By A Correspondent| Former foreign affairs minister, Walter Mzembi has written to President Emmerson Mnangagwa warning him against destabilizing the economy by trying to deal with a few but known abusers of the foreign currency exchange rate system.
Mzembi said Mnangagwa, who himself was once a Finance minister should not make laws for everyone while targeting known people and corporates.
By A Correspondent- Three men died on the spot when a Mazda BT50 twin cab they were travelling in side-swiped with a haulage truck at the 37 km peg along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road.
Zephania Moyo (49) of Greenhill in Bulawayo, Allec Ndlovu details not yet obtained and another man who has not been identified died on the scene.
The incident happened last week Monday at around 5.30 am.
The accident was confirmed by national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
He said the Mazda BT50 twin cab registration Number ADV 1118 with three people on board collided with the haulage truck registration number AEZ 8131 Scania heading to Victoria Falls.
Asst Comm Nyathi said the Mazda BT50 driver was driving on the wrong side of the road and when the truck driver tried to warn him by flashing lights, there was no response. He said:
When the haulage truck driver saw that the Mazda driver was not responding, he avoided a head-on collision resulting in a sideswipe.
The Mazda BT50 veered off the road and overturned, trapping the driver and two passengers.
The trio died on the spot as they were trapped in the wreckage of the vehicle.
Acting Bulawayo chief fire officer, Linos Phiri said the brigade cut through the wreck to extricate the trapped persons.
statemedia
By A Correspondent- ONE Campaign, a global charity organisation fighting extreme poverty and preventable diseases in Africa, has appointed Zimbabwean academic, Dr Jackie Chimhanzi, to its board of directors.
Dr Chimhanzi is the wife of former Deputy Prime Minister Professor Arthur Mutambara.
In a statement, the organisation, founded by American musician and humanitarian, Paul David Hewson, known by his stage name Bono, also announced the appointment of former Finland Prime Minister Professor Alexander Stubb to the board.
The statement read:
The ONE Campaign is pleased to announce the appointments of Dr Jackie Chimhanzi and Professor Alexander Stubb to the organisation’s board of directors.
The two new board members bring considerable leadership experience and expertise in international relations to ONE’s mission to end extreme poverty and preventable disease.
ONE Campaign acting president Tom Hart said the duo will bring its experience and expertise to the organisation.
He said:
I am delighted that Jackie and Alexander are joining our board. As global development advocates, they both bring an impressive array of experience, expertise and insights.
Their contributions will be invaluable as we stand at a critical point in the fight to end the pandemic.
Dr Chimhanzi is the chief executive of the African Leadership Institute. She also serves in a number of advisory capacities, including as an independent non-executive board member of the AdvTech Group and Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, a member of the ONE Africa Policy Advisory Board, and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Africa Regional Strategy Group.
ONE has helped secure at least US$37.5 billion in funding for historic health initiatives, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
-ZimbabweMail
By A Correspondent- The number of Covid-19 positive cases at Bondolfi Teachers College in Masvingo has risen to 116.
The institution which has over 300 students has been put under strict lockdown measures and surveillance to contain the spread of the virus into surrounding communities.
Masvingo Covid-19 Taskforce spokesperson Mr Rogers Irimayi told Sunday News that the situation at the college had been contained and the health personnel were making sure there is no movement of those who have tested positive.
“Yesterday we recorded 13 new cases and the number at the institution rose to 116 and that is the situation that we have as Masvingo.
“The situation, however, has already been contained, students have been separated. We now have others in quarantine and others in isolation.
“The health personnel at the moment are on the ground ensuring that there is no movement of those that are infected and also we are having restricted monitoring of movement in which no visitors are allowed at the institution.
“Parents of students at the schools are not allowed to visit their children,” he said.
Bondolfi Teachers College was on Thursday declared a hotspot area and all the students have been put on 14-day quarantine and no visitors are allowed in the school premises.
Meanwhile, Mr Irimayi said they were happy with the uptake of the Covid-19 vaccines.
“We are happy with the way people are responding, there are quite a several people who are going for vaccination. As you can see we are having stocks running out which is a good sign that there is a high uptake of the vaccines.”
-State media
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF Mazowe District Coordinating Committee secretary for production Tichaona Chawana said there was an urgent need by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to reform the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
Addressing residents in Mvurwi at the weekend Chawana said the police have become more devious than actual thieves.
“We no longer have a police force in Zimbabwe. The police officers have become thieves themselves. Recently at Mvurwi hospital there was a series of theft cases but the police were reluctant to act,” fumed Chawana.
“We hear the x-ray machine was stolen and no action was taken by the police, last time council officials swindled millions of dollars from home seekers and they took time to act only to move when a ZANU official happens to be the chairperson of the council stepped in.”
“ZANU PF is supreme we should police our area because we do not have the police,” he added.
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) has fired its staffer for hosting two foreign journalists.
“On May 10 2021, the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) learnt of the deportation from Zimbabwe of a man and a woman claiming to be New York Times reporters and carrying forged accreditation cards and receipts which they reportedly said had been obtained on their behalf by Mr Jeffrey Moyo, at the time a properly accredited local reporter for the same New York Times.
“The arrest and deportation of the two individuals arose from the fact that they lacked papers which in terms of the law they were supposed to obtain as a prerequisite for obtaining temporary local accreditation as journalists,” ZMC said in a statement.
Investigations by the media accrediting body revealed that the names of the two journalists did not appear in the ZMC register.
“The accreditation card numbers and receipts representing proof of payment for accreditation were forged.
“The two individuals had not visited the ZMC offices.
“The two individuals had written to the relevant authorities to seek the prior clearance papers required before one can work locally as a journalist on a temporary assignment.
“The relevant authorities had denied the two individuals the prior clearance,” read the statement.
The two journalists that had initially been denied accreditation later presented forged accreditation cards.
“It was also alleged that after recognising the initial irregularity, Mr Jeffrey Moyo privately approached a ZMC staffer who also allegedly agreed to collude with Mr Moyo and his now deported guests.
“It was alleged therefore that the two individuals claiming to be New York Times reporters, their host and colleague Mr Jeffrey Moyo, and the ZMC staffer (now on forced leave) knew that they were breaking the law,” ZMC said.
The organisation said its day-to-day operations were guided by provisions of the law.
“The Commission does its work in a transparent and accountable manner.
“The fact that the fraudulent accreditation cards were quickly identified by immigration officers and confirmed as fraudulent by the ZMC is the testimony of the professional and secure manner in which the ZMC conducts the accreditation,” read the statement.
Moyo is in police custody.
-State media
By A Correspondent- A local Journalist has been arrested for hosting two foreign journalists.
The journalist Jeffery Moyo of the New York Times was last week arrested by the police on allegations of faking the accreditation of two foreign journalists.
“On May 10 2021, the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) learnt of the deportation from Zimbabwe of a man and a woman claiming to be New York Times reporters and carrying forged accreditation cards and receipts which they reportedly said had been obtained on their behalf by Mr Jeffrey Moyo, at the time a properly accredited local reporter for the same New York Times.
“The arrest and deportation of the two individuals arose from the fact that they lacked papers which in terms of the law they were supposed to obtain as a prerequisite for obtaining temporary local accreditation as journalists,” ZMC said in a statement.
Investigations by the media accrediting body revealed that the names of the two journalists did not appear in the ZMC register.
“The accreditation card numbers and receipts representing proof of payment for accreditation were forged.
“The two individuals had not visited the ZMC offices.
“The two individuals had written to the relevant authorities to seek the prior clearance papers required before one can work locally as a journalist on a temporary assignment.
“The relevant authorities had denied the two individuals the prior clearance,” read the statement.
The two journalists that had initially been denied accreditation later presented forged accreditation cards.
“It was also alleged that after recognising the initial irregularity, Mr Jeffrey Moyo privately approached a ZMC staffer who also allegedly agreed to collude with Mr Moyo and his now deported guests.
“It was alleged therefore that the two individuals claiming to be New York Times reporters, their host and colleague Mr Jeffrey Moyo, and the ZMC staffer (now on forced leave) knew that they were breaking the law,” ZMC said.
The organisation said its day-to-day operations were guided by provisions of the law.
“The Commission does its work in a transparent and accountable manner.
“The fact that the fraudulent accreditation cards were quickly identified by immigration officers and confirmed as fraudulent by the ZMC is the testimony of the professional and secure manner in which the ZMC conducts the accreditation,” read the statement.
Moyo is in police custody.
-State media
By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) has deported two foreign journalists on allegations of not having accreditation.
The two were being hosted by a local journalist Jeffery Moyo who works for New York Times.
“On May 10 2021, the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) learnt of the deportation from Zimbabwe of a man and a woman claiming to be New York Times reporters and carrying forged accreditation cards and receipts which they reportedly said had been obtained on their behalf by Mr Jeffrey Moyo, at the time a properly accredited local reporter for the same New York Times.
“The arrest and deportation of the two individuals arose from the fact that they lacked papers which in terms of the law they were supposed to obtain as a prerequisite for obtaining temporary local accreditation as journalists,” ZMC said in a statement.
Investigations by the media accrediting body revealed that the names of the two journalists did not appear in the ZMC register.
“The accreditation card numbers and receipts representing proof of payment for accreditation were forged.
“The two individuals had not visited the ZMC offices.
“The two individuals had written to the relevant authorities to seek the prior clearance papers required before one can work locally as a journalist on a temporary assignment.
“The relevant authorities had denied the two individuals the prior clearance,” read the statement.
The two journalists that had initially been denied accreditation later presented forged accreditation cards.
“It was also alleged that after recognising the initial irregularity, Mr Jeffrey Moyo privately approached a ZMC staffer who also allegedly agreed to collude with Mr Moyo and his now deported guests.
“It was alleged therefore that the two individuals claiming to be New York Times reporters, their host and colleague Mr Jeffrey Moyo, and the ZMC staffer (now on forced leave) knew that they were breaking the law,” ZMC said.
The organisation said its day-to-day operations were guided by provisions of the law.
“The Commission does its work in a transparent and accountable manner.
“The fact that the fraudulent accreditation cards were quickly identified by immigration officers and confirmed as fraudulent by the ZMC is testimony of the professional and secure manner in which the ZMC conducts the accreditation,” read the statement.
Moyo is in police custody.
-State media
Tinashe Sambiri|Command economics will not transform people’s lives, MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has said.
President Chamisa also taunted Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa for attempting to rig the economy.
“GOVERNMENT IS BEST WHICH GOVERNS LEAST…
SI 127 signifies panic, lack of astute leadership and absence of prudent economic stewardship.
Command economics is bad for business and worse for citizens.
Rigging elections invites the temptation to rig the economy.
Leadership matters! Blessed Sunday to you,” President Chamisa wrote his official Facebook page.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President has urged embattled former Chief Justice Luke Malaba to retire peacefully to avoid humiliation.
High Court judges Happias Zhou, Esther Charehwa and Edith Mushore ruled that the extension of Malaba’s term beyond his 70-year retirement age was unconstitutional.
President Chamisa, quoted by The Standard said:
“The culture of leaving is important and must be upheld in offices of public trust and senior government officials in [permanent] secretaries, ministers, parastatal bosses, the registrar general, clerk of Parliament and even the judiciary.”
He added:
“People must know that it is important to serve and leave. It is important to let go.”
Tinashe Sambiri|The Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa is afraid of his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, it has emerged.
This was revealed by Marry Chiwenga in an exclusive interview with ZimEye.com.
Marry has also been barred from seeing her children…
“This is beyond evil, I am suffering. I don’t know what to say.I have spoken to number one hoping he will help but he is afraid of number 2,” said Marry.
Tinashe Sambiri|Residents of Whange Central Constituency are not happy with the invasion of their territory by Chinese investors.
The residents want to be involved in development initiatives in their area.
The residents expressed their views at a public hearing that was hosted by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Environment and Climate.
The meeting was held in response to a petition that was submitted to the Parliament of Zimbabwe by the Dinde Residents Association.
See statement below:
Office of the MP Salutes Dinde Residents
Yesterday, as the Office of the MP for Whange Central constituency we attended the public hearing that was hosted by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Environment and Climate.
The meeting was held in response to the petition that was submitted to the Parliament of Zimbabwe by the Dinde Residents Association
As the Office of the MP we observed the following among other issues:
We thus hope that the Portfolio Committee and indeed the Parliament of Zimbabwe will in response; do its best to intervene in favour of the local communities of Dinde.
We are looking forward to seeing the Portfolio Committee report especially its recommendations on the way forward.
As the Office of the MP, we would like to congratulate the Dinde of residents and honour them for their clarity and courage.
May God bless the people of Dinde and indeed the rest of Whange Central constituency. Amen
By my hand
Daniel Molokele
MP for Whange Central constituency
Police in Bulawayo have arrested a man who allegedly killed a hooker at a lodge and inscribed 666, a number Biblically known as the mark of the beast and a star associated with the occult on her belly in June 2019.n
Police spokesperson for Bulawayo Province Inspector Abednico Ncube said Wisdom Mpiloenhle (25) was arrested last week following a tip-off from members of the public.
“On Thursday last week police obtained information regarding the whereabouts of Mpiloenhle leading to his arrest at Wings East Mine, Village 10 Nkankezi, Filabusi and the accused person admitted to committing the heinous act.
“Mpiloenhle allegedly murdered Patience Ndlovu (35), from Cowdray Park suburb, a sex worker whom he had hired and took her to a lodge where they intended to spend the night. During the course of the night, Mpiloenhle allegedly murdered Ndlovu, and inscribed 666 and a star on her stomach with a red substance,” he said.
Ndlovu was found dead at Silver Sands Lodge situated at number 13 Connaught Avenue between Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street and Jason Moyo Street on June 3, 2019.
Insp Ncube said Ndlovu’s body was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for post-mortem and it was discovered that she was strangled. “Causes of death were concluded to be asphyxia, strangulation and homicide,” said Insp Ncube.
On June 3, 2019, at around 10AM, Ndlovu’s body was discovered by a general worker who was on duty cleaning the guest rooms. The body was found lying facing upwards fully dressed underneath the bed in the bedroom.
Sources at the lodge said the woman checked in with Mpiloenhle who gave a false Pumula South address as his home at around 3AM on June 2.
On Monday June 3, at around 10AM a staff member went to clean the room and inform the occupants that it was time to check out. She allegedly knocked without a response and eventually opened the door.
When she opened the door, she discovered that Ndlovu was lying dead on the ground. The police were called leading to investigation which indicated that there was a triple six and a star on her belly, blood and a strange fluid were also coming out of her mouth.
Ndlovu was buried at Luveve Cemetery on June 9, 2019.
International organizations have come together to launch a new One Health High-Level Expert Panel to improve understanding of how diseases with the potential to trigger pandemics, emerge and spread.
The panel will advise four international organizations – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE); the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); and the World Health Organization (WHO) – on the development of a long-term global plan of action to avert outbreaks of diseases like H5N1 avian influenza; MERS; Ebola; Zika, and, possibly, COVID-19.
Three quarters of all emerging infectious diseases originate in animals.
It will operate under the One Health Approach, which recognizes the links between the health of people, animals, and the environment and highlights the need for specialists in multiple sectors to address any health threats and prevent disruption to agri-food systems.
Key first steps will include systematic analyses of scientific knowledge about the factors that lead to transmission of a disease from animal to human and vice versa; development of risk assessment and surveillance frameworks; identification of capacity gaps as well as agreement on good practices to prevent and prepare for zoonotic outbreaks.
The panel will consider the impact of human activity on the environment and wildlife habitats. Critical areas will include food production and distribution; urbanization and infrastructure development; international travel and trade; activities that lead to biodiversity loss and climate change; and those that put increased pressure on the natural resource base – all of which can lead to the emergence of zoonotic diseases.
The panel will guide development of a dynamic new research agenda and draw up evidence-based recommendations for global, regional, national and local action.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said: “Human health does not exist in a vacuum, and nor can our efforts to protect and promote it. The close links between human, animal and environmental health demand close collaboration, communication and coordination between the relevant sectors. The High-Level Expert Panel is a much-needed initiative to transform One Health from a concept to concrete policies that safeguard the health of the world’s people.”
Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director General, told the panel: “This panel will contribute to advancing the One Health agenda, by helping to better understand the root causes of disease emergence and spread, and informing decision-makers to prevent long-term public health risks. I encourage it to be a shining example of silo-breaking, systems thinking and open dialogue. Expectations for collective action and the need for effective collaboration have never been higher.”
Dr Monique Éloit, Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health noted: “The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder that collaboration across sectors is absolutely critical for global health. The newly established One Health High-Level Expert Panel will contribute to bringing together diverse scientific expertise.
United, we will better anticipate global health threats and work to control risks at the animal source. Our Organisation is proud to provide high-level expertise, along with our partners, to develop science-based ‘One Health’ strategies and programmes.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP observed: “To end the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution that threaten our peace and prosperity, we have to understand that human, animal and planetary health go hand in hand. We must do more to promote transformative actions that target the root causes of nature’s destruction. The One Health High-Level Expert Panel is an important step in recognizing the complex, multidisciplinary issues at the interface of human, animal, and environmental health.
The Ministers for Foreign Affairs of France and Germany also joined the public launch of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel:
Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France commented: “The COVID-19 pandemic, whose zoonotic origin is strongly suspected, underlines how closely human, animal and environmental health are linked. It demonstrates the importance of the ‘One Health’ approach.
It is in this context that France, together with Germany, proposed the creation of such a Panel at the meeting of the Alliance for Multilateralism organized on the occasion of the Paris Peace Forum on 12 November 2020.”
Mr Heiko Maas, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Germany, said: “COVID-19 has painfully reminded us that the health of humans, animals and the environment around the world is closely connected: Nobody is safe until everybody is safe. This is what we have to bear in mind to prevent future pandemics.
The establishment of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel thus marks an important step in the right direction. Germany and France will continue to support the panel’s work.”
Source: World Health Organization
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UEFA Champions League Final: Chelsea Beat Manchester City
Emmerson Mnangagwa is desperate to open Robert Mugabe’s grave, what’s really happening?
ZANU PF Politburo member, Tshinga Dube has defended the family of the late President Robert Mugabe which has been ordered by Chief Zvimba to initiate the exhumation and reburial of the veteran leader’s remains.
The former minister was addressing journalists at the Bulawayo Press Club on Africa Day when he said his former boss died a bitter man because of the way he was removed from power in 2017. Dube said:
There are many interpretations why he (Mugabe) was not put at Heroes Acre because as you know, the way he was dispossessed of power made him and the family very unhappy and angry.
So, they had a good reason that they react very angrily to the extent that they decided he must be buried in his village; so, there is nothing which we can do about it.
So, I do not know about the President trying to take the former president to use him for rituals.
