Hakuna nyika inobudirira kuine mhirizhonga

December 20, 2022December 22, 2022

Mashurugwi Kills Colleague Over Bluetooth Radio

Police in Shurugwi are hunting for two murder suspects who allegedly killed their colleague in a radio dispute.

According to police Tadiwa Chirimuuta and Dingo Gombe fatally struck Vasco Masara with an axe and knife respectively.

The incident occurred at Nduku Compound.

“Police in Shurugwi are investigating a murder case which occurred on 17/12/22 at Nduku Compound,” said the police via twitter.

“The victim Vasco Masara (31) died after he was attacked with a knife and an axe by Tadiwa Chirimuuta and Dingo Gombe after an arguement over a portable radio.”

In a related case Ronias Chirovapasi is on the run after he allegedly murdered Tavengwa Madzivadondo by striking him with a brick at Tengwe.

Zanu PF Women Bootlick Mnangagwa, Wants Him To Continue Beyond 2028

Women in Zanu PF party have said if President Emmerson Mnangagwa had been in charge of Zimbabwe since 1980, the country would have made a huge socio-economic leap.

Addressing the women’s league in Kwekwe recently, Zanu PF women’s league Midlands Provincial chairperson, Tsitsi Zhou said women feel Mnangagwa is development-oriented and must have an uninterrupted rule.

In line with these sentiments, Zanu PF women’s league has called for a constitutional amendment which will see Mnangagwa extend his rule beyond the period of two terms as provided for by the law.

“As women, we are mobilising and ensuring that people have registered to vote. It must be known that no other party will ever rule in Zimbabwe besides Zanu PF,” said Zhou.

“We are going to give President Mnangagwa a fresh mandate in the coming elections, and we will tell those in parliament to amend the constitution to give him another term beyond 2023 because the President is a hard worker, and we will hand him another term.”

Mnangagwa assumed power in 2017 after taking over from the late former President Robert Mugabe who was in charge since Independence.

Zhou said Mnangagwa has made remarkable strides since the day he took over.

“What the President has achieved in a short time, if he was to be the one in power for the past 37 years, then the country would have made serious economic strides. His hard work can be testified by the Chirundu-Beitbridge Highway,” she said.

She added that Zanu PF is a progressive party which is going to win next year’s elections.

“What gives us confidence that Zanu PF is a progressive party is based on the fact that the country’s number one citizen is from Zanu PF and he is from Kwekwe, that is where he casts his ballot.

“Zanu PF brand gives us confidence because it spells out victory. Because we are Zanu PF. We have already won the 2023 elections. We are seeing many people who want to join Zanu PF. We now have teachers for ED, civil servants for ED, nurses for ED,” she said.

-NewZimbabwe

Journalists Barred From Covering Violent Incident At Mwonzora Congress

By A Correspondent| Six journalists covering the recently held congress of the opposition MDC in Harare were threatened and barred from covering a violent incident that reportedly transpired at the congress venue.

It is reported that before the official commencement of the proceedings, the journalists who included those from Heart and Soul TV and Open Parly ZW, were interviewing congress delegates outside the venue after being advised by security details that preparations for the congress were still in progress hence they could not access the venue.

During the interviews, one of the interviewees is reported to have criticised the congress’s processes resulting in him being allegedly assaulted by some disgruntled party supporters.

The journalists were, however, reportedly threatened and barred from filming the incident by the party supporters. The party supporters also threatened to seize their equipment.

Whose Statue Would You Erect in Samora Machel Ave?

To inspire youths on business, whose statue would you erect in Samora Machel Ave, if you were the State president?
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) December 20, 2022

DJ Levels, Shashl Back Together

Songbird Shashl yesterday released a single titled Be, which was produced by her former lover, Levels.

The love song has left many wondering what’s going on following the two former lovebirds’ “public fallout” which resulted in Shashl quitting the relationship.

Shashl also pressed rape and physical violence charges against Levels, but later said she would withdraw the rape charge if he publicly apologised.

Going by the message in the song, the two appear to be still in love.

As if to confirm that the two are still an item, Shashl responded with a heart emoji to the responses to her new video.

Ostallos Awarded Canon Collins Scholarship

By A Correspondent | The CCC party’s deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba has been awared the prestigious Canon Collins Scholarship.

The award unleashes funding for up to a maximum of two years for Masters and three years for a PhD.

Revealing the development on Tuesdsy, Siziba said:

“I’m delighted to announce that I have been awarded the illustrious @Canon Collins Trust scholarship.

“This was a very competitive process and l was humbled to be one of only 43 recipients from over 1,000 applicants.

“For a son of a housemaid to be named a Canon Collin scholar is a great honor and a confirmation that the world is full possibilities.

“Furthering my studies is key if we are to be fully equipped for the transformation agenda of the new Great Zimbabwe under President advocate Nelson Chamisa.

“After all life is all about learning and unlearning. In fact the whole essence of existence as the great Israeli historian Hariri says, is to “discover our own ignorance.”

“Colleagues I thank the Lord for this opportunity.

“And as I pursue my PhD all I can say is ; oh my body make of me a man who is always ready to learn!”

Violence Erupts Inside Anglican Church During Worship

The above is a church in US, where the congregants of Nigerian origin clashed with a white Bishop seen suddenly walking into their worship session.

As soon as the unnamed white Bishop walks in, he is bombed by phone cameras.

He is at this time walking sternly up to the pulpit pic.twitter.com/T8EWKouPGH
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) December 20, 2022

The above is a church in US, where the congregants of Nigerian origin clashed with a white Bishop seen suddenly walking into their worship session.

As soon as the unnamed white Bishop walks in, he is bombed by phone cameras.

He is at this time walking sternly up to the pulpit.

From the conversations, it is apparent that the Nigerians want to run church their way not the American Bishop’s way.

At that point, a black woman is heard screaming a narration telling the Bishop that he is not welcome. He says:

“This is happening right now in the Anglican church…

“…This is the intruder Bishop that came all the way from Colorado to come and hijack our church.”

A second clip shows some violence erupting shortly afterwards.

It is not clear what happened afterwards.

DO YOU KNOW THIS CHURCH? CONTACT ZIMEYE RIGHT NOW

Six People Perish In Honda Fit-Toyota KZ Collision

Six people died while seven others were injured yesterday when a Honda Fit collided with Toyota KZ at the 111kilometre peg along Harare-Bulawayo road.

The police said six people died on the spot while two others died upon admission at Chegutu District hospital.

The injured are also being treated at the same hospital.

The Honda Fit had eight passengers on board while the Toyota vehicle had three passengers on board.

Names of the victims will be released as soon as their next of keen are informed.

-Byo24

“ED Should Have Led Since 1980”: Zanu Pf Women’s League

By A Correspondent- Women in Zanu PF party have said if President Emmerson Mnangagwa had been in charge of Zimbabwe since 1980, the country would have made a huge socio-economic leap.

In line with these sentiments, Zanu PF women’s league has called for a constitutional amendment which will see Mnangagwa extend his rule beyond the period of two terms as provided for by the law.

As women, we are mobilising and ensuring that people have registered to vote. It must be known that no other party will ever rule in Zimbabwe besides Zanu PF,” said Zhou.

Mnangagwa assumed power in 2017 after taking over from the late former President Robert Mugabe who was in charge since Independence.

What the President has achieved in a short time, if he was to be the one in power for the past 37 years, then the country would have made serious economic strides. His hard work can be testified by the Chirundu-Beitbridge Highway,” she said.

She added that Zanu PF is a progressive party which is going to win next year’s elections.

“What gives us confidence that Zanu PF is a progressive party is based on the fact that the country’s number one citizen is from Zanu PF and he is from Kwekwe, that is where he casts his ballot.

This comes after Vice-president Constantino Chiwenga had also unwittingly exposed the ruling Zanu PF party’s plans to use its parliamentary majority to railroad constitutional amendments and declare its leader Emmerson Mnangagwa President-for-life.

Addressing party supporters after Mnangagwa launched a civil servants’ housing scheme in Beitbridge in November last year, Chiwenga, who has been widely viewed as harbouring ambitions to succeed his boss, warned that if civic groups, opposition parties and their foreign handlers continue making unnecessary demands, Zanu PF would go for the jugular and declare Mnangagwa President-for-life.

“You have heard the chairperson (Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri) saying that last month in October we held the national people’s conference that was chaired by the chairperson and all provinces including yours endorsed him,” Chiwenga said back then.

“You said you wanted Shumba, Murambwi, President Mnangagwa, a competent leader, a leader who will be our candidate in the 2023 elections, so that he can achieve his vision 2030. His detractors have been defeated and are now saying this and that. Zanu PF will rule forever and if they dare (the naysayers), we will amend the law that we want (President Emerson Mnangagwa) forever.”

Zanu PF is known for pushing its parliamentary majority to enact unpopular pieces of legislation.

-Newsday

Government Policy Destroying The Formal Economy

Policy missteps and inconsistency has turned the Zimbabwean economy on its head against the formal sector, posing a threat to business continuity, domestic resource mobilization and formal employment. In the last 2 months, the government has ceased payments to government contractors and suppliers in order to arrest the depreciation of the Zimbabwean Dollar and reduce inflation.

On its part, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has been aggressively mopping up excess money created by local banks to suppress broad money expansion. This has resulted in a liquidity crunch in the formal market with shortage of electronic money, physical cash, and foreign currency at the same time.

Consumer demand in the formal sector has also dipped as a response to the interventions. The positive impact is that the free-market exchange rate has stabilized, and prices are going down. The ultimate objective is to force the convergency of the manipulated formal exchange rate and the free-market exchange rate.

However, the questions remain on how long the government can survive without paying its suppliers especially as the nation heads towards the harmonized elections that should take place before August 2023. The government survives on providing subsidies to various sectors of the economy to appeal to the electorate, hence the propensity to fund these subsidies via money printing remains high.

