Statement by MDC-T Secretary Information and Publicity Witness Dube in celebration of International Workers’ Day.

Fellow Zimbabweans, we join the world and the nation in commemorating this great day dedicated to recognizing the working community.

We want to take this opportunity to salute the few Zimbabweans that still remain in formal work in whatever little is still left of our once-thriving industry.

The hard work, resilience and commitment of our civil servants against a background of meagre salaries and little recognition are quite commendable.

The huge sacrifices that those working formally and informally make every day to look after their families and keep what is left of our economy ticking are also worth a special salute.

The efforts of millions of informal traders and vendors now eking out an honest living on the pavements of our streets, will also not go unnoticed.

Every breadwinner, who is working hard to feed their families is worth being called a hero today.

This message is incomplete if we fail to recognize those of our countrymen and women in the Diaspora working hard to send a dime for the upkeep of the families back home.

We believe that there are no responsibilities without rights.

The MDC-T and its leaders want to assure you that you will one day be granted your right to vote.

As we commemorate this day, let us spare a thought on the sad national predicament of our jobless sons and daughters in and around our own homes; the unemployed University graduates who cannot find a job in the country of their birth and are looking at the slightest opportunity to leave the country.

Fellow Zimbabweans, we can only be able to fight unemployment, poverty and inequalities if we put our differences aside and sit down together to find lasting solutions which can extricate our country from its parlous predicament.

It is upon us as Zimbabweans to put our country first ahead of our personal self-aggrandizing interests.

Together we can make Zimbabwe great again.

May God bless all workers in Zimbabwe on this workers’ day.

Marry Chiwenga says her relationship with Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga collapsed during the time he was seeking treatment in China between July and November 2019 and their estrangement came like a bolt out of the blue.

Speaking to The NewsHawks, Marry revealed that Chiwenga was airlifted to China from South Africa on 21 July where he underwent treatment at a top Beijing hospital.

Marry, who was with Chiwenga while he was hospitalised in South Africa, received a phone call from President Emmerson Mnangagwa informing her that she could not travel with the vice-president to China.

She said Mnangagwa told her that there was room for only six people, namely Chiwenga, his doctor John Mangwiro, a nurse assistant and his aides.

The former model said Chiwenga cut communication with her in August, without giving an explanation even though their relationship had been good until the time.

Marry revealed that before China, Chiwenga had been moved to the intensive care unit at a South African hospital after he had experienced a fit and his blood pressure shot up. She said:

The President called me a few hours before my husband was set to leave for China and said President Xi (Chinese President Xi Jinping) had suggested that my husband gets medical attention in China and that 12 professors were waiting to attend to him.

He however said only six people should come, including him, his doctor, the assistant nurse and the security team.

I even asked why I was not included, and the President said I would go at a later time as President Xi had suggested that my husband should come and get attended to before I can join him.

I insisted that I needed to go, but I was told the plane was already waiting and those that required visas had them already.

So I guess it had been planned for some time, but I had just not been told. I however did not require a visa because I had a diplomatic passport.

When my husband left for China, I came back the next day on 22 July, on my birthday.

The President sent a jet to get me from South Africa. When my husband was in China, we were talking but things suddenly changed in August. How? I do not know.

When I tried to talk to him, his doctor Mangwiro would answer the call and say he is sleeping or that I was stressing him.

I guess whatever had been planned had started working.

When Chiwenga returned from China in November 2019, Marry was arrested on allegations of attempting to murder him and money laundering. She is currently on remand.

The two had been married for 10 years and have three children

Civil society organisations (CSOs) have accused MPs of abandoning the interests of people who voted them into power by supporting constitutional changes aimed at consolidating power in the office of the presidency.

Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi is currently leading a parliamentary process to effect 27 changes to the Constitution adopted by majority vote in a 2013 referendum.

MDC-T MPs recently backed the Zanu-PF legislators to pass the controversial Constitutional Amendment No 2 Bill, which is now in Second Reading Stage in Senate.

The CSOs urged citizens to reject the amendments through legal means and called on State actors to fully implement provisions of the Constitution before the governance charter can be amended.

“We note with serious concern the passing of the controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill No 2 by the National Assembly on April 20, 2021,” the CSOs said in a joint statement.

“It is very disturbing that the proposed amendments to the Constitution are being introduced at a time when the May 2013 Constitution has not been fully implemented.”

The CSOs singled out critical thematic areas that include the appointment and retirement of members of the Judiciary, appointment of the head of prosecution, removal of running mate clause, extension of proportional representation provisions for female parliamentarians, composition of executive and legislative oversight role among other amendments as the most detrimental.

Since the introduction of the Bill, the CSOs said they had expressed their reservations on the process and made several calls on all progressive citizens and duty bearers to reject the Bill. They said the adoption of this Bill would centralise too much power in the Executive, particularly the President.

“Besides widening the scope of Presidential powers and undermining democratic accountability, this Bill unilaterally increases the size of central government and imposes an unprecedented burden on the already suffering citizenry. Taxpayers will bear the primary burden of a bloated government,” the CSOs said.

“The proposed amendments on the promotion of judges to the superior courts and extension of tenure of office for judges over 70 years will greatly compromise the independence of the Judiciary.

“The proposed sections of the Amendment Bill are a backward step in the pursuit of democracy, accountability, the divisions of governmental power, representativeness, the rule of law and human rights in Zimbabwe?”

They warned that the adoption of the Bill entailed further strengthening of the President’s powers while weakening the mechanisms intended to hold the office holder to account.

“The adoption of the Bill also sets precedence to future and further amendments to the Constitution which will additionally undermine the democratic and civic space in Zimbabwe,” the CSOs said.

“At this juncture, the country is supposed to be focusing on the alignment of laws to the new Constitution, fully implementing provisions of the Constitution and not amending it. We the undersigned CSOs in Zimbabwe call for alignment of laws with the Constitution.

“The amendments are a mockery to democracy, a recipe for disaster and a violation of the principle of separation of powers.”

The CSOs involved include Abammeli Rights Lawyers Network, Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Build A Better Youth-Zimbabwe, Buhera Residents Association, Chitungwiza and Manyame Rural Residents Association, Chitungwiza Community Development Network, Chinhoyi Residents Trust, Chitungwiza Residents Trust, Combined Harare Residents Association, Combined Restitution Association for Zimbabwean Youths, Counselling Services Unit and Economic Justice for Women among several others.

By A Correspondent- The ruling ZANU PF party says it amended the country’s economic empowerment law to put it in line with the “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” mantra.

ZANU PF Secretary for Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Mike Bimha on Friday said the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act was revised so that it fits with the country’s new economic thrusts.

Bimha told a press conference yesterday in Harare that he would lead a team of Government ministers to Bulawayo to meet with various stakeholders this Saturday to explain the changes contained in the law.

He said:

There has been confusion when there was the amendment in terms of the 51/49 shareholding threshold, which was dealt away with because it was felt that it was not really in line with Zimbabwe being Open for Business in terms of attracting investment both local and foreign.

