By- MDC-T national chairperson Morgen Komichi said that he has no clue as to why his party performed dismally in the 26 March by-elections.

The MDC-T, which contested the elections as the MDC Alliance, failed to win a single parliamentary seat from the 28 that were contested.

The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by Nelson Chamisa won 19 seats while the ruling ZANU PF won all the remaining seats.

In leaked audio in which he is speaking to a person only identified as Mukucha, who is apparently a member of the MDC-T, Komichi said:
The truth of the matter is that the people rejected MDC, to them MDC is no longer a party, MDC is just a puppet of Zanu.

Even if you add the votes won by MDC and Zanu in areas that were won by CCC, our combined votes are less than those garnered by CCC.

The audio of the leaked conversation below, is on Heart & Soul Television.

By- Harare magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro has freed the former Labour and Social Welfare Minister Petronella Kagonye.

In her ruling on Wednesday, Harare magistrate Muchuchuti Guwuriro said the investigating officer and the State indicated that there was no sufficient evidence to build a case against her.

Kagonye was accused of defrauding Shingiriro Housing Cooperative of US$18 000 after she allegedly received money promising them residential stands.

A bookkeeper, who was supposed to testify during the trial is said to be outside the country and Guwuriro stated that the evidence of Joyce Chiroodza, the complainant, was not enough to sustain the allegations.

She also said the documents of the cooperative were also not enough.

The magistrate also noted that the other matters were withdrawn by the complainants who alleged that they were forced to report lies against the accused.

Kagonye was facing three counts of fraud and she was acquitted on two counts but the magistrate said she has a case to answer on the third count.

She had applied for discharge at the close of the State’s case but Guwuriro ruled Kagonye must be put to her defence.

On the third count, Kagonye is accused of taking 20 computers from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ) for her constituency.

The magistrate ruled that Kagonye should reveal the location of the computers that were taken from POTRAZ.

She is also expected to tell the court who her brother, Evans Kagonye, gave the computers to and how many were received.

More: The Herald

BY- Australian-based Zimbabwean socialite and healthcare worker Susan Mutami said that she has reached a truce with her ex-lover Temba Mliswa and the two have decided to co-parent their minor son.

Mutami and Mliswa have been involved in ugly verbal spats on social media over the upkeep of the child.

Mutami has been accusing Mliswa, who is Norton MP (Independent) of neglecting his son, while the latter at one point demanded a paternity test for the child.

In a post on Twitter this Thursday, Mutami said she and Mliswa have decided to bury the hatchet. She wrote:
In the spirit of forgiveness, myself and Temba Mliswa have decided to forgive each other and co-parent in peace and let the young man experience love from both parents.
I have Bamnini [Setfree Mafukidze] to thank for counselling us. My son can’t wait to have a relationship with his dad.

Temba Mliswa is a good dad to his children and Tino is looking forward to getting his father’s love, lots of cuddles and FaceTime calls with his 19 siblings.

By- Nelson Chamisa the leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has dedicated last week’s by-election victory to the late MDC founder Morgan Tsvangirai.

The youthful opposition leader also said they want to win the 2023 elections so that they preserve the late MDC founder Morgan Tsvangirai’s legacy.

Tsvangirai passed away in 2018 aged 65 after battling colon cancer.

He came close to landing the country’s presidency when he outvoted the late former resident Robert Mugabe in the first round of balloting in March 2008.
Before the second round of voting, Mugabe launched a terror campaign led by State security agents, forcing Tsvangirai to pull out of the race citing persecution of his supporters.
Some 300 MDC supporters were killed in the bloody presidential election rerun held in June that year.
Mugabe declared himself the winner, but the international community and regional peers refused to recognise his victory, leading to a power sharing agreement with Tsvangirai as Prime Minister.
Chamisa said the CCC “would complete Tsvangirai’s journey” when the country goes to the polls in 2023 where he is likely to face off with President Emmerson Mnangagwa who narrowly defeated him in the 2018 polls.
“I deeply miss my old man ‘Mdara Milo’. The Citizens won’t disappoint. We will complete the journey and deliver real change this time,” Chamisa tweeted yesterday.
His party won 19 of the 28 contested parliamentary seats against Zanu PF’s nine seats in by-elections held on Saturday.
CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba told NewsDay last night that CCC owed Tsvangirai a victory to honour him for the sacrifices he endured under Mugabe since the formation of the MDC in 1999.
Tsvangirai was beaten and arrested several times. He was also charged with treason after the State accused him of plotting to topple Mugabe.
The treason charges were later dropped.
“Tsvangirai’s last public address to Zimbabweans was that young people must take over. That the future is in the hands of the next generation, he mentored and produced the presidency we see today in Chamisa. He knew that the future was and is young,” Siziba said.
“The citizens are the source of our confidence. They are the source of any government. They have affirmed what they said in 2018 in the recent by-elections. No resistance can stop this idea of change. Change is on the horizon. The call for change has become a national chorus.
“It’s beyond CCC. It’s beyond Zanu PF. It’s about Zimbabwe. We won empathically, 19 seats out of 28. That is a landslide victory in a by-election where the voting appetite is low due to the fact that it’s not there to change a government.
“You can’t compare it with 2023 and people are ready to correct the national mistake by winning with a high margin, thus 2023 gives us that chance. No one wants to continue this lifestyle. The countryside is more conscious and organised than before. A new Zimbabwe promise must be delivered.”
Chamisa unveiled the CCC party in January after MDC T leader Douglas Mwonzora claimed the MDC Alliance name and symbols, leaving the former ICT minister with no party.
The MDC Alliance was formed by several political parties before Mwonzora wrested the name from Chamisa via the courts.
Chamisa contested the 2018 presidential election on the MDC Alliance ticket while Mwonzora’s former deputy Thokozani Khupe, used the MDC-T, once led by Tsvangirai.
The MDC-T then led by Khupe filed a court application and won the right to use the MDC Alliance name, a situation which resulted in Mwonzora becoming the party’s president following an extraordinary congress.
Chamisa’s CCC is party targeting six million votes in the next elections while its main rival, Zanu PF is targeting five million votes.
-Newsday

