Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance vice president Hon Lynette Karenyi-Kore has denounced the abuse of women by Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s misogynistic administration.
In a statement on Friday, Hon Karenyi-Kore condemned the abuse, arrest and persecution of MDC Alliance official Vongai Tome.
See Hon Karenyi-Kore’s statement below:
Mai Tome attended Makomborero’s Court proceedings and that got her arrested by the brutal Zimbabwean government.
She was sexually assaulted by one of the police officers before being taken into custody. A video of the events as they unfolded has been circulating since the incident. She is seen and heard in the video complaining to the officer whilst being restrained by other officers.
She was surely arrested in order to silence her, and for her not to further expose the inconsiderate attitude of the police force in executing its daily duties. Now that she is in custody, the case is going to be used to further imprison her in the future should she raise her voice about the sexual abuse.
This has been Zanu-PF’s tactics over the past months, particularly with Joanna, Cecilia and Netsai, who were sexually assaulted, incarcerated and silenced (tried at least).
Mrs Tome appeared before the courts in Harare where she was denied bail, as if she had committed a crime in the first place.
Human rights abuses against women have been the norm with the Zanu-PF government, with sexual harassment an abuse of choice. The people’s voices can never be silenced forever. Women’s voices will prevail.
Victory is certain.
Lynette Karenyi-Kore Vice President MDC Alliance 9 April 2021
By A Correspondent- A police officer, Constable Washington Mukanganyama (38), has been jailed for nine years for raping a form four pupil.
Mukanganyama, of ZRP Residential Camp in Banket, appeared before Chinhoyi provincial magistrate Ignatius Mugova charged with one count of rape.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge but was found guilty after a full trial.
Mugova sentenced Mukanganyama to 12 years’ imprisonment but suspended three years were suspended on the condition he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.
According to prosecutor Nyasha Sibesha, Mukanganyama raped the juvenile once on December 30 2020 at around 10 PM.
The complainant had been left in the custody of the police by her mother for a theft case that was reported against the juvenile by her mother.
Mukanganyama committed the offence in the radio room after he took a wooden board and placed it on top of a pile of clothes.
It is the State case that Mukanganyama removed the juvenile’s clothes after he had closed the doors and wore a condom and raped the girl once.
After changing of shifts the complainant then narrated her ordeal to one Constable Kavhumo who then informed his superiors.
The juvenile was referred to Banket district hospital for examination.
By A Correspondent- President Nelson Chamisa has urged Zimbabweans to remain strong and unwavering despite incessant persecution.
Said Chamisa:
“THE POWER OF FOCUS-People that inspire and encourage in the leadership journey are a rarity. To many of you who encourage and energize when the oppressor is attacking us,THANK YOU! All oppression is temporary.Keep organizing,never agonize.Repression is a signal 4 Action & change.”
He also paid tribute to Amai Chiweshe:
I note with sadness the death of a mighty woman of God, Amai T Chiweshe who passed on this(Thursday) morning.
Amai Chiweshe was pastoring in Chitungwiza.She was wife to the powerful late Evangelist PD Chiweshe.May we all be consoled in Lord during this sad moment.Rev 14:13 RIP Mupositori!
By A Correspondent- A man from Nyanga, Manicaland Province, who had been presumed dead by his family reappeared almost a week later.
Lovemore Chatindo was last seen on Christmas Day last year and everyone was convinced that he had been murdered for ritual purposes.
A search party failed to find Chatindo and his friend and traditional healer, Manyanga Sanyanga, claimed that he had seen Chatindo in his dreams.
Sanyanga said Chatindo had pleaded to be rescued as he was in pain, with four litres of blood having been drawn from his body.
The traditional healer claimed that Chatindo had died at the hands of a local businessman, Cossy Samanyika, who had reportedly used his blood for ritual purposes.
However, Chatindo resurfaced after New Year looking pale and hardly recalling what transpired on the day of his disappearance.
He was taken to hospital after he was picked up by Good Samaritans in Mutoko, about 300km from his home.
Doctors diagnosed that Chatindo had lost a lot of blood and that he needed an urgent blood transfusion.
Chatindo said he does not remember what happened during the six days he was missing. He said:
I do not remember those six days. I only remember falling asleep at Samanyika’s tuck-shop.
When I woke up, a donkey was neighing at me in Mutoko. I was in a gulley and I do not know what happened for me to get there.
Samanyika has denied involvement in Chatindo’s disappearance and he has since approached Chief Saunyama’s court for redress.
Meanwhile, the traditional healer made a U-turn to exonerate Samanyika, saying he never dreamt of Chatindo’s death.
Chief Saunyama ordered the parties to consult a traditional healer to unravel the mystery.-ManicaPost
By A Correspondent- Former Zanu-PF youth leader, Godfrey Tsenengamu, has exhorted the country’s political leaders to ditch politics of hate and unite for their own good and that of the nation.
“We need to change the way we do our politics. We may differ, but there is a need to find a common ground and move forward.
“I do not condone lawlessness, but politics of hate is not good. Let us open a new chapter so that we can end toxic politics.
“Let us unite as Zimbabweans and solve our differences peacefully. Political problems can be solved politically without violence,” Tsenengamu said.
Reacting to several arrests of opposition figures, Tsenengamu also called on Zanu-PF supporters to condemn arbitrary arrests of activists — the same way they condemned the persecution of Mnangagwa’s supporters during the reign of the late former president Robert Mugabe.
“During Mugabe’s time many people who are in the current Zanu-PF were not happy with the move to arrest Mnangagwa and (vice president Constantino) Chiwenga, and now they are happy with the current arrests.
“This is not good for the country. We must learn to sit down and solve our issues without attracting the attention of outsiders.
“It’s high time we end the politics of bitterness. Let’s find ways to solve our issues together as Zimbabweans,” Tsenengamu also said.
This comes as political tension is rising again in the country, amid fresh fears of violence as a reeling MDC Alliance feels the pressure on new fronts, including the threat of the coalition losing its name.
On Tuesday, police had to be called in to disperse agitated alliance supporters in Harare, after Haruzivishe was sentenced to an effective 14 months in prison for inciting public violence.
The sentencing witnessed rowdy scenes involving MDC Alliance supporters who had thronged Harare Magistrates’ Court in solidarity with the youthful activist — leading to clashes that left one freelance photojournalist, Sam Takawira, injured after he was caught up in the melee as he was filming proceedings.-DailyNews
Makomborero was imprisoned for calling out the Zanu PF-led government for the looting, corruption, murder and arbitrary arrests of opposition members.
He has been thrown behind bars for 14 months for telling the truth known by every Zimbabwean.
Mako represents millions of youths in Zimbabwe who feel their democratic rights have been snatched away by the use of teargas, bullets, partisan judiciary and inhumane prisons. The youth hold the key to the freedom of the whole country and the tone set by Mako unsettled a regime out of touch with the masses.
Freedom is always a long walk, Makomborero is one of those who have set the first step.
Lynette Karenyi-Kore Vice President MDC Alliance 8 April 2021
By A Correspondent A National University of Science and Technology (Nust) student, Nobhekimpilo Mbovora fondly known as Vivica has set the Internet ablaze as she posted her nude pictures on her Facebook wall.
In the pictures, she is seen bending on her bed in a sexually suggestive pose.
The Facebook post set tongues wagging and one social media user who goes by the name Phemia Tembo suggested that the second-year Computer Science student should just be an X-rated actress.
Vivica says her main objective of posting such nudes on social media is to change the perception and belief of society that a nude woman is of loose morals.
MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA CONDEMNS THE CAPTURED POLICE FOR PUBLICLY MOLESTING ITS ORGANIC LEADER VONGAI TOME.
09 APRIL 2021
The Zanupf-Sponsored police must stop their incessant sexual harassment and arbitrary arrests of our vulnerable women membership and leadership in the national democratic revolution. Vongai Tome, our leader was molested infront of the camera by an overzealous police officer during the trial of Cde Mako at Rotten Row Court on the 6th of April 2021. Her crime was just offering solidarity to a fellow social democrat who was incarcerated for for expressing his zeal for equality and justice before the law.
What becomes more frustrating is that our vibrant was arrested yet she was sexually assaulted by the police officer. Instead of bringing the errant pokicer to account , they decided to illegally arrested her for raising her complaint now together with d Ngoni Mupfumba , a member of the national youth assembly who had also come in solidarity with Cde Makomborero Haruzivishe.
We demand the immediate release of our organic social democrats who are ready to confront Zanupf Satanists. The rogue Zanupf regime must halt their perpetuation of war against its the desperate young women and men in the motherland. Ngoni’s crime was to attend court in solidarity with Mako. Mdc Alliance Namibia is Cognisant of the fact that Vongai and Ngoni are not criminals but prisoners of conscience who are fighting for better livelihoods.
In a nutshell, Mdc Alliance Namibia still demands the immediate release of Makomborero Haruzivishe, our symbol of a serious fighting against Zanupf shenanigans and their surrogates. We continue to demand an abrupt end to Joana , Cecilia and Netsai’s continued incarceration. Justice anywhere is justice everywhere and injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. Lets converge as citizens to win Zimbabwe for complete change.
By Valerie Karimakwenda- Massive displacements, which are the norm now, affecting barely known minorities are illustrious of the factual observation of how Zanu Pf and the Zimbabwe pre-independence governments are two sides of a shaved, debased coin, devoid of empathy towards the most economically vulnerable communities, good governance for vaccination against such vulnerabilities.
This article focuses on how the so called Zanu Pf revolution is now eating its children, a tragedy characteristic of piss poor revolutionary ideology, and mere chicken logic limited comprehension of independence, democracy, the epitomes of good governance, which would have protected the targeted minority communities for massive displacements.
Why did settler governments, such as that of Smith go to great pains to hide vital information? Why does Zanu Pf go to great lengths of pursuing the same policy?
The reason is because, in technical terms, media repression, allows for disinformation dissemination which is a preservative of the status quo that is hideous, illegal and illegitimate.
Traits that Zanu Pf and the settler governments have, similarly.
Media repression, is an effective strategic choice akin to lighting a light, putting it in a basket under the bed. A preference for darkness, for light would bring attention and subsequent demands for accountability and transparency, especially with regards with treatment of minorities, in this case for Zanu Pf. Unfortunately, Zanu Pf had an abortion, of transparency and accountability, in the first weeks of term, that is, the last few weeks of April 1980. Because of media repression perpetuated by the recently branded Zanu Pf TV (ZBC) to Auxillia Mnangagwa fantasy show, Zimbabweans are kept in the dark about past, ongoing and future massive displacements.
Cultures and heritages of minorities are not if any deterrent value against a profit offensive, platformed by Zanu Pf. Like the referenced settler governments, no consultations are made with the affected minority communities, nor are they represented in any manner in the deliberations, procedures of setting up of the entities seeking to acquire the ancestral lands of the minorities, at a regulatory or executive level. Their councillors, members of parliament, senators, all from the illegal party of Zanu Pf, don’t care, but are focused on retaining power for perpetual self enrichment, which is a consequence of the minorities displacements by entities linked to those illegally in power, in addition to not having met regulations, such as tax payments.
The Chilonga and Nambya people have a few things in common among them. Both are minority communities, who, with consistency, have aided Zanu Pf in staying in power. This is not a HAA! moment, they deserve it. No, it is a reflection and observation that only Zanu Pf would allow this. The people centered, oriented opposition party would not. A stark difference, and a break from the past, Zanu Pf.
The only genuine opposition, currently focusing on smooth and peaceful transition of power would have respected the minorities cultures and heritages, in addition to consulting them, for their input, which is undeniably, crucial, also ensuring that regulations protecting these communities are in place.
Furthermore, the genuine opposition wouldn’t rely on opaque, probably unconstitutional special permits seeking to deprive minority communities of their ancestral heritages, or any communities for that matter.
The genuine opposition would do community changing things in transparent accountable manner. None of the self enrichment activities fostering nicodemus exploitation of marginalized communities would see light of the day under the watch of the opposition. This explains recalls of people’s champions such as Biti. Typical flight from transparency and accountability by Zanu Pf.
The affected communities will not benefit, barely for the following reasons, employment, especially for the Nambya people by the Chinese, would be exploitative labor, flouting labor and safety regulations.
For both the Nambya and Chilonga people, because of decades long marginalization, evidenced by limited exposure to only public schools with poorest education infrastructure and poorly motivated and educators means that there is an impenetrable glass ceiling for the youth of these communities for social stratification advancement. In addition, this life limited exposure works well for the government and the dubious, above the law companies seeking to exploit these helpless companies.
These are some of the reasons the opposition which is being hounded out of parliament by the scared and paranoid Zanu Pf is fighting tooth and nail for proper and institutionalized devolution of power. Communities such as the Nambya, would thus have a say in their own affairs and governance, drastically mitigating colossal exploitation by Zanu Pf, things such as so called special permits would thus be impotent.
In conclusion, the mentioned minorities, and those yet to be displaced by Zanu Pf, should take this as a wake up call, stop aiding Zanu Pf illegal retention of power , rather they should consider the alternative to Zanu Pf, the people’s project opposition, which among other things would usher in devolution, a synthesis of democracy and good governance, valuing the input of all communities, banishing Zanu Pf spawns such as marginalization.
The opposition, together, especially with the minorities communities would initiate joint custodianship for both cultural and heritages of these communities, together with their possession of their ancestral lands, a clear, clean break from the past, which is undemocratic Zanu Pf and settler governments.
President Mnangagwa has sent his condolences to the British Royal family following the death of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth’s husband, who died aged 99 today.
In a statement this afternoon, the Buckingham Palace announced the Prince’s death.
“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.” President Mnangagwa wrote on his Twitter micro-blogging platform:
“My deepest condolences to the people of the United Kingdom and the @RoyalFamily on the death of His Royal Highness Prince Phillip. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”
By A Correspondent- Law officer Tapiwa Kasema, who is facing allegations of consenting bail to suspected notorious armed robbery Musa Taj Abdul, has been freed on $20 000 bail.
Kasema was released this morning by Harare regional magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna following his fresh freedom bid on changed circumstances.
He was also ordered to report once every month at Glen View Police Station in Harare.
Kasema was ordered to surrender title deeds to a Glen View house as part of bail conditions.
He is being charged with criminal abuse of office.
By A Correspondent- A soldier who lives in Entumbane suburb and is stationed in Bulawayo has been arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife and violently destroying pots and plates after she refused to give him roasted meat.
A privy source said while Lucia Muleya (36) was washing her plates and pots at around 4.30PM last week on Saturday, her husband Umulina Mwembe (39) arrived in a huff and demanded money to buy beer.
The reliable source said Lucia, who is a meat vendor, gave him $160.
“He further demanded meat that Lucia sells, but she refused to give him. That did not sit well with him as he grabbed his wife by the throat and smacked her with an open hand. As if that was not enough he picked the plates she was washing and smashed them on the ground leaving them in pieces and he also destroyed pots while shouting obscenities at her,” said the source.
Lucia dashed to a police station and made a report.
She said she had suffered enough at the hands of her husband who always gets violent whenever he is drunk.
By A Correspondent- A senior police officer stationed at Bulawayo Central Police Station was left nursing a swollen face after he was allegedly punched several times by his love rival over a girlfriend.
A source, who is close to Assistant Inspector Garikai Chitore (44), said on 4 April at around 7pm, Chitore who was driving his Toyota Ipsum picked up his girlfriend Thenjiwe Nyathi (38), who works as a till operator at a local supermarket.
“He drove her to Pelandaba West suburb where she stays. When they arrived there he got inside the yard and parked. When the unsuspecting Chitore got out of his car to head to the house, a man pitched up and accused him of snatching his girlfriend,” said his close friend.
The two exchanged harsh words and the situation escalated to a fistfight.
Chitore’s love rival, only known as Arnold, rained blows on the officer and the officer tried to fight back, but he was slow for the energetic and fast Arnold, said his colleague.
Arnold, who was angry that Chitore had invaded his love nest, summoned more power and hit him hard with heavy blows causing him to tumble on the ground, the source said.
He bled and within a few minutes his bloodied face got swollen.
According to a neighbour, who witnessed the whole dramatic incident, Chitore wailed for forgiveness, while trying to fend off the fists which were raining heavily on him.
The neighbour said Thenjiwe fled to a neighbour’s house where she sought refuge.
Arnold left the scene in a huff, but was later arrested after Chitore reported the matter.
Chitore was ferried to Mpilo Central Hospital and is still there receiving treatment.
Efforts to contact Thenjiwe hit a snag as her mobile number was not reachable.
Strenuous efforts to get a comment from Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube were abortive as he was not reachable.-BMetro
Zimeye is a Zimbabwe media fighting corruption and injustices on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe.
Any article written by Zimeye is to expose scandals negatively affecting our country. It’s aim is to expose these scandals to educate people of Zimbabwe on issues negatively affecting their economy and subsequent welfare.
As you are aware, your client is a business partner of Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa who has committed lots of atrocities with the guns obtained through your client.
Mnangagwa’s forces used guns obtained through your client to shoot and kill unarmed civilians from 2018 to date. Lots of women have been abducted at gun point, sexually assaulted and tortured.
Furthermore, your client was unlawfully gifted massive land through shoddy deals with Emmerson Mnangagwa. His behaviour clearly shows a person who enables an evil dictator, someone who profits from the suffering and impoverishment of Zimbabweans.
With regards to these shoddy deals with Emmerson Mnangagwa and atrocities committed, your client has indirectly caused and worsened the suffering of the people in Zimbabwe. Your client is guilty by association for enabling Mnangagwa to commit the various atrocities affecting the ordinary citizens.
Therefore, on behalf of Zimbabweans, we demand the below-
1. Mr Zingman should give back the land he got from his shoddy deals with Emmerson Munangagwa
2. Compensate all those shot by Mnangagwa’s soldiers
3. Compensate all the women abducted, sexually assaulted and tortured at gun point by Mnangangwa’s CIA
4. Cease all his dealings in Zimbabwe, actually banned from entering Zimbabwe
The above are some of the demands from people of Zimbabwe which your client has to fulfil in order for Zimeye to delete the article about your client.
Florence Madamombe writes in her own capacity as a Zimbabwean citizen
By Farai D Hove | MDC renegade, Morgen Komichi has announced saying his makeshift party has literally degenerated into multiple splits (or strings) of mere Disciple Hunters.
He said his MDC T formation is now engaged in a program to create disciples, since it’s launching in May last year.
Sounding as if trying to convince his agenda-doctors, Komichi said, “we have actually put up a program, in which we are following to meet organisations, one on one…”
He continued saying: “We want to come to a Zim that’ll be identified as a nation where belonging to a political party will not be an issue anymore, it’ll just be an identity…yes of course, if you want your vision to succeed you must educate…
“You must look for people…you must look for disciples…”
We want to come to a Zim that'll be identified as a nation where belonging to a political party will not be an issue anymore, it'll just be an identity…yes of course, if you want your vision to succeed you must educate…You must look for people…you must look for disciples… pic.twitter.com/xkRaQG5g8y
The development comes as his boss, Douglas Mwonzora who took over from Thokozani Khupe as interim leader of the MDC-T after the party’s chaotic extraordinary congress last December, struggles to convince people to support his Project.
ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government regards Mwonzora as the head of the official opposition ahead of MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa after a series of controversial court rulings that allowed the MDC-T to elbow out their rivals from their offices and elected positions.
In a new report on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, the US said Mwonzora’s “minor” political party was the beneficiary of court rulings that disfranchised voters.
“The High Court, in a series of decisions beginning in March, paved the way for a minor political party, the MDC-T, to challenge the leadership of the main opposition party, the MDC Alliance, ignoring earlier jurisprudence that ruled that political parties, as private and voluntary associations, should resolve their differences using internal remedies,” the US report read in part.
“This decision disenfranchised voters by allowing the minor political party to recall and replace elected MDC Alliance parliamentarians and local councillors.
“In June police and military arrested some and blocked other senior MDC Alliance officials from entering the party’s headquarters when MDC-T party members broke into the building.”
The damning report was a blistering attack on Mnangagwa’s human rights record with accusations that state security agents were being used to target government critics for abductions and torture.
Mwonzora says he wants to introduce a new kind of politics in Zimbabwe, which promotes dialogue and has been gravitating towards a working relationship with Mnangagwa’s government.
Last week’s developments, however, pointed to lack of trust by the international community with the EU delegation reportedly pointing out to the MDC-T that it has questions about its status.
Mwonzora was told in no uncertain terms that his claim to be the main opposition leader in Zimbabwe was dubious during a March 31 virtual meeting with EU heads of mission, multiple sources that followed the proceedings have said.
Villagers in Marumisa area, under Chief Nemangwe in Gokwe, were left in shock after it emerged that a father and son were having sex with the same woman.
The shocking and disturbing incident came to light after the woman, Rosemary Hwingwiri reportedly got pregnant.
Unable to withstand the shame Hwingwiri is reported to have revealed the appalling incident to her aunt, who later spilled the beans to other relatives.
Narrating the wicked real-life drama to B-Metro, a source from the area, who claimed to have intimate details of the incident, said Edmore Muranda and his son Tinashe shocked the entire village when news filtered that they had been bonking the same woman.
It is reported that the woman at the centre of the disturbing drama was close to the Muranda family.
It is said that Edmore swooped in and slept with the woman, taking advantage of the fact that she was close to his wife and the same happened to his son who betrayed his mother’s trust by sleeping with her best friend.
“There are shocking things that you expect to happen in life, but not this one that involves a father and a son, Edmore and Tinashe that they were sleeping with the same woman. What is surprising is that the woman who was sleeping with the two was close to their family,” said the source who requested not to be named.
The source said though the matter was now talk of the area, the two families – Muranda and Hwingwiri – were trying to push it under the carpet.
The source further said the matter had since reached Chief Nemangwe’s court.
Contacted for comment Chief Nemangwe could neither confirm nor deny the incident. He said it was difficult to deal with the matter since all the parties involved or their relatives had not yet approached his court.
“It’s still a rumour and no one has so far approached my court with a complaint. But if the rumour turns out to be true, stern action will be taken against the parties involved for putting the name of the area into disrepute.
“It is an abomination for a father and son to sleep with the same woman. It is also totally unacceptable in our culture,” said Chief Nemangwe.
Harare magistrate Mr Dennis Mangosi has cancelled a warrant of arrest he had issued against opposition politician Ms Linda Masarira for absconding court on Wednesday.
Masarira (38) is facing allegations of selling her landlord’s property worth US$3 140 before converting the money to her own use.
She was facing theft of trust property charges when she appeared before Mr Mangosi.
The court heard that sometime in January 2018 Lawrence Madamombe, the landlord, left his property in Masarira’s custody at his house in Marlborough in Harare.
It is alleged that when Madamombe went to collect his property from Masarira later that year he realised that the property was missing.
The court heard that upon inquiring from Masarira, Madamombe discovered that she had sold his property and converted the money to her own use.
By A Correspondent- A woman from Kensington plots on the outskirts of Bulawayo lost her left hand after being shot during a botched armed robbery at her house.
Cathrine Chingono was shot on her left hand and thigh and the hand was later amputated.
The dreadful incident was heard when the suspected armed robber Dumolwenkosi Tshuma (27), from Gumtree plots, appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Racheal Mukanga charged with armed robbery.
He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to 14 April 2021.
The court heard that on 24 March 2021 and at around 11pm, Tshuma in the company of his accomplices, Nkululeko Banda, now deceased and another one only identified as Daniel, went to Chingono’s plot armed with a gun.
Upon arrival and in a bid to scare the complainant, Tshuma allegedly fired a single shot while they were still outside.
