s death.
The Denmark based writer said that Mugabe will not pass the year 2011 before something happens to him.
Said Tagarira:
“…Mugabe continues to ever push them to the brink but I can tell you that his time is running out. I predict that Mugabe will not be with us by the end of the year!…”
The young prolific writer hinted claiming that the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Lybia are a clue of what is to come in Zimbabwe.
Calling on all opposition parties to head to the streets, he said:
“Look at our brothers in Tunisia,Egypt and now Lybia. They have stood up to the wicked autocratic regimes and demanded their freedom. No amount of guns or intimidation can stop the people’s voice. The Zimbabwean security forces should learn from Lybians who have flown their jets to Malta after refusing to shoot the people. In Zimbabwe, the military and security forces is staffed by hard liners, some who are responsible for the Gukurahundi massacres. These men will not be afraid to open fire on the people but the day they fire their first bullet against the masses, they will be finished! The time is coming for the Sons and Daughters of Zimbabwe to arise and stand up to Mugabe! The opposition parties in Zimbabwe need to stop playing ball with Mugabe and instead lead protest marches. The people of Zimbabwe are fed up and on the brink of doing a “Libya”.
Tagarira resides in Denmark where he has formed a political party whose membership is still unknown and its manifesto also remains undisclosed. The young writer who recently declared a rastafarian-protest against Mugabe, also plans to challenge the ageing dictator for the presidency in the upcoming general elections. (ZimEye, UK, Zimbabwe)

Harare(ZimEye)Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai says President Mugabe is to blame on the current wave of violence being perpetrated by members of the uniformed forces because he is the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Forces.
He told a public meeting in Harare that Mugabe was just looking for ways to defend his party by claiming that there is no violence in the country, yet on the other hand he is aware of what the uniformed forces are doing, because he is the one who give them orders.
“We have a structure where we have a Commander-in-Chief who purports not to know what is happening, but indirectly orders the army to act. The buck stops with (President) Mugabe. If they (uniformed forces) defy his orders against violence, then we can say we have a coup in the country of which I don’t believe there is one,” he said.
PM Tsvangirai said he would confront Mugabe over the issue as soon as he comes back from Singapore where he is reportedly receiving treatment.
He also bemoaned the uniformed forces’ failure to transform themselves into a professional force, preferring to be pro-Zanu (PF) in the discharge of their duties.
“Over two years they (the uniformed forces) have failed to adjust and refused to let go of their partisan actions,” Tsvangirai added.
Uniformed forces continue to treat MDC supporters as enemies despite the formation of the Government of National Unity two years ago.(ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

Harare(ZimEye)-Grade one pupils are being punished for failing to draw President Robert Mugabe’s portrait and congratulatory massages below it.
ZimEye witnessed some grade one pupils at Admiral Tait Primary school in Harare being ordered by their teachers to draw the aging President’s portrait and inscribe: ‘21st Movement, happy birthday to you’ below the portrait.
Infants who fail to do the assignment are being delayed from their early breaking time. The teachers said the directive was coming from the Ministry Education that every grade one child should do the assignment which would be sent back to the ministry before Friday this week as Robert Mugabe’s 21st February birthday celebrations draw near.
“We were just told that we should make them draw the portrait and submit the drawings to the ministry this week. They said it’s a running competition,” answered one teacher who pleaded not to be named after ZimEye had asked the reason why the minors were being delayed.
In an interview on Thursday Education Arts Sports and Culture
Minister David Coltart said politicians should leave the education sector.
“I have said consistently that schools should not be political battle grounds in any form or fashion, that is why I put bans on any political party using schools for political rallies; its illegal and unwarranted for politicians to coerce teachers, headmasters and worse still school children to provide money for any political party activities.
“I have always said this contradicts our fundamental educational policy,” he said.
ZANU (PF) youths teachers in Harare are also reportedly forcing teachers through their headmasters that they should leave at least two days a week for lessons about the liberation struggle.
The teachers said most headmasters who ignored the order were being victimised by the youths who went from school to school asking whether the children were, in fact, being taught about their party instead of being educated on Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.
The teachers were also being forced to donate cash and in kind for President Robert Mugabe’s 87th birthday bash under the banner of the “21st February Movement”.
The movement was formed by the current Minister of Information and Publicity, Webster Shamu, and is meant to honour and praise the ailing President Mugabe annually. (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

