Tinashe Sambiri|Zimbabwe’s international isolation can only end if key reforms are implemented.

Zanu PF blames sanctions for the economic quagmire in the country.

Addressing a media briefing in Harare on Tuesday, MDC Alliance vice president Professor Welshman Ncube called for an inclusive dialogue that will resolve the political crisis in Zimbabwe.

According to Professor Ncube, Zanu PF wants to suppress genuine dialogue through POLAD …

Watch:

By A Correspondent- While daily Covid-19 infections have significantly declined over the past weeks, almost half of the cases recorded in the country yesterday were from schools, the latest statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care have shown.

This is happening at a time when the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines has also gone down drastically, casting a shadow on the government meeting its 10 million target by year-end.

“Thirty-seven (37) new cases (all local) and four (4) deaths [were] reported today (Monday),” said the Ministry of Health and Child Care in its daily Covid-19 update late yesterday.

“Seven day rolling average for new cases remains at 40. Seventeen (17) of these cases are from outbreaks in schools.”

Schools in Manicaland had nine (9) cases, Masvingo six (6), Mashonaland West and Matabeleland North recorded one (1) case each.

In Bulawayo, according to the Health Services Department, a total of 23 learning institutions have recorded Covid-19 cases since schools opened in September with most having recovered and the situation under control.

Of those, there were 12 primary schools, 10 secondary schools and one tertiary institution that recorded cases between the end of third wave and last Friday.

“As of today (Monday), Zimbabwe has recorded 132 688 cases, 127 433 recoveries and 4 673 deaths,” said the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

A total of 3 299 cases were conducted yesterday with 1.2 percent of them coming out positive.

Active cases have since gone down to 585 with the national recovery rate now at 95 percent following 135 new recoveries recorded yesterday.

“As of 24 October 2021, at 1500 hours, there were 63 hospitalised cases, new admissions 1, asymptomatic 5, mild to moderate 42, severe 13 and 3 in Intensive Care Units,” said the Ministry.

A total of 6 378 people yesterday received their first jab bringing the cumulative total to 3 275 033 while 6 193 got their second dose pushing up the cumulative figure for the fully-vaccinated to 2 545 717. CITE

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Harare have arrested 20 war veterans protesting against poor pensions.

Tuesday, the defiant former liberation war combatants said they were living in abject poverty while political elites were leading luxurious lives.

They said they were ready to be arrested or die for staging the protests meant to push the government to review their pensions.

They said they used to have better lives but now the situation has deteriorated. Watch the video below for more details.

They previously demonstrated in ‘defense of its people, freedoms, and the future’ after claiming that the ANC government was failing in its duty to effectively run the country.
The trend shows that some African governments are failing to address the veterans’ grievances, neither do they have sustainable plans for the welfare of war veterans.

-Online

By A Correspondent- Former MDC T stalwart Obert Gutu who is now a commissioner at the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission has reiterated his sanctions must fall mantra regretting ever supporting their imposition on Zimbabwe as arguably the worst mistake of his political career.

He said in a tweet:

My Damascus moment was clear & emphatic.

Supporting & clamouring for more sanctions to be imposed against my beloved country, Zimbabwe ?? was arguably the WORST mistake of my political career.

I publicly apologised for this awful & treacherous mistake.

SANCTIONS MUST FALL

By A Correspondent- The Mines Ministry is demanding $8 million from the 2022 budget to woo investors into the mining sector and ensure that closed mines scattered around the country are reopened.

This was said on Sunday by Mines minister Winston Chitando in a report which he presented in Victoria Falls during the 2022 pre-budget seminar in response to issues raised by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines.

He said:

The ministry will enhance its efforts towards the resuscitation of closed mines. A total of $8 172 604 is required to support promotional activities, engagement with investors and relevant stakeholders towards the reopening of the closed mines.

More effort is also being made through Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) whereby they are engaging various investors to reopen closed mines. The ministry intends to transform the Lupane office into a full-fledged provincial office. Currently, Bulawayo Metropolitan hosts most of the staff and operations of the province.

Chitando said during public hearings by the committee on the 2022 national budget, members of the public demanded that government must prioritise the reopening of closed mines throughout the country to enhance employment creation and improve mining revenue going into the national purse.

He said Zimbabwe had a lot of large-scale mines that were shut down due to the collapse of the economy leaving thousands of employees jobless.

He added that it was also recommended that a lithium smelting and processing plant should be set up to produce products rather than export raw minerals.

Zimbabwe intends to achieve a US$12 billion mining industry by 2023 with a view to attaining an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.

By A Correspondent- The ruling party Zanu-PF’s 19th National People’s Conference kicks off at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura, Mashonaland Central province tomorrow, with a number of high-level engagements expected to dominate the four-day programme which runs up to Saturday.

The National People’s Conference is being held in a hybrid format for the first time in the history of Zanu-PF due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw last year’s calendar event being suspended.

The party’s Politburo meeting will be held at the main venue while delegates from the provinces are expected to follow the main proceedings at Chipadze Stadium virtually.

In line with Covid-19 health regulations, delegates are expected to produce their valid Covid-19 vaccination certificates before accreditation.

In Bulawayo, 101 delegates will gather at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Hall 2 where they will follow the virtual proceedings from the main venue.

Other provinces will also congregate at selected venues where they will follow proceedings.

Bulawayo yesterday joined the rest of the country in marching against sanctions

The annual party indaba takes place at a time when the Government under the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa is rolling out a number of initiatives to revive the economy as part of a transformative drive towards an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

In an interview yesterday, Zanu-PF acting spokesperson Mike Bimha said it was all systems go following the last meeting on preparations yesterday.

“We are almost ready for the indaba and various sub-committees today submitted their reports to the national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri. She was quite happy with the amount of effort that has been put by the sub-committees to make sure that the conference is a success,” he said.

“With the reports that we got, it is quite clear that we will have a successful conference. The various provinces are ready with all the materials and we believe that the connectivity will operate as expected.”

Bimha said the main venue was mainly for the Politburo members who are less than 100, including some Government ministers.

“The conference is officially starting on Wednesday with the Politburo meeting while the Central Committee will be on Thursday,” he said.

