By-Zanu PF has declared war against the opposition if its leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa loses this year’s elections.

The party’s secretary for security, Lovemore Matuke, declared that they would never relinquish power even if the opposition is declared the winner.

Matuke said this over the weekend in Masvingo where the party held its provincial co-ordinating committee meeting.
Matuke bragged that Zanu PF had already won the elections.
“We have an absolute win this year, we have already set our ball rolling and we are winning the elections without fail,” he bragged.
“We want to win it in a peaceful way. We will never dream of losing elections that we already won. There is nothing called losing an election in Zanu PF. We are focusing on how we will lead Zimbabwe after elections, and we cannot lose an election. I will not comment about power transfer. Zanu PF will be giving it to whom? We have to consolidate our power. People died and some disappeared for the country’s liberation.”
The country is set to hold harmonised elections in July or August this year.
Zanu PF Masvingo provincial chairperson Robson Mavengengwa said the ruling party was confident that it would get over 600 000 votes in Masvingo province alone.
In response, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) national spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said the opposition party would challenge any breaches of the Constitution pertaining to smooth transfer of power in the event of an opposition victory in this year’s elections.
“We are going to leave no constitutional stone unturned in the fight to win Zimbabwe for change and install ethical leaders and a competent government led by Nelson Chamisa,” Mahere said.
Political analyst Rashweat Mukundu said: “The Constitution of Zimbabwe must be respected and Zanu PF must hand over power to any newly-elected government. Any resistance will be dealt with using the law. Involvement of the international community is another strategy by the opposition for peaceful transition.” Newsday

By-Former MDC legislator Eddie Cross said that former First Lady Grace Mugabe bankrolled opposition leader Nelson Chamisa’s 2018 presidential bid.

During the 2018 harmonised elections, Chamisa contested under the MDC Alliance ticket but now leads the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party, an outfit he created in January last year after being elbowed out of MDC Alliance by Douglas Mwonzora.
The 2018 elections were held after the removal from power of the late former President Robert Mugabe by President Emmerson Mnangagwa through a military-assisted coup.
Addressing a Chief Executive Officers Roundtable meeting in Harare last week, Cross, who is also former MDC opposition legislator (Bulawayo South) said in 2018 Mnangagwa faced opposition from everybody.
“Mrs Mugabe financed Chamisa so that he defeats Emmerson and eventually Emmerson abandoned everything and concentrated on winning the elections, and thank God he did because if he hadn’t spent the next four or five months fighting the elections, he could have lost the election. As it is, he won it by 300 000 votes, and when he won that election, he then sorted the problems inside his government — all 20 ministers were Emmerson’s people,” Cross said.
But CCC deputy spokesperson Gift “Ostallos” Siziba said: “Eddie is trying by all means to be more Zanu than Zanu PF people themselves. He is a delusional man who will do anything to get a seat in the gravy train.”
Added Cross: “It was all in that meeting with Members of Parliament (to impeach Mugabe in 2017) and in 15 minutes we couldn’t get out of the hotel. There were a quarter of a million people outside that hotel. I couldn’t push the door to find my way out. It was the response of the people that legitimised the change of government. I tried to go to the rally in Highfields that day, but we could not get within three miles, it was just packed with millions of people.
“Sadc [Southern African Development Community] observers came and flew around in a helicopter and they saw what was going on the ground and went back to the State House and they said to Mugabe, it’s over, the people have spoken and it was the people’s response to the coup which legitimised the change of government.”
Cross said the country incurred a huge deficit during Mugabe’s reign, and money was printed to cover the deficit.
He said Zimbabwe’s fiscal deficit was 40% of the budget which prompted Mugabe’s administration to continue printing money.
Cross said after winning the 2013 elections against MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai at the end of the four-year inclusive government, Mugabe re-assumed full control of government and accrued a debilitating fiscal deficit.
“By 2017, the fiscal deficit was 40% of the budget, how do you run a country like that? We had US$23 million in our bank accounts which we called United States dollars but it wasn’t United States dollars. It was there because Mugabe was printing money to cover the deficit. We were headed for the rocks again and that was when Mnangagwa decided the change of government was necessary, and on the 17th of November, the transition took place. I was actually still in Parliament. I sat at the Harare International Conference Centre waiting to impeach the old man, and then in walked a messenger with Mugabe’s letter of resignation,” Cross said. Newsday

By-A senior Zanu PF official has announced that the ruling party has already won this year’s general elections and will never relinquish power even if the opposition is declared the winner.

