By A Correspondent- Several cross border buses were Tuesday impounded by Masvingo police leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.

The impounded buses were parked at different police stations in the town.

This followed a directive by the Masvingo Police Boss Assistant Commissioner Florence Marume to arrest and impound cars and buses which are plying intercity trips in defiance of Covid-19 regulations.

Marume and her high-Masvingo provincial police commanders on Tuesday visited the site where some of the impounded buses under her directive were kept at Zimuto Police Camp on the outskirts of the city.

Assistant Commissioner Marume and her team wanted to drive the point home that cross-border smuggling rackets and lockdown violators would not be brooked along the province’s roads.

Speaking during the tour provincial police spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa said police were out in full force to thwart any attempts to violate lockdown rules, especially by intercity buses.

He said those returning into the country from outside Zimbabwe should have valid Covid-19 testing certificates.

Inspector Dhewa also warned long-distance buses that try to circumvent police checkpoints by using bush roads while also carrying smuggled goods, would be brought to book.
Some of the bus crews of the impounded buses and drivers of mushikashika vehicles that were impounded have since appeared in court.

By A Correspondent- The Tonga people have condemned President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Government for neglecting their plight.

The Tonga tribe of Kariba, said they have no electricity although they were displaced in the 1950s to pave way for the Kariba Dam and hydro-power station’s construction.

Chief Negande, born Kausu Mpofu, of the area, accused Mnangagwa’s administration of failing to electrify local households to compensate for their pain and suffering during displacement to allow for the building.

“The issue of electricity has been on the agenda for so many years. We have continuously asked why as the people who were displaced during the construction of the Kariba Dam wall, we don’t have electricity.

“They have sent workmen to hoodwink us by erecting pylons which have not brought electricity at all. E-learning cannot take off, and with Covid-19 nowhere near coming to an end, school pupils are most affected. It’s like pupils starting all over again.”

He lso blamed the government for failing to prioritise concerns of the Tonga people which are never addressed, attributing the neglect due to lack of adequate representation in Parliament and Cabinet.

“We are tired of lodging complaints which are never addressed. They don’t recognise us worthy people and tribalism has taken root in discriminating against the Tonga people.

“I think the situation was going to be different if we had a Tonga legislator or a minister representing us,” added the traditional leader.

Local youths are excluded in wildlife and other environmental conservation programmes, which are undertaken by rangers from other parts of the country who are poaching for wild animals, the chief claimed.

By A Correspondent- A half-naked Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) agent and a female passenger died in a car after a horrific road accident which also claimed the life of a police detective near Marondera.

An online portal, ZimLive, reports that a Mazda 3 driven by Detective Sergeant Benson Chingawo of Juru Police Base collided with a truck near Watershed in Marondera just after midnight on Monday, on the highway linking Harare and Mutare.

Chingawo died on the spot together with CIO agent Batsirai Maposa and a woman identified as Franny Onai Zinyuku who were passengers in the back seat.

Police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the accident adding that the driver of the truck survived. He said:
The ZRP can confirm a road traffic accident that occurred at the 60km peg along Harare-Mutare Road.

The victims are a male individual from the President’s Office, another a male police officer and a female civilian. The accident involved a Mazda 3 and a truck whose driver survived with some injuries.

Pictures from the accident scene showed Maposa without his trousers on and Zinyuku’s dress raised above her waist. She appeared to have been lying across the seat at the time of impact, while Maposa was in a sitting position.

By A Correspondent- Former cabinet minister Walter Mzembi says MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s refusal to join Polad and consequent failure to be blessed with a brand-new twin-cab by President Emmerson Mnangagwa has lifted the opposition leader’s ratings against his under-fire nemesis.

Mzembi was commenting on Mnangagwa’s Father Christmas style lavishing of sumptuous Isuzu D-Max vehicles on politicians who have paid the price of public ridicule to be part of the Zanu PF number one’s disciples.

“Pasi ne Polad” Mzembi posted on Twitter weekend.
“Losing an Election gets you a car in Zimbabwe – you sink $1000 with ZEC and you get this! The Return on Investment is the highest in the world!”
Polad comprises a group of politicians who challenged Mnangagwa in the 2018 elections, with all their votes.

Under the country’s electoral laws, Presidential candidates were each compelled to pay $1000 to be eligible to contest for the poll.

Mzembi likened Mnangagwa’s generous parcelling out of public property at the era of the now defunct JOMIC where politicians from both MDC and Zanu PF enjoyed perks for being part of an organisation that was of little significance to the national cause.

“Once upon a time we had JOMIC, the grandfather of POLAD with similar appetite and profligacies! And we don’t seem to learn anything from history repeating the same stuff all the time!” he said.

Responding to commenting the thread, Mzembi said by dishing out vehicles to the exclusion of his biggest challenger, Chamisa, Mnangagwa had scored an own goal.

“I think it’s a boomerang on ED,” he said.
“@nelsonchamisa by not receiving the poisoned chalice is more appealing to Voters right now. His ratings are up. Interestingly POLAD car beneficiaries also feature on the JOMIC car list, Ndomuririro wadzo shiri idzi!”

By A Correspondent- Police in Masvingo said they have impounded 200 cars including buses for contravening Covid-19 induced lockdown and curfew.

Over the weekend the police announce that they had arrested 176 people over the same offences.

The authorities also said since 1 July, they had arrested 38 000 for cross border jumping.

By A Correspondent- The city of Harare said it has been hit by a serious shortage of grave diggers owing to a high number of people dying of Covid-19 related illnesses.

The city council told NewsDay that they were burying over 40 people per day.

“It is true that we are somehow overwhelmed. We had sent half of our workforce home as part of the lockdown regulations and protocols, but we have brought everyone back because of the rise in demand for graves which is just too much now,” said Acting mayor Stewart Mutizwa.