Bimha said President Mnangagwa will officially address delegates on Friday.

The conference will discuss, among other issues, the state of the party, state of the economy, food security and nutrition, social services and poverty eradication, macroeconomic stability and reengagement, infrastructure development and utilities as well as value addition and beneficiation.

The annual Indaba is coming at a time the country has embarked on rapid modernisation in terms of infrastructure development, industrialisation and economic growth in line with President Mnangagwa’s vision for an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

Consistent with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and the country’s devolution thrust, the Government is making sure that development leaves no one behind.

Infrastructure development and rehabilitation, a key pillar in the economy in terms of the NDS1, is receiving increased attention under the Second Republic, with several key projects being implemented across the country.

Some of the notable projects being undertaken by the Government include the construction of Lake Gwayi-Shangani in Hwange district, Matabeleland North, Tuli-Manyange Dam in Ntalale in Gwanda district, Matabeleland South, the revamping of Beitbridge Border Post and dualisation, upgrading and tolling of the Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu highway.

The Lake Gwayi-Shangani project is a major component of the National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project (NMZWP), which upon completion in December, is expected to provide a permanent water solution for Bulawayo and Matabeleland region.

Modernisation of the Beitbridge Border Post is in line with Vision 2030 of attaining an upper middle-income economy, and is one of the key projects being undertaken by the Government to promote the ease of doing business and trade facilitation.

The Government is also undertaking the Robert Mugabe International Airport upgrade and the US$1,5 billion Hwange Units 7 and 8 expansion as well as the Hwange Power Station units 1-6 upgrade.

The ongoing Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme 2 (ERPP2) launched by President Mnangagwa in response to the damaged road network throughout the country as well as devolution funding, have transformed key infrastructure in both urban and rural areas.

Road rehabilitation is a key enabler in transforming Zimbabwe into an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

The economy is on a recovery trajectory and for the first time in many years, the country exhibited higher resilience to recent unforeseen shocks, including the latest outbreak of Covid-19.

Anchored on the successful 2020/21 rainfall season, higher international mineral commodity prices and a stable macro-economic environment, Zimbabwe’s enhanced resilience to prevailing shocks has it implementing a number of development projects despite the many competing priorities.

Domestic GDP growth for the year 2021 is projected to remain strong at 7,8 percent, slightly above the 2021 National Budget growth forecast of 7,4 percent

This will be mainly driven by recovery in the agriculture sector, which recorded a bumper harvest in the last season, and is set to grow by to 34 percent.

The good harvest realised by Zimbabwe from the last farming season will slash the import bill by US$300 million.

The recent success in food production indicate that Zimbabwe is on course to achieve the US$8,2 billion revenue from agriculture by 2025 under the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy.

Agriculture and mining sectors are expected to collectively contribute US$20 billion to the economy in a few years’ time.

Due to continuing fiscal support measures, higher growth rates are projected in agriculture, electricity generation, accommodation and food services as well as financial services.

The fiscal and monetary consolidation measures being implemented by Government have firmly anchored inflation expectations as shown by a significant decline in inflation from 837,5 percent in July last year to 106,6 percent in June 2021.

The country’s annual inflation stood at 51,55 percent for the month of September 2021.

In recent months, the country’s annual inflation has been slowing down as monetary authorities projected a rate below 25 percent by year-end.

Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) statistics show that there has also been a steady performance of the mining sector, coupled with noticeable recovery in the manufacturing sector whose capacity utilisation rose from 36 percent in 2019 to 47 percent last year and 54 percent in the second quarter of 2021.

The strong economic recovery has also been attributed to the comprehensive reform drive being undertaken by  the Government.-statemedia

Case Alert

25 October 2021

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government is adamant that it has accomplished a lot in stopping child marriages in Zimbabwe despite some reported rising cases of the pervasive practice.

In response to summons filed at Harare High Court on 28 September 2021, government lawyers are unwavering that President Mnangagwa’s administration had taken all the legislative and other steps required at law to stop child marriages including enforcement of the same.

The lawyers argued that a request for an order from the High Court to secure the rights of the girl children exposed to the practice of child marriages is misplaced, unnecessary and incompetent.

In March 2021, government released some shocking figures showing that 4 959 girls fell pregnant between January and February 2021 alone at a time when the scourge of child marriages increased due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and associated national lockdowns.

The response by government filed at High Court on 18 October 2021 came after Sharon Moffat, a Masvingo resident and two human rights organisations recently asked the High Court to order Marange Apostolic Church of St Johanne and the Apostolic Churches Council to mount a campaign denouncing the practice of child marriages.

In the application, Moffat, Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) and Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) want Marange Apostolic Church of St Johanne and the Apostolic Churches Council to be ordered to publish at every shrine or every place of worship, a message for 19 consecutive weeks, clarifying, for the benefit of their congregants
and adherents, that the marrying or giving in marriage of girl children is not an aspect of their respective faiths and should not be committed in the name of their religion.

Moffat, LRF and WCoZ also want the High Court to order Health and Child Care Minister Constantino Chiwenga, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Hon. Ziyambi, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Hon. Kazembe Kazembe, Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Hon. Sithembiso
Nyoni, Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe Gender Commission and Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, to take steps to bring to an end the practice of marrying and giving in marriage of girl children in Marange Apostolic Church of St Johanne and in Independent African Apostolic Churches represented by Apostolic Churches Council.

The trio want Zimbabwean authorities to conduct an identification of children married in terms of the practice, their removal, from such marriages and placement in places of safety established in terms of the Children’s Act for their rehabilitation.

They also want the activation of the criminal justice system against all men who have married or otherwise have had sexual intercourse with minor children in the name of religion post the decision of the Constitutional Court in Mudzuru and Another v Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and Others in Case No. CCZ-12-15 and the publication of a summary of the declaraturs in all national newspapers and on all national radio stations in all vernacular languages.

Moffat, LRF, which is a law based human rights organisation and WCoZ, a network of women’s organisations involved in the preservation and protection of women’s rights including the rights of children are represented by Paidamoyo Saurombe of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Advocate Thabani Mpofu, Advocate Regina Bwanali and Advocate Choice Damiso.

The matter is yet to be set down for hearing.

