By A Correspondent- Bulawayo lawyer Nqobani Sithole has taken President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda, Senate President Marble Chinomona and Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi to court contesting the legality of the restoration of Constitutional Amendment No 1 (HB 1A. 2017) which lapsed in July 2018.
Sithole filed the application at the Bulawayo High Court on April 22 citing Mnangagwa, Mudenda, Ziyambi and Chinomona as respondents.
In his founding affidavit, Sithole submitted that he was filing the application in terms of Section 167 (2) (d) of the Constitution as read with Rule 27 of the Constitutional Court Rule 2016 for declaratory orders and consequential relief for the court to declare that parliament through Senate failed to exercise its legislative authority under section 131 (2) of the constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 20 Act 2013 in accordance with the Constitution by passing a motion to restore the constitution amendment No.1) H.B 1A, 2017 to the order paper on March 24 2021 when the said Constitutional Bill had lapsed on July 29 2018 by operation of section 147 of the Constitution.
He said it must be declared that parliament through the senate failed to exercise legislative authority under section 131 (2) of the Constitution.
Sithole further said it must be declared that all processes from the restoration and passage of Constitution Amendment No.1 (H.B 1A, 2017 by the senate on March 24 2021 and on April 6 2021 are of no force or effect.
He said the law requires the respondents not to violate any provision of the Constitution as section 119 of the same imposes an obligation on parliament to protect the Constitution and promote democratic governance.
His application arose in that during the eighth parliament, Ziyambi tabled a Bill Amendment No.1 (H.B. 1A, 2017) the provision of which sought to amend several sections of the constitution including the manner in which the appointment of judicial officers was to be done.
“On July 25, 2017 the Bill was debated and passed in the House of Assembly of the eighth parliament as required by section. He said the law requires the respondents not to violate any provision of the Constitution as section 119 of the same imposes an obligation on parliament to protect the Constitution and promote democratic governance 328 of the constitution. The bill received the required affirmation two thirds vote,” Sithole submitted.
“In terms of the Constitution, the same affirmation was required in the senate of the Eighth parliament to pass the same Bill and apparently on August 1, 2017 the senate purported to have achieved this threshold.”
He said the vote in the senate ended before the court when the validity of the vote was challenged on the basis that the two thirds threshold had not been attained.
He added that two court applications were filed by legislators Innocent Gonese and Jessie Majome and were subsequently consolidated.
He said the life of the eighth parliament lasted until July 29, 2018 and all proceedings pending at the time of dissolution of the eighth parliament were terminated and every Bill, motion, petition and other business of that parliament lapsed on dissolution.
He said it was illegal that on March 24, 2021 parliament through the senate passed the same motion restoring the constitutional Amendment No. 1 (Bill H.B 1A, 2017) and the same as done on April 6, 2021.
Respondents are yet to file opposition papers in the matter.-The Independent
By A Correspondent- Bulawayo City Council (BCC) senior executives allegedly helped themselves to 3 000 litres of diesel originally allocated for refuse collection, road maintenance and other crucial services, it has emerged.
Ironically, the local authority repeatedly claims its service delivery efficacy is hampered by fuel shortages.
The alleged diversion of the fuel came to light after BCC acting director of road workshops Dalithemba Sibanda appeared before an internal disciplinary board instituted by Makhosi Tshalebwa, the BCC human capital director last week.
The diverted diesel was part of the 20 000 litres specially procured for service delivery between December last year and February this year.
The fuel was delivered and stored at the Khami Rd Main Stores.
“Between January 11 and February 26 this year, the accused person issued several requisitions to Stores instructing the Stores Controller to issue fuel to fuel tankers that were purportedly said to belong to Asphalt Products (Pvt) Ltd, a contractor that had won the contract to undertake road works in the city,” a BCC source said.
“In February this year, the contractor ran out of fuel before completion of the project and was asked why he could not complete the works as per the contract after having been paid in advance and he explained that he had not received fuel and was expecting 10 000 litres,” the source said.
The source further said an internal audit was carried out, which recommended that Sibanda should explain the discrepancy.
“He failed to give a satisfactory answer, resulting in his suspension pending disciplinary hearing. In the hearing Sibanda apologised and explained that when he did this, he was under the direct instructions from his superiors (Town clerk Christopher Dube and Engineering Services director Simela Dube) and as such believed what he was doing was above board.”
BCC town clerk Dube declined to comment on the matter for fear it could jeopardise investigations.
“The matter is still under investigation. I cannot comment before due processes are conducted and concluded. We have to allow due processes to take place,” Dube said.
However, the Affirmative Action Group (AAG) hit out at the council for not reporting the matter to the police as the black empowerment lobby group accused city fathers of aiding corruption.
“What is surprising in this case is that no police report was made and Sibanda despite being found guilty got away with a written warning,” AAG chief executive officer Denzel Sita said.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission last year launched an investigation into council operations from reports of graft involving councillors and management.
The probe led to the arrest of a council director.-TheIndependent
Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe, yesterday went and joined the passport queue early in the morning knowing that in the afternoon he would stand before a Parliamentary portfolio committee which is questioning the state of affairs at the ministry of Home Affairs.
A tout was allegedly arrested for offering the Minister a spot in the front of the queue, as part of the publicity stunt by Kazembe.
A picture is circulating on social media of the tout sitting behind the reception desk at Harare Central police station.
The question is what crime did the tout commit? What will he be charged with and what will he be prosecuted for? Does the Minister have any arresting powers? Does the minister even understand the law? The publicity stunt is an ill timed photo opportunity which does not help the millions of Zimbabweans who are desperately seeking passports.
The tout who was arrested is part of a group of unemployed young people who sleep in the queue, to hold a position so that they can sell the position to the highest bidder.
There is no bribe, or corruption involved with the tout as he has broken no law. The corruption is inside the passport office not outside. Inside people demand fees to facilitate the passport and its production.
Minister Kazembe is barking up the wrong tree going after a tout who is capitalizing on an opportunity. Kazembe needs to be held to account and taking pictures to a parliamentary portfolio committee won’t absolve him of his ineptitude. He has brought chaos to the Passport office and that is a fact.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has failed to resolve the passport backlog and the passport office is currently in shambles.
Ordinary passport applications are suspended and the department is only taking applications for an emergency passport which is taking a minimum 2-3 weeks to process due to queues and high demand.
Kazembe has failed to bring order to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Passports were available and easy to process under Obert Mpofu. Cain Mathema took over and maintained the systems he found in place. The Passport office deteriorated under Kazembe, and the department failed to utilize the Covid-19 lockdown to reduce the passport backlog.
Kazembe is currently the most sued Home Affairs Minister as he faces a handful of lawsuits from various individuals among them Susan Mutami, a Bulawayo family whose brother was shot by the police among others.
Kazembe Kazembe is the worst home Affairs Minister ever and a single photo opportunity outside passport office won’t remedy the mess at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
By Dr Masimba Mavaza | Zimbabweans were highly active on social media discussing an under-reported 2015 court ruling which passed a verdict that a man can sue his in-laws to recover lobola if his wife cheated on him. The ruling has been sprung back to life after another socialite was splashed in a domestic embarrassment after her husband was told that the child he was raising was not his.
So this issue pushed people from all walks of life to react to the ruling giving the right to the husband of cheating wife to reclaim lobola. Reports suggest that the socialite’s friends told the husband during a confession game after consuming some hot stuff that the child was not his and the claim was confirmed by a DNA test.
In the case which was before the magistrate court then “Liberty Machodo discovered that his wife had cheated on him on multiple occasions with several men who included his elder and younger brothers, a nephew and a herd boy. His wife did not waste the human furry cake she was blessed with. After learning of this free for all distribution of his cherished fruit and breach of the marriage vows and contract, Machodo sent his wife back to her parents. This did not go down well with the generous wife’s father Chikudza Fanuel Mangwende, who immediately sued his former son-in-law at the Magistrate’s Court demanding the outstanding balance for the lobola. She confessed that she had indeed carried out numerous leg spreading escapades with Machodo’s brothers, nephew and herd boy. She was indeed a busy body during that time.
Upon considering all the evidence, the magistrate ruled that Machodo’s wife had broken the marriage relationship by cheating on her husband. The magistrate ruled that due to this breach, her father was not entitled to any outstanding balance of the lobola payment. The magistrate went on to rule that under customary law, a man who would have paid lobola is entitled to a full refund if the wife engages in adultery.
The court found that there was material breach of the very tenants of marriage. The court concluded that the appellant was not entitled to payment of the balance of lobola because his daughter who was married to the respondent committed adultery with multiple partners ranging from the respondent’s brothers, nephews and the herd boy.
The court also found that customarily a husband is allowed to divorce an adulterous wife and then if he has paid lobola in full he is entitled to a refund of the lobola from the in laws.”The father-in-law was aggrieved by this ruling and filed an appeal at the High Court.
Justice Mwayera and Justice Uchena dismissed Mangwende’s appeal with costs. Judge Mwayera ruled.
“In coming up with the disposition of the matter whereby the court a quo dismissed the claim for the balance of lobola the trial magistrate properly exercised his discretion and we find no fault in his findings. Accordingly, the appeal lacks merit and must fail. It is ordered that the appeal be and is hereby dismissed with costs.”
The issue to consider is whether the ruling makes a good law or a bad law. What is lobola?Known to many as a “bride-price” or bride-worth” and to some extent as a “down payment” or “dowry” but in the African culture, it is a ritual that brings two families together.
According to the English usage ‘dowry’ is the gift of money, goods or both, offered by the bride or bride’s family towards establishment of her household, whereas a bride-price is a marriage payment made by a prospective husband or more often, by his family to the family of the bride. Over the years, there have been conflicting debates about what lobola is and why this cultural practice should still be acknowledged. Perhaps it is the democratic and evolving society that has given people freewill to do things differently and to question how things were previously done. As a result, this has led to having a rebellious view that questions and discredits this sacred old practice. Miffed by the ruling ZiFM star MisRed tweeted: “Help me understand. Is lobola a purchase that requires a refund? What happens if the opposite is the situation?” Her Twitt was responded by a social Activist Lorraine Pilime: “This lobola refund case really highlights that lobola should be scrapped. Lobola reinforces women being treated as property that must give a return on investment. Meanwhile women have been cheated on since the dawn of mankind and have no recompense for their investment.”
Many women have raised questions in this mater. Marylyn Mavaza a Housing specialist quipped “ if lobola is refundable will the man out back all the children into their mother’s womb. If that can not happen then there should be no rend.”
While family elders may insist on cultural and traditional ways, some people are becoming resistant to the idea of lobola, often questioning why the process should happen in the first place. Couples move in together and assume the roles of ‘husband and wife’ without going through the family-driven process of lobola especially when lobola is being taken as purchase price.
It is unfortunate that lobola has in some instances been reduced to some sort of transaction without really interrogating what is indeed at the core of lobola in the first place. The judges make the whole process look like a transaction and a woman being reduced to a mere commodity.
The court also found that customarily a husband is allowed to divorce an adulterous wife and then if he has paid lobola in full he is entitled to a refund of the lobola from the in-laws. The court concluded that the appellant’s daughter engaged in an adulterous relationship with multiple partners and that she by so doing breached the marriage relationship. The court has given lobola a different meaning. Medical practitioner and metaphysical scientist, Zulu Mathabo, says this important cultural practice is often misinterpreted, misunderstood and overlooked. “The fundamental symbol of lobola is a cow. The life of a cow is the most important part of this process,” he says. In the ancient times, lobola was offered with a cow because of how people lived but today the offering is in the form of money. “Words such as payment should not be used, lobola is an offering. Essentially, the woman is getting married to the ancestral family of the man. It is a spiritual affair. It is not based on material or the ring but rather, the spirituality side of things,” he says. Professor Kadembo shares the same sentiment, adding that there is a lot of misinterpretation that happens when coming to lobola. “Lobola has nothing to do with buying. No one is being bought. Lobola has a particular cultural significance,” prof Kadembo says. According to Kennedy Mupomba a social scientist “the most important reason for lobola is to make sure that families come together as one. “People should look at lobola in its purest form, which is making sure that the families come together without it being misconstrued,” While the core reason for lobola is to bring families together, the issue of money is also another biggest factor.
Payment of bridewealth or lobola is a significant element of marriage among the Shona of Zimbabwe. However, the functions and meanings attached to the practice are constantly changing.
As a link between two families, lobola negotiation is a tradition that was implemented in the old days where a man pays the family of his fiancé for her hand in marriage. Although it is practised differently today, in historical times a man would pay much more for a virgin and less for a woman who had a child out of wedlock. Today, prices are set according to how well-mannered and educated the bride-to-be is. The more educated she is, the more expensive the lobola will be. Other factors also include the relative wealth and status of the family the prospective groom wishes to marry into, i.e. a young woman who is well educated would be much pricier than that of little or no education. Some families will not accept a woman of a different religion in their family. Traditionally, lobola usually amounted to eight heads of cattle, but today the value of each cattle head forms part of the overall negotiation. So if lobola is a sign of uniting families it should not be tied to faithfulness of either party. The issue of lobola is a complex one in that different cultures have different ways of doing things. But in our Zimbabwean cultures, for instance, in the Shona culture, women aren’t at the forefront of the negotiations. The judgement by the learned judges exposes the whole system to abuse. There are people who will still consider it as sacred but others will abuse it because they don’t understand it, and the judgement is not helping. there is beauty in seeing two families become one through a spiritual connection that is conducted through the practice of paying lobola. Lobola was never meant to oppress women but to give the value them. There is a clear distinction between abuse and the practice of lobola. Some men might use it as a way of ownership by mentioning things like ‘don’t forget I paid for you,aided by this judgement some ignorant thick headed men will think lobola is a payment and sign of ownership. Individuals in marriages should be able to distinguish when they are being abused, the ruling by the two honourable judges corrupts the law. In an ever-changing society, he suggests that there needs to be continuous re-iteration and proper education of the process of lobola. “It is important to have traditional leaders, cultural experts and academic institutions teaching the society about the true beautiful meaning of lobola.
Sitting as an appeal court, the High Court did, in 2015, rule that “under customary law, a man who would have paid lobola is entitled to a refund if the wife engages in adultery.” Customary law is the collection of traditionally accepted legal rights and duties of black Zimbabweans who live a traditional way of life. Customary law is generally unwritten. Often, the courts require customs to be certain, reasonable and to have attained the recognition of formal law. The High Court has held that a lobola refund can be demanded in circumstances where a woman cheats on her husband. The other side of the same coin is that where a husband is found cheating, and the wife initiates divorce proceedings, the husband is not entitled to a lobola refund.
But this is not fair to the ladies. The law is wrong in objectifying the laddies. Society is aware that lobola is a uniting factor. It must never be used as the means of objectifying women. In a very suttle way the judgement is a serious attack on our culture. The primary purpose of lobola is to build relations between the respective families, as marriage is seen to be more than just a union between two individuals. The relationship is seen as life-long and in some cases, even after the death of the groom. The widow then, in a way, is bound to the groom’s family forever, especially if there were children that are born to the marriage. Unfortunately, there is a downside brought by the high court. The judgement has exposed the process to abuse and it is incorrectly viewed it can be torturous, and divide rather than unite families. One example of this, the negotiations are usually handled by the extended male family members of the respective families, to the absolute exclusion of any females Lobola is a token of appreciation to the bride’s parents for raising a woman for the groom and should not be seen as a chance to make a quick buck. If the bride makes mistake in the marriage it must not revert back to the bride price. Lobola, is the provision of gifts to the parents of a bride, usually in the form of cash or livestock, is an entrenched part of marriage in Zimbabwe. So a gift can not be returned when relations are sour.
We should then conclude that at this time and age the process of lobola payments must be abolished. Men should not hold their wives at ransom because of the amount paid. Shonas have a saying which says Muroora hakupere meaning the payment of lobola does not end. This is to show you that there will never be a price in full and final settlement where lobola is concerned.
Our culture is so beautiful and must not be tainted by anger or emotional grieving.
By A Correspondent- Opposition MDC Alliance vice-president Tendai Biti and five other legislators are set to bounce back to Parliament after the High Court on Wednesday dismissed an appeal by Benjamin Rukanda, who last month recalled them under the guise that he was the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) secretary-general.
Rukanda last month recalled Biti (Harare East), Willias Madzimure (Kambuzuma), Settlement Chikwinya (Mbizo), Kucaca Phulu (Nkulumane), Sichelesile Mahlangu (Pumula) and Regai Tsunga (Mutasa South).
The High Court ruled that Rukanda was not the bona fide PDP secretarygeneral, but he challenged Justice
Amy Tsaga’s ruling. However, Justice Tawanda Chitapi on Wednesday dismissed the appeal on the basis that it failed to comply with the rules.
United Kingdom-based law expert Alex Magaisa said Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda had no choice, but to reinstate the six MPs.
“I don’t understand why the MPs are waiting for Mudenda to call them to Parliament,” Magaisa said.
“Mudenda has no choice in the matter. The High Court quashed the illegal expulsion. It means it was null and void. It’s as if it never happened. They should return to Parliament and take their seats.”
