Tinashe Sambiri|The people of Zimbabwe shall enter the “promised land” in 2023, President Nelson Chamisa has said.

Citing the biblical concept of the Israelites entering God’s promised land, the vibrant leader assured citizens that the Zanu PF regime would be defeated in 2023.

“POSSESSING THE PROMISED LAND…
We have stayed long enough at this mountain.

We must now turn, break camp, advance, take our journey and go to Canaan.See, now our God has set the promised land before us and we must possess it.

Deut 1:5-8 Canaan here we come!#Ngatipindei #Asingeneni,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.

By A Correspondent- A taxi driver from Masvingo last week lost his Toyota Sienta car to a passenger who had hired him for a beer drinking escapade.

Masvingo acting police provincial spokesman Sergeant Lloyd Musundire confirmed the incident.

He said Shepherd Dzapasi (29) a taxi driver from Mucheke A, Masvingo fell prey to the antics of a man only identified as Ronald at Nemamwa Business Centre.

“On 15 September Dzapasi around 5pm was in Jerera when he was approached by a man only identified as Ronald and was hired to drive him to Masvingo for US$4. Dzapasi agreed and they came to Masvingo but when they arrived in town Ronald told Dzapasi that he had to take care of some business at Nemamwa. Dzapasi agreed to a US$25 deal to ferry him to the Business Centre. The two arrived at Nemamwa Business Centre around 10pm and they got into a night club and started drinking beer. After some time Ronald told Dzapasi that he was tired and wanted to rest in the car. Dzapasi gave Ronald the keys while he remained behind in the club,” he said.

Sgt Musundire said when the driver later went outside the club, he found Ronald and his car missing.

“He waited for some time hoping he would come but to no avail. Dzapasi later called Ronald and told him that he was going to report him to the police and he hung up. When he tried to call him the phone was no longer reachable.”

He said Dzapasi reported the matter at Masvingo Rural Police Station.

“We are appealing to those who might have information that might help to the recovery of the vehicle or information leading to the arrest of the accused to report to the nearest police station,” he said.

Chivhu – A 77-year-old man caught fire while relieving himself in a bush in Nhema Village under Chief Mutekedza on Sunday and he was burnt beyond recognition.

Julius Takaendesa Gwapedza’s body was discovered after a search, Mash East Provincial Police Spokesperson Misheck Denhere said.

Sources said that Gwapedza had visited Nhema Village in Sadza to attend the memorial service of his mother. At around 7am he went into a near-by bush to relieve himself.

He was suddenly engulfed by a bush fire and a young girl saw him as he fought hard to put out the fire that was already on his clothes. The girl sent a mobile text message to the village head Canaan Makone (55).

At around 1pm relatives who had started looking for Gwapedza met Makone and he told them about the text message. They went to the bush and found Gwapedza’s dead. They also found his National Identity Card on him.

The fire was started by Elias Mukono (50) who was clearing a graveside at his homestead. He has since been arrested.- Masvingo Mirror

“When a mad person takes their clothes off, they will get followers…”

By Showbiz Reporter | The Zanu PF socialite, Mai Titi went on live insta video to spit shocking vulgarities against comedian Kuda Chamisa.

The incident is exposed in a 4 minute extract of the altercation at the end of which Chamisa came out to liken Felistas Murata to a mad person who has stripped in public and now gets follower for it. The footage below contains some unprintable strong language.

“When a mad person takes their clothes off, they will get followers; This is how different I am from you,” said Chamisa.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa Saturday travelled by road the 352 kilometres stretch from Bulawayo to Lupane to officiate at the commisioning of the Lupane water supply station and Bubi- Lupane irrigation scheme acceleration model.

He is usually flown in the presidential helicopter and the airforce’s choppers which of late have been giving him problems.

In August, the presidential helicopter was forced into an emergency landing over 60 kilometres southwest of Harare due to a technical failure.

Addressing delegates at the commissioning, President Mnangagwa said the name change to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement to include rural development in its portfolio was after a special request from the responsible Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka.

It is the second time this year after Fisheries were also included in January. Mnangagwa said:

As I recognise Minister Masuka, I must say that he has requested that we add rural development to his portfolio of which I have agreed. I must point out that this is the first time in all my years in Government that a minister has actually come to me and requested a name change.

He said rural development would remain at the core of the Second Republic’s thrust noting that it was now up to everyone to play a role in that regard.

Mnangagwa added that true empowerment and sustainable development will only be realised through the greater participation of communities, especially women and youth in national development projects and programmes.

Speaking on the journey by road, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said Mnangagwa intended to assess issues affecting people in Matebeleland North. He said:

Today, the guest of honour having travelled by road all the way from Bulawayo, he did not fly, he said; ‘I want to see the problems affecting people in Matabeleland North from their roads right up to their projects’. So he travelled here by road, trying to pick up all the issues and so he has now arrived to launch the Agriculture Rural Authority Vision 2030 accelerator model programme.

In his address, Minister Masuka said his ministry was now preoccupied with rural development and would ensure that most projects that they embark on will have a bearing on the country’s endeavour of Vision 2030.-statemedia

Case Alert

25 September 2021

HIGH Court Judge Justice Joseph Mafusire has ordered Parliament to reinstate six opposition legislators as Members of Parliament after their illegal recalls early this year.

Kucaca Phulu, Settlement Chikwinya, Willias Madzimure, Regai Tsunga, Sichelesile Mahlangu and Tendai Biti, were recalled from serving as legislators for their constituencies on 17 March 2021 at the instance of Benjamin Rukanda, who claimed that he had done so on behalf of the main People’s Democratic Party (PDP) party and purportedly acting in
terms of section 129(1)(k) of the Constitution, which provides for the termination of the seat for a Member of Parliament.

Phulu, Chikwinya, Madzimure, Tsunga, Mahlangu, Biti and PDP filed an application at High Court early this year seeking an order to set aside the termination of their membership of Parliament and also sought the restoration of their seats and the restoration of themselves to such of the committees of Parliament as they had been members of before that termination.

Before the recall instituted by Rukanda, who purported to be the Secretary-General of PDP, the six legislators’ membership to Parliament followed their success in parliamentary elections held on 31 July 2018 and had sat in Parliament on the ticket of a coalition of
political parties known as Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)-Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa.

Rukanda and Lucia Matibenga also contested during the July 2018 elections under the ticket of a coalition of political parties called the Rainbow Coalition, which was led by former Vice-President Joyce Mujuru but lost.

Rukanda, who identified himself as the Secretary-General of the breakaway PDP political party, on 14 September 2020 submitted a letter to Jacob Mudenda, the Speaker of Parliament, purportedly recalling the six legislators from Parliament on the basis that they had crossed the floor from the PDP party to MDC-Alliance.

In their application, Phulu, Chikwinya, Madzimure, Tsunga, Mahlangu, Biti and PDP, who were represented by Advocate Sylvester Hashiti argued that Rukanda’s so-called letter of recall was fraudulent and therefore illegal since not only was he not a member of PDP, their
party, let alone its Secretary-General, but also that he was not even the Secretary-General of Matibenga’s breakaway splinter party. The legislators also argued that it was wrongful for Mudenda to have recognised Rukanda’s letter and to have purported to act in terms of
it.

In his judgment, written on 22 September 2021, Justice Mafusire took a swipe at Rukanda’s lawyers for abdicating their responsibilities as officers of the court and opting to act like “hired guns”. The Judge stated that Rukanda’s lawyers should have had the courage and
responsibility to advise their client that his cause is a dead one.

The Judge accused Rukanda of being driven by malice or spite in recalling Phulu, Chikwinya, Madzimure, Tsunga, Mahlangu and Biti and of seemingly abusing the parliamentary legal processes and privileges.

Justice Mafusire berated Rukanda, Matibenga and the breakaway PDP splinter party for seeking to “usurp other people’s beds” and for behaving like cuckoos, which are birds that do not build their own nests but simply invade the nests of other beds and push out any eggs or nestlings in them so that they themselves can lay their own eggs in those nests.

Rukanda, Matibenga and the breakaway PDP splinter party, Justice Mafusire said, had “made their bed of roses” and “they must lie on it”.

The Judge said MDC-A and Rainbow Coalition were recognised and accepted by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission as two different political formations for the purposes of the 2018 general elections, which ushered Phulu, Chikwinya, Madzimure, Tsunga, Mahlangu and Biti into Parliament and Rukanda and Matibenga out.

Rukanda and Matibenga, Justice Mafusire ruled, had no power to recall the legislators as the power of recall provided under Section 129(1)(k) of the Constitution is reposed in the political party the Member of Parliament was a member at the time of the election. The
Judge stated that Rukanda and Matibenga were not members of PDP at the time of the 2018 general elections or at anytime thereafter.

Consequently, Justice Mafusire ordered that the termination of membership to Parliament of Phulu, Chikwinya, Madzimure, Tsunga, Mahlangu and Biti on 17 March 2021 be set aside and for Mudenda and Parliament to restore or cause to be restored the legislators to their
positions as Members of Parliament and to any such of the committees of Parliament as they were members of before the termination, without any loss of status or diminution of their positions.

NEWS RELEASE                              25 September 2021                      

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called upon the private sector, civil society and other stakeholders to join government in the fight against corruption. He has urged them to set up integrity committees within their organisations.

“The anti-corruption fight is a collective responsibility. Government cannot go it alone,” he told delegates at the annual conference and 50^th anniversary celebrations of the Chartered Governance Institute Zimbabwe on Friday in Victoria Falls.

“I therefore call upon the private sector, civil society and other stakeholders to also prioritise transparency and accountability through in-house anti-corruption efforts such as the setting up of similar integrity committees,” he said.

He said the Integrity Committees being set up at public institutions as an effective tool to prevent corruption and promote good governance in government ministries and agencies, parastatals, state enterprises and local authorities underscored the importance government attached to improving governance frameworks and strengthening actions to improve the prevention, detection and sanctioning of corruption.

He congratulated CGIZ on its golden jubilee, rebranding from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Zimbabwe (ICSAZ) to the Chartered Governance and Accountancy Institute in Zimbabwe and associate membership of the International Federation of Accountants.

The rebranding of the institute is in line with the rebranding of the international institute, now known as the Chartered Governance Institute Global.

The President challenged members of the institute to partner government and help the boards of public entities adopt and implement good corporate governance principles.

“You should demonstrate your role as trusted advisors by also playing your part in ensuring the success of our National Development Strategy-1 and the Devolution and Decentralisation Agenda,” he said.

“Your unique position enables you to make a positive contribution to our economic development at all levels of our governance strata,” he added.

The theme of the institute’s conference was ‘Reset – Re-ignite – Refocus. Towards Vision 2030: Governance and Accountancy Professionals Challenged’.

Throughout the conference, officials of the Institute challenged members of the institute to contribute to the nation’s vision of making Zimbabwe an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.

President Mnangagwa highlighted the fact that the institute’s mandate encompassed both corporate governance and accountancy.

“I therefore challenge you to effectively play your professional role and provide strategic oversight within your sector, respective organisations and the nation as a whole as we all accelerate national economic development in our beloved country,” he said.

He said the institute’s conference came at a time when Zimbabwe is enjoying brighter socio-economic prospects.

“These are  a result of the positive and far-reaching impacts of my government’s multi-pronged reforms across all sectors, leading to the stabilisation of the economy with budget surpluses over the past two years, notwithstanding the domestic and global challenges due to the Covid‑19 pandemic.

“This has culminated in the reorganisation of supply chains, setting up of remote operations and implementation of bold financial decisions among other actions,” he said.

He acknowledged that some actions might be painful even if they were the right thing to do. He said the Covid-19 pandemic had presented a window to reset collective organisational and national culture, ethics and expectations.

“It also gives us an opportunity to institutionalise heritage-based norms and values that are more balanced, just and equitable as encapsulated in the ubuntu philosophy.