Watch the live video loading below……

Watch the live video loading below……

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has visited Cyrene Farm in Figtree, owned by the Anglican Province of Central Africa Church, to investigate cases of human rights violations by invaders and police.

This was after a church worker was assaulted by police officers when he went to report the invasion of the property.

Over 500 illegal settlers have invaded the property owned by Anglican Province of Central Africa Church, Figtree, Matabeleland South province.

The settlers seized the farm at the height of the chaotic land reform programme in 2000, with police said to be reluctant to evict them despite the existence of a High Court order.

ZHRC officers, who visited the area early this month, are preparing a report to be submitted to Parliament and President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“The commission is investigating how the invaders got on the farm, who gave them permission, and whether their offer letters are valid and authentic, and why the local authority has not taken action even after church officials engaged them several times on the issue.  They are investigating why there is laxity on the part of law enforcement agents to deal with the invaders and the land barons,” a source from the church said.

The source said ZHRC intended to establish who was responsible for the acquisition of the farm since it is disputed land.

ZHRC chairperson Elisto Mugwadi could not deny nor confirm that the commission was probing the Cyrene Farm invasion.

Mugwadi said he was not on the ground to comment and referred Southern Eye to his deputy Dorothy Moyo, who is based in Bulawayo.

“Yes, our team went on a fact-finding mission. It is currently  writing a report that will constitute our recommendations. I will link up with  it tomorrow and see how far it has gone,” Moyo said.

Sometime in 2003, the Anglican Church filed a High Court application seeking the eviction of settlers from the farm.

The High Court granted the order, but the deputy sheriff did not execute the order until recently.

Indications are that the deputy sheriff was paid to deal with only 52 of the illegal settlers.

Church officials are concerned that the settlers are returning to the place and police officers are reluctant to take action.

The invaders are reportedly encroaching onto Cyrene High School, clinic and a cattle-ranching project.-newsday

By A Correspondent- A 33 year old man from Gutu has been arrested in Beitbridge for breaking into two houses and stealing an assortment of goods, including an AK47 rifle belonging to a member of the President’s Department.

Obey Mhuru was arrested after a man he had threatened to shoot using the stolen rifle in  Vhembe View suburb knocked him down with a car on Friday morning.

Mhuru was not asked to plead to two charges of unlawful entry when he appeared before Beitbridge Resident Magistrate Mr Takudzwa Gwazemba on Saturday.

Mhuru was remanded in custody to November 5.

Prosecuting, Mr Ronald Mugwagwa said on September 7 at around 5pm, Mhuru stole a Samsung J7 smartphone, R1 000 and US$70 after breaking into a cottage in Benne Knot Street .

The court heard that the following day at around 5pm, Mhuru went to a house  belonging to the President’s Department when the occupants were away.

He broke down the door to the dining room and subsequently forced open the doors to the other rooms, ransacked the house and stole an AK47 rifle and a magazine with  30 rounds.

Both offences were discovered on September 9 and reported to the police.

Mhuru was arrested on Friday last week at around 2am after being hit by a car as he attempted to attack a motorist using the stolen firearm.

The rifle was recovered loaded with 19 rounds and Mhuru confessed to investigators that he had stolen the firearm.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Bulawayo residents have lamented the council’s delays in responding to  burst sewerage in their communities saying this could contribute to disease outbreaks.

The city has recorded a series of sewer pipe bursts, which has seen raw effluent flowing into their homes.

Speaking during a Ward 17 meeting in Pumula North yesterday, residents said apart from sewer pipe bursts, the council also delayed in attending to burst water pipes, which sometimes leaves them without water for days.

The meeting was organised by the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association and was attended by council officials and area councillor Ms Sikhululekile Moyo.

The meeting’s agenda was to brief the community on council budget processes as most of them had not participated in its online consultation processes.

One of the residents said she had been living with a burst sewer for three  months despite reporting the burst pipe to council.

“I reported this issue three months ago  to have raw sewage flowing from your  home on a daily basis with no action being taken.
“We don’t know whether the council’s offices are still functional. Where should we report now?” asked the resident, who did not reveal her identity.

Another resident said council was also not attending to burst water pipes and as a result he had dug a small well in his yard to harvest the water.

“Whenever there is water shedding, some residents even come to my house to fetch water from the well.

“The council is losing a lot of treated water due to its failure to timeously respond to burst pipes,” said the resident.

The residents said council should channel ward retention funds towards fixing burst water pipes.

Some residents complained that the council keeps increasing rates yet service delivery was not improving.
This was in response to the city’s proposed 2022 budget which will see rates increasing by 200 percent.

In response to their concerns, Cllr Moyo said the local authority was resource constrained to effectively attend to some of their concerns.

“As council we don’t have enough money to attend to some of the challenges that are obtaining in our communities. I understand that residents want to channel ward retention funds to fixing burst sewer and damaged water pipes but the money is too little.

“I however urge you to continue paying your bills as this will enable the council to attend to some of your challenges,” said Cllr Moyo.

She said ward retention funds can be channelled towards resuscitating soccer grounds and other recreational facilities.

Cllr Moyo said this will help youths to refrain from substance abuse and also reduce general crime in the area.

She challenged residents to also protect council infrastructure from vandals that deliberately destroy the local authority’s property.-statemedia

A land cruiser has dropped off suspected ZANU-PF thugs at MDC Alliance Vice President Tendai Biti’s office, ahead of his press conference due to start at 12 pm, the party reports.

– this is a developing story

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Friday last week arrested two armed robbers who were masquerading as police officers. The duo is said to have been involved in several robbery cases. Said the police in a statement:

On 22/10/21, police in Mutawatawa joined hands with members of the public and managed to arrest two of the several armed robbery suspects, Chikomborero Gono (28) and Luckson Tsingano (32) who were masquerading as police officers.

The suspects robbed Tinotenda Karumazondo (21) employed at a local gold milling company of USD15 000, 49g gold and a cellphone before kidnapping him, tying him with shoelaces and spraying him with an unknown substance that made him go unconscious.

A member of the public sustained a gunshot injury on the palm during the exercise. The two suspects are assisting the police with investigations whilst the other suspects are at large.

This comes after police announced the arrest of a syndicate that was dealing in guns. Two police officers who were part of the syndicate were also arrested.

