Mugabe was bad but he is worse. Workers are worse off under President Mnangagwa than we were under Mugabe. Both repression and poverty have increases under him.
By A Correspondent- Some villager in the Khombo area of Insiza in Matabeleland South have accused their traditional leader of parcelling out land to outsiders, leaving them without enough grazing land for their livestock.
A villager from ward 22 said the area was now overcrowded after new homesteads were allegedly set up with Chief Jahana’s authorisation.
“We no longer have grazing land for our livestock and the children are beaten while herding cattle for letting them graze in those places,” the villager said.
“One of the boys was beaten and his arm was broken. We reported the matter to the police, but the culprit ran away.
“Women now fear for their lives as they are not allowed to fetch firewood beyond set boundaries.” However, Chief Jahana, born Ndumiso Khumalo, distanced himself from the allocation of new stands.
“There are people, who are selling the grazing area to the outsiders,” Khumalo
“I came with some of my people from Gokwe, who still today do not have places to stay.”-standard
Opposition political parties are rallying supporters to register to vote for the upcoming delimitation exercise for the 2023 general elections.
The parties have also upped voter registration awareness campaigns ahead of the exercise.
The delimitation exercise creation of new electoral boundaries will be conducted using census data.
The last delimitation exercise conducted in terms of the old constitution ahead of the 2008 elections and based on the Registrar-General’s voters roll saw the opposition crying foul that their strongholds had been halved.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has warned that Bulawayo, an opposition stronghold, will lose constituencies since the voter registered population for the city falls far short of the minimum threshold.
“The issue (of voter registration) is an emergency because the sadistic central government will not hesitate to reduce parliamentary seats for Bulawayo.
“It is, therefore, imperative that there be a convergence by stakeholders, in particular residents and prospective voters, around this important issue,” MDC Alliance provincial spokesperson Swithern Chirowodza said.
“We are targeting 500 000 new registrants and we encourage political parties, activists and society organisations to converge with us to produce the required synergies.”
ZEC has lifted the suspension on voter registration, but a ban on by-elections as a Covid-19 preventive measure remains in place.
Zapu and MDC spokespersons Iphithule Maphosa and Witness Dube respectively echoed the same sentiments as they pleaded with Zimbabweans, who are eligible to vote to register for the upcoming elections.
“The party is alive and well, and is already moving a gear up in ensuring that as many people as possible register to vote in the next general elections to avoid losing constituencies because of low voter registration,” Dube said.
On Friday, MDC president Douglas Mwonzora launched a voter registration campaign in Matabeleland South.
Maphosa weighed in saying financial challenges besetting the opposition party had not affected its voter registration awareness drive.
“While we as a party are financially constrained to physically assist at a larger scale, we have managed to help a few with logistics to do the actual registration after our information sessions within communities,” Maphosa noted.
“We also have highlighted the negative implications of non-response to calls for heightened registration in potential risk areas of Bulawayo and Matabeleland as well as lobbying for the abandoning of the law that resulted in constituency delimitation being regulated based on voter density.
“We advocate for this to be influenced by population density, needs assessments and the desire to achieve inclusive and equal representation.”
Finance minister Mthuli Ncube allocated $2.3 billion to ZEC in his 2021 budget, of which $1.744 billion is meant to fund the delimitation exercise. According to independent election watchdog, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn), there has been little progress in implementing recommendations of observer missions on improving the quality of voter registration processes.
Observer missions in their recommendations after the 2018 harmonised elections emphasised the need for the establishment of more permanent registration centres and ease of registration in urban areas, particularly in Bulawayo and Harare, among others.
Zesn has been tracking progress on the implementation of the 2023 election observer mission recommendations that call for the review of the legislative and electoral framework against the country’s constitution, regional and international principles governing the holding of democratic elections.-standard
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF has honoured the Zaka’s 2008 terror campaign leader and a Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) colonel, Christopher Rufu Mayoyo,
Mayoyo died last Friday and was declared a liberation war hero. He was buried at his Jatala Farm on Tuesday last 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 of that year.
By A Correspondent- The United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH) has in the last six weeks recorded an increase in Covid-19 admissions, an official has said.
Patients with Covid-19 who go to UBH are treated at the renovated Old Bartley Memorial Block and a Covid-19 facility run by Arundel Hospital at the institution.
“We are beginning see an increase in our admissions from zero to one to eight to 18 in less than six weeks. Maybe this means the third wave is upon us,” said UBH acting CEO Narcisius Dzvanga after receiving a donation of personal protective equipment from a United Kingdombased charity, Impilo Revival, last week.
Dzvanga, also the consultant physician in charge of Covid-19 patients, said the institution was in desperate need for more support of this nature to protect its health workers.-standard
By A Correspondent- Britain says it is following closely the trial of MDC Alliance legislator Joana Mamombe and two other activists for allegedly faking their abduction.
Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova pleaded not guilty to charges of publishing or communicating false information prejudicial to the state when their trial commenced before Harare magistrate Bianca Makwande last week.
British ambassador Melanie Robinson tweeted: “Still following the case of Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova closely.
“Very important that Joana continues to get the medical attention she needs.
“All prisoners have the right to equal and fair treatment under the law.”
Mamombe was recently removed from a private Harare hospital and returned to Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison before she could receive specialist treatment.
The trio were arrested on June 11 last year after their alleged abduction during a protest in Harare.
Their trial will continue on Wednesday.
Prosecutors accuse them of trying to avoid trial by flooding the courts with “vexatious” applications.
Last year, United Nations experts called for the release of Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova, saying they were being persecuted.
They called for thorough investigations into allegations that they were abducted, but prosecutors insist the trio staged their abduction and alleged sexual abuse.
Meanwhile, the trial of Mamombe and seven other MDC Alliance activists accused of engaging in an illegal demonstration last year will start on May 13.
Mamombe, Chimbiri, Marova, Lovejoy Chitengu, Stanely Manyenga, Obey Tererai Sithole and Makomborero Haruzivishe were arrested in May last year.
Harare magistrate Vongai Gawuriro previously blamed the delays on the trial on Mamombe, accusing her of feigning mental illness.
“As long as the first accused continues playing the mental incapacity game on one hand and further committing crimes on the other and gets freed on bail, it will remain a hurdle for the proper administration of justice,” Gawuriro said then.
Both trials have attracted global attention with the government accused of persecuting the activists on political grounds.-standard
By A Correspondent- Former Air Zimbabwe workers have vowed to fight against the payment of their salary arrears in local currency at a rate of US$1: ZW$1, arguing that the move is unconstitutional.
The 300 ex-workers are owed salary arrears from the period 2009 to 2015.
They were thrown out of employment on the strength of the infamous July 2015 court ruling that allowed employers to terminate jobs on three months’ notice.
The airline, which was struggling to pay full salaries and had resorted to part payments and giving out grocery hampers, took advantage of the ruling and effected job cuts on hundreds of it’s workers to stay afloat.
AirZim’s finances have been in shambles for years allegedly because of mismanagement and corruption. Many of its planes were grounded due to old age.
The national airline, entered external administration in 2018 as the government battled to protect it from creditors, who were owed US$341 million. It sent out debt settlement proposals mid-April with administrator Grant Thornton undertaking to release payments in local currency once creditors signed off their papers.
The basis of settling salary arrears in local currency stems from Statutory Instrument (SI)33 of 2019 and SI 142 of 2019, which converted all bank balances to Zimbabwe dollars at par with the greenback.
This means creditors who were owed US$20 000, for instance, would receive ZWL$20 000, according to a payment plan confirmed by external administrators.
But the Air Transport Union and National Airways Workers Union (ATUNAWN) vowed to fight to ensure that the affected workers are paid their dues in US dollars, the currency which was in use during the time of their employment at the airline.
The union accused the administrator of trying to hoodwink the affected workers into signing papers that would approve the release of outstanding salaries in local currency.
They said the forms issued by the administrator had a section that prohibited workers from demanding any other payments as soon as the airline settles the arrears for the 2009 to 2015 period.
This is despite the fact the workers are entitled to another payment after the December 2020 Supreme Court ruling, which ordered the airline to pay them 2015-2020 salaries.
The payment modalities are yet to be tabled.
The landmark ruling ordered Zimbabwe’s flag carrier to reinstate all its former permanent employees whose contracts were terminated on three months’ notice in July 2015.
Immediately after the ruling, the airline put the workers on paid leave.
The contentious clause contained in the forms issued by the administrator reads: “This agreement constitutes the entire agreement between me / us and the adminstrator or the Airline regarding the payment of the amount owed to me /us and I/ we confirm that there are no collateral or supplementary agreements relating to the agreement.
“This agreement automatically cancels any security, which was held against the Airline or encumbrances on its properties and authorises the administrator through the Master of the High Court to immediately cancel any such encumbrances”
However, ATUNAWN said it would go to court to challenge the move.
“We are not happy with the payment modalities of US$1: $1 for our salary arrears during the period 2009 to 2015,” the union said.
“We are challenging that.
“During the period when the arrears were accrued, the economy was using the US dollar.
“Giving us the Zimbabwe dollar is unconstitutional and we are going to challenge that at the High Court.”
The unions are also lobbying for the removal of the administrator, pointing out that he was delaying in the implementation of the December 2020 Supreme Court ruling, among other reasons.
By A Correspondent- Three pupils at Thornhill High School in Gweru have tested positive for COVID-19 and all are asymptomatic.
Pupils and teachers are waiting for their results while contact tracing is currently underway.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education communication and advocacy director, Taungana Ndoro confirmed the COVID-19 outbreak at the school.
He said:
Yes, I can confirm that Thornhill high school in Gweru has been hit by cases of COVID-19. Three pupils tested positive. They are all asymptomatic and contact tracing is ongoing.
Thornhill High School headmaster Solomon Mukora said they are not going to close the school and send all children home.
Mukora said all pupils will be monitored while they continue learning and those who are sick will be treated attending lessons.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, 1 May 2021, the country recorded the lowest number of daily cases (3) in 2021 despite conducting 1 846 tests.-statemedia
Statement by Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd on its coal exploration activities in the Dinde area in Hwange, Matabeleland North Province.
