MTHWAKAZI Republic Party (MRP) leader Mqondisi Moyo has said any government initiative towards resolving Gukurahundi will not work as they dismissed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s meeting with traditional leaders in Bulawayo today as meaningless.

Mnangagwa met members of the National Chiefs Council (NCC) at the State House in the country’s second city where it was resolved to allow a victim-centred process and case by case exhumations and reburials.

The meeting came after chiefs conducted a two-week consultative process with unnamed Matabeleland civic society organisations and the clergy on issues affecting Matabeleland, particularly the unresolved 1980’s massacres.

However, in reaction, the MRP said there will never be any closure on Gukurahundi without a truth-telling commission and Mnangagwa stepping aside.

“Let me reiterate that as MRP and Mthwakazi in general, meaningful Gukurahundi related talks should begin with the establishment of a truth-telling commission that will operate independent of Zanu-PF and government,” Moyo said.

“It is the people of Mthwakazi who should truly lead the process, not Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF, not Mnangagwa aligned chiefs but chiefs who are known for integrity and serving with distinction.

“Mnangagwa led negotiations are unacceptable. How can the perpetrator be a referee? It has been said that other people have been invited to the planned meeting.”

Mnangagwa has been mentioned as having been one of the key players in Gukurahundi as he was a State Security minister at the time of the massacres.

According to the Catholic Commission for Peace and Justice (CCJP) over 20 000 people were killed in Matabeleland and Midlands when the late Robert Mugabe sent a North Korean trained force to ostensibly silence dissent and any attempts aimed at toppling his government.

This followed the discovery of arms caches at Zapu properties.- cite.org.zw

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa has described the late founding leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, Dr Morgan Tsvangirai as a great companion.

According to President Chamisa, Dr Tsvangirai was a father to many people.

In a brief statement released on Saturday, President Chamisa implored citizens to register to vote.

“This great man( Dr Morgan Tsvangirai) was just more than a leader and father and to many.

To me, Dr MT was a great companion and confidant. I miss his naughty smile and our happy moments..

WANGU, go and register to vote!

Tinashe Sambiri| MDC Alliance vice president Professor Welshman Ncube has said he will never abandon the people’s struggle.

According to Professor Ncube, the Zanu PF regime is desperate to dismantle the popular movement.

“The agents of the regime deployed everywhere including among us are on a roll with FAKE & UTTERLY FALSE stories & Facebook & Twitter accounts.
” I am going nowhere. I stand with Nelson Chamisa, Tendai Biti and Lynette Kore in the fight 4 the people. The MDC Alliance is my home,” Professor Ncube wrote on Twitter.

The agents of the regime deployed everywhere including among us are on a roll with FAKE & UTTERLY FALSE stories & Facebook & Twitter accounts. I am going nowhere. I stand with Nelson Chamisa, Tendai Biti and Lynette Kore in the fight 4 the people. The MDC Alliance is my home.

— Prof. Welshman Ncube (@Welshman_Ncube) August 21, 2021

Last week Zanu PF agents claimed Professor Ncube was no longer part of the MDC Alliance.

MDC Alliance Secretary General Hon Charlton Hwende also took a swipe at Zanu PF moles for seeking to disrupt the people’s struggle.

Below is Hon Hwende’s statement:

Constructive criticism makes us better leaders. I always read everycriticism and insult directed at me as a person and the Office of the Secretary General which I lead.

I also don’t respond because I understand the frustration but of late some stories being peddled on Twitter are outright lies created to cause disunity, suspicion and division.

A case in point is the story that VP Welshman Ncube has left the MDC Alliance. The VP is busy on the ground directing and supervising party programs. I speak to him daily because he is my immediate supervisor as he is charged with supervising Party Administration.

Another one is the lie that some people want to expel the Youth Secretary Cde Gift Ostallos Siziba . We are busy recruiting and registering people to vote and such stories help in promoting apathy which benefits Zanupf.

We are a United team focused on removing Zanupf and it’s corrupt leadership. My appeal to the people is that if you have any suggestion or strategy to help the party and the struggle please inbox me or call me on my number 0777772275.

22 August 2021.

NCA Party Press Statement on Fake Media Story.

▪️The NCA party has noted with disgust, a false story being circulated under the heading ” Retire from politics- Madhuku scoffs at Chamisa’s fresh bid to join the national dialogue (VIDEO).

▪️The NCA party wishes to advise all concerned person/s that everything in the article is false.

▪️ The article refers its readers to a non-existent ZBC news video. The link purportedly given for the video leads to information on ZBC licenses.

▪️The NCA President, Professor Lovemore Madhuku, never had any interview with the ZBC in which he made the alleged statements.

▪️As a matter of principle, NCA party President would never issue such statements and the NCA party does not have such an approach to the politics of our country.

▪️For the record, Professor Madhuku, as a person, is very close to Advocate Nelson Chamisa, as a person.

▪️ The NCA President does not, and will not, engage in politics of personal insults.

▪️On the contrary, the NCA party believes that every citizen has a right to participate in politics at whatever level of their choice.

▪️ The NCA party is a separate and independent political party building itself into a formidable political organisation ready to compete in our country’s political terrain in all future elections.

▪️Further, POLAD remains open and there is no way the NCA party can block entry into POLAD by key political players like the political party being led by Advocate Nelson Chamisa.

▪️The NCA party strongly condemns political actors who drag its President into their creation of fake news to satisfy their selfish and narrow minded political agendas.

▪️ In this case, why put into the mouth of the NCA party President their own preferred words against Advocate Nelson Chamisa?

▪️We condemn the political individual/s behind this fake story because it is not only politically unacceptable but is also distorting the NCA party message to all stakeholders.

▪️The fake story is meant to attack both Advocate Nelson Chamisa and the NCA party.

▪️Let the NCA party and its President speak for themselves: to be sure, the NCA party will always speak out against some of the positions of its political competitors, but it must be allowed to do so on its own terms and in its own words.

▪️As NCA party we call upon all Zimbabweans and any interested person/s to ignore the fake article that is as fake as its non existent authors.

Issued By
Madock Chivasa
NCA Party National Spokesperson
Phone +263 772 904 492 +263 775 614 471
Email [email protected]
Facebook National Constitutional Assembly.

By A Correspondent- United States pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna last Wednesday started trials of its experimental mRNA HIV vaccine.

Moderna has enrolled 56 healthy adults without HIV to test the safety of the vaccine mRNA-1644 and basic immune response.

The vaccine is a collaboration between Moderna, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

The candidate, mRNA-1644, is based on the same mRNA platform as Moderna’s highly effective Covid-19 jab, which is one of two of the only mRNA vaccines to be authorised anywhere in the world. The other is Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine.

“The uniquely challenging year of 2020 for all of society proved to be an extraordinary proof-of-concept period for Moderna,” said Moderna’s CEO Stéphane Bancel in a January 2021 update about the firm’s vaccine programmes.

“Even as we have shown that our mRNA-based vaccine can prevent Covid-19, this has encouraged us to pursue more-ambitious development programmes within our prophylactic vaccines modality. Today we are announcing three new vaccine programmes addressing seasonal flu, HIV and the Nipah virus, some of which have eluded traditional vaccine efforts, and all of which we believe can be addressed with our mRNA technology.”

mRNA-1644 is the first HIV mRNA vaccine to be trialled in humans. Moderna will also be trialling another version of the candidate called mRNA-1644v2-Core. Both have been tested for safety in non-human subjects.

Targeting B-cell responses

mRNA-1644 is designed to stimulate B cells of the immune system to generate broadly neutralising antibodies (bnAbs) against the virus.

In 2009 previously undescribed potent bnAbs from large groups of HIV-infected individuals were first identified. It was the isolation of these antibodies that renewed activity in HIV vaccine development.

By investigating how these antibodies interact with the virus and neutralise it in lab tests, scientists were able to underpin numerous spots of vulnerability on the HIV virus, which they used to design vaccine immunogens.

The first of these engineered immunogens is eOD-GT8 60mer, developed by IAVI and partners. In a Phase I trial scientists tested whether this approach would stimulate the human immune system to initiate the generation of bnAbs.

An additional development that ignited interest in the design of immunogens to induce bnAbs was the gaining of a clearer understanding of HIV’s outermost protein – the HIV Envelope glycoprotein, which is the target of all bnAbs

“For decades scientists were hindered by their inability to capture the precise structure of this notoriously unstable trimeric protein,” IAVI has noted. “But recent advances have allowed them to both stabilise and understand HIV Envelope in unprecedented detail.”

Now, the Moderna trial will explore how to deliver the eOD-GT8 60mer immunogen with Moderna’s mRNA technology and investigate how to use mRNA to direct cells to make proteins that will elicit immune responses against HIV.

The holy grail for HIV on the horizon?

A highly stigmatised virus, HIV is no longer a death sentence but it is responsible for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a lifelong, progressive disease with no effective cure.

According to Moderna, approximately 38 million people worldwide are currently living with HIV with 1.2 million in the United States. Approximately two million new infections of HIV are acquired worldwide every year and around 690,000 people die annually due to complications from HIV/AIDS.

The most common routes of transmission are sexual intercourse and IV drug use, meaning that younger people are at the highest risk of infection.

HIV represents a significant economic burden – from 2000 to 2015, a total of US$562.6 billion globally was spent on care, treatment and prevention of HIV.

The first vaccine for this devastating disease is considered a holy grail in pharma.

There have been multiple attempts before now but many were found to be unsafe and most failed to demonstrate a hint of effectiveness – two studies evaluating adenovirus type-5 vectored vaccines for HIV (Ad5) in the 2000s were found to actually increase the risk of HIV infection.

Other vaccines for various infectious diseases including Covid use an inactive form of the virus they aim to generate an immune response for – in some cases “live” viruses are used.

mRNA vaccines however don’t contain any parts of a virus meaning that they should be safer.

With this type of vaccine, a piece of messenger RNA that codes for a part of the virus, in this case HIV, is enfolded into a vector. Once injected, the mRNA travels inside cells, where the cells’ genetic machinery produces the virus protein. Based on that protein, the immune system is then trained to recognise the virus so that when it encounters it, it rallies to attack it.

Over the years, HIV has mutated into numerous variants. Another possible benefit of the mRNA approach is that it is viewed as easily modifiable, meaning it could have an edge over other vaccine techniques.

Moderna noted the Phase I trial, to be conducted with US academic partners including the University of Texas at San Antonio, George Washington University, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Emory University, is expected to be completed by May 2023.

If the vaccine is found to be safe and shows signs of generating an immune response, it will progress to more advanced trials and spur hopes that a comprehensive solution to one of the world’s most devastating pandemics is on the way.

As IAVI president Mark Feinberg wrote in June at the 40th anniversary of the HIV epidemic: “The only real hope we have of ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic is through the deployment of an effective HIV vaccine, one that is achieved through the work of partners, advocates, and community members joining hands to do together what no one individual or group can do on its own.”

(This article was originally published by Clinical Trials Arena)

Source – www.clinicaltrialsarena.com

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police has said it has since corrected the spelling errors on some of its vehicles…

The police posted on Twitter to announce the development:

“The ZRP appreciates and notes the concerns raised by members of the public on spelling errors by the contractor on vehicles. The ZRP Transport Section has since corrected the anomalies. We thank the public for the observation.”

