Barcelona’s seven-game winning streak came to an abrupt end on Sunday, courtesy of Real Sociedad’s 1-0 triumph in LaLiga. Sheraldo Becker’s decisive goal in the 33rd minute sealed the deal, handing Hansi Flick his second league loss as Barcelona’s manager ¹.
Becker cleverly evaded Barcelona’s offside trap, latching onto Luka Sucic’s header before delivering a precise finish inside the post. This setback allowed Real Madrid to narrow the gap at the top of the standings.
The absence of star winger Lamine Yamal, sidelined with a muscle injury, severely impacted Barcelona’s chances. Robert Lewandowski’s early strike was disqualified for offside following a VAR review, and the team struggled to regain momentum ¹.
Real Sociedad, on the other hand, could have won by a more substantial margin. Mikel Oyarzabal squandered a golden opportunity just before halftime, thanks to Takefusa Kubo’s impressive playmaking. Oyarzabal also tested Inaki Pena in the second half, but ultimately, one goal sufficed ¹.
This victory propelled Real Sociedad to eighth place in LaLiga with 19 points, six points shy of the top four. Meanwhile, Barcelona retains its lead with 33 points, six points ahead of Real Madrid, who have a game in hand. Atletico Madrid sits third with 26 points ¹.
The two teams have a rich history, with Barcelona leading their head-to-head record 27-7, and 5 draws ². Their past encounters have been thrilling, with Real Sociedad winning two of their last five meetings.
Chegutu Pirates’ brief stint in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League has come to a bitter end, with the team relegated despite a heroic 2-0 victory over CAPS United on Matchday 33. The win, which saw Pirates score twice past the Green Machine, temporarily lifted spirits, but it wasn’t enough to save them from relegation in what has been a challenging top-flight campaign.
Pirates, promoted from Division One only this season, finish their inaugural Premier League campaign with 32 points. Although their triumph over CAPS United gave the team a final burst of hope, it ultimately proved to be a case of too little, too late. The victory, combined with a draw between Bulawayo Chiefs and ZPC Kariba, meant that Pirates finished four points behind Bulawayo Chiefs, who occupy the final spot above the relegation zone with just one game remaining.
A Brief Stay in the Top Flight
The relegation of Chegutu Pirates comes as a harsh reality after what was an exciting and historic journey to Zimbabwe’s elite football division. Having earned promotion from Division One, they had hoped to build on their success and prove their worth in the Premier League. However, the step up to top-flight football proved to be a steep challenge. Despite their spirited efforts, Pirates struggled to find consistency, especially against established top-tier teams.
Their relegation marks a bitter departure from the Premier League, making them the second team after Arenel Movers to be demoted this season. The fall of Pirates echoes the same fate that befell Arenel earlier in the campaign, further highlighting the unforgiving nature of Zimbabwe’s top football league.
The Battle for Survival Continues
While Chegutu Pirates have been relegated, the battle to avoid the drop continues for other teams. Hwange and TelOne, who both secured vital wins on Sunday, remain in the fight to stay up, with their fate hanging in the balance heading into the final round of matches.
Hwange, also known as Chipangano, emerged victorious in a thrilling 4-3 encounter against Highlanders. The win moved them into the survival zone, keeping them alive for another week. Similarly, TelOne edged Arenel Movers 1-0, securing a crucial three points in their own battle to avoid relegation.
The Final Day Drama
With one matchday left in the season, the relegation battle is set for a dramatic conclusion. Hwange and TelOne are still not safe, and both teams must secure results on the final day to secure their top-flight status. If either side fails to win, they will join Chegutu Pirates and Arenel Movers in relegation to Division One.
Matchday 33 Results Recap:
Dynamos 0-0 Manica Diamonds
Hwange 4-3 Highlanders
Chegutu Pirates 2-0 CAPS United
Bulawayo Chiefs 0-0 ZPC Kariba
Yadah 3-0 Greenfuel
TelOne 1-0 Arenel Movers
As the 2023 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season nears its close, fans are bracing for a tense and dramatic final matchday that will decide the fates of the remaining relegation-threatened teams.
For Chegutu Pirates, though, it is the end of their journey in the top flight, and a bitter reminder of the fine line between glory and disappointment in professional football.
By A Correspondent | ZimEye – The former CCC Senator and prominent defector, Lilian Timveos, has passed away, ZimEye can confirm.
Timveos, who was the first major defector from the opposition, played a key role in fulfilling ZANU PF Presidential spokesman George Charamba’s plan to undermine CCC President Nelson Chamisa. Charamba had aimed to “make Chamisa bleed from within and without,” with the goal of sabotaging the country’s most popular political movement.
Following her defection, Timveos launched a large-scale recruitment campaign for ZANU PF.
On Monday morning, ZANU PF announced her passing via Twitter, stating:
“Former Senator Cde Lilian Timveos is no more.‼️ Cde Lilian Timveos has passed away at Avenues Clinic this morning. Born in Kwekwe (1973), she was a devoted member of ZANU PF’s Zvishavane District. Condolences to her family and the party. May she rest in peace.”
According to sources, Timveos died at Avenues Clinic in Harare on Monday morning. She was born in Kwekwe in 1973 and attended Vainona High School in Harare. She is survived by her husband, Michael Timveos, and their four children.
Timveos graduated from the ZANU PF’s Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology in April 2021 and was elected a member of ZANU PF’s Zvishavane District.
In June 2021, she was appointed to the board of Petrotrade, a state-owned company that had been operating for five years without a governing board.
In May 2023, Timveos was appointed national secretary for training and implementation in the Citizens Against Economic Sanctions (CAES) National Executive Council, representing Midlands province.
Timveos was one of the first opposition figures to defect to ZANU PF, citing disorder and financial greed within the opposition.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Cde Lilian Timveos and the entire party during this difficult time.
Zimbabwe Warriors head coach Michael Nees has provided an update on the squad as the team settles into their camp in South Africa ahead of their crucial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against Kenya.
The Warriors are based in Polokwane, South Africa, where they will take on Kenya in their penultimate Group J fixture at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday.
Nees expressed confidence ahead of the game, saying, “We are looking forward to the match. As with every camp, it’s important to bring the team together and get everyone on the same page.”
He also mentioned the team’s preparation, explaining that they are working with three groups, with the final group of players expected to join camp on Tuesday morning. “We hope to hit the ground running once everyone is here,” Nees added.
The coach highlighted the diverse composition of the squad, noting the balance of local, South Africa-based, and Europe-based players. “We have a good mix, with players from different backgrounds bringing unique qualities to the team,” Nees said. “In addition to our local players, we also have Gerald Takwara based in Iraq and Teenage Hadebe in the USA. It’s a solid blend that should work well together.”
However, Nees confirmed that France-based forward Tinotenda Kadewere will miss the match due to injury, having been sidelined ahead of the international break. No replacement for Kadewere has been announced at this time.
With the match against Kenya crucial for their AFCON qualification hopes, Nees and the Warriors will be aiming for a strong performance to keep their campaign on track.
Sikhanyiso Ngwenya, a talented young actor from Victoria Falls, is making a name for himself in the local film industry. At just nine years old, Ngwenya stars alongside acclaimed Hollywood actor Tongai Chirisa in the upcoming film Rise, which tells the inspiring true story of local boxer Tobias Mupfuti. The film chronicles Mupfuti’s journey from humble beginnings to becoming a respected figure in both the community and the boxing world.
Ngwenya’s performance has already captured significant attention, showcasing his natural talent and promise. Reflecting on the experience, he shared, “I feel good to be here. I have learned a lot about discipline and honesty through this role. I look forward to being part of more productions in the future.”
Ngwenya, who hails from Victoria Falls’ Chinotimba suburb, is quickly becoming a rising star to watch in the Zimbabwean film industry.
Barcelona’s seven-game winning streak came to an abrupt end on Sunday, courtesy of Real Sociedad’s 1-0 triumph in LaLiga. Sheraldo Becker’s decisive goal in the 33rd minute sealed the deal, handing Hansi Flick his second league loss as Barcelona’s manager.
Becker cleverly evaded Barcelona’s offside trap, latching onto Luka Sucic’s header before delivering a precise finish inside the post. This setback allowed Real Madrid to narrow the gap at the top of the standings.
The absence of star winger Lamine Yamal, sidelined with a muscle injury, severely impacted Barcelona’s chances. Robert Lewandowski’s early strike was disqualified for offside following a VAR review, and the team struggled to regain momentum ¹.
Real Sociedad, on the other hand, could have won by a more substantial margin. Mikel Oyarzabal squandered a golden opportunity just before halftime, thanks to Takefusa Kubo’s impressive playmaking. Oyarzabal also tested Inaki Pena in the second half, but ultimately, one goal sufficed ¹.
This victory propelled Real Sociedad to eighth place in LaLiga with 19 points, six points shy of the top four. Meanwhile, Barcelona retains its lead with 33 points, six points ahead of Real Madrid, who have a game in hand. Atletico Madrid sits third with 26 points ¹.
The two teams have a rich history, with Barcelona leading their head-to-head record 27-7, and 5 draws ². Their past encounters have been thrilling, with Real Sociedad winning two of their last five meetings.
By Political Reporter – Zanu PF has started Constitutional Amendments to manipulate the 2028 election.
The proposed changes would shift control of the voter registration process from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to the Civil Registry Department (CRD), raising concerns about election integrity and echoing past vote-rigging tactics allegedly employed by former Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede.
For decades, Mudede played a central role in manipulating voter rolls in favour of Zanu PF, exploiting the names of deceased individuals to inflate votes through “ghost voters.”
By maintaining outdated or inaccurate records, he could ensure that the names of deceased citizens remained on the voters’ roll, allowing votes to be cast in their names to secure Zanu PF’s electoral dominance.
This approach not only skewed election results but also eroded public trust in the electoral process, as the lack of transparent voter roll management facilitated widespread manipulation.
The proposed automated system would use biometric data and ID information collected by the CRD to register all Zimbabweans automatically upon reaching 18 years old.
Unlike previous systems where ZEC maintained the voters’ roll, the new law would give the CRD – under direct government control – authority over voter registration and roll management.
Once registered, citizens would be assigned polling stations based on their ID application address, with the option to update addresses if they relocate.
Although the CRD has indicated plans to remove deceased individuals automatically using death certificate data, many fear that such a shift could re-enable historic vote-rigging tactics.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has defended the proposed changes, emphasizing the intent to streamline voter registration and ensure a complete voter roll.
“The proposal is to transfer the role of voter registration to the Registrar-General’s Office, which maintains records from birth to death,” he said.
However, the automated nature of the new system and its reliance on government-held records evoke concerns that Zanu PF could exploit it to manipulate outcomes.
By embedding registration within the CRD, the government could potentially control voter assignments, suppress opposition strongholds, and revive ghost-voter tactics.
With Zimbabwe’s history of disputed elections and allegations of electoral manipulation, many opposition leaders and civil society groups view this proposed law as yet another tool for Zanu PF to entrench its power.
The question of whether the CRD will act impartially remains open, especially given the long-standing relationship between state institutions and Zanu PF’s political interests.
As the bill progresses, it will face intense scrutiny from both domestic and international observers, who see it as a critical test for Zimbabwe’s democratic processes ahead of the 2028 election.
Political Reporter-Zanu PF political Commissar Munyaradzi Machacha has intervened in the fierce fighting between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Constantino Chewenga’s top aides in the party’s Harare provincial structures.
Tensions have escalated, with top party officials trading barbs on social media in a display of deepening factionalism within the ruling party.
The latest outbreak of hostilities became evident during a heated Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting held at the weekend.
Machacha issued a plea for order, highlighting concerns over the primary elections and the escalating use of social media for personal attacks and factional posturing.
“Interpersonal relations among party members were discussed to ensure harmony within the province, especially among the leadership,” Machacha stated, emphasizing the need for unity to bolster the province’s effectiveness and potential to challenge the opposition in future elections.
However, the sources reveal that this call for “unity” masks deeper fractures driven by competing loyalties to Mnangagwa and Chiwenga, whose camps are reportedly vying for influence.
Machacha also expressed concern about the misuse of social media by party members, who have increasingly resorted to public outbursts and name-dropping as part of their factional conflicts.
“We have warned all cadres that disciplinary measures will be taken against anyone who continues using abusive language and engaging in name-dropping on social media,” he said, aiming to curb the damaging public spectacle of Zanu PF’s internal discord.
Efforts to strengthen party structures, including the ongoing restructuring of cells and villages, were also discussed during the PCC meeting.
Yet, the presence of high-ranking officials like Secretary for Legal Affairs Patrick Chinamasa, Secretary for Security Lovemore Matuke, Deputy Secretary for Security Tendai Chirau, and others underscored the gravity of the factional tensions that continue to simmer beneath the surface.
By Crime and Courts Reporter-Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s former wife, Marry Mubaiwa, appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court on Monday in a wheelchair, visibly frail and struggling.
Marry, who has had her left leg and right hand amputated, is currently facing charges of attempted murder and money laundering.
Her health has severely deteriorated, yet she continues to be dragged to court without adequate support from the government.
In her court appearance, Marry’s lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, filed an application for a permanent stay of prosecution, citing her critical health condition as a barrier to fair proceedings.
“My client is extremely sick and unable to give proper instructions due to her condition,” said Mtetwa, emphasizing that Marry is in constant pain, heavily medicated, and often sedated.
The attempted murder charges stem from accusations that Marry tried to unplug Chiwenga’s life support system while he was hospitalized in South Africa.
The application argues that there has been an unreasonable delay in proceedings and that Marry’s declining health should make any further prosecution unjust.
“The applicant’s health has materially deteriorated to an extent that it would not be in the interests of justice to persist with the criminal prosecution,” reads the application.
The State requested a postponement to review the defence’s application.
Presiding magistrate Mrs. Feresi Chakanyuka deferred the ruling to November 22.
During previous hearings, former Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr. John Mangwiro testified that Chiwenga’s health would decline whenever Marry visited him during his hospital stay.
According to Dr. Mangwiro, each time Chiwenga was taken out of the country for treatment, he would initially recover, only to deteriorate again when back home.
He claimed that Marry would insist on taking Chiwenga to a hotel instead of a hospital, reportedly saying he “wanted to rest,” even when advised it was dangerous.
Marry Mubaiwa’s case highlights a bitter reality: a woman now severely disabled, financially struggling, and physically wasting away is still forced to defend herself in court against accusations from one of the nation’s most influential figures.
Despite her dire condition, she continues to seek justice with little to no support from the state that her ex-husband represents.
This prolonged legal battle underscores a stark contrast between the privileged lives of the elite and the unrelenting struggles of those out of favour, even those once connected to power.
Marry’s plight is a chilling reminder of the high cost some pay in Zimbabwe’s political landscape.
Chegutu Pirates’ brief stint in the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League has come to a bitter end, with the team relegated despite a heroic 2-0 victory over CAPS United on Matchday 33. The win, which saw Pirates score twice past the Green Machine, temporarily lifted spirits, but it wasn’t enough to save them from relegation in what has been a challenging top-flight campaign.
Pirates, promoted from Division One only this season, finish their inaugural Premier League campaign with 32 points. Although their triumph over CAPS United gave the team a final burst of hope, it ultimately proved to be a case of too little, too late. The victory, combined with a draw between Bulawayo Chiefs and ZPC Kariba, meant that Pirates finished four points behind Bulawayo Chiefs, who occupy the final spot above the relegation zone with just one game remaining.
A Brief Stay in the Top Flight
The relegation of Chegutu Pirates comes as a harsh reality after what was an exciting and historic journey to Zimbabwe’s elite football division. Having earned promotion from Division One, they had hoped to build on their success and prove their worth in the Premier League. However, the step up to top-flight football proved to be a steep challenge. Despite their spirited efforts, Pirates struggled to find consistency, especially against established top-tier teams.
Their relegation marks a bitter departure from the Premier League, making them the second team after Arenel Movers to be demoted this season. The fall of Pirates echoes the same fate that befell Arenel earlier in the campaign, further highlighting the unforgiving nature of Zimbabwe’s top football league.
The Battle for Survival Continues
While Chegutu Pirates have been relegated, the battle to avoid the drop continues for other teams. Hwange and TelOne, who both secured vital wins on Sunday, remain in the fight to stay up, with their fate hanging in the balance heading into the final round of matches.
Hwange, also known as Chipangano, emerged victorious in a thrilling 4-3 encounter against Highlanders. The win moved them into the survival zone, keeping them alive for another week. Similarly, TelOne edged Arenel Movers 1-0, securing a crucial three points in their own battle to avoid relegation.
The Final Day Drama
With one matchday left in the season, the relegation battle is set for a dramatic conclusion. Hwange and TelOne are still not safe, and both teams must secure results on the final day to secure their top-flight status. If either side fails to win, they will join Chegutu Pirates and Arenel Movers in relegation to Division One.
Matchday 33 Results Recap:
Dynamos 0-0 Manica Diamonds
Hwange 4-3 Highlanders
Chegutu Pirates 2-0 CAPS United
Bulawayo Chiefs 0-0 ZPC Kariba
Yadah 3-0 Greenfuel
TelOne 1-0 Arenel Movers
As the 2023 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season nears its close, fans are bracing for a tense and dramatic final matchday that will decide the fates of the remaining relegation-threatened teams.
For Chegutu Pirates, though, it is the end of their journey in the top flight, and a bitter reminder of the fine line between glory and disappointment in professional football.
Zimbabwe Warriors head coach Michael Nees has provided an update on the squad as the team settles into their camp in South Africa ahead of their crucial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against Kenya.
The Warriors are based in Polokwane, South Africa, where they will take on Kenya in their penultimate Group J fixture at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday.
Nees expressed confidence ahead of the game, saying, “We are looking forward to the match. As with every camp, it’s important to bring the team together and get everyone on the same page.”
He also mentioned the team’s preparation, explaining that they are working with three groups, with the final group of players expected to join camp on Tuesday morning. “We hope to hit the ground running once everyone is here,” Nees added.
The coach highlighted the diverse composition of the squad, noting the balance of local, South Africa-based, and Europe-based players. “We have a good mix, with players from different backgrounds bringing unique qualities to the team,” Nees said. “In addition to our local players, we also have Gerald Takwara based in Iraq and Teenage Hadebe in the USA. It’s a solid blend that should work well together.”
However, Nees confirmed that France-based forward Tinotenda Kadewere will miss the match due to injury, having been sidelined ahead of the international break. No replacement for Kadewere has been announced at this time.
With the match against Kenya crucial for their AFCON qualification hopes, Nees and the Warriors will be aiming for a strong performance to keep their campaign on track.
Driving on wet roads can be a dangerous experience, especially when your vehicle’s tyres are worn out.
Tyres are your primary contact with the road, and their ability to grip the surface is crucial for maintaining control over your vehicle. When the roads are wet, the risk of hydroplaning—where your tyres lose traction and float on a layer of water—becomes significantly higher. This risk increases exponentially if your tyres are old or worn.
How Wet Roads Affect Traction
Wet roads reduce the friction between your tyres and the surface, making it harder for your vehicle to stop, turn, or accelerate as quickly as it would on dry roads. Water on the road can create a thin film between the tyre and the surface, which diminishes the tyre’s ability to grip the road. This is particularly hazardous in situations where sudden braking or sharp turns are needed.
The Role of Tyres in Wet Conditions
Tyres are designed with grooves, also known as treads, to channel water away from the contact patch and maintain grip. However, as tyres wear down, these treads become shallow, making it harder for them to displace water efficiently. Worn-out tyres increase the likelihood of hydroplaning because they can’t clear water from beneath them fast enough, which can cause your vehicle to slide uncontrollably.
The Impact of Worn Tyres
Tyres with worn tread are less effective at dispersing water and maintaining adequate contact with the road, making it harder for you to control your vehicle, especially during wet conditions. If the tread depth falls below a certain level—typically around 2mm—it significantly increases the risk of losing traction. In addition to reducing performance in wet weather, worn tyres also increase stopping distances and can affect overall handling, further compromising road safety.
Ensuring Safety on Wet Roads
To ensure maximum safety while driving in wet conditions, it’s crucial to regularly check your tyres for signs of wear and tear.
Replacing tyres that have worn down to the minimum tread depth is a simple and cost-effective way to enhance your vehicle’s handling and safety. In addition, maintaining proper tyre pressure is equally important, as under-inflated tyres are more likely to lose traction on wet roads.
In conclusion, the combination of wet roads and worn-out tyres creates a dangerous driving scenario.
Maintaining good tyre health is key to keeping control of your vehicle and ensuring safe driving conditions, especially when faced with adverse weather.
Regular tyre inspections and timely replacements are essential steps for preventing accidents and improving vehicle performance on slippery surfaces.
Produced by Safety and Victims Advocacy Foundation (The Gambia)
Former Zimbabwean Vice President Joice Mujuru has been appointed as the new Head of the African Union Electoral Observation Mission (AUEOM) for the upcoming National Assembly Elections in Mauritius.
Mujuru, who was dismissed from her position as Vice President during the height of the ZANU PF factional struggles before the death of former President Robert Mugabe, has since kept a low profile, focusing primarily on her farming ventures.
Her appointment comes as Zimbabwe currently holds the chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which is believed to have played a role in her selection to lead the AU mission.
A senior ZANU PF official has claimed responsibility for the disintegration of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), with the party now vowing to dismantle any new political organization that Nelson Chamisa may attempt to form.
Edson Chiherenge, the Midlands provincial chairperson for ZANU PF, made the remarks during a public gathering at Charandura Business Centre in Chirumanzu, where 50 individuals who were reportedly defecting from the CCC to ZANU PF were ceremoniously introduced to the ruling party.
Speaking to supporters, Chiherenge declared that the opposition party, led by Chamisa, was no longer in existence.
“This party (CCC) wants to register another party. We know there is no longer any CCC because the party has disintegrated,” he said.
“We are waiting for the new party to come on board so that we destroy it again.”
Chiherenge’s comments come after a period of turmoil within the CCC, culminating in Chamisa’s dramatic departure from the party earlier this year.
The opposition leader alleged that the party had been infiltrated, with self-styled interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu taking control of its leadership.
Tshabangu, who was virtually unknown prior to the 2023 general elections, gained prominence after the elections, eventually seizing leadership through controversial court rulings and political maneuvers.
This included the involvement of the National Assembly Speaker and Senate President, which led to the recall of several CCC lawmakers and councillors.
Chiherenge also took the opportunity to express gratitude to the former CCC members for defecting to ZANU PF, acknowledging their decision and adding that both the party and President Emmerson Mnangagwa “recognize and appreciate” their move. However, he cautioned the new members to avoid harboring ambitions of quickly rising to positions of power within the party.
“We welcome you, but don’t come here thinking you can quickly take positions,” Chiherenge warned, underlining the importance of patience and loyalty in ZANU PF.
The unfolding saga within the CCC and ZANU PF’s role in its destabilization is likely to fuel further political tensions as Chamisa considers his next steps.
The ruling party’s claim of dismantling the opposition could be interpreted as an indirect admission of its involvement in facilitating Tshabangu’s rise, thereby undermining the CCC and potentially weakening its ability to mount a serious challenge in future elections.
Zimbabwean opposition leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa, has expressed optimism about the future of his country, emphasizing the urgent need for a paradigm shift in both politics and economics. In a statement released over the weekend, Chamisa outlined a vision for Zimbabwe that revolves around sustainable development, systemic change, and a break from the country’s past political and economic struggles.
Chamisa, who leads the opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), stressed the importance of rethinking and restructuring Zimbabwe’s political and economic landscapes to ensure a brighter future for all citizens.
“The future of Zimbabwe is bright,” Chamisa said, adding that the country is at a crucial crossroads where bold decisions and a new approach are essential for progress.
Chamisa highlighted the necessity of a “new paradigm shift” in politics to address the persistent challenges facing Zimbabwe. According to him, the current political structures are inadequate to achieve the transformative change needed to move the country forward. “We need a transformation in our politics, where people come first,” Chamisa stated, emphasizing the need for a political environment that prioritizes the well-being and empowerment of citizens.
He believes this shift is also crucial in the economic sphere. A new economic model that promotes inclusivity, sustainability, and development is essential to creating a prosperous future for Zimbabweans. “Our key mandate is to transform culture and structures in politics and economics,” he added, reinforcing his call for a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s systems.
Chamisa’s vision extends beyond Zimbabwe and reflects broader goals for African development.
He pointed to cities like Gaborone in Botswana as examples of successful development that balances economic progress with environmental responsibility.
“GABORONE IN PICTURES… Building a #NewAfrica with first-class infrastructure upon a mindful approach to environmental protection, preservation, and sustainability as our historical mission and generational mandate,” Chamisa remarked, drawing attention to the importance of sustainable development for the continent.
For Chamisa, this vision is more than a political statement; it’s a moral imperative. “We must build infrastructure and develop our economies in ways that respect our environment and the needs of future generations,” he asserted, urging leaders to act with foresight and responsibility.
Central to Chamisa’s political philosophy is the idea of #NewPolitics—a politics that is inclusive, transparent, and focused on the needs of ordinary citizens.
He advocates for unity and collaboration across party lines to achieve shared national goals. “Welcome to #NewPolitics,” Chamisa declared, signaling his commitment to creating a political system where citizens’ voices are heard, and their interests are put first.
Nelson Chamisa’s vision for Zimbabwe is rooted in a deep desire for systemic change.
By advocating for a paradigm shift in both politics and economics, he positions himself as a leader who calls for a fundamental transformation in how the nation approaches its future.
With an emphasis on sustainable development, economic revitalization, and inclusive politics, Chamisa believes Zimbabwe can secure a prosperous and sustainable future for all its citizens.
A senior ZANU PF official has claimed that the ruling party successfully dismantled the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and is now prepared to dismantle any new political party that Nelson Chamisa might attempt to establish.
Edson Chiherenge, the Midlands provincial chairperson for ZANU PF, made the bold assertion during a public event at Charandura Business Centre in Chirumanzu, where 50 individuals, said to be defectors from the CCC, were formally introduced to the ruling party.
Addressing supporters, Chiherenge declared that the CCC, once led by Chamisa, no longer existed. “
This party (CCC) wants to register another party. We know there is no longer any CCC because the party has disintegrated,” he said. “We are waiting for the new party to come on board so that we destroy it again.”
Chiherenge’s comments follow a period of significant internal strife within the opposition party, which culminated in Chamisa’s dramatic exit in early 2024.
Chamisa had accused his party of being infiltrated, with Sengezo Tshabangu, a little-known figure prior to the 2023 general elections, seizing control as the self-proclaimed interim secretary-general.
Tshabangu’s rise to prominence was marked by a series of controversial court rulings and political maneuvers that included the intervention of the National Assembly Speaker and Senate President.
These actions led to the recall of numerous CCC legislators, councillors, and mayors, effectively weakening the opposition’s presence in both Parliament and local government.
Acknowledging the defections, Chiherenge expressed appreciation for the former CCC members who had joined ZANU PF. He stated that both the party and President Emmerson Mnangagwa “recognize and appreciate” their decision.
However, he cautioned the new members about ambitions for swift advancement within the party’s ranks.
“We welcome you, but don’t come here thinking you can quickly take positions,” Chiherenge warned, emphasizing the importance of loyalty and patience in ZANU PF.
The remarks from Chiherenge have intensified speculation about ZANU PF’s role in the CCC’s collapse, with some viewing the party’s comments as a tacit admission of its involvement in facilitating Tshabangu’s rise to power.
This development could further strain political tensions as Chamisa contemplates his next move, with the ruling party poised to capitalize on any new opposition efforts.
The dramatic disintegration of the CCC and ZANU PF’s vow to neutralize any new party Chamisa forms could significantly alter the political landscape in the run-up to future elections.
…Cde Lilian Timveos has passed away at Avenues Clinic this morning. Born in Kwekwe (1973), she was a devoted member of ZANU PF’s Zvishavane District. Condolences to her family and the party…
By A Correspondent | ZimEye | The country’s biggest Tshabangu (defector), the former CCC Senator Lilian Timveous has died, ZimEye can reveal.
The notorious party she joined, ZANU announced her death early Monday morning.
The day Lilian Timveous joined ZANU PF
Circumstances surrounding her death were not clear at the time of writing. She was reported dead at Avenues Clinic, Harare.
Lillian Timveos (middle)
Gd morning Cdes. It is with a heavy heart that i inform you of the untimely passing on of former Senator Lilian Timveous this morning at Avenues clinic. pic.twitter.com/TDUM6Ov3wb
Timveous was the first and most prominent defector who singularly fulfilled ZANU PF Presidential spokesman George Charamba’s plan to make CCC President Nelson Chamisa ‘bleed from within and from without’ so that the country’s most popular project is sabotaged.
Soon after defecting, she had launched a massive recruitment campaign for ZANU PF.
ZANU PF announced Monday morning on Twitter saying:
“Former Senator Cde Lilian Timveos is no more.‼️
Cde Lilian Timveos has passed away at Avenues Clinic this morning. Born in Kwekwe (1973), she was a devoted member of ZANU PF’s Zvishavane District. Condolences to her family and the party. May she rest in peace.
According to sources, Cde Timveos passed away early this morning at Avenue Clinic in Harare.
Lilian Timveos was born in Kwekwe in 1973 and attended Vainona High School in Harare. She survived by her husband, Michael Timveos, and the couple had 4 children.
Cde Timveos graduated from the Party’s Hebert Chitepo School of Ideology in Apr 2021. She was elected a member of ZANU PF’s Zvishavane District.
Cde Timveos was appointed to the new board for Petrotrade in June 2021, which had operated for 5 years without the governing board.
In May 2023, Timveos was appointed the national secretary responsible for training and implementation in the Citizens Against Economic Sanctions (CAES)’s National Executive Council representing Midlands province.
Cde Timveos is amongst the first group of former opposition leaders to defect to ZANU PF citing disorder and money mongering in the opposition.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Cde Lilian Timveos and the entire party during this difficult moment.”
By A Correspondent | ZimEye | The country’s biggest Tshabangu (defector), the former CCC Senator Lilian Timveous has died, ZimEye can reveal.
The notorious party she joined, ZANU announced her death early Monday morning.
The day Lilian Timveous joined ZANU PF
Circumstances surrounding her death were not clear at the time of writing. She was reported dead at Avenues Clinic, Harare.
Lillian Timveos (middle)
Gd morning Cdes. It is with a heavy heart that i inform you of the untimely passing on of former Senator Lilian Timveous this morning at Avenues clinic. pic.twitter.com/TDUM6Ov3wb
Timveous was the first and most prominent defector who singularly fulfilled ZANU PF Presidential spokesman George Charamba’s plan to make CCC President Nelson Chamisa ‘bleed from within and from without’ so that the country’s most popular project is sabotaged.
Soon after defecting, she had launched a massive recruitment campaign for ZANU PF.
ZANU PF announced Monday morning on Twitter saying:
“Former Senator Cde Lilian Timveos is no more.‼️
Cde Lilian Timveos has passed away at Avenues Clinic this morning. Born in Kwekwe (1973), she was a devoted member of ZANU PF’s Zvishavane District. Condolences to her family and the party. May she rest in peace.
According to sources, Cde Timveos passed away early this morning at Avenue Clinic in Harare.
Lilian Timveos was born in Kwekwe in 1973 and attended Vainona High School in Harare. She survived by her husband, Michael Timveos, and the couple had 4 children.
Cde Timveos graduated from the Party’s Hebert Chitepo School of Ideology in Apr 2021. She was elected a member of ZANU PF’s Zvishavane District.
Cde Timveos was appointed to the new board for Petrotrade in June 2021, which had operated for 5 years without the governing board.
In May 2023, Timveos was appointed the national secretary responsible for training and implementation in the Citizens Against Economic Sanctions (CAES)’s National Executive Council representing Midlands province.
Cde Timveos is amongst the first group of former opposition leaders to defect to ZANU PF citing disorder and money mongering in the opposition.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Cde Lilian Timveos and the entire party during this difficult moment.”
By A Correspondent| Controversial Masvingo teacher David Masomere popularly known as DJ Masomere is in trouble over his bossing of Zanu PF leaders and supporters at the just ended party conference.
According to sources who attended a Zanu PF Harare provincial meeting, there were concerns that DJ Masomere was overstepping his bounds and ursurping the authority of the National Commissar.
“Concerns were raised about a young DJ overstepping his bounds and usurping the National Political Commissar’s authority. It was said even at the Bulawayo conference he was there saying ” Midlands muriko here uko,itai Slogan. It was asked what position he holds, where he comes from and what mandate or clause from the Constitution allows him to be doing what he does at every party occasion,” reads part of the key points circulated after the meeting.
Masomere who is a teacher at Ndarama High School in Masvingo made waves in the run-up to the 2023 general elections as a Master of Ceremony at Zanu PF functions.
He has a history of using too much authority at Zanu PF functions. He previously harassed musician Jah Prayzah.
By Political Reporter-The Zanu PF Harare provincial structures are embroiled in a fierce internal power struggle, fueled by the ongoing rivalry between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga.
Tensions have escalated, with top party officials trading barbs on social media in a display of deepening factionalism within the ruling party.
The latest outbreak of hostilities became evident during a heated Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting held yesterday.
Party Political Commissar Munyaradzi Machacha issued a plea for order, highlighting concerns over the primary elections and the escalating use of social media for personal attacks and factional posturing.
“Interpersonal relations among party members were discussed to ensure harmony within the province, especially among the leadership,” Machacha stated, emphasizing the need for unity to bolster the province’s effectiveness and potential to challenge the opposition in future elections.
However, the sources reveal that this call for “unity” masks deeper fractures driven by competing loyalties to Mnangagwa and Chiwenga, whose camps are reportedly vying for influence.
Machacha also expressed concern about the misuse of social media by party members, who have increasingly resorted to public outbursts and name-dropping as part of their factional conflicts.