“Through such a paradigm shift and re-focus, the governance and accounting professionals are urged to ensure sustainable development, increased production and productivity, efficient use of resources and ultimately durable economic growth and prosperity,” he said.

The culture and work ethic of the Second Republic should give impetus to governance and accounting professionals to build better, more resilient companies and institutions, he said.

“Our national determination and culture of adaptability to date is a demonstration that in unity, peace and harmony we can achieve seemingly impossible development targets.

“Going forward as a profession, you are challenged to expand your horizons and take up the weighty responsibility of consolidating the gains we are making, always informed by the national interest,” he said.

He said that through focusing on efficiency, flexibility, agility and building resilience, corporate governance and accountancy professionals could play their part in ensuring Zimbabwe does not experience “Covid-19 induced economic growth slippages”.

“Let us all play our part in maintaining the upward economic growth trajectory,” he said.

He added that emphasis should be placed on capacity building, improving infrastructure, strengthening the “innovation ecosystem” and facilitating access to digital connectivity in order to increase production and productivity.

He commended the institute for embarking on public sector accountancy and capacity building programmes.

“The new normal demands that we refocus. Let us always be prepared, capitalise on our core strengths, digitalise, embrace sustainable clean energy and technology and also innovate,” he said.

Good governance, accountability and transparency were fundamental prerequisites for sustainable socio-economic growth, he pointed out.

“Sadly, however, we have in the past witnessed corporate governance failings in both the public and private sectors, which border on fraud and criminality,” he said.

Following the President’s address, Reserve Bank Governor John Mangudya and Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission chairperson Justice Loice Mutanda-Moyo briefed the President and delegates on what their institutions were doing to maintain economic stability in the case of the central bank and to curb corruption in the case of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.

ENDS_____________________________________________________________________

Issued on behalf of the  Chartered Governance and Accountancy Institute in Zimbabwe by MHPR Public Relations Consultants, 59 Van Praagh Avenue, Milton Park, Harare.

Tel. +263-24-2251538-40, 2798761. E-mail: [email protected]

Contact Person: Mike Hamilton (Mobile: 0772-469 801)

"..look at the turn of events & tone of our politics, you can't doubt who the Leader is. We are the Leadership, that's why Zanu even responds & behaves like an Opp. But we have responsibility without authority, which has been our problem in local authority." President Chamisa pic.twitter.com/hPF8BUW0Ek

— Citizen Nkululeko Sibanda zw (@DrNkuSibanda) September 26, 2021

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police is investigating the brutal murder of an elderly couple from Mugovera Village under Chief Murinye in Masvingo.

Acting Masvingo Provincial Spokesperson, Sergeant Lloyd Musundire confirmed the incident saying the deceased were identified as Manson Chibonda aged 79 and Mascline Chibonda aged 73. Said Sergeant Musundire:

Yes, I can confirm that we are investigating a sad incident where a couple was brutally killed in Mugovera village of Masvingo.

So far we have gathered that on 23 September at around 2 pm Peter Tsuro aged 41 who was a domestic worker to the now-deceased proceeded to the garden and left the deceased in the company of his wife Brenda Kapanga aged 21.

At around 7 pm the deceased couple went to sleep in their bedroom while Brenda Kapanga proceeded to her bedroom in a different house which was a bit distant.

Peter Tsuro is said to have returned home at around 2 AM whilst drunk and noticed that his employer’s main door was open. He is said to have preceded to check on them, that’s when he found bodies of the two deceased lying lifeless on the floor.

Police discovered the bodies had severe head and facial injuries while a blood-stained axe was found stuck on the wife’s body.

Bodies of the deceased were taken to Masvingo general hospital for postmortem.

No arrests have been made so far and investigations are underway.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance for Zengeza West, Job Sikhala has claimed the central government and Chitungwiza council officials are sabotaging community development projects in the town.

Sikhala said the government had failed to construct a dam for the country’s third most populous urban area and vowed to lobby Parliament to ensure the project is implemented.

He spoke at an event to commission two borehole projects he funded in Zengeza 2 and Zengeza 5.

He said:

Chitungwiza relies on Harare for its water supplies, that is why potable water is so dear in our town.

When (Ignatius) Chombo was still the Local Government minister, a private investor approached council to build a dam on a build-operate-and-transfer basis but the project was shot down.

I have seen the documents and nothing changed when Saviour Kasukuwere took over from Chombo.

Now some doctor called Kasu, a council official, has sabotaged my project to provide vendors with suitable vending stalls.

He added that the project was going to be handed over to council, which was hoping to benefit from the rates paid by vendors.

A council official from the engineering department, Joseph Zenda, who officiated at the event also appealed to the government to provide a long-term solution to the water crisis in Chitungwiza by the constructing a dam.

This comes when Harare is reportedly planning to reduce its supply of water to Chitungwiza as water levels at the Prince Edward Dam were dwindling.-standard

By A Correspondent- Police in Bulawayo are investigating the death of a mental health patient who was found dead in his bedroom at Hope Fountain on Friday.

Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said Nhlalo Moyo (37) was found dead in his bedroom with his head severely fragmented. Insp Ncube said 20 minutes after he went into his room his parents heard a sound like a bomb blast coming from the room.

When his father checked what could have happened through the window, he saw smoke coming out through the window.

Insp Ncube said his parents then opened the window and saw his body on the bed with a skull fracture, while the walls were stained with blood.

“When the police arrived at the scene, they found the body lying on the bed facing upwards with his head destroyed into fragments and a box of matches was found on the left side of the bed next to his body. Pieces of exploded dynamites were found under the bed attached to a fuse.

We urge members of the public to continuously monitor their mentally-challenged relatives and supervise them to make sure they do not abscond on medication as doing so is dangerous to the patients and other members of the community,” he said.

By A Correspondent- MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora’s position has come under renewed threat after a founding MDC member approached the High Court challenging the legitimacy of the party’s extraordinary congress and recall of MDC Alliance legislators from Parliament.

Amos Kaliati, the current MDC-T secretary of mines and mineral resources in Chitungwiza, is also challenging Mwonzora’s appointment of Elias Mudzuri and Morgan Komichi as deputy president and national chairperson respectively, arguing the appointments were in violation of the party’s constitution.

Mwonzora was elected leader of the MDC during an extraordinary congress held in December in Harare, taking over from his deputy Thokozani Khupe who had been acting-president of the splinter MDC group after the death of founding party leader Morgan Tsvangirai. The Supreme Court confirmed Khupe as acting-president in March 2020 after seizing control of the party from MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa.

The Court directed Khupe to hold an extraordinary congress within three months from March, but it was delayed till December. In court papers filed at the High Court on Friday, Kaliati through his lawyers Mbidzo, Muchadehama and Makoni legal practitioners argued that Mwonzora’s presidency is null and void as all proceedings leading to the holding of the extraordinary congress were in violation of the party’s constitution.

“Following the decision of the Supreme Court on 31 March 2020, the lawful organs of the party did not meet.

“In this regard, whatever decisions that are purported to have been made on behalf of the first respondent after 30 March 2020 cannot be valid as the national council did not meet to discharge its constitutional mandate,” Kaliati argued.

The MDC, Khupe, Komichi, Mwonzora and Mudzuri are cited as the first to fifth respondent respectively.

“As a result of the above, I hold the view, and seek this court’s determination to the effect that 2nd and 4th respondents refused, neglected and/or failed to act in terms of the party constitution with respect to convening the national council for the purposes of the effective, transparent and accountable running of the affairs of the first respondent,” the application says.

“Consequently, any decision made and/ or not ratified by the national council as shown in Annexure AK-4 and 5 above is invalid and not binding on the First Respondent.” Kaliati also argued that the extraordinary congress did not constitute a quorum as required by “section 6.2.7 as read with section 6.2 of the party constitution,” adding an ordinary congress has also not been held to ratify decisions of the extraordinary congress, rendering it a legal nullity.

“Further, despite the lapse of six months from the date of the extra-ordinary congress, ordinary congress was not held to approve the decisions of the extraordinary congress as required by section 6.2.6 of the party constitution in the event of the extra-ordinary congress proceeding without a quorum,” Kaliati argued.

“The six month period lapsed on 30 June 2021. No ordinary congress was held as at that date.

“Consequently, by operation of the party constitution, that extra-ordinary congress ceases to have any force and is rendered invalid.” With regards to recalls, Kaliati argues “that the appropriate structures and organs of the MDC were never seized” with the matter and, therefore, did not represent the party position.

“Those communications are not, therefore, from the first respondent and ought not be given any consideration, force or ef- fect by any person,” he added.

The country awaits by-elections after Khupe recalled a number of MDC Alliance legislators and councillors across the country for not showing allegiance to her. “After the extraordinary congress of 27 December 2020, fourth respondent, who claimed victory in the election held for the party presidency, appointed 2nd respondent as one of his deputy presidents together with one Elias Mudzuri.

“This has the effect of negating the party constitution as found in the Supreme Court decision relied upon in this matter.

“This is on account of neither of them having been elected as deputy presidents of the party at the extra-ordinary congress in question.” Kaliati argued as a way forward and in line with the party’s constitution, the national council “as it stood on 31 March 2020, must sit and determine how best to steer the party moving forward in a manner that is consistent with the dictates of the party constitution.” Mwonzora and other respondents have 10 days to file opposing papers.

Happymore Chidziva, the national youth assembly chairperson of the party and also a member of the national standing committee, national executive committee and national council filed a supporting affidavit in favour of Kaliati.

Chidziva said the congress was a nullity because bona fide members of the party’s 2014 structures were not invited.

-standard

By A Correspondent- Two inmates, who escaped from Guruve prison have been re-arrested after they stole a motorbike from a local resident.

Acting Mashonaland Central police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Naison Dhliwayo confirmed that Lyton Musengu and Jealous Gweshe (28) were back in custody.

“We are investigating a robbery case in Guruve where two convicts, who escaped from Guruve Prison robbed Ruzvidzo Bekiwa of Nyakapupu Village of his motorbike,” Dhliwayo said.

It is alleged that the duo purported to be asking for directions from Bekiwa, who was riding his bike.

“They pulled a sharp metal object which they used to strike him before robbing him of his bike.

Police arrested them days after the robbery.

By A Correspondent- Private aircraft have been sneaking in and out of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe (RGM) International Airport and other Zimbabwean flight ports without detection due to poor air traffic control, investigations have revealed.

An association of local air traffic controllers is worried that the repeated breaches pose a “national security threat”, investigations by The Standard — working in partnership with Information for Development Trust (IDT) and Zimstar News, an online publication — have revealed.

The IDT is a non-profit organisation helping promote the capacity of local and southern African journalists to investigate corruption and bad governance.

The shocking breaches were exposed in a high-level meeting held on May 10 this year between the Air Traffic Controllers Association of Zimbabwe (ATCAZ) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) board of directors.

The meeting, which was held at the third level boardroom at the RGM International Airport, was the first of its kind and came after ATCAZ repeatedly requested engagement with the board so that it could air its grievances relating to the handling of air traffic control over the years, minutes show.

The main meeting, it was established, excluded the CAAZ management so as to “allow for the (board) members to fully hear the ATC (air traffic control) issues”.

The ATCAZ team was led by Learnmore Maranda, the association’s president who came with Anderson Shonhiwa, Gift Munyaradzi Shoko, Ashlove Kudakwashe Chihota — an executive board member representing Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport — and Francisca Demawatema, who stood in for the RGM International Airport.

Bertha Muzangaza, the company secretary, took down the minutes.

Zimbabwe’s aviation system had, since 2010, operated without a surveillance system, the air traffic controllers told the CAAZ board.

“Air traffic controllers’ representatives advised that, because of the absence of a surveillance system since 2010 … aircraft come into our airspace and leave without the ATCs (air traffic controllers) knowing,” the minutes read.

