By A Correspondent- A prominent Mutare lawyer last Friday appeared before a local magistrate facing a charge of assaulting his 65-year-old mother.
Edward Lloyd Mvere (39) was granted $6 000 bail by magistrate Nyasha Kuture. The matter was remanded to April 1 for trial.
Prosecutor, Tiriwamambo Kangai said allegations were that on February 3, 2021 Mvere failed to respect a peace order in favour of his mother Voronica Mvere which prohibited the lawyer from insulting, assaulting, threatening and disturbing her peace.
On February 3, the lawyer allegedly shouted at his mother demanding that she hands over a child who was in her custody, leading her to make a police report.-newsday
By A Correspondent- The MDC Alliance will soon announce announce the 2021 Programme of Action as the nation grapples with escalating economic woes.
The MDC Alliance also bemoaned the worsening governance crisis in the country.
Read communique below:
COMMUNIQUE ON 12/02/2021 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
On the 12th of February 2021, the National Executive Committee of the MDC Alliance met in accordance with the party’s constitution. The meeting was conducted virtually in line with Covid19 protocols.
The Executive received the report of the National Standing Committee and the following matters were deliberated upon:
Elite State Capture: The Executive expressed its concern over the prevalence of cartels in the national economy and the correlation between these and rising cases of corruption that are prejudicing the fiscus of over US$3 billion annually. We call for the establishment of an independent inquiry into the allegations of Elite State Capture against top political elites and Zanu PF factions with a view to ensuring accountability and the creation of a shared, inclusive economy.
Agricultural Season: The Executive considered the mounting challenges with the agricultural season — in particular, the impact of increased rains and flooding, the lack of adequate funding as well as the absence of preparation models that could mean the good rains go to waste. We urge the adoption of the party’s SMART Agriculture blueprint to move the nation from basic subsistence farming, improve productivity and attain a food surplus.
COVID-19 Response: The Executive urged the State to adopt the party’s alternative Covidl9 Response Plan that was recently enunciated by President Nelson Chamisa. In particular, there is need to take into account the livelihoods crisis and mass poverty afflicting most Zimbabweans who rely on the informal economy for survival as well as the prospect of evidence-based zonal lockdowns. We further recommend that the Government publishes its vaccination roll-out plan to ensure transparency and a science-based approach to the planned inoculation.
Governance Crisis: The Executive deliberated on the increased levels of repression, the regression of democracy, authoritarian consolidation and persecution of members of the party, journalists and dissenting voices. The party condemns the closure of democratic space, human rights abuses, wanton arrests and demands the immediate release of student leader, Alan Moyo.
3rd Memorial Anniversary of Morgan Tsvangirai: The Executive acknowledged the 3rd anniversary of Morgan Tsvangirai’s passing. The Executive remembered the role he played in the fight for democracy, his inspiration to the next generation and his historical contribution to a better Zimbabwe. The party takes note of the existing threats to his vision to build an uncompromised, credible and viable alternative government. The party resolved to defend and be the guardians of his legacy and to fulfil his aspiration to win Zimbabwe for change.
Agenda 2021′ Program of Action: The Executive noted the continued attempts by Zanu PF to supplant the MDC Alliance as the credible democratic alternative to their current misrule and the attempts to reconstitute an opposition that is captured, loyal to ZANU PF and a de facto extension of ZANU PF. The MDC Alliance remains committed to the need to push for a political and economic reforms roadmap that is time bound. The Executive resolved to continue to champion the cause of the Zimbabwean people, be the legitimate voice of the suffering masses and form a broad front to return the country to legitimacy and democracy. The party’sAgenda 2021′ program of action will be announced in due course.
B. Continental and Global Matters
Uganda: The Executive deliberated upon the election outcome in Uganda and expressed concern over rising human rights abuses and state-sponsored violence perpetrated against members of the opposition. We call upon regional bodies to reject the outcomes of rigged elections and act in conformity with established African Union standards for elections. We urge the courts in Uganda to act fairly and impartially in their determination of the election petition.
Ghana: The Executive took note of the electoral dispute in Ghana. We call upon state institutions to be professional and fair in resolving the outstanding issues.
United States: The Executive acknowledged the election outcome in the United States and underlined the importance of predictable processes and strong institutions in ensuring a legitimate transfer of power.
By A Correspondent- Hurungwe Children’s Home in Karoi was on Friday shut down and deregistered over allegations of abuse of children and mismanagement of donations by the staff.
The home, operating under Karoi Town Council, has been taking care of at least 80 vulnerable children drawn from Hurungwe District, who are now being moved to other homes.
The management at the home came under fire recently from Karoi residents accusing them of conniving with outsiders to vandalise and steal equipment including an electric borehole pumping system that was donated by Zesa’s distribution arm, ZETDC.
Provincial Social Development officer Mrs Agnes Mutowo said her department had shut the home and was moving the children.
Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, who concurred with the Social Development Department’s decision to shut down the home, said the move was aimed at protecting the children.
“Social Development had to temporarily shut down and deregister the home because of abuse of children and mismanagement of donations. There was been a lot of alleged corruption by the administrator, Mr (Arista) Kandengwa and one Mrs Kupara,” she said.
“The abuse had gone to the extent of children being asked to use traditional snuff (Bute).”
She castigated Karoi Town Council for failing to monitor the home.
“As the Minister of State, I agreed with Social Development Department to have the children moved from the home to other homes in the province,” she said.
“We entrusted Karoi Town Council with the lives of the children but they were sleeping on the duty.”
The issue of child abuse was reported to the police.
The officer commanding Hurungwe District, Chief Superintendent Helena Mahonde, referred all the questions to national police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi who could not be contacted for comment yesterday, but sources from Karoi Urban Police Station confirmed receiving abuse reports five months ago.
“The matter was reported and was handled administratively by gathering information and making recommendations,” said a source. “The district commanding officer then shared the recommendations with the home’s interim board chairperson Councillor Abel Matsika.”
Clr Matsika, who is also the council’s chairperson, confirmed receiving the recommendations but said the decision to shut down the home was harsh considering the number of children housed there.
“The council conducted its own investigations on the snuff issue about five months ago and it suspended the accused persons,” he said.
“We have been running the home from the Government’s monthly grants and donations and the decision to close it was harsh.”
Clr Matsika said the decision to close the home was not communicated to the council but Mrs Mutowo said they followed proper procedure in the temporary closure of the home.
One of the accused, Mr Kadengwa, denied the allegations saying they were fabricated and exonerated the staff at the home from the accusations while his other co-accused Kupara could not be contacted for her side of the story.-statemedia
By A Correspondent-|MDC Alliance national spokesperson, Advocate Fadzayi Mahere has accused Emmerson Mnangagwa of using the Zimbabwe Anti- Corruption Commission as weapon to attack political rivals.
Advocate Mahere also described the moribund National Prosecuting Authority as useless and captured…
“Zimbabwe is not poor, It’s poorly managed. Corruption that has brought Zimbabwe to it’s knees.Zanu PF bigwigs are busy looting national resources.
As we speak right now, Zimbabwe is losing millions of dollars through illicit gold deals that are being facilitated by Zanu PF bigwigs.
It is the rampant theft of national resources that has impoverished the nation,” argued Advocate Mahere.
By A Correspondent- Muzarabani South legislator Tapera Saizi and traditional leader Chief Chiweshe Mukore-kore (Matthew Minyonga) on Sunday defied lockdown by conducting a Zanu-PF meeting with over 60 village heads.
It is alleged that over 60 village heads converged at Chitemamuswe Primary in Muzarabani for a meeting called by the duo.
Chief Chiweshe was allegedly persuading the heads to support sitting legislator Saizi in the next election, who is alleged to be his favorite candidate.
The agenda of the meeting was kept a secret till the meeting day.
The Chief urged village heads to take control of Pfumvudza program contradicting with the policy document.
“Madhumeni nemaCouncilors who are spearheading the program are corrupt saka imi masabhuku take over,” Chief Chiweshe said.
When contacted by this publication Chief Chiweshe confirmed that they had a meeting.
“Hongu ndakaita musangano nemasabhuku angu ese emuchiweshe nepamusana pevashandi vehurumende varikuba ma inputs epfumvudza”
Saizi together with his counterpart, Chief Chiweshe accused government officials of being corrupt.
The government is providing transport for the inputs and no one should be made to pay,” Saizi purpoted.
Saizi also said ‘they’ are working on modalities when someone asked if the government was paying to ward level.
People who spoke on anonymity alleged that the Chief and the Member of Parliament (MP) are causing unnecessary confusion in the district on most government programs and wondered why a Chief would want to poke his nose into government programs.
“He is the most corrupt chief ever and we wonder why only him of the four chiefs is always attacking government programs,”fumed one resident.
Another resident said,”At one time the same Chief took 32 bags of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) to his residents and stopped distribution accusing a councilor of wanting to steal.”
It is alleged that he was ordered by high authorities to retain the fertilizer after it was established that he wanted to use it for personal use.
Asked to comment one of the village heads said,”Varume ava havazive, worse the MP is using Chief to cling on to but haa zvasara ipapo pataitira musangano.”
Contacted for comment, Chief Chiweshe could not deny the charges as he said that the agenda of the meeting was to urge villagers to work hand-in-glove with the sitting leaders.
“Favor is everywhere, even you the wife you chose is the one that you love,” Chief Chiweshe said to the reporter.
MP Saizi was not picking up calls until the time of publication.
By Leornad Koni- This epitome of throwing the baby out with the bath water should not be tolerated.
Where on earth have you heard of a President saying that, “this is the official opposition party” referring to MDC-T, an opposition political party which they have created and imposed on people, yet we have over 20 opposition political parties in Zimbabwe.
I think it was a slip of a tongue. He actually wanted to say that MDC-T has become their newly born baby project which they were going to partner and work very hard to decimate, finish the unrepentant and unfashionable MDC-Alliance which lacks patriotism.
Which criteria or method has been used to come up with such a conclusion?
Mr President must be reminded that as soon as people are vaccinated of Covid19, they should be allowed to campaign and go for elections to choose the leaders of their choice and that is when the people will know exactly which opposition party is worth talking about not this obedient son opposition political party being forced on people.
Thokozani Khupe MDC-T led contested in harmonised elections in 2018 and got 45 000 votes in presidential election against MDC Alliance Nelson Chamisa which got around 2.6 million.
Douglas Mwonzora later had an elective congress which was marred with vote rigging and now claims to be the biggest opposition political party in Zimbabwe.
When was he tested to prove that he commands a lit of people more than MDC-Alliance?
I think Mr Douglas Mwonzora is being overrated by the ruling party. This is an assault to democracy and must not be given any space to breath. This is a serious toxic bubble which must pierced.
It is known that MDC-T is largely a creation and puppet of the regime. This is evidenced by the coverage they are having on nearly all government mouthpieces and state owned media like The Herald, Chronicle and ZTV.
People now want elections in order to stop this infatuation relationship and marriage of MDC-T and Zanu PF.
The path which Douglas Mwonzora has taken will definitely give him temporary power and satisfaction but the Abel Muzorewa tag will continue haunting him throughout his life and the next generation will not pardon him. Ian Douglas Smith did the same by praising Bishop Abel Muzorewa and history is repeating itself.
Already Douglas Mwonzora and his team have been used and are still going to be used to split some votes come 2023 elections but the good part of it is the timeously way the plan has been exposed. The ball is now in the half of the MDC-Alliance opponets and they have the opportunity to counter attack the plan to their own advantage.
Surprisingly MDC -T is not even talking of the release of detained Alan Moyo who is now clocking 70 days in the prison. How will this party manage or going to stand for the young generation?
The people are now aware of the political urchins and shenanigans meant to derail the people’s struggle which the late doyen of democracy Morgan Richard Tsvangirayi left.
By A Correspondent- The government is next week expected to announce the date for the reopening of schools for the 2021 first term.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana said that cabinet deliberated on the issue and resolved to postpone the reopening of schools by two weeks.
In a post on Twitter last Friday following the holding of the first Cabinet meeting in 2021 on Tuesday, Mangwana said the position to defer schools’ reopening will be revisited after two weeks.