That I do not know but all I can say is just that some people believe that the former president must be at the Heroes Acre because he is one of those who came up with the idea of a Heroes Acre and he must be there.
Others are saying why should he be in his village when others go there but as I said, interpretations are many.
Mugabe’s family accuses President Emmerson Mnangagwa of pushing for the exhumation and reburial of his former boss.
Former Youth Minister, Patrick Zhuwao who is Mugabe’s nephew claiming that Mnangagwa wants a mystical sceptre which he believes was buried together with Mugabe.
The government has refuted the claims saying the suit was initiated by the Mugabe family.- Pindula News
TREES and grass have grown in a structure that was supposed to house a mortuary at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo which has not been completed 25 years after its construction started.
The hospital has recently been dogged by problems that have exposed the institution’s dilapidated infrastructure.
Last week, fire damaged a block of flats that housed doctors in the process destroying property worth US$500 000.
Apart from the mortuary, some of the incomplete structures at the institution include a chapel and residential flats.
So old is the mortuary structure that trees are now growing inside the incomplete building while overgrown grass covers the outside. The structure was meant to be bigger than the mortuary in use at the institution.
Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya proposed that the incomplete structure could be used for other purposes.
“The contractor has been there for many, many years. But there hasn’t been any contact yet that I am aware of with him as far as I can remember. His contract was done from Central Government together with Sally Mugabe Hospital.
The Government tried to build these structures in both sister hospitals,” said Prof Ngwenya.
He said although he was not privy to details of the project, he called for its resuscitation.
“I think the Government must resuscitate this project and since we have acute shortage of accommodation, we can change its use from being a mortuary to living quarters and this can easily be done from the structures that are already there. This will alleviate the problems that we have with accommodation. We should look towards investing in areas where people that are alive will use rather than in a mortuary. There is also a chapel there that was never completed, that too can also be turned into a residential area,” said Prof Ngwenya.- The Sunday News
FRENCH MINISTER INAUGURATES THE LAUNCH OF TRACE ACADEMIA
Trace, in the presence of the honourable French Minister Elisabeth Moreno and South African partners, today formally announced the inauguration of Trace Academia in South Africa, and the signing of a protocol of cooperation between Trace, Senghor University in Egypt, and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), to create a training programme to develop and support the professionalization of the creative and cultural sector in Africa.
Elisabeth Moreno, the Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities (travelling as part of the French presidential visit to South Africa this week) together with the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Trace, Olivier Laouchez and Trace Academia Co-MD, Prejlin Naidoo, launched the company’s latest youth empowerment programme.
Trace Academia is a free online vocational training platform built for young South Africans looking to build their skills to find or create jobs. Created in response to the high rate of youth unemployment in South Africa and the continent, Trace Academia will focus on empowerment through educating and training young people.
More than 50% of Africa’s population is under 25 years old. The youth are struggling with the effects of a longstanding economic and psychological crisis. The reach of the global pandemic has further accelerated the need for new approaches to education.
Trace Academia courses are created in collaboration with leading companies, institutions and experts to ensure that the skills provided are well matched to market needs. A localised, interactive and entertaining course format keeps the learner’s attention and significantly improves course completion rate.
Trace Academia will primarily target young South Africans in its inaugural year. The platform will launch with several locally produced training courses including Get Started with Digital Marketing (Grow with Google), How to Become a DJ (Trace), Spark your Interest in Electricity (Schneider Electric), Become a Successful Entrepreneur (Valued Citizens & UJ), Become a Real Handyman (Leroy Merlin) and Own Your Situation (Durex). Trace Academia will take the learner through the journey towards skill acquisition.
The Trace Academia platform will offer:
Learning Engagement – Engaging content keeps the learners’ attention and maximises completion
Testing and Certification – Course certified by industry leaders providing credibility and applicability
Employment Opportunities – Learners are connected to an ecosystem of employment enablers
With the mammoth goal of training over 25 million youth by 2025, Trace Academia aims to develop hundreds of courses to help empower these young people to become employable or become employers.
Part of the launch centred on the signing of a protocol of cooperation between the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Senghor University in Egypt and Trace to establish a partnership to support the development and professionalisation of the cultural and creative sector in Africa through the Trace Academia programme. AFD’s financing of €650k will cover a training course dedicated to understanding the challenges of the sector and providing workable solutions. The learning content of the training is to be developed through this partnership between Senghor University in Egypt, Trace and Campus AFD, AFD’s training centre.
‘To build Trace Academia, we’ve combined our expertise and experience in entertainment with cutting edge learning approaches adapted to the realities and cultures of Africa. The young people we have worked with in building the platform find the content highly engaging. In fact, in a recent study of 17-25 year olds in SA, Kenya and Nigeria, 96% said the app would motivate them to further their education or improve their employment prospects. We believe that Trace Academia has the potential to positively impact the lives of millions of young people in South Africa and across the continent,’ stated Trace Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Olivier Laouchez.
Due to the high youth unemployment rate in South Africa, it was important for Trace to introduce the Trace Academia project as a getaway to Trace’s mission of entertaining and empowering young people to stand up and shine.
Trace Academia is set to be launched in the rest of the world by the end of this year, with more courses to be produced with leading companies, institutions and experts globally.
The Trace Academia application can be downloaded on the Apple App store and Google Play store.
About Trace
Founded in France in 2003, Trace is a global platform dedicated to Afro-urban cultures and youth success. Trace produces audio-visual and educational programs and publishes 26 television channels, 100 FM and digital radio stations and 4 digital platforms.
Trace reaches 350 million fans in 180 countries.
By Patrick Guramatunhu- “Yesterday (MDC) Mhondoro youths launched a vigorous voter registration campaign under the 1 million campaign banner in memory of one the youths who was brutally murdered!” announced mdcmhondora on twitter. The comment was copied to the party’s leaders, Nelson Chamisa and far and wide.
Murdered by whom?
What crimes had the youth committed?
Where the murderers arrested and punished?
What assurance are there that this will not be repeated again?
There are a thousand and one questions MDC supporters and the Zimbabweans at large should be asking Chamisa and company. The answer to the first question above is; murdered by Zanu PF operatives.
The answer to the last question is: the wanton violence will return if Zanu PF should feel the “vigorous voter registration” was posing a serious threat to its iron grip on power. Chamisa and company’s Win In Rigged Elections (WIRE) strategies are a bluff to fool the gullible public who are desperate for change and not a threat to Zanu PF hegemony!
There will be no meaningful economic and political change in Zimbabwe without first implementing the reforms. MDC A’s WIRE strategies, the so-called mass voter registration being one such phantom strategy, are all a waste of time and space.
Zimbabwe’s 2008 elections were a watershed in that Zanu PF showed the world there are no limits to what the party will do to retain absolute power. None! The party ordered the recount of the March 2008 vote to whittle down Tsvangirai’s 73% vote, by Mugabe’s own Freudian slip, to 47% – enough to force a run-off.
Zanu PF’s primary focus during the run-off was to punish the people for having rejected Mugabe and Zanu PF in the March vote. The party used war veterans and Zanu PF youths backed by the Police, Army and CIO to destroy property, intimidate, beat, rape and over 500 people were brutally murdered.
“What was achieved by the bullet cannot be changed by the ballot!” thundered Robert Mugabe.
Mugabe won the run-off with a landslide 84%!
SADC and AU refused to accept Mugabe and his Zanu PF as the legitimate government because of the blatant cheating and wanton violence. SADC forced Mugabe to join Tsvangirai to form the 2008 to 2013 GNU whose primary task was implement the raft of democratic reforms to ensure the vote rigging of 2008 will not be repeated ever again. Sadly, not even one reform was implemented. Not one!
The task of implementing the reforms during the GNU fell to Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends. Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders with the trappings of high office and, with their snouts in the feeding trough, they completely forgot about the reforms for the five years of the GNU.
SADC leaders, who were the guarantor the GNU, tried to have the July 2013 Zimbabwe elections postponed until the reforms necessary for free and fair elections were implemented. “If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done!” SADC leaders warned Tsvangirai in June 2013, according to Dr Ibbo Mandaza who attended the SADC Summit in Maputo, Mozambique.
Tsvangirai and company paid no heed.
Zanu PF went on to blatantly rig the 2013 elections as SADC leaders had rightly predicted.
There was very little violence in 2013 and 2018, at least nothing compared to 2008, but only because Zanu PF had revamped its vote rigging schemes to deliver a landslide electoral victory without having to resort to the use of violence. The party has deployed the war veterans and other party operatives just to remind the electorate the party will resort to wanton violence at the drop of a hat if its hold on power should ever be threatened again.
Chamisa and company did nothing to threaten Zanu PF’s dominance in 2013 or 2018. This “vigorous voter registration campaign under the 1 million campaign banner” is just a blast of hot air. But if it should be a threat, Zanu PF will respond stepping up the intimidation, beatings, rape and cold-blooded murders.
What is almost certain to happen is that the 2023 elections will be relatively peaceful because Chamisa and company have no intention of posing a serious political challenge to Zanu PF. Ever since the GNU debacle, MDC leaders have given up on implementing the reforms and are now quite content to be Zanu PF’s junior partner.
Zanu PF has retained all its dictatorial powers and will exercise them as it sees fit to secure 2/3 majority plus the presidency. MDC play its role as the opposition party for the sake of keeping up the appearance of Zimbabwe as a functioning multi-party democracy. MDC leaders will have the remaining 1/3 of the gravy train seats plus the corresponding portion of the annual Political Party Finance Act pay-out.
The real losers in this new Zimbabwe Zanu PF and MDC marriage of convenience are the ordinary Zimbabwean. They have risked life and limb to elect MDC leaders on the understanding the party will deliver democratic changes to restore their freedoms and rights including the right to free and fair elections. After 21 years, 5 of which in the GNU, MDC has failed to implement even one reform and to add insult to injury MDC is now abusing the people’s naivety to keep Zanu PF in power.
MDC in lying about the party winning rigged elections, these WIRE strategies are just nonsense. By participating in these flawed elections Zimbabweans are unwittingly giving the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy and thus perpetuating the Zanu PF dictatorship – the very thing they continue to risk life and limb to end!
How long will it take Zimbabweans before they finally realise that by participating in flawed elections, they are giving the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy? It is insane to expect to win rigged elections, especially given there is no limit to Zanu PF’s blatant cheating and wanton violence. The sky is the limit!
In an all-English final, the UEFA Champions League trophy will go to London, not Manchester; to the men in royal blue, not sky blue; and to the club employing a young attacker from Hershey, Pa., who, with his second-half appearance, made U.S. soccer history.
On a night of high drama in a seaside Portuguese city, Kai Havertz, a 21-year-old German forward, scored late in the first half Saturday as Chelsea upset Manchester City, 1-0, to win its second European championship and deny its Premier League rivals its first.
The Porto setting also provided a stage for Christian Pulisic, who became the first U.S. men’s national team player to appear in club soccer’s biggest game. Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen, Pulisic’s U.S. teammate, did not play.
Pulisic, 22, entered in the 66th minute and almost scored moments later.
“I’m just so proud to be here,” Pulisic said after being joined on the field by his parents, Mark and Kelley, former soccer players at George Mason University, to pose with the trophy. “I couldn’t imagine winning the Champions League ever in my life, and now I’m here.”
Chelsea relived the glory of winning the 2012 title and stymied a Manchester City team in the final for the first time after a 10-year ascent. Although Manchester City had claimed the Premier League crown this month, Chelsea drew confidence from winning the previous two meetings.
Thomas Tuchel, who was appointed Chelsea’s manager in January amid a sluggish campaign, said the message to the team was this: “We need a top performance, and we need to be at our best level, but we don’t need a miracle. We don’t need a miracle! We can do it. It’s not like we need crazy things to happen.”- Washington Post
By A Correspondent- Health and Child Care Deputy Minister, Dr John Mangwiro fumed after observing that grass and trees had grown in a building that was supposed to house Mpilo Central Hospital mortuary.
The construction of the building started in 1996 but it is yet to be completed. Apart from the mortuary, some of the incomplete structures at the institution include a chapel and residential flats.
Speaking after touring the incomplete structures last week, Mangwiro said he was not impressed by the state of affairs. He said:
_These tree roots growing inside the building may have damaged the building by now, don’t you think so? This mortuary needs to be completed, I need to know when work can start even just to remove these trees and weeds._
Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya urged the government to resuscitate the project to address accommodation shortages at the institution.
A senior official at Mpilo Central Hospital who spoke to Sunday News said the structure had grown vegetation because the contractor had abandoned it.
The official said it was against the institution’s policy to invade a site without the contractor’s knowledge.
Last week, a fire broke out at Mpilo Central Hospital and damaged a block of flats that housed doctors in the process also destroyed property worth US$500 000.
There are a number of projects and programmes that were initiated decades ago across the country that are still incomplete mainly due to contractors’ incompetence, abuse of funds or lack of resources.-statemedia
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https://www.facebook.com/ZimEye/videos/813924639041593/
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The drama between Susan Mutami and her former lover of Norton legislator Temba Mliswa is far from over after the former posted a bill for the former ZANU PF member’s two kids.
The duo has been embroiled in a fight that Mliswa says is being engineered by Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) boss Owen Ncube.
Previously, Mutami accused Mliswa of many things including plotting against the family, allegations he dismisses as mere fabrications to tarnish his image.
In the latest case, Mutami posted a letter to Mliswa that stated fees required by an Australian school for the two kids which she says were sired by Mliswa. She captioned the letter:
_Dear friends, could you please kindly convey this message to the Norton Legislator, Temba Mliswa on my behalf since he blocked me 2 weeks ago. Please note that this is specifically for his children and not for me. Thank you_
The letter read as follows:
Dear Mr Mliswa Proposed daycare fees From Monday 16th August 2021, baby 1 & baby 2 Mliswa will attend Mater Early Learning for 5 days per week. The cost per month for this enrolment for both children will be $4960. Included in the fees at Mater Early learning is morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea as well as nappies. If you require any further information, you can contact me on the below details.
Kind Regards,
By A Correspondent- Three armed robbers from Gweru have been sentenced to 10 years each after they were convicted of robbing a Redcliff policeman of his vehicle, money and clothes.
The trio is also waiting to be sentenced on Friday for raping two minor girls and robbing a police officer in Kwekwe.
The trio, Pardon Makuni (19), Ashley Moses (21) and Menard Gwatiedza (21) pleaded guilty when it appeared before Gweru Regional Magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa facing one count each of armed robbery.
Mrs Msipa sentenced each of the robbers to 10 years in prison before wholly suspending two years of each sentence on the condition of good behaviour.
The state told the court that the three robbers, armed with a small axe and Colombian knives, broke into the cop’s house, tied him up, stole his property and car which they later dumped at a hidden spot.
It was the State’s case that on February 24 around 1 am, Makuni, Moses and Gwatiedza armed with a small axe and Colombian knives broke into the house of a police officer who stays in Kwekwe.
The court heard that they tied the police officer’s hands and that of his wife before demanding money.
Makuni, Moses and Gwatiedza stole cellphones, bank cards, US$300 and $3 000.
They then got away driving the complainant’s car which was later found dumped 12km from Kwekwe along Gweru-Kwekwe highway.
Mr Talent Tadenyika appeared for the State.
Meanwhile, Moses and Gwatiedza appeared before Zvishavane Regional Magistrate Mr Christopher Maturure facing fresh charges of rape and armed robbery.
Moses and Gwatiedza pleaded guilty to the matter.
The matter was remanded to Friday for sentencing after the State requested that HIV tests be conducted on the two complainants (14 and 17) who were raped by the two during one of their robberies in Redcliff town.
Prosecutor Mr Kelvin Guveya told the court that Moses and Gwatiedza and their alleged accomplice who is still at large broke into a house belonging to a police officer in February.
They handcuffed the police officer using his handcuffs before robbing him of cellphones and valuables worth $5000.
The trio armed with a small axe and a Colombian knife broke into another house in Redcliff where they raped two minors aged 14 and 17 before running away.
The matters were reported to the police leading to their arrest.-statemedia
STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA ON PROGRESS IN THE NATIONAL EFFORT TO CONTAIN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
30 MAY 2021
Fellow South Africans,
It has been some time since we last held a family meeting.
When I last spoke to you, exactly two months ago, South Africa was recovering from a deadly second wave of coronavirus infections
Then, the number of new daily infections had stabilised at a relatively low level, and we had placed the country on Coronavirus Alert Level 1.
While we continued to urge caution, the low levels of transmission allowed us to ease restrictions on the size of gatherings.
But now, after several months of low transmission, the number of infections has begun to rise sharply in several parts of the country.
We have seen a sustained increase over the last four weeks.
Over the last seven days, we have seen an average of 3,745 daily new infections.
This is an increase of 31 per cent on the previous week, and an increase of 66 per cent on the week before that.
The proportion of COVID-19 tests that are positive has more than doubled in the last month from around 4 per cent to more than 11 per cent, even as we have increased testing across the country.
We are advised that a positivity rate of over 5 per cent is a cause for concern.
The provinces of Free State, Northern Cape, North West and Gauteng have reached the threshold of a third wave of infections.
It may only be a matter of time before the country as a whole will have entered a third wave.
According to our health experts, the recent surge in new infections is due to the increasing number of social gatherings where people are not observing essential health protocols.
These protocols include the wearing of masks, social distancing, ensuring adequate ventilation and limits on the number of people who attend gatherings.
Other sites of increased transmission are funerals and so-called ‘after tears’ parties, as well as camps and sporting activities at schools.
Because rates of infection have been low for some time, and because we are all suffering from pandemic fatigue, we have tended to become complacent.
We have not been as vigilant about wearing our masks all the time, we have not been avoiding crowded places, and we have been socialising more.
As a result, infections are surging again.
The increase in daily cases is following the same trajectory as it did at the start of the previous two waves.
We have seen in other countries the tragic consequences of allowing the virus to spread unchecked.
The Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19 has therefore recommended that the country urgently implement further restrictions to limit the increase in infections.
It bases this recommendation on the sustained increase in new cases in the last 14 days, increased hospital admissions in almost all provinces and an increase in the proportion of COVID tests that are positive.
Further restrictions are necessary to ensure that health facilities are not overwhelmed and that lives that could be saved are not lost.
Delaying the spread of the virus is especially important now to allow as many people as possible to be vaccinated before the third wave reaches its peak.
These recommendations have been discussed at the National Coronavirus Command Council and, earlier today, with Premiers, mayors and traditional leaders in the President’s Coordinating Council.
Based on these discussions, Cabinet has therefore decided that the country will be placed on Adjusted Alert Level 2 with effect from tomorrow.
This means that:
– The hours of curfew will start at 11pm and end at 4am.