“They (ATCs) further highlighted that such occurrences are a threat to Zimbabwe’s national security and that they are also a loss of revenue to CAAZ,” the minutes continued.

Two weeks before the meeting, the air traffic controllers told the CAAZ board that a helicopter from Zambia sneaked into the RGM port.

Mysterious copter

“They (ATCs) further highlighted that just two weeks back, a helicopter from Zambia landed at RGM International Airport without the ATCs seeing it nor knowing about it,” the minutes further read.

“They had no communication with it and they were actually surprised to see it already landed at the international landing area.

“As a result, their biggest fear is with the VVIP aircraft.”

The ATCs then quizzed the helicopter crew, which reportedly claimed that it had tried to communicate with the control tower attendants, but did not get a response.

This revelation, according to the minutes, shocked the board members who wondered why CAAZ was, in the first place, taking air navigation fees and failing to fulfil its mandate.

Poor air traffic surveillance was promoting smuggling too as private planes came and went unnoticed.

“They (ATCs) highlighted further that these private aircraft engage in smuggling activities daily, as they can fly in and out of the country without being detected due to the absence of a primary radar,” the meeting record noted.

The ATCAZ recommended that the Defence ministry should help with surveillance of all planes as CAAZ did not have the capacity to cover aircraft flying at low levels and added that it was also possible for commercial flights to land without detection.

Poor air traffic control has raised the risk of collisions and reduced the capacity to prevent accidents, said the ATCs.

They blamed the recent horror crash of an Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) helicopter in Goromonzi district just outside Harare on poor communication.

Helicopter crash

The helicopter, which was on a training mission, crashed into a house in Goromonzi in late April, killing an 18-month old toddler.

The crew, comprising Thomas Manyowa, a wing commander, Anita Mapiye, a female flight lieutenant, and Tinodiwanashe Chikamhi, a flight sergeant and technician, also died in the crash.

The real cause of the crash has not been publicly communicated by either AFZ, CAAZ or the Defence ministry.

The ATCs felt that the accident could have been avoided if their controllers at the RGM port had managed to communicate with the helicopter crew on time.

It is also not clear if the Manyame Airbase operators were aware of the technical problems that the helicopter was facing.

Ironically, the RGM ATC learnt of the crash from the small Charles Prince Airport in Mt Hampden, which is facing severe operational challenges, as established by our investigations.

The respective airports throughout Zimbabwe, notably at RGM, Victoria Falls, Bulawayo, Hwange, Buffalo Range and Charles Prince, have been operating with depleted ATCs.

The Masvingo port has been closed for some time because of lack of ATCs, according to the meeting minutes.

A CAAZ board delegation visited the Hwange airport last year and was taken aback by the fact that the facility only had one ATC. To make matters worse, the lone ATC recently married and went on a honeymoon for two weeks, leaving the port unmanned.

International air traffic control regulations stipulate that an airport should have at least one ATC at any given time and prohibits its operation without an air traffic controller.

At the Buffalo Range airport in Masvingo, “aircraft are landing and departing with no ATC services during weekends” and, “in the event of a collision happening in such circumstances, the repercussions on a country are dire”, read the minutes.

Investigations also established that the South African aviation authority has, at times, picked potential collisions in Zimbabwean air space and alerted local ATCs.

“They (ATCs) highlighted that … CAAZ and ACZ (Airport Company of Zimbabwe) are allowing airports to operate without the presence of ATCs and that there is a disaster in the making,” the minutes noted.

Un-princely airport

The Charles Prince Airport is in “a state of shambles and should not continue to operate”, according to the Directorate of Flight Safety and Standards, a regulatory arm of CAAZ.

However, this advice has been ignored and the airport is still running.

The pavements, runways and taxi-ways at the airport are in a state of disrepair, the board was told.

When Blessing Ngwarai — the CAAZ Air Navigation and Technical Services director who earlier this year briefly held the acting director-general’s position — was called for a question-and-answer segment after the main meeting, he professed ignorance on who had blocked the closure of Charles Prince, but sources later alleged that the directive came from the Office of the President and Cabinet.

Ngwarai, the meeting minutes reveal, professed ignorance over the Zambian helicopter incident which took place when he was the acting director-general in April this year.

The RGM International Airport has not had distance measuring equipment (DME) for years, “yet this is equipment which an air traffic controller cannot do without”, the minutes indicated.

Investigations discovered, however, that the airport recently managed to secure one after Ngwarai made passionate pleas for its procurement.

A DME is a navigation beacon that enables aircraft to calculate their distance relative to that device using the speed of light. It is essential for landing facility location and timing.-standard

By A Correspondent- A married upper six student has been married twice and is about to separate with his second wife.

He has been denying his second wife c0njugal rights for the past seven months because she is disturbing his studies.

He also accuses her of having a spiritual husband.

Michael Dzora, 20, told H-Metro on Wednesday that both women eloped to him and he broke up with the first one after a miscarriage while the present wife returned after he sent her back.

Now he denies his second wife Charmaine Dzapata (18) c0njugal rights as a protest against the marriage.

“To be honest with you, one of Charmaine’s sisters forced her to elope so as to gain a good living,” said Michael.

“Akandinyepera kuti anepamuviri senzira yekugara neni semudzimai wangu.

“Her sister fooled her to make that decision but I retaliated by denying her se_x.

“This woman admired my life since I met her when I was behind my Toyota Wish vehicle and she saw herself as my wife.

“Pandakazomubvunza nezvepamuviri akazonditi dai ndakamirira kuita mimba waizotorwa nevamwe vasikana.

“I am the only student who drives a car to that school and that alone is giving me pressure and affecting my concentration during lessons.

Michael sensationally claimed that he has been seeing a spiritual husband warning him over taking Charmaine.

“At one time I saw, in a vision, another man claiming to be husband to my wife when I was about to enjoy my c0njugal rights,” said Michael.

“I informed my mother about seeing a spiritual man disturbing me from having time with Charmaine,” said Miekle.

“At one time my body became weak while I was r0mancing my wife and I ended up ordering her to go and retire to bed with my mother.

“My mother was also affected and we agreed to take her back to her parents.

“Takamudzosera tikati imbodzokera unobatsirwa kumusha kwako akadzokera.

“Her sister returned her within some days claiming that they had consulted a faith healer for help.

“I had se_xual intercourse with her twice upon her return but I later decided not to continue having se_x with her until now.

“Ndakazotenga jira ndikaendesa netsvakirai kuno last week saka iyezvino handichadi kusangana naye pabonde.

“People around us are not happy to see me driving my car to school hence the attacks,” said Michael.

Michael’s mother Tracy Dzora, 61, told H-Metro that Michael’s marriage to Charmaine has been under attack from spiritual forces.

“The marriage has been under attack and that forced us to take the wife back to her parents.

“Michael was given a vehicle by his father before he passed on and that car is the one being eyed by many people.

“He drives the car to and from school and that attracts a number of lovers,” said Dzora.

“I was also affected by the evil spirits that haunted my daughter in-law and had to use coarse salt.

“My daughter is yet to conceive and has been here for some months.

“Their problem is that they do not want to fully join church but only visit Johanne Masowe yeChishanu for prayers,” said Dzora.

Charmaine dismissed suggestions that she was being haunted by spirits saying the move is meant to force her to quit the marriage.

“Ndigere zvangu zvakanaka asi murume wangu tirikurara setisina kuwanana.

“I was once forced to return to my parents and I came back.

“Issues of Spiritism is clear scheming to frustrate me but I have no choice other than waiting until my husband feels for me.

“Izvezvi ayenda kuchikoro; anodzoka hake time time,” said Chamaine.

Michael separated with his first wife after two months when she had a miscarriage before taking Charmaine as his wife.

Reports circulating in Pasipanodya village where they live were that an evil spirit has been haunting the family for some time before Michael’s father died

By A Correspondent- Two men have been nabbed on allegations of threatening a local businessman with death by sending him messages on social media messaging site WhatsApp.

Lourens Botha and Matthew Mullaji were not asked to plead to allegations of threats to commit murder when they appeared before a Harare magistrate this Saturday. They will spend the weekend in remand prison awaiting bail ruling on Monday

Allegations are that sometime this month, the two together with one Dov Morgan who is still at large sent threatening messages to end the life of the complainant businessman using South African and local numbers.

“I will deal with you thoroughly. If I fail to deal with you on earth, I will f* you in mars, sh,” the message allegedly said.

The State further alleges that these words shook the complainant who now believes that the suspects and their accomplice will commit the crime threatened.

The State says the complainant fingered the suspects as the ones behind the threatening messages and that they are in possession of the messages.

Currently, there is an ongoing legal battle for the control of a company involving the complainant and his other business partners.

By The Standard-The High Court has described a shadowy politician who tried to recall MDC Alliance deputy president Tendai Biti and five other opposition legislators behaving like a hired gun.

Justice Joseph Mafusire’s ruling has added impetus into the arguments by the under siege MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa that the mass recalls of its legislators and local government representatives are being spearheaded by a third force.

The MDC-T led by Douglas Mwonzora began purging legislators and councillors loyal to Chamisa after the Supreme Court ruled last year that the MDC Alliance’s 2018 presidential election candidate’s takeover from the party’s founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai was null and void.
Last week’s High Court ruling re-ignited debate on the recalls that left dozens of constituencies and wards without elected representatives in what has been described as a sustained attack on Zimbabwe’s nascent democracy.
In his judgement, Mafusire said only a party that sponsored an MP has the power to recall them from Parliament as he tore into Benjamin Rukanda, the politician who purported to be recalling Biti and five others.
“The application can only succeed,” the judge said.
“The power of recall from Parliament in s 129 (1) (k) of the constitution is reposed in the political party the Member of Parliament was a member of at the time of the election.
“The first (Rukanda) and second respondents were not members of the seventh applicant at the time of the 2018 general election, or at any time thereafter.
“They had no power to recall the applicants.”
Rukanda, who claimed to be secretary general of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), had written to speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda saying Biti and others had stopped representing the organisation’s interests.
Mudenda used the letter to force the recalls.
Mafusire said the MDC Alliance and Rainbow Coalition, which Rukanda belonged to, were two distinct parties as acknowledged by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZCC).
“The first respondent’s other argument that he could properly pen the so-called letter of recall purportedly on behalf of the PDP faction led by Biti and which had gone into a coalition under the MDC-Alliance, offends against reason,” the judgement says.
“Respondents first, second (Lucia Matibenga) and third (PDP) were quite happy to contest the 2018 general election, not only under an umbrella different from that which the seventh applicant had gone into, but actually in direct competition with it and its members.
“Respondents 1, 2 and 3 made their bed of roses. They must lie on it.
“They cannot seek to usurp other people’s beds.
“They should not behave like cuckoos. These are birds that do not build their own nests.
“They simply invade the nests of other birds and push out any eggs or nestlings in them so that they themselves can lay their own eggs in those nests. We are not birds.”
The judge added: “The simple point is that despite the continued use by the two factions of the name PDP, the situation on the ground was that the seventh applicant and the third respondent were totally two different political formations.
“Among other things, through the MDC-A and Rainbow Coalition, they were recognised and accepted as such by the sixth respondent, ZEC, for the purposes of the 2018 general elections.
“It was that election that ushered applicants 1 to 6 into Parliament and left respondents 1 and 2 out.”
Chamisa’s group has always argued that MDC-T has no legal right to recall MDC Alliance members since they contested the 2018 elections as a separate entity.

-The Standard

By A Correspondent- The Government is planning to amend Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) to criminalise NGOs that fund political parties or election candidates.

Sunday Mail reports that the Amendments to the Private Voluntary Organisation Act set to be tabled before Parliament soon will provide for the suspension and penalisation of NGOs that stray from their mandate.
The PVO Amendment Bill seeks to establish an Office of the Registrar of PVOs to regulate their operations.