The spelling errors had prompted some to say the tender was given to an incompetent contractor.

Commenting on the corrections, some highlighted the significance of social media as it was in this case used to alert authorities of an issue they were not aware of.- Pindula News

By A Correspondent- The multi-million-dollar government-funded Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) in Chiredzi is now mired in controversy after it emerged that tenders were allegedly awarded without due diligence.

One of the companies that clinched the tender to fix the drainage system has a questionable background, it has emerged.

Trade Code Investments is accused of doing substandard work after clinching the tender.

Work on 110 metres of the 150-metre project is said to be of poor quality in both the materials used and workmanship.

Trade Code and Ablixon Investment are working on the drainage system.

Ablixon only delivered a small pile of concrete stones before allegedly disappearing. It could not be established where it is operating from or its directors.

Trade Code Investment has not finished constructing a laboratory at Chiredzi Government High School after it won a US$300 000 tender to construct the building six years ago.

The science laboratory has been a white elephant since then.

District schools inspector (DSI) Petronella Nyangwe, confirmed that the building was lying idle but referred further questions to the provincial education director (PED), Shylette Mhike.

“I can confirm that there is an impasse between the school and the contractor; but you can talk to the PED. She will give the ministry’s position,” Nyangwe said.

“I am not allowed to talk to the press.”

However, the PED could not be reached for comment as her mobile phone went unanswered.

Investigations revealed that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is constructing a new court building next to another existing one which was commissioned in 2016, and is hardly five years old.

The project, which was funded by Plan International was led by Trade Code Investments.

JSC secretary Walter Chikwana could neither deny nor confirm that the building was sub-standard, but only said it was a temporary court.

Chikwana said Tongaat Hulett partnered the JSC this time around and undertook to sponsor the rehabilitation of the court premises.

He said construction would be supervised by the district chief architect from the Local Government and Public Works ministry.

“All I can say is that (building) was a temporary court because it has prefabricated walls. Plan International just offered to construct the court for us,” Chikwana said.

“The refurbishment of the court is in line with the JSC’s quest to ensure access to justice for all.”

“The Triangle circuit court will then be converted into a fully-fledged resident magistrates court to ensure the expeditious completion of cases in the Lowveld.”

Plan International spokesperson Sibusisiwe Ndhlovu requested for time to check if the building they funded was a temporary structure.

Trade Code was also blacklisted from doing business with Tongaat Hulett after it was contracted to ferry manure given for free to Tongaat by a reputable Chiredzi based abattoir.

The company allegedly connived with Tongaat employees to bill the company for both transport and the free manure.

Venancio Kurauone who is Trade Code Investments director and chairperson of the controversial Zanu-PF-linked Lowveld Business Development Association confirmed that the laboratory remained unfinished six years later.

“I did not get much from constructing that laboratory,” Kurauone said.

“In fact, I ran a loss.

“They failed to calculate that I have to remit 25% of their payment to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority as tax.

“So when they added other jobs that we didn’t agree on in the first place; that’s where we encountered a problem.

“As for the Tongaat issue it was blown out of proportion.

“The matter was resolved that’s why the workers involved were not dismissed.

“I will soon be back at Tongaat because it needs me more than I do.”

United Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers’ Association (UCHIRRA) has since written to Chiredzi town council expressing their displeasure at the tender process.

Part of the letter dated August 13, 2021 signed by the association’s advocacy officer, Constance Chikumbo read: “Some of the contractors, who were hired have a history of corruption and doing shoddy jobs.

“We expect council to tender respectable companies with clean history.

“As a result, residents fear continued corrupt activities.

“Lack of trust by residents may result in them dodging to pay their rates. As the representative of the people, UCHIRRA would like transparency, accountability and improved citizen participation to enhance better service delivery.”

Chiredzi town secretary Charles Muchatukwa was not reachable for comment.

-standard

By A Correspondent- Robert Martin Gumbura heavily divided opinion in life and continues doing so in death.

He died of Covid-19-relatied complications at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison aged 65 while serving time for rap_ing several women.

He was jailed in 2014 and was initially sentenced to 50 years in prison, 10 of which were suspended on condition of good behaviour.

Part of his sentence also included a conviction of being found in possession of porn0graphic material.

However, while some people couldn’t care less about his demise, family, friends and congregants still maintained he was wrongly convicted.

They all claim he was an upright man.

Up until his untimely death, they still hoped his bid for freedom would be granted, as he was appealing against both conviction and sentence.

To them, the clergyman was a “victim of some complicated conspiracy”.

Last year, Gumbura’s sentence was slashed to 20 years after a series of appeals made through the High Court.

And by the time of his death, the RGM Independent End Time Messages Church founder had served nearly half of his reviewed sentence.

Shocked

“His death came as a shock. We were never told that he was sick and up to now we are still trying to come to terms with the fact that he is no more.

“We are grieving, a lot is happening and I will be able to give you more details in due course when things hopefully settle,” the late Gumbura’s second wife and family spokesperson, Queen Bunga, told The Sunday Mail Society.

His brother, Innocent Gumbura, was equally distraught.

“We got a call from prison officials the night before his (Gumbura) death, asking us to bring some medication for him. Unfortunately, when we delivered the items the following morning, he was already dead.

“I am still confused to say the least. They should have told us in time that he was not well or at least allowed us to conduct a postmortem to ascertain the cause of death,” he said.

Gumbura’s death has naturally led to growing questions on the fate of his 11 wives, 33 children, church and various businesses and properties he left behind.

His first born is 38-years-old, while the last is aged eight.

The total number of assets is yet to be ascertained but includes 11 houses, several church buildings, a mine, farm and a fleet of more than 20 vehicles.

Nothing has been distributed yet.

“The family is still collecting all his personal belongings from his various homes around the country, bringing them to his Harare residence. Likewise, we have asked all the wives to temporarily move to Harare so that we do things as a family at once.

“It is hectic, we are conducting a lot of meetings to set up a Trust then we go on to register his estate,” said Innocent.

Gumbura’s wives, he added, are still united despite their husband’s death.

“Everyone is at the 25-bedroomed Marlborough home where we are mapping the way forward.”

According to Gumbura’s brother, all the wives have vowed not to marry again.

“It is us the siblings who seem worried, but the wives are fine, they are united and they stand together as they have always done. They have vowed that they are not going anywhere.”

However, before passing on, Gumbura told The Sunday Mail Society that he did not mind if his wives decided to move on.

“By the time I leave this place, I will be very old, so I cannot be selfish to force them to wait for me; they are free to remarry if they wish,” he said then.

The family survives largely on their farm produce and proceeds from the mine and church.

The farm is presently being run by the second wife.

There are indications, however, that his church did not have a succession plan.

Uncertainty

Apart from the late businessman-cum clergyman’s wives and children, there are at least 50 people, including poor church members, the homeless and orphans, living at the Harare house.

Their fate and future is now uncertain.

“In total, there are about 92 people living there (Marlborough) and we are not related to them, so we have told them to leave because we do not have the capacity to take care of them.

“My brother had a big heart; even in prison, he continued to care for these people, so he would simply give us instructions and we followed. We even paid bail for some people he would have met in prison; that is the type of person he was.

“He paid school fees for many kids whom we are not related to and even provided for a lot of families . . . but if indeed he was a rap_ist, why would those people want to stay with him? Who wants to be associated with a rap_ist?” he queried.

But Gumbura’s brother believes he was a “problem child” before he converted.

Born second in a family of seven, the late clergyman was said to have been the naughtiest child in the family.

He was into all sorts of drugs.

“He was infamous for doing drugs. It was not a secret. But he was not into girlfriends. I do not remember him having any girlfriends, except for Tafadzwa, who later became his first wife. Up to now I do not believe he rap_ed anyone,” said Innocent.

Gumbura spent his early childhood in Gweru before moving to Highfield in Harare, where his parents had bought a house.

However, around 1980, after completing his Advanced Level at Highfield High School, he converted to Christianity, much to the surprise of his family and those who knew him.

He joined the Baptist Church before moving to End Time Messages.

During that time, he enrolled at a local teachers’ college where he studied towards a Diploma in Education.

After graduating, he went on to teach at Regina Mundi, Ascot and Mambo High Schools.

“(Regina) Mundi was a girls’ school but we never got any reports or accusations about girls or women . . . He was, in fact, a good history teacher with a brilliant photographic memory. Once he met someone, he would never forget them,” reminisces the brother.

Phillip, who was Gumbura’s friend, described the late as a jovial and witty character who always left the congregation in stitches during his sermons.

He recalls the several visits in prison when they would talk and laugh endlessly.

“He was always bubbly. It was as if he was not in prison or that he had accepted his predicament,” he said.

Breaking ranks

During the late 1980s, Gumbura, who was still under End Time Messages as a senior member, began preaching about polygamy.

This created a lot of enemies for him.

As a result, he formed a breakaway church in the early 90s and named it RMG Independent End Time Messages Church.

Within three years, the church had more than four branches around the country and over 2000 congregants.

Despite his family trying to talk to him out of it, he remained adamant and went on to establish more branches beyond borders.

But around 1994, he found himself in trouble with the law.

“There were three guys in his church who worked for a local bank and they got involved in some scandal at their workplace,” revealed the brother.

“They got away with large sums of money and used part of it to pay tithes of about US$60 000.”

During investigations at the bank, it was discovered that some of the money had been paid to RMG Independent End Time Messages Church, leading to Gumbura’s arrest.

He appeared in court but was later acquitted after it was discovered that he was not connected to the theft.

But, as if fate wanted him to spend the last part of his life in prison, a few years later he found himself in the dock again.

A man (name withheld) dragged him to court for allegedly having an extramarital affair with his wife.

Due to lack of evidence, the case was dismissed.

In 2014, he hogged the limelight again charged with more than five counts of rap_e.

“There were a lot of enemies in his life, so when he was arrested, this time we did not panic, thinking it was a setup and he would soon be acquitted.”

The family believes Gumbura was a victim of an elaborate plot by his enemies.

“At some point they also arrested me on accusations that I was interfering with witnesses… I had no knowledge about it. Further, I was not even part of his church, so I would not know any of them.

“I also went through the documents on charges of porn0graphy and could not pair any one of the said ladies with him; it was photoshop,” he argued.

According to Innocent, three ladies who implicated him later approached the family, confessing that they had been paid to incriminate him.

“The ladies confirmed to us that this issue involved some high-profile people who were within former president Mugabe’s Government and they were using some members from his previous and new church.

“My brother was simply hated for his work and they wanted to take his wealth, but I believe he is in a better place now because he went through a lot.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions has sued a number of companies that ordered workers to take the Covid-19 vaccines – or risk losing their jobs.

In an urgent High Court filing on Friday, the ZCTU said the actions by companies such as Zimnat Insurance, the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA), TelOne, Windmill Limited, Seed Co Zimbabwe and the Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences violated workers’ constitutional rights.

Public service minister Paul Mavhima and Attorney-General Prince Machaya are also joined in the court action.

