AFTER almost 30 years of being denied his conjugal rights, a 77-year-old man from Old Magwegwe has had enough and has decided to divorce his wife.
The only problem, however, is that the wife Thenjiwe Ndlovu (76) is refusing to be divorced.
The man, Rasha Ndlovu, told the court that Thenjiwe left for South Africa several years ago and when she returned, she sought a a protection order against him, claiming he was physically and verbally abusing her.
“How can someone claim she is my wife when we last had sex 30 years ago?” he asked the court.
“Where do you think I was getting my conjugal rights from all these years you were away?”
Ndlovu was in court facing a charge of failing to comply with the protection order his wife had against him.
It is alleged that he budged into her home and poked her on the chest with a knobkerrie, demanding they should divorce and sell the house.
Ndlovu appeared before the Western Commonage magistrate Tancy Chipumha Dube, where he was charged with contravening Section 10 of the Domestic Violence Act.
He pleaded not guilty to the allegations. Thenjiwe told the court that she did not want to divorce because she was left in custody of her three grandchildren, whose father died a few years ago.
“If I agree to be divorced by Ndlovu, it means our grandchildren will become homeless for the rest of their lives,” she said.
Rasha said he never poked his wife using a knobkerrie, claiming he only went to her home and demanded that they divorce the following morning so that they could sell their house and share the money.
He further lamented that his wife had been reporting him to the police on crimes he had not committed, before asking her to “grow up”.
“When are we going to grow up and start behaving like people in their 70s?” he asked.
Prosecutor Kenneth Shava told the court that the two had been married for more than 40 years. However, the wife relocated to South Africa in search for employment, where she stayed for more than 30 years. When Rasha’s wife returned, she filed a protection order against him, alleging he was physically and verbally abusing her.
Rasha alleged that his wife had followed her ex-husband who stayed in South Africa.
“I know she went to South Africa to meet up with her former husband, that is why she forgot I was her husband,” he claimed.
“If she cannot satisfy me sexually, then what is the reason to stay married?”
The matter was remanded to January 28 for continuation of trial.

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday clashed with medical staff at Hopley Clinic in Harare South over rampant reports of MDC members being denied treatment.
Numerous reports say that the clinic has been discriminating against MDC-T supporters denying them medication.
While visiting Hopley in Harare South constituency yesterday Tsvangirai and the mayor Bernard Manyenyeni visited Hopley Clinic, the only medical institution in the area, where the sister-in-charge revealed diseases like diarrhoea are prevalent in the area and that the clinic has a huge task to service a population of 118 658 people.
He then confronted the sister in charge over reports of her staff discriminating against MDC-T supporters. The nurse who asked not to be named, together with her staff however denied the charges and referred Tsvangirai to the Health and Child Care ministry.
“We have no such cases reported. Everyone who comes in pays $5 that covers five days,” she said.
During the visit Tsvangirai was accompanied by the Mayor of Harare, Clr Bernard Manyenyeni.
Meanwhile the residents said they needed Harare city council to regularize and properly service their settlement, fix the road network, as well as water and sanitation provision. The residents said they greatly appreciated the visit by the MDC leader and pleaded with the mayor that they needed his urgent intervention to help avert the many deaths occurring in the area due to poor and unclean water sources.
After the tour, Tsvangirai urged the mayor to take action and ensure that the people’s health and safety are top priority. He also urged the residents to allow the process of layout of roads and sanitation to be conducted without disruption when council begins work there. He bemoaned the squalid condition in which people lived and outlined that leaders had an obligation to ensure that the people’s lives are improved, regardless of their political affiliation.

Villagers in Zimbabwe are taking legal action after animals were released on a farm they are living on, which the president’s wife Grace Mugabe reportedly wants to turn into a game park.
Children from Manzou Estate in central Mazowe district were too afraid to go to school after nearly 100 zebras were brought to the farm this week on the back of large trucks, lawyer Tonderai Bhatasara said on Thursday.
“They [the zebras] are now causing children to abandon school. Kids are afraid to go to school because they met a herd of zebras and they had to run for dear life,” Bhatasara, of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) told Sapa.
“We have consulted with our clients and we have received instructions for us to act on that new development.”
Villagers say the zebras are being herded by rangers because no fence had been erected yet.
“They are basically herding them like cattle herders,” Bhatasara said.
Last week, the ZLHR won a high court order barring police from evicting the villagers. Some of them had lived on the farm for 15 years.
Police had already allegedly burned some houses there.
President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party initially denied that Grace Mugabe had anything to do with the evictions, saying the farm was a national heritage site.
Grace Mugabe reportedly told a rally in the district last year that she wanted to take over a nearby conservancy. The Mugabes are still on their end-of-year holiday and not in Zimbabwe at the moment.
Zimbabwe’s National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said a day after the court order was granted January 12, that they intended to move wild animals, including lions, buffalo, leopard, elephant, and rhino, onto the farm.
“At least there’s no evidence on the ground of those other animals, but the clients confirm there are plans to bring in some elephants soon and some lions soon as well,” Bhatasara said.
“So we are taking this seriously, and we’re on it.”

IN what could be a Zimbabwean record, a couple wedded and divorced four days later.
The couple were married under the Marriage Act (Chapter 5:11) at the Bulawayo Magistrates’ Courts on May 2 last year and sought divorce four days later after the wife discovered that her husband was already customarily married to another woman he had a child with.
This was heard by the Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva when Sostina Ncube nee Chikanga (28) of Nketa 9 in Bulawayo, through her lawyer Bruce Masamvu, filed an application for divorce against her husband Melusi (29) of Lakeview Township in Plumtree.
Ncube, who reportedly lives in South Africa, did not challenge the divorce. Takuva granted the application yesterday, indicating that although the increase in the number of divorce cases was worrying, the case in question was exclusive and a clear case of unfaithfulness of the defendant.
He said in normal circumstances, the marriage which the couple undertook forbade polygamy and as a result, the court was left with no option, but to nullify it on the grounds presented by the plaintiff.
In her declaration for divorce, Masamvu submitted that the two were legally married in terms of the Marriage Act Chapter 5:11 at Bulawayo Magistrates’ Courts on May 2 2014 and the marriage still subsisted.
“I aver that the marriage relationship between the parties has irretrievably broken down to such an extent that there are no reasonable prospects for restoration of a normal relationship,” Masamvu submitted.
He said this was because Ncube had lied to his bride that he was a bachelor, yet he was customarily married.
“Plaintiff could not stomach the issue of being married to a married man and to be under polygamy,” submitted Masamvu.
“The marriage only lasted five days because of defendant’s behaviour and lies despite having taken oath.
“The defendant and family betrayed me because even the family meetings in preparations for the wedding were held, but no one gave me a hint of his wife until on the eve of the wedding celebration.”
Sostina said Ncube’s parents later warned and advised her that they would not welcome her since their son had another wife, who stayed with them.
“The defendant has supplied me with false information and I believe he is not an honest man,” submitted Masamvu for Sostina.
“He has betrayed my trust, embarrassed me and left me in lots of debts. The plaintiff is so angry with the defendant’s false stories. During subsistence of the marriage the parties acquired nothing.” -SouthernEye

President Robert Mugabe yesterday caused a scene when the Head of State’s tongue lost its anchor uttering unprintable words as he attacked former Minister of State Didymus Mutasa.
In his address shortly after arriving, Mugabe, who turns 91 in a month, defiled his long time friend Didymus Mutasa who he has since expelled from the party in a purge against allies of former deputy Joice Mujuru.
“A stupid fool cannot be corrected,” Mugabe said referring to former presidential affairs minister Mutasa.
“There is nothing you can do to a straying grey ass. It’s a graying ass just braying. We have no time for individuals of little brains, disorganised, mentally deranged if not close to being insane.”
Mutasa issued a statement last week threatening a legal appeal against the expulsion and demotions of several Zanu-PF party officials including Mujuru and party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo.
Mujuru and Mutasa were accused along with several others of plotting to topple Mugabe in a sustained campaign of attacks by the first lady. AFP/Additional Reporting

A chairperson of a housing co-operative allegedly forged 239 signatures of fellow members to obtain a registration certificate from the Co-operative Societies of Zimbabwe. Sikumbuzo
Munyawarara (45), the chairperson of Hillarious Housing Co-operative, allegedly forged the signatures in their by-laws booklet following a disagreement with the 239 members after they refused to sign.
A by-law is a rule that an organisation such as a club or company makes and that its members must follow. Munyawarara appeared before a Mbare magistrate last week charged with fraud. She was remanded to January 29 on $100 bail.
It is the State’s case that Munyawarara as the chairperson wanted other members to sign the by-laws booklet in which she had drafted the dos and don’ts. The court heard that she had a misunderstanding with fellow members after they challenged her on some of the rules and they refused to sign.
Munyawarara then forged signatures of the members and signed the booklet.
Using the booklet with the fake signatures, the court heard that Munyawarara went to register the co-operative with the Co-operative Societies of Zimbabwe. She then obtained a registration certificate, the State alleged.
On October 7 last year, police detectives received information from Edwin Ringwa that Munyawarara had forged signatures in order to obtain a registration certificate. The detectives then proceeded to the Registrar of Co-operative Societies of Zimbabwe and requested for Hillarious Co-operative’s file.
That is when the offence was unearthed leading to her arrest.

A Zanu (PF) youth group, Vana vaChaminuka, has started mobilising people to endorse newly-appointed National Commissar and Environment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere to take over as party leader after President Robert Mugabe.
“There is nothing to hide any more. The president is old and the party needs a capable leader to take it forward. Kasukuwere is the right person for the job,” the group’s chairperson, Eliard Mhangami, told The Zimbabwean this week.
“We have engaged our structures countrywide to push this drive and the response so far is very positive. Kasukuwere is still young and has a vision for a better tomorrow. He understands our grievances as young people and has good relations with party leaders and elders.”
The group has dismissed vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa as a “factionalist and boot-licking leader” who is impotent in terms of leadership qualities. “Let us not forget that before the congress there were two factions. One (Joice Mujuru) has been destroyed but we still have to deal with the one headed by Mnangagwa. He has failed as a leader since 1980. We have to recall how he has been vicious from the days of Gukurahundi. Our country no longer needs such people. It needs visionaries who are prepared to deliver and the see a successful nation,” added Mhangami.
During the build up to the congress last year the group called on Mugabe to clip Mnangagwa’s wings, claiming he had become a “de facto Prime Minister”. They said they would present a petition to Mugabe soon urging him to be wary of Mnangagwa’s alleged underhand mechanisations to usurp power.
The group is further lobbying Zanu (PF) founder members to hand over the party leadership to the Young Turks, among them Information minister Jonathan Moyo, Tourism minister Walter Muzembi, Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao, Makhosini Hlongwane, Philip Chiyangwa. – TheZimbabwean

A top Mutare businessman Alexander Maruni has died barely 24 hours after being attacked by a mystery illness nurses claimed was malaria.
Maruni, a Christian, was a well known property development mogul, and sources say that malaria could not have ended his life in less than a day.
Health experts say Malaria can last up to four weeks after symptoms begin.
“He only complained of feeling feverish and with a cold temperature yesterday and then went to the hospital where he was told it was malaria,” a family source told ZimEye.com
He died just around midnight on the same day.
He was in his mid 40s and is survived by his wife, two girls and a boy.
Mourners are gathered at his house in Fern Valley.
More to follow…