Scores of pupils were yesterday left stranded at roadsides as police in Bulawayo impounded vehicles that were pirating in defiance of the Government’s travel regulations meant to curb the spread of Covid-19.
A total of 13 touts have been arrested and 209 vehicles operating illegally seized in the city this week.
Police impounded staff buses, vehicles hired to ferry school children but are 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.
Government in March last year banned private ‘public’ service operators as part of measures to contain the pandemic.
All commuter omnibus operators have to register under the Zupco franchise to be allowed to ferry passengers.
However, parents have raised concern over privately hired taxis that are being impounded by the police which ferry pupils to and from school.
Yesterday school children – most of them at ECD level – were left stranded and some did not attend school at all.
At a press conference at Ross Camp yesterday, Bulawayo Provincial Police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said the Road Motor Transport Act states that only Zupco-contracted commuter omnibuses are allowed to be hired as staff buses or to ferry school children.
“As police we say there is no selective application of law hence staff buses and vehicles ferrying school children not contracted under Zupco are not allowed to operate. Some of these commuter omnibuses are not even contracted by the companies or schools that they claim to be serving. This kind of operation is illegal as only those commuter omnibuses that are contracted to Zupco are allowed to operate,” he said.
Insp Ncube said schools should make arrangements with Zupco to avail kombis to transport pupils.
He warned members of the public against boarding non-Zupco kombis or buses at undesignated points as they face arrest.
He said commuters should shun vehicles without number plates as most of them are used in cases of armed robberies, mugging, rape and hit-and-run incidents.
“Police in Bulawayo have arrested 13 touts and 209 public service vehicles of which 121 are commuter omnibuses (kombis) and the remaining being Mshikashika operating motor vehicles and also defying the Road Traffic Act and Covid 19 regulations,’’ said Inspector Ncube.
In an interview, Mr Bekezela Ngoma, a parent, said children were stuck in the city centre, while others were stuck at roadblocks as vehicles were impounded and they had no means to get home.
‘‘My child dismissed from school at 1pm and he arrived home at 5pm, while some children were stuck in town after 7pm. We are at risk, even those that do not have kids at school. I have witnessed the police doing high speed chases with those so-called illegal taxis putting the lives of people in danger. We need to be protected by the police but they are endangering our lives,’’ he said.
Another parent said while they understand that some kombis are illegal, Zupco does not take children to and from school.
‘‘Zupco does not transport schoolchildren to school they only drop them at bus stops while these private hire school-run kombis drop them safely at school gates.
“Our children were left stranded in some places when the police impounded kombis exposing our children to kidnapping,’’ said Mrs Nothando Nkomo.
Mr Patrick Sande appealed to the Government to avail legal transport that will take children directly to school, collect them when they knock off and leave them at their homes.
Rethabile Mangena, a student at the National University of Science and Technology, said she arrived at 11AM for an 8AM lecture.
“Transport was a challenge in the morning, I waited at the bus stop for two hours until I arrived on campus at 11am when my lecture was through,” she said.
The Chronicle news crew yesterday observed commuters walking home together with schoolchildren to the western suburbs along 6th Avenue Extension as there were transport challenges following the police blitz.
Commuters raised concerns that they are facing transport challenges as Zupco is sometimes overwhelmed by the number of people.
By A Correspondent- Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Evangelista Kabasa on Wednesday granted bail to nine Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) activists who had spent several weeks at Khami Remand Prison facing public violence charges.
The nine activists were arrested in early March after they stormed Bulawayo Central Police Station protesting the alleged intimidation and harassment of their leader, Mqondisi Moyo, by armed State security agents.
Lawyers representing the activists approached the High Court after several unsuccessful attempts to secure their release at the lower courts.
“They have been freed on bail,” Nqobani Sithole, their lawyer from the Abammeli Human Rights Lawyers, said.
“Eight of the accused were freed on $10 000 bail each, while one was ordered to pay $20 000 for a previous conviction.”
The activists include MRP national league chairperson Sibongile Banda, Busi Moyo, council of elders representative Tinos Nkomo, MRP youth chairperson Mongameli Mlotshwa, Livson Ncube, Maxwell
Nkosi, Welcome Moyo, Nkosilathi Ncube and Ackim Ndebele.
In March, the activists stormed Bulawayo Central Police Station protesting the alleged harassment of their leader, Moyo.
This was after armed State security agents reportedly stormed Moyo’s house with the intention to arrest him following a confrontation with the police in Ntabazinduna over a land dispute.
The activists had clashed with police after the latter descended at Tabas Induna Farm in Ntabazinduna, where they evicted former Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s son-in-law Floyd Ambrose from the property, accusing him of grabbing it from a white farmer, Brian Davies.
After the incident, police visited Moyo at his house at night and attracted protests from MRP activists, who went on to stage a mini-demonstration outside Bulawayo Central Police Station.
Police had to fire warning shots to disperse the protesters before arresting the nine, who were part of a group that was threatening to storm the police building.-Newsday
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) says opposition MDC-T legislators who last week voted in support of Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 2 were sell-outs.
The proposed law seeks to, among other things, strike off the presidential running mate clause in the constitution as well as empower the President to promote sitting judges of the High Court and Supreme Court without going through any public interviews as is currently the case.
The law also seeks to provide judges of the Constitutional and Supreme Courts an option of extended tenure beyond the retirement age of 70 while also broadening the president’s scope to appoint non-parliamentary ministers.
The attempt to patch up the 2013 national constitution has also been widely criticised as an attempt by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to safeguard his political interests beyond the 2023 elections.
Critics are angered government was investing a lot of energy and resources towards a law which had no positive bearing on the lives of ordinary interests while there was no equal display of zeal to align existing laws with the national charter.
But while Zanu-PF could be excused for pushing a law tailored at tightening its stranglehold on national politics, it is the opposition that has come under fire for being willing supporters of the controversial legislation.
Said ZCTU president Peter Mutasa at a Thursday press conference, “The 2013 constitution came through a long process that include consultation of the citizens.
“So, anyone who has been appointed or elected by the citizens and who sits in the Senate or House of Assembly and does not realise the need for consultation before the Constitution is amended, there is no other characterisation of that person; they are sell-outs.
“They are the Morrison Nyathi of the liberation struggle and they are everywhere.
“So, we must be very clear as citizens that we are not going to side with those that are not siding with us. That has to be open.
“And I am sure you have seen some of them trying to come out after citizens raised voices.
“So, we need also to raise our voices against those who are mutilating the people’s Constitution.
“It is expected, they have never been any struggle without its turncoats, without its sell-outs but what we can pronounce openly that those people are selling out.”
Mwonzora, a day after the Bill passed through the Parliament with his MPs voting yes, hurriedly converged a press conference to explain why his legislators voted in support of the Bill in what stakeholders say was meant to manage public perception.
There are claims the politician was secretly whipping his Senators to vote in support of the Bill but publicly criticise it.
Added Mutasa, “There is another point we need to urgently deal with. Many people across the country are not aware of what is happening in the citadel of dictatorship in Harare, in the Parliament which is no longer honourable.
“We need to spread this message in languages that people understand and it is a collective responsibility.
“It is only when people are informed, empowered and understand what is happening and when we get everyone standing up fighting for their rights.
“So, we need to fight against this amendment and use all our organisations, all our resources that we have.
“In fighting, you are going to get many reprisals, we are going to face many challenges, what is going to make sure that this amendment, what is going to make sure that we succeed is the solidarity which must be the goal that unites us.”
My problem is on 11 February 2021 i paid for my 1st car on BeForward and it was before 2 April before our government introduced the new system of importing licences and permits,
Now the problem is, i received the car in Tanzania after prepaying duty and wanted to import it through Kariba boarder post.
When I arrived there, they told me to apply for a permit at ZIMRA through an Email and I did but they are not responding at all.
Initially I had applied through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, but from nowhere they said they were no longer offering letters and this process was now being done by ZIMRA.
However, i left the car with them at a Bonded Warehouse and i have been trying to get the permit but to no avail.
In Kariba, they said I must get it from Harare offices and when I got to Harare they are referring me back to Kariba. They told me to send an email but they are not replying.
Every day the car is being charged storage fees and yet they are the ones who are delaying the whole process.
Where do i go from here and what should i do because i may end up losing the car because the duty is now too much.
Please help me.
Affected citizen
We publish below
Imports of second-hand vehicles more than 10 years old from the date of manufacture on the day they enter Zimbabwe on or after April 2 are no longer automatic and now need specific import licences for each vehicle, with importers attaching proof of payment when applying for this licence.
The same Control of Goods (Import and Export) (Commerce) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 (No.9) gazetted on April 6
The amendment to the first schedule of the original regulations was made by Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza in Statutory Instrument 89 of 2021.
While importers of most older vehicles now need to apply for a specific import licence, the minister exempted from the requirement commercial vehicles, listing these as tractors, haulage trucks, earth-moving equipment and specialised vehicles used in the mining and construction sectors. Those importing such vehicles, even if they are more than 10 years old from date of manufacture, can still import them on the open general import licence so their only paperwork is just the customs clearance.
Applications for importing cars, motorcycles and light trucks more than 10 years old, along with applications to import cement or sugar, can be made at the offices of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Harare, Mutare, Bulawayo, and Gweru in line with Government decentralisation policies, Minister Nzenza said in a statement explaining her gazetted statutory instrument.
Even outside the four older cities, people can contact ministry officials in Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West and Matabeleland South if they have queries. An electronic licensing platform that can be used by importers and exporters has also been established.
The requirement to seek permission to import every light second-hand vehicle over 10 years old is in line with the National Development Strategy 1, which underscores value addition and encourages effective standards, regulations and use of roadworthy vehicles that meet environmental and safety standards.
Those who check such vehicles have found that many under a decade old with moderate mileage are likely to be roadworthy, but as age increases faults start growing rapidly and both the owners and Zimbabwe can face huge import bills for spare parts.
It is not yet known what criteria will be used to see if an older vehicle can still be imported, as the regulations do not impose a ban but only a requirement that the industry ministry must check the proposed import first, rather than just allow an automatic import.
Presenting the 2020 National Budget last year, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube also said all vehicles imported from Japan will require prior clearance to ensure they are not contaminated by radioactivity from the 2011 accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
The actual regulations just say second-hand vehicles from countries that have had a high-level nuclear accident, to prevent vehicles salvaged from the immediate area of that nuclear accident being shipped to Zimbabwe. But Japan is at present the only affected country.
However, so far no hot vehicles have been found in the Japanese imports, meaning no one has tried to retrieve vehicles from the Fukushima area for sale in Zimbabwe.
Prof Ncube noted that Zimbabweans had spent about US$1,3 billion on the imports of buses, light commercial and passenger motor vehicles from 2015 to September 2020.
By A Correspondent- The government has announced that the Government Employees Mutual Savings Fund (GEMS) loan facility is ready to roll out from 1 May 2021.
Public Service Commission Secretary, Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe, announced the development in a statement that observed that qualifying members of the voluntary fund can apply for loans.
Qualifying members are those who have made contributions for three consecutive months and can start applying on the 1st of May 2021,
Loans are short term and medium term. Short term loans will have a tenure of up to 12-months, with members able to apply for five times their net salary for a maximum of ZWL$100 000.00.
Medium Loans will be a thirty-six-month facility which is for a maximum of eight times one’s net salary for a maximum amount of ZWL$500 000.00. A minimum interest rate of 10% shall apply per annum.
GEMS members are expected to collect and submit application forms at any National Building Society Bank (NBS) branch nationwide or from PSC offices nearest to them.
Applicants should attach copies of Identification Card or valid passport or drivers licence; a Payslip not older than three months and fill the GEMS Loan Application Form and TY30 deduction form. ZWL$200.00 application fee is levied on all applications.
Ambassador Wutawunashe said the level of interest so far expressed by government workers who voluntarily joined the scheme in their numbers is impressive.
PSC is expecting more civil servants to apply to participate as the benefits of membership become more apparent.
The Public Service Commission has shared the information on GEMS rollout with the leadership of the Apex Council.
By Nomusa Garikai- Stanbic Bank has donated equipment worth US$37 000 to Sally Mugabe Central Hospital’s maternity wing and will be spending $2 million refurbishments. The list of equipment and the refitting was impressive.
The equipment includes an anesthesia machine, suction pumps, conventional laryngoscope set, infant weighing scale, fluid warmer, IV pole, a surgical table, electro surgical unit, an infant warmer, defibrillator, eco-patient monitors, infusion pump and a patient monitor rolling stand.
The refurbishment included fitting of two sets of double action doors, painting of walls, replacing formica tops to wall edge protection, supplying and fitting cupboards and shelves.
“Stanbic Bank purchased the theatre equipment, refurbished the entrance hall; internal passage; boots room, sluce room; maternity theatre, scrub room, sister-in-charge’s office and outside passage,” Stanbic Bank chief executive Solomon Nyanhongo explained.
One can only imagine the sorry state of the Hospital wing before this generous donation!
This is a complete re-equip and overhaul as a result of decades of neglect and being starved of funds. Money that should have been spent on the upkeep of the hospital was siphoned off and spent on such luxuries as Mugabe’s four storey US$ 2 billion Blue Roof palatial mansion.
Mugabe and the ruling elite could afford to neglect local hospitals, they started using overseas hospitals for all their health care needs soon after independence. It costed the nation a pretty penny.
In 2012 Mugabe made no fewer than 8 health care trips to the Far East each trip costing US$ 3 million. When his daughter, Bona, had her baby she too went to the Far East. She and her husband and their entourage went three weeks before the birth. Grace Mugabe and her entourage followed a week or so latter. Mugabe then commandeered an Air Zimbabwe plane to go and see his grandson collect the family. The total bill for this one junket was US$ 15 million, at least.
If the Sally Mugabe Central Hospital’s maternity wing, one of the country’s referral hospitals, was allowed to fall into this sorry state of rot and decay; one can only imagine the rot and decay in the provincial hospitals, even worse state for the hospitals in rural backwater!
The truth is Zimbabwe’s public health care service, like education and other basic services, collapsed a long time ago. No doubt Sally Mugabe maternity wing has continued to admit patients all along and the poorly paid skeleton staff have done the best they could with the ramshackle equip and facilities they had.
Of course, many mothers and babies have lost their lives unnecessarily because the appalling poor quality of the health care provided.
Whatever health care improvements the generous Stanbic Bank has brought to Sally Mugabe maternity wing, they will not last long. The hospital is so starved of funding the very expensive equipment will laying idle for lack of proper service or US$ 10 spare part. As long as nothing is done to end the rampant corruption and gross mismanagement, the root causes of the country’s economic meltdown; there will be no money to fund even basic services like health care and education.
As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs there will be no meaningful economic recovery. As soon as the last dollar of the Stanbic Bank donation is spent, Sally Mugabe Maternity Hospital will start drifting back to its sorry state of rot and decay, the same state of the rest of the other wings at Central Hospital are in!
A country without something as basic as education and health care services is doomed.
By A Correspondent- Opposition Transform Zimbabwe leader, Jacob Ngarivhume has said police officers threatened to arrest him and his colleagues after they embarked on a cleaning initiative in Mbare, Harare.
He posted on Twitter:On a disappointing note –
The police at Matapi Police Station had initially welcomed our cleanup campaign in areas around their police station. They instructed us to formally notify them of our continued presence in Mbare.
When we did that this morning we were told that unless we had permission from the police, were not allowed to continue. The police now had instructions from Harare Propol Maunganidze to arrest us if we continue with the cleanup program in Mbare.
The filthy in Mbare is just a cause for concern and can result in the outbreak of deadly diseases such as cholera.
Responding to Ngarivhume’s post, some criticised the city fathers for not collecting garbage timeously while some said the blockade was meant to ensure that the ruling party has a campaigning point come election time.
There has always been blame-shifting when it comes to lack of service delivery by local authorities.
The central government accuses the local government authorities of failing to honour their election campaign promises while the city fathers are accusing the central government for interference.
By A Correspondent- Son of one of three men who died a mysterious death near a dam in Bindura last week said his father had gone to conduct a gold deal on the day he was later discovered dead.
Panashe, son to the now late Medio Kashiri (52), yesterday said before the trip, his father had told him that he was going for a gold deal that would result in him buying four Honda Fit vehicles.
The other person who died was identified as Antony Ndawana (52), while the other two are still to be identified.
“News about the gold deal reached my father on Thursday from his friend Ndawana and they made the trip to Bindura on Friday,” said Kashiri. “The two grew up in this suburb and Ndawana is the one who did plumbing at my father’s new house in Ruwa.
“The house was complete and we were supposed to relocate to Ruwa anytime this week and my father has not been working for some time, although he used to be a truck driver.
“From what I heard, my father said the deal was going to bring something that could buy four Honda Fit vehicles and Ndawana was behind the deal. “We have been robbed of a loving and caring father who used to make jokes that left everyone in stitches.
“We are yet to accept that he is gone and how he passed on remains a mystery to us that we are all waiting to know what befell them from post-mortem results.
“We trust the police and we are sure they will get to the bottom of the case,” said Kashiri.
Ndawana family spokesperson Richard Ndawana (51) said he last spoke to the two on Friday before their unspecified mission to Bindura.