– Non-essential establishments like restaurants, bars and fitness centres will need to close by 10pm. This is to allow their employees and patrons to travel home before the start of the curfew.
– All gatherings will be limited to a maximum of 100 people indoors and 250 people outdoors.
Where the venue is too small to accommodate these numbers with appropriate social distancing, then no more than 50 per cent of the capacity of the venue may be used.
This includes religious services, political events and social gatherings, as well as restaurants, bars, taverns and similar places.
Several important measures remain in place.
It remains mandatory for every person to wear a face mask that covers their nose and mouth at all times when in public spaces.
It is a criminal offence not to do so.
The owners and managers of public buildings, centres, shops, restaurants, taxis and buses all have a responsibility to ensure that people on their premises or in their vehicles wear masks, and that the appropriate social distancing measures are in place.
If you test positive for COVID-19, you must self-isolate at home for a period of 10 days from when you first developed symptoms.
If you have been in contact with a person who has COVID-19, you must also self-quarantine for a period of 10 days following your exposure, even if you do not show any symptoms.
Identifying and isolating all contacts of a positive case is our best mechanism to prevent the virus from spreading further, and so it is very important that we all obey the rules for isolation and quarantine.
Funerals remain restricted to no more than 100 people, and, as before, night vigils, after-funeral gatherings and ‘after-tears’ gatherings are not allowed.
While the country is headed towards a third wave of infections, we do not yet know how severe this wave will be or for how long it will last.
According to the scientists that advise government, the severity of this third wave will largely be determined by the amount of contact each of us has with other people.
This means that each of us needs to think about all the people we come into contact with each day and do everything we can to limit those contacts.
Sometimes it is unavoidable to be in contact with other people, such as at work or when shopping or in public transport.
In such cases, it is important that we strictly observe all the health protocols by wearing a mask, keeping our distance from others and ensuring proper ventilation.
But wherever possible, we should cut down on our contacts during this time.
That may mean postponing social engagements, avoiding public spaces and not travelling unless absolutely necessary.
Gatherings are the greatest sources of transmission, whether its weddings, funerals, social parties, religious services, political meetings or simply gatherings of family and friends.
We must remember that the virus does not move from place to place by itself; it relies on the movement of people.
The less we travel, the less the virus is spread.
It is especially important to avoid indoor spaces, as the coronavirus is spread through the air when a person speaks, coughs or sneezes.
If you need to meet someone, including a member of your family, it is safer to do so outside in a well-ventilated space.
Those who are at particular risk, including the elderly and those with comorbidities, should exercise caution and should limit their contacts as much as possible.
If each of us makes this effort now, we will help to flatten the curve of infections.
We will reduce the pressure on our hospitals, and, in doing so, we will save many lives.
As we continue to focus on reducing transmission of the virus through our behaviour, we have embarked on the biggest mass vaccination programme in our country’s history.
Two weeks ago, we started the second phase of the vaccination programme, targeting the balance of our health workers who had not yet been vaccinated during the first phase and all those in the country who are over 60 years of age.
This follows the first phase of the programme, in which nearly 480,000 health workers were vaccinated.
More than 67 per cent of public health workers have been vaccinated
These health workers received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which only requires a single dose.
Since the evidence shows that older people are at a far greater risk of severe COVID-19 illness and death, we have prioritised the elderly for this second phase.
Over the last two weeks, over 480,000 people have received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine as part of the public vaccination campaign.
Because the Pfizer vaccine requires two doses to provide maximum immunity, these people will need to have second dose 42 days after their first dose.
In total, over 960,000 people in South Africa have received one vaccine dose.
Within the next few days, we will have administered vaccine doses to more than one million of the most vulnerable South Africans.
It has been heart-warming to see images of our elderly citizens receiving their vaccine, and to read the many stories of kindness and solidarity from those who have visited a vaccination site.
The positive experiences of the rollout so far reflect both the dedication and professionalism of our healthcare workers, and the intense preparation that has gone into ensuring that the rollout is successful.
The Electronic Vaccine Data System forms the backbone of the programme to manage registration and the allocation of vaccines.
The system links people who have registered to a vaccination site near them.
The system enables the national team to monitor vaccine use and to deploy vaccines to where they are needed.
Registration and vaccination of those over 60 years is going well.
We now have over 3 million people registered on the Electronic Vaccine Data System.
Since this is the first time this system is being used, it is understandable that there have been some initial problems, which have inconvenienced people and sometimes caused delays.
Fortunately, these have been attended to quickly and the system is being continually adapted and strengthened as the rollout proceeds.
There are other challenges we are working to address.
A significant number of the elderly have encountered difficulties in registering on the Electronic Vaccine Data System.
This is due to lack of access to the tools need to register online, such as a computer, internet access or mobile phone, or difficulties following the instructions in English.
We are working to get around these problems, and a huge drive to support the elderly to register is underway.
There are four ways that you can register to receive your COVID-19 vaccine:
– By using the online registration platform available on the SA Coronavirus website
– By dialling *134*832# and registering via USSD
– By sending the word “register” via WhatsApp to 0600 123 456
– By calling the national toll-free call centre on 0800 029 999, where somebody will help you to register and answer any questions about the vaccination rollout
Each and every one of us can help our parents, our grandparents, or the elderly people in our community to register on the system and get protected.
All of the vaccines that are approved for use in South Africa are safe and effective.
They have carefully been tested in large trials and subjected to a rigorous approval process by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority and by a number of health authorities around the world.
Most importantly, they all provide protection against severe illness or death as a result of COVID-19.
We are continuing discussions with other vaccine manufacturers so that we are able to include different vaccines in our programme.
Some of these manufacturers are in the process of seeking the necessary approvals from our health products authority.
The mass vaccination campaign is a joint effort with all our partners.
There are now more than 400 vaccination sites in operation across the country in both the public and private sectors.
As we have previously reported, we have secured enough vaccines to reach all adults in the country, which is around 40 million people.
This includes 31 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is a single dose, and which will be manufactured here in South Africa.
It includes 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which requires two doses to provide full protection.
The scheduled delivery of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines has however been delayed due to regulatory issues related to lack of adherence to proper standards at a manufacturing plant in the United States.
We are waiting for these issues to be resolved before the first batch of Johnson & Johnson vaccines can be released from the facility in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.
While this is a challenge that has affected the supply of vaccines for many countries and not just in our country, we are in constant contact with the relevant authorities to ensure that our doses can be released as soon as possible.
Around 1.3 million Pfizer doses have already been distributed and nearly 500,000 administered.
The next 636,000 doses arrive tonight with weekly deliveries of an equivalent volume until end June, when we will receive 2.5 million doses.
Our reliance on the Pfizer vaccine for now has affected the pace at which we are able to open vaccination sites.
Due to the properties of the Pfizer vaccine which requires an ultra-cold supply chain, inclusion of smaller sites and sites in more rural areas is limited.
When the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been cleared, it will be much easier to administer.
It is a single dose vaccine and can be stored in a normal fridge.
While our vaccine rollout ramps up over the coming weeks, I urge everyone to be patient and to await their turn.
It is important that we allow healthcare workers and those above the age of 60 to be vaccinated first, as they are most at risk of severe illness or hospitalisation.
For the time being, only these two groups are eligible to receive a vaccination until the next priority groups are announced.
I would like to thank all of our social partners, including the private sector, labour, community organisations, religious groups and traditional leaders, for coming up with innovative ways to support this drive.
As the African continent we are pushing ahead with efforts to expand our vaccine manufacturing capacity with a view to be self-sufficient in vaccine production.
We are also part of the global effort to ensure that all countries have access to sufficient vaccines as a matter of urgency.
We are continuing to urge all countries to support a waiver of the TRIPS agreement at the World Trade Organisation so that COVID-19 vaccines and treatments can be produced on a greater scale, at lower cost and at a faster pace.
Just as our response to the pandemic has depended on all of us acting together, the vaccine rollout requires a whole-of-society effort to succeed.
Right now, our foremost priority is to scale up our vaccination campaign to reach as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, in every part of our country.
However, we need to delay the increase in infections for as long as we can to allow more of our most vulnerable citizens to be protected.
Every week that we delay the peak of the third wave allows us to vaccinate hundreds of thousands more people, and may well save their lives.
This is why it is crucial for us to act now, and to act together, to limit the spread of the virus by wearing a mask, avoiding gatherings and indoor spaces, keeping a distance from others and washing or sanitising our hands regularly.
With the acceleration of the vaccine programme, we are getting ever closer to overcoming the pandemic.
We cannot give up now. We cannot let down our guard.
It is up to each and every one of us to protect ourselves, our families and our communities until we are all vaccinated.
I ask you to summon your strength, your courage, and your tenacity as South Africans to stand together and to hold back this third wave.
We can and we will succeed, as we have succeeded before.
God bless South Africa and protect her people.
I thank you.
Issued by the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa
www.thepresidency.gov.za
By A Correspondent- Two armed robbers thought they had it easy when they attacked Elizabeth Ndlovu and her son, but they were in for a rude awakening as the screams of the two attracted neighbours, who came to their rescue and gave the thieves a beating they will not forget.
The incident happened this week on Tuesday at around 7.30 pm in Bulawayo’s Mbundane suburb.
Bekezela Maseko and Mandla Ncube were armed with bricks and an iron bar. They knocked at the main gate of Ndlovu’s house, said a family insider.
Ndlovu went to the gate and when she got near the gate, Maseko and his partner in crime struck her twice on the head with a brick, causing her to scream for help.
Upon hearing his mother screaming, Ndlovu’s son rushed to the gate and the two armed men, who were hiding behind the gate, manhandled him before they struck him on the head.
“He screamed in a high pitched voice and upon hearing loud cries neighbours quickly came to their rescue.
“They found Ncube and Maseko inside the house stealing. They thoroughly assaulted them with a chain and a knobkerrie all over the body,” said a source close to investigations.
They tied them with a chain and took them to Nkulumane police station and made a police report.
After that the armed robbers and the two unfortunate mum and son were taken to Mpilo Central Hospital where they were treated.
Bulawayo deputy police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the incident:
“I can confirm that we arrested two armed men who intended to steal at a house in Mbundane suburb. We would like to applaud the gesture exhibited by the residents who helped in apprehending the suspects.
However, I would like to advise community members that they should not take the law into their hands.”statemedia
By Taruberekera Masara- How does Emerson Mnangagwa get away with it? How does he lie and cheat and break the rules with apparent impunity?
Plenty of theories are aired in the media: his alleged charisma, the weakness of the opposition, the success of the vaccine programme,his unwavering commitment to clamp down corruption.
But the most likely explanation isn’t Mnangagwa character or circumstances. It’s the one staring back from the mirror. For most of his career, he has been protected by the news organisations that should have held him to account.
Surely the media are doing a great job. First the Chamisa’s story and now Ed’s dirty business have been plastered all over the front pages. The recent scandals show that journalism in the Zimbabwe is the lively scourge of dishonesty and corruption. Really?
Information about the government’s lobbying outrages has been trickling out for almost a year. The way the government issued contracts for PPE and other vital goods and services during the first wave of the pandemic is – or should have been – a much bigger scandal Chamisa in-house defections, Mnangagwa the refurbishment of his newly acquired 18 million helicopter,the Mbuya Nehanda statue. While qualified suppliers were desperately trying to sell their wares, the government ignored them and established a “VIP lane” for its chums.
Millions were spent on unadvertised, untendered contracts. In some cases – for instance, the PPE supply company owned by people close to No 1 – the recipients had special relationships with ministers and officials.
Nobody died as a result of Chamisa’s political woes. But health and other frontline workers died because vital protective equipment was either missing or inadequate. The procurement fiasco was likely to have been partly to blame.
There was a range of problems. The first hint that something odd was happening with the government’s procurement processes emerged in May 2020, with some journalists picking up a scandal involving face mask that were charged US$28 from US$4 sourced by bizarre means from Namibia.
It was picked up briefly, then the media moved on. Ed recovered from the scandal that up to now has no closure. Interpol exposed strange fiscal made by the government to a Hungarian company. In June campaign group led by citizens and political actors rose to pitch a demonstration citing the collapse of the health delivery situation in the country owing to supply chain corruption for PPE. Genuine as it was it was completely ignored and protest leaders got arrested.
State procurement and tendering has shown he world shocking and astonishing links where friends of ministers and civil servants and other well-connected people, including party donors, were operating through special channels.
Companies with apparently no prior experience secured contracts for vital equipment. In some cases, the equipment either turned out to be useless or wasn’t delivered at all. Yet even when this gets exposed the media largely disengage and hunt for less explosive issues just to avoid taking the state to cleaners.
Far from making procurement faster and more efficient, as the government now claims, this system caused total chaos and catastrophic decisions. The opposition and other progressive non state actors complained about “drowning in VIP requests” to favour companies that were unable to meet the necessary standards. In the case of Wicknell Chivhayo the media reluctantly failed to expose bigwigs behind him and those that guaranteed him immunity in the face of failing the Treasury.
Again and again the President has failed to look straight into the ugly eyes of corruption and say enough is enough yet the media can’t spur him to act decisively on it.
Corruption stories are covered sporadically by several newspapers. Only individual journalists do brilliant work
. If you closely look at it none of the media, with the exception of a few give corruption issues the intense and unwavering coverage it deserved: in my view corruption by the political elites should hit the headlines day after day.
Why known corruption scandals not all over the front pages boggles the mind.The state media a supposedly voice of the common man take sides with power elite against people. They mute real stories and some sink without trace.
This is part of what I see as a pattern of failure. As the former Herald editor Tichaona Zindonga remarked, “ Herald journalists are absolutely terrified of the government and are bending over backwards to appease it”.
He pointed out that it scarcely mentioned the latest revelations about Mnangagwa’s relationship with Valdano Brown. Only two stories on its website published about the issue this year, both of which were mild, dull and remarkably late.
The state media instead of checking on the abuses by the government they went on to give Mnangagwa a higher rating on his score card. Not because it is worse than most other outlets, but because it should be better. Funded by us, with vast reach and resources, it should be the leading investigator of government malfeasance.
Vigilance? Diligence? Initiative? For most of the past year, most of the media have been fast asleep.
By Hon Caston Matewu | Walking along the streets of Marondera, one could cut the despair and tension in our beloved country. Desperate parents thinking how they can get school fees as the looming opening days are around the corner. The past year has been characterised by a brutally enforced lockdown. Most citizens are out of work and live on informal trading which has been the most affected industry as all; flee markets and trading places closed, coupled with restricted movements, it has surely been a disaster.
Despite the lockdown, political persecution is at its most high, the government has been using the Covid-19 pandemic to curtail the rights and freedoms of political and human rights activists.
The continued illegal arrests of MDC Alliance officials such as Hon Joanna Mamombe, Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume and a host of others has been to reinforce fear and make it clear who is in charge. However a government run by fear will not last long. Government has never changed its modus operandi, for long since the Mugabe era to the second republic this has been the norm. I am also reminded of the January 2019 demonstrations which left a trail of blood by the state apperetors, MDC Alliance members such as Chamu Chitota, Godknows Ncube, Simon Chikomba, Emma Mhashu, Isaac Kalawila and Engreedy Manzanga were severely assaulted with the later had to fleeing to Ireland for thier safety. The protests ignited by the unreasonable increase in fuel left 12 people died on the streets of Zimbabwe.
The Covid 19 pandemic in 2020 brought in an excuse by the government and its apparatus to disrupt the opposition political landscape and consolidate ZANU Pf’s grip on the people of Zimbabwe. The Supreme court judgment delivered at the inception of the pandemic was the perfect antidote to try and bury the MDC Alliance and prop up a political dead and defeated MDC T. As a payback the MDC T became subservient to its ruling party masters. Some of us despite being overwhelmingly elected in 2018 found ourselves being recalled from Parliament.
Despite the pandemic the ZANU Pf politburo continued with its statutory meetings whilst the MDC Alliance was banned. Any meeting by the MDC Alliance was met with arrests and police brutality, a case in point is the MDC A Mashwest Provincial Executive which was raided despite having the minimum number of people allowed to gather. Curiously the MDC T was allowed to gather thousands of its members during the height of the Pandemic.
2021 started with the deaths of ZANU Pf heavy weights falling to the pandemic. It remains to be seen what’s instore for Zimbabwean politics in 2021, but lo and behold the people’s party led by President Adv Chamisa will never die.
Denver Mukamba’s impressive form in front of goal continues after he scored again in Ngezi Platinum Stars’ impressive 3-0 over Whahwa in the Chibuku Super Cup on Sunday.
The former Warriors captain scored twice last in week’s 3-1 win over Triangle United in the opening round of fixtures and also provided an assist.
Today, the lanky midfielder doubled Madamburo’s advantage in the 19th minute after new boy Valentine Kadonzvo had put them into an early lead.
Ngezi got their third goal through Kadonzvo, who got his brace just before the half time break.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|Command economics will not transform people’s lives, MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has said.
President Chamisa also taunted Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa for attempting to rig the economy.
“GOVERNMENT IS BEST WHICH GOVERNS LEAST…
SI 127 signifies panic, lack of astute leadership and absence of prudent economic stewardship.
Command economics is bad for business and worse for citizens.
Rigging elections invites the temptation to rig the economy.
Leadership matters! Blessed Sunday to you,” President Chamisa wrote his official Facebook page.
Tinashe Sambiri|Residents of Whange Central Constituency are not happy with the invasion of their territory by Chinese investors.
The residents want to be involved in development initiatives in their area.
The residents expressed their views at a public hearing that was hosted by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Environment and Climate.
The meeting was held in response to a petition that was submitted to the Parliament of Zimbabwe by the Dinde Residents Association.
See statement below:
Office of the MP Salutes Dinde Residents
Yesterday, as the Office of the MP for Whange Central constituency we attended the public hearing that was hosted by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Environment and Climate.
The meeting was held in response to the petition that was submitted to the Parliament of Zimbabwe by the Dinde Residents Association
As the Office of the MP we observed the following among other issues:
We thus hope that the Portfolio Committee and indeed the Parliament of Zimbabwe will in response; do its best to intervene in favour of the local communities of Dinde.
We are looking forward to seeing the Portfolio Committee report especially its recommendations on the way forward.
As the Office of the MP, we would like to congratulate the Dinde of residents and honour them for their clarity and courage.
May God bless the people of Dinde and indeed the rest of Whange Central constituency. Amen
By my hand
Daniel Molokele
MP for Whange Central constituency
International organizations have come together to launch a new One Health High-Level Expert Panel to improve understanding of how diseases with the potential to trigger pandemics, emerge and spread.
The panel will advise four international organizations – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE); the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); and the World Health Organization (WHO) – on the development of a long-term global plan of action to avert outbreaks of diseases like H5N1 avian influenza; MERS; Ebola; Zika, and, possibly, COVID-19.