He said:
Many are asking about the opening of schools. In its first meeting of 2021, Cabinet resolved that schools remain closed for another two weeks. This position will be reviewed at the end of two weeks.
Schools were closed on 18 December after briefly opening in September last year to prepare pupils for public examinations.
However, several schools across the country reported hundreds of coronavirus cases and the Government indefinitely shelved the reopening, which had been set on 4 January.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) chief executive officer Dr Sifiso Ndlovu told State media that it was no longer sustainable to keep the schools closed.
By A Correspondent- The government has pledged to assist Urban Development Corporation (Udcorp) beneficiaries that paid for residential stands four years ago in Chitungwiza that were not delivered.
The stands in question were in the Seke district. National Housing and Social Amenities minister Daniel Garwe told delegates during a tour last Friday of proposed stands in the Nyatsime area that the government is now prepared to ensure those that were duped after paying money for stands to Udcorp will be given alternative accommodation.
“We are aware that the youths were given land to construct houses through Udcorp and they paid a certain amount for development purposes. However, the money was converted to other uses by fraudsters during that era. As the government, we therefore cannot ignore how the youths were duped,” Garwe said.
“We are now engaging banks and other private companies who will develop this area and ensure that the youths get accommodation. These companies will construct flats for the benefit of a number of people,” he said.
A total of 1 400 youths from Harare and Mashonaland East provinces were allocated a farm in Nyatsime area in 2016 under Udcorp, which was a brainchild of former Local Government minister, Saviour Kasukuwere.
The beneficiaries were made to pay US$200 each for developing the land, but stands were never delivered.
Speaking during the same tour, the Zanu-PF Mashonaland East youth league chairman Kelvin Mutsvairo hailed the government for the intervention saying that they guarded the land from possible invasion by land barons.
“The youths were shown this land and they paid their money for it, but they never got the stands. We had to guard it from possible invasion by land barons and we are happy that the government has remembered us. We have a list of all those who are set to benefit from this housing programme and we pray that the deal will be implemented anytime soon,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Seke district leadership is accusing officials from the Chitungwiza Municipality of invading land across Nyatsime River and for disregarding the boundaries between the two districts.-newsday
By A Correspondent | The ZANU PF leader, Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa has extended the COVID-19 Lockdown by a further 2 weeks.
His statement is expected to build on the strong foundation laid by the arrival of Sinovac vaccines earlier this morning, the ministry of Information said in a statement.
FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza has rued how his team miss some good chances in their 1-0 defeat to ASC Jaraaf of Senegal in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup, group stage play-offs played on Sunday in Harare.
The Platinum Boys failed to score in the game despite holding an edge in ball possession.
Silas Songani had a penalty saved in the first half while Donald Teguru, Innocent Muchaneka and Nomore Chinyerere also fluffed some glorious opportunities.
Gift Bello had his shot hit the post in the later stages of the match.
Speaking after the game, Mapeza said: “We had several chances but we missed them.
“I’m sure if were playing regular football, those missed chances could have been scored, maybe one or two goals.
“But the players worked hard at the end of the day.”
FC Platinum will now travel to Senegal for the second leg next weekend.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah insists they haven’t given up on winning the Premier League title despite losing their last three games and they will fight till the very end.
Yesterday’s dramatic 1-3 defeat to Leicester City meant that the defending champions have lost three league games in a row for the first time since 2014.
Jurgen Klopp’s men now trail leaders Manchester City by 13 points, with Pep Guardiola’s charges also having a game in hand but Salah insists it’s not yet over.
“It’s been a tough period for many reasons. We are champions and we will fight like champions, until the very end. We will not allow this season to be defined by the recent results we’ve had. That is my promise to all of you<” wrote the Egyptian on microblogging site Twitter.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has described the late MDC founding President Dr Morgan Tsvangirai as a champion of freedom.
President Chamisa also described Dr Tsvangirai as a great mentor.
Read President Chamisa’s statement below:
Today is MORGAN TSVANGIRAI DAY:
CELEBRATING A LEGACY OF LOVE..We lost a peacemaker, doyen of democracy and freedom champion.
My father, mentor and a friend, I salute u for the free leadership mentorship and tutorship. You taught me love, forgiveness, humility, principle, consistency and loyalty. I and we ( all your true mentees) will never be purchased to compromise the PROMISE. The project promise is intact, uncompromisable and underailable.
We will WIN Zimbabwe for change! We are holding tight..Chinhu takabata!! Rest in Power Mdara!
Godisinit chinhu takabata machinja ese achapuhwa korona! Kunagumo kune nyaya Vamira pamuganhu kuti NDI!
Warriors team manager Welington Mpandare has given an update on the progress made by captain Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat in their quest to recover from injuries ahead of next month’s games.
Musona and Billiat are nursing ankle and leg injuries respectively, making their availability for next month’s decisive AFCON qualifiers against Botswana and Zambia in doubt but Mpandare says they have both started light training and there is hope of them recovering in time for the two games.
“Khama is three or so weeks away from regaining full fitness but he is back in the gym while Knowledge has started some light training and its pointing to the right direction for their respective clubs and the Warriors at large,” Mpandare told the Daily News.
“Its good for the coaches to have their full compliment of players available for such crucial moments and we will continue to monitor their progress,” he added.
Zimbabwe travel to Botswana and then host Zambia during the next international break which starts on March 22.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Zanu PF says the MDC is now operating from “the last chance saloon” to work with the former liberation movement and other political parties in the interests of the country and its long-suffering citizens.
Speaking to the Daily News On Sunday yesterday, the influential Zanu PF secretary for administration, Obert Mpofu, also warned opposition leaders Douglas Mwonzora and Nelson Chamisa that they risked suffering political oblivion if they did not join the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) soon.
Polad is a platform where some of the candidates who contested and lost the 2018 presidential poll to President Emmerson Mnangagwa confer with the Zanu PF leader on national issues.
All this comes as the push for inclusive national dialogue is gathering steam, with the church once again taking a prominent role in the initiative to have the country’s current “Big Three” of local politics — Mnangagwa, Mwonzora and Chamisa — meet at the negotiating table.
And while the three men have all signalled their willingness to engage in national talks, they are yet to find convergence on both the modalities of achieving this and the scope of the dialogue.
“Those politicians in the opposition who think they are entitled to preferential treatment and are immune from the processes which are endorsed by many other political players in Zimbabwe run the risk of isolation.
“The Polad framework simply enunciates a common national vision which is detached from partisan egos and inter-party smear campaigns.
“If they are sincere on dialogue, they must join others in Polad,” Mpofu thundered in the interview with the Daily News On Sunday.
He also said the MDC Alliance was, as things stand, already behind other political parties which chose to join Polad when it was established soon after the 2018 elections — and hence, it “will have some huge catch up to do” if it decided to join the platform now.
In addition, he said, Zanu PF saw “no reason whatsoever” for the formation of another inclusive government with the opposition, given that the ruling party had won the mandate to govern the country alone from the people in 2018.
“Zanu PF is ready for the 2023 elections. We are counting on our electoral mandate renewal to continue our work towards Vision 2030.
“We are not swayed by opinions of certain churches and CSOs. They are entitled to their wishes.
“Otherwise, we will not compromise the constitution by foregoing the election to satisfy a few reactionary elements in our political space,” Mpofu further told the Daily News On Sunday — in reference to some calls to suspend polls for seven years, to allow the nation to heal following decades of election-related conflicts.
This comes as Mwonzora has pledged to pursue what he has called the “politics of rational disputation”, which involves dialogue with Mnangagwa, other political leaders and key stakeholders in the country.
As the momentum to have the broad-based dialogue continues to gather speed, Mnangagwa further appeared to give this push a significant boost on Friday when he praised the MDC for its change of attitude towards the government — in the latest remarks by the country’s leaders suggesting a welcome and progressive mellowing of local politics.
Speaking at this year’s first meeting of Polad, Mnangagwa also reiterated his readiness to engage with all opposition forces — emphasising, however, that this would happen under the auspices of the Polad platform.
“On political developments that have occurred since our last meeting, the government is encouraged by the patriotic stance towards constructive dialogue taken by the MDC … as the official opposition.
“We remain ready to engage with all political parties through the multi-party Polad forum for the good of the country,” he said during the virtual meeting.
“The reforms that we have collectively implemented cannot be ignored. These have undoubtedly brought new socio-economic opportunities and new political realities.
“Some people may differ with our approach, which is justifiable and permissible in any democracy. However, such differing opinions should never be divisive or be against the national interest.
“Neither should these seek to sabotage or make a nullity of the collective will of the majority,” Mnangagwa said further.
“As individuals, groupings or organisations, the over-arching interest of the people of Zimbabwe must supersede sectional or personal interests.
“This spirit must cut across all sectors and more importantly in our grassroots population. For it is at that level that a strong, firm, resilient and sustainable national foundation should be anchored,” he added.
This also came as Mwonzora and the MDC indicated that they were amenable to joining Polad — as long as the platform was broadened to include other key stakeholders such as the church and civil society organisations.
“As a party, we have not yet considered our way forward regarding Polad.
“But in the context of our call for inclusive dialogue, we would not have a problem to being a part — to the extent that Polad can have that level of legitimacy whereby its process is owned by the people through being broadened to include all stakeholders.
“As it is presently constituted, we feel it does not have the legitimacy that is necessary. But since we have not met, this position cannot be definitive.
“In any case, President Mwonzora was not a presidential candidate in 2018. So, that means, as it is presently constituted, he does not qualify to be a member,” MDC spokesperson Witness Dube told the Daily News On Sunday’s sister paper, the Daily News on Friday.
On the other hand, Chamisa has consistently dismissed Polad — insisting that any talks should be between him and Mnangagwa only.
However, his deputy Tendai Biti and top ally Jameson Timba have stated recently that the MDC Alliance is still keen to have talks with Mnangagwa, without conditions.
This comes after churches recently presented a draft national dialogue framework to Mnangagwa, opposition leaders and other key stakeholders, as pressure mounts on politicians to work together in the interests of the country.
On Wednesday, the secretary general of the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD), Kenneth Mtata, confirmed to the Daily News that they had dispatched the dialogue proposals to all relevant stakeholders on February 2.
At the same time, it has emerged that the ZHOCD has also approached the European Union and the United States of America to garner their support for the crucial talks initiative.
“The proposal is being shared with the diplomatic community, the business sector and civil society for their consideration because this is a conversation that the whole nation must have consideration regarding how we find consensus and lasting solutions to the challenges we are facing,” Mtata told the Daily News.
The ZHOCD is made up of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, Zimbabwe Catholics Bishops Conference, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe and the Union of the Development of Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe — with these bodies believed to represent about 80 percent of the country’s Christians.
“Our member churches are also currently studying the national consensus proposal that was presented to His Excellency President Mnangagwa and to the opposition.
“This proposal seeks to find ways in which the nation can find convergence and consensus around five key issues.
“The first one of these is the issue around the humanitarian challenges we are faced with, not only as a result of the drought and cyclones we have had, but also the challenges we are witnessing in health and education even before the onset of Covid-19,” Mtata said.
“The proposal also looks at how we can find a meaningful closure around the hates and violations of the past.
“The proposal also looks at a mutually acceptable agenda for constitutional implementation and reforms. The fourth issue looks at establishing a new social contract towards an inclusive national economy, so that we embrace a new national recovery agenda in which there is broad participation.
“Lastly, this proposal looks at how we can establish international re-engagements in which there is broad participation which is supported by all key stakeholders,” Mtata further told the Daily News.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance national spokesperson, Advocate Fadzayi Mahere has accused Emmerson Mnangagwa of using the Zimbabwe Anti- Corruption Commission as weapon to attack political rivals.
Advocate Mahere also described the moribund National Prosecuting Authority as useless and captured…
“Zimbabwe is not poor, It’s poorly managed. Corruption that has brought Zimbabwe to it’s knees.Zanu PF bigwigs are busy looting national resources.
As we speak right now, Zimbabwe is losing millions of dollars through illicit gold deals that are being facilitated by Zanu PF bigwigs.