“We have warned all cadres that disciplinary measures will be taken against anyone who continues using abusive language and engaging in name-dropping on social media,” he said, aiming to curb the damaging public spectacle of Zanu PF’s internal discord.
Efforts to strengthen party structures, including the ongoing restructuring of cells and villages, were also discussed during the PCC meeting.
Yet, the presence of high-ranking officials like Secretary for Legal Affairs Patrick Chinamasa, Secretary for Security Lovemore Matuke, Deputy Secretary for Security Tendai Chirau, and others underscored the gravity of the factional tensions that continue to simmer beneath the surface.
By Mlondolozi Ndlovu| In a country where democracy is a foundational principle it is comical to wake up and hear that data collectors should pay ‘tax’, which in terms of the Cyber and Data Protection (Licensing of Data Controllers and Appointment of Data Protection Officers) Regulations, 2024 (hereinafter referred to as the regulations) called licence.
These regulations do seem to be quite restrictive and potentially harmful to the free flow of communication in Zimbabwe.
Before we go too far, it is important to understand these regulations and to unpack them.
The main goal of the regulations is to establish a structured and thorough framework for licensing organizations involved in cyber and data protection activities.
It outlines key standards for managing and safeguarding personal data, ensuring adherence to current data protection laws.
The regulations are applicable to all entities in Zimbabwe that process personal data, including but not limited to businesses, government agencies, financial institutions, banks, pension funds and universities.
They address the licensing requirements for data protection service providers and detail the appointments and responsibilities of Data Protection Officers (DPOs).
The implementation of these regulations will greatly affect organizations that manage personal data.
These organisations will therefore need to align their data protection services with the regulations, appoint a DPO, and secure the required licences for operation.
Organizations have a timeline of 6 months to comply with the regulations. During this period, they must take the necessary actions to ensure compliance as failure to do so will attract a punishment.
In a tweet by Hon. Tatenda Mavetera which sparked a frenzy in the digital world of WhatsApp, these regulations also apply to WhatsApp group Admins.
By requiring WhatsApp group admins to obtain a licence and appoint a Data Protection Officer, the government may be overstepping its bounds and infringing on citizens’ freedom of expression and freedom of the media as guaranteed by Section 61 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
The Cyber and Data Protection Act [Chapter 12:07] (Hereinafter referred to as the Act) which these regulations fall under, aims to increase cybersecurity and build trust in the use of information and communication technologies.
However it is questionable whether these specific measures will achieve that goal. Instead they may stifle free communication, impose unnecessary burdens by placing undue administrative and financial strain on group admins and it does not provide meaningful safeguards for personal data.
It is essential to consider the potential consequences of these regulations on online communication and data protection practices in Zimbabwe.
The government should ensure that any measures taken to protect data are balanced with the need to preserve citizen’s fundamental rights.
The new regulations imposed by POTRAZ (Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe) do raise some eyebrows.
Requiring the said data collectors to obtain a licence and appoint a DPO seems excessive and could be seen as a money making scheme or in a way limit mass communication.
Another potential harm to be caused by these regulations is its poor and ambiguous interpretation clause. The regulations refers a lot to data collectors but it does not specify or define who the data collectors are. It is vague and unclear and is very much open to misinterpretations. Does it include WhatsApp group admins who are already panicking and ready to close their groups?
The law ought to be clear and concise so as to avoid these scenarios. It is not only the interpretation clause that is vague and ambiguous, the regulations have a lot of vague terminologies.
Laws couched in such broad terms that their application cannot be delimited, and where the implementing officers can take different decisions on the same facts with all such decisions being justifiable on one or other reading of the law, should be revisited.
One cannot be blamed for implying that these regulations are there to tax all persons who collect data. Section 3 (2) (d) states that any person who processes personal information with the intention to obtain a commercial gain or other benefit from the processing of personal data shall apply for a license in terms of these regulations.
This is no different from taxation only that it is now hidden as a licence for making benefits. This section is loosely drafted and an overly broad provision which is subject to abuse clearly starting from the Minister’s pronouncement.
It is not even clear how the acquisition of these licenses will safeguard personal data and improve cyber security.
The regulations impose a high degree of punishment for people that do not oblige with the licencing rules as it states in Section 3 (3) that any person who processes personal information in terms of this section without a data controller licence within the stipulated time frames shall be guilt of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 11 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding seven years or both such fine and such imprisonment.
This kind of punishment is excessive and unwarranted.
The whole procedure of applying provided for in section 4, for a licence is tedious. It involves multiple steps which include application, submission, review, potential requests for additional information and licencing.
The Specific and strict requirements such as use of Form DP1 and payment of scheduled fees prove to be tedious as well as the uncertainty of the approval of the application which may be rejected by the reasons given by the POTRAZ.
It is in a way unfair and unjust for the Authority to reject an application and give reasons later.
The regulations lack and should have provided clear prerequisites and guidelines upfront as to how the applications are made, the steps and orders to follow so that such rejections are avoided.
The regulations also do not provide how long applicants have to wait before their licences are issued out. There is no guarantee how long one will have to wait before they get their licence and continue with their venture which makes them commercial profit.
People may have losses while they wait for their applications to be approved or rejected as the case may be.
However, the regulations cannot be wholly taken in bad faith, In a digital world where cyber security is always a threat, it is important to ensure measures which will protect people’s personal data. The regulations are a part of Zimbabwe’s broader data protection and cybersecurity legal framework.
They harmonize existing laws to create a unified approach to data protection. They aim to enhance data protection practices, ensure compliance with legal standards, and protect personal data in the digital age.
For example, Section 10 (3) of the Regulations states that a data controller shall not subject a data subject to a decision based solely on automated processing which produces legal effects concerning him or her without the consent of that data subject or based on a provision established by the law.
Subsection 4 of Section 10 further states the obligations and duties of a data controller which in essence seek to protect the personal information.
These regulations in as much are supposed to come from a good place; they are adversely vague and restrictive and may do more harm than good.
Mlondolozi Ndlovu is a Zimbabwean media practitioner, researcher and trainer. He is finalising his LAW studies at the University of Zimbabwe
By A Correspondent | ZimEye | The country’s biggest Tshabangu (defector), the former CCC Senator Lilian Timveous has died, ZimEye can reveal.
The notorious party she joined, ZANU announced her death early Monday morning.
The day Lilian Timveous joined ZANU PF
Circumstances surrounding her death were not clear at the time of writing.
Lillian Timveos (middle)
Gd morning Cdes. It is with a heavy heart that i inform you of the untimely passing on of former Senator Lilian Timveous this morning at Avenues clinic. pic.twitter.com/TDUM6Ov3wb
Timveous was the first and most prominent defector who singularly fulfilled ZANU PF Presidential spokesman George Charamba’s plan to make CCC President Nelson Chamisa ‘bleed from within and from without’ so that the country’s most popular project is sabotaged.
Soon after defecting, she had launched a massive recruitment campaign for ZANU PF. – ZimEye
Harare, Zimbabwe – In a historic milestone for Zimbabwe’s education system, the 2024 Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) Grade 7, Ordinary, and Advanced Level examinations have been conducted without any incidents of paper leakages, marking a stark contrast to the recurring scandals of previous years.
Education stakeholders, including Zimsec, the National Association of Primary School Heads (Naph), and the National Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash), have hailed the development as a testament to enhanced governance, improved security, and collaborative efforts among schools and examination authorities.
A Dark History of Examination Scandals
Over the years, Zimbabwe’s examination system has been riddled with controversies that undermined its credibility. Below is a timeline of notable past incidents that highlight the magnitude of this achievement:
1. 2017: Massive O-Level Paper Leak
In one of the largest scandals, Ordinary Level Mathematics and English examination papers were leaked and widely circulated on social media. The scandal implicated school officials and invigilators, forcing Zimsec to reschedule examinations for thousands of candidates.
2. 2019: Arrests Over Advanced Level Cheating
In 2019, several individuals, including teachers and students, were arrested for leaking Advanced Level Biology and Chemistry papers. The incident led to public outcry over Zimsec’s failure to secure examination materials.
3. 2020: Pandemic-Year Paper Fraud
The disruption caused by COVID-19 saw an increase in reported examination irregularities. Teachers and administrators at multiple schools were caught selling examination papers to desperate students and parents.
4. 2021: Invigilators Implicated
Grade 7 Mathematics and English papers were leaked in 2021, resulting in the arrest of invigilators and headmasters. The scandal raised questions about internal security measures at examination centers.
5. 2022: Advanced Level Exam Rewrite
After several Advanced Level exam papers were leaked, Zimsec was forced to order a rewrite for thousands of candidates, sparking protests and logistical chaos. The credibility of Zimbabwe’s examination system was heavily criticized both domestically and internationally.
A New Era of Integrity
The absence of leaks in 2024 represents a watershed moment for Zimsec and the broader education sector. Critical subjects, including Mathematics and English, which were often targeted in past scandals, have been written without incident.
Nash president Arthur Maphosa commended the measures taken, stating, “This success restores confidence in the integrity of our examinations. We are particularly encouraged by the collaboration between Zimsec, schools, and other stakeholders to prevent leaks.”
Zimsec public relations manager, Ms. Nicolette Moyo, emphasized the impact of improved security protocols and awareness campaigns. “We introduced tighter controls over the distribution and handling of examination papers. This collaboration has strengthened our ability to protect the credibility of our examinations,” she said.
Lessons from the Past
Education experts have attributed the success to Zimsec’s adoption of lessons learned from prior failures:
• Enhanced Security: Zimsec has implemented tamper-proof packaging, real-time tracking, and secure storage protocols for examination papers.
• Accountability: Investigations and swift prosecutions of past offenders have acted as a deterrent.
• Awareness: Public campaigns have highlighted the consequences of exam malpractice, encouraging ethical behavior among stakeholders.
Moving Forward
The 2024 leakage-free examinations mark a turning point for Zimbabwe’s education system. The success signals the potential for sustainable integrity if stakeholders maintain vigilance and collaboration.
For now, Zimsec has achieved what many thought impossible: a clean slate in one of the most critical examination periods in Zimbabwe’s history. The focus now shifts to maintaining these standards in future examination cycles.
By Dorrothy Moyo | Johannesburg, South Africa – Floyd Shivambu, Deputy President of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has found himself at the center of a political storm following a social media post that appears to show allegiance to former President Jacob Zuma, sparking accusations of betrayal against EFF leader Julius Malema.
In a now-viral post, Shivambu expressed unwavering support for Jacob Zuma in his purported new role as Secretary General, pledging “optimal dedication, focus, respect, ideological clarity, and unity of all progressive forces.” He further committed to revitalizing structures and ensuring electoral victories, a statement some interpret as a deviation from the EFF’s political stance and a challenge to Malema’s leadership.
Floyd Shivambu Julius Malema- file copyJOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA OCTOBER 16: (SOUTH AFRICA OUT) Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy president Floyd Shivambu and commander-in-chief Julius Malema during a media briefing on allegations that EFF and Shivambu benefited from the VBS bank looting on October 16, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The EFF has exonerated Shivambu from any wrongdoing in the VBS Mutual Bank scandal that allegedly involves his brother Brian Shivambu. (Photo by Lucky Morajane/Foto24/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Tensions in the EFF Leadership?
The post has raised eyebrows within South Africa’s political circles, with some analysts viewing it as a direct affront to Malema’s authority. The EFF, a party known for its militant stance and collective unity under Malema’s leadership, could face internal fractures if Shivambu’s comments are confirmed as a departure from party directives.
Speculation is rife that this move may signal an ideological realignment for Shivambu, who has previously been one of Malema’s most loyal allies. Critics argue that this could weaken the EFF’s cohesion, particularly in the lead-up to the 2024 general elections.
Reactions Across Political Circles
Political commentators and EFF supporters alike have expressed shock at Shivambu’s post. “If this is true, it’s a significant betrayal of Malema and everything the EFF stands for,” said a political analyst. Others suggest the post might indicate behind-the-scenes negotiations or alliances with Zuma’s faction, which could polarize voters further.
Supporters of Malema have taken to social media to express their outrage, with hashtags like #ShivambuBetraysEFF trending across platforms. Meanwhile, opponents of the EFF have seized on the controversy, labeling it as evidence of cracks in the party’s foundation.
Julius Malema Yet to Respond
As of now, Julius Malema has not publicly addressed the matter. Insiders within the EFF suggest a high-level meeting may be convened to address the implications of Shivambu’s statement and its potential impact on the party’s unity and strategy.
Broader Implications
This incident highlights the growing complexities within South Africa’s political landscape, where shifting alliances and ideological differences often blur party lines. The EFF, which prides itself on discipline and loyalty, could face significant challenges if Shivambu’s comments lead to internal divisions or a realignment of political allegiances.
With the country on the brink of a crucial electoral season, all eyes are now on the EFF leadership to see how they will navigate this controversy.
Artisanal Miner Magama Musoni Shot Dead in Alleged Police Confrontation
Shurugwi, Zimbabwe – A well-known artisanal miner from Shurugwi, Magama Musoni, was shot and killed by police at a mine in Mvuma on Saturday afternoon, sparking renewed debate over the controversial activities of the group colloquially known as “maShurugwi.”
Musoni reportedly died on the spot after being shot in the chest while allegedly attempting to free a colleague who had been arrested during a mining operation. Eyewitnesses claim Musoni wrestled with police officers in an attempt to rescue his fellow miner, leading to the fatal incident.
Midweek Watch reports that mourners are gathered at Musoni’s family home in Makusha suburb, Shurugwi town, awaiting the outcome of a postmortem before burial arrangements proceed. However, local police have yet to officially confirm the details of the incident. When contacted for comment, Midlands Province police spokesperson, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, stated he was unable to confirm or deny the shooting as he was in a meeting. Further details are expected later.
Historical and Legal Context of maShurugwi
The incident sheds light on the ongoing controversies surrounding maShurugwi, a term used to describe artisanal miners in Zimbabwe, particularly those from Shurugwi, a gold-rich region. While their activities contribute significantly to the informal economy and rural livelihoods, they have also been mired in violence, lawlessness, and clashes with authorities.
The maShurugwi miners have gained infamy for their use of machetes and other weapons, with some accused of attacking law enforcement officers, rival miners, and local residents. In recent years, the Zimbabwean government has increased efforts to formalize small-scale mining to curb such lawlessness, but the sector remains difficult to regulate due to high unemployment rates and lack of alternative livelihoods.
Zimbabwean law allows artisanal mining under specific licenses, but many operate illegally due to the complexities and costs associated with obtaining permits. This creates a volatile environment where miners and police frequently clash. Saturday’s incident marks the latest in a series of confrontations that underscore the challenges of balancing economic activity with law enforcement and public safety.
Reactions and Questions Raised
The shooting has sparked mixed reactions. Some mourners at Musoni’s wake expressed anger at the use of lethal force by police, arguing that non-lethal methods could have been employed. Others highlighted the broader issue of escalating violence in artisanal mining communities.
“We need to address the root cause of these clashes, which is poverty and lack of opportunities,” said a local activist who declined to be named. “The maShurugwi are a symptom of a broken system, not the cause of it.”
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum has previously criticized the use of excessive force in policing artisanal miners, urging authorities to adopt community engagement and conflict resolution strategies.
As the community mourns Magama Musoni, the incident is likely to reignite debates over the future of artisanal mining in Zimbabwe and the measures needed to address its associated challenges.
Blessing Geza, a war veteran and member of the ZANU PF Central Committee, has strongly condemned party members calling for an extension of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s presidency beyond the constitutionally mandated two terms, labeling their actions as treasonous.
In an exclusive interview with HStv, an online television and radio platform operated by Alpha Media Holdings, Geza expressed his disapproval of a recent ZANU PF resolution passed during the party’s 21st National People’s Conference in Bulawayo. The resolution proposed extending Mnangagwa’s presidency until 2030, a move Geza believes undermines Zimbabwe’s Constitution.
Geza stated: “I was at the conference and I was saddened. First and foremost, we have a Constitution which must be respected by everybody. The President himself took an oath of office to respect the Constitution of Zimbabwe. They took the oath of office so they could protect and defend the Constitution of Zimbabwe, but they are not doing that.”
He went on to accuse those advocating for the extension of committing treason, saying: “They are committing treason. Those people must be arrested and those people must be fired from ZANU PF. We want to see those people charged.”
Geza’s remarks highlight his firm belief that adherence to the Constitution is non-negotiable, and that any efforts to bypass it should be met with serious consequences.
A farm security guard has been ordered to complete unpaid community service after his dog attacked a 10-year-old boy, causing serious injuries, according to a report from The Standard.
The incident occurred on October 12, when the victim and his friends trespassed onto Luipaardsvlei farm in Mukono village, Chipinge, intending to steal macadamia nuts. The boys accessed the farm by cutting through the fence.
Security guard Daniel Simango, 44, confronted the children and released his dog on them. The dog viciously attacked the 10-year-old, leaving severe wounds on his left thigh and private parts.
Simango was sentenced to 14 months in prison, with seven months suspended for five years, provided he maintains good behaviour. The remaining sentence was suspended on the condition that Simango completes 245 hours of community service.
Talent Priveledge Sibanda, a 27-year-old woman from Madhuve Village in Mberengwa, has been sentenced to 26 months in prison for killing her newborn baby.
Sibanda, who had previously separated from her husband in June 2023 and reunited in February 2024 while pregnant with another man’s child, gave birth to a baby girl on October 27, 2024, at around 7 PM while alone.
Tragically, she strangled the infant and buried the body in a nearby field, just meters from her home.
The heinous crime was uncovered when Sibanda’s niece noticed that she was no longer pregnant and reported the incident to the police, leading to Sibanda’s arrest and subsequent arraignment before the Zvishavane Magistrates’ Court on infanticide charges, as prosecuted by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Motherwell has confirmed that Tawanda Maswanhise will be available for Zimbabwe’s upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Qualifiers.
The Warriors are set to face Kenya in the penultimate round of Group J on 15 November at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. They will then travel to Yaoundé, Cameroon, for their final group match on 19 November.
Maswanhise has been named in Zimbabwe’s 23-man squad for both fixtures.
Motherwell expressed their support for the call-up, stating: “Tawanda Maswanhise has earned his place in the Zimbabwe squad.”
With two crucial wins in the previous round of qualifiers, Zimbabwe’s qualification fate is now in their own hands. The team currently sits second in Group J with eight points.
A draw against Kenya will be enough for the Warriors to secure their place in next year’s Afcon tournament.
By Political Reporter- President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s allies in his home province, the Midlands, have reignited the push to extend his term of office, despite Mnangagwa himself having stated that he would step down in 2028.
This renewed ambition for a term extension has rekindled tensions between Mnangagwa and his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, following a temporary truce reached at the Zanu PF conference in Bulawayo last month.
Edson Chiherenge, a vocal supporter of the 2030 agenda and Zanu PF’s Midlands provincial chairperson, was adamant about the push for an extension.
“We want him to continue to rule,” Chiherenge said at a meeting in Kwekwe last week.
“We went to the conference to endorse our resolution as the Midlands province that Mnangagwa should extend his term until 2030… 2030 belongs to Emmerson Mnangagwa.”
Zanu PF’s director of information, Farai Marapira, echoed this sentiment, stating that while the 2030 resolution had been adopted at the conference, the party was still awaiting Mnangagwa’s final stance.
“We respect democracy, and the structures are allowed to speak their minds—that’s the democracy of Zanu PF,” Marapira said.
Despite the provincial push, Mnangagwa himself has publicly stated on three occasions this year that he plans to retire in 2028.
However, a recent, tense, closed-door Politburo meeting between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga suggests that his timeline could be far from settled.
Insiders reported a palpable chill between the two leaders, who reportedly avoided eye contact during heated discussions.
At the heart of the divide is a Mnangagwa-aligned faction that has hinted at a potential constitutional amendment to extend the presidential term to seven years, a move to bolster his Vision 2030 plan.
This proposition, however, clashes with Chiwenga’s interests.
Supported by his military backers, Chiwenga initially opposed Mnangagwa’s bid to stay in office until 2030, pressuring him to announce his tentative exit by 2028. The rift highlights the unravelling of a once-strong alliance.
Initially, the Mnangagwa-Chiwenga partnership—formed to oust former President Robert Mugabe in 2017—was underpinned by a so-called “gentleman’s agreement,” in which Mnangagwa would serve a single term before handing over power to Chiwenga.
Yet, Mnangagwa’s reliance on the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) rather than the military for his re-election campaign in 2023 only deepened the divide, signalling a shift away from their original pact.
To further weaken Chiwenga’s influence, Mnangagwa appointed Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander General Phillip Valerio Sibanda to the Politburo, a strategic move aimed at diluting Chiwenga’s power base within the military.
As Zanu PF members remain divided, Mnangagwa’s intentions regarding his term remain uncertain, with speculation mounting that the power struggle within the party is far from over.
On September 27, 2020, the English Premier League witnessed one of the most extraordinary matchdays in its history, as 3 of its top clubs suffered shocking defeats. The top bets on 1x Bet are available for wagering on the great Premier League too. The 3 results in question were:
Manchester City 2-5 Leicester City
Manchester United 1-6 Tottenham Hotspur;
and Aston Villa 7-2 Liverpool.
All of these matches took place on the 3rd match of the 2020-2021 Premier League season. Let’s start with Manchester City’s match. Despite taking an early lead through Riyad Mahrez, City was undone by a superb performance from Jamie Vardy, who netted a hat-trick. There are top bets on the 1xBet website that can also be made on whether someone will score a hat-trick too.
Leicester’s counter-attacking play exposed City’s defensive frailties, particularly with the penalties conceded. This marked the first time Pep Guardiola’s side conceded 5 goals in a match, raising questions about their defense and tactical approach early in the season.
Manchester United 1-6 Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United’s loss to Tottenham Hotspur on the same day was equally shocking. You can sign up at www.1xbet.ng/en/registration and start wagering on the Red Devils today.
Despite scoring first through a Bruno Fernandes penalty, United collapsed as Spurs capitalized on their defensive disarray. A red card for Anthony Martial worsened United’s plight, and Tottenham took full advantage, with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min running rampant. The 1xBet platform features all matches of Tottenham too.
The 1-6 loss at Old Trafford intensified scrutiny on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s management and defensive setup, as it was one of the heaviest home defeats in United’s history.
Aston Villa 7-2 Liverpool
The icing on the cake was Aston Villa thrashing reigning champions Liverpool 7-2. If you place football bet online today at 1xBet, you can also wager on whether other incredible results will happen too.
Villa’s aggressive pressing and clinical finishing, led by Ollie Watkins’ hat-trick, exploited a disjointed Liverpool defense. Jürgen Klopp’s side was missing key players, including goalkeeper Alisson, but the sheer scale of the defeat was unprecedented.
Liverpool’s high defensive line was repeatedly punished, and the loss marked the first time Liverpool conceded 6 goals in a game since 1963, raising concerns about their defensive resilience.
As you can see, even the Premier League can give some shocking surprises from time to time. An online football bet can also be placed today on Liverpool and all other teams of the extraordinary Premier League 1xBet.
By Political Reporter – The ruling Zanu PF party has unveiled plans for a sweeping Constitutional Amendment Bill that could set the stage for manipulating the 2028 election.
The proposed changes would shift control of the voter registration process from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to the Civil Registry Department (CRD), raising concerns about election integrity and echoing past vote-rigging tactics allegedly employed by former Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede.
For decades, Mudede played a central role in manipulating voter rolls in favour of Zanu PF, exploiting the names of deceased individuals to inflate votes through “ghost voters.”
By maintaining outdated or inaccurate records, he could ensure that the names of deceased citizens remained on the voters’ roll, allowing votes to be cast in their names to secure Zanu PF’s electoral dominance.
This approach not only skewed election results but also eroded public trust in the electoral process, as the lack of transparent voter roll management facilitated widespread manipulation.
The proposed automated system would use biometric data and ID information collected by the CRD to register all Zimbabweans automatically upon reaching 18 years old.
Unlike previous systems where ZEC maintained the voters’ roll, the new law would give the CRD – under direct government control – authority over voter registration and roll management.
Once registered, citizens would be assigned polling stations based on their ID application address, with the option to update addresses if they relocate.
Although the CRD has indicated plans to remove deceased individuals automatically using death certificate data, many fear that such a shift could re-enable historic vote-rigging tactics.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has defended the proposed changes, emphasizing the intent to streamline voter registration and ensure a complete voter roll.
“The proposal is to transfer the role of voter registration to the Registrar-General’s Office, which maintains records from birth to death,” he said.
However, the automated nature of the new system and its reliance on government-held records evoke concerns that Zanu PF could exploit it to manipulate outcomes.
By embedding registration within the CRD, the government could potentially control voter assignments, suppress opposition strongholds, and revive ghost-voter tactics.
With Zimbabwe’s history of disputed elections and allegations of electoral manipulation, many opposition leaders and civil society groups view this proposed law as yet another tool for Zanu PF to entrench its power.
The question of whether the CRD will act impartially remains open, especially given the long-standing relationship between state institutions and Zanu PF’s political interests.
As the bill progresses, it will face intense scrutiny from both domestic and international observers, who see it as a critical test for Zimbabwe’s democratic processes ahead of the 2028 election.
Motherwell has confirmed that Tawanda Maswanhise will be available for Zimbabwe’s upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Qualifiers.
The Warriors are set to face Kenya in the penultimate round of Group J on 15 November at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. They will then travel to Yaoundé, Cameroon, for their final group match on 19 November.
Maswanhise has been named in Zimbabwe’s 23-man squad for both fixtures.
Motherwell expressed their support for the call-up, stating: “Tawanda Maswanhise has earned his place in the Zimbabwe squad.”
With two crucial wins in the previous round of qualifiers, Zimbabwe’s qualification fate is now in their own hands. The team currently sits second in Group J with eight points.
A draw against Kenya will be enough for the Warriors to secure their place in next year’s Afcon tournament.
In the modern age, mobile phones have become an integral part of our daily lives, offering constant connectivity, convenience, and entertainment.
However, when it comes to driving, these devices pose a significant risk.
Using a mobile phone while behind the wheel is not just a bad habit—it’s a dangerous behaviour that severely impairs a driver’s ability to stay focused and respond quickly to hazards. The act of using a mobile phone while driving introduces three key types of distractions: physical, visual, and mental. Each of these distractions can lead to catastrophic consequences, not only for the driver but also for other road users.
Physical Distraction: Diverting Hands from the Wheel
A physical distraction occurs when a driver’s hands are no longer engaged with the wheel, which is critical for maintaining control of the vehicle. Whether the driver is texting, scrolling through social media, or dialing a number, the act of manipulating a phone can cause a significant loss of control. This momentary lack of focus could result in swerving between lanes, failure to respond to traffic signals, or a delayed reaction to sudden changes in road conditions.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers who take their hands off the wheel for just a few seconds to use their phone are much more likely to experience an accident, as the vehicle can drift out of lane or fail to stop in time.
Visual Distraction: Taking Eyes Off the Road
Perhaps the most obvious and dangerous consequence of using a mobile phone while driving is the visual distraction it creates. A driver must constantly monitor the road to respond to other vehicles, pedestrians, traffic signs, and changing road conditions. When a driver looks down at their phone screen—whether to read a message, check an email, or browse the internet—they are not paying full attention to the road.
This distraction can have deadly consequences, especially on high-speed roads or in areas where quick reactions are necessary. Studies have shown that even brief glances at a phone screen significantly reduce a driver’s reaction time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), taking your eyes off the road for just five seconds while driving at 55 mph is like driving the length of a football field blindfolded.
Mental Distraction: Diverting Focus and Attention
Mental distraction, or cognitive distraction, is often the hardest to recognize but one of the most dangerous. Even if a driver’s hands remain on the wheel and their eyes stay on the road, the mental engagement required to use a mobile phone can severely impair their cognitive focus. Responding to a text, reading an email, or listening to a notification requires processing information, making decisions, and shifting attention—all of which reduce the driver’s ability to stay alert to their surroundings.
The brain is not equipped to handle multiple complex tasks at the same time, especially when it comes to tasks that require focused attention like driving. A driver who is mentally distracted by their phone is less likely to notice an approaching pedestrian, a sudden change in traffic conditions, or an unexpected obstacle on the road.
The Fatal Consequences of Distractions
The combination of physical, visual, and mental distractions makes the use of a mobile phone behind the wheel incredibly dangerous.
In 2021 alone, distracted driving led to over 3,100 fatalities in the United States, with a significant portion of these incidents linked to mobile phone use. The danger extends beyond the driver, affecting passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists who share the road.
What makes the situation even more alarming is that distractions, particularly from mobile phones, can happen in an instant. A driver who feels they can “quickly” reply to a text or check a notification may fail to recognize that in those few seconds, a life-threatening accident could unfold. The slightest impairment—whether it’s the distraction from a screen, the loss of control, or the lapse in attention—can lead to irreversible consequences.
The Importance of Staying Focused
Given the dangers of distracted driving, it is crucial that drivers prioritize safety by keeping their attention solely on the road. While mobile phones have become a necessity for many, using them while driving should be avoided at all costs. Here are a few ways drivers can reduce the risks:
Use Hands-Free Features: Many phones offer voice-activated functions that allow you to make calls or send messages without touching the device.
Activate “Do Not Disturb” Mode: This feature can silence notifications while driving, preventing distractions from incoming messages or alerts.
Pull Over Safely: If you absolutely need to check your phone or respond to a message, pull over to a safe area rather than attempting to do so while driving.
Lead by Example: Encouraging others to stay off their phones while driving can help create a culture of road safety.
Conclusion
Using mobile phones while driving is not just a minor inconvenience—it’s a dangerous habit that compromises all aspects of a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle safely. Physical, visual, and mental distractions combine to create a hazardous situation that endangers not only the driver but also everyone on the road. As drivers, we must recognize the severe consequences of distracted driving and commit to staying fully focused on the task at hand. Road safety requires our complete attention, and the cost of distraction is simply too high.
Produced by Safety and Victims Advocacy Foundation (The Gambia)
Tatenda Mavetera, Zimbabwe’s Minister of ICT, has reversed her earlier threat to prosecute WhatsApp administrators who do not obtain a $2500 license.
The Minister deleted her previous announcement and issued a public retraction following widespread criticism. The policy was first exposed by ZimEye news network two days ago. When asked why it took four days to address the issue, Mavetera responded on X, explaining that she had been traveling non-stop for 12,145 km. She also issued a public apology to the people of Zimbabwe for the confusion.
ZimEye, which has been holding the government to account for over 16 years, has conducted numerous investigations, including the in-depth “Gold Mafia” series in partnership with Al Jazeera. Their ongoing commitment is to thoroughly investigate stories of significance to the African public.
Minister Mavetera’s Statement:
In her statement on Saturday, Mavetera sought to distance herself from the false claim that the government intended to impose a $2500 license or penalties on WhatsApp group administrators. She clarified:
“I would like to refute the malicious false claims that the government intends to license or penalize WhatsApp groups or administrators. This claim is not applicable to platforms that do not collect or process Personally Identifiable Information (PII) for commercial or business purposes.”
PII includes data like names, addresses, phone numbers, passport information, and ID numbers that can be used to identify individuals.
Mavetera further urged the public to disregard the misleading announcement, calling it inconsistent with existing legal provisions under Statutory Instrument (SI) 155 of the 2024 Cyber and Data Protection Regulations. She emphasized that in her LinkedIn post, she never indicated any intention to regulate or penalize WhatsApp groups that do not process PII for business purposes.
The Minister reassured the public that the government, through the Ministry of ICT, remains committed to advancing cyber and data security, ensuring that no one is left offline.
This aligns with the constitutional mandate to promote universal access to information in a safe and secure environment.
…”Hon Mavetera muri free when timbosangana ?,” he wrote with a love emoji suggesting a proposal for an affair…
By Showbiz Reporter | ZimEye | Zimbabwean socialite and humorist Thomas Chizhanje has once again captivated the nation with his satirical take on Minister Tatenda Mavetera’s now-reversed policy on WhatsApp administrators. In a Facebook exchange that has since gone viral, Chizhanje “handed himself” over for police arrest, humorously offering to be the first WhatsApp administrator detained for failing to pay the controversial USD 2,500 licensing fee. This policy, which aimed to regulate group administrators, caused an uproar before it was swiftly withdrawn.
”Hon Mavetera muri free when timbosangana ?,” he wrote with a love emoji suggesting a proposal for an affair.
The exchange between the socialite and the Minister
When the minister jokingly questioned whether Chizhanje was indeed an administrator, “Asi uri Admin here nhai Thomas Chizhanje?,” asked the minister.
“Haasi hake admin weWhatsApp, asi ndi admin wezve Equatorial Guinea Affairs,” (he’s not a WhatsApp admin, but is an admin of Equatorial Guinea Affairs), a follower replied.
“Hon. Tatenda Mavetera, ndiri ready kuenda kujeri ndive admin wekutanga kupiswa! License fee yangu handina… ndichibhadharira kupi?” (Hon. Tatenda Mavetera, I’m ready to go to jail as the first admin to be punished! I don’t have the license fee… where would I even pay it?), Chizhanje was understood to be saying so even though he did not.
This tongue-in-cheek remark referenced the international scandal involving Beltazar, a government official from Equatorial Guinea, who is alleged to have been caught in a sex tape scandal spanning 400 videos. By making this connection, Chizhanje highlighted the absurdity of the initial WhatsApp policy while tapping into global headlines for comedic effect.
The development comes as Minister Mavetera on Saturday night apologized for the confusion her statements caused, admitting that the policy was misunderstood. When asked why she took four days to attend to her statement she replied saying that this was because she was travelling for over 12,145 km.
However, this did little to stem the tide of public ridicule. Social media users have continued to mock her qualifications and judgment, with some saying, “Tatenda Mavetera anoda kuisa munhu kujeri nekuda kwegroup,” (Tatenda Mavetera wants to jail someone for a WhatsApp group).