“We are burying at least 40 people a day and the problem is there are some who apply and want to bury their loved ones the same day because of COVID-19.”
He said they pleaded for grave diggers from their partners and recently received 15 from a local funeral parlour to assist in addressing the crisis.
“We were overwhelmed to an extent that we asked our partners to assist. It is a challenge, but we are trying,” Mutizwa added.

By A Correspondent- In an interview with Open Parly, Masarira said she has got her own cars already but just want a platform to table issues affecting people and have them addressed.

She said POLAD is currently the only platform offering the opportunity and given a chance she will join.

She said:

I realised that is the only platform where I can table the real issues affecting the voiceless and have them addressed. Antagonism will never fix the problems bedevilling ordinary people like me and you.

I have three cars, a Toyota Allion, a D4D and a T35, surely, I can’t be enticed by an Isuzu DMax. Anyway, people being people they will always have something to say.

As a party that is concerned about the growth of the ordinary person at the grassroots, we feel it is important for us to be part of POLAD so that we go and represent the voiceless, whose voices have never been heard.

For a long time, we have had political parties attaining seats in Parliament and moving their political agenda and not the agenda of the ordinary person in the streets. We have had people going into the council pushing their political party agendas ahead of what the ordinary person who voted for them wants.

So as for us LEAD, a social democratic party, which is hinged on pan Africanism we feel that it is important to also have a seat on the POLAD table so that we go and share ideas on how to develop the ordinary person and to ensure that every Zimbabwean has got an opportunity to create wealth and to live a decent life in our beautiful country Zimbabwe. And as you have asked and rightfully asked, given the opportunity to go and sit and share our ideas for sustainable livelihood in Zimbabwe we will definitely join POLAD.

Achievement of POLAD

Masarira said she was not aware of achievements made by POLAD so far “mainly because they haven’t spoken much about their achievements.”

She added:

But we have seen time and again Professor Madhuku and Innocent Netanyahu pointing out that they have been engagements between them and some ministries and that they have also been engaging in electoral reforms, but I don’t think I am the right person to be responding to what they have achieved as I am not part of POLAD.

She said it was important for Zimbabweans to work together because “for 20 so years Zimbabwe has been a highly toxic and volatile political environment which has led to unnecessary political violence.”

By A Correspondent- A Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) agent and a female passenger allegedly died half-nak_ed in a car after a horrific road accident which also claimed the life of a police detective near Marondera, police said.

A Mazda 3 driven by Detective Sergeant Benson Chingawo of Juru Police Base collided with a truck near Watershed in Marondera just after midnight on Monday, on the highway linking Harare and Mutare.

Chingawo died on the spot together with CIO agent Batsirai Maposa and a woman identified as Franny Onai Zinyuku. Maposa and Zinyuku were passengers in the back seat.

Police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said: “The ZRP can confirm a road traffic accident which occurred at the 60km peg along Harare-Mutare Road.

“The victims are a male individual from the President’s Office, another a male police officer and a female civilian. The accident involved a Mazda 3 and a truck whose driver survived with some injuries.”

Pictures from the accident scene showed Maposa without his trousers on and Zinyuku’s dress raised above her waist. She appeared to have been lying across the seat at the time of impact, while Maposa was in a sitting position.

Assistant Commissioner Nyathi condemned the people who took the pictures.

“About the two half-nak_ed people at the back seat, we’re still investigating the circumstances and we urge people who rush to accident scenes to avoid taking pictures,” Nyathi said.

“People who arrive first at accident scenes should try to offer help, instead of rushing to take pictures for social media glory.”

Nyathi said they had recovered money from Zinyuku’s belongings, but he would not disclose the amount. A police source said the cash was in excess of US$3,000.

By A Correspondent- Teachers’ unions are calling on the government to postpone November’s final examinations for Grade 7, Form 4 and Upper Sixth – warning that pupils are not ready after severe disruptions due to Covid-19.

Pupils saw very limited learning in 2020, and this year has seen delays in the re-opening of the first and second terms.

“Six weeks after schools were supposed to have reopened, it’s still not clear when they will. We call on ministry of primary and secondary to postpone the exams to January, at the least,” the Progressive Teachers’ Union said in a statement on Monday.

The union said pupils had “learned for only 3 months since last year”, adding that radio and TV lessons which the government hoped would allow learning to continue during the extended lockdown “reach less than 10 percent of candidates.”

Teachers’ poor pay which led to work boycotts has also added to the learning disruptions.

The Almalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure said: “If the government doesn’t change its attitude, schools will never be ready for opening. Teachers remain severely incapacitated and will only show up to work to log-in, if they manage to.

“No teaching will take place when schools open. The government should urgently convene dialogue and resolve the long-standing salary crisis.”

The government had set June 28 as the date for schools re-opening for the second term, but a surge in Covid-19 infections and deaths scuppered the plans.

Ministers have not said when schools will re-open, although school heads have been ordered to begin preparations.

On Monday, there were 52 deaths and 1,309 new Covid-19 infections. The government’s plan to vaccinate 10 million people by December has fallen behind schedule, with just over 4 percent of Zimbabwe’s 15 million people having taken the vaccine so far

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By A Correspondent- Professor Lovemore Madhuku has said his party will advocate for more vehicles from government to boost his party’s capacity to campaign for the forthcoming election.

“We need more vehicles as NCA,” said Professor Lovemore Madhuku.

Watch the live video loading below……please be patient as it uploads

ZimEye will be livestreaming a press conference by Professor Lovemore Madhuku where he is set to clarify his party’s position on the POLAD vehicle.

Refresh this page for latest details….

By A Correspondent- Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has suspended burials at the Athlone West cemetery after a grave-digging machine broke down.

According to council sources, all burials in the city are now being conducted at Luveve cemetery.

The sources attributed the breakdown of the machine to the increased number of burials which is being fuelled by the spike in covid-19 related deaths.

Said the source:

“The grave digging machine broke down and council has not been burying bodies at Athlone West cemetery. All burials are now being conducted at Luveve cemetery.”

