Waiting forever…It's now 2 and a half hours, New Tafara and Mabvuku residents are waiting for ZUPCO buses, on Saturday morning. pic.twitter.com/sXfOYvnvRl
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) May 7, 2022
PICTURE: Waiting Forever For Zupco On Saturday Morning
Govt Pleads With Uni Students To Stop Monday ShutDowm Demo | VIDEO
VIDEO LOADING BELOW….
By Takudzwah Mukono | As the students of Zimbabwe we have committed ourselves in protecting our right to education and in our call we are very explicit no to the commodification of education, no to fees hikes. In responding to a direct threat to our right to education through unreasonable fees being charged
by tertiary institutions we have called for a National Shutdown of all Tertiary Institutions in
Zimbabwe until the crisis is addressed. The shutdown will start on the 9th of May 2022.
- Failed Dialogue. ZINASU tried and exhausted all the available channels to engage institutions and
the Central Government. All these efforts were futile nobody took heed of our frank concerns. The shutting down of all institutions is coming in as a result of cold responses we received from the Tertiary Institutions and the Central Government. - Increase in Students Dropouts and Deferences. These fees hikes have forced many to leave tertiary
institutions. In April 2022 more than 400 students were forced to defer by Midlands State University,
and this is disheartening. - Almost three quarters of the students we are either children or are being looked after by civil
servants who are earning meaningless wages. These exorbitant fees have become a nightmare and
are not affordable. Teachers, nurses, soldiers, police forces and pensioners e.t.c cannot afford to pay
$80 000 per semester. The fees being charged are beyond our means. - The resolve to be the vanguard of our right to education. The Constitution of Zimbabwe is
unambiguous and very clear when it comes to the right to quality and affordable education.
Exorbitant fees being charged have already threatened the constitution and declared war on our
right to education. It is our collective responsibility as the students of Zimbabwe to ensure we defend
this fundamental right. - Affordable and Quality Education for all Zimbabweans. The current administration in 2018 promised free education and quality education, but what we have is the opposite. The 9th of May 2022 shutdown is a reminder to the ruling formation to live by its promises and commitments. The
government must deliver and the time to deliver is now. - Abolishment of the fixed registration dates system. We are calling for all the tertiary institutions to totally do away with the system of imposing a registration time frame for the students. This system of fixed registration dates has been weaponized by tertiary institutions to defranchise
vulnerable students from accessing education. - Establishment of an effective bargaining table amongst the Students, Tertiary Institutions and the Central Government. The existing means of communication amongst the three are vague and
bogus. We call for a revision of these channels and the involvement of students unions is very
crucial going forward. - Respect for students academic freedoms.It is the culture of the govt to suppress genuine concerns from the students by using excessive force. An ethical and upright parent can not dish
out venom when what the children are asking for is water. We are only asking for quality and
affordable education police brutality doesn’t clear this crisis. - We are calling for a total closure of all tertiary institutions on the 9th May until all these issues
which have been articulated in this blueprint are resolved. We are declaring zero business on all campuses across the country. Till the govt addresses these pertinent issues amicably we can then return to normalcy, failure to do so imply that all the tertiary institutions will be on a perennial state of closure. As ZINASU we are great full to those who have given us solidarity. We equally at this juncture call all the progressive forces across the social and political divide to support us on the 9th of May 2022 going forward in our call to have access to quality and affordable education.
These progressive forces includes, Citizens, Political Formations, Labor Movements, Churches and all Religious Groups
within and outside the Zimbabwe.
The Struggle Continue Unabated
Takudzwah Raynolds Mukono (Research Secretary)
Mbanje At ZITF Exhibition
By- Buyers and people attending the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo flocked the SOUTH Africa’s visual cannabis magazine, Seven Leaf stand to see Mbanje which the company was showcasing.
.
Industrial hemp is a botanical class of cannabis sativa cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use.
It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants on Earth.
Nomsa, a representative of the magazine said hemp is beneficial medicinally, nutritionally and as an ingredient for textile products.
“Industrial hemp is important therapeutically since it contains a compound called cannabidiol (CBD) and hemp seeds are high in protein. Farmers can also use hemp as a cover crop, reducing the need for herbicides and also adding diversity to crop rotations.
“Besides the obvious, hemp is also used to make textiles, building material, livestock bedding, paper products, bioplastics and milk. The general misconception with cannabis is that it makes one high but since hemp seeds contain less than three percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), this means that it is non-psychoactive, she said.
In 2018, the Government gazetted Statutory Instrument 218 of 2020 [CAP. 18:24 Agriculture Marketing Authority (Industrial Hemp) Regulations, 2020 that regularised the growing, processing and supply of industrial hemp (cannabis) by farmers in Zimbabwe for industrial purposes.
-Chronicle
Seh Calaz, HolyTen, Coming To Norton Today
By Showbiz Reporter | Seh Calaz, Holy Ten, and a host other musicians are today clashing with the Norton based Mbeu in a sports gala at Ngoni Stadium.
The function, organised by local MP Temba Mliswa is set to draw thousands of revelers, from 8am all the way to 6pm. Poster details are below:
Chirau Kicked Out Of Zanu PF Youth Leadership
By- A new Zanu PF National Youth League Executive was elected into office at the 7th National Youth Conference Thursday.
The new executive will be presented to the ruling party’s First Secretary, President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the conference comes to its final stages.
The party’s National Political Commissar, Mike Bimha announced the results Thursday night.
The List of Winners:
- i). John Paradza (Masvingo Provincial Youth chairman) – Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs. Takes over from Tendai Chirau, who has been at the helm in an acting capacity.
- ii). Tendai Chiwetu – Secretary for Administration
- iii). Danmore Mambondiani -deputy Secretary for Administration
- iv). Tsungai Makumbe (Mashonaland Central) – Political Commissar,
- v). Taurai Kandishaya – Deputy Political Commissar,
- vi). Garikai Zonde – Secretary for Finance post,
- vii). Valeria Makonza – Secretary for External Affairs,
- viii). Innocent Dube – Transport and Social Welfare ,
- ix). Phillippa Mukono – Information and Publicity,
- x). Margaret Nyerere – Secretary for Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment,
- xi). Munashe Mututsa – Secretary for Information, Communication and Technology,
- xii). Admire Ndlovu – Secretary for Economic Affairs,
- xiii). Luckmore Gapa – Secretary for Health and Child Care,
- xiv). Nalede Maunganidze – Secretary for Gender,
- xv). Nomatter Topotsa – Secretary for Lands portfolio,
- xvi). Future Mhlanga – Secretary for Disabled,
- xvii). Batsirai Matiza – Secretary for Environment,
- xviii). Tubelihle Ncube – Secretary for Security,
- xix). Munashe Mabika – Secretary for Business Liaison.
WATCH: Masvingo Develops State Of The Art Shopping Mall
The city of Masvingo is developing among other things, a state of the art shopping mall.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Chitungwiza TV Explosion Victim Seeks Help | VIDEO
VIDEO LOADING BELOW….
Chitungwiza TV explosion injury boy (13) seeks financial help. He is currently receiving treatment at Mpilo Hospital’s Operations Of Hope program, led by Jennifer Mora. Well wishers can donate to Ratidzo Muchairi +263 78 503 9928.
Veteran Trade Unionist Speaks On National Shutdown
The former President of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Peter Mutasa has urged Zimbabweans to stay home on the 9th of May in solidarity with the shutdown planned to express frustration over the poor salaries and state of affairs in general.
The Zimbabwean economy has been going South for the past two years with authorities blaming the trend on a number of issues including COVID-19, sanctions, corruption, and the “country’s enemies” who have allegedly been sabotaging the economy.
University Students, led by ZINASU, nurses and teachers have announced that they will be participating in the shutdown.
Students say they can no longer afford fees after recent hikes while workers are protesting against poor salaries and working conditions. In a Twitter post, Mutasa said workers must stay home on Monday next week. He said:
To all Workers of Zimbabwe Are you happy with the slave wages? Remember #ShutdownZimbabwe 9 May 2022 Stay at Home to avoid walking back home Drivers are staying away too.
Citizens want the government to:
- Bring back kombis
- End currency crisis
- Reduce the cost of living
- Reduce tertiary fees
- Capacitate hospitals
- Increase salaries and pensions
The government has since pleaded with students not to participate in the protests saying fee hikes were necessary considering the soaring inflation.
Information secretary, Nick Mangwana recently said the government was seized with challenges affecting the general populace.
He promised a solution to transport challenges that worsened in recent weeks amid reports that the owners of ZUPCO-affiliated commuter omnibuses (Kombis) were withdrawing their vehicles over delays in payment of what’s due to them.
The government has been at loggerheads with its workers since 2019 over salaries with employees saying they were now incapacitated to report for work.
Previously, the government responded to shutdowns and protests by shutting down the internet and deploying security officers who terrorised citizens in their homes.-Pindula News
“Mnangagwa We Are Watching You”
Tinashe Sambiri|The Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa is losing sleep over the national shutdown announced by pressure groups.
ZINASU and ARTUZ have called for the shutdown due to the worsening economic crisis.
“ARTUZ Teachers Union and ZINASU Students Union are shutting down schools and universities on 9 May.
Citizens have been patient with the Government for the past four years, but enough is enough! Let’s stay home on 9 May,” ARTUZ and ZINASU said in joint statement.
The statement below is also circulating on social media:
- STAY AWAY ALERT 9 MAY 2022
CITIZEN DEMANDS:
- Bring back kombis
- End currency crisis
- Reduce cost of living
- Reduce tertiary fees
- Capacitate hospitals
- Increase salaries and pensions
Further action will be taken if GVT does not act.
ShutdownZimbabwe
Commenting on the shutdown, South African politician Mmusi Maimane said :
“The world will be watching when #ShutDownZimbabwe happens. There is no room for suppression of the rights of the people, including the right to protest. There should be no obstruction of the people .”
Mnangagwa Threatens “Detractors”
Emmerson Mnangagwa speaking at his party’s National Congress yesterday appealed to the youth to expose businesses “sabotaging the economy” saying the prevailing economic crisis was being engineered to topple him.
Speaking at the Zanu PF youth league conference in Harare, Mnangagwa said businesspeople were working with foreign powers to fan instability through unjustified price hikes.
“We are aware that there are people who are working with detractors to bring about regime change through the manipulation of our exchange rate and unjustified price hikes,” Mnangagwa said.
“My government is seized with this matter and perpetrators will soon be brought to book. I exhort the youth of our country to be vigilant and help expose all the deviant malcontents and counter-revolutionaries.”
Last year, government caused the arrest of several top company executives on allegations of manipulating the exchange rate.
Zimbabwe is in the grip of a spiralling inflation which has seen prices of basic foodstuffs, school fees and other social services skyrocketing, while salaries and disposable incomes remain stagnant.
Civil servants, including teachers and nurses, are planning a national shutdown next Monday in protest over economic hardships and transport crisis.
In the face of calls by teachers and nurses to down tools over poor salaries, Mnangagwa told thousands of youths that they should create their own jobs instead of aspiring to be teachers or nurses.
“Growing up we aspired to be teachers and nurses, that must change, The days for you to line up and seek jobs are fading … I thus expect to see the emergence of a crop of young versatile entrepreneurs who will help leapfrog our economic growth and emerge as the country’s millionaires,” Mnangagwa said.
The Mnangagwa regime has been accused of taking the lustre out of the teaching profession through underpaying teachers and nurses to a point they have become a laughing stock in communities.
Mnangagwa said the youths had a key role to play in rebuilding the economy.
“I further challenge you to learn from our liberation struggle and be rest assured that under the second republic no one will be left behind. We should build our own country,” he said.
Some of the regional former liberation parties attending the conference include the ruling parties of South Africa, Mozambique and Namibia.
Yesterday’s event was attended by Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, Zanu PF vice-president Kembo Mohadi, and Zanu PF chairperson Oppah Muchinguri, who is presiding over the conference.
-Newsday
Mufaro Chitakure Graduates Graduates with Actuarial Science Degree In US
The Zimbabwe born, Mufaro Chitakure, is graduating as a top scholar at the prestigious University Of Texas San Antonio.
The lad, who is graduating with an Acturial Science Degree, has been praised as a high flyer in the following piece written by Kelly Holguin and Courtney Clevenger:
Mufaro Chitakure seeks out solutions. It’s why the UTSA Honors College and Top Scholar student chose to major in actuarial science, a degree offered in the UTSA Carlos Alvarez College of Business that uses mathematical and statistical models to solve problems in insurance and finance.
His will to influence change also inspired him to join several student organizations at UTSA that address issues for students of color. In May, he will receive his Bachelor of Business Administration in actuarial science, and through his service at UTSA, will have provided future Roadrunners with more opportunities, better resources and bolder futures.
Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, Chitakure immigrated to San Antonio with his family as a child. He was familiar with UTSA because his older brother attended, but the Top Scholar program was new to him. He was invited to apply to the prestigious merit scholar program because of his high academic achievement and record of service, which included ranking second in his graduating class at East Central High School, being named an AP Scholar, and serving as president of the school’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter.
“It’s easy to want to have an impact as a student because you’re surrounded by other people who are trying to have an impact.”
When he attended Top Scholar orientation events on campus and met the talented and passionate community of Roadrunners, his interest in attending UTSA deepened.
“I knew that as a freshman, being surrounded by upper classmen who are doing all these great things would inspire me to want to do more,” said Chitakure. “Through the program and through my peers, I’ve managed to solidify what I care about and what I’m involved in.”
Chitakure’s heart for giving was evident the moment he got to UTSA in 2018. He joined his fellow Roadrunners to connect with many community programs on and off-campus including Good Samaritan, Adopt-A-Spot, the San Antonio Food Bank, Pride SA, the San Antonio Children’s Hospital and RAICES.
Being part of the Honors College community, coupled with the experiential curriculum in the Alvarez College of Business, helped him fine-tune his service.
Chitakure became a member of the President’s Student Advisory Council, an elite group of undergraduate thought leaders who provide the university president with diverse insights into the student experience at UTSA.
He used this opportunity to advocate for the concerns of students of color. Through this membership, he was able to strengthen the Multicultural Advisory Council, an organization he helped found which provides funds for identity-based student organizations. He also helped facilitate implicit bias training for three major student organizations at UTSA.
In Spring 2021, Chitakure joined the UTSA Public Safety Committee to improve student and police relations on campus.
For his outstanding service to the Roadrunner community, Chitakure won the 2021 University Life Golden Feather Award. Reflecting on working closely with UTSA President Taylor Eighmy during his time on the President’s Student Advisory Council, and how the ideas he advocated were heard and acted upon, Chitakure realizes that his efforts to make the university a more welcoming, inclusive and safe space for students will make UTSA a better place for all future Roadrunners.
“Seeing that UTSA is not stuck in its ways, that there’s room for listening and reacting and being proactive about what students want. I think that’s what makes me really proud about being a Roadrunner,” he said. “I feel like I can be a part of that forward movement, and once I become an alumnus, I can look back and be proud of what the university has added for future generations.”
Through opportunities at UTSA, Chitakure said he made lasting changes for future students and a huge impact on his future career. He gained confidence in his choice of major, positioning himself as a competitive candidate after graduation.
“During my involvement in the Honors College, I was able to meet actuaries that helped me learn more about the career and that further solidified my decision to major in actuarial science,” he said. “This is a major that offers challenging analytical work with practical applications for complex calculus and statistics skills.”
These connections enhanced his workforce development opportunities as well.
Last summer, Chitakure served as an actuarial analyst intern at USAA—an opportunity made available to him as a result of UTSA’s Classroom to Career Initiative, which enables students to participate in experiential learning opportunities, including internships, to gain the hard and soft skills in demand by employers. These programs are particularly important in linking classroom success to life after graduation for historically underserved populations.
After he crosses the stage this month at UTSA Commencement, Chitakure will begin a full-time position at USAA as an actuarial analyst III. He aspires to become a manager and address challenges in the workplace, making it better for his employees.
“It’s easy to want to have an impact as a student because you’re surrounded by other people who are trying to have an impact. It takes someone who’s bold to carry it out past college when you’re alone and within an industry,” said Chitakure. “If you’re able to maintain the ideology of wanting to have some social impact and make the work you do positively affect society. I think that’s a bold future.”
— Kelly Holguin and Courtney Clevenger
National Shutdown Calls Gather Momentum
The former President of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Peter Mutasa has urged Zimbabweans to stay home on the 9th of May in solidarity with the shutdown planned to express frustration over the poor salaries and state of affairs in general.
The Zimbabwean economy has been going South for the past two years with authorities blaming the trend on a number of issues including COVID-19, sanctions, corruption, and the “country’s enemies” who have allegedly been sabotaging the economy.