Zanu PF secretary for security, Lovemore Matuke said this over the weekend in Masvingo where the party held its provincial co-ordinating committee meeting.
Matuke bragged that Zanu PF had already won the elections.
“We have an absolute win this year, we have already set our ball rolling and we are winning the elections without fail,” he bragged.
“We want to win it in a peaceful way. We will never dream of losing elections that we already won. There is nothing called losing an election in Zanu PF. We are focusing on how we will lead Zimbabwe after elections, and we cannot lose an election. I will not comment about power transfer. Zanu PF will be giving it to whom? We have to consolidate our power. People died and some disappeared for the country’s liberation.”
The country is set to hold harmonised elections in July or August this year.
Zanu PF Masvingo provincial chairperson Robson Mavengengwa said the ruling party was confident that it would get over 600 000 votes in Masvingo province alone.
In response, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) national spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said the opposition party would challenge any breaches of the Constitution pertaining to smooth transfer of power in the event of an opposition victory in this year’s elections.
“We are going to leave no constitutional stone unturned in the fight to win Zimbabwe for change and install ethical leaders and a competent government led by Nelson Chamisa,” Mahere said.
Political analyst Rashweat Mukundu said: “The Constitution of Zimbabwe must be respected and Zanu PF must hand over power to any newly-elected government. Any resistance will be dealt with using the law. Involvement of the international community is another strategy by the opposition for peaceful transition.” Newsday

By Farai D Hove | Film maker Hopewell Chin’ono’s comments to a suspected ZANU PF spy accusing CCC leader Nelson Chamisa of failing to tell supporters to go register to vote, were on Monday disproved as evidence emerged that Chamisa has done very opposite over a thousand times.

In a 33 minute audio which went viral, Chin’ono is heard saying, the CCC is splitting and Chamisa is incompetent because he has failed to tell people to go register to vote.

“He(Chamisa) spends time tweeting Bible verses instead of telling people go register to vote,” says Chin’ono to the man, audibly identified as Bruce.

Chin’ono then says, ” he himself (Chamisa) did not even come out to tell people to go register.”

A large database of live videos shows that in 2022, alone, Chamisa personally commissioned 964 meetings, and he is on various footage loudly urging and ordering people to go register to vote. 62 of these meetings were either disrupted of cancelled by ZANU PF authorities and some violently crushed. Many party members were killed during Chamisa’s campaigns for people to register to vote.

Chin’ono would later in January publicly announce on Twitter that the CCC and its leader, Chamisa, have not launched any voter registration campaign programs.

“The opposition hasn’t yet mounted an official voter registration campaign, yet it wants power.

“On this day, nothing has changed yet from yesterday, 2022,” he said on Twitter on 1 Jan 2023.

Chin’ono has confirmed the viral 33 minute audio as he joined his colleague Kuda Musasiwa on Twitter in saying there is no new information in the leaked audio.

“Vanopenga ava Mhofu! The level of desperation is embarrassing!,” said Chin’ono conjoining to, ” It’s absolute stupidity that someone “leaks” voice recording of @daddyhope when his free thoughts are always freely available on his personal timeline. When I want to know what Daddy Hope thinks I’ll look at his timeline. Not some clandestine “sting” with zero new information!”

To this, Musasiwa then said Chin’ono should not be afraid to speak his mind.

“Absolute madness. I have never seen you afraid to speak for yourself.

“Any(way) f*** them. Desperation,” he wrote.

VIDEO BELOW

By Farai D Hove | Has the ZANU propagandist Rutendo Matinyarare flown to Europe? The activist on 31st January published a photograph of himself tucked outside a European train station.

While it was not clear what in the world the man is up to in Zurich, he announced teasing his followers on social media with the phrase: “where am I?”

Tinashe Sambiri|CCC change champion and Member of Parliament Amos Chibaya has donated building materials to a church in Mkoba, Gweru.

Chibaya has remained defiant despite relentless persecution from the Zanu PF regime.

On Monday CCC’s Makomborero Haruzivishe described Chibaya as a dedicated and resilient champion.

“Appreciation tweet to change champion Amos Chibaya.

His resilience is true definition that arrests by ZanuPf make us stronger.

Released from jail to attending the burial of Champion Garatsa in Buhera & donating building materials to a church in Mkoba,Gweru – all in one weekend…”

By A Correspondent- A 21 year old man from Chidende Village in Hwedza has appeared before Marondera Magistrate Court Mr Ignatius Mhene facing allegations of rɑp!ng an 11-year-old girl who was on her way to school.

Prosecuting, Ms Sharmaine Mwangira told the court that on January 23, the minor was on her way to school and the accused, Moses Munyoro (21) who was dressed like woman while covering his face with a cloth, approached the complainant and dragged her into a bushy and hilly area.

The court also heard that the accused covered the juvenile’s mouth with a piece of cloth and drew a knife before he instructed her to removǝ her clothes.

He rɑpǝd her until he heard voices of the complainant’s mother and her neighbour calling out the complainant’s name.

Upon hearing voices, Munyoro relieved himself and exposed his face.

By-Former CID official, Jaison Muvevi, has lost two luxury cars to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) on the suspicion that he skipped tax.

The police are also investigating an attempted rape case against Muvevi.
A background check on Muvevi by the Standard revealed that he has a pending court case of attempted rape.
They said the former Central Investigations Department officer, who was in the minerals department and was once deployed at the rich Chiadzwa diamond fields, allegedly attempted to rape a real estate agency employee who was showing him a house for rent.
Muvevi allegedly tried to lure the woman with money while in the house, but was turned down.
He allegedly attempted to force himself on the woman, but she managed to escape and report the case.
“The matter is still pending before the courts,” the source disclosed.
His lawyer in the case refused to comment.
The attempted rape case allegedly happened when Muvevi was looking for a house to rent in Harare after he abandoned his family in Zvishavane last year.
He was allegedly running away from his landlord, who is a medical doctor, after he failed to repay a US$20 000 loan. The landlord reported him to the police.
“The police, who went to him after the doctor reported him to the police discovered that he had two vehicles, a 2017 Land Cruiser S200 and a Toyota Fortuner GD6,” one of his family members said.
The police officers raised alarm and Zimra investigations revealed that duty for his cars was undervalued.
The duty for the Land Cruiser, which often ranges between US$40 000 and US$50 000, was pegged at US$20 000.
Zimra seized the car towards the end of last year, while the Toyota Fortuner had been taken earlier.
The authority refused to comment on Muvevi’s cars citing confidentiality issues.
“Client specific information is protected under the secrecy provisions of the Customs and Excise Act and Revenue Authority Act,” Zimra spokesperson Gladman Njanji told Standard People.
-Standard