Bimha asserted that the government was not backtracking on empowerment but the law had to be revised because of changed circumstances. He said:

One of the objectives of this meeting is to stress that contrary to that, what we have done is to remove sections that we felt were not in line with our current thrust, which is ‘Zimbabwe is Open for Business’, and also engaging and re-engaging.

When you look at the revised policy, it’s not like a new policy, it’s revised because of changed circumstances. When the environment changes, strategies have to change as well so that they are keeping with environmental factors.

There have been economic issues, political and social but more importantly, has been the thrust in terms of the New Dispensation to really focus on economic development.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance Harare West legislator Joanah Mamombe and the party youth league member Cecilia Chimbiri will remain in remand prison after the High Court postponed the hearing of their bail application to next Tuesday.

High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi said he was still writing the judgment which he expects to finish by Tuesday.

The two are being accused of breaching COVID-19 regulations after they allegedly held a press conference at Harare Magisrate’s Court.

They have been in remand prison for almost two months after their bail application was turned down on several occasions.

The two have several other pending criminal cases against them.

Mamombe was last week forcefully removed from her hospital bed while receiving medication.

The two are being represented by Alec Muchadehama of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.-newsday

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is appealing for information that may lead to the arrest of a motorist who ran over a female police officer in Kwekwe and left her severely injured.

According to national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the suspect has been identified as Morris Mukwendi of Kwekwe.

Mukwendi ran over the police officer at the 2.5km peg along Amaveni Road – Gokwe turnoff on Friday (yesterday) at around 11:30 in the morning.

The police officer is battling for life at Gweru General Hospital where she is admitted. Said Comm Insp Nyathi:

The ZRP is appealing for information that may lead to the location and arrest of a suspect, Morris Mukwendi of Kwekwe for attempted murder.

The suspect ran over a female member of the ZRP at the 2,5km peg along Amaveni Rd/ Gokwe turn off on 30/04/21 at 1130 hrs.

The member is currently battling for life at Gweru General Hospital.

It is not clear whether the police officer was manning a roadblock or minding her own business when the incident occurred.

Traffic police officers have been criticised in the past for literally jumping in the middle of the road in front of oncoming vehicles to force drivers to stop and this has often resulted in members of the force being knocked down and tragically losing their lives.

MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora, who leads a smaller faction of the opposition MDCs, yesterday said he planned to keep working with President Emmerson Mnangagwa under his Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) platform, but claimed he did not want a unity government.

Nelson Chamisa, who leads the larger MDC Alliance, has dismissed Polad – a grouping of 2018 presidential aspirants – as a Zanu-PF “cheerleaders” club.

“Dialogue is not unity,” Mwonzora told journalists at Bulawayo Press Club yesterday despite vowing not to be part of the group soon after taking over the leadership of the MDC-T in December last year.

“Unity is what Joshua Nkomo (late Zapu leader) and company signed in 1987. That is not the process that you are witnessing now. What you are hearing us saying is that we want dialogue. We want to talk about issues in order to resolve them.

“We are not saying Zanu-PF please come here, lets form one party; no, we are we are not doing that. We are yet to be convinced that there is a better and more sustainable method.”

He claimed that the MDC-T strategy was predicated on the historical success of dialogue and claimed Chamisa had no strategy.

Mwonzora recalled 41 MDC Alliance legislators from Parliament and 165 councillors and claimed his party was ready for by-elections to replace them.

His MDC-T only got two seats in the 2018 elections, all on proportional representation and all legislators it claims, including Mwonzora himself, were voted on the MDC Alliance ticket.

“I know we are underestimated. We are eager to be tested on the field. We are tired of people who always say we are we going to defeat you. We are ready for by-elections,” Mwonzora said.

“What I know is that people have defected from Chamisa to Zanu-PF and there is empirical evidence for that … So we have a party which is experiencing mass defections to Zapu PF claiming that other parties are Zanu-PF.”

Incidentally, about 200 MDC-T supporters in Bulawayo last Saturday defected to the MDC Alliance.

-newsday

By A Correspondent- A 45 year old woman from Beatrice has been sentenced to an effective 16 years in prison for raping her three sons for a month in April last year.

The woman appeared before Chitungwiza regional magistrate Noel Mupeiwa on three counts of rape and was convicted after a full trial.

The magistrate blasted the woman for her deviant behaviour after noting that she was mentally sound.

The three children, one aged six and twins aged 8, also sexually abused a neighbour’s daughter.

The State established that the woman would invite her boys to sleep with her in bed saying she wanted to teach them how to have sexual intercourse.

She then repeatedly abused the children several times warning them that she will not give them food if they disclosed the abuse to anyone.

The matter came to light after a neighbour’s daughter was sexually abused and the step-grandmother, who had taken the boys, quizzed them on where they had learnt that and they spilt the beans.

A report was then made to the police leading to the arrest of the mother.-ZimbabweVoice

Tinashe Sambiri|In his May Day message MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa bemoans the violation of workers’ rights in Zimbabwe.

In the same statement President Chamisa hails workers in the country for striving for excellence in spite of the harsh economic conditions.

Below is President Chamisa’s statement on May Day:

GIVE WORKERS SALARIES IN $ US!

Saluting the labour that built up this land & those who work to make Zim a great country.

Without labour nothing flourishes.We join workers of Zimbabwe to fight for political,economic &social justice.

Workers deserve a decent wage &a happy #WorkersDay

By A Correspondent- Chitungwiza Municipality says it will conduct a joint operation with the police to rid the town of illegal car parks mushrooming in the dormitory town as well as unregistered car sales and brick-moulding businesses.

Acting town clerk Tonderai Kasu warned people engaged in the illegal activities to cease operations forthwith or risk prosecution.

“Council is going to conduct a joint operation with the security sector so as to bring order and sanity in the town,” he said in a statement.

Kasu said the wanton disregard of council bylaws had seen the mushrooming of illegal car parks and traffic obstruction, making life difficult for motorists.

He also said the town would crack down on an influx of illegal sand poaching, causing land deformation and degradation.

“Whenever poachers abstract sand, they do not rehabilitate the land and this is a cause for concern,” Kasu said.

-newsday

ZLHR STATEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL WORKERS’ DAY

ON International Workers’ Day, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) calls upon state and non-state actors to honour workers and celebrate their achievements in advancing labour rights.

ZLHR also congratulates Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) on reaching its 40th anniversary and commends its commitment to fighting for political, economic and social justice in Zimbabwe over the past 40 years.

International Workers’ Day is commemorated every year in Zimbabwe on 1 May and it aims to celebrate workers, their achievements and the successes of labour movements in expanding workers’ rights across the globe.

The day is an opportunity to reflect on the fundamental rights and protections that have been won by labour movements and trade unions. These achievements include minimum wages, paid sick leave and paid holidays. It is also an opportunity for workers to exercise their rights to peacefully lobby policymakers for fair wages and better working conditions. In the context of Zimbabwe, this day is an opportunity for all persons to urge policymakers to align Zimbabwe’s labour laws with international labour standards, for the benefit of all workers.

