By A Correspondent- Mysterious fires have razed down 15 houses Mashonaland Central’s Matapate area leaving several families in the cold.
The affected families said they were failing to trace the source of the fires.
By A Correspondent- Police are setting roadblocks at tollgates where they are demanded covid-19 certificates from citizens to pass through.
This was witnessed by travellers coming from Mutoko Monday evening, who faced some difficulties in passing the Mutoko-Harare toll gate after failing to produce covid vaccination cards to the police.
Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi, Monday afternoon, however, denied having sanctioned the police to embark on that exercise.
By A Correspondent- There’s chaos at the Mutoko road tollgate Monday evening after police officers barricaded the toll gate and demanded covid-19 certificates.
The affected travellers told ZimEye.com that the police were saying that unvaccinated people could not enter Harare.
But Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi Monday afternoon told the state media that they did not sanction such an operation.
By A Correspondent- 20 People have died in a head-on collision in Masvingo.
On its Twitter handle this evening, ZRP said the 20 died when a Toyota Granvia which was travelling from Masvingo towards Zvishavane burst a tyre, veered onto the oncoming Toyota Wish’s lane which was coming from Zvishavane.
The vehicles had a head-on collision at the 61km peg along Masvingo – Mbalabala Road near Chitowa Business Centre, just after Mhandamabwe. The accident occurred at 1545 hours.
ZRP said three injured victims were taken to Zvishavane District Hospital while the bodies have been taken to Masvingo Provincial Hospital.
By A Correspondent- The government has opened up on the controversial proposal by some lawmakers who wanted teenagers to be allowed to access contraceptives.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga told the National Assembly last week that girls under the age of 16 cannot be given contraceptives as they cannot legally consent to legal sexual activity.
He said if they required emergency contraceptive treatment this would require parental consent as would any medical treatment.
Speaking as Minister of Health and Child Care, he rejected a proposal in a report tabled by the portfolio committee on Health and Child Care that parental consent should no longer be sought when a child wanted to access medical treatment, including contraceptives.
The committee, chaired by Proportional Representative MP Dr Ruth Labode, had called for the removal of age restrictions on access to reproductive health services like the requirement of consent from a guardian for a child to receive medical treatment.
VP Chiwenga said while Zimbabwe did not have legislation specifying at what age parental consent was no longer required to receive medical treatment, the common practice was that parental consent was required to provide medical treatment to a child under 16 years.
“Since a child under the age of 16 years cannot consent to sexual intercourse in practice, it is presumed that a child under the age of 16 years does not need contraceptives.
“Emergency contraceptives would be considered a form of medical treatment and therefore, individuals aged under 16 would require parental consent to access them in practice,” said VP Chiwenga.
He also gave health implications of initiating young girls on contraceptives. “Anatomy of teenagers is not fully developed to be able to carry the pregnancy and its complications which include obstructed labour, obstetric fistulas, symphysis pubis diastasis and ultimately maternal death. Early sexual debut increases risk of these adolescents to cervical cancer, sexually transmitted infections including HIV Chlamydia and gonorrhoea which have adverse effects on future fertility. Methods of contraception are not 100 percent effective therefore these adolescents remain at a higher risk of complications in case of unwanted pregnancies.”
VP Chiwenga said entrapping the girl-child in child bearing had the effect of creating a vicious cycle of poverty.
“If age restriction for accessing reproductive healthcare services is removed, the interpretation is that, a person who can decide when to use contraceptives also has power as to decide when they can indulge in sexual activity and also as when they want to have a baby. This will be a time bomb for immorality against the diverse cultural and religious communities in Zimbabwe and a high potential of increased burden on Government’s social security nets, where high numbers of children will be having children out of wedlock,” said VP Chiwenga.
He said there was need to align the statutory criminal law with the Constitution, and align any variations in the range of laws with the Constitution, which basically sets this age at 18 years when a Zimbabwean becomes a full legal adult.
VP Chiwenga said there were numerous challenges posed by the various statutory clauses regarding age of consent as they were at variance with the Constitution which set the age of 18 years when a Zimbabwean can marry. He said age of consent to sexual activity is set at 16 years for both boys and girls who are unmarried while the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act currently provides that the age of consent to sexual activity for married couples is 12 years.
“The Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act also limited the offence of “sexual intercourse with young persons” to where the perpetrator has “extra marital sexual intercourse” with a young person. This poses challenges as it linked sexual activity with marriage, said VP Chiwenga.
On HIV testing and accessing results, VP Chiwenga said children under 16 may consent to it if they are married, pregnant or a parent, or they can demonstrate that they are mature enough to make a decision on their own.
“In addition, if a parent or care-giver cannot or will not give consent for a child under 16 years, the attending health worker can seek approval from hospital authorities or the Minister to give treatment without parental consent if it is in the best interest of the child. The requirement to “demonstrate that they are mature enough to make the decision on their own” raises challenges as the term was vague,” said VP Chiwenga.
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF has said it has embarked on a campaign that would drive away foreign investors from operating businesses in the economic sub-sectors reserved for Zimbabwean citizens.
Zanu PF secretary for Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Mike Bimha told the state media that the issue of reserved sectors was outlined in its revised Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Policy.
He said the reserved sectors should benefit and be owned by Zimbabwean citizens only and those already owned by foreigners should partner and empower locals.
The reserved sectors include, transport (passenger buses, taxis and car hire services), retailing, wholesaling, hair salons, advertising agencies, estate agencies, grain milling, bakeries, tobacco grading and packaging and artisanal mining. He also said foreign entities in reserved sectors were only allowed where firms would fund local production adding that local authorities were supposed to ensure that this aspect of policy was enforced.
“The reserved sectors are only for Zimbabwean citizens and not for foreigners. Local authorities must stop issuing licenses to foreigners,” he said.
Bimha said the economic empowerment department was supposed to establish robust systems for policing compliance.
There was need for a facility that provided funding and capacity building for citizens to increase their participation in business.
“The facility which must be supported by Government and the private sector can be in the form of a trust which is auditable, transparent and accountable. This fund will scale up the number of entrepreneurs in communities throughout the different value chains and test innovative economic empowerment approaches in order to share lessons learnt and build the evidence for effective business models. There must be pilot innovative interventions for the communities’ economic empowerment in different sectors of the economy.
“Outside the Economic Empowerment Fund, assistance will also be sought from various vehicles and financial institutions such as Empower Bank, Women’s Bank, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation (SMEDCO) and commercial banks among others. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development will give guidance in this area,” said Bimba.
A unit within the Zanu PF party and Government would oversee the implementation and evaluation of the Economic Empowerment Policy.
“Government should consider incorporating the main aspects of this policy as it amends the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act, ” he said.
By A Correspondent- 20 People have died in a head-on collision in Masvingo.
ZRP spokesperson Paul Nyathi confirmed the accident to the state media.
More to come…
By A Correspondent- Police in the city of Kings and Queens have raided a beer party and arrested 37 people for violating COVID-19 lockdown regulations.
The last week’s arrests came after police received some tip-offs from neighbours.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube told reporters that they arrested 15 patrons in Nketa and another 22 in Nkulumane for disturbing the peace of their neighbours and also violating lockdown measures.
He noted that the parties were potential super-spreaders of the virus, adding that the accused would soon appear in court.
Nkulumane, Emakhandeni, the Bulawayo central business district, and the northern suburbs were recently declared COVID-19 hotspots, prompting authorities to put them localised lockdowns.
By A Correspondent-Over 450 healthcare workers in Mashonaland East have tested positive for Covid-19 to date, translating to 16.3% of the total number of cases in the province.
According to the state media as of Sunday, Mashonaland East had recorded 3 789 cases.
However, acting provincial medical director Dr Paul Matsvimbo said the infections have not affected health centres in the province as they remain operational.
He said 129 Covid-19 Infections were reported in the province on Sunday, the highest daily count since the pandemic began. Seven of the infected persons are healthcare workers. Among the infected persons are six fully-vaccinated persons.
“Most of the health workers isolated themselves at home. But as a measure to provide the staff with critical healthcare, the newly established isolation centre has a ward for staff which is also equipped with advanced machinery and this will boost the workers’ morale,” said Dr Matsvimbo.
He emphasised the need for vigilance.
“As of Wednesday, we have seen our biggest jump, cases are increasing at an alarming rate,” said Dr Matsvimbo.
“We have record 59 positive cases which were identified from 402 samples tested today.”
Marondera has been identified as a Covid-19 hotspot in the province as it accounted for 32 of the 59 cases recorded yesterday. Cumulatively, Marondera has accounted for 1 169 cases of the provincial total of 2 795, followed by Murehwa district with 360 cases and Mutoko with 299 cases.
Goromonzi has 257 cumulative cases, Chikomba 254, Seke 179, Hwedza 114, Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe 100 and Mudzi 63.
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF has embarked on a campaign to ensure that foreign nationals do not operate businesses in the economic sub-sectors reserved for Zimbabwean citizens.
Zanu PF secretary for Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Mike Bimha told the state media that the issue of reserved sectors was outlined in its revised Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Policy.
He said the reserved sectors should benefit and be owned by Zimbabwean citizens only and those already owned by foreigners should partner and empower locals.
The reserved sectors include, transport (passenger buses, taxis and car hire services), retailing, wholesaling, hair salons, advertising agencies, estate agencies, grain milling, bakeries, tobacco grading and packaging and artisanal mining. He also said foreign entities in reserved sectors were only allowed where firms would fund local production adding that local authorities were supposed to ensure that this aspect of policy was enforced.
“The reserved sectors are only for Zimbabwean citizens and not for foreigners. Local authorities must stop issuing licenses to foreigners,” he said.
Bimha said the economic empowerment department was supposed to establish robust systems for policing compliance.
There was need for a facility that provided funding and capacity building for citizens to increase their participation in business.
“The facility which must be supported by Government and the private sector can be in the form of a trust which is auditable, transparent and accountable. This fund will scale up the number of entrepreneurs in communities throughout the different value chains and test innovative economic empowerment approaches in order to share lessons learnt and build the evidence for effective business models. There must be pilot innovative interventions for the communities’ economic empowerment in different sectors of the economy.
“Outside the Economic Empowerment Fund, assistance will also be sought from various vehicles and financial institutions such as Empower Bank, Women’s Bank, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation (SMEDCO) and commercial banks among others. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development will give guidance in this area,” said Bimba.
A unit within the Zanu PF party and Government would oversee the implementation and evaluation of the Economic Empowerment Policy.
“Government should consider incorporating the main aspects of this policy as it amends the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act, ” he said.
Tinashe Sambiri|Prominent journalist Batsiranai Ngugama, who is also a teacher at Serima High School has described the persecution he was subjected to by overzealous police officers as sad and unfortunate.
Ngugama was arrested in Gutu on Sunday after challenging police brutality. A ZRP cop based at Stephen Business Centre insulted and assaulted Misheck Tavuya, a teacher at Serima High School prompting Ngugama to challenge police barbarism.
Below is Ngugama’s full statement:
It’s true. A police officer named Mirasi assaulted Mr Misheck Tavuya over a packet of chips on Saturday during the curfew.
When Tavuya approached another officer Murimi at Steven Base, he did not take action.
Tavuya approached me on Sunday morning and told me the story. I phoned the Officer Cst Murimi asking if he had assisted Tavuya. I told him I was a journalist and just wanted to here if he was going to arrested his fellow workmate who was in company of a girlfriend during the time of incident.
Cst Murimi then threatened me not to write or take anything he said. I told him I was professional and knew protocol.
“Handingakudzingisiyi basa. Kana ndichida comment I will phone Press at Province” I said.
The officer then changed my statement and said I had said ‘ndichamudzingisa basa’.
He boasted that he had framed a lot of cases and won then in court and was going to fix me heavily.
He handcuffed me. At the station, I was exposed to a litany of abuse and assault.
They were attempts to bribe the assaulted teacher, but I feared not.
My point was why breaking curfew and assaulting and failure to arrest another police officer.
Ngugama B.
By A Correspondent | The controversial UK licensed immigration-sponsor and CEO of Lorac, a company that’s collecting thousands of dollars from struggling Zimbabwean job seekers promising them work in Britain, Caroline Nyakudya has dodged the question on the recruitment cap she has on her allocation from the British government.
On Wednesday Nyakudya went to the extent of claiming friendship with a journalist while avoiding an interview over the matter. On Saturday, she promised she would answer the question during her Monday webcast.
But the situation completely changed on Monday afternoon, when she blatantly refused to answer to any other question other than those she has handpicked. She announced that she is only engaging those who have paid her fee.
The development comes at a time when she has failed to explain discrepancies on company documentation she has been advertising, and failing to disclose her limitations. Analysts say she is unfairly milking tens of thousands from job seekers who Kay never get even past an English Test, let alone a British Visa.
Announcing on Monday, Nyakudya said:
I will pick out some questions shortly…so the rest of the team, if you can look out for any questions that might be there, from candidates, okay, so from existing candidates who are going through the process…those candidates who are going through the process, who have decided Lorac International is the model that they are going with. Those to us are our priority and those to us are the people that we really need to ensure understand the system, and understand how it runs. And understand how to contact and to communicate. So we want to make sure that when you are trying to contact us you are contacting us, A: on the correct numbers…You’re also contacting us, in terms of the correct pathways. So we are not really, we will not be responding to information that is not passed through our correct channels. That is not information that we are paying out any attention to at all; we will be responding to any information that is directed to us with regards to our official channels. And that is where we stand.
Tinashe Sambiri|Prominent journalist Batsiranai Ngugama, who is also a teacher at Serima High School has described the persecution he was subjected to by overzealous police officers as sad and unfortunate.
Ngugama was arrested in Gutu on Sunday after challenging police brutality. A ZRP cop based at Stephen Business Centre insulted and assaulted Misheck Tavuya, a teacher at Serima High School prompting Ngugama to challenge police barbarism.
Below is Ngugama’s full statement:
It’s true. A police officer named Mirasi assaulted Mr Misheck Tavuya over a packet of chips on Saturday during the curfew.
When Tavuya approached another officer Murimi at Steven Base, he did not take action.
Tavuya approached me on Sunday morning and told me the story. I phoned the Officer Cst Murimi asking if he had assisted Tavuya. I told him I was a journalist and just wanted to here if he was going to arrested his fellow workmate who was in company of a girlfriend during the time of incident.
Cst Murimi then threatened me not to write or take anything he said. I told him I was professional and knew protocol.
“Handingakudzingisiyi basa. Kana ndichida comment I will phone Press at Province” I said.
The officer then changed my statement and said I had said ‘ndichamudzingisa basa’.
He boasted that he had framed a lot of cases and won then in court and was going to fix me heavily.
He handcuffed me. At the station, I was exposed to a litany of abuse and assault.
They were attempts to bribe the assaulted teacher, but I feared not.
My point was why breaking curfew and assaulting and failure to arrest another police officer.
Ngugama B.
Zimbabwe national team coach Zdravko Logarusic has picked his captain to lead a group of fringe players at the 2021 Cosafa Cup.
Ovidy Karuru, who is the vice-captain of the first tier squad, will wear the arm band at the tournament. He was the captain when Zimbabwe last lifted the trophy in 2017.
Other senior players in the squad are Washington Arubi, Qadr Amini and Jimmy Dzingai.
The team, meanwhile, is expected to depart for South Africa today.
The tournament is expected to start on Tuesday in Nelson Mandela Bay.
So far twenty players are currently in camp afte a couple of changes in the team.
Striker Evans Rusike will no longer travel after he sustained a torn Achilles tendon during training on Sunday. Also pulling out due to injury and fitness issues are Perfect Chikwende and Godknows Murwira.
The trio joins Knox Mutizwa, Kevin Moyo and Germany-based midfielder Jonah Fabisch who were dropped from the selection earlier on.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Stand-in Bafana Bafana coach Helman Mkhalele has named the captain that will lead the squad at the 2021 COSAFA Cup.
AmaZulu goalkeeper Veli Mothwa has been named the national team captain for the tournament. He will be assisted by club teammate Siyethemba Sithebe, and Mamelodi Sundowns defender Rushine de Reuck.
The COSAFA Cup will get underway on Tuesday with Bafana Bafana taking on Botswana in their opening match before facing Eswatini on Friday, 9 July.
Meanwhile, Mkhalele is standing in for Belgian coach Hugo Broos, who will not be in charge of the team.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Argentina beat Ecuador 3-0 to reach the semifinals of the COPA America semifinals on Sunday morning.
Captain Lionel Messi scored one goal and created two others for Rodrigo De Paul and Lautaro Martinez in the victory.
They will play Colombia, who beat Uruguay on penalties earlier in the day.
In the other semifinal, Brazil beat Chile to set up a date against Peru who defeated Paraguay 4-3 on penalties after an eventful 3-3 draw that saw both sides finish with 10 men.
The games will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Copa America semifinal fixtures:
Tuesday 6 July
Brazil vs Peru (1 am CAT).
Wednesday 7 July
Argentina vs Colombia (3 am CAT.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa has implored SADC to stop the gruesome violence against unarmed civilians in Swaziland.
President Chamisa has described the violence against unarmed civilians as worrisome.
“Reports of gruesome violence against unarmed civilians by eSwatini authorities is worrisome.
The quest for democratic governance in eSwatini is legitimate and just.
SADC should urgently help to restore peace by bringing all stakeholders into dialogue. #SwaziLivesMatter,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.
MDC Alliance vice president Hon Tendai Biti also wrote:
The situation in Swaziland is out of hand.The army must go back to the barracks .
Kings Mswati has crossed huge lines. He is now a bandit in international law.He must abdicate.
@AUC_DPA
must act to save lives #EswatiniLivesMatter #eSwatini #eSwatiniProtest #EswatiniProtests
Crystal Palace have confirmed the appointment of Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira as their new manager on a three-year contract.
The 45-year-old Frenchman is replacing Roy Hodgson who departed Selhurst Park by mutual consent at the end of last season.
Speaking after his appointment, Vieira said on the club’s website: “I am really excited to have this opportunity to return to the Premier League, and manage this great football club, as we begin a new chapter together.’
“It is a project that is really appealing to me, having spoken a lot with the Chairman and Sporting Director about their ambition and plans for the whole club, including the Academy.
“The club has fantastic foundations in place after many years in the Premier League, and I hope we can make further improvements and continue to drive the club forward.”
He continued: “I am also very excited to experience the atmosphere the club’s supporters make at Selhurst Park and away from home too, and I know just how important that can be for the team.”
Vierra has previously managed OGC Nice in French Ligue 1 and New York City FC in the American MLS.
He also oversaw Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad at one point in his career.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
The World Health Organization and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria signed a cooperation and financing agreement to implement 10 strategic initiatives to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics and strengthen systems for health. This new agreement, which will cover the 2021-2023 implementation period, aims to address some of the persistent challenges that impede progress against the three diseases and protect hard-won gains from new pandemics like COVID-19.
In 2019, a total of 1.4 million people died from tuberculosis and an estimated 409,000 people died from malaria. In 2020, 690,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses.
Through the new agreement, the strategic initiatives seek to:
Expand TB preventive treatment for people living with HIV in 9 countries across Africa;
Strengthen efforts to provide differentiated HIV service delivery;
Accelerate efforts to find people with TB missed by health systems in 20 countries;
Accelerate introduction of innovation for multi-drug resistant TB treatment through regional operational research in Eastern and Central Europe;
Support 26 countries and territories to eliminate malaria by 2025;
Improve country data collection and use to develop evidence-informed policy;
Foster the rapid uptake of service delivery innovations with South to South Learning;
Improve quality of care;
Encourage rapid uptake of procurement and supply chain management innovation; and
Increase program sustainability, facilitate the transition to domestic financing and improve program efficiency.
WHO and the Global Fund have a long and successful partnership working together to scale up HIV, TB and malaria interventions and strengthen health systems in many countries. Through focused efforts and catalytic investments, this collaboration has contributed to significantly reduce the disease burdens of HIV, TB and malaria worldwide, saving millions of lives since 2002.
“The COVID-19 pandemic, more than ever, reinforces the need to strengthen our partnership to achieve our shared goals of ending the epidemics,” said Dr Mubashar Sheikh, Director, Deputy Director-General’s Office, WHO. “This agreement supports countries to develop more effective responses to the HIV, tuberculosis and malaria epidemics and build the resilient health systems they need to reach the most vulnerable.”
“Together, WHO and the Global Fund have proven to be a powerful force that builds on strong in-country support and regional presence, technical leadership and financial resources to strengthen systems for health and accelerate the end of AIDS, TB and malaria as epidemics,” said Michael Byrne, Head of Technical Advice and Partnerships at the Global Fund.
Source: World Health Organization
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Tinashe Sambiri|Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s blue-eyed boy, Kuda Tagwirei is involved in several underhand deals that are siphoning State resources at an alarming pace.
This was revealed by The Sentry, an investigative and policy team that follows the dirty money connected to African war criminals and transnational war profiteers.
See part of the The Sentry report on Tagwirei’s shadowy business deals.
Shadows and Shell Games
Uncovering an Offshore Business Empire in Zimbabwe
Set well back from the public road at the end of a long driveway lined with palm trees is an extravagant new mansion, being built by Kudakwashe Tagwirei, a Zimbabwean businessman and presidential advisor accused of corruption.
Much like this Harare residence, Tagwirei’s business empire of more than 40 companies has mostly been hidden from the public eye.
By analyzing hundreds of company documents, court filings, and communications, The Sentry’s investigation shows how Tagwirei used complex corporate structures to build and hide his wealth, potentially benefiting from preferential government treatment along the way.