They then forced open Chingono’s door. While inside the house they found the complainant and her husband, Zenzo Phiri. Tshuma, who was allegedly brandishing the firearm, pointed it at the complainant.
While pointing it at her, he demanded cash, but she refused to comply and he shot her left hand and thigh.
The complainant’s husband reportedly escaped through a window, screaming for help, resulting in the attackers running away.
The matter was reported to the police and Chingono was referred to hospital where her hand was amputated.
Investigations by the police led to the arrest of the accused person and the recovery of the firearm after his co-accused Banda, who had committed another armed robbery case, was found with it. The accused’s fingerprints also matched those found at the scene.
Before his death, Banda is said to have confessed to having been in the company of the accused during the commission of the crime.-BMetro
By James Gwati-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has established leather processing centres throughout Matabeleland in its desperate move to lure the angry Ndebele people to vote for Zanu PF in 2023.
According to the state media already 10 leather sub-clusters have been set up in Matabeleland North province with the intention of creating 10-mini factories capable of making school shoes and other leather products.
The state media said under the project, 10 sets of four different machines have been bought for training and capacitating trainees.
On Friday Vice President Constantino Chiwenga was in Bulawayo where he said that they were going to reopen all closed industries.
Chiwenga was accompanied by several government ministers who included, Industry and Commerce Minister, Dr Sekai Nzenza, Bulawayo Provincial Minister of State and Devolution Judith Ncube, Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka, Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister, Raj Modi, and Minister of State in VP Chiwenga’s office, Evelyn Ndlovu, made the promise.
By James Gwati- In a desperate move to win the hearts of the people of Bulawayo ahead of the 2023 elections, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has sent his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga to the City of Kings and Queens to promise them that his administration is reopening all local industries.
Chiwenga who was accompanied by several government ministers who included, Industry and Commerce Minister, Dr Sekai Nzenza, Bulawayo Provincial Minister of State and Devolution Judith Ncube, Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka, Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister, Raj Modi, and Minister of State in VP Chiwenga’s office, Evelyn Ndlovu, made this promise in Bulawayo on Friday.
Chiwenga said they were starting with reviving the leather and shoes manufacturing industries in the second capital city.
“When it comes to the leather industry, Zimbabwe is better positioned than its regional peers since the leather value chain is well structured, starting from input suppliers, livestock farmers, abattoirs…and manufacturers of leather products and retailers,” he said.
By James Gwati- Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said Zimbabwe could soon be supplying the whole world with leather I would have from cattle his fellow Zanu PF Junta snatched from former white commercial farmers at the turn of the millennium.
Surprisingly, all the cattle breeds the Zanu PF big wigs stole from white farmers they chased away from their farms during the controversial land reform program in 2000, were either slaughtered or sold.
Also because of the way Harare took back farms from the white farmer, Zimbabwe was slapped with sanctions and can not trade with the west.
“This (sanctions) is now behind us. We no longer talk of sanctions; the land has been reunited with its people and the people with their land and that is now over. We now move on,” said Chiwenga when he was delivering his keynote address to mark the official launch of the Zimbabwe Leather Sector Strategy (2021-2030) in Bulawayo on Friday.
“That period has given us the chance, the time to think outside the box and we now have to rebuild our livestock and leather products. We want all of us, not in the too distant future, to talk about the best leather in Zimbabwe globally. Zimbabwean leather has to be the best and that way we will rebuild our glorious past,” he said.
By A Correspondent- A Wadzanai Primary School Headmaster Peter Saunyama , has been arrested for fondling and beating up a female parent.
The Kambuzuma based school head said he beat up the parent because he was in self-defence as the parents were heavily descending on him.
Charges were withdrawn from police after Saunyama was also reported to have beaten another parent with a broom stick leading to his arrest.
Some of the parents and school children booed Saunyama as police led him to a police post where statements were recorded and later released after one of his victims withdrew the charges.
On behalf of the Government and people of Zimbabwe and indeed on my behalf, 1 extend my heartfelt condolences to you, Your to your Family, as well as to the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Mnangagwa Flying To UK For Prince Phillip Funeral? Writes Condolence Message | Full Letter https://t.co/LMlUtH656l
The people of Zimbabwe have very fond memories of Your Majesty’s visit with Prince Philip on the occasion of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 1991, which led to the historic Adoption of Harare Declaration.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Please accept, Your Majesty, the assurances of my highest consideration.
On behalf of the Government and people of Zimbabwe and indeed on my behalf, I extend my heartfelt condolences to you, Your to your Family, as well as to the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Mnangagwa Flying To UK For Prince Phillip Funeral? Writes Condolence Message | Full Letter https://t.co/LMlUtH656l
The people of Zimbabwe have very fond memories of Your Majesty’s visit with Prince Philip on the occasion of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 1991, which led to the historic Adoption of Harare Declaration.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Please accept, Your Majesty, the assurances of my highest consideration.
A report circulating on a flyer concluded with the following statement: The funny thing about patents is that this means that it must be man-made, not biological. Also meaning that these diseases were made specifically for one purpose: DEPOPULATION
The Reuters news agency fact checking team debunks with whole myth with the following:
The list of patents linked to specific diseases and viruses is being shared with the suggestion that it is proof that viruses are manmade. This is false, and a misinterpretation of the types of patent listed.
Shared as an image in a Facebook post on Oct. 15 (here), the list contains a mix of diseases and specific viruses: AIDS, H1N1, Ebola, swine flu (the disease caused by H1N1), BSE, Zika, SARS, and coronavirus. Underneath each item is a patent number. The Facebook user comments in the caption: “Viruses can ONLY be patented if they are MAN MADE. Read that again xxx.”
The patenting of naturally occurring material is a complex area (here) but the list of patent numbers used to illustrate the claim in the social media post either do not correspond to the virus or disease listed, or have been taken out of context.ADVERTISEMENThttps://ffd4f16b78bc5e031e2348dac54b3e91.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html?n=0
For example, the first item on the list is AIDS, the syndrome caused by HIV, and has named underneath ‘US-Patent 5676977’. But this is not an AIDS patent; rather, it is a patent from the 1990s for tetrasilver tetroxide molecular crystal devices that the patent applicants had hoped would be able to effectively cure AIDS (here) . It has now expired (here) .
The second patent, US-Patent 8835624, is listed under H1N1. But this not a patent for this virus, which causes swine flu. In fact, it is referring to an aptamer – a molecule that binds to other target molecules. Scientists wanted to use this specific aptamer to identify the H1N1 virus (here) .
The rest of the listed patents are as follows:
:: Ebola (US-Patent 20120251502)
This refers to EboBun, a new strain of Ebola that was identified and isolated in a patient in Uganda and led to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) applying for a patent. By doing so, the CDC said it would be able to “grant rights to use the virus strain for the commercialization of diagnostics, vaccines, and antibody/antigen testing, and make them more quickly and readily available to patients, doctors and research scientists. Another reason for patenting is to ensure that another entity does not acquire a patent in a similar space and restrict the beneficial uses of the invention”.
In other words, the application to patent the biological strain was to ensure further research could be carried out on it. It was not man made (here) . The patent has since been abandoned (here) .ADVERTISEMENT
:: Swine flu (US-Patent CA2741523 A1)
This patent is also related to EboBun – not swine flu (H1N1), like the Facebook post suggests. As earlier described, EboBun is a biological strain of Ebola – and is therefore not manmade. Its patent status is still pending (here) .
:: BSE (US-Patent 0070031450 A1)
Reuters could not find any evidence of a patent registered under this number. Unlike the other items on the list, BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) is not a virus nor a disease caused by virus.
:: Zika (ATTC VR-84 Rockefeller Foundation)
The first part of this listing appears to be a typing error for ATCC – the American Type Culture Collection – which is a non-profit resource for biological materials. It distributes microorganisms, cell lines, and other materials for further research by scientists (here) .ADVERTISEMENT
VR-84 is the name of the Zika virus strain as listed on the ATCC website. This is not equivalent to a patent (here) .
The Rockefeller Foundation has also addressed claims that it patented the virus, confirming this is not true. It explained that a foundation-supported centre first discovered Zika in Entebbe, Uganda in 1947, and later gave a sample to ATCC.
“There is no indication that The Rockefeller Foundation holds or has filed for any patent on the Zika virus or has received any royalties or payments,” the foundation said in a statement (here) .
:: SARS (US-Patent 7897744 & 8506968)
The first patent is for the genomic sequences of the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) coronavirus. This does not mean the applicant, the Public Health Agency of Canada, made the virus; rather it identified its composition. The patent listing says this information could be used for diagnosing or treating SARS-related illnesses (here) .
The second patent number listed is for a vaccine composition that could be used in preventing infection with a disease such as SARS or treating the infection (here) . The composition includes viral particles that have been modified, but this is not the same as claiming the original virus is manmade.ADVERTISEMENThttps://ffd4f16b78bc5e031e2348dac54b3e91.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html?n=0
:: Coronavirus (US-Patent 10130701)
Coronavirus is an umbrella term for different types of viruses that can be found in humans and animals (here) .This patent, however, taken out by the Pirbright Institute, is for a type of weakened coronavirus to be used as a possible vaccine for respiratory diseases in animals (herehere) . Again this does not mean the original virus was manmade.
In summary, the list of patents presented is not evidence that viruses including H1N1, Zika and Ebola are manmade. The patents instead relate to naturally occurring virus material that has been isolated by scientists (as in the first SARS example), naturally occurring virus material that has been modified by scientists (as in the coronavirus example) or a different material altogether (as in the AIDS example). There is debate in the scientific world around the issue of whether naturally occurring material can be patented, and it what circumstances (here(13)61698-0/fulltext) but there is no question that the viruses and diseases listed in this post are products of nature.
VERDICT
False. It is generally true to say that naturally occurring material cannot be patented, while a version modified by man can. However, sometimes such modifications may be very slight, or use a new method to isolate biological material. This, however, does not mean that viruses are manmade, and the list of patents in the post does not challenge this fact.
Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here . – Reuters
By A Correspondent- The European Union (EU) says it is currently engaging opposition parties and other stakeholders as it gears up for formal dialogue with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
Zimbabwe and the bloc last formally engaged in 2019 at ministerial level as the two parties sought to normalise relations after more than a decade of frosty ties.
The dialogue followed years of informal engagements, opening a new page in relations between the two parties.
The dialogue framework is based on Article 8 of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries which outlines the specific modalities for regular, comprehensive and balanced political dialogue between the two sides.
EU ambassador to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonenn recently told NewsDay that a follow-up meeting with Harare was disrupted by the COVID 19 pandemic.
“So far, two political dialogue sessions have been held. The next edition will go ahead once the EU and the Foreign Affairs ministry can find a mutually suitable date,” Olkkonenn said.
“The EU is engaging political parties and a wide range of other stakeholders in the Zimbabwean society. An engagement with civil society and youth are something that the EU particularly values.”
He, however, said formal dialogue would only take place between the EU and the government and there were no pre-conditions set.
“Of course, we are in continuous contact with the government, particularly through its Foreign Affairs ministry,” he said.
The EU has been demanding reforms from the Zimbabwean government as well as the upholding of human rights and return to constitutionalism as Mnangagwa’s government has been accused of shrinking the democratic space.
The government has been under EU and the United States spotlight for allegedly using State institutions to clamp down on dissent, especially opposition supporters and human rights defenders.
Last month, the EU condemned the continued incarceration of MDC Alliance MP Joanah Mamombe and MDC Alliance activist Cecilia Chimbiri, saying the selective application of the law in their case was a violation of human rights.
By A Correspondent- A Nyanga man who had been presumed dead by his family pulled a shocker when he made an appearance almost a week later.
Lovemore Chatindo was last seen on Christmas Day last year and everyone was convinced that he had been murdered for ritual purposes.
However, a search party of his remains drew blanks.
The search had been prompted by a traditional healer’s claims that Chatindo had died at the hands of a local businessman, Cossy Samanyika, who had reportedly used his blood for ritual purposes.
Chatindo’s friend and soothsayer, Manyanga Sanyanga, claimed that he had seen Chatindo in his dreams.
Sanyanga said Chatindo had pleaded to be rescued as he was in pain, with four litres of blood having been drawn from his body.
Sanyanga also claimed that Chatindo’s body had been dumped in a gulley.
However, Chatindo resurfaced after New Year.
When he came back home, Chatindo looked pale, prompting fellow Nyamaropa villagers, under Chief Saunyama’s area, to suspect that he was a ghost that had made a rare visit.
Chatindo’s resurfacing brought business to a halt as scores of villagers sought to catch a glimpse of the “dead man’s resurrection”.
Although Chatindo is still alive, he hardly recalls what transpired on the day of his disappearance.
Surprisingly, when Chatindo was taken to hospital after he was picked up by Good Samaritans in Mutoko, about 300km from his home, doctors diagnosed that he had lost a lot of blood and that he needed urgent blood transfusion.
Samanyika has vehemently denied ever using Chatindo’s blood for rituals.
He has since approached Chief Saunyama’s court for redress.
Samanyika says he is now losing business because of the allegations.
“People are no longer buying from my shop because of these unfounded allegations despite the fact that Chatindo resurfaced. People believe that I have his blood in my tuck-shop. I want his family to prove the allegations they are making,” said Samanyika when he appeared before Chief Saunyama’s court last week on Friday.
Narrating the real life drama before the same court, Chatindo’s wife, Catherine Simbai, said she believes Sanyanga’s claims.
“When my husband disappeared, we thought he had died. We actually made a police report and were already making plans for his funeral when he resurfaced.
“While he has no visible wounds, he looks so pale. Doctors at Regina Coeli Mission said he had very little blood in his body.
“Up to now, he is yet to fully recover,” said Simbai.
Chatindo looked confused during the court session and said he does not know how he got to Mutoko.
He said he does not recall what transpired during the six days he was missing.
“I do not remember those six days. I only remember falling asleep at Samanyika’s tuck-shop. When I woke up, a donkey was neighing at me in Mutoko. I was in a gulley and I do not know what happened for me to get there,” said Chitando.
Sanyanga then made a U-turn to exonerate Samanyika, saying he never dreamt of Chatindo’s death.
“My hands are clean. I have nothing to do with Chatindo’s disappearance as he is my friend. We should be thanking the Lord for bringing him back alive. Why are we pointing fingers?” said Sanyanga.
However, this did not go well with the villagers who accused Sanyanga of conniving with Samanyika to conceal the truth surrounding Chatindo’s disappearance.
Chief Saunyama ordered the parties to consult a traditional healer to unravel the mystery. — Manica Post
A Harare man is in the habit of following his ex-wife to church and hurling obscenities at her in front of congregants and pastors.
The Harare Civil Magistrates’ Court has now ordered him to stop the habit by granting the peace order his ex-wife asked for.
Auxillia Garinaro told magistrate Ms Meenal Narotam that her ex-husband, Trymore Mugombe, also visits her parents’ house threatening to kill her. It is also alleged that Mugombe scolds Garinaro’s parents using vulgar words if they try to reprimand him.
“I am applying for a protection order against my ex-husband. He comes to my parents’ house where I am staying and he abuses me. We divorced, but he is always coming to our house saying I will have no peace in my life.
“He calls me a prostitute in front of my parents and he even scolds my neighbours. Recently, he followed me to church and scolded me in front of the congregation and the pastor. He uses obscene words and he once approached my pastor and scolded him saying he was not in a position to reprimand him for his abusive behaviour. He is a very violent man and I am now afraid of him,” she said.
Mugombe denied the allegations and told the court that Garinaro was denying him access to see his child.
“I am disputing that I am abusing her. We split in a bad way so I have nothing to do with her. All her allegations are false because she is jealous that I am now married to another woman.
“The problem is that she does not want me to see my child and when I visit to see my child, she tells her that I am not her father but her uncle. This pains me a lot and we end up exchanging words,” he said.
Ms Narotam granted the order and ordered Mugombe to stop abusing Garinaro in any way or risk being arrested for breaching the order.
Two schools in Matabeleland South have reported 106 cases of COVID-19, reigniting fears that schools remain hotspots and that authorities were not adequately prepared for their reopening.
Sacred Heart Girls High School in Esigodini was closed on Thursday after 51 pupils tested positive to COVID-19.
The Health ministry also reported that 55 pupils at Umzingwane High School tested positive to the virus on the same day.
According to the situational report released by the ministry, Umzingwane High School cases were part of the 68 new cases recorded countrywide on Thursday.
Late last month, seven pupils at Prince Edward High School in Harare tested positive to COVID-19 after undergoing PCR tests at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.
Government banned pupils in boarding schools from travelling home for the Easter holidays to avoid the potential of spreading coronavirus. It also ordered that lessons be conducted on a rotational basis to enhance social distancing in classes.
Matabeleland South medical director Ruth Chikodzore confirmed that some students tested positive to COVID-19 at Sacred Heart Girls High School.
She said the school has been closed to avoid the spread of cases and the health and education officers were working to strengthen COVID-19 preventive measures at the institution.
“Those who tested positive are in isolation at the school and those who were negative are under quarantine in separate facilities at the school,” Chikodzore said.
But a source from the Health ministry yesterday told NewsDay Weekender that tests at Sacred High School were conducted after four students had tested positive to COVID-19.
“We tested 136 students and 51 tested positive. Among the positive cases, two are staff members, while four are day scholars and 45 are boarding students,” an Education ministry official, who preferred anonymity, said.
“Among the day scholars who tested positive, two stay at Sacred Heart Primary, one stay at Sacred Heart Secondary and last one stay at Falcon College.”
Reports were that the cumulative COVID-19 positive cases at the Roman Catholic Church run-girls high school stood at 55 while staff members that tested negative were vaccinated.
Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said COVID-19 cases were being reported in schools because authorities were failing to follow the laid out standard operating procedures in curbing the spread of the virus.
He said: “Government banned travelling of boarding pupils for Easter holidays, but some errant school authorities permitted pupils to go out and allowed some parents to see their children.
“The pupils contracted the virus from outside, resulting in cases developing in schools. That explains why cases are spiking soon after the Easter holidays.”
He, however, referred questions on government’s plans to curb spread of COVID-19 in schools to the Health ministry.
Chief co-ordinator of the national response to COVID-19, Agnes Mahomva said government was monitoring closely cases of COVID-19 in schools. She said the situation in schools was “under control” could have been worse if the government had not put in place strict preventative measures.
“We are investigating why the schools recorded new cases when there are robust standard operating procedures put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19,” Mahomva said.
“After investigations, we will analyse the outcomes and try to address the loopholes which might have led to the emergence of new cases in schools. We will advise the nation of the new preventative measures, if there is need.”
Reports of COVID-19 in schools come at a time health experts have warned that a deadlier third wave was imminent. Teachers unions opposed the reopening of schools over concerns of government’s preparedness to handle COVID-19 cases.
In a recent report, the World Health Organisation said sub-Saharan countries, including Zimbabwe, were already facing the threat of new COVID-19 variants when their health institutions were poorly equipped to handle new variants.
Pupils from various schools were yesterday turned away after “incapacitated” teachers resolved to attend duty for three days per week.
NewsDay Weekender gathered that parents were ordered to withdraw their children from schools, especially in Harare, as teachers did not report for duty.
Teachers unions vowed that their members would not attend classes until government addressed their concerns. Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said the ministry was aware of reports that teachers were not attending classes.
He said to maintain order in schools, government had tasked “devoted” teachers to attend to learners whose instructors had absconded.
“The (Education) ministry will not be deterred from its mandate of providing inclusive and quality education by perceived threats of job action,” Ndoro said.
“If the employees who are under our ministry are not performing as expected, then we will advise the employer.
“There are only a third of teachers who are members of the teachers unions and the rest have no representatives. Just like any other employer, we will take the necessary measures against those teachers who are not reporting for duty.”
But a boarding school head who spoke on condition of anonymity told NewsDay Weekender that it was difficult to control and monitor pupils when teachers were not reporting for duty.
“It is difficult to enforce the wearing of masks, sanitising and social distancing among pupils single-handedly as teachers are on go-slow,” he said.
“That is the reality on the ground. The situation is better for day schools as pupils can go to their homes, but here at boarding schools, we have to take care of them.”
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) president Obert Masaraure said government should address the incapacitation crisis, as it was likely that school would close due to the bleak COVID-19 situation in schools.
“Teachers are not teaching. When they show up at the workplace, they are simply logging in and staying in,” he said. “When Artuz members go to schools on Monday, they are going to protest on campus. The COVID-19 scare is soon going to force schools to close; we should find solutions to the incapacitation crisis.”
Government’s efforts to resolve the impasse reached a deadlock last week after the civil servants rejected a 70% pay rise offer. Government also threatened to revoke salaries for civil servants who were not reporting for work in protest over poor salaries.
Marondera residents have blamed the recall of some MDC Alliance councillors for poor service delivery.
This was revealed during a Zimbabwe Union of Journalists-organised discussion at Mbuya Nehanda Hall where speakers said the lack of representation at both ward and parliamentary level was hurting service delivery.
Six councillors from the Nelson Chamisa led-MDC Alliance were recalled last year while Marondera Central MP Caston Matewu was also shown the exit door.
The recalls by the MDC-T came after a Supreme Court in March last year ruled that Chamisa was not the bona fide leader of the party. More than 40 MPs and 164 councillors were recalled.
Ward 1 councillor Chengetai Murova, who was recalled as Marondera mayor, said residents no longer have a voice.
“The people are in a dire need of representation in council. This is because service delivery has been compromised due to lack of representation. I can no longer fight for my ward and its residents. Life has changed and there is need for a by-election.
“For example, a resident wanted his papers to be certified, he was told go to his councillor and I could not help him. It is the resident who suffers,” he said.
The MDC Alliance had 11 out of 12 councillors before the recalls.
Marondera Residents Open Forum chairperson Edmund Mujeyi said recalling councillors and delays in replacing them has dire consequences.
“People pay rates to council and they expect service. If that doesn’t happen, it means they stop doing so. These are clear consequences of not having representation in council,” he said.
Both government and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission have said that holding of by-elections has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
MDC-T Mashonaland East spokesperson Farai Nyandoro said the recalls have brought pain to residents in the form of policy inconsistencies and corruption.
“A councillor is a facilitator, mediator and messenger of residents. If he or she misses, then there is not link between them and council. Moreover, the recalling of councillors will definitely bring along policy inconsistencies and fuel corruption.
“For example, if a new set of councillors come in, they will likely overturn some decisions. Moreover, the council committees are no longer functional due to lack of quorum. This will see unilateral decisions being made which is detrimental to service delivery and development,” he said.
By A Correspondent- The European Union (EU) says it is currently engaging opposition parties and other stakeholders as it gears up for formal dialogue with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
Zimbabwe and the bloc last formally engaged in 2019 at ministerial level as the two parties sought to normalise relations after more than a decade of frosty ties.
The dialogue followed years of informal engagements, opening a new page in relations between the two parties.
The dialogue framework is based on Article 8 of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries which outlines the specific modalities for regular, comprehensive and balanced political dialogue between the two sides.
EU ambassador to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonenn recently told NewsDay that a follow-up meeting with Harare was disrupted by the COVID 19 pandemic.
“So far, two political dialogue sessions have been held. The next edition will go ahead once the EU and the Foreign Affairs ministry can find a mutually suitable date,” Olkkonenn said.
“The EU is engaging political parties and a wide range of other stakeholders in the Zimbabwean society. An engagement with civil society and youth are something that the EU particularly values.”
He, however, said formal dialogue would only take place between the EU and the government and there were no pre-conditions set.
“Of course, we are in continuous contact with the government, particularly through its Foreign Affairs ministry,” he said.
