By A Correspondent- The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries Water and Rural Resettlement and Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) will tommorrow 26 October 2021 hand over 250 x Tablets, 22 x Laptops and 70 x Desktops to support the operationalisation of the Agricultural Information Management System (AIMS).
In addition, 1 Server will be also handed over to Ministry of Local Government Public Works and National Housing to host the Sendai Monitoring System for Zimbabwe.
Said the United Nations Zimbabwe in a communique to the media:
“The generation of data improves both agriculture productivity and profitability. The benefits include knowledge and access to appropriate inputs, extension advice, weather warnings and market prices.
The advancement in Information, Communication Technology (ICT) enables the monitoring and prediction of trends which in turn allows communities to plan for risks and disasters, thus increasing their resilience in the wake of the climate crisis.
The handover ceremony will be addressed by Dr John Basera who is the Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries Water and Rural Resettlement and Madelena Monoja, the Acting Resident Representative – United Nations Development Fund (UNDP).”
About Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund
The Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund is a long-term development initiative funded by the European Union (EU), Government of Sweden, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with an overall objective of contributing to increased capacity of communities to protect development gains in the face of recurrent shocks and stresses enabling them to contribute to the economic development of Zimbabwe.
By A Correspondent- Pressure is mounting on Finance minister Mthuli Ncube to dollarise the economy after members of the public told Parliamentarians that it was the only way to tackle price and exchange rate instability that were inflaming inflationary pressures on the economy.
A report by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget and Finance issued yesterday in Victoria Falls at the 2022 pre-budget seminar showed that Zimbabweans wanted government to adopt the United States dollar as goods and services in the country were mainly being sold in that currency.
MPs raised concern over galloping inflation, which they said was rendering earnings for public workers worthless.
However, Ncube on Saturday rejected the proposal saying the country would not adopt the United States dollar as its sole currency due to risk of incurring large foreign currency deficits.
“We cannot adopt the United States dollar alone as the official currency, you were there before and there were long queues at the banks, huge foreign currency deficits and you had deflation. That was because of the US dollar. It is not a good idea and it will be suicidal to do so. What has happened is after we introduced the local currency, the industry is picking. It’s about stabilising the currency. We are reforming the country, running the country under a basically dual currency regime and of course other smaller currencies,” he said.
During public hearings on the 2022 budget, Zimbabweans suggested that Ncube announces a US dollar budget.
“Members of the public suggested that the government should denominate the 2022 National Budget in United States dollars,” the Budget and Finance committee report read.
“They expressed concern that the parallel market rate is going up at unprecedented rates, affecting the pricing of goods and services. They proposed that government should consider reverting to the multi-currency system, since most service providers prefer trading in forex. They expressed concern that the current tax system is complex and not user friendly for new entrants making it difficult to collect more revenue.”
MPs also said Zimbabweans expressed scepticism over the government-controlled foreign currency auction, which they asserted was failing to meet demand from the market and resultantly pushing up the parallel market rate.
Economist Gift Mugano, who also addressed MPs at the pre-budget seminar, warned that the auction system was “holding on a thin thread” and that its collapse was imminent.
“Although the auction system at its inception managed to foster economic stability, in recent months, it has faced several threats and risks mainly coming on the back of exchange rate disparities, that is approximately $93 to US$1 versus $180 to US$1 (on the parallel market).
“Massive price hikes in commodities like cotton, wheat and maize caused serious threat on money supply resurgence which has prompted RBZ [Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe] to institute measures aimed at cleaning out bad money,” Mugano said.
“The other drivers of black market rate spiral are the ongoing construction projects and the self-fulfilling prophecy – exchange depreciation causes further depreciation as market watchers throng the black market to preserve their currency.”
Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda said Ncube should ensure that the 2022 National Budget was “people-centred”.
Mudenda bemoaned the widening gap between the official auction foreign currency rate and the galloping parallel market rate, which he said was resulting in price instability.
“You may recall that one of the key outcomes from the presentations at the pre-budget briefing seminar was the worrisome disparity between the auction exchange rate premium and the odious parallel market rate, which is now hovering around $200 per one unit of the United States dollar as compared to the forex auction rate of $90 per unit of the United States dollar,” he said.
“If this conundrum is not addressed, it will derail the National Development Strategy 1 objective of stabilising the inflation rate and fail to contain it within the Sadc macroeconomic convergence of between 3% and 7%.”
MPs recommended that Ncube strengthens the local currency by prioritising funding of key sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture, as well as beneficiation of the mineral resources.-newsday
By A Correspondent- Chief executives of banks came under pressure at the weekend to act on concerns that financial institutions were fleecing consumers through punitive fees and commission charges on their accounts, while giving little or no interests on deposits.
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya, who made a presentation to legislators during a pre-budget consultation seminar on Saturday, indicated that he would be pursuing moral suasion in his efforts to nudge banks into playing a fair game.
But he indicated that spin-offs of doing the right thing would be multi-pronged, with banks likely to see an influx of foreign currency-indexed deposits flowing into their coffers, while confidence in the Zimbabwe dollar as a store of value would be boosted.
Mangudya, who spoke a day after Finance ministry permanent secretary George Guvamatanga on Friday said government had lined up confidence-building measures to calm the jittery market, has been among a few officials that have slammed banks for pursuing a cautious lending strategy, which has seen them hold up to US$1,7 billion in dormant liquidity while companies struggle.
Non-performing loans were estimated at less than 1% in August, but market watchers said there was nothing to celebrate about as very little was being channelled to fund economic activity.
“(The RBZ will) encourage banks to set appropriate interest rate margins for savings and time deposits to improve the appeal of the Zimbabwean dollar as a value preservative currency and continue to encourage banks to streamline bank charges to stimulate foreign currency deposits by the banking public,” Mangudya said.
“(The RBZ will) take appropriate measures to ensure that foreign currency allotments are settled timeously, pursue a strict monetary targeting framework to ensure that money supply does not destabilise the exchange rate, truant behaviour in the economy is minimised, support domestic savings in local currency through instruments that compensate local currency depositors for potential exchange rate depreciation,” the central bank chief noted.
Perhaps this could be the solution to a depositor flight that has shaken the markets since a deadly financial crisis rattled Zimbabwe between 2003 and 2008.
But depositors have for now preferred to keep their funds at home, instead of trusting a system they accuse of letting them down only a decade ago.
The result has been catastrophic, with US$500 million said to be circulating outside banks.
Giving a keynote address during Friday’s 22nd edition of the Banks and Banking Survey, which was held virtually, Guvamatanga said the process to rebuild confidence commenced with moves to introduce payment of interest on electronics balances.
Zimbabwe’s banking sector has paid the price of waning market confidence since the 2004/2005 financial crisis when operators collapsed under the weight of a corporate governance rot and financial mismanagement that triggered a depositor flight.
But Mangudya has significantly stabilised the sector since coming into office in 2013.
In August, the RBZ chief also encouraged banks to pay interest on deposits, after negotiations with the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe.
Finance minister Mthuli Ncube also presented a paper at the seminar.
Residents Associations from across the country met in Gweru from 4-5 October 2021 to deliberate ways through which they can strengthen citizen agency in terms of participation on electoral and local governance issues
The meeting noted with concern the continued shrinking of the democratic space in Zimbabwe
The meeting acknowledged the need to create a coalition of Residents Associations whose tasks will include voter mobilization and civic education as well as to push for electoral reforms (around local governance issues). The coalition will include different stakeholders including the private sector
The meeting noted the need to engage government with regards the implementation of the devolution and decentralization policy with a view of ensuring that concerns/inputs from Residents Associations are taken on board
The meeting noted the importance of voter education as a way of capacitating citizens to demand accountability from duty bearers. The voter education campaign will target youths, women and people living with disabilities as well as first time voters ahead of the 2023 elections
The meeting acknowledged the need to strengthen the organizational capacity of Residents Associations in responding to local governance and electoral issues
The meeting also acknowledged the need to push for a diaspora vote in the upcoming 2023 elections
Thematic areas identified during the meeting are listed below;
Electoral reforms linked to issues of local governance
Voter registration including easy access to national documentation
Role of citizens in the recall process of elected councilors
Legitimization of the diaspora vote
Role of traditional leaders in local governance issues
Restoration of Executive Mayors
Citizen participation in resource allocation and management in line with principles of devolution
Land allocations, management and housing
Roads and infrastructure development
Waste Management
Primary Health Care
50/50 representation of women in local governance
Education
Done on October 5 2021
Present;
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association
Combined Harare Residents Association
Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association
Chitungwiza and Manyame Rural Residents Association
Combined Mvurwi Residents and Ratepayers Association
Epworth Residents Development Association
Local Governance Trust
Marondera Residents Open Forum
Marondera Residents Association
Marondera Progressive Residents and Ratepayers Association
Masvingo Residents Forum
Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance
Ruwa Residents and Ratepayers Association Trust
Simukai Residents Association
United Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association
United Mutare Residents and Ratepayers Trust
Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association
Wedza Rural Development Initiative Trust
Zvishavane Urban Residents and Ratepayers Association Trust
By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance legislator for Chitungwiza South, Mr Maxwell Mavhunga was reportedly assaulted by suspected ZANU PF supporters over Ngaapinde Hake Mukomana slogan.
The slogan which means “Let The Youngman In” is being used by the opposition party to rally the citizenry to vote for MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa in the 2023 elections.
MDC Alliance’s co-vice chairperson, Job Sikhala, on Sunday announced the assault on Mavhunga saying the incident happened in Victoria Falls. Said Sikhala:
Breaking News: Our MP for Chitungwiza South Maxwell Mavhunga has been badly beaten in Victoria Falls by suspected ZANU PF supporters after he shouted Ngaapinde Hake Mukomana. He says he was taken from the shores of Zambezi River & dragged into a room where he was badly attacked.
This comes when Chamisa last week reportedly escaped an assassination attempt in Manicaland where he was touring the province.
By A Correspondent- A Bulawayo resident Sibukekile Moyo has filed a police complaint against former Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s son, Kgosidintsi, over a 2019 accident.
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.-newsday
The mathematics teacher who was ordered to perform 630 hours of community service for brutally assaulting one of his students in full view of other learners at a Harare college, was on Friday back in court.
Talent Chingwaru was at the Harare Magistrates Court asking to be transferred from Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals where he was performing the unpaid work, saying he had changed his place of residence.
The 29-year-old told Harare magistrate Mrs Judith Taruvinga that he was no longer staying in Mt Pleasant and was now in Epworth, and requested to be transferred to any nearest Government institution in Epworth.
He told the court that it would be difficult for him to travel from Epworth to Parirenyatwa every day to perform the community service.
Mrs Taruvinga granted his application and ordered him to complete his punishment at Epworth Police Station.
Chingwaru, who claims to be a Wits University trained engineer, was initially jailed for 36 months before 18 months were set aside for five years on condition of good behaviour.
The remaining 18 months were suspended on condition that he performs 630 hours of community service at Parirenyatwa.
In sentencing Chingwaru, who was filmed assaulting the student at Einstein Tuition Centre, Mrs Taruvinga said although he should be given another chance to reform, he should control his anger.
“It is fortunate that the complaint did not suffer any permanent injuries,” she said.
“You could have lost your job and potential employers might not want to accept you because of publicity that was involved.
“Accused, you need to be given another chance to reform and you need to control your anger.”
Mrs Taruvinga said she noted that corporal punishment had been outlawed in 2014 after the upper courts noted it was inhumane.
Discontent is simmering in the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) over the criteria being used to promote officers across the board which some say is prone to abuse, NewsDay can exclusively reveal.
Since Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga took over from Augustine Chihuri in 2018, the police force has been promoting officers based on their alleged good behaviour and sound work ethic.
But most police officers are clamouring for the force to revert to the old system where they wrote examinations before going for board interviews.
“Of course, this criteria had its fair share of flaws, but it is far better than the current one as officers are just hand-picked without proving that they are worth it,” said one officer based at Harare Central Police Station, who spoke on conditions of anonymity.
“I am a constable, who was attested into the ZRP in 2014, and after finishing my course at Morris Depot in Harare, I was enormously optimistic that I would one day attain a higher rank. But that is proving to be a forlorn hope. For one to be promoted now, it means they have to be related to the powers-that-be or, worse still, lick the superiors’ boots.”
A sergeant based at Police General Headquarters said as long as the promotions were based on the alleged good behaviour, they would remain a farce, riddled in corruption.
“This runs counter to the belief that the police force is supposed to be the paragon of virtue,” the sergeant said.
Another police officer said although Chihuri allegedly promoted his cronies, his promotion criteria remained largely fair.
Since his promotion to Commissioner-General, Matanga has promoted officers twice, in 2019 and 2020. Promotions for 2021 are imminent.
Police officers are also against the decision that those who attain new qualifications such as law, nursing, teaching are not promoted automatically.
In the past, police officers who acquired qualifications such as nursing or teaching were automatically promoted from the rank of constable to assistant inspector, while those who would have graduated with a Bachelor of Law (Honours) degree were promoted to the rank of chief superintendent.
A recent law graduate, who is in the police force, said it was futile for him to remain a sergeant in the police service. He has since tendered his resignation.
“I am leaving the police for greener pastures, pure and simple,” he said.
Some officers claimed that the ZRP had no money to run examinations, hence the decision to use “alleged good behaviour” as the promotion criterion.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the current promotion system was adopted after consultations with commanders.
He said those force members that were not happy with the criteria should approach Matanga through “appropriate” channels.
“It is not correct that if one is in a good relationship with someone, he will be promoted. Promotion is done on merit,” Nyathi said. He added that it was not automatic that those who attain higher qualifications would be immediately promoted.
“Higher qualifications should assist one to perform well on his job and rewards will come along the way,” Nyathi said.
By A Correspondent- Police in Budiriro, Harare, are on a manhunt for an alleged rapist known as Madzibaba Tanya, who sexually abused a 33-year-old woman twice at his shrine in September after she 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. Mwanza told NewsDay:
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.
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.
Mwanza said the complainant told the Madzibaba Tanya that she had no one to have sexual intercourse with and the accused volunteered to be the man.
After two encounters, she did not return for the third time after figuring out that she was being raped.
A weeping Plumtree mother narrates how her son was tortured until he began urinating blood.
Greetings to you all, I am Shepard’s mother.
I am here to narrate how my son Shepard died.
Shepard was in bed the whole morning until Trust came and asked to wake him up so they go and fix a car radio. The car belonged to Prince. Trust had been asked by Prince to fix the car radio.
Punso is the one who stole the car radio from Vitalis’ house, this is the same radio which was sold to Prince.
Prince then asked Trust to help him fix the radio, Prince then approached Trust to help him with the task.
They fixed the car radio together while Shepard was having a beer or two.
On Monday Shepard woke up and went to work, there he mentioned Ngwanyana’s car at the Council and they asked for Shepard, that’s how he was taken into the police station. The CID swore that he was going to tell the truth of what transpired with the radio and the tool box of which he denied any knowledge of. Shepard mentioned that what he knows is that Trust brought a car radio which he fixed in my yard on Prince’s car.
Then they started torturing him, beating him up and electrocuting him (Shepard). They whipped him underneath his feet, while he was chained in irons.
This caused so much pain to him until he relented and couldn’t take it anymore. Then they took a bench and laid him on top; they started jumping and stomping on him until his back was damaged.
Shepard was injured in his head, spinal cord, and his head suffered internal bleeding. He had a severe headache which made it difficult for him to lift up his head. Shepard stated that when he is walking, he feels too much pain from the beatings.
He was taken to court after 4 days being in remand prison. There was no transport to court however Chicco gave them a lift to the court house. At the courts it was asked what happened since Shepard could not manage to stand up on his own. Shepard announced that he was assaulted by the CIDs, Chicco, Ngwanyana, an unnamed lady and a man.
Shepard reiterated that he knows Chicco and Ngwanyana well. Shepard mentioned that Chicco drives a green car and Ngwanyana drives a white one.
They were taken back into remand and called for another court hearing session where he asked for bail to attend hospital treatment as he could not handle the pain anymore.
He was granted bail and left for his home. He was struggling to walk.
Puntso who is alleged he is the one who took the radio stated he told police officers not to beat them up as he is the one who stole the radio.
Pintso said that he went to Vitalis’ house and found the owner playing on his phone indoors, Pintso then proceeded to steal the radio. The owner turned on the lights and Pintso ran away leaving the boot of the car open. Pintso stated that he did all that these guys accused are innocent of
Despite this they assaulted Shepard nearly killing him. I took Shepard to the hospital. The police came to take a statement from him. Shepard mentioned that he was taken from work and tortured by the CIDs and he reiterated that he will not stop saying that he was beat up by Chicco and Ngwanyana.
He went downhill after the statement was taken by the police, Mangena came in and he only greeted Madam Mangena and didn’t want to engage with other guys.
Shepard was in serious pain and did not manage to talk afterwards. He began urinating blood.
Shepard was taken to Mpilo however when he returned, he was in a critical condition unable to talk or turn himself. At the hospital he was given drip medication which I bought for him at a cost of $280, including some urinating tunes.
He could no longer urinate, and he was now using a catheter tube.
I then suddenly got a call around 5am that Shepard has passed away. I went up to the hospital to confirm and found out that indeed he is no more. The hospital staff mentioned he was struggling to breathe three days from non eating; he was weak. Shepard had been breathing through oxygen aids.
When the top officers at the camp heard about Shepard’s passing away, they said they will come over to apologise about what happened; they want good working relations to avoid squabbles.
The post-mortem will be done in a few days so that we establish what happened.
At the moment I am struggling to feed people who have come to the funeral wake as I have no support. I am currently not working and my husband is redundant. He is nursing his health at the moment. He was being looked after financially by Shepard.
I am in deep pain and in need of support in this matter. The perpetrators are still out there at large. I am appealing for help on how to get justice for my deceased son.h That’s all I know what transpired.
⚠️ Confirmed: Internet disrupted in #Sudan amid reports of military coup and detention of Prime Minister; real-time network data show national connectivity at 34% of ordinary levels; incident ongoing ?
Amnesty International will close its two offices in Hong Kong by the end of the year, the organization announced today.
The local ‘section’ office will cease operations on 31 October while the regional office – which is part of Amnesty’s global International Secretariat – is due to close by the end of 2021. Regional operations will be moved to the organization’s other offices in the Asia-Pacific.
“This decision, made with a heavy heart, has been driven by Hong Kong’s national security law, which has made it effectively impossible for human rights organizations in Hong Kong to work freely and without fear of serious reprisals from the government,” said Anjhula Mya Singh Bais, chair of Amnesty’s International Board.