It is the rampant theft of national resources that has impoverished the nation,” argued Advocate Mahere.
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance will soon announce announce the 2021 Programme of Action as the nation grapples with escalating economic woes.
The MDC Alliance also bemoaned the worsening governance crisis in the country.
Read communique below:
COMMUNIQUE ON 12/02/2021 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
On the 12th of February 2021, the National Executive Committee of the MDC Alliance met in accordance with the party’s constitution. The meeting was conducted virtually in line with Covid19 protocols.
The Executive received the report of the National Standing Committee and the following matters were deliberated upon:
Elite State Capture: The Executive expressed its concern over the prevalence of cartels in the national economy and the correlation between these and rising cases of corruption that are prejudicing the fiscus of over US$3 billion annually. We call for the establishment of an independent inquiry into the allegations of Elite State Capture against top political elites and Zanu PF factions with a view to ensuring accountability and the creation of a shared, inclusive economy.
Agricultural Season: The Executive considered the mounting challenges with the agricultural season — in particular, the impact of increased rains and flooding, the lack of adequate funding as well as the absence of preparation models that could mean the good rains go to waste. We urge the adoption of the party’s SMART Agriculture blueprint to move the nation from basic subsistence farming, improve productivity and attain a food surplus.
COVID-19 Response: The Executive urged the State to adopt the party’s alternative Covidl9 Response Plan that was recently enunciated by President Nelson Chamisa. In particular, there is need to take into account the livelihoods crisis and mass poverty afflicting most Zimbabweans who rely on the informal economy for survival as well as the prospect of evidence-based zonal lockdowns. We further recommend that the Government publishes its vaccination roll-out plan to ensure transparency and a science-based approach to the planned inoculation.
Governance Crisis: The Executive deliberated on the increased levels of repression, the regression of democracy, authoritarian consolidation and persecution of members of the party, journalists and dissenting voices. The party condemns the closure of democratic space, human rights abuses, wanton arrests and demands the immediate release of student leader, Alan Moyo.
3rd Memorial Anniversary of Morgan Tsvangirai: The Executive acknowledged the 3rd anniversary of Morgan Tsvangirai’s passing. The Executive remembered the role he played in the fight for democracy, his inspiration to the next generation and his historical contribution to a better Zimbabwe. The party takes note of the existing threats to his vision to build an uncompromised, credible and viable alternative government. The party resolved to defend and be the guardians of his legacy and to fulfil his aspiration to win Zimbabwe for change.
Agenda 2021′ Program of Action: The Executive noted the continued attempts by Zanu PF to supplant the MDC Alliance as the credible democratic alternative to their current misrule and the attempts to reconstitute an opposition that is captured, loyal to ZANU PF and a de facto extension of ZANU PF. The MDC Alliance remains committed to the need to push for a political and economic reforms roadmap that is time bound. The Executive resolved to continue to champion the cause of the Zimbabwean people, be the legitimate voice of the suffering masses and form a broad front to return the country to legitimacy and democracy. The party’sAgenda 2021′ program of action will be announced in due course.
B. Continental and Global Matters
Uganda: The Executive deliberated upon the election outcome in Uganda and expressed concern over rising human rights abuses and state-sponsored violence perpetrated against members of the opposition. We call upon regional bodies to reject the outcomes of rigged elections and act in conformity with established African Union standards for elections. We urge the courts in Uganda to act fairly and impartially in their determination of the election petition.
Ghana: The Executive took note of the electoral dispute in Ghana. We call upon state institutions to be professional and fair in resolving the outstanding issues.
United States: The Executive acknowledged the election outcome in the United States and underlined the importance of predictable processes and strong institutions in ensuring a legitimate transfer of power.
Tinashe Sambiri|Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa is running a dangerous securocratic State, prominent political analyst, Dr Ibbo Mandaza has said.
Citizens are no longer safe in their own country as Mnangagwa is using secret agents to eliminate dissenting voices.
Below is a statement compiled by the MDC Alliance on Dr Mandaza’s article:
Prominent academic and political analyst Ibbo Mandaza says the reason why President Emmerson Mnangagwa went for two months without holding cabinet meetings is that Zimbabwe is now practically a securocratic state run by security structures.
Mnangagwa has a security background.
A securocratic state, run through police, intelligence and military structures, is dangerous as it is undemocratic, unaccountable and violent, as well as usually corrupt and incompetent.
Medically reviewed by Atli Arnarson Ph.D. — Written by Kerri-Ann Jennings, MS, RD —
High blood pressure is a dangerous condition that can damage your heart. It affects one in three people in the US and 1 billion people worldwide (1, 2).
If left uncontrolled, high blood pressure raises your risk of heart disease and stroke.
But there’s good news. There are a number of things you can do to lower your blood pressure naturally, even without medication.
Here are 15 natural ways to combat high blood pressure.
Walk and exercise regularly Regular exercise can help lower your blood pressure. Exercise is one of the best things you can do to lower high blood pressure.
Regular exercise helps make your heart stronger and more efficient at pumping blood, which lowers the pressure in your arteries.
In fact, 150 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, such as running, per week, can help lower blood pressure and improve your heart health (3, 4).
What’s more, doing even more exercise than this reduces your blood pressure even further, according to the National Walkers’ Health Study (5).
Bottom line: Walking just 30 minutes a day can help lower your blood pressure. More exercise helps reduce it even further.
Reduce your sodium intake Salt intake is high around the world. In large part, this is due to processed and prepared foods.
For this reason, many public health efforts are aimed at lowering salt in the food industry (6).
Many studies have linked high salt intake with high blood pressure and heart events, including stroke (7, 8).
However, more recent research indicates that the relationship between sodium and high blood pressure is less clear (9, 10).
One reason for this may be genetic differences in how people process sodium. About half of people with high blood pressure and a quarter of people with normal levels seem to have a sensitivity to salt (11).
If you already have high blood pressure, it’s worth cutting back your sodium intake to see if it makes a difference. Swap out processed foods with fresh ones and try seasoning with herbs and spices rather than salt.
Bottom line: Most guidelines for lowering blood pressure recommend reducing sodium intake. However, that recommendation might make the most sense for people who are salt-sensitive.
Drink less alcohol Drinking alcohol can raise blood pressure. In fact, alcohol is linked to 16% of high blood pressure cases around the world (12).
While some research has suggested that low-to-moderate amounts of alcohol may protect the heart, those benefits may be offset by adverse effects (12).
In the U.S., moderate alcohol consumption is defined as no more than one drink a day for women and two for men. If you drink more than that, cut back.
Bottom line: Drinking alcohol in any quantity may raise your blood pressure. Limit your drinking in line with the recommendations.
Eat more potassium-rich foods Potassium is an important mineral.
It helps your body get rid of sodium and eases pressure on your blood vessels.
Modern diets have increased most people’s sodium intake while decreasing potassium intake (13).
To get a better balance of potassium to sodium in your diet, focus on eating fewer processed foods and more fresh, whole foods.
Foods that are particularly high in potassium include:
vegetables, especially leafy greens, tomatoes, potatoes, and sweet potatoes fruit, including melons, bananas, avocados, oranges, and apricots dairy, such as milk and yogurt tuna and salmon nuts and seeds beans Bottom line: Eating fresh fruits and vegetables, which are rich in potassium, can help lower blood pressure.
Cut back on caffeine If you’ve ever downed a cup of coffee before you’ve had your blood pressure taken, you’ll know that caffeine causes an instant boost.
However, there’s not a lot of evidence to suggest that drinking caffeine regularly can cause a lasting increase (14).
In fact, people who drink caffeinated coffee and tea tend to have a lower risk of heart disease, including high blood pressure, than those who don’t drink it (15, 16, 17, 18).
Caffeine may have a stronger effect on people who don’t consume it regularly (19).
If you suspect you’re caffeine-sensitive, cut back to see if it lowers your blood pressure (20).
Bottom line: Caffeine can cause a short-term spike in blood pressure, although for many people, it does not cause a lasting increase.
Learn to manage stress Listening to soothing music may help lower stress. Stress is a key driver of high blood pressure.
When you’re chronically stressed, your body is in a constant fight-or-flight mode. On a physical level, that means a faster heart rate and constricted blood vessels.
When you experience stress, you might also be more likely to engage in other behaviors, such as drinking alcohol or eating unhealthful food that can adversely affect blood pressure.
Several studies have explored how reducing stress can help lower blood pressure. Here are two evidence-based tips to try:
Listen to soothing music: Calming music can help relax your nervous system. Research has shown it’s an effective complement to other blood pressure therapies (21, 22). Work less: Working a lot, and stressful work situations, in general, are linked to high blood pressure (23, 24). Bottom line: Chronic stress can contribute to high blood pressure. Finding ways to manage stress can help.
Eat dark chocolate or cocoa Here’s a piece of advice you can really get behind.
While eating massive amounts of dark chocolate probably won’t help your heart, small amounts may.
That’s because dark chocolate and cocoa powder are rich in flavonoids, which are plant compounds that cause blood vessels to dilate (25).
A review of studies found that flavonoid-rich cocoa improved several markers of heart health over the short term, including lowering blood pressure (25).
For the strongest effects, use non-alkalized cocoa powder, which is especially high in flavonoids and has no added sugars.
Bottom line: Dark chocolate and cocoa powder contain plant compounds that help relax blood vessels, lowering blood pressure.
Lose weight In people with overweight, losing weight can make a big difference to heart health.
According to a 2016 study, losing 5% of your body mass could significantly lower high blood pressure (26).
In previous studies, losing 17.64 pounds (8 kilograms) was linked to lowering systolic blood pressure by 8.5 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 6.5 mm Hg (27).
To put that in perspective, a healthy reading should be less than 120/80 mm Hg (4).
The effect is even greater when weight loss is paired with exercise (27).
Losing weight can help your blood vessels do a better job of expanding and contracting, making it easier for the left ventricle of the heart to pump blood.
Bottom line: Losing weight can significantly lower high blood pressure. This effect is even more significant when you exercise.
Quit smoking Among the many reasons to quit smoking is that the habit is a strong risk factor for heart disease.
Every puff of cigarette smoke causes a slight, temporary increase in blood pressure. The chemicals in tobacco are also known to damage blood vessels.
Surprisingly, studies haven’t found a conclusive link between smoking and high blood pressure. Perhaps this is because smokers develop a tolerance over time (28).
Still, since both smoking and high blood pressure raise the risk of heart disease, quitting smoking can help lessen that risk.
Bottom line: There’s conflicting research about smoking and high blood pressure, but what is clear is that both increase the risk of heart disease.
Cut added sugar and refined carbs There’s a growing body of research showing a link between added sugar and high blood pressure (29, 30, 31).
In the Framingham Women’s Health Study, women who drank even one soda per day had higher levels than those who drank less than one soda per day (32).
Another study found that having one less sugar-sweetened beverage per day was linked to lower blood pressure (33).
And it’s not just sugar — all refined carbs, such as the kind found in white flour — convert rapidly to sugar in your bloodstream and may cause problems.
Some studies have shown that low carb diets may also help reduce blood pressure.
One study on people undergoing statin therapy found that those who went on a 6-week, carb-restricted diet saw a greater improvement in blood pressure and other heart disease markers than people who did not restrict carbs (34).
Bottom line: Refined carbs, especially sugar, may raise blood pressure. Some studies have shown that low carb diets may help reduce your levels.
Eat berries Berries are full of more than just juicy flavor.
They’re also packed with polyphenols, natural plant compounds that are good for your heart.
Polyphenols can reduce the risk of stroke, heart conditions, and diabetes, as well as improving blood pressure, insulin resistance, and systemic inflammation (34).
One study assigned people with high blood pressure to a low-polyphenol diet or a high-polyphenol diet containing berries, chocolate, fruits, and vegetables (35).
Those consuming berries and polyphenol-rich foods experienced improved markers of heart disease risk.
Bottom line: Berries are rich in polyphenols, which can help lower blood pressure and the overall risk of heart disease.
Source: Medical News Today
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance will soon announce announce the 2021 Programme of Action as the nation grapples with escalating economic woes.
The MDC Alliance also bemoaned the worsening governance crisis in the country.