“I last spoke to the two on Friday at Kashiri’s home in Ruwa where we were working and Ndawana brought windowpanes before they departed for Bindura and they did not disclose their mission,” said Ndawana.
“We expected them to return on the same day since they had left us without food, but we waited in vain only to receive a phone call on Sunday that they had been found dead.
“We were quick to suspect road traffic accident, but until today we are in darkness as to what exactly happened to them.
“I only saw photographs of them unbelievably lying on the ground that it remains a mystery to us. “The other person in the picture is not known to us and we are relying on police investigations and post-mortem to be in the picture about the mystery surrounding their death,” said Ndawana.
By A Correspondent-Former Dynamos Football Club legend, Itai Stanley Chirambadare has dragged to the courts for sodomising a 13-year-old boy before threatening to kill him if he divulged the abuse.
The former soccer legend appeared in court yesterday and was represented by Knowledge Maeresera.
He was remanded in custody to May 13 pending trial.
The Dynamos legend was advised by magistrate Dennis Mangosi to apply for bail at the High Court.
Allegations are that sometime in March this year, the complainant who is 13 years went to Chirambadare’s house together with his friend to sweep as he always does and they would be given sweets.
It is alleged that on the day in question the complainant went to Chirambadare’s house alone to sweep.
The accused person allegedly asked the complainant to get into the house before he forced him into his bedroom and sexually assaulted him and told him not to reveal the abuse.
Chirambadare allegedly threatened to kill the complainant if he revealed the abuse to anyone.
He went on to abuse the complainant on several occasions.
The complainant allegedly developed some piles and he told his uncle. The complainant’s uncle led him to the police station to report the matter. -NewsDay
By A Correspondent- The High Court on Thursday dismissed journalist Hopewell Chin’ono’s charge of publishing falsehoods after the scribe shared a video of a woman accusing police of killing her baby.
High Court judge Justice Jester Charehwa ruled that the law used to charge Chin’ono was non-existent.
Chin’ono was charged under section 31 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act which deals with “publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State”.
His lawyer, Harrison Nkomo argued that the statute was struck off by the Constitutional Court in 2014 in a matter brought up by two Zimbabwe Independent journalists.
“We complained from the moment he got arrested that he was being charged on a non-existent law. That law was struck off long back so it was just persecution,” Nkomo said.
Chin’ono is now facing two charges of inciting the public to commit public violence and undermining the course of justice.
By A Correspondent- A Shurungwi based gold panner was left with permanent injuries after his left leg was amputated following a brutal attack by rivals in a suspected love triangle.
Simon Vingirayi- a court heard- lost consciousness as blood gushed from his left knee after his assailant axed him on a large vein and doctors had to amputate the leg above the knee to save his life.
This was heard during the appearance of three gold panners who include two brothers from Shurugwi, Charles (29) and Philbert Chingwaya (22) and Tafadzwa Rundora (31) before Gweru Regional magistrate Phathekile Msipa.
A man from Old Magwegwe suburb in Bulawayo was left nursing a bleeding leg after he was shot once for allegedly having a relationship with a miner’s girlfriend.
Narrating the incident to B-Metro, Calvin Sibanda (25) said he was invited by his friend Mxolisi Siziba (37), who is a miner for a beer binge at his home in Pumula South.
While they were drinking, they were later joined by Siziba’s friends.
“It was on Monday last week when we started drinking alcohol at around 1pm and by 8pm we were too drunk when Siziba phoned his girlfriend, but she refused to come.
“He accused me of having influenced her not to come and in the midst of the altercation he lost his temper and hit me with open hands,” said Sibanda.
Sensing danger, Calvin took to his heels, but Siziba reached for a gun in his car and shot him. A source close to the investigation also confirmed the incident.
“He shot him once on the left leg and injured him,” said the source.
Sibanda reported the matter to the police leading to Siziba’s arrest. Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube also confirmed the incident:
“I can confirm that we arrested a man who shot his suspected love rival on the left leg once. He was accusing him of having a sexual affair with his girlfriend.”
He urged community members to solve their differences amicably and also urged them to engage third parties like pastors, Victim Friendly Unit (VFU) police than to take the law into their hands.-B- Metro
A woman from Cowdray Park suburb in Bulawayo was left horrified after two unknown men who are on the run allegedly robbed her of her cash before taking turns to rape her at knife point.
A family insider said on Saturday last week and at around midnight while the 22-year-old woman was sleeping, two unknown men stormed into her bedroom.
“She was dead asleep when two unknown men woke her up, one of them placed a knife on her throat while demanding cash. She didn’t waste their time as she pointed to the wardrobe and told them to take it from her jacket,” said the insider.
The family insider added: “One of the unknown men took R50 and US$2 as well as two cell phones, a Mobicel and a Nokia and went outside.”
The other guy remained ransacking the room and stumbled upon a handbag with cash inside.
“He took R1 000 and $500,” said the source.
After taking the cash he turned to the lady and threatened to kill her.
“He called his partner in crime and they took turns to rape her. After that they left with the “loot” leaving her lying on the bed”.
Bulawayo deputy police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the incident: “I can confirm that we are handling a case of unlawful entry, robbery and rape that happened in Cowdray Park suburb.
“The estimated total value of the stolen property is US$2,00, R1 650 and $500. Nothing was recovered. We are appealing for information that may lead to the arrest of the two suspects who are on the run.
“Anyone with information can contact any nearest police or give us a tip-off on 0960358.”- B-Metro
TODAY he is a respected man of God and he makes no secret of his chequered past.
Ex-convict Edmose Hadebe (54), who was sentenced in 1991 to face the hangman’s noose before his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment for murdering a fellow imbiber during a beer drink at Big Bhawa in Makokoba suburb in Bulawayo, became a pastor when he was set free in 2014.
Pastor Hadebe, who was arrested when he was 25 years, openly shared his stories and struggles with B-Metro, saying following his release after spending 26 years in prison, he left everything behind in prison and took with him a burning faith in God.
He said while in prison one day he got on his knees and asked Jesus to forgive him for his sins and fix his life. And that is when he decided to enroll for a Diploma in Theology as he knew God was already preparing him to spread His Word to both inmates and people outside prison. He is now a pastor at Praise and Worship Centre’s Mthombothemba branch, which covers Waterford suburb and How Mine area on the outskirts of Bulawayo.
A B-Metro news crew visited him at his home in Riverside suburb, where he exclusively narrated how God transformed his life during his 26-year stint in prison. He said he spent most of that time reading the Bible and studying the Bible with as many as 50 inmates, many of whom became Christians.
It came to light that before he served time for murder, Pastor Hadebe was a member of the Zimbabwe National Army and with his accomplices, during their drinking sprees, they abused the name of the armed forces by beating up people at Big Bhawa in Makokoba.
“Before I got arrested and served time for murder, I was a member of the Zimbabwe National Army and I was stationed at One Brigade (now Khumalo Barracks). With my friends, we loved to spend most of our time drinking beer at Big Bhawa in Makokoba.
“We abused our authority when we formed a group called ‘The Famous Three’ and it was notorious for assaulting people at this drinking spot,” he said.
He said it was rare for them to leave the drinking spot in question without picking a fight as they believed they were superior and stronger than their civilian counterparts.
“It was, however, unfortunate that one day we had a misunderstanding with another imbiber, who was also a friend of ours and at the height of the altercation we stabbed him several times before he fell on the ground.
When we realised that he was seriously injured we disappeared from the scene,” he reflects soberly. Pastor Hadebe said when news filtered the following day that that the person they had stabbed had died, it affected him since the fight had been triggered by a minor issue that they could have resolved amicably.
“The police hunted us down and I was the last person to be picked up. The matter was later referred to court. I languished in remand prison for more than a year before my imprisonment in 1991.
“I never thought the judge was going to be very hard on me as the murder was not an intentional killing. After a short stint in jail and while waiting for my turn to be hanged that is when I decided to repent and accept Jesus as my personal Saviour. For the three years I had been on death row I was praying to God everyday asking for mercy and protection. My prayers were answered when the death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment,” he said.
He said that is when he realised that God had bigger plans for him.
The Damascus moment Pastor Hadebe said when he was transferred from Chikurubi Maximum Prison in Harare to Khami Remand Prison in Bulawayo, he met Dr Trust Sinjoki, general overseer of Praise and Worship Centre in Bulawayo and also the patron of Prison to Praise.
“While I was in prison, it was like Dr Sinjoki had adopted me to be his son as he started supplying me with stationery and books as I was now doing my Ordinary Level. With his support I managed to pass seven subjects and these are Ndebele, English, and Commerce, Accounts, Bible studies, History and Business Studies.”
He added: “That is when I decided to pursue a diploma in Theology. This idea was pushed by the life I was experiencing in prison. I have always kept positive and that’s how I keep going.”
Pastor Hadebe said with the support of Dr Sinjoki they managed to launch Prison to Praise, a programme to educate and enlighten inmates on the goodness of accepting Jesus as their Saviour.
“Under Prison to Praise we reached out to ex-inmates and those who are still serving and as we speak more than 10 pastors were ordained under this programme,” he said.
Hadebe said in 2014 he was part of prisoners who benefited under the Presidential Amnesty and this gave him an opportunity to re-unite with his family and preach the word of God.
“It was one of my prayers to find my parents still alive and as per my requests I found them still living. Upon my release from prison, I was given an exceptional reception by my church and it also supported my wedding. With the confidence they invested in me I was given a branch that I am currently leading.”
He appreciated the support he got from his family for nearly three decades while in prison cells. He said he got through all of these years behind bars by keeping the faith he’d be free one day. As advice to other ex-convicts, Pastor Hadebe said they should pray and work hard to ward off the possibility of them going back to jail.- B- Metro
A woman from Cowdray Park suburb in Bulawayo was left horrified after two unknown men who are on the run allegedly robbed her of her cash before taking turns to rape her at knife point.
A family insider said on Saturday last week and at around midnight while the 22-year-old woman was sleeping, two unknown men stormed into her bedroom.
“She was dead asleep when two unknown men woke her up, one of them placed a knife on her throat while demanding cash. She didn’t waste their time as she pointed to the wardrobe and told them to take it from her jacket,” said the insider.
The family insider added: “One of the unknown men took R50 and US$2 as well as two cell phones, a Mobicel and a Nokia and went outside.”
The other guy remained ransacking the room and stumbled upon a handbag with cash inside.
“He took R1 000 and $500,” said the source.
After taking the cash he turned to the lady and threatened to kill her.
“He called his partner in crime and they took turns to rape her. After that they left with the “loot” leaving her lying on the bed”.
Bulawayo deputy police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the incident: “I can confirm that we are handling a case of unlawful entry, robbery and rape that happened in Cowdray Park suburb.
“The estimated total value of the stolen property is US$2,00, R1 650 and $500. Nothing was recovered. We are appealing for information that may lead to the arrest of the two suspects who are on the run.
“Anyone with information can contact any nearest police or give us a tip-off on 0960358.”- B-Metro
A man from Old Magwegwe suburb in Bulawayo was left nursing a bleeding leg after he was shot once for allegedly having a relationship with a miner’s girlfriend.
Narrating the incident to B-Metro, Calvin Sibanda (25) said he was invited by his friend Mxolisi Siziba (37), who is a miner for a beer binge at his home in Pumula South.
While they were drinking, they were later joined by Siziba’s friends.
“It was on Monday last week when we started drinking alcohol at around 1pm and by 8pm we were too drunk when Siziba phoned his girlfriend, but she refused to come.
“He accused me of having influenced her not to come and in the midst of the altercation he lost his temper and hit me with open hands,” said Sibanda.
Sensing danger, Calvin took to his heels, but Siziba reached for a gun in his car and shot him. A source close to the investigation also confirmed the incident.
“He shot him once on the left leg and injured him,” said the source.
Sibanda reported the matter to the police leading to Siziba’s arrest. Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube also confirmed the incident:
“I can confirm that we arrested a man who shot his suspected love rival on the left leg once. He was accusing him of having a sexual affair with his girlfriend.”
He urged community members to solve their differences amicably and also urged them to engage third parties like pastors, Victim Friendly Unit (VFU) police than to take the law into their hands.-B- Metro
Nearly 10 years after the death of Zimbabwe’s mist powerful retired general Solomon Mujuru, his estate is still causing headaches.
Three companies which sought to be included in the general’s estate have successfully applied to be joined in the case, after the High Court ruled that they have a real and substantial interest in the matter.
The former commander died in August 2011 in an inferno at his farm in Beatrice, leaving behind an empire ranging from real estate, pharmaceutical, farming, to diamond mining sparking a legal confrontation battle between his widow Dr Joice Mujuru and some of the intended beneficiaries.
The ruling comes after one of the daughters Maidei Mujuru sought an order under case Number HC2370/20, declaring that the immovable properties, Kalmic Investments, Athienitis Properties and Rylance Farms were part of the estate on the grounds that they were the national hero’s alter egos.
Alter-ego refers to a legal principle preventing shareholders being treated as the owners of companies to prevent fraudulent activities.
The court applies alter-ego rule to ignore the corporate status of a group of stockholders, officers and directors of a corporation with respect to their limited liability. Under the alter-ego rule, a corporate veil of an individual is lifted and makes him or her personally liable for his/her unjustifiable activities.
In this case, the executor of the estate Mr Stern Mufara opposed the application for joinder by Kalmic Investments, Athienitis Properties and Rylance Farms, arguing that the persons purporting to represent the three companies had no right or capacity to do so. He argued that there was no CR14 appointing them as directors or shareholders of the companies attached to the founding affidavit.
It was argued that the decision of the Master of the High Court, which is in existence, that the three purported representatives of the companies in question failed to support their allegations that they were directors of the companies.
But in her ruling Justice Jester Charewa found that there was no legal requirement that in instituting proceedings a company should attach CR14 to its founding documents to prove that its representatives were duly authorised.
She said what was indispensable was a resolution by the company that it has resolved to institute or defend legal proceedings and identifying the person that has been tasked with being the mouth-piece.
The court also noted that it was not in dispute that the three companies were the registered and beneficial owners of the properties sought to be included in the estate.
In her ruling, Justice Charewa took into account the agreement on the business partnership between the deceased and businessman Mr James Makamba for the Thurlow Group of Companies.
“It follows that as registered and beneficial owners of the properties which are sought to be included in the deceased’s estate, applicants have real and substantial interests which, if they are able to show that they are not deceased’s alter egos, they are entitled to protect,” said Justice Charewa, finding that the applicants had proved on a balance of probabilities that they were entitled to the relief they prayed for.
“And to enable them to protect such interest, they must be joined to the proceedings seeking to include the properties in the deceased’s estate.”
After the dissolution of their partnership, Gen Mujuru and Mr Makamba entered into an agreement wherein they shared between themselves certain immovable properties registered in the companies under Thurlow Group.
To give effect to the agreement on the division of the immovable property, the business partners agreed to sign share transfer forms for the respective companies, as well as resignation letters as directors, secretaries and public officers for the respective companies which owned the properties allocated to each other.
By virtue of that agreement, the properties registered under Kalmic, Athienitis Properties and Rylance Farms were allocated to Gen Mujuru.
Mr Makamba surrendered his shareholding and resigned his directorship and public office positions in the three companies. Herald
Tinashe Sambiri|President Nelson Chamisa has urged the people of Zimbabwe to focus on positive developments instead of concentrating on mistakes and failures of the past.
President Chamisa also said negative criticism should not stop the people of Zimbabwe from pursuing set objectives:
“MOTION BREEDS SUCCESS…Be inspired and encouraged.
Don’t be discouraged by those people who are only negative, and seek to see and amplify your mistakes.
Mistakes and missteps are evidence of effort and motion. Keep learning, Keep leading!!!#StrongerandStronger
Godisinit,” wrote President Chamisa on his official Facebook page.
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. -Newsday
Tinashe Sambiri|President Nelson Chamisa has urged the people of Zimbabwe to focus on positive developments instead of concentrating on mistakes and failures of the past.
President Chamisa also said negative criticism should not stop the people of Zimbabwe from pursuing set objectives:
“MOTION BREEDS SUCCESS…Be inspired and encouraged.
Don’t be discouraged by those people who are only negative, and seek to see and amplify your mistakes.
Mistakes and missteps are evidence of effort and motion. Keep learning, Keep leading!!!#StrongerandStronger
Godisinit,” wrote President Chamisa on his official Facebook page.
By A Correspondent | The ZANU PF leader Emerson Mnangagwa is clearly capturing the judiciary in preparation of the 2023 elections, a lawyer during the ZimRights press conference yesterday concluded.
Mnangagwa is doing this by changing the constitution in order to handpick judges without interviews, it was debated, and below was the briefer-
All we have seen [is] the judiciary act as power brokers primarily because of our contested elections, in the last so many elections, elections have been going to court, particularly the presidential election 2018 is a fresh memory. It was the constitutional court that eventually decided who was to be the president.
Because in Zimbabwe elections have been contested, we are still too far from electoral reform. We are likely going to see another contestant election in 2023, where the constitutional court is called upon to determine who is to be the presidential winner.