Police said some of the guns were being sold to armed robbers.

Cases of armed robberies have been on the rise in the country lately.

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said he is eagerly looking forward to his first visit to the United Kingdom when he attends the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) scheduled for the 23rd and 24th of November in Glasgow, Scotland.

He revealed this in a twitter thread where he said that because Zimbabwe felt

I am eagerly looking forward to my first visit to the United Kingdom. @COP26 meeting of nations comes at an extraordinary time in world history. Many countries are still battling the pandemic whilst having to undertake immense changes to our economies to meet climate goals.

The discussions @COP26 are going to be an important step in agreeing to a collective way forward.

For Zimbabwe, we feel the impact of climate change more than others. Our temperatures have risen by approximately 2°C over the past century. Which has seen a significant increase in extreme weather. In the past two decades alone, we have had to deal with 10 droughts.

If the world doesn’t step up, we will see jobs lost, livelihoods destroyed, and people will lose their lives. That is something we must avoid and why Zimbabwe is coming to the table with ambitious plans to tackle climate change.

Zimbabwe has now committed to reducing emissions by 40% before 2030. The time for words is over – we must act now.

While we will offer to hasten our economic transformation, we do need to remain alive to the shocks of drought and the impact of climate change through necessary social safety nets. I will be appealing for multilateral support to supplement our efforts.

Zimbabwe has come a long way over the past three years, I hope our presence @COP26 and our commitment to the global fight against climate change will be recognised as part of our ongoing re-engagement campaign.

Meanwhile, ousted Ntabazinduna chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni on Thursday last week led a group of demonstrators to the Zimbabwean embassy in the United Kingdom (UK) calling for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to be barred from participating at the event.

By A Correspondent- Members of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) yesterday staged online anti-government protests meant to coincide with the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) anti-sanctions solidarity day where they demanded improved working conditions.

They said the protests were targeted at Finance minister Mthuli Ncube, whom they accused of slashing their salaries from US$540 in 2018 to US$100 as he implemented his unpopular fiscal policy measures in 2018.

Their protest yesterday ran under the hashtag #EndSalarySanctions.

In a series of tweets, Artuz said the salaries that teachers were getting were inadequate for their self-sustenance.

“The teacher takes home a salary of ZW$16 308, which is an equivalent of around US$82. The teacher cannot afford 2 100 calories of food per day for each member of a family of five. They earn below the food poverty line. They are malnourished. These are sanctions imposed on us by the government #EndSalarySanctions,” Artuz tweeted.

“This is the reason why we are calling on citizens to help us implore @MthuliNcube to end #EndSalarySanctions.”

They said the only weapon left for them was to down tools in protest as the responsibility to save the education sector was on Ncube’s shoulders.

“Teachers keep on piling pressure on @MthuliNcube to end salary sanctions. The government should not punish civil servants who are working round the clock to keep this nation ticking. The sanctions list is long.”

Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) acting national general-secretary Goodwill Taderera said although teachers affiliated to his union had not unanimously decided to join the online protests, as a union they welcomed every effort and move by different stakeholders to enhance the conditions of service for teachers.

“We support every move and effort that will push the government to pay teachers a reasonable salary. We appreciate Artuz for fighting in their corner and we have no problem with any stakeholders that push for salary enhancement and the well-being of teachers,” Taderera said.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) President Takavafira Zhou said sanctions come in two forms; internal and external.

Zhou said internal sanctions included issues such as underpayment of teachers in particular and of civil servants in general, as well as the high-profile corruption that has become routine and has invited imposition of external sanctions.

“We call upon our Zimbabwean government to pay teachers and the rest of the civil servants as they are the pillars of sustainable development of the nation.  As much as we have not jointly planned anything with any other union in Zimbabwe, we have been in the forefront  in calling for unity in diversity against slave wages for teachers that in some way are a form of internal sanctions.

“What is, however, more deleterious to national development are internal sanctions characterised by cartelism, underpayment of workers and a shocking contrast between richness and poverty,” Zhou said.

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) secretary-general Japhet Moyo said as a union, they had been campaigning against wage theft over the years.

“Any effort by any of our affiliates or workers to demand a living wage is appreciated and supported. Businesses have been making huge profits taking advantage of the parallel market rates, but at the same time refusing to link wages to the same exchange rates. Most goods and services are in US$ or parallel exchange rate, but wages are compressed. This is in both the public and private sectors,” Moyo said.

Last week in response to threats by teachers to strike, Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said:  “There is nothing overwhelming about calls for job action that would be heeded by about 3 000 teachers.  Primary and Secondary Education minister Evelyn Ndlovu said she was committed to address issues pertaining to the welfare of teachers.”

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By A Correspondent- A suspected armed robber, who was last week run over by a car belonging to a would-be victim in Beitbridge, was yesterday arraigned before the courts.

Obey Mhuru of Ruzive village, Chief Chimombe, Gutu, is facing two counts of housebreaking and theft involving an AK47 rifle, R3 500 and US$70.

Mhuru, who was not asked to plead, was remanded to two weeks in custody from his hospital bed at Beitbridge District Hospital by magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba.

He was hit by a car at a house that he had broken into in a bid to commit robbery last Friday.

Allegations are that on September 7, 2021, Mhuru, broke into a cottage at 193 Benne Knot Road in Beitbridge.

He stole a Samsung Galaxy 7 mobile phone, R1 000 and US$70 belonging to Zakaria Manatse and Albert Mtandwa.

Mhuru returned the following day and broke into the main house and stole a collapsible AK47 which had 30 live rounds belonging to Phillip Wutawunashe.

He was arrested on Friday while allegedly attempting to steal at a house along  Hill Close.

Mhuru sustained back and facial injuries after the owner hit him with a car. He was found in possession of an AK47 gun.

Ronald Mugwagwa appeared for the State.

By A Correspondent- Zanu-PF has disowned its member, Sybeth Musengezi, who recently filed a High Court application, challenging President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s legitimacy as leader of the party and country.

Last week, Musengezi approached the Bulawayo High Court seeking the nullification of the November 19, 2017 special session of the Zanu-PF central committee meeting which elected Mnangagwa to replace the late former President Robert Mugabe.