The directors of Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd have noted with great concern and disbelief a series of seriously misleading and highly defamatory publications by certain individuals, media houses and organisations regarding Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd’s involvement in the Dinde area of Hwange.
In the articles circulating on print and social media, there are claims that Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd is disrespecting the Dinde Community by sinking or drilling holes on the gravesite and that Beifa Investments is proceeding with exploration against the will of the Dinde Community.
Also, in some publications, there are insinuations that the Dinde Community is about to face expulsion from their ancestral homes and their lives are being disrupted by the exploration being conducted by Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd.
To set the record straight, the Directors of Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd wish to inform members of the public and in particular the Dinde Community as follows;
Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd is a company registered in terms of the laws of Zimbabwe;
Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd is the legitimate holder of a Special Grant No. 7712 issued on 17 January 2020 and a valid Environmental Assessment Impact Certificate in relation to exploration or prospecting.
All the paperwork done by Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd is above board and the company is in strict adherence with the law;
Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd has not evicted or shown any intention to evict anyone within the Dinde Community.
Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd appreciates the symbiotic relationship between Zimbabwe and China and is committed to complementing Government efforts in reaching a Middle Income Economy by 2030.
Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd respects the customs and values of the communities it operates in and it has never been the company’s desire to unsettle or violate such customs and values;
Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd categorically denies ever desecrating any graves in the Dinde Community as alleged or at all. We note that some sections of the media posted some images of holes drilled near graves. We wish to point out that the company did not sanction the drilling of any holes. As such if there are any holes on the gravesite that would be the work of other people unknown to the company. The Directors of Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd will challenge the relevant authorities to investigate this position. In any case, the company’s drilling site is nowhere near the gravesite;
There is also an image circulating in social media where it is alleged an employee of Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd was having a meeting with one of the local people. The image insinuates that the company is involved in corrupt activities. Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd denies knowledge of the purported Chinese national appearing in the image;
We note that there are some unfortunate attempts to drag our company into perceived political shenanigans. We reiterate that we are in Zimbabwe for legitimate business, we are absolutely not involved in any politics of whatsoever nature;
Members of the public and in particular the Dinde Community must ignore the contents of articles and publications circulating in the social media from sources other than those that represent Beifa Investments (Pvt) Ltd. Members of the public who may need any information on this matter are free to approach the company officials and they will get the relevant information in terms of the law;
In our endeavour to complement Government efforts in positively impacting the lives of its people, it is our vision as a company, to create employment for people in all the communities that we work in; including the Dinde Community;
Our commitment to work for the benefit of the people of Zimbabwe is beyond doubt. This project is of national importance. It shall go a long way in alleviating the country’s power challenges;
As we continue with our legal ethical and legitimate operations we stand ready to engage and co-operate with all progressive people and organisations to ensure that our operations remain within the confines of the law of the land.
Zhou Zheng Qiao
(Project Manager)
Political analysts have warned MDC-T president Douglas Mwonzora that his party’s support for controversial amendments to the constitution is a mistake that could destroy his political career because the changes to the supreme law are not popular among the electorate.
The MDC-T voted with ZANU PF in the Senate to pass Constitution Amendment Number 1 in March, which, once signed into law by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, will give the President unfettered powers in the appointment of senior judges.
Eldred Masunungure, a University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, opined that Mwonzora took a huge gamble in supporting ZANU PF’s mutilation of the constitution that he helped to craft. He said:
It’s very odd and sad for a party that claims to be the main opposition party in Zimbabwe to be supporting an obviously odious amendment to the supreme law of the country particularly because the MDC-T leader was one of the architects of that constitution during the constitution-making process.
The constitution received overwhelming approval during the referendum and this may be politically expedient in terms of crafting engagement with the ruling party for whatever benefit we don’t know, but it is a perilous move from the perspective of the popular will and the electorate.
It is taking a huge gamble, which is not likely to pay off positively during the forthcoming by-elections and 2023 elections.
… The whole thing affects the supremacy of our supreme law, which is our social contract that (Mwonzora) was a leader in crafting.
It is a negative development and I think it will boomerang very badly on him in terms of electoral processes and outcomes.
Harare-based political analyst Alexander Rusero said Mwonzora had been exposed as a ZANU PF project through his push for the constitutional amendments.
South Africa-based political commentator Kefas Mtimande said Mwonzora’s behaviour was that of a politician, who had made his mind to work with ZANU PF. Mtimande said:
I think for him the die is cast and he knows he has no place in the opposition anymore and it is all over for him, hence he is seeking political asylum in ZANU PF.
He now cares less about what people will say and is just making it clearer through his rational disputation narrative, but otherwise, he is no longer an opposition to ZANU PF, but an ally.
Mwonzora has tried to justify his support for the amendments by saying they were protecting the quota for female legislators, but women’s groups have rejected the provisions for affirmative action as useless.-standard
By A Correspondent- Villagers at Bata Farm in Bindura are now living in fear after three bodies were found dumped in their neighbourhood.
One of the villagers stumbled upon the three bodies on 25 April near a dam with their vehicle, a silver Honda CRV parked close by.
The bodies were near a bus stop along the Bindura-Mt Darwin Road and about half a kilometre from Umfurudzi toll gate.
The community has since agreed on a 6 PM curfew in the aftermath of the incident.
Tinashe Kabaira told The Herald that he left home on Sunday at around 4 AM with his cattle drawn scotch cart to water his garden as per his daily routine. He said:
When I reached the dam I saw a man sleeping and I called out but there was no response. I concluded that he was drunk but when I went closer I discovered that he was not breathing.
I immediately went to [Stephen] Chari’s [a member of the neighbourhood watch committee] homestead and we went back to the scene where we discovered two more bodies.
This event has unsettled this whole community. We never expected to witness something this sinister. Pictures of this event continue to haunt us and constantly we are reminded of this through social media.
This dam provides water for gardening, livestock and laundry but after this event people stopped coming to the dam.
Another villager, Mary Chinakidzwa believes the three men were murdered somewhere and the assailants then dumped the bodies near the dam.
She said:
It looks like these three people were not killed at this dam. The bodies were only dumped here. The crime scene was not disturbed and does not indicate a struggle or dragging of bodies.
Chief Mutumba said after the police complete their investigation there is a need to cleanse the area to get rid of avenging spirits that may cause problems in the area.
A suspect was arrested in Dotito, Mashonaland Central, on Thursday in connection with the death of three men.
Reports claim the suspect Isaac Diningo (45), is believed to be a n’anga (traditional healer) whom the deceased had earlier consulted.
He reportedly gave the three men a concoction after the men allegedly consulted him seeking assistance to boost their fledgeling business.
The men are believed to have been carrying huge sums of cash and it is thought the n’anga desired their money and he killed them before dumping the bodies at the farm.
Two of the dead men have been identified as Medio Kashiri (52) and Anthony Ndawana also aged 52.
A fresh war has erupted over the burial of the late president Robert Mugabe with a Zvimba villager dragging the erstwhile strongman’s widow Grace to a traditional court over the matter.
Mugabe, who died in September 2019 aged 95, was buried at his Kutama homestead in Zvimba after Grace and her children rejected government’s offer to have his remains interred at the National Heroes Acre in Harare.
The Mugabe family said the long-serving ruler made it clear while on his deathbed that he did not want to be buried at the national shrine following a spectacular fallout with his ruling Zanu PF after a military coup that ousted in him in 2017.
Tinos Manovengere is said to have approached Chief Zvimba seeking to have Grace censured amid revelations that some still want his remains reburied in Harare.
According to leaked WhatsApp messages, one of Mugabe’s prominent nephews consulted a Harare-based lawyer on the legal implications of the case now before Chief Zvimba.
The messages said if Grace was found guilty by the traditional court, “corrective measures would be taken to rebury Mugabe”.
Others said Mugabe was an international figure and exhuming his remains would be an embarrassment for the country.
They said the late Zanu PF leader’s children had the right to decide, warning Chief Zvimba to be cautious.
“If he failed to handle the situation before Mugabe was buried, will he manage that now?” one of them asked.
The lawyer said the court would likely ask the rationale behind challenging Mugabe’s burial two years after he was laid to rest.
“The modern courts and judges would ask as to why you waited for so long to take action against that burial,” the lawyer advised.
“The world would want to know what Chief Zvimba and the complainant would lose or suffer if Mugabe’s remains buried in Kutama Village.
“The issue of Mugabe’s burial was debated and covered by newspapers until it was finally said he was going to be buried in Kutama. The judges will ask why you didn’t apply for an injunction without delay.”
Mugabe family spokesperson Leo Mugabe said he was not aware of the WhatsApp messages and the case against Grace.
He said the Manovengeres were his uncles but said they had nothing to do with Mugabe’s Karigamombe family.
“I don’t know anything about that. I am learning it from you. If there is something like that, Chief Zvimba should have told me,” he said.
“Social media can mislead. I have never been in any WhatsApp group.”
A Mugabe family member said the chief was yet to set a date for a hearing. He said they suspected a powerful hand was behind the case.
Grace was not available for comment as she is said to be in Singapore.
Chief Zvimba was also not reachable on his mobile phone yesterday. – The Standard
By A Correspondent- The government has said tomorrow, that is, Monday, 3 May 2021 is not a public holiday but a normal working day.
There has been confusion regarding this year’s Labour Day which fell on a weekend, Saturday, 1 May 2021.
Some people speculated that since the public holiday fell on a weekend, the following Monday would automatically be a holiday. This isn’t true. A Monday can only be a holiday if the public holiday falls on a Sunday, not Saturday.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage has cleared the air over the issue. It said in a statement:
A lot of enquiries have been made regarding whether tomorrow, 3 May 2021, is a public holiday. This follows the International Labour Day (Workers Day) commemoration which was held yesterday, Saturday 1 May 2021.
Kindly be advised that tomorrow will be a working day. Section 1(i) of the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21] provides that:
“When a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday following shall be a public holiday.”
By A Correspondent- Some schools in the Matabeleland region are reportedly demanding between US$1 to US$10 from learners per week as incentives for teachers to attend class, despite learners having paid fees in full.
