By A Correspondent- A man from Zezani area in Beitbridge, Matabeleland South Province is in a tricky situation that any married man would never want to experience after his wife eloped with an Agritex officer who allegedly lured her with his “Government-issued” motorbike.
Debson Siziba was left heartbroken after his wife of about eight years Mbuyedzedzo Muleya left him with their two children while eloping to her lover Knowledge Gororo, an Agritex officer stationed in the area.
It was gathered that Mbuyedzedzo ditched her husband for Gororo after he “seduced” her with rides on his motorbike.
Narrating his unpleasant experience to B-Metro, a distraught Siziba said sometime in April this year, he discovered that Gororo was having an affair with his wife and was always giving her rides to Beitbridge Town on his motorbike.
He said that led his wife to fall in love with his (Gororo’s) motorcycle.
“They were always phoning each other and during my absence, Gororo would come to my house with his motorbike to see my wife until the day she left home under the pretext that she was visiting her aunt.
“When she didn’t come back the following day, I went to the aunt’s house where I was told that she had lied that she was visiting her. Investigations later established that she had eloped with Gororo and he came with his motorbike and took her away,” said a visibly stressed Siziba.
Siziba who was disturbed by the incident later followed his wife to Gororo’s place. He claimed that when he arrived, his wife locked herself in Gororo’s bedroom.
He got so angry and called the police to come and help him “recover” his wife who was now enjoying the biker’s love.
“Upon arrival, Gororo was not at home but his neighbours told me that my wife was inside the house. To avoid putting the law into my own hands, I called the police who came and demanded that she should open the door for them. She, however, refused, leading to one of the police officers to enter through the window to force her out of the house,” said Siziba.
He said when he asked her to accompany him to their house, Mbuyedzedzo refused before Gororo swiftly came and took her with his motorbike to her parents in Beitbridge.
Siziba said Gororo should be punished as he was allegedly addicted to the thrill of sleeping with married women.
“I want him to compensate me for sleeping with my wife and the matter is now before Chief Sitaudze,” he fumed.
B-Metro spoke to Gororo who, while admitting that Mbuyedzedzo once stayed at his house, denied that they were in an intimate relationship.
“It’s not true that we are in a relationship and the issue is now before Chief Sitaudze. The Chief once ordered me to pay two beasts after Siziba claimed I was bedding his wife.
“We were supposed to go back again on Sunday last week but I didn’t make it because I was involved in an accident on Thursday. What happened is that they had a dispute and after that she met my friend who was using my motorbike and he assisted her,” said Gororo.
Asked on what Mbuyedzedzo was doing at his house when the police came to take her, Gororo said: “She came to my house and stayed for two days saying she had nowhere to go. During that time, she told me that she was no longer interested in her husband because he abused her.”
He added: “It is also not true that Siziba was the one who called the police. I am the one who did so after I came back home from work and found him and other villagers at my house. This was after his wife was seen by neighbours who later alerted him and he quickly came when she was about to leave my house.”
By A Correspondent- A police boss in Bulawayo has been arrested after he allegedly muscled his way into Ross Camp impound yard and stole a commuter omnibus that had been impounded by his colleagues for flouting Covid-19 regulations.
Chief Inspector Nkosilathi Nyathi (45) who is the officer-in-charge of ZRP Nkulumane, was arrested together with Lionel Kersha (31), the driver of the kombi after the two grabbed the vehicle from the yard before it was cleared and drove it movie style out of the gate and fled.
Even efforts to stop Nyathi and Kersha at the gate proved futile as they sped away with the vehicle soon after it was unclamped by a Bulawayo City Council employee.
The details emerged after the duo appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza last Wednesday to answer to allegations of theft as defined in Section 113 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9.23. They also face an additional charge of defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
The duo pleaded not guilty and Mr Mabeza remanded them out of custody to Tuesday for trial. Prosecuting, Mr Jeremiah Mutsindikwa told the court that on 6 February a team from Bulawayo Central Traffic, Vehicle Examination Department and Bulawayo City Council were on a joint operation named “Undingani eTown Phase 2”, when they arrested Kersha and impounded the vehicle he was driving for various offences.
The court heard that an Assistant Inspector Munsaka booked the kombi and handed it over to Constable Mandla Moyo for safe keeping at the camp. It was also clamped by council traffic officers because it had outstanding parking tickets.
However, the same day in the afternoon, Nyathi approached Cst Moyo and advised him that he wanted to see the impounded kombi. After seeing the kombi, Nyathi and Kersha proceeded to Bulawayo City Council where the offences related to council were cleared. The court heard that the duo came back and handed over a receipt that showed that they had paid the fine at city council and wanted to collect the vehicle.
However, Cst Moyo advised the duo to also clear the vehicle with the officer in charge at Drill Hall. Instead of clearing the vehicle with the police, the duo went back to city council offices and came back accompanied by a city council vehicle.
The court heard that the driver of the city council vehicle unclamped the kombi and the two jumped in and drove away.
Cst Moyo tried to stop the duo but they sped off, disregarding pleas from police officers who were manning the yard and the gate to stop. The court heard that a report was immediately made at Mzilikazi police station and a manhunt was launched resulting in the vehicle being recovered at a house in Pumula North leading to the arrest of the duo.
By Patrick Guramatunhu- Zimbabwe’s next elections are due in July 2023, just over two years from now. The nation is being reminded of how the 2018 elections were rigged.
“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) was on Friday forced to address the damaging allegations raised by Professor Jonathan Moyo, who in his newly-published book, offers a gripping account of the elaborate electoral fraud that he claims stripped opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa of clear victory in the 2018 presidential election after winning by a staggering 66 percent,” reported Bulawayo 24.
“In ‘Excelgate: How Zimbabwe’s 2018 Presidential Election Was Stolen’, Moyo charges that President Emmerson Mnangagwa lost resoundingly to Chamisa after polling just 33 percent, adding the Zanu-PF leader was saved by the Joint Operations Command (JOC) – a shadowy assemblage of all state security apparatus – which frantically stepped in and tampered with ballot figures in a “brazen” and “audacious” con.”
Even those without Professor Moyo’s inside information of the various CIO and ZDF operatives embed in ZEC, etc. knew the elections were rigged. The whole process was not transparent one could not trace and verify anything. There was no verified voters’ roll, a legal and common-sense requirement. The public media was not free to all contestants. It was no secret that 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied the vote.
One of the real big surprises to any outsider was why the opposition agreed to participate in the elections knowing fully well that this will never ever be a free, fair and credible process. The outsider would have soon learned that this was not Zimbabwe’s first elections where it was as clear as day Zanu PF was rigging the elections. It was the same in 2013.
SADC leaders who were the guarantor of the Global Political Agreement that gave birth to the 2008 to 2013 GNU, had literally begged the contestants to postpone the elections until reforms were implemented. MDC leaders, the main opposition in the 2018 elections had ignored SADC leaders’ advice back in 2013 and were ignoring it in 2018 for the same reason – greed.
Nelson Chamisa and his MDC A together with the rest in the opposition camp were participating in the 2018 elections knowing Zanu PF would rig the process.
It must have been a surprise when Chamisa challenged the presidential result to the outside but not anyone else. Chamisa’s challenge was a bargaining gimite to get Mnangagwa to share more of the spoils of power for his role in participating in the flawed elections and giving him legitimacy. It is for this reason Chamisa’s challenge never mentioned some of the obvious election illegalities such as the failure to produce a verified voters’ roll.
Still Professor Moyo’s Excelgate has helped to shine some light in some really dark corners in Zimbabwe’s dirty elections.
“As an embedded active CIO operative under the guise of a seconded official, (Mavis) Matsanga’s CIO credentials and real work at ZEC is known only to Chigumba, the ZEC chairperson, as it was known to her predecessor, Justice Rita Makarau,” wrote Professor Moyo.
“To put Matsanga’s job at ZEC bluntly, it is to manage and rig elections for Zanu-PF under the command of the CIO. In the 2018 harmonised elections, Matsanga was deputized by one Chivasa, a retired military operative, seconded to ZEC by the ZDF specifically to rig elections.”
Justice Rita Makarau was one of the nine Constitution Court Judges who heard Nelson Chamisa’s challenge of the presidential election result. In other words, Justice Makarau knew the 2018 elections were rigged the same way Matsanga had rigged the 2013 elections when Makarau was the ZEC chairperson. So, she must have been selected as one of the nine judges for her specialist information on the workings of ZEC. The Constitutional Court was very careful not to ask certain pertinent questions.
Both Nelson Chamisa and ZEC in their affidavits submissions failed to produce the all V11 forms, the Polling Station record sheet of the vote count of each contestant for the local election, parliamentary and presidential race on which their results were based. ZEC had three different results which the commission failed to reconcile precisely because ZEC did not have all the V11 forms.
How could ZEC, the body with the legal duty and responsibility to ensure the whole elections process is free, fair and credible fail to keep track key documents like V11 forms? Of course, the elections were rigged; in the tampering and tinkering with the figures it was impossible to keep track of all the forged V11 forms.
Some election observers reported of ZEC officials completing V11 forms on their own. V11 forms should have been competed as the last act in the vote counting process and the presiding officials and the contestants’ agents signed the V11 forms to confirm the details were a correct record of the proceedings.
The Constitutional Court acknowledged the yawning discrepancies in ZEC’s own affidavit but in the judges’ infinite wisdom they assumed all the discrepancies and illegalities would not be in the “primary source” information in the sealed Ballot Boxes.
However, the judges did not ask to have even a few sample Ballot Boxes opened to verify their assumption. Of course, they knew the missing V11 forms would not be in the sealed Ballot Boxes and there are some Pandora’s Boxes one must never open; Judge Makarau knew this only too well!
Two years away from the 2023 elections; it is interest to note that the 3 million or so Zimbabweans in the diaspora are, once again, going to be denied the vote. The public media is still for the exclusive use of the ruling party, Zanu PF. Matsanga and her deputy Chivasa are still working as ZEC official and tasked to rig the next elections.
In short, nothing has changed since 2018 elections; Zanu PF is set to rig the 2023 elections just as the party rigged the 2018 elections.
Why? Oh, why are Nelson Chamisa, Tendai Biti and the rest of their MDC A team preparing to participate in the 2023 elections knowing fully well Zanu PF is rigging the plebiscite? They are participating for the same reason they participated in the past – greed.
Zanu PF will rig the elections and Chamisa will complain the elections were “stolen” and may even challenge the result in the Constitution Court. The judges in the infinite wisdom will, in turn, ignore the mountain of evidence of voting irregularities and illegalities and declare the election free, fair and credible and the Zanu PF candidate dully elected.
The opposition has been misleading people into believe the nation can still get regime change by participating in these flawed elections. By participating the people have given the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy whilst hoping against reason for regime change.
After 41 years and counting of rigged elections the people have yet to realise that the opposition is running with the povo hare by day and hunting with the Zanu PF hounds by night. The penny is yet to drop but until then the insanity will continue.
Poor Zimbabwe the prospect of yet another rigged election is real. Those who learn nothing from the past are destined to repeat the same mistakes over again and again.
The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations and Emmanuel TV Family appreciate your love, prayers and concern at this time and request a time of privacy for the family. Here are Prophet TB Joshua’s last words: “Watch and pray.”
By A Correspondent- A 37 year old Bulawayo man hanged himself in the family’s Nkulumane house after receiving news of the death of his uncle.
A maid, who had just arrived from Victoria Falls, discovered the body of Ntando Maphosa hanging in his bedroom on Tuesday.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Abednico Ncube said investigations were in progress.
Nkulumane United Families Association vice chairman Lungile Ncube told Sunday Southern Eye on Friday that Maphosa could not stomach the news that his uncle had died.
By A Correspondent- Chitungwiza Residents’ trust has filed an urgent high Court chamber application seeking to bar the government and local authorities in Harare Metropolitan Province from demolishing “illegal” informal businesses structures.
The applicants, ChitRESt director alice Kuvheya and its trustees, cited Chitungwiza Municipality, City of harare, Ruwa and Epworth local boards, home affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe, as well as Local government minister July Moyo and his transport counterpart Felix Mhona and police commissioner general godwin Matanga, as respondents.
This follows seperate press statements released by the harare provincial development coordinator tafadzwa Muguti, Chitungwiza Municipality and Ruwa Local Board warning about demolitions scheduled for this week.
In the urgent chamber application under case hC 2857/21, Scanlen and holderness representing the Chitungwiza residents argued that the intended demolitions were unlawful as no court order was granted.
“The intended operation is unlawful as no court order has been granted to carryout these demolitions and evictions.
“In addition, no adequate notice has been given. there is basis for challenging the conduct of the respondents,” read part of the application.
“The matter is urgent. the applicants seek relief from the respondents to ensure that the intended demolitions are interdicted by this honourable court.
“The accompanying affidavit and documents are tendered in support of the application.”
In an attached certificate of urgency, lawyer hazel Sibanda said the impending demolitions required urgent intervention by the high Court.
“The orchestrated plan has involved members of the police who have been invited to be part of this operation,” Sibanda said.
“The police have not distanced themselves from these statements.
“The actions of the respondents are palpably unlawful.
“Members of the public and specific informal traders stand to suffer irreparable harm through loss of life, livelihoods and property.
“(So) these plans require urgent interception by this honourable court.”
In her founding affidavit Kuvheya argued that there was a premeditated plan to use “devastating force” on citizens.
“Given the threat issued by the respondents, there is an imminent danger of loss of life, livelihoods and loss of property.
“With respect to livelihoods, there is hardly any viable industry in Chitungwiza and most families survive on trade and informal business for day to day living.
“The consequences of such a loss of livelihood would be sure,” she said.
“There is no other adequate remedy other than an interdict to stop the joint operation being planned by the respondents.”-standard
By A Correspondent- A 38 year old man from Ngezi area in Filabusi under Chief Maduna drank a pesticide before making a futile attempt to seek assistance.
Matabeleland South acting police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Thabani Mkwananzi confirmed that Shelton Ndlovu on May 29 arrived home drunk at around 6pm and asked for bedroom keys from his wife Evelyn Munkuli (28), who was preparing supper.
“Afterwards he called his wife to the bedroom and told her that he was experiencing stomach pains after drinking a pesticide,” said Mkhwananzi.
He said Ndlovu’s wife hired a private vehicle to take him to Filabusi Hospital, but the car broke down on the way and he died before reaching the health institution.
Mkhwananzi urged the public to seek counselling from pastors and even from the police instead of taking their lives.
By A Correspondent- A Mberengwa woman, who two years ago killed her teenage daughter after the child admitted to indulging in sex with several men has been jailed for two years for culpable homicide.
Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Christopher DubeBanda sitting at the Gweru circuit court sentenced Lydia Chenyika to three years before suspending one year on condition of good behaviour.
Chenyika assaulted Memory Shumba, aged 15, with switches before hitting her with an axe handle.
Prosecutor Ndamukanei Chikumira told the court that on November 28, 2019 at around 6pm the accused and deceased were at home at stand number D47 Dunning Farm in Mberengwa together with the deceased’s three younger siblings.
Chenyika asked the deceased, who was in Form Two then, if reports that she was indulging in sexual acts with men were true to which the latter confirmed.
She assaulted her daughter with an axe handle. The daughter fled home and her body was discovered the following day.
By A Correspondent- Former president Robert Mugabe’s children have gone to court to challenge a traditional chief’s controversial order to exhume the late strongman’s remains.
Chief Zvimba last month stirred the hornet’s nest after he ruled that former first lady Grace Mugabe violated local customs by burying Zimbabwe’s first black leader in a courtyard at his rural Zvimba home.
In the ruling, the traditional leader said Mugabe “shall be exhumed and reburied at the National Heroes Acre in Harare within 30 days or before the first of July 2021.
“You are also ordered to gather clothes and all his belongings and surrender them on or before the 1st of July.”
Mugabe’s children, who have largely remained silent as the dispute over the late long time ruler’s final resting place, rages have moved to block his exhumation by taking the matter to the Chinhoyi civil court.
Bona Mugabe-Mutsahuni, Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe and Tinotenda Robert Mugabe say Chief Zvimba is trying to impose himself in the affairs of an area where he does not have jurisdiction over.
“The chief erred at law by making an order that overthrows a burial order in respect of the burial of the late Robert Mugabe when the chief has no judicial authority to interpret legal acts from superior legislation to his jurisdiction,” reads part of the notice of appeal.
“Chief Zvimba erred at law in making an order that affects property rights of a part that is not part of the proceedings.”
The Mugabe siblings said the chief made a false finding of fact, which amounted to an error at law when he found that Mugabe was buried inside a house.
“This misdirection nullifies the ratio decidendi of his judgement and erred at granting an incompetent order for the exhuming of the body of the late Robert Mugabe, thereby usurping the lawful boundaries of his judicial authority,” they argued.
“Chief Zvimba further erred at law by imposing himself with territorial jurisdiction to the affairs of an area that he does not have any territorial jurisdiction over.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government wanted Mugabe to be buried at the National Heroes Acre following his death in Singapore in September 2019.
The Mugabe family, however, said that the former Zanu-PF leader told them that he did not want to be buried at the national shrine because of the way he was toppled by his erstwhile colleagues in a military coup in 2017.
Mnangagwa’s government insists that it has nothing to do with Chief Zvimba’s bizarre ruling.
By A Correspondent- Government has procured a fleet of 100 new fully equipped ambulances that are set to be deployed to healthcare facilities throughout the country.
The first batch of the specialised vehicles is set to be delivered in August, with each province receiving between eight to 10 ambulances when all have been delivered later this year.
The procurement was finalised last week, with the first batch of 50 expected in August.
All the vehicles are set to be delivered by November.
Zimbabwe currently has a fleet of 134 functional ambulances and 148 which are non-runners.
The country requires a ground fleet of at least 200 fully equipped ambulances and a handful of air ambulances for medical emergencies where the distance does not allow for use of a road ambulance.
Government set aside $590 million in this year’s National Budget for the procurement of the life-saving vehicles.
Ministry of Finance and Economic Development spokesperson Mr Clive Mphambela told The Sunday Mail that an ambulance supply deal has since been concluded between a foreign supplier and the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
“The contract between Ministry of Health (and Child Care) and the supplier was signed this past week,” he said.
“In terms of expected delivery, the supplier should deliver the first batch of 50 ambulances within three months from date of contract.
“The second batch will be delivered three months after delivery of the first batch.
“So, if all goes according to the agreement, the country should expect the first 50 units by end of August 2021, with the other 50 ambulances expected by end of November 2021.”
A study on emergency and ambulance service commissioned by Government in 2018 established that owing to the shortage of ambulances, nearly 30 percent of road traffic accident victims die before reaching a healthcare facility.
The study also established that transit time for patients in ambulances ranges between four to five hours, leading to unnecessary loss of life.
All Government ambulances, the study revealed, lacked basic equipment including oxygen, delivery packs for pregnant women in transit, resuscitation equipment, masks, intravenous lines for drips, intravenous stands and trolleys.
The study recommended that all 63 districts in the country’s health system should have at least two functional ambulances and qualified personnel.
Ministry of Health and Child Care is in the process of establishing an ambulance services directorate that would ensure every part of the country has access to ambulances for emergency services.
Speaking at a recent event in the capital, Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care, said the new ambulances will be deployed to all district, provincial, central hospitals and selected tollgates along major highways.
Procurement of the vehicles, he added, was the first step in Government’s programme to stablish an effective ambulance system that was focused on attendance to emergencies and disasters.
“Casualty collection is a key capability in modern public health systems designed to mitigate effects of pandemics such as Covid-19, endemic-prone diseases, disasters such as Cyclone Idai, communicable and non-communicable diseases, maternal emergencies and road traffic accidents.
“The guaranteed availability of purpose-built patients’ transport goes a long way in the reduction of mortality rates in the country,” he said.
Government recently received 20 ambulances and ancillary medical equipment donated by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the government of India.
Presenting the 2021 national budget, Finance and Economic Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said: “In this regard, the NDS1 provides a commitment to revamp the public health infrastructure, covering upgrading and construction of health facilities, installation of medical equipment, procurement of ambulances and utility vehicles.