Through his lawyer, Nqobani Sithole, Musengezi cited Zanu-PF as the first respondent and Mnangagwa as the second, while other respondents are party secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, acting political commissar Patrick Chinamasa, former Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko and former Finance minister Ignatius Chombo.

Zanu-PF director of information and publicity Tafadzwa Mugwadi yesterday said Musengezi was not a Zanu-PF member, warning him to “chew what he was capable of swallowing”.

“The official Zanu-PF position on Musengezi is that the character in question is not a member of Zanu-PF,” Mugwadi said.

“As such, the party does not take cognisance of whatever he is up to. However, we are alert to how his actions are aimed at tarnishing the image of the party and the sooner he realises the legal consequences of such actions, the better for him and those behind his actions. He must be advised to chew that which he is capable of swallowing.”

But Musengezi dismissed attempts by Zanu-PF to disown him, saying he has locus standi to sue the ruling party, Mnangagwa and other senior party officials.

In his court application, he said he had been a member of the ruling party for over 20 years, adding that he was a youth league member under Mugabe’s leadership in Harare province, and held party card number 1515786.

He said he renewed his Zanu-PF party membership following the 2017 power transition at Mai Chitepo branch in Muzinda 1 party district in Harare province under card number 0131988.

Musengezi also participated in the Zanu-PF primary elections for Harare North constituency ahead of the 2018 elections and lost to the MDC Alliance’s Allan Markham in the elections.

“Who is Mugwadi to discredit my membership when he doesn’t even have five years in the party?  Although I lost, I was a Zanu-PF primary election candidate for Harare North constituency ahead of the 2018 general elections.”

He told South African broadcaster SABC on Saturday that he was not fighting for the removal of Mnangagwa, but he wanted the party to follow the dictates of its constitution on appointment of its leaders.

He said he received overwhelming support from some Zanu-PF members close to Mnangagwa for filing the application.

Legal expert Alex Magaisa said Musengezi’s application exposed an internal power struggle in Zanu-PF which clearly showed that he had backing from an authority within the party.

“We were not far off at the BSR (Big Saturday Read) when we suggested there are several signs of trouble in the house (of) Mnangagwa.  Musengezi is a smart, articulate and well-prepared chap. He has done his homework. But he is not a lone wolf. He is a well-trained proverbial tortoise, but not even the smartest tortoise can climb to the top of the fence post on its own.

“Someone helps it to get up there. An application like this would have taken several meetings of well-organised people to plan and execute. Other tortoises usually lend their name to an application and remain in the background. They have no voice, even when they are challenging individuals without State power. It’s more than bravery for Musengezi to take up such a public platform as the SABC,” Magaisa said.

By A Corespondent- Supporters of eSwatini Premier League teams Pirates, Wanderers, Swallows and Highlanders have threatened to boycott playing matches against eSwatini security forces football clubs because of violence on civilians. Security forces are reported to be brutalising pro-democracy protestors.

We publish below the joint statement from the supporters:

We as representatives of the supporters of the top four teams in the country, Mbabane Highlanders, Moneni Pirates, Mbabane Swallows and Manzini Wanderers met on this day to discuss the issue of playing against the security forces teams going into the new season.

Mental,/ football is supposed to help improve concentration, boost mood and reduce stress while building good friendship and working together However, these have been dented by the forces’ brutality on unarmed civilians including football supporters of the teams.

it is for this reason that we feel our supporters and players are not mentally fit to engage in sporting activities with teams from the forces. The teams are therefore appealing to the PLE to positively address and put this into consideration and give guidelines to avoid negative consequences that may include tines in the event teams take the decision to boycott games against the forces.

We, therefore, give your office up until Friday to respond on this matter.

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Members of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) yesterday staged online anti-government protests meant to coincide with the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) anti-sanctions solidarity day where they demanded improved working conditions.

They said the protests were targeted at Finance minister Mthuli Ncube, whom they accused of slashing their salaries from US$540 in 2018 to US$100 as he implemented his unpopular fiscal policy measures in 2018.

Their protest yesterday ran under the hashtag #EndSalarySanctions.

In a series of tweets, Artuz said the salaries that teachers were getting were inadequate for their self-sustenance.

“The teacher takes home a salary of ZW$16 308, which is an equivalent of around US$82. The teacher cannot afford 2 100 calories of food per day for each member of a family of five. They earn below the food poverty line. They are malnourished. These are sanctions imposed on us by the government #EndSalarySanctions,” Artuz tweeted.

“This is the reason why we are calling on citizens to help us implore @MthuliNcube to end #EndSalarySanctions.”

They said the only weapon left for them was to down tools in protest as the responsibility to save the education sector was on Ncube’s shoulders.

“Teachers keep on piling pressure on @MthuliNcube to end salary sanctions. The government should not punish civil servants who are working round the clock to keep this nation ticking. The sanctions list is long.”

Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) acting national general-secretary Goodwill Taderera said although teachers affiliated to his union had not unanimously decided to join the online protests, as a union they welcomed every effort and move by different stakeholders to enhance the conditions of service for teachers.

“We support every move and effort that will push the government to pay teachers a reasonable salary. We appreciate Artuz for fighting in their corner and we have no problem with any stakeholders that push for salary enhancement and the well-being of teachers,” Taderera said.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) President Takavafira Zhou said sanctions come in two forms; internal and external.

Zhou said internal sanctions included issues such as underpayment of teachers in particular and of civil servants in general, as well as the high-profile corruption that has become routine and has invited imposition of external sanctions.

“We call upon our Zimbabwean government to pay teachers and the rest of the civil servants as they are the pillars of sustainable development of the nation.  As much as we have not jointly planned anything with any other union in Zimbabwe, we have been in the forefront  in calling for unity in diversity against slave wages for teachers that in some way are a form of internal sanctions.

“What is, however, more deleterious to national development are internal sanctions characterised by cartelism, underpayment of workers and a shocking contrast between richness and poverty,” Zhou said.

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) secretary-general Japhet Moyo said as a union, they had been campaigning against wage theft over the years.