Teachers unions have been urging their members to embark on a two-day teaching week citing incapacitation which resulted in the Government implementing a no work no pay policy for absconding teachers.
Investigations by Sunday News revealed that some teachers at some schools have been demanding incentives from parents of about US$10 for them to teach every day. Some of the teachers have also been demanding money for data for them to be able to conduct online lessons.
One primary school in Bulawayo has seen students being made to pay US$1 per student per week for the data purchases, which is paid direct to the teachers, with those that do not pay barred from the online lessons.
According to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedure, a classroom can have not more than 35 learners, meaning in a class of 35 learners, the teacher will be getting US$35 per week for data and a total US$140 a month.
Parents with children learning at another school in the city said this has been happening since last year whereby they pay teachers US$10 per month, to allow pupils to be taught daily.
“We paid school fees and we are now being made to pay extra money for teachers so that they can buy data for online lessons, for them to send notes and assignments. We understand they are incapacitated but how is their situation different from everyone else’s?” said one parent who refused to be named.
Some private schools are also reportedly demanding US$10 per pupil per month while some have pegged their school fees using forex and are not accepting local currency.
A schoool in Matabeleland South is reportedly ordering parents to pay incentives for teachers of US$20 per term as way to encourage teachers to attend class on a daily basis instead of two days per week. Parents in rural schools in the Matabeleland region are also equally affected with the schools also demanding incentives for them to teach.
Investigations show that schools in Maphisa, and Tsholotsho were demanding R50 top teachers.
Contacted for comment, the director of Advocacy and Communication in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Ministry Mr Taungana Ndoro said it was against Government policy to demand incentives for teachers.
He said the ministry will bring such schools to book.
“Government policy is not changing, teachers’ incentives are not allowed and that position has been there since 2014,” said Mr Ndoro..-statemedia
By A Correspondent- A 39 year old Mvurwi Cannabis farmer was sentenced to 3 years for cultivating dagga by Guruve resident magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa last week.
Blessing Spada pleaded guilty to the charge.
Prosecutor Albert Charewa told the court that on independence day police received a tip off that the accused was cultivating mbanje and went on to search his house where they found 990 grams of cannabis.
He also led the police to his garden where he uprooted 44 plants of the drug.
In another case a 21-year-old Guruve robber was sentenced to 10 months by magistrate Mugwagwa for robbing a pedestrian of his money and mobile phone.
Mairos Takudzwa Tembo was convicted after his own plea of guilty.
The court heard that Tembo followed Lawrence Muronzi on March 12 around 2100hours on a footpath. He tripped him and when he fell down, the accused robbed him of his wallet and cellphone.
Muronzi reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest Tembo.
By A Correspondent- Gosha Secondary School in Chikwaka last Tuesday became the biggest beneficiary after the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) donated to it 12 laptops, a desktop, multi-purpose printer and 25 book cases.
The parastatal, as part of its corporate social responsibility programme, went beyond just adopting a student at the school to donating the information communication technology (ICT) gadgets that will assist the institution to embrace technological advancement.
Following the publication in the Standard Style of the plight of Vellah Misodzi, who was involved in a near-fatal electrocution accident that cost her an arm and a leg five years ago, Potraz offered to send her back to school.
It paid her tuition, bought her school uniform and an artificial limb that will make it possible for her to walk to school.
Gift Machengete, Potraz director-general, said the donation was timely, having come during a month when the world was celebrating Girls in ICT whose commemorations were on April 22.
“Vellah’s story was a sad one, a story of shattered dreams and lost hope,” Machengete said.
“We wish to turn that around now and make it a story about kindness and hope for a brighter future, as well as a certain and secure tomorrow.
“When we heard of her story, there was no debate that she would become one of our beneficiaries under our community social responsibility programme.
“We thus engaged specialists to assess her needs so that she could return to school and arrangements were made for an artificial limb to be made for her.”
Machengete said the donation of laptops to Gosha Secondary School was meant to encourage especially girls to take up ICT studies and careers as the world was going digital and modern-day existence was hinged on ICTs.
“It will be a world of robotics, artificial intelligence and virtual reality. “That world is already here and students should not be left behind,” he added.
Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs minister Apollonia Munzverengi lauded Potraz for coming to the rescue of both Misodzi and her school.
“Time and again, we are getting encouraging media stories where the parastatal is supporting construction of computer labs at schools.
“They are also setting community information centres and containerised village information centres which are all equitable infrastructures of transforming our communities in line with technological advancement,” said Munzverengi in a speech read on her behalf by Muchemwa Mugwisi, a director in her office.
By A Correspondent- Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube said Government has refused to pay civil servants in foreign currency and announced a meagre Zimbabwe dollar salary increased equating it with the US dollar.
Mthuli told the state media at the weekend that he had increased civil servants salaries with the least paid now earning about $17 000 translating to US$ 205.
“Government is doing a lot for civil servants. That is about US$205 equivalent in terms of their salaries for the lowest paid civil servants. Inflation is coming down and as it does so and as we continue as Government to push the wages up, which we will, you will find out that the plight of the civil servants will get better and better. We have awarded the civil servants 25 percent salary increment,” he said.
By A Correspondent- Zanu-PF in Mashonaland East yesterday paraded former MDC Alliance member Tracy Mutinhiri and 51 other people that defected to the ruling party from the opposition.
Mutinhiri, also a former deputy minister in the late Robert Mugabe’s cabinet before joining the then Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC-T, brought along with her 29 others from Marondera East constituency.
Twenty MDC Alliance officials from Goromonzi South, who have joined the ruling party, were also paraded.
Hebert Shumbamhini, Zanu-PF commissar in the province, told the provincial coordinating committee that Mutinhiri had lured other MDC Alliance officials.
Zanu-PF Mashonaland East acting provincial chairperson Michael Madanha said those who were defecting must lure their erstwhile colleagues to the ruling party.
An emotional Mutinhiri broke into tears as she delivered her speech.
“I thank you for welcoming me. The path I chose was destined by God, but I am back,” she said.
“I am not after any position. I just want us to work together in this new dispensation.”
Zanu-PF politburo member Paul Mangwana said he was disturbed by Mutinhiri’s move to dump Zanu-PF.
“I worked with Tracy Mutinhiri as my deputy and together we worked on the indigenisation issue,” Mangwana said.
“I was disturbed when she left for the opposition. I am glad that she is back home.”
By A Correspondent- A 12 year old boy from Bulawayo’s Pumula South suburb last week hanged himself while on his way to school.
The boy, identified as Owami Mabhena, was going to school with his nine-year-old brother when he committed suicide
“On April 26 at 8am, the boy from Pumula South and his younger brother, a male juvenile aged nine years, left home going to school,” Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said.
“Upon arrival at a bushy area near Good Hope Private College, Pumula, the now-deceased removed his school uniform and put on civilian attire and afterwards hanged himself.”
He said after the younger brother had walked for a few metres and realised that his brother was not following, he returned to find him hanging from a tree branch. Police said the boy used a belt that was stripped from his school bag to commit suicide.-standard
By A Correspondent-People in Zaka are celebrating the death of 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.
Mayoyo died last Friday and was declared a liberation war hero. He was buried at his Jatala Farm on Tuesday last 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 of that year.
Former Zaka West legislator Festus Dumbu told The NewsHawks that it was tragic that Mayoyo died a free man after his terror campaign claimed innocent lives.
“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,” said Dumbu.
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.
“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 yo,” he said.
By A Correspondent- Dynamos Football club is facing a goalkeeping crisis and is still to find an experienced keeper to complement Taimon Mvula, who was in goals when Dynamos beat Highlanders 2-0 in the Independence Cup.
In terms of in-field players, the Glamour Boys are covered as all key players who had contractual issues signed for the club after the Uhuru Cup match against Bosso.
Skipper Partson Jaure and utility player Godknows Murwira were some of the influential players who were yet to be tied down.
By A Correspondent-The government said private companies requiring transportation for their workers can only hire buses registered under the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) franchise.
Local Government and Public Works Minister, July Moyo the state media that the removal of private kombis from the roads will help bring back sanity onto the country’s roads.
Private-owned commuter omnibuses were banned from the roads when the initial national lockdown was introduced on March 30 last year as part of measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Last week scores of commuters in Bulawayo were left stranded after police impounded vehicles that were operating in defiance of these regulations.
Company staff buses and vehicles hired to ferry school children that were not registered under Zupco were not spared.
In an interview on the sidelines of the handover and launch of the Local Authorities Database System (LADS) and Ward Profiles for Matabeleland and Midlands provinces in Bulawayo, Minister Moyo said companies should only hire Zupco registered vehicles to ferry their staff.
“Zupco affiliated commuter omnibuses are the only ones allowed to operate, that is the policy in place and it has not changed,” he said.
“Anybody who has their buses and wants to operate must go and register with Zupco. “This is to ensure that we manage urban companies through one company but with many owners. “All we are saying is that we want to bring sanity to the whole system. “Even companies that want to hire buses for their workers should do so through Zupco alone and not hire private companies.”
Minister Moyo said Government and ICT experts at the Harare Institute of Technology had introduced a high-tech system to manage all the Zupco affiliated vehicles.
“It is now easy to monitor all these vehicles. “Authorities can do this by just using their mobile phones through this system. “This is what we are pushing for when we talk about effectively managing our vehicles.”
The government has said tomorrow, Monday 3 May 2021 is not a public holiday as the workers day holiday was on a Saturday not a Sunday.
There has been confusion regarding this year’s Labour Day which fell on a weekend, Saturday, 1 May 2021.
Some people speculated that since the public holiday fell on a weekend, the following Monday would automatically be a holiday. This isn’t true. A Monday can only be a holiday if the public holiday falls on a Sunday, not Saturday.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage has cleared the air over the issue.
“A lot of enquiries have been made regarding whether tomorrow, 3 May 2021, is a public holiday. This follows the International Labour Day (Workers Day) commemoration which was held yesterday, Saturday 1 May 2021.
“Kindly be advised that tomorrow will be a working day. Section 1(i) of the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21] provides that:
“When a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday following shall be a public holiday.” government said.