By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe’s fake prophets who used to consult the Nigerian pastor and televangelist TB Joshua have been left in the open by the passing on of their Godfather.
TB Joshua died of an unknown illness, on Saturday at the age of 57.
local self-proclaimed prophets including Walter Magaya, Emmanuel Makandiwa and Uebert Angels used to consult the late Nigerian evangelist.
He was the leader and founder of the Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), a church that runs the Emmanuel television station in Lagos, Nigeria.
By A Correspondent- Nigerian pastor and televangelist TB Joshua who died on Saturday was ill for only two days.
Media reports say that TB Joshua died of an unknown illness, leaving many to speculate that he could have been attacked by evil spirits he used to exorcise from his clients.
He was 57.
He was the leader and founder of the Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), a church that runs the Emmanuel television station in Lagos, Nigeria. According to his official Twitter account, Joshua died on Saturday.
“The Synagogue, Church of All Nations and Emmanuel TV Family appreciate your love, prayers and concern at this time and request a time of privacy for the family. Here are Prophet Joshua’s last word: Watch and Pray.”
ZimEye collects feedback from quarantines across the UK, and for now, below are pictures from Holiday Inn Express, Milton Keynes. Breakfast is a burger with sausage (no butter or source), lunch is a piece of bread, ham and some salad, while evening meal is: rice and potatoes (source says there is no meat at all). This is the food combination on one of the days.
By A Correspondent- Nigerian pastor and televangelist TB Joshua who died on Saturday was ill for only two days.
According to media reports Joshua died after a short illness, but the cause of his death remains unknown He was 57.
He was the leader and founder of the Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), a church that runs the Emmanuel television station in Lagos, Nigeria. According to his official Twitter account, Joshua died on Saturday.
“The Synagogue, Church of All Nations and Emmanuel TV Family appreciate your love, prayers and concern at this time and request a time of privacy for the family. Here are Prophet Joshua’s last word: Watch and Pray.”
By A Correspondent- Nigerian pastor and televangelist TB Joshua’s death remains unknown, according to social media posts on his official Twitter account and news reports. He was 57.
He was the leader and founder of the Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), a church that runs the Emmanuel television station in Lagos, Nigeria. According to his official Twitter account, Joshua died on Saturday.
“The Synagogue, Church of All Nations and Emmanuel TV Family appreciate your love, prayers and concern at this time and request a time of privacy for the family. Here are Prophet Joshua’s last word: Watch and Pray.”
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF government has blocked controversial tycoon Billy Rautenbach from evicting thousands of Zanu PF supporters he accuses of illegally settling on his land in Harare’s Aspindale area.
Harare Metropolitan Affairs minister Oliver Chidawu told a recent meeting that the planned evictions would be politically suicidal as it could alienate the ruling party from a vital support base ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The messy wrangle pits Rautenbach’s company, Marimba Residential Properties, against five housing co-operatives — Joshua Nkomo, Leopold Takawira, Wadzanai, Mydek and Dzapasi — which took possession of the vast property described as Number 48 Aspindale Park Township of subdivision A of Aspindale Park of subdivision A of Lochinvar measuring over 100 hectares.
Information obtained by NewsDay Weekender indicates that Rautenbach, who has ever since been spiritedly trying and failing to evict the co-operatives, had roped in Chidawu to help him reclaim the land.
A meeting was held at Chidawu’s offices on Monday to bring finality to the matter.
However, according to leaked minutes, the meeting ended in deadlock after Chidawu objected to the tycoon’s push for eviction.
The minister, the minutes show, told Rautenbach that it was politically suicidal for government to evict party supporters ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections.
“He mentioned that the land was inaccessible due to the houses that have been built by the co-operatives. He added that evicting the residents appeared inevitable, but he cited that the move appeared politically wrong as it would be viewed as the Zanu PF government fighting Zanu PF supporters in view of the forthcoming year 2003 harmonised plebiscite,” the minutes read.
According to the minutes, Chidawu also indicated that he had exhausted options in his efforts to try to assist Rautenbach, whom he reportedly described as “a personal friend”.
“He highlighted this could be the last meeting with him in trying to address the issue. He explained that he had already used his influence to manipulate the police service to further the business tycoon’s cause and his metropolitan province had now gotten tired,” the minutes show.
According to the minutes, Chidawu then pleaded with Rautenbach to reduce the purchase price of the disputed land from US$85 per square metre to US$50 per square metre to allow the occupants to purchase the land, but the latter shot down the proposal.
“Minister Chidawu pleaded with him to reduce the purchase price of the land in dispute from US$85 per square metre to US$50 square metre. That way, the minister promised that he would use his office to influence the people to accept the new pegged prices and a concession would be inevitable,” the minutes read.
Still, Rautenbach refused to budge, revealing that he was, instead, considering increasing the purchase price to US$125 per square metre after the promulgation of the Statutory Instrument 127, though which government ordered companies to strictly adhere to the prevailing official exchange rate when doing local transactions.
The minutes added: “Rautenbach mentioned that if he sells the land at US$50, he would be bankrupt. He added that he would be left with no resources to develop infrastructure on the said land. He suggested an option to buy all constructed houses owned by those residents not forthcoming coming to his cause and get them relocated elsewhere. He identified ringleaders like Benedict Nyenyeza aka Mapiravana and Shadreck Majoni (Joshua Mqabuko Co-operative treasurer) among others who would be evicted in order to bring about obedience among the residents.”
Rautenbach is also on record having said he would not compromise on the purchase price, but would rather build a state-of-the-art Marimba Police Station and donate to government a modernised school within the property, among other corporate social responsibilities.
The decision to block the eviction could, on the other hand, prove costly since Rautenbach is widely regarded as a Zanu PF benefactor who regularly funds its programmes, including conferences and election campaigns.
Although the opposition MDC Alliance enjoys unassailable dominance in Harare, Zanu PF retains pockets of support in the capital.
The party got over 300 000 votes in the July 2018 presidential election, which helped its candidate, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, to claim a wafer-thin victory over the MDC Alliance’s Nelson Chamisa.
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF government has blocked controversial tycoon Billy Rautenbach from evicting thousands of Zanu PF supporters he accuses of illegally settling on his land in Harare’s Aspindale area.
Harare Metropolitan Affairs minister Oliver Chidawu told a recent meeting that the planned evictions would be politically suicidal as it could alienate the ruling party from a vital support base ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The messy wrangle pits Rautenbach’s company, Marimba Residential Properties, against five housing co-operatives — Joshua Nkomo, Leopold Takawira, Wadzanai, Mydek and Dzapasi — which took possession of the vast property described as Number 48 Aspindale Park Township of subdivision A of Aspindale Park of subdivision A of Lochinvar measuring over 100 hectares.
Information obtained by NewsDay Weekender indicates that Rautenbach, who has ever since been spiritedly trying and failing to evict the co-operatives, had roped in Chidawu to help him reclaim the land.
A meeting was held at Chidawu’s offices on Monday to bring finality to the matter.
However, according to leaked minutes, the meeting ended in deadlock after Chidawu objected to the tycoon’s push for eviction.
The minister, the minutes show, told Rautenbach that it was politically suicidal for government to evict party supporters ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections.
“He mentioned that the land was inaccessible due to the houses that have been built by the co-operatives. He added that evicting the residents appeared inevitable, but he cited that the move appeared politically wrong as it would be viewed as the Zanu PF government fighting Zanu PF supporters in view of the forthcoming year 2003 harmonised plebiscite,” the minutes read.
According to the minutes, Chidawu also indicated that he had exhausted options in his efforts to try to assist Rautenbach, whom he reportedly described as “a personal friend”.
“He highlighted this could be the last meeting with him in trying to address the issue. He explained that he had already used his influence to manipulate the police service to further the business tycoon’s cause and his metropolitan province had now gotten tired,” the minutes show.
According to the minutes, Chidawu then pleaded with Rautenbach to reduce the purchase price of the disputed land from US$85 per square metre to US$50 per square metre to allow the occupants to purchase the land, but the latter shot down the proposal.
“Minister Chidawu pleaded with him to reduce the purchase price of the land in dispute from US$85 per square metre to US$50 square metre. That way, the minister promised that he would use his office to influence the people to accept the new pegged prices and a concession would be inevitable,” the minutes read.
Still, Rautenbach refused to budge, revealing that he was, instead, considering increasing the purchase price to US$125 per square metre after the promulgation of the Statutory Instrument 127, though which government ordered companies to strictly adhere to the prevailing official exchange rate when doing local transactions.
The minutes added: “Rautenbach mentioned that if he sells the land at US$50, he would be bankrupt. He added that he would be left with no resources to develop infrastructure on the said land. He suggested an option to buy all constructed houses owned by those residents not forthcoming coming to his cause and get them relocated elsewhere. He identified ringleaders like Benedict Nyenyeza aka Mapiravana and Shadreck Majoni (Joshua Mqabuko Co-operative treasurer) among others who would be evicted in order to bring about obedience among the residents.”
Rautenbach is also on record having said he would not compromise on the purchase price, but would rather build a state-of-the-art Marimba Police Station and donate to government a modernised school within the property, among other corporate social responsibilities.
The decision to block the eviction could, on the other hand, prove costly since Rautenbach is widely regarded as a Zanu PF benefactor who regularly funds its programmes, including conferences and election campaigns.
Although the opposition MDC Alliance enjoys unassailable dominance in Harare, Zanu PF retains pockets of support in the capital.
The party got over 300 000 votes in the July 2018 presidential election, which helped its candidate, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, to claim a wafer-thin victory over the MDC Alliance’s Nelson Chamisa.
By A Correspondent-The ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo to Zimbabwe, Mawampanga Mwanananga has been listed as a top beneficiary of foreign currency sold at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) foreign currency auction system.
The foreign diplomat received higher forex allocations than a large-scale mining company over a period of one year.
The NewsHawks reports that Mwanananga doubles as the dean of African diplomats and is known for rallying counterparts in the diplomatic service to project Zimbabwe in good light especially during chaotic events like elections.
According to the latest list of 1 423 beneficiaries of the US$1.2 billion allotted under the main foreign exchange auction between June 2020 and 31 May 2021 which was published by the RBZ, the DRC ambassador, accessed US$120 000 from the main auction system.
Mwanananga who is at position 992 on the main auction allocation list has no known business interests in Zimbabwe.
The Congolese diplomat accessed more cash than local diamond miner Murowa Diamonds which requires forex for its production. Mining is one of the most capital intensive sectors in the country.
Murowa received US$100 000 which represented 0.01% of the total allocations for large entities.
Other notable beneficiaries who received fewer funds from the apex bank compared to the DRC ambassador include Hwange Colliery, the City of Masvingo, Zimbabwe School Examinations Council and the Bindura University of Science Technology.
A few months ago, a local research unit Econometer Global Capital expressed concern over the allocation list which was published by the RBZ at the start of the year.
Econometer Global Capital said the would have been more helpful if the central bank had also provided critical information on whether or not the top beneficiaries are exporting, how their capacity has improved, among other key variables that may aid in understanding whether or not the forex is being put to good use.
By A Correspondent | Barely 2 months after being reported for violence against a female actor in Tanzania, controversial Zimbabwean comedian, Felistas Murata, has issued threats against her own friend, Patricia Jeke.
Mai Titi yesterday told Jeke’s mother via a direct phone call, she will make her daughter disappear.
The development comes as Mai Titi is trying to force Jeke into making witness statements in her favour.
“Talk to your daughter mhamha, and tell her to behave; I could have told her directly, I am asking you because you are the one who gave birth to her, and if I start a war with her you will end up hating me, because I will come to Zvishavane, and I will come with my people, and she knows my character well,” Mai Titi says, in the phone conversation.
She then goes on to suggest that she controls the Zimbabwe Republic Police Force who would make Patricia Jeke disappear forever.
“If I take your daughter, she will not come back, you will end up hating me, because she is pushing me to do what I don’t want to do,” she says.
At that point, Jeke’s mother begins pleading saying, “I didn’t know you have a war with her, I do not live with Patricia, she stays alone, so I am clueless, and I don’t know anything about social media, what you are telling me I am only hearing it right now, I will try and meet her today, yesterday we were together but I did not know that there is such a story.”
In response, Mai Titi says, “I am asking you to tell her not to push me, because if you think I will not come to Zvishavane, I will come there; and you know my character well, if I come there…”
ZimEye contacted Mai Titi for a comment on Sunday morning, and she announced saying she is not relenting; “I am definitely going to Zvishavane for her,” she told ZimEye.
THE FULL 17 MINUTE AUDIO CALL IS BEING STREAMED ON ZIMEYE.COM
-ARE YOU ALSO A VICTIM OF MAI TITI? CONTACT ZIMEYE RIGHT NOW +447426863301
By A Correspondent- Residents of Bulawayo have been angered by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s ministry of health decision to evict trainee nurses from Mpilo Central hospital hostels.
The government on Friday evicted the student nurses from their hostels to allow for renovations following a recent fire incident that gutted a doctors’ residence at the referral centre, destroying property worth US$500 000.
The fire was blamed on the facility’s lack of maintenance.
The government last week said it had set aside $299 million to facilitate repairs at the doctors’ hostel.
“The notice of the eviction of nursing students from Mpilo Hospital is a sad development, particularly because the notice says they must leave with immediate effect.
“This creates problems particularly for those who have no alternative accommodation in Bulawayo,” said Descent Collins Bajila, a member of Volunteers Team 2020.
“We understand these renovations are due, and were supposed to happen; however the timing of the renovations could have been scheduled to coincide with situational circumstances such as when the students are out on attachment. “It would have been possible to do this without the students being at school.
By A Correspondent- Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s ministry of health has evicted trainee nurses from Mpilo Central hospital hostels to allow for renovations following a recent fire incident that gutted a doctors’ residence at the referral centre, destroying property worth US$500 000. The fire was blamed on the facility’s lack of maintenance.
The government last week said it had set aside $299 million to facilitate repairs at the doctors’ hostel.
Hospital spokesperson Ozias Ndlovu confirmed the development on Thursday, saying the institution was looking for alternative accommodation for the affected trainee nurses.
“We are busy looking for alternative accommodation for them,” Ndlovu told Southern Eye.
The development has, however, attracted an angry response from Matabeleland activists.
“The notice of the eviction of nursing students from Mpilo Hospital is a sad development, particularly because the notice says they must leave with immediate effect.
“This creates problems particularly for those who have no alternative accommodation in Bulawayo,” said Descent Collins Bajila, a member of Volunteers Team 2020.
“We understand these renovations are due, and were supposed to happen; however the timing of the renovations could have been scheduled to coincide with situational circumstances such as when the students are out on attachment.
“It would have been possible to do this without the students being at school.
The official Church Facebook page, TB Joshua Ministries has finally confirmed the news of the death of the popular Nigerian televangelist Temitope Balogun Joshua.
The church did not confirm the cause of death which remains unknown upto now.
Early this morning multiple sources had reported that the Nigerian preacher had died but others refuted the claims saying he was alive and well.
The church has officially confirmed the death, putting all speculations to rest.
TB Joshua made waves across Africa with people including popular politicians flocking his SCOAN for spiritual healing.
His Emmanuel TV is one of Africa’s largest Christian broadcast stations, available worldwide via digital and terrestrial switches.
In 2014, his church was at the centre of a multi-national investigation following the collapse of a section of his church headquarters in Lagos which left dozens dead and many more injured.
Mr Joshua denied allegations of negligence and a trial over the incident was still underway prior to his demise.
Recently, YouTube closed his account for repeatedly breaching its hate speech regulations after he posted videos claiming to ‘cure gays’ which was followed by complaints from users of the platform.
A YouTube spokesperson released a statement to CNN Wednesday saying that SCOAN’s channel was taken offline for repeatedly breaching its regulations against hate speech.
In a suspected case of political violence, MDC- Alliance spokesperson for Chikomba West, Noel Kureva’s three-bedroomed house in Ward 20 was burnt on Saturday afternoon by unknown persons.
The incident happened at around 15:00hrs when no one was at home, but with property and food worthy US$2 500 being destroyed.
Important documents and property including sofas, television sets, radio sets, cement, maize, groceries, bicycles and blankets were burnt.
Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza was not reached for a comment as his mobile phone was not reachable by the time of writing.
A close source who preferred his identity to be kept anonymous for fear of possible victimisation told TellZim that the incident follows many threats against Kureva by some Zanu-PF activists who demanded that he should vacate his plot.
“We suspect that the house was burnt down by Zanu-PF members who have been threatening him to vacate the plot where he stays. My question to this case is whether the land belongs only to Zanu-PF and those who are loyal to it.
“We understand the land belongs to every Zimbabwean and everyone has a right to the land and we must not fight over it but we must rather develop it,” said the source.
The source said opposition supporters in the area were worried with the increasing number of political violence in their area.
“We are worried with the increasing numbers of politically related violence in our district and the province at large. We are no longer safe and we are having sleepless nights in fear of being victimised,” he said.
MDC Alliance Mashonaland East provincial spokesman Chengetai Murowa said the party was concerned about the increasing cases of political violence in the province.
He said the matter has been reported to the police and they are investigating the matter.
Murowa said his party was also worried about the continued harassment of MDC Alliance supporters by suspected Zanu-PF activists especially during campaign time.
“One of our activists in Chikomba West had his house burnt by fire and we are suspecting members from the Zanu-PF party in the area.
“A police report was made and the police have started their investigations. However, we totally condemn this political violence as we start campaigning towards 2023 polls. Police should act upon this criminality and catch up with such undemocratic perpetrators who are against peace and development.
“Burning someone’s house is against our culture and as such the law should take its course,” Marowa said.
By A Correspondent | The church phone numbers of the controversial Nigerian preacher TB Joshua were failing on Sunday morning following several unconfirmed reports that he has died.
No source was cited by several websites which suggested the preacher has died.
ZimEye followed up on the reports by calling the man on his several phone numbers. VIDEO LOADING BELOW….
By Jane Mlambo|Daughter of the late national hero Dr Oliver Mtukudzi, Selmor has pleaded with President Emmerson Mnangagwa to allow the arts sector to operate as is the case with South Africa.
Government has maintained a ban on musical shows since March last year when the first COVID-19 induced lockdown was announced.
This has affected the arts sector more than any other as they are not able to hold live shows or perform in front of gatherings due to restrictions on numbers.
A few promoters have organised online shows but the hype seems to have died down leaving musicians dependent on royalties and online sales which in most cases favour big names with a following.
Selmor who recently went to South Africa to perform at a Tuku Memorial concert said she felt sad on her return seeing that artists in Zimbabwe were living like destitutes.
She urged the government to copy South Africa which has a relaxed model allowing musical shows to be held with limited number of attendees.
By A Correspondent| Close Friend to the popular Nigerian televangelist Temitope Balogun Joshua better known as TB Joshua, Femi Fani Kayode has dismissed as fake news reports that the celebrated preacher had died.
Last night, social media was awash with reports that TB Joshua (57) had died of an undisclosed ailment prompting scores of people to write obituaries about the popular Nigerian preacher.
One of the sites that reported about it , The People’s Gazette said they had received the news from a close family member who did not want to be named.
“The cause of death was not immediately disclosed to The Gazette, but family sources said his remains had been deposited at the morgue and an autopsy would be performed forthwith,” reported The People’s Gazette.
But Kayode took to Twitter to dismiss the reports saying TB Joshua is alive and well.
A POLICE boss in Bulawayo has been arrested after he allegedly muscled his way into Ross Camp impound yard and stole a commuter omnibus that had been impounded by his colleagues for flouting Covid-19 regulations.
Chief Inspector Nkosilathi Nyathi (45) who is the officer-in-charge of ZRP Nkulumane, was arrested together with Lionel Kersha (31), the driver of the kombi after the two grabbed the vehicle from the yard before it was cleared and drove it movie style out of the gate and fled.
Even efforts to stop Nyathi and Kersha at the gate proved futile as they sped away with the vehicle soon after it was unclamped by a Bulawayo City Council employee.