Harare(ZimEye)After a heated national council convened Thursday, the MDC party expelled and subsequently ‘donated’ Arthur Mutambara to Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF party.
Arthur Mutambara who was the party leader and lost the position last month no longer has a party and is now branded a ZANU PF member.
A resolution was taken following a report by the party president Welshman Ncube after conversations with President Mugabe which revealed that the ZANU PF leader was adamant to swear-in Welshman Ncube to the influential position of Deputy Prime Minister. The MDC said it took the position after Robert Mugabe told the party’s newly-elected leader Welshman Ncube “in no uncertain terms” on Tuesday that he would not swear him in.
It is believed that the denial by Mugabe is because the ZANU PF leader ‘fears’ Welshman Ncube’s political acumen and community-influence in Zimbabwe. One party member who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the problem is because Mugabe “fears Ncube’s relations with South African president Jacob Zuma” who is also the chief principal facilitator to Zimbabwe’s government of national unity.
Speaking to ZimEye, the party’s spokesman Nhlanhla Dube bluntly criticised Mutambara’s siding with Robert Mugabe:
“He can continue to enjoy that protection (from Mugabe) but certainly he cannot continue to pretend to be a member of our party,” he said adding that the party had chosen to fire Mutambara and to therewith ‘donate’ him to ZANU PF.
“We’ll apply for an amendment of the GPA where we are saying we are happy with ZANU PF having the position of the deputy prime minister. We are happy donating that position” Dube said adding that Arthur Mutambara (pictured) no longer wields the mandate of the party which ushered him into that position.
The party’s secretary general Priscilla Misihairabwi weighed in on the comments adding:
“We are now saying given Mugabe’s stance, they [Zanu PF] can have that position that was allocated to us, so that Mutambara becomes their Deputy Prime Minister,” Misihairabwi said.
Misihairabwi said they would not be seeking to occupy the deputy premiership and would now focus on rebuilding their party and preparing for elections.
“We want to give Arthur the position that he so desperately wants and hopefully we will have less public fights than we are having because we know its driven by him wanting to be Deputy Prime Minister. He said it to me personally.”
Mutambara claimed that as a principal signatory of the GPA, his position as Deputy Prime Minister was secured.
(ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

(Harare)After weeks of speculation and media smearing, Arthur Mutambara was finally expelled from MDC leadership Thursday after an extraordinary national council meeting today(Thursday).
Mutambara who has been in government through the MDC party no longer has a party he represents.
Speaking to ZimEye, the party’s spokesperson Nhlanhla Dube criticised Mutambara’s siding with Robert Mugabe:
“He can continue to enjoy that protection (from Mugabe) but certainly he cannot continue to pretend to be a member of our party,” he said
The party is now expected to make a formal report to President Robert Mugabe and the Speaker of Parliament informing them of the decision, with the expectation that Mutambara will give up his post as Deputy Prime Minister. In statement this week Mutambara shocked the world when he said that he would not recognise Welshman Ncube as president of the MDC despite his having voted for his leadership last month.  MORE TO FOLLOW…
(ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

London(ZimEye)Growing anarchy as a result of a revolt by party members against MDC-N leader Welshman Ncube is to be rooted out soon likely resulting in former party leader Arthur Mutambara being expelled for rebellion, ZimEye has been told.
Mutambara the former party leader who became the subject of major discussions on the media at the end of January may soon be ex-communicated from the party for failing to heed to a congress decision to step down from his Vice Premiership and siding with Robert Mugabe.
Speaking to ZimEye Monday, the MDC’s UK chairman, Abraham Mdlongwa responded saying:
“The attitude of the UK party structures of the MDC is that the MDC has issued a lawful instruction regarding the re-deployment of its personnel in government. Party members are required to obey this lawful instruction and any party members who act to the contrary will face disciplinary action in terms of our party code of conduct”

