A Chinese businessman was on Wednesday dragged to court charged for rape after he reportedly raped his 17-year-old maid.
The suspect, Li Qiang, 61, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Judith Taruvinga.
Allegations are that sometime in September last year at around 7am, the complainant was cleaning Qiang’s bedroom when he entered and locked the door.
While in the room, he allegedly pushed her onto the bed and told her that he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her.
The court heard that she refused and he then promised to go with her to China before he forcibly removed her clothes and raped her without protection
The court heard that after the incident, he asked the complainant to stay at his residence.
One night she refused to open the door and he threatened to fire her from work. It is further alleged that he continued to rape her and the matter came to light when she visited her grandmother and narrated her ordeal.
Qiang was arrested by immigration police officers as he was leaving court. -H Metro
A Harare man has admitted to conning the father of the murdered Murehwa boy Tapiwa Makore, of money he wanted to use in hiring a car to Malawi to track the missing head of his child.
Mr Munyaradzi Makore
Prince Gerald Mukumba admitted to duping Mr Munyaradzi Makore of $4 500 and US$125 he paid him towards hiring the car to travel to Malawi.
Mukumba told Harare magistrate Mr Sheunesu Matova that he failed to secure the car for Mr Makore because of the Covid-19 national lockdown.
“I was given the money to hire the car to travel to Malawi, but failed because of the lockdown,” he said. The matter has been briefly stood down for plea recording. -Herald
Tinashe Sambiri|Bishop Ancelimo Magaya has said Zimbabwe is going through a vicious cycle of brutality due to suppression of dissenting voices by the panicky Zanu PF regime.
Bishop Magaya made the remarks at the Save Zimbabwe commemoration event in Harare.
Speaking at the same event, MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa called for a collective approach as citizens fight for democracy and freedom.
Tinashe Sambiri|The nation has been plunged into mourning following the death of former Studio 263 actress, Vimbai Jari, real name Anne Nhira.
Nhira succumbed to severe injuries after she was mugged in South Africa.
On her Instagram account, Anne Nhira( 38), described herself as Zimbabwe’s diamond.
” Anne died from injuries she sustained during a robbery. On her Instagram account in December 2020, Anne said life was too short. “Be silly, be fun, be different, be crazy, be cool. BE YOU. Because life is too short to be anything but HAPPY.
She came to the limelight as Vimbai Jari in Studio 263, aired on the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC). One of the most successful local productions to date, the soapie premiered in 2002, fixed on Harare’s fast lane lifestyles,” a leading showbiz publication reported.
Where is MRP leader Mqondisi Moyo? Was he arrested? Is he in police custody? Has he been given access to a lawyer? Has he been charged with any offence? If so, what is his charge? #freemqondisimoyo
While the pandemic is ravaging all corners of the country, Zimbabweans who have been confined to perennial vending, have no choice but to peservere and continue selling their items to fend for their families.
I visited Chikanga Sports Field Market in Mutare and I wasn’t prepared for what I saw: the risk of the pandemic spreading beyond control as vendors mingle in open-air trading with no masks, social distancing or water provisions for hand-washing.
The vendors expressed concerns at the cost involved in masking.
The country needs a co-ordinated effort with resources being channelled towards eliminating this disease.
Zimbabwe has enough resources to look after its citizens. We can do better as a country.
CASE ALERT MUCHINGURI-KASHIRI ORDERED TO PAY FORUM’S WASTED COSTS ON 1 AUGUST SHOOTING CASE Defence and War Veterans Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri was on 11 March 2021 ordered to pay wasted costs for the lawyers representing some of the 1 August 2018 shooting victims.
Harare High Court, Justice David Mangota, issued the order in three matters involving Dzikamai Chivhanga, Fabion Majuru and Andy Manyeruke.
The three victims are lucky to be alive after they were shot in Harare’s CBD when soldiers opened fire on members of the public as they attempted to disperse protesters who were demonstrating against a delay in releasing of election results. The trio is seeking damages for shock, pain and suffering caused by the unlawful actions of the soldiers.
Through her lawyer, Mrs Gloria Dzitiro of Mutumbwa Mugabe and Partner Legal Practitioners, the Defence Minister had requested that the three matters which they had erroneously set down be removed from the court roll.
Advocate Wilbert Mandinde who appeared with Mr Darlington Marange from the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum argued that the error in prematurely setting the matters down deserved to be censured with an order of costs. Justice Mangota agreed and ordered the Minister to pay the wasted costs. The matter will be re-enrolled on the court roll once all pleadings are filed.
The government has claimed that it has fully complied with the Motlanthe Commission recommendations. However, one of the three, Manyeruke, has since taken President Mnangagwa to court seeking an order that the President fully complies with the recommendations as has been claimed by justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Permanent Secretary Virginia Mabhiza.
Mukuru’s strength in the remittance and cross-border payments space has led to the launch of a new product line – Enterprise Payments.
Mukuru is partnering with some of the world’s leading humanitarian aid organisations, using its reach and capabilities to deliver a seamless process that guarantees on-time payments for some of the world’s most vulnerable recipients of humanitarian aid.
Move to aid cash payments
The new product line is the result of a trifecta of change in the humanitarian and money transfer sectors.
1. An upswing in the volume of aid distributed across the globe that is putting the humanitarian system under enormous strain. (An estimated one billion people in countries affected by long-term humanitarian crises need around $30 billion in aid each year to survive.)
2. Aid organisations are urgently looking for new ways to protect the lives and dignity of affected individuals while ensuring aid is spent efficiently. The result is a switch where possible from supporting crisis-affected people with physical commodities, to cash payments.
3. Changes in technology and access to financial services are presenting new ways for humanitarian support to reach people in need, whether as an envelope of cash, a money card, or electronic money transfer to a mobile phone.
Mukuru—Aid Agency Synergy
Today, the bulk of humanitarian work is not a response to sudden disaster. Countries caught up in protracted crises of five years or more, have gone from 13 to 31 in the last 15 years. In these circumstances, aid in cash that allows recipients to buy food, pay rent and buy what they need locally, is far more effective at helping people survive and rebuild their lives than consignments of food, water, shelter and clothes. An increasing number of agencies are now building cash payments into their emergency response planning.
In 2020, a number of United Nations (UN) agencies and organisations including World Food Programme, Unicef, Finmark Trust and Action Contre La Faim began to work with Mukuru – an Africa-based Fintech company that for almost two decades has enabled migrant workers to send money home to their families via a formal remittance system that uses dynamic technology and an extensive Africa footprint to deliver safe and easy-to-use products and services.
Traditionally, migrant workers were forced to trust the goodwill of strangers, paying middle men and taxi drivers to get desperately-needed money home to their families. Mukuru presents an alternative, safer way that enables a sender to place and pay for a cash remittance order which their recipient can access at a Mukuru branch, retail partner, or payout booth in peri-urban and rural areas.
The common thread of supporting the financial wellbeing of some of the world’s most vulnerable people created a natural synergy between the money transfer company and partner humanitarian aid organisations.
Mike Scott, Mukuru Group Head of Commercial, says, “On the one hand, Mukuru is constantly innovating to stay ahead of real-time social, regulatory and legislative changes in more than twenty recipient countries.
This means building flexibility and responsiveness into every business process. On the other hand, end-to-end accountability and full auditability is paramount to the long-term success of the products and services we create for our customers, whether in the business-to-customer or business-to-business space.”
Maximising humanitarian impact with a system of cash transfers
The expansion into Enterprise Payments is a natural progression for Mukuru. They are licenced across multiple territories, have vast experience in instant cash availability (even in poor cash liquidity environments), and are passionate about enabling the journey towards digitisation for their customers.
Scott says, “Our cash transfer systems offer our aid partners convenient online disbursement of cash aid, with built-in operational efficiencies, as well as security and risk prevention; this includes fraud detection, anti-money laundering and authentication tools.
Our ability to provide a fully-auditable payments infrastructure that allows organisations to deliver large numbers of cash payments quickly and reliably to vulnerable people in under-served communities is what caught the eye of our humanitarian aid organisation partners.”
Ariane Luff, Zimbabwe Country Manager for Action Contre La Faim (Action Against Hunger), says, “It was Mukuru’s practical approach to money transfers and their scalability that made them an attractive business partner.
“They are able to leverage their independent cash supply chain to ensure regular payouts and have proven to be highly responsive to the unique issues faced by aid agencies. Having easy access to senior managers is crucial for aid organisations that need quick answers to changing situations, and Mukuru has been willing to listen and learn, whether this is making quick adjustments to longer queues by bringing in additional payout booths, or extended payout hours for aid recipients.”
//Ends.
About Mukuru
Mukuru, an African FinTech company founded in 2004, is building a cross-border payments platform across the continent.
Mukuru enables safe, affordable, reliable financial services to underserved communities. With over 40 million cross-border transactions over the last decade, we are one of Africa’s largest remittances-led FinTech’s.
Our remittance service offers customers the opportunity to send money to their relatives or friends in over 20 countries across Africa and Asia.
Additionally, we offer critical customer services such as Funeral Cover, The Mukuru Money Card and payment solutions for businesses in emerging markets.
The company is 17 years old and cannot be classified as a start-up, although it continues to harness and foster the ‘entrepreneurially orange’ energy on which it was founded. South African, Andy Jury is the CEO.
Zimbabwe international Knox Mutizwa was among the scorers as Golden Arrows beat TTM 2-1 in a DStv Premiership match played today.
The former Highlanders striker, who seems to have rediscovered his scoring touch after a slow start to the current season, thrust Abafana Bes’thende ahead in the 25th minute when fellow countryman Washington Arubi, in goal for TTM fumbled the ball and Mutizwa headed home.
His goal would be the difference between the two sides at the half time interval.
TTM restored parity three minutes after the restart through Bulelani Ndengane but Siboniso Nconco’s late penalty proved decisive in Arrows’ favor.
Mutizwa’s Warriors teammate Divine Lunga also played for the entire 90 mins for the Durban-based side.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Tichaona Chipunza is reportedly on the verge of joining Zambian side Nkana FC after agreeing to personal terms.
The midfielder, who was last in the books Chicken Inn, is moving to the Kitwe-based side on a one-year contract with the club having an option to extend it.
He is joining the side as a free agent following the expiry of his contract at the Gamecocks.
An unnamed source told Hmetro the transfer deal is almost complete.
“Tichaona Chipunza is joining Nkana and it’s a done deal. They have agreed on everything and he is already in Zambia.”
Chipunza will be in the same team with fellow countrymen Gilroy Chimwemwe, Jimmy Dzingai, goalkeeper Talbert Shumba and Kevin Moyo.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Marshall Munetsi and striker Tinotenda Kadewere will meet tomorrow night when their respective sides Stade de Reims and Olympique Lyon clash in the French Ligue 1.
The Warriors pair clashed in a historic clash featuring two Zimbabwean players against each in any of Europe’s top five leagues for the first time in over two decades, when Lyon thrashed Reims 3-0.
Kadewere, who is on his longest barren spell since joining Les Gones, has recovered from injury and is available for selection, a development confirmed by his coach Rudi Garcia yesterday.
“Tino is back. If tomorrow’s training session goes well we should have everyone for Friday’s game,” said the coach. Kick off is 22:00 Zimbabwe time.-Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC MDC Alliance leader, President Chamisa is humbled by the overwhelming support from citizens who have faith in the people’s project.
President Chamisa wrote on Twitter:
THANK YOU ZIMBABWE! I’m so humbled by the inspiring comments and positive feedback from you all. Hundreds of thousands followed.
Amazing and phenomenal numbers tuned in and watched the Agenda 2021 address on various platforms. Come let us converge and reason together for CHANGE. JOIN US in this FIGHT FOR REAL CHANGE. Victory is certain! Let’s build and make OUR ZIMBABWE GREAT! God bless you all my beloved.
Edinson Cavani’s father, Luis, has claimed that the player is no longer happy with staying in Europe and could leave Manchester United at the end of the season.
Cavani’s contract is set to expire in June and there is a big chance the 34-year Uruguayan will join Argentinian club Boca Juniors, according to the father.
“There’s a 60 per cent chance of Edinson coming to South America. We’re very excited,” Luis told Argentinian broadcaster TYC Sports.
“We’ve always gone to visit him and he’s played in some beautiful cities where he’s been made to feel very welcome. He’s really endeared himself to everyone and has made friendships.
“I’d like him to join a team that has a chance of winning something. Here in Uruguay there’s no chance of that happening.
“We’ve spoken to Edinson and he’s always leant towards Boca Juniors because he’s had so many conversations with (manager Juan Roman) Riquelme about it.”
Luis also claimed that Cavani’s three-match ban earlier this season contributed to the decision to leave Manchester. The striker was hit with the sanction for allegedly using a racially offensive term on social media.
And Cavani senior insists his son is not racist and that they use the term all the time.
“He’s set on coming back because there are things that sometimes annoy you as a human, such as what happened to him, with the three-game suspension over nonsense.
“We always use that word over here. We aren’t racist. That did have a bearing on the decision,” he added.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|Bishop Ancelimo Magaya has said Zimbabwe is going through a vicious cycle of brutality due to suppression of dissenting voices by the panicky Zanu PF regime.
Bishop Magaya made the remarks at the Save Zimbabwe commemoration event in Harare.
Speaking at the same event, MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa called for a collective approach as citizens fight for democracy and freedom.
There is absolutely nothing to celebrate after leaving Chikurubi Female prison following a week of unjustified and unlawful detention for merely standing in solidarity with clear prisoners of conscience.
For the record, all these detentions, victimisation and harassment will never dampen my spirit but actually stregthen my resolve to fight more, until victory is achieved.
Many thanks to team Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights , His Excellency Advocate Nelson Chamisa , Honourable Vice Chair Job Wiwa Sikhala and the entire party leadership, friends and family for the heartwarming solidarity and support.
Cde Chauya chauya Cecillia R Chimbiri and Hon Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe still detained but in very high spirits.
Lets all remember them in our thoughts and prayers for they can never be safe in these Mnangagwa dungeons of terror.
In the end, tears of pain shall be turned into tears of joy. We fight on! No turning back!
(Johannesburg ) – The Zimbabwe government is evicting thousands of people from an indigenous minority group from their communal land, Human Rights Watch said today. The order affects more than 13,000 people of the Shangani minority.
On February 26, 2021, the Local Government, Urban and Rural development Minister, July Moyo, published a legal notice ordering thousands of people occupying approximately 12,940 hectares of Chilonga communal land in Chiredzi, southeastern Zimbabwe, to leave immediately unless they acquire fresh rights of use or occupation to that land. The legal notice, Statutory Instrument 50 of 2021, said the land was being set aside for lucerne grass production – farming grass for stockfeed.
“The Zimbabwean government should stop these evictions that ignore the rights of indigenous communities and would leave thousands of people destitute and vulnerable – particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Dewa Mavhinga, Southern Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The government should ensure that any eviction process is carried out only when it is strictly necessary, and follows due process, adequate prior consultation with those affected, adequate compensation, and provision of alternative land.”
On March 4, the Information Ministry Permanent Secretary, Nick Mangwana, shared a video message on Twitter in which the parliament member for the Chiredzi West constituency, Farai Musikavanhu, claimed that the government had consulted the Shangani people of Chilonga and that they supported the lucerne grass production project. However, Human Rights Watch established that Musikavanhu is not the parliament member for the Chilonga area, and several Chilonga leaders told Human Rights Watch they are opposed to eviction and to the grass farming project by a private company.
On March 4, a Chilonga community leader told Human Rights Watch that the community rejected the lucerne farming plans because they were announced without the community’s consent. He also said that the government did not provide reasonable notice for relocation, plans to pay compensation, and provision of alternative land with infrastructure like schools, clinics, hospitals, and roads.
Another community leader told Human Rights Watch that, “We refuse to be forced to leave our homes without any reasonable notice, since the law says we must leave immediately, and without any compensation.”
Another said: “This is not the first forced eviction for the Shangani people in Chilonga community. In the 1960s the colonial government displaced us to Chiredzi from our ancestral lands to pave way for Gonarezhou National Park.”
Zimbabwe’s Communal Land Act, section 10, authorizes the local government minister to set aside communal land for any purpose, after consultation with the local Rural District Council. The law permits the minister to order evictions, under certain limited circumstances, including with reasonable notice and compliance with the country’s constitution. Section 74 of the Zimbabwe constitution prohibits eviction in the absence of a court order issued after considering all the relevant circumstances.
A staff member of a local civil society group working with the Chilonga community, the Masvingo Centre for Research Advocacy and Development (MACRAD Trust), told Human Rights Watch that on April 30, 2020, Minister Moyo met with traditional chiefs, local authorities, the headman of the community, and a few other delegates, to inform the local leadership of the government plan to convert the Chilonga communal area land into lucerne producing farms. The Chilonga community leaders, however, reject the eviction notice, which will affect 678 villages comprising 2,258 households with 13,840 people.
The MACRAD Trust and members of the Chilonga community, through their lawyers, the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), on March 5 filed two urgent High Court motions to have the legal notice declared unconstitutional and invalid. The filing says that the order infringes on the right to not be subjected to arbitrary eviction, the right to fair administrative justice, and the right to dignity. The cases are pending.
Forced displacement without compensation, or forced evictions, violate international human rights law. The African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, which Zimbabwe ratified, requires in Article 3(1)(a) that states parties “refrain from, prohibit and prevent arbitrary displacement of populations.”
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has stated that communities’ traditional and collective ownership of land should be recognized and protected under the right to property. This includes protecting communities from forced evictions.
In General Comment 7, the UN Committee on Economic, Cultural, and Social Rights defines forced evictions as “the permanent or temporary removal against their will of individuals, families and/or communities from the homes and/or land which they occupy, without the provision of, and access to, appropriate forms of legal or other protection.”
The committee said that in keeping with their obligations under Article 11.1 of the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, and Article 17.1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, governments should ensure that “prior to any evictions, particularly those involving large groups, all feasible alternatives are explored in consultation with affected people, with a view to avoiding, or at least minimizing, the use of force.” Governments should also ensure the rights of victims to adequate compensation for any property affected.
“The Mnangagwa government should do the right thing and treat the people of Chilonga with the respect and dignity they deserve by respecting their land and property rights and peacefully engaging with them on its plans,” Mavhinga said. “Forcibly evicting thousands of people amid a pandemic, without reasonable notice, compensation, and alternative land would be a wanton disregard of the country’s legal obligations.”
For more of Human Rights Watch’s work on Zimbabwe, please visit: http://www.hrw.org/africa/zimbabwe
Own Correspondent| In an incident that is trending on WhatsApp, a house girl identified as Chipo was reportedly caught red-handed putting charm in the father of the house’s plate in a bid to entice him.
Chipo, a maid in Rhodene Suburb Masvingo, was allegedly caught while trying to snatch her boss’ husband.
She threw away all the food and apologised, according to Masvingo Trends.
Chipo reportedly confessed that she wanted her boss’ husband to take care of her kid.
“Chipo claimed the two once kissed just for fun.She reportedly bought the charm from controversial cleric Isaac Makomichi.
She pleaded for a second chance since the father of the house did not take the charm.
I think the government must reprimand Makomichi,” said a lady who declined to be named.
DIET & NUTRITION How Do You Tell the Difference Between Good and Bad Carbohydrates? Everyone needs to eat carbohydrates, but that doesn’t mean you should fuel up with cookies, candy, and potato chips.
By Moira Lawler and Diana Rodriguez Medically Reviewed by Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES
Last Updated: March 3, 2021
Medically Reviewed
cake pastry vs bean legumes illustration Cake and beans are both sources of carbs, but they are far from equal in quality.Everyday Health Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet, but it’s important to know they’re not all created equal. How do you tell the difference between “good carbs” and “bad carbs”? The answer is both simple — and complex.
Here’s everything you need to know about making smart carbohydrate choices.
A Carbohydrate Can Be a Simple Carb or a Complex Carb Carbohydrates, often referred to as just “carbs,” are your body’s primary energy source, according to MedlinePlus. The three main types of carbohydrates are sugars, starches, and fiber. They’re called “simple” or “complex” on the basis of their chemical makeup and what your body does with them. Because many foods contain one or more types of carbohydrates, it can be tricky to understand what’s healthy for you and what’s not.
Simple carbohydrates are composed of easy-to-digest sugars, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Some of these sugars are naturally occurring, such as those in fruits and in milk, while refined or processed sugars are usually added to foods like candies, baked goods, and soda. These simple carbs are quickly absorbed through the gut and can cause a spike in blood sugar levels, says Alicia Galvin, RD, the resident dietitian for Sovereign Laboratories in Dallas.
On nutrition labels, added sugars can go by several different names, including brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, fructose, glucose, maltose, malt syrup, sucrose, honey, agave nectar, molasses, and fruit juice concentrates, according to Harvard Health Publishing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now requires all nutrition labels to clearly identify the number of added sugars per serving in the product, directly beneath the total sugar count.
Then there are complex carbohydrates, which are found in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables, and contain longer chains of sugar molecules, according to MedlinePlus. “Complex carbs have an additional component — fiber, which is technically a type of carbohydrate, but it’s not digested and absorbed,” Galvin says. “That not only feeds the good gut bacteria, but it also allows for the absorption of the carbohydrate to be slower into the bloodstream, so it won’t spike glucose levels and insulin levels like a simple carbohydrate would.”
This in turn provides you with a more consistent amount of energy, says Sandra Meyerowitz, MPH, RD, a nutritionist and owner of Nutrition Works in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Details on Simple Carbohydrates Foods that contain simple carbohydrates aren’t necessarily bad — it depends on the food. For instance, fruits and dairy products contain some simple carbs, but they are drastically different from other foods that contain simple carbs, like cookies and cakes. Processed sweets tend to contain refined sugar, too, and lack key nutrients your body needs to be healthy, according to the AHA.
“There are health benefits to eating fruit versus eating a piece of white bread,” Galvin says. “Fruit does contain fiber, and also antioxidants and polyphenols and other good nutritional benefits.”
Dairy also contains healthy nutrients, such as calcium, protein, and sometimes probiotics (if live active cultures are present), Galvin says. The protein component is key to helping dairy behave more like a complex carbohydrate. “Protein helps slow the absorption of carbohydrates into the bloodstream and helps keep appetite levels steady so you don’t have swings of insulin levels and blood glucose going up and down,” Galvin says.-
Credit : Everyday Health
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Tinashe Sambiri|MDC MDC Alliance leader, President Chamisa is humbled by the overwhelming support from citizens who have faith in the people’s project.
President Chamisa wrote on Twitter:
THANK YOU ZIMBABWE! I’m so humbled by the inspiring comments and positive feedback from you all. Hundreds of thousands followed.
Amazing and phenomenal numbers tuned in and watched the Agenda 2021 address on various platforms. Come let us converge and reason together for CHANGE. JOIN US in this FIGHT FOR REAL CHANGE. Victory is certain! Let’s build and make OUR ZIMBABWE GREAT! God bless you all my beloved.
Tinashe Sambiri|Bishop Ancelimo Magaya has said Zimbabwe is going through a vicious cycle of brutality due to suppression of dissenting voices by the panicky Zanu PF regime.
Bishop Magaya made the remarks at the Save Zimbabwe commemoration event in Harare.
Speaking at the same event, MDC Alliance leader President Nelson Chamisa called for a collective approach as citizens fight for democracy and freedom.
Barely 2 days after ZimEye exposed ZRP for inaction in finding the head of the late Tapiwa Makore, the police has released DNA results saying the skull previously proved to be of someone else last year, is truly the 7 year old's | ARE THEY TELLING THE TRUTH?
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has confidently announced DNA test results for an old skull which the police says belongs to the late 7 year old Tapiwa Makore.
PAUL-NYATHI
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday confirmed the latest DNA test results saying:
Barely 2 days after ZimEye exposed ZRP for inaction in finding the head of the late Tapiwa Makore, the police has released DNA results saying the skull previously proved to be of someone else last year, is truly the 7 year old's | ARE THEY TELLING THE TRUTH?
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms that communication has been made with the late Tapiwa Makore’s family in connection with the DNA results which were conducted by AIBST DNA Testing Centre and National University of Science and Technology.
“The DNA results showed that the jaw, tooth and limb were a direct match to the torso. All other details concerning the case will be revealed once trial proceedings are in motion,” he added.
DNA tests are said to have matched the jaw, tooth and limb recently recovered in searches by investigating police officers to the seven-year-old Murehwa boy Tapiwa Makore (Jnr) murdered in September last year for ritual purposes but the family is rejecting the results and wants a second test.
Family lawyer Ms Tabitha Chikeya, was quoted by the state broadcaster, ZBC, yesterday that it was impossible for the head to belong to Makore given it was found about three days after his death but did not look new.
She called for further DNA tests. Tapiwa’s mother, Ms Linda Munyori, also told The Herald last night that the family disagreed with the DNA results.
“It is true that we do not agree with the results. The head didn’t have a scalp and looked a bit old, and resembling that of a 12-year-old or 13-year-old child. Our child was seven years old.
Two doctors concurred that it was not our son’s head,” she said.
Tapiwa went missing on September 17 while looking after his parents’ garden. His torso was found the following morning, with some parts, including the head missing.
Six suspects, including relatives, have since been arrested while others were questioned in connection with the kidnapping and murder.
The killers and their accomplices abducted the boy, shepherded him to a mountain and kept him for the whole day before murdering him and then chopping off his head, arms and legs at night.
The latest updates on police investigations show that police now believe an 11-year-old boy from Nyamutumbu Village was paid US$5 to lure Tapiwa Makore (Jnr) from the garden to his uncle’s homestead. The uncle, Tapiwa Makore (Snr), allegedly gave the boy $5 plus a T-shirt for the crucial role he played in the murder before warning him against disclosing the matter to other villagers. However, the boy handed over the money to his mother who kept the secret until everything came out during the investigation.
The uncle together with his herdsman Tafadzwa Shamba (40), the first person arrested, are in remand prison pending the murder trial. Police alleged the boy was sent by both Makore (Snr) and Shamba.
It is alleged that the boy later revealed the matter to his mother who told him not to disclose the matter. The mother is said to have used the money to buy chicken.