“Any effort by any of our affiliates or workers to demand a living wage is appreciated and supported. Businesses have been making huge profits taking advantage of the parallel market rates, but at the same time refusing to link wages to the same exchange rates. Most goods and services are in US$ or parallel exchange rate, but wages are compressed. This is in both the public and private sectors,” Moyo said.

Last week in response to threats by teachers to strike, Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said:  “There is nothing overwhelming about calls for job action that would be heeded by about 3 000 teachers.  Primary and Secondary Education minister Evelyn Ndlovu said she was committed to address issues pertaining to the welfare of teachers.”

-Newsday

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

By A Correspondent- Opposition MDC Alliance’s deputy chairperson, Job Sikhala has dismissed as rubbish a poster circulating on social media that claims he is the MDC Alliance candidate in the 2023 presidential election.
He says the poster was created by the ruling ZANU PF in connivance with the central intelligence organisation (CIO) to create confusion and hatred in the opposition party.

The CIO has created a poster circulating on social media of the MDC-Alliance deputy chairman, Job Sikhala, portraying him as the party’s 2023 presidential candidate.

Said Sikhala:

“It is not all the rubbish & nonsense I respond to, but I can not allow this scandalous scam by the CIO & the ZANU PF intelligence 2 destabilize our party & its unity. They are circulating this nonsense to cause hatred. Our President is Adv Nelson Chamisa,” Said Sikhala on his twittrt account.

By A Correspondent- Members of the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) are said to be trying to divide the opposition MDC-Alliance ahead of the 2023 elections.

The CIO has created a poster circulating on social media of the MDC-Alliance deputy chairman, Job Sikhala, portraying him the party’s 2023 presidential candidate.

Sikhala has since dismissed the poster:

“It is not all the rubbish & nonsense I respond to, but I can not allow this scandalous scam by the CIO & the ZANU PF intelligence 2 destabilize our party & its unity. They are circulating this nonsense to cause hatred. Our President is Adv Nelson Chamisa,” Said Sikhala on his twittrt account.

By A correspondent- Police in Harare’s in Budiriro high-density suburb is looking for an alleged rapist named Madzibaba Tanya.

Madzibaba is wanted in connection with an alleged case of rape where he is said to have sexually abused a 33-year-old woman twice at his shrine.

The incident is said to have happened in September after the victim visited him seeking help for her sick son.

Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza yesterday warned women against being trapped by “perverts bent on sexual gratification” at religious shrines.

“Sex predators are a menace to society. The public, especially women, should not be deceived into believing in such religious pronouncements by perverts whose acts are simply bent on sexual gratification. People should always be alert and report such people to the police,” Mwanza told NewsDay.

“We are on the hunt for the alleged rapist and anyone with information on his whereabouts should report to any nearest police station.”

It is alleged that on September 20, the complainant, from Budiriro 1, went to the accused person’s shrine seeking assistance for her son.

Madzibaba Tanya reportedly told the complainant that she had spiritual husbands and ordered her to have sexual intercourse with a man in the bush for three consecutive days and then bring semen for cleansing.

“The complainant told the accused person that she had no one to have sexual intercourse with and the accused volunteered to be the man,” Mwanza said.

After two encounters, she did not return for the third time after figuring out that she was being raped.

She reported the matter to the police.

-NewsDay

By A Correspondent- Former vice President Kembo Mohadi’s son has ignored fixing cars he negligently hit in a road accident that happened in 2019.

A Bulawayo resident Sibukekile Moyo has filed a police complaint against Mohadi’s son, Kgosidintsi, over the issue.

The accident reportedly happened on August 24, 2019, in Bulawayo and Mohadi, of Glen Lorne in Harare, paid a fine for driving without due care and attention.

Moyo told NewsDay that after the accident, Mohadi undertook to pay for the repairs to her car, as well as three other cars that were damaged as a result of his conduct. She said:

He had promised to fix my car, but he later kept quiet until I fixed my car using my own money. When I called him and told him I had fixed my car, he said I should keep the receipts and he would reimburse me. But until today, there is nothing and he has now blocked my numbers.

Moyo said Kgosidintsi owed her US$800 for the repairs, and that the former Vice-President had asked her to give him the quotations, but nothing materialised from him too.

She alleged that Kgosidintsi later claimed that he was a student, while his father was a civil servant and so they could not afford to pay that kind of amount.

Moyo added that Kgosidintsi blocked her number when she kept calling him.

More: NewsDay

By A Correspondent- The National Constitution Assembly, NCA Party sanctions were giving the Zanu PF government a political advantage to stay in power.

Below is a complete statement by NCA issued by the party’s spokesperson Madock Chivasa:

▪️The NCA party join hands with all progressive forces in calling for the unconditional removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe.

▪️The sanctions are affecting us as Zimbabwe socially, politicaly and economically.

▪️As NCA party, an opposition in Zimbabwe, we believe that Zanu pf is using sanctions to justify its incompetence and hold to political power.

▪️The sanctions are not serving the purpose that they were imposed on Zimbabwe.

▪️As opposition in Zimbabwe we believe that removing Zanu pf must not be a foreign agenda but should also be purely a Zimbabwean agenda.

▪️Zimbabweans will eventually remove Zanu pf on their own terms and there is no need for any foreign intervention to achieve this noble definite cause.

▪️We encourage any other mechanism to deal with the problems affecting Zimbabwe and sanctions are not part of such a solution.

▪️As NCA Party we encourage all Zimbabweans to speak with one voice in denouncing the sanctions as well as calling for their unconditional removal.

Issued By,
Madock Chivasa
NCA Party National Spokesperson
Phone +263 772 904 492 +263 775 614 471
Email [email protected]
Facebook Page National Constitutional Assembly/NCA Party Information & Publicity

By A Correspondent| A Chitungwiza man was left in tears after an Apostolic Faith Mission Church in Zimbabwe (AFM) caretaker snatched his wife.

Eddison Sangana (37), who resides at house number 4229, Unit D, Chitungwiza, says his wife Maybe Muchineuta (35) is now staying with madala Martin Shereni (62) who works as a caretaker at AFM Maranatha in Unit D.

However, Sangana says if his wife returns to him from the madala, “ndinongomuda zvakadaro”.