By A Correspondent- Economist and former opposition legislator Eddie Cross has claimed that former First Lady Grace Mugabe bankrolled opposition leader Nelson Chamisa’s 2018 presidential bid.

During the 2018 harmonised elections, Chamisa contested under the MDC Alliance ticket, but now leads the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party, an outfit he created in January last year after being elbowed out of MDC Alliance by Douglas Mwonzora.

The 2018 elections were held after the removal from power of the late former President Robert Mugabe by President Emmerson Mnangagwa through a military-assisted coup.

Addressing a Chief Executive Officers Roundtable meeting in Harare last week, Cross, who is also former MDC opposition legislator (Bulawayo South) said in 2018 Mnangagwa faced opposition from everybody.

“Mrs Mugabe financed Chamisa so that he defeats Emmerson and eventually Emmerson abandoned everything and concentrated on winning the elections, and thank God he did because if he hadn’t spent the next four or five months fighting the elections, he could have lost the election. As it is, he won it by 300 000 votes, and when he won that election, he then sorted the problems inside his government — all 20 ministers were Emmerson’s people,” Cross said.

But CCC deputy spokesperson Gift “Ostallos” Siziba said: “Eddie is trying by all means to be more Zanu than Zanu PF people themselves. He is a delusional man who will do anything to get a seat in the gravy train.”

Added Cross: “It was all in that meeting with Members of Parliament (to impeach Mugabe in 2017) and in 15 minutes we couldn’t get out of the hotel. There were a quarter of a million people outside that hotel. I couldn’t push the door to find my way out. It was the response of the people that legitimised the change of government. I tried to go to the rally in Highfields that day, but we could not get within three miles, it was just packed with millions of people.

Sadc [Southern African Development Community] observers came and flew around in a helicopter and they saw what was going on the ground and went back to the State House and they said to Mugabe, it’s over, the people have spoken and it was the people’s response to the coup which legitimised the change of government.”

Cross said the country incurred a huge deficit during Mugabe’s reign, and money was printed to cover the deficit.

He said Zimbabwe’s fiscal deficit was 40% of the budget which prompted Mugabe’s administration to continue printing money.

Cross said after winning the 2013 elections against MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai at the end of the four-year inclusive government, Mugabe re-assumed full control of government and accrued a debilitating fiscal deficit.

“By 2017, the fiscal deficit was 40% of the budget, how do you run a country like that? We had US$23 million in our bank accounts which we called United States dollars but it wasn’t United States dollars. It was there because Mugabe was printing money to cover the deficit. We were headed for the rocks again and that was when Mnangagwa decided the change of government was necessary, and on the 17th of November, the transition took place. I was actually still in Parliament. I sat at the Harare International Conference Centre waiting to impeach the old man, and then in walked a messenger with Mugabe’s letter of resignation,” Cross said.

— NewsDay

By A Correspondent- Most polygam0us families have distinct household problems, usually stemming from jeal0us co-wives.

Due to this jealous, two Mutasa women who are in a polygam0us mɑrriɑge are at each other’s throats, resulting in the senior wife applying for a protection order against her husband’s second wife.

The junior wife, Linda Bonyongwa, who was once the family’s domestic worker before she was imprǝgnated by her employer’s husband, stands accused of insulting the first wife and destroying Rutendo Mudumo’s property.

She also stands accused of looting groceries from Mudumo’s Manica Bridge shop.

Mudumo approached the Mutare Civil Magistrate Court applying for a protection order against Bonyongwa.

Mudumo said Bonyongwa is disturbing her peace by insulting her over the phone and sometimes visiting her place of residence to insult and humiliate her in the presence of other people.

“Bonyongwa was our maid for five years before she was imprǝgnated by my husband. She left her employment and my husband secured her alternative accommodation. My husband would visit her occasionally until he formalised their union, with Bonyongwa becoming his second official wife.

After that, Bonyongwa started calling me over the phone to insult me. She is also in the habit of visiting my shop ad taking groceries without paying. When I ask her to pay for the groceries, she refuses, saying it is our husband’s shop and that she should also benefit. She says she cannot starve when there is food in the shop,” said Mudumo.

She said it was not her first time to apply for a protection order against Bonyongwa.

“I have been in this court before applying for protection orders against Bonyongwa. She abides by the protection orders, but starts harassing me again as soon as they lapse. I am pleading with this court to stop her from coming to my shop to take my groceries, harass and insult me. She should also not disturb my peace. If she wants her own shop, then our husband should open one for her,” said Mudumo.