“Hong Kong has long been an ideal regional base for international civil society organizations, but the recent targeting of local human rights and trade union groups signals an intensification of the authorities’ campaign to rid the city of all dissenting voices. It is increasingly difficult for us to keep operating in such an unstable environment.”
There are two Amnesty International offices based in Hong Kong: a local membership section focused on human rights education in the city; and a regional office which carries out research, advocacy and campaigning work on East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific. All of the regional office’s work will continue from new locations.
“We are deeply indebted to Amnesty members and staff who over the last 40 years have worked tirelessly to protect human rights in and from Hong Kong. From successfully pushing for the full abolition of the death penalty in Hong Kong in 1993, to exposing evidence of excessive use of force by police during the 2019 mass protests, Amnesty in Hong Kong has shone a light on human rights violations in the darkest of days,” said Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
“In the wider region, our research and campaigning has tackled subjects including freedom of expression in North Korea, conscientious objection to military service in South Korea, the right to housing in Mongolia, Japan’s wartime atrocities against “comfort women”, and the crackdown on human rights lawyers in China.
“Moreover, Amnesty International Hong Kong’s education programmes – from classroom talks to a documentary film festival – have enhanced awareness of human rights not only in the city’s schools but among the general public as well. No one and no power can demolish that legacy.”
The national security law, imposed by the Chinese central government, was enacted on 30 June 2020. It targets alleged acts of “secession”, “subversion of state power”, “terrorist activities” and “collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security”.
Its sweeping and vaguely worded definition of “national security”, which follows that of the Beijing authorities, has been used arbitrarily as a pretext to restrict the human rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, as well as to repress dissent and political opposition.
Amnesty documented the rapid deterioration of human rights in Hong Kong one year after the enactment of the national security law in a June 2021 briefing.
“The environment of repression and perpetual uncertainty created by the national security law makes it impossible to know what activities might lead to criminal sanctions. The law has repeatedly been used to target people who have upset the authorities for any number of reasons – from singing political songs to discussing human rights issues in the classroom,” said Anjhula Mya Singh Bais.
“The pattern of raids, arrests and prosecutions against perceived opponents has highlighted how the vagueness of the law can be manipulated to build a case against whomsoever the authorities choose.”
A government crackdown targeting activists, opposition politicians and independent media has recently expanded to include civil society organizations. At least 35 groups have disbanded since the law was enacted, including some of the city’s largest unions and activist groups.
“There are difficult days ahead for human rights in Hong Kong, but Amnesty International will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong. We will fight for their rights to be respected and we will be vigilant in our scrutiny of those who abuse them,” said Agnes Callamard.
“While leaving the city that we have called home for decades is devastating, we do so proud of our achievements over that time, and confident that the strength of Amnesty’s 10 million-plus supporters worldwide will enable us to continue our work together to end human rights abuses everywhere.”
Background
Amnesty International is a global human rights movement of 10 million people, with operations in more than 70 countries. The organization holds governments around the world accountable to equal standards under international law.
Amnesty’s local Hong Kong section works principally on building awareness of human rights issues in the city and is funded primarily by individual donations from the Hong Kong public.
The Hong Kong regional office – which has a sister location in Bangkok – conducts research, campaigning and advocacy work across the region including on mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Mongolia, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Singapore, Timor-Leste, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific islands.
The overwhelming majority of Amnesty’s income comes from individuals the world over. These personal and unaffiliated donations allow the organization to maintain full independence from any and all governments, political ideologies, economic interests or religions. Amnesty neither seeks nor accepts any funds for human rights research from governments or political parties.
#GoromonziSouthViolence On Sunday, 35 ZANU PF thugs armed with machetes, knives & stones attacked our members in ward 25 phase 10 Goromonzi South. 4 people where injured including 1 who's critically ill & has since been admitted at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
— Citizens' Coalition for Change (@CCCZimbabwe) October 25, 2021
— Citizens' Coalition for Change (@CCCZimbabwe) October 25, 2021
#GoromonziSouthViolence 1.Mugwagwa was struck with a metal object on his right ankle. 2.Chimangumangu was stabbed with a knife on his right hand. 3.Muzogwi was hurt his left leg & 2 ribs. 4. Tsododo was hurt on his right shoulder after being struck with a metal object.
— Citizens' Coalition for Change (@CCCZimbabwe) October 25, 2021
▪️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.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s (RBZ) Financial Intelligence Unit has in a circular told the country’s mobile network operators (MNOs) to decrease physical airtime vouchers or juice card sales as they are reportedly being used for money laundering.
The statement from the RBZ’s Financial Intelligence Unit on Juice cards reads as follows:
To: Mobile Telecommunications and Mobile Phone Service ProvidersMeasures to curb abuse of physical airtime vouchers for money laundering
1. The Financial Intelligence Unit has noted that bulk airtime recharge vouchers are being abused by airtime dealers to facilitate illegal foreign currency trading and money laundering.
2. Airtime dealers have been purchasing airtime vouchers in bulk from mobile telecommunication service providers using local currency and then disposing same at discounted foreign currency prices. The bulk airtime traders have not been depositing the significant foreign currency proceeds so generated into the banking system but have instead channelled same to fuel trade on the foreign exchange parallel market.
3. In order to curb this abuse, the following measures shall apply in respect of mobile telecommunication and mobile payment service providers:
4. Mobile telecommunication service providers shall –(a) take steps to decrease the production and sale of bulk physical air time recharge vouchers and promote the increased use of electronic airtime recharge;(b) reduce sales of physical airtime recharge vouchers to twenty percent (20%)of all airtime sales by 31 January 2022 and to ten percent (10%) by 30 April 2022;
5. Mobile telecommunication service providers shall submit a written plan to the FIU no later than 7 November 2021 detailing the measures to be taken to meet the above targets by the set dates.
6. In addition to the measures referred to above, mobile telecommunications service providers shall issue circulars to their respective airtime distributors to enforce limits on till-point airtime voucher purchasers. To ensure that customers purchase airtime vouchers for personal use and not for re-sale, a customer shall be allowed to purchase airtime of not more than ZW$ 10,000 in value in any one transaction. A customer can buy up to five vouchers at a time but not exceeding ZW$10,000 in total.
7. In order to facilitate electronic airtime recharging through customers’ mobile money wallets, individual mobile wallet holders may, with immediate effect, be allowed to conduct cash-in to their mobile money wallets, at designatedoutlets, up to ZW$5,000 per week. Cash-outs shall not be permissible.
STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY DR. LAZARUS MCCARTHY CHAKWERA, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI, AND CHAIRPERSON OF SADC, CALLING FOR THE LIFTING OF ALL SANCTIONS IMPOSED ON THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE
25 OCTOBER 2021
1. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) wishes to reaffirm its solidarity with the Government and People of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and to collectively voice its concerns on, and disapproval of the prolonged sanctions imposed on the Republic of Zimbabwe.
2. As SADC, we are concerned by the continuation of sanctions on some individuals or entities of Zimbabwe and hereby call for the unconditional and immediate lifting of these sanctions. There is no doubt that this lifting will facilitate socio-economic recovery, and enable Zimbabwe meet her national and regional economic development plans as well as effectively manage her international obligations.
3. Asa Region, we remain adamant that the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, whether targeted or restrictive, are a fundamental constraint and hindrance to the country’s prospects of economic recovery, human security and sustainable growth. The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the recent devastating cyclones Chalane (December 2020) and Eloise (February 2021) have mounted added socio-economic pressures that continue to impact negatively on the lives and livelihoods of the people of Zimbabwe.
4. The trajectory of the global economy is on rebuilding and recovery. To this effect, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), by virtue of being the largest source of foreign capital, remains a critical catalyst and facilitator of growth. The sanctions increase the perception of Zimbabwe being in a high-risk profile category, thereby diminishing the credibility of investment and investor confidence, while exacerbating investment risks. This further diminishes the country’s prospects of obtaining impactful FDI and serves as a deterrent for economic emancipation, growth and stability.
5. We wish to commend those International Cooperating Partners who have continuously extended development cooperation support and assistance towards the Government of Zimbabwe, and urge all development partners and stakeholders to support Zimbabwe’s efforts towards implementing her reform agenda.
6. The Republic of Zimbabwe, and the SADC Region, are committed to engage in meaningful and constructive dialogue with all relevant stakeholders, with a view to consolidate the rule of law, democracy, governance and human rights. It is only through such exchanges that better appreciation of concerns of all parties could be secured and progress towards their resolution be achieved.
7. Consistent with the collective global commitment “to leave no one behind” and in practical furtherance of the spirit of multilateralism, SADC calls for the immediate and unconditional removal of all sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, for the good of the country and its people, the SADC region and the global community.
H.E Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera,
President of the Republic of Malawi, and Chairperson of SADC
A weeping Plumtree mother narrates how her son was tortured until he began urinating blood.
Greetings to you all, I am Shepard’s mother.
I am here to narrate how my son Shepard died.
Shepard was in bed the whole morning until Trust came and asked to wake him up so they go and fix a car radio. The car belonged to Prince. Trust had been asked by Prince to fix the car radio.
Punso is the one who stole the car radio from Vitalis’ house, this is the same radio which was sold to Prince.
Prince then asked Trust to help him fix the radio, Prince then approached Trust to help him with the task.
They fixed the car radio together while Shepard was having a beer or two.
On Monday Shepard woke up and went to work, there he mentioned Ngwanyana’s car at the Council and they asked for Shepard, that’s how he was taken into the police station. The CID swore that he was going to tell the truth of what transpired with the radio and the tool box of which he denied any knowledge of. Shepard mentioned that what he knows is that Trust brought a car radio which he fixed in my yard on Prince’s car.
Then they started torturing him, beating him up and electrocuting him (Shepard). They whipped him underneath his feet, while he was chained in irons.
This caused so much pain to him until he relented and couldn’t take it anymore. Then they took a bench and laid him on top; they started jumping and stomping on him until his back was damaged.
Shepard was injured in his head, spinal cord, and his head suffered internal bleeding. He had a severe headache which made it difficult for him to lift up his head. Shepard stated that when he is walking, he feels too much pain from the beatings.
He was taken to court after 4 days being in remand prison. There was no transport to court however Chicco gave them a lift to the court house. At the courts it was asked what happened since Shepard could not manage to stand up on his own. Shepard announced that he was assaulted by the CIDs, Chicco, Ngwanyana, an unnamed lady and a man.
Shepard reiterated that he knows Chicco and Ngwanyana well. Shepard mentioned that Chicco drives a green car and Ngwanyana drives a white one.
They were taken back into remand and called for another court hearing session where he asked for bail to attend hospital treatment as he could not handle the pain anymore.
He was granted bail and left for his home. He was struggling to walk.
Puntso who is alleged he is the one who took the radio stated he told police officers not to beat them up as he is the one who stole the radio.
Pintso said that he went to Vitalis’ house and found the owner playing on his phone indoors, Pintso then proceeded to steal the radio. The owner turned on the lights and Pintso ran away leaving the boot of the car open. Pintso stated that he did all that these guys accused are innocent of
Despite this they assaulted Shepard nearly killing him. I took Shepard to the hospital. The police came to take a statement from him. Shepard mentioned that he was taken from work and tortured by the CIDs and he reiterated that he will not stop saying that he was beat up by Chicco and Ngwanyana.
He went downhill after the statement was taken by the police, Mangena came in and he only greeted Madam Mangena and didn’t want to engage with other guys.
Shepard was in serious pain and did not manage to talk afterwards. He began urinating blood.
Shepard was taken to Mpilo however when he returned, he was in a critical condition unable to talk or turn himself. At the hospital he was given drip medication which I bought for him at a cost of $280, including some urinating tunes.
He could no longer urinate, and he was now using a catheter tube.
I then suddenly got a call around 5am that Shepard has passed away. I went up to the hospital to confirm and found out that indeed he is no more. The hospital staff mentioned he was struggling to breathe three days from non eating; he was weak. Shepard had been breathing through oxygen aids.
When the top officers at the camp heard about Shepard’s passing away, they said they will come over to apologise about what happened; they want good working relations to avoid squabbles.
The post-mortem will be done in a few days so that we establish what happened.
At the moment I am struggling to feed people who have come to the funeral wake as I have no support. I am currently not working and my husband is redundant. He is nursing his health at the moment. He was being looked after financially by Shepard.
I am in deep pain and in need of support in this matter. The perpetrators are still out there at large. I am appealing for help on how to get justice for my deceased son.h That’s all I know what transpired.
?Obadiah Moyo, a ZANU PF official & former Health Minister, who's involved in $60m Covid-19 supplies graft was recently removed from remand by the High Court while @MakomboreroH, an MDC Alliance Youth is rotting in jail for demanding a better society. #MakoMonday#FreeMakoNowpic.twitter.com/GOumdmqzhV
— Citizens' Coalition for Change (@CCCZimbabwe) October 25, 2021
By A Correspondent- Noria Dhliwayo has refused to see her newly-born baby as it reminds her of her abusive spouse Kennedy Shambare who assaulted her when she was pregnant with the baby.
The Standard reports that Dhliwayo has only seen a photo of the child she delivered at Murewa General Hospital on the phone.
Dhliwayo, who resides in Zihute village, Murewa, was married to Shambare and they lived in Uzumba until January last year when she was forced to relocate after being severely beaten by Shamabre for condemning his thievery.
Dhliwayo alleges that Shambare stabbed her with knives and was also beaten with sticks causing her to bleed while pregnant.
She was also subjected to police torture as Murewa criminal investigations detectives came to seize property stolen from her.
Dhliwayo did community service from March to September at Hurungwe Primary School for a crime committed by her “loved one”. She said:
I suffered a lot in the name of love. Despite beating me several times, I loved him and hoped that he would pay lobola to my family. The situation became worse when he severely beat me while I was pregnant causing me to bleed after threatening to report him to the police. Subsequently, he accused me of trying to abort.
That incident forced me to relocate from Uzumba in January. I came with no clothes and property because he had sold them. When he started to visit me frequently I complained that I needed property for the house I rented.
This prompted him to rob a house early in March. Two weeks later two police officers came to interrogate me and ordered the confiscation of all the stolen property. In the process I was beaten, arrested and stayed in prison for more than a week with my three-year-old daughter. I then paid US$100 and did community service at Hurungwe Primary School for six months, from March to September.
All the traumatic experiences Dhliwayo endured and Shambare’s rejection of her pregnancy caused her to hate her new baby who is believed to be at Kadenge Children’s Home in Murewa.
Dhliwayo, who is also a mother to three other children aged 15 years, 11 years and three years from her previous marriage, said many people do not understand the circumstances that made her abandon her two-month-old baby.
The baby is at Kadenge Children’s Home. Social workers said Dhliwayo can get the baby if she changes her mind and when her life improves.
Social workers said they realised that Dhliwayo was still in denial, depressed and bitter and didn’t want her child due to pain.-standard
The United States Embassy in Zimbabwe has hit back at the President Emmerson Mnangagwa administration for using sanctions as a convenient scapegoat for corruption, economic mismanagement and failure to respect human rights.
In a Twitter post with US sanctions fact sheet, the US embassy said Zimbabwe has lost billions of dollars to corruption and harmful economic policies adding that the country has had prosperous and difficult years with the sanctions regime in place.
“Blaming sanctions is a convenient scapegoat to distract the public from the real reasons behind Zimbabwe’s economic challenges – corruption, economic mismanagement, and failure to respect human rights and uphold the rule of law,” the embassy said.
Blaming sanctions is a convenient scapegoat to distract the public from the real reasons behind Zimbabwe’s economic challenges – corruption, economic mismanagement, and failure to respect human rights and uphold the rule of law. #ItsNotSanctionspic.twitter.com/PHJ6EAZ5Eh
The US has defended its two decades-old sanctions against Zimbabwe saying they only targeted those that undermine democratic processes or facilitate corruption.
Washington spoke as the UN special rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights arrived in Zimbabwe to “assess the impact of punitive economic sanctions on ordinary Zimbabweans.”
Belarusian Alena Douhan met President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday to begin her 10-day mission that will include meetings with top government officials.
Ned Price, the US State Department spokesperson, said Washington was not responsible for Zimbabwe’s economic collapse.
“Our sanctions there target human rights abusers and those who undermine democratic processes or facilitate corruption,” Price said.
“I want to be clear that the sanctions do not target the Zimbabwean people. Zimbabwe’s economic ills, we know, are caused by leaders abusing power, not US sanctions.
“Our sanctions target only 83 individuals and 37 entities. We review our sanctions list regularly to acknowledge developments in Zimbabwe. They make it more difficult for targeted individuals and entities to access funds through the global financial infrastructure,” he added.
“We do not target Zimbabwe’s banking sector, but rather ensure sanctioned individuals and entities cannot use the US financial system to enjoy their ill-gotten gains.
“Blaming US sanctions for Zimbabwe’s problems detracts from the core issues of better governance, and to that end, Zimbabwe must make reforms consistent with its constitution.”
Western countries first imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2003 after accusing the regime of the late Robert Mugabe of human rights violations and electoral fraud.
After the coup that toppled Mugabe in 2017, President Mnangagwa pushed a re-engagement policy, but the US and the UK have imposed sanctions on some of his key allies accused of corruption and human rights violations.
He is accused of failing to keep his promises to reform and human rights violations.
Zimbabwe maintains that the sanctions are an attempt to push for regime change.
“These sanctions are illegal and hurt the most vulnerable in our society,” President Mnangagwa’s office said.
Discontent is simmering in the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) over the criteria being used to promote officers across the board which some say is prone to abuse, NewsDay can exclusively reveal.
Since Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga took over from Augustine Chihuri in 2018, the police force has been promoting officers based on their alleged good behaviour and sound work ethic.
But most police officers are clamouring for the force to revert to the old system where they wrote examinations before going for board interviews.
“Of course, this criteria had its fair share of flaws, but it is far better than the current one as officers are just hand-picked without proving that they are worth it,” said one officer based at Harare Central Police Station, who spoke on conditions of anonymity.
“I am a constable, who was attested into the ZRP in 2014, and after finishing my course at Morris Depot in Harare, I was enormously optimistic that I would one day attain a higher rank. But that is proving to be a forlorn hope. For one to be promoted now, it means they have to be related to the powers-that-be or, worse still, lick the superiors’ boots.”
A sergeant based at Police General Headquarters said as long as the promotions were based on the alleged good behaviour, they would remain a farce, riddled in corruption.