Chizhanje’s commentary has struck a chord with many Zimbabweans, who see humor as a way to critique governance. One user remarked, “Thomas Chizhanje ari kutiudza chokwadi nehuchapa. Policy dzekushaya basa ngadzimire!” (Thomas Chizhanje is telling the truth with humor. Useless policies must stop!). Another added, “Kana policy yako yava nyaya yekusekwa, unofanira kuzvibvunza,” (If your policy becomes a joke, you need to reflect).
This incident underscores how Zimbabweans have turned to humor as a tool to process and critique political and social issues. Chizhanje’s playful, yet sharp satire not only entertained but also underscored the disconnect between governance and public sentiment, turning what was a contentious issue into a moment of collective reflection and laughter.
Talent Priveledge Sibanda, a 27-year-old woman from Madhuve Village in Mberengwa, has been sentenced to 26 months in prison for killing her newborn baby.
Sibanda, who had previously separated from her husband in June 2023 and reunited in February 2024 while pregnant with another man’s child, gave birth to a baby girl on October 27, 2024, at around 7 PM while alone.
Tragically, she strangled the infant and buried the body in a nearby field, just meters from her home.
The heinous crime was uncovered when Sibanda’s niece noticed that she was no longer pregnant and reported the incident to the police, leading to Sibanda’s arrest and subsequent arraignment before the Zvishavane Magistrates’ Court on infanticide charges, as prosecuted by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Blessing Geza, a war veteran and member of the ZANU PF Central Committee, has strongly condemned party members calling for an extension of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s presidency beyond the constitutionally mandated two terms, labeling their actions as treasonous.
In an exclusive interview with HStv, an online television and radio platform operated by Alpha Media Holdings, Geza expressed his disapproval of a recent ZANU PF resolution passed during the party’s 21st National People’s Conference in Bulawayo. The resolution proposed extending Mnangagwa’s presidency until 2030, a move Geza believes undermines Zimbabwe’s Constitution.
Geza stated: “I was at the conference and I was saddened. First and foremost, we have a Constitution which must be respected by everybody. The President himself took an oath of office to respect the Constitution of Zimbabwe. They took the oath of office so they could protect and defend the Constitution of Zimbabwe, but they are not doing that.”
He went on to accuse those advocating for the extension of committing treason, saying: “They are committing treason. Those people must be arrested and those people must be fired from ZANU PF. We want to see those people charged.”
Geza’s remarks highlight his firm belief that adherence to the Constitution is non-negotiable, and that any efforts to bypass it should be met with serious consequences.
By Political Reporter – Social media is buzzing with reactions to a glaring typo on Lupane State University’s graduation program, where the word “University” was mistakenly printed as “Univervisity.”
This notable blunder occurred at LSU’s 15th graduation ceremony, presided over by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who serves as Chancellor of the university.
The error, found on the cover of the official graduation handbook, has sparked criticism, with many questioning how such an oversight could pass through the institution’s communications department, reportedly staffed with IT and communications professionals.
The team failed to catch the mistake before going to print, an oversight that has raised eyebrows about their proofreading standards.
President Mnangagwa conferred degrees on 1,708 graduates, with female graduates making up 59% of the cohort.
Vice Chancellor Professor Pardon Kuipa praised the high number of female graduates and highlighted the milestone as the university celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Held under the theme “Celebrating Two Decades of Empowering Communities, Shaping Minds, and Creating Positive Futures for All,” the ceremony aimed to honor the university’s legacy of academic growth—despite the unfortunate typo casting a shadow over the event.
By Political Reporter – President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly increased his security detail in response to assassination threats.
Mnangagwa, who already travels with more than 50 security aides, is said to have significantly bolstered this already expansive team, adding to a security budget that now costs the national treasury millions of dollars.
Sources reveal that additional security has been deployed not only to his entourage but also to those responsible for guarding his residences.
“There has been a noticeable increase in security measures surrounding the President’s movement and residence. Discussions are also underway about reshuffling top security officials, as the President suspects some might be compromised,” a highly-placed source informed ZimEye on Sunday.
The assassination threat reportedly came in the form of a letter, which was distributed widely, with copies sent to various government ministries and media organisations.
The heightened security comes amid political tensions in Zimbabwe, where Mnangagwa has faced criticism for his government’s economic policies, alleged corruption, and authoritarian practices.
The additional security measures suggest his administration is taking the threats seriously amid these challenging times.
Let me commence by saying that I have infiltrated your country and that my agents have your head in their sights. Make one wrong move and you’ll be gone. It will be a clean hit.
The tariff was 10 million US Dollars from an underworld contact. It will be fulfilled.
I know where Mugabe hid that gold. It will be returned to the British and American authorities.
You are a sick tyrant. You are worse than Mugabe. You have no soul. You are worse than the Devil. You blame the sanctions but it is your sick narcissistic corruption that has resulted in the sanctions. You are responsible for horrific crimes about which I cannot even speak.
Please watch your next move – it may be your last.
The new regulation requiring WhatsApp group admins to register and obtain a license from POTRAZ marks a significant shift in Zimbabwe’s approach to digital communication and data protection. This policy has serious implications, particularly for informal social and community groups where members commonly share information freely and interact without regulatory oversight. Imposing a $50 – $2,500 fee, appointing a Data Protection Officer, and complying with stringent data protection laws creates considerable barriers for average citizens running groups for non-commercial purposes, such as family chats, community initiatives, or social clubs. This will discourage the creation of such groups, stifling informal networks that play a vital role in Zimbabwean social life.
One of the primary concerns is the potential impact on freedom of expression and privacy. WhatsApp, with its end-to-end encryption, has been a safe space for Zimbabweans to share views, news, and ideas, often in response to restricted or highly regulated formal media. By requiring licenses and government training for group admins, the government may gain greater oversight of digital discourse. Many Zimbabweans feel that this measure is a surveillance tactic, restricting their freedom to communicate freely online. Additionally, the financial burden of licensing and training could deter people from running groups at all, reducing opportunities for citizens to gather, organize, and discuss community or national issues.
Furthermore, with the potential fines or imprisonment for non-compliance, this policy will inadvertently create a culture of fear around digital communication. The regulation primarily benefits the government by limiting spaces where citizens can exchange ideas, organize, and hold authorities accountable. In short, this regulation is anti-people. While data protection is essential in a digital society, the unintended consequences will disrupt Zimbabwe’s social fabric, stifling grassroots movements, religious discussions, and other informal yet essential interactions.
While data privacy is a crucial concern in the modern digital era, such regulations should ideally focus on balancing privacy protection with respect for citizens’ rights to communicate and organize freely.
Supporters of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF party are attempting to paint a rosy picture of the embattled Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency, claiming it is making gains against the US dollar despite ongoing challenges.
A Zanu PF official confidently stated, “MONETARY policy measures to contain the exchange rate are paying off as the local currency, the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), has recorded an over 10 percent gain to the United States Dollar (USD) since the beginning of November.”
According to data from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s Interbank foreign exchange market, the ZiG currency has strengthened from Z$28.6829 per USD on November 1 to Z$25.5893 per dollar by the close of business on Friday, reflecting an 11 percent gain.
“This trend is the result of interventions by monetary authorities, who have injected hard currency into the market to support import requirements for industry and commerce,” a government source revealed. The source added that these interventions were coupled with a hike in the bank rate, aimed at stabilizing the exchange rate.
Zimbabwe’s power supply challenges continue to worsen, prompting the government to scramble for any possible solution to ease the ongoing crisis. In a desperate attempt to alleviate the persistent power shortages, the state-owned power utility, ZESA, is increasingly turning to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to supplement the national grid.
With aging infrastructure, low water levels at the Kariba Dam, and ongoing maintenance issues at the Hwange power station, the government has found itself in a tight spot, scrambling for alternatives. The urgency to bring additional power into the grid has led to a significant push for the operationalisation of more IPPs. These producers, who are now feeding power into the grid, are seen as a critical lifeline in the country’s bid to address the electricity shortage.
“We are now a generating plant, and ZESA also wants power from us,” said Mr. Wilson Mujuru, an engineer at the Turk Mine Solar Plant. He emphasized the plant’s role in alleviating some of the pressure on Zimbabwe’s national grid. The Turk Mine solar plant, one of several new IPPs licensed by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA), is expected to add much-needed capacity to the country’s strained energy sector.
The government’s growing desperation is evident in its reliance on smaller-scale, privately operated power plants. These new IPPs, such as the Turk Mine Solar Plant with its 4.5 Megawatt (MW) capacity, are seen as crucial to filling the gap left by the country’s aging and underperforming power plants.
“The IPPs have come in at a critical time,” explained ZERA’s Compliance and Monitoring Officer, Engineer Josiah Ncube. “We’ve been facing challenges with Kariba, particularly with low water levels, and there are ongoing maintenance issues at Hwange. So, the addition of these independent producers is a godsend. A plant like Turk, with 4.5 MW, may seem small, but it can significantly ease the pressure on our main power sources.”
Despite the government’s efforts to push forward with IPPs, the situation remains dire, with regular power outages affecting businesses and households across the country. With the 2030 vision of an upper-middle-income economy fast approaching, the pressure is mounting on ZESA and the government to stabilize power supply, which remains a critical pillar of economic development.
The push for IPPs represents both a desperate measure and a potential long-term solution, with the government hoping that more plants like Turk Mine will help reduce the burden on traditional power sources and provide a steady supply to meet the country’s growing energy needs.
Kenya’s national football team, the Harambee Stars, have unveiled their squad for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Zimbabwe. Coach Engin Firat has named a mix of seasoned players and emerging talents for the crucial Group J fixture, set to be played on Friday, November 15, at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, South Africa, due to stadium issues in Zimbabwe.
The match, originally scheduled for Harare, will kick off at 6:00 PM CAT, with the Stars also preparing for their final Group J match against Namibia on November 19 at the same venue.
The Squad
Goalkeepers
Byrne Odhiambo
Faruk Shikhalo
Ian Otieno
Defenders
Daniel Anyembe
Amos Wanjala
Amos Nondi
Joseph Okumu
Johnstone Omurwa
Charles Momanyi
Eric Ouma
Abud Omar
Midfielders
Anthony Akumu
Marvin Nabwire
Duke Abuya
Timothy Ouma
Richard Odada
Austine Odhiambo
Ronney Onyango
Alfred Scriven
Leshan Mootian
Adam Wilson
Forwards
Michael Olunga
Jonah Ayunga
John Avire
With qualification hopes riding high, the Harambee Stars will be aiming for a strong performance in these two critical fixtures, as they look to secure their spot in the 2025 AFCON tournament.
A Zimbabwean armed robber was killed and two accomplices were injured in a shootout with police and a private security team in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, following a robbery on Wednesday night. According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the trio engaged in gunfire after being cornered while counting their stolen goods in a rented room.
SAPS stated that the three suspects—all Zimbabwean nationals—were confronted by law enforcement officers and security personnel in the early hours of Thursday, November 7, 2024, after committing a robbery at a local business in Elukwatini. SAPS reported:
“An investigation is underway following a business robbery at Elukwatini in the early hours of Wednesday, November 6, 2024, around 1:30 AM. Officers from SAPS, in collaboration with a private security company, responded to the robbery and shot the three suspects, with one dying from his injuries, while two others sustained gunshot wounds.
The matter will be reviewed by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.”
Police were alerted to the robbery in progress at a filling station at Nhlazatshe Crossings, where the suspects had stolen cash, cigarettes, and betting vouchers.
A follow-up investigation led officers to a nearby rented room, where they cornered the suspects.
Former Zanu PF heavyweight Saviour Tyson Kasukuwere has weighed in on the recent booing of President Emmerson Mnangagwa during his visit to Botswana, suggesting that the incident is a clear sign of his declining popularity.
Speaking out after the embarrassing episode, Kasukuwere, who was disqualified from the 2023 Presidential race and served as Zanu PF’s national political commissar, argued that moments like these should prompt self-reflection.
“Certain events, behaviours, and reactions you get require a moment of deep reflection,” he stated.
Kasukuwere continued, emphasizing the importance of introspection, particularly when foreigners begin to show disrespect:
“We are all not perfect, but, once people—including foreigners—start disrespecting you, introspection becomes necessary.”
The incident took place when Mnangagwa attended the inauguration of Duma Boko as the new President of Botswana.
As Mnangagwa arrived, he was met with boos from some sections of the crowd, highlighting the growing dissatisfaction with his leadership both at home and abroad.
Kasukuwere, who has had a tumultuous relationship with Mnangagwa and Zanu PF, also noted that wisdom and age should ideally go hand in hand.
His remarks seem to suggest that leaders should be self-aware, particularly when their actions and public reception begin to indicate a shift in public sentiment.
Kasukuwere’s comments reflect a broader critique of Mnangagwa’s leadership, urging both the President and his supporters to consider the consequences of a growing disconnect between the government and the people.
The government has refuted claims regarding licensing fees for WhatsApp administrators.
ICT Minister Tatenda Mavetera made this clarification on Saturday, stating:
“I would like to distance myself from the malicious and false rumors that the government intends to license or penalize WhatsApp groups or administrators of any social media platforms with a USD 2,500 fee.”
Mavetera emphasized that this claim is not applicable to individuals or groups that do not collect or process Personally Identifiable Information (PII) for commercial or business purposes. PII refers to any data that can identify a person, such as their name, address, phone number, passport information, or ID number.
He urged the public to disregard this false information, as it is inconsistent with legal provisions outlined in Statutory Instrument (SI) 155 of the 2024 Cyber and Data Protection (Licensing of Data Controllers and Appointment of Data Protection Officers) Regulations.
Mavetera also clarified that in his LinkedIn post, he never suggested any intention to license or penalize WhatsApp groups or administrators who do not collect or process PII for business purposes.
He reassured the public of the government’s commitment, through the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, to enhance cyber and data security while promoting access to information in a safe and secure environment.
“This is in line with our constitutional mandate to ensure that everyone has access to information, and that no one and no place is left offline,” Mavetera concluded.
However, observers have noted that the government has been forced to make an embarrassing reversal of its earlier proposal in response to a public outcry.
Supporters of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF party are attempting to paint a rosy picture of the embattled Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency, claiming it is making gains against the US dollar despite ongoing challenges.
A Zanu PF official confidently stated, “MONETARY policy measures to contain the exchange rate are paying off as the local currency, the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), has recorded an over 10 percent gain to the United States Dollar (USD) since the beginning of November.”
According to data from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s Interbank foreign exchange market, the ZiG currency has strengthened from Z$28.6829 per USD on November 1 to Z$25.5893 per dollar by the close of business on Friday, reflecting an 11 percent gain.
“This trend is the result of interventions by monetary authorities, who have injected hard currency into the market to support import requirements for industry and commerce,” a government source revealed. The source added that these interventions were coupled with a hike in the bank rate, aimed at stabilizing the exchange rate.
By Showbiz Reporter | ZimEye | Zimbabwean social media is abuzz after Collins Mnangagwa, one of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s sons, officially engaged the sister of Dyonne, the former girlfriend of musician Desmond “Stunner” Chideme. The engagement comes just a year after Stunner’s first high-profile relationship with Pokello Nare ended in her marriage to Emmerson Mnangagwa Jr., sparking comparisons and conversations about Stunner’s love life and its entanglement with the Mnangagwa family.
Collins Mnangagwa with Kelsea
The Engagement Shoot
The photo circulating online depicts a glamorous moment between Collins and Kelsey. Collins is seen kneeling in a black velvet tuxedo, a gesture of devotion as he gently kisses Kelsea’s hand. His posture conveys humility and adoration, contrasted by Kelsea’s commanding presence.
Kelsea, dressed in an elegant, form-fitting red lace gown, stands confidently with her long black hair styled into a sleek ponytail that cascades down her back. The dress, accentuating her figure, is a bold shade of scarlet symbolizing love and passion, adorned with intricate embroidery. Her poised stance and composed facial expression exude authority and confidence. The setting of the shoot—bright and luxurious—features white walls, marble accents, and natural lighting, emphasizing elegance and opulence.
Stunner’s Second High-Profile Loss
This engagement marks a second instance where a former romantic partner of Stunner has moved into Zimbabwe’s first family. Last year, socialite and businesswoman Pokello Nare, Stunner’s former girlfriend, tied the knot with Emmerson Mnangagwa Jr., further intertwining the artist’s personal life with the Mnangagwa family.
Stunner, one of Zimbabwe’s most famous musicians, has yet to comment publicly on this new development. However, his romantic history continues to be a source of fascination for fans and followers of Zimbabwean pop culture.
The engagement has sparked widespread discussion across platforms, with many drawing parallels between Dyonne and Pokello’s moves into the Mnangagwa family. While some praised Kelsea’s elevation into one of Zimbabwe’s most powerful families, others speculated on the implications for Stunner’s reputation, both romantically and professionally.
Critics have taken to social media to question the pattern, suggesting that Stunner’s ex-girlfriends are drawn to power and wealth, while fans of the musician have defended him, calling for privacy and respect amid the situation.
As Collins Mnangagwa and Kelsey celebrate their new chapter, Zimbabweans remain captivated by the intersection of politics, entertainment, and romance. The union marks another high-profile relationship for the Mnangagwa family, cementing their influence not just in the political arena but also in the country’s social and cultural circles.- ZimEye
Maputo – The post-election violence in Mozambique has escalated, claiming at least 20 lives as unrest continues to grip the nation.
Protests erupted following the disputed October 9 election results, which returned the ruling FRELIMO party to power, with Daniel Chapo securing 71% of the vote.
However, widespread opposition and allegations of electoral fraud have spurred a fierce backlash.
On Thursday, police deployed tear gas to disperse demonstrators in Maputo, protesting the validity of the election outcome.
This unrest has expanded to key locations, with the Ressano Garcia border post between Mozambique and South Africa becoming a flashpoint.
Earlier this week, 15 Mozambican officials stationed at the border were attacked by protesters and have since sought refuge across the border in South Africa, prompting a temporary closure of the border by South African authorities.
The border post has now partially re-opened, but tensions remain high as Mozambican resilience continues to fuel the resistance.
The turmoil highlights a growing regional trend, where former liberation movements-turned-governing parties struggle to balance democratic ideals with their entrenched power structures.
FRELIMO, much like Zimbabwe’s ZANU-PF, South Africa’s ANC, and Namibia’s SWAPO, originated as champions of independence but now face criticism for failing to embody the democratic principles they once fought for.
Increasingly, these parties exhibit a “liberation ownership” mentality, treating governance as a right earned in struggle rather than a responsibility conferred by the electorate.
Mozambique’s Defense Minister Cristovao Chume has threatened a military crackdown on protests, framing them as efforts to destabilize “democratically established power.”
However, opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who finished second with 21% in the controversial poll, has called for continued protests.
His movement underscores the resilience of Mozambicans as they demand transparency and electoral integrity.
The wave of political change sweeping Southern Africa—marked by recent democratic gains in Botswana, evolving political dynamics in South Africa, and Zimbabwe’s contentious 2023 election—adds regional pressure on SADC to respond to Mozambique’s crisis.
SADC’s credibility is further strained under its current chair, Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose government faces ongoing scrutiny for alleged interference in regional electoral processes, including Botswana and Mozambique.
This rising tide of citizen-led demand for accountability challenges the entrenched legacies of Southern Africa’s liberation parties.
From economic inequality in South Africa under the ANC to Zimbabwe’s political repression, the disconnect between liberation-era governments and their citizens has fostered public disillusionment and calls for reform.
For Mozambique, the resilience of its people underscores their demand for genuine democracy and serves as a poignant reminder of the unfulfilled promises lingering across the region.
Minister Tatenda Mavetera Withdraws Controversial WhatsApp Group Administrator Penalties Directive
By A Correspondent | ZimEye | Zimbabwe’s ICT Minister Tatenda Mavetera has distanced herself from the controversial directive that proposed licensing and penalties for WhatsApp group administrators. The directive, which suggested penalties ranging between USD 50 to USD 2500 for group administrators failing to comply with data protection regulations, sparked widespread public outrage and was heavily criticized for infringing on free expression and privacy rights.
The backlash intensified following public criticism and an exposé by ZimEye, which highlighted inconsistencies in the directive and questioned its enforceability. In her revised statement, Minister Mavetera claimed the initial directive was a “misunderstanding” and sought to clarify the government’s position.
Minister Mavetera’s Statement
“False claim of USD 2500 penalties for WhatsApp Group Administrators.
I would like [to] distance myself from the malicious fake news of intentions by [the] government to licence or penalise WhatsApp Groups or Administrators of any social media platform/s [with] USD 2500.
This claim is not applicable especially to players who do not collect and process Personally Identifiable Information (PII) for commercial or business use.
Personally identifiable information (PII) is any type of data that can be used to identify someone, from their name, address to their phone number, passport information, and ID number.
The public is encouraged to disregard this notice with the utmost discontent it deserves as it is inconsistent with our legal provisions as espoused.”
Public Reaction and Criticism
Despite the retraction, critics continue to question the minister’s actions, with some accusing her of backtracking under pressure. The initial announcement led to a flurry of questions, including:
1. Responsibility During the Crisis:
“As a cabinet minister, how many km did you move non-stop for several days, and were you the one driving the car/boat that you couldn’t use your cellphone as the country went on fire under your own threat to criminalize WhatsApp Group Admins without a USD50–USD2500 license?”
2. Accountability for the Announcement:
“Have you now deleted your announcement?”
“Have you notified the police and POTRAZ to delete your announcement?”
3. Clarity for the Public:
“Have you notified the public to disregard your USD50–USD2500 announcement?”
“Have you asked your secretary to edit the obscured English in this your Saturday new announcement so that the country can understand?”
Implications of the Directive
The proposed penalties, as initially presented, raised concerns about:
• Free Speech: Critics argued that holding group administrators accountable for the actions of their members could stifle open communication and discourage the use of social platforms.
• Impractical Enforcement: Questions were raised about how authorities would monitor and enforce such penalties without violating privacy rights.
• Targeting Ordinary Citizens: Many felt the directive unfairly singled out ordinary users, many of whom rely on WhatsApp groups for business, social, and community activities.
Moving Forward
The Ministry of ICT has yet to outline a clear path for addressing data protection concerns in a way that respects citizens’ rights to privacy and free expression. Meanwhile, activists and civil society groups are urging the government to engage in consultations before implementing any regulations affecting digital platforms.
This episode highlights the growing tension between governments seeking to regulate digital spaces and the public’s demand for privacy and freedom of expression. Whether this will serve as a lesson for more inclusive policymaking remains to be seen.
1. As a cabinet minister, how many km did you move non-stop for several days and were you the one driving the car/boat that you couldn’t use your cellphone as the country went on fire under your own threat to criminalise WhatsApp Group Admins without a USD50-USD2500 License?
By Crime and Courts Reporter – President Emmerson Mnangagwa is targeting Commissioner-General (CG) Godwin Matanga, with plans to replace him with Deputy Commissioner-General (DCG) Stephen Mutamba.
Last month, Mnangagwa dismissed the head of the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s (ZRP) paramilitary Support Unit, with sources suggesting it was a forced retirement.
Two deputies from the unit were also reassigned to ZRP headquarters in Harare.
Sources told ZimEye that these moves are linked to power struggles within Zanu PF, as police operations may have conflicted with the interests of politicians aligned with Mnangagwa’s faction.
The Zimbabwe Independent reported this week that Matanga, appointed in 2018 after Robert Mugabe’s ouster in the 2017 military intervention, may not complete his term ending in 2028, with speculation he could be reassigned to a diplomatic post.
Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe denied knowledge of the shake-up, stating, “I am not aware of that; in any case, I am away on government business. You can check with the acting minister.”
Matanga took over from Augustine Chihuri, who fled into exile following the 2017 coup.
A senior government official stated, “These changes aim to revitalise law enforcement and align it with Mnangagwa’santi-corruption agenda.” The official added that Matanga “may not complete his second term,” and hinted at further restructuring within the police force, part of a broader pattern of changes Mnangagwa has made across Zimbabwe’ssecurity apparatus.
Matanga, during the Desiel PaChinhoyi era, was in charge of the Support Unit, known as the “Black Boots,”.
Headquartered at Chikurubi, it operates across multiple districts, including Chikurubi Urban and Rural, Fairbridge (Bulawayo), Buchwa (Zvishavane), and Changadzi.
Its mandate includes crowd control, disaster response, border patrol, and high-profile security details.
Matanga transformed the Support Unit to became increasingly militarised and effectively functioned as a paramilitary arm of Zanu PF, often tasked with suppressing protests and intimidating opposition, especially around election periods.
The “Black Boots” gained infamy for their heavy-handed tactics, regularly deployed against opposition supporters, students, and civil society.
As public dissent grew, especially from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the police became a central instrument in Mugabe’s strategy to retain control.
When Mnangagwa assumed power in the 2017 coup, he initially sidelined the police, whose loyalty had been closely tiedto Mugabe.
Following the contested 2018 election, Mnangagwa deployed the military to suppress opposition protests in Harare, leading to the tragic killing of at least six unarmed civilians—a rare and dramatic escalation in civilian repression that echoed the violent Gukurahundi massacres of the 1980s.
This recent reshuffle within the ZRP’s Support Unit could indicate Mnangagwa’s attempt to reestablish police as the primary force for handling civilian protests, possibly learning from the international backlash that followed the military’s2018 intervention.
By strengthening the Support Unit’s leadership and aligning it more directly with his administration’s goals, Mnangagwa may be aiming to prevent the need for military involvement in future protests, mitigating the political fallout from such incidents.
Kenya’s national football team, Harambee Stars, will face Zimbabwe in their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifier, with coach Engin Firat announcing the squad that will travel to South Africa for the crucial Group J encounter.
The match, initially scheduled to take place in Zimbabwe, will now be hosted in South Africa at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane due to the unavailability of approved stadiums in Zimbabwe. The game will take place on Friday, November 15, with a 6:00 PM CAT kick-off.
Kenya will then face Namibia in their final Group J fixture on November 19, also at Peter Mokaba Stadium. The Stars will be hoping to secure vital points as they push for a spot in the 2025 AFCON tournament.
The Squad
Coach Engin Firat has named a strong squad for the double-header against Zimbabwe and Namibia. The selection includes a mix of experienced players and emerging talents.
Goalkeepers
Byrne Odhiambo
Faruk Shikhalo
Ian Otieno
The goalkeeping department is well-represented with three seasoned shot-stoppers, providing competition for the starting role.
Defenders
Daniel Anyembe
Amos Wanjala
Amos Nondi
Joseph Okumu
Johnstone Omurwa
Charles Momanyi
Eric Ouma
Abud Omar
The defensive lineup features a blend of youth and experience, with key players like Eric Ouma and Charles Momanyi expected to play crucial roles in keeping Zimbabwe’s attack at bay.
Midfielders
Anthony Akumu
Marvin Nabwire
Duke Abuya
Timothy Ouma
Richard Odada
Austine Odhiambo
Ronney Onyango
Alfred Scriven
Leshan Mootian
Adam Wilson
Kenya’s midfield is packed with talent, including Anthony Akumu, a key figure in the midfield, and several emerging stars like Leshan Mootian and Adam Wilson, who will be looking to impress.
Forwards
Michael Olunga
Jonah Ayunga
John Avire
The attacking department will be led by star striker Michael Olunga, who is expected to spearhead Kenya’s efforts to find the back of the net. Jonah Ayunga and John Avire add depth and versatility to the forward line.
Looking Ahead
Kenya’s upcoming encounters with Zimbabwe and Namibia will be vital in their bid to qualify for the 2025 AFCON tournament. The Harambee Stars will be eager to build on recent improvements under Firat’s leadership, with the squad set to face a tough challenge in Polokwane. As the qualifiers heat up, every point will count as Kenya looks to secure a place in the prestigious continental tournament.
The players will now shift their focus to the matches ahead, with fans across Kenya hopeful of a strong showing on the road.
By A Correspondent | The Biden administration is said to be facing mounting pressure to investigate allegations of immigration fraud against Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter). Recent reports have revealed that Musk, who entered the United States in the mid-1990s on a student visa, may have violated its terms by failing to enroll in his intended graduate program and instead engaging in unauthorized employment to build his first company, Zip2. These allegations have sparked calls for an investigation into Musk’s immigration history and compliance with U.S. laws.
President Joe Biden highlighted the issue during a recent campaign event, accusing Musk of hypocrisy for his strong stance against undocumented immigrants while reportedly benefiting from an irregular immigration status early in his career. The accusations have fueled debate over whether Musk, now a U.S. citizen, should face legal consequences, including potential revocation of his naturalized citizenship and deportation, should he be found guilty of immigration fraud.
The proposed plan would involve a thorough investigation into Musk’s early immigration records, including his initial visa application, work history, and path to citizenship. If evidence of fraud is confirmed, legal experts have suggested that Musk could face denaturalization proceedings and deportation. However, the potential implications of such action—ranging from economic fallout to disruption of Musk’s businesses, including Tesla and SpaceX, which are vital to U.S. innovation and national security—have sparked widespread debate.
This high-profile case raises critical questions about the intersection of wealth, influence, and accountability under U.S. immigration law.
Deporting Elon Musk for alleged immigration fraud would be a highly complex and polarizing decision. While it would demonstrate a firm commitment to the rule of law and ethical governance, it could also have significant economic, national security, and business repercussions. Policymakers would need to carefully weigh these considerations, balancing legal principles with practical realities.
Legal Analysis of Deporting Elon Musk for Immigration Fraud
Pros
1. Upholding the Rule of Law
Deporting Musk would underscore the U.S. government’s commitment to enforcing immigration laws, regardless of an individual’s wealth or influence. It would send a clear message that no one is above the law, reinforcing trust in the legal system.
2. Consistency in Immigration Policy
Deportation would align with the historical precedent of taking action against individuals who have violated immigration laws. This consistency could prevent accusations of favoritism and uphold the integrity of the immigration system.
3. Addressing Hypocrisy
If Musk is found guilty of immigration fraud, deportation could counter his public statements against undocumented immigrants. It would prevent perceived hypocrisy from undermining the U.S. government’s credibility on immigration issues.
4. Political Neutrality
Taking legal action, even against a high-profile individual, could demonstrate that immigration laws are applied without political bias, especially in light of Musk’s recent political activities.
Cons
1. Economic Fallout
Musk’s companies, Tesla and SpaceX, are significant contributors to the U.S. economy, providing thousands of jobs and driving innovation in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and aerospace. Deporting Musk could disrupt operations at these companies, leading to job losses and potential economic instability.
2. National Security Implications
SpaceX is a major defense contractor, playing a critical role in U.S. space and defense initiatives. Musk’s deportation could raise concerns about continuity in these projects, potentially affecting national security.
3. Public and Investor Sentiment
Musk’s deportation could lead to backlash from his massive fan base and investors, potentially destabilizing the stock market. Tesla’s and SpaceX’s stocks could see significant drops, affecting broader economic sectors.
4. Legal and Diplomatic Challenges
Musk’s South African citizenship and his subsequent naturalization in other countries could complicate deportation proceedings. Additionally, such a move could strain U.S. relations with South Africa or other nations tied to Musk’s legal status.
Business Analysis of Deporting Elon Musk for Immigration Fraud
Pros
1. Leveling the Playing Field
Deportation could level the business playing field by demonstrating that even the wealthiest entrepreneurs are not exempt from consequences. This could foster fair competition and discourage other business leaders from exploiting loopholes.
2. Reputation Management for U.S. Businesses
Holding Musk accountable could improve the global perception of U.S. business ethics and governance, showing that success does not excuse illegal behavior.
3. Encouraging Compliance Among Corporations
The enforcement of immigration laws in this high-profile case could incentivize businesses to ensure compliance with visa and work authorization laws for their employees.
Cons
1. Disruption to Key Industries
Musk’s companies are pioneers in electric vehicles and aerospace technology. His deportation could delay projects, harm innovation, and reduce U.S. competitiveness in these sectors.
2. Potential Relocation of Businesses
Musk’s deportation might prompt Tesla, SpaceX, or his other ventures to relocate headquarters or operations to other countries. This could result in significant tax revenue losses for the U.S.
3. Impact on Investor Confidence
Musk’s entrepreneurial leadership is a major factor in the valuation of his companies. Removing him from the U.S. could shake investor confidence, leading to capital flight and reduced investment in innovative sectors.
4. Loss of Leadership and Vision
Musk is widely regarded as a visionary leader. His absence could disrupt ongoing projects and reduce the strategic direction of his companies, affecting their long-term success.
In the modern age, mobile phones have become an integral part of our daily lives, offering constant connectivity, convenience, and entertainment.
However, when it comes to driving, these devices pose a significant risk.
Using a mobile phone while behind the wheel is not just a bad habit—it’s a dangerous behaviour that severely impairs a driver’s ability to stay focused and respond quickly to hazards. The act of using a mobile phone while driving introduces three key types of distractions: physical, visual, and mental. Each of these distractions can lead to catastrophic consequences, not only for the driver but also for other road users.
Physical Distraction: Diverting Hands from the Wheel
A physical distraction occurs when a driver’s hands are no longer engaged with the wheel, which is critical for maintaining control of the vehicle. Whether the driver is texting, scrolling through social media, or dialing a number, the act of manipulating a phone can cause a significant loss of control. This momentary lack of focus could result in swerving between lanes, failure to respond to traffic signals, or a delayed reaction to sudden changes in road conditions.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers who take their hands off the wheel for just a few seconds to use their phone are much more likely to experience an accident, as the vehicle can drift out of lane or fail to stop in time.