Bonyongwa defaulted the court hearing and a default protection order was granted in Mudumo’s favour by Mutare magistrate, Mr Xavier Chipato.

The protection order is valid for five years and Bonyongwa was ordered not to insult, harass and disturb Mudumo’s peace.

The order also bars her from going to the Mberi shop at Manica Bridge which belongs to Mudumo.

— Manica Post

 By A Correspondent- Top Zanu PF official has claimed that the ruling party has already won this year’s general elections and will never relinquish power even if the opposition is declared winner.

Zanu PF secretary for security, Lovemore Matuke said this over the weekend in Masvingo where the party held its provincial co-ordinating committee meeting.

Matuke bragged that Zanu PF had already won the elections.

“We have an absolute win this year, we have already set our ball rolling and we are winning the elections without fail,” he bragged.

“We want to win it in a peaceful way. We will never dream of losing elections that we already won. There is nothing called losing an election in Zanu PF. We are focusing on how we will lead Zimbabwe after elections, and we cannot lose an election. I will not comment about power transfer. Zanu PF will be giving it to whom? We have to consolidate our power. People died and some disappeared for the country’s liberation.”

The country is set to hold harmonised elections in July or August this year.

Zanu PF Masvingo provincial chairperson Robson Mavengengwa said the ruling party was confident that it would get over 600 000 votes in Masvingo province alone.

In response, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) national spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said the opposition party would challenge any breaches of the Constitution pertaining to smooth transfer of power in the event of an opposition victory in this year’s elections.

We are going to leave no constitutional stone unturned in the fight to win Zimbabwe for change and install ethical leaders and a competent government led by Nelson Chamisa,” Mahere said.

Political analyst Rashweat Mukundu said: “The Constitution of Zimbabwe must be respected and Zanu PF must hand over power to any newly-elected government. Any resistance will be dealt with using the law. Involvement of the international community is another strategy by the opposition for peaceful transition.”

Tinashe Sambiri|CCC leader President Nelson Chamisa has pledged to end the incessant brain drain bedeviling the country.

The CCC leader on Saturday described brain drain as a worrying trend.

“Those who are leaving ZIMBABWE out of our sad & bad circumstances, please get ready to be coming back soon.

Those who are unsure &doubtful, trust our compass and method.Only if you knew what I know! We will turn this country exciting & great in no time! @ANewGreatZimbabwePlan,” President Chamisa said in a statement.

“THANK YOU FELLOW CITIZENS.. So, I went into this shop and this…I don’t take your love and affection for granted. Wherever I go I see this wholesome, awesome, refreshing and humbling love ..God bless you! #OnePeople #HappyAgain #Godisinit,” he added.

By-Gunmen killed eight people and wounded three others at a birthday party in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, police said, adding that manhunt was underway to find the killers.

The mass shooting was carried out by two attackers and occurred between 5:15 and 5:30 p.m. (1515 and 1530 GMT) on Sunday at a house in Kwazakele, Gqeberha, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement.
The gunmen fled after the attack, and no arrests have been made, the police said. Investigations into the circumstances and possible motives for the attack were ongoing. Police have not named the victims, but confirmed that the owner of the house was among them.
“These victims were killed by criminals, and we will not rest until we find out what happened and who was responsible for (this) callous and cold-blooded attack on these unsuspecting victims,” said Eastern Cape SAPS Commissioner Nomthetheleli Lillian Mene.
The latest incident follows a spate of mass shootings last year that shocked the nation. In July, gunmen killed 19 people in random shootings within hours of each other

By- The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairperson, Justice Priscilla Chigumba, has targeted seven commissioners, who refused to sign the electoral body’s preliminary delimitation report presented to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Parliament.

The “rebellious” seven — Rosewita Murutare, Kudzai Shava, Jane Mbetu-Nzvenga, Shepherd Manhivi, Abigail Mohadi, Jasper Mangwana and Catherine Mpofu — wrote to Mnangagwa and Parliament accusing Chigumba and her deputy, Rodney Simukai Kiwa of unilaterally imposing the draft delimitation report on the electoral body, resulting in them disowning the whole process.
Their letter, attached to a Constitutional Court challenge by Tonderai Chidawa in which Parliament is a respondent, partly reads: “Recognising the need to guarantee the integrity of the delimitation process through non-deviation from considerations that are laid out under section 161(6) of the Constitution; further recognising that the 2023 harmonised elections should be conducted in the next few months, and the need for the Constitution to create a voters roll that resonates with the new boundaries, this is impossible with the remaining time; concerned that the current draft delimitation proposal does not meet the minimum standards expected regarding transparent procedures that strengthen stakeholders’ confidence and dispel potential gerrymandering allegations; and further concerned that the current draft delimitation proposal is not people-centred and not in an understandable format. We hereby resolve to: Put aside the current draft delimitation proposal except as a reference point for a proper delimitation process to be conducted and wholly guided by the Commissioners after the 2023 harmonised elections.”
The Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee on the Analysis of the Zec 2022 Preliminary Report on Delimitation Exercise identified several inconsistencies and irregularities that the commission should address before presenting the final delimitation report.
Sources say the seven commissioners had hoped that Mnangagwa and Parliament would reject the report in its entirety without making any recommendations which would have a serious negative indictment on Chigumba and her deputy.
However, this did not happen after both the President and Parliament instead made some recommendations: A green light for her to rework the controversial draft delimitation report which has also been roundly criticised by both ordinary Zimbabweans and constitutional experts.
Chigumba, who has been nicknamed the Iron Lady by staffers at the electoral body, is said to be unperturbed by the failed palace coup by the seven commissioners and has reportedly turned the swords against them.
“Chigumba is well versed in the process since she is a judge. She was not disturbed by their move to discredit her. Commissioners such as Manhivi, who is a registered legal practitioner with a law degree, and holds other two additional degrees in administration and international relations; and Mpofu, who is a language, communications specialist and peace practitioner and have experience working with the public, media and civil society from the legislative arm of the State, should be taking a leading role in the report, but have not been consulted,” a source said.
Other commissioners, Mangwana, who is an IT specialist, Mbetu-Nzvenga a psychologist, Marutare a social scientist and Shava a disability specialist, would naturally have a peripheral role in the delimitation report.

