By A Correspondent- The Nelson Chamisa-led MDC Alliance has condemned the country’s security forces for allegedly assaulting and torturing citizens being deported by the South African government for violating the neighbouring country’s migration laws.

The MDC Alliance South Africa chapter said in a statement on Monday:

We would like to condemn in the strongest terms the harassment and abuse of deported Zimbabweans by Zimbabwean soldiers at the Beitbridge border post.

These are desperate Zimbabweans attempting to cross into South Africa because there are no jobs or cheap healthcare in Zimbabwe.

Scenes of huddled poor Zimbabweans surrounded by horse-riding, gun-totting soldiers are disconcerting. This in the midst of the fourth wave is uncalled for and illogical.

Equally puzzling are beatings being meted out on the hapless deportees by the soldiers and police officers.

The behaviour of the soldiers is callous and undeserved, and should therefore be stopped promptly.

The opposition party accused the ZANU PF-led Government of creating the migrant crisis by failing to deal with the country’s political and economic challenges that are now forcing hundreds of Zimbabweans to cross into South Africa illegally on a daily basis.

The statement read:

We expect the clueless Harare regime to adopt a people-centred approach to deal with the migration of Zimbabweans to South Africa.

The ZANU-PF government is the author of the economic and political problems ordinary Zimbabweans are running away from.

How ironic is it that army officers from the underperforming Zimbabwean government are brutalising Zimbabweans for looking for greener pastures?

The humanitarian crisis being created at the Beitbridge Border post requires both the Zimbabwean and South African governments to work together to find long-lasting solutions to this annual migration.

The MDC Alliance raised their concerns after pictures of hundreds of Zimbabweans detained by soldiers and the police at the Beitbridge border post started circulating on social media platforms.-newsday

By A Correspondent- One of the directors at a Chinese-owned mine, Rongxin /Mambo Mine, in Sanyati has reportedly offered 10 kilogrammes of gold as “compensation” to quash the investigation into a marriage between a Chinese engineer at the mine and a local underage girl.

According to a NewsDay report, the 15-year-old girl dropped out of school after she was married off to the Chinese engineer by her parents on 26 November 2021.

The engineer allegedly paid US$2 000 as the customary bride price to the girl’s parents.

The girl was in Form 3 at Tomdrayer Secondary School at the time she was forcefully married off to the Chinese man.

The girl is from Ward 5 under Chief Neuso, Sanyati District, in Mashonaland West province.

NewsDay reported sources as saying that one of the directors at the mine has offered to pay at least 10kg of gold worth US$570 000 for the case to be set aside.

Said a source:

The director of the mine is one of the owner’s daughters. She gives directives from China.

She has said they want the case suppressed by any means possible.

The main reason is that the forced marriage suspect is a key engineer at the mine and operates the underground mining department.

They do not want to lose him by any chance and are doing everything to ensure he is not jailed for marrying the minor.

In December, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that a Chinese mine engineer who works at Ringxin/Mambo Mine had been arrested for marrying a minor.

The engineer in question last week appeared before a Kadoma magistrate, where he was remanded out of custody.-newsday

By A Correspondent- Some ZANU PF supporters in Manicaland province have threatened to employ the “Bhora Musango” strategy in the 2023 elections by voting for MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa in protest over alleged rigging in last month’s provincial elections.

Bhora Musango was a clandestine campaign by some ZANU PF leaders in the run-up to the 2008 harmonised elections against voting for the party’s presidential candidate Robert Mugabe.

ZANU PF conducted provincial elections on 28 December amid reports of vote-buying, violence, and massive rigging in most districts.

Preliminary results released by ZANU PF’s national political commissar, Mike Bimha showed that in Manicaland, Mike Madiro retained the provincial chairmanship while Happiness Nyakuedzwa won in the women’s league and Stanely Sakupwanya in the youth league.

However, NewZimbabwe.com reported sources in ZANU PF as saying Nyakuedzwa won the election, but the poll was rigged in favour of Madiro.

According to the preliminary results, Madiro polled 16 263 votes against Nyakuedwa’s 14 748. One insider said:

We are going to implement the ‘Bhora Musango strategy’ ahead of the 2023 presidential elections because these internal elections were not legitimately conducted.

In Makoni, the polls were delayed as the vehicle that was supposed to ferry the ballot papers arrived without them. Election coordinators claimed there was a mix-up.

However, we suspect it was a deliberate move to influence the outcome. We cannot remain docile as our internal elections now lack transparency.

Another supporter said it was strange that people who do not have support across the province won in the polls. Said the supporter:

It is worrisome and disheartening that some candidates who won according to preliminary results did not have support across the province.

How can someone win with a wide margin yet have lost support in the party? If the party’s leadership fails to address these legacy issues, we will easily change the goalposts in 2023 and vote for Chamisa.

An unnamed war veteran opined that delaying announcing the results by 72 hours raises questions on the integrity of the elections. He said:

Just imagine, we had to wait for three days for the results to be announced. After the results were announced, the leadership still claimed there is no winner or loser.

This shows that something fishy is happening and we will not condone this.

By A Correspondent- Some unions representing teachers on Monday claimed that their members had failed to report for duty to invigilate the ongoing Ordinary Level and Advanced Level ZIMSEC examinations due to financial incapacitation.

2021 Ordinary and Advanced Level examination candidates resumed writing the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council exams on Monday after a two-week break.

Speaking to NewsDay yesterday, Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou said:

At the moment invigilation is being carried out by headmasters, their deputy heads, senior teachers as well as heads of departments. A majority of teachers remain incapacitated and are at home.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union (ARTUZ) president Obert Masaraure claimed that some rural schools hired villagers and other members of the public to perform invigilation duties.

However, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson Taungana Ndoro dismissed the claims, saying the unions were clamouring for attention.

Said Ndoro:

The truth is it’s totally preposterous to think that villagers can invigilate examinations, or that we have a shortage of teachers.

It is really unfair and is a cry for attention. Exams are progressing well. We have no hitches and we have no complaints.

We are very proud of our education system and our teachers who are doing a great job invigilating.

Schools were scheduled to open for the First Term on 10 January but President Emmerson Mnangagwa directed that they should remain closed indefinitely due to COVID-19.-newsday

By A Correspondent- Exiled former Deputy Higher and Tertiary Education minister Godfrey Gandawa has suggested that guns that were illegally seized from the police and intelligence services during the November 2017 military coup that overthrew the then president Robert Mugabe are now being used to commit armed robberies.

In a post on Twitter, Gandawa claimed that the guns were seized without documentation and it is unclear if they were returned to State custody. 

We publish Gandawa’s Twitter thread below:

The seemingly sudden wave of armed robberies involving members of the defence forces is linked to the chaotic, unlawful and dangerous takeover of armouries during the 2017 coup where the police and intelligence services were disarmed without a formal handover-takeover process. 1/

During the coup, every level of security perceived as hostile to the coup-makers was disarmed with weapons taken from lawful possession even at traffic stops. This chaotic process included no documentation. It is unclear that these weapons were returned to state custody. 2/

Indeed, given the fluid situation and the fear of a counterattack that was prevailing at the time, it appears unlikely they would have readily surrendered the weapons to a central authority that could fall out of their control. 3/

A new status quo now prevails in which an unknown quantity of weapons are in the possession of criminal elements linked to the security forces. These weapons add a new dimension to Zimbabwe’s security situation and are possibly outside Mnangagwa’s control. 4/

This is a real possibility for the simple reason that many lower-level coup co-conspirators are yet to be paid for their service. There is growing bitterness within the armed forces over unfulfilled coup promises while the top ranks enjoy the fat of the new dispensation. 5/

Govt cannot dismiss these armed robbers as rogue soldiers given the repeated pattern of military personnel involvement. It is clear that there is a new source of insecurity linked to the army and this requires an honest and meaningful response from govt. /6

In any case, the rogue soldier argument is disproven by the actions of the military subsequent to the killing of these armed robbers. You cannot claim a soldier has gone rogue and yet bury him with military honours following his death at a crime scene. 7/

It is futile for govt to discourage the public from holding large sums of money. Nobody in their right mind wants the risk of carrying large sums of cash; the practice has arisen due to the collapse of confidence in the banking system post the 2017 coup. /8

The bogus foreign currency auction rate is theft by administrative fiat and no amount of persuasion will convince the public to deposit funds into a banking system that forcibly liquidates up to 40% of hard currency at that rate. The public is in an impossible position. /9

The same is true of cross-border traders robbed on their way to South Africa. Most will be carrying cash. Mnangagwa, Mangudya and Mthuli have had four years to fix the central issue of confidence: they have failed as demonstrated by widespread banking hesitancy. /10

The banking solution is simple enough: stop stealing from the public by means of the official exchange rate. The problem of military personnel involved in armed robberies cannot be solved without admitting to its existence. For now, govt believes there is no problem. /11

That these interlinked problems have not aroused alarm in govt is yet another sign that Mnangagwa has no real interest in governance, merely its trappings. His is a govt of thugs intent on plundering public resources; they have no aspiration to improve people’s lives. 12/

By-Over 600 people were arrested on Sunday at the Beitbridge border post for allegedly trying to cross to South Africa without proper documentation.
.
National police spokesperson Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests.