Mdlongwa added saying that the support Mutambara has received from Mugabe is a sign that Mutambara has always been a Mugabe-fanatic. Mugabe told a luncheon hosted for him by the country’s ambassador to Ethiopia: “It creates legal matters, it complicates issues. They were able to remove him politically, but legally he was sworn in as a Member of Parliament. I swore him in as Deputy Prime Minister.
“It’s up to him if he wants to resign, but if he refuses, well, we are stuck, but the Global Political Agreement will go ahead.”
The party wrote to President Robert Mugabe informing him of the demotion of Mutambara who has been ear-marked for the post of minister of Regional Integration and International Co-operation which was held by the skillful party cadre and Ncube loyalist Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga, who is to take over the ministry of Industry and International Trade.
Ncube ousted former party leader Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara after a common consensus was reached to remove him. But rebels led by one Joubert Mudzumwe have maintained that Mutambara is still the leader of the party which is now known as the MDC-N following Ncube’s election. Quoted by Radiovop, Kuraone Chihwayi, the deputy spokesperson of the MDC-N said on Friday his party’s national standing committee met and decided to refer the issue of its “ambitious prodigal sons ” to the party’s disciplinary committee headed by Jacob Moyo. (ZimEye, UK, Zimbabwe)

London(ZimEye) A Zimbabwean UK based shipping businessman who has had thousands of pounds worth of goods disappear in his care reportedly told a customer that he would ‘send her goods from London to Harare by road’, ZimEye has been told.
Our reporter was contacted by a customer who to her misfortune had not read the 2009 story exposing the businessman’s crude dealings, and due to ignorance she agreed to make a shipment transaction for a fee of at least £6400 after she had been ‘told’ that her goods would be shipped from London to Harare ‘by road’. The lady who sent two vehicles and a host other valuable goods to Harare does not know the whereabouts of her shipment since September last year although having been ‘promised’ they would be in Harare by Christmas 2010.
The businessman who ZimEye exposed in 2009, is also now operating under three different company brands, it has emerged. A secretary who answered the company phone Friday said her company’s name is Croswell and not the ZimCargo that it used to be.
An undercover ZimEye reporter discovered that Nembaware is still trading at large in London despite being exposed two years ago by this publication. The businessman (pictured) has also failed to provide documentation such as bills of loading for the goods as requested by the woman who now joins many others who have lost their shipments within the last few years. It is reported that he owes a certain company in Africa more than £30,000 and hence he is not able to deliver his customers’ goods into Zimbabwe and the goods are being held up.
Meanwhile another company Nembaware cloned its name (Zim Cargo) ended up having to change its brand altogether. “Since Mr Nembaware  has been using our name Zimcargo we had no choice but to stop using our registered name and have been trading as TBS Cargo www.zwtbs.com, if anyone needs any clarification please do not hesitate to call us on…,”  a statement was released by the company in 2009.
Bonnie Nembaware denies promising to send his customer’s goods via road. (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

Harare(ZimEye)A white businessman was on Friday forced to move from his Harare Lake Chivero Kuimbashiri lodge by an unruly mob of more than 200 war veterans and ZANU (PF) militia, as the party began a violent attack on white owned businesses.
According to the businessman Gary Stafford, the violent war veterans said they were doing it in the name of ‘indigenisation’.
“They are saying they want ‘to empower their people’. Yes they are saying they are war veterans and there are more than 200 of them. Please you can come and hear yourself what they want to take the lodge for. I am afraid they are here right now,“ he said.
ZANU (PF) through the Indigenization minister Savior Kasukuwere is directing its youths to grab foreign owned companies. Reports say invasions have started in the Lowveld where war veterans have warned sugar cane plantation owners to vacate the properties. ZANU(PF) is synonymous  with  property  rights  abuse  especially when the country is preparing for elections.
There are also reports coming from Nyanga that a group of thugs led by a female war veteran by the name Natsai Bukuta, recently embarked on a looting spree of several white-owned properties.
Nyanga South Member of Parliament, Willard Chimbetete, this week confirmed that white-owned tourist lodges and cottages were invaded by the so-called war veterans who looted property valued at millions of United States dollars. (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

A Critical examination done by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network has revealed a grave presence of ghost voters in the current voter’s roll and a high level of voter education -ignorance among Zimbabweans.
ZESN defines ghost voters as not only of deceased persons in the voter’s roll but also of young people and names and addresses of completely non existant voters.
According to the research document the organisation officially launched in Harare on Thursday, 27% of the voters registered in the voter’s roll were deceased.
 