The formal sector and the informal sector have become two distinct economies in Zimbabwe with the earlier vulnerable to inconsistent fiscal and monetary policies while the latter has no intended regard for both. The informal sector contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is estimated to be below 50% according to national statistics.

According to the World Bank, Zimbabwe’s economy grew by 5.8% to US$19.2 billion in 2021 after contracting by 6.1% in 2019 and 6.2% in 2020. The existence of the dual economy makes it difficult for the government to control the economy through fiscal or monetary policy as the informal sector is predominantly cash based and fully dollarized.

Informalization within formal businesses

The need to survive and bypass stringent policies has seen corporates creating ways to informalize most of their operations. This includes evading various tax heads, not banking cash proceeds, buying foreign currency off the street, not paying council levies, using the informal exchange rates in forward pricing, paying employees in hard currency, not filing tax returns, externalizing foreign currency, smuggling imports, and falsifying export data.

Informal Sector Boom

It is estimated that US$2.5 billion is circulating outside the formal banking system in Zimbabwe with households, businesses and foreign investors preferring to store their hard-earned foreign currency close to their pockets. Sustained policy missteps continue to chase away foreign currency from formal economy. Estimates show that that over 65% of the Zimbabwean economy is now informal, while 85-90% of Zimbabweans are engaged in informal economic activities at a personal, household or enterprise level. The 2022 Labour Force Survey published by Zimstat points that 3.3 million people are employed locally, with over 2.8 million deriving their living from the informal sector as opposed to 495 000 in formal employment. The informal sector is wired into the local and regional supply chains, thus creating a trading platform where millions of dollars exchange hands daily.

Export Retention

The current export retention scheme allows most exporters to retain 60% of the export proceeds and surrender 40% to the central bank. If the 60% is not utilized within 4 months, the central bank will confiscate another 25% to take the total surrender requirement to 65%. On local foreign currency sales, the bank retains 20% of all sales deposited with local banks. Ordinarily, these measures would not be a challenge if the foreign exchange rate was market determined. With key exporters paying taxes and electricity in foreign currency, foreign exchange regulations are a punitive tax to business viability. Considering the above, most exporters are now calling for the review of the retention threshold to 80%.

Heavy Tax Burden

The complex tax regime, multiple tax heads to various government entities and frequent renewals are helping to destroy the formal economy. The tax complexity has to do with a limited automation (excessive paperwork), archaic laws, payment in different currencies, need to travel to Harare or major cities to file tax returns and the involved of numerous government agencies. For businesses that deposit their sales proceeds in local Foreign Currency Accounts (FCA), the central bank converts 20% of the deposit to local currency and an Intermediated Money Transfer (IMT) Tax of 4% applies to payments made from that FCA account. Due to the above, large businesses are finding ways to transact in cash and not banking all sales proceeds. There is an urgent need to remove barriers to formalization through simplifying the tax registration process and providing incentives to fiscalization by making the cost of fiscalization tax deductible or partnering commercial banks to spread the cost of fiscalization over time. This means that tax payments and filing tax returns should be done efficiently online without physically visiting the tax agency. For the few tax compliant businesses, the tax agency must process tax rebates efficiently and give holidays where it is necessary.

High informalization unsustainable

Zimbabwe’s informal sector bears a mark of economic resilience, however high levels of informalization are also unsustainable for any country as it leads to limited tax mobilization on the part of treasury which leads to poor public service delivery (poor road infrastructure, power cuts, lack of basic health care, poor service delivery in education, housing, water, and other public amenities) and limited capacity to repay public debt (increase in arrears). While the informal sector is growing, it cannot be excluded from consuming public services despite not contributing to tax payments. Additionally, high levels of informalization lead to a limited credit market and savings growth in the economy, limited growth in the financial and insurance sector (decline in banking sector lending and geographical presence). Informalization also nurtures and aids corruption, and criminal activities in the economy. Thus, levels of information must be managed to below 40% of the economy to ensure sustainable economic growth.

Need for reforms

To ensure currency stability, the central bank must end all quasi-fiscal operations which will enable it to sustainably freeze money printing and institute a market determined exchange rate through allowing commercial banks to be match makers. Commercial banks should be allowed to adjust exchange rates according to demand and supply mechanisms as is the case in most countries. On constitutionalism, the central bank must not be allowed to contract any foreign debt without parliamentary approval as this brings conflict of interest on how to settle that debt while allowing the exchange rate to be market determined. However, sustained stability can only be guaranteed by giving the central bank independence from political influence in terms of money printing. History has proved that the government has no hesitation to print money to fund its expenditure and meet political objectives at the expense of the economy or the taxpayer (citizens and business).

Zimbabwe has not had a consistent currency or consistent foreign exchange policy for several decades. The country’s central bank quasi-fiscal operations and deficit financing of the fiscus have necessitated astronomic levels of money printing at whatever cost to the nation. The economy collapsed in 1999-2000, 2006-2008 and 2019-2020 due to hyperinflation. At the core of the problem is the government’s desire to control the central bank monetary policy and print money whenever tax revenues fall short of targeted government expenditure.

Between 2015 and 2022, the country promulgated hundreds of statutory instruments (temporary measures) aligned to monetary policy and produced a plethora of exchange control regulations or statements. Some statutory instruments contradicted each other while some just fizzled out before parliamentary ratification. Stable and consistent monetary policy is a fundamental piece to the economic stability puzzle, without which the country will not develop regardless of how colorful economic blueprints can be. The preference to trade in hard currency and in cash points to lack of trust in the government’s unsound policies over the years. The collapse of the formal sector needs to be addressed via deliberate policy alignment between the central bank, treasury and various government agencies that play a part in levying and regulating the market. It is key to point that millions of employees that derive a living from the informal sector lack job and social security, suffer from income inconsistency, lack of health insurance, depressed savings and live from hand to mouth. All these conditions are closely associated with poverty. The government cannot institute policies that destroy formal employment, inflame skills flight, promote informality such as tuck-shop retailing, street trade in legal or illegal goods, hard dollarization, decline in banking sector lending and choke the credit market while expecting the economy to grow. Government policy should simply serve to create a conducive business environment and regulate market failure in the interest of curbing unfair or illegal business practice. Destruction of the formal sector cannot yield sustainable economic growth and will take years to undo.

Victor Bhoroma is an economic analyst. He holds an MBA from the University of Zimbabwe (UZ). Feedback: Email [email protected] or Twitter @VictorBhoroma1.

Prophetess Steals Client’s Hubby

By A Correspondent- A Chitungwiza based Johanne Masowe eChishanu woman has been accused of wrecking a seven-year marriage by snatching a married man.

Lindiwe Muchekanyanga, popularly known as Madzimai Miriam, is accused of ruining Nomatter Chiridza’s marriage by snatching her husband, Kudakwashe Chitengu.

Nomatter discovered that affair after finding a nud_e pictures of Madzimai Miriam in her husband’s phone.

What irked Nomatter is that Madzimai Miriam had been assisting her with prayers to save her marriage, only to snatch her husband.

“We have two children and Madzimai knows me very well. She was helping me with prayers for my marriage, but now I realise that she took me as someone who doesn’t think. Vakundirwadzisa since they are not even remorseful,” Nomatter said.

Nomatter said when she confronted her husband, he stopped coming home and now neglects his children.

He no longer comes home. He chose to leave his children and told me to make a plan.

“I am suffering with the children yet their father is busy supporting another family. His child failed to graduate at ECD level because he said he had no money, yet he was busy calling Madzimai to buy presents for her children,” said Nomatter.

She said she also found audio messages of the two arranging to meet for ƨəx several times. Contacted for comment, Kudakwashe was not moved, and instead boasted of his cheating ways.

“I am not denying that I am dating Madzimai Miriam. In fact, I am in deep love with her.

“I am the one who sent those pictures to my phone because they are mine. If she did not search my phone, she would not have seen those nudəs.

I don’t give a f*** about whether she published the nudəs. I am not even ashamed of my actions.

“She has proved that she is not a good and respectful woman. She should have kept it a secret between me and her while we find a way solving the problem rather than telling everyone and showing them nudə pictures,” said Kudakwashe.

He said if Nomatter keeps bothering Madzimai Miriam, he would report her to the police.

“Things are not okay, I understand but she was not supposed to tell people about these issues,” he said.

Madzimai Miriam also confirmed dat!ng Kudakwashe.

“I confirm that I am dat!ng her husband, but our love started way back when the couple divorced, and I am not the one who sent those nudəs, but her husband.

“He did not inform me that the two were now back together, and so our love affair continued.

“I am actually in the process of suing her husband for taking nakəd pictures of me without my permission,” Madzimai Miriam said.

“The wife violently confronted me a number of times, and I am still deciding whether to continue dat!ng her husband or leave him.

Nick Mangwana Says: Passion Java Has Insight

This Youth Organisation is convinced like the rest of the country that, #NyikaInovakwaNeveneVayo #NDS1 #fivemoreyears
Youths with insight stand with ED pic.twitter.com/OgruoUHsKV
— Nick Mangwana (@nickmangwana) December 27, 2021

Nick Mangwana says Passion Java has insight
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) December 20, 2022

Zimbabwean Man Shows Off Shoes Worth GBP3,000, Underwear Worth GBP180

The below video is of a Zimbabwean man seen showing off shoes worth GBP3,000, a golden watch worth GBP5,000 a gucci

shirt, and an underwear worth GBP180.

Who's this 'CCC member' putting on GBP3,000 worth of shoes? pic.twitter.com/cDvIPr4qC7
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) December 19, 2022

Mwonzora Chases Away Aides From Harvest House

By- MDC President Douglas Mwonzora said he would not allow his lieutenants to relax at the party’s head office during the 2023 campaign period.