In November last year, another Makore brother, Thanks Makore (56) was also arrested in connection with the ritual murder, with allegations that he was given the boy’s head and arms. Thanks Makore of Damofalls was arrested in Harare and has since appeared before a Mutoko magistrate.
Two more women were picked up for questioning by police after they allegedly bought meat from Tafadzwa Shamba, the herdsman. The arrests came after reports that the meat bought by the two women might have been human flesh from the late boy’s thigh, which was sold to them at their homestead where they sell opaque beer and kachasu.
Shamba allegedly exchanged the meat for six containers of opaque beer with one of the women, Joina Tangirire, who sells beer at her homestead. The meat was consumed by her whole family. Following a tip-off, police picked up Tangirire and a relative, Enia Tangirire, who are alleged to have admitted that they exchanged beer for the meat.
Police arrested another woman, Moud Hunidzarira (42), in Budiriro following a tip-off by the public and she has appeared before a Murehwa magistrate and been remanded in custody. It is alleged that when the murder occurred, Hunidzarira was in Murehwa and a few days later, she was seen by some neighbours in Harare cleaning an item that had blood believed to be that of the late Tapiwa Makore.-state media
Tinashe Sambiri|The nation has been plunged into mourning following the death of former Studio 263 actress, Vimbai Jari, real name Anne Nhira.
Nhira succumbed to severe injuries after she was mugged in South Africa.
On her Instagram account, Anne Nhira( 38), described herself as Zimbabwe’s diamond.
” Anne died from injuries she sustained during a robbery. On her Instagram account in December 2020, Anne said life was too short. “Be silly, be fun, be different, be crazy, be cool. BE YOU. Because life is too short to be anything but HAPPY.
She came to the limelight as Vimbai Jari in Studio 263, aired on the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC). One of the most successful local productions to date, the soapie premiered in 2002, fixed on Harare’s fast lane lifestyles,” a leading showbiz publication reported.
While the pandemic is ravaging all corners of the country, Zimbabweans who have been confined to perennial vending, have no choice but to peservere and continue selling their items to fend for their families.
I visited Chikanga Sports Field Market in Mutare and I wasn’t prepared for what I saw: the risk of the pandemic spreading beyond control as vendors mingle in open-air trading with no masks, social distancing or water provisions for hand-washing.
The vendors expressed concerns at the cost involved in masking.
The country needs a co-ordinated effort with resources being channelled towards eliminating this disease.
Zimbabwe has enough resources to look after its citizens. We can do better as a country.
By Showbiz Reporter | The famous “Vimbai Jari” Studio 263 star Anne Nhira has died.
Vimbai Nhira
The actress was 38 years old.
Her brother Juan Nhira confirmed the news.
He wrote:
“My Sister My Friend My Icon My Superstar My Mentor Gone too soon. May your soul rest in peace Anne Nhira The African Queen Diva”
Mr Nhira added saying:
“She sustained injuries on her chest area, rib cage and back during a robbery on Monday afternoon in Bedford view South Africa. She was only 38 years of age,” he said
By A Correspondent- The Odzi mine ownership wrangle recently spilled into the High Court which granted an interim order interdicting Zanu-PF councillor Luckson Mawanga’s Paari Mining Syndicate from carrying out operations at the mine.
The interdict was granted against Mawanga’s Paari Syndicate last week by Harare High Court judge Justice Amy Tsanga.
The applicant, Twin Castle, had cited Paari Mining Syndicate, Manicaland provincial mining director Omen Dube, Mines minister Winstone Chitando and Odzi Police Station officer-in-charge, Inspector Kadoro, as respondents.
“The first respondent and anyone acting on their behalf are hereby interdicted from mining and extracting or processing any mineral ore or carrying out any other form of mining at snipe B46, an area covered by registration notices 019994AA and 019995AA,” the order read.
“The first respondent, and, is hereby interdicted to desist from denying applicant’s employees entry into stripe B46 Mine and interfering with applicants employees and protecting the rights within the pending applicants registration notice 01999AA and 019995AA.
“In the event that the first respondent or its agents continue to deny the applicants access to the mining location, the first respondent be and hereby ordered to assist the applicant access and gain entry to the said mining location,” the order added.
“It is hereby declared that the first respondent does not have any rights to carry out mining activities at the stripe B and said registration notices.
“It is hereby declared that the first respondent certificates of registration of Snipe B are cancelled.”
Paari Mining Syndicate, through its lawyer Passmore Nyakureba of Maunga, Maanda and Associates, said it would appeal the ruling.
“Our position is very clear. We have seen the interdict, and we have since been instructed to appoint a lawyer in Harare to challenge it,” Nyakureba said.
Just in time for International Women’s month, Abigail Kawonza continues to push boundaries and take Rugby Africa to new heights, reminding us that even if one-woman scores, we all win
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 11, 2021/ — The inclusion and integration of women in sports has been a contentious topic over the years. As the industry continues to open space for women all around the world, International Women’s month is a good time to not only commemorate pioneers such as Abigail Kawonza, who have pushed boundaries and opened doors for other women – but to also celebrate the work done to date. Having been involved in rugby for over two decades – Abigail Kawonza has witnessed the industry’s many wins and losses. However, in her role as one of Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com)’s Unstoppables, she has also seen and celebrated many developments, especially in a sport that was largely considered for men. Being part of the Unstoppables, a campaign dedicated to fast-tracking the development of women’s rugby in Africa, Kawonza pridefully notes that one of the major developments in her time is “the widespread acceptance of women taking part in rugby tournaments which has helped to project the sport onto higher platforms and expand its popularity. We have seen a change from just articles to women’s rugby being accepted in Olympics and Commonwealth Games.”
Coralie van den Berg, General Manager of World Rugby African Association, Rugby Africa, testifies to this, explaining that increasingly “more tournaments including women’s categories are being developed. When unions now launch a new tournament, they tend to always include a women’s category which is a very positive development.”
Kawonza notes that some of the major improvements she has also seen on a global scale is “the increase in funding covering the development of the game in both sevens and the fifteens format as well as younger and stronger players emerging.” As the industry increasingly makes provision for women, Kawonza also notes an increase in adequate skill levels to showcase great games at any level due to properly accredited coaches taking time to coach women. “Let’s not forget qualified female technical staff taking the reins” she adds. Kawonza’s passion for sports and her journey as an Unstoppable has also opened bigger opportunities for her, allowing her to make even wider strides towards opening the industry for other talented women rooting on the other side of the fence.
One of the key achievements being her role as the President of the Zimbabwe Rugby Referees Association which has opened opportunities to better guide younger referees towards maintaining best practice. Beyond the amazing strides Kawonza has made in her career, her tenure as an Unstoppable has further expanded her impact beyond Zimbabwe’s grounds. “I appreciate that my influence has gone beyond the Zimbabwean borders as I also work closely with regional and international union boards”, says Kawonza. “The recognition as an Unstoppable has opened doors for more women in Zimbabwe, and I intend to ride the wave for as long as I can. Taking young match officials and players with me” she adds.
In her Scrumqueens Q&A, Maha Zaoui shares the same sentiment as Kawonza, adding that “the creation of the Women’s Rugby Advisory Committee at Rugby Afrique and its 4 sub-committees speaks to the global vision of women’s rugby in Africa. We are no longer talking about priorities but about a global project that will affect all related sectors in women’s rugby.”
Kawonza’s key focus has been to bridge the gap between talent search and development and foster talent that can soar to professional rugby heights. About talent, Rugby Africa Referee Manager, Mudiwa Mundawarara shares that “over the years, the support of the South African Rugby Union and French Rugby Federation has been tremendous, and I am pleased that it will continue with greater emphasis on talent identification, on training and coaching of referees from the rest of the continent.
This will eventually lead to greater opportunities for them through a selection process drawn from the strengthened development cohorts.” Beyond opening doors for young women, Kawonza’s role as an Unstoppable also enabled her to mentor upcoming players to be smart about their careers beyond the field. “I have a different view as an “older” if not the oldest Unstoppable – I encourage young women to pursue their education to the fullest because sport goes beyond what you do on the field, it’s about you being articulate and able to represent yourself as a brand in the world out there. This will help you go beyond the field when you reach your “shelf-life” or even if playing is not your thing but still have that passion for rugby” says Kawonza.
Kawonza’s journey as a pioneer is far from over, as a believer in the power of mentorship Kawonza adds that “everyone needs a hero and my vision is to build a mentorship program for women who have been successful in the field (coaching, match officiating, administration) where they too can be able to mentor the young women, on and off the field of play.”
By A Correspondent- Traditional medicine practitioners on Tuesday bemoaned underfunding towards research and the manufacture of traditional medicines, which has resulted in lack of recognition of their practice in the health sector.
Health ministry director Onias Ndoro said this during a meeting with the Ruth Labode-chaired Health and Child Care and Parliamentary Portfolio Committee where he told MPs that government had failed to release the required funds for research and other necessities in the manufacture of traditional medicines.
The meeting was meant to discuss the development and promotion of traditional and complementary medicines in Zimbabwe.
He said government should consider allocating 2,5% of the Health ministry budget vote to the traditional medical sector.
“Traditional medicine is not widely recognised in the country due to a number of challenges which include lack of funding and lack of standards for indigenous medicinal products. The traditional medicine sector has been receiving way below the requested funds from government. In 2020 for instance, the sector requested $350 000, but only received less than $30 000,” Ndoro said.
“There is also a need to strengthen the traditional medical council which spearheads manufacturing of traditional medicines. The council has not been meeting over the past five years, which derails progress in the sector.”
Ndoro said there was a lot of secrecy among the traditional practitioners who did not want to disclose important herbs or to pass on their knowledge to others, which hindered standardisation of the traditional medical practice.
He also urged government to include the traditional medicine practice in the education curriculum and to bring together traditional and conventional medicine practitioners to engage in research.
Traditional Medical Practitioners Council (TMPC) registrar Joice Guhwa said the COVID-19 pandemic had highlighted the importance of traditional herbs which had been downplayed due to the rise of conventional medicine.
Guhwa said many people resorted to traditional concoctions to cure the respiratory disease.
“The challenges experienced in the traditional medical sector date back to colonialism where local medicines were underutilised due to the rise of the conventional drugs. The Witchcraft Act of the 1960s was also promulgated to do away with traditional medicine; hence since then, the practice has been sidelined and was regarded as dirty and backward.-Newsday
BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) clinics are being manned by 50% of the staff amid reports that the other half had left for greener pastures.
This came at a time when the local authority was battling service delivery challenges and failure to pay its workers on time.
City fathers have blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for financially impacting on its operations as ratepayers did not settle their bills for the better part of 2020 due to the lockdown.
In a virtual discussion held on Monday titled: “The State of Health Institutions in Bulawayo: A Provincial Perspective,” BCC health services director Edwin Sibanda painted a gloomy picture of staffing levels.
“We have about 19 clinics dotted around the City of Bulawayo and they are running with almost forty-five to fifty-five staffing levels,” Sibanda said.
“The city has been struggling with constant tendering in of resignation letters. Since January we have been receiving not less than four resignations a month. In terms of admission levels we are fine, but the greatest constraint is the fact that our clinics do not have enough staff.”
Welcome Mlilo, the acting provincial medical director for Bulawayo said: “The shortage of health facilities is a trend right across the country, not only limited to Bulawayo. We have seen an alarming number of resignations.”
According to the local authority, only 16% of Bulawayo ratepayers fully paid their bills in 2020 while 22% did not make any payments at all, resulting in council being owed nearly $663 million by ratepayers.
Government departments also owe council several millions of dollars, deepening the council’s financial woes.
Council’s woes are likely to be worsened by the recently increased tariffs, a development that is likely to result in a high number of defaulters.
BCC increased its rates by 372% after its supplementary budget was recently approved by government.
The local authority was forced to seek a supplementary budget after the first wave of COVID-19 led to unbudgeted expenses.
As if that is not enough, government has also approved the council’s 2021 budget which will see rates and service charges going up by a further 10%.-newsday
By A Correspondent | Barely a year after donating bags of mealie meal to ZANU PF, the controversial preacher Uebert Angel is getting a diplomatic passport.
Yesterday sources told ZimEye the preacher is in Zimbabwe.
The man was yesterday listed for an ambassadorial training course presided by the Perm Secretary Amb J Manzou.
Bishop Magaya and President Nelson Chamisa Bishop Magaya and President Nelson Chamisa Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition presser President Nelson Chamisa and Bishop Magaya
ZimEye will be livestreaming a Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition press conference set to be held at the Media Centre in Harare.
The Save Zimbabwe Commemorations press conference, convened by Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Chairperson Rashid Mahiya will be addressed by several speakers including MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa, Peter Mutasa (ZCTU), Professor Lovemore Madhuku (NCA) Evernice Munando (Women’s Coalition), Nancy Njenge (ZINASU) and Bishop Magaya (Christian Alliance).
By A Correspondent- Government is formulating laws that will provide for mandatory jail sentences for rapists in response to a sharp increase in sexual violations, Parliament heard last week.
This is not the first time that authorities have revealed plans to punish offenders with a mandatory jail sentence as a deterrent against the vice. In 2017, government proposed a mandatory 60-year jail term for those who rape children and 40 years for criminals convicted of raping or sodomising people with disabilities.
Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises minister, Sithembiso Nyoni revealed in Parliament last Thursday that government was finalising laws providing for mandatory jail sentences for rape.
Nyoni said government was concerned about statistics of sexual offences, adding that long mandatory jail terms would be the only deterrent measure against the crime.
She said statistics provided by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) victim friendly unit showed that there were 1 222 cases of rape in the third quarter of 2020 and 1 274 in the last quarter countrywide.
“The Bills (Sexual Harassment Bill and the Gender Equality Bill) are expected to criminalise the offence of sexual harassment and provide frameworks for gender equality,” Nyoni said in a ministerial statement on sexual crimes and gender-based violence (GBV).
The next one is the mandatory sentence for rape.
The Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs administers the Criminal Code Reform Act and it is spearheading the amendment of the Act to include mandatory sentencing for sexual offences.
“The drafting process has begun. However, the drafters have identified that most relevant stakeholders on the proposed law were not consulted, hence there was need for further consultations.”
The United Nations says GBV is the most pervasive yet least visible human rights violation in the world.
It includes physical, sexual and mental violations with experts stating that one in three women will experience such violations in their lifetime.-newsday
Government is formulating laws that will provide for mandatory jail sentences for rapists in response to a sharp increase in sexual violations, Parliament heard last week.
This is not the first time that authorities have revealed plans to punish offenders with a mandatory jail sentence as a deterrent against the vice. In 2017, government proposed a mandatory 60-year jail term for those who rape children and 40 years for criminals convicted of raping or sodomising people with disabilities.
Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises minister, Sithembiso Nyoni revealed in Parliament last Thursday that government was finalising laws providing for mandatory jail sentences for rape.
Nyoni said government was concerned about statistics of sexual offences, adding that long mandatory jail terms would be the only deterrent measure against the crime.
She said statistics provided by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) victim friendly unit showed that there were 1 222 cases of rape in the third quarter of 2020 and 1 274 in the last quarter countrywide.
“The Bills (Sexual Harassment Bill and the Gender Equality Bill) are expected to criminalise the offence of sexual harassment and provide frameworks for gender equality,” Nyoni said in a ministerial statement on sexual crimes and gender-based violence (GBV).
The next one is the mandatory sentence for rape.
The Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs administers the Criminal Code Reform Act and it is spearheading the amendment of the Act to include mandatory sentencing for sexual offences.
“The drafting process has begun. However, the drafters have identified that most relevant stakeholders on the proposed law were not consulted, hence there was need for further consultations.”
The United Nations says GBV is the most pervasive yet least visible human rights violation in the world.
It includes physical, sexual and mental violations with experts stating that one in three women will experience such violations in their lifetime.
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU), a civil servants’ group, has petitioned government over the erosion of government workers’ salaries and gave notice of a nationwide full-blown strike next week if the salary issue was not resolved within seven days.
In its petition gleaned by NewsDay dated March 9, 2021 addressed to Public Service minister Paul Mavima, ZCPSTU president Cecilia Alexander said civil servants’ salaries had been severely eroded by inflation and needed to be reviewed.
“Government is wilfully disregarding the NJNC (National Joint Negotiation Council) resolution of December 2020 which stated that the NJNC would meet early January 2020 to craft a roadmap towards the restoration of the value of wages to the pre-October 2018 level,” the petition read in part.
“The ZCPSTU/Apex Council will within seven days from the date of this letter, notify the employer of an impending civil servicewide job action, and that such notification will be served to you in accordance with the laws of the land and in fulfilment of the desires of our members.”
Teachers’ unions also threatened that their members would not report for duty when schools open next week until government paid them salaries ranging from US$520 to US$550, or the equivalent in local currency.
They also expressed disgruntlement over being paid salaries that are way below those paid to the security forces.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou yesterday said teachers’ salaries ranged from $14 000 to $19 000, while soldiers, police and Central Intelligence Organisation officers reportedly earned well above $30 000.
“Government must restore the purchasing power parity of teachers’ salaries to pre-October 2018 levels of US$520 to US$550,”Zhou said in a statement.
Mavima recently told Parliament that government had no capacity to pay foreign currency-denominated salaries.
During the 2021 Parliament of Zimbabwe post-budget consultations, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube claimed that civil servants were the highest paid employees in the country.
Zimbabwe’s breadbasket for a family of six is now pegged at $25 000, according to recent data from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, amid reports that most families were surviving on less than a dollar a day.-Newsday
By A Correspondent| Local doctors have questioned the government’s approach in educating citizens on the importance of the COVID-19 vaccination saying the low numbers being recorded daily were worrying considering that other countries were doing well in having their people inoculated.
Zimbabwe received 200 000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China.
The sinopharm vaccine remains the only option available in the country right now with AstraZeneca and another batch from India and Russia still to arrive in the country.
“[Only] 243 new vaccinations reported yesterday [Tuesday]. That’s an average of 24 people being vaccinated per day per each province,” said Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) treasurer-general Norman Matara.
“35,000 vaccinated in 3 weeks. The uptake is extremely low and worrying. Rwanda has vaccinated 200,000 people in four days. Where are we getting it wrong?”
Zimbabwe rolled out its immunisation programme some three weeks ago after receiving a donation of 200,000 Sinopharm vaccine doses from China.
The government, which aims to vaccinate 10 million people to achieve herd immunity, is awaiting more doses from the Chinese plus an allocation of the AstraZeneca vaccine under the global COVAX scheme.
But Matara worried the sluggish pace of vaccination and the apparent failure by government to galvanize a positive response leaves the country vulnerable to the respiratory disease that has since killed 1,489 Zimbabweans and infected 36,341 others.
“Vaccines are meant to be given to those who have not yet acquired the disease. That we had fewer cases compared to other countries should be a reason for vaccination not against,” Matara reasoned.
“With limited access to vaccine supply, it would be unwise to give the vaccines to low-risk individuals and not vaccinate those at more risk. I think we still need to devise ways to increase uptake amongst the vulnerable.”
A study by the Zimbabwe College of Public Health Physicians (ZCPHP) found that 49 percent of people “don’t trust the government will provide a safe and effective vaccine,” Matara said, shedding light on why most people are holding off.
By A Correspondent- President of the MDC T faction Douglas Mwonzora has reportedly called for an urgent councillors meeting at Harvest House, threatening that those who do not attend would be deemed as belonging to other factions of the party.
According to the unsigned and yet to be confirmed message, Mwonzora told the councillors to present themselves at Harvest House without failure.
We publish below the circulating message:
Attention:All sitting Cllrs are required at Harvest House tomorrow 11 March 2021 @ 2pm by the President His Excellency D.T .Mwonzora. No excuses please,failure to show up means you are not part of us. Norton, Seke, Goromonzi Rural District Council, Chitungwiza Municipality, Ruwa Local Board, Mhondoro Rural District Council. Manyame Rural District Council Chitungwiza Province.
Efforts to get a comment from Mwonzora was work in progress by the time of publishing.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.
By A Correspondent- Private schools have proposed to Government to have a different school calendar from the one announced by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education last week.
The schools want the first term to end on March 31 and the second term to start on May 3.
A week ago, Cabinet announced that schools will open for the First Term next Monday for examination classes and the rest of the classes will open on March 22.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education then released the 2021 schools calendar.
According to the ministry, Term One ends on June 4 with the second term commencing on June 28, ending on September 10. The third term will start on October 4 and end on December 17.
Schools were supposed to open on 4 January but Government was forced to defer the opening due to a spike in Covid-19 cases.
Private schools said they want a separate schools calendar given the fact that they have been conducting online lessons when schools were closed. They have since written to the ministry requesting to be allowed to close on March 31 and reopen on May 3 for the second term.
The schools are arguing that there is no need for them to have an extended school term since they have already covered a lot of ground.
In the event their proposal is approved, it means pupils at private schools will not break for Easter holiday and return to school as is the case with Government and mission schools. This year Good Friday falls on April 2 while Easter Monday is on April 5.
Some parents, particularly those with children at boarding schools are already counting the costs of breaking for Easter holidays and returning to school after the holidays.
Primary and Secondary Education Ministry communication and advocacy manager Mr Taungana Ndoro yesterday confirmed that private schools had approached the Ministry with a proposal for a separate schools calendar. He said the ministry is yet to respond to their request.
“The calendar we are using is the one approved by Cabinet and this is supposed to be for all schools. We received their request and until such a time that Government approves their proposal, the opening of schools is on 15 March for examination classes and March 22 for the rest of classes,” said Mr Ndoro.
He said the private schools were saying that their pupils were having online lessons when schools were closed but the Government position is that online lessons are there to complement face-to-face lessons.
“We have to conduct both online and physical face to face lessons as we need to catch up on lost time in 2020 and also time which has been lost in 2021,” he said. Association of Trust Schools executive director Mr Tim Middleton declined to comment on the matter.
“We deal with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education directly on all matters to do with education. We deal with them not with the Press or with others. It’s a matter between our association and the Ministry. It’s a private matter between the association of private schools and the ministry of education,” said Mr Middleton.
Reporters understand that some private schools have already told parents and guardians that they will close on March 31 while others have advised that pupils will continue with online lessons until the end of the school term at the end of this month.-statemedia
By A Correspondent- Government’s fight against land barons, accused of illegally parcelling out State land in urban areas, has turned nasty amid reports that Harare’s provincial development coordinator (PDC) Tafadzwa Muguti was recently poisoned and is in a critical condition.
Sources said Muguti was reportedly poisoned after he stepped on several land barons’ toes, mostly those affiliated to the ruling Zanu-PF party.
He recently admitted that he had angered many, both in Zanu-PF and the opposition MDC Alliance, over his tough stance against land barons, adding that his rivals were plotting to “deal with him”.
Muguti has been under the weather over the past few weeks as a result of suspected poisoning allegedly at the hands of the land barons.
Sources alleged that some of the land barons even threatened to do anything to stop him from unmasking their illegal activities.
In a WhatsApp message to NewsDay yesterday, Muguti curtly said: “I am not available at present, will connect once available.”
He, however, could not confirm whether his ill-health was due to alleged poisoning.
Muguti’s life has been in danger ever since he started fighting land barons in the capital.
Sources alleged that he has been the subject of attack in the ruling party’s social media groups over his tough stance.
In a series of tweets recently, Muguti seemed to confirm that the land barons wars were baying for his blood.
“The last few weeks have been very difficult for me and my family. I fell very ill at work and found myself thinking these were the last days of my life,” he tweeted.
Muguti said when he returned to Zimbabwe in 2017 from South Africa to work for the ruling Zanu-PF party, he underestimated the “fires ahead”.
“When I was appointed to be PDC for Harare province, it was a privilege and an honour to serve my country more. Little did I know the fires ahead,” he tweeted then.
“Within three months, our team had awoken the lost noise about land barons. We held well over 30 interviews in a short space of time advocating for land barons to fall. Let me be the first to say I underestimated darkness because when they responded, they hit hard.
“I will be back healthier and stronger, for the Lord will heal me and give me more time for the cause.”
Harare Metropolitan Affairs minister Oliver Chidau said he was aware of his subordinate’s hospitalisation, but could not disclose the nature of the illness.
“I only know he has not been well. I don’t know anything outside that. He is not feeling well, that’s all I know. We are wishing him well and that he should be coming back soon. He just says he is feeling weak,” Chidau said.
An official in Muguti’s office confirmed that the land scam buster has been unwell for some weeks, but could not comment further.
“He is currently on leave, he is not feeling well. Concerning his health and the challenges he may have faced, I don’t know who you can talk to because he is not even taking calls,” the official said.
Sources alleged that Muguti was critically ill and may be flown out of the country for treatment.
They said he was a victim of the vicious land wars that have hit the country and led to the arrest of current and former Zanu-PF officials, among them former Labour minister Petronella Kagonye and her Local Government counterpart, Ignatius Chombo.
Gweru land developer Smelly Dube, and the late former Chitungwiza deputy mayor Fredrick Mabamba, who died in remand prison last week, were fingered in some of the illegal land deals.
The land barons were exposed by the Justice Tendai Uchena land audit report which indicated that the State might have lost over US$3 billion in the scam which involved top politicians, mainly from Zanu-PF.
According to the audit report, Zanu-PF officials illegally parcelled out State land in and around urban areas to lure voters.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has declared war on land barons, but most of them are hitting back, with some arguing that they facilitated acquisition of land to home-seekers as a campaign strategy for the ruling party ahead of the 2013 elections and the 2016 by-elections.
Last week, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission arrested 10 suspected land barons from Ruwa and vowed not to leave any stone unturned in fighting graft.
A Gokwe villager fatally stabbed a man he caught red-handed having s_x with his wife.
Oscar Mazorodze (27) of Chirindagomo Village, Chief Chireya in Gokwe North, was yesterday arraigned before Gokwe magistrate Mr Busani Sibanda facing murder charges.
Mazorodze allegedly stabbed Johane Mareya multiple times with a kitchen knife after he caught him red-handed being intimate with his wife Brenda Dhlodhlo.
Mareya died upon admission at Gokwe District Hospital.
Mazorodze was remanded in custody to 19 March and advised to apply for bail at the High Court.
Prosecuting, Mr Liberty Chimwaradze told the court that on 5 March at around 3PM, the accused unexpectedly returned from work.