Tinashe Sambiri|Emmerson Mnangagwa has become a political liability and cannot stretch his mandate beyond two terms, hard-hitting MDC Alliance vice chairperson Hon Job Sikhala has said.

Hon Sikhala scoffed at attempts by the Zanu PF youth league to extend Mnangagwa’s disputed mandate.

“More than two terms dzekudiiko nhai Mnangagwa. You are 80 years. You want to fight God and nature.

Munotozviona muchisvitsa 90 dzaMugabe here?
Inga. Good luck.”

Hon Sikhala also blasted Kudzanai Chipanga for describing Mnangagwa as an invincible political figure.

“Kwayi na Kudzanai Chipanga Mnangagwa hamumugoni nokuti iye navamwe vaati vari Joni uko vakambomuzama vakamukoniwa.

Gegegegege usativhuna mbabvu nekuseka. Ndimi henyuzve makamukoniwa

Isu navana ve Zimbabwe tichamubvisa uye hatimbomukoniwi.
Anoenda chete kwete zvako izvo.”

Tinashe Sambiri|Many people are asking questions about the sincerity of one Sybeth Musengezi, a Zanu PF member who has dragged Emmerson Mnangagwa to court for seizing power.

Musengezi has approached the High Court seeking nullification of the Central Committee resolutions that endorsed Mnangagwa’s ascendancy.

Below Musengezi roasts Mnangagwa on SABC…

Tinashe Sambiri| President Nelson Chamisa has described the late Movement for Democratic Change founding member, Learnmore Judah Jongwe as an icon of the people struggle.

Writing on Twitter, President Chamisa pointed out that the people of Zimbabwe have suffered for too long under Zanu PF misrule…

“THE EXODUS MOMENT..People are thirsty for change and a prosperous country.We’re suffering too much. It has not been easy.Those benefiting from this oppressive system will fight us. But enough is enough! We must win & deliver Zimbabwe for change. A New Great Zimbabwe is loading,” wrote President Chamisa.

He added:
LEARNMORE JUDAH JONGWE
28/04/1974- 24/10/2002
Honouring and Celebrating a Brother, Friend, Comrade and Leader.

We will never ever forget! Struggle is the language of the oppressed.We’re the voice of the voiceless.The struggle continues.We fight for freedom,peace &real change!

By A Correspondent- African Apostolic Church (AAC) founder Bishop Paul Mwazha celebrated his 103rd birthday on Saturday in Waterfalls at a well-attended gathering.

Over 16 000 congregants of AAC, popularly known as VaApositori vekwaMwazha, mainly from Harare and Chitungwiza converged in Waterfalls for what they call Gumhano, a monthly church service gathering and took the opportunity to celebrate their leader’s birthday.

Born on October 25, 1918, Mwazha is believed to have started preaching at the age of 16.

In an interview on the sidelines of the celebrations, Alfred Kushamisa Mwazha, the son of Bishop Paul, who is one of the church Bishops, said the huge gathering showed that everything they are doing as a church is in the right direction.

“We have gathered here for prayers, thanking the Almighty for taking care of our father Paul Mwazha. He is now 103 years old and we are happy as a church and family for that, hence the huge gathering you are witnessing here.

“This gathering is a testament that the servant of God, Paul Mwazha, was given a gift by God. A gift to win peoples’ hearts through teaching and preaching His word to them.

“My father started preaching at the age of 16 and now he is 103 years old, you can imagine all the years he has been doing God’s work. More than 80 years, he has dedicated to God’s work.”

Bishop Alfred added that the entire family and church were happy with the protection that their founder was getting from God. Bishop Elson Tafa, who is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the church, said they were humbled by the huge turn-out for the celebrations.

“Gathered here is also the Priesthood Council who are the three sons of Paul Mwazha weAfrica. They are Bishops Edward Ngoni Mwazha, Alfred Kushamisa Mwazha and James Mwazha. This Council is the one which represents Paul Mwazha as you know that he has advanced in age and walking is now difficult so in his absence, his three sons are here in his place.

“So this gathering has Paul Mwazha’s blessings through the Priesthood Council. Whatever we do is approved by this Council.”

Bishop Tafa said as they celebrated Bishop Mwazha’s birthday, they also prayed for the nation, President Mnangagwa and his administration.

He said the church was also praying for Zimbabwe’s economic prosperity.
-State media

By A Correspondent-The Minister of Health and Child Care, Vice President Costantino Chiwenga, says the government should introduce taxes on beer and cigarettes to raise money for medical services.

Chiwenga who was speaking during a pre-budget seminar for parliamentarians in Victoria Falls where he was the guest of honour said this will help avoid overtaxing every citizen. He said:

The ministry is proposing that a certain percentage of the ZINARA funds be ring-fenced to finance health services such as purchasing of ambulances required in cases of road traffic accidents and the treatment of victims of accidents requiring hospitalisation.

It is also proposed that a certain number of cigarettes be reserved for financing health, for example, for every five packets sold one goes to the national health services. With regards to alcohol, a certain number of bottles should contribute to financing healthcare services.

Chiwenga said the taxes shall be collected from the source, where manufacturers will be asked to furnish the government with details of quantities made since it is impossible to collect the “two per cent tax from non-users of these things.” He added:

So let’s have a cent from alcohol, cigarettes and ZINARA fees, to fund national health services.

He challenged Finance and Economic Development minister Mthuli Ncube to honour the Abuja Declaration where African states agreed to commit at least 15 per cent of the national budget for health services.

The ministry was allocated 13 per cent in the 2021 budget.

Chiwenga made the proposal in response to parliamentarians who had proposed that the treasury should introduce a 1.5 per cent cancer levy across all sectors of the economy to fund cancer-related medical needs.

His proposal comes when members of the public have complained over many taxes that are leaving their pockets dry.

Some criticise the government for failing to curb tax evasion by big companies and too many tax exemptions.

More: NewZimbabwe

By A Correspondent

By A Correspondent- Former vice President Kembo Mohadi’s son has ignored fixing cars he negligently hit in 2019.

A Bulawayo resident Sibukekile Moyo has filed a police complaint against Mohadi’s son, Kgosidintsi, over the issue.

The accident reportedly happened on August 24, 2019, in Bulawayo and Mohadi, of Glen Lorne in Harare, paid a fine for driving without due care and attention.