In terms of our constitution, it is only the constitutional court that can decide a presidential election dispute, so in anticipation of that one would imagine why the president would want to ensure that there are judges that are beholden to him in that constitutional court, elected and promoted to that office by him…
So it’s a clear exercise to us of judicial capture, it’s a clear excercise of taping the judiciary.
Tinashe Sambiri| A Cotton Company of Zimbabwe official is in trouble for awarding a tender to an MDC Alliance official in Chiredzi.
ZimEye.com has gathered that the Minister of State for Masvingo, Ezra Chadzamira, Chiredzi North MP Roy Bhila and top Central Intelligence Organization officers have reprimanded Cotton Company of Zimbabwe official, Innocent Gukwe for awarding a transport tender to the MDC Alliance official.
The official’s company won a tender to ferry Cotton Company of Zimbabwe workers to and from work.
“Gukwe is in trouble.CIO officers acting on instructions from Ezra Chadzamira and Roy Bhila instructed Gukwe to cancel the tender awarded to a company reportedly belonging to an MDC Alliance official with immediate effect.
They also threatened to fire him,” a source told ZimEye.com.
However, Gukwe, quoted by a weekly publication said : “No, we did not even know that the omnibus belonged to an MDC Alliance member. We do not look into people’s political backgrounds when awarding tenders.
“We thought it was just another local business person. We are now following your decisions on the case because Dingane Ncube (CIO) once came to me with the issue and said he was going to advise me on how to handle the issue.”
COVID-19 continues to disrupt essential health services in 90% of countries
COVID-19 continues to disrupt essential health services in 90% of countries
Some signs of recovery emerging but major efforts required to restore and strengthen health services
The second round of a World Health Organization “pulse survey“ reveals that over one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, substantial disruptions persist, with about 90% of countries still reporting one or more disruptions to essential health services, marking no substantial global change since the first survey conducted in the summer of 2020.
Within countries, however, the magnitude and extent of disruptions has generally decreased. In 2020, countries reported that, on average, about half of essential health services were disrupted. In the first 3 months of 2021, however, they reported progress, with just over one third of services now being disrupted.
Overcoming disruptions
Countries have been working to mitigate disruptions. Many have now stepped up communications efforts to inform the public about changes to service delivery and provide advice about ways to safely seek health care. They are also triaging to identify and better meet the most urgent patient needs.
More than half the countries consulted say they have recruited additional staff to boost the health workforce; redirected patients to other care facilities; and switched to alternative methods to delivering care, such as providing more home-based services, multi-month prescriptions for treatments, and increasing the use of telemedicine.
In addition, WHO and its partners have been helping countries to adapt their processes so they can better respond to the challenges being placed on their health systems; strengthen primary health care, and advance universal health coverage.
“It is encouraging to see that countries are beginning to build back their essential health services, but much remains to be done,” says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO. “The survey highlights the need to intensify efforts and take additional steps to close gaps and strengthen services. It will be especially important to monitor the situation in countries that were struggling to provide health services before the pandemic.“
Persisting causes of disruptions
Countries are still having to make important decisions when responding to COVID-19 that may negatively affect access to care for other health issues. Redeployment of staff to provide COVID-19 relief and temporary closures of health facilities and services continue.
Although they may have taken on new staff, 66% of countries continue to report health workforce-related reasons as the most common causes of service disruptions.
Supply chains are also still disrupted in nearly one third of countries, affecting the availability of essential medicines, diagnostics, and the PPE needed to safely and effectively provide care.
Communications efforts need to be further scaled up: more than half of countries report service disruptions due to patients not seeking care and because of community mistrust and fears of becoming infected.
Meanwhile, 43% of countries cite financial challenges as major causes for disruptions in service utilization.
As a result, millions of people are still missing out on vital health care. In terms of services, the biggest impact reported by nearly half of countries is on provision of day-to-day primary care to prevent and manage some of the most common health problems. Long-term care for chronic conditions, rehabilitation, and palliative end-of-life care, is also still badly disrupted – severely affecting older people and people living with disabilities.
Potentially life-saving emergency, critical and surgical care interventions are still disrupted in about 20% of countries, reflecting the most immediate indirect consequences of the pandemic. Two thirds of countries also report disruptions in elective surgeries, with accumulating consequences as the pandemic is prolonged.
Among the most extensively affected health services (i.e. those for which more than 40% of countries are reporting disruptions) are those for mental, neurological and substance use disorders; neglected tropical diseases; tuberculosis; HIV and hepatitis B and C; cancer screening, and services for other noncommunicable diseases including hypertension and diabetes; family planning and contraception; urgent dental care; and malnutrition.
Issued ahead of World Immunization Week (which starts 24 April) and World Malaria Day (25 April) the survey reveals that serious gaps also remain in addressing disruptions to services in both these areas.More than one third of countries are still reporting disruptions to immunization services, despite progress in countries reducing disruptions to immunization services in health facilities and “outreach” immunization services by about 20% and 30% respectively compared to 2020. This highlights the need for new and sustained approaches to improving immunization coverage and uptake.
“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose serious challenges to global health beyond the impact of the disease itself,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “For children, disruptions to immunization services have serious consequences. As we scale up delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, we have to ensure that this does not come at the cost of essential childhood vaccinations. We cannot allow today’s fight against COVID-19 to undermine our fight against measles, polio or other vaccine preventable illnesses. Prolonged immunization disruptions will have long-term consequences for children’s health. The time to catch up is now.”
Meanwhile, nearly 40% of countries are also reporting disruptions to one or more malaria services. While progress compared to 2020 – with about 10% fewer countries reporting disruptions to malaria diagnosis and treatment and 25-33% fewer countries reporting disruptions to malaria prevention campaigns (including distribution of long-lasting insecticide impregnated bed nets, indoor spraying and seasonal malaria chemoprevention), the reported level of disruption is still significant and needs to be urgently addressed.
WHO will continue to support countries so they can respond to increased strains on health systems and rapidly evolving priorities and needs throughout the course of the pandemic, and to ensure that COVID-19 control strategies are in balance strategies to tackle other health priorities and secure continued access to comprehensive care for everyone, including the most vulnerable.
Key support mechanisms include the ACT-Accelerator, which works to speed up equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments, and the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, which guides actions taken at national, regional, and global levels to tackle COVID-19.
The Organization also remains focused on the delivery of the work it has committed to before the COVID-19 pandemic started. Internally, through the “Boost initiative” and the UHC Partnership, which covers 115 countries, WHO has strengthened its capacity to provide additional support to countries so they can maintain essential health services during the pandemic, and advance progress towards universal health coverage.
Source: World Health Organization
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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A 57-YEAR-OLD Binga man has been arrested after he fatally axed his uncle who tried to stop him from selling a cow that was “old and thin.”
William Sibanga Muzamba of Twakachibona village under Chief Pashu reportedly surrendered himself to the police soon after killing his uncle Simati Mefias Mudimba (62) from the same area on Saturday.
The two had been drinking traditional beer at Mr Fanson Muleya (53)’s homestead when they argued over a cow which Muzamba wanted to sell.
Mudimba allegedly drew an axe and threatened to strike his nephew who, however, disarmed him and struck him twice on the head.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda confirmed the murder and arrest of Muzamba who is expected to appear in court soon.
“We received a report of a man who was murdered by his nephew following a misunderstanding over sale of a beast. On 24 April around 5pm William Sibanga Muzamba and Simati Mefias Mudimba were drinking traditional beer at the informant, Mr Fanson Muleya’s homestead. Muzamba was discussing selling his beast with his uncle Mudimba who told him not to sell it and suggested that it be slaughtered because it was old and had lost weight,” said Insp Banda.
He said this did not go down well with Muzamba leading to an argument which degenerated into a misunderstanding.
Mudimba allegedly rained insults on Muzamba before pulling out a small axe from his trousers and threatened to kill his nephew.
Police said Muzamba grabbed the axe and disarmed his uncle before striking him twice on the head and he died on the spot.
Other villagers who were at the homestead drinking beer fled from the scene.
Mr Muleya rushed to police Pashu base and reported a case of murder while Muzamba later went to the same police base and surrendered himself.
Police attended the scene and took the body to St Patrick’s Hospital in Hwange for a post-mortem.- Chronicle
By A Correspondent-Former Dynamos Football Club legend, Itai Stanley Chirambadare has dragged to the courts for sodomising a 13-year-old boy who later developed some piles as a result of the sexual assault
The former soccer legend appeared in court yesterday and was represented by Knowledge Maeresera.
He was remanded in custody to May 13 pending trial.
The Dynamos legend was advised by magistrate Dennis Mangosi to apply for bail at the High Court.
Allegations are that sometime in March this year, the complainant who is 13 years went to Chirambadare’s house together with his friend to sweep as he always does and they would be given sweets.
It is alleged that on the day in question the complainant went to Chirambadare’s house alone to sweep.
The accused person allegedly asked the complainant to get into the house before he forced him into his bedroom and sexually assaulted him and told him not to reveal the abuse.
Chirambadare allegedly threatened to kill the complainant if he revealed the abuse to anyone.
He went on to abuse the complainant on several occasions.
The complainant allegedly developed some piles and he told his uncle. The complainant’s uncle led him to the police station to report the matter. -NewsDay
By A Correspondent- The High Court has quashed journalist Hopewell Chin’ono’s charge of publishing falsehoods after the scribe shared a video of a woman accusing police of killing her baby.
High Court judge Justice Jester Charehwa ruled that the law used to charge Chin’ono was non-existent.
Chin’ono was charged under section 31 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act which deals with “publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State”.
His lawyer, Harrison Nkomo argued that the statute was struck off by the Constitutional Court in 2014 in a matter brought up by two Zimbabwe Independent journalists.
“We complained from the moment he got arrested that he was being charged on a non-existent law. That law was struck off long back so it was just persecution,” Nkomo said.
Chin’ono is now facing two charges of inciting the public to commit public violence and undermining the course of justice.
By A Correspondent-Former Dynamos Football Club legend, Itai Stanley Chirambadare appeared in court today facing sodomy charges after he allegedly sexually assaulted a student at his football academy.
Chirambadare who is represented by Knowledge Maeresera was remanded in custody to May 13 pending trial.
The Dynamos legend was advised by magistrate Dennis Mangosi to apply for bail at the High Court.
Allegations are that sometime in March this year, the complainant who is 13 years went to Chirambadare’s house together with his friend to sweep as he always does and they would be given sweets.
It is alleged that on the day in question the complainant went to Chirambadare’s house alone to sweep.
The accused person allegedly asked the complainant to get into the house before he forced him into his bedroom and sexually assaulted him and told him not to reveal the abuse.
Chirambadare allegedly threatened to kill the complainant if he revealed the abuse to anyone.
He went on to abuse the complainant on several occasions.
The complainant allegedly developed some piles and he told his uncle. The complainant’s uncle led him to the police station to report the matter. -NewsDay
By A Correspondent- Mr Surgent Chevo who was the registrar at the University of Zimbabwe during the period when the former First Lady Grace Mugabe attained her controversial PhD told the court that there were no irregularities in all the processes up until Mugabe graduated with the highest qualification.
Mr Chevo revealed that the examination panel did an oral examination on Mugabe at her children’s home and she passed.
“As she was being asked grilling questions by the examination panel during the oral examination, at first she was shivering but later calmed down and answered them satisfactorily,” he said.
Mr Chevo added that everything was done according to the rules and regulations of the University of Zimbabwe.
He further stated that there was nothing unusual in the processes and no signs of favouritism were exhibited.
“After the oral examination, the examination panel deliberated on Mugabe’s performance and all the members agreed unanimously that she had performed satisfactorily and that she be awarded a PhD.
He told the court that he did not receive any instructions from Nyagura which showed favour to Mugabe.
By A Correspondent- The High Court has quashed journalist Hopewell Chin’ono’s charge of publishing falsehoods after the scribe shared a video of a woman accusing police of killing her baby.
High Court judge Justice Jester Charehwa ruled that the law used to charge Chin’ono was non-existent.
Chin’ono was charged under section 31 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act which deals with “publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State”.
His lawyer, Harrison Nkomo argued that the statute was struck off by the Constitutional Court in 2014 in a matter brought up by two Zimbabwe Independent journalists.
“We complained from the moment he got arrested that he was being charged on a non-existent law. That law was struck off long back so it was just persecution,” Nkomo said.
Chin’ono is now facing two charges of inciting the public to commit public violence and undermining the course of justice.
By A Correspondent- Harare magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje has set May 26 as the trial date for former Health and Child Care Minister Obadiah Moyo.
Through his lawyer, the former minister has applied for a variation of his bail conditions.
Prosecutor Mr Garudzo Ziyadhuma told the court that he had agreed with the defence to put its application in writing and he would respond on it on May 5.
The former minister is being charged for his alleged involvement in NatPharm’s unprocedural contract with Drax International LLC to supply medicines and surgical sundries, and is consequently facing criminal abuse of office charges.
By A Correspondent- Harare magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje has set May 26 as the trial date for former Health and Child Care Minister Obadiah Moyo. Through his lawyer, the former minister has applied for a variation of his bail conditions.
Prosecutor Mr Garudzo Ziyadhuma told the court that he had agreed with the defence to put its application in writing and he would respond on it on May 5.
The former minister is being charged for his alleged involvement in NatPharm’s unprocedural contract with Drax International LLC to supply medicines and surgical sundries, and is consequently facing criminal abuse of office charges.
By A Correspondent- Former First Lady Grace Mugabe is a genuine PhD holder as she followed all the University of Zimbabwe processes and was thoroughly examined by an examination panel before graduating, the court heard.
This was revealed by the third witness in the trial of suspended University of Zimbabwe (UZ) Vice-Chancellor Levi Nyagura, accused of illegally awarding former First Lady Grace Mugabe.
During cross-examination with Nyagura’s lawyer Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara Mr Surgent Chevo who was the registrar at the UZ during that period told the court that there were no irregularities in all the processes up until Mugabe graduated with a PhD.
Mr Chevo revealed that the examination panel did an oral examination on Mugabe at her children’s home and she passed.
“As she was being asked grilling questions by the examination panel during the oral examination, at first she was shivering but later calmed down and answered them satisfactorily,” he said.
Mr Chevo added that everything was done according to the rules and regulations of the University of Zimbabwe.
He further stated that there was nothing unusual in the processes and no signs of favouritism were exhibited.
“After the oral examination, the examination panel deliberated on Mugabe’s performance and all the members agreed unanimously that she had performed satisfactorily and that she be awarded a PhD.
He told the court that he did not receive any instructions from Nyagura which showed favour to Mugabe.
By Hon Job Wiwa Sikhala | The State which wanted to start my trial on inciting Public Violence charges on the 15th of April and failed, produced some drama only familiar with Hollywood. The Magistrate Stanford Mambanje gave a ruling on 21st of April that the court will give the State the last chance to provide the date for the commencement of the trial on the 29th of April, meaning today. The matter was heard today in Court 15 before the same Magistrate who in terms of the law was obliged to enforce his ruling if the state fails to provide the date for the commencement of the trial.
We arrived at the Court at 9am waiting for the State to push its case. The Prosecutor to the matter Garudzo Siyadhuma was not present and the matter was stood down to 11:15am. Siyadhuma could not pitch up and we were advised to wait for him until 12pm. 12pm clocked and Siyadhuma was nowhere to be seen. He only emerged at 12:30pm carrying a huge but seemingly heavy bag. Whatever was in that bag, its courier knows its contents as it has no sign of law in it.
After his arrival he did not apologize to all of us who were made to wait for him without explanation including my legal team of Harrison Nkomo and Jeremiah Bamu. He was arrogant and went straight to make an application for the postponement of the commencement of the trial once more again as he claimed that, there was hitches after they realized that the evidence they wanted to rely upon was an audio which has three voices speaking to it. So they needed some expert to extract the portion of what he called my voice. So they were struggling to find an expert to identify and extract the portion of where my purported voice is.
This change of goalposts surprised all of us as the same Garudzo Siyadhuma claimed that he was waiting for the forensic evidence from the police that stalled the trial from kicking off on the 15th of April. On the 15th of April it was forensic evidence that is stalling the commencement of trial, today, it was the difficulty, the experts were experiencing to extract my voice from the 3 voices on the audio.
This is the behavior that is causing the public to lose confidence in the dispensary of justice in our country. After pressed on why I was in Court on his invitation for the trial date he asked for adjournment for him to phone the IO of the case. I saw him phoning allover the place seeking the way forward.
After resuming sitting at 14:30hrs, Siyadhuma came back and said he now has a trial date and it’s 30 June 2021. On how all of a sudden the trial date has emerged, without state papers available or docket and no witness we all wondered. He said he will be ready on the 30th of June for trial to kick off. The Court granted him his wish. We will see whether the State will carry out its undertaking.
By A Correspondent- Former First Lady Grace Mugabe followed all the University of Zimbabwe processes and was thoroughly examined by an examination panel before graduating, the court heard.
This was revealed by the third witness in the trial of suspended University of Zimbabwe (UZ) Vice-Chancellor Levi Nyagura, accused of illegally awarding former First Lady Grace Mugabe.