The EU has been demanding reforms from the Zimbabwean government as well as the upholding of human rights and return to constitutionalism as Mnangagwa’s government has been accused of shrinking the democratic space.
The government has been under EU and the United States spotlight for allegedly using State institutions to clamp down on dissent, especially opposition supporters and human rights defenders.
Last month, the EU condemned the continued incarceration of MDC Alliance MP Joanah Mamombe and MDC Alliance activist Cecilia Chimbiri, saying the selective application of the law in their case was a violation of human rights.
By A Correspondent| The Zimbabwe Republic Police has confirmed the arrest of a driver who knocked down a minor at the intersection of Borrowdale Road and Harare Drive in a hit and run accident that went viral on social media.
The accident which occured on 30 March at the intersection of Borrowdale Road and Harare Drive was captured on a CCTV and went viral on social media platforms particularly Twitter and Facebook with people collectively calling for the identification of the reckless driver.
This led to the identification and arrest of the alleged reckless driver who has since been identified as 57-year-old Herbert Chakanyuka. The victim of the accident has been identified as 7-year-old Mitchelle Kamupfumo.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi revealed that Chakanyuka is facing multiple charges which include “Negligent driving and Failure to stop after an accident, failure to report an accident and failure to render assistance after an accident.” The 57-year-old is expected to appear in court soon.
Below is the statement from Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi which iHarare is publishing in full.
SERIOUS ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT INVOLVING A MINOR AT CORNER LIBERATION LEGACY WAY AND HARARE DRIVE
Reference is made to a video which went viral on social media in which a motor vehicle hit a pedestrian at the traffic lights controlled intersection of Liberation Legacy Way (Borrowdale Road) and Harare Drive, Harare.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms that the suspect, Herbert CHAKANYUKA (57) has been arrested and the victim has since been identified as Mitchelle KAMUPFUMO (7). The suspect is being charged for, “Negligent driving and Failure to stop after an accident, failure to report an accident and failure to render assistance after an accident” and the case is now pending before the courts.
Police applauds members of the public for continuously supplying positive information on criminal matters in the country.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa has said repression is a signal for action and change.
President Chamisa also urged Zimbabweans to remain strong and unwavering despite incessant persecution.
“THE POWER OF FOCUS-People that inspire and encourage in the leadership journey are a rarity. To many of you who encourage and energize when the oppressor is attacking us,THANK YOU! All oppression is temporary.Keep organizing,never agonize.Repression is a signal 4 Action & change,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.
He also paid tribute to Amai Chiweshe:
“I note with sadness the death of a mighty woman of God, Amai T Chiweshe who passed on this(Thursday) morning.
Amai Chiweshe was pastoring in Chitungwiza.She was wife to the powerful late Evangelist PD Chiweshe.May we all be consoled in Lord during this sad moment.Rev 14:13 RIP Mupositori!”
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa has said repression is a signal for action and change.
President Chamisa also urged Zimbabweans to remain strong and unwavering despite incessant persecution.
“THE POWER OF FOCUS-People that inspire and encourage in the leadership journey are a rarity. To many of you who encourage and energize when the oppressor is attacking us,THANK YOU! All oppression is temporary.Keep organizing,never agonize.Repression is a signal 4 Action & change,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.
He also paid tribute to Amai Chiweshe:
“I note with sadness the death of a mighty woman of God, Amai T Chiweshe who passed on this(Thursday) morning.
Amai Chiweshe was pastoring in Chitungwiza.She was wife to the powerful late Evangelist PD Chiweshe.May we all be consoled in Lord during this sad moment.Rev 14:13 RIP Mupositori!”
Tinashe Sambiri|Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is using colonial tactics to suppress dissenting voices, MDC Alliance Youth Assembly official, Valerie Karimakwenda has said.
In a detailed article Karimakwenda accused Mr Mnangagwa of using typical Ian Smith tactics to silence perceived political opponents.
See full article below:
By Valerie Karimakwenda MDC Alliance UK And Ireland Youth Assembly Organising Secretary
Massive displacements, which are the norm now, affecting barely known minorities are illustrious of the factual observation of how Zanu Pf and the Zimbabwe pre-independence governments are two sides of a shaved, debased coin, devoid of empathy towards the most economically vulnerable communities, good governance for vaccination against such vulnerabilities.
This article focuses on how the so called Zanu Pf revolution is now eating its children, a tragedy characteristic of piss poor revolutionary ideology, and mere chicken logic limited comprehension of independence, democracy, the epitomes of good governance, which would have protected the targeted minority communities for massive displacements.
Why did settler governments, such as that of Smith go to great pains to hide vital information? Why does Zanu Pf go to great lengths of pursuing the same policy?
The reason is because, in technical terms, media repression, allows for disinformation dissemination which is a preservative of the status quo that is hideous, illegal and illegitimate.
Traits that Zanu Pf and the settler governments have, similarly.
Media repression, is an effective strategic choice akin to lighting a light, putting it in a basket under the bed. A preference for darkness, for light would bring attention and subsequent demands for accountability and transparency, especially with regards with treatment of minorities, in this case for Zanu Pf. Unfortunately, Zanu Pf had an abortion, of transparency and accountability, in the first weeks of term, that is, the last few weeks of April 1980. Because of media repression perpetuated by the recently branded Zanu Pf TV (ZBC) to Auxillia Mnangagwa fantasy show, Zimbabweans are kept in the dark about past, ongoing and future massive displacements.
Cultures and heritages of minorities are not if any deterrent value against a profit offensive, platformed by Zanu Pf. Like the referenced settler governments, no consultations are made with the affected minority communities, nor are they represented in any manner in the deliberations, procedures of setting up of the entities seeking to acquire the ancestral lands of the minorities, at a regulatory or executive level. Their councillors, members of parliament, senators, all from the illegal party of Zanu Pf, don’t care, but are focused on retaining power for perpetual self enrichment, which is a consequence of the minorities displacements by entities linked to those illegally in power, in addition to not having met regulations, such as tax payments.
The Chilonga and Nambya people have a few things in common among them. Both are minority communities, who, with consistency, have aided Zanu Pf in staying in power. This is not a HAA! moment, they deserve it. No, it is a reflection and observation that only Zanu Pf would allow this. The people centered, oriented opposition party would not. A stark difference, and a break from the past, Zanu Pf.
The only genuine opposition, currently focusing on smooth and peaceful transition of power would have respected the minorities cultures and heritages, in addition to consulting them, for their input, which is undeniably, crucial, also ensuring that regulations protecting these communities are in place.
Furthermore, the genuine opposition wouldn’t rely on opaque, probably unconstitutional special permits seeking to deprive minority communities of their ancestral heritages, or any communities for that matter.
The genuine opposition would do community changing things in transparent accountable manner. None of the self enrichment activities fostering nicodemus exploitation of marginalized communities would see light of the day under the watch of the opposition. This explains recalls of people’s champions such as Biti. Typical flight from transparency and accountability by Zanu Pf.
The affected communities will not benefit, barely for the following reasons, employment, especially for the Nambya people by the Chinese, would be exploitative labor, flouting labor and safety regulations.
For both the Nambya and Chilonga people, because of decades long marginalization, evidenced by limited exposure to only public schools with poorest education infrastructure and poorly motivated and educators means that there is an impenetrable glass ceiling for the youth of these communities for social stratification advancement. In addition, this life limited exposure works well for the government and the dubious, above the law companies seeking to exploit these helpless companies.
These are some of the reasons the opposition which is being hounded out of parliament by the scared and paranoid Zanu Pf is fighting tooth and nail for proper and institutionalized devolution of power. Communities such as the Nambya, would thus have a say in their own affairs and governance, drastically mitigating colossal exploitation by Zanu Pf, things such as so called special permits would thus be impotent.
In conclusion, the mentioned minorities, and those yet to be displaced by Zanu Pf, should take this as a wake up call, stop aiding Zanu Pf illegal retention of power , rather they should consider the alternative to Zanu Pf, the people’s project opposition, which among other things would usher in devolution, a synthesis of democracy and good governance, valuing the input of all communities, banishing Zanu Pf spawns such as marginalization.
The opposition, together, especially with the minorities communities would initiate joint custodianship for both cultural and heritages of these communities, together with their possession of their ancestral lands, a clear, clean break from the past, which is undemocratic Zanu Pf and settler governments.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance vice president Hon Lynette Karenyi-Kore has said the sentencing of Makomborero Haruvizishe is an attempt by the Zanu PF regime to “suffocate democratic space in the country.”
Makomborero Haruvizishe was jailed for denouncing rampant looting and corruption, according to Hon Karenyi-Kore.
See her statement below:
Suffocation of Democratic Space: Makomborero Haruziveshe
Makomborero was imprisoned for calling out the Zanu PF-led government for the looting, corruption, murder and arbitrary arrests of opposition members.
He has been thrown behind bars for 14 months for telling the truth known by every Zimbabwean.
Mako represents millions of youths in Zimbabwe who feel their democratic rights have been snatched away by the use of teargas, bullets, partisan judiciary and inhumane prisons.
The youth hold the key to the freedom of the whole country and the tone set by Mako unsettled a regime out of touch with the masses.
Freedom is always a long walk, Makomborero is one of those who have set the first step.
Lynette Karenyi-Kore Vice President MDC Alliance 8 April 2021
Raw sewage is flowing inside houses and business premises in some parts of Glen View 3 in Harare, sending residents into panic mode amid fresh fears of water borne disease outbreaks. .
The area has seen cholera and typhoid outbreaks that have claimed lives over the past years due to a poor sewer reticulation system that has been getting less attention from Harare City Council. The hit area this time is along First Drive opposite Glen View 1 High School. The area also surrounds Munyarari shops.
Some of the affected residents yesterday said several attempts to have the sewer bursts attended by council officials have been fruitless. There is a sewer pipe which burst a few weeks ago. The local municipality was contacted and they had not attended to the problem for close to two weeks.
“The sewage is now flowing inside houses since the reticulation system is blocked. Council’s snail pace is despite the fact that Glen View has been the epicentre of the 2018 cholera outbreak,” said Mr Taurai Chimusoko.
Another resident only identified as Mai Tino blamed the council officials for dragging their feet in attending to the sewer bursts.
“Our lives are in great danger due to these insensitive officials. We approached them two weeks ago, but to no avail,” she said.
Despite two weeks of inaction, Harare City Council corporate communications manager Mr Michael Chideme yesterday still insisted the council were attending to the problem.
“We received the report of that issue and a team has been sent to attend to it. We encourage all residents to report any burst for quick response,” he said.
Contrary to Mr Chideme’s remarks city officials at Glen View administration offices said they were unable to attend to sewer bursts due to lack of the required equipment.
“We cannot attend to the bursts because we do not have the rods for sewer chokes. The one set of rods we have has been sent to Mufakose,’’ said a council official who pleaded for anonymity. A quick search yesterday showed that a complete new set of rods cost less than US$50.
A visit at the site also showed that at Munyarari shops there was a rivulet of raw sewage flowing while some vendors were seen selling all manner of products including vegetables and chicken cuts next to uncovered human waste. The sewage was also observed flowing at Glen View 3 High School, thereby exposing both learners and authorities to disease outbreaks. Images have since gone viral on social media of blocked toilets with sewage flowing inside houses, streets and wells where people fetch drinking water due to erratic supplies.
In one of the pictures children could be seen playing in the sewage. Herald
A Harare man is in the habit of following his ex-wife to church and hurling obscenities at her in front of congregants and pastors.
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The Harare Civil Magistrates’ Court has now ordered him to stop the habit by granting the peace order his ex-wife asked for.
Auxillia Garinaro told magistrate Ms Meenal Narotam that her ex-husband, Trymore Mugombe, also visits her parents’ house threatening to kill her.
It is also alleged that Mugombe scolds Garinaro’s parents using vulgar words if they try to reprimand him.
“I am applying for a protection order against my ex-husband. He comes to my parents’ house where I am staying and he abuses me. We divorced, but he is always coming to our house saying I will have no peace in my life.
“He calls me a prostitute in front of my parents and he even scolds my neighbours. Recently, he followed me to church and scolded me in front of the congregation and the pastor. He uses obscene words and he once approached my pastor and scolded him saying he was not in a position to reprimand him for his abusive behaviour. He is a very violent man and I am now afraid of him,” she said.
Mugombe denied the allegations and told the court that Garinaro was denying him access to see his child.
“I am disputing that I am abusing her. We split in a bad way so I have nothing to do with her. All her allegations are false because she is jealous that I am now married to another woman.
“The problem is that she does not want me to see my child and when I visit to see my child, she tells her that I am not her father but her uncle. This pains me a lot and we end up exchanging words,” he said.
Ms Narotam granted the order and ordered Mugombe to stop abusing Garinaro in any way or risk being arrested for breaching the order.- Herald
“Give a Breath for Health” campaign launched on World Health Day to kickstart global effort for purchasing oxygen and other life-saving supplies and therapeutics
Champion goalkeeper Alisson Becker, World Health Organization (WHO) Goodwill ambassador for health promotion, is kickstarting a new global fundraising campaign, titled “Give a Breath for Health,” driven by the WHO Foundation and WHO. The initiative aims to support the delivery of oxygen and other life-saving supplies to health facilities treating patients with COVID-19 around the world.
The first donation to the “Give a Breath for Health” campaign, made by Alisson, will contribute with supplies to locations in the Amazon and collaborate with the efforts of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), WHO regional office for the Americas, in support of the Ministry of Health of Brazil and the State Health Department of Amazonas.
“I am a proud Brazilian and wish my people the best health possible. Working together we can overcome this difficult moment and I will do what I can to help my country, my Region, and the world, during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Alisson, goalkeeper for the Brazilian national football team and Liverpool Football Club. “While vaccines offer great hope to many countries around the world, there remains a desperate need in many areas for supplies of essential medicines and equipment, including oxygen, to help keep people alive in our hospitals and clinics.”
Part of Alisson’s contribution will be used to purchase non-invasive ventilation masks for people hospitalized in remote parts of Brazil due to COVID-19. The supplies will be delivered to eight municipalities in the state of Amazonas: Coari, Humaitá, Itacoatiara, Lábrea Parintins, São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Tabatinga and Tefé.
The rest of the donation will be used to purchase equipment to fill oxygen cylinders in the municipality of Tabatinga, located on the border with Colombia and Peru. These supplies will help solve a logistical problem regarding the need to send the cylinders to other locations for refilling.
“We are concerned about the situation in the Americas, where a surge in COVID-19 cases is causing some areas to experience very high occupancy rates at intensive care units and putting health systems at risk of collapsing,” said PAHO Director, Carissa F. Etienne. “As more and more patients require hospitalization, solidarity response efforts like the one led by Alisson Becker can help provide health care workers in the Region with much-needed supplies and equipment, including oxygen, to save lives.”
Oxygen delivery is among the priorities identified in WHO’s recently released Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for 2021, for which the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund is seeking to raise funds from individuals, philanthropies, and corporates.
Anil Soni, Chief Executive Officer of the WHO Foundation, thanked Alisson Becker for his generous support to health facilities in the Americas and for being the driving force behind the “Give a Breath for Health” campaign.
“The response to COVID-19 is bigger than any one country or government can manage alone. The ‘Give a Breath for Health’ campaign is an exciting example of how the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund can enable anyone, anywhere to support the urgently needed pandemic response efforts of WHO and its partners.”
About the WHO Foundation
The WHO Foundation is an independent grant-making foundation, based in Geneva, that sets out to protect the health and well-being of everyone in every part of the world, working alongside the World Health Organization and the global health community.
It aims to support donors, scientists, experts, implementing partners, and advocates around the world in rapidly finding new and better solutions to the most pressing global health challenges of today and tomorrow.
The Foundation targets evidence-based initiatives that support WHO in delivering Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (To ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all). It is focused on reducing health risks, averting pandemics, better managing diseases, and creating stronger health systems. It tackles these areas by building awareness and supporting its partners, including WHO, so that every life is invested in and the world is ready for any health emergency that may arise.
WHO Foundation. Together we have so much to achieve.
www.who.foundation
Campaign website
About PAHO
PAHO works with the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of the population. Founded in 1902, it is the oldest international public health organization in the world. It serves as the WHO regional office for the Americas and is the specialized health agency of the inter-American system. More information at www.paho.org
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By A Correspondent- The European Union (EU) says it is currently engaging opposition parties and other stakeholders as it gears up for formal dialogue with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
Zimbabwe and the bloc last formally engaged in 2019 at ministerial level as the two parties sought to normalise relations after more than a decade of frosty ties.
The dialogue followed years of informal engagements, opening a new page in relations between the two parties.
The dialogue framework is based on Article 8 of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries which outlines the specific modalities for regular, comprehensive and balanced political dialogue between the two sides.
EU ambassador to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonenn recently told NewsDay that a follow-up meeting with Harare was disrupted by the COVID 19 pandemic.
“So far, two political dialogue sessions have been held. The next edition will go ahead once the EU and the Foreign Affairs ministry can find a mutually suitable date,” Olkkonenn said.
“The EU is engaging political parties and a wide range of other stakeholders in the Zimbabwean society. An engagement with civil society and youth are something that the EU particularly values.”
He, however, said formal dialogue would only take place between the EU and the government and there were no pre-conditions set.
“Of course, we are in continuous contact with the government, particularly through its Foreign Affairs ministry,” he said.
The EU has been demanding reforms from the Zimbabwean government as well as the upholding of human rights and return to constitutionalism as Mnangagwa’s government has been accused of shrinking the democratic space.
The government has been under EU and the United States spotlight for allegedly using State institutions to clamp down on dissent, especially opposition supporters and human rights defenders.
Last month, the EU condemned the continued incarceration of MDC Alliance MP Joanah Mamombe and MDC Alliance activist Cecilia Chimbiri, saying the selective application of the law in their case was a violation of human rights.
A LOVESTRUCK juvenile (17) from Madlambudzi in Matabeleland South stoned his ex-girlfriend’s grandfather (86) after the elderly man barred him from taking the girl out for a date.
Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson inspector Loveness Mangena said the boy (name withheld for ethical reasons) was still at large.
The smitten teen reportedly wanted to rekindle a love affair that he once had with the unnamed girl.
“Last Wednesday, the juvenile went to his ex-girlfriend’s home where he found the girl with her 86-year-old grandfather. He told the now deceased he had come to collect his wife. This did not go down well with the old man who asked the boy to leave his homestead and attacked him with his walking stick,” said Insp Mangena.
The boy, she said, retaliated by picking a brick and striking the old man on the forehead.
The provincial police spokesperson said the girl ran to tell neighbours about the fight.
“Neighbours found the boy throwing stones at the old man who was lying on the ground. The boy fled from the scene. On drawing closer, villagers discovered that the old man was dead. His body was ferried to Matobo District Hospital for post-mortem,” she said.
Insp Mangena appealed to members of the public who might have information on the whereabouts of the juvenile to report to the nearest police station. She urged members of the public to respect the sanctity of life and to solve their disputes amicably or to seek mediation from neutral third parties, especially the police.- Chronicle
By A Correspondent- A 17 year old boy from Madlambudzi in Matabeleland South stoned his ex-girlfriend’s grandfather (86) after the elderly man barred him from taking the girl out for a date.
Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson inspector Loveness Mangena said the boy (name withheld for ethical reasons) was still at large.
The smitten teen reportedly wanted to rekindle a love affair that he once had with the unnamed girl.
“Last Wednesday, the juvenile went to his ex-girlfriend’s home where he found the girl with her 86-year-old grandfather. He told the now deceased he had come to collect his wife. This did not go down well with the old man who asked the boy to leave his homestead and attacked him with his walking stick,” said Insp Mangena.
By A Correspondent- Villagers in Marumisa area, under Chief Nemangwe in Gokwe, were left in shock after it emerged that a father and son were having s_x with the same woman.
The shocking and disturbing incident came to light after the woman, Rosemary Hwingwiri reportedly got pregnant.
Unable to withstand the shame Hwingwiri is reported to have revealed the appalling incident to her aunt, who later spilled the beans to other relatives.
Narrating the wicked real-life drama to B-Metro, a source from the area, who claimed to have intimate details of the incident, said Edmore Muranda and his son Tinashe shocked the entire village when news filtered that they had been bonking the same woman.
It is reported that the woman at the centre of the disturbing drama was close to the Muranda family.
It is said that Edmore swooped in and slept with the woman, taking advantage of the fact that she was close to his wife and the same happened to his son who betrayed his mother’s trust by sleeping with her best friend.
By A Correspondent- There was consensus between Mutema banana farmers and Matanuska private Limited (Friday) as both parties shook hands following a meeting to resolve the existing contractual disparities.
Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD) Director, Claris Madhuku confirmed the development in a post on facebook and said:
“The vicissitudes of contract farming: The case of Mutema banana farmers in ChipingeI can report that the voice of the banana farmer in Mutema has been confirmed today on the 9th of April 2021.
A meeting organised to discuss a contractual dispute between Mutema banana farmers and Matanuska Pvt Ltd ended with both parties shaking hands.
Mutema banana farmers were articulate and clear that while contract farming improves and guarantees access to inputs and outputs, their arrangement with Matanuska was being manipulative and skewed, therefore needing redress .
At the end of the day, it was agreed that there will be a new contract to be negotiated by both parties on agreed terms as equal partners. One of the controversial contracts was expiring in April 2021.”
Madhuku said his organisation celebrated the latest development after having lobbied for solidarity towards the cause.
“I now celebrate on behalf of other progressive community leaders and stakeholders for a job well done.
A win win arrangement remains the best for the way forward. There was enough solidarity which will continue to be extended to the banana farmers to ensure that their voice is not drowned during the negotiation process.
The local authority remained supportive and respective of the deliberations without any interference.”
Condolence Message by His Excellency the President, Cde E.D. Mnangagwa, following the Harare-Mutare Highway Road Accident that claimed nine lives, 9 April 2021
The death on Tuesday afternoon of nine people in a horrific road accident that occurred along the highway between Rusape and Mutare came as a great shock to me.
This road tragedy overshadowed what had passed as a relatively peaceful Easter Holiday for our Nation.
I was deeply saddened to learn that most of the victims of this accident were members of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Collaborators Association (ZILWACO) who were on their way to Mutare for a scheduled meeting by their association.
Our country cannot afford to lose precious lives needlessly through road accidents the majority of which are attributable to human error.
Life is sacrosanct and every one of us has a duty to respect and safeguard it.
I do once again, appeal to all motorists and road users to exercise extreme caution on our roads all the time in order to avoid loss of life through road carnage.
On behalf of the Party, ZANU PF, Government, and indeed on my behalf, I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and to members of ZILWACO on this sad loss.
In the same breath, we offer our prayers for the speedy recovery of all those who sustained injuries from this unfortunate mishap.
May the souls of the dear departed rest in eternal peace.
By A Correspondent- ZPP this month recorded 221 human rights violations, 83 of which were harassment and intimidation of citizens, mostly by the police deployed to enforce the lockdown, the organisation has confirmed in its latest report.
Said the ZPP:
“The organisation recorded two killings, two attempted murders, one abduction, 21 cases of unlawful detention, and 35 cases of assault, most of which are attributed to state security agents.
Harare recorded the highest violations at 65, followed by Manicaland at 40 and the Matabeleland region recorded the lowest number of violations.”
By A Correspondent A National University of Science and Technology (Nust) student, Nobhekimpilo Mbovora fondly known as Vivica has set the Internet ablaze as she posted her nude pictures on her Facebook wall.
In the pictures, she is seen bending on her bed in a sexually suggestive pose.