Mwonzora said everyone should be on the ground recruiting voters.

He said this on Sunday when the MDC endorsed him as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections.

Mwonzora’s nomination was confirmed at the party’s 5th Ordinary Congress at the City Sports Centre in Harare on Sunday.

Speaking at the congress, Mwonzora said MDC remains strong despite what he called false propaganda, which was meant to destroy. He said:

As we begin 2023, we will begin a candidate selection programme, we are no longer like other parties where leaders just appoint candidates, ours will be chosen by the people through voting.

We are going to do an aggressive mobilisation for the party. All the top leaders you see are first going to their villages where they come from and mobilise from there.

I do not want to see a leader at the Harvest House, I want to see the leader on the ground, iwe neni tine basa.

I know, we know, they know that the MDC is a surprising party, and it will achieve. For over two years, we were subjected to a lot of false propaganda meant to split and destroy our party and leadership.

Today the MDC is standing on two feet, no amount of propaganda or hate language, or falsehoods can defeat an idea whose hour has come.

The congress also nominated Chief Ndlovu as the first vice president and Paurina Mpariwa as the second vice president.

Chamisa Congratulates Ramaphosa On His Re-election

Congratulations to the NEW ANC leadership!Looking forward to working together for the good of our beloved continent and its people. pic.twitter.com/hsRSa5bRpE
— nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) December 19, 2022

Former Bosso Coach Joins Hwange

Hwange FC have appointed a new head coach following their promotion to the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League ahead of the 2023 campaign.

Chipangano won the ZIFA Southern Region Division One championship to mark their return to the top-flight.

Following the promotion, the club has made a change to the technical team, appointing Bongani Mafu as the new head coach.

Mafu had left the side to join Ngezi Platinum Stars as Benjani Mwaruwari’s assistant at the start of the year but lost his job in July following the sacking of the entire coaching staff.

Announcing the appointment, Hwange have released a statement, reading: “Once a coalminer always a coalminer!

“We welcome back Bongani Mafu, who officially bounced back as our head coach.

“Mafu left us to join Ngezi Platinum, but has traced his steps back to the coal seams and raring to go! New season here we come.”

Try Ncube, who guided Chipangano to promotion will be the first assistant.

His demotion is due to being a non-holder of the mandatory CAF A licence for top-flight coaches.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe

Ramaphosa Re-Elected

South Africa’s scandal-hit President Cyril Ramaphosa has been re-elected as the governing ANC’s leader to wild cheers from his supporters.
He defeated his rival Zweli Mkhize by 2,476 votes to 1,897.

Mr Ramaphosa won despite being dogged by allegations of money laundering, and a last-minute surge in support for Mr Mkhize, who has also been accused of corruption. Both deny the allegations.

His victory puts him in pole position to lead the ANC in the 2024 election.

But he is still at risk as he is being investigated by police, the tax office and central bank over allegations that he stashed at least $580,000 (£475,000) in a sofa at his private farm, and then covered up its theft.

A panel of legal experts, appointed by the speaker of parliament, said that he had a case to answer as he may have both violated the constitution and broken an anti-corruption law.

His supporters burst into song and dance after he was declared the winner, in a result that saw him win by a bigger margin than when he first ran for the leadership of the governing party – the African National Congress – in 2017.

Mr Ramaphosa’s re-election bid was bolstered by the fact the ANC used its parliamentary majority to vote down the findings of the panel.

The president has denied any wrongdoing, and has launched legal action to annul the panel’s report.

He said the $580,000 came from the sale of buffaloes, but the panel said there was “substantial doubt” over whether a transaction took place.

Mr Mkhize was the health minister in Mr Ramaphosa’s government until he was forced to resign last year over allegations of misspending funds set aside to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

He too has denied any wrongdoing, and his supporters saw the allegations as an attempt to discredit him.

Mr Ramaphosa was the odds-on favourite to win, but some of Mr Mkhize’s supporters looked stunned after the result was announced.

They were confident of victory after offering key posts to other powerful leaders in deals struck just ahead of delegates casting their ballots at the conference.

Both sides denied accusations of vote-buying.

The ANC has been in power since white-minority rule ended in 1994, and is hoping to secure a sixth term in the 2024 parliamentary election. But opinion polls suggest that its vote has shrunk considerably because of widespread corruption in government, high unemployment and poor public services – including constant power cuts.

The ANC elected a new deputy leader, Paul Mashatile, who defeated Mr Ramaphosa’s preferred candidate for the second-most powerful post in the party.

Mr Mashatile is now the front-runner to become South Africa’s deputy president, and president in the event Mr Ramaphosa is forced out of power.

The president’s allies won other powerful posts in the party, including that of secretary-general and national chairperson.

Defeated candidates embraced the winners in a show of unity after a bruising conference.

Supporters of ex-President Jacob Zuma had heckled Mr Ramaphosa during his opening speech at the conference last week.

But no leader from KwaZulu-Natal, the political heartland of Mr Zuma, was elected to any of the ANC’s top seven posts, in the latest sign of his and the region’s declining influence in the party. —BBC

Mbappe Shines In Qatar

His team lost the World Cup final, but France forward Kylian Mbappe has won the FIFA Golden Boot trophy, after scoring the most goals in the tournament.

He grabbed two assists and scored a total of eight goals, including three against Argentina on Sunday in an exhilarating final at Lusail Stadium.

His PSG teammate and Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi scored the second-most goals, with seven and three assists.

Messi’s teammate Julian Alvarez finished third with five goals to his name, while France’s Olivier Giroud was unable to add to his tally of four after being substituted in the first half of the final.

Mbappe’s total of eight goals in Qatar is the joint highest at a single World Cup since Gerd Muller scored 10 times in 1970 (also Ronaldo, eight in 2002), but that will come as little consolation to the forward following France’s painful defeat.

The 23-year-old entered Sunday’s game level with Messi on five goals and twice fell behind in his battle against the Argentina captain in an exhilarating contest.

Messi became the first player to reach 20 World Cup goal involvements when he opened the scoring with a penalty following Ousmane Dembele’s trip on Angel Di Maria, who then capped a flowing move to put Argentina 2-0 up.

However, Mbappe was gifted a route back into the battle atop the goalscoring charts with 10 minutes remaining, tucking a penalty home after Nicolas Otamendi fouled Randal Kolo Muani.

Mbappe then moved clear in the race for the Golden Boot in incredible fashion 97 seconds later, lashing a first-time volley beyond Emiliano Martinez to force extra time.

Messi looked to have sealed the award – and the trophy for his country – once again when he prodded Argentina back in front in extra time, but Mbappe responded with yet another spot-kick when Gonzalo Montiel was penalised for handball.

Mbappe followed up his heroics by converting the first penalty of the shootout but misses from Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni saw his campaign end in a heart-breaking fashion as Argentina claimed their third title.

Having netted in 2018’s win against Croatia, Mbappe is now the highest-scoring player in World Cup final history with four, while his overall tally of 12 goals at the tournament puts him level with three-time champion Pele.- Al Jazeera

Pregnant 9y Old’s Dad Released After Vicious Interrogations

Bulawayo regional magistrate Mark Dzira, Monday freed the father of a 9-year-old Tsholotsho girl who attracted national outcry after she got pregnant and later gave birth.
The girl who hails from Masekesa Village under Chief Gampu was eight years when she fell pregnant.

She later gave birth to a baby girl via cesarean section at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) where she was being attended to by specialists.

Her father was arrested as part of investigations after it became difficult to figure out who was responsible for impregnating the juvenile.

While police released him from custody after the DNA results exonerated him, he still had a case of rape pending at the courts.

The DNA results proved that the minor was raped and impregnated by her 13-year-old cousin.

The 27-year-old whose name is withheld to protect the juvenile could not control his tears after the ruling.

In his ruling, Dzira said the court has no reason to hold him as the recent DNA results from National University of Science and Technology (NUST) exonerated him.

“The state has decided to set you free since the DNA results from NUST have proven you innocent. The court hereby withdraws the charges laid against you,” he said.

It was the State’s case that the juvenile’s father in an attempt to conceal the crime would tell the complainant that there were some creatures (goblins) which entered through the window and slept with her.– CITE

Mnangagwa Preaches Gospel Of Peace, How Sincere Is Zanu PF Leader?

President Mnangagwa has urged churches to continue praying for and preaching peace and unity in Zimbabwe and reject violence during and after the 2023 harmonised elections.

He added that the Second Republic will continue working with churches in nation building and development.

Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo

Hakuna nyika inobudirira kuine mhirizhonga

Hakuna nyika inobudirira muchirwisana

ZBC News

Mnangagwa Seizes Pulpit In Masvingo

President Mnangagwa has urged churches to continue praying for and preaching peace and unity in Zimbabwe and reject violence during and after the 2023 harmonised elections.

He added that the Second Republic will continue working with churches in nation building and development.

Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo

Hakuna nyika inobudirira kuine mhirizhonga

Hakuna nyika inobudirira muchirwisana

ZBC News

Messi Staying

Lionel Messi has made a huge announcement regarding his international future after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Argentina captain finally got his hands on football’s biggest prize after beating France in the final.

The 35-year-old scored a brace as the South Americans played a 3-3 draw after extra time and went on to win 4-2 on penalties.

Messi, who was named the Player of the Tournament, had announced that this World Cup was going to be his last.

Speaking after Sunday’s final, the superstar, however, said he is not retiring any time soon as he intends to “play as a champion”.

“No, I’m not going to retire from the national team,” Messi told TyC Sports after being asked about his future.

“I want to continue playing as a champion,” he added.

On lifting the World Cup, Messi said: “It’s crazy that it happened this way.

“I knew God was going to give it to me, I had a feeling it was going to be like this.