Currently, PVOs operate under the purview of the director of social welfare in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.

In addition, operating an unregistered PVO will attract a 10-year prison sentence.
Reads Section 5 of the Bill: “When any private voluntary organisation that supports or opposes any political party or candidate in a presidential, parliamentary or local government election or is a party to any breach of Section 7 under Part III of the Political Parties (Finance) Act (Chapter 2:12) as a contributor of funds to a political party or candidate or otherwise shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of Level Twelve or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year, or both such fine or such imprisonment.”
Section 7 of the Political Parties (Finance) Act criminalises foreign funding of political parties.

By A Correspondent- The Zvimba community and the late former president Robert Mugabe’s close relatives are debating over the final resting place of the late ruler at a time the fate is in the courts.

Mugabe’s neighbour who claims to be his aunt, Josephine Jaricha pointed an accusing finger at Mnangagwa whom she accused of trying to manipulate villagers allegedly to satisfy his wish to get access to Mugabe’s body.

Jaricha said the exhumation would not resurrect Mugabe or solve the current problems Zimbabwe was facing, including shortages of medicine in hospitals, inflation and the obtaining economic meltdown.

“Even if they exhume his body and rebury him at the National Heroes Acres that will not resurrect our child,” Jaricha said.

Jaricha said instead of solving problems being faced by the people in the country, Mnangagwa wanted to waste time and taxpayers’ money to exhume and rebury Mugabe.

“Besides, most people are suffering; (government) should be working towards solving people’s problems. This is a failed leadership.

“Things are worse off than during Mugabe’s time.

“Exhuming Mugabe will not put food on the table and those leading the country should preoccupy themselves with solving national problems rather than engaging in these frivolous things like exhuming Mugabe’s body,” Jaricha charged.

Mugabe’s headman, Camiro Kutama who appeared concerned about being sidelined by the Mugabe family during the burial ceremony said the villagers were shocked by the exhumation saga since it had never happened in his area of jurisdiction.

Kutama said if it was a case of violating customs and norms within Zvimba in general and Kutama in particular, he should have been the first person to be informed, but nothing like that happened.

“The chief erred by presiding over a case that I don’t even know about,” Kutama said.

“The case should have first come to me…besides people are buried at places of their choice and it’s not something out of this world.”

Another Kutama villager, elder Cephas Chioto who sits in headman Kutama’s court said the Mugabe issue was unique in so many ways.

Chioto said it was not new that someone was buried in the courtyard of their homestead.

It’s now “fashionable” in most parts of Zvimba, and interestingly, when Mugabe was buried, most Zvimba chiefs and Manongovere were present, but the issue was never raised.

“My son, go around this village and see for yourself graves at people’s homesteads, but nothing is being said about it,” Chioto said.

“Interestingly all those people involved (Chief Zvimba and Manongovere) were present when Mugabe was buried but none of them raised the issue.”

Chioto said it was very clear that some chiefs and villagers were being bribed to make ridiculous decisions.

“This can only point to people receiving money to make such ridiculous judgements because if they were genuine, they were supposed to raise the issue on the day Mugabe was buried ….but why waiting for two years?” Chioto queried.

Pressed further to reveal names of those involved, Chioto refused to name the people he suspected to be dishing out money to influence Mugabe’s exhumation and reburial.

“I will be required to bring evidence, which can be difficult to get, but these outrageous rulings by people who were part of the burial ceremony point to that direction” Chioto said.

Asked why he did not report the case first to Mugabe’s Kutama as required at law, Manongovere said Kutama was not of the Gushungo totem and did not know the norms and customs of the Zvimba people since he was from Masvingo and of Madyirapanze totem.

“I couldn’t report to Sabhuku Kutama because he doesn’t know our Gushungo way of doing cultural things since he is from Masvingo and of Madyirapanze totem,” he said.

Manongovere also said it was not true that Chief Zvimba and Chief Chidziva were present during Mugabe’s burial, insisting that they were chased away from Mugabe’s Blue Roof house by Grace Mugabe.

“According to our tradition Chief Chidziva and Chief Serima from Gutu representing Mugabe’s mother’s family identified Mugabe’s resting place at the Heroes Acre and marked the site (kutema rukawo) in the presence of Mugabe’s children, but Grace Mugabe disregarded all that and chased some chiefs from her Blue Roof residence,” said Manongovere.

He said he was not foolish to arraign the former first lady, a Mugabe family in-law before Chief Zvimba instead of the head of the Mugabe family, but he did so because Grace Mugabe dictated everything to do with the Mugabe burial.

“Grace was bullying everyone at the funeral. That’s the reason I took her to Chief Zvimba instead of the Mugabes,” said Manongovere.

Mugabe’s nephew and family spokesperson Leo Mugabe said it was appropriate for the former Zanu PF strongman’s to remain in Zvimba since they were in the process of renovating some rooms to be turned into a museum.

“We are constructing a museum befitting the Zimbabwean icon,” said Leo Mugabe.

“He deserved such because the country’s history will not be complete without his immense contribution before, during and after the liberation struggle.”

But some culturists say whether the courts ruled in favour of

exhumation and reburial that could not be done without involving the family.

As of now, it is a stalemate.

By The Standard-The High Court has described a shadowy politician who tried to recall MDC Alliance deputy president Tendai Biti and five other opposition legislators behaving like a hired gun.

Justice Joseph Mafusire’s ruling has added impetus into the arguments by the under siege MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa that the mass recalls of its legislators and local government representatives are being spearheaded by a third force.

The MDC-T led by Douglas Mwonzora began purging legislators and councillors loyal to Chamisa after the Supreme Court ruled last year that the MDC Alliance’s 2018 presidential election candidate’s takeover from the party’s founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai was null and void.
Last week’s High Court ruling re-ignited debate on the recalls that left dozens of constituencies and wards without elected representatives in what has been described as a sustained attack on Zimbabwe’s nascent democracy.
In his judgement, Mafusire said only a party that sponsored an MP has the power to recall them from Parliament as he tore into Benjamin Rukanda, the politician who purported to be recalling Biti and five others.
“The application can only succeed,” the judge said.
“The power of recall from Parliament in s 129 (1) (k) of the constitution is reposed in the political party the Member of Parliament was a member of at the time of the election.
“The first (Rukanda) and second respondents were not members of the seventh applicant at the time of the 2018 general election, or at any time thereafter.
“They had no power to recall the applicants.”
Rukanda, who claimed to be secretary general of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), had written to speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda saying Biti and others had stopped representing the organisation’s interests.
Mudenda used the letter to force the recalls.
Mafusire said the MDC Alliance and Rainbow Coalition, which Rukanda belonged to, were two distinct parties as acknowledged by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZCC).
“The first respondent’s other argument that he could properly pen the so-called letter of recall purportedly on behalf of the PDP faction led by Biti and which had gone into a coalition under the MDC-Alliance, offends against reason,” the judgement says.
“Respondents first, second (Lucia Matibenga) and third (PDP) were quite happy to contest the 2018 general election, not only under an umbrella different from that which the seventh applicant had gone into, but actually in direct competition with it and its members.
“Respondents 1, 2 and 3 made their bed of roses. They must lie on it.
“They cannot seek to usurp other people’s beds.
“They should not behave like cuckoos. These are birds that do not build their own nests.
“They simply invade the nests of other birds and push out any eggs or nestlings in them so that they themselves can lay their own eggs in those nests. We are not birds.”
The judge added: “The simple point is that despite the continued use by the two factions of the name PDP, the situation on the ground was that the seventh applicant and the third respondent were totally two different political formations.
“Among other things, through the MDC-A and Rainbow Coalition, they were recognised and accepted as such by the sixth respondent, ZEC, for the purposes of the 2018 general elections.
“It was that election that ushered applicants 1 to 6 into Parliament and left respondents 1 and 2 out.”
Chamisa’s group has always argued that MDC-T has no legal right to recall MDC Alliance members since they contested the 2018 elections as a separate entity.

-The Standard

By A Correspondent- Member of Parliament for Zengeza West constituency, Job Sikhala has accused the government and Chitungwiza council officials of sabotaging community development projects in the dormitory town.

Sikhala said the government had failed to construct a dam for the country’s third most populous urban area and vowed to lobby Parliament to implement the project.

He spoke at an event to commission two borehole projects he funded in Zengeza 2 and Zengeza 5.

“Chitungwiza relies on Harare for its water supplies; that is why potable water is so dear in our town,” Sikhala said.
“When (Ignatius) Chombo was still the Local Government minister, a private investor approached the council to build a dam on a build-operate-and-transfer basis, but the project was shot down,” Sikhala said.

“I have seen the documents, and nothing changed when Saviour Kasukuwere took over from Chombo.”

Sikhala said Parliament was going to descend on Chitungwiza to investigate complaints he raised on the unprofessional conduct of certain council officials, who were derailing his projects in the constituency.

“Now some doctor called Kasu, a council official, has sabotaged my project to provide vendors with suitable vending stalls,” he said.
“This project is for residents, it is for the community, and after its completion, it was going to be handed over to the council, which was hoping to benefit from the rates paid by vendors.”

A council official from the engineering department, Joseph Zenda, who officiated at the event, also appealed to the government to provide a long-term solution to the water crisis in Chitungwiza by constructing a dam.

A circular from Chitungwiza council acting town clerk to all acting works managers said Harare was cutting down its water supply to the town as water levels at the Prince Edward Dam were dwindling.

By A Correspondent- Late former President Robert Mugabe’s son Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe has waded into contemporary musician Jah Prayzah for allegedly ignoring to endorse Nutty O’s new album, which the dancehall star released hours earlier Friday.

Nutty O, real name Carrington Simbarashe Chiwadzwa, released his long-awaited Mustard Seed, a 13-track compilation and his first album in his promising music career.

RELATED: NUTTY O FINALLY RELEASES FIRST ALBUM

The album has been widely described as a masterpiece as the young, talented artiste took time to flaunt his lyrical prowess.

Using his Twitter handle Friday, Chatunga said, “It’s now more than 5 hrs since Nutty O released his album still no sign of Jah Prayzah’s endorsement or congratulatory message have some shame JP.”

But the 24-year-old’s message was received differently among some Twitter users who felt Jah Prayzah was under no obligation to be endorsing other musician’s albums.

Entertainment journalist Robert Mukondiwa felt Jay Prayzah had no obligation to comment on his one-time protégé’s works.

“Should he, though? Does @jahprayzah owe him that congratulatory message?” he said in the Twitter thread.

However, others felt like a big name in the industry, it would be courteous of Jah Prayzah to commend another musician for a good production.

Both Nutty O and Jah Prayzah were once under the Military Touch Movement, a vibrant ensemble that once housed music talents in the form of Andy Muridzo, ExQ, Tahle Wedzinza, Nutty O and producers DJ Tamuka and Daniel Chiweda before they decided to pursue solo careers.

.

It’s now more than 5 hrs since Nutty O released his album, still no sign of Jah Prayzah’s endorsement or congratulatory message have some shame JP

— CHATUNGA (@bellagushaz) September 24, 2021

By A Correspondent- Home Affairs Minister and Zanu PF Mashonaland Central provincial chairman Kazembe Kazembe is allegedly demanding cash from illegal gold miners in Mazowe.

According to a local online news portal, Kazembe recently received US$50 000 from gold dealers operating in the province to fund his campaign to retain the chairmanship.

He is being challenged by the former Primary education minister Lazarus Dokora, in the impending Zanu PF PCC elections.

“There was a DCC meeting in Bindura last week where party members confronted him over the issue. He was accused of becoming a gold lord in the province and also of receiving US$50 000 from gold dealers to fund his campaign. Remember, these are miners and dealers operating without proper approvals, and they benefit a lot from him in terms of protection. These are the issues that Bindura DCC members wanted him to answer to,” said the source quoted by the online newspaper.