Tagwirei has invested in gold, nickel, platinum, and chrome mines by hiding behind South African businesspeople and offshore structures in Mauritius and the Cayman Islands and by using lawyers and financiers who are seemingly happy to turn a blind eye to accusations of cronyism and corruption.
New documents uncovered by The Sentry also show how Tagwirei has used similar networks to hide his financial interests in Zimbabwe’s new public-private partnership mining company, Kuvimba Mining House, with Zimbabwe’s Finance Ministry reportedly collaborating to deflect public scrutiny from these arrangements.3
In 2019, Tagwirei paid millions of dollars to a Zimbabwean military-owned company so that Landela Mining Ventures, a company he controlled, could purchase 50% of Great Dyke Investments (GDI), a platinum mine worth hundreds of millions and run as a joint venture with a Russian firm. The payment raises fears about off-budget financing of Zimbabwe’s abusive and partisan military.
An examination of Tagwirei’s business track record reveals a pattern of accusations of privileged access and special treatment, some of which may warrant further investigation by regulators and law enforcement.4 On January 27, 2021, over a year after Landela Mining Ventures had bought half of the platinum mine, Zimbabwe granted GDI a five-year corporate income tax holiday and exempted its shareholders resident in Zimbabwe from resident shareholders’ taxes on GDI dividends—retroactively applied to January 1, 2020.5 6 Auditors investigating corruption red flags in a 2016 $630 million diesel generating plant contract found that the Office of the President had improperly interfered with the procurement process, ordering officials to evaluate Tagwirei’s sole bid outside the standard process.7 Other decisions worthy of further investigation include allegations of preferential access to hard currency and the appointment of Tagwirei’s oil trading company, without a tendering process, to run a $1 billion dollar agriculture project.8
In addition to alleged business dealings with the Zimbabwean military, Tagwirei appears to have the ability to contact senior civilian officials in Zimbabwe at short notice, particularly at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).
Such high-level access, together with the pattern of previous decisions, raises the possibility of state capture, when the public realm—particularly regulatory, legal, and public policy decision-making—has been influenced to benefit private interests. Senior officials at Tagwirei’s companies have denied state capture.9
The operations of Tagwirei’s network are emblematic of larger structural problems in Zimbabwe. A select group of politicians, the military, and businesspeople dominate government decision-making with little oversight or scrutiny. Key information about public finances remains shrouded in secrecy.
An environment of impunity prevails. Left unaddressed, these dynamics will likely become further entrenched
Tinashe Sambiri|Prominent journalist Batsiranai Ngugama, who is also a teacher at Serima High School has described the persecution he was subjected to by overzealous police officers as sad and unfortunate.
Ngugama was arrested in Gutu on Sunday after challenging police brutality. A ZRP cop based at Stephen Business Centre insulted and assaulted Misheck Tavuya, a teacher at Serima High School prompting Ngugama to challenge police barbarism.
Below is Ngugama’s full statement:
It’s true. A police officer named Mirasi assaulted Mr Misheck Tavuya over a packet of chips on Saturday during the curfew.
When Tavuya approached another officer Murimi at Steven Base, he did not take action.
Tavuya approached me on Sunday morning and told me the story. I phoned the Officer Cst Murimi asking if he had assisted Tavuya. I told him I was a journalist and just wanted to here if he was going to arrested his fellow workmate who was in company of a girlfriend during the time of incident.
Cst Murimi then threatened me not to write or take anything he said. I told him I was professional and knew protocol.
“Handingakudzingisiyi basa. Kana ndichida comment I will phone Press at Province” I said.
The officer then changed my statement and said I had said ‘ndichamudzingisa basa’.
He boasted that he had framed a lot of cases and won then in court and was going to fix me heavily.
He handcuffed me. At the station, I was exposed to a litany of abuse and assault.
They were attempts to bribe the assaulted teacher, but I feared not.
My point was why breaking curfew and assaulting and failure to arrest another police officer.
Ngugama B.
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Youth Assembly has released a statement in solidarity with jailed political activist Makomborero Haruzivishe.
The MDC Alliance Youth Assembly has described Makomborero Haruzivishe as a hero of the struggle for democracy.
See full statement:
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly Pays Tribute To Incarcerated Pro-democracy Hero, Haruzivishe
05-07-2021
Today, the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly pays tribute to incarcerated pro-democracy hero Makomborero Haruzivishe who was sentenced to 14 months in prison on trumped up charges of ‘resisting lawful arrest and inciting public violence.’
Running under the #MakoMonday banner, the Youth Assembly is seeking to raise awareness about the nervous conditions of young people in this country while at the same time demanding for the unconditional release of Haruzivishe.
Since usurping power through a coup in November 2017, Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime has been on a warpath with young people.
Since stealing the ballot will of young people through the barrel of the gun on 01 August 2018, Emmerson Mnangagwa has embarked on a blood letting trail against young people committing all sorts crimes against humanity.
From abductions, torture, rape, murder, displacements, arbitrary arrests to imprisonment, the regime is using all sorts of fascist tricks to silence our voices.
The targeted attack on young people as evidenced by Makomborero Haruzivishe’s unjustified imprisonment is a generational attack by an old generation who stole and diverted the liberation agenda to pursue their petty parochial interests of self enrichment at the expense of the people.
Henceforth, the persecution by prosecution of Mako is a micro of the macro. The ultimate agenda is to silence the voices of all young people in this country!
It is against this background that we must all speak up and raise awareness against the continued caging of Cde Mako through this first step,- the #MakoMonday campaign.
This an ongoing campaign where we dedicate every Monday to our hero, Mako till he is freed.
We are all Mako, Mako is us!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
The World Health Organization and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria signed a cooperation and financing agreement to implement 10 strategic initiatives to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics and strengthen systems for health. This new agreement, which will cover the 2021-2023 implementation period, aims to address some of the persistent challenges that impede progress against the three diseases and protect hard-won gains from new pandemics like COVID-19.
In 2019, a total of 1.4 million people died from tuberculosis and an estimated 409,000 people died from malaria. In 2020, 690,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses.
Through the new agreement, the strategic initiatives seek to:
Expand TB preventive treatment for people living with HIV in 9 countries across Africa;
Strengthen efforts to provide differentiated HIV service delivery;
Accelerate efforts to find people with TB missed by health systems in 20 countries;
Accelerate introduction of innovation for multi-drug resistant TB treatment through regional operational research in Eastern and Central Europe;
Support 26 countries and territories to eliminate malaria by 2025;
Improve country data collection and use to develop evidence-informed policy;
Foster the rapid uptake of service delivery innovations with South to South Learning;
Improve quality of care;
Encourage rapid uptake of procurement and supply chain management innovation; and
Increase program sustainability, facilitate the transition to domestic financing and improve program efficiency.
WHO and the Global Fund have a long and successful partnership working together to scale up HIV, TB and malaria interventions and strengthen health systems in many countries. Through focused efforts and catalytic investments, this collaboration has contributed to significantly reduce the disease burdens of HIV, TB and malaria worldwide, saving millions of lives since 2002.
“The COVID-19 pandemic, more than ever, reinforces the need to strengthen our partnership to achieve our shared goals of ending the epidemics,” said Dr Mubashar Sheikh, Director, Deputy Director-General’s Office, WHO. “This agreement supports countries to develop more effective responses to the HIV, tuberculosis and malaria epidemics and build the resilient health systems they need to reach the most vulnerable.”
“Together, WHO and the Global Fund have proven to be a powerful force that builds on strong in-country support and regional presence, technical leadership and financial resources to strengthen systems for health and accelerate the end of AIDS, TB and malaria as epidemics,” said Michael Byrne, Head of Technical Advice and Partnerships at the Global Fund.
Source: World Health Organization
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Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa has implored SADC to stop the gruesome violence against unarmed civilians in Swaziland.
President Chamisa has described the violence against unarmed civilians as worrisome.
“Reports of gruesome violence against unarmed civilians by eSwatini authorities is worrisome.
The quest for democratic governance in eSwatini is legitimate and just.
SADC should urgently help to restore peace by bringing all stakeholders into dialogue. #SwaziLivesMatter,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.
MDC Alliance vice president Hon Tendai Biti also wrote:
The situation in Swaziland is out of hand.The army must go back to the barracks .
Kings Mswati has crossed huge lines. He is now a bandit in international law.He must abdicate.
@AUC_DPA
must act to save lives #EswatiniLivesMatter #eSwatini #eSwatiniProtest #EswatiniProtests
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Youth Assembly has released a statement in solidarity with jailed political activist Makomborero Haruzivishe.
The MDC Alliance Youth Assembly has described Makomborero Haruzivishe as a hero of the struggle for democracy.
See full statement:
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly Pays Tribute To Incarcerated Pro-democracy Hero, Haruzivishe
05-07-2021
Today, the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly pays tribute to incarcerated pro-democracy hero Makomborero Haruzivishe who was sentenced to 14 months in prison on trumped up charges of ‘resisting lawful arrest and inciting public violence.’
Running under the #MakoMonday banner, the Youth Assembly is seeking to raise awareness about the nervous conditions of young people in this country while at the same time demanding for the unconditional release of Haruzivishe.
Since usurping power through a coup in November 2017, Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime has been on a warpath with young people.
Since stealing the ballot will of young people through the barrel of the gun on 01 August 2018, Emmerson Mnangagwa has embarked on a blood letting trail against young people committing all sorts crimes against humanity.
From abductions, torture, rape, murder, displacements, arbitrary arrests to imprisonment, the regime is using all sorts of fascist tricks to silence our voices.
The targeted attack on young people as evidenced by Makomborero Haruzivishe’s unjustified imprisonment is a generational attack by an old generation who stole and diverted the liberation agenda to pursue their petty parochial interests of self enrichment at the expense of the people.
Henceforth, the persecution by prosecution of Mako is a micro of the macro. The ultimate agenda is to silence the voices of all young people in this country!
It is against this background that we must all speak up and raise awareness against the continued caging of Cde Mako through this first step,- the #MakoMonday campaign.
This an ongoing campaign where we dedicate every Monday to our hero, Mako till he is freed.
We are all Mako, Mako is us!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
Tinashe Sambiri|Prominent journalist Batsiranai Ngugama, who is also a teacher at Serima High School has described the persecution he was subjected to by overzealous police officers as sad and unfortunate.
Ngugama was arrested in Gutu on Sunday after challenging police brutality. A ZRP cop based at Stephen Business Centre insulted and assaulted Misheck Tavuya, a teacher at Serima High School prompting Ngugama to challenge police barbarism.
Below is Ngugama’s full statement:
It’s true. A police officer named Mirasi assaulted Mr Misheck Tavuya over a packet of chips on Saturday during the curfew.
When Tavuya approached another officer Murimi at Steven Base, he did not take action.
Tavuya approached me on Sunday morning and told me the story. I phoned the Officer Cst Murimi asking if he had assisted Tavuya. I told him I was a journalist and just wanted to here if he was going to arrested his fellow workmate who was in company of a girlfriend during the time of incident.
Cst Murimi then threatened me not to write or take anything he said. I told him I was professional and knew protocol.
“Handingakudzingisiyi basa. Kana ndichida comment I will phone Press at Province” I said.
The officer then changed my statement and said I had said ‘ndichamudzingisa basa’.
He boasted that he had framed a lot of cases and won then in court and was going to fix me heavily.
He handcuffed me. At the station, I was exposed to a litany of abuse and assault.
They were attempts to bribe the assaulted teacher, but I feared not.
My point was why breaking curfew and assaulting and failure to arrest another police officer.
Ngugama B.
Tinashe Sambiri|Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s blue-eyed boy, Kuda Tagwirei is involved in several underhand deals that are siphoning State resources at an alarming pace.
This was revealed by The Sentry, an investigative and policy team that follows the dirty money connected to African war criminals and transnational war profiteers.
See part of the The Sentry report on Tagwirei’s shadowy business deals.
Shadows and Shell Games
Uncovering an Offshore Business Empire in Zimbabwe
Set well back from the public road at the end of a long driveway lined with palm trees is an extravagant new mansion, being built by Kudakwashe Tagwirei, a Zimbabwean businessman and presidential advisor accused of corruption.
Much like this Harare residence, Tagwirei’s business empire of more than 40 companies has mostly been hidden from the public eye.
By analyzing hundreds of company documents, court filings, and communications, The Sentry’s investigation shows how Tagwirei used complex corporate structures to build and hide his wealth, potentially benefiting from preferential government treatment along the way.
Tagwirei has invested in gold, nickel, platinum, and chrome mines by hiding behind South African businesspeople and offshore structures in Mauritius and the Cayman Islands and by using lawyers and financiers who are seemingly happy to turn a blind eye to accusations of cronyism and corruption.
New documents uncovered by The Sentry also show how Tagwirei has used similar networks to hide his financial interests in Zimbabwe’s new public-private partnership mining company, Kuvimba Mining House, with Zimbabwe’s Finance Ministry reportedly collaborating to deflect public scrutiny from these arrangements.3
In 2019, Tagwirei paid millions of dollars to a Zimbabwean military-owned company so that Landela Mining Ventures, a company he controlled, could purchase 50% of Great Dyke Investments (GDI), a platinum mine worth hundreds of millions and run as a joint venture with a Russian firm. The payment raises fears about off-budget financing of Zimbabwe’s abusive and partisan military.
An examination of Tagwirei’s business track record reveals a pattern of accusations of privileged access and special treatment, some of which may warrant further investigation by regulators and law enforcement.4 On January 27, 2021, over a year after Landela Mining Ventures had bought half of the platinum mine, Zimbabwe granted GDI a five-year corporate income tax holiday and exempted its shareholders resident in Zimbabwe from resident shareholders’ taxes on GDI dividends—retroactively applied to January 1, 2020.5 6 Auditors investigating corruption red flags in a 2016 $630 million diesel generating plant contract found that the Office of the President had improperly interfered with the procurement process, ordering officials to evaluate Tagwirei’s sole bid outside the standard process.7 Other decisions worthy of further investigation include allegations of preferential access to hard currency and the appointment of Tagwirei’s oil trading company, without a tendering process, to run a $1 billion dollar agriculture project.8
In addition to alleged business dealings with the Zimbabwean military, Tagwirei appears to have the ability to contact senior civilian officials in Zimbabwe at short notice, particularly at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).
Such high-level access, together with the pattern of previous decisions, raises the possibility of state capture, when the public realm—particularly regulatory, legal, and public policy decision-making—has been influenced to benefit private interests. Senior officials at Tagwirei’s companies have denied state capture.9
The operations of Tagwirei’s network are emblematic of larger structural problems in Zimbabwe. A select group of politicians, the military, and businesspeople dominate government decision-making with little oversight or scrutiny. Key information about public finances remains shrouded in secrecy.
An environment of impunity prevails. Left unaddressed, these dynamics will likely become further entrenched
By A Correspondent- Six armed robbers were on Saturday nabbed by the police during a shootout in Harare, which killed one of them.
Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday confirmed the incident.
The robbers were arrested after one of them, Godfrey Josi (41), was caught in Damafalls.
He then revealed the whereabouts of his accomplices identified as Richard Mutanga (40), Zvidozvashe Zuda (35), Peter Mushipe (40), Valentine Mutasa (30), the deceased Benjamin Craig Musasa (39) and Decide Rice.
Nyathi said the robbers were arrested in Chitungwiza, Stoneridge, Kuwadzana, Epworth and Glendale.
He said they were all in possession of guns and live rounds of ammunition.
“The police urge the public to continue supplying information on all robbers so that the law may take its course,” Nyathi said.
By A Correspondent- Three trapped gold panners are yet to be rescued after the tunnel they were working in collapsed in Shurugwi over a week ago.
The three panners, who were part of a 7-member group, have been trapped underground since last Sunday.
The Shurugwi District Civil Protection Unit on Friday stopped the search for the panners due to unstable ground.
Chief engineer in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development Engineer Michael Munodawafa said they have to find other means to reach the trapped miners.
He said:
The rescue operation had been going on from Sunday to Friday before they reached an unstable ground level.
It became dangerous for the rescue team to continue digging. So they are now attempting other ways or channels of reaching them.
According to Eng Munodawafa, the chances of finding the trio alive were now very slim.
He said the three entered the mine at around 7 pm last week while their four colleagues remained outside.
Said Munodawafa:
At around 4 am there was a huge sound as the ground collapsed. Entrance into the tunnel was closed and there hasn’t been any form of communication with the three since Sunday. The other four then looked for assistance.
Munodawafa also said that from January to date, 22 illegal miners have lost their lives when shafts and tunnels caved in countrywide.
By A Correspondent- Two men from Bulawayo have been arrested for allegedly robbing and killing another man.
Kholisani Nyathi (28) of Mabutweni and Nkosikhona Sibanda (24) of Lobengula West stabbed Elvis Dube with an unknown sharp object on the head and thighs a number of times and he died on the spot.
Nyathi and Sibanda were not asked to plead when they appeared before Bulawayo Magistrate Ms Linear Khumalo, charged with murder.
They were remanded in custody to 16 July.
Prosecuting, Mr Denmark Chihombe said the duo committed the murder on 22 April this year.
“On April 22 around 6PM at an open space connecting Luveve and Cowdray Park Bulawayo. Nyathi and Sibanda stabbed Dube with an unknown sharp object on the head and thighs several times and died on the spot. They then searched him and stole his cellphone and went away unnoticed,’’ he said.
The cellphone which was stolen was recovered.
A witness reported the matter, leading to the arrest of Nyathi and Sibanda. – @Boity104
-statemedia
LABOUR ECONOMISTS AND AFRIKAN DEMOCRATS (LEAD) acknowledges the noble step taken by Government to procure sanitary wear for underpriviledged girls in Zimbabwe.
In as much as we celebrate this move we need clarity on how the program will be rolled out to ensure that no under privileged girl is left behind.
We implore Government to bear in mind that this process will also require the government to be consistent in the process. Will the government be consistent with what it has started or its one of their election scam targeting public sympathy from locals as we are slowly approaching the 2023 elections.
As much as LEAD rallies behind the idea, we would like to have clarity that this programme will not come to an end or deemed unnecessary any time soon because every girls dignity is our dignity. LEAD feels that the government isn’t doing enough for the underpriviledged girls.
It does not only have to come around to donations rather the government should scrap tax on these sanitary wear and undergarments so that they are cheap and affordable to an extent that there will reduction in the demand for donations.
Furthermore they should target girls in Rural Areas and Peri Urban areas as some girls will end up being school drop outs due to menstrual unhygiene. One cannot go to school on her monthly periods without decent sanitary wear.
Failure for the girl child to attend school because they can’t access sanitary wear is tantamount to girl child abuse and we will all be responsible for wasting the girl childs future.
LEAD calls for the government to donate sanitary wear without any partisan lenses. Moreso its the government’s duty to take care of the underpriviledged.
We also encourage the government to engage the underpriviledged in societies and people living with disability in projects so as to ensure that girls will be able to afford their needs, sanitary wear in particular.
Government should also be aware that sanitary wear only will not be enough as the menstruation is accompanied with pain.
Thus they ought to donate tablets such as pain killers and paracetamol to ease the underprivileged girls pain.
#TogetherWeCanSaveTheGirlChild
Rosline Ncube
LEAD Secretary for Information and Publicity
By Patrick Guramatunhu- In the Movie “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” there is a scene where Jack Sparrow tells the young Will Turner “Stay here! And please don’t do anything stupid!” Pretty damn good advice one should give to our Dr Masimba Mavaza for his stupidity, as expressed in his articles, knows no bonds!
“The problem of judges playing to the gallery is that they will expose the law to ridicule. The situation in South Africa has pitted the judicial system against the democracy and political system,” charged Dr Mavaza.
“It is indeed a shame on the South African Constitutional Court judges for failure to understand their own supreme law. They ignored their own constitution just because they want to fix and not to help. It is a wonder that when the constitutional court set they forgot to be guided by the law and by their own constitution.”
He was commenting on the sentencing of Former President Jacob Zuma to 15 months in jail for contempt of court by SA Constitutional Court. The former president has not been cooperating with the court’s investigation into his corrupt charges and abuse of office.
Jacob Zuma was forced to step down as president in February 2014 when his own party ANC threatened to have him impeached. It is right and proper that the courts have since pursued the corruption charges against with due diligence and thus reaffirming the fundament principle that no one, not even a former state president is above the law.
One has to plough through a lot of rubbish before finally arriving at it is Mavaza’s found objectionable about the court judgement in this case.
“But in this case the constitutional judges have acted to settle scores,” he argued.
“In this case one would ask how can a Constitutional Court convict and sentence an individual to prison as a court of first instance and leave the accused person without a right to appeal? This question is the reason of all the uproar in South Africa today.”
Of course, this is just Mavaza making a mountain out of a mole hill! The Constitutional Court is the supreme court in the land and, per se, there is no other court to appealing its judgement. Mavaza and the overzealous Zuma supporters who have been holding public demonstrations and even threatening to “shut down South Africa” would not be pacified even if Zuma was allowed to appeal against the court’s judgement; it is the very idea of Zuma being held to accountable in a court of law that they find unpalatable!
“What we see in South Africa now are lessons to be learnt and a stark warning to Zimbabwe. What happens there will happen to our revolutionary stalwarts once they leave office. The judiciary is behaving as the avengers sent by the disgruntled colonialists cum Westerners. This is legal system at war with the executive,” wrote Mavaza. The title of the article was “When The Judiciary Abuses The Liberators: Revolution Under Attack The Zuma Debacle”.