“We have deployed enough manpower to deal with criminal elements along the border.
“On Sunday alone we arrested 632 people under the ongoing operation ‘No to Cross-border Crimes-Fhasi Ngamilandu Yamukanuni Yamashango — Mhosva Pamiganhu Ngadzipere — Amacala Kawaphele Emingceleni Yelizwe’.
“Among these were smugglers, illegal vendors, Covid-19 protocols violators, and irregular migrants,” he said.
Asst Comm Nyathi said the police were conducting operations concurrently with their South African counterparts.

Police also warned people against using informal crossing points since they risked prosecution, being attacked by thugs or wild animals, and drowning in the Limpopo River.
“We are carrying out the security operations concurrently with our counterparts in South Africa so that we don’t give the criminals breathing space.
“The security forces are out in full force along the borderline and we are descending hard on those breaking the law,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said the number of people using the border has been increasing in the past week with many migrants trying to beat the very tight security checks as the festive season winds up.
The police, said Asst Comm Nyathi, would not take lightly to those people smuggling goods, skipping the border, and smuggling the Covid-19 virus across borders.

It is understood that some immigrants are using over 200 illegal crossing points along the Limpopo River to enter or leave and smuggle goods into the country.
The sole legal crossing point is at Beitbridge.
The most common crossing points are Mai Maria, Dite, Panda Mine, River Ranch, Dulivhadzimu Gorge, Spillway and Tshivhara.
Bulky smuggled goods include electrical gadgets, groceries, and other prohibited goods.
Zimbabwe beefed up security along its border with South Africa in January last year after it was discovered that general crime and smuggling was rife and the country was losing millions of revenue in terms of import duty.
The security patrols are being conducted by helicopters, drones, the police and army horse-mounted units, and the canine sections.
Over 80 000 people were arrested for various offences between January and December last year under the same operation.

-Herald

I see nothing of real substance that Brig-Gen Chipwere speaks of as implied by the headline.

Regarding the first incident, Brig Gen Chipwere says the death could have been avoided had the deceased not strayed in the cantonment area…….but he avoids saying the death could also have been avoided had the soldier not fired wily nily at the deceased without verifying his intentions and identity.

In the second incident where soldiers were involved in armed robbery, Brig-Gen Chipwere conveniently does not comment, obviously because there is no justification whatsoever for soldiers to be involved in armed robberies.

In the third incident, the Brigadier is at pains magnifying the warning shots that the soldier fired as the crowd charged, but not pointing out that a firearm should never be an option in such circumstances. We are also not told what the soldier was doing with a firearm in those civilian spaces. (Comment by Chasura Hungwe)

The Brig is taking a defensive posture and trying to blame members of the public for all these incidences.

This kind of approach will not solve the real issues at hand. The issue of discipline in the rank and file of the security forces need to be looked into. The ZDF needs to carry out thorough investigations to get to the bottom of these issues otherwise if this is not done this will come back to haunt them in a matter of time .At this moment these soldiers are still robbing a few thousand dollars from the people but in time they will want more and they will turn their guns on the VIPs, VVIPs and the ruling class and by then the problem will have spiraled out of control.
Right now armed robbery cases need very stiff sentences(minimum 20 years) and if its committed by any member of the security forces then it must be at least 30 years.

The image of the ZDF is at stake and taking a defensive position will not solve the issues at hand. The ZDF must not wait for members of the public to report any mis-behaviour from their members, the ZDF must take a proactive stance, how can the public report the behaviour of ZDF members who reside in barracks and cantonments?  (2nd Comment)

People must report any member of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) engaging in criminal activities or unbecoming behaviour, the ZDF said in a statement on New Year’s Eve after seven people died in three recent shootings, one involving a robbery, one involving a soldier now in custody reacting to a mob attack and another involving a man who ignored warnings in a cantonment area.
Brigadier-General Augustine Chipwere, in a statement yesterday, expressed the ZDF’s regret at the deaths.
“The ZDF acknowledges and regrets the loss of innocent lives and deeply commiserates with the bereaved families and communities. The ZDF will assist all the bereaved families in accordance with regulations pertaining to such incidents. “The ZDF wishes to appeal to members of the public to report any member of the ZDF who behaves in a criminal manner or displays behaviour not in keeping with the ZDF code of conduct, to the nearest cantonment area or to phone the following numbers 024 2792661 and 071 2808007 so that corrective action is taken promptly,” Brig-Gen Chipwere said. In the first incident, a ZDF member who was on patrol on Christmas Eve within the cantonment area at Josiah Tungamirai Air Force Base in Gweru shot and injured Painos Zihesvu Dzvetsvera who later succumbed to his injuries. Brig-Gen Chipwere said the death could have been prevented had the late Mr Dzvetsvera observed and complied with sign posts around the cantonment area and instructions by the patrol.

On the same day Sergeant Lameck Kabara and Corporal Christopher Charuma were part of an armed robbery gang at 2345 Fern Road, Hatfield in Harare that resulted in the death of Elvis Chijaka and serious injury to Brian Chijaka. The two soldiers and their accomplices are already before the courts.
In the third incident on Christmas Day, there was a shooting at Wanganui Shops in Mhondoro Ngezi at around 6pm resulting in the death of five people. According to Brig-Gen Chipwere, investigations indicate Lance Corporal Monga had a misunderstanding with a civilian, Brian Mutero, at the shops resulting in a mob attack on Lance Corporal Monga. After being cornered and in the melee and confusion that followed, Lance Corporal Monga warned the crowd by firing three rounds into the air.
“Despite the warning shots, the crowd continued to close in on him. He then fired his weapon into the crowd thereby killing four people on the spot and injuring four others, of whom one later died at a local clinic. The other three who sustained minor injuries were medically attended to and discharged from hospital,” Brig-Gen Chipwere said.
He said after the incident, Lance Corporal Monga then sought assistance from a nearby school where one of the teachers drove him to the nearest police station but out of fear, the police officers who were manning the police station could not effect an arrest.
The soldier then walked throughout the night to his camp where he handed himself over to the military authorities who in turn surrendered him to the police.- State Media report

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has confirmed the arrest of an Epworth woman for selling drugs.

ZRP said the woman was selling dangerous drugs at her house.

Police said this in a statement.

Detectives in Harare acted on a tip off and arrested Patricia Munyengeri (38) at her house in Epworth for unlawful dealing in dangerous drugs. The suspect was found in possession of 20kg x 13 bags of loose dagga weighing 260 kg.

By- The Zimbabwean Embassy in South Africa has distanced itself from a statement issued by the ZANU PF Sandton chairperson Advocate Simba Chitando who alleged that he had a meeting with the Ambassador of Zimbabwe to South Africa to discuss a bill that will see South Africa paying hefty charges for using Zimbabwe airspace.