“Now I’m going to enjoy. It was long awaited but here it is. Look how this cup is it, it’s beautiful. We can’t wait to be in Argentina to see how crazy it’s going to be.”- Soccer24 Zimbabwe

The Goat Lifts World Cup

Lionel Messi has made a huge announcement regarding his international future after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Argentina captain finally got his hands on football’s biggest prize after beating France in the final.

The 35-year-old scored a brace as the South Americans played a 3-3 draw after extra time and went on to win 4-2 on penalties.

Messi, who was named the Player of the Tournament, had announced that this World Cup was going to be his last.

Speaking after Sunday’s final, the superstar, however, said he is not retiring any time soon as he intends to “play as a champion”.

“No, I’m not going to retire from the national team,” Messi told TyC Sports after being asked about his future.

“I want to continue playing as a champion,” he added.

On lifting the World Cup, Messi said: “It’s crazy that it happened this way.

“I knew God was going to give it to me, I had a feeling it was going to be like this.

Clueless Mnangagwa Must Be Removed

Tinashe Sambiri|Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa will be removed from office through the ballot box in 2023.

This was said by CCC youth taskforce spokesperson Stephen Sarkozy Chuma.

Chuma slammed Mr Mnangagwa’s administration for banning President Nelson Chamisa’s tree planting event.

“A regime that bans tree planting must be removed! Climate change is a reality.

Massive tree planting helps avert it. But ZANU PF govt wants to ban @CCCZimbabwe tree planting event.

We cannot allow ZANU PF to toy with our future and that of generations. Trees are life,” said Chuma.

CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba condemned the regime’s desperate measures.

“We intend to travel to Gutu tomorrow where President Nelson Chamisa will launch our national Tree planting program under our Green Zimbabwe Agenda.

Police has banned the event and we are seeking redress.

We have an obligation to make our country better and Green.”

We Are Ready To Celebrate Citizens Victory- President Chamisa

Tinashe Sambiri| CCC leader President Nelson Chamisa has said citizens are ready to romp to victory in 2023.

On Friday President Chamisa held a crucial feedback meeting with CCC cluster members.

According to President Chamisa, the citizens’ project is unstoppable.

” RARING TO ROAR!! CCC Change Champions reps from across the country at our end of year ‘progress review’ meeting!

Excellent reports from our ground troops and change champions from across the country as we prepare for a Citizens Victory.

We will Win Big! The future is exciting..#fakapressure,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.

Murambatsvina In Gweru CBD

By-The City of Gweru has identified more than 60 buildings in the Central Business District (CBD) that need urgent renovations to meet the required standards.

During a City Council business engagement meeting held recently at the Mayor’s parlour, a Gweru City Council official Tapiwa Marerwa, warned that the local authority will not hesitate to demolish buildings with structural defects. Said Marerwa:
We have been approached by various stakeholders with complaints that our buildings are in a bad state.
Most of them are generally not being maintained making them inhabitable and not fit to be used.
It is a requirement at law for us as a local authority to make sure that the owners of these buildings have addressed the anomalies.
We have summoned the respective owners of these buildings to take corrective measures but in the case of buildings with structural defects, these will be demolished, there is no going back on that.
Some of the buildings in the city have collapsing roofs while others have cracks and the paint is peeling off. Added Marerwa:
While some have cracks, others have paint peeling off and there are a number of buildings that have been abandoned.
Council was in the process of engaging owners of these buildings so that they can address the flagged areas.

Mnangagwa Promotes Top Spy

By- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reassigned the former Deputy Director General in the President’s Office, Aaron Nhepera.

Ministry of Information permanent secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana said Nhepera has been moved from the Home Affairs Ministry and appointed him the new secretary for Defence.

Tweeted Mangwana:
His Excellency President [Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa] has appointed Mr. Aaron Nhepera as the new Secretary for Defence.
He has been moved from [the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage]. He is a former Deputy Director General in the President’s Office.
In a related development, Mnangagwa has replaced Nhepera at the Home Affairs Ministry with the former Secretary for Health and Childcare, Gerald Gwinji. Said Mangwana:
His Excellency President [Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa] has appointed Dr. Gerald Gwinji – as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Dr Gwinji joined ZNA as Medical Officer, and he rose through the ranks to become Senior Medical Officer. He is a former Secretary for Health and Childcare.

Chigumba Brews Storm Over Preliminary Delimitation Report

By A Correspondent| Pressure continues to mount for the under fire Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Chairperson Priscilla Chigumba after some of her commissioners rejected the preliminary delimitation report.

Recently some Zanu PF affiliated organisations went public, castigating ZEC for failing to consult widely when they embarked on the delimitation process.

Inside sources within ZEC told this publication that the situation at electoral mother body is very bad with some commissioners reportedly pushing for Chigumba to resign.

“The majority of commissioners showed Chigumba a middle finger, they wrote reports distancing themselves from the delimitation report. They submitted their reports to relevant authorities, their argument was there was no consultations the secretariat did their things on their own. It is believed that Chigumba was paid to do a sham delimitation exercise that will impact Zanu PF negatively. Chigumba is working with some senior Zanu PF members who want to dislodge Mnangagwa.

“All commissioners are now against Chigumba, they are not happy with the way she handled the whole process there were no consultations, it was just a desktop research,” the source said.

ZEC spokesperson Jasper Mangwana unwittingly confirmed that ZEC is likely to use old boundries in next year polls.

“The commission is working flat out on the delimitation exercise, and when we are ready, we will appraise the public on the latest developments.

“However, if this exercise is not completed or the boundaries are proclaimed less than six months before the election, we will have to revert to using the 2007-2008 electoral boundaries.

“It is also important to note that this is the first time we have done the delimitation exercise in terms of the 2013 Constitution.

“Again, this is also the first time we are responsible for the demarcation of ward boundaries, which is more administrative and has a huge effect on resource allocation, as well as community development,” Mangwana said.

Recently, a Zanu PF affiliate, Men BelievED accused ZEC of failing to consult important stakeholders.

“As a community of interest in the delimitation of electoral boundaries, we believe that the commission did not have sufficient time to execute a thorough and effective process, and we want to express our anger in the commission’s failure to define a path of fair representation and contribution of the thoughts of young people.

“Boundaries that seek to disrupt our way of life, roll back government progress in supporting the future of young people, and that seek to divide the unity in our communities that our ancestors long established have no place or relevance in the development of our society.

“We believe the way boundaries are configured in our communities seeks to disrupt our devolution agenda.

“The commission’s proposed boundaries failed to take into consideration the results of the 2022 population census and did not consider the demographics of the youths and how they must benefit from the process,” the organization said.

Another grouping named Councilors4ED also discredited the preliminary delimitation report accusing ZEC of not consulting key stakeholders.

Tagwirei Dumps Mnangagwa

By-Sakunda Holdings says it is not bankrolling the planned Unity Cup match between Highlanders and Dynamos scheduled for 22 December.

Zanu PF uses this event to pretend there is unity between the Ndebele and the Shona, which is not true.

Both sponsored by the KudaTagwirei’s energy firm, Dynamos and Highlanders are set to clash at Babourfields Stadium as Zimbabwe commemorates Unity Day on Thursday.

Tagwirei is President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s frontman, whom he use to manage his businesses. Mnangagwa also uses him to bankroll Zanu PF campaign programmes.

Reports had suggested that Sakunda was sponsoring the match, but the company has distanced itself from the claims.

A Sakunda official who declined to be named told Soccer24 that the company “never” said they will sponsor the match. Said the official:

We are not sponsoring that game, we never said we would. The claim that we are sponsoring it is just an agenda to entice us into doing so.

Meanwhile, both Dynamos and Highlanders are reportedly training in preparation for the match. | Soccer24

Wind-Fall For Ex-Wenela Workers

By-Ex-Wenela workers will start receiving payments ranging from R10 000 to R50 000 per individual in compensation early next year.

This was said by a Tshiamiso Trust delegation that was sent to Zimbabwe last week.

Tshiamiso Trust was set up after ex-Wenela workers won a class-action lawsuit in the South African High Court in July 2019 to handle the compensation process.

Tshiamiso Trust chief operating officer Tina da Cruz told The Sunday Mail that each beneficiary will be paid depending on the level at which he or she had suffered from respiratory diseases. Said, Cruz:

We are delighted to be here for a positive engagement with the Government of Zimbabwe and other stakeholders.

We managed to develop a roadmap that we look forward to implementing. We are expecting that shortly, within the early next calendar year, it will be fully operationalised and will be receiving applications and processing the claims of deserving claimants.

The Trust said that it is considering workers who were employed by African Rainbow Minerals, Anglo American South Africa, AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields, Harmony Gold and Sibanye-Stillwater.

The compensation is applicable to employees who carried out risky work at the mines between March 12, 1965 and December 10, 2019, and were diagnosed with silicosis before December 2021.

Workers who contracted tuberculosis while working at the mines, or within a year of leaving the mines are also entitled to receive compensation.

Tshiamiso Trust has paid over R930 million to more than 10 000 claims from ex-workers.

Zimbabwe’s Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Permanent Secretary Simon Masanga said:

We have a database of at least 4 000 ex-Wenela mine workers who will be subject to vetting before receiving compensation.

The Government is going to set up an online registration platform, which will enable all ex-Wenela workers to register.

As Government, we are now appealing to all these ex-workers wherever they are to start compiling all the necessary documents to prove that they worked for these companies.

Affidavits are not considered as evidence in this process. Contractual documents, if they are present, will be crucial.

A mobile clinic will be available to carry out tests that will ascertain who will be benefiting.

Ex-Wenela Miners Association of Zimbabwe national spokesperson Newman Machinga said:

As an association, we are pleased with the development. We hope everyone who is entitled to the payments is going to benefit. We have been pushing for a long time to achieve this.