University Students, led by ZINASU, nurses and teachers have announced that they will be participating in the shutdown.
Students say they can no longer afford fees after recent hikes while workers are protesting against poor salaries and working conditions. In a Twitter post, Mutasa said workers must stay home on Monday next week. He said:
To all Workers of Zimbabwe Are you happy with the slave wages? Remember #ShutdownZimbabwe 9 May 2022 Stay at Home to avoid walking back home Drivers are staying away too.
Citizens want the government to:
- Bring back kombis
- End currency crisis
- Reduce the cost of living
- Reduce tertiary fees
- Capacitate hospitals
- Increase salaries and pensions
The government has since pleaded with students not to participate in the protests saying fee hikes were necessary considering the soaring inflation.
Information secretary, Nick Mangwana recently said the government was seized with challenges affecting the general populace.
He promised a solution to transport challenges that worsened in recent weeks amid reports that the owners of ZUPCO-affiliated commuter omnibuses (Kombis) were withdrawing their vehicles over delays in payment of what’s due to them.
The government has been at loggerheads with its workers since 2019 over salaries with employees saying they were now incapacitated to report for work.
Previously, the government responded to shutdowns and protests by shutting down the internet and deploying security officers who terrorised citizens in their homes.-Pindula News
Zanu PF Hooligans Cause Chaos At Gold Mine
Zanu-PF youths and Sabi Vlei Mine officials have clashed over gold claims with the latter accusing the ruling party activists of encroaching onto their land.
Sabi Vlei, owned by Aldrine Wiggle, is in Zvishavane.
NewsDay gathered that Takudzwa Nyemba, Kuziva Mukono and Isheunesu Jakata, who operate under the name Sabi Gold Mine Youth Association (SGMYA), have allegedly been encroaching onto Sabi Vlei claims.
On March 28, Wiggle’s son Jordan and one Bolinja, reportedly clashed with the Zanu-PF activists resulting in the former allegedly using an excavator to close three shafts which the youths claim to control.
Nyemba accused Wiggle of being the “aggressor” when contacted for comment.
“He (Wiggle) wants to reap where he did not sow,” he said.
However, Jordan accused the ruling party youths of breaching the terms of their mining agreement.
“You will need to contact the Sabi Gold Mine office who gave the youth space to work. They (youths) were in breach of their agreements,” Jordan said.
Sabi Gold Mine manager Clive Ziwodziwa had not responded to questions sent to him at the time of going to print.
Zanu-PF provincial chairperson Larry Mavhima could not be reached for comment.
The ruling party has in recent years been doling out mining claims and land to youths ahead of the 2023 general elections.
-Newsday
President Chamisa Confronts Mnangagwa Over ZUPCO Monopoly
Tinashe Sambiri| Citizens’ Coalition For Change leader President Nelson Chamisa says the transport crisis in the country is a sign of total collapse.
President Chamisa was commenting pictures of the current transport woes in Zimbabwe.
The problems emanate from the ZUPCO monopoly.
“A CHRONICLE OF FAILURE! A HERALD OF A TOTAL COLLAPSE,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.
See below Citizens Coalition For Change’s list of measures that can be implemented to end the transport crisis…
End the ZUPCO monopoly
▪️Allow private players
▪️Introduce set timetables
▪️Refurbish bus stops
▪️Stop harassing transporters
▪️Maintain road networks
▪️Modernize the rail network
▪️Consult citizens
Maringwa Lands Top CAF Post
Football Union of Zimbabwe president Desmond Maringwa has been appointed to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Organising Committee for interclub competitions and Management of Club Licensing System.
The former Dynamos midfielder will be in the committee for a two-year period, starting this year until 2024.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Mnangagwa Wary Of Being Removed From Power
Emmerson Mnangagwa speaking at his party’s National Congress yesterday appealed to the youth to expose businesses “sabotaging the economy” saying the prevailing economic crisis was being engineered to topple him.
Speaking at the Zanu PF youth league conference in Harare, Mnangagwa said businesspeople were working with foreign powers to fan instability through unjustified price hikes.
“We are aware that there are people who are working with detractors to bring about regime change through the manipulation of our exchange rate and unjustified price hikes,” Mnangagwa said.
“My government is seized with this matter and perpetrators will soon be brought to book. I exhort the youth of our country to be vigilant and help expose all the deviant malcontents and counter-revolutionaries.”
Last year, government caused the arrest of several top company executives on allegations of manipulating the exchange rate.
Zimbabwe is in the grip of a spiralling inflation which has seen prices of basic foodstuffs, school fees and other social services skyrocketing, while salaries and disposable incomes remain stagnant.
Civil servants, including teachers and nurses, are planning a national shutdown next Monday in protest over economic hardships and transport crisis.
In the face of calls by teachers and nurses to down tools over poor salaries, Mnangagwa told thousands of youths that they should create their own jobs instead of aspiring to be teachers or nurses.
“Growing up we aspired to be teachers and nurses, that must change, The days for you to line up and seek jobs are fading … I thus expect to see the emergence of a crop of young versatile entrepreneurs who will help leapfrog our economic growth and emerge as the country’s millionaires,” Mnangagwa said.
The Mnangagwa regime has been accused of taking the lustre out of the teaching profession through underpaying teachers and nurses to a point they have become a laughing stock in communities.
Mnangagwa said the youths had a key role to play in rebuilding the economy.
“I further challenge you to learn from our liberation struggle and be rest assured that under the second republic no one will be left behind. We should build our own country,” he said.
Some of the regional former liberation parties attending the conference include the ruling parties of South Africa, Mozambique and Namibia.
Yesterday’s event was attended by Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, Zanu PF vice-president Kembo Mohadi, and Zanu PF chairperson Oppah Muchinguri, who is presiding over the conference.
-Newsday
Mwenezi Community Totally Neglected For 42 Years
MWENEZI – VIEWING IT FROM THE BIG MIRROR
BY C.R. INGWANI -HLONGWANI.
Approximately 115km South West of the Provincial ancient town of Masvingo lies Mwenezi district, a mopani infested desolate land where edible mopani worms report brisk business at various points during the harvesting period.
Rutenga, the hub of all business activities along Masvingo – Beitbridge highway has all the potential to take it to a dream town of this idle district. The busiest road on Zimbabwean soil, Chirundu- BB tarmac dissects the district on the eastern side making it an adjunct to all business prospects that may arise given the opportunity of their materialization.
Like all other low lying areas such as Dande,Mavhuradonha, Muzarabani , Mwenezi is embedded in the south east Lowveld under Agricultural region 5 where crop farming is only practised on subsistence basis as opposed to commercial purposes.
Generally soils are poor, salty and seasons are marred by erratic rain patterns, no wonder why mopani shrubs are a dominant forest in the district. Ideally, the region suits animal farming ( ranching) and beasts in the region are of high quality because of these favourable climatic conditions.
It is the rate at which development progression is taking its course which worries most and a cause for concern to all who have the district at heart. I’m among those whose hearts are bleeding profusely taking into cognizance that Mwenezi district is one of the most disadvantaged districts on the land .
We have heard of political bigwigs who have influence to transform the places they hail from but our own Mwenezi appears to be just res nullius, something which has no owner to take care of.
The people we have been thrusting to the helm of our district to champion our cause since 1980 have dismally failed us and precisely these guys are charlatans who deserve to be called demagogues, soapbox orators or tub- thumpers who tremple on people who brought fame to them. Its like chopping off the hand that feeds you. We have people in Mwenezi who are not daring. The ones we elevate as our shepherds when they go up there tend to take tranquilizers in large doses and forget about us. They have failed to bring development to the place where their umbilical cords lie.
They have since alligned themselves to the rhetoric,” If the mountain can’t go to Mahomet,then Mahomet must go to the mountain”. The issue of representing people in societal grievances needs typical white ribboners or teetotallers who are sober minded all the time.
Without beating about the bush let me just drive you home and point out something I feel was a big let down by our representatives in Parliament. Mwenezi district partly borders with Mberengwa just near Matibi/ Ngungumbane.
The road from Zvishavane to Neshuro is nicely tarred from the asbestos town to somewhere near Ngezi river at Buchwa Mine but as it tries to pop into Mwenezi it suddenly dies off exposing the red- iron containing soils which makes every transporter hesitant to ply that route.
Why the road remaining gravel such a short distance from Buchwa to Turn-P? This remains a million dollar question and only brings to light the shortcomings of our people who represent us at the August House.
Well, maybe I have gone too far and what I need to abide by is the adage,” Let sleeping dogs lie”. When sleeping dogs have been accorded freedom to lie, another business emanates somewhere.
Of interest,it has come to my realization that individuals who grow up in impoverished environments mostly our African brothers if by chance they manoeuvre life meanders and rise up the ladder and get established somewhere, noone bothers to come back home to invest as part of community development.
Instead, they go to foreign land and help to develop such places. Yes we go out there in search of Greener pastures but our own places of origin can also turn green if we all develop zeal to improve them. Last but not least, I think tribal shunning is very rampant across our beloved Mwenezi of which people denounce their own tribe trying to force allegiance to other tribes. Persuasively I urge you brothers and sisters to desist from this practice and be proud of our tribes wherever we go.
Research has shown that Mlilo, Sithole,Sigauke,Mlambo,Dhliwayo,Mhlanga, Hlongwani and Chauke are all Soshangana olive branches. These people ooze blood from the same vein with the same genetic material and have the same tag pasted on them” Shangani Tribe”.
Interestingly, of the aforementioned people only Hlongwani and Chauke remain boastful of being Shangani and are currently the cog of the tribe. Tribe denouncing starts with somebody writing “Hlongwane” only to evade being called Shangani kkkkkkk.
It has taken so long to bring this individual thinking for other members to digest and capture few nuggets and constructively criticize as adults. Democracy, an anchorstone of all development. The view of the wonderful Mwenezi has come to rest, the eagle has landed.
Let’s love our place,our tribes and above all let’s take our district a stride up and make it the guiding star of other districts.
Let it appear boldly on the map of development.
About Air Quality
Almost the entire global population (99%) breathes air that exceeds WHO air quality limits, and threatens their health.
A record number of over 6000 cities in 117 countries are now monitoring air quality, but the people living in them are still breathing unhealthy levels of fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide, with people in low and middle-income countries suffering the highest exposures.
The findings have prompted the World Health Organization to highlight the importance of curbing fossil fuel use and taking other tangible steps to reduce air pollution levels.
Released in the lead-up to World Health Day, which this year celebrates the theme Our planet, our health, the 2022 update of the World Health Organization’s air quality database introduces, for the first time, ground measurements of annual mean concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a common urban pollutant and precursor of particulate matter and ozone. It also includes measurements of particulate matter with diameters equal or smaller than 10 μm (PM10) or 2.5 μm (PM2.5). Both groups of pollutants originate mainly from human activities related to fossil fuel combustion.
The new air quality database is the most extensive yet in its coverage of air pollution exposure on the ground.
Some 2,000 more cities/human settlements are now recording ground monitoring data for particulate matter – PM10 and/or PM2.5 – than the last update. This marks an almost 6-fold rise in reporting since the database was launched in 2011.
Meanwhile, the evidence base for the damage air pollution does to the human body has been growing rapidly and points to significant harm caused by even low levels of many air pollutants.
Particulate matter, especially PM2.5, is capable of penetrating deep into the lungs and entering the bloodstream, causing cardiovascular, cerebrovascular (stroke) and respiratory impacts.
There is emerging evidence that particulate matter impacts other organs and causes other diseases as well.
NO2 is associated with respiratory diseases, particularly asthma, leading to respiratory symptoms (such as coughing, wheezing or difficulty breathing), hospital admissions and visits to emergency rooms
WHO last year revised its Air Quality Guidelines, making them more stringent in an effort to help countries better evaluate the healthiness of their own air.
“Current energy concerns highlight the importance of speeding up the transition to cleaner, healthier energy systems,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “High fossil fuel prices, energy security, and the urgency of addressing the twin health challenges of air pollution and climate change, underscore the pressing need to move faster towards a world that is much less dependent on fossil fuels.”
Steps governments can take to improve air quality and health
A number of governments are taking steps to improve air quality, but WHO is calling for a rapid intensification of actions to:
adopt or revise and implement national air quality standards according to the latest
WHO Air Quality Guidelines;
monitor air quality and identify sources of air pollution;
support the transition to exclusive use of clean household energy for cooking, heating and lighting;
build safe and affordable public transport systems and pedestrian- and cycle-friendly networks;
implement stricter vehicle emissions and efficiency standards; and enforce mandatory inspection and maintenance for vehicles;
invest in energy-efficient housing and power generation;
improve industry and municipal waste management;
reduce agricultural waste incineration, forest fires and certain agro-forestry activities (e.g. charcoal production); and
include air pollution in curricula for health professionals and providing tools for the health sector to engage.
WHO’s Air Quality Guidelines
The evidence base for the harm caused by air pollution has been growing rapidly and points to significant harm caused by even low levels of many air pollutants. Last year, the WHO responded by revising its Air Quality Guidelines to reflect the evidence, making them more stringent, especially for PM and NO2, a move strongly supported by the health community, medical associations and patient organizations.
The 2022 database aims to monitor the state of the world’s air and feeds into progress tracking of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Source: WHO
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I Was Paid To Assault Traditional Leader, Claims Former MDC Stalwart
Former Deputy Youth and Indigenisation Minister, Tongai Matutu, has alleged that he was paid US$75 000 by the United States of America Embassy in 2010 to assault Chief Serima in 2010.
He said the embassy wanted him to get arrested so that they would use his arrest to push the idea that there were gross human rights violations in Zimbabwe.
Matutu was a member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change led by the late former Prime MinisterMorgan Tsvangirai.
Writing on Twitter on Thursday, Matutu said:
In 2010, l was paid US $75k to assault Chief Serima at Matizha Business Center. I got arrested and fined $100.
This was just something carefully planned by the US Embassy so that they will use my arrest as persecution of opposition activists to justify the renewal of sanctions.
Matutu was alleged to have slapped and punched Chief Serima at the Matizha Business Center in September 2010.
Masvingo Magistrate Oliver Mudzongachiso found Matutu guilty of assaulting Masvingo Chief Serima, also known as Vengesai Rushwaya.
He was ordered to pay a fine of US$100.
Matutu, who appealed the judgement, told the media then that the charges against him were politically motivated.
Matutu, a former Masvingo Urban MP, is now a member of the ruling ZANU PF after leaving MDC Alliance then led by Nelson Chamisa following his disqualification from contesting the provincial chairmanship post ahead of the 2019 Gweru Congress.- Pindula News
Full Text: ZRP Statement On Operation Respect Other Road Users
POLICE UPDATE ON OPERATION RESPECT OTHER ROAD USERS
The Zimbabwe Republic Police appreciates and applauds the public for the cooperation rendered during the ongoing operation “Respect other road users,” which is aimed at bringing order to chaos on the roads caused by vehicles which have no registration plates, those driven against the flow of traffic, going through red robots, one-way and other misdemeanors on the roads.
The Police reiterates that, all vehicles whether Government-owned, individual owned, company or institution and political party owned should display registration plates while moving on the roads and in public places.
Any vehicle not displaying registration plates in clear contravention of the Vehicle Registration and Licensing Act, Chapter 13:14 will be impounded by the Police with owners facing the due process of the law. No negotiations, pleas or excuses will be entertained by Police officers on the ground or at Command level. Motorists are therefore expected to lead by example and comply in order to promote road safety and the maintenance of law and order in the country. Meanwhile since the start of the operation, a total of 7362 vehicles have beer accounted for by the Police for various traffic offences.
The Police reminds the public that family and private-owned vehicles should not be used to engage in pirating activities to ensure smooth flow of traffic on the country’s roads .
On the other hand, Public Service Vehicles (PSV) operators should ensure they operate in terms of the country’s laws.
Above all, drivers should strive to avoid causing congestion on the roads, especially in urban set up or risk having their vehicles impounded by the Police.
Zanu PF Chitungwiza Election Rigging Plot Exposed
By- Citizens Coalition for Change said they have uncovered a tomorrow Chitungwiza by-election rigging plan by Zanu PF.
Posting on tweeter Friday, CCC, said they would not allow Zanu PF to steal people’s will.
“We have uncovered a plot by ZANU PF operatives to rig tomorrow’s Chitungwiza Ward 7 by election. We have put in place a foolproof mechanism to detect, expose and thwart any rigging shenanigans. We shall defend our votes. We are more than ready for tomorrow,” posted CCC.
