By A Correspondent- Exiled former cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere has dismissed claims that suggest that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is the one who signed the new Parliament deal with China.
The communications department in the office of the President had claimed that the deal to construct the new Parliament building in Mt Hampden was signed by President Mnangagwa in 2018.
Read a tweet from the president’s office:
“The current Parliament of Zimbabwe building is now old and inadequate for all the modern needs of an august house. H.E. President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa visited China in 2018 and signed several agreements. One of them was for the construction of a new Parliament building on Mt Hampden.” Kasukuwere however, rubbished the claims suggesting that he signed the deal during the late president Robert Mugabe’s era. He said: “You are not doing your principal a favour. The parliament project started under Cde Chombo and I signed the new parliament project in Beijing, and it was under Pres Mugabe. We all want Zim to be great, but stop being petty. “Once a project has been signed and all agreed to, including the architectural drawings approved by cabinet, it was all systems go. There is also (more) that should be done to develop our country and today’s Govt will not accomplish everything. Let’s look into the future and move. “I will avoid going into more details because it’s not necessary. Govt’s are there to deliver and at times let the work speak than immature noises.” Kasukuwere also claimed that they constructed the road that leads to the site, water reservoirs and got the contractor on the site during Mugabe’s era. The incumbent government is being criticised for plunging the country further into oblivion. Critics cite the plummeting economy, the power crisis, and paltry workers’ salaries as some of the pointers to a degenerating state. Authorities, however, claim that since taking over in 2017, the Mnangagwa-led administration has accomplished a lot that could not be accomplished during Mugabe’s 37-year reign.
By A Correspondent- Contemporary musician, Jah Prayzah in partnership with UNICEF has released a jingle to coincide with the commemoration of the Day of the African Child to help promote the Learning Passport.
The jingle is trending on social media platforms.
June 16 was set aside by the Organisation of African Unity (now African Union) as Day of the African Child to commemorate to highlight and awareness about the education system in Africa.
As a United Nation agency that works towards improving education for children, UNICEF launched the Learning Passport in collaboration with Microsoft originally designed to provide education for displaced and refugee children through a digital remote learning platform.
The Learning Passport has since expanded to more countries and offers a country-level curriculum for children and youth.
Its launch in Zimbabwe came at a critical time when over 4.6 million learners in Zimbabwe have been out of school for extended periods due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MOPSE) together with UNICEF embraced the opportunity to accelerate digital-assisted learning. Through active collaboration and regular engagement, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Microsoft and UNICEF built the Learning Passport Zimbabwe.
The Education Technology platform was officially launched in March 2021 to reach 300,000 learners by end of 2021.
By A Correspondent-President Emmerson Mnangagwa has politicised the death of Roman Catholic priest, Father Emmanuel Francis Ribeiro, and that the late priest used to visit him when he was in prison during the colonial era.
Father Ribeiro died this morning at St Anne’s Hospital in Harare at the age of 86. Fr Ribeiro was a composer and novelist.
He composed over 17 Roman Catholic Church songs.
Fr Ribeiro was born in 1935 in Chivhu and attended Kutama Mission, Gokomere and Gweru Teachers’ College. He studied Theology at Chishawasha Mission before enrolling for a Master’s Degree at Bloomington College of Music in the USA.
By A Correspondent- President Mnangagwa has appointed a tribunal chaired by retired Justice Mafios Cheda to investigate the conduct of Justice Thompson Mabhikwa.
This comes after pressure has been mounting on the Bulawayo-based judge to step down to preserve the integrity and dignity of the bench after he was allegedly involved in an intimate affair with staff at the High Court.
The President appointed the three-member Tribunal, which also includes Harare lawyer Ms Philippa Philips and Mr Chaka Mashoko in accordance with Section 187(3) of the Constitution.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) notes with concern contents of a Press Statement by a Norton Based Chinese tile manufacturing company, Sunny Yi Feng Tiles (Zimbabwe) Pvt Ltd, to cover up its mistreatment of workers after it was exposed.
Instead of working on improving the situation at the company, the company went on to accuse the ZCTU of “bullying” and relying on so-called unreliable sources. It seems the company is more interested in protecting its ‘brand’ than the welfare of workers.
Let us set the record straight:
The ZCTU together with its affiliate union visited the company following complaints from employees that a number of their counterparts have been injured, some killed, and women sometimes collapsed because of exposure to gas leaks. They also complained of workplace Gender based violence and violation of national legislation and International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 190 that deals with Violence and Harassment in the world of work.
Workers also complained that their rights were constantly violated as most of them are paid less than the stipulated minimum wages/salaries. The workers said they remain under paid even after the National Employment Council ( NEC)’s ruling that they be paid according to stipulated minimum wages prescribed in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
It is a fact that on the 12th of June workers went on Strike over under payments but the management said it was because they had run their payroll and could not effect the stipulated minimums. The Chairman of the Workers Committee was arrested after the company wanted the workers committee reps to clean the toilets because of their decision and link with ZCTU.
Workers at the firm complained of being exposed to unsafe working conditions, and noncompliance with labour standards.
It must be understood that workers have basic fundamental rights and these are
• The right to membership to Trade Unions or a Workers Committee.
• The right to prohibition of forced labour.
• The right to protection against discrimination.
• The right to fair labour standards.
• The right to democracy at workplace.
The Company has a total workforce of 1700 of which 65% constitutes females whilst 35% are male. Below are some of our findings:
1. Safety Standards
It was quite shocking to learn that workers were asked to pay for the PPE provided by the company, each got a deduction of US$15. The company violated safety and health regulations as employees worked without provision of adequate PPE. Workers have not been taken for occupational medical checkups. It was so disturbing to discover that all the workers were exposed to hazards such as ergonomic, physical, mechanical, chemical, biological and psychosocial. This is a clear indication that provisions of SI 68/90 have been grossly violated and an urgent redress is recommended.
Some of workers have been injured and some killed as a result of workplace hazards and none of them compensated. There is serious under reporting of workplace accidents and this needs to be investigated.
2. Water Closets Facilities/Accommodation
The state of the water closets is so bad, as its flushing system does not work pausing a serious health hazard, a minute spent in the toilet is enough threat to one’s health. The workers’ health is threatened at all times, there is need to have the Ministry of Health come in to inspect the facilities as a matter of urgency. The state of workers’ accommodation is so appalling with 16 people sleeping in one small room and two sharing one single bed, worse still in the advent of Covid-19. This is in violation of the provisions of the Public Health Act Chapter 15:17. All workers have a right to strike, without any notice, when their health is threatened.
3. Working Conditions
All the employees were subjected to poor working conditions. It was brought to our attention that most of them were paid way beyond their actual pay days. When we went there, workers did not have pay slips, they were being paid way below the stipulated minimum wages as each employee was paid 3000 RTGs dollars per month against a minimum of US$100 for a general hand.
Their working hours were in excess of 8 hours per day as stipulated in the CBA covering the Ceramic Sector. There were wage deductions whenever one has requested for time off or even attending authorized meetings.
4. Freedom of Assembly and Association
We established that workers did not enjoy the right to freedom of assembly. The appointed workers identified as “Personal Assistants” are hell bent on harassing fellow workers and making sure they were not given time to attend to other issues and always issued them with warning letters and dismissals. They are denied the right to gather and discuss employees working condition, thus subjecting them to a circle of despair in violation of their rights. Everyone has a right to peaceful assembly and to freedom of association with others including the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his or her interest.
The ZCTU recommendations are as follows:
1. Payment of appropriate stipulated wages/salaries
Management must honor the provisions of the CBA and pay workers the correct minimum wages according to their grades. On working hours, management is requested to stick to the hours prescribed in the Collective Bargaining agreement and any hours in excess should be deemed as over time and paid in terms of stipulated overtime calculations.
The other area that should be corrected is on delayed payment of wages. We implore upon management to start paying employees on time not beyond the stipulated date of pay. Wage deductions for attending sanctioned meetings or having gone to see a doctor must be discontinued and all those employees whose wages were deducted should be refunded their monies.
2. Occupational Safety and Health
It is very important that a comprehensive safety and health inspection be conducted and that all the workers taken for specific occupational medical checkups as a matter of urgency. Again, an Industrial Hygiene measurement must be quickly done especially within the department where there are gas leaks and all those exposed subjected to medical examinations.
Issuance of PPE should be at the expense of the Employer not employees, and therefore the payment made by employees towards procurement of PPE is not allowed in terms of the Factories and Works Act Chapter 14:08 and its accompanying regulations, therefore all the workers should be refunded their monies as a matter of urgency. They should also be established safety and health committee including the workers committee which must start engagements with management through organised meetings.
There is a serious need to look into the reconstruction of ablution facilities as the state of current ones pause a threat to the health of workers, such a facility should be a place to walk into without fear of possible health threats. We also recommend that the Ministry of Health and the local Authority Building and amenities visit the company without delay in order to save mankind otherwise to save young workers from contracting both non and communicable diseases.
3. Workers’ Accommodation
As already alluded to, the current state of accommodation where workers are housed should be demolished and better houses built for all the workers. Sharing of two workers on a single bed should be discontinued as well as accommodating 16 workers in one room. This includes the canteen facilities and the meals provided.
Conclusion
Instead of spending money in Public Relations stunts, the company must work on these issues. The ZCTU will continue to escalate the matter even up to the international level. We cannot sit by and while workers are being abused. When the Government made a call that Zimbabwe was open for business we do not think it was to do with investors asked to come and contribute to the destruction of workers’ physical, mental and social wellbeing through failure to adhere to Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems.
By A Correspondent- President Mnangagwa has appointed a tribunal chaired by retired Justice Mafios Cheda to investigate the conduct of Justice Thompson Mabhikwa.
This comes after pressure has been mounting on the Bulawayo-based judge to step down to preserve the integrity and dignity of the bench after he was allegedly involved in an intimate affair with staff at the High Court.
The President appointed the three-member Tribunal, which also includes Harare lawyer Ms Philippa Philips and Mr Chaka Mashoko in accordance with Section 187(3) of the Constitution.
By A Correspondent- The late former President Robert Mugabe’s daughter Bona and her husband Simbarashe Mutsahuni have approached the High Court challenging the Statutory Instrument (SI) 41 of 2020 published to reduce their 1 800-hectare Mazowe farm.
The couple cited Lands minister Anxious Masuka and Attorney-General Prince Machaya as respondents.
This was after Masuka published the Rural Land (Farm Sizes) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020 (No 2) (SI 41 of 2020) on February 14, 2020, to facilitate the reduction of commercial sizes for redistribution to other farmers.
Mutsahuni and his wife said the SI was unconstitutional as the minister failed to consider important issues that were brought about the new law.
“The applicant has a direct interest in this matter, having been affected by the application of the provisions of SI 41 of 2020,” said Mutsahuni in his founding affidavit.
The amendment was done in terms of section 21 of the Land Commission Act (Chapter 20;29) repealing provisions of the Rural Land (Farm Sizes) Regulations, 1999, published in SI 419 of 1999.
In substance, SI 41 of 2020 sought to alter the sizes of land which can be held under the various natural regions in Zimbabwe.
The couple is a holder of an offer letter under Model A2 Phase II, in respect of Subdivision Consolidation measuring 1 804, 9719 hectares of Sigaro Farm, Mazowe district in Mashonaland province, which was granted on June 22, 2017 by the Lands minister.
“Acting in terms of SI 41 of 2020, the minister proceeded to withdraw the aforesaid offer letter with an express intention to reduce the extent of the land which we hold under the offer letter. This was unfair because it is common cause that the new SI came into effect when the old SI 419 of 1999, was in full effect,” Mutsahuni submitted.
“Despite this, it is also common cause that the minister did not adhere to the provisions of these regulations and proceeded to allocate individuals land sizes beyond the prescribed sizes under SI 419 of 1999. Pursuant to the promulgation of SI 41 of 2020, the minister has sought to pursue a rigid adherence to the new farm sizes stated therein.”
Mutsahuni said the SI was arbitrary in that its consequence was that it was applied retrospectively without regard to the nature and extent of investments made by any farmer who historically would have been on the farm.
He said they were not given any discretion to consider the suitability of the prescribed farm size against the extent of any investments made by farmer affected and the extent of utilisation.
By A Correspondent- Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe, is facing prosecution after ignoring a court order compelling him to compensate a police brutality victim.
High Court in 2017 ordered the police to pay Margret Chanyuruka US$3,000 in damages after she was brutally assaulted by police in 2016.
Chanyuruka has filed a summons in the same court seeking an order compelling Kazembe to pay up.
Chanyuruka sued Kazembe and Matanga on March 3, 2017, demanding US$13,500 in restitution “for shock, pain, and suffering on the basis of vicarious liability against the respondents.”
Her claim was opposed, and the matter was set down for hearing, but Kazembe and Matanga did not show up in court, resulting in a default ruling for the applicant.
On July 8, 2019, the High Court referred the matter to the motion court to decide on the quantum of compensation which was reduced from the original US$13,500 claim to US$3,000 or equivalent in local currency.
Chanyuruka, a counselor by profession says on July 6, 2016, she was with a client in a house in Budiriro when six police armed with guns, baton sticks, and shields stormed in and started assaulting them.
“I endured excruciating pain as a result of this assault by the ZRP officers. I then sought medical attention at a private doctor at the counseling Service unit on July 12, 2016, where I was treated,” she said in her summons.
“I was shocked to see the said six vicious police officers armed with rifles and unlawfully gaining entrance into the house. I was emotionally traumatised by the whole act and sometimes faced difficulties in falling asleep in fear of dreaming this whole act. The ZRP officers assaulted me for no reason.”
Chanyuruka said the officers said they were looking for the husband of her client.
“They were supposed to ask my client for that person and follow due process if they wanted to search the house or to arrest him,” she added.
The matter is yet to be heard.
Victims of police brutality are increasingly fighting back in the courts with the help of human rights defenders such as the ZLHR, filing claims for damages against mainly Kazembe and police chiefs, who face a slew of lawsuits.
A taxi driver who was shot by a trigger-happy cop was on Monday awarded US$7,000 in damages by the High Court after suing Kazembe and Matanga.
Matthew Mundwa was shot in the leg one May night in 2018 by Constable Kelvin Madzima while driving to Bluffhill suburb in Harare to drop off a client.
SUBJECT;URGENT NEED TO GO ON A DOOR TO DOOR VOTER REGISTRATION EDUCATION BLITZ, AFTER LIFTING OF COVID 19 RESTRICTIONS BY GOVERNMENT, OPPOSITION MDCA PARTY URGED.!!!!!
MDCA NEC/NC Member Mr Paddington Japa Japa is calling on all MDCA Political Party Members from the National Council down to Branches to go on a vigorous door to door Voter Registration education Blitz, immediately after the lifting of the Covid 19 Restrictions by the Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Health and Childcare. Yes it is very true that Covid 19 is a Big threat to our lives,it is lethal and devastating.If we all become reckless and not follow the World Health Organisation,Ministry of Health,and Certified Health Professional health and safe living guidelines, we shall surely Perish.To those who suspect or know that they are Covid 19 Positive, they must not put the lives of other vulnerable Citizens at risk.
The Word of God in 2 Chronicles 7 vs 13 Says,If i shut up heaven that there be no rain,or if I Command the Locusts to devour the land,or if i send Pestilence (Epidemic diseases that are virulent, contagious,infectious and devastating) among my People; 14.If my People ,who are called by my name,shall humble themselves,and Pray,and seek my face,and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven,and i will forgive their sin,and will heal their land. 15.Now mine eyes shall be open and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place.!!!
Our Lord God is very clear that he Permits some certain Situations and Calamities to happen amongst,His People,so that humanity can humble themselves,Pray to Him,seek His face and turn away from their wicked ways of life style.He God Almighty, will hear from heaven,forgive their Sin, and will heal their land.This message is from a Spiritual Perspective, but from a Humanistic Perspective, we have to Practice the World Health Organisation, Government through Ministry of Health and Childcare and Certified Health Practioners Directives and Guidelines.
However besides the above stated World Health Organisation and Health Ministerial requirements, humanity has to Satisfy Physiological Humanistic needs, to Survive. According to Famous Russian Psychologist Abraham Maslow,s Hierarchy of needs 1950.Humanity needs Food to eat,Shelter to live in, Better Education,Clean Water to drink and use,Money to Carter for everything, engage in Political Activities to bring change.Besides the effects of Covid 19 which are millitating against the above stated Humanistic Physiological needs. There must be a Balance between maintaining the highest Covid 19 health Standards, requirements and maintaining the day to day life supporting humanistic Activities,which if totally shut down, Human life might become extinct.
On the Political front the Zimbabwean Political Situation is currently languishing in the intensive care unit.There is need for a lot to be done versus the the constraints and unfriendly environment brought about by the Covid 19 epidemic.The Problem comes when the Zanu Pf Government uses selective Application of the law to deal with the Covid 19 threat.In the Past few months since the outbreak of the Pandemic, every Zimbabwean saw how Zanu Pf conducted its DCC and CCC Elections throughout the country during the Covid 19 lockdown Period, whilst attempts by the Opposition MDCA to hold rallies or small gatherings were twarted and crashed with impunity by the brutal regime Police,army and CIO agents.In a democratic Society, the law must be applied and used impartially to rule Citizens, and not to Oppress.In Zimbabwe Draconic law is used to punish innocent Citizens.
Under such circumstances members of the Opposition are always on the receiving end of such brutality and incaceration into filth unhygienic prisons cells.I therefore encourage members of the Opposition MDCA not to easily give up besides the persecution and harassment, but to continue fighting for Democratic and Political Space. As the main and biggest Opposition Political Party in Zimbabwe, MDCA must not surrender or easily give up their Constitutional rights,which are espoused in the 2013 Zimbabwean Constitution.
MDCA must go on a Country wide Voter Registration blitz, immediately after the Zanu Pf Regime lifts the Covid 19 Restrictions.This must not be done in groups, but as individuals,one on one as you speak to every Zimbabwean, in streets,shops,bottle stores,bars,market places,at dip tanks,in the fields,at funerals,and everywhere else around the Country.The only best way for the Opposition to enter into Goverment is by encouraging every Zimbabwean Citizen who is 18 years and above, to go and register to vote. This Message must be spread everywhere around the country.Failure to do so means that there shall be a Voter apathy, at the next 2023 Plebiscite.It shall prove to be very difficult for the Regime to rigg when the numbers are too huge!!! MDCA shall also need to defend the Election Victory Jealously after voting, by deploying sufficient Election Agents and Observers at each and every Polling Station, around the Country.The Election Materials eg V11s must be kept Privately,Secure and Secretly after voting in case of post Election Con Court challenge!!!