A storm is brewing between Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries founder Walter Magaya and the country’s Apostolic churches after the celebrity preacher controversially described the latter as “marine spirits from the dark kingdom”.
In response, Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe (ACCZ) president, Archbishop Johannes Ndanga, has retorted by accusing Magaya of being possessed by demons.
In his booklet titled Marine Spirits, Mweya Yemumvura: Teaching by Prophet W Magaya, excerpts of which are broadcast on his Yadah TV channel, the popular preacher claimed that Vapositori, as they are popularly known, are derived from spirits that reside in the marine kingdom and that they do not believe in the Bible.
Magaya also claimed that Apostolic preachers had a propensity to threaten congregants with death. “It is from these Orion and Leviathan spirits of the marine kingdom where false, non-Bible believing white garment churches (mapositori ekumasowe) are derived,” Magaya said in his booklet.
“It is also unfortunate that many people have been deceived to follow or visit these kinds of shrines (masowe) in an effort to go over their problems, yet to no avail.
“Many people who have visited these non-Bible believing churches have had their problems worsened while others have been permanently hooked to them after receiving various continuous serious threats including death (zviga zverufu netsaona) thereby becoming members,” he added.
Magaya’s controversial remarks have already drawn a sharp rebuke from the ACCZ — which represents at least 700 Apostolic Christian churches in the country.
Ndanga, ACCZ executive president, came out guns blazing yesterday, accusing Magaya of launching “unrestrained and unprovoked attacks” against them. Ndanga also provocatively accused Magaya of being possessed by demons.
“He has gone out of bounds. That area is not in his constituency, so he must not provoke us. We have never said that he and TB Joshua are witchdoctors who are also adulterous and are in the business of cheating people and making money in the process,” fumed Ndanga. TB Joshua is Magaya’s spiritual father.
The angry Ndanga said if Magaya was “a real man of God”, he should have foreseen the Kwekwe stampede that killed at least 11 people and injured dozens others in a stadium in Kwekwe, 213 km west of Harare, in November.
However, at the time of the incident, Magaya said he had foreseen the disaster and had warned authorities who did not take heed of his advice. The Accz founder further claimed that white garment prophets would not have their churches struck with such calamity without foreseeing it.
“God is much greater than what Magaya thinks as people worship in various ways and no one can master the mind of God. “Jesus healed the blind using mud. He used water and we never heard of oil. He is a new comer in the Christian religion and cannot tell us how to worship God,” Ndanga said.
In his booklet, Magaya claims that 80 percent of the white garment Apostolic sects do not use the Bible “and for those who use it, they do so for deceptive purposes.”
He warned people against seeking deliverance from such churches as “darkness cannot push away another form of darkness”.
“First of all, the ‘prophet’ goes out to the rivers, lakes, coasts or beaches of oceans, mountains and caves to acquire the supernatural powers usually of the mermaid spirit (mweya wenjuzu) before they start their own church while others are groomed within an existing church (Masowe) to become a prophet,” Magaya said.
He said the marine kingdom was all about water and claimed that it is the reason why the environs of Vapositori’s shrines resembled a marine kingdom. “In most cases, there are planted reeds, water lilies and other water-related plants on the ‘altar’ (kirawa).
“The plants are regularly watered to maintain a marine environment. On both sides of the ‘altar’ are large calabashes (makate) filled with some small ones by the sides…
“The members undergo regular visits to waterfalls for baptism to cleanse them of ‘bad spirits’ but unknown to them, they will be further dedicated and initiated into the marine kingdom,” Magaya said.
But Ndanga was adamant that the practice was well within the confines of the Christian gospel, saying most orthodox and Pentecostal churches believed in baptism by water.
“Jesus Christ used water to heal. He was baptised by John the Baptist.
The Romans use water just as do Pentecostal churches, yet we know he uses the head of a vulture to prophesy.
“I have had to restrain several of our prophets who wanted to be given permission to unmask him because we feel it is out of bounds for us,” Ndanga said. – Daily News

VICE-PRESIDENT Phelekezela Mphoko is reportedly shopping for an official house and his wife, Laurinda, has so far rejected three houses, among them a mansion in Harare’s affluent suburb of Ballantyne Park worth $3 million, claiming that it was small.
Mphoko was appointed vice-president of Zimbabwe by President Robert Mugabe in December 2014 alongside long-time faction leader Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Impeccable sources revealed that Mphoko was initially scheduled to move into a house left by late Vice-President Joseph Msika in Harare’s leafy suburb of Mandara, but Laurinda refused, saying they wanted a house of their own, not the one vacated by others.
She started shopping for another house and last week went to view houses in Glen Lorne, Borrowdale Brooke and Ballantyne Park, refusing to take any of them for varying reasons.
“She rejected one in Glen Lorne that was going for $1,5 million saying it was small,” the source revealed.
“Before she rejected the $3 million house in Ballantyne Park, she had rejected another in Borrowdale Brooke worth $2 million, claiming many government ministers lived in the place.”
Ironically, Mugabe’s blue-roofed house is in the same neighbourhood.
Efforts to get a comment from Mphoko yesterday were fruitless, as he could not be reached on his mobile phone.
Presidential press secretary Regis Chikowore said he was out of the country and referred our sister paper NewsDay to Ivanhoe Gurira, the director for international communication services in the Information ministry, who was not picking calls.
Mphoko, who is National Healing minister, hails from Matabeleland and reportedly does not have a house in Harare.
Before his appointment to the post of VP, he was reportedly staying at Meikles Hotel on his frequent visits to meet Mugabe.
Very close sources said Mphoko’s wife Laurinda was still moving around shopping for a lavish and spacious mansion of her choice after snubbing the $3 million home to be financed by the cash-strapped government.
The government is struggling to pay civil servants’ salaries due to dwindling revenue collections.-SouthernEye

One of Masvingo’s senior magistrates, Jabulani Mzinyathi has been found guilty of misconduct by the Judiciary Service Commission after he posted on social networking website Facebook “insinuating” material on a case running in the courts and led rowdy demonstrations against an employee who worked for an organisation where he was a treasurer.
The rowdy toyi-toying was done in front of school kids attending a theatre arts function at Charles Austin Theatre in Masvingo last year.
Chief magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe confirmed the developments to The Mirror last week and said Mzinyathi was as a result being transferred to Marondera at his own cost and was warned of sterner disciplinary measures if he is found guilty of a similar offence in future.
Mzinyathi did not dispute the cases brought against him as he pleaded guilty.
Mzinyathi must be at Marondera Magistrates’ Court by February 2, 2015.
He was charged under Section 48 (1) of the Judiciary Service Regulations and Section 53 (1) (i).
The disciplinary action came after a complaint raised that Mzinyati was interfering with a court case to the extent that he was allegedly threatening lawyers in Masvingo who wanted to represent the complainant, Leeroy Gono. He is also accused of having bragged that he “was a big dog” in town and would deal with anyone who messed around with him.
He is said to have told the complainant that he was going to teach him a lesson. Mzinyathi is also  alleged to have predicted that the complainant would lose his cases in court.
This disciplinary action came after Guvamombe, an immensely respected magistrate warned his juniors late last year that it will be folly for them to get involved in corruption or wayward behaviour.
“I want to emphasise that corruption and unprofessional conduct will not be tolerated and we will deal with all cases and complaints brought before us,” said Guvamombe.
Mzinyathi was charged last October after embattled Masvingo Drama Circle director, Gono wrote to the chief magistrate complaining that the senior magistrate was interfering with his court cases by posting prejudicial material on facebook. Mzinyathi was the treasurer of Charles Austin Theatre at the time that Gono was fired.
Mzinyathi was ordered to step down from the Drama Circle late last year after The Mirror also complained against the magistrate’s comments on facebook where he vowed to bring down the newspaper. He threatned the newspaper after it reported about problems the develling the  Drama Circle.
The Mirror also complained that it lost a $10 000 lawsuit after Mzinyathi made the threats. However, no evidence was found that could link him to interference in that case. Mzinyathi also apologised for his unprofessional conduct towards The Mirror.
On the second charge, Mzinyathi was accused of leading a rowdy group to do toyi toyi at the Youth Cultural Arts Festival (YOCAF) mainly attended by school children.
The magistrate wore a T shirt inscribed 44 000 dreams when he toti-toyed at the arts festival. The disciplinary ruling established that he wore the T shirt to spite Gono who had won a $44 000 lawsuit against Masvingo Drama Circle.
“On several encounters with him, he openly told me that I was messing with the big dogs and that he was going to teach me a lesson that I will never forget. A vicious battle ensued with  Jabulani Mzinyathi bragging both in public and on social media that I was going to lose both cases,” wrote Gono to Guvamombe.
Meanwhile, The Mirror has established that Gutu Resident Magistrate Nyasha Vhitorini is being transferred to Mutoko. The reasons for his transfer are not clear.
A  magistrate only identified as Mareche who is coming from Mutoko will replace Vhitorini. – The Mirror

A Malawian Prophet,Austin Liabunya, who said that Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe is dying in a matter of a few months’ has seen another of his predictions on Zambia’s 20th January elections, failing to come to pass.

During a new year’s service in the early hours of the 1st January, Liabunya told his followers that contestant Hakainde Hichilema, will emerge as the new President of Zambia. The United Party for Development leader would beat Patriotic Front leader Edgar Lungu who recently flew to Zimbabwe to consult with President Mugabe, according to Liabunya.
Of Zimbabwe Liabunya said, “[Robert]Mugabe’s biological clock will not tick beyond this year ” after which Zimbabwe will be “restored” to be in the top five of the richest countries in Africa.
The prophet also added that First Lady Grace Mugabe “will never win in Zimbabwean politics” and had simply joined politics to “protect her ill-gotten wealth.”
 
Yesterday Hichilema was shown being beaten by a landslide 54% margin trailing behind Lungu of the Patriotic Front at the time of going to print.
However observers said that Lungu who obtained support from President Robert Mugabe, had nikuved his way to win the election.

“Prophet Liabunya told us all this that Hichilema would be cheated in the counting so this is nothing new,” said one Gertrude Mumba Wednesday night.
This was however dismissed by the Patriotic Front. ” If Lungu cheated, can you explain any such cheating in between 92,000 and 44,000?,” said a party official in Lusaka.

Amid an aura of calculated menace, Joel Biggie Matiza, State minister for Mashonaland East, announced today government’s intention to press ahead with plans to seize Zimbabwe’s remaining white-owned commercial farms.
“We have invited all the chiefs in the province to this ceremony where we are honouring the chiefs by returning land to the ancestor and rightful custodians,” Matiza said.
“In this province, we were protecting the very people who yesteryear were our erstwhile oppressors.”
Matiza was speaking in Marondera during the hand-over of A2 offer letters to 19 of the province’s 33 chiefs.
“This event is going to give a fresh outlook and perception in the way the land reform is going to be conducted in the province,” he said.
“Freshly mandated from a cultural perspective, the province will conduct an orderly programme of land allocation. Chiefs, youths, war veterans, detainees, women, civil servants, diplomatic service and ordinary people will be considered.
“The white farmers who are carrying out farming activities on gazetted land will not be tolerated as it is illegal in terms of the laws of the country. Farms that exceed the recommended sizes will also be down sized starting February so that their sizes comply with government legal requirement on maximum size.”
The chiefs got between 60 to 80 hectares of land. According to Matiza, the province has over 20 000 people on the waiting list.
Only white commercial farmers into dairy and cattle breeding or those who openly support Zanu PF will be spared.
“The remaining letters will be ready in a week after we withdraw from those occupying your land including whites appearing in our system,” he said.
“We are not racists because there are whites who are here because they have complied with our policies in line with the President’s expectations to spare those into breeding and dairy farming,” Lands minister Douglas Mombeshora said.
Chief Musarurwa welcomed the development and appealed to government to set up a revolving fund for chiefs.
Fortune Charumbira, the Chiefs Council president, lauded Matiza and blamed former Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa for denying them land.
“I am happy although it is 34 years late,” he said. “Mutasa was the minister for lands and security and had more than enough powers to give us land but instead he said he also wants to be a chief. Aaah how many offices do you want?” – Daily News

In a classical movie style operation, Bulawayo’s Fire Brigade yesterday broke a record for excellence, since independence, after they responded to a fire alert call, within less than five minutes effectively saving a restaurant from destruction.
A thick cloud of smoke and a blistering flame were seen bursting from the inside Ubuntu restaurant which is at the corner of 6^th Avenue and Lobengula Street amid rising flickering flames, prompting witnesses to call the Bulawayo Fire Brigade.
The fire service swiftly drove to the scene in less than 190 seconds. As witnesses gathered around the building, the sudden arrival of the fire service was if they had smelt the flames from afar.
Their station is more than 5 kilometres away and it was not clear if they were coming straight from the depot.
“I just called them and within a timeframe of five minutes, they were here and they quickly extinguished the fire before any damage occurred. The fire which was caused by an electric fault was put off in seconds of their arrival,” said Mrs Vhuramai Mhofu a vendor who was at the site.
According to the Chief Fire fighter who was at the scene, “Bulawayo Fire fighters do not waste time on such calls. We are a professional department and we also aim to avoid losses at all levels; that’s why we respond swiftly to calls,” he said.
In 2011, Bulawayo Fire fighters received specialist training including five fire fighting vehicles from Manchester, UK, after one of their former staff members who is now based in Leicester Davie Ndlovu facilitated the donation.
The owner of Ubuntu restaurant who arrived at the shop after a while could not respond to ZimEye.com, as she was caught in a state of shock by the unexpected incident.

Dear Editor.
The city of Mutare pumped out black coloured water to many residents on Monday. (Armature Video)

Emmerson Mnangagwa, one of the most feared politicians in Zanu (PF), is seen as the architect behind the ouster of former Spokesperson Rugare Gumbo and his allies linked to former VP Joice Mujuru in December last year towards the ruling party’s congress. Gumbo was one of the most senior members of the then Zanu during the anti-colonial war that ended in late 1979.
 