Chitando said the Bill shall be called the Dr Motsoaledi Aviation Bill.
Below is the Zim-SA Embassy statement to that effect:

1. The Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe to the Republic of South Africa is aware of a statement that is circulating on social media circles bearing the crest of the Office of Advocate Simba Chitando, dated 30 December 2021 and titled “ZANU PF SANDTON DISCUSSION: THE DR MOTSOLEDI AVIATION BILL”.
2. In its opening paragraph, the document claims that a meeting took place on 23 December 2021 between the ZANU PF Sandton Branch, the ZEP Leaders and the Zimbabwean Ambassador to South Africa.
   This is a total falsehood. The Zimbabwean Ambassador has never had a meeting with the ZANU PF Sandton Branch. The Embassy denounces in the strongest terms this attempt to associate it with this unhelpful statement.
3. The Embassy wishes to inform that a meeting that took place on 23 December 2021 was between the Ambassador and some ZEP leaders as part of the Embassy’s engagement with holders of the ZEP. That meeting was solely confined to ZEP-related issues and aspects and nothing else. The meeting was non-partisan.
4. The Embassy is deeply concerned by the content and tone of this statement which is diametrically opposite to the maintenance and strengthening of the excellent bilateral relations between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
5. The Embassy reiterates the government of Zimbabwe’s acknowledgement and acceptance of the sovereign decision by the government of the Republic of South Africa to not renew the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) on its expiry at 31 December 2021 and to extend a 12 month grace period to ZEP holders to regularize their stay in South Africa in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations of the country.
6. The Embassy urges Zimbabwean nationals in South Africa to comport themselves in a manner that promotes the good relations between the two countries’ peoples and governments.

By- The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has revised upwards the number of newly registered voters in 2021 after members of the public disputed its recent disclosure that only 2000 people had as at the end of last year in Dember registered to vote.

On Friday, ZEC released new statistics that showed that only 2 971 new voters were registered to vote countrywide, contrary to the 2 000 that the ZEC commissioner Jasper Mangwana announced last week Wednesday.
Various political parties and civic groups in the country have been encouraging new voters to register to vote ahead of the by-elections slated for early this year and the 2023 plebiscite.
In its latest statistics, ZEC said a total of 1 647 men were registered to vote against 1 324 women.
Harare had the highest number of registered voters (722) while Mashonaland Central province only has 15 new registered voters, the least among the 10 provinces in the country.

Non-governmental organisation programme dubbed Project Vote 263 claimed that it had facilitated the registration of 9 635 voters throughout the country last year. Project Vote 263 said in a statement released on Friday:
We have been engaging communities since March 2021, taking them through voter education.
After realising the concerns raised by the citizens of failing to easily access Zec centres in June we started to embark on the provision of transport and mobility services and until this date, we have been doing the best we can to help people reach out to Zec centres.

Members of the public reacted differently to the statistics released by ZEC, with some accusing the electoral body of misrepresenting figures.
Law expert and political analyst Alex Magaisa accused Zec of suppressing the electorate. Magaisa tweeted:
The real story is voter suppression by the election management body, @ZECzim. Unfortunately, some had fallen for the ruse, framing the issue outside ZEC and giving it wriggle room. They started with 2 000, then it rose to 2 900! Remember the furore over election results.

Women Academy for Leadership (Walpe) also accused ZEC of misrepresenting facts saying through its 2.2 million votes for women election campaign, it managed to get 175 women registered in Mutasa, Manicaland province from August to October last year, ZEC said only 117 women registered to vote in the whole of Manicaland province.

-NewsDay

By- Zanu will take disciplinary measures against members who committed acts of indiscipline during last week’s provincial elections and will nullify victories earned by deception and irregularities.
National Political Commissar Mike Bimha said the Politburo would meet this week to deliberate on the results and alleged incidents of violence in some areas.
The ruling party would also look into complaints raised by some losing candidates after which some victories could be withdrawn if irregularities were noted.
The ruling party on Friday announced preliminary election results for provincial main wings, the women’s and youth leagues.

However, there were unconfirmed reports of indiscipline by contesting members in some provinces which the party is now investigating.
Bimha said the preliminary results were subject to verification by the Politburo and after all cases of alleged indiscipline were interrogated.
“We would want these cases to be fully investigated. Where we have candidates that would have been involved in cases of violence, such candidates will be disqualified and furthermore, be subjected to the party’s disciplinary procedure,” said Bimha.
He warned those who triumphed to stop celebrating until the results were endorsed by the Politburo.

“In terms of these preliminary results it’s not time for those who have triumphed to celebrate yet. Celebrations will be justified after the deliberations of the Politburo,” said Bimha.
He said there were some aggrieved candidates who complained about the conduct of elections in some
provinces
“The results are also preliminary in the sense that whenever you go through elections, there are some who will feel aggrieved by the conduct of the elections.
“For those who might feel that they were treated unfairly and have complaints, we do not throw these complaints away. We obviously would want these complaints to be considered, investigated, so that decisions are made on the basis of objectivity,” he said.
Bimha said his office was also waiting for reports from the teams that were supervising the elections in the various provinces.

Mashonaland West’s newly elected provincial youth chairman Tapiwa Masenda thanked President Mnangagwa, who is the First Secretary of the party, for exhibiting a high level of democracy in the recently held internal elections.
“I am looking forward to spearheading youth programmes in line with Vision 2030. We are also expected to mobilise youths especially from tertiary institutions to join the revolutionary party and be part of the bigger team ahead of the 2023 elections,” said Masenda.
Masenda said as the vanguard of the party, youths were going to defend the country from Western machinations.
His colleague from Mashonaland East Isaac Taskan hailed the party’s leadership for its stance on the age limit for Youth League executive members.
The party has maintained that only those who are 35 years and below are allowed to contest for the positions.
“We want the voices of the youths to be heard,” said Taksan.
Emmanuel Mahachi who won in Harare said he was geared to mobilise youths for the party through online platforms
“We want the party to win all seats in Harare during the by-elections set for the first quarter of the year,” said Mahachi.

The provincial elections were held on Tuesday and Wednesday last week, with a number new faces taking over the reins.

By A Correspondent- Journalist-cum-politician Jealousy Mawarire has announced that the former Local Government Minister and G-40 Kingpin Saviour Kasukuwere.

Mawarire said Zanu PF should brace for the stiff political competition ahead of next year’s polls.

He posted this on his Twitter account.

“Dewa ndovave panyanga saka munhu wese position, position”, get ready G40 is overtaking #2023Chatsva!

By- Zanu PF has hinted that it would call for a re-run of elections in provinces that produced disputed results.

The party conducted its Provincial Coordinating Committee elections on 28 December.

In provinces such as Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland west the elections were marred with violence and produced disputed results.

National Political Commissar Mike Bimha said the Politburo would meet this week to deliberate on the results and alleged incidents of violence in some areas.
The ruling party would also look into complaints raised by some losing candidates, after which some victories could be withdrawn if irregularities were noted.

“We would want these cases to be fully investigated. Where we have candidates that would have been involved in cases of violence, such candidates will be disqualified and, furthermore, be subjected to the party’s disciplinary procedure,” said Bimha.

-Herald

By-Non-governmental organisation programme dubbed Project Vote 263 claims that it facilitated the registration of 9 635 voters throughout the country last year. This comes as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is saying almost 3 000 people were registered as new voters. In a statement issued on the 31st of December 2021, Project Vote 263 said:
PRE: PROJECT VOTE 263 END OF YEAR STATEMENT AND EVALUATION
Fellow Zimbabweans, it is such an honor that we conclude the year 2021 with the hope that we ensure the full participation of Zimbabweans to register through our potbellied geographical area and our different political persuasion. It’s that time of the year again where we have to give an honor for the blessing of life as we managed to win against the battle of COVID 19. We also take this opportunity to thank all young volunteers of ProjectVote263 as we reflect on the work we have been doing in our country to serve and sacrifice to ensure election rights be part and parcel of our community life. We have been engaging communities since March 2021, taking them through voter education. After realizing the concerns raised by the citizens of failing to easily access ZEC centres we have in June 2021 started to embark on the provision of transport and mobility services and until this date we have been doing the best we can to help people reach out to ZEC centres. The table below illustrates the number of registrants and their respective Provinces.

By- An unrepentant thief was arrested in Mutare after stabbing a neighbourhood watch member to death with a knife.