He proceeded straight to his bedroom where he found the door locked from inside.
Mazorodze, the court heard, forced himself into the bedroom where he found Mareya in the act with his wife.
Mazorodze reached for a knife and stabbed Mareya four times all over the body.
Mareya was rushed to Gokwe District Hospital by villagers but he was pronounced dead upon admission.
A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of Mazorodze.
By Patrick Guramatunhu- “The agenda for political reforms has been on the table for many years. When the MDC was founded two decades ago, the agenda was to reform governance in Zimbabwe which was already in terminal decline,” admitted Nelson Chamisa in his Tuesday afternoon Zimbabwe 2021 Agenda address.
“The transformation of governance and society remains at the core of the party’s agenda. However, history has shown that there are impediments to the party’s path to power, hence the need for political reforms to level the political playing field. It is important to have free, fair, and credible elections because they provide the basis for legitimacy.
“We have seen that no matter how many elections are held if there is a legitimacy deficit, the country will remain stuck in the doldrums. We need Zimbabwe to return to legitimacy, openness and democracy. (RELOAD)”
As a young Roman Catholic familiar with the ritual of confession, I had often wondered what the Devil would say in his confession. As an adult I have become engross with the here and now as contrast to the here, now and after life expected of a good Christian. It was not the Devil’s confession I want to hear but that of a politician!
Above is a snippet of a corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless Zimbabwean politician’s confession. It is everything I had ever imagined in the Devil to confess, one and half hours of howling at the moon.
“It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury Signifying nothing!” to borrow from William Shakespeare.
It is true that implementing the democratic reforms to restore the individual freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful vote and the right to life itself was MDC’s primary task. Zimbabweans have risked life and limb to elect Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends into power on the understanding the party will bring about the democratic changes the nation was dying for, as the party’s own name implied.
So, one has to ask why are political reforms still on the national agenda two decades since the formation of MDC?
If Nelson Chamisa’s address was an honest and earnest dialogue with the people of Zimbabwe as the title, Zimbabwe 2021 Agenda, implied; just as a confession should be sincere and truthful; then he had to answer the question above. The whole speech was a clarion call to all Zimbabweans to fight for change without as much as a backward glance to the last two decades, as if the years never even existed. Rubbish!
The last 20 years are important. Many people have suffered and many have died, over 500 were murdered by Zanu PF in the 2008 wanton election violence alone, in the fight for democratic change. The country is in a worse economic and political state today than it was in 2 years ago precisely because the democratic changes that should have happened never happened.
We owe it to all those who have made great sacrifices for democratic change in Zimbabwe to say why we failed to deliver any changes in the last 20 years.
Besides, if we fail to thoroughly and candidly interrogate the failures of last 20 years past, how can we be sure we will not repeat the same mistakes again!
There is no denying that MDC leaders have had many golden opportunities to implement the democratic reforms and end the curse of rigged elections once and once for all. The best chances to implement the reforms were during the 2008 to 2013 GNU.
Morgan Tsvangirai and his fellow MDC leaders, including Nelson Chamisa, failed to implement even one democratic reform in five years. Not even one!
Mugabe bribed the MDC leaders with the trappings of high office, the ministerial limos, very generous salaries and allowances, a US$ 4 million Highlands mansion for Tsvangirai, etc., etc. With their snouts in the feeding trough, the MDC leaders forgot about reforms for five years. Not five hours, five days or five months! FIVE YEARS!
Worse still, ever since their blatant betrayal in failing to implement the reforms during the GNU; MDC leaders have taken up the call for reforms and free and fair elections again and again to win the people’s trust but only to completely ignore the cause in pursuit of their selfish agenda.
“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the (2013) elections,” wrote Senator Coltart in his book.
“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”
There it is the confession on another politician admitting MDC leaders abandoned the call for reforms and free and fair elections in pursuit of the few gravy train seats Zanu PF dangled in their faces.
Needless to say, Nelson Chamisa and his fellow MDC friends will be participating in the 2023 elections even if Zanu PF does not implement even one token reform.
Mnangagwa knows that MDC leaders will participate in the elections regardless how flawed and illegal process. Indeed, that is exactly the reason why Zanu PF is not even paying attention to all these calls for democratic reforms. Why would Zanu PF implement any reform and risk losing the election when the party knows the opposition will participate and give the process credibility and give the results legitimacy!
“Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more.” To once again borrow from William Shakespeare.
After 20 years of the MDC idiots strutting and fretting upon the Zimbabwe political stage and with not even one democratic reform to show for it we, Zimbabweans, should have given these poor player their marching orders a long time ago.
MDC leaders will never ever deliver the democratic reforms and the free, fair and credible elections; if they failed to do so when they had the golden opportunity to do so, during the 2008 to 2013 GNU, it is naïve to think they will do so now.
By A Correspondent- The government will reportedly recruit 3 000 teachers when schools reopen soon.
The move is meant to cope with the COVID-19 regulations imposed by WHO to curb spreading the novel coronavirus which has brought the world to a standstill.
This was revealed by the Primary and Secondary education Minister Cain Mathema who said their aim was to break classes into smaller groups and have 35 students per class:
We are employing 3 000 more teachers soon so that they will start working during the first term. Covid-19 regulations require that we break classes into smaller groups of not more than 35, and to do that we have to employ more teachers.
The President ordered that we should employ all qualified teachers. He said we cannot just be training teachers and not employing them. So with this recruitment we are implementing what was directed by the President,
Mathema also urged teachers to be vaccinated ahead of schools reopening in case they will be exposed to the virus at work:
It is a policy position and we will implement it, but we are not doing this alone. We are working with colleagues from the Ministry of Health and Child Care. We urge all teachers to be vaccinated. Experts have advised that it is safe and we encourage them to accept these vaccines.
However, it is important to note that the vaccinations are voluntary and those willing should take. No one is forced to be vaccinated but like I said experts have told us that we are better off getting vaccinated to be able to respond to this virus.
By A Correspondent- Former 263 actor Anne Nhira has died.
Nhira reportedly died last night in South Africa according to her brother who told the publication that she succumbed to the injuries she sustained during a robbery this week on Monday.
Juan Nhira confirming her death said:
She sustained injuries on her chest area, rib cage and back during a robbery on Monday afternoon in Bedford view South Africa. She was only 38 years of age
Nhira is popular for portraying the character of Vimbai on the Zimbabwean Soapie Studio 263 before she left Zimbabwe for South Africa.
Barely 2 days after ZimEye exposed ZRP for inaction in finding the head of the late Tapiwa Makore, the police has released DNA results saying the skull previously proved to be of someone else last year, is truly the 7 year old's | ARE THEY TELLING THE TRUTH?
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has confidently announced DNA test results for an old skull which the police says belongs to the late 7 year old Tapiwa Makore.
PAUL-NYATHI
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday confirmed the latest DNA test results saying:
Barely 2 days after ZimEye exposed ZRP for inaction in finding the head of the late Tapiwa Makore, the police has released DNA results saying the skull previously proved to be of someone else last year, is truly the 7 year old's | ARE THEY TELLING THE TRUTH?
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms that communication has been made with the late Tapiwa Makore’s family in connection with the DNA results which were conducted by AIBST DNA Testing Centre and National University of Science and Technology.
“The DNA results showed that the jaw, tooth and limb were a direct match to the torso. All other details concerning the case will be revealed once trial proceedings are in motion,” he added.
DNA tests are said to have matched the jaw, tooth and limb recently recovered in searches by investigating police officers to the seven-year-old Murehwa boy Tapiwa Makore (Jnr) murdered in September last year for ritual purposes but the family is rejecting the results and wants a second test.
Family lawyer Ms Tabitha Chikeya, was quoted by the state broadcaster, ZBC, yesterday that it was impossible for the head to belong to Makore given it was found about three days after his death but did not look new.
She called for further DNA tests. Tapiwa’s mother, Ms Linda Munyori, also told The Herald last night that the family disagreed with the DNA results.
“It is true that we do not agree with the results. The head didn’t have a scalp and looked a bit old, and resembling that of a 12-year-old or 13-year-old child. Our child was seven years old.
Two doctors concurred that it was not our son’s head,” she said.
Tapiwa went missing on September 17 while looking after his parents’ garden. His torso was found the following morning, with some parts, including the head missing.
Six suspects, including relatives, have since been arrested while others were questioned in connection with the kidnapping and murder.
The killers and their accomplices abducted the boy, shepherded him to a mountain and kept him for the whole day before murdering him and then chopping off his head, arms and legs at night.
The latest updates on police investigations show that police now believe an 11-year-old boy from Nyamutumbu Village was paid US$5 to lure Tapiwa Makore (Jnr) from the garden to his uncle’s homestead. The uncle, Tapiwa Makore (Snr), allegedly gave the boy $5 plus a T-shirt for the crucial role he played in the murder before warning him against disclosing the matter to other villagers. However, the boy handed over the money to his mother who kept the secret until everything came out during the investigation.
The uncle together with his herdsman Tafadzwa Shamba (40), the first person arrested, are in remand prison pending the murder trial. Police alleged the boy was sent by both Makore (Snr) and Shamba.
It is alleged that the boy later revealed the matter to his mother who told him not to disclose the matter. The mother is said to have used the money to buy chicken.
In November last year, another Makore brother, Thanks Makore (56) was also arrested in connection with the ritual murder, with allegations that he was given the boy’s head and arms. Thanks Makore of Damofalls was arrested in Harare and has since appeared before a Mutoko magistrate.
Two more women were picked up for questioning by police after they allegedly bought meat from Tafadzwa Shamba, the herdsman. The arrests came after reports that the meat bought by the two women might have been human flesh from the late boy’s thigh, which was sold to them at their homestead where they sell opaque beer and kachasu.
Shamba allegedly exchanged the meat for six containers of opaque beer with one of the women, Joina Tangirire, who sells beer at her homestead. The meat was consumed by her whole family. Following a tip-off, police picked up Tangirire and a relative, Enia Tangirire, who are alleged to have admitted that they exchanged beer for the meat.
Police arrested another woman, Moud Hunidzarira (42), in Budiriro following a tip-off by the public and she has appeared before a Murehwa magistrate and been remanded in custody. It is alleged that when the murder occurred, Hunidzarira was in Murehwa and a few days later, she was seen by some neighbours in Harare cleaning an item that had blood believed to be that of the late Tapiwa Makore.-state media
By Showbiz Reporter | The famous “Vimbai Jari” Studio 263 star Anne Nhira has died.
Vimbai Nhira
The actress was 38 years old.
Her brother Juan Nhira confirmed the news.
He wrote:
“My Sister My Friend My Icon My Superstar My Mentor Gone too soon. May your soul rest in peace Anne Nhira The African Queen Diva”
Mr Nhira added saying:
“She sustained injuries on her chest area, rib cage and back during a robbery on Monday afternoon in Bedford view South Africa. She was only 38 years of age,” he said
By Paul Nyathi | Zimbabwe is vaccinating an average 24 people per day a record low as nations such as Rwanda inoculate 50,000 every 24 hours.
This is according to the Zimbabwe Doctors For Human Rights’ Dr Norman Marara.
Dr Marara passed the comment in a brief tweet saying:
243 new vaccinations reported yesterday. That’s an average of 24 people being vaccinated per day per each province. 35 000 vaccinated in 3 weeks. The uptake is extremely low and worrying
Tinashe Sambiri|Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa is inflicting pain on citizens in a bid to enforce legitimacy, MDC Alliance deputy spokesperson, Clifford Hlatywayo has said.
Hlatywayo also described the persecution of the MDC Alliance trio, Joana Mamombe, Netsai Marova and Cecilia Chimbiri as barbaric, unacceptable and redundant.
“A regime in panic and unstable mode is seen by attacking unarmed civilians.
It is seen by inflicting pain on the vulnerable &defenseless citizens.All this to force for legitimacy.
Dr Masimba Mavaza | Tendai Biti, the MDC Alliance vice president, has given a half-hearted apology to the Chipinge people for calling them witches in his response to a comment by Professor Lovemore Madhuku.
In the half-baked apology, Biti said his Twitter comment was not his reflection of the people of Chipinge, but that he was joking with Prof Madhuku, whom he claims is his friend for years. There is an extraordinary inconsistency between what Biti said and his pretense of an apology. Many people made the point not to make a political charge against Biti nor for any personal benefit, but to defend the integrity of being Zimbabwean, the integrity Biti has trashed.https://7b0e01cce668c14cd546b762184b04f9.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
Biti said there was nothing sinister about the way in which he addressed Madhuku as this was his pub jokes, yet the good reputation of the people of Chipinge has been permanently damaged. Zimbabweans should be offended by the half-baked, somewhat perfunctory apology offered by Biti to Chipinge people. Biti actually said the people of Chipinge’s integrity is for the pub talk and must not be taken seriously.
His apology was more insulting that soothing. He issued a rather non apology, a wisher apology, a back-handed apology. or indeed a fauxpology – a statement in the form of an apology that does not express remorse. This type of apology from Biti was an insult to the people of Chipinge. Biti justified his insult by saying the late Ndabaningi Sithole was abused by the government and thus his insult to the Chipinge people must not be taken to be deep as it does not compare to the treatment Sithole had. Biti, who claimed to have represented Sithole in his treason charge, tried to justify his shoddy work as a lawyer by blaming the government for the conviction Sithole got in the case he and his firm badly handled.
Saying “I’m sorry you feel that way” to someone who has been offended by a statement is a non-apology. It does not admit there was anything wrong with the remarks made, and does imply that the person took offense for hypersensitive or irrational reasons. Another form of non-apology does not apologize directly to the injured or insulted party, but generically “to anyone who might have been offended”. Biti’s Twitter apology was general, by the way, and then a rhetorical and history of the Chipinge people. Statements that use the word “sorry” but do not express responsibility for wrong doing are not meaningful expressions of regret, but such statements can also be used to elicit forgiveness without acknowledging fault.https://7b0e01cce668c14cd546b762184b04f9.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
The range here is enormous, from the outright, full-hearted apology to what amounts to little more than a discursively constructed, mealy-mouthed expression of regret. Biti’s puking and attempts to patronise the Chipinge people does not amount to a true apology. A true apology does not include the word “but” (“I’m sorry, but …”). “But” automatically cancels out an apology, and nearly always introduces a criticism or excuse. Biti proceeded to attack Zanu PF for no reason.
All what was expected was to apologise, but Biti treated the Chipinge people with contempt and went on to insult their intelligence by invoking the stories of the past.Bit literally says ‘I insulted you witches, but my insult is better’. A true apology keeps the focus on your actions and not on the other person’s response. Biti in all senses said “I’m sorry that you felt hurt by what I twitted.” This is not an apology. What Biti tweeted was insensitive and uncalled for.
He must learn to own up to his behaviour and apologise for it, period. A true apology does not overdo things. Biti should have stayed focused on acknowledging the feelings of the hurt party without overshadowing them with his own pain or remorse. A true apology doesn’t get caught up in who’s to blame or who started it. A true apology needs to be backed by corrective action. It requires that you do your best to avoid a repeat performance. Obviously, it doesn’t help to apologize with a grand flourish and then continue the very behaviour you apologized for. Passionate expressions of remorse are empty if you don’t put sincere effort into ensuring that there is no repeat performance. Biti only dragged the Chipinge people back to history and telling them how marginalised they are and they must not at all complain if he insults them for their tribal inclination.https://7b0e01cce668c14cd546b762184b04f9.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
A true apology should not serve to silence another person, nor should an apology be used as a quick way out to get yourself out of a difficult conversation or dispute.It should not be offered to make you feel better if it risks making the hurt party feel worse. A true apology recognizes when “I’m sorry” is not enough. A serious hurt or betrayal requires repair work over time to restore trust.Biti and MDC Alliance cannot just say mistakes were made. The expression “mistakes were made” is commonly used as a rhetorical device, whereby a speaker acknowledges a situation was handled poorly or inappropriately, but seeks to evade any direct admission or accusation of responsibility by using the passive voice.
The apology by Biti was no big change of heart, but a political tactic to tarnish the reputation of the ruling party. It is fair to describe the Biti incident as “the most tragic incident of our times”. Biti’s apology appeared aimed at embarrassing the ruling party, but in actual fact it has exposed his arrogance and ignorance of historical facts. Instead of looking or facing his demons in the eye, Biti chose to face history, albeit distorting the facts to justify his insults. By bringing up the Sithole’s issue in his apology, Biti is not only hunting for votes amongst Vasharukwa, he is abusing the issue in order to discredit his political opponents.He is actually trying to kill two birds with one stone by diverting the issue of the insult on the good people of Chipinge.
Biti needs to be reminded that an apology is not a mudslinging game, but instead an expression of regret or remorse for actions, while apologizing is the act of expressing regret or remorse. The goal of apologizing is generally forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration of the relationship between the people involved in a dispute. In this case, Biti has lost all his humanity and lost being Zimbabwean because of his views on other people.When we wrong someone we know, even unintentionally, we are generally expected to apologize. The person we hurt feels entitled to an admission of error and an expression of regret.https://7b0e01cce668c14cd546b762184b04f9.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
We, in turn, try to ameliorate the situation by saying, “I’m sorry,” and perhaps making restitution. But when we’re acting as leaders, the circumstances are different. Leaders are responsible not only for their own behaviour, but also for that of their followers. Since leaders speak for, as well as to, their followers, their apologies have broad implications. The act of apology is carried out not merely at the level of the individual, but also at the level of the institution. It is not only personal, but also political. It is a performance in which every expression matters and every word becomes part of the public record.In this case, Zimbabweans at large and the people of Chipinge in particular are waiting for the MDC Alliance leadership to come and apologise for the insults belted by Biti.https://7b0e01cce668c14cd546b762184b04f9.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
A leader’s apology is a performance in which every expression matters and every word becomes part of the public record. Sincere apologies help to rebuild relationships with people you’ve hurt – that could be colleagues, clients, friends, or family and in this case the people of Chipinge.By owning up to your mistake, you open a dialogue with the other person. That way, you can reflect on and take responsibility for your actions.
And they can process their feelings, restore their dignity, and avoid blaming themselves for what happened. Zimbabwe’s composition is unique and surely we are more than a rainbow nation, but we are all Zimbabweans and we are one regardless of where we come from.Zimbabweans have dropped a colonial section in every application form which asked for your tribe. This was done in the realization that we are one. Biti must grow up and stop taking the people of Chipinge, and Zimbabweans in general, for fools.
Tanzania’s President John Magufuli is being treated in hospital in Kenya and is in a critical condition, opposition leader Tundu Lissu has told the BBC, citing well-placed sources.
John Magufuli with controversial necromancer TB Joshua – file picture
The development comes a month after the president denounced COVID vaccines saying God will heal Tanzanians.
He has had coronavirus and a cardiac arrest, Mr Lissu said he had been told.
The BBC has not been able to confirm these reports.
Mr Magufuli, who has not been seen in public for 11 days, has faced criticism for his handling of Covid-19 – his government is refusing to buy vaccines.
The East African nation has not published its coronavirus cases since May.
The 61-year-old president has called for prayers and herbal-infused steam therapy to counter the virus.
Earlier this month, at a funeral for a top presidential aide, Mr Magufuli said Tanzania had defeated Covid-19 last year and would win again this year.
The aide died hours after the vice-president of the country’s semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar, who was being treated for Covid-19.
‘Silence irresponsible’
Mr Lissu said he had been told that President Magufuli was flown to Kenya for treatment at Nairobi Hospital on Monday night.
There has been no official response from the government, which has warned against publishing unverified information about the Tanzanian leader, who was last seen at an official event in Dar es Salaam on 27 February.
Nairobi Hospital also said it could not comment.
Mr Lissu told the BBC that the government’s silence was fuelling rumours, was irresponsible, and the president’s health should not be a private matter.
It would not be a surprise to Tanzanians that Mr Magufuli had contracted coronavirus as he had been reckless in the face of the virus, he said. – BBC
AN illegal gold panner from West Nicholson in Gwanda allegedly fatally stabbed his colleague for mocking him for ditching his wife and cohabiting with a sex worker.
Linos Nsingo (30) and the late Mr Cabanga Ncube were conducting illegal gold panning activities together with several other gold panners at Geelong Mine in West Nicholson when a misunderstanding ensued between the two.
Mr Ncube had allegedly provoked Nsingo by telling him that he left his wife at his rural home to cohabit with an HIV-positive sex worker.
Nsingo was angered by Mr Ncube’s utterances and he immediately pulled out a knife and stabbed the deceased several times leading to his death.
This emerged when Nsingo, through his lawyers Dube and Associates filed an application for bail pending trial at the Bulawayo High Court citing the State as respondent.
The State did not oppose the bail application.
Justice Christopher Dube-Banda granted Nsingo $5 000 bail and ordered him to report at Gwanda Police Station every fortnight as part of the bail conditions.
Nsingo was further ordered to continue residing at his given address and not interfere with State witnesses until the matter is finalised.- Chronicle
Zimbabweans seeking health care will have to fork out more for health insurance as medical aid societies have hiked contributions over the last few months for members paying in local currency.
Some of the schemes have increased contributions by more than 100 percent for both corporate and individuals.
Although some medical aid societies are yet to review member contributions, patients have had to fork out extra money to cover shortfalls.
A circular from Bon Vie medical aid scheme said contributions will be increased with effect from April 1, 2021.
“The cost of healthcare has continued to rise due to pressures from increasing medical inflation, added cost layers due to Covid-19 and exchange rate fluctuations.
“It is with this background that your medical aid scheme is instituting a marginal upward review of contribution for the Zim dollar packages,” reads the statement.
Bon Vie said the move was aimed at realigning their payouts and benefits with prevailing healthcare costs and demands, but also keeping in mind the affordability aspect.
For members contributing under corporate packages, the cheapest plan is now pegged at $413 from $200 for both adults and children. The Mukwa lite plan is now pegged at $2 339 for adults and $1 415 for children from $1 113 and $673 respectively.
First Mutual Health also increased member contributions in February this year citing the alignment of service fees with the prevailing auction rate.
“In response to this development, the fund has adopted the AFHOZ scientific tariffs that are indexed against the auction rate. Our Standard Plan prices are below sustainable levels and the review is necessary to maintain the value of benefits and reduce the incidents of shortfalls,” the scheme said in a statement early this year.
First Mutual Health said after the review of contributions and benefits, it was still in a transitory phase of aligning the contributions and benefits to the claims pattern of its membership.
This indicates that contributions are likely to increase again this year.
“We are cognisant of the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on business operations and individual livelihoods.
“The rates have been structured in a manner which seeks to strike a balance between affordability to our members and ensuring the scheme continues to offer meaningful benefits in line with prevailing market conditions,” said First Mutual.
The scheme nearly doubled the cost for its packages with adult corporate packages like Ruby plan shooting to $4 350 from $3 038 and $2 250 for children from $1 414.
The Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ) chief executive Ms Shylet Sanyanga said medical aid societies had not effected the applicable reviews to contributions when the country migrated from using the United States dollar hence the continued upward reviews.
“When the country migrated from the use of the US dollar to the Zimbabwe dollar, medical aid societies did not convert the USD contributions that were applicable at the time in line with the exchange rate.
“This would have resulted in sudden steep increases in member contributions. On the other hand, many healthcare service providers maintained their US dollar fees and they have been applying the parallel exchange rate for conversion,” she said.
She said this mismatch in conversion rates had resulted in the shortfalls that patients were being asked to pay at the point of care.
“Medical aid societies are adjusting contributions to try and catch -up with healthcare service provider rates, in order to narrow or eliminate the shortfall gap. Most medical aid contribution rates are lower than they were during the US dollar era, whereas healthcare fees have been maintained at their previous US dollar levels,” Ms Sanyanga said.- The Herald
Today (Tuesday), 9 March 2021, marks the sixth anniversary of the disappearance of Itai Dzamara, a Zimbabwean journalist, civil society activist and leader of Occupy Africa Unity Square. On 9 March 2015, Rai Dzamara was abducted by five unidentified men from a barbershop in Harare’s Glenview suburb. The men reportedly handcuffed him before taking him away in a white pick-up truck with blurred registration number plates. Dzamara had previously been targeted by State security agents, assaulted and unlawfully detained in separate other incidences.
Following this enforced disappearance, Rai Dzamara’s family made a report at Glen Norah Police Station. Despite the police report and persistent widespread calls for investigations into the abduction, the Zimbabwe Republic Police has over the years remained reluctant and uninterested in diligently looking into the matter. Additionally, High Court Judge, Justice David Mangota, ordered the police to fully investigate the disappearance of Dzamara. However, no meaningful investigation has taken place, as evidenced by the absence of any comprehensive reports submitted by the authorities to the courts.
With the ushering in of the ‘new dispensation’ in 2017, cases of abductions reminiscent of the politically motivated abductions in 2008 where the Forum documented 511 abductions have been rescusitated. In 2019, the Forum documented 86 cases of abductions and torture of political activists, human rights defenders and perceived dissenting voices. In 2020, the Forum documented a further 34 cases of abductions and torture. Though authorities deny their participation in all the cases of abductions, including the case of Dzamara, the abduction and torture of Tawanda Muchehiwa on 30 July 2020 which was caught on CCTV bears resemblance to the abduction of Dzamara. In the same fashion, Muchehiwa was dragged into a white vehicle and disappeared for 2 days in which he emerged with gruelling tales of torture.
The ‘new dispensation’ prides itself on being reformists. However, the continued abductions and torture of citizens speak to a chilling intolerance to dissent and critique and a State bent on consolidating power at the expense of fundamental human rights of citizens. Despite the reformist agenda preached by the new dispensation, the Forum has realised an increase in organised violence and torture, attacks against democratic space, and attacks against free speech and freedom of expression. The ongoing weaponisation of the criminal justice system for political gain is another example of a government failing to implement its reformist agenda.
We call on the government to mobilise the full extent of its resources to investigate the circumstances surrounding Dzamara’s abduction and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. Dzamara’s family and the generality of Zimbabweans deserve answers on where he is, what happened on 9 March 2015 and who is responsible for his disappearance.
We remind the Government of Zimbabwe of its constitutional obligations to safeguard the right to life and personal liberty, the right to participate in peaceful political activities, the right to demonstrate and petition peacefully and the citizens’ right to express themselves freely and without repercussion. We call on the government to show its commitment to protecting the constitutionally-guaranteed human rights of all Zimbabweans, regardless of political beliefs or affiliation.