Workers have a right to be provided with opportunities to work in their freely chosen fields and work that will allow them to secure a decent living, in terms of section 24(1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Government is obliged to adopt reasonable measures and
policies, within the limits of its resources, to ensure that this right is fulfilled, according to the section.

The right to work opportunities that can support a decent standard of living is closely linked to the right to human dignity, which is one of the founding values of Zimbabwe under the Constitution.

The inherent dignity of each worker entitles them to humane working conditions and fair pay. In the context of Zimbabwe, fair pay should take inflation into account and reflect the real cost of living.

This means that workers’ are entitled to pay that actually covers their essential needs, despite the presence of a minimum wage that might not realistically cover those needs.

The protection of workers’ rights to fair pay and humane working conditions is necessary for the advancement of socio-economic justice and the full exercise of their other rights under the Constitution.

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the lives of many workers in Zimbabwe, with many workers being forced out of employment due to the mandatory closure of some businesses by government, in an attempt to contain the deadly virus. The resultant unemployment has caused a drastic deterioration of the living standards of many families within the country.

The lack of a source of income has left many people in the country economically vulnerable and in desperate need of aid. It is in this context that the state is urged to come up with robust relief mechanisms that will alleviate the plight of the numerous workers that have been forced out of employment by the coronavirus pandemic.

The state is also urged to ensure that the workers who remain employed are provided with the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and access to vaccines so that that they are protected from coronavirus.

On this International Workers’ Day, ZLHR calls upon:

o       State actors and non-state actors to honour workers and celebrate their achievements in advancing labour rights,

o       All members of society to join ZCTU in celebrating its 40th anniversary,

o       All members of society to lobby policymakers to align Zimbabwe’s labour laws with international labour law standards,

o       The state to take reasonable measures and policies, within the limits of its resources, to fulfil its obligation to provide work opportunities that can support a decent standard of living,

o       Government to ensure that workers work in humane conditions,
o       The state to satisfy workers’ demands for fair pay which takes inflation into account and reflects the real cost of living,

o       Government to set up robust relief mechanisms to support workers who have been forced out of employment by coronavirus,

o       The state to ensure that all workers are adequately protected from coronavirus by providing them with sufficient PPE and vaccines.

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Statement by MDC Alliance Secretary for Local Government and Rural Development Sesel Zvidzai on the appointment of the Local Government Board by Local Government minister July Moyo.

The Minister of Local Government, Mr July Moyo, has purported to appoint a Local Government Board whose stated purpose is to appoint, regulate the conditions of service and terminate the employment of senior council staff including town clerks and directors who implement key decisions within local authorities.

In the statement effecting the appointment, the Minister purported to assign the illegal Local Government Board wide powers in the running of local authorities outside the parameters of the law.

As repeatedly stated in our Reform Agenda, the Local Government Board is an unconstitutional structure whose existence serves no purpose except to enable the central government to interfere with the administrative matters in councils. It must be abolished.

In terms of the Constitution, local authorities must enjoy political, fiscal and administrative autonomy so that citizens can enjoy prime service delivery. This is the essence of devolution.

We are on record as observing that the use of the Local Government Board to employ council staff has in the past led to the appointment of incompetent party functionaries who are corrupt and have a toxic obsession with obstructing the smooth functioning of local authorities. This is at the centre of the disharmony and poor performance of most councils

Our consistent position has been that local authorities should employ their own staff so that accountability and authority are left to the local authorities as opposed to the current situation where the senior staff members employed by local authorities account to ZANU PF.

We condemn the refusal by Minister July Moyo and ZANU PF to respect the Constitution, particularly Chapter 14 which provides for devolution of governmental powers to local authorities.

Such disrespect for the Constitution enables ZANU PF to interfere with local authorities’ work thus affecting service delivery adversely.

We call upon Minister July Moyo to respect the constitution and immediately dismantle the illegal Local Government Board.

We reiterate that the constitutional ideal of devolution must be implemented in accordance with our Local Government Agenda to improve service delivery and the performance of local authorities for the benefit of the people.

By A Correspondent- Heath Streak, the former Zimbabwe captain and coach who received an eight-year ban from the ICC for breaching the anti-corruption code, has “apologised” and taken “full responsibility” for his actions but asserts he was not involved in any attempts to fix matches.

Streak admitted to disclosing inside information pertaining to international matches involving a 2018 Zimbabwe-Bangladesh-Sri Lanka tri-series, a Zimbabwe-Afghanistan series in 2018, the 2018 IPL and the 2018 Afghanistan Premier League but claims he did not influence any matches directly.

In a statement released by Streak on Thursday morning, he detailed his engagement with “an individual keen to invest in cricket in Africa,” admitted he “should have been more cautious,” with his actions and hoped his sanction would serve as a “cautionary tale,” for others.

“I also want to place on record to the public and fans that I was not involved in any match fixing, spot fixing or attempts to influence a game or share information from a changeroom during a match at any given time in our relationship. This position has been confirmed by the ICC itself in its own statement,” Streak’s statement read.

He confirmed aspects of the ICC’s verdict about establishing a T20 league in Zimbabwe but did not admit to knowing the person he was dealing with, understood to be Deepak Agarwal, was involved in betting.

“In 2017, I met an individual keen to invest in cricket in Africa and in particular they wanted to sponsor a T20 Tournament in Zimbabwe, which would be called the Safari Blast.

“The individual was subsequently vetted and cleared through the usual protocols and to be honest I let my guard down as the friendship and potential business partnership blossomed.

“The nature of our relationship was fraternal and cordial at all times. I genuinely believed it was a safe space. I also hoped the relationship would be beneficial not only to myself and to the Academy but to Zimbabwean cricket and I pursued its growth with vigour.

“At the onset I was engaged, and paid the Bitcoin, to assist in buying and building teams in different regional T20 competitions, which was successful, resulting in the purchase of a team in Dubai for this individual.

Much later on in our friendship the only other thing I received was a bottle of whisky and my wife was gifted a phone. Several months down the line the ICC then brought to my attention the fact that the individual with whom I had been dealing, and some of the information that I had shared during our friendship/interaction may have been used for online betting.”

Although he is understood to have initially contested the ICC’s charges, in his statement Streak said he “submitted myself to the process and co-operated at every turn,” and that he flouted the ICC’s ethics code “unwittingly.” He asked that any “pain or angst,” be directed to him solely and not his family, friends or Zimbabwe Cricket.

“I also hope that cricket in Zimbabwe should not be punished or suffer for my actions directly or indirectly. I commit to serving out my sanction as guided by the ICC and am committed to help them and cricket in Zimbabwe in whatever manner I can.

“I look forward to continuing to contribute to the development of cricket in Zimbabwe, making amends and returning to the game as and when the ICC sees it fit,” he wrote.