During cross-examination with Nyagura’s lawyer Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara Mr Surgent Chevo who was the registrar at the UZ during that period told the court that there were no irregularities in all the processes up until Mugabe graduated with a PhD.
Mr Chevo revealed that the examination panel did an oral examination on Mugabe at her children’s home and she passed.
“As she was being asked grilling questions by the examination panel during the oral examination, at first she was shivering but later calmed down and answered them satisfactorily,” he said.
Mr Chevo added that everything was done according to the rules and regulations of the University of Zimbabwe.
He further stated that there was nothing unusual in the processes and no signs of favouritism were exhibited.
“After the oral examination, the examination panel deliberated on Mugabe’s performance and all the members agreed unanimously that she had performed satisfactorily and that she be awarded a PhD.
He told the court that he did not receive any instructions from Nyagura which showed favour to Mugabe.
By A Correspondent | The Zimbabwe Republic Police reports that cops in Bulawayo have arrested Abednico Ndlovu (291 Altkins Mahinzwi (36)r Bruce Moyo (30), Zenzo Siziba (42), Kelvin Dzumbunu (29) and Gift Mwale (381 in connection with a spate of armed robbery cases committed between January 2021 and April 2021 in Bulawayo and surrounding areas.
Police nabbed one of the suspects after a tip-off from members of the public and he implicated the other accomplices leading to their arrest. The suspects mainly targeted service stations and homesteads before robbing the victims of their valuables. So far the gang is linked to fourteen (14) cases of robbery in which properties worth US $164 032-00r ZAR 890-00 and ZWL $500- 00 were stolen.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Republic Police has recovered a 9mm calibre star pistol with a magazine of six rounds, masks, torches and the vehicle used by the suspects in committing crimes.
Police warns criminals that their day in court will surely come and members of the public are implored to keep on reporting all criminal activities in their communities.
(NYATHI P.) Assistant Commissioner Senior Staff Officer (Press, Public and Int. Relations) To the Commissioner General of Police Police General Headquarters.
By A Correspondent-Former Dynamos Football Club legend, Stanley Chirambadare was has been remanded in custody on allegations of sexually abusing a teenage boy from his Mufakose-based soccer academy in Harare after luring him to his house with sweets.
Chirambadare who is represented by Knowledge Maeresera was remanded in custody to May 13 pending trial.
An unidentified man, suspected to be an intelligence agent driving an unregistered vehicle is on video being told that he will be beaten up. The clip’s dating could not be established. DO YOU KNOW THIS MAN?
Church Service. There is going to be a Church Service for our departed Provincial Executive Member – Innocent Kurwa on Friday 17:30hrs at Sunninghill.
A Memorial service will take place at the Roman Catholic Cathedral (next to the Dominican Convent) on Saturday at 08:00am. MHDSRIP.
Burial. Our departed comrade will be laid to rest on Saturday at West Park Cemetry at 10:00am.
NB. We encourage MDC-Alliance members to attend the Church Service on Friday 17:30hrs in Sunninghill, Saturday 08:00 Memorial Service & Burial at 10:00am. MHDSRIP
Church Service. There is going to be a Church Service for our departed Provincial Executive Member – Innocent Kurwa on Friday 17:30hrs at Sunninghill.
A Memorial service will take place at the Roman Catholic Cathedral (next to the Dominican Convent) on Saturday at 08:00am. MHDSRIP.
Burial. Our departed comrade will be laid to rest on Saturday at West Park Cemetry at 10:00am.
NB. We encourage MDC-Alliance members to attend the Church Service on Friday 17:30hrs in Sunninghill, Saturday 08:00 Memorial Service & Burial at 10:00am. MHDSRIP
By A Correspondent- Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe today went undercover and joined the passports queue at Makombe in Harare where he ended up paying a bribe for a place.
Kazembe Kazembe
Kazembe revealed this before parliament where he said:
“Today I visited the passport offices and some guy sold me a place in the queue and I paid $30 but he is now in the police holding cells.”
Kazembe Kazembe
Kazembe’s revelations comes in the wake of government revealing that government would soon be producing 9 000 passports daily to clear the passports backlog.
Reported the state media:
Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage says it has put in place measures to clear a backlog in passport processing dating back to March 2019.
In response to the Portfolio Committee on Defence,Home Affairs and Security Services on policy decisions being taken to reduce the backlog on the provision of primary identity documents and travel documents Minister Kazembe said the 225 747 passport backlog has been accumulating due to lack of foreign currency.
Honourable Members, coming to Passports production, my Ministry is currently experiencing a backlog in the processing of passports. Currently we have a backlog of 225 747, dating back to March 2019. The backlog has been accumulating due to shortage of consumables which require foreign currency,he said.
As a means to counter the dire situation ,the Minister outlined a number of measures including an increase in operating hours.
To address the situation, my Ministry has put in place the following measures:- Introduction of Double Shift Working Programme with effect from 26 April 2021. The programme consists of the day and night shift.The night shift operates from 2000hrs to 0400hrs whilst the day shift operates from 0800hrs to 1600hrs. The strategy is aimed at clearing the passport backlog,he explained.
According to Minister Kazembe the move will facilitate an increase in the number of passports produced per day.
With the introduction of the double shift working programme, My Ministry will be in a position to produce between 4 000 and 4 500 passports a day. The expected daily output for the day shift will be between 2 000 and 2 500 whilst the expected output for the night shift will be 2 000,added Kazembe.
He also cited the procurement of equipment as key in clearing the current backlog.
Treasury made a commitment to avail funds for the procurement of additional equipment to complement the existing machinery. Procurement of additional equipment and consumables will increase the production capacity from 4 500 to 9 000 thereby reducing the turn-around time for the clearance of the backlog. These measures will see the Ministry being able to meet the current demand for passports while ensuring that the backlog does not occur,he noted.
The Ministry through the Civil Registry Department is also limiting the number of applicants for polythene-synthetic IDs and priority is being given to high school students and urgent cases.
The development has thus seen treasury committing to facilitating payment for consumables, licences and dongles in order to address the situation as soon as possible.
Former Warriors captain Willard ‘Salt and Vinegar’ Katsande has revealed that he is still open to one more Warriors appearance should he be needed.
The Kaizer Chiefs midfield linchpin (34), captained Zimbabwe at the 2017 AFCON finals in Gabon but drew a close his international career just after the continental spectacle.
Katsande’s retirement was under unclear circumstances though, as there were indications that he was blacklisted by the Philip Chiyangwa-led ZIFA board from representing Zimbabwe, hence the decision to quit.
He however, still believes he still has something to offer to the Warriors fold, if given the chance.
“Obviously, I would like to play for the national team for one or two games before I call it quits,” said Katsande according to The Herald.
“I am not saying I should be included in the national team, no.The coaches select the players based on form.What I am simply saying is that, as someone who still feels he has what it takes, I would like to play for my country, for one last time, and retire.”
“I am the Warriors number one fan and I know I have contributed so much for the team’s cause,” he added.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
By Farai D Hove | The man who recalled Tendai Biti and five other MPs, Benjamin Rukanda has lost his High Court appeal against an order to reinstate the MDC Alliance legislators from the entity’s People’s Democratic Party wing.
Those called are: Tendai Biti, the MP for Harare East; William Madzimure of Kambuzuma; Chikwinya of Mbizo; Kucaca Phulu of Nkulumane; Sichelesile Mahlangu of Pumula and Regai Tsunga of Mutasa South.
Rukanda who claims that he holds the position of Secretary General, wrote a letter to recall the MPs on the grounds that they are no longer members of his party, and had lost having been sued at court.
Following a new application, High Court Justice Tawanda Chitapi yesterday dismissed Rukanda’s appeal for failing to comply with the court rules.
The development comes after last week, MDC Alliance Chairperson Job Sikhala demanded that the Speaker must explain why he has not reinstated the MPs. Said Sikhala:
You read a letter of recall but the letter however was recently set aside by an order of the High Court, where the Members have been asked to be reinstated to the House.
My understanding is that you were served with the court order.
This is what I obtained from the Members who have been recalled and that you have turned down their re-admission to this House. So, may I seek clarity from you Chair Sir
Below was the full discussion –
HON. SIKHALA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My point of clarity centres on the decision and the ruling which you Mr. Speaker made a few weeks ago. You read a notice in this House that you received a letter from the People’s Democratic Party that certain Members of Parliament have been recalled by the party of their deployment….
THE HON.SPEAKER: Order, order, did you say I made a ruling?
HON. SIKHALA: No, you read a notice. I said you read a notice Mr. Speaker. So on your notice, you announced to this House that you received a letter of recall to six Members of this House on the basis that their party has notified your office. Mr. Speaker Sir, Members received…
THE HON.SPEAKER: Order, order, I do not announce letters of recall, I read them.
HON. SIKHALA: You read a letter….
THE HON. SPEAKER: Withdraw your statement.
HON.SIKHALA: I withdraw Mr. Speaker Sir. You read a letter of recall but the letter however was recently set aside by an order of the High Court, where the Members have been asked to be reinstated to the House. My understanding is that you were served with the court order. This is what I obtained from the Members who have been recalled and that you have turned down their re-admission to this House. So, may I seek clarity from you Chair Sir…..
THE HON SPEAKER: You see as a lawyer Hon. Sikhala, you are relying on hearsay from a third party in which you are not involved. That is not admissible and I cannot entertain hearsay messages. What I can entertain is an approach by the affected party or parties to the issue, then I will respond to them accordingly –
Morgan Komichi is not with Mwonzora. Morgan Konichi is supporting MDC-A but doesn't know what exactly to do in order to come back to MDC-A. It's verified information from that friend of mine an MP who joined Mwonzora & she is trying her way back to MDC-A! Ma1kwa Mwonzora!
Real Madrid left back Marcelo can possibly miss Los Blancos’ Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea next week due to participation in the elections for the mayor of Madrid, it has emerged.
The Brazilian wore the captain’s armband in the absence of skipper Sergio Ramos when the 13-time champions drew 1-1 with Chelsea in the first leg at the Alfredo Di Stefano yesterday.
There is a possibility of him not being able to travel for the return leg at Stamford Bridge set for next Wednesday, as Spanish publication El Mundo is reporting that the 32-year old has been selected to be part of a polling station for the mayoral elections slated for May 4, the same day Zinedine Zidane’s charges are scheduled to travel to London.
Marcelo would also have to go out of the Madrid bubble to take part in the poll, which complicates everything.
The Florentino Perez-led Madrid hierarchy is however in the process of trying convince the electoral board to excuse Marcelo for him to travel for the decisive clash.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|President Nelson Chamisa has urged the people of Zimbabwe to focus on positive developments instead of concentrating on mistakes and failures of the past.
President Chamisa also said negative criticism should not stop the people of Zimbabwe from pursuing set objectives:
“MOTION BREEDS SUCCESS…Be inspired and encouraged.
Don’t be discouraged by those people who are only negative, and seek to see and amplify your mistakes.
Mistakes and missteps are evidence of effort and motion. Keep learning, Keep leading!!!#StrongerandStronger
Godisinit,” wrote President Chamisa on his official Facebook page.
COVID-19 continues to disrupt essential health services in 90% of countries
COVID-19 continues to disrupt essential health services in 90% of countries
Some signs of recovery emerging but major efforts required to restore and strengthen health services
The second round of a World Health Organization “pulse survey“ reveals that over one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, substantial disruptions persist, with about 90% of countries still reporting one or more disruptions to essential health services, marking no substantial global change since the first survey conducted in the summer of 2020.
Within countries, however, the magnitude and extent of disruptions has generally decreased. In 2020, countries reported that, on average, about half of essential health services were disrupted. In the first 3 months of 2021, however, they reported progress, with just over one third of services now being disrupted.
Overcoming disruptions
Countries have been working to mitigate disruptions. Many have now stepped up communications efforts to inform the public about changes to service delivery and provide advice about ways to safely seek health care. They are also triaging to identify and better meet the most urgent patient needs.
More than half the countries consulted say they have recruited additional staff to boost the health workforce; redirected patients to other care facilities; and switched to alternative methods to delivering care, such as providing more home-based services, multi-month prescriptions for treatments, and increasing the use of telemedicine.
In addition, WHO and its partners have been helping countries to adapt their processes so they can better respond to the challenges being placed on their health systems; strengthen primary health care, and advance universal health coverage.
“It is encouraging to see that countries are beginning to build back their essential health services, but much remains to be done,” says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO. “The survey highlights the need to intensify efforts and take additional steps to close gaps and strengthen services. It will be especially important to monitor the situation in countries that were struggling to provide health services before the pandemic.“
Persisting causes of disruptions
Countries are still having to make important decisions when responding to COVID-19 that may negatively affect access to care for other health issues. Redeployment of staff to provide COVID-19 relief and temporary closures of health facilities and services continue.
Although they may have taken on new staff, 66% of countries continue to report health workforce-related reasons as the most common causes of service disruptions.
Supply chains are also still disrupted in nearly one third of countries, affecting the availability of essential medicines, diagnostics, and the PPE needed to safely and effectively provide care.
Communications efforts need to be further scaled up: more than half of countries report service disruptions due to patients not seeking care and because of community mistrust and fears of becoming infected.
Meanwhile, 43% of countries cite financial challenges as major causes for disruptions in service utilization.
As a result, millions of people are still missing out on vital health care. In terms of services, the biggest impact reported by nearly half of countries is on provision of day-to-day primary care to prevent and manage some of the most common health problems. Long-term care for chronic conditions, rehabilitation, and palliative end-of-life care, is also still badly disrupted – severely affecting older people and people living with disabilities.
Potentially life-saving emergency, critical and surgical care interventions are still disrupted in about 20% of countries, reflecting the most immediate indirect consequences of the pandemic. Two thirds of countries also report disruptions in elective surgeries, with accumulating consequences as the pandemic is prolonged.
Among the most extensively affected health services (i.e. those for which more than 40% of countries are reporting disruptions) are those for mental, neurological and substance use disorders; neglected tropical diseases; tuberculosis; HIV and hepatitis B and C; cancer screening, and services for other noncommunicable diseases including hypertension and diabetes; family planning and contraception; urgent dental care; and malnutrition.
Issued ahead of World Immunization Week (which starts 24 April) and World Malaria Day (25 April) the survey reveals that serious gaps also remain in addressing disruptions to services in both these areas.More than one third of countries are still reporting disruptions to immunization services, despite progress in countries reducing disruptions to immunization services in health facilities and “outreach” immunization services by about 20% and 30% respectively compared to 2020. This highlights the need for new and sustained approaches to improving immunization coverage and uptake.
“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose serious challenges to global health beyond the impact of the disease itself,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “For children, disruptions to immunization services have serious consequences. As we scale up delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, we have to ensure that this does not come at the cost of essential childhood vaccinations. We cannot allow today’s fight against COVID-19 to undermine our fight against measles, polio or other vaccine preventable illnesses. Prolonged immunization disruptions will have long-term consequences for children’s health. The time to catch up is now.”
Meanwhile, nearly 40% of countries are also reporting disruptions to one or more malaria services. While progress compared to 2020 – with about 10% fewer countries reporting disruptions to malaria diagnosis and treatment and 25-33% fewer countries reporting disruptions to malaria prevention campaigns (including distribution of long-lasting insecticide impregnated bed nets, indoor spraying and seasonal malaria chemoprevention), the reported level of disruption is still significant and needs to be urgently addressed.
WHO will continue to support countries so they can respond to increased strains on health systems and rapidly evolving priorities and needs throughout the course of the pandemic, and to ensure that COVID-19 control strategies are in balance strategies to tackle other health priorities and secure continued access to comprehensive care for everyone, including the most vulnerable.
Key support mechanisms include the ACT-Accelerator, which works to speed up equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments, and the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, which guides actions taken at national, regional, and global levels to tackle COVID-19.
The Organization also remains focused on the delivery of the work it has committed to before the COVID-19 pandemic started. Internally, through the “Boost initiative” and the UHC Partnership, which covers 115 countries, WHO has strengthened its capacity to provide additional support to countries so they can maintain essential health services during the pandemic, and advance progress towards universal health coverage.
Source: World Health Organization
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Tinashe Sambiri| A Cotton Company of Zimbabwe official is in trouble for awarding a tender to an MDC Alliance official in Chiredzi.
ZimEye.com has gathered that the Minister of State for Masvingo, Ezra Chadzamira, Chiredzi North MP Roy Bhila and top Central Intelligence Organization officers have reprimanded Cotton Company of Zimbabwe official, Innocent Gukwe for awarding a transport tender to the MDC Alliance official.
The official’s company won a tender to ferry Cotton Company of Zimbabwe workers to and from work.
“Gukwe is in trouble.CIO officers acting on instructions from Ezra Chadzamira and Roy Bhila instructed Gukwe to cancel the tender awarded to a company reportedly belonging to an MDC Alliance official with immediate effect.
They also threatened to fire him,” a source told ZimEye.com.
However, Gukwe, quoted by a weekly publication said : “No, we did not even know that the omnibus belonged to an MDC Alliance member. We do not look into people’s political backgrounds when awarding tenders.