The Facebook post set tongues wagging and one social media user who goes by the name Phemia Tembo suggested that the second-year Computer Science student should just be an X-rated actor
Vivica says her main objective of posting such nudes on social media is to change the perception and belief of society that a nude woman is of loose morals.
By A Correspondent- In the month of March, the easing of lockdown regulations after two months of stringent restrictions laid bare the gross social inequalities existing in the country, the Zimbabwe Peace Project in its latest report has said.
We publish below part of the report:
“This was made worse by the fact that throughout 2020, lockdown restrictions had caused consistent disruptions to economic activity.
The poor, hardworking citizens who live from hand-to-mouth and have no savings had endured two months with no income or social support from government.
Urban households suffered the most, economically, and according to a January 2021 ZIMSTAT, 90 percent of nonfarm businesses, which skew toward urban areas, indicated that they faced a drop in revenue or did not receive any revenue at all.
So, even as businesses began operating, the impact of the two months of lockdown had relegated many into further poverty as reported in a World Bank country overview last updated on March 23 2021.
The pandemic and its impact disrupted livelihoods, especially in urban areas, and according to the World Bank, added 1.3 million to the extreme poor. World Bank estimates suggest the number of extreme poor reached 7.9 million in 2020, which is about half of Zimbabwe’s population.
“Surveys indicate that nearly 500,000 households have at least one member who lost their job in 2020, causing many to fall into poverty and worsening the plight of the existing poor,” reads part of the World Bank report.
The impact of the lockdowns also affected the education sector, and less than 30 percent of school-going children in rural areas engaged in education and learning during pandemic-related school closures, compared with 70 percent for urban children, according to the World Bank.
In the health sector, the unavailability of adequate medication, coupled with lack of investment in health infrastructure, contributed to a decline in the coverage and quality of essential health services.
The World Bank reports that decreases in the frequency and timing of antenatal care visits may cause a further deterioration in maternal and infant mortality indicators. According to the World Bank, the disruptions caused by the pandemic will continue to weigh on economic activity in Zimbabwe, limiting employment growth and improvements in living standards.
In light of this, ZPP, throughout the month of March, focused on assessing access to social rights among Zimbabweans. In addition to the poor civil and political rights record the country has registered over the past year, the deterioration of the social services sector has become one of the biggest human rights issues in Zimbabwe.
This is evidenced by the disparities in incomes between the elite and the general population. For example, the general civil servant’s monthly salary – which is the benchmark of general incomes for the ordinary workers in other sectors–is worth an equivalent US$200.
In the absence of affordable, adequate and accessible public healthcare services, many Zimbabweans are forced to seek healthcare from private institutions whose charges are beyond the reach of many. For example, a local medical aid institution requires about US$60 in subscriptions per month per individual and this is beyond the reach of many.
At the end of January, ZIMSTAT reported that the cost of living continued to rise and an ordinary family of five now required an average of ZWL$24 935 to cover its monthly expenses.
By Dr Masimba Mavaza | Michael Chandada was so excited when he got a Job in Mozambique. His company is involved in extracting oil and gas and again runs marines in the area. Michael was posted to work from a plant in Palma..
Palma is a town on the northeast coast of Mozambique’ s Cabo Delgado Province. Less than 20 miles 35 kilometres away is the border with Tanzania to the north and north-west. There is only one road which leads to Palma and out of Palma. The other side Palma is surrounded by the sea.
On this day Mike as Michael is passionately known was at work in a compound which was only five miles ten kilometres from the house Mile was staying. In this company there are over twenty Zimbabweans employed there. They all lived in the same compound away from the work station. A message came to the effect that the ISIS Alshabab were coming to attack the town of Palma so the work station was to be shutdown for the security of the workers.
Soon after the message Mike and his manager whom he was staying with jumped into their car and sped off to their house. Mike shared this house with his manager.
Mike narrated his story “ Just fifteen minutes after we got in the house we heard gunshots. We could hear the shouts of Allah Akbar. We peeped through the window then I saw a lot of cars driving in the town. There were men armed by all sorts of arms. At that moment I started to sweat my manager was visibly shaken and he was sweating buckets.
We saw some of our work mates driving out in a bid to escape. I counted four trucks with Zimbabweans driving towards the hotel they said a hotel was a safe place to go in such times.
My manager and I made a decision not to go anyway. We locked the gate ams locked the house doors. We closed the windows and all the curtains were pulled.
The sound of guns was increasing and getting closer. There was silence in the house we could hear our hearts pounding. Yet there was great noise coming from outside. Few meters from our house was the army camp. We heard the sounds of the guns and groans of pain. There were screams we had never heard before.
There was anguish and despair the way people screamed it resembles a labour ward. All of a sudden the lights went off but the guns kept rumbling. There was nothing we could do. We could not leave the house at this stage. Outside was a war zone. We were sure that we were going to die.
We have already been warned that the first enemy of Alshabab
Was a foreigner. So our deaths were already guaranteed.
There was groaning, crying, screaming and all unpleasant noises.
After a time which felt like a year we heard the rebels now coming in the houses. We could here doors being Brocken. They never asked questions. They shot first and then shoot again. When we heard the doors being brought down we realised that the army has been overran by the rebels.
In all this confusion I was praying not for survival but for a peaceful death. I could not believe that a miracle could happen.
Then what we feared most happened. We heard the rebels shaking the gate to our house. We did not know what to do but we could smell death from outside.
My manager whispered to me. It was a good idea or actually the only option. We climbed in the ceiling. Thank God the ceiling was strong. We closed the antique door of the ceiling after us. Within few seconds of jumping in the ceiling we heard out door crushing down.
I was so scared and I could not breath. I heard the rebels calling out for anyone who might be in the house to surrender. I remained silent.
We could hear the rebels ransacking the house looting anything and everything.
These are not soldiers they are barbaric and lunatics with guns. They showed no discipline but a love for blood. They took out everything from the house. They even took food tomatoes. They behaved like very hungry lions who have made a kill. They tore the house apart. After a long time they walked out. I heard them breaking another house.
You will never believe the actions of these so called religious fighters. I heard them telling the occupants of the house that they have to loose their hands. The screams of pain which followed were sickening. I felt my stomach turning. I felt sick but I was afraid to vomit.
We spent the whole night in the ceiling.
We had gone into the ceiling with some food but no one was hungry.
We spent two weeks in the ceiling. In all these days the rebels kept coming and collect more things from the house.
Rebels fought to control this town in northern for five straight days. We could hear the fighting from the discomfort of the ceiling.
After two weeks we heard more guns and more guns but something told us the Frelimo has retaken the town. We jumped out of the ceiling tired and hungry. I could not open my eyes. The light was blinding.
After some little time I gathered my courage and moved outside. The door was already broken. From the doorway looking outside I could tell that dozens of civilians have been killed and bodies were littering the streets of Palma The fate of scores of some Zimbabwean workers began to unfold. I saw a couple of my countryman lying in the streets with no hands some with no legs.
Bodies were already rotting
Some of the dead had been beheaded, the way the dresses of some dead women lying in the streets suggested that they were rapped. It became clear that an attempt by expatriate workers to flee to safety came under heavy fire, causing many deaths.
The battle for Palma was similar to how the rebels seized the port Mocimboa da Praia in August. The rebels infiltrated men into the town to live among residents and then launched a three-pronged attack. Fighting continued for more than a week until the rebels controlled the town center and then its port. This is exactly they did with Palma.
The battle for Palma highlights the military and humanitarian crisis in this Southern African nation on the Indian Ocean. The three-year insurgency of the rebels, who are primarily disaffected young Muslim men, in the northern Cabo Delgado province has taken more than 2,600 lives and displaced an estimated 670,000 people, according to the U.N.
During the two weeks the rebels ruled Palma most communications with Palma and the surrounding area had been cut off by the insurgents, although some in the besieged town got messages out using satellite phones. The town is where many contractors have been working for a multi-billion-dollar liquified natural gas project by the French energy company Total.
But a few hundred foreign workers from Zimbabwe,South Africa, Britain and France clustered at hotels that quickly became targets for the rebel attacks. Many of our people were rapes sodomised and beheaded in these hotels.
An estimated 200 foreign workers were at the Hotel Amarula. On Saturday a band of them in 17 vehicles drove together to try to reach the beach where they hoped to be rescued. The convoy came under heavy fire and only 7 vehicles reached the beach and several people in even those vehicles were killed.
Lameck Mano one of the foreigners who survived the onslaught said
“The beach remained under insurgent fire, preventing rescue efforts from air or sea. The Hotel Amarula remained under attack and I saw people being killed. I saw another Zimbabwean man who was by my side dying. His head splint into fragments under the heavy bullets which lodged in his head. His brains splashed all over my face.” Lameck continued.
I survived by covering myself in blood. I took blood from those who were short and died. I covered myself with this blood. I lay with the dead for seven days. I could smell death but it was feigning death which removes death from me. I survived by the blood of other” said Lameck.
The assault on Palma started Wednesday after many rebels infiltrated the town, according to Mozambique News Reports and Clippings. The coordinated attacks hit Palma “in three directions,” including the airport, Mozambique’s Defense Ministry said.

Mozambique’s defense and security forces are “working tirelessly to re-establish security and order as fast as possible” and will “do everything to guarantee the security” of the local population and of the “economic projects,” Ministry of Defense spokesman Col. Omar Saranga said Thursday in the capital, Maputo.
Mozambique’s military says it has regained full control of the coastal town of Palma, more than a week after it was raided by militant Islamists.
A “significant” number of militants were killed in the counter-offensive, an army spokesman said.
State radio reported that residents who had fled were starting to return – some to homes that were looted.
Dozens of civilians were killed and at least 11,000 displaced after the militants invaded Palma on 24 March.
Morgan Murambwi one of the survivors of the battle of Palma described what he witnessed.
“ a group of foreigners from the hotel made a decision to escape the attack. We had seen soldiers running away from the rebels so we figured out that escaping was the best way. I was driving out company car a Ford ranger twin cab. A number of people jumped in. As I drove out of Palma we were met by heavy gun fire. I saw two cars in front turning into a ball of fire. I head screams and cries for help. I stopped my car and jumped in the forest. As I took cover few yards fro the road I say a group of rebels surrounding the car I was driving.”
Morgan continued “ The rebels were like they were possessed. They took two toddlers from the clutching arms of their parents. I saw one tossing the child in the air. There was no sound from the child. I could not continue looking I looked down and closed my eyes. Two man who were in my car were shot point blank. I remained hidden for some time. Then I heard one shouting that soldiers have reinforced, it was at that time I saw the rebels running in the bush opposite from where I was. Within minutes two trucks with Mozambican soldiers screeched to a halt. Soldiers took position and fired in the direction of the rebels. Some soldiers perused the rebels. When I was fully satisfied that they were soldiers I called out for help. They ordered me to come in the open. Two soldiers freak searched me and saw my passport and my work identity card.it was then I realised that I had been short on the shoulder. I was bundled in the car. For some reason the soldiers did not proceed to Palma. They drove back to a nearest town where they took me to hospital. I later learnt that it was a tactical retreat”
Fierce fighting for control of Mozambique’s strategic northern town of Palma left beheaded bodies strewn in the streets with heavily armed rebels battling army, police and a private military outfit in several locations.
Thousands were estimated to be missing from the town, which held about 70,000 people before the attack began.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Monday for the attack, saying it was carried out by the Islamic State Central Africa Province, according to the SITE extremist monitoring group.
By A Correspondent- The dismissal by the High Court of the MDC-Allience’s application to stop Treasury from disbursing money under the Political Parties (Finance) Act to a rival faction led by Douglas Mwonzora, has been widely viewed as a ploy by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to frustrate Nelson Chamisa and discourage him from partaking in the next election.
Chamisa wanted to stop Mwonzora’s MDC-T from accessing funds given to political parties with five or more MPs in Parliament after a Supreme Court ruling delivered in March last year declared that he was not the legitimate leader of the MDC-T.
In passing the ruling, Justice Muzofa said the MDC Alliance, which was the applicant in the matter, had no legal basis to make an application before the courts following a previous court ruling that it was not a political party.
In its application, the MDC Alliance had sought an interim court order to stop the Finance ministry from disbursing $299 970 000 which was allocated to the MDC-T under the Political Parties (Finance) Act.
The MDC-T was cited as third respondent.
Responding to the application, MDC-T stated that the MDC Alliance had no legal capacity to sue as declared earlier in a judgment passed by High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi in another matter between the two parties.
“By virtue of the judgment already made that the applicant lacks legal capacity, the applicant cannot appear in court and claim that it has legal capacity,” the judge said in her ruling on Tuesday.
“The preliminary point is upheld, there is no applicant before the court. The finding disposes of the matter; it becomes unnecessary to deal with the rest of the preliminary points and the merits of the case. Since any decision is based on preliminary points and not on the merits, the application is struck off with costs,” she added.
In the application, MDC Alliance, represented by Alec Muchadehama of Mbizo, Muchadehama and Makoni Attorneys, had claimed that it was the rightful beneficiary of the funds since it garnered more votes than Mwonzora’s MDC-T in the 2018 elections.
“An issue was raised that, if the applicant has a constitution, it is not the party that contested in the 2018 harmonised elections,” Justice Muzofa said.
“It cannot, therefore, seek the order sought herein and is out of court. There was no response on this issue from the applicant. I am not inclined to take the failure to respond as an admission. I leave the question open since there was no proper argument on it.”
Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and Finance minister Mthuli Ncube, cited as first and second respondents respectively, had not opposed the granting of the interim relief.
The MDC Alliance and MDC-T parties have dragged each other to court in several wrangles which include leadership and control of the party offices following the death of party founder Morgan Tsvangirai in 2018.
The MDC Alliance was formed on August 5, 2017 as a coalition of seven political parties, with the MDC-T and People’s Democratic Party included.
MDC-T under Thokozani Khupe contested the 2018 polls as a separate entity and failed to win an elective seat. It however, got two seats under proportional representation.
On the other hand, the MDC Alliance won 64 seats.
In March 2020, the Supreme Court declared Chamisa’s leadership of the MDC-T illegitimate.
Chamisa has also lost a bid to stop the recall of MDC Alliance MPs and councillors by Mwonzora. Mwonzora also plans to adopt the MDC Alliance moniker for his party to complete the coup de grâce against Chamisa, after taking over party offices and other assets.
By A Correspondent-A senior Bulawayo Central police officer was beaten up and was left nursing a swollen face after he was allegedly punched several times by his love rival over a girlfriend.
A source, who is close to Assistant Inspector Garikai Chitore (44), said on 4 April at around 7pm, Chitore who was driving his Toyota Ipsum picked up his girlfriend Thenjiwe Nyathi (38), who works as a till operator at a local supermarket.
“He drove her to Pelandaba West suburb where she stays. When they arrived there he got inside the yard and parked. When the unsuspecting Chitore got out of his car to head to the house, a man pitched up and accused him of snatching his girlfriend,” said his close friend.
The two exchanged harsh words and the situation escalated to a fistfight.
Chitore’s love rival, only known as Arnold, rained blows on the officer and the officer tried to fight back, but he was slow for the energetic and fast Arnold, said his colleague.
Arnold, who was angry that Chitore had invaded his love nest, summoned more power and hit him hard with heavy blows causing him to tumble on the ground, the source said.
He bled and within a few minutes his bloodied face got swollen.
By A Correspondent-Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka has said that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is the owner of the entire Zimbabwe.
Masuka said this in parliament Wednesday when he was giving oral evidence before Parliament’s portfolio committee on Lands and Agriculture chaired by Zanu PF’s Gokwe-Nembudziya legislator Justice Mayor Wadyajena.
He was invited to outline his ministry’s vision to transform agriculture as well as answering what Government was doing to deal with the issue of title on land.
“Land is vested in the President and cannot be transferred because its ownership is not a measure of productivity. I think the issue of title deeds is taken out of context,”he said.
“I have often said you do not need to own a building in order to operate it. If you want to do business you can rent, you don’t need to own a house. Everyone seem to be saying I need to own the land in order to farm. The land is vested in the President for the right reasons,” he said.
“Land ownership and farming are different. Farming is a business which happens on land, so the two are separate and often we think they are not. There must be a distinction. There is not necessarily a link between land ownership and the transfer of land,” Masuka said.
Peter Muduhwa’s agent Gibson Mahachi has explained why the player parted ways with Tanzanian club Simba SC, three months into his loan contract.
The Warriors defender joined the club on a six-month deal from Highlanders but was only registered in the Champions League. However, he didn’t feature in any game in the inter-club competition, missing all of the team’s match-day squads in Group A thus far.
Simba has played five group matches, booking a place in the quarter-finals of the tournament and top the pool with 13 points.
Speaking to the Pan African Football, Mahachi explained lack of game time was the main reason they triggered the player’s contract termination.
“They signed him specifically for the CAF Champions League only because their window in the local league was already closed,” he said.
“So, we expected him to be getting game time since he is a competent and good player, but he has not been given a chance and we feel it’s a bit unfair, on his part, despite his earnings.
“He is a good player, the coach likes him very much, but we are still opting to conclude his contract termination today (Wednesday) or tomorrow (yesterday) if all goes well.”
Muduhwa will return to Highlanders where he is expected to be registered ahead of the start of the 2021 season.
“The Zimbabwean league is about to return, so he will come and start playing for Highlanders while we make better arrangements for him,” the agent added.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance vice president Hon Lynette Karenyi-Kore has said the sentencing of Makomborero Haruvizishe is an attempt by the Zanu PF regime to “suffocate democratic space in the country.”
Makomborero Haruvizishe was jailed for denouncing rampant looting and corruption, according to Hon Karenyi-Kore.
See her statement below:
Suffocation of Democratic Space: Makomborero Haruziveshe
Makomborero was imprisoned for calling out the Zanu PF-led government for the looting, corruption, murder and arbitrary arrests of opposition members.
He has been thrown behind bars for 14 months for telling the truth known by every Zimbabwean.
Mako represents millions of youths in Zimbabwe who feel their democratic rights have been snatched away by the use of teargas, bullets, partisan judiciary and inhumane prisons. The youth hold the key to the freedom of the whole country and the tone set by Mako unsettled a regime out of touch with the masses.
Freedom is always a long walk, Makomborero is one of those who have set the first step.
Lynette Karenyi-Kore Vice President MDC Alliance 8 April 2021
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance vice president Hon Lynette Karenyi-Kore has said the sentencing of Makomborero Haruvizishe is an attempt by the Zanu PF regime to “suffocate democratic space in the country.”
Makomborero Haruvizishe was jailed for denouncing rampant looting and corruption, according to Hon Karenyi-Kore.
See her statement below:
Suffocation of Democratic Space: Makomborero Haruziveshe
Makomborero was imprisoned for calling out the Zanu PF-led government for the looting, corruption, murder and arbitrary arrests of opposition members.
He has been thrown behind bars for 14 months for telling the truth known by every Zimbabwean.
Mako represents millions of youths in Zimbabwe who feel their democratic rights have been snatched away by the use of teargas, bullets, partisan judiciary and inhumane prisons. The youth hold the key to the freedom of the whole country and the tone set by Mako unsettled a regime out of touch with the masses.
Freedom is always a long walk, Makomborero is one of those who have set the first step.
Lynette Karenyi-Kore Vice President MDC Alliance 8 April 2021
Peter Muduhwa’s agent Gibson Mahachi has explained why the player parted ways with Tanzanian club Simba SC, three months into his loan contract.
The Warriors defender joined the club on a six-month deal from Highlanders but was only registered in the Champions League. However, he didn’t feature in any game in the inter-club competition, missing all of the team’s match-day squads in Group A thus far.
Simba has played five group matches, booking a place in the quarter-finals of the tournament and top the pool with 13 points.
Speaking to the Pan African Football, Mahachi explained lack of game time was the main reason they triggered the player’s contract termination.
“They signed him specifically for the CAF Champions League only because their window in the local league was already closed,” he said.
“So, we expected him to be getting game time since he is a competent and good player, but he has not been given a chance and we feel it’s a bit unfair, on his part, despite his earnings.
“He is a good player, the coach likes him very much, but we are still opting to conclude his contract termination today (Wednesday) or tomorrow (yesterday) if all goes well.”
Muduhwa will return to Highlanders where he is expected to be registered ahead of the start of the 2021 season.
“The Zimbabwean league is about to return, so he will come and start playing for Highlanders while we make better arrangements for him,” the agent added.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Tinotenda Kadewere has been nominated for the Prix Marc-Vivien Foe 2021.
The award, which is in honour of the late Cameroonian midfielder Marc-Vivien Foé, recognises outstanding African players in the French Ligue 1.
It was first presented in 2009 and Kadewere has become the first Zimbabwean to get a nomination.
The Lyon striker has scored ten goals plus three assists in his debut campaign in the French top-flight.
Kadewere’s teammate, Karl Toko-Ekambi, has also been nominated while fellow Southern African Reinildo Mandava, who plays for Lille and Mozambique national side, is on the list.
The three top players will be announced at the end of the month.
Here is the list of the 11 nominees in alphabetical order:
• Nayef Aguerd (Stade Rennais / Morocco) • Farid Boulaya (FC Metz / Algeria) • Andy Delort (Montpellier Hérault Sport Club / Algeria) • Boulaye Dia (Stade de Reims / Senegal) • Seko Fofana (Racing Club de Lens / Ivory Coast) • Idrissa Gueye (PSG / Senegal) • Tino Kadewere (Olympique Lyonnais / Zimbabwe) • Tino Kadewere (Olympique Lyonnais / Zimbabwe) • Alexandre Oukidja (FC Metz / Algeria) • Reinildo Mandava (Lille OSC / Mozambique) • Karl Toko-Ekambi (Olympique Lyonnais / Cameroon)- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt has demanded Khama Billiat and Leonardo Castro to be ready for the Champions League encounter against Horoya this weekend.
The duo returned to action this week after spending some time on the sidelines due to injuries.
Billiat, who was out for three months after cracking a leg bome in early January, played for twenty-four minutes on his return in the 2-2 draw against Stellenbosch on Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of Chiefs’ trip to Conakry, Guinea for for the last match of the group stages, Hunt welcomed the pair back in to the team.
He told Sowetan Live: “It is good to have Castro and Billiat back.
“We played last week and in the derby [against Orlando Pirates] where we couldn’t make any changes. But now we have something and at least we can make changes in that position.
“They (Billiat and Castro) had 20 odd minutes on the field‚ so they have to be ready for Saturday.”
The Champions League encounter will be played on Saturday at 9 pm CAT with Chiefs needing at least a scoring draw to qualify to the knockout stages.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa has said repression is a signal for action and change.
President Chamisa also urged Zimbabweans to remain strong and unwavering despite incessant persecution.
“THE POWER OF FOCUS-People that inspire and encourage in the leadership journey are a rarity. To many of you who encourage and energize when the oppressor is attacking us,THANK YOU! All oppression is temporary.Keep organizing,never agonize.Repression is a signal 4 Action & change,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.
He also paid tribute to Amai Chiweshe:
I note with sadness the death of a mighty woman of God, Amai T Chiweshe who passed on this(Thursday) morning.
Amai Chiweshe was pastoring in Chitungwiza.She was wife to the powerful late Evangelist PD Chiweshe.May we all be consoled in Lord during this sad moment.Rev 14:13 RIP Mupositori!
Tinotenda Kadewere says it’s an honour to receive a nomination in the Prix Marc-Vivien Foe 2021.
The Lyon striker became the first Zimbabwean to be nominated for the award which is named after the late Cameroonian midfielder Marc-Vivien Foé and recognises outstanding African players in the French Ligue 1.