Alois Rupondo (36), who is also facing several cases of housebreaking and unlawful entry, appeared before Mutare magistrate Langton Kasa last Friday facing murder charges.



He was remanded in custody to January 14.

The State alleges that on December 24, Peter Manjoro (47) who was a member of the neighbourhood watch entangled with Rupondo at a vegetable stall and accused him of being a thief.

Rupondo armed himself with a kitchen knife and stabbed Manjoro.

After stabbing him, he removed the knife from the body of the deceased and ran away.

Manjoro managed to report the matter at Sakubva Police Station but died on admission at Victoria Chitepo Hospital.

More: NewsDay Zimbabwe

By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance Secretary on International Relations Gladys Hlatywayo has scoffed at government’s solution to the illegal migration of Zimbabweans into neighbouring South Africa arguing that there is no need for a National Security Task Force but addressing the broader governance and legitimacy crisis in Zimbabwe.

Hlatywayo said:

1/3 A government worth its salt must be embarrassed by such, for it is a serious indictment of the governance situation in Zimbabwe. For more than two decades, Zimbabweans have tracked down south in huge numbers, running away from the crisis of bad governance in Zimbabwe.

2/3 The solution is not a “National Security Task Force to thwart illegal activities along the border with South Africa” The solution is to address the broader governance & legitimacy crisis so that citizens do not need to flock to SA. Address the problem and not the symptoms.

/3 We continue to appeal to our neighboring countries @DIRCO_ZA@PresidencyZA@BWPresidency & the regional block @SADC_News to pay attention to Zim’s governance & illegitimacy crisis. Without addressing the root causes, Zimbabweans will continue flocking to neighboring countries.

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has arrested two men in connection with the murder of John Gomba (39) of Alarm 2 Mine Compound in Kwekwe.

Munashe Mpofu (18) and Humble Makore (29) were arrested after they stabbed to death Gomba over a girlfriend.

Said the ZRP:

“Police in Kwekwe arrested Munashe Mpofu (18) and Humble Makore (29) for murder which occurred on 31/12/21 at Alarm 2 Mine Compound. The suspects stabbed the victim John Gomba (39) with an unknown sharp object after an argument over a girlfriend.”

By A Correspondent- Exiled former Information Minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo has called for the disbandment of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) arguing that a reformed commission will result in the transformation of Zimbabwe..

Moyo who is also a former Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education echoes calls by other stakeholders including the opposition, governance institutes and the international community who want Zimbabwe to implement political and electoral reforms.

He said this on twitter where he posted the below thread:

IT IS NECESSARY for @ZECzim to declare and account for the BVR kits in its custody and use in the ongoing voter registration exercise. Since BVR kits are the instruments for generating voters rolls & for creating polling stations, secret BVR kits can be used to steal an election!

When @ZECzim conducts free & fair elections as a matter of course; in accordance with the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013), the Electoral Act, Electoral Regulations & ZEC Manual for Electoral Officers; everyone wins & when everyone wins; Zimbabwe wins. To get there, #DisbandZec!

Moyo speaks ahead of the by-elections scheduled for March and harmonised elections pencilled for 2023.

This is happening when the ruling ZANU PF is being accused of abusing state institutions including ZEC to retain power.

Some analysts say there is no incentive for the governing party to implement the requisite reforms.

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police has finally arrested the soldier who killed five people and injured three others on Christmas Day.

Lance Corporal Monga reportedly shot eight people at Wanganui Shops in Mhondoro Ngezi at around 6 pm after he had a misunderstanding with a civilian, Brian Mutero.

Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF)’s Brigadier-General Augustine Chipwere, confirmed Lance Corporal Monga’s arrest. He revealed that Lance Corporal Monga was nabbed after he eventually surrendered himself to the police.

Speaking on the shooting incident, Brig-Gen Chipwere said that investigations indicate, a mob got itself involved in the quarrel between Lance Corporal Monga and Mutero.

Brig-Gen Chipwere told the State media that Lance Corporal Monga warned the crowd by firing three rounds into the air after being cornered by the mob.

Despite the warning shots, the crowd continued to close in on him. He then fired his weapon into the crowd thereby killing four people on the spot and injuring four others, of whom one later died at a local clinic.

The other three who sustained minor injuries were medically attended to and discharged from the hospital.

Lance Corporal Monga reportedly sought assistance from a nearby school after the shooting incident. One of the teachers at the school is said to have driven him to the nearest police station. However, the police officers who were manning the police station did not arrest him because of fear.

After the police officers refused to arrest him, Monga is alleged to have walked throughout the night to his camp where he handed himself over to the military authorities.

Brig-Gen Chipwere bemoaned the shooting incident which happened on Christmas day. He said the Zimbabwe Defence Forces deeply regrets the recent shootings, including the other two that occurred on Christmas Eve in Gweru and Harare respectively.

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has arrested two men in connection with the murder of John Gomba (39) of Alarm 2 Mine Compound in Kwekwe.

Munashe Mpofu (18) and Humble Makore (29) were arrested after they stabbed to death Gomba over a girlfriend.

Said the ZRP:

“Police in Kwekwe arrested Munashe Mpofu (18) and Humble Makore (29) for murder which occurred on 31/12/21 at Alarm 2 Mine Compound. The suspects stabbed the victim John Gomba (39) with an unknown sharp object after an argument over a girlfriend.”

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has issued an update on Warriors midfielder, Kudakwashe Mahachi who left the pitch injured in a friendly match against Sudan on Sunday. ZIFA posted an update this Monday:

Update on Kudakwashe Mahachi’s injury. He is expected to shake off the thigh contusion from yesterday’s match vs Sudan in the next three days.

There were fears that the injury could be serious.

Fans were worried given that Zimbabwe is already without some of its key players including Khama Billiat, Tendayi Darikwa, Marshal Munetsi, Marvelous Nkamba and Brendan Galloway who are out over various reasons.

Meanwhile, it is not yet clear whether the Warriors will take part at the tournament or not after FIFA threatened the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) with unclear sanctions for suspending the ZIFA board over maladministration. 

By A Correspondent- The government of South Africa is said to have set up massive roadblocks in preparation for the mass deportation of undocumented Zimbabweans.

The Department of Home Affairs, SAPS and SADF have set up roadblocks between Hammanskraal and Kranshop.

Speaking on the roadblocks, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi revealed that undocumented Zimbabwean nationals trying to access the country by jumping the border fence are being deported back to Zimbabwe.

He said they have already caught 179 undocumented Zimbabweans this morning.

Motsoaledi revealed that besides the Musina roadblock, there are two other roadblocks at Baobab and Mantsole.

He said they established a border management security authority already and are set to deploy border guards early this month to manage the border.

This development comes after the government of South Africa overturned Home Affairs Director-General decision not to renew Zimbabwe’s special permits known as Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEPs).

Over 200 000 Zimbabweans who hold special visas that had allowed them to stay in South Africa since 2009 found themselves in a sticky situation after South Africa’s Cabinet issued a statement saying the special permits expire on 31 December 2021, will not be renewed.

The Cabinet also announced a 12-month grace period for ZEP holders to apply for other permits that suited their circumstances and threatened to deport those who failed to do so.

After a year’s grace period, the government’s decision to scrap the Zimbabwean Exemption Permits had drawn a chorus of complaints from human rights groups.

By A Correspondent- A picture of Valley Primary School in Mwenezi, Masvingo Province that is circulating on social media has raised questions on the feasibility of e-learning in Zimbabwe.

The picture shows thatched structures with nearly collapsing or semi-finished roofs as if the structures are makeshift. 

Zimbabwe’s new curriculum which was introduced during the tenure of Lazarus Dokora is centred on the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), both as a tool to help learners in their studies and in daily lives.

The implementation of the New Curriculum was strongly resisted by some stakeholders including the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTU) who cited the digital gap that exists between the urban and rural schools, the haves and the have nots.

They described the introduction of the new learning guide as premature as other schools especially the remotely located were yet to acquire the requisite resources including gadgets, electricity and even teachers to help the learners.