“This runs counter to the belief that the police force is supposed to be the paragon of virtue,” the sergeant said.
Another police officer said although Chihuri allegedly promoted his cronies, his promotion criteria remained largely fair.
Since his promotion to Commissioner-General, Matanga has promoted officers twice, in 2019 and 2020. Promotions for 2021 are imminent.
Police officers are also against the decision that those who attain new qualifications such as law, nursing, teaching are not promoted automatically.
In the past, police officers who acquired qualifications such as nursing or teaching were automatically promoted from the rank of constable to assistant inspector, while those who would have graduated with a Bachelor of Law (Honours) degree were promoted to the rank of chief superintendent.
A recent law graduate, who is in the police force, said it was futile for him to remain a sergeant in the police service. He has since tendered his resignation.
“I am leaving the police for greener pastures, pure and simple,” he said.
Some officers claimed that the ZRP had no money to run examinations, hence the decision to use “alleged good behaviour” as the promotion criterion.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the current promotion system was adopted after consultations with commanders.
He said those force members that were not happy with the criteria should approach Matanga through “appropriate” channels.
“It is not correct that if one is in a good relationship with someone, he will be promoted. Promotion is done on merit,” Nyathi said. He added that it was not automatic that those who attain higher qualifications would be immediately promoted.
“Higher qualifications should assist one to perform well on his job and rewards will come along the way,” Nyathi said.
Help us implore gvt to #EndSalarySanctions a tr sent us this message & begged us to share with the world. "Helplessly watching my father dying. Couldn't afford 2 pints of blood. @MthuliNcube austerity tricks made an eternal blow. RIP Gushungo???" Lives are being lost. @ZimEyepic.twitter.com/U0gpmV60ew
— Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe,ARTUZ (@ARTUZ_teachers) October 25, 2021
By Nomusa Garikai- Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa was a senior member of Robert Gabriel Mugabe’s government for 37 years. It is not that Mnangagwa did not know what the Zanu PF government was doing was wrong and even outright criminal like the blatant and repeated human rights violations including vote rigging and, worse, politically motivated murders. He knew that was wrong.
Indeed, Mnangagwa was Mugabe’s henchman; the dictator trusted him with some of the dirtiest and bloodiest tasks like the Gukurahundi massacre and the de facto coup to stop Morgan Tsvangirai and MDC taking power following the March 2008 elections.
Mnangagwa had carried out his assigned tasks regardless how dirty and bloody they were to help establish and retain the de facto one-party dictatorship for the simple reason that he too, not just Mugabe, benefited from the dictatorship. And, rest assured, Mnangagwa was ruthless in his fight to get his lion’s share of the spoils of absolute power!
When Mugabe tried to force Mnangagwa and those around him in the Lacoste faction out of power in favour of the G40 faction; the two crossed swords. In the small hours of 15th November 2017, it was Mugabe who was woke-up with a gun to his temple. His dream of being life-president or handing over the presidency to his ambitious wife was over.
When Mnangagwa took over from Mugabe he tried his uttermost to sever all links with Mugabe and his 37 year reign, airbrush the Mugabe era out of Zimbabwe history and turn over a new leaf. Mnangagwa proclaimed his regime “The Second Republic, a new dispensation!”
It was none other than President Mnangagwa himself who announced during his visit to the USA in September 2018 for the UN General Assembly Heads of State gathering, that all Zimbabweans in the diaspora will have a chance to vote in the 2023 elections. It was no doubt meant to reinforce the new dispensation mantra the only trouble with such an eye catching PR stunt is they boomerang right back.
There is no doubt that Zanu PF has struggled to keep its promise to guarantee diaspora vote.
“If you want a diaspora vote, first level the playing field by removing sanctions, so that Zanu-PF can go there and campaign freely without being vetted against sanctions,” announced Zanu PF Acting Political Commissar, Patrick Chinamasa in June 2021.
“We will not allow those in the diaspora the right to vote because we are under sanctions in those countries.”
This was a foolish position since it is nonsensical to deny Zimbabweans their fundamental rights over a matter beyond their control. This is like a man who beats his wife and children because he quarrelled with his neighbour!
There are 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora, by Zanu PF’s own record. Mnangagwa won the 2018 presidency with 2.4 million votes or 50.8% of the 5 million cast votes. The 3 million diaspora vote is therefore 37% of the 8 million potential vote.
How can the 2023 elections be free, fair and credible when Zanu PF is allowed to cherrypick the electorate and deny 37% the vote? The regime must have since realise this will not go down well even with such bodies as SADC and AU who have traditionally turned a blind eye to Zimbabwe’s
“On the diaspora vote, I would like to acknowledge that this has been an issue of intense debate and contestation among the Zimbabweans in the diaspora and the relevant stakeholders across the Zimbabwean political spectrum,” argued Melody Chaurura, Zimbabwe’s Consul General to Johannesburg.
“It is important to clearly communicate that it is the desire of the Zimbabwean government to afford every Zimbabweans including those in the diaspora, an opportunity to participate in the country’s electoral processes.
“It should be, however, understood that it has not been possible to accord diaspora vote due to legislative and logistical challenges which are yet to be overcome. We keep the hope that once these issues have been resolved by the concerned parties, the Zimbabweans in the diaspora would be able to cast their votes from their countries of residence.”
A significant improvement on Patrick Chinamasa’s blunder but This is still, nonsense. Zimbabweans in the diaspora have offered to pay US$20 or whatever to cover the cost of a diaspora vote. The amount is nothing compared to the option of having to travel back to Zimbabwe to vote.
For a regime that has pushed through parliament two constitutional amendments seeking to change no fewer than 27 different sections of the constitution. It is rich for the same regime to then talk of “legislatives challenge” stopping it from adding a simple phrase like “Ordinary Zimbabweans in distant lands will be afforded the same opportunity to vote as that currently extended to Zimbabweans in the diplomatic service, armed services, etc.” to the electoral law.
Mugabe’s administration resisted the pressure to grant every Zimbabwean his/her freedoms and human rights including the right to a meaningful vote and even the right to life for selfish political gain. This Mnangagwa regime is doing exactly the same for the same selfish reason. The Second Republic is the First Republic under new management but otherwise the two are identical in every respect in that both are a quintessential Banana Republic.
By A Correspondent- MDC- Alliance legislator for Chitungwiza South, Mr Maxwell Mavhunga, in Victoria Falls abducted was yesterday Zanu PF supporters for chanting Chamisa slogan.
Reports from the resort town said Mavhunga was attacked after chanting the popular pro- MDC-Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa Ngaapinde Hake Mukomana slogan.
The slogan which means “Let The Youngman In” is being used by the opposition party to rally the citizenry to vote for MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa in the 2023 elections.
On Sunday, MDC Alliance’s co-vice chairperson, Job Sikhala, announced the assault on Mavhunga, saying the incident happened in Victoria Falls. Said Sikhala:
Breaking News: Our MP for Chitungwiza, South Maxwell Mavhunga has been badly beaten in Victoria Falls by suspected ZANU PF supporters after he shouted Ngaapinde Hake Mukomana. He says he was taken from the shores of Zambezi River & dragged into a room where he was badly attacked. This comes when Chamisa last week reportedly escaped an assassination attempt in Manicaland where he was touring the province.
By Patrick Guramatunhu- SADC has finally stepped in to try end the cycle of violence and political unrest in Eswatini. SA President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is also the current Chairperson of Chairperson of SADC’s Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation, send envoy to Eswatini follow the outbreak of violent street protests in that country.
“The Special Envoy paid a courtesy call on His Majesty, King Mswati III. Subsequently, amongst others, the Special Envoy met with members of Cabinet led by the Honourable Cleopas Sipho Dlamini, the Prime Minister, members of the Diplomatic Corps, civil society organizations, Members of Parliament, trade unions and members of the all society in Eswatini,” announce President Ramaphosa.
“During the engagements, all stakeholders agreed that the conduct of national dialogue should be the appropriate platform to address the current challenges facing the country. In this regard, they recognised the need for a peaceful and conducive environment for the dialogue to take place.”
It is a great pity that Eswatini has been allowed to burn before SADC leaders finally stepped in.
The borne of contention in Eswatini is King Mswati III is an absolute monarch and he has creamed off the country’s wealth to bankroll a lavish lifestyle for himself and his many wives. The majority of ordinary people now live in abject poverty. The people’s cry for democratic change so they can have a meaningful say in the governance of the country have fallen on deaf ears; the King might as well have a bale of cotton staffed in each of his ears.
SADC leaders have completely ignored the suffering people and have sided with the King under the pretext the serious human rights violations and tragic human suffering caused by the criminal waste of the nation’s human and material resources were internal Eswatini affairs. SADC was not going to interfere in a member country’s internal affairs.
The people of Eswatini are disappointed at SADC and AU’s, the continent body, indifference to their suffering and cry for help! Rightly so too! And so should every thinking person in SADC and Africa; African leaders’ indifference to the human rights violation and suffering is one of the reasons why the continent is in this economic and political mess.
African leaders a notorious for siding with the continent’s despotic leaders or, at best, kicking the can down the street at the expense of the suffering masses. These leaders do not like outsiders such as the UN to help solve the continent’s many problems; “African solutions to African problems!” they have often argued. Only to sit on the problems allowing them to fester and spread!
One hopes that SADC leaders will see to it that the national dialogue in Eswatini address the root causes of the political unrest and the economic meltdown in that country. Eswatini must end absolute monarch and move with the times and uphold the freedoms and rights of all citizens as pronounced in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights including the right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country.
As a Zimbabwean, I will be following what happens in Eswatini like a hawk!
After 41 years and counting of rigged elections it is clear come 2023, without even one token reform in place, Zanu PF will once again rig those elections. If SADC leaders manage to force King Mswati III to relinquish his absolute power one hopes the regional leaders will have the guts to force Zanu PF thugs to relinquish their dictatorial powers too!
SADC leaders have endorsed Zimbabwe’s the 2013 and 2018 elections as “substantially free, fair and credible” when they know that was not true.
“Notably, major shortcomings in the pre-election environment impacted on the free expression of the will of electors, state resources were misused in favour of the incumbent and coverage by state media was heavily biased in favour of the ruling party. Further, the electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner,” reported the EU Zimbabwe 2018 Election Observer Mission final report.
“The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability. Finally, the restrictions on political freedoms, the excessive use of force by security forces and abuses of human rights in the post-election period undermined the corresponding positive aspects during the pre-election campaign.
“As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”
ZEC failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, a legal and common sense requirement, for Pete’s sake. How SADC election observers managed to give their thumbs up to such a flawed and illegal election process beggars belief. It is already clear that ZEC will not have a verified voters’ roll in 2023!
The people of Zimbabwe will be looking to SADC leaders, especially those who have held free, fair and credible elections in their own country to judge the 2023 Zimbabwe elections to international standards and not the usual one foot long yard stick!
By declaring the 2023 Zimbabwe elections null and void and thus refuse to give Zanu PF regime legitimacy; SADC will be breaking the cycle of rigged elections as happened in 2008 when the region body also refused to recognised that year’s election process as a democratic, free, fair and credible.
Zimbabwe needs a new GNU; only this time competent men and women will be appointed to make sure all the democratic reforms to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship are implemented. The 2008 to 2013 GNU failed to get even one reform implemented but that was because the Zanu PF and MDC leaders in the GNU lacked the political will and vision. Zimbabwe deserves a second bite at the cherry; this time the democratic reforms, all of them, will be implemented fully!
The exhibition of lies, disinformation, misinformation and malice are major political diodes driving Zanu PF’s propaganda machines.
By Leonard Koni| Zanu PF government has the tendency of always majoring on lies and creating false narratives whenever it is found wanting.
The people expect a government spokesperson to always stick on seeking the truth than soending acres of space in government mouth pieces trying to defend and sanitise wrong acts.
In this modern era of high technololgy of smart phones, a government which thrives on shoving all of its propaganda to the public will risk facing an extinction and stiff resistance.
This kind of drama creeping in our government communication offices is a cause of concern. They keep on sweeping lies under the carpet of propaganda.
Itai Dzamara’s abduction was deemed to be stage managed till he disappeared from the face of earth and up to now the same government cannot give the people answers.
Chigumba was punched to pulp right before our eyes in the aftermath of the election results , something that was taken as a staged occasion.
That clueless Obert Mpofu confidently uttered that MDC -Alliance deployed snipers on city’s tall buildings who shot at the demonstrators at 45 degrees angle whereas there was real Zimbabwe military which was deployed and killed seven innocent civilians.
Cecilia Chimbiri, Joana Mamombe and Netsai Marova were abducted for two days at an anti-government protest in May 2020 and were later found dumped in Bindura. The state alleged that the trio were not abducted and that the story was well dramatised.
An assassination attempt last week on MDC -Alliance President Nelson Chamisa who has been travelling across the country during his meet the people tour is also said to have been stage managed.
Videos of Zanu PF supporters ,old ladies and youths barricading roads band singing revolutionary songs were recorded and went viral on social media but still the government denied that there were no such incidents happening in the country.
Zanu PF sees drama, skits and stunts in every dirty game they play against the citizens of Zimbabwe.
As the country builds up to 2023 elections we are going to see more dramas being cooked. This is not very new. The opposition must brace up for more dramas.
A 29 year old woman is appealing for information about the whereabouts of her one-year-old daughter who went missing yesterday morning in Budiriro 4 high-density suburb.
Prisca Dindinga told NewsDay that she went to report at Budiriro 2 Police Station but was asked to make a formal report for a missing person after 24 hours.
She said she suspected that Mitchell had been snatched by a woman who was employed as a maid in the neighbourbood.
“In the morning at around 7am, I was doing my normal household chores indoors and my child went outside as usual to play with her siblings,” Dindinga said.
“When I went outside to check on my children, she was missing. I inquired about her whereabouts from some people who were around and someone told me that they had seen a maid from the neighborhood with my child.”
She said the whereabouts of the maid were unknown.
Harare provincial spokesperson Inspector Mwanza said the police were yet to investigate the matter.
When NewsDay contacted Dindinga in the evening yesterday, she said attempts to locate her child had been fruitless and was now “hopeless”.
Anyone who might have information about the missing child can contact Dindinga at 0783 711 975 or the local police.
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.
…Poverty Facing Teachers…
By Dr Takavafira M. Zhou | We note with deep concern a communique dated 14 October to all Provincial Directors, and from Perm Sec of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mrs Thabela, over the purported teachers’ absenteeism. The communique claims that PSC has observed that “some teachers are not reporting for duty since schools reopened on 6 September 2021. In line with the ‘no work, no pay’ principle, members who absent themselves from work should not receive their salaries for the period they were absent.” The Perm Sec called for the submission of names of teachers who allegedly have not been reporting for duty to Head Office urgently.
For the record there are no teachers who have deliberately been absent from work. Rather teachers have always wanted to report for work daily but are incapacitated. To assume that teachers can report for work daily after receiving $23000 is ludicrous hallucination of the worst order. The starvation wage that teachers are currently getting is even less than one fifth of the average US$540 teachers were getting prior to October 2018. The principle of ‘no work, no pay’ can only be properly applied after the restoration of US$540.
PTUZ
What teachers have been doing is operating on a balance sheet taking into cognisance their incapacitation and students’ interests. In pursuant of this teachers are reporting a minimum of once a week and a maximum of twice a week. What the Perm Sec must do is to engage teachers before ordering for the victimisation of teachers over false allegation of absenteeism, when practically teachers are incapacitated. It is clear PSC has lost touch with reality of teachers’ salaries. Sadly, instead of realigning PSC’s misconception the Ministry of Education seem to be dancing to its malodorous misconception and homelitic bellicose. Taungana Ndoro, even thinks there are Unions urging teachers to absent themselves from work, when in reality it is incapacitation that has riddled teachers’ intention to report for work daily. A survey of transport cost, the exorbitant prices of basic commodities, utility bills, school fees, medical costs, NSSA contributions, etc, would show that teachers cant make ends meet. Teachers are not necessarily down on their knees but in the terminal ward.
Any attempt to punish teachers, without addressing their plight will attract resistance from teachers and the ‘no pay (US$540), no work’ principle. Action and reaction are equal and opposite. As Ptuz, we want to make it categorically clear, without any equivocation or smbiguity, that teachers are tired of the so few earning more than $214 000 attacking poor teachers for doing so much with so little. They will resist cold and calculated educational vandalism by PSC and some Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education officials by all means necessary. We appeal to the new Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Ndlovu, and President Mnangagwa to urgently intervene on behalf of teachers and save our education system. However, should they fail to intervene, teachers must be flag bearers of their own independence. Life is too short to spend it in misery. PSC and line Ministry must never underestimate the power of hungry and angry teachers in their numbers. Teachers are even clamouring for a total shut down of schools, but as responsible leaders we have been knocking at every gvt and Ministry door in order to save our education system. Two parliamentary Portifolio committees even confirmed the poverty and misery of teachers, and we wonder why gvt has not implemented their proffered recommendations. The Minister of Public Service, Prof Mavima has been lying that negotiations are ongoing where there is virtually no negotiation taking place, even with the defective Apex Council, which has also become a liability to civil servants in general and teachers in particular. We have been channelling teachers’ pent up anger to meaningful direction hoping the gvt would restore their purchasing power parity. The pressure from educators is just too strong, and unless gvt intervenes urgently, we should not be blamed for any eventuality. The gathering clouds of a United Front of all Unions, and all teachers in schools across the Union divide are fast spreading. It’s clear that the anger and poverty may ‘rain soon’ and some people will get wet. Responsible officials must provide a solution rather than bank on threats and so called ‘no work, no pay’ that ultimately has no traction and is defective.
Teachers of Zimbabwe Unite. You have nothing to lose but the chains of poverty, and a status to restore from grass to grace, and a mother of all professions to protect as a vital cog of sustainable national development.
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.
By Nomusa Garikai | Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa was a senior member of Robert Gabriel Mugabe’s government for 37 years. It is not that Mnangagwa did not know what the Zanu PF government was doing was wrong and even outright criminal like the blatant and repeated human rights violations including vote rigging and, worse, politically motivated murders. He knew that was wrong.
Indeed, Mnangagwa was Mugabe’s henchman; the dictator trusted him with some of the dirtiest and bloodiest tasks like the Gukurahundi massacre and the de facto coup to stop Morgan Tsvangirai and MDC taking power following the March 2008 elections.