THE AUTHOR OF THIS ARTICLE IS AN MDCA NEC/NC MEMBER, POLITICAL ACTIVIST,SOCCER ADMINSTRATOR,CIVIC SOCIETY LEADER,AN EVANGELIST AND TEACHER OF GOD,S WORD, AND HOLDER OF A BSC HONS PSYCHOLOGY DEGREE!!!????????????
By A Correspondent- Police has ordered relatives of a 23-year-old-man who died last week from injuries sustained after being attacked at the MDC-T vice president and former Harare mayor Elias Mudzur’s Duriro Bar in Harare, to be patient and wait for the completion of investigations.
The relatives of the deceased had dumped the body at the rural home of Mudzuri.
Mudzuri owns the bar where the man was attacked and the victim’s relatives accuse the politician of having played a role in the assault.
The relatives were ordered to remove the body and proceed with burial arrangements pending the conclusion of investigations into the case.
According to reports, the relatives left Ronald Mukumbira’s coffin on a verandah at Mudzuri’s home in the Four Miles area of Zaka at around 6 am on Wednesday. Mudzuri is under investigation after being implicated as one of the people who participated in the attack on Mukumbira.
Police urged the relatives to be patient and let the law take its course with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Homicide Section now handling the matter.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the case, saying investigations were still in progress.
“We have intensified investigations with a view to ascertain what transpired on the day in question. The CID Homicide is investigating the matter and he (Mudzuri) will be summoned soon,” he said.
Mukumbira was allegedly assaulted on June 7 and died on June 10 at his house in Epworth, allegedly from injuries sustained during the attack.
The Warriors have been drawn against Senegal in the 2021 COSAFA Cup scheduled for next month in South Africa.
The two teams have been placed in Group C along with Namibia and Mozambique following a draw ceremony conducted in on Thursday.
Senegal are this year’s guest nation and will participate in the competition for the first time.
This year’s edition will have a new format with twelve teams split into three groups of four. The top side in each pool, as well as the best runner up, will advance to the semifinals. There will be no Plate competition.
Group A has hosts South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini and Botswana while Group B has defending champions Zambia, Malawi, Madagascar and Comoros.
The tournament will take place from July 7-18 Ne.-Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Real Madrid have confirmed that captain Sergio Ramos is leaving the club after sixteen years.
The defender will not renew his contract when it expires at the end of this month.
Madrid had offered him a one year deal with a 10 percent reduction in salary, but the player didn’t accept as he was looking for at least a two-year year contract.
A press conference will be held tomorrow where Ramos will bid his farewell.
A statement by the club confirmed the development, saying: “Real Madrid CF announces that tomorrow, Thursday, June 17, at 12:30 pm, there will be an institutional act of tribute and farewell to our captain Sergio Ramos, with the presence of our president Florentino Pérez.”
made over 670 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring 101 goals.
He won twenty-two trophies with Madrid including five La Liga titles, three Champions League and four FIFA Club World Cup.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Q: How have the vaccines been developed so quickly? Does this mean that their safety and efficacy has been compromised?
A: The speed of development of COVID-19 vaccines has been unprecedented for several reasons, but the safety and efficacy requirements for vaccines have not been compromised, Vaccine development was facilitated by:
The massive financial investment by governments, industry and philanthropic organisations in vaccine development and the re-direction of much of the global research and commercial infrastructure for the development and manufacture of vaccines. Governments also enabled companies to take the commercial risk of manufacturing some vaccine stocks ahead of regulatory approvals.
New technologies adapted from the development of other vaccines – mRNA vaccines were developed for COVID-19 very rapidly after the sequence of the COVID-19 virus was determined, but the underlying technology had been under development since much longer and production could be scaled up very quickly. The adenovirus technology used for adenovirus vector vaccines was first tested with SARS, MERS and Ebola virus over the last 20 years, and so was able to be adapted quickly to COVID-19, which has several similarities to these viruses.
Clinical trial successes – it has been possible to rapidly recruit large numbers of volunteers into clinical trials and, with unfortunately high rates of infection in several countries, to complete trials with 10,000-50,000 people in a short period of time. Under normal circumstances, it may take many months or even a few years to carry out trials of this size to determine whether a vaccine is effective. Very close collaboration – between regulators, industry and clinical researchers enabled clear indications of regulatory requirements and early access to results.
Intensive and insightful research – researchers predicted that the “spike protein” on the virus would be a good target for vaccine development, and almost all vaccines have been designed to induce a response to this protein. So far, the spike protein has produced a strong immune response in those vaccinated, and for those vaccines that have reported clinical results are highly protective from COVID-19 disease. Q: Will mRNA vaccines affect the DNA of vaccine recipients?
A: No. The mRNA in the vaccine has not been shown to incorporate itself into the genes of vaccine recipients and breaks down in the weeks after vaccination. mRNA vaccines contain genetic instructions for our cells, which only read them and provide copies of the SARS-CoV2 spike protein. This enables the body’s natural immune systems to cause a response in vaccine recipients if they are later exposed to the virus.
Q: How long will COVID-19 vaccination provide protection for immunised people?
A: We do not yet know how long protection from any of these vaccines lasts. We will get better insights over the next 12 months.
The duration of protection provided by vaccines can vary. For example, the seasonal influenza vaccine is given annually, because the influenza virus mutates, and protection wanes over a number of months. Other vaccines, such as those for rubella or measles provide multi-year or even life-long protection from disease. Mutations in key viral proteins can mean that virus variants emerge. The SARS-CoV-2-coronavirus is prone to mutations that creates variants, some of which have become established in a number of regions of the world. The scientific community and regulators are very actively monitoring whether the current vaccines can continue protecting people from infection with new variants. A number of vaccine developers are currently developing vaccines against the range of variants, and it is likely that booster shots with these vaccines will increase protection against known variants. Regulators have agreed that review of data on vaccines against variants will be facilitated based on assessment of immune response to the variant, in the same way that new seasonal influenza vaccines are evaluated each year. Q: Why are there so many vaccine candidates?
A: As the global seriousness of the pandemic became rapidly apparent, development of effective vaccines for COVID-19 became the top priority of many pharmaceutical companies and medical research institutes. There was also unprecedented government and private sector investment in vaccine development. There is now a wide range of technologies for developing new vaccines – and many of the organisations developing COVID-19 vaccines have particular experience in one or more of these technologies. This has ensured that there would still be vaccines available if some were not approved for reasons of efficacy, safety or manufacturing challenges.
Q: What if many people start getting a reaction from a particular COVID-19 vaccine?
A: Short-term reactions, such as soreness at the injection site, fatigue or headache are common following any vaccination with COVID-19 vaccines. These reactions usually pass in a day or two. If new evidence becomes available that suggests that a specific serious adverse event may be linked to a particular COVID-19 vaccine then regulators will take action, working collaboratively on a global basis and liaise with public health authorities. The type of actions that can be taken depend on the nature of the adverse event, and could range from issuing safety warnings for patients, healthcare professionals and the community; updating the product information or consumer information for the vaccine to show contraindications for the use in particular patients (e.g. those with certain co-morbidities); to closely monitoring adverse events in certain groups of patients; preventing the release of a particular batch of vaccine through to temporary suspension of the use of the vaccine until more is known.
Q: How are regulators speeding up the time it takes to authorise a COVID-19 vaccine?
A: Many regulators globally have implemented faster access pathways for COVID-19 vaccines, without compromising on strict standards of safety, quality and efficacy.
Some countries have Emergency Use Authorisation pathways which assess the available data at the time of authorisation. Exercising these provisions is a matter for those countries, taking into account the benefits versus risks in the context of the prevailing domestic pandemic situation. Different countries may coin this pathway or authorisation routes differently but essentially, they follow the same principles. Other countries have implemented accelerated/priority, conditional or provisional approval schemes.
Under normal circumstances, regulatory assessment begins once all information to support registration is available. For COVID-19 vaccines, many regulators have agreed to accept data on a rolling basis to enable early evaluation of data as it becomes available. Regulators will only be in a position to make a provisional approval decision for a vaccine once there is sufficient data to support adequately the safety, quality and effectiveness of the vaccine for its intended use. If a decision is made to grant provisional or conditional approval, it will be based on the requirement for the sponsor to submit more comprehensive, longer term clinical data, stability data and other information with agreed timelines. Q: Did our country approve this COVID-19 vaccine, or are we relying on another country’s approval?
A: Most countries are carrying out independent regulatory evaluations on the submitted data for each vaccine. However, to ensure a more efficient use of resources and expertise, regulators in different countries are communicating closely on safety, efficacy and quality data and discussing technical issues as they may arise. In many cases principles of WHO Good Reliance Practices and collaborative mechanisms leverage the output of other regulators.
Q: Why weren’t very rare blood clots with low platelets with the AstraZeneca or Janssen vaccines picked up during clinical trials?
A: Thromboembolic events with concurrent thrombocytopenia are very rare – with estimates based on the number of spontaneous reports suggesting an overall incidence on the order of 10-15 cases per million doses. The clinical trials of these vaccines included large numbers of people, often with 10,000 to 20,000 individuals in the active vaccine arms, but even in trials of this size it was statistically unlikely that such very rare events would be detected. This shows the importance of continual safety monitoring during the use of these vaccines, to allow very rare events to be detected and investigated further.
Source:
Joint Statement from the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities and World Health Organization
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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Tinashe Sambiri|Zanu PF heavyweights who attempted to seize the burial of Gutu accident victims on Wednesday left the funeral proceedings in a huff after being humiliated by mourners and the bereaved family.
Zanu PF officials Pupurai Togarepi, Senator Lovemore Matuke and members of the feared Joint Operation Command(JOC) literally captured the funeral proceedings but later the left Chidyamakuni Village in awe after being embarrassed by mourners.
The Zanu PF bigwigs also attempted to block MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa from addressing mourners.This did not augur well with members of the bereaved family who maintained that President Chamisa had the right to address mourners as he was part of the family.
While the Zanu PF administration contributed a meagre RTGS 50 000 to the funeral programme, President Chamisa provided coffins and essential items.
President Chamisa is also taking care of the treatment of the survivor of the horrific accident.
Briefing the media at the funeral, President Chamisa said:
“I am here as a close relative of the bereaved family. In actual fact I am part of this family.
You have heard what the government officials have said. That’s their contribution…
We managed to provide the essential items, including coffins.
We are also taking care of the treatment of the survivor of the horrific accident.”
“This is a sad episode for the whole family.It is a sad episode for the entire village. It is a sad episode for the whole nation.
We are not here to fight. It is time for us to reflect on the devastating loss,” added President Chamisa.
By A Correspondent- Five armed robbers shot and injured two Fawcett Security guards with an AK-47 rifle in Bulawayo’s industrial site on Monday night.
One of the security guards was shot in the head and is lucky that although a bullet hit his skull, the injuries are not life threatening.
In a statement on Tuesday, Fawcett Security Operations managing director Mr Andrew Laing said this was the second time this month where teams were attacked by robbers.
“In Bulawayo’s Industrial Site last night, our Alarms Reaction Team was attacked by five or more armed robbers who had broken into the premises and were preparing to blow the safe. Two of our staff were injured, fortunately not seriously. One was shot in the head, apparently with an AK-47 rifle, though the bullet creased the skull and the injury is not life threatening,” said Mr Laing.
He said the second incident occurred in Chisumbanje in Manicaland where six robbers raided his team before getting away with substantial amounts of money.
Mr Laing said they are anticipating that the robberies are set to increase.
“We certainly anticipate more similar incidents and in liaison with the police we are continually reviewing systems and equipment to counter the threat. Obviously, I will not disclose the details,” said Mr Laing.
“As our clients, whose safety and protection is our top priority, I urge you to be ultra-cautious and to be alert to all normal signs or risks; cash storages, vehicles following, unregistered vehicles, suspicious characters lurking around and valuables left in cars, opening doors and gates without checking-all these things are well known to everyone.”
He urged businesses and members of the public to exercise caution as they go about their day-to-day activities.
Police have said they will comment about the matter later.
By A Correspondent- Exiled former cabinet Minister and G40 kingpin Saviour Kasukuwere has dismissed claims that suggest that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is the one who signed the new Parliament deal with China.
The communications department in the office of the President had claimed that the deal to construct the new Parliament building in Mt Hampden was signed by President Mnangagwa in 2018.
Read a tweet from the president’s office:
“The current Parliament of Zimbabwe building is now old and inadequate for all the modern needs of an august house. H.E. President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa visited China in 2018 and signed several agreements. One of them was for the construction of a new Parliament building on Mt Hampden.”
Kasukuwere however, rubbished the claims suggesting that he signed the deal during the late president Robert Mugabe’s era.
He said:
“You are not doing your principal a favour. The parliament project started under Cde Chombo and I signed the new parliament project in Beijing, and it was under Pres Mugabe. We all want Zim to be great, but stop being petty.
“Once a project has been signed and all agreed to, including the architectural drawings approved by cabinet, it was all systems go. There is also (more) that should be done to develop our country and today’s Govt will not accomplish everything. Let’s look into the future and move.
“I will avoid going into more details because it’s not necessary. Govt’s are there to deliver and at times let the work speak than immature noises.”
Kasukuwere also claimed that they constructed the road that leads to the site, water reservoirs and got the contractor on the site during Mugabe’s era.
The incumbent government is being criticised for plunging the country further into oblivion.
Critics cite the plummeting economy, the power crisis, and paltry workers’ salaries as some of the pointers to a degenerating state.
Authorities, however, claim that since taking over in 2017, the Mnangagwa-led administration has accomplished a lot that could not be accomplished during Mugabe’s 37-year reign.
Tinashe Sambiri|Zanu PF heavyweights who attempted to seize the burial of Gutu accident victims on Wednesday left the funeral proceedings in a huff after being humiliated by mourners and the bereaved family.
Zanu PF officials Pupurai Togarepi, Senator Lovemore Matuke and members of the feared Joint Operation Command(JOC) literally captured the funeral proceedings but later the left Chidyamakuni Village in awe after being embarrassed by mourners.
The Zanu PF bigwigs also attempted to block MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa from addressing mourners.This did not augur well with members of the bereaved family who maintained that President Chamisa had the right to address mourners as he was part of the family.
While the Zanu PF administration contributed a meagre RTGS 50 000 to the funeral programme, President Chamisa provided coffins and essential items.
President Chamisa is also taking care of the treatment of the survivor of the horrific accident.
Briefing the media at the funeral, President Chamisa said:
“I am here as a close relative of the bereaved family. In actual fact I am part of this family.
You have heard what the government officials have said. That’s their contribution…
We managed to provide the essential items, including coffins.
We are also taking care of the treatment of the survivor of the horrific accident.”
“This is a sad episode for the whole family.It is a sad episode for the entire village. It is a sad episode for the whole nation.
We are not here to fight. It is time for us to reflect on the devastating loss,” added President Chamisa.
President Chamisa at the burial of Gutu accident victims
Zimbabwe warriors star and English Premier League side Aston Villa midfielder Marvellous Nakamba has met President Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House this afternoon.
Details of the meeting are unknown but Secretary for Media, Information and Broadcasting Services Nick Mangwana said Nakamba brought with him former Nottingham Forest player Dexter Blackstock whom he said is eager to invest in Zimbabwe.
“Today Marvelous Nakamba and his team met the President. He comes in as an investor eager to plough back into the community. He was with Dexter Blackstock, a former Nottingham Forest player. Blackstone is very happy to be in Zimbabwe and to have a chance to invest in the country,” said Mangwana on Twitter.
Below are pictures of Nakamba arriving at State House
Tinashe Sambiri|Zanu PF heavyweights who attempted to seize the burial of Gutu accident victims on Wednesday left the funeral proceedings in a huff after being humiliated by mourners and the bereaved family.
Zanu PF officials Pupurai Togarepi, Senator Lovemore Matuke and members of the feared Joint Operation Command(JOC) literally captured the funeral proceedings but later the left Chidyamakuni Village in awe after being embarrassed by mourners.
The Zanu PF bigwigs also attempted to block MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa from addressing mourners.This did not augur well with members of the bereaved family who maintained that President Chamisa had the right to address mourners as he was part of the family.
While the Zanu PF administration contributed a meagre RTGS 50 000 to the funeral programme, President Chamisa provided coffins and essential items.
President Chamisa is also taking care of the treatment of the survivor of the horrific accident.
Briefing the media at the funeral, President Chamisa said:
“I am here as a close relative of the bereaved family. In actual fact I am part of this family.
You have heard what the government officials have said. That’s their contribution…
We managed to provide the essential items, including coffins.
We are also taking care of the treatment of the survivor of the horrific accident.”
“This is a sad episode for the whole family.It is a sad episode for the entire village. It is a sad episode for the whole nation.
We are not here to fight. It is time for us to reflect on the devastating loss,” added President Chamisa.
President Chamisa at the burial of Gutu accident victims on Wednesday
Zimbabwe Teachers Diaspora Forum (ZTDF) commemorates ‘The Day of the African Child’.
16 June 2021
The pro-poor Zimbabwe Teachers Diaspora Forum joins the rest of Africa in celebrating the courage and determination reflected by the well-co-ordinated Action Committee of the Soweto Students Representative Council (SSRC) when they peacefully confronted the satanic apartheid regime resisting ‘The Afrikaans Medium Decree of 1974’. The decree forced all black schools to use Afrikaans and English in a 50-50 mix as languages of instruction. On this day, 16 June, revolutionary learners gathered at Orlando stadium to calmly protest against the insensitive government in South Africa. It began as a protest by thousands, mostly students, fighting against the government’s insistence that Afrikaans – a language of the white minority should be compulsory in Mathematics and Social Sciences.
As an organisation for educators in the diaspora, we are humbled by the sacrifice of these oppressed learners who were victims of a policy of separatism based on skin colour. The organisation champions quality education to everyone and creation of opportunities in the post-secondary era. The Zimbabwe Teachers Diaspora Forum salutes South Africa, Namibia and many other countries in the SADC and beyond for ensuring that there is free quality education aimed at transforming the livelihoods of their children. It is quite pathetic that in the motherland 23% of children have dropped out of school because of economic instability caused by bad governance. The suicidal policies in the education sector are aided by the anti-people annual paltry budget of 13% received consistently for the past three years.