Ex-Wenela Miners Association of Zimbabwe chairman Rodgers Munakamwe said:

We have spent the last 42 years trying to track down unpaid pension dues deducted from their wages without their knowledge and consent.

Painful memories of labour injustices perpetrated against them are still fresh in their minds and a majority of the ex-miners contracted chronic diseases in the South African mines.

It’s sad that 25 percent of the ex-miners lost their lives due to a lack of money to seek medical attention.

Accused Rapist Gets Bail

Accused "rapist," Ronnie Ngwenya has been granted 100,000 RTGS bail by the High Court. The club manager was arrested for allegedly raping a 13 year old at his Waterfalls home. Ngwenya had initially been remanded in custody till the 9th of Jan. pic.twitter.com/DHgKay1YoL
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) December 19, 2022

Sakunda Energy Pulls Out Of Unity Day Cup ?

Energy company Sakunda Holdings have distanced themselves from the planned Unity Cup between Highlanders and Dynamos scheduled for December 22.

The two old foes are set to collide at Babourfields Stadium as Zimbabwe commemorates Unity Day on Thursday.

Multiple reports claimed that Sakunda, who are the two giants’ principal sponsor, will bankroll the latest installment of the ‘Battle of Zimbabwe’.

But the company has distance itself from the planned encounter.

“We are not sponsoring that game, we never said we would. The claim that we are sponsoring it is just an agenda to entice us into doing so,” a Sakunda official who asked not be named, said.

Whether or not that game will take place remains to be seen, but Dynamos are training in preparation for it.

Highlanders are also preparing for it, with assistant coach Joel Lupahla overseeing preparations in the absence of head coach Baltermar Brito, who is on holiday.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe

Benzema, Deschamps Relationship Turns Sour

Karim Benzema is reportedly furious with France manager Didier Deschamps after he was dropped from the French squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The 35-year-old was forced to head home after picking up a thigh injury on the eve of the tournament.

According to French outlet L’Équipe, this left Benzema unhappy as he wanted to stay with the France squad, which would have given him the potential to participate in the World Cup.

The striker reportedly needed just days of treatment.

He returned to training with Real Madrid a week later but cut communication with the France coach.

The publication further claims Benzema also rejected an offer from France president Emmanuel Macron to join him on his presidential plane to Qatar to attend the final against Argentina and support his side.

Rumours of his potential return to Qatar sprang up ahead of the final but Deschamps said he was going to work with the 24 players who started the campaign.

He said ahead of the final: “They are the players at my disposal. So I don’t think it is fair to those players to ask about players who aren’t here.”- Soccer24 Zimbabwe

The Goat Inspires Argentina To World Cup Glory

Lionel Messi has made a huge announcement regarding his international future after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Argentina captain finally got his hands on football’s biggest prize after beating France in the final.

The 35-year-old scored a brace as the South Americans played a 3-3 draw after extra time and went on to win 4-2 on penalties.

Messi, who was named the Player of the Tournament, had announced that this World Cup was going to be his last.

Speaking after Sunday’s final, the superstar, however, said he is not retiring any time soon as he intends to “play as a champion”.

“No, I’m not going to retire from the national team,” Messi told TyC Sports after being asked about his future.

“I want to continue playing as a champion,” he added.

On lifting the World Cup, Messi said: “It’s crazy that it happened this way.

“I knew God was going to give it to me, I had a feeling it was going to be like this.

Messi Not Retiring

Lionel Messi has made a huge announcement regarding his international future after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Argentina captain finally got his hands on football’s biggest prize after beating France in the final.

The 35-year-old scored a brace as the South Americans played a 3-3 draw after extra time and went on to win 4-2 on penalties.

Messi, who was named the Player of the Tournament, had announced that this World Cup was going to be his last.

Speaking after Sunday’s final, the superstar, however, said he is not retiring any time soon as he intends to “play as a champion”.

“No, I’m not going to retire from the national team,” Messi told TyC Sports after being asked about his future.

“I want to continue playing as a champion,” he added.

On lifting the World Cup, Messi said: “It’s crazy that it happened this way.

“I knew God was going to give it to me, I had a feeling it was going to be like this.

Rape Accused Bar Manager Granted 100 000 Bail

High court has granted club manager Ronnie Ngwenya RTGS$100 000 bail. He was arrested for allegedly raping a 13 year old girl at his residence in waterfalls.

Ngwenya had been remanded in custody till the 9th of january.

His bail was heard by Justice Kwenda, who granted the application after submissions by his legal practitioners.

-Online

ZUPCO Bus Driver Caught Driving Against Traffic

A ZUPCO bus driver was arrested on Saturday for driving against a one-way traffic route.
Enock Garanewako, 29, who was driving a Lofombo bus, was caught driving against one-way traffic along Rotten Row Road.

He had a number of passengers on board.

Harare provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luckmore Chakanza, could not be reached for comment.

However, H-Metro is reliably informed that Enock was detained at Harare Central Police Station and is expected to appear in court today. The Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) Chief Inspector, Bridget Chimhau, recently promised to compile a list of road traffic offenders and expose them soon after the festive season.

“VID In conjunction with police and Traffic Safety Council will come up with a list of road traffic offenders,” said Chimhau.

“The list will be exposed in a meeting like this after the holiday,” she said.

Meanwhile, Constable Anyway Simuya, was on Friday arrested for stealing batteries of impounded motor vehicles at Dzivaresekwa Police Station.

This followed a tip-off. —H Metro

Cyril Ramaphosa Re-Elected ANC President

yril Ramaphosa has survived the onslaught from Zweli Mkhize to be elected for a second term as ANC president.

Ramaphosa won with 2 476 votes against Mkhize’s 1 897.

Ramaphosa’s victory, however, wasn’t a complete win for his slate. Paul Mashatile, who was not supported by the president’s camp, was elected deputy president ahead of Oscar Mabuyane and Ronald Lamola.

Mashatile received 2 178 votes, compared to Mabuyane’s 1 858 and Lamola’s 315.

Gwede Mantashe was re-elected as national chairperson, while Fikile Mbalula will occupy the secretary-general’s important office.

His first deputy secretary will be Nomvula Mokonyane, and the second deputy will be Maropene Ramokgopa.

Gwen Ramokgopa has been elected treasurer-general.

-News24

Hopewell Chin’ono Involved In Minor Car Accident

Top government critic and journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono was last night involved in freak accident while coming from watching the World Cup final between Argentina and France.

Posting on Twitter, Chin’ono said he was helped by a Zanu PF member who is running for the parliamentary seat in Bindura.

“I drove the wrong way coming from watching the World Cup match. I was stuck for 2 hours until some ZANUPF guys who recognized me stopped and helped. I got the car out of the ditch with their help. Turns out the dude who helped is running for ZANUPF in Buhera,” said Chin’ono.

Chin’ono dispelled foul play.

Statement On The ZMC Registration & Accreditation

STATEMENT ON THE ZIMBABWE MEDIA COMMISSION (ZMC) REGISTRATION AND ACCREDITATION FOR 2023

The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) is notifying all media service providers, journalists, all media practitioners and stakeholders that the accreditation of all media practitioners will begin on the 10th of January 2023 at the Zimbabwe Media Commission House at number 108 Swan Drive, Alexandra Park, Harare.

The dates for accreditation of journalists and practitioners based in various regions or parts of the country shall be announced in due course. The Commission shall announce dates of its visits to various centres by mid-January 2023. The Commission hopes to accredit all journalists and practitioners within the first quarter of 2023.

Notice is also being given that all mass media service providers whose certificates of registration expired should renew them immediately.
To be considered for renewal of registration of operating certificates and accreditation of journalists and media practitioners, mass media services should have paid their 0.5% Statutory Levy for the year 2022 and other previous years.

Only journalists and practitioners whose media houses have paid the Statutory Levy and have renewed their registration certificates will be considered for accreditation.

Accreditation fees will remain as gazetted through Statutory Instrument 65 of 2022: Access to Information and Protection of Privacy (Registration, Accreditation and Levy) Regulations, 2022 (No. 10).

Below is the Statutory Instrument on registration and accreditation fees.
Statutory Instrument 65 of 2022
[CAP. 10:27]
Access to Information and Protection of Privacy (Registration, Accreditation and Levy) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 (No. 11)
________________________________________________________________________
It is hereby notified that the Commission has, with the approval of the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, in terms of Section 91 of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act [Chapter 10:27] made the following regulations: –
1. These regulations may be cited as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy (Registration, Accreditation and Levy) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 (No. 2)
2. With effect from the 1st of January 2022, the First Schedule to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy (Registration, Accreditation and Levy) Regulations 2002, published in Statutory Instrument 22 of 2021 is repealed and substituted by the following-
“FIRST SCHEDULE (Section 2)
FEES
Form No. Form Description Fees Payable (US$)
AP1 Application for registration of Mass Media Service-
Application fee$300.00
Registration fee$2000.00
Renewal of registration fee $1000.00
Late renewal of registration fine$500.00

Application for registration of Community Mass Media Service –
Application fee$200.00
Registration fee $1000.00
Renewal of registration fee$800.00
Late renewal of registration fine$500.00

Productions and Digital Platforms –
Application fee$200.00
Registration fee $1000.00
Renewal of registration fee$800.00
Late renewal of registration fee $500.00

AP2 Application for registration of News Agency –
Application fee$200.00
Registration fee$1000.00
Renewal of registration fee$800.00
Late renewal of registration fee$500.00

AP3 Application for accreditation of Local Journalist (Fees also payable in local currency for 2023)
Accreditation fee (First time applicant) $20.00
Renewal of Accreditation fee $15.00
Lost card replacement fee$10.00

Application for local journalist working for a
Foreign Media House
Application fee$50.00
Accreditation fee$150.00
Renewal of Accreditation fee$150.00

Application for a foreign journalist manning a
representative office of a Foreign Media Service
Application fee$50.00
Accreditation fee$300.00
Renewal$300.00

Application for temporary accreditation for a
Foreign Journalist
Application fee$50.00
Accreditation fee$150.00
Fee for extension of Accreditation period $50.00
Productions/ Projects$2500.00
Special Accreditation fee
Application fee$15.00

SADC $30.00
Rest of Africa$40.00
Others$50.00

AP4 Application for permission to operate a
representative office of Foreign Mass Media service or News Agency-

International
Application fee$500.00
Fee for permission to operate$3000.00
Renewal of permission to operate fee$2500.00
Complimentary permit administration fee$1000.00

SADC and Others
Application fee$200.00
Fee for permission to operate $1500.00
Renewal of permission to operate fee$1000.00
Complimentary permit administration fee$500.00

Explanatory Note: Fees for registration of local mass media services and accreditation of local journalists are payable in local currency using the foreign exchange inter-bank rate of the day.
3. The Access to Information and Protection of Privacy (Registration, Accreditation and Levy) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 (No. 9), erroneously published as (No.1), are repealed.