We have uncovered a plot by ZANU PF operatives to rig tomorrow's Chitungwiza Ward 7 by election. We have put in place a foolproof mechanism to detect, expose and thwart any rigging shenanigans. We shall defend our votes. We are more than ready for tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/FQCNDQALdZ
— CCC Harare Province (@CCCHarare) May 6, 2022
Zanu PF Panics As Chamisa Invades Mat South
By- Zanu PF leadership is said to be panicking the invasion by CCC leader Nelson Chamisa in Matabeleland region for his weekend rallies
Chamisa on Friday announced that he was in Bulilima.
He will also be in Gwanda where he will address his supporters
CCC tweeted this week:
The Yellow Movement is in Gwanda this Saturday. Come let’s celebrate together #GwandaCelebrationRally #VictoryRally Phelandaba Stadium 10am-5pm
Abraham’s Faith
Sabbath School Summary
By Elder Dr Masimba Mavaza
The Roots of Abraham
Lesson 6
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8, NKJV).
Introduction
We have now reached the center of the book of Genesis. This central section (Genesis 12-22) will cover the journey of Abraham, from God’s first call, lekh lekha, “Go!” (Gen. 12:1), which leads Abraham to leave his past, to God’s second call, lekh lekha, “Go!” (Gen. 22:2), which leads Abraham to leave his future (as it would exist in his son). As a result, Abraham always is on the move, always a migrant, which is why he also is called a “stranger” (Gen. 17:8).
In his journeying, Abraham is suspended in the void—without his past, which he has lost, and without his future, which he does not see. Between these two calls, which frame Abraham’s journey of faith, Abraham hears God’s voice, which reassures him: “ ‘Do not be afraid’ ” (Gen. 15:1, NKJV). These words of God mark the three sections of Abraham’s journey, which will be studied in weeks 6, 7, and 8.
Abraham exemplifies faith (Gen. 15:6) and is remembered in the Hebrew Scriptures as the man of faith (Neh. 9:7, 8). In the New Testament, Abraham is one of the most mentioned figures from the Old Testament, and this week we will start to see why.
SABBATH: Although Abraham is best known as the “man of faith”, he can easily be referred to as a “migrant” or a “stranger” (Gen. 17:8). He was always on the move. His life dangled between the past he lost & the future he couldn’t foresee. But God bid him; “Do not be afraid” (Gen. 15:1). His story forms the central part of Genesis (Gen. 12-22). God’s call was “Go” & he gently obeyed (Gen. 12:1).
SUNDAY: Abraham was the next to hear God’s voice after Noah (Gen. 9:15-17; 12:1-9). God’s promise that another global flood wouldn’t occur was followed by a promise to bless all nations by the seed of Abraham. God’s call “Go” occurs 7 times & starts from Babylonia (see Gen. 11:31; Isa. 13:19, 48:20, Rev. 18:4, Gen. 22:18, 26:4, 28:14, Acts 3:25). We’re also called to “go” out of Babylon; get rid of past sins.
MONDAY: By faith, Abraham left Ur but by self-volition Abraham left Canaan (Gen. 12:10-20). Famine led Abraham to leave the Promised Land for Egypt. Ancient writs, the Merikare (2060-1700 b.c.), reveal that people from Canaan often left for Egypt for food & water. Egypt was known for temptations (Num. 14:3, Jer. 2:18). It was a symbol of self-trust. Abraham in Egypt lied but God forgave him (PP, p. 130).
TUESDAY: God calls backsliders to return. Abraham saw his journey to Egypt as an unfortunate detour (Gen. 13:1-18). He came back to Bethel where he was before in the Promised Land to start with God again. His repentance & how he handles family issues tells us that he’s a man of peace & generosity. Lot was greedy & Abraham faithful (Gen. 6:2). God Himself chose a land for Abraham (Gen. 13:14-17).
WEDNESDAY: The Battle of the Vale of Siddim is the first war in the Bible & it was a big one. Nine kings were involved; 4 armies from Mesopotamia & Persia against 5 Canaanite armies (including the kings of Sodom & Gomorrah). This war occurs right after God’s gift of the Promised Land to Abram (Gen. 14:1-17). The kings fought over the land but he was the true owner. He fought only for Lot (PP, p. 135).
THURSDAY: After victory in saving Lot, Abram gave tithe to the Priest, Melchizedek, from Salem (means “peace”). Thanked by Canaanites kings, Abram thanked God, Giver of victory. “izedek” in Melchizedek meant “justice”, a contrast to the king of Sodom, Bera (“in evil”) & Gomorrah, Birsha (in wickedness). The priest blessed Abram (Gen. 14:2, 18-24, 28:22; Heb. 7:2-6, Deut. 7:13, 14:23, 2 Chron. 31:5).
FRIDAY: Christ’s church is to be a hub of blessings & its members are to be blessed as they bless others. God’s plan to choose a peculiar people was not only that He might adopt them but to use them as a channel of blessings to all nations. Thus, Abram was not simply the special friend of God but His medium of blessing. We’re the light & salt of the world. Let your light shine & sweeten lives!
——Ellen G. White, “Abraham in Canaan,” pp. 134–136, in Patriarchs and Prophets & Reflecting Christ, p. 205.
Keywords
PP- Patriarchs and Prophets
Abram- Later referred to as Abraham. God changed His name to mean “father of all nations.” He’s popularly called the “father of faith.” He made mistakes but God didn’t forsake him, just like any sinner. God’s grace is stronger than sin.
Babylonia- It refers to our bitter past & past sins. God calls us to “come out of Babylon”. We’re to “Go” and make disciples of all nations.
Egypt- It stands for atheism, human trusting in humans rather than in God, and temptation (2 Kings 18:21; Isa. 36:6, 9). Egypt often had abundant food & water in contrast to other lands of famine.
Merikare- text composed during the period of the Middle Kingdom (2060–1700 b.c.).
Promised Land- Canaan.
Melchizedek- A priest of “God Most High.” He was a reprensatitve of God and not Christ. He served “bread and wine,” an association that often implies the use of fresh-pressed grape juice (Deut. 7:13, 2 Chron. 31:5).
Captions
SUNDAY- Abram’s Departure
MONDAY- The Temptation of Egypt
TUESDAY- Abram and Lot
WEDNESDAY- The Babel Coalition
THURSDAY- The Tithe of Melchizedek
Discussion Questions
? In light of the blessing of Abram, “ ‘I will bless you . . . and you shall be a blessing’ ” (Gen. 12:2, NKJV), what does it mean to be blessed? How can we, as people who serve the same God as did Abram, be a blessing to others?
? What was wrong in Abram’s half lie regarding his sister-wife? What is worse: lying or saying some truth while still, at the same time, technically lying?
? Read again Genesis 14:21–23, Abram’s response to the offer of the king of Sodom. Why did he respond as he did, and what important lesson can we take from this story? Would not Abram have been justified had he decided to take what the king had offered him?
CCC Considering To Hold Elective Congress
By-The Nelson Chamisa led Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has announced that it would soon be embarking on new processes to elect its national leaders, ahead of the 2023 national elections.
This follows recent reports that the party, formed in January this year ahead of the March 26 by-elections, was a one-man show for Nelson Chamisa.
There are also increased calls for the new political outfit to hold an elective congress.
Exiled former ministers Professor Jonathan Moyo and Walter Mzembi led the charge last week calling for Chamisa to hold a special congress to launch the party constitution, build structures, elect leadership and come up with an election manifesto.
Since its formation early this year, the party has insisted that all party members will hold interim positions while it consults citizens.
Political observers, however, raised concerns that the stance would diminish the CCC’s image as a vanguard of democracy.
In an interview yesterday, CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said: “The CCC is consulting citizen assemblies throughout all provinces where structures are being built to ensure every street, village and farm is part of a branch.
“These are the same citizens in urban and rural areas who were consulted and who pushed for the creation of a brand new political party,” Mahere said, adding that the party was introducing a new political doctrine.
“We urge the citizens not to expect old ways from these new wineskins. We commit to doing things differently. Expect the new.”
The CCC, she added, was a citizens’ project that carried new values, a new political culture, a new thinking, and a new way of community organisation.
“The people are being consulted so that we don’t impose our own ideas on them. Rather, the citizens must own their movement,” she said.
The CCC, according to Mahere, would roll out all other mechanisms at the appropriate time while calling party supporters to trust the process. She said party leaders would be selected by a democratic process led by the citizens while details around this would be unveiled at the appropriate time.
“President Chamisa has been anything but silent. He has addressed citizen assemblies, small group meetings, village meetings, and a host of other community and special interest groups,” Mahere said.
“The clear message has been that CCC is a movement that puts the citizens at the centre of all decision-making and all matters of governance, leadership selection, budgetary priorities, and policy-making.”
Mahere said the movement was seeking to complete the unfinished business of the liberation struggle.
“It is a party that champions prosperity, opportunity and protection for all Zimbabweans regardless of their location or status in society.
“We are all equal as citizens of our country. We advocate for a Zimbabwe where every person is accorded their inalienable rights irrespective of race, colour, creed, age, sex, religious affiliation, national origin or disability,” she added.
Mahere said Chamisa has made it clear that the party’s mission was to drive a new national consensus, a new conversation, a new convergence, a post-liberation consensus and a democratisation consensus.
The CCC garnered 19 out of 28 seats in the March 26 by-elections.
-Zimbabwe Independent
Chamisa Speaks On Mnangagwa Made Transport Woes
By- CC President has been angered by the deteriorating transport situation in the country and said that it is caused by Emerson Mnangagwa’s poor governance.
Chamisa posted pictures of passengers being shoved into lories and said that the situation was degrading.
Posted Chamisa on Tweeter:
A CHRONICLE OF FAILURE! A HERALD OF A TOTAL COLLAPSE.
Commotion At ZITF Mbanje Exhibition Stand
By- Buyers and people attending the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo flocked the SOUTH Africa’s visual cannabis magazine, Seven Leaf stand to see Mbanje which the company was showcasing.
.
Industrial hemp is a botanical class of cannabis sativa cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use.
It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants on Earth.
Nomsa, a representative of the magazine said hemp is beneficial medicinally, nutritionally and as an ingredient for textile products.
“Industrial hemp is important therapeutically since it contains a compound called cannabidiol (CBD) and hemp seeds are high in protein. Farmers can also use hemp as a cover crop, reducing the need for herbicides and also adding diversity to crop rotations.
“Besides the obvious, hemp is also used to make textiles, building material, livestock bedding, paper products, bioplastics and milk. The general misconception with cannabis is that it makes one high but since hemp seeds contain less than three percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), this means that it is non-psychoactive, she said.
In 2018, the Government gazetted Statutory Instrument 218 of 2020 [CAP. 18:24 Agriculture Marketing Authority (Industrial Hemp) Regulations, 2020 that regularised the growing, processing and supply of industrial hemp (cannabis) by farmers in Zimbabwe for industrial purposes.
-Chronicle
Tendai Chirau Booted Out Of Zanu PF Youth Leadership
By- A new Zanu PF National Youth League Executive was elected into office at the 7th National Youth Conference Thursday.
The new executive will be presented to the ruling party’s First Secretary, President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the conference comes to its final stages.
The party’s National Political Commissar, Mike Bimha announced the results Thursday night.
The List of Winners:
- i). John Paradza (Masvingo Provincial Youth chairman) – Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs. Takes over from Tendai Chirau, who has been at the helm in an acting capacity.
- ii). Tendai Chiwetu – Secretary for Administration
- iii). Danmore Mambondiani -deputy Secretary for Administration
- iv). Tsungai Makumbe (Mashonaland Central) – Political Commissar,
- v). Taurai Kandishaya – Deputy Political Commissar,
- vi). Garikai Zonde – Secretary for Finance post,
- vii). Valeria Makonza – Secretary for External Affairs,
- viii). Innocent Dube – Transport and Social Welfare ,
- ix). Phillippa Mukono – Information and Publicity,
- x). Margaret Nyerere – Secretary for Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment,
- xi). Munashe Mututsa – Secretary for Information, Communication and Technology,
- xii). Admire Ndlovu – Secretary for Economic Affairs,
- xiii). Luckmore Gapa – Secretary for Health and Child Care,
- xiv). Nalede Maunganidze – Secretary for Gender,
- xv). Nomatter Topotsa – Secretary for Lands portfolio,
- xvi). Future Mhlanga – Secretary for Disabled,
- xvii). Batsirai Matiza – Secretary for Environment,
- xviii). Tubelihle Ncube – Secretary for Security,
- xix). Munashe Mabika – Secretary for Business Liaison.
Chamisa Storms Bulilima
By- Citizens Coalition for Change leader, Nelson Chamisa, has announced his arrival in Bulilima ahead of his weekend rally in the Matabeleland region.
Chamisa announced this Friday on his social media platform.
Posted Chamisa:
I’m in BULILIMA in Matebeleland south just by the border with Botswana. #fakapressure
Augusto Returns To Chicken Inn
Chicken Inn have re-signed their former striker Clive Augusto.
Augusto was one of the players dismissed by Harare giants CAPS United for allegedly masterminding a strike that nearly resulted in the cancellation on their league match against Cranborne Bullets last Sunday.
He is back at the Gamecocks, the club at which he terrorised defenders and scored 14 goals before leaving for DStv Premiership side Maritzburg United, back in 2019.
He has signed a 2-year contract, as announced by the club on their Twitter page.
“For two years he will torment your souls.
Clive Augusto is back at Chicken Inn FC.
If you don’t know him you will,” reads the post.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
CAF Post For Desmond Maringwa
Football Union of Zimbabwe president Desmond Maringwa has been appointed to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Organising Committee for interclub competitions and Management of Club Licensing System.
The former Dynamos midfielder will be in the committee for a two-year period, starting this year until 2024.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Air Quality Guidelines
Almost the entire global population (99%) breathes air that exceeds WHO air quality limits, and threatens their health.
A record number of over 6000 cities in 117 countries are now monitoring air quality, but the people living in them are still breathing unhealthy levels of fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide, with people in low and middle-income countries suffering the highest exposures.
The findings have prompted the World Health Organization to highlight the importance of curbing fossil fuel use and taking other tangible steps to reduce air pollution levels.
Released in the lead-up to World Health Day, which this year celebrates the theme Our planet, our health, the 2022 update of the World Health Organization’s air quality database introduces, for the first time, ground measurements of annual mean concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a common urban pollutant and precursor of particulate matter and ozone. It also includes measurements of particulate matter with diameters equal or smaller than 10 μm (PM10) or 2.5 μm (PM2.5). Both groups of pollutants originate mainly from human activities related to fossil fuel combustion.
The new air quality database is the most extensive yet in its coverage of air pollution exposure on the ground.
Some 2,000 more cities/human settlements are now recording ground monitoring data for particulate matter – PM10 and/or PM2.5 – than the last update. This marks an almost 6-fold rise in reporting since the database was launched in 2011.
Meanwhile, the evidence base for the damage air pollution does to the human body has been growing rapidly and points to significant harm caused by even low levels of many air pollutants.
Particulate matter, especially PM2.5, is capable of penetrating deep into the lungs and entering the bloodstream, causing cardiovascular, cerebrovascular (stroke) and respiratory impacts.
There is emerging evidence that particulate matter impacts other organs and causes other diseases as well.
NO2 is associated with respiratory diseases, particularly asthma, leading to respiratory symptoms (such as coughing, wheezing or difficulty breathing), hospital admissions and visits to emergency rooms
WHO last year revised its Air Quality Guidelines, making them more stringent in an effort to help countries better evaluate the healthiness of their own air.
“Current energy concerns highlight the importance of speeding up the transition to cleaner, healthier energy systems,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “High fossil fuel prices, energy security, and the urgency of addressing the twin health challenges of air pollution and climate change, underscore the pressing need to move faster towards a world that is much less dependent on fossil fuels.”
Steps governments can take to improve air quality and health
A number of governments are taking steps to improve air quality, but WHO is calling for a rapid intensification of actions to:
adopt or revise and implement national air quality standards according to the latest
WHO Air Quality Guidelines;
monitor air quality and identify sources of air pollution;
support the transition to exclusive use of clean household energy for cooking, heating and lighting;
build safe and affordable public transport systems and pedestrian- and cycle-friendly networks;
implement stricter vehicle emissions and efficiency standards; and enforce mandatory inspection and maintenance for vehicles;
invest in energy-efficient housing and power generation;
improve industry and municipal waste management;
reduce agricultural waste incineration, forest fires and certain agro-forestry activities (e.g. charcoal production); and
include air pollution in curricula for health professionals and providing tools for the health sector to engage.
WHO’s Air Quality Guidelines
The evidence base for the harm caused by air pollution has been growing rapidly and points to significant harm caused by even low levels of many air pollutants. Last year, the WHO responded by revising its Air Quality Guidelines to reflect the evidence, making them more stringent, especially for PM and NO2, a move strongly supported by the health community, medical associations and patient organizations.