Read communique below:
COMMUNIQUE ON 12/02/2021 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
On the 12th of February 2021, the National Executive Committee of the MDC Alliance met in accordance with the party’s constitution. The meeting was conducted virtually in line with Covid19 protocols.
The Executive received the report of the National Standing Committee and the following matters were deliberated upon:
Elite State Capture: The Executive expressed its concern over the prevalence of cartels in the national economy and the correlation between these and rising cases of corruption that are prejudicing the fiscus of over US$3 billion annually. We call for the establishment of an independent inquiry into the allegations of Elite State Capture against top political elites and Zanu PF factions with a view to ensuring accountability and the creation of a shared, inclusive economy.
Agricultural Season: The Executive considered the mounting challenges with the agricultural season — in particular, the impact of increased rains and flooding, the lack of adequate funding as well as the absence of preparation models that could mean the good rains go to waste. We urge the adoption of the party’s SMART Agriculture blueprint to move the nation from basic subsistence farming, improve productivity and attain a food surplus.
COVID-19 Response: The Executive urged the State to adopt the party’s alternative Covidl9 Response Plan that was recently enunciated by President Nelson Chamisa. In particular, there is need to take into account the livelihoods crisis and mass poverty afflicting most Zimbabweans who rely on the informal economy for survival as well as the prospect of evidence-based zonal lockdowns. We further recommend that the Government publishes its vaccination roll-out plan to ensure transparency and a science-based approach to the planned inoculation.
Governance Crisis: The Executive deliberated on the increased levels of repression, the regression of democracy, authoritarian consolidation and persecution of members of the party, journalists and dissenting voices. The party condemns the closure of democratic space, human rights abuses, wanton arrests and demands the immediate release of student leader, Alan Moyo.
3rd Memorial Anniversary of Morgan Tsvangirai: The Executive acknowledged the 3rd anniversary of Morgan Tsvangirai’s passing. The Executive remembered the role he played in the fight for democracy, his inspiration to the next generation and his historical contribution to a better Zimbabwe. The party takes note of the existing threats to his vision to build an uncompromised, credible and viable alternative government. The party resolved to defend and be the guardians of his legacy and to fulfil his aspiration to win Zimbabwe for change.
Agenda 2021′ Program of Action: The Executive noted the continued attempts by Zanu PF to supplant the MDC Alliance as the credible democratic alternative to their current misrule and the attempts to reconstitute an opposition that is captured, loyal to ZANU PF and a de facto extension of ZANU PF. The MDC Alliance remains committed to the need to push for a political and economic reforms roadmap that is time bound. The Executive resolved to continue to champion the cause of the Zimbabwean people, be the legitimate voice of the suffering masses and form a broad front to return the country to legitimacy and democracy. The party’sAgenda 2021′ program of action will be announced in due course.
B. Continental and Global Matters
Uganda: The Executive deliberated upon the election outcome in Uganda and expressed concern over rising human rights abuses and state-sponsored violence perpetrated against members of the opposition. We call upon regional bodies to reject the outcomes of rigged elections and act in conformity with established African Union standards for elections. We urge the courts in Uganda to act fairly and impartially in their determination of the election petition.
Ghana: The Executive took note of the electoral dispute in Ghana. We call upon state institutions to be professional and fair in resolving the outstanding issues.
United States: The Executive acknowledged the election outcome in the United States and underlined the importance of predictable processes and strong institutions in ensuring a legitimate transfer of power.
Tinashe Sambiri|Teachers have flatly rejected a savings scheme for civil servants supposedly meant to enable government workers to get loans.
However, Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe has said the scheme will further plunge teachers into financial woes.
PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou, quoted by NewsDay dismissed the scheme:
“The government has been silent on monthly contributions from willing teachers at 2,5% of gross salary for three months, after which a member wishing to access loans must submit an application through the Primary and Secondary Education ministry. Above all, the submission of applications is no guarantee of getting a loan.
To make matters worse, the duration of repayment of the loan is not clear, except that the loan would attract an interest of between 10 and 15% per annum depending on how much one would have borrowed.
It is sad that instead of paying teachers a living wage or restoring their purchasing power in parity to pre-October 2018 levels, the government is busy planning to further impoverish teachers through indebtedness.”
Tinashe Sambiri|Team Pachedu has accused Mr Douglas Mwonzora of pretending to adore the late MDC founding President and icon of democracy Morgan Tsvangirai yet he betrayed the former Prime Minister when he was alive.
Team Pachedu is a coalition of Zimbabwean citizens.
According to Team Pachedu, Mwonzora has no moral compass to speak about President Tsvangirai’s legacy:
“Mwonzora was already a rebel before Tsvangirai died, going against National Council resolutions.
He was against MDC-Alliance, and wanted MDC-T to field all positions in the 2018 elections.
Mwonzora has no moral compass to lecture us about Tsvangirai’s legacy.”
MDC Alliance official, Antony Taruvinga wrote:
Dear Douglas Mwonzora, its not possible to separate Pres. Adv. Nelson Chamisa from Dr. Morgan Tsvangirai.
History speaks louder for the two gentlemen.
Everyone knows about that shared history. That history was made when you were not part of the MDC, you were actually opposing the MDC. That said, Zanu pf can assist you in illegally taking over the Harvest House, the MPs and the Councils but can not assist you in taking over the people. The people shall eventually speak. Your enjoyment won’t go beyond 2023…
By Tichakunda Mhiko| Kae Chap’s saucy hit single ‘Juzi’ released this past Wednesday has been trending on the corridors of social media earning him the praise of local celebrities and social media users.
Juzi is a break up song laced with powerful lyrics that graphically depict the agonizing pain one endures after losing their beloved partner.
Afro pop sensation Jah Prayzah describing Juzi said: “What a masterpiece.”
Zim Hip hop prodigy Asaph also took to Twitter showering praises to Kae Chap’s hit single Juzi describing the gem as a trendsetter changing the music industry.
“I really hope you all are paying attention to the shift thats happening new urban genres are taking over and new stars are being given a chance to shine we want the more,” wrote ecstatic Asaph.
In the song Kae Chaps pleads with his ex lover to come to collect her jacket which evokes better day memories which are now painful to reminisce now that they are longer together.
Social media user @dvora_1 said the song took her back in memory lane over a heart wrecking break up she wants to forget.
“That Juzi song has got me going back to times I so much want to forget,” she said.
The budding artiste Kae Chaps in Juzi sings “I’m broke from all the dreams you were selling me urimboko yemunhu (you a bad person) felt I should tell you this, although we not enemies.”
To express how conflicted he is with his ex lover.
Unbridled socialite Shadaya couldn’t resist not to comment on the traction Juzi was getting on social media however, argued that the song resonated with ‘weak’ sentimental men.
“Most Zim guys can relate to this song Juzi because they are simps. I’m shocked at the comments, many men being emotional about the song.
“Then again, even me had I heard the song back in my simp days, I’d be emotional about the song as well,” he said.
LEAD opposition president Linda Masarira found herself entangled in Juzi and the emotions evoked by the song that she actually assumed that Kae Chaps was inspired by a bad break up to pen the tantalizing single.
“@Kae Chaps has a dope voice. The track Juzi so much emotion hope he ain’t going through some kind of relationship trauma in real life,”she said.
By A Correspondent- Muzarabani South legislator Tapera Saizi and traditional leader Chief Chiweshe Mukore-kore (Matthew Minyonga) on Sunday defied lockdown by conducting a Zanu-PF meeting with over 60 village heads.
It is alleged that over 60 village heads converged at Chitemamuswe Primary in Muzarabani for a meeting called by the duo.
Chief Chiweshe was allegedly persuading the heads to support sitting legislator Saizi in the next election, who is alleged to be his favorite candidate.
The agenda of the meeting was kept a secret till the meeting day.
The Chief urged village heads to take control of Pfumvudza program contradicting with the policy document.
“Madhumeni nemaCouncilors who are spearheading the program are corrupt saka imi masabhuku take over,” Chief Chiweshe said.
When contacted by this publication Chief Chiweshe confirmed that they had a meeting.
“Hongu ndakaita musangano nemasabhuku angu ese emuchiweshe nepamusana pevashandi vehurumende varikuba ma inputs epfumvudza”
Saizi together with his counterpart, Chief Chiweshe accused government officials of being corrupt.
The government is providing transport for the inputs and no one should be made to pay,” Saizi purpoted.
Saizi also said ‘they’ are working on modalities when someone asked if the government was paying to ward level.
People who spoke on anonymity alleged that the Chief and the Member of Parliament (MP) are causing unnecessary confusion in the district on most government programs and wondered why a Chief would want to poke his nose into government programs.
“He is the most corrupt chief ever and we wonder why only him of the four chiefs is always attacking government programs,”fumed one resident.
Another resident said,”At one time the same Chief took 32 bags of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) to his residents and stopped distribution accusing a councilor of wanting to steal.”
It is alleged that he was ordered by high authorities to retain the fertilizer after it was established that he wanted to use it for personal use.
Asked to comment one of the village heads said,”Varume ava havazive, worse the MP is using Chief to cling on to but haa zvasara ipapo pataitira musangano.”
Contacted for comment, Chief Chiweshe could not deny the charges as he said that the agenda of the meeting was to urge villagers to work hand-in-glove with the sitting leaders.
“Favor is everywhere, even you the wife you chose is the one that you love,” Chief Chiweshe said to the reporter.
MP Saizi was not picking up calls until the time of publication.
CHIPINGE – A Chipinge man was recently shocked to find his wife’s two boyfriends in a vicious fight in his bedroom after they clashed on their visit to see the woman.
Robert Nyiseya of Maundwa under Chief Mutema confirmed the incident and said he had already sent away his wife Alice Raisi who was dating two different men working for companies contracted to maintain roads in the area.
Ward 9 councillor, Habit Magona also confirmed the incident to Chipinge Times and said it was disheartening that Raisi had left children who are less than 10 years old.
Sources said that Nyiseya spends most of his time away at work and only comes home during weekends. On the fateful day, he came home on a Saturday instead of the usual Friday night and heard rowdy noise coming from the direction of his bedroom.
He headed there and was shocked on opening the door to find two men fiercely throwing fists at each other and his wife trying to restrain them.
On seeing him at the door, one of the man bolted out knocking Nyiseya to the ground as he made it to safety.
Raisi told Chipinge Times that her husband had sent away but she blamed this on a prophet who she says told her husband that she was having an affair.
“My wife was bringing in different men into my bedroom and some would spent nights at my place,” said Nyiseya.
By A Correspondent- Author Kenneth Mufuka has said he is overwhelmed by messages from Zanu PF stalwarts who are reportedly afraid of Hopewell Chin’ono and his anti-corruption campaign. Mufuka quoted Dr Mavaza Masimba and his opinions about how influential media was responsible for Donald Trump not being voted America’s next president.
Mufuka then quoted Barack Obama and said: Former president Barack Obama had this sentence written somewhere in the White House:
“Don’t do stupid things?” Just in passing, Obama was exceptional in his mastery of the US press, which has gone rogue since the impeachment of Bill Clinton in 1994. It would be a brilliant idea before US ambassador Brian Nichols leaves Zimbabwe for journalists to invite him for a farewell party and ask him to address Obama’s mastery of the press.
The issue here, Dr Masimba, is that no modern government can survive for long with some understanding of the new developments in the media and how to handle the social media as well. Journalists have a nose for news.
In Masvingo, my friends have been warned that they should not do stupid things in my presence because the temptation to write them up is very great. The government of Zimbabwe employs earth-moving companies to bull-doze 500 houses in Budiriro township, destroying life-savings of the occupants. The occupants are Zimbabweans.
The season is the middle of the rainy season. Even the Philistines had better sense and compassion towards their fellows than the Zimbabwean government. Don’t do stupid things and blame them on Hopewell. If I was there, I would write up the Philistine government too. I have no brief from the imperialists and my heart is in Zimbabwe.
Everywhere one turns, one finds Philistines (called chefs) displaying their power with utter recklessness.