The details emerged after the duo appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza last Wednesday to answer to allegations of theft as defined in Section 113 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9.23. They also face an additional charge of defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
The duo pleaded not guilty and Mr Mabeza remanded them out of custody to Tuesday for trial. Prosecuting, Mr Jeremiah Mutsindikwa told the court that on 6 February a team from Bulawayo Central Traffic, Vehicle Examination Department and Bulawayo City Council were on a joint operation named “Undingani eTown Phase 2”, when they arrested Kersha and impounded the vehicle he was driving for various offences.
The court heard that an Assistant Inspector Munsaka booked the kombi and handed it over to Constable Mandla Moyo for safe keeping at the camp. It was also clamped by council traffic officers because it had outstanding parking tickets.
However, the same day in the afternoon, Nyathi approached Cst Moyo and advised him that he wanted to see the impounded kombi. After seeing the kombi, Nyathi and Kersha proceeded to Bulawayo City Council where the offences related to council were cleared. The court heard that the duo came back and handed over a receipt that showed that they had paid the fine at city council and wanted to collect the vehicle.
However, Cst Moyo advised the duo to also clear the vehicle with the officer in charge at Drill Hall. Instead of clearing the vehicle with the police, the duo went back to city council offices and came back accompanied by a city council vehicle.
The court heard that the driver of the city council vehicle unclamped the kombi and the two jumped in and drove away.
Cst Moyo tried to stop the duo but they sped off, disregarding pleas from police officers who were manning the yard and the gate to stop. The court heard that a report was immediately made at Mzilikazi police station and a manhunt was launched resulting in the vehicle being recovered at a house in Pumula North leading to the arrest of the duo.
The stolen vehicle was valued at US$3 000.- The Sunday News
FORMER minister and MP Jonathan Moyo has sarcastically yet robustly dismissed a belated reaction by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to his book on election fraud and rigging in the country, which the electoral body says contains “unfounded allegations”.
Responding to Zec’s rebuttal of his ground-breaking monograph, Excelgate: How Zimbabwe’s 2018 Presidential Election Was Stolen, Moyo said the electoral body has been slow and incompetent in dealing with revelations of ballot fraud in his book, although it is always quick and efficient in rigging elections.
“While Zec is quick to rig elections, they apparently take years to respond to damaging exposure of their rigging. Priscilla Chigumba, the Zec chairperson, was one of the first people, outside the publisher’s team, to get a copy of Excelgate and I know for a fact that she and her officials read it,” Moyo said.
“Yet they are only responding 18 months later after being caught with their pants down following unassailable disclosures of the names of key securocrats, including the (Central Intelligence Organisation) CIO’s Mavis Matsanga and Zimbabwe Defence Force (ZDF)’s retired Major Chivasa, who oversaw and supervised the Zec operations and logistics that enabled Emmerson Mnangagwa to steal the 2018 presidential election from (main opposition MDC Alliance leader) Nelson Chamisa.
“It is idle for Zec to use the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) case as a finger to hide behind. That ConCourt case was a charade because it was an extension of the rigging process. Luke Malaba (the Chief Justice whose tenure has been ruled to have ended on 15 May by the High Court) was a key player in the rigging, not a neutral arbitrator or judge. All this and more is documented in Excelgate.”
Prior to Moyo’s response, Zec had said that the book contained “unfounded allegations” in its first public reaction to the disclosures that have further tainted Mnangagwa’s disputed wafer-thin victory.
“We have seen some damaging allegations against the commission in a book called Excelgate by Prof. J Moyo. Take note that the election was conducted in 2018 and aggrieved parties followed the constitutionally laid down procedures to challenge the election,” Zec said.
“The Constitutional Court made a definitive ruling which concluded the matter. The commission will not be drawn into any brawls on issues that have been concluded by the country’s highest court.
“The commission is busy with important work of stakeholder consultations on how to map 2023 election delimitation and will not be distracted from its constitutional mandate by unfounded allegations.”
Moyo, a professor of politics, says in his book that Chamisa was robbed of clear victory by Mnangagwa who was helped to rig the poll by the security establishment and Zec.
After taking over the control of the state and its institutions, ZDF, in a bid to protect and consolidate the gains of the 2017 military coup, brazenly commandeered the machinery of Zec, particularly its computer network server, corrupted its internal system as well as logistics and illegally changed the route and destination for the collation, compilation and transmission of the result of the 2018 presidential election, for purposes of rigging the poll in favour of Mnangagwa, whom it had earlier imposed as President of Zimbabwe on 24 November 2017 following the removal of the then president Robert Mugabe, Moyo says.
FORMER minister and MP Jonathan Moyo has sarcastically yet robustly dismissed a belated reaction by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to his book on election fraud and rigging in the country, which the electoral body says contains “unfounded allegations”.
Responding to Zec’s rebuttal of his ground-breaking monograph, Excelgate: How Zimbabwe’s 2018 Presidential Election Was Stolen, Moyo said the electoral body has been slow and incompetent in dealing with revelations of ballot fraud in his book, although it is always quick and efficient in rigging elections.
“While Zec is quick to rig elections, they apparently take years to respond to damaging exposure of their rigging. Priscilla Chigumba, the Zec chairperson, was one of the first people, outside the publisher’s team, to get a copy of Excelgate and I know for a fact that she and her officials read it,” Moyo said.
“Yet they are only responding 18 months later after being caught with their pants down following unassailable disclosures of the names of key securocrats, including the (Central Intelligence Organisation) CIO’s Mavis Matsanga and Zimbabwe Defence Force (ZDF)’s retired Major Chivasa, who oversaw and supervised the Zec operations and logistics that enabled Emmerson Mnangagwa to steal the 2018 presidential election from (main opposition MDC Alliance leader) Nelson Chamisa.
“It is idle for Zec to use the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) case as a finger to hide behind. That ConCourt case was a charade because it was an extension of the rigging process. Luke Malaba (the Chief Justice whose tenure has been ruled to have ended on 15 May by the High Court) was a key player in the rigging, not a neutral arbitrator or judge. All this and more is documented in Excelgate.”
Prior to Moyo’s response, Zec had said that the book contained “unfounded allegations” in its first public reaction to the disclosures that have further tainted Mnangagwa’s disputed wafer-thin victory.
“We have seen some damaging allegations against the commission in a book called Excelgate by Prof. J Moyo. Take note that the election was conducted in 2018 and aggrieved parties followed the constitutionally laid down procedures to challenge the election,” Zec said.
“The Constitutional Court made a definitive ruling which concluded the matter. The commission will not be drawn into any brawls on issues that have been concluded by the country’s highest court.
“The commission is busy with important work of stakeholder consultations on how to map 2023 election delimitation and will not be distracted from its constitutional mandate by unfounded allegations.”
Moyo, a professor of politics, says in his book that Chamisa was robbed of clear victory by Mnangagwa who was helped to rig the poll by the security establishment and Zec.
After taking over the control of the state and its institutions, ZDF, in a bid to protect and consolidate the gains of the 2017 military coup, brazenly commandeered the machinery of Zec, particularly its computer network server, corrupted its internal system as well as logistics and illegally changed the route and destination for the collation, compilation and transmission of the result of the 2018 presidential election, for purposes of rigging the poll in favour of Mnangagwa, whom it had earlier imposed as President of Zimbabwe on 24 November 2017 following the removal of the then president Robert Mugabe, Moyo says.
The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has said it is not obliged to pay the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) for power used at premises that were recently disconnected from power since it no longer owns the premises.
ZETDC, a subsidiary of Zesa Holdings, recently disconnected several properties located in Hwange’s Ngumija high-density suburb, accusing NRZ of failing to pay for their power supplies.
However, NRZ spokesperson Nyasha Maravanyika Friday said the company was not obliged to pay anything to Zesa since it no longer owns the properties in question. Maravanyika said:
Those houses were sold to the tenants, so NRZ has no obligation to pay bills for them.
The only problem is that those people after buying the houses did not install new electricity meters and ZETDC has continued to direct bills to NRZ.
Our teams will be going down there to clarify issues so that ZETDC ensures the change of meters and directs the bills to those people.
A resident who spoke to NewsDay on condition of anonymity admitted that some of the houses were sold to them by the NRZ. The resident said:
The houses were sold. There are 134 stands and 125 were sold. They are privately owned. We even used to pay even for water but people started refusing to pay because they were not getting water.
Another resident shed more light on payment modalities. Said the resident:
After we bought the houses, we had an agreement with NRZ in which they would keep paying electricity bills and we would pay to them. There has not been a formal handover to ZETDC. They still charge us. We pay at the goods office and we have receipts from them. The same day they disconnected they were making monthly meter readings and when the electricity went they were at my place.
Most residents at the properties are former NRZ workers.
ZESA is owed millions of United States dollars chief culprits being many government departments and elites who are reportedly hard to approach.
This is happening when the power utility is in desperate need of money for the production of power as it is currently failing to meet local demand.- NewsDay
Tinashe Sambiri|Prominent Movement for Democratic Change members Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama were yesterday acquitted by the Supreme Court after spending eight years in jail.
Commenting on the acquittal of Madzokere and Maengahama, President Chamisa said:
“So grateful to have these comrades finally free.God is faithful.
I salute all those who showed solidarity and support to our incarcerated cdes. The struggle continues!#machinjaAnerudo
Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama have finally been acquitted by the SC. Surely there is God in Heaven.”
“Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama have finally been acquitted by the Supreme Court. They spent 8 years in jail for a crime they didn’t commit,” MDC Alliance posted on Twitter.
Tinashe Sambiri|Prominent Movement for Democratic Change members Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama were yesterday acquitted by the Supreme Court after spending eight years in jail.
Commenting on the acquittal of Madzokere and Maengahama, President Chamisa said:
“So grateful to have these comrades finally free.God is faithful.
I salute all those who showed solidarity and support to our incarcerated cdes. The struggle continues!#machinjaAnerudo
Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama have finally been acquitted by the SC. Surely there is God in Heaven.”
“Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama have finally been acquitted by the Supreme Court. They spent 8 years in jail for a crime they didn’t commit,” MDC Alliance posted on Twitter.
LAST AND TUNGA’S ACQUITTAL LONG OVER DUE:MDC VETERANS
04-06-2021
We are elated that Justice has finally been served on leaders Last Maengahama and Tungamirai Madzokere, and that they have been acquitted of the trumped up murder charges they were facing.
We believe that their acquittal was long over due, in fact they should have never been incarcerated for a crime they didn’t commit.
We are saddened by the fact that they were incarcerated for 8 years for a crime they did not commit.The Regime persecuted them for being staunch MDC Cadres.
We are angered by the realization that the court had sentenced them without considering the evidence availed to it which had bearing on the outcome of judgement.
It has now been proved beyond reasonable doubt that there is rampant persecution by prosecution in this nation. It is sad that these brothers were incarcerated because they are opposition Activists.
We also remember our heroine Rebecca Mafukeni who was jointly charged with these two leaders and who sadly passed on in prison.The state is, therefore, guilt of murdering her and owes the family and MDCA an apology and restitution. Our hearts bleed.
It is now clear that Zimbabwe is going through a torrid wave of lawfare where the weaponisation of the law to victimise and silence the voice of reason is rampant.
For the record, the people’s voices shall grow louder by the day if the Regime continues on its war path against the people. Any unjust law is no law at all and we shall not hesitate to defy any unjust and partisan laws.
We shall not remain silent while the nation burns.
We shall not remain silent while the regime shreds the National constitution.
We shall not remain silent when laws are amended to suit the incumbent at the expense of the nation.
We shall not be silent when the state coffers and resources are being emptied dry by vandals masquarading as leaders.
We shall not be silent when our freedoms and liberties are trampled upon.
We shall not be silent when foreign Nationals invade our communities, relocate our people and desecrate our traditional shrines.
We shall not be silent when we are treated as slaves in our nation yet foreign Nationals are treated as first class citizens.
WE REMAIN WHERE WE STOOD YESTERDAY, and WHERE WE STOOD YESTERDAY IS WHERE WE REMAIN TODAY! WE ARE RESOLUTE AND RESILIENT IN OUR QUEST FOR EGALITARIANISM AND CONSTITUTIONALISM.
As we join Mkoma Last and Mkoma Tunga’s families in celebrating the return of our leaders, brothers and fathers to their families, we call on the regime to release all political prisoners unconditionally. We also want to remind the rogue Zanu pf regime that justice delayed is justice denied. As much as we are happy that the fighters for freedom are out, we are bitter that it had to take more than 8 years of incarceration to get justice. It is clear that someone is deliberately punishing MDCA leaders for political expediency. It is not a crime to demand for a better Zimbabwe for us all.
We envisage a Zimbabwe where the judiciary is independent and where the Constitution is the supreme law. Above all, we dream of a new and better Zimbabwe where police would not arrest in order to investigate but investigate to arrest, and where courts would not pass weird and draconian judgements to punish opposition supporters, but pass judicious and impartial judgements. We dream of a better Zimbabwe where people are judged not by their party, colour, race, tribe, region or Creed, but by their deeds.
LAST AND TUNGA’S ACQUITTAL LONG OVER DUE:MDC VETERANS
04-06-2021
We are elated that Justice has finally been served on leaders Last Maengahama and Tungamirai Madzokere, and that they have been acquitted of the trumped up murder charges they were facing.
We believe that their acquittal was long over due, in fact they should have never been incarcerated for a crime they didn’t commit.
We are saddened by the fact that they were incarcerated for 8 years for a crime they did not commit.The Regime persecuted them for being staunch MDC Cadres.
We are angered by the realization that the court had sentenced them without considering the evidence availed to it which had bearing on the outcome of judgement.
It has now been proved beyond reasonable doubt that there is rampant persecution by prosecution in this nation. It is sad that these brothers were incarcerated because they are opposition Activists.
We also remember our heroine Rebecca Mafukeni who was jointly charged with these two leaders and who sadly passed on in prison.The state is, therefore, guilt of murdering her and owes the family and MDCA an apology and restitution. Our hearts bleed.
It is now clear that Zimbabwe is going through a torrid wave of lawfare where the weaponisation of the law to victimise and silence the voice of reason is rampant.
For the record, the people’s voices shall grow louder by the day if the Regime continues on its war path against the people. Any unjust law is no law at all and we shall not hesitate to defy any unjust and partisan laws.
We shall not remain silent while the nation burns.
We shall not remain silent while the regime shreds the National constitution.
We shall not remain silent when laws are amended to suit the incumbent at the expense of the nation.
We shall not be silent when the state coffers and resources are being emptied dry by vandals masquarading as leaders.
We shall not be silent when our freedoms and liberties are trampled upon.
We shall not be silent when foreign Nationals invade our communities, relocate our people and desecrate our traditional shrines.
We shall not be silent when we are treated as slaves in our nation yet foreign Nationals are treated as first class citizens.
WE REMAIN WHERE WE STOOD YESTERDAY, and WHERE WE STOOD YESTERDAY IS WHERE WE REMAIN TODAY! WE ARE RESOLUTE AND RESILIENT IN OUR QUEST FOR EGALITARIANISM AND CONSTITUTIONALISM.
As we join Mkoma Last and Mkoma Tunga’s families in celebrating the return of our leaders, brothers and fathers to their families, we call on the regime to release all political prisoners unconditionally. We also want to remind the rogue Zanu pf regime that justice delayed is justice denied. As much as we are happy that the fighters for freedom are out, we are bitter that it had to take more than 8 years of incarceration to get justice. It is clear that someone is deliberately punishing MDCA leaders for political expediency. It is not a crime to demand for a better Zimbabwe for us all.
We envisage a Zimbabwe where the judiciary is independent and where the Constitution is the supreme law. Above all, we dream of a new and better Zimbabwe where police would not arrest in order to investigate but investigate to arrest, and where courts would not pass weird and draconian judgements to punish opposition supporters, but pass judicious and impartial judgements. We dream of a better Zimbabwe where people are judged not by their party, colour, race, tribe, region or Creed, but by their deeds.
Chelsea have announced that they have extended the contract of veteran Brazilian defender Thiago Silva by another year.
Silva (36) joined The Blues from PSG at the beginning of the current season and signed a one year deal.
After a relatively succesfull season at Stamford Bridge, the club has rewarded him with a contract extension.
” Following the Champions League final, Chelsea Football Club has exercised an option to extend Thiago Silva’s contract by one year, taking his time at Stamford Bridge into a second season,” Chelsea said in a statement.
“The Brazilian’s first Chelsea campaign could scarcely have gone much better. A composed and classy influence in the heart of our defence from the moment he arrived on a free transfer from PSG, Thiago Silva featured 34 times in all competitions and scored twice.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
A 49-YEAR-OLD Odzi man was on Monday fatally assaulted for allegedly dating a married woman.
Taurai Charumbika died upon admission at the Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital after he was savagely assaulted all over the body by Nerere Hamabungu (37).
Charumbika was being accused of dating Hamabungu’s wife. Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxson Chananda confirmed the incident which happened at Chikonga Mine in Odzi.
Hamabungu was arrested soon after committing the heinous crime.
“The two were co-workers at Chikonga Mine. Hamabungu went to Charumbika’s cabin at night and confronted him over his alleged illicit affair with his wife. He was armed with a log.
“He assaulted Charumbika with the log.
“The duo’s manager, Energy Manhongo, rushed Charumbika to Victoria Chitepo Hospital where he died upon admission,” said Inspector Chananda.
Meanwhile, a 39-year-old Nyanga man was early this week arrested for allegedly stoning his father to death after accusing him of practising witchcraft.
Josphat Sachota attacked Alois Sachota (70) with stones in Satuku Village under Chief Saunyama.
“On Sunday, Josphat was coming from the garden when he met Alois.
“He accused his father of practicing witchcraft and bewitching his family members.
“He stoned the old man until he fell down. He picked up a boulder and crushed him until he died. Alois’ wife, Mary, reported the matter to Nyamaropa Police Station.
“The police rushed to the scene and arrested Josphat,” said Inspector Chananda.- Manica Post
Harare will be divided again tomorrow when arch-rivals Dynamos and CAPS United clash in the latest installment of the derby, this time in the Chibuku Super Cup.
The two rivals will lock horns for the first time in the history of the derby behind closed doors due to measures put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Tonderai Ndiraya’s charges are on the back of two consecutive victories- a 4-0 drubbing of Yadah and a 1-0 victory over ZPC Kariba.
It is the manner in which DeMbare put Yadah to the sword which sent a message to local teams that they mean business this season.
Makepepe on the other hand, head into the clash in high spirits, having registered their first victory in the competition- a 2-1 triumph over Herentals.
The clash has the ingredients for a thriller, with both both sides coming into it on the back of wins.
CAPS will be hoping that in-form Ishmael Wadi will carry his shooting boots, which have enabled him to score three goals in the competition so far.
DeMbare will be hoping that exciting young winger Bill Antonio will continue with his fine form which has served as a reminder to the football-loving public that school boys still shine on the biggest stage.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Chelsea have announced that they have extended the contract of veteran Brazilian defender Thiago Silva by another year.
Silva (36) joined The Blues from PSG at the beginning of the current season and signed a one year deal.
After a relatively succesfull season at Stamford Bridge, the club has rewarded him with a contract extension.
” Following the Champions League final, Chelsea Football Club has exercised an option to extend Thiago Silva’s contract by one year, taking his time at Stamford Bridge into a second season,” Chelsea said in a statement.
“The Brazilian’s first Chelsea campaign could scarcely have gone much better. A composed and classy influence in the heart of our defence from the moment he arrived on a free transfer from PSG, Thiago Silva featured 34 times in all competitions and scored twice.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|Prominent Movement for Democratic Change members Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama were yesterday acquitted by the Supreme Court after spending eight years in jail.
Commenting on the acquittal of Madzokere and Maengahama, President Chamisa said:
“So grateful to have these comrades finally free.God is faithful.
I salute all those who showed solidarity and support to our incarcerated cdes. The struggle continues!#machinjaAnerudo
Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama have finally been acquitted by the SC. Surely there is God in Heaven.”
“Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama have finally been acquitted by the Supreme Court. They spent 8 years in jail for a crime they didn’t commit,” MDC Alliance posted on Twitter.
LAST AND TUNGA’S ACQUITTAL LONG OVER DUE:MDC VETERANS
04-06-2021
We are elated that Justice has finally been served on leaders Last Maengahama and Tungamirai Madzokere, and that they have been acquitted of the trumped up murder charges they were facing.
We believe that their acquittal was long over due, in fact they should have never been incarcerated for a crime they didn’t commit.
We are saddened by the fact that they were incarcerated for 8 years for a crime they did not commit.The Regime persecuted them for being staunch MDC Cadres.
We are angered by the realization that the court had sentenced them without considering the evidence availed to it which had bearing on the outcome of judgement.
It has now been proved beyond reasonable doubt that there is rampant persecution by prosecution in this nation. It is sad that these brothers were incarcerated because they are opposition Activists.
We also remember our heroine Rebecca Mafukeni who was jointly charged with these two leaders and who sadly passed on in prison.The state is, therefore, guilt of murdering her and owes the family and MDCA an apology and restitution. Our hearts bleed.
It is now clear that Zimbabwe is going through a torrid wave of lawfare where the weaponisation of the law to victimise and silence the voice of reason is rampant.
For the record, the people’s voices shall grow louder by the day if the Regime continues on its war path against the people. Any unjust law is no law at all and we shall not hesitate to defy any unjust and partisan laws.
We shall not remain silent while the nation burns.
We shall not remain silent while the regime shreds the National constitution.
We shall not remain silent when laws are amended to suit the incumbent at the expense of the nation.
We shall not be silent when the state coffers and resources are being emptied dry by vandals masquarading as leaders.
We shall not be silent when our freedoms and liberties are trampled upon.
We shall not be silent when foreign Nationals invade our communities, relocate our people and desecrate our traditional shrines.
We shall not be silent when we are treated as slaves in our nation yet foreign Nationals are treated as first class citizens.
WE REMAIN WHERE WE STOOD YESTERDAY, and WHERE WE STOOD YESTERDAY IS WHERE WE REMAIN TODAY! WE ARE RESOLUTE AND RESILIENT IN OUR QUEST FOR EGALITARIANISM AND CONSTITUTIONALISM.
As we join Mkoma Last and Mkoma Tunga’s families in celebrating the return of our leaders, brothers and fathers to their families, we call on the regime to release all political prisoners unconditionally. We also want to remind the rogue Zanu pf regime that justice delayed is justice denied. As much as we are happy that the fighters for freedom are out, we are bitter that it had to take more than 8 years of incarceration to get justice. It is clear that someone is deliberately punishing MDCA leaders for political expediency. It is not a crime to demand for a better Zimbabwe for us all.
We envisage a Zimbabwe where the judiciary is independent and where the Constitution is the supreme law. Above all, we dream of a new and better Zimbabwe where police would not arrest in order to investigate but investigate to arrest, and where courts would not pass weird and draconian judgements to punish opposition supporters, but pass judicious and impartial judgements. We dream of a better Zimbabwe where people are judged not by their party, colour, race, tribe, region or Creed, but by their deeds.
New guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) sets essential standards to inform future research and development on genetically modified mosquitoes, particularly in addressing issues relating to ethics, safety, affordability and effectiveness.
Malaria and other vector-borne diseases, including dengue and Zika, affect millions globally. More than 400 000 people a year die from malaria alone. If proven safe, effective and affordable, genetically modified vector mosquitoes could be a valuable new tool to fight these diseases and eliminate their enormous health, social and economic burden.
The guidance framework for testing genetically modified mosquitoes, developed in partnership with TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, and the GeneConvene Global Collaborative, an initiative of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, describes best practices to ensure that the study and evaluation of genetically modified mosquitoes as public health tools is safe, ethical and rigorous.
Current strategies for limiting transmission of mosquito-borne diseases are only partially effective. New, complementary approaches are needed to close the gaps in current vector control interventions, such as effective control of outdoor biting, and to provide alternatives to manage the increasing threat of insecticide resistance. Research suggests genetically modified mosquitoes could be a powerful and cost-effective tool to supplement existing interventions.
“We urgently need innovative approaches to help control mosquito-borne diseases, which have a devastating impact around the world,” said Dr John Reeder, TDR Director. “Genetically modified mosquitoes is one such approach, but we want to be sure it’s fully and responsibly evaluated, as outlined in a recent WHO position statement.”
“Like any new public health intervention, genetically modified mosquitoes raise new questions for researchers, affected communities and other stakeholders,” said Dr Michael Santos, Director of the GeneConvene Global Collaborative.
“The updated guidance framework aims to answer these questions and help ensure that testing of genetically modified mosquitoes is as rigorous as it is for other public health products – and that it generates quality results to guide decisions about if and how these technologies are used.”
“Over the last 2 decades, we have achieved remarkable results with existing malaria control tools, averting more than 7 million deaths and 1.5 billion cases of the disease,” said Dr Pedro Alonso, Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme.
“However, progress towards key targets of our global malaria strategy remains off course. Genetically modified mosquitoes are one of a number of promising new tools that could help speed the pace of progress against malaria and other vector-borne diseases.”
“The incidence of dengue continues to increase and affect people in over 129 countries, so we need more sustainable vector control tools to stem the tide of dengue and other arboviral diseases and a few novel tools offer the potential to control these diseases,” said Dr Mwele Malecela, Director of the WHO Department for the Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases.
“We welcome this new guidance from WHO which will help countries suffering from mosquito-borne diseases to evaluate a promising new intervention,” said Professor Aggrey Ambali, Senior Advisor at the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), the development agency of the African Union.
The new guidance addresses specific questions and challenges associated with research and development on genetically modified mosquitoes, including standards for decision-making about how and when testing should proceed.
By establishing a common set of expectations that is specific to genetically modified mosquitoes, the new resource will enable more informed and rigorous evaluation by researchers, developers, those responsible for regulatory and policy decisions and the people to whom these stakeholders are accountable.
The guidance builds on an earlier document published by TDR and FNIH in 2014, incorporating the latest scientific advancements related to genetic modification of mosquitoes, as well as other key updates and learnings related to safety and ethics, including:
methods for understanding the implications of genetically modified mosquitoes for human health, animal health and the environment; increased understanding of the most effective strategies for risk assessment and stakeholder engagement; clearer criteria for projects to proceed from one testing phase to the next, incorporating descriptions of the steps needed to safely and responsibly take genetically modified mosquito technologies – including those incorporating gene drive – into the field; and a concrete set of safety and efficacy considerations that should be evaluated at each phase of testing, to inform decisions about further testing and implementation…
Source: World Health Organization
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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By Dr Masimba Mavaza | The policies and programs of Zimbabwean government under ZANU PF wield enormous influence on National development progress and the ultimate goal towards 2030 vision. Despite the little manoeuvring space ED Mnangagwa and his ZANU PF government have defied all odds and delivered on their promises. Together with the presidential implementation teams under minister J Gumbo they provide timely research and analysis to inform the policymaking process.
Dr Masimba Mavaza
Policies and programs of the government including and beyond foreign aid handouts wield enormous influence on Zimbabwean development. Under the capable hands of Emmerson Munangagwa and ZANU PF Our government seeks to strengthen Our development tools with proposals for reform grounded in rigorous analysis and evidence. Mnangagwa’s government has crafted development-friendly policies beyond 2030 on, and to improve Zimbabwe’s development policy and implementation.
With the help of many dedicated cadres and Mnangagwa’s no nonsense attitude and how to address problems of corruption and transparency, including through clearer rules that make remittances more secure the second republic has flown on top of the moon with flying colours.
ZANU PF under the new dispensation Can boast of Urban development and transport infrastructure which are the two segments of the Zimbabwean infrastructure sector that present the best opportunities for Zimbabwe’s growth.
We must not forget that the urbanisation of the world’s largest rural population which brings enormous opportunities and challenges. Zimbabwean urban population is growing yet it brings a large concentration of unemployed youths in one area. To solve this Mnangagwa has commissioned construction of roads dams and re electrifying rural areas including bringing in flushable toilets and running water in the rural areas. This shows Mnangagwa is not only looking at 2023 but he is looking at eternity. His policy is development beyond 2030 and prosperity for Zimbabwe forever.
The opportunities for Zimbabwe are not in building cities or roads, but rather in everything including financing and other service areas.
Out to 2030improvements in city planning and growing disposable incomes could enable more user charges – such as toll roads – to increase revenue generation for infrastructure developments and creation of employment.
Improving transport infrastructure is critical to the liveability of Zimbabwe’s cities. It is also central to Zimbabwe’s productivity and the competitiveness of sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. To that end the president Mnangagwa ordered the city roads to be declared national disaster. To that end again the reconstruction of these roads has been adopted by the government wrestled from the dying hands of the councils led MDC.
Transport is expected to attract the majority of infrastructure investment in Zimbabwe out to 2030. The need for capital is immense.
The Zimbabwean Government is actively encouraging foreign investment to finance its large-scale rail and road connectivity projects, with the creation of new investment vehicles and financing models. It is also beginning to improve regulatory clarity and reduce execution risk through policy reform.
Urban development and associated infrastructure investment is a major source of growth for Zimbabwe and thus ED Mnangagwa has dedicated his strength on urban development.
This does not contrast the rural development already in progress. Urbanisation drives demand for inputs across sectors and shapes use of energy. To this end the government has promoted the use of solar and IT among other things. Indeed Mnangagwa is a president who is on the ground running. The Zimbabwean Government is focusing on improving basic services such as sanitation and housing. Water management is a serious challenge, with most of Our large cities already facing water shortages on a daily basis. But this is coming to an end with the commissioning of several dams and drilling of bore holes in rural areas.
In all this the Second Republic has completed 868 projects in less than three years. This points to the seriousness Mnangagwa takes his role. Contrary to the opposition mantra that ZANU PF is clueless Mnangagwa has proved them wrong and together we March towards 2023 with vigour and hope.
The Second Republic, which is committed to infrastructure development, has started 1388 projects and completed 868 projects with 520 still in progress, most being infrastructure projects, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs in Charge of Implementation and Monitoring Dr Joram Gumbo confirmed this to the Zimbabwean Parliament.
ZANU PF through Gumbo updated the nation Through the National Assembly on programmes implemented by Government since the coming in of the Second Republic. These projects are done throughout the country and this dismisses the mantra by the opposition that Mnangagwa is a regionalist. Instead Mnangagwa has shown that he is a nationalist a true son of the soil who has put his mind on the nation’s development.
Mnangagwa in less than 3 years has seen 829 infrastructure projects and 559 non infrastructural projects. In his seriousness pace two thirds of these projects have been completed. These have not been done for campaign purposes but for the best interest of every Zimbabwean regardless of their political inclination.
Most of the projects that were completed were in the infrastructure category which gives credence to the thrust of the Government to focus on building infrastructure in order to create a conducive environment for socio-economic development.” Some of the completed projects include the Skyline-Chimanimani Road rehabilitation in Manicaland, completion of the rehabilitation of 153km of on the Beitbridge-Masvingo-Harare highway, establishment of community information centres, containerised village information centres and fibre optic links across the country, establishment of innovation hubs at State universities, and the rehabilitation and upgrading of health facilities including construction of clinics and establishment of super specialist hospitals.
Notable in this regard are health facilities such as the Manicaland State University Clinic in Mutare, the Orthopaedic Hospital in Bulawayo and the Isolation Centre at United Bulawayo Hospitals. In energy, completed or are at various stages of completion, there are the local manufacture of transformers and the expansion of the Hwange Thermal Power Station.
We must realise that occurrences of epidemics, natural disasters and calamities are often unpredictable, with volatile impacts on economies and communities across the globe. The resultant after-shocks invariably undermine income and employment prospects, exacerbating inequalities, in particular for vulnerable groups within societies.
The COVID 19 pandemic, whose effects and
devastation have been felt across all parts of the world, have magnified pre-existing differences in economic and social conditions of the vulnerable citizenry. It has disproportionately disrupted the livelihoods of those at the lower end of the income strata, and with limited scope for self- isolation-exacerbating employment insecurities and, hence, vulnerability to its
contagion.
The robust response to the pandemic by Government, including the stimulus package of ZWL$18 billion, equivalent to 9% of GDP, have been targeted at ameliorating some of the negative effects on the productive sectors, safeguarding livelihoods, and saving of lives.
In the process, Government consciously took the costly but necessary decision to ring fence and protect infrastructure spending on priority projects critical to facilitating provision of public utility services in areas such as electricity supply, provision of water and sanitation, transport and ICT broadband services. Sustaining public spending on construction activities has served to improve delivery of infrastructure projects, under the difficult environment posed by the Covid 19 pandemic, as Government meaningfully begins to redress and overcome some of the challenges arising from the prevailing infrastructure.
In the mining sector and in line with the thrust by Government to achieve a US$12 billion mining industry by 2023, notable projects include the Intra-Chem Explosives Manufacturing Plant in Kwekwe and the operationalisation of the AfroChine Ferrochrome Plant in Selous.
Government had prioritised construction of infrastructural accommodation, servicing of stands and provision of requisite social amenities.
The focus on improving agricultural production through mechanisation and irrigation development saw the John Deere equipment facility and the 40-hectare centre pivots installed in Kanyemba under Mbire district of Mashonaland Central Province.
Zimbabwe’s transport infrastructure is inadequate to meet current needs, and the needs of 2030 will be much greater. Mnangagwa has a corresponding appetite for investment and services to improve the sector. The Government is prioritising regulatory reforms to attract more foreign investment. Out to 2030 there are potential opportunities for investors and Other suppliers of niche services and technology in transport. There is no doubt that our population growth and economic development requires improved transport infrastructure, including through investments in roads, railways, and aviation, and inland waterways. One needs to open his eyes and see the developments already accomplished by ED and ZANU PF.
Capital is the key to advancing transport infrastructure
Air traffic is expected to experience double digit growth well beyond 2023, at which point we will become the world’s recognised aviation market.
passenger traffic is forecast to multiply by four times and cargo traffic by six times in the next few years; Our existing airport infrastructure is being rehabilitated.
Zimbabwe Government has adopted the 100-day cycle programme to ensure adequate monitoring and evaluation of projects.
“Government will never allow the developmental interest of the people to be compromised because those mandated to implement Government programmes have not adopted a serious approach to have completely adjudicated their responsibilities,”
If implemented effectively, and if and only if ED is voted back in 2023 suite of ambitious policy changes could spur growth and opportunity in all the sectors as Mnangagwa would want to finish what he has started.
If our enemies stop this sanction campaign foreign investment will increase. Innovations in transportation technology – including autonomous driving technologies, high-speed trains, and the rising popularity of shared transport options – could fundamentally change Zimbabwe’s infrastructure needs out to 2030 in ways that are not imagined.
Policy changes in recent years, such as open door policy, the advent of Invest In Zimbabwe and new types of investment vehicles to attract investment and facilitate infrastructure will stimulate growth across transport modes, potentially improve capacity and efficiency, and contribute to economic growth.
With ED Mnangagwa in 2023 we will move mountains. Vote wisely vote prosperity.
Tinashe Sambiri|Prominent Movement for Democratic Change members Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama were yesterday acquitted by the Supreme Court after spending eight years in jail.
Commenting on the acquittal of Madzokere and Maengahama, President Chamisa said:
“So grateful to have these comrades finally free.God is faithful.
I salute all those who showed solidarity and support to our incarcerated cdes. The struggle continues!#machinjaAnerudo
Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama have finally been acquitted by the SC. Surely there is God in Heaven.”
“Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama have finally been acquitted by the Supreme Court. They spent 8 years in jail for a crime they didn’t commit,” MDC Alliance posted on Twitter.
The late ex-Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe’s children have taken Chief Zvimba to court over their father’s burial controversy, in which President Emmerson Mnangagwa is entangled.
Zvimba wants Mugabe to be reburied claiming clan traditions were not followed.
The Administrative Court has upheld an appeal by residents of Shawasha Hills barring a couple from hosting weddings in its neighborhood following complaints by neighbors.
The couple, Gerald and Leah Nachipo, and City of Harare were cited as respondents in an application filed by five neighbours who complained over noise pollution.
The residents said the noise from the events was disturbing their peace. The couple, however, opposed the application, arguing that it had a valid permit to host events for a fee. According to court papers, in August 2018, the Nachipos held a meeting with their neighbours in the Shawasha area following complaints over noise.]
The residents later submitted a petition to the city council, which, however, granted a permit to the Nachipos to use their residential place as a wedding and events venue.
This prompted the residents to appeal to the Administrative Court.
In his ruling, Judge Justice Herbert Mandeya said: “The court’s view is that there are sufficient indications that there were improprieties that led to the first and second respondents by the third respondent. Applicants engaged the first and second respondents on several occasions over the noise emanating from the first and second respondents’ premises at times they wished to rest peacefully. That shows they value their peace.”
The City of Harare did not oppose the application.
The couple was ordered to pay the cost of the suit.
The late President Robert Mugabe’s children have appealed the ruling made by Chief Zvimba last month which orders the exhumation of their father’s remains.
The appeal in full is as follows:
IN THE MAGISTRATES COURT OF ZIMBABWE FOR THE PROVINCE OF MASHONALAND WEST HELD AT CHINHOYI.
In the matter between:-
BONA MUTSAHUNI – MUGABE N.0 (In bur capacity as the Executrix of the Estate Late Robert Mugabe) 1sT APPELLANT
And BELLARMINE CHATUNGA MUGABE 2ND APPELLANT
And
TINOTENDA ROBERT MUGABE 3RD APPELLANT
And
TINOS MANONGOVERE RESPONDENT
NOTICE OF APPEAL
TAKE NOTICE THAT the Appellants hereby note an appeal against the whole Judgment of Chief Zvimba (Stanley Wurayayi Mhondoro) being the presiding officer of the Community Court held by him in Zvimba in the matter of Tinos Manongovere versus Grace Mugabe. The judgment was handed down on the 20th of May 2021.
ALSO TAKE NOTICE THAT the Court ruling is hereby attached hereto as “A” FURTHER TAKE NOTICE THAT the Appellants are competent litigants to institute this Appeal based on their real and direct interest in the orders of Chief Zvimba which killed their personal property and fiduciary functions at law respectively since the 1st Appellant is the duly appointed executrix to the Estate of the Late, and the 2nd and 3rd Appellants are sons to the said Late.
FURTHER TAKE NOTICE THAT this Appeal is instituted in terms of section 24 (1) of the Customary Law and Local Courts Act [chapter 7:05] as read with rule 4 of the Supreme Court (Miscellaneous Appeals and References) Rules, 1975.
GROUNDS OF APPEAL
1. Chief Zvimba erred at law by making an order that overturns a burial order in respect of the burial of the late Robert Mugabe when the Chief had no judicial authority to interpret legal acts from superior legislation to his jurisdiction.
2. Chief Zvimba erred at law in making an order that affects property rights of a party that is not part of the proceedings.
3. The Chief made a false finding of fact which amounts to an error at law when he found that the late Robert Mugabe was buried inside a house. This misdirection nullifies the ratio decidendi of his judgment.
4. Chief Zvimba erred at law in granting an incompetent order for the exhumation of the body of the Late Robert Gabriel Mugabe, thereby usurping the lawful bounds of his judicial authority.
5. The Chief further erred at law by imposing himself with territorial jurisdiction to the affairs of an area that he does not have any territorial jurisdiction over.
Wherefore the Appellant prays that:
i. The instant appeal be allowed with costs.
ii. The judgment of the court a quo be set aside and the following be substituted in its stead: “The Plaintiff’s claim is dismissed”
By A Correspondent- The City of Mutare has applied to the central government for land to expand after running out of residential stands.
Mutare mayor Blessing Tandi said the city had run out of space for new suburbs. The city has a geographical location measuring 16 700 ha against a fast growing urban population of over 189 000 residents, according to the 2012 census.