While Streak’s matter with the ICC is closed, he will continue to work on the anti-corruption education programme

“so that the next generation of players and administrators can see the potential dangers and pitfalls as well as understand the serious ramifications of their actions”.

That does not necessarily mean he is in the clear completely. Zimbabwe’s sports and recreation commission has requested the country’s national prosecuting authority to “ascertain whether any of the criminal laws in Zimbabwe, particularly those relating to corruption, have been breached by Heath Streak in order that appropriate action is also taken locally,” and he could yet face charges in his own country. – espncricinfo

By A Correspondent- In a fit of rage a disobedient son would hurl insults at his mother and splash her with paint on her face and beat her while demanding that she moves out of his father’s house.

Kudakwashe Motsi from Pumula South suburb would come home in a drunken stupor from a booze in the wee hours of the morning.

He would insult his mother Eritha Midzi while demanding that she vacates his father’s house and return to her paternal home.

At the height of the argument, Motsi would grab his mother by the throat and hit her with fists.

He would then reach for a 20-litre bucket full of paint and take some with a container and pour it on her face.

Motsi, who most of the times would be doing that under the influence of alcohol, would shout at his mother, labelling her a troublesome person.

He would also run berserk in the house and destroy her kitchen wares, which include plates and pots.

Fearing that her son would end up killing her, Midzi sought legal intervention at Western Commonage civil court.

“I’m applying for a protection order against my son Kudakwashe Motsi. Whenever he is from a beer binge he would wake me up and insult me while accusing me of not vacating my matrimonial house. He would grab me by the throat and hit me all over the body with fists.

“After I fall to the ground he would reach for a 20-litre bucket and take some paint with any container that would be in his reach and pour it on me,” said the heart-broken Midzi.

Midzi went on: “Kudakwashe would dash to the kitchen and destroy plates and pots while saying he is fixing me for refusing to move out of the house.

“He would be shouting on top of his voice while disturbing my tenants.

“May the court assist me by chucking him out of my house and he must stop insulting me and assaulting me and destroying my property.”

The presiding magistrate Jeconia Ncube granted Midzi a protection order against her son.

Kudakwashe was ordered not to physically and verbally assault his mother. He was also ordered to stop destroying her kitchen utensils.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- A burglar Taurai Sibanda (36) was busted by Njabulo Ndlovu (63) snoozing in his kitchen hut next to two empty pots which had food he had devoured.

Circumstances are that on 13 January 2021, Ndlovu left his homestead going to a nearby grazing area to look for his donkeys.

It is reported that when he returned home at around 9pm, he discovered that someone had entered his kitchen hut and helped himself to his supper as the two pots which he had left with food were all empty. When he proceeded to his bedroom hut, he also discovered that his wardrobe had been tampered with. When he checked, he found out that some of his clothes had been stolen.

It was proved that when Ndlovu alerted his neighbours they came and observed the footprints and linked them to those of Sibanda.

When they tracked the footprints, they led them to his homestead, but he denied that he was the one who had broken into Ndlovu’s house.

On 25 January 2021, Ndlovu woke up at around 4am and proceeded to his kitchen hut looking for his cigarettes. When he entered, he was shocked to find an unexpected guest, Sibanda happily snoozing. Strangely, he dozed off after eating the food he had left the previous night.

Ndlovu left him snoozing before he proceeded to call his neighbours who swiftly came and apprehended Sibanda.

Since it was still dawn, they chained him while waiting to hand him over to the police later. As Ndlovu was busy preparing breakfast, Sibanda exploited the opportunity and unchained himself and made good his escape.

His luck, however, ran out on 15 April 2021 when he was arrested after breaking into Bigboy Mlalazi’s house in Sawmills, Nyamandlovu area.

While inside he took four bars of washing soap, 3x 2 litres of cooking oil and a pair of tracksuit and tennis shoes.

The matter came to light when he tried to sell the stolen items. The seemingly suspicious villagers, who had heard that there was a break-in at Mlalazi’s house the previous night, quickly raised alarm.

Mlalazi went and reported the matter to the police and investigations led to Sibanda’s arrest and subsequent appearance in court.

Sibanda pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful entry and theft when he appeared before Tsholotsho magistrate Regis Mawarire.

On the first count he was sentenced to three months in jail which were wholly suspended for five years on condition that he will not within that period commit a similar offence.

On the second count he was slapped with a 12 months jail term of which three months of the sentence were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

Another three months were suspended on condition that he restitutes Mlalazi the sum of $2 100 being the value of the unrecovered property.

The remaining six months were suspended on condition that he completes 210 hours of unpaid labour at ZRP Sipepa. Tarisai Mujokoro represented the State.-statemedia

Statement by the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) president Richard Gundane in commemoration of International Workers Day.

It is MAY DAY. A day that we ordinarily celebrate and chronicle the achievements of the workers. We are supposed to celebrate all the way and to plan ahead as motivated workers of this country, but that phenomenon all relates to the past. It’s a BLACK MAY DAY for us.

Today, this day of 1 MAY 2021, workers who are called, educators, heads of schools and teachers are operating in distress and under duress. The work that they normally do as a calling is no longer fit to be classified as a noble profession.

In education, all personnel and educators are incapacitated to deliver their duties. Public schooling systems and teachers which until recently were admired by the rest of the African continent as a good example of how to deliver quality public education are fast deteriorating into unimaginable stories and things, because the educators who normally superintend and ensure quality learning and teaching exists are longer able to do so.

They are incapacitated and struggle to represent themselves as the epitome of professional educators.
The employer for educators has consistently failed to reward educators adequately.

This May Day we decry the lack of recognition and poor remuneration from our employer. It’s a BLACK DAY. There is nothing to celebrate when educators plead incapacitation year in and year out, and without recourse, we are doomed!

However, we take note of the efforts made by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on education which has provided a listening ear and grasped the fact that educators need to have correct collective bargaining legislation in place if they are to achieve desired results.

Educators demand strong social dialogue processes that work. We need to have our RIGHTS to collective bargaining respected.

We demand to have a restoration of salaries and a requisite road map to achieve the 2018 salary levels. Our sector-specific allowances must be in place today and that way we can guarantee a balance between labour rights and children’s rights to education.

It’s a BLACK DAY. NO CELEBRATIONS for EDUCATORS this labour DAY.

We remain emboldened to continue the struggle.

The Struggle Continues

Richard Gundane
President

By A Correspondent- Senate deputy president Senator Mike Nyambuya has called for the enactment of legislation to punish people who incite others to perform ritual murders.

Nyambuya was speaking on Friday last week at the burial of the slain Benza cousins at the Benza homestead in Kanganya Village in Mutasa, Manicaland Province.

Dilan and Melissa Benza (both seven years old), who were cousins and pupils at St Robert’s Mbaza Primary School in Mutasa, were brutally murdered on their way home from school on 13 April.