I am reading a police report that says 20 000 kombis have been impounded by police. The owners are trying to eke out a meagre living. They are citizens of Zimbabwe. Their investments are ruined. Why are you doing stupid things? Are you blaming Hopewell for writing you up?
Another report from Gokwe says the military is going from house-to-house beating up people ,who are not wearing masks. So, a 19-year-old soldier accuses my grandmother (oh, my mother of the Rain bird) of a crime, decides that punishment is five strokes of a sjambok (rhino hidewhip). Please, my brilliant students would have a feast on such a test. How many roles does the soldier play? He is an investigator, a prosecutor and a judge and God have mercy, he also takes all complaints against his decisions. Why are you doing stupid things?
There are two incidents where President Emmerson Mnangangwa was absolutely inspirational. “Fellow Zimbabweans…the time is now to say NO to demigods and people that are self-centred and only think of themselves and their families. Let us now bury our differences and rebuild a new prosperous Zimbabwe, a country that is tolerant to divergent views, a country that respects opinions of others, a country that does not isolate itself from the rest of the world, because one stubborn individual, who believes he is entitled to rule this country until death.
“We want a country that gives every citizen the opportunity to prosper, to take care of their families, a country that encourages Zimbabweans to invest in their economy and contribute to the development of infrastructure for futuregenerations.” ( November 2017)
First batch of vaccines arrived and rollout will start soon. More vaccines are coming in the future months. Zimbabwe people will benefit from it. pic.twitter.com/6qbYPNZO5i
By A Correspondent- National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) leader, Lovemore Madhuku, says President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s so-called new dispensation has adopted the late former President Robert Mugabe’s disregard for human rights.
Madhuku argued that under Mugabe, human rights were considered a preserve of the majority while the minority were routinely persecuted for being critical of the government and this has been perpetuated by the Mnangagwa administration.
Said Madhuku:
It is a real notion which Mnangagwa has carried on, which says that if the majority is quiet, then we will beat you (the minority) up, we will arrest you.
I think the government is mistaken there, and this is coming from President Robert Mugabe’s legacy, which says if the majority are not complaining (you are observing human rights). You are (only) three or four people complaining.
Mugabe was ousted from office by the military in a popular coup in November 2017 and died two years later in a Singapore hospital where he was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.
Western powers imposed sanctions on Mugabe and his inner circle at the turn of the Millenium for egregious human rights abuses.
Meanwhile, several top officials in Mnangagwa’s government and controversial businessmen linked to the government have also been slapped with sanctions.
An economic commentator, Tinashe Murapata, also known as Baba Nyenyedzi, said that Zimbabwe’s ballooning debt to the African Export-Import Bank, also referred to as Afreximbank, proves that sanctions have not stopped the country from tapping international capital.
In a Twitter thread, Murapata said economic mismanagement and corruption accelerated post-coup of November 2017 will push the Afreximbank and Chinese to demand that Harare reforms so that it can manage to repay the loans.
Read the thread below:
Zimbabwe – Afreximbank loans
On the 12th of Feb 2021, compelled by court order, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) gazetted loans taken by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) it guaranteed.
It is very clear why RBZ and the Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) were secretive about these loans to the point of making its apologists deny the very existence of them.
For example, over the last 3yrs it has been pointed out that;
(a) RBZ is involved in quasi-fiscal activities (b) GOZ treasury has no surplus
These two points are linked. RBZ comes directly under the Minister’s armpit. RBZ took over treasury responsibilities and its deficits.
RBZ losses are directly treasury’s losses and by law must be included in the consolidated revenues and expenditures. This never happened, so the right hand claimed it was clean when all the time the stolen goods were in the left hand.
The Gazette is revelatory in 3 distinct ways;
(i) Zim sanctions do not affect its ability to borrow and move money internationally
(ii) Interest on loans is more than 10% p.a
(iii) Zim is in a debt trap
RBZ total foreign debt is US$5bn as of Sept 2020. 80% of which was assumed post-coup of Nov 2017. OFAC would’ve seen and approved these transactions including anytime Zim made interest payments.
US$1.4bn from Afreximbank had GOZ guarantee. Meaning GOZ was a direct party to the transaction. At no point did OFAC raise a red flag. Or outright stop the transaction.
It is very clear that Zim sanctions don’t affect its ability to transact with the world. Nor it’s ability to borrow. There are many international lenders to Zim, apparently.
Chinamasa’s Lima plan of 2016 comprehensively addressed political and institutional reforms before tapping into international markets. Without reforms, immediately after a coup, GOZ started borrowing without any guide rails and none to stop profligacy.
It’s a hard lesson to Zim and to Afreximbank and other lenders (China included) why Zim desperately requires deep political and institutional reforms. It’s for creditors own good. Treasury claims of surplus were not entirely for Zimbabwean ears but for foreign lenders.
The first loan from Afreximbank was made on the 27th of Dec 2017. A 3yr loan that was due end of 2020. Was it paid off? All the evidence suggests otherwise.
Zim has ZERO reserves. The 2020 budget did not have a sinking fund. Afreximbank was aware that RBZ had zero reserves… Was the loan rolled over?
The loans suggest a bullet payment at the end of the loan tenure and were not amortized. If the loan was amortized RBZ monthly reports would show this.
The terms of loans are onerous. In Dec 2017, LIBOR was 2%. RBZ own laws emphatically prohibit loans above LIBOR plus 7% without RBZ express approval. This is the reason for institutional reforms. Currently, the regulator approves its own loan interest exemptions.
LIBOR 2%. Interest 6.5%. other fees 3.75%. Total yr1 interest is 12.25%. Above the RBZ own rules. This is a devastating revelation. Most Economists had assumed interest was less than 4%. What Afreximbank normally charges.
Zimbabwe is highly profitable for Afreximbank. In its September 2020 results, interest and similar income were US$700m. On average (10%pa) on the US$1.4bn, Zim pays $140m a year. This is 20% of Afreximbank interest income.
If Zimbabwe is paying 10% on its RBZ debt ( US$5bn) that equates to US$500m interest payments a year. This is 20% of 2020 GOZ budget expenditure. 25% of revenues. The debt has grown through interest capitalization and not necessarily new debt.
In theory. A debt trap is when Interest on loans is greater than GDP growth. This means interest payments become an albatross to any growth. Debt grows exponentially. RBZ loans interest of 10% when the economy is in a decline of -15% is a debt trap.
What does this mean for Zimbabwe? Minister Mthuli is simply preparing Zimbabweans for the inevitable debt assumption Bill. This will officially add US$5bn to the country’s foreign debt stock of US$9bn.
Ps. The farmers’ compensation of US$3.5bn is not yet official.
The good news is that Afreximbank and the Chinese creditors will now be at the forefront of calling for reforms.
The smuggling of gold and its quantum is NOT coincidental. It’s to avoid formal international channels where creditors have stop orders against Zim exports.
The bad news is that the ruling class can survive on extractive industry rent. Especially during a commodity boom. Political scientists have pointed out, the ruling elite will not reform themselves out of power. There is no credible reason why the ruling elite must reform.
Sanctions have not stopped Zim from tapping international capital. Economic mismanagement and corruption accelerated post-coup of Nov 2017. Reversing the gains of the GNU. ALL creditors want reforms. Commodity boom and corruption provides a way out for the ruling elite.
By Jane Mlambo| Controversial politician Killer Zivhu has suggested that the just delivered COVID-19 vaccine should be tested its efficacy on top government officials before being administered to the rest of the population as a way of giving confidence to citizens.
Posting on Twitter, Zivhu said after the vaccinated of top officials, it should take a month before it is rolled out to everyone else.
“Vaccine ,vaccine,vaccine inongotaurwa nezvayo kuti yasvika.Kuti vanhu vave ne confidence nayo madii kutanga leadership vanhu vose vachiona tomboita a month tichiona kushanda kwayo then the rest will follow,” Zivhu said.
By A Correspondent- A parliamentarian has called upon the government to ensure that schools are safe for learners before it announces the opening date for the 2021 first term.
Primary and Secondary Education Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chairperson Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga said some schools in Bulawayo were not ready to reopen as they did not have basics such as water, which is critical in curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
Misihairabwi-Mushonga also pleaded with the government to ensure that teachers are motivated when schools reopen to avoid a situation whereby schools open without teachers.
She said:
Our assessment as a committee when we visited some of the schools is that they were not safe because they lacked basics such as water.
Lack of water at some schools in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South should be addressed urgently before schools open.
Bulawayo is an urban area but has a water crisis affecting some schools. There is no way schools can meet the minimum hygiene standards without water.
We can provide consumables such as sanitisers but pupils need to wash their hands regularly and after visiting the toilet.
You don’t want to take those kids to where supervision is not there, learning is not there.
The children are not going to play centres but schools and a school can only be a school when teachers perform their duties.
Meanwhile, a plane carrying the country’s first coronavirus vaccines, 200 000 doses donated by China, arrived in the capital Harare on Monday.
A further 600 000 doses from China are set to arrive in early March from China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm).
By A Correspondent- The faculty of Engineering and Geosciences at the Midlands State University (MSU) has launched a mining safety campaign, whose primary objective is to ensure zero harm at the workplace, particularly amongst artisanal and small-scale miners.
The MSU in a statement yesterday said that the project will run under the theme ‘Safety Begins with Education’.
“The campaign was born out of the realisation that there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of deaths and serious injuries in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector in recent times,” read the MSU statement.
“The accidents have largely been a result of unsafe mining practices coupled with poor adherence to health and safety standards.”
Campaign chairperson, Tanyaradzwa Makotore, a third year metallurgical engineering student said zero harm could be achieved through educating miners on appropriate safety measures for accident prevention.
The campaign participants and partners will include students, the Young Miners Foundation, the AMOSA Safety Academy and the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development.
The campaign also comes at a time when there have been reports that around 65 artisanal miners have died since February last year in mine related accidents in the Midlands province alone.
Recently there were similar incidents of mine shaft accidents reported in other parts of the country.-newsday
By Nomusa Garikai- Zanu PF’s ethos is that the party would rather destroy Zimbabwe, burn it down into ruins, than allow anyone else ruling the country! “Shaisano!” as one would say in Shona.
40 years of Zanu PF gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and rank lawlessness have left the country a pariah state in economic ruins.
“Highly secretive cartels linked to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga are reported to have taken over the operations of key state-owned companies, including private firms covering mining, agriculture and energy,” reported Bulawayo 24.
President Mnangagwa blames the country’s economic meltdown on “heinous sanctions”!
“Be that as it may, we cannot allow those heinous sanctions to hold us back. We have enough resources in our country; we have several nations of goodwill to partner. We must stay on course and focus on our efforts until we defeat these sanctions,” said Mnangagwa, addressing mourners at the burial of the late Douglas Nyikayaramba, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Mozambique.
“The situation is gradually improving and stabilising. Various indicators are pointing towards recovery and positive growth.
He went on to urge Zimbabweans “resist to be used as willing tools by those advancing myopic, narrow and alien agendas burnt to slow down and reverse our gains of Independence. We are a united, caring and peace loving people.”
This is really a nightmare!
Sanctions have become a scapegoat for the economic meltdown to draw attention away from the real causes, gross mismanagement and corruption. The country’s late dictator, Robert Mugabe, admitted in 2016 to the country being “swindled out of US$15 billion in diamond revenue”. He never arrested even one swindler nor recover one swindled dollar. Mnangagwa promised “zero tolerance on corruption” when he took over three years ago. He has not arrested any swindler nor is he going to do so ever! How can he when he and his fellow Zanu PF ruling elite are the Godfathers of corruption.
“The cartels impact Zimbabweans in multiple ways – entrenching their patrons’ hold on power, retarding democratisation, destroying service delivery for citizens and creating an uncompetitive business climate – which leaves Zimbabweans poorer, more severely under-served by their government and disempowered to hold the state to account,” as the Maverick Citizen’s damning report, ‘Cartel Power Dynamics in Zimbabwe’, aptly put it.
Zimbabweans can see with their own eyes how the ruling elite have creamed off the nation’s wealth to become filthy rich whilst the majority sink into abject poverty and despair. Sanctions did not stop Mugabe build his sprawling US$2 billion Blue Roof mansion whilst the country’s referral like Parerenyatwa and Mpilo Hospitals had no equipment, staff and regularly ran out of something as basic as pain killers!