Issued by the Zimbabwe Media Commission
Date: 13th of December 2022
For further information or enquiries please contact the following:
Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC)
Zimbabwe Media Commission House, 108 Swan Drive Alexandra Park, Harare.
E-mail address: [email protected],
[email protected]
Hotline No. 0719 299 150

Bindura Man Struck By Lightning While Seated Under Tree

A 48-year-old Bindura man was struck dead by a bolt of lightning while seated under a tree in Bindura on Thursday.

Acting Mashonaland Central police spokesperson Sergeant Major Samuel Chikasha confirmed the case.

“I can confirm a sudden death case in Bindura where David Kanhukanwe (43) was struck dead by a bolt of lightning while seated with his two friends,” Chikasha said.

Police warned people to avoid sitting or standing under tall objects.

“We are urging people to avoid sitting or standing under tall objects during rains lest they will be struck by lightning and lose precious life.”

-Byo24

Dissecting Mnangagwa-Chiwenga Power Dynamics

At Zanu PF’s elective congress this October, delegates unanimously endorsed Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain the ruling party’s leader for the next five years.

This means the 80-year-old president will stay in Zimbabwe’s top job at least until national elections scheduled for mid-2023.

Analysts were quick to interpret Mnangagwa’s endorsement not only as a political victory in the short-term but as successful future-proofing against the ambitions of Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga.

One popular local observer suggested Chiwenga had been “outmanoeuvred” and that his hopes of claiming the presidency had been “ruthlessly snuffed out”.

Some of the vice-president’s own supporters pilloried him for not doing enough to prevent what they saw as a public humiliation.

However, a quick look at Zanu PF history tells us that congresses are not a serious affair in the party’s politics.

Even ordinary Zimbabweans have come to understand that these official gatherings are little more than a ripple on the surface of the liberation movement’s often brutal succession contests.

The most consequential battles tend to be played out in much darker spaces behind the concrete walls of party headquarters, in military cantonments and spies’ bunkers where brass-knuckle tactics such as bribes, death threats, murder by poisoning and grenade attacks are deployed to override the rudiments of electoral party politics.

In these more unpredictable and perverse spaces, little has changed for Chiwenga.

Anchored by the military, the former army chief still bestrides Zanu PF and national politics. The vice-president has hectored Mnangagwa into increasing funding for the military.

He has successfully pushed for army officers to fill key positions in government, state parastatals, and the ruling party.

He has abrasively appointed himself Defence minister and, more recently in August 2020, Health minister. Moreover, and contrary to received wisdom, Chiwenga perhaps best demonstrated his ongoing relevance at the elective congress itself. For some time, Mnangagwa has wanted to do away with his deputy, ahead of or during the Zanu PF meeting, and employed two main strategies in this mission.

Firstly, he aggressively shook up the military leadership in 2019, retiring or reassigning Chiwenga’s allies.

Secondly, he forced a raft of constitutional changes through parliament in 2021 that, among other things, gives him the authority to appoint and fire his vicepresidents.

These moves were meant to weaken Chiwenga’s hand in Zanu PF politics, culminating in his ouster as vice president at, or in the run-up to, the elective congress.

But the operation failed. Mnangagwa had no choice but retain Chiwenga, who will keep his high profile position and access to state patronage to parcel out to allies in the party and military.

The president wished to avoid this scenario by imposing a more malleable second-in-command. His failure to do so makes any notion of a grand strategic victory hollow.

According to some of Chiwenga’s allies, the retention of the vice-presidency does not just maintain the status quo for now but takes the former army chief one step closer to his long-held ambition of ascending to the presidency.

They suggest that Chiwenga’s plan to take power is still based on the agree- ment he made with Mnangagwa around 2014, when the latter became vice-president to Robert Mugabe.

The alleged deal was that Chiwenga, as head of the armed forces, would aid Mnangagwa’s rise to the presidency; in return, Mnangagwa would step down after one term to pave the way for a Chiwenga presidency. If this still is the plan, as the vice-president’s allies claim, it remains on schedule. Chiwenga led the coup against Mugabe in 2017 that brought Mnangagwa to power and helped the new presi- dent win elections in 2018.

According to the timeline, it would now be Mnangagwa’s turn to win elections in 2023 and then move over for Chiwenga.

In other words, the 2022 congress coming less than a year before potentially tricky national elections was never the time or mechanism through which power was to be transferred.

none of this is to say that Mnangagwa will give up the presidency easily, deal or no deal.

He will be egged on by his allies, who have become wealthy through state patronage, to stay in power. Furthermore, he will be unlikely to trust Chiwenga to protect him if he does step down.

Mnangagwa may be particularly wor- ried by Chiwenga’s apparent desire to appoint Saviour Kasukuwere the leader of the Generation 40 faction, which struggled against Mnangagwa between 2014 and 2017 as his vice-president.

If the battle between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga reaches an impasse, what will happen?

Zimbabwe’s tumultuous political landscape is famously difficult to predict, but we may do worse than looking to the warnings of First Ladies.

In the last days of Mugabe’s rule, Grace Mugabe never lost an opportunity to tell supporters and the world that Mnangagwa and Chiwenga were organising a coup.

Similarly, in a leaked audio from 2018, current first lady Auxilia Mnangagwa broke down as she accused a senior military commander of planning to assassinate her husband.

In the dark politics of Zimbabwe, where paranoid first ladies run parallel security and intelligence structures Auxilia Mnangagwa was an intelligence officer herself those clues matter.

In many ways, they illuminate the trajectory of Zimbabwe’s succession politics more clearly than official pronouncements and internal party vote tallies. African Arguments *Simukai Tinhu is a scholar and writer on Zimbabwe’s foreign policy.

-The Standard

“Zimbabweans Are Serial Plan B People!” Where Is Plan B If Millions Are In The Dark And Starving

“Zimbabwe did not become a failed state overnight. The collapse of the country happened over a period of decades, starting as early as the 1980s,” wrote Malaika Mahlatsi in an article circulating in my social media group.

“Scholars like Llyod Sachikonye go further to argue that the collapse began during the liberation war (the Second Chimurenga) with the institutionalisation of violence within national liberation movements. In his book, WHEN THE STATE TURNS ON ITS CITIZENS, he argues that the structural violence that characterises Zimbabwe today, and which is responsible for the catastrophic challenges that the country is confronted with, was institutionalised as far back as the 1970s. He argues that this violence, and the impunity with which it was meted out, facilitated the Zimbabwe of a ZANU PF that reigns with a margin of terror.”

There is evidence to support Sachikonye’s assessment.

During the fight to end British rule in India, Mahatma Gandhi and his fellow Indian nationalists were constantly bombarded by demands to escalate the struggle from the none-violence to an all-out armed struggle. “What kind of leaders would the armed struggle throw up?” Gandhi argued. “Would these be the men and women we would like to rule independent India?”

I think we, in Zimbabwe have given the answers to the two rhetorical questions Gandhi asked. In Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies, our war of independence, did throw up leaders who were tough enough to end white colonial rule in double quick time but at a great cost. The Zanu PF nationalists removed the white oppressors but only to install themselves as the new oppressors.

Yesteryear’s liberators have become today’s oppressors; a recurring theme in many independent African nations and human history.

Still, not all armed struggles have thrown up tyrants. South Africa, our next door neighbour waged an armed struggle to end apartheid and their struggle throw up visionary leaders like Nelson Mandela.

We in Zimbabwe certainly started our independence on the wrong foot in having corrupt, incompetent and murderous Zanu PF thugs, who did not have care about freedom, justice and human dignity of others and certainly had none of the visionary leadership qualities. 42 years after independence is reasonable time for us to have ended the Zanu PF dictatorship, especially given the depths of depravity and despair the regime has dragged us into.

Yes Zimbabwe’s war of independence did throw up corrupt and power hungry thugs; the worst that Gandhi and his fellow Indian nationalists could have imagined possible! So instead of the nation having to grapple with the post-independence challenges of making self-rule a success, Zimbabweans had to wrestle power, freedom and human dignity from the Zanu PF thugs first. Why has that process taken 42 years and counting?

“One day, when the collapse of South Africa becomes absolute, and we can no longer conceal that we are in fact a sophisticated failed state, we are going to reflect, like Sachikonye did, not on where we fell but on where we stumbled. And one of the emerging themes of our collective reflection is going to be that the country began its descent when we stopped fighting for our most basic human rights when the ANC led government was trampling on them,” was Mahlatsi’s explanation.

“It starts with things like actually accepting loadshedding as a fact of our lives and organising our existence around it. We have become very dangerously accepting of misgovernance in our country. We have become people who have a plan B for everything – exactly like Zimbabweans.