In an interview with the US based exiled radio, VOA, Gumbo described the man President Robert Mugabe made his immediate deputy at the 2014 congress as corrupt and a terror monger.
“Mnangagwa! I have said time and again. As far as I am concerned I have nothing personal against Mnangagwa as Mnangagwa. But I do not agree with his style of operation and he knows it himself, we do not want people who tend to use military tactics, people who threaten people and so on. I do not believe in that, I believe in democracy.
“I believe in discussing issues. I want to make sure that matters that affect the party and the people should be dealt with by the people. We have to commit our people to proper ways of doing business in the party. People must be given freedom to vote for whoever they like, they must also compete for whatever position and these are things Mnangagwa doesn’t like,” said Gumbo.
His statements are seen as implying that Mnangagwa has been manipulating internal and national elections.
He headed Mugabe’s election campaigns in 2008 and 2013.
In 2008, scores of people were killed in a military campaign in the run-up to a run-off in which Mugabe stood alone after Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC pulled out citing widespread political violence.
Tsvangirai had won the first round of elections in March of the same year.
While there was no widespread violence in 2013, the opposition still accuses Zanu (PF) of massive electoral fraud that gave the party a landslide victory that shocked even members of the party.
Gumbo comes from the Midlands, the same province as Mnangagwa, but the two have not seen eye to eye for a long time.
“We know it from experience, because we come from the Midlands. We know what he has done. He buys people, organizes threats and so on and we can’t operate like that. I have nothing against him. He was appointed Vice President but we do not agree with that constitution which appointed him to be Vice President and we will continue to oppose as we are opposing right now,” said Gumbo.
Mnangagwa was in charge of national security from the early years of independence attained in 1980 and has been accused of being one of the masterminds of Gukurahundi, a genocide that claimed more than 20,000 innocent lives, according to a report by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP).
The crack campaign in southern Zimbabwe was carried out purportedly to flush out dissidents who the government led by Mugabe claimed were organising an insurgency. – TheZimbabwean

A teacher at Matizha Primary school in Gutu, William Nhidza (54), has appeared at Gutu Magistrates’ court facing charges of performing indecent acts on a 15 -year-old who is doing form 3 at Chikwerengwe Secondary School in Chief Serima’s area.
Nhidza is facing three counts of indecent assault including causing the girl to caress his erect private part.
He is also accused of fondling the 15-year-old’s breasts.
It is the State case that during the month of May last year, the complainant who stayed in the school staff quarters went to the school garden to buy vegetables and met Nhidza who proposed love to her and she turned down the proposal.
The accused lured the complainant by buying her soft drinks, biscuits and zapnacks on different occasions whenever he met her at the local shops.
Sometime in October, the complainant went to fetch water at the tap where she met the accused and requested money to buy school uniforms and he promised to give her.
Nhidza then walked into the cooking shed which is a few meters away from the tap and asked the complainant to join him and she complied. He allegedly fondled the complainant’s breasts and she did not resist since she was in critical need of school uniform.
On the second count, the accused again invited the complainant into the cooking shed, allegedly her breasts, caressed her body and told her that he was going to take money from his office and give it to her and she remained in the shed.
 
On the third count, the complainant followed the accused after realizing that it was too late and that he was taking too long to come out of the office. Upon arrival at the accused’s office, she was requested to enter into the office and she complied and was told that she will be given money the following day.
While in the office, he sucked her breasts and made her caress his erect penis with her left hand and asked her to have sexual intercourse with him but she refused.
 
On the following day, the accused met the complainant whom she requested to come to his office and she complied. Allegedly gave her $10 and told her not to reveal the matter to anyone but she went on to inform her young sister aged 11.
 
The complainant’s father interrogated her and she disclosed that Nhidza had bought her uniform, fondled and sucked her breast and was also proposing love to her. Mirror

MDC-T Morgan Tsvangirai leader is facing a massive internal revolt against his leadership. Impeccable reports stretching from State and Independent media sources say that Mr Tsvangirai is struggling to hold his party together a year after Elton Mangoma and Tendai Biti staged a challenge to his power-hold.
Report by Newsday

A FRESH storm is brewing in the MDC-T with party leader Morgan Tsvangirai threatening to dissolve the party’s provincial structures accused of waging a social media campaign to hold another elective congress next year to choose a new leadership.
The push for a fresh congress comes three months after the main opposition party held an extraordinary congress in Harare following the defection of several top officials to the MDC Renewal Team.
Tsvangirai’s party was due to hold its congress in 2016, but had to bring the dates forward following the departure of some of its top executives who included secretary-general Tendai Biti and deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma, among others.
MDC-T insiders told NewsDay yesterday that a group of disgruntled party members was lobbying through social media platforms — WhatsApp and Facebook — for the party to hold another congress in 2016 in line with the party’s original plans.
The party members claimed they were not happy with some of the constitutional amendments adopted at the congress, especially the decision to give Tsvangirai wide executive powers to run the party.
Tsvangirai is alleged to have read the riot act when he met the Harare provincial executive last Friday and threatened to wield the axe on party members involved in the alleged campaign.
“Tsvangirai started by accusing the structures of mooting to have another congress in 2016 and questioned why some of the members had profile pictures of the losing standing committee candidates on their WhatsApp profiles,” an MDC-T insider said.
“Tsvangirai told the provincial members that this was a final warning and next time he would be forced to dissolve the committees if these matters continued
being discussed on the social media networks.”
Several MDC-T stalwarts, chief among them former national organising secretary Nelson Chamisa and deputy secretary-general Tapiwa Mashakada, lost their posts at the congress although they had an upper hand in the run-up to the congress held in Harare last October.
Sources said the campaign was being fuelled by some of the losing candidates to ensure they bounced back into the political limelight.
Contacted for comment yesterday, MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu could neither deny nor confirm the alleged plot, saying he was not at liberty to discuss the party’s confidential matters with the media.
“Deliberations of party structures are confidential and, therefore, I cannot comment on what was said in the meeting, but what was resolved,” Gutu said.
Gutu, however, described the push for a fresh congress next year as mischievous.
“The next congress will be held after four years, that is in 2019. Any talk of a congress in 2016 is misguided, frivolous and vexatious, and, as such, that type of bar talk must be dismissed with the contempt it deserves,” he said.
The MDC-T is yet to recover from the rifts created by its last congress and is also battling to maintain its relevance as the government-in-waiting following its crushing defeat by Zanu PF in the 2013 general elections.
Addressing party members from Harare at the Rajiv Gandhi Hall at the Harare Showgrounds on Saturday, Tsvangirai said: “Desist from communicating information on intimate party deliberations on WhatsApp because you will be giving Zanu PF free intelligence.” – Newsday

Expelled Vice President Joice Mujuru was anointed President of Zimbabwe by a friend of disgraced Robert Martin Gumbura, Pastor Godwin Chitsinde of the End Time Message, according to a report presented by church members.
 
This came to light during the prosecution of Gumbura last year after it became clear Chitsinde and Gumbura were indeed colleagues from the End Time Messages cult who eventually fell out and Chitsinde is said to have turned against Gumbura resulting in the latter’s arrest for rape. Gumbura had for years been a polygamous preacher and “so why now all of a sudden?”, church members queried.
 
This was because Gumbura who was also a top ZANU PF official, opposed to Zimbabwe being run by a woman and he was punished for it, the church report says.
 
When contacted by ZimEye.com pastor Chitsinde admitted being Gumbura’s colleague adding that he had himself even “baptised him.”
 
He begged reporters not to publish his submissions before Gumbura’s application is heard lest court procedures are compromised and now that Gumbura’s application failed last year this reporter now seeks to reveal the truth.
 
It is claimed with the ouster of Joice Mujuru, there may be hopes of Gumbura being released through a presidential amnesty by Robert Mugabe’s successor likely, Emmerson Mnangagwa, also said to be a serial polygamist.
 
A Gumbura follower who refused to be named said of Gumbura’s incarceration in 2013: “This is the work of Mai Mujuru who hates polygamy and also working on behalf of Pope Chitsinde who anointed her president (of Zimbabwe). The judiciary said these are weak cases . In a real democracy they would have been thrown out. A VP who interferes with the judiciary should be forced to resign. But again this is like Somalia dysfunction is the norm,” they alleged.
However Chitsinde, of the Spoken Word Ministries, denied causing Gumbura’s arrest. He last year told the courts that he began receiving reports of Gumbura’s sex escapades in 1988, before receiving information in 1997 that he had raped his cousin. He said he first knew Gumbura in 1978, after baptising him in Westwood, Harare. Chitsinde denied ever influencing anyone to report rape charges against the embattled clergyman.
“We are not rivals,” Chitsinde said. “We are not in the same league. My ministry does not depend on his (ministry).”
Gumbura was early last year jointly convicted with his secretary Tendai Ganyani who allegedly assisted him rape a minor he had adopted.

THE Department of Immigration in Zimbabwe has fired two officers at Beitbridge Border Post for using fake South African departure date stamps to clear travellers who would have overstayed. Annah Mutashu (32) and Kennedy Matunga (45), both accounting assistants in the department, were said to have been in the habit of charging R300 to affix the fake stamp on a single passport.
At the time, South Africa was fining over-stayers R1 000. The immigration pair was arrested on Monday last week following a trap set by police detectives. They were relieved of their duties last Thursday after they were found guilty of improper performance during a disciplinary hearing.
Assistant Regional Immigration Officer in charge of Compliance and Enforcement Mr. Francis Mabika confirmed the pair’s dismissal yesterday. “The two officers have been discharged from service following an internal hearing for improper performance,” he said. “We are trying to weed out all unruly elements from the department. “Actually, we don’t have corruption in the immigration dictionary. As a department, we don’t just talk, but we act on cases as they come.”
Mr Mabika said travellers should report any corrupt activities to the enforcement and compliance office. The pair was last year dragged to the Beitbridge Magistrates Court charged facing criminal charges of abuse of office, but was later acquitted due to lack of evidence.
Their crime manifested after immigration authorities in South Africa intercepted Chamunorwa Ngwenya, who worked for Revival Bus Company and was travelling on a Zimbabwean passport with a fake immigration departure date stamp. Ngwenya, who was handed over to Zimbabwean police for interrogation, implicated Mutashu and Matunga.

Barely two weeks after marching around Harare blasting his former employers, Buhera South MP, Joseph Chinotimba has staged another one man demonstration against the City of Harare complaining against garbage.
Chinotimba started removing garbage at the corner of Mbirimi and Dumbutshena street in Mbare, loading into his official vehicle ready for the dump site. He took a swipe at the City of Harare for concentrating on petty issues yet exposing the lives of many people to diseases.
“It is high time that we as a country set aside a day for cleaning as other countries do. If there is a Cholera outbreak in Mbare, it does not end there. Mbare is the traditional home for black visitors, so it must be kept clean. We don’t want a situation where council officials spend time chasing kombis, while garbage and potholes are being ignored,” said Cde Chinotimba.
Mbare residents applauded the legislator for leading by example.“This is not political, cholera and death don’t care whether you are Zanu PF or MDC so what Cde Chinos has done is commendable,” said one Mbare resident.
“The MP has shown that he is a true representative of people, not just a leader of his constituency in Buhera but a leader of the people of Zimbabwe,” said another resident.Cde Chinotimba has also staged a one man demonstration against arrest of taxi drivers and the impounding of pirate taxis in the past.

A number of lawyers, who have reportedly refused to represent a quest by liberation war pioneers and veterans to sue Zanu PF over its damp squib and “unconstitutional” congress last year, say they are actually ready to take up the case.
This comes as the State media has relentlessly sought to vilify former attorney-general Sobusa Gula-Ndebele and lawyer Addington Chinake for alleged involvement in the contest against many of President Robert Mugabe’s acolytes.
Lewis Uriri, a renowned advocate and one of the lawyers allegedly approached by the two senior counsels to argue the case in court, said he would represent the group if approached.
The threat to sue Zanu PF was issued by the group in a damning statement signed by the party’s former secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa who insists he has not been removed from his post.
“I am a lawyer (and) not a politician,” Uriri said.
“I operate within certain professional and ethical norms, and parameters. Assuming that I was approached, which I cannot deny or confirm, I would not… discuss a client’s case without his consent.”
While Uriri said he had never met Mutasa before, he emphasised that he had taken an oath to “represent all manner of people without fear or favour”.
“The duty of a lawyer is to take instructions from clients and act if there is no conflict. Your question seems to suggest that it is wrong to represent Mutasa and the group.
“I see nothing wrong in representing him or anyone for that matter,” he said.
In a series of articles since January 16, the State media has not only sought to give an impression “no one was willing to touch the lawsuit because it was long on politics than the law”, but out rightly engage in scare-mongering and suggest that Uriri, and others had broken the attorney-client privilege.
Fortune Chasi, another lawyer who was allegedly approached by the ex-Zanu PF bigwig, also poured cold water on suggestions that the group was finding it hard to secure a lawyer.
“I think this is some form of mischief aimed at allocating lawyers who they can represent or not.
“As a lawyer, I represent anyone and that includes murderers,” the former deputy Justice minister said, emphasising, though, that he had not been approached to handle the case.
Chasi not only indicated that he was “still furnishing his Advocates’ Chambers offices”, but it would be difficult for him to take up any cases with such high “conflict of interest” since he was one of the recently fired ministers.
Yesterday, Mutasa railed at his detractors for claiming he was failing to get a lawyer and dismissing it as “mere propaganda aimed at dampening their spirits”.
“Vanonyepa, hapana zvakadaro, vanorambirei (There is no reason for them to snub us), a case is a case what is required is legal evidence and there is plenty of that,” he said.-DailyNews

Bulawayo was yesterday plunged into a black-spell of rage from an uproar of parents whose children’s school uniforms were robbed in broad daylight by tricksters who have invaded Zimbabwe’s second largest city school roads as they strip naked vulnerable infants on their way to school.
The tricksters prey on newly enrolled grades zero and one, by waylaying them on their way from school and deprive them off their school uniforms, shoes and satchels before giving them sweets and freezits (popular plastic drinks which cost $1 for twenty packets).
Furious parents of mugged children told ZimEye.com narrated their ordeal since money in the current economy is hard to come by to buy another uniform. “This is the same as killing because, if one can ambush children and steal school wear, killing can also be easy for such people,” said a visibly angry Mrs Thobekile Sibanda.