By A Correspondent- Kusena villagers in Marange, who last week had resisted an order by the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) to temporarily vacate their homes so that the diamond miner can engage in exploration activities finally capitulated.

Bocha Diamond Community Trust board member Takura Betera yesterday told NewsDay that most of the affected families are set to lose their land after the exploration exercise.

“The ZCDC approached us saying it wanted to do exploration activities, including blasting activities, near our homes. It had a meeting with our traditional leaders last Wednesday, and as villagers, we also held our own meeting last Thursday,” Betera said.

“They told us to camp at Kusena Primary School on the day that they will be performing their exploration activities. Our response was that it was not proper for them to force us to camp at a school during this COVID-19 era,” he said.

Betera said most of the villagers were set to lose their land due to ZCDC exploration activities.

“Most families are going to lose their agricultural land after the blasting activities. It would be impossible to grow plants on such land. ZCDC must explain to us how it is going to rehabilitate our land,” he said.

The villagers, who had resisted eviction, finally gave in on Friday after striking a compensation agreement for damages that might be caused by blasting activities.

ZCDC spokesperson Sugar Chagonda said the company engaged the villagers, adding that the process went on well.

“They (villagers) did not resist. We carried out awareness campaigns, which is a requirement. We cannot just take villagers by surprise. Some of them have no understanding of what exactly is happening. However, they later appreciated the process of exploration and it was a success,” Chagonda said.

-newsday

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) joins the World in celebration of breastfeeding week under the theme “Protect Breastfeeding: A shared responsibility.”

The commemoration comes at a time when most council clinics which provide maternal and post-natal health care services have been overwhelmed due to the mass exodus of health personnel triggered by poor working conditions.

The situation has been further worsened by the advent of Covid 19 which has seen deterioration of post-natal and maternal health care services as COVID has become a “priority” due to its devastating effects.

Provision of quality post-natal health care services is essential in protecting breast feeding as breastfeeding is one of the effective ways to ensure child growth, health and survival.

We urge lactating mothers, employers and CSOs to take the breast-feeding agenda more seriously especially after the disruption of breastfeeding by the advent of COVID 19.

Employers must improve working conditions for women by providing spaces and times at the workplace for women to breastfeed their children.

We concur with the government Devolution and Decentralization Policy that “devolved mandates on Local Authorities which are unaccompanied by adequate financial capacities would overwhelm Local Authorities’ limited resources and ultimately lead to poor service delivery outcomes.”

Provision of primary health care services by local authorities without adequate financing is one of the “unfunded mandates” our local authorities have been grappling with for a long period and we therefore call upon the government to provide adequate health grants to local authorities for the purposes of improving post-natal and other health services.

We call for urgent intervention in improving the working conditions of health personnel at council clinics to ensure provision of quality post-natal health services to nursing mothers.

We bemoan that COVID 19 has been used as an excuse by some health personnel in Council clinics to turn away women in accessing maternal and post-natal services, with some nurses demanding bribes to attend to these desperate women.

We assert that quality health care services can be achieved through a devolved system of governance as provided for in Chapter 14 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

By A Correspondent- Schools have heightened preparations for reopening for the second term with fumigation of buildings and grounds currently in progress.

This comes a week after President Emmerson Mnangagwa said schools should prepare for reopening. Information minister Monica Mnangagwa also told a post-Cabinet media briefing last Tuesday that schools should begin preparations for reopening, saying parents must provide their children with personal protective equipment (PPE).

Schools remained closed for the most part of 2020 after the second wave of COVID-19 struck some learning institutions.

During the current third wave of the pandemic this year, government postponed opening of schools in winter for the second term to avoid more infections.

Government has since published Statutory Instrument (SI) 210 of 2021 stipulating that schools will be closed until August 10.

Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro yesterday expressed satisfaction with progress in fumigation of schools in preparation for their reopening.

“Yes, we are happy. The ministry has begun preparations for schools opening in all the provinces.

“Schools have embarked on construction work to increase their infrastructure in an effort to decongest existing structures and enable social and physical distancing,” Ndoro said.

“Examples of schools such as Ntuthuko Primary, Sinqobile Primary, Makulubise Primary, Mahlalufikile Primary, all in Lupane district in Matabeleland North province have already embarked on the exercise. Other schools with social and physical distancing challenges have also been encouraged to follow suit,” he said.

Ndoro said a number of donors and development partners had begun supplying PPE for the prevention and management of COVID-19 at various schools in Harare such as Mabvuku Primary, Mabvuku High, Domboramwari Primary, Chinamano Primary, among others.

“Boreholes and new water sources have also been drilled at Mwewele Primary, Mahlalufikile Primary and Kana Primary in Matabeleland North province. In Manicaland province, Tonhorai Primary (Mutare), Munyoro High, Chitova Primary schools have had their roofs repaired. Munyoro High School also embarked on the programme of reducing three-seater desks to single-seater desks to allow for physical and social distancing,” he said.

Ndoro said boreholes were drilled at schools in Mashonaland East province such as Barahwe Primary, Gadaga Secondary, Machekera Primary and Secondary schools, while efforts were underway to drill more boreholes at Magunje Primary and High schools.

He said through the School Improvement Grant (SIG), piped water infrastructure was installed at Rukariro, Mayema, Mugabe, Sowa, Chinhanga and Mashambanhaka primary schools, while installation is in progress at Kutsokodeka Primary School.

Ndoro said in Bulawayo, Vulindlela Primary School would open its doors for the first time to pupils up to Grade 4 in the Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai area to decongest Mkhithika Thebe Primary School, while there will be vacancies for all forms at Mhlophe Secondary School to decongest Luveve and Cowdray Park High schools.

In the Midlands province, he said the preparations had seen 35 applications for school registrations, adding that this would assist to decongest other schools.

“At least 217 schools have had their water sources rehabilitated and seven schools have constructed new classroom blocks to decongest existing infrastructure. In Matabeleland South province, at least 25 schools have refurbished their water and ablution facilities in a bid to do away with Blair toilets completely,” he said.

However, Almalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure said teachers were still incapacitated to return to schools.

“If government doesn’t change its attitude, schools will never be ready for opening. Teachers remain severely incapacitated and will only show up to work to log in, if they manage to. No teaching will take place when schools open. Government should urgently convene dialogue and resolve the long-standing salary crisis,” Masaraure said.

— NewsDay

By A Correspondent- The Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) has embarked on a re-branding exercise, which will see the opposition changing its flag and party regalia.

The party’s spokesperson, Velile Moyo confirmed the development and said the new party’s paraphernalia will be unveiled during the party’s first virtual political rally set to be held on August 15.

“MRP’s information department will be introducing the re-branding process which the party is currently working on. This will include unveiling MRP’s new flag, paraphernalia, banners, and how the party would look across all provinces of Mthwakazi,” said Moyo.

The spokesperson said the party will also launch its 2023 election campaign during the e-rally.

“Our president Mqondisi Moyo will also speak on the state of the party, ongoing programmes of structure building, and mobilisation. People will also see the new leadership particularly the national chairperson, secretary-general, the organising secretary, and information secretary.”

He said the e-rally will run for two hours on social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Moyo said due to the high cost of data, the party was encouraging its members to gather in small groups so as to cut costs.

“We encourage those who can gather in their small numbers across the globe to do so. Based on the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, continued lockdown and of course, the government taking advantage of this, to close down on political parties holding gatherings, the MRP has resorted to go virtual. We want to reach out to the people across the country and the international community,” added Moyo.

The MRP was informed in 2013 in a bid to create a sovereign country for Matabeleland and Midlands regions.

By A Correspondent- South Africa is set to receive another batch of Pfizer vaccines from the US on Tuesday which is part of 5.6 million doses America donated.

The donation is part of the Covax facility and the first batch of 2.8 million arrived on Saturday.

The Health Department is welcoming the vaccines, saying it boosts the security of supply.

This comes when doctors in South Africa, which accounts for more than 35 per cent of all cases recorded on the continent, are struggling with an unprecedented influx of patients.

Said Doctors’ Association chief Angelique Coetzee:

Unlike past waves, this time the hospital system is not coping.

South Africa’s average new daily infections have increased 15-fold since early April, with hospital admissions rising around 60 per cent.

South Africa says it has secured enough Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines to immunise 67 per cent of its 59 million inhabitants.

But the rollout has been hit by setbacks and only about 6.9 million people (14.8% of the population) have received a jab so far.

Seventeen civic society organisations have submitted their work plans and credentials to the office of Harare Provincial Administrator, Tafadzwa Muguti, amid threats to ban non-compliant ones. The Harare Metropolitan Province announced in a statement:

The office of the PDC Tafadzwa Muguti would like to thank the all NGOs &Trusts that have submitted their work plans & programmes. We encourage all development partners to work together with us. The following submitted their credentials on Friday 30/7/21.

1. Child Protection Society

2. Royal Business Consult Trust

3. J.F Kapnek Trust

4. HelpAge Zimbabwe

5. Mavambo Orphan Care

6. Centre for Sexual Health &HIV & AIDS Research

7. Life Empowerment Support Organisations

8. Zichre 9. AIDS Counselling Trust

10. REPSSI

11. Msasa Project

12. Voluntary Service Overseas

13. Population Services Zimbabwe

14. SOS Children’s Villages Zimbabwe

15. Christian Blind Mission

16. The China Africa Economy & Culture Exchange & Research Centre Trust

17. Zimbabwe National Organisation for Residents Trusts (ZINOART)

Harare Metropolitan Province is committed to ease of business and shall therefore support all the organisations that have complies with our request to implement their programmes & projects. Let’s work together to build an upper middle-income society.

By A Correspondent- Police have arrested a Harare businessman and seized at least 113 driving licence discs that were due to be handed to aspiring drivers who paid US$250 each to be issued with the documents without undergoing the Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID) tests.

Detectives arrested businessman Tendekai Madongorere and Julius Punungwe before seizing a number of documents which included:

• 113 fake driving licence discs and certificates of competence with names of aspiring drivers,
• five fake defensive driving certificates,
• five card printers used to produce the documents,
• 400 fake blank national identity cards,
• one fake Zimra tax clearance certificate,
• one fake deed of grant in respect of a Mufakose house,
• 29 copies of serialised birth record documents and nine copies of birth certificates.
• A fake Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) identity card in the name of Madongorere
• fake Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) identity cards bearing the names of Innocent Kayo, Edmund Mhere and Tichaona Chijwanha.
• fake Covid-19 essential staff cards,
• fake Cambridge O-Level and A-Level certificates,
• a desktop computer,
• three fake diploma certificates, and other dubious papers.

Three months ago, The Herald carried an investigative story in which fraudsters were advertising on social media that they can facilitate the issuance of driving licences within hours.

Madongorere (48) is a director of Impact Designs Private Limited which operates in Harare’s central business district while Punungwe (47) is unemployed.

Police established from interviewing the 113 people whose names appeared on the fraudulent driving licence documents that they had paid US$250 each for the discs.

The people in question, are expected to give evidence as State witnesses in the trial of the two suspects.

Detectives at Chitungwiza Police Station received information that some fraudsters were printing forged official documents selling them to people in Harare and Chitungwiza.

The police arrested Madongorere who then implicated Punungwe who was subsequently arrested.

The two are in custody, having lost two freedom bids at Chitungwiza Magistrates’ Court and the High Court.

They are now back at Chitungwiza Court with a fresh freedom bid dubbed “application for bail pending trial on changed circumstances”.

A magistrate is yet to determine the application.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Bulawayo City Council (BCC) employees have been implicated in a scandal where they allegedly demanded US$35 bribe from the Anglican Church in Luveve to repair a burst sewer line.

The issue emerged after one of the church leaders, Sibangani Dube, was demoted from the vice-chairmanship for facilitating payment of the bribe to council employees.

Dube yesterday confirmed the development to Southern Eye.