Thank God South Africans have never allowed themselves to be swayed by the foolish notion revolutionary stalwarts are special and therefore above the law. The country’s democratic constitution has delivered on its promise to protect the freedoms and rights of the citizens; keeping the checks and balance between the three arms of government, the executive, judiciary and legislature; etc.; and long may this continue. The same cannot be said about Zimbabwe.
Mavaza should know Zanu PF ruling elite will never ever being brought before a court of law to account for their amassed wealth, rigging elections, staging military coups, Gukurahundi massacre, etc., etc. At least, not in any of Zimbabwe’s courts as the judiciary, like all the other state institutions in the country are Zanu PF departments in all but name. High Court Justice George Chiweshe ruled the 2017 military coup was “legal, justified and constitutional”; just to underline how utterly useless and “capture” the courts are.
The root cause of Zimbabwe economic meltdown and political paralysis is the 41 years of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and rank lawlessness earning the country the Banana Republic and pariah state status. The country is in economic ruins, 49% of the population now live in abject poverty, basic services such as education and health care have collapsed, etc. The economic and social situation is simple unbearable and the demand for meaningful change, for a competent and accountable government, is now political reality that Zanu PF cannot ignore.
Change is coming and the day Zanu PF’s ruling elite will be brought before the court of law to account for their past is nigh upon us. Like it or not Zanu PF’s ruling elite will be asked to account for their past.
“Judiciary abuse liberator, Zuma; stark warning for Zanu PF!” A warning indeed, for ultimately, no one is above the law, not even in lawless Zimbabwe! The suggestion that liberation war heroes are above the law is foolish and the reason why Zimbabwe is in a mess!
By A Correspondent- A suspected robber’s luck ran out after he fell off a getaway vehicle leading to his arrest.
He was arrested during a high speed chase with the police after a robbery at an Econet booster, a Harare court heard on Wednesday.
Tawanda Chinderera, 23, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi who remanded him in custody to tomorrow for bail consideration.
Allegations are that on June 29 and at Girls’ High School, Chinderera and his accomplices hatched a plan to steal diesel from an Econet booster located inside the school.
They reportedly scaled over the wall and entered the premises and went straight to the booster where they met Moses Mazvombe, a security guard who was on guard at the booster and produced an unknown weapon to him.
They held him in captivity while they drained diesel from the booster tank and as they were loading their loot in their car, police on patrol arrived and they chased the robbers and during the high-speed chase, Chinderera fell from the speeding car leading to his arrest.
The diesel was recovered at the scene and the other accomplices were not apprehended.
Lancelot Mutsokoti appeared for the State.
-statemedia
By A Correspondent- Covid-19 cases have risen to 54 474 in Zimbabwe with reports that 19 people succumbed to the pandemic in the last 24 hours.
Statics from the Ministry of health and Child Care show that as of yesterday, the seven-day rolling average for new cases had risen to 1 147 from 1092.
“As at 04 July 2021, Zimbabwe had 54 474 confirmed cases, including 40 239 recoveries and 1 878 deaths. To date, a total of 793 077 people has been vaccinated against Covid-19,” said the Ministry.
“The 809 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours bring active cases to 12 357 and of those 292 are hospitalized in different health institutions in the country. In term of vaccination update, 1 176 people received their 1st dose today bringing cumulative for 1st dose to 793 077 while 447 people received their 2nd dose bringing cumulative for 2nd dose to 568 133.”
The Ministry said the national recovery rate stands at 74 percent.
-statemedia
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF supporters in Manicaland have blasted Esau Mupfumi linking him to G40 cabal that does not want to see President Emmerson Mnangagwa prosper.
In leaked WhatsApp chats seen by a local publication, the supporters said Mupfumi is part of those who did not want Mnangagwa to be president including ex-Manicaland provincial Minister Mandiitawepi Chimene.
“Mupfumi is part of those vaisada kuti ED apinde.I know ane vanhu vanomusapota but kumuisa pachigaro futi you are simply denying ED’s effort of transforming Zimbabwe,” wrote one supporter.
Some accused Mupfumi of abusing the police to threaten supporters for his political mileage.
“Be prepared he is in conjunction nepolice you maybe victimised ndobasa rake kutyisa vana vemusangano,”reads another message.
“Ukaona munhu anotyisa vana veZanu of, haadi kuti Zanu pf ihwine,” added another supporter.
“G40 typical,” seconded another supporter.
Efforts to contact Mupfumi were fruitless.
Meanwhile, factionalism in Manicaland is brewing with the party’s provincial chairperson Mike Madiro and the national party’s chairperson Oppah Muchinguri’s camps fighting for control of the province.
Today, the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly pays tribute to incarcerated pro-democracy hero Makomborero Haruzivishe who was sentenced to 14 months in prison on trumped up charges of ‘resisting lawful arrest and inciting public violence.’
Running under the #MakoMonday banner, the Youth Assembly is seeking to raise awareness about the nervous conditions of young people in this country while at the same time demanding for the unconditional release of Haruzivishe.
Since usurping power through a coup in November 2017, Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime has been on a warpath with young people.
Since stealing the ballot will of young people through the barrel of the gun on 01 August 2018, Emmerson Mnangagwa has embarked on a blood letting trail against young people committing all sorts crimes against humanity.
From abductions, torture, rape, murder, displacements, arbitrary arrests to imprisonment, the regime is using all sorts of fascist tricks to silence our voices.
The targeted attack on young people as evidenced by Makomborero Haruzivishe’s unjustified imprisonment is a generational attack by an old generation who stole and diverted the liberation agenda to pursue their petty parochial interests of self enrichment at the expense of the people.
Henceforth, the persecution by prosecution of Mako is a micro of the macro. The ultimate agenda is to silence the voices of all young people in this country!
It is against this background that we must all speak up and raise awareness against the continued caging of Cde Mako through this first step,- the #MakoMonday campaign.
This an ongoing campaign where we dedicate every Monday to our hero, Mako till he is freed.
We are all Mako, Mako is us!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
By A Correspondent- The ruling ZANU PF party has moved to ensure that foreign nationals are barred from operating businesses in the economic sub-sectors reserved for Zimbabwean citizens.
ZANU PF secretary for Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Mike Bimha said that the issue of reserved sectors was outlined in its revised Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Policy.
He said the reserved sectors should benefit and be owned by Zimbabwean citizens only and those already owned by foreigners should partner and empower locals.
Said Bimha:
The reserved sectors are only for Zimbabwean citizens and not for foreigners. Local authorities must stop issuing licenses to foreigners.
The reserved sectors include transport (passenger buses, taxis and car hire services), retailing, wholesaling, hair salons, advertising agencies, estate agencies, grain milling, bakeries, tobacco grading and packaging and artisanal mining.
Bimha also said foreign-owned businesses in reserved sectors were only allowed where firms would fund local production.
Local authorities were supposed to ensure that this aspect of the policy was enforced, Bimha asserted.
-statemedia
By A Correspondent- An organisation representing Chinese businesses operating in Zimbabwe, the Chamber of Enterprises in Zimbabwe (CCEZ), has condemned what it calls unfounded claims and falsehoods against the Chinese government and its people by locals.
In a statement, CCEZ said its members adhere to the laws and regulations of Zimbabwe and also respect the Zimbabwean people.
This comes after the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) last month publicised images and details exposing appaling working conditions at a Norton-based ceramic tiles manufacturer, Sunny Yi Feng.
ZCTU said the workers at the Chinese-owned factory were poorly paid and live in overcrowded accommodation and were exposed to chemicals that cause serious respiratory complications among abuses.
But CEEZ said the accusations are from people with a hidden agenda whose mission is to sour the excellent relationship between China and Zimbabwe.
We publish the statement by the Chamber of Enterprises in Zimbabwe in full below:
The CCEZ is committed to facilitating social and economic cooperation between Zimbabwe and China.
Our member companies’ conduct and policies are premised on the principles of respect for Human Rights, Justice, and Equality for all our employees.
We operate according to the Laws and Regulations of Zimbabwe and with full respect for the Zimbabwean people.
The various projects undertaken by our member companies that contribute to the Development of Zimbabwe speak for themselves.
We strongly condemn the baseless claims and falsehoods against the Chinese government and its people.
Attacks with hidden agendas will not affect our resolve to foster a good relationship between our two beautiful countries.
By A Correspondent- 40% to 50% of learners in Matabeleland North Province that are supposed to sit for the 2021 Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) examinations are failing to register, it has emerged.
Matabeleland North provincial education director Jabulani Mpofu told Southern Eye that there had been very low registration turnout by learners in the province for the November “O” Level examinations, even as the deadline was drawing nearer.
Said Mpofu:
In Matabeleland North, only 40% to 50% of students have managed to register, which is way too low compared to the total number of students that are expected to actually sit for the examination.
The deadline for registration is July 9. There is nothing that we can do to help those who can’t afford to pay for their exam registration because it’s something that needs to be looked at by the government.
The government recently increased examination fees for both “O” and “A” levels to $5 194 for seven “O” level subjects and $3 240 for three “A” subjects and the fees are beyond the reach of the majority of villagers.
In 2020, more than 15 000 examination candidates failed to register, and the situation is expected to be worse this year.
Meanwhile, last week, teachers’ unions urged Treasury to release $2,9 billion and allocate it towards ZIMSEC examination fees saying that parents could not afford the new charges due to the effects of COVID-19.
-Newsday
By A Correspondent- Girls under the age of 16 cannot be given contraceptives as they cannot legally consent to sexual activity, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga told that National Assembly last week.
Speaking as Minister of Health and Child Care he rejected a proposal in a report tabled by the portfolio committee on Health and Child Care that parental consent should no longer be sought when a child wanted to access medical treatment including contraceptives.
The committee, chaired by Proportional Representative MP Dr Ruth Labode, had called for the removal of age restrictions on access to reproductive health services like the requirement of consent from a guardian for a child to receive medical treatment.
VP Chiwenga said while Zimbabwe did not have legislation specifying at what age parental consent was no longer required to receive medical treatment, the common practice was that parental consent was required to provide medical treatment to a child under 16 years.
“Since a child under the age of 16 years cannot consent to sexual intercourse in practice, it is presumed that a child under the age of 16 years does not need contraceptives. Emergency contraceptives would be considered a form of medical treatment and therefore, individuals aged under 16 would require parental consent to access them in practice,” said VP Chiwenga.
He also gave health implications of initiating young girls on contraceptives.
“Anatomy of teenagers is not fully developed to be able to carry the pregnancy and its complications which include obstructed labour, obstetric fistulas, symphysis pubis diastasis and ultimately maternal death. Early sexual debut increases risk of these adolescents to cervical cancer, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhoea which have adverse effects on future fertility. Methods of contraception are not 100 percent effective therefore these adolescents remain at a higher risk of complications in case of unwanted pregnancies.”
VP Chiwenga said entrapping the girl-child in child bearing had the effect of creating a vicious cycle of poverty.
“If age restriction for accessing reproductive healthcare services is removed, the interpretation is that, a person who can decide when to use contraceptives also has power as to decide when they can indulge in sexual activity and also as to when they want to have a baby. This will be a time bomb for immorality against the diverse cultural and religious communities in Zimbabwe and a high potential of increased burden on Government’s social security nets where high numbers of children will be having children out of wedlock,” said VP Chiwenga.
He said there was need to align the statutory criminal law with the Constitution, and align any variations in the range of laws with the Constitution, which basically sets this age at 18 years when a Zimbabwean becomes a full legal adult.
VP Chiwenga said there were numerous challenges posed by the various statutory clauses regarding age of consent as they were at variance with the Constitution which set the age of 18 years when a Zimbabwean can marry.
He said age of consent to sexual activity is set at 16 years for both boys and girls who are unmarried while the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act provides that the age of consent to sexual activity for married couples is 18 years.
On HIV testing and accessing results, VP Chiwenga said children under 16 may consent to it if they are married, pregnant or a parent, or they can demonstrate that they are mature enough to make a decision on their own.
“In addition, if a parent or care-giver cannot or will not give consent for a child under 16 years, the attending health worker can seek approval from hospital authorities or the Minister to give treatment without parental consent if it is in the best interest of the child. The requirement to “demonstrate that they are mature enough to make the decision on their own” raises challenges as the term was vague,” said VP Chiwenga.-
statemedia
By A Correspondent- Police in Mutare have arrested three suspects in connection with the murder of a popular local disc jockey, Blessing Manhado (21) who was stabbed 15 times to death last week on Saturday night
The suspects, who move around with machetes and knives, are thought to be behind the robberies near Beta Shopping Centre, including Manhando’s murder case.
Three of the suspects were arrested on Tuesday on a different case in which they allegedly robbed a person around the same area and stabbed him using broken bottles and knives.
Washinton Farai (21) of Area 16, Brighton Munyebvu (18) of Area 13 and Takana Siziba (22) of Home Ownership, all in Dangamvura, are expected to appear in court soon on robbery charges. Although detectives said the robbery was executed in similar fashion around the area in which the disc jockey was brutally murdered, the trio is denying any involvement in Manhando’s case.
“They have confessed to committing the robbery, but are denying taking part in the murder of the DJ. Information at hand suggests that their accomplice who cannot be named for now as this will compromise investigations disappeared soon after the murder case.
“This fugitive suspect was staying with a commercial sex worker in Area 12 which is near Beta Shopping Centre and reports are that on the night the DJ was murdered, he came home with blood stained clothes. We are interviewing all witnesses in order to get to the bottom of these allegations,” said a detective who is privy to the investigations.
The detective said the fugitive chief suspect is also wanted by the police in connection with a murder case that happened in Odzi in which he allegedly stabbed another illegal gold panner.
He is also said to have committed a litany of robberies in Chiadzwa, Marange.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxson Chananda could not shed more light on the ongoing investigations.
“We cannot reveal to the public the investigations that are being done as this will jeopardise the whole process. What I can tell you is that the long arm of the law will soon catch up with the perpetrators,” he said.
Inspector Chananda said during the early hours of June 27, an informant, Dereck Baradza, arrived at Beta Shopping Centre intending to light his cigarette as he was on his way to work.
“There were other people at the shopping centre. While there, a passerby advised them that someone was laying along a footpath between Beta Shopping Centre and Nyamauru High School.
“Baradza and other people went to the said place and discovered the late Manhando. His clothes were soaked in blood. A report was made at ZRP Dangamvura,” said Inspector Chananda.
Police detectives who attended the scene established that the late DJ had one deep cut on the neck, one on the right buttock, one on the left side collarbone, one on the right thigh just above knee level, six on the back between his shoulders, three on the right limb, one on the left limb and one on his forehead.
The owner of Dhunza Nite Club at Boka Shopping Centre revealed that he spent the day with the now-deceased at his workplace.
He said every day after work, he would drop the DJ at his residence.
However, on June 26 at around 8pm, Manhando opted to be dropped at Beta Shopping Centre.
He said he would later proceed home on his own.
Manhando was buried on Tuesday afternoon at Dangamvura Cemetery.-
-Manica Post
PRESS STATEMENT.
04 JULY 2021
SUBJECT; PRESIDENT MNANGAGWA’S ZANU PF REGIME DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE WELFARE OF THE ALREADY SUFFERING ZIMBABWEAN CITIZENS,NEVER VOTE FOR HIS PARTY AGAIN’ JAPA JAPA SAYS!!!!!
MDCA National Executive and National Council Member,Civic Society Leader, Soccer Adminstrator, Evangelist and Teacher of GOD,s Word Paddington Japa Japa has condemned President Mnangagwa,s Zanu Pf regime for neglecting the Country,s Citizens,only requiring their vote come Election time.The regime does not care about the Physiological needs of its citizens, who have been suffering and struggling ever since attainment of Independence in 1980.Japa Japa said that millions of Zimbabweans are wallowing in abject Poverty whilst the regime leadership has always been swimming in Gravy train of ill-gotten wealth.
It is there for everyone to see that this evil regime does not care about the welfare of its poor citizens, who Struggle to make a decent living on a daily basis.Mnangagwa is seen on a daily Nation wide Campaign which is disguised as follow up to completion of Government projects,yet we all know that its 2023 Election Campaign, under the cover of Covid 19 restrictions and regulations.The first lady Madam Auxillia Mnangagwa has also been on a Nation wide Grassroot Cultural Promotion Campaign, as a way of strengthening Social Societal fabric,yet we know that it is a disguised Campaign for a Zanu Pf Victory come 2023 Elections.
As MDCA we are very alert to these Shenanigans emanating from our antagonist,nothing good can come from this evil Regime.The Regime is using the Cover of Covid 19 regulations and restrictions to deny our Party equal opportunities to Campaign and strategise, in the same way they are doing.The first lady Madam Auxillia Mnangagwa has covered the length and breath of the country with her Nhanga and Gota Grassroot Cultural Campaign, at the same time dishing out thousands of hampers with basic commodities like Mealie Meal, Coocking Oil,Soaps,Salt,Sugar,Rice etc.We are well aware that the blitz by the first lady is not only meant to promote and strengthen culture and social fabric,but it is actually a Campaign for Zanu Pf for the 2023 Elections.Alternatively President Mnangagwa is on a daily country wide blitz conducting stage managed official opening ceremonies for companies that have already been in existence, cutting ribbons for small projects like small fish ponds,patching up roads,repair of small bridges etc, it is all in the name of Campaigning for Zanu Pf for the 2023 Election.The Ministry of Health under Vice President Rtd General CGN Chiwenga is using the Covid 19 restrictions as a weapon to contain MDCA Political Party Activities, whilst allowing Zanu Pf to do whatever they want to do.MDCA Members are being prohibited and disrupted from gathering even for funerals, yet the same is not applying for Zanu Pf. Recently MDCA Deputy Organising Secretary for youth, Netsai Marowa Father,s funeral was disrupted by the ZRP and Netsai was arrested for trespassing at the Zimbabwe International Airport.
There is an English idiom that says what is good for the Geese must be the same for the Gander,but in Zimbabwean Politics, it is do as we order you to do as Government and not as we do ourselves at Zanu Pf.Whilst everyone appreciates the World Health Organisation Covid 19 regulations and restrictions, to contain the Spread of the deadly Covid 19 Diesease,at the same time agreeing with some of the Ministry of Health,s handling and containment measures of the Contagious and infectious virus,we do not totally agree with weaponisation of the disease as a way to disadvantage others for Political gain by Zanu Pf.Three weeks ago Zanu Pf leadership in Masvingo Organised a Campaign Meeting in the City Centre that was addressed by Christopher Mutsvangwa and Resident Minister Chadzamira, and more than 100 people attended in violation of Covid 19 regulations which stipulates that social gatherings are prohibited except for 30 people at funerals.
Coming to the issue of the welfare of Zimbabweans by the ruling Party as Government, the regime has dismally failed to take care of the needs of millions of Zimbabweans,who are living below the Poverty datumn line and many in Squalid conditions.There is no clean portable water for urban citizens,Hospitals have got no drugs for treating the sick,Schools have got no learning materials at all.Learning has become very expensive,no sufficient energy and power to run industries, and for domestic use, everything is in critical shortage.Zimbabweans are surviving on hand to mouth,the country has become the poorest in the world, with the smallest Gross Domestic Annual Product,yet the Country owns 65 of the World,s most Precious Metals and Minerals.ZUPCO a poorly perfoming State owned Enterprise, suddenly increased its fares three weeks ago from Z$60 to Z$80 for the Kombis,and Z$30 to Z$60 for the 76 seater buses yet fuel prices have not changed.These increases are not justified at all considering that fuel prices have not increased and Salaries for the working class remain the same.The Ministry of Transport and infrustructure Development has concurred to this unjustified transport fare increase, yet the majority are already Suffering due to the harsh Economic environment.Last month the motor mouth Finance Minister Mtuli Ncube, who suffers from delusions of Granduer,and Continously peddling falsehoods that the Zimbabwean Economy is the fastest growing in the SADC Region and that his budget is recording surpluses, yet the Country,s GDP is lower than that of smaller poor countries like Malawi,Lesotho, Swaziland,Eritrea etc is a shame.Minister Ncube announced two moths ago that duty on rice has been removed yet the retail price of the commodity remain the same in retail Shops.Many retail shops have queitly increased the price of bread from Z$80 to $100 but surprisingly the Finance Minister is quoted on ZBCTV News saying, the economy is the fastest growing in the region.
Zimbabweans have got the best opportunity to vote out of power this ever lying none perfoming regime, from power come 2023 Election.This regime which is worse than the Smith Regime is well known for unfulfilled Empty Promises, Corruption, Brutality,Rigging of Elections, Unwarranted arrests of Opposition Political Activists,illegal detentions, imprisonment of innocent MDCA Political Activists for no Crimes Committed, Judicial Capture, etc.It is now time to say enough is enough ED Pfee and your Cabal, its time to say good bye through the 2023 Plebiscite.
THE AUTHOR OF THIS ARTICLE PADDINGTON JAPA JAPA IS MDCA NEC/NC MEMBER,CIVIC SOCIETY LEADER,SOCCER ADMINSTRATOR, POLITICAL ACTIVIST,EVANGELIST AND TEACHER OF GOD’S WORD,HOLDER OF A BSC HONS PSYCHOLOGY DEGREE.??????????????????
By A Correspondent- The police said they have arrested 10 000 people in the past three days for contravening the enhanced Level Four national lockdown regulations introduced last week to curb the rising tide of Covid-19 infections.
Figures obtained from the Zimbabwe Republic Police show that 10 252 people were arrested in the three days to July 1 countrywide.