Mashonaland East MDC Alliance Youth Assembly member, George Madziva was attacked by a mob of ZANU PF thugs led by their youth District Coordinating Committee (DCC) Chairman yesterday in Murehwa.
Madziva who is Mashonaland East Youth Secretary for Local Government said he was attacked at the instigation of ZANU PF DCC Youth Chair who confronted him for putting President Nelson Chamisa’s picture as his phone wallpaper.
The notorious ZANU PF DCC Chairman then called his gang who ambushed Madziva on his way home.
Madziva sustained a badly fractured arm and bruises all his body from the vicious attack.
Among the thugs that attacked Madziva, there was one Masendeke, a known ZPCS Warden stationed at Murehwa Centre.
Madziva has since made a report at ZRP Murehwa and it is our sincere hope that the police will genuinely pursue the case.
Since the turn of the millennium, Murehwa has become one of the epicenters of politically motivated violence targeting opposition members.
In the post 2008 elections violence many lost limps, lives and property at the hands of a ZANU PF militia group, the Green Bombers.
It is for that reason as MDC Alliance Youth Assembly we are totally opposed to the re-establishment of a partisan National Youth Service recently approved by Emmerson Mnangagwa’s cabinet.
It is time we deploy our own Peace Officers to protect our parents in rural areas as we head towards the 2023 watershed elections.
DefyOrDie
People’sAgenda2021
CitizensConvergenceForChange
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
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 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 last 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 of that year.
Former Zaka West legislator Festus Dumbu told The NewsHawks that it was tragic that Mayoyo died a free man after his terror campaign claimed innocent lives.
“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,” said Dumbu.
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.
“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 yo,” he said.
By A Correspondent- Dynamos has lifted Gift Muzadzi’s suspension which the football club imposed on the team’s former goal minder last month.
DeMbare suspended Muzadzi for alleged insubordination after he criticised club treasurer Moses Chikwariro for giving the technical team US$3 per week for bus fare.
By A Correspondent-The government has indefinitely banned kombis and directed private companies requiring transportation for their workers can only hire buses registered under the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) franchise.
Local Government and Public Works Minister, July Moyo the state media that the removal of private kombis from the roads will help bring back sanity onto the country’s roads.
Private-owned commuter omnibuses were banned from the roads when the initial national lockdown was introduced on March 30 last year as part of measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Last week scores of commuters in Bulawayo were left stranded after police impounded vehicles that were operating in defiance of these regulations.
Company staff buses and vehicles hired to ferry school children that were not registered under Zupco were not spared.
In an interview on the sidelines of the handover and launch of the Local Authorities Database System (LADS) and Ward Profiles for Matabeleland and Midlands provinces in Bulawayo, Minister Moyo said companies should only hire Zupco registered vehicles to ferry their staff.
“Zupco affiliated commuter omnibuses are the only ones allowed to operate, that is the policy in place and it has not changed,” he said.
“Anybody who has their buses and wants to operate must go and register with Zupco. “This is to ensure that we manage urban companies through one company but with many owners. “All we are saying is that we want to bring sanity to the whole system. “Even companies that want to hire buses for their workers should do so through Zupco alone and not hire private companies.”
Minister Moyo said Government and ICT experts at the Harare Institute of Technology had introduced a high-tech system to manage all the Zupco affiliated vehicles.
“It is now easy to monitor all these vehicles. “Authorities can do this by just using their mobile phones through this system. “This is what we are pushing for when we talk about effectively managing our vehicles.”
By A Correspondent- The government has maintained that it will not any time soon be able to pay civil servants in foreign currency despite the dollarisation of the whole economy.
This was revealed by the state media, Sunday when it reported that the government had effected an increment on civil servants salaries that saw the lowest paid worker being paid US$205 equivalent on the interbank exchange rate.
The state propaganda mouthpiece said the Zimbabwe dollar salary reviews were meant to ensure that Government employees will be earning around US$540 equivalent before the end of the year.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister, Paul Mavima told the state media that the government will increase civil servants salaries again in June. The offer to increase salaries was made by Government at the beginning of last month.
“The 25 percent salary increment for civil servants was effected in April. So, in June we will do another 45 percent to bring it to 70 percent for this half of the year,” he said.
By A Correspondent- Most schools throughout the country are now charging between US$1 to US$10 from learners per week as incentives for teachers to attend class, owing to the government’s failure to incentivise teachers.
Teachers unions have been urging their members to embark on a two-day teaching week citing incapacitation which resulted in the Government implementing a no work no pay policy for absconding teachers.
Investigations by the state media in Matabeleland revealed that some teachers at some schools have been demanding incentives from parents of about US$10 for them to teach every day. Some of the teachers have also been demanding money for data for them to be able to conduct online lessons.
One primary school in Bulawayo has seen students being made to pay US$1 per student per week for the data purchases, which is paid directly to the teachers, with those that do not pay barred from the online lessons.
By A Correspondent-The government has maintained its ban on Kombis and said that companies requiring transportation for their workers can only hire buses registered under the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) franchise.
Local Government and Public Works Minister, July Moyo told state media that the removal of private kombis from the roads will help bring back sanity onto the country’s roads.
Private-owned commuter omnibuses were banned from the roads when the initial national lockdown was introduced on March 30 last year as part of measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Last week scores of commuters in Bulawayo were left stranded after police impounded vehicles that were operating in defiance of these regulations.
Company staff buses and vehicles hired to ferry school children that were not registered under Zupco were not spared.
In an interview on the sidelines of the handover and launch of the Local Authorities Database System (LADS) and Ward Profiles for Matabeleland and Midlands provinces in Bulawayo, Minister Moyo said companies should only hire Zupco registered vehicles to ferry their staff.
“Zupco affiliated commuter omnibuses are the only ones allowed to operate, that is the policy in place and it has not changed,” he said.
“Anybody who has their buses and wants to operate must go and register with Zupco. “This is to ensure that we manage urban companies through one company but with many owners. “All we are saying is that we want to bring sanity to the whole system. “Even companies that want to hire buses for their workers should do so through Zupco alone and not hire private companies.”
Minister Moyo said Government and ICT experts at the Harare Institute of Technology had introduced a high-tech system to manage all the Zupco affiliated vehicles.
“It is now easy to monitor all these vehicles. “Authorities can do this by just using their mobile phones through this system. “This is what we are pushing for when we talk about effectively managing our vehicles.”
A Bulawayo syndicate of thieves, who broke into people’s cars, was arrested after one of them gave away information about his location to detectives through Facebook.
Fayton Zata (27) of Mabuthweni and Thabo Mthombeni (29) from Mpopoma went on a car breaking spree at the Ascot shopping complex last Saturday before they were arrested on Monday.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said the two were using a scissors to break into cars.
“On April 24 at 11pm, the two were spotted at Ascot shopping centre, Bulawayo, by alert security guards tampering with some motor vehicles, which were parked in the parking bays,” Ncube said.
“The security guards observed that the accused persons were committing theft from a motor vehicle and were using a scissors to open the car door as well as smashing windows.”
He said the security guards tried to apprehend the suspects but they escaped, leaving behind their motor vehicle, a red Honda Fit, registration number ACO 9550 at the scene.
Ncube said the abandoned motor vehicle was searched and a national identity card, a driver’s licence belonging to Zata, a pair of scissors and a set of number plates AES 4028 were recovered.
He said investigations showed that the number plates that were fitted on the abandoned Honda Fit (ACO 9550) belonged to a Mercedes benz ML 270.
The number plates were stolen on April 20 from a Benz vehicle parked at the Cold Storage Commission premises in Belmont.
Ncube said police searched for Zata’s profile on Facebook using the recovered identity documents and managed to communicate with him.
He eventually disclosed his address, leading to his arrest.
He said Zata admitted that he committed the offence and implicated Mthombeni together with three others identified as Bhekani, Geribee and Farai, whom he said were still at large.
The 2021 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season is set to kick off on the 17th of July following resolutions made during the top flight’s annual General meeting held in Harare this Friday.
The domestic league season will kick off weeks after the conclusion of the season’s opening cup competition which gets underway in May.
Speaking to ZBC News PSL Chairperson Farai Jere said the Cup competition will be the dress rehearsal for the league season with all Covid-19 safety measures undergoing a test run.
This will be a proper league, we have been forced by the situation to have it in July but the season hasn’t changed because this needs a constitution, and our league will have promotion and relegation so this will help ZIFA when they are crafting their letter to SRC for the resumption of football because that’s where the lower divisions come in,he noted.
The PSL assembly also reached an agreement with ZIFA lawyers on the burning issue of contracts.
The lawyers clarified what is a contract and also highlighted that if the agree service was not rendered then compensation has to be paid if a player wants to leave and this was made clear by the lawyers who also agreed with the ZIFA interpretation,explained Jere.
The Premier Soccer League also indicated that they have secured a sponsor for both the league and Cup competition, to be unveiled in a week’s time.
A 45-year-old Beatrice woman has been sentenced to an effective 16 years in prison for raping her three sons for a month in April last year.
The woman, who was facing three counts of rape charges, was convicted after a full trial by Chitungwiza regional magistrate Mr Noel Mupeiwa.
Mr Mupeiwa noted that the woman was mentally stable and castigated her behaviour that eventually led her sons to become sexually active and abused a neighbour’s daughter.
The State represented by Ms Trinity Mandebvu proved that the convicted woman raped his three sons, one aged six and twins aged 8.
In the first count, the woman’s 6-year-old son on unknown dates in April last year, and his two elder brothers were staying with the mother.
Initially, the boys would sleep on the floor while the mother slept on the bed but later, the mother asked her three sons to join her on the bed.
She is said to have told them that she wanted to teach them how to have sexual intercourse.
The mother instructed the youngest son to remove his clothes and had sex with him. This occurred on several occasions in the presence of his elder brothers, the court heard.
Ms Mandebvu further told the court that the mother threatened the complainant that she would not give him food if he ever disclosed the abuse to anyone.
The second and third counts happened in similar fashion when the mother was raping her twin sons during the same period.