Visual Distraction: Taking Eyes Off the Road
Perhaps the most obvious and dangerous consequence of using a mobile phone while driving is the visual distraction it creates. A driver must constantly monitor the road to respond to other vehicles, pedestrians, traffic signs, and changing road conditions. When a driver looks down at their phone screen—whether to read a message, check an email, or browse the internet—they are not paying full attention to the road.
This distraction can have deadly consequences, especially on high-speed roads or in areas where quick reactions are necessary. Studies have shown that even brief glances at a phone screen significantly reduce a driver’s reaction time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), taking your eyes off the road for just five seconds while driving at 55 mph is like driving the length of a football field blindfolded.
Mental Distraction: Diverting Focus and Attention
Mental distraction, or cognitive distraction, is often the hardest to recognize but one of the most dangerous. Even if a driver’s hands remain on the wheel and their eyes stay on the road, the mental engagement required to use a mobile phone can severely impair their cognitive focus. Responding to a text, reading an email, or listening to a notification requires processing information, making decisions, and shifting attention—all of which reduce the driver’s ability to stay alert to their surroundings.
The brain is not equipped to handle multiple complex tasks at the same time, especially when it comes to tasks that require focused attention like driving. A driver who is mentally distracted by their phone is less likely to notice an approaching pedestrian, a sudden change in traffic conditions, or an unexpected obstacle on the road.
The Fatal Consequences of Distractions
The combination of physical, visual, and mental distractions makes the use of a mobile phone behind the wheel incredibly dangerous.
In 2021 alone, distracted driving led to over 3,100 fatalities in the United States, with a significant portion of these incidents linked to mobile phone use. The danger extends beyond the driver, affecting passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists who share the road.
What makes the situation even more alarming is that distractions, particularly from mobile phones, can happen in an instant. A driver who feels they can “quickly” reply to a text or check a notification may fail to recognize that in those few seconds, a life-threatening accident could unfold. The slightest impairment—whether it’s the distraction from a screen, the loss of control, or the lapse in attention—can lead to irreversible consequences.
The Importance of Staying Focused
Given the dangers of distracted driving, it is crucial that drivers prioritize safety by keeping their attention solely on the road. While mobile phones have become a necessity for many, using them while driving should be avoided at all costs. Here are a few ways drivers can reduce the risks:
Use Hands-Free Features: Many phones offer voice-activated functions that allow you to make calls or send messages without touching the device.
Activate “Do Not Disturb” Mode: This feature can silence notifications while driving, preventing distractions from incoming messages or alerts.
Pull Over Safely: If you absolutely need to check your phone or respond to a message, pull over to a safe area rather than attempting to do so while driving.
Lead by Example: Encouraging others to stay off their phones while driving can help create a culture of road safety.
Conclusion
Using mobile phones while driving is not just a minor inconvenience—it’s a dangerous habit that compromises all aspects of a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle safely. Physical, visual, and mental distractions combine to create a hazardous situation that endangers not only the driver but also everyone on the road. As drivers, we must recognize the severe consequences of distracted driving and commit to staying fully focused on the task at hand. Road safety requires our complete attention, and the cost of distraction is simply too high.
Produced by Safety and Victims Advocacy Foundation (The Gambia)
Qn: How important was it for you to be invited here to the event, Mr. Chamisa? @nelsonchamisa: "I'm so excited to be here. I'm here representing the people of Zimbabwe, their aspirations, their hopes for democracy, their hopes for freedom. But what you have to realize is that…
Emmerson Mnangagwa Booed During Stadium Inauguration Ceremony for President Gideon Boko
By A Correspondent | ZimEye | Gaborone, Botswana – Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa faced a humiliating moment yesterday during the inauguration ceremony of Botswana’s newly elected President Gideon Boko. As Mnangagwa’s name was announced to the crowd at the newly built national stadium, attendees erupted in boos, expressing public disapproval in an unexpected display of discontent.
The incident unfolded before a large audience comprising dignitaries, regional leaders, and thousands of Batswana citizens celebrating the historic swearing-in of Boko, who ended the long-standing rule of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). The crowd’s reaction seemed to underscore growing regional frustrations with Mnangagwa’s leadership and his administration’s policies.
Mnangagwa booing confirmed by SABC LIVE broadcast footage
The boos come amid escalating controversy surrounding allegations by Botswana’s former president Ian Khama, who recently claimed that Mnangagwa attempted to interfere in Botswana’s just-ended elections.
According to Khama, Mnangagwa allegedly sought to influence the outcome by deploying “fake voters” from Zimbabwe to bolster support for the incumbent BDP. Mnangagwa’s party, ZANU-PF, has vehemently denied these allegations, dismissing them as baseless and inflammatory.
ZANU-PF issued a statement earlier this week accusing Khama of peddling falsehoods and attempting to tarnish Mnangagwa’s image. “These claims are not only false but also malicious. Zimbabwe respects the sovereignty of Botswana and did not interfere in any way,” the statement read. However, the denial appears to have done little to ease tensions in the region.
Today’s public outcry against Mnangagwa highlights growing regional dissatisfaction with his administration, particularly as Zimbabwe faces ongoing economic and political challenges. For many in the crowd, the inauguration of Gideon Boko represented a symbolic moment of hope and change, while Mnangagwa’s presence evoked memories of contested elections and accusations of authoritarianism in Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, the following were excerpts from Zimbabwe’s most popular national leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa’s Interview with BTV:
Qn: How important was it for you to be invited here to the event, Mr. Chamisa?
@nelsonchamisa: “I’m so excited to be here. I’m representing the people of Zimbabwe, their aspirations, their hopes for democracy, and their hopes for freedom. Botswana has done something significant for the continent, for a new Africa, and for the region. This event marks an era of transformation, of effective transitions. Botswana has been under the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) for almost 58 years, yet they’ve shown a peaceful transition from one political party to another. It’s a crucial lesson. In Zimbabwe, we’ve defeated ZANU-PF in elections twice, but they’ve refused to accept the outcome. So, I hope that Mr. Mnangagwa, who is sitting just two rows away from me, will learn a thing or two about life after politics, about transitioning from public office. That’s why this event is so important. God has blessed Africa, and God has blessed Botswana. We are here to celebrate that.”
Qn: Let’s talk about democracy, especially in Africa. How important is it that Botswana has been able to have such a peaceful transition from one party to another?
Qn: What lessons can Africa and the region learn from this?
@nelsonchamisa: “We are one people, one nation, one family. Democracy is about taking turns—your turn today, someone else’s turn tomorrow. We must not be vindictive or seek revenge. Former presidents must be honored and respected, not pursued in a cat-and-mouse game. Even if they made mistakes, there should still be honor. This is what holds us together as a family. We are one village, and President Boko emphasized this point—hands wash each other. We are one people.”
Qn: Lastly, Mr. Chamisa, what message did you take from President Boko’s speech? Although it was short, it was very precise. What lessons did you learn from it?
@nelsonchamisa: “Love is everywhere, and we must embrace it. Botswana has shown love, and President Boko spoke about building bridges. He called for embracing the past, acknowledging it, but moving forward to correct it. That’s a critical message, a statesman’s message. President Boko is a leader of a new Africa, a new SADC, and signals a new order. We are proud of him.”
Qn: Have you met President Boko before?
@nelsonchamisa: “We’ve met several times, in both setbacks and victories. We believe that Africa needs new leadership with a fresh mindset. We must build our continent and make Africa one of the best in the world. We can do this, and it’s something we must start now.”
Qn: Thank you, Mr. Chamisa. It was a pleasure talking to you.
@nelsonchamisa: “Thank you so much.”
Qn: We wish you all the best in your endeavors in Zimbabwe.
@nelsonchamisa: “Thank you. All the best to Botswana. God bless Botswana, and may peace and prosperity prevail here.” – ZimEye
A Zimbabwean armed robber was killed and two accomplices were injured in a shootout with police and a private security team in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, following a robbery on Wednesday night. According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the trio engaged in gunfire after being cornered while counting their stolen goods in a rented room.
SAPS stated that the three suspects—all Zimbabwean nationals—were confronted by law enforcement officers and security personnel in the early hours of Thursday, November 7, 2024, after committing a robbery at a local business in Elukwatini. SAPS reported:
“An investigation is underway following a business robbery at Elukwatini in the early hours of Wednesday, November 6, 2024, around 1:30 AM. Officers from SAPS, in collaboration with a private security company, responded to the robbery and shot the three suspects, with one dying from his injuries, while two others sustained gunshot wounds.
The matter will be reviewed by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.”
Police were alerted to the robbery in progress at a filling station at Nhlazatshe Crossings, where the suspects had stolen cash, cigarettes, and betting vouchers.
A follow-up investigation led officers to a nearby rented room, where they cornered the suspects.
Richard Tsvangirai, the Norton Member of Parliament and son of the late MDC founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai, has criticized the Zimbabwean government’s recent proposal to tax WhatsApp group administrators.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in partnership with the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), has drawn widespread condemnation, with Tsvangirai labeling it as “deeply misguided.”
In a statement made on Friday, Tsvangirai voiced his concerns about the tax, emphasizing the negative impact it would have on ordinary citizens who are already struggling under the weight of economic hardship.
“The recent move by the Ministry of ICT, in collaboration with POTRAZ, to impose a tax on WhatsApp groups is both highly concerning and deeply misguided,” Tsvangirai said.
WhatsApp, he pointed out, has become an essential tool for many Zimbabweans, particularly those in lower-income groups, students, and small businesses.
“WhatsApp serves as an essential communication tool, particularly for lower-income groups, students, and small businesses, allowing them to connect, share information, and conduct transactions affordably,” Tsvangirai added.
The tax, he argued, would have far-reaching consequences, particularly for the most vulnerable. “Taxing such groups risks making this critical platform inaccessible, effectively widening the digital divide and marginalizing even more people,” Tsvangirai explained.
He warned that the policy could further exacerbate the economic divide in the country, depriving disadvantaged citizens of a vital means of communication and commerce.
Beyond the financial burden, Tsvangirai raised concerns about the broader implications for digital freedoms. The proposal, he argued, sets a dangerous precedent for government control over digital spaces.
“This policy blatantly disregards the financial constraints of ordinary citizens… it raises alarming questions about digital freedom and the right to free communication,” he stated.
Tsvangirai warned that such policies could ultimately lead to stifled communication and greater government interference in the digital realm.
“Instead of empowering citizens with affordable digital access, this policy instead prioritizes government control over open communication,” he said.
In conclusion, Tsvangirai called on the government to seek alternative methods of raising revenue that would not disproportionately harm vulnerable citizens or disrupt essential communication platforms.
“If the aim is to improve national revenue, the government should seek alternative measures that do not disproportionately harm the most vulnerable and disrupt vital channels for free communication,” he urged.
The debate over the WhatsApp tax has sparked widespread backlash across the country, with many questioning the government’s commitment to supporting affordable digital access and safeguarding the freedoms of its citizens.
Diplomats forgot to invite an award winning journalist who leads the Zim Govt In Exile project, and boasts saying I’m richer than Chamisa having bought my first home from (non foreign proceeds at all) but a USD60,000 CABS mortgage & also says it was really £50,000 physical cash…
Hopewell Chin’ono response after being asked “but…crime does not expire,” during 6 hour long spaces
By A Correspondent | ZimEye | The popular journalist Hopewell Chin’ono alleges saying Nelson Chamisa was going to destroy the country if he had been inaugurated.
Hopewell Chin’ono (HC) who later in the year launched his political outfit called Govt In Exile he says is more popular than Chamisa and Mnangagwa, holds these views since his announcements back in Feb.
He first announced them back on Sunday the 25th of February 2024, in a nation address that was hosted by a colleague of his based in the United Kingdom better known as Uncle Ged(GB), and who runs by the name Gerald Belts. The session lasted over six hours as Chinono announced some very strong and sometimes totally contradictory statements while saying among other things that:
1. Zim politicians, Nelson Chamisa, Robert Mugabe, Emmerson Mnangagwa do not want to be accountable. Regarding his own issues, he said people shouldn’t ask him (Chinono) to account for the GBP50,000 loan he got from a UK dealership in 1996 to buy his first home. He said it is nonsensical for people to expect him to name the dealership he alleges made him property rich.
2. He said Nelson Chamisa is a product of the military who advised Tsvangirai to appoint him in Thokozani Khupe’s stead… Evidence of him (Chin’ono) advising the military minister VP Chiwenga to descend on Chamisa/Civil Society since 2019 comprises fake audios.
Written admissions by Hopewell Chin’ono’s work with the military leadership to reduce polical tension by regularly descending onto the civil society.
3. He said Nelson Chamisa would have destroyed the country if he’d won 2023 elections… He denied advising the Ministry Of Defence to destroy Nelson Chamisa’s party, saying he did not advise the military minister/head VP Chiwenga to ‘destroy the civil society’ – that is, to descend on Chamisa/Civil Society since 2019.
The following was his full talk:
HC: Thank you very much, uncle Ged and thank you very much to everyone who is on this space , those that are here anonymously I welcome you too. I think it is important for me to start by saying that this conversation that I am having with you today is a National conversation I want to talk about the state of our national politics. It’s not an opportunity for me as a journalist to attack anyone, it is not an opportunity for me as a journalist to bash anyone, but the work of a Journalist is to reflect on what is happening in your country and some of the reflections you might not like them, but that is the nature of our work as (a Journalist), and that is the nature of human beings as well that we don’t have to agree on everything, but we don’t have to be disagreeable by this by being disagreeable. I mean that we don’t have to descend into calling each other names, insults and so forth. So what I’m going to be saying is based on how I see things. I would like to start by saying that where we are today was formed by history, so we cannot avoid the history the political history of our country because it is what has given birth to what where we are today.
We are a country in dire straits. We are a country that is broken both from the citizen side and also the state’s side; some might say I won’t be pushing it to say we are a failed state because we can’t provide healthcare for our citizens. We can’t provide good schools for our citizens we can’t provide decent roads for our citizens we can’t provide clean drinking water for our citizens. We can’t provide decent roads for our citizens even the pensioners are not getting paid.
Whatever they’re getting is very minimal and if you look at how they have worked so hard for the past 40 years. I’ve got a very good friend of mine who died Tuesday. Years ago, Professor Kahari we owe him all his money, was wiped out by Old Mutual. The country is not working at all. And otherwise, but our crisis in Zimbabwe manifests itself through economics.
The politics is bad but it manifests itself through economics and what I have always said is that the crisis in Zimbabwe can be based or best described as the crisis of corrupt government because all our problems they find route in state corruption, whether it is hospitals if it is council, whether it is roads, whether it’s basic things like water it’s all finds its roots in corruption so we have a corruption problem in Zimbabwe which is sponsored by politics and it manifests itself through economics which is why we have the highest inflation rate in the world, which is why our local currency lost 95% of its strength in the past 12 months and it affects ordinary people in the streets, and it is these ordinary people in the streets that are more concerned than the political elite or the business elite, so when I speak in my every day runs or whether it is tweet or Facebook or Instagram my heart is with the poor people that goes other people I care about, and those are the people that are bearing the brunt of the political crisis in Zimbabwe all these other people, including the political, elite and so forth do not suffer.
The indignity that our people are suffering so when we defend politicians whether it is Zanu PF or opposition politicians, we must remind we must be reminded that the people that we should be actually be caring about the poor people and not spending our time boot licking, political elites.
So I want to start from the late 90s or mid 90s I want to use myself as an example of the people that were around me that saw that things were not going to work. One of my relatives was very higher up in Govt in the 90s, when I finished, journalism school, said to me, you get out of the country that was in 1994 and I said why? Because at that time I was making money and I thought things were hunky dory, but errm, she had the foresight that I did have as a young man. I was 21 years old when I left Zimbabwe for Britain in 1994, and I understood what he meant when I got to Britain because the opportunities that were available for me and many others that were in Britain and I have seen some couple of guys that were me in Britain with me in the 1990s they can allude to the fact that you could just walk in the bank into a bank and apply for loan.
A lot of Zimbabweans went into truck business; a lot of Zimbabwe that were in England went into trucks borrowing money. I remember going to Coventry Peter Ndlovu was popular that time. Because I think there was a trucking company that he had good relations with; and a lot of people would say, oh, I’m going to see Peter I want to buy trucks and some people became millionaires through that; opportunities which were not necessarily available to people that were back home.
We saw our moment at different times. I saw it in 1994, some saw it in 2000, some 2008 and so forth. So in 1997, the currency collapsed; in 1998, In 1999, we went into the DRC and we were spending over $1 million a day fighting the DRC war. The spoils of that war were supposed to come to the Zimbabwean people, the gold, the diamonds, but they were pocketed into private pockets of Zanu PF elites and military elites, so the war became purposeless to the ordinary citizens because state machinery was used and state funds were used, but the returns from that war went into private pockets, and that is when the World Bank and the IMF disengaged from Zimbabwe dealing with Zimbabwe, because the Robert Gabriel Mugabe government did not want to release the figures that reflected what it was spending in the Congo and contrary to what some people say, sanctions were not imposed in relation to the World Bank and IMF in 2001, they were a, Zimbabwe pulled out, Mugabe pulled out because he did not want to be accountable, a trait that we see in our politics and a trait that needs to end if we are going to get somewhere.
So the opposition is formed in 1999, I remember the NCA which gave birth to the MDC: Brian Kagoro contested against Morgan Tsvangirai, Morgan Tsvangirai won, and then he became president of MDC and errrm, in 2002, when they realised that the MDC was a potent force after it managed to mobilise against the constitutional Reform Process document in 2000, the military became involved in a blatant way. In the past it was involved from the back, but it was now at the front when general Zvinavashe announced that they would not salute anybody who did not take part in the liberation struggle.
I must say that, although they were saying that Morgan Tsvangirai, who was in Zanu PF, was a ZANU PF cadre before all this. In fact, he worked hand in glove with Albert Mugabe, who was a Trade Unionist and Mugabe’s half brother, and so most of this elderly generation, older generation, their roots were in Zanu PF, but they were dissatisfied with the rule of Zanu PF, and most of them became the opposition that gave birth to everything that we got to know about in the past 24 years . Errr in 2005, it’s an important milestone, or rather not milestone, but it’s an important point an aberration for the opposition because that is when the first split of the opposition happened and this split it’s about Professor Welshman Ncube who was secretary general; vice president Sibanda and involved, David Coltart, Trudy Stevenson and many others; aaah, they left because the constitution of the opposition had been violated; the president of the opposition, Morgan Tsvangirai had refused to adhere to the vote results of the national executive council.
They were voting whether they should participate in the senatorial elections: the other side said yes, the other side said no. The no side was represented by Morgan Tsvangirai. The yes side is the one that eventually left with Professor Welshman Ncube and others; the constitution had been violated; at this point, we then realised that Zimbabweans are not actually different. They are the same when the constitution is violated. They don’t care as long as it is their favourite who has violated the constitution when the constitution is violated by someone they don’t like they bring a constitutional issue when the constitution is violated by someone they like they say no it’s okay we can move on we can it doesn’t matter up to that day for many of you who were young at that time you see arguments advanced, but you still supporting the Morgan Tsvangirai’s failure to adhere to the constitution, but to some of us, we said, but if you are constitutionalists, if you say you are fighting to change the constitution of Zimbabwe because you’re fighting because to make sure that Govt to the question if you can violate your constitution when you’re opposing what can stop you from violating your own constitution like the way Zanu PF is doing, but anyway, needless to say they moved on the other one became MDC the other one MDC Morgan Chirara they became political parties with sentence and then we moved to 2007 in March, Morgan Tsvangirai was beaten badly, and this gave life to the opposition, because at this point in time, the opposition was now being perceived, as weak, they were being perceived to be out of touch and regional leaders were not taking them seriously until Zanu PF does what he does best to create an own goal.
They beat up Morgan Tsvangirai badly; it was splashed around the world and it changed the dynamics of politics. We were now heading into the 2008 elections which took place in March 2008 button in Zanu PF. There were also problems -they were fighting each other. There was general Mujuru, who was fighting pushing for Robert Mugabe’s retirement, and Robert Mugabe was pushing back, Mugabe won that battle against General Mujuru at the Goromonzi , Conference or Congress I can’t remember, but anyway he won that battle and they went into an election.
And of course we know that Mavambo was formed by General Mujuru, who was the backer of Mavambo. Robert Mugabe lost the election as we came to know later, when he had a Freudian slip, he exposed himself, and it is on tape then in 2008, something happened, which I’ve never seen it happened, reported and I want to say Zanu PF has always been adapt at using counter intelligence using people so what they do when they used counterintelligence they will go to an opposition, political leader and and they will give information to somebody this person will then give you nine stories about what’s happening and these nine stories will be correct, but they will be of no relevance at all so you may just be told that old man someone is going to be fired. I just decided to tell you so Morgan Tsvangirai; I became attached to these people because he thought that they are my young man, and one of them was Wicknell Chivayo with Chivayo was the one who went to Tsvangirai and said, old man, he was to be killed, take this money and run away, but what had happened is that the state Zanu PF machinery was afraid that if Morgan Tsvangirai had stayed in the country, people would’ve mobilised around him, rejected what ZEC was trying to do with the results and and go to the streets and just make the country ungovernable because, for the first time, Robert Mugabe had lost, and he had accepted that he had lost, but he had played around with the numbers to say that I’ve not lost enough, for me to become president, so Morgan Tsvangirai, against the advice of so many people people like Ibbo Mandaza were saying that you can’t go, but he was now saying I’ve got my young man who told me that they want to kill me and he went against the advice.
When Morgan Tsvangirai came back, we got an exclusive at that time, I was an journalist with ITV news covering Zimbabwe and other countries, and I got an exclusive to fly with Morgan Tsvangirai back for the first time, coming back to form a Govt, but to finish off the talks and to formalise them under president Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, and so I flew to South Africa at the instance of, at the instigation of my boss Tim Singleton who is now the head of news at Sky News.
And I got to South Africa and Morgan Tsvangirai at that time was very good friends, and being assisted by Strive Masiyiwa, who at the time owned the daily news, and of course, owned Econet as well, and I remember when we were flying out with Jameson Timba flew into OR Tambo, and we met him in the diplomatic lounge, and he said old man they want to kill me. At least he is alive to confirm this story, and I was amazed Because I could see that counterintelligence had been used they had been infiltrated, and they were given information such that the main pillars around Morgan Tsvangirai, Jameson Timba and….(sic) at that time are afraid and they are put on the run so that the system can do what it wants to do and anyway we had a GNU. The basis of this GNU was to make sure that there is reforms; reforms that had created the crisis that we had, but unfortunately our colleagues in the opposition went into government and they did not focus on the main or rather core business of the GNU which was reforms.
They became obsessed with power. I remember when it was in 2012, I flew into Barcelona to interview Cherie Blair, Tony Blair’s wife for the film that I was making with an American Director and I did not realise that Morgan Tsvangirai was going to be at the same event as a key note speaker with Cherie Blair, and he saw me in the hotel in the hotel lobby and said young man, what are you doing here? Come here; and he instructed Jameson Timba, who was minister in his office to say he must come to my dinner, and I went to the dinner, and we had a discussion, a private discussion.
It was private because it was in confidence, but what I observed was that they had been sucked into the false belief that they were now in charge that they now had power, state power, but I believe that Robert Mugabe did this deliberately to give them a false sense of hope that things were going to be changed while and ZANU went to the underground and start planning. And this is what Zanu PF actually did. It ran a parallel Govt where it was getting money from Chiadzwa, the 15 thousand that Bob talked about, and Biti was being deprived, although he managed to steer the ship away from the rot, but the econom didn’t grow; the economy was stabilised; they were able to start. I remember that time I was able to take money out of my new Barclays Bank ATM and life became fairly stable, not too great for the ordinary people, but it became relatively stable but anyway we were headed into the 2013 elections.
The reforms that were the only specific reforms that it taken at that time was the constitution which was passed in 2013 February, but the rest had not been done and the region was worried about it and specifically President Jacob Nzuma, who has been and was the only president in the region who has been such a close friend of ZIMBABWE, including assisting them they were too. it was him, and there was PRESIDENT, of Bwanya, who couldn’t do much material, but under President Zuma and President Zuma Zimbabweans got the permits, but with the president, he said we are doing this to give you papers, and the Maputo Summit that took place was the last summit before the election, and President Zuma mentioned that without reforms you are done, don’t take part in elections without reforms and Prime Minister Tsvangirai didn’t listen to this advice and I remember Mrs Zulu who was a government minister in the South African government was so insisting that there must be a boycott if there are no reforms, and she really supported Zimbabwe to appoint that Robert Mugabe called her as Street Woman, a prostitute. I think some of you remember that that is how much the Jacob Zuma government tried to help us, but we couldn’t help ourselves, and in that year 2013, Prime Minister Tsvangirai said no, one of my lieutenants Nelson Chamisa told me that there’s a prophecy that I’m going to win this election, I’ve received a crown into State House; I should go into the elections, we will win them regardless of whether they are reforms, but as we all know the opposition lost but up to now they don’t know how 2013 was right then the next stage was what was then called renewal senior members in the MDC like to die like Elton Mangoma, they came up and said no, you have let us into an election which we were not supposed to go into.
We have lost; you should now give us a timetable of, and of course MorganTsvangirai didn’t take that lightly and you know they had to leave. Tendai, and Elton was beaten badly and blood and they left; that was the second split, but the split was not as significant as the first one, because the first one, the other guys came from, most of them came from Matebeleand, so there was an ethnic aspect, to it, so it was actually damaging to the opposition. Much less the Tendai Biti one it was not based on ethnicity. It was based on values people saying we need to do this and that there was no ethnic component. Whereas the 2005 was so difficult because there was an ethnic component to it, if these guys had come together in 2008 reconciled as they wanted to, things would’ve been much tougher for the Zanu PF government. You see, rigging is very easy when it involves a political party without a lot of people who are heavyweights it is very easy as I shall explain later; so fast forward we go to 2014 when the MDC had its constitution; popular Nelson Chamisa was running for Sec General. He was rigged by Morgan Tsvangirai,
Morgan Tsvangirai pushed for Mwonzora. For the secretary General, I think Nelson Chamisa had 9 provinces out of 10 but he was worried to get out of it and Morgan Tsvangirai did accept privately to a lot of people that he did it. The issue was that there are people around me who were saying that this young man has become power hungry; that’s why we had to take that action, but I have mentioned that action because that is when the seed of Mwonzora was planted. The Secretary General could have been Nelson Chamisa. We don’t have the benefit of knowing what could have happened and then in 20 I think it was 2015 if not 2016 MorganTsvangirai was approached by elements of the military, it’s important to mention that the opposition were always had elements of the military, which it talks to, and I’ve always argued to them that these people are managing you as opposed to helping you, but anyway, the opposition was approached. Morgan Tsvangirai was approached – one of the people that he spoke to is still alive, General Rugeje.
They were advised that well, we are not saying that you are going to die, but your political party is a very important institution in Zimbabwe. Although we are on the other side; but we care about what happens to your party if you die; it means that this Ndebele woman is going to take over. We cannot have a situation where this woman takes over, so you need to take care of your stuff. So the advice was given; some of the things are going to be for books but advice was given and he appointed Nelson Chamisa he appointed Mudzuri and there were factions.
And some of the factions said that the way you are now running the party you are now doing it among yourselves, as the Karangas. You yourself are a Karanga, and he said no, that is not it. We are trying to manage there is a situation that I need to manage and anyway Morgan Tsvangirai became very ill as we all know he died in 2018, February 14; there was confusion because the constitution said that Thokozani Khupe Is the one who is supposed to take over because she was elected at Congress the other two were illegally appointed, and Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri. So, when Nelson Chamisa took over because he was the popular figure in the party and some of us at the time; I remember having a conversation with Nelson Chamisa. This one is not confidential. I remember saying to him does not happen for people to take overpower after six months. In my view. If I were you, I would actually let Thokozani Khupe go to the polls, and she will lose, because these men are not going to give up power after six months. Nelson understood this because Nelson had been the conduit between the Zanu PF side, and the Morgan side, leading up to the coup. The MDC was involved in the coup. They failed to agree on how they were going to share the spoils. And that is how they ended up, not being included, but they were part of the coup starting from 2015, to 2016, they were there when these discussions were taking place. They were part of it, and this is one of the things that infuriate me because we are meant to believe that we are the coup stars, we celebrated the coup, and yet the opposition political movement was part of the coup before we even knew about the coup ourselves, they were part of it. But there is so much deceit in Zimbabwean politics, that people want to pretend. In fact, the lawyer who got the coup to be declared legal was Thabani Mpofu in court. But all these things are sort of pushed aside, because they they are inconvenient truths, but that’s the truth. If we are going to have a nation that can build itself on the basis of the truth, we need to tell the truth for what it was regardless of how unpalatable that truth my be.
I regret myself, and I apologised at the time For supporting the coup because I thought that that there was going to be a break, and in fact, thousands of people went into the streets, not because of the coup as such but because they were so fed up of Mugabe and they thought that anything that can bring relief to Zimbabwe should be welcome; the coup for it to be successful the opposition had to take part. In fact the motion for the impeachment, the impeachment to remove Mugabe was moved by the opposition, so I think it is disingenuous for the opposition or opposition supporters to pretend as if this did not happen; but these are the facts and this is what happened. But anyway, the election happened, we know what happened, we know that our compatriots were killed, we realised that no, this is not a new dispensation. This is the same old dispensation what has changed is the driver the truck remains the same the system remains the same and for me as a journalist I have learnt that contrary to my previous perception before the coup that even if Mnangagwa is removed, the system is what needs to be removed, not just an individual.
But anyway, Mwonzora and Madam Khupe did what they did and the party headquarters of the opposition was taken and all that stuff.
Now fast forward to 2021, December we were having conversations a lot of my conversations are in confidence, so I can’t share them but the ones that I can share that have been made public by the other people that were in these conversations are the ones that I’m going to share so one of these conversations that was made public was made by Nelson himself is the fact that people like myself and Dr, Alex Magaisa are the ones that pushed him to say you need to form a new political party. Nelson did not want to form a new political party. He wanted people to run as independent or to go in as MDC and we said you can’t, because the court has made a ruling and they will just take these things away from you, and he confirmed these things at Dr Alex Magaisa‘s funeral or rather memorial, so the party is formed.
All this stuff is happening. It starts off as a party where everyone was the way they were in the previous party. People are being called vice president people are being called secretary general then somewhere along the line things changed and the thing that changed was changed without consultation to others. They were just told that this is what it is so this and some of us knew ahead of time because we had been briefed as J journalists because we were told that this is the situation because you were tweet (sic) a lot of journalists encountered this. They would write an article and then they would get a phone call to say you can’t you can’t refer to so so as vice president, our party does not have a VP. We only have a president.
So that was the undoing in my view, and I am happy to be pushed back on this one by others who have better ideas, but that was the undoing of the opposition as it headed towards 2023 because you now had a very strong opposition, but which was now being undone by all these internal fights. You are no longer the secretary General. I remember someone was told on Twitter that our party does not have a secretary general; We don’t have this so it became a party that is about one person and one thing I can say publicly is I remember I did speak to Nelson Chamisa and I said, no my friend you know you need to work with everyone else, I can’t share what he told me because it was in confidence, but I want to put it on record that I told him that you can’t do what you’re doing it is damaging to the party. And I sold this, I will give a few examples when The gentleman who was killed in, I think his surname was Ncube. He was killed in Kwekwe. I fundraised the money, the money that was used to bury the gentleman, but through that fundraising I then realised that not having the leadership structures that we needed it. It was each time that I assisted the opposition. I did it publicly, and I declared that I am doing this because I am fighting corrupt.
I am not doing this because I’m a member of the opposition but I’m doing this as a Zimbabwean citizen and each time we fund raised money there was a fight because there was no structured leadership. In fact, some of the money would disappear, and then I would then call Nelson Chamisa to say Mr President, this is what has happened, can you fix this thing; and then I reminded I think it was around 2022, around August September I reminded him that the problem we are facing now is that we have to keep coming to you for everything, errrm, I should be going to David Coltart, I was meeting a lot of Zimbabweans in London; in America, who were saying to me Mkoma Hope, we want to donate; how do we donate and I said I can’t take your money and I remember going on Twitter saying that I’m in America. Many people were offering me money. Please don’t offer me money I will not take any money, your money needs to go to the party that you want to support, and this again I realised that the failure to have structures because Coltart was no longer the Treasurer General, there was no treasurer, so if you had to deal with anything and anyone you had to go to the President and I think it was unhealthy. It was an unhealthy situation and I think it contributed to whatever made the opposition fail to be successful. I am one person who likes not to focus much on what Zanu PF does on the opposition, because Zanu PF does what is expected of it to do. I don’t care what Zanu PF does because I know that Zanu PF is going to rig elections.
Any sensible person knows that ZANU PF is going to rig elections.