“It’s not happening, they are just redundant now,” the source added.
Mangwana said his hands were tied to comment on the issue.
“Please talk to Zec chief executive officer Utloile Silaigwana,” he said.
Silaigwana asked NewsDay to send questions in writing, but he had not responded to them by the time of going to print.
Chigumba is now said to be relying more on the Zec secretariat to finish the recommendations within the timeframe provided by the Constitution.
Recently, Chigumba revealed that she summoned Zec provincial and district officers to work 12-hour shifts in a bid to satisfy Mnangagwa and Parliament’s recommendations.
“I have just received this report from His Excellency, the President, in terms of the Constitution which entitles him to raise some concerns with the preliminary delimitation report and to forward his concerns to Zec. His concerns have been duly received and at the moment, we have convened all the district election officers and provincial election officers in Harare. Over the weekend, they were working on the report from the ad-hoc committee from Parliament,” Chigumba said last week Monday after receiving recommendations from Mnangagwa.
“I am sure tonight they will be working in 12-hour shifts on the report from His Excellency, the President. We are working urgently because time is of the essence. We were supposed to work on the final delimitation report to be gazetted by the President before a certain date for us to use these boundaries for the 2023 harmonised elections. What we expect is that sometime next week, we will have a draft ready which will be the privilege of the President to review before we print a final report which he will then gazette at his convenience,” she added.
Constitutional law expert and Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) chairperson Lovemore Madhuku last week addressed a Press conference as the Polad Governance and Legislative Agenda committee chairperson, where he said the squabbles characterising the internal governance of Zec were of concern.
“Zec is a corporate body consisting of nine commissioners. Under no circumstances may Zec operate or purport to work without the collective position of all commissioners. The delimitation process cannot be the work of one or two commissioners. There must be evidence that all commissioners are involved at every stage of the delimitation report,” Madhuku said.
Legal and constitutional think-tank Veritas says even if section 161(9) of the Constitution stipulates that once the preliminary report has been referred back to Zec for further consideration of any matter, this does not mean that the electoral body should disregard the Constitution.
“Zec’s decisions are final and conclusive in matters where Zec can exercise a discretion — for instance to draw a boundary in order to take account of particular physical features or to reflect community of interest between voters — but in matters of constitutionality, Zec has no discretion: The final delimitation report must comply with the Constitution. Hence if Parliament correctly points out that Zec has used an unconstitutional formula to calculate differences in voter numbers between constituencies and wards, Zec must correct its mistake. It has no discretion in the matter,” Veritas said.
It also said once Zec has made the necessary corrections to its report, it should submit a final report to Mnangagwa as soon as possible (section 161(10) of the Constitution), and the President should publish the final report in the Gazette within 14 days (section 161(11)).
“We observed in previous bulletins that Zec’s disregard of the correct formula for calculating differences in voter numbers means that many constituencies and wards in the preliminary report are above and below the 20% limits,” Veritas said.
“Correcting these errors will entail substantially revising the report. And Zec will also have to look at the other points raised by Parliament’s ad hoc committee: the failure to consult chiefs, for example, and lack of clarity in the maps. All this will take time, and the time available is short. We hope Zec will be able to meet the deadline, because the credibility of this year’s general election depends on it.” Newsday

By- The Ministry of Health has announced a rise in new Covid-19 cases.

The ministry says a total of 123 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in the country on Friday, bringing the number of active cases to 1 212.

The new cases brought the cumulative total to 261 952, of which there have been 255 084 recoveries and 5 656 deaths since Covid-19 hit the country in 2020.
Out of 2 021 tests conducted on Friday, Mashonaland East reported the highest number of cases with 48, followed by Manicaland and Masvingo with 22 and 10 cases respectively.
A total of 6 596 309, people have received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, 4 960 627 second dose and 1 299 645 the booster shot.
The Ministry said Covid-19 vaccination, which was introduced in March 2021, will continue until all eligible people are vaccinated and protected.
“The service remains available at all health facilities when there are no mass vaccination campaigns. From time to time the Ministry of Health and Child Care conducts mass vaccination campaigns in different communities,” the Ministry said.
Chief coordinator for the National Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Agnes Mahomva, said the country has enough vaccines for all those eligible for vaccination.
“We are observing an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases. As Government, our message hasn’t changed; we continue to urge people to get vaccinated as that is the only effective way to safeguard ourselves from this pandemic,” she said.
She called for vigilance and adherence to prevention regulations such as handwashing, wearing of face coverings and social distancing.
The Government, she said, will tighten screening at all ports of entry.
“Genomic sequencing is ongoing at the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, and to date, no new variants have been detected. The Government continues to assess and monitor the situation on the ground daily, guided by both local and global data to provide timely and science-driven adjustments to the national response, where necessary.
“The Government also strengthened its case management systems by ensuring health facilities have adequate oxygen supplies and medicines required for supportive care of identified positive cases requiring treatment,” she said.