Furthermore, in a purported democratic dispensation and post colonial Africa, it is quite sad that we continue to see the dreams and aspirations of vulnerably poor children and those with the working class backgrounds suffocate intellectually as irresponsible governments go on to display a cold shoulder in investing in the socio-economic liberation of our children. The students were not only angered by the segregatory 1974 decree but also the deteriorating school infrastructure and overcrowded classrooms contributed meaningfully to the students’ frustration. Schools for blacks were never upgraded so that they could remain inferior to the white minority. ZimbabweTeachersDiasporaForum lauds the Soweto Youth Uprising as it became the zenith or turning point in the battle against apartheid which sought to undermine the indigenous South African Child.
Moreover, the pro-poor organisation appeals to all the governments in Africa to commit and dedicate themselves in investing in the education of Black children who were butchered at Regina Mundi Catholic Church in Orlando. The right to basic education is a universal fundamental right that should be enjoyed by all and sundry. The Coordinator mentioned a Fifteen-year-old Hastings Ndlovu who was probably shot before Hector Pieterson although he died later as a paragon of virtue and source of inspiration to all educators and learners. The high levels of human butchery perpetrated by the apartheid regime which left 200 innocent children or more killed in cold blood when over 20 000 learners marched against colonial masters reveals how sadist was the regime. This must compel independent African countries to guarantee the child’s right to free basic education.
Moreso, as educators in the fatherland and the diaspora, it’s our social obligation to support our learners against detrimental policies in the education fraternity. We pledge to defend the rights of our learners and teachers so that quality is guaranteed in our schools. What boggles the minds of teachers in the diaspora is that there is no difference between the apartheid regime and the so-called Second Republic. Infact, masters of apartheid appear to be toddlers in terms of repression of the voices of dissent. The killings of innocent citizens protesting against suicidal policies has become a national religion in our motherland. Right now we are commemorating this fundamental day of the African Child when our youth leader Cde Makomborero Haruzivishe is languishing in prison for mere whistling in town when murderers and gold smugglers are walking Scot free.
The illegal convictions of social democrats unravels that the Zanupf government is worse than apartheid, colonialism and assimilation and association. We have persecution by prosecution of our youthful leaders who are unemployed after acquiring their tertiary education certificates, diplomas and degrees. Zimbabwe Teachers Diaspora Forum continue to witness inhuman treatment of young opposition activists, journalists and human rights defenders such as Hon Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri, Netsai Marova, Takudzwa Ngadziore , Womberaiishe Nhende , Terrence Manjengwa, Allan Moyo ,Nancy Njenge, Paidamoyo Masaraure, Tafadzwa Chiriga, Godfrey Kurauone, Commander Obey’Luther’Sithole, Ngonidzashe Mafumba, Prosper Tiringindi only to mention but few. These are young and energetic youths who are arbitrarily arrested and they endured long pre trial detention for speaking for the voiceless citizenry.
In a nutshell, our organisation desires to see better livelihoods of the youths in Africa not vice-versa. We demand free education and reasonable salaries for educators. We shall not tire because we want to go back to Zimbabwe to assist our own than to continue working outside our beloved country, developing foreign countries. The governments must take the youths seriously because they deserve quality lives and education.The sacrifice by the Soweto Students Representative Council who watered the streets of Soweto with their for the liberation of the African Child must be honoured and respected.
We urge African governments to support the youths in schools, in their homes so that their lives can be transfigured.
By A Correspondent- Former Health and Child Care minister Dr Obadiah Moyo has been indicted to the High Court for trial on criminal abuse of office charges.
Prosecutor Garudzo Ziyadhuma told the court that Moyo’s trial will kick off on September 6. Ziyadhuma said:
_We are applying that the accused be indicted to the High Court for trial on September 6 this year after the completion of documents processing._
The State alleges that Moyo influenced the awarding of a US$60 million tender to Drax International, which is headquartered in the United Arab Emirates.
The tender was concluded without the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe’s approval.
Moyo allegedly influenced the awarding of the tender to Drax International, which sold COVID-19 drugs and personal protective equipment to the government at inflated prices.
President Emerson Mnangagwa fired Moyo last year over the charges.
Police had to intervene yesterday when relatives of a 23-year-old-man who died last week from injuries sustained after being attacked at Duriro Bar in the capital, dumped the body at the rural home of MDC-T vice president and former Harare mayor Elias Mudzuri.
Mudzuri owns the bar where the man was attacked and the victim’s relatives accuse the politician of having played a role in the assault. The relatives were ordered to remove the body and proceed with burial arrangements pending the conclusion of investigations into the case.
According to reports, the relatives left Ronald Mukumbira’s coffinon a verandah at Mudzuri’s home in the Four Miles area of Zaka at around 6am on Wednesday. Mudzuri is under investigation after being implicated as one of the people who participated in the attack on Mukumbira.
Police urged the relatives to be patient and let the law take its course with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Homicide Section now handling the matter.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the case, saying investigations were still in progress.
“We have intensified investigations with a view to ascertain what transpired on the day in question. The CID Homicide is investigating the matter and he (Mudzuri) will be summoned soon,” he said.
Mukumbira was allegedly assaulted on June 7 and died on June 10 at his house in Epworth, allegedly from injuries sustained during the attack.- The Herald
By A Correspondent- An 18 year old Brazilian woman has reportedly died while having se_x on her wedding night.
O Tempo, a Brazil-based publication, reported that the young bride died last Thursday after suffering a heart attack while enjoying d0ggie-style se_x.
Reports by the cops revealed that she collapsed while consummating her marriage with her new 29-year-old husband.
“She started to feel unwell and collapsed at the couple’s home in the city of Ibirité in Brazil,” the article read.
The local news outlet said the husband screamed for help, asking neighbour to call a taxi to take his wife to the hospital.
A driver allegedly answered the call but refused to help them up until an ambulance was called.
“The doctor found the newlywed in cardiac arrest. He intubated the patient, but she died on the spot,” O Tempo reported.
The publication said local authorities were called to the scene and the neighbour told the cops that she did not hear any screams leading to the death of the bride.
By A Correspondent- A 21 year old man from Matetsi outside Victoria Falls who is being accused of having se_x with a minor told a court that he never slept with the juvenile although the 14-year-old girl continuously pestered him for se_x.
Artwell Mathe of Masikili village under Chief Shana pleaded not guilty to having se_xual intercourse with a young person and performing indecent acts with a young person.
He appeared before Victoria Falls resident Magistrate Ms Lindiwe Maphosa yesterday where he pleaded guilty to f0ndling the girl but denied having se_x with her.
He was remanded out of custody on his own cognisance to Tuesday next week.
Mathe told the court that the complainant at some point eloped to his home on two occasions and he took her back to her parents.
The girl is doing Form Two at a local school and both live in the same area.
The two allegedly had a se_xual relationship starting in August 2019 until the girl’s mother caught them caressing each other in a bush and reported the matter to the police, hence the charge of performing indecent acts with a young person.
Prosecuting, Mr Asher Chindedza said the complainant told her mother she had sex with Mathe.
“During the month extending from August to September 2019, the accused and complainant had sexual intercourse twice with the complainant’s consent at his place of residence. The matter came to light in September 2019 when the complainant’s mother found the two in a bush in Matetsi,” said Mr Chindedza.
A medical report showed that the girl had been penetrated.
The court heard that Mathe proposed to the girl in August 2019 when the two met at a borehole and the two lovebirds later had sex.
G40 kingpin Saviour Kasukuwere has accused the department of communication in the office of President Emmerson Mnangagwa of misleading him on the construction of the new Parliament building in Mt Hampden.
Through its Twitter handle the presidential communications Zimbabwe said it was going to share the progress of Parliament today.
“Are you wondering what has since happened to one of the mega deals signed by H.E. President @edmnangagwa in China in 2018, the construction of the new parliament building in Mt Hampden, Harare? We will share the progress to date on this handle @1700 hours tonight@Parliament Zim,” reads the tweet.
Kasukuwere responded saying the project was started in the former president Robert Mugabe’s era and he is the one who signed it hence the department was not doing justice to Mnangagwa.
“You are not doing your principal a favour.The parliament project started under Cde Chombo and l signed the new parliament project in Beijing and it was under Pres Mugabe.We all want Zim to be great, but stop being petty,” responded Kasukuwere.
However, Kasukuwere is in exile but seemingly in touch of things happening in Zimbabwe and still has ambitions to be back in government.
UK-based businesswoman and socialite Olinda Chapel has refuted claims that she infected her husband Njabulo Tytan Nkomo with HIV.
This comes after social media influencer Tatelicious Karigambe-Sandberg went Live on Instagram accusing Olinda of infecting her ex-husband Stunner and her current husband Tytan with HIV.
In the video circulating on social media, Tatelicious went on to claim that Nandi is Stunner’s baby.
Following the trade-off on social media, Olinda Chapel published her HIV results and those of her husbands on social media to prove that she cannot transmit HIV to anyone;
Olinda went all guns blazing and blasted Tatelicious for peddling falsehoods. She said she is ready to take Tatelicious to court for defamation of character
Captioning the results, Olinda wrote;
“Tell that MAN to get educated on HIV Those are my results that state as undetectable and my husband’s results that state he is HIV negative. Undetectable means you can not pass on a virus to ANYONE. Stop stigmatisng HIV just because you havent come to terms with yours. You are busy doing a live creating lies and peddling manyepo ako. We are suing you and it’s not a joke. I want you to show me where ndakauraya munhu or my husband!”
The Warriors have been drawn against Senegal in the 2021 COSAFA Cup scheduled for next month in South Africa.
The two teams have been placed in Group C along with Namibia and Mozambique following a draw ceremony conducted in on Thursday.
Senegal are this year’s guest nation and will participate in the competition for the first time.
This year’s edition will have a new format with twelve teams split into three groups of four. The top side in each pool, as well as the best runner up, will advance to the semifinals. There will be no Plate competition.
Group A has hosts South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini and Botswana while Group B has defending champions Zambia, Malawi, Madagascar and Comoros.
The tournament will take place from July 7-18 Nelson Mandela Bay.
By A Correspondent| President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed a tribunal to investigate High Court judge Justice Thompson Mabhikwa whose nude pictures and ‘saucy’ chats with multiple lovers were leaked in a judges WhatsApp group.
According Proclamation 4 of 2021, Mnangagwa appointed Retired Judge Justice Raphios Cheda as chairperson of the tribunal with Justice Secretary Virginia Mabhiza being secretary to the tribunal.
Other members of the tribunal are Mr Chaka Mashoko and Mrs Phillipa Magnify Phillips.
Justice Mabhikwa caused a social media storm early this year when one of his lovers leaked his nudes after discovering that he was seeing other women.
Mabhikwa also stands accused of breaching the employment code of conduct as one of the women involved was a surbodinate.
By A Correspondent- One of the world’s largest diamonds has been unearthed in Botswana, the country’s government has announced.
The 1,098-carat stone, believed to be the third largest “gem-quality” diamond ever found, was presented to President Mokgweetsi Masisi on Wednesday.
The discovery was made earlier this month at the Jwaneng mine, around 75 miles from the country’s capital, Gaborone.
The mine is operated by Debswana, a diamond company jointly owned by Botswana’s government and the De Beers Group, according to its official website.
An official government Twitter account wrote that “proceeds from the diamond will be used to advance national development in the country.”
The 1,098-carat stone, pictured in Gaborone, Botswana. Credit: Monirul Bhuiyan/AFP/Getty Images”Debswana should use this latest discovery as an inflection point, for the mine to use its technology to realize more of these large discoveries,” it added.
Masisi’s office also posted a series of pictures showing the diamond being presenting to the president and his cabinet.
Officially opened in 1982, the Jwaneng mine usually yields between 12.5 million and 15 million carats of diamonds a year, according to Debswana.
This month’s find is the largest gem unearthed by the company since diamonds were first discovered in Botswana in 1967, the government said.
At present, the largest diamond ever recorded is the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, found in South Africa in 1905.
The Cullinan was subsequently cut into smaller stones, some of which form part of British royal family’s crown jewels.
The second largest discovery is believed to be the Lesedi La Rona, a 1,109-carat stone found by Canadian firm Lucara Diamond at the Karowe mine, also in Botswana, in 2015.
The diamond was sold to luxury jeweler Graff for $53 million two years later.
Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi holds the diamond as First Lady Neo Jane Masisi looks on. Credit: Monirul Bhuiyan/AFP/Getty ImagesRough diamonds are usually classified as being gem-quality, near-gem or industrial-quality, depending on their color, clarity, size and shape.
So while another, even larger diamond was found in Botswana in 2019 — a 1,758-carat stone dubbed Sewelô — experts said it could not be considered entirely gem-quality.
Speaking to CNN at the time of Sewelô’s discovery, Rob Bates, a blogger on the diamond and jewelry industries, told CNN that only “a handful” of companies in the world know how to “economically cut” such large rough diamonds.
“But it’s always an exciting moment when a mine coughs up a huge stone like that,” he said.
“It’s good for the business, good for the country of Botswana.”
The Harare Metropolitan Residents Forum, a coordination platform for Residents Associations within the Harare Metropolitan area condemn the arrest of the Director of Chitungwiza Residents Trust on allegations of inciting public violence.
Coincidentally, the arrest of Ms. Kuvheya comes at a time when Chitungwiza Residents Trust had successfully blocked demolitions in the Harare Metropolitan area mainly Chitungwiza and Harare.
Section 85 (1) (d) and (e) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe entitles any person acting in the public interest and any association acting in the interest of its members to approach the court, alleging that a fundamental human right or freedom has been, is being or likely to be infringed. Thus, CHITREST acted within the confines of the law by seeking a court relief against the demolitions.
We bemoan the continued abuse of the provisions of the Criminal Code as a deliberate ploy to silence alternative voices and human rights defenders.
We believe that Ms. Kuvheya was conducting her civic duty in defending the rights of her fellow poor and powerless country men who are under siege from the state and her actions do not warranty such persecution or any arrest.
We are of the view that actions against Ms. Kuvheya are meant to cow Residents Associations to stop demanding transparency and accountability in our crooked local governance system.
The level of the abuse of the law and of state machinery to oppress citizens that we are now witnessing has no place in any democracy and we are worried that the Second Republic is now reverting to the old practices of the Robert Mugabe era.
We are further worried over the increase of the presence of the state in the functions of our local authorities, a move that is creating confusion in Municipalities and it is against the spirit and letter of Chapter 14 on devolution in the constitution of the land.
We do not oppose bringing order into the metropolitan province neither do we condone lawlessness, but we are opposed to the strategy being employed by the government, in particular issuing of directives without broader consultations of stakeholders and citizen. Any demolition should be accompanied by a High Court Order as provided by the Constitution of Zimbabwe, government and local authorities should not act both as referee and player in the mess they have created.
We call upon all Residents Associations, Civic Society and residents to stand up and continue to demand accountability as provided for by the supreme law of the land. We further call upon the government of Zimbabwe, local authorities and government agencies to uphold constitutionalism and respect fundamental human rights and freedoms provided by both domestic and international law.
Finally, we conclude and reiterate that the arrest of Ms. Kuvheya is purely persecution and intimidation tactics aimed to silence Residents Associations in demanding transparency and accountability on decisions made on our local governance.
HAMREF will also approach the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission to seek redress on the continued use of the police to harass human rights Defenders on trumped up charges.
For more information, contact; Mr Marvellous Kumalo Mrs. Loreen Mupasiri Sani Chairperson Spokesperson 0776 191 402 0773 042 981
By A Correspondent- The late former President Robert Mugabe’s daughter Bona and her husband Simbarashe Mutsahuni have approached the High Court challenging the statutory instrument (SI) 41 of 2020 published to reduce their 1 800-hectare Mazowe farm.
The couple cited Lands minister anxious Masuka and attorney-general Prince Machaya as respondents.
This was after Masuka published the rural Land (Farm sizes) (amendment) regulations, 2020 (No 2) (SI 41 of 2020) on February 14, 2020, to facilitate the reduction of commercial sizes for redistribution to other farmers.
Mutsahuni and his wife said the SI was unconstitutional as the minister failed to consider important issues that were brought about the new law.
“The applicant has a direct interest in this matter, having been affected by the application of the provisions of SI 41 of 2020,” said Mutsahuni in his founding affidavit.
The amendment was done in terms of section 21 of the Land Commission act (Chapter 20;29) repealing provisions of the rural Land (Farm sizes) regulations, 1999, published in SI 419 of 1999.
In substance, SI 41 of 2020 sought to alter the sizes of land which can be held under the various natural regions in Zimbabwe.
The couple is a holder of an offer letter under Model a2 Phase ii, in respect of subdivision Consolidation measuring 1 804, 9719 hectares of Sigaro Farm, Mazowe district in Mashonaland province, which was granted on June 22,
2017 by the Lands minister. “acting in terms of SI 41 of 2020, the minister proceeded to withdraw the aforesaid offer letter with an express intention to reduce the extent of the land which we hold under the offer letter. This was unfair because it is common cause that the new SI came into effect when the old SI 419 of 1999, was in full effect,” Mutsahuni submitted.
“Despite this, it is also common cause that the minister did not adhere to the provisions of these regulations and proceeded to allocate individuals land sizes beyond the prescribed sizes under SI 419 of 1999. Pursuant to the promulgation of SI 41 of 2020, the minister has sought to pursue a rigid adherence to the new farm sizes stated therein.”
Mutsahuni said the SI was arbitrary in that its consequence was that it was applied retrospectively without regard to the nature and extent of investments made by any farmer who historically would have been on the farm.
He said they were not given any discretion to consider the suitability of the prescribed farm size against the extent of any investments made by farmer affected and the extent of utilisation.
By A Correspondent- Two illegal miners died at Sos, Jumbo mine in Mazowe after inhaling toxic gases in a disused shaft where they were panning for gold on Monday.
Silas Makanzi (30) of Kuwadzana 4 Harare and Oliver Ndodo of Chakoma village,Mount Darwin died in a shaft while prospecting for gold.
Mashonaland Central deputy police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Naison Dhliwayo confirmed the case.
“I can confirm a sudden death case in Mazowe were two male adults died after inhaling toxic gases in a disused shaft,” Dhliwayo said.