The ZCTU argues in the court application:

There is no law in Zimbabwe making vaccination compulsory. Each person, having fully considered the implications and effects of vaccination, is expected to make a personal decision on whether or not to get vaccinated and where a person decides to get vaccinated, he or she is expected to make a decision relating to the timing of the vaccination…

In the process, the aforesaid employers are infringing the fundamental rights of the affected employees protected by section 51, 52 (c), 65 (1) and 65 (4) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Thousands of workers in Zimbabwe have been affected and thousands are more likely to be affected if this court application is not heard urgently.

The ZCTU said minister Mavhima, through its lawyer Professor Lovemore Madhuku, was not taking appropriate action to protect the workers as section 17 of the Labour Act (chap 28:01) requires.”

Many companies have been ordering their workers to be vaccinated or lose their jobs while some learning institutions including the University of Zimbabwe are also reportedly threatening to block unvaccinated learners from entering their premises.

Vaccination remains voluntary but members of the public feel the conditions set by many service providers are an indirect way of making vaccination compulsory.

By A Correspondent- About 200 families that were evicted from a farm on the outskirts of Marondera in June are still living in the open as the government is yet to fulfil its promise to resettle them.

The families, mostly Zanu-PF supporters, were kicked out of Maganga Estates, which is owned by Hunyani timberlands.

They are camped on the outskirts of the farm while waiting for alternative land to settle.

“We are still living at this holding camp waiting for the government to fulfil its promises,” one of the settlers said on condition of anonymity.

“We were told that there are 210 hectares to be shared amongst us.

“Our fear is that we are approaching the rain season with nothing tangible on the ground.

“We engaged the Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs minister Apollonia Munzverengwi and she promised to make sure that we get the alternative land the government promised us.”

An official privy to the developments at Maganga Estates said the government was willing to allocate land to only 46 settlers, who were officially allocated plots at the property.

The evicted farmers occupied the Maganga Estates at the height of the land reform programme despite protests by the legal owners of the land.

Hunyani took the case to the courts and won, but the settlers refused to budge as they enjoyed backing from Zanu-PF.

Munzverengwi was not reachable for comment.

Zanu-PF Marondera district secretary for lands Richmond Chikore said the government was yet to approve plans for a new settlement for the evicted villagers.

“The proposed settlement and irrigation models have been submitted to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Climate Change, Water and Fisheries and Rural Settlements headquarters awaiting approval of the layouts,” Chikore said.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has been evicting people that illegally occupied farms during the land reforming programme that was spearheaded by his predecessor, the late Robert Mugabe.

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe is among countries that owe international airlines millions of United States dollars from ticket sales, cargo space and other activities.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), about $963 million in airline funds are being blocked from repatriation in nearly 20 countries including Zimbabwe, which owes the airlines $142 million.

Other countries that owe substantial amounts were Bangladesh ($146.1 million), Lebanon ($175.5 million) and Nigeria ($143.8 million). Their debt alone accounts for more than 60% of the total of the total amount owed. However, there has been recent positive progress in reducing blocked funds in Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, said IATA.

In Zimbabwe, the introduction of the foreign currency auction system where economic players can bid for foreign currency has also helped in making foreign payments as well as repatriate funds.

“Governments are preventing nearly $1 billion of airline revenues from being repatriated,” according to IATA director general Willie Walsh.

Walsh said failure to repatriate funds contravenes international conventions and could slow the recovery of travel and tourism in affected markets as the airline industry struggles to recover from the Covid-19 crisis.

“Airlines will not be able to provide reliable connectivity if they cannot rely on local revenues to support operations. That is why it is critical for all governments to prioritise ensuring that funds can be repatriated efficiently. Now is not the time to score an ‘own goal’ by putting vital air connectivity at risk.

“We encourage governments to work with industry to resolve the issues that are preventing airlines from repatriating funds. This will enable aviation to provide the connectivity needed to sustain jobs and energise economies as they recover from Covid-19,” said Walsh

By A Correspondent- Health caregivers at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, formerly Harare Hospital and commonly know as Gomo have been accused of being unprofessional

Veteran journalist and health rights defender Caiphas Chimhete said he witnessed unprofessional conduct at the institution during his three-week stay. He narrates:

It would appear as if the health workers in this particular ward (Ward 7) have never read the Patients’ Charter, which emphasises patients’ rights, privacy and confidentiality.

---

For most of the time during my three-week stay in the ward, they would call patients by the nature of their ailment – the most inhumane thing anyone can do to a sick person.

A very sick patient would be referred to as ‘chigulani’ or the one hospitalised for issues to do with dysfunctional reproductive organs spoken to as ‘uyo we siki anofunga Kuti anopona asingadyi [that one suffering from a sexually transmitted disease thinks he can survive without eating] and they would also talk loudly about those who had multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis who were housed temporarily but “conveniently” at the back of the ward.

As a person that works for an organisation that advocates for people’s health rights, I tried to reason with them, but I was told to mind my business or else transfer to a private hospital…

A number of patients died during the time of my admission and I believe some of the deaths could have been avoided if patients were given professional health care.

Another patient, whom I had just spoken to, called for help as he wanted to be put back on oxygen, but no one came to assist.

He was gone in less than 15 minutes and was wheeled away to the mortuary with the nurses showing no remorse whatsoever.

He added that nurses would neglect patients and spend the good part of the afternoon surfing the internet searching for nursing vacancies outside the country.

Chimhete also witnessed nurses stealing drugs from patients, presumably for resale to supplement their salaries.

He said the issue happened to him and when he complained to the doctors, a senior nurse in the ward who had been absent when the incident transpired, defended the accused nurse.

He added that patients who complained would be given little food or blood-stained and torn hospital clothes.

Chimhete said one doctor advised him to “keep it low and concentrate on getting my health restored.”

He also said there were inadequate doctors at the institution and that affects service delivery.

-standard

By A Correspondent- Zimbabweans residing in rural areas have said they feel neglected by the government in the vaccination programme despite the rise of COVID-19 infections and deaths countrywide.

Villagers in Plumtree, Matabeleland South, told The Citizen Bulletin that even information dissemination was lacking. Said Meissa Khupe:

I have never seen health workers moving around in my ward disseminating information about the vaccine.

I only get to hear about vaccination on foreign radio stations and it would be about shortages of vaccines in urban areas.

I feel we are neglected in rural areas. Maybe it’s because we are viewed as not contributing much to the economy of this country.

It hurts to hear on the radio that vaccine doses are being delivered in Harare and other parts of the country. Why are vaccines not available at my nearest clinic?

The Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR) conducted a survey and observed that in “all 20 communities of Insiza, Gwanda, Mangwe, and Matobo Districts that were sampled and surveyed,” there was no COVID-19 vaccine in local clinics for over a month now.

In some clinics, they had the second dose and not the first one.

This comes as Zimbabwe is aiming to vaccinate 60 per cent of the population to achieve herd immunity for things to return to normality.

Itai Rusike, Community Working Group on Health’s executive director said vaccine equity is very important in fighting the coronavirus.

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwean preacher, Obadiah Msindo, has said church leaders are the ones who proposed to the government to allow churches to resume services for vaccinated congregants only.

He speaks amid reports of divisions amongst churches over the directive.

The Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) said the government’s position on the resumption of physical services was not well thought out as some are unvaccinated because they have had no opportunity to do so.

ZHOCD is made up of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference, Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe and the Union for Development of Apostolic and Zionist Churches in Zimbabwe Africa.

Msindo claimed President Emmerson Mnangagwa made the decision in response to a request by some churches.

Said the Destiny for Africa Network founder:

Some of the church leaders, from different denominations about 20 of them, wrote to the president asking to be given permission to worship with only vaccinated members of their churches.

So the truth of the matter is their request was granted.

But some of the sections of churches got it wrongly; some think that it is the government now imposing vaccination on them.

This is a misrepresentation. The truth is that the churches are divided, and that is the problem we have.

The churches should sort out their differences first and not take their differences to the government or blame Mnangagwa.

I want all other denominations, whether traditional, Pentecostal or whatever, to know that it was never Mnangagwa as they want to project or portray him as the one who imposed the order.

While the ban on gatherings is still in place, the government allowed churches to conduct in-person services provided that congregants are fully vaccinated.

Some viewed the directive as a ploy to compel churchgoers to get vaccinated.

Zimbabwe is a Christian community and it could likely achieve herd immunity if all Christians were to be vaccinated.

-standard

By A Correspondent- Zanu PF President Emmerson Mnangagwa has thrown back the Gukurahundi massacres discussion to the Matabeleland traditional leadership.

Mnangagwa met with the Matabeleland traditional leadership on Saturday and provided no solution to the issue.

“The process will be victim centred and will also involve key stakeholders engagement. It was reiterated that the Gukurahundi issue should not be tribalized in order to foster national building and national healing,” read part of Mnangagwa’s press statement posted on social media by the Ministry of Information after his Bulawayo meeting.

MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa has been invited to attend the inauguration of Zambia’s elect president Hakainde Hichilema scheduled for Tuesday 24 August 2021.

Hichilema defeated President Edgar Chagwa Lungu in the 12 August presidential election that was his sixth attempt at landing the top post.

Zambian Information and Broadcasting Services ministry permanent secretary, Amos Malupenga, said the inauguration ceremony would be strictly by invitation because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hichilema’s United Party for National Development (UNDP) has close ties with the MDC Alliance and he has met Chamisa on several occasions before.

Joseph Kalimbwe, one of the key members in Hichilema’s campaign team said MDC Alliance was the only political party in the region that supported UNDP ahead of Zambia’s August 12 elections. He added that UNDP must never forget its allies when it attains power. He said:

My support for the struggles of friends and comrades across our continent (Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania – Africa) is unwavering – it will never stop.

They chose the hard path of supporting our UNDP struggles when others refused to associate with us in the opposition.

Hichilema’s victory gave hope to other opposition parties on the continent that they can also topple the ruling parties in their respective countries.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has, however, since poured cold water on such hopes saying whoever dreams of change happening in Zimbabwe should wake up and brew beer for cleansing.

Political analysts observe that the Zimbabwean political arena is different from others on the continent mainly because power-broking institutions including the military are not abiding by the constitution.

They say political reforms including revision of the voters’ roll, demilitarising the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, and media reforms are essential for free and fair elections.- The Standard

By A Correspondent- Zanu PF President Emmerson Mnangagwa has thrown back the Gukurahundi massacres discussion to the Matabeleland traditional leadership.

Mnangagwa met with the Matabeleland traditional leadership on Saturday and provided no solution to the issue.

Below is a summary of Mnangagwa’s engagement meeting press statement:

It has to be emphasised that this process will be led by Chiefs and their affected communities. The President made it clear that a one size fits all approach would be inappropriate for this program. As a way forward, Chiefs are to go back to their respective areas to consult on the issues raised. So whichever Chief is ready, the President will deploy resources to their area to support the resolution of issues in that area.

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwean business tycoon Roger Boka’s son, Mathew Boka, said he is the owner of the Rolls-Royce that was said to have been imported by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son Sean.

Sean Mnangagwa was photographed in the fancy car prompting observers to say it belonged to the president’s son.

The NewsHawks was told Mathew, the Boka Tobacco Floors executive chairperson, imported the car for personal use from the United Kingdom.

Sources, however, say he later entered into an arrangement with gold dealer Pedzai Sakupwanya, commonly known as Scott Sakupwanya who was eager to buy the car, showing his commitment by paying US$140 000.