So if you expect Zanu PF to do otherwise then you become the problem; what we need to do is to focus on what to do to stop Zanu PF from rigging elections, and at that time I felt the machinery that was round Nelson Chamisa was not sufficiently equipped to push back ZANU PF from what it was doing. At the forefront, where people like Ostallos, people like Chibaya and others, but up to now, I still think that they are not sufficiently equipped, even if they form another new party and they remain the way they were CCC. The new party will remain the same. The new party will be rigged in 2028 and people like myself will not even participate because as I had predicted in 2023, and got insults and all sorts of stuff as I had predicted everything that I predicted to the teeth, but people do not want to be honest and say I think we were wrong here, I think we could have done things differently here. I think the biggest problem that we face is failure to accept the truth to say this is the problem that we are facing. How do we deal with it and we move forward we insult each other. We call each other names. They are people that are on Twitter to insult people day in day out, and I don’t think it is healthy because you end up building a very strong group of people supporting something but not sufficient enough to make that something win anything in an electoral contest and when we push people away other people away, we push people of talent away. There are a lot of Zimbabweans who have got a lot of talent in the diaspora that I speak to that; Speak to …as Zimbabweans and they tell me that Dude I want nothing to do with this. I can’t be dealing with people that insult others who call others, names and all that, but that’s what we are and I think that we need to fix it at times. I’ve been guilty of that so I know exactly what I’m talking about so there was no leadership structure. There was no collective decision-making. there was no constitution and if you wanted or today if you wanted to donate money to triple C, or to Nelson Chamisa‘s new outfit Who do you give that money to nobody knows I’ve got a lot of business people who are coming to me I had to phone Nelson Chamisa he knows it I’m not lying I can refer to things that I can share. I had to phone him and say I’ve got so and so who want to give such and such amount of money who do I give the money to somebody is sending money and you saw you guys before the elections all the money I would tweet about it because I wanted accountability but on the other side when you give money you don’t know what happens and then you hear people complaining and those are some of the issues that we couldn’t say at the time because we didn’t want to say things that would we can the opposition. We were saying things that we thought would strengthen the opposition And so some of the examples that I want to give that I could see were caused by failure to have structured leadership is that I got 10 ambulances and 10 fire engines in the United Kingdom I called Nelson Chamisa when I was with the mayor of that city we discussed the things there was no structured leadership to push that thing through and those fire engines never came through. They were given for free I got a radiotherapy machine to treat cancer in California. I then approached President Nelson Chamisa as he was called then I gave him a paper on it. I wrote a paper for him and say this is how you can do it. Nothing came out of it I got dialysis machines 40 from a Zimbabwean, who is based in Birmingham in the UK in the NHS, but nothing came out of it And I said to him you need to have somebody who specialises in health issues and I even spoke to skilled labourer about it, and I said this is the problem that we face every time I spoke to skilled labourer the company in California said we don’t want to speak to politicians. We want to speak to Nelson Chamisa’s advisory Council so that we can see how these things go to Zimbabwe, and there was no advisory council and it was embarrassing for me because it was something we had been talking about even with Dr Alex Magaisa, saying that this is what we need an advisor council around the President so that they can do with expert related issues which cannot be dealt with by the present of a party. I think for now I have said enough, but I want to end this part by saying for Nelson Chamisa; He remains the most popular politician in the country and a lot of his supporters always come to insult me why do you always talk about Nelson Chamisa- because he is the main opposition leader we cannot avoid talking about Chamisa or Mnangagwa. We talk about Mnangagwa every day because he is the main ingredient in Govt. We talk about Chamisa every day because he is the main ingredient in the opposition. You will have to be foolish to ask someone why they keep talking about the main ingredient in something so we talk about him in everything every day because he is the ingredient and so for Nelson Chamisa to remain relevant, he must accept and address the weaknesses and I am glad that some of the weaknesses have been mentioned by people around him that but need to be addressed if he wants to remain relevant to win an election. y You can be relevant but not win an election; And it adds no value, because the idea of running an election is to win it, not just to have big numbers of people following you or having big rallies. They don’t mean anything if they are not transformed into taking State power, and going to state House because that is what we were fighting for, and I’m sure that is what we have been fighting for because we want our lives as Zimbabweans to be transformed; so if he doesn’t transform himself; if he doesn’t change; if he doesn’t accept his weaknesses, he will never defeat Zanu PF because that is how it is. We might try to sugarcoat things but he will never defeat Zanu PF as one man in his party and some friends he will never defeated, as CCC was constructed; you could tell, and some of us were saying it but of course we were insulted, but I hope with the benefit of 2023 hindsight now understand because it is very easy to rig against a one-man party. You just need to target that one man and everything falls apart; but if you have a lot of heavyweights around you even if some are bought you can’t buy everyone, but in a one-man party, you can just buy that one man and then that is the end of that show and the whole country will be behind that one man, but if you have a party with 20 strong people at the leadership, you can’t buy 20 people and take advantage of their greediness and I think I’ve got two more points that I want to add then I can just pass onto to you.
Chamisa would have destroyed the country if he had won 2023- Chinono.
The third aspect, which I will call third, and half is that in the unlikely event that Nelson had won unlikely I’m going to explain because it was going to be impossible to win the election. The way it was structured the way that was FAZ. We cannot deny the fact that the election was stolen. Nelson can win any election any day, but he needs to have an infrastructure that can protect the vote and make sure he goes to State house if someone wins an election as a one-man if Nelson Chamisa had won and been inaugurated the possibility of destroying the country was there because if you can’t respect your constitution or if you don’t believe in one because you say infiltration and then you run away from your party because of infiltration it just shows how some of these things as citizens we need to reflect in our homes and say what actually happened; so if a man wins an election on his own, without the pillars of leadership around him, that person has the potential of destroying the country as well, because he will go as he ruled his opposition party, that’s how he will govern. People don’t just change because they are now in power so it is important for us and if he doesn’t change, it’s up to us as Zimbabweans to say to ourselves whether they want to continue with the election charade from 2000 to 2002 to 2005 to 2008 to 2013, to 2018, to 2023 and now to 2028, aaah, as things are at the moment, I don’t have any hope as things are at the moment, unless something dramatic happens and people come together and say you know what let’s do. What is good for our country let’s not be part and let’s fix things so thank you very much, Uncle Ged.
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At the forefront, we have people like host (sic) people like to buy and others, but up to now I don’t think they are sufficiently equipped even if they form another party and remain the way they were the new PARTY will face the same problems. The new party will be rigged in 2028. It will just be a waste of time and people like myself will not even participate because as I’ve predicted in 2023, got in South and all sorts of stuff as I have done everything that I’ve predicted to the teeth happened, but people because Zimbabweans we are not honest we don’t want to accept that we were wrong here we could’ve done things differently here. I think the biggest problem that we face is the failure to accept the truth. In fact, this is the problem that we face how do we deal with this and we move forward we insult each other. We call each other names.
There are people that are on Twitter just to insult people day in day out and I don’t think it is healthy because you end up building a very strong group of people supporting something but not sufficient enough to make that something win anything in an electro contest and when push other people other way away you push a lot of talent away, there are a lot of people who have different talents across the diaspora that I speak to across Zimbabweans and they tell me that all you know Mate, I don’t want to have anything to do with this. I can’t be dealing with people that insult people call each other names, and things like that that is who we are we need to accept and I think the most important thing is to say let’s fix it at times. I’ve been guilty of that as well so I am not exception. I am no exception to that, so there was no leadership structure. There was no collective decision making there were no institutional processes, and if you Wanted TODAY to donate money to triple C, or to Nelson Chamisa, you wouldn’t know who to give that money to nobody knows, I have got a lot of people a lot of business people who want to give money and I had to phone Nelson Chamisa and tell him I’ve got so and so they have given me X amount of money who do I give that money to somebody sending money?
And we saw you guys before the elections all the money I had to tweet about it because I wanted accountability but on the other side when you give the money you don’t know what happens to the money and then you hear people complaining and those are some of the issues that we couldn’t say at the time, because we didn’t want to say things that we can make the opposition.
We were saying things that we can strengthen the opposition and so some of the examples that I want to believe that I could see were caused by failure to have structured leadership is that I got 10 ambulances and 10 fire engines in the UK. I called Nelson Chamisa when I was there and the mayor of the city. There was no structure to push those things that were given for free, I got a radiotherapy machine to treat cancer in California. I then approached President Nelson Chamisa as he was called then I gave him a paper on it. I wrote a paper on him and say this is how you can do it. Nothing came out of it. I got dialysis machines 14 from a ZIMBABWEAN in Birmingham who is in the NHS, nothing came out of it because there was no structured leadership and I said to him my brother we need to have somebody Who specialises in held issues and I even talk verbally about it to say that this is the problem that we face at the time that I talked to skilled labourer, I said we don’t want to speak to politician.
We want to speak to Nelson Chamisa’s advisory council, and there was no one there to handle that; it was embarrassing for me because it was something that we were talking about with Doctor, Alex Magaisa that we need these sort of advisory people around the President so that they can deal with these expert related issues which cannot be dealt with by the president of the political party and even now I have said enough, but I want to add this part to say that you know for Nelson Chamisa in the most popular politician in the country and a lot of his supporters all of the country always insult me.
Why do you talk about Nelson Chamisa it is because he is the main opposition. We cannot avoid talking about Nelson Chamisa or Emmerson Mnangagwa we talk about Nelson Chamisa every day because he is the main opposition leader in the country. We talk about Nelson Chamisa because he is the main greet in the opposition you will have to ask somebody to find out why they keep talking about the main ingredient in the country. So for Nelson Chamisa to remain relevant, he must accept and addressed the crisis and I am glad that some of the issues have been mentioned by people around him, but they need to be addressed. If he wants to remain relevant to win an election. You can be relevant but not win an election and it adds no value because the idea of running in election is to ruin it, not just to have big numbers of people Following you at big rallies, they don’t do anything if they do not transform into you taking stake, power interstate because that is what we are fighting for and I’m sure that that is what we remain fighting for because we want our lives as Zimbabweans to to be transformed, so if he doesn’t transform himself, if he doesn’t change, if he doesn’t accept his weaknesses, he will never defeat Zanu PF, because that is how it is. We might try to sugarcoat things, but he will never defeat Zanu PF because as a one man PARTY, he will never defeat Zanu PF as CCC was constructed you could tell and some of us were saying, and of course we were insulted at the time, and I hope at the 2023 hindsight people can understand because it is very easy to rig against a one-man party.
You just need to target that one-man party that one man and everything follows apart but if you have got a lot of heavyweight around you even if some are bought, you can’t bring that down if you decide to be bought as one person that will be the end of the party of 12 people 20 people at the top of the leadership you can’t buy 20 people and take advantage of their greediness and I think I have got two more points that I want to add Uncle Ged, the tent aspect, which I will call third, and a half is that in the unlikely event that Nelson had won I call it, unlikely because it was going to be possible to win that election because of the way it was structured FAZ.
But he needs to have an infrastructure that can protect the vote and win the way to state House if Nelson Chamisa had one and he had been inaugurated the possibility of destroying the country was there as well, because if you can’t respect the constitution as I have always said if you don’t believe in one, because you say infiltration and then you end up running from the party because of infiltration, it just shows how some of these things as citizens we need to reflect on them in our homes and say what actually happened so if a man wins an election without the pillars of leadership around him, that President has potential of destroying the country as well, because he will govern as he wrote his opposition party … so if he doesn’t change, it’s up to Zimbabweans to make up for themselves if they want to have a leadership from 2008, 2005 to 2018 to 2023 and now to 2028 as things are at the moment, I don’t have any hope as things are at the moment, unless something magically happens all people come together and say let’s do something that is good for our country; so thank you very much uncle Ged.
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-Hopewell Chin’ono refusal to be accountable
Hopewell Chin’ono refuses to account over the name of the company that he says gave him a £50,000 sportscar loan in 1996 which he says made him rich enabling him to purchase his first ever immovable property.
HC: Politics has been so toxic. It has been so toxic that brothers and sisters hate each other and yet they are fighting the same animal. You know, eeeh. And and and, I have shared my frustration with my relationship with Professor Brilliant with Zhangazha. I have said to Zhangazha, you know, Brilliant is errm, we belong to the same Institute, eeeh, Tutu fellowship, Africa leadership institute. We went to Oxford together at different times.
We need to relate. We are Zimbabweans we might differ on certain things you know, we should never, we should never fight each other to the point where we belittle each other where we insult each other we are brothers at the end of the day you know, it is just like back home in the rural areas we can, we can sit on the fire and disagree, to support different parties. But, we shouldn’t get to a point where we can’t engage with each other.
GB: Right. And also, I have received so many questions I am not realising now I have received so many questions.
HC: No, no, please please, these questions, I’m ready to answer them. We don’t do this every day.
GB: Let me, I want to acknowledge the people that I have added, I will come to you Gari. There’s a question here that says ask when he last spoke with Chamisa was it way before the leaked audios that is one question and then another one is saying.
Hopewell Chinono(HC): I want to address the issue of the audio, which Simba-Chikanza of ZimEye keeps bringing out. That is, that that.
GB: On top of that is there is the question of the safe houses as well, reported that you reported to Chiwenga, you know, if you can put that together.
Hopewell Chin’ono (HC) Yes, yes yes, that question that’s a ghost account of Simba-Chikanza asking you and I am happy to answer, it let me answer it. Aah, the first question is that Simba knows very well that those audios were doctored. Ah. They don’t represent a conversation that happened; but the most important thing is that I think I hope I will be able to look for it, but anyway, what Simba keeps posting that I exposed people it’s a lie. The what happened was that I was taken to have a conversation in 2018 which I publicly talked about. In that conversation there was the British ambassador, the EUAmbassador, a Congolese businessman called Kala Mpinga, vice president Chiwenga, and then we were taken to the president of the country, Emmerson Mnangagwa. It had nothing with all this bullshit that Simba posts about. Simba has gone to a point of asking me to account for a car that I drove 30 years ago, LAUGH LAUGH LAUGH, I assume that people have common sense you know. Eeh. And and and, and, so, in that regard I was never going to answer all this nonsense uncle Ged, but, you know if you ask me to account, eeh for a car that I pot, bought 30 years ago because you hate me so much, you don’t like me you know, you hate me so much. Eeh I have more money in my current account than all those figures that he talks about and that money I can account for it, so I think it’s very petty as Zimbabweans to really, you know, imagine if I get into an argument with Kuda Musasiwa over something else, and then I start asking him to account for a car that he bought 30 years ago.
I start asking him to account for a house. You know I’ve been asked to account for my house more than 1000 times ago, more than a thousand times I mean, not ago, eeh, the British embassy has had to issue a public statement that I am not a fugitive from justice but that is how petty Zimbabweans are. Erin, I will post it right away.
Just use freedom of information to get the information you need, we all know Hopewell lived in Slough and was involved in credit card fraud, he can only fool those who are gullible isu zvigogodera haana nyaya, he isn't what he says he is, put @ITV to the task
— Flight Lieutenant Tashinga Pswarayi MP (@TashingaPswara1) February 28, 2024
The British embassy has had to issue a statement to say “Hopewell Chinono is not a fugitive from justice in Britain,” but in a country that has no single working radiotherapy machine that has no clean drinking water that has no decent roads, that has no pensions for its pensioners, every day Simba-Chikanza tweets about the sports car that I drove and he lies about how I am a fugitive from justice and all that it’s a shame; it’s a shame because it shows the rest of the world; I want to tell you Uncle Ged, I want to tell you about how this is so shameful. I was invited for coffee, aah in PARKTOWN NORTH in Johannesburg by Geoff, who is the correspondent of the Canadian Globe, aaah in Johannesburg and he said to me, you know, aah, let’s have drinks, aah, Jeff York and he said to me this guy drink keeps writing about you. What’s going on? Is everything okay but this is how the rest of the world sees us, as a people. You know, you are chasing after a 52 year old guy and you asking him to account for how he bought a house for 60,000 in Chisipite. You’re chasing after a 52 year old guy and you’re asking him to account how he bought a Toyota Supra in 1996 and today is 2024. I have never worked for Govt. I don’t earn public funds. I have never stolen anything from the state but a whole supposedly website spends two years chasing after a guy asking him; what if I tell you that I have £3 million in my account today, that I have worked for that I can account for that has been paid into that account by British institutions like ITV news that I have worked for and you’re asking me about £50,000 when I have £3 million in my account; when I live in a 4 million eh, eh Rand house in Johannesburg; when I live in a US$600,000 house in Harare and the whole struggle is reduced to talking about how a man bought a car worth US$50,000 or pounds 30 years ago ; It just shows how petty we are. It shows how.
GB: But, eh, why don’t you engage him in that aspect in a conversation?
HC: no no no no I’m never going to do that uncle Ged.
GB: because we are now being caught in a crossfire no no I think what we need to do. I think
GB: what we need to do so we host both of you?
HC: no no no no I think what we need to do a sensible people is to focus on sensitive sensible issues. If we start degenerating into, into these stupid things, then there is no reason why foreigners have to respect us because if we can’t respect ourselves, why do we expect strangers to respect us?
GB: right, so on that issue your clarification when it comes to those issues that he has raised…?
HC: No there is no clarification. I just said, I just said things in passing. I don’t owe that guy anything, as I said to you, I am not a public figure. I have more money than he talks about. I have no obligation to tell anyone how I have earned that money I have never worked for Govt. I’ve worked my whole life for private media. You know who I have worked for. If you think that what I have I didn’t earn it to go to ITV news. Those are my employers. Those are the people that were paying me money if you think that I did not earn what I have got like I live in a nice house and I don’t deserve it go to ITV news. Those are my employers, they say it publicly that they employed me. Why should, I mean, your grandmother stays in the rural areas and she doesn’t even have a pension, she doesn’t even have medication, and you want to know how I bought a car 30 years ago, come here on Uncle Ged, let’s move on.
GB: LAUGH LAUGH LAUGH. Others will be saying isn’t it that a crime does not expire, Apologies, but it is hard; but anyway there is also a question here
HC:I think there’s a guy called Tino. The Village Boy I had blocked him. I have unblocked him.
GB: I think he wanted to ask something no no no he was here. He has actually asked a question, so in the spirit of unblocking people which is quite good. Okay there is there is a question here it is being said it is being asked. Are you going to apologise to Nelson Chamisa privately or publicly and move onto build a greater Zimbabwe?
HC: I have no reason to apologise to my brother Nelson because everything I said was based on facts, and eeeh, what that person needs to do is to come and say to me what you said about Nelson or about CCC on this particular instance is wrong and here are the facts.
I have no reason to apologise to politicians. I never apologise to politicians. Nelson Chamisa and all the other politicians and I talk to all of them. Today today today, eeh, eeh, I went to have my haircut and and the person who told me where I could get my hair cut was Saviour Kasukuwere I am in Johannesburg at the moment. And, and and I talk to all of them and I don’t hide that.
I talk to Saviour Kasukuwere, I talk to Welshman , I talk to Nelson Chamisa, I talk to Nkosana Moyo. Nkosana Moyo has been to my home in Zimbabwe , has been to my home in Johannesburg. These are my brothers these are my sisters.
I was speaking to Tadini’s president, Valerio, she sent a message to say I owe her a response. I speak to everyone these are Zimbabweans. You know we should not intimidate each other by saying, don’t talk to so and so, don’t talk to so-and-so because our resolutions only come from all of us to put together. This idea, politicians lie to you.
They say don’t talk to someone so but they talk to so, so I know it so President Nelson Chamisa will never say to me. Don’t talk to so and so but because he is the guy who told me to talk to everybody. So why shouldn’t I talk to? If you come to South Africa you see President Raposa talking to Julius Malema you will see him talking to Hellen Ziller. You will see him talk to Steenhuisen. Why shouldn’t I not to talk to my brothers and sisters? I will talk to Tadini. I will talk to Makomborero. I will talk to Nelson. I will talk to even to ED. I will talk to him, I have no problem. You see, our lack. I think we need to introduce politics as a subject at high school, so that people understand what it involves. If you go to ENGLAND today, this animosity does not exist. Yeah you know and Zanu PF has allowed people to hate each other and do things but what you don’t know is that these people at night they do things together….
Former Zanu PF heavyweight Saviour Tyson Kasukuwere has weighed in on the recent booing of President Emmerson Mnangagwa during his visit to Botswana, suggesting that the incident is a clear sign of his declining popularity.
Speaking out after the embarrassing episode, Kasukuwere, who was disqualified from the 2023 Presidential race and served as Zanu PF’s national political commissar, argued that moments like these should prompt self-reflection.
“Certain events, behaviours, and reactions you get require a moment of deep reflection,” he stated.
Kasukuwere continued, emphasizing the importance of introspection, particularly when foreigners begin to show disrespect:
“We are all not perfect, but, once people—including foreigners—start disrespecting you, introspection becomes necessary.”
The incident took place when Mnangagwa attended the inauguration of Duma Boko as the new President of Botswana.
As Mnangagwa arrived, he was met with boos from some sections of the crowd, highlighting the growing dissatisfaction with his leadership both at home and abroad.
Kasukuwere, who has had a tumultuous relationship with Mnangagwa and Zanu PF, also noted that wisdom and age should ideally go hand in hand.
His remarks seem to suggest that leaders should be self-aware, particularly when their actions and public reception begin to indicate a shift in public sentiment.
Kasukuwere’s comments reflect a broader critique of Mnangagwa’s leadership, urging both the President and his supporters to consider the consequences of a growing disconnect between the government and the people.
By Political Reporter-Botswana’s recent elections have highlighted stark contrasts with Zimbabwe’s political landscape, leaving President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe in an awkward position.
In a peaceful and transparent electoral process, Botswana’s opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) won against the long-dominant Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), ending the BDP’s 58-year hold on power.
In a move that sharply contrasted with recent electoral disputes in Zimbabwe, BDP President Mokgweetsi Masisi graciously conceded defeat and congratulated his opponent, UDC leader Duma Boko, for his historic victory.
President Mnangagwa was one of three heads of state—along with leaders from Namibia and Zambia—who attended the inauguration in Botswana.
Upon his return to Harare, Mnangagwa spoke positively of the smooth electoral process in Botswana.
“As SADC, we are very happy the process went on well,” he said. “We had three Heads of State in attendance, and it went very smoothly. President Boko was very happy that I had come after he extended his invitation, and I then congratulated him.”
The Botswana transfer of power has reignited scrutiny over Zimbabwe’s own elections.
Mnangagwa, who has faced widespread allegations of election rigging and has been accused of refusing to relinquish power despite contested results, struck a diplomatic tone in his message to Botswana’s new leadership.
He extended congratulations to President-Elect Boko, stating, “On behalf of the Government and People of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and on my own behalf, I wish to extend to you my most sincere congratulations on your election.”
Mnangagwa also expressed eagerness to continue strengthening the relationship between Zimbabwe and Botswana.
“As you assume your new role, I am confident that the excellent relations between our two countries will continue to grow… I also affirm my commitment to working very closely with you at regional, continental, and multilateral fora, in pursuit of a just global political and economic order.”
Despite these assurances, the contrast between Botswana’s transparent electoral process and Zimbabwe’s contested elections has left Mnangagwa facing heightened criticism at home.
Observers note that the Botswana transition underscores growing regional demands for political integrity and transparency—values that some feel are increasingly lacking in Zimbabwe’s political sphere.
By Political Reporter- President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Friday, appeared visibly aged and frail during his attendance at the inauguration of Botswana’s new President, Duma Boko, raising speculation of pressure and embarrassment he faced.
Sharp-eyed onlookers quickly noted his thinning hair and weary expression, sparking whispers both at the event and across social media.
Frail ED
Observers were struck by Mnangagwa’s subdued demeanour, a stark contrast to his usual assertive image.
His visibly ageing appearance, with wispy, greying hair, had attendees wondering if the weight of Zimbabwe’s political turmoil was taking a toll on him.
The timing was particularly poignant, as Mnangagwa had publicly supported the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) — which ultimately lost — over the opposition-led Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), now led by President Boko.
The event itself was a notable one, attended by several regional leaders, including Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
Adding to the intrigue was the presence of prominent opposition figures from across the region, including Zimbabwe’s own Nelson Chamisa, South Africa’s Julius Malema, and Musi Maimane.
The inclusion of these opposition leaders in such a high-profile inauguration underscored shifting dynamics in regional politics, as emerging leaders like Boko and Hichilema increasingly signal solidarity with opposition movements across Southern Africa.
Mnangagwa’s appearance at the event, alongside this coalition of opposition figures, left him looking isolated and, in the eyes of many, vulnerable.
Speculation grew as he left Botswana shortly after the ceremony without engaging directly with 54-year-old President Boko.
His swift departure back to Zimbabwe only fueled rumours of discomfort and embarrassment.
While Mnangagwa attended in his capacity as Zimbabwe’s head of state and current SADC chairman, his visible frailty and lack of interaction with Boko did not go unnoticed.
Some saw his appearance as symbolic of a leader under pressure, facing rising dissent at home and the emergence of a new political order in the region — one not rooted in the liberation movements of old.
For many Zimbabweans, the image of Mnangagwa at this inauguration — visibly aged and seemingly burdened — encapsulates the challenges facing his administration, as Zimbabwe confronts political and economic turmoil under his rule.
Security Guard’s Generosity Backfires as Villager Arrested Over $20,000 Theft
Masvingo, Zimbabwe — A cash-in-transit operation turned into a costly misstep after a security guard’s ill-advised decision to offer a ride led to the theft of US$20,000. The suspect, 24-year-old Kelvin Chisandako, has been arrested after splashing cash in a rural village.
The incident occurred on October 16 when a Safeguard Security Company vehicle transporting money from Beitbridge to Mutare made an unauthorized stop at Lutumba Business Centre. The guards picked up two passengers, including Chisandako, who later allegedly made off with the cash.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) revealed that Chisandako’s arrest in Mangwawo Village, Mwenezi, came after a tip-off from community members who noticed his sudden wealth. Upon his apprehension, police recovered US$600, R2,320 in cash, an empty cash box, and a Toyota Aqua vehicle purchased for US$9,800. Further investigations uncovered evidence of extravagant spending on construction materials, clothing, and personal items.
Among the items purchased with the stolen funds were 30 roofing sheets, 35 bags of cement, seven window frames, two French doors, 15,000 bricks, a cellphone, and three men’s suits.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi praised the public for their vigilance, saying, “The Zimbabwe Republic Police applauds the public for forwarding positive information which led to the arrest of the suspect. The public is urged to continue providing information on criminal activities.”
Comm Nyathi emphasized the ZRP’s commitment to justice, adding that all criminals will face the law “without fear or favor.”
The arrest underscores the importance of adhering to strict protocols in cash-in-transit operations. The decision to offer a ride to unauthorized passengers not only breached company policies but also compromised the safety of a significant amount of money.
Police investigations are ongoing, with authorities urging anyone with additional information to contact the National Complaints Desk or their nearest police station.
In a groundbreaking move, Botswana’s newly elected President Duma Gideon Boko has pledged to grant temporary work and residence permits to undocumented Zimbabweans living in the country. This bold initiative aims to address the long-standing issue of irregular migration and provide a lifeline to thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing economic hardship and political instability.
According to President Boko, Zimbabweans fill crucial labor gaps in Botswana’s economy, performing jobs that would otherwise remain undone. However, their undocumented status often leads to resentment, limited access to basic amenities, and increased vulnerability to crime ¹. By formalizing their presence, Boko hopes to reduce tensions and create a more inclusive society.
Botswana is home to the world’s second-largest population of Zimbabweans, with thousands crossing the border regularly since Zimbabwe’s economy collapsed two decades ago ¹. Many have sought political asylum, while others have been deported due to their irregular status.
Key Statistics:
98% of irregular migrants in Botswana are Zimbabweans ¹
Thousands of Zimbabweans cross the border regularly ¹
Botswana’s economy benefits from Zimbabwean labor ¹
President Boko’s proposal is part of his broader efforts to revive Botswana’s economy and promote social cohesion. As the country’s sixth president, Boko has already made history by ousting the ruling party that had held power for 58 years ². His progressive stance on migration and economic development is expected to shape the country’s future and improve relations with neighboring Zimbabwe.
By A Correspondent | Comment | In Zimbabwe’s volatile political landscape, the opposition typically faces intense struggles and regular setbacks, with party leaders like Nelson Chamisa and Job Sikhala routinely thwarted by the judicial system. However, a peculiar scenario has emerged, where one opposition figure, Fadzayi Mahere, consistently wins court cases, even those involving high-profile public figures and empty defamation claims. Mahere’s victories raise questions about the sincerity of her role as an opposition activist, with suspicions surfacing that her favorable outcomes may be tied to advantages from the very judicial system that frequently targets genuine opposition leaders.
Recently, Mahere secured a victory in a defamation case against lawyer and author Petina Gappah. The case dates back to a 2018 Twitter dispute, in which Gappah made comments about Mahere’s university admissions and personal life. Mahere sued Gappah for US$1 million, claiming reputational damage. After court deliberations, Justice Joseph Mafusire reduced the damages from US$1 million to US$18,000 but upheld the claim that Gappah’s statements were defamatory. Mahere’s legal team has since pursued Gappah’s assets, including personal items like a BMW and household appliances, in an effort to recover the awarded amount.
While Mahere’s defamation claim may appear justified on the surface, many have noted that Gappah’s statements largely reiterated allegations that had already circulated in public discourse, and some were published by individuals close to Mahere herself.
This has led critics to argue that Mahere’s pursuit of legal action in this instance is more about public posturing than genuine injury. Interestingly, while Mahere wins such high-profile cases with relative ease, Zimbabwe’s most visible opposition leaders remain mired in perpetual court battles that they almost never win, suggesting a pattern that is both unusual and highly suspicious.
Zimbabwe’s justice system has long been criticized for apparent biases in politically sensitive cases, particularly those involving opposition figures. Figures such as Nelson Chamisa and Job Sikhala have endured continuous legal struggles without
resolution, often facing what many perceive as politically motivated charges and rulings that appear aimed at weakening their positions and discouraging dissent. Sikhala, for instance, has been incarcerated multiple times without conviction, with legal decisions that many believe are designed to silence him rather than deliver justice. Meanwhile, Chamisa, leader of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has encountered numerous legal and administrative obstacles in his attempts to gain traction against the ruling ZANU-PF party.
This disparity in legal outcomes for opposition figures raises questions: how is it that Mahere, a figure aligned with the opposition, can secure such consistent victories while others within her own coalition cannot? Mahere’s legal wins—seemingly untouched by the harsh limitations that often hinder her colleagues—have led to suspicions that she may be benefiting from a preferential relationship with the judiciary, an institution often labeled “corrupt” by critics due to its history of pro-ZANU-PF rulings.
Mahere’s legal success, particularly in her case against Gappah, has sparked debate within opposition circles, with some supporters questioning her role as a true opposition activist. For many, her defamation win feels hollow and strategically timed, especially considering that Gappah’s statements had already circulated within the public domain. Additionally, some point to Mahere’s unusual ability to exert influence over court outcomes—such as her recent ability to pursue Gappah’s civil imprisonment for non-payment—as evidence of possible favoritism.
While it remains speculative, there is a growing sentiment that Mahere’s position may not be as anti-establishment as it appears. Zimbabwe’s opposition supporters are increasingly concerned that Mahere’s wins are symptomatic of a deeper alignment, one where she might act as a controlled opposition figure who enjoys privileges and outcomes denied to genuine dissidents. This has left some questioning if her victories serve not just her interests, but potentially those of a faction within the ruling elite that finds her “opposition” status convenient.
Zimbabwe’s judiciary has long been under scrutiny for selectively applying the law, and Mahere’s consistent wins serve to underscore the deep-rooted suspicions of systemic bias. For many observers, her victories reveal a troubling trend: in a system where genuine opposition leaders are punished, Mahere’s success seems an anomaly. It suggests that the judiciary may be selectively “just” in cases where outcomes do not threaten the status quo.
In a country where opposition voices face daily repression, Mahere’s favorable court rulings have created confusion and suspicion among genuine opposition supporters. They point to the numerous hurdles faced by leaders like Chamisa and Sikhala as evidence of a system that works against real change-makers and, instead, props up those who perform the role of opposition without challenging the status quo.
The peculiar case of Fadzayi Mahere’s court victories, particularly her defamation suit against Petina Gappah, highlights a troubling inconsistency in Zimbabwe’s justice system. For many opposition supporters, her success symbolizes not justice but preferential treatment in a system otherwise rigged against those who pose a real challenge to the government. While she continues to wear the mantle of an opposition leader, Mahere’s wins and apparent influence within Zimbabwe’s judicial corridors cast doubt on the authenticity of her role. As long as genuine opposition figures like Chamisa and Sikhala face persecution without reprieve, Mahere’s “victories” will remain a curious case of selective justice in a landscape where true dissenters are stifled, not celebrated.
A kombi driver, Tinashe Madzima (31), and his conductor, Ishmael Gonyora, were arrested on Wednesday at George Shopping Centre in Ruwa on charges of bribery. The arrests came after a recent crackdown by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), which followed the detention of two police officers, Sergeant James Chifamba and Constable Trymore Mukunza.
The officers had been implicated in a viral video circulating on social media, which showed them accepting bribes from pirate kombis, taxis, and registered public service vehicles along the Harare-Mutare Road, near the Mabvuku turn-off.
Mnangagwa Extends Commission’s Tenure as Harare City Council Faces Uncertain Future
By A Correspondent | Harare, Zimbabwe – President Emmerson Mnangagwa has extended the tenure of the Commission of Inquiry into the governance of the Harare City Council (HCC) for an additional three months, a move widely seen as a calculated effort to dismantle opposition-led councils. This extension fuels suspicions of a broader agenda to erode opposition influence in urban centers, with Harare as the latest battleground.
The commission, chaired by retired High Court Judge Justice Maphios Cheda, was established on May 10, 2024, to investigate governance issues within the council dating back to 2017. Initially mandated for six months, the commission’s investigations now extend to early February 2025, with a report due to President Mnangagwa by May.
The investigation focuses on alleged financial mismanagement and governance failures, with particular scrutiny on the council’s opaque handling of revenue from entities such as Rufaro Marketing and City Parking. However, critics argue that the commission’s mandate serves as a convenient tool for undermining opposition-led councils rather than addressing service delivery challenges.
Mnangagwa’s Video Sparks Outrage
In a widely circulated video, President Mnangagwa is heard saying, “All service delivery issues needing attention of the MDC, it doesn’t matter which MDC, must be stopped and they must crash at Harvest House building.” This statement has intensified concerns that the commission is part of a broader political strategy to cripple opposition-run councils, regardless of their performance or public mandate.
The Harare City Council, like many urban councils across Zimbabwe, is led by the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), a rebranded successor to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). These councils have long been targets of government interference, with accusations that Mnangagwa’s administration seeks to centralize control and undermine opposition strongholds.