Three quarters of all emerging infectious diseases originate in animals.
It will operate under the One Health Approach, which recognizes the links between the health of people, animals, and the environment and highlights the need for specialists in multiple sectors to address any health threats and prevent disruption to agri-food systems.
Key first steps will include systematic analyses of scientific knowledge about the factors that lead to transmission of a disease from animal to human and vice versa; development of risk assessment and surveillance frameworks; identification of capacity gaps as well as agreement on good practices to prevent and prepare for zoonotic outbreaks.
The panel will consider the impact of human activity on the environment and wildlife habitats. Critical areas will include food production and distribution; urbanization and infrastructure development; international travel and trade; activities that lead to biodiversity loss and climate change; and those that put increased pressure on the natural resource base – all of which can lead to the emergence of zoonotic diseases.
The panel will guide development of a dynamic new research agenda and draw up evidence-based recommendations for global, regional, national and local action.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said: “Human health does not exist in a vacuum, and nor can our efforts to protect and promote it. The close links between human, animal and environmental health demand close collaboration, communication and coordination between the relevant sectors. The High-Level Expert Panel is a much-needed initiative to transform One Health from a concept to concrete policies that safeguard the health of the world’s people.”
Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director General, told the panel: “This panel will contribute to advancing the One Health agenda, by helping to better understand the root causes of disease emergence and spread, and informing decision-makers to prevent long-term public health risks. I encourage it to be a shining example of silo-breaking, systems thinking and open dialogue. Expectations for collective action and the need for effective collaboration have never been higher.”
Dr Monique Éloit, Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health noted: “The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder that collaboration across sectors is absolutely critical for global health. The newly established One Health High-Level Expert Panel will contribute to bringing together diverse scientific expertise.
United, we will better anticipate global health threats and work to control risks at the animal source. Our Organisation is proud to provide high-level expertise, along with our partners, to develop science-based ‘One Health’ strategies and programmes.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP observed: “To end the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution that threaten our peace and prosperity, we have to understand that human, animal and planetary health go hand in hand. We must do more to promote transformative actions that target the root causes of nature’s destruction. The One Health High-Level Expert Panel is an important step in recognizing the complex, multidisciplinary issues at the interface of human, animal, and environmental health.
The Ministers for Foreign Affairs of France and Germany also joined the public launch of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel:
Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France commented: “The COVID-19 pandemic, whose zoonotic origin is strongly suspected, underlines how closely human, animal and environmental health are linked. It demonstrates the importance of the ‘One Health’ approach.
It is in this context that France, together with Germany, proposed the creation of such a Panel at the meeting of the Alliance for Multilateralism organized on the occasion of the Paris Peace Forum on 12 November 2020.”
Mr Heiko Maas, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Germany, said: “COVID-19 has painfully reminded us that the health of humans, animals and the environment around the world is closely connected: Nobody is safe until everybody is safe. This is what we have to bear in mind to prevent future pandemics.
The establishment of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel thus marks an important step in the right direction. Germany and France will continue to support the panel’s work.”
Source: World Health Organization
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Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President has urged embattled former Chief Justice Luke Malaba to retire peacefully to avoid humiliation.
High Court judges Happias Zhou, Esther Charehwa and Edith Mushore ruled that the extension of Malaba’s term beyond his 70-year retirement age was unconstitutional.
President Chamisa, quoted by The Standard said:
“The culture of leaving is important and must be upheld in offices of public trust and senior government officials in [permanent] secretaries, ministers, parastatal bosses, the registrar general, clerk of Parliament and even the judiciary.”
He added:
“People must know that it is important to serve and leave. It is important to let go.”
Tinashe Sambiri|Command economics will not transform people’s lives, MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has said.
President Chamisa also taunted Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa for attempting to rig the economy.
“GOVERNMENT IS BEST WHICH GOVERNS LEAST…
SI 127 signifies panic, lack of astute leadership and absence of prudent economic stewardship.
Command economics is bad for business and worse for citizens.
Rigging elections invites the temptation to rig the economy.
Leadership matters! Blessed Sunday to you,” President Chamisa wrote his official Facebook page.
By A Correspondent- A 23 year old Sakubva woman who had a child strapped on her back bravely fought a robber who sought to snatch her handbag, resulting in the suspect dropping his cellphone which was eventually used to track him down.
Surprised by the vicious attack from his victim Rukudzo Dzaramba, Lovejoy Gonouya (28) bolted from the scene.
Upon getting a report, police from Sakubva Police Station quickly responded and used the cellphone to track Gonouya down.
Using contacts in the cellphone, detectives called Gonouya’s wife who unknowingly revealed up their residential address.
A visit to the given address was made and Gonouya was arrested while relaxing with his family in Natview Park.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxson Chananda confirmed the incident which happened on Africa Day.
He said on the day in question, Dzaramba was about to cross St Joseph’s Bridge on her way to St Joseph’s Centre when she found out that Gonouya was following her.
“Gonouya suddenly grabbed Dzaramba’s handbag and tried to snatch it. However, he failed. A fight broke out as the complainant wrestled with the suspect while tightly holding on to her bag. Dzaramba fell on the ground and Gonouya continued to wrestle with her until the handbag was torn,” said Insp Chananda.
In the ensuing melee, Gonouya allegedly grabbed Dzaramba’s cellphone and bolted from the scene.
He however, dropped his own cellphone and Dzaramba picked it up and took it to ZRP Sakubva where she reported the case under number RRB4676071.
Police officers quickly conducted investigations and established that the accused person resided in Natview Park.
A follow-up was made.
“With vivid memories of the spirited fight she waged against Gonouya, Dzaramba positively identified him as the person who had robbed her of her mobile phone,” said Insp Chananda.
Thorough searches at Gonouya’s place of residence were carried out and the stolen cellphone was found stashed between some farm bricks.
“Gonouya was subsequently arrested. Dzaramba sustained bruises during the fight and was referred to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital for medical examination,” said Insp Chananda.-ManicaPost
By A Correspondent- Thousands of holders of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) are living in uncertainty because the South African government has not yet indicated whether it will renew their permits. About 180 000 Zimbabweans hold ZEPs. The fouryear permit expires on December 31, 2021.
Some Zimbabweans said their banks had already warned them to renew their permits or face closure of their accounts in December.
The permits were first issued in 2010 under the Dispensation of Zimbabweans Project (ZDP). The programme was renewed in 2014 as the Zimbabwe Special Permit (ZSP), before the ZEP was introduced in 2017.
A Zimbabwean, who we will only identify as Matthew, said he can’t make plans for the future. He is a supervisor at a restaurant and lives in New Brighton with his wife and two children. He has been living in South Africa for 20 years.
“I started with an asylum seeker permit before I got the ZDP, ZSP and the ZEP. I have lived in this country for the better part of my adult life. It will be heartbreaking if the government refuses to renew the permits.
“I have two bank accounts and insurance as well as burial policies. These will all go down the drain if the government refuses to extend the permits.”
He said he is established in the community and his children speak fluent Xhosa. “They identify themselves with local culture because they were born here,” he said.
Another ZEP holder said South Africa should grant citizenship to those who have lived legally in the country for five or more years.
“Some people have invested a lot in the country. Others have bought immovable property, which they will be forced to leave,” he said.
Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Migrants Support Network Chris Mapingure said: “We appeal to the Department of Home Affairs to issue a statement regarding the renewal of the ZEP.”
Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum Advocate Gabriel Shumba said he is receiving an unprecedented number of enquiries from concerned permit holders.
“It is an issue that seriously affects thousands of Zimbabweans, especially with some banks threatening to close accounts.”
Home Affairs spokespersons Siya Qoza and David Hlabane have not responded to GroundUp’s queries.
-GroundUp
By A Correspondent- A selfless 16 year old United States boy drowned while trying to save his friend who was drowning in a reservoir in Rotherham.
The boy, Sam Haycock had just finished his last day at Oakwood High School and had gone to Ulley reservoir with friends to swim when his friend started drowning.
Sam jumped in to try and help despite not being able to swim himself.
A third friend called the emergency services and a huge rescue operation was launched at the reservoir when first responders couldn’t find the 16-year-old.
South Yorkshire Police said numerous agencies responded to the emergency on Friday afternoon and a specialist search team made up of fire and lifeboat crews was tasked to find him.
Locals were urged to stay away from the area while the search was carried out and police cordoned off the reservoir.
Hours later, police confirmed they had recovered Sam’s body and were unable to save him. He was declared dead at the scene.
Family friend Theresa Glenn who has set up a gofundme page to raise money told YorkshireLive:
_There were three boys including Sam who jumped in and tried to save his friend. It is typical of him, he and his mum would do anything for anyone who needed help.
_Obviously they are absolutely distraught about what has happened but Gaynor is proud of what he tried to do and will treasure that detail for the rest of her life._
_It was his last day at Oakwood High School and they told each other: ‘I love you’ as he left their home in East Dene. It was completely out of character for him as he’s a 16-year-old boy!_
_She told him to be back for 4 pm and didn’t know where he was when he went missing but the police were round very quickly to inform them of what had happened and Simon identified his son.’_
Sam was a talented athlete who travelled Europe competing in Judo tournaments and wanted to work in construction after he left school.
The fundraising page has raised more than £1,500.
-DailyMail
President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week issued Statutory Instrument (SI) 127 of 2021 that has an effect on the foreign exchange rate.
The SI dictates that businesses should use the US$1: ZWL$84 exchange rate.
The policy measures have attracted varying responses from finance and economics experts, politicians, other stakeholders and ordinary people. Pindula News presents below some of the responses.
One Tinashe M@baba_nyenyedzi said:
_…we were sold the following: (i) a good agricultural season (ii)a fixed exchange rate for 10 months resulting in decrease in inflation (iii) Fiscal prudence (iv) Business tours by the President showcasing successful enterprise (v) Zimra record-breaking collections.
When the reality was; (i) RBZ quasi-fiscal activities & debt of US$5bn (ii) Unsustainable Afreximbank loan interest above 10% & heavy penalty for defaulting. (iii) Money supply increase of 535% in Jan 2021. (iv) Black market rate > 60% (v) A kowtowing business classThat is the context in which we find SI 127, it’s a frustrated government that wants to achieve its goals by terror.
It is now criminal to sell a good above the official exchange rate. This will remove USD pricing that implies a rate.By quoting prices exclusively in ZWL a business can increase its price. OR Increase its USD pricing. In which case the customer will opt to pay in ZWL.
So before the next explicit ZWL price controls, formal businesses will only quote ZWL. Informal will ignore the SIThe terror campaign by GOZ is driven by the rapid dollarisation of the economy & ZWL losing value.
Never mind the RBZ lax monetary policy is the reason for the increase in money supply.. The stock market & black market rise because the stock of money has been increasing.GOZ is panicking. It’s economic strategists promised to mend the economy in time for elections but the political hawks can see how impossible this is.
It’s no use lying to people that inflation is slowing down when the people face runaway prices & dwindling wages.SI 127 is an assault on the fundamental rights of people to freely trade in whatever terms they deem. It’s GOZ that decreed a fixed exchange rate. It’s GOZ monetary policy that increases ZWL supply.
Yet it’s innocent citizens that are made criminals_I’m keen on how long the auction system will sustain its charade. The current auction & RBZ policies are the same as Gono.
Gono managed to reduce inflation to 135% using the auction. Gono’s black market rate took 18 months to get to 100%. Mangudya looks likely to beat Gono._
The leader of opposition MDC Alliance, Nelson Chamisa said the government was lacking skills required to keep the economy afloat. He said:
_GOVERNMENT IS BEST WHICH GOVERNS LEAST..SI 127 signifies panic, lack of astute leadership and absence of prudent economic stewardship. Economic dirigisme and command economics is bad for business and worse for citizens. Rigging elections invites the temptation to rig the economy._
The Zimbabwe Media Commission has commented on the deportation of two New York Times reporters saying the journalists were not accredited by the commission.
Meanwhile, New York Times’ Zimbabwean correspondent, Jeffrey Moyo is in detention for allegedly facilitating an unlawful reporting trip for the two foreign journalists from the US-based newspaper who were eventually deported.
Moyo is said to have secured fake accreditation cards for his colleagues from the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) after conniving with an official from the regulatory body Thabang Farai Manhika, who is also in custody.
We present the commission’s statement in full below.
On May 10 2021, the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) learnt of the deportation from Zimbabwe of a man and a woman claiming to be New York Times reporters carrying forged accreditation cards and receipts which they reportedly alleged had been obtained on their behalf by a properly accredited local reporter for the same New York Times with the alleged collusion of a ZMC member of staffPreliminary investigations established the following facts:
The ZMC would like to assure its stakeholders, clients and interested parties that its day to day operations are guided by provisions of the law. The Commission does its work in a transparent and accountable manner. The fact that the fraudulent accreditation cards were quickly identified by immigration officers and confirmed as fraudulent by the ZMC is testimony of the professional and secure manner in which the ZMC conducts the accreditation.It is one of the strategic objectives of the Commission to provide a conducive working environment for both local and visiting media practitioners. At the same time, the Commission calls upon media practitioners, both local and foreign, to respect laws of the country.
Benson Dube, a retired primary school teacher, remembers with nostalgia the “good old days” when the student-textbook ratio was 1:1.
“For me, that is what made teaching exciting,” Dube said.
“It made teaching easy and we attained good results.”
However, this is a privilege that learners at some rural schools in the Bulilima east constituency can only dream of.
“From a distance, one would be mistaken that learners are playing because of the noise generated as they scramble for a textbook,” a teacher at one of the schools in Bulilima east said.
“In some cases, it is even worse because the teacher will be the only one with a textbook,” the teacher added, a situation that results in a pile-up of workload as they have to transfer what is in the books onto the chalkboard.
“We have swarms of work to write on the chalkboard.
“When the pupils are answering a comprehension passage, I have to copy it on the chalkboard, I cannot dictate it to them because they are young,” said a Grade 2 teacher at one of the schools, who could not be identified for professional reasons.
“It [lack of textbooks] presents immense challenges upon pupils and teachers alike. In the case of learners, at the end of the day they lose out on some concepts and it becomes difficult for pupils to attain good grades.”
A photocopied textbook for any primary school subject costs anything between Us$6 and Us$$10.
This means each parent or guardian has to fork out over Us$100 to purchase textbooks for all the subjects for their child in a particular grade at primary school because the Primary and secondary education ministry is not providing such.
“Unfortunately, the majority of parents cannot afford that money,” said Bulilima east legislator Dingimuzi Phuti as he bemoaned the shortage of textbooks in his constituency.
With no government help in sight, the community in the constituency has been leading a campaign targeting their sons and daughters in foreign lands to assist.
on May 1, their call for help was answered when sikhumbuzo Mlalazi and Hopewell Masola, both born in Bulilima east but now based in the United Kingdom, delivered tonnes of textbooks for the worst-affected schools.
They shipped 20 000 textbooks for distribution to needy schools.
“They shipped the books into the country, at their own cost and we distributed to needy schools,” Phuti said.
some of the beneficiaries of the textbook donation include Bambadzi primary and secondary schools, Mbimba 1 and Mbimba 2 primary schools all in ward 10. In ward 15, Longwe secondary, Mboma secondary and sevaka Primary school are the beneficiaries.
“We chose these schools because personally, I know the situation, the crisis they face with regard to reading materials. Through my ministry, we are also trying to make sure that there is internet connectivity and access to IT services to bridge the digital divide,” added Phuti, who is also Information and Communication Technologies, Postal and Courier services deputy minister.
At the advent of Covid-19, the government emphasised virtual learning, but it remains a pipe dream in Bulilima east as most of the schools face poor or no net-
work connectivity.
In 2020, learners in the constituency were among the worst affected owing to lack of e-learning facilities.
Radio lessons have also not helped much due to the lack of connectivity.
“This is the reason why we have consistently fought for an education equalisation fund to bridge the infrastructure deficits in rural schools,” said Obert Masararue, the president of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe as he expressed sadness over the lack of textbooks in Bulilima east constituency.
“It is difficult to imagine how these learners are tackling comprehension exercises among other tasks,” he added.
“Solutions that can be tried include community networks to enhance access to the internet so that learners can access reading material online and capacity building for teachers on content creation so that content can be created locally in line with curriculum dictates.”
Masaraure adds that the government should increase budgetary support for education to secure adequate learning and teaching material.
Primary and secondary education minister Cain Mathema admitted rural schools faced a crisis and emphasised the need for a collective approach to redress the shortage of learning material.
“We cannot expect our students to perform better when teachers are sharing houses, when the students are learning in mud-and-pole blocks,” Mathema said.
“We have a collective responsibility to address these things.’
However, with no redress for the lack of learning material, rural learners in Bulilima east continue suffering.
This article was originally published by The Citizen Bulletin, a nonprofit news organisation that produces hard-hitting, hyperlocal reporting and analysis for the southwestern region of Matabeleland.-standard
Bulawayo residents say the rising cases of violent crimes in the city make them feel unsafe and called on the police to come up with a solution to the menace.
The city has in recent weeks witnessed a spate of armed robberies, murder cases and attacks on residents by machete-wielding gangs.
An unknown number of armed robbers last week got away with an undisclosed amount of money when they raided a Choppies supermarket in Bulawayo’s Parklands suburb.
Ambrose Sibindi, Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association chairman, said criminals were taking advantage of lack of police visibility to commit crimes.
“We are no longer safe as residents,” Sibindi said.
“We can now be attacked even in broad daylight.
“Robbers are taking advantage that there are few police officers who also do not have vehicles to move around and combat crime.”
He challenged the police to be vigilant and arm themselves just like the South African police.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said cops were doing their best to combat crime in the city.
He said out of the six murder cases that were committed in the city last week, five of them had been concluded.
“We have open-door policing,” Ncube said.
“We need to team up with residents to close the gap, residents have a right to approach the officer-in-charge of their station and do police deployment together.”
A machete gang recently attacked Mabuthweni residents, killing two, while several were hospitalised after suffering serious injuries.
A shop attendant at a liquor outlet at Ascot shopping centre was shot dead by marauding armed robbers a week ago.
Some fear trained members of the security forces could be behind the armed robberies as they have access to dangerous weapons.
Last month Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe told senators that: “It is indeed true that most of these cases of armed robberies are being done by armed men and women from the police force as well as the army.”-standard
By A Correspondent- A man from Filabusi in Matabeleland South province ran amok and axed his parents after accusing them of witchcraft.
Stephen Chinyaure (36) was convicted of two counts of domestic violence when he appeared before Filabusi resident magistrate Abednico Ndebele and was slapped with a 36-month jail term.
Six months of the sentence were suspended on condition of good behaviour for the next five years.