Commenting on the picture, Opposition MDC Alliance spokesperson, advocate Fadzayi Mahere said:

Dear the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (@MoPSEZim),

You close schools and direct that teachers implement e-learning. How will a school in Mwenezi like the one below conduct e-learning? Why are all your policies anti-poor? We need new leaders.

The New Curriculum was recommended by the Nziramasanga Commission in 1999 but the implementation was delayed as most institutions failed the e-readiness assessment tests conducted over the years.

By A Correspondent- The Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has urged the government to use the time schools will be deferred to address the remuneration dispute with teachers.

The union said it won’t make sense to reopen schools later on without the learning and teaching processes happening, as “our members will only work if the money is worth it, not this US$110.”

The teachers also want the government to look into their health and safety and of students when schools reopen amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic.

The government last week postponed the reopening of schools in 2022 as part of measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Only students who are returning to write the remainder of their 2021 Ordinary and Advanced level final examinations are returning to school this week.

However, PTUZ president Takafira Zhou says while the deferment of the opening of schools is welcome, it will be useless if the government does not use this period to engage teachers in meaningful dialogue, address their parlous salaries and conditions of service. He told NewZimbabwe.com:

The government should also prioritise the health and safety of teachers and pupils by providing Covid-19 abatement equipment to schools, and testing teachers and pupils before conglomeration in schools. Any attempt to discard professional advice that we constantly give will be disastrous.

Zhou called for the restoration of the purchasing power of teachers’ salaries pegged at US$540 they earned until 2018. 

The PTUZ also urged the government to act on the exorbitant school fees pegged by some schools. Most schools are pushing for school fee increases of up to 300% to cushion them against the depreciating local currency.

By A Correspondent- The government of Zimbabwe has introduced the Robert Gabriel Mugabe Commendation Award for service to Human Capital Development.

In a press statement shared by Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana, the government is inviting nominations of deserving Zimbabwean citizens for the “Robert Gabriel Mugabe Commendation Award.”

According to the press statement, to qualify for the award one has to have distinguished themselves through outstanding service to human capital development.

Below is the full text of the statement:

By- Manicaland God dealer and President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s business partner, Scott Sakupwanya, said he delivered seven tonnes of Gold to Fidelity Printers and Refineries (FPR) in 2021.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail, BBJ chief executive Mr Scott Sakupwanya commended Mnangagwa for introducing policies that have empowered gold buyers to gain the trust of small-scale miners.

Sakupwanya, who is also the Gold Buyers Association of Zimbabwe president, said:
“We thank President Mnangagwa and the Second Republic for the vision that they have to increase gold production.
“The Government has availed incentives that have made us attractive to gold miners who now prefer to sell the gold to us, instead of selling to smugglers.
“The seven tonnes delivered by BBJ mean that small scale miners pocketed over US$500 million.
“That’s is half a billion dollars in the pockets of small-scale miners, underlining how artisanal miners are being empowered under the Second Republic’s policies.
“The increase in our numbers is clear evidence that more gold is being brought to Fidelity, which means that there is less smuggling now.”
Mr Sakupwanya said with the support that they are receiving from Government, BBJ plans to supply 50 tonnes of gold to FPR this year.
“Last year (2020) we only had 800kg of gold but this year (2021) we have 7,8 tonnes. If we continue working on this path, next year (2022) we will be expecting two tonnes every month.
“Our goal is to reach 50 tonnes of gold in line with the plan by the Minister of Mines (and Mining Development) for gold production to reach 100 tonnes.”
A gold buyer, Mr Tawanda Chidzidzi, commended Government for its policies that have reduced smuggling of gold.
“The current policies introduced by the Government have enabled us to work well with small-scale miners.
“It is becoming less attractive for artisanal miners to sell the gold to smugglers because we have the capital to buy it and forward it to Fidelity,” he said.
Another gold buyer, Mr Pritchard Sibanda, said there was a need to increase centres where they access gold.
“By increasing the centres, we will have access to more artisanal miners and we will able to buy more gold to supply to Fidelity. We are confident that we can contribute to the 100 tonne target because there is a lot of gold in the country, but much of it is being smuggled.”
Under the Ministry of Mines and Mining’s Development vision to achieve a US$12 billion annual mining economy, gold is expected to contribute US$4 billion. The US$12 billion mining economy is one of the pillars to support Vision 2030, which envisions an upper middle-income economy by that year.
-Sunday Mail

By A Correspondent- Three brothers and a nephew are among the seven youths who were killed in a road accident near Lake Mutirikwi on New Year.

Masvingo Mirror reports that the youths were on a joyride celebrating New year.

Close sources told the publication that one of the three Mandava brothers named Blessing stole his father’s Nissan Caravan and they were joined by nine other youth picked from Zano Topora Business centre, less than 5km from the Lake. 

They bought six chickens at Topora which they intended to slaughter and braai from the scenic shores of the Lake.

Six died on the scene while the seventh person died in hospital Sunday morning.

The Mirror reports that the father works in South Africa and had just bought the car and sent it home, intending to use it when he returns. A source who declined to be named said:

After buying the chickens and picking friends at Topora, they drove towards the Lake which is about 5km away. The road down into the Lake area is steep and meandering. The driver lost control of the vehicle probably due to high speed and the car veered downhill where it hit a tree and crushed into a lump of metal.

The victims were positively identified by their next of kin as:-

Blessed Paradzai, a male adult aged 22 of Muzarira Village, Masvingo.

Nomore Manyengavana, a male adult aged 21 of Chitiyani Village, Masvingo.

Wisdom Paradzai, a male juvenile aged 17 of Chikwanda Village, Masvingo.

Adwin Paradzai, a male adult aged 18 of Chikwanda Village, Masvingo.

Vitalis Chikati, a male adult aged 19 of Mumbendi Village, Masvingo.

Joseph Madyambwa, a male adult aged 18 of Madyambwa Village, Zaka.

Washington Mhikuro, a male juvenile aged 17 of Muzarira Village, Masvingo.

The bodies of the victims were ferried to Masvingo General Hospital for post-mortem while the injured were referred to the same institution for treatment.

By- Zanu PF’s Politburo is this week meeting to address complaints from the party’s provincial elections held last week.

The party’s national political commissar, Mike Bimha, announced the preliminary results on Friday at the party’s headquarters in the capital.
“What I am going to report to you today are preliminary results. In all our elections, final results are only announced after endorsement by the Politburo; therefore, we are likely to have a Politburo meeting this coming week which will look through the entire exercise and after its deliberations, we will then confirm the winners,” he said.

Bimha said the party’s internal democracy systems allow those who have complaints to be heard.
“We don’t throw these complaints away. Obviously, we want these complaints to be considered and investigated so that decisions are made on the basis of objectivity.
“I will be getting reports from tomorrow (yesterday) onwards to help us in our deliberations in the coming Politburo meeting.”
In the polls, Minister of State for Mashonaland West Province Mary Mliswa-Chikoka won the Mashonaland West provincial chair, beating Kindness Paradza, Vengai Musengi and Happison Muchechetere.
In Mashonaland East, Daniel Garwe beat Kelvin Mutsvairo and Engineer Michael Madanha to the post.

Former vice chairperson for Masvingo province Robson Mavhenyengwa landed the top post after defeating the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ezra Chadzamira.
In Bulawayo, former Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZILWA) chairperson Jabulani Sibanda emerged victorious, while in Midlands province, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Larry Mavima was uncontested. Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Kazembe Kazembe won in Mashonaland Central after beating Tafadzwa Musarara, while Mike Madiro landed the Manicaland chairmanship.
Goodwills Masimirembwa retained his post in Harare province after triumphing over vice chairperson Godfrey Gomwe.
Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Richard Moyo also retained his post as leader of the party in the province.
In the Women’s League race, Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs Minister Aplonia Munzverengwi emerged victorious, while Rejoice Sibanda took over the reins in Bulawayo province.
Ratidzo Mukarati is the new chair in Harare, while Happiness Nyakuedzwa retained her post in Manicaland province.