However, the mother left the complainants alone and directed them never to disclose the matter to anyone, otherwise she would abandon them and would not give them food.
The children were then taken in by their step grandmother.
The matter came to light after a neighbour’s daughter was sexually abused and the step grandmother quizzed them on where they had learnt that and they spilled the beans.
A report was then made to the police leading to the arrest of the mother.
MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday said employers must pay their workers in United States dollars, saying they deserve a decent wage.
In a message to commemorate Workers Day, Chamisa weighed in on the raging debate over payment of salaries in the local currency at a time most goods and services are priced in foreign currency.
“Give workers’ salaries in US dollars,” the MDC Alliance leader tweeted.
“Saluting the labour that built up this land and those who work to make Zimbabwe a great country.
“Without labour nothing flourishes. “We join workers of Zimbabwe to fight for political, economic and social justice. “Workers deserve a decent wage.”
In his Workers Day message, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the condition of workers in Zimbabwe had improved under his presidency.
“Zimbabwe at 41 is much better than Zimbabwe at 37 before the second republic,” Mnangagwa said.
“The gloomy picture of 2017 has been replaced by a genuine sense of optimism that conditions are now in place for our country to fulfil its potential and for our people to thrive.
“We use this day to galvanise Zimbabwean workers for greater unity towards the achievement of the great task set out in the national development strategy and towards achieving vision 2030.
“None but ourselves bear the burden to grow and prosper our motherland.
“We are our own keepers and force for our own development.
“Your sacrifice and continued endurance has kept the wheels of Zimbabwe’s economy turning.
“The priority remains that of protecting and serving the needs of workers and their families.”
Mnangagwa took over from the late Robert Mugabe following a military coup in 2017.
Prior to that, he was a permanent feature in Mugabe’s Cabinet since 1980.
Civil servants, who are ironically demanding salaries in United States dollars as per October 2018, reacted angrily to Mnangagwa’s claims that their situation had improved.
“We are not sharing the aura of optimism because we are in a very dark moment because of incapacitation,” the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (formerly Apex Council) general-secretary David Dzatsunga said.
“The whole reaction by the government to then evoke the no-work no-pay principle will put us in a very invidious place that makes us angry to say we have gone to our employer to tell him that we are incapacitated, we are suffering and instead of capacitating us reacts by the no-work no-pay principle.
“We never said we don’t want to come to work.
“We want to come to work every day even on weekends if what they are paying us is adequate. We are yet to get this optimism.”
The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe said workers in Zimbabwe were under siege and all must unite and face “the enemy”.
“The worker in Zimbabwe is under siege, and Happy Workers’ Day sounds like a ritual,” PTUZ said in a statement.
“Nevertheless, we say Happy Workers’ Day to all Zimbabwean workers. Unite and face the enemy.”
The Zimbabwe Teachers Association said: “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 it’s all in the past. It’s a black May Day for us.”
Zimbabwe is plagued by high unemployment, which observers said stretches to over 90% with many relying on the informal sector for survival.
PARLIAMENT says it will intervene in a matter in which Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala (MDC Alliance) is accusing Zanu PF supporters and Chitungwiza Town Council officials of attempting to stop construction of a community marketplace in his constituency.
Sikhala, the MDC Alliance deputy national chairperson, wrote to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda last month asking him to rein in ruling Zanu PF party supporters he alleged were stalling the project, which is funded by government through the Constituency Development Fund.
In response, Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda said the legislative body would engage the relevant authorities so that the project resumes without further delay.
In a letter dated April 21, 2021 written to Sikhala and seen by NewsDay, Chokuda said: “Parliament takes note of the efforts that you made in having the project approved by the relevant authorities and commencement of the project thereof.
“It is, therefore, regretted that the project has stalled as a result of the directive from Chitungwiza Town Council to halt construction.”
He added: “We take note of the fact that you have taken the matter to the courts to seek redress. In our view, the longer the matter stays in the courts, the longer it will take for Zengeza West constituency to benefit from this project. In that respect, Parliament proposes to engage the relevant authorities for dialogue to be given a chance in resolving the matter.”
Chitungwiza Town Council issued a prohibition and enforcement order stopping Sikhala from developing the market despite that the project has approved plans and land was allocated for its construction.
Sikhala then approached the High Court challenging the prohibition and enforcement order and won the matter.
However, the council appealed to the Supreme Court.
By Jane Mlambo| Estranged wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, Marry Mubaiwa has revealed damning details on the involvement of President Emmerson Mnangagwa in her separation with the retired Army General.
In an interview with a local publication, Marry said Mnangagwa is the one who called her to announce that only six people were allowed to go to China with Chiwenga while reading out names which excluded her.
She said the phone call only came when everything had been planned, suggesting Mnangagwa was only used to break the news to her or was in connivance with his deputy.
“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,” Marry said.
She added that though she had a diplomatic passport which doesn’t require a visa to travel, Mnangagwa told her she could not go as those on the list had already secured visas.
“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,” said Marry.
Was Mnangagwa complicit in the break-up of Chiwenga and his wife Marry?
A HARARE-based organisation, Heart of a Woman Trust yesterday donated reusable pads, sanitary pads, and Covid-19 Personal Protective Equipment in the form of face masks and hand sanitisers to 55 women at the Mlondolozi Female Prison housed at Khami Prison Complex.
The donation comprised 55 reusable pads, 110 sanitary pads, 110 face masks and eight litres of hand sanitizers. Speaking at the donation handover, Heart of a Woman Trust director Ms Verna Zisengwe said the donation will go a long way to assist the women prisoners during the times of Covid-19 pandemic.
“As a Trust we are passionate about women in general and most importantly about female prisoners. We aim to empower them and help them regain their confidence so that they know that there is hope after incarceration.
We donate basic necessities most of the times for these women and we have taken the initiative to further reach out to our incarcerated sisters in Bulawayo especially in these trying times of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Ms Zisengwe.
She also urged individuals, corporates and institutions to come together and help the targeted group of the less privileged.
“They also need us, prisoners are just human beings like us, they also deserve a second chance in life. So, it is up to you and I to come together and help these women who are incarcerated,” she added.
Ms Zisengwe said her organisation will continue to address women’s plight during incarceration through to release from prison and life beyond bars. She said the aim was to re-ignite the flame in them after release from prison by empowering and preparing them for effective re-integration into society by sponsoring income generating projects.
The Trust was founded in 2014 by a group of passionate Zimbabwean citizens working to address the needs of marginalised groups in society and promote gender equality.- The Sunday News
GIFT MUZADZI has been forgiven by Dynamos for alleged insubordination and is likely to retain his post as goalkeepers’ coach…
The former DeMbare goal-minder appeared before the club’s disciplinary committee on Tuesday.
He was suspended on April 13 after he reportedly criticised club treasurer Moses Chikwariro for giving the technical team US$3 per week for bus fare.
Muzadzi was also accused of sabotage for allegedly badmouthing the Isaiah Mupfurutsa-led executive.
Dynamos communications officer Yvonne Mangunda said the matter was an internal issue.
Club chairperson Isaiah Mupfurutsa could not be reached yesterday, while Muzadzi’s phone was not reachable.
However, it is believed the former Warrior’s player was given a strong reprimand.
Muzadzi will return for duty amid a goalkeeping crisis at DeMbare, who are still to find an experienced keeper to complement Taimon Mvula, who was in goals when Dynamos beat Highlanders 2-0 in the Independence Cup.
In terms of in-field players, the Glamour Boys are covered as all key players who had contractual issues signed for the club after the Uhuru Cup match against Bosso.
Skipper Partson Jaure and utility player Godknows Murwira were some of the influential players who were yet to be tied down.
Dynamos have assembled a decent squad comprising of 2019 Soccer Star of the Year King Nadolo, Slyvester Appiah, Tinotenda “Kedha” Chiunye, Juan Mutudza and Tinashe Makanda.
Dribbling wizard Tanaka Chidhobha, Shadreck Nyahwa, Barnabas Mushunje, veteran striker Newman Sianchali, David Temwanjira and former Triangle star Trevor Mavhunga are expected to be pivotal when the 2021 Premier Soccer League season starts with a cup competition on May 15.
The league is expected to start on July 17. The resolutions were made at a Premier Soccer League annual general meeting held in the capital on Friday.
The league sponsor, believed to be Delta Beverages, will be unveiled before the beginning of the cup competition.- The Sunday Mail
Statement by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights in commemoration of 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 the 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 the 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:
State actors and non-state actors to honour workers and celebrate their achievements in advancing labour rights, All members of society to join ZCTU in celebrating its 40th anniversary, All members of society to lobby policymakers to align Zimbabwe’s labour laws with international labour law standards, 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, Government to ensure that workers work in humane conditions, The state to satisfy workers’ demands for fair pay which takes inflation into account and reflects the real cost of living, Government to set up robust relief mechanisms to support workers who have been forced out of employment by the coronavirus, The state to ensure that all workers are adequately protected from coronavirus by providing them with sufficient PPE and vaccines. ENDS
The usual trend is that a man will definitely send a cheating wife packing, a Nyanga man has expressed his undying love for his wife even though she cheated on him with his best friend, a herdsman.
Martin Kanyanani of Muzika Village under Chief Saunyama, just like the Biblical Hosea’s undying love for his unfaithful wife Gomer, continues to love his wife Chipo.
Kanyanani says his close friend Thomas Nhipura has been bedding his wife for the past year even when she was pregnant with the couple’s only child.
He said he trusted Nhipura so much and would allow his wife, Chipo Kanyanani, to hang out with him.
The matter recently came to light at Chief Saunyama’s court as Kanyanani was demanding compensation from Nhipura for bedding his wife.
Nhipura defaulted the court hearing.
During the court hearing, Kanyanani professed his undying love for Chipo. He said:
Although she cheated on me, I still love my wife. I do not intend to surrender her to Nhipura or her parents.
My love for her never changed after I heard about the affair. She even confessed to me. I just felt betrayed, but I still need her as my wife.
I cannot make silly decisions based on her single mistake. He lured and seduced her.
Kanyanani claimed that he was the last one in Muzika Village to know of Nhipura and Chipo’s affair.