We also recommend that: • The government takes all necessary measures to guarantee the safe return of Itai Dzamara; • The government guarantees in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Zimbabwe are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and tree of all restrictions. • The government ratifies, domesticates and fully implements provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances and the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its Optional Protocol. //ENDS//
BBC has reported that Tanzanian president John Magufuli is in a hospital in Kenya where he is being treated for COVID-19 and is in a critical condition.
The broadcaster said opposition leader Tundu Lissu was told by well-placed sources that Magufuli had coronavirus and a cardiac arrest with the latter being a sudden, unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness.
BBC Africa adds that they did not verify the report. Mr Lissu told the BBC’s Africa correspondent Leila Nathoo from exile in Belgium:
He has never worn a mask, he has been going to mass public gatherings without taking any precautions that people are taking all around the world.
This is someone who has repeatedly and publicly trashed established medicine, he’s relied on prayers and herbal concoctions of unproven value.
Magufuli has not appeared in the public for 11 days prompting rumours that he indeed had contracted the virus which he had for months downplayed.
Tanzania’s approach to COVID-19 has received criticism from various stakeholders including the World Health Organisation (WHO).
More: BBC Africa
FILE PHOTO: Tanzania’s President John Magufuli addresses a news conference during his official visit to Nairobi, Kenya October 31, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File Photo – RC1E9781D810
Teachers have slammed government for compressing the school calendar by resorting to the traditional three-term system, instead of two terms, to give students more learning time after losing almost a third of the year at home due to COVID-19 lockdown.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou in a statement yesterday called on government to consider revising the three-term 2021 school calendar, arguing that it strained parents financially on school fees, since it was spread over nine months.
Zhou also argued that there was no justification to opt for the three-term system except to fleece parents of their hard-earned money by charging them exorbitant fees.
Teachers’ unions also said government must solve the Form 1 enrolment quagmire, where students were struggling to secure places before opening of schools.
The PTUZ said the decision to reopen schools was not informed by research as most secondary school teachers would still be marking the 2020 “O” and “A” Level examination papers until March 27.
Government recently released the 2021 schools calendar showing that the first term begins on March 15 for the examination classes, with the rest of the classes opening on March 22.
The first term ends on June 4, with the second term beginning on June 28 and ending on September 10. The third term is set to begin on October 4 and ends on December 17.
“First, it is noteworthy that secondary school teachers would be marking 2020 ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level examinations up to March 27. This would be followed by the Easter holiday in early April. There is, therefore, no justification to open schools until after the holiday.
“Many Grade 7 pupils also have not secured places for Form 1 after several schools drastically reduced intakes in order to create room for Forms 2, 3, Lower and Upper Sixth form classes and hostels. It is prudent for government to ensure that it has resolved the quagmire of 2021 Form 1 enrolment before schools can open.”
“A more feasible calendar should have considered opening of schools after Easter holiday in April up to end of July with the second term beginning from early September to December in order to give students more learning time and teachers more teaching and assessment time to thoroughly prepare for internal and external examinations.”
He said there has not been dialogue with teachers’ unions over broad-based planning for successful opening of schools, adding that teachers remained incapacitated to report for work.
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure said: “The government is not investing in proper planning ahead of schools opening. Opening schools in the absence of teachers who are marking examinations will only compound on the pre-existing crisis of teacher incapacitation and the apparent COVID 19 scare.
“Government is preoccupied with ticking the boxes to say there was learning in 2021. They don’t care about the outcome. The attempt to compress the curriculum in three terms will be a monumental failure as teachers will not show up, learning fatigue will kick in and parents will also fail to pay fees.”
Zimbabwe National Teachers Union chief executive Manuel Nyawo said: “The laid out calendar does not give the candidates of the June examinations enough time to prepare for the exams.”
However, Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu supported the three-term calendar, saying it would give students ample time to catch up on lessons.
“Each term in the just-released calendar ranges from 53 to 55 days, whereas the normal term was 63 days long. Therefore, the 53 days are to ensure that learners catch up. Dividing the term into three also gives learners and teachers enough time for a break for psychological preparedness for the following term,” Ndlovu said.
Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said: “The 2021 school calendar was released by Cabinet after thorough consultations and pupils are ready for the reopening of schools. Teachers unions cannot abruptly call for a last-minute amendment of the calendar which has been already released.”
In the National Assembly yesterday, Local Government minister July Moyo said his ministry would assist the Primary and Secondary Education ministry by availing Zupco buses specifically for schoolchildren to enhance smooth travel as schools open next week. -Newsday
Barely 2 days after ZimEye exposed ZRP for inaction in finding the head of the late Tapiwa Makore, the police has released DNA results saying the skull previously proved to be of someone else last year, is truly the 7 year old's | ARE THEY TELLING THE TRUTH?
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has confidently announced DNA test results for an old skull which the police says belongs to the late 7 year old Tapiwa Makore.
PAUL-NYATHI
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday confirmed the latest DNA test results saying:
Barely 2 days after ZimEye exposed ZRP for inaction in finding the head of the late Tapiwa Makore, the police has released DNA results saying the skull previously proved to be of someone else last year, is truly the 7 year old's | ARE THEY TELLING THE TRUTH?
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms that communication has been made with the late Tapiwa Makore’s family in connection with the DNA results which were conducted by AIBST DNA Testing Centre and National University of Science and Technology.
“The DNA results showed that the jaw, tooth and limb were a direct match to the torso. All other details concerning the case will be revealed once trial proceedings are in motion,” he added.
DNA tests are said to have matched the jaw, tooth and limb recently recovered in searches by investigating police officers to the seven-year-old Murehwa boy Tapiwa Makore (Jnr) murdered in September last year for ritual purposes but the family is rejecting the results and wants a second test.
Family lawyer Ms Tabitha Chikeya, was quoted by the state broadcaster, ZBC, yesterday that it was impossible for the head to belong to Makore given it was found about three days after his death but did not look new.
She called for further DNA tests. Tapiwa’s mother, Ms Linda Munyori, also told The Herald last night that the family disagreed with the DNA results.
“It is true that we do not agree with the results. The head didn’t have a scalp and looked a bit old, and resembling that of a 12-year-old or 13-year-old child. Our child was seven years old.
Two doctors concurred that it was not our son’s head,” she said.
Tapiwa went missing on September 17 while looking after his parents’ garden. His torso was found the following morning, with some parts, including the head missing.
Six suspects, including relatives, have since been arrested while others were questioned in connection with the kidnapping and murder.
The killers and their accomplices abducted the boy, shepherded him to a mountain and kept him for the whole day before murdering him and then chopping off his head, arms and legs at night.
The latest updates on police investigations show that police now believe an 11-year-old boy from Nyamutumbu Village was paid US$5 to lure Tapiwa Makore (Jnr) from the garden to his uncle’s homestead. The uncle, Tapiwa Makore (Snr), allegedly gave the boy $5 plus a T-shirt for the crucial role he played in the murder before warning him against disclosing the matter to other villagers. However, the boy handed over the money to his mother who kept the secret until everything came out during the investigation.
The uncle together with his herdsman Tafadzwa Shamba (40), the first person arrested, are in remand prison pending the murder trial. Police alleged the boy was sent by both Makore (Snr) and Shamba.
It is alleged that the boy later revealed the matter to his mother who told him not to disclose the matter. The mother is said to have used the money to buy chicken.
In November last year, another Makore brother, Thanks Makore (56) was also arrested in connection with the ritual murder, with allegations that he was given the boy’s head and arms. Thanks Makore of Damofalls was arrested in Harare and has since appeared before a Mutoko magistrate.
Two more women were picked up for questioning by police after they allegedly bought meat from Tafadzwa Shamba, the herdsman. The arrests came after reports that the meat bought by the two women might have been human flesh from the late boy’s thigh, which was sold to them at their homestead where they sell opaque beer and kachasu.
Shamba allegedly exchanged the meat for six containers of opaque beer with one of the women, Joina Tangirire, who sells beer at her homestead. The meat was consumed by her whole family. Following a tip-off, police picked up Tangirire and a relative, Enia Tangirire, who are alleged to have admitted that they exchanged beer for the meat.
Police arrested another woman, Moud Hunidzarira (42), in Budiriro following a tip-off by the public and she has appeared before a Murehwa magistrate and been remanded in custody. It is alleged that when the murder occurred, Hunidzarira was in Murehwa and a few days later, she was seen by some neighbours in Harare cleaning an item that had blood believed to be that of the late Tapiwa Makore.-state media
FULL TEXT:THE ZIMBABWE AGENDA 2021 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
President Chamisa
Fellow Zimbabweans,
I come before you at a time when our nation and the rest of the world are facing a deep crisis due to the COVID19 pandemic.
To date, the world has lost 2.54 million people to the pandemic, with 114 million recorded cases of infection.
Our continent has lost over 100 000 lives and we in Zimbabwe have lost over 1400 people because of the pandemic.
The last few months have been particularly terrible for our communities. I commend our healthcare workers and all those at the frontline in this fight against the pandemic.
All of us have been affected by the pandemic, due to the lockdowns and associated rules which have been imposed as part of measures to curb the spread of the pandemic.
We are not alone in this fight. Virtually every nation has had to respond to a scourge that became an existential threat to humanity.
However, it has reminded all of us members of the human family of our shared vulnerabilities and the importance of enhancing our networks of cooperation and assistance in the face of a common enemy.
I commend the excellent work of everyone who has worked hard and invested much to find solutions to protect humanity from this pandemic.
In our context, Zimbabwe is weighed down by twin crises – the Covid-19 pandemic and a bad governance authoritarian pandemic.
Rising authoritarianism has rendered the State unstable and saddled with serious contradictions. Unstable oppressive regimes are dangerous to their own citizens.
The gross human rights violations against regional and international instruments must be seen within this context. But we must not lose hope. Storms make us stronger yet they never last forever.
My fellow Zimbabweans, I do not take it for granted that we are able to meet here today. Our families, communities and nation have been plummeted by multiple tragedies. I stand before you with grief.
It is hard to sleep at night, when I know that there are families that have lost their homes, their land, their livelihoods not because of a natural disaster, but as a result of cruel actions driven by greed, by a lack of empathy and a numbness to compassion.
My prayer is that we never lose our ability to feel for each other. The blows of Covid-19, corruption, a collapse in our Healthcare system demand that we answer to the call of action.
It is in this context that I present to you Zimbabwe agenda for 2021. However, before I do that, I must comment on how we fared in the past year.
We are Survivors 2020 was a difficult year, but we survived adverse forces that we deployed against us, itself strong testimony of the strength of the idea that we represent and the undying spirit of our people.
In 2020, we faced crises from two sources: The first was the crisis that I have already referred to, namely, the crisis of the COVID19 pandemic.
The second was the crisis of authoritarianism whereby the regime embarked on a relentless assault and onslaught upon democracy and our party.
This assault involved the use of state machinery to subvert democracy and the will of the people. The oppressors engineered the expulsion of our democratically elected representatives from Parliament and local authorities.
In their place, handpicked individuals, some of whom we defeated in the 2018 elections were foisted upon the people.
Our party headquarters was forcibly occupied, depriving us of our home. The regime also diverted our funding under the Political Parties (Finance) Act, giving it to its surrogates.
The purpose of all this was to punish our party for resisting the illegitimacy of the outcome of the 2018 elections, which lacked credibility and acceptability .
The oppressors believed by stripping us of our assets and entitlements under the law would dampen our spirits and break us down. This has not worked. It will never work. Zimbabwean people are politically literate and advanced .
They can distinguish between right and wrong. They know that some are being used by the oppressor as a scheme to derail the people’s struggle.
While other governments were working hard to contain the pandemic, the Oppressors in Zimbabwe saw it as an opportunity to restrict political rights. They suspended by-elections indefinitely under the guise of fighting the pandemic.
Therefore, while the Oppressors were allowing the removal of people’s representatives, they closed the channel for choosing their replacements.
This deprived the people of the opportunity to reclaim and correct the injustice by ending the criminal abuse of office and blatant theft. Despite all these attacks on our party, we refuse to be cast as victims.
Rather, we are survivors and winners, for when someone works so hard to destroy you and they fail, it is because you are a winner and you are strong.
We are invincible! We are indomitable and unconquerable.
We are grateful to you the citizens for continuing to believe in us, even as oppressors and terrorists have ganged up against the people and their project.
Consolidation Resilience and Resistance In 2021, we will consolidate our position as the movement that represents the dreams and aspirations of all progressive Zimbabweans.
Oppressors have tried everything to decimate the us, but we have remained solid, and we are humbled by the fact that your trust and confidence in the us remains unshaken.
We do not regard those who have left as losses, but as an important shedding off of elements that impede and slow down the democratic struggle.
We have identified the strategy of the Oppressors is to create a controlled opposition, a government controlled opposition under their command politics. This will effectively establish a one-party state in all but name. We are back to the late 1980s when ZANU PF tried to push the one-party state agenda.
Now, Oppressors want to create a façade and charade, with a controlled opposition that obeys ZANU PF dictates and commands.
This is not only the year of consolidating citizen action but also the year of resisting the creation of controlled opposition and the march towards one-party state politics. It is the year of both consolidation of our party and resistance to the regime’s agenda of controlled opposition.
The oppressor can not reform. The oppressors have failed to reform and actually proven to be worse than their predecessor Mr Mugabe
The year 2021 will be marked with peaceful resistance and resilience. The language of the oppressed to resist the oppression.
We will peacefully resist and oppose evictions, demolitions and any violations of people’s freedom and citizens’ rights.
We will peacefully resist and oppose sustaining businesses and companies that oppress us the people.
We will peacefully resist and oppose institutions that oppress us the people
We will peacefully resist and oppose
We will peacefully resist and oppose all unconstitutional acts.
We will peacefully resist and oppose weaponization of law and the justice system.
We will peacefully resist and oppose the illegitimate, the Oppressors that rigged the election.
The people’s agenda is to maintain the fight for democracy and to overcome the obstacles that have been placed in our way. We will use 2021 to reconnect with the grassroots which remains the anchor of the party, to embark on a major recruitment drive, both at home and the Diaspora.
2021 is the year of CITIZENS CONVERGENCE FOR CHANGE The Triple C Year� Gore reSungano yevanhu yeShanduko� Umnyaka wombuthano wabantu abalwela inguquko
CITIZENS. CONVERGENCE. CHANGE.
Our agenda for 2021 is to bring citizens together under A NEW CONSENSUS, A NEW CONVERGENCE, A NEW ALLIANCE a broad tent, to speak with one voice, act and win Zimbabwe for change.
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. You and I are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. The theme of Agenda 2021 is informed by three key words, namely, Citizens, Convergence and Change (reforms). These three concepts are in turn informed first and foremost by the party’s strategic thrust to locate itself and its program of action with the people.
Secondly, the issue of convergence of citizens talks to the party’s strategy to initiate the formation of a broad alliance of citizen groups and democratic forces to confront the national question as a collective of forces in a manner that should result in CHANGE and REFORMS in the lives of Zimbabweans in particular and the governance of the country in general.
Thirdly, the theme is also informed by the desire of the party to assert its leadership role in the country as the main alternative voice of both reason and transformation.
Let me emphasize our thrust this year.
• Citizens – citizens are the lifeblood of all the work that we do. If I have learnt anything over the years, it is that political power lies in the people. I will never leave the people behind. In our programming, in our decision-making and in our messages – you, the people come first. The MDC Alliance is the people’s party. It is your party. It is my party. Together we must build it and strengthen it as a force for change. Do not get left behind. Join the movement. Get involved. • Convergence – Unity, collective action and nonviolence are our rallying cry and the catalyst for change in our nation. The MDC Alliance will lead the formation of a broad church of citizen groups and democratic forces to confront the national question. When we demand accountability, speak with one voice and act collectively, we will become a formidable force for meaningful CHANGE in the lives of Zimbabweans.
• Change – Democratic and Transformational change lies at the core of who we are. Reforms and a People’s government are the substance of real change. Real change means taking what is broken and creating something new. We are the alternative voice and an alternative government for this great nation.
The party will through active citizen engagement and participation seek to achieve the complimentary goals of winning elections, attaining state power, and transforming the country.
• The 5 key areas of focus for 2021 are therefore as follows, • THE PEOPLE AGENDA-
• THE CITIZENS NATIONAL AGENDA-
• THE REFORMS AGENDA-
• THE GOVERNMENT AGENDA
• THE GLOBAL AGENDA
1.THE PEOPLE AGENDA
Refocusing our fights as a means to mobilize and energize the base and reassert our leadership role as the alternative government. Building a mass based party through recruitment and mobilization. Mobilizing resources to strengthen the party as an institution and to execute the struggle to its logical end.
Agenda for Young People Zimbabwe is a young nation in terms of population demographics. Nearly 70% of the population is under the age of 35, which is the maximum youth age under our Constitution. However, young people remain on the margins of political and economic spaces. We are not going to pretend that we know everything about the challenges that young people face in this country. We will also not assume that we know their needs and expectations. Instead, as a party that is built upon the values of consultative politics, we want to embark on a major consultative drive, to engage young people, both in the rural and urban areas, both young men and women. Our agenda for young people is to construct policies that are informed by their needs and expectations; policies that come from them rather than imposed from the top by those purporting to know what they want.
It is time to recognize that our youth are not our future, they are our today. If we are to harness our full potential, we need to invest in this generation of leadership in Zimbabwe.
Young people, You are the face and force of this nation.Your voice counts. Your voice matters. Your role makes a difference.
We want to give space to you young people, to listen to you, and construct policies that respond to your needs.
One of our nation’s founding fathers, Dr. Joshua Nkomo once said young people will save Zimbabwe; that they would not allow it to die. He was a man of great wisdom. He would be proud to observe how young people are taking the lead to save this country from the depths of authoritarian rule.
Resource Mobilisation Consolidating our party is built on the recognition of our core strengths and appreciation of points that require improvement. I have already stated how the regime has sought to suffocate us by depriving us of our hard-won income. The MDC Alliance was entitled to public funds under the Political Parties (Finance) Act. However, these funds have been unprocedurally and unlawfully diverted to another party that had no place on the ballot paper in 2018 and did not earn the right to those funds. We must therefore rely on our members and supporters to mobilize resources to fund their party. We are therefore going to embark on a major fund-raising drive. We are confident that citizens will respond positively to the call. The resource mobilization agenda will be implemented together with the massive recruitment agenda.
2.THE REFORM AGENDA
We need electoral and political reforms. We need a return to legitimacy and democracy (RELOAD). Pushing the REFORMS ROADMAP and pursing the reform agenda through our zones of struggle; street (citizen mass action), elections, parliament, local government, diplomacy, courts, media and the state.
The agenda for political reforms has been on the table for many years. When the MDC was founded two decades ago, the agenda was to reform governance in Zimbabwe which was already in terminal decline. The transformation of governance and society remains at the core of the party’s agenda. However, history has shown that there are impediments to the party’s path to power, hence the need for political reforms to level the political playing field. It is important to have free, fair, and credible elections because they provide the basis for legitimacy. We have seen that no matter how many elections are held if there is a legitimacy deficit, the country will remain stuck in the doldrums. We need Zimbabwe to return to legitimacy, openness and democracy. (RELOAD)
This is the reason why we continue to advocate for political reforms, chief of which are reforms to the electoral system. Indeed, this is the principal reason for our call for dialogue: it is not to find accommodation in this regime, but to play our part in designing an electoral path that would prevent the risks of illegitimacy that have dogged past elections.
Political reforms are not merely changing the rules of the game on paper. They must be realized in practice. In this regard, human rights abuses and selective application of the law must stop. There has been a spate of petty arrests and detentions of political activists, human rights defenders, and journalists in recent years, all of them based on frivolous grounds. This does not only damage the country’s standing in the community of nations, but it also increases insecurity among citizens. • We re-assert Zimbabwe’s 5 big, most urgent fights: • One: The fight for a People’s Constitution and Constitutionalism. This fight will focus on defending the preservation of the 2013 Constitution and demanding that it be implemented with all laws aligned to it with particular reference to such governing issues as devolution. We will strongly oppose Amendment No. 2 which seeks to entrench and reintroduce an Imperial Presidency and reverse the gains of the Constitutional referendum. We will demand of the executive a culture of respecting the constitution.
• Two: The fight for Livelihoods, dignity and better life. We will champion alternative policies and demands that address the needs and challenges of Zimbabweans, in particular the working people in various sectors such as the civil service, teachers, health workers, the private sector workforce, informal traders and vulnerable groups in both urban and rural areas. The success of this fight will be anchored on alternative economic policies. We will engage citizens to demand sound economic administration.
Distortions and contradictions in the economy must be eliminated. Zimbabwe must dollarize.
We will demand a decent wage and salaries for all the workers. Our civil servants, men and women in uniform must be well remunerated.
The Economic Agenda It is well-known that our economy is in the doldrums. This is a result of sheer incompetence and corruption which leads to misallocation and misappropriation of scarce resources.
The national cake is increasingly being privatized into the hands of a small cartel that is associated with the ZANU PF regime. Policy inconsistencies, human rights abuses, insecurity of private property rights all combine to dissuade investors to seriously consider Zimbabwe as a viable investment destination.
More significantly, we continue to hold the view that illegitimacy is a significant barrier to Zimbabwe’s economic progress. As long as the regime suffers a legitimacy deficit, the country will struggle to attract serious investors.
To make economic progress, we must resolve the political questions that have long affected the country’s perception of the family of nations. We must have political reforms that will facilitate legitimate electoral outcomes.
At a substantive level, the ballooning national debt remains a significant albatross on economic recovery. We have been in arrears regarding our external debt for nearly two decades making it extremely difficult to access credit and when we do, it is short-term and expensive. This is unsustainable. Our economic plan involves comprehensive measures to negotiate our way of these arrears.
However, as we have repeatedly said, our national case is made stronger when we resolve our political challenges. When we resolve that we will be in a better position to plead for better terms, even debt forgiveness to enable us to start afresh. As it is, under a regime that has shown kleptocratic tendencies, our creditors think any deal is akin to throwing money down a bottomless pit. We must reform politically and that what we intend to push for.
Still, on the economy, we want to push ahead with better policies for resource extraction, processing, and utilization. We are firm believers in the idea that local resources should benefit local communities. It is a sign of incompetence and unbridled greed of the elites that communities in places like Chiadzwa remain in abject poverty when they were blessed with diamonds.
These diamonds enriched political elites and their foreign allies. Our agenda is to ensure that natural resources yield dividends to the citizens of Zimbabwe. We will continue to resist the mortgaging of the country’s resources in return for odious debt.
• Three: The fight against Corruption. Corruption is killing us. The people have a right to a corruption-free and uncaptured State. Cartels must fall. The eviction of villagers for commercial cronyism must end. Elite state capture must be dismantled. The level of corruption in the country has reached alarming levels. The cancer now permeates the whole body politic – from the rotten pinnacle of the state going down to the lowest ranked employee in government and in the private sector.
The cancer of corruption has also now assumed another dimension, the dominance of toxic cartels. All key business engagements by the government are now monopolised by a cartel of a few individuals. This menace has milked the country and resulted in the downstream suffering of ordinary people. The capture of the state also involves the capture of other pillars of the state and agencies including the judiciary and Parliament.
They can never be an inclusive and shared growth in an environment where the state is captured by a few. This fight will therefore be focussed on exposing corruption in the country and demanding accountability from all.
• Four: A fight for Peoples’ Government and Reforms. We need a new way of governing Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe needs new leaders. We need leaders not rulers. Leadership is about values ethics and integrity. Zimbabwe won’t have its pulse rate without ethical leadership.
We need to restore the broken social contract. Consent must replace coercion. The authority to govern is derived from the people. The people of Zimbabwe and the international community do not believe that the government formed after the 2018 elections represents the will of the people as expressed during the 2018 elections.
It is evident that this political legitimacy deficit notwithstanding the legal legitimacy bestowed by the court has hindered the ability of the regime to govern effectively because there is no trust between the governed and the governors.
This has caused a massive performance legitimacy crisis and an insurmountable trust deficit. The trust deficit has in turn created a confidence crisis in an economy that is now shunned by both domestic and international investors.
This fight will therefore be focused on bringing to the fore the political legitimacy crisis which has led to a performance legitimacy gap manifest in a non-performing and non-delivering economy with the objective of soft landing the crisis through dialogue and a return to legitimacy.
At the heart of the resolution of the national question is the urgent need for the country to embark on and implement a raft of political reforms
. The country to date has failed in its re-engagement efforts with the international community because it has been paying lip service to the urgent need for political reforms.
The fight for political reforms will therefore be informed by the party’s policy document PRICE and contributions from alliance partners in the envisaged broad alliance through the exertion of both domestic and international pressure on the regime to reform.
• Five: People’s rights, freedoms, security of persons and rule of law. There has been a marked deterioration in the respect for people’s freedoms and rights and the respect for the rule of law. Democracy has been bludgeoned by the Oppressor’s corrupt, violent dictatorship.
Our fight for freedoms will focus on the deteriorating human rights situation which has seen the state using law-fare to persecute dissenting voices in the country including the leadership of the party.
The Diaspora It is common knowledge that our country has experienced an exodus of large numbers of citizens over the last two decades forming a large Diaspora population. These citizens remain closely attached to their country.
They are dedicated members of our nation. Indeed, last year the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe reported that diaspora remittances were up 45% between January and September 2020. Diaspora remittances are a major source of foreign currency for Zimbabwe.
Therefore, although we lament the loss of skills, we are also benefitting from the remittances from our people.
It’s very good that our Constitution recognizes dual citizenship, something that we fought hard to have despite resistance from ZANU PF. However, the country still does not give enough respect to our fellow citizens.
The electoral system, for example, remains exclusionary meaning that these fellow citizens still cannot enjoy one of the fundamental rights: the right to vote. We will push the agenda for more inclusive policies for the
Diaspora, not only in political participation but also in economic participation beyond remittances. If we can have policies that are friendly to foreign investors, there is no reason why we cannot have targeted policies that promote investment by members of the Diaspora.