Tsitsi Gezi emerged victorious in Mashonaland Central.
Constance Shamu won in Mashonaland West and Dora Msimanga won in Matabeleland North.
Sindisiwe Nleya is now the new chairperson for Matabeleland South, while Tsitsi Zhou from Midlands and Agnia Mhlanga from Masvingo complete the list.
Isaac Taskan is now the Mashonaland East provincial youth league chairperson.
Emmanuel Mahachi retained his position in Harare province, while John Paradza won in Masvingo province.
Tafadzwa Gwinji is now the Mashonaland West youth chair while in Matebeleland South, Moses Langa is now the new leader of the youth wing.
In Mashonaland Central, Emerson Raradza is now in charge, while Stanley Sakupwanya took over the reins in Manicaland.
E Murechu will lead the youths in Bulawayo. In Matabeleland North, the youth league elections were not conducted because the candidates were over the required age. The elections were deferred pending guidance and direction from the party leadership.

By A Correspondent- Three brothers and a nephew are among the seven youths who were killed in a road accident near Lake Mutirikwi on New Year.

Masvingo Mirror reports that the youths were on a joyride celebrating New year.

Close sources told the publication that one of the three Mandava brothers named Blessing stole his father’s Nissan Caravan and they were joined by nine other youth picked from Zano Topora Business centre, less than 5km from the Lake. 

They bought six chickens at Topora which they intended to slaughter and braai from the scenic shores of the Lake.

Six died on the scene while the seventh person died in hospital Sunday morning.

The Mirror reports that the father works in South Africa and had just bought the car and sent it home intending to use it when he returns. A source who declined to be named said:

After buying the chickens and picking friends at Topora, they drove towards the Lake which is about 5km away. The road down into the Lake area is steep and meandering. The driver lost control of the vehicle probably due to high speed and the car veered downhill where it hit a tree and crushed into a lump of metal.

The victims were positively identified by their next of kin as:-

Blessed Paradzai, a male adult aged 22 of Muzarira Village, Masvingo.

Nomore Manyengavana, a male adult aged 21 of Chitiyani Village, Masvingo.

Wisdom Paradzai, a male juvenile aged 17 of Chikwanda Village, Masvingo.

Adwin Paradzai, a male adult aged 18 of Chikwanda Village, Masvingo.

Vitalis Chikati, a male adult aged 19 of Mumbendi Village, Masvingo.

Joseph Madyambwa, a male adult aged 18 of Madyambwa Village, Zaka.

Washington Mhikuro, a male juvenile aged 17 of Muzarira Village, Masvingo.

The bodies of the victims were ferried to Masvingo General Hospital for post-mortem while the injured were referred to the same institution for treatment.

Tinashe Sambiri| MDC Alliance leader President Nelson has declared that the “best is coming in 2022” as the nation anticipates polls scheduled for 2023.

In his New Year message to the nation, President Chamisa challenged citizens to work together in the struggle for change.

The dynamic leader will face Zanu PF’s Emmerson Mnangagwa in the 2023 Presidential Election.

On New Year’s Day President Chamisa wrote on Twitter:

HAPPY NEW YEAR ZIMBABWE!
The Best is coming our way.2022 is a year of CITIZEN Action and COMMUNITY leadership for Change. Each citizen a volunteer for Change. All hands on deck! Be active.Register to vote.Defend the victory.May God Bless You &Our great Nation this 2022 & beyond.”

On December 31 he wrote :
“GOODBYE 2021!They schemed and plotted this 2021.They tried everything to destroy us but dismally failed.The Citizens Convergence for Change idea & seed was planted,is now firmly rooted & driven by the citizens.Thank you Citizens.2022 isFireWe remain standing because #Godisinit #CCC.”

By A Correspondent- Zesa has pushed up electricity tariffs by 12,3 percent with effect from New Year’s Day which will see families on pre-paid meters buying 200 units a month now paying $1 265,11 including the six percent rural electrification levy, up from just under $1,127.

There are five bands of discounted tariffs before the full $14,31 a unit comes into effect on all purchases over 400 units, although consumers can only have the advantage of the discounts on their first purchase each month. Subsequent purchases are charged at the full price.

The first 50 units cost $2,38 cents each, before the rural levy. So the full 50 will cost a domestic consumer on a pre-paid meter $126,14 including the rural electrification levy.

The 50 units is considered the rock bottom a family needs for essential purposes and assumes that they do not heat water for washing with electricity.

The next 50 units are $4,77 each, before the levy, so a household buying 100 units a month will need to pay $378,95, including the levy, for the token. The next 100 units are $8,36 each, so the token for 200 units a month including the levy is $1 265,11. The next 100 units are $11,93 each, so a 300 unit monthly token is $2 529,69 including the levy. The next 100 units are $13,71 each, so a 400 unit monthly token is $3 982,95 including the levy. Each additional unit is $15,17 including the levy.

Domestic consumers on standard post-paid meters, a minority now, pay similar rates for each unit as they go up the steps but in addition have to pay a fixed monthly charge of $35,68.

The fixed charge covers the extra administration costs with a meter that is not pre-paid and at times the complications and costs of recovering a bad debt.

VAT is not charged on domestic supplies and the fixed charges on commercial and domestic consumers are zero-rated for VAT. But commercial users have to pay VAT of 14,5 percent on the energy or power they use.

There are a wide range of commercial tariffs, from small businesses to giant mines and a you move up the scales you pay more and more on your maximum power in the month, rather than on energy.

The 12,3 percent price rise comes under a previously authorised index system for tariffs, which allow automatic jumps at intervals.

Zesa pulled down, with warnings, its online payment platform on New Year’s Eve and presumably the new tariffs were fed in before the platform was brought back up early in the morning on New Year’s Day.-statemedia

Tinashe Sambiri| MDC Alliance leader President Nelson has declared that the “best is coming in 2022” as the nation anticipates polls scheduled for 2023.

In his New Year message to the nation, President Chamisa challenged citizens to work together in the struggle for change.

The dynamic leader will face Zanu PF’s Emmerson Mnangagwa in the 2023 Presidential Election.

On New Year’s Day President Chamisa wrote on Twitter:

HAPPY NEW YEAR ZIMBABWE!
The Best is coming our way.2022 is a year of CITIZEN Action and COMMUNITY leadership for Change. Each citizen a volunteer for Change. All hands on deck! Be active.Register to vote.Defend the victory.May God Bless You &Our great Nation this 2022 & beyond.”

On December 31 he wrote :
“GOODBYE 2021!They schemed and plotted this 2021.They tried everything to destroy us but dismally failed.The Citizens Convergence for Change idea & seed was planted,is now firmly rooted & driven by the citizens.Thank you Citizens.2022 isFireWe remain standing because #Godisinit #CCC.”

Tinashe Sambiri| MDC Alliance leader President Nelson has declared that the “best is coming in 2022” as the nation anticipates polls scheduled for 2023.

In his New Year message to the nation, President Chamisa challenged citizens to work together in the struggle for change.

The dynamic leader will face Zanu PF’s Emmerson Mnangagwa in the 2023 Presidential Election.

On New Year’s Day President Chamisa wrote on Twitter:

HAPPY NEW YEAR ZIMBABWE!
The Best is coming our way.2022 is a year of CITIZEN Action and COMMUNITY leadership for Change. Each citizen a volunteer for Change. All hands on deck! Be active.Register to vote.Defend the victory.May God Bless You &Our great Nation this 2022 & beyond.”

On December 31 he wrote :
“GOODBYE 2021!They schemed and plotted this 2021.They tried everything to destroy us but dismally failed.The Citizens Convergence for Change idea & seed was planted,is now firmly rooted & driven by the citizens.Thank you Citizens.2022 isFireWe remain standing because #Godisinit #CCC.”

By A Correspondent- While some motorists view police roadblocks as an annoyance, one man has a blockade to thank after police manning a roadblock in Kadoma rescued him from a kidnapping.

The incident took place on New Year’s Eve (Friday).

According to police, two of the four-man gang who staged the kidnapping have since been accounted for.

Police in Kadoma arrested John Kaboda (36) and Zivanai Katenhe (42) for cases of robbery and kidnapping.

“The suspects, together with two others, still at large, attacked a complainant (27) at Waverly Bus Stop, dragged him into a Honda Fit vehicle and stole his wallet containing US$82 before speeding off with the complainant towards Rimuka,” said the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) on its Twitter account.