The prime suspect is Solomon Manyama, Dilan’s maternal uncle, while Passmore Sambaza is another suspect.

They were both remanded in custody to 6 May when they appeared at Nyanga magistrate’s court last week on Tuesday facing murder charges.

The Benza family spokesperson, Johannes Benza, revealed that the two were not killed at the same spot as was initially thought.

Benza said Melissa was the first to be killed on the grass near the Blair toilet where their bodies were dumped, while Delane was slain in a maize field near the Sambaza homestead.

Speaking at the burial which was attended by over 500 people, Nyambuya said the two cousins’ deaths had touched the whole nation. He said:

It could have been one of your children or grandchildren dying in such a cruel manner. It could have been any one of us here being murdered in cold blood because these ritual killers know no age. We are still in shock.

Where have our norms and values gone to? We should respect the sanctity of human life. Laws should be enacted to punish the perpetrators and those who incite people to conduct ritual killings.

The nation is still mourning the death of Tapiwa Makore from Murehwa and now we are burying the two Benza children who were ruthlessly murdered.

We don’t know who will be the next victim. Communities should be on the lookout for ritual killers. All those convicted should face the full wrath of the law.

Tapiwa Makore was also 7-years-old when he was brutally murdered by his uncle Tapiwa Makore Sr and his herdsman Tafadzwa Shamba in September last year.

He was buried several months after his murder without his head and other body parts which were allegedly harvested for ritual purposes.

-ManicaPost

By A Correspondent- Zaka villagers are not happy that a Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) colonel, Christopher Rufu Mayoyo, who led a murderous terror campaign against MDC supporters in the district during the run-up to the June 2008 run-off election, died without facing justice.

Mayoyo died last Friday and was declared a liberation war hero. He was buried at his Jatala Farm on Tuesday this week.

Mayoyo’s alleged brutality left more than 10 people dead and dozens of others injured, some of them maimed for life.

He was in charge of a military “death squad” in Zaka which led a violent campaign after Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF lost the 2008 general election to the opposition MDC in the first round of polling in March that year.

Former Zaka West legislator Festus Dumbu told The NewsHawks that it is tragic that Mayoyo died a free man after his terror campaigned claimed innocent lives. Said Dumbu:

As the people of Zaka, we are not sorry about the death of Mayoyo who caused terror in our area in 2008.

We lost many people and it is not a secret that Mayoyo was the leader of army officers who were operating here and you even know that these guys were based at Ferry Training Centre and their operations led to the death of many people as well as the displacement of tens of people.

Seeing this man dying before facing justice is unfair to us. We have no kind words for his fate and it will take more than three generations of people in our area to forgive even the family which he left behind.

The MDC Alliance councillor for Ward 19 in Zaka, Peter Imbayarwo, told The NewsHawks that it is difficult for the people of Zaka to mourn someone who caused untold suffering in the district.

Said Imbayarwo:

Mayoyo was the leader of terror here in the district. The guys were driving Mitsubishi, Mahindra or Cam vehicles without number plates and they addressed several meetings threatening people with death.

All Zanu PF bases reported to Mayoyo. Go and ask people from Zaka, they will tell you that all those who lost their lives were taken from bases by the vehicles which l told you.

By A Correspondent- A traditional healer has been arrested in Dotito, Mashonaland Central Province, in connection with the death of three men whose bodies were found near a dam at Bata Farm, Bindura, last Sunday.

The Herald reported a source as saying the men had earlier consulted the traditional healer (n’anga) seeking assistance to boost their fledgeling business before their untimely death. The source is quoted as saying:

Police picked up a traditional healer, Isaac Diningo (45) in connection with the death of the three men. He is a n’anga from Madziva.

He was arrested on Thursday, April 29 in Chishoko village, under Chief Dotito in Mt Darwin.

He led police to where he was keeping the concoction he gave to the three men. On the way, the n’anga attempted to flee using his motorbike but police managed to apprehend him.

It is believed he had an accomplice when he allegedly fed the men with an unknown concoction. His accomplice is on the run.

It is said they had a lot of money and they wanted some charms to help them in boosting their business. It is not clear how much these men were carrying.

Maybe the n’anga desired the cash these men had and decided to kill them before dumping the bodies at the farm.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi on Friday said investigations into the matter were ongoing.

The three bodies were discovered on 25 April near a dam with their vehicle, a silver Honda CRV parked close by.

They were near a bus stop along the Bindura-Mt Darwin Road and about half a kilometre from Umfurudzi toll gate.

Two of the dead men have been identified as Medio Kashiri (52) and Anthony Ndawana also aged 52

By A Correspondent- Officials from President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation have shut down a Mutasa based Non-Governmental Organisation.

Connect, a family therapy and counselling training organisation based in the Mutasa district in Manicaland was told to close its doors this week by the CIOs who delivered a letter to the organisation on Monday informing them that their operations should be stopped.

“You are required to stop operations with immediate effect,” read part of the letter.

One of the CIOs, Sarudzai Samungure, who works as the ‎community services officer for the Mutasa Rural District Council, who wrote the letter, said the local authority suspended Connect’s operations after a meeting with the organisation on March 19.

It was not immediately clear what Connect had done for its operations to be suspended in the Mutasa district. Samungure emphasised in her letter that Connect’s “co-operation in this matter will highly be appreciated”.
This comes a day after the state-controlled Herald newspaper published a story saying that “dubious NGOs” were “at it again”, accusing them of “selling diplomats false tales to attract funding”.

Connect is the first NGO to be banned by Zimbabwean authorities this year. The last was the Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development Trust (COTRAD) from Masvingo, in March 2019.

COTRAD’s ban was set aside by Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo, who served as a high court judge at the time after Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights filed an urgent application challenging the district administrator’s decision to outlaw the NGO’s operations.

TimesLIVE reported in October 2020 that Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa vowed to deregister any NGO suspected of plotting to overthrow his government, and said the state was spying on “people of interest”.

NGO bans hark back to the Mugabe era. He would ban NGOs ahead of elections, making it difficult for the outside world to provide humanitarian assistance or monitor polls.

In 2008, at the height of Zimbabwe’s political and economic crisis, the government outlawed food aid agencies. The ban was reversed in 2009 after Mugabe was forced to form a coalition government with the late Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC T.

– TimesLive

By A Correspondent | Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has failed to get supporting evidence from the South African Intelligence Agency on a case he is trying to incriminate his wife so that she is prosecuted for attempting to murder him when he was in a hospital in the neighbouring country.

In a more than an hour-long interview, Marry Chiwenga confirmed to ZimEye, how the VP has failed dismally to prove his police case at court.
Marry is struggling to get medical treatment and has been deprived of her passport by the courts. She has among other allegations, been charged with attempted murder against her husband while nursing him in a South African hospital in July 2019, a year after the June 2018 White City bombing that got both her and her husband injured, though her health was the worst affected.
Marry Chiwenga also revealed a sequence of events that suggests the ZANU PF President Emmerson Mnangagwa has either betrayed or neglected her, or both (more details coming out this weekend).