THE Health and Child Care ministry has resolved to cordon off boarding schools to curb the surge in COVID-19 cases within the learning institutions across the country.

Situational reports released by the Health ministry show that schools currently account for the majority of the COVID-19 cases recorded daily.

On Thursday, of the 330 new cases reported, 65% were recorded in schools.

As of Thursday, there were 1 281 schoolchildren and 131 teachers who had tested positive for COVID-19 across the country, according to the Health ministry.

In a statement yesterday, the Health ministry, however, said the situation was under control, adding that it had strengthened control measures, including intensifying vaccination of the eligible population in schools.

Under the new measures, parents will not be allowed to visit their children in boarding facilities.

“These bulks of the cases are being reported mainly from boarding secondary schools across the country through the enhanced surveillance mounted by the ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education using the joint operational plan for the coordinated prevention and management of the COVID-19 pandemic at all learning institutions in the country,” the Health ministry said.

“The ministry wishes to assure the nation and the affected parents that measures are being taken to safeguard the safety and health of the affected learners. The following mitigation measures have been put in place. Most of the reported cases have been mild and not requiring hospitalisation and no fatalities have been reported.”

Government said it would increase COVID-19 testing facilities of all suspected cases on-site, enhance isolation and management of all positive cases at the affected schools, and also quarantine all learners that would have been exposed to the virus at their schools.

Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa announced during a post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday that the cases being recorded in schools were insignificant to warrant schools closure.

However, findings of investigations conducted by the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) on adherence of schools to government set standard operating procedures during the pandemic show that schools were incapacitated to adhere to the guidelines.

In the report, which was released yesterday, Artuz said there was a 10% drop in safety of school environments since the reopening of schools on August 23, 2021 in comparison with the previous terms.

“The outcome of the Artuz investigation reflected that all sampled schools remain COVID-19 danger zones because of shortages of required resources to reduce the spread of the pandemic disease, unavailability of COVID-19 test kits in schools and inadequate supply of vaccines in communities surrounding schools,” Artuz said in the report.

“The investigation observations reflected that there is a 10% drop in the percentage safety of school environments since the reopening of schools on August 23, and September 6, 2021 in comparison with the state of safety in the previous terms across the nation.”

Teachers unions said schools had limited testing capacities, which raised fears that the figures of the actual pupils and learners who were infected by the virus were higher than those reported.

They warned that the situation could get worse and possibly drive a fourth COVID-19 wave in the country.

“Government has a problem of providing immediate and  temporary solutions to problems,” Artuz president Orbet Masaraure said.

“The problem of COVID-19 in schools should be addressed holistically. Banning movement in boarding schools is a temporary measure. It appears like the government is shooting itself in the foot.

How are the pupils going to carry out the Continuous Assessment Learning Activities if they have been locked in schools? Schools were never prepared to reopen, which is evidenced by the inconsistencies in policies on the problem at hand.”

Zimbabwe National Teachers Union chief executive officer Manuel Nyawo said banning movements at boarding schools would not resolve the crisis because a majority of them were recording COVID-19 cases.

“The government should develop a culture of consulting stakeholders before imposing decisions,” he said.

“It must have consulted school authorities, parents and other relevant stakeholders on the best way to deal with the crisis in school. Even if it bans movement at boarding schools, the day schools, which have the majority of the scholars, will still be exposed to the risk of contracting COVID-19. Government  must not keep the boarding pupils hostage to address the problem.”

On the 69th birthday of the late jazz icon and legendary musician Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi, the world will finally get to enjoy his hits on streaming platform YouTube.

After the Zimbabwean musician’s death in 2019 in Harare after a long battle with diabetes mellitus, the star will have all his best hits uploaded to YouTube for his fans to enjoy.

With his career spanning more than 40 years, the cultural icon’s bops can be enjoyed on the streaming platform by all his fans.

Speaking on his birthday in a statement to TshisaLIVE, Gallo marketing manager Caroline Morabe said they would be launching his official YouTube channel with the hit song Todii.

“As a company we are honoured to be working on the legacy of Oliver Mtukudzi’s music.

“We are excited for the upcoming music project to be released in a few weeks. At Gallo, we believe it is important to keep his legacy alive.”Oliver began performing in 1977 when he joined Wagon Wheels, a band that also featured Thomas Mapfumo.

Their single Dzandimomotera went gold and Tuku’s first album followed, which was also a major success.Mtukudzi is also a contributor to Mahube, Southern Africa’s “supergroup”.

Oliver has collaborated with a number of local and foreign musicians and was instrumental in developing young talent through his Pakare Paye Arts Centre.

The star is known for hit songs such as Neria, Todii, Chiri Nani, Hazvireve and Wasakara, just to name a few.

Oliver released his 67th album 10 months before his death and was concerned about spreading the message that people needed to love one another in these hard times.

-Tshisalive

By Farai D Hove | Senator Douglas Mwonzora faces removal from party leadership following a High Court case just launched against him.

An MDC official has approached the courts seeking to among other things nullify the Mwonzora party’s confess held on 27th December 2020.

Mr Amos Kaliati appeals to the court saying his case is based on the infamous Mashavira verdict, while also alleging that Mwonzora used fake delegates to claim they are 2014 party members.

The case threatens to dismantle everything Mwonzora has stood on against his nemesis, Nelson Chamisa.

His case reads in part:

1. This application comes against the backdrop of the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Movement for Democratic Change & Anor v Mashavira & 3 Others (SC 56-20, Civil Appeal No. SC 289/19) [2020] ZWSC 56 (31 March 2020).

•  In that matter, 2^nd Respondent, in her capacity as Acting President of the First Respondent was ordered to convene an extra-ordinary congress of the First Respondent within three months from the 31^st of March 2020, failing which, the Third Respondent would convene the said extra-ordinary congress.

• The purpose of the extra-ordinary congress was to fill the vacancy left by the late founding president of the party, Dr. Richard Morgan Tsvangirai.

• It is common cause that the extra-ordinary Congress was not held within the specified time limits in the decision of the Supreme Court in question. An extension of time within which to hold the extra-ordinary congress was granted by the Supreme Court under Case Number SC328/20.

• I wish to make it clear from the onset that this application does not seek to tamper with decision of the Supreme Court in any way. Instead, it is anchored on that decision. I particularly draw inspiration from the findings of the Supreme Court as follows: –

16.1     On Page 39, where the Supreme Court noted that: –

“…Article 3 of the Party constitution enshrines its status as “a Social Democratic Party whose core values shall be solidarity, justice, equality, liberty, freedom, transparency, humble and obedient leadership and accountability”. These core values of the Party, if they are not to be reduced to merely hollow rhetoric, necessarily implicate the principles of good governance and adherence to the leadership requirements embodied in the constitution.”

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa personally made recommendations for the appointment of Douglas Mwonzora to the Senate…

Speaking in an interview with Heart and Soul Tv on Thursday, President Chamisa said Mwonzora, Morgen Komichi and Elias Mudzuri have forgotten that he played a key role in their appointment to the Senate.

“They know what they did in 2014 and President Tsvangirai was aware of their shenanigans.

I convinced Mutsekwa to step aside to give space for Mwonzora to be appointed to the Senate.

My message to them is that borrowed robes are temporary,” said President Chamisa.

He also said only genuine and sincere dialogue can resolve the country’s political stalemate.

President Chamisa described POLAD as a platform created by Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa to dictate his political will…

He also accused the Zanu PF regime of stifling meaningful development in local authorities.

“Zanu PF is stifling development in local authorities by politicizing the approval of key budgets. We cannot be be blamed for the problems that are affecting citizens in urban areas because Zanu PF controls the allocation of resources to local authorities.
If anything you can only blame Mr Mnangagwa’ s administration for sitting on budgets and initiatives.Roads are now rivers ( as it were) because of potholes.They are stealing ZINARA funds,” said President Chamisa.

He added:”Zanu PF has created its own opposition led by Douglas Mwonzora so you cannot say we have lost the right to use the MDC brand.

We have not lost the leadership dispute- don’t worry about Zanu PF surrogates. We are the real deal and we are the genuine game in town.
Actually Zanu PF is strengthening us.

They want to force us to disclose our strategies and we will not do that – don’t listen to Zanu PF political rhetoric. Zanu PF can convince you that monkeys are donkeys …
Mr Mnangagwa has subtly admitted that we are in charge.”

On the so called defections he said :”Who wants a basket full of bad apples ?
Mr Mnangagwa has failed to unite country- he is immature.
He cannot separate politics from national issues.He is only concerned about clinging to power.”

President Chamisa said POLAD was created to sanitize Mr Mnangagwa’s stolen mandate.

” It’s Mr Mnangagwa’s own creation, he is the prefect of the platform.
We are not puppets – POLAD is a discredited platform – we want honest dialogue facilitated by a neutral player.”

Also watch video below:

https://fb.watch/8dDoyBVetS/

WAS IT WISE FOR ZANU PF DIRECTOR TO THREATEN US GOVT WITH TALIBAN WAR?

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) September 26, 2021

By Farai D Hove | ZANU PF’s Director Of Information Tafadzwa Mugwadi has threatened the US embassy with what he termed Taliban style treatment.

Mugwadi was commenting on the US embassy’s call for bi elections to be held soon when he tweeted that they should expect consequences of the Taliban level.

He said this a few weeks after the terror group took over Afghanistan humiliating the US government which has occupied the country for 20 years and had just concluded its exit.

When will the Zimbabwean government resume by-elections?, the US embassy tweeted.

They continued:

Long-standing parliamentary vacancies have left over 754,000 voters in 26 constituencies without elected representation. Only by-elections will restore these citizens’ rights to representation.

To this, Mugwadi said: “We will do it the Taliban way!!”

He went on elaborate that this is a direct threat that the US will suffer consequences.

He said: “Stay far from our lane or the consequences will be humiliating the Taliban style.”

Hours later, Mugwadi was unequivocal, and stretched his words to publish a whole paragraph saying in full: “Don’t ask me wht is the Taliban style. Ask the gringos who created a puppet Gvt, supported it for 20 years with war, only to be over-ran by Talibans leaving guns, war jets, helicopters, cash, whiskey & their puppets at the hands of Afghan Talibans kkk. Lesson: Puppets are losers“

By A Correspondent- Two men have been nabbed on allegations of threatening a local businessman with death by sending him messages on social media messaging site WhatsApp.

Lourens Botha and Matthew Mullaji were not asked to plead to allegations of threats to commit murder when they appeared before a Harare magistrate this Saturday. They will spend the weekend in remand prison awaiting bail ruling on Monday

Allegations are that sometime this month, the two together with one Dov Morgan who is still at large sent threatening messages to end the life of the complainant businessman using South African and local numbers.

“I will deal with you thoroughly. If I fail to deal with you on earth, I will f* you in mars, sh,” the message allegedly said.

The State further alleges that these words shook the complainant who now believes that the suspects and their accomplice will commit the crime threatened.

The State says the complainant fingered the suspects as the ones behind the threatening messages and that they are in possession of the messages.

Currently, there is an ongoing legal battle for the control of a company involving the complainant and his other business partners.

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa personally made recommendations for the appointment of Douglas Mwonzora to the Senate…

Speaking in an interview with Heart and Soul Tv on Thursday, President Chamisa said Mwonzora, Morgen Komichi and Elias Mudzuri have forgotten that he played a key role in their appointment to the Senate.

“They know what they did in 2014 and President Tsvangirai was aware of their shenanigans.

I convinced Mutsekwa to step aside to give space for Mwonzora to be appointed to the Senate.

My message to them is that borrowed robes are temporary,” said President Chamisa.

He also said only genuine and sincere dialogue can resolve the country’s political stalemate.

President Chamisa described POLAD as a platform created by Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa to dictate his political will…

He also accused the Zanu PF regime of stifling meaningful development in local authorities.