“I am a congregant at the Anglican Church in New Luveve. On July 11, a team from the BCC sewer department attended to and cleared a blocked private line at the church,” Dube said.

“The norm is that one makes a payment at the council revenue office and gets issued with a receipt. However, in this case, it was a Sunday and council offices were closed. The guys asked us to pay US$35 to clear the line. The church leaders negotiated and settled for US$20 which was given to council workers. This meant that council lost revenue.

“Council lost fuel, including wear and tear of council vehicles. Residents experiencing sewage spilling at their premises are kept waiting while council employees will be doing
their personal piece jobs using council equipment,” he said.

Dube said bribery was also affecting the church, adding that after reporting the corruption by council employees to BCC, it was unfortunate that he was removed from his church position as vice-chairman.

Two members of the Anglican Church trustees, Father Msasa and Father Madida said they were not in the office and could not comment.

Mayor Solomon Mguni said he was in a meeting, while his deputy Mlandu Ncube professed ignorance of the corruption issue.

-newsday

Schools remain closed until August 10 under the latest statutory instrument extending the
original closure for another two weeks that was gazetted at the end of last week.

SI210 of 2021 simply confirms under the public health regulations the announcement made last week that schools will remain closed until the government says otherwise.

Government has made it clear that while schools and parents must prepare for the reopening, this will only happen when the risk to children is significantly lower.

The third wave is retreating slowly, but infection rates are still at historically very high
levels.

The statutory instrument was the 31st amendment to the consolidated lockdown
regulations issued in October last year and basically just moved forward the earliest
possible legal reopening date from July 27 to August 10.

-State Media

By A Correspondent- A fresh war has erupted in Mashonaland Central province after the Zanu PF embattled chairman Kazembe Kazembe allegedly made co-options into the provincial executive structure in a bid to realign his allies.

Kazembe’s position is dangling by a thread after losing taste and favour from the high and low ranks in the party.

The recent co-options have renewed a longstanding war between him and the war veterans who are irked by Kazembe’s failure to unite the party as well as mobilise support for the party.

In a leaked chat that has been gleaned by this publication, outspoken war veteran leader Cde Samuel Parirenyatwa expressed anger over Kazembe hijacking of the cooption process on weekend saying it is reminiscent of the G40 era and against the grain and spirit of the ED regime.

Below is Parirenyatwa leaked comment against the weekend co-options.

“Morning Cdes. The issue about co-options at the Sunday PEC is not about who brought this to this and other platforms. It is more about the contents of this article and the intention of those involved. What need to answered and clarified is whether what is said is true or not. Chairman accepts that people were co-opted at the just ended PEC. If that is true, then the province is defying a party position that since the party is currently restructuring, co-options should stop.

In any event, what’s the essence of co-opting when the party has undertaken restructuring exercise. It is clear from the manner in which these co-options were done that “pane vanhu varikuronga chinhu chavo” against the will of the people and party. Our memory brings us back to the time of the G40 machinations. We now have the G40 modus operandi.

Let’s remind ourselves about what the President and first Secretary of our party said, in the interest of unity and forging ahead as a party and as a nation, “let bye-gones be bye-gones, forgive but don’t forget”. We forgave the G40s but we haven’t forgotten. Sisonge!!.

Kazembe refuited the claims that he coopted the alleged members saying it was coopted by PEC.

“Good morning. I don’t normally comment on social media but the abuse of my name is getting out of hand . There is one or two people who always choose to mislead people and abuse my name. We had PEC yesterday which was constituted properly and in accordance with the party constitution .

The suggestion to fill in gaps in the organ came from PEC members and was unanimously agreed to. The suggestion did not come from the chairman . All the cooptions were done by PEC and not the chairman . And this is constitutional.

The chairman simply chaired the meeting and the committee made all the decisions according to its constitutional mandate . This was done simply to make sure that basa remusangano rienderere mberi in view of the upcoming conference and ongoing restructuring exercise.

It was also acknowledged that elections in all organs are coming very soon but meanwhile basa rinofanira kuitwa. People who were in the meeting can confirm this that all decisions were debated and agreed upon by the meeting,” reads Kazembe’s response.

By A Correspondent- SADC ground and naval forces have arrived in Mozambique’s troubled northern province and are closing in on Islamic insurgents who have killed about 2 800 people in cold blood and displaced over 800 000 more. in the region.

Last week, Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri announced that President Mnangagwa, who is also the Commander-In-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) will be deploying instructors to Mozambique in accordance with section 213(1) (a) and subsection 213 (3) of the country’s Constitution. She said:

Zimbabwe is awaiting the signing of the Status Force Agreement after which the Zimbabwe training continent will be sent to Mozambique. Once the training team is dispatched, Parliament will be informed accordingly in terms of section 214 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

This issue is no doubt of great importance to Zimbabwe considering our proximity to and warm relations with Mozambique and is also critical to the peace, security, and stability of the entire SADC region.

Botswana has deployed 296 troops while the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is reported to have shown its presence in the Indian Ocean yesterday heading to the Cabo Delgado.

Rwanda, which is not part of SADC, has deployed more than 1 000 soldiers who have killed some 30 insurgents in joint military campaigns with Mozambique.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s SAS Makhanda which is docked in Pemba will form part of the small maritime contingent of the SADC’s intervention brigade known as the SADC Mission in Mozambique or SAMIM, South African media reported yesterday.

The first contingent of armoured vehicles from 43 SA Brigade, based north of Pretoria, was also visible as it moved through the border post of Ressano Garcia at Komatipoort at first light on Saturday.

Two of the South African Air Force’s Hercules C130 cargo aircraft have been flying regular flights between Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria and Pemba in the past two weeks transporting soldiers, equipment, ammunition, and a contingent of Special Forces.

An Air Force Cessna Caravan light aircraft arrived in Pemba last week and its crew has set up base at Pemba’s international airport.