The heartbroken man also told the court that he wants Nhipura to ask for forgiveness and pay for his sins.
Speaking before the court, Chipo confirmed that she cheated on her husband with the herd boy. She said:
I cheated with Nhipura but I do not know how it happened. Rumours went around until word landed in my husband’s ears.
He confronted me and I confessed to him. He then went to Nhipura and he also confessed.
I was wrong and fortunately, my husband understands.
Chief Saunyama adjourned the matter to a later date to allow Nhipura to attend the court hearing.- Manica Post
By Showbiz Reporter | The Norton MP Temba Mliswa’s ex girlfriend, Susan Mutami who is in a bitter split with her former lover (of whom she claims pregnancy), last year dated at least four different men who include the Foreign Affairs Minister SB Moyo, one after the other:
Susan Mutami’s latest profile picture – source: Susan Mutami, Twitter.com
Polite Kambamura, the Mining Deputy Minister (they were engaged). Walter Chikwana, Secretary for the Judicial Commission (they had a civil partnership in 2020), and ZANU PF MP, Hon Kenneth Musanhi (see pictures).
Furthermore, an affidavit seen by ZimEye states in addition that she was already pregnant way before bedding Mliswa last year.
The affidavit, certified by the Judicial Services Commission, shows by end of March 2020, she was still engaged to another man, who works inside the JSC, Mr Walter Chikwana. The man was reached for a comment Tuesday but wouldn’t speak or respond to the matter.
Meanwhile, the affidavit states that Mutami was carrying a pregnancy to another man at the end of March 2020. In the affidavit, her boyfriend, Mr Chikwana says:
‘ I am Susan Vivian Mutami’s partner and in case of emergency I can be contacted on the above mentioned address or on my mobile number, +263772***********”
He then goes on to say he is the legal guardian of SB Moyo’s Child (full name redacted-in accordance with the Children’s Act on the paper).
” I am also the legal guardian of (name withheld), and our unborn child as of date. Attached hereto is a copy of my identification.”
The affidavit was signed on the 24th March 2020.
Affidavit
The development puts burden on Mutami to explain the timing drama surrounding her two pregnancies (to different men) which are within months of each other.
Efforts to get a comment from Mutami were fruitless at the time of writing as she repeatedly put down the phone, while only giving interviews to the Newsday publication which carries a story making false claims that she is the holder of two Australian degrees of which she has none, and also makes false claims that she is the winner of Australia’s CEO awards.
Meanwhile, her ex lover, Mliswa has maintained his allegations that he was set up by the Central Intelligence Organisation in order to incriminate him using Susan Mutami.
State Media – At 15, Catherine Muponda was already a mother and living with a husband who was twice her age.
The marriage was unbearable; the man was abusive. She hated herself and the life she was living.On many occasions, she even contemplated suicide.
“I was only 15-years-old and I was in love with a man who was 30 and stayed in Harare while I stayed here in Madziwa,” Catherine said, recounting her ordeal to The Sunday Mail.
“He was more experienced and I guess that is how he took advantage of me. “When I got pregnant, he refused to take responsibility and my parents chased me away from home.”
She then relocated to Harare to stay with her sister, but life in the big city was proving unbearable on account of poverty. It was then that she met another man, aged 34, who said he was willing to take care of her and her young daughter.
Catherine had fallen into the maze of child marriage, which accounts for hundreds of young Zimbabwean girls every year.
“I was desperate, so I accepted the offer despite the fact that he was not the father of my child. Little did I know that I was jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
“A few months after moving in with him, he became abusive and would beat me up for no reason. He was verbally abusive, called me hurtful names. During all the time I lived with him, he never gave me money even to buy a loaf of bread.”
After two years, Catherine decided to walk away from the marriage before asking for forgiveness from her parents who took her back in.
It was then that she decided to resuscitate her long held dream of completing her studies. Fortunately for her, she had already passed her Ordinary Levels with flying colours.
She immediately registered for A-Level studies in 2019. Seven years after plunging into misfortune and in the process abandoning her dream of becoming a lawyer, Catherine finally completed her basic education last year.
Last week, she was among the thousands of 2020 A-Level candidates who collected their exam results. Astonishingly, Catherine aced the examination, scoring 15 points. Now she is preparing to enrol with a local university to study for a law degree.
She has secured funding from the Rozaria Memorial Trust, which provides financial and physiological assistance to child brides who opt to go back to school. “It was not easy going back to school. Society does not forgive and forget easily.
“The community labels you a bad apple and that can potentially harm you. Oftentimes, you are treated as an outcast.
“You are called names which are meant to humiliate and bring you down and you are always reminded of your past mistakes. “As a result you are never really free to express yourself.”
Catherine said there were times she contemplated quitting because of the pressure and stereotyping. Luckily, she received a lot of counselling, which helped her through the tough times.
The Covid-19 pandemic and its attendant lockdowns, however, emerged and threatened her dream. She said there was little in-class learning during her final year and she had to go beyond the normal in order to continue learning.
“We had to walk long distances in search of tutors who were willing to teach for free or for very little money which my classmates and I could afford.”
Powered by extraordinary determination, Catherine vowed to use her second chance to change her life in spite of the challenges. “Because of the ordeal I went through at the hands of abusive men, I want to be a lawyer,” she said.
“I want to use that to help defend and uplift women and girls who are going through what I went through.”
Just like Catherine, Samantha Chidodo (22) of Shamva returned from an abusive marriage to continue with her studies.
“At 17, I fell pregnant and moved in with my boyfriend who was aged 21 at the time,” said Samantha. “A few months into the marriage, I realised that I had taken a wrong turn.
“I went back home, luckily my parents took me back in. I later went back for my A’ Level studies with assistance from Rozaria Trust. “I was grateful for the second chance and swore to use it wisely.”
Samantha scored 12 points in last year’s exams. Rozaria Memorial Trust chief executive, Dr Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, said she was proud of the girls being supported by her trust.
“We are very proud of the girls, it was not an easy road but they pulled through,” said Dr Gumbonzvanda. “Our organisation will continue assisting young women in such predicaments.”
In many developing countries including Zimbabwe, most cases of child marriages are attributed to poverty, gender discrimination, lack of education and peer pressure among others.
A recent report by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development indicated that nearly 5 000 girls of school going age had fallen pregnant during the Covid-19 induced national lockdown.
Government has pledged to eliminate the menace by 2030 in line with Goal number 5.3 under the Sustainable Development Goals. -Sunday Mail
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance has challenged the Zanu PF regime to pay workers decent wages.
In it’s May Day statement, the MDC Alliance accused the Zanu PF regime of abusing workers as the majority are earning meagre wages.
Read statement below:
MAY DAY ADDRESS FROM THE MDC ALLIANCE LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY PORTFOLIO.
Comrades and friends ,Ladies and Gentleman we kindly appreciate and salute you on this very important day,a day to recognise and appreciate the hard work and resilience workers have shown under a terrible pandemic and work related difficulties that they face at the workplace and in Zimbabwe a rogue govt that has incessantly violated worker rights with impunity.
A gvt that has been on the ILO agenda for worker violation of rights for more than 10 years,a gvt that has been compared with countries like Sudan and Burma when it comes to worker rights violations.
This year’s May Day is unique because we are celebrating it under a pandemic ,with workers working under the Corona pandemic ,with those that still have jobs working with: -inadequate personal protection equipment(PPE) -inadequate medical cover -poor salaries with inflation eroding their meagre salaries everyday -policy inconsistencies from gvt on the economy -with worker rights being violated every day and workers being refused the right to express themselves through demonstrations and strikes.
We are celebrating Workers Day when corruption and mismanagement of resources is the order of the day, with unemployment standing at around 98% and no effort being made to address the situation.We celebrate this day when the court where issues that affect the economy and issues that affect the workers theTNF is in limbo and nothing of benefit coming out of that forum.
We celebrate when our roads and highways are full of potholes. We celebrate when our dear civil servants are reeling under poor RTGs wages and salaries. We celebrate when in particular our frontline workers teachers and nurses are terribly underpaid .
We aptly endorse the theme for this year’s May Day by the ZCTU which calls for the fight for political, economic and social justice.
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance has challenged the Zanu PF regime to pay workers decent wages.
In it’s May Day statement, the MDC Alliance accused the Zanu PF regime of abusing workers as the majority are earning meagre wages.
Read statement below:
MAY DAY ADDRESS FROM THE MDC ALLIANCE LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY PORTFOLIO.
Comrades and friends ,Ladies and Gentleman we kindly appreciate and salute you on this very important day,a day to recognise and appreciate the hard work and resilience workers have shown under a terrible pandemic and work related difficulties that they face at the workplace and in Zimbabwe a rogue govt that has incessantly violated worker rights with impunity.
A gvt that has been on the ILO agenda for worker violation of rights for more than 10 years,a gvt that has been compared with countries like Sudan and Burma when it comes to worker rights violations.
This year’s May Day is unique because we are celebrating it under a pandemic ,with workers working under the Corona pandemic ,with those that still have jobs working with: -inadequate personal protection equipment(PPE) -inadequate medical cover -poor salaries with inflation eroding their meagre salaries everyday -policy inconsistencies from gvt on the economy -with worker rights being violated every day and workers being refused the right to express themselves through demonstrations and strikes.
We are celebrating Workers Day when corruption and mismanagement of resources is the order of the day, with unemployment standing at around 98% and no effort being made to address the situation.We celebrate this day when the court where issues that affect the economy and issues that affect the workers theTNF is in limbo and nothing of benefit coming out of that forum.
We celebrate when our roads and highways are full of potholes. We celebrate when our dear civil servants are reeling under poor RTGs wages and salaries. We celebrate when in particular our frontline workers teachers and nurses are terribly underpaid .
We aptly endorse the theme for this year’s May Day by the ZCTU which calls for the fight for political, economic and social justice.
The Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) has confirmed the dates for this year’s senior men COSAFA Cup tournament.
The competition will be played from 2-17 July in South Africa to mark its return after it was postponed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Warriors, who are the record six-time winners, are set to feature in the tournament after they had been banned in the cancelled previous edition. The suspension resulted after the nation failed to honour an agreement to host the 2019 COSAFA Cup.