Justice Priscilla Chigumba
Mnangagwa had carried out his assigned tasks regardless how dirty and bloody they were to help establish and retain the de facto one-party dictatorship for the simple reason that he too, not just Mugabe, benefited from the dictatorship. And, rest assured, Mnangagwa was ruthless in his fight to get his lion’s share of the spoils of absolute power!
When Mugabe tried to force Mnangagwa and those around him in the Lacoste faction out of power in favour of the G40 faction; the two crossed swords. In the small hours of 15th November 2017, it was Mugabe who was woke-up with a gun to his temple. His dream of being life-president or handing over the presidency to his ambitious wife was over.
When Mnangagwa took over from Mugabe he tried his uttermost to sever all links with Mugabe and his 37 year reign, airbrush the Mugabe era out of Zimbabwe history and turn over a new leaf. Mnangagwa proclaimed his regime “The Second Republic, a new dispensation!”
It was none other than President Mnangagwa himself who announced during his visit to the USA in September 2018 for the UN General Assembly Heads of State gathering, that all Zimbabweans in the diaspora will have a chance to vote in the 2023 elections. It was no doubt meant to reinforce the new dispensation mantra the only trouble with such an eye catching PR stunt is they boomerang right back.
There is no doubt that Zanu PF has struggled to keep its promise to guarantee diaspora vote.
“If you want a diaspora vote, first level the playing field by removing sanctions, so that Zanu-PF can go there and campaign freely without being vetted against sanctions,” announced Zanu PF Acting Political Commissar, Patrick Chinamasa in June 2021.
“We will not allow those in the diaspora the right to vote because we are under sanctions in those countries.”
This was a foolish position since it is nonsensical to deny Zimbabweans their fundamental rights over a matter beyond their control. This is like a man who beats his wife and children because he quarrelled with his neighbour!
There are 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora, by Zanu PF’s own record. Mnangagwa won the 2018 presidency with 2.4 million votes or 50.8% of the 5 million cast votes. The 3 million diaspora vote is therefore 37% of the 8 million potential vote.
How can the 2023 elections be free, fair and credible when Zanu PF is allowed to cherrypick the electorate and deny 37% the vote? The regime must have since realise this will not go down well even with such bodies as SADC and AU who have traditionally turned a blind eye to Zimbabwe’s
“On the diaspora vote, I would like to acknowledge that this has been an issue of intense debate and contestation among the Zimbabweans in the diaspora and the relevant stakeholders across the Zimbabwean political spectrum,” argued Melody Chaurura, Zimbabwe’s Consul General to Johannesburg.
“It is important to clearly communicate that it is the desire of the Zimbabwean government to afford every Zimbabweans including those in the diaspora, an opportunity to participate in the country’s electoral processes.
“It should be, however, understood that it has not been possible to accord diaspora vote due to legislative and logistical challenges which are yet to be overcome. We keep the hope that once these issues have been resolved by the concerned parties, the Zimbabweans in the diaspora would be able to cast their votes from their countries of residence.”
A significant improvement on Patrick Chinamasa’s blunder but This is still, nonsense. Zimbabweans in the diaspora have offered to pay US$20 or whatever to cover the cost of a diaspora vote. The amount is nothing compared to the option of having to travel back to Zimbabwe to vote.
For a regime that has pushed through parliament two constitutional amendments seeking to change no fewer than 27 different sections of the constitution. It is rich for the same regime to then talk of “legislatives challenge” stopping it from adding a simple phrase like “Ordinary Zimbabweans in distant lands will be afforded the same opportunity to vote as that currently extended to Zimbabweans in the diplomatic service, armed services, etc.” to the electoral law.
Mugabe’s administration resisted the pressure to grant every Zimbabwean his/her freedoms and human rights including the right to a meaningful vote and even the right to life for selfish political gain. This Mnangagwa regime is doing exactly the same for the same selfish reason. The Second Republic is the First Republic under new management but otherwise the two are identical in every respect in that both are a quintessential Banana Republic. – SOURCE: zsdemocrats.blogspot.com
State Media- MSITELI High School in Mpopoma, Bulawayo is under siege from rival pupils’ gangs fighting each other using dangerous weapons.
The violence reached a crescendo last Friday with the destruction of a section of the school’s precast wall and classrooms’ window panes. A gang member was said to have been seriously injured in the head following the attack while a girl was hospitalised some few weeks ago after a gang member sprayed pepper spray at the girls’ toilet.
Residents say the whole of last week the school resembled a war zone as the two gangs fought each other with stones, catapults, knives and knobkerries.
Damaged wall at Msiteli High School
The two rival gangs are said to be made up of boys from Mpopoma, Iminyela and Mabuthweni suburbs who are leaners at Msiteli and Sizane High School in Pelandaba suburb.
On Friday a Chronicle news crew witnessed the two combatant gangs in running battles at around 4:30 pm at the school resulting in learning being briefly stopped after they threw stones at some classrooms.
Screaming pupils ran for cover in terror as stones rained in the direction of their classrooms as the fighting intensified.
The two gangs arrived at the school from two different directions before the fighting ensued with residents who live near the school scurrying for cover in their houses as the stones started flying.
The gangs seemed well coordinated as they took different positions around the school during the attack. They pelted each other with stones while others were using catapults before one group was overpowered and ran away.
The “winning gang” retreated and disappeared from the scene as terrified residents emerged from their houses in shock.
The school head, a Mr Vundla and some teachers came out of the school to inspect the section of the precast wall and windows that were destroyed.
The head was later forced to patrol the school surroundings using a white school commuter omnibus while some teachers were stationed at the gate as frightened pupils left the school premises at 5pm.
Small fights broke out when pupils walked home which saw pupils running in different directions with school authorities and residents watching in disbelief.
The school head said the problem was caused by school leavers, adding that school closures due to Covid-19 had resulted in serious pupils’ wayward behaviour.
A damaged perimeter wall at Msiteli High and one of the rogue pupils running from the school
He said they once reported the fights to police before saying he will not say much as the school was still investigating the issue.
A vendor who sells her wares outside the school said the violence happened throughout the week and was shocked police were never brought in.
“I am a vendor near the school and I saw a group of about 20 boys coming from the northern side of the school through a passage between the houses. One member of the gang hit a rival gang member on the head nge nduku. He managed to escape but I fear he will suffer internal bleeding,” she said.
She said the school has on some occasions delivered its prefects at home using the school kombi following attacks.
A resident who lives near the school and witnessed the fight as he drove back from work, Mr Lizwe Jiyane said the situation was tense during the attack and feared for the worst.
“I was coming from work and saw kids running in different directions. I stopped my car, waiting for the situation to settle as there were a lot of stones flying all over the place. One group was overpowered for a brief moment and I used that opportunity to drive to my house and park my car. But before long the overpowered group regrouped and they are the ones who pushed down the durawall and pelted stones that broke the window panes.
“We have never seen something like this and we don’t want to see it again. One would have expected that school authorities urgently phoned the police because when property is destroyed like this it is a serious cause for concern.
If this continues lives would be lost,” said Mr Jiyane.
Another resident, Mr Pearce Moyo said the school has a history of violent gangs besieging the learning institution around dismissal time.
He said the Friday violence was one of the worst adding that something needs to be done fast.
“I was once a temporary teacher at the school and used to see the fights during knock off time. The boys will stand by the school corner or at the gate before unleashing the violence. They are very organised and come armed with stones and catapults. They were throwing stones all over and I ran into my house for safety,” he said.
Mr Moyo said the gang that destroyed the school pre-cast wall were shouting that some of their rivals had sheltered inside the school which led to the destruction.
“The boys who brought down the wall were about four. When they did this the other gang members were pelting stones in the classroom resulting in the destruction of windowpanes. The pupils who were inside the classes which were pelted must be traumatised. As parents we are concerned that the safety of our children is no longer guaranteed at the school,” he said.
Mr Moyo said it was only a matter of time before the gangs injure residents as they appear “possessed“ during the fights.
“I suspect that part of the gang members are not from Mpopoma suburb because residents could have identified them. Some though are learners at Msiteli who dismissed at 12 and went to mobilise themselves and came in their personal clothes to avoid being identified. When the school head came out he said they will identify each other so I think he might have identified some of them.- State Media
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 poachers, 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.
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF supporters in Victoria Falls have beaten up an MDC- Alliance legislator for Chitungwiza South, Mr Maxwell Mavhunga, for chanting Ngaapinde Mukomana slogan.
The slogan which means “Let The Youngman In” is being used by the opposition party to rally the citizenry to vote for MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa in the 2023 elections.
On Sunday, MDC Alliance’s co-vice chairperson, Job Sikhala, announced the assault on Mavhunga, saying the incident happened in Victoria Falls. Said Sikhala:
Breaking News: Our MP for Chitungwiza, South Maxwell Mavhunga has been badly beaten in Victoria Falls by suspected ZANU PF supporters after he shouted Ngaapinde Hake Mukomana. He says he was taken from the shores of Zambezi River & dragged into a room where he was badly attacked. This comes when Chamisa last week reportedly escaped an assassination attempt in Manicaland where he was touring the province.
While saying the Electoral Court is the only one with powers to correct errors, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Zec, has claimed that only the state President has election proclamation powers.
ZEC was speaking over the case of MDC candidate Gift Konjana who applied to the courts to restore his 2018 won seat, having lost the case over a technicality.
Dexter Nduna
In September, Supreme Court judge Justice Bharat Patel said the case could not be heard because it had exceeded the time limit stipulated for the Electoral Court despite admitting that Konjana’s appeal had merit.
During a stakeholder meeting in Chinhoyi last week, Zec said it was imperative for it to be legally empowered to resolve such disputes.
The meeting was attended by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, Zanu PF, MDC Alliance and MDC-T officials, among other opposition parties and civic groups.
“Zec can only implement its constitutional mandate; election proclamation is vested in the Executive.
“Zec seeks to have the decree and power to correct errors that may occur during the election period rather than to wait for courts to decide (citing the Chegutu West saga where Dexter Nduna was declared winner on account of human error),” the ZEC update on the meeting read.
“An encouragement was made to all stakeholders to lobby for recommendations to be pushed through the Legislature.” – Newsday/additional reporting
By A Correspondent- MDC- Alliance legislator for Chitungwiza South, Mr Maxwell Mavhunga, in Victoria Falls abducted was yesterday Zanu PF supporters for chanting Chamisa slogan.
Reports from the resort town said Mavhunag was attacked after chanting the popular pro- MDC-Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa Ngaapinde Hake Mukomana slogan.
The slogan which means “Let The Youngman In” is being used by the opposition party to rally the citizenry to vote for MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa in the 2023 elections.
On Sunday, MDC Alliance’s co-vice chairperson, Job Sikhala, announced the assault on Mavhunga, saying the incident happened in Victoria Falls. Said Sikhala:
Breaking News: Our MP for Chitungwiza, South Maxwell Mavhunga has been badly beaten in Victoria Falls by suspected ZANU PF supporters after he shouted Ngaapinde Hake Mukomana. He says he was taken from the shores of Zambezi River & dragged into a room where he was badly attacked. This comes when Chamisa last week reportedly escaped an assassination attempt in Manicaland where he was touring the province.
By A Correspondent- On Sunday, a group of former inmates of the Islam religion donated food to prisoners at Harare Central Prison.
Under the organization Islamic Ex-Inmates Trust, the group visited the prison and donated cooking oil, rice, salt and sugar worth close to US$2 000.
In an interview with Zimeye.com after the donation, the organization’s Director, Samuel White, said they were planning to donate to all the country’s prisons.
” We are humbled to extend help to our brother, sister, father, mothers who are in prison, and this donation shows our humbleness and willingness to help. We are a small organization which has just been established, and our wish is to visit all prisons and share the little we would have gathered from like-minded people with our relatives who are in prisons,” said White.
” The donation we handed over today came from our pockets, and we are appealing for such from anyone so that we assist our incarcerated colleagues,” he added.
White said they would be grateful to receive any donations from people worldwide that they would take to prisoners.
Islamic ex-inmates Trust is a newly established Nón-profit organization based in Norton.
The organization focuses on helping the children incarcerated with their mothers and those left behind build a better future.
The Trust believes in transforming from uncertainty to hope, obstacles to opportunities and from stigma and discrimination to triumph.
Tinashe Sambiri| President Nelson Chamisa has described the late Movement for Democratic Change founding member, Learnmore Judah Jongwe as an icon of the people’s 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!
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! pic.twitter.com/tqIvn4Z7dL
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!
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! pic.twitter.com/tqIvn4Z7dL
Tinashe Sambiri|Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa, illegally assumed power following the removal of Robert Mugabe from power in November 2017…
Zanu PF member Sybeth Musengezi is challenging Mnangagwa’s appointment as party leader by the Central Committee.
In court papers, Musengezi argues Mnangagwa should relinquish the leadership, as he was installed illegally through a Central Committee meeting on 19 November 2017 at party headquarters in Harare.
Musengezi is challenging Mnangagwa’s legitimacy at the High Court.
“I am fortified in my quest for a remedy to my grievance against the respondents (Zanu-PF, Mnangagwa, Obert Mpofu, Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu-PF secretary for finance and acting national commissar, Phelekezela Mphoko, former vice-president, and Ignatius Chombo, ex-secretary for administration) by a recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe handed down on the 31st of March 2020 in the matter of the Movement for Democratic Change & Others v Mashavira & Others Sc 56/20, wherein the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe made a corrective intervention in the internal affairs of the Movement for Democratic Change party and made an order for the regularisation of
As things stand, Mnangagwa has no mandate to be the leader of Zanu-PF and President of Zimbabwe, the application suggests. He came in through a string of illegalities which have not been cured, meaning he is an illegal President of the republic,” argues Musengezi.
According to legal experts, Mnangagwa is illegitimate because of the following reasons:
first, he came in through a coup, which means unconstitutional seizure of power;
secondly, he did not follow the national constitution on how he should have come in; Mphoko did not act as required;
Thirdly, he was installed as Zanu-PF leader by an illegal central committee meeting;
Fourth, he was elected through a disputed election with a wafer-thin margin in 2018; and
Fifth, he did not hold the 2019 Zanu-PF congress which was due, as he feared defeat amid raging battles of unsettled leadership question.
Tinashe Sambiri|Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa, illegally assumed power following the removal of Robert Mugabe from power in November 2017…
Zanu PF member Sybeth Musengezi is challenging Mnangagwa’s appointment as party leader by the Central Committee.
In court papers, Musengezi argues Mnangagwa should relinquish the leadership, as he was installed illegally through a Central Committee meeting on 19 November 2017 at party headquarters in Harare.
Musengezi is challenging Mnangagwa’s legitimacy at the High Court.
“I am fortified in my quest for a remedy to my grievance against the respondents (Zanu-PF, Mnangagwa, Obert Mpofu, Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu-PF secretary for finance and acting national commissar, Phelekezela Mphoko, former vice-president, and Ignatius Chombo, ex-secretary for administration) by a recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe handed down on the 31st of March 2020 in the matter of the Movement for Democratic Change & Others v Mashavira & Others Sc 56/20, wherein the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe made a corrective intervention in the internal affairs of the Movement for Democratic Change party and made an order for the regularisation of
As things stand, Mnangagwa has no mandate to be the leader of Zanu-PF and President of Zimbabwe, the application suggests. He came in through a string of illegalities which have not been cured, meaning he is an illegal President of the republic,” argues Musengezi.
According to legal experts, Mnangagwa is illegitimate because of the following reasons:
first, he came in through a coup, which means unconstitutional seizure of power;
secondly, he did not follow the national constitution on how he should have come in; Mphoko did not act as required;
Thirdly, he was installed as Zanu-PF leader by an illegal central committee meeting;
Fourth, he was elected through a disputed election with a wafer-thin margin in 2018; and
Fifth, he did not hold the 2019 Zanu-PF congress which was due, as he feared defeat amid raging battles of unsettled leadership question.
ONE of the largest apostolic sects with membership across the southern African region has applied for official affiliate status with Zanu PF and in return, the sect leaders would rally their followers to vote for the ruling party.
The sect said the ruling party had listed opposition to homosexuality and same sex marriages as one of the main requirements for collaboration.
Zimbabwe criminalises same-sex relations, but the Constitution guarantees rights such as equality and non-discrimination.
Zanu PF has, however, listed resolute opposition to homosexuality and same sex marriages in response to the request by the leadership of the apostolic congregation, Johane Masowe WechiShanu WeAfrica.
This followed a meeting that Zanu PF acting political commissar Patrick Chinamasa held with the church’s leader, Bishop Andby Makururu on September 2.
Makururu was accompanied by 37 members drawn from the district and provincial leadership ranks, including members of the 250-large “prophetic council”.
“The meeting explored modalities for collaboration between the church and Zanu PF, especially in the area of economic empowerment, agriculture, mining, touring etc … They applied for affiliate status with Zanu PF and I briefed them on the requirements,” Chinamasa revealed in a series of tweets. – NewsDay
A Zanu PF faction said to be sympathetic to Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga is alleged to be behind several manoeuvres seen as targeted at President Emmerson Mnangagwa amid revelations that war veterans will roll out protests against the government this week.
Infighting has intensified in the ruling in the run-up to the party’s national conference that begins in Bindura this week with different factions jostling for the control of the ruling party.
A Zanu PF activist Sybeth Musengezi last week approached the High Court challenging Mnangagwa’s ascendancy to the presidency after the coup that toppled Robert Mugabe in 2017.
Insiders said the lawsuit by Musengezi was part of a multi-pronged fight back by the faction sympathetic to Chiwenga, which is taking Mnangagwa head-on over unfulfilled promises that date back to the coup.
They include protests by a Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association faction that will begin this week to coincide with major Zanu PF activities that include the conference and campaigns for the removal of sanctions against the country.
Amos Sigauke, one of the leaders of the war veterans group, said they will hold their protests in Harare.
No Wonder Used Cars Are Selling out Like Hot Pies in Harare Used Cars | Search ads by TaboolaSponsored Links “We are marching from Africa Unity Square, Munhumutapa, Parliament, Ministry of Defence and Judiciary,” Sigauke said.
“We are getting $16 000 and are dying poor yet they lie to us that we will have mines and land.
“Only a few are benefitting and those national heroes they declare die poor.
“They glorify us when we are dead.
“There is massive looting and corruption going on and all that must end.
“Belarus and Chinese nationals are taking over and it is like we are reversing the land reform programme and compensating white farmers when others are getting reparations. “
He added: “I think these are the people we heard were surrounding the (former) president and are still here with us. These are the issues we are demonstrating about.”