The city has exhausted its in-fills and other open spaces under its land banks to clear a bloated housing waiting list.
Tandi said they had since applied to the central government for land extension in the northern and western side of the city. “Mutare is one of the most disadvantaged cities. It is mountain-locked and has nowhere to expand to,” he said.
“We have applied for land beyond the mountainous terrain in the northern and western side, which we plan to allocate as residential stands to deal with our housing backlog once it’s approved by the Ministry of Local Government,” he said. The development comes at a time when the city has nearly 50 000 residents on its housing waiting list, according to statistics obtained from the housing services department.
Though the records indicate a 28,57% drop from the 70 000 home seekers that were on the housing waiting list in 2016, there is still a high demand for residential stands.
Most residents are looking beyond the city with peri-urban areas such as Mutasa, Vumba and Chigodora being the most targeted.
Tandi indicated that the proposed city expansion would stretch from Mutare River towards Odzi in the northern part of Mutare and beyond Zimunya in the western part of the city.
The proposal that is before the central government follows similar proposals that were unsuccessfully tabled in the past.
In 2014, the city fathers who declared land bankruptcy made frantic efforts to negotiate for a land swap deal with the government.
The deal would have seen the local authority cede Meikles Park in exchange for unprocessed State land measuring 188 000 ha from the government, stretching from Dangamvura Link Road to Fern Valley Turn along Chimanimani Road.
However, the deal was stalled by endless court battles over the ownership of Meikles Park.
During the same year, the city engaged private planners ARUP, which advised the local authority to remodel under the multi-noddle approach that is cost effective.
The authorities then contemplated the use of one of the three possible models, which included wild-west expansion and western and northern expansion.
ARUP advised that the multi-noddle approach requires the construction of satellite shopping centres dotted in various parts of the city that would reduce congestion in the Central Business District (CBD).
It will further provide services delivery and employment creation in respective residential areas.
“The multi-noddle approach reduces travelling time from point A to point B. In a city centre you have to travel long distances to get the services you need but when you get a multi-noddle approach you are close to some of the services you need.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean all the services will be available to you, for an example the government offices, they may be in the centre so you still have to go to the centre but for the daily kind of things, you find them in your local neighbourhood shop or your district shop,” ARUP advised then.
ARUP indicated that the current model of cities in Zimbabwe is quite spread-out making it expensive to build roads to link residential areas and the CBD.-newsday
By A Correspondent- A barber in Bulawayo allegedly stabbed a rival to death in a fight over a client.
Ayanda Moyo (29) allegedly stabbed Claitos Muzorori (38) of Old Magwegwe with a knife in the left shoulder and left him lying unconscious in a pool of blood along Lobengula Street between 5th and 6th Avenues in the city centre.
Police arrested Moyo, from Cowdray Park suburb, at the scene after members of the public identified him.
The murder occurred on Wednesday at around 4PM and has left the general public shell shocked.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident.
He said two officers were on patrol on May 26 when they spotted a crowd which was gathered along Lobengula Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.
“The two officers found Mr Muzorori lying unconscious in a pool of blood with a stab wound on the left side of the chest below the left shoulder. The two were fighting to attend to a client,” he said.
Insp Ncube said police carried out an investigation at the scene with the help of members of the public and the suspect was found and they recovered the knife.
Insp Ncube said the deceased was ferried to Mpilo Central Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
“Mr Moyo was arrested and is detained at ZRP Bulawayo Central and the case is under investigation,” he said.
Insp Ncube warned members of the public to desist from carrying offensive weapons like knives, machetes, small axes, catapults, knobkerries and screwdrivers.
“We would like to urge members of the public to be patient and tolerant of one another.
“We also encourage members of the public to render help by calling the police and the ambulance rather than to be bystanders and take videos,” he said.
By A Correspondent- The battle for control of a rich gold mine in Odzi near Mutare turned nasty last weekend after Zanu-PF councillor Luxon Mawanga reportedly fired three gunshots as he tried to scare away his rival’s security guards.
Mawanga, who leads Paari Mining Syndicate, is embroiled in a bitter ownership wrangle for the mine with Twin Castle Resources manager Antioch Chaibo.
The matter was reported at Odzi Police Station on Sunday under RRB 4587275.
Police records seen by NewsDay Weekender yesterday indicate that Mawanga fired three warning shots as he tried to frighten and cow Twin Castle’s security administrator Elvis Chiwanga.
“On the day (Saturday) at around 6pm on May 30, I proceeded to Vhoiri area mine to pay security guards of Twin Castle of their salaries,” Chiwanga said in his statement to police.
“I arrived at the mine and paid the security guards, then proceeded back to the road where we had parked our motor vehicle.
“While on my way back, I met the accused (Mawanga), who came from his vehicle and fired a shot into the air.
“He then grabbed me with his left hand while the right hand was holding a pistol and remarked ‘unofira mahara’ (you will die for nothing) before pushing me away and I did not do anything.”
Another security guard at the mine, Watson Mukahadzo, police records also show, said Mawanga fired three shots.
“On May 30, 2021 at around 2pm, the accused arrived at the mine from his homestead and fired three shots (into the air) for no apparent reason and he also fired one shot when our security guard administrator had come to pay us at around 6pm,” he said
Mawanga, however, dismissed the claims as false.
“These are just lies, there is nothing like that which happened. They are just trying to cover up for bringing over 200 people to grab the mine. My son was almost killed by these people,” he said.
Recently, High Court judge Justice Amy Tsanga ordered Paari to stop interferring with the operations at the mine until the matter was resolved.
Justice Tsanga told both gold mining companies to provide three guards each to secure the mine until the matter has been resolved.
Former Manicaland provincial mining director Omen Dube gave a determination in favour of Twin Castle, which he said was the first to apply for the claim.
By A Correspondent- Six suspected armed robbers and carjackers were arrested on Thursday after a shoot-out near Mabvuku turn-off along Mutare Road on the eastern outskirts of Harare.
One of the suspects was shot and injured on the left knee as he tried to flee the scene after detectives had cornered the gang. He was taken to Sally Mugabe Central Hospital for treatment and is reported to be in stable condition.
The arrested suspects are: Isaac Kufa (36) of Hatfield, Tonderai Murupiri (28), Patrick Mbundire (21), Casper Chigariro (42), all of Epworth, Hardlife Steven Makwarimba alias Stavo (45) of Goromonzi and Charles Yekeye (47) of Unit O in Chitungwiza.
Investigations show that Kufa, Murupiri, Mbundire and Chigariro would allegedly hijack vehicles before passing them onto Makwarimba and Yekeye to sell to unsuspecting people.
In one of the cases, Kufa is alleged to have gone to a car sale in the city and approached Mr Lemeo Chidziva alleging that he wanted to purchase an Isuzu double cab.
He asked for a test drive and Mr Chidziva joined him. Kufa then drove the vehicle to Newlands where he lied that he wanted to pick up his mechanic but he picked up Murupiri.
They then drove back to the car sale where the two said they wanted to test drive a black Mercedes Benz C200. Mr Chidziva agreed and the three drove towards Chisipite.
When they reached the roundabout along ED Mnangagwa Road, Mr Chidziva suggested they returned but Murupiri, who was seated in the back, allegedly grabbed him by the neck and handcuffed him.
He dragged him to the back seat and ordered him to lie down at gunpoint. The two allegedly dumped him in a bushy area in Goromonzi before driving off.
The vehicle was fixed with a tracker and detectives managed to track it on Thursday while it was parked at a house in Strathaven, leading to its recovery.
At the house, they found Mr Tashinga Maziriri (25) who was in the process of buying the car from Makwarimba and Yekeye.
He led the detectives to the two who were arrested while waiting to receive money from him in Southerton.
Makwarimba and Yekeye then led detectives to Mabvuku turnoff where the other four accomplices were waiting for their share of the money.
After seeing that the four had been cornered, Mbundire attempted to flee and warning shots were fired but he did not take heed, resulting with him being shot on the left knee.
He was found in possession of a Mazda BT50 car key in his pocket.
The vehicle had been taken by the four suspects from an ex-Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service officer, George Denga (62), in a carjacking on Tuesday.
It was recovered from a bushy area in Mabvuku and investigations are still in progress.
In addition, police in Harare have arrested nine suspects, two of them foreigners, believed to be part of a vehicle smuggling and carjacking syndicate operating in the Sadc region.
Of the nine, three were arrested in Mainway Meadows in southern Harare after they were found in possession of two cars — a Range Rover Evoque (registration number HZ 33CN GP) and a Toyota Fortuner (JH 81 HR GP), worth nearly R1 million together.
The vehicles are suspected to have been stolen in Namibia before being smuggled to South Africa and then Zimbabwe.
It is believed the suspects wanted to eventually smuggle the two cars into Zambia.
The suspects are a South African, Mpswati Obed Lucar (33), a Zimbabwean living in South Africa Brian Mabika (29) and a Zambian identified as SA Kalengo (36).
Investigations revealed that the trio were allegedly part of a syndicate that had been robbing people of vehicles in the region before smuggling them to other countries for resale using fake documents.
The trio were arrested on Tuesday following a tip off and they are still in custody as investigations continue.
Detectives from the CID Vehicle Theft Squad received information that two vehicles were parked at a house in Mainway Meadows. When they arrived at the house, they found the two vehicles and the suspects who they questioned but they failed to give a satisfactory answer, leading to their arrest.
Detectives discovered that the cars were stolen in Namibia before they were smuggled into South Africa where fake documents and registration numbers were manufactured. They were then smuggled into Zimbabwe en route to Zambia using the fake documents.
Both the engine and chassis numbers were tampered with and police have since engaged Interpol to assist with investigations.
By A Correspondent- A married Zimbabwe Prisons officer Tavatangira Chiromunye (30) who on numerous occasions allegedly had se_x with a 15-year-old girl from a car has been dragged to court on charges of having interc0urse with a minor.
The case happened in Zvishavane but it is being heard in Mberengwa because magistrates in Zvishavane recused themselves because they work with the accused.
Chiromunye appeared before Mberengwa Magistrate Caroline Tafira.
Chiromunye would pick up the minor using his Toyota Fun Cargo and park adjacent to Lambizi Lodge, Zvahavande and have consensual se_x with the girl from the car.
This happened at least three times and the matter came to light when the complainant’s father realised that his daughter was not at home. Her aunt interviewed her and that is when she disclosed that she was in relationship with Chiromunye since 2020.
The accused is being represented by Grace Nyabawa and was remanded to June 2021 on free bail.
It is the State case that sometime in 2020, Chiromunye proposed love to the complainant and she accepted. Towards the end of April 2021, the accused person approached the complainant at her place of residence when she was alone, knocked on her window and advised her to meet at the main gate.
He picked her at the main gate and drove off Prince Street to a place adjacent to Lambizi Lodge, where he parked.
The accused continued having extra marital se_xual intercourse using the same vehicle at the same place.
By A Correspondent- The leadership crisis in the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe (AFM) has taken a new twist after its former president, Enos Manyika has approached the courts claiming ownership of the church.
His move comes after the Supreme Court had ruled that Reverend Amon Madawo was the legitimate leader of the church prompting rival group led by Reverend Cossam Chiangwa to form a separate church – Apostolic Faith Mission of Zimbabwe.
Manyika seeks a court order to bar Madawo and his followers from using the AFM name without his consent. Below is Manyika’s application.
IN THE HIGH COURT OF ZIMBABWE CASE NO. HC 453/20 APPLICANT HELD AT BULAWAYO In the matter between:
APOSTOLIC FAITH MISSION IN ZIMBABWE (Registration CF 221/01) APPLICANT AND
AMON DUBIE MADAWO 1ST RESPONDENT
CLEVER MUPAKAIDZA 2ND RESPONDENT
BRIAN TEMBO 3RD RESPONDENT
CHRISTOPHER CHEMHURU 4TH RESPONDENT
APOSTOLIC FAITH MISSION IN ZIMBABWE 5TH RESPONDENT
THE REGISTRAR OF DEEDS, N.0 6TH RESPONDENT
URGENT CHAMBER APPLICATION
TAKE NOTICE an Urgent Chamber application is hereby made for an order in terms of the draft order annexed to this application on the grounds that the application is urgent as contemplated in Order 32 rules 226 (2) (a) and 242 of the Rules of the High Court.
FOUNDING AFFIDAVIT OF ENOS MANYIKA
I, the undersigned ENOS MANYIKA, do hereby make oath and state that all the facts stated hereunder are to the best of my knowledge, true and correct, and that;- 1. I am the founder and representative of the Applicant, and I am also the founding president who caused the registration of the Applicant in the year 2001, underregistration number CF 221/01. I am duly authorised to depose to this affidavit in that capacity. I attach hereto a copy of the constitution as Annexure A.
2. The address for service of Applicant is care of our undersigned legal practitioners of record.
3. The 1st Respondent is AMON DUBIE MADAWO, a male adult of full capacity to sue and be sued in his own name. His address for service is Suite 4, Cheznous Building, 4th Avenue/J. Moyo Street, Bulawayo.
4. The 2nd Respondent is CLEVER MUPAKAIDZWA, a male adult of full capacity to sue and be sued in his own name. His address for service is Suite 4, Cheznous Building, 4th Avenue/J. Moyo Street, Bulawayo
5. The 3rd Respondent is BRIGHTON TEMBO, a male adult of full capacity to sue and be sued in his own name. His address for service is Suite 4, Cheznous Building, 4th Avenue/J. Moyo Street, Bulawayo.
6. The 4th Respondent is CHRISTOPHER CHEMHURU a male adult of full capacity to sue and be sued in his own name. His address for service is Suite 4, Cheznous Building, 4th Avenue/J. Moyo Street, Bulawayo.
7. The 5th Respondent is APOSTOLIC FAITH MISSION IN ZIMBABWE whose further and better particulars are unknown to Applicant, whose address for service is Suite 4, Cheznous Building, 4th Avenue/J.Moyo Street, Bulawayo.
26. Firstly, a name is an identity. It is that which identifies an individual and or an entity. There are values and norms that attach to a name. For example, the Applicant associates with what is called a confession of faith. The confession of faith is the same and is embodied in every apostolic faith mission worldwide.
The 5th Respondent does not subscribe to that confession of faith. It is submitted that difference on the subject of confession of faith tarnishes the image of the Applicant herein as the world at large will think that the Applicant is party to worldwide. Put forcefully, even the mother body of the Apostolic faith missions, the Apostolic Faith Mission International has told the 5th Respondent as much (See Annexure F). The letter from Apostolic Faith Mission International goes further to state that
“The AFM international office bearers have also noted that you have adopted a new constitution with a Confession of Faith which is different from that of AFM International. Your action is tantamount to legally defining yourself outside the AFM International parameters.”
It is for this reason that the Applicant must be granted the interdict that it seeks especially in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling that has been wrongly interpreted nationwide to suggest that the 1st – 5th Respondents were legitimate office bearers of the Applicant yet they do not subscribe to the Applicant and even have their own confession of faith different from the Applicant and all Apostolic Missions worldwide.
The name of the Applicant is its identity and is unique. Once trashed, Applicant may not be able to repair the damage that would have been done to its name.
27. Secondly, the purpose of a church is to preach the gospel of God. To that end, congregants subscribe to a church doctrine. The current state of confusion does not augur well with the ecclesiastical functions of the church and the church may lose its purpose in these skirmishes. Applicant may be small in size as compared to the 5th Respondent but stature does not entitle one to use the name of another. Applicant has a right to the protection of its registered name.
28. There is no other remedy that can afford the Applicant relief instanter in the premises. Applicant has already filed a court application and awaits a court date. Whilst applicant has been complying and following due process of the law, Respondents have continued to damage the name and image of the Applicant. Urgent relief is more important now considering that by using the Applicant’s name, some people may be misled to believe they are dealing with the Applicant yet they are not. Debts and obligations may be created as against the applicant further exposing the applicant to litigation and law suits.
29. In the premises, I pray for an order temporary directing that the Respondents be directed to cease using Applicant’s name, without the express written consent of the Applicant.
In the premises, I submit that I have made a good case for the relief sought and I pray for an order in terms of the draft annexed hereto
By A Correspondent- The Rhodes Estate Preparatory School (REPS) in Matopo, Matabeleland South, says two young girls were sexually abused by an assistant boarding master who has evaded arrest.
In a communication to parents on Friday, the school did not say when it became aware of the abuse, with the notice coming on Friday as schools closed for the first term.
The ages of the two children were also not revealed.
“We would like to inform you that the school has received and is dealing with a reported case of sexual abuse concerning two of our learners. The alleged perpetrator is Mr Mlibazisi Bhebhe, an assistant Matron responsible for the boys,” said the REPS School Development Committee chairman Brian Phiri in a letter to parents.
Phiri said Bhebhe “remains at large but police are looking for him.”
The parents of the two pupils had been notified, he added.
Taungana Ndoro, the director of communications and advocacy at Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education told ZimLive.com: “We have received a preliminary report and we are instituting investigations.”
A parent who did not want to be identified said he feared the sexual abuse scandal was much deeper, compounded by school authorities that he said are “very secretive” and suppressed any information that cast the school in bad light.
“We picked this early this week, but the school has been quiet all along. It’s difficult to know for how long this has been happening and how many pupils are affected. They only released the information to time it with the closure of schools because they knew that our children will tell us what was happening,” the parent said.
The parent claimed that the school head and deputy were “notorious for punishing pupils who inform parents about anything negative that would have happened at the school” and fears that more girls could have been abused.
Matabeleland South acting police spokesman Assistant Inspector Thabani Mkhwananzi could not be reached for comment as he was said to be out of office.
REPS, previously a boys school, now enrolls girls and has an enrollment of about 120 students, about 80 of them boarders. It shares land with the Matopos Research Station.
REPS admits children from Grades 3 to 7, averaging eight to 12 years in age. Founded in 1932, the school was completed with funding from the estate of colonial kingpin Cecil John Rhodes, after whom it was named and whose summer home is on the grounds of the school.
The school is famous for grooming sports stars who went on to represent Zimbabwe including cricketers Henry Olonga and Heath Streak, and the rugby player Victor Olonga.
By Correspondent- HIV and Aids have emerged as the leading killers among adolescents, accounting for 50% of deaths, according to statistics released by sexual and reproductive health rights organisation, Advocacy Core Team.
The organisation recently petitioned Parliament to consider amendments to the relevant pieces of legislation to ensure all young people could access reproductive health services.
It argued that lack of comprehensive information and knowledge about reproductive healthcare services (RHS) among adolescents increased spread of HIV and sexually transmitted infections and lead to unplanned parenthood and illegal abortions.
In a report jointly presented to Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care and Thematic Committee on HIV and Aids on Thursday, the Advocacy Core Team said it did not seek to adjust the age of consent to sexual behaviour or the minimum age of marriage, but to promote cognisance of RHS among young people.
“It is our prayer that the Public Health Act of 2018 is amended to provide that there should be no age restrictions on accessing reproductive health care services by persons aged 12 years and above, and these services include: HIV testing, preand post counselling, access to contraceptives and other pregnancy prevention management services for adolescents and young people; and to ensure that there are proper administrative measures to monitor and provide reproductive health rights for persons aged 12 years and above, ” the petition read.
The organisation also argued that the requirement of consent was also making it difficult for healthcare service providers to effectively attend to adolescents due to inadequate legal protection.
Vice-President and Health minister Constantino Chiwenga said poverty was the major cause of early sexual behaviour among teens.
“Ideally, individuals with the capacity to consent should be allowed to do so, no matter what their age,” he said.
“Assessment of capacity, however, is rarely straightforward for adolescents. Capacity to consent requires the ability to communicate a choice, to understand the options, to reason effectively about these options, and to make an un-coerced decision.
“Active involvement of a concerned and capable parent is the best possible situation for sexually active adolescents. Parents are presumed to be competent decision makers. They have legal and financial duties to care for children including adolescents.”
The committee recommended that the Health ministry should amend section 35 of the Public Health Act to provide sexual and reproductive and health rights services for young people under the age of 18 years and provide for the protection of the service providers by June 2022.