Mrs Chiwenga said allegations that she tried to kill her husband are not true and they are even dismissed by the South African Intelligence Agency.
She said: “He (Chiwenga) had security in South Africa. I had my own security in South Africa.
“We had South Africans, the equivalent of CIO in South Africa looking after us, and the security are in shock, vanotiti isusu taikuchengetai ,[they see to us but we used to look after both of you], why were we not questioned as witnesses on this story?
“Because they were there with us the whole time. When I would enter the toilet, they would wait for me at the very door; when I would enter the room where the VP is, they would follow me, so they are right now asking why is it that we will not questioned on what happened? Why did they fail to ask us?
Then he (Chiwenga) says the witnesses are my own boys, my bodyguards; what else can the soldiers tell you? Can the soldiers run on their boss? They can’t,” Marry Chiwenga argued with ZimEye.
She continued explaining:
“I need you to see this for yourself imagine yourself you are told you are plotting to kill your husband on the 8th of July, then from the 8th of July you are with your husband every single day, feeding him, then on the 21st of July you take him to the airport.
“Then from no where you are now being told from the blues you are now being accused of attempted murder against your husband, and of course you are troubled by it and you say hey that’s **it, there is nothing like that,” she said.
It was at this point that Mrs Chiwenga began speaking about Genius Kadungure. She said:
“My cousin even told me, the one who passed away, Genius.
“He said to me: mother, mother there is this report I am hearing, it is being said that there was a time when you tried to kill Mudhara, and I dismissed it saying that these are the things that people who are full of bitterness say; but he insisted saying I was told by *”*wa(name redacted), and she [the latter] was told by some boys in the CIO.
“I dismissed it saying there is nothing like that don’t you know that people can just talk anything anyhow?
“And he replied me saying: if you say so mother, but this is what I have been told, and as someone who loves you dearly I said let me tell you so that I do not retain this information. ”
A direct comment from the South African Intelligence Agency was not possible at the time of writing

By A Correspondent- The burial of three Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) aircrew who perished in a horror crash of the Agusta Bell 412 helicopter that crashed in the Hukuru Area in Arcturus, Mashonaland East Province last week has been set for today.

Two pilots, Wing Commander Thomas Tinashe Manyowa and Flight Lieutenant Anita Mapiye and aircraft technician Flight Sergeant Tinodiwanashe Chikamhi perished in the crash which also killed one person on the ground.

The three will be buried today with Wing Commander Manyowa’s interment taking place in Chinhoyi, while Flight Lieutenant Mapiye will be buried at Glen Forest Memorial Park in Harare.

Flight Sergeant Chikamhi will be buried at Mucheke Cemetery in Masvingo.

By A Correspondent- A Beitbridge man has been jailed for an effective 30 years for raping three juveniles aged between seven and nine years, among them, two were his daughters.

Midzo Sibanda(45) of Dulivhadzimu Suburb denied four charges of rape but Beitbridge Regional Magistrate Ms Sithembiso Ndebele convicted him on the strength of the State evidence.

She slapped Sibanda with 15 years imprisonment for the first two counts and another 15 years for count three and four.

Sibanda was left with an effective 30 years to serve after the court ruled that the 15 years in the first two counts will run concurrently.

Prosecutor, Ms Tsitsi Mtukwa said Sibanda abused his daughters aged eight and nine years in January last year.

The court heard that the third minor was sexually abused on Christmas day last year.

The matter came to light when Sibanda was arrested on a different charge on January 15 this year and his children were taken to a local children’s home where they later narrated their ordeal to social workers there.

-Herald

By A Correspondent- A sombre atmosphere engulfed Manyame Air Base yesterday as relatives, workmates and friends gathered at a funeral parade held by the Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) in honour of the aircrew of the Agusta Bell 412 helicopter that crashed in the Hukuru Area in Arcturus, Mashonaland East Province last week.

Two pilots, Wing Commander Thomas Tinashe Manyowa and Flight Lieutenant Anita Mapiye and aircraft technician Flight Sergeant Tinodiwanashe Chikamhi perished in the crash which also killed one person on the ground.

The three will be buried today with Wing Commander Manyowa’s interment taking place in Chinhoyi, while Flight Lieutenant Mapiye will be buried at Glen Forest Memorial Park in Harare.

Flight Sergeant Chikamhi will be buried at Mucheke Cemetery in Masvingo.

Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said the death of the aircrew left a big void in the defence forces.

“We are all gathered here to pay our last respects and give a befitting send-off to the two gallant sons and a daughter of the soil who lost their livers while dedicating their hearts to the nation. It is very recent when they flew the Vice President and myself from Kwekwe on national duty. The gap they have left behind is difficult to fill,” she said.

Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said Flight Lieutenant Mapiye, who was the country’s first female combat helicopter pilot was an inspiration to many young women in the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

“Many young girls took a leaf from Anita’s inspiration. We are currently recruiting throughout the country and we have seen a massive turn up of the girl child due to the inspiration of people like her,” she said.
Air Commodore Elisha Masakadza said it was sad to bid farewell to the dedicated aircrew.

“Indeed, it is with a heavy heart that we have to bid farewell to the three reliable and committed crew members who were taken from our midst in a violent and horrific manner when the helicopter they were flying crashed and burst into a raging inferno last week,” he said.

“Truly, the AFZ has been left in shock, disbelief and in a state of depression following this tragic accident that robbed us our beloved comrades whose passion to serve the organisation and the country were unquestionable. We express our heartfelt condolences to their families.”

Earlier, the AFZ said it was with the bereaved families in mourning the aircrew contrary to malicious reports from some sections of the media aimed to draw a wedge between the families and the organisation.

AFZ said such reports were not only malicious but insensitive as it and the families of the deceased were grappling to come to terms with the loss of the dearly departed crew.

Wing Commander Manyowa was born on February 2, 1981, in Banket, where he did his primary education before going to St Paul’s Musami in Murehwa for his secondary education.

He was attested into the AFZ in 1999 as an Officer Cadet rising to the rank of a Wing Commander which he held until his untimely death.

Flight Lieutenant Mapiye was born April 3, 1991, at Harare Hospital. She did her primary education at Courtney Primary School and her secondary education at Queen Elizabeth High School.

She was attested into the AFZ in 2012 as an officer cadet.

In 2019, Flight Lieutenant Mapiye made history when she completed a helicopter conversion course to become the first female combat helicopter pilot in the AFZ.

The aircraft technician, Flight Chikamhi was born on February 27, 1994, in Zaka.

He did his primary education at Insukamini Primary School and secondary education at Mzilikazi High School.

-Herald

By A Correspondent-Scores school-going children of pupils were on Thursday left stranded at roadsides as police in Bulawayo impounded vehicles that were carrying passengers in what they said was in defiance of the Government’s travel regulations meant to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Police impounded staff buses, vehicles hired to ferry school children which they said were not registered under the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) and taxis operating illegally.