Her sentiments concurred with those of another parent Mrs Josina Gwati, whose daughter came home wearing a long dirty t/shirt, while licking a lollypop. “I am thinking of seeking the guidance of a witch doctor to recover my stolen school wear,” she said in a dejected mood.
According to Aaron Ncube, a grade one student from Lotshe primary school, whose uniform, shoes and satchel were stolen, the muggers would give them sweets and biscuits before stripping them of their school wear.
“They gave us very nice sweets and I gave them my shoes and uniform because they told me that mama asked them to go and wash them for tomorrow,” he said before asking for sweets.
Another 6 year old Thandeka Khumalo from Nkulumane’s Queen Elizabeth primary school was also robbed by the same terror group, who took her shoes, satchel and dress before giving her freezits and sweets. “Malume gave me freezits and sweets and told me to come and collect my uniform tomorrow from our teacher,” she said.
Several Bulawayo parents’ kids have been robbed school wear by tricksters, who waylay unsuspecting infants by luring them with sweets and toys.
Mrs Faustina Ngwenya of Pumula South had to buy a double uniform, after her twin boys were all robbed their school wear on their way from school yesterday.
Parents have since called for a meeting with school heads on the issue, but the outcome was still a task for parents, who were asked to accompany their kids to and from school, as the teachers have resolved not to release children before a parent or guardian is available.
“We have found it best to ask parents and guardians to accompany their kids to and from school, as more than 90% of grade zero and one have lost their new school wear to these unscrupulous thugs who resell their loot to the same parents on the flea markets,” said Mrs Moyo a school head at Pelandaba’s primary school.
Police have also been put on alert following the outcry from parents. Pumula’s neighbourhood Police watch is now on full alert and on patrol during the school going peak hour and also after children’s knock off time.
Asked to comment on the issue, the Bulawayo Police press and liaison office could neither confirm nor deny the crime, but opted to warn parents against sending their infants to school unaccompanied by elders.
Bulawayo’s police spokesperson Inspector Madlenkosi Moyo could not be reached for comment as his mobile was continuously unreachable by the time of going to press.

A  man from Pumula North suburb in Bulawayo yesterday morning gruesomely killed his father by strangling him with a wire, before gouging out his eyes with a screwdriver and then cooking food for himself as if nothing has happened.
Trust Moyo (27) used a wire to strangle his 61-year-old father  a local barber. He tightened  the wire around his neck  using a pair of pliers, and residents have described the killing as cold-blooded murder.
Provincial police spokesperson  for Bulawayo, Mandlenkosi Moyo confirmed the murder, without providing any further details.
“I can confirm that a man killed his father in Pumula North, but I cannot give any further details,”  Moyo said.
Residents expressed shock and disbelief at the manner in which Moyo killed his father, with others saying he was possessed.
When the reporters arrived at the Moyo residence, scores of people where gathered outside the house, clearly shocked, as they discussed what they saw in the coming.
The neighbours claim that, the deceased, Mbolandi Moyo and his son, Trust, had an on-going dispute about cattle, which they suspected to be the cause of their fight that led to the father’s death.
“Trust had been demanding that his father share his cattle between him and his stepmother so that hecould sell his share and spend the money on alcohol,” Khulekani Nkomo, a tenant at the family home said.
“They had been fighting a lot on this issue and now we suspect that it is the reason he killed him.
“We heard him (Moyo) cry that his son was about to kill him very early in the morning today, but we ignored it thinking it was one of the disputes they have had almost weekly.”
Nkomo said because they had become accustomed to the fighting, they did not think it was anything out of the usual and did not
intervene.
A local vendor, only identified as MaNcube, claimed Trust had a mental illness, which seemed to have worsened over the past days, as sometimes he would lock his father outside the house until the wee hours of the morning.
“Trust was becoming scarier by the day, as he continually fought his father over food, alcohol, cigarettes and other petty issues,” she said.
“He even acted normally today, cooked himself isitshwala in the morning, after performing such a gruesome act, an indication that he is not normal.”
Trust reportedly went to the police after killing his father and told them his father was terminally ill and they should come and intervene. The police took him home only to find his father’s body in a pool of blood and this led to his arrest. -Southern Eye

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s continued absence in the country has reignited speculation around the ageing leader’s health.
Chief Reporter
Mugabe, who turns 91 in a month, left the country on December 14 destined for Asia and scheduled to return on January 15.
Five days after he was due back in the country, there is no official word on when Mugabe is likely to return.
This could be Mugabe’s longest stay outside the country in recent years.
Further fuelling speculation around Mugabe’s health was his failure to attend the inauguration of Felipe Nyusi, the new Mozambican president, as in the past he has not missed such functions.
Already, Mugabe’s diary is filling up as he is scheduled to attend an African Union summit in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, on January 30 and 31, where he will assume the organisation’s chairmanship and a Sadc Troika on Politics, Defence and Security meeting aimed at resolving the political crisis in Lesotho also slated for January.
Commentators yesterday said Mugabe was prolonging his stay hoping that challenges he was facing would have cooled down.
Political commentator Dumisani Nkomo said the nation was being held to ransom due to Mugabe’s absence, but said he hoped he was in good health.
“His absence is increasingly becoming worrisome to the nation,” he said.
“While we acknowledge that he is entitled to his annual leave, this time he has been away for a long period.
“He changed ministers while on holiday and there is doubt whether the new ministers got proper induction into their portfolios. It is always good for a chief executive officer to personally brief his immediate staff whenever there are new appointments.”
Nkomo said Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa was constitutionally hamstrung, as he could not make binding decisions. Cabinet has not sat for several weeks bringing government business to a standstill.
MDC spokesman Nhlanhla Dube said Mugabe’s in-tray was probably ladened with tricky matters and he “would rather deal with the matters in absentia than confronting them head on”.
“It’s an indication that the president has decided to extend his holiday in the Far East, but conveniently forgetting that he carries the hopes of the nation on his shoulders,” he said.
“So, Mugabe would rather extend his holiday, hoping that the situation back home would cool down.”
On his return, Mugabe would be faced with escalating chaos within Zanu PF, particularly on how to handle his former Presidential Affairs minister Didymus Mutasa, an imploding economy and strike threats from civil servants.
Mutasa and a host of other sacked Zanu PF members have demanded an explanation from Mugabe on their demise and have since written a letter to him and Sadc. – SouthernEye

Over the weekend, mourners in Mhondoro district of Mashonaland East province were forced to run for their dear lives, during Gogo Chihera’s burial, as big cats, two baboon like animals and four hyenas rushed into the grave of the late grandmother.
Witnesses who include the village head Bobias Jonhera, described the circumstances that took place when the coffin of the late 89 year old grandmother of 11 was being lowered into her final resting place as unfortunate.
“I thought these kind of events were only found in Zaka and Gokwe, but I am at a loss of words as how to describe this and for the first time in my village, this is happening. I saw the size of a cat that I never saw since I was born,” said village head Jonhera.
Pallbearers also ran and left the coffin landing in the grave as they were terrified by the appearance of wild animals during the burial process. The animals are said to have disappeared inside the grave after jumping in forcing close relatives to finalise the burial.
Gogo Chihera’s 42 year old granddaughter Sally Nyamupambiwa told ZimEye.com that her grandmother was looking after these peculiar creatures and she also used to see her feeding baboons and big cats at one of their maize fields. “Gogo Chihera whose real name is Pamhayi Jamhu is my grandmother and all those animals that caused discomfort to mourners were her pets.
She liked them so much that everyone in our family is aware of the existence of these pets and that she used to feed them at night and in the early hours everyday,” she said with confidence.
Gogo Chihera died in Kadoma after a long illness and her body was taken to Mhondoro for burial where the drama took place during her burial. The Jonhera villagers were left wondering and tongue tight by the incident at the burial.
According to Pastor Xavier Muguti who was at the funeral, he also described the incident as shocking a nd unbelievable. “I tell you what I saw with my own eyes was just unbelievable. I saw the baboons and the cats jumping into the grave. This needed a novelist and a photographer to describe what I saw as I am failing to narrate it and also those who were there could not believe it as they were perturbed,” said Pastor Maguti.
However, Gogo Chihera was laid to rest after her granddaughter Nyamupambiwa knelt at the grave performing some rituals and shouting on top of her voice, “Enda ne zvinhu zvako Chihera, tora zvese uende nazvo kunyika dzimu isusu hatingazvigoni,” literally meaning that the late old woman must go with her pets spiritually, as no one is able to look after them.
Efforts were made to find out what happened to these animals after they entered the grave, but it was not clear as relatives and other mourners could not shed more light besides saying the animals disappeared.
 

The ZRP has released some names of those who died in yesterday’s accident, which has since been declared a national disaster.
The accident, whose death toll has since risen to 26, occurred along the Harare-Nyamapanda highway yesterday and it involved a ZUPCO and Unifreight, now Pioneer, buses.
Those who perished in the accident are: Nyaradzo Chihowa (32), Sylvester Mudzengerere (14), Belinda Mutize (18), Lydia Nyakabau (17), Patrick Mupemhi (30), Nyasha Matika (45), Lovejoy Chabota (45), Munashe Mudzengerere (17), Tawengwa Matyora (10), Fortunate Mukunyere (9), Movert Chikata (6), Lucia Chababa (12), Agnes Sakurangoma (26), and Tafadzwa (12), Tanaka (7) and Tashinga (7) all form the Chinyama family.
The Minister of Local Government, Public Service and National Housing, Dr Ignatius Chombo confirmed government’s decision to declare the accident a national disaster.
He said this when he visited those injured at Parirenyatwa hospital, in the company of the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Dr Obert Mpofu.
So far, 13 of the injured are still admitted at Parirenyatwa hospital with three said to be in a critical condition.
Dr Mpofu expressed concern on the continued road carnage, saying government will in the next few days review the maximum speed limit pending the on-going rehabilitation of the country’s roads. – ZBC

Chipinge – A top magistrate for Chipinge Magistrates’ Court was killed in a head on collision in the wee hours of Sunday morning after his car swerved across into an oncoming (so called Gonyet) truck’s path.
Emergency responders found at around 00:30 a.m. a mangled scene after the bridge at Wengezi, where his car collided with the truck, which was loaded with transported goods.
Magistrate Waeni Makamera died on his way to Mutambara Hospital after being rescued by an ambulance.
Present in the car was the magistrate’s friend by name “Simba” a CBZ Chipinge employee and one Sam Semwayo who works for Chipinge Town Council.
The driver of the truck was unhurt.
Investigators are still unsure what caused magistrate Waeni’s car to move into oncoming traffic.
A small amount of diesel fuel was spilled in the crash.
The late magistrate had been on his way to Mutare while the truck was coming from that city.
The accident comes barely a few hours before the Nyamapanda road one in which 27 people were slain. ALSO READ-WARNING: DISTURBING PICTURES – 25 Dead In Nyamapanda Road Accident

A baby girl was said to have been found dumped in Avondale on Monday morning.
The child, stuck in grass and leaves on the ground was spotted through her loud crying, the report said.
Details were sketchy at the time of writing as the announcement was made by a member on Harare Pastor Godfrey Kudita’s church’s WhatsApp profile.
Pastor Kudita told ZimEye.com, “I saw it on our profile when someone posted and said that is what had happened…”
Efforts to get further details were fruitless as the phone was abruptly cut and call attempts failed.

Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries (PHD) leader Walter Magaya says his prophecy about a fire gutting a building near First Street in Harare two weeks ago has come to pass.
This follows a mysterious fire that broke out in the security guardroom at the entrance of the High Court in Harare on Thursday.
Police confirmed the inferno saying it broke out after a security guard at the High Court left an electric heater turned on in a wooden guardroom and it exploded.
The fire, according to police spokesperson Charity Charamba, destroyed issue vouchers, files, two chairs, one table, two heaters, one steel cabinet, a telephone handset, cell phone, seven cases of soft drinks and a window to the deputy registrar’s office.
Magaya told the Daily News yesterday that he was glad that no-one was injured in the inferno after he and his congregation had prayed hard to avert disaster.
“I spoke about it recently and I am happy that there were no fatalities.
“We prayed for it when we were given the prophecy and God responded to our call. Glory to the Almighty,” he said. Magaya had told thousands of his congregants during a church service in Waterfalls that he had been shown a vision of a building catching fire and immediately asked his flock to pray hard so that there would be no deaths or injuries.
The celebrity preacher said the building, which he did not identify at the time, would be gutted by a mysterious fire.
“I have been getting this vision for some time,” Magaya said.
“I see a fire, a fire that will destroy a building near First Street. May we all raise our hands in prayer so that danger will be averted so that there will be no deaths, no injuries,” he added to thunderous applause from his church faithful.
The prophecy comes less than a week after he predicted good fortunes for the economy this year. In his New Year message delivered on the eve of 2015, Magaya said the country would experience an economic boom as more minerals would be discovered.
“So there shall be ways of discovering Africa, for instance I see new minerals being discovered in Africa…I am saying we have reached a point whereby you are going to be fruitful rather than going down as the previous years, but in 2015 the world is going to recognise Africa more and Zimbabwe in particular,” Magaya said. – Daily News

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is set to fly into a storm as tensions are reaching boiling point in Zanu PF, with Didymus Mutasa insisting he is still a member of the party and cannot be expelled by an illegal structure.
Reports indicated that Mugabe was due to arrive in the country last Friday from his year-end holiday, but indications are that he is not yet back.
Mutasa upped the ante at the weekend, saying he expected a response from Mugabe to a letter he and other axed Zanu PF members sent to Sadc.
Mugabe is the chairman of the regional body and he will be expected to handle a grievance against himself and the party he leads.
The axed Zanu PF secretary for administration wrote to Sadc leaders and the chairman about his grievances with the party and its conduct of the December congress.
“No, I have not yet received the response,” he said.
“The response will come from the chairman of Sadc (Mugabe).”
Mutasa could not be drawn into speculating whether he foresaw Mugabe responding to his letter.
However, South African President Jacob Zuma’s spokesman, Mac Maharaj, said he had not seen the letter Mutasa had written to his principal complaining about the congress.

A 52-YEAR-OLD Pumula man has been arraigned before the courts facing allegations of raping his own daughter twice and infecting her with HIV.
The man appeared before Western Commonage provincial magistrate Willard Mafios Moyo on Friday, where he was charged with contravening Section 65 of Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
However, he was remanded in custody to January 30 for continuation of trial.
“I never raped my daughter. My wife and I are currently not in good books, so it is a way of getting back at me,” he said.
The man reportedly raped his 17-year-old daughter on two occasions. On the first count, he allegedly asked his daughter to sweep her brother’s bedroom and he later followed and raped her once.
On the second count, the man approached his daughter as she was sleeping on the floor with her younger brother and asked her to join him in bed and she complied.
On both counts, the juvenile did not report the case to anyone until she visited her mother and told her what was happening.
The mother said that she was disheartened to hear such news and she immediately reported the matter to the police.
“How can someone who knows he is HIV-positive rape his daughter and infect her?” she asked.
“I am so hurt, I wish the justice system will do its best to deal with such inhumanity in our communities.”
Mufaro Mageza prosecuted. -SouthernEye

Gokwe’s entire community has at this moment resolved to summon the Zimbabwe Defence Forces to exterminate witches, who are as said wreaking havoc in the agro district causing unnecessary suffering to the villagers.
According to Nemangwe, Njelele, Nembudziya, and Jiri inhabitants, witches in their areas are showing off their evil acts scoffing  the authority and control of Chiefs.
The indaba which was set down and discussed by more than 13 village heads from around Gokwe’s chiefdoms, is said to be the only solution to destroy witchcraft empires, that have seen the deaths of several residents, village heads and traditional leaders.
“We have resolved to petition our chiefs as village heads, to request the Zimbabwe National Army to rescue us from this harsh situation. In 2010 a village head was bewitched after a village court passed a sentence to a witch and he died after he was flattered by a butterfly,” said headman Mombo of Nemangwe.
According to Headman Kunguva of Gokwe, witches in Gokwe use butterflies, owls, cats, lightning bolts, snakes and cockroaches, as their tools of trade.
Last week, villagers in Dzvoritsvo under Chief Njelele, were sent scampering for cover after two witches allegedly exchanged lightning bolts during a traditional ritual ceremony to sniff out evil doers[READ MORE – Gokwe Lightning Strike Witches on the Prowl, Mystery Man Resurfaces in Bulawayo.
“The spark from the bumping lightning bolts, as eye witnesses said, scared away the traditional healer, who fled from the scene, and never returned. The two old men who had agreed to surrender their tools of evil trade, started quarreling before the official ceremony started, and their dispute spilled into the exorcizing time, thereby causing the exchange of lightning bolts (as claimed) in a bid to exhibit their strength against one another.
The traditional healer who resurfaced in Bulawayo told ZimEye.com that the two are involved in the 26 panties saga and the owl that grabbed a matured male dog during a village indaba in headman Pauro’s area, under Chief Njelele.
Another village head, from Nembudziya, Tongoona Mavoyo told ZimEye.com that their quest to have the army involved is the only remedy to what he described as a continuing and rising plague of witchcraft.
“I think the army will do justice. In the early 60 here in Gokwe, we used to deal with these kinds of issues at our place called Gandavaroyi. The Gandavaroyi as its name speaks was for drowning all witches in this deep river pool and that way we cleansed our community. Now the evil is back again, certainly this time we need the army and nothing else.
Last year, Chief Njelele and his counterpart Chief Jiri were quoted by ZimEye.com, planning an indaba to deal with all witchcraft issues and also to expel from their jurisdictions anyone found practicing Satanism and witchcraft.
ZimEye.com contacted Gokwe Police to get their comment on the situation that has rocked the district and they said they deal with criminal issues not traditional issues.
“We are Zimbabwe Republic Police not Zimbabwe Traditional Healers Association and so I think you need the traditional chief for comment not a Police one,” said a police spokesperson in Gokwe.
However, an ex-soldier and veteran of the armed struggle, who identified himself as retired Lieutenant Dudzai Mambira said they used to eliminate witches during the war. “We used to kill these witches in the war, because they are an evil society, who will even poison fighters. I think it’s a noble idea to consult their chiefs and maybe revisit the Gandavaroyi as the army cannot do that unless under orders,” he said.

Expelled Vice President Joice Mujuru plans to start her own party and challenge Robert Mugabe on the Presidency.
Sources told The Standard that plans to launch a political party were at an advanced stage and there was serious lobbying among Mujuru loyalists to embrace the idea. The party, the sources said, was likely to be launched before March this year.
“The plan is for Mujuru to form a political party. The push is coming especially from her supporters in Parliament. The idea is that if Mujuru forms a party, they (MPs) will either mobilise to resign enmasse or pass a vote-of-no-confidence in Mugabe. Parliament would then be dissolved and fresh elections called. Mujuru will then challenge Mugabe.”
“Mujuru will be the leader of the party whose active officials would be new and young party members while those old and experienced members would form the elders’ council, giving direction to the youngsters.”
But War veterans leader and Minister of Welfare Services for War Veterans, Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa said Zanu-PF would not lose sleep.
Said Ambassador Mutsvangwa: “That will be a party of discredited renegades who spent more than 10 years at the centre of power in Zimbabwe who did everything in their capacity to ruin the economy as a ticket to power.
“They are really beyond their last political tether and completely wasted because there is no hope of a political party coming from the useless bunch. Anyone who would ever want to associate with them is assured of political suicide. Zanu-PF is too strong and resilient, so there is no future outside Zanu-PF.”
He said Mujuru should shoulder the blame for economic problems bedevilling the country. “She is the actual author of the economic meltdown which involved an engineered gigantic capital flight, hyper- inflation and subsequent disappearance of the Zimbabwean dollar as national currency,” he said.
“Her ex-Rhodesian business associates were the main culprits. They were assisted by suicidal monetary policies of a complicit RBZ which was under influence of CATO INSTITUTE of extreme right Tea Party Movement.
“The ideological godfather of the economic meltdown is Steve Hanke whose Zimbabwe disciple is Dr Gideon Gono, a political associate of ex-VP Joice Mujuru. She superintended all sectors of the economy during that fatefully painful period of unprecedented economic pain for the general populace of Zimbabwe. She had wrestled away all important decisions of Cabinet during that epoch.
“All the pain the nation was subjugated to lies squarely on her lap as the woman czar at the helm of the Zimbabwean economy. Her illiteracy ,both literary and economic, plunged Zimbabwe into economic hell.”
He added: “Now Zanu-PF is in good riddance of this rubbish prone to treacherous tendencies. It is moving fast to revive the economy, fast Gross Domestic Product growth and bright employment opportunities of a hardworking, well-educated youthful population.
“There just won’t be any more space for political ciphers of the likes of Mujuru, (Didymus) Mutasa and (Rugare) Gumbo.” – The Standard

Daily News –  Zimbabwe is once again fast-descending into debilitating political and economic chaos, with President Robert Mugabe and his misfiring Zanu PF Cabinet trapped in the deadly jaws of the ruling party’s savage and seemingly never-ending infighting.

The Daily News on Sunday, as the authoritative voice of the voiceless, once again poses the same question we asked last year: where are these people taking us to?
Both political and economic analysts who spoke to the Daily News on Sunday yesterday agreed that the Cabinet changes that were made by Mugabe late last year were unlikely to help resolve Zimbabwe’s myriad crises as the country was apparently following “toxic” policies.
In addition, the mooted fresh Cabinet changes said to be in the offing when Mugabe returns from his holiday were also unlikely to help matters as they will be dealing mainly with factional fights more than a quest for development.
As a result, said the analysts, ordinary citizens would continue to pay a heavy price for the ruling party’s lack of prudent policies coupled with the internecine intra party fights — which were seeing them having to make do without basic necessities such as water, electricity and access to affordable health facilities, among many other issues.
“Yes, this old crop of ‘new’ ministers will take Zimbabwe to another level. A deeper and worse level of mediocrity and economic mismanagement because with Mugabe firmly in control, there is simply no room for new thinking or innovation,” political analyst Dewa Mavhinga said.
He noted ruefully that people in Zanu PF were elevated to high positions based on their loyalty to the nonagenarian leader, as opposed to what they could do for their country.
“All these ministers know that political loyalty is ranked higher than the capacity to resolve Zimbabwe’s deep-seated economic problems.
“In any case, it is unlikely that international investors will come to the party because there is no evidence that Zimbabwe is taking a new political path, if anything, the impression one has is that hardliners and bootlickers have taken over,” Mavhinga said.
Amidst all this, government sources say that Mugabe — the only leader Zimbabweans have known since the country’s independence from Britain in April 1980 — is increasingly heavily reliant on members of the so-called “Clean Dozen” to help him resolve the current political and economic crises.
But the analysts and Zanu PF insiders who spoke to the paper felt that the group, that includes Saviour Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Edna Madzongwe, Prisca Mupfumira, Oppah Muchinguri, Monica Mutsvangwa, Makhosini Hlongwane, Ignatius Chombo and Josiah Hungwe, had “little to nothing” new to offer the country.
Political analyst Pedzisayi Ruhanya agreed with Mavhinga’s views saying that the “recycling of deadwood” by Mugabe would neither revive the country’s comatose economy, nor bring food on the table — as the same “political crew” had failed to deliver similarly in the past.
“The change that is required is the system the he (Mugabe) governs not the change of individuals. We need to reform the system. There is need for the transformation of electoral laws and the alignment of the laws with the new Constitution,” he said.
Ruhanya also noted that there was need for a complete overhaul of the institutional framework that governed the State.
“This requires that there must be a clear separation between the operations of Zanu PF and the government. As it stands now there is a conflation between the party and the State.
“The State is larger than the political party. How many reshuffles has Mugabe made since 1980 and to what effect?
“The regime of Mugabe is bankrupt of both ideas and money,” Ruhanya said.
He added that Zimbabwe’s problems were also premised on the dichotomy between what he called “the will to power and the will to transform”.
He said some of the government’s policies like indigenisation and the land reform programme were solely aimed at looting by Zanu PF bigwigs and their acolytes.
He gave as a stark example of this the much-criticised evictions of poor families that were currently taking place at Manzou Farm in Mazowe, where First Lady Grace Mugabe is to establish an animal sanctuary.
He said it was clear that the affected villagers had been allocated the land at the height of Zanu PF’s chaotic land reforms, but were now being evicted to pave way for Grace and the animals.
“The change of individuals must be a product of an overhaul of the governance system in Zimbabwe.
“When Zanu PF took over power in 1980, it did not democratise the State,” he said, citing the example of how security and law enforcement agencies conducted their operations in the country.
Ruhanya said the way the law enforcement agencies did their work was not in any way different from the Ian Smith regime era.
It was thus expected that the newly-appointed ministers would not proffer any tangible solutions, beyond empty slogans, to the country’s problems.
“How can they have a solution when their master does not have any solution? Do you think a soon-to-be 91 leader will bring in new ideas? He has reached his political dead end,” Ruhanya said.
Another analyst, Francis Mukora, wryly said while the so-called Clean Dozen members were credited for rescuing the Zanu PF Women’s League congress, by providing food and other logistics, the group lacked the requisite skills and resources to save the country’s economy from collapse.
“Going forward, I don’t see any prospects of progress under the current leadership.
“In fact, the relative socio-economic stability we witnessed during the government of national unity era is quickly evaporating by the day,” he said.
“ZimAsset is yet to kick off, and on the contrary since the last election, we have witnessed massive company closures and thousands of people losing their jobs, resulting in an ever dwindling government revenue base — which makes it impossible for the government to deliver in almost every sector,” he added.
Mukora noted that in an effort to satisfy its leaders’ huge appetite for resources, the Zanu PF-led government would soon introduce more taxes aimed at robbing the poor out of their hard-earned meagre incomes.
“From what we have seen so far, it’s most probable that the poor will continue to be milked even further, through increased numbers of toll gates and fuel levies. Nothing new should be expected this year, or until 2018,” he said.
Over the past 35 years, Mugabe and Zanu PF have transformed Zimbabwe from once being seen as the breadbasket of Africa to a basket case — poverty levels continuously rising and the unemployment rate hovering around 90 percent. – Daily News