According to a witness Moses Manyika who was part of the now deceased people , said they were in the same syndicate when they went on the mine to prospect for gold.
“We went to the mine to pan for gold and the duo entered in the shaft while l was on guard outside after some hours l tried to reach out to my colleagues but there was no response,” he said.
“I tried to go inside the shaft but l could not go further due to toxic gases, l then called other illegal gold miners who came with a generator and we cleared the gases.”
“After clearing the gases we managed to retrieve the bodies and sent them to Concession hospital for post mortem,” he added.
Police warned illegal miners to regularise their mining activities and follow safe methods of mining.
By A Correspondent- Polygamous End Time Message Church pastor’s fifth wife is reported to have fled to a safe house over se_xual and physical abuse in the hands of her husband.
Innocent Gumbura, who is married to Sarah Wendy Romol has been described as hostile, over-controlling, excessively violent, verbally abusive, belittling and manipulative person in a probation officer’s report to the magistrate court in a row over custody of four minor children which the former applied for.
“The respondent (Romol) alleges that she ran away from him (Gumbura) because the applicant was getting agitated by the fact she had stopped se_xual relations with him and hence was increasingly threatening to take the children away, chase her out of the house and would not provide support for the children stating they would eat from school,” the report reads.
Romol says she had to look for a haven as she was always being threatened.
“As a result respondent alleges that she fled as a result of excessive fear and trauma suffered from the threats, degradation and physical abuse by the applicant.”
The report has it that Gumbura would beat his children with his ‘big belt that he wore in his waist’ for asking for ‘yummy’ food which he would give elder girls in the family while the others were made to have sadza.
Gumbura has four other wives and 15 children.
“. . . when angry he beats mummy and forces her throat in-between the head board panels or shouts at them. . .” the minor children said in the report.
Romol says she got into contact with Gumbura when her mother was sick and when she died they were left in Gumbura’s church’s custody.
All this came out after Gumbura approached Harare Children’s Court seeking custody of his four minor children born to his fifth wife Sarah Wendy Romol.
The Children’s Court therefore requested the department of Social Development for a probation officer’s report.
According to a Harare Central District probation officer Ms Gumbo, the case is expected to be heard today.
“The applicant stated that he separated with the respondent in 2018 after which, the respondent later on the 25th of February 2021, fled their matrimonial home in Hillside taking with her all their children,” reads part of the report signed by one Ms S Gumbo.
“He further stated that, he has not seen his children ever since and that he believes his wife and children are in some safe house provided by Msasa.
“On the other hand, the respondent concedes to the information provided and alleges that her marriage had its own problems hence the separation and eventual escape to safety in February 2921.
“Both families acknowledged that they were in a polygamous relationship which included four other families and 15 other siblings to the concerned children, reads part of the case background.
In his submission, Gumbura indicated that he was applying for custody because Romol had no mental, physical and financial capacity to take care of the children.
He alleged that she suffered from mental problems namely neurosis and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), ailments he alleged she once received attention at a local hospital.
Gumbo in her recommendation report she addressed the court to consider placing the four children in the custody of their mother Romol and Gumbura the father be given the right to access.
By A Correspondent- A Murereka man has been fined $1000 for stealing maize.
Learnmore Matangambiri, 23, of Murereka, appeared before Chinhoyi Provincial Magistrate Tapiwa Banda charged with theft.
He was found guilty as charged and was fined $1000 or 30 days in jail.
Two months were suspended on condition that he pays restitution of $1320 before June 31.
The complainant in this case is Johnson Chipfinhu, 39, of Murereka.
Prosecuting, Odrah Chitoro told the court that on May 27, at around 12am, Chipfinhu was asleep at his homestead when he woke up and heard some footsteps through his bedroom window in his yard.
He peeped through the window and saw Matangambiri.
He again heard some footsteps which prompted him to wake up out of his bedroom and caught him red handed picking up a 50kg of shelled maize from the stack.
At that moment, he called him by his name, asking him what he was doing.
This did not go down well with Matangambiri who picked up a half brick and hit Chipfinhu on his back.
However, the two wrestled as Matangambiri tried to flee from the scene.
Chipfinhu then called for help, resulting in the owner of the maize, Shumirai Ganye, and other neighbours coming to the fracas.
The matter was reported to the police leading to his arrest and subsequent appearance in court.
Independent Media has initiated investigations into the decuplets matter in South Africa and established that the ten babies were actually born and any effort to claim otherwise is a cover pushed by authorities at the hospital.
We present below findings by the Independent Media:
1. Gosiame Thamara Sithole was admitted to Steve Biko Academic Hospital on Monday, June 7, 2021.
2. She was admitted late in the morning and taken to the maternity ward. 3. At 6 pm or thereabouts, a group of four doctors and two nurses attended to Sithole.
4. Sithole gave birth to five babies via vaginal delivery. Doctors then proceeded to do a Caesarian section and delivered the remaining five babies.
5. Independent Media can confirm that Sithole was at Steve Biko Academic Hospital from June 7 until Friday, June 11. 6. Independent Media can confirm that Sithole was transferred to the lodgers’ section on Thursday. She was not provided with food except for bread and tea in the mornings. She was provided with no medical or psychological assistance.
Added the organisation:
_This information is corroborated by several independent sources, including staff at Steve Biko Academic Hospital._
_Considering our findings, Independent Media calls for an urgent investigation into the actions and statements of the CEO of Steve Biko Academic Hospital Dr Mathebula; the Gauteng Provincial government, and the Gauteng Health MEC, Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi with respect to the birth of the decuplets._
Independent Media demanded answers from Dr Mathebula, Gauteng Premier Mr David Makhura and Ms Mokgethi on the following questions:
1. Did they know that Gosiame Thamara Sithole was admitted at Steve Biko Academic Hospital on 7 June 2021 and had given birth that evening?
2. Do they have details of the operational set-up for the delivery, and can they share the names of the specialists and doctors who attended to the birth?
3. Can they share details of what extraordinary measures would have been taken to ensure the safety of the mother and the multiple babies?
4. Can they share information about the whereabouts of the doctors who attended the birth? 5. Why did they not disclose that the births did in fact take place at Steve Biko Academic Hospital?
6. What is their response to allegations from staff at Steve Biko Academic Hospital that they were threatened into not revealing any information about the births?
7. What is their response to allegations that the hospital was wholly unprepared for this unprecedented birth? 8. Can they confirm the number of doctors, neonatal staff, paediatricians, that attended the birth to take care of the health of the mother as well as the decuplets?
9. Can they respond to information we have that there were not enough functional incubators at the time of the birth?
10. Can they let us know where the babies are and their state of health?”
Independent Media said it was beyond shocked at the treatment meted out to Sithole. Added the organisation:
_She was given no food, no support, no post-natal medical care, and no counselling after an unprecedented birth. Any birth can be difficult, but that of delivering 10 babies is exceptional and should have been suitably prepared for._
_Worse still, Ms Sithole was pressured by hospital authorities to say she was not at Steve Biko Hospital. Ms Sithole has suffered trauma and shock – physical and psychological – following her treatment at the hands of both hospital and government authorities._
Independent Media said also called upon the national government to make full disclosure around these matters and for the hospital to tell the public what has happened to the babies suggesting there has been extreme medical negligence.
The organisation further argues that instead of looking out for the wellbeing of the mother and the decuplets, they have focused all their attention on discrediting Mr Piet Rampedi (Editor) and Independent Media.
In so doing, they have unquestionably supported what appears to be a cover-up of mammoth proportions.
Residents Trust (CHITREST) Director Alice Kuvheya on Wednesday 16 June 2021 appeared at Chitungwiza Magistrates Court after she was arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and charged with incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence.
The 36 year-old Kuvheya was arrested on Monday 14 June 2021 and charged with incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence as defined in section 187 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act as read with section 37(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
The CHITREST Director was also charged with incitement to commit violence as defined in section 187(1)(a)(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act as read with section 36(1)(a)(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
Prosecutors claim that Kuvheya, who is represented by Freddy Masarirevhu of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, communicated, persuaded and induced people to wage war between authorities at Chitungwiza Municipality and some Chitungwiza residents and some informal traders.
The prosecutors charged that Kuvheya recorded a video which she shared on social media platforms in a bid to incite residents and informal traders to resist a government backed exercise to demolish trading and vending stalls and structures.
Kuvheya’s alleged actions, prosecutors argued, would result in public disturbances and disorder.Kuvheya returns to court on Thursday 17 June 2021, where her application for refusal of remand will be heard before Magistrate Isheanesu Matova.
Through his lawyer, Kuvheya is arguing that the facts of the charge of incitement does not constitute or disclose an offence.On Wednesday 16 June 2021, Magistrate Matova ordered the state to carry out investigations into complaints made by Kuvheya against ZRP wherein she protested against the conduct of police officers who did not advise her about the charge she was facing upon arrest on Monday 14 June 2021 and who also took her from one police station to another and amended the charge several times.
On 10 June 2021, Kuvheya, CHITREST and Harare Residents Trust, who were represented by Rudo Bere of ZLHR, obtained a High Court order granted by Justice Edith Mushore stopping local and central government from carrying out unprocedural demolitions of homes, perimeter walls and informal traders’ structures as the exercise is not in compliance with the law in particular section 32 of the Regional Town and Country Planning Act and section 3 of the Administrative Justice Act.
By A Correspondent| Chitungwiza Residents Trust (CHITREST) Director Alice Kuvheya on Wednesday 16 June 2021 appeared at Chitungwiza Magistrates Court after she was arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and charged with incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence.
The 36 year-old Kuvheya was arrested on Monday 14 June 2021 and charged with incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence as defined in section 187 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act as read with section 37(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
The CHITREST Director was also charged with incitement to commit violence as defined in section 187(1)(a)(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act as read with section 36(1)(a)(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
Prosecutors claim that Kuvheya, who is represented by Freddy Masarirevhu of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, communicated, persuaded and induced people to wage war between authorities at Chitungwiza Municipality and some Chitungwiza residents and some informal traders.
The prosecutors charged that Kuvheya recorded a video which she shared on social media platforms in a bid to incite residents and informal traders to resist a government backed exercise to demolish trading and vending stalls and structures.
Kuvheya’s alleged actions, prosecutors argued, would result in public disturbances and disorder.
Kuvheya returns to court on Thursday 17 June 2021, where her application for refusal of remand will be heard before Magistrate Isheanesu Matova. Through his lawyer, Kuvheya is arguing that the facts of the charge of incitement does not constitute or disclose an offence.
On Wednesday 16 June 2021, Magistrate Matova ordered the state to carry out investigations into complaints made by Kuvheya against ZRP wherein she protested against the conduct of police officers who did not advise her about the charge she was facing upon arrest on Monday 14 June 2021 and who also took her from one police station to another and amended the charge several times.
On 10 June 2021, Kuvheya, CHITREST and Harare Residents Trust, who were represented by Rudo Bere of ZLHR, obtained a High Court order granted by Justice Edith Mushore stopping local and central government from carrying out unprocedural demolitions of homes, perimeter walls and informal traders’ structures as the exercise is not in compliance with the law in particular section 32 of the Regional Town and Country Planning Act and section 3 of the Administrative Justice Act.
The legend produced many heavy weight champions during his active days. Striker recently celebrated his 66th birthday. May the family, boxing fans and those close to him be comforted during this time.
Platform for Youth and Community Development Trust (PYCD) joins the world in celebrating the day of the African Child.
The day of the African Child is commemorated every year on the 16th of June. The theme for this year in 2021 reads, 30 YEARS AFTER THE ADOPTION OF THE CHARTER: ACCELERATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AGENDA 2040 FOR AN AFRICA FIT FOR CHILDREN.
This theme resonates well with the work of PYCD that has been endured for over a decade. In commemorating this year’s edition, PYCD acknowledges various efforts made by government and the civic society in the region in trying to protect and uplift the welfare of the African child.
The Constitution of Zimbabwe as adopted in 2013, read together with various statutes and institutional frameworks on child rights have been promulgated with sensitivity that is child –friendly to all forms of ill-treatment and abuse.
PYCD is saddened that despite all these efforts, the challenges affecting the African child remains glaring and far from over. These child-friendly rights continue to be pinned down due to the existence of harmful cultural and religious practices that have taken precedence over the law.In our decade of existence, PYCD has realised that the aspirations of the African Charter for the rights and welfare of the child, as ratified by over 50 states are still to be realised, due to the absence of safety measures that are linked to lack of preparedness at the level of the majority of African governments.
All things being equal, the charter provides for both civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights, yet these remain aspirational without being realised. The prevalence of natural disasters such as droughts, pandemics, human error and mismanagement of natural resources make life harder for children who remains vulnerable and neglected.
Zimbabwe has recently been a victim of cyclones such as Cyclone Idai, Cyclone Eloise and Cyclone Chalane whose impact on children has been devastating. This has been made even worse by the coming in of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Children have been left vulnerable to abuses such as sexual exploitation and poverty. Many children have been forced out of school or thrown far away from the protection of their parents due to the impact of the pandemic.
We continue to witness and read increasing cases of children who are being abducted or murdered for ritual purposes. The upsurge of child marriages is also due to the instigation of some religious and cultural beliefs, acts which continue to destroy the dignity of the child.
During this year, PYCD has promoted discussion and dialogue involving learners from selected high schools in Chipinge district. In partnership with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, the project has facilitated some of the learners to participate in an essay competition with the topic. “Ending Child Marriages in Zimbabwe”.
This is our contribution in a small way as we seek to confront one of the most debilitating interference to the rights of children namely, the right to education, the right to health as well as the right to information.
This intervention is aimed at involving the young women and girls to actively participate in the campaign to end child marriages by 2030.PYCD is sad to report that some of our lined up activities to commemorate the day of the African Child are now in limbo due to Covid-19 preventative measures announced by the Vice President Mr Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health.
The activities that have been suspended include soccer and netball tournaments that were scheduled for the 19th of June 2021. The idea of soccer and netball was seeking to allow young people to come together and receive speeches and messages on the importance of the day.
It is also aimed to inspire and positively influence young people to co-exist and cooperate to achieve sustainable community.
In the best interest of the child, PYCD therefore recommends the following
-That the government of Zimbabwe expedite the promulgation of all relevant laws to address juvenile justice issues including establishing a district criminal justice system for children.
-That the government of Zimbabwe fully align the children’s Act to the constitution ,including reviewing the Children’s Act to incorporate and ensure that the justice Mechanism system embrace the best interests of the child as paramount in all matters concerning the child
-That the government expand pre-trial diversion programmes and invest in Children ‘s education for a better post-coronavirus world.
Below are pictures of the People’s President Nelson Chamisa at a funeral in Gutu during the mass burial of the 5 family members who perished in a car accident a few days ago. The victims are all from his village.
A Roman Catholic priest, Father Emmanuel Ribeiro has died at the age of 86.
Father Ribeiro
Father Ribeiro died this morning at St Anne’s Hospital in Harare.
He is credited with masterminding the late former President Robert Mugabe and Edgar Tekere’s great escape to Mozambique.
Father Ribeiro also sheltered Mugabe and Enos Nkala when they had been just released by the Ian Smith regime as outlaw Political prisoners after 12 years.
Father Ribeiro was born in 1935 in Zimbabwe into a strong Catholic family. He went to St Francis Xavier College, Kutama in 1951. In 1952 he joined Chishawasha seminary where he did his Junior Certificate in Education, before joining Chishawasha seminary for Philosophy studies in 1954. He proceeded to Gokomere Mission where he did his teaching course. He was ordained a diocesan priest on 13 December 1964.
Father Ribeiro is credited with composing the first Shona hymns of the Roman Catholic church in the late 50’s.
His first song, “Gamuchirai Mambo mupiro uyu” came in 1961 and continues to be sung today.
His other popular compositions include “Alleluia munyika dzose”, “Tauya nezvipo zvemupiro”, “Mambo Mwari wamasimba”, ”Hwayana yaMwari”, Mwari Ngaarumbidzwe” amongst others.
Despite a gold looting scandal Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) president, Ms Henrietta Rushwaya, was 3 days ago re-elected as the federation’s president for the next five years.
Ms-Henrietta-Rushwaya-
This follows the recent ZMF national elections.
The federation spokesperson Mr Dosman Mangisi said Ms Rushwaya together with three other national executive members have retained their positions.
“Ms Rushwaya together with three other national executive members have retained their positions. Mr Marufu Sithole as the vice president, Mr Morgan Mugawu as the secretary general and Mr Lufeyi Shato treasury general have won the elections unopposed,” he told the state media.
Washington, DC – June 16, 2021: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team led by Dhaneshwar Ghura conducted a virtual staff visit with the Zimbabwe authorities during June 1–15, 2021 to discuss recent economic developments and the economic outlook.
At the conclusion of the IMF virtual mission visit, Mr. Ghura issued the following statement:
“Zimbabwe has shown resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and other exogenous shocks. The pandemic, on top of cyclone Idai in 2019, a protracted drought, and weak policy buffers, has taken a severe toll on the economic and humanitarian situation. Despite the authorities’ timely actions to support the most vulnerable groups and businesses during the pandemic, real GDP contracted by 4 percent in 2020, after a 6 percent decline in 2019. However, an economic recovery is underway in 2021, with real GDP expected to grow by about 6 percent, reflecting a bumper agricultural output, increased energy production, and the resumption of greater manufacturing and construction activities. Uncertainty remains high, however, and the outlook will depend on the pandemic’s evolution, the pace of vaccination and implementation of sustainable policies.
“The IMF mission notes the authorities’ efforts to stabilize the local currency and lower inflation. In this regard, contained budget deficits and reserve money growth, as well as the introduction of a foreign exchange auction system, are policy measures in the right direction.
“Further efforts are needed to solidify the stabilization trends and accelerate reforms. The near-term macroeconomic imperative is to improve the coordination among fiscal, foreign exchange and monetary policies, while addressing COVID-19 related economic and humanitarian challenges. In line with the last Article IV consultation, the mission highlighted that structural reforms aimed at improving the business climate and reducing governance vulnerabilities are essential for ensuring sustained and inclusive growth. To this end, the authorities’ strategy and policies as embodied in their National Development Strategy need to be fully operationalized and implemented. Durable macroeconomic stability and structural reforms would bode well for the recovery and Zimbabwe’s development objectives.