3.THE CITIZENS AGENDA- National agenda Building a broad alliance of citizens for change domestically and internationally in pursuit of the resolution of the national question.
We must focus on Nation building and Breaking Barriers Initiative by reaching out to all stakeholders in search of a common national agenda. A collective inclusive National Vision for Zimbabwe is a priority. A New consensus ,A new convergence of all citizens is indeed urgent business. We must come up with an Intergenerational consensus. It is important to come up with an inclusive and non partisan conversation and convergence through a CITIZENS’ CONVENTION or CONFERENCE to define and design a Reform Roadmap and the Zimbabwe we desire.
4.GOVERNMENT AGENDA
We will have an alternative Cabinet. We will have a New Zimbabwe policy dialogue forums. An annual policy conference shall be held. We will have a legislative agenda and local government agenda.
As the alternative government, we are always in a state of readiness to take over and govern when the opportunity presents itself. Our party will continue to develop and update its readiness to govern.
We will also unveil our New Zimbabwe blueprint.
We will be rolling out New Zimbabwe policy dialogue programs. We will strengthen our alternative cabinet. Our SMART policies shall be revised and updated.
This is also an on-going agenda which we must demonstrate through performance in the formal theatres of power such as Parliament and local authorities.
A combination of the two pandemics – authoritarianism and COVID19 has impacted our activities on both platforms over the past year. The pandemic has led to the closure of these formal theatres, reducing their effectiveness.
However, in the case of local authorities, the problem is a system of government that results in the capture of local government by the central government. This is a structural problem that affects the efficacy of local authorities.
The Oppressors have no incentive to make changes that would free local government from the clutches of the central government. This explains why the fight for change at the central government level remains the foremost objective in the people’s struggle for change.
As part of our work regarding government, we are going to raise the level of resistance to the proposed changes to the Constitution, which are retrogressive. We have to ensure that the Constitution is respected and that its terms and values are implemented.
The attempt to change our young Constitution is retrogressive because it reverses the political reforms that were made in 2013 when it was adopted.
Oppressors want to change provisions that have not even been implemented. We are going to lead and resist Constitutional Amendment (No. 2) because it is unilateral, reactionary, counter-revolutionary and retrogressive.
5.THE GLOBAL AGENDA
2021 must and will be different because the steps we are going to take will define the future of this country. It cannot and will not be business as usual.
At all times, we will be guided by our vision – To dismantle autocracy and achieve democratic change by transforming Zimbabwe to a sustainable, just, prosperous, God fearing, ethical and democratic state.
We believe in both internationalism and Pan-Africanism. We are part of the family of nations. We believe that despite our differences, we have a shared common interest.
Indeed, our national interest is best served by working together and cooperating with other progressive nations.
We believe in a NEW AFRICA. As Africans, we recognize our shared history not just of subjugation but also of resistance and triumph against the odds to govern ourselves.
Nevertheless, despite heroic struggles against the colonial order, Africans continue to suffer from the twin challenges of authoritarian rule and a global governance system that still subordinates our nations.
New Africa Focus: we shall emphasize the vision for a New Africa. We shall be building strong networks with emerging young leaders on the continent centered on shared democratic values such as respect for human rights, free and fair elections ( guarding against electoral authoritarianism-elections without democracy)
We have upcoming elections in Zambia, South Africa, Congo, Ethiopia, Libya etc and Africa and the world must not endorse fraudulent elections, another area to focus on in the context of building a NEW AFRICA consensus is on transparent governance especially in the extractive sector in the context of illicit financial flows. The New Africa focus must breathe life into the African Continental Free Trade Area, Agenda 2063.
We support the struggle of African nations to be recognized as equal partners in all spheres and call upon our fellow brothers and sisters to support democratic growth and economic prosperity for all. We detest rigging of elections and dictatorship.
We reject efforts to entrench authoritarian regimes on the continent and to this end, we will forge solidarities with states and progressive movements that are advancing the democratic ideals that we identify with. For Zimbabwe to boost its prospects of recovery, it needs to be fully reintegrated into the family of nations.
This is not achieved by performing a window-dressing exercise or undertaking false reforms. Rather, it needs real and substantive ‘root and branch’ reforms that demonstrate a commitment to good governance, transparency, protection of human rights, rule of law and adherence to the norms that are generally accepted in progressive societies.
The Global Advocacy Campaign-We will mobilize the international community in support of the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe in line with our RELOAD and with an Afro-centric focus ( targetting Regional Economic Committees – SADC, East African Community, ECOWAS, IGAD, African Union and individual countries)
International Solidarity: We must not expect to just receive solidarity but to provide solidarity to other pro-democracy struggles globally eg. Myamar, Hong- Kong etc.We should also work closely with our international partners through The Progressive Alliance and other such platforms to strengthen multilateralism, deal with climate change.
The hour calls for us to step outside of our comfort zones, to use whatever we have, to focus on rebuilding our nation. Driven by love, instead of self interest, community needs over private gain, we have the opportunity to join hands and do the work that needs to be done to stop this cycle of destruction. I believe that we have what it takes to join hands and build.
I believe that we have what it takes to save lives. Every time I look at my son, my heart breaks that we are losing mothers and babies because our health system has failed us. I believe that we are at the apex of our destinies to step into our callings and be the voices that embody justice. We cannot demand in others, what we do not practice ourselves.
If Zimbabwe is to rise from the ashes, we must reflect, reform and transform. It is time for us to clean up our government, our crisis in leadership and demand accountability.
I am appealing to all of Zimbabwe and friends of Zimbabwe, to join hands with us as we work to eradicate poverty; as we work to reform our institutions and as we work to save our democracy.
Zimbabwe will rise from the ashes. Zimbabwe will rise again. Zimbabwe will rise as we work together. I challenge you to look beyond our differences, so we can embrace the opportunity to build our nation together. We cannot do this without each of you.
In Conclusion
Finally, I call upon every Zimbabwean to come and join us as we rise above the challenges of our time.
We are all Zimbabweans Come. Come let us join hands Come let us reason together to restore the lost dignity in our lives.
Let us work and walk together
Let us fight together to end this suffering and build a better Country, a different Zimbabwe.
Join us to make history Let this year be the Year for Citizens Convergence for Change,
Gore resungano yevanhu yeshanduko, Umunyaka wombuthano wabantu obatwela inguquko.
From Zambezi to Limpopo,
Building a Great Zimbabwe Making Zimbabwe greater.
One people, One Vision, One Nation
Always for a Greater and Better Zimbabwe Always for you.
Winning Zimbabwe for change! Change that delivers!
FULL TEXT:THE ZIMBABWE AGENDA 2021 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
President Chamisa
Fellow Zimbabweans,
I come before you at a time when our nation and the rest of the world are facing a deep crisis due to the COVID19 pandemic.
To date, the world has lost 2.54 million people to the pandemic, with 114 million recorded cases of infection.
Our continent has lost over 100 000 lives and we in Zimbabwe have lost over 1400 people because of the pandemic.
The last few months have been particularly terrible for our communities. I commend our healthcare workers and all those at the frontline in this fight against the pandemic.
All of us have been affected by the pandemic, due to the lockdowns and associated rules which have been imposed as part of measures to curb the spread of the pandemic.
We are not alone in this fight. Virtually every nation has had to respond to a scourge that became an existential threat to humanity.
However, it has reminded all of us members of the human family of our shared vulnerabilities and the importance of enhancing our networks of cooperation and assistance in the face of a common enemy.
I commend the excellent work of everyone who has worked hard and invested much to find solutions to protect humanity from this pandemic.
In our context, Zimbabwe is weighed down by twin crises – the Covid-19 pandemic and a bad governance authoritarian pandemic.
Rising authoritarianism has rendered the State unstable and saddled with serious contradictions. Unstable oppressive regimes are dangerous to their own citizens.
The gross human rights violations against regional and international instruments must be seen within this context. But we must not lose hope. Storms make us stronger yet they never last forever.
My fellow Zimbabweans, I do not take it for granted that we are able to meet here today. Our families, communities and nation have been plummeted by multiple tragedies. I stand before you with grief.
It is hard to sleep at night, when I know that there are families that have lost their homes, their land, their livelihoods not because of a natural disaster, but as a result of cruel actions driven by greed, by a lack of empathy and a numbness to compassion.
My prayer is that we never lose our ability to feel for each other. The blows of Covid-19, corruption, a collapse in our Healthcare system demand that we answer to the call of action.
It is in this context that I present to you Zimbabwe agenda for 2021. However, before I do that, I must comment on how we fared in the past year.
We are Survivors 2020 was a difficult year, but we survived adverse forces that we deployed against us, itself strong testimony of the strength of the idea that we represent and the undying spirit of our people.
In 2020, we faced crises from two sources: The first was the crisis that I have already referred to, namely, the crisis of the COVID19 pandemic.
The second was the crisis of authoritarianism whereby the regime embarked on a relentless assault and onslaught upon democracy and our party.
This assault involved the use of state machinery to subvert democracy and the will of the people. The oppressors engineered the expulsion of our democratically elected representatives from Parliament and local authorities.
In their place, handpicked individuals, some of whom we defeated in the 2018 elections were foisted upon the people.
Our party headquarters was forcibly occupied, depriving us of our home. The regime also diverted our funding under the Political Parties (Finance) Act, giving it to its surrogates.
The purpose of all this was to punish our party for resisting the illegitimacy of the outcome of the 2018 elections, which lacked credibility and acceptability .
The oppressors believed by stripping us of our assets and entitlements under the law would dampen our spirits and break us down. This has not worked. It will never work. Zimbabwean people are politically literate and advanced .
They can distinguish between right and wrong. They know that some are being used by the oppressor as a scheme to derail the people’s struggle.
While other governments were working hard to contain the pandemic, the Oppressors in Zimbabwe saw it as an opportunity to restrict political rights. They suspended by-elections indefinitely under the guise of fighting the pandemic.
Therefore, while the Oppressors were allowing the removal of people’s representatives, they closed the channel for choosing their replacements.
This deprived the people of the opportunity to reclaim and correct the injustice by ending the criminal abuse of office and blatant theft. Despite all these attacks on our party, we refuse to be cast as victims.
Rather, we are survivors and winners, for when someone works so hard to destroy you and they fail, it is because you are a winner and you are strong.
We are invincible! We are indomitable and unconquerable.
We are grateful to you the citizens for continuing to believe in us, even as oppressors and terrorists have ganged up against the people and their project.
Consolidation Resilience and Resistance In 2021, we will consolidate our position as the movement that represents the dreams and aspirations of all progressive Zimbabweans.
Oppressors have tried everything to decimate the us, but we have remained solid, and we are humbled by the fact that your trust and confidence in the us remains unshaken.
We do not regard those who have left as losses, but as an important shedding off of elements that impede and slow down the democratic struggle.
We have identified the strategy of the Oppressors is to create a controlled opposition, a government controlled opposition under their command politics. This will effectively establish a one-party state in all but name. We are back to the late 1980s when ZANU PF tried to push the one-party state agenda.
Now, Oppressors want to create a façade and charade, with a controlled opposition that obeys ZANU PF dictates and commands.
This is not only the year of consolidating citizen action but also the year of resisting the creation of controlled opposition and the march towards one-party state politics. It is the year of both consolidation of our party and resistance to the regime’s agenda of controlled opposition.
The oppressor can not reform. The oppressors have failed to reform and actually proven to be worse than their predecessor Mr Mugabe
The year 2021 will be marked with peaceful resistance and resilience. The language of the oppressed to resist the oppression.
We will peacefully resist and oppose evictions, demolitions and any violations of people’s freedom and citizens’ rights.
We will peacefully resist and oppose sustaining businesses and companies that oppress us the people.
We will peacefully resist and oppose institutions that oppress us the people
We will peacefully resist and oppose
We will peacefully resist and oppose all unconstitutional acts.
We will peacefully resist and oppose weaponization of law and the justice system.
We will peacefully resist and oppose the illegitimate, the Oppressors that rigged the election.
The people’s agenda is to maintain the fight for democracy and to overcome the obstacles that have been placed in our way. We will use 2021 to reconnect with the grassroots which remains the anchor of the party, to embark on a major recruitment drive, both at home and the Diaspora.
2021 is the year of CITIZENS CONVERGENCE FOR CHANGE The Triple C Year� Gore reSungano yevanhu yeShanduko� Umnyaka wombuthano wabantu abalwela inguquko
CITIZENS. CONVERGENCE. CHANGE.
Our agenda for 2021 is to bring citizens together under A NEW CONSENSUS, A NEW CONVERGENCE, A NEW ALLIANCE a broad tent, to speak with one voice, act and win Zimbabwe for change.
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. You and I are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. The theme of Agenda 2021 is informed by three key words, namely, Citizens, Convergence and Change (reforms). These three concepts are in turn informed first and foremost by the party’s strategic thrust to locate itself and its program of action with the people.
Secondly, the issue of convergence of citizens talks to the party’s strategy to initiate the formation of a broad alliance of citizen groups and democratic forces to confront the national question as a collective of forces in a manner that should result in CHANGE and REFORMS in the lives of Zimbabweans in particular and the governance of the country in general.
Thirdly, the theme is also informed by the desire of the party to assert its leadership role in the country as the main alternative voice of both reason and transformation.
Let me emphasize our thrust this year.
• Citizens – citizens are the lifeblood of all the work that we do. If I have learnt anything over the years, it is that political power lies in the people. I will never leave the people behind. In our programming, in our decision-making and in our messages – you, the people come first. The MDC Alliance is the people’s party. It is your party. It is my party. Together we must build it and strengthen it as a force for change. Do not get left behind. Join the movement. Get involved. • Convergence – Unity, collective action and nonviolence are our rallying cry and the catalyst for change in our nation. The MDC Alliance will lead the formation of a broad church of citizen groups and democratic forces to confront the national question. When we demand accountability, speak with one voice and act collectively, we will become a formidable force for meaningful CHANGE in the lives of Zimbabweans.
• Change – Democratic and Transformational change lies at the core of who we are. Reforms and a People’s government are the substance of real change. Real change means taking what is broken and creating something new. We are the alternative voice and an alternative government for this great nation.
The party will through active citizen engagement and participation seek to achieve the complimentary goals of winning elections, attaining state power, and transforming the country.
• The 5 key areas of focus for 2021 are therefore as follows, • THE PEOPLE AGENDA-
• THE CITIZENS NATIONAL AGENDA-
• THE REFORMS AGENDA-
• THE GOVERNMENT AGENDA
• THE GLOBAL AGENDA
1.THE PEOPLE AGENDA
Refocusing our fights as a means to mobilize and energize the base and reassert our leadership role as the alternative government. Building a mass based party through recruitment and mobilization. Mobilizing resources to strengthen the party as an institution and to execute the struggle to its logical end.
Agenda for Young People Zimbabwe is a young nation in terms of population demographics. Nearly 70% of the population is under the age of 35, which is the maximum youth age under our Constitution. However, young people remain on the margins of political and economic spaces. We are not going to pretend that we know everything about the challenges that young people face in this country. We will also not assume that we know their needs and expectations. Instead, as a party that is built upon the values of consultative politics, we want to embark on a major consultative drive, to engage young people, both in the rural and urban areas, both young men and women. Our agenda for young people is to construct policies that are informed by their needs and expectations; policies that come from them rather than imposed from the top by those purporting to know what they want.
It is time to recognize that our youth are not our future, they are our today. If we are to harness our full potential, we need to invest in this generation of leadership in Zimbabwe.
Young people, You are the face and force of this nation.Your voice counts. Your voice matters. Your role makes a difference.
We want to give space to you young people, to listen to you, and construct policies that respond to your needs.
One of our nation’s founding fathers, Dr. Joshua Nkomo once said young people will save Zimbabwe; that they would not allow it to die. He was a man of great wisdom. He would be proud to observe how young people are taking the lead to save this country from the depths of authoritarian rule.
Resource Mobilisation Consolidating our party is built on the recognition of our core strengths and appreciation of points that require improvement. I have already stated how the regime has sought to suffocate us by depriving us of our hard-won income. The MDC Alliance was entitled to public funds under the Political Parties (Finance) Act. However, these funds have been unprocedurally and unlawfully diverted to another party that had no place on the ballot paper in 2018 and did not earn the right to those funds. We must therefore rely on our members and supporters to mobilize resources to fund their party. We are therefore going to embark on a major fund-raising drive. We are confident that citizens will respond positively to the call. The resource mobilization agenda will be implemented together with the massive recruitment agenda.
2.THE REFORM AGENDA
We need electoral and political reforms. We need a return to legitimacy and democracy (RELOAD). Pushing the REFORMS ROADMAP and pursing the reform agenda through our zones of struggle; street (citizen mass action), elections, parliament, local government, diplomacy, courts, media and the state.
The agenda for political reforms has been on the table for many years. When the MDC was founded two decades ago, the agenda was to reform governance in Zimbabwe which was already in terminal decline. The transformation of governance and society remains at the core of the party’s agenda. However, history has shown that there are impediments to the party’s path to power, hence the need for political reforms to level the political playing field. It is important to have free, fair, and credible elections because they provide the basis for legitimacy. We have seen that no matter how many elections are held if there is a legitimacy deficit, the country will remain stuck in the doldrums. We need Zimbabwe to return to legitimacy, openness and democracy. (RELOAD)
This is the reason why we continue to advocate for political reforms, chief of which are reforms to the electoral system. Indeed, this is the principal reason for our call for dialogue: it is not to find accommodation in this regime, but to play our part in designing an electoral path that would prevent the risks of illegitimacy that have dogged past elections.
Political reforms are not merely changing the rules of the game on paper. They must be realized in practice. In this regard, human rights abuses and selective application of the law must stop. There has been a spate of petty arrests and detentions of political activists, human rights defenders, and journalists in recent years, all of them based on frivolous grounds. This does not only damage the country’s standing in the community of nations, but it also increases insecurity among citizens. • We re-assert Zimbabwe’s 5 big, most urgent fights: • One: The fight for a People’s Constitution and Constitutionalism. This fight will focus on defending the preservation of the 2013 Constitution and demanding that it be implemented with all laws aligned to it with particular reference to such governing issues as devolution. We will strongly oppose Amendment No. 2 which seeks to entrench and reintroduce an Imperial Presidency and reverse the gains of the Constitutional referendum. We will demand of the executive a culture of respecting the constitution.
• Two: The fight for Livelihoods, dignity and better life. We will champion alternative policies and demands that address the needs and challenges of Zimbabweans, in particular the working people in various sectors such as the civil service, teachers, health workers, the private sector workforce, informal traders and vulnerable groups in both urban and rural areas. The success of this fight will be anchored on alternative economic policies. We will engage citizens to demand sound economic administration.
Distortions and contradictions in the economy must be eliminated. Zimbabwe must dollarize.
We will demand a decent wage and salaries for all the workers. Our civil servants, men and women in uniform must be well remunerated.
The Economic Agenda It is well-known that our economy is in the doldrums. This is a result of sheer incompetence and corruption which leads to misallocation and misappropriation of scarce resources.
The national cake is increasingly being privatized into the hands of a small cartel that is associated with the ZANU PF regime. Policy inconsistencies, human rights abuses, insecurity of private property rights all combine to dissuade investors to seriously consider Zimbabwe as a viable investment destination.
More significantly, we continue to hold the view that illegitimacy is a significant barrier to Zimbabwe’s economic progress. As long as the regime suffers a legitimacy deficit, the country will struggle to attract serious investors.
To make economic progress, we must resolve the political questions that have long affected the country’s perception of the family of nations. We must have political reforms that will facilitate legitimate electoral outcomes.
At a substantive level, the ballooning national debt remains a significant albatross on economic recovery. We have been in arrears regarding our external debt for nearly two decades making it extremely difficult to access credit and when we do, it is short-term and expensive. This is unsustainable. Our economic plan involves comprehensive measures to negotiate our way of these arrears.
However, as we have repeatedly said, our national case is made stronger when we resolve our political challenges. When we resolve that we will be in a better position to plead for better terms, even debt forgiveness to enable us to start afresh. As it is, under a regime that has shown kleptocratic tendencies, our creditors think any deal is akin to throwing money down a bottomless pit. We must reform politically and that what we intend to push for.
Still, on the economy, we want to push ahead with better policies for resource extraction, processing, and utilization. We are firm believers in the idea that local resources should benefit local communities. It is a sign of incompetence and unbridled greed of the elites that communities in places like Chiadzwa remain in abject poverty when they were blessed with diamonds.
These diamonds enriched political elites and their foreign allies. Our agenda is to ensure that natural resources yield dividends to the citizens of Zimbabwe. We will continue to resist the mortgaging of the country’s resources in return for odious debt.
• Three: The fight against Corruption. Corruption is killing us. The people have a right to a corruption-free and uncaptured State. Cartels must fall. The eviction of villagers for commercial cronyism must end. Elite state capture must be dismantled. The level of corruption in the country has reached alarming levels. The cancer now permeates the whole body politic – from the rotten pinnacle of the state going down to the lowest ranked employee in government and in the private sector.
The cancer of corruption has also now assumed another dimension, the dominance of toxic cartels. All key business engagements by the government are now monopolised by a cartel of a few individuals. This menace has milked the country and resulted in the downstream suffering of ordinary people. The capture of the state also involves the capture of other pillars of the state and agencies including the judiciary and Parliament.
They can never be an inclusive and shared growth in an environment where the state is captured by a few. This fight will therefore be focussed on exposing corruption in the country and demanding accountability from all.
• Four: A fight for Peoples’ Government and Reforms. We need a new way of governing Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe needs new leaders. We need leaders not rulers. Leadership is about values ethics and integrity. Zimbabwe won’t have its pulse rate without ethical leadership.
We need to restore the broken social contract. Consent must replace coercion. The authority to govern is derived from the people. The people of Zimbabwe and the international community do not believe that the government formed after the 2018 elections represents the will of the people as expressed during the 2018 elections.
It is evident that this political legitimacy deficit notwithstanding the legal legitimacy bestowed by the court has hindered the ability of the regime to govern effectively because there is no trust between the governed and the governors.
This has caused a massive performance legitimacy crisis and an insurmountable trust deficit. The trust deficit has in turn created a confidence crisis in an economy that is now shunned by both domestic and international investors.
This fight will therefore be focused on bringing to the fore the political legitimacy crisis which has led to a performance legitimacy gap manifest in a non-performing and non-delivering economy with the objective of soft landing the crisis through dialogue and a return to legitimacy.
At the heart of the resolution of the national question is the urgent need for the country to embark on and implement a raft of political reforms
. The country to date has failed in its re-engagement efforts with the international community because it has been paying lip service to the urgent need for political reforms.
The fight for political reforms will therefore be informed by the party’s policy document PRICE and contributions from alliance partners in the envisaged broad alliance through the exertion of both domestic and international pressure on the regime to reform.
• Five: People’s rights, freedoms, security of persons and rule of law. There has been a marked deterioration in the respect for people’s freedoms and rights and the respect for the rule of law. Democracy has been bludgeoned by the Oppressor’s corrupt, violent dictatorship.
Our fight for freedoms will focus on the deteriorating human rights situation which has seen the state using law-fare to persecute dissenting voices in the country including the leadership of the party.
The Diaspora It is common knowledge that our country has experienced an exodus of large numbers of citizens over the last two decades forming a large Diaspora population. These citizens remain closely attached to their country.
They are dedicated members of our nation. Indeed, last year the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe reported that diaspora remittances were up 45% between January and September 2020. Diaspora remittances are a major source of foreign currency for Zimbabwe.
Therefore, although we lament the loss of skills, we are also benefitting from the remittances from our people.
It’s very good that our Constitution recognizes dual citizenship, something that we fought hard to have despite resistance from ZANU PF. However, the country still does not give enough respect to our fellow citizens.
The electoral system, for example, remains exclusionary meaning that these fellow citizens still cannot enjoy one of the fundamental rights: the right to vote. We will push the agenda for more inclusive policies for the
Diaspora, not only in political participation but also in economic participation beyond remittances. If we can have policies that are friendly to foreign investors, there is no reason why we cannot have targeted policies that promote investment by members of the Diaspora.
3.THE CITIZENS AGENDA- National agenda Building a broad alliance of citizens for change domestically and internationally in pursuit of the resolution of the national question.
We must focus on Nation building and Breaking Barriers Initiative by reaching out to all stakeholders in search of a common national agenda. A collective inclusive National Vision for Zimbabwe is a priority. A New consensus ,A new convergence of all citizens is indeed urgent business. We must come up with an Intergenerational consensus. It is important to come up with an inclusive and non partisan conversation and convergence through a CITIZENS’ CONVENTION or CONFERENCE to define and design a Reform Roadmap and the Zimbabwe we desire.
4.GOVERNMENT AGENDA
We will have an alternative Cabinet. We will have a New Zimbabwe policy dialogue forums. An annual policy conference shall be held. We will have a legislative agenda and local government agenda.
As the alternative government, we are always in a state of readiness to take over and govern when the opportunity presents itself. Our party will continue to develop and update its readiness to govern.
We will also unveil our New Zimbabwe blueprint.
We will be rolling out New Zimbabwe policy dialogue programs. We will strengthen our alternative cabinet. Our SMART policies shall be revised and updated.
This is also an on-going agenda which we must demonstrate through performance in the formal theatres of power such as Parliament and local authorities.
A combination of the two pandemics – authoritarianism and COVID19 has impacted our activities on both platforms over the past year. The pandemic has led to the closure of these formal theatres, reducing their effectiveness.
However, in the case of local authorities, the problem is a system of government that results in the capture of local government by the central government. This is a structural problem that affects the efficacy of local authorities.
The Oppressors have no incentive to make changes that would free local government from the clutches of the central government. This explains why the fight for change at the central government level remains the foremost objective in the people’s struggle for change.
As part of our work regarding government, we are going to raise the level of resistance to the proposed changes to the Constitution, which are retrogressive. We have to ensure that the Constitution is respected and that its terms and values are implemented.
The attempt to change our young Constitution is retrogressive because it reverses the political reforms that were made in 2013 when it was adopted.
Oppressors want to change provisions that have not even been implemented. We are going to lead and resist Constitutional Amendment (No. 2) because it is unilateral, reactionary, counter-revolutionary and retrogressive.