A long convoy of armoured assault vehicles and other support trucks were also seen as it crossed the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique at Gondola.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- The deployment of soldiers in Bulawayo by the government has revived memories of the 1980s state-sponsored mass killings.

The government on Monday seconded has the military to Covid-19 vaccination centres in the second capital in what it called efforts to notch up a targeted 10 million herd immunity by end of this year.

Members of the Zimbabwe National Army are conducting the inoculation exercise in collaboration with the Bulawayo City Council that has set up 33 stationary centres and 29 mobile ones in the country’s second capital.
Bulawayo is said to be targetting 400 000 to achieve city herd immunity.

In a notice to the public Monday, Town Clerk Christopher Dube said the outreach exercise involving the army is being conducted in Cowdray Park and Emganwini suburbs.

“The City of Bulawayo in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces will be conducting a community outreach Covid-19 Vaccination Programme in Cowdray Park – Hlalani Kuhle Consortium Office and Emganwini (Food for Less Shopping Centre).
“The exercise which is part of ZDF’s Community Outreach programme will be from Tuesday, 3 August 2021 to Friday, 6 August 2021,” Dube said.
The city boss invited all residents above 18 to attend the inoculation exercise.

Last month, the government announced it was adding some police stations, army barracks and bus termini to its growing list of vaccination centres to add impetus to the inoculation exercise.
The involvement of the military in the country’s health delivery space is not the first of its kind as doctors from the military are often called to the rescue when civilian doctors go on strike within public hospitals.
The participation of the military in efforts to restore good health among civilians brings a refreshing August narrative to a country that has now been forced to look back to every 1 August, the date in 2018 in which truckloads of soldiers were deployed to gun down civilians in central Harare, ostensibly to quell post-election violence linked to disgruntled opposition sympathisers.
In Matabeleland, citizens even have sobering memories of the military which is responsible for the 1980s killing of 20 000 civilians in the region and the Midlands under what is now commonly referred to as the Gukurahundi Atrocities.

By A Correspondent- A Harare woman’s bid to obtain a $500 000 compensation through a default judgment against former Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) chief executive officer Mr Farai Bwatikona Zizhou and the organisation hit a snag after the High Court struck the matter off the roll for non-compliance with court rules.

Ms Rita Margue Mbatha now has to go back to the drawing board to rectify the defects and make a fresh application. Where a matter has been struck off the roll for failure by a party to abide by the rules of the court, the party will have 30 days within which to rectify the defect, failing which the matter will be deemed to have been abandoned.

Ms Mbatha, who was unceremoniously dismissed from employment after refusing to succumb to Mr Zizhou’s sexual advances, won her case in the Supreme Court on appeal in 2019 after she sued the former and CZI.

The CZI was given a 30-day ultimatum to pay more US$40 800 compensation plus costs to Ms Mbatha.

In the present case, Ms Mbatha had filed an additional $500,000 lawsuit against CZI and Mr Zizhou, saying the latter’s actions severely impacted on her marriage and her personal health, but both the defendants failed to defend the claim, resulting in Ms Mbatha approaching the court seeking a default judgment. When the matter was brought to court in June this year, Justice Tawanda Chitapi deferred the ruling because Ms Mbatha, a self-actor, had referred to several Supreme Court and High Court judgments, including the arbitral award.

It became necessary for the judge to check on the records alluded to and to authenticate the information supplied by Ms Mbatha. Having interrogated Mbatha’s heads of argument after authenticating the paper trail of the case, which had a long chequered history.

The judge also had to do further research on the area of delictual damages for sexual harassment since the law appeared to be largely uncharted with a dearth of diced case law. However, for all the pickles Justice Chitapi took, it turned out that he could not grant Ms Mbatha’s application for procedural shortcomings.

Ms Mbatha’s application for default judgment was predicated on the Supreme Court ruling, which was in her favour, yet she had instituted fresh proceedings against Mr Zizhou and CZI.

“The correct grounds for applying for a default judgment should have derived from the defendant’s failure to file their pleas contrary to what the Supreme Court had ordered,” said Justice Chitapi.

“It is not the default in entering appearance to defend that entitles the plaintiff to seek judgment. That being the case the application is not in order.”

In her claim, Ms Mbatha, is seeking a default judgment against Mr Zizhou and CZI for payment of $500 000 as damages for “shock, non-patrimonial damages, post traumatic disorder, pain and suffering”, saying she endured sexual harassment by her former boss, who later fired her from employment in June 2013, over a petty offence.

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By A Correspondent- Clemence Moyo, a soldier and member of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) was heavily assaulted and stabbed to death in Kadoma over a bar lady.

Reports suggest that on July 25 Moyo went to a local bar in Kadoma around 7 pm to drink beer, he saw Lydia Zhou a bar lady and proposed.

Zhou turned the soldier down and the two suspects Silas Siyamusimbe (26) and Johanese Twalidi (24) arrived and started pushing Moyo away.

They assaulted him with open hands and Siyamusimbe broke a bottle before stabbing Moyo in the neck.

Prosecutor Tafadzwa Vhore said the soldier fell down and died on the spot.

The duo vanished after the mob surrounded the dead body and were later arrested.

The assailants were dragged to Kadoma magistrates courts on Monday for allegedly killing Moyo.

Magistrate Shingirai Mutiro did not ask them to plead to a murder charge and remanded them in custody to August 13.

By A Correspondent- The government has deployed soldiers in Bulawayo’s vaccination centres in what it called efforts to notch up a targeted 10 million herd immunity by end of this year.

Members of the Zimbabwe National Army are conducting the inoculation exercise in collaboration with the Bulawayo City Council that has set up 33 stationary centres and 29 mobile ones in the country’s second capital.
Bulawayo is said to be targetting 400 000 to achieve city herd immunity.

In a notice to the public Monday, Town Clerk Christopher Dube said the outreach exercise involving the army is being conducted in Cowdray Park and Emganwini suburbs.