Reacting to the news, Kadewere tweeted: “What an honor it is to be shortlisted for the Prix Marc-Vivien Foe best African player in Ligue 1 awards.”- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA CONDEMNS THE CAPTURED POLICE FOR PUBLICLY MOLESTING ITS ORGANIC LEADER VONGAI TOME.
09 APRIL 2021
The Zanupf-Sponsored police must stop their incessant sexual harassment and arbitrary arrests of our vulnerable women membership and leadership in the national democratic revolution. Vongai Tome, our leader was molested infront of the camera by an overzealous police officer during the trial of Cde Mako at Rotten Row Court on the 6th of April 2021. Her crime was just offering solidarity to a fellow social democrat who was incarcerated for for expressing his zeal for equality and justice before the law.
What becomes more frustrating is that our vibrant was arrested yet she was sexually assaulted by the police officer. Instead of bringing the errant pokicer to account , they decided to illegally arrested her for raising her complaint now together with d Ngoni Mupfumba , a member of the national youth assembly who had also come in solidarity with Cde Makomborero Haruzivishe.
We demand the immediate release of our organic social democrats who are ready to confront Zanupf Satanists. The rogue Zanupf regime must halt their perpetuation of war against its the desperate young women and men in the motherland. Ngoni’s crime was to attend court in solidarity with Mako. Mdc Alliance Namibia is Cognisant of the fact that Vongai and Ngoni are not criminals but prisoners of conscience who are fighting for better livelihoods.
In a nutshell, Mdc Alliance Namibia still demands the immediate release of Makomborero Haruzivishe, our symbol of a serious fighting against Zanupf shenanigans and their surrogates. We continue to demand an abrupt end to Joana , Cecilia and Netsai’s continued incarceration. Justice anywhere is justice everywhere and injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. Lets converge as citizens to win Zimbabwe for complete change.
Tinashe Sambiri|Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is using colonial tactics to suppress dissenting voices, MDC Alliance Youth Assembly official, Valerie Karimakwenda has said.
In a detailed article Karimakwenda accused Mr Mnangagwa of using typical Ian Smith tactics to silence perceived political opponents.
See full article below:
By Valerie Karimakwenda MDC Alliance UK And Ireland Youth Assembly Organising Secretary
Massive displacements, which are the norm now, affecting barely known minorities are illustrious of the factual observation of how Zanu Pf and the Zimbabwe pre-independence governments are two sides of a shaved, debased coin, devoid of empathy towards the most economically vulnerable communities, good governance for vaccination against such vulnerabilities.
This article focuses on how the so called Zanu Pf revolution is now eating its children, a tragedy characteristic of piss poor revolutionary ideology, and mere chicken logic limited comprehension of independence, democracy, the epitomes of good governance, which would have protected the targeted minority communities for massive displacements.
Why did settler governments, such as that of Smith go to great pains to hide vital information? Why does Zanu Pf go to great lengths of pursuing the same policy?
The reason is because, in technical terms, media repression, allows for disinformation dissemination which is a preservative of the status quo that is hideous, illegal and illegitimate.
Traits that Zanu Pf and the settler governments have, similarly.
Media repression, is an effective strategic choice akin to lighting a light, putting it in a basket under the bed. A preference for darkness, for light would bring attention and subsequent demands for accountability and transparency, especially with regards with treatment of minorities, in this case for Zanu Pf. Unfortunately, Zanu Pf had an abortion, of transparency and accountability, in the first weeks of term, that is, the last few weeks of April 1980. Because of media repression perpetuated by the recently branded Zanu Pf TV (ZBC) to Auxillia Mnangagwa fantasy show, Zimbabweans are kept in the dark about past, ongoing and future massive displacements.
Cultures and heritages of minorities are not if any deterrent value against a profit offensive, platformed by Zanu Pf. Like the referenced settler governments, no consultations are made with the affected minority communities, nor are they represented in any manner in the deliberations, procedures of setting up of the entities seeking to acquire the ancestral lands of the minorities, at a regulatory or executive level. Their councillors, members of parliament, senators, all from the illegal party of Zanu Pf, don’t care, but are focused on retaining power for perpetual self enrichment, which is a consequence of the minorities displacements by entities linked to those illegally in power, in addition to not having met regulations, such as tax payments.
The Chilonga and Nambya people have a few things in common among them. Both are minority communities, who, with consistency, have aided Zanu Pf in staying in power. This is not a HAA! moment, they deserve it. No, it is a reflection and observation that only Zanu Pf would allow this. The people centered, oriented opposition party would not. A stark difference, and a break from the past, Zanu Pf.
The only genuine opposition, currently focusing on smooth and peaceful transition of power would have respected the minorities cultures and heritages, in addition to consulting them, for their input, which is undeniably, crucial, also ensuring that regulations protecting these communities are in place.
Furthermore, the genuine opposition wouldn’t rely on opaque, probably unconstitutional special permits seeking to deprive minority communities of their ancestral heritages, or any communities for that matter.
The genuine opposition would do community changing things in transparent accountable manner. None of the self enrichment activities fostering nicodemus exploitation of marginalized communities would see light of the day under the watch of the opposition. This explains recalls of people’s champions such as Biti. Typical flight from transparency and accountability by Zanu Pf.
The affected communities will not benefit, barely for the following reasons, employment, especially for the Nambya people by the Chinese, would be exploitative labor, flouting labor and safety regulations.
For both the Nambya and Chilonga people, because of decades long marginalization, evidenced by limited exposure to only public schools with poorest education infrastructure and poorly motivated and educators means that there is an impenetrable glass ceiling for the youth of these communities for social stratification advancement. In addition, this life limited exposure works well for the government and the dubious, above the law companies seeking to exploit these helpless companies.
These are some of the reasons the opposition which is being hounded out of parliament by the scared and paranoid Zanu Pf is fighting tooth and nail for proper and institutionalized devolution of power. Communities such as the Nambya, would thus have a say in their own affairs and governance, drastically mitigating colossal exploitation by Zanu Pf, things such as so called special permits would thus be impotent.
In conclusion, the mentioned minorities, and those yet to be displaced by Zanu Pf, should take this as a wake up call, stop aiding Zanu Pf illegal retention of power , rather they should consider the alternative to Zanu Pf, the people’s project opposition, which among other things would usher in devolution, a synthesis of democracy and good governance, valuing the input of all communities, banishing Zanu Pf spawns such as marginalization.
The opposition, together, especially with the minorities communities would initiate joint custodianship for both cultural and heritages of these communities, together with their possession of their ancestral lands, a clear, clean break from the past, which is undemocratic Zanu Pf and settler governments.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa has said repression is a signal for action and change.
President Chamisa also urged Zimbabweans to remain strong and unwavering despite incessant persecution.
“THE POWER OF FOCUS-People that inspire and encourage in the leadership journey are a rarity. To many of you who encourage and energize when the oppressor is attacking us,THANK YOU! All oppression is temporary.Keep organizing,never agonize.Repression is a signal 4 Action & change,” President Chamisa wrote on Twitter.
He also paid tribute to Amai Chiweshe:
“I note with sadness the death of a mighty woman of God, Amai T Chiweshe who passed on this(Thursday) morning.
Amai Chiweshe was pastoring in Chitungwiza.She was wife to the powerful late Evangelist PD Chiweshe.May we all be consoled in Lord during this sad moment.Rev 14:13 RIP Mupositori!”
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance vice president Hon Lynette Karenyi-Kore has said the sentencing of Makomborero Haruvizishe is an attempt by the Zanu PF regime to “suffocate democratic space in the country.”
Makomborero Haruvizishe was jailed for denouncing rampant looting and corruption, according to Hon Karenyi-Kore.
See her statement below:
Suffocation of Democratic Space: Makomborero Haruziveshe
Makomborero was imprisoned for calling out the Zanu PF-led government for the looting, corruption, murder and arbitrary arrests of opposition members.
He has been thrown behind bars for 14 months for telling the truth known by every Zimbabwean.
Mako represents millions of youths in Zimbabwe who feel their democratic rights have been snatched away by the use of teargas, bullets, partisan judiciary and inhumane prisons.
The youth hold the key to the freedom of the whole country and the tone set by Mako unsettled a regime out of touch with the masses.
Freedom is always a long walk, Makomborero is one of those who have set the first step.
Lynette Karenyi-Kore Vice President MDC Alliance 8 April 2021
“Give a Breath for Health” campaign launched on World Health Day to kickstart global effort for purchasing oxygen and other life-saving supplies and therapeutics
Champion goalkeeper Alisson Becker, World Health Organization (WHO) Goodwill ambassador for health promotion, is kickstarting a new global fundraising campaign, titled “Give a Breath for Health,” driven by the WHO Foundation and WHO. The initiative aims to support the delivery of oxygen and other life-saving supplies to health facilities treating patients with COVID-19 around the world.
The first donation to the “Give a Breath for Health” campaign, made by Alisson, will contribute with supplies to locations in the Amazon and collaborate with the efforts of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), WHO regional office for the Americas, in support of the Ministry of Health of Brazil and the State Health Department of Amazonas.
“I am a proud Brazilian and wish my people the best health possible. Working together we can overcome this difficult moment and I will do what I can to help my country, my Region, and the world, during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Alisson, goalkeeper for the Brazilian national football team and Liverpool Football Club. “While vaccines offer great hope to many countries around the world, there remains a desperate need in many areas for supplies of essential medicines and equipment, including oxygen, to help keep people alive in our hospitals and clinics.”
Part of Alisson’s contribution will be used to purchase non-invasive ventilation masks for people hospitalized in remote parts of Brazil due to COVID-19. The supplies will be delivered to eight municipalities in the state of Amazonas: Coari, Humaitá, Itacoatiara, Lábrea Parintins, São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Tabatinga and Tefé.
The rest of the donation will be used to purchase equipment to fill oxygen cylinders in the municipality of Tabatinga, located on the border with Colombia and Peru. These supplies will help solve a logistical problem regarding the need to send the cylinders to other locations for refilling.
“We are concerned about the situation in the Americas, where a surge in COVID-19 cases is causing some areas to experience very high occupancy rates at intensive care units and putting health systems at risk of collapsing,” said PAHO Director, Carissa F. Etienne. “As more and more patients require hospitalization, solidarity response efforts like the one led by Alisson Becker can help provide health care workers in the Region with much-needed supplies and equipment, including oxygen, to save lives.”
Oxygen delivery is among the priorities identified in WHO’s recently released Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for 2021, for which the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund is seeking to raise funds from individuals, philanthropies, and corporates.
Anil Soni, Chief Executive Officer of the WHO Foundation, thanked Alisson Becker for his generous support to health facilities in the Americas and for being the driving force behind the “Give a Breath for Health” campaign.
“The response to COVID-19 is bigger than any one country or government can manage alone. The ‘Give a Breath for Health’ campaign is an exciting example of how the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund can enable anyone, anywhere to support the urgently needed pandemic response efforts of WHO and its partners.”
About the WHO Foundation
The WHO Foundation is an independent grant-making foundation, based in Geneva, that sets out to protect the health and well-being of everyone in every part of the world, working alongside the World Health Organization and the global health community.
It aims to support donors, scientists, experts, implementing partners, and advocates around the world in rapidly finding new and better solutions to the most pressing global health challenges of today and tomorrow.
The Foundation targets evidence-based initiatives that support WHO in delivering Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (To ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all). It is focused on reducing health risks, averting pandemics, better managing diseases, and creating stronger health systems. It tackles these areas by building awareness and supporting its partners, including WHO, so that every life is invested in and the world is ready for any health emergency that may arise.
WHO Foundation. Together we have so much to achieve.
www.who.foundation
Campaign website
About PAHO
PAHO works with the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of the population. Founded in 1902, it is the oldest international public health organization in the world. It serves as the WHO regional office for the Americas and is the specialized health agency of the inter-American system. More information at www.paho.org
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
By Valerie Karimakwenda MDC Alliance UK And Ireland Youth Assembly Organising Secretary
Massive displacements, which are the norm now, affecting barely known minorities are illustrious of the factual observation of how Zanu Pf and the Zimbabwe pre-independence governments are two sides of a shaved, debased coin, devoid of empathy towards the most economically vulnerable communities, good governance for vaccination against such vulnerabilities.
This article focuses on how the so called Zanu Pf revolution is now eating its children, a tragedy characteristic of piss poor revolutionary ideology, and mere chicken logic limited comprehension of independence, democracy, the epitomes of good governance, which would have protected the targeted minority communities for massive displacements.
Why did settler governments, such as that of Smith go to great pains to hide vital information? Why does Zanu Pf go to great lengths of pursuing the same policy?
The reason is because, in technical terms, media repression, allows for disinformation dissemination which is a preservative of the status quo that is hideous, illegal and illegitimate.
Traits that Zanu Pf and the settler governments have, similarly.
Media repression, is an effective strategic choice akin to lighting a light, putting it in a basket under the bed. A preference for darkness, for light would bring attention and subsequent demands for accountability and transparency, especially with regards with treatment of minorities, in this case for Zanu Pf. Unfortunately, Zanu Pf had an abortion, of transparency and accountability, in the first weeks of term, that is, the last few weeks of April 1980. Because of media repression perpetuated by the recently branded Zanu Pf TV (ZBC) to Auxillia Mnangagwa fantasy show, Zimbabweans are kept in the dark about past, ongoing and future massive displacements.
Cultures and heritages of minorities are not if any deterrent value against a profit offensive, platformed by Zanu Pf. Like the referenced settler governments, no consultations are made with the affected minority communities, nor are they represented in any manner in the deliberations, procedures of setting up of the entities seeking to acquire the ancestral lands of the minorities, at a regulatory or executive level. Their councillors, members of parliament, senators, all from the illegal party of Zanu Pf, don’t care, but are focused on retaining power for perpetual self enrichment, which is a consequence of the minorities displacements by entities linked to those illegally in power, in addition to not having met regulations, such as tax payments.
The Chilonga and Nambya people have a few things in common among them. Both are minority communities, who, with consistency, have aided Zanu Pf in staying in power. This is not a HAA! moment, they deserve it. No, it is a reflection and observation that only Zanu Pf would allow this. The people centered, oriented opposition party would not. A stark difference, and a break from the past, Zanu Pf.
The only genuine opposition, currently focusing on smooth and peaceful transition of power would have respected the minorities cultures and heritages, in addition to consulting them, for their input, which is undeniably, crucial, also ensuring that regulations protecting these communities are in place.
Furthermore, the genuine opposition wouldn’t rely on opaque, probably unconstitutional special permits seeking to deprive minority communities of their ancestral heritages, or any communities for that matter.
The genuine opposition would do community changing things in transparent accountable manner. None of the self enrichment activities fostering nicodemus exploitation of marginalized communities would see light of the day under the watch of the opposition. This explains recalls of people’s champions such as Biti. Typical flight from transparency and accountability by Zanu Pf.
The affected communities will not benefit, barely for the following reasons, employment, especially for the Nambya people by the Chinese, would be exploitative labor, flouting labor and safety regulations.
For both the Nambya and Chilonga people, because of decades long marginalization, evidenced by limited exposure to only public schools with poorest education infrastructure and poorly motivated and educators means that there is an impenetrable glass ceiling for the youth of these communities for social stratification advancement. In addition, this life limited exposure works well for the government and the dubious, above the law companies seeking to exploit these helpless companies.
These are some of the reasons the opposition which is being hounded out of parliament by the scared and paranoid Zanu Pf is fighting tooth and nail for proper and institutionalized devolution of power. Communities such as the Nambya, would thus have a say in their own affairs and governance, drastically mitigating colossal exploitation by Zanu Pf, things such as so called special permits would thus be impotent.
In conclusion, the mentioned minorities, and those yet to be displaced by Zanu Pf, should take this as a wake up call, stop aiding Zanu Pf illegal retention of power , rather they should consider the alternative to Zanu Pf, the people’s project opposition, which among other things would usher in devolution, a synthesis of democracy and good governance, valuing the input of all communities, banishing Zanu Pf spawns such as marginalization.
The opposition, together, especially with the minorities communities would initiate joint custodianship for both cultural and heritages of these communities, together with their possession of their ancestral lands, a clear, clean break from the past, which is undemocratic Zanu Pf and settler governments.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance vice president Hon Lynette Karenyi-Kore has said the sentencing of Makomborero Haruvizishe is an attempt by the Zanu PF regime to “suffocate democratic space in the country.”
Makomborero Haruvizishe was jailed for denouncing rampant looting and corruption, according to Hon Karenyi-Kore.
See her statement below:
Suffocation of Democratic Space: Makomborero Haruziveshe
Makomborero was imprisoned for calling out the Zanu PF-led government for the looting, corruption, murder and arbitrary arrests of opposition members.
He has been thrown behind bars for 14 months for telling the truth known by every Zimbabwean.
Mako represents millions of youths in Zimbabwe who feel their democratic rights have been snatched away by the use of teargas, bullets, partisan judiciary and inhumane prisons. The youth hold the key to the freedom of the whole country and the tone set by Mako unsettled a regime out of touch with the masses.
Freedom is always a long walk, Makomborero is one of those who have set the first step.
Lynette Karenyi-Kore Vice President MDC Alliance 8 April 2021
My twins Tadiwanashe and Tapiwanashe have continued to pin me down seeking some “convincing explanation” as to why the late Leonard Dembo was not accorded a hero status “if he was indeed better than Soul Jah Love who was declared a hero”. I always tell them that the concept of heroism in our Zimbabwean context has remained subjective and at most, controversial. That for another day! At least my wife, Angela Zvipo has always defended my stance on Dembo-because Angie was the “Chitekete, the Sharai, the Gire, the Ziviso, the Ruva Rashe and the Paw Paw” of the late 80s into 90s before she became Mai Two in the early 2000s. Thus, she has the energy and authority to defend the Dembo legacy, fighting from my corner.
Today, the 9th of April 2021, marks 25 years after the demise of my own hero, Leonard Dembo. The man influenced my entire life even in his death. It all started when I was in grade three, in 1987 when my now late uncle Piraishe Mike Mpfuwambwa introduced me to the Dembo and Chibadura music. Those days Dembo’s “Nhamo Moto”, “Kuziva Mbuya Huudzwa” and “Sharai” albums were rocking the airwaves. My uncle would play these tunes each time he was back from the Mozambique operation where, he was part of the regiment that was helping the Frelimo to fight against the notorious Renamo group. Unfortunately, it is that ugly war that subsequently took away my uncle’s life in 1989 (MHSRIP). My now late brother Emmanuel Gumbo, amplified my love for Dembo’s music in early 1990s. Fainos Jika Nkomo, my childhood friend and neighbor in Mberengwa may testify how, together, we would spend the whole day listening to Zii Zii, Gire, Kukura Kwedu, Ziviso, and Chitekete in his father’s house around 1995/6. Yet, my childhood friend, Piason “Golie” Sigauke will tell you of the incident at Chiipire place at Jeka Business Centre in Mberengwa West where we played Zii Zii the whole night. This was in 1992 and we wanted to console ourselves after our Guruva School Under 16 Soccer Team had been robbed of a clear win by Chegato High School Team in a match that had been marred with controversy played at Ruzengwe School earlier that afternoon.
At the University of Zimbabwe, my colleagues called me “Dembo” because of my uncontrollable love for Dembo music. I actually liked it, to be associated with such a man who had totally influenced my life was a great honor for me. My feelings, my taste of music, political and social world view are all hinged on this music which others have described as sungura while others like Fred Zindi (2020) argue that it is jiti with rhumba infusion. I am not ashamed to be associated with Dembo.
The history of Leonard Dembo has remained sketchy and, in most cases, distorted. I have always been concerned that our future generations will not be able to fully understand the history of this music legend. At times I even feel bad that my sons do not seem to value the music of Dembo, the man I highly regard in my life, let alone comparing him to the likes of little known the late Sauro. I have always tried to be so hard to my sons by arguing that comparing Dembo to their most loved Sauro is like comparing the Barcelona Football Club to the virtually unknown Bvumbura or Mavorovondo Boozers Clubs who are not even in any football category. This is how I thought I would influence their perspective on Dembo. I forgive my sons because my generation has not done enough to preserve the history of our departed musicians in general. I however, salute Fred Zindi and a few others who have committed their time to dig and preserve the history of our late musicians.
Nevertheless, what has remained clear is that the early history of Dembo in particular is not known or at least not complete. Where the history is attempted at, it remains controversial if not confused.
This situation is not true of other departed musicians whose history is well known and documented without any controversy surrounding it. These include musicians such as Oliver and Sam Mtukudzi, Cephas Mashakada, Jordan Chataika, Chimbetu brothers (Simon, Naison, and Brian), Paul Matavire, Tongai Moyo, Daiton Somanje, Tedius Muchapedza Matsito, Tinei Chikupo, John Chibadura, Fanyana Dube, Solomon Skuza, James Chimombe, Biggie Tembo, Tazvida Brothers (System and Peter), Chiwoniso Maraire, Dumisani Maraire, Tendai Mupfurutsa, Marshal Munhumumwe, Thomas Makioni, Ephat Mujuru, Nduna Malaba, Brian Sibalo, Don Gumbo, Sekuru Gora, Kenneth Chigodora, Beater Mangethe, Safirio Madzikatire, George Pada, Marko Sibanda, Mukoma Ketai, Jonah Sithole, Jackie Madondo, Andy Brown and many more.
One wonders why the Dembo early days have continued to be exposed to various interpretations. I try in this piece to sample a few issues in Dembo’s history which have not seen writers or even fans converging. I relied heavily on my personal experience with Dembo music (an experience spanning from 1987 to 2021); numerous newspaper articles by Zindi mainly in the Standard; Tawanda Marwizi of the Herald; Tendai Dembo’s letter in the Standard; Fidelis Manyange of the Patriot and the long interview on Dembo aired by the ZBC’s National FM on 9 April 2020 featuring Raphael Makwiramiti who was Dembo’s longtime friend and manager, Michel Jambo, Innocent Mujintu, Mbuya Dembo and Eunice Dembo (the wife to the musician).
BirthDayDebate
I went through much of the available literature on the internet and was astonished to observe that even Dembo’s birth day is an area of discussion. While 6 February 1959 has always been regarded as his birth day, another date is cited in the literature. I had hoped to see Fred Zindi, who has emerged as one of the main sources of much of Dembo’s history (at least as far as I am concerned) citing the musician’s birth day, but I could not confirm with him on this one. One of Dembo’s sons, Tendai, is cited as having written in April 2020, giving 29 December 1959 as the birth day for his late father. Interestingly, Tendai actually warns that anyone who may claim to know his father’s early history will be lying to the world. According to Tendai, the first “authentic” documentation of the history of his father was when he had released the song Manga Majaira Matsotsi in 1979. This assertion by Tendai is not supported by any known literature to the current writer.
However, there seems to exist some agreement that Leonard’s father died and left him while he was five years old. Leonard’s sister was at eight, while his brother was three years old then. These young ones were left to fend for themselves probably subsequently influencing Dembo’s later messages in his music particularly in Nhamo Takura Nayo, Nhamo Moto, Kukura Kwedu and other songs he composed.