“Zimbabwe has been a Fund member in good standing since it cleared its outstanding arrears to the IMF in late 2016. The Fund provides extensive technical assistance in the areas of economic governance and financial sector reforms, as well as macroeconomic statistics. However, the IMF is precluded from providing financial support to Zimbabwe due to an unsustainable debt and official external arrears. A Fund financial arrangement would require a clear path to comprehensive restructuring of Zimbabwe’s external debt, including the clearance of arrears and obtaining financing assurances from official creditors; a reform plan that is consistent with macroeconomic stability, growth and poverty reduction; a reinforcement of the social safety net; and governance and transparency reforms.
“The virtual IMF mission staff visit outcome will serve as a key input in the preparations for the 2021 Article IV consultation mission expected to take place later this year.
“The IMF staff held meetings with Minister Mthuli Ncube, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor John Mangudya, other senior government and RBZ officials, representatives of the private sector and Zimbabwe’s development partners.
“The IMF staff wishes to express its gratitude to the Zimbabwean authorities and stakeholders for the constructive and open spirit in which all discussions were held.”
By A Correspondent- MDC-T Bulawayo province is battling factionalism hardly a month after infighting within its women’s wing exposed differences between supporters of party leader Douglas Mwonzora and his deputy Thokozani Khupe.
A belated International Womens’ Day celebration party held in the city last month was almost aborted after a group of women linked to Khupe walked out on Mwonzora, who was the guest speaker.
Khupe did not attend the celebrations.
Last Saturday, the divisions were also laid bare when the party held two separate meetings, a few kilometres apart, as opposing camps professed ignorance of each other’s gatherings.
Khupe graced a meeting held in Njube, while another was being held in Mpopoma led by MDC Veterans Association (VAA) chair Gideon Mangena, just a few kilometres away.
“To be honest, I did not know anything about that (Khupe) meeting,” Dorothy Ndlovu, who is the national chairperson of the MDC-T women’s national assembly, said in an interview with Southern Eye.
Journalist Jeffrey Moyo was on 15 June 2021 granted bail on appeal by High Court judge Justice Takuva in Zimbabwe’s second city of Bulawayo.
This followed the denial of bail on 31 May 2021 by Magistrate Rachel Mukanga.
Read: Journalist Moyo denied bail
Moyo was granted bail on the following conditions:
– That he pays ZW$5000.00 to the Clerk of Court Bulawayo Magistrates Court – That he surrenders his passport to the Clerk of Court Bulawayo Magistrates Court – That he continues residing at his given address. – That he reports to Mabelreign Police Station once a month on the first Friday of each month.
Moyo is being charged together with Thabang Manhika an employee of the Zimbabwe Media Commission on charges of contravening the Immigration Act.
By A Correspondent- Small-Scale Millers Association of Zimbabwe president Davis Muhambi has been fingered in the abuse of the government Roller Meal subsidy programme where he is said to have diverted subsidised mealie- meal to the black market..
Muhambi owns United Milling Company which is based in Bulawayo and was part of the government managed Roller Meal subsidy programme last year.
According to NewsDay, the corruption scam was revealed by disgruntled workers at Muhambi’s firm.
The workers told NewsDay that Muhambi owed local shops more than US$300 000 worth of roller meal which he failed to supply despite having accessed maize from GMB.
The government last year in March rolled out a roller meal subsidy programme where it prepaid millers to supply cheap maize meal to citizens throughout the country.
Millers, who participated in the programme accessed maize from GMB and got paid in advance for milling and distribution of mealie-meal by the Treasury.
There were, however, reports of the abuse of the facility by some millers who diverted the product to the black market and sold it in United States dollars.
Yesterday, Muhambi accused business rivals of spreading falsehoods to tarnish his image.
“Who are those employees who told you about salary arrears?” he asked. “Our payroll is up to date. We have already paid our workers the May salaries. We do not have any salary arrears. What is your concern on whether I pay my workers or not? If you publish that story I am going to sue you,” he said.
Asked to comment on accusations of failing to supply roller meal to retailers, Muhambi said it was normal in business to be in debt, adding that his company was also owed by other corporates.
By A Correspondent- MDC-T Bulawayo province is battling factionalism hardly a month after infighting within its women’s wing exposed differences between supporters of party leader Douglas Mwonzora and his deputy Thokozani Khupe.
A belated International Womens’ Day celebration party held in the city last month was almost aborted after a group of women linked to Khupe walked out on Mwonzora, who was the guest speaker.
Khupe did not attend the celebrations.
Last Saturday, the divisions were also laid bare when the party held two separate meetings, a few kilometres apart, as opposing camps professed ignorance of each other’s gatherings.
Khupe graced a meeting held in Njube, while another was being held in Mpopoma led by MDC Veterans Association (VAA) chair Gideon Mangena, just a few kilometres away.
“To be honest, I did not know anything about that (Khupe) meeting,” Dorothy Ndlovu, who is the national chairperson of the MDC-T women’s national assembly, said in an interview with Southern Eye.
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF youths have petitioned the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) and Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, expressing reservations over the lyrics in Sulumani Chimbetu’s song, Chirwere.
The song Chirwere has lyrics that denounce the way Emmerson Mnangagwa got into power in November 2017.
Mnangagwa became the President in November 2017 after ousting his long time ally, the late Robert Mugabe, through a military coup.
It is considered taboo in the Shona custom to engage in cultural ceremonies in November.
Through their organisation Zimbabwe Revolutionary and Patriotic Youth Network (ZIRAPAYON), Zanu PF youths wrote to ZPCS and minister Ziyambi complaining that Sulu should interpret his song.
Sulu, who is the brand ambassador for the ZPCS, where he is an assistant commissioner, implied in the song that the country was being plagued by problems because it installed a leader in the month of November.
In the letter, the youths are demanding that Sulu should explain what he meant in the song.
“ZIRAPAYON Harare province was not pleased by a song released by the ambassador of the ZPCS Assistant Commissioner Sulumani Chimbetu featuring one chanter popularly known as Hwindi President,” the letter read in part.
“We seek clarity on what he meant. We are sure that your esteemed office would also want to understand what the goodwill ambassador implied. We join hands with you and all patriotic Zimbabweans in demanding an explanation. A proactive response will be highly appreciated.”
Last week Sulu, son of the late legendary musician and liberation war hero, Simon, torched a political storm after his pictures clad in Zanu PF regalia went viral.
This came shortly after he was photographed in the company of Harare West MP Joanah Mamombe (MDC Alliance.
Sulu has been under a barrage of criticism from mainly Zanu PF supporters who took him to task over his association with Mamombe and of late, Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) president Takudzwa Ngadziore.
He was the subject of political scrutiny after he was captured on camera welcoming Ngadziore from remand prison and is on record expressing solidarity with the student leader.
This upset some Zanu PF members who wanted him to be stripped of his ZPCS ambassadorial role.
By A Correspondent- Vocal Norton Member of Parliament, Temba Mliswa, has been targeted by Zanu PF MPs who want him injected from parliament.
Yesterday Deputy Speaker of National Assembly, Tsitsi Gezi said she will today rule whether Mliswa is not in contempt of Parliament for allegedly abusing other Members Parliament.
Deputy Speaker Gezi ejected Mr Mliswa this afternoon for disorderly conduct and said she will make a ruling on whether his conduct did not constitute contempt of Parliament.
This was after Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi proposed that Mliswa be investigated for disorderly conduct in the chamber.
This was after Mliswa had dressed down Ziyambi, during a question and answer parliament session.
Police had to intervene yesterday when relatives of a 23-year-old-man who died last week from injuries sustained after being attacked at Duriro Bar in the capital, dumped the body at the rural home of MDC-T vice president and former Harare mayor Elias Mudzuri.
Mudzuri owns the bar where the man was attacked and the victim’s relatives accuse the politician of having played a role in the assault. The relatives were ordered to remove the body and proceed with burial arrangements pending the conclusion of investigations into the case.
According to reports, the relatives left Ronald Mukumbira’s coffinon a verandah at Mudzuri’s home in the Four Miles area of Zaka at around 6am on Wednesday. Mudzuri is under investigation after being implicated as one of the people who participated in the attack on Mukumbira.
Police urged the relatives to be patient and let the law take its course with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Homicide Section now handling the matter.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the case, saying investigations were still in progress.
“We have intensified investigations with a view to ascertain what transpired on the day in question. The CID Homicide is investigating the matter and he (Mudzuri) will be summoned soon,” he said.
Mukumbira was allegedly assaulted on June 7 and died on June 10 at his house in Epworth, allegedly from injuries sustained during the attack.- The Herald
A four-year-old boy died after he was hit by a bus along Herbert Chitepo Avenue in Harare yesterday while a tout was fatally stabbed near Simon Vengai Muzenda bus terminus in a dispute over passengers.
The boy was left in a car by his mother when she went into a funeral parlour, but was hit by the bus when he attempted to follow her, said national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
“He died instantly. Police are now conducting investigations. It is a sad incident. Parents must not leave children unattended,” he said.
In the tout case, police are now hunting the killers of Patrick Mudiwe, a tout. Mudiwe was popularly known as Kedha and his injured colleague was identified as Jasper Maoneke.
The deadly clash was sparked off when touts who are said to belong to Bolt Cutter and CAG buses, were fighting.
Mr Maoneke was rushed to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals where he was reportedly battling for his life.
Allegations are that Mr Mudiwe, who reports said helped load Bolt Cutter buses, had a scuffle with a tout identified only as Tinashe, who reportedly helped load CAG buses.
It is said as the scuffle ensued, a white Nissan Hardbody with concealed number plates arrived with a gang of up to 10 people who started assaulting Mudiwe.
Asst Comm Nyathi said while the 10 people in the Nissan Hardbody were assaulting Muduwe, reports are that he managed to escape and ran away.
He said as soon as Mr Mudiwe was stabbed and died, the suspects rushed back into their vehicle and sped off.
He warned bus operators to stop employing touts.- The Herald
A four-year-old boy died after he was hit by a bus along Herbert Chitepo Avenue in Harare yesterday while a tout was fatally stabbed near Simon Vengai Muzenda bus terminus in a dispute over passengers.
The boy was left in a car by his mother when she went into a funeral parlour, but was hit by the bus when he attempted to follow her, said national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
“He died instantly. Police are now conducting investigations. It is a sad incident. Parents must not leave children unattended,” he said.
In the tout case, police are now hunting the killers of Patrick Mudiwe, a tout. Mudiwe was popularly known as Kedha and his injured colleague was identified as Jasper Maoneke.
The deadly clash was sparked off when touts who are said to belong to Bolt Cutter and CAG buses, were fighting.
Mr Maoneke was rushed to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals where he was reportedly battling for his life.
Allegations are that Mr Mudiwe, who reports said helped load Bolt Cutter buses, had a scuffle with a tout identified only as Tinashe, who reportedly helped load CAG buses.
It is said as the scuffle ensued, a white Nissan Hardbody with concealed number plates arrived with a gang of up to 10 people who started assaulting Mudiwe.
Asst Comm Nyathi said while the 10 people in the Nissan Hardbody were assaulting Muduwe, reports are that he managed to escape and ran away.
He said as soon as Mr Mudiwe was stabbed and died, the suspects rushed back into their vehicle and sped off.
He warned bus operators to stop employing touts.- The Herald
OLYMPICS chiefs are set to give out 160,000 condoms to athletes at Tokyo despite sex being banned due to Covid.
The athletes taking part at Tokyo have been discouraged by the organising committee from having sex despite the distribution of condoms in a bid to “raise awareness.”
Giving out condoms has been a long-running tradition within the Olympics.
The tradition began as early as 1988, mainly to prevent the spread of HIV.
Each participant will receive around 14 condoms each, as well as a 33-page guide book on social distancing rules, urging them to “avoid physical contact, including hugs and handshakes.”
In a statement, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) defended the move, saying: “Our intent and goal is not for athletes to use the condoms at the Olympic Village but to help with awareness by taking them back to their own countries.”
The Tokyo Games are a year over due because of the ongoing pandemic.
The new start date for the Games will be 23 July 2021 and will finish on the 8 August.
The decision comes days after a member of the Japanese Olympics Committee came out and said Tokyo had been “cornered” into going ahead with the Games according to the Guardian.
Kaori Yamaguchi, an executive member of the Japanese Olympic Committee, warned they would leave a “bitter taste” due to widespread public opposition.
She accused the IOC of ignoring valid concerns about safety at the event. Saying, “The IOC seems to think that public opinion in Japan is not important.” — Reuters
The late former President Robert Mugabe’s daughter Bona and her husband Simbarashe Mutsahuni have approached the High Court challenging the Statutory Instrument (SI) 41 of 2020 published to reduce their 1 800-hectare Mazowe farm.
Bona Mugabe
The couple cited Lands minister Anxious Masuka and Attorney-General Prince Machaya as respondents.
This was after Masuka published the Rural Land (Farm Sizes) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020 (No 2) (SI 41 of 2020) on February 14, 2020, to facilitate the reduction of commercial sizes for redistribution to other farmers.
Mutsahuni and his wife said the SI was unconstitutional as the minister failed to consider important issues that were brought about the new law.
“The applicant has a direct interest in this matter, having been affected by the application of the provisions of SI 41 of 2020,” said Mutsahuni in his founding affidavit.
The amendment was done in terms of section 21 of the Land Commission Act (Chapter 20;29) repealing provisions of the Rural Land (Farm Sizes) Regulations, 1999, published in SI 419 of 1999.
In substance, SI 41 of 2020 sought to alter the sizes of land which can be held under the various natural regions in Zimbabwe.
The couple is a holder of an offer letter under Model A2 Phase II, in respect of Subdivision Consolidation measuring 1 804, 9719 hectares of Sigaro Farm, Mazowe district in Mashonaland province, which was granted on June 22, 2017 by the Lands minister.
“Acting in terms of SI 41 of 2020, the minister proceeded to withdraw the aforesaid offer letter with an express intention to reduce the extent of the land which we hold under the offer letter. This was unfair because it is common cause that the new SI came into effect when the old SI 419 of 1999, was in full effect,” Mutsahuni submitted.
“Despite this, it is also common cause that the minister did not adhere to the provisions of these regulations and proceeded to allocate individuals land sizes beyond the prescribed sizes under SI 419 of 1999. Pursuant to the promulgation of SI 41 of 2020, the minister has sought to pursue a rigid adherence to the new farm sizes stated therein.”
Mutsahuni said the SI was arbitrary in that its consequence was that it was applied retrospectively without regard to the nature and extent of investments made by any farmer who historically would have been on the farm.
He said they were not given any discretion to consider the suitability of the prescribed farm size against the extent of any investments made by farmer affected and the extent of utilisation.
Machete gangs have since July 2018 been invading Mangwande Primary School in Lower Gweru prompting teachers to desert the institution as they feared for their lives.
The school is now left with five teachers out of a staff complement of 14.
Teachers fled after a female colleague was assaulted and gang-raped by five machete-wielding youths as her three minor children watched.
The machete gang then force-marched the head to the school cash vault which they failed to break.
They then searched other teachers’ houses and stole various items.
Two members of the gang were later arrested and jailed for 37 years each.
A parent with a child at Mangwande School, Thomson Moyo said children in Grade Four and Grade Six had not been attending classes for the whole of the last term. Moyo said:
It’s disheartening that our children are failing to learn due to shortages of teachers mainly caused by desertions because of machete gang terror.
From the information we have gathered, the teachers were saying they fear for their lives.
Another parent, Esnath Mlalazi said following the robbery at the school three years ago, teachers deserted their staff cottages before they left the school in successive years. She said:
They started by deserting the school staff houses, saying they feared for their lives before they went on to transfer from the school in successive years.
Addressing a meeting organised by churches last year, Midlands Provincial Affairs minister Larry Mavima said there was a need to decisively deal with the machete gangs.
He called on stakeholders to join hands with police and put an end to machete gangs, whom he said had become “warlords” with “potential to start civil wars”.
Machete gangs have in the past three years been targeting and terrorising gold mining towns.- NewsDay
…first response, military attack and reconnaissance…
Sifelani Tsiko-Agric | Herald | Zimbabwe’s innovator and inventor Maxwell Sangulani Chikumbutso has scored another first for the country by developing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, which could be used for military operations, border patrols, anti-smuggling missions, wildlife protection and delivery of medication to remote places.
The drone uses power generated using radio frequency to reach up to 11 000 feet above sea level.
The gifted innovator and Form Two drop-out from Harare told The Herald yesterday that the drone — called the Saith UAV — has unique features that could be a pathway for him to enter the highly competitive aviation and hi-tech global entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) drone that Chikumbutso has developed.
“Our drone possesses the following hitherto unparalleled capabilities — a flying endurance pursuant to which it reaches a speed of 600km per/hr and a height over 11 000 feet above sea level with a carrying capacity of 45kg,” he said.
“We are one of the few African companies that are resolutely thriving to make Africa a technology driven and pioneering continent. This places us at the very heart of Africa’s surge into the future.”
Chikumbutso is now applying the roll-up-your-sleeves determination and a penchant for entrepreneurship to fuel his Saith Holdings start-up tech company to the commercialisation stage entering the very complex technologies market.
“The drone will be effectively and efficiently deployed as an emergency first response, military attack and reconnaissance, border patrols as well anti-smuggling, national parks and wildlife protection.
“It will also be used for medication deliveries to remote places,” he said.
The young innovator is best known for developing a green power generator which can produce electricity using radio frequency.
Last year, he was featured on the “Thrive II” documentary which captured breakthroughs in science, medicine and engineering among top global innovators and inventors across the world.
He has also developed a prototype automated disinfecting machine to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Chikumbutso said he was motivated to develop the machine after watching how countries were struggling to disinfect public places.
In 2015, he unveiled his innovations at Bluff Hill Industrial Park in Harare, where he got a standing ovation from an audience which could not believe a Zimbabwean could make the crucial inventions using basic, but highly-engineered materials to design a helicopter, drone, electric car and a green power generating machine.
Chikumbutso said it cost about US$220 000 to produce the drone which he said would be sold for over US$500 000.
Through his Saith Holdings company, he said he had engaged the Air Force of Zimbabwe and the Government to seek clearance to conduct trials.
“No doubt this will prominently place Zimbabwe on the forefront of cutting edge technological innovation.