In August, nine war veterans, Faith Chananda, Wonderful Kabarauta, Isso Madzivanyika Daphne Kanoti, Mazikana Marron, Nyasha Mangena, Sthyine Maphosa, Shorai Nyamangodo and Jordan Mberadzina were arrested outside Finance minister Mthuli Ncube’s offices while protesting against low pensions.
ZNLWVA leader Chris Mutsvangwa accused a former Zanu PF faction known as G40 and the opposition MDC Alliance of engineering the arrests .
Mnangagwa allegedly ordered the release of the war veterans, who were accused of doing Chiwenga’s bidding.
War veterans were instrumental in the coup against Mugabe with a faction led by Mutsvangwa organising a series of protests against the government.
Zanu PF spokesperson Mike Bimha downplayed the clashes between Mnangagwa’s government and war veterans, saying as far as he was concerned, the former fighters were happy with the performance of the new administration.
“I don’t know where these war veterans are coming from because in our meetings with their leaders, they are upbeat about what the party is doing to them,” Bimha said.- NewsDay
Emmerson Mnangagwa is cornered in a high-stakes internal power struggle manoeuvre over his dubious legitimacy as Zanu-PF leader in the aftermath of a devastating High Court application by a party member – which reflects factional strife and his faltering grip.
In the explosive lawsuit, party member Sybeth Musengezi is demanding that the court follow the precedent set by the opposition MDC-T case in the Supreme Court and force Mnangagwa to step down.
This comes as The NewsHawks has received huge feedback from various political sections, including Zanu-PF bigwigs and ordinary members, showing that the court case has set the cat among the pigeons ahead of the party’s annual conference at the end of this month.
The shifts and changes within Zanu-PF structures amid a state of flux are also being fuelled by the political brinkmanship fixated on the party’s delayed elective congress before the 2023 general elections.
This is over and above the main contention in the application, widely shared in the party, that Mnangagwa should relinquish the leadership, as he was installed illegally through a kangaroo Zanu-PF central committee meeting on 19 November 2017 at party headquarters in Harare. The meeting was unlawfully convened, constituted and conducted, the High Court application by Zanu-PF member Musengezi demanding Mnangagwa’s removal says.
The court challenge against Mnangagwa’s ascendancy by Musengezi has echoes of the messy MDC-T infighting that erupted following the death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai in February 2018. Mnangagwa’s unconstitutional and unlawful rise to power is thus now entangled in the MDC-T case precedent. Courts usually work through precedents.
Precedent refers to a court judgment that is considered as authority for deciding subsequent cases involving identical or similar facts, or similar legal issues. The similarities between the Zanu-PF and the MDC-T cases are close. Musengezi is alive to that reality in his application.
“I am fortified in my quest for a remedy to my grievance against the respondents (Zanu-PF, Mnangagwa, Obert Mpofu, Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu-PF secretary for finance and acting national commissar, Phelekezela Mphoko, former vice-president, and Ignatius Chombo, ex-secretary for administration) by a recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe handed down on the 31st of March 2020 in the matter of the Movement for Democratic Change & Others v Mashavira & Others Sc 56/20, wherein the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe made a corrective intervention in the internal affairs of the Movement for Democratic Change party and made an order for the regularisation of the election of the leadership of that political party in the interests of justice despite the passage of time and the mootness of the case,” Musengezi says.
“The Supreme Court in the said judgment held that it is a matter of public importance as regards the governance of political parties generally that the leadership of the political party is constitutionally and lawfully ensconced.” Musengezi said the political stakes were much higher in the current Zanu-PF case than in the MDC-T one.
“The stakes in the present matter are much higher and cry out for the corrective intervention of this honourable court as the beneficiary of the chain of events which commenced with the unlawful special session of the central committee convened on the 19th of November 2017, the 2nd respondent (Mnangagwa), now occupies the positions of both president and first secretary of the party and President and head of state of the country. His ascension to both those positions is tainted by blatant illegalities in violation of the constitution of the 1st respondent (Zanu-PF). He cannot derive any legitimacy at all from the catalogue of illegalities which were committed in furtherance of his ambition to occupy the two offices of the party and the country.
“My fear is that once one assumes a position of political power illegally, they are prone to engaging in further illegal conduct to retain and consolidate that power. If such illegalities as were committed in propelling the 2nd respondent to the political positions he currently occupies in the party and under the country’s constitution go unchecked, it will become the norm in the party which is contrary to its aims and objectives as enshrined in the party constitution.”
Mnangagwa is locked in a cut-throat battle with Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga over the party’s unresolved leadership issue following the toppling of the late former president Robert Mugabe.
The infighting between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga – just like Mugabe and Mnangagwa before that – is manifesting itself through different events in the party and government, as well as business and civil society. Musengezi, a Zanu-PF member of good standing for 20 years, says Mnangagwa was unconstitutionally and unlawfully elected by the central committee meeting of 19 November 2017 – five days after the military coup that ousted Mugabe.
As a result, Musengezi is seeking a declaratur against Mnangagwa that the special session of the central committee after the coup at party headquarters in Harare from 10am to 4pm was ultra vires the Zanu-PF constitution, unlawful and thus null and void ab initio.
He also wants the court to rule that all the resolutions of the central committee meeting passed during its unlawful gathering to install Mnangagwa as party leader were “unlawful, invalid and are accordingly set aside”.
Further, Musengezi says Mphoko should temporarily take over the Zanu-PF leadership and preside over an extraordinary Zanu-PF congress to be called within 90 days of the granting of the order to regularise the leadership positions to ensure Mugabe’s successor is installed constitutionally and legally.
As things stand, Mnangagwa has no mandate to be the leader of Zanu-PF and President of Zimbabwe, the application suggests. He came in through a string of illegalities which have not been cured, meaning he is an illegal President of the republic.
Besides the coup and his 2018 disputed election, Zanu-PF did not elect him as the application contends.
Legal experts say Mnangagwa is a product of a slew of illegalities and here is why:
first, he came in through a coup, which means unconstitutional seizure of power;
secondly, he did not follow the national constitution on how he should have come in; Mphoko did not act as required;
Thirdly, he was installed as Zanu-PF leader by an illegal central committee meeting;
Fourth, he was elected through a disputed election with a wafer-thin margin in 2018; and
Fifth, he did not hold the 2019 Zanu-PF congress which was due, as he feared defeat amid raging battles of unsettled leadership question. – Bulawayo24
Emmerson Mnangagwa is cornered in a high-stakes internal power struggle manoeuvre over his dubious legitimacy as Zanu-PF leader in the aftermath of a devastating High Court application by a party member – which reflects factional strife and his faltering grip.
In the explosive lawsuit, party member Sybeth Musengezi is demanding that the court follow the precedent set by the opposition MDC-T case in the Supreme Court and force Mnangagwa to step down.
This comes as The NewsHawks has received huge feedback from various political sections, including Zanu-PF bigwigs and ordinary members, showing that the court case has set the cat among the pigeons ahead of the party’s annual conference at the end of this month.
The shifts and changes within Zanu-PF structures amid a state of flux are also being fuelled by the political brinkmanship fixated on the party’s delayed elective congress before the 2023 general elections.
This is over and above the main contention in the application, widely shared in the party, that Mnangagwa should relinquish the leadership, as he was installed illegally through a kangaroo Zanu-PF central committee meeting on 19 November 2017 at party headquarters in Harare. The meeting was unlawfully convened, constituted and conducted, the High Court application by Zanu-PF member Musengezi demanding Mnangagwa’s removal says.
The court challenge against Mnangagwa’s ascendancy by Musengezi has echoes of the messy MDC-T infighting that erupted following the death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai in February 2018. Mnangagwa’s unconstitutional and unlawful rise to power is thus now entangled in the MDC-T case precedent. Courts usually work through precedents.
Precedent refers to a court judgment that is considered as authority for deciding subsequent cases involving identical or similar facts, or similar legal issues. The similarities between the Zanu-PF and the MDC-T cases are close. Musengezi is alive to that reality in his application.
“I am fortified in my quest for a remedy to my grievance against the respondents (Zanu-PF, Mnangagwa, Obert Mpofu, Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu-PF secretary for finance and acting national commissar, Phelekezela Mphoko, former vice-president, and Ignatius Chombo, ex-secretary for administration) by a recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe handed down on the 31st of March 2020 in the matter of the Movement for Democratic Change & Others v Mashavira & Others Sc 56/20, wherein the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe made a corrective intervention in the internal affairs of the Movement for Democratic Change party and made an order for the regularisation of the election of the leadership of that political party in the interests of justice despite the passage of time and the mootness of the case,” Musengezi says.
“The Supreme Court in the said judgment held that it is a matter of public importance as regards the governance of political parties generally that the leadership of the political party is constitutionally and lawfully ensconced.” Musengezi said the political stakes were much higher in the current Zanu-PF case than in the MDC-T one.
“The stakes in the present matter are much higher and cry out for the corrective intervention of this honourable court as the beneficiary of the chain of events which commenced with the unlawful special session of the central committee convened on the 19th of November 2017, the 2nd respondent (Mnangagwa), now occupies the positions of both president and first secretary of the party and President and head of state of the country. His ascension to both those positions is tainted by blatant illegalities in violation of the constitution of the 1st respondent (Zanu-PF). He cannot derive any legitimacy at all from the catalogue of illegalities which were committed in furtherance of his ambition to occupy the two offices of the party and the country.
“My fear is that once one assumes a position of political power illegally, they are prone to engaging in further illegal conduct to retain and consolidate that power. If such illegalities as were committed in propelling the 2nd respondent to the political positions he currently occupies in the party and under the country’s constitution go unchecked, it will become the norm in the party which is contrary to its aims and objectives as enshrined in the party constitution.”
Mnangagwa is locked in a cut-throat battle with Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga over the party’s unresolved leadership issue following the toppling of the late former president Robert Mugabe.
The infighting between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga – just like Mugabe and Mnangagwa before that – is manifesting itself through different events in the party and government, as well as business and civil society. Musengezi, a Zanu-PF member of good standing for 20 years, says Mnangagwa was unconstitutionally and unlawfully elected by the central committee meeting of 19 November 2017 – five days after the military coup that ousted Mugabe.
As a result, Musengezi is seeking a declaratur against Mnangagwa that the special session of the central committee after the coup at party headquarters in Harare from 10am to 4pm was ultra vires the Zanu-PF constitution, unlawful and thus null and void ab initio.
He also wants the court to rule that all the resolutions of the central committee meeting passed during its unlawful gathering to install Mnangagwa as party leader were “unlawful, invalid and are accordingly set aside”.
Further, Musengezi says Mphoko should temporarily take over the Zanu-PF leadership and preside over an extraordinary Zanu-PF congress to be called within 90 days of the granting of the order to regularise the leadership positions to ensure Mugabe’s successor is installed constitutionally and legally.
As things stand, Mnangagwa has no mandate to be the leader of Zanu-PF and President of Zimbabwe, the application suggests. He came in through a string of illegalities which have not been cured, meaning he is an illegal President of the republic.
Besides the coup and his 2018 disputed election, Zanu-PF did not elect him as the application contends.
Legal experts say Mnangagwa is a product of a slew of illegalities and here is why:
first, he came in through a coup, which means unconstitutional seizure of power;
secondly, he did not follow the national constitution on how he should have come in; Mphoko did not act as required;
Thirdly, he was installed as Zanu-PF leader by an illegal central committee meeting;
Fourth, he was elected through a disputed election with a wafer-thin margin in 2018; and
Fifth, he did not hold the 2019 Zanu-PF congress which was due, as he feared defeat amid raging battles of unsettled leadership question. – Bulawayo24
The MDC Alliance MP for Chitungwiza South, Maxwell Mavhunga was reportedly briefly abducted on Sunday, in Victoria Falls where he is attending a pre budget seminar.
Hon Mavhunga announced saying, I have been attacked by Zanu Pf here at the budget workshop in Victoria Falls.
Maxwell Mavhunga
I have not sustained any visible injuries. They abducted me in front of my wife and took me to a dark room where they assaulted me.
Advocate Sikhala is with me and i have alerted him.
They have released me but we are traumatized.
Further details were not available at the time of writing. – THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY
Warriors skipper Knowledge Musona has hinted at retiring from international football after the AFCON finals in Cameroon, saying the continental showpiece might be his last major tournament.
The 31-year old former Kaizer Chiefs star made his debut for Zimbabwe in November 2010, against Liberia in an AFCON qualifier and has scored 23 goals (including in friendly matches) in a glittering career spanning over a decade.
Speaking to Sunday Mail Sport, the soft-spoken Al Tai man said the continental spectacle in Cameroon, in which Zimbabwe were drawn in Group B together with Senegal, Malawi and Guinea, might be his last in the gold and green strip.
“I think if this issue (player welfare) is fixed, we will go far in this tournament (AFCON 2021) because for some of us, these are our last tournaments in the national team,” he said.
“So if that is fixed, I think we will be good to go and compete against the best because we know and we believe in ourselves,” he added.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
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!
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! pic.twitter.com/tqIvn4Z7dL
Tinashe Sambiri|Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa, illegally assumed power following the removal of Robert Mugabe from power in November 2017…
Zanu PF member Sybeth Musengezi is challenging Mnangagwa’s appointment as party leader by the Central Committee.
In court papers, Musengezi argues Mnangagwa should relinquish the leadership, as he was installed illegally through a Central Committee meeting on 19 November 2017 at party headquarters in Harare.
Musengezi is challenging Mnangagwa’s legitimacy at the High Court.
“I am fortified in my quest for a remedy to my grievance against the respondents (Zanu-PF, Mnangagwa, Obert Mpofu, Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu-PF secretary for finance and acting national commissar, Phelekezela Mphoko, former vice-president, and Ignatius Chombo, ex-secretary for administration) by a recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe handed down on the 31st of March 2020 in the matter of the Movement for Democratic Change & Others v Mashavira & Others Sc 56/20, wherein the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe made a corrective intervention in the internal affairs of the Movement for Democratic Change party and made an order for the regularisation of
As things stand, Mnangagwa has no mandate to be the leader of Zanu-PF and President of Zimbabwe, the application suggests. He came in through a string of illegalities which have not been cured, meaning he is an illegal President of the republic,” argues Musengezi.
According to legal experts, Mnangagwa is illegitimate because of the following reasons:
first, he came in through a coup, which means unconstitutional seizure of power;
secondly, he did not follow the national constitution on how he should have come in; Mphoko did not act as required;
Thirdly, he was installed as Zanu-PF leader by an illegal central committee meeting;
Fourth, he was elected through a disputed election with a wafer-thin margin in 2018; and
Fifth, he did not hold the 2019 Zanu-PF congress which was due, as he feared defeat amid raging battles of unsettled leadership question.
Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners launched the first ever global strategy to defeat meningitis – a debilitating disease that kills hundreds of thousands of people each year.
By 2030, the goals are to eliminate epidemics of bacterial meningitis – the most deadly form of the disease – and to reduce deaths by 70% and halve the number of cases. The organizations estimate that in total, the strategy could save more than 200,000 lives annually and significantly reduce disability caused by the disease.
This strategy, the Global Roadmap to Defeat Meningitis by 2030, was launched by a broad coalition of partners involved in meningitis prevention and control at a virtual event, hosted by WHO in Geneva. Its focus is on preventing infections and improving care and diagnosis for those affected.
“Wherever it occurs, meningitis can be deadly and debilitating; it strikes quickly, has serious health, economic and social consequences, and causes devastating outbreaks,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “It is time to tackle meningitis globally once and for all –by urgently expanding access to existing tools like vaccines, spearheading new research and innovation to prevent, detecting and treating the various causes of the disease, and improving rehabilitation for those affected.”
Meningitis is a dangerous inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, predominantly caused by infection with bacteria and viruses.
Meningitis that is caused by bacterial infection tends to be the most serious – leading to around 250,000 deaths a year – and can cause fast-spreading epidemics. It kills 1 in 10 of those infected – mostly children and young people – and leaves 1 in 5 with long-lasting disability, such as seizures, hearing and vision loss, neurological damage, and cognitive impairment.
Over the last ten years, meningitis epidemics have occurred in all regions of the world, though most commonly in the ‘Meningitis Belt,’ which spans 26 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa. These epidemics are unpredictable, can severely disrupt health systems, and create poverty – generating catastrophic expenditures for households and communities.
“More than half a billion Africans are at risk of seasonal meningitis outbreaks but the disease has been off the radar for too long,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
“This shift away from firefighting outbreaks to strategic response can’t come soon enough. This roadmap will help protect the health and lives of hundreds of thousands of families who every year fear this disease.”
Several vaccines protect against meningitis, including meningococcal, Haemophilus influenzae type b and pneumococcal vaccines. However, not all communities have access to these lifesaving vaccines, and many countries are yet to introduce them into their national programmes.
While research is underway to develop vaccines for other causes of meningitis, such as Group B Strep bacteria, there remains an urgent need for innovation, funding and research to develop more meningitis-preventive vaccines. Efforts are also needed to strengthen early diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation for all those who need it after contracting the disease.
“This roadmap is the embodiment of the ambition of people and families affected around the world who have called for its creation.
It’s their experience and passion that has driven a whole community of interest to get this far,” said Vinny Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Meningitis Research Foundation and the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO), an international membership organization of patient advocacy groups for meningitis. “We celebrate together the common goal of defeating meningitis and will be led by their inspiration to make it happen.”
The new Roadmap details the following priorities for meningitis response and prevention:
Achievement of high immunization coverage, development of new affordable vaccines, and improved prevention strategies and outbreak response; Speedy diagnosis and optimal treatment for patients; Good data to guide prevention and control efforts; Care and support for those affected, focusing on early recognition and improved access to care and support for after-effects, and Advocacy and engagement, to ensure high awareness of meningitis, accountability for national plans, and affirmation of the right to prevention, care and after-care services. WHO and partners are providing support to countries to implement the Roadmap, including through the development of regional and national frameworks that will help countries achieve its ambitious goals.
Partner quotes
“The Global Roadmap to Defeat Meningitis demonstrates what can be accomplished when a global need is met with global action,” said Nikolaj Gilbert, President and CEO of PATH. “Progress against meningitis has lagged for too long; by working together, we can overcome the disease that has cost so many lives in countries around the world. PATH is proud to have been a part of the roadmap’s development and is committed to advancing affordable and equitable vaccine solutions to defeat meningitis.”