The sources say Sean, a captain in the Zimbabwe National Army, also expressed his interest in buying the car, went on to view it and then took pictures which went viral.

The sources say the pictures had compromised Sean’s interest in the car after a public outcry. However, quizzed about the car on Friday, Mathew said:

I can categorically state that it’s my car. It’s my vehicle, I imported it, but it’s in a bonded warehouse…
It’s my car. It’s not on sale. Sean came the other day to the auction floors on other business which had nothing to do with the car, but he saw the car and liked it. He asked if he could view it and take pictures, just like any person who would have seen something nice.
It’s not his and I don’t want to talk too much about this issue because I am a private person. I don’t talk much to the media and this is not even a big issue.

There has been a public outcry over the importation of fancy cars by political elites who are allegedly abusing state resources and are likely not paying duty.

By A Correspondent- Zanu PF President Emmerson Mnangagwa has stammered on the issue of compensation for victims of the Gukurahundi massacres.

Mnangagwa met with the Matabeleland traditional leadership on Saturday and provided no solution to the issue.

Below is a summary of Mnangagwa’s engagement meeting press statement:

It has to be emphasised that this process will be led by Chiefs and their affected communities. The President made it clear that a one size fits all approach would be inappropriate for this program. As a way forward, Chiefs are to go back to their respective areas to consult on the issues raised. So whichever Chief is ready, the President will deploy resources to their area to support the resolution of issues in that area.

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police is investigating a case in which two bodies of newborn babes were found in Harare’s First Street.

Posting on their Twitter handle at the weekend, ZRP said:
On 20/08/21 at about 1140 hours, two newly born babies were found wrapped in a black plastic bag at Corner First Street and Jason Moyo, Harare. The bodies were found by a recycle plastic worker in a bin. Investigations are underway.

MTHWAKAZI Republic Party (MRP) leader Mqondisi Moyo has said any government initiative towards resolving Gukurahundi will not work as they dismissed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s meeting with traditional leaders in Bulawayo today as meaningless.

Mnangagwa met members of the National Chiefs Council (NCC) at the State House in the country’s second city where it was resolved to allow a victim-centred process and case by case exhumations and reburials.

The meeting came after chiefs conducted a two-week consultative process with unnamed Matabeleland civic society organisations and the clergy on issues affecting Matabeleland, particularly the unresolved 1980’s massacres.

However, in reaction, the MRP said there will never be any closure on Gukurahundi without a truth-telling commission and Mnangagwa stepping aside.

“Let me reiterate that as MRP and Mthwakazi in general, meaningful Gukurahundi related talks should begin with the establishment of a truth-telling commission that will operate independent of Zanu-PF and government,” Moyo said.

“It is the people of Mthwakazi who should truly lead the process, not Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF, not Mnangagwa aligned chiefs but chiefs who are known for integrity and serving with distinction.

“Mnangagwa led negotiations are unacceptable. How can the perpetrator be a referee? It has been said that other people have been invited to the planned meeting.”

Mnangagwa has been mentioned as having been one of the key players in Gukurahundi as he was a State Security minister at the time of the massacres.

According to the Catholic Commission for Peace and Justice (CCJP) over 20 000 people were killed in Matabeleland and Midlands when the late Robert Mugabe sent a North Korean trained force to ostensibly silence dissent and any attempts aimed at toppling his government.

This followed the discovery of arms caches at Zapu properties.- cite.org.zw

Tinashe Sambiri| MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa has challenged Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa to stop abusing national institutions to advance political interests.

President Chamisa also dismissed Mr Mnangagwa’s ‘Muka Ubike Doro Mantra.’

See President Chamisa’s brief statement below:

THE PEOPLE SHALL GOVERN…

In our own traditional wisdom, there is an idiom that says “Ubukhosi ngamazolo” or “Ushe madzoro hunotambidzaniwa” literally meaning that leadership is best that occurs in turns.

The era of “strong men” or “vana HANDIENDE” who abuse state institutions is OVER. No abuse of electoral bodies,police,military and intelligence services shall be accepted or tolerated.

Our liberation struggle was about ‘one man one vote’ and “We the People”…meaning “Power to the People”or “Amandla Ebantwini” or “Masimba Kuvanhu”..We are next.

We are the new leaders! #GodIsInIt #thenewiscoming #JoinTheNew #RegisterToVoteZW

By A Correspondent- A fresh storm is brewing in the MDC Alliance after senior leaders are reported to have recommended the expulsion of Gift Ostallos Siziba, the Secretary-General of the MDC Youth Assembly.

This was revealed by political analyst and ZDI founder Pedzisai Ruhanya.

It is not clear which bigwigs attended the meeting.

“A whole group of useless senior MDC Alliance leaders sit down to discuss rubbish and destabilisation nonsense and feel threatened by this young man to THE extent that they demand he be expelled. I am sorry @nelsonchamisa, u are surrounded by huge idiots, useless empty wannabes.”

A whole group of useless senior MDC Alliance leaders sit down to discuss rubbish and destabilisation nonsense and feel threatened by this young man to THE extent that they demand he be expelled. I am sorry @nelsonchamisa, u are surrounded by huge idiots, useless empty wannabes pic.twitter.com/Zx5zpUkDBR

— Pedzisai Ruhanya (@PedzisaiRuhanya) August 21, 2021

There are senior MDC Alliance leaders who on a daily basis fight their colleagues internally without retreat, without contrition even at a time when most Zimbabweans say lets pull together, learn from Zambia and do better in 2023. This shallowness is shocking

— Pedzisai Ruhanya (@PedzisaiRuhanya) August 21, 2021

By A Correspondent- President Nelson Chamisa has said besides being a leader and father to many, the late MDC founding father Dr Morgan Tsvangirai was a great companion and confidante.

Said Chamisa:

“This great man was just more than a leader and father to many. To me, Dr MT was a great companion and confidant. I miss his naughty smile and our happy moments.. WANGU go and register to vote! Happy Saturday.”

This great man was just more than a leader and father to many. To me, Dr MT was a great companion and confidant. I miss his naughty smile and our happy moments.. WANGU go and register to vote! Happy Saturday. pic.twitter.com/1ah2QT8PJR

— nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) August 21, 2021

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday held a private meeting in which the election of Zambia’s opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema as the country’s new leader among other issues became topical.

The two presidents, who both lead revolutionary parties, held a meeting on the sidelines of the Southern African Development Community 41st summit of heads of state and government in Lilongwe, Malawi.

The meeting, sources said, was attended by Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs minister Frederick Shava, Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri and officials from the South African government.

The election of Hichilema, according to diplomatic sources who spoke to The NewsHawks, surprised Mnangagwa and Ramaphosa who both had cordial relations with Zambia’s outgoing president Edgar Lungu. Last week’s election was Hichilema’s sixth attempt at winning the presidency.

“The President-elect has strong connections with both Zimbabwe’s and South Africa’s main opposition parties and discussions on how revolutionary parties like the ANC and Zanu-PF can consolidate their positions were discussed. This election showed that political winds of change were ushered in by young people who are often accused of being reluctant to vote,” a source familiar with the discussions said.

“The leaders also discussed Sadc’s role in the Mozambican conflict. If you may recall last month, South Africa’s then Defence minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, expressed her displeasure on why Rwandan troops had been deployed ahead of the regional bloc. In light of this, charting the way forward thus became paramount for the two leaders.”

In July, Rwanda announced that it would put boots on the ground to help stem a conflict which has claimed thousands of lives following weeks of dithering by the regional bloc.

The conflict has also resulted in Total, a French-headquartered energy group, suspending its multi-billion-dollar energy project in the region.

Zimbabwe’s presidential spokesperson George Charamba could not be reached for comment at the time of going to press.

Hichilema, who won a landslide over incumbent Lungu, has close links to Mmusi Maimane, the leader of the opposition One South Africa Movement.

The President-elect is also an associate of MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa. Mnangagwa, who had a wafer-thin lead on Chamisa in the controversial 2018 general elections, is expected to face his nemesis in the 2023 polls.

In his acceptance speech, President-elect Hichilema extended an olive branch to his predecessor who in the past had tormented him. After the 2016 election, he was charged with treason for allegedly failing to give way to the presidential motorcade.

He spent four months in a maximum-security jail before the charges were dropped.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be OK, you won’t face retribution or get teargassed,” Hichilema, who was often attacked in what he said were attempts to silence and intimidate him as an opposition leader, said.

He pledged to be the president of all Zambians, whether they voted for him or not.

In its final tally, the electoral commission said Hichilema had won 2 810 777 votes to Lungu’s 1 814 201 in last Thursday’s election. There were seven million registered voters.

-Newshawks

By A Correspondent- Local media house Alpha Media Holdings, which publishes Newsday, Standard and Zimbabwe Independent has given an ultimatum to its staffers that they should be vaccinated or risk losing their jobs.

The papers, who have been against the country`s vaccine drive in their papers, have surprisingly asked staffers to produce proof of vaccination or risk not being allowed onto their Graniteside work site.

In a circular, seen by Tateguru Tv, AMH through their Human Resources Manager Levy Tswatswa said the impact Covid-19 has had on business has necessitated its stance.

“As a group, we believe that our best form of defence against the virus is vaccination. To date, 52% of staff hasreceived either the first dose or full dose.

We need to get to over 60 percent to 90 percent to achieve herd immunity. To this end, the organisation has made arrangements to ensure those who want to be vaccinated are done so speedily.

Whilst the organisation acknowledges that vaccination is a matter of choice, however, in the interest of our clients fellow workmates, and the country at large management requires that all employees who come to our premises been vaccinated or hold proof of being free of the virus,” the circular read.

From Monday, the company sent all unvaccinated on force leave, giving them a time to seek inoculation or reflect on their future with the organisation.

“Thereafter those who are not vaccinated for reasons best known to them (personal, religious, or medical) are now required to produce a negative PCR test certificate acquired within 48 hours from an approved testing centre to get onto our company cars and offices with effect from 16 August

2021. May you therefore submit your vaccination cards to Human Resources, please note that all vaccination cards will be scanned and verified with the National database for authenticity,” the circular further states.

The company`s owner Trevor Ncube, suffered a major personal loss when several family members died in quick succession from Covid-19.

He recently announced on his In Conversation With Trevor YouTube page that he will be taking a break from productions to seek closure.

By A Correspondent- Zanu-PF has gone for broke to attract the elusive youth vote ahead of the crunch 2023 election, including recruiting pastors, socialites and artists in a desperate bid to garner 2.5 million ballots for President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Zanu-PF acting secretary for youth Tendai Chirau Youth confirmed to The NewsHawks that a recruiting spree was in motion ahead of the polls to boost Mnangagwa’s popularity, which has continued to wane since the military coup that toppled the late former President Robert Mugabe in 2017.

Mnangagwa, who narrowly won the 2018 disputed election against MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa, has over the years struggled to charm the youth.

Young people are bearing the brunt of massive unemployment, with the future looking bleak as Zanu-PF has not fulfilled its economic promises.

Garnering the youth vote has been a toll order for Zanu-PF as most young people are disgruntled over economic hardships.