“Zanu PF is stifling development in local authorities by politicizing the approval of key budgets. We cannot be be blamed for the problems that are affecting citizens in urban areas because Zanu PF controls the allocation of resources to local authorities.
If anything you can only blame Mr Mnangagwa’ s administration for sitting on budgets and initiatives.Roads are now rivers ( as it were) because of potholes.They are stealing ZINARA funds,” said President Chamisa.

He added:”Zanu PF has created its own opposition led by Douglas Mwonzora so you cannot say we have lost the right to use the MDC brand.

We have not lost the leadership dispute- don’t worry about Zanu PF surrogates. We are the real deal and we are the genuine game in town.
Actually Zanu PF is strengthening us.

They want to force us to disclose our strategies and we will not do that – don’t listen to Zanu PF political rhetoric. Zanu PF can convince you that monkeys are donkeys …
Mr Mnangagwa has subtly admitted that we are in charge.”

On the so called defections he said :”Who wants a basket full of bad apples ?
Mr Mnangagwa has failed to unite country- he is immature.
He cannot separate politics from national issues.He is only concerned about clinging to power.”

President Chamisa said POLAD was created to sanitize Mr Mnangagwa’s stolen mandate.

” It’s Mr Mnangagwa’s own creation, he is the prefect of the platform.
We are not puppets – POLAD is a discredited platform – we want honest dialogue facilitated by a neutral player.”

Also watch video below:

https://fb.watch/8dDoyBVetS/

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa personally made recommendations for the appointment of Douglas Mwonzora to the Senate…

Speaking in an interview with Heart and Soul Tv on Thursday, President Chamisa said Mwonzora, Morgen Komichi and Elias Mudzuri have forgotten that he played a key role in their appointment to the Senate.

“They know what they did in 2014 and President Tsvangirai was aware of their shenanigans.

I convinced Mutsekwa to step aside to give space for Mwonzora to be appointed to the Senate.

My message to them is that borrowed robes are temporary,” said President Chamisa.

He also said only genuine and sincere dialogue can resolve the country’s political stalemate.

President Chamisa described POLAD as a platform created by Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa to dictate his political will…

He also accused the Zanu PF regime of stifling meaningful development in local authorities.

“Zanu PF is stifling development in local authorities by politicizing the approval of key budgets. We cannot be be blamed for the problems that are affecting citizens in urban areas because Zanu PF controls the allocation of resources to local authorities.
If anything you can only blame Mr Mnangagwa’ s administration for sitting on budgets and initiatives.Roads are now rivers ( as it were) because of potholes.They are stealing ZINARA funds,” said President Chamisa.

He added:”Zanu PF has created its own opposition led by Douglas Mwonzora so you cannot say we have lost the right to use the MDC brand.

We have not lost the leadership dispute- don’t worry about Zanu PF surrogates. We are the real deal and we are the genuine game in town.
Actually Zanu PF is strengthening us.

They want to force us to disclose our strategies and we will not do that – don’t listen to Zanu PF political rhetoric. Zanu PF can convince you that monkeys are donkeys …
Mr Mnangagwa has subtly admitted that we are in charge.”

On the so called defections he said :”Who wants a basket full of bad apples ?
Mr Mnangagwa has failed to unite country- he is immature.
He cannot separate politics from national issues.He is only concerned about clinging to power.”

President Chamisa said POLAD was created to sanitize Mr Mnangagwa’s stolen mandate.

” It’s Mr Mnangagwa’s own creation, he is the prefect of the platform.
We are not puppets – POLAD is a discredited platform – we want honest dialogue facilitated by a neutral player.”

Also watch video below:

https://fb.watch/8dDoyBVetS/

By A Correspondent- A 77 year old man Julius Takaendesa Gwapedza was burnt to death  and beyond recognition  from the fire which was started by Elias Mukono (50) who was clearing a graveside beside his homestead while relieving himself in a bush in Nhema village, Chivhu on Tuesday.

Mashonaland East Provincial police spokesperson Misheck Denhere confirmed the case.

“Gwapedza went into a nearby bush to relieve himself around 7am and he was suddenly engulfed by a bush fire , his relatives found him around 1pm”,he said.

The deceased was found with his National Identification card on him and Mukono who had started fire was arrested, Bulawayo24. com has learnt.

Appreciation Post for Hon Chibaya our Organising Secretary @ChibayaMdc . Hard working and solid Cde he is not always on social media but on the ground and offline. He is currently in Rural Zimbabwe and they are all saying #NgaapindeHakeMukomana pic.twitter.com/0B84wA5k1t

— Chalton Hwende MP Chairperson Public Accounts (@hwendec) September 24, 2021

By A Correspondent- The Women’s Reform Network Representative yesterday handed over their petition to the Parliament of Zimbabwe and Ministry of local government over the women’s representation in local government.

The organization is imploring the government to reverse its decision to add 587 seats to cater for women Qouta in addition to the already existing 1958 seats for local government.

 In their petition they argued that the increase in seats will add unnecessary burden to the tax payers hence they want a 50/50 representation based on the already existing seats.

‘Now thereforethe petitioners beseech the Parliament of Zimbabwe to implore the Executive to uphold the Supreme Law of the land by ensuring that Zimbabwe’s legal framework is reviewed in compliance with the provisions of the Constitution as it relates to 50/50 gender equality in elected and appointed positions.

The Minister of Local Government and Public Works, July Moyo, recently proclaimed at a Women in Local Authorities symposium that the Government of Zimbabwe shall be passing a law to create a 30% women’s proportional representation quota in all local authorities outside of the already existing 1958 wards.

This proposed amendment will see additional women only 587 seats across all the country’s local authorities added on top of the current 1958 seats. As the Women’s Reform Network, we appreciate the need for interventions to increase women’s representation in elected and appointed leadership at all levels.

However, we believe that any intervention must firstly be informed by the Constitutional provisions of Sections 17, 56 and 80 which expressly envisages and demand a legal framework which implements 50/50 gender equality at all levels in Zimbabwe. In addition, it is our considered view that any quotas must be allocated within the existing number of seats. Women empowerment in leadership must never create a burden on the taxpayers whose net effect would affect the adequacy and accessibility of quality gender responsive service delivery which would in turn adversely impact the very same women who must be empowered’ read part of the petition .

The women also implored that the Parliament should make a comprehensive legal framework in order to attain the 50/50 gender equality as enshrined in the 2013 constitution of Zimbabwe.

‘Parliament must insist on a comprehensive review of the legal framework as it relates to attaining 50/50 gender equality in elected and appointed representation. This is important because the Constitution demands it, in Sections 17, 56 and 80, and the Hon. Minister of Local Government and Public Works must adhere to the Constitution and Parliament must exercise oversight over his proclamations so that they do not violate the Constitution which he swore to uphold.

If the Government insist on implementing the proposal of 30% women’s proportional representation quota in local authorities, the 587 seats should be within the already existing 1958. The WRN stands ready to assist the Government with models for implementing the quota within’ added the statement.

The Women’s Reform Network (WRN) Women’s Reform Network Representative coalition of 25 women’s rights organisations and women-led Community Based Organisations with an interest in the integrity of electoral processes.

WATCH- #NgaapindeHakeMukomana challenge now on TikTok pic.twitter.com/nC0J05QT6L

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) September 25, 2021

The government allegedly spent over US$200 000 on Finance minister Mthuli Ncube’s accommodation after his two-year stay at Miekles Hotel where an executive room costs US$200 per night. 

This expenditure of taxpayers’ money comes when Zimbabwe’s economy is still recovering following decades of poor performance.

Ironically, Ncube has since his appointment in 2018, been introducing austerity measures that were meant to cut public expenditure, and promote saving and economic resuscitation.

A senior civil servant Thursday dismissed suggestions that Ncube lived at the Meikles hotel for over two years. The source said:

The honourable minister stayed at the hotel for just three months whilst his house was still being occupied by tenants. As soon as the tenant’s lease was duly terminated, he moved into his personal home.

However, a source in the tourism sector told the Independent that “Ncube stayed at Meikles for a very long time”.

It will not be the first time though after former Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko also lodged at the Rainbow Towers Hotel in the capital for many years and the government paid the US$619 000 bill.

Mphoko’s reason for staying at the 5-star hotel was that the house that he was allocated by the government did not match his high office.

He finally moved into a US$2 million mansion built by the government.

-Independent

By A Correspondent- An Indonesian official has reiterated the Southeast Asian country’s interest to secure deals in Zimbabwe’s various economic sectors such as pharmaceuticals, rubber and the railways.

A representative of the Indonesian embassy in Zimbabwe, Rahma Mardina, told the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) special bulletin of her country’s interests:

We are interested in the transportation field by proposing the revitalisation of the railroad with NRZ to fulfil the market needs in Zimbabwe, especially and or regional market as a whole. On our part, we also have a range of products for Zimbabwe.

These include rubber, coffee, pharmaceutical products, palm sugar, red brick machines, transportation aircraft, electric motors with friendly energy, locomotives, concrete and solar panels.

In 2019, Indonesia Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Juniarta Sastrawan, said that his country, through the Indonesia International Economic Co-operation Programme, intends to capacitate the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) by finding investors from all over the world for the parastatal.

NRZ, which recently signed a memorandum of understanding with a Turkish construction firm Yapi Merkezi, is struggling to keep afloat due to out-of-date equipment, among other challenges.

The NRZ requires about US$1.9 billion to rehabilitate its track, acquire locomotives, wagons and upgrade information communication technology to enable the parastatal to increase freight volumes.

In 2019, the government cancelled a US$400 million NRZ recapitalisation programme signed two years ago with the Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group after the group reportedly “failed” to comply with contractual timelines.

-Independent

By A Correspondent- A Zanu PF official has said President Emmerson Mnangagwa has no mandate to lead the ruling party after he “arbitrarily” postponed the 2019 elective extraordinary congress to 2022.

These remarks come amid reports that Mnangagwa’s deputy, Constantino Chiwenga is leading a faction that seeks to dislodge him from power.

A local publication, was told by an anonymous senior official in ZANU PF that the situation has rendered Mnangagwa”s leadership shacky. 

Said the official:

Legally, Mnangagwa has no mandate from congress to currently lead Zanu-PF.

He basically avoided the 2019 congress, when it was constitutionally due, and postponed it to 2022. Currently, he is running on empty: the mandate he got from the 2017 extraordinary congress expired. It was for the interregnum only.

Subsequently, there was no other extraordinary congress to allow him and all those in the structures elected in the last regular congress in 2014 to continue.

It was an arbitrary postponement, hence illegal arrangement. So his mandate is illegitimate in terms of the Zanu-PF constitution.

Mnangagwa was installed Zanu-PF leader by the party’s central committee on 19 November 2017 at the height of the military coup and confirmed through an extraordinary congress on 15 December 2017.

The Zanu-PF constitution does not give power to the central committee to remove an elected leader.

If the position becomes vacant, an extraordinary congress is held to fill it in.

Another official said while it appears at face value like Mnangagwa is consolidating power; in reality, there is no consolidation to talk about.

The official said Mnangagwa is now surrounded by political opportunists and he has lost control of the party.

The anonymous official said the glaring factionalism in Midlands and Masvingo, his strongholds, while he is watching “helplessly,” is enough evidence to suggest he had lost control.-Newshawks

By A Correspondent- Psychiatric units at Harare’s two major referral hospitals, Sally Mugabe Central Hospital and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, are overwhelmed by the rising number of mental health cases linked to drug and substance abuse.

Most patients have complications arising from crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as “mutoriro”, “dombo” or “guka.”

Most abused drugs include ganja cakes, a prohibited cough syrup called BronCleer (bronco), mbanje and illicit beers known as “musombodhiya” in street lingo.

President Mnangagwa recently expressed concern over drug abuse in the country, and he appointed a task force to hunt down drug peddlers.