“The City of Bulawayo in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces will be conducting a community outreach Covid-19 Vaccination Programme in Cowdray Park – Hlalani Kuhle Consortium Office and Emganwini (Food for Less Shopping Centre).
“The exercise which is part of ZDF’s Community Outreach programme will be from Tuesday, 3 August 2021 to Friday, 6 August 2021,” Dube said.
The city boss invited all residents above 18 to attend the inoculation exercise.

By A Correspondent- The Monday announcement by the government to increase fines charged on offenders is likely to open corruption to police officers.

The government on Monday increased to a maximum of $500 000.

The latest development will open doors for corruption to the police who will now demand lesser money from offenders for their freedom.

By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance Secretary-General, Chalton Hwende, has claimed that the opposition MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa, rejected some bribes which it had been offered by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Hwende did not state when this happened. Posting on social media, Hwende said MDC Alliance leaders, however, rejected the offer. He said:
We have our own shortcomings as opposition leaders and human beings but President Morgan Tsvangirai taught us one thing: To Never Sell Out The People’s Struggle.

ED offered us millions of USD$, cars, offices, farms and gold mines in order for him to destroy the MDC Alliance but we refused. After the refusal, he has gone after every business and employment opportunity that comes our way and the system has ensured that genuine opposition leaders don’t get any employment or business.
They have made it even difficult for our party to get a lease agreement to rent a place to stay or even open a bank account. But we march on until victory!
His remarks come as President Mnangagwa last week handed over 19 brand new Isuzu cabs to principals of the Political Actors’ Dialogue, a forum initiated by Mnangagwa in 2018 for presidential candidates in the 2018 presidential election.
Some argue that the vehicles were meant to influence the politicians and will affect their objectivity.

MDC Alliance refused to join the forum arguing that nothing useful was to come out of POLAD, a platform the party said was created to legitimise Mnangagwa’s rule and endorse the disputed 2018 elections.
POLAD was formed after calls for national dialogue to put an end to economic, humanitarian and political crises that were reportedly being worsened by the deadlock between MDC Alliance and ZANU PF.
Hwende’s remarks also come amid allegations that MDC-T led by Douglas Mwonora is a ZANU PF agent mandated with neutralising and if necessary destroy the opposition.
MDC-T dismiss the allegations as lies by their rivals who want to taint the party’s image.

-Pindula

By A Correspondent- Authorities in Harare on Monday freed from Norton Covid-19 quarantine centre 13 of the 14 people who were recently deported from the UK.

The 14 had finished serving jail terms for various offences they committed in the UK.

When deporting the 14 recently, the British government through its Home Office in London said the deportees were convicted, foreign criminals.

In a tweet, the Home Office said the deportees were sentenced to a combined total of over 75 years in prison for various crimes, including rape and murder.

The British government said it wanted to keep its communities safe from criminals.

By A Correspondent- Police have arrested 38 000 people who were trying to cross the borders to neighbouring countries during the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions when the government banned intercity and cross border travelling.

In a statement Monday, the police said the number of people arrested accumulated from the 1st of July when they launched operation “No to Cross Border Crimes”.

“Police arrested 176 people for cross border-related crimes while 106 others were arrested under operation, code-named, ‘Usalama
A total of 38 000 people have been arrested, since the inception of operation ‘No to Cross Border Crimes/ Fhasi Ngamilandu Yamukanoni Yamashango/ Mhosva Pamiganhu Ngadzipere/ Amacala Kawaphele Emingceleni Eelizwe,” said the police.

By a Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson, George Charamba has opened up on Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s ill-health reports.

Chiwenga, according to media reports was last week rushed to China for his routine medical check-up as well as some meetings with officials in that country.

The reports said that someone from Chiwenga’s delegation tested positive for COVID-19 leaving nearly 400 guests inside the hotel in quarantine.

 Charamba dismissed the reports as wishful thinking. He said:

Vatanga vano paumba kwavasina kuswera. I spoke to VP Chiwenga last Saturday. Musatisembura nenhema!!!!!! [They have started speculating. I spoke to VP Chiwenga. Don’t bore us with lies.]

An anonymous source told The NewsHawks that Chiwenga was expected to return to Zimbabwe after 10 days, but now with this latest incident, his itinerary may be changed.

This is not the first time the government has dismissed reports that suggest the former military boss was critically ill.

By A Correspondent- Former Zimbabwe Agricultural Show Society spokesperson and Arts promotor, Heather Madombwe has died.

Madombwe is also known as Ms H Zim, passed on in the Netherlands of cancer.

Announcing the passing on of Madombwe on the Arts Journalists Association of Zimbabwe Facebook page, Monday, ZBC newsreader, Zanele Ndlovu who, however, did not state the date of Madombwe’s death said the arts industry had lost a passionate promotor.

” My dearest AJAZ family I come with heartbreaking news. One of our members Heather MadombweHeather had a passion for promoting Zimbabwean arts especially the use of traditional instruments such as the mbira. She succumbed to cancer during childbirth. She is survived by her husband and newly born son Theo. My deepest condolences to her family and friends. Rest in Power Ms H,” she said.

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa has described the distribution of vehicles to POLAD members as a move meant to reward those who endorsed the Zanu PF president’s stolen mandate.

Mr Mnangagwa’s political gimmicks are calculated to confuse the electorate, according to political observers.

President Chamisa wrote on his official Facebook page:
“This can never happen in a New Zimbabwe. This is an abuse of the people for political capital.

Why should Madhuku get a government funded car? What did he do and how many votes did he get? 0.00001% votes and he gets a car.”

On the future of the nation he said:
“Everything is possible. What is needed is correct leadership. Our friends in Ghana are doing their best. Zimbabwe needs new leadership and I’m the NEW.”

By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance Secretary-General, Chalton Hwende, has claimed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa (ED) offered millions of dollars, gold and other gifts to the opposition MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa, allegedly to destroy the party.

Hwende did not state when this happened. Posting on social media, Hwende said MDC Alliance leaders, however, rejected the offer. He said:
We have our own shortcomings as opposition leaders and human beings but President Morgan Tsvangirai taught us one thing: To Never Sell Out The People’s Struggle.