“We thought it was just another local business person. We are now following your decisions on the case because Dingane Ncube (CIO) once came to me with the issue and said he was going to advise me on how to handle the issue.”
Tinashe Sambiri|President Nelson Chamisa has urged the people of Zimbabwe to focus on positive developments instead of concentrating on mistakes and failures of the past.
President Chamisa also said negative criticism should not stop the people of Zimbabwe from pursuing set objectives:
“MOTION BREEDS SUCCESS…Be inspired and encouraged.
Don’t be discouraged by those people who are only negative, and seek to see and amplify your mistakes.
Mistakes and missteps are evidence of effort and motion. Keep learning, Keep leading!!!#StrongerandStronger
Godisinit,” wrote President Chamisa on his official Facebook page.
COVID-19 continues to disrupt essential health services in 90% of countries
COVID-19 continues to disrupt essential health services in 90% of countries
Some signs of recovery emerging but major efforts required to restore and strengthen health services
The second round of a World Health Organization “pulse survey“ reveals that over one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, substantial disruptions persist, with about 90% of countries still reporting one or more disruptions to essential health services, marking no substantial global change since the first survey conducted in the summer of 2020.
Within countries, however, the magnitude and extent of disruptions has generally decreased. In 2020, countries reported that, on average, about half of essential health services were disrupted. In the first 3 months of 2021, however, they reported progress, with just over one third of services now being disrupted.
Overcoming disruptions
Countries have been working to mitigate disruptions. Many have now stepped up communications efforts to inform the public about changes to service delivery and provide advice about ways to safely seek health care. They are also triaging to identify and better meet the most urgent patient needs.
More than half the countries consulted say they have recruited additional staff to boost the health workforce; redirected patients to other care facilities; and switched to alternative methods to delivering care, such as providing more home-based services, multi-month prescriptions for treatments, and increasing the use of telemedicine.
In addition, WHO and its partners have been helping countries to adapt their processes so they can better respond to the challenges being placed on their health systems; strengthen primary health care, and advance universal health coverage.
“It is encouraging to see that countries are beginning to build back their essential health services, but much remains to be done,” says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO. “The survey highlights the need to intensify efforts and take additional steps to close gaps and strengthen services. It will be especially important to monitor the situation in countries that were struggling to provide health services before the pandemic.“
Persisting causes of disruptions
Countries are still having to make important decisions when responding to COVID-19 that may negatively affect access to care for other health issues. Redeployment of staff to provide COVID-19 relief and temporary closures of health facilities and services continue.
Although they may have taken on new staff, 66% of countries continue to report health workforce-related reasons as the most common causes of service disruptions.
Supply chains are also still disrupted in nearly one third of countries, affecting the availability of essential medicines, diagnostics, and the PPE needed to safely and effectively provide care.
Communications efforts need to be further scaled up: more than half of countries report service disruptions due to patients not seeking care and because of community mistrust and fears of becoming infected.
Meanwhile, 43% of countries cite financial challenges as major causes for disruptions in service utilization.
As a result, millions of people are still missing out on vital health care. In terms of services, the biggest impact reported by nearly half of countries is on provision of day-to-day primary care to prevent and manage some of the most common health problems. Long-term care for chronic conditions, rehabilitation, and palliative end-of-life care, is also still badly disrupted – severely affecting older people and people living with disabilities.
Potentially life-saving emergency, critical and surgical care interventions are still disrupted in about 20% of countries, reflecting the most immediate indirect consequences of the pandemic. Two thirds of countries also report disruptions in elective surgeries, with accumulating consequences as the pandemic is prolonged.
Among the most extensively affected health services (i.e. those for which more than 40% of countries are reporting disruptions) are those for mental, neurological and substance use disorders; neglected tropical diseases; tuberculosis; HIV and hepatitis B and C; cancer screening, and services for other noncommunicable diseases including hypertension and diabetes; family planning and contraception; urgent dental care; and malnutrition.
Issued ahead of World Immunization Week (which starts 24 April) and World Malaria Day (25 April) the survey reveals that serious gaps also remain in addressing disruptions to services in both these areas.More than one third of countries are still reporting disruptions to immunization services, despite progress in countries reducing disruptions to immunization services in health facilities and “outreach” immunization services by about 20% and 30% respectively compared to 2020. This highlights the need for new and sustained approaches to improving immunization coverage and uptake.
“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose serious challenges to global health beyond the impact of the disease itself,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “For children, disruptions to immunization services have serious consequences. As we scale up delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, we have to ensure that this does not come at the cost of essential childhood vaccinations. We cannot allow today’s fight against COVID-19 to undermine our fight against measles, polio or other vaccine preventable illnesses. Prolonged immunization disruptions will have long-term consequences for children’s health. The time to catch up is now.”
Meanwhile, nearly 40% of countries are also reporting disruptions to one or more malaria services. While progress compared to 2020 – with about 10% fewer countries reporting disruptions to malaria diagnosis and treatment and 25-33% fewer countries reporting disruptions to malaria prevention campaigns (including distribution of long-lasting insecticide impregnated bed nets, indoor spraying and seasonal malaria chemoprevention), the reported level of disruption is still significant and needs to be urgently addressed.
WHO will continue to support countries so they can respond to increased strains on health systems and rapidly evolving priorities and needs throughout the course of the pandemic, and to ensure that COVID-19 control strategies are in balance strategies to tackle other health priorities and secure continued access to comprehensive care for everyone, including the most vulnerable.
Key support mechanisms include the ACT-Accelerator, which works to speed up equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments, and the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, which guides actions taken at national, regional, and global levels to tackle COVID-19.
The Organization also remains focused on the delivery of the work it has committed to before the COVID-19 pandemic started. Internally, through the “Boost initiative” and the UHC Partnership, which covers 115 countries, WHO has strengthened its capacity to provide additional support to countries so they can maintain essential health services during the pandemic, and advance progress towards universal health coverage.
Source: World Health Organization
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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Church Service. There is going to be a Church Service for our departed Provincial Executive Member – Innocent Kurwa on Friday 17:30hrs at Sunninghill.
A Memorial service will take place at the Roman Catholic Cathedral (next to the Dominican Convent) on Saturday at 08:00am. MHDSRIP.
Burial. Our departed comrade will be laid to rest on Saturday at West Park Cemetry at 10:00am.
NB. We encourage MDC-Alliance members to attend the Church Service on Friday 17:30hrs in Sunninghill, Saturday 08:00 Memorial Service & Burial at 10:00am. MHDSRIP
Church Service. There is going to be a Church Service for our departed Provincial Executive Member – Innocent Kurwa on Friday 17:30hrs at Sunninghill.
A Memorial service will take place at the Roman Catholic Cathedral (next to the Dominican Convent) on Saturday at 08:00am. MHDSRIP.
Burial. Our departed comrade will be laid to rest on Saturday at West Park Cemetry at 10:00am.
NB. We encourage MDC-Alliance members to attend the Church Service on Friday 17:30hrs in Sunninghill, Saturday 08:00 Memorial Service & Burial at 10:00am. MHDSRIP
Tinashe Sambiri| A Cotton Company of Zimbabwe official is in trouble for awarding a tender to an MDC Alliance official in Chiredzi.
ZimEye.com has gathered that the Minister of State for Masvingo, Ezra Chadzamira, Chiredzi North MP Roy Bhila and top Central Intelligence Organization officers have reprimanded Cotton Company of Zimbabwe official, Innocent Gukwe for awarding a transport tender to the MDC Alliance official.
The official’s company won a tender to ferry Cotton Company of Zimbabwe workers to and from work.
“Gukwe is in trouble.CIO officers acting on instructions from Ezra Chadzamira and Roy Bhila instructed Gukwe to cancel the tender awarded to a company reportedly belonging to an MDC Alliance official with immediate effect.
They also threatened to fire him,” a source told ZimEye.com.
However, Gukwe, quoted by a weekly publication said : “No, we did not even know that the omnibus belonged to an MDC Alliance member. We do not look into people’s political backgrounds when awarding tenders.
“We thought it was just another local business person. We are now following your decisions on the case because Dingane Ncube (CIO) once came to me with the issue and said he was going to advise me on how to handle the issue.”
By A Correspondent- China has unveiled a scholarship programme that will benefit 33 scholars drawn from three of the country’s public universities to study in the Asian country.
This comes after Zimbabwe and China upgraded their “all-weather friendship” to a “comprehensive strategic partnership”.
The China-Zimbabwe Scholarship Programme will benefit 33 outstanding students from the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), Midlands State University (MSU) and National University of Science and Technology (Nust) to study at various learning institutions in China.
Held under the aegis of the Culture Exchange and Research Center (Caecerc) and the Chinese embassy, the initiative will benefit Zimbabwe’s excelling, but underprivileged students.
Caecerc chairperson Ke Zhao told NewsDay that the programme was aimed at cementing relations between the two countries in the field of education.
“Caecerc and the Chinese embassy initiated this programme as a means to help intelligent, responsible but underprivileged students in the tertiary education sector,” he said.
“Plans are already in place to obtain more funding from other Chinese and local companies in Zimbabwe so that it can cover many students and expand to other universities and tertiary institutions.”
Last week, the programme was officially launched at the MSU and Nust and will be launched at the UZ at a later date.
Apart from that programme, six students from Zimbabwe are sent to the Nanjing University to undertake post-graduate studies in Arts.
The programme was broadened to cover other fields of study.
“The initiative is a brainchild of the Chinese embassy, which aims to give a helping hand to the education sector in Zimbabwe. The objectives of the initiative include awarding scholarships to excelling but underprivileged students,” Zhao added.
“(We are implementing) the 20+20 Co-operation plan for Chinese and African institutions of higher education through empowering young academics.”-newsday
By A Correspondent- Gweru residents associations have slammed mayor Josiah Makombe’s plans to move into the mayoral mansion despite suggestions that the house be turned into a money-spinning venture.
Addressing journalists last week, Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association director Cornelia Selipiwe accused city fathers of “having appetite” for lavish lifestyles at the expense of ratepayers.
“It is unfortunate that we requested for a reduction in rates and council refused, yet we have a sweet-talking mayor who now wants to move into the mayoral mansion,” Selipiwe said.
“Besides driving in a Toyota Prado which was purchased for former town clerk (Elizabeth Gwatipedza), he now wants the mansion. The city fathers want to enjoy at our (residents) expense, yet they don’t want to slash rates.”
Gweru United Progressive Residents and Ratepayers Development Association director David Chikore weighed in, saying the mayor should address residents’ concerns and desist from leading an expensive life.
“We have reports that the mayor now intends to move into the mayoral mansion and we are surprised that he has suddenly developed this propensity for a lavish lifestyle,” he said.
Contacted for comment, Makombe was non-committal over the issue.
“I have no comment to that,” he said. “I will not comment on personal issues.”
Two years ago, council announced plans to turn the mayoral mansion into a lodge in a bid to boost revenue for the cash-strapped local authority.
To date, the proposal has not materialised amid reports that officials at Town House failed to reach consensus over the issue.
Council made the resolution to turn the mansion, which has been lying idle since the departure of then mayor Sesel Zvidzai in 2008, into a lodge a few years ago, but the project stalled after there were proposals for Gwatipedza to use it as her official residence.
The move to turn the upmarket property into the town clerk’s residence was, however, resisted by residents and council had to abandon it.
In 2016, the Judicial Service Commission approached council requesting to lease the building and use it as the seat for High Court sessions, but residents objected, arguing that council would not benefit from such a deal.
The mayoral mansion is one white elephant that Gweru has for years been urged to exploit, as the city’s coffers are running dry due to dwindling income streams.
At one point, council tried to lease out the property for US$3 000 per month, but found no takers.-newsday
By A Correspondent- A High Court sheriff on Monday broke into suspended judge Justice Erica Ndewere’s residence and attached two motor vehicles to recover legal fees won by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) against her.
Justice Ndewere’s lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa said two men from the Office of the Sheriff of the High Court broke the gate and tried to break the kitchen door after she had directed them to deliver the court documents to her lawyers.
The Sheriff attached her husband’s truck and brother’s motor vehicle to recover the cost of suit after she had withdrawn a matter against the JSC.
The JSC is claiming $175 000 for legal fees awarded against the suspended judge.
“The officials from the sheriff of the High Court forcibly gained entry into Justice Ndewere’s premises and tried to physically break down her door, but they failed,” Mtetwa said.
“They then attached her husband’s truck and her brother’s car. JSC and its lawyers should have at least advised us of the intended visit so that all this drama could have been avoided.”
Earlier in 2020, JSC staff attempted to forcibly enter Justice Ndewere’s residence to seize vehicles following her suspension.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he had not received the report.
“I am not aware of such a report,” Nyathi said. “The sheriff works under the High Court and I would not be privy of legal matters under its jurisdiction.”
The judge was suspended by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on November 5, 2020 for alleged incompetence.
She was accused of failing to complete 28 reviews and eight reserved judgments as well as failing to properly read a file of a convict.
Justice Ndewere has denied the allegations, claiming that Chief Justice Luke Malaba was victimising her after she ignored his “unlawful” directive to deny bail to former Labour minister Priscah Mupfumira on charges of abusing National Social Security Authority funds and MDC Alliance deputy chairperson Job Sikhala on inciting public violence charges.
She also accused Chief Justice Malaba of lying to Mnangagwa that she had 34 outstanding matters when she only had three.
She also submitted that the JSC failed to carry out an independent investigation into her alleged misconduct, but rather “rubber-stamped” the unlawful investigation done by Chief Justice Malaba without verifying the allegations.
Her case is being investigated by a tribunal headed by retired judge Justice Simbi Mubako.
By A Correspondent- A Shurugwi-based artisanal miner had his left leg amputated after rivals brutally axed him in a suspected love triangle.
Mr Simon Vingirayia, the court heard, lost consciousness as blood gushed from his left knee after his assailant axed him on a large vein and doctors had to amputate the leg above the knee to save his life.
Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Brian Paketh from Gweru Provincial Hospital told the court that Mr Vingirayi, was dying slowly as he was losing 20 percent of his blood per hour.
This was heard during the appearance of three artisanal miners who include two brothers from Shurugwi, Charles (29) and Philbert Chingwaya (22) and Tafadzwa Rundora (31) before Gweru Regional magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa. They are facing a count each of attempted murder.
The trio pleaded not guilty. In his evidencein -chief, Dr Paketh said the accused persons intended to “kill” the patient (Vingirayi) slowly.
“An attack on the knee will kill you but you will die slower than an attack on the neck. I’m trained to safeguard life. An attack is not measured and we as human beings are not designed to receive attacks. They intended to kill the patient slowly. If you are attacked like that on the knee, you will bleed until you get to zero then you die,” he said.
Dr Paketh said they were forced to amputate the leg to save Vingirayi’s life.
“We had to amputate his left limb and now he has a permanent disability. His injury was a danger to his life, hence surgical amputation had to be done to save him from excessive bleeding that was putting his life at great risk. When Simon Vingirayi came to Gweru Provincial Hospital, he had lost more than 50 percent of blood that was gushing from two deep cuts on the left knee,” he said. Charles, under cross examination had the court in stitches when he said, “Dr I just injured him, I didn’t amputate his leg. It was you.” In response, Dr Paketh said,
“What we did was a formalisation of the amputation of the leg which was already dysfunctional.”
Dr Paketh said they had to repair the bleeding vessels which were deep adding that the injury was too extensive.
“So, we put him in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) because we were losing his life. His life was in danger and we then had to amputate above bleeding vessels and we closed up the vessels just above the injured side. The rest of the injuries, we repaired them successfully. We surgically removed an already dysfunctional leg. The injuries were consistent with a sharp object. Any attack of the body is risky to life.”
It is the State case as presented by Mr Talent Tadenyika that on May 20 last year at around 8PM and at Chief Ndanga bar, Adare Farm, Shurugwi, Vingirayi was playing a pool game with one Timothy Changunduma.
Vingirayi went outside the bar together with Changunduma and stood near a braai stand where they were having a conversation. The court heard that Charles, Philbert and Rundora arrived in a Toyota Noah vehicle. Charles who was driving the vehicle allegedly remained behind while Philbert and Rundora disembarked.
The court heard that Charles charged towards Vingirayi holding a big axe. Charles allegedly told Vingirayi he wanted to kill him because he was having an extra marital affair with his wife.
Charles allegedly felled Vingirayi with a blow to the head using the axe handle. He allegedly axed Vingirayi on the left knee three times. Philbert and Rundora, the court heard, allegedly stabbed Vingirayi on the head with a knife while Charles continued axing the left leg.
Vingirayi, the court heard, became unconscious and only regained consciousness after he had been admitted to Gweru Provincial Hospital where his leg was amputated.
The matter was reported to the police leading to the arrest of the two brothers and their friend.-statemedia
By A Correspondent- A Bulawayo motorist was forced to fire warning shots to deter drunken university students who engaged in an orgy of violence — attacking motorists and passersby after attending an unsanctioned party, NewsDay reported.
Under COVID-19 regulations, parties remain banned.
According to police, a university student Michael Muza was arrested on Saturday after hosting an unsanctioned party which turned violent, resulting in a motorist pulling his gun and firing warning shots.