As part of its voter mobilisation strategy, the ruling party has enlisted the services of social media luminaries like Madam Boss, Mai TT and controversial clergyman Passion Java.

The party is also believed to have bankrolled a collaboration between musician Roki, Congolese rhumba star Koffi Olomide and Tanzanian singer Rayvanny on the song Patati Patata.

In the song, the Congolese musician chants Mnangagwa’s name. This sparked outrage on social media from opposition supporters while Mnangagwa loyalists lapped it all up, joining a dance trend on Tik Tok.

The Roki-Olomide collaboration was a Zanu-PF project, commentators say.

“It was clear when Koffi arrived that Zanu-PF was running the show. Deputy minister of Youth, Tinomudaishe Machakaire, was at the forefront of logistics, Passion was just part of the welcome party. If it was his project, he would have been in the forefront,” a source said.

The song, which garnered five million of views within days of release, has divided opinion in the political arena, with opposition supporters condemning Roki’s participation in the collaboration.

Recruiting comediennes Mai TT and Madam Boss, who have a large following on social media, is seen as an attempt to influence the youth, hence a critical tool ahead of 2023.

Chirau said: “We are a mass party and can recruit anyone. We are recruiting anyone from pastors to artistes. There has been a Damascene moment for some who have seen that Zanu-PF is an able party under ED Mnangagwa.”
Without stating names, Chirau said the party was working with well-known clergy and artists, adding that social media would be the party’s new hunting ground.

“In politics when people see something good, they want to follow. We have a recruitment exercise on social media. It is meant to promote and raise awareness on the situation. Our approach is pro-empowerment,” Chirau said.

Zanu-PF has also been using economic empowerment projects in incubation centres dotted across the country. “The youth vote is very crucial in every election, and we are looking towards 2.5 million youths,” he said.

The youth vote remains critical for the main political parties, with a bruising battle playing out on social media.

The MDC Alliance initiative dubbed #RegisterToVoteZW has been trending online, as the opposition urges the youth to register ahead of the 2023 polls. The mobilisation campaign is also meant to convince first-time voters to register.

Youthful Chamisa also sees the youth vote as one of his trump cards after garnering more than two million ballots in 2018.

“The MDC Alliance has embarked on a number of initiatives to encourage the youth to register to vote. But beyond registering, we are also encouraging them to present themselves on the day of the election, to vote for change,” MDC
Alliance youth leader Obey Sithole told The NewsHawks.

“We are running a social media campaign under #RegisterToVoteZW. The whole idea is that more young people get their names on the voters’ roll. There is power in numbers.”

By ACorrespondent- The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions has sued a number of companies that ordered workers to take the Covid-19 vaccines – or risk losing their jobs.

In an urgent High Court filing on Friday, the ZCTU said the actions by companies such as Zimnat Insurance, the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA), TelOne, Windmill Limited, Seed Co Zimbabwe and the Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences violated workers’ constitutional rights.

Public service minister Paul Mavhima and Attorney-General Prince Machaya are also joined in the court action. The ZCTU argues in the court application:

There is no law in Zimbabwe making vaccination compulsory. Each person, having fully considered the implications and effects of vaccination, is expected to make a personal decision on whether or not to get vaccinated and where a person decides to get vaccinated, he or she is expected to make a decision relating to the timing of the vaccination…

In the process, the aforesaid employers are infringing the fundamental rights of the affected employees protected by section 51, 52 (c), 65 (1) and 65 (4) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Thousands of workers in Zimbabwe have been affected and thousands are more likely to be affected if this court application is not heard urgently.

The ZCTU said minister Mavhima, through its lawyer Professor Lovemore Madhuku, was not taking appropriate action to protect the workers as section 17 of the Labour Act (chap 28:01) requires.”

Many companies have been ordering their workers to be vaccinated or lose their jobs while some learning institutions including the University of Zimbabwe are also reportedly threatening to block unvaccinated learners from entering their premises.

Vaccination remains voluntary but members of the public feel the conditions set by many service providers are an indirect way of making vaccination compulsory.

-Zimlive

watch the video below ……….

The MDC National Council met virtually on Sunday 15 August 2021 and made the following resolutions:

1. Council recalled the meeting held between the late President Morgan Tsvangirai, Hon. Tendai Biti and Professor Welshman Ncube on 9 June 2017 at which the three leaders agreed to take measures for the re-integration of the three formations of the original MDC.
2. Council further recalled its Mabvazuva resolution of 21 October 2017 through which Council endorsed the request of the three leaders for the unconditional integration of MDC, MDCT and PDP with a view to reconstituting the original MDC of 1999 so as to deal with the multiple crises affecting Zimbabwe which include the crisis of legitimacy, governance, economy disequilibrium, breakdown of the rule of law, corruption and massive closure of political space.
3. Council reaffirmed its unequivocal commitment to the said resolution on integration as the only vehicle that can lead to the transformation, strengthening, renewal, capacitation and rejuvenation of the democratic agenda, thus giving the people of Zimbabwe hope.
4. Council noted the progress so far made in the integration process and in particular noted the outcomes of the MDC Alliance 2019 Gweru congress including the leadership team led by Advocate Nelson Chamisa and hailing the congress thereat elected as not only an important milestone in the country’s democratic agenda but also an important signpost in the roadmap for the reunification of all democratic forces.
5. Council expressed concern with the slow pace of the integration process due to a number of factors including but not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, Council resolved to urge the MDC Alliance leadership to speed up the integration process so that all cadres and leadership in National Executive, Provincial, District, wards and Diaspora structures are fully integrated so as to create an effective and robust team to dislodge the ZANU PF illegitimate Government come 2023 elections;
6. Council deliberated on the shocking ‘2020 COVID-19’ Supreme Court decision which has resulted in the recall of several MDC Alliance Members of Parliament and councillors by a party which was a competitor in the 2018 general elections.
7. Council expressed disappointment by the involvement of the state in MDC politics which has seen state and security apparatus depriving the MDC Alliance of their offices and handing them over to their preferred and controlled ‘opposition’ party.
8. Council reaffirmed its unconditional and unequivocal commitment to the MDC spirit of 1999 and to the unity of all democratic forces, under the leadership of Advocate Nelson Chamisa and working for the realisation of the aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe.
9. Council expressed concern that a handful of our Cdes tried without the mandate of the organs of the party to illegally engage with the Supreme Court created MDCT of Douglas Mwonzora, seemingly driven by a desire to access political parties funding money stolen from the MDC Alliance.
10. Council noted the suspension and the pending disciplinary hearing against Christopher Monera, Shupikai Mandaza, Munhango Musevenzo and Gift Karupati and awaits the outcome of the Disciplinary Committees processes.

Ilos Nyoni
Acting Secretary General

By A Correspondent- A fake police officer was arrested after demanding an US$80 bribe from a motorist whom he had arrested for violating COVID-19 regulations.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) reported the case saying the fake cop’s accomplices escaped a citizen’s arrest. Said the police on Twitter:

The ZRP confirms the arrest of Leon Mukunga (52) for impersonation and extortion, on 18/08/21 at about 0900 hrs. The suspect, together with three other accomplices who are still at large, arrested a motorist driving a Honda Fit for allegedly breaching COVID-19 regulations.

One of the suspects took control of the vehicle and demanded a US$80 bribe from the complainant. They were given US$60 before the complainant called for help and wrestled the suspect as others escaped.

Many people have been arrested for impersonating police officers, soldiers and central intelligence officers (CIOs) to extort money from unsuspecting members of the public.

Some have been using identity cards and or uniforms of members of the security sector to commit crimes including armed robberies and rape.

Recently, a fake soldier was arrested for sexually assaulting and or robbing 19 women in Harare.

By A Correspondent- A Mutoko couple committed suicide following a misunderstanding over an extra marital affair, with the wife hanging herself first and then the husband after her body was discovered.

The two, who were at their place in Kumbure 1 Village, engaged in an ugly dispute after the husband Peter Muhamba (50) accused his wife, Nyasha Chinake (44), of dating his cousin.

Chinake then bolted out of the house and never returned, but her body was found the following day, hanging from a tree near their house.

Sources say on hearing that his wife had died, Muhamba went to their bedroom, took a rope and hanged himself.

His body was discovered later by the same neighbours who had helped him to search for his wife.

Giving details, Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Simon Chazovachii, said on Thursday last week at around 4pm, Chinake was at home with her husband who accused her of having an extra marital affair with his cousin Matambanadzo Mhuru (39).

“The wife ran out of the house, but the husband did not follow her,” he said.

“Later, the husband alerted his neighbours that he had a misunderstanding and his wife ran out of the house and never returned.

“The neighbours assisted him in a search in the neighbourhood, but they could not find her. The following day, Mandaza Muhamba (58) found the body of the wife hanging on a tree, about a kilometre from her home.”

Insp Chazovachii said together with the neighbours, Muhamba went home.

While others were planning to make a report to the police, he went into his bedroom where he hanged himself from a roof beam with a rope.

“The matter was reported by the village head at Makosa Police Station who attended the scene,” said Insp Chazovachii.

He appealed to the public to always solve their misunderstandings peacefully, and value the sanctity of life.

“Whenever they (people) have a difference in opinion, we urge them to seek counselling from police’s victim friendly unit, professional counsellors, church leaders, community leaders or trusted relatives,” said Insp Chazovachii. “This can assist.”

-Statemedia

Tinashe Sambiri| MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa has challenged Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa to stop abusing national institutions to advance political interests.

President Chamisa also dismissed Mr Mnangagwa’s ‘Muka Ubike Doro Mantra.’

See President Chamisa’s brief statement below:

THE PEOPLE SHALL GOVERN…

In our own traditional wisdom, there is an idiom that says “Ubukhosi ngamazolo” or “Ushe madzoro hunotambidzaniwa” literally meaning that leadership is best that occurs in turns.

The era of “strong men” or “vana HANDIENDE” who abuse state institutions is OVER. No abuse of electoral bodies,police,military and intelligence services shall be accepted or tolerated.

Our liberation struggle was about ‘one man one vote’ and “We the People”…meaning “Power to the People”or “Amandla Ebantwini” or “Masimba Kuvanhu”..We are next.

We are the new leaders! #GodIsInIt #thenewiscoming #JoinTheNew #RegisterToVoteZW

Tinashe Sambiri|Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe national coordinator, Harrison Mudzuri has accused Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime of denigrating the teaching profession.

While Mnangagwa is boasting of what he calls Vision 2030, teachers are stuggling to fend for their families.

The former Zaka Central Constituency MP described teachers’ working conditions under the Zanu PF regime as pathetic.

“Dear President ED:
Does your vision 2030 mean having good roads, good cities ,and good dams BUT poor teachers?

Our teachers’ living conditions are in reverse gear while we are all looking ahead to 2030.

Do you want your child to be a teacher in Zimbabwe? Why?

Using their meagre salaries, Zim teachers cannot buy a house, cannot afford a decent meal, cannot buy new clothes, cannot buy bath soap, and cannot buy pants,” Mudzuri argued.

By A Correspondent- The son of the late Zimbabwean business tycoon Roger Boka, Mathew, says the Rolls-Royce which went viral on social media over the weekend after President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son Sean was photographed in it, belongs to him and is not for sale.