By Wilbert Mukori- Professor Lovemore Madhuku, a constitutional law Professor and NCA presidential candidate in the July 2018 elections has expressed his doubts in the many legal challenges producing the desired result of stopping the enactment of the Zimbabwe Constitution Amendment Bills No 1 and 2. As far as he is concerned, the only solution is streets in protests.
“There are two remedies to challenge the two constitutional amendments. There is the political remedy, which is always the best. Citizens would say no to the amendments and organise a political action to challenge them,” he argued.
“There is no sufficient political activity in Zimbabwe at the moment, which explains why we are opting to go to the courts. In a normal framework where there is political activity, we would not have been having these discussions in a small corner, with few individuals who have always been vocal on those matters.”
This is just typical arrogance of Zimbabwe’s corrupt and incompetent political leaders; they have betrayed the ordinary people again and again and are the ones who have dragged the nation into this man-made hell-on-earth. Instead of apologizing to the people and mending their ways they have the chic to blame the people lacking political zeal!
“One man, one vote!” was the rallying call in the fight to end white colonial rule. But when the finish line was in sight Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies brushed the promise aside and told the people if the party failed to win the 1980 elections, the bush war would continue. The people gave up their cherished right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country and voted to end the war.
Mugabe and company were not content with winning the 1980 elections but used it as the starting point to consolidate their power by systematically erode people’s freedoms and rights including the right to free and fair elections and even the right to live. Zanu PF instigated the 1983 to 1987 Gukurahundi massacre, killing over 20 000, to establish the de facto one-party dictatorship. The regime has murdered a further 10 000 plus to retain the dictatorship.
The people have risked life and limb to elect Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends into power these last 21 years on the understanding the party will bring about the democratic changes to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. Tsvangirai and company, just like Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies, have too sold-out and have failed to bring about even one democratic reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU when they had the golden opportunity to do so.
As if betraying the nation over reforms was not bad enough, MDC leaders have been participating in flawed and illegal elections to win the few gravy train seats Zanu PF offered as bait. They knew that by participating the opposition was giving legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF, as David Coltart, MDC minister in the GNU admitted in his book!
“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections,” wrote Senator Coltart.
“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”
SADC leaders literally begged MDC leaders not to participate in the 2013 elections until reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging could be implemented. Their pleas fell on deaf ears.
Professor Lovemore Madhuku and his NCA joined in the July 2028 opposition scramble for the few gravy train seats Zanu PF dangled before them! He was one of the 23 presidential candidates and has since been a very active member of Mnangagwa POLAD – a Mnangagwa initiative to reward the presidential candidates for their participation and thus giving him legitimacy.
Madhuku is right, all the Amendment legal challenges question the constitutional powers of the Zanu PF regime are doomed to fail. Like it or not by participating in the flawed elections Zimbabwe’s opposition have given the vote rigging Zanu PF the legitimacy and mandate to govern the country and that includes changing the constitution.
Professor Madhuku’s proposed solution of public protest to stop the amendments is equally fallacious and doomed to fail. The same public participated in the flawed elections and thus gave Zanu PF the mandate to govern or be it unwittingly. What matters here is that the public gave Zanu PF the mandate to govern and, having given it, cannot expect to take it all away by street protests.
Voter beware! (Voter cave!) Has even more resonance than the more familiar “buyer beware” (caveat emptor!)
Indeed, the public have been warned of the folly of participating in these flawed and illegal elections and it is none other than Madhuku and his fellow opposition opportunists who have deceived the public into participating.
The solution to ending Zanu PF misrule is by stopping Zanu PF fraudulently getting legitimacy in the first place. Do not participate in the flawed elections until the democratic reforms to guarantee free, fair and credible elections are implemented. This was the solution SADC leaders proposed back in 2013 and it is valid now as it was back then.
It really is insane to keep participating in flawed elections to give the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy and yet this is exactly what Professor Madhuku and the rest in the opposition want the nation to do. Professor Madhuku, Nelson Chamisa, Tendai Biti and the rest in the opposition camp have all one thing in common greed. It was greed that made them participate in the flawed and illegal elections in the past and the same irresistible force is pulling to participate in the 2023 elections regardless of all the evidence Zanu PF has already rigged the elections.
Whilst Zanu PF has found the time to pass Amendment Bills No 1 and 2, amending no fewer than 30 different sections of the constitution, the party has not had the time to extend the postal vote to 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora. How can the 2023 elections be free and fair when 3 out 8 (5 million voted in July 2018) Zimbabweans are once again denied the vote! This political reality did not stop the opportunists Madhuku et al participating in the past and it will not do so in 2023!
Zimbabwe is in this economic and political man-made hell-on-earth not because ordinary Zimbabweans have lacked the political zeal to fight for their freedoms and rights. The people have played their part and many have paid the ultimate price and lost their very lives; but all to no avail because the country’s political leaders have again and again betrayed the nation by selling out on the common causes of freedom, human rights, justice and liberty for selfish greed.
To get out of this hell-hole the people of Zimbabwe must open their eyes and see the country’s political leaders for what they really are – corrupt, incompetent and sell-outs and/or murderous thugs. The most foolish thing Zimbabweans can do is to participate in the 2023 elections with no reforms and give the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. Doing so will only prove Zimbabweans have yet to open their eyes and there is no getting out of the hell-hole until we open our eyes!
By A Correspondent- Two men who were captured on a disturbing viral video mercilessly beating a 15 year old girl whom they accused of two-timing them have been arrested.
A source close to investigations said police arrested the duo from Madlambudzi on Monday.
The two were identified as Courcious Tshuma and Martin Moyo, both 18 years old, of Mazwaligwe Village in Masendu under Chief Masendu.
They pleaded guilty to physical abuse and were each sentenced to an effective one month in prison when they appeared before Plumtree magistrate Tayengwa Chibanda.
The video went viral on social media last week and led to a public outcry with many demanding that the two men be identified and arrested.
In the 1 minute 37 seconds video, the two men are both holding the helpless young girl by her hands and taking turns to assault her.
At one time the young girl pleads with the two men to allow her to relieve herself but they both refused to let her go and continued beating her up.
It is not yet clear who was shooting the video which ends abruptly while the two are still assaulting the girl.
One of the men is said to be married and has a child, even though he was accusing the young girl of double-crossing him.
The other is said to be hailing from Lupane and is a herdsman in the area.
A Bulawayo-based lawyer Emmanuel Mlalazi, who was instrumental in tracing the two men, said more needs to be done to change the culture of girl child abuse in rural areas.
By A Correspondent- A Chiredzi prophet allegedly inserted his fingers into the vagina and anus of a 16-year-old girl during a cleansing process.
The incident reportedly happened while the girl’s parents and siblings who accompanied her were sitting outside the hut where the rituals were taking place.
James Mutonhorera, 51, of Village 7 Uswaushava Triangle pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Regional Magistrate Judith Ziyu on Friday Masvingo Mirror reports.
The court heard that Mutonhorera became ecstatic during the cleansing and removed a bone from the girl’s stomach, another one from her breast, and a third from her back.
The incident happened on May 5, 2021.
The complainant alleged that after removing the three pieces of bones, Mutonhorera ordered her to remove her pulling socks because he wanted to remove something from her vagina.
He sprinkled some water on her and she allegedly fell unconscious as the prophet was inserting fingers into her vagina.
The State further alleges that the complainant’s skirt was pulled up when she regained consciousness and her vagina and anus were both painful.
Mutonhorera then showed her a bone that he removed from her vagina. The complainant says she doesn’t know exactly what happened when she was unconscious.
The girl narrated the story to her mother after discovering that her anus and vagina were painful.
Responding to the allegations, Mutonhori accused the girl of fabricating the story.
By A Correspondent- The ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo to Zimbabwe, Mawampanga Mwana Nanga has been listed as a top beneficiary of foreign currency sold at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) foreign currency auction system.
The foreign diplomat received higher forex allocations than a large-scale mining company over a period of one year.
The NewsHawks reports that Mwanananga doubles as the dean of African diplomats and is known for rallying counterparts in the diplomatic service to project Zimbabwe in good light especially during chaotic events like elections.
According to the latest list of 1 423 beneficiaries of the US$1.2 billion allotted under the main foreign exchange auction between June 2020 and 31 May 2021 which was published by the RBZ, the DRC ambassador, accessed US$120 000 from the main auction system.
Mwananangwa who is at position 992 on the main auction allocation list has no known business interests in Zimbabwe.
The Congolese diplomat accessed more cash than local diamond miner Murowa Diamonds which requires forex for its production. Mining is one of the most capital intensive sectors in the country.
Murowa received US$100 000 which represented 0.01% of the total allocations for large entities.
Other notable beneficiaries who received fewer funds from the apex bank compared to the DRC ambassador include Hwange Colliery, the City of Masvingo, Zimbabwe School Examinations Council and the Bindura University of Science Technology.
A few months ago, a local research unit Econometer Global Capital expressed concern over the allocation list which was published by the RBZ at the start of the year.
Econometer Global Capital said the would have been more helpful if the central bank had also provided critical information on whether or not the top beneficiaries are exporting, how their capacity has improved, among other key variables that may aid in understanding whether or not the forex is being put to good use.
By A Correspondent- Ms Vicky Nhanhete, a sex worker based in Chinhoyi was arrested by police when she went to report that her baby had been kidnapped by unknown assailants.
Nhanhete (27) is said to have left her three minor children sleeping in their single-room lodgings in Chinhoyi, for a local drinking spot, where she dabbles in sex work.
She returned around 1 AM with her overnight client only to find the toddler missing and the other children shook.
The children reported that a man had forcibly opened the door and snatched the baby, before threatening to knife them if they screamed.
Nhanhete reported the matter herself to Cherima police base in Chikonohono high-density suburb less than an hour after the alleged kidnapping.
The police, however, threw Nyanhete and her roommate, Lyda Kashambwa (34) in police cells where they spent three nights as they were regarded as key suspects.
They were later freed on Wednesday by the courts due to lack of evidence.
According to police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Nyathi, the child has not yet been found.
The dejected mother of three, including the kidnapped toddler, Dadirai Seremwe, yesterday narrated her ordeal.
Narrating her ordeal to The Herald, Nhanhete said:
_Upon returning with a client that I had charged $2 000 for the night, I looked for my child that I had left asleep with her other siblings but to no avail. I asked the other housemates if they had seen my child to which all professed ignorance._
_My roommate, who is also a hooker and had left for home before me, also professed ignorance. We then went to Cherima Police Base where we were told not to panic as the officers on duty believed my child could have been taken by one of the housemates._
She said she went back to the police the following day after several attempts including the toddler’s biological father who stays in Trelawney, Zvimba had yielded nothing.
Nyanhete’s 7-year-old firstborn who was left babysitting her kidnapped toddler, her four-year-old young sister and Kashambwa’s child physically identified the intruder as someone she has come across several times although she does not know the name.
She narrated:
_The man got in and grabbed my sister and when I tried to call for help, he pointed a knife at me and threatened to kill me before ordering me to cover my head with a blanket as he left._
_There were some people that were speaking outside and sounded like women._
Cases of child kidnappings and murder have been on the rise lately with some suspecting that the babies are being killed for ritual purposes.
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF President Emmerson Mnangagwa this week visited the late family of the late former Vice President of Zimbabwe, Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo for an unspecified reason.
Observers say the clueless President could have visited the Nkomo family to persuade them to hand him over the late father Zimbabwe’s induku which many believe has the powers to take the country forward.
Speaking after visiting the Nkomo family and the Joshua Nkomo Museum in Matsheumhlophe , Mnangagwa said Government was “embarrassed” for having allowed the Nkomo family to take lead in preserving the legacy of Dr Nkomo through the establishment of the museum.
He said going forward, they would offer all the possible support to the Nkomo family to ensure that the museum gets the status it deserves.
“My appreciation goes to the (Nkomo) family who has done this preservation of the history of Father Zimbabwe; this was a project initiated by the family.
“We as Government feel embarrassed that we did not lead ourselves, but now that it is there, I have assured my young sister (Mrs Thandiwe Nkomo-Ibrahim, daughter to the late Dr Nkomo) that she will receive support from Government to make sure that this place gets the status that it deserves,” Mnangagwa.
By A Correspondent- Robbers have handcuffed a local car dealer, dumped him in Goromonzi before fleeing with his Mercedes Benz
The robbers are part of the six carjackers who were arrested by the police on Thursday after a shoot-out near the Mabvuku turn-off along Mutare Road on the eastern outskirts of Harare.
One of the suspects was shot and injured on the left knee as he tried to flee the scene after detectives had cornered the gang. He was taken to Sally Mugabe Central Hospital for treatment and is reported to be in stable condition.
The arrested suspects are Isaac Kufa (36) of Hatfield, Tonderai Murupiri (28), Patrick Mbundire (21), Casper Chigariro (42), all of Epworth, Hardlife Steven Makwarimba alias Stavo (45) of Goromonzi and Charles Yekeye (47) of Unit O in Chitungwiza.
Investigations show that Kufa, Murupiri, Mbundire and Chigariro would allegedly hijack vehicles before passing them onto Makwarimba and Yekeye to sell to unsuspecting people.
In one of the cases, Kufa is alleged to have gone to a car sale in the city and approached Mr Lemeo Chidziva alleging that he wanted to purchase an Isuzu double cab.
He asked for a test drive and Mr Chidziva joined him. Kufa then drove the vehicle to Newlands where he lied that he wanted to pick up his mechanic but he picked up Murupiri.
They then drove back to the car sale where the two said they wanted to test drive a black Mercedes Benz C200. Mr Chidziva agreed and the three drove towards Chisipite.
When they reached the roundabout along ED Mnangagwa Road, Mr Chidziva suggested they returned but Murupiri, who was seated in the back, allegedly grabbed him by the neck and handcuffed him.
He dragged him to the back seat and ordered him to lie down at gunpoint. The two allegedly dumped him in a bushy area in Goromonzi before driving off.
The vehicle was fixed with a tracker and detectives managed to track it on Thursday while it was parked at a house in Strathaven, leading to its recovery.
At the house, they found Mr Tashinga Maziriri (25) who was in the process of buying the car from Makwarimba and Yekeye.
He led the detectives to the two who were arrested while waiting to receive money from him in Southerton.
Makwarimba and Yekeye then led detectives to the Mabvuku turnoff where the other four accomplices were waiting for their share of the money.
After seeing that the four had been cornered, Mbundire attempted to flee and warning shots were fired but he did not take heed, resulting in him being shot on the left knee.
He was found in possession of a Mazda BT50 car key in his pocket. The vehicle had been taken by the four suspects from an ex-Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service officer, George Denga (62), in a carjacking on Tuesday.
It was recovered from a bushy area in Mabvuku and investigations are still in progress.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers For Human Rights explains how the MDC Alliance Duo, Last Maengahama and Tungamirai Madzokere were finally released from prison. Statement below
ZIM COURT ORDERS RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS UNJUSTLY INCARCERATED AT CHIKURUBI MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON
THE Supreme Court on Friday 4 June 2021 ordered the immediate release from Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison of two political prisoners, Last Tamai Maengahama and Tungamirai Madzokere, where they had been detained since 2016 after they were convicted and sentenced to serve 20 years for allegedly murdering a Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officer.
Maengahama and Madzokere, who were represented by Beatrice Mtetwa and Charles Kwaramba of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, were each sentenced to serve 20 years at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison on 12 December 2016 after they were convicted by then High Court Judge Justice Chinembiri Bhunu of murder with actual intent as defined in section 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
The two together with Yvonne Musarurwa were convicted in 2016 for murdering Petros Mutedza, a ZRP Inspector on 29 May 2011. However, Musarurwa was released from prison in March 2018 under a presidential pardon.
Phenias Nhatarikwa, who was convicted as an accessory after the fact to public violence as defined in section 206 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act was fined US$500 or in default of payment, three months imprisonment.
Maengahama, Madzokere, Musarurwa and Nhatarikwa’s lawyers filed an appeal at the Supreme Court in 2016 seeking an order to pronounce them as not guilty and acquitted and to set aside the sentences imposed against them.
In their application which was opposed by the state, Mtetwa and Kwaramba argued that Justice Bhunu erred and misdirected himself when he failed to properly apply the law and discharge Maengahama, Madzokere, Musarurwa and Nhatarikwa as he was obliged to at the close of the state case when no evidence justifying their placement on their defence had been led and in doing so denied them a fair trial with the result that the conviction and sentence must be vacated.Mtetwa and Kwaramba contended that Justice Bhunu erred and misdirected himself in finding Maengahama, Madzokere and Musarurwa guilty on the basis of the doctrine of common purpose when in law the doctrine is no longer part of Zimbabwean law.
The human rights lawyers also argued that the High Court Judge erred and misdirected himself when he convicted Nhatarikwa as an accessory after the fact to the crime of public violence when there is no actual perpetrator convicted of public violence during trial.On Friday 4 June 2021, Supreme Court Judges Justice of Appeal Rita Makarau, Justice of Appeal Susan Mavangira and Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza set aside their conviction by Justice Bhunu and acquitted them after ruling that they were not guilty of committing murder.Justice Makarau, Mavangira and Deputy Chief Justice Gwaunza also quashed and set aside the sentences imposed on Maengahama, Madzokere, Musarurwa and Nhatarikwa and ordered the immediate release of Maengahama and Madzokere, who had remained incarcerated at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
By A Correspondent- Police in Harare has arrested six suspected armed robbers and carjackers after a shoot-out near the Mabvuku turn-off along Mutare Road on the eastern outskirts of Harare.
One of the suspects was shot and injured on the left knee as he tried to flee the scene after detectives had cornered the gang. He was taken to Sally Mugabe Central Hospital for treatment and is reported to be in stable condition.
The arrested suspects are Isaac Kufa (36) of Hatfield, Tonderai Murupiri (28), Patrick Mbundire (21), Casper Chigariro (42), all of Epworth, Hardlife Steven Makwarimba alias Stavo (45) of Goromonzi and Charles Yekeye (47) of Unit O in Chitungwiza.
Investigations show that Kufa, Murupiri, Mbundire and Chigariro would allegedly hijack vehicles before passing them onto Makwarimba and Yekeye to sell to unsuspecting people.
In one of the cases, Kufa is alleged to have gone to a car sale in the city and approached Mr Lemeo Chidziva alleging that he wanted to purchase an Isuzu double cab.
He asked for a test drive and Mr Chidziva joined him. Kufa then drove the vehicle to Newlands where he lied that he wanted to pick up his mechanic but he picked up Murupiri.
They then drove back to the car sale where the two said they wanted to test drive a black Mercedes Benz C200. Mr Chidziva agreed and the three drove towards Chisipite.
When they reached the roundabout along ED Mnangagwa Road, Mr Chidziva suggested they returned but Murupiri, who was seated in the back, allegedly grabbed him by the neck and handcuffed him.
He dragged him to the back seat and ordered him to lie down at gunpoint. The two allegedly dumped him in a bushy area in Goromonzi before driving off.
The vehicle was fixed with a tracker and detectives managed to track it on Thursday while it was parked at a house in Strathaven, leading to its recovery.
At the house, they found Mr Tashinga Maziriri (25) who was in the process of buying the car from Makwarimba and Yekeye.
He led the detectives to the two who were arrested while waiting to receive money from him in Southerton.
Makwarimba and Yekeye then led detectives to the Mabvuku turnoff where the other four accomplices were waiting for their share of the money.
After seeing that the four had been cornered, Mbundire attempted to flee and warning shots were fired but he did not take heed, resulting in him being shot on the left knee.
He was found in possession of a Mazda BT50 car key in his pocket. The vehicle had been taken by the four suspects from an ex-Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service officer, George Denga (62), in a carjacking on Tuesday.
It was recovered from a bushy area in Mabvuku and investigations are still in progress.
By A Correspondent- The police in Harare has arrested nine suspects, two of them foreigners, believed to be part of a vehicle smuggling and carjacking syndicate operating in the SADC region.