Before being released to their owners after paying relevant fines, vehicles taken by the police have to be cleared for outstanding tickets by Bulawayo City Council (BCC), while Zimra checks whether the vehicles were properly imported, not under-declared and did not evade taxes. Zinara also checks for the validity of licence plates.

By A Correspondent- The late former President Robert Mugabe could be turning in his grave following desperate attempts by his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa to reverse his achievements.

Mnangagwa Friday renamed Agribank to the Agricultural Finance Company Holdings.

Agribank was created by Mugabe at the turn of the millennium to serve the interests of his regime following the controversial land reform program he had embarked on during that period.

rEnaming the old bank, Mnangagwa created four subsidiaries for the former Agribank namely, AFC Commercial Bank, AFC Insurance, AFC Land and Development Bank, and AFC Leasing Company.

He said the old new institution will provide funding across the whole agriculture value chain from communal to large-scale farmers.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

By A Correspondent- A Headlands based farmer Dakarai Mapuranga has accused Zanu-PF youths of being used by local MP Christopher Chingosho to fight him over his Mhandara Farm.

The Zanu-PF youths in Headlands have written a letter of appeal to Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Nokuthula Matsikenyeri against the allocation of the farm to Mapuranga, claiming he does not have an offer letter.

In the letter of appeal, the youths said Mapuranga was using his “corrupt riches” to grab the farm.

“We (Zanu-PF youths from Headlands constituency) invaded Mhandara Farm during the protracted land reform programme, leading to the forceful eviction of the white former farmer. We object to the unfair allocation of Mhandara Farm to Dakarai Mapuranga,” the letter read.

The letter was signed by Zanu-PF constituency youth secretary Aphia Ingilesi, among other youth top leaders.

“He is using lawyers and the courts to take over the farm. There are poor farm workers who have been always at the farm and using it as their home and have nowhere else to go, the youths who had invaded the farm and were promised that they would be resettled there when government,” the youths wrote.

“The plan was that the resettled youths would use the farm shop which Mapuranga is renting as a youth co-operative shop. The youths were persuaded by the then responsible (Lands) minister, Didymus Mutasa, who also had hidden deals with Mapuranga to go back to their homes and then come back when the farm has been planned for resettlement.

“Meanwhile, Mapuranga would be using the farm under Platinum Company. This has always been the promise. All the previous Manicaland Provincial Affairs ministers such as Mandiitawepi Chimene and the late national heroine Ellen Gwaradzimba promised the youths that Mhandara Farm will be subdivided into small pieces of land for resettlement by the youths.”

However, Mapuranga in interview with NewsDay Weekender shot back, accusing the local MP of using the youths to fight him.

Mapuranga said Chingosho believed that he wanted his position and was setting up the youths to destroy the production at the farm.

“I have been at the farm since 2007, and I will remain a Zanu-PF member. Currently, I am an ordinary member. On the issue of the farm, I know the person who is behind the youths’ motive. This is MP Christopher Chingosho,” Mapuranga said.

“You are not the first one to get the letter (of appeal). MP Chingosho believes that I want his position in 2023. Tell him not to panic, he should relax, I don’t want to be an MP. I am focusing on farming and other issues.”

NewsDay Weekender is in position of an offer letter given to Mapuranga under Platinum Agriculture (Pvt) Ltd on December 14, 2006 by Mutasa.

Chingosho was not picking calls for a comment.

-newsday

Tinashe Sambiri|Zanu PF has ordered school heads and civil servants in Masvingo Province to attend lessons at Herbert Chitepo School Of Ideology.

Below is a report compiled by former Masvingo Central MP, Jeffryson Chitando:

Chitepo School Of Ideology In Gutu!

“Reports coming in point out that all School Heads government department heads in Gutu District are absent from their workplaces attending indoctrination lessons at Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology.

Zanu PF is more concerned about oiling its election machine disregarding all COVID-19 lockdown regulations.

COVID-19 superspreader in this country is the reckless ZanuPF leadership.

It must be put to Mnangagwa and Zanu PF Politiburo that COVID-19 does not know political affiliation.

The school heads are likely to endanger the lives of school teachers and parents.

It seems Zanu PF is so afraid of MDC Alliance People’s President Nelson Nehemiah Chamisa that it is prepared to sacrifice people’s lives.

It’s for every Zimbabwean to see that Zanu PF has entered a new level of ” NEW DESPERATION” not the once preached New Dispensation.

Last year when high ranking ZanuPF members succumbed to COVID-19 people took social media to express their joy.

This was unAfrican , inhumane and below our Christian values. The sole reason which pushed Zimbabweans to do such was that ZanuPF held rallies, DCC elections and many meetings against lockdown regulations.

Patriotic Papa JC speaks when things are not good !!!

By A Correspondent-Police in Mberengwa are investigating a case in which a 78-year-old man from Chingechuru under Chief Chizungu was found dead with his body floating in a local dam.

Midlands Provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko said the now deceased Wilson Dube (78) left home for a beer drink at the nearby Chingechuru Business Centre on Tuesday but never returned home.

“The following day, his 20-year-old son then found Dube’s body floating in the nearby Madzivire Dam,” said Insp Mahoko.

-Herald

By A Correspondent-Police in Mberengwa are investigating a case in which a 78-year-old man from Chingechuru under Chief Chizungu was found dead with his body floating in a local dam.

Midlands Provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko said the now deceased Wilson Dube (78) left home for a beer drink at the nearby Chingechuru Business Centre on Tuesday but never returned home.

“The following day, his 20-year-old son then found Dube’s body floating in the nearby Madzivire Dam,” said Insp Mahoko.

By A Correspondent- Fresh details on former first lady, Grace Mugabe’s PhD saga emerged in court during the continuation of former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe, Professor Levi Nyagura.

Grace Mugabe’s PhD sent tongues wagging with some saying she had not earned it, something that affected the reputation of the University of Zimbabwe, resulting in Nyagura being suspended.

Appearing before the courts as a witness, Surgent Chevo, who was the registrar at the UZ during that period, told the court that there were no irregularities in all processes up until Mugabe graduated with a PhD.

Responding to questions during a cross-examination session by Nyagura’s lawyer, Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara, Chevo said the examination panel did an oral examination on Grace Mugabe at her children’s home and she passed.

He claimed:

As she was being asked questions by the examination panel during the oral examination at first she was shivering, but later calmed down and answered them satisfactorily.

After the oral examination the examination panel deliberated on Mugabe’s performance and all the members agreed unanimously that she had performed satisfactorily and that she be awarded a PhD degree.

He also exonerated Nyagura of the allegations that he gave him instructions that showed favour to Mugabe.

The second witness, senior lecturer Julius Musevenzi, recently told the court that there were documents showing that other university staff members took part in admitting Mrs Mugabe as a student.

It was also revealed through Advocate Zhuwarara’s cross-examination that there were university documents showing that Mrs Mugabe was conducting research and that progress reports were produced by Prof Mararike.