In mitigation, Chinyaure told the court that a prophet told him that his difficulties in life and failure of his wife to conceive were allegedly due to witchcraft practiced by his stepfather and mother.
-standard
MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa says under-fire Chief Justice Luke Malaba must voluntarily step down to preserve the integrity of Zimbabwe’s judicial system.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa controversially extended Malaba’s term of office after he reached the retirement age of 70 early this month.
Mnangagwa used the contested amendments to the constitution to extend the top judge’s term, but a panel of High Court judges ruled that the move was illegal.
Malaba returned to work last week after the government appealed against the judgement.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum filed an urgent High Court application seeking to have the chief justice jailed for contempt of court.
On Friday, the case took another twist when 17 Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appealed the ruling that ended Malaba’s time as chief justice.
Legal experts said the appeal by the judges meant that they cannot hear the case, a development that has the potential to plunge the country into a constitutional crisis.
The culture of leaving is important and must be upheld in offices of public trust and senior government officials in [permanent] secretaries, ministers, parastatal bosses, the registrar general, clerk of Parliament and even the judiciary,” Chamisa said yesterday.
“People must know that it is important to serve and leave. It is important to let go.”
High Court judges Happias Zhou, Esther Charehwa and Edith Mushore ruled the extension of Malaba’s term beyond his 70-year retirement age was unconstitutional.
The trios said Malaba and the other judges could not benefit from the controversial amendments to the constitution that gave Mnangagwa power to appoint top judges.
Chamisa said there was need for public officials to respect the rule of law.
Meanwhile, confusion continues to grip government over Malaba’s status as officials took turns to acknowledge Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza as the acting chief justice during the unveiling of Mbuya Nehanda statue by Mnangagwa on Africa Day.
Harare Provincial Affairs minister Oliver Chidawu is one of the officials that referred to Gwaunza as the acting chief justice.-standard
By A Correspondent- Appeals filed at the Supreme Court challenging the High Court ruling nullifying the extension of Chief Justice Luke Malaba’s term of office will be heard in due course, the Judiciary Services Commission (JSC) has said.
This follows the filing of notices of appeal by Chief Justice Malaba and 16 other Supreme and Constitutional Court judges against the recent High Court ruling.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and the JCS filed separate petitions a fortnight ago.
The 16 judges: Chief Justice Malaba, Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza, Paddington Garwe, Rita Makarau, Anne-Mary Gowora, Ben Hlatshwayo, Bharat Patel, Antonia Guvava, Susan Mavangira, Chinembiri Energy Bhunu, Tendai Uchena, Nicholas Mathonsi, Charles Hungwe, Felistas, Alfas Chitakunye, Alfas Chitakunye, Samuel Kudya and Lavender Makoni have all appealed the ruling.
A judge is disqualified from hearing a case once cited as one of the litigants.
JSC Secretary Mr Walter Chikwanha told The Sunday Mail yesterday that all cases put before the courts are heard.
“I think it is important to note that when an appeal is made it is placed before the court, in this case, the Supreme Court, not before a judge,” he said.
“And I can assure you that the cases before the Supreme Court will be heard.
“We can never have a situation whereby a matter is placed before the courts and the courts fail to hear it. In fact, it is impossible for a court to fail to hear a case.”
Mr Chikwanha said the question of who will hear the case is a prerogative of the judiciary, guided by the country’s laws.
“There is speculation as to who will hear the case and I find it inappropriate for people to talk about who will sit on the bench to hear the case,” he said.
“So I do not know who will be on the panel, but I know that the case will be heard because the judiciary will deal with that and come up with a decision.”
Constitutional law expert and University of Zimbabwe senior lecturer in the Faculty of Law, Professor Lovemore Madhuku, said there was no constitutional crisis because there were legal ways to deal with the matter.
“Well there are two ways to deal with it. If the judges really want the appeal to be heard there is an option to appoint different judges on a fixed term contract as per Section 186 Subsection 6 of the constitution,” he said.
“This means they will come in and hear the case and leave. The second one is that the appeal can be heard at such a time when the court has entirely new judges.
“This can be five or 10 years from now; it does not matter. It should be noted also that it’s not every appeal that can be heard.
“Sometimes appellant can file an appeal just to set aside a judgement.”
By A Correspondent-Police in Nyamapanda, Mashonaland East province, on Monday, intercepted an ox-drawn scotch cart laden with marijuana crossing from neighbouring Mozambique and arrested two suspects.
Obert Katsande (51) and Luckmore Tobve all of Botso village, under Chief Goronga are currently in custody for possession of five bags of mbanje weighing 100kg and worth US$100 000.
Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza confirmed the arrest of the duo and urged the public to desist from drug trafficking.
According to police, on May 26, at around 7 pm, detectives in Nyamapanda received a tip-off that there was a scotch cart carrying marijuana passing through Botso village from Mozambique.
The detectives then found the scotch cart at a homestead and conducted searches, leading to the discovery of five sacks inside Katsande’s bedroom. Katsande then implicated Tobve, leading to his arrest.
By A Correspondent- Appeals filed at the Supreme Court challenging the High Court ruling nullifying the extension of Chief Justice Luke Malaba’s term of office will be heard in due course, the Judiciary Services Commission (JSC) has said.
This follows the filing of notices of appeal by Chief Justice Malaba and 16 other Supreme and Constitutional Court judges against the recent High Court ruling.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and the JCS filed separate petitions a fortnight ago.
The 16 judges: Chief Justice Malaba, Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza, Paddington Garwe, Rita Makarau, Anne-Mary Gowora, Ben Hlatshwayo, Bharat Patel, Antonia Guvava, Susan Mavangira, Chinembiri Energy Bhunu, Tendai Uchena, Nicholas Mathonsi, Charles Hungwe, Felistas, Alfas Chitakunye, Alfas Chitakunye, Samuel Kudya and Lavender Makoni have all appealed the ruling.
A judge is disqualified from hearing a case once cited as one of the litigants.
JSC Secretary Mr Walter Chikwanha told The Sunday Mail yesterday that all cases put before the courts are heard.
“I think it is important to note that when an appeal is made it is placed before the court, in this case, the Supreme Court, not before a judge,” he said.
“And I can assure you that the cases before the Supreme Court will be heard.
“We can never have a situation whereby a matter is placed before the courts and the courts fail to hear it. In fact, it is impossible for a court to fail to hear a case.”
Mr Chikwanha said the question of who will hear the case is a prerogative of the judiciary, guided by the country’s laws.
“There is speculation as to who will hear the case and I find it inappropriate for people to talk about who will sit on the bench to hear the case,” he said.
“So I do not know who will be on the panel, but I know that the case will be heard because the judiciary will deal with that and come up with a decision.”
Constitutional law expert and University of Zimbabwe senior lecturer in the Faculty of Law, Professor Lovemore Madhuku, said there was no constitutional crisis because there were legal ways to deal with the matter.
“Well there are two ways to deal with it. If the judges really want the appeal to be heard there is an option to appoint different judges on a fixed term contract as per Section 186 Subsection 6 of the constitution,” he said.
“This means they will come in and hear the case and leave. The second one is that the appeal can be heard at such a time when the court has entirely new judges.
“This can be five or 10 years from now; it does not matter. It should be noted also that it’s not every appeal that can be heard.
“Sometimes appellant can file an appeal just to set aside a judgement.”
-State media
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF President Emmerson Mnangagwa is sending a delegation to the United Kingdom to collect the remains of First Chimurenga war heroes which were shipped as war trophies to Europe during the early colonial years.
Some of the skulls are believed to belong to early leaders of the struggle against colonialism, including Mbuya Nehanda, Sekuru Kaguvi, Chief Mashayamombe Chinengundu and Chief Makoni Chingaira among others.
Last year, British authorities invited Zimbabwe to deploy a team of experts to verify the origins of a catalogue of skulls in their possession, but the trip was postponed on account of travel restrictions necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
NMMZ director Dr Godfrey Mahachi told The Sunday Mail that a team will be dispatched once the National History Museum in London opens.
“We have been in touch with the museum in London to allow us to access the records on the information on the remains that are at the museum,” he said.
“We are going to compare notes on the issue. What we certainly know is there are human remains, but there is a need for due diligence.
“The museum has not been working because of the lockdown, however, from the communications we had a few weeks back, they indicated that they were going to open soon.
“So we are going to send a team of experts to help with the process of identification of the remains so that the repatriation can begin.”
Dr Mahachi said the experts will comb through historical documents and archival material held by British museums to ascertain whether the skulls originated from Zimbabwe.
“The team is set to try and positively identify the remains by comparing documents and dates that the remains are said to have left the country and when they reached London. This will be done before the DNA tests are done.”
Government has, for years, been pushing for the repatriation of dozens of skulls of First Chimurenga war heroes, who were beheaded by British invasion forces at the height of the first uprisings against colonialism, and are being held on display at some British museums.
In 2019, the National History Museum in London submitted a report to Zimbabwean authorities detailing the origins of several human remains they were holding as part of their catalogue.
The archival report, compiled by a team of British experts, traced the origins of individual skulls using documentation that was used at the time to facilitate the artifacts’ shipment to Britain.
The experts pored through numerous documents kept in historical archives in Britain and South Africa in order to positively identify the skulls.
During the First Chimurenga, British invasion forces publicly beheaded vanquished “troublesome” resistance movement leaders partly as a means to intimidate locals who were part of the resistance movement.
The decapitated appendages were also used as trophies by the victors to collect hefty rewards from colonial authorities.
Last week, Mnangagwa undertook to facilitate the immediate repatriation of the remains of the First Chimurenga heroes when he was officiating at the unveiling of Mbuya Nehanda’s statue and national monument in Harare.
-State media
By A Correspondent- Security forces on Friday shot dead one suspected armed robber, injured two and arrested several others following a raid at their hideout in Lutumba.
The suspected robber identified only as Abel was hit when he fled into a building inside a beer hall and died on the spot.
Another suspect identified only as Elvis pointed a .303 rifle at the security forces before he was also shot and injured.
Thousands of dollars worth of groceries believed to have been robbed from different people were recovered in yesterday’s raid.
The pre-dawn raid was a result of a combined operation between local police and security personnel deployed for a special operation along the border.
These two groups have previously been engaged in a territorial dispute that resulted in the robbers taking advantage.
The armed robbers hit unsuspecting shoppers who sneak into South Africa through undesignated points with the Zimbabwean border still closed.
The armed robbers are preying on unsuspecting shoppers who sneak into South Africa through undesignated points since the Zimbabwean border is still closed.
At least two vehicles, both minibuses loaded with groceries were recently hijacked at gunpoint with one emptied and abandoned a few kilometres from the scene.
The other is yet to be recovered while dozens of other victims left the scene empty-handed.
Most of these armed robberies occur at night.
“The robbers are believed to have armed local youths, taking advantage of a territorial battle between local police and those deployed for a special operation against smuggling and border-jumping.
National police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the robberies.
“The robbers have been preying on shoppers who illegally sneak into South Africa, who were robbed around the Lutumba area. We have since dispatched officers on a joint operation to bring to book these criminals,” he said.
Nyathi warned people against using undesignated points to cross to and from South Africa.
“The borders are still closed, but we have people who sneak into neighbouring countries, risking falling victim to such robbers,” he said.
A source told NewsDay Weekender that the robbers were from HaGoda, who before border closures, survived on illegal cross-border activities.
“We even know the owner of the gun in question. At one time, these youths dug pits on the road from the river so that vehicles would be trapped,” a villager said.
A businessman at Lutumba, who requested anonymity, said robberies had become a daily experience in the area.
“These robbers have been active for a month and we wonder why police have not been able to account for them. We are now living in fear,” he said.
Zimbabwe has kept its borders closed to curb the spread of COVID-19, but border jumpers risk life and limb as they flock to South Africa for cheaper groceries.
-NewsDay
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s move to introduce a host of changes that effectively banned the use of foreign currency in local transactions has left business in panic mode amid fears of steep price increases.
The Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) (Financial Laws Amendment) Regulations, 2021, introduced last week forced businesses to use the US$1:ZWL$84 exchange rate.
They also made it illegal to give customers a discount for paying for goods or services in foreign currency, refuse to take local currency payments at the official exchange rate and to issue Zimbabwe dollar receipts for goods paid for in foreign currency.
The move has seen businesses either conveniently going into stocktaking exercises as they assess the situation and come up with viable solutions, while others resorted to increasing US dollar prices by more than 40% to close the gap between the black market and official auction system exchange rates.
Industry has flatly rejected the policy measures, under SI 127 of 2021, describing them as a new threat to their existence.
Industry sources, who requested not to be named, said business was in trouble in the wake of the new policy.
“Some companies had borrowed heavily in Zimbabwe dollars despite arguably high interest rates banking on the parallel market rates, but this has been scrapped now and we are in trouble,” said the source, adding that the forex auction system was flawed and useless.
They said imports would be the only option as US dollar and Zimbabwe dollar prices will go up by at least 40%.
“What is happening is that there is a huge delay on the auction, your Zimbabwe dollars are deducted to pay for forex and sometimes it takes a long to come,” the source added.
“What has been helping us is that we had free funds because of the good rates and people were paying in foreign currencies, but after this all that will go away and we will surely sink.”
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries CEO Sekai Kuvarika said industry had rejected Mnangagwa’s move.
“It’s not a welcome development to business,” Kuvarika said.
“We are finalising our response to the statutory instrument and our response will be out on Monday [tomorrow].”
Sources close to the industry body, however, say members were infuriated and an adverse response was likely.
Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) CEO Chris Mugaga also said industry was not pleased with the decision and it would oppose it.
Mugaga said the SI was a confirmation that the exchange rate stability was artificial.
“You don’t measure stability by a stationary exchange rate, but by using market developments,” he said.
“People are focusing on the SI, on its impact on business and they are forgetting that the SI is just the government somehow confirming to you that the auction exchange rate is not the exchange rate, otherwise there is no need to deviate.
“I think you know our position is that the auction system needs a revamp so that it is market reflective, so those marketeers, auctioneers who have been preaching the language of a perfect auction system should not cry because surely if everything was perfect then it would reflect reality,” Mugaga said, adding that the rules were a form of financial repression.
“As ZNCC, we maintain that you can never legislate the exchange rate, let the market decide.
“This is a level of financial repression, which is not directly a function of interest rates. That’s one issue we are against and we don’t think we are supporting this SI whether it’s going to be implemented or not. The signal it is sending is just also telling a very toxic story to the market that the only exchange rate everyone should be talking about is the one from the auction.
“But I think it’s time we should sit and interrogate the auction and see if the auction is the best way for price discovery given the realities surrounding it right now.”
Economist Chenaimoyo Mutambasere said it was impossible to control the exchange rate through legislation.
The fact that the auction has been stable at 85 shows there is a hand in operation because by sheer nature of it being auction the price should never be predetermined and a sticky ‘auction’ rate suggests that this is a pegged regime, which requires a clear strategy so that investors can weigh the risks to the their investment,” Mutambasere said.
“Is the endgame to move to local currency or dollarisation and when?
“A pegged regime only works for a finite period and with a clear strategy to follow.”
Mutambasere warned alternatives would be investors exiting the market altogether which would in turn roll out the red carpet for hyper-inflation.
Economist Kipson Gundani said the new rules would not work as government was trying to force people to use a fixed exchange rate.
“Everyone had the liberty to charge what they wanted in US and Zimdollar,” Gundani said.
“The variation is that literally, people are being forced to use the government-determined exchange rate,” he said.
“People do not want to make losses, they will price in local currency, but use the black market rate at the back of their minds.
“The SI will result in a runaway black market. There will be more demand for the US at the black market.
“This also results in borrowed inflation, inflation stimulated via the exchange rate.
“The prices of goods will go up. People will be indexing prices in the US dollar.”
Consumers have borne the brunt of the policy inconsistency by Mnangagwa’s government, which came into power through a military coup in 2017.
Mnangagwa started by insisting the multiple currency system would stay before yielding to the threat of a civil service uprising in 2020 to introduce a mono currency system under the Zimbabwe dollar, giving the Treasury the leeway to print cash and pay its bloated civil service which gobbled as much as 98% of the cash budget at peak.
Mnangagwa’s latest manoeuvres, which effectively barred players from giving discounts on US dollar cash sales, closed the gap for unscrupulous businesses to trade at the official rates while pricing at black market rates.
Business fears foreign currency will, as a result of SI127 of 2021, find its way into the parallel market and starve operators of the free funds they had now started to enjoy.
And Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba yesterday hinted a crackdown against businesses that violate the rules was in the offing.
“Many have been asking how the government intends to bring pricing sanity in the market, given the raging black market,” Charamba tweeted.
“My point of departure is treating the black currency market as a given, and giving it a life of its own.
“My experience is that authors of the black market are the same.
“Anyway, the culprits are now known, including those in the telecommunication sector. Their wiles and subterfuges are also known. The key thing is to move in decisively, while relying on market-friendly instruments.
“I can’t overemphasise discipline in the financial sector, including taking very drastic steps against errant banks which dabble in the black market.”
A top government source close to the new policy promulgation said the intention was to create a level playing field by way of plugging loopholes created by the widespread use of foreign currency in the economy.
“Businesses that were pricing goods and playing by the rules have no problems whatsoever. But there are guys who have been pricing at black market rates and benefiting from the auction system, these will be affected and they are the ones crying,” said the official, who requested not to be named.-standard
By A Correspondent- Armed robbers have wreaked havoc in Beitbridge’s HaGoda, Mahuhushe and Lutumba areas where more than a dozen incidents, including carjacking, have been reported by cross-border jumpers in the past few weeks.
Yesterday, security forces shot dead one of the suspected armed robbers, injured two and arrested several others following a raid at their hideout in Lutumba.
The suspected robber identified only as Abel was hit when he fled into a building inside a beer hall and died on the spot.
Another suspect identified only as Elvis pointed a .303 rifle at the security forces before he was also shot and injured.
Thousands of dollars worth of groceries believed to have been robbed from different people were recovered in yesterday’s raid.
The pre-dawn raid was a result of a combined operation between local police and security personnel deployed for a special operation along the border.
These two groups have previously been engaged in a territorial dispute that resulted in the robbers taking advantage.
The armed robbers hit unsuspecting shoppers who sneak into South Africa through undesignated points with the Zimbabwean border still closed.
The armed robbers are preying on unsuspecting shoppers who sneak into South Africa through undesignated points since the Zimbabwean border is still closed.
At least two vehicles, both minibuses loaded with groceries were recently hijacked at gunpoint with one emptied and abandoned a few kilometres from the scene.
The other is yet to be recovered while dozens of other victims left the scene empty-handed.
Most of these armed robberies occur at night.