Harare – Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s secret to a long life is simple: no cigarettes or alcohol and lots of exercise, his sister said in an interview published on Sunday.
Mugabe turns 91 next month and is one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
“He has always known that things like alcohol and smoking are debilitating and degrade the body,” Regina Gata, Mugabe’s only surviving sister said in an interview with the Sunday Mail.
“Even up to now, he exercises a lot,” Gata told the state-controlled publication in an interview from her home in Mabelreign, a modest suburb in the capital Harare.
“I always hear from Amai [Mother] Grace Mugabe that he exercises a lot everyday and he remains disciplined in this respect,” Gata, 68, said.
Gata is Mugabe’s half-sister from his father’s second wife.
Mugabe’s asceticism is well-known. He has previously revealed that he takes a long walk every morning at 5 am, eats very little meat and lots of vegetables. His wife takes pride in growing her own for the family.
He regularly travels to Singapore for what the authorities insist are “eye check-ups”, and, despite a very occasional stumble, appears to be in remarkably good health.
Gata said Mugabe had used his savings to pay for her nursing course in the UK in the 1970s, when he was still in prison.
– SAPA

The death toll in the accident which occurred along Nyamapanda, Mtoko – Harare road has risen to 27[Click here for the earlier story].
ZimEye.com’s Correspondent Blessing Marezva was told by a rescue team officer attending the scene “the number of the deceased has risen to 27.” The announcement came just before 7PM. PICTURES:

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Support Unit arrested 79 704 offenders in 2014 compared to 39 091 for the same period in 2013, translating to a 100% increase in arrests.
Speaking on behalf of Deputy Commissioner General Levy Sibanda during the Support Unit belated end of year party, ZRP Commissioner – Human Resources, Nonkosi Ncube commended the Support Unit for recording notable success in arresting offenders in the country.
The occasion also saw different police officers who excelled in various areas receiving awards.
Major sponsor of the event, Business Optimisation Systems Managing Director, Mr Herbert Dandadzi said his organisation will continue to support the police as it is playing a pivotal role in making sure people leave in a crime free society.
The belated end of year party also accorded members of the force to share experiences not only as the police family but with stakeholders and clients as well.- ZBC

President Robert Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao writes attacking prominent ZANU PF cadre Kerina Mujati claiming that she is in a treason plot. This was all following a short social networking comment  Mujati had typed on Zhuwao’s portal saying Zhuwao’s uncle Mugabe is sabotaging national progress.

FULL TEXT:

Shallow minded people, of the likes of Kerina Mujati, are oblivious of the tremendous strides that Zimbabwe has made in various fields. Such ignorance therefore means that they cannot relate some of the innovations in far off lands that they encounter to real-life conditions and circumstances in Zimbabwe. An awareness of the wonders of Zimbabwe becomes the foundational basis on which we can be able to further develop our country.
A few weeks ago, the Zhuwao Brief diverted from expounding on the values that guide the appointments of the Vice Presidents and Second Secretaries of Zanu PF as espoused in Section 35 (1)(b) of the Zanu PF Constitution as amended in 2014. These values are stated to be values of “skill, experience, probity, integrity and commitment to the Party, its ideology, values, principles and policies”.
The Zhuwao Brief undertakes to come back to these values shortly. Hopefully, there will be no major event more worthy of the nation’s attention.
The delusional rantings of a former Secretary of Administration that seeks to censure an organisation whilst signing himself off as the Secretary of Administration of that same organisation will not be sufficient to warrant a diversion from such an explanation.
Such actions are typical of those who are one finger short of five senses.
In this article, the Zhuwao Brief submits that the prerequisite for a person to be adjudged to have the values of a National Leader such as the President and First Secretary is an abiding sense of nationalism and patriotism that facilitates for visionary leadership.
That visionary leadership needs to envision “an empowered society and a growing economy”; in line with ZimAsset (that cliché once again!). This calls for an imagined community, and its concomitant partner, an imagined identity.
This article will firstly recount a spirited debate by a certain Kerina Mujati for her perceived need for a sea-life aquarium in Zimbabwe as a basis for discussing Benedict Anderson’s concept of created communities and imagined identities.
The article will submit that the Zimbabwe’s development and transformation needs to build on the success of the National Constitution by imagining a progressive community and a progressive identity in the future.
The imagining of our community and identity needs to focus on providing better lives for ourselves and our compatriots.
The narratives of regime change have been forcing us to imagine communities based on factionalism and tribalism.
These concepts are divisive and retrogressive.
However, because as human beings we are highly creative and imaginative, the Zhuwao Brief posits that our imagining must revolve around empowering our society and growing our economy.
“You don’t need a sea to have sea-life” – Kerina Mujati
Last week, my wife and I went on a holiday to Dubai as part of commemorating her birthday and l photographed her as she stood in front The Dubai Mall Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. After posting the picture on my Facebook wall, a certain Kerina Mujati posted as follows; “If your uncle was organised we could have those as well in Zimbabwe without travelling abroad for that …..”
I responded to Kerina Mujiati’s post by sending her images of the holiday that my wife and I had just come from at Malilangwe Game Reserve, Chiredzi in December.
The images included inspiring pictures of buffalo, elephants, giraffes and views of the Malilangwe Dam from the pool deck and from the bathroom of the suite we stayed in.
The images were accompanied by messages that highlighted that Zimbabwe believes in conservation that enables wildlife to live in their natural habitat as opposed to confining them in zoos and enclosures.
I went further to highlight that we don’t do aquariums in Zimbabwe because we are land locked.
I have chosen to reproduce Kerina Mujati’s re-joinder to my responses in full without editing it, lest I misrepresent her:
Do you need a sea to create a sea life? Patrick Zhuwao you got the message about miserable uncle Bob who has turned Zimbabwe into a village…why travel all the miles …..just get it your uncle is an incompetent man who is holding on yet the nation is suffering, remember every dog has its day.”
I am sure you are asking yourself what all of this has got to do with narratives of regime change.
Kerina Mujati represents the loss of identity that has been occasioned by narratives that have sought to eliminate the reality of our existence as the indigenous Bantu people of Zimbabwe.
These narratives hark for anything foreign to the point of wistfully wishing to create sea-life adventures that ignore such stubborn realities that we are land locked.
These narratives ignore such facts as the pre-eminent role that Zimbabwe has played, continues to play and will play in the future with regards to the conservation of natural resources and bio-diversity. Zimbabwe created the world recognised concept of the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE).
Shallow minded people, of the likes of Kerina Mujati, are oblivious of the tremendous strides that Zimbabwe has made in various fields.
Such ignorance therefore means that they cannot relate some of the innovations in far off lands that they encounter to real-life conditions and circumstances in Zimbabwe.
An awareness of the wonders of Zimbabwe becomes the foundational basis on which we can be able to further develop our country.
But what is it that blinds us to ourselves, our achievements and our opportunities?
Why do some, within us, become poster boys and poster girls for afro-pessimism?
What stops us from being proud of whom we are?
The Zhuwao Brief believes that we may be able to understand this malaise by interrogating Benedict Anderson’s concept of imagined communities and imagined identities.
Imagined Community and Imagined Identity
Benedict Anderson came up with the concept of imagined communities where an imagined community differs from an actual community in that there is no direct face-to-face interaction between members of the community.
An imagined community is socially constructed and imagined by the people who perceive themselves as part of that group.
When Anderson coined the term in the early 1980s, he specifically referred it to nationalism.

He defined a nation as “an imagined political community – and imagined as both inherently limited and sovereign”.
A nation’s citizens hold a mental image of their affinity to their nation. They may have similar interests or identify as part of the same nation.
According to Anderson, the community of being, say, Zimbabwean is imagined in the minds of all Zimbabweans because we never know most of our compatriots, meet them, or even hear of them.
However, in all of our collective minds live an image of our communion as Zimbabweans.
In most instances, that mental image is positive, but in a few cases it is negative.
But what form does your image of being Zimbabwean take?
What are the implications of those images?
Do they further and support the vision of the nation as encapsulated in the ZimAsset vision statement for example?
Anderson opined that the media created imagined communities by generalising, targeting mass audience and addressing citizens as the public.
Even though we may never see anyone in our imagined community of the nation of Zimbabwe, we still know they are there through the media and communication.
According to Anderson, creation of imagined communities became possible because of what he referred to as “print capitalism”.
Capitalist entrepreneurs printed their books and media in the vernacular (instead of exclusive script languages, such as Latin) in order to maximize circulation.
As a result, readers speaking various local dialects became able to understand each other, and a common discourse emerged.
Anderson argued that the first European nation-states were thus formed around their “national print-languages.”
It therefore follows that language becomes a central part to the imagining of community and identity.
The creation and invention of tribes according to dialects emphasizes the imagining of communities and identities within Zimbabwe.
Dialects such as Karanga, Zezuru and Manyika took on a bigger role than was required as they came to define identity.
An individual whose roots and origins can be traced to the Shawasha people took on their totemic identity of Ncube as their name because they sought to fit in amongst mostly Ndebele speaking neighbours.
As is the norm with most pretenders, such individuals appropriate a so-called Ndebele cause to levels higher than those of the so-called proper Ndebeles.
The imagining of communities goes beyond intra-national delusions.
The late comedian, Safirio Madzikatire, did a magnificent sketch of Mukadota coming back from a trip in America having been Americanized.
He changed his dressing. He changed his accent.
He changed his diet and could only eat American Goulash.
This is the same with poor Kerina Mujati except that there is no comic element.
Poor Kerina Mujati is imagining herself as a Briton in the sea-enclosed island.
For her, it is natural to have aquaria and underwater zoos.
The absence of such entities in a land locked country conjures in her poor mind images of under-development and primitiveness.
Shame.
She fails to appreciate that Zimbabwe is landlocked, in the African tropics and has a vast wealth of wildlife.
She bemoans the absence of sea-life and requires that President Mugabe creates it.
How foolish.
Imagining Community and Identity for Progress
Kerina Mujati is a very important person. She is influential and powerful. She has a circle of influence that starts around her and grows outward to her family, community and work place.
Kerina Mujati is just as important as you and I.
She has the power to influence the success of Zimbabwe in the same manner that you and I have.
But does Kerina Mujati have the where-with-it-all to influence the direction of Zimbabwe in a positive way?
The Zhuwao Brief believes that she does.
The Zhuwao Brief also believes that you, yes you the reader, have the power, capacity and capability to influence the direction of Zimbabwe in a positive manner.
What is required is for all of us to recognize the endowments that God gave to us when He placed us on the piece of ground that is now known as Zimbabwe.
It is on this piece of ground that God requires us to subsist and thrive.
The Good Lord also gave us brains to think with. It is now incumbent upon us to figure out how we will survive and prosper on this Zimbabwe that our God gave to us.
As social creatures, we are given to imagining communities and imagining identities.
But as we imagine these communities and these identities, we must imagine them in ways that add value to our lives.
We must imagine communities and identities that are real; we cannot have sea-life in a land locked country.
We must imagine communities and identities that unite us and not divide.
We must imagine communities and identities that resonate with our value system of Hunhu/Ubuntu.
We must imagine communities and identities that give life and effect to our national aspiration as encapsulated in the National Constitution. We must imagine communities and identities that exalt the Good Lord our Creator and give thanks for the endowments He has bestowed upon us as Zimbabweans.
To imagine communities and identities that are contrary to the exaltation of God would be blasphemous.
To imagine communities and identities that are contrary to our national Constitution would be treasonous. Imagined communities and identities based on the created and invented notions of tribe and tribalism are both treasonous and blasphemous.
Are you being tribal?
Are you being treasonous?
Are you being blasphemous?
Zvibvunze!
Icho.
 