“The computer test revealed 2344 people born between 1901 and 1909 aged between 101 and 110 years old, and also revealed 9 people born between 1890 and 1900 aged between 111 and 120 years old,” said the report. The registrar’s office reportedly also denied ZESN access to the electronic voters’ roll.
Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the function on Thursday in Harare , ZESN Chairperson Tinoziva Bere said the government should not privately clean up the shambled voter’s roll but rather engage all stakeholders in the pursuit of transparency and accountability.
ZESN recommended that there is an urgent need for voter education in the country, encouraging new voters to register.
The organisation said given that the current voter’s roll is in
shambles, there is need for the drawing up of a new voter’s roll which will improve the currency, accuracy and completeness of the voter’s roll.
The process, ZESN said should be transparent and inclusive to ensure that all eligible persons are registered.
The current voter registration requires that for one to be a registered voter he or she has to produce a proof of residence.
In this regard ZESN recommended that such requirements should be revised to enable urban dwellers and youths who do not own houses to register for voting.
The election monitoring watchdog said the government should fully capacitate the Zimbabwe Election Commission if it is serious about the holding of a credible election.  The Registrar General, Tobaiwa Mudede(pictured) could not be reached for comment at the time of writing (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

Lybia’s ruler Muammar Gaddafi reached a total 41 years in power today(Sunday).
The Lybian dictator (pictured) who dreams of uniting the African continent under his leadership has been at the helm of the Lybian presidency since  the 16th January 1970 when he became premier of Libya. He has ruled the country ever since and now holds the title ‘Colonel’.
Gaddafi is now left with less than 24 months to become Africa’s longest serving ruler. At the moment the record is held by Gabon’s former President Omar Bongo, currently recorded as Africa’s longest dictator and who died at age 73 in 2009. Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe who is yet the world’s oldest ruler follows behind Gadaffi by ten years. (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

Gbabgo, who has ruled the world’s biggest cocoa producer, was defeated in the November elections by Alassane Ouattara, who has set up his own parallel government while claiming he won the hotly disputed poll.

Like the ageing Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe, Gbabgo has the full backing of his country’s military and has adamantly refused to hand over power to Quattara braving fierce world pressure that has threatened to use force to remove him.

Gbagbo also claims he is under siege from western governments out to see him out of power.

He has likened his case to that of Mugabe, who also claims western governments want him out of power at all costs.

Gbagbo said the move to remove him militarily by Ecowas was the result of a Western plot directed by France and the United States, whose ambassadors he accuses of undermining Ivorian electoral procedures in order to propel Ouattara into power.(ZimEye, Zimbabwe)

 

Harare(ZimEye)-Both MDC formations, including ZAPU heavy -weights boycotted the burial of the late National hero Nevison Nyashanu on Sunday.
The late former ZAPU deputy secretary General and Buhera North legislator Nyashanu died on the eve of the Boxing Day holiday at the age of 84 in Harare.
Only present at the event were members of the apostolic sect set who were holding pro-ZANU-PF banners and the party’s violent youths who sang and cheered.
The smaller MDC faction leader Arthur Mutambara who used to attend state functions which MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai would have boycotted was also not present.
Observers believe that Mutambara might have avoided the hero’s burial because of his internal party politics.

Mutambara is under fire from his party for hero worship ZANU-PF leader Robert Mugabe and as a result of that he is facing a chop in the party congress to be held next week.
The party wants to replace him with Welshman Ncube, who is the current Secretary General.
President Mugabe who is on leave was also reluctant to attend the burial of the former ZAPU secretary general Nevison Nyashanu. John Nkomo who is the acting President graced the occasion.
In a traditional ZANU-PF style the Acting President castigated the west for refusing to lift sanctions.
“The west has no interests in this country besides defending their own interests. They want our land and natural resources and a government that protects their interests,” he said. (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)