“They have no hospital equipment, they will simply buy drips at a pharmacy and take them to hospital with them. Zimbabweans are serial plan B people.”

If Zimbabweans’ so-called plan B was a viable solution, worthy of the name plan B, then Zimbabwe would not be a failed state characterised by millions living in abject poverty. How many Zimbabweans can afford the drip and the health care services has all but collapse, there are qualified staff to fit the drip?

Zimbabweans have resigned themselves to sinking deeper and deeper into poverty hopelessness and despair. As we speak, millions of Zimbabweans sitting twiddling their thumbs in the dark, Zimbabwe’s power cuts are 20 hours a day officially but for povo it is 20 days or more. They can’t sleep because they are hungry. Hunger and disease are no strangers in their homes, the dogs have stopped barking at them and the two imposers walk straight in without bothering about the usual formalities of knocking.

“Zimbabweans are serial plan B people!” Yeah right! Laying in the dark twiddling one thumbs and cannot even hear themselves think because of the rambling stomach is not exactly the image of one with a plan B, C or Z. But rather that on one at their wit’s end!

That’s right, Zimbabwe is a failed state because we have become a nation of people with no plan A, B, etc. A nation of people who cannot think. There, I have said it! Some one has to tell this nation some home truths we don’t want to hear!

No one can stop someone else thinking. And the contrary is equally true, no one can force someone else to think.

It is infinitely easier, to force the proverbial horse to drink than to force someone else to drink from the spring of knowledge, the prerequisite for rational thinking as contrast to noise from those devoid of common sense much less wisdom. You can lead some people to the Pierian spring, but you cannot make them to drink!!

Thinking is a mental process just as walking or talking is a physical process. The more the brain is exercised the better it will be at computing information and coming up with rational thoughts, plan A and B. The failure exercise brain will turn brain tissue into fat.

Zimbabwe is a failed state because we, Zimbabweans have again and again failed to grapple with the many challenges of life particularly the challenge of self-government brought about by independence. It is now 42 years after our independence and we are still failing to deliver something as basic as holding free, fair and credible elections because we have no clue what constitute free elections, in this day and space age!

At the heart of Zimbabwe’s failed state is our failure to hold free, fair and credible elections. The nation is stuck with this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship because the regime has rigged elections to stay in power denying the people a meaningful say in the governance of the country.

There is no excuse why Zimbabweans have failed to implement the democratic reforms necessary to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections for the last 42 years and counting. The nation had the golden opportunity to implement the reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and the chances were wasted.

MDC, who were tasked to implement the reforms failed to implement even one reform. Worse still, many Zimbabweans had no clue what the GNU was about, even now with the benefit of hindsight, and hence their failure to realise that MDC leaders sold out by failing to implement the reforms.

Indeed, MDC leaders now calling themselves CCC, continue to sell out by participating in flawed and illegal elections just to give Zanu PF legitimacy. And the people, in the blind ignorance continue to follow CCC like sheep to the slaughter!

Yes, the worsen economic crisis in Zimbabwe, the many nights spent in the dark listening to their rambling stomach, has left many Zimbabweans desperate for change. Many of them are participating in these elections oblivious of the reality doing so only gives Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuate the dictatorship. Desperate people do desperate things. And it is most unkind, to say the least, to call this insanity plan B!

Mankind is a creature of rational think, those who have embraced, nurtured and cherished this talent have prospered and ripped a thousand-fold. Whilst those who would not think at all have blundered from pillar to post, repeating the same mistakes and paying dearly for it.

Zimbabwe is a failed state, a pariah state, ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous Zanu PF thugs; aided and abetted by the coterie of equally corrupt, incompetent and utterly use opposition sell-outs because, we the people, have allowed them rule. We have failed to remove these thugs from power because we have discarded our thinking caps.

Mechanic Crashes Client’s Car

By A Correspondent- Popular club emcee, Big Dollar Bruce – real name Bruce Kanengoni – is not a happy man.

The burly entertainer lost his first car to two Warren Park auto mechanic students.

Big Dollar had taken his vehicle for service at a garage in Warren Park at Mereki Complex last week on Monday only to be told it was involved in an accident the following morning.

“I had a little problem with my car so I took it to Mutape’s garage (real name Tapera Mutape) kwa Mereki to get it fixed.

“He asked me to leave it behind and only to get a call the next day that two students, being taught mechanics at the garage, had hot-wired it and got involved in an accident.

“The two culprits are Tawanda Mangwiro and the other one is only known as Simba.

“I’m not happy, I have since reported the issue to the police (RB 5269895).

“It’s painful after all the work I did to get that car and someone just steals it and crashes it.

“I want my car back,” said Big Dollar.

He added: “This has inconvenienced me in so many ways, especially with this festive season.

“I have to get to shows on time and now I have fork out more for transport expenses.”

Big Dollar is the recent victim to such incidents after dancehall artist, Freeman, also lost his vehicle to a cousin’s friend, who had stolen his car.

Dance choreographer, John Cole, recently also had his car stolen only to find the body with some of the parts missing.H-metro

“Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo” Insists Mnangagwa – Reality, Zimbabwe Is A Failed State In Ruins, Mocks Him

On Monday, 12 December 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated four Zimbabwean individuals and two Zimbabwean entities, and removed seventeen Zimbabweans from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List).

“We urge the Zimbabwean government to take meaningful steps towards creating a peaceful, prosperous, and politically vibrant Zimbabwe, and to address the root causes of many of Zimbabwe’s ills: corrupt elites and their abuse of the country’s institutions for their personal benefit,” explained Under Secretary of the Treasury Brian E. Nelson.

“The goal of sanctions is behavior change. Today’s actions demonstrate our support for a transparent and prosperous Zimbabwe.”

The Zanu PF regime was completely taken by surprise as it clearly thought it was winning the fight to have the sanctions lifted. SADC and AU leaders had all been blaming the sanctions for Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown and calling for their unconditional removal.

The evidence on the ground shows that it is the gross mismanagement and rampant corruption which are the primary causes of the economic meltdown. 42 years of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship had left the country in economic ruins and political paralysis.

In a healthy and functioning democracy, the people would have removed the corrupt and incompetent Zanu PF from office. Sadly, Zimbabwe is not a healthy democracy, Zanu PF has blatantly rigged elections since 1980 to retain power. The nation is stuck with the regime.

The Zanu PF regime is upset to hear the Americans are determined to retain the sanctions and demands for free and fair elections, especially when the regime thought it was winning everybody over. The regime has reacted angrily, shooting from the hip!

“What the @ US Dept of State has done is an act of cowardice & undoubtedly barbaric conduct that falls below the diplomatic bar,” fired Zanu-PF information director Tafadzwa Mugwadi on twitter.

“It clearly reflects a demented superpower that has gone rogue, now aiming at non-assuming global citizens like Emmerson Jnr, a Chimuka & an unknown housewife.

“Anyway, needless to remind them that President Mnangagwa has reminded us that with or without sanctions, nyika inovaka navene vayo (a country is built by its owners).”

How much longer can Mnangagwa keep up the propaganda he is building Zimbabwe when the reality on the ground shows a failed country in ruins! Mugabe thought he could bluff and bamboozle everyone into believing he was delivering economic prosperity for all and was overwhelmed by the reality on the ground and forced to shut up!

Mugabe was so cocksure his Scientific Socialism policies would deliver mass economic prosperity, “Gutsa ruzhunji!” as he called it, he never tired of saying it throughout the 1980s. These were the usual voodoo economic policies centred on reckless spending especial by the ruling elite. There was nothing scientific in that!

By the end of the 1980s the economy was already in serious trouble and government asked for financial assistance from IMF and WB in the form of the 1990 to 1995 Economic Structural Adjustment Programmes (ESAP), designed to end the reckless spending and kick-start the economic revival.

The programme failed to revive the economy because Zanu PF reduce its spending on programmes affecting the masses but continued with the reckless spending to appease the ruling elite. The second five-year ESAP was agreed it too failed to revive the economy for the same reasons – the regime continued to savage cuts to programmes affecting the masses who forced to tighten their belts whilst the chefs loosened their belts.

By the mid-1990s the economy was now in deep trouble, unemployment was high, wages were low, the quality of basic services such as education and health care were very poor, etc. The standard of living for the majority of Zimbabweans had fallen both qualitatively and quantitatively. There was mass poverty and it was nonsensical to talk of “Gutsa ruzhinji!!” and so Mugabe was forced to drop, until then, his favourite phrase!

Indeed, “Gutsa ruzhinji” and “scientific Socialism” were now used to mock Mugabe.

When Mnangagwa took over the leadership from Mugabe following the November 2017 military coup he was cocksure his “Zimbabwe is open for business!” would open the floodgates of investors and financial assistance the nation had been starved of the last two decades. He was sure his promise to stamp out corruption and to hold free elections would reassure everyone that Zimbabwe was no longer the corrupt and tyrannical pariah state of Mugabe days. He even insisted in calling his administration a “new democratic dispensation” “Second Republic”. No one was fooled, especially the shrewd investors.

Mnangagwa failed to stamp out corruption, who could he when he is the godfather of corruption and so are all his friends who propelled him into high office.

Zanu PF would never win a free and fair elections. It was inconceivable that he and his fellow November 2017 coup plotters would risk all to stage a coup and wrestle power from Mugabe only to hand it over in a silver platter to others when it was in their power to rig the elections and retain power. And so no one in their right mind was surprised that Mnangagwa did not bother to implement even one token reform to keep his promise to hold free and fair elections.

And so Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business!” was a lead balloon that never took off because everybody could see that Zimbabwe was still a pariah state ruled by the same corrupt, incompetent, murderous and vote rigging thugs or be it with a new dictator and a few other musical-chair changes.