If the heinous sanctions are indeed the root cause of the economic meltdown and government has already identified “several nations of goodwill to partner”, then why 20 years since the sanctions were imposed are they still crippling the economy?
Unemployment has soared to 90%, basic services such as education and health care have been starved of funds for decades they have all but collapsed and 50% of our people are living in abject poverty. It is really infuriate to keep talking of economic “recovery and growth” when there are no such signs!
For 40 years Zanu PF has rigged elections and denied the people a meaningful say in the governance of the country with the disastrous economic and political consequences we can see all round us. The party believes it has the divine right to rule and has ruthless silenced the people and even with the nation in ruins the party still maintain its tyrannical boot on the nation’s throat.
“We are a united, caring and peace loving people.” How easily the lie rolls off your tongue! How convenient!
By Jane Mlambo| Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Njabulo Nzuza visited the Beitbridge border post today and witnessed border jumpers crossing from the Zimbabwean to the South African side.
According to eNCA, some of the border jumpers were later arrested.
South Africa opened twenty of its land borders today with Beitbridge being one of them.
Zimbabwe is expected to announce its new measures following the expiry of the 14 day extension of the level four lockdown imposed by the government at the beginning of 2021 to curb a spike in cases.
By A Correspondent- Rural children, particularly the girl child will be the most affected by the closure of schools due to the COVID-19-induced period, legal consultant and educationist Miriam Tose Majome has said.
Majome told NewsDay in an interview that most rural children have not benefitted from the e-learning facilities provided during the COVID-19 lockdown as they did not have access to electronic gadgets.
She said although some progressive steps had been taken by the government to improve the education of the girl child, there was still need to ensure that more girls were admitted into university programmes.
“There are still instances whereby girls are not prioritised by their families in terms of attaining education. For instance, there is also the need for an increase in the number of girls admitted to higher institutions of learning and universities,” Majome said.
“Access to resources by families is also another factor affecting the cycle of education for the girl child. There are also negative traditional beliefs that education is not valuable for the girl child, particularly those in the remote rural areas and highly-impoverished urban areas,” she said.
Majome said rural girls also faced challenges of travelling very long distances to schools, as well as lack of access to sanitary wear.
“There is no support for rural girls during their menstrual cycles, and so they must not be forced to do some activities that they feel uncomfortable with at schools as it reduces their levels of concentration during studies,” she said.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou recently said that the challenges of walking long distances and hygiene complications faced by girls were the major complications affecting their learning journey.
“Students walk long distances to access schools. It is very sad that our girl children have to endure this challenge of walking long distances while on their menstrual cycles,” Zhou said.
By Tichakunda Mhiko| Kae Chap’s saucy hit single ‘Juzi’ released this past Wednesday has been trending on the corridors of social media earning him the praise of local celebrities and social media users.
Juzi is a break up song laced with powerful lyrics that graphically depict the agonizing pain one endures after losing their beloved partner.
Afro pop sensation Jah Prayzah describing Juzi said: “What a masterpiece.”
Zim Hip hop prodigy Asaph also took to Twitter showering praises to Kae Chap’s hit single Juzi describing the gem as a trendsetter changing the music industry.
“I really hope you all are paying attention to the shift thats happening new urban genres are taking over and new stars are being given a chance to shine we want the more,” wrote ecstatic Asaph.
In the song Kae Chaps pleads with his ex lover to come to collect her jacket which evokes better day memories which are now painful to reminisce now that they are longer together.
Social media user @dvora_1 said the song took her back in memory lane over a heart wrecking break up she wants to forget.
“That Juzi song has got me going back to times I so much want to forget,” she said.
The budding artiste Kae Chaps in Juzi sings “I’m broke from all the dreams you were selling me urimboko yemunhu (you a bad person) felt I should tell you this, although we not enemies.”
To express how conflicted he is with his ex lover.
Unbridled socialite Shadaya couldn’t resist not to comment on the traction Juzi was getting on social media however, argued that the song resonated with ‘weak’ sentimental men.
“Most Zim guys can relate to this song Juzi because they are simps. I’m shocked at the comments, many men being emotional about the song.
“Then again, even me had I heard the song back in my simp days, I’d be emotional about the song as well,” he said.
LEAD opposition president Linda Masarira found herself entangled in Juzi and the emotions evoked by the song that she actually assumed that Kae Chaps was inspired by a bad break up to pen the tantalizing single.
“@Kae Chaps has a dope voice. The track Juzi so much emotion hope he ain’t going through some kind of relationship trauma in real life,”she said.
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) has urged the government to provide at least the minimum amount of resources needed to curb the spread of the coronavirus in schools so that learning can resume.
ZIMTA chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu acknowledged that the government has no capacity to avail all the resources needed by schools for COVID-19 prevention measures, hence the need for a compromise.
He said:
The truth of the matter is that there won’t be sufficient resources to meet the demands of COVID-19 prevention measures and as such a compromise must be made and that is where we bring in the issue of dialogue. We need to have a basic minimum that has to be met.
For example, we should know how primary pupils are affected by COVID-19 as well as their teachers. We should prepare to live with the virus.
We can’t be running away from the virus by continuously opening and closing our schools but we have to come up with measures to mitigate rapid infections in schools.
Ndlovu also called upon authorities to come up with a catch-up programme that will compensate for lost time as well as the provision of an incentive for teachers.
He said:
We should agree on a catch-up programme and what motivation tools to be provided so that teachers can go the extra mile to ensure pupils catch up in addition to their normal teaching programme.
We need to rethink the timetabling of the school’s calendar. What does it mean? We have to change, do we still have a one-month long break or a one week to two weeks’ vacation.
Schools were set to reopen on the 4th of January but the idea was shelved indefinitely by the government following a spike in COVID-19 cases.
By Leonard Koni| Where on earth have you heard of a President saying that, “this is the official opposition party” referring to MDC-T, an opposition political party which they have created and imposed on people, yet we have over 20 opposition political parties in Zimbabwe.
I think it was a slip of a tounge. He actually wanted to say that MDC-T has become their newly born baby project which they were going to partner and work very hard to decimate, finish the unrepentant and unfashionable MDC-Alliance which lacks patriotism.
Which criteria or method has been used to come up with such a conclusion?
Mr President must be reminded that as soon as people are vaccinated of Covid19, they should be allowed to campaign and go for elections to choose the leaders of their choice and that is when the people will know exactly which opposition party is worth talking about not this obedient son opposition political party being forced on people.
Thokozani Khupe MDC-T led contested in harmonised elections in 2018 and got 45 000 votes in presidential election against MDC Alliance Nelson Chamisa which got around2.6 million.
Douglas Mwonzora later had an elective congress which was marred with vote rigging and now claims to be the biggest opposition political party in Zimbabwe.
When was he tested to prove that he commands a lit of people more than MDC-Alliance?
I think Mr Douglas Mwonzora is being overrated by the ruling party. This is an assault to democracy and must not be given any space to breath. This is a serious toxic bubble which must pierced.
It is known that MDC-T is largely a creation and puppet of the regime. This is evidenced by the coverage they are having on nearly all government mouthpieces and state owned media like The Herald, Chronicle and ZTV.
People now want elections in order to stop this infatuation relationship and marriage of MDC-T and Zanu PF.
The path which Douglas Mwonzora has taken will definitely give him temporary power and satisfaction but the Abel Muzorewa tag will continue haunting him throughout his life and the next generation will not pardon him. Ian Douglas Smith did the same by praising Bishop Abel Muzorewa and history is repeating itself.
Already Douglas Mwonzora and his team have been used and are still going to be used to split some votes come 2023 elections but the good part of it is the timeously way the plan has been exposed. The ball is now in the half of the MDC-Alliance opponets and they have the opportunity to counter attack the plan to their own advantage.
Surprisingly MDC -T is not even talking of the release of detained Alan Moyo who is now clocking 70 days in the prison. How will this party manage or going to stand for the young generation?
The people are now aware of the political urchins and shenanigans meant to derail the people’s struggle which the late doyen of democracy Morgan Richard Tsvangirayi left.
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said the coronavirus vaccination rollout will commence this week after the first batch of the Sinopharm vaccines arrived from China on Monday morning.
The consignment of the vaccine is a donation from the government of the People’s Republic of China which put Zimbabwe under an obligation to buy its vaccines from the East Asian country.
In a post on his social media channels on Monday, President Mnangagwa said the vaccination of the population will put the country’s economy on a path to recovery.
He said:
The first batch of vaccines for Zimbabwe has been successfully delivered. We start vaccinating Zimbabweans this week!
The faster our country is protected against this virus, the faster Zimbabwe’s economy can flourish.
God bless you all, god bless Zimbabwe!
Meanwhile, the president of the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA), Enock Dongo told the NewsDay during an interview that the country’s health workers, particularly nurses, know nothing about the vaccine.
Dongo was quoted as saying nurses were not formally trained on how to administer the jab, or made aware of possible side effects.
By A Correspondent- A man from Harare crushed his stepson’s head with a hammer following a misunderstanding over the purchase of airtime recharge cards, police have confirmed.
Through their Twitter account, the police said the man gave his son US$1.00 to buy airtime worth ZWL$20.00.
However, the boy used the whole amount, which is approximately ZWL$90, to buy the airtime and this angered his stepfather who then took a hammer and pounded his head. Police said:
A Harare man has been arrested in connection with the murder of his stepson on the 7th of February 2021. The suspect gave the victim US$1-00 to go and buy airtime worth RTGS$20-00.
The victim used the whole amount to buy airtime and this angered the suspect who pounded the victim with a hammer and he died.
Police urge the public to respect the sanctity of human life.
The man, who has not been named, was expected to appear in court on murder charges.
By A Correspondent- The ruling Zanu PF party held elections in Mutare on Saturday in violation of coronavirus regulations which prohibit public gatherings, including the holding of elections.
The polls were conducted to fill in the senatorial seat which was left vacant after the death of Minister of State for Manicaland province, Ellen Gwaradzimba, who died in January from COVID-19 related complications.
Zanu PF provincial vice-chairperson, Dorothy Mabika, who is a top ally of Manicaland provincial chairperson Mike Madiro was declared the winner.
Mabika polled 66 votes, with Gertrude Mutandi, who is a top ally of Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri, coming second (39 votes).
The other losing candidates were Manicaland women’s league chairperson Happiness Nyakuedzwa, former MP Irene Zindi, Judith Mawire and Sheila Mutsenhu.
Meanwhile, Zanu PF Manicaland political commissar Gift Kagweda insisted that the elections were conducted with the observance of all COVID-19 protocols.
He said:
The election went on very well and we adhered to the World Health Organisation COVID-19 precautionary measures. I can confirm that Dorothy Mabika won the election.
This comes as the government, through the Health Minister and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, suspended by-elections to fill in vacant seats left by MDC Alliance members of Parliament and councillors who were controversially expelled by the Supreme Court reconstituted MDC-T led by Douglas Mwonzora.
By A Correspondent- The government is next week expected to announce the date for the reopening of schools for the 2021 first term.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana said that cabinet deliberated on the issue and resolved to postpone the reopening of schools by two weeks.
In a post on Twitter last Friday following the holding of the first Cabinet meeting in 2021 on Tuesday, Mangwana said the position to defer schools’ reopening will be revisited after two weeks.
He said:
Many are asking about the opening of schools. In its first meeting of 2021, Cabinet resolved that schools remain closed for another two weeks. This position will be reviewed at the end of two weeks.
Schools were closed on 18 December after briefly opening in September last year to prepare pupils for public examinations.
However, several schools across the country reported hundreds of coronavirus cases and the Government indefinitely shelved the reopening, which had been set on 4 January.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) chief executive officer Dr Sifiso Ndlovu told State media that it was no longer sustainable to keep the schools closed.