5.THE GLOBAL AGENDA
2021 must and will be different because the steps we are going to take will define the future of this country. It cannot and will not be business as usual.
At all times, we will be guided by our vision – To dismantle autocracy and achieve democratic change by transforming Zimbabwe to a sustainable, just, prosperous, God fearing, ethical and democratic state.
We believe in both internationalism and Pan-Africanism. We are part of the family of nations. We believe that despite our differences, we have a shared common interest.
Indeed, our national interest is best served by working together and cooperating with other progressive nations.
We believe in a NEW AFRICA. As Africans, we recognize our shared history not just of subjugation but also of resistance and triumph against the odds to govern ourselves.
Nevertheless, despite heroic struggles against the colonial order, Africans continue to suffer from the twin challenges of authoritarian rule and a global governance system that still subordinates our nations.
New Africa Focus: we shall emphasize the vision for a New Africa. We shall be building strong networks with emerging young leaders on the continent centered on shared democratic values such as respect for human rights, free and fair elections ( guarding against electoral authoritarianism-elections without democracy)
We have upcoming elections in Zambia, South Africa, Congo, Ethiopia, Libya etc and Africa and the world must not endorse fraudulent elections, another area to focus on in the context of building a NEW AFRICA consensus is on transparent governance especially in the extractive sector in the context of illicit financial flows. The New Africa focus must breathe life into the African Continental Free Trade Area, Agenda 2063.
We support the struggle of African nations to be recognized as equal partners in all spheres and call upon our fellow brothers and sisters to support democratic growth and economic prosperity for all. We detest rigging of elections and dictatorship.
We reject efforts to entrench authoritarian regimes on the continent and to this end, we will forge solidarities with states and progressive movements that are advancing the democratic ideals that we identify with. For Zimbabwe to boost its prospects of recovery, it needs to be fully reintegrated into the family of nations.
This is not achieved by performing a window-dressing exercise or undertaking false reforms. Rather, it needs real and substantive ‘root and branch’ reforms that demonstrate a commitment to good governance, transparency, protection of human rights, rule of law and adherence to the norms that are generally accepted in progressive societies.
The Global Advocacy Campaign-We will mobilize the international community in support of the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe in line with our RELOAD and with an Afro-centric focus ( targetting Regional Economic Committees – SADC, East African Community, ECOWAS, IGAD, African Union and individual countries)
International Solidarity: We must not expect to just receive solidarity but to provide solidarity to other pro-democracy struggles globally eg. Myamar, Hong- Kong etc.We should also work closely with our international partners through The Progressive Alliance and other such platforms to strengthen multilateralism, deal with climate change.
The hour calls for us to step outside of our comfort zones, to use whatever we have, to focus on rebuilding our nation. Driven by love, instead of self interest, community needs over private gain, we have the opportunity to join hands and do the work that needs to be done to stop this cycle of destruction. I believe that we have what it takes to join hands and build.
I believe that we have what it takes to save lives. Every time I look at my son, my heart breaks that we are losing mothers and babies because our health system has failed us. I believe that we are at the apex of our destinies to step into our callings and be the voices that embody justice. We cannot demand in others, what we do not practice ourselves.
If Zimbabwe is to rise from the ashes, we must reflect, reform and transform. It is time for us to clean up our government, our crisis in leadership and demand accountability.
I am appealing to all of Zimbabwe and friends of Zimbabwe, to join hands with us as we work to eradicate poverty; as we work to reform our institutions and as we work to save our democracy.
Zimbabwe will rise from the ashes. Zimbabwe will rise again. Zimbabwe will rise as we work together. I challenge you to look beyond our differences, so we can embrace the opportunity to build our nation together. We cannot do this without each of you.
In Conclusion
Finally, I call upon every Zimbabwean to come and join us as we rise above the challenges of our time.
We are all Zimbabweans Come. Come let us join hands Come let us reason together to restore the lost dignity in our lives.
Let us work and walk together
Let us fight together to end this suffering and build a better Country, a different Zimbabwe.
Join us to make history Let this year be the Year for Citizens Convergence for Change,
Gore resungano yevanhu yeshanduko, Umunyaka wombuthano wabantu obatwela inguquko.
From Zambezi to Limpopo,
Building a Great Zimbabwe Making Zimbabwe greater.
One people, One Vision, One Nation
Always for a Greater and Better Zimbabwe Always for you.
Winning Zimbabwe for change! Change that delivers!
A legal expert reveals Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa cna be removed once found guilty of violating the constitution. Below is the rendition.
By Munya GwisaiI A major public controversy has erupted over the recent resignation of Vice President Kembo Mohadi over sexual impropriety scandals and PresidentMnangagwa not giving a public notice of the resignation within 24 hours per s 96 (2) of the Constitution. Prof J Moyo and Dr A Magaisa argued that failure to give the public notice by the President is a violation of s 96 (2). Prof. L Madhuku disagreed strongly arguing that s 96 (2) applies only to elected vice -presidents and not un-elected ones like Mohadi.
The debate was ignited by a tweet by Jamwanda, presumably presidential spokesman G Charamba, that Mohadi had resigned a week earlier than 1 March 2021 when he publicly disclosed the resignation. Mnangagwa acknowledged the resignation to a Zanu PF Politburo meeting of 3 March 2021. To date the President has not given an official “public notice of the resignation.” The issue thus remains a live one.
This is not an idle academic debate. The consequences of violation of the Constitution by a President are serious and may lead to removal from office.
The Arguments
By virtue of s 14 of the 6th Schedule to the Constitution, Vice – Presidents, in the first ten years after commencement of the 2013 Constitution, are appointed by the elected President instead of being elected as running mates of presidential candidates. Further, s 96 (2) provides that a “Vice-President may resign … by written notice to the President, who must give public notice of the resignation as soon as it is possible to do so and in any event within twenty-four hours.” [emphasis added].
Prof Madhuku argued that although s 96 (2) does not expressly distinguish between elected and unelected vice-presidents, it still does not apply to the later, by way of what he called the “by necessary implication” doctrine. The later provides for implied provisions in a Constitution besides the written text. These may not be visible to the naked eye of ordinary people but to “an inner legal eye” of trained constitutional law experts. He gives examples of such provisions including on misconduct [s 97]. The purpose of the 24 hours rule is to ensure that a president and vice who resign advise the electorate who elected them. This is not necessary for appointed vice-presidents because they are not elected.
Prof J Moyo and Dr A Magaisa disagreed. Firstly arguing that s 96 (2) must be given its ordinary meaning per the Literal Rule of interpretation, which means it applies to both types of Vice-presidents because the section is clear and admits of no ambiguity. That Madhuku’s “by necessary implication” doctrine is not founded on the Constitution. In any case there is no need to invoke such a vague and elitist tool to discern provisions that apply to an elected Vice-President and an unelected one because the Constitution itself provides a clear mechanism for this. This is under the 6th Schedule providing that in any cases of any inconsistence the Schedule prevails over all other provisions of the Constitution. [s 2, Sch]. On the purpose of the 24 Hours Rule, Moyo argued that this was mainly to ensure orderly succession. Magaisa, that it was because of the significance of the office of presidency and to ensure good governance and transparency per the Founding Values and Principles of the Constitution.
Which arguments are most convincing?
Two main things need to be assessed. The appropriate interpretation model. And substantively, the purpose behind s 96 (2). On face value, Madhuku’s “by necessary implication” argument potentially up-ends established cannons of interpretation. And opening a door for judicially created implied provisions of a Constitution that shield authoritarianism and elites. The 2013 Constitution is deliberately crafted in a simple style to make it accessible to the people, from whom the authority to govern is derived. [s 3 (2) (f)]. This makes the Literal Rule the preferred and initial tool of interpretation in discerning the drafters’ true intentions. The “starting point in the interpretation of statutes is that words are to be given their ordinary meaning (unless) that meaning leads to some result which cannot reasonably be supposed to have been the intention of the legislature.” A contrary approach would be a license for judges to usurp the authority of the legislature and make law under the guise of purposive interpretation.
However, on closer scrutiny, Madhuku does not go that far. He is asserting, albeit in a rather robust manner, an accepted approach to interpretation, the Will Theory or Purposive Rule of Interpretation. That is, the “interpreter must endeavour to infer the design or purpose which lies behind the legislation … … words should only be given their ordinary grammatical meaning if such a meaning is compatible with their complete context.” This is especially so where absurd results arise or multiple meanings exist.
Madhuku’s necessary implication factors are broadly similar to those specified in the Interpretation Act [s 15B]. Similarly s 46 (1) (2) of the Constitution endorses the purposive approach to protect the underlying values and enshrined rights of the Constitution. Nothing really turns on s 2 of the 6th Schedule that Magaisa invokes against Madhuku as the section is permissible of both the Literal Rule approach as well as the Purposive Rule approach.
Eventually in rebuttal, both Magaisa and Moyo are forced to lock horns with Madhuku on the substantive issue that really matters in this dispute, the true purpose of s 96 (2). This, l submit, because Madhuku adequately demonstrated sufficient ambiguities and potential multi-meanings of s 96 (2), especially with reference to the 6th Schedule and Part 2 of CAP 5 pertaining to elected vice-presidents and appointed ones. Such as on succession, acting capacity, remuneration or removal from office.
What is the true purpose of s 96 (2)?
The purposes given by the two sides are all legitimate but unequal. Madhuku conceded that his “inner legal eye” can lead to different conclusions from different experts. The real question is which conclusion is most convincing and what criterion one uses to rank them. Making consideration for inherent subjective bias, it is still possible to rank the different conclusions on a platform of relative objectivity centered on the letter and spirit of the Constitution itself.
On that basis I submit that Madhuku’s conclusion is the least convincing if regard is had to the logic, scheme, history and values of the Constitution. He goes for the lowest common denominator whose effect is to shield authoritarianism. He restricted himself to his one identified purpose and failed to identify possible potential others and do a comparative analysis distinguishing them from his. A related weakness is the elitist approach underlying it, restricting the “inner legal eye” agent to expert lawyers.
If the touchstone is assumption of office by election, as Madhuku argued, then the 24 Hours rule should equally apply to other elected public officials, but it does not, notably, elected members of the National Assembly or councilors. Nor does he justify why national elections should be treated separately.
At the heart of the weakness of Madhuku’s argument is his failure to contexualise s 96 (2) to the underlying values and principles of the Constitution and the interpretation model it compels. The still all- powerful Presidency under the 2013 Constitution, including the Vice Presidents, is the public office that most directly and immediately impacts on both national security and core values of the Constitution set out in the Preamble and s 3. These include “resistance to all forms of domination and oppression…democracy, good, transparent and accountable governance and rule of law, separation of powers”, free and fair elections and respect for the people of Zimbabwe “from whom the authority to govern is derived.” The above values, principles and constitutional set up manifest the Social Contrast Theory of the State most eminently propounded by 18th century British philosopher John Locke.
The new constitution, despite spirited resistance, still retained an extremely powerful President who straddles the three pillars of state power, namely executive, legislative and judicial authority. The gigantic executive powers include being Head of State and Government, Commander -in-Chief of the Defence Forces, power to declare war and make peace and to declare a State of Emergency. The President is also a legislative authority as the “Legislature of Zimbabwe consists of Parliament and the President.” The President can dissolve Parliament. The President is also a judicial authority with power to appoint and dismiss judges. In criminal matters the President is the de facto final appellate authority above the formal courts by virtue of the President’ extensive power of mercy.
The drafters of the 2013 Constitution would have been aware of this delicate adherence of their constitution to the proclaimed high principles of democracy, rule of law and separation of powers. Hence they provided a battery of principles and checks and balances to mitigate the enormous powers of the Presidency. As well as an appropriate interpretation model to deal with future contingencies or ambiguities. Without these the office of the presidency under the 2013 Constitution cannot pass the rule of law /separation of powers test and would be indistinguishable from the Executive Presidency under the old constitution. Or the absolute monarchies in pre-colonial indigenous African constitutional law such as the Inkosiof the Ndebele State, the Mambo of the Rozvi Empire and the Changamire of the Mutapa State. Or in Roman constitutional law, the Rex of the Roman Monarchy.
Indeed and ironically, a major reason the old NCA led by Prof Madhuku and the Democratic United Front [DUF] including the International Socialist Organisation, campaigned for a Vote No in the 2013 Referendum was because we felt that the checks and balances on the Presidency did not go far enough.
The first critical check and balance is the applicable constitutional interpretation model. To ensure realization of core underlying values, the drafters created an interpretation straightjacket. An interpretation model that compels giving full effect to enshrined rights and freedoms, “promote the values and principles that underlie a democratic society … in particular, the values and principles set out in section 3.” [s 46 (1)]. And oblige the superior courts to develop common law or customary law taking into account the provisions of the Constitution. [s 176].
The above is critical in situations of ambiguity, vagueness or multiple meanings. The interpreter does not have a blank cheque but must be guided by this interpretation model. Interpretations that give full effect to these values and principles must be preferred over those that do not.
It is the above that must be used in interpreting s 96 (2). Firstly, the premises of Madhuku’s argument that it is the manner of assumption of office, namely elections, that creates the need for the 24 Hours rule is a fair but inadequate start. It needed further contexualisation in relation to the Constitution’s underlying core values. One of these is that “the authority to govern is derived” from “the people of Zimbabwe”, expressed through “free, fair and regular elections.” The Presidency are the only public offices that are directly elected by the people nationally. They represent the highest manifestation of the people’s will. This includes the Vice Presidency, as the Constitution treats them together in one part. The Vice Presidents are the President’s direct assistants and automatically assume the latter’s office in case of temporary incapacitation and succession in case of permanent incapacitation, death, removal or resignation. Thus prima facie, Madhuku is correct in pointing out the significance of elections.
But the matter is deeper than that, especially when it comes to transitional provisions. The form here, that is the assumption of office by election, is acting primarily as a facilitation tool. In a democratic society, elections by a national electorate, are the only acceptable keys to legitimately assessing offices with such overwhelming powers. The primary thing though being the overbearing powers that inhere in those offices. Powers with direct and immediate impact on the society’s core democratic values and national security. As pointed out by Adv. T Mpofu, the position of the unelected Vice – President is a temporary one, brought in by way of transitional provisions to facilitate the movement form the old to the new. In assessing the nature of the legal character of this transitional office, one applies an established legal principle, substance takes precedence over form. In relation to s 96 (2) the main substantive consideration, by virtue of the core values of democracy and rule of law, is whether appointed Vice – Presidents exercise the same powers as the elected ones. If they do, both common sense and the imperatives of the above core values dictate that they be placed under the same strictures and checks and balances that govern elected Vice – Presidents. The contrary would only apply if there are express provisions prohibiting this, such as the power of President to unilaterally dismiss an appointed Vice President, but which cannot be done to an elected Vice President.
The onerous 24 Hours Rule is an example of a constitutional checks and balances mechanism. The stringency of the 24 Hours public notice speaks to the special nature and powers of the office of the presidency. A lacuna or gap cannot be allowed to occur in the vacancy or public knowledge of such a critical, all-encompassing office. It can lead to subversion of state security. In the Rozvi and Mutapa states the death of the Mambo or Changamire was announced several days after the burial and the successor already confirmed to avoid disruptive power struggles. Another good example is from the Ndebele State. Following the prolonged absence of InkosiuMzilikazi the indunas (chiefs) installed his son, Nkulumane, as successor, only for Mzilikazi to reappear later. All the Indunas were executed, reportedly thrown off steep hill slopes at Ntabazinduna. (Hill of Chiefs). The nature of the offices of the presidency dictates that there be no lacuna in this public office even for the shortest period. The 24 hours notice requirement ensures immediate public knowledge of any such event and must apply to whoever wields the substantive powers of the office, elected or appointed, as argued by Moyo.
The above applies because the Constitution does not differentiate on the powers of the two. The imposition of the 24-Hour Rule on the appointed Vice-President thus promotes good, accountable governance as demanded by s 3 and the Preamble per Magaisa. It promotes orderly succession as argued by Moyo. Whereas Madhuku’s formulation potentially creates chaos, confusion and threats to national security from power struggles. Say an unelected vice president resigns but the President does not give the public notice and immediately thereafter the President dies or is incapacitated. If the vice president turned around and sought succession it would be difficult to prove their resignation if only the President had knowledge of the resignation. The 24 Hours rule forestalls this by ensuring immediate notice to the public. Madhuku’s formulation leads to another absurd result, which violates principles of good governance, in that it denies Parliament power to remove an appointed Vice- President for misconduct or incapacity under s 97 but it can for a President and elected Vice-President.
From the above it is clear that the most convincing interpretation of s 96 (2) is the one which promotes the principles that underlie a democratic society, that being Magaisa and Moyo’ interpretation that s 96 (2) applies to both elected and appointed vice-presidents. Consequently, President Mnangagwa has violated the Constitution by his ongoing failure to give public notice of the resignation.
Inherent biases in legal interpretation
The above is demonstrative of the process of law interpretation. Interpretation involves both a technical aspect requiring a degree of expertise but there is also a subjective aspect in which the hidden prejudices of the interpreter, predominantly personal, social, gender, racial and class, play a major role. American Realist scholars call these hidden prejudices “major inarticulate premises.” Marxist scholars assert that in critical or grave cases, judges and scholars ultimately represent and defend the interests of the dominant economic and political elites of a given society. They are not truly independent.
Thus in assessing why Prof Madhuku made and rigorously defends the choice that he made, one must consider the interests of the political and economic class elites that he identifies with. Whereas prior to 2013 he was a leading and militant opponent of the Mugabe dictatorship in his roles as NCA chairperson and principal legal advisor to Morgan Tsvangirai and ZCTU, he has since changed. Today he is a leading member of POLAD, which brings together the small parties with the ruling party. The former recognize the Mnangagwa presidency and seek to achieve political and electoral reform including free and fair elections through social dialogue and collaboration with the authoritarian Zanu PF state.
This, unlike the main opposition, MDC Alliance which rejects the legitimacy of the Mnangagwa presidency and POLAD. Whilst the state is carrying out a ruthless repression offensive against MDC A it rewards the POLAD small parties that collaborate with it like MDC T and NCA. Thus Madhuku was appointed to the 2018 Motlanthe Commission on the August 2018 killings after the 2018 elections, despite that he was an opposing candidate. He has become the go-to legal analyst for state media like ZBC, something which did not happen prior to 2013. In terms of class, the social base of the Mnangagwa regime is the nationalist black junior wing of the capitalist ruling class that has most benefitted from the land reform and is using the State as a platform for primitive accumulation and neoliberal attacks against workers, peasants and the poor. An elitist constitutional interpretation model such as Madhuku’s “inner legal eye” well serves this ruthless class. Thus in his interpretation of s 96 (2) it is not surprising that Madhuku has chosen the option that advances the most, the interests of the political and economic class elites that he is collaboration with, even if this may be the least convincing.
The same applies to Madhuku’s antagonists. Prof Moyo was the leading ideologue of the Zanu PF faction that was vanquished in the Mugabe succession power struggles leading to the November 2017 coup and supported Chamisa in the 2018 elections. Dr Magaisa was legal advisor to Prime Minister Tsvangirai and is a leading public intellectual supporter of MDC Alliance. Adv Mpofu, “the people’s advocate”, is Chamisa’ chief legal advisor. Their choices are therefore similarly influenced including the strident defense of a literal approach to s 96 (2) despite Madhuku’s reasonable submissions to the contrary.
However, even within the realm of inevitable subjectivity that interpretation of laws must involve, there must still be some degree of adherence to relative objectivity based on the letter and spirit of the Constitution and laws. If scholars or judges give too much reign to their subjective class and political prejudices, straying too far from public notions of fairness, justice and rule of law, they risk, as argued by eminent American legal scholar, Roscoe Pound, to be eviscerated by the court of public opinion. This is dangerous, for as the Constitution provides; “Judicial authority derives from the people of Zimbabwe.” [s 162]. The judiciary today, arguably, stands dangerously close to the precipice following a recent series of such decisions. These include the Zuva Petroleum case restoring the common law Notice Rule of dismissal leading to the job genocide of thousands; the Sibanda case that held the military inspired November 2017 ouster of Mugabe was not a coup, and the Mashavira decision that resuscitated, like Lazarus, T Khupe’s comatose MDC T, creating the legal basis for Mnangagwa’s ongoing war to destroy MDC A. The dangerous loss of respect is reflected in the colloquial dismissal of the judiciary as “captured courts.” The same applies to the organic intellectuals of the ruling class, as shown in the growing public disdain of Prof Madhuku despite him being arguably the country’s most eminent legal scholar.
Conclusion: Opposition must ensure President Mnangagwa faces the Consequences
There is thus a very strong basis for holding that President Mnangagwa violated the law by his ongoing failure to give a formal public notice of VP Mohadi’s resignation. But so what? This is a serious matter.
The Constitution provides only for a political remedy through Parliament. There is no recourse to the courts. The process is set out in s 97. This provides for removal of the President if found guilty of willful violation of, or failure to obey, uphold or defend the Constitution. The process is triggered by a motion for a joint resolution of Parliament to investigate the President. (impeachment). If at least one-half of the total membership of Parliament pass the resolution, a 9-member joint committee of Senate and the National must be set to do the investigation. The committee “must reflect the political composition of Parliament”, which means it must include the opposition. The President will be removed if found guilty by the Committee and approved by a joint resolution of a two-thirds majority of Parliament.
It is obvious that ruling party legislators will not initiate such process. And that their two thirds majority in Parliament will likely kill the process at the first stage. But it makes political and strategic sense for the bourgeois opposition to still initiate the process. In the same way Democrats in the US Congress initiated the Trump impeachment even if they did not have the constitutional threshold in Senate to convict. Or the EFF motions of Votes of No Confidence against former president, J Zuma, even if the ANC had a blocking parliamentary majority. They do so to expose the unsuitability of the President. To show the real opposition and expose the captured opposition. To revitalize the opposition base, which is why the motion must be supported by a public march handing a supporting petition. [s 149].
The bourgeois opposition has for the last twelve months endured a relentless repression regime offensive, including the tactic of lawfare. That is weaponizing law to persecute opposition, civic, labour and student activists but hiding the iron fist of dictatorship under the silky glove of legality. Such motion in Parliament would reverse the tables and allow the opposition to go on the offensive for once.
Ultimately of course, an entrenched dictatorship will not be stopped by legal maneuvers but serious mass action of the oppressed and excluded. Such Parliamentary action must only act as a tactic towards mass disobedience and mass action for the people to reclaim their sovereignty usurped by the current regime. The question is whether Chamisa and MDC A are now prepared to do this and abandon their hitherto doomed appeasement strategy, suing and begging for peace with a recalcitrant dictatorship.
Munya Gwisai is a leading member of International Socialist Organisation; Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Zimbabwe and Partner at Matika Gwisai and Partners. Views expressed are personal.
Tinashe Sambiri|The founding President of the Movement for Democratic Change Change and former Prime Minister, Right Honourable Morgan Richard Tsvangirai is regarded as the doyen of democracy in Zimbabwe.
President Tsvangirai confronted the Zanu PF regime over the brutal killing of opposition members, electoral theft and gross violation of human rights.
In a statement released to commemorate Dr Tsvangirai’s birthday, the MDC Alliance described the late MDC leader as a legend of the struggle for freedom.
“Today is a very special day.
Our late icon, legend and doyen of our on-going struggle for a new free and democratic Zimbabwe was born on this very day in 1952.
And so today, we honour his memory and political legacy
May you rest in peace . Dr #MorganRichardTsvangirai,” MDC Alliance said in a statement.
DIET & NUTRITION How Do You Tell the Difference Between Good and Bad Carbohydrates? Everyone needs to eat carbohydrates, but that doesn’t mean you should fuel up with cookies, candy, and potato chips.
By Moira Lawler and Diana Rodriguez Medically Reviewed by Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES
Last Updated: March 3, 2021
Medically Reviewed
cake pastry vs bean legumes illustration Cake and beans are both sources of carbs, but they are far from equal in quality.Everyday Health Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet, but it’s important to know they’re not all created equal. How do you tell the difference between “good carbs” and “bad carbs”? The answer is both simple — and complex.
Here’s everything you need to know about making smart carbohydrate choices.
A Carbohydrate Can Be a Simple Carb or a Complex Carb Carbohydrates, often referred to as just “carbs,” are your body’s primary energy source, according to MedlinePlus. The three main types of carbohydrates are sugars, starches, and fiber. They’re called “simple” or “complex” on the basis of their chemical makeup and what your body does with them. Because many foods contain one or more types of carbohydrates, it can be tricky to understand what’s healthy for you and what’s not.
Simple carbohydrates are composed of easy-to-digest sugars, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Some of these sugars are naturally occurring, such as those in fruits and in milk, while refined or processed sugars are usually added to foods like candies, baked goods, and soda. These simple carbs are quickly absorbed through the gut and can cause a spike in blood sugar levels, says Alicia Galvin, RD, the resident dietitian for Sovereign Laboratories in Dallas.
On nutrition labels, added sugars can go by several different names, including brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, fructose, glucose, maltose, malt syrup, sucrose, honey, agave nectar, molasses, and fruit juice concentrates, according to Harvard Health Publishing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now requires all nutrition labels to clearly identify the number of added sugars per serving in the product, directly beneath the total sugar count.
Then there are complex carbohydrates, which are found in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables, and contain longer chains of sugar molecules, according to MedlinePlus. “Complex carbs have an additional component — fiber, which is technically a type of carbohydrate, but it’s not digested and absorbed,” Galvin says. “That not only feeds the good gut bacteria, but it also allows for the absorption of the carbohydrate to be slower into the bloodstream, so it won’t spike glucose levels and insulin levels like a simple carbohydrate would.”
This in turn provides you with a more consistent amount of energy, says Sandra Meyerowitz, MPH, RD, a nutritionist and owner of Nutrition Works in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Details on Simple Carbohydrates Foods that contain simple carbohydrates aren’t necessarily bad — it depends on the food. For instance, fruits and dairy products contain some simple carbs, but they are drastically different from other foods that contain simple carbs, like cookies and cakes. Processed sweets tend to contain refined sugar, too, and lack key nutrients your body needs to be healthy, according to the AHA.