The data shows that police are arresting an average of 3 000 people daily for offences ranging from failure to observe social distancing, wearing face masks, and participating in unsanctioned gatherings among others.
National Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi told The Sunday Mail yesterday that police will arrest those who contravene the regulations.
“We urge Zimbabweans to follow the lockdown measures and wear their masks properly, if they don’t, we are going to arrest them,” he said.
“For those who are opening beer halls and nightclubs, we are not going to show any mercy to them.
“Like for instance, last night police officers on patrol in the Harare CBD arrested scores of people who were drinking at beer halls and nightclubs.
“People must follow and respect the curfew.
“Lately, we have been having problems with people who are giving us unnecessary excuses. For example, some say they are coming from work at around 10pm.
“We will not listen to such petty excuses but we will understand if they are providing essential services or transporting commercial cargo.”
Last week, President Mnangagwa announced enhanced national lockdown measures that include a ban on all public gatherings and inter-city travel, a stricter 6.30pm to 6am night curfew and reduced operating hours for businesses.
By A Correspondent- A Chimanimani woman who forced her grandchild to breastfeed a snake in a suspected case of witchcraft was found guilty of the offense and ordered to pay a fine of three cattle.
Dalice Dzemura recently appeared before Chief Saurombe as her granddaughter, Portia Dzemura, accused her of witchcraft.
In a rather bizarre development, an elderly woman from Chimanimani is alleged to have been forcing her granddaughter to breastfeed a snake.
The matter only came to light after Portia Dzemura, who is in her 20s approached Chief Saurombe’s courts revealing that she was being forced by her grandmother Gogo Dalice Dzemura to breastfeed a snake that appears and disappears.
She revealed that milk oozes out of her breasts every time the snake is about to breastfeed.
Gogo Dzemura confessed to practising witchcraft, causing misfortunes in the village and forcing her grandchild to breastfeed a snake when she was summoned to appear before Chief Saurombe to answer to witchcraft allegations.
She, however, did not reveal why she was forcing Portia to breastfeed the snake.
Portia’s mother revealed that due to circumstances that she has been subjected to her child is a troubled woman as society now views her as an outcast.
She said: It is a strange and sad development. We have heard of witchcraft cases before, but this one is extraordinary. We hope that this matter will be put to rest so that my daughter can be freed from this bondage.
She is a young woman who looks forward to getting married and having a family of her own. Most men are now shunning her because of this. Those who were close to her are now distancing themselves from her.
The traditional court found Gogo Dzemura guilty and ordered her to pay a fine of three goats on Sunday last week, Manica Post reports.
Chief Saurombe has since directed three traditional healers and exorcists to conduct cleansing ceremonies for both Gogo Dzemura and Portia.
In an almost similar incident reported by iHarare, a Chimanimani woman sent tongues wagging after she was spotted at her friend’s house breastfeeding a giant snake.
Gogo Nenohwe was spotted by a 12-year-old girl as she breastfed the snake while uttering names of fellow villagers whom she wanted her pet to deal with.
Chief Mutambara referred the two women to consult a white garment prophetess, Madzimai Loice Mukono.
Madzimai Mukono then revealed that a snake that resides at Gogo Sithole’s homestead is used by the ladies for witchcraft.
By A Correspondent- Dangamvura residents are struggling to come to terms with the brutal murder of a local disc jockey who was stabbed 15 times by suspected robbers last week on Saturday night in unclear circumstances.
As investigations into the murder of Blessing Manhando (21) widen, with witnesses and informers supplying homicide detectives with leads, indications are that the youthful entertainer could have been attacked by suspected illegal gold panners who recently settled in the suburb a few months ago.
The suspects, who move around with machetes and knives, are thought to be behind the robberies near Beta Shopping Centre, including Manhando’s murder case.
Three of the suspects were arrested on Tuesday on a different case in which they allegedly robbed a person around the same area and stabbed him using broken bottles and knives.
Washinton Farai (21) of Area 16, Brighton Munyebvu (18) of Area 13 and Takana Siziba (22) of Home Ownership, all in Dangamvura, are expected to appear in court soon on robbery charges. Although detectives said the robbery was executed in similar fashion around the area in which the disc jockey was brutally murdered, the trio is denying any involvement in Manhando’s case.
“They have confessed to committing the robbery, but are denying taking part in the murder of the DJ. Information at hand suggests that their accomplice who cannot be named for now as this will compromise investigations disappeared soon after the murder case.
“This fugitive suspect was staying with a commercial sex worker in Area 12 which is near Beta Shopping Centre and reports are that on the night the DJ was murdered, he came home with blood stained clothes. We are interviewing all witnesses in order to get to the bottom of these allegations,” said a detective who is privy to the investigations.
The detective said the fugitive chief suspect is also wanted by the police in connection with a murder case that happened in Odzi in which he allegedly stabbed another illegal gold panner.
He is also said to have committed a litany of robberies in Chiadzwa, Marange.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxson Chananda could not shed more light on the ongoing investigations.
“We cannot reveal to the public the investigations that are being done as this will jeopardise the whole process. What I can tell you is that the long arm of the law will soon catch up with the perpetrators,” he said.
Inspector Chananda said during the early hours of June 27, an informant, Dereck Baradza, arrived at Beta Shopping Centre intending to light his cigarette as he was on his way to work.
“There were other people at the shopping centre. While there, a passerby advised them that someone was laying along a footpath between Beta Shopping Centre and Nyamauru High School.
“Baradza and other people went to the said place and discovered the late Manhando. His clothes were soaked in blood. A report was made at ZRP Dangamvura,” said Inspector Chananda.
Police detectives who attended the scene established that the late DJ had one deep cut on the neck, one on the right buttock, one on the left side collarbone, one on the right thigh just above knee level, six on the back between his shoulders, three on the right limb, one on the left limb and one on his forehead.
The owner of Dhunza Nite Club at Boka Shopping Centre revealed that he spent the day with the now-deceased at his workplace.
He said every day after work, he would drop the DJ at his residence.
However, on June 26 at around 8pm, Manhando opted to be dropped at Beta Shopping Centre.
He said he would later proceed home on his own.
Manhando was buried on Tuesday afternoon at Dangamvura Cemetery.-
-Manica Post
By Dr Masimba Mavaza | When I was a prosecutor in the 1990’s in Zimbabwe we had some prosecutors and lawyers who would come into court and make submissions which will be aimed at the people sitting in the gallery. They were very entertaining. We had a lawyer the late George Chikumbirike he would start his submissions by making the gallery excited and making sure once in a while the gallery is thrown into a laughter. The problem of playing to the gallery was that the gallery does not make the decisions. But if the decisions are against George the gallery will blame the judge. Playing to the gallery is to do things that one thinks will be popular among many people instead of doing what one thinks is right a governor who refuses to play to the gallery In other words it is to behave in a way intended to make people admire or support you: Politicians these days are more interested in playing to the gallery than exercising real influence on world events. So this time it was the judges who have become Attention-seeking, distracting and showing off outfits.
The problem of judges playing to the gallery is that they will expose the law to ridicule. The situation in South Africa has pitted the judicial system against the democracy and political system.
What we see in South Africa now are lessons to be learnt and a stark warning to Zimbabwe. What happens there will happen to our revolutionary stalwarts once they leave office. The judiciary is behaving as the avengers sent by the disgruntled colonialists cum Westerners. This is legal system at war with the executive.
It is indeed a shame on the South African Constitutional Court judges for failure to understand their own supreme law. They ignored their own constitution just because they want to fix and not to help. It is a wonder that when the constitutional court set they forgot to be guided by the law and by their own constitution.
The South African Constitution especially section 35 subsection 3 gives the pertinent guidelines.
Section 35(3) “The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.”
The 1993 Constitution for the first time in South African history accorded constitutional recognition to constitutional law and emphasis on fairness. The South African law post apartheid was crafted to embrace due process. This brought to an end the debate on the status of fairness in South African domestic law. This step was a symbolic break from the apartheid legal system, which was closely associated with the violation of individual rights and indicated to the international community that South Africa was willing to abide by the rule of law and accepted rules. More important, however, for South African lawyers are the fundamental changes the constitutional regulation of justice system and law introduced into South African law.
But in a fit of political change the Full bench of the Constitutional Court embarrassed the profession of Law by failing to interpret SECTIONS, 35 (3) (f), 35 (3) h, 35 (3) (1),35 (3) 0, 7(2), 9(1), 9(2) of the South African Constitution. Their schoolboy errors has given Zuma a chance to freedom and buoyed the Zumarists to act in defence of ZUMA. Laws exist to protect people and there’s often a “spirit” behind the “letter” of the law.
Often, people are in violation of the letter, but not the spirit (the reason the law exists).
When people don’t enforce the “letter” of the law, people tend to obey common sense and self-correct. Just human decency and kindness to make sure everyone was ok to get on with it. So the decency of the MKZ veterans was to cause a turmoil and confusion in the application of law.
A closer look at miscarriages of justice, however, reveals that such errors are not aberrations but deeply revealing, common features of our legal system.
The constitutional court ruling was not not a random mistake but an organic outcome of a misshaped larger system that is rife with faulty eyewitness identifications, false confessions, biased judges, judicial activists and racial discrimination. The court has defied the Constructive relationships between the three arms of government—the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The ruling has removed are the importance to the effective maintenance of the constitution and the rule of law. In recent years, the character of these relationships has changed significantly, both because of changes in governance and because of wider societal change.
The behaviour of the constitutional court
demonstrates that there are still disagreements and uncertainties about the relationships between the three arms of government.
Moreover, the news media played an increasingly important role in reporting and commenting on the judiciary, and—as in other contexts—there has been a decline in the culture of deference. Individual judges and the judiciary as a whole are seen as “fair game” by columnists and headline writers in the tabloid press. Broadsheet journalists also chart closely the intrigues of discussions and disagreements between the senior judiciary and executive. But in this case the constitutional judges have acted to settle scores.
The conflict between the executive and judiciary is a long time back existing since the Constitution came into force. The political establishment of function sharing between both wings is depicted in the Constitution. The thrust of power acquiring sometimes creates tensions when the executive starts assuming the power of the judiciary then the government becomes autocratic. The executive is that wing of the government which makes policies and implements it. The judiciary has been bestowed with the power to check such actions. The separation of power exists between all the wings of the Government which is exercised by the method of Check and Balance. So the courts should not in anyway engage in political issues as to please one section.
So in this case one would ask how can a Constitutional Court Convict and sentence an individual to prison as a court of first instance and leave the accused person without a right to appeal? This question is the reason of all the uproar in South Africa today. The South African Constitution derives its powers from. Section 2 of South Africa Constitution which reads “Supremacy of Constitution 2. This Constitution is the supreme law of the Republic; law or conduct inconsistent with it is invalid, and the obligations imposed by it must be fulfilled.”
We must therefore remember that doctrine of Supremacy of the constitution is based on consistency with existing provisions of the constitution and the courts enforce the law along the constitutional guidance.
So any conduct that is inconsistent with the constitution is invalid no matter who does it. Often people miss the value on Supremacy of the constitution. The constitution is obeyed on the round. The law works in an inter connected way meaning breaking part of stops the currency to flow. The very breaching of one part the whole constitution is breached then the whole process which led to the breach of that provision is invalid no matter who does it, in this case no matter it is the constitutional court.
The constitutional court did the unthinkable it became seized with emotions yet the court is incapable to work on emotions. There is no doubt that President Jacob Zumba refused to appear before a Commission of inquiry. This angered the judges of the constitutional court who ruled on emotions and not on law. They become blinded by their personal feelings and were set to punish and show Zuma one thing or two. That was the most fatal mistake they made. The court must never have emotions.
The Commission of inquiry approached the Constitutional Court with an application to order Zuma to appear before the commission of inquiry. This was an error which the constitutional court was supposed to correct by referring them back to a proper court. The case was improperly before the courts hence it was supposed to be struck off. So the ruling of the constitutional court was made on a sand foundation which taints the whole process.
The bench forgot to read the Constitution of South Africa in section 167 which states that “Constitutional Court 167. (1) The Constitutional Court consists of the Chief Justice of South Africa, the Deputy Chief Justice and nine other judges. [Sub-s. (1) substituted by s. 11 of the Constitution Sixth Amendment Act of 2001.] (2) A matter before the Constitutional Court must be heard by at least eight judges. (3)The Constitutional Court— (a) is the highest court of the Republic; and (b) may decide— (i) constitutional matters; and (ii) any other matter, if the Constitutional Court grants leave to appeal on the grounds that the matter raises an arguable point of law of general public importance which ought to be considered by that Court, and (c) makes the final decision whether a matter is within its jurisdiction. [Sub-s (3) substituted by s. 3 of the Constitution Seventeenth Amendment Act of 2012.] (4) Only the Constitutional Court may— (a) decide disputes between organs of state in the national or provincial sphere concerning the constitutional status, powers or functions of any of those organs of state; (b)decide on the constitutionality of any parliamentary or provincial Bill, but may do so only in the circumstances anticipated in section 79 or 121; (c) decide applications envisaged in section 80 or 122; (d) decide on the constitutionality of any amendment to the Constitution; (e) decide that Parliament or the President has failed to fulfil a constitutional obligation; or (f) certify a provincial constitution in terms of section 144. (5) The Constitutional Court makes the final decision whether an Act of Parliament, a provincial Act or conduct of the President is constitutional, and must confirm any order of invalidity made by the Supreme Court of Appeal, the High Court of South Africa, or a court of similar status, before that order has any force. [Sub-s (5) substituted by s. 3 of the Constitution Seventeenth Amendment Act of 2012.] (6) National legislation or the rules of the Constitutional Court must allow a person, when it is in the interests of justice and with leave of the Constitutional Court—(a) to bring a matter directly to the Constitutional Court; or (b) to appeal directly to the Constitutional Court from any other court. (7)A constitutional matter includes any issue involving the interpretation, protection or enforcement of the Constitution. “ the construction is the heartbeat of the law. It must be followed to in letter and spirit. No where in this provision does it give the Constitutional Court the jurisdiction to try and convict an accused person as court of first and final instance without giving opportunity to appeal. This is the miscarriage of Justice at its most.
One wonders how the highest court in the land presided and manned by the greatest jurists in the land failed to realise that contempt of court is a common law offence that is criminal in nature and not a constitutional matter, neither was this case an appeal. It was simply a glory searching adventure by the Constitutional court judges. A move which backfires big time. Section 167 makes it very clear that Constitutional court cannot hear a matter of contempt of Court and convict a person as the court of first and final court for following reasons.
Zuma’s constitutional rights were breached by the custodians of the very law. Section 35(3)(c) provides that Every accused person has a right to a fair trial, which includes the right— (c) to a public trial before an ordinary court. While Zuma could have refused to appear before a Commission of inquiry and the Commission sought the Constitutional Court to order him to appear before the Commission, which he refused, is an accusation which should have been taken to a appropriate court and follow due process.
The moment someone accuse Zuma of contempt of Court, which is criminal, the court should have been automatically blinded to his social status. Zuma deserved a fair hearing despite his status.
It is automatic. The moment you accuse someone of a criminal offence it is the duty of the law enforcers to follow the due process.
Section 35(3) (e) gives right to any accused person to be present when being tried. This is a fundamental right. If Zuma was refusing to appear before a Commission or a Court, the first application was a warrant of arrest. He appears before a court which then indict him to where ever he must stand before trial. The system should have ordered for his arrest and bring before a public court of law. The Judges should get evidence from his own mouth as to why he could not comply with the order. This is so because he was now an accused and not a mere witness to Commission of inquiry. Section 35(3) (f) . An accused has a right to choose, and be represented by, a legal practitioner, and to be informed of this right promptly. While Zuma could have had lawyers representing him on all the civil application relating to his non appearance before a commission of inquiry or not complying with Constitutional Court order, the moment he was accused of contempt of court, it was the duty of a court to inform him directly that he had a right to be represented by a legal practitioner of his choice in relation to the Contempt of Court Charges. This right cannot be assumed by court that who so ever is appearing before the court as his lawyer can answer the contempt of court charges on behalf of the accused. Section 35(3) (h) gives right to any accused person to be presumed innocent, to remain silent, and not to testify during the proceedings. The moment the court found out that Zuma was in default of a court order he became an accused and not a convict. It was not his duty to convict himself of contempt of court. Those who accused him of contempt of court should have followed the procedures that lead to a trial and at all cost assumed him to be innocent.
Section 35(3) (i) every accused person has right to adduce and challenge evidence. Evidence presented in your absence cannot be adduced for one to be challenged. The Learned judges should have known that any accused, that includes Zuma, has a right be present in his trial for purpose of adducing evidence against him. What ever was given to court in his absence remain allegation. It has to be presented before the accused and be given opportunity to hear or see it in a public court being presented in court.
(vi) More importantly to the jurisdiction of Constitutional Court, is the fact that every accused has an inherent right in terms of section 35(3) (o) to appeal to, or review by, a higher court. No doubt that the Constitutional Court is the highest Court. A person cannot appeal anywhere else or have the decision reviewed by someone else. This should have been known from onset by the Judges that “every accused person, without exception, has an inherent right to appeal. More particular to the fact that they sentenced him in absentia, it was clear that the accused could want to challenge such decision. This right remains intact and has to be accorded to him as it is accorded to any other person.After raising the fundamental rights of any accused person as mention in the constitution,
(i) Section 7(2) of South African Constitution demands that the state must respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights in the Bill of Rights. This include respecting, protecting and promoting Jacob Zuma’s right to be tried in a public Court, be present during trial, assumed innocent until proven guilty, apply for lesser sentence in mitigation and right to appeal or review of a decision taken by a court. These rights cannot be violated only on Zuma.
The bill of rights binds everyone including the Constitutional Court in terms of section 8(1). The Constitutional Court, despite being the Highest Court, it has an obligation to protect and promote the rights of every accused, including Zuma.
If section 35(3) protects the rights of “every accused person” then section 9(1) stipulates that every person accused of contempt of court, no matter which court, is given the same treatment as in section 35(3), more particular to the right to appeal.
Section 9(2) stresses that equality includes the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedom. It is clear, crystal clear that some of the rights of Zuma as an accused person were violated. When section 9(2) uses the words “full and equal enjoyment of right” it puts across a point that full cannot leave some and still remain full or equal cannot exclude Jacob Zuma.
Reading from section 36 on limitations of rights it states that “Limitation of rights 36. (1)The rights in the Bill of Rights may be limited only in terms of law of general application to the extent that the limitation is reasonable and justifiable in an open and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom, taking into account all relevant factors, including— (a) the nature of the right; (b) the importance of the purpose of the limitation; (c) the nature and extent of the limitation; (d) the relation between the limitation and its purpose; and (e) less restrictive means to achieve the purpose. Except as provided in subsection (1) or in any other provision of the Constitution, no law may limit any right entrenched in the Bill of Right”. The Constitutional Court cannot give itself power to limit the accused’s person’s right.
The whole concept of supremacy of the constitution is in section 2. “Any conduct that is inconsistent with existing provisions of constitution is invalid to the extend of its in consistency.
No doubt the constitutional court violated enshrined bill of rights given to every accused without exception. There is no doubt the Constitutional court’s sentence imposed is custodial sentence which in turn affect other rights and freedoms. The Court could not impose a sentence without option to appeal or review.
The conduct is therefore against the very law they purport to protect. If Zuma wishes he could approach the constitutional court challenging the constitutionality of the sitting which convicted him.
This could be or must be an urgent application which should have an effect of suspending the order which has been reached and tainted with illegality. Zuma’s legal team should apply that the judgement, conviction and sentence be declared unconstitutional and invalid.
That the Judges who heard the case and failed to uphold his right recuse themselves. This reminds us of the crisis created in Zimbabwe by the judicial activists.
The constitutional court betrayed the proper scope of the judicial power within the constitution. Judicial overreach increasingly threatens the rule of law and effective, democratic government. South Africa must work to address this problem – restoring balance to the constitution – by articulating the good sense of separating judicial and political authority.
South Africa as a whole now struggles to understand and correct the undue rise in judicial power by restating, for modern times and in relation to modern problems, the nature and limits of the judicial power within our tradition and the related scope of sound legislative and executive authority.
The judicial power has a central, strategic place in any well-ordered constitutional arrangement: no state is well-governed without an independent judiciary, exercising legal and constitutional authority to adjudicate disputes, including disputes between citizens and officials, fairly and in accordance with settled positive law. Our constitutional tradition has long recognised this truth, making provision since the collapse of apartheid.
The ZUMA judgement has seen a departure from the rule of law or a failure to recognise the importance of human rights.
But the good sense of this separation of powers is now increasingly doubted, after the constitutional court’s ruling. Many in the legal profession now share an expansive, adventurous understanding of judicial power and the willingness and authority of the courts to oversee Political day to day runnings lawmaking actions or to engage into factional wars.- [email protected].
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police said they will not listen to any excuses from people they would have met after 6 PM.
National Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi announced this to The Sunday Mail.
“We urge Zimbabweans to follow the lockdown measures and wear their masks properly, if they don’t, we are going to arrest them,” he said.
“For those who are opening beer halls and nightclubs, we are not going to show any mercy to them.
“Like for instance, last night police officers on patrol in the Harare CBD arrested scores of people who were drinking at beer halls and nightclubs.
“People must follow and respect the curfew.
“Lately, we have been having problems with people who are giving us unnecessary excuses. For example, some say they are coming from work at around 10pm.