Of the nine, three were arrested in Mainway Meadows in southern Harare after they were found in possession of two cars — a Range Rover Evoque (registration number HZ 33CN GP) and a Toyota Fortuner (JH 81 HR GP), worth nearly R1 million together.
The vehicles are suspected to have been stolen in Namibia before being smuggled to South Africa and then Zimbabwe.
It is believed the suspects wanted to eventually smuggle the two cars into Zambia.
The suspects are a South African, Mpswati Obed Lucar (33), a Zimbabwean living in South Africa Brian Mabika (29) and a Zambian identified as SA Kalengo (36).
Investigations revealed that the trio was allegedly part of a syndicate that had been robbing people of vehicles in the region before smuggling them to other countries for resale using fake documents.
The trio was arrested on Tuesday following a tip-off and they are still in custody as investigations continue.
Detectives from the CID Vehicle Theft Squad received information that two vehicles were parked at a house in Mainway Meadows. When they arrived at the house, they found the two vehicles and the suspects who they questioned but they failed to give a satisfactory answer, leading to their arrest.
Detectives discovered that the cars were stolen in Namibia before they were smuggled into South Africa where fake documents and registration numbers were manufactured.
They were then smuggled into Zimbabwe en route to Zambia using the fake documents.
Both the engine and chassis numbers were tampered with and police have since engaged Interpol to assist with investigations.
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF President Emmerson Mnangagwa has visited the late family of the late former Vice President of Zimbabwe, Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo and pleaded for their endorsement but did not bother to apologise for the mass killings he engineered in Matabeleland in the 1980s.
Mnangagwa is unpopular in Matabeleland because of the active role he played in the 1980s Gukurahundi massacres.
Mnangagwa who was the CIO minister during that time, wrote a false report to the then Prime Minister, Robert Mugabe, advising him to declare war against the people of Matabeleland and Midlands provinces, lying that they had guns which did not surrender to the government in 1980.
Speaking after visiting the Nkomo family and the Joshua Nkomo Museum in Matsheumhlophe Thursday, Mnangagwa said Government was “embarrassed” for having allowed the Nkomo family to take lead in preserving the legacy of Dr Nkomo through the establishment of the museum.
He said going forward, they would offer all the possible support to the Nkomo family to ensure that the museum gets the status it deserves.
“My appreciation goes to the (Nkomo) family who has done this preservation of the history of Father Zimbabwe; this was a project initiated by the family.
“We as Government feel embarrassed that we did not lead ourselves, but now that it is there, I have assured my young sister (Mrs Thandiwe Nkomo-Ibrahim, daughter to the late Dr Nkomo) that she will receive support from Government to make sure that this place gets the status that it deserves,” Mnangagwa.
By A Correspondent- Norton MP, Temba Mliswa has mocked the disgruntled former Chief Justice Luke Malaba, and said that the respected judge should just resign.
Malaba is challenging a High court judgement that ruled that he should not continue on the bench because of old age.
1/It’s only proper for CJ Malaba to stop this charade, resign&retire peacefully &gracefully. There’s no need for this circus. It’s a political mess. His integrity& dignity are at stake. He served the country well during his tenure and his retirement would be my best advice to him
— Sabhuku Temba P. Mliswa (@TembaMliswa) June 4, 2021
By A Correspondent- One of the judges who was supposed to be part of the panel set to hear an application seeking the arrest of Chief Justice Luke Malaba, Justice Webster Chinamora has recused himself after confirming that he had met with the head of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) secretariat.
Justice Chinamhora recused himself from the three-judge panel in the morning after lawyers representing Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum executive director Musa Kika, who is the applicant in the matter, asked for his recusal following revelations that he met with JSC secretary Walter Chikwana ahead of the hearing of the case.
Critics say the meeting was meant to pressure the judges to make a ruling in favour of Chief Justice Malaba which would seriously compromise their independence.
Justice Chinamhora then recused himself, confirming that he had, indeed, met with Chikwana.
The remaining two judges, Justices Amy Tsanga and Sylvia Chirawu-Mugomba then consulted the JSC, which ruled that they could proceed and hear the matter as a two-judge panel.
The case against Chief Justice Malaba came after his term of office as Chief Justice ended a fortnight ago, with the High Court ruling that he ceased to be the country’s top judicial officer on May 15 when he turned 70 and that a recent constitutional amendment allowing the President to extend his term did not apply to him.
By Showbiz Correspondent | Described by analysts as highly blasphemous and unnecessary, Season three of Netflix’s animated series Paradise P.D, about inept US cops, features a Jesus who comes down off the cross to shoot his enemies and have sex with bikini-clad women.
After climbing down off the cross and using two machine guns to mow down his enemies, Jesus is approached by two bikini-clad women. The three then disappear from the screen. Sensual sounds clinch the intimation that sex is occurring.
Netflix has taken their freedom of speech too far, portraying Jesus in a lewd and ridiculous manner, and mocking gun owners as paranoid lunatics.
Netflix is only accelerating its outrageously offensive treatment of Jesus Christ. We cannot continue to stand idly by as Jesus is mocked openly on Netflix, the organisation says.
Their report in full states:
Dear Editor.
We all know Netflix was unapologetic in peddling pedophilia when they launched Cuties. Now they are continuing their assault on Christians around the world. This isn’t the first time Netflix has allowed blasphemy of the likeness of Jesus Christ. Their most recent attack on Jesus comes in season three of the animated Paradise P.D. with an episode that features a video of a gun-wielding Jesus that turns into nothing short of pornography.
The episode of the already disgustingly offensive series, features a scene using Jesus as anti-gun trope to demonstrate how “guns make a better world.” The video is horrifically offensive, with Jesus coming down from the cross to kill his persecutors with machine guns before having sex with two women.
Somehow this scene is only slightly more offensive than the rest of the show. Believe it or not things only get worse from there. Despite this blatant blasphemy, almost no one has taken note. While even tame satirical depictions of Muhammad have garnered massive public outrage, and charges of “racism” and “Islamophobia,” this overt attack on Jesus Christ has gotten no attention from today’s “journalists.”
Netflix has taken their freedom of speech too far, portraying Jesus in a lewd and ridiculous manner, and mocking gun owners as paranoid lunatics.
Netflix is only accelerating its outrageously offensive treatment of Jesus Christ. We cannot continue to stand idly by as Jesus is mocked openly on Netflix.
Netflix, Pull offensive depictions of Jesus from “Paradise PD”
Dear Reed Hastings, Founder and co-CEO,and Bela Bajaria Vice President, Global TV, Netflix,
I am appalled by your decision to host sickening and offensive depictions of Jesus Christ on your platform. The blasphemous depictions of Jesus in the show Paradise PD S3: E4 are profoundly disrespectful and an egregious affront to the community of more than 2 billion Christians around the world who revere Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Your portrayal of Christ is such a grotesque representation that it is offensive even to those outside of the Christian faith who deny Christ’s deity but revere him as an important historical figure. This includes more than one billion Muslims around the world.
I am deeply disappointed by your blatant disrespect to such a large portion of the global population who find your portrayal of Christ to be blasphemous, disrespectful, and deeply offensive.
It is clear that the intent of this show is to be shocking and distasteful, however you have crossed a line here. This clear mockery of Jesus is completely unnecessary to the plot of the show. My sincere hope is that you will remove these scenes from the episode out of a respect for your fellow humans and our deeply held religious beliefs.[Your Name]. Link to sign the petition.
Meanwhile, a comment from Netflix was awaited at the time of writing.
HARARE Magistrate Barbara Mateko on Wednesday 2 June 2021 exonerated three acquaintances of Zengeza West constituency legislator Job Sikhala by quashing charges of breaching national lockdown regulations pressed against them last year.
The three namely Terrence Manjengwa, Blessed Changara and Barnabas Gura, who all reside in Harare were arrested on 3 September 2020 outside Harare Magistrates Court while following proceedings for Sikhala, who had been arrested and detained on charges of inciting public violence by urging people to participate during the 31 July 2020 protests.
The trio was charged with unnecessary movement during the national lockdown as defined in section 4(1)(a) of the Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) Order Statutory Instrument 77/2020.
Prosecutors claimed that Manjengwa aged 26 years, Gura aged 32 years and Changara aged 22 years unlawfully and unnecessarily moved from their places of residence during the national lockdown imposed by government in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus by gathering at Harare Magistrates Court without exemption letters.
But on Wednesday 2 June 2021, Magistrate Mateko upheld the trio’s application for exception and quashed the charge of violating national lockdown regulations.
Magistrate Mateko’s decision came after Manjengwa, Gura and Changara’s lawyer Kossam Ncube of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights had objected to the charge of unnecessary movement during the national lockdown on the basis that it does not exist at law under the cited section.
Ncube had also argued that proceeding to trial with the charges as framed would amount to a violation of section 70(1)(b) of the Constitution as it abrogates the right to a fair trial and hence the trio must not plead to a nullity.
While Manjengwa, Gura and Changara have been set free on charges of contravening national lockdown regulations, their application excepting to charges of possession of offensive weapons at a public gathering as defined in section 43(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act was dismissed by Magistrate Mateko, who ordered the State to amend the charge of possession of weapons as prosecutors had cited a wrong section.
In their application for exception, Manjengwa, Gura and Changara had argued that the purported offence cited in the State papers is not established under the particular sub-section cited by prosecutors, hence no cause of action arises.
The trio had also argued that the failure by the State to cite the correct provision is so glaring that it cannot be condoned or be said to be inconsequential and to seek to commence a prosecution on non-existent charges is a grave anomaly and irregularity which will unduly prejudice and embarrass the accused persons.
Manjengwa, Gura and Changara return to court on 25 June 2021, where their trial on charges of possession of offensive weapons is scheduled to commence.
By Wilbert Mukori | Professor Lovemore Madhuku, a constitutional law Professor and NCA presidential candidate in the July 2018 elections has expressed his doubts in the many legal challenges producing the desired result of stopping the enactment of the Zimbabwe Constitution Amendment Bills No 1 and 2. As far as he is concerned, the only solution is streets in protests.
Lovemore Madhuku
“There are two remedies to challenge the two constitutional amendments. There is the political remedy, which is always the best. Citizens would say no to the amendments and organise a political action to challenge them,” the Motlanthe commissioner argued.
indepth…Wilbert Mukori
“There is no sufficient political activity in Zimbabwe at the moment, which explains why we are opting to go to the courts. In a normal framework where there is political activity, we would not have been having these discussions in a small corner, with few individuals who have always been vocal on those matters.”
This is just typical arrogance of Zimbabwe’s corrupt and incompetent political leaders; they have betrayed the ordinary people again and again and are the ones who have dragged the nation into this man-made hell-on-earth. Instead of apologizing to the people and mending their ways they have the chic to blame the people lacking political zeal!
“One man, one vote!” was the rallying call in the fight to end white colonial rule. But when the finish line was in sight Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies brushed the promise aside and told the people if the party failed to win the 1980 elections, the bush war would continue. The people gave up their cherished right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country and voted to end the war.
Mugabe and company were not content with winning the 1980 elections but used it as the starting point to consolidate their power by systematically erode people’s freedoms and rights including the right to free and fair elections and even the right to live. Zanu PF instigated the 1983 to 1987 Gukurahundi massacre, killing over 20 000, to establish the de facto one-party dictatorship. The regime has murdered a further 10 000 plus to retain the dictatorship.
The people have risked life and limb to elect Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends into power these last 21 years on the understanding the party will bring about the democratic changes to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. Tsvangirai and company, just like Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies, have too sold-out and have failed to bring about even one democratic reform during the 2008 to 2013 GNU when they had the golden opportunity to do so.
As if betraying the nation over reforms was not bad enough, MDC leaders have been participating in flawed and illegal elections to win the few gravy train seats Zanu PF offered as bait. They knew that by participating the opposition was giving legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF, as David Coltart, MDC minister in the GNU admitted in his book!
“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections,” wrote Senator Coltart.
“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”
SADC leaders literally begged MDC leaders not to participate in the 2013 elections until reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging could be implemented. Their pleas fell on deaf ears.
Professor Lovemore Madhuku and his NCA joined in the July 2028 opposition scramble for the few gravy train seats Zanu PF dangled before them! He was one of the 23 presidential candidates and has since been a very active member of Mnangagwa POLAD – a Mnangagwa initiative to reward the presidential candidates for their participation and thus giving him legitimacy.
Madhuku is right, all the Amendment legal challenges question the constitutional powers of the Zanu PF regime are doomed to fail. Like it or not by participating in the flawed elections Zimbabwe’s opposition have given the vote rigging Zanu PF the legitimacy and mandate to govern the country and that includes changing the constitution. Professor Madhuku’s proposed solution of public protest to stop the amendments is equally fallacious and doomed to fail. The same public participated in the flawed elections and thus gave Zanu PF the mandate to govern or be it unwittingly. What matters here is that the public gave Zanu PF the mandate to govern and, having given it, cannot expect to take it all away by street protests.
Voter beware! (Voter cave!) Has even more resonance than the more familiar “buyer beware” (caveat emptor!). Indeed, the public have been warned of the folly of participating in these flawed and illegal elections and it is none other than Madhuku and his fellow opposition opportunists who have deceived the public into participating.
The solution to ending Zanu PF misrule is by stopping Zanu PF fraudulently getting legitimacy in the first place. Do not participate in the flawed elections until the democratic reforms to guarantee free, fair and credible elections are implemented. This was the solution SADC leaders proposed back in 2013 and it is valid now as it was back then. It really is insane to keep participating in flawed elections to give the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy and yet this is exactly what Professor Madhuku and the rest in the opposition want the nation to do. Professor Madhuku, Nelson Chamisa, Tendai Biti and the rest in the opposition camp have all one thing in common greed. It was greed that made them participate in the flawed and illegal elections in the past and the same irresistible force is pulling to participate in the 2023 elections regardless of all the evidence Zanu PF has already rigged the elections. Whilst Zanu PF has found the time to pass Amendment Bills No 1 and 2, amending no fewer than 30 different sections of the constitution, the party has not had the time to extend the postal vote to 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora. How can the 2023 elections be free and fair when 3 out 8 (5 million voted in July 2018) Zimbabweans are once again denied the vote! This political reality did not stop the opportunists Madhuku et al participating in the past and it will not do so in 2023! Zimbabwe is in this economic and political man-made hell-on-earth not because ordinary Zimbabweans have lacked the political zeal to fight for their freedoms and rights. The people have played their part and many have paid the ultimate price and lost their very lives; but all to no avail because the country’s political leaders have again and again betrayed the nation by selling out on the common causes of freedom, human rights, justice and liberty for selfish greed.
To get out of this hell-hole the people of Zimbabwe must open their eyes and see the country’s political leaders for what they really are – corrupt, incompetent and sell-outs and/or murderous thugs. The most foolish thing Zimbabweans can do is to participate in the 2023 elections with no reforms and give the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. Doing so will only prove Zimbabweans have yet to open their eyes and there is no getting out of the hell-hole until we open our eyes! – SOURCE: zimbabwelight.blogspot.com
By A Correspondent| The Supreme Court on Friday 4 June 2021 ordered the immediate release from Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison of two political prisoners, Last Tamai Maengahama and Tungamirai Madzokere, where they had been detained since 2016 after they were convicted and sentenced to serve 20 years for allegedly murdering a Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officer.
Maengahama and Madzokere, who were represented by Beatrice Mtetwa and Charles Kwaramba of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, were each sentenced to serve 20 years at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison on 12 December 2016 after they were convicted by then High Court Judge Justice Chinembiri Bhunu of murder with actual intent as defined in section 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
The two together with Yvonne Musarurwa were convicted in 2016 for murdering Petros Mutedza, a ZRP Inspector on 29 May 2011. However, Musarurwa was released from prison in March 2018 under a presidential pardon.
Phenias Nhatarikwa, who was convicted as an accessory after the fact to public violence as defined in section 206 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act was fined US$500 or in default of payment, three months imprisonment.
Maengahama, Madzokere, Musarurwa and Nhatarikwa’s lawyers filed an appeal at the Supreme Court in 2016 seeking an order to pronounce them as not guilty and acquitted and to set aside the sentences imposed against them.
In their application which was opposed by the state, Mtetwa and Kwaramba argued that Justice Bhunu erred and misdirected himself when he failed to properly apply the law and discharge Maengahama, Madzokere, Musarurwa and Nhatarikwa as he was obliged to at the close of the state case when no evidence justifying their placement on their defence had been led and in doing so denied them a fair trial with the result that the conviction and sentence must be vacated.
Mtetwa and Kwaramba contended that Justice Bhunu erred and misdirected himself in finding Maengahama, Madzokere and Musarurwa guilty on the basis of the doctrine of common purpose when in law the doctrine is no longer part of Zimbabwean law.
The human rights lawyers also argued that the High Court Judge erred and misdirected himself when he convicted Nhatarikwa as an accessory after the fact to the crime of public violence when there is no actual perpetrator convicted of public violence during trial.
On Friday 4 June 2021, Supreme Court Judges Justice of Appeal Rita Makarau, Justice of Appeal Susan Mavangira and Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza set aside their conviction by Justice Bhunu and acquitted them after ruling that they were not guilty of committing murder.
Justice Makarau, Mavangira and Deputy Chief Justice Gwaunza also quashed and set aside the sentences imposed on Maengahama, Madzokere, Musarurwa and Nhatarikwa and ordered the immediate release of Maengahama and Madzokere, who had remained incarcerated at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
She has been fondly hailed as South Africa’s latest woman crush on social media, while other social media users have been in awe of Pan-African Parliament’s Barbara Rwodzi’s unwavering stance amid violent scuffles in the continental legislative body’s chambers in Midrand.
Recounting her experience at the Pan-African Parliament, Zimbabwe’s member of parliament for Chirumhanzu said the fight for rotation of the leadership of the house is not over.
“We are very optimistic as civil people of southern Africa that the African Union will make sure that this issue is discussed so that we see the end of it. It is a rule and procedure for AU organs to follow geographical rotation. It just doesn’t make sense to me why the Pan-African Parliament struggles to follow that,” Rwodzi told African News Agency (ANA) in an interview.
“We are very optimistic that the AU will bring justice and transparency on this matter. We hold on to our hope, we will come right. And if it (rotation) is not followed, we will continue fighting.”
She vowed that the matter of rotation, if not addressed, will be top of the agenda when the house reconvenes in October.
“If it’s not followed, we will continue fighting. We will still stand. It would be much better to close the Parliament. Why should we be discriminatory when it comes to issues of leading the Parliament? Who said other regions are superior than others? It is good and proper to exchange leadership so that the Africa we want is built together, and it unifies the continent,” said Rwodzi.
The Zanu PF lawmaker, representing Zimbabwe in the Pan-African Parliament, said her close working ties with the vociferous Economic Freedom Fighters leader, Julius Malema, did not start last week.
“I was appointed to the Pan-African Parliament in 2018 by my country. I met Honourable Malema in Rwanda. That is where we had our PAP session for October 2018. That was the first time I met Honourable Malema, in our committee on public accounts and audit. We are in the same committee, so we have been working together for the past three years,” said Rwodzi.
“In 2019 I was voted vice-chairman for that committee. I am currently the acting chairman following the departure of the chairman, who went for elections, lost and didn’t come back. I am current acting chairman of the committee on public accounts and Honourable Malema is a member of that committee. It wasn’t new that we had to work together, team up to make justice prevail. We have always been working like that.”
On Tuesday, clerk of the Pan-African Parliament Vipya Harawa was forced to postpone proceedings of the house following days of violent scuffles, outbursts and disruptions by parliamentarians.
Rwodzi said she had become a victim of violence within the Pan-African Parliament precinct, as fellow female parliamentarians were sent to physically attack her.
“I was personally attacked more than three times, and I am sure you have watched a clip where four women were intentionally called from the floor to come and attack me. They suspected that I had taken documents from the clerk and put them in my handbag. They came wanting to take my handbag and in the process I was injured because one of the women was strangling my left hand,” said Rwodzi.