By-The ruling Zanu PF party has bussed its supporters to the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport to welcome the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.

Lukashenko, is on a State visit to Zimbabwe from 30 January to 1 February.

The bussing of supporters to the airport to welcome foreign dignitaries was a distinct feature of the late former president Robert Mugabe’s administration, and the so-called New Dispensation has seemingly perpetuated the practice.

In a notice to all DDC4 District Chairpersons and PCs in Harare Province, the secretary for administration, one S.M. Mabeka, said buses will be availed for the event. Wrote Mabeka:

All DCC4 District Chairpersons & PCs are requested to mobilise Cdes to go to Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, Republic of Belarus President Cde Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko will be visiting his counterpart Republic of Zimbabwe President Cde ED Mnangagwa on Monday 30 January 2023.

District Secretaries for Transport & Welfare come collect buses from DCC4 Secretary for Transport & Welfare Cde Gwengwe at ZANU PF Harare Provincial Offices at 0800hrs.

All Party members to be at their usual pick-up points by 0830hrs.

Lukashenko will be in Zimbabwe from 30 January to 1 February after making his first stop in the United Arab Emirates.

He will meet Mnangagwa to strengthen existing relations between the two countries.

News24 reported a source as saying Lukashenko’s visit was initially planned for last year, but there were security fears.

By-Former United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of threatening to kill him with a missile attack.

Boris said this happened shortly before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

According to a new BBC documentary to be aired on Monday evening, the threat was made in a phone call conducted when the Russian attack on Ukraine was increasingly becoming inevitable. Said Johnson:

He (Putin) sort of threatened me at one point and said, ‘Boris, I don’t want to hurt you, but with a missile, it would only take a minute’, or something like that.

Johnson and other Western leaders were trying to dissuade Russia from attacking Ukraine and the British PM emerged as one of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s strongest supporters.

Before the invasion, Johnson claimed he was at pains to tell Putin that there was no imminent prospect of Ukraine joining NATO.

He warned the Russian President that any invasion would mean “more NATO, not less NATO” on Russia’s borders. Said Johnson:

He said, ‘Boris, you say that Ukraine is not going to join NATO any time soon. ‘What is any time soon?’

And I said, ‘well it’s not going to join NATO for the foreseeable future. You know that perfectly well’.

I think from the very relaxed tone that he was taking and the sort of air of detachment that he seemed to have, he was just playing along with my attempts to get him to negotiate.

The BBC documentary also reveals that Zelensky asked for weapons from NATO countries to stop the Russian invasion. | Kyiv Post

By-The missing Budiriro 4 Primary School ECD teacher Magdalene Mandiveyi, has been found dead in a maize field in Aspindale.

Her husband, David Mupanganyemba (45), told H-Metro that on the day Magdalene went missing, she left home early for work while he and their three-month-old baby were still asleep. Said Mupanganyemba:

She left home on Monday for work and left me asleep since I was off duty.

Handitombozivi kuti musi wacho akabuda mumba akapfeka zvakaitasei. I expected her during lunchtime to breastfeed the baby, but she never came. I called her cellphone number, but it was unreachable.

I sent someone to look for her at the school and that is when we learned that she had not reported for duty and began to wonder what had happened to her.

One of the senior teachers told us that Magdalene had phoned earlier in the morning saying she would report late for work.

She told the senior teacher that she wanted to nurse the baby since our maid had not returned from her off.

After informing my in-laws about this, we joined the search party, only to be called to Marimba Police Station on Friday to identify a body they had found.

I went and identified the body as my wife. My life will never be the same without her.

Mupanganyemba, who described his wife as “a very quiet and supportive woman”, said she had not complained about anything nor showed any signs of distress in the days leading up to her disappearance and subsequent death.

A Budiriro 4 Primary student who boarded the same kombi with Magdalene in the morning she disappeared allegedly told a senior teacher at the school that the driver ignored their calls to be dropped off at their usual point.

The girl said the driver of the kombi later stopped and allowed her to alight while Magdalene remained seated.

Some mourners, including teachers from Budiriro 4 Primary, said they suspected Magdalene could have been killed for ritual purposes. Said a mourner:

It was raining the whole week, but her body had no mud whatsoever. She could have been killed elsewhere and dumped in the field.

Magdalene completed her teaching studies at Nyadire Teachers’ College in 2015 and joined the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education the following year.

She first taught at Stratford Primary School in Banket before moving to Royden Primary School near Whitehouse along the Harare-Bulawayo Road.

Magdalene then taught at David Livingstone Primary School before being transferred to Budiriro 4 Primary.