“We will not listen to such petty excuses but we will understand if they are providing essential services or transporting commercial cargo.”
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Presidential spokesperson, Dr Nkululeko Sibanda says the beleaguered former ruling party Zanu PF’s support base is shrinking with each passing day.
Dr Sibanda told Change Radio Zanu PF would not win the 2023 polls because of its rigidity and inability to resolve the deepening political crisis.
“Youths must lead the way as citizens coverge for change. Zanu PF cannot expand its political space.
The military industrial complex is in charge of the country and we are determined to fight for victory,” said Dr Sibanda.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Presidential spokesperson, Dr Nkululeko Sibanda says the beleaguered former ruling party Zanu PF’s support base is shrinking with each passing day.
Dr Sibanda told Change Radio Zanu PF would not win the 2023 polls because of its rigidity and inability to resolve the deepening political crisis.
“Youths must lead the way as citizens coverge for change. Zanu PF cannot expand its political space.
The military industrial complex is in charge of the country and we are determined to fight for victory,” said Dr Sibanda.
Tinashe Sambiri|Overzealous police officers assaulted and arrested two Serima High School teachers in Gutu District on Saturday.
According to sources in Gutu, Misheck Tavuya a teacher at Serima High School was at Stephen Business Centre intending to purchase some items for his family.
While at Stephen Business Centre, he had a misunderstanding with a police officer who insulted him and proceeded to assault him.
“The police officer approached Tavuya and hurled insults at him.He then severely assaulted him.”
Tavuya’s colleague, Batsiranai Ngugama, who is also a freelance journalist then asked the police officer why he had assulted his workmate and the cop threatened him.
On Sunday morning, the cops assaulted and arrested Ngungama for challenging their actions.
“This is a clear case of abuse of office. I confronted the cops over abuse of authority and their superior threatened to deal with me.
They are now taking me to Chatsworth Police Station but I am not afraid of speaking the truth,” said Ngugama.
Tinashe Sambiri|Overzealous police officers assaulted and arrested two Serima High School teachers in Gutu District on Saturday.
According to sources in Gutu, Misheck Tavuya a teacher at Serima High School was at Stephen Business Centre intending to purchase some items for his family.
While at Stephen Business Centre, he had a misunderstanding with a police officer who insulted him and proceeded to assault him.
“The police officer approached Tavuya and hurled insults at him.He then severely assaulted him.”
Tavuya’s colleague, Batsiranai Ngugama, who is also a freelance journalist then asked the police officer why he had assulted his workmate and the cop threatened him.
On Sunday morning, the cops assaulted and arrested Ngungama for challenging their actions.
“This is a clear case of abuse of office. I confronted the cops over abuse of authority and their superior threatened to deal with me.
They are now taking me to Chatsworth Police Station but I am not afraid of speaking the truth,” said Ngugama.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has announced saying under 18s should be denied contraceptives.
Chiwenga went against UN advice saying parents should be involved in any access procedure.
A recent UNICEF paper states in part:
As the new Marriages Bill is adopted, this is a time for society to face this issue and the sometimes uncomfortable truths about the sexual activity of adolescents. We must discuss whether or not prohibiting it by law is the most effective way to protect them.
We must also involve them in decision making and policy processes to hear their views and ensure they participate in the creation of policies that affect them. Many of us would agree that ultimately, our responsibility as parents and as society, is to arm our adolescents with information that empowers them to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies, STIs and sexual violence.
This is particularly true in light of the multiple challenges the country is currently facing.
Adolescents under the age of 18 should also be allowed to access sexual and reproductive health services and contraceptives without the consent of their parents or guardians..
But VP Chiwenga said parental consent is required to provide medical treatment to a child under 16 years. He said:
“Since a child under the age of 16 years cannot consent to sexual intercourse in practice, it is presumed that a child under the age of 16 years does not need contraceptives.
“Emergency contraceptives would be considered a form of medical treatment and therefore, individuals aged under 16 would require parental consent to access them in practice,” he added.
Chiwenga continued saying entrapping the girl-child in child bearing has the effect of creating a vicious cycle of poverty.
“If age restriction for accessing reproductive healthcare services is removed, the interpretation is that, a person who can decide when to use contraceptives also has power as to decide when they can indulge in sexual activity and also as when they want to have a baby. This will be a time bomb for immorality against the diverse cultural and religious communities in Zimbabwe and a high potential of increased burden on Government’s social security nets, where high numbers of children will be having children out of wedlock,” said VP Chiwenga – Herald/ Agencies
MORE than 10 000 people have been arrested for contravening the enhanced Level Four national lockdown regulations introduced last week to curb the rising tide of Covid-19 infections.
Figures obtained from the Zimbabwe Republic Police show that 10 252 people were arrested in the three days to July 1 countrywide.
The data shows that police are arresting an average of 3 000 people daily for offences ranging from failure to observe social distancing, wearing face masks, and participating in unsanctioned gatherings among others.
National Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi told The Sunday Mail yesterday that police will arrest those who contravene the regulations.
“We urge Zimbabweans to follow the lockdown measures and wear their masks properly, if they don’t, we are going to arrest them,” he said.
“For those who are opening beer halls and nightclubs, we are not going to show any mercy to them.
“Like for instance, last night police officers on patrol in the Harare CBD arrested scores of people who were drinking at beer halls and nightclubs.
“People must follow and respect the curfew.
“Lately, we have been having problems with people who are giving us unnecessary excuses. For example, some say they are coming from work at around 10pm.
“We will not listen to such petty excuses but we will understand if they are providing essential services or transporting commercial cargo.”- The Sunday Mail
England and Denmark become the final teams to book their place in the semi-finals of the Euro 2020.
The Three Lions advanced to the final four after beating Ukraine 4-0 while Denmark edged Czech Republic 2-1 on Saturday.
The two teams will clash against each other in the round.
In the other semifinal clash, Spain set up a date against Italy after beating Switzerland in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw.
The Azzurri, on the other hand, beat Belgium 2-1.
Both semi-final clashes will take place at Wembley Stadium in London on Tuesday – Wednesday.
Semifinal Fixtures:
Tuesday 6 July
Italy vs Spain (9 pm CAT at Wembley Stadium, London)
Wednesday 7 July
England vs Denmark (9 pm CAT at Wembley Stadium, London)- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
BULAWAYO hospitals are experiencing a shortage of space in wards designated for Covid-19 as positive cases continue to soar in the city with Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital — a designated isolation centre, having patients sharing oxygen points.
According to a weekly Covid-19 update for the city, as of Friday, Thorngrove had 34 patients admitted to the hospital’s isolation wing against a bed capacity of 28. In an interview with Sunday News, the City Health Director, Dr Edwin Sibanda said the situation meant patients now had to share oxygen points, which he said was not ideal.
He said the situation could be worse in the coming few days as United Bulawayo Hospital’s (UBH) Old Bartley Memorial was also fast filling up.
“Thorngrove has filled up because from a designated capacity of 28 beds we have 34 patients admitted, which has seen us now having patients sharing oxygen points, which in itself is far from being ideal. We are, however, making do with what we have as we noted that not all the patients can be on oxygen at the same time, therefore they can easily share. What is worrying is that UBH is also filling up, which if it happens will surely point to a crisis,” said Dr Sibanda.
According to the figures, UBH which has a designated capacity for Covid-19 patients of 42, had 40 patients on Friday. At UBH there are nine severe cases, with four patients in the Intensive Care Unit, according to Dr Sibanda.
Mpilo Central Hospital, with a bed capacity for Covid-19 patients of 32 has already admitted 14 patients, meaning they can only take in a further 18. At Elangeni Isolation Centre which takes in those who do not need hospitalisation, there are 34 patients admitted, with a bed capacity of 70, while at the Roman Catholic-owned Mater Dei hospital, with a bed capacity of 35, just nine people are admitted, although the private facility charges way above what the majority can afford.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care as of Friday the city had a number of suburbs classified as Covid-19 hotspots, with 819 active cases and six deaths recorded on that day. The city also had 39 new cases. Acting chief executive officer of Mpilo Central Hospital Professor Solwayo Ngwenya said they were receiving patients in large numbers although they were not a designated Covid-19 centre.
“At Mpilo we had a ward where we were housing persons under investigation for Covid-19 and we had no patients generally. Then we started having four to five patients but this week suddenly the numbers shot up to 20 patients in that ward. These are no longer patients under investigation.
As we speak, we have got these infected people and we cannot take them to UBH or Thorngrove Hospital because those centres are saying they are full and cannot take any Covid-19 patients,” he said in an interview on Friday.
Prof Ngwenya said Mpilo was slowly becoming a Covid-19 centre but resources were bound to run out.- The Sunday News
Former Dynamos left back Simon ‘Tangwena’ Sachiti has died.
He was 75.
Sachiti passed away in Harare Saturday morning after a short illness.
Sachiti rose to prominence in the formative years of Dynamos where he played as a left back and was one of the 1972 Soccer Star of the year finalists.
He was among the five Dynamos players that graced the Soccer Stars calendar in 1972 alongside George ‘Mastermind’ Shaya, Daniel ‘Dhidhidhi’ Ncube, Shaw ‘ Kojak’ Hadriade and Enerst ‘ Nyamuzihwa’ Kamba.
After retiring, Sachiti went into adminstration becoming one of the longest serving committee members at Dynamos. His last portfolio was the secretary general’s post in 2011 before he was booted out.
His death follows that of former Dynamos captain Mischeck Chidzambwa and another legend David ‘Yogi’ Mandigora who passed away in the last month.
MORE than 10 000 people have been arrested for contravening the enhanced Level Four national lockdown regulations introduced last week to curb the rising tide of Covid-19 infections.
Figures obtained from the Zimbabwe Republic Police show that 10 252 people were arrested in the three days to July 1 countrywide.
The data shows that police are arresting an average of 3 000 people daily for offences ranging from failure to observe social distancing, wearing face masks, and participating in unsanctioned gatherings among others.
National Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi told The Sunday Mail yesterday that police will arrest those who contravene the regulations.
“We urge Zimbabweans to follow the lockdown measures and wear their masks properly, if they don’t, we are going to arrest them,” he said.
“For those who are opening beer halls and nightclubs, we are not going to show any mercy to them.
“Like for instance, last night police officers on patrol in the Harare CBD arrested scores of people who were drinking at beer halls and nightclubs.
“People must follow and respect the curfew.
“Lately, we have been having problems with people who are giving us unnecessary excuses. For example, some say they are coming from work at around 10pm.
“We will not listen to such petty excuses but we will understand if they are providing essential services or transporting commercial cargo.”- The Sunday Mail
Zimbabwean international boxer, Charles Manyuchi has beaten Mohammed Sebyala of Ugandan nationality to retain the WABA and WBF belts.
Manyuchi won by a unanimous decision in a contest organised and promoted by the Charles Manyuchi Boxing Academy (CMBA).
He retained WABA World Supreme and World Professional Boxing Federation titles after claiminga 3-0 win with all the three judges going for the Zimbabwean on 116-110 and an identical 117-109.
The tournament was initially scheduled for March last year but failed to take place because of the coronavirus pandemic.
His latest attempt to defend the titles had also been thrown in turmoil a fortnight ago after the government omitted boxing from the list of sports codes that had been allowed to resume.
Manyuchi was set to be stripped off of the two belts if he had not contested.
Manyuchi, a former WBC silver welterweight champion, has also been preparing hard for this fight since last year and said he would retire from the sport if he lost.
The Masvingo-born returned to the ring for the first time since flooring Argentinian Diego Diaz Gallardo in Harare two years ago to land the WBF belt.
The 30-year-old has been trying hard to work his way back to the top since losing his WBC silver welterweight championship title in March 2017.
Beating Sebyala is part of the plan and his next port of call will be in the United Arab Emirates in August.
No fans were allowed at the venue of the fight.- Pindula News
“Judiciary abuse liberator, Zuma; stark warning for Zanu PF” – indeed, for no one is above the law!
By Patrick Guramatunhu | In the Movie “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” there is a scene where Jack Sparrow tells the young Will Turner “Stay here! And please don’t do anything stupid!” Pretty damn good advice one should give to our Dr Masimba Mavaza for his stupidity, as expressed in his articles, knows no bonds!
“The problem of judges playing to the gallery is that they will expose the law to ridicule. The situation in South Africa has pitted the judicial system against the democracy and political system,” charged Dr Mavaza.
“It is indeed a shame on the South African Constitutional Court judges for failure to understand their own supreme law. They ignored their own constitution just because they want to fix and not to help. It is a wonder that when the constitutional court set they forgot to be guided by the law and by their own constitution.”
He was commenting on the sentencing of Former President Jacob Zuma to 15 months in jail for contempt of court by SA Constitutional Court. The former president has not been cooperating with the court’s investigation into his corrupt charges and abuse of office.
Jacob Zuma was forced to step down as president in February 2014 when his own party ANC threatened to have him impeached. It is right and proper that the courts have since pursued the corruption charges against with due diligence and thus reaffirming the fundament principle that no one, not even a former state president is above the law.
One has to plough through a lot of rubbish before finally arriving at it is Mavaza’s found objectionable about the court judgement in this case.
“But in this case the constitutional judges have acted to settle scores,” he argued.
“In this case one would ask how can a Constitutional Court convict and sentence an individual to prison as a court of first instance and leave the accused person without a right to appeal? This question is the reason of all the uproar in South Africa today.”
Of course, this is just Mavaza making a mountain out of a mole hill! The Constitutional Court is the supreme court in the land and, per se, there is no other court to appealing its judgement. Mavaza and the overzealous Zuma supporters who have been holding public demonstrations and even threatening to “shut down South Africa” would not be pacified even if Zuma was allowed to appeal against the court’s judgement; it is the very idea of Zuma being held to accountable in a court of law that they find unpalatable!
“What we see in South Africa now are lessons to be learnt and a stark warning to Zimbabwe. What happens there will happen to our revolutionary stalwarts once they leave office. The judiciary is behaving as the avengers sent by the disgruntled colonialists cum Westerners. This is legal system at war with the executive,” wrote Mavaza. The title of the article was “When The Judiciary Abuses The Liberators: Revolution Under Attack The Zuma Debacle”.
Thank God South Africans have never allowed themselves to be swayed by the foolish notion revolutionary stalwarts are special and therefore above the law. The country’s democratic constitution has delivered on its promise to protect the freedoms and rights of the citizens; keeping the checks and balance between the three arms of government, the executive, judiciary and legislature; etc.; and long may this continue. The same cannot be said about Zimbabwe.
Mavaza should know Zanu PF ruling elite will never ever being brought before a court of law to account for their amassed wealth, rigging elections, staging military coups, Gukurahundi massacre, etc., etc. At least, not in any of Zimbabwe’s courts as the judiciary, like all the other state institutions in the country are Zanu PF departments in all but name. High Court Justice George Chiweshe ruled the 2017 military coup was “legal, justified and constitutional”; just to underline how utterly useless and “capture” the courts are.
The root cause of Zimbabwe economic meltdown and political paralysis is the 41 years of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and rank lawlessness earning the country the Banana Republic and pariah state status. The country is in economic ruins, 49% of the population now live in abject poverty, basic services such as education and health care have collapsed, etc. The economic and social situation is simple unbearable and the demand for meaningful change, for a competent and accountable government, is now political reality that Zanu PF cannot ignore.
Change is coming and the day Zanu PF’s ruling elite will be brought before the court of law to account for their past is nigh upon us. Like it or not Zanu PF’s ruling elite will be asked to account for their past.
“Judiciary abuse liberator, Zuma; stark warning for Zanu PF!” A warning indeed, for ultimately, no one is above the law, not even in lawless Zimbabwe! The suggestion that liberation war heroes are above the law is foolish and the reason why Zimbabwe is in a mess! – SOURCE: zimbabwelight.blogspot.com
Germany-based midfielder Jonah Fabisch is no longer be part of the Warriors squad for the COSAFA Cup.
Fabisch has failed to travel for the tournament due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 19-year old was supposed to meet up with the rest of the squad in South Africa, but his club, Hamburger SV II, feared he could be affected by the third wave of the outbreak that has swept across the host country.
The midfielder is the son of the late Reinhard Fabisch and is yet to feature for the Warriors. He qualifies to play for Zimbabwe through his mother, Chawada Kachidza-Fabisch.
Other players who have withdrawn from the squad are Knox Mutizwa and Kevin Moyo.
Mutizwa withdrew from the squad to attend to some family issues while Moyo pulled out due to an injury.
Coach Zdravko Logarusic has now made one addition to the team, Ben Musaka of Harare City, and will now travel to South Africa with twenty-three men.
The team is set to depart on Monday.
The Warriors are in Group C and will start their campaign on the 8th against Mozambique at the Isaac Wolfson Stadium. They will face Namibia three days later in their second match before wrapping it up with a game against Senegal on the 14th.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
England and Denmark become the final teams to book their place in the semi-finals of the Euro 2020.
The Three Lions advanced to the final four after beating Ukraine 4-0 while Denmark edged Czech Republic 2-1 on Saturday.
The two teams will clash against each other in the round.
In the other semifinal clash, Spain set up a date against Italy after beating Switzerland in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw.
The Azzurri, on the other hand, beat Belgium 2-1.
Both semi-final clashes will take place at Wembley Stadium in London on Tuesday – Wednesday.
Semifinal Fixtures:
Tuesday 6 July
Italy vs Spain (9 pm CAT at Wembley Stadium, London)
Wednesday 7 July
England vs Denmark (9 pm CAT at Wembley Stadium, London)- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Presidential spokesperson, Dr Nkululeko Sibanda says the beleaguered former ruling party Zanu PF’s support base is shrinking with each passing day.
Dr Sibanda told Change Radio Zanu PF would not win the 2023 polls because of its rigidity and inability to resolve the deepening political crisis.
“Youths must lead the way as citizens coverge for change. Zanu PF cannot expand its political space.
The military industrial complex is in charge of the country and we are determined to fight for victory,” said Dr Sibanda.
Tinashe Sambiri|Overzealous police officers assaulted and arrested two Serima High School teachers in Gutu District on Saturday.
According to sources in Gutu, Misheck Tavuya a teacher at Serima High School was at Stephen Business Centre intending to purchase some items for his family.
While at Stephen Business Centre, he had a misunderstanding with a police officer who insulted him and proceeded to assault him.
“The police officer approached Tavuya and hurled insults at him.He then severely assaulted him.”
Tavuya’s colleague, Batsiranai Ngugama, who is also a freelance journalist then asked the police officer why he had assulted his workmate and the cop threatened him.
On Sunday morning, the cops assaulted and arrested Ngungama for challenging their actions.
“This is a clear case of abuse of office. I confronted the cops over abuse of authority and their superior threatened to deal with me.
They are now taking me to Chatsworth Police Station but I am not afraid of speaking the truth,” said Ngugama.
Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, according to WHO’s latest estimates, published today in “Suicide worldwide in 2019”. Every year, more people die as a result of suicide than HIV, malaria or breast cancer ̶ or war and homicide. In 2019, more than 700 000 people died by suicide: one in every 100 deaths, prompting WHO to produce new guidance to help countries improve suicide prevention and care.
“We cannot – and must not – ignore suicide,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. “Each one is a tragedy. Our attention to suicide prevention is even more important now, after many months living with the COVID-19 pandemic, with many of the risk factors for suicide ̶ job loss, financial stress and social isolation – still very much present. The new guidance that WHO is releasing today provides a clear path for stepping up suicide prevention efforts.”
Among young people aged 15-29, suicide was the fourth leading cause of death after road injury, tuberculosis and interpersonal violence.
Rates vary, between countries, regions, and between males and females.
More than twice as many males die due to suicide as females (12.6 per 100 000 males compared with 5.4 per 100 000 females). Suicide rates among men are generally higher in high-income countries (16.5 per 100 000). For females, the highest suicide rates are found in lower-middle-income countries (7.1 per 100 000).
Suicide rates in the WHO African (11.2 per 100 000), European (10.5 per 100 000) and South-East Asia (10.2 per 100 000) regions were higher than the global average (9.0 per 100 000) in 2019. The lowest suicide rate was in the Eastern Mediterranean region (6.4 per 100 000).
Globally, the suicide rate is decreasing; in the Americas it is going up
Suicide rates fell in the 20 years between 2000 and 2019, with the global rate decreasing by 36%, with decreases ranging from 17% in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to 47% in the European Region and 49% in the Western Pacific.
But in the Americas Region, rates increased by 17% in the same time period.
Although some countries have placed suicide prevention high on their agendas, too many countries remain uncommitted. Currently only 38 countries are known to have a national suicide prevention strategy. A significant acceleration in the reduction of suicides is needed to meet the SDG target of a one-third reduction in the global suicide rate by 2030.
LIVE LIFE
To support countries in their efforts, WHO is today releasing comprehensive guidance for implementing its LIVE LIFE approach to suicide prevention. The four strategies of this approach are:
limiting access to the means of suicide, such as highly hazardous pesticides and firearms;
educating the media on responsible reporting of suicide;
fostering socio-emotional life skills in adolescents; and
early identification, assessment, management and follow-up of anyone affected by suicidal thoughts and behaviour.
Banning of the most dangerous pesticides: a high-impact intervention
Given that pesticide poisoning is estimated to cause 20% of all suicides, and national bans of acutely toxic, highly hazardous pesticides have shown to be cost-effective, such bans are recommended by WHO. Other measures include restricting access to firearms, reducing the size of medication packages, and installing barriers at jump sites.