“We must be united in our efforts to end all preventable childhood diseases, including bacterial meningitis,” said Dr. Aboubacar Kampo, Director of Health Programmes at UNICEF. “UNICEF has been supporting governments for decades, facilitating the delivery of life-saving meningitis vaccines. Still, far too many children are succumbing to this and other preventable diseases – and the situation is only worsening as a result of the pandemic.
We need to act decisively to strengthen primary health care and get routine immunization back on track, before more children face adverse health outcomes – or loss of life – inflicted by meningitis and other preventable infectious diseases.”
“Although the main burden of meningitis is in poor countries, acute bacterial meningitis is a global problem with no country being spared its devastating impact,” said Professor Sir Brian Greenwood, Professor of Clinical Tropical Medicine at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and co-chair of the Task Force supporting the implementation of the roadmap. “Thus, containing this serious group of infections needs a global response. This is what the roadmap sets out to achieve, bringing together – under the umbrella of WHO – health professionals from across the world to bring this condition under control by 2030.”
“The Meningitis Roadmap provides a clear blueprint for defeating this devastating disease,” said Professor Robert Heyderman, Head of the Research Department of Infection at University College London. “Crucially it identifies the gaps in our knowledge and the tools required. To achieve the Road Map’s ambitious goals, a team approach will bring together countries, global policymakers, civil society, funders, researchers, public health specialists, healthcare workers and industry to generate and implement innovative new strategies.
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!
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! pic.twitter.com/tqIvn4Z7dL
Tinashe Sambiri|Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa, illegally assumed power following the removal of Robert Mugabe from power in November 2017…
Zanu PF member Sybeth Musengezi is challenging Mnangagwa’s appointment as party leader by the Central Committee.
In court papers, Musengezi argues Mnangagwa should relinquish the leadership, as he was installed illegally through a Central Committee meeting on 19 November 2017 at party headquarters in Harare.
Musengezi is challenging Mnangagwa’s legitimacy at the High Court.
“I am fortified in my quest for a remedy to my grievance against the respondents (Zanu-PF, Mnangagwa, Obert Mpofu, Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu-PF secretary for finance and acting national commissar, Phelekezela Mphoko, former vice-president, and Ignatius Chombo, ex-secretary for administration) by a recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe handed down on the 31st of March 2020 in the matter of the Movement for Democratic Change & Others v Mashavira & Others Sc 56/20, wherein the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe made a corrective intervention in the internal affairs of the Movement for Democratic Change party and made an order for the regularisation of
As things stand, Mnangagwa has no mandate to be the leader of Zanu-PF and President of Zimbabwe, the application suggests. He came in through a string of illegalities which have not been cured, meaning he is an illegal President of the republic,” argues Musengezi.
According to legal experts, Mnangagwa is illegitimate because of the following reasons:
first, he came in through a coup, which means unconstitutional seizure of power;
secondly, he did not follow the national constitution on how he should have come in; Mphoko did not act as required;
Thirdly, he was installed as Zanu-PF leader by an illegal central committee meeting;
Fourth, he was elected through a disputed election with a wafer-thin margin in 2018; and
Fifth, he did not hold the 2019 Zanu-PF congress which was due, as he feared defeat amid raging battles of unsettled leadership question.
By A Correspondent- A Nigerian man, has pledged to fly lobola payment cattle from his country to Zimbabwe .
Adewale Yusuf Olayiwola married his fiancée Nunurai Colleta Mudarikwa, daughter to Uzumba MP Simbaneuta Mudarikwa (ZANU PF) and his wife Verna Muromba Mudarikwa in Mutoko.
Adewale, who is from Nigeria’s Osun State Province reportedly paid at least US$10 000 cash.
Mudarikwa’s Nigerian son-in-law is in Real Estate and Logistics entrepreneurship in both Nigeria and South Africa.
He was represented by his father’s brother, Ishmael Olayiwola, two men and a woman all from Nigeria during the marriage rituals.
Speaking to H-Metro, the bride, Nunurai, expressed excitement following her marriage to Adewale. She said:
I am excited because today is my birthday and I am getting married to Adewale.
We met about five years ago through mutual friends at a friend’s house. In fact, we started off as friends and we eventually started dating.
I do not tolerate cheating and it helped me in my relationship. I do not have the emotional capacity, so I cannot stay with a cheating man, even if I get that my husband is cheating on me, I won’t stand it.
She said cultural differences made the marriage a bit of a challenge but they managed to mix the two to come up with a hybrid culture. Said Nunurai:
The only challenge that I faced is that my husband is Nigerian, so cultural differences were kind of a challenge for both families at some point.
However, we managed to have a mix of both and we ended up with our own culture.
By A Correspondent- An online news portal has claimed that Nelson Chamisa, the leader of opposition MDC Alliance reportedly “demoted” the party’s vice-chairman, Job Sikhala, for his involvement in the formation of a party that was destined to split the MDC Alliance vote.
Bulawayo24 reports in allegations which ZimEye disproves that Sikhala was the brains behind the formation of Patriotic Zimbabweans, which is fronted by Charles Mutama, a US-based former MDC Alliance activist. Added the source:
Mutama is very close to Job and he supported him during his trials. They were tortured by the security agents together. President vakabata ndere ndere yekuti Sikhala ndiye muridzi wechinhu cha Mutama (Patriotic Zimbabweans party).
In what does not reconcile with reality or truth on the ground, since Mutama is working with Sikhala’s own political enemy, Chiwoneso Mpofu, who deputises him, the piece claims Sikhaka wanted Mutama to set up structures and then invite him to lead the structured party. It says he also wanted Mutama to test the acceptability of the new party on the ground.
Unfortunately, it did not get much traction needed to split the party votes and this is the reason why Job remained in the cocoon. Such a person can never be trusted. He is actually in the departure lounge.
The source, according to Bulawayo24, said Chamisa also blamed Sikhala for being inactive in the wake of the absence of the national chairperson Tabitha Khumalo who has not been feeling well for some time.
The article however fails on many fronts as it does not seek comments from the two opposition stalwarts it accuses. It is also inconceivable that Sikhala would team up with his own opponent for the Zengeza seat, Mutama’s deputy, Chiwoneso Mpofu. ZimEye is in possession of documents of the formative stages of the organisation which show that it has nothing to do with Sikhala.
By A Correspondent- Three people were killed while seven others were injured in a horrific road traffic accident a few kilometres from Gwanda town on Friday afternoon.
According to a Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) statement, a Toyota Hilux with nine passengers on board burst a rear left tyre, veered off the road, overturned, and landed on its roof at 198 km peg along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge road.
The victims all died on the spot while the seven who were injured were ferried to Gwanda Provincial Hospital where they were admitted. Police posted on Twitter:
The ZRP confirms a fatal RTA which occurred on 22/10/21 at 1530 hrs at 198 km peg along Bulawayo-Beitbridge Rd, in which three people died on the spot while seven others were injured. A Toyota Hilux vehicle, with nine passengers on board, burst a rear left tyre resulting in the vehicle veering off the road before it overturned and landed on its roof. The bodies of the victims were taken to Gwanda Provincial Hospital for post-mortem while the injured were admitted to the same hospital.
The police said they will provide more details on the accident in due course.
By A Correspondent- Calls and endorsements for the former Local Government Minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, to take over power from Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2023 are growing by the day.
These calls are coming from Zimbabweans some parts of the country, saying Tyson, as he is affectionately known, is the right man to deliver the country from the political and economic mess it is right now.
Twitter spaces and all social media platforms are awash with these endorsements.
Leading Kasukuwere Presidential endorsement online campaign is one Ntokozo John Msipha who is profiling the exiled politician:
101. Saviour Kasukuwere Born 23 September 1970, in Mt Darwin to Josiah Kausiyo and Gladys Kasukuwere. He attended Chiunye Primary School and Mhofu Primary school in Highfields & Bradley Sec Sch 84-87″.
By A Correspondent- A Harare slay queen Luminitsa Kimberly Jemwa has caused the arrest of her landlord for stealing her US$32 000 cash and jewellery worth US$152 000 from her apartment.
Last week, the landlord, Kundai Muradzikwa, appeared before magistrate Dennis Mangosi charged with unlawful entry and was released on free bail after the court noted that he was coming from home and not police custody.
Prosecutor Anesu Chirenje told the court that on an unknown date, Muradzikwa allegedly seized keys from the tenant, Luminitsa Kimberly Jemwa’s maid and ordered her to vacate the place because her boss was delaying in paying rentals as well as electricity bills.
It is alleged that Muradzikwa unlawfully entered Jemwa’s house in her absence and stole money amounting to US$32 000, two watches and jewellery, all valued at US$152 000.
A report was made to the police, leading to Muradzikwa’s arrest.
The maid also filed a complaint against Borrowdale Police Station officers who allegedly released the accused after alleged interference by his mother, Grace Muradzikwa.
In her affidavit, the complainant said Muradzikwa’s mother bragged that she was a commissioner, threatening to report the officers to Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga if they did not release her son.
The maid said the police then released the accused, fearing backlash from their bosses.
Grace is the Insurance and Pensions Commission commissioner.
By A Correspondent- The Zanu PF restructuring process in Kwekwe has mainly been marred by irregularities as party members are divided along factional lines in Midlands, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s home province.
The ruling party’s provincial chairperson, Daniel Mackenzie Ncube recently confirmed to ZWNews that the restructuring process had been compromised in some parts of the Midlands, especially in Kwekwe.
Ncube told a local radio station that there were amplified reports of electoral malpractices in the wake of the controversially conducted and disputed district elections which were characterised by violence and rigging.
The ZANU PF Midlands executive has been inundated by several complaint letters that had been brought forth following the chaotic polls, Ncube said.
According to Ncube, ZANU PF does not condone acts of violence and would not accept anything that does not reflect the will of the people and for this reason, he said all areas affected during the restructuring process would have re-runs.
While declaring the contentious electoral outcomes as null and void, Ncube said:
The Party is going to follow proper protocol in ensuring that all Elections in the Province are done in a free, fair and transparent manner.
It is understood that factionalism is rife in Kwekwe, especially Kwekwe Central Constituency, which is widely believed to be the hotbed of divisional politics in ZANU PF.
Voting in Kwekwe Central was halted following violent confrontations between two rival camps amid indications that there were disagreements over the voter registers to be used.
A senior party official who spoke to the publication said a nephew to the Minister of State Security Energy Dhala Ncube was acting with impunity to influence electoral processes, given his proximity to power.
State Security Minister Owen Ncube or Mudha, as he is widely known in ZANU PF circles, has huge interests in Kwekwe as he has perennially been known to play kingmaker in the Midlands town.
Impeccable sources say Mudha has been fronting Dhala’s bid to wrestle the sole ruling party parliamentary candidacy from cleric and ZANU PF shadow MP, Kandros Mugabe.
During the abandoned Kwekwe Central by-elections last year, rowdy thugs who have links to Mudha’s alleged terror outfit, the infamous Al-Shabbab, are said to have been responsible for the assaulting of several provincial officials who were overseeing the aborted intraparty polls.
Following the recent disputed district elections in Kwekwe, it is further reported that Mudha’s camp has been refusing to hold re-runs in two out of five districts where electoral malpractices were rife.
Dhala’s camp is also accused of creating parallel branch registers for every branch register that was submitted to the ZANU PF Kwekwe district headquarters. Said a source:
This scenario resulted in the birth of conflicts as we ended up with two conflicting sets of branch executives from each ward across Kwekwe Central.
The process has divided the people in Kwekwe Central and the restructuring process which is supposed to be a Party Programme has been turned into a personal project by Dhala who enjoys the protection of his uncle.
When we were doing the door to door Cell Registration process, we submitted all the cell registers to Chiramba (District Coordinator) for forwarding to the DCC but we were surprised to hear that Dhala’s people, later on, submitted their own Cell Registers which were in stark contrast to the ones compiled following the door-to-door campaigns.
The source further added that compilation of the separate voter registers was done at Dhala’s office, which is infamously known as ‘Mukwati’ along Amaveni Road in Kwekwe.
By A Correspondent- MDC-T Senator for Harare, Morgan Femai, has urged the government to consider forcing African Distillers Limited (Afdis) to package its products in such a way that they become too expensive for young people.
Femai said cane spirits, whiskies, and brandies packed in quarter bottles by Afdis were too cheap and therefore affordable for young people who are now abusing the products.
Afdis manufactures such products as Gold blend, Star Cane, Skipper’s, Mainstay, Viceroy and Chateau among others.
Speaking in the Senate during a question-and-answer session, Femai said Afdis should package products in bigger bottles to make them more expensive. He said:
Now the drugs coming from out of the country are few, but we have a problem with drugs that are being manufactured here in our country.
Long back, we did not have liquor which was sold in quarter bottles and is now being made by African Distillers; it is being delivered to supermarkets and the cost is US$0.50.
Those are some of the drugs that are bought by our children. It is cheaper to them if they get US$1, they buy two and share.
Is there anything that can be done by the Ministry of Health that these small bottles should not be manufactured?
They must manufacture something at a higher price so that it can be beyond the reach of the youths.
In his response, the Deputy Minister of Health John Mangwiro said he was going to inform the police about it. Said Mangwiro:
Thank you, Madam President and Honourable Member, for explaining how we can curb this as a nation.
We will explain to the police and all the stakeholders if this is being brewed in this country.
These children are not only taking beer but they are being introduced to drugs like crystal meth.
When you hear them say “sticking”, it means when they take those drugs and they will just sit for three days without feeling hungry or doing anything.
We are also hearing that they are now going after diapers, even used ones.
… We used to hear that this was prevalent in low-density residential areas but now this has spread to high-density suburbs.
We agree with what you have said. And we will do everything within our means so that youths will stop using drugs.
They will end up stealing household gadgets from their parents because they want to use that money to purchase drugs. They can do anything when they are drunk.
By A Correspondent- Police details in Chipinge are investigating an attack on Zanu PF senator for Manicaland Province, Dorothy Mabika’s house.
The attack occurred Wednesday night at the senator’s house located in the low-density suburb of Chipinge.
Reports indicate that a gang of five unknown assailants threw stones on the house and smashed a parked vehicle’s windows and windowpanes.
One of the occupants at the house, Nyaradzo Guruza, who is also ZANU PF Chipinge District Coordinating Committee political commissar, told The Manica Post that there were four occupants in the house when the incident occurred. She said:
It was around midnight when the incident occurred. It all started with a vehicle that was making rounds in our street, and suddenly stones started raining at our house.
The gang attacked a Toyota Regius vehicle which was parked in the yard. Guards reacted and the gang fled.
They continued throwing stones all over the yard. The whole incident lasted for about two hours.
We phoned Cde Mabika who was in Harare and informed her about the incident. She immediately called the police who reacted fast and attended the scene.
No one was injured.
Mabika confirmed the incident to the publication and called for thorough investigations.
By Kudzai Chipanga | Look here young man NELSON CHAMISA.Isu vemudanga taida kutopindawo nevamwe vari ku joza uko sezvikomana but takavakoniwa vakuru ava. Iwe mwana wemubvandiripo unoda kupinda nepai? Musashandise vana vevanhu muchivanyepera boys. ED anorema uyu. #NgaatongeHakeMudhara#EDpfee
By A Correspondent- A Harare slay queen Luminitsa Kimberly Jemwa has lost US$32 000 cash and jewellery worth US$152 000 to her landlord.
The landlord, Kundai Muradzikwa, has since been arrested and charged for theft.
Muradzikwa last week appeared before magistrate Dennis Mangosi charged with unlawful entry, and was released on free bail after the court noted that he was coming from home and not police custody.
Prosecutor Anesu Chirenje told the court that on an unknown date, Muradzikwa allegedly seized keys from the tenant, Luminitsa Kimberly Jemwa’s maid and ordered her to vacate the place because her boss was delaying in paying rentals as well as electricity bills.
It is alleged that Muradzikwa unlawfully entered Jemwa’s house in her absence and stole money amounting to US$32 000, two watches and jewellery, all valued at US$152 000.
A report was made to the police, leading to Muradzikwa’s arrest.
The maid also filed a complaint against Borrowdale Police Station officers who allegedly released the accused after alleged interference by his mother, Grace Muradzikwa.
In her affidavit, the complainant said Muradzikwa’s mother bragged that she was a commissioner, threatening to report the officers to Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga if they did not release her son.
The maid said the police then released the accused, fearing backlash from their bosses.
Grace is the Insurance and Pensions Commission commissioner.
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police has arrested two of its officers for selling 50 guns to robbers.
The two officers at the centre of the scandal, William Nhata (35) of 9631 Southview Park, Harare, worked at the ZRP police national arms’ depot in Harare, and Constable Crive Kadambure, who was based in Chinhoyi, have been arrested.
Kadambure (42) who was stationed at the Mashonaland West Provincial Armoury in Chinhoyi was recently arrested for dealing in more than 40 high-calibre weapons.
Kadambure was arrested with his alleged accomplices Wonder Tawanda Kwaramba (36), who is an ex-police officer and a civilian Edmore Manuwere (28), with police saying the trio worked as an organised firearms syndicate. “Detectives received information to the effect that there was a criminal syndicate dealing in illegal firearms. The information was that during the period from January 2019 to date, the above accused were working as an organised criminal syndicate dealing in firearms. The accused persons would then approach registered firearms dealers across the country where they purchased forty-four high calibre rifles.
“The accused working as a syndicate went on to obtain fake firearm certificates with fake serial numbers and references. Armed with those fake certificates they would obtain the purchased firearms from the registered dealers.
“Thereafter the accused sold to or traded the firearms with poachers and armed robbers both inside and outside the country. Acting on the information, the detectives managed to arrest the three accused persons in Harare, Bulawayo and Chinhoyi. The team managed to obtain firearms registers from registered dealers and established the accused person had made several purchases,” reads police statement seen by Sunday Mail.
Kwaramba is also involved in another case, in which he is accused of dealing in firearms with Taona Javangwe (43) of Nkulumane suburb in Bulawayo.
Upon his arrest early this month, Javangwe, who is charged with being in possession of two firearms illegally, implicated Kwaramba.
Nhata was arrested last week and appeared in court on Wednesday, charged with fraud and contravention of the firearms act.
Police documents show that Nhata is suspected of having illegally traded in firearms since October 2019.
The police records read:
“On October 29, 2019, accused who is a member of the Zimbabwe Republic Police attached at ZRP National Armoury was approached by the complainant Simon Mandicheta Nr 42-020505-L-34 of Plot 31 Wesly South Nyabira intending to buy a firearm for the purposes or crop and livestock protection. The accused person then told the complainant that he was selling a .22 FN rifle serial number 63861 for US$350 and was shown the rifle which was at the National Armoury.