By- Harare mayor Jacob Mafume has resisted being recalled from Town House by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking to ZimLive on Wednesday, Mafume argued that his purported recall is an attempt to cover up corruption at Harare City Council. He said:

The purported recall is null and void. 

There is a court order which says I can only be recalled by Settlement Chikwinya (former PDP secretary-general), and he did not write this letter (to Moyo).



This purported recall is an attempt to cover up the thievery, the looting, the waste of council resources that they are doing.

I have refused to sign dubious contracts; I have refused to engage in dubious activities and I have refused to partake in the grand theft that is happening under July Moyo and his cronies.

I dismiss the recall with the contempt it deserves.

Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo on Tuesday wrote to Harare City Council notifying the local authority about Mafume’s recall by the PDP.

Mafume became a councillor in 2018 running on an MDC Alliance ticket but had been sponsored by the PDP which was one of the alliance parties.

However, by the time the 2018 general elections were held, individuals purporting to be current leaders of the PDP participated as members of the Rainbow Coalition led by Joice Mujuru.

Mafume was among several PDP officials who joined the MDC Alliance and had parted ways with Lucia Matibenga and others who joined the Mujuru-led coalition.

The Supreme Court later ruled that individual parties in the MDC Alliance could recall their members from councils or parliament.

More: ZimLive

By- Former Labour and Social Welfare Minister Petronella Kagonye in the late President Robert Mugabe’s cabinet has been acquitted.

In her ruling on Wednesday, Harare magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti Guwuriro said the investigating officer and the State indicated that there was no sufficient evidence to build a case against her.

Kagonye was accused of defrauding Shingiriro Housing Cooperative of US$18 000 after she allegedly received money promising them residential stands.

A bookkeeper, who was supposed to testify during the trial is said to be outside the country and Guwuriro stated that the evidence of Joyce Chiroodza, the complainant, was not enough to sustain the allegations.

She also said the documents of the cooperative were also not enough.

The magistrate also noted that the other matters were withdrawn by the complainants who alleged that they were forced to report lies against the accused.

Kagonye was facing three counts of fraud and she was acquitted on two counts but the magistrate said she has a case to answer on the third count.

She had applied for discharge at the close of the State’s case but Guwuriro ruled Kagonye must be put to her defence.

On the third count, Kagonye is accused of taking 20 computers from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ) for her constituency.

The magistrate ruled that Kagonye should reveal the location of the computers that were taken from POTRAZ.

She is also expected to tell the court who her brother, Evans Kagonye, gave the computers to and how many were received.

More: The Herald

By- President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Gold buyer, Pedzisayi “Scott” Sakupwanya has been awarded with the “Best Gold Buyer of the year” by the Mining Industry at the State House.

The event was hosted by Mines and Mining Development.

Mnangagwa, his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, Mines minister Winston Chitando attended the event.

-Herald

By- Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa said winning the 2023 elections was a must for his party to preserve the late MDC founder Morgan Tsvangirai’s legacy.

Tsvangirai passed away in 2018 aged 65 after battling colon cancer.