Chivi-Chirumanzu : Masvingo-MidlandsControversy
Many sources I have consulted have indicated that Dembo was born in Chivi, Masvingo province. Yet, alternative sources argue that Leonard was born in Chirumanzu (Chaka area) in the Midlands province. This leaves one confused as to the truth regarding Dembo’s birth place. I tried to figure out how Chivi could have been confused for Chirumanzu considering that these places fall in totally different provinces. This is one area that Fred Zindi and others may want to continue interrogating to smoothen this curve. Writing in 2017, Zindi claims to have interviewed Dembo himself in 1993 when he indicated that he was born in Chirumanzu, in the Midlands. Remember, it was rare, very rare indeed, for Dembo to concede for an interview. He was camera shy such that his shows were not officially covered by the media. Reports indicate that he would leave the stage to “deal” with anyone who would have attempted at taking a picture of the show. This probably explains why not much is known about this musician. I know of a few videos of Dembo: Manager, Sharai and some live coverage of his show on the internet. Yet, it is argued that all these were impromptu recordings of Dembo thereby suggesting that it could have been against his will. Ethically, it is wrong to take a picture of someone without his or her consent. At least unethical as it may be, we now have something about this legend in form of videos. So…whose report are we going to believe about Dembo’s birth place?
WhatisintheName(s)
There is general consensus among those who commit to write about the musician’s history that his first name was Leonard (although a few regard Kwangwari as the first name). Notable differences come with regards to the second and nick names associated with him. For Tendai Dembo, his father’s name was Leonard Tazvivinga aka Leonard Musorowenyoka Mavara Dembo. Please, reader, note how Mavara and Dembo have been separated here. Yet, other sources call him Leonard Dembomavara. Still, others argue that he was born Kwangwari Gwaindepi. Citing, Dembo as the source, Zindi (2017) further indicates that the musician himself confirmed that he was born Leonard Tazvivinga Dembomavara.
Then comes the other one, Musorowenyoka. Some sources argue that this nickname was given to him as an appreciation of Dembo’s skills that could be matched with those of a snake. Indeed, here was a skillful musician whose lead guitar almost “talked”. His artistic hand manifested clearly in Kutinya Marimba (I request you to play this one and you will see what I mean reader). Yet, others hold that Musorowenyoka came about as a result of the shape of his bald head. If this is true then, what some writers claim can be true too, that at one-point, Dembo had to beat up a fan who had called him by that name and it could have been unpalatable.
Buhera-Bulawayo-Harare-Bulawayo-Harare
According to Zindi, at the age of seven when he started his primary education in Buhera, Dembo was already a good guitarist. Again, one alternative source argues that the musician became a guitarist at nine and not seven. In any case, on this one, the difference is the same though. There is general agreement that Dembo left Buhera for Bulawayo where he continued with his education up to grade seven. Controversy is back though! There are those who argue that Dembo never saw the door of a secondary classroom as he could not afford the school fees. This is in stark disagreement with yet another strong position that Dembo attended Chembira Secondary School in Harare and could only drop later due to fees challenges. According to Zindi (2017), Dembo himself shared that he left before completing form four, further strengthening the possibility that he attended secondary education though probably not reaching higher levels.
Listening to Dembo’s music, I can not confirm his literacy or illiteracy levels. I normally joke with my wife that the only English words that Dembo knew very well were “Very Sorry where Sorry is spelt as Sori” and “Dear where it is spelt Dhiya”. There is a song I like which ran like “Ndati sorry, very sorry, mudiwa wangu sorivo…. mangwana zvichava zvako mudiwa wangu sorivo…”.
The search for employment saw Dembo going back to Bulawayo (year not known or at least not documented). While in Bulawayo, when it had become clear that there was no employment for him, Dembo met someone whose advice later changed his life completely. It was in 1979 according to available sources when Dembo met Cosmas Nyathi, a very good guitarist who advised him to consider entering the music industry. In 1980, Dembo found his way back to Harare. This was the year the country attained its independence although it is not known whether this was one of the key factors for his change of location. While Bulawayo is featuring very well in Dembo’s sketchy history, I have not come across any hit song that he attempted in Ndebele-maybe Amalume?
While in Harare, Dembo told Zindi in 1993, teamed up with four others but tried unsuccessfully to record any song. This however, further built his confidence and skills in the music industry. Thus, in 1982, he joined a group known as the Outsiders. It is under this group that the hit “Venenzia” was produced. I remember one of my brothers back in Mberengwa, Ashely (Asheli)Gumbo earning the name Venenzia for his love of the song. The release of two more hits, Dambudzo and Amalume changed the whole Dembo brand. Dambudzo, is still a hit to this day (though at times for the wrong reasons where opponents of President Emerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa would want to use it to convey their message of disapproval of the regime’s polices).
From the literature, it is not clear when Dembo left the Outsiders to join the Five Notes. It is not even clear whether it was from the Five Notes to the Outsiders. What is also not clear is the year he formed his own group, Barura Express. Some say it was in 1984 while others argue that Barura Express was only formed in 1985. Those arguing for 1984, go further to assert that it is with the Barura Express that Dembo recorded Mai neVana Vavo in the same year. Writers are not agreed on the source of the name Barura itself. Some claim that it was named after a mountain either in Buhera or Chivi. The good thing is that if one becomes serious about resolving this particular controverse in the history of Dembo, he or she can visit the two areas and confirm the existence or non-existence of such a mountain in any of the two areas. Members of the Barura Express later included, Innocent Mujintu (only surviving member now according to available sources), Alexander Muudzwa, Chrispen Zimburu, Cosmas Nyathi, Kidson Madzorera, Shepard Akim.
Dembo’sMusicLibrary
It is with the Badura Express that Dembo recorded the following albums: “Amai Nevana Vavo “ (1984) (this can only be confirmed once the birth day of the group Barura Express itself is ascertained),“Nhamo Moto” (1986), “Kuziva Mbuya Huudzwa” (1987), “Sharai” (1987), “Kukura Kwedu” (1988), “Ruva Rashe” (1989), “Kukura Hakutani” (1990, which was a 12-inch disc-we called it an LP for long play), “Chitekete” (1991), “Tinokumbira Kurarama/Madhiri” (1992), “Mazano” (1993), “Kutinya Marimba” (1993), “Nzungu Ndamenya” (1994),“Pawpaw” (1994), “Shiri Yakangwara” (1995) and “Babamunini” (1996).
Chitekete-MazanoHits
Chitekete was released in 1991 and within two weeks, it had sold over 100 000 copies. This was the most successful song of all times in Zimbabwe, at least according to the multitudes of Dembo fans. Some sources have argued that the song was written long back when Dembo was still a herd boy in the rural areas. While the song became a hit, Raphael Makwiramiti, argues that it was Mazano that was the most successful one and actually “built Dembo’s Belvedere House”. Makwiramiti shared this in a long interview that was aired on ZBC’s National FM in 2020 to celebrate the life of Dembo. Makwiramiti presented himself as a person who new Dembo’s life more than any other person in Zimbabwe. He had a lot to share about their professional and personal lives with Dembo. He however, conceded that Dembo’s only trusted friend in the industry was another musician, the Vimbiso hit maker, Michel Jambo. When he was not on stage, Dembo used to fly with Makwiramiti to Bulawayo or South Africa, Makwiramiti shared. From that radio interview, it was clear that Makwiramiti was instrumental in raising the Dembo brand. Dembo’s mother, in the same interview seemed to confirm the role that Makwiramiti played till the musician’s last hours on earth and even in death.
RelationshipwiththeMediaandtheCameraHolders
Fame comes with its own package of harassment and criticism by the media, fans and promoters as well as high and at times difficult to fulfil expectations from the fans. What seems to be well known about Dembo is his relationship (or lack of it) with the media. He is often described as a media or camera-shy musician. Closely looking at the few videos that I talked to earlier on, I noted this characteristic of Dembo. It is recorded that he never liked to be photographed.
Those who tried to do so, they did it at their own peril according to all sources consulted. There are stories where he would beat up fans or journalists who would have tried to take a photograph of his shows. Interestingly, the “talking” guitar could be strategically turned into a weapon to discipline such “culprits”. Indeed, sources show that Dembo was such a short-tempered musician. Makwiramiti shared of an incident when Dembo beat up his Manager at Delta, probably prompting him to compose and release the song that ran Zvaunotuka Manager Variivo Vanokupa Mari…Ko Mhuri Yako Mwanawe Unozoichengeta Neiko…..At some point, reports Manyange, Dembo in 1992, discharged a firearm when a crowd had blocked his Toyota Cressida trying to stop him from leaving as they wanted him to continue playing. Of course, it is said that he faced the demands of the law in that case. Zindi, continued to share of another incident when the University of Zimbabwe rowdy students also harassed Dembo, demanding that he continue playing even though nature had demanded that he briefly leave the stage. That is how fans can treat their own “idols” at times. Mbiri inouya nemuseredzero, Oliver Mtukudzi warned.
Superstitious-Religious
It was shared by Makwiramiti that Dembo would argue that a video would expose him to witches who could destroy him through a needle (kumubaya netsono patelevision).
The man was so superstitious, according to Makwiramiti, that he even suspected some of his contemporary artists such as Simon Chimbetu and John Chibadura (whom he called Zvigure) of having supernatural powers capable of destroying his career. Some beerhall talk (not confirmed in the literature) went on to suggest that Dembo hated Chimbetu to the extent of composing a celebratory song when the Chopper had been jailed in the early 1990s. The suggestion is that Shamwari Yangu Warova (commonly known as Madhiri) was meant for the purpose.
Dembo was a believer in ancestral and supernatural. Mbuya Dembo shared that her son would always drive down to Chirumanzu to take her to Harare to facilitate the brewing of some traditional beer that would be used as offering to the ancestors each time a new album was to be launched. Manyange (of the Patriot), writing in 2018, indicates that Dembo’s right hand was always full of “black power wrist bands” signifying his belief in some super powers resident somewhere.
Although, this claim was not supported by any other alternative source, Manyange indicates that Dembo contracted a builder from some rural area (I will not mention it here since I am sensitive of some of these issues) to construct his Belvedere Home out of his strong belief in superstitions. Mbuya Dembo added that her son used “bute” each time he was discussing serious family issues with the mother.
I noted that during his last years on earth, Dembo sang much of Yahweh (our Almighty). In Mutadzi Ngaaregererwe, Ndiri Mudiki Handina Nharo Nemwi, Yave, Kangamwiro and others, Dembo clearly expressed his fear and respect of the Almighty beyond his ancestors. Indeed, when he was no longer well in terms of his health, Dembo was connected to the Madzibaba Sect by Nicholas Zacharia. I am not going to venture much into the Madzibaba story for this piece. What I can only say is that Mbuya Dembo shared that despite his association with the Madzibaba Church, on his death bed, Dembo actually requested a scud from his mother when she had visited him at the Avenues Clinic some hours before his death. It can be concluded that Dembo was a religious man-he believed in and worshipped a superhuman controlling power.
PoliticalConsciousness
While Dembo could not openly criticize or support the political players of the day, for me he was politically conscious. Getting into his library, one may not see much that pointed towards Dembo as a politically conscious musician. I however, noted his song that ran like Kana Ndorangarira Magamba eZimbabwe…paChinhoyi…Akafa Achishupika aya…. Misodzi Inobuda kana Ndorangarira…. panedzimwe Dzimba dzakaparara…. paChinhoyi…. pakasara vana nherera…. Clearly, this confirms Dembo’s consciousness about the political developments of the day. I remember, this song was normally played on the then Radio 2 whenever we were preparing to celebrate our independence in April of each year.
Linked to this is his social justice drive. In the album Chitekete, there is a song entitled Chinyemu. Sources have generally agreed that Dembo was contesting the heavy taxes that were imposed by the Tax Man onto the worker then. The heavy tax that characterized the taxation process in Zimbabwe, left the worker with nothing for his or her family. Kwaiva kunyemudziwa chaiko. You earn some amount as your salary and almost half of that is taken by the Tax Man, then Chinyemu chaicho ichi. Thus, though not so politically rooted, Dembo was aware of the social, economic and political issues that affected his society.
AttemptingtoSummarizeDembo’sMessaging
Generally, Dembo’s message was centered around societal issues pertaining to love, unity, peace, social justice and for me politics too. Briefly, I try to sample a few of his songs and the key messages he pursued as far as I am concerned:
• On love, Dembo’s library cannot be exhausted but here is sample: Chitekete; Dzinde Rerudo; Ruva Rashe; Zii Zii; Gire; Paw Paw; Janet; Dudzai; Ziviso; Venenzia; Dambudzo; Sarura Wako; Chengeto, Dhiya Wangu Lovemore, Kukura Hakutani, Thulisile Ruva ReMoyo, Wakandigona, Funga Zuva Rimwe paGore, Tamba Yangu Nditambe Yako, and many more
• Political consciousness: Kana Ndorangarira Magamba eZimbabwe
• On poverty: Murombo; Rimwe Gore Muchandidemba
• Social justice: Chinyemu
• Forgiveness: Tinokumbira Kurarama/Mutadzi Ngaaregererwe; Kangamwiro; Very Sorry and others
• On advice: Shiri Yakangwara; Hande Kumusha Vadzimu Vedu Vafare; Zorora Wawana, Manager, Zvinonakidza Zvinoyerera Nenyika Mwanangu and others
• Culturally rooted: Wadanen’anga; Musha Rudzii; Mazano and others
• Familyhood: Mai Nevana Vavo; Sekuru Ndibatsireiwo Ndadaidzira Nemisodzi Ndanzwa; Vane Mazita Makuru Havatukwi; Miriro; Janet; Fungai and others
• On in laws: Vamwene NeMuroora Ndapota; Tezvara Ndinokutendai; Nzungu Ndamenya; Munovenga Mudzimai Wangu and others
• On relationship with other artistes: Madhiri/Shamwari Yangu Warova
• On his departure from earth: Babamunini Hamungadaro; Ndirimudiki Handina Nharo; Yave
Lastly, my greatest appreciation goes to the Dembo family, Mbuya Dembo, the wife (Eunice), Morgan, Tendai and Fenny for keeping the legacy of my hero alive. Thank you Fenny for coordinating our Facebook platform, Dembo the Legend where as fans we find time to exchange ideas regarding our hero. I wish all the fans a happy Dembo Day, the 9th of April 2021.
I offer to lead a Dembo Day Movement if that is a good idea with all the Dembo fans and family. However, reader, please contact me on Email: [email protected] or WhatsApp or Call: +263773 218 860 or follow me on @DrTinasheGumbo1 for any feedback about this article and my concrete suggestions made.
The conviction on trumped up charges of MDC Alliance Youth Assembly national executive member Makomborero Haruzivishe could well be the signal for Zimbabweans to sreetify their revulsion of Emmerson Mnangagwa’s continued repression of the people of Zimbabwe.
What happened this week is a signal for decisive action, a frenzied exhortation, nay an incitement by the regime itself for Zimbabweans to express their full measure of disapproval through massive peaceful action as permitted under the national Constitution.
Since 2017, this illegitimate regime has provocatively poked our eyes: the murders and callous killings, the abductions and brutal assaults, the unwarranted recalls of elected MPs and councillors, the escalating repression and human rights abuses, the massive sleaze and corruption by senior State actors and the politically connected elite, the imprisonment of innocent citizens while those who looted State funds are roaming the streets are all part of a toxic milieu representative of the cumulative taunts now demanding a decisive response.
On my part, this is the last time I am writing about the need for decisive action. We have spoken the action for far too long. The time has now come for us to collectively act the action and not to continuously speak it!
Let us now act the action and Mako’s needless 24 months effective sentence is enough signal for us to change gear.
This is the signal that some Zimbabweans have been clamouring for.
Yes, this is the signal.
Our problem is that we so much deify and personalise a whole struggle to the extent that we expect the signal to come from some political leader or a lofty office vested with power. While leaders should lead the struggle, the signal may invariably not come from them. This is our struggle and our leaders who are not new to arrests and brutality themselves will be part of us on the streets but they may not necessarily originate the signal themselves, just as it may be a poor kid with a running nose who rings the bell for school assembly and not necessarily the school headmaste himself. The reality is that the school headmaster sometimes dashes for the school assembly at the sound of the a bell that he has not rung himself!
Throughout history, it is low profile people and not elite politicians and leaders with high profile names that have spurred seismic political shifts and revolutions. It has always been the seemingly innocuous innocent triggers by unfancied small names that have provided the big moments in history. History has rarely been made by some pronouncement by a high profile political leader. The signal always originates from the infamous non-lesders. It was the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand as he walked along Appel Quay Street in Sarajevo that triggered the First World War that realigned world geopolitics to reverberating echoes that have endured to this day.
In January 2011, it was the inconspicuous 26 year old Mohamed Bouazizi who triggered what became known as the Arab Spring and reshaped the politics of a whole subregion in a way never seen before.
And in our case it is young Makomborero Haruzivishe who literally whistled the clarion call to give the much awaited signal, in coincidental fulfilment of my submission three weeks ago that the youth of this generation must exhibit gallantry by stepping up to the plate.
Mako has given the signal. His conviction is a bellowing call to a whole nation to “luke” this ruthless cabal right into the retina of their wicked and murderous eye!
In August 2020, I wrote about the lessons that can be drawn from history on the efficacy of peaceful, non-violent action by a repressed people in changing their tenuous lived circumstance.
Fellow Zimbabweans, this is the signal.
This week’s conviction of an innocent young man and the bid to create an imperial President through the passing of the Constitutional Amendment No. 1 Bill, even if the much-vaunted passage may be patently unconstitutional, both represent two middle fingers by this regime.
The beast now deserves a robust response.
This is the signal.
Historians and ardent scholars of political science may well know that the route of massive but peaceful action has been used before to redraw a despondent people’s parlous circumstances.
In every jurisdiction, it is the people–and not the leaders—who are truly sovereign. As long as they engage in massive peaceful action within the precincts of their respective Constitutions, it is always the remit of ordinary ituzens to sculpt, redefine and determine the manner in which they ought to be governed.
In the case of Zimbabwe, section 59 of the Constitution, a Constitution written by the people themselves and affirmed in a referendum in May 2013, gives citizens the inalienable right to protest and petition the government, provided they do it peacefully in line with the dictates of the supreme law of the land.
In the run-up to and in the aftermath of July 31 2020, there was a flurry of statements, nay a hubbub of noises and even needless arrests by the regime in Harare ostensibly to proscribe, malign, vilify and criminalise the people’s democratic right to protest and petition. And yet our Constitution unambiguously gives citizens the inherent right to peacefully exercise people power in order to prise open the ears of an impervious government, moreso one that pickpocketed the people’s will in July 2018.
Memory is a site of the struggle. Memory is a hortative realm to encourage a cowed but repressed citizenry that invariably gets frightened away from its sacred right to point out the glaring inadequacies of their own leaders. Indeed, history is replete with myriad inspiring incidents of peaceful, non-violent people power that fundamentally shaped and redefined the governance culture in various countries and carved out new circumstances for a people that were on the brink of losing hope. What is ironic in Harare is how a regime that circumvented the electoral route in November 2017 is now repeatedly reminding us, adinfinitum , of its purported legitimate mandate, even if they yet again sneaked onto the citadel of authority through the pitch-dark orifice of electoral pilferage in 2018.
Now they are accusing innocent people of incitement and violence, yet the only large-scale violence we have ever witnessed as a country has been at the behest of the State. In fact, it is the State itself that has engaged in a frenzied quest to incite Zimbabweans through unmitigated human rights abuses and the undeserved conviction of innocent citizens like Makomborero Haruzivishe.
On the occasion of the country’s Defence Forces Day last year, Mnangagwa paid tribute to the military for quelling what he called “foreign – sponsored violent action” by the country’s civic and political groups. The irony was lost on him that it was rogue members of the same military he was lauding that day—and to which he is Commander-in-Chief—that were fingered in the August 1 2018 brutal violence and murder of the country’s citizens by the Mothlante Commission of Inquiry that he appointed himself. Today, the country’s citizenry awaits those culprits in the military to face justice in line with the recommendations of Mnangagwa’s own Commission of Inquiry. The problem in this country has never been citizen violence but State-sponsored violence that began with the Gukurahundi massacres in the early 1980s and in which Mnangagwa’s notorious name features prominently.
This treatise once again gives snippets of some history lessons on the utility of peaceful, non-violent people action as a prudent route in redefining new circumstances for an oppressed citizenry. The moment demands a reflighting of these inspiring non-violent moments in history. After the signal for action that came from the ill-deserved conviction of a courageous and innocent young man, we should know that simple acts of peaceful, non-violent action by a committed people has in the past collapsed the presumed invincibility of despots in the mould of Emmerson Mnangagwa.
1 . RosaParks
I have previously intimated on the monumental consequences of a simple non-violent gesture by one Rosa Parks, a citizen of the United States, on a sunny day on Thursday, 1 December 1955.
Wielding no gun and brandishing no weapon at all, Rosa refused to abet the racist laws in her country through compliance. Declining the mandatory rule to stand up and cede her seat to white passengers in the bus, Rosa remained glued to her seat so that the dignity of the black person could stand again. Put simply, she stood up to racial segregation by committing herself to sitting down! That simple, non-violent gesture triggered the Montgomery bus boycott mainly by black citizens in a move that would greatly impact on American history.
Under the leadership of Martin Luther King Jnr, a largely black population with a sprinkling of white sympathisers made a tenacious and audacious statement against racism by boycotting the racism-riven buses for almost a year. The bus boycott lasted until 13 November 1956 when the Supreme Court ruled that racial laws requiring segregation in the United States were unconstitutional. Throughout that whole year of boycotting the buses, the people had decided it was far much better to walk in dignity than to ride the buses in humiliation!
Racism was the signal and peaceful, non-violent people power had triumphed yet again!
2 . MartinLutherKingJrandhisinspirationalspeech
On 28 August 1963, during the Washington March, Martin Luther King Jnr electrified the 250 000 non-violent crowd when he delivered his famous I-have-a-dream speech at the Lincoln Memorial. The peaceful, non-violent march culminated in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Yet again, violation of human rights was the signal and peaceful, non-violent people power triumphed and redefined a people’s circumstances.
In March 1965, Martin Luther King Jnr led the celebrated 87 kilometers march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery in the face of hostility and brutal, vicious attacks by whites. The aim of the peaceful march was to dramatise the dire need for a Federal Voting Rights Bill. The landmark legislation, the Voting Rights Act which enfranchised black people, was passed into law by Congress the same year in 1965.
The desire for the right to vote was the signal. And peaceful, non-violent people power triumphed and redefined a country’s laws and governance culture.
King Jnr, who was not a leader of any political party, encapsulated the efficacy of non-violent people power. On April 4 1968, when he was assassinated by a sniper as he stood on a balcony in Memphis, Tennessee, he had taught the world a cardinal lesson on the utility and efficacy of non-violent people power. A few weeks after his death, the Civil Rights Act was passed by Congress, an enduring testimony to what non-violent people power could achieve.
The citizens’ tenuous circumstances were the signal and eventually, massive people action triumphed.
Zimbabweans must continue to be agitated and encouraged by these events from History. In any case, it is perfectly within their Constitutional right to sonorously and peacefullly express themselves in order to redefine their own lived circumstances because others have done it before.
This treatise is not meant to incite but solely to give insight on how others have done it before. In any case, it is not criminal to incite a people to exercise an inalienable right that is enshrined in their own Constitution.
3 . ThecollapseoftheUSSR
In June 1989, the USSR collapsed by dint of seismic but massive non-violent people action. People power led to the collapse of Mikhail Gorbachev’s Soviet Union and a people’s circumstances changed without a bullet being fired. The Warsaw Pact folded and in one fell swoop, the map of Eastern Europe was redrawn by popular movements.
The people’s dire lived circumstances were the signal to action and peaceful, non-violent people power triumphed yet again.
Take note, Zimbabwe. By sheer collective courage and unstinting tenacity, a people’s desperate circumstances were redrawn and redefined.