Parirenyatwa Hospital attends to about 800 mental health patients monthly with most of the ailments being related to drugs.

Admission is only for those with serious illnesses that they cannot go back home while most of them are sent back home after treatment.

The senior nursing officer at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital Mr Nelson Makore said mental health cases linked to drug abuse have since overtaken traditional causes like depression. He added:

Almost 70 percent of the patients we attend to, have problems related to drug abuse and mutoriro is the new drug that is selling more than anything else. It is highly addictive and it affects the mental health of the people.

While some drug and substance abusers cite economic hardships in the country as push factors, Mr Makore said drug abuse also affects the haves as drugs are expensive.

He said medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, police officers, soldiers and officers from the central intelligence organisation, university and college students and pupils from boarding schools constitute a large part of affected people. 

The clinical matron at Sally Mugabe psychiatric unit Ms Enety Mahove said women were also among those with drug-induced mental ailments.

Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals spokesperson Mr Linos Dhire said the increase in the number of youths coming for assistance has caused a huge workload at the hospital because most of these patients present as psychiatric emergency cases, especially with aggression and suicide attempts.

He indicated that there is pressure on the part of practitioners to urgently fill the knowledge gap on how to handle new forms of drug and substance abuse adding that there was a need for more staff.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has said it has not yet acknowledged the existence of the newly formed Citizens Convergent for Change (CCC) political party.

On Monday, a Bulawayo resident with strong Zanu-PF links, Varaidzo Musungo, wrote to Zec notifying the commission of the formation of the CCC, a name that has been widely used by opposition MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa.

Zec spokesperson Joyce Kazembe said it was impossible to acknowledge receipt of CCC as a political party because it did not provide enough details upon notifying the commission of its existence. He said:Zec does not register political parties, but it simply receives notifications upon formations of new parties.

The commission received a notification from the CCC political group, but since it was incomplete, we did not acknowledge its existence. There are no contact details such as emails or phone numbers, hence it was impossible to acknowledge receipt upon the notification of their existence.

There has been debate around the need to register political parties in Zimbabwe, with some people advocating for conditions on party registration.

Former Zec commissioner Qhubani Moyo said the biggest challenge over years was that there were no regulations that defined the registration of political parties in Zimbabwe.

Moyo said the country should copy what other countries do when a new party registers to contest elections to avoid confusion. He added:

I am told that there is also another party that has written to Zec under the name Zimbabwe Alliance for Movement Unit, and I think this is the Chamisa brigade trying also to create confusion on the name of Zanu-PF.

Moyo added that other countries demand proof of a certain number of registered members before a political party is successfully registered.

In the run-up to the 2018 polls, Zec acknowledged the existence of 123 political parties in the country with some saying the majority were proxies of the ruling party meant to divide urban votes where the opposition has been getting most of its votes.

By A Correspondent- President Mnangagwa has said Zimbabwe has one of the most transparent systems in Africa in terms of the appointment of judges of the superior courts.

He made the remarks on Friday while addressing the Southern Africa Chief Justices’ Forum jointly hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia in Victoria Falls.

---

He also said the Second Republic would continue respecting the independence of the Judiciary and the principle of separation of powers in line with the tenets of constitutional democracy.

He said:

Allow me to emphasise that my Government respects the principle of separation of powers and the independence of the Judiciary as a cornerstone of a constitutional democracy. We have one of the most transparent judges’ appointment systems in which prospective judges are subjected to public interviews by the Judicial Service Commission.

Government, therefore respects the decisions and orders of the courts and has put in place mechanisms to enforce those orders. This is indeed a fundamental aspect of the rule of law.

An accountable and transparent Judiciary is one that people can have uttermost confidence in and one that is free of corruption while also expeditiously dealing with and finalising matters before the courts.

Judiciary independence is guaranteed as the essence of the rule of law on condition that the principles of transparency and accountability are observed in the performance of judicial functions.

He speaks when the opposition is saying the “judiciary, like all other state institutions,” is captured by the ruling ZANU PF and the executive arm of government.

In Zimbabwe, prospective judges are supposed to be subjected to public interviews in terms of Section 180 (4) of the Constitution.

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has to invite nominations of qualified and experienced lawyers, and members of the public can make these nominations, who are then short-listed for interviews, which are held under the public glare.

Promotions from the High Court to the Supreme and Constitutional Courts no longer require interviews.

In May, President Mnangagwa extended Chief Justice Luke Malaba’s term of office by a further 5 years beyond his retirement age thereby triggering outrage and lawsuits.

He cited the Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 2, which among other things gives the president authority to make key judicial appointments, he had signed two days earlier as the basis for the extension.

The High Court nullified the extension but the Constitutional Court later set aside the ruling saying no law had been violated.

Critics said the extension was meant to ensure that Malaba influences court decisions on the 2023 elections the matter spills into courts like in 2018.-statemedia

Various civil society organisations associated with Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition met on Thursday, September 23, 2021 to deliberate on the issue of a national convergence for transformation in light of the  deepening multi faceted crisis in Zimbabwe.

The meeting resolved to, among other issues, strengthen citizen agency and to rally ordinary Zimbabweans, including youths, women, farmers, marginalised populations, ethnic minorities and people living with disabilities to dialogue under the national convergence for transformation process.

The meeting also raised concern over the continued looting of natural resources by political elites and the lack of political will to engage in a genuine all stakeholders dialogue which will unlock the Zimbabwean crisis. 

The meeting noted with concern the exclusive and elite nature of the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) platform as well as the deepening intransigence of the state as necessary conditions for ordinary Zimbabweans to step up and define the Zimbabwe they want.

The convergence process will include all Zimbabweans, including the diaspora and across political party lines. 

The common denominator of this dialogue process is the dignity, happiness and freedom of ordinary Zimbabweans

By A Correspondent- A Nyanga sangoma is in the eye of a storm after admitting to have supplied goblins and wealth-enhancing charms to a local businessman.

The goblins have brought nightmares to the Kamutate family by causing deaths and misfortunes.

The sangoma, Edgegot Matiashe, after being cornered by the businessman, Joseph Nyamusa Kamutate’s nephews to exorcise and cleanse the family, demanded and forcibly took away eight beasts from the family as payment for the services.

Matiashe sold some of the beasts.

However, tables have since been turned against the sangoma after Kamutate filed stock theft charges against him.

Matiashe was arrested and is set to appear in court facing stock theft charges.

Police confirmed the incident that happened in Sarutani Village in Chief Hata’s area, saying Kamutate’s nephews — Lionel Wonder Nyamusa (46), Memory Nyamusa (34), Lovemore Nyamusa (36) and Blessing Nyamusa (43) — were also arrested for allegedly assaulting Kamutate.

The quartet allegedly assaulted Kamutate, accusing him of causing one of the relatives’ mental illness among other misfortunes the family is experiencing.

A villager privy to the matter who requested anonymity, said so tense was the situation that Kamutate could have been fatally assaulted by the enraged nephews.

“The nephews are troubled. Deaths and misfortunes bedevilling the family have left them so agitated. Tempers flared after they realised that their uncle was behind all their misfortunes. Some of the villagers believe in Matiashe’s powers and in turn, he (Matiashe) has been grabbing their cattle as payment for his services.

Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxson Chananda said on the day in question, the Nyamusa quartet proceeded to Kamutate’s homestead and challenged him to come out of his house.

“They accused Kamutate of causing misfortunes and deaths in the family. They further alleged that Kamutate had obtained goblins from Matiashe in 1996 which were behind all the calamities befalling the family.

“He denied possession of the goblins. This further angered the Nyamusas and they severely assaulted him. They dragged him to another traditional healer in Mapako where Kamutate was fingered as the source of the family’s challenges.

“The feuding parties later confronted Matiashe who admitted to have supplied Kamutate with the goblins sometime in 1996. He demanded eight beasts for his services which include repossessing the goblins and cleansing the whole homestead,” said Inspector Chananda.

It is alleged that when the quartet returned home, they furthered assaulted Kamutate.

“They forced him to release the eight beasts to Matiashe. Under duress, Kamutate released the beasts. His nephews handed the beasts to Matiashe who promised to cleanse the homestead and ensure that the family leads peaceful and normal lives.

Kamutate reported the matter at Nyanga Police Station and the quartet was arrested. Matiashe was also arrested the following day. Investigations revealed that Matiashe had already sold six of the eight beasts,” said Inspector Chananda.

He urged members of the public to consult the elderly or police to solve contentious matters.

He said families should amicably solve any problems than resorting to violence.-Manicapost

By A Correspondent- A man was tackled and led away by state security agents on Thursday after shouting “huya pano iwewe” in the direction of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Mnangagwa, accompanied by his deputy Constantino Chiwenga and a bevy of security guards, had just finished a tour of exhibition stands at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair and was walking to the Office of the President and Cabinet pavilion when the incident happened.

A man walking in the periphery of the VIP party shouted “huya pano iwewe!”, a forceful way of saying “you, come here!” The incident was witnessed by a ZimLive correspondent, and at least one other witness.

It was not clear who was the target of the shout, or if Mnangagwa heard him.

A uniformed police officer grabbed the man and slapped him once. He was joined by Mnangagwa’s plain clothes close protection officers who led the man away.

In the commotion which was over within seconds, Mnangagwa continued walking and chatting, appearing unperturbed

There were immediate questions whether the man – who is dark-skinned and appeared to be in his 30s – has mental health issues.

One of the organisers of the ZITF said: “I didn’t see the incident myself, but I can tell you that security was very tight today because the president was coming, and in any case the ZITF has only been open to exhibitors, government officials, emergency workers and the media so far. Someone with mental health issues is very unlikely to have made it through.”

George Charamba, the spokesman in the presidency, was unreachable.

By A Correspondent- A 28 year old soccer coach from Gqeberha has been sentenced to five years imprisonment for se_xually assaulting four boys between 2017 and 2018.

Sizwe ‘Lali’ Mphini was sentenced in the Port Elizabeth Regional Court on Thursday.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mphini saw young boys playing soccer in an open field in Gqeberha in 2016. He asked if they had a soccer coach, to which they replied “no”.

He volunteered to be their coach and promised to buy soccer jerseys. The children were excited and they agreed to his proposal to play for the “Mighty Eagles” team.

“However, the children testified in court that Mphini never bought soccer jerseys. He instead f0ndled their private parts,” NPA regional spokesperson Anelisa Ngcakani said.

Ngcakani added that, during practice time, he would call the boys one by one, to play with their private parts.

Mphini would invite the boys to his house for food and to watch cartoons.

He would call the boys, one by one, to his bedroom and play with their private parts.

He also instructed the boys not to disclose the se_xual assault to anyone.

“The four boys testified that their private parts would be painful and swollen,” Ngcakani added.

They said, at first, they were too afraid to tell their parents. The court also heard that Mphini abused other boys, not just the four who came forward. It is alleged the other boys were afraid to report the crimes.

The NPA added that rumours about Mphini started to spread – and it all erupted when one parent found her boy at Mphini’s house, along with other young boys.

She questioned her 10-year-old son, who then disclosed the sex_ual assault, and stated that Mphini did the same to other boys.

A community meeting was held and, when other boys came forward, the community opened a case at Walmer police station.

The court found Mphini guilty of four counts of se_xual assault.

He was sentenced to five years imprisonment for each count.

“The sentences were ordered to run concurrently, meaning that he will serve five years direct imprisonment,” Ngcakani said.

The youngest of his victims, during the period he committed the crimes, was eight years old, and the oldest was 14.

-News24

 By A Correspondent- Gweru man who fatally assaulted his teenage sister after finding through her cellphone that she was dating many boyfriends was yesterday jailed for an effective seven years after pleading guilty to culpable homicide before Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Maxwell Takuva.