Zifa pulled out of holding the competition in the last-minute after the government had refused to help them in hosting the event.
Meanwhile, this year’s edition will give coach Zdravko Logarusic another platform to prepare for the 2021 AFCON to be held in Cameroon in January next year.
The COSAFA Cup is happening during the season break and most players based in South Africa and Europe will be available to feature in a few games.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
IN a suspected case of ritual murder, the body of a 57-year-old tractor driver who had been missing for five days was found with a deep cut on the head.
His eyes were also missing.
The remains of Grey Chirimo, who was employed by Allied Timbers, were recovered in Nyangani Dam after he had disappeared with the tractor he was driving when he was last seen.
The tractor was found by members of the police sub-aqua unit two days before his body was discovered in Nyangani Dam. Allied Timbers had to hire a crane to retrieve the tractor from the dam.
Police confirmed the gory murder and said investigations were in progress.
It is alleged that Chirimo knocked off duty at an Allied Timbers Estate in Mutasa on April 14 and went to the workshop to park the tractor.
“The following day, Justin William Matanga saw a trailer which was stuck on a tree. There were tractor tyre marks leading to Nyangani Dam.
“A spirited search by the sub-aqua unit failed to recover Chirimo’s body. It was later found floating in Nyangani Dam on April 21. There was a deep cut on his head, with his eyes missing,” said Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxson Chananda.
In a separate incident, a dispute over pieces of gold ended tragically after a 27-year-old Nyanga man gruesomely murdered his brother following a beer binge.
The siblings — Samuel and Simudzai Sokiri (31) — could not agree on how to share the two grammes of gold they had panned in Nyamutongere, Mozambique.
The murder occurred in Chimusasa Village under Chief Katerere.
Samuel vanished soon after committing the heinous crime and is still at large.
“Samuel, Simudzai and their friends — Aloise Nyamatanga and Freddy Mukonowamwere — were drinking beer at Chimusasa Business Centre when an altercation ensued between the two brothers. They started fighting and Samuel hit Simudzai.
“The latter fell to the ground and lost consciousness. The other three men left him there and proceeded home.
“Kembo Chimusasa later saw Simudzai and took him home. Unfortunately, he died the same night.
“We are appealing to members of the public with information leading to Samuel’s arrest to contact their nearest police station,” said Insp Chananda.- Manica Post
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.
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.
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
The Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) has confirmed the dates for this year’s senior men COSAFA Cup tournament.
The competition will be played from 2-17 July in South Africa to mark its return after it was postponed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Warriors, who are the record six-time winners, are set to feature in the tournament after they had been banned in the cancelled previous edition. The suspension resulted after the nation failed to honour an agreement to host the 2019 COSAFA Cup.
Zifa pulled out of holding the competition in the last-minute after the government had refused to help them in hosting the event.
Meanwhile, this year’s edition will give coach Zdravko Logarusic another platform to prepare for the 2021 AFCON to be held in Cameroon in January next year.
The COSAFA Cup is happening during the season break and most players based in South Africa and Europe will be available to feature in a few games.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance has challenged the Zanu PF regime to pay workers decent wages.
In it’s May Day statement, the MDC Alliance accused the Zanu PF regime of abusing workers as the majority are earning meagre wages.
Read statement below:
MAY DAY ADDRESS FROM THE MDC ALLIANCE LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY PORTFOLIO.
Comrades and friends ,Ladies and Gentleman we kindly appreciate and salute you on this very important day,a day to recognise and appreciate the hard work and resilience workers have shown under a terrible pandemic and work related difficulties that they face at the workplace and in Zimbabwe a rogue govt that has incessantly violated worker rights with impunity.
A gvt that has been on the ILO agenda for worker violation of rights for more than 10 years,a gvt that has been compared with countries like Sudan and Burma when it comes to worker rights violations.
This year’s May Day is unique because we are celebrating it under a pandemic ,with workers working under the Corona pandemic ,with those that still have jobs working with: -inadequate personal protection equipment(PPE) -inadequate medical cover -poor salaries with inflation eroding their meagre salaries everyday -policy inconsistencies from gvt on the economy -with worker rights being violated every day and workers being refused the right to express themselves through demonstrations and strikes.
We are celebrating Workers Day when corruption and mismanagement of resources is the order of the day, with unemployment standing at around 98% and no effort being made to address the situation.We celebrate this day when the court where issues that affect the economy and issues that affect the workers theTNF is in limbo and nothing of benefit coming out of that forum.
We celebrate when our roads and highways are full of potholes. We celebrate when our dear civil servants are reeling under poor RTGs wages and salaries. We celebrate when in particular our frontline workers teachers and nurses are terribly underpaid .
We aptly endorse the theme for this year’s May Day by the ZCTU which calls for the fight for political, economic and social justice.
Here’s everything you need to know about complementary, alternative, and natural remedies for asthma, including which ones doctors say may actually help with asthma symptoms.
Diana Rodriguez By Diana Rodriguez Medically Reviewed by Sanjai Sinha, MD Last Updated: April 27, 2021 Medically Reviewed
woman breathing exercises wearing headphones Some complementary therapies may help manage asthma symptoms (and the stressors that can make symptoms worse). But experts say never substitute alternative therapies for medications and treatments prescribed by your doctor.iStock If you have asthma, odds are you’ve come across products marketed as “natural remedies,” “complementary therapies,” or “alternative treatments” for asthma symptoms.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), complementary therapies involve using nontraditional practices in combination with traditional medicine, whereas alternative treatments are used instead of traditional medicine. “Natural remedies” can fall into one or both these categories.
As of 2012, more than 30 percent of American adults turned to complementary therapies or alternative medicine, per the NCCIH. So, clearly, they’re popular — but when it comes to asthma, are they safe to use?
Popular options advertised as “alternative treatments” with claims of enhancing symptom control aren’t automatically safe to use, says Anju Tripathi Peters, MD, a professor in the division of allergy, immunology, otolaryngology, and head and neck surgery at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
It’s important to note right off the bat that certain things touted as potential remedies or complementary therapies for asthma, such as supplements, aren’t regulated in the same way prescription drugs are, and consumers should pay attention to the details of the research backing up any claims made, Dr. Peters says. For example, “Many have shown benefits in animals only,” Peters explains.
If you are going to try a “natural remedy” or complementary therapy for asthma, know that it’s not a substitute for your conventional asthma medication. “While some natural remedies may help, they should not replace the medications prescribed by someone’s doctor,” says Lakiea Wright, MD, a board-certified allergist and immunologist and an associate physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Skipping prescribed medications can have dangerous consequences, according to Mayo Clinic.
If you’re wondering which approaches might help when it comes to asthma management, here’s what you should know.
Which Complementary Treatments for Asthma Have Evidence to Show They Work? When it comes to natural and complementary treatment approaches for asthma with high-quality evidence to back up their use, exercise stands out as the intervention with the most data behind it. Although, per the American Lung Association, exercise can sometimes trigger asthma symptoms (known as exercise-induced bronchoconstriction), research has shown regular exercise when done safely can help improve asthma control, too.
“If we look at exercise training, there’s strong evidence that it improves cardiovascular fitness, and that it improves quality of life,” says David G. Hill, MD, the director of clinical research at Waterbury Pulmonary Associates in Connecticut and a member of the American Lung Association’s national board of directors.
A trial published in August 2019 in Scientific Reports found that for mild to moderate asthma, a 24-week exercise plan involving aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes three times a week, plus strength-training and stretching, helped improve asthma control and reduced shortness of breath.
In another trial, published in October 2020 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers found exercise helped improve asthma control when compared with breathing exercises among people with moderate to severe asthma.
Be sure to consult your doctor before beginning any exercise regimen to avoid exercise-induced asthma, says Dr. Wright. “Your doctor may recommend medications to help prevent attacks,” she says. And stop any activity if you become short of breath, begin to cough, or start to feel pain or tightening in your chest, states the American Lung Association.
On days when the air quality outdoors is unhealthy, it’s best not to break a sweat outside, the American Lung Association says.
Complementary Therapies for Asthma With Limited Evidence The following four treatments have some promising research to support their use, but experts say more evidence is needed to conclusively say where they fit into asthma management.
Breathing Exercises There are a number of different breathing techniques, including the Papworth method, the Buteyko technique, yoga breathing, and deep diaphragmatic breathing, all of which tend to focus on controlled nasal breathing. Can they help people with asthma?
Some evidence suggests breathing exercises may benefit people with asthma, says Hill. According to a meta-analysis published in March 2020 in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, moderate to very low certainty evidence suggests that breathing exercises improve lung function, symptoms related to hyperventilation — breathing that is heavier and quicker than normal — and overall quality of life for people with asthma.
A study published in October 2018 in the Indian Journal of Pediatrics suggests that breathing exercises may also help children with chronic mild to moderate asthma or uncontrolled asthma, but are less likely to help those with acute severe asthma.
Researchers note that more research is needed before doctors can recommend breathing exercises as a standard treatment for children with asthma.
If your doctor gives you the go-ahead to try breathing exercises, the Global Allergy and Airways Patient Platform outlines some techniques you can try for asthma.
Credit: Everyday Health
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Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance has challenged the Zanu PF regime to pay workers decent wages.
In it’s May Day statement, the MDC Alliance accused the Zanu PF regime of abusing workers as the majority are earning meagre wages.
Read statement below:
MAY DAY ADDRESS FROM THE MDC ALLIANCE LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY PORTFOLIO.
Comrades and friends ,Ladies and Gentleman we kindly appreciate and salute you on this very important day,a day to recognise and appreciate the hard work and resilience workers have shown under a terrible pandemic and work related difficulties that they face at the workplace and in Zimbabwe a rogue govt that has incessantly violated worker rights with impunity.
A gvt that has been on the ILO agenda for worker violation of rights for more than 10 years,a gvt that has been compared with countries like Sudan and Burma when it comes to worker rights violations.