“The project will undoubtedly generate foreign currency and awesome job opportunities for our people mainly to those mechatronics and engineering graduates who have been struggling to secure employment,” he said.
The use of drones has exploded in recent years — for security, military, delivery, law enforcement, filming, and more recently health screening purposes.
Drones are increasingly being used in Africa to do precision agriculture such as spraying of crops to help cut costs for farmers and enhance efficiency.
While multiple countries have proven the benefit of using drones, challenges of regulation still remain in most African countries.
Many African nations are struggling to address a range of drone-related issues, including privacy concerns, maintaining public safety and preventing the use of drones with malicious intent.
Chikumbutso said prospects were bright that the development of his drone could help the country to explore innovative solutions for some of its most pressing problems.
“Drone technology can be applied to solve the challenge of delivering medical supplies to rural and hard-to-reach areas that are cut off from the main transportation systems in the country,” he said.
“It could also be expanded to cover life-saving deliveries for pharmaceuticals, vaccines and blood packs. Drones can also take blood and DNA tests to laboratories where the results can be analysed and methods of treatment can more accurately be determined.
“Drones have exciting opportunities and could be used in humanitarian and emergency situations saving a lot on time and lives.” – State Media
Tinashe Sambiri|Every citizen has a role to play in exposing rigging of elections, MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa has said.
President Chamisa was responding to award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono’s tweet on how elections are rigged by the Zanu PF regime.
“Thank you @daddyhope for the great work.
You are on point. We’re working 24/7 to address past mistakes and fix the gaps.
As citizens, we each must play a role to defeat cheating and rigging. Fellow Zimbabweans,Your country needs you. Change is in your hands. Play your part!”
Below is Hopewell Chin’ono’s tweet:
Listen to this video, and RETWEET it if you are interested in CHANGE coming to Zimbabwe!
Many people talk about rigging of elections and yet we have not explained how they are rigged and importantly how to stop the rigging!
Delay in the conclusion of labour cases against suspended top managers has proved costly to Harare City Council which is now paying about $300 000 monthly to each of its five directors sitting at home, while those occupying the same positions in acting capacities are also getting the same figures plus a host of benefits.
Town Clerk Engineer Hosiah Chisango and five directors are currently on suspension over corruption-related charges. Some have been on suspension for close to a year without any hearing.
All top managers (Grades one to three) are on suspension except for health services director Dr Prosper Chonzi (Grade two) who is substantively in office.
Eng Chisango, Mr Stanely Ndemera (finance director), Mr Addmore Nhekairo (housing director), Eng Zvenyika Chawatama (works director), Charles Kandemiri (chamber secretary) are all receiving salaries and benefits from home.
Their cases have dragged for months and council is failing to prosecute their labour cases.
They are receiving full salaries and benefits while those appointed to their posts in acting capacity are also drawing the benefits and salaries in the region of $300 000 each.
Information gathered reveals that Eng Chisango is receiving a salary in the region of $320 000 while in the comfort of his home.
The other directors are getting varying amounts in the region of $300 000 but slightly lower than the Town Clerk’s salary.
Eng Chisango reportedly has two council vehicles and gets 320 litres of fuel monthly. He also gets allowances for entertainment, airtime, refreshments, public relations and responsibility.
Other directors get almost the same allowances monthly. Interestingly, those in acting capacity are getting the same salaries and perks.
The local authority is also headed for a showdown after recently losing a labour case against its human capital and development director Dr Cainos Chingombe.
Council’s lawyers, who are also charging a fortune, bungled in the case and filed defective papers leading to the dismissal of their case by the Labour Court.
This means council will now have to pay Dr Chingombe a backdated salary and benefits. He had been fired for misconduct.
Dr Chingombe was suspended in 2017, and reinstated in November last year before being subsequently fired in April this year.
He contested the decision in the Labour Court, a case where council lawyers put a poor performance.
Acting Harare Mayor Musarurwa Stewart Mutizwa said the council has since set up an independent tribunal to do hearings for the suspended bosses.
“Hearings are ongoing, we anticipated that the tribunal would finish within one month, but issues are very complex.
“The challenge is that some of these officials have pending criminal cases so at times when they are supposed to be appearing before the tribunal, they will be called by the police,” he said.
Acting human capital director Mr Bosman Matengarufu said the suspended personnel will continue to be on full salaries and benefits until their cases have been finalised.
“In the event of suspension of an executive person, the hearing should be done within 14 days and if it fails to kick start the suspended person will be on paid leave. “For other employees, a hearing should be concluded in 30 days.
“In the current cases, we have others that are still under investigation, meaning a disciplinary hearing cannot be conducted for now.
“If the issue is not yet concluded, we will continue to pay salaries and benefits. You cannot punish an employee on the basis that he or she is simply being accused,” he said.
Mr Matengarufu said the conclusion of some of the cases was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic as the country experienced a series of lockdowns.
However, The Herald has it on good record that the council has been taking a lackadaisical approach on at least 40 cases involving senior and middle managers that have been fully investigated by the Harare Municipal Police.
A clear sign of laxity by council is the case involving Mr Nhekairo, who was among the first directors to be put on suspension in August 2019 and since then the council is yet to finalise his disciplinary hearing.
A source within council said Grade 4s who are currently occupying the vacant top posts have also connived to hike their salaries to match those of the top three grades.
“A Grade 4 employee is now pocketing a gross salary of about $250 000 against Grade 6s getting $60 000 despite both doing almost similar jobs.
“Even in the event that the suspended directors are back in office, they know that their salaries will be okay,” said the source. Mr Matengarufu dismissed the allegations saying all procedures are done with council approval.
Last year, the senior managers also hogged the limelight for the wrong reasons following reports that they secretly quadrupled their salaries, instead of a proposed 50 percent increment, angering councillors who called for the immediate reversal of the hikes. – Herald
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Australia Province donated cash to Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama on Monday.
Madzokere and Maengahama spent nearly 10 years in jail for a crime they did not commit.
MDC Alliance Secretary for Welfare, Maureen Kademaunga commended well-wishers in Zimbabwe and abroad for supporting Maengahama and Madzokere financially…
“Thank you Zimbabwe for the continued outpouring of love and solidarity to our Cdes @LastMaengahama and Clr Madzokere.
Today we say tinotenda to @mdczimbabwe Australia province for a cash donation towards their immediate needs as they reintegrate into society. God bless you.
I was delighted to see my brother back at his workplace where his wife Mrs Maingehama has managed to keep their family business going under very difficult circumstances.
Reintegration is a process and both Last Maengahama and Clr Madzokere are so thankful for all the support & solidarity they are receiving from Zimbabweans at large as they rebuild their lives,” Kademaunga said in a statement.
Zupco is buying 667 buses from China by year end, with delivery of the first batch of 100 buses expected soon.
Further, through its intercity digital payment platform in partnership with Vaya, every intercity passenger will be covered with insurance amounting to $50 000 in the event of an accident on the road resulting in hospitalisation, disability or death.
The digital platform allows passengers to buy a ticket and book a seat for intercity via the online “VAYA ne ZUPCO” App or the Web portal.
President Mnangagwa has since recently indicated that every route should have a Zupco presence.
“We want an equitable distribution of these buses in all the country’s provinces and districts. To this end, we have engaged our suppliers to ensure the delivery of buses that are suitable for the rough terrains in rural areas,” he said recently while commissioning 40 buses in Chinhoyi.
Speaking yesterday on the sidelines of the launch the of Vaya ne ZUPCO platform, Zupco acting chief executive Mr Evaristo Madangwa said the delivery of the buses will go a long way in alleviating transport woes in the country.
“At the moment to assist transport woes we have roped in private players while we are waiting for our buses to arrive that we have acquired. We are engaging our partners, among them private operators to come in and help us out.
“We are expecting about 100 buses in the near future and eventually about 667 buses by year end from China,” he said.
Mr Madangwa also hailed the Government for moving in to deal with congestion in urban areas which he said was also hitting hard on Zupco’s operations.
“We have seen that the reason why it seems as if there are transport shortages is also the issue of congestion. There are strategies that have been put in place to make sure that the congestion is removed so that we improve the flow of traffic to and from the centres. That is a very welcome move,” he said.
During peak hours a bus plying the route from Chitungwiza to Harare and back can take two to three hours owing to congestion, but the same route usually takes less than half the time on any other time.
Mr Madangwa also encouraged the public to embrace use of tap cards, although this will also mean that more buses under his operational control are willing to accept the cards.
“You know in this era of Covid-19 we are promoting cashless transactions so we have intensified the machines in our buses that are handling transactions for tap cards so that we ease the process of handling cash and also try and assist in making sure that we are Covid-19 compliant.
“So we have got a solution for tap cards and we encourage all members of the travelling public to embrace the tap card which is a digital way of paying,” he said.
Mr Madangwa said at all major cities or boarding points kiosks at terminuses sell tap cards and offer the recharge service.
While passengers are normally happy with tap cards, since they can be recharged with swipe cards or mobile money, while cash is harder to get instantly, many buses under the Zupco franchise do not have the tap card readers that are required.
Another reason why many passengers want buses to use tap cards is the popular $45 fare, which normally means payment of $50 since there are hardly any $5 notes now in circulation.
Speaking at the same occasion to launch the VAYA ne ZUPCO platform yesterday, Harare Institute of Technology Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Engineer Talon Garikai, said the partnership and online booking platform is aligned to global trends of public and private sector partnerships, and the use of technology in public transport to transform people’s lives.
“I hope that this innovation and partnership, which will initially support passengers travelling between Harare and Bulawayo, will quickly be rolled out throughout other cities and across the country, so that our people can benefit from this smart partnership,” he said.-State Media
The MDC Alliance Youth Assembly today joins the rest of African countries in commemorating the Day of African Child otherwise known as June 16 Day.
The Day of African Child is marked on the African calendar as a way of cherishing the gallant efforts of South African children who were gruesomely butchered by the Apartheid regime in 1976 for demanding the right not to be taught in Afrikaans language.
That uprising better known as the Soweto Uprising gave birth to this special June 16 Day which is commemorated every year on our African calendar.
It is painful and shameful that 45 years after the murderous 1976 events in Soweto, here in Africa we still have blood thirsty regimes that abduct, torture and murder the African child, all for absolute power.
Here in Zimbabwe, we have one of the most cruel dictatorship that is worse than the racist Apartheid regime of South Africa.
We have a brutal regime that fires live bullets on its citizens as we have witnessed on 01 August 2018.
From arbitrary arrests, pre-trial detentions, abductions, rape torture to murder, the ills of Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime are just too much.
While the Apartheid regime would oppress Africans, at least there was some form of infrastructural development and their economy was stable.
The tragedy with Mnangagwa’s apartheid regime is that besides cartels that are looting the national cake, there is virtually no any development to talk about under his so-called, New Dispensation.
The worst part is that citizens who are scrounging for survival through vending following the destruction of the formal economy by this regime are also having their sources of livelihoods destroyed too.
Mnangagwa’s regime has ganged up to destroy the only remaining source of livelihoods for citizens- vending. As we speak right now they are busy destroying vending sites in Chitungwiza and Harare and those who dare to question their inhumane acts like CHITREST Director, Alice Kuvheya are arrested.
The African Child just can not breath under Mnangagwa’s regime!
Children are dying like flies in empty hospitals because there is no medical supplies and doctors are incapacitated to go to work.
We have a regime that is breeding a social problem in the near future because children of the poor can not access basic education. Our education has been commodified by the dictator and is now beyond reach of many.
More so, teachers are incapacitated to report for work and the regime has done nothing to ameliorate their circumstances except buying themselves expensive helicopter.
It is time for the African child in Zimbabwe to draw inspiration from the Soweto children who chose to dare the Apartheid dictatorship.
FreeMako
DefyOrDie
CitizensConvergenceForChange
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
Q: How have the vaccines been developed so quickly? Does this mean that their safety and efficacy has been compromised?
A: The speed of development of COVID-19 vaccines has been unprecedented for several reasons, but the safety and efficacy requirements for vaccines have not been compromised, Vaccine development was facilitated by:
The massive financial investment by governments, industry and philanthropic organisations in vaccine development and the re-direction of much of the global research and commercial infrastructure for the development and manufacture of vaccines. Governments also enabled companies to take the commercial risk of manufacturing some vaccine stocks ahead of regulatory approvals.
New technologies adapted from the development of other vaccines – mRNA vaccines were developed for COVID-19 very rapidly after the sequence of the COVID-19 virus was determined, but the underlying technology had been under development since much longer and production could be scaled up very quickly. The adenovirus technology used for adenovirus vector vaccines was first tested with SARS, MERS and Ebola virus over the last 20 years, and so was able to be adapted quickly to COVID-19, which has several similarities to these viruses.
Clinical trial successes – it has been possible to rapidly recruit large numbers of volunteers into clinical trials and, with unfortunately high rates of infection in several countries, to complete trials with 10,000-50,000 people in a short period of time. Under normal circumstances, it may take many months or even a few years to carry out trials of this size to determine whether a vaccine is effective. Very close collaboration – between regulators, industry and clinical researchers enabled clear indications of regulatory requirements and early access to results.
Intensive and insightful research – researchers predicted that the “spike protein” on the virus would be a good target for vaccine development, and almost all vaccines have been designed to induce a response to this protein. So far, the spike protein has produced a strong immune response in those vaccinated, and for those vaccines that have reported clinical results are highly protective from COVID-19 disease. Q: Will mRNA vaccines affect the DNA of vaccine recipients?
A: No. The mRNA in the vaccine has not been shown to incorporate itself into the genes of vaccine recipients and breaks down in the weeks after vaccination. mRNA vaccines contain genetic instructions for our cells, which only read them and provide copies of the SARS-CoV2 spike protein. This enables the body’s natural immune systems to cause a response in vaccine recipients if they are later exposed to the virus.
Q: How long will COVID-19 vaccination provide protection for immunised people?
A: We do not yet know how long protection from any of these vaccines lasts. We will get better insights over the next 12 months.
The duration of protection provided by vaccines can vary. For example, the seasonal influenza vaccine is given annually, because the influenza virus mutates, and protection wanes over a number of months. Other vaccines, such as those for rubella or measles provide multi-year or even life-long protection from disease. Mutations in key viral proteins can mean that virus variants emerge. The SARS-CoV-2-coronavirus is prone to mutations that creates variants, some of which have become established in a number of regions of the world. The scientific community and regulators are very actively monitoring whether the current vaccines can continue protecting people from infection with new variants. A number of vaccine developers are currently developing vaccines against the range of variants, and it is likely that booster shots with these vaccines will increase protection against known variants. Regulators have agreed that review of data on vaccines against variants will be facilitated based on assessment of immune response to the variant, in the same way that new seasonal influenza vaccines are evaluated each year. Q: Why are there so many vaccine candidates?
A: As the global seriousness of the pandemic became rapidly apparent, development of effective vaccines for COVID-19 became the top priority of many pharmaceutical companies and medical research institutes. There was also unprecedented government and private sector investment in vaccine development. There is now a wide range of technologies for developing new vaccines – and many of the organisations developing COVID-19 vaccines have particular experience in one or more of these technologies. This has ensured that there would still be vaccines available if some were not approved for reasons of efficacy, safety or manufacturing challenges.
Q: What if many people start getting a reaction from a particular COVID-19 vaccine?
A: Short-term reactions, such as soreness at the injection site, fatigue or headache are common following any vaccination with COVID-19 vaccines. These reactions usually pass in a day or two. If new evidence becomes available that suggests that a specific serious adverse event may be linked to a particular COVID-19 vaccine then regulators will take action, working collaboratively on a global basis and liaise with public health authorities. The type of actions that can be taken depend on the nature of the adverse event, and could range from issuing safety warnings for patients, healthcare professionals and the community; updating the product information or consumer information for the vaccine to show contraindications for the use in particular patients (e.g. those with certain co-morbidities); to closely monitoring adverse events in certain groups of patients; preventing the release of a particular batch of vaccine through to temporary suspension of the use of the vaccine until more is known.
Q: How are regulators speeding up the time it takes to authorise a COVID-19 vaccine?
A: Many regulators globally have implemented faster access pathways for COVID-19 vaccines, without compromising on strict standards of safety, quality and efficacy.
Some countries have Emergency Use Authorisation pathways which assess the available data at the time of authorisation. Exercising these provisions is a matter for those countries, taking into account the benefits versus risks in the context of the prevailing domestic pandemic situation. Different countries may coin this pathway or authorisation routes differently but essentially, they follow the same principles. Other countries have implemented accelerated/priority, conditional or provisional approval schemes.
Under normal circumstances, regulatory assessment begins once all information to support registration is available. For COVID-19 vaccines, many regulators have agreed to accept data on a rolling basis to enable early evaluation of data as it becomes available. Regulators will only be in a position to make a provisional approval decision for a vaccine once there is sufficient data to support adequately the safety, quality and effectiveness of the vaccine for its intended use. If a decision is made to grant provisional or conditional approval, it will be based on the requirement for the sponsor to submit more comprehensive, longer term clinical data, stability data and other information with agreed timelines. Q: Did our country approve this COVID-19 vaccine, or are we relying on another country’s approval?
A: Most countries are carrying out independent regulatory evaluations on the submitted data for each vaccine. However, to ensure a more efficient use of resources and expertise, regulators in different countries are communicating closely on safety, efficacy and quality data and discussing technical issues as they may arise. In many cases principles of WHO Good Reliance Practices and collaborative mechanisms leverage the output of other regulators.
Q: Why weren’t very rare blood clots with low platelets with the AstraZeneca or Janssen vaccines picked up during clinical trials?
A: Thromboembolic events with concurrent thrombocytopenia are very rare – with estimates based on the number of spontaneous reports suggesting an overall incidence on the order of 10-15 cases per million doses. The clinical trials of these vaccines included large numbers of people, often with 10,000 to 20,000 individuals in the active vaccine arms, but even in trials of this size it was statistically unlikely that such very rare events would be detected. This shows the importance of continual safety monitoring during the use of these vaccines, to allow very rare events to be detected and investigated further.
Source:
Joint Statement from the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities and World Health Organization
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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An illegal miner from Chitungwiza village, Mazowe committed suicide yesterday by drinking poison mixed with illicit beer over his wife’s infidelity
Philimon Master sent texts messages to his wife Sandra Nyemwererai (35) informing her of his intentions of killing himself because she had cheated him.