About the writer
Patrick Zhuwao is the Chairman of Zhuwao Institute which is an economics, development and research think tank that focus on integrating socio-political dimensions into business and economic decision making, particularly strategic planning. Zhuwao is the holder of a BSc honours degree in Computer Systems Engineering and an MBA degree in Information Technology Management (City University, London). He also holds BSc honours and MSc degrees in Economics (University of Zimbabwe), as well as a Master of Management (with distinction) degree in Public and Development Management (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg). [email protected] or [email protected]

At Least Twenty Five (25) people died after two buses sideswiped each other along the Nyamapanda-Harare road Sunday afternoon, while heading the opposite direction.
The accident, which left several others battling for life, involved the ZANU PF controlled transport operator ZUPCO bus and another which is privately owned by the Unifreight bus company.
It was not clear at the time of writing who was in the wrong.
It took place shortly after 11.30am, near the Mutoko-Harare tollgate according to witnesses

The Fire Brigade Service department said they received a call from the accident that there might be an explosion just as many people were said to be in “a serious or critical condition”. It emerged by the time they arrived that 23 had already died on the spot, with two others dying on the way to the hospital.
One of them was said to be one of the bus drivers.
A police statement had not been issued at the time of writing.

OUSTED Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa has been booted out of the party by the Manicaland provincial coordinating committee (PCC), following his hard-hitting statement on Monday denouncing the December congress and the appointments of Vice-Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko.
This comes as Acting President Mnangagwa’s wife, Auxillia, yesterday increased her chances of taking over her husband’s parliamentary seat after she submitted her CV to contest in the Chirumanzi-Zibagwe by-election on a Zanu PF ticket.
At the PCC meeting in Manicaland, chaired by Energy minister Samuel Undenge, the motion to expel Mutasa was moved and seconded by politburo members Oppah Muchinguri and Patrick Chinamasa, respectively.
Zanu PF national youth affairs deputy secretary Kudzai Chipanga spoke strongly in support of Mutasa’s expulsion. Earlier, the Youth League issued a statement calling for Mutasa’s expulsion.
National secretary for youth affairs Pupurai Togarepi said: “Zanu PF Youth League feels annoyed and disturbed by some members of the party who are failing to
uphold its fundamental principles. We, therefore, view Mr DNE Mutasa and his cabal as unrepentant people in the party who have no respect for our president, Cde RG (Robert Gabriel) Mugabe and the party constitution.”
He added: “We would like to call upon those that are behind Mr Mutasa to stop abusing this weak old man for their selfish, counter-revolutionary and destructive agendas that have already destroyed the likes of the former vice-president, Cde Mujuru.”
Senior party officials who attended the meeting included Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Mandi Chimene.
Mutasa becomes the fourth high-ranking Zanu PF official to be expelled from Zanu PF since the purging of the Mujuru faction started in October last year ahead of the congress held in December. Former party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, War veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda and Chipinge South legislator Enoch Porusingazi have all been booted out
The politburo will at its next meeting make the final determination on the expulsion.
Zanu PF officials who attended the meeting said Mutasa was expelled from the party for writing to Sadc leaders a strongly-worded letter in December imploring them to intervene in the country’s deepening political crisis spawned by the brutal internal fighting in the party.
The Manicaland provincial leaders accused Mutasa of being disrespectful to Mugabe and the party in the statement he released on Monday.
A top Manicaland provincial leader told the Zimbabwe Independent yesterday: “I can confirm that Mutasa was expelled at the PCC meeting. Many people spoke in support of Mutasa’s expulsion.”
Meanwhile, Midlands Zanu PF spokesperson Cornelius Mpereri confirmed yesterday after a PCC meeting that Auxillia, Zanu PF’s deputy secretary for environment and tourism, was the only candidate to submit her CV.
A source at the meeting said the party’s national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere introduced Auxilia and told other aspiring candidates that they should look at themselves in the mirror first before submitting their CVs for consideration.
It is understood that over 10 Zanu PF party cadres were eyeing the seat left vacant following Mnangagwa’s appointment as Vice-President last month.
There were also unconfirmed reports that Mnangagwa’s eldest son Emmerson Jnr, who represents Kiekie district in the provincial structures, was also interested in the vacant seat, whose by-election has been set for March 27.
Another by-election is set to be held on the same date in Mt Darwin West previously held by Mujuru.
Mnangagwa officially bade farewell to the Midlands province saying he was now “a bigger servant of the people”. – Independent

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa created loud whispers Saturday when he bunked the burial of the Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Climate, Engineer Simon Musanhu, who died on Thursday.
While a sombre atmosphere engulfed the cemetery as government officials, as relatives and friends converged to pay their last respects to Musanhu, Mr Mnangagwa was conspicuous by his absence.
The development has added wings to wide reports and rumours that Mr Musanhu was poisoned to death (READ MORE– Minister Killed “Over Mujuru Secret Tapes”) as punishment for his alleged role in the so called Mujuru plot in which he was named in a secret tapes investigation that fingered him at the helm of efforts to as claimed by the state, topple Robert Mugabe and replace him with Joicce Mujuru.
When contacted, Mnangagwa’s office defended him saying he had already been to the funeral two days before.
“Yes he didn’t to the burial but remember he is a busy man and had already gone to the funeral at the family house “kundobata maoko” did you not notice?,” his secretary told this reporter.
Musanhu who passed away in Harare in Greystone Park was buried at Glen Forest Cemetery and was treated as a cast-away due to his alleged role in the Mujuru secret tape saga.
Meanwhile Zanu PF National Political Commissar Saviour Kasukuwere, who is also the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate, who worked with Engineer Musanhu, described him as a loyal servant of the people.
He was the Zanu PF National Assembly member for Hwedza North.
Relatives of the late Deputy Minister said the void left will be difficult to fill.
 

Zanu PF National Political Commissar Saviour Kasukuwere took a swipe on expelled Vice President Joice Mujuru and Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa saying the revolutionary party will not hesitate to expel members who defy party policies and directives irrespective of one’s position.
Addressing Zanu PF Mount Darwin inter-district meeting held in Dotito, Kasukuwere said no individual is bigger than the party saying those with deviant agenda are not fit to remain in the leadership echelons.
He said those who believe are bona-fide Zanu PF members should accept censure and show contrition rather than try to rebel against party policies and ideals.
Kasukuwere added that focus should be now on meeting Zanu PF election promises, chief among them enhancing development and empowering people.
Zanu PF Mashonaland Central provincial chairman Dickson Mafios told the State Media saying they have started receiving CVs of people wishing to contest the vacant Mount Darwin West constituency once held by former Vice President Joice Mujuru.

Two Roman Catholic priests died on the spot when their Nissan twin cab truck hit Mupfure bridge rails at the 67 kilometre peg along the Bindura-Mt Darwin road near Mt Darwin Business Centre early Saturday morning.
The deceased who were the only occupants in the vehicle have been identified as Father Ignatious Kariati (36) and Father Alfred Matonhodze (35).
It is suspected that the driver lost control of the vehicle before crashing into the bridge overhead rails.
In separate interviews people who were first at the scene of the accident said it took Bindura municipality fire brigade over two hours to cut through the wreckage to retrieve the bodies.
Kriste Mambo Mt Darwin Priest-in-Charge Father Rongai Chasarira and the Chairperson of the National Council of Priests Father Clifford Nhetekwa said the death of the two priests is a great loss to the Mt Darwin community.
The late Father Kariati was ordained in 2013 while Father Matonhodze was ordained last year. Burial arrangements will be announced in due course.

Three men were on Saturday injured when a policeman described as ‘stupid and unstable’ nearly caused the death of more than 10 innocent passengers in a Glen Norah A kombi along Shiriyedenga road when he applied the handbrake whilst a commuter omnibus driver was accused of speeding.
The cop who operates from Glen Norah A police station was sat next to the driver when he attempted to stop the kombi.
The accident occurred around 4 PM. Among the injured is the driver and conductor and instead of taking them to hospital the policecman took them to Glen Norah police station for questioning. PICTURES:

 

More than 30 Travel Agents have slapped on Zimbabwe travel sanctions through their businesses protesting over government’s kidnapping of baby elephants to go on sale in the European Union and China.
In a development that is set to hit hard on the tourism industry as thousands of tourists are blocked, bosses of at least 31 agents have reportedly instructed their  employees to block Zimbabwe visits for their clients. This came following revelations that Zimbabwe is planning to sell about 60 elephants to foreign buyers.
This comes at a time when some environmentalists are attacking the country for selling baby elephants to China and other countries.
Chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Taskforce, Johnny Rodrigues, said most tourists are upset about the sale of baby elephants, which has been strongly defended by Acting Environment Minister Walter Mzembi. Click to listen
Each elephant is expected to fetch a paltry $6,000.
But Mzembi tells Studio 7’s Ntungamili Nkomo there is no going back on selling the elephants, adding Zimbabwe has even exported animals to countries like the United States.
 
– VOA

Police officers under First Lady Grace Mugabe’s command have once again openly defied the courts after being ordered for the second time to stop evictions at Manzou Farm where Grace is preparing to offload animals and start operating an animal farm.
Four villages who filed an urgent chamber application yesterday suing police commissioner Augustine Chihuri and the minister in charge, Sydney Mombeshora after they revealed that numerous police officers came in lorries armed with rifles, batons and also with dogs threatening to beat up anyone who resists the evictions, had pain added to their misery yesterday when they were told they will have to wait for two weeks despite their petition being an urgent chamber application.
Aspinas Makufa, George Musa, Gift Chikowore and Dhaisi Musekiwa, said the police are continuing with evictions ignoring the twofold court order despite also the new court challenge which however they will have to wait until January 30 when it is finally heard.
The move comes shortly after a second ruling was made by the high court Monday declaring that the evictions violate several of the key protective provisions such as the right to shelter and freedom from arbitrary eviction as enshrined in Section 28 and Section 74 of the Constitution among other rights.
 
One of the villagers, Makufa, who is a ZANU PF member, said police must be held accountable for defying all the court orders by demolishing their houses.
He wrote in his affidavit, “since we had an order of the court and as law abiding citizens, we proceeded to rebuild our homes and prepared fields and planted various crops ranging from maize, beans, groundnuts, tobacco,” submitted Makufa.
“On Wednesday Wednesday the 7th of January (2015) the morning five UD trucks came full of police officers in uniform, some in riot gear, armed with guns, logs, iron bars, dogs and baton sticks. They started demolishing and destroying the homes and property.
“It is clear that by having officers under their command and control, demolish and destroy our homes and property, respondents willingly or intentionally failed to comply with the court order.
“I aver that the disobedience of the court order by the respondent is wilful or reckless and also mala fide.”
Makufa said Mohadi and Chihuri must be punished as they have disrespected the country’s constitution and the courts.
“Their conduct is contemptuous as it is intentional. Their conduct is reprehensible and punishable,” he said.
The villagers however will have to wait until January 30 when their urgent chamber application will be heard by Justice Bhunu. They are being represented by Tonderai Bhatasara and George Mtisi, of the ZLHR(Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights).

The residents of Mangarame under Chief Gampu were left shell shocked as a man from Tsholotsho fired five bullets into his wife, shouting “I’m done with you dog”. Reports say that the woman surprisingly survived and is fighting for dear life at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) while the man has vanished
It is alleged that 34 year old Ludo Dumani recently had an undisclosed domestic dispute with her husband Austin Tshuma, 40, and was forced to run away and seek refuge at her parents’ home in Mangarame area, Bulilima District.
Dumani took her three children aged 10, 13 and 15 with her.
Last Wednesday night, Tshuma followed his wife and found her sleeping in the same room with her three children and their grandmother, Zale Moyo, 64.
Tshuma forced himself into the house by breaking down the door and attacked his wife.
Dumani tried to hide under the bed, but Tshuma pushed it away and opened fire and shot her five times, then Tshuma fled from the scene leaving her wife for dead.
The village headman Marudo Ndlovu, confirmed the shooting that took place on Wednesday night as it was reported by Moyo.
Ndlovu said he rushed to Moyo’s homestead and found Dumani lying on the floor in a pool of blood and unconscious,while her three children were wailing by her side.
“I quickly called a neighbour who has a car and we ferried Dumani to Ntoli Clinic and she was then referred to Plumtree Hospital. When I arrived at the homestead Tshuma was nowhere to be seen,” Ndlovu said.
Moyo, Dumani’s mother said her daughter arrived at her home from her marriage in Tsholotsho complaining that she and her husband were always quarrelling. She never disclosed the cause of their arguments except citing that they were having marital problems
“My daughter arrived together with her three children told me that her husband had been threatening to kill her. She requested to live with me until the matter was settled,” Moyo said.
Talking about the day his daughter was shot she said his son in law arrived and banged loudly on the kitchen door.
“We woke up to the sound of banging against the kitchen door. Then there was a bang on our bedroom door a few minutes later and we asked who it was but there was no response,” said Moyo.
She said when the bedroom door was knocked down she saw her son- in-law standing there holding a gun and a torch .Moyo described the incident as a horrifying ordeal for her family, and said she tried to stop him from harming her daughter but she was pushed to the ground.
Moyo said Tshuma approached her daughter who tried to hide under a bed, but her agitated son in law threw off the bed and started firing at her.
“I assume that Tshuma believed that he had killed my daughter because after shooting at her he said ‘sengiqedile ngawe nja’ (I am done with you dog)”, narrated Moyo.
After the incident Moyo said that she had to  gather her courage to get help for her daughter whom she said is now admitted and fighting for her life at United Bulawayo Hospitals .
She described the whole incident as traumatic and terrifying especially to her grandchildren who witnessed their father brutally firing shots at their mother.