Zimbabwe is a failed state because it is a pariah state and as long as the country remains a pariah state there will be no meaningful economic and political change. How long can Mnangagwa continue to boast of developing and building Zimbabwe when the hospitals, power stations and the rest of the infrastructure Zanu PF inherited from the whites in 1980 are falling apart due to neglect whilst there is precious little of public value the regime has built.

The Zimbabwe Daily had a cartoon of a woman putting neglected ZESA powerlines to some use as drying lines for her washing. In the background is a large elections campaign poster with Mnangagwa promising to electrify the whole country!

Of course, Zanu PF will not win if the elections are free, fair and credible; no one will believe Zanu PF is building the country when all one can see is ruins of whatever the nation inherit from the whites in 1980! To stay in power Zanu PF has no choice but to rig the elections.

The goal of the sanctions is to force the Zanu PF to accept the need to implement the democratic reforms to ensure free and fair elections, “behaviour change” as the American aptly put it. The sanctions must stay.

The sanctions are not going to force Zanu PF to implement the reforms, it is too late for that. Retaining the sanction will remind Zanu PF that the regime will be held to account if the 2023 elections are not free and fair; evidence on the ground points to the regime is rigging these elections. This time the regime must be denied political legitimacy if the elections are rigged.

If Zanu PF is denied political legitimacy then the country will be forced to have another GNU as happened in 2008. The difference is, this time the nation will appoint competent leaders who will implemented the reform and thus finally end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance.

“2023 Ngaipinde Hayo China”: Mzembi

2023 !
Ngaipinde hayo China ?????????

Yoenda hayo Nyika !
— Dr Walter Mzembi (@waltermzembi) December 15, 2022

Mwonzora Tackles Chamisa, Mnangagwa In 2023 Presidential Polls

By- It is now official that the opposition MDC President Douglas Mwonzora will contest against CCC leader Nelson Chamisa and the President of Zanu PF Emmerson Mnangagwa in the next year’s Presidental elections.

This came after Sunday when the MDC endorsed Mwonzora as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections.

Mwonzora’s nomination was confirmed at the party’s 5th Ordinary Congress at the City Sports Centre in Harare on Sunday.

Speaking at the congress, Mwonzora said MDC remains strong despite what he called false propaganda which was meant to destroy. He said:

As we begin 2023, we will begin a candidate selection programme, we are no longer like other parties where leaders just appoint candidates, ours will be chosen by the people through voting.

We are going to do an aggressive mobilisation for the party. All the top leaders you see are first going to their villages where they come from and mobilise from there.

I do not want to see a leader at the Harvest House, I want to see the leader on the ground, iwe neni tine basa.

Today the MDC is standing on two feet, no amount of propaganda or hate language, or falsehoods can defeat an idea whose hour has come.

The congress also nominated Chief Ndlovu as the first vice president and Paurina Mpariwa as the second vice president.

Mwonzora Endorsed 2023 MDC Presidential Candidate

By- The opposition MDC has endorsed its president Douglas Mwonzora, the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections.

Mwonzora’s nomination was confirmed at the party’s 5th Ordinary Congress at the City Sports Centre in Harare on Sunday.

Speaking at the congress, Mwonzora said MDC remains strong despite what he called false propaganda which was meant to destroy. He said:

As we begin 2023, we will begin a candidate selection programme, we are no longer like other parties where leaders just appoint candidates, ours will be chosen by the people through voting.

We are going to do an aggressive mobilisation for the party. All the top leaders you see are first going to their villages where they come from and mobilise from there.

I do not want to see a leader at the Harvest House, I want to see the leader on the ground, iwe neni tine basa.

Today the MDC is standing on two feet, no amount of propaganda or hate language, or falsehoods can defeat an idea whose hour has come.

The congress also nominated Chief Ndlovu as the first vice president and Paurina Mpariwa as the second vice president.

-NewZimbabwe.com

Beitbridge Man Sets Family Ablaze

By- A Beitbridge man, Gibson Chidzanga has locked his wife and two children in a room and set it ablaze.

The arson attack was triggered by a text message and resulted in the death of his nine-month-old daughter.

The 33-year-old man has appeared before the courts facing murder charges.

Prosecutor Mr Pithey Magumula told the court that on 13 December, Gibson Chidzanga arrived at his rented house in the Dulivhadzimu suburb around midnight.
He then stumbled on a text message on his wife’s cellphone which led to a misunderstanding between the two.
Chidzanga threatened to burn the house with his wife and two children inside.
After that, he forced his family into one room and took a gas tank from the kitchen and lit it and fled from the scene.
The tank then burst into a huge fireball which spread across the house and his wife managed to escape with one child.
Efforts to rescue the nine-month-old child were fruitless as the fire raged on, resulting in the toddler being burnt to death.
A report was then made to the police resulting in Chidzanga’s arrest the following day.
He was not asked to plead when he appeared before Miss Ania Chimweta at the Beitbridge Magistrate Courts on Friday.
Chidzanga was remanded in custody until 30 December.

End Persecution Of Job Sikhala, Mnangagwa Told

Tinashe Sambiri|The Zanu PF leader Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa is brewing trouble for himself by continuing to detain CCC deputy chairperson and MP Hon Job Saro Wiwa Sikhala.

This was said by CCC youth taskforce spokesperson Stephen Sarkozy Chuma.

Chuma challenged Mr Mnangagwa to release Hon Sikhala with immediate effect.

The fearless CCC youth leader declared:

“The continued pre-trial detention of @JobSikhala1 by @edmnangagwa’s government is a criminal act. This is unacceptable!

Mnangagwa is brewing trouble for himself and stirring public anger.

This political persecution of Sikhala must end now!”

Former Mugabe Minister Arrested

Former Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti was Thursday remanded in custody after being arrested for rape.

Bhasikiti (60), a former ZANU PF Politburo member, is accused of raping a 12-year-old girl at an orphanage that he ran in Mwenezi.

He appeared before Mwenezi magistrate Faina Makumbe facing rape charges.

Bhasikiti was not asked to plead when he appeared in court on 15 December and was remanded in custody to 29 December.

He was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.

Bhasikiti will be transferred to Chiredzi Remand Prison as his case will now be heard at the Chiredzi Regional Court.

Allegations were that sometime in 2019, Bhasikiti went into a room at an orphanage that he ran at his farm in Mwenezi.

He allegedly approached the complainant and gagged her mouth with one of his hands.

Bhasikiti then allegedly forcibly removed her clothes before proceeding to rape her once and threatened unspecified action if she told anyone.

Police at Mwenezi police station arrested Bhasikiti after they received a tip-off about the alleged rape sometime this year.

Hardlife Machando prosecuted.

Bhasikiti served as Minister of State from 2013 until his expulsion from Government and ZANU PF in December 2014. | The Herald

Health And Disability

A new report by the World Health Organization shows evidence of a higher risk of premature death and illness among many persons with disabilities compared to others in the society.

The Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities published today shows that because of the systemic and persistent health inequities, many persons with disabilities face the risk of dying much earlier—even up to 20 years earlier—than persons without disabilities.

They have an increased risk of developing chronic conditions, with up to double the risk of asthma, depression, diabetes, obesity, oral diseases, and stroke. Many of the differences in health outcomes cannot be explained by the underlying health condition or impairment, but by avoidable, unfair and unjust factors.

Launched ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the report shows the number of people with significant disabilities worldwide has risen to 1.3 billion (or 1 in 6 people). This number reinforces the importance of achieving full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society and embedding the principles of inclusion, accessibility and non-discrimination in the health sector.

Unfair factors: a key cause of disparities in health
The report stresses the need for urgent action to address the vast inequities in health caused by unjust and unfair factors within health systems. These factors—which account for many of the differences in health outcomes between persons with and without disabilities—could take the form of:

negative attitudes of healthcare providers,
health information in formats that cannot be understood, or
difficulties accessing a health centre due to the physical environment, lack of transport or financial barriers.

“Health systems should be alleviating the challenges that people with disabilities face, not adding to them,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“This report shines a light on the inequities that people with disabilities face in trying to access the care they need. WHO is committed to supporting countries with the guidance and tools they need to ensure all people with disabilities have access to quality health services.”

With an estimated 80% of persons with disabilities living in low- and middle-income countries where health services are limited, addressing health inequities could be challenging. Yet even with limited resources, much can be achieved.

Opportunities for a disability-inclusive health sector
Recognizing that everyone has the same right to the highest attainable standard of health, the report provides important economic analysis of adopting a disability-inclusive approach.

It shows investing in a disability-inclusive health sector is cost-effective.

WHO calculates that governments could expect a return of about US$ 10 for every US$ 1 invested on disability-inclusive noncommunicable disease prevention and care. In addition, family planning and vaccination are cost–effective when implemented in a disability-inclusive manner.

Targeted and comprehensive actions across the health sector
The report outlines 40 actions across the health sector for governments to take, drawing on the latest evidence from academic studies as well as consultations with countries and civil society, including organizations representing persons with disabilities. These actions vary by resource level and range from addressing physical infrastructure to training of health and care workers.

Ensuring health equity for persons with disabilities will also have wider benefits and can advance global health priorities in 3 ways:

health equity for all is critical towards achieving universal health coverage;
inclusive public health interventions that are administered equitably across different sectors can contribute to healthier populations; and
advancing health equity for persons with disabilities is a central component in all efforts to protect everyone in health emergencies.
“Addressing health inequities for persons with disabilities benefits everyone,” said Dr Bente Mikkelsen, WHO Director for Noncommunicable Diseases. “Older persons, people with noncommunicable diseases, migrants and refugees, or other frequently unreached populations, can benefit from approaches that target the persistent challenges to disability inclusion in the health sector.”

She added: “We urge governments, health partners and civil society to ensure all health sector actions are inclusive of persons with disabilities so that they can enjoy their right to the highest standard of health.”

Source: WHO

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