Responsible reporting by the media
The guide highlights the role the media plays in relation to suicide. Media reports of suicide can lead to a rise in suicide due to imitation (or copycat suicides) – especially if the report is about a celebrity or describes the method of suicide.
The new guide advises monitoring of the reporting of suicide and suggests that media counteract reports of suicide with stories of successful recovery from mental health challenges or suicidal thoughts. It also recommends working with social media companies to increase their awareness and improve their protocols for identifying and removing harmful content.
Support for adolescents
Adolescence (10-19 years of age) is a critical period for acquiring socio-emotional skills, particularly since half of mental health conditions appear before 14 years of age. The LIVE LIFE guidance encourages actions including mental health promotion and anti-bullying programmes, links to support services and clear protocols for people working in schools and universities when suicide risk is identified.
Early identification and follow-up of people at risk
Early identification, assessment, management and follow-up applies to people who have attempted suicide or are perceived to be at risk. A previous suicide attempt is one of the most important risk factors for a future suicide.
Health-care workers should be trained in early identification, assessment, management and follow-up. Survivors’ groups of people bereaved by suicide can complement support provided by health services. Crisis services should also be available to provide immediate support to individuals in acute distress.
The new guidance, which includes examples of suicide prevention interventions that have been implemented across the world, in countries such as Australia, Ghana, Guyana, India, Iraq, the Republic of Korea, Sweden and the USA, can be used by anyone who is in interested in implementing suicide prevention activities, whether at national or local level, and in the governmental and nongovernmental sectors alike.
“While a comprehensive national suicide prevention strategy should be the ultimate goal for all governments,” said Dr Alexandra Fleischmann, suicide prevention expert at the World Health Organization, “starting suicide prevention with LIVE LIFE interventions can save lives and prevent the heartbreak that follows for those left behind.”
Source: World Health Organization
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Tinashe Sambiri|Overzealous police officers assaulted and arrested two Serima High School teachers in Gutu District on Saturday.
According to sources in Gutu, Misheck Tavuya a teacher at Serima High School was at Stephen Business Centre intending to purchase some items for his family.
While at Stephen Business Centre, he had a misunderstanding with a police officer who insulted him and proceeded to assault him.
“The police officer approached Tavuya and hurled insults at him.He then severely assaulted him.”
Tavuya’s colleague, Batsiranai Ngugama, who is also a freelance journalist then asked the police officer why he had assulted his workmate and the cop threatened him.
On Sunday morning, the cops assaulted and arrested Ngungama for challenging their actions.
“This is a clear case of abuse of office. I confronted the cops over abuse of authority and their superior threatened to deal with me.
They are now taking me to Chatsworth Police Station but I am not afraid of speaking the truth,” said Ngugama.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Presidential spokesperson, Dr Nkululeko Sibanda says the beleaguered former ruling party Zanu PF’s support base is shrinking with each passing day.
Dr Sibanda told Change Radio Zanu PF would not win the 2023 polls because of its rigidity and inability to resolve the deepening political crisis.
“Youths must lead the way as citizens coverge for change. Zanu PF cannot expand its political space.
The military industrial complex is in charge of the country and we are determined to fight for victory,” said Dr Sibanda.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW….
By A Correspondent- The High Court has nullified a multi-million-dollar transaction in which the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) purchased 526 hectares of land in Chegutu from businessman Phillip Chiyangwa.
The contentious 526-hectare piece of land at Hintonville Extension was illegally sold to Chiyangwa’s company in 2001 for $10.5 million.
Two years later, the company sold it to NSSA before concluding its initial transaction with Chegutu Municipality in violation of laid down procedures.
Chegutu Municipality maintained that there was no proof either supporting Gabroc’s purchase of the land or NSSA’s subsequent right to ownership, therefore, the alleged sale was null and void because of the laid down procedures.
Council argued that the procedure was not followed when Chiyangwa’s company purchased the land, hence there was no binding sale agreement.
The case spilt into the High Court with Gabroc seeking to compel the council to approve the sale. Justice Charles Hungwe ruled that the said sale of the land was a nullity hence the court could not sanitise it.
Said justice Hungwe:
_Clearly for this court to grant the relief sought, would be to condone an illegality. The transaction between first applicant (Gabroc Investments) and the respondents (Chegutu Municipality and the town clerk) contravenes the clear provisions in the Urban Councils Act._
_The rationale behind Section 152 of the Act is to promote transparency in the administration of public assets. The agreement executed by the parties in 2001 did not comply with this public policy thrust as set out in the Act._
_The courts cannot sanitise a transaction that is abjectly illegal._
The judge expressed shock at how NSSA released public funds to buy the same land from Gabroc without due diligence adding “simple and cost-effective due diligence could have saved it a fortune.”
The judge nullified the transaction and threw out the application by Grabroc and NSSA with costs.
A report released by Auditor-General Mildred Chiri last month raised a red flag after the land was not part of NSSA’s assets despite millions of dollars having been paid to Chiyangwa’s Gabroc Investments.
This would suggest that US$3.5 million of pensioners’ money went down the drain.
statemedia
By A Correspondent- Scores of amabutho (regiments), politicians and ordinary citizens vowed that they are willing to die rather than endure watching former president Jacob Zuma being arrested.
Zuma has until tomorrow to hand himself over to authorities failing which, he faces arrest.
Mlandeni Mgilija Nhleko, the official leader of the Zulu regiments, the one who led them during the burial of King Goodwill Zwelithini in March this year, is now here.
He is outside the home of Zuma in Nkandla to bring order. Regiments from different parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng were heard singing traditional songs.
While others declined to comment on making their way to Nkandla homestead, the home of Zuma, some were heard saying the imminent arrest of Zuma is a declaration of war.
It is a norm that amabutho react or undertake a task after being instructed by the king, but the amabutho that were marching and making their way to Zuma’s homestead said they were not ordered by the king but as a community decided to embark on taking part in supporting the former statesman.
One of the amabutho of KwaNxamalala, Mike Zuma said as part of the community they saw it fit to defend Zuma.
“We are going to respect whatever decision Zuma makes, if he hands himself to the authorities they will be in support of that but if he does not hand himself over to authorities we will support him. We believe that Zuma has been mistreated by the judicial system,” said Zuma.
Another Zuma supporter, Lungile Mkhize, said: “I am heartbroken, my heart is sore that authorities want to arrest Zuma. I am here to support him, he does not deserve this at his old age.”
Many of the supporters were walking in groups, many of them not wearing masks and not maintaining social distance and flouting other alert level 4 regulations.
There were no police seen around the major road leading to the homestead to enforce lockdown rules or making arrests as gatherings are illegal at this time of the pandemic.
“We are going to fight and willing to die for the president, that is all that I am going to say,” said one Zuma support from ANC’s branch in Mpumalanga.
-IOL
By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe human rights and advocacy groups have condemned as disturbing and criminal a threat by the government to ban non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from operating in Masvingo, a threat implemented in 2012 when the authorities canceled the licences of over 50 entities.
This comes days after Zanu-PF’s acting political commissar Patrick Chinamasa threatened a ban on nearly 3 500 NGOs operating in the country, accusing them of plotting to topple the government.
This is not the first time a Zanu-PF government has threatened to bar NGOs from operating in the country.
In 2004, a draconian NGO Bill was brought to Parliament which sought to prevent international organisations from working explicitly on human rights while also providing the government with direct and excessive control over civil society.
In the latest incident, Masvingo provincial development coordinator Jefter Sakupwanya raised the spectre of a ban on NGOs in Masvingo, months after the forced closure of a civil society organisation in Manicaland province.
“Please advise all Development Partners/NGOs working in youth programmes in your respective districts that they are required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation even if they have a current MOU with the respective Rural District Councils (RDCs). Failure to comply with this directive will result in cancellation of the NGO’s authority to operate in that particular district,” Sakupwanya wrote in a memo dated 21 June addressed to district development coordinators in the province.
In April 2021, the government banned Connect, a family therapy and counselling services organisation based in Mutasa district, Manicaland.
Deputy Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation minister Tinoda Machakaire on Wednesday professed ignorance over the threat to deregister NGOs in Masvingo unless they sign new MOUs.
“I am not aware of this,” Machakaire said when asked whether this is a national exercise to re-register all NGOs.
Farai Maguwu, the founding director of the Centre for Natural Resource Governance, condemned threats to ban NGOs operating in Masvingo, saying it is an attempt by the government to close the democratic space.
“The most notable thing in this memo is that it does not cite any constitutional provision. It does not cite any legislation or Act of Parliament that compels the ministry to demand these MOUs from NGOs. That simply tells you that it’s a political memo that is meant to silence NGO’s, especially those working in the human rights sector,” Maguwu said.
“It is criminal. It is illegal. It is unconstitutional to do all those things.”
CNRG has on several occasions clashed with the government over plans to evict villagers from their communities to pave the way for mining operations.
As recently as this week, CNRG threatened court action to stop a Chinese mining company from exploring for coal in family graveyards in the Dinde area of Hwange district in Matabeleland North province.
Khumbulani Maphosa, the coordinator of the Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR) added: “It is unfortunate that we are seeing such kinds of memos at a time when we need a strong government and civil society partnership in order to enhance the protection of the rights of the people. A few years ago, we saw a lot of organisations being banned from operating there…”
In 2012, the then Masvingo governor, Titus Maluleke, banned more than 50 local and international NGOs from operating in the province after accusing them of being pro-opposition.
“These are clear signs that we are now approaching elections. They know that NGOs will do civic education, voter registration, voter mobilisation and they are trying by all means to suppress that voice,” noted Mbuso Fuzwayo, the coordinator of Ibhetshu LikaZulu, a Bulawayo-based civil society group known for pushing for redress of the Gukurahundi massacres.
The late President Robert Mugabe repeatedly threatened to ban NGOs from observing national elections, a threat he implemented in 2008 a few weeks before the presidential run-off election.
Mugabe banned the NGOs when he was defeated in the first round of voting by the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai after accusing civil society of supporting the opposition.
The ban was lifted after he was re-elected in an election boycotted by Tsvangirai citing widespread violence and murder of his supporters.
“The operations of the government against NGOs are consistent with the DNA of Zanu-PF. It cannot accept any dissenting opinions to operate in the country. It seeks to silence them and to come down on democratic opposition and all alternative voices,” analyst Effie Ncube said.
“Additionally, this is a message to the world that Zanu-PF will always be Zanu-PF; Zanu-PF will not change. Zanu-PF’s respect for human rights and democratic governance are inconsistent. They cannot co-exist.”
-Newshawks
By A Correspondent- Zanu-PF Deputy Provincial Chairperson and Zaka North member (MP) of Parliament Robson Mavhenyengwa has said Covid-19 vaccination slips will soon be used as gate passes to party meetings.
Mavhenyengwa was speaking at the Provincial Coordinating Committee Meeting held at Great Zimbabwe University’s Julius Nyerere School of Social Sciences recently.
He said party leadership was supposed to lead by example and get vaccinated first so that they encourage their subordinates to get vaccinated.
“You as the leadership should be vaccinated so that the people you lead will copy from you. How can you encourage people to be vaccinated when you are not?
“Soon we will introduce a system where only those who have been vaccinated will be allowed into our meetings. You will be asked to produce your vaccination slip here as proof to be admitted into the meetings. If you cannot walk around with the slip you will have to scan it and bring the picture here in your phone,” said Mavhenyengwa.
Mavhenyengwa went on to warn party leadership against campaigning for positions saying it was too early for that and said they can only campaign for Zanu-PF and the President.
“We only campaign for the party and the President only. We still have our PCC, Councilors and MPs, those positions have people so there is no need to campaign. We will be told when time is rife to start campaigning,” said Mavhenyengwa.
His warning came at a time when a number of people are warming themselves for the PPC positions following the completion of District Coordinating Committees elections.
The guest of honor at the event, Christopher Mutsvangwa who is a Politburo member and Secretary for Science and Technology praised the way people were being vaccinated in Zimbabwe saying a number of countries were admiring Zimbabwe in terms of the vaccination role out.
He went on to say the government was doing its best to make sure that all people get vaccinated saying more doses were coming from China.
“Zimbabwe is among the few countries that have so far managed to vaccinate a huge number of people. Even the likes of Julius Malema from South Africa have acknowledged that. People in Australia and other European countries have acknowledged that,” said Mutsvangwa.
He went on to say the reason why they have managed to progress is because they have partnered China which has been helping out Zimbabwe.
“We have our friend China which has been supporting us since the liberation struggle. They gave us guns and other war equipment to fight for our liberation struggle. So we cannot abandon a friend like that, that is why when we were affected by Covid-19 we rushed to our friend that is why we have been ahead,” said Mutsvangwa.
-TellZim
By A Correspondent- Expelled Zanu PF law maker Killer Zivhu has challenged youths to get paid first before being mobilized for violence and demonstrations.
He said politicians were good at using other people’s children and yet giving good opportunities to their own children.
“When it comes to violence and demonstrations politicians organize other people’s children,but when it comes to opportunities,jobs and tenders they organize their children.Youth of today rambayi kushandiswa mahara get paid first kana pasina usafire patriotism vamwe vachidya,” said Zivhu via Twitter.
Zivhu has been trying to bounce back in ZANU PF by hipping praises at president Emmerson Mnangagwa but it has not yield results yet.
By A Correspondent- Sibalingizwe Nkomo, son of the late Father Zimbabwe Joshua Nkomo says the country needs new leaders who can rescue it from Zanu-PF’s ruinous rule and fulfil his father’s vision of a free, just and prosperous nation.
The elder Nkomo, a towering nationalist hailed for contributing immensely to Zimbabwe’s liberation, was born on 19 June 1917 and died on 1 July 1999 aged 82.
As the country on Wednesday marked 22 years since his death, Sibangilizwe said the late President Robert Mugabe and his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa have destroyed all that his father believed in to better the lives of long-suffering Zimbabweans.
Sibangilizwe, who is running for the presidency of the opposition Zapu, a party once led by Joshua, said Mugabe and Mnangagwa have only succeeded in dividing the country along tribal lines starting from the Gukurahundi genocide in the 1980s that left an estimated 20 000 people dead.
“We need an overhaul of the whole leadership. Zimbabwe needs new leaders in the calibre of Father Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe needs leaders who will drive this country in the right direction,” Sibangilizwe said in an interview.
“The whole country is in a mess because of the kind of leaders it has had since 1980. We need an overhaul (of leadership) yesterday not tomorrow for the country to move forward.”
Zimbabwe is in the midst of a socio-economic crisis characterised by widespread poverty, unemployment, rising crime and company closures, a situation further worsened by the Covid-19-induced economic shocks taking a toll on industry.
“We have been led by people who have no vision. We are led by selfish people, people who are better at dividing than uniting people. The major problem that we have as a country is poor leadership. We are in reverse gear and not moving forward,” Sibangilizwe said.
“Everything that Father Zimbabwe stood for has been destroyed. We have regressed a lot as a country since July 1, 1999 when he passed away. We are not implementing and listening to what he (Nkomo) is saying because he is still saying the same thing to put this country on the right path. We are fighting against what he is saying.”
Mnangagwa, through his Twitter account, on Wednesday said Zimbabwe lost a “great man” in Nkomo, describing him as a “hero of the liberation struggle, a man of the people, and a visionary who built a better Zimbabwe.”
While Nkomo, who spent two decades in prison or exile fighting racist settler rule is being celebrated in death, he was tormented by Zanu-PF in life to the extent of fleeing into exile in London on 7 March 1983, claiming that his life was in danger under Mugabe.
In 1979, Nkomo and Mugabe came together to negotiate Zimbabwe’s Independence at Lancaster House in London. The country’s first “free” elections in 1980, largely split along the Shona-Ndebele ethnic divide, saw Nkomo losing to Mugabe.
Nkomo was appointed Home Affairs minister in a government of national unity.
But in 1982 Mugabe charged that Nkomo had plotted a coup and sacked him from cabinet alongside the late Josiah Chinamano and Joseph Msika, Transport minister and Natural Resources minister respectively.
Mugabe claimed arms caches had been uncovered on farms owned by Zapu and the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army – the party’s military wing – to be used to overthrow his government.
Mugabe responded by sending in the army’s 5 Brigade, which is blamed for the deaths of more than 20 000 civilians, mostly supporters of Nkomo’s party, in the Midlands and Matabeleland.
Nkomo fled the country through Botswana and went to England where he wrote his autobiography, The Story Of My Life.
The massacres continued until Nkomo and Mugabe signed a Unity Accord in December 1987, in which Nkomo agreed to merge his Zapu party with Mugabe’s Zanu-PF.
The violence stopped and Nkomo became one of Zimbabwe’s two vice-presidents, but his political role was reduced to that of a mere tribal-balancing figurehead.
-Newshawks
By A Correspondent- Controversial rapper Maskiri, real name Alishias Musimbe, has laboured to explain the insensitive Tapiwa Makore lyrics in his new track Mbinga from Binga.
In the song, Maskiri at 0:10 seconds sings, Handina musoro kunge Tapiwa Makore, a reference to the brutally murdered Murewa boy, Tapiwa Makore.
Makore (7) was slain in cold blood allegedly by his uncles in September 2020 in Nyamutumbu Village, Murewa in a suspected ritual murder.
Makore’s remains were eventually buried without his head this year in March.
“The Tapiwa [Makore] line was not insensitive as many would have thought, it’s a metaphor,” Maskiri said.
“I deliberately used the line so that people can revisit the Tapiwa Makore conversation, people had been quiet and forgetful.
“I think it really worked and made people talk about it.
“The Tapiwa Makore story saddens me and I don’t wish to see that brutal killing happening to anyone especially at that young age, I hope his family finds comfort.”
Recently Maskiri was slammed by fans for insensitive lyrics with his recent track Mabude, where he chants semota yana Moana handina kutsva mafuse in reference to socialite Moana’s horrendous death in a car accident.
The socialite was part of a crew that was burnt beyond recognition in November last year after Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure’s Rolls Royce was involved in a head-on collision with another car and hit a tree before exploding in Borrowdale on their way to Domboshava from a night of partying.
At the turn of the millennium that saw the rise of urban grooves, Maskiri’s music was labelled obscene and banned from radio.
Explaining the title track to his upcoming album, Mbinga from Binga, Maskiri said the title was inspired by the fact that he is the king of hip-hop.
“The album is out next week, the title Mbinga has been used around a lot, and it means a rich and powerful person. However, the word has always existed and I feel I’m a mbinga in my own right,” he said.
“I’m not a flashy and flamboyant mbinga and not a mbinga in money senses. I’m a mbinga from Binga, a humble.
“Binga is where the original mbingas come from, and as hip-hop goes in Zimbabwe I am the original mbinga of hip-hop, rich of lyrics and the culture in me,” said Maskiri.
Mbinga from Binga will carry 14 tracks including Muvakidzani, which will be released today.
-The Standard
By A Correspondent- Sungura maestro, Alick Macheso’s daughter, Stacy Tendai Macheso, has ventured into music and dreams of becoming an international star.
The young songstress recently released her second single titled Amai with an accompanying video, told Standard Style that music is her passion and is working on becoming a professional musician with followers across the globe.
“I am really passionate about music and I don’t see myself doing anything else,” she said.
“It’s a part of my everyday life and I am working flat out to become an international star.
“I have two singles to my name: Ingozi, which was released in 2020 and Amai, which I released last week with an accompanying video available on YouTube.
“The market is really supporting me and I am happy with the progress I am making.”
The song Amai preaches forgiveness between an errant child and her mother so that life can go on and parental blessings are enjoyed.
“The song Amai is an affirmation of the important role of our parents in life and in this case the mother,” she said.
“It talks about an errant child who takes her mother for granted, but when life treats her otherwise she comes to her senses and asks for forgiveness so that she can enjoy her blessings.
“The take-home in the song is that we must value our parents at every stage in life.”
Stacy is happy with the hits she is making with her music and is looking to surpass the standard set with her first single.
“My first single Ingozi heralded my entry into the music industry and I am happy that it’s on almost 200 000 views on YouTube with limited marketing,” she said.
“My hope is to reach a million views with Amai and go on to release a full album to cement my presence.
“I am really thankful for the love and support and we are on a massive marketing campaign to grow our reach.”
The young songstress also hinted at professional management to her music career complete with meaningful presence online.
“Music is business and I am going all out to ensure a successful and rewarding music career,” she said.
“I am, therefore, working on professional management of my brand with meaningful online presence and adequate access to my music across platforms. I am very confident and positive about this journey.”
Of possible collaborations with her father, Stacy said the possibilities were too many and something could be in the pipeline.
“I have heard requests for a collaboration with my father and I hope that something of that sort comes up,” she said.
“I am into Afro-pop and he is into sungura, but music is music.
“I hope to have a collaboration with him in my next project, which I intend to have as a full album.”
Stacy, who is a good mbira player and is learning how to play the acoustic guitar on rhythm, said she was hoping to be a complete musician and voice on issues affecting the community.
“I don’t want to be an ordinary musician. I want to be an artiste who radiates positively influences change in our communities,” she said.
“Like my father has done with various brands and organisations such as the Red Cross, I want to stand for the right and champion positive change in my community.
“Things like sexual abuse, gender-based violence and drug abuse must be challenged from all angles and as a student I know that this is important.”
The young Macheso draws a lot of inspiration from her father’s work ethic and would want that attribute in her career.
“My father is a hardworking musician and when you see him in the studio or on stage you can tell the that he means business,” Stacy said.
“I want that kind of attitude in my music career and I hope to even surpass the standards he set for us.”