“The attack on me was tactful because they had to send women, and during the struggle they were saying it is women to women. My colleagues from the south were watching me with four big women on top of me, as small as I am. But even during that moment, I was not focused on that violence. I was focused on the ultimate goal of what I wanted to achieve.”
Regarding her personal life, Rwodzi said she is an enterprising businesswoman, and a mother of two.
“Barbara Rwodzi is just a simple woman who is well known in the business world. I have been in business since I was 19. I am married, with two children – a boy aged 26 and the girl is turning 18 in July. I stand firm for what I know is right. I am very transparent in everything that I do; not that I am perfect, but I try by all means to be as transparent as I can,” said Rwodzi.
“I love justice, and I love changing livelihoods. That is what drove me to be in Parliament. To go and help where I come from, where I was born in Chirumhanzu in the rural areas of the Midlands part of Zimbabwe.”
By Leonard Koni| The prices of basic commodities have gone up and the cost of living is sky rocketing because of this ridiculous Statutory Instrument 127 of 2021 recently introduced by Minister of Finance Professor Mthuli Ncube.
Zimbabweans have suffered enough and needs a break. What is causing this ministry of finance not to go back to simple and basic economics principles?
What makes an economy function is good governance and sound economic policies.
Our economy has mostly survived on jump starting from January to December and the government has been trying to bandage and command it whilst ignoring the oozing part of it.
It seems there are two parallel government structures in Zimbabwe. One located at the Shake Shake building, the Central Committee and the other one led by Mthuli Ncube and Dr John Panonetsa Mangudya.
The deepening economic crisis whereby there was a sharp increase in the price of fuel, electricity examination fees, the erosion of workers income and deterioration of service delivery are pointers of a failed leadership.
It is very hard to do business in Zimbabwe because every month there is always a dubious economic policy meant to make people’s lives uncomfortable.
We have a clueless leadership surviving on feja feja economic policies. Zanu PF government has created chaos in the economy and the prices of goods have gone crazy.
I am not a financial expert but with my bush economic knowledge I can see that this government wants to morph all the US$ at their disposal to finance the 2023 elections.
This should not surprise us to see the Zimbabwe dollar tumbling, they actually do not care.
One cannot imagine that the price of LP Gas is now selling at $2 from $1.35
There are real economic abusers who are moving freely in the country without being brought to book.
The corruption there is shocking and beyond imagination. This will never end because there is a well politically connected and oiled cartel which is benefiting from this graft.
Cold and windy conditions are expected over the weekend in most parts of the country, the Meteorological Services Department has advised.
The MSD said relatively dry southerly winds had begun strengthening and entering the country through Gonarezhou National Park to the south east of the country.
Today Masvingo, Manicaland, Mashonaland East ad Harare Metropolitan are expected to be cool and windy for much of the day although briefly cloudy and cold at first.
“Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Bulawayo Metropolitan, Midlands, Mashonaland West and Central are expected to have clear skies but cold and windy for much of the day,” said the MSD.
The MSD said the cold and windy conditions may affect the health of all persons although those of an ill disposition, the elderly and young children, tend to be more vulnerable. Poultry producers have been warned that broilers are sensitive to temperature variations and should be checked regularly while adjustments are also made.- Manica Post
A 49-YEAR-OLD Odzi man was on Monday fatally assaulted for allegedly dating a married woman.
Taurai Charumbika died upon admission at the Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital after he was savagely assaulted all over the body by Nerere Hamabungu (37).
Charumbika was being accused of dating Hamabungu’s wife. Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxson Chananda confirmed the incident which happened at Chikonga Mine in Odzi.
Hamabungu was arrested soon after committing the heinous crime.
“The two were co-workers at Chikonga Mine. Hamabungu went to Charumbika’s cabin at night and confronted him over his alleged illicit affair with his wife. He was armed with a log.
“He assaulted Charumbika with the log.
“The duo’s manager, Energy Manhongo, rushed Charumbika to Victoria Chitepo Hospital where he died upon admission,” said Inspector Chananda.
Meanwhile, a 39-year-old Nyanga man was early this week arrested for allegedly stoning his father to death after accusing him of practising witchcraft.
Josphat Sachota attacked Alois Sachota (70) with stones in Satuku Village under Chief Saunyama.
“On Sunday, Josphat was coming from the garden when he met Alois.
“He accused his father of practicing witchcraft and bewitching his family members.
“He stoned the old man until he fell down. He picked up a boulder and crushed him until he died. Alois’ wife, Mary, reported the matter to Nyamaropa Police Station.
“The police rushed to the scene and arrested Josphat,” said Inspector Chananda.- Manica Post
A 49-YEAR-OLD Odzi man was on Monday fatally assaulted for allegedly dating a married woman.
Taurai Charumbika died upon admission at the Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital after he was savagely assaulted all over the body by Nerere Hamabungu (37).
Charumbika was being accused of dating Hamabungu’s wife. Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxson Chananda confirmed the incident which happened at Chikonga Mine in Odzi.
Hamabungu was arrested soon after committing the heinous crime.
“The two were co-workers at Chikonga Mine. Hamabungu went to Charumbika’s cabin at night and confronted him over his alleged illicit affair with his wife. He was armed with a log.
“He assaulted Charumbika with the log.
“The duo’s manager, Energy Manhongo, rushed Charumbika to Victoria Chitepo Hospital where he died upon admission,” said Inspector Chananda.
Meanwhile, a 39-year-old Nyanga man was early this week arrested for allegedly stoning his father to death after accusing him of practising witchcraft.
Josphat Sachota attacked Alois Sachota (70) with stones in Satuku Village under Chief Saunyama.
“On Sunday, Josphat was coming from the garden when he met Alois.
“He accused his father of practicing witchcraft and bewitching his family members.
“He stoned the old man until he fell down. He picked up a boulder and crushed him until he died. Alois’ wife, Mary, reported the matter to Nyamaropa Police Station.
“The police rushed to the scene and arrested Josphat,” said Inspector Chananda.- Manica Post
TWO suspects have been hauled before a Mutare provincial magistrate for illegally possessing 1 000 kilogrammes of dagga following a high speed police chase.
Larry Clay Manyellah (38) of Kambuzuma Section 5, Harare, and Probe Zijena (21) of no fixed abode appeared before Mr Langton Mukwengi for contravening Section 156 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
Manyellah, who was being represented by Mr Farai Matinhure of Gonese and Ndlovu Legal Practitioners, was granted $25 000 bail, while Zijena who was self acting was denied bail.
They will be back in court on June 14 for routine remand.
Mutare District Criminal Investigations Department spokesperson, Sergeant Coleen Mbato, said on the night of May 24, the suspects were ordered to stop at a roadblock in Hot Springs.
They disobeyed the order, hit the roadblock drums and sped off towards Mutare.
“The law enforcement agents who were manning the roadblock gave chase and contacted the Criminal Investigations Department’s Anti-smuggling team in Mutare. The crack team reacted quickly and set up an ambush near Zimunya Township.
“However, the suspects managed to evade the ambush and headed towards Mutare.
“The chase continued along Jeff Road in Chikanga and then Magamba Road in Fairbridge Park as the duo headed for Harare. Upon realising that the net was closing in on them as the chasing team had contacted officers at the Christmas Pass roadblock, the two made a U-turn at Wise Owl Motel and headed back to Chikanga using Magamba Road,” said Sergeant Mbato.
It is alleged that the suspects bumped into another vehicle and subsequently lost control of their car.
When it veered off the road, they disembarked and fled into the nearby maize fields, leaving the vehicle at the accident scene. Searches were made and the cops recovered 24x50kg bags of dagga, 1x25kg bag of dagga and two registration plates.
The recovered dagga was taken to the Grain Marketing Board Mutare Depot for weighing.
It was ascertained that the dagga weighed 1080kg.
On May 26, Manyella surrendered himself to CID Mutare.
Sergeant Mbato said Manyella told the police that he was just a pirate taxi driver who had been hired. He said he was unaware that he had been transporting dagga.
On the same day, police detectives arrested Zijena at MegaWatt Building in Mutare.
Upon his arrest, Zijena implicated Trust Kaseke as his accomplice.- Manica Post
With the saddest regret, we announce the death of our beloved father DR. NEWMAN KUSINA, aged 59 on May 31, 2021, in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. Our family is devasted by his passing.
We want to give our Dad, Dr. Newman Kusina the dignified memorial and funeral service he deserves, to honor his life and say our last goodbyes. I (on behalf of the family) am kindly asking for donations to help cover the cost of Dr. Newman Kusina’s funeral. We need to raise $30,000 by June 21st in order to cover the funeral and give him a decent sendoff.
As many of you might know, Dr. Newman Kusina was in a long-term facility in Edmonton Alberta, Canada for about 7 years. He recently passed away on May 31st, 2021.
We appreciate your help. Any help you can give will go a long way. Thank you.
Three shots were fired during an armed robbery that seriously injured a fuel attendant at Flo Service Station in Tshabalala suburb last night. The fuel attendant was rushed to hospital, while the robbers left on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. The fuel station sells the liquid in forex.
An eye witness said the robbery happened around 6.30PM when the fuel attendants were cashing in their daily takings.
“I saw the robbers running away after the sound of three gunshots. They were three and they jumped a fence on the eastern side of the fuel station. I think they had a car waiting in the distance on the road,” said the witness.
The witness said the fuel attendant that was shot was seriously injured according to his assessment.
“He seems to have been shot on the area around the chest. It seems they took two people who were outside and they forced them into the office, where the victim was counting money. Those inside sensed and tried to lock themselves inside the office but the robbers opened fire and that is how he was shot,” said the witness.
Residents, the witness said, are living in fear because of this spate of armed robberies that have happened in Bulawayo.
When the Chronicle news crew visited the fuel station, security details were on the scene taking statements from other fuel attendants. A Safeguard vehicle and its officers were at the scene as well.
The visibly shaken workers at the fuel station refused to talk to the media. When Chronicle left the police canine unit arrived. This week police in Bulawayo held a meeting with businesspeople and security companies to try and find solutions to the unending armed robbery cases in the city.
Officer Commanding Bulawayo Police Commissioner Patton Mbangwa, raised concern over the keeping of large amounts of money at business premises and the poorly equipped security guards that man these premises. -Chronicle
Tinashe Sambiri|The unleashing of dogs on hapless informal traders by the Zanu PF regime is a sign of gross incompetence, the MDC Alliance has said.
Informal traders are mere victims of Zanu PF’s monumental misgovernance, according to the MDC Alliance Namibia.
Below is MDC Alliance Namibia’s full statement: The unleashing of vicious Police Dogs on innocent young people and informal traders is absolutely satanic, Mdc Alliance Namibia supposes.
03 June 2021
Mdc Alliance Namibia District absolutely condemns the satanic and anti-poor policies being unleashed by desperate Zanupf onto the helpless informal sector in Chitungwiza and Mutare. As an external assembly led by President Advocate Nelson Chamisa, we subscribe to the pro-poor social liberation policies that respect vulnerable members of the society.
We fully distance ourselves from any attempt by the sadist central government to decimate the livelihoods of vendors and other informal traders who are victims of unemployment and ZANUPF’S gross misgovernance.
It is quite pathetic that in Chitungwiza, overzealous, Mr Muguti (the Zanupf-appointed Provincial Development Co-ordinator of Harare Metropolitan) has instructed the Acting Town Clerk, Mrs Machona to violently and arbitrarily unleash the partisan Zimbabwe Republic Police(ZRP) on the vendors. They are seeking to evict hungry informal traders from their places of work without giving them any meaningful remedies. We are convinced that this anti-poor people gesture is unlawful as it is being carried out without a court order or any reasonable measures to secure alternative workstations in violation of the vendors’ right to due process.
Moreover, it is critical that there is no council resolution to support the proposed inhuman , sadist and unconstitutional evictions. We further lampoon the heavy-handedness of the captured Zimbabwe Republic Police in Mutare. The unleashing of vicious dogs on young people and informal traders going about their daily business is cruel, inhuman and degrading. Mdc Alliance Namibia echoed that there is no space for such barbaric conduct in a constitutional democracy hence citizens must converge for complete change in Zimbabwe.
As a matter of law and procedure , informal traders can only be removed from where they are undertaking their trade in circumstances where council provides alternative trading spaces for them to operate. No alternative spaces have been provided which renders any attempt to evict the defenceless vendors arbitrarily and grossly unreasonable. Zanupf Satanists must spare our people from anti-poor agenda and commence to upgrade our People’s Livelihoods. We demand a People’s Government as part of our #Agenda2021 where we are urging all progressive citizens to converge for change.
Furthermore, Mdc Alliance Namibia wants to warn the clueless Zanupf belly politicians in Harare to desist from interfering with the work of the local council and allow them to peacefully and effectively manage local issues as provided for in the 2013 Constitution instead of employing various organs of the central government to mar the upliftment of social services. Moreso , the insensitive regime is obliged to intervene to even cut or neutralise the negative and detrimental effects of Covid-19 lockdowns on the capacity of the people and business to generate income unlike obstructing them to fend for their starving families.
Fundamentally, we call upon the moronic Zanupf government and their surrogates to fully implement the devolution provisions of the Supreme Law of the country to ensure that local authorities have the autonomy to run their own affairs and budget to support vision and plans in line with our Local Government Agenda.
To wind it up, the senseless banning of begging and vending at traffic intersections unravels the heartlessness of a monocratic regime that has dismally failed to put the economy on a sound footing.
We need #PeoplePower to peacefully and democratically resist Law enforcement agents who take instructions for the Shake Shake building.
By Business Reporter | It is 2 years later, and the Invictus Energy’s company whose business activity was in 2018 dangling on Emmerson Mnangagwa’s press conference to “strike the magic” for a share value, is still to draw a litre of oil.
Emmerson Mnangagwa
Not even a puff of gas has been sucked and yet Mnangagwa says the signing of that agreement is a massive leap towards tapping into the oil and gas industry, which is a new frontier in the country’s mining history.
“Earlier this year, my Government signed a Petroleum Exploration and Development Production Agreement with GeoAssociates (Pvt) Ltd to carry out exploration and production of oil and gas in Muzarabani, Mashonaland Central Province,” Mnangagwa said quoted by the state media.
“The signing of that agreement is a massive leap towards tapping into the oil and gas industry, which is a new frontier in the country’s mining history
.
“This presents huge, unique and competitive investment opportunities. These include production of liquid fuels as well as various downstream linkages such as electricity generation, production of liquid petroleum gas (LPG), fertilisers and use in the petro-chemical industry,” he continued.
2 years ago, the company director, Scott Macmillan briefly spoke to ZimEye… SEE INTERVIEW EXCERPT BELOW [TIMELINE 32:00]:
https://youtu.be/TYw0vEA_eGw
…[TIMELINE 32:00]…
Meanwhile, a comment from the company was awaited at the time of writing.
By A Correspondent- The infamous MaShurugwi machete gangs have reportedly resurfaced in Guruve, Mashonaland Central province, and are said to be impregnating minors
The return of violence prompted Guruve South legislator Patrick Dutiro and Chief Bepura to summon village heads on Wednesday in a bid to safeguard villagers’ lives.
During the meeting, village heads told the lawmaker and the chief that they were living in fear of the machete gangs.
“These gangs are also pouncing on our young daughters and are spreading sexually transmitted infections. As the MP and chief, may you please act because our area has become one of the dangerous places to live in,” said a villager.
Chief Bepura blamed the police for failing to contain the situation. “The biggest problem in this area is our police. They have become so corrupt to the effect that they cannot even enforce the law as they are mandated to.
“I have engaged them several times, but no action is being taken and yet these gangs are known and it should not take them time to arrest them. They prioritise money more than their job and my people are now at risk,” he said.
Chief Bepura said a local villager named Mbela, who has a gold mining claim in the area was working with the gangs and had provided accommodation to the criminals.
“Little did I know that we have accommodated criminals who were on a mission to destroy my area,” he added.
The village heads called on the Mines ministry to temporarily close Mbela’s claim and ensure that the gangs are driven away from the village.
The MP said machete gangs were dangerous as they were armed.
“I have heard all your concerns, the Ministry of Mines is aware of this meeting. I will engage them and the police,” he said.
Zanu PF youth member Paul Rwodzi said the machete gangs were impregnating minors in the area.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he could not comment as he was in a meeting.
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Assembly of Women will on June 5 commemorate World Environment Day at various centres across the country.
The MDC Assembly of Women has lined up different activities in line with the World Environment Day theme.
Last Friday, MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa launched the Tsvaira Zimbabwe Programme in Mabvuku, Harare despite attempts by ZRP cops to disrupt the event.
See below the MDC Alliance Assembly Of Women statement on World Environment Day:
New guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) sets essential standards to inform future research and development on genetically modified mosquitoes, particularly in addressing issues relating to ethics, safety, affordability and effectiveness.
Malaria and other vector-borne diseases, including dengue and Zika, affect millions globally. More than 400 000 people a year die from malaria alone. If proven safe, effective and affordable, genetically modified vector mosquitoes could be a valuable new tool to fight these diseases and eliminate their enormous health, social and economic burden.
The guidance framework for testing genetically modified mosquitoes, developed in partnership with TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, and the GeneConvene Global Collaborative, an initiative of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, describes best practices to ensure that the study and evaluation of genetically modified mosquitoes as public health tools is safe, ethical and rigorous.
Current strategies for limiting transmission of mosquito-borne diseases are only partially effective. New, complementary approaches are needed to close the gaps in current vector control interventions, such as effective control of outdoor biting, and to provide alternatives to manage the increasing threat of insecticide resistance. Research suggests genetically modified mosquitoes could be a powerful and cost-effective tool to supplement existing interventions.
“We urgently need innovative approaches to help control mosquito-borne diseases, which have a devastating impact around the world,” said Dr John Reeder, TDR Director. “Genetically modified mosquitoes is one such approach, but we want to be sure it’s fully and responsibly evaluated, as outlined in a recent WHO position statement.”
“Like any new public health intervention, genetically modified mosquitoes raise new questions for researchers, affected communities and other stakeholders,” said Dr Michael Santos, Director of the GeneConvene Global Collaborative.
“The updated guidance framework aims to answer these questions and help ensure that testing of genetically modified mosquitoes is as rigorous as it is for other public health products – and that it generates quality results to guide decisions about if and how these technologies are used.”
“Over the last 2 decades, we have achieved remarkable results with existing malaria control tools, averting more than 7 million deaths and 1.5 billion cases of the disease,” said Dr Pedro Alonso, Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme.
“However, progress towards key targets of our global malaria strategy remains off course. Genetically modified mosquitoes are one of a number of promising new tools that could help speed the pace of progress against malaria and other vector-borne diseases.”
“The incidence of dengue continues to increase and affect people in over 129 countries, so we need more sustainable vector control tools to stem the tide of dengue and other arboviral diseases and a few novel tools offer the potential to control these diseases,” said Dr Mwele Malecela, Director of the WHO Department for the Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases.
“We welcome this new guidance from WHO which will help countries suffering from mosquito-borne diseases to evaluate a promising new intervention,” said Professor Aggrey Ambali, Senior Advisor at the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), the development agency of the African Union.
The new guidance addresses specific questions and challenges associated with research and development on genetically modified mosquitoes, including standards for decision-making about how and when testing should proceed.
By establishing a common set of expectations that is specific to genetically modified mosquitoes, the new resource will enable more informed and rigorous evaluation by researchers, developers, those responsible for regulatory and policy decisions and the people to whom these stakeholders are accountable.
The guidance builds on an earlier document published by TDR and FNIH in 2014, incorporating the latest scientific advancements related to genetic modification of mosquitoes, as well as other key updates and learnings related to safety and ethics, including:
methods for understanding the implications of genetically modified mosquitoes for human health, animal health and the environment; increased understanding of the most effective strategies for risk assessment and stakeholder engagement; clearer criteria for projects to proceed from one testing phase to the next, incorporating descriptions of the steps needed to safely and responsibly take genetically modified mosquito technologies – including those incorporating gene drive – into the field; and a concrete set of safety and efficacy considerations that should be evaluated at each phase of testing, to inform decisions about further testing and implementation…
Source: World Health Organization
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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