ED offered us millions of USD$, cars, offices, farms and gold mines in order for him to destroy the MDC Alliance but we refused. After the refusal, he has gone after every business and employment opportunity that comes our way and the system has ensured that genuine opposition leaders don’t get any employment or business.
They have made it even difficult for our party to get a lease agreement to rent a place to stay or even open a bank account. But we march on until victory!
His remarks come as President Mnangagwa last week handed over 19 brand new Isuzu cabs to principals of the Political Actors’ Dialogue, a forum initiated by Mnangagwa in 2018 for presidential candidates in the 2018 presidential election.
Some argue that the vehicles were meant to influence the politicians and will affect their objectivity.

MDC Alliance refused to join the forum arguing that nothing useful was to come out of POLAD, a platform the party said was created to legitimise Mnangagwa’s rule and endorse the disputed 2018 elections.
POLAD was formed after calls for national dialogue to put an end to economic, humanitarian and political crises that were reportedly being worsened by the deadlock between MDC Alliance and ZANU PF.
Hwende’s remarks also come amid allegations that MDC-T led by Douglas Mwonora is a ZANU PF agent mandated with neutralising and if necessary destroy the opposition.
MDC-T dismiss the allegations as lies by their rivals who want to taint the party’s image.

-Pindula

By A Correspondent- The bankrupt and repressive Zanu PF government has increased fines charged on offenders to a minimum of $500 000.

This was announced Monday by Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi.

Ziyambi said the minimum fine on minor offences will be $500.

The latest development will open doors for corruption to the police who will now demand lesser money from offenders and free them.

By A Correspondent-Political analyst and MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa’s top ally, Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya said the government-controlled opposition political parties coalition, Political Leaders Dialogue (POLAD) was a group of looters.

” POLAD is one of the greatest political scums ever witnessed in Zimbabwe since Cecil John Rhodes and his group of looters, fraudsters, mercenaries, murderers and rapists of the Pioneer Column occupied Zimbabwe in 1890″, posted Ruhanya on his Twitter handle Monday.

Mnangagwa Friday handed over 19 Isuzu D-Max vehicles to leaders of fringe political parties which participated in the 2018 presidential election.

POLAD was established by Mnangagwa in 2018 as a platform to engage with other presidential election candidates in that year’s election.

The vehicles were donated Friday exactly three years after the country held the national elections.

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe Authorities have released from quarantine 13 of the 14 people who were recently deported from the UK after finishing serving jail terms they were serving for various offences.

When deporting them recently, the British government through Home Office in London described them as convicted foreign criminals.

In a tweet, the Home Office said the deportees were sentenced to a combined total of over 75 years in prison for various crimes, including rape and murder.

The British government said it wanted to keep its communities safe from criminals.

By A Correspondent- Mashonaland Central Provincial Chairman, Kazembe Kazembe has defied his President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s directive and coopted his lieutenants into his provincial executive committee so that they would help him rig the party’s pending Provincial Coordinating Committee elections.

Last Month President Mnanangawa’s Zanu PF through its Acting National Political Commissar Patrick Chinamasa announced that no cooptions were to be made without the party’s authority.

But Kazembe last week went ahead and called for a Provincial Executive Committee meeting and coopted new members into the Provincial Executive, without notifying the party.

Kazembe is said to have unilaterally promoted one Tsine from Commisar to Vice Chairman and one Kararira to the position of a Commissar

The two co-opted members hail from Mt Darwin district. A party member who spoke on condition of anonymity said “Kazembe is trying to buy votes from Mt Darwin by heaping these posts and responsibilities on Mt Darwin. He is trying to neutralize James Makamba who is popular in the Mt Darwin district.”

He said Kazembe had failed to respect Guruve district which held the Vice Chairmanship.

” Kazembe tried to impose Shamva North MP Gorerino to the post of Vice Chairman. This move was later revoked after it failed to garner support”, said the source.

” Kazembe also imposed Mazowe DCC election loser Johnson Mudzingwa to thVice-Chairman Deputy Secretary for security. Mudzingwa was rewarded for running a social media attack on Politburo member Kenneth Musanhi through Mashonaland Central Tribune a backyard publication operated by Mudzingwa,” said the source.

By A Correspondent- Police say they have arrested 38 000 for border jumping during the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions when the government banned intercity and cross border travelling.

In a statement Monday, the police said the number of the people arrested accumulated from the 1st of July when they launched operation “No to Cross Border Crimes”.

“Police arrested 176 people for cross border-related crimes while 106 others were arrested under operation, code-named, ‘Usalama
A total of 38 000 people have been arrested, since the inception of operation ‘No to Cross Border Crimes/ Fhasi Ngamilandu Yamukanoni Yamashango/ Mhosva Pamiganhu Ngadzipere/ Amacala Kawaphele Emingceleni Eelizwe,” said the police.

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa has described the distribution of vehicles to POLAD members as a move meant to reward those who endorsed the Zanu PF president’s stolen mandate.

Mr Mnangagwa’s political gimmicks are calculated to confuse the electorate, according to political observers.

President Chamisa wrote on his official Facebook page:
“This can never happen in a New Zimbabwe. This is an abuse of the people for political capital.

Why should Madhuku get a government funded car? What did he do and how many votes did he get? 0.00001% votes and he gets a car.”

On the future of the nation he said:
“Everything is possible. What is needed is correct leadership. Our friends in Ghana are doing their best. Zimbabwe needs new leadership and I’m the NEW.”

By A Correspondent- The government has set new fines for various offences ranging from $500 up to $500 000.

The new fines were gazetted by Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and are contained in Statutory Instrument 209 of 2021. [CAP. 9:23 Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) (Standard Scale of Fines) Notice, 2021.

According to the schedule, for offences in level one, offenders will be fined $500 while the highest amount of $500 000 is for level 14 crimes.

-statemedia