He came close to landing the country’s presidency when he outvoted the late former resident Robert Mugabe in the first round of balloting in March 2008.
Before the second round of voting, Mugabe launched a terror campaign led by State security agents, forcing Tsvangirai to pull out of the race citing persecution of his supporters.
Some 300 MDC supporters were killed in the bloody presidential election rerun held in June that year.
Mugabe declared himself the winner, but the international community and regional peers refused to recognise his victory, leading to a power sharing agreement with Tsvangirai as Prime Minister.
Chamisa said the CCC “would complete Tsvangirai’s journey” when the country goes to the polls in 2023 where he is likely to face off with President Emmerson Mnangagwa who narrowly defeated him in the 2018 polls.
“I deeply miss my old man ‘Mdara Milo’. The Citizens won’t disappoint. We will complete the journey and deliver real change this time,” Chamisa tweeted yesterday.
His party won 19 of the 28 contested parliamentary seats against Zanu PF’s nine seats in by-elections held on Saturday.
CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba told NewsDay last night that CCC owed Tsvangirai a victory to honour him for the sacrifices he endured under Mugabe since the formation of the MDC in 1999.
Tsvangirai was beaten and arrested several times. He was also charged with treason after the State accused him of plotting to topple Mugabe.
The treason charges were later dropped.
“Tsvangirai’s last public address to Zimbabweans was that young people must take over. That the future is in the hands of the next generation, he mentored and produced the presidency we see today in Chamisa. He knew that the future was and is young,” Siziba said.
“The citizens are the source of our confidence. They are the source of any government. They have affirmed what they said in 2018 in the recent by-elections. No resistance can stop this idea of change. Change is on the horizon. The call for change has become a national chorus.
“It’s beyond CCC. It’s beyond Zanu PF. It’s about Zimbabwe. We won empathically, 19 seats out of 28. That is a landslide victory in a by-election where the voting appetite is low due to the fact that it’s not there to change a government.
“You can’t compare it with 2023 and people are ready to correct the national mistake by winning with a high margin, thus 2023 gives us that chance. No one wants to continue this lifestyle. The countryside is more conscious and organised than before. A new Zimbabwe promise must be delivered.”
Chamisa unveiled the CCC party in January after MDC T leader Douglas Mwonzora claimed the MDC Alliance name and symbols, leaving the former ICT minister with no party.
The MDC Alliance was formed by several political parties before Mwonzora wrested the name from Chamisa via the courts.
Chamisa contested the 2018 presidential election on the MDC Alliance ticket while Mwonzora’s former deputy Thokozani Khupe, used the MDC-T, once led by Tsvangirai.
The MDC-T then led by Khupe filed a court application and won the right to use the MDC Alliance name, a situation which resulted in Mwonzora becoming the party’s president following an extraordinary congress.
Chamisa’s CCC is party targeting six million votes in the next elections while its main rival, Zanu PF is targeting five million votes.
-Newsday

Tinashe Sambiri|The leader of Citizens’ Coalition For Change, President Nelson Chamisa has said dawn is upon the nation.

President Chamisa, a devout Christian, believes God will deliver the nation from 42 years of bondage under Zanu PF misrule.

President Chamisa also wrote on Twitter:
“THANK YOU CITIZENS for a RESOUNDING & LANDSLIDE victory against all odds.

You did it! You voted, You volunteered,You funded & supported Your movement & change.Everything we have achieved is because of
@Godisinit
and You the Citizens are the centre of it.

THIS TIME victory speaks
DAWN IS HERE! Proudly Zimbabwean. Proudly a Citizen. A genuine patriot. I love our beautiful ZIMBABWE and it’s great people!Love you!”

Tinashe Sambiri|The leader of Citizens’ Coalition For Change, President Nelson Chamisa has said dawn is upon the nation.

President Chamisa, a devout Christian, believes God will deliver the nation from 42 years of bondage under Zanu PF misrule.

President Chamisa also wrote on Twitter:
“THANK YOU CITIZENS for a RESOUNDING & LANDSLIDE victory against all odds.

You did it! You voted, You volunteered,You funded & supported Your movement & change.Everything we have achieved is because of
@Godisinit
and You the Citizens are the centre of it.

THIS TIME victory speaks
DAWN IS HERE! Proudly Zimbabwean. Proudly a Citizen. A genuine patriot. I love our beautiful ZIMBABWE and it’s great people!Love you!”

Tinashe Sambiri|Citizens’ Coalition For Change member, Fidelis Murazvu, who was abducted by State security agents in Chivi on Wednesday, has been found.

Murazvu was absucted by government agents in Chivi for wearing a CCC t-shirt.

According to CCC Masvingo Youth Assembly, Murazvu was released following frantic efforts to locate him.

See statement below:
“Murazvu Fidelis who was forcibly taken by the #CIO in Chivi yesterday 4 wearing
@CCCZimbabwe
regalia was released after an alarm was raised.

The gang was led by one Mangezi & Kunze. Such actions in the run up to 2023 plebiscite undermines the credibility of polls.”

By- Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa said winning the 2023 elections was a must for his party to preserve the late MDC founder Morgan Tsvangirai’s legacy.

Tsvangirai passed away in 2018 aged 65 after battling colon cancer.