“The ZRP warns residents and university students against hosting parties late into the night and engaging in orgies of violence. On April 24, police in Bulawayo arrested Muza for breaching COVID-19 regulations,” police said.
“The suspect hosted a party for his fellow university students in Selbourne Park, Bulawayo, which resulted in violence and attack on motorists who were passing by. A cornered motorist had to fire warning shots to evade attack from marauding students.”
In a follow-up statement, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the law enforcement agency was worried over the holding of unsanctioned parties as he also warned bar and nigh-club operators against operating without authorisation.
“In this regard, all operators who continue to defy COVID-19 health and safety measures will face severe penalties as outlined by government and should not cry foul on arrest by police. People found drinking beer at bars, beerhalls and restaurants will also be arrested by the police and made to face due processes of the law,” he said.
Bars, beerhalls and nightclubs remain closed.
Bulawayo liquor traders have repeatedly petitioned government to lift the suspension while also appealing to authorities to declare a waiver on the rentals from March 2020, arguing that they were finding it difficult to pay rentals as they were closed and not getting any revenues.
According to the Liquor Traders Association, Bulawayo has 1 015 outlets registered with the liquor licensing board.
By A Correspondent- Government should admit that its mass public transporter, Zupco, is failing to cope with demand, a consumer watchdog and commuters said in response to the transport shortages bedevilling Bulawayo.
Commuters have been battling transport challenges since last week after Local Government minister July Moyo urged police and other security organs to be “ruthless” with private commuter omnibuses.
“We operate under pieces of legislation, so if enforcement requires you (police) to command the municipal police, please do so. If the law, as it does, allows you to say if you are overwhelmed, please bring the army, please do it,” Moyo told a Bulawayo provincial COVID-19 taskforce meeting.
This has seen police smashing kombi windows and engaging in high-speed chases with private commuter omnibuses even in the central business district.
Moyo even threatened to “bring the army” to ensure only Zupco-registered commuter operators provide transport services despite evidence that the latter is failing to cope with demand.
“The government must accept the fact that it does not have the capacity to provide for the comprehensive transport needs of commuters.
It must bring on board the private sector and only ensure that they abide by the COVID-19 control regulations,” National Consumer Rights Association co-ordinator Effie Ncube said.
“Commuters are consumers of transport services and they must be treated with dignity. It is important that whenever they need transport it must be there, so the State must not create a gridlock where it is impossible to get transport.”
Commuter omnibus owners under the Tshova Mubaiwa Transport Co-operative Company approached the High Court in July 2020 challenging the Zupco monopoly.
Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association director Michael Ndiweni added: “There has been a serious challenge with transport for traders.”
Bulawayo resident Panashe Ndlovu said she feared being mugged after getting home late. “We are being exposed not only to muggings, but even rape,” she said.-newsday
By A Correspondent- Government has embarked on a nationwide drive to promote previously marginalised indigenous languages.
Primary and Secondary Education minister Cain Mathema yesterday told journalists at the launch of the indigenous languages radio lesson development workshop that his ministry was working towards revitalising local languages.
“It gives me great pleasure to take this opportunity to acknowledge the celebration of identity, diversity and heritage through the development of indigenous languages radio lesson scriptwriting workshop,” he said.
“The ministry supports the growth of indigenous languages in this 21st century era. The competency-based curriculum has a policy for indigenous languages as a medium of instruction in order to support Barwe, Chewa, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Kalanga, Sesotho, Shona, Tonga, Venda, Xangani and Xhosa at infant level. The role of indigenous language in sustainable development has to be emphasised from early childhood learning.”
Mathema said the beauty of different languages converging in one room was the foundation for future collaborations and partnerships which would eventually avail a multiplicity of opportunities.
“The airing of all languages revitalises and maintains the languages for everyday and future generations use. The capacity of indigenous languages or voice’s space in popular culture cannot be ignored and learners need to be made aware of opportunities that exist in social media, prose, poetry and film, among others,” he added.
There is a global drive on indigenous languages and multilingualism and the radio lessons will provide learners with a window to acquire the skill to speak more than one language and improve tolerance and peaceful living in the country.
By A Correspondent- Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe has issued a statement that addresses cement supply backlog and price hike by retailers. Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe, formerly Circle Cement, and a subsidiary of the Lafarge Group, said the company is equipped to supply the local demand at affordable price.
We present the statement in full below:
Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe Limited wishes to advise all valued customers that the cement supply backlog currently prevailing in the market is temporary and will ease out in the coming weeks.
The consumption spike being witnessed is a very positive economic growth indicator which may be attributed to a rise in mortgage finance as well as improved disposable income following a successful tobacco and maize farming season on the back of the Command Agriculture Programme.
As a company well-rooted in Zimbabwe with a presence of over seven decades of operations, Lafarge is excited by this development in the market. We are well equipped and committed to serve the Zimbabwean market for its future growth.
Whilst we employ all necessary measures to ensure that the market can be served optimally, we kindly urge our customers to bear with us and not to be lured to trade cement on the black market.
The prices of our cement have not been adjusted upwards, therefore any price hike by retailers is unjustifiable. The parallel market causes unnecessary panic and destabilises the market which burdens individual income and is ultimately regressive for national economic growth.
We would like to thank our valued customers for their patience and loyalty to Zimbabwe’s Tried and Trusted product
By A Correspondent- Dynamos legend, Stanley “Samora “ Chirambadare, will Thursday appear in court allegedly charged with sodomising a minor at his football academy.
Chirambadare who was popularly known for his overlapping runs during his playing days runs Revival Junior Football Academy in Mufakose, Harare, which nurtures junior football talent.
Reports suggest that the former Dynamos left-back was picked by Marimba police on Wednesday and is expected to appear before the court at Rotten Row.
It is further reported that the alleged sodomy came to light when a 13-year-old boy who was abused by Chirambadare tried to sodomise the other kids at the academy.
Chirambadare who was at some point an assistant coach at Dynamos is allegedly unmarried and is said to be staying alone in Mufakose, Harare.
Chirambadare is said to have started playing for DeMbare juniors in 1981 but was only able to take his football seriously when he had finished his advanced level studies in 1984.
By Patrick Guramatunhu- MDC leaders are corrupt, incompetent and sell-outs and, like all cowards, they love being portrayed as courageous fighters. They loved the News Day headline “Mwonzora’s senators reject Mnangagwa Bill”.
“Harare Metropolitan senator Elias Mudzuri warned other senators against betraying the will of the electorate by passing a defective constitutional amendment,” reported News Day.
Masvingo senator Tichinani Mavetera (MDC-T) said: “I do not want to be reminded of the most embarrassing situation in the previous dispensation where we had a Vice-President being embarrassed in public and being told by the First Lady: ‘you work at the mercy of the President’.”
The MDC leaders know Zanu PF has the constitutional power, 2/3 majority, to pass any amendments. They know their fight to stop the Bill is futile, they are just putting on a show to impress their naive and gullible supporters.
If MDC leaders were not so corrupt and breathtakingly incompetent then they should have implemented the democratic reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging elections. They had the golden opportunity to implement the reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU and they wasted it.
Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders with the trappings of high office and, with their snouts in the feeding trough, they forgot about the reforms.
Ever since GNU debacle, MDC leaders have completely given up on implementing reforms and have been participating in flawed and illegal elections giving the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. Just to make sure the opposition participated, Zanu PF has dangled a few gravy train seats to entice them. As we can see, it has worked.
Senator Mudzuri and his fellow MDC leaders, be they from the Chamisa or Mwonzora led faction, are all gearing to participate in the 2023 elections with no reforms in place. As before, Zanu PF will rigged the elections and, as before, MDC participation will give the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy. And so Zanu PF will remain in power, the MDC leaders will stage more futile shows of defiance and meanwhile the country will continue to sink deeper and deeper into the abyss.
41 years of corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship has destroyed the country’s once promising economy, even basic services such as education and health care have collapsed and 49% of our people are living in abject poverty. The prospect of extending Zanu PF ’s corrupt and tyrannical rule in 2023 is unthinkable.
The challenge before us is make sure the reforms are implemented and the next elections are free, fair and credible. After 41 years of bad governance and the country in total economic meltdown, God knows we need the antidote, good governance.
Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies have a vice-grip on the reins of power, thanks to the treasonous betrayal of the MDC leaders who failed to implement the reforms. They are not going to implement any reforms and will resist demands to do so, and for good reason. They know Zanu PF will never win a free, fair and credible elections, not with the party’s record of corruption, incompetence and tyrannical oppression.
Zanu PF will never ever reform itself out of office.
The 2008 to 2013 GNU was special in that SADC leaders had managed to force Zanu PF to agree to implementation of democratic reforms. The task of implementing the reforms were given to Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends. But, as state above, MDC leaders sold out!
We are where we are; we can we do to end this circus of rigged elections and bad governance?
Zanu PF will hold the 2023 elections with not even a token reform in place and determined to blatantly rig the election. The party will be banking on the MDC leaders and the usual suspects to participate in the flawed elections in droves and thus give the vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy.
Both Zanu PF and MDC are banking on ordinary Zimbabweans participating in the flawed elections to give the process credibility and the results legitimacy. Zanu PF will be counting on the party’s coercive powers to force Zimbabweans to register as voters, to attend rallies and even frog-match them to the polling station, especially those in the rural areas.
MDC will claim to have Win In Rigged Elections (WIRE) strategies. All nonsense, of course. They always complain of Zanu PF “stealing the elections”, the very thing their strategies were supposed to stop.
Wining rigged elections is an MDC oxymoron. Why would one continue to take such a foolish and unnecessary gabble particularly given what is at stake here – the chance to end the curse of bad governance and return to peace, freedom and chance for the nation to live.
It is time for every thinking Zimbabwean out there to refuse to participate in these flawed and illegal elections and to demand the country implement the reforms and hold free, fair and credible elections.
Here are some of the reforms that must be implemented before the next elections:
3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora must be allowed to vote.
ZEC must produce a verified voters’ roll, it is an outrage that Zimbabwe has never ever produced a verified voters’ roll in 41 years of the country’s independence.
Public bodies like ZEC, Police, Army, Judiciary, etc. must be reformed to guarantee their independence and impartiality in carrying out their constitutional duties.
State assistance must not be politicised and the practise of turning traditional leaders into political party commissars must seize.
The wholesale looting of the nation’s resources such as diamonds and gold must be stamped out. The ill-got loot has been used to bankroll the vote rigging activities making it impossible to have free and fair election.
Just because both Zanu PF will never implement the reform and MDC failed to implement even when they had the golden opportunity to do so; does not mean the reforms are no longer required. The reforms are the key to ending Zimbabwe’s curse of rigged elections and bad governance. Both Zanu PF and MDC leaders are not up to the task and so we must find others who will implement the reforms.
Mudzuri et al damning criticism of Mnangagwa’s dictatorial tendencies are nothing more than quarrelsome hen’s shtick, cursing and swearing at the chick-snatching eagle. MDC belated criticism will not stop Mnangagwa enjoy the dictatorial powers accrued from Amendment Bill No 2 no more than the hen’s shtick stop the eagle enjoy its chicken meal!
Dr. G. S. Magombo, Permanent Secretary for Energy and Power Development attending Eco-Tourism and Renewable Energy Dialogue in Victoria Falls. Issues under discussion include topic on greening the Tourism sector. How to improve efficiency in the sector. pic.twitter.com/TksjNZrlTc
— Ministry Of Energy And Power Development (@official_MOEPD) April 29, 2021
Since Kembo Mohadi is on record saying Matabeleland genocide was necessary for nation building, we also put it on record that his sacking by Mnangagwa following his sexual romps was good for nation building even though he (President Mnangagwa) and 1st Vice President, Constantino Chiwenga are doing the same thing at a double scale than him. That is how Shona supremacists build a nation. We will never shed a single drop of tear for Kembo Mohadi.
We saw him at an Independence Day function held at Zimbabwe State House. He spent the whole day trying to cover his shameful face with a newspaper pretending to be reading. We say to him, follow on the foot steps of another sellout, Enos Nkala, who after discovering that Shona supremacists were using him, he resigned and left Zanupf, retreated back to Bulawayo to live amongst the people that he despised and sold out during Matabeleland genocide.
He was immediately forgotten by his Shona masters. They used and dumped him like a condom when his purpose was over.
Due to love of money Kembo Mohadi will rather hang in there and face more humiliation as long as bread crumbs are still falling from the master’s table. How can a whole individual in his right state of mind choose to exchange his dignity and image for a few pieces of silver? What a shame!
2nd Vice President A Dummy And Useless Office
While it took Mugabe a short 3 days to replace Joyce Mujuru when she was fired from her position as 1st Vice President of Zimbabwe in 2014, Mnangagwa is yet to fill the position of 2nd Vice President 2 months after Kembo Mohadi resigned. This confirms what MLO has been saying all along that the 2nd Vice President position is a dummy meant to hoodwink Matabeles and the world that Matabele and Shona people are united.
People of Matabeleland have since realised that this office is not a symbol of unity as the Shona supremacists would like us to believe. But it is a symbol of oppression, capture,mockery, tribal segregation, dehumanisation, demonization, and humiliation for Matabeles.
If Zimbabwe was a true democratic and genuine representative of both Matebeles and Shonas and the 2nd Vice President represented Matabeles in the Zimbabwe presidium, people of Matabeleland would be up in arms right now holding protests and calling for Mnangagwa to fill up the position left vacant by Kembo Mohadi.
But there is silence both in Matabeleland and Mashonaland concerning the issue. No one from both sides misses Mohadi because both Matabele and Shona people know that he represented no one except his greedy self and family. In fact Shonas are celebrating the humiliation and down fall of another Matabele and Matabeles are celebrating the fall of another dangerous traitor.
We see energetic young people staging protests in Matabeleland and foreign countries, not calling for Mnangagwa to appoint another blind fool to take up the useless position of 2nd Vice President, but demanding the restoration of Matabeleland state.
Matabeleland Is Not Zimbabwe
Matabeleland is not Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe is not Matabeleland. For the Zimbabwe government to continue pretending that Zimbabwe is a unitary state with Matabeleland as one of its regions at a time when we are demanding our independence from Zimbabwe is a clear political rape case and fantasy.
Matabeleland and Mashonaland were colonised on different dates using different methods by the BSA Company.
On 13 September Shona people led by many different chiefs, donated their country, Mashonaland, to the BSA Company. The white people were so excited with their priced gift that they mistook cowardice and lack of patriotism to peacefulness. Therefore Shona people were viewed as peaceful and cooperative .
We do not think the British and Rhodesians still hold the same view after Matabeleland genocide, violent grabbing of white farms and properties, gross human rights abuse that include torture, cutting hands and burning the buttocks of their own people with plastic, military coup and brazen corruption by the Shona supremacist government which they ably assisted to take political power in 1980.
Matabeleland was occupied through conquest on 3 November 1893 after a fierce war well known as the 1st Anglo – Matabele war.
Our cultures and languages are different. Shona people do not have a king but Matabele people have one. Stealing, corruption and witch craft form the DNA and culture of Shona people. This was confirmed and well articulated by late Herbert Ushewokunze former Minister of Home Affairs, late Kumbirai Kangai former Minister of Agriculture and Zanupf member of parliament, Killer Zivhu, who are on record saying that corruption and stealing is part of Shona culture and that stealing from the government or organization is self empowerment.
In Matabeleland the above is a forbidden societal abomination that should not be allowed to prevail.
Give Us Matabeleland or Death
Matabeleland is our motherland, the only special possession bequeathed to us by our ancestors and God. We shall leave no stone unturned, no mountain or building standing in pursuit of our independence.
If the situation demands, we are prepared to take up arms of war and shoot our way to independence. The means justifies the end!
It is not a crime to take up AKs and fight for our independence, if that was the case, all African countries including Zimbabwe would be still under white colonisation by now.
Disgruntled opposition MDC-T senators have accused their party leader Douglas Mwonzora of whipping them to vote for the passage of the controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 2 while criticising it in public to manage public perception.
The senators, some of whom boycotted yesterday’s Committee Stage debate on the Bill, said they were ordered to shred the Bill during debate and secretly vote for it.
Mwonzora has become the butt of public criticism in the opposition camp where he has been labelled a “sellout” and Zanu-PF appendage after he publicly supported some of the ruling Zanu-PF party’s “undemocratic” policies.
Last week, his legislators in the Lower House joined forces with their Zanu-PF counterparts and voted for the passage of the Bill, before his senators on Tuesday sprang a surprise and poked holes on the proposed amendments, as ordered by their party chief whip Tichinani Mavetera.
“Opposing of the Bill is just a publicity stunt,” an MDC-T senator, who requested anonymity, said yesterday.
“The strategy is that senators will oppose the Bill publicly, but will then vote with Zanu-PF on the pretext that they were supporting amendment on issues to do with women representation and youth in Parliament.”
The senator added: “While other legislators can vote with their conscience, three have been ordered to vote for the Bill to help Zanu-PF achieve the twothirds majority required to pass it.”
MDC-T sources said Mavetera convened a caucus meeting at Parliament Building on Tuesday, where the opposition senators were ordered to publicly oppose the contentious amendments to the Bill to manage public perception of the party.