This adds to the controversy around the luxury vehicle rather than clarify who really owns it at a time people around the First Family insist the car was bought by gold dealer Pedzai Sakupwanya, commonly known as Scott Sakupwanya. Sakupwanya is close to the First Family.

When the pictures initially emerged, word was that Sean, a captain in the Zimbabwe National Army attached to the yellow-bereted Presidential Guards, had bought the vehicle which is in a bonded warehouse at the Boka Auction Floors.

Sean and those around him however quickly denied he had bought the car, at a time there was hectic communication through phone calls and WhatsApp among the First Family and its associates.

It then emerged that Sakupwanya had bought the car, paying an initial deposit of US$140 000 and pledging to pay an additional US$135 000 to fully own the car.

The NewsHawks was told Mathew, the executive chairperson of Boka Tobacco Floors, imported the car for personal use from the United Kingdom.

Sources however say he later entered into an arrangement with Sakupwanya who was eager to buy the car, showing his commitment by paying US$140 000.

The sources say Sean also expressed his interest in buying the car, went on to view it and then took pictures which went viral. The sources say the pictures had compromised Sean’s interest in the car after a public outcry.

However, quizzed about the car on Friday, Mathew said he owns it.

“I can categorically state that it’s my car. It’s my vehicle, I imported it, but it’s in a bonded warehouse,” he said.

Asked where he had bought the car from, he said: “Certainly not South Africa.”

Pressed further and asked to confirm if it was indeed bought in UK, he said: “Well, if your sources tell you that, then that’s correct.”

On whether he sold the car to Sean, he said: “It’s my car. It’s not on sale. Sean came the other day to the auction floors on other business which had nothing to do with the car, but he saw the car and liked it. He asked if he could view it and take pictures, just like any person who would have seen something nice,” Mathew said.

“It’s not his and I don’t want to talk too much about this issue because I am a private person. I don’t talk much to the media and this is not even a big issue.”

Told that our interest was about public accountability in relation to the President’s son, since his father is the leader of the country and not about him and that The NewsHawks has no problem with people driving expensive cars, Mathew said he understood the interest, but did not want to discuss the matter in detail.

Since Mnangagwa ascended to power on the back of a military coup in November 2017, his sons’ fortunes have risen sharply.

They are now in business on various fronts and also working on projects with many politically connected persons, including business tycoon Kuda Tagwirei, who doubles as the President’s adviser

By A Correspondent- Mazowe North legislator Campion Mugweni who has been missing in his constiuency finally showed up at a prominent tout (hwindi) funeral and rendered assistance to the bereived family.

Mugweni featured at Tendai Kavhai’s funeral much to the excitement of touts and party supporters who were present to pay his condolence message.

He then paid US$100 for funeral logistics and pledged to pay fees for Kavhai’s children for the next three years.

Mugweni managed to attend to three funerals in Mvurwi and rendered support both financially and physically.

He received a lot of verbal praises both from opposition party members and local residents.

However, it remains to be seen if Mugweni will continue to be assisting people in his constiuency or he has come just to lure their votes.

By A Correspondent- Zimbabweans in Afghanistan are anxious over their safety, while others, including Clever Sithole, an engineer heading a gemstones centre, have fled, fearing for their lives after the Taliban took over control of the country.

Just a fortnight ago, Sithole spoke to The NewsHawks on his journey and how he ended up as the head gemologist at a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded gemstone processing project in Afghanistan.

He has now fled the country via Dubai to London, with only a laptop and a satchel on his back.

The Taliban this week seized power two weeks before the United States was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war.

Some Zimbabweans in Afghanistan told The NewsHawks that they were not ready and not in the right space to talk about what they were going through.

Those who once lived in Afghanistan and are still in touch with some nationals still in the country said Zimbabweans may have to wait for the resumption of commercial flights to “flee” the South Asian country as they might not receive assistance from their government.

“I left Afghanistan two days before the Taliban takeover on 12 August, but so many of my colleagues are still there. Most Zimbabweans are in humanitarian work, and there are also a number of nurses, teachers and doctors,” a person who preferred to be identified as The Economic Refugee, said.

“We have a WhatsApp group with some people in Kabul and some are anxious on how this will pan out. Some are waiting for commercial flights to resume so that they can make their way out and maybe work from home, for those who can, while contemplating the next move. For Zimbabweans, however, there is no embassy in Afghanistan, the nearest would be in Dubai or New Delhi.

“Some are in highly safe locations. Those who work for agencies are being protected by their organisations in safe spaces like bunkers. But the ones who work for private companies are looking for alternatives. The humanitarian workers will also have to provide assistance to a lot of displaced citizens.”

He said although the Taliban has given assurances that it would let humanitarian work continue and not harm anyone, most people were unsure what would happen when it has entrenched itself in power.

According to another former resident, Maxwell Saungweme, Afghanistan is home to thousands of Zimbabweans who are working in various fields that include international development work, humanitarian work, peace building, as well as private security services.

“Zimbabweans in Afghanistan have to depend on their organisations to be evacuated. The Zimbabwe government is not known for its capacity to evacuate citizens from places that are so far afield,” he said.

“For Zimbabweans, the option is to get out of Afghanistan, travel to Dubai or New Delhi and try to connect with Zimbabwe’s consulates there. Their organisations can’t take them back to Zimbabwe.”

He said most Zimbabweans found themselves there in pursuit of their professions and are mostly staying alone, with their families back in Zimbabwe or other countries they call home.

“Being blacks in Afghanistan makes it easy for black Zimbabweans to be misconstrued as Americans at first sight, but as locals speak to you and understand that you are Zimbabwean, the attitude changes. Afghans have no ill-feelings about Zimbabweans at all and Zimbabweans are highly respected as very professional there. But being a very insecure country and now with the Taliban takeover, stress and hardship are compounded,” Saungweme said.

“Every Zimbabwean who has worked in that country speaks of the great hospitality from Afghans. They are a beautiful and peace-loving people suffering from consequences of geopolitical turf wars and proxy actor interference in that country’s affairs. Like Zimbabwe, the country is endowed with vast mineral wealth and great heritage sites, which naturally attract proxy and geopolitical actors.”

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Constance Chemwayi said, “The ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade does not have the exact numbers of our nationals in Afghanistan at the moment, but we are aware that there were some Zimbabweans working there. We take this opportunity to encourage all Zimbabweans in Afghanistan to get in touch with our embassy in Tehran, Iran or any of our embassies worldwide that are easily reachable to them.”

“Yes, we have assisted a few nationals that reached out to our embassy in New Dehli, India. We are happy to report that they were safely evacuated from Kabul.”

“The ministry is ready to extend consular services to our nationals in distress in Afghanistan.”

Meanwhile, a man who claimed to be Zimbabwe’s former defence attaché to Afghanistan, James Mudzivare, threatened to “come after” this reporter for reaching out to Zimbabweans in Afghanistan. Mudzivare, who is in Zimbabwe, called the reporter on Wednesday night shouting at her and asking why she was interested in the story and contacting people in bunkers.

“I am coming after you! Why are you contacting them? Are you human? Do you know the Taliban? I was a defence attaché there. I am coming after you!” he said before hanging up.

Zimbabwe Defence Forces public relations director Colonel Teddy Ndlovu said a report should be made to the police.

“Report the person to the police and investigations can start from there. If a person threatens anyone, it would be best to report the matter to the police,” Ndlovu said.

Newshawks

By A Correspondent- Two soldiers have been arrested for allegedly assaulting and robbing two brothers of their hard-earned cash after they accused them of violating Covid-19 regulations.

The two soldiers are Mbonisi Ncube (20) and Peace Maphosa (21) and they are stationed at 2.1 Reserve Force Battalion, Mt Darwin.

A source close to investigations said while Zenzo Masina (53) was walking to Lobengula West suburb from Njube suburb at around 7pm last week on Sunday after he had parted ways with his younger brother Brighton (39) he met the duo of Maphosa and Ncube.

They accused him of violating Covid-19 regulations and being out and about during curfew hours.

They grabbed him by his hand before they hit him with open hands while they demanded cash. Masina gave them US$20 and $80 and they let him free.

After about 10 minutes they bumped into Brighton while he was returning to his place and they accused him of being outside during curfew time. While he was trying to explain, they grabbed him by his throat and took turns to slap him with open hands on the face and head, said the source.

They demanded money, but he could not give them anything because he had nothing on him.

Their luck ran out when neighbourhood watch committee members arrived and apprehended them.

They took them to Njube Police Station leading to their arrest.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident.

By A Correspondent- A woman from Pumula South suburb has been arrested for flogging her step-daughter with a stick after she accused her of converting money from the sale of firewood to her personal use.

What stoked the fire is that when Nomcebo Sibanda (29) got home at around 5pm this week on Wednesday she found her 15-year-old step-daughter lighting a fire with the firewood that she sells at home.

After that she unleashed a verbal attack on her while accusing her of being untrustworthy and disrespectful.

She allegedly grabbed the minor and dragged her into her bedroom before locking the door.

“She took a stick and flogged her all over the body. She accused her of converting the money from the sale of firewood to her personal use. And she also accused the minor of disrespecting her,” she said.

The minor suffered bruises on the body and a swollen thigh.

The minor reported the matter at Pumula Police Station leading to the arrest of her stepmother.

Bulawayo deputy police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the incident.

She bemoaned the rising cases of domestic violence.

“It is worrying to note that there is a notable rise in domestic violence cases. We would like to urge community members to live in harmony with each other and seek advice from third parties like pastors or police’s Victim Friendly Unit whenever they are faced with disputes than to take the law into their hands,” she said.

-bmetro

By A Correspondent- The spokesperson of the Taliban has said they are likely to unveil a new governing framework for Afghanistan within the next few weeks following the seizure of power in recent weeks.

The return of the Islamist militant group to power has sparked fear in many Afghans some of which have since left that country.

The Taliban government that ruled in the 1990s and was removed from power in 2001 by the US was known for violating human rights. The group is pledging to be more liberal than it was in the 1990s.

Its spokesperson said on Saturday:

Legal, religious and foreign policy experts in the Taliban aim to present the new governing framework in the next few weeks.

An official also told Reuters that the Taliban will be accountable for its actions and will investigate reports of reprisals and atrocities carried out by members.

The Taliban seized power at a time when the US, UK and their allies are evacuating their troops and all citizens from Afghanistan after a two-decade-long war with the militant group.

The Western allied forces have been blamed for “letting the Afghans, especially women, down” as fears abound that they will no longer be allowed to go to school or work.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin criticised the West for its stance on Afghanistan, saying that the Taliban’s rapid ascent to power has shown the futility of Western attempts to enforce its own vision of democracy without considering other factors such as ethnic values and history.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was on an official visit to Moscow, urged Russia to use its contacts with the Taliban to press for Afghan citizens who helped Germany to be allowed to leave Afghanistan.

-Indian Press

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa met with Matabeleland chiefs to discuss the Gukurahundi issue.

We present resolutions from the indaba.

Today, this 21st day of August, 2021, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Cde. Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa met members of the National Council of Chiefs to receive recommendations to resolve the issues related to Gukurahundi.