Commission as a De Facto Replacement
The extension of the commission’s tenure raises questions about its true purpose. Observers point out that the commission is effectively sidelining the elected council, which has faced allegations of corruption and inefficiency. While the commission investigates financial mismanagement, it also assumes a quasi-administrative role, further reducing the council’s authority.
The commission includes governance and legal experts Steven Chakaipa, Lucia Gladys Matibenga, Khonzani Ncube, and Tafadzwa Charles Hungwe. With the Permanent Secretary for Local Government and Public Works acting as its secretary, the commission has direct access to state resources, reinforcing its position as a powerful alternative to the city council.
Broader Implications for Opposition-Led Councils
This latest development is part of a larger trend where opposition-led councils face disproportionate scrutiny and interventions from the central government. Analysts argue that Mnangagwa’s approach is less about addressing service delivery and more about asserting political dominance over urban centers traditionally controlled by the opposition.
The Harare City Council has been criticized for failing to implement a modern Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and for lacking transparency in its financial dealings. However, opposition leaders contend that these challenges are compounded by deliberate sabotage and lack of support from central government ministries.
Future of Harare’s Governance
As the commission’s investigations continue, the fate of Harare’s governance hangs in the balance. Residents are left questioning whether the commission’s findings will result in genuine reforms or simply serve as a pretext for dismantling opposition control. The President’s explicit rhetoric against the MDC—and by extension, its successor CCC—underscores the politically charged nature of the inquiry.
While the commission’s final report is months away, the extension signals that the battle over Harare’s governance is far from over. For the city’s residents, the stakes remain high as service delivery and accountability are increasingly overshadowed by political agendas.
Elson Manzini from Sihlengeni, Bulawayo, has taken a bold step to protect himself from his estranged wife, Thembelihle Moyo, who threatened to kill him by setting their bedroom hut ablaze. Manzini fled their home in fear and sought a court protection order, citing threats to his life and physical abuse.
Moyo’s abuse wasn’t limited to threats; she also verbally and physically assaulted Manzini at his workplace, accusing him of neglecting their children. Manzini recounted how Moyo would humiliate him in front of others, causing scenes and threatening his life. The final straw came when Manzini discovered Moyo in bed with another man at her family home.
In court, Moyo admitted to issuing death threats, blaming her anger on Manzini’s alleged failure to provide financial support for their children. However, Manzini expressed concerns for his safety, stating, “I want to engage my in-laws first before she comes. And I’m afraid she would kill me.”
Physical and Verbal Abuse: No physical harm or verbal threats against Manzini.
Death Threats: No issuing of death threats or attempts to intimidate Manzini.
Returning Home: Moyo cannot return to their matrimonial home without permission.
Manzini’s courage highlights the often-overlooked issue of male victims of domestic abuse and the importance of seeking help. According to experts, recognizing signs of an abusive partner, such as controlling behavior, verbal abuse, and extreme jealousy, is crucial in escaping toxic relationships ¹. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, seeking support and protection is essential.
A kombi driver, Tinashe Madzima (31), and his conductor, Ishmael Gonyora, were arrested on Wednesday at George Shopping Centre in Ruwa on bribery charges. Their detention follows a recent crackdown by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), which came after two police officers—Sergeant James Chifamba and Constable Trymore Mukunza—were arrested. The officers had been caught in a viral video accepting bribes from pirate kombis, taxis, and licensed public service vehicles along the Harare-Mutare Road, near the Mabvuku turn-off.
Zimbabweans have strongly criticized the Mnangagwa administration’s proposed WhatsApp license fees, calling the move absurd and an overreach into personal communication.
The announcement, made by Zimbabwe’s Minister of ICT, Postal, and Courier Services, Hon. Tatenda Mavetera on Thursday, stated that all WhatsApp group administrators will soon be required to register and obtain a license from the Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) to operate their groups.
The new licensing requirements, revealed during a recent POTRAZ breakfast meeting, set the minimum cost for a license at $50, with the fees varying depending on the nature of the group.
In addition to paying for the license, WhatsApp group admins will be required to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO), who must be trained and certified by POTRAZ. This new requirement is part of an effort to enforce compliance with Zimbabwe’s Data Protection Act, which governs the handling of personal data.
The law defines personal data as any information that can be used to directly or indirectly identify a person, and since WhatsApp group admins have access to members’ phone numbers, the government argues that these groups are subject to data protection regulations.
Minister Mavetera emphasized that the requirement would apply not only to business groups but also to community organizations, churches, and any other groups that collect personal data.
“Even churches who collect personal data ought to have such a license and appoint a DPO,” she stated, highlighting the government’s desire to tighten data security and privacy for all citizens.
However, the announcement has sparked a firestorm of criticism. Many Zimbabweans have questioned the implications of the new regulations on free communication and privacy in digital spaces. Critics argue that such licensing requirements could create an undue burden on informal group administrators, particularly for community-based groups and small businesses.
Others have expressed concern that this move could further restrict free expression online.
One critic, Taurai Cheteni, expressed frustration with the move on social media, writing: “Good evening Minister. Is it not makakandwa ku deep end? Madii kukumbira kuchinjwa ministry. I think you can be very useful somewhere else, ICT is not everyone, you included. Can you not kindly ask HE to assign you somewhere because ha, you have been misfiring from day one. I personally feel sorry for you but be honest with your boss and admit that you can’t cope.”
Another commenter, Evy Chats, echoed dissatisfaction, recalling a conversation about the proposed licenses: “I was talking to my guy about the introduction of licenses for WhatsApp admins, and he said hamuna kudzidza (you didn’t study). I defended you, saying you have masters in marketing, but he said that was a lie—you paid for it. Now I’m left embarrassed. Please, come and back me up, Hon.”
Albert Nyamayaro raised another point, arguing that the government’s plans were unfair, saying: “You can’t make money from other people’s platforms. WhatsApp is someone’s intellectual property (IP), and the government through POTRAZ cannot make money from it. It does not make sense at all.”
While the government argues that the new regulations are necessary to protect personal data and ensure privacy, many Zimbabweans feel that the move is an unnecessary encroachment on their digital freedoms. POTRAZ has encouraged group admins with concerns to reach out for guidance on how to comply with the new requirements.
Zimbabweans are up in arms over a controversial proposal by the Mnangagwa administration that could heavily restrict freedom of worship and private communication.
The move, which mandates that all WhatsApp group administrators obtain licenses to operate their groups, has been widely criticized as an overreach into personal digital spaces, including religious communities.
On Thursday, Zimbabwe’s Minister of ICT, Postal, and Courier Services, Hon. Tatenda Mavetera, announced that all WhatsApp group admins will soon be required to register and obtain a license from the Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ).
The minimum cost for a license is set at $50, though the fees will vary depending on the nature of the group.
Under the new regulations, group administrators will also be required to appoint a certified Data Protection Officer (DPO) to ensure compliance with Zimbabwe’s Data Protection Act.
The law defines personal data as any information that can identify an individual, including phone numbers, which are accessible to WhatsApp group admins.
In her statement, Minister Mavetera emphasized that this licensing requirement would apply not only to businesses but also to community organizations, churches, and any group that collects personal data.
“Even churches who collect personal data ought to have such a license and appoint a DPO,” Mavetera said, underscoring the government’s push to tighten data security and privacy.
However, the proposal has drawn intense backlash, particularly from religious groups and citizens concerned about their freedom to communicate and organize. Critics argue that the new regulations are a direct attack on free speech, religious freedom, and privacy.
One vocal critic, Taurai Cheteni, expressed his frustration on social media, writing: “Good evening Minister. Is it not makakandwa ku deep end? Madii kukumbira kuchinjwa ministry. ICT is not for everyone, including you. Please ask the President to assign you elsewhere because you’ve been misfiring from day one. I personally feel sorry for you but be honest with your boss and admit that you can’t cope.”
Another commenter, Evy Chats, also voiced their concerns, recalling a conversation about the proposed licenses: “I was talking to my guy about the introduction of licenses for WhatsApp admins, and he said hamuna kudzidza (you didn’t study). I defended you, saying you have a master’s in marketing, but he said that was a lie—you paid for it. Now I’m left embarrassed. Please, come and back me up, Hon.”
Albert Nyamayaro weighed in, arguing that the government’s plans are unfair: “You can’t make money from other people’s platforms. WhatsApp is someone’s intellectual property (IP), and the government through POTRAZ cannot make money from it. It does not make sense at all.”
Religious leaders, in particular, have expressed concern that the licensing requirements could stifle their ability to freely communicate and share religious messages with congregations. With churches and community groups often relying on WhatsApp to stay connected with members, the new rules would impose unnecessary costs and administrative burdens.
While the government has defended the new regulations as necessary for data protection and privacy, many Zimbabweans see them as an infringement on their digital freedoms and an attempt to control online spaces, including religious communities.
POTRAZ has encouraged WhatsApp group admins with concerns to reach out for further guidance on how to comply with the new requirements, but many remain unconvinced that the proposed licensing system is in the best interest of Zimbabweans.
As the public outcry grows, many are questioning whether this move will lead to even more restrictions on online expression and religious freedom in the country.
In a groundbreaking move, Botswana’s newly elected President Duma Gideon Boko has pledged to grant temporary work and residence permits to undocumented Zimbabweans living in the country. This bold initiative aims to address the long-standing issue of irregular migration and provide a lifeline to thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing economic hardship and political instability ¹.
According to President Boko, Zimbabweans fill crucial labor gaps in Botswana’s economy, performing jobs that would otherwise remain undone. However, their undocumented status often leads to resentment, limited access to basic amenities, and increased vulnerability to crime ¹. By formalizing their presence, Boko hopes to reduce tensions and create a more inclusive society.
Botswana is home to the world’s second-largest population of Zimbabweans, with thousands crossing the border regularly since Zimbabwe’s economy collapsed two decades ago ¹. Many have sought political asylum, while others have been deported due to their irregular status.
Key Statistics:
98% of irregular migrants in Botswana are Zimbabweans ¹
Thousands of Zimbabweans cross the border regularly ¹
Botswana’s economy benefits from Zimbabwean labor ¹
President Boko’s proposal is part of his broader efforts to revive Botswana’s economy and promote social cohesion. As the country’s sixth president, Boko has already made history by ousting the ruling party that had held power for 58 years ². His progressive stance on migration and economic development is expected to shape the country’s future and improve relations with neighboring Zimbabwe.
By Business Reporter-The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) has announced it will be targeting social media influencers, to ensure they comply with the country’s tax regulations.
In a statement, ZIMRA specified that celebrities and social media influencers are among those under scrutiny to align with various tax regimes.
This move includes on-site visits to assess compliance across multiple industries, such as accommodation, airlines, recreational services, and tourism.
The targeted sectors span a broad range, including hotels, lodges, Airbnbs, motels, camps, houseboats, guesthouses, airlines (both domestic and international), travel agencies, car hire services, and online travel companies.
ZIMRA is urging all taxpayers to submit outstanding returns and remit payments in their trading currency through the TaRMS system, warning that delays could result in penalties, interest, or even prosecution.
“Returns should be completed in full and submitted on time. Payment for all taxes should be remitted in full, on time, and in the currency of trade,” stated ZIMRA.
This focus on influencers highlights ZIMRA’s commitment to ensuring all income streams are accountable within Zimbabwe’s evolving tax landscape.
By Political Reporter-President Emmerson Mnangagwa made an unceremonious departure from the inauguration of the new Botswana President Duma Boko, Friday.
Sources at the event said Mnangagwa left, shortly after attending the inauguration without taking to the 54-year-old new Botswana President.
He had attended the event that saw the presence of several regional opposition politicians including Nelson Chamisa, Julius Malema and Musi Maimane.
heads of state, including, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, and South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile also attended the event.
Mnangagwa had flown to Botswana earlier that morning from Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport aboard an Air Zimbabwe plane and was back in Zimbabwe by the afternoon.
While there is no formal connection between Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU PF party, led by Mnangagwa, and Botswana’s new ruling party, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Mnangagwa’s attendance was expected in his capacity as both Zimbabwe’s head of state and the current Chairman of SADC.
The UDC’s victory in the October 30 elections, which ended 58 years of Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) rule, marks a historic shift.
Despite ZANU PF’s support for the BDP during the campaign, the latter came fourth in a four-party race.
While it is common for heads of state to attend such inaugurations, the inclusion of opposition leaders at the event is unusual for the SADC region.
The invitation extended to Chamisa and other opposition figures signals a developing relationship between regional opposition leaders and President Boko.
Chamisa’s invitation to the inauguration follows his attendance at the swearing-in of Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, a leader seen as sympathetic to Zimbabwe’s opposition.
This trend suggests a growing diplomatic rapport between regional opposition political parties and emerging regional leaders who are not from former liberation movements.
By A Correspondent | ZimEye | The popular journalist Hopewell Chin’ono alleges saying Nelson Chamisa was going to destroy the country if he had been inaugurated.
Hopewell Chin’ono (HC) who later in the year launched his political outfit called Govt In Exile he says is more popular than Chamisa and Mnangagwa, holds these views since his announcements back in Feb.
He first announced them back on Sunday the 25th of February 2024, in a nation address that was hosted by a colleague of his based in the United Kingdom better known as Uncle Ged(GB), and who runs by the name Gerald Belts. The session lasted over six hours as Chinono announced some very strong and sometimes totally contradictory statements while saying among other things that:
1. Zim politicians, Nelson Chamisa, Robert Mugabe, Emmerson Mnangagwa do not want to be accountable. Regarding his own issues, he said people shouldn’t ask him (Chinono) to account for the GBP50,000 loan he got from a UK dealership in 1996 to buy his first home. He said it is nonsensical for people to expect him to name the dealership he alleges made him property rich.
2. He said Nelson Chamisa is a product of the military who advised Tsvangirai to appoint him in Thokozani Khupe’s stead… Evidence of him (Chin’ono) advising the military minister VP Chiwenga to descend on Chamisa/Civil Society since 2019 comprises fake audios.
Written admissions by Hopewell Chin’ono’s work with the military leadership to reduce polical tension by regularly descending onto the civil society.
3. He said Nelson Chamisa would have destroyed the country if he’d won 2023 elections… He denied advising the Ministry Of Defence to destroy Nelson Chamisa’s party, saying he did not advise the military minister/head VP Chiwenga to ‘destroy the civil society’ – that is, to descend on Chamisa/Civil Society since 2019.
The following was his full talk:
HC: Thank you very much, uncle Ged and thank you very much to everyone who is on this space , those that are here anonymously I welcome you too. I think it is important for me to start by saying that this conversation that I am having with you today is a National conversation I want to talk about the state of our national politics. It’s not an opportunity for me as a journalist to attack anyone, it is not an opportunity for me as a journalist to bash anyone, but the work of a Journalist is to reflect on what is happening in your country and some of the reflections you might not like them, but that is the nature of our work as (a Journalist), and that is the nature of human beings as well that we don’t have to agree on everything, but we don’t have to be disagreeable by this by being disagreeable. I mean that we don’t have to descend into calling each other names, insults and so forth. So what I’m going to be saying is based on how I see things. I would like to start by saying that where we are today was formed by history, so we cannot avoid the history the political history of our country because it is what has given birth to what where we are today.
We are a country in dire straits. We are a country that is broken both from the citizen side and also the state’s side; some might say I won’t be pushing it to say we are a failed state because we can’t provide healthcare for our citizens. We can’t provide good schools for our citizens we can’t provide decent roads for our citizens we can’t provide clean drinking water for our citizens. We can’t provide decent roads for our citizens even the pensioners are not getting paid.
Whatever they’re getting is very minimal and if you look at how they have worked so hard for the past 40 years. I’ve got a very good friend of mine who died Tuesday. Years ago, Professor Kahari we owe him all his money, was wiped out by Old Mutual. The country is not working at all. And otherwise, but our crisis in Zimbabwe manifests itself through economics.
The politics is bad but it manifests itself through economics and what I have always said is that the crisis in Zimbabwe can be based or best described as the crisis of corrupt government because all our problems they find route in state corruption, whether it is hospitals if it is council, whether it is roads, whether it’s basic things like water it’s all finds its roots in corruption so we have a corruption problem in Zimbabwe which is sponsored by politics and it manifests itself through economics which is why we have the highest inflation rate in the world, which is why our local currency lost 95% of its strength in the past 12 months and it affects ordinary people in the streets, and it is these ordinary people in the streets that are more concerned than the political elite or the business elite, so when I speak in my every day runs or whether it is tweet or Facebook or Instagram my heart is with the poor people that goes other people I care about, and those are the people that are bearing the brunt of the political crisis in Zimbabwe all these other people, including the political, elite and so forth do not suffer.
The indignity that our people are suffering so when we defend politicians whether it is Zanu PF or opposition politicians, we must remind we must be reminded that the people that we should be actually be caring about the poor people and not spending our time boot licking, political elites.
So I want to start from the late 90s or mid 90s I want to use myself as an example of the people that were around me that saw that things were not going to work. One of my relatives was very higher up in Govt in the 90s, when I finished, journalism school, said to me, you get out of the country that was in 1994 and I said why? Because at that time I was making money and I thought things were hunky dory, but errm, she had the foresight that I did have as a young man. I was 21 years old when I left Zimbabwe for Britain in 1994, and I understood what he meant when I got to Britain because the opportunities that were available for me and many others that were in Britain and I have seen some couple of guys that were me in Britain with me in the 1990s they can allude to the fact that you could just walk in the bank into a bank and apply for loan.
A lot of Zimbabweans went into truck business; a lot of Zimbabwe that were in England went into trucks borrowing money. I remember going to Coventry Peter Ndlovu was popular that time. Because I think there was a trucking company that he had good relations with; and a lot of people would say, oh, I’m going to see Peter I want to buy trucks and some people became millionaires through that; opportunities which were not necessarily available to people that were back home.
We saw our moment at different times. I saw it in 1994, some saw it in 2000, some 2008 and so forth. So in 1997, the currency collapsed; in 1998, In 1999, we went into the DRC and we were spending over $1 million a day fighting the DRC war. The spoils of that war were supposed to come to the Zimbabwean people, the gold, the diamonds, but they were pocketed into private pockets of Zanu PF elites and military elites, so the war became purposeless to the ordinary citizens because state machinery was used and state funds were used, but the returns from that war went into private pockets, and that is when the World Bank and the IMF disengaged from Zimbabwe dealing with Zimbabwe, because the Robert Gabriel Mugabe government did not want to release the figures that reflected what it was spending in the Congo and contrary to what some people say, sanctions were not imposed in relation to the World Bank and IMF in 2001, they were a, Zimbabwe pulled out, Mugabe pulled out because he did not want to be accountable, a trait that we see in our politics and a trait that needs to end if we are going to get somewhere.
So the opposition is formed in 1999, I remember the NCA which gave birth to the MDC: Brian Kagoro contested against Morgan Tsvangirai, Morgan Tsvangirai won, and then he became president of MDC and errrm, in 2002, when they realised that the MDC was a potent force after it managed to mobilise against the constitutional Reform Process document in 2000, the military became involved in a blatant way. In the past it was involved from the back, but it was now at the front when general Zvinavashe announced that they would not salute anybody who did not take part in the liberation struggle.
I must say that, although they were saying that Morgan Tsvangirai, who was in Zanu PF, was a ZANU PF cadre before all this. In fact, he worked hand in glove with Albert Mugabe, who was a Trade Unionist and Mugabe’s half brother, and so most of this elderly generation, older generation, their roots were in Zanu PF, but they were dissatisfied with the rule of Zanu PF, and most of them became the opposition that gave birth to everything that we got to know about in the past 24 years . Errr in 2005, it’s an important milestone, or rather not milestone, but it’s an important point an aberration for the opposition because that is when the first split of the opposition happened and this split it’s about Professor Welshman Ncube who was secretary general; vice president Sibanda and involved, David Coltart, Trudy Stevenson and many others; aaah, they left because the constitution of the opposition had been violated; the president of the opposition, Morgan Tsvangirai had refused to adhere to the vote results of the national executive council.
They were voting whether they should participate in the senatorial elections: the other side said yes, the other side said no. The no side was represented by Morgan Tsvangirai. The yes side is the one that eventually left with Professor Welshman Ncube and others; the constitution had been violated; at this point, we then realised that Zimbabweans are not actually different. They are the same when the constitution is violated. They don’t care as long as it is their favourite who has violated the constitution when the constitution is violated by someone they don’t like they bring a constitutional issue when the constitution is violated by someone they like they say no it’s okay we can move on we can it doesn’t matter up to that day for many of you who were young at that time you see arguments advanced, but you still supporting the Morgan Tsvangirai’s failure to adhere to the constitution, but to some of us, we said, but if you are constitutionalists, if you say you are fighting to change the constitution of Zimbabwe because you’re fighting because to make sure that Govt to the question if you can violate your constitution when you’re opposing what can stop you from violating your own constitution like the way Zanu PF is doing, but anyway, needless to say they moved on the other one became MDC the other one MDC Morgan Chirara they became political parties with sentence and then we moved to 2007 in March, Morgan Tsvangirai was beaten badly, and this gave life to the opposition, because at this point in time, the opposition was now being perceived, as weak, they were being perceived to be out of touch and regional leaders were not taking them seriously until Zanu PF does what he does best to create an own goal.
They beat up Morgan Tsvangirai badly; it was splashed around the world and it changed the dynamics of politics. We were now heading into the 2008 elections which took place in March 2008 button in Zanu PF. There were also problems -they were fighting each other. There was general Mujuru, who was fighting pushing for Robert Mugabe’s retirement, and Robert Mugabe was pushing back, Mugabe won that battle against General Mujuru at the Goromonzi , Conference or Congress I can’t remember, but anyway he won that battle and they went into an election.
And of course we know that Mavambo was formed by General Mujuru, who was the backer of Mavambo. Robert Mugabe lost the election as we came to know later, when he had a Freudian slip, he exposed himself, and it is on tape then in 2008, something happened, which I’ve never seen it happened, reported and I want to say Zanu PF has always been adapt at using counter intelligence using people so what they do when they used counterintelligence they will go to an opposition, political leader and and they will give information to somebody this person will then give you nine stories about what’s happening and these nine stories will be correct, but they will be of no relevance at all so you may just be told that old man someone is going to be fired. I just decided to tell you so Morgan Tsvangirai; I became attached to these people because he thought that they are my young man, and one of them was Wicknell Chivayo with Chivayo was the one who went to Tsvangirai and said, old man, he was to be killed, take this money and run away, but what had happened is that the state Zanu PF machinery was afraid that if Morgan Tsvangirai had stayed in the country, people would’ve mobilised around him, rejected what ZEC was trying to do with the results and and go to the streets and just make the country ungovernable because, for the first time, Robert Mugabe had lost, and he had accepted that he had lost, but he had played around with the numbers to say that I’ve not lost enough, for me to become president, so Morgan Tsvangirai, against the advice of so many people people like Ibbo Mandaza were saying that you can’t go, but he was now saying I’ve got my young man who told me that they want to kill me and he went against the advice.
When Morgan Tsvangirai came back, we got an exclusive at that time, I was an journalist with ITV news covering Zimbabwe and other countries, and I got an exclusive to fly with Morgan Tsvangirai back for the first time, coming back to form a Govt, but to finish off the talks and to formalise them under president Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, and so I flew to South Africa at the instance of, at the instigation of my boss Tim Singleton who is now the head of news at Sky News.
And I got to South Africa and Morgan Tsvangirai at that time was very good friends, and being assisted by Strive Masiyiwa, who at the time owned the daily news, and of course, owned Econet as well, and I remember when we were flying out with Jameson Timba flew into OR Tambo, and we met him in the diplomatic lounge, and he said old man they want to kill me. At least he is alive to confirm this story, and I was amazed
Because I could see that counterintelligence had been used they had been infiltrated, and they were given information such that the main pillars around Morgan Tsvangirai, Jameson Timba and….(sic) at that time are afraid and they are put on the run so that the system can do what it wants to do and anyway we had a GNU. The basis of this GNU was to make sure that there is reforms; reforms that had created the crisis that we had, but unfortunately our colleagues in the opposition went into government and they did not focus on the main or rather core business of the GNU which was reforms.
They became obsessed with power. I remember when it was in 2012, I flew into Barcelona to interview Cherie Blair, Tony Blair’s wife for the film that I was making with an American Director and I did not realise that Morgan Tsvangirai was going to be at the same event as a key note speaker with Cherie Blair, and he saw me in the hotel in the hotel lobby and said young man, what are you doing here? Come here; and he instructed Jameson Timba, who was minister in his office to say he must come to my dinner, and I went to the dinner, and we had a discussion, a private discussion.
It was private because it was in confidence, but what I observed was that they had been sucked into the false belief that they were now in charge that they now had power, state power, but I believe that Robert Mugabe did this deliberately to give them a false sense of hope that things were going to be changed while and ZANU went to the underground and start planning. And this is what Zanu PF actually did. It ran a parallel Govt where it was getting money from Chiadzwa, the 15 thousand that Bob talked about, and Biti was being deprived, although he managed to steer the ship away from the rot, but the econom didn’t grow; the economy was stabilised; they were able to start. I remember that time I was able to take money out of my new Barclays Bank ATM and life became fairly stable, not too great for the ordinary people, but it became relatively stable but anyway we were headed into the 2013 elections.
The reforms that were the only specific reforms that it taken at that time was the constitution which was passed in 2013 February, but the rest had not been done and the region was worried about it and specifically President Jacob Nzuma, who has been and was the only president in the region who has been such a close friend of ZIMBABWE, including assisting them they were too. it was him, and there was PRESIDENT, of Bwanya, who couldn’t do much material, but under President Zuma and President Zuma Zimbabweans got the permits, but with the president, he said we are doing this to give you papers, and the Maputo Summit that took place was the last summit before the election, and President Zuma mentioned that without reforms you are done, don’t take part in elections without reforms and Prime Minister Tsvangirai didn’t listen to this advice and I remember Mrs Zulu who was a government minister in the South African government was so insisting that there must be a boycott if there are no reforms, and she really supported Zimbabwe to appoint that Robert Mugabe called her as Street Woman, a prostitute. I think some of you remember that that is how much the Jacob Zuma government tried to help us, but we couldn’t help ourselves, and in that year 2013, Prime Minister Tsvangirai said no, one of my lieutenants Nelson Chamisa told me that there’s a prophecy that I’m going to win this election, I’ve received a crown into State House; I should go into the elections, we will win them regardless of whether they are reforms, but as we all know the opposition lost but up to now they don’t know how 2013 was right then the next stage was what was then called renewal senior members in the MDC like to die like Elton Mangoma, they came up and said no, you have let us into an election which we were not supposed to go into.
We have lost; you should now give us a timetable of, and of course MorganTsvangirai didn’t take that lightly and you know they had to leave. Tendai, and Elton was beaten badly and blood and they left; that was the second split, but the split was not as significant as the first one, because the first one, the other guys came from, most of them came from Matebeleand, so there was an ethnic aspect, to it, so it was actually damaging to the opposition. Much less the Tendai Biti one it was not based on ethnicity. It was based on values people saying we need to do this and that there was no ethnic component. Whereas the 2005 was so difficult because there was an ethnic component to it, if these guys had come together in 2008 reconciled as they wanted to, things would’ve been much tougher for the Zanu PF government. You see, rigging is very easy when it involves a political party
without a lot of people who are heavyweights it is very easy as I shall explain later; so fast forward we go to 2014 when the MDC had its constitution; popular Nelson Chamisa was running for Sec General. He was rigged by Morgan Tsvangirai,
Morgan Tsvangirai pushed for Mwonzora. For the secretary General, I think Nelson Chamisa had 9 provinces out of 10 but he was worried to get out of it and Morgan Tsvangirai did accept privately to a lot of people that he did it. The issue was that there are people around me who were saying that this young man has become power hungry; that’s why we had to take that action, but I have mentioned that action because that is when the seed of Mwonzora was planted. The Secretary General could have been Nelson Chamisa. We don’t have the benefit of knowing what could have happened and then in 20 I think it was 2015 if not 2016 MorganTsvangirai was approached by elements of the military, it’s important to mention that the opposition were always had elements of the military, which it talks to, and I’ve always argued to them that these people are managing you as opposed to helping you, but anyway, the opposition was approached. Morgan Tsvangirai was approached – one of the people that he spoke to is still alive, General Rugeje.
They were advised that well, we are not saying that you are going to die, but your political party is a very important institution in Zimbabwe. Although we are on the other side; but we care about what happens to your party if you die; it means that this Ndebele woman is going to take over. We cannot have a situation where this woman takes over, so you need to take care of your stuff. So the advice was given; some of the things are going to be for books but advice was given and he appointed Nelson Chamisa he appointed Mudzuri and there were factions.
And some of the factions said that the way you are now running the party you are now doing it among yourselves, as the Karangas. You yourself are a Karanga, and he said no, that is not it. We are trying to manage there is a situation that I need to manage and anyway Morgan
Tsvangirai became very ill as we all know he died in 2018, February 14; there was confusion because the constitution said that Thokozani Khupe Is the one who is supposed to take over because she was elected at Congress the other two were illegally appointed, and Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri. So, when Nelson Chamisa took over because he was the popular figure in the party and some of us at the time; I remember having a conversation with Nelson Chamisa. This one is not confidential. I remember saying to him does not happen for people to take overpower after six months. In my view. If I were you, I would actually let Thokozani Khupe go to the polls, and she will lose, because these men are not going to give up power after six months. Nelson understood this because Nelson had been the conduit between the Zanu PF side, and the Morgan side, leading up to the coup. The MDC was involved in the coup. They failed to agree on how they were going to share the spoils. And that is how they ended up, not being included, but they were part of the coup starting from 2015, to 2016, they were there when these discussions were taking place. They were part of it, and this is one of the things that infuriate me because we are meant to believe that we are the coup stars, we celebrated the coup, and yet the opposition political movement was part of the coup before we even knew about the coup ourselves, they were part of it. But there is so much deceit in Zimbabwean politics, that people want to pretend. In fact, the lawyer who got the coup to be declared legal was Thabani Mpofu in court. But all these things are sort of pushed aside, because they they are inconvenient truths, but that’s the truth. If we are going to have a nation that can build itself on the basis of the truth, we need to tell the truth for what it was regardless of how unpalatable that truth my be.
I regret myself, and I apologised at the time For supporting the coup because I thought that that there was going to be a break, and in fact, thousands of people went into the streets, not because of the coup as such but because they were so fed up of Mugabe and they thought that anything that can bring relief to Zimbabwe should be welcome; the coup for it to be successful the opposition had to take part. In fact the motion for the impeachment, the impeachment to remove Mugabe was moved by the opposition, so I think it is disingenuous for the opposition or opposition supporters to pretend as if this did not happen; but these are the facts and this is what happened. But anyway, the election happened, we know what happened, we know that our compatriots were killed, we realised that no, this is not a new dispensation. This is the same old dispensation what has changed is the driver the truck remains the same the system remains the same and for me as a journalist I have learnt that contrary to my previous perception before the coup that even if Mnangagwa is removed, the system is what needs to be removed, not just an individual.
But anyway, Mwonzora and Madam Khupe did what they did and the party headquarters of the opposition was taken and all that stuff.
Now fast forward to 2021, December we were having conversations a lot of my conversations are in confidence, so I can’t share them but the ones that I can share that have been made public by the other people that were in these conversations are the ones that I’m going to share so one of these conversations that was made public was made by Nelson himself is the fact that people like myself and Dr, Alex Magaisa are the ones that pushed him to say you need to form a new political party. Nelson did not want to form a new political party. He wanted people to run as independent or to go in as MDC and we said you can’t, because the court has made a ruling and they will just take these things away from you, and he confirmed these things at Dr Alex Magaisa‘s funeral or rather memorial, so the party is formed.
All this stuff is happening. It starts off as a party where everyone was the way they were in the previous party. People are being called vice president people are being called secretary general then somewhere along the line things changed and the thing that changed was changed without consultation to others. They were just told that this is what it is so this and some of us knew ahead of time because we had been briefed as J
journalists because we were told that this is the situation because you were tweet (sic) a lot of journalists encountered this. They would write an article and then they would get a phone call to say you can’t you can’t refer to so so as vice president, our party does not have a VP. We only have a president.
So that was the undoing in my view, and I am happy to be pushed back on this one by others who have better ideas, but that was the undoing of the opposition as it headed towards 2023 because you now had a very strong opposition, but which was now being undone by all these internal fights. You are no longer the secretary General. I remember someone was told on Twitter that our party does not have a secretary general; We don’t have this so it became a party that is about one person and one thing I can say publicly is I remember I did speak to Nelson Chamisa and I said, no my friend you know you need to work with everyone else, I can’t share what he told me because it was in confidence, but I want to put it on record that I told him that you can’t do what you’re doing it is damaging to the party. And I sold this, I will give a few examples when The gentleman who was killed in, I think his surname was Ncube. He was killed in Kwekwe. I fundraised the money, the money that was used to bury the gentleman, but through that fundraising I then realised that not having the leadership structures that we needed it. It was each time that I assisted the opposition. I did it publicly, and I declared that I am doing this because I am fighting corrupt.
I am not doing this because I’m a member of the opposition but I’m doing this as a Zimbabwean citizen and each time we fund raised money there was a fight because there was no structured leadership. In fact, some of the money would disappear, and then I would then call Nelson Chamisa to say Mr President, this is what has happened, can you fix this thing; and then I reminded I think it was around 2022, around August September I reminded him that the problem we are facing now is that we have to keep coming to you for everything, errrm, I should be going to David Coltart, I was meeting a lot of Zimbabweans in London; in America, who were saying to me Mkoma Hope, we want to donate; how do we donate and I said I can’t take your money and I remember going on Twitter saying that I’m in America. Many people were offering me money. Please don’t offer me money I will not take any money, your money needs to go to the party that you want to support, and this again I realised that the failure to have structures because Coltart was no longer the Treasurer General, there was no treasurer, so if you had to deal with anything and anyone you had to go to the President and I think it was unhealthy. It was an unhealthy situation and I think it contributed to whatever made the opposition fail to be successful. I am one person who likes not to focus much on what Zanu PF does on the opposition, because Zanu PF does what is expected of it to do. I don’t care what Zanu PF does because I know that Zanu PF is going to rig elections.