“The robbers are believed to have armed local youths, taking advantage of a territorial battle between local police and those deployed for a special operation against smuggling and border-jumping.
National police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the robberies.
“The robbers have been preying on shoppers who illegally sneak into South Africa, who were robbed around the Lutumba area. We have since dispatched officers on a joint operation to bring to book these criminals,” he said.
Nyathi warned people against using undesignated points to cross to and from South Africa.
“The borders are still closed, but we have people who sneak into neighbouring countries, risking falling victim to such robbers,” he said.
A source told NewsDay Weekender that the robbers were from HaGoda, who before border closures, survived on illegal cross-border activities.
“We even know the owner of the gun in question. At one time, these youths dug pits on the road from the river so that vehicles would be trapped,” a villager said.
A businessman at Lutumba, who requested anonymity, said robberies had become a daily experience in the area.
“These robbers have been active for a month and we wonder why police have not been able to account for them. We are now living in fear,” he said.
Zimbabwe has kept its borders closed to curb the spread of COVID-19, but border jumpers risk life and limb as they flock to South Africa for cheaper groceries.
-NewsDay
By A Correspondent- A woman woke up to the shock of her life after she saw her husband sprinkling hot water around their yard.
Thando Moyo got shocked after she woke up in the dead of the night and saw her husband Trust Sibanda (35) going around the yard holding a jug sprinkling hot water mixed with a concoction.
After that, he got into their matrimonial bedroom and also sprinkled hot water.
Disturbed by that, the woman who had only wrapped herself with a towel confronted her husband and accused him of sprinkling a concoction around their yard, the source said. And that stoked anger.
Sparks flew high as Sibanda manhandled his wife and grabbed her towel and threw it away before bashing her with fists on the face, said a family insider.
Sibanda went a step further and dashed outside the house and brought a 10-litre container which was full of water which was mixed with the concoction and poured it on her, the family source continued.
The drenched woman dashed to a police station and made a report leading to Sibanda’s arrest.
Bulawayo acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the incident.
“I can confirm that a 35-year-old man has been arrested after he beat his wife for questioning him on why he was sprinkling hot water around the yard and inside their matrimonial bedroom,” she said.
— BMetro
By A Correspondent- Corruption syndicates comprising police officers, prosecutors and magistrates are reportedly soliciting bribes from suspects before organising acquittals through sloppy investigations and prosecution.
All this starts at the police station where suspects are discouraged from engaging lawyers, with rogue officers assuring them of acquittal and seeking bribes that are lower than what a lawyer would charge in any case, without that same degree of certainty of acquittal.
Half-baked investigations are then done before the bribed investigating officer takes the case to a prosecutor, who will be part of the syndicate, for vetting.
During the trial, there is under-prosecution, leaving the magistrate with no option, but to clear the suspect.
The allegations were made at an all stakeholders anti-corruption conference in Harare yesterday by Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) executive secretary Mr Edward Mapara and backed by Police Assistant Commissioner Joseph Nyabasa.
https://www.herald.co.zw/cops-prosecutors-in-acquittals-storm/
The conference was organised by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and Transparency International Zimbabwe.
In most cases, Mr Mapara said, the suspects were acquitted, hence corruption continues unabated.
LSZ said it had received several complaints, with Guruve Magistrates’ Court allegedly one of the hotspots.
Mr Mapara called for an all-stakeholder’s approach to curb the illicit practice.
“We have engaged the police, prosecution, Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and prison authorities over the issue, but the syndicates continue demanding bribes. We will continue engaging them until we win the fight. Together we will end the corruption.
“As lawyers, we went to law school with a view to practice law, develop the law and fend for our families, but the corrupt syndicates have taken over,” he said.
Police Assistant Commissioner Joseph Nyabasa confirmed the collusion between investigating officers and court officials.
“Accused persons may pay the police officers so that they carry out weak investigations that will lead to an acquittal. We have arrested a number of errant police officers for such corrupt practices after colluding with the suspects.
“At times our officers collude with prosecutors and judicial officers to facilitate a corrupt acquittal of a criminal. This frustrates the complainants and erodes public confidence in the criminal justice system. They take the suspects to prosecutors, part of the syndicate, who will place the case before a judicial officer of their own,” he said.
ZACC commissioner Mrs Jessie Majome added her voice to the scandal, saying she had received complaints from legal practitioners.
“I have heard several lawyers complaining of the corrupt syndicates in the justice delivery system. Something must be done to curb the crime,” she said.
ZACC chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo warned those in the criminal justice system against corruption saying justice must not be sold.
“It is a tragedy when those of us who serve in the justice sector bend the law in exchange for monetary bribes or favours in kind by losing case files, evidence or even suspects, delaying proceedings, issuing questionable sentences or providing prisoners with preferential treatment.
“In return, citizens may turn to informal justice mechanisms, sometimes run by corrupt cartels and mafia-like structures, to resolve conflicts and secure their rights. Ultimately, the legitimacy of the State is undermined. Ladies and gentlemen, if justice can be bought, it becomes worthless.
“Equality before the law should not be for sale to the highest bidder…” she said.
A chief law officer at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Mr Michael Reza said prosecutors were corruptly consenting to bail to suspects who do not deserve the freedom.
State media
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By A Correspondent- The government is owing $1.5 billion to cotton farmers a development which has discouraged farmers from growing the
This came out last week in parliament when the committee, chaired by Gokwe Nembudziya legislator Justice Mayor Wadyajena (Zanu PF), was getting oral evidence from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
$1,5 billion owed to farmers is for cotton delivered last season.
PICTURES BELOW….
Huge hyena killed near Chitowa, Chivi. How old do you think he was?
MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa says under-fire Chief Justice Luke Malaba must voluntarily step down to preserve the integrity of Zimbabwe’s judicial system.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa controversially extended Malaba’s term of office after he reached the retirement age of 70 early this month.
Mnangagwa used the contested amendments to the constitution to extend the top judge’s term, but a panel of High Court judges ruled that the move was illegal.
Malaba returned to work last week after the government appealed against the judgement.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum filed an urgent High Court application seeking to have the chief justice jailed for contempt of court.
On Friday, the case took another twist when 17 Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges appealed the ruling that ended Malaba’s time as chief justice.
Legal experts said the appeal by the judges meant that they cannot hear the case, a development that has the potential to plunge the country into a constitutional crisis.
“The culture of leaving is important and must be upheld in offices of public trust and senior government officials in [permanent] secretaries, ministers, parastatal bosses, the registrar general, clerk of Parliament and even the judiciary,” Chamisa said yesterday.
“People must know that it is important to serve and leave. It is important to let go.”
High Court judges Happias Zhou, Esther Charehwa and Edith Mushore ruled the extension of Malaba’s term beyond his 70-year retirement age was unconstitutional.
The trios said Malaba and the other judges could not benefit from the controversial amendments to the constitution that gave Mnangagwa power to appoint top judges.
Chamisa said there was need for public officials to respect the rule of law.
Meanwhile, confusion continues to grip government over Malaba’s status as officials took turns to acknowledge Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza as the acting chief justice during the unveiling of Mbuya Nehanda statue by Mnangagwa on Africa Day.
Harare Provincial Affairs minister Oliver Chidawu is one of the officials that referred to Gwaunza as the acting chief justice.
-The Standard
By A Correspondent | A relative of the late Robert Mugabe, Lloyd Msipa has accused Zvimba West MP Phillip Chiyangwa for engineering the move to exhume the remains of the late President.
Writing during the week, Msipa went to the extent of labelling Chiyangwa, McGyver.
Asked to clarify further, Msipa responded with a short answer saying, “I didn’t stutter.”
The development comes as a picture circulated of Chiyangwa with a supposed Chief Zvimba. The real Chief Zvimba last week passed a ruling that forces former First Lady, Grace Mugabe to exhume her late husband’s remains and rebury them at the government owned National Heroes Acre.
Contacted for a comment, Hon Chiyangwa replied saying he does not know Chief Zvimba.
Last night, religion analyst, Howard Nyoni said, the move to exhume Mugabe’s body is for ritual purposes. Nyoni said Emmerson Mnangagwa will never be like Robert Mugabe even if he reburies the remains.
DO YOU THINK CHIYANGWA DID SUCH A THING?
By A Correspondent |The courageous ZINASU Leader Takudzwa Ngadziore was yesterday involved in an accident in which a white hardbody car that quickly sped off after a head on collision.
“The driver didn’t stop to check on us but fled away,” said Ngadziore.
The accident happened near Masvingo.
While further details were awaited, Ngadziore narrated the ordeal in the following words.
Just had an accident together with the Secretary General Tapiwanashe Isaac Chiriga now on our way to Masvingo. We thank God we are alive and sustained minor injuries.
Tried hard avoiding a head-on by a white hardbody vehicle. Unfortunately, the driver didn’t stop to check on us but fled away. Sad stories of our struggle but God is faithful. #ZINASULives
Trees and grass have grown in a structure that was supposed to house a mortuary at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo which has not been completed 25 years after its construction started.
The hospital has recently been dogged by problems that have exposed the institution’s dilapidated infrastructure.
Last week, fire damaged a block of flats that housed doctors in the process destroying property worth US$500 000.
Apart from the mortuary, some of the incomplete structures at the institution include a chapel and residential flats.
So old is the mortuary structure that trees are now growing inside the incomplete building while overgrown grass covers the outside. The structure was meant to be bigger than the mortuary in use at the institution.
Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya proposed that the incomplete structure could be used for other purposes.
“The contractor has been there for many, many years. But there hasn’t been any contact yet that I am aware of with him as far as I can remember. His contract was done from Central Government together with Sally Mugabe Hospital.
The Government tried to build these structures in both sister hospitals,” said Prof Ngwenya.
He said although he was not privy to details of the project, he called for its resuscitation.
“I think the Government must resuscitate this project and since we have acute shortage of accommodation, we can change its use from being a mortuary to living quarters and this can easily be done from the structures that are already there. This will alleviate the problems that we have with accommodation. We should look towards investing in areas where people that are alive will use rather than in a mortuary. There is also a chapel there that was never completed, that too can also be turned into a residential area,” said Prof Ngwenya.
A senior official at the institution who spoke on condition of anonymity said construction of the structures started in 1996.
“The mortuary construction was started in 1996 by a private contractor who worked very fast initially but later abandoned the site leaving one security guard to man the area. The reason why it has overgrown grass and trees is that it is a site that will have been handed over to a contractor and as an institution we are not allowed to go in, even to do things like grass cutting. Normally, when you hand over sites, the contractor is the one that is responsible even for maintenance and upkeep,” he said.
The official said it was against the institution’s policy to invade a site without the contractor’s knowledge.
“As a contractor works, he has his materials in there, so if you move in to clean and things go missing it becomes our problem. It’s a no-go area until the contractor comes back to us to show us the project and hands it over officially to us.
“The equipment that the contractor left is even rotting in the incomplete building and we have not touched it. The contractor had gone as far as roof level, so even the trusses and beams that were installed have all rotted,” said the official.
The same contractor, whose name could not be established, was also constructing a chapel which was also abandoned. Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro, who toured the incomplete structures last week, said he was not impressed.
“These tree roots growing inside the building may have damaged the building by now, don’t you think so? This mortuary needs to be completed, I need to know when work can start even just to remove these trees and weeds,” he said.
Dr Mangwiro also proposed that as officials were budgeting for the cost of repairing the burnt down flat, they must also include the cost of completing the mortuary.
-State Media
Legal Opinion By Veritas | A fortnight ago the High Court ruled that Chief Justice Malaba ceased to be Chief Justice when he turned 70 on the 15th May. The court ruled that the recent amendment to section 186 of the Constitution, which would allow certain judges to serve until the age of 75, did not apply to Mr Malaba. The court’s order was as follows:
“It is declared that:
1. The 2nd respondent [i.e. Mr Malaba] … ceased to hold the office of Chief Justice of Zimbabwe and judge by operation of Law on 15 May 2021 at 0000 hours.
…
We analysed the court’s judgment in Court Watch 8/2021 of the 17th May [link] and the judgment itself can be accessed on the Veritas website [link].
Following the judgment the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and the Attorney-General filed an appeal to the Supreme Court on the 17th May. The 17 judges who were also respondents in the case have now followed suit with their appeal. Apparently believing that the noting of an appeal suspended the High Court’s judgment, Mr Malaba is reported to have gone to his office and may have carried out administrative work as Chief Justice. As a result the chairperson of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum has filed an urgent application in the High Court for an order committing Mr Malaba to prison for contempt of court. The applicant’s papers can be viewed on the Veritas website [link].
Basis of the Application for Contempt
In this latest application the applicant seeks an order in the following terms:
“It is ordered that:
1. First respondent LUKE MALABA is found to be in contempt of the judgment of the High Court per ZHOU, MUSHORE and CHAREWA JJ given under case number HC/ ___/21. Consequently:
1.1 Luke Malaba is ordered to pay a fine in the sum of $1 000 000,00.
1.2 Luke Malaba is committed to Chikurubi Prison for a period of 6 months all of which is suspended on the grounds that he shall forthwith and immediately after service upon him of this order cease and desist from exercising the functions of CHIEF JUSTICE OF ZIMBABWE either in a judicial or administrative capacity.
1.3 The record of these proceedings together with the order of court shall be placed before the Law Society Ethics and Disciplinary Committee for it to take any action it may find advisable and appropriate, the circumstances of the matter considered.
2. Costs of this application be borne by the first respondent on the higher scale of legal practitioner and own client.”
The applicant’s reasons for seeking this order are as follows:
· The High Court’s judgment was not suspended by the noting of an appeal against it, and
· Mr Malaba deliberately flouted the High Court’s order by going to his office on the 24th May and exercising the functions of Chief Justice.
Does the Appeal Suspend the Court’s Judgment?
As a general rule, a court’s judgment is suspended if the losing party notes an appeal against it, but this is only a general rule. One exception recognised by courts in Zimbabwe and elsewhere is that declaratory orders are not suspended by an appeal. A declaratory order is a ruling by a court declaring what the law is, or declaring that a factual situation exists because of a rule of law.
That is precisely what the High Court in Mr Malaba’s case did: it declared that he was no longer Chief Justice or a judge by operation of law (more precisely, by operation of section 186 of the Constitution before its most recent amendment). The Court did not order Mr Malaba to do anything; it simply declared what his status was because of the law.
Hence the applicant has firm grounds for contending that the High Court’s order has not been suspended by the noting of an appeal.
Was Mr Malaba in Contempt?
Here the applicant is on shakier ground. The Court’s order simply determined Mr Malaba’s status – i.e. that he was not Chief Justice or a judge – and did not go further to tell him expressly what he should or should not do. As a result, when Mr Malaba resumed work as Chief Justice it is arguable that he did not breach the Court’s order – though may well have broken some other laws.
Conclusion
In our Court Watch 8/2021 we pointed out that if the government’s appeal against the High Court’s decision does not succeed, and the appeal court confirms that Mr Malaba ceased to hold office on the 15th May, it will be impossible to validate anything that he might have done after the judgment was delivered. Hence it would be advisable for him to stay at home until the appeal is decided, and leave his official work to Justice Gwaunza, who has been appointed Acting Chief Justice.
Emmerson Mnangagwa is desperate to open Robert Mugabe’s grave, what’s really happening?
Tracing the Historiograpgy and Amplification of Nehanda Myth
By Dr Takavafira Zhou | It has never been my intention to engage in historical debate with people specialising in wishful thinking or arguments from positions of ignorance. But it is also a duty of historians worthy their professional credo to present objective history rather to remain silent when the nation is constantly fed on a diet of lies and starvation for political expediency. After my first article on Nehanda entitled Political Expediency would not take us far: putting Nehanda in her proper historical context, which I wrote in December 2020 that generated interests recently because of President Mnangagwa’s celebration of Nehanda statue, it is prudent to present an addendum to it in an attempt to provide answers to some questions raised from positions divorced from historical evidence. Contrary to some assumptions, it is not my intention to inject ethnicity in our history but to de-ethnicise our past history and celebrate our past history in its proper historical context. In order for the past to be more relevant, it must positively influence the present and future, and certainly not be used and abused for political expediency. As much as we cannot correct the past wrongs, we can certainly correct the present and future. Our liberation legacy must be completed by improving the livelihoods of Zimbabwean people, rather than legitimation of political parties and myths.
The first person to amplify Nehanda myth was a colonial historian Marshal Hole hired to explain why Shona and Ndebele were not greatful to be colonised so that they rose in 1896-97. Despite clear evidence of brutal colonial administration that forced the Shona and Ndebele into the Rising, Hole blamed fear of the Mlimo (God) and spirit mediums (mhondoro) as a driving force which in reality was a cassus belli (excuse) for colonial exploitation.
The second elevation was Prof T.O. Ranger, who in an attempt to foster unity between ZAPU and ZANU in the 1960s amplified a spontaneous and dramatic Shona-Ndebele rising in a way reminiscent of the night of the long knives in Germany spearheaded by religious leaders, Mukwati, Umulugulu, Nehanda and Kaguvi, and imagined attempts to resuscitate the Rozvi empire. Ranger’s book Revolt in Southern Rhodesia was a source of inspiration to the Nationalist in Zimbabwe. It is surprising why he has not been declared a National hero given his role in the rise of African nationalism in Zimbabwe. The Rangerian mythological thesis was destroyed by Per Zachrison, Professors Beach and Cobbing by the mid 1970s, with Professor Gathseni-Ndlovu and myself adding weight to Beach and Cobbing in the 21st century. Prof Ranger had by 2002 accepted the historical defects of Revolt in Southern Rhodesia but still justified its usefulness in trying to cement unity and challenging modern nationalist to emulate his invention of the unity of the First Chimurenga. Indeed the modern nationalist emulated the assumed unity of the First Chimurenga and saw their effort as a Second Chimurenga and therefore continuity, extension and celebration of the First Chimurenga. But in reality there was no simultaneous and spontaneous Rising in 1896-97, but various Zvimurenga that were not coordinated but localised, with various chiefs fighting alone and defeated alone, and several other Africans fighting on the side of whites. The feelings of locality were more strong than feelings of being black or nationality, with Nehanda localised to Mazoe and Kaguvi to Chishawasha areas. The only times Kaguvi left Chishawasha was on hunting expeditions or hibernating after abusing other people’s children for wives or abusing other people’s wives. Kaguvi reportedly fled from Mashayamombe area after a minor war that erupted between him and Mashayamombe for “stealing two women from Mashayamombe who reported the case to police.” Far from reportedly spreading Chimurenga, Kaguvi was in most cases either on hunting errands or running from men after snatching their wives or girl children.