“There are health benefits to eating fruit versus eating a piece of white bread,” Galvin says. “Fruit does contain fiber, and also antioxidants and polyphenols and other good nutritional benefits.”
Dairy also contains healthy nutrients, such as calcium, protein, and sometimes probiotics (if live active cultures are present), Galvin says. The protein component is key to helping dairy behave more like a complex carbohydrate. “Protein helps slow the absorption of carbohydrates into the bloodstream and helps keep appetite levels steady so you don’t have swings of insulin levels and blood glucose going up and down,” Galvin says.-
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Rhumba musician, Mcebisi Freedom Mlilo who leads Amathonga Amahle has recounted his battle with cancer last year saying it was a horrific experience which almost led to his demise.
Hailing from Bhewula Village in Kezi, Mlilo said he battled cancer for three months from June to August last year, a period he said was the hardest in his life.
So bad was the condition that fellow musicians and rhumba fans had to pull resources together to assist him.
“I suffered from cancer for three months and it was the worst period of my life. It was really hard for me as it also rendered me immobile. I survive only on music and it became very hard for me to sustain myself.
“It took the intervention of other musicians and fans to help me raise the money which was needed for me to get help,” said Mlilo.
Narrating how the condition came about, Mlilo said: “I began to feel a piercing pain on my leg and it worsened. I had to look for help and was diagnosed with cancer in my leg.”
Mlilo said by the grace of God, he has fully recovered although a lot of his fans still inquire about his health likely due to a video of his plea that is still circulating on social media.
“During the time of my sickness, a video was produced to appeal for assistance. The video went viral on social media platforms and even up to now, it’s still circulating. Because of this video, rhumba lovers are still inquiring how they can assist me.
“I just want to inform them that I’ve recovered from cancer and I’m very grateful for the assistance and prayers,” he said.
The 31-year-old musician said there is no need for fans to continue circulating the video as he has recovered and even managed to record his latest album Ukwenda Kwendoda. The album which was recorded soon after his recovery was released in November last year. It has eight tracks and features the runaway track Ulikholwa Elinjani.
Singing with his brother Bright, Mlilo has four albums — Uma Ngibheka Ubaba (2016), Kwazi Bani (2017), Sigqugquzela Inhlazeko (2018) which had hit Umrepha Kanjani and Ukwenda Kwendoda (2020)- Chronicle
Tanzania’s President John Magufuli is being treated in hospital in Kenya and is in a critical condition, opposition leader Tundu Lissu has told the BBC, citing well-placed sources.
John Magufuli with controversial necromancer TB Joshua – file picture
The development comes a month after the president denounced COVID vaccines saying God will heal Tanzanians.
He has had coronavirus and a cardiac arrest, Mr Lissu said he had been told.
The BBC has not been able to confirm these reports.
Mr Magufuli, who has not been seen in public for 11 days, has faced criticism for his handling of Covid-19 – his government is refusing to buy vaccines.
The East African nation has not published its coronavirus cases since May.
The 61-year-old president has called for prayers and herbal-infused steam therapy to counter the virus.
Earlier this month, at a funeral for a top presidential aide, Mr Magufuli said Tanzania had defeated Covid-19 last year and would win again this year.
The aide died hours after the vice-president of the country’s semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar, who was being treated for Covid-19.
‘Silence irresponsible’
Mr Lissu said he had been told that President Magufuli was flown to Kenya for treatment at Nairobi Hospital on Monday night.
There has been no official response from the government, which has warned against publishing unverified information about the Tanzanian leader, who was last seen at an official event in Dar es Salaam on 27 February.
Nairobi Hospital also said it could not comment.
Mr Lissu told the BBC that the government’s silence was fuelling rumours, was irresponsible, and the president’s health should not be a private matter.
It would not be a surprise to Tanzanians that Mr Magufuli had contracted coronavirus as he had been reckless in the face of the virus, he said. – BBC
By A Correspondent- A goods train carrying chrome heading to Beira from Harare on Wednesday derailed at Tsungwezi river in Nyazura, and killed the engineman on the spot.
According to the state media, the engineman failed to make it after he was trapped by the locomotive which also injured three crew members.
By A Correspondent- Following dismal failure by the police as exposed by ZimEye to carry a credible investigation on the case of the late murdered Murewa boy, Tapiwa Makore, his family is now looking for funds to engage a private forensic scientist to carry out a fresh DNA test.
This comes after the police today approached the Makore family with the same DNA results from a skull they last year said proved to be of someone else’s.
The police did this after the Makore family had set a burial date for the boys remains.
By A Correspondent- Parents of the late murdered Murewa boy, Tapiwa Makore, have challenged the DNA results which the police is now saying belong to the deceased.
The police today approached the Makore family with the same DNA results from a skull they last year said proved to be of someone else’s.
The police did this after the Makore family had set a burial date for the boy’s remains.
Tapiwa was murdered in September last year.
Barely 2 days after ZimEye exposed ZRP for inaction in finding the head of the late Tapiwa Makore, the police has released DNA results saying the skull previously proved to be of someone else last year, is truly the 7 year old's | ARE THEY TELLING THE TRUTH?
By James Gwati- Fake prophets like Emmanuel Makandiwa and Uebert Angel have resurfaced after the government last week allowed church gatherings and are telling people that they have anointing water which protects them (people) from COVID-19.
Surprisingly, these self-proclaimed prophets never prophesied or warned people that there was something called the COVID-19 pandemic before the pandemic broke out in 2019.
Makandiwa the leader of UFIC — prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa who has since the outbreak of the pandemic been reassuring his followers that they will be “spared” from the virus through prayer and divine protection.
Makandiwa, who has also been accused of perpetuating conspiracy theories through allusions to the “mark of the beast” that is mentioned in the Bible as he warns his congregants about “microchip” implants, made a climb-down saying he was not preventing people from getting vaccinated but there should be adequate testing of their efficacy first.
Makandiwa’s spokesperson Prime Kufa ignored calls from the state media when they called for a comment.
By James Gwati- The government has warned self-proclaimed prophets who have started telling their followers that they are ready to give them anointing oils that cure COVID-19 if they come to their gatherings.
One such so-called prophet is the leader of UFIC — prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa who has since the outbreak of the pandemic been reassuring his followers that they will be “spared” from the virus through prayer and divine protection.
Makandiwa, who has also been accused of perpetuating conspiracy theories through allusions to the “mark of the beast” that is mentioned in the Bible as he warns his congregants about “microchip” implants, made a climb-down saying he was not preventing people from getting vaccinated but there should be adequate testing of their efficacy first.
Uebert Angels and Walter Magaya are also part of Makandiwa’s tricks of duping desperate followers by selling them what they call anointing oil which they say would help enrich them.
Barely 2 days after ZimEye exposed ZRP for inaction in finding the head of the late Tapiwa Makore, the police has released DNA results saying the skull previously proved to be of someone else last year, is truly the 7 year old's | ARE THEY TELLING THE TRUTH?
#BREAKING– Police fire warning shots to disperse suspected members of MRP. The MRP members had reportedly besieged the Central police station on Wednesday morning. pic.twitter.com/6IA7IDRvhW
By Mari Matutu | I have noted the regime has amended the Government notice on evicting the people of Chilonga and changed the reason for take over of land from “growing of lucerne” to “irrigation project”. The name of the ministry responsible has been left as is.
Now that it has been shown that it is possible to push the regime and make them change their action, it will be foolish to fold arms and leave the people of Chilonga alone.
There is clear evidence that the regime just looked for a reason to put something on paper but nothing shall benefit the community. We have seen it all before. The Chiyadzwa people, the Chisumbanje people, the Chingwizi people, just to name a few, this regime does not look after anyone.
Here is the problem with that Statutory Instrument.
The Statutory instrument is relying on the Communal Lands Act of 1983. That Act has not been brought into line with new Constitution of 2013. One has to first pick the provisions in Communal Lands Act that relate to this matter first then see if they complement or contravene the new constitution. I feel as our leaders have put themselves in front, they now need to fight the battle with full background information of all the things the regime is relying on.
Communal land is defined as land that was defined as Tribal land under the Tribal land Trust Act of 1979. [Section 3 of communal lands Act]
The right to acquire, hold, occupy, use, transfer, hypothecate, transfer or dispose Communal land has since been given to every Zimbabwean by s71(2). This renders s4 of Communal Lands Act , which vested the communal land to the president who will in turn permit people to occupy it null and void. By the adoption 2013 constitution all people in Communal land are occupying the land by property right from constitution and not at permission of the president. This automatically means s4 of Communal land is unconstitutional.
Section 7 of communal land Act of 1983, has restriction of occupation and use of
Communal lands. By s71(2) everyone was given right to occupy and use Communal Land without any restrictions. This again means whole s7 of Communal lands is against constitution and there for null and void.
Section 8 of Communal Lands Act of 1983 deals again with occupation and use of communal land for agriculture and for residential. However the 2013 has separated Agricultural land from Communal land by definition given to Agricultural land in s72 of constitution. The constitution in s72 specifically exclude Communal lands from Agricultural land. Where the constitution clearly state that agricultural land is not communal land, how then can s8 seek to give permission or no permission of communal land for Agricultural use. Since the right to occupy and use the land in
communal land has been given direct to individuals, it is now up to owner as to what he or she want to use it for, but the state has no more control over communal lands. It cannot determine what individual occupier has to do using s8 of Communal lands Act.
Again s9 of the Act talks of District council issuing permits to occupy. This falls away. No more permit is required from District Council. The constitution in s71(2) addressed that. Communal lands are occupied as of right of a citizen and not at the mercy of a Council.
Section 10 of communal lands Act of 1983. This is where the minister who authored the Gazette is drawing his authority to take the Chilonga land. Without background information of all the preceding sections of the Act which I have explained above, one would not see the error in Minister’s reliance on this section. The section says “the minister shall set aside the land contained in the communal land for the establishment of-“. This is where the minister is missing. 2013 Constitution did give communal land to the people. Those who occupy the land are no long doing it at the mercy of President. Communal land is no longer vested in president like it was in 1983. People no longer need permit to occupy and use the Communal land. The people now own the communal land they occupy. It their personal property which is protected by Civil and property rights right from UN charter until s34 of Constitution direct Legislation of this fundamental right from UN charter into our statutes, where upon s71 of constitution protects and guarantee the enjoyment of property rights of this particular land.
The minister cannot set aside that which belongs to someone. The state and government minister can set aside that which belong to state. The 2013 left Agricultural land only as the state land that can be set aside for such use. The words “set aside” has no more place in communal lands anymore. It does not work. The minister should be aware that he has no authority over that land. If and only if he want to use the land, then he must follow procedures of s71(3) which talk of compulsory deprivation of property by following strict s71(3) constitutional conditions. He must forget about setting aside. It has no more value or relevance in Communal land. The whole of communal land is owned by those who occupy it. The state can only use the route of compulsory deprivation whose conditions are set by s71(3).
I shall here paste section 71(2)&(3)
Section 71
(2)Subject to section 72, every person has the right, in any part of Zimbabwe, to acquire, hold, occupy, use, transfer, hypothecate, lease or dispose of all forms of property, either individually or in association with others.
(3) Subject to this section and to section 72, no person may be compulsorily deprived of their property except where the following conditions are satisfied—
the deprivation is in terms of a law of general application;
the deprivation is necessary for any of the following reasons—
(i) in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health or town and country planning; or (ii) in order to develop or use that or any other property for a purpose beneficial to the community;
the law requires the acquiring authority—
to give reasonable notice of the intention to acquire the property to
everyone whose interest or right in the property would be affected by the acquisition;
to pay fair and adequate compensation for the acquisition before acquiring the property or within a reasonable time after the acquisition; and
if the acquisition is contested, to apply to a competent court before acquiring the property, or not later than thirty days after the acquisition, for an order confirming the acquisition;
the law entitles any person whose property has been acquired to apply to a competent court for the prompt return of the property if the court does not confirm the acquisition; and
the law entitles any claimant for compensation to apply to a competent court for the determination of—
the existence, nature and value of their interest in the property concerned;
the legality of the deprivation; and
the amount of compensation to which they are entitled; and to apply to the court for an order directing the prompt payment of any compensation.
It must be noted why we insist that laws be aligned to the constitution. As it stand a whole government that has a minister of Justice, and Attorney Justice and all permanent Secretaries who must correct a SI after a public out cry cannot still pick up the anomaly is s3 of the statutory instrument. They still cannot pick up that communal land is no longer owned or vested in president but was given to people and Government cannot set aside that which does not belong to it. It has to acquire ownership of it first by following procedures in s71 of constitution.
In this case the law which is stated in s71(3) is not yet established. As I have shown above Communal lands Act is off line with constitution in all matters relating to this. I know zanu will always try to run away a try tricks. Let it be known that the Chilonga people are protected by UN charter on right to property so do not cry sanction mantra when it is raised you violet rights. The international treaties and conventions was be adopted into our laws by direct instruction of s34 of Constitution so where an issue relating to a fundamental right as property everyone interpreting a provision of rights in Chapter 4 of constitution is bound to interpret any of those rights by referring to international treaties , this is by express directive of s46 of constitution. Now as it stand s71 is under chapter 4 of constitution and is a fundamental right. The minister in drafting his SI he is bound by all treaties and provisions relating to property rights. Before he can pen anything more he must also realise that even with zanu’s 2/3 majority in parliament they cannot amend s71 without going to referendum.
More to the fact that the law required by s71(3)(a) to be of general application and stating all the listed items is not yet there, his best option is to cancel the deal. Kana tanga tisina vanhu kunzimbe tavakuzova wana.
I call upon all Zimbabweans to stand up against a regime that has no respect of rights.
By Honest Makanyire |Child Registry has launched an initiative to help teachers in Zimbabwe through disbursement of Information, Communication and Technology(ICT) gadgets via hire purchase.
Child Registry, in consultation with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education will distribute more than 12 000 laptops to teachers under the hire purchase scheme. The payment period ranges from one year to five years.
The scheme enables teachers to use the gadgets while paying paying relatively low and affordable amounts.
“The thrust of the scheme is to equip teachers with relevant new technology skills in line with the emergence of digital communication.
Teachers need to carry out online research and it is common knowledge that we are now living in a digital world- as such educators need to be in touch with new teaching systems to enhance learning processes.Several initiatives are in the pipeline,” Child Registry said in a statement.
“Child Registry is an organization sponsored by various African/US/UK and European regulated institutions.
Our objective is to contribute to the betterment and prosperity of all Registered Children in Africa through African Child Prosperity Fund (ACPF).
The ACPF is a Structured Investment Vehicle that gives parents an opportunity to contribute towards their children’s future. The scheme enables every child to have resources for a better and brighter tomorrow,” a Child Registry official said.
Child Registry has also introduced a life membership programme:
“Child Registry is now accepting LIFE Membership for all Teachers, Professors, Educators.
Benefits include Financing, Grants, US$ income opportunities and international exchange programmes. Comprehensive details are on our website and Facebook page. See www.childrestry.org…”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has become interconnected through digital platforms and international organisations are holding virtual meetings across the globe.
Tinashe Sambiri|Overzealous police details pounced on Masvingo residents who were submitting a petition to the City Council over prohibitive service charges.
ZRP cops and council police officers pounced on Masvingo Residents Forum members at the Civic Centre, on Wednesday morning, as City Council bosses watched.
Masvingo City Council hiked service charges by a shocking 500%.
“Masvingo City fathers and police details have arrested 5 Masvingo Residents Forum members who were submitting a petition to the City fathers over 500% service charges.
MCC must do the honourable thing and listen to the griviences of local residents,” Masvingo Residents Forum said in a statement.
Impeccable sources told ZimEye.com, police details physically assaulted the said residents as they violently arrested them.
Tinashe Sambiri|Overzealous police details pounced on Masvingo residents who were submitting a petition to the City Council over prohibitive service charges.
ZRP cops and council police officers pounced on Masvingo Residents Forum members at the Civic Centre, on Wednesday morning, as City Council bosses watched.
Masvingo City Council hiked service charges by a shocking 500%.
“Masvingo City fathers and police details have arrested 5 Masvingo Residents Forum members who were submitting a petition to the City fathers over 500% service charges.
MCC must do the honourable thing and listen to the griviences of local residents,” Masvingo Residents Forum said in a statement.
Impeccable sources told ZimEye.com, police details physically assaulted the said residents as they violently arrested them.
Joachim Low will step down as Germany head coach after the rescheduled Euro 2020, ending a 15-year stint at the helm.
A statement on the official DFB website read: “Joachim Low will end his job as national coach after the European Championship in summer 2021.
“The national team coach asked to end his contract, which originally ran until the 2022 World Cup, immediately upon completion of the European Championship tournament. The German Football Association (DFB) agreed to this.”
Low led Germany to their 2014 World Cup triumph and has been in charge of Die Mannschaft since 2006.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Warriors coach Zdravko Logarusic has added Highlanders defender Andrew Mbeba to the provisional squad for the Afcon Qualifiers against Botswana and Zambia later this month.
Mbeba’s addition follows after several players withdrew from the selection due to various reasons.
The 21-year old Highlanders youngster was with the national team at the CHAN competition held in Cameroon in January. He featured in one game at the tournament.
Other additions to the Warriors squad are Al Hilal forward Last Jesi, Perfect Chikwende of Simba SC in Tanzania and Zambia-based duo of Kevin Moyo and Takudzwa Chimwemwe.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Wycombe Wanderers coach Gareth Ainsworth has praised Admiral Muskwe for his attitude since arriving at the English Championship club in January.
The Zimbabwean joined the side on a six-month loan from Leicester City but struggled to break into the first team on regular basis.
He has been featuring more as a substitute except for the last two games when he was successively named in the first XI.
Speaking ahead of the team’s 1-0 league defeat to QPR on Tuesday, in which Muskwe played for 69 minutes, Ainsworth highlighted how the 22-year old’s patience has paid him off.
The gaffer told Wycombe media: “I want to talk about the likes of Anis Mehmeti who was excellent for us, and Admiral Muskwe, who has been so patient for his chance and was outstanding.
“These boys keep learning and improving all the time and I’m so proud to see it.”
Muskwe, meanwhile, has now played a combined 317 minutes in eleven appearances in the English Championship.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
FULL TEXT:THE ZIMBABWE AGENDA 2021 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
President Chamisa
Fellow Zimbabweans,
I come before you at a time when our nation and the rest of the world are facing a deep crisis due to the COVID19 pandemic.
To date, the world has lost 2.54 million people to the pandemic, with 114 million recorded cases of infection.
Our continent has lost over 100 000 lives and we in Zimbabwe have lost over 1400 people because of the pandemic.
The last few months have been particularly terrible for our communities. I commend our healthcare workers and all those at the frontline in this fight against the pandemic.
All of us have been affected by the pandemic, due to the lockdowns and associated rules which have been imposed as part of measures to curb the spread of the pandemic.
We are not alone in this fight. Virtually every nation has had to respond to a scourge that became an existential threat to humanity.
However, it has reminded all of us members of the human family of our shared vulnerabilities and the importance of enhancing our networks of cooperation and assistance in the face of a common enemy.
I commend the excellent work of everyone who has worked hard and invested much to find solutions to protect humanity from this pandemic.
In our context, Zimbabwe is weighed down by twin crises – the Covid-19 pandemic and a bad governance authoritarian pandemic.
Rising authoritarianism has rendered the State unstable and saddled with serious contradictions. Unstable oppressive regimes are dangerous to their own citizens.
The gross human rights violations against regional and international instruments must be seen within this context. But we must not lose hope. Storms make us stronger yet they never last forever.
My fellow Zimbabweans, I do not take it for granted that we are able to meet here today. Our families, communities and nation have been plummeted by multiple tragedies. I stand before you with grief.
It is hard to sleep at night, when I know that there are families that have lost their homes, their land, their livelihoods not because of a natural disaster, but as a result of cruel actions driven by greed, by a lack of empathy and a numbness to compassion.
My prayer is that we never lose our ability to feel for each other. The blows of Covid-19, corruption, a collapse in our Healthcare system demand that we answer to the call of action.
It is in this context that I present to you Zimbabwe agenda for 2021. However, before I do that, I must comment on how we fared in the past year.
We are Survivors 2020 was a difficult year, but we survived adverse forces that we deployed against us, itself strong testimony of the strength of the idea that we represent and the undying spirit of our people.
In 2020, we faced crises from two sources: The first was the crisis that I have already referred to, namely, the crisis of the COVID19 pandemic.
The second was the crisis of authoritarianism whereby the regime embarked on a relentless assault and onslaught upon democracy and our party.
This assault involved the use of state machinery to subvert democracy and the will of the people. The oppressors engineered the expulsion of our democratically elected representatives from Parliament and local authorities.
In their place, handpicked individuals, some of whom we defeated in the 2018 elections were foisted upon the people.
Our party headquarters was forcibly occupied, depriving us of our home. The regime also diverted our funding under the Political Parties (Finance) Act, giving it to its surrogates.
The purpose of all this was to punish our party for resisting the illegitimacy of the outcome of the 2018 elections, which lacked credibility and acceptability .
The oppressors believed by stripping us of our assets and entitlements under the law would dampen our spirits and break us down. This has not worked. It will never work. Zimbabwean people are politically literate and advanced .
They can distinguish between right and wrong. They know that some are being used by the oppressor as a scheme to derail the people’s struggle.
While other governments were working hard to contain the pandemic, the Oppressors in Zimbabwe saw it as an opportunity to restrict political rights. They suspended by-elections indefinitely under the guise of fighting the pandemic.
Therefore, while the Oppressors were allowing the removal of people’s representatives, they closed the channel for choosing their replacements.
This deprived the people of the opportunity to reclaim and correct the injustice by ending the criminal abuse of office and blatant theft. Despite all these attacks on our party, we refuse to be cast as victims.
Rather, we are survivors and winners, for when someone works so hard to destroy you and they fail, it is because you are a winner and you are strong.
We are invincible! We are indomitable and unconquerable.
We are grateful to you the citizens for continuing to believe in us, even as oppressors and terrorists have ganged up against the people and their project.
Consolidation Resilience and Resistance In 2021, we will consolidate our position as the movement that represents the dreams and aspirations of all progressive Zimbabweans.
Oppressors have tried everything to decimate the us, but we have remained solid, and we are humbled by the fact that your trust and confidence in the us remains unshaken.
We do not regard those who have left as losses, but as an important shedding off of elements that impede and slow down the democratic struggle.
We have identified the strategy of the Oppressors is to create a controlled opposition, a government controlled opposition under their command politics. This will effectively establish a one-party state in all but name. We are back to the late 1980s when ZANU PF tried to push the one-party state agenda.
Now, Oppressors want to create a façade and charade, with a controlled opposition that obeys ZANU PF dictates and commands.
This is not only the year of consolidating citizen action but also the year of resisting the creation of controlled opposition and the march towards one-party state politics. It is the year of both consolidation of our party and resistance to the regime’s agenda of controlled opposition.
The oppressor can not reform. The oppressors have failed to reform and actually proven to be worse than their predecessor Mr Mugabe
The year 2021 will be marked with peaceful resistance and resilience. The language of the oppressed to resist the oppression.
We will peacefully resist and oppose evictions, demolitions and any violations of people’s freedom and citizens’ rights.
We will peacefully resist and oppose sustaining businesses and companies that oppress us the people.
We will peacefully resist and oppose institutions that oppress us the people
We will peacefully resist and oppose
We will peacefully resist and oppose all unconstitutional acts.
We will peacefully resist and oppose weaponization of law and the justice system.
We will peacefully resist and oppose the illegitimate, the Oppressors that rigged the election.
The people’s agenda is to maintain the fight for democracy and to overcome the obstacles that have been placed in our way. We will use 2021 to reconnect with the grassroots which remains the anchor of the party, to embark on a major recruitment drive, both at home and the Diaspora.
2021 is the year of CITIZENS CONVERGENCE FOR CHANGE The Triple C Year� Gore reSungano yevanhu yeShanduko� Umnyaka wombuthano wabantu abalwela inguquko
CITIZENS. CONVERGENCE. CHANGE.
Our agenda for 2021 is to bring citizens together under A NEW CONSENSUS, A NEW CONVERGENCE, A NEW ALLIANCE a broad tent, to speak with one voice, act and win Zimbabwe for change.
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. You and I are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. The theme of Agenda 2021 is informed by three key words, namely, Citizens, Convergence and Change (reforms). These three concepts are in turn informed first and foremost by the party’s strategic thrust to locate itself and its program of action with the people.
Secondly, the issue of convergence of citizens talks to the party’s strategy to initiate the formation of a broad alliance of citizen groups and democratic forces to confront the national question as a collective of forces in a manner that should result in CHANGE and REFORMS in the lives of Zimbabweans in particular and the governance of the country in general.
Thirdly, the theme is also informed by the desire of the party to assert its leadership role in the country as the main alternative voice of both reason and transformation.
Let me emphasize our thrust this year.
• Citizens – citizens are the lifeblood of all the work that we do. If I have learnt anything over the years, it is that political power lies in the people. I will never leave the people behind. In our programming, in our decision-making and in our messages – you, the people come first. The MDC Alliance is the people’s party. It is your party. It is my party. Together we must build it and strengthen it as a force for change. Do not get left behind. Join the movement. Get involved. • Convergence – Unity, collective action and nonviolence are our rallying cry and the catalyst for change in our nation. The MDC Alliance will lead the formation of a broad church of citizen groups and democratic forces to confront the national question. When we demand accountability, speak with one voice and act collectively, we will become a formidable force for meaningful CHANGE in the lives of Zimbabweans.
• Change – Democratic and Transformational change lies at the core of who we are. Reforms and a People’s government are the substance of real change. Real change means taking what is broken and creating something new. We are the alternative voice and an alternative government for this great nation.
The party will through active citizen engagement and participation seek to achieve the complimentary goals of winning elections, attaining state power, and transforming the country.
• The 5 key areas of focus for 2021 are therefore as follows, • THE PEOPLE AGENDA-
• THE CITIZENS NATIONAL AGENDA-
• THE REFORMS AGENDA-
• THE GOVERNMENT AGENDA
• THE GLOBAL AGENDA
1.THE PEOPLE AGENDA
Refocusing our fights as a means to mobilize and energize the base and reassert our leadership role as the alternative government. Building a mass based party through recruitment and mobilization. Mobilizing resources to strengthen the party as an institution and to execute the struggle to its logical end.