Terrence Tarisai (27) of Clifton Park in Gweru had pleaded not guilt to murder when he appeared before Justice Takuva who was sitting in Gweru on circuit. Murder is when you intend death or so reckless that such an intention can be construed. Culpable homicide is when you take action that a reasonable person would realise could lead to serious injury or death.

Justice Takuva found him guilty of culpable homicide after a full trial where he bemoaned increase in crimes committed by parents or guardians as they apply excessive force in an attempt to discipline children

“There is need for parents and guardians to avoid excessive force when disciplining their children because it leads to unnecessary loss of life. A young life was lost unnecessarily. The accused is found guilty of culpable homicide and is sentenced to eight years in prison. A year of his sentence is suspended on condition of good behaviour,” said Justice Takuva as he handed down the judgement on the sombre looking Tarisai.

Prosecutor Ms Shalom Ndamuka Chikuni presented the evidence that Tarisai fatally assaulted his 16-year-old sister Tryphine using a belt and a cord after accusing her of being promiscuous. She was in Form 3 at Ascot High School in Gweru.

On July 22 last year, Tarisai arrived home and discovered that Tryphine was not at home and had left her 10-year- old sister alone. She came home at around 6pm told her brother she had gone to the shops. He was not satisfied and took her cellphone and went through the young sister’s WhatsApp messages and then threatened to beat her after finding messages from boys she was dating.

Tryphine fled home and stayed overnight at her aunt’s place in Mtapa Section 7, Gweru. The following morning, the aunt, Fungai Mugabe, accompanied her back home and found Tarisai at home. Tarisai said he was going to beat his sister before ordering her to lie on the sofa facing downwards. He took a black cord and assaulted his sister on the buttocks, legs and arms for about 10 minutes.

Tryphine then confessed that she had six boyfriends before he ordered her to call all the boyfriends to end the relationships.

Tarisai took a black belt and continued to assault the girl. Tryphine then complained that she was feeling cold and was put on a bed by her aunt. At about 3pm the same day, it was discovered that she had died in her sleep and a report was made to the police leading to Tarisai’s arrest.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent-War veterans in Chiredzi war veterans have blocked the minister of State for Masvingo Ezra Chadzamira from attending a party meeting and demanded his removal from office.

The war veterans are accusing Chadzamira of corruptly allocating land in the district to outsiders while sidelining locals.

On Monday, the war veterans held a protest at Palm Tree Hotel in Chiredzi, where Chadzamira and other ruling provincial party leaders were about to attend a meeting.

They also called for the removal of all the provincial leaders to enrich themselves instead of serving the people.

The development came a few days after investigators from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc)briefly arrested Chadzamira for alleged abuse of office involving the allocation of land in the province, but prosecutors turned the case down after President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s intervention.

Chadzamira is Mnangagwa’s political ally.

The Mnangagwa faction believes a faction led by Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga instigated Chadzamira’s arrest as part of a ploy to oust him from the provincial leadership.

Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans Association (ZLWVA) Chiredzi district chairperson Killer Makuni confirmed the demonstration to The NewsHawks.

 He said the demonstrators, who wielded placards, are members of his association who are unhappy with the parcelling out of land in Chiredzi.

Makuni said the allocations were done without input from the Chiredzi district lands committee and should be reversed. He also confirmed that war veterans had approached senior government officials, including Chiwenga, to register their displeasure. NewsHawks

By A Corresondent- The late Cleto Zvirikuzhe has been described as a humble and dedicated cadre whose death will be felt in the ruling party Zanu PF and the nation at large.

He was 60.

At the time of his death, Zvirikuzhe was Zanu PF deputy director of Finance.

In a statement, the party’s acting spokesperson Dr Mike Bimha said Zvirikuzhe’s death is a big loss to the revolutionary party.

“Zanu PF Secretary for Administration Dr Obert Mpofu and the director Administration Cde Dickson Dzora, the entire party leadership and staff would like to send their heartfelt condolences to the Zvirikuzhe family, friends and relatives on the passing on of the party’s deputy director of Finance Cde Cleto Zvirikuzhe. A humble and one of the longest party civil servant, Cde Zvirikuzhe’s untimely death is a huge loss to the Zanu PF family and the people of Zimbabwe to whom he dedicated a life of service. May His Dear Soul Rest in Eternal Peace.”

Zvirikuzhe, who died September 22 will be buried today in Mashonaland West.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent-The government, through the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC), has launched an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse of girls and child marriages in various Apostolic sects around the country.

ZGC chairperson Mrs Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe announced the commencement of the investigation in yesterday’s Government Gazette under General Notice 2733 of 2021.

“The ZGC intends to investigate complaints of the institutionalisation of sexual exploitation and abuses of girls and child marriages in the Apostolic sect, Zimbabwe,” she said.

“Further to the above notice, an invitation is hereby given to any victims or witnesses to any act of sexual exploitation and abuse and child marriages by members of any Apostolic Church to present to the Commission written complaints, witnesses statements and any other supporting documents or evidence which can assist in the investigation. “Oral hearings will commence thereafter on dates to be advised by the commission.”

She said any person who wishes to make any submissions regarding the investigation should visit the Commission Offices in Harare at First Floor Pax House and/or submit them in writing before October 25.

There was national outrage following the death of 14-year-old girl, Memory Machaya during childbirth at a Johane Marange Apostolic Sect shrine in Mutare in August.

The girls husband Hatirarame Momberume has since been arrested on murder charges and having sex with a minor.

Her parents, Edmore Machaya and Rachel Mabika have also been arrested on obstruction of justice charges after they lied about the girl’s age in an attempt to protect Momberume.

Meanwhile, the ZGC will hold its 2021Annual National Gender Forum on November 23.

Mrs Mukahanana-Sangarwe made the announcement under General 2732 of 2021 in yesterday’s Government Gazette.

The proposed agenda for the Forum is “Action towards the eradication of harmful practices which breed child marriages and sexual exploitation and abuse of young girls.”

She said organisations and individuals with interest in gender equality, gender equity and gender mainstreaming to submit suggestions of topics to be included in the agenda for discussion at the forum.

By A Correspondent- Controversial Radio and TV personality Tino Katsande has shared stories on why she is partaking in drugs and her leaked S_x tape.

In the same story on YouTube, Katsande, who said her health was deteriorating, also spoke about why she started the eggs business, what happened to her after ZiFM fired her eight years ago for a leaked S_x tape.

https://youtu.be/P6n6DotWXbg

By A Correspondent- Former South African President Jacob Zuma is said to be back at his Nkandla home.

He has reportedly been discharged from a hospital in Gauteng where he had surgery for an undisclosed ailment.

This week, it was placed on record at the Pietermaritzburg High Court that an NPA-appointed medical team claimed that Zuma was fit to stand trial.

Zuma’s advocate says the former president continues to be concerned about the alleged leaking of his confidential medical information to a journalist.

It’s being reported that Zuma will return to Johannesburg for further treatment.

Recently, the Constitutional Court dismissed his application to have his 15-month jail term set aside. 

He was imprisoned for refusing to appear before the Zondo Commission of Enquiry that is investigating him for corruption he allegedly committed while he was still president.

Advocate Dali Mpofu, his lawyer, had argued in July that his client is the only prisoner in the country who was jailed without trial.

The Constitutional Court dismissed the application to have the sentence rescinded and be set aside. 

Zuma is, however, on medical parole after the Department of Correctional Services received and considered his medical report. 

According to South African laws, offenders can be granted medical parole if they are terminally ill or are physically incapacitated. 

-eNCA

By A Correspondent-Chiredzi war veterans have called for the removal from office of minister of State for Masvingo Ezra Chadzamira, accusing him of corruptly allocating land in the district to outsiders while sidelining locals.

On Monday, the war veterans held a protest at Palm Tree Hotel in Chiredzi, where Chadzamira and other ruling provincial party leaders were about to attend a meeting.

They also called for the removal of all the provincial leaders to enrich themselves instead of serving the people.

The development came a few days after investigators from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc)briefly arrested Chadzamira for alleged abuse of office involving the allocation of land in the province, but prosecutors turned the case down after President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s intervention.

Chadzamira is Mnangagwa’s political ally.

The Mnangagwa faction believes a faction led by Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga instigated Chadzamira’s arrest as part of a ploy to oust him from the provincial leadership.

Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans Association (ZLWVA) Chiredzi district chairperson Killer Makuni confirmed the demonstration to The NewsHawks.

 He said the demonstrators, who wielded placards, are members of his association who are unhappy with the parcelling out of land in Chiredzi.

Makuni said the allocations were done without input from the Chiredzi district lands committee and should be reversed. He also confirmed that war veterans had approached senior government officials, including Chiwenga, to register their displeasure.

-NewsHawks

By A Correspondent- Former South African President Jacob Zuma is said to be back at his Nkandla home.

He has reportedly been discharged from a hospital in Gauteng where he had surgery for an undisclosed ailment.

This week, it was placed on record at the Pietermaritzburg High Court that an NPA-appointed medical team claimed that Zuma was fit to stand trial.

Zuma’s advocate says the former president continues to be concerned about the alleged leaking of his confidential medical information to a journalist.

It’s being reported that Zuma will return to Johannesburg for further treatment.

Recently, the Constitutional Court dismissed his application to have his 15-month jail term set aside. 

He was imprisoned for refusing to appear before the Zondo Commission of Enquiry that is investigating him for corruption he allegedly committed while he was still president.

Advocate Dali Mpofu, his lawyer, had argued in July that his client is the only prisoner in the country who was jailed without trial.

The Constitutional Court dismissed the application to have the sentence rescinded and be set aside. 

Zuma is, however, on medical parole after the Department of Correctional Services received and considered his medical report. 

According to South African laws, offenders can be granted medical parole if they are terminally ill or are physically incapacitated. 

-eNCA

By A Correspondent- Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has been fingered in the arrest of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s close ally Ezra Chadzamira.

Chadzamira is also the Zanu PF Masvingo provincial chairman and the Minister of Masvingo provincial affairs.

Chadzamira, who is considered a strong ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, was arrested early this month on allegations of corruption.

Sources close to his arrest said Chadzamira was arrested the same week Chiwenga had visited Masvingo.

“A day before Chadzamira’s arrest, the vice president was in Masvingo, where he addressed sugarcane farmers. It is from this meeting that Chadzamira’s corruption allegations appeared to have emanated from. After the meeting, the VP ordered the arrest of Chadzamira.

By A Correspondent- Samora Machel Avenue is set to be re-opened on Monday the 27th of September following the completion of the construction work at the Mbuya Nehanda statue site in Harare.

The closure of the intersection was necessitated by the works on the statue and the architectural structures to support it.
Harare Metropolitan Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Oliver Chidawu confirmed that the project is now complete.
He said:

The synchronization of traffic lights and a lot of services which had been disrupted by the construction had not been completed and we are now all so excited as it reduces the congestion.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa earlier this year said the government will not end with the construction of the statue of the spirit medium of Nehanda Nyakasikana whose words sparked the Second Chimurenga.
He promised more statues of national heroes which he said will act as a reminder of the history of the country.
Government critics said while the cause was noble, the construction of statues when the country has other financial needs showed that the government’s priorities are misplaced.

Leaked government documents suggest that the galvanised steel statue of Mbuya Nehanda which weighs 64 000kgs is valued at 2 184 575.44 South African Rand.

By A Correspondent- Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has been implicated in the arrest of Ezra Chadzamira, the Minister of Masvingo provincial affairs.

Chadzamira, who is considered a strong ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, was arrested early this month on allegations of corruption.

Sources close to his arrest said Chadzamira was arrested the same week Chiwenga had visited Masvingo.

“A day before Chadzamira’s arrest, the vice president was in Masvingo, where he addressed sugarcane farmers. It is from this meeting that Chadzamira’s corruption allegations appeared to have emanated from. After the meeting, the VP ordered the arrest of Chadzamira.