The 2022 database aims to monitor the state of the world’s air and feeds into progress tracking of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Source: WHO
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Mwenezi Community- A Case Of Total Negligence Under Zanu PF Misrule
MWENEZI – VIEWING IT FROM THE BIG MIRROR
BY C.R. INGWANI -HLONGWANI.
Approximately 115km South West of the Provincial ancient town of Masvingo lies Mwenezi district, a mopani infested desolate land where edible mopani worms report brisk business at various points during the harvesting period.
Rutenga, the hub of all business activities along Masvingo – Beitbridge highway has all the potential to take it to a dream town of this idle district. The busiest road on Zimbabwean soil, Chirundu- BB tarmac dissects the district on the eastern side making it an adjunct to all business prospects that may arise given the opportunity of their materialization.
Like all other low lying areas such as Dande,Mavhuradonha, Muzarabani , Mwenezi is embedded in the south east Lowveld under Agricultural region 5 where crop farming is only practised on subsistence basis as opposed to commercial purposes.
Generally soils are poor, salty and seasons are marred by erratic rain patterns, no wonder why mopani shrubs are a dominant forest in the district. Ideally, the region suits animal farming ( ranching) and beasts in the region are of high quality because of these favourable climatic conditions.
It is the rate at which development progression is taking its course which worries most and a cause for concern to all who have the district at heart. I’m among those whose hearts are bleeding profusely taking into cognizance that Mwenezi district is one of the most disadvantaged districts on the land .
We have heard of political bigwigs who have influence to transform the places they hail from but our own Mwenezi appears to be just res nullius, something which has no owner to take care of.
The people we have been thrusting to the helm of our district to champion our cause since 1980 have dismally failed us and precisely these guys are charlatans who deserve to be called demagogues, soapbox orators or tub- thumpers who tremple on people who brought fame to them. Its like chopping off the hand that feeds you. We have people in Mwenezi who are not daring. The ones we elevate as our shepherds when they go up there tend to take tranquilizers in large doses and forget about us. They have failed to bring development to the place where their umbilical cords lie.
They have since alligned themselves to the rhetoric,” If the mountain can’t go to Mahomet,then Mahomet must go to the mountain”. The issue of representing people in societal grievances needs typical white ribboners or teetotallers who are sober minded all the time.
Without beating about the bush let me just drive you home and point out something I feel was a big let down by our representatives in Parliament. Mwenezi district partly borders with Mberengwa just near Matibi/ Ngungumbane.
The road from Zvishavane to Neshuro is nicely tarred from the asbestos town to somewhere near Ngezi river at Buchwa Mine but as it tries to pop into Mwenezi it suddenly dies off exposing the red- iron containing soils which makes every transporter hesitant to ply that route.
Why the road remaining gravel such a short distance from Buchwa to Turn-P? This remains a million dollar question and only brings to light the shortcomings of our people who represent us at the August House.
Well, maybe I have gone too far and what I need to abide by is the adage,” Let sleeping dogs lie”. When sleeping dogs have been accorded freedom to lie, another business emanates somewhere.
Of interest,it has come to my realization that individuals who grow up in impoverished environments mostly our African brothers if by chance they manoeuvre life meanders and rise up the ladder and get established somewhere, noone bothers to come back home to invest as part of community development.
Instead, they go to foreign land and help to develop such places. Yes we go out there in search of Greener pastures but our own places of origin can also turn green if we all develop zeal to improve them. Last but not least, I think tribal shunning is very rampant across our beloved Mwenezi of which people denounce their own tribe trying to force allegiance to other tribes. Persuasively I urge you brothers and sisters to desist from this practice and be proud of our tribes wherever we go.
Research has shown that Mlilo, Sithole,Sigauke,Mlambo,Dhliwayo,Mhlanga, Hlongwani and Chauke are all Soshangana olive branches. These people ooze blood from the same vein with the same genetic material and have the same tag pasted on them” Shangani Tribe”.
Interestingly, of the aforementioned people only Hlongwani and Chauke remain boastful of being Shangani and are currently the cog of the tribe. Tribe denouncing starts with somebody writing “Hlongwane” only to evade being called Shangani kkkkkkk.
It has taken so long to bring this individual thinking for other members to digest and capture few nuggets and constructively criticize as adults. Democracy, an anchorstone of all development. The view of the wonderful Mwenezi has come to rest, the eagle has landed.
Let’s love our place,our tribes and above all let’s take our district a stride up and make it the guiding star of other districts.
Let it appear boldly on the map of development.
Shut Down Zimbabwe to Restore Our Dignity
By Tawanda Dzvokora | ZINASU, Zimbabwe National Student Union has called for a national shut down of the entire country of Zimbabwe on Monday the 9th of May. Speaking with Change Radio on Mambo Svosve’s current affairs program Padare, one of the organizers, Ashley Chifunyise said this is a peaceful way of telling the government to go, as they have failed the students . Chifunyise bemoaned unrealistic fees hikes in both tertiary institutions and secondary schools. He said education was now for the elite and the standards have gone to the dogs. He also cited deteriorating living conditions as one of the reasons why all citizens must join the shutdown on Monday. He termed this action- Operation restore dignity.
Speaking on the same program, Barbara Tanyanyiwa a veteran trade unionist urged all workers to join in the shut down saying Zanu Pf and Emerson Mnagagwa have reduced workers to beggars.
The call for the shutdown has been well received by all citizens. The police and army have been urged to heed the call too to stay at home.
Tawanda Dzvokora
Mnangagwa Sweats Over National Shutdown
Tinashe Sambiri|The Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa is losing sleep over the national shutdown announced by pressure groups.
ZINASU and ARTUZ have called for the shutdown due to the worsening economic crisis.
“ARTUZ Teachers Union and ZINASU Students Union are shutting down schools and universities on 9 May.
Citizens have been patient with the Government for the past four years, but enough is enough! Let’s stay home on 9 May,” ARTUZ and ZINASU said in joint statement.
The statement below is also circulating on social media:
- STAY AWAY ALERT 9 MAY 2022
CITIZEN DEMANDS:
- Bring back kombis
- End currency crisis
- Reduce cost of living
- Reduce tertiary fees
- Capacitate hospitals
- Increase salaries and pensions
Further action will be taken if GVT does not act.
ShutdownZimbabwe
Commenting on the shutdown, South African politician Mmusi Maimane said :
“The world will be watching when #ShutDownZimbabwe happens. There is no room for suppression of the rights of the people, including the right to protest. There should be no obstruction of the people .”
WATCH: “Dira Rizare!,” Hopewell Chin’ono Gives Linda Masarira A Bath Tub
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Mnangagwa Has Failed – President Chamisa
Tinashe Sambiri| Citizens’ Coalition For Change leader President Nelson Chamisa says the transport crisis in the country is a sign of total collapse.
President Chamisa was commenting pictures of the current transport woes in Zimbabwe.
The problems emanate from the ZUPCO monopoly.
“A CHRONICLE OF FAILURE! A HERALD OF A TOTAL COLLAPSE,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.
See below Citizens Coalition For Change’s list of measures that can be implemented to end the transport crisis…
End the ZUPCO monopoly
▪️Allow private players
▪️Introduce set timetables
▪️Refurbish bus stops
▪️Stop harassing transporters
▪️Maintain road networks
▪️Modernize the rail network
▪️Consult citizens
Stay Away Call Gathers Ground
Internet activists joined by students and trade unions have called for a stay-at-home protest on May 9 over Zimbabwe’s deepening economic crisis.
Mobilising under the hashtag #ShutDownZimbabwe, the activists hope workers and students will heed their call to bring the country to a standstill.
A list of demands tabled by Pachedu, an election transparency advocacy group, includes calls to end ZUPCO’s public transport monopoly, a reduction to university fees, channelling funds to hospitals, raising salaries of public sector workers and pension pay-outs as well as stemming the devaluation of the local currency.
“On Monday, the task is very simple; stay home! Let your voice speak in a peaceful way. Further action will be taken if the government does not act,” Pachedu said.
The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) said in a statement: “To every citizen of Zimbabwe, every parent, worker, young and the old… the student fraternity is going to shut down every institution of higher and tertiary learning on Monday, May 9, 2022. Students are saying #FeesMustFall through a nationwide campus shutdown.”
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) said its members would join the stay-at-home protest.
“We demand state-funded education and a living wage for teachers. Teachers are parents. Schools will totally shutdown as we unite to #SaveOurEducation,” ARTUZ said.
The main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change has not publicly backed the protest, and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions has also not publicly endorsed the mass action.
In July 2020, state agents cracked down on organisers of planned anti-government protests – arresting dozens, abducting some and torturing others.
Mmusi Maimane, the former leader of South Africa’s main opposition Democratic Alliance, said on Thursday: “The world will be watching when #ShutDownZimbabwe happens. There is no room for suppression of the rights of the people, including the right to protest. There should be no obstruction of the people. There should be no arrests and intimidation of activists.”
Maimane said South Africa had “paid a heavy price for the oppression in Zimbabwe.”
“We will not ignore brutality and oppression. We cannot repeat the mistakes of 2002 and 2008. We cannot support dictatorship anymore. It is costing us dearly. Costing the whole of SADC,” he tweeted.
The hashtag #ShutDownZimbabwe was top of the Twitter trends on Thursday with the planned action gaining a groundswell of support.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who came to power following a 2017 military coup, faces growing criticism over his government’s failure to grow the economy. The country’s tanking currency has shrivelled incomes. He has also been criticised over a failing transport system, hospitals without medicines and rampant official corruption.
-Zimlive
President Chamisa Confronts Mnangagwa Over Total Collapse In Zim
Tinashe Sambiri| Citizens’ Coalition For Change leader President Nelson Chamisa says the transport crisis in the country is a sign of total collapse.
President Chamisa was commenting pictures of the current transport woes in Zimbabwe.
The problems emanate from the ZUPCO monopoly.
“A CHRONICLE OF FAILURE! A HERALD OF A TOTAL COLLAPSE,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.
See below Citizens Coalition For Change’s list of measures that can be implemented to end the transport crisis…
End the ZUPCO monopoly
▪️Allow private players
▪️Introduce set timetables
▪️Refurbish bus stops
▪️Stop harassing transporters
▪️Maintain road networks
▪️Modernize the rail network
▪️Consult citizens
Jahman Linda Masarira | VIDEO
Mliswa Barred From Sending His Two Children To Cheap Govt Schools
THE High Court has barred Norton MP Temba Mliswa (Independent) from sending his two children to cheap government schools, saying he could afford fees at private institutions.
Mliswa had challenged a 2016 ruling by the magistrates court directing him to pay $8 000 for maintenance plus fees at a private school for the children he sired with Cynthia Mugwira.
Mliswa and his estranged girlfriend have been in constant legal battles over the upkeep of their children.
The lawmaker appealed against the school fees order, claiming he could only afford to send his children to a government institution.
But High Court judges of appeal Justices Neville Wamambo and Emilia Muchawa said Mliswa did not give cogent reasons why his application should be granted.
“It was, however, clear to the same (lower) court that at the end of the day he can afford the fees at the named school,” the judges ruled.
“There was also an averment which appellant did not dispute that one of the minor children has special needs which were being met at Hellenics Primary School. The learned trial magistrate was cognisant that essentially he was guided by the best interests of the children,” they added.
It was also discovered that Mliswa had several potential sources of income, including two houses in South Africa, the Shumba Murena Family Trust, Saltlakes Holdings Private Limited, among
others.
Although the magistrate did not deal with all the evidence, it appeared Mliswa also recently purchased an expensive Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle.
“Appellant says the car belongs to a friend. He does not satisfactorily explain why he declared a friend’s car to the parliamentary asset declaration list. That fact points to him not being honest on his resources and sources of income,” the judges concurred, also adding that $8 000 was hardly enough to even take care of one child under the current economic situation.
-Newsday
Chamisa Angered By Transport Woes, Blasts Mnangagwa
By- CC President has been angered by the deteriorating transport situation in the country and said that it is caused by Emerson Mnangagwa’s poor governance.
Chamisa posted pictures of passengers being shoved into lories and said that the situation was degrading.
Posted Chamisa on Tweeter:
A CHRONICLE OF FAILURE! A HERALD OF A TOTAL COLLAPSE.
Police Officer ‘Refuses’ To Nail Mamombe
By- In a development that has exposed the state a police officer who was supposed to testify in a case in which Harare West legislator, Joana Mamombe and her two colleagues, exiled Netsai Marova and Cecilia Chimbiri, are accused of faking their abduction has failed or neglected to appear in court.
Venencia Muchenje was one of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers who were manning the roadblock at Harare showgrounds on the day the trio was allegedly abducted in 2020.
Muchenje has since told the court that Mamombe and her friends were neither seen nor arrested at the roadblock on the day in question.
ZRP initially reported that the trio had been arrested for violating COVID-`19 regulations after organising and participating in a flash food demonstration in Warren Park. The statement was later withdrawn with police saying they didn’t know where the trio was.
Muchenje was expected to continue with her testimony, but has failed on two occasions with the duo’s lawyer, Alec Muchadehama, raising fears that the witness does not want to be cross-examined.
But prosecutor, Michael Reza, said Muchenje is not feeling well.
On Wednesday, Reza was forced to call Muchenje’s boss at Machipisa Police Station who promised to send his colleagues to Muchenje’s house.
The Court was forced to adjourn as the state made efforts to find Muchenje.
After the brief adjournment, Reza said the officers sent to her house did not see her.
The matter was postponed by Magistrate Faith Mushure to May 17 for trial continuation.
More: NewZimbabwe.com
Fire Razes Down Mbudzi Roundabout Shops
By-Fired has broken out at Mbudzi Roundabout leaving several shops destroyed with owners losing thousands of US dollars.
The last Friday morning fire, whose cause is suspected to be an electrical fault, is still under investigation.
To date, the entrepreneurs are still clearing the destroyed area.
One of the shop owners said: “I was informed that there was an electrical fault which occurred in the office which led to this disaster.
“I have lost several goods worth thousands and we are still counting the losses after the fire.”
Another shop-owner said: “I thank the other citizens who assisted, otherwise it could have been worse.
“We had left our money and everything but it’s now history.
“We are supposed to pay our rent, and some of our employees are expecting their monthly payments, I am in great pain,” he said.
The fire destroyed three blocks of sub-divided shops.
“No life was lost but several goods were reduced to ashes.
“The cause of the fire is still under investigation and we are still waiting for an official report from firemen,” said a manager at the complex. H Metro
#ShutDownZimbabwe, Govt Pleads With Organisers
By- The permanent secretary in the Higher and Tertiary ministry, Fanuel Tagwira, has begged university students to shun planned demonstrations over fee hikes saying a reduction of fees will cripple learning institutions.
Tagwira said the fee hikes have since been rendered a nonevent by soaring inflation to the extent that they only cover about 70 per cent of institutions’ expenses. He said:
If institutions decrease fees, the reality is that there will be no quality education to talk of. Already, since the fee hikes, there has been inflation and the fees they are paying now can only cover at least 70% of the institutions’ expenses.
Tagwira added that the government understands their plight but there needs to be a consideration of how the fees came to be.
Tagwira’s remarks come as ZINASU together with teachers and nurses has called for a national shutdown next Monday in a “fees must fall” protest and against the skyrocketing cost of living.
Teachers and nurses say they are failing to make ends meet, with their salaries having been battered by inflation while university students say new tuition fees are unaffordable.
Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) national spokesperson Lenon Mazuru said they wanted to register their discontent at the current state of affairs in the country by calling for a national shutdown. Mazuru said:
We are calling and inviting all other unions to support us on May 9. We need the government to address us and we need the crisis to end. This thing is way beyond ‘fees must fall’, hence everyone must take part. Every university, college, we are going to shut them down.
Tagwira says ZINASU has a political agenda.
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) and Zimbabwe Professional Nurses Union (ZPNU) pledged full support for the shutdown, and urged their members to withdraw their services on the day.
In the past, the government has responded to protests by shutting down social media platforms, and deploying troops.
Yesterday, Health Services Board (HSB) chairperson Paulinus Sikhosana said he was not aware that nurses were planning to join the protests.
More: NewsDay Zimbabwe
Police Statement On Operation Restore Other Road Users
POLICE UPDATE ON OPERATION RESPECT OTHER ROAD USERS
The Zimbabwe Republic Police appreciates and applauds the public for the cooperation rendered during the ongoing operation “Respect other road users,” which is aimed at bringing order to chaos on the roads caused by vehicles which have no registration plates, those driven against the flow of traffic, going through red robots, one-way and other misdemeanors on the roads.