As you are aware that several meetings have been held in the past around this issue culminating in today’s meetings. On the 24th of June, 2019; the President convened a meeting with Matabeleland Civic Society Organisations (CS0s) under the name Matabeleland Collective to discuss the issues affecting the Matabeleland region which highlighted the Gukurahundi as a conflict area. Consequently, on the 22nd of August, 2019 it was proposed that the Gukurahundi issue was to be spearheaded by the Traditional Leaders.

On the 20th of October, 2020 the President met with the Chiefs from the Matabeleland Provinces to receive their respective reports on the issue. Further, on the 30th of October 2020, the President met the National Council of Chiefs and endorsed the Traditional Leaders to take a lead of resolving the Gukurahundi issue. Subsequently, the National Council of Chiefs over the past two weeks, engaged in intensive consultations with the Matabeleland Civic Society Organisation and Faith-Based Organisation on the 29th of July, 2021 to the 1st of August, 2021 and 4th to the 6th of August, 2021 respectively on the issue.

---

Notably, it has been resolved that each Chief will spearhead the resolution of the issue in his or her area of jurisdiction.

The process will be victim centred and will also involve key stakeholders engagement. It was reiterated that the Gukurahundi issue should not be tribalised in order to foster national building and national healing.

The National Council of Chiefs highlighted the following key issues:

1. Documentation (Birth, National IDs and Deaths Certificates);

2. Underdevelopment and Marginalisation of Matabeleland region;

3. National Healing, Reconciliation and National Building;

4. Counselling and Psychosocial support; 5. Consultation of victims;

6. Reburials, Exhumations and Memorials;

7. Reparations and Compensation; and

8. Social Security Benefits (Pensions, Free Education, Social Welfare and Health Services).

Following the deliberations of the issues, His Excellency the President highlighted that a systematic approach to the resolution of issues raised should be adopted. This will entail feedback on preparedness by a particular Chief in issues requiring attention in his or her area of jurisdiction .

Regarding exhumations and reburials, this should be resolved on a case by case basis custom centric and the relevant Chief should give guidance and directions.

Concerning the issue of Social Security benefits, this shall also be resolved on a case by case basis.

Issues have been clarified and this should now enable the Chiefs to carry out their tasks. This issue is traditional and should be dealt with by traditional leaders.

Chiefs requested to organise themselves and come up with implementation plan detailing preparedness in their area of jurisdiction so as to guide the process.

Conclusion

It has to be emphasised that this process will be led by Chiefs and their affected communities. The President made it clear that a one size fits all approach would be inappropriate for this program. As a way forward, Chiefs are to go back to their respective areas to consult on the issues raised. So whichever Chief is ready, the President will deploy resources to their area to support the resolution of issues in that area.

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday ordered police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga to flush out law enforcement agents implicated in criminal activities, describing them as “bad apples” tarnishing the image of the force.

Mnangagwa made the call when he handed over 82 vehicles to the police.

“There are still some rogue elements and bad apples among you, who must be flushed out. If you don’t have the capacity (to flush them out) from among you, I will assist,” Mnangagwa said.

Police officers and soldiers have been forced into corruption and crime due to poor salaries which have left them struggling to make ends meet.

Mnangagwa said the government was working to ensure that their conditions of service were improved so that they stay away from corruption.

“Corruption has no place in our great country and must never be tolerated in our society, it is therefore important that the government give you good conditions of service so that you don’t get attracted to criminality,” Mnangagwa said.

Following a surge in armed robberies in the country since the coming in of Mnangagwa’s regime in a military coup in November 2017, the police have been struggling for resources to respond to the crime and the new vehicles came as a welcome boost.

“This (vehicles) comes at a time when the nation has witnessed a worrying surge in crimes. This fleet should therefore boost the effectiveness of the ZRP as it responds to criminal activities,” he said.

Mnangagwa urged the police to be brutal in their response to criminal activities.

“Perpetrators of crime and offenders must thus be firmly dealt with in order to curb crime in our society. Criminals must never be given any breathing space to commit their illegal, immoral and even wicked acts of crime,” he said.

Matanga asked Mnangagwa to give the police armoured vehicles so that they could have a fighting chance against the daring thieves.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday said the era of leaders who abuse State institutions to illegally stay in pow-er was over, warning President Emmerson Mnangagwa that opposition supporters would in 2023 defend their vote against rigging.

Chamisa was responding to Mnangagwa’s utterances in Mutare on Thursday where he said recent events in Zambia where opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema won against incumbent President Edgar Lungu would not happen in Zimbabwe.

“That is Ian Smith’s not in a thou-sand years mentality” Chamisa told NewsDay Weekender.

“No abuse of electoral bodies, police, military and intelligence services shall be accepted or tolerated. Our liberation struggle was about one-man-one-vote and we the people meaning power to the people. We are next (to) win Zimbabwe for change.”

Chamisa added: “The people shall govern. In our own traditional wisdom, there is an idiom that says ubukhosi ngamazolo or ushe madzoro literally meaning that leadership occurs in turns. The era of strong men or those who refuse to go and abuse State institutions is over.”

Mnangagwa told scores of people including his supporters and government officials in Mutare during the commissioning of a Verify Engineering gas plant in Feruka that those wishing for an opposition victory in Zimbabwe were dreaming.

“Let me tell you even before you ask me, if anyone dreams of what happened in Zambia happening in Zimbabwe, come back to your senses and brew some beer,” Mnangagwa said to loud cheers from party supporters and senior officials.

Hichilema’s United Party for National Development shocked Lungu’s Patriotic Front in elections held in Zambia last Thursday. The former opposition leader will be sworn in on Tuesday in Lusaka, Zambia.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- State Security Minister Owen Ncube has threatened action against opposition leaders and civic leaders who “invite sanctions from Western countries” under the guise of defending human rights.

He made the threats in Gokwe last week while commissioning road equipment bought by Gokwe South Rural District Council. Ncube said:

Parliament will soon punish through appropriate policies and legislation, misguided elements who campaign for sanctions and punishment for the country under the guise of human rights narrative.

As we move towards 2030, we are aware of political impediments and negative elements who seek to derail the agenda 2030, we know them, let us all shun them.

They (opposition) are the authors of all problems in the country through sanctions they campaigned for.

Be warned, myself and others in the national security superstructure will never ever allow such violent malcontents to prevail in our motherland.

As State Security arms of the government, we assure the nation that we will continue to watch the environment very closely and will ensure we fulfil our mandate of ensuring peace, stability and development in Zimbabwe.

He said the government had realised that opposition leaders and human rights activists were behind the suffering of the masses as part of their broader objective of achieving regime change.

Zanu PF has been pushing for the controversial Patriotic Bill which seeks to amend the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act to criminalise support for the United States’ Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act and related sanctions on targeted individuals and organisations.

The Patriotic Bill also criminalises criticising of Mnangagwa and other government leaders.

Western powers including the United States of America and the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe two decades ago following the fast-track land reform programme accusing the Mugabe-led regime of violating human rights.

They say sanctions will be removed when Zimbabwe has implemented recommended reforms.

Meanwhile, the 41st SADC summit 41st Ordinary Summit of Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government reiterated the regional grouping’s call on the unconditional removal of sanctions imposed on the Republic of Zimbabwe. 

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga Friday Zimbabwe has the capacity to be self-sufficient and, therefore, must work towards producing its own goods and services including medicines and medical consumables.

The former military boss made the remarks at a personal protective equipment (PPE) exhibition running under the theme: Enhancing the availability of locally made Covid-19 PPEs through collaboration with State universities and local manufacturers.

VP Chiwenga said Natpharm — the State medicine procurement entity – would now buy all their PPE requirements from local manufacturers after he was impressed by their capabilities.

He said:

Going forward, we need to develop our capacities and never beg again in future but to do things ourselves. The exhibition is a clear testimony of the vast and untapped potential which the nation has, to produce its own goods and services including medicines and medical consumables as we march towards an upper-middle-income society by 2030 as enunciated by his Excellency the President, Cde Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.

Let us develop that capability to develop and build our country. Technology is not a preserve for anyone. If we do not have that technology, we acquire it.

A total of $800 million has been paid by the Government through Natpharm to local producers for the supply of PPEs since manufacture started in a major way last year at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vice President Chiwenga also urged universities spearheading local production to invest their proceeds into the production of other medical consumables and to target the export market.

He praised local producers for stepping up their activity in the production of PPEs which boosted the country’s response to the global pandemic. 

Acting Natpharm managing director Air Commodore (Rtd) Ivan Dumba said the response by State universities was a sign of their potential and capabilities in the manufacturing of essential medicines.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Welshman Ncube led MDC yesterday expelled three of its top officials who were accused of dinning with Douglas Mwonzora’s led MDC instead of supporting opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.

The expelled are Shupikai Mandaza (vice chairman), Christopher Monera (Secretary for research and policy implementation) and Munhango Musevenzo (Member of National Council).

In expulsion letters seen by this publication the trio was charged for attending a meeting called for by Mwonzora at his party headquarters on august 3 and 11 respectively.

They purported to be representing MDC N led by Ncube without his approval hence their attendance was in contravening of the party constitution and were invited to appear before a disciplinary committee of which they did not turn up resulting in them being served with expulsion letters.

According to Ncube MDC N is in the MDc Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa and has no intention what so ever in getting into alliance with MDC T led by Mwonzora

 

By A Correspondent- The second deportation charter flight to Zimbabwe from the United Kingdom has been confirmed for August 25, according to a key campaigner.

Dozens of Zimbabwean nationals are being held in Brook House Immigration Removal Centre and face removal from the UK.

A petition has been launched by Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) UK to stop the flight to Harare and currently has over 24,000 signatures.

Speaking to The Voice, Zita Holbourne, co-founder and national co-chair of BARAC UK, said some Zimbabwean nationals have already been served removal directions.

She said: “The date has been confirmed as there are people in detention who have been given removal notices.”

Holbourne said many of those who were taken off the first charter flight to Zimbabwe last month, have been held in detention and now face removal again.

In July, a charter flight to Harare left with only 14 people on board after several legal challenges.

The flight was originally expected to have approximately 50 Zimbabwean nationals on board.

According to, this is just the beginning of a “series of deportations that the government will be implementing.”

She explained one of those facing removal, came to the UK at eight years old and had refugee status before it was revoked.

Campaigners have argued deportations to Zimbabwe should postponed until the country has stabilised after recent political and social unrest.

Holbourne has started two petitions, one is a generic anti-deportation petition and the other is to specifically halt any removals to the southern African country.

She said: “It is important to sign it because it sends a message to the government and all of the organisations that are complicit with deportation flights that those being targeted aren’t alone.

“The general petition has over 200,000 signatures and that is a sign. By signing the petition you will get updates about what action you can take next and how you can help.. and it boosts the morale of those impacted.

“Some of them do feel suicidal and just to know there are people standing with them, by challenging what the government is doing and raising awareness, does help people and keeps up the pressure.”

Last week, a charter flight to Jamaica left the UK with just seven people after last minute legal appeals.

The Home Office has been approached for comment.

-TheVoice

By A Correspondent- Stakeholders advocating for climate change and girls’ rights have called for urgent intervention in the fight against climate change.

Speaking during a virtual meeting organised by the Education Coalition of Zimbabwe (ECOZI) on the impact of climate change on girls’education, stakeholders said girls were hard hit by climate change.