She is survived by her husband David and four children. | H-Metro

Tinashe Sambiri|CCC leader President Nelson Chamisa has pledged to end the incessant brain drain bedeviling the country.

The CCC leader on Saturday described brain drain as a worrying trend.

“Those who are leaving ZIMBABWE out of our sad & bad circumstances, please get ready to be coming back soon.

Those who are unsure &doubtful, trust our compass and method.Only if you knew what I know! We will turn this country exciting & great in no time! @ANewGreatZimbabwePlan,” President Chamisa said in a statement.

“THANK YOU FELLOW CITIZENS.. So, I went into this shop and this…I don’t take your love and affection for granted. Wherever I go I see this wholesome, awesome, refreshing and humbling love ..God bless you! #OnePeople #HappyAgain #Godisinit,” he added.

Tinashe Sambiri|CCC leader President Nelson Chamisa has pledged to end the incessant brain drain bedeviling the country.

The CCC leader on Saturday described brain drain as a worrying trend.

“Those who are leaving ZIMBABWE out of our sad & bad circumstances, please get ready to be coming back soon.

Those who are unsure &doubtful, trust our compass and method.Only if you knew what I know! We will turn this country exciting & great in no time! @ANewGreatZimbabwePlan,” President Chamisa said in a statement.

“THANK YOU FELLOW CITIZENS.. So, I went into this shop and this…I don’t take your love and affection for granted. Wherever I go I see this wholesome, awesome, refreshing and humbling love ..God bless you! #OnePeople #HappyAgain #Godisinit,” he added.

By A Correspondent- In a furious bust-up, a son-in-law fatally struck his father-in-law with a log and bricks over mangoes.

The scary incident which has become a subject of discussion in Lalapanzi area in Midlands province occurred on Sunday at Bhudhe 2 village in Lalapanzi.

A source close to the incident said John Munjanja (52) visited his sister, Muchaneta Munjanja (49) and found her with children while her husband Samson Maredzva (42) had gone out.

Being happy that her brother visited Muchaneta, gave him mangoes and when John was about to leave for his home Samson arrived.

The source said Samson got furious when he saw his father-in-law carrying mangoes and asked his wife why she gave him mangoes without his permission. An argument ensued between the pair resulting in Samson assaulting his father-in-law with a log.

“He fell to the ground, while he was lying on the ground he smashed his head with a brick. He groaned loudly as he died in a pool of blood,” said the source.

Muchaneta and a villager reported the incident to the police leading to her husband’s arrest. John’s body was ferried to Gweru General Hospital for post-mortem.

Midlands police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the incident.

“We strongly discourage members of the public from resorting to violence whenever they are faced with disputes because that might lead to unnecessary loss of life,” he said.

Tinashe Sambiri| CCC leader President Nelson Chamisa has described the late change champion Thomas Garatsa as a legend of the citizens’ struggle.

On Saturday President Chamisa attended Sekuru Garatsa’s burial in Buhera.

“I’m in Buhera… Laying to rest Our Hero and Change Champion Thomas Garatsa (87).

We have lost a strong and organic Community leader. RIP Champion,” President Chamisa on Twitter.

In a statement on Saturday, CCC paid tribute to Sekuru Garatsa…

GO WELL CHAMPION: Our Change Champion in Chief, Advocate @nelsonchamisa was in Buhera today to pay his last respects to a strong & organic community organizer, Sekuru Thomas Garatsa (87).

He always offered his time & resources to further the work of the Movement in his community.

By-Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe and Police boss Godwin Matanga are facing arrest after human rights lawyers have filed an application at the Harare High Court seeking an order to be jailed.

This follows their willfully reneging on the order to compensate Pardon Chitongo, a victim of police brutality.

Chitongo was shot and permanently disabled by anti-riot police officers during the January 2019 anti-government protests as he stood outside his uncle’s home in Epworth.

In 2022, Kazembe and Matanga were ordered to pay Chitongo ZWL$3.7 million but have not done so.

Now wheelchair-bound, Chitongo is relying on expensive painkillers to ease pain in his body.

He is being represented by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)’s Paidamoyo Saurombe and Fiona Iliff. ZLHR said:

Kazembe and Godwin Matanga were on 3 August 2022 ordered by High Court Judge Justice Gladys Mhuri to pay ZW$3,7 million to Chitongo as damages after he was shot by ZRP officers on 14 January 2019.

Chitongo was shot by ZRP officers while he was standing outside his uncle’s house when police officers recklessly and indiscriminately started shooting towards him, ostensibly to target some protestors during an anti-government demonstration.

He had not been protesting, was simply caught in the crossfire and was hit by a bullet that pierced through his arm, penetrated through his body, came out on the other side of his body, and hit the other arm.

As a result of the grave nature of his injuries, Chitongo had to undergo an operation to remove one of his kidneys after he suffered permanent damage to his spinal cord.

The two have reneged on paying damages and this forced Chitongo to file an application seeking an order to hold the duo to be in contempt of court and that they are sentenced to 30 days in prison for defaulting on paying the judgment debt.

Riots broke out across the country in January 2019 as citizens protested against a fuel price hike and general hardships.

Security services responded with brute force, with 12 people reportedly killed while hundreds were tortured and injured. | NewZimbabwe.com

By- The government says schools are permitted to expel learners found in possession of drugs.