The party then identified three senators who would vote in favour of the Bill to allow it to sail through.
The party came under criticism last week after its legislators voted in favour of the amendments viewed by stakeholders as a reversal of the gains made in 2013 when the country adopted the new Constitution.
Yesterday, the Bill passed the Senate Committee Stage without any amendments.
The Senate had to vote after reaching a deadlock in adopting clause 13(4) which deals with the retirement age of judges.
The clause was endorsed after 45 voted in support while 19 were against.
The Bill seeks to give President Emmerson Mnangagwa the power to extend judges’ tenure of office beyond retirement age of 70.
Mavetera yesterday denied reports that he whipped MDC-T senators to publicly oppose the Bill and later vote for its passage.
“I can confirm that the party’s position on voting for the Bill is that they should vote for the issues with national interest,” he said.
“Party members will, however, vote guided by their personal conscience. Party spokesperson Witness Dube can respond to further questions.”
Mwonzora’s spokesperson Lloyd Damba denied that the party had whipped its senators to vote for the Bill, blaming their rivals in the MDC Alliance of spreading the falsehoods.
“There was no caucus meeting that was held,” Damba said.
“The president (Mwonzora) had been at the office from 10am up to 3pm when he attended the Senate meeting. I have evidence to prove that.
“Even if we might not want the Bill to pass, we cannot stop Zanu-PF because they have the majority in both the Senate and the National Assembly.”
Last week, Mwonzora defended his legislators, arguing that most of the amendments they voted for were in the public interest.
Contributing to the Second Reading of the Bill in Parliament on Wednesday, Mwonzora opposed the provision on the running mate, saying it promoted the appointment of incompetent vice-presidents, but supported the amendments on devolution.
“We have started a new philosophy that the youths are not leaders of tomorrow, they are leaders of today and introducing them into the Legislature is a right step in bringing that leadership. Of course, we have debated devolution, time without number and this is a very old story. We support devolution.”
He said the running mate clause was aimed at stopping presidents from appointing useless deputies.
Yesterday in the Senate while debating the same Bill, Mwonzora opposed clause 13 of the Bill, which gives Mnangagwa powers to handpick the Chief Justice, Deputy Chief Justice and the Judge President.
He said the Bill should be referred back to the National Assembly for further debate.
By A Correspondent- Gweru City Council workers have returned to work almost a week after they downed tools to press for better working conditions.
Zimbabwe Urban Council Workers Union national general-secretary Kudakwashe Munengiwa yesterday confirmed the latest development, saying workers had signed an agreement with council to periodically review their working conditions.
“We signed an agreement which we feel addresses most our concerns,” he said.
“Although the agreement is not necessarily perfect, we looked into it and agreed the need for workers to resume work while dialogue continues and at the same time not shortchanging ratepayers on service delivery.
“Council also agreed to lift suspensions on eight union leaders as part of the signed agreement.”
Munengiwa said the workers would return to work despite the $10 000 offered by council as basic pay for the lowest paid employee.
“That is what they offered and if allowances are included, the lowest grade worker will take home about $18 500, which we, however, said should be reviewed periodically,” he said.
Mayor Josiah Makombe confirmed signing the agreement and said his council had always had an “open door policy” to dialogue with workers over their welfare.
When the employees went on strike last week, acting town clerk Vakai Chikwekwe threatened to withdraw their salaries.
Over the years, workers have been proposing short working hours per week owing to inadequate transport allowances as well as low pay.-Newsday
By A Correspondent- Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi accused a Senator of being a tribalist on Tuesday for claiming that President Emmerson Mnangagwa was marginalising Matabeleland and women by failing to appoint a new vice president.
Zimbabwe has not had a second vice president since March 1 when Kembo Mohadi quit following a sex scandal.
Khaliphani Phugeni, an MDC-T Senator for Bulawayo, drew Ziyambi’s ire during a debate on the Constitutional Amendment No 2 Bill.
Phugeni argued that scrapping the “running mate” clause by which a president is elected on the same ticket as his two deputies would deny Zimbabweans principled vice presidents, as well as block the path for minorities and women to assume the presidency in the event of death or resignation of the incumbent.
“The issue of the running mate does speak to the issue of gender balance. You will recall we had a vice president in this country in the name of Joice Mujuru. She was unceremoniously removed from her position by a very powerful president who later lived to regret that action but it was too late,” Phugeni said in the Senate.
“It also speaks to the issue of the historically marginalised people of Matabeleland. We had a vice president here by the name of (Phelekezela) Mphoko. When the military intervention happened (in 2017), he had to run for his life and when he came back he was, like Mujuru, removed from power and we have never heard of him.
“The former vice president of the country (Kembo Mohadi) resigned after not so pleasing details emerged about him and his private affairs. We’re just over a month now and there is no replacement. The people of Matabeleland feel they’re underrepresented in the executive power of this country.”
Phugeni said the running mate clause “secures the position for women who are extremely vulnerable and the minorities – if not because of our democratic dispensation or dispossession, at least by an act of God, that women may one day rise to a level where we can address and say Her Excellency Madam so and so.”
He added: “With the running mate clause, we can at least have someone from the minorities become a president because gender and ethnicity must have no role in the leadership and participation in a political life of our people.”
Ziyambi, who is steering the Bill through both House, first denied that Mphoko was targeted by the military during the coup that ousted the late former President Robert Mugabe. According to Ziyambi, Mphoko was in Russia at the time.
The minister bristled: “I think let us not tribalise issues that are not necessarily tribal, like the people of Matabeleland are saying they need a president. Who told you that you are their spokesperson? I think it is an issue that the president when he sees fit, he appoints his assistant. He is not appointing assistants because of tribal lines; he is appointing assistants because they are Zimbabweans.
“If you look at our provinces, they’re not equal. I may probably say that the population in Mashonaland West may be times two the population in Matabeleland South. So those are issues that I believe as a nation we are all relative. Let us leave these issues of trying to tribalise things when we’re discussing a Constitutional Amendment.”
Zanu-PF’s constitution says the party will have “two vice presidents and second secretaries appointed in accordance with the Unity Accord by the president and first secretary for their skill, experience, probity, integrity and commitment to the party, its ideology, values, principles and policies.”
Mnangagwa is forced to replace Mohadi with a high-ranking member of the former PF Zapu liberation movement which unified with Zanu in a 1987 Unity Accord to form Zanu-PF.
Mnangagwa has kept Mohadi as second secretary of Zanu-PF alongside Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, prompting some to speculate that he feels he is not bound by the Unity Accord to name an ex-Zapu leader as Vice President of the country.
Zanu-PF’s women’s wing has been lobbying for a woman in the presidency, raising the possibility that Mnangagwa may name a woman as one of his two deputies in government.
By Israel Dube- Since Kembo Mohadi is on record saying Matabeleland genocide was necessary for nation building, we also put it on record that his sacking by Mnangagwa following his sexual romps was good for nation building even though he (President Mnangagwa) and 1st Vice President, Constantino Chiwenga are doing the same thing at a double scale than him. That is how Shona supremacists build a nation. We will never shed a single drop of tear for Kembo Mohadi.
We saw him at an Independence Day function held at Zimbabwe State House. He spent the whole day trying to cover his shameful face with a newspaper pretending to be reading. We say to him, follow on the foot steps of another sellout, Enos Nkala, who after discovering that Shona supremacists were using him, he resigned and left Zanupf, retreated back to Bulawayo to live amongst the people that he despised and sold out during Matabeleland genocide.
He was immediately forgotten by his Shona masters. They used and dumped him like a condom when his purpose was over.
Due to love of money Kembo Mohadi will rather hang in there and face more humiliation as long as bread crumbs are still falling from the master’s table. How can a whole individual in his right state of mind choose to exchange his dignity and image for a few pieces of silver? What a shame!
2nd Vice President A Dummy And Useless Office
While it took Mugabe a short 3 days to replace Joyce Mujuru when she was fired from her position as 1st Vice President of Zimbabwe in 2014, Mnangagwa is yet to fill the position of 2nd Vice President 2 months after Kembo Mohadi resigned. This confirms what MLO has been saying all along that the 2nd Vice President position is a dummy meant to hoodwink Matabeles and the world that Matabele and Shona people are united.
People of Matabeleland have since realised that this office is not a symbol of unity as the Shona supremacists would like us to believe. But it is a symbol of oppression, capture,mockery, tribal segregation, dehumanisation, demonization, and humiliation for Matabeles.
If Zimbabwe was a true democratic and genuine representative of both Matebeles and Shonas and the 2nd Vice President represented Matabeles in the Zimbabwe presidium, people of Matabeleland would be up in arms right now holding protests and calling for Mnangagwa to fill up the position left vacant by Kembo Mohadi.
But there is silence both in Matabeleland and Mashonaland concerning the issue. No one from both sides misses Mohadi because both Matabele and Shona people know that he represented no one except his greedy self and family. In fact Shonas are celebrating the humiliation and down fall of another Matabele and Matabeles are celebrating the fall of another dangerous traitor.
We see energetic young people staging protests in Matabeleland and foreign countries, not calling for Mnangagwa to appoint another blind fool to take up the useless position of 2nd Vice President, but demanding the restoration of Matabeleland state.
Matabeleland Is Not Zimbabwe
Matabeleland is not Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe is not Matabeleland. For the Zimbabwe government to continue pretending that Zimbabwe is a unitary state with Matabeleland as one of its regions at a time when we are demanding our independence from Zimbabwe is a clear political rape case and fantasy.
Matabeleland and Mashonaland were colonised on different dates using different methods by the BSA Company.
On 13 September Shona people led by many different chiefs, donated their country, Mashonaland, to the BSA Company. The white people were so excited with their priced gift that they mistook cowardice and lack of patriotism to peacefulness. Therefore Shona people were viewed as peaceful and cooperative .
We do not think the British and Rhodesians still hold the same view after Matabeleland genocide, violent grabbing of white farms and properties, gross human rights abuse that include torture, cutting hands and burning the buttocks of their own people with plastic, military coup and brazen corruption by the Shona supremacist government which they ably assisted to take political power in 1980.
Matabeleland was occupied through conquest on 3 November 1893 after a fierce war well known as the 1st Anglo – Matabele war.
Our cultures and languages are different. Shona people do not have a king but Matabele people have one. Stealing, corruption and witch craft form the DNA and culture of Shona people. This was confirmed and well articulated by late Herbert Ushewokunze former Minister of Home Affairs, late Kumbirai Kangai former Minister of Agriculture and Zanupf member of parliament, Killer Zivhu, who are on record saying that corruption and stealing is part of Shona culture and that stealing from the government or organization is self empowerment.
In Matabeleland the above is a forbidden societal abomination that should not be allowed to prevail.
Give Us Matabeleland or Death
Matabeleland is our motherland, the only special possession bequeathed to us by our ancestors and God. We shall leave no stone unturned, no mountain or building standing in pursuit of our independence.
If the situation demands, we are prepared to take up arms of war and shoot our way to independence. The means justifies the end!
It is not a crime to take up AKs and fight for our independence, if that was the case, all African countries including Zimbabwe would be still under white colonisation by now.
Malawi’s Director of Public Prosecution, Dr Steve Kayuni prosecutor, has been accused of “killing” Shepherd Bushiri’s daughter Israella by delaying her travel for medication abroad.
Sworn affidavits by Bushiri’s doctors suggest that Dr Steve Kayuni’s actions reduced the child’s chances of survival from a hopeful 90 per cent to just 5 per cent.
The late Israella Bushiri (8), was refused medical evacuation at Kamuzu International Airport in the country’s capital Lilongwe in February 2021 when a private medical ambulance chartered by the family was turned away.
Israella was only permitted to leave Malawi on the 25th of February after the family approached the courts and she died on the 29th of March, in Nairobi, Kenya.
During her funeral service, Shepherd Bushiri absolved the government of Malawi of any wrongdoing but said a single person was behind the block that led to the child’s death.
But Israella’s doctors, who tended to her until she died have now released documents and a scathing affidavit that implies Kayuni’s decision to delay the child’s treatment led to her death.
Reads part of the affidavit written by the doctors and submitted to Bushiri’s lawyers, and signed by Kenyan police:
The child reacted well initially to treatment, but required ventilators, and advanced medical care which was not availed in Malawi. Her condition was life-threatening but she had at least 95% chances of recovering if she had received immediate care. The delay allowed the infection to progress unmitigated, damaging the lining of her lungs and causing mucus build up.
By the time she was eventually released, she only had 5% chances of survival. Had she been allowed to travel when the evacuation was first ordered, she would have survived.
In an interview after the Bushiris appeared before a Lilongwe Magistrate, Steve Kayuni refused to comment saying it was a court decision and court process which is still underway adding “No comment.”
Kayuni who is the lead prosecutor in the extradition case between the Bushiri’s and South Africa also refused to confirm or deny the allegations by the Bushiri family that it was his decision to block the child’s travelling.
The Bushiris are reportedly intending to lay criminal charges of involuntary manslaughter (culpable homicide) against “whoever made that decision to stop the medical evacuation”.
By A Correspondent- Eight suspected robbers broke into the former Agriculture minister Joseph Made’s farmhouse and stole an assortment of goods worth thousands of dollars.
The eight on Tuesday, appeared before Marondera magistrate Patience Chirimo facing unlawful entry, theft and possession of dangerous drugs charges.
Fungai Jiri (34), Tafadzwa Masimo (33), Talent Mugandani (25), Genesis Matiza (30), Sylvester Masimo (20) Takudzwa Mukamba (19), Prudence Bata (21) and Tadia Shanganya (17) were remanded in custody to May 7 for trial.
Allegations are that on April 22, police detectives in Marondera were tipped that the suspected broke into a house and stole various goods in Macheke, a neighbouring small town.
The police detectives then went to a house in Mutamba, Macheke, where the accused persons were staying.
The detectives apprehended Jiri, Tafadzwa, Mugandani and Matiza leading to the discovery of various properties, including mattresses, gas tanks, fridges and microwaves, among other things.
Upon being quizzed, the accused persons implicated four others who were later arrested in Wedza.
The court heard that on April 15, Sylvester Masimo and Mukamba, who were employed at Made’s Tara Farm, and their accomplices used a claw bar to force open a locked door to the former minister’s house.
The accused went on to steal a six-plate gas and electric industrial stove, seven mattresses, a deep freezer, a microwave oven, 2×14-inch television sets, a 7kg gas tank, a 3kg gas tank, a Capri fridge, a 5,5 horsepower generator, a one-plate gas burner, various clothes, aluminium pipes, cutlery, a Motorola base station radio and five garden chairs.
On March 16 at Bronsburry Farm in Marondera, the accused allegedly cut the fence, got into the yard and stole one unregistered black and red Honda motorbike.
On March 30, the accused persons went to Matepe Farm, where they cut a perimeter fence, got into the yard and stole two unregistered Honda motorbikes, two mountain bicycles, helmets, three pairs of goggles and a car battery.
The value of the stolen property was around $800 000.
By James Gwati- The Premier Soccer League has announced the return of local football after a year of no games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kenny Ndebele, the PSL chief executive, announced the return of the country’s most beautiful game to the state media Wednesday evening during Charlse Mabika’s Game Plan TV show.
Ndebele said the first match will be played on the 15thof May.
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF has closed doors for all opposition party members who are defecting to the ruthless party and said that they will not get any positions.
This was disclosed yesterday by Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, who said the conditions also applied to other Zanu PF party members.
“New members who join the party need training to be familiarised with Zanu PF structures, rules and other issues,” Mpofu said.
“It will be just like an orientation process where they would be taught of the party values so that they become full members who are aware of Zanu PF norms and values. It creates problems when members are not aware of their party’s guidelines,” he said.
Former top executive members of the opposition, among them Lillian Timveos (former MDC Alliance deputy treasurer-general), Obert Gutu (former MDC-T vice-president) and former senator James Makore (MDC Alliance) recently defected to Zanu PF.
By A Correspondent- A Kariba man believed to be a member of the apostolic sect on Wednesday escaped with injuries after an elephant attacked him.
State media report that the incident occurred along Mahombekombe Township’s main road in the Local Board area around 4 am when the elephant dragged him into a nearby thicket.
Neighbours heard screams as the panicking man, was crying out for help.
By a stroke of luck, the man managed to escape the elephant’s grip before running to the nearby Methodist Church.
He had sustained injuries on the right leg.
The injured man reportedly ran to find a vehicle that took him to seek medical attention at Kariba District Hospital.
Mr Costain Machingura who heard noises including the trumpeting of the enraged elephant woke up from his nearby bedroom to find the elephant still searching for the man.
“The elephant was in a combative mode when I arrived on the scene after hearing noises including the screams of a man,” he said.
“I went outside and found it still looking for him. He is lucky as it is quite unusual for the elephant to miss its target. I saw a man running some distance away before we saw the man coming back in a vehicle on his way to the hospital.”
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo confirmed the incident saying that Zimparks rangers were currently looking for the problem animal.
“Our rangers are on the ground as always trying to account for the problem animal while efforts are underway to teach communities on animal behaviours so that we minimise human-wildlife conflict,” said Mr Farawo.