“Alert police officers who were manning Chitezi Roadblock pursued the vehicle, after the victim called for assistance while the vehicle was passing at the Police check point leading to the arrest of the suspects.”-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima has authorised the National Social Security Authority (Nssa) to increase benefits pay-outs by up to 21 percent to meet its target of paying a minimum pension equivalent to US$60 at the auction rate by January 2022.

In a statement, Nssa general manager, Mr Arthur Manase, said pensioners under the Pension and Other Benefits Scheme (POBS) will receive a 21 percent increase, while those under the Accident Prevention and Workers Compensation Scheme (APWCS) will get a 20 percent raise.

“Based on the advice we received from our actuaries and recommendations from Nssa management, the Honourable Minister has authorised Nssa to increase the POBS pension by 21 percent, subject to a minimum of ZWL$6 000 retirement pension with effect from 1 January 2022.

Those under the APWCS will receive a 20 percent increase across the board, subject to a minimum of ZWL$7 000,” said Mr Manase.

Early this year, Nssa set a roadmap to bring minimum payments to the equivalent of US$60, which is based on the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) estimates that a person in southern Africa requires at least US$2 a day to avoid falling into poverty.

Towards this, NSSA in April reviewed minimum pay-outs from the equivalent of US$12 to US$25.

This was later reviewed to US$35 in July before settling at US$45 in October. Pensioners were also awarded a bonus as a 13th cheque in December 2021.

Apart from the periodic reviews, Nssa resorted to non-monetary benefits in its quest to improve the welfare of pensioners.

“At the beginning of the year, we promised to prioritise the welfare of pensioners by coming up with innovative ways of augmenting their income.

While we are doing all we can to improve the monthly pensions, we know that social security pay-outs will never be adequate, not just in Zimbabwe, but globally.

That is why we are working flat out in seeking partnerships that are beneficial to pensioners, our partners and Nssa as a business,” said Mr Manase.

Among the additional benefits that Nssa pensioners can now enjoy are zero bank charges for pensioners who bank with NBS and POSB.

The two banks account for over 70 percent of Nssa beneficiaries. Pensioners who bank with the two can also access a revolving facility for income generating projects, which has been available since July.

The facility offers pensioners with bankable projects a loan of up to 10 times their monthly pension, payable over a minimum period of 18 months at a concessionary interest rate of 10 percent.

Mr Manase said negotiations with other banks were at an advanced stage.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Three brothers and a nephew are among the seven youths who were killed in a road accident near Lake Mutirikwi on New Year.

Masvingo Mirror reports that the youths were on a joyride celebrating New year.

Close sources told the publication that one of the three Mandava brothers named Blessing stole his father’s Nissan Caravan and they were joined by nine other youth picked from Zano Topora Business centre, less than 5km from the Lake.

They bought six chickens at Topora which they intended to slaughter and braai from the scenic shores of the Lake.

Six died on the scene while the seventh person died in hospital Sunday morning.

The Mirror reports that the father works in South Africa and had just bought the car and sent it home intending to use it when he returns.

A source who declined to be named said:

After buying the chickens and picking friends at Topora, they drove towards the Lake which is about 5km away. The road down into the Lake area is steep and meandering. The driver lost control of the vehicle probably due to high speed and the car veered downhill where it hit a tree and crushed into a lump of metal.

The victims were positively identified by their next of kin as:-

Blessed Paradzai, a male adult aged 22 of Muzarira Village, Masvingo.

Nomore Manyengavana, a male adult aged 21 of Chitiyani Village, Masvingo.

Wisdom Paradzai, a male juvenile aged 17 of Chikwanda Village, Masvingo.

Adwin Paradzai, a male adult aged 18 of Chikwanda Village, Masvingo.

Vitalis Chikati, a male adult aged 19 of Mumbendi Village, Masvingo.

Joseph Madyambwa, a male adult aged 18 of Madyambwa Village, Zaka.

Washington Mhikuro, a male juvenile aged 17 of Muzarira Village, Masvingo.

The bodies of the victims were ferried to Masvingo General Hospital for post-mortem while the injured were referred to the same institution for treatment.

By A Correspondent- A man from Mwenezi was on Christmas day assaulted to death after he had refused to return a cup that he had borrowed.

Brighton Zhou (33) of Village 4 Muzhanjire, Chief Neshuro, Mwenezi was allegedly assaulted to death by Tavavamwenye Chamana (42) of the same village from whose homestead he had borrowed a cup to drink beer.

Masvingo police spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed the incident and encouraged the members of the public to resolve their matters amicably. Dhewa said:

On 25 December at around 4.30pm Brighton Zhou left his homestead in the company of his brother Innocent Ndlovu (48) with a 5-litre container filled with traditional beer.

They went to Mupasi homestead where there were brewing traditional beer and when they got there, they discovered that the beer was not yet ready.

The two proceeded to Chamana’s house where they borrowed a cup from his wife in his absence.

They were given a plastic cup and went back to Mupasi homestead where they started drinking their beer.

When Chamana came back he was told Zhou and Ndlovu had borrowed a cup and he went after them.

Chamana followed the two and demanded his cup but Zhou refused to hand it over prompting the angry Chamana to stab Zhou once on the left shoulder and once on the lower left arm and blood gushed out.

Zhou tried to run away but he collapsed as he had lost a lot of blood. Chamana ran back to his house and took a cloth from his wife intending to do first aid and prevent further loss of blood but Zhou died on the spot.

The villagers handed Chamana over to the police at Rutenga and the knife was used in the commission of the crime was recovered.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- A 35 year old woman from Masvingo was murdered by her boyfriend for turning down a marriage proposal on Boxing Day.

Masvingo Police spokesperson, Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa said Pauline Chiware of Village Kwangare, Chief Nyajena was killed by Vengesai Makura who has since been arrested. Dhewa said:

On 26 December around 8am Makura went to Chiware’s home wanting to formalise their relationship, a development which Chiware rejected.

The rejection caused the two to have a misunderstanding with Makura blaming Chiware for causing him to divorce his first wife and for wasting his time and money.

Makura then drank cotton herbicide, armed himself with a log and went after Chiware who had sought refuge in her mother Sarafina Hwiru’s house. Makura broke down the door and attacked Hwiru while Chiware ran away.

Makura followed her and struck her once on the back and once on the forehead and she fell down.

Chiware died an hour later. A report was made at Triangle police by Hwiru leading to the arrest of Makura.

Chiware’s body was taken to Chiredzi General Hospital for post-mortem where Makura was admitted under police custody.

Statistics suggest that cases of gender-based violence rose in 2020 to coincide with the imposition of coronavirus-induced lockdowns.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has named the victims of a road traffic accident that happened along Masvingo-Topora road on New Year.

We present the police statement:

FATAL ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT AT THE 43 KM PEG ALONG MASVINGO-TOPORA ROAD

The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms a fatal road traffic accident which occurred at the 43 km peg along the Masvingo-Topora Road on 1st January 2021 at about 1430 hours, in which seven (07) people died while five (05) others were injured.

Circumstances are that a motorist who was driving a Nissan Caravan vehicle travelling towards Masvingo town, with 11 passengers on board, lost control of the vehicle and veered off the road to the right side. The vehicle rammed onto a tree leading to the death of six (06) people on the spot, including the driver, with one (01) person dying upon admission at Masvingo General Hospital.

The victims were positively identified by their next of kin as:-

Blessed Paradzai, a male adult aged 22 of Muzarira Village, Masvingo.

Nomore Manyengavana, a male adult aged 21 of Chitiyani Village, Masvingo.

Wisdom Paradzai, a male juvenile aged 17 of Chikwanda Village, Masvingo.

Adwin Paradzai, a male adult aged 18 of Chikwanda Village, Masvingo.

Vitalis Chikati, a male adult aged 19 of Mumbendi Village, Masvingo.

Joseph Madyambwa, a male adult aged 18 of Madyambwa Village, Zaka.

Washington Mhikuro, a male juvenile aged 17 of Muzarira Village, Masvingo.