This follows last week’s expulsion of eight learners at Dominican Convent High School, a top Harare girls’ school, who were allegedly found in possession of illicit substances stashed in their belongings during a recent school trip to Nyanga.
The matter is currently under police investigation.
In an interview, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson Mr Taungana Ndoro said: “We have carried out quite a number of community outreach programmes with partners, including those from the Zimbabwe Republic Police; the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation; and various other stakeholders to ensure we try and curb this scourge and nip it in the bud before it progresses.
“As the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, we have a robust mechanism of outreach programmes to ensure that we stop drug and substance abuse in all our schools.”
He said school heads are obliged to suspend a learner for 14 days where they reasonably suspect them of serious misconduct, pending investigation.
“If the head is satisfied, after a fair hearing, that the learner is guilty of serious misconduct that merits expulsion after consultation with the district schools inspector, then the pupils will be expelled,” he said.
“Where a head has decided to expel a learner, they should give the parents written notice of the date on which the expulsion is to take effect and, in the notice, they should state the reason for the decision to expel the learner.”
Upon being notified of the expulsion, he said parents may appeal in writing to the provincial education director within 14 days of receiving the notice.
“While the appeal is being determined, the learner who has been expelled is permitted to attend school.
“However, provided that if the head of the school believes, on reasonable grounds, the learner’s attendance may lead to indiscipline or may result in injury of another person or damage to property, the head can prevent the learner from attending school for not more than a month after the appeal has been launched.”
In a separate interview, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said investigations into the Dominican Convent matter were ongoing.
“The matter is work in progress and we are still carrying out the investigations,” he said.
-Sunday Mail

By-The City of Harare has temporarily decommissioned 15 boreholes that were contaminated with human waste in three suburbs.

The boreholes are believed to be the source of typhoid cases reported in Glen Norah, Mbare and Budiriro.

City health authorities tested water samples taken from 127 boreholes in the three suburbs and found significant traces of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, indicating the presence of faecal matter.

Seventy-two (72) suspected typhoid cases are being monitored, while about 20 others have been confirmed.

City epidemiology and disease control officer Dr. Michael Vere said:

We have tested several boreholes in Harare — a total of 127 — and we discovered that seven boreholes were contaminated with faecal matter in Glen Norah and eight boreholes in Mbare.

We temporarily closed these boreholes and installed in-line chlorinators; these are devices that contain chlorine, which kills all the bacteria in the water to make it safe for use.

These boreholes could have been the source of typhoid infection.

Increase potable water supplies

Vere said the city plans to increase potable water pumped into areas where boreholes have been decommissioned. He said:

We are working with our Water Department so that affected suburbs get water supplies.

Our health department has recorded 92 cases of suspected typhoid, of which about 20 have been confirmed.

From January 1, we recorded a total of nine cases.

We have seven cases from Glen Norah and two other cases — one each in Highfield and Ushewokunze.

We continued to record an increasing number of cases in Glen Norah and this prompted us to investigate the source of the outbreak.

| The Sunday Mail

By-Marauding hyenas have invaded Ward 37 Mberengwa District in the Midlands Province.

A villager, Luckson Pasipanodya, said the hyenas hadn’t attacked people yet, but they had already killed donkeys, goats, sheep, and calves.

The most affected areas are villages, Nungirai, Chivasa, Pararai and around Gwai Primary School, Makwava Primary, Chapungu Secondary and Mundi-Mataga Dam area under Chief Chingoma. Said Pasipanodya:

These hyenas are surely causing a headache to us as villagers. Goats, sheep and donkeys are at the mercy of these animals. We have never had them in such a big number.

This time there are many and are sure to leave us poorer and hungry as donkeys form part of our draught power.

They haven’t attacked people but fears are that they may pounce on children and those that may be travelling to catch buses at dawn.

Villagers said they do not know where the wild animals came from but suspect that they migrated from farms in the Sovelele area in Mwenezi and Makhado into Mberengwa.

MP for Mberengwa South Tasara Hungwe said they engaged the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) for help in dealing with the hyena menace and the teams were in the area. He said:

The hyenas have been a problem for some time but now the issue has escalated as people are losing livestock almost on a daily basis and people are even scared for their lives at this point.

We have engaged the Zimparks team and we hope they can do something to scare them away because people’s livestock is at risk.

Nungirai village head Wilbert Pasipanodya said the hyena menace will only get worse as the environment seems to be good for their breeding on a massive scale. | The Sunday News

Tinashe Sambiri|The failure by Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration to curb drug abuse is worrisome.

This was said by CCC leader President Nelson Chamisa on Friday.

The CCC leader challenged the Zanu PF regime to reign in on rampant drug abuse in schools and communities.

“WE MUST ACT..Drugs are decimating our young people.

We are losing a whole nation and generation under our watch.

Our communities & schools have become drug havens. Where is government in all this? Where is law enforcement ? Everyone must be involved in fighting this scourge!#Act,” said President Chamisa.

See also CCC statement below:

NO TO DRUG ABUSE: We note the ever growing drugs crisis among the youth and our population with great concern. We need to collectively take action. A CCC Govt will roll out an anti-drugs campaign and a national Anti-Drug Policy to arrest this scourge.