Agenda for Young People Zimbabwe is a young nation in terms of population demographics. Nearly 70% of the population is under the age of 35, which is the maximum youth age under our Constitution. However, young people remain on the margins of political and economic spaces. We are not going to pretend that we know everything about the challenges that young people face in this country. We will also not assume that we know their needs and expectations. Instead, as a party that is built upon the values of consultative politics, we want to embark on a major consultative drive, to engage young people, both in the rural and urban areas, both young men and women. Our agenda for young people is to construct policies that are informed by their needs and expectations; policies that come from them rather than imposed from the top by those purporting to know what they want.
It is time to recognize that our youth are not our future, they are our today. If we are to harness our full potential, we need to invest in this generation of leadership in Zimbabwe.
Young people, You are the face and force of this nation.Your voice counts. Your voice matters. Your role makes a difference.
We want to give space to you young people, to listen to you, and construct policies that respond to your needs.
One of our nation’s founding fathers, Dr. Joshua Nkomo once said young people will save Zimbabwe; that they would not allow it to die. He was a man of great wisdom. He would be proud to observe how young people are taking the lead to save this country from the depths of authoritarian rule.
Resource Mobilisation Consolidating our party is built on the recognition of our core strengths and appreciation of points that require improvement. I have already stated how the regime has sought to suffocate us by depriving us of our hard-won income. The MDC Alliance was entitled to public funds under the Political Parties (Finance) Act. However, these funds have been unprocedurally and unlawfully diverted to another party that had no place on the ballot paper in 2018 and did not earn the right to those funds. We must therefore rely on our members and supporters to mobilize resources to fund their party. We are therefore going to embark on a major fund-raising drive. We are confident that citizens will respond positively to the call. The resource mobilization agenda will be implemented together with the massive recruitment agenda.
2.THE REFORM AGENDA
We need electoral and political reforms. We need a return to legitimacy and democracy (RELOAD). Pushing the REFORMS ROADMAP and pursing the reform agenda through our zones of struggle; street (citizen mass action), elections, parliament, local government, diplomacy, courts, media and the state.
The agenda for political reforms has been on the table for many years. When the MDC was founded two decades ago, the agenda was to reform governance in Zimbabwe which was already in terminal decline. The transformation of governance and society remains at the core of the party’s agenda. However, history has shown that there are impediments to the party’s path to power, hence the need for political reforms to level the political playing field. It is important to have free, fair, and credible elections because they provide the basis for legitimacy. We have seen that no matter how many elections are held if there is a legitimacy deficit, the country will remain stuck in the doldrums. We need Zimbabwe to return to legitimacy, openness and democracy. (RELOAD)
This is the reason why we continue to advocate for political reforms, chief of which are reforms to the electoral system. Indeed, this is the principal reason for our call for dialogue: it is not to find accommodation in this regime, but to play our part in designing an electoral path that would prevent the risks of illegitimacy that have dogged past elections.
Political reforms are not merely changing the rules of the game on paper. They must be realized in practice. In this regard, human rights abuses and selective application of the law must stop. There has been a spate of petty arrests and detentions of political activists, human rights defenders, and journalists in recent years, all of them based on frivolous grounds. This does not only damage the country’s standing in the community of nations, but it also increases insecurity among citizens. • We re-assert Zimbabwe’s 5 big, most urgent fights: • One: The fight for a People’s Constitution and Constitutionalism. This fight will focus on defending the preservation of the 2013 Constitution and demanding that it be implemented with all laws aligned to it with particular reference to such governing issues as devolution. We will strongly oppose Amendment No. 2 which seeks to entrench and reintroduce an Imperial Presidency and reverse the gains of the Constitutional referendum. We will demand of the executive a culture of respecting the constitution.
• Two: The fight for Livelihoods, dignity and better life. We will champion alternative policies and demands that address the needs and challenges of Zimbabweans, in particular the working people in various sectors such as the civil service, teachers, health workers, the private sector workforce, informal traders and vulnerable groups in both urban and rural areas. The success of this fight will be anchored on alternative economic policies. We will engage citizens to demand sound economic administration.
Distortions and contradictions in the economy must be eliminated. Zimbabwe must dollarize.
We will demand a decent wage and salaries for all the workers. Our civil servants, men and women in uniform must be well remunerated.
The Economic Agenda It is well-known that our economy is in the doldrums. This is a result of sheer incompetence and corruption which leads to misallocation and misappropriation of scarce resources.
The national cake is increasingly being privatized into the hands of a small cartel that is associated with the ZANU PF regime. Policy inconsistencies, human rights abuses, insecurity of private property rights all combine to dissuade investors to seriously consider Zimbabwe as a viable investment destination.
More significantly, we continue to hold the view that illegitimacy is a significant barrier to Zimbabwe’s economic progress. As long as the regime suffers a legitimacy deficit, the country will struggle to attract serious investors.
To make economic progress, we must resolve the political questions that have long affected the country’s perception of the family of nations. We must have political reforms that will facilitate legitimate electoral outcomes.
At a substantive level, the ballooning national debt remains a significant albatross on economic recovery. We have been in arrears regarding our external debt for nearly two decades making it extremely difficult to access credit and when we do, it is short-term and expensive. This is unsustainable. Our economic plan involves comprehensive measures to negotiate our way of these arrears.
However, as we have repeatedly said, our national case is made stronger when we resolve our political challenges. When we resolve that we will be in a better position to plead for better terms, even debt forgiveness to enable us to start afresh. As it is, under a regime that has shown kleptocratic tendencies, our creditors think any deal is akin to throwing money down a bottomless pit. We must reform politically and that what we intend to push for.
Still, on the economy, we want to push ahead with better policies for resource extraction, processing, and utilization. We are firm believers in the idea that local resources should benefit local communities. It is a sign of incompetence and unbridled greed of the elites that communities in places like Chiadzwa remain in abject poverty when they were blessed with diamonds.
These diamonds enriched political elites and their foreign allies. Our agenda is to ensure that natural resources yield dividends to the citizens of Zimbabwe. We will continue to resist the mortgaging of the country’s resources in return for odious debt.
• Three: The fight against Corruption. Corruption is killing us. The people have a right to a corruption-free and uncaptured State. Cartels must fall. The eviction of villagers for commercial cronyism must end. Elite state capture must be dismantled. The level of corruption in the country has reached alarming levels. The cancer now permeates the whole body politic – from the rotten pinnacle of the state going down to the lowest ranked employee in government and in the private sector.
The cancer of corruption has also now assumed another dimension, the dominance of toxic cartels. All key business engagements by the government are now monopolised by a cartel of a few individuals. This menace has milked the country and resulted in the downstream suffering of ordinary people. The capture of the state also involves the capture of other pillars of the state and agencies including the judiciary and Parliament.
They can never be an inclusive and shared growth in an environment where the state is captured by a few. This fight will therefore be focussed on exposing corruption in the country and demanding accountability from all.
• Four: A fight for Peoples’ Government and Reforms. We need a new way of governing Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe needs new leaders. We need leaders not rulers. Leadership is about values ethics and integrity. Zimbabwe won’t have its pulse rate without ethical leadership.
We need to restore the broken social contract. Consent must replace coercion. The authority to govern is derived from the people. The people of Zimbabwe and the international community do not believe that the government formed after the 2018 elections represents the will of the people as expressed during the 2018 elections.
It is evident that this political legitimacy deficit notwithstanding the legal legitimacy bestowed by the court has hindered the ability of the regime to govern effectively because there is no trust between the governed and the governors.
This has caused a massive performance legitimacy crisis and an insurmountable trust deficit. The trust deficit has in turn created a confidence crisis in an economy that is now shunned by both domestic and international investors.
This fight will therefore be focused on bringing to the fore the political legitimacy crisis which has led to a performance legitimacy gap manifest in a non-performing and non-delivering economy with the objective of soft landing the crisis through dialogue and a return to legitimacy.
At the heart of the resolution of the national question is the urgent need for the country to embark on and implement a raft of political reforms
. The country to date has failed in its re-engagement efforts with the international community because it has been paying lip service to the urgent need for political reforms.
The fight for political reforms will therefore be informed by the party’s policy document PRICE and contributions from alliance partners in the envisaged broad alliance through the exertion of both domestic and international pressure on the regime to reform.
• Five: People’s rights, freedoms, security of persons and rule of law. There has been a marked deterioration in the respect for people’s freedoms and rights and the respect for the rule of law. Democracy has been bludgeoned by the Oppressor’s corrupt, violent dictatorship.
Our fight for freedoms will focus on the deteriorating human rights situation which has seen the state using law-fare to persecute dissenting voices in the country including the leadership of the party.
The Diaspora It is common knowledge that our country has experienced an exodus of large numbers of citizens over the last two decades forming a large Diaspora population. These citizens remain closely attached to their country.
They are dedicated members of our nation. Indeed, last year the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe reported that diaspora remittances were up 45% between January and September 2020. Diaspora remittances are a major source of foreign currency for Zimbabwe.
Therefore, although we lament the loss of skills, we are also benefitting from the remittances from our people.
It’s very good that our Constitution recognizes dual citizenship, something that we fought hard to have despite resistance from ZANU PF. However, the country still does not give enough respect to our fellow citizens.
The electoral system, for example, remains exclusionary meaning that these fellow citizens still cannot enjoy one of the fundamental rights: the right to vote. We will push the agenda for more inclusive policies for the
Diaspora, not only in political participation but also in economic participation beyond remittances. If we can have policies that are friendly to foreign investors, there is no reason why we cannot have targeted policies that promote investment by members of the Diaspora.
3.THE CITIZENS AGENDA- National agenda Building a broad alliance of citizens for change domestically and internationally in pursuit of the resolution of the national question.
We must focus on Nation building and Breaking Barriers Initiative by reaching out to all stakeholders in search of a common national agenda. A collective inclusive National Vision for Zimbabwe is a priority. A New consensus ,A new convergence of all citizens is indeed urgent business. We must come up with an Intergenerational consensus. It is important to come up with an inclusive and non partisan conversation and convergence through a CITIZENS’ CONVENTION or CONFERENCE to define and design a Reform Roadmap and the Zimbabwe we desire.
4.GOVERNMENT AGENDA
We will have an alternative Cabinet. We will have a New Zimbabwe policy dialogue forums. An annual policy conference shall be held. We will have a legislative agenda and local government agenda.
As the alternative government, we are always in a state of readiness to take over and govern when the opportunity presents itself. Our party will continue to develop and update its readiness to govern.
We will also unveil our New Zimbabwe blueprint.
We will be rolling out New Zimbabwe policy dialogue programs. We will strengthen our alternative cabinet. Our SMART policies shall be revised and updated.
This is also an on-going agenda which we must demonstrate through performance in the formal theatres of power such as Parliament and local authorities.
A combination of the two pandemics – authoritarianism and COVID19 has impacted our activities on both platforms over the past year. The pandemic has led to the closure of these formal theatres, reducing their effectiveness.
However, in the case of local authorities, the problem is a system of government that results in the capture of local government by the central government. This is a structural problem that affects the efficacy of local authorities.
The Oppressors have no incentive to make changes that would free local government from the clutches of the central government. This explains why the fight for change at the central government level remains the foremost objective in the people’s struggle for change.
As part of our work regarding government, we are going to raise the level of resistance to the proposed changes to the Constitution, which are retrogressive. We have to ensure that the Constitution is respected and that its terms and values are implemented.
The attempt to change our young Constitution is retrogressive because it reverses the political reforms that were made in 2013 when it was adopted.
Oppressors want to change provisions that have not even been implemented. We are going to lead and resist Constitutional Amendment (No. 2) because it is unilateral, reactionary, counter-revolutionary and retrogressive.
5.THE GLOBAL AGENDA
2021 must and will be different because the steps we are going to take will define the future of this country. It cannot and will not be business as usual.
At all times, we will be guided by our vision – To dismantle autocracy and achieve democratic change by transforming Zimbabwe to a sustainable, just, prosperous, God fearing, ethical and democratic state.
We believe in both internationalism and Pan-Africanism. We are part of the family of nations. We believe that despite our differences, we have a shared common interest.
Indeed, our national interest is best served by working together and cooperating with other progressive nations.
We believe in a NEW AFRICA. As Africans, we recognize our shared history not just of subjugation but also of resistance and triumph against the odds to govern ourselves.
Nevertheless, despite heroic struggles against the colonial order, Africans continue to suffer from the twin challenges of authoritarian rule and a global governance system that still subordinates our nations.
New Africa Focus: we shall emphasize the vision for a New Africa. We shall be building strong networks with emerging young leaders on the continent centered on shared democratic values such as respect for human rights, free and fair elections ( guarding against electoral authoritarianism-elections without democracy)
We have upcoming elections in Zambia, South Africa, Congo, Ethiopia, Libya etc and Africa and the world must not endorse fraudulent elections, another area to focus on in the context of building a NEW AFRICA consensus is on transparent governance especially in the extractive sector in the context of illicit financial flows. The New Africa focus must breathe life into the African Continental Free Trade Area, Agenda 2063.
We support the struggle of African nations to be recognized as equal partners in all spheres and call upon our fellow brothers and sisters to support democratic growth and economic prosperity for all. We detest rigging of elections and dictatorship.
We reject efforts to entrench authoritarian regimes on the continent and to this end, we will forge solidarities with states and progressive movements that are advancing the democratic ideals that we identify with. For Zimbabwe to boost its prospects of recovery, it needs to be fully reintegrated into the family of nations.
This is not achieved by performing a window-dressing exercise or undertaking false reforms. Rather, it needs real and substantive ‘root and branch’ reforms that demonstrate a commitment to good governance, transparency, protection of human rights, rule of law and adherence to the norms that are generally accepted in progressive societies.
The Global Advocacy Campaign-We will mobilize the international community in support of the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe in line with our RELOAD and with an Afro-centric focus ( targetting Regional Economic Committees – SADC, East African Community, ECOWAS, IGAD, African Union and individual countries)
International Solidarity: We must not expect to just receive solidarity but to provide solidarity to other pro-democracy struggles globally eg. Myamar, Hong- Kong etc.We should also work closely with our international partners through The Progressive Alliance and other such platforms to strengthen multilateralism, deal with climate change.
The hour calls for us to step outside of our comfort zones, to use whatever we have, to focus on rebuilding our nation. Driven by love, instead of self interest, community needs over private gain, we have the opportunity to join hands and do the work that needs to be done to stop this cycle of destruction. I believe that we have what it takes to join hands and build.
I believe that we have what it takes to save lives. Every time I look at my son, my heart breaks that we are losing mothers and babies because our health system has failed us. I believe that we are at the apex of our destinies to step into our callings and be the voices that embody justice. We cannot demand in others, what we do not practice ourselves.
If Zimbabwe is to rise from the ashes, we must reflect, reform and transform. It is time for us to clean up our government, our crisis in leadership and demand accountability.
I am appealing to all of Zimbabwe and friends of Zimbabwe, to join hands with us as we work to eradicate poverty; as we work to reform our institutions and as we work to save our democracy.
Zimbabwe will rise from the ashes. Zimbabwe will rise again. Zimbabwe will rise as we work together. I challenge you to look beyond our differences, so we can embrace the opportunity to build our nation together. We cannot do this without each of you.
In Conclusion
Finally, I call upon every Zimbabwean to come and join us as we rise above the challenges of our time.
We are all Zimbabweans Come. Come let us join hands Come let us reason together to restore the lost dignity in our lives.
Let us work and walk together
Let us fight together to end this suffering and build a better Country, a different Zimbabwe.
Join us to make history Let this year be the Year for Citizens Convergence for Change,
Gore resungano yevanhu yeshanduko, Umunyaka wombuthano wabantu obatwela inguquko.
From Zambezi to Limpopo,
Building a Great Zimbabwe Making Zimbabwe greater.
One people, One Vision, One Nation
Always for a Greater and Better Zimbabwe Always for you.
Winning Zimbabwe for change! Change that delivers!
Warriors striker Prince ‘Mgadafi’ Dube will most likely miss the AFCON qualifiers against Botswana and Zambia.
The former Bosso gunslinger suffered a harm-string injury in Azam’s league victory over Mwadui in the Tanzanian Premier League last week.
He limped off in the first half of that clash, with the club later confirming that the setback is a harm-string problem.
An injury update issued by the team doctor yesterday revealed that Dube will be out for two weeks. He will rest in the first week then resume light training in the second, making it difficult, in not impossible, for him to have recovered in time for the Warriors’s first game against Botswana, slated for March 25.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa is inflicting pain on citizens in a bid to enforce legitimacy, MDC Alliance deputy spokesperson, Clifford Hlatywayo has said.
Hlatywayo also described the persecution of the MDC Alliance trio, Joana Mamombe, Netsai Marova and Cecilia Chimbiri as barbaric, unacceptable and redundant.
“A regime in panic and unstable mode is seen by attacking unarmed civilians.
It is seen by inflicting pain on the vulnerable &defenseless citizens.All this to force for legitimacy.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has apologized for the comment he wrote on Twitter- which triggered widespread debate on social media platforms.
Concerned individuals sought clarity on Hon Biti’s remarks.
Below is Hon Biti’s full thread: In the afternoon I pulled down a tweet made in connection with ProfMaduku’s interpretation of section 96(2) of the constitution.
The context of that tweet is explained below. Clearly in my banter with Lovemore , whom I have known for over 20 years & worked with very closely …
…in the law , in the struggle & in personal spaces I overlooked the huge extent of the fragile national question marginalization alienation and exclusion of certain communities in Zimbabwe.I have lived with this discrimination & exclusion throughout my life. I have recently ..
…seen this isolation & disillusionment on our recent visit to Chilonga. Chipinge is no different.
Ironically like Chiredzi it was part of the Gaza State established by Soshangaan &his descendant Ngungunyana With the fall of the Gaza State colonial Rhodesia plundered Gazaland
….The native Ndau ,Tsonga, Shangaan communities were plundered off their land into Tribal Reserves such as Musikavanhu, Muusha , Mutema, Mtambara, Sengwezi,Ngorima North & South. Settlers took thousands of acres with one family, the Moodie family grabbing 108 000 acres..
Post to independent Zim has totally ignored this region save a scattering of a few irrigation schemes. Cyclone Idai brutally exposed the regime’s exclusion of Gazaland now Chipinge. Part of the reason was regime’s hatred &fear of Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole, the founder of #ZANU
…As a young lawyer I had the honor & privilege of defending Rev Sithole in his treason trial of 1997. I spent huge amounts of time with him at his home in Waterfalls. He left personal notes & some prison notebooks. He is easily the most brilliant Zimbabwean I ever came across .
..I can see easily why Mugabe’s regime hated him. They wrongly convicted him of treason, stripped him of his parliamentary seat, took away Churu farm & even in death denied him national hero status. He was not the only one from Manicaland.They killed Chitepo, Duri &abused Tekere
…They haunted Morgan Tsvangirai assaulted Madhuku &many others. They can’t suddenly pretend to love Chipinge & Manicaland now. Only recently they allowed Billy Rottonbach to grab thousands of hectares from Chisumbanje for his ethanol project. Thousands of villagers were ….
…displaced. Many fled to Mozambique & have not returned. None were compensated despite the billions Rottonbach makes. His trucks have destroyed roads to Che Che yet he is not accountable. So I will not accept hypocrisy from a regime that has brutalized & murdered millions…
…Throughout my life I have fought discrimination injustice exclusion & alienation. My legal career has been predominantly an attempt to use the law as an instrument of social justice & as a defender of human rights. A murderous regime & its cronies can not change that …
The rights of our people, the rights of Ethnic Minorities in our Zim is an issue so key to our struggle & the political party I proudly belong. On Thursday in Parliament we will lead a motion that will undress regime’s mistreatment & abuse of ethnic minorities. We will not rest
…In conclusion & for the avoidance of doubt I regret my tweet with Lovemore and am sorry for its pub stereotype banter. I have known Madhuku for years & we have shared a life together in 3 different spheres. It was mistake to share things that are privately said in jest. Zikomo
DIET & NUTRITION How Do You Tell the Difference Between Good and Bad Carbohydrates? Everyone needs to eat carbohydrates, but that doesn’t mean you should fuel up with cookies, candy, and potato chips.
By Moira Lawler and Diana Rodriguez Medically Reviewed by Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES
Last Updated: March 3, 2021
Medically Reviewed
cake pastry vs bean legumes illustration Cake and beans are both sources of carbs, but they are far from equal in quality.Everyday Health Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet, but it’s important to know they’re not all created equal. How do you tell the difference between “good carbs” and “bad carbs”? The answer is both simple — and complex.
Here’s everything you need to know about making smart carbohydrate choices.
A Carbohydrate Can Be a Simple Carb or a Complex Carb Carbohydrates, often referred to as just “carbs,” are your body’s primary energy source, according to MedlinePlus. The three main types of carbohydrates are sugars, starches, and fiber. They’re called “simple” or “complex” on the basis of their chemical makeup and what your body does with them. Because many foods contain one or more types of carbohydrates, it can be tricky to understand what’s healthy for you and what’s not.
Simple carbohydrates are composed of easy-to-digest sugars, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Some of these sugars are naturally occurring, such as those in fruits and in milk, while refined or processed sugars are usually added to foods like candies, baked goods, and soda. These simple carbs are quickly absorbed through the gut and can cause a spike in blood sugar levels, says Alicia Galvin, RD, the resident dietitian for Sovereign Laboratories in Dallas.
On nutrition labels, added sugars can go by several different names, including brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, fructose, glucose, maltose, malt syrup, sucrose, honey, agave nectar, molasses, and fruit juice concentrates, according to Harvard Health Publishing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now requires all nutrition labels to clearly identify the number of added sugars per serving in the product, directly beneath the total sugar count.
Then there are complex carbohydrates, which are found in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables, and contain longer chains of sugar molecules, according to MedlinePlus. “Complex carbs have an additional component — fiber, which is technically a type of carbohydrate, but it’s not digested and absorbed,” Galvin says. “That not only feeds the good gut bacteria, but it also allows for the absorption of the carbohydrate to be slower into the bloodstream, so it won’t spike glucose levels and insulin levels like a simple carbohydrate would.”
This in turn provides you with a more consistent amount of energy, says Sandra Meyerowitz, MPH, RD, a nutritionist and owner of Nutrition Works in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Details on Simple Carbohydrates Foods that contain simple carbohydrates aren’t necessarily bad — it depends on the food. For instance, fruits and dairy products contain some simple carbs, but they are drastically different from other foods that contain simple carbs, like cookies and cakes. Processed sweets tend to contain refined sugar, too, and lack key nutrients your body needs to be healthy, according to the AHA.
“There are health benefits to eating fruit versus eating a piece of white bread,” Galvin says. “Fruit does contain fiber, and also antioxidants and polyphenols and other good nutritional benefits.”
Dairy also contains healthy nutrients, such as calcium, protein, and sometimes probiotics (if live active cultures are present), Galvin says. The protein component is key to helping dairy behave more like a complex carbohydrate. “Protein helps slow the absorption of carbohydrates into the bloodstream and helps keep appetite levels steady so you don’t have swings of insulin levels and blood glucose going up and down,” Galvin says.-
Credit : Everyday Health
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Tinashe Sambiri|The founding President of the Movement for Democratic Change Change and former Prime Minister, Right Honourable Morgan Richard Tsvangirai is regarded as the doyen of democracy in Zimbabwe.
President Tsvangirai confronted the Zanu PF regime over the brutal killing of opposition members, electoral theft and gross violation of human rights.
In a statement released to commemorate Dr Tsvangirai’s birthday, the MDC Alliance described the late MDC leader as a legend of the struggle for freedom.
“Today is a very special day.
Our late icon, legend and doyen of our on-going struggle for a new free and democratic Zimbabwe was born on this very day in 1952.
And so today, we honour his memory and political legacy
May you rest in peace . Dr #MorganRichardTsvangirai,” MDC Alliance said in a statement.
By Jane Mlambo| The opposition MDC Alliance trio of Joana Mamombe, Cecelia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova will spend another night in remand detention after Harare Magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti postponed the bail ruling to tomorrow saying she was travelling and unable to pass the verdict today.
Meanwhile, ZINASU leader Takudzwa Ngadziore will remain incarcerated at Harare Remand Prison after High Court Judge Justice Nyaradzo Munangati-Manongwa postponed hearing of his bail appeal to Monday to allow the State to file its response & for the transcribing of the record of proceedings.
In Masvingo, police today arrested 5 members of Masvingo Residents Forum who had gathered at Civic Centre to submit a petition to Acting Town Clerk Edward Mukaratirwa.
The petition mainstreamed service delivery issues chief among them the poor state of roads and water shortages.
By Honest Makanyire |Child Registry has launched an initiative to help teachers in Zimbabwe through disbursement of Information, Communication and Technology(ICT) gadgets via hire purchase.
Child Registry, in consultation with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education will distribute more than 12 000 laptops to teachers under the hire purchase scheme. The payment period ranges from one year to five years.
The scheme enables teachers to use the gadgets while paying paying relatively low and affordable amounts.
“The thrust of the scheme is to equip teachers with relevant new technology skills in line with the emergence of digital communication.
Teachers need to carry out online research and it is common knowledge that we are now living in a digital world- as such educators need to be in touch with new teaching systems to enhance learning processes.Several initiatives are in the pipeline,” Child Registry said in a statement.
“Child Registry is an organization sponsored by various African/US/UK and European regulated institutions.
Our objective is to contribute to the betterment and prosperity of all Registered Children in Africa through African Child Prosperity Fund (ACPF).
The ACPF is a Structured Investment Vehicle that gives parents an opportunity to contribute towards their children’s future. The scheme enables every child to have resources for a better and brighter tomorrow,” a Child Registry official said.
Child Registry has also introduced a life membership programme:
“Child Registry is now accepting LIFE Membership for all Teachers, Professors, Educators.
Benefits include Financing, Grants, US$ income opportunities and international exchange programmes. Comprehensive details are on our website and Facebook page. See www.childrestry.org…”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has become interconnected through digital platforms and international organisations are holding virtual meetings across the globe.