“The complainant paid the money for the rifle and the accused was given a form FR 11 to process the firearm certificate so that he would collect the rifle by the accused. On 8 October 2021, the complainant approached the accused who was at his workplace intending to collect the firearm since he had acquired the firearm certificate for the rifle. The complainant then discovered that the accused did not have any rifle which he was selling. On October 18, 2021, complainant reported the matter at Harare Central leading to the arrest of the accused.”
Another suspect is Patrick Chirara (42) of 2240N Chiedza road Karoi, who is facing eight counts of illegally dealing in firearms, which had fake certificates.
Police records say Chirara sold the guns to armed robbers.
By A Correspondent- MDC-T official who was beaten up in front of journalists by fellow party members, Thursday, Kudzai Mashumba is pushing for the arrest of the party leader, Douglas Mwonzora.
Mashumba was beaten up before addressing a press conference to expose Mwonzora’s alleged abuse of party finances.
“It is common knowledge that Mwonzora misappropriated more than six million Zimbabwean dollars granted to the MDC-T under the Political Parties Finance Act,” Mashumba said.
“It is common knowledge that the Zimbabwe republic police is in possession of affidavits filed by the then MDC-T Treasurer Sen. Chief Ndlovu, vice president Dr. T Khupe, chairman Sen. Komichi and Sen. Mudzuri conforming that indeed Mwonzora misappropriated party funds. It is therefore shocking that the police have failed to charge the suspect. Perhaps this is due to his proximity to the head of state which he claims grants him immunity from prosecution,” he said.
“The party continues to ignore and defy all the relevant labour laws in dealing with its workers. Party workers continue to work with no written contracts, no fixed salaries, no fixed pay days, no pay slips and no proper grades. Furthermore, it is disheartening to note that the party has wilfully failed to remit PAY AS YOU EARN dues and NEC dues. This, we understand is due to Mwonzora’s proximity and protection by the government of the day,” he further claimed.
He went on to say that party members are shocked to hear that the party president is about to join President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD).
“Mwonzora is on record as saying the POLAD is a grouping of fake political parties created by President ED Mnangagwa, he has gone on to claim the current state president stole the 2018 election, went on to kill people on the 1st of august 2018 and on the 14th – 16th of January 2019,” Mashumba said in his statement. It is therefore shocking to hear that Mwonzora is about to join POLAD. This is just shows all and sundry that Mwonzora is a man lacking integrity and principle.”
Villagers in Dete have appealed to the Government to come up with ways to reduce accidents at Cross Dete following a spate of fatal accidents in the area.
This follows the latest incident in which a nine year-old girl was run over by a police vehicle while crossing the road on her way to school last week.
The incident drew the ire of villagers who accused motorists of being reckless and put people’s lives in danger by failing to observe safety measures.
The Sunday News crew arrived at the scene a few minutes after the Grade 3 learner had been knocked down and killed by a police vehicle heading towards Dete police station.
The body was already covered with a blanket as villagers waited for the police to attend to it.
The police officer who was identified only as Mashoko was subsequently arrested over the incident.
“We are shocked with this incident and what is worse is that this time it involves a police officer. The sudden death of this girl has really angered the community who are demanding that action should be taken to deal with this menace.
“This child was on her way to school and was crossing the road when this car cames flying by disregarding the warning signs to reduce speed, “ said Mr Anorld Ngwenya.
Lupote Ward Councillor Cosmas Mwakiposa said the incident had raised concern among villagers.
“This latest incident has set emotions raging with communities calling for action to be taken to curb future incidences.It’s sad to note that many people have been killed over the years by mostly speeding motorists. My appeal to the responsible ministry is that it should urgently come up with traffic controls.
“Cross Dete is known as a busy area where we have children crossing the road go to school while their parents try to eke a livelihood at the same business centre,” said Clr Mwakiposa.
Matabeleland North provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Glory Banda referred comments to the National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi who however, could not be reached.
SEVERAL high profile individuals involved in illegal foreign currency trading will soon be arraigned before the courts to face charges of violating foreign exchange regulations.
The imminent arrests and arraignments are part of an ongoing blitzkrieg being led by the National Prosecuting Authority targeting currency manipulators.
Prosecutor-General Mr Kumbirai Hodzi told The Sunday Mail yesterday that the onslaught was gathering momentum.The operation has so far accounted for 20 accused persons some of whom are directors of accused companies who are languishing in remand prison after being denied bail by the courts.
“In general terms we have heightened the blitz,” said Mr Hodzi.
“I have been holding consultative meetings with my commanders and I have been informed that they have identified big names that are violating foreign currency regulations.“
The evidence against them is overwhelming and their arrest is very imminent.”
He declined to divulge the names of the individuals saying this may prompt some of them to flee.
“Let us not scare away the birds. We are going to release the names once they are arrested.
“This time we are not going to do it the way we did in the past. We used to launch such blitz and then relax.
“However, we have committed ourselves to sustain the blitz until there is stability in the market.
“We have a team which is identifying these violators and compiling evidence against them.“We are working in collaboration with other state agencies in this regard.”
THE Government has warned private schools who are violating monetary regulations noting that they were trading on thin ice and could easily lose their operating licenses.
This comes after Bulawayo based Whitestone School has proposed the payment of top-ups from parents who had paid school fees for their children in local currency.
The school had, at the beginning of the term pegged their fees in foreign currency with parents however, having the option to pay in local currency as per the prevailing auction system rate. ]
According to a circular from the school’s board of trustees, parents with children doing ECD-A are required to pay a top-up of $107 250, ECD-B; $135 300.
Sources revealed when schools opened the fees were pegged at US$1 350.“The Board of Trustees met on 23 September 2021 to review the financial performance of the school and to discuss additional fees necessary to run the school until December 2021.
Given the significant inflationary pressures in the economy it is apparent that the school will not be able to operate efficiently to the end of this cycle at the current fee levels.
“Your board is however, cognisant of the impact of the same economic pressure on parents’ incomes and businesses alike and in light of this, the board has tried to keep the increase in school fees to a minimum…As previously advised in our Cycle three Circular of 18 August 2021, the top-up fee will only be for those accounts where parents have settled the initial deposit in ZWL,” reads the circular.
Despite the school claiming that this was thus far a proposal, they offer an early settlement discount to parents that settle the top-up by 15 October.
“An early settlement discount of 35 percent on the top up is offered should payments be received by Friday 15 October 2021. If you wish to take advantage of this early settlement discount offer, the discounted amount to be paid by you will be; ECD-A $16 900, ECD-B $21 320 and Grades 1 – 7 $35 100. If you are interested in the discount, please ensure that this amount is credited to the school bank account no later than Friday 15 October 2021. For those parents who have paid the initial deposit in ZWL who may wish to settle the top in USD please contact the Accounts office for assistance,” reads the circular.
In the circular, the board of trustees noted that since parents cannot physically meet they can contribute towards the proposal via postal and online voting.
However, parents have raised a red flag over the voting system noting that this could expose their children to victimisation if they voted against the proposal.
“The whole system has discrimination written all over it, they claim it’s a proposal but in all honesty it is far from that besides the money we paid at the beginning of the term was equated in the auction system rate, why should we be paying these top-ups. Further, if I vote against this proposal what stops my child from being discriminated because the ballot form required us to state the names of our children,” said a parent who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Contacted for comment, Director of Information and Advocacy in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Mr Taungana Ndoro warned the school saying not only was this illegal but could also result in the school losing its operating license.
“This is very much illegal as this school could be violating a number of monetary exchange laws to add on to violating set laws governing the operation of schools in the country regarding the charging of school fees. What I must emphasise especially to private schools is that they should at all times be guided by the laws of the country rather than do as they will,” said Mr Ndoro.
By A Correspondent- A Harare landlord, Kundai Muradzikwa, has been arrested for stealing US$32 000 cash and jewellery worth US$152 000 from a tenant.
Muradzikwa appeared before magistrate Dennis Mangosi charged with unlawful entry, and was released on free bail after the court noted that he was coming from home and not police custody.
Prosecutor Anesu Chirenje told the court that on an unknown date, Muradzikwa allegedly seized keys from the tenant, Luminitsa Kimberly Jemwa’s maid and ordered her to vacate the place because her boss was delaying in paying rentals as well as electricity bills.
Luminitsa Jemwa
It is alleged that Muradzikwa unlawfully entered Jemwa’s house in her absence and stole money amounting to US$32 000, two watches and jewellery, all valued at US$152 000.
A report was made to the police, leading to Muradzikwa’s arrest.
The maid also filed a complaint against Borrowdale Police Station officers who allegedly released the accused after alleged interference by his mother, Grace Muradzikwa.
In her affidavit, the complainant said Muradzikwa’s mother bragged that she was a commissioner, threatening to report the officers to Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga if they did not release her son.
The maid said the police then released the accused, fearing backlash from their bosses.
Grace is the Insurance and Pensions Commission commissioner.
By A Correspondent| A senior magistrate at the Harare Magistrates court, Vongai Muchuchuti Guwuriro is in the eye of a storm after she was caught pants down conniving with state prosecutor Michael Reza to deny MDC Alliance vice President Tendai Biti his right to legal representation.
According to Biti, Muchuchuti who is presiding over his assault case at the Harare Magistrates court failed to uphold her judicial duties as an officer of the court as required by Section 165 of the Constitution.
Biti’s frustration with Guwuriro emanated from events that transpired in court on the 13th of October when he was supposed to stand for trial.
His legal counsel, Alec Muchadehama through Jeremiah Bhamu who appeared on his behalf as he was busy the Master of High Court, requested for a postponement of the trial kick off.
This did not go down well with Muchuchuti who adjourned proceedings to allow state prosecutor Michael Reza to confirm with the Master’s office on whether Muchadehama was indeed there.
After briefly adjourning, Muchuchuti took matters into her own hands and called the Master’s office to enquire about Biti’s lawyer whereabouts.
Unknowingly, the Master of High Court then exposed Guwuriro telling Muchadehama that she had called enquiring about his whereabouts.
Guwuriro’s move and many other questionable rulings against Biti have now set her at collision course with the former finance minister who now wants her recused from presiding over his case.
Biti accused Guwuriro of acting like a prosecutor while also aiming at Reza whom he says is unfit to hold judicial office.
In his High Court application, the firebrand legislator laid into the two for infringing on his rights to legal representation after they objected to the postponement of his trial due to the absence of his legal counsel.
Biti also accused Reza of holding a personal grudge against him to the extend of prosecuting a case of assault despite holding a very senior position in the National Prosecuting Authority.
“Moreover, Mr Michael Reza is the Deputy Prosecutor General. He deputises Mr Kumbirai Hodzi. How does a Deputy Prosecutor General prosecute a case of verbal abuse in a Regional Court,” said Biti.
He also expressed concern that an alleged verbal abuse case has ended up being triable matter before a Regional Magistrate.
“How does a matter relating to an alleged verbal abuse now engineered as an assault end up being a triable matter before a Regional Magistrate,” questioned Biti.
“The atmosphere at court is a poisoned one. Both the 1st respondent and indeed Michael Reza, behave as if they are joint prosecutors.
“Both of them in my humble opinion have miserably failed to uphold their judicial duties as officers of this honourable court as is required by Section 165 of the constitution,” added Biti.
Biti is accused of assaulting a Russian woman who is also aide to controversial businessman Kenneth Raydon Sharpe.
Emmerson Mnangagwa is cornered in a high-stakes internal power struggle manoeuvre over his dubious legitimacy as Zanu-PF leader in the aftermath of a devastating High Court application by a party member – which reflects factional strife and his faltering grip.
In the explosive lawsuit, party member Sybeth Musengezi is demanding that the court follow the precedent set by the opposition MDC-T case in the Supreme Court and force Mnangagwa to step down.
This comes as The NewsHawks has received huge feedback from various political sections, including Zanu-PF bigwigs and ordinary members, showing that the court case has set the cat among the pigeons ahead of the party’s annual conference at the end of this month.
The shifts and changes within Zanu-PF structures amid a state of flux are also being fuelled by the political brinkmanship fixated on the party’s delayed elective congress before the 2023 general elections.
This is over and above the main contention in the application, widely shared in the party, that Mnangagwa should relinquish the leadership, as he was installed illegally through a kangaroo Zanu-PF central committee meeting on 19 November 2017 at party headquarters in Harare. The meeting was unlawfully convened, constituted and conducted, the High Court application by Zanu-PF member Musengezi demanding Mnangagwa’s removal says.
The court challenge against Mnangagwa’s ascendancy by Musengezi has echoes of the messy MDC-T infighting that erupted following the death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai in February 2018. Mnangagwa’s unconstitutional and unlawful rise to power is thus now entangled in the MDC-T case precedent. Courts usually work through precedents.
Precedent refers to a court judgment that is considered as authority for deciding subsequent cases involving identical or similar facts, or similar legal issues. The similarities between the Zanu-PF and the MDC-T cases are close. Musengezi is alive to that reality in his application.
“I am fortified in my quest for a remedy to my grievance against the respondents (Zanu-PF, Mnangagwa, Obert Mpofu, Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu-PF secretary for finance and acting national commissar, Phelekezela Mphoko, former vice-president, and Ignatius Chombo, ex-secretary for administration) by a recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe handed down on the 31st of March 2020 in the matter of the Movement for Democratic Change & Others v Mashavira & Others Sc 56/20, wherein the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe made a corrective intervention in the internal affairs of the Movement for Democratic Change party and made an order for the regularisation of the election of the leadership of that political party in the interests of justice despite the passage of time and the mootness of the case,” Musengezi says.
“The Supreme Court in the said judgment held that it is a matter of public importance as regards the governance of political parties generally that the leadership of the political party is constitutionally and lawfully ensconced.” Musengezi said the political stakes were much higher in the current Zanu-PF case than in the MDC-T one.- Bulawayo24
By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere has attacked the police for not being objective in their dealings with the party since the political violence and the attempt of Nelson Chamisa’s assassination.
“The onus is on the police to demonstrate that they are objective. They have history of prejudging these matters and turning on the victims. We saw what they did with the MDC trio Joana Mamombe Cecelia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova and other political violence and torture”, Mahere said.
However, the police said the MDC Alliance was not cooperating with the law enforcement agents to facilitate a probe into the opposition’s claims of violence against it’s leader.
The party alleges that Chamisa’s convoy was intercepted by suspected Zanu PF supporters who allegedly shot the rear window of his car in a suspected assassination attempt.
Tinashe Sambiri|Zanu PF youths loyal to Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa want the constitution to be amended to enable the troubled leader to remain in power.
Mr Mnangagwa is supposed to serve only two terms.
However, former revolutionary party youths led by Tendai Chirawu have effectively declared Mr Mnangagwa life President.
Constantino Chiwenga wants to take over power Mr Mnangagwa, according to party insiders.
The party’s youth leader, Tendai Chirau, said: We agreed that it is important that if the constitution of the country can be amended so that he (Mnangagwa) can have more than two terms.”
According to Chirau, the ZANU PF youth league has endorsed Mr Mnangagwa as the sole 2023 presidential candidate.
“The first thing we discussed and agreed on as the executive national youth league is that His Excellency President Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is our sole candidate for the party in the 2023 elections because he has shown less than three years good leadership so we do believe that he should continue.”
A Zanu PF faction said to be sympathetic to Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga is alleged to be behind several manoeuvres seen as targeted at President Emmerson Mnangagwa amid revelations that war veterans will roll out protests against the government this week.
Infighting has intensified in the ruling in the run-up to the party’s national conference that begins in Bindura this week with different factions jostling for the control of the ruling party.
A Zanu PF activist Sybeth Musengezi last week approached the High Court challenging Mnangagwa’s ascendancy to the presidency after the coup that toppled Robert Mugabe in 2017.
Insiders said the lawsuit by Musengezi was part of a multi-pronged fight back by the faction sympathetic to Chiwenga, which is taking Mnangagwa head-on over unfulfilled promises that date back to the coup.
They include protests by a Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association faction that will begin this week to coincide with major Zanu PF activities that include the conference and campaigns for the removal of sanctions against the country.
Amos Sigauke, one of the leaders of the war veterans group, said they will hold their protests in Harare.
No Wonder Used Cars Are Selling out Like Hot Pies in Harare Used Cars | Search ads by TaboolaSponsored Links “We are marching from Africa Unity Square, Munhumutapa, Parliament, Ministry of Defence and Judiciary,” Sigauke said.
“We are getting $16 000 and are dying poor yet they lie to us that we will have mines and land.
“Only a few are benefitting and those national heroes they declare die poor.
“They glorify us when we are dead.
“There is massive looting and corruption going on and all that must end.
“Belarus and Chinese nationals are taking over and it is like we are reversing the land reform programme and compensating white farmers when others are getting reparations. “
He added: “I think these are the people we heard were surrounding the (former) president and are still here with us. These are the issues we are demonstrating about.”
In August, nine war veterans, Faith Chananda, Wonderful Kabarauta, Isso Madzivanyika Daphne Kanoti, Mazikana Marron, Nyasha Mangena, Sthyine Maphosa, Shorai Nyamangodo and Jordan Mberadzina were arrested outside Finance minister Mthuli Ncube’s offices while protesting against low pensions.
ZNLWVA leader Chris Mutsvangwa accused a former Zanu PF faction known as G40 and the opposition MDC Alliance of engineering the arrests .
Mnangagwa allegedly ordered the release of the war veterans, who were accused of doing Chiwenga’s bidding.
War veterans were instrumental in the coup against Mugabe with a faction led by Mutsvangwa organising a series of protests against the government.
Zanu PF spokesperson Mike Bimha downplayed the clashes between Mnangagwa’s government and war veterans, saying as far as he was concerned, the former fighters were happy with the performance of the new administration.
“I don’t know where these war veterans are coming from because in our meetings with their leaders, they are upbeat about what the party is doing to them,” Bimha said.- NewsDay
ZIMBABWE will not adopt the United States dollar as the sole currency because that will be suicidal to the economy, and businesses and people who continue to demand payments in foreign currency only risk facing the full wrath of the law.
This came out on the first day of the three-day 2022 pre-budget seminar which started in Victoria Falls yesterday.
Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube told the seminar that the country cannot adopt a single foreign currency.
“What we are implementing is a very pragmatic approach and we are doing very well. Let’s not allow a few people to destroy the auction (RBZ forex auction system) when everything else is doing well. Those doing it (black market) will be dealt with.