He came close to landing the country’s presidency when he outvoted the late former resident Robert Mugabe in the first round of balloting in March 2008.
Before the second round of voting, Mugabe launched a terror campaign led by State security agents, forcing Tsvangirai to pull out of the race citing persecution of his supporters.
Some 300 MDC supporters were killed in the bloody presidential election rerun held in June that year.
Mugabe declared himself the winner, but the international community and regional peers refused to recognise his victory, leading to a power sharing agreement with Tsvangirai as Prime Minister.
Chamisa said the CCC “would complete Tsvangirai’s journey” when the country goes to the polls in 2023 where he is likely to face off with President Emmerson Mnangagwa who narrowly defeated him in the 2018 polls.
“I deeply miss my old man ‘Mdara Milo’. The Citizens won’t disappoint. We will complete the journey and deliver real change this time,” Chamisa tweeted yesterday.
His party won 19 of the 28 contested parliamentary seats against Zanu PF’s nine seats in by-elections held on Saturday.
CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba told NewsDay last night that CCC owed Tsvangirai a victory to honour him for the sacrifices he endured under Mugabe since the formation of the MDC in 1999.
Tsvangirai was beaten and arrested several times. He was also charged with treason after the State accused him of plotting to topple Mugabe.
The treason charges were later dropped.
“Tsvangirai’s last public address to Zimbabweans was that young people must take over. That the future is in the hands of the next generation, he mentored and produced the presidency we see today in Chamisa. He knew that the future was and is young,” Siziba said.
“The citizens are the source of our confidence. They are the source of any government. They have affirmed what they said in 2018 in the recent by-elections. No resistance can stop this idea of change. Change is on the horizon. The call for change has become a national chorus.
“It’s beyond CCC. It’s beyond Zanu PF. It’s about Zimbabwe. We won empathically, 19 seats out of 28. That is a landslide victory in a by-election where the voting appetite is low due to the fact that it’s not there to change a government.
“You can’t compare it with 2023 and people are ready to correct the national mistake by winning with a high margin, thus 2023 gives us that chance. No one wants to continue this lifestyle. The countryside is more conscious and organised than before. A new Zimbabwe promise must be delivered.”
Chamisa unveiled the CCC party in January after MDC T leader Douglas Mwonzora claimed the MDC Alliance name and symbols, leaving the former ICT minister with no party.
The MDC Alliance was formed by several political parties before Mwonzora wrested the name from Chamisa via the courts.
Chamisa contested the 2018 presidential election on the MDC Alliance ticket while Mwonzora’s former deputy Thokozani Khupe, used the MDC-T, once led by Tsvangirai.
The MDC-T then led by Khupe filed a court application and won the right to use the MDC Alliance name, a situation which resulted in Mwonzora becoming the party’s president following an extraordinary congress.
Chamisa’s CCC is party targeting six million votes in the next elections while its main rival, Zanu PF is targeting five million votes.
-Newsday

By- President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Gold buyer, Pedzisayi “Scott” Sakupwanya has been awarded with the “Best Gold Buyer of the year” by the Mining Industry at the State House.

The event was hosted by Mines and Mining Development.

Mnangagwa, his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, Mines minister Winston Chitando attended the event.

-Herald

By- The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has proposed for the enactment of laws that punish individuals and organisations that seek to discredit the commission and electoral processes.

Some pressure groups including Team Pachedu accused ZEC of electoral malpractices over the past few years which they allege are meant to create an uneven electoral playing field to give an advantage to the ruling Zanu PF party.

Speaking on ZBC News Current Affairs programme, Face the Nation on Tuesday, ZEC spokesperson, Jasper Mangwana said those making false accusations about the commission and electoral processes must be punished. He said:

We have been asking to be able to register and regulate these political parties because of some of these unfounded allegations that ZEC didn’t do anything, but the moment you become like any other EMB South Africa.

If you raise false issues, for example, they will take like 5 000 votes before you get into an election, we would something like that. This is because if you raise such false allegations, you must prove them.

Meanwhile, Mangwana expressed satisfaction with how the 26 March by-elections were held, saying the absence of rains ensured that no logistical challenges were encountered.

More: ZBC News

By- President Emmerson Mnangagwa in his capacity as the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces has promoted nine lieutenant colonels to the ranks of colonels.

Below is the statement by the Zimbabwe National Army on the nine promotions:

The promotions were made in terms of Section 15 (1)(b) of the Defence Act (Chapter 11:02) and effective from 25 March 2022.
The promoted Colonels are Augustine Ruwambara, Chakaipa Mukuna, Job Mugazambi, Clemence Macheka, Nuna Bornaventure Ncube, Simbarashe Zhou, Clady Mapepa, Rita Mkandla and Kudzanai Mautsa.
They were conferred the new rank by the Chief of Staff Administration Staff, Major General Emmanuel Matatu at an investiture ceremony held at Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks on Wednesday, 30 March 2022.

Major General Matatu who was standing in for Commander Zimbabwe National Army, Lieutenant General David Sigauke commended the senior officers for diligently executing their duties in the ZNA, hence their promotion. Said Major General Emmanuel Matatu:
Your hard work has been rewarded. The Command Element has seen in you the fundamental qualities and attributes of military leadership at the senior level.
Recognition for such an esteemed rank and appointments does not come through ambitious individual lobbying, pitching and posturing but comes as a result of a thorough and exhaustive assessment.
Major General Matatu added that the onus is now upon the promoted colonels to diligently and professionally discharge their duties in the new capacities and enhanced status.
On behalf of the promoted colonels, Colonel Nuna Bornaventure Ncube thanked Commander ZNA for giving him and his colleagues well-deserved recognition.

He promised that they were going to remain loyal to both the organisation and the country

By- Former Gweru mayor, Josiah Makombe, has been re-elected councillor a few months after he was recalled by the Douglas Mwonzora-led MDC-T.

Makombe was recalled in December last year for supporting Nelson Chamisa who was the leader of the then MDC Alliance.