The Police reiterates that, all vehicles whether Government-owned, individual owned, company or institution and political party owned should display registration plates while moving on the roads and in public places.
Any vehicle not displaying registration plates in clear contravention of the Vehicle Registration and Licensing Act, Chapter 13:14 will be impounded by the Police with owners facing the due process of the law. No negotiations, pleas or excuses will be entertained by Police officers on the ground or at Command level. Motorists are therefore expected to lead by example and comply in order to promote road safety and the maintenance of law and order in the country. Meanwhile since the start of the operation, a total of 7362 vehicles have beer accounted for by the Police for various traffic offences.
The Police reminds the public that family and private-owned vehicles should not be used to engage in pirating activities to ensure smooth flow of traffic on the country’s roads .
On the other hand, Public Service Vehicles (PSV) operators should ensure they operate in terms of the country’s laws.
Above all, drivers should strive to avoid causing congestion on the roads, especially in urban set up or risk having their vehicles impounded by the Police.-ZRP
#ShutDownZimbabwe, SA Monitors Mnangagwa’s Reaction
By- One Of South Africa’s opposition leaders Mmusi Maimane has challenged President Emerson Mnangagwa not to harass activists.
Maimane posted on Twitter supporting the #ShutDownZimbabwe initiative.
The world will be watching when #ShutDownZimbabwe happens. There is no room for suppression of the rights of the people, including the right to protest. There should be no obstruction of the people
Teachers and University students have declared next Monday a national schools shut-down day.
Tweeting Thursday, the Amalgamated Teachers Union of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe National Association of Students Unions said schools would from Monday be shut down until the government addresses their issues.
Tweeted ARTUZ and ZINASU:
ARTUZ Teachers Union and ZINASU Students Union are shutting down schools and universities on 9 May. Citizens have been patient with the Government for the past four years, but enough is enough! Let’s stay home on 9 May!
Government Defends Waning Zim Dollar
By A Correspondent- Finance deputy minister Clemence Chiduwa yesterday said the government had no plans to dump the free-falling Zimbabwe dollar, adding that authorities would instead ramp up surveillance and penalise businesses using the black-market rate.
Businesses are pricing goods and services in United States dollars while some are using the parallel market rate as the local currency continues on a free-fall amid rising inflation.
The local currency is trading at US$1 to $400 against $160 under the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) controlled auction rate.
“We cannot run a country without the monetary policy Act. So, for us in terms of where we are going with regards to the use of the Zimbabwe dollar, we cannot run a country with a currency that is not ours,” Chiduwa said responding to questions in Parliament.
“Selling in foreign currency according to the dual system that we have at the moment is legal. We said in cases where a product is being sold in foreign currency there should be a display to show the equivalent in Zimbabwe dollars that is the position.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa claimed that the economy was being sabotaged to incite Zimbabweans to stage protests aimed at his ouster.
Chiduwa added: “But now cases where the implied rate or the displayed rate is at variance with the auction rate this then becomes illegal. What is needed is for us to move a step forward and ensure that we apply the administrative penalty as laid out in the Finance Act.
“In terms of administrative penalties for those who are violating the auction rules we move around as a Financial Intelligence Unit to check for those who are violating the auction rules.”
Mukuru Strikes Deal With EPL Side
South Africa-based financial services platform has entered into a sponsorship deal with Crystal Palace.
The company, which was founded by Zimbabwean businessman Rob Burrell, will be the Eagles’ sleeve sponsor for the 2022/23 season.
The deal was confirmed by the club in a statement on Wednesday.
Andy Jury, CEO of Mukuru, said: “Soccer is the most supported sport on the African continent, uniting people globally, and our customers identified Crystal Palace as one of the teams they support.
“A team with several African players and an iconic coach with strong African heritage in Patrick Viera who our Mukuru customers look up to and resonate with.
“We are excited to be associated with Crystal Palace, a well-respected and prestigious Premier League team. The sponsorship places Mukuru on an international stage, further entrenching our global presence, operating in over 50 countries around the world.”
Barry Webber, Commercial Director of Crystal Palace, said: “This is a really exciting partnership for Crystal Palace, and we’re thrilled to welcome Mukuru on board.
“As a club, we are incredibly proud of our links with the African continent, which were encapsulated by midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate winning the African Cup of Nations earlier this year.”
Meanwhile, Mukuru joins Hollywood Bets (Brentford) and Visit Rwanda (Arsenal) as other African institutes that are sponsoring English Premier League.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Guardiola Speaks On Loss To Real Madrid
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admitted the semifinal defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League was tough to take as this prolonged the long wait of his side for European glory.
City looked set to book their place in the final after Riyad Marez put them ahead in the 73rd minute.
But two quick-fire late goals from Rodrygo forced the tie into the extra-time with Karim Benzema later scoring the winner from the spot.
Madrid won the encounter 6-5 on aggregate and will play Liverpool in the final in Paris later this month.
“We were close but we were in trouble when they put balls into the box, with so many crosses,” said Guardiola. “I had defeats in the Champions League, at Barcelona and we could not reach the final, but there’s no doubt it’s hard for us.
“We can’t deny we were so close to the Champions League final. We didn’t play well in the first half but it’s normal in this competition.”
City will now shift their focus to the EPL for the home game with Newcastle on Sunday.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Latest COVID-19 Update
I Was Paid To Assault Chief Serima : Matutu
Former Deputy Youth and Indigenisation Minister, Tongai Matutu, has alleged that he was paid US$75 000 by the United States of America Embassy in 2010 to assault Chief Serima in 2010.
He said the embassy wanted him to get arrested so that they would use his arrest to push the idea that there were gross human rights violations in Zimbabwe.
Matutu was a member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change led by the late former Prime MinisterMorgan Tsvangirai.
Writing on Twitter on Thursday, Matutu said:
In 2010, l was paid US $75k to assault Chief Serima at Matizha Business Center. I got arrested and fined $100.
This was just something carefully planned by the US Embassy so that they will use my arrest as persecution of opposition activists to justify the renewal of sanctions.
Matutu was alleged to have slapped and punched Chief Serima at the Matizha Business Center in September 2010.
Masvingo Magistrate Oliver Mudzongachiso found Matutu guilty of assaulting Masvingo Chief Serima, also known as Vengesai Rushwaya.
He was ordered to pay a fine of US$100.
Matutu, who appealed the judgement, told the media then that the charges against him were politically motivated.
Matutu, a former Masvingo Urban MP, is now a member of the ruling ZANU PF after leaving MDC Alliance then led by Nelson Chamisa following his disqualification from contesting the provincial chairmanship post ahead of the 2019 Gweru Congress.- Pindula News
Anti-Corruption Article: Mutsvangwa Feels The Heat
By Correspondent- ZANU PF spokesperson, Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa, has said he was misquoted by NewsDay Zimbabwe after the publication published an article purporting that Mutsvangwa had claimed that corruption was rampant in the government.
NewsDay quotes Mutsvangwa as saying there is serious corruption in government saying the foreign currency was mysteriously disappearing from the national purse. Mutsvangwa reportedly made the remarks during a press conference in the capital. He is quoted as saying:
We’ve doubled our export earnings in US dollars, yet our currency is weak, where has that ever happened? To fill up a house with kids, but you can’t account for any of them…
It’s a financial and economic anomaly that we are earning US dollars, yet we can’t find them in our purse. The more you put money in your purse, the more your purse gets empty of US dollars, something is wrong!
The publication also quoted the Chairperson of the African Parliamentarians Against Corruption Zimbabwe chapter, Temba Mliswa as saying President Emmerson Mnangagwa must be summoned before Parliament over the corruption allegations involving ministers and other top government officials. Mliswa is quoted as saying:
Parliament has power, and going through these reports you then ask why we pass the budget because there is bad governance and lack of implementation of recommendations by the AG. Basically, the President is presiding over a corrupt government.
NewsDay Zimbabwe says Mliswa was contributing to a discussion held in the capital on the 2020 AG (Auditor-General) reports facilitated by the Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust.
Meanwhile, Mutsvangwa said the private publication under the Alpha Media Holdings stable had misquoted him and sought to drag President Mnangagwa’s name into the mud. Mutsvangwa said:
Temba Mliswa and Newsday are cobbling together a fictitious reportage in Newsday that is nothing but a gross debasement of journalistic ethics. Two unrelated occasions are mischievously linked simply to cast slurs on our esteemed head of state.
Furthermore they egregiously drag in the name of President Mnangagwa into groundless accusations of corruption about the abuse of national foreign currency.
Mutsvangwa said the derivative market of the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange is the main culprit sponging forex hard earnings out of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe weekly auction.-herald
Yellow Revolution Spreads To Rural Bulilima
Tinashe Sambiri|The Citizens’ party will be in Bulilima West on Friday.
Citizens’ President Advocate Nelson Chamisa will address a rally at Madlambuzi Business Centre, Bulilima West.
Citizens Coalition For Change is determined to end Zanu PF dominance in rural areas.
“The Yellow movement is in Bulilima West at Madlambuzi Business Centre this Friday as we continue to mobilize the masses in all corners of Zimbabwe to ensure we attain our 6 million voter target in 2023! #RegisterToVoteZW #YellowRally,” CCC said in a statement.
“This Friday, 6 May 2022, we will be hosting a #YellowRally in Bulilima West at Madlambuzi Business Centre.
We continue to mobilize the masses in all corners of Zimbabwe to ensure we attain our 6 million voter target in 2023,” CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said in a statement on Twitter.
I Slept With My Own Mum For Riches
The relationship between mother and son can be an unbreakable bond and the love between the two is incomparable, but it has its limits.
However, one man has crossed the line that separates a normal family from a taboo one as he opened up that for the past 14 years he has been sleeping with his mother and four sisters, a ritual practice that is required for him to get rich and to stay rich.
Gwanda businessman (name supplied) revealed to Madzibaba Emmanuel Mutumwa of Johane Masowe eChishanhu in Bulawayo’s Selborne Park suburb that lately his conscience has been eating him up for having incestuous relationships with his mother and sisters.
His Damascus moment came after he developed priapism, a persistent, often painful erection that lasts for more than four hours.
The man has had his erection for close to two months now.
Doctors failed to fix his disorder. He has been given medication but it has not helped.
He even went to South Africa for aspiration decompression, a procedure in which excess blood is drained from the penis using a small needle and syringe. As part of the procedure, his penis was flushed with a saline solution. This treatment often relieves pain, removes oxygen-poor blood and might stop the erection. This treatment is repeated until the erection ends.
It didn’t work for him.
The doctors told him that the only solution that could work was surgery but he chose not to go down that road as one of the possible side effects is a weak erection.
He came back home and sought divine intervention.
Last Wednesday, Madzibaba Mutumwa prayed for him and healed him.
“He came to me and told me about his problem. I prayed for him and managed to help him overcome his problem. I also told him to stop sleeping with his mother and sisters and he is aware that it means all the riches he acquired through his strange rituals will vanish. He is prepared for that.
“I also prophesied him and told him that his sisters are not yet married because the evil spirit that he had impressed was also their spiritual husband. He slept with them physically but it also slept with him in the realm of the spirit. He admitted that they always dream sleeping with other men. That is how a spiritual husband works,” said prophet Mutumwa.
In an interview, the man said he does not intentionally sleep with his mother and sisters — but a spirit puts him in a trance. He only becomes conscious after the deed is done.
“I don’t know what happens and my mother and sister tell me that they fall into a deep sleep and only wake up after. It’s like my body will have been taken over by a spirit. All I know is that when I wake up, I will be naked on top of my mother or one of my sisters. This has troubled me for years now,” he said on condition of anonymity.
The man said his troubles started after he visited an inyanga in Binga who gave him muthi to get rich quickly.
“I regret what I did and I advise people to avoid using muthi because it never ends well. This muthi has been making me sleep with my own mother and sisters and it has made me contemplate suicide many times.
“But I am grateful that prophet Mutumwa has saved my life and that of my mother and sisters by destroying the muthi. He came to my house in Gwanda and exorcised the demon,” said the man.
His mother and sisters refused to comment.– B Metro
MURDER: Step-Mum Chops Own Son To Pieces In SA
A monster stepmother from Zimbabwe’s Kezi area has been arrested in South Africa for killing her six-year-old son and chopping him to pieces.
Colonel Dimakatso Sello of South African Police Media confirmed the incident.
Senzeni Desire Ndebele is alleged to have murdered and dismembered her stepson to spite her husband for reasons not yet known.
he then put the body parts in a sack. It is not yet known when the boy was killed but Senzeni packed her bags on Thursday last week and fled with her other two children.
The body of the boy was discovered on Friday at Turffontein in the city of Johannesburg where she was staying.
Senzeni’s husband and father of the murdered boy, Newton Mntinsi said he had no clue on why his son was slain.
“I’m shocked by what my wife has done to me, we didn’t have any conflict with each other so that I may think she was revenging on my kid, everything was just okay between us,” he said.
Senzeni’s attempt to flee from justice was abortive as she was arrested at Sasol garage in Johannesburg on her way to Eastern Cape.
According to Mntinsi, they are still waiting for the post-mortem results to know when the kid was killed.- B Metro
They Want To Remove Me: Mnangagwa
Emmerson Mnangagwa speaking at his party’s National Congress yesterday appealed to the youth to expose businesses “sabotaging the economy” saying the prevailing economic crisis was being engineered to topple him.
Speaking at the Zanu PF youth league conference in Harare, Mnangagwa said businesspeople were working with foreign powers to fan instability through unjustified price hikes.
“We are aware that there are people who are working with detractors to bring about regime change through the manipulation of our exchange rate and unjustified price hikes,” Mnangagwa said.
“My government is seized with this matter and perpetrators will soon be brought to book. I exhort the youth of our country to be vigilant and help expose all the deviant malcontents and counter-revolutionaries.”
Last year, government caused the arrest of several top company executives on allegations of manipulating the exchange rate.
Zimbabwe is in the grip of a spiralling inflation which has seen prices of basic foodstuffs, school fees and other social services skyrocketing, while salaries and disposable incomes remain stagnant.
Civil servants, including teachers and nurses, are planning a national shutdown next Monday in protest over economic hardships and transport crisis.
In the face of calls by teachers and nurses to down tools over poor salaries, Mnangagwa told thousands of youths that they should create their own jobs instead of aspiring to be teachers or nurses.
“Growing up we aspired to be teachers and nurses, that must change, The days for you to line up and seek jobs are fading … I thus expect to see the emergence of a crop of young versatile entrepreneurs who will help leapfrog our economic growth and emerge as the country’s millionaires,” Mnangagwa said.
The Mnangagwa regime has been accused of taking the lustre out of the teaching profession through underpaying teachers and nurses to a point they have become a laughing stock in communities.
Mnangagwa said the youths had a key role to play in rebuilding the economy.
“I further challenge you to learn from our liberation struggle and be rest assured that under the second republic no one will be left behind. We should build our own country,” he said.
Some of the regional former liberation parties attending the conference include the ruling parties of South Africa, Mozambique and Namibia.
Yesterday’s event was attended by Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, Zanu PF vice-president Kembo Mohadi, and Zanu PF chairperson Oppah Muchinguri, who is presiding over the conference.-Newsday
President Chamisa Challenges ZUPCO Monopoly
Tinashe Sambiri|Thousands of commuters across the country are suffering as a direct result of the ZUPCO monopoly imposed by Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
ZUPCO is failing to cope with number of commuters in Harare and all the major cities in the country.
Citizens’ Coalition For Change has challenged the Zanu PF regime to end the ZUPCO monopoly as a matter of urgency.
Mr Mnangagwa and his ally Kuda Tagwirei are reportedly looting state cash through ZUPCO.
“The regime in Harare has admitted that it has failed the citizens by creating a transport crisis particularly in urban areas.
Currently, there’s an acute shortage of transport that has left tens of thousands commuters stranded.
Zimbabwe needs a smart 21st century transport system. Over the last 42 years, our public transport system has completely crushed like everything else in the country.
The ZUPCO monopoly must end! Private businesses must be allowed to operate,” CCC said in a statement.
Below is CCC’s list of recommendations set to eradicate transport woes :
FixPublicTransport
▪️End the ZUPCO monopoly
▪️Allow private players
▪️Introduce set timetables
▪️Refurbish bus stops
▪️Stop harassing transporters
▪️Maintain road networks
▪️Modernize the rail network
▪️Consult citizens
Man Infected With STI Fires Back By Stealing 19K
A 48-YEAR-ols man from Nkulumane suburb thought the best way to get revenge on his lover for infecting him with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) was to steal R19 000 from her.