Colleagues we cannot adopt the United States dollar alone as the official currency.You were there before and the queues, huge foreign currency deficits and then you have deflation as a country. That was because of the USD, it is not a good idea, that will be suicidal. What has happened is after we introduced the local currency industry is picking up. It’s about stabilising the currency,” said Prof Ncube.
He said the US dollar and local RTGS will operate concurrently and perform two different roles.
“We are reforming the country, running the country under basically a dual currency regime. Basically we are using the Zimdollar and United States dollar, and of course other smaller currencies. We are using both currencies and you will see shifts one way or the other. We are trying to stabilise the Zimbabwean dollar and we have done well to ensure salaries are not eroded. The United States dollar is performing the role of the savings and investment currency, while the Zimbabwe dollar is performing more of the role of transaction currency, than an investment currency,” said Prof Ncube.
He said such an economy was bound to have disequilibrium and this is what is being faced “because we are in an abnormal situation, but we have to continue to have two currencies because we do not have credit lines that are available to other countries.”
The country is now selling US$15 million every day on the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe auction, he said. Prof Ncube said the country has tried well to live within its means of US$35 million to US$40 million per week on the auction front, and use of both currencies was necessitated by lack of credit lines on the offshore.He said the target was to keep the exchange rate gap constant as it cannot be reduced to zero because the two currencies have different roles and there were also behavioural issues at play.
Prof Ncube said the balance of payment was strong as more money was flowing in, compared to what leaves the country, adding that this was unique to Zimbabwe.
“So our fundamentals are strong. We have a balance budget and we are enjoying a current account surplus. It’s quite clear that the gap between the auction rate and the parallel rate is being driven more by the micro behavioural factors, people engaging in speculation. We have evidence and we are beginning to reinforce the law when it comes to such behaviour,” he said.
He said the biggest drivers of the economy so far, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, have been the fact that corporates were doing well as a result of economic reforms hence more revenue from tax, value added tax, customs duties and capital transactions, among others.
Prof Ncube said with two months before year end, Treasury still believes in recovery and hence has stuck to projected Gross Domestic Product growth of 7,8 percent and this was buoyed by commodity prices which were stable and the general improvement in the macro economic environment.
The pre-budget seminar is meant to take Parliament to the people so that it works hand in hand with other arms of the State and society at large. It is being held under the theme: “Reinforcing Sustainable Economic Recovery and Resilience.”
Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda implored the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to deal with exchange rates and foreign currency challenges.
He was responding to a point of order raised by Hon Temba Mliswa, the Member of Parliament for Norton who complained about businesses that demand foreign currency only in Victoria Falls.“If you drive out you see people not accepting the Zimbabwean dollar.
This is an issue that is confronting us as a nation particularly as we prepare our budget and we need to find ways and means to make our local tender attractive and the currency of our transaction. It is our responsibility together as Parliament and Executive,” said Adv Mudenda.
He commended efforts by the Central Bank to hold the parallel markets culprits to account and also its recent engagement with the private sector in order to bring sanity to the exchange rate regime. Some businesses were now pagging the exhange rate of the local currency to the USD to 1:180, or up to 200, in clear violation of the law.
Adv Mudenda said the country can restore the store value of the Zimbabwean dollar by marshalling in substantial gold reserves into the Central Bank.
Adv Mudenda said this year’s pre-budget seminar comes at an opportune time when globally nations were still battling with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which continues to stifle socio-economic growth and development and negatively disrupting livelihoods.
“It is against this backdrop that we are congregating here in the next three days in order to come up with a broad based budget framework which will reinforce sustainable economic recovery in a manner resilient enough so as to propel Zimbabwe to build back better in the next financial year.
In that context, Parliament and the Executive are enjoined to craft the 2022 budget which is people-centred and inspires economic hope against the vagaries of the threatening widening gap between the auction system foreign currency rates and the galloping parallel market premium whose attendant impact is price instabilities,” he said.
Adv Mudenda said the pre-budget seminar sought to review the macro-economic performance of the 2021 National Budget, discuss the 2022 fiscal framework and economic outlook, among other things.He said the budget should be pro-poor and prioritise the needs and aspirations of the marginalised groups such as women, youths, children and people with disabilities as well as gender mainstreaming, as well as to fund the women’s Bank.
He challenged legislators to familiarise themselves with the economic blue print, National Development Strategy 1.
Tinashe Sambiri|Zimbabwe is ready for real change, MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has said.
President Chamisa made the remarks as he concluded his engagement programme in Manicaland Province.
Zanu PF hooligans working with State security agents tried frantically to block President Chamisa’s community engagement programmes in Masvingo and Manicaland.
According to President Chamisa, real change is unstoppable…
He wrote: SOLID ORGANIC SUPPORT…
My unannounced surprise visit at a local market as I wrap up this Manicaland Citizens Interface provincial tour..
Zimbabwe is ready, ripe for true and real Change!Ngatipinde. Kasingene.Ngatunjile!!
SOLID ORGANIC SUPPORT..My unannounced surprise visit at a local market as I wrap up this Manicaland Citizens Interface provincial tour..Zimbabwe is ready, ripe for true and real Change!Ngatipinde. Kasingene.Ngatunjile!! pic.twitter.com/35wv0wnMpZ
THANK YOU ZIMBABWE The love, support and appreciation is amazing! The future is exciting & bright! A New Great Zimbabwe is our charge! Winning Zimbabwe for real change. Happy Sabbath! #Ngaapindehakemukomana #kangenesibiliujaha
nganjilemulombe
CCC
Godisinit
The People’s President Advocate Nelson Chamisa in Manicaland
Tinashe Sambiri|Zanu PF youths loyal to Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa want the constitution to be amended to enable the troubled leader to remain in power.
Mr Mnangagwa is supposed to serve only two terms.
However, former revolutionary party youths led by Tendai Chirawu have effectively declared Mr Mnangagwa life President.
Constantino Chiwenga wants to take over power Mr Mnangagwa, according to party insiders.
The party’s youth leader, Tendai Chirau, said: We agreed that it is important that if the constitution of the country can be amended so that he (Mnangagwa) can have more than two terms.”
According to Chirau, the ZANU PF youth league has endorsed Mr Mnangagwa as the sole 2023 presidential candidate.
“The first thing we discussed and agreed on as the executive national youth league is that His Excellency President Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is our sole candidate for the party in the 2023 elections because he has shown less than three years good leadership so we do believe that he should continue.”
Tinashe Sambiri|Zanu PF youths loyal to Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa want the constitution to be amended to enable the troubled leader to remain in power.
Mr Mnangagwa is supposed to serve only two terms.
However, former revolutionary party youths led by Tendai Chirawu have effectively declared Mr Mnangagwa life President.
Constantino Chiwenga wants to take over power Mr Mnangagwa, according to party insiders.
The party’s youth leader, Tendai Chirau, said: We agreed that it is important that if the constitution of the country can be amended so that he (Mnangagwa) can have more than two terms.”
According to Chirau, the ZANU PF youth league has endorsed Mr Mnangagwa as the sole 2023 presidential candidate.
“The first thing we discussed and agreed on as the executive national youth league is that His Excellency President Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is our sole candidate for the party in the 2023 elections because he has shown less than three years good leadership so we do believe that he should continue.”
Tinashe Sambiri|Namibia’s Popular Democratic Movement has described the assassination attempt on President Chamisa as unacceptable in the era of modern day politics.
President Chamisa escaped assassination attempts in Chiredzi and Mutare.
Zanu PF is desperate to disrupt President Chamisa’s community engagement programme.
Zimbabwean match officials will be on duty on Sunday in the CAF Champions League.
Brighton Chimene will take charge of the first round encounter between South African giants Orlando Pirates and Congolese side Diables Noirs de Brazzaville. He will be assisted by Tafadzwa Nkala and Edgar Rumeck. Lawrence Zimondi is the fourth official.
The match will be played at the Orlando Stadium in Jo’burg, South Africa.
Kick-off is at 5:30 pm Zim/CAT time.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Was Patrick Chinamasa's house hit by the same fire as that which burnt down the late Solomon Mujuru's house 10 years ago? Here are some visuals pic.twitter.com/lCox3Ah4HF
By A Correspondent- Police are investigating an attack on Senator for Manicaland Province, Dorothy Mabika’s house located in the low-density suburb of Chipinge that occurred around midnight on Wednesday.
Reports indicate that a gang of five unknown assailants threw stones on the house and smashed a parked vehicle’s windows and windowpanes.
One of the occupants at the house, Nyaradzo Guruza, who is also ZANU PF Chipinge District Coordinating Committee political commissar, told The Manica Post that there were four occupants in the house when the incident occurred. She said:
It was around midnight when the incident occurred. It all started with a vehicle that was making rounds in our street, and suddenly stones started raining at our house.
The gang attacked a Toyota Regius vehicle which was parked in the yard. Guards reacted and the gang fled.
They continued throwing stones all over the yard. The whole incident lasted for about two hours.
We phoned Cde Mabika who was in Harare and informed her about the incident. She immediately called the police who reacted fast and attended the scene.
SANCTIONS ON MNANGAGWA (none at all for 17yrs 1983-2001 when he killed over 30,000 people, on accusations of stopping the rain) MUST STAY until he stops committing genocide
The former Finance Minister and current ZANU PF National Commissar, Patrick Chinamasa has ruled out foul play in the fire that destroyed his house following a loud bang yesterday.
Speaking over the incident, Chinamasa said: “Thank God the child’s mother, who had just arrived back from work, and the housekeeper managed to rescue the baby.
“The main bedroom, the bedroom where the fire originated from and my study were all gutted by the fire and reduced to ashes. Nothing was saved from these rooms. The Fire Brigade arrived in time to save the dining room, the lounge, the kitchen and the two remaining bedrooms.
“As to the cause of the fire, I am suspecting an electrical fault. I am ruling out completely any foul play. Enemies may celebrate over my misfortune but I believe there was no enemy hand behind this incident. I know social media will be awash with all sorts of speculations. This I have no power to stop. What I know from the bottom of my heart is that this was an accident, an act of God.”
Chinamasa added saying he has been left “severely traumatised” by the incident.
He said: “It’s not easy to accept that what we have worked for all our lives has gone up in smoke in a matter of seconds. All that we have remained with are the clothes we were wearing. The furniture, clothes, blankets, files, documents, records, manuscripts, family photos… everything, and above all my priceless and irreplaceable library is now just a heap of ash and rubble.”
He went on to conclude saying
“In conversations with friends and relatives, I find myself fielding Job-like questions but I want to assure all who care for my welfare that in God I trust and he will provide,” he said.
By A Correspondent- The ZANU PF restructuring process in Kwekwe has been largely marred by irregularities as party members are divided along factional lines in Midlands, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s home province.
The ruling party’s provincial chairperson, Daniel Mackenzie Ncube recently confirmed to ZWNews that the restructuring process had been compromised in some parts of the Midlands, especially in Kwekwe.
Ncube told a local radio station that there were amplified reports of electoral malpractices in the wake of the controversially conducted and disputed district elections which were characterised by violence and rigging.
The ZANU PF Midlands executive has been inundated by several complaint letters that had been brought forth following the chaotic polls, Ncube said.
According to Ncube, ZANU PF does not condone acts of violence and would not accept anything that does not reflect the will of the people and for this reason, he said all areas affected during the restructuring process would have re-runs.
While declaring the contentious electoral outcomes as null and void, Ncube said:
The Party is going to follow proper protocol in ensuring that all Elections in the Province are done in a free, fair and transparent manner.
It is understood that factionalism is rife in Kwekwe, especially Kwekwe Central Constituency, which is widely believed to be the hotbed of divisional politics in ZANU PF.
Voting in Kwekwe Central was halted following violent confrontations between two rival camps amid indications that there were disagreements over the voter registers to be used.
A senior party official who spoke to the publication said a nephew to the Minister of State Security Energy Dhala Ncube was acting with impunity to influence electoral processes, given his proximity to power.
State Security Minister Owen Ncube or Mudha, as he is widely known in ZANU PF circles, has huge interests in Kwekwe as he has perennially been known to play kingmaker in the Midlands town.
Impeccable sources say Mudha has been fronting Dhala’s bid to wrestle the sole ruling party parliamentary candidacy from cleric and ZANU PF shadow MP, Kandros Mugabe.
During the abandoned Kwekwe Central by-elections last year, rowdy thugs who have links to Mudha’s alleged terror outfit, the infamous Al-Shabbab, are said to have been responsible for the assaulting of several provincial officials who were overseeing the aborted intraparty polls.
Following the recent disputed district elections in Kwekwe, it is further reported that Mudha’s camp has been refusing to hold re-runs in two out of five districts where electoral malpractices were rife.
Dhala’s camp is also accused of creating parallel branch registers for every branch register that was submitted to the ZANU PF Kwekwe district headquarters. Said a source:
This scenario resulted in the birth of conflicts as we ended up with two conflicting sets of branch executives from each ward across Kwekwe Central.
The process has divided the people in Kwekwe Central and the restructuring process which is supposed to be a Party Programme has been turned into a personal project by Dhala who enjoys the protection of his uncle.
When we were doing the door to door Cell Registration process, we submitted all the cell registers to Chiramba (District Coordinator) for forwarding to the DCC but we were surprised to hear that Dhala’s people, later on, submitted their own Cell Registers which were in stark contrast to the ones compiled following the door-to-door campaigns.
The source further added that compilation of the separate voter registers was done at Dhala’s office, which is infamously known as ‘Mukwati’ along Amaveni Road in Kwekwe
Zanu PF youths loyal to Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa want the constitution to be amended to enable the troubled leader to remain in power.
Mr Mnangagwa is supposed to serve only two terms.
However, former revolutionary party youths led by Tendai Chirawu have effectively declared Mr Mnangagwa life President.
Constantino Chiwenga wants to take over power Mr Mnangagwa, according to party insiders.
The party’s youth leader, Tendai Chirau, said: We agreed that it is important that if the constitution of the country can be amended so that he (Mnangagwa) can have more than two terms.”
According to Chirau, the ZANU PF youth league has endorsed Mr Mnangagwa as the sole 2023 presidential candidate.
“The first thing we discussed and agreed on as the executive national youth league is that His Excellency President Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is our sole candidate for the party in the 2023 elections because he has shown less than three years good leadership so we do believe that he should continue.”
The former Finance Minister and current ZANU PF National Commissar, Patrick Chinamasa has ruled out foul play in the fire that destroyed his house following a loud bang yesterday.
Speaking over the incident, Chinamasa said: “Thank God the child’s mother, who had just arrived back from work, and the housekeeper managed to rescue the baby.
“The main bedroom, the bedroom where the fire originated from and my study were all gutted by the fire and reduced to ashes. Nothing was saved from these rooms. The Fire Brigade arrived in time to save the dining room, the lounge, the kitchen and the two remaining bedrooms.
“As to the cause of the fire, I am suspecting an electrical fault. I am ruling out completely any foul play. Enemies may celebrate over my misfortune but I believe there was no enemy hand behind this incident. I know social media will be awash with all sorts of speculations. This I have no power to stop. What I know from the bottom of my heart is that this was an accident, an act of God.”
Chinamasa added saying he has been left “severely traumatised” by the incident.
He said: “It’s not easy to accept that what we have worked for all our lives has gone up in smoke in a matter of seconds. All that we have remained with are the clothes we were wearing. The furniture, clothes, blankets, files, documents, records, manuscripts, family photos… everything, and above all my priceless and irreplaceable library is now just a heap of ash and rubble.”
He went on to conclude saying
“In conversations with friends and relatives, I find myself fielding Job-like questions but I want to assure all who care for my welfare that in God I trust and he will provide,” he said.
Zimbabwean match officials will be on duty on Sunday in the CAF Champions League.
Brighton Chimene will take charge of the first round encounter between South African giants Orlando Pirates and Congolese side Diables Noirs de Brazzaville. He will be assisted by Tafadzwa Nkala and Edgar Rumeck. Lawrence Zimondi is the fourth official.
The match will be played at the Orlando Stadium in Jo’burg, South Africa.
Kick-off is at 5:30 pm Zim/CAT time.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
AFC Bournemouth coach Scott Parker has urged the club’s hierarchy to extend the contract of Zimbabwean sensation Jordan Zemura, as soon as possible.
The 21-year old left back has had a brilliant start to the 2021-22 season, in which he is one of only two players in the squad, along with Lloyd Kelly, to have played every minute in the league.
His contract expires at the end of the current campaign and Parker needs the future of the versatile star, as well as that of Jaidon Anthony, to be secured quickly, especially before the former goes to the AFCON finals with Zimbabwe in January.
“I’m conscious that I don’t want discussions that go on too long,” Parker told DorsetLive.
“Those discussions will have to wait, if something can’t get sorted imminently. People in those places in Richard (Hughes) and Neill (Blake), they know my views,” he added.
“The players know my views as well. And my views are exactly that. If this is not a quick negotiation, then I don’t want there to be one. I want to get them to the end of the season and then we can sit down and discuss what these two boys are,” the coach said. Zemura has been brilliant for both club and country this season, having cemented his place in Parker’s promotion-chasing Cherries, who currently occupy the summit of the Championship table. He was also by far, Zimbabwe’s best player in the back to back World Cup qualifiers against Ghana. – Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|Zimbabwe is ready for real change, MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has said.
He made the remarks as he concluded his engagement programme in Manicaland Province.
Zanu PF hooligans working with State security agents tried frantically to block President Chamisa’s community engagement programmes in Masvingo and Manicaland.
According to President Chamisa, real change is unstoppable…
He wrote: SOLID ORGANIC SUPPORT…
My unannounced surprise visit at a local market as I wrap up this Manicaland Citizens Interface provincial tour..
Zimbabwe is ready, ripe for true and real Change!Ngatipinde. Kasingene.Ngatunjile!!
SOLID ORGANIC SUPPORT..My unannounced surprise visit at a local market as I wrap up this Manicaland Citizens Interface provincial tour..Zimbabwe is ready, ripe for true and real Change!Ngatipinde. Kasingene.Ngatunjile!! pic.twitter.com/35wv0wnMpZ
THANK YOU ZIMBABWE The love, support and appreciation is amazing! The future is exciting & bright! A New Great Zimbabwe is our charge! Winning Zimbabwe for real change. Happy Sabbath! #Ngaapindehakemukomana #kangenesibiliujaha
SANCTIONS ON MNANGAGWA (none at all for 17yrs 1983-2001 when he killed over 30,000 people, on accusations of stopping the rain) MUST STAY until he stops committing genocide