The recall meant that Makombe lost his position as both councillor and mayor and the city council vehicle that he was using.

In the by-election for Gweru’s Ward 2 held on Saturday, Makombe, who contested on a Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) ticket, garnered 940 votes against ZANU PF’s Tinarwo Elager who got 492 votes.

Mwonzora’s MDC Alliance candidate Patson Chingwaru received a meagre 20 votes.

Makombe was arrested early this year after he allegedly refused to surrender a luxurious US$170 000 council Prado that he was using as mayor before his recall.

Gweru District Development Coordinator (DDC) Ndeya Nyede said Makombe acted outside council regulations by clinging to the municipality vehicle.

More: The Mirror

By- Police in Beitbridge have gunned down the one-armed robber and left another injured as the two attempted to escape at a security check.

The two suspects are part of a six-man gang that robbed a Chiredzi businessman and his wife of US$1000, R8000, an assortment of cellphones, a Toyota Prado and a Nissan Caravan on Monday evening.

National police spokesman, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the shooting incident occurred at a roadblock 5km before Beitbridge town along the Masvingo road on Tuesday.
He said the suspects were believed to be operating between Beitbridge and Musina.
“The matter is now under investigation. We want to warn those who terrorise members of the community and businessmen that their days are numbered,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said after the shootout one, Zakaria Ncube (41) of Lower Gweru who also operates in Musina and Beitbridge was recovering from bullet wounds at Beitbridge Hospital under police guard.
The other unidentified suspect was found dead in the bullet riddled Honda Fit (AFL 9425), at Mdau Business Centre in Beitbridge on Tuesday evening.

• Chronicle

By- A South African political analyst, Moeletsi Mbeki, says South Africa’s ruling party, the ANC, cooperated with Zanu PF in destroying Zimbabwe’s economy resulting in millions of Zimbabweans crossing the Limpopo River in search of scarce jobs.

Mbeki claimed that the two former liberation movements did not want an opposition party founded by civil society to take power in Zimbabwe.

He was speaking during an interview on the television channel eNCA on Tuesday. That was after South African authorities revealed that the rate of unemployment in the neighbouring country had risen to 35.3%. Said, Mbeki:

The ANC collaborated with Zanu PF in effectively destroying the economy of Zimbabwe because they both did not want an opposition party founded by civil society to take power in Zimbabwe.

By destroying the economy of Zimbabwe, a huge influx of people flooded into South Africa looking for jobs and by not controlling the border and effectively allowing the border not to be controlled, it was then very easy for this flood.

And now the consequence of this is that poor people from Zimbabwe flooded into poor areas in South Africa which are the townships and informal settlements and this is the outcome.

Mbeki also accused the FRELIMO-led Mozambique Government of importing heroin from south Asia and re-selling it to South Africa.

He said the South African Government has done nothing to stop the illicit trade which unfortunately is fuelling drug abuse in the country’s townships.

By- Police in Beitbridge have gunned down the one-armed robber and left another injured as the two attempted to escape at a security check.

The two suspects are part of a six-man gang that robbed a Chiredzi businessman and his wife of US$1000, R8000, an assortment of cellphones, a Toyota Prado and a Nissan Caravan on Monday evening.

National police spokesman, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the shooting incident occurred at a roadblock 5km before Beitbridge town along the Masvingo road on Tuesday.
He said the suspects were believed to be operating between Beitbridge and Musina.
“The matter is now under investigation. We want to warn those who terrorise members of the community and businessmen that their days are numbered,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said after the shootout one, Zakaria Ncube (41) of Lower Gweru who also operates in Musina and Beitbridge was recovering from bullet wounds at Beitbridge Hospital under police guard.
The other unidentified suspect was found dead in the bullet riddled Honda Fit (AFL 9425), at Mdau Business Centre in Beitbridge on Tuesday evening.

• Chronicle

By- The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has recalled suspended Harare mayor Jacob Mafume after he ceased being a member of the opposition party.
Mafume’s PDP membership was automatically terminated after he joined the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
This was revealed in a letter written by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, July Moyo, addressed to the Harare City Council Town Clerk and dated 28 March 2022. The letter reads:
I wish to inform you that I am in receipt of a letter from the People’s Democratic Party stating that the following Councillor has ceased to be a member of the Party through automatic termination of their membership as they have since joined Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC): –

1. Jacob Mafume Ward 17
   In terms of Section 278 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, as read with Section (1) (k), ward 17 is now vacant.
   In terms of Section 121 of the Electoral Act, please proceed to inform the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of this vacancy.
   In March last year, PDP recalled its six MPs, namely Tendai Biti (Harare East), William Madzimure (Kambuzuma), Settlement Chikwinya (Mbizo), Sichelesile Mahlangu (Pumula), Regai Tsunga (Mutasa South Constituency) and Kucaca Phulu (Nkulumane).

By- The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has proposed for the enactment of laws that punish individuals and organisations that seek to discredit the commission and electoral processes.

Some pressure groups including Team Pachedu accused ZEC of electoral malpractices over the past few years which they allege are meant to create an uneven electoral playing field to give an advantage to the ruling Zanu PF party.