First batch of vaccines arrived and rollout will start soon. More vaccines are coming in the future months. Zimbabwe people will benefit from it. pic.twitter.com/6qbYPNZO5i
By A Correspondent- Vice President Kembo Mohadi was reportedly visited by the husband of the woman he is allegedly having an affair with and he accused him of having an intimate relationship with his wife without using protection, ZimLive reports.
According to the publication, the Vice President was visited by Jacob Mumpande, the husband of Abigal Mumpande, who is being accused of having an affair with Mohadi after he learnt of the 2’s alleged affair. Abigail Mumpande reportedly works at Mohadi’s office as a junior security officer.
Mumpande was reportedly armed with recordings and nude pictures send between the 2 in which the VP reportedly said in one of the recordings “I called to say I love you, and I’ll never change my mind”
This was revealed by a source close to the VP that told the publication that:
The vice president just kept apologising. They left after an hour. Abbigal was in tears. When Mohadi came out of the house, he had a small amount of blood on his forehead, and his hands were slightly swollen. It was clear it became quite physical in there with the woman he was with before Mumpande arrived
Abigail’s husband reportedly confronted the VP and there was a shouting incident at the VP’s residence in Glen Lorne that lasted for an hour in which Jacob Mumpande said he was upset and heartbroken.
Mohadi was reportedly driven out of his home by the incident and he had to return home a few hours later after the quarrel has died down.
VP Mohadi who divorced his wife Tambudzani Muleya was reportedly left by his wife Juliet Mutavhatsindi last year for alleged adultery.-ZimLive
First batch of vaccines arrived and rollout will start soon. More vaccines are coming in the future months. Zimbabwe people will benefit from it. pic.twitter.com/6qbYPNZO5i
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has described the late MDC founding President Dr Morgan Tsvangirai as a champion of freedom.
President Chamisa also described Dr Tsvangirai as a great mentor.
Read President Chamisa’s statement below:
Today is MORGAN TSVANGIRAI DAY:
CELEBRATING A LEGACY OF LOVE..We lost a peacemaker, doyen of democracy and freedom champion.
My father, mentor and a friend,I salute u for the free leadership mentorship and tutorship. You taught me love, forgiveness, humility, principle, consistency and loyalty. I and we ( all your true mentees) will never be purchased to compromise the PROMISE. The project promise is intact, uncompromisable and underailable.
We will WIN Zimbabwe for change! We are holding tight..Chinhu takabata!! Rest in Power Mdara!
Godisinit chinhu takabata machinja ese achapuhwa korona! Kunagumo kune nyaya Vamira pamuganhu kuti NDI!
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has described the late MDC founding President Dr Morgan Tsvangirai as a champion of freedom.
President Chamisa also described Dr Tsvangirai as a great mentor.
Read President Chamisa’s statement below:
Today is MORGAN TSVANGIRAI DAY:
CELEBRATING A LEGACY OF LOVE..We lost a peacemaker, doyen of democracy and freedom champion.
My father, mentor and a friend,I salute u for the free leadership mentorship and tutorship. You taught me love, forgiveness, humility, principle, consistency and loyalty. I and we ( all your true mentees) will never be purchased to compromise the PROMISE. The project promise is intact, uncompromisable and underailable.
We will WIN Zimbabwe for change! We are holding tight..Chinhu takabata!! Rest in Power Mdara!
Godisinit chinhu takabata machinja ese achapuhwa korona! Kunagumo kune nyaya Vamira pamuganhu kuti NDI!
Kaitano Tembo’s SuperSport United bounced back from a three-game winless run with a morale-boosting 2-1 victory over Cape Town City in a DStv Premiership match played at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium today.
The Zimbabwean tactician, who this week admitted that the fixture schedule was weighing heavy on his side after two defeats on the trot, saw them return to their best and collected three points against a battling City.
Gamphani Lungu thrust them in front in the 23rd minute when he latched on to a brilliant Evans Rusike assist.
United could have doubled their advantage on the stroke of half time when Kuda Mahachi’s pinpoint cross missed both his Warriors teammate Rusike and Bradley Grobbler by inches.
Lungu’s goal was the difference between the two sides at the half time interval.
Two minutes after the restart, City levelled matters through Bradely Ralani, whose shot from outside the box beat Rowen Williams in goal for SuperSport.
Tembo made a change in the 76th minute, bringing Thamsanqa Gabuza for Rusike and it proved to be the turning point minutes later.
Gabuza headed home a Grobbler cross to restore Matsatsantsa’s lead and the goal proved to be the winner.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
An employee of one of Zimplats’ contractors died yesterday from injuries he sustained when a high wall collapsed at the entrance of Ngwarati Mine in Mhondoro-Ngezi.
Zimplats head of corporate affairs, Busi Chindove confirmed the incident that occurred yesterday around 9.50am.
“Zimplats is deeply saddened to confirm a mine fatality incident that occurred at the company’s Ngwarati Mine in Mhondoro-Ngezi,” she said.
“Sadly, one employee working for one of the company’s contractors, succumbed to injuries sustained in the incident that occurred when a high wall collapsed at the Ngwarati Mine box-cut (entrance to the mine).
“The tragic incident occurred at 09.50hrs on Sunday February 14, 2021.” Mrs Chindove said despite the accident, Zimplats remains committed to delivering a safe working environment for its employees. Zimplat’s chief executive, Mr Alex Mhembere said the rest of the workers were evacuated safely.
“It is indeed a difficult time for the whole Zimplats family. Our sincere condolences go to the family, colleagues, and friends of the deceased. –Herald
A NINE-year-old girl from Matobo, Matabeleland South province, was killed by a crocodile at Hovi River while she was washing her lunch box last week.
Matabeleland South Police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena confirmed the incident which happened on Monday. She identified the girl as Shalom Moyo and advised members of the community to desist from sending children to fetch water especially at rivers where there are crocodiles. Shalom’s parents Mr Gift Moyo and Happiness Ndlovu said their daughter was the first born in a family of three. The Moyo family, who are from How Mine, had visited their relatives in Matobo when the incident happened.
“We rushed and got to the scene immediately after a little girl who witnessed the incident shouted for help after seeing Shalom being attacked by the crocodile. When we got to the river her bloodied body was floating in the water,” said Mr Moyo.
Ward 17 Councillor Max Majahana said a few years ago another child was attacked by a crocodile at the same river.
“Rangers from Matopos National Park arrived a few hours after the incident to hunt and shoot the creature but unfortunately it vanished into the muddy water as the river was flooding,” said Clr Majahana.- The Sunday News
The economy is now on a path to recovery, Finance Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube has said.
Prof Ncube was speaking to the state media when he said:
Mthuli Ncube
“The economy is now on a path to recovery. The worst is over and Government is now working on ensuring the economy recovers strongly, taking advantage of the milestones from the TSP, and supportive measures as enunciated in the NDS1.”
He continued saying:
“Our key priority will be to nurture the stable macro-economic environment currently prevailing in the country by continuing to implement prudent fiscal and monetary policies.
“Furthermore, the Government will bring forward business and infrastructure investment activity and adequately prepare and support the productive sectors, in a manner that does not promote vulnerabilities and instability.”
Prof Ncube said Covid-19 remains a serious challenge to Zimbabwe and the world at large, particularly in light of “most worrying” emergence of new variants of the virus, which spread faster and are potentially more deadly.
He said Zimbabwe draws encouragement from the fact that the world is now rolling out vaccines and Harare is taking delivery of its first batch of vaccines from China today.
The manufacturing capacity of the vaccine remains constrained to meet the huge demand and distribution has largely favoured developed countries. You may also note that the distribution mechanisms of the vaccine are also a challenge as some require strict refrigeration all the time.
“It is our hope that as the production lines are expanded, Africa and other developing countries will easily access them. Having said that, the pandemic is indeed causing a risk to the economy, threatening realisation of our projections for the year 2021.
“However, you may be aware the economy has contracted for the past two consecutive years, putting it on a very low base hence giving room for recovery.
“You may also note that drought was one of the major drivers of the recession during the past two years as agriculture activities and electricity generation was compromised. However, the season to date has been quite positive, and is promising to be a better season that presents an opportunity for a strong rebound of the economy.”
Prof Ncube projected in the 2021 National Budget that the domestic economy was largely expected to rebound and register growth of 7,4 percent this year.
The African Development Bank has projected a 5,6 percent economic growth this year driven by recovery in the agriculture, mining, and tourism sectors, together with increased public and private investments.
Prof Ncube said considering that the Government did not impose a blanket ban on all economic activities in the Covid-19 containment measures, with productive sectors such as mining, agriculture and manufacturing, allowed to continue operating, that should be positive for economic growth.
As the country brings under control the obtaining second wave of Covid-19 in the shortest possible time, which is already happening due to declining new infections and deaths, economic activity will recover.
“So, the thrust of Government is to expedite the rolling out of vaccines. As Government we remain positive on the outlook of the economy in 2021.
“As the year progresses, we will be able to fully assess how the positive impact of some sectors of the economy such as agriculture and electricity availability counteract the negative impact of the virus on some sectors like tourism, education and the informal sector,” said Prof Ncube.
The favourable rainfall season so far has come at an opportune time when Government has put in place various initiatives such as the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Conservation Scheme and the National Enhanced Crop Productivity Scheme (Command Agriculture) targeting maize, traditional grains, soya beans and cotton.
Crops are generally in a satisfactory situation across the country and there are bright prospects for a bumper harvest. Critically, the good rains are set to boost domestic electricity generation at Kariba.
Prof Ncube said availability of uninterrupted power supply to the productive sectors will be critical in enhancing production going forward.
“We are also grateful that the country has been spared from the devastating impact of two tropical cyclones (Chalane and Eloise) that have hit the region to date with minimum damage to agriculture, infrastructure and livelihoods,” said Prof Ncube.
“The economy is also set to benefit from the relatively higher international mineral commodity prices expected this year. We know that there are high prospects of recovery of the mining industry in 2021, basing on the recent State of the Mining Industry Report produced in 2020, which indicated that about 90 percent of the miners are planning to ramp up production in 2021 while 10 percent expect to remain at the same level.
“Production is expected to increase by between 10 percent and 30 percent, while capacity use will rise to 80 percent in 2021 from 61 percent in 2020. However, we also know that these expectations are subject to downside risks from the pandemic.”
A repository of fearlessness and courage himself, Dr Morgan Tsvangirai would always encourage young people to take the destiny of the country’s politics and economics into their own hands.
In one of our meetings with Dr Tsvangirai at his home in Highlands, Harare sometime in 2017, he nailed it through the old adage, “mutambirwi gwinyawo” to a group of youths who had come to lobby for represention quotas in the party.
Loosely translated the adage meant to encourage those with a keen interest on something to take the initiative by leading from the front.
A firm believer in youths, Dr Tsvangirai taught us that young people can lead.
From Learnmore Jongwe to Nelson Chamisa, Dr Tsvangirai’s MDC had young faces in position of leadership right from the party’s inception in 1999.
As history will rightly record, the Youth Quota which sought to have youths in decision making positions was Dr Tsvangirai’s legacy too!
Probably the biggest political master class of Dr Tsvangirai was his appointment of Nelson Chamisa as the leader of the newly born of MDC Alliance at a time when he was unwell late in 2017.
Again this was a show of confidence in young people in top leadership positions.
Nelson Chamisa was exactly what the doctor ordered!
Just at 39 about to turn 40 in February of 2018, Dr Tsvangirai’s young and most trusted lieutenant took the nation by storm as he outpaced ZANU PF’s old and tired candidate, Emmerson Mnangagwa enroute to victory in the 2018 General Elections.
Three years on after the demise of Dr Tsvangirai on this day, the National Democratic Movement faces incessant attacks from Mnangagwa’s military dictatorship working in cahoots with black market judicially reconstituted opposition.
At the receiving end of persecutions by Mnangagwa’s evil regime are MDC Alliance members and youths.
Three of our female youth leaders were abducted and sexually abused and are still facing persecution by prosecution in captured courts.
Since 07 December 2020, one of our own, Alan Moyo has been languishing at Harare Remand Prison pre-trial!
Stinking unbridled corruption and poverty authored by Emmerson Mnangagwa’s evil regime is threatening to expunge and devour our very own existence as a generation.