Master’s body was found by the police lying on the ground with a bottle of illicit beer, a pesticide and a suicidal note that had the phone number of the wife and her address.
Mashonaland Central deputy police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Naison Dhliwayo confirmed the case.
Police warned people to respect human life and seek counselling when they have differences.
“Killing one self is not a solution, when ever couples have problems they should seek counselling from a third part that include pastors ,the police and family members that can save people’s lives”- Bulawayo 24
An illegal miner from Chitungwiza village, Mazowe committed suicide yesterday by drinking poison mixed with illicit beer over his wife’s infidelity
Philimon Master sent texts messages to his wife Sandra Nyemwererai (35) informing her of his intentions of killing himself because she had cheated him.
Master’s body was found by the police lying on the ground with a bottle of illicit beer, a pesticide and a suicidal note that had the phone number of the wife and her address.
Mashonaland Central deputy police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Naison Dhliwayo confirmed the case.
Police warned people to respect human life and seek counselling when they have differences.
“Killing one self is not a solution, when ever couples have problems they should seek counselling from a third part that include pastors ,the police and family members that can save people’s lives”- Bulawayo 24
By A Correspondent- Former Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo is seeking to enter into a political pact with Matabeleland-based opposition parties in a bid to “reclaim” the region politically, socially and economically.
Moyo leads the United Movement for Devolution (UMD.
This is the second attempt by Moyo to unite the region’s fringe political parties after a similar attempt collapsed in 2018.
“It is abundantly clear from past electoral results that Zanu PF has always benefited from a divided opposition vote by emerging a minority winner,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“In this regard, there is an urgent need for Matabeleland political parties to work together as a collective if we are to achieve our goal of reclaiming Matabeleland politically, socially and economically.
“The UMD remains open to various political collaborative options available on the table in order to avoid dividing our votes in the region.”
Moyo quit the MDC-T in 2018 where he was national chairperson to launch the UMD which he said would push for devolution, end marginalisation, underdevelopment and other problems faced by the Matabeleland region.
“The people of Matabeleland have been calling for unity and collaboration of political parties operating in the region in order to defeat Zanu PF and defend our territory. Accordingly, unity of purpose remains fundamental and a special component in achieving a united Matabeleland vote in the 2023 elections,” he added.
Zapu Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Patrick Ndlovu told Southern Eye that his party was amenable to a coalition pact with regional parties.
“We are in talks with a number of parties with which we share ideological fundamentals. For now, the talks are concentrated on forming a united front. We have not yet come to elections,” he said.
Ndlovu, however, refused to reveal the identity of the political parties that Zapu is engaging in talks with.
In 2018, a number of political parties came together to form the MDC Alliance.
The Coalition of Democrats also brought together opposition parties such as Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn, the Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe, the People’s Rainbow Coalition, and other fringe political parties in a bid to remove Zanu PF, but the project failed to produce the desired results.
By A Correspondent- MDC-T Bulawayo province is battling factionalism hardly a month after infighting within its women’s wing exposed differences between supporters of party leader Douglas Mwonzora and his deputy Thokozani Khupe.
A belated International Womens’ Day celebration party held in the city last month was almost aborted after a group of women linked to Khupe walked out on Mwonzora, who was the guest speaker.
Khupe did not attend the celebrations.
Last Saturday, the divisions were also laid bare when the party held two separate meetings, a few kilometres apart, as opposing camps professed ignorance of each other’s gatherings.
Khupe graced a meeting held in Njube, while another was being held in Mpopoma led by MDC Veterans Association (VAA) chair Gideon Mangena, just a few kilometres away.
“To be honest, I did not know anything about that (Khupe) meeting,” Dorothy Ndlovu, who is the national chairperson of the MDC-T women’s national assembly, said in an interview with Southern Eye.
By A Correspondent- Norton Member of Parliament, Temba Mliswa has been ejected from parliament for dressing down Zanu PF’s Ziyambi Ziyambi.
Deputy Speaker of National Assembly Tsitsi Gezi ejected the vocal independent lawmaker before laying contempt of parliament charges against him.
Mliswa was whisked out of the parliament building after Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi had proposed that he be investigated for “disorderly conduct” in the chamber.
That was after Mliswa had dressed him ( Ziyambi) down during a question and answer session.
By A Correspondent- Polygamous End Time Message Church pastor’s fifth wife is reported to have fled to a safe house over sexual and physical abuse in the hands of her husband.
Innocent Gumbura, who is married to Sarah Wendy Romol has been described as hostile, over-controlling, excessively violent, verbally abusive, belittling and manipulative person in a probation officer’s report to the magistrate court in a row over custody of four minor children which the former applied for.
“The respondent (Romol) alleges that she ran away from him (Gumbura) because the applicant was getting agitated by the fact she had stopped sexual relations with him and hence was increasingly threatening to take the children away, chase her out of the house and would not provide support for the children stating they would eat from school,” the report reads.
Romol says she had to look for a haven as she was always being threatened.
“As a result respondent alleges that she fled as a result of excessive fear and trauma suffered from the threats, degradation and physical abuse by the applicant.”
The report has it that Gumbura would beat his children with his ‘big belt that he wore in his waist’ for asking for ‘yummy’ food which he would give elder girls in the family while the others were made to have sadza. Gumbura has four other wives and 15 children.
“. . . when angry he beats mummy and forces her throat in-between the head board panels or shouts at them. . .” the minor children said in the report.
Romol says she got into contact with Gumbura when her mother was sick and when she died they were left in Gumbura’s church’s custody. All this came out after Gumbura approached Harare Children’s Court seeking custody of his four minor children born to his fifth wife Sarah Wendy Romol.
The Children’s Court therefore requested the department of Social Development for a probation officer’s report.
According to a Harare Central District probation officer Ms Gumbo, the case is expected to be heard today.
“The applicant stated that he separated with the respondent in 2018 after which, the respondent later on the 25th of February 2021, fled their matrimonial home in Hillside taking with her all their children,” reads part of the report signed by one Ms S Gumbo.
“He further stated that, he has not seen his children ever since and that he believes his wife and children are in some safe house provided by Msasa.
“On the other hand, the respondent concedes to the information provided and alleges that her marriage had its own problems hence the separation and eventual escape to safety in February 2921.
“Both families acknowledged that they were in a polygamous relationship which included four other families and 15 other siblings to the concerned children, reads part of the case background.
In his submission, Gumbura indicated that he was applying for custody because Romol had no mental, physical and financial capacity to take care of the children.
He alleged that she suffered from mental problems namely neurosis and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), ailments he alleged she once received attention at a local hospital.
Gumbo in her recommendation report she addressed the court to consider placing the four children in the custody of their mother Romol and Gumbura the father be given the right to access. The case is expected to be heard today.
By A Correspondent- MDC-T Bulawayo province is battling factionalism hardly a month after infighting within its women’s wing exposed differences between supporters of party leader Douglas Mwonzora and his deputy Thokozani Khupe.
A belated International Womens’ Day celebration party held in the city last month was almost aborted after a group of women linked to Khupe walked out on Mwonzora, who was the guest speaker.
Khupe did not attend the celebrations.
Last Saturday, the divisions were also laid bare when the party held two separate meetings, a few kilometres apart, as opposing camps professed ignorance of each other’s gatherings.
Khupe graced a meeting held in Njube, while another was being held in Mpopoma led by MDC Veterans Association (VAA) chair Gideon Mangena, just a few kilometres away.
“To be honest, I did not know anything about that (Khupe) meeting,” Dorothy Ndlovu, who is the national chairperson of the MDC-T women’s national assembly, said in an interview with Southern Eye.
Platform for Youth and Community Development Trust (PYCD) joins the world in celebrating the day of the African Child. The day of the African Child is commemorated every year on the 16th of June. The theme for this year in 2021 reads, 30 YEARS AFTER THE ADOPTION OF THE CHARTER: ACCELERATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AGENDA 2040 FOR AN AFRICA FIT FOR CHILDREN.
This theme resonates well with the work of PYCD that has been endured for over a decade. In commemorating this year’s edition, PYCD acknowledges various efforts made by government and the civic society in the region in trying to protect and uplift the welfare of the African child.
The Constitution of Zimbabwe as adopted in 2013, read together with various statutes and institutional frameworks on child rights have been promulgated with sensitivity that is child –friendly to all forms of ill-treatment and abuse. PYCD is saddened that despite all these efforts, the challenges affecting the African child remains glaring and far from over. These child-friendly rights continue to be pinned down due to the existence of harmful cultural and religious practices that have taken precedence over the law.
In our decade of existence, PYCD has realised that the aspirations of the African Charter for the rights and welfare of the child, as ratified by over 50 states are still to be realised, due to the absence of safety measures that are linked to lack of preparedness at the level of the majority of African governments. All things being equal, the charter provides for both civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights, yet these remain aspirational without being realised. The prevalence of natural disasters such as droughts, pandemics, human error and mismanagement of natural resources make life harder for children who remains vulnerable and neglected.
Zimbabwe has recently been a victim of cyclones such as Cyclone Idai, Cyclone Eloise and Cyclone Chalane whose impact on children has been devastating. This has been made even worse by the coming in of the Covid-19 pandemic. Children have been left vulnerable to abuses such as sexual exploitation and poverty. Many children have been forced out of school or thrown far away from the protection of their parents due to the impact of the pandemic. We continue to witness and read increasing cases of children who are being abducted or murdered for ritual purposes. The upsurge of child marriages is also due to the instigation of some religious and cultural beliefs, acts which continue to destroy the dignity of the child.
During this year, PYCD has promoted discussion and dialogue involving learners from selected high schools in Chipinge district. In partnership with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, the project has facilitated some of the learners to participate in an essay competition with the topic. “Ending Child Marriages in Zimbabwe”. This is our contribution in a small way as we seek to confront one of the most debilitating interference to the rights of children namely, the right to education, the right to health as well as the right to information. This intervention is aimed at involving the young women and girls to actively participate in the campaign to end child marriages by 2030.
PYCD is sad to report that some of our lined up activities to commemorate the day of the African Child are now in limbo due to Covid-19 preventative measures announced by the Vice President Mr Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health. The activities that have been suspended include soccer and netball tournaments that were scheduled for the 19th of June 2021. The idea of soccer and netball was seeking to allow young people to come together and receive speeches and messages on the importance of the day. It is also aimed to inspire and positively influence young people to co-exist and cooperate to achieve sustainable community.
In the best interest of the child, PYCD therefore recommends the following • That the government of Zimbabwe expedite the promulgation of all relevant laws to address juvenile justice issues including establishing a district criminal justice system for children • That the government of Zimbabwe fully align the children’s Act to the constitution ,including reviewing the Children’s Act to incorporate and ensure that the justice Mechanism system embrace the best interests of the child as paramount in all matters concerning the child • That the government expand pre-trial diversion programmes and invest in Children ‘s education for a better post-coronavirus world
By A Correspondent- Norton Member of Parliament, Temba Mliswa has been ejected from parliament for dressing down Zanu PF’s Ziyambi Ziyambi.
Deputy Speaker of National Assembly Tsitsi Gezi ejected the vocal independent lawmaker before laying contempt of parliament charges against him.
Mliswa was whisked out of the parliament building after Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi had proposed that he be investigated for “disorderly conduct” in the chamber.
That was after Mliswa had dressed him ( Ziyambi) down during a question and answer session.
ZanuPF Senator and Dep Minister of Public Service Hon Lovemore Matuke, Gutu North and Dep Minister for Youth Hon Yeukai Simbanegavi, Gutu South Member of Parliament and ZanuPF Chief Whip Hon Pupurai Togarepi and ZanuPF Gutu DCC chairman Munyoro were booed by villagers as it was announced that government state assistance for the funeral of the 5 victims of the Matizha accident was only RTGS 50 000.
The funeral was attended by a high powered government high ranking officials who included members of the Provincial JOC.
Hon Matuke confidently announced that the funeral was state assisted. ZanuPF expected villagers to appreciate the assistance by government but was shocked by the reaction by the villagers.
ZanuPF officials wanted to deny MDC Alliance People’s President Nelson Chamisa from addressing the mourners but was overruled by the Chagweda family.
The MDC Alliance People’s President Nelson Chamisa is related to the Chagwedas. It was public knowledge to the villagers the role President Chamisa had played in assisting the bereaved family. President Chamisa’s contribution was reported to be over comparable to that of the state .The family member who survived in the accident was reported to have been under medical bill under MDC Alliance leader President Chamisa.
The ZanuPF leadership could not wait for the burial process .They had been humiliated by villagers. They departed immediately after their speeches.
www.chiwaradailytelegram.org.zw //
President Chamisa at the burial of Gutu accident victims…
By Jane Mlambo| Controversial politician and Norton legislator Temba Mliswa has told dendera music prodigy Sulumani Chimbetu to learn from the late national hero Oliver Mtukudzi who never delved into politics.
This follows Sulumani’s track with Hwindi President which has been construed as political by Zanu PF youths.
The line that irked Zanu PF youths says the country’s problems stem from the installation of new leaders in November- a month regarded as sacred.
Posting on Twitter, Mliswa told Sulumani not to mix politics with music as was the case with Mtukudzi who ended up being accorded national hero status when he passed on in 2019.
“Sulu, a great musician in his own right, should learn lessons from the late, great, Dr. Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi: not to mix music with politics.
“Tuku stuck to music no matter what and despite many accusations, he remained consistent and was eventually declared a National Hero upon his passing,” said Mliswa.
Many musicians in Zimbabwe including Thomas Mapfumo, Leonard Zhakata suffered backlash and had their music banned from being played on national radio stations due to their lyrics which were deemed political.
Tuku had his Bvuma/Tolerance album censored after it was misconstrued to mean that the then President Robert Mugabe was old.
A Beitbridge woman lost US$10 000 to two armed robbers who masqueraded as buyers of a vehicle she was selling after she offered them overnight accommodation.
Matabeleland South acting provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Thabani Mkhwananzi confirmed the incident which occurred last Monday in Mapolovele Village.
He said Ms Prisca Muleya (33) and her husband had placed an advert on various WhatsApp groups for the sale of their vehicle and the two men arrived at their home under the pretext of buying the vehicle.
“I can confirm that we recorded a robbery case which occurred in Mapolovele Village in Beitbridge. Ms Muleya and her husband advertised that they were selling a car on various WhatsApp groups. The two suspects arrived at the home under the pretext of buying the vehicle and only found her. She invited the two men to wait for her husband who further delayed to return until it was night.
“Ms Muleya then offered the two men a place to sleep. During the night they budged into her bedroom while she was asleep and demanded cash while armed with a pistol. They took US$10 000 and fled into the night. Her husband returned home a few hours later and they reported the matter to the police,” he said.
Asst Insp Mkhwananzi said investigations were underway and appealed to members of the public with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact the police.
He urged members of the public to desist from keeping large sums of money in their homes.
“As police, we urge people to desist from keeping large sums of money in their homes as they will be putting their lives at risk. People should also be careful of strangers and not trust them. Members of the public should also be careful about whom they tell sensitive information such as the valuables they have,” he said.
The notorious 9 armed robbers including Mussa Taj Abudul who were nabbed in Beitbridge have been jailed 4 years.
Mussa Taj Abudul and 8 others had a year of their jail term suspended and they will serve an effective 3years behind bars.
The development comes after the notorious nine, who’ve been on a spate of armed robberies, were found guilty of the alleged robberies.
The nine who appeared before magistrate Mateko at Harare magistrates court in court 5 for judgment for illegally possessing firearm and ammunition have been found guilty and remanded for tomorrow for mitigation and sentencing.
Their lawyer Mrs Concillia Maheya was absent.
The nine include: Mussa Taj Abudul, Tapiwa Mangoma, Liberty Mupamhanga and 6 others. Magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko in convicting the nine said it was clear that they were acting in common purpose when they were arrested.
The nine were arrested in Beitbridge in August 2020 following a tip-off.
By A Correspondent- Chiredzi commercial farmer, Tony Renato Sarpo (55), who was last year slapped with a 10month prison sentence for theft of trust property, has been freed after his sentence was quashed by the High Court last week.
Sarpo was in June last year convicted and sentenced by Chiredzi magistrate Geraldine Mutsoto for stealing 40 wheelbarrows belonging to Matabeleland Engineering.
Four months were, however, suspended on condition that he paid a $300 fine and a further six months were suspended on condition that he paid $8 800 restitution by July 31, 2020.
Sarpo appealed the ruling at the High Court which last week ruled in his favour and set aside the sentence.
“The appeal be and hereby upheld. The conviction of the accused be and is hereby quashed and the sentence set aside. The accused be and is hereby found not guilty,” the High Court ruled.
Sarpo has scored several victories against Matabeleland Engineering.
In one of the cases he was convicted in February last year by Harare magistrate Nyasha Vitorini for stealing a Toyota Hilux single cab truck valued at $10 000 also belonging to Matabeleland Engineering.
David Wayne Williams, one of the co-directors of Matabeleland Engineering trading as Yagden Engineering, told the court that Sarpo refused to return company documents, assets, receipt books, vehicles, vehicle registration books, accounts books and other assets following his resignation on June 2, 2016.
Sarpo, who was executive director and a shareholder in the firm, held on to the vehicle and sold it to Intrachem through Harris Auto, Harare.
Vitorini sentenced him to 12 months in prison, of which six months were conditionally set aside. Six months were suspended on condition that he restituted the complainant and performed 210 hours of community service.
Sarpo, however, appealed both conviction and sentence at the High Court and was acquitted.
As Africa celebrates the day of the African child it is important to also note that the real African child has nothing to celebrate. African children are being exploited as cheap labour in the DRC, Tanzania, South Africa and many other African countries. The African child is being murdered in cold blood in Mozambique, Libya and other war torn African countries.
Sadly millions of children in Africa live in abject poverty and those who get an opportunity to at least go to school have no hope whatsoever of a brighter future as the political elite do not prioritize quality education for the poor African citizens in their states.
The theme for the Day of the African Child (DAC) this year is “30 years after the adoption of the Charter: accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children”.
The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (Committee), established under Articles 32 and 33 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (the Charter) selected this theme for the commemoration of the DAC in 2021.
Labour Economists and African Democrats (LEAD) acknowledges the Day of the African Child (DAC) as an important day to promote children’s rights and welfare issues.
Beyond the recognition of this day on the 16th of June every year, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child should move from just an advocacy tool to an action committee that penalizes all African countries that are not prioritizing the protection and welfare of children in their states.