The third wave of elevation of Nehanda emanated from Nyandoro, Chikerema, Mutizwa, Shamuyarira and Samkange who were instrumental trade unionists-cum-politicians and believed in elevating traditional religion to play a role in order to win independence. Not surprisingly Nyandoro and Chikerema at one time enticed Joshua Nkomo by claiming that the spirit of Nehanda had adviced them on a modus operandi to win independence, and the trio travelled to Malawi and obtained a calabash from a traditional leader there believed then to be full of bees with the belief that if the calabash was smashed in central Harare town, they would stung the whites as allegedly happened in Malawi and blacks would attain independence in Zimbabwe. This however proved fruitless. The period 1969-1973 witnessed attempts to decimate both ZANU-PF and ZAPU and elevate Zezuru hegemonic power epitomised by Florizi (driven by Shamuyarira, Chikerema and Nyandoro etc) whose intended leader as shown in a 1972 document was R.G. Mugabe. There were also concerted efforts to magnify religious roles of Nehanda, Kaguvi and Chaminuka by Mutizwa and Shamuyarira in Zanu until the 1973 biennial conference where Shamuyarira lost contest to Chitepo for chairmanship after which he dismissed the liberation fighters as terrorists and left the liberation war. It were Hebert Chitepo, Tongogara and JZ Moyo who deflated Zezuru attempts to decimate both ZANU and ZAPU, and with the formation of ZIPA in 1975 as a joint military operation to continue the war and resumption of war in 1976, any attempts to blame ZANU and ZAPU and legitimise Florizi collapsed.
The 4th and final elevation of Nehanda, Kaguvi, and Chaminuka was the rise of Mugabe in 1977 and the return of the likes of Shamuyarira to the liberation struggle. Although, the initial co-operation with Nyandoro and Chikerema had collapsed when Mugabe refused to take the offer of president of Florizi after he carefully read the current of events spearheaded by Dare reChimurenga for Zanu, and able leadership of JZ Moyo, Mangena and others for Zapu who deflated the threat from ZAPU vice President Chikerema, the elevation of Nehanda, Kaguvi and Chaminuka intensified from 1977 as a process of a totalising Zezuru hegemonic power. After independence the totalising Zezuru hegemonic power intensified with the consummation of the three religious leaders to national level through naming of buildings and patriotic history. Surprisingly, not even a single building is named after Mashayamombe and Chingaira Makoni, Changamire Dombo, Nyamanda etc who by far played greater roles in fighting colonialists than Kaguvi, and Nehanda, who even denied ever sending agents to kill a Native Commissioner by the name of Pollard. So where exactly is her heroism derived from in the First Chimurenga other than the myth of a totalising Zezuru hegemonic power, and Marshal Hole’s distortion of the causes of the First Chimurenga?
A hero is a person who is admired for his/her courage, determination, inspiration, outstanding achievements and noble qualities which are nowhere near Nehanda or Kaguvi in the First Chimurenga. However Nehanda’s legendary role and inspiration in the Second Chimurenga, can not be denied, never mind its invention or artificial creation. However, this influence was conspicuous by its absence in the first Chimurenga as demonstrated by historians such as Beach, Cobbing, Zachrison, Gathseni-Ndlovu and Zhou. This is a historical fact that must never be silenced and compromised for political expediency.
For the new dispensation to continue to major in myths and past history without addressing the current political, economic social ills is not only unfortunate but ill conceived. The liberation legacy of the ruling party must be amplified by sustainable development, service delivery and improvement of the livelihoods of the generality of the populace in Zimbabwe.
I rest my historical case
ZANU PF Politburo member, Tshinga Dube has defended the family of the late President Robert Mugabe which has been ordered by Chief Zvimba to initiate the exhumation and reburial of the veteran leader’s remains.
The former minister was addressing journalists at the Bulawayo Press Club on Africa Day when he said his former boss died a bitter man because of the way he was removed from power in 2017. Dube said:
There are many interpretations why he (Mugabe) was not put at Heroes Acre because as you know, the way he was dispossessed of power made him and the family very unhappy and angry.
So, they had a good reason that they react very angrily to the extent that they decided he must be buried in his village; so, there is nothing which we can do about it.
So, I do not know about the President trying to take the former president to use him for rituals.
That I do not know but all I can say is just that some people believe that the former president must be at the Heroes Acre because he is one of those who came up with the idea of a Heroes Acre and he must be there.
Others are saying why should he be in his village when others go there but as I said, interpretations are many.
Mugabe’s family accuses President Emmerson Mnangagwa of pushing for the exhumation and reburial of his former boss.
Former Youth Minister, Patrick Zhuwao who is Mugabe’s nephew claiming that Mnangagwa wants a mystical sceptre which he believes was buried together with Mugabe.
The government has refuted the claims saying the suit was initiated by the Mugabe family.- Pindula News
TREES and grass have grown in a structure that was supposed to house a mortuary at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo which has not been completed 25 years after its construction started.
The hospital has recently been dogged by problems that have exposed the institution’s dilapidated infrastructure.
Last week, fire damaged a block of flats that housed doctors in the process destroying property worth US$500 000.
Apart from the mortuary, some of the incomplete structures at the institution include a chapel and residential flats.
So old is the mortuary structure that trees are now growing inside the incomplete building while overgrown grass covers the outside. The structure was meant to be bigger than the mortuary in use at the institution.
Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya proposed that the incomplete structure could be used for other purposes.
“The contractor has been there for many, many years. But there hasn’t been any contact yet that I am aware of with him as far as I can remember. His contract was done from Central Government together with Sally Mugabe Hospital.
The Government tried to build these structures in both sister hospitals,” said Prof Ngwenya.
He said although he was not privy to details of the project, he called for its resuscitation.
“I think the Government must resuscitate this project and since we have acute shortage of accommodation, we can change its use from being a mortuary to living quarters and this can easily be done from the structures that are already there. This will alleviate the problems that we have with accommodation. We should look towards investing in areas where people that are alive will use rather than in a mortuary. There is also a chapel there that was never completed, that too can also be turned into a residential area,” said Prof Ngwenya.- The Sunday News
In an all-English final, the UEFA Champions League trophy will go to London, not Manchester; to the men in royal blue, not sky blue; and to the club employing a young attacker from Hershey, Pa., who, with his second-half appearance, made U.S. soccer history.
On a night of high drama in a seaside Portuguese city, Kai Havertz, a 21-year-old German forward, scored late in the first half Saturday as Chelsea upset Manchester City, 1-0, to win its second European championship and deny its Premier League rivals its first.
The Porto setting also provided a stage for Christian Pulisic, who became the first U.S. men’s national team player to appear in club soccer’s biggest game. Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen, Pulisic’s U.S. teammate, did not play.
Pulisic, 22, entered in the 66th minute and almost scored moments later.
“I’m just so proud to be here,” Pulisic said after being joined on the field by his parents, Mark and Kelley, former soccer players at George Mason University, to pose with the trophy. “I couldn’t imagine winning the Champions League ever in my life, and now I’m here.”
Chelsea relived the glory of winning the 2012 title and stymied a Manchester City team in the final for the first time after a 10-year ascent. Although Manchester City had claimed the Premier League crown this month, Chelsea drew confidence from winning the previous two meetings.
Thomas Tuchel, who was appointed Chelsea’s manager in January amid a sluggish campaign, said the message to the team was this: “We need a top performance, and we need to be at our best level, but we don’t need a miracle. We don’t need a miracle! We can do it. It’s not like we need crazy things to happen.”- Washington Post
The United States dollar remains legal tender in the country and the newly gazetted regulations requiring businesses accessing foreign currency through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) foreign exchange auction system to use the official exchange rate in their pricing mechanisms are meant to curtail market indiscipline.
Statutory Instrument 127 of 2021, gazetted last week, imposes penalties on businesses accessing foreign exchange on the RBZ platform and then proceed to peg their prices using parallel market rates.
Responding to questions on the statutory instrument yesterday, RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya said the new regulations were not designed to harm businesses but to enforce market discipline and eliminate arbitrage.
He said businesses pegging their prices using parallel exchange rates after accessing forex from the auction system were operating unfairly and their actions were bad for the economy and consumers.
Promulgation of the regulations saw some large scale retailers yesterday refusing to accept foreign currency at the tills, asking customers to first exchange their forex at bureau de-changes in-store.
However, Dr Mangudya said the use of foreign currency for the payment of goods and services was still allowed.
“The purpose of Statutory Instrument 127 is to ensure that those obtaining foreign exchange from the auction system use the market exchange rate which is within the auction weighted exchange rate or the auction bid range,” he said.
“The use of parallel exchange rates of above 100, for example, on funds obtained from the auction system at $85 to the US$ is not good for the economy and consumers.
“It is these anomalies or arbitrage opportunities that the Statutory Instrument is designed to deal with.
“It is not designed to harm business but to provide a level playing field in business and to protect consumers.” Dr Mangudya said businesses have been given a grace period of two weeks to comply with the new regulations.
“Businesses have been given two weeks to regularise their business operating systems to comply with the Statutory Instrument on the receipting of goods and services in either foreign currency or local currency,” he said.
“This is essential to minimise arbitrage on foreign exchange obtained from the auction system. This Statutory Instrument is therefore important to enforce compliance which is necessary to continue to stabilise the economy.”
Some businesses had yesterday started rejecting either the local currency or forex as a way of circumventing the new regulations. They however, risk being penalised under the new regulations.
Under the new regime, businesses will be fined $50 000 or its equivalent in foreign currency for refusing to take payment in local currency at the official exchange rate. Financial institutions with clients that fall foul of the regulations will also be fined.
Diverting forex obtained from the auction for other purposes will now be a punishable offence attracting a penalty of $1 million or its equivalent in foreign currency.
In addition, businesses trading at the forex auction will now be required to state the purpose for which they require the forex resources.
Also gazetted under Statutory Instrument 127 of 2021 is penalisation of natural or legal person guilty of being a seller of goods or services not authorised by law to charge for them exclusively in foreign currency. -Sunday Mail
Appeals filed at the Supreme Court challenging the High Court ruling nullifying the extension of Chief Justice Luke Malaba’s term of office will be heard in due course, the Judiciary Services Commission (JSC) has said.
This follows filing of notices of appeal by Chief Justice Malaba and 16 other Supreme and Constitutional Court judges against the recent High Court ruling.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and the JCS filed separate petitions a fortnight ago.
The 16 judges: Chief Justice Malaba, Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza, Paddington Garwe, Rita Makarau, Anne-Mary Gowora, Ben Hlatshwayo, Bharat Patel, Antonia Guvava, Susan Mavangira, Chinembiri Energy Bhunu, Tendai Uchena, Nicholas Mathonsi, Charles Hungwe, Felistas, Alfas Chitakunye, Alfas Chitakunye, Samuel Kudya and Lavender Makoni have all appealed the ruling.
A judge is disqualified from hearing a case once cited as one of the litigants. JSC Secretary Mr Walter Chikwanha told The Sunday Mail yesterday that all cases put before the courts are heard.
“I think it is important to note that when an appeal is made it is placed before the court, in this case the Supreme Court, not before a judge,” he said.
“And I can assure you that the cases before the Supreme Court will be heard. We can never have a situation whereby a matter is placed before the courts and the courts fail to hear it. In fact, it is impossible for a court to fail to hear a case.”
Mr Chikwanha said the question of who will hear the case is a prerogative of the judiciary, guided by the country’s laws.
“There is speculation as to who will hear the case and I find it inappropriate for people to talk about who will sit on the bench to hear the case,” he said.
“So I do not know who will be on the panel, but I know that the case will be heard because the judiciary will deal with that and come up with a decision.”
Constitutional law expert and University of Zimbabwe senior lecturer in the Faculty of Law, Professor Lovemore Madhuku, said there was no constitutional crisis because there were legal ways to deal with the matter.
“Well there are two ways to deal with it. If the judges really want the appeal to be heard there is an option to appoint different judges on a fixed term contract as per Section 186 Subsection 6 of the constitution,” he said.
“This means they will come in and hear the case and leave. The second one is that the appeal can be heard at such a time when the court has entirely new judges.
“This can be five or 10 years from now; it does not matter. It should be noted also that it’s not every appeal that can be heard. “Sometimes appellant can file an appeal just to set aside a judgement.” -Sunday Mail
FRENCH MINISTER INAUGURATES THE LAUNCH OF TRACE ACADEMIA
By A Correspondent | Trace, in the presence of the honourable French Minister Elisabeth Moreno and South African partners, today formally announced the inauguration of Trace Academia in South Africa, and the signing of a protocol of cooperation between Trace, Senghor University in Egypt, and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), to create a training programme to develop and support the professionalization of the creative and cultural sector in Africa.
Elisabeth Moreno, the Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities (travelling as part of the French presidential visit to South Africa this week) together with the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Trace, Olivier Laouchez and Trace Academia Co-MD, Prejlin Naidoo, launched the company’s latest youth empowerment programme.
Trace Academia is a free online vocational training platform built for young South Africans looking to build their skills to find or create jobs. Created in response to the high rate of youth unemployment in South Africa and the continent, Trace Academia will focus on empowerment through educating and training young people.
More than 50% of Africa’s population is under 25 years old. The youth are struggling with the effects of a longstanding economic and psychological crisis. The reach of the global pandemic has further accelerated the need for new approaches to education.
Trace Academia courses are created in collaboration with leading companies, institutions and experts to ensure that the skills provided are well matched to market needs. A localised, interactive and entertaining course format keeps the learner’s attention and significantly improves course completion rate.
Trace Academia will primarily target young South Africans in its inaugural year. The platform will launch with several locally produced training courses including Get Started with Digital Marketing (Grow with Google), How to Become a DJ (Trace), Spark your Interest in Electricity (Schneider Electric), Become a Successful Entrepreneur (Valued Citizens & UJ), Become a Real Handyman (Leroy Merlin) and Own Your Situation (Durex). Trace Academia will take the learner through the journey towards skill acquisition.
The Trace Academia platform will offer:
Learning Engagement – Engaging content keeps the learners’ attention and maximises completion
Testing and Certification – Course certified by industry leaders providing credibility and applicability
Employment Opportunities – Learners are connected to an ecosystem of employment enablers
With the mammoth goal of training over 25 million youth by 2025, Trace Academia aims to develop hundreds of courses to help empower these young people to become employable or become employers.
Part of the launch centred on the signing of a protocol of cooperation between the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Senghor University in Egypt and Trace to establish a partnership to support the development and professionalisation of the cultural and creative sector in Africa through the Trace Academia programme. AFD’s financing of €650k will cover a training course dedicated to understanding the challenges of the sector and providing workable solutions. The learning content of the training is to be developed through this partnership between Senghor University in Egypt, Trace and Campus AFD, AFD’s training centre.
‘To build Trace Academia, we’ve combined our expertise and experience in entertainment with cutting edge learning approaches adapted to the realities and cultures of Africa. The young people we have worked with in building the platform find the content highly engaging. In fact, in a recent study of 17-25 year olds in SA, Kenya and Nigeria, 96% said the app would motivate them to further their education or improve their employment prospects. We believe that Trace Academia has the potential to positively impact the lives of millions of young people in South Africa and across the continent,’ stated Trace Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Olivier Laouchez.
Due to the high youth unemployment rate in South Africa, it was important for Trace to introduce the Trace Academia project as a getaway to Trace’s mission of entertaining and empowering young people to stand up and shine.
Trace Academia is set to be launched in the rest of the world by the end of this year, with more courses to be produced with leading companies, institutions and experts globally.
The Trace Academia application can be downloaded on the Apple App store and Google Play store.
By Taruberekera Masara | How does Emmerson Mnangagwa get away with it? How does he lie and cheat and break the rules with apparent impunity? Plenty of theories are aired in the media: his alleged charisma, the weakness of the opposition, the success of the vaccine programme, his unwavering commitment to clamp down corruption. But the most likely explanation isn’t Mnangagwa character or circumstances. It’s the one staring back from the mirror. For most of his career, he has been protected by the news organisations that should have held him to account.
Surely the media are doing a great job. First the Chamisa story and now ED’s dirty business have been plastered all over the front pages. The recent scandals show that journalism in the Zimbabwe is the lively scourge of dishonesty and corruption. Really?
Information about the government’s lobbying outrages has been coming out for almost a year. The way the government issued contracts for PPE and other vital goods and services during the first wave of the pandemic is – or should have been – a much bigger scandal Chamisa in-house defections, Mnangagwa the refurbishment of his newly acquired USD18 million helicopter, the Nehanda statue. While qualified suppliers were desperately trying to sell their wares, the government ignored them and established a “VIP lane” for its chums.
Millions were spent on unadvertised, untendered contracts. In some cases – for instance, the PPE supply company owned by people close to No 1 – the recipients had special relationships with ministers and officials.
Nobody died as a result of Chamisa’s political woes. But health and other frontline workers died because vital protective equipment was either missing or inadequate. The procurement fiasco was likely to have been partly to blame.
There was a range of problems. The first hint that something odd was happening with the government’s procurement processes emerged in May 2020, with journalists Hopewell Chin’ono and Mduduzi Mathuthu picking up a scandal involving face mask that were charged US$28 from US$4 sourced by bizarre means from Namibia.It was picked up briefly, then the media moved on. Ed recovered from the scandal that up to now has no closure. Interpol exposed strange fiscal made by the government to a Hungarian company. In June campaign group led by citizens and political actors rose to pitch a demonstration citing the collapse of the health delivery situation in the country owing to supply chain corruption for PPE. Genuine as it was it was completely ignored and protest leaders got arrested.
State procurement and tendering has shown he world shocking and astonishing links where friends of ministers and civil servants and other well-connected people, including party donors, were operating through special channels. Companies with apparently no prior experience secured contracts for vital equipment. In some cases, the equipment either turned out to be useless or wasn’t delivered at all. Yet even when this gets exposed the media largely disengage and hunt for less explosive issues just to avoid taking the state to cleaners.
Far from making procurement faster and more efficient, as the government now claims, this system caused total chaos and catastrophic decisions. The opposition and other progressive non state actors complained about “drowning in VIP requests” to favour companies that were unable to meet the necessary standards. In the case of Wicknell Chivhayo the media reluctantly failed to expose bigwigs behind him and those that guaranteed him immunity in the face of failing the Treasury. Again and again the President has failed to look straight into the ugly eyes of corruption and say enough is enough yet the media can’t spur him to act decisively on it.
Corruption stories are covered sporadically by several newspapers. Only individual journalists do brilliant work. If you closely look at it none of the media, with the exception of Mathuthu and Chin’ono, give corruption issues the intense and unwavering coverage it deserved: in my view corruption by the political elites should hit the headlines day after day.
Why known corruption scandals not all over the front pages boggles the mind.The state media a supposedly voice of the common man take sides with power elite against people. They mute real stories and some sink without trace.