In neighbouring South Africa, despite spending 27 years in prison on Robben Island, Nelson Mandela took the route of non-violence through dialogue, negotiation and sheer political dexterity to carve out a Rainbow nation of unity, peace and development. South Africa’s independence largely came through the CODESA talks and through negotiation; itself exogenous to the tenuous route of violence and massive loss of human life. Nelson Mandela became the embodiment of Ghandi’s notion of satyagraha or non-violence. For his efforts, the indefatigable Madiba won the Nobel Peace Prize. Through his aversion to violence, Mandela exhorted an oppressed people and charmed the world through his uncanny dexterity in avoiding both violence and needless triumphalism.
Independent South Africa has had its fair share of critics for its enduring racial inequality but we can learn a lot from Madiba about the power, efficacy and utility of shepherding an oppressed people to pursue the path of non-violence.
5 . ThefallofFerdinandMarcosinthePhilippines
It was equally through the triumph of non-violent people power in the Phillipines that the dictator Ferdinand Marcos fell.
It remains a cardinal lesson that fraudulent elections have a knack of sealing the fate of dictators.Like the proverbial deck of cards, Marcos’ avowed dictatorship crumbled on 22 February 1986 in the aftermath of a pilfered plebiscite. The optics of defecting soldiers and unarmed nuns confronting an armed military was the acme of the triumph of non-violent people power!
Repression of the people was the signal and eventually non-violent people power won the day.
6 . SharpevilleandTiananmenSquare
Non-violence works. Even in instances where a peaceful but agitated people’s action has been violently suppressed through murder and repression, the echoes of people power have endured. Pertinent examples are the Sharpeville massacre of 21 March 1960 and the Tiananmen Square incident in China in June 1989 which pricked the world’s conscience because of the sheer heartlessness through which desperate and oppressed voices were brutally quietened.
In the case of the Sharpeville massacre, it was clear South Africa would never be the same again, even if the oppressor for a moment appeared to have won the duel with the people. In the case of Sharpeville, it is poignant to note that even after the callous murders of innocent people, the world still listened to the voice of the oppressed and that is why Chief Albert Luthuli deservedly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960.
Keep prodding, Zimbabwe. Momentous collective action by the people works and a peek into history will yield practical modules on the successive triumphs of peaceful, non-violent people power!
7 . MorganTsvangirai , GibsonSibandaandtheZCTU
Closer home, it was the peaceful, non-violent but robust ZCTU-led protests under the leadership of Gibson Sibanda and Morgan Tsvangirai in 1998 that culminated in the formation of a people’s project called the Movement for Democratic Change. The non-violent protests eventually catapulted into the national political limelight a humble trade unionist called Morgan Richard Tsvangirai. Zimbabwe’s politics would never be the same again after the massive display of non-violent people power in 1998.
The deteriorating social, economic and political conditions had provided the signal and the heroic people of this land responded accordingly by redrawing the country’s political terrain.
The politics of boycott represents another form of non-violence and at one point “Boycott” became Morgan Tsvangirai’s middle name. Notwithstanding the derisive reference by some to boycott as a prudent political and even electoral strategy, it often-times works depending on the context and here an example on this will suffice. It is important to restress that it is the context that determines the utility and efficacy of boycott as a political strategy.
In 2008, there was a massive blood-letting of ordinary Zimbabweans by the Mugabe regime, with Mnangagwa tugging RGM’s brutal coat-tails as a key accomplice, for ED was the Minister of Defence in the military-led brutality against the innocent citizens of this land.
Hundreds, if not thousands of Morgan Tsvangirai’s supporters lost their lives following his victory in the first-round poll of 29 March 2008. Tsvangirai eventually pulled out of the proposed run-off poll that was due on 27 June 2008. Following that senseless and mindless blood-letting, I was personally involved in the drafting of Tsvangirai’s speech in which he announced his withdrawal from the blood – soaked run-off plebiscite.
In his speech, delivered on Saturday 22 June 2008, Morgan Tsvangirai famously declared : “I refuse to walk to State House on top of dead bodies and graves.”
Because of Tsvangirai’s withdrawal, the run-off poll became a sham as both SADC and the AU said the outcome of 27 June 2008 did not represent the will of the people of Zimbabwe.
Yes, there are times when participation endorses and legitimises a farce. It may be prudent in some moments to stay away from a grand sham disguised as the genuine article, as the MDC failed to do after SADC had insisted at its summit in Maputo in June 2013 that the Zimbabwe plebiscite slated for the following month should be postponed until a comprehensive reform package was implemented so as to ensure a truly free, fair and credible poll. But by dint of its wisdom or lack of it, the collective MDC participated in the charade and in the process legitimised a gigantic fraud.
Yet through the withdrawal from a sham run-off poll on 22 June 2008, it was that profound affinity to the sanctity of non-violence by the people of Zimbabwe under the able leadership of Morgan Tsvangirai that bred the inclusive government and gave the people respite. Tsvangirai simply led the people away from a violent sham.
In the end, the boycott became a peaceful, non-violent people power that bred bred a new administration in Harare and spawned habitable national circumstances in the aftermath of the massive violence of 2007-2008. The inclusive government was a product of clean hands and an adept leadership that had simply walked away from violence, which resulted in the June 27 2008 event having a sole runner–a violent solo political athlete who failed to convince the world he had won the bloody race in which he had curiously contested against himself!
Only a year ago—the year of our Lord 2020, Zimbabweans did it again. By collectively harping on peaceful action on 31 July 2020, the people smoked out the regime and unwittingly exposed its brutality on the streets to a shocked world.
Conclusion
There has been massive incitement by the regime itself; which incitement must now prompt the people of Zimbabwe to give a befitting massive but non-violent response.
This is now no time for rhetoric. Zimbabweans must now act the action and stop speechifying it.
The incitement and provocation began barely 48 hours after Mnangagwa’s stolen tenure in 2018 when six innocent citizens were brutally killed by State security agents in the streets of Harare on August 1 of that same year.
There have been many other signals in between from the regime itself, many provocative taunts in which this illegitimate lot dared the people.
This week’s conviction of Makomborero Haruzivishe should be the final straw to break the camel’s back. Msko’s conviction remains a sonorous signal to the troubled, weather-beaten people of this land that something must now give.
The time has come to draw a line in the sand.
As a people and as political parties, we have routinely transacted predictable politics in predictable stadia for far too long.
They withdrew our elected representatives and took the people’s money that was due the people’s party under the Political Parties Finance Act. They violently took over the headquarters of the people’s party. They have collapsed the country’s basic health and education system and they have looted national resources. They have arrested innocent citizens while the criminal lot has been left to roam scot free.
We have maintained the silence of the graveyard in all these provocative instances. Now they are taking all of us for granted – – – kudheerera .
Today, every sector has a genuine grievance against this callous lot in government. We have become a nation of grievances, yet we have collectively failed to seek succour in the Constitutional provision that allows us to peacefully express ourselves.
We have become the proverbial son-in-law in Shona folklore who was viciously mauled by a hyena when he visited his in-laws’ compound. As the vicious hyena ate him away and crunched his bones, the son-in-law, out of what some may rightfully deem as misguided respect of his environment and his hosts, maintained his silence. Upon hearing the sound of crunching bones coming from the lone son-in-law’s bedroom, the hosts shouted out to the courteous and stupidly respectful visitor to inquire on what the crunching sound that pierced through the silent night was all about, to which the now profusely bleeding visitor calmly responded, ” Ndinihangubabandirikudyiwanebere “(It’s me father-in-law. It’s just me who is being savaged to death by this vicious hyena).
We too have been mauled enough. We too have been silent for far too long, just like the much – too respectful son-in-law who almost died for fear of shouting out! .
In our case, it is now time to heed the signal. They say Mako was whistling in First Street when he was arrested. That whistle must now assume a far much deeper significance.
That whistling was the signal—the clarion call to the whole nation.
It must now be in the public domain that 2021 is the year of Citizens’ Convergence for Change.
This is the year and the time for action. The citizens of this land in their diversity will boisterously pronounce themselves in the wake of this large-scale repression across the country. The nature, form, content and timing of the loud expression is up to us as the citizens.
The heroic people of this land will not be scared away from their Constitutional rights, even against the grim backdrop of the regime embarking on a doomed scorched earth policy as part of a vain bid to decimate the people’s party. The right to peaceful, non-violent protest remains our right and we will not shy away from it. Non-violent action is an oppressed people’s staple diet, their final recourse.
As Frederico Mayor, the former UNESCO director-General so aptly put it in 1999:
“Non-violence is a strategy for action, not inaction and certainly not docility……It is based on big ideas and over-arching ethical imperatives that are communicated in everyday gestures. Ghandi walking to the sea and silently plucking a grain of sand, Rosa Parks staying seated on the Montgomery bus, Martin Luther King and thousands of others walking to work in the famous bus boycott. “
We have all heard Mako’s whistling signal. That was a fervent call to action and his conviction and sentencing an even louder signal that it can no longer be businesses as usual in this country.
Zimbabweans have always been a heroic people; an audacious citizenry that has always prevailed over their circumstance, however dire and tenuous. Across the vast labyrinth of this our beloved country, one can sense and feel a society heavily pregnant with a new one.
Indeed, for Mako, Netsai, Joannah, Cecilia, Tawanda, Tskudzwa, Allan, Hooewell, Job, Fadzai and many others who have “luke-ed” the beast in the eye on the past year, the desire was never to seek martyrdom nor sainthood. They remain ordinary citizens driven by nothing else but their unbridled patriotism and the purity and sanctity of their cause.
Very soon, there might be nowhere to hide, even for the puppets of white capital who today are displacing their fellow countrymen from their ancestral land for 30 pieces of silver.
Indeed, there could be no lucerne grass in which to hide for this repressive mercenary, puppetry lot.
Soon. And very soon.
LukeTamborinyokaistheDeputySecretaryfor Presidential AffairsintheMDCAllianceledbyAdvocateNelsonChamisaYoucaninteract_with him onFacebook or on the twitterhandle @luke_tambo.
By A Correspondent| National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) leader Professor Lovemore Madhuku has revealed that the opposition MDC was the first political party in Zimbabwe to use the recall clause forced into the country’s constitution by the late President Robert Mugabe who wanted to punish the late dissident, Edgar Tekere.
Madhuku who was speaking at the Zimbabwe Elections Support Network discussion said the recall clause was not part of the Lancaster House constitution until Mugabe amended the constitution after realising that Tekere who had been fired from Zanu PF would remain in the national assembly.
“Just for the record this clause has always been part of the Zimbabwean Constitution from 1989. It was actually a provision that we would call it the Tekere clause because it was brought in by President Robert Mugabe to deal with Tekere,
“He (Tekere) still remained a Member of Parliament despite leaving Zanu PF, the Lancaster House Constitution, our independence Constitution did not have such an undemocratic provision.
“So, President Mugabe was shocked to find out that Tekere would still seat in Parliament and he is the one who demanded that amendment to the Lancaster House Constitution.
“Unfortunately, or fortunately Tekere himself was not affected by it, the first person who left Parliament because of this provision is Munyaradzi Gwisai. In other words, the first political party to benefit from that provision is the MDC when Munyaradzi Gwisai left Parliament in 2002,” said Madhuku.
48 Members of Parliament have been recalled since the beginning of the 9th parliament following a Supreme Court ruling into the MDC succession disputes.
The legislators elected on an MDC Alliance ticket have cried foul that they are being ejected from parliament by a different party.
By A Correspondent- Former Zanu-PF youth leader, Godfrey Tsenengamu, has exhorted the country’s political leaders to ditch politics of hate and unite for their own good and that of the nation.
“We need to change the way we do our politics. We may differ, but there is a need to find a common ground and move forward.
“I do not condone lawlessness, but politics of hate is not good. Let us open a new chapter so that we can end toxic politics.
“Let us unite as Zimbabweans and solve our differences peacefully. Political problems can be solved politically without violence,” Tsenengamu said.
Reacting to several arrests of opposition figures, Tsenengamu also called on Zanu-PF supporters to condemn arbitrary arrests of activists — the same way they condemned the persecution of Mnangagwa’s supporters during the reign of the late former president Robert Mugabe.
“During Mugabe’s time many people who are in the current Zanu-PF were not happy with the move to arrest Mnangagwa and (vice president Constantino) Chiwenga, and now they are happy with the current arrests.
“This is not good for the country. We must learn to sit down and solve our issues without attracting the attention of outsiders.
“It’s high time we end the politics of bitterness. Let’s find ways to solve our issues together as Zimbabweans,” Tsenengamu also said.
This comes as political tension is rising again in the country, amid fresh fears of violence as a reeling MDC Alliance feels the pressure on new fronts, including the threat of the coalition losing its name.
On Tuesday, police had to be called in to disperse agitated alliance supporters in Harare, after Haruzivishe was sentenced to an effective 14 months in prison for inciting public violence.
The sentencing witnessed rowdy scenes involving MDC Alliance supporters who had thronged Harare Magistrates’ Court in solidarity with the youthful activist — leading to clashes that left one freelance photojournalist, Sam Takawira, injured after he was caught up in the melee as he was filming proceedings.-DailyNews
By A Correspondent- Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive Solwayo Ngwenya has revealed that government has promised to deploy a physicist to operate the cancer radiotherapy machines which are lying idle as there is no qualified operator.
Ngwenya said government had heeded their concerns of being short-staffed and would soon deploy a physicist to the hospital.
“The government has seconded a physicist so the machines will be working very soon,” he said.
Recently, Ngwenya revealed that the hospital’s two physicists had left for greener pastures.
He said the one who joined the hospital recently still needed to be trained on how to operate the machines.
Ngwenya said the shortage of physicists meant the hospital would offer limited services until the institution has a full complement.
He said since the machines had been down for months, they should be checked before patients can start accessing the service again.
Ngwenya said they required at least three physicists.
The Mpilo boss said physicists were highly skilled and sought-after even outside the country, adding that they would contact patients on the waiting list once everything was in order.
1. Representatives from social movements and Civic Society Organisations met on the 8th of April 2021 to shadow the Extraordinary SADC Double Troika Summit convened by SADC leaders to address the ongoing conflict in Mozambique.
2. The People’s Summit received verified reports on the humanitarian, human rights and economic impacts of the conflict. Nearly 3 000 civilians have been reported dead and a further 700 000 civilians displaced. Over 1 million people are estimated to be in urgent need of humanitarian support.
3. The Summit condemned the disproportionate targeting of women and children as objects of sexual violence attributed to both the insurgents and State security.
4. The People’s Summit expressed concern over the absence of a robust SADC intervention mechanism or process since the onset of the conflict in 2017.
5. Summit rejected the thesis that the ISIS, Al Shabaab Mozambique or foreign militias are sorely responsible for the conflict and highlighted the combustive interplay between unresolved local grievances and the collusion of native elites and foreign cartels in stripping Cabo Delgado resources.
6. Summit noted the failure by the Mozambican government to guarantee security of civilians and address the humanitarian impacts of the conflict.
7. Summit highlighted the escalation of rights violations particularly the rape of young girls and women perpetrated by both the insurgents and State Security Forces.
8. Summit expressed concern over the growth of a regional cross-boundary illicit economy in drugs, minerals, human trafficking and small arms in the Region as a direct result of the conflict.
9. Summit received pledges of people-to-people solidarity from around the region aimed at mobilizing voices, resources and practical support to help the people of Mozambique.
Recommendations
1. Summit called for an end to military hostilities and removal of mercenary security companies, foreign insurgents and other destabilizing forces in the Cabo Delgado region.
2. Summit underscored, the need for an inclusive national dialogue process aimed at achieving lasting peace through resolving the root and underlying causes of the conflict in Northern Mozambique.
3. Summit urged, SADC leaders to urgently deploy a high-level team of envoys to engage all stakeholders and inform a comprehensive SADC regional response to address the conflict.
4. Summit recommended the immediate declaration of a Humanitarian Emergency to facilitate the mobilization of necessary humanitarian interventions.
5. Summit urged SADC leaders, to prioritize the economic emancipation of the region through the reversal of harmful extractive contracts and debts arrangements.
6. Summit called upon SADC to strengthen and implement regionally binding frameworks to regulate the operations of extractive industries and ensure compliance with international human rights standards.
7. Summit called upon the Government of Mozambique to comprehensively address the historic marginalization of the Cabo Delgado Region through the devolution of power and authority from Maputo to the hinterlands.
8. Summit urged SADC leaders, to send a fact-finding mission to investigate and ascertain claims of massive human rights abuses particularly rape and sexual violence against women.
Summit committed to;
i. Leverage people to people solidarity and speak out against terrorism and the reluctance by SADC leaders to take robust action to address the conflict.
ii. Continuously engage SADC and Mozambican Embassies within different SADC countries on the situation in Cabo Delgado.
iii. Mobilise humanitarian goods and resources to support affected brothers and sisters from Mozambique.
By A Correspondent- A man from Nyanga, Manicaland Province, who had been presumed dead by his family reappeared almost a week later.
Lovemore Chatindo was last seen on Christmas Day last year and everyone was convinced that he had been murdered for ritual purposes.
A search party failed to find Chatindo and his friend and traditional healer, Manyanga Sanyanga, claimed that he had seen Chatindo in his dreams.
Sanyanga said Chatindo had pleaded to be rescued as he was in pain, with four litres of blood having been drawn from his body.
The traditional healer claimed that Chatindo had died at the hands of a local businessman, Cossy Samanyika, who had reportedly used his blood for ritual purposes.
However, Chatindo resurfaced after New Year looking pale and hardly recalling what transpired on the day of his disappearance.
He was taken to hospital after he was picked up by Good Samaritans in Mutoko, about 300km from his home.
Doctors diagnosed that Chatindo had lost a lot of blood and that he needed an urgent blood transfusion.
Chatindo said he does not remember what happened during the six days he was missing. He said:
I do not remember those six days. I only remember falling asleep at Samanyika’s tuck-shop.
When I woke up, a donkey was neighing at me in Mutoko. I was in a gulley and I do not know what happened for me to get there.
Samanyika has denied involvement in Chatindo’s disappearance and he has since approached Chief Saunyama’s court for redress.
Meanwhile, the traditional healer made a U-turn to exonerate Samanyika, saying he never dreamt of Chatindo’s death.
Chief Saunyama ordered the parties to consult a traditional healer to unravel the mystery.-ManicaPost
By A Correspondent- A police officer, Constable Washington Mukanganyama (38), has been jailed for nine years for raping a form four pupil.
Mukanganyama, of ZRP Residential Camp in Banket, appeared before Chinhoyi provincial magistrate Ignatius Mugova charged with one count of rape.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge but was found guilty after a full trial.
Mugova sentenced Mukanganyama to 12 years’ imprisonment but suspended three years were suspended on the condition he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.
According to prosecutor Nyasha Sibesha, Mukanganyama raped the juvenile once on December 30 2020 at around 10 PM.
The complainant had been left in the custody of the police by her mother for a theft case that was reported against the juvenile by her mother.
Mukanganyama committed the offence in the radio room after he took a wooden board and placed it on top of a pile of clothes.
It is the State case that Mukanganyama removed the juvenile’s clothes after he had closed the doors and wore a condom and raped the girl once.
After changing of shifts the complainant then narrated her ordeal to one Constable Kavhumo who then informed his superiors.
The juvenile was referred to Banket district hospital for examination.
By A Correspondent- Five pupils at Sacred Heart Girls High School in Bulawayo have tested positive for COVID-19.
In a statement that was addressed to the parent and guardians, the headmistress at the Roman Catholic Church-run girls school, Sister Ludo Ncube revealed that the tests were conducted at Esigodini Hospital after nine pupils exhibited flu-like symptoms.
She said:
On behalf of the school family, I would like to confirm five cases of COVID-19 all being pupils at our school.
Tests for COVID-19 were administered at Esigodini Hospital after realizing that nine of our students had flu symptoms.
We sent nine of them to the hospital, five of them tested positive and four negative. The tests were conducted this morning 7 April.
All necessary precautions have been taken in line with COVID-19 protocols.
The Ministry of Health care team is on the ground to monitor and manage the situation. May we all keep calm and avoid panic Jesus Christ our redeemer is in control.
The power of the resurrection from the resurrected Christ will see us through and heal us. By His stripes, we were healed’. Be Blessed.
In a related development, three Form Five pupils at Girls College in Bulawayo recently tested positive for coronavirus, prompting the school to conduct mass testing on learners in selected classes and staff members on Tuesday.
By A Correspondent- Alacious details have emerged of how the former first family’s elite schools and orphanage nestled in a vast estate in Mazowe – 40km north of Harare – were rocked by an alleged child sexual abuse scandal that was kept under wraps.
Investigations revealed the shocking scandal at Grace Mugabe Orphanage and Amai Mugabe Junior and High schools after 10 children were allegedly caught up in the scandal from late 2018 to 2019.
The names (supplied) of the minors cannot be revealed to protect their identity.
The matter was reported to Grace Mugabe in 2019, but it was kept a closely guarded secret for fear of investigation by authorities.
The scandal erupted, according to highlevel officials, after an Advanced Level student allegedly abused a minor at the orphanage in 2018.
At the time of the abuse, school pupils in the boarding school were using the same facilities as the 94 orphans adopted by the former first lady.
This then sparked a series of cases which came to the fore after four children sustained injuries related to the sexual abuse and were rushed to Concession Hospital.
Medical personnel at the hospital confirmed to the Zimbabwe Independent that such cases were handled at the institution.
Mashonaland Central provincial medical director Clemence Tshuma did not respond to questions by the time of going to print.
However, it is understood that Grace set up an investigating team led by the orphanage resident pastor Miriam Chigiga, Amai Grace Mugabe Foundation administrator Misheck Muchimwe and Amai Mugabe Junior School headmaster Stephen Zulu.
“What was heart-wrenching was that two of the abused boys are HIV positive, they were born with the condition. This is why it’s important that the matter should be brought to light to make sure it is dealt with thoroughly,” an official close to the matter said.
To cover up the scandal, the Amai Grace Mugabe Foundation, then made recommendations to Mugabe to employ a resident nurse named Susan Sunhwa, who would look into the health affairs of the children to plug any information leakages about the goings-on at the orphanage and schools.
Chigiga denied that there was once a sexual abuse scandal at the orphanage and school, saying she was nurturing the children in Christian values.
“These children have responsible caregivers who are widows and single mothers who always keep an eye on them. There is no way the children can be involved in such abuse cases because we teach them Godly ways. We don’t tolerate that; we are an openly Christian school,” Chigiga, a Zaoga ordained pastor, said.
Muchimwe chipped in: “Nothing of that sort ever happened at the schools.”
But sources insisted that the scandal unfolded.
“if they (school authorities) deny that there was such a case then we can surely produce the names of the children who were involved. Grace was informed about the issue; Bona Mugabe-Chikore is also aware of it. Evidence is available to that effect,” an impeccable source said.
repeated efforts to get a comment from Grace Mugabe were futile.
Her daughter, who oversees family businesses, Mugabe-Chikore’s phone went unanswered several times.
Overcrowded orphanage
The Independent has also established that Grace Mugabe is keeping children at the Mazowe orphanage far above the stipulated 70 granted by the Ministry of labour and Social Welfare.
According to a Grace Mugabe Children’s Home certificate, registration number SW/10/111 signed by the then labour and Social Welfare minister paurina Mpariwa, the orphanage has a cap for 70 children taken from birth to 18 years.
The certificate was issued on February 3, 2012 under the Children’s Act (Chapter 5:06) for the establishment of a children’s home at iron Mask Farm in Mazowe.
Mugabe, according to some of her employees, sources food like mealie-meal and meat from her farms to cater for the children.