Speaking on ZBC News Current Affairs programme, Face the Nation on Tuesday, ZEC spokesperson, Jasper Mangwana said those making false accusations about the commission and electoral processes must be punished. He said:

We have been asking to be able to register and regulate these political parties because of some of these unfounded allegations that ZEC didn’t do anything, but the moment you become like any other EMB South Africa.

If you raise false issues, for example, they will take like 5 000 votes before you get into an election, we would something like that. This is because if you raise such false allegations, you must prove them.

Meanwhile, Mangwana expressed satisfaction with how the 26 March by-elections were held, saying the absence of rains ensured that no logistical challenges were encountered.

More: ZBC News

By -A Zanu PF candidate for Chinhoyi Ward 3, Precious Dadirai Makiwa, lost the Saturday despite killing a cow and donating the meat to residents luring them to vote for her.

Makiwa bought the cow which she slaughtered and invited residents to get free meat, with each resident getting a 2kgs packet of beef.

Residents who spoke to New Zimbabwe confirmed the development, saying there was a stampede as mostly women flocked Makiwa’s family home to get the free meat.

In spite of her “generosity”, Makiwa polled 330 votes against her rival Richard Vhitirinyu, who got 513 standing as a Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) candidate.

Vhitirinyu, who was recalled by the MDC-T on 4 November 2020, was declared the duly elected councillor for Chinhoyi Ward 3.

Speaking to New Zimbabwe on Tuesday, Vhitirinyu said the ruling ZANU PF party should understand that people want tangible development rather than freebies. He said:

The electorate is no longer as gullible as before. Yes, Makiwa slaughtered a whole cow whose meat she distributed to many households in the hope they would vote for her.

Through her party, she also donated textbooks, but all this counted for nothing after she lost. People don’t want freebies, they need real transformational change in their lives.

Meanwhile, CCC won five out of the six Local Authority by-elections in Chinhoyi.

In Ward 4, ZANU PF’s Ignatius Zvigadza obtained 718 votes to beat CCC interim district chairman Brighton Mhizha who garnered 569 votes.

NewZimbabwe

By- A South African political analyst, Moeletsi Mbeki, says South Africa’s ruling party, the ANC, cooperated with Zanu PF in destroying Zimbabwe’s economy resulting in millions of Zimbabweans crossing the Limpopo River in search of scarce jobs.

Mbeki claimed that the two former liberation movements did not want an opposition party founded by civil society to take power in Zimbabwe.

He was speaking during an interview on the television channel eNCA on Tuesday. That was after South African authorities revealed that the rate of unemployment in the neighbouring country had risen to 35.3%. Said, Mbeki:

The ANC collaborated with Zanu PF in effectively destroying the economy of Zimbabwe because they both did not want an opposition party founded by civil society to take power in Zimbabwe.

By destroying the economy of Zimbabwe, a huge influx of people flooded into South Africa looking for jobs and by not controlling the border and effectively allowing the border not to be controlled, it was then very easy for this flood.

And now the consequence of this is that poor people from Zimbabwe flooded into poor areas in South Africa which are the townships and informal settlements and this is the outcome.

Mbeki also accused the FRELIMO-led Mozambique Government of importing heroin from south Asia and re-selling it to South Africa.

He said the South African Government has done nothing to stop the illicit trade which unfortunately is fuelling drug abuse in the country’s townships.

By- The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has furiously responded to the allegations that the Saturday by-elections were rigged.

The electoral management body said that the country should enact laws that punish individuals and organisations that seek to discredit the commission and electoral processes by making unproven allegations.

Some pressure groups including Team Pachedu accused ZEC of electoral malpractices over the past few years which they allege are meant to create an uneven electoral playing field to give an advantage to the ruling Zanu PF party.

Speaking on ZBC News Current Affairs programme, Face the Nation on Tuesday, ZEC spokesperson, Jasper Mangwana said those making false accusations about the commission and electoral processes must be punished. He said:

We have been asking to be able to register and regulate these political parties because of some of these unfounded allegations that ZEC didn’t do anything, but the moment you become like any other EMB South Africa.

If you raise false issues, for example, they will take like 5 000 votes before you get into an election, we would something like that. This is because if you raise such false allegations, you must prove them.

Meanwhile, Mangwana expressed satisfaction with how the 26 March by-elections were held, saying the absence of rains ensured that no logistical challenges were encountered.

More: ZBC News

Tinashe Sambiri|Citizens’ Coalition For Change leader President Nelson Chamisa has described the moments he shared with the late iconic founder of the Movement for Democratic Change and former Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Morgan Richard Tsvangirai as special and joyous.

President Chamisa described the Right Honourable Tsvangirai as a great mentor.

“This picture was taken in 2000 at the International Union of Socialist Youth Festival in Stockholm, Sweden.

I miss the fun,love & joyous moments. I deeply miss my old man ‘Mdara Milo’.

The Citizens won’t disappoint! We will complete the journey and deliver real change! THIS TIME,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.

Political analysts say MDC Alliance leader Douglas Mwonzora should consider joining ZANU PF if he is to save his political career.