This year’s May Day is unique because we are celebrating it under a pandemic ,with workers working under the Corona pandemic ,with those that still have jobs working with: -inadequate personal protection equipment(PPE) -inadequate medical cover -poor salaries with inflation eroding their meagre salaries everyday -policy inconsistencies from gvt on the economy -with worker rights being violated every day and workers being refused the right to express themselves through demonstrations and strikes.
We are celebrating Workers Day when corruption and mismanagement of resources is the order of the day, with unemployment standing at around 98% and no effort being made to address the situation.We celebrate this day when the court where issues that affect the economy and issues that affect the workers theTNF is in limbo and nothing of benefit coming out of that forum.
We celebrate when our roads and highways are full of potholes. We celebrate when our dear civil servants are reeling under poor RTGs wages and salaries. We celebrate when in particular our frontline workers teachers and nurses are terribly underpaid .
We aptly endorse the theme for this year’s May Day by the ZCTU which calls for the fight for political, economic and social justice.
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.
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.
By A Correspondent- Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s estranged wife, Marry, suspects her husband is influencing judicial officers to withhold her passport for fear that she might spill some secrets if she goes outside the country.
Marry, who is on remand for attempted murder and money laundering charges, has been trying to get her passport so that she can get the medical attention she desperately needs in South Africa.
Pictures showing a visibly ailing Marry with swollen and misshapen legs circulated on social media this week leaving Zimbabweans gasping with shock.
Marry, through her lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa has had five applications to get her passport rejected by judges “with no reasonable explanation”.
Chiwenga has also been denying her access to their children whom she has not seen since she was arrested in December 2019. She told The NewsHawks:
I have been bidding and pleading so that I can get my passport so that I can go and seek international medical attention. I have been denied my passport, many times. I did not give up, I gave in.
I think maybe there is a worry that if I go outside the country, I might be influenced by people that are outside to speak against my husband or government, that is the only reasonable explanation why they would deny me my passport.
Obviously, it is not the magistrate or judge that is denying me my passport. They are simply following instructions that they are getting from their superior to say do not give my wife her passport.
My lawyer (Beatrice Mtetwa) has made about five applications, and they were all turned down, with no reasonable explanation.
Marry also revealed that her relationship with Chiwenga soured during the time he was seeking treatment in China between July and November 2019.
Chiwenga was airlifted to China from South Africa on 21 July where he underwent life-saving treatment at a top Beijing hospital amid revelations by his close associates that he could have been poisoned.
Marry said her relationship with Chiwenga was good at the time. The two had been married for 10 years and have three children.
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
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.
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.
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.
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- Actress and comedian, Madam Boss has clinched yet another acting role on a South African telenovela, uBettina Wethu, that country’s own version of Ugly Betty.
She received this news yesterday as she was on holiday in Kariba and had to cut short of her vacation to prepare to travel to South Africa as she will be on set today.
The fast-growing actress returned to the country last week from Nigeria where she was shooting for another film production. Last month, she was in South Africa shooting a drama.
Announcing the latest role, Madam Boss’ casting agent, Becky Casting Agency that operates from South Africa wrote: “Guys, help me to congratulate this amazing and talented lady. She has been cast to feature on SABC 1s new telenovela, uBettina Wethu as Aminata.”
The agency, whose boss is Zimbabwean, went on to urge Madam Boss to proudly showcase her talent to South Africans. “Come and show South Africa your talent. We are proud and humbled to represent your phenomenal talent.”
On her part, a visibly excited Madam Boss thanked Becky Casting Agency and her husband, Ngoni Munetsiwa for believing in and supporting her. She went on to plead with the agency to also assist fellow Zimbabwean actors so that they get acting roles in the neighbouring country.
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.
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.
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.
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.
By A Correspondent- Zesa said it wanted the government to allow the power utility to hike electricity tariffs so that it raises enough money to buy cars.
Zesa has applied for a new tariff hike in what it said was a bid to boost its operations.
This was said by Zera board chair Dr David Madzikanda in Harare today during a Zesa organised breakfast meeting with journalists.
Madzikanda said Zesa did not have vehicles and required personnel as it cannot afford to pay decent salaries to competent staff due to a low tariff.
PART 1 – By A Correspondent | The late socialite, Genius Kadungure, leaked Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s secret plan to incriminate his wife, the nation’s estranged Second Lady has told ZimEye.
Ginimbi while under Constantino Chiwenga’s protection – 2017 pic
In the more than an hour long interview, Marry Chiwenga told ZimEye, her cousin Ginimbi as he was affectionately called, tried to warn her beforehand but she would not listen. This was during the few months before his sudden death in a car accident.
The development comes at a time when she 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. ”
An unidentified suspected intelligence officer is in the below footage, slapped with unprintable verbage after allegedly trying to violate the complainant’s human rights. VIDEO
By Zceo President Paddington Japa Japa | The President of one of Zimbabwe,s largest Civic Society Organisation,the Zimbabwe Centre For Equal Opportunities (ZCEO) and MDCA National Executive and National Council Member, Mr Paddington Japa Japa has called on Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa to immediately remove Jacob Mudenda as the Speaker of Parliament of Zimbabwe.
Paddington-Japajapa
Jacob Mudenda has displayed the highest level of incompetence, unprofessional behaviour, failure to interpret the Parliamentary Statutes, Procedures and highest level of Bias towards one Party, to which he is a Politburo Member.Jacob Mudenda is a Zanu Pf Politburo Member hence he cannot be the Speaker of the Zimbabwean Parliament, which is suppose to be Occupied by MPS from various Political Parties.A good example i can give is like a Well known Dynamos Soccer Supporter who is qualified as a referee, being Appointed by Zifa to referee a Match between Caps United and Dynamos,imagine what will happen when his team is about to loose a Cup final in the dying minutes of a Cup game,that referee is bound to award a last minute Penalty to the team he loves so much.
This is what is exactly happening at the Zimbabwean Parliament which is being presided over by a Speaker who is a Politburo Member of the ruling Zanu Pf Party.We have observed as Zimbabweans in general how Jacob Mudenda display openly his biased chairing of Parliamentary Debates, were he treats Members of Parliament from the Opposition MDCA like School kids.I have noticed during debating, once MPS from especially MDCA are making brilliant contributions, which exposes Corruption,poor Governance, dictatorship against Zanu Pf leadership and Government Ministers, the Speaker quickly rush to order the MP as being out of Order and to sit down,or displaying unParliamentary behaviour,in some instances ordering the Member to be escorted out of the August House by the Surgent in Arms. But when Zanu Pf MPS are making useless debates and Heroe Worshipping the Zanu Pf President in Parliament, they are allowed to continue with their Drama and Circus.I have noticed this on several occasions during live debates in Parliament.Jacob Mudenda excercises dectatorial tendencies in the House in most cases against MDCA MPS.
In a pure act of highest level of unprofessional behaviour by a Speaker of Parliament, who calls himself an advocate of law,who is Registered by the Law Society of Zimbabwe to fail to undertake due diligence work of simply verifying and correctly identifying a genuine or fake Secretary General of a small Political Party is the highest level of incompetence which warrants immeadiate removal of anyone who occupies that very important Position, of Speaker of Parliament.Speakers of Parliament hold very,very important positions in various Governments the World over, and in my life i have never seen such biased Chairing of Parliamentary business in the manner Jacob Mudenda does.
One good example of how unprofessional and unsuitable Jacob Mudenda is when it comes to professional handling of Parliament ary business, is the recent case which involved the recall of five PDP MPS, Hon Tendai Biti Harare East,Hon William Madzimure Kambuzuma,Hon Settlement Chikwinya Mbizo,Hon Kucaca Ivumile Phulu Nkulumane,Hon Sichelesile Mahlangu Pumula and Hon Regai Tsunga Mutasa South Constituncies by a bogus Political masquerade called Benjamin Rukanda.This Masquerade just picked up an old ruled newsprint paper and was assisted to draft a recall letter by a Political reject called Ms Matibenga, who claims to be a President of the little known disbanded, insignificant People Democratic Party PDP.Surprisingly the unprofessional biased so called Speaker of the Circus called Parliament of Zimbabwean quickly acknowledged and accepted that Scribbled piece of untyped letter, which recalled the 6 Honourable Members of Parliament of the People, and not the Circus which we see at the once vibrant and lively Parliament Building situated at Corner Nelson Mandela and Kwameh Nkruma Street.
Jocob Mudenda is notoriously known for accepting those untyped scribbled recall letters from any Zimbabwean even street kids, like he has always done ever since, after the Con Court ruling that legally stole the Zimbabwean Electorate,s Parliamentary and Council Votes and Seats from MDCA,gave them freely to Mwonzora/ Khupe,s MDCT Cabal who have onwardly donated the same to Mnangagwa,s Zanu Pf.
Jacob Mudenda does not care to check, inquire or verify correctly if those People who write the recall letters are genuine bona fide Members of the Political Parties they claim to represent. Mudenda is alleged to get his instructions from Zanu Pf whose interests he serves as Speaker of Parliament and Politburo Member.He has accepted Dozens of MDCA MPS recall letters from Mwonzora against the will of the electorate who voted those MPS into Parliament.Mudenda has humiliated openly by the Justice Amy Tsanga High Court Order that established that Benjamin Rukanda had no legitimate claim to be Secretary General of the little known PDP.The Masquerade made an Appeal at the same Court before a different Judge this time Tawanda Chitapi who again dismissed Rukanda,s Appeal as failing to comply with the rules.
Therefore it is now very clear and has been proved beyond reasonable doubt by two Competent High Court Judges that Jacob Mudenda does not Qualify to hold the Office of Speaker of Parliament of Zimbabwe, because he is not well conversant and acquainted with the Laws that Govern the running of Parliamentary Business.
THE AUTHOR OF THIS ARTICLE PADDINGTON JAPA JAPA IS AN MDCA NEC AND NC MEMBER,SOCCER ADMINISTRATOR, EVANGELIST AND TEACHER OF GOD,S WORD,CIVIC SOCIETY LEADER,POLITICAL ACTIVIST AND HOLDER OF BSC HONS PSYCHOLOGY DEGREE!!!?????????????????
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 a local news organisation, 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.