Moyo told NewsDay that after the accident, Mohadi undertook to pay for the repairs to her car, as well as three other cars that were damaged as a result of his conduct. She said:

He had promised to fix my car, but he later kept quiet until I fixed my car using my own money. When I called him and told him I had fixed my car, he said I should keep the receipts and he would reimburse me. But until today, there is nothing and he has now blocked my numbers.

Moyo said Kgosidintsi owed her US$800 for the repairs, and that the former Vice-President had asked her to give him the quotations, but nothing materialised from him too.

She alleged that Kgosidintsi later claimed that he was a student, while his father was a civil servant and so they could not afford to pay that kind of amount.

Moyo added that Kgosidintsi blocked her number when she kept calling him.

More: NewsDay

By A Correspondent- The National Constitution Assembly, NCA Party sanctions were giving the Zanu PF government a political advantage to stay in power.

Below is a complete statement by NCA issued by the party’s spokesperson Madock Chivasa:

▪️The NCA party join hands with all progressive forces in calling for the unconditional removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe.

▪️The sanctions are affecting us as Zimbabwe socially, politicaly and economically.

▪️As NCA party, an opposition in Zimbabwe, we believe that Zanu pf is using sanctions to justify its incompetence and hold to political power.

▪️The sanctions are not serving the purpose that they were imposed on Zimbabwe.

▪️As opposition in Zimbabwe we believe that removing Zanu pf must not be a foreign agenda but should also be purely a Zimbabwean agenda.

▪️Zimbabweans will eventually remove Zanu pf on their own terms and there is no need for any foreign intervention to achieve this noble definite cause.

▪️We encourage any other mechanism to deal with the problems affecting Zimbabwe and sanctions are not part of such a solution.

▪️As NCA Party we encourage all Zimbabweans to speak with one voice in denouncing the sanctions as well as calling for their unconditional removal.

Issued By,
Madock Chivasa
NCA Party National Spokesperson
Phone +263 772 904 492 +263 775 614 471
Email [email protected]
Facebook Page National Constitutional Assembly/NCA Party Information & Publicity

By A Correspondent- Ousted Ntabazinduna chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni last week led a demonstration against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s invitation to the Climate Change Conference (COP26).

COP26 will be held next month on November 23 and 24 in Glasgow, Scotland, and Mnangagwa has been invited to attend.

But last Thursday, Ndiweni led a group of demonstrators at the Zimbabwean embassy in the UK and later handed over a petition to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Ndiweni told the protesters that climate change issues in Zimbabwe could only be dealt with effectively by a government that respects the rule of law, “a government underpinned by democracy.”
He added the ruling ZANU PF was not democratic. He said:
The meeting requires honesty and some form of legitimacy, but currently, in Zimbabwe, we do not have that. So we are raising our voice in a democratic country here in England to say that the presence of the so-called President of Zimbabwe is not acceptable among the brotherhood and sisterhood of nations. He (Mnangagwa) cannot sit at the table among other such nations. So we are raising our voices to say we reject him.

Last month, Mnangagwa met the British ambassador to Zimbabwe Melanie Robinson in Harare in preparation for the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 26).
The Zimbabwean government viewed the invitation as a step towards re-engagement with the international community.
Ndiweni who Mnangagwa’s government dethroned as a chief is now based in the UK.

-NewsDay

By A Correspondent- Rusty Labuschagne, a South African businessman who spent ten years in Zimbabwean prisons after being convicted of murder, denied committing, wrote a book narrating his ordeal.

He said he does not have any anger despite being “wrongfully” convicted.

The 60-year-old Labuschagne, a successful businessman, who ran a safari outfit, was accused of drowning a poacher near his fish resort in Zimbabwe in late December 2000.

He was sentenced to 15 years in a Zimbabwe jail and was moved around to various prisons in the country.

He spent hundreds of thousands of rand trying to prove his innocence and fighting the system.

Eventually, after 10 years, Labuschagne was released from prison. He said he went on a fishing trip with his friends, including Spike Claasen, on Lake Kariba in December 2000. He narrated:

On our way back, we spotted two fish poachers in a steel boat, who immediately, upon seeing us, started paddling hastily for the shore in an effort to get away from us.

Knowing that they were notorious poachers, I drove my boat towards them to scare them off, and the wake of my boat tilted theirs, causing them to jump out into the water, which was about 1.5m deep.

They were about three metres from the shore and soon scrambled to dry land.

Spike and I then watched as they ran away into the bush, and thought nothing more of it.

The following day the police arrived and accused them of drowning one of those poachers. He said one of the poacher, the police, and the courts, framed him adding that this was a “politically influenced conspiracy.”

He was sentenced to 15 years five of which were suspended as remission. His friend, Spike, only got a US$10 fine and was set free because he was not driving the boat.

Labuschagne has written about his experience in his new book, Beating Chains, an inspiring story of hope and resilience.

Labuschagne, who now resides in Cape Town with his wife Sandra, and does motivational talks for corporates, private functions, and churches, says his book was written for people who are overcoming hardships and to have the injustice recorded.

He spent time in various prisons in Zimbabwe such as Khami Maximum Security Prison, Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, Harare Central, and also Connemara Farm Prison.

He says finding happiness in even the smallest of things in prison kept his mind healthy.

While Labuschagne is happy to be free and now lives a wonderful life with his wife, Sandra, he says he is still scarred.

Labuschagne adds that he also visited the president of Zimbabwe in 2018 for a presidential pardon and President Emmerson Mnangagwa instructed the minister of justice to find a legal way of pardoning him.

However, the feedback he got after a year was that people were upset because he had gone directly to Mnangagwa.

More: The Saturday Star

By A Correspondent- A human rights lawyer representing the persecuted MDC-Alliance youth leader Makomborero Haruzivishe, has complained about the persecution of his client by the state.

Obey Shava, a Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights member, said his client must be released.

Shava tweeted Monday:

“Arrested in February 2020, the state said it had overwhelming evidence against him.1yr 8 months down the line, the state doesn’t want the trial, doesn’t want him released.The prosecutor doesn’t show up in court on the trial date.We all know what is happening & the forces behind it”.