How do we celebrate children in Africa when their future is bleak and hopeless? How do we inspire a sober reflection and action towards addressing the plethora of challenges that children face on a daily basis when African LEADers prefer to be puppets of other countries without taking care of their own first?
Agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children has got very valid and real aspirations which unfortunately remain just writings in a booklet which have zero monitoring and evaluation models to ensure implementation from member states.
Today I challenge all the 55 States of Africa to commit to implement the following aspirations as soon as possible to ensure that children in Africa have sustainable livelihoods.
Aspiration 1: The African Children’s Charter, as supervised by the African Children’s Committee, provides an effective continental framework for advancing children’s rights
Aspiration 2: An effective child-friendly national legislative, policy and institutional framework is in place in all Member States
Aspiration 3: Every child’s birth and other vital statistics are registered
Aspiration 4: Every child survives and has a healthy childhood
Aspiration 5: Every child grows up well-nourished and with access to the basic necessities of life
Aspiration 6: Every child benefits fully from quality education
Aspiration 7: Every child is protected against violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse
Aspiration 8: Children benefit from a child-sensitive criminal system
Aspiration 9: Every child is free from the impact of armed conflicts and other disasters or emergency situations
Aspiration 10: African children’s views matter
As the LEADer of LEAD, I am making a commitment today to hold the government of Zimbabwe to implement and uphold the aspirations of the Agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children.
It is sad that right here in my beloved Zimbabwe we have children way below 16 who are being exploited in farms, mining settlements and domestic work. Children are being pimped for sexploitation & turned into beggars by some ruthless and unscrupulous people.
Children and young people in Zimbabwe are in a drug and substance abuse pandemic and we are fast losing a generation. It takes a community to raise a child, today I make a clarion call to all Zimbabweans to be the custodians of every child in their community.
To hold all elected officials to account to ensure that children are protected and that their rights as enshrined in section 81 of the constitution of Zimbabwe are upheld.
We all have an obligation to nurture an environment that will inspire hope for a brighter future for all African children regardless of class in the society.
TogetherWeCan uplift the Afrikan child to prosperity and a life free from fear and want.
By A Correspondent- Lawyers for the 9 armed robbers Mussa Taj Abudul and others have finished submitting their mitigations before magistrate Barbara Mateko.
The state has also finished its submissions.
At 15:00hrs they will be back in court for sentencing.
The development comes after the notorious nine, who’ve been on a spate of armed robberies, were found guilty of the alleged robberies.
The nine who appeared before magistrate Mateko at Harare magistrates court in court 5 for judgment for illegally possessing firearm and ammunition have been found guilty and remanded for tomorrow for mitigation and sentencing.
Their lawyer Mrs Concillia Maheya was absent.
The nine include: Mussa Taj Abudul, Tapiwa Mangoma, Liberty Mupamhanga and 6 others. M
agistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko in convicting the nine said it was clear that they were acting in common purpose when they were arrested.
The nine were arrested in Beitbridge in August 2020 following a tip-off.
By A Correspondent- Teachers at Mangwande Primary School in Lower Gweru have reportedly deserted the learning institution for security reasons after machete gangs terrorised the area since July 2018.
As a result, the school is now left with five teachers out of a staff complement of 14.
NewsDay gathered that the teachers fled after a female colleague was assaulted and gang-raped by five machete wielding youths as her three minor children watched. The machete gang then force-marched the head to the school cash vault which they failed to break.
They then ransacked other teachers’ houses and stole various items.
Two members of the gang were later arrested and jailed for 37 years each.
A parent with a child at Mangwande School, Thomson Moyo said children in Grade Four and Grade Six had not been attending classes for the whole of last term.
“It’s disheartening that our children are failing to learn due to shortages of teachers mainly caused by desertions because of machete gang terror,” Moyo said.
“From information we have gathered, the teachers were saying they fear for their lives.”
Another parent, Esnath Mlalazi said following the robbery at the school three years ago, teachers deserted their staff cottages before they left the school in successive years.
“They started by deserting the school staff houses, saying they feared for their lives before they went on to transfer from the school in successive years,” she said.
Midlands provincial education director Robson Machimbira was non-committal when NewsDay contacted him for comment. He only said the robberies were reported.
“That case was reported to the police,”Machimbira said.
However, last year while addressing a meeting organised by churches, Midlands Provincial Affairs minister Larry Mavima said there was need to decisively deal with the machete gangs.
He called on stakeholders to join hands with police and put an end to machete gangs, whom he said had become “warlords” with “potential to start civil wars”.
By A Correspondent- A well known Harare lawyer, Charles Chinyama is facing imminent de-registration after being found guilty of six counts of unethical conduct for fleecing clients of money running into thousands of United States dollars, plunging the name of the learned profession into disrepute.
Chinyama, a senior partner at Chinyama and Partners Legal Practitioners, is just one of many attorneys fleecing large sums from their clients, given the number of lawyers that have so far been deleted from the practicing lawyers registry.
His conviction early this month comes after the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) hauled the lawyer before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (LPDT) on seven counts of improper conduct.
He was accused of a string of charges including acting in an improper and unseemly manner by having a ‘questionable’ relationship with a client who was the estranged wife of the complainant in the course of divorce proceedings between the couple.
Chinyama also failed to account to client (two counts) and to properly perform a client’s mandate and taking advantage of such client, failure to issue receipts and to account for funds held in trust, and placing himself in a position of conflict with client’s interests.
In addition, Chinyama failed to issue receipts and to account for funds held in trust and failing to account for debts recovered on client’s behalf; and raising a false bill for legal fees and forging an acknowledgment of debt by client in support of legal action against such client for recover of fees.
After a fully contested hearing, the LPDT found him guilty of six counts and absolved him of the seventh charge.
In one of the counts involving complainant Zhou Haixi, the disciplinary authority found that Haixi engaged the services of Chinyama and deposited US$70 000 into the trust account that he operated.
When Haixi wrote to the respondent on 29 July 2016 enquiring on the status of the funds, there was no response.
Chinyama was also instructed to recover debts in the sums of US$20 000 and US$4 000 on two separate occasions.
Despite having recovered the debts, the lawyer failed to account for the amounts. Instead, Chinyama then billed Haixi for US$132 790, which bill was contested by the complainant.
Both the LSZ and Chinyama have since been directed to make submissions before the LPDT on aggravation and mitigation.
By A Correspondent- Desperate to become husband and wife, a Chipinge couple reportedly connived to murder the woman’s daughter (4) from her previous marriage.
Langton Sithole (30) of Charurwa Village and Violet Chabvukwa (36) of Chikwanda Village under Chief Mutema were recently arrested for the murder of Blessing Mabhejo.
The love-birds reportedly sought to conceal evidence by faking a drowning accident.
Last week they appeared before Chipinge magistrate, Mrs Elizabeth Hanzi facing murder charges.
They were not asked to plead, remanded in custody to June 17 and advised to apply for bail at the High Court.
It is alleged that Sithole’s family could not bless his union with Chabvukwa due to the four-year-old girl.
Prosecuting, Mr Thulani Zondwayo said: “Sithole and Chabvukwa were about to settle down as a couple, but the former’s family refused to bless their union due to the child Chabvukwa had from her previous marriage.”
Mr Zondwayo said on May 30, the lovers took the girl to a nearby dam and murdered her.
“Sithole said while at the dam wall, he pinned the girl to the ground and suffocated her to death with a plastic container. “After accomplishing their mission, Sithole removed the girl’s top garment and placed her body on the banks of the dam before going away,” said Mr Zondwayo.
However, police detectives led by Detective Assistant Inspector Emmerson Ziki, Detective Sergeant Kasora and Detective Sergeant Antonio received a tip-off and attended the crime scene.
They discovered that only half of Blessing’s body was submerged in water, an indication that there was foul play. Investigations led to Sithole and Chabvukwa’s arrest.
According to the State papers gleaned by The Manica Post, Sithole admitted that he killed the young girl.
“I admit to the charges levelled against me. I was in love with Violet (Chabukwa) who is the mother of the now deceased. I told Violet that we could not marry each other as my parents would not allow me to marry a woman with a child from a previous marriage.
“On May 30, I connived to kill Blessing. I went to the dam first and sat on the dam wall. Violet then came with the deceased and sat close to me while holding the baby closely.
“I took an empty peanut butter container and covered both the nose and the mouth of the now deceased until she suffocated and passed away. I then took a towel which was in my possession and gave it to Violet so that she could wipe the blood that was coming from Blessing’s nose.
“We removed the Blessing’s top garment and placed her body at the edge of the dam while her legs were submerged in the water,” said Sithole.
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) the biggest workers’ union, has condemned the “inhumane” treatment of workers at a Chinese tiles company Sunny Yi Feng Tiles after a collapsed employee was transported by a forklift.
ZCTU posted on social media expressing concern and calling upon the Zimbabwean citizenry to resist such treatment even if t was being done on another citizen. Said the workers’ union:
_No Zimbabwean should allow the inhumane treatment of a fellow Zimbabwean like we are witnessing (Sunny Yi Feng) @SunnyYiFeng_Ltd Look at an employee who collapsed being transported by a Fork Lift. This lack of care and ill-treatment of a human being like an animal must be denounced by all._
_Zimbabweans are not xenophobic, we want to coexist with everyone. But we are supposed to be independent enjoying our human and workers rights at work._
_We must not be taken back to the degrading treatment we endured in the past during colonial rule._
Sunny Yi Feng Tiles which is based in Norton was previously in the news, again for the wrong reasons, after a Chinese national at the company reportedly assaulted Chief Chivero who had gone there to seek employment for his people.
Chief Chivero was reportedly left with a twisted arm after being beaten up by a Chinese national who has since been deported.
There have been growing concerns over how Chinese-owned companies treat their workers in Zimbabwe and other African countries.
Another case that is being used as a reference to the ill-treatment of workers is the Gweru shooting incident in which a Chinese employer at Treden mine in Gweru shot his employees who had visited the company premises asking for their money.
One of the two employees who were shot, Kenneth Tachiona who was shot in both legs by Zhang Xuelin, a 41-year-old employer is now disabled.
By A Correspondent- The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) yesterday escalated plans to punish “outliers” including listed milling giant, National Foods, which it said were “abusing” foreign currency acquired through the auction system.
The central bank named 18 companies which allegedly abused the foreign currency auction system under the recently promulgated Statutory Instrument (SI) 127 of 2021.
SI 127 of 2021 prohibits business operators from charging above the official exchange rate and empowers authorities to punish those that refuse to accept the Zimbabwe dollar for local transactions.
Food processing giant, National Foods, Georgia Petroleum, AfricaSteel and several fuel companies were among the errant businesses said to be abusing the forex facility.
SI 127 of 2021 imposes fines of up to $1 million on firms found guilty of manipulating the auction system and abusing foreign currency.
According to the SI, companies are liable for a fine of $50 000 or its equivalent in foreign currency for refusing to take payment in local currency at the official exchange rate.
Firms will be fined $5 million for supplying false information to their banks when applying for foreign currency at the RBZ auction.
A $50 000 penalty will also be levied on anyone selling goods at a rate above the official exchange rate and the same fine applies to companies that issue Zimdollar receipts for goods sold in United States dollars.
In a statement, RBZ governor John Mangudya said the Financial Intelligence Unit and the central bank’s Exchange Control Division conducted an investigation on business entities defying SI 127 of 2021 and named 18 companies as culprits.
“RBZ wishes to advise members of the public that over the past weeks it has engaged a number of business associations and entities to discuss the modalities for compliance with SI 127 of 2021,” Mangudya said.
“The bank would like to express its appreciation to the business community for valuable feedback during engagements which have culminated in business’ clearer understanding of the essence of SI 127.
“The bank (RBZ) has a duty of care to ensure that the significant progress that the economy made since the introduction of the foreign exchange auction system in June 2020 continues on an unabated positive trajectory while at the same time protecting consumers and fostering compliance to engender fair play in the economy.”
The central bank boss added: “It is against these noble objectives that SI 127 was put in place to provide for penalties against errant entities that were at the forefront of abusing the foreign ex-change auction system to the detriment of the stability of the economy.
“After investigations by the Financial Intelligence Unit and the bank’s ex-change control division, the entities list-ed hereunder which were abusing the foreign exchange auction system shall be dealt with in accordance with SI 127.
“Going forward and in line with the recommendations from the business community on the need to continue to enhance stability in the economy, the bank’s efforts to foster compliance in terms of SI 127 shall be limited to outliers that wantonly abuse the foreign ex-change auction system, exchange rate manipulation and non-compliance with anti-money laundering rules and regulations.
“The bank’s focus on these key areas coupled with business reality check self-discipline, self-monitoring and per review will sustain inflation and exchange rate stability.”
The reforms under SI 127 of 2021 triggered a wave of price hikes in Zimbabwe and United States dollar terms, as terrified firms raced to protect their interests.
The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) has called on authorities to immediately scrap the SI. The CZI said fear among business-es was that while government’s intentions were noble, the unintended con-sequences would be dire.
“The immediate impact of applying the SI would be that US dollar prices will be hiked so as to result in the same Zimbabwe dollar price prevailing prior to the SI.
“This means an immediate spike in US dollar inflation, a component of our blended inflation rate,” CZI said.
“Companies have been relying on local US dollar sales to generate the bulk of foreign currency used to sustain operations.
“Use of the auction rate would result in consumers converting their US dollars to Zimbabwe dollars on the parallel market prior to purchasing, a practice already rampant outside the major retail chains such as Pick n Pay, OK and Bon Marche. This will deprive companies of what has become their main source of foreign currency.”
By A Correspondent- Government yesterday revealed that 23% of children in the country were out of school due to economic challenges.
This was said by Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa during a post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare where she said the figures were arrived at after a research done by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee led by the Food and Nutrition Council conducted in May 2021.
“The research conducted revealed that financial constraints, age and adolescence pregnancy were some of the notable reasons why about 23% of the children were not in school,” Mutsvangwa said.
“As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has witnessed increased support from Treasury and, a reduction of assistance from the development partners. At least 54% of the households received support from government, with development partners complementing these efforts by supporting 25% of the households,” she said.
Mutsvangwa claimed that average household monthly support for the vulnerable increased from US$33 in 2020 to US$75 in 2021.
On COVID-19, Mutsvangwa said the country was on high alert after experiencing a surge in weekly cases from 226 during the week ending June 6, 2021 to 596 in week ending June 14, 2021.
“Cabinet further approved the localised lockdowns in hotspot areas, such as Kwekwe, Kariba and Hurungwe districts. In addition, Zimbabwe’s neighbours are also experiencing surges in new COVID-19 cases and deaths.”
She said 95,6% of COVID-19-positive cases were attributable to local transmission, adding that the police and other law enforcement agents would increase roadblocks and patrols to ensure compliance with the recently announced COVID-19 containment measures.
“Health Inspectors will vigorously enforce laid down standard operating procedures for restaurants, retailers, public transporters and other commercial operators, including revoking operating licences where necessary,” she said.
Mutsvangwa also announced that Cabinet has adopted principles of the Air Zimbabwe Debt Assumption Bill so that it clears the airline’s domestic and external debt following the appointment of a new board and management to run the airline.
“It is expected that the Bill will ensure revival of the airline and its associated companies from perennial loss-making entities, to enablers of growth in tourism, trade, commerce and the economy in general,” she said.
A Zimbabweans student at the University of Namibia who lied to police that his laptop and mobile phone had been stolen in Victoria Falls after he sold the gadgets, has been sentenced to six months in prison.
Allan Nyamuziwa of 1724 Landpark in Marondera was convicted on his own plea to deliberately supplying false information to a public authority by Victoria Falls magistrate Ms Lindiwe Maphosa.
He said he was travelling to his hometown from Namibia when he disembarked from a bus to relieve himself in Victoria Falls.
Nyamuziwa said the bus was gone when returned so he decided to sell his laptop and phone to get transport money.
He reported to the police on Sunday that his gadgets and US$200 cash had been stolen.
Nyamuziwa told police that he was robbed in a bush near Kingdom Hotel prompting police to investigate the issue. Investigations revealed that he had lied about the robbery and he was arrested.
He admitted to police that he “cooked up” the robbery story so he could be assisted with free travel as a victim and he also did not want his parents to know that he sold the items.
He was sentenced to six months in prison which was wholly suspended for five years on condition he doesn’t commit a similar offence within the next five years.
Nyamuziwa is a first-year Engineering student at the University of Namibia.
Cabinet has blamed complacency for the recent spike in Covid-19 infections with people mistaking the early successes against the pandemic for a total victory.
People have increasingly been disregarding Covid-19 mitigatory measures falsely believing the virus no longer poses a threat.
Although the World Health Organisation (WHO) commended Zimbabwean authorities for the way they have managed the spread of the pandemic, Government has repeatedly warned of a possible and deadly third wave of the virus if people let their guard down.
The warnings follow the emergence of deadlier variants of the disease which are more difficult to manage.
Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga announced renewed containment measures at the weekend to give the country a strong chance of beating the pandemic.
Speaking at a post-Cabinet briefing last night, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said containment measures had been tightened.
“Government notes, with concern, that there was a surge in weekly cases from 226 during the week ending 6 June 2021, to 596 in the week ending 14 June 2021.
“The surge is mostly attributable to the general complacency in adhering to the set Covid-19 preventive and precautionary measures both in the communities and workplaces,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“Reinforcement of the containment and preventive measures, encapsulated in the extraordinary Government Gazette of 14th June 2021 (Statutory Instrument 170 of 2021), has thus been instituted to curb the spike in Covid-19 cases and deaths. This will ultimately contain a third wave of the Covid-19 outbreak.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said Cabinet further approved the localised lockdowns in hotspot areas such as Kwekwe, Kariba and Hurungwe.
“In addition, Zimbabwe’s neighbours are also experiencing dramatic surges in new Covid-19 cases and deaths,” she said urging the public to exercise extreme caution when travelling in and out of Zimbabwe.
People were supposed to strictly observe relevant preventive measures and to avoid unnecessary travel.
“The public is being advised that the police and other law enforcement agencies will increase roadblocks and patrols to ensure compliance with the recently announced Covid-19 containment measures and that health inspectors will vigorously enforce laid down standard operating procedures for restaurants, retailers, public transporters and other commercial operators, including revoking operating licences where necessary.”