Mkhululi Nzombani has been in love with Marry Nkiwane (60) for a couple of years. But their love affair was brought to a screeching halt after Mkhululi fiercely accused his sweetheart of infecting him with an STI.
After that, the court heard, Mkhululi hatched a plan on how to fix his sweetheart.
He visited his lover at her home and it happened that she left for the shops, leaving him alone in the room.
When Nkiwane returned, the court heard, Mkhululi had disappeared.
Upon checking her money, she discovered that he had stolen R19 000.
Nkiwane reported the matter to the police, leading to his arrest.
He appeared before Western Commonage Courts Magistrate Jeconia Prince Ncube facing a theft charge.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge. He was remanded out of custody to next week on Wednesday.- B Metro
Tribute To Seasoned Masvingo Teacher
MASVINGO – Tragedy befell a Masvingo family after their father whom they reported missing was found hanging from a tree two days later.
Nasiel Makasi (65), a former Geography teacher at Mucheke High who went missing on Thursday was found hanging in a hill near Masvingo’s water tanks on Sunday.
His death comes just a few months after he retired from teaching in December last year. The Mirror could not establish reasons for the suicide.
His lifeless body was discovered on Sunday morning by Saul Shumba, a security guard.
Mucheke High head, Vincent Maweni confirmed the death and described it as a great shock.
“We have lost a great teacher and family man. He retired from Mucheke in December 2021 after joining the institution in January, 1977. He joined the school from Gweru Teacher’s College,” said Maweni.
Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa also confirmed the incident.
The deceased’s wife, Esther Makasi (60) helped the Police in identifying the body.
Masvingo Mirror
High School Teacher Hangs Self
MASVINGO – Tragedy befell a Masvingo family after their father whom they reported missing was found hanging from a tree two days later.
Nasiel Makasi (65), a former Geography teacher at Mucheke High who went missing on Thursday was found hanging in a hill near Masvingo’s water tanks on Sunday.
His death comes just a few months after he retired from teaching in December last year. The Mirror could not establish reasons for the suicide.
His lifeless body was discovered on Sunday morning by Saul Shumba, a security guard.
Mucheke High head, Vincent Maweni confirmed the death and described it as a great shock.
“We have lost a great teacher and family man. He retired from Mucheke in December 2021 after joining the institution in January, 1977. He joined the school from Gweru Teacher’s College,” said Maweni.
Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa also confirmed the incident.
The deceased’s wife, Esther Makasi (60) helped the Police in identifying the body.
Masvingo Mirror
New Malaria Control Methods
As World Malaria Day approaches, more than 1 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have received one or more doses of the world’s first malaria vaccine, thanks to a pilot programme coordinated by WHO. The malaria vaccine pilots, first launched by the Government of Malawi in April 2019, have shown that the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) vaccine is safe and feasible to deliver, and that it substantially reduces deadly severe malaria.
These findings paved the way for the historic October 2021 WHO recommendation for the expanded use of RTS,S among children living in settings with moderate to high malaria transmission. If widely deployed, WHO estimates that the vaccine could save the lives of an additional 40 000 to 80 000 African children each year.
More than US$ 155 million has been secured from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to support the introduction, procurement and delivery of the malaria vaccine for Gavi-eligible countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
WHO guidance is available to countries as they consider whether and how to adopt RTS,S as an additional tool to reduce child illness and deaths from malaria.
“As a malaria researcher in my early career, I dreamed of the day we would have an effective vaccine against this devastating disease,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This vaccine is not just a scientific breakthrough, it’s life-changing for families across Africa. It demonstrates the power of science and innovation for health. Even so, there is an urgent need to develop more and better tools to save lives and drive progress towards a malaria-free world.”
Prospects for new interventions
RTS,S is a first-generation vaccine that could be complemented in the future by other vaccines with similar or higher efficacy. WHO welcomes progress in the development of R21/Matrix-M and other malaria vaccine candidates in early clinical development. The successful completion of clinical trials for these vaccines will be important to assess their safety and efficacy profiles. WHO also welcomes the news from BioNTech, manufacturer of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, that it aims to develop a malaria vaccine using mRNA technology.
In the field of vector control, a number of new tools and technologies have been submitted to WHO for evaluation. Should they demonstrate efficacy in controlling the disease, WHO will formulate new recommendations or amend existing ones to support their deployment. These include, for example, new types of insecticide-treated nets, spatial mosquito repellents, gene-drive approaches and sugar baits designed to attract and kill Anopheles mosquitoes.
There are also new medicines in the pipeline. WHO welcomes the recent approval by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration of dispersible tablets of single-dose tafenoquine for the prevention of P. vivax malaria among children. Tafenoquine has also been approved for use in adults by the US Federal Drug Administration and by drug regulatory bodies in other countries, including Brazil, Peru and Thailand. As a single dose, tafenoquine is expected to support patient adherence to treatment. The current standard of care requires a 7- or 14-day course of medication.
A number other antimalarial medicines with new modes of action are being developed for the treatment of uncomplicated and severe malaria. Ganaplacide-Lumefantrine, currently in a Phase II clinical trial, is the first non-artemisinin combination therapy and could be an asset in fight against emerging drug-resistant malaria in Africa.
In addition to drug resistance, WHO has reported other pressing threats in the fight against malaria, such as mosquito resistance to insecticides, an invasive malaria vector that thrives in urban and rural areas, and the emergence and spread of mutated P. falciparum parasites that are undermining the effectiveness of rapid diagnostic tests. Innovation in tools and strategies will be critical to contain these threats, together with a more strategic use of the tools that are available today.
More investment needed
According to the 2021 World malaria report, global progress in reducing malaria cases and deaths has slowed or stalled in recent years, particularly in countries hardest hit by the disease. The report notes the need for continued innovation in the research and development of new tools if the world is to achieve the 2030 targets of the WHO malaria strategy.
Funding for malaria-related research and development reached just over US$ 619 million in 2020. An average annual R&D investment of US$ 851 million will be needed in the period 2021–2030.
Making better use of the tools we have now
Reaching global malaria targets will also require innovations in the way that currently available tools are deployed. Through the “ High burden to high impact” approach, launched by WHO and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria in 2018, countries hardest hit by malaria have been collecting and analysing malaria data to better understand the geographical spread of the disease.
Instead of applying the same approach to malaria control everywhere, they are considering the potential impact of tailored packages of interventions informed by local data and the local disease setting.
These analyses will enable countries to use available funds in a more effective, efficient and equitable way.
Source : World Health Organization
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COVID-19 Update Zim
Real Madrid Overcome Manchester City
Real Madrid produced an astonishing late comeback against Manchester City to set up a Champions League final against Liverpool, as Karim Benzema’s extra-time penalty winner gave them an incredible 6-5 aggregate win over City.
The 13-time winners were trailing 5-3 on aggregate heading into the 90th minute at the Bernabeu after Riyad Mahrez had given City the lead (73).
But two goals in two minutes from substitute Rodrygo dramatically made it 2-1 (5-5 on aggregate) to Real in the 91st minute to send the tie to extra-time.
Real’s epic fightback was then complete in the fifth minute of extra-time as Benzema scored a penalty after being brought down by Ruben Dias.
Real Madrid made two changes from the first leg defeat as Casemiro returned in midfield with Rodrygo dropping out, while Nacho replaced David Alaba, who was only fit enough for the bench.
Man City also made two changes from the home win over Real as Kyle Walker returned from injury to replace John Stones while Joao Cancelo came back from suspension to take Oleksandr Zinchenko’s place.
City came close to forcing a penalty shootout but Fernandinho put a chance wide at the back post at the end of the first half of extra-time, as the Premier League leaders missed out on making it back-to-back Champions League finals.- SkySports
Mai TT Deserted By New US Hubby
By- The controversial topic “Mai Titi deserted by new husband,” has hit the sets once again. The Socialite Felistas Murata, who recently tied the knot with US-based husband Tinashe Maphosa, has since disputed claims that she had been deserted by her new husband.
The allegations come at a time when her supporters were reviewing the long list of husbands she has had before splitting up months later in the last 3 years alone.
Her new husband, the US based Tinashe Maphosa has returned to his base, after their lavish wedding.
The mother of two, however, said she was not in a hurry to join her husband.
“Tinashe has left the country and I am yet to join him since I need to monitor some of my projects to a satisfactory level,” said Mai TT.
She disclosed her busy schedule to H-Metro, she has a series of events lined up to keep her busy in Zimbabwe this winter.
“I am building a 15-roomed house and I want to see it finished and I have lined up events I organised, starting this weekend, until July.
“My visa is ready but I am not going to leave the country now.
“Ndiripo uye hapana ambondirambidza kana kundimisa kuenda America,” said Mai TT.
Some of her organised events include the Mother’s Day Super Hero Edition expected this Sunday at Swan Creek Gardens.
She is also expected to grace the Mother’s Day Brunch, powered by Star FM, on the same day.
On May 14, she is set to hold a business network forum at Wind Mill Farm.
The comedienne has been in the spotlight for months, during the build up to her wedding, which attracted top celebrities and influencers.
-H Metro
#ShutDownZimbabwe Spreads To SA
By- Monday next week’s schools’ national shutdown has spread to South Africa, with that country’s opposition leader Mmusi Maimane challenging President Emerson Mnangagwa not to harass activists.
Maimane posted on Twitter supporting the #ShutDownZimbabwe initiative.
The world will be watching when #ShutDownZimbabwe happens. There is no room for suppression of the rights of the people, including the right to protest. There should be no obstruction of the people
Teachers and University students have declared next Monday a national schools shut-down day.
Tweeting Thursday, the Amalgamated Teachers Union of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe National Association of Students Unions said schools would from Monday be shut down until the government addresses their issues.
Tweeted ARTUZ and ZINASU:
ARTUZ Teachers Union and ZINASU Students Union are shutting down schools and universities on 9 May. Citizens have been patient with the Government for the past four years, but enough is enough! Let’s stay home on 9 May!
Top Cop Issues Chamisa Aide Death Threats
By- CCC deputy chairman, Job Sikhala has said that his party’s candidate for Ward 7 council by-elections has received death threats from Chitungwiza police station.
Sikhala posted on Twitter Thursday:
Our Ward 7 Council by election candidate Lovemore Maiko is advising me that he hs just bn phoned by Officer Commanding Chitungwiza District C/S Muguti threatening him with death if ever he holds any campaign activities in his ward. He has bn told not 2 do anything or else dies
Police Ban Chamisa Rally
By- Police in Chitungwiza have banned CCC rally which was supposed to be held today.
Posting on their twitter account Thursday, CCC said the police did not give reasons for blocking their rally.
CCC posted:
Police have banned a rally set for Chitungwiza today. This is being challenged in court. Cllr Maiko is standing in Saturday’s by-election. Zanu PF continues to violently disrupt our campaign activities. We call for a free & fair playing field in the lead up to 2023.
Hunger Looms As Crop Production Falls
By- The government has announced that the country was faced with hunger due to low rainfall received in the 2020/21 summer cropping season.
The poor rains affected the crop yields for both maize and traditional grains.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka yesterday presented before Cabinet the 2021/22 Second Round Crop and Livestock Assessment Report, which was then adopted.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the 2021/22 farming season was largely poor for most farmers.
“Government wishes to inform the nation that the 2021/22 agricultural season was characterised by the late start of the rains which were received in the last week of December 2021. Rainfall distribution was poor in both space and time. This late onset of the rains caused late plantings, which were later affected by the prolonged dry spell,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“Some farmers were also forced to make several re-plantings as a result of poor crop establishment and the false start to the season. Late rains were received in April 2022, and the impact of these late rains has not yet been captured. The rains came at a time when the majority of the early planted crops had been affected by the dry spell.”
She said Government estimates maize production to be at 1 557 914 metric tonnes, which is 43 percent lower than the 2 717 171 metric tonnes that was received in the previous farming season.
“Traditional grains production is projected at 194 100 metric tonnes, which is 44 percent less than the 347 968 metric tonnes output of the previous season, the total cereal production projection is 1 752 014 metric tonnes, against a national cereal requirement of 2 267 599 metric tonnes (1 817 599 metric tonnes for human consumption and 450 000 metric tonnes for livestock)” she said.
Minister Monica Mutsvangwa
The minister said the country expects a 41 percent increase in cotton production while tobacco production is estimated to fall by eight percent from the previous year.
Minister Mutsvangwa said assessment further indicates an improvement in the livestock sector and a boost to the national herd.
“This is attributable to the successful implementation of the Presidential Dipping Programme which is being complemented by the Tick Blitz exercise which continues to have a positive knock on tick-borne disease.
The national beef cattle herd increased from 5 478 648 cattle in the previous season to 5 509 983 this season, and the national average cattle mortality rate decreased from 11 percent in 2020 to 9 percent in 2021,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“Water for livestock is adequate across the country though it is anticipated that challenges may be encountered as the season progresses. The worst hit areas being Chiredzi, Gutu, Zvimba, Chegutu, and Mhondoro-Ngezi. In order to contain tick borne diseases, cattle were being dipped three to four times per month.”
Chamisa Invades Mat South
By- CCC leader Nelson Chamisa will this Saturday be in Gwanda where he will address a rally.
Announcing the Gwanda rally on tweeter, the CCC party said they will be celebrating their March 26 by-election victory.
CCC tweeted:
The Yellow Movement is in Gwanda this Saturday. Come let’s celebrate together #GwandaCelebrationRally #VictoryRally Phelandaba Stadium 10am-5pm
Teachers Announce National Schools Shut-Down Date
By- Teachers and University students have declared next Monday a national schools shut-down day.
Tweeting Thursday, the Amalgamated Teachers Union of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe National Association of Students Unions said schools would from Monday be shut down until the government addresses their issues.
Tweeted ARTUZ and ZINASU:
ARTUZ Teachers Union and ZINASU Students Union are shutting down schools and universities on 9 May. Citizens have been patient with the Government for the past four years, but enough is enough! Let’s stay home on 9 May!
New Approach To Malaria Control
As World Malaria Day approaches, more than 1 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have received one or more doses of the world’s first malaria vaccine, thanks to a pilot programme coordinated by WHO. The malaria vaccine pilots, first launched by the Government of Malawi in April 2019, have shown that the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) vaccine is safe and feasible to deliver, and that it substantially reduces deadly severe malaria.
These findings paved the way for the historic October 2021 WHO recommendation for the expanded use of RTS,S among children living in settings with moderate to high malaria transmission. If widely deployed, WHO estimates that the vaccine could save the lives of an additional 40 000 to 80 000 African children each year.
More than US$ 155 million has been secured from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to support the introduction, procurement and delivery of the malaria vaccine for Gavi-eligible countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
WHO guidance is available to countries as they consider whether and how to adopt RTS,S as an additional tool to reduce child illness and deaths from malaria.
“As a malaria researcher in my early career, I dreamed of the day we would have an effective vaccine against this devastating disease,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This vaccine is not just a scientific breakthrough, it’s life-changing for families across Africa. It demonstrates the power of science and innovation for health. Even so, there is an urgent need to develop more and better tools to save lives and drive progress towards a malaria-free world.”
Prospects for new interventions
RTS,S is a first-generation vaccine that could be complemented in the future by other vaccines with similar or higher efficacy. WHO welcomes progress in the development of R21/Matrix-M and other malaria vaccine candidates in early clinical development. The successful completion of clinical trials for these vaccines will be important to assess their safety and efficacy profiles. WHO also welcomes the news from BioNTech, manufacturer of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, that it aims to develop a malaria vaccine using mRNA technology.
In the field of vector control, a number of new tools and technologies have been submitted to WHO for evaluation. Should they demonstrate efficacy in controlling the disease, WHO will formulate new recommendations or amend existing ones to support their deployment. These include, for example, new types of insecticide-treated nets, spatial mosquito repellents, gene-drive approaches and sugar baits designed to attract and kill Anopheles mosquitoes.
There are also new medicines in the pipeline. WHO welcomes the recent approval by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration of dispersible tablets of single-dose tafenoquine for the prevention of P. vivax malaria among children. Tafenoquine has also been approved for use in adults by the US Federal Drug Administration and by drug regulatory bodies in other countries, including Brazil, Peru and Thailand. As a single dose, tafenoquine is expected to support patient adherence to treatment. The current standard of care requires a 7- or 14-day course of medication.
A number other antimalarial medicines with new modes of action are being developed for the treatment of uncomplicated and severe malaria. Ganaplacide-Lumefantrine, currently in a Phase II clinical trial, is the first non-artemisinin combination therapy and could be an asset in fight against emerging drug-resistant malaria in Africa.