As a State Media ambush on former Zanu PF Secretary for Administration, Didymus Mutasa, continued, Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday dismissed Mutasa as a sick man who cannot be taken seriously.
Mnangagwa who was speaking at the Zanu PF Midlands Provincial Coordinating Committee in Gweru said contrary to Mutasa’s misplaced sentiments, the 6th National People’s Congress was democratic.
Mutasa’s political career continues to disintegrate with the Acting President Mnangagwa being the latest to tear into his battered image.
Mnangagwa described Mutasa as a sick man who is discrediting the congress despite inviting the people himself.
“No one is above the party’s constitution and principles…loyalty and perseverance are key for one to rise in Zanu PF,” said Mnangagwa.
Mutasa’s constituency wants him recalled while Manicaland province wants him expelled from the party.
Zanu PF National Political Commissar Saviour Kasukuwere told the PCC the politburo will not stand in the way of people’s wishes.
Meanwhile, Mnangagwa said the party should demonstrate unity at the by-elections by winning resoundingly.
Elections will be held in Chirumanzu-Zibagwe constituency which fell vacant after its legislator Mnangagwa was elevated to be vice president.
The other by-election will be held in Mt Darwin West following former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru’s removal from government. – State Media

Community based organisations condemn police action in Chisumbanje
A group of community based organisations has rapped police heavy handedness when they descended on defenceless villagers from Chisumbanje involved in a land dispute.
The Alliance of Community Based Organisations accused the police of using tear smoke on the villagers who are claiming what they insist is their land from Green Fuel, a fuel producing company based in Chisumbanje.
“We are appealing to the police and Zimbabwe National Army who are reportedly now a permanent feature in (the) Chisumbanje disputed land to retreat from torturing unarmed innocent citizens and families, and treat them with the human dignity they deserve as guaranteed in the constitution of Zimbabwe, until a lasting solution to this problem is found.
“The villagers have not been informed through proper government structures that they should stop using their plots and farmland. There is no question, however, about the unacceptability of the police to resort to use of force,” reads part of the solidarity statement.
According to the statement, Chisumbanje police descended on the Chinyamukwakwa and Chisumbanje communities from December 27, 2014, barring them from tilling their land because of the unresolved boundary dispute with Green Fuel.
Affected villagers sorely depend on the land for livelihoods. Police have since barred them from planting crops.
“The police reacted violently and beat up the unarmed villagers who were not even protesting, but only doing what they have been doing for years, to earn a living from subsistence farming.
“Police is expected to protect civilians in the face of such unresolved disputes until the matter is resolved at the courts of law. We are greatly concerned about the rights and livelihoods of women, children, youth and the generality of the farming communities affected by the wrangle,” said the alliance.
Some10 villagers have since been arrested and on January 8, 2015, prosecutors at Chipinge Magistrates Court and lawyers dismissed the case on grounds that it was irresolvable.
“On the Chisumbanje-Green Fuel dispute, we expect government to intervene and bring the dispute to finality as any further delay will have a huge impact on the already compromised livelihoods of the Chinyamukwakwa and Chisumbanje communities.
“Already, because of the current wrangle, some villagers have failed to plant any crops and this will result in hunger and starvation among the affected families,” said the CBOs.
The dispute between villagers and Green Fuel has been dragging on for the past five years.
The alliance called on the state and non-governmental organisations in Chipinge to facilitate training programmes on non-violent conflict resolution mechanisms.
Involved parties were urged to get into an all-stakeholder dialogue as initially suggested by the Platform for Youth Development. – The Zimbabwean

• Grace offloads lions, elephants and hyenas right next to the poor orphans.
• Lions will be separated from children by a mere fence

The blatant lies by senior Zanu PF political figures and government officials regarding Manzou Farm in Mazowe are finally over after the minister of State for Provincial Affairs for Mashonaland Central, Martin Dinha, finally confirmed that the farm will be given to First Lady Grace Mugabe after all, who will run it as a wildlife sanctuary and will now offload lions, cheetahs, elephants and hyenas right next to the poor orphans she claims to be keeping.
The lions and other ferrocious beasts which include hyenas and cheetahs, will only be separated by a fence. This also comes at a time when there have been numerous lion attack deaths in the country caused by compromised fences. Moreoever the latest wildlife safety reports have revealed lions can jump zoo fences with ease. A brief tour of Grace’s orphanage (pictured below) shows it is an open area easily pernetrable. But this is besides the point:

All this has confirmed widespread reports all along that Grace will replace the poor families of Manzou with wild animals.
In a sudden about-turn on Wednesday night, Dinha confirmed that Grace had applied for a licence to run an animal sanctuary and had been duly awarded the vast and fertile farm bordering her other multi-million business and farming interests in the area.
He did not say how much this project of moving animals to the farm and repairing infrastructure such as the fencing would cost, and whether Grace would pay for all this.
Hundreds of desperate families have already been removed from the farm, notwithstanding a court order barring the police from ejecting the poor peasants.
“Affirmatively, the first lady has applied for a permit to run part of  Manzou. We have recommended that she be given a permit,” the exposed Dinha told VOA’s Studio 7 — after spending days denying that the controversial, illegal and callous evictions were for the benefit of Grace.
He said by next week, the National Parks department would have already released lions and elephants onto the farm.
“As we speak, the Department of National Parks is already putting a fence and by Monday next week lions and elephants will be on that farm.”
Last week, heavily armed police descended on Manzou Farm, indiscriminately and arbitrarily demolishing homes, slashing crops and setting on fire personal belongings of the villagers.
At the time Dinha, along with Zanu PF, denied vehemently that the First Family was in any way involved in the evictions, arguing falsely and rather self-servingly that Grace was a “philanthropist” who would never destroy people’s livelihoods.
This was after High Court Judge Erica Ndewere had on Monday granted a provisional order stopping the evictions if no alternative places of residence were not availed by the state.
A chorus of condemnation to the callous removals, including the displacement of children from their school, as well as the wanton destruction of crops and property, had fallen on deaf ears.
In his new tune, Dinha claimed yesterday that 1 200 families from Manzou had already been resettled, and that only a handful of people were resisting the resettlement.
“These people are mischievous. We have already found them land to settle elsewhere and they are trying to stop us. The relief they got from the High Court was only temporary and not final,” he said.
Former Justice deputy minister and Mazowe South legislator, Fortune Chasi, told the Daily News last week that the government needed to be sensitive to the plight of the affected families.
“I have been to my constituency and have witnessed evidence of the displaced people. Given that the atmosphere is charged and tense, I was unable to do anything.
“There were armed police evicting people and what can I do under those circumstances as I become powerless since the whole matter involves the First Family,” Chasi said.
Grace, in her vitriolic attacks on Chasi in August last year, accused the legislator of “terrorising” her in the area, where she owns a number of farms and runs her Amai Grace Mugabe Children’s Home.
She also disclosed then, and the video of this is available on YouTube, that she wanted the Manzou Farm.
“Zvazvakaita ndakaita apply pane conservancy iri kuseri uko (said to be Manzou) which was being run by the whites,” she said. “Ndikangoona yakagara, then I applied to use it to raise mari yekuchengeta vana pano apa ndobva ndapiwa tsamba inini.
“Saka vanhu vakangozvigarisa vaichera chera imomo vakanzi vabude, iye (Chasi) akati ‘muri kuvaburitsirei? Mugabe nemukadzi wake vari kuda kutora land yese.’ Akaenda kucourt nevanhu vaye kuti kana hazvimboite.
“Iye akapiwa farm naVa(Martin) Dinha akariramba. Akatengwa nemurungu akapiwa mari akati handiride,” she said.
(I applied for a conservancy in this area (Manzou) which was being run by whites. I had seen it lying idle and I applied to use it to raise money to look after children at the Mazowe Children’s Home and I was given an offer letter by authorities. The people who were squatting on that conservancy were then ordered off the property, but Chasi queried why these people were being kicked off the land. He alleged that Mugabe and his wife wanted to take all the land. Chasi went to court with these squatters to resist the takeover of the conservancy. But he was given land by Martin Dinha and he refused because he had been given money by the white owner. – VOA/ Daily News/ ZimEye

Bulawayo – Pastor Tapiwa Maponga, a founding Director of Educate a Child Foundation, a Bulawayo based non-profit making organisation, was on Monday captured by ZimEye.com lenses buying school uniforms and paying school fees for orphans he adopted in December last year, after he was touched by a news article on the dumping of orphans by the City Council.
The orphans and their guardians have thanked journalists for uncovering their plight and also for the assistance in touching the pastor’s heart. “Thank you ZimEye for your determination in assisting us, God bless you and the man of God Pastor Maponga,” said Mrs Ndlovu of Sidojiwe.

The Bulawayo based and Masvingo born man of the cloth yesterday paid school fees and bought school uniforms for the orphans and also promised to improve on their upkeep, as soon as he secures more funding from well-wishers.
“When I read about this sad story from your publication last year, I made efforts to visit the mentioned places, and found out that there are kids with the ability to go to school. I worked hard to ensure that their basic right is filled. I also visited Sidojiwe flats where a good number of orphans are staying and also found heart breaking scenarios. I will soon be taking the fight to help the orphans acquire birth certificates with relevant authorities,” said Pastor Maponga.
Last year ZimEye.com carried a story on the dumping of street children at Bulawayo’s biggest dumping site. Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo, vehemently denied ever carrying that exercise, but a quick early morning visit to the area found hundreds of street children dumped, with a number of vagrants also dumped there, in what the city fathers claim is an effort to clean the city while they were preparing for the just ended youth games.
Pastor Maponga who has taken it upon himself to attend to the needs of the disadvantaged, has now gone on a fundraising preparation, that will attract a good number of churches and well-wishers to commit themselves to his noble cause.
The Pastor has since paid school fees for the first group of Sidojiwe and Ngozi dumpsite orphans, with some still waiting to acquire birth certificates soon.

The MDC condemns the reported statement by Obert Mpofu to a gathering of Zanu PF supporters in Binga to the effect that the people of Binga District would be denied development assistance because they have consistently voted for the MDC since the year 2000.
In a democracy, national leaders have a fundamental obligation to respect the electoral views of all Citizens – no matter how diverging. Not only has Mpofu violated this principle, but in doing so, he is also violating the spirit and the terms of the new National Constitution.
However, his remarks simply confirm what the MDC has said for many years, that Zanu PF deliberately restricts the provision of essential services, food aid, social support and infrastructure maintenance and development in those areas of the country that do not support their Party.
Matabeleland and Masvingo Provinces have suffered at the hands of Zanu PF since they came to power in 1980. Every town and city that has voted for the MDC since 2000 has been actively discriminated against in the distribution of national resources.
The people of Binga will not be swayed by his threats and the MDC will continue to serve the people of those Districts where they hold elected positions, no matter what their political affiliation. Zanu PF supporters in MDC Districts need never fear that they will be marginalized or their needs neglected by the MDC in any way. When an MDC leader is elected by a Ward or District they are instructed to serve all the people of their Districts and Wards without regard to their Party affiliation.
It is time that Zanu PF recognised the days of power based on patronage, threats and coercion are over in Zimbabwe. The people are going to judge leaders and parties by their fruits. National resources are for all Zimbabweans – not just the blinkered followers of Zanu PF, any national leader who deliberately withholds national resources and development from the people, for whatever reason, is violating the most fundamental principles of his or her office. In an MDC led Zimbabwe this kind of behavior will not be tolerated.
MDC: Equal Opportunities for All
Hon Eddie Cross
MDC Secretary for Local Government

A 29 year old bodyguard at Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Midlands farm recently died after President Robert Mugabe’s deputy reportedly accused him of snooping for Joice Mujuru, an online report says.
Nehanda Radio indicated that its sources informed the online publication that Kudzai Celeb Chirenje from the Central Intelligence Organisation’s close security arm was apparently murdered and dumped in a bushy area along Munyati River near Kwekwe on Tuesday.
He was stationed at Sherwood Farm in the Midlands city.
His phone was reportedly seized from him and “incriminating” evidence found that he was spying for Mujuru, Mnangagwa’s bitter foe in the Zanu (PF) succession battle.
She was dramatically removed from her position at the ruling party’s congress in December last year and replaced by Mnangagwa.
The suspected murder is said to have occurred two days after Chirenje was reportedly involved in a heated argument with Mnangagwa.
The online stable also reported that Chirenje is the third security operative working under Mnangagwa to die this month alone.
Mugabe’s current VP, nicknamed Ngwena (Crocodile) is a feared man.
He was in charge of Mugabe’s election campaign in 2008 when scores of people linked to the opposition MDC were murdered in a June runoff. – Agencies