Stacy joins the mainstream music industry when there is a lot of uncertainty given the Covid-19-induced limitations and it is hoped that she employs the right strategies to stay afloat and relevant
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police said they will not listen to any excuses from people they would have met after 6 PM.
National Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi announced this to The Sunday Mail yesterday
“We urge Zimbabweans to follow the lockdown measures and wear their masks properly, if they don’t, we are going to arrest them,” he said.
“For those who are opening beer halls and nightclubs, we are not going to show any mercy to them.
“Like for instance, last night police officers on patrol in the Harare CBD arrested scores of people who were drinking at beer halls and nightclubs.
“People must follow and respect the curfew.
“Lately, we have been having problems with people who are giving us unnecessary excuses. For example, some say they are coming from work at around 10pm.
“We will not listen to such petty excuses but we will understand if they are providing essential services or transporting commercial cargo.”
By A Correspondent- The police have arrested 10 000 people for allegedly contravening the enhanced Level Four national lockdown regulations introduced last week.
Figures obtained from the Zimbabwe Republic Police show that 10 252 people were arrested in the three days to July 1 countrywide.
According to the state media, police are arresting an average of 3 000 people daily for offences ranging from failure to observe social distancing, wearing face masks, and participating in unsanctioned gatherings among others.
National Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi told The Sunday Mail yesterday that police will arrest those who contravene the regulations.
“We urge Zimbabweans to follow the lockdown measures and wear their masks properly, if they don’t, we are going to arrest them,” he said.
“For those who are opening beer halls and nightclubs, we are not going to show any mercy to them.
“Like for instance, last night police officers on patrol in the Harare CBD arrested scores of people who were drinking at beer halls and nightclubs.
“People must follow and respect the curfew.
“Lately, we have been having problems with people who are giving us unnecessary excuses. For example, some say they are coming from work at around 10pm.
“We will not listen to such petty excuses but we will understand if they are providing essential services or transporting commercial cargo.”
Last week, President Mnangagwa announced enhanced national lockdown measures that include a ban on all public gatherings and inter-city travel, a stricter 6.30pm to 6am night curfew and reduced operating hours for businesses.
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe told a media briefing on Friday that the country’s security forces will enforce the new measures with increased vigour. He said more than 51 000 people had been arrested in June alone for not properly wearing face masks.
“The security forces will ensure that pirate taxis are decisively dealt with as part of the Level Four lockdown measures. Beerhalls, nightclubs and bars remain closed.
“Those found violating this restriction will be dealt with decisively. Citizens should inform police should they come across such activities,” said Minister Kazembe.
“For the sake of public health and human security and in line with their mandates, the security forces will ensure strict adherence to the above measures.” As at Friday, Zimbabwe had recorded 52 663 cumulative cases of the coronavirus, including 39 568 recoveries and 1 841 deaths.
A total of 788 004 people had been inoculated with the first dose against Covid-19.
By Dr Masimba Mavaza | When I was a prosecutor in the 1990’s in Zimbabwe we had some prosecutors and lawyers who would come into court and make submissions which will be aimed at the people sitting in the gallery. They were very entertaining. We had a lawyer the late George Chikumbirike he would start his submissions by making the gallery excited and making sure once in a while the gallery is thrown into a laughter.
The problem of playing to the gallery was that the gallery does not make the decisions. But if the decisions are against George the gallery will blame the judge. Playing to the gallery is to do things that one thinks will be popular among many people instead of doing what one thinks is right a governor who refuses to play to the gallery In other words it is to behave in a way intended to make people admire or support you: Politicians these days are more interested in playing to the gallery than exercising real influence on world events. So this time it was the judges who have become Attention-seeking, distracting and showing off outfits.
The problem of judges playing to the gallery is that they will expose the law to ridicule. The situation in South Africa has pitted the judicial system against the democracy and political system.
What we see in South Africa now are lessons to be learnt and a stark warning to Zimbabwe. What happens there will happen to our revolutionary stalwarts once they leave office. The judiciary is behaving as the avengers sent by the disgruntled colonialists cum Westerners. This is legal system at war with the executive.
It is indeed a shame on the South African Constitutional Court judges for failure to understand their own supreme law. They ignored their own constitution just because they want to fix and not to help. It is a wonder that when the constitutional court set they forgot to be guided by the law and by their own constitution.
The South African Constitution especially section 35 subsection 3 gives the pertinent guidelines.
Section 35(3) “The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.”
The 1993 Constitution for the first time in South African history accorded constitutional recognition to constitutional law and emphasis on fairness. The South African law post apartheid was crafted to embrace due process. This brought to an end the debate on the status of fairness in South African domestic law. This step was a symbolic break from the apartheid legal system, which was closely associated with the violation of individual rights and indicated to the international community that South Africa was willing to abide by the rule of law and accepted rules. More important, however, for South African lawyers are the fundamental changes the constitutional regulation of justice system and law introduced into South African law.
But in a fit of political change the Full bench of the Constitutional Court embarrassed the profession of Law by failing to interpret SECTIONS, 35 (3) (f), 35 (3) h, 35 (3) (1),35 (3) 0, 7(2), 9(1), 9(2) of the South African Constitution. Their schoolboy errors has given Zuma a chance to freedom and buoyed the Zumarists to act in defence of ZUMA. Laws exist to protect people and there’s often a “spirit” behind the “letter” of the law.
Often, people are in violation of the letter, but not the spirit (the reason the law exists).
When people don’t enforce the “letter” of the law, people tend to obey common sense and self-correct. Just human decency and kindness to make sure everyone was ok to get on with it. So the decency of the MKZ veterans was to cause a turmoil and confusion in the application of law.
A closer look at miscarriages of justice, however, reveals that such errors are not aberrations but deeply revealing, common features of our legal system.
The constitutional court ruling was not not a random mistake but an organic outcome of a misshaped larger system that is rife with faulty eyewitness identifications, false confessions, biased judges, judicial activists and racial discrimination. The court has defied the Constructive relationships between the three arms of government—the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The ruling has removed are the importance to the effective maintenance of the constitution and the rule of law. In recent years, the character of these relationships has changed significantly, both because of changes in governance and because of wider societal change.
The behaviour of the constitutional court
demonstrates that there are still disagreements and uncertainties about the relationships between the three arms of government.
Moreover, the news media played an increasingly important role in reporting and commenting on the judiciary, and—as in other contexts—there has been a decline in the culture of deference. Individual judges and the judiciary as a whole are seen as “fair game” by columnists and headline writers in the tabloid press. Broadsheet journalists also chart closely the intrigues of discussions and disagreements between the senior judiciary and executive. But in this case the constitutional judges have acted to settle scores.
The conflict between the executive and judiciary is a long time back existing since the Constitution came into force. The political establishment of function sharing between both wings is depicted in the Constitution. The thrust of power acquiring sometimes creates tensions when the executive starts assuming the power of the judiciary then the government becomes autocratic. The executive is that wing of the government which makes policies and implements it. The judiciary has been bestowed with the power to check such actions. The separation of power exists between all the wings of the Government which is exercised by the method of Check and Balance. So the courts should not in anyway engage in political issues as to please one section.
So in this case one would ask how can a Constitutional Court Convict and sentence an individual to prison as a court of first instance and leave the accused person without a right to appeal? This question is the reason of all the uproar in South Africa today. The South African Constitution derives its powers from. Section 2 of South Africa Constitution which reads “Supremacy of Constitution 2. This Constitution is the supreme law of the Republic; law or conduct inconsistent with it is invalid, and the obligations imposed by it must be fulfilled.”
We must therefore remember that doctrine of Supremacy of the constitution is based on consistency with existing provisions of the constitution and the courts enforce the law along the constitutional guidance.
So any conduct that is inconsistent with the constitution is invalid no matter who does it. Often people miss the value on Supremacy of the constitution. The constitution is obeyed on the round. The law works in an inter connected way meaning breaking part of stops the currency to flow. The very breaching of one part the whole constitution is breached then the whole process which led to the breach of that provision is invalid no matter who does it, in this case no matter it is the constitutional court.
The constitutional court did the unthinkable it became seized with emotions yet the court is incapable to work on emotions. There is no doubt that President Jacob Zumba refused to appear before a Commission of inquiry. This angered the judges of the constitutional court who ruled on emotions and not on law. They become blinded by their personal feelings and were set to punish and show Zuma one thing or two. That was the most fatal mistake they made. The court must never have emotions.
The Commission of inquiry approached the Constitutional Court with an application to order Zuma to appear before the commission of inquiry. This was an error which the constitutional court was supposed to correct by referring them back to a proper court. The case was improperly before the courts hence it was supposed to be struck off. So the ruling of the constitutional court was made on a sand foundation which taints the whole process.
The bench forgot to read the Constitution of South Africa in section 167 which states that “Constitutional Court 167. (1) The Constitutional Court consists of the Chief Justice of South Africa, the Deputy Chief Justice and nine other judges. [Sub-s. (1) substituted by s. 11 of the Constitution Sixth Amendment Act of 2001.] (2) A matter before the Constitutional Court must be heard by at least eight judges. (3)The Constitutional Court— (a) is the highest court of the Republic; and (b) may decide— (i) constitutional matters; and (ii) any other matter, if the Constitutional Court grants leave to appeal on the grounds that the matter raises an arguable point of law of general public importance which ought to be considered by that Court, and (c) makes the final decision whether a matter is within its jurisdiction. [Sub-s (3) substituted by s. 3 of the Constitution Seventeenth Amendment Act of 2012.] (4) Only the Constitutional Court may— (a) decide disputes between organs of state in the national or provincial sphere concerning the constitutional status, powers or functions of any of those organs of state; (b)decide on the constitutionality of any parliamentary or provincial Bill, but may do so only in the circumstances anticipated in section 79 or 121; (c) decide applications envisaged in section 80 or 122; (d) decide on the constitutionality of any amendment to the Constitution; (e) decide that Parliament or the President has failed to fulfil a constitutional obligation; or (f) certify a provincial constitution in terms of section 144. (5) The Constitutional Court makes the final decision whether an Act of Parliament, a provincial Act or conduct of the President is constitutional, and must confirm any order of invalidity made by the Supreme Court of Appeal, the High Court of South Africa, or a court of similar status, before that order has any force. [Sub-s (5) substituted by s. 3 of the Constitution Seventeenth Amendment Act of 2012.] (6) National legislation or the rules of the Constitutional Court must allow a person, when it is in the interests of justice and with leave of the Constitutional Court—(a) to bring a matter directly to the Constitutional Court; or (b) to appeal directly to the Constitutional Court from any other court. (7)A constitutional matter includes any issue involving the interpretation, protection or enforcement of the Constitution. “ the construction is the heartbeat of the law. It must be followed to in letter and spirit. No where in this provision does it give the Constitutional Court the jurisdiction to try and convict an accused person as court of first and final instance without giving opportunity to appeal. This is the miscarriage of Justice at its most.
One wonders how the highest court in the land presided and manned by the greatest jurists in the land failed to realise that contempt of court is a common law offence that is criminal in nature and not a constitutional matter, neither was this case an appeal. It was simply a glory searching adventure by the Constitutional court judges. A move which backfires big time. Section 167 makes it very clear that Constitutional court cannot hear a matter of contempt of Court and convict a person as the court of first and final court for following reasons.
Zuma’s constitutional rights were breached by the custodians of the very law. Section 35(3)(c) provides that Every accused person has a right to a fair trial, which includes the right— (c) to a public trial before an ordinary court. While Zuma could have refused to appear before a Commission of inquiry and the Commission sought the Constitutional Court to order him to appear before the Commission, which he refused, is an accusation which should have been taken to a appropriate court and follow due process.
The moment someone accuse Zuma of contempt of Court, which is criminal, the court should have been automatically blinded to his social status. Zuma deserved a fair hearing despite his status.
It is automatic. The moment you accuse someone of a criminal offence it is the duty of the law enforcers to follow the due process.
Section 35(3) (e) gives right to any accused person to be present when being tried. This is a fundamental right. If Zuma was refusing to appear before a Commission or a Court, the first application was a warrant of arrest. He appears before a court which then indict him to where ever he must stand before trial. The system should have ordered for his arrest and bring before a public court of law. The Judges should get evidence from his own mouth as to why he could not comply with the order. This is so because he was now an accused and not a mere witness to Commission of inquiry. Section 35(3) (f) . An accused has a right to choose, and be represented by, a legal practitioner, and to be informed of this right promptly. While Zuma could have had lawyers representing him on all the civil application relating to his non appearance before a commission of inquiry or not complying with Constitutional Court order, the moment he was accused of contempt of court, it was the duty of a court to inform him directly that he had a right to be represented by a legal practitioner of his choice in relation to the Contempt of Court Charges. This right cannot be assumed by court that who so ever is appearing before the court as his lawyer can answer the contempt of court charges on behalf of the accused. Section 35(3) (h) gives right to any accused person to be presumed innocent, to remain silent, and not to testify during the proceedings. The moment the court found out that Zuma was in default of a court order he became an accused and not a convict. It was not his duty to convict himself of contempt of court. Those who accused him of contempt of court should have followed the procedures that lead to a trial and at all cost assumed him to be innocent.
Section 35(3) (i) every accused person has right to adduce and challenge evidence. Evidence presented in your absence cannot be adduced for one to be challenged. The Learned judges should have known that any accused, that includes Zuma, has a right be present in his trial for purpose of adducing evidence against him. What ever was given to court in his absence remain allegation. It has to be presented before the accused and be given opportunity to hear or see it in a public court being presented in court.
(vi) More importantly to the jurisdiction of Constitutional Court, is the fact that every accused has an inherent right in terms of section 35(3) (o) to appeal to, or review by, a higher court. No doubt that the Constitutional Court is the highest Court. A person cannot appeal anywhere else or have the decision reviewed by someone else. This should have been known from onset by the Judges that “every accused person, without exception, has an inherent right to appeal. More particular to the fact that they sentenced him in absentia, it was clear that the accused could want to challenge such decision. This right remains intact and has to be accorded to him as it is accorded to any other person.After raising the fundamental rights of any accused person as mention in the constitution,
(i) Section 7(2) of South African Constitution demands that the state must respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights in the Bill of Rights. This include respecting, protecting and promoting Jacob Zuma’s right to be tried in a public Court, be present during trial, assumed innocent until proven guilty, apply for lesser sentence in mitigation and right to appeal or review of a decision taken by a court. These rights cannot be violated only on Zuma.
The bill of rights binds everyone including the Constitutional Court in terms of section 8(1). The Constitutional Court, despite being the Highest Court, it has an obligation to protect and promote the rights of every accused, including Zuma.
If section 35(3) protects the rights of “every accused person” then section 9(1) stipulates that every person accused of contempt of court, no matter which court, is given the same treatment as in section 35(3), more particular to the right to appeal.
Section 9(2) stresses that equality includes the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedom. It is clear, crystal clear that some of the rights of Zuma as an accused person were violated. When section 9(2) uses the words “full and equal enjoyment of right” it puts across a point that full cannot leave some and still remain full or equal cannot exclude Jacob Zuma.
Reading from section 36 on limitations of rights it states that “Limitation of rights 36. (1)The rights in the Bill of Rights may be limited only in terms of law of general application to the extent that the limitation is reasonable and justifiable in an open and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom, taking into account all relevant factors, including— (a) the nature of the right; (b) the importance of the purpose of the limitation; (c) the nature and extent of the limitation; (d) the relation between the limitation and its purpose; and (e) less restrictive means to achieve the purpose. Except as provided in subsection (1) or in any other provision of the Constitution, no law may limit any right entrenched in the Bill of Right”. The Constitutional Court cannot give itself power to limit the accused’s person’s right.
The whole concept of supremacy of the constitution is in section 2. “Any conduct that is inconsistent with existing provisions of constitution is invalid to the extend of its in consistency.
No doubt the constitutional court violated enshrined bill of rights given to every accused without exception. There is no doubt the Constitutional court’s sentence imposed is custodial sentence which in turn affect other rights and freedoms. The Court could not impose a sentence without option to appeal or review
The conduct is therefore against the very law they purport to protect. If Zuma wishes he could approach the constitutional court challenging the constitutionality of the sitting which convicted him.
This could be or must be an urgent application which should have an effect of suspending the order which has been reached and tainted with illegality. Zuma’s legal team should apply that the judgement, conviction and sentence be declared unconstitutional and invalid.
That the Judges who heard the case and failed to uphold his right recuse themselves. This reminds us of the crisis created in Zimbabwe by the judicial activists.
The constitutional court betrayed the proper scope of the judicial power within the constitution. Judicial overreach increasingly threatens the rule of law and effective, democratic government. South Africa must work to address this problem – restoring balance to the constitution – by articulating the good sense of separating judicial and political authority.
South Africa as a whole now struggles to understand and correct the undue rise in judicial power by restating, for modern times and in relation to modern problems, the nature and limits of the judicial power within our tradition and the related scope of sound legislative and executive authority.
The judicial power has a central, strategic place in any well-ordered constitutional arrangement: no state is well-governed without an independent judiciary, exercising legal and constitutional authority to adjudicate disputes, including disputes between citizens and officials, fairly and in accordance with settled positive law. Our constitutional tradition has long recognised this truth, making provision since the collapse of apartheid.
The ZUMA judgement has seen a departure from the rule of law or a failure to recognise the importance of human rights.
But the good sense of this separation of powers is now increasingly doubted, after the constitutional court’s ruling. Many in the legal profession now share an expansive, adventurous understanding of judicial power and the willingness and authority of the courts to oversee Political day to day runnings lawmaking actions or to engage into factional wars.
By A Correspondent- Celebrated musician Jah Prayzah, real name Mukudzei Mukombe, is set to drop a new album “Gwara” today.
The musician will host a virtual performance on Friday to launch the album.
The musician, who turns 34 today, took to social media last week where he announced what could be a birthday present for his fans, the new album’s audio version.
“It is very hard, in this current situation releasing an album virtually with no fans pains me most,” wrote Jah Prayzah. “Our energy on stage comes from fans. A concert is what brings life to us, but we have adapted to the current situation.
“So far I haven’t seen fans reaction on live shows, as we were used. I have released songs like ‘Wenge’, ‘Mukwasha’ and ‘Munyaradzi’ from my previous album.”
“Gwara” will first be launched on Gateway Stream Music and can be accessed for free.
“We have put the album on that platform and this is where it will be uploaded and it will be free,” he said. “As per tradition, people give presents to the birthday boy, but this time around, I love my fans and I am gifting this album for free, they can download it.”
Jah Prayzah said the album has 16 songs which range from traditional music, love medleys, dance party songs and inspirational message on staying on the right path.
“It took me a year to create this new baby. I chose to launch it on Gateway Stream Music which is our local social media platform just like YouTube. A person can stream content and download on their phone.
“We have worked with Gateway Stream Music to make this album free for all Zimbabweans and can be downloaded for free.”
Jah Prayzah said on Friday, he will be releasing visuals on the same platform.
“We are having a virtual live streaming show on July 9, exclusively on the Gateway Stream Music,” he said.
“This is a virtual show without live audience. You can watch from the comfort of your homes.
“We do not want to break the Covid-19 regulations, as we are still in a lockdown. I can only say, be ready to be blown away by the new album on Sunday and the virtual live streaming show on Friday 9 July.”
Earlier this week, Jah Prayzah rebranded his band to 3G (3rd Generation).
“I am thankful for all the input that people contributed towards the success of JP brand,” he said.
“The 3rd Generation band has been successful to all achievements over the years.
“I am more than excited to announce to you that we are re-branding to 3G The Band,” he posted on social media.
The Gateway Stream page and mobile application is a music platform for musicians to interface with their fans.
-State media
By Farai D Hove | Vice President Constantino Chiwenga yesterday turned 65, the same day Chimurenga Music legend Thomas Mapfumo celebrated his 77th birthday.
Chiwenga, who is the military commander who removed former President Robert Mugabe, received praises from the Office Of The President and Cabinet who announced saying:
Happy 65th Birthday Vice President and MoHCCZ Minister, Dr. Constantino G.D.N Chiwenga. We hope all your birthday wishes and dreams come true.
Chiwenga’s career has been blighted by a marriage scandal in which he has removed his wife of several years, Marry Mubaiwa, from their matrimonial home, and depriving her of access to her own children for 2 years running.
By A Correspondent-A prodemocracy Harare magistrate has ordered Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga and Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe to pay more than US$10 000 to a couple that was roughed up by law enforcement agents in Chitungwiza in 2019.
In a statement last week, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said Matanga and Kazembe were ordered to pay US$5 000 each or its equivalent in local currency to the victims of police brutality, Canaan Machando and his wife Sipetangani as compensation for violation of their rights and their property.
In addition, the magistrate Winfild Tiyatara ordered Matanga and Kazembe to pay $56 800 to Canaan and $24 000 to Sipetangani as compensation for damages to their mobile phone handsets.
During trial, Canaan and Sipetangani, who were assisted by Fiona Iliff of ZLHR to sue Matanga and Kazembe, told Tiyatara that on January 14, 2019, some ZRP officers, along with some soldiers who had been deployed to quell anti-government protests, slapped Sipetangani several times and kicked her in the presence of her two children.
The police officers and soldiers also ordered Canaan to lie flat on his stomach, stepped on him before assaulting him.
In her ruling, magistrate Tiyatara said Sipetengani and Canaan, and their children suffered emotional pain, trauma and shock from the incident and the couple was humiliated and embarrassed by the indignity of being forced out of their home owing to misconduct by police officers.