In addition to drug resistance, WHO has reported other pressing threats in the fight against malaria, such as mosquito resistance to insecticides, an invasive malaria vector that thrives in urban and rural areas, and the emergence and spread of mutated P. falciparum parasites that are undermining the effectiveness of rapid diagnostic tests. Innovation in tools and strategies will be critical to contain these threats, together with a more strategic use of the tools that are available today.
More investment needed
According to the 2021 World malaria report, global progress in reducing malaria cases and deaths has slowed or stalled in recent years, particularly in countries hardest hit by the disease. The report notes the need for continued innovation in the research and development of new tools if the world is to achieve the 2030 targets of the WHO malaria strategy.
Funding for malaria-related research and development reached just over US$ 619 million in 2020. An average annual R&D investment of US$ 851 million will be needed in the period 2021–2030.
Making better use of the tools we have now
Reaching global malaria targets will also require innovations in the way that currently available tools are deployed. Through the “ High burden to high impact” approach, launched by WHO and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria in 2018, countries hardest hit by malaria have been collecting and analysing malaria data to better understand the geographical spread of the disease.
Instead of applying the same approach to malaria control everywhere, they are considering the potential impact of tailored packages of interventions informed by local data and the local disease setting.
These analyses will enable countries to use available funds in a more effective, efficient and equitable way.
Source : World Health Organization
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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email :[email protected]
Twitter :zimonlinehealthcentre
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President Chamisa’s CCC Exerts Pressure On Mnangagwa To End ZUPCO Monopoly
Tinashe Sambiri|Thousands of commuters across the country are suffering as a direct result of the ZUPCO monopoly imposed by Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
ZUPCO is failing to cope with number of commuters in Harare and all the major cities in the country.
Citizens’ Coalition For Change has challenged the Zanu PF regime to end the ZUPCO monopoly as a matter of urgency.
Mr Mnangagwa and his ally Kuda Tagwirei are reportedly looting state cash through ZUPCO.
“The regime in Harare has admitted that it has failed the citizens by creating a transport crisis particularly in urban areas.
Currently, there’s an acute shortage of transport that has left tens of thousands commuters stranded.
Zimbabwe needs a smart 21st century transport system. Over the last 42 years, our public transport system has completely crushed like everything else in the country.
The ZUPCO monopoly must end! Private businesses must be allowed to operate,” CCC said in a statement.
Below is CCC’s list of recommendations set to eradicate transport woes :
FixPublicTransport
▪️End the ZUPCO monopoly
▪️Allow private players
▪️Introduce set timetables
▪️Refurbish bus stops
▪️Stop harassing transporters
▪️Maintain road networks
▪️Modernize the rail network
▪️Consult citizens
High School Head Pays Tribute To Teacher Who Committed Suicide
MASVINGO – Tragedy befell a Masvingo family after their father whom they reported missing was found hanging from a tree two days later.
Nasiel Makasi (65), a former Geography teacher at Mucheke High who went missing on Thursday was found hanging in a hill near Masvingo’s water tanks on Sunday.
His death comes just a few months after he retired from teaching in December last year. The Mirror could not establish reasons for the suicide.
His lifeless body was discovered on Sunday morning by Saul Shumba, a security guard.
Mucheke High head, Vincent Maweni confirmed the death and described it as a great shock.
“We have lost a great teacher and family man. He retired from Mucheke in December 2021 after joining the institution in January, 1977. He joined the school from Gweru Teacher’s College,” said Maweni.
Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa also confirmed the incident.
The deceased’s wife, Esther Makasi (60) helped the Police in identifying the body.
Masvingo Mirror
Mystery As Masvingo Teacher Hangs Self
MASVINGO – Tragedy befell a Masvingo family after their father whom they reported missing was found hanging from a tree two days later.
Nasiel Makasi (65), a former Geography teacher at Mucheke High who went missing on Thursday was found hanging in a hill near Masvingo’s water tanks on Sunday.
His death comes just a few months after he retired from teaching in December last year. The Mirror could not establish reasons for the suicide.
His lifeless body was discovered on Sunday morning by Saul Shumba, a security guard.
Mucheke High head, Vincent Maweni confirmed the death and described it as a great shock.
“We have lost a great teacher and family man. He retired from Mucheke in December 2021 after joining the institution in January, 1977. He joined the school from Gweru Teacher’s College,” said Maweni.
Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa also confirmed the incident.
The deceased’s wife, Esther Makasi (60) helped the Police in identifying the body.
Masvingo Mirror
President Chamisa Takes Yellow Revolution To Bulilima West
Tinashe Sambiri|The Citizens’ party will be in Bulilima West on Friday.
Citizens’ President Advocate Nelson Chamisa will address a rally at Madlambuzi Business Centre, Bulilima West.
Citizens Coalition For Change is determined to end Zanu PF dominance in rural areas.
“The Yellow movement is in Bulilima West at Madlambuzi Business Centre this Friday as we continue to mobilize the masses in all corners of Zimbabwe to ensure we attain our 6 million voter target in 2023! #RegisterToVoteZW #YellowRally,” CCC said in a statement.
“This Friday, 6 May 2022, we will be hosting a #YellowRally in Bulilima West at Madlambuzi Business Centre.
We continue to mobilize the masses in all corners of Zimbabwe to ensure we attain our 6 million voter target in 2023,” CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said in a statement on Twitter.
President Chamisa Determined To End Zanu PF Dominance In Rural Areas
Tinashe Sambiri|The Citizens’ party will be in Bulilima West on Friday.
Citizens’ President Advocate Nelson Chamisa will address a rally at Madlambuzi Business Centre, Bulilima West.
Citizens Coalition For Change is determined to end Zanu PF dominance in rural areas.
“The Yellow movement is in Bulilima West at Madlambuzi Business Centre this Friday as we continue to mobilize the masses in all corners of Zimbabwe to ensure we attain our 6 million voter target in 2023! #RegisterToVoteZW #YellowRally,” CCC said in a statement.
“This Friday, 6 May 2022, we will be hosting a #YellowRally in Bulilima West at Madlambuzi Business Centre.
We continue to mobilize the masses in all corners of Zimbabwe to ensure we attain our 6 million voter target in 2023,” CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said in a statement on Twitter.
Mnangagwa Punishing Commuters Through ZUPCO Monopoly
Tinashe Sambiri|Thousands of commuters across the country are suffering as a direct result of the ZUPCO monopoly imposed by Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
ZUPCO is failing to cope with number of commuters in Harare and all the major cities in the country.
Citizens’ Coalition For Change has challenged the Zanu PF regime to end the ZUPCO monopoly as a matter of urgency.
Mr Mnangagwa and his ally Kuda Tagwirei are reportedly looting state cash through ZUPCO.
“The regime in Harare has admitted that it has failed the citizens by creating a transport crisis particularly in urban areas.
Currently, there’s an acute shortage of transport that has left tens of thousands commuters stranded.
Zimbabwe needs a smart 21st century transport system. Over the last 42 years, our public transport system has completely crushed like everything else in the country.
The ZUPCO monopoly must end! Private businesses must be allowed to operate,” CCC said in a statement.
Below is CCC’s list of recommendations set to eradicate transport woes :
FixPublicTransport
▪️End the ZUPCO monopoly
▪️Allow private players
▪️Introduce set timetables
▪️Refurbish bus stops
▪️Stop harassing transporters
▪️Maintain road networks
▪️Modernize the rail network
▪️Consult citizens
BREAKING: Mnangagwa Announces 10 MP Posts For Youths Only
Varsity Students Plot National Shutdown Over Exorbitant Fees
University students, teachers and nurses have called for a national shutdown next Monday in a “fees must fall” protest and against the skyrocketing cost of living.
Teachers and nurses say they are failing to make ends meet, with their salaries having been battered by inflation while university students say new tuition fees are unaffordable.
In the private sector, there is also growing discontent with workers and their employers engaged in wage disputes, forcing some companies to pay a percentage of the wages in United States dollars.
Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) national spokesperson Lenon Mazuru said they wanted to register their discontent at the current state of affairs in the country by calling for a national shutdown.
“As the student fraternity, we are facing many challenges, we are saying the wages our parents are getting are not enough to cater for our fees. Policies which are in place are causing so much havoc, so much damage to the education sector. We need a lot of things which we are unable to afford,” Mazuru said.
“We are calling and inviting all other unions to support us on May 9. We need the government to address us and we need the crisis to end. This thing is way beyond ‘fees must fall’, hence everyone must take part. Every university, college, we are going to shut them down.”
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) and Zimbabwe Professional Nurses Union (ZPNU) pledged full support for the shutdown, and urged their members to withdraw their services on the day.
Artuz president Obert Masaraure said: “We call upon teachers to completely withdraw their labour on May 9, 2022. Parents are urged to keep their children at home. The broader working class is urged to take heed of this call and demand a living wage from the bosses.”
ZPNU leader Robert Chiduku said the economic crisis, which was causing untold suffering to workers and could not be ignored any longer.
“There is a labour crisis, economic crisis, political crisis, human rights violation crisis, healthcare crisis, leadership deficit crisis and some more other crises which have birthed challenges that have put workers within the cycles of poverty,” Chiduku said.
“The economic crisis should be solved and the currency crisis should be rectified for it is the workers who are feeling the pinch of the economic crisis.”
The planned shutdown comes days after Zanu PF national spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa disclosed that the ruling party bigwigs were having headaches over the currency crisis and price distortions.
In the past, the government has responded to protests by shutting down social media platforms, and deploying troops. In 2019, over a dozen civilians were killed during fuel price hike protests.
Yesterday, Health Services Board (HSB) chairperson Paulinus Sikhosana said he was not aware that nurses were planning to join the protests.
HSB spokesperson Tryfine Dzvukutu added: “That is news to me because it’s business as usual in all our health institutions.”
Higher and Tertiary Education minister Amon Murwira was not reachable for comment.
But permanent secretary in the ministry Fanuel Tagwira begged the university students against protesting the fee hikes before accusing Zinasu of harbouring a sinister political agenda.
“If institutions decrease fees, the reality is that there will be no quality education to talk of. Already, since the fee hikeS, there has been inflation and the fees they are paying now can only cover at least 70% of the institutions’ expenses,” Tagwira said.
“We would not want them to march. It is not the rest of the students intending to do that, but one particular group linked to a political party. Government understands their plight but there needs to be consideration on how the fees came to be.”
In March, police arrested a number of University of Zimbabwe students union for protesting against an increase in tuition fees.
-Newsday
Mary Mliswa-Kindness Paradza Fight Over Zanu PF Polls
A messy public spat has erupted between two government ministers, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka and Kindness Paradza over the ongoing Zanu-PF restructuring exercise.
Mliswa-Chikoka is being accused of abusing his ministerial and party provincial powers to impose her pony on the Makonde District coordinating committee (DCC) chaired by Kindness Paradza.
The move, done unprocedurally and allegedly in violation of the Zanu-PF constitution, left Paradza seething with anger. He has since written to the DCC declaring Mliswa-Chikoka’s move as null and void.
Interestingly, the two fought a neck-to-neck battle for the chairmanship of the province during the disputed December elections.
Mliswa-Chikoka, also Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs minister, imposed acolyte Ruth ‘Boko Haram’ Chikukwa, supposedly at the expense of Stuart Yasini whom the DCC had already co-opted.
This did not go down well with the Paradza camp.
In a hard-hitting letter leaked to NewZimbabwe.com, Paradza – who is also information deputy minister – slammed the meddlesome Mliswa-Chikoka for jumping the gun and interfering in Makonde DCC business.
“Please note that the Makonde DCC, at a properly constituted meeting last Saturday, co-opted Stuart Yasini as Secretary for Science and Technology. That decision still stands. I have since written officially to the province notifying them of our collective decision,” Paradza wrote.
“I am told there was a meeting yesterday in Chinhoyi between the provincial chairman and district leadership from Chinhoyi constituency, which was not sanctioned by me, as DCC chairman, and which I did not attend because of ZITF (Zimbabwe International Trade Fair) commitments. I am told this meeting nominated Ruth ‘Boko Haram’ Chikukwa to be in the DCC executive in place of Yasini. This is null and void,” he declared.
Paradza said the meeting called by Mliswa-Chikoka did not have the legal basis to co-opt anyone into the district organ.
“Only the appropriate organ has powers to co-opt a member into their rank and file. Yesterday’s gathering was not the appropriate organ to co-opt anyone into the DCC because it was not a legally constituted DCC meeting. Legally, therefore, Yasini remains co-opted as a DCC member,” Paradza said.
“In any case, Ruth failed national security vetting and this is precisely why she was disqualified to contest as a councillor in the last (26 March) by-elections.”
He reiterated Provincial Executive Committees (PEC) or districts have no authority to co-opt anyone on behalf of the DCC.
Paradza confirmed the tiff with Mliswa-Chikoka in an interview with NewZimbabwe.com Tuesday.
“If districts want co-options, they do it themselves. Why would anyone outside want to do it for us? If the province wants co-option, it does on its own. l don’t know if the minister doesn’t know this. It’s not right, she knows she has no right to do so as the constitution is very clear,” Paradza told NewZimbabwe.com.
“When they (PEC) did their co-options we didn’t interfere.”
Efforts to get comment from Mliswa-Chikoka proved fruitless as her mobile phone was continuously on voicemail.
Paradza and archrival, Mliswa-Chikoka, squared off in the race to elect a provincial chairman last December in a plebiscite the latter won amid allegations of vote buying.
-Newzimbabwe.com
Cop Dies While Apprehending Solar Thief
By A Correspondent- A Beitbridge-based police officer fell off a rooftop and died while chasing a thief who was trying to steal solar panels.
The police officer, who sustained critical head injuries, was pronounced dead upon admission at the Beitbridge District Hospital.
National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident that happened in Kwalu 1 suburb. He said:
We confirm the death of a police officer and a suspected solar panels thief in Beitbridge on Tuesday evening.
Preliminary investigations reveal that the suspected thief was spotted on a rooftop by members of the community while attempting to steal solar panels at the property.
Our police officers then swiftly reacted to the call and upon arrival one of the police officers tried to apprehend the suspect. They both fell to the ground and the police officer sustained critical injuries and died at the local hospital.
Asst Comm Nyathi said the solar panel thief was taken to the Beitbridge main police station where he later committed suicide.
Asst Comm Nyathi said investigators had since interviewed the three cellmates about the suicide
He added that the names of the deceased cannot be released at this stage.
The property owner, Ms Marian Mbedzi, said she was still shaken by the incident which occurred in the presence of her children aged seven and 11 years. She said they had received counselling from neighbours and her extended family members.
Solar panels are a common source of energy for about 3000 properties erected in new suburbs around Beitbridge town, where ZESA has been struggling to service the area.
As a result, thefts of solar panels and related accessories have become a recurring issue over the years. -statemedia
Death Threats For CCC Candidate Over Campaign Activities
Public Transport Dilemna. Cabinet Issues Statement
“ZUPCO Failure”: July Moyo In Soup
By A Correspondent- Monopoly public transport company ZUPCO “has demonstrated incapacity to be able to carry every passenger,” an MP said on Tuesday as parliament summoned local government minister July Moyo to give a ministerial statement on the country’s failing public transport system.
ZUPCO has enjoyed the monopoly since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020 after the government grounded privately-owned minibuses.
Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya (CCC) said the ZUPCO monopoly had failed, while urging the government to re-open public transport provision to private players.
The Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda said Moyo would be asked to bring a statement to the National Assembly soon, to be followed by a debate.
“As it is, due to a lack of reliable public transport, people are getting home at around 11PM. People are delaying to come to work up to around 9AM or 10AM. It is causing loss of production time and loss of quality time within people’s homes,” Chikwinya said.
Privately-owned minibuses which had joined the ZUPCO pool were pulling out because ZUPCO “would delay in payments and was paying in RTGs which was losing value by day.”
Chikwinya proposed that public transport services be opened to private players as long as they can satisfy three conditions: “availability of transport, affordability and safe travel.”
In his Workers Day message, President Emmerson Mnangagwa admitted that ZUPCO had failed – but his government remains determined to press on with its monopoly.
Mnangagwa said: “My government is determined to retain the purchasing power of workers, through a viable public transport system. The government will not stand by and watch while the hard-earned incomes of our workers are stolen by ‘mushika-shikas’ and ‘makoronyera’. No!
“You, as our workers, deserve an efficient and affordable transport system so that production time as well as your family time is not lost in transport queues. During peak hours, workers must be transported with the greatest ease.
“I, therefore, direct authorities at ZUPCO and the responsible ministry to heed this call and bring back order in the sector.”
In recent days, police have launched a crackdown against pirate public transporters who were easing the pressure on ZUPCO. The crackdown has only served to lengthen queues for transport, and unapproved transporters have hiked their fares as they take on the risk of having their vehicles impounded.