The bodies of the victims were ferried to Masvingo General Hospital for post-mortem while the injured were referred to the same institution for treatment.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police is currently conducting investigations into this unfortunate road accident.

(NYATHI. P) Assistant Commissioner Senior Staff Officer (Press, Public and Int. Relations) to the Commissioner-General of Police

Police General Headquarters

By A Correspondent- A thirteen-year-old boy (name provided) has appeared before the courts after he allegedly impregnated his relative, a grade 7 girl in Jerera, Masvingo.

Sources said the uncle of the girl took her for holiday to Bulawayo. A few days later, they observed some suspicious behaviour – her stomach was swelling, she was sleepy, had difficulties walking, and she was refusing to eat some foods. 

They confronted her and she said she had stomachaches. They ran a pregnancy test and the result was positive. 

A close family member told this reporter that the uncle then approached elders in the family and notified them of the development. Another test was conducted and it came out positive, again.

They asked her who was responsible but she refused to speak. After some persuasion, she indicated that a 13-year-old relative (not a close one) who is her neighbour in Jerera had impregnated her.

They reported the matter to the police who then accompanied the girl’s uncle to Zvishavane where the boy was working at a mine and arrested him.

They brought him to Zaka where his parents are and informed them of the development. The source said the parents of the boy begged that the matter be concealed but some family members were adamant that the case take the legal route.

The matter was eventually reported at Zaka police station and was registered under case number RRR4748569. 

The accused has since appeared before the courts where he was asked to pay a ZW$5000 bail.

A police officer who is handling the case said in previous cases like this, the offender would be cautioned or ordered to do community service since they are both minors and also considering that their age difference is not that huge. 

The pregnancy is said to be 4 months old.

By A Correspondent- National Railways of Zimbabwe is taking stock of its properties across the country amid revelations that it could have lost more than $30 million from paying utility bills for assets it sold over 20 years ago in Hwange.

The development comes hard on the heels of allegations that the parastatal was losing close to $25 million annually to space barons who are paying minimal charges to the organisation, while sub-letting the spaces to desperate residents and making a killing.

The company is also in talks with local authorities, some of which have sold or illegally transferred land belonging to NRZ.

Newly appointed general manager Ms Respina Zinyanduko told the Sunday News that they were working on bringing sanity to the real estate side of the company to curb further abuse and financial losses which could change the fortunes of the organisation.

“We have had situations where compounds and some houses that were sold more than 20 years ago are still drawing water and electricity from NRZ without paying anything.

This has resulted in unsustainable utility bills, with some areas like Raylton and Ngumija in Hwange having bills in excess of $30 million since these are charged at commercial rates,” said Ms Zinyanduko.

She added that former and current employees were also caught in the web of corruption as they were collecting rentals for company properties.

This, she said, was bleeding the parastatal.

“We have had situations where employees, former employees and tenants lease part of their spaces to welders and get paid rentals inclusive of electricity usage and the bills are passed on to NRZ.

We have started the process of separating the NRZ meters from residential meters.

This we know will cause some outcry as these occupants never experienced the real cost of paying for water and electricity for the past 25 years plus.

This is however, necessary to avoid unnecessary leakage of our meagre resources.

This exercise will be undertaken as part of a system aimed at plugging the leakages,” she said.

Ms Zinyanduko said the parastatal also owns some run-down buildings that were in need of renovation and efforts were being made to ensure work was done on them.

“We also have very dilapidated buildings that are being leased out, both to external tenants and to employees.

A decision was taken to set aside 30 percent of all the money collected from real estate and channel it towards sprucing up the buildings,” she said.

The NRZ boss also highlighted that some of its land had been sold by local authorities around the country and they were in the process of verifying the land and facilitating that they get it back.

“In the same area of real estate, we are in the process of recovering our land that had been sold by some local authorities and some which had been illegally transferred.

“We are in the process of physically verifying all our land.

We also had situations where proceeds from utilisation of certain properties were being shared amongst committee members within NRZ.

For example, all the Raylton Clubs were being run by committees and nothing was being remitted to NRZ.

The committees also left some of the properties dilapidated as they were not investing back into the properties but rather pocketing the proceeds for personal benefit.

We are in the process of claiming back the properties so that all the revenue generated can be accounted for under NRZ,” she added.

Ms Zinyanduko noted that NRZ had vast tracts of land and properties nationwide, however, the revenue from the real estate side has been minimal with allegations of corruption and malpractice.

So far, revenue generated from cleaning some of the mess was more than 100 percent in USD terms.

“All the regions were given stretch targets in terms of revenue generation from real estate and I am happy with the progress our regional managers are making in this area.

We are in the process of zoning our land so that we can apply uniform lease fees for each area.

This will go a long way in addressing allegations of corruption.

“We have had situations in some instances where we had land barons who were paying peanuts to NRZ and subletting to other tenants, making huge profits.

A good example is two cases we had in Gweru where a tenant was paying NRZ US$120 at interbank rate and collecting US$4000  from sub-tenants.

We have since cancelled the leases as sub-leasing is illegal.

Some have reverted back to their businesses but we have given them notices of increase of rentals to market rates,” she added.

“We are in the process of physically verifying all our land. We also had situations where proceeds from utilisation of certain properties were being shared among committee members within NRZ. For example, all the Raylton Clubs were being run by committees and nothing was being remitted to NRZ.

The committees also left some of the properties dilapidated as they were not investing back into the properties but rather pocketing the proceeds for personal benefit.

We are in the process of claiming back the properties so that all the revenue generated can be accounted for under NRZ,” she added.

Ms Zinyanduko noted that NRZ had vast tracts of land and properties nationwide, however, the revenue from the real estate side has been minimal with allegations of corruption and malpractice.

So far, revenue generated from cleaning some of the mess was more than 100 percent in USD terms.

“All the regions were given stretch targets in terms of revenue generation from real estate and I am happy with the progress our regional managers are making in this area.

We are in the process of zoning our land so that we can apply uniform lease fees for each area.

This will go a long way in addressing allegations of corruption.

“We have had situations in some instances where we had land barons who were paying peanuts to NRZ and subletting to other tenants, making huge profits.

“A good example is two cases we had in Gweru where a tenant was paying NRZ US$120 at interbank rate and collecting US$4 000  from sub-tenants.

We have since cancelled the leases as sub-leasing is illegal.

Some have reverted back to their businesses but we have given them notices of increase of rentals to market rates,” she added.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- As another Covid-19 plagued year comes to an end, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has paid special homage to Zimbabwe’s health workers for their sterling efforts to minimise pandemic-related damage.

Despite its financial and human capital limitations, Zimbabwe has been able to manage the pandemic, through a highly impressive vaccination programme, a disciplined populace and a dedicated health workforce.

In light of this, President Mnangagwa commended the health workers for their efforts.

“I also want to take this opportunity to thank all our front-line workers, including physicians, nurses and other health personnel, for going the extra mile to ensure that our people remain safe from the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said in a New Year message to Zimbabweans.

“Special mention also goes to all the friendly nations who availed vaccines and consumables to complement our efforts. Together with your positive response to the health measures, we have been able to contain the pandemic and limit the loss of lives.”

President Mnangagwa also commended teachers and the country’s security services for ably discharging their various duties under the difficult Covid-19 period.

“Our education sector personnel and parents also did a splendid job, which made sure that school children continue getting the education they so desperately deserve. My Government is committed to guaranteeing access to reading materials and online learning platforms so that education is accessible to all,” he said.

“I commend the security services sector for their patriotism and bravery in tackling crime and ensuring that our communities remain safe.

“For those isolated incidences of crime, the perpetrators are being accounted for. In order to flush out bad apples, I exhort communities to increase their cooperation with our law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime.”

However, the President deplored the behaviour of a few bad apples.

“It is, however, disheartening to note that there are some amongst us who have now begun to lower their guard, especially during this festive season.

“I, therefore, urge you to continue abiding by the health measures instituted by my Government from time to time, masking up, sanitising and maintaining social distance.

“To those who have not yet been vaccinated, please go out in your numbers and get vaccinated. You can only be safe when we are all safe.”-zimlive