Any sensible person knows that ZANU PF is going to rig elections.
So if you expect Zanu PF to do otherwise then you become the problem; what we need to do is to focus on what to do to stop Zanu PF from rigging elections, and at that time I felt the machinery that was round Nelson Chamisa was not sufficiently equipped to push back ZANU PF from what it was doing. At the forefront, where people like Ostallos, people like Chibaya and others, but up to now, I still think that they are not sufficiently equipped, even if they form another new party and they remain the way they were CCC. The new party will remain the same. The new party will be rigged in 2028 and people like myself will not even participate because as I had predicted in 2023, and got insults and all sorts of stuff as I had predicted everything that I predicted to the teeth, but people do not want to be honest and say I think we were wrong here, I think we could have done things differently here. I think the biggest problem that we face is failure to accept the truth to say this is the problem that we are facing. How do we deal with it and we move forward we insult each other. We call each other names. They are people that are on Twitter to insult people day in day out, and I don’t think it is healthy because you end up building a very strong group of people supporting something but not sufficient enough to make that something win anything in an electoral contest and when we push people away other people away, we push people of talent away. There are a lot of Zimbabweans who have got a lot of talent in the diaspora that I speak to that; Speak to …as Zimbabweans and they tell me that Dude I want nothing to do with this. I can’t be dealing with people that insult others who call others, names and all that, but that’s what we are and I think that we need to fix it at times. I’ve been guilty of that so I know exactly what I’m talking about so there was no leadership structure. There was no collective decision-making. there was no constitution and if you wanted or today if you wanted to donate money to triple C, or to Nelson Chamisa‘s new outfit Who do you give that money to nobody knows I’ve got a lot of business people who are coming to me I had to phone Nelson Chamisa he knows it I’m not lying I can refer to things that I can share. I had to phone him and say I’ve got so and so who want to give such and such amount of money who do I give the money to somebody is sending money and you saw you guys before the elections all the money I would tweet about it because I wanted accountability but on the other side when you give money you don’t know what happens and then you hear people complaining and those are some of the issues that we couldn’t say at the time because we didn’t want to say things that would we can the opposition. We were saying things that we thought would strengthen the opposition And so some of the examples that I want to give that I could see were caused by failure to have structured leadership is that I got 10 ambulances and 10 fire engines in the United Kingdom I called Nelson Chamisa when I was with the mayor of that city we discussed the things there was no structured leadership to push that thing through and those fire engines never came through. They were given for free I got a radiotherapy machine to treat cancer in California. I then approached President Nelson Chamisa as he was called then I gave him a paper on it. I wrote a paper for him and say this is how you can do it. Nothing came out of it I got dialysis machines 40 from a Zimbabwean, who is based in Birmingham in the UK in the NHS, but nothing came out of it And I said to him you need to have somebody who specialises in health issues and I even spoke to skilled labourer about it, and I said this is the problem that we face every time I spoke to skilled labourer the company in California said we don’t want to speak to politicians. We want to speak to Nelson Chamisa’s advisory Council so that we can see how these things go to Zimbabwe, and there was no advisory council and it was embarrassing for me because it was something we had been talking about even with Dr Alex Magaisa, saying that this is what we need an advisor council around the President so that they can do with expert related issues which cannot be dealt with by the present of a party. I think for now I have said enough, but I want to end this part by saying for Nelson Chamisa; He remains the most popular politician in the country and a lot of his supporters always come to insult me why do you always talk about Nelson Chamisa- because he is the main opposition leader we cannot avoid talking about Chamisa or Mnangagwa. We talk about Mnangagwa every day because he is the main ingredient in Govt. We talk about Chamisa every day because he is the main ingredient in the opposition. You will have to be foolish to ask someone why they keep talking about the main ingredient in something so we talk about him in everything every day because he is the ingredient and so for Nelson Chamisa to remain relevant, he must accept and address the weaknesses and I am glad that some of the weaknesses have been mentioned by people around him that but need to be addressed if he wants to remain relevant to win an election. y
You can be relevant but not win an election; And it adds no value, because the idea of running an election is to win it, not just to have big numbers of people following you or having big rallies. They don’t mean anything if they are not transformed into taking State power, and going to state House because that is what we were fighting for, and I’m sure that is what we have been fighting for because we want our lives as Zimbabweans to be transformed; so if he doesn’t transform himself; if he doesn’t change; if he doesn’t accept his weaknesses, he will never defeat Zanu PF because that is how it is. We might try to sugarcoat things but he will never defeat Zanu PF as one man in his party and some friends he will never defeated, as CCC was constructed; you could tell, and some of us were saying it but of course we were insulted, but I hope with the benefit of 2023 hindsight now understand because it is very easy to rig against a one-man party. You just need to target that one man and everything falls apart; but if you have a lot of heavyweights around you even if some are bought you can’t buy everyone, but in a one-man party, you can just buy that one man and then that is the end of that show and the whole country will be behind that one man, but if you have a party with 20 strong people at the leadership, you can’t buy 20 people and take advantage of their greediness and I think I’ve got two more points that I want to add then I can just pass onto to you.
Chamisa would have destroyed the country if he had won 2023- Chinono.
The third aspect, which I will call third, and half is that in the unlikely event that Nelson had won unlikely I’m going to explain because it was going to be impossible to win the election. The way it was structured the way that was FAZ. We cannot deny the fact that the election was stolen. Nelson can win any election any day, but he needs to have an infrastructure that can protect the vote and make sure he goes to State house if someone wins an election as a one-man if Nelson Chamisa had won and been inaugurated the possibility of destroying the country was there because if you can’t respect your constitution or if you don’t believe in one because you say infiltration and then you run away from your party because of infiltration it just shows how some of these things as citizens we need to reflect in our homes and say what actually happened; so if a man wins an election on his own, without the pillars of leadership around him, that person has the potential of destroying the country as well, because he will go as he ruled his opposition party, that’s how he will govern. People don’t just change because they are now in power so it is important for us and if he doesn’t change, it’s up to us as Zimbabweans to say to ourselves whether they want to continue with the election charade from 2000 to 2002 to 2005 to 2008 to 2013, to 2018, to 2023 and now to 2028, aaah, as things are at the moment, I don’t have any hope as things are at the moment, unless something dramatic happens and people come together and say you know what let’s do. What is good for our country let’s not be part and let’s fix things so thank you very much, Uncle Ged.
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At the forefront, we have people like host (sic) people like to buy and others, but up to now I don’t think they are sufficiently equipped even if they form another party and remain the way they were the new PARTY will face the same problems. The new party will be rigged in 2028. It will just be a waste of time and people like myself will not even participate because as I’ve predicted in 2023, got in South and all sorts of stuff as I have done everything that I’ve predicted to the teeth happened, but people because Zimbabweans we are not honest we don’t want to accept that we were wrong here we could’ve done things differently here. I think the biggest problem that we face is the failure to accept the truth. In fact, this is the problem that we face how do we deal with this and we move forward we insult each other. We call each other names.
There are people that are on Twitter just to insult people day in day out and I don’t think it is healthy because you end up building a very strong group of people supporting something but not sufficient enough to make that something win anything in an electro contest and when push other people other way away you push a lot of talent away, there are a lot of people who have different talents across the diaspora that I speak to across Zimbabweans and they tell me that all you know Mate, I don’t want to have anything to do with this. I can’t be dealing with people that insult people call each other names, and things like that that is who we are we need to accept and I think the most important thing is to say let’s fix it at times. I’ve been guilty of that as well so I am not exception. I am no exception to that, so there was no leadership structure. There was no collective decision making there were no institutional processes, and if you Wanted TODAY to donate money to triple C, or to Nelson Chamisa, you wouldn’t know who to give that money to nobody knows, I have got a lot of people a lot of business people who want to give money and I had to phone Nelson Chamisa and tell him I’ve got so and so they have given me X amount of money who do I give that money to somebody sending money?
And we saw you guys before the elections all the money I had to tweet about it because I wanted accountability but on the other side when you give the money you don’t know what happens to the money and then you hear people complaining and those are some of the issues that we couldn’t say at the time, because we didn’t want to say things that we can make the opposition.
We were saying things that we can strengthen the opposition and so some of the examples that I want to believe that I could see were caused by failure to have structured leadership is that I got 10 ambulances and 10 fire engines in the UK. I called Nelson Chamisa when I was there and the mayor of the city. There was no structure to push those things that were given for free, I got a radiotherapy machine to treat cancer in California. I then approached President Nelson Chamisa as he was called then I gave him a paper on it. I wrote a paper on him and say this is how you can do it. Nothing came out of it. I got dialysis machines 14 from a ZIMBABWEAN in Birmingham who is in the NHS, nothing came out of it because there was no structured leadership and I said to him my brother we need to have somebody Who specialises in held issues and I even talk verbally about it to say that this is the problem that we face at the time that I talked to skilled labourer, I said we don’t want to speak to politician.
We want to speak to Nelson Chamisa’s advisory council, and there was no one there to handle that; it was embarrassing for me because it was something that we were talking about with Doctor, Alex Magaisa that we need these sort of advisory people around the President so that they can deal with these expert related issues which cannot be dealt with by the president of the political party and even now I have said enough, but I want to add this part to say that you know for Nelson Chamisa in the most popular politician in the country and a lot of his supporters all of the country always insult me.
Why do you talk about Nelson Chamisa it is because he is the main opposition. We cannot avoid talking about Nelson Chamisa or Emmerson Mnangagwa we talk about Nelson Chamisa every day because he is the main opposition leader in the country. We talk about Nelson Chamisa because he is the main greet in the opposition you will have to ask somebody to find out why they keep talking about the main ingredient in the country. So for Nelson Chamisa to remain relevant, he must accept and addressed the crisis and I am glad that some of the issues have been mentioned by people around him, but they need to be addressed. If he wants to remain relevant to win an election. You can be relevant but not win an election and it adds no value because the idea of running in election is to ruin it, not just to have big numbers of people Following you at big rallies, they don’t do anything if they do not transform into you taking stake, power interstate because that is what we are fighting for and I’m sure that that is what we remain fighting for because we want our lives as Zimbabweans to to be transformed, so if he doesn’t transform himself, if he doesn’t change, if he doesn’t accept his weaknesses, he will never defeat Zanu PF, because that is how it is. We might try to sugarcoat things, but he will never defeat Zanu PF because as a one man PARTY, he will never defeat Zanu PF as CCC was constructed you could tell and some of us were saying, and of course we were insulted at the time, and I hope at the 2023 hindsight people can understand because it is very easy to rig against a one-man party.
You just need to target that one-man party that one man and everything follows apart but if you have got a lot of heavyweight around you even if some are bought, you can’t bring that down if you decide to be bought as one person that will be the end of the party of 12 people 20 people at the top of the leadership you can’t buy 20 people and take advantage of their greediness and I think I have got two more points that I want to add Uncle Ged, the tent aspect, which I will call third, and a half is that in the unlikely event that Nelson had won I call it, unlikely because it was going to be possible to win that election because of the way it was structured FAZ.
But he needs to have an infrastructure that can protect the vote and win the way to state House if Nelson Chamisa had one and he had been inaugurated the possibility of destroying the country was there as well, because if you can’t respect the constitution as I have always said if you don’t believe in one, because you say infiltration and then you end up running from the party because of infiltration, it just shows how some of these things as citizens we need to reflect on them in our homes and say what actually happened so if a man wins an election without the pillars of leadership around him, that President has potential of destroying the country as well, because he will govern as he wrote his opposition party … so if he doesn’t change, it’s up to Zimbabweans to make up for themselves if they want to have a leadership from 2008, 2005 to 2018 to 2023 and now to 2028 as things are at the moment, I don’t have any hope as things are at the moment, unless something magically happens all people come together and say let’s do something that is good for our country; so thank you very much uncle Ged.
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-Hopewell Chin’ono refusal to be accountable
Hopewell Chin’ono refuses to account over the name of the company that he says gave him a £50,000 sportscar loan in 1996 which he says made him rich enabling him to purchase his first ever immovable property.
HC: Politics has been so toxic. It has been so toxic that brothers and sisters hate each other and yet they are fighting the same animal. You know, eeeh. And and and, I have shared my frustration with my relationship with Professor Brilliant with Zhangazha. I have said to Zhangazha, you know, Brilliant is errm, we belong to the same Institute, eeeh, Tutu fellowship, Africa leadership institute. We went to Oxford together at different times.
We need to relate. We are Zimbabweans we might differ on certain things you know, we should never, we should never fight each other to the point where we belittle each other where we insult each other we are brothers at the end of the day you know, it is just like back home in the rural areas we can, we can sit on the fire and disagree, to support different parties. But, we shouldn’t get to a point where we can’t engage with each other.
GB: Right. And also, I have received so many questions I am not realising now I have received so many questions.
HC: No, no, please please, these questions, I’m ready to answer them. We don’t do this every day.
GB: Let me, I want to acknowledge the people that I have added, I will come to you Gari. There’s a question here that says ask when he last spoke with Chamisa was it way before the leaked audios that is one question and then another one is saying.
Hopewell Chinono(HC): I want to address the issue of the audio, which Simba-Chikanza of ZimEye keeps bringing out. That is, that that.
GB: On top of that is there is the question of the safe houses as well, reported that you reported to Chiwenga, you know, if you can put that together.
Hopewell Chin’ono (HC) Yes, yes yes, that question that’s a ghost account of Simba-Chikanza asking you and I am happy to answer, it let me answer it. Aah, the first question is that Simba knows very well that those audios were doctored. Ah. They don’t represent a conversation that happened; but the most important thing is that I think I hope I will be able to look for it, but anyway, what Simba keeps posting that I exposed people it’s a lie. The what happened was that I was taken to have a conversation in 2018 which I publicly talked about. In that conversation there was the British ambassador, the EUAmbassador, a Congolese businessman called Kala Mpinga, vice president Chiwenga, and then we were taken to the president of the country, Emmerson Mnangagwa. It had nothing with all this bullshit that Simba posts about. Simba has gone to a point of asking me to account for a car that I drove 30 years ago, LAUGH LAUGH LAUGH, I assume that people have common sense you know. Eeh. And and and, and, so, in that regard I was never going to answer all this nonsense uncle Ged, but, you know if you ask me to account, eeh for a car that I pot, bought 30 years ago because you hate me so much, you don’t like me you know, you hate me so much. Eeh I have more money in my current account than all those figures that he talks about and that money I can account for it, so I think it’s very petty as Zimbabweans to really, you know, imagine if I get into an argument with Kuda Musasiwa over something else, and then I start asking him to account for a car that he bought 30 years ago.
I start asking him to account for a house. You know I’ve been asked to account for my house more than 1000 times ago, more than a thousand times I mean, not ago, eeh, the British embassy has had to issue a public statement that I am not a fugitive from justice but that is how petty Zimbabweans are. Erin, I will post it right away.
Just use freedom of information to get the information you need, we all know Hopewell lived in Slough and was involved in credit card fraud, he can only fool those who are gullible isu zvigogodera haana nyaya, he isn't what he says he is, put @ITV to the task
— Flight Lieutenant Tashinga Pswarayi MP (@TashingaPswara1) February 28, 2024
The British embassy has had to issue a statement to say “Hopewell Chinono is not a fugitive from justice in Britain,” but in a country that has no single working radiotherapy machine that has no clean drinking water that has no decent roads, that has no pensions for its pensioners, every day Simba-Chikanza tweets about the sports car that I drove and he lies about how I am a fugitive from justice and all that it’s a shame; it’s a shame because it shows the rest of the world; I want to tell you Uncle Ged, I want to tell you about how this is so shameful. I was invited for coffee, aah in PARKTOWN NORTH in Johannesburg by Geoff, who is the correspondent of the Canadian Globe, aaah in Johannesburg and he said to me, you know, aah, let’s have drinks, aah, Jeff York and he said to me this guy drink keeps writing about you. What’s going on? Is everything okay but this is how the rest of the world sees us, as a people. You know, you are chasing after a 52 year old guy and you asking him to account for how he bought a house for 60,000 in Chisipite. You’re chasing after a 52 year old guy and you’re asking him to account how he bought a Toyota Supra in 1996 and today is 2024. I have never worked for Govt. I don’t earn public funds. I have never stolen anything from the state but a whole supposedly website spends two years chasing after a guy asking him; what if I tell you that I have £3 million in my account today, that I have worked for that I can account for that has been paid into that account by British institutions like ITV news that I have worked for and you’re asking me about £50,000 when I have £3 million in my account; when I live in a 4 million eh, eh Rand house in Johannesburg; when I live in a US$600,000 house in Harare and the whole struggle is reduced to talking about how a man bought a car worth US$50,000 or pounds 30 years ago ; It just shows how petty we are. It shows how.
GB: But, eh, why don’t you engage him in that aspect in a conversation?
HC: no no no no I’m never going to do that uncle Ged.
GB: because we are now being caught in a crossfire no no I think what we need to do. I think
GB: what we need to do so we host both of you?
HC: no no no no I think what we need to do a sensible people is to focus on sensitive sensible issues. If we start degenerating into, into these stupid things, then there is no reason why foreigners have to respect us because if we can’t respect ourselves, why do we expect strangers to respect us?
GB: right, so on that issue your clarification when it comes to those issues that he has raised…?
HC: No there is no clarification. I just said, I just said things in passing. I don’t owe that guy anything, as I said to you, I am not a public figure. I have more money than he talks about. I have no obligation to tell anyone how I have earned that money I have never worked for Govt. I’ve worked my whole life for private media. You know who I have worked for. If you think that what I have I didn’t earn it to go to ITV news. Those are my employers. Those are the people that were paying me money if you think that I did not earn what I have got like I live in a nice house and I don’t deserve it go to ITV news. Those are my employers, they say it publicly that they employed me. Why should, I mean, your grandmother stays in the rural areas and she doesn’t even have a pension, she doesn’t even have medication, and you want to know how I bought a car 30 years ago, come here on Uncle GED, let’s move on.
GB: LAUGH LAUGH LAUGH. Others will be saying isn’t it that a crime does not expire, Apologies, but it is hard; but anyway there is also a question here
HC:I think there’s a guy called Tino. The Village Boy I had blocked him. I have unblocked him.
GB: I think he wanted to ask something no no no he was here. He has actually asked a question, so in the spirit of unblocking people which is quite good. Okay there is there is a question here it is being said it is being asked. Are you going to apologise to Nelson Chamisa privately or publicly and move onto build a greater Zimbabwe?
HC: I have no reason to apologise to my brother Nelson because everything I said was based on facts, and eeeh, what that person needs to do is to come and say to me what you said about Nelson or about CCC on this particular instance is wrong and here are the facts.
I have no reason to apologise to politicians. I never apologise to politicians. Nelson Chamisa and all the other politicians and I talk to all of them. Today today today, eeh, eeh, I went to have my haircut and and the person who told me where I could get my hair cut was Saviour Kasukuwere I am in Johannesburg at the moment. And, and and I talk to all of them and I don’t hide that.
I talk to Saviour Kasukuwere, I talk to Welshman , I talk to Nelson Chamisa, I talk to Nkosana Moyo. Nkosana Moyo has been to my home in Zimbabwe , has been to my home in Johannesburg. These are my brothers these are my sisters.
I was speaking to Tadini’s president, Valerio, she sent a message to say I owe her a response. I speak to everyone these are Zimbabweans. You know we should not intimidate each other by saying, don’t talk to so and so, don’t talk to so-and-so because our resolutions only come from all of us to put together. This idea, politicians lie to you.
They say don’t talk to someone so but they talk to so, so I know it so President Nelson Chamisa will never say to me. Don’t talk to so and so but because he is the guy who told me to talk to everybody. So why shouldn’t I talk to? If you come to South Africa you see President Raposa talking to Julius Malema you will see him talking to Hellen Ziller. You will see him talk to Steenhuisen. Why shouldn’t I not to talk to my brothers and sisters? I will talk to Tadini. I will talk to Makomborero. I will talk to Nelson. I will talk to even to ED. I will talk to him, I have no problem. You see, our lack. I think we need to introduce politics as a subject at high school, so that people understand what it involves. If you go to ENGLAND today, this animosity does not exist. Yeah you know and Zanu PF has allowed people to hate each other and do things but what you don’t know is that these people at night they do things together….
The Zimbabwe Football Association has confirmed the details for the Warriors’ preparations to face Kenya in their penultimate 2025 Afcon Qualifiers Group J match. Due to the unavailability of approved stadiums in Zimbabwe, the game will be held at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, South Africa, on Friday, November 15, at 6 pm CAT.
The 23-man squad, comprising players from local and international clubs, will assemble in Polokwane on Sunday, November 10. Those based outside South Africa will fly directly to Polokwane, joining their locally-based counterparts. The team shifted its base from Johannesburg to Polokwane due to booking congestion and difficulties securing high-standard training facilities.
The Warriors seek to overcome their bogey team, Kenya, and will rely on the skills of goalkeepers Washington Arubi, Marley Tavaziva, and Martin Mapisa. The defense includes Divine Lunga, Gerald Takwara, and Teenage Hadebe, while Marvelous Nakamba, Marshall Munetsi, and Andy Rinomhota anchor the midfield. The forward line boasts Tinotenda Kadewere, Khama Billiat, Prince Dube, and Terrence Dzvukamanja.
Full Squad:
Goalkeepers: Washington Arubi, Marley Tavaziva, Martin Mapisa Defenders: Divine Lunga, Gerald Takwara, Munashe Garananga, Godknows Murwira, Emmanuel Jalai, Teenage Hadebe, Jordan Zemura Midfielders: Marvelous Nakamba, Marshall Munetsi, Andy Rinomhota, Richard Hachiro Forwards: Tinotenda Kadewere, Khama Billiat, Tymon Machope, Prince Dube, Terrence Dzvukamanja, Tawanda Maswanhise, Daniel Msendami, Walter Musona, Douglas Mapfumo
By Mark Simuuwe | PF members forget easily; they do not know how much ECL lost in 2016, and 2021 even after succeeding in rigging by registration of infants and foreigners, and systematically marginalizing other provinces through voter and NRC registration.
If we removed those voters that may have succeeded to vote more than once through those NRCs bearing names of the same person we saw , the real figures ECL got could be 1million votes or less.
In the first place , in PF itself , he was not popular and that’s why the KAMBWILI’s used him as they believed he was going to be easy to remove after finishing Sata’s term.
Mark Simuuwe
Until the time elo atutubwike elo abasuma ( when he got resuscitated , he hammered them ) ! All those power hungry PF members like the Harry Kalaba, Kambwili’s , KBF and others scampered for their political life .
Further, in 2021, he tried all tricks and lost like no other president in the world today .
The margin itself both in the civil service, among farmers do not favour him . Even among the youths he grabbed meal allowances from , imposed employment freeze , and got jobs from by destroying the mine .
Sadly , he is still in the …paradise where he wants to hand over power to himself again as cheated by myopic power hungry guys like Emmanuel Mwmbas . He will be shocked in 2026. Citizens will retire him since he has refused to retire .
He is comparing himself to Donald Trump , whom he had bad relations with after chasing the US Ambassador from Zambia , and Donald Trump responded by downgrading Zambia’s US Embassy to De’ Charg’d Affairs ; under Donald Trump , there was no gassing of citizens , Ukwa bags , machetes , illegal Mukula exports , killing citizens, pangas , bloodshed , live ammunitions on the court premises , defaulting on loans , losing social cash transfer by theft , closing down media houses .
No!!
These were under ECL and he cannot compare himself to Donald Trump , a think-tank and a businessman like HH .
Even PF MPs don’t trust him . By the way , how many MPs in PF are talking about him for Presidency ? out of over 50 MPs who supported him in 2021, only less than 2 are talking, yet some power hungry colleagues surrounding think he is still relevant.
More over most of the PF MPs want to stand on UPND ticket and they know that PF is gone !!
From UKWA to Tonse , same reasoning, same tactics and same limited political scope ! They can’t jump above what we know . We have tested their brains and they have caused havoc through debt contraction and corruption!
The international community like the IMF , World Bank and EU abandoned Zambia and stopped financing us because of ECL’s corrupt administration. The UK even ask for the refund of social cash transfer .
We had the best of ECL’s of leadership when Lawrence Banda died , when he refused to pay 258,000 farmers their money after they supplied products to FRA.
We had his best when council workers went for 7-15 months salary arrears and ECL had no clue on what to do .
We had ECL’s best when he went on rampage closing media houses , when there was gassing in Zambia .
We had his best when he demoted Rae Hamoonga for disclosing that gassers were caught .
We had his best when he scrapped off meal allowances and imposed employment freeze and wage freeze .
We had ECL’s best when he shut down Indeni indefinitely, destroyed the mines , retired citizens in national interest, and threatened to dissolve the judiciary.
We had his best when mealie meal moved from k37 to K280 . We have never had such a percentage from independence.
Today , he claims he has changed , at his age ? As the saying goes , dictators don’t change , they only change tactics. And another we goes , “ you can’t teach an old dog new tricks “.
Beware of an angry and hungry bloodthirsty dictators!
Simba Bhora head coach Tonderai Ndiraya is celebrating after leading the club to their first-ever Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title. Ndiraya’s historic achievement came on Wednesday when his side secured a 1-0 victory over relegated Arenel, marking the club’s maiden league triumph and the first of his managerial career.
The Shamva-based team sealed the championship with two matches still to play, finishing with an uncatchable 66 points.
In an interview after the match, Ndiraya expressed his joy: “We are absolutely thrilled as a club to win the championship.
We’ve been working hard all season, and to achieve this goal is incredibly rewarding. I believe this was our 20th or 21st win, if I’m not mistaken.
“That was our target from the start of the year — we knew that 20 wins would likely secure the title, and I’m proud that we’ve managed to do it.”
Ndiraya also took the opportunity to thank everyone involved in the club’s success: “Credit goes to our management, especially our president, Simbarashe Ndoro, the board, the executive committee, the technical team, the secretariat, and of course, the players. The players were the ones putting in the hard work, and our supporters have always been behind us. This victory is for the entire province.”
By Political Reporter-The country’s most popular opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, Friday, outshines President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the inauguration of President Duma Boko.
Botswana TV chose to exclusively interview Chamisa over Mnangagwa at the event, showing his (Chamisa) relevancy in modern-day politics.
During the Interview, Chamisa eloquently spoke of how he would bring change and democracy to Zimbabwe in 2028.
Below are the excerpts from Advocate Chamisa’s Interview with BTV on Friday at the Inauguration of New Botswana President Duma Boko:
Qn: How important was it for you to be invited here to the event, Mr. Chamisa?
@nelsonchamisa: “I’m so excited to be here. I’m representing the people of Zimbabwe, their aspirations, their hopes for democracy, and their hopes for freedom. Botswana has done something significant for the continent, for a new Africa, and for the region. This event marks an era of transformation, of effective transitions. Botswana has been under the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) for almost 58 years, yet they’ve shown a peaceful transition from one political party to another. It’s a crucial lesson. In Zimbabwe, we’ve defeated ZANU-PF in elections twice, but they’ve refused to accept the outcome. So, I hope that Mr. Mnangagwa, who is sitting just two rows away from me, will learn a thing or two about life after politics, about transitioning from public office. That’s why this event is so important. God has blessed Africa, and God has blessed Botswana. We are here to celebrate that.” Qn: Let’s talk about democracy, especially in Africa. How important is it that Botswana has been able to have such a peaceful transition from one party to another? Qn: What lessons can Africa and the region learn from this?
@nelsonchamisa: “We are one people, one nation, one family. Democracy is about taking turns—your turn today, someone else’s turn tomorrow. We must not be vindictive or seek revenge. Former presidents must be honored and respected, not pursued in a cat-and-mouse game. Even if they made mistakes, there should still be honor. This is what holds us together as a family. We are one village, and President Boko emphasized this point—hands wash each other. We are one people.” Qn: Lastly, Mr. Chamisa, what message did you take from President Boko’s speech? Although it was short, it was very precise. What lessons did you learn from it?
@nelsonchamisa: “Love is everywhere, and we must embrace it. Botswana has shown love, and President Boko spoke about building bridges. He called for embracing the past, acknowledging it, but moving forward to correct it. That’s a critical message, a statesman’s message. President Boko is a leader of a new Africa, a new SADC, and signals a new order. We are proud of him.” Qn: Have you met President Boko before?
@nelsonchamisa: “We’ve met several times, in both setbacks and victories. We believe that Africa needs new leadership with a fresh mindset. We must build our continent and make Africa one of the best in the world. We can do this, and it’s something we must start now.” Qn: Thank you, Mr. Chamisa. It was a pleasure talking to you.
@nelsonchamisa: “Thank you so much.” Qn: We wish you all the best in your endeavors in Zimbabwe.
@nelsonchamisa: “Thank you. All the best to Botswana. God bless Botswana, and may peace and prosperity prevail here.” – ZimEye
In the modern age, mobile phones have become an integral part of our daily lives, offering constant connectivity, convenience, and entertainment.
However, when it comes to driving, these devices pose a significant risk.
Using a mobile phone while behind the wheel is not just a bad habit—it’s a dangerous behaviour that severely impairs a driver’s ability to stay focused and respond quickly to hazards. The act of using a mobile phone while driving introduces three key types of distractions: physical, visual, and mental. Each of these distractions can lead to catastrophic consequences, not only for the driver but also for other road users.
Physical Distraction: Diverting Hands from the Wheel
A physical distraction occurs when a driver’s hands are no longer engaged with the wheel, which is critical for maintaining control of the vehicle. Whether the driver is texting, scrolling through social media, or dialing a number, the act of manipulating a phone can cause a significant loss of control. This momentary lack of focus could result in swerving between lanes, failure to respond to traffic signals, or a delayed reaction to sudden changes in road conditions.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers who take their hands off the wheel for just a few seconds to use their phone are much more likely to experience an accident, as the vehicle can drift out of lane or fail to stop in time.
Visual Distraction: Taking Eyes Off the Road
Perhaps the most obvious and dangerous consequence of using a mobile phone while driving is the visual distraction it creates. A driver must constantly monitor the road to respond to other vehicles, pedestrians, traffic signs, and changing road conditions. When a driver looks down at their phone screen—whether to read a message, check an email, or browse the internet—they are not paying full attention to the road.
This distraction can have deadly consequences, especially on high-speed roads or in areas where quick reactions are necessary. Studies have shown that even brief glances at a phone screen significantly reduce a driver’s reaction time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), taking your eyes off the road for just five seconds while driving at 55 mph is like driving the length of a football field blindfolded.
Mental Distraction: Diverting Focus and Attention
Mental distraction, or cognitive distraction, is often the hardest to recognize but one of the most dangerous. Even if a driver’s hands remain on the wheel and their eyes stay on the road, the mental engagement required to use a mobile phone can severely impair their cognitive focus. Responding to a text, reading an email, or listening to a notification requires processing information, making decisions, and shifting attention—all of which reduce the driver’s ability to stay alert to their surroundings.
The brain is not equipped to handle multiple complex tasks at the same time, especially when it comes to tasks that require focused attention like driving. A driver who is mentally distracted by their phone is less likely to notice an approaching pedestrian, a sudden change in traffic conditions, or an unexpected obstacle on the road.
The Fatal Consequences of Distractions
The combination of physical, visual, and mental distractions makes the use of a mobile phone behind the wheel incredibly dangerous. In 2021 alone, distracted driving led to over 3,100 fatalities in the United States, with a significant portion of these incidents linked to mobile phone use. The danger extends beyond the driver, affecting passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists who share the road.
What makes the situation even more alarming is that distractions, particularly from mobile phones, can happen in an instant. A driver who feels they can “quickly” reply to a text or check a notification may fail to recognize that in those few seconds, a life-threatening accident could unfold. The slightest impairment—whether it’s the distraction from a screen, the loss of control, or the lapse in attention—can lead to irreversible consequences.
The Importance of Staying Focused
Given the dangers of distracted driving, it is crucial that drivers prioritize safety by keeping their attention solely on the road. While mobile phones have become a necessity for many, using them while driving should be avoided at all costs. Here are a few ways drivers can reduce the risks:
Use Hands-Free Features: Many phones offer voice-activated functions that allow you to make calls or send messages without touching the device.
Activate “Do Not Disturb” Mode: This feature can silence notifications while driving, preventing distractions from incoming messages or alerts.
Pull Over Safely: If you absolutely need to check your phone or respond to a message, pull over to a safe area rather than attempting to do so while driving.
Lead by Example: Encouraging others to stay off their phones while driving can help create a culture of road safety.
Conclusion
Using mobile phones while driving is not just a minor inconvenience—it’s a dangerous habit that compromises all aspects of a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle safely. Physical, visual, and mental distractions combine to create a hazardous situation that endangers not only the driver but also everyone on the road. As drivers, we must recognize the severe consequences of distracted driving and commit to staying fully focused on the task at hand. Road safety requires our complete attention, and the cost of distraction is simply too high.
Produced by Safety and Victims Advocacy Foundation (The Gambia)
Over time, cannabis has seen significant changes in public opinion, from stigmatization to acceptance among both medical and wellness communities.
Medical cannabis was once controversial but is now seen as an effective treatment option for various health conditions. With an ever-expanding market of strains to choose from, knowing their potency, characteristics, and therapeutic effects has become more essential than ever if patients wish to obtain specific therapeutic effects from cannabis use.