Distance Yourself From British Politicians If You Want Us To Talk, Zanu PF Tells Chamisa
Zanu-PF yesterday set conditions for talks with opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa, saying he must first publicly distance himself from British politicians.
Addressing a Press conference in Harare yesterday, Zanu-PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa said the ruling party was open for talks with Chamisa on condition he disassociates himself from statements made by Lord Jonathan Oaths in the British House of Lords supporting him.
“We call upon the CCC to order and distance themselves from John Oath’s statements. How do we negotiate with you when you are associated with such statements? Chamisa should be patriotic by distancing himself from such statements if he is willing to talk to us,” Mutsvangwa said.
In 2008, Zanu-PF entered into talks with the then MDC led by the late trade unionist Morgan Tsvangirai following the disputed harmonised elections, resulting in the formation of an inclusive government.
The unity government brought relative stability as the economy dollarised after world record-breaking hyperinflation made the Zimbabwe dollar worthless.
There are mounting calls for the country to dollarise as inflation creeps towards hyper levels, racing to 96,4% last week.
Oates told the British Parliament that the March 26 by-elections were held in an unlevel electoral field against Chamisa’s CCC with Douglas Mwonzora’s MDC Alliance, which he described as a Zanu-PF project, having it easy.
“In those elections, the main opposition party was denied the right even to use its own name in these elections or to access the public funds it was entitled to,” Oates said.
However, Mutsvangwa said Oates had no business “poking his nose” into the country’s affairs.
“For a British Lord to have the temerity that we don’t like Douglas Mwonzora (MDC Alliance leader) because he is not opposed to Zanu-PF the way we like Chamisa, that is the height of imperial arrogance and that is unacceptable.
“We appeal to the opposition and in particular Chamisa. This is the occasion the CCC must make a decision. There is a duty to choose the flag or the country over anything else,” Mutsvangwa said.
However, CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba said the opposition party was not interested in having any talks with Zanu-PF, saying: “We have never pushed for dialogue with Zanu-PF, but for a national dialogue including the churches. The Zanu-PF government is not legitimate. It has been rejected by the Western community. Mnangagwa is not legitimate, and no one wants to be associated with Mnangagwa’s government.”
Chamisa insists that Mnangagwa rigged the 2018 elections in his favour, and has refused to recognise his legitimacy even after the Constitutional Court dismissed his court challenge.
“Zanu-PF must make sure to resolve legitimate issues and they should stop the abuse of citizens and they are the perpetrators of violence,” Siziba added.
Meanwhile, Mutsvangwa said Zanu-PF will use its parliamentary majority soon to railroad the controversial Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Bill which seeks to regulate civic society organisations and non-governmental organisations including independent trusts.
Zanu-PF often accuses NGOs and civic society organisations of being foreign funded to push a regime change agenda.
Critics have dismissed the PVO Bill as an attempt by Mnangagwa to silence critics, civic groups and NGOs which have exposed corruption, misgovernance and spoken out against human rights abuses.
-Newsday
Cabinet Instructs Strict Covid-19 Regulations Enforcements As New Infections Rise
By A Correspondent- Cabinet has directed strict enforcement of Covid-19 regulations including at the country’s borders following a 58 percent spike in new infections recorded in the past week at a time South Africa has recorded a massive rise in new cases.
Members of the public who have been hospitalised have increased to 1,6 percent from one percent that was recorded in the past week.
Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa called on citizens not to let their guard down in the wake of an increase in Covid-19 infections.
“Cabinet advises that in light of the 58 percent increase in the number of new cases the country recorded during the current week, coupled with a massive increase in the number of cases recorded by our neighbour South Africa in the last seven days, there is need to protect the country against the negative impact of a surge in cases. Accordingly, the country needs to exercise the following cautionary measures: — to avoid further relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions for now and remain vigilant,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
She said there is also a need to increase Covid-19 awareness campaigns at community level and strict enforcement of all Covid-19 regulations throughout the country including at the ports of entry.
Minister Mutsvangwa said all the provinces have been directed to prioritise the upcoming Phase Two of the Vaccination Campaign Blitz.
“On the National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme, Cabinet is informing the nation that remarkable progress has been witnessed since the launch of the campaign a month ago, with over two million vaccine doses already administered. The cumulative numbers of vaccinations since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020 have now reached 5 869 893 and 3 683 973 for the first and second doses, respectively, and 604 860 for the third dose,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“Preparations for phase two of the national vaccination campaign blitz continued during the week. Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution are strengthening communication on the need for all eligible people, including religious leaders and their followers to get vaccinated.”
ZINARA To Plug Revenue Leakages
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) says it will plug all revenue leakages and prioritise improving the country’s dilapidated road network.
Addressing the 5th Zinara annual general meeting yesterday, Zinara chairperson George Manyaya said the era of bad corporate governance and corruption at the road authority was over.
Over the years, Auditor-General, Mildred Chiri has exposed gross malpractices at the road authority which resulted in the loss of millions of dollars.
Manyaya yesterday said Zinara was undergoing a massive clean-up exercise, which involves reconstituting the organisation’s board of directors and executives.
He said in inflation adjusted terms, Zinara reported a net surplus of $4,1 billion in 2020, up from $1,5 billion in 2019.
“Misappropriation and abuse of funds is a thing of the past,” he said. “The shareholder cleaned up the board which was also tasked with cleaning up the management team now headed by Fintech guru Nkosinathi Ncube.
“The new executive team has been working very hard to adhere to various recommendations from the audits that were carried out and from Parliament as well. Their focus is on transparency, improving staff performance and culture, and coming up with mechanisms and policies that improve performance of the organisation.”
Representative of the Public Accounts Committee and chairperson of the African Parliamentarians Against Corruption Themba Mliswa urged Zinara to follow up on disbursed funds to ensure contractors do their work.
Zinara finance director Adam Zvandasara said the organisation had not been spared by the country’s exchange rate crisis.
“We can’t review toll fees every week like what happens with the exchange rate, and so we have come up with our own internal formula which tracks movement based on 10 percentage points. For example, if the rate is $110:US$1, we wait and only review when it hits US$122,” Zvandasara said, adding that Zinara did not deal directly with contractors.-newsday
Zanu PF Youth League Elective Conference Kicks Off In Harare
By A Correspondent- All roads lead to the Harare International Conference Centre today for the 7th Zanu-PF Youth League elective conference, with delegates expected to be seated by 9am.
The party’s First Secretary, President Mnangagwa, is expected to give his keynote address before the youths delve into today’s conference business.
The President will also close the conference tomorrow.
The conference will also be attended by the Zanu-PF party leadership and provincial leadership from across the country.
It will feature an elective process for the incoming Youth League National Executive Council.
Elections will be held later in the afternoon and the commissariat department will announce the results afterwards.
Tabling of resolutions drawn from all provinces and solidarity messages from youth organs from Diaspora party districts, affiliates and fraternal political parties from the SADC region, East Africa, Asia and Europe, will also be done.
In line with the party constitution, the conference will be chaired by the party’s national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri.
The usual Covid-19 health protocols will be adhered to during the conference.
Speaking during a press conference yesterday, Zanu-PF Youth League acting Deputy Secretary Tendai Chirau said all systems were in place for the successful holding of the elective conference.
Some of the issues to be discussed include the state of the economy, the role of youths in party affairs, drugs abuse by youths, sporting activities, religion and culture and youth empowerment.
Chirau said one of the key resolutions coming from all the 10 provinces is that President Mnangagwa remains the party’s sole candidate for the 2023 harmonised elections.
“This was unanimous,” he said. “All the youth structures adopted the resolution for transforming the country’s economy.”
Youth League Secretary for External Affairs Sibongile Sibanda said they had received almost all the invited foreign delegates.-statemedia
Missing Ex-Masvingo Teacher Found Dead
By- Tragedy befell Masvingo family after their father whom they reported missing was found hanging from a tree two days later.
Nasiel Makasi (65), a former Geography teacher at Mucheke High who went missing on Thursday was found hanging in a hill near Masvingo’s water tanks on Sunday.
His death comes just a few months after he retired from teaching in December last year. The Mirror could not establish reasons for the suicide.
His lifeless body was discovered on Sunday morning by Saul Shumba, a security guard.
Mucheke High head, Vincent Maweni confirmed the death and described it as a great shock.
“We have lost a great teacher and family man. He retired from Mucheke in December 2021 after joining the institution in January, 1977. He joined the school from Gweru Teacher’s College,” said Maweni.
Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa also confirmed the incident.
The deceased’s wife, Esther Makasi (60) helped the Police in identifying the body. Masvingo Mirror
Masses Vow To Fight For Chamisa
By- Zimbabweans have said they will next year defend the vote and make sure that CCC leader Nelson Chamisa gets to the statehouse.
Posting on tweeter, several people said only CCC would solve the economic problems, Zimbabwe was facing.
Tweeted several Zimbabweans:
Next elections if the citizens can not defend the votes Nero should just accept that in zim there will never b free and fair elections and he shud accept to be the leader of the opposition just like other countries do” Tatambura veduwe.
WATCH LIVE: Linda Masarira Held A Secret Meeting To Kidnap Dr Magombeyi, Own Hubby Alleges
HH Top Aide Orders Linda Masarira To Find Soap & Bath
By- Zambia’s ruling party spokesperson, Joseph Kalimbwe has called fly-by-night Zimbabwean politician, Linda Masarira to order and challenged her to bath first before she comes out in public.
The United Party for National Development spokesman said this on Twitter responding to Masarira’s comments on Zambia’s domestic affairs.
Tweeted Kalimbwe:
Last night i read a tabloid article where Linda Masarira of LEAD commented on AFRICOM in Zambia. She says “Hakainde is a security threat to SADC”. Its sad, Linda has no moral standing to lecture & insult Zambia. She must get water, soap & offer democracy lectures in Borrowdale !
Mwonzora Moves To Delete Tsvangirai History
By- MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora said he wanted to amend the party’s constitution so that it suits what he wants.
He said he wanted to do this in June during his party’s congress.
The MDC-T held its extra-ordinary congress in December 2020 where Mwonzora defeated Thokozani Khupe, Elias Mudzuri and Morgan Komichi who were also interested in replacing the late founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Posting on Twitter, Mwonzora said the ordinary congress will allow the party to elect new leaders while also proposing amendments to the constitution.
“The MDC will hold its Ordinary Congress at the end of June, 2022. At this Congress the top leadership of the party will be democratically elected through a secret ballot in terms of the party constitution by delegates from the Wards, Districts& Provinces
“The Ordinary Congress will also deal with any proposed amendments to the constitution as well as key policy issues to guide the party in the execution of its mandate which is to bring democratic change in Zimbabwe.”
LIVE: Linda Masarira’s Own Husband Speaks Out
Mnangagwa Fires Little Known Polad Member
By- Leader of the little known New Patriotic Front (NPF), Tendai Peter Munyanduri, has denied reports that he was dispossessed of a vehicle he received from the Government under the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD).
President Emmerson Mnangagwa handed over Isuzu D-Maxx vehicles to principals of political parties that are in POLAD in July last year.
However, one of the principals, Munyanduri, who was reported to have been expelled from POLAD claims that he has never been notified of the expulsion.
Munyanduri has also denied claims that he was dispossessed of his POLAD vehicle, saying he was never issued with one. Said Munyanduri:
I have not been officially notified of the expulsion except that for the past two and half years, I have not been invited to POLAD meetings.
I have never been issued with a POLAD vehicle in the first place and it’s incorrect that my POLAD vehicle was dispossessed.
The NPF leader however revealed that his former vice president is the one who got the vehicle and went on to form his political party after.
Mr Welcome Shumba then my vice president and now president of Africa First Movement (AFM) party was the one who was allocated a POLAD vehicle.
I strongly believe in dialogue with all political participants and will attend any meeting if invited.
POLAD was formed by Mnangagwa after the disputed 2018 presidential election as an avenue for dialogue with other political parties.
However, prominent opposition figures including MDC Alliance candidate Nelson Chamisa, who won over 40% of the presidential vote, refused to be part of it.
COVID-19 Update Zimbabwe
Private Transporters Dump Zupco
By- The Government said that some private contractors were withdrawing their buses and commuter omnibuses from the ZUPCO pool.
While it has not been stated why bus and kombi owners walked away from the ZUPCO franchise, it is understood that late payments, which are made in RTGS dollars, contributed to transporters’ reluctance to work with the public transport utility.
Addressing journalists during a post-Cabinet briefing in Harare on Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Service Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said:
The cabinet wishes to clarify that Government has not banned the operations of private contractors in the public transportation sector.
While noting the apparent withdrawal of services by some operations, Cabinet wishes to state that no effort is being spared in ensuring that the inconvenience to the travelling public is minimised.
The government would like to assure the nation that ZUPCO is engaging with contractors with a view to ensuring that all arrears are settled and resolving any outstanding matters.
In addition, more ZUPCO buses that were undergoing licencing have since been cleared and are now plying various routes.
Commuters have been experiencing transport challenges, especially in urban areas since the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) launched an operation targeting unlicensed taxis (mushikashika).
Mutsvangwa said Cabinet decided that ZUPCO buses plying intercity routes, such as from Harare to Bulawayo, are now required to service local trips when they return from the highways. She said:
ZUPCO buses that are travelling on intercity routes are now required to undertake local trips upon return.
Mutsvangwa warned that the Government will not relent on its blitz against unlicensed vehicles that have filled the transport void created by the kombi ban. Mutsvangwa said:
Government has, however, noted with concern the proliferation of unlicensed vehicles (mushikashika) and unroadworthy vehicles commuting various routes.
The public is informed that Government, through the Zimbabwe Republic Police, will enforce the law without fear or favour for the safety of the travelling public. All vehicles without number plates will be impounded.
In 2020, the Government enforced ZUPCO’s transport monopoly through Statutory Instrument (SI) 83 of 2020.
It said the move was aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus but critics argue that the ban on private buses and kombis was meant to manage the public transport sector following the January 2019 fuel riots.
PSL Statement On Mandava Chaos
The Premier Soccer League has summoned Highlanders FC to appear before the PSL Disciplinary Committee following acts of crowd trouble that took place at Mandava Stadium on Saturday 23 April 2022.
The Club is being charged for breaching the PSL Rules and Regulations.
In terms of Order 31 of the PSL Rules and Regulations, it is an act of misconduct on the part of the club where;
31.1.13. Its supporters misbehave in any manner whatsoever, inside or outside a ground before, during and after a match, no matter on which ground the match is played. Without derogating from the generality of what constitutes misbehaviour on the part of supporters, the following are specifically declared to be acts of misbehavior:-
31.1.13.1 Invasion or attempted invasion of the field of play, save for reasons of crowd safety.
31.1.13.2 Causing the abandonment or attempting to cause abandonment of a match
31.1.13.3 Throwing or attempting to throw missiles, bottles, and other objects, whether potentially harmful or dangerous or not, onto the pitch, or at any person.
31.1.13.8 Maliciously damaging or attempting to damage any property at the ground
The disciplinary proceedings shall take place on Tuesday 10 May 2022 at the PSL offices-PSL
Mucherahowa Foresees DeMbare Glory
Legendary former Dynamos captain Memory Mucherahowa believes the Glamour Boys can go the way and win the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League this season.
The Harare giants last won the country’s biggest club prize in 2014 under Kalisto Pasuwa but expectations are high this season, since giant oil company Sakunda Holdings are now sponsoring them.
Tonderai Ndiraya’s charges have won seven of their last eight games and are two points clear of second-placed Chicken Inn at the summit of the table.
Mucherahowa believes DeMbare are capable of going all the way and ending their 8-year wait for the title.
“The ball is in their court,” Mucherahowa told Soccer24 from his base in Slough, United Kingdom.
“What they must not do is to relax, but of course, they can go all the way,” he added.
Up next for DeMbare is a home game against Bulawayo City at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday. – Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Mwonzora “Kills ” Tsvangirai Legacy
By- MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora said he wanted to amend the party’s constitution so that it suits what he wants
The MDC-T held its extra-ordinary congress in December 2020 where Mwonzora defeated Thokozani Khupe, Elias Mudzuri and Morgan Komichi who were also interested in replacing the late founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Posting on Twitter, Mwonzora said the ordinary congress will allow the party to elect new leaders while also proposing amendments to the constitution.
“The MDC will hold its Ordinary Congress at the end of June, 2022. At this Congress the top leadership of the party will be democratically elected through a secret ballot in terms of the party constitution by delegates from the Wards, Districts& Provinces
“The Ordinary Congress will also deal with any proposed amendments to the constitution as well as key policy issues to guide the party in the execution of its mandate which is to bring democratic change in Zimbabwe.”