This comes after Dr Watch Ruparanganda, a senior official in the Department of Sociology at the UZ and also a witness in Nyagura’s trial told a Harare court that as a chair of the Department Grace was allegedly in, he should have been informed of Grace’s enrolment for a PhD.

Ruparanganda insinuated that the former first lady never enrolled for a PhD degree at the institution.

By A correspondent-The Bulawayo based rising amapiano artiste Greatjoy Hlatshwayo, popularly known as Greatjoy Hlats in the music circles, has released his second single titled Ingozirecorded at Montrose Records.

The 22-year-old musician told NewsDay Life & Style that his music was a source of inspiration for young people from different backgrounds.

“My recent release Ingozi has been well received.

“Within a few hours of its release, the song has been trending on audiomack and fans are sending their dance challenges for the track,” he said.

“I have provided links for audiomack streams to download on all my social media platforms as well for Spotify and Apple music.

“I advise my fans to pre-save the links.

“I will drop another banger called Memeza in which I have featured a finest up-and-coming musician, Papi Nala.”

Greatjoy Hlats said he was working on the video for Ingozi.

Apart from being a musician, Greatjoy Hlats is also an actor, dancer and joy choreographer, model, television and radio presenter.

-NewsDay

By A Correspondent-The Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) has defended President Emmerson Mnangagwa and said he did not ignore the funeral of the aircrew of the Agusta Bell 412 helicopter that crashed in the Hukuru Area in Arcturus, Mashonaland East Province last week.

Air Force said there were malicious reports from some sections of the media which it said were aimed to tarnish the image of the President as well as drawing a wedge between the families and the organisation.

The deceased crew comprised two pilots, Wing Commander Thomas Tinashe Manyowa and Flight Lieutenant Anita Mapiye and aircraft technician Flight Sergeant Tinodiwanashe Chikamhi.

In a statement yesterday, AFZ director Civil-Military Relations, Group Captain Valentine Sedze, said such reports were insensitive.

“The AFZ has noted with concern the malicious efforts by some elements of the media to drive a wedge between the organisation and families of the deceased crew after an AB412 helicopter accident last week,” he said.

“Such reports are not only malicious but insensitive as the AFZ and the families of the deceased are grappling to come to terms with the loss of the dearly departed crew.”

Grp Cpt Sedze said the AFZ provided the required support in terms of the appropriate defence regulations.

“In mourning the deceased after the unfortunate accident, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces led by expressing his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased,” he said.

“Thereafter, the Minister of Defence and War Veterans Cde Oppah Muchinguri was accompanied by Commander AFZ, Air Marshal Elison Moyo and senior officers to pay condolences to all the families of the deceased.

“Since then, the AFZ has stood with the families by providing the required support in terms of the appropriate defence regulations.”
Grp Cpt Sedze said a funeral parade to honour the crew will be held today at Manyame Airbase.

After the parade, Wing Commander Manyowa will be buried in Chinhoyi, while Flight Lieutenant Mapiye will be interred at Glen Forest Memorial Park in Harare, with Flight Sergeant Chikamhi being at Mucheke Cemetery in Masvingo.

The accident also claimed the life of an 18-month-old toddler, Jade Fenyere, who was buried on Tuesday in Bocha, Manicaland Province.

-Herald

By A Correspondent-The Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) said it was with the bereaved families in mourning the aircrew of the Agusta Bell 412 helicopter that crashed in the Hukuru Area in Arcturus, Mashonaland East Province last week.

Air Force said there were malicious reports from some sections of the media which it said were aimed to draw a wedge between the families and the organisation.

The deceased crew comprised two pilots, Wing Commander Thomas Tinashe Manyowa and Flight Lieutenant Anita Mapiye and aircraft technician Flight Sergeant Tinodiwanashe Chikamhi.

In a statement yesterday, AFZ director Civil-Military Relations, Group Captain Valentine Sedze, said such reports were insensitive.

“The AFZ has noted with concern the malicious efforts by some elements of the media to drive a wedge between the organisation and families of the deceased crew after an AB412 helicopter accident last week,” he said.

“Such reports are not only malicious but insensitive as the AFZ and the families of the deceased are grappling to come to terms with the loss of the dearly departed crew.”

Grp Cpt Sedze said the AFZ provided the required support in terms of the appropriate defence regulations.

“In mourning the deceased after the unfortunate accident, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces led by expressing his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased,” he said.

“Thereafter, the Minister of Defence and War Veterans Cde Oppah Muchinguri was accompanied by Commander AFZ, Air Marshal Elison Moyo and senior officers to pay condolences to all the families of the deceased.

“Since then, the AFZ has stood with the families by providing the required support in terms of the appropriate defence regulations.”
Grp Cpt Sedze said a funeral parade to honour the crew will be held today at Manyame Airbase.

After the parade, Wing Commander Manyowa will be buried in Chinhoyi, while Flight Lieutenant Mapiye will be interred at Glen Forest Memorial Park in Harare, with Flight Sergeant Chikamhi being at Mucheke Cemetery in Masvingo.

The accident also claimed the life of an 18-month-old toddler, Jade Fenyere, who was buried on Tuesday in Bocha, Manicaland Province.

By A Correspondent-Police in Mberengwa are investigating a case in which a 78-year-old man from Chingechuru under Chief Chizungu was found dead with his body floating in a local dam.

Midlands Provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko said the now deceased Wilson Dube (78) left home for a beer drink at the nearby Chingechuru Business Centre on Tuesday but never returned home.

“The following day, his 20-year-old son then found Dube’s body floating in the nearby Madzivire Dam,” said Insp Mahoko.

-Herald

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By A Correspondent- A woman from Bulawayo’s Old Magwegwe suburb has been granted a peace order against her former husband after she allegedly caught him fondling her daughter’s breasts and buttocks.

The woman and the man cannot be named so as to protect the identity of her minor who is 12 years old.

The short-lived marriage which lasted two years ended last year after the woman in question caught her former lover fondling her daughter’s breasts and buttocks.

After being caught red-handed, the man made a grovelling apology to his former lover. Luckily the woman forgave him and ultimately ended their affair.

The man now visits them at their home and also during the woman’s absence.

The woman abhors seeing her former lover around her daughter as she feels the man would end up raping her. And she has tried on several occasions to stop him from visiting them, but without any success.

The woman said: “I am applying for a peace order against my former lover whom I caught fondling my 12-year-old daughter’s breasts and buttocks.

“After I caught him, he apologised passionately and asked me not to report him to the police and I had to forgive him. What troubles me now is that he visits us at home. At times he comes to my home while my daughter would be alone at home and I fear that he would end up raping my daughter.

“ I have tried to talk to him so that he stops coming to my home but he disregards my pleas.”

The woman added: “May this court grant me a peace order to bar him from coming to our home.”

The presiding magistrate Jeconia Prince Ncube granted the woman a peace order and ordered the man not to visit the woman at her home.-BMetro