How Cannabis Potency Works
Cannabis potency primarily refers to the concentration of active compounds, particularly tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), in each strain. THC and CBD are two well-known cannabinoids with distinct effects. THC is associated with psychoactive effects, while CBD is generally nonpsychoactive and more known for therapeutic benefits.
Potency is measured as a percentage and indicates the concentration of various compounds within each strain. Higher THC levels typically lead to stronger psychoactive effects that could help manage chronic pain conditions while potentially being uncomfortable for some individuals. Strains high in CBD tend to be less intoxicating and are often recommended as treatments for anxiety and inflammation disorders. As potency may differ depending on which strain is therapeutic, understanding its composition is vital for therapeutic use.
Cannabinoids Besides THC and CBD
Though THC and CBD are the two primary cannabinoids studied, cannabis contains over 100 other cannabinoids with unique interactions within the body, including cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), all being investigated further for potential health benefits.
CBN may possess sedative properties that could prove effective against sleep disorders.
CBG may help support gut health while potentially alleviating conditions like Crohn’s disease.
Studies of THCV have indicated its potential as an appetite suppressant and metabolic regulator, potentially helping with weight management.
When combined, they create what’s known as an “entourage effect,” where they work synergistically to reinforce each other’s benefits. This holistic effect highlights the significance of selecting strains with an optimized cannabinoid profile for maximum therapeutic impact.
Cannabis Strain Types: Indica, Sativa and Hybrid
Cannabis strains are divided into three main categories: Indica, Sativa, and Hybrids. Each variety boasts unique traits that may make it better suited for specific medical uses than others.
Indica
Indica strains are well known to produce a relaxing “body high.” They typically contain higher concentrations of CBD and should be taken at nighttime to promote sleep or relieve chronic pain or muscle spasms. Due to their soothing properties, patients struggling with insomnia, chronic pain, or muscle spasms may find solace in Indica strains.
Sativa
Sativa strains are known for producing an energetic “head high.” Sativas tend to be recommended for daytime use as they can increase focus, creativity, and energy while simultaneously decreasing fatigue and mood disorders. Sativa strains tend to contain lower amounts of CBD than THC, making them suitable for the treatment of depression, fatigue, or mood disorders.
Hybrid
Hybrid strains are crossbreeds between Indica and Sativa plants, providing benefits of both types. They can be tailored to create a balanced experience or highlight specific characteristics, making them suitable for various medical uses. Their effect depends on their blend, which could tilt towards Indica or Sativa dominance.
Notable Medical Benefits of Cannabis Strains
Cannabis has long been used to treat various medical conditions, with each strain offering distinct cannabinoid profiles to treat unique conditions. Here is a selection of top strains known for medical applications:
Pain Management – Strains high in THC, like OG Kush, may provide relief from chronic discomfort.
Anxiety and Stress Relief – High-CBD strains like Harlequin have long been recommended as a means of alleviating anxiety without experiencing psychoactive effects from high-THC strains. In contrast, Indica-dominant strains like Granddaddy Purple can provide relaxing, soothing properties that aid with sleep disorders.
Appetite Stimulation – Blue Dream strains that contain high levels of THC may help promote appetite stimulation, making them valuable tools in treatment regimes like chemotherapy.
Each strain’s profile of cannabinoids and terpenes—aromatic compounds with therapeutic effects—adds further to its medicinal benefits. Terpenes such as myrcene, limonene, and linalool help provide relaxation, mood enhancement, anti-inflammatory, and other therapeutic effects.
How to Select the Appropriate Strain
Selecting the ideal strain for medical use requires consideration of various factors:
Medical Condition: Certain strains of marijuana are designed to address specific symptoms. High-THC strains might provide relief for pain relief, while those high in CBD could help soothe anxiety.
Time of Day: For maximum stimulation during the daytime hours, Indica varieties provide restful nightscape effects.
Tolerance Levels: Each individual responds differently to THC, so if you’re new to cannabis, it is wise to begin with lower potency strains and gradually increase dosage as necessary.
Understanding these factors allows patients to make educated choices and maximize the therapeutic potential of cannabis.
Possible Side Effects and Safety Considerations
Cannabis can generally be tolerated safely when used responsibly; however, it’s essential to be mindful of potential side effects:
THC-Related: Exposure to high doses of THC may result in temporary side effects like dry mouth, dizziness, and, in extreme cases, paranoia.
CBD: While most individuals tolerate CBD well, higher doses may lead to mild side effects like drowsiness.
Drug Interactions: Marijuana can interact with certain prescription drugs, so if you are taking other prescribed medicines, it is wise to consult a healthcare provider, as cannabinoids may add or subtract efficacy from these treatments.
Future Directions of Cannabis and Personalized Medicine: Trend Analysis
As research expands, medical cannabis could offer more personalized options, allowing patients to select strains or products based on their genetic makeup or medical conditions. Individuals might undergo genetic testing to find strains that best align with their body chemistry, thereby minimizing adverse effects while optimizing therapeutic benefits.
This resource provides a comprehensive overview of the most potent cannabis strains available. Explore more on strains like Godfather OG, known for its high THC content and potential pain-relieving properties, and Bruce Banner, celebrated for its energizing effects. The piece also offers insights into the cultivation aspects of these strains, making it a valuable resource for consumers and growers seeking high-potency options.
Conclusion
Medical cannabis has emerged as an indispensable asset in modern healthcare, providing relief for conditions ranging from chronic pain to mental health difficulties. Understanding its potency, benefits, and appropriate use are essential steps toward making informed decisions about our healthcare; with cannabis research continuing to evolve, so does our knowledge about how best to harness its power safely and efficiently – this holistic understanding empowers patients to make choices that support their wellbeing thereby creating more holistic approaches to healthcare provision.
Emmerson Mnangagwa Booed During Stadium Inauguration Ceremony for President Gideon Boko
By A Correspondent | ZimEye | Gaborone, Botswana – Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa faced a humiliating moment today during the inauguration ceremony of Botswana’s newly elected President Gideon Boko. As Mnangagwa’s name was announced to the crowd at the newly built national stadium, attendees erupted in boos, expressing public disapproval in an unexpected display of discontent.
The incident unfolded before a large audience comprising dignitaries, regional leaders, and thousands of Batswana citizens celebrating the historic swearing-in of Boko, who ended the long-standing rule of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). The crowd’s reaction seemed to underscore growing regional frustrations with Mnangagwa’s leadership and his administration’s policies.
The boos come amid escalating controversy surrounding allegations by Botswana’s former president Ian Khama, who recently claimed that Mnangagwa attempted to interfere in Botswana’s just-ended elections.
According to Khama, Mnangagwa allegedly sought to influence the outcome by deploying “fake voters” from Zimbabwe to bolster support for the incumbent BDP. Mnangagwa’s party, ZANU-PF, has vehemently denied these allegations, dismissing them as baseless and inflammatory.
ZANU-PF issued a statement earlier this week accusing Khama of peddling falsehoods and attempting to tarnish Mnangagwa’s image. “These claims are not only false but also malicious. Zimbabwe respects the sovereignty of Botswana and did not interfere in any way,” the statement read. However, the denial appears to have done little to ease tensions in the region.
Today’s public outcry against Mnangagwa highlights growing regional dissatisfaction with his administration, particularly as Zimbabwe faces ongoing economic and political challenges. For many in the crowd, the inauguration of Gideon Boko represented a symbolic moment of hope and change, while Mnangagwa’s presence evoked memories of contested elections and accusations of authoritarianism in Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, the following were excerpts from Zimbabwe’s most popular national leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa’s Interview with BTV:
Qn: How important was it for you to be invited here to the event, Mr. Chamisa?
@nelsonchamisa: “I’m so excited to be here. I’m representing the people of Zimbabwe, their aspirations, their hopes for democracy, and their hopes for freedom. Botswana has done something significant for the continent, for a new Africa, and for the region. This event marks an era of transformation, of effective transitions. Botswana has been under the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) for almost 58 years, yet they’ve shown a peaceful transition from one political party to another. It’s a crucial lesson. In Zimbabwe, we’ve defeated ZANU-PF in elections twice, but they’ve refused to accept the outcome. So, I hope that Mr. Mnangagwa, who is sitting just two rows away from me, will learn a thing or two about life after politics, about transitioning from public office. That’s why this event is so important. God has blessed Africa, and God has blessed Botswana. We are here to celebrate that.”
Qn: Let’s talk about democracy, especially in Africa. How important is it that Botswana has been able to have such a peaceful transition from one party to another?
Qn: What lessons can Africa and the region learn from this?
@nelsonchamisa: “We are one people, one nation, one family. Democracy is about taking turns—your turn today, someone else’s turn tomorrow. We must not be vindictive or seek revenge. Former presidents must be honored and respected, not pursued in a cat-and-mouse game. Even if they made mistakes, there should still be honor. This is what holds us together as a family. We are one village, and President Boko emphasized this point—hands wash each other. We are one people.”
Qn: Lastly, Mr. Chamisa, what message did you take from President Boko’s speech? Although it was short, it was very precise. What lessons did you learn from it?
@nelsonchamisa: “Love is everywhere, and we must embrace it. Botswana has shown love, and President Boko spoke about building bridges. He called for embracing the past, acknowledging it, but moving forward to correct it. That’s a critical message, a statesman’s message. President Boko is a leader of a new Africa, a new SADC, and signals a new order. We are proud of him.”
Qn: Have you met President Boko before?
@nelsonchamisa: “We’ve met several times, in both setbacks and victories. We believe that Africa needs new leadership with a fresh mindset. We must build our continent and make Africa one of the best in the world. We can do this, and it’s something we must start now.”
Qn: Thank you, Mr. Chamisa. It was a pleasure talking to you.
@nelsonchamisa: “Thank you so much.”
Qn: We wish you all the best in your endeavors in Zimbabwe.
@nelsonchamisa: “Thank you. All the best to Botswana. God bless Botswana, and may peace and prosperity prevail here.” – ZimEye
A disagreement over a mbanje (marijuana) twist has led to the tragic death of a man from Luveve suburb in Bulawayo.
Takunda Mandizwidza, 24, was recently found guilty of culpable homicide after an argument with his friend escalated into violence.
Mandizwidza was sentenced by Bulawayo High Court Judge Justice Naison Chivayo, who considered that the accused was a first-time offender.
The court took into account that Mandizwidza had pleaded guilty and that his family had paid compensation in the form of five beasts to the victim’s family.
In his ruling, Justice Chivayo said, “The accused is a first offender who pleaded guilty to the charge of culpable homicide and his family paid five beasts to compensate the bereaved family. However, it is important to note that no amount can compensate for the loss of life.”
The judge also made it clear that the court wanted to send a strong message regarding drug abuse.
“A number of campaigns have been made to end drug abuse, but it seems that a few individuals take heed of such warnings. We are left with no choice but to remove you from the community for a lengthy period,” he said.
Mandizwidza was sentenced to five years in prison, with two years suspended for good behavior, meaning he will serve an effective three years in jail. The judge also imposed a suspended sentence, which Mandizwidza must be mindful of as a reminder of the seriousness of his actions. “The court will also give you a suspended sentence which will hover around your head to remind you that you are an offender.
This will be a way to send a message to your friends so that they desist from such behaviour,” Justice Chivayo added.
The incident occurred on November 21, 2023, at around 8 pm, when the victim arrived at Dellen Mugayi’s home in Luveve, where Mandizwidza was with a group of friends smoking mbanje.
The victim joined the group and asked Mandizwidza for a smoke, but Mandizwidza declined, explaining that the victim had initially refused to join them.
This led to a confrontation, with the victim becoming angry and starting a fight with Mandizwidza. During the altercation, the victim picked up an object and stabbed Mandizwidza in the chest.
In retaliation, Mandizwidza grabbed a brick and struck the victim once on the left side of his forehead. The victim collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, but he tragically died the next day from his head injuries.
Mandizwidza was arrested, and the matter was reported to the police. This case highlights the dangerous consequences of disputes fueled by drug use and violence.
Zimbabweans have strongly criticized the Mnangagwa administration’s proposed WhatsApp license fees, calling the move absurd and an overreach into personal communication.
The announcement, made by Zimbabwe’s Minister of ICT, Postal, and Courier Services, Hon. Tatenda Mavetera on Thursday, stated that all WhatsApp group administrators will soon be required to register and obtain a license from the Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) to operate their groups.
The new licensing requirements, revealed during a recent POTRAZ breakfast meeting, set the minimum cost for a license at $50, with the fees varying depending on the nature of the group.
In addition to paying for the license, WhatsApp group admins will be required to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO), who must be trained and certified by POTRAZ. This new requirement is part of an effort to enforce compliance with Zimbabwe’s Data Protection Act, which governs the handling of personal data.
The law defines personal data as any information that can be used to directly or indirectly identify a person, and since WhatsApp group admins have access to members’ phone numbers, the government argues that these groups are subject to data protection regulations.
Minister Mavetera emphasized that the requirement would apply not only to business groups but also to community organizations, churches, and any other groups that collect personal data.
“Even churches who collect personal data ought to have such a license and appoint a DPO,” she stated, highlighting the government’s desire to tighten data security and privacy for all citizens.
However, the announcement has sparked a firestorm of criticism. Many Zimbabweans have questioned the implications of the new regulations on free communication and privacy in digital spaces. Critics argue that such licensing requirements could create an undue burden on informal group administrators, particularly for community-based groups and small businesses.
Others have expressed concern that this move could further restrict free expression online.
One critic, Taurai Cheteni, expressed frustration with the move on social media, writing: “Good evening Minister. Is it not makakandwa ku deep end? Madii kukumbira kuchinjwa ministry. I think you can be very useful somewhere else, ICT is not everyone, you included. Can you not kindly ask HE to assign you somewhere because ha, you have been misfiring from day one. I personally feel sorry for you but be honest with your boss and admit that you can’t cope.”
Another commenter, Evy Chats, echoed dissatisfaction, recalling a conversation about the proposed licenses: “I was talking to my guy about the introduction of licenses for WhatsApp admins, and he said hamuna kudzidza (you didn’t study). I defended you, saying you have masters in marketing, but he said that was a lie—you paid for it. Now I’m left embarrassed. Please, come and back me up, Hon.”
Albert Nyamayaro raised another point, arguing that the government’s plans were unfair, saying: “You can’t make money from other people’s platforms. WhatsApp is someone’s intellectual property (IP), and the government through POTRAZ cannot make money from it. It does not make sense at all.”
While the government argues that the new regulations are necessary to protect personal data and ensure privacy, many Zimbabweans feel that the move is an unnecessary encroachment on their digital freedoms. POTRAZ has encouraged group admins with concerns to reach out for guidance on how to comply with the new requirements.
Excerpts from Zimbabwe’s most popular national leader, Advocate Nelson Chamisa’s Interview with BTV on Friday at the Inauguration of New Botswana President Duma Boko
Qn: How important was it for you to be invited here to the event, Mr. Chamisa?
@nelsonchamisa: “I’m so excited to be here. I’m representing the people of Zimbabwe, their aspirations, their hopes for democracy, and their hopes for freedom. Botswana has done something significant for the continent, for a new Africa, and for the region. This event marks an era of transformation, of effective transitions. Botswana has been under the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) for almost 58 years, yet they’ve shown a peaceful transition from one political party to another. It’s a crucial lesson. In Zimbabwe, we’ve defeated ZANU-PF in elections twice, but they’ve refused to accept the outcome. So, I hope that Mr. Mnangagwa, who is sitting just two rows away from me, will learn a thing or two about life after politics, about transitioning from public office. That’s why this event is so important. God has blessed Africa, and God has blessed Botswana. We are here to celebrate that.”
Qn: Let’s talk about democracy, especially in Africa. How important is it that Botswana has been able to have such a peaceful transition from one party to another?
Qn: What lessons can Africa and the region learn from this?
@nelsonchamisa: “We are one people, one nation, one family. Democracy is about taking turns—your turn today, someone else’s turn tomorrow. We must not be vindictive or seek revenge. Former presidents must be honored and respected, not pursued in a cat-and-mouse game. Even if they made mistakes, there should still be honor. This is what holds us together as a family. We are one village, and President Boko emphasized this point—hands wash each other. We are one people.”
Qn: Lastly, Mr. Chamisa, what message did you take from President Boko’s speech? Although it was short, it was very precise. What lessons did you learn from it?
@nelsonchamisa: “Love is everywhere, and we must embrace it. Botswana has shown love, and President Boko spoke about building bridges. He called for embracing the past, acknowledging it, but moving forward to correct it. That’s a critical message, a statesman’s message. President Boko is a leader of a new Africa, a new SADC, and signals a new order. We are proud of him.”
Qn: Have you met President Boko before?
@nelsonchamisa: “We’ve met several times, in both setbacks and victories. We believe that Africa needs new leadership with a fresh mindset. We must build our continent and make Africa one of the best in the world. We can do this, and it’s something we must start now.”
Qn: Thank you, Mr. Chamisa. It was a pleasure talking to you.
@nelsonchamisa: “Thank you so much.”
Qn: We wish you all the best in your endeavors in Zimbabwe.
@nelsonchamisa: “Thank you. All the best to Botswana. God bless Botswana, and may peace and prosperity prevail here.” – ZimEye
Excerpts from Popular Zimbabwean opposition leader Advocate Nelson Chamisa’s interview with BTV on Friday at the inauguration of new Botswana President Duma Boko.
Qn: How important was it for you to be invited here to the event, Mr. Chamisa?
@nelsonchamisa: “I’m so excited to be here. I’m here representing the people of Zimbabwe, their aspirations, their hopes for democracy, their hopes for freedom. But what you have to realize is that Botswana is a signal. Botswana has done a significant thing for the continent, for a new Africa, but also for the region in terms of heralding an era of newness, an era of transformation, an era of effective transition. You look at it. The BDP has been in power for almost fifty-eight years. This is a smooth transition from one political party to another. It’s a critical thing. We have seen ZANU-PF in Zimbabwe. We have defeated them in elections twice, but they’ve refused to go. So we hope that Mr. Mnangagwa, who is here and is just two rows away from me, will learn one or two lessons about life after politics, life after leadership, life after public office. So that’s why it is so critical and significant. And God has blessed Africa, and God has blessed Botswana, and we are happy we are here to celebrate.
Qn: Yeah. Let’s speak about democracy, especially in Africa. I wanted to ask you to zoom into the issue of democracy. How important is it that for a country such as Botswana has been able to have a peaceful transition from one party to another?
Qn: What lessons are we learning for Africa and for the whole region?
@nelsonchamisa: We are one people. We are one nation. We are one family. And democracy is about taking turns. It’s your turn today, it’s another’s turn tomorrow. We must not be vindictive. We must not be pursuing each other. Even former presidents must be honored and respected. We don’t want a situation whereby former presidents are pursued in a cat and mouse relationship. Let’s give them honor, respect. Of course, they made mistakes, omissions and commissions, but let there be honor because that’s what keeps us as a family. We are one village and President Boko emphasized that point, that we must remain understanding that, you know, hands wash each other. We are one people.
Qn: Lastly, Mr. Chamisa, the message from President Boko, what did you pick from his speech as he delivered his speech? I know it was not a very long speech, but a very short and precise one. What lessons have you picked from his speeches?
@nelsonchamisa: Love is everywhere in the world, and we must embrace it. Love is in the air in Botswana, and the Botswana people have shown their love. And he has said there must be building of bridges. He has reached out to say, let’s embrace President Massisi, let’s embrace the past. acknowledge it, but move on to correct it. And I think that’s a critical message. It’s a statesman’s message. President Boko is a leader par excellence. A statesman is a leader of a new Africa, of a new SADC, and he signals a new order. And we are proud of him.
Qn: Have you met before with President Boko?
@nelsonchamisa: We have met several times. I mean, you know that we have been with President Boko in setbacks, in victory. And the reason is that we believe that Africa needs a new leadership, a new heartset in leadership. We must reach out to build our continent and to make continent of Africa one of the best in the world. And we can do it. And we must start now.
Qn: Thank you, Mr. Chamisa. It was a pleasure to talk to you, Mr. Chamisa.
@nelsonchamisa: Thank you so much.
Qn: And all your best in your endeavour also in Zimbabwe. @nelsonchamisa: Thank you so much. All the best for Botswana. God bless Botswana. And may there be peace and prosperity in Botswana.
Qn: How important was it for you to be invited here to the event, Mr. Chamisa?
@nelsonchamisa: “I’m so excited to be here. I’m here representing the people of Zimbabwe, their aspirations, their hopes for democracy, their hopes for freedom. But what you have to realize is that Botswana is a signal. Botswana has done a significant thing for the continent, for a new Africa, but also for the region in terms of heralding an era of newness, an era of transformation, an era of effective transition. You look at it.
the interview
The BDP has been in power for almost fifty-eight years. This is a smooth transition from one political party to another. It’s a critical thing. We have seen ZANU-PF in Zimbabwe. We have defeated them in elections twice, but they’ve refused to go. So we hope that Mr. Mnangagwa, who is here and is just two rows away from me, will learn one or two lessons about life after politics, life after leadership, life after public office. So that’s why it is so critical and significant. And God has blessed Africa, and God has blessed Botswana, and we are happy we are here to celebrate.
Qn: Yeah. Let’s speak about democracy, especially in Africa. I wanted to ask you to zoom into the issue of democracy. How important is it that for a country such as Botswana has been able to have a peaceful transition from one party to another?
Qn: What lessons are we learning for Africa and for the whole region?
@nelsonchamisa: We are one people. We are one nation. We are one family. And democracy is about taking turns. It’s your turn today, it’s another’s turn tomorrow. We must not be vindictive. We must not be pursuing each other. Even former presidents must be honored and respected. We don’t want a situation whereby former presidents are pursued in a cat and mouse relationship. Let’s give them honor, respect. Of course, they made mistakes, omissions and commissions, but let there be honor because that’s what keeps us as a family. We are one village and President Boko emphasized that point, that we must remain understanding that, you know, hands wash each other. We are one people.
Qn: Lastly, Mr. Chamisa, the message from President Boko, what did you pick from his speech as he delivered his speech? I know it was not a very long speech, but a very short and precise one. What lessons have you picked from his speeches?
@nelsonchamisa: Love is everywhere in the world, and we must embrace it. Love is in the air in Botswana, and the Botswana people have shown their love. And he has said there must be building of bridges. He has reached out to say, let’s embrace President Massisi, let’s embrace the past. acknowledge it, but move on to correct it. And I think that’s a critical message. It’s a statesman’s message. President Boko is a leader par excellence. A statesman is a leader of a new Africa, of a new SADC, and he signals a new order. And we are proud of him.
Qn: Have you met before with President Boko?
@nelsonchamisa: We have met several times. I mean, you know that we have been with President Boko in setbacks, in victory. And the reason is that we believe that Africa needs a new leadership, a new heartset in leadership. We must reach out to build our continent and to make continent of Africa one of the best in the world. And we can do it. And we must start now.
Qn: Thank you, Mr. Chamisa. It was a pleasure to talk to you, Mr. Chamisa.
@nelsonchamisa: Thank you so much.
Qn: And all your best in your endeavour also in Zimbabwe. @nelsonchamisa: Thank you so much. All the best for Botswana. God bless Botswana. And may there be peace and prosperity in Botswana.
By A Correspondent | ZimEye | Prominent Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono who was the favourite legal-opinion-driver of the British solicitor to a blood cousin of former MP Job Sikhala, William Chinyanga’s prosecution case, is under fire.
Chin’ono, who has failed to produce the evidence of financial abuse he accuses opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa of, is facing criticism for misleading public opinion by prematurely labeling Hon. Sikhala’s cousin as guilty of terrorism following funeral poetry uttered during mourning for Nelson Chamisa’s party members in 2019.
This was a year before any trial had been conducted.
Chin’ono’s public comments, which cast Chinyanga’s funeral poetry as criminal, have sparked concern about the influence of media figures on judicial proceedings, especially given recent revelations from Chinyanga’s legal team.
Hopewell-Chinono…
Scores of Zimbabweans are in support of Chinyanga, who later got convicted for incitement as a result, as they maintain that his words are common hyperbolic funeral poetry rather than actual threats of terrorism. However, Chin’ono publicly characterized Chinyanga’s statements as a “crime of terrorism,” claiming that he advocated for the burning of fuel stations—a claim that Chinyanga’s supporters argue is both misleading and exaggerated.
As a result of Chin’ono’s opinion which is favoured by the British solicitor Madeleine Corr, Justice Dove who conducted the trial, announced saying Chinyanga is guilty because he has no one to his side, even though millions of Zimbabweans were present at the court premises, represented by the publisher of both the language Chinyanga was prosecuted over, and the very news articles the jury was subjected to peruse without context meanings.
In a post on social media, Chin’ono stated that he is a better activist than Chinyanga, “Some folks in the Varakashi camp are making embarrassing FALSE equivalence to this article! This man was charged in Britain because advocating for burning of fuel stations is a crime of terrorism. It is different from Jacob Ngarivhume calling for Peaceful Anti-Looting Protests protected by our constitution.” This declaration has led to accusations that Chin’ono acted irresponsibly, using his platform to condemn Chinyanga without a final court ruling.
In a later development, Chinyanga’s solicitor, Madeleine Corr revealed to Chinyanga that she intended to rely on Chin’ono’s opinion in building his defense strategy. She said “can we get Hopewell Chin’ono to testify in your case as he is a high profile person highly respected?… I refused because Chin’ono is compromised,” Chinyanga reveals.
Chinyanga however firmly rejected this approach. “I blatantly refuse to incorporate Chin’ono on my case because I know he is compromised.” Chinyanga’s refusal underscores his mistrust of Chin’ono, whom he believes to be compromised in his objectivity, particularly given Chin’ono’s public assertions of guilt.
This incident is not the only one there are several others where the Journalist has been caught on camera misleading the Sikhala family, and at one time he deceived Sikhala’s brother and the former MP’s best friend Tafadzwa Musekiwa saying Nelson Chamisa has abandoned him to rot in jail.
This case has sparked intense debate on social media and among legal experts, with some accusing Chin’ono of hypocrisy. While he has previously advocated for constitutional rights and due process in Zimbabwe, critics argue that he has now prematurely labeled a fellow Zimbabwean as guilty of terrorism under a foreign jurisdiction. In another controversial statement, Chin’ono defended his stance, stating, “Western embassies condemn arbitrary arrests and malicious prosecutions in Zimbabwe because the victims would not have committed a crime according to our law, the constitution! I was arrested and accused of tweeting something I never tweeted, and charged under a law that doesn’t exist…”
Chinyanga is now fighting for his appeal and against deportation of which he has opened a GofundMe campaign:
Meanwhile, Chin’ono’s many misleading statements have opened new discussions over who he is and what he is trying to achieve on top of his government in exile project, and Chinyanga responds as follows, video:
"Hopewell Chin'ono used to do credit card fraud, so he doesn't have any finger to pull me down, because I am clean!," says Hon. Job Sikhala's blood cousin, William Chinyanga when he was accused by the journalist of terrorism over funeral poetry he communicated after Nelson… pic.twitter.com/9MN3Cqcx3W
By Political Reporter – Botswana’s incoming President Duma Boko has shunned Zimbabwean opposition figures Douglas Mwonzora and Sengezo Tshabangu, favouring opposition leader Nelson Chamisa for his inauguration in Gaborone today.
This invitation signals a new democratic alliance within SADC, highlighting Boko’s alignment with progressive voices in the region.
Mwonzora and Tshabangu have been sidelined for their divisive tactics and failed political manoeuvres, and they have often placed personal gain above party unity and democratic reform.
In a heartfelt post on X, Chamisa expressed his joy, stating, “THANK YOU BOTSWANA… I’m so humbled and honoured to be invited as a guest here in Gaborone… I see God’s amazing grace. God’s plan for Zimbabwe is great and on course. Our time to smile and celebrate is coming. Our Botswana moment is not far. We’re next.”
Political observers note that a powerful trio of democratic advocates—Chamisa, Boko, and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema—could redefine the region’s leadership with a shared commitment to democratic ideals, faith-driven governance, and economic renewal.
Chamisa and Boko share a striking alignment in leadership style.
Both leaders are deeply influenced by faith, drawing on it as a moral foundation for public service.
Boko’s presidency started with a symbolic commitment to this principle, as he attended church with his family before his inauguration—a public display that resonates with Chamisa’s own vision for Zimbabwe.
Boko has also pledged to address a key issue affecting Zimbabweans in Botswana.
Speaking on the BBC Africa Daily podcast, Friday Boko announced his intent to formalize the status of undocumented Zimbabweans in Botswana by providing temporary work and residence permits.
“Many Zimbabweans are already here, doing jobs that would otherwise not get done,” Boko remarked, acknowledging the contributions and challenges of Zimbabwean migrants in Botswana.
With the world’s second-largest Zimbabwean diaspora, Botswana faces a pressing need for migrant integration to address skill shortages, especially in construction and skilled trades like welding and plumbing.
A seasoned human rights lawyer and founder of the Umbrella for Democratic Change, Boko is prioritizing economic revival and job creation in his agenda.
His plans include a bold commitment to create 100,000 jobs annually, supported by a strategic diamond deal with De Beers.
As a beacon of hope for a more united and democratic SADC, the presence of Chamisa at Boko’s inauguration signifies the growing bond among Southern African leaders who aspire to foster ethical, inclusive, and prosperous governance across the region.
By Political Reporter –Incoming Botswana President Duma Boko has extended a prestigious invitation to Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa to attend his inauguration in Gaborone today, symbolizing the rise of a new democratic alliance within the SADC region.
In a heartfelt post on X, Chamisa expressed his joy, stating, “THANK YOU BOTSWANA… I’m so humbled and honoured to be invited as a guest here in Gaborone… I see God’s amazing grace. God’s plan for Zimbabwe is great and on course. Our time to smile and celebrate is coming. Our Botswana moment is not far. We’re next.”
Political observers are noting that a powerful trio of democratic advocates—Chamisa, Boko, and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema—could redefine the region’s leadership with a shared commitment to democratic ideals, faith-driven governance, and economic renewal.
Chamisa and Boko share a striking alignment in leadership style.
Both leaders are deeply influenced by faith, drawing on it as a moral foundation for public service.
Boko’s presidency started with a symbolic commitment to this principle, as he attended church with his family before his inauguration—a public display that resonates with Chamisa’s own vision for Zimbabwe.
Boko has also pledged to address a key issue affecting Zimbabweans in Botswana.
Speaking on the BBC Africa Daily podcast, Friday Boko announced his intent to formalize the status of undocumented Zimbabweans in Botswana by providing temporary work and residence permits.
“Many Zimbabweans are already here, doing jobs that would otherwise not get done,” Boko remarked, acknowledging the contributions and challenges of Zimbabwean migrants in Botswana.
With the world’s second-largest Zimbabwean diaspora, Botswana faces a pressing need for migrant integration to address skill shortages, especially in construction and skilled trades like welding and plumbing.
A seasoned human rights lawyer and founder of the Umbrella for Democratic Change, Boko is prioritizing economic revival and job creation in his agenda.
His plans include a bold commitment to create 100,000 jobs annually, supported by a strategic diamond deal with De Beers.
As a beacon of hope for a more united and democratic SADC, the presence of Chamisa at Boko’s inauguration signifies the growing bond among Southern African leaders who aspire to foster ethical, inclusive, and prosperous governance across the region.
Popular radio and television personality Hazvinei Sakarombe also known as DJ Chilli, has resigned from Power FM after 20 years.
The news came as a shock because DJ Chilli was on leave, and her exit is immediate.
DJ Chilli joined Power FM in 2004 and quickly became a favorite. She later hosted Woza Friday on ZBC, a show loved across Zimbabwe. Besides her work at Power FM, she also presented on Radio Zimbabwe and hosted shows like Lotto Zimbabwe. Her dedication earned her two NAMA awards.
Gaborone – Incoming Botswana President Duma Boko has pledged to legalise all undocumented Zimbabweans by granting them temporary work and residence permits.
“Many Zimbabweans are already here, doing jobs that would otherwise not get done,” Boko said on the BBC Africa Daily podcast.
Botswana hosts the world’s second-largest Zimbabwean community fleeing economic hardship, and daily deportations are common.
According to government data, 98% of “irregular migrants” in Botswana from 2021 to 2023 were Zimbabwean nationals.
Boko acknowledged that illegal migration strains resources and breeds resentment.
“They live outside the law, sometimes committing crimes, which adds to the resentment,” he noted. His plan seeks to formalise their stay, improve access to services, and reduce illegal activity.
Despite backlash over proposals for more accessible cross-border travel, Boko sees Zimbabwean migrants as a solution to Botswana’s skills gap.
“In construction, Zimbabweans have skills we lack, like welding and plumbing,” he explained. “We should utilise these skills while transferring knowledge to our citizens.”
A human rights lawyer and founder of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Boko’s campaign promises to focus on economic revival.
He aims to create 100,000 jobs annually, backed by a new diamond deal with De Beers.
“With a population of 2.4 million and 30% unemployment, we face a ticking time bomb,” Boko warned.
Boko’s inauguration, set for Friday in Gaborone, will include international dignitaries and has been declared a public holiday.
A tragic accident occurred on November 7, 2024, when a school kombi carrying students from Nyangani High School veered off the road along the Mutare-Juliasdale Road, resulting in one fatality and 19 injured.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed that the incident took place at the 62-kilometre peg, where the Toyota Hiace kombi, which was transporting 19 passengers, lost control and overturned, landing on its side. The crash left one student dead and 15 others injured.
The body of the deceased has been transferred to Bonda Mission Hospital for post-mortem examination. Meanwhile, the injured students are receiving medical treatment at both Bonda Mission Hospital and Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the cause of the accident, while the community, particularly at Nyangani High School, grapples with the heartbreaking loss and supports those affected by the tragedy.
This incident serves as a reminder of the risks faced on the roads, particularly when transporting students, and underscores the importance of road safety measures for all school transportation.