This comes after MDC Alliance lost all the vacant seats it had won in 2018 to the newly formed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and ZANU PF in Saturday’s by-elections

There were 28 parliamentary and over 100 local authority vacant seats that were contested in the 26 March by-elections, with the majority won by CCC.

Political analyst Mkhululi Tshuma told CITE that the MDC built by Morgan Tsvangirai is no more and its current leader, Mwonzora, should join ZANU PF to prolong his political career. Said Tshuma:

There is no hope at all for Mwonzora and his MDC as far as politics is concerned. The man is done.

It’s unfortunate that the iconic MDC with all its derivatives, the party which Morgan Tsvangirai laboured so hard to build, is finished.

The guy played with the hearts and minds of the people hiding behind a dubious Supreme Court ruling.

However, the Supreme Court of public opinion has issued its verdict and it’s not good for Mwonzora.

He is finished and along with him will die the political lives of those who followed him to the grave.

Mwonzora has one choice, to join ZANU PF and be part of the gravy train. From what I have seen with the Khupe U-turn, people are not going to easily forgive him.

He is totally done for now. He just has a small chance in ZANU PF. Let him grab it.

Another political analyst, Vusumuzi Chirwa, also told CITE that the MDC and all its derivatives are now history.

He advised Mwonzora to join ZANU PF and beg to be appointed as Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Afghanistan. Said Chirwa:

Douglas Mwonzora’s political career was intertwined with that of MDC-T when he pressed the MDC-T cum MDC Alliance auto-destruction button, sadly he wasn’t aware of that.

It’s being naive to talk about his political career, instead, we should be reading his political epitaph.

March 26 was the burial day of the politically decomposed stinking bodies of both Mwonzora and his MDC party’s acronyms.

On March 26 the electorate became Douglas Mwonzora’s political undertakers lowering his coffin 600 feet. May his political soul rest in peace.

Now the best option available for the politically dead Douglas Mwonzora is to become a political ghost so he can be appointed a commissioner like Obert Gutu or plead to be appointed an ambassador in Afghanistan.

Speaking during a press conference in Harare on Monday, Mwonzora said he will make a comeback from the electoral loss, saying they got their strategy wrong in the by-elect

OPPOSITION politician Tendai Biti will know his fate this Thursday in a case where the Harare lawyer is accused of assaulting a Russian national.

Harare magistrate Vongai Guuriro Muchuchuti confirmed the development.

The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Vice President has been on trial over the matter since 2020.

He denies assaulting Russian national Tatiana Aleshina.

Magistrate Muchuchuti has been accused of bias by Biti who even approached the High Court seeking to have her and prosecutor Michael Reza removed from the case.

High Court judge, Justice Tawanda Chitapi, ruled that there was no evidence that the magistrate and prosecutor were biased.

Justice Chitapi added that higher courts were also “very reluctant” to intervene in matters that were pending before the lower courts.

“If every decision by a presiding officer that one party disagreed with could go to a higher court on review or appeal while the matter was still in progress, then delays would be intolerable.

“In rare cases where someone’s rights could be seriously infringed otherwise, a higher court could intervene, but this is very rare,” Chitapi ruled.

Meanwhile, the row between Biti and Aleshina continues on other fronts with the two currently suing each other at the High Court.

Aleshina sued Biti for defamation while the CCC vice president in turn sued her for causing his “wrongful arrest and detention”.

Both cases are still pending.

Top Government officials will on Thursday sign Performance Contracts at Harare International Conference Centre at the Rainbow Towers.

In a statement, Secretary to Service Commissions, Jonathan Wutawunashe, said 84 Chief Directors and Directors will sign the contracts.

The statement read:

Government continues to raise the bar on performance management in Ministries and Departments by requiring senior officials to sign Performance Contracts in order to strengthen service delivery to citizens.

In a ceremony to be held on Thursday 31 March 2022, Chief Directors and Directors in all 21 Government ministries will publicly sign Performance Contracts at Harare International Conference Centre at the Rainbow Towers.

At the ceremony, 84 Chief Directors and Directors are scheduled to sign contracts as a representative sample on behalf of a total population of 463 Chief Directors and Directors, the rest of whom will sign their contracts in their Ministries and Departments.

This event signals the cascading to all levels of the high-performance Work Culture which Government in the Second Republic is championing, and which was demonstrated in February at a ceremony graced by the presence of His Excellency President E.D. Mnangagwa, where Ministers, Permanent Secretaries of Government as well as CEOs of parastatals and leaders of Local Government Authorities signed their own Performance Contracts.

In the true spirit of the principle, ‘What Gets Measured Gets Done’, the contracts will outline specific strategic objectives, outputs and outcomes targeted for the year 2022 for Chief Directors and Directors.

The performance of Chief Directors and Directors will be assessed on a quarterly basis, together with that of Permanent Secretaries with the final evaluation conducted annually.

Members of the media are hereby invited to cover the event, which starts at 9:30 am on Thursday 31 March 2022 at the HICC in the main auditorium.

By A Correspondent- In an interesting development, a Zanu-PF candidate for Chinhoyi Ward Three bought a cow which she slaughtered and treated residents to free meat but still lost the election held last Saturday.