“They don’t buy a lot of things. Most of the food comes from her farms. But the problem is that she violated the law by taking in more children than is allowed by the certificate she got from the Ministry of labour and Social Welfare,” an official at the orphanage said. Chigiga said the children were well taken care of and there were no issues of overcrowding.
Government workers
During the Mugabe reign, teachers at the Amai Mugabe Junior and High Schools were mostly drawn from government and seconded to the private institution.
Government teachers from the high school resigned from government after Mugabe was removed from power in November 2017 and were absorbed as full-time private employees while those at the junior school remained in the civil service.
Half of the teachers at the junior school are still government employees.
The government employees also receive allowances from the private school.
Amai Mugabe schools are upmarket learning institutions which charge US$1 800 per term.
Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said government workers could be seconded to private schools if private schools request for additional staff.
“There are government teachers in schools that are run by councils and churches; all these are private schools. Even in some trust schools there are teachers who are on government payroll,” Ndoro said.
Bail hearing for @TomeVongai has commenced in Court 6 before Magistrate Mangota. The State is opposed to bail arguing Vongai has a pending case of a similar nature and 46 other unknown accused persons in the ongoing matter of disorderly conduct are at large. @WeArePindula@ZimEye
— Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (@ZimHRNGOForum) April 9, 2021
ByA Correspondent- Government through the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara), recently disbursed over $15 million to the Bulawayo City Council for routine road maintenance works that includes pothole patching.
The maintenance works are expected to start this month.
“The 2021 Zinara budget allocation was $154 360 730 to cover both routine and periodic maintenance works,” council minutes read in part.
“The routine maintenance works would comprise of pothole patching of public transport routes, central business district, major and minor collector roads with an allocation of $61 744 220, while the periodic maintenance programme would focus on the rehabilitation of Masiyephambili Drive between Victoria Falls road and Luveve Road, approximately a 6,5km section.
“The rehabilitation would comprise pavement reconstruction, storm water drainage improvement, and installation of streetlights on the 2,2km stretch and resealing works on the 4,3km stretch. “The rehabilitation works were estimated to cost approximately $92 616 438. Zinara disbursed $15 436 055 for the first quarter on February 3, 2021 for routine maintenance works. So far, 75% of the funds had been used in the procurement of materials to produce coldmix, hotmix, road line paint, and plant repairs.”
According to the minutes, the target was to utilise the disbursed funds to enable Zinara to release the second quarter disbursement.
Council engineer Simela Dube confirmed that $15 436 055 had been disbursed for routine maintenance works, starting with pothole patching by community groups.
He said the outstanding wards which were left out in 2020 would be considered first for the maintenance.
“The declaration (of roads as a state of national disaster) was expected to trigger mobilisation and the release of funds to attend to the damaged roads in accordance with SI [Statutory Instrument] 47 of 2021 section 6,” the minutes read.
“For the duration, the Department of Roads shall take over the rehabilitation and construction of major roads in urban local authorities to expedite maintenance and repair works with provincial road engineers superintending over all roads within their respective provinces.
“The Department of Roads shall access the advances to the National Protection Fund that may be made in terms of section 30 of the Civil Protection Act (Chapter 10:06). The government was, however, yet to allocate ERRP [emergency road rehabilitation programme] funds to local authorities. The disbursement formula and pattern was unknown.”
The works are supposed to start this month and the roads listed in the programme are Matopos Road23rd Avenue City boundary, Old Esigodini Crouch Road-Hope Fountain Road, Nkulumane roads, Maduma Road, Intemba to S Ngwenya shops, Luveve 5 roads, Murchison Road, 4th Avenue-Robert Mugabe Way to Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street and 8th Avenue Robert Mugabe Way to Jason Moyo.
By A Correspondent- A majority of junior doctors have declined to be conscripted into the army and will now be deployed to public hospitals, it has emerged.
Vice-President and Health minister Constantino Chiwenga in September last year ordered that junior doctors be conscripted into the army for residency or houseman ship.
This was viewed by observers as tantamount to militarisation of the health sector and aimed at stopping health practitioners from engaging in industrial action and leaving the country for greener pastures.
But NewsDay understands that about 100 out of the 180 junior doctors have rejected undergoing military housemanship and government has climbed down on its earlier position and allowed them to serve in public hospitals.
According to a correspondence by Health ministry secretary James Chimedza to the Health Service Board executive director ruth Kaseke dated april 6, about 100 junior doctors are to be placed under the housemanship programme at various health institutions countrywide.
“It is noted that there are about 100 medical graduates who are yet to undergo the required housemanship programme,” read part of the letter by Chimedza.
“The Hon Vice-President and Minister of Health and Child Care has approved that these students be deployed to various qualifying hospitals to begin the housemanship.”
Chimedza added: “We are, therefore, rolling out the recruitment process immediately utilising the available Treasury concurrence issued out last year. The acting chief director curative services will draw up the deployment list which we shall share with you.”
Chiwenga, who was appointed Health minister last year, had stepped up efforts to militarise the health profession and stop junior doctors from striking.
Junior doctors are supposed to go for a two-year practice in public hospitals as part of their training.
Health expert Norman Matara, who is secretary of the Zimbabwe association of Doctors for Human rights, said a class is often made up of 180 to 190 junior doctors, meaning about 80 had opted for conscription with the army.
“Housemanship is for two years, and it is a normal procedure which every doctor should go through,” he said.
“The 100 are those who refused to do an internship in the army. Government has allowed these ones to do it under the Ministry of Health. Some agreed to do it under the army.”
Chiwenga also suspended training of junior doctors at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) to force them to return to work.
He also ordered the closure of three programmes at the UZ medical school, a move viewed as victimisation of specialist health practitioners who went on strike to demand personal protective equipment.
The decision was, however, later reversed.
In September last year, Chiwenga imposed tough measures for doctors intending to leave the country.
A junior doctor will now be required to pay US$200 for a clearance certificate signed by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe if he/she wants to leave for greener pastures outside the country.
Chiwenga, who was acting President during the junior doctor’s strike, said the junior doctors would remain under the Higher education ministry until they completed training.
“Government has spent a lot of money training these young doctors as what they want to call them. I think they are still in internship. They are not yet junior doctors. We are going to look at the law within our systems as we have found that the systems which were being followed were not correct,” Chiwenga said then.
“When someone is still under training, you cannot call him/her a junior doctor.
“He/she is still on internship, and those regulations are going to be made. We will put them to Parliament and, until somebody finishes, he or she is still under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary education because eventually, they are the ones who say ‘yes, he has finished and is now entitled to be registered as a doctor’.”
Junior doctors have had long-standing grievances with the government over the welfare and conditions of service which saw them resorting to industrial action to jolt government into action.-newsday
By A Correspondent- In an ironic twist of fate, a Bulawayo man, who sustained horrific burns while allegedly attempting to steal a Zesa high voltage transformer at Mpilo Central Hospital, could not be fully attended to for three days as the hospital had no electricity following theft of cables by unknown suspects.
Ishmael Mpofu (25) sustained burns while allegedly attempting to steal a 1 000-volt transformer at Mpilo Central Hospital on Saturday and was immediately admitted to the same institution.
The hospital then experienced a power outage between Monday night and Wednesday evening after a suspected syndicate stole electric cables.
Doctors said due to the serious nature of Mpofu’s burns, there was a danger of his internal organs collapsing.
They described as “touch and go” the days during the blackout as most of the equipment needed to save Mpofu’s life was powered by the same electricity he tried to deprive the hospital of.
Following the restoration of power yesterday, all hands are on deck at the hospital to assist him.
Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive Professor Solwayo Ngwenya said although the situation was sad, the patient got first-hand experience of challenges associated with theft of electricity infrastructure at hospitals. He said they incurred a bill of about US$2 400 after running the biggest referral hospital in the southern region on diesel generators.
“We need the money to buy drugs and other hospital consumables but these are the things that end up contributing to patients being told to buy this and that, because these are unforeseeable and unnecessary costs,” he said.
“We found it very ironic that someone who was stealing electricity cables at our hospital was hospitalised under our care. We also suffered cable theft three days ago and he had to endure the difficulties that we had when we were relying mainly on generators.”
He said it was worrying that thieves are so hardhearted as to cut power that is supposed to help save lives.
“They are so daring that they are cutting off power to a strategic lifesaving institution like Mpilo Central Hospital. We wish the suspect a speedy recovery and we hope that other people are deterred from stealing electricity infrastructure. Electricity is a vital life serving utility and at the same time it can kill,” he said. Prof Ngwenya said Mpofu’s condition was critical but it had stabilised. “Doctors are treating him, because he sustained very serious burns and he is very lucky to be alive. From the type of burns he suffered and the voltage that hit him, he is very lucky to be alive,” said Prof Ngwenya.
he news crew yesterday missed out on speaking to the suspect who is now under Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) guard at Mpilo Central Hospital.
The suspect, although struggling to speak, was willing to tell his story about how he got roped into the electricity infrastructure vandalism syndicate but prison authorities refused to let him do so.
The theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure is a major concern for the country with Government saying it is tantamount to sabotaging the economy. Last month, Cabinet approved a 30-year mandatory jail sentence for those who steal or vandalise power infrastructure. Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa, said Government is set to amend a law governing handling of copper in the country.
“Cabinet considered and approved the Copper Control Amendment Bill, which was presented by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs (Ziyambi Ziyambi), as Chairman of Cabinet Committee on Legislation. Cabinet was informed that the Bill seeks to provide for the offence of vandalism of utilities through the theft of copper which is then sold on the black market,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“In order to curb theft of copper, the police will require anyone found in possession of copper to provide the names and addresses of both the seller and the purchaser, description and quantity of the copper and the reasons for disposal. Convicted copper thieves will now be liable to imprisonment for a period of not less than 30 years without the option of a fine. In addition, any vehicle or device used to illegally transport copper will now be forfeited to the State,” she said.
By A Correspondent- Judicial Service Commission (JSC) deputy legal services secretary Faith Mushure has exposed Chief Justice Luke Malaba for “lying” that suspended High Court judge Justice Erica Ndewere, had 28 reviews and eight judgments which were outstanding.
Justice Ndewere was suspended five months ago by President emmerson Mnangagwa for alleged incompetence.
Since Tuesday, she has been appearing before a tribunal led by retired judge Justice Simbi Mubako, set up to establish if she was still suitable for office.
During cross-examination by Justice Ndewere’s lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, Mushure, who is the star witness, said the JSC accepted that the judge’s 28 reviews and eight judgments were not outstanding.
“I am aware also that several judges exceed 90 days to give their judgments and that several judges at the Supreme Court have judgments outstanding for up to three years,” Mushore said.
“The Judicial Service Commission has now changed the charge from 28 outstanding reviews and judgments to ‘failure to complete the judgments in 90 days’.”
Justice Ndewere yesterday claimed that she was the only judge out of 17 who was suspended for allegedly failing to deliver judgments on time, accusing Chief Justice Malaba of lying to Mnangagwa.
“There are 17 judges mentioned in memoranda from Chief Justice (Malaba), but I was the only one singled out for victimisation,” Justice Ndewere told the tribunal.
“I explained on my part, my reasons to Judge President (Paddington Garwe) for exceeding 90 days, because I had been on sick leave for three months.
“Apparently, the Chief Justice had also written a memo to Judge President dated October 1, 2020, where he instructed judges to complete judgments which were outstanding for 15 months by November 30, 2020.
“In the memorandum, Chief Justice Luke Malaba instructed all judges to exceed the 90-day limit from three months to 17 months. I didn’t have any outstanding judgments on October 1, 2020 when this instruction was given.”
Mtetwa said Justice Malaba reported in his address at the opening of the 2021 legal year on January 16 this year that the High Court had a backlog of 1 724 cases as at December 31, 2020, but not a single file from this backlog belonged to Justice Ndewere, which proves the victimisation.
“Other judges with outstanding judgments have not been disciplined and that doesn’t matter because this hearing was about Justice Ndewere, and not other judges. These judgments were completed two years ago,” Mtetwa said.
Justice Ndewere denied all charges and told the tribunal in her defence that she was being victimised by the Chief Justice for refusing to deny giving bail to former Labour minister Priscah Mupfumira and opposition MDC Alliance vice-chairperson Job Sikhala. Justice Ndewere also told the tribunal that Chief Justice Malaba wrote to all judges on May 18, 2020 instructing them to complete all outstanding judgments by July 31, 2020.
“I had only one outstanding judgment when Chief Justice Malaba provided the extension to six judges. The memorandum by Chief Justice Malaba dated May 18, 2020 extended the time to complete the judgment from 90 days to July 31, 2020 and I met that deadline provided by the Chief Justice,” Justice Ndewere said.
Mtetwa said Chief Justice Malaba had accepted that 90 days was not practical when he issued his memorandum dated May 18, 2020, hence his decision to extend the deadline to July 31, 2020.
The hearing continues today when Donald Ndirowei, the registrar of the High Court, will give evidence.
A Lovestruck juvenile (17) from Madlambudzi in Matabeleland South stoned his ex-girlfriend’s grandfather (86) after the elderly man barred him from taking the girl out for a date.
Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson inspector Loveness Mangena said the boy (name withheld for ethical reasons) was still at large.
The smitten teen reportedly wanted to rekindle a love affair that he once had with the unnamed girl.
“Last Wednesday, the juvenile went to his ex-girlfriend’s home where he found the girl with her 86-year-old grandfather. He told the now deceased he had come to collect his wife. This did not go down well with the old man who asked the boy to leave his homestead and attacked him with his walking stick,” said Insp Mangena.
The boy, she said, retaliated by picking a brick and striking the old man on the forehead.
The provincial police spokesperson said the girl ran to tell neighbours about the fight.
“Neighbours found the boy throwing stones at the old man who was lying on the ground. The boy fled from the scene. On drawing closer, villagers discovered that the old man was dead. His body was ferried to Matobo District Hospital for post-mortem,” she said.
Insp Mangena appealed to members of the public who might have information on the whereabouts of the juvenile to report to the nearest police station. She urged members of the public to respect the sanctity of life and to solve their disputes amicably or to seek mediation from neutral third parties, especially the police.
Some rogue police officers take bribes to protect peddlers of illegal drugs but police now want to take action and have asked the public to pass on to Police General Headquarters (PGHQ) any information helpful in apprehending the culprits.
In most suburbs, criminal dealers sell dangerous drugs to adults and children in broad day light, often not taking too many precautions to avoid notice, while enjoying protection of some corrupt officers.
Besides mbanje, probably still the most popular illegal drug, other commonly abused drugs are crystal methamphetamine commonly known as “mutoriro”, “dombo” or “guka” plus ganja cakes, a prohibited cough syrup called BronCleer (bronco), and illicit beers known as “musombodhiya” in street lingo.
A Brazialian national Guilherme Sodre Alvenaz da Silveria was recently intercepted at Robert Mugabe International Airport with a consignment of more than 4kg cocaine, testifying to the existence of ready market for the illicit drug in the country.
Cocaine and mbanje are the drugs of choice in leafier suburbs.
Police at times raid dealers’ houses but they reportedly receive bribes from the drug dealers, some of whom now own buses and immovable properties from the dirty business. Drug dealers have become cash-cows for the corrupt officers who receive “protection fees” and allow the illicit trade.
Some residents accuse the police of alerting the dealers in advance whenever the police plan to raid known drug bases in the suburbs.
Responding to the public outcry, CID national spokesperson Detective Inspector Portia Chinho said such bad apples have no place in the police service.
Speaking on a radio show recently, Det Insp Chinho appealed for information on the corrupt officers to enable the authorities to flush them out.
“ZRP is on record saying it has no place for such unruly elements. ZRP has zero tolerance to corruption. We always say in every basket you will get one or two bad apples but what do you do with them: you throw them away.
“Give us information on these unruly cops and ZRP will pluck them out and remain with the few upright ones.
“As long as there is any incriminating evidence, feel free to come forth. The police officer involved will face the full wrath of the law,” said Det Insp Chinho.
By A Correspondent| MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa has mourned the wife of the late powerful evangelist PD Chiweshe who passed on yesterday.
Posting on Twitter, Chamisa said;
I note with sadness the death of a mighty woman of God, Amai T Chiweshe who passed on this morning. Amai Chiweshe was pastoring in Chitungwiza. She was wife to the powerful late Evangelist PD Chiweshe. May we all be consoled in Lord during this sad moment. Rev 14:13 RIP Mupositori!
A 28-year-old woman and her male accomplice have been arrested on allegations of stealing two cattle from a farm in Mvurwi.
Sharon Matambo (28) and her accomplice Tapiwa Nyakatsaka (26) were arrested while trying to sell the cattle in Chiweshe. Police have since launched a manhunt for a third suspected accomplice, Amos Zhakata, who is still on the run.
Investigations revealed that the three went to Rondere Farm in Mvurwi on Wednesday last week where they allegedly stole the two beasts which they then transported to Chiweshe communal area.
Their luck ran out when they were arrested while selling the cattle in Chiweshe.
National police spokesman Asst Comm Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests yesterday this week saying: “The ZRP confirms the arrest of Tapiwa Nyakatsaka aged 26 and Sharon Matambo aged 28 in connection with a case of stock theft which occurred at Rondere Farm, Mvurwi on March 31.
“The suspects, together with Amos Zhakata, who is on the run, stole two beasts from a kraal and went to Chiweshe before they were arrested whilst selling the cattle. Investigations are in progress.”
Harare City Council director of works Zvenyika Chawatama appeared in court yesterday for the second time in a week charged with fraud after he allegedly appointed himself town clerk.
He was remanded in custody pending bail ruling today.
Meanwhile, two sisters have been arrested after they were found in possession of cocaine worth $560 000.
The arrest of the sisters Oshilla (36) and Panashe (23) Chikwenha of Chitungwiza, who are suspected to be part of a drug-peddling syndicate responsible for trafficking cocaine from Brazil and India, came just few days after the arrest of two Brazilians carrying the same drug.
The duo was found in possession of 2,89 grammes of cocaine and 546 grammes of methamphetamine worth $560 000 at their place of residence.
They were also found with four passports with valid Indian visas.
The two appeared before magistrate Ngoni Nduna charged with dealing in dangerous drugs.
They were not asked to plead to the charge and are expected to apply for bail today.
By A Correspondent- A journalist has appeared at the Chiredzi Magistrates Courts facing a charge of stealing a classified document from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Law and Order office at Chiredzi Police Station.
Patrick Chitongo, who runs Lowveld Checkpoint, an online publication, is alleged to have committed the crime in August 2019.
His case failed to kick off on Wednesday after some of the police officers who were supposed to be State witnesses failed to turn up.
Chitongo, who is being represented by human rights lawyer Ross Chavi, was advised that the matter would proceed by way of summons.
It is the State’s case that in August 2019, Chitongo broke into a building at Chiredzi Police Station and stole the document before leaking it on social media.
The leaked document showed that the Joint Operations Command (JOC), which comprises the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), Police Internal Security and Intelligence, and Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services Intelligence, formed a 24-hour Ferret team which monitored movements of key MDC members they suspected of being involved in planning acts of banditry during and after the MDC Alliance August 2019 demonstrations.
In the document, some of the members, who were suspected to be working in cahoots with a 23-member MDC youth vanguard based in South Africa to unleash acts of subversion, include Chitongo himself, Chiredzi town chairperson Gibson Hwende, former MDC Zaka West MP Festus Dumbu, ward 18 councillor Gilbert Mutubuki, Menias Gangata, the Premier Service Medical Aid Society administrator in Chiredzi, and James Kampota, the MDC Alliance district chairperson.
According to the leaked report, the Ferret Team received information on August 8, 2019 that a 23-member gang would enter Chiredzi town from South Africa using undesignated entry points.
The team even proposed that a roadblock be set up at Mkwasine-Tanganda junction to monitor every entry point into Chiredzi.
Part of the report gleaned by the NewsDay, which was allegedly compiled by one Inspector Ncube and Constable Ndiripo from Police Internal Security and Intelligence read: “The vanguards were to use three 4×4 double cabs with unspecified number plates armed with RS rifles, pistols and AK-47 rifles, some of which were stolen from the South African Police Service (SAPS).
“Furthermore, the number of weapons and ammunition were not specified though intended to be used during the demonstrations. The FT also gathered that the vanguard team was to be received and housed by Menias Gangata, Patrick Chitongo, Festus Dumbu, Gibson Hwende, Gilbert Mutubuki, James Kampota and Sisokisi, whose details were yet to be established.
“The Ferret Team is privy to the information from contacts that the MDC’s intelligence wing was seized with identifying insecured (sic) government properties.
“Furthermore, it was noted with great concern that same were identifying and profiling all security agents in Chiredzi as they are part of targets in order to weaken and embarrass the government.”
When JOC members started looking for Chitongo, he went into hiding before resurfacing weeks later, leading to his arrest.-newsday
By A Correspondent- Civil servants have declared that with effect from 12 April, they will report for duty only twice a week.
In a letter addressed to Public Service Commission secretary Jonathan Wutawunashe, dated 8 April 2021, the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU), president Cecilia Alexander cited incapacitation as the reason behind their decision
ZCPSTU is also accusing the government of lacking seriousness in improving their worthless salaries. Alexander wrote:
Following an offer of 25% of one’s current earnings which the Government brought on the negotiating table in the previous NJNC meeting set to be effected on 01 April 2021, which proved to be incapable of addressing civil servants’ capacity to execute their duties, ZCPSTU representing all member unions do hereby notify your august office that all civil servants will, starting on 12 April 2021, report for duty twice a week.
This resolution passed on by the full ZCPSTU council is informed by the following:
The prevailing economic situation no longer resonates well with the civil servants’ salaries.
The employer takes longer in responding to workers’ plight whilst they languish in acute poverty
The employer is making unilateral decisions in implementing offers that are not agreed upon in the NJNC rendering the negotiation process invalid
That the employer will have to swiftly react to addressing the capacitation of its workforce to ensure smooth service delivery of all the Government’s entities
That the employer should start to speak to workers position paper which calls for restoration of the civil servants’ pre-October 2018 salaries
That the employer should expedite the crafting of a roadmap towards the restoration of pre-October 2018 salaries.
In conclusion, the decision made by the workers that they will not be able to report for duty all the week’s working days is not by choice but as a result of prevailing circumstances.
It is to this end that as ZCPSTU, we call upon your office to respect this decision by not punishing any member who happens to be a victim of incapacitation.
Instead, we appeal for your indulgence that the issue is addressed with the urgency it deserves.
By A Correspondent- A Chicken Inn customer is crying foul after over R11 000 was deducted from his account after he bought food for less than US$24 last month.
According to the man, one Walter Pedzisayi Mandove, efforts to get a reversal of the transaction has hit a brickwall as the Chitungwiza branch manager only identified as Gamla has been uncooperative to assist him.
Said Mandove:
“I bought food in Chitungwiza Zuva Chicken Inn in March. I used my international visa card, Nedbank one. I bought food of less than $24 which when converted to South African rands it’s less than R400.
But to my surprise they took R11 965,36. I am failing to understand how they could do this. I have tried to ask them to make a reverse but seems am hitting a rock. The guy who is supposed to help is ignoring. Ndadzidza,ndaingonzwa nevamwe ndazozvionera meaning i have learnt a lesson, I have in the past heard others talk about their horrible experiences.
The first lady at Avondale (who i talked to for assistance) was so good. She was assisting me nicely. Things changed when I was referred to this Gamla guy in Chitungwiza. He confirmed and said they were working on it and later ignored me.”
Efforts to get a comment from Chicken Inn was work in progress by the time of writing.