This is part of what I see as a pattern of failure. As the former Herald editor Tichaona Zindonga remarked, “ Herald journalists are absolutely terrified of the government and are bending over backwards to appease it”.
He pointed out that it scarcely mentioned the latest revelations about Mnangagwa’s relationship with Valdano Brown. Only two stories on its website published about the issue this year, both of which were mild, dull and remarkably late. The state media instead of checking on the abuses by the government they went on to give Mnangagwa a higher rating on his score card. Not because it is worse than most other outlets, but because it should be better. Funded by us, with vast reach and resources, it should be the leading investigator of government malfeasance.
Vigilance? Diligence? Initiative? For most of the past year, most of the media have been fast asleep.
By A Correspondent |The courageous ZINASU Leader Takudzwa Ngadziore was yesterday involved in an accident in which a white hardbody car that quickly sped off after a head on collision.
“The driver didn’t stop to check on us but fled away,” said Ngadziore.
The accident happened near Masvingo.
While further details were awaited, Ngadziore narrated the ordeal in the following words.
Just had an accident together with the Secretary General Tapiwanashe Isaac Chiriga now on our way to Masvingo. We thank God we are alive and sustained minor injuries.
Tried hard avoiding a head-on by a white hardbody vehicle. Unfortunately, the driver didn’t stop to check on us but fled away. Sad stories of our struggle but God is faithful. #ZINASULives
Tinashe Sambiri|Overzealous ZRP cops watched in awe as President Nelson Chamisa successfully launched the Tsvaira Zimbabwe Clean Up Programme in Mabvuku, Harare on Friday.
Although ZRP cops trailed President Chamisa, they failed to disrupt the programme.
“I made an unannounced visit to Mabvuku Suburb and joined the Tsvaira/Thanyela Zimbabwe campaign.
I was so humbled by the love and excitement.
Hardship can’t even take away people’s hope.
A clean environment is first an individual effort as it is a collective community convergence effort.
We are best together #StrongerAndStronger,” President Chamisa said in a statement.
MDC Alliance Secretary General Hon Charlton Hwende said police details made frantic efforts to disrupt the event.
“MDC Alliance president Advocate Nelson Chamisa successfully launched the Tsvaira Zimbabwe Campaign in Harare’s Mabvuku township today( Friday) despite a heavy presence of armed anti-riot police who wanted to disrupt the clean up campaign.
The campaign was rolled out by our party structures in all parts of the country today.”
Responding to the failed attempts by the police to stop him Chamisa said, “Nobody should be blocked from doing such activities. This is a national programme. Making Zimbabwe great is not a solo effort, it is a collective effort.”
Tinashe Sambiri|The Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa is afraid of his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, it has emerged.
This was revealed by Marry Chiwenga in an exclusive interview with ZimEye.com.
Marry has also been barred from seeing her children…
“This is beyond evil, I am suffering. I don’t know what to say.I have spoken to number one hoping he will help but he is afraid of number 2,” said Marry.
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance has urged citizens to register to vote in numbers.
According to the popular movement, voting in numbers reduces the chances of rigging.
The MDC Alliance also bemoaned the Constitutional crisis in the country.
See message card below:
Tinashe Sambiri|The Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa is afraid of his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, it has emerged.
This was revealed by Marry Chiwenga in an exclusive interview with ZimEye.com.
Marry has also been barred from seeing her children…
“This is beyond evil, I am suffering. I don’t know what to say.I have spoken to number one hoping he will help but he is afraid of number 2,” said Marry.
The police have arrested our members for Harare North Constituency Elvis Ruzani (Ward 42), Tendai Gora ( CCC orgn) and Bigboy Kadungure ( Hatcliffe 2 Primary Branch Orgn) for participating in a clean up campaign.
They are being persecuted for cleaning their communities- MDC Alliance
THE trial of a 27-year-old Rusape domestic worker who axed his two employers in cold blood has begun at the Mutare High Court with the suspect pleading for leniency saying he was drunk when he committed the heinous offence.
Elvas Mukono who is being represented by Mr Cosmas Chibaya of Chibaya and Associates told the court that he was enraged after his bosses failed to pay him for a job he had completed and butchered them on May 24, 2019.
Justice Hlekani Mwayera is presiding over the spine chilling murder case that left villagers under Chief Chiduku’s area shocked.
“The deceased, Elson Mberi (74) and his wife, Faina (72), employed Mukono on May 21 as a domestic worker. During the course of his employment, Mukono learnt that Faina Mberi had some foreign currency in her possession.
He hatched a plan to rob her,” principal public prosecutor, Ms Jane-Rose Matsikidze told the court.
“Before retiring to bed on May 23, Mukono took an axe and kept it in his bedroom. Around 4am the following day, Mukono armed himself with the axe and proceeded to the kitchen where Elson was. He struck him once on the head and left him for dead. He stole Elson’s Nokia phone and torch before heading to the couple’s bedroom where Faina was sleeping,” said Ms Matsikidze.
She said Mukono using the axe to strike Faina to death. “He threw the axe on the bed and ransacked the bedroom till he found the money. He also took Faina’s cellphone, gathered his clothes and fled.
“Faina’s body was discovered by another employee that same morning. Elson was still alive. He later died at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals on June 1,” said Ms Matsikidze.
Investigations were conducted, thereby leading to Mukono’s arrest.
Post-mortem results showed that the cause of death was severe head injuries.- Manica Post
Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs have parted ways with coach Gavin Hunt, less than a year into his three year contract.
The Cape Town-born tactician was appointed as Ernst Middendorp’s replacement in September last year and inked a three year-deal.
Things have however not gone well for The Glamour Boys under the 56-year old, particularly domestically, where they are flirting with relegation.
Despite guiding Chiefs to their first ever CAF Champions League, the club has wielded the axe on the former Bidvest Wits coach.
“Kaizer Chiefs have terminated coach Gavin Hunt’s contract with immediate effect. In the interim, Assistant Coaches Arthur Zwane and Dillon Sheppard will take charge of the senior team.
The Club will make further announcements in due course,” the club said in a statement.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe international Tino Kadewere has thanked Memphis Depay for the role the Dutchman played in helping him settle at Olympique Lyon.
Depay announced his exit last week, with all indications pointing to a move to Barcelona.
In his good bye message to the former Manchester United man, Kadewere thanked him for everything and wished him all the best.
“I want to say thank you for everything my captain, one of the best players I have played with, since my first day in the club you were there for me taught me well helped me a lot of time when i was down and really appreciate that, it was a pleasure playing with you and wish you nothing but the best in the future and hope to see you soon,” he wrote on Facebook.- Soccer24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|Overzealous ZRP cops watched in awe as President Nelson Chamisa successfully launched the Tsvaira Zimbabwe Clean Up Programme in Mabvuku, Harare on Friday.
Although ZRP cops trailed President Chamisa, they failed to disrupt the programme.
“I made an unannounced visit to Mabvuku Suburb and joined the Tsvaira/Thanyela Zimbabwe campaign.
I was so humbled by the love and excitement.
Hardship can’t even take away people’s hope.
A clean environment is first an individual effort as it is a collective community convergence effort.
We are best together #StrongerAndStronger,” President Chamisa said in a statement.
MDC Alliance Secretary General Hon Charlton Hwende said police details made frantic efforts to disrupt the event.
“MDC Alliance president Advocate Nelson Chamisa successfully launched the Tsvaira Zimbabwe Campaign in Harare’s Mabvuku township today( Friday) despite a heavy presence of armed anti-riot police who wanted to disrupt the clean up campaign.
The campaign was rolled out by our party structures in all parts of the country today.”
Responding to the failed attempts by the police to stop the clean up programme, President Chamisa said, “Nobody should be blocked from doing such activities. This is a national programme. Making Zimbabwe great is not a solo effort, it is a collective effort.”
Tinashe Sambiri|The Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa is afraid of his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, it has emerged.
This was revealed by Marry Chiwenga in an exclusive interview with ZimEye.com.
Marry has also been barred from seeing her children…
“This is beyond evil, I am suffering. I don’t know what to say.I have spoken to number one hoping he will help but he is afraid of number 2,” said Marry.
By Dr. Takafira Zhou
This epistle must be understood as an accurate historical narrative, and nothing more. The truth is that Nehanda was not a national figure but local figure as a spirit medium whose influence was restricted to Mazoe area. Her advantage was nearness to the locus of power and white misconception of 1896-97 risings. She has been wrongly elevated to national status because of a totalising Zezuru hegemonic power. To assume only Zezuru had National spirit mediums like Nehanda, Kaguvi and Chaminuka is a dangerous historical misnomer.
Pre-colonial Zimbabwe was more organised along clans with all clans having their own spirit mediums. Many areas had their own spirit mediums with Mazarire spirit medium in Masvingo, Muendamberi spirit medium in Chegutu, VaChipfedza spirit medium in Chivi and Mazvihwa, with the Lemba resorting to Ngoma Lungundu and Gona Magumbate that also had spirit mediums or special handlers. Various other areas had their own spirit mediums and never knew of a Nehanda and Kaguvi.
Historians (Prof Ranger, Prof Sabelo Gathseni, Prof Beach, Prof Cobbing, Dr Zhou etc) are agreed of the absence of priesthood in the First Chimurenga. If Nehanda is to be awarded heroine status it must never be for the First Chimurenga but her mythical influence in the Second Chimurenga. Nehanda even denied to have had sent people who killed a Native Commissioner, Pollard. She was merely an innocent woman wrongly killed on false assumption that religious leaders were crucial in 1896-97 Risings.
In fact, there was no Chimurenga in 1896-97 but Zvimurenga with individual chiefs entering the war alone, fighting alone and being defeated alone. Local politics was more important than feelings of nationality, with many local chiefs joining the war against fellow African chiefs. The concept of a sudden and simultaneous rising by Africans against whites instigated by spirit mediums in a manner reminiscent of the night of long knives in Germany, did not exist. There was no extraterritorial planning but localised and parochial planning.
Nehanda was not known beyond Mazoe. Kaguvi had hunting medicine and when people flocked to him to get the medicine and anti-locust pesticide he was erroneously considered as a centre of planning the rising. He was also a fugitive womaniser, running away from men whose wives he had abused.
It is surprising how our politics has continued to be divorced from academic reality for political expediency. It is also interesting to note how Mugabeism has continued beyond Mugabe’s reign. The Second Republic that initially adopted a Zimbabwe is open for business mantra had by 2020 failed to make this a reality. Worse still its attempt of an overdosage Karangification of Zimbabwe to dilute Mugabe’s 37 years of Zezurufication of Zimbabwe reached a brick wall. Deflated by failure to turn around the economy of Zimbabwe, the so-called new dispensation turned 360 degrees to Mugabeism and liberation struggle rhetoric with the current pre-occupation with Nehanda statue.
If we need the real heroes of the First Chimurenga one wonders why we are silent of Chief Makoni Chingaira who was the first victim of the First Chimurenga, executed by a firing squad. It is undisputable that his head is in the United Kingdom, and not that of Nehanda as erroneously claimed by some people. R.G. Mugabe would not have claimed the bottom of Great Zimbabwe birds and left the heads of his Zezuru kith and kins in UK. Another great fighter was Mashayamombe and his Gwindingwi that became the centre of the rising in Chegutu. Equally important is Nyamanda among the Ndebele who continued the war for some time in the Matopos area when others sued for peace.
Even Lobengula qualifies for hero status given his resolve not to surrender in the 1893-94 war of dispossession. The greatest guerrilla fighter of the initial primary resistance was Mapondera who fought until 1902 using elusive and evasive guerrilla warfare and retreating into Mozambique. Put simply, Zimbabwe needs to move from political rhetoric by leaving a legacy of accurate history for future generations. We must celebrate our unity in diversity and desist from imposing a diet of historical falsehoods for political expediency.
University knowledge must be manufactured and processed and guide leaders against the trenches of folly. We can’t celebrate the centrality of priesthood in 1896-97 when it had very minimal influence. It is also dangerous to elevate ethnic spirit mediums to National status when history is pregnant with facts of their local status. As much as it is important to remember the dead, Zimbabwe would do better if leaders are preoccupied with the improvement of the livelihoods of the generality of the Zimbabwean people.
Mbuya was never a ZANU PF member because she died in 1898 and ZANU PF was formed in 1963
@Takavafira Zhou
International organizations have come together to launch a new One Health High-Level Expert Panel to improve understanding of how diseases with the potential to trigger pandemics, emerge and spread.
The panel will advise four international organizations – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE); the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); and the World Health Organization (WHO) – on the development of a long-term global plan of action to avert outbreaks of diseases like H5N1 avian influenza; MERS; Ebola; Zika, and, possibly, COVID-19.
Three quarters of all emerging infectious diseases originate in animals.
It will operate under the One Health Approach, which recognizes the links between the health of people, animals, and the environment and highlights the need for specialists in multiple sectors to address any health threats and prevent disruption to agri-food systems.
Key first steps will include systematic analyses of scientific knowledge about the factors that lead to transmission of a disease from animal to human and vice versa; development of risk assessment and surveillance frameworks; identification of capacity gaps as well as agreement on good practices to prevent and prepare for zoonotic outbreaks.
The panel will consider the impact of human activity on the environment and wildlife habitats. Critical areas will include food production and distribution; urbanization and infrastructure development; international travel and trade; activities that lead to biodiversity loss and climate change; and those that put increased pressure on the natural resource base – all of which can lead to the emergence of zoonotic diseases.
The panel will guide development of a dynamic new research agenda and draw up evidence-based recommendations for global, regional, national and local action.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said: “Human health does not exist in a vacuum, and nor can our efforts to protect and promote it. The close links between human, animal and environmental health demand close collaboration, communication and coordination between the relevant sectors. The High-Level Expert Panel is a much-needed initiative to transform One Health from a concept to concrete policies that safeguard the health of the world’s people.”
Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director General, told the panel: “This panel will contribute to advancing the One Health agenda, by helping to better understand the root causes of disease emergence and spread, and informing decision-makers to prevent long-term public health risks. I encourage it to be a shining example of silo-breaking, systems thinking and open dialogue. Expectations for collective action and the need for effective collaboration have never been higher.”
Dr Monique Éloit, Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health noted: “The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder that collaboration across sectors is absolutely critical for global health. The newly established One Health High-Level Expert Panel will contribute to bringing together diverse scientific expertise.
United, we will better anticipate global health threats and work to control risks at the animal source. Our Organisation is proud to provide high-level expertise, along with our partners, to develop science-based ‘One Health’ strategies and programmes.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP observed: “To end the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution that threaten our peace and prosperity, we have to understand that human, animal and planetary health go hand in hand. We must do more to promote transformative actions that target the root causes of nature’s destruction. The One Health High-Level Expert Panel is an important step in recognizing the complex, multidisciplinary issues at the interface of human, animal, and environmental health.
The Ministers for Foreign Affairs of France and Germany also joined the public launch of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel:
Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France commented: “The COVID-19 pandemic, whose zoonotic origin is strongly suspected, underlines how closely human, animal and environmental health are linked. It demonstrates the importance of the ‘One Health’ approach.
It is in this context that France, together with Germany, proposed the creation of such a Panel at the meeting of the Alliance for Multilateralism organized on the occasion of the Paris Peace Forum on 12 November 2020.”
Mr Heiko Maas, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Germany, said: “COVID-19 has painfully reminded us that the health of humans, animals and the environment around the world is closely connected: Nobody is safe until everybody is safe. This is what we have to bear in mind to prevent future pandemics.
The establishment of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel thus marks an important step in the right direction. Germany and France will continue to support the panel’s work.”
Source: World Health Organization
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Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance has urged citizens to register to vote in numbers.
According to the popular movement, voting in numbers reduces the chances of rigging.
The MDC Alliance also bemoaned the Constitutional crisis in the country.
See message card below:
Tinashe Sambiri|Overzealous ZRP cops watched in awe as President Nelson Chamisa successfully launched the Tsvaira Zimbabwe Clean Up Programme in Mabvuku, Harare on Friday.
Although ZRP cops trailed President Chamisa, they failed to disrupt the programme.
“I made an unannounced visit to Mabvuku Suburb and joined the Tsvaira/Thanyela Zimbabwe campaign.
I was so humbled by the love and excitement.
Hardship can’t even take away people’s hope.
A clean environment is first an individual effort as it is a collective community convergence effort.
We are best together #StrongerAndStronger,” President Chamisa said in a statement.
MDC Alliance Secretary General Hon Charlton Hwende said police details made frantic efforts to disrupt the event.
“MDC Alliance president Advocate Nelson Chamisa successfully launched the Tsvaira Zimbabwe Campaign in Harare’s Mabvuku township today( Friday) despite a heavy presence of armed anti-riot police who wanted to disrupt the clean up campaign.
The campaign was rolled out by our party structures in all parts of the country today.”
The police have arrested our members for Harare North Constituency Elvis Ruzani (Ward 42), Tendai Gora ( CCC orgn) and Bigboy Kadungure ( Hatcliffe 2 Primary Branch Orgn) for participating in a clean up campaign.
They are being persecuted for cleaning their communities- MDC Alliance
By A Correspondent- A security on duty at a nearby building died on the spot while seven people were injured and rushed to hospital when a Honda CRV allegedly went through a red traffic light and collided with a 7.5 tonne UD truck at the intersection of 12th Avenue and Samuel Parirenyatwa Street in Bulawayo last night.
The truck dragged the Honda CRV across the street, hit the security guard and rammed into a building. The drivers of both vehicles and a woman are said to be in critical condition.
Four passengers from the truck escaped with minor injuries.
By A Correspondent- Police in Chivhu have stopped members of the opposition MDC- Alliance from conducting a clean-up campaign in the town that was to be conducted today.
The reason for cancelling the event shocked MDC members. Police said in a letter signed by the Officer Commanding Chivhu, Superintendent P. Mbira and dated May 26, 2021 that the clean-up can only take place on the first Friday of the month as proclaimed by the President.
Police then advised the MDC to re-apply and comply.
Ward 9 Councillor Christopher Muchenje said the reason cited in the letter shocked residents. He said that cleaning of cities and homes are and have always been ongoing processes.
He said residents wanted to deal with garbage in the CBD particularly the rank where Chokomba Rural District Council is overwhelmed.
Mash East Police Spokesperson Tendai Mwanza when conducted for a comment referred all questions to the National Police Spokesperson Paul Nyathi.
“I have received the issue but what you can do is to contact the national office for a comment,” Mwanza said.
“Garbage does not wait until the first week of the month to gather. Residents must be allowed to clean their environment whenever they get the chance,” said Muchenje.
Be advised that holding of the cleanup campaign was not sanctioned due to the following reason: Clean up campaigns throughout the country are done on the 1st Friday of the month as proclaimed by the President.
-MasvingoMirror