The candidate, Precious Dadirai Makiwa has since become a subject for radicle in the town.

The ward fall vacant after Richard Vhitirinyu was recalled by the MDC-T on November 4, 2020.

In a bid to enhance her chances of winning the perennially opposition-held ward, Makiwa bought a cow which she slaughtered and invited residents to get free meat. And they came in their numbers, with each walking away with a 2kgs packet of beef.

Residents who spoke to NewZimbabwe.com, confirmed there was a stampede as mostly women flocked Makiwa’s family home from where they emerged with wide smiles.

They all pledged to return the favour with their vote, but once alone in the polling booths, very few honoured their promise as evidenced by the election outcome.

Makiwa was confident she would win the ward elections after dishing out large chunks of meat. The people promised their vote in return for beef allocations,” a resident, Raymond Dangirwa, told NewZimbabwe.com.

The outcome of the poll shocked Makiwa after she managed to 330 votes against her rival Vhitirinyu, who amassed 513 standing as a Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) candidate.

An ecstatic Vhitirinyu told NewZimbabwe.com this Tuesday Zanu-PF must start to appreciate that dishing out freebies was a thing of the past.

“The electorate is nolonger as gullible as before. Yes, Makiwa slaughtered a whole cow whose meat she distributed to many households in the hope they would vote for her. Through her party, she also donated textbooks, but all this counted for nothing after she lost. People don’t want freebies, they need real transformational change to their lives,” Vhitirinyu said

Makiwa was unreachable by the time of publishing.

Meanwhile, CCC bagged five out of the six Local Authority by elections in Chinhoyi.

The only upset was in Ward 4 where the CCC interim district chairman Brighton Mhizha lost to Zanu-PF’s Ignatius Zvigadza after polling 569 to 718.-NewZim

By A Correspondent- At least 100 Zimbabweans are stranded in Oman after being trafficked to the Middle East country on false job promises, a top government official has said.

Secretary for Home Affairs, Aaron Nhepera told a media briefing in Harare yesterday that 18 cases had been reported so far.

This followed reports that several Zimbabwean women were trapped in the Middle East after going there in search of jobs as domestic workers under the Kafala visa sponsorship in Oman and other countries.

Reports showed that the Kafala system of employment ties domestic workers to employers who facilitate their travel to Oman and ensure that they do not move to other jobs before the end of their contracts.

The female domestic workers are also allegedly sexually abused and treated as slaves,
while their passports are withheld to stop them from escaping.

“Our prosecution pillar which involves the police and the courts were handling 18 cases. But we do know that there could be more people that have not reported, but by way of estimation, we think we could be having as many as 100 people in Oman currently,” Nhepera said.

He said government was in the process of engaging the Oman government over the issue.

He, however, could not disclose the exact date when the 18 victims, whose cases were reported, would be repatriated to Zimbabwe.

“We are just starting our engagement with the government of Oman. We are doing that through the Foreign Affairs ministry which happens to be part of our committee. The other resolution we have made is to dispatch an investigation committee to Oman as soon as possible so that they can talk to the 18 victims.

“As soon as we have engaged the Oman government to deliberate on these issues, we will start repatriating our people home. I cannot give you a date. It depends on the progress we make through the engagements.”

Nhepera said the 18 victims were still stranded at their workplaces despite reporting their ordeals.

“They are in their respective workplaces. What they have done is to communicate with their relatives here about their situation and through their relatives, we have come to know that there are such people who are there and need our assistance.

Nhepera admitted that government was to blame for the trafficking of its citizens.

“The reason why our people are in this situation is because of poverty, not having good jobs and not being well settled in their houses…others are going there because they would have heard of good job opportunities without necessarily scrutinising these places. We urge Zimbabweans to scrutinise job offers from abroad so that they cannot fall victim to human trafficking. We also urge citizens to consult our law enforcement agents with regards to information about foreign countries that would have offered jobs to them,” he said.-Newsday

Tinashe Sambiri|Citizens’ Coalition For Change leader President Nelson Chamisa says he is satisfied with the results of the March 26 by-elections although there is a lot of work to do in terms of pushing for reforms.

Addressing a media briefing in Harare on Monday, President Chamisa called for wholesale reforms within the electoral system.

President Chamisa’s CCC clinched the majority of local government and house of assembly seats in the Saturday by-elections.

President Chamisa said: ” We know that Zanu PF is abusing traditional leaders across the country. Intimidation of voters is rampant in rural areas.

However, I am happy with our performance despite the setbacks.

Zanu PF is violating the principles of the liberation struggle.”

President Chamisa also wrote on Twitter:

“THANK YOU CITIZENS for a RESOUNDING & LANDSLIDE victory against all odds.

You did it! You voted, You volunteered,You funded & supported Your movement & change.Everything we have achieved is because of
@Godisinit
and You the Citizens are the centre of it.

THIS TIME victory speaks
DAWN IS HERE! Proudly Zimbabwean. Proudly a Citizen. A genuine patriot. I love our beautiful ZIMBABWE and it’s great people!Love you!”