The magistrate said the conduct of ZRP officers was unlawful and “there was no legal justification whatsoever for them to have conducted themselves in such a wayward manner”.
The magistrate also ruled that the actions of the ZRP officers were so indiscriminate, unwarranted, and unnecessary and that their conduct fell short of the duty of care that the police service has towards civilians.
The below footage shows businessman and Apostolic Faith Mission church elder Tawanda Nyambirai offering pastors a total USD1 million to endorse his crafted constitution, a matter which spilt into the High Court. –
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
By A Correspondent-A Norton based Chinese tiling company Sunny Yi Feng has denied allegations that it has not been giving its employees proper personal protective equipment (PPE), accusing former employees of trying to tarnish the image of the company.
Last week, a photo circulated on social media of one of an employee believed to belong to the Chinese company working in a gas station without the equipment.
Sunny Yi Feng assistant director Terry Taruvenga said it would be careless for the company not to provide PPE for their employees in the midst of a ruthless COVID-19 wave.
“The fact is that our company has provided PPE for different purposes and type of work such as work suits, masks and protective gloves,” he said.
“We have also done tests for all our food handlers and also workers in hazardous areas.”
Taruvenga added that it was unfair for people to spread such rumours based on a single picture of one employee out of the 1 700.
“There was also a picture of our injured employee being carried on a lift just to tarnish our image,” he
said.
“Another picture circulated about our meals, that raised the issue that the food is poor and prepared under a poor environment.”
Taruvenga said since the incident, the company had put in place first aid kits and wheelchairs for emergencies.
He added: “Our company has a three-shift system with nearly 300 employees and quality and healthy food is provided to each one of them.”
The company was also accused of paying its workers’ paltry salaries amid other allegations.
“The company’s wage payments are based on suggestions from our National Employment Council,” Taruvenga said.
“Currently, the company’s payroll is a combination of partial cash payment in United States dollars and local currency transfers.”
-NewsDay
By A Correspondent-Zanu PF is demanding monthly activities reports from all non-governmental organisations (NGOs), operating in Harare, as the repressive regime clamps down on pro-democracy organisations.
This shocking development was announced last week by Zanu PF imposed Harare metropolitan provincial development coordinator (PDC) Tafadzwa Muguti.
Muguti has summoned all directors of NGOs and private voluntary organisations (PVOs) to pay a courtesy call to his office, claiming that some of them were operating outside their mandates.
Government has on several occasions threatened to deregister civic society organisations (CSOs), accusing them of dabbling in politics and being hostile to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his ruling Zanu PF party.
In a circular to NGOs, CSOs, PVOs and faith-based organisations yesterday, Muguti ordered them to submit work plans for the rest of this year. He demanded that they provide him with information on workshops and other operations they would be conducting within the province.
Muguti also ordered the organisations to provide monthly reports and other information on their operations by July 9, 2021.
“It has been noted with a high degree of concern that any organisations operating in Harare Metropolitan province, in particular NGOs, have been straying from mandates stated in their respective memoranda of understanding (MOUs),” Muguti said in a circular dated June 30 seen by NewsDay.
“Suffice to say that such behaviour represents a breach of memorandum of agreement and should not be manifested further.
“In view of the foregoing, all non-governmental organisations are hereby directed that operations and clearance of NGOs is now domiciled with the provincial development co-ordinator. All NGO country directors are also invited to a courtesy call with the provincial development co-ordinator and the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution (Oliver Chidawu) for formalities.”
He, however, did not state the constitutional provisions that give him the power to summon the NGOs.
In 2019, High Court judge Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo ruled that district administrators had no business in the operations of NGOs.
Several directors of local NGOs confirmed to NewsDay that they had received Muguti’s circular yesterday, but some said they were failing to comprehend his dictates.
By A Correspondent- Chimurenga music guru, Thomas Tafirenyika Mapfumo this weekend celebrated his 76th birthday and reminded Zimbabweans to continue fighting for their rights.
After losing hope of reclaiming his Harare East constituency seat, former Finance minister Terrence Mukupe is reportedly plotting a major political comeback to contest the Hurungwe North parliamentary post in the 2023 elections on a Zanu PF ticket.
In 2018, Mukupe lost the Harare East seat to former Finance Minister Tendai Biti of the MDC Alliance.
However, the controversial politician now intends to resurrect his political fortunes by wrestling the rural outpost of Hurungwe North where the electorate is apparently sympathetic and pliant to Zanu PF machinations.
The constituency is currently held by Ability Gandawa (Zanu PF), a maverick and youthful politician.
In order to fulfill his political aspirations, the former Deputy Finance Minister recently successfully lodged an application with Zanu PF seeking transfer from Harare to Mashonaland West.
In a communication leaked to NewZimbabwe.com this week, Zanu PF Harare provincial chairperson Goodwills Masimirembwa made glossy recommendations to Mashonaland West administration secretary Simbarashe Ziyambi before requesting a ‘soft landing’ for the volatile politician.
Wrote Masimirembwa; “Zanu PF Harare province is hereby recommending Cde Terrence Mukupe who has applied to transfer to Mashonaland West. Cde Mukupe is a former provincial member who held the position of secretary for information and publicity from 2017 to 2019.
“In 2015, he was elected Member of Parliament for Harare East constituency and was appointed Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Development under the new dispensation.”
Contacted for comment Thursday over his latest decision to cross to Mashonaland West, deemed a political hotbed, Mukupe confirmed the move.
“It’s normal within Zanu PF to change constituencies, President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa moved from Kwekwe to his home area of Chirumanzu-Zibagwe. He is someone l emulate and I have moved for the same reasons he moved,” Mukupe told NewZimbabwe.com.
In 2018, Mukupe who has strong links to Mnangagwa, won the Zanu PF primaries and contested for Harare East but lost to Biti.
He is the Zanu PF shadow MP for the constituency that he has decided to dump.
If his application is approved, Mukupe will become a member of Zanu PF Cell 24 under the Rukuwu branch of Nyamakate district under the Zanu PF Hurungwe administrative district, Masimirembwa said.
-Newzimbabwe.com
Bulawayo hospitals are experiencing a shortage of space in wards designated for Covid-19 as positive cases continue to soar in the city with Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital — a designated isolation centre, having patients sharing oxygen points.
According to a weekly Covid-19 update for the city, as of Friday, Thorngrove had 34 patients admitted to the hospital’s isolation wing against a bed capacity of 28. In an interview with Sunday News, the City Health Director, Dr Edwin Sibanda said the situation meant patients now had to share oxygen points, which he said was not ideal. He said the situation could be worse in the coming few days as United Bulawayo Hospital’s (UBH) Old Bartley Memorial was also fast filling up.
“Thorngrove has filled up because from a designated capacity of 28 beds we have 34 patients admitted, which has seen us now having patients sharing oxygen points, which in itself is far from being ideal. We are, however, making do with what we have as we noted that not all the patients can be on oxygen at the same time, therefore they can easily share. What is worrying is that UBH is also filling up, which if it happens will surely point to a crisis,” said Dr Sibanda.
According to the figures, UBH which has a designated capacity for Covid-19 patients of 42, had 40 patients on Friday. At UBH there are nine severe cases, with four patients in the Intensive Care Unit, according to Dr Sibanda.
Mpilo Central Hospital, with a bed capacity for Covid-19 patients of 32 has already admitted 14 patients, meaning they can only take in a further 18. At Elangeni Isolation Centre which takes in those who do not need hospitalisation, there are 34 patients admitted, with a bed capacity of 70, while at the Roman Catholic-owned Mater Dei hospital, with a bed capacity of 35, just nine people are admitted, although the private facility charges way above what the majority can afford.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care as of Friday the city had a number of suburbs classified as Covid-19 hotspots, with 819 active cases and six deaths recorded on that day. The city also had 39 new cases. Acting chief executive officer of Mpilo Central Hospital Professor Solwayo Ngwenya said they were receiving patients in large numbers although they were not a designated Covid-19 centre.
“At Mpilo we had a ward where we were housing persons under investigation for Covid-19 and we had no patients generally. Then we started having four to five patients but this week suddenly the numbers shot up to 20 patients in that ward. These are no longer patients under investigation. As we speak, we have got these infected people and we cannot take them to UBH or Thorngrove Hospital because those centres are saying they are full and cannot take any Covid-19 patients,” he said in an interview on Friday.
Prof Ngwenya said Mpilo was slowly becoming a Covid-19 centre but resources were bound to run out.
“We had to open a new ward to separate the positive cases and people under investigation. The situation is dire, we will be overrun,” Prof Ngwenya said.
He blamed complacency by the public for the recent spike in cases.
“Unfortunately, we were affected by complacency, we relaxed in the last wave, people didn’t see it coming. We lost the plot there. Parties, bars, and funerals were taking place and the infections got so bad,” he lamented.
Prof Ngwenya said two weeks ago, they got about eight people per day but last Thursday alone they got 36 people who were positive for Covid-19.
“These had come for treatment in the outpatient department. This means they will have used public transport, infecting others too,” he added.
The acting CEO of UBH Dr Narcissus Dzvanga said they were equally in a predicament.
“The oxygen is also available but the virus is very unpredictable. One day there are a few patients and the following day 10 patients come all at once. Our biggest challenge is linen, our laundry machine was never meant for such large numbers as we are seeing now. Both UBH and Arundel are using a small machine that was not meant for such volumes of linen such that it is always breaking down. It is down as we speak. We are outsourcing services as it is. It’s more of ancillary services that are needed.
“We may discharge some and then we think it’s quiet then suddenly 10 patients come at once. The other challenge is that of human resources, nurses that had been recruited versus the patients that are coming does not tally, we now need locum (relief) nurses that can help. The X-Ray department also cannot cope with the numbers of people requiring the service,” said Dr Dzvanga.
He said space to accommodate patients may be available but other resources should also be availed in order for all that space to be useful. According to figures from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, from last Sunday to yesterday, the country recorded 7 447 new cases with 134 deaths. Last Sunday the country recorded 11 deaths, Monday 13 deaths, Tuesday 12 deaths, Wednesday 28 deaths, Thursday 19 deaths, Friday 33 deaths and yesterday 18 deaths. In the week that ended, 26 June, the country recorded 4 390 new cases with 59 deaths.
Meanwhile, Government has banned all higher learning institutions from conducting face-to-face lectures following the rise of Covid-19 cases in some of the institutions. According to a circular to all principals of teachers’ colleges, polytechnics and industrial training colleges from the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Professor Fanuel Tagwira said non-resident students have now been barred from attending physical classes.
“The ministry has noted with concern the increase in cases of Covid-19 recorded in our institutions, particularly the students in boarding as well as teaching and non-teaching staff. In this regard may you ensure that all students who test positive be isolated and all those who test negative or not yet confirmed should be quarantined at the institution, while non-resident students should stop coming into college. Henceforth, face-to-face lessons are hereby suspended with immediate effect,” reads the circular.
Prof Tagwira said teaching and learning has to continue online. On Thursday, Bulawayo Polytechnic put all students in their residency on isolation after three of them tested positive for Covid-19. The higher learning institution further barred off-campus students from coming to the institution so as to contain the outbreak.
According to an internal memorandum to lecturers, ancillary staff and students, the institution’s principal, Engineer Gilbert Mabasa said all resident students will isolate at the institution’s hostels.
“Following the testing positive of three resident students as of last night, the health authorities have advised that non-resident students stay at home while residents are tested to establish the extent of the positive cases. Resident students are to isolate in their hostels.
“There is a need for all staff members to be tested for a complete picture of the current situation. Accordingly, every non-resident student should be in self-isolation at home pending further instructions from the appropriate authorities,” read the memorandum.
-State Media
BULAWAYO hospitals are experiencing a shortage of space in wards designated for Covid-19 as positive cases continue to soar in the city with Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital — a designated isolation centre, having patients sharing oxygen points.
According to a weekly Covid-19 update for the city, as of Friday, Thorngrove had 34 patients admitted to the hospital’s isolation wing against a bed capacity of 28. In an interview with Sunday News, the City Health Director, Dr Edwin Sibanda said the situation meant patients now had to share oxygen points, which he said was not ideal.
He said the situation could be worse in the coming few days as United Bulawayo Hospital’s (UBH) Old Bartley Memorial was also fast filling up.
“Thorngrove has filled up because from a designated capacity of 28 beds we have 34 patients admitted, which has seen us now having patients sharing oxygen points, which in itself is far from being ideal. We are, however, making do with what we have as we noted that not all the patients can be on oxygen at the same time, therefore they can easily share. What is worrying is that UBH is also filling up, which if it happens will surely point to a crisis,” said Dr Sibanda.
According to the figures, UBH which has a designated capacity for Covid-19 patients of 42, had 40 patients on Friday. At UBH there are nine severe cases, with four patients in the Intensive Care Unit, according to Dr Sibanda.
Mpilo Central Hospital, with a bed capacity for Covid-19 patients of 32 has already admitted 14 patients, meaning they can only take in a further 18. At Elangeni Isolation Centre which takes in those who do not need hospitalisation, there are 34 patients admitted, with a bed capacity of 70, while at the Roman Catholic-owned Mater Dei hospital, with a bed capacity of 35, just nine people are admitted, although the private facility charges way above what the majority can afford.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care as of Friday the city had a number of suburbs classified as Covid-19 hotspots, with 819 active cases and six deaths recorded on that day. The city also had 39 new cases. Acting chief executive officer of Mpilo Central Hospital Professor Solwayo Ngwenya said they were receiving patients in large numbers although they were not a designated Covid-19 centre.
“At Mpilo we had a ward where we were housing persons under investigation for Covid-19 and we had no patients generally. Then we started having four to five patients but this week suddenly the numbers shot up to 20 patients in that ward. These are no longer patients under investigation.
As we speak, we have got these infected people and we cannot take them to UBH or Thorngrove Hospital because those centres are saying they are full and cannot take any Covid-19 patients,” he said in an interview on Friday.
Prof Ngwenya said Mpilo was slowly becoming a Covid-19 centre but resources were bound to run out.- The Sunday News
An Iraqi chef died at a wedding after he slipped and fell into a giant pot of boiling chicken soup he was preparing on the 15th of June.
Issa Ismail (25), a married father of three, was preparing food in the kitchen of Hazel Hall for Weddings and Events in Zakho District.
After tumbling to the floor, the father of three was immediately rushed to Dohuk hospital which is around 40 miles away from Hazel Hall to receive treatment for the severe burns.
Medics spent several days trying to save Ismail’s life, but unfortunately, he died on June 21 as a result of third-degree burns that burned around 70 per cent of his body.
Speaking following his death, Ismail’s relative, Zervan Hosni revealed that the deceased had been working as a cook for eight years.
Hosni tod Middle East In-24:
He cooked food at wedding parties, mourning boards and various ceremonies, and for two years he has been working in two party halls for 25,000 dinars per day.
Issa was the father of two daughters, and a 6-month-old son.
Ismail’s tragic death sparked an outpouring of grief on social platforms, with many mourners blaming the incident on insufficient safety standards inside the country’s restaurants and kitchens.
His wage of 25 000 dinars is roughly equivalent to £12.45, or $17.12 US dollars.- Daily Mail
MORE than 10 000 people have been arrested for contravening the enhanced Level Four national lockdown regulations introduced last week to curb the rising tide of Covid-19 infections.
Figures obtained from the Zimbabwe Republic Police show that 10 252 people were arrested in the three days to July 1 countrywide.
The data shows that police are arresting an average of 3 000 people daily for offences ranging from failure to observe social distancing, wearing face masks, and participating in unsanctioned gatherings among others.
National Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi told The Sunday Mail yesterday that police will arrest those who contravene the regulations.
“We urge Zimbabweans to follow the lockdown measures and wear their masks properly, if they don’t, we are going to arrest them,” he said.
“For those who are opening beer halls and nightclubs, we are not going to show any mercy to them.
“Like for instance, last night police officers on patrol in the Harare CBD arrested scores of people who were drinking at beer halls and nightclubs.
“People must follow and respect the curfew.
“Lately, we have been having problems with people who are giving us unnecessary excuses. For example, some say they are coming from work at around 10pm.
“We will not listen to such petty excuses but we will understand if they are providing essential services or transporting commercial cargo.”- The Sunday Mail
Zimbabwean international boxer, Charles Manyuchi has beaten Mohammed Sebyala of Ugandan nationality to retain the WABA and WBF belts.
Manyuchi won by a unanimous decision in a contest organised and promoted by the Charles Manyuchi Boxing Academy (CMBA).
He retained WABA World Supreme and World Professional Boxing Federation titles after claiminga 3-0 win with all the three judges going for the Zimbabwean on 116-110 and an identical 117-109.
The tournament was initially scheduled for March last year but failed to take place because of the coronavirus pandemic.
His latest attempt to defend the titles had also been thrown in turmoil a fortnight ago after the government omitted boxing from the list of sports codes that had been allowed to resume.
Manyuchi was set to be stripped off of the two belts if he had not contested.
Manyuchi, a former WBC silver welterweight champion, has also been preparing hard for this fight since last year and said he would retire from the sport if he lost.
The Masvingo-born returned to the ring for the first time since flooring Argentinian Diego Diaz Gallardo in Harare two years ago to land the WBF belt.
The 30-year-old has been trying hard to work his way back to the top since losing his WBC silver welterweight championship title in March 2017.
Beating Sebyala is part of the plan and his next port of call will be in the United Arab Emirates in August.
No fans were allowed at the venue of the fight.- Pindula News
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa has said a few African dictators are denying citizens the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of the liberation struggle and independence.
President Chamisa on Friday described the late founding President of the Republic of Zambia Dr Kenneth Kaunda as a great leader who spent his life fighting for the freedom of Africans.
According to President Chamisa, liberation without transformation is meaningless.
“Liberation without development is hollow.There are a few African tyrants who are causing to wilt the tree of independence,” said President Chamisa.
Watch video below:
By Nomusa Garikai | “Chinamasa is an attention seeker and just wants to be slightly relevant. The fact of the matter is that it is not up to Zanu-PF for the Zimbabwean military to be professional, it is not even up to Chinamasa. It is up to the military to decide whether or not it remains professional and that there is no party, state conflation,” Nkululeko Sibanda said.
Sibanda, was responding to Patrick Chinamasa, Acting Zanu PF National Commissar, who was boasting about Zimbabwe Defence Forces’ (ZDF) checked history of political interference, at the behest of Zanu PF, in the country’s politics from the vote rigging, the military coup and the Gukurahundi massacre.
“Always be mindful that there is this unbreakable continuity between the liberation struggle and Zanu PF, between the armies of liberation Zipra and Zanla and the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) of independence,” boasted Chinamasa.
“Any notion which seeks to break this bond should be rejected outright.”
Zimbabwe is not the only nation to have gained her independence out of a bitter armed struggle. Many other nations had a similar experience and still they have managed to produce an integrated national army’s loyalty is to the nation and not to the political party or parties that waged the armed struggle. Zanu PF corrupted the ZNA; just as it did with many other state institutions such as the judiciary, ZEC, Police, etc.; for selfish political gain.
Indeed, ever since the late 1990s the number one priority on the national agenda has been to implement democratic changes designed to break corrupting bonds Zanu PF had fostered on ZNA, judiciary, etc., etc. The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders on the understanding the party will deliver the democratic reforms the nation was dying for.
The 2008 to 2013 GNU gave Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC leader then and of whom Chamisa is his successor, the best opportunity ever to implement the democratic reforms to break all the tyrannical bonds Zanu PF leaders had created to corrupt and control the army and all the other state institutions. Alas! MDC leaders failed to implement even one democratic reform in five years and we know why! Tsvangirai and company had no clue what the reforms were much less how they were to be implemented. Even to this day, with all the benefit of hindsight and volumes explaining what the reforms are, etc.; MDC leaders still have no clue what reforms are about.
It was USA Ambassador to Zimbabwe 2004 to 2007, Chris Dell, who said Morgan Tsvangirai “was a flawed and indecisive character” and, if he ever got into power, “would be an albatross round the nation’s neck”!
The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders into power. MDC leaders have been on the national political stage; for the last 21 years, 5 of which in the GNU; they have not only failed to bring about even one reform but, worse still, by participating in flawed elections they are the ones giving legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF.
Last week, Patrick Chinamasa announced that Zanu PF will deny the 3 million plus Zimbabweans in the diaspora the vote “as long as the sanctions imposed by the West remain!” Of course, this is just a feeble excuse; one does not beat up ones’ wife and children because they quarrelled with the neighbour.
Chinamasa’s announcement was not exactly a bolt out of blue, Zanu PF has resisted demands for diaspora vote for decades; this was just one more piece of evidence that the party was rigging the 2023 elections. Zanu PF knows the party will get away with yet another rigged elections as long as the MDC leaders participate; they have always done so in the past and, all signs are, they will do so again. Zanu PF has offered a few gravy train seats to the MDC leaders to entice them to participate regardless how flawed and illegal the election process got – it has worked!
The people of Zimbabwe have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders into power on the understanding the party will implement the democratic reforms necessary to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. Zanu PF has since corrupted the MDC leaders, they now do Zanu PF’s bidding and hence are now an albatross round the nation’s neck, just as Ambassador Dell had predicted.
“It is up to the military to decide whether or not it remains professional and that there is no party, state conflation!” How nauseatingly naïve and idiotic! Of course, the Zanu PF ruling elite who are also the top brass in the Army will never reform themselves out of office. The people have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders on the understanding they will implement the reforms and now they are fighting in Zanu PF’s corner, resist reforms! SOURCE: zsdemocrats.blogspot.com