“Climate change affects girls at most and they drop out of school for example when Cyclone Idai hit. Zimbabwe experienced  massive cases of child marriages escalating from climate change.There is also disruption of sexual reproductive health services thus climate change brings more harm than good,” said Nokutenda Magama, from the Rosaria Memorial Trust.

In submissions made to ECOZI policy consultant Dr. Olga Laiza Kupika said the stakeholders had among other issues called for a collective approach in the fight against the social vices brought by climate change.

“Environment or climate events that have been destructive to the education sector in Zimbabwe are Cyclone Idai, drought, destructive winds and heat waves. There has been direct and indirect impact such as increases in cases of child marriages, survival strategies of the girl child with marginalized areas most affected,” noted Dr. Kupika

She said stakeholders had also submitted that there was rampant sexual abuse and harassment at water points such as boreholes.

“Loss of livestock and vegetable gardens has an impact on community health which Covid 19 has worsened. Girls may turn to prostitution which will disrupt their lives. The effects of climate change cannot be underestimated to girls and young people”. A multisectoral approach is needed to curb this social menance. 

“As mitigation, I suggest educating girls on things aside from prostitution that are able to generate money for example gardening and selling and investing in renewable energy is the way to go,” she added.

The meeting sought to amplify young advocates voices and support young advocates to engage directly with decision makers so as to influence their policy and financing commitments to girls’ education and young people’s leadership.

It also looked at spearheading collaborative partnership models that furnish girls and young people with information and empower them to engage in key meetings with decision-makers leading to influencing a key policy outcome document to be presented during the COP26 summit.

By A Correspondent- Primary and Secondary Education minister Cain Mathema has been hospitalised after contracting Covid-19.

Sources said Mathema (74) was recently admitted to a private hospital in Bulawayo for medical treatment for Covid-19.

The minister was last seen in public on 6 August at a tour of Loreto High School in Silobela.

By A Correspondent-A United States country travel advisory has listed Zimbabwe as a “high-threat” destination affecting the interests of the world’s superpower.

This comes shortly after the British government described Zimbabwe as a risky business destination.The US also noted human rights violations and high prevalence of anti-Western sentiment in the country.

Already, there is a standing US Department of State Travel Advisory warning its citizens against travelling to Zimbabwe citing COVID-19. The advisory also warns US residents in the country to exercise caution, citing crime and civil unrest.

A latest Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) country report released on Tuesday also notes that Harare remains a high-threat destination for crime and potential political violence and civil unrest over the harsh economic climate.

The OSAC was created in 1985 under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to promote security co-operation between American private sector interests worldwide and the US Department of State.

“Harare as being a high-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official US government interests,” the report read.

“The US Department of State has included a Crime ‘C’ indicator on the travel advisory for Zimbabwe, indicating that there may be widespread violent crime and/or organised crime present in the country, and/or that local law enforcement may have limited ability to respond to serious crimes.” Of late, the country has witnessed a spate of violent armed robberies.Police have been tough in responding to the armed robberies, fatally shooting some suspects in the process in a bid to tame the vice.

Government often projects a Zimbabwe-issafe destination in the “Zimbabwe is open for business” drive, but the OSAC travel advisory argues otherwise.

“The US Department of State has assessed Harare as being a high-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official US government interests,” the report adds.

“There is considerable risk of political violence in Harare, particularly considering Zimbabwe’s deteriorating economic conditions. Peaceful demonstrations have repeatedly been violently dispersed by the police and or the military.”

The OSAC notes that Zimbabwe is a lowthreat destination for terrorism directed at or affecting US government interests.

“The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary arrest and detention, although other sections of the law effectively weaken these prohibitions. The government enforces laws in conflict with the constitution. Security forces arbitrarily arrest and detain persons, particularly political and civil society activists…,” the report added.

By A Correspondent- Primary and Secondary Education minister Cain Mathema is battling for life after being hospitalised for Covid-19.

Mathema (74) was recently admitted to a private hospital in Bulawayo for medical treatment for Covid-19.

His last known public engagement was a tour of Loreto High School in Silobela on August 6.

By A Correspondent- Zanu PF President Emmerson Mnangagwa has given in to pressure from the Matabeleland regions and rushed to Bulawayo to meet with local traditional leaders to discuss the Gukurahundi issues.

Mnangagwa, who has for a long time been silent about the Gukurahundi massacres he caused in the 1980s, arrived in Bulawayo Friday evening for the Saturday meeting.

He was received by Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Bulawayo Judith Ncube, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe and State Security Minister Owen Ncube, Service Chiefs and senior civil servants.

According to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Virginia Mabiza, Mnangagwa received recommendations on dealing with issues related to Gukurahundi.

“The National Council of Chiefs has in the past two weeks been engaged in intensive stakeholder consultations with various groups from Matebeleland. This Meeting is a demonstration of His Excellency’s commitment to finding a lasting solution to matters affecting the Region and, in particular, the Gukurahundi,” said Mabhiza.

By A Correspondent- Norton legislator Temba Mliswa Zanu Pf would lose the 2023 elections to the opposition if the MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa deploys polling agents at every polling station.

Speaking during a Zimbabwe Elections Support Network-organised panel discussion on election results management, Mliswa said opposition parties often left most polling stations unmanned, increasing rigging chances.

“When you have manual counting happening, and you don’t have someone competent enough, who do you blame?” Mliswa asked.

“Most of the political parties, even (MDC Alliance leader Nelson) Chamisa, did not have polling agents at most of the polling stations in 2018. As a presidential candidate, whatever happens, you cannot blame the system.”

Chamisa, who narrowly lost to Zanu PF’s Emmerson Mnangagwa in the 2018 presidential plebiscite, challenged the results alleging rigging, but the Constitutional Court dismissed his court case.

“The results are posted outside the polling station, which you see and the results go to the ward centre, then to the district centre, provincial centre up to the national centre. There is nowhere the results can change if they have been posted outside and you have agreed with them. Your duty is to make sure the figures tally,” Mliswa said.

He alleged that MDC Alliance had inadequate resources to monitor all polling stations and in other cases the opposition agents were not provided with basics, exposing them to manipulation. AMH

By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has fired back at President Emmerson Mnangagwa and told the Zanu PFleader that the opposition would win the 2023 election and attain power contrary to the belief that the ruling ZANU PF will rule forever.

Chamisa told NewsDay that the era of leaders who abuse State institutions to stay in power illegally was over, warning President Emmerson Mnangagwa that opposition supporters would defend their vote against rigging.

He responded to Mnangagwa’s utterances in Mutare on Thursday, where he said recent events in Zambia where opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema won against incumbent President Edgar Lungu would not happen in Zimbabwe.

“That is Ian Smith’s not in a thousand years mentality.
No abuse of electoral bodies, police, military and intelligence services shall be accepted or tolerated. Our liberation struggle was about one-man-one-vote and we the people meaning power to the people. We are next (to) win Zimbabwe for change.
The people shall govern. In our own traditional wisdom, there is an idiom that says ubukhosi ngamazolo or ushe madzoro literally meaning that leadership occurs in turns. The era of strong men or those who refuse to go and abuse State institutions is over,”said Chamisa.

Mnangagwa told scores of people, including his supporters and government officials in Mutare during the commissioning of a Verify Engineering gas plant in Feruka that those wishing for an opposition victory in Zimbabwe were dreaming.

He spoke amid optimism that change was coming to Zimbabwe after Zambian opposition leader Hichilema of the United Party for National Development defeated Edgar Lungu of the Patriotic Front in elections held in Zambia on 12 August.

The former opposition leader will be sworn in on Tuesday in Lusaka, Zambia.
In Zimbabwe, the opposition has often said the ruling ZANU PF was manipulating election results to stay in power.

Chamisa rejected the outcome of the 2018 presidential election saying the ruling party in connivance with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, had manipulated results in favour of ZANU PF candidate, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has postponed next week Tuesday’s cabinet meeting to allow him to attend the swearing-in of the new Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema.

In a notice to Cabinet members on Friday, the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda said:

The Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck J.M. Sibanda wishes to advise all Cabinet members that the next Cabinet meeting will be held at 0900 hours on Wednesday, 25th August 2021.
This has been occasioned by the need to accommodate His Excellency the President’s other international commitments.
Members should therefore be guided accordingly.

Cabinet meets on Tuesdays but coincidentally, Zambia’s President-Elect Hakainde Hichilema will be sworn in on Tuesday next week and President Mnangagwa is expected to attend the inauguration in Lusaka.

By A Correspondent- A suspected border jumper was shot and killed after allegedly confronting armed robbers at an illegal crossing point along the Limpopo River.

Sources close to the case said the man was shot in the head as he got to the South African side of the border around 5pm on Thursday.

They said the yet to be identified man, who is in his early 20s, smuggled goods and people at the border front.

The incident occurred near the Spillway about 1 km east of the Beitbridge Border Post.

“He was heading to South Africa in the company of another friend when they came across the armed robbers,” said the source.

“The deceased had an altercation with one of the robbers who shot him in the head and escaped.

“His friend rushed to alert security officials along the border.”

The police officer commanding Beitbridge district Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo confirmed the incident.

“We are yet to get full details on the matter since the incident occurred on the South African side of the border,” he said.

South Africa’s police spokesperson for Limpopo Province, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo could not be reached for comment.

Cases of illegal migration are common along the Limpopo River and they have been on the increase as many people cannot access the formal crossing point due to tight Covid-19 regulations around Sadc countries.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Zanu PF President Emmerson Mnangagwa is in Bulawayo to meet with local traditional leaders to discuss the Gukurahundi issues.

He arrived last night and was received by Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Bulawayo Judith Ncube, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe and State Security Minister Owen Ncube, Service Chiefs and senior civil servants.

According to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Virginia Mabiza, Mnangagwa received recommendations on how to deal with issues related to Gukurahundi.

“The National Council of Chiefs has in the past two weeks been engaged in intensive stakeholder consultations with various groups from Matebeleland. This Meeting is a demonstration of His Excellency’s commitment to finding a lasting solution to matters affecting the Region and, in particular, the Gukurahundi,” said Mabhiza.

The Meeting is at the State House today.

By A Correspondent| Veterinary Distribution center in Ruwa, which offers customers a convenient one-stop shop for a range of high-quality poultry products including day old chicks, hatching eggs, table eggs, chicken feed and now drugs, accessories and vaccines.

“The effects of COVID-19 have disrupted many people’s livelihoods, and poultry projects have become a reliable source of supplementary income because one can easily get started in their own backyard”, noted Cyril Gunda, Managing Director of ZimAvian.

“The new Distribution Center will support our customers with convenient services including a home delivery option, an onsite veterinarian and personalized support from our technical team.

Additionally, through our partnership with MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme) we will offer high-quality poultry vaccines and drugs, all part of our commitment to support the small-scale farmer who wants to start up or expand their poultry business”.

Established in 2013, ZimAvian is a poultry breeder with a mission to provide the highest quality poultry products to the Zimbabwean market and beyond.

Committed to the community, its corporate social responsibility programs focus on empowering small-scale farmers, women and the youth.

For the past several years, ZimAvian has run several livelihoods programs that empower farmers to transition from subsistence to commercial farming.