Worse than Covid-19, this military regime is threatening to wipe out our very existence because of unchecked looting at the expense of the people.
It is time we take heed of Dr Tsvangirai’s timeless advice- ‘mutambirwi gwinyawo’.
It is time we take the bull by its horns and take Mnangagwa’s dictatorship head on!
Freedom has never been served on a plate like sadza hence we must be prepared to fight for it.
Dr Tsvangirai and those of yesterday taught us to fight for our rights and freedoms.
“We don’t want this movement to be a one generation movement”, Dr Tsvangirai challenged us to keep National Democratic Struggle alive.
It is time we defy the status quo if are to survive!
Our choices are very much limited, either we defy or die!
DefyOrDie
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
A barcoding system developed to verify the authenticity of Covid-19 certificates is expected to start working this week, as authorities try to put an end to fake coronavirus results.
Barcode
All the country’s ports of entry will carry the system, which is able to instantaneously confirm the identity and results of every person who has tested for Covid-19.
Director for Informatics in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Simukai Zizhou told The Sunday Mail that the system will be up and running by the end of the week.
“We have started with Robert Gabriel Mugabe Airport, where the system is already in use. We expect that by end of next week, all ports of entry will be online while all laboratories should also be able to feed the information into this database,” said Dr Zizhou.
“We have now started working on it with the laboratories. We have used what we call Laboratory Information Management System. When a sample is sent to the lab, it is barcoded. It then speaks to the Electrical Health Records or IMPILO, which is the trademark for the Electronic Health Records. Once it is connected to IMPILO, all ports of entry will be connected to it. So you can simply enter the barcode into our system for verification.”
The system is reportedly foolproof and eliminates the possibility of fake Covid-19 certificates.
Once the Covid-19 results are confirmed, they cannot be altered.
SADC Covid Testing (SCT) representative Mr Martin Gondo, whose organisation is working in partnership with Government, said the project was being spearheaded by Zimbabweans who have taken the system to other countries in the region.
“When we are done with testing, we input all the results and information of the patient into the system, including their photo, and at the ports of entry, the code is scanned and all the details will come out.
“We are working in more than three SADC countries . . .” Mr Gondo said.
Several people have been arrested for frequently producing certificates bearing fake Covid-19 results.
Last month, The Sunday Mail exposed how staff at a private laboratory, Klosad Clinical Diagnostics Lab, in Harare were issuing fake Covid-19 certificates for US$45 each instead of the US$65 charged for a legitimate PCR test.
The suspects were subsequently arrested and are currently before the courts. -Sunday Mail
Today many citizens of Zimbabwe recall the life, times and ideals of a great man and a democractic iconic
Even in death, Dr. Tsvangirai continues to evoke respect, passion and pride across Zimbabwe. Tsvangirai’s democratic instincts for challenging the patrons of dictarship landed him and many of his associates in political hot water on numerous occasions, and ultimately died whilst the battle for a free Zimbabwe was unfinished
The task is upon us to continue his legacy by fullfilling his wishes. There are many dark moments when our faith in what Tsvangirai started has been sorely tested by the brutal regime and enermies of democracy, but we must not despair, lets all fullfill Tsvangirai’s wishes. #Aluta continua.
Munyaradzi Zizhou, the man who is bound to replace Killer Zivhu as the Zanu PF MP for Chivi South lost US$2 700 and a D4D Toyota Hilux to robbers who ransacked his house at Lundi Business Center in Mwenezi on Thursday.
Munyaradzi Zizhou….
According to a Police memo in the hands of The Mirror the robbers who were wearing balaclava masks stole at Zizhou’s place before proceeding to Arnold Ncube’s house, another businessman at Lundi and a colleague to Zizhou.
Zizhou recently won the Zanu PF primaries to replace the fired Zivhu in Chivi South primaries. At Ncube’s house they stole US$17 000, R120 000 Huawei P40 lite, Huawei 9 and three Nokia 1200 mobile phones.
The robbers who were more than five made off with Zizhou’s vehicle which was later discovered abandoned at Rutenga NRZ Club.
Mwenezi Business Community chairperson Kefas Hove confirmed the case and said Mwenezi CID is investigating.
Masvingo Police Provincial spokesperson, Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa said he was not aware of the story.
However, the Police memo said the suspects broke into Zizhou’s house at around 1am. They forced open Zizhou’s door using a crow bar.
Two of the accused were armed, one with a pistol and the other was holding a crow bar. They tied Zizhou and his wife Lorraine Chituri then demanded money from them threatening to kill them. The robbers were directed where the money was kept and they took USD 2700, Huawei cellphone and a Samsung cellphone.
They demanded car keys and instructed Zizhou and his wife to lead them to Ncube’s house where they instructed Zizhou to call Ncube and pretend that he had some urgent business to discuss with him.
When Ncube got out of the house they pointed pistols on his head, tied his hands and threatened to kill him together with his wife Cynthia Mupfigo whose hands were also tied. Ncube showed the complainants a plastic bag with US$17 000 and R120 000.
After ransacking the second complainant’s house the robbers marched Ncube to the car and drove back to Zizhou’s house where they left Zizhou, Ncube and Zizhou’s wife locked inside. – Masvingo Mirror
By Farai D Hove | The ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa has ignored vaccine donations from former colonial power, UK and moved to thank only China for vaccines numbering a tiny fraction of the British ones.
Emmerson Mnangagwa
While UK is vaccinating 3 million Zimbabweans for free, China is only doing 200.000, and yet Mnangagwa has remained mum on the British donations.
Last week, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said China’s donations are set to a paltry 200 000.
She also said Zimbabwe has purchased 600 000 jabs from China.
Meanwhile, in his message to China, Mnangagwa thanked the Asian country for the Covid 19 vaccine donation saying:
“Our dear friends of China, these vaccines are certainly providing a new light of positivity to the people of Zimbabwe in these tough times — a light at the end of a dark tunnel.
“We are most grateful for this life-saving gesture.
“From our people to yours — thank you to my dear brother President Xi Jinping — and thank you to all the people of China.”.
He further added saying China had been a reliable all weather friend to Zimbabwe in times of need.
Meanwhile, State House announced saying
“The vaccines will arrive tomorrow at 3am and a formal presentation to the His Excellency at the State House will then follow. While we are not ignoring the concern around Covid-19, our major focus will obviously be on how we are a step higher in terms of rolling out the vaccine programme,” presidential spokesman Mr George Charamba said.
“Readers should be alive to fact that while the vaccine will lessen the strength of the virus, it does not render one immune, we still need to up our game in terms of masking up, washing hands and keeping social distancing
“You will see the tempo changing even in terms of public communication, we will now be focusing on the vaccine roll-out. We also need to address the issue of roll-out in respect of teachers as that has a bearing on schoolchildren and the calendar.
“It is an issue that we need to debate and then get guidance from experts as a matter of urgency as we have thousands upon thousands who are just at home, those who are fortunate are doing online learning.”
FORMER Gweru United player John Baison whop died last week at the age of 78 in Gweru was laid to rest on Monday at Mutasa Cemetery in the Midlands city.
Baison, a rock solid defender during his playing days is considered one of the Gweru United legends. His funeral was attended by football greats who included ex Chapungu winger Charles “Chasweka” Tumirayi, Bata Power midfielder Thomas Sandram, Lancashire Steel goalminder Romeo Matore and former his Pisa Pisa teammates Wonder Chaka and Sam Semwayo.
The late Baison started football career at Kamativi and later joined Gweru United. He was a very tough defender who was also very comfortable with the ball at his feet. He played in two cup finals with Gweru United, the Chibuku trophy they lost 3-2 to Arcadia United and Zifa Cup in which his team was beaten 4-1 by a star studded Black Rhinos.
His former teammate at Gweru United, John Nyumbu remembers him from the time they played together in the Midlands select in the Osborne trophy in the 1970s.
“He was a defender who could also play in midfield. I first played with him at Golden Stars a Midlands select in the Osborne Trophy in the early 1970s. He came from Kamativi, he came to Gweru. I later played with him at Gweru United in the National League one season before I moved to join Zimbabwe Saints,’’ Nyumbu said.
Robert “Bomber” Phiri, who played with Baison at Gweru United for a decade from 1976 until 1986 said his late former teammate was tough tackling defender who worked really hard.
“He was a tough tackling defender and very good header of the ball, was very friendly to all and trained hard and very passionate about winning. He was fondly referred to by all as Mdhara JB, was more our elder brother than team mate,’’ said Phiri.
After retirement, the late Baison ventured into coaching and coached teams such as ZOC in Division Two, Zimglass in the then Southern Region Division One and Gweru United.
Baison is survived by his wife and four children, three boys as well one girl.-The Sunday News
Five people have succumbed to COVID-19 on the 13th of February to take the cumulative number of deaths to 1398 while positive cases now stand at 35104 after 59 people tested positive to the deadly virus today.
Introduction This Sunday, 14 February 2021 marks the third anniversary of the death of Morgan Tsvangirai, the icon of our time.
Morgan Tsvangirai loved his country and it may have been epiphanic that he died on Valentine day; on the day that the consuming power of love is celebrated worldwide.
Starting today, until Sunday 14 February 2021, this column will publish a three-part series in fond remembrance of this gallant son of the soil who tenaciously fought for the true democratisation of the country of his birth.
Through a careful reading of this series, which includes some material that has previously been published, discerning readers will have their scruples answered on several issues that may have been grappling their minds, especially those who missed some of the material at the time it was written and published some three years back.
Tsvangirai has a rich legacy that is being strenuously torn asunder by this treacherous and mercenary lot among us; the wicked motley that has chosen to be Zanu PF’s willing tool in the macabre plot to decimate the people’s project. The Morgan Tsvangirai I know must certainly be violently turning in his grave at this unbridled treachery and the annihilation of his legacy by these latter-day Judas Iscariots.
I wrote the following piece as an obituary soon after Morgan Tsvangirai’s demise in February 2018. Today, I republish the same in commemoration of this gallant son of Zimbabwe. It’s an obituary worth reading because it sets the record straight in many respects. It is my humble submission that it will always be a piece worth reading, even for the umpteenth time.
InmemoryofMorganTsvangirai
Facts are stubborn. It is trite to state that the story of this country cannot be written without according veneration to the name of Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.
For there is no debate that Tsvangirai deserves his own space in the national narrative for the significant role he has played in shaping the country’s post-liberation politics.
Fate is a capricious woman and the whole journey was never planned, as the man himself often said. It was mother fate that often tended to throw him to the deep end.
As he always told me, it all started during midnight conversations at the national labour federation’s elective congress in Gweru in 1988. He did not even want to run for office and most delegates at that elective congress, including Tsvangirai himself, had tipped veteran journalist Charles Chikerema to clinch the powerful post of secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.
Albert Mugabe, the brother to former President Robert Mugabe, had been leading the ZCTU and everyone at the congress was convinced that Chikerema, yet another relative of Mugabe, would ascend to the powerful post of secretary general of the ZCTU. But the delegates’ conversations on that ominous night on the eve of the elections in Gweru expressed doubts on whether Chikerema would be able to wean off the ZCTU from the firm clutches of government, where previous leaders had unwittingly left the country’s labour federation.
Some within the ZCTU wanted the labour body to break away from the firm clutches of government control and they were convinced Tsvangirai would be the man to drive the ZCTU to full autonomy. Emmissares from the various affiliate unions spent the whole night in Morgan Tsvangirai’s hotel room seeking to convince him to run for the powerful post of secretary general.
Morgan Tsvangirai, then a leader of the mineworkers’ union, eventually agreed to run after fellow delegates had made persuasive arguments about the unsuitability of Chikerema. The delegates had their misgivings on whether the veteran scribe would give the ZCTU its deserved autonomy from government control, given his relationship to Robert Mugabe.
It was almost morning when Tsvangirai finally agreed to run for the post of secretary-general, which he won a few hours later, setting the stage for a 30-year tenure in the national limelight as a doyen of the country’s democratic struggle.
When I heard the news of his death at exactly 1737hours on Wednesday, 14 February 2018, I mused over how this journey that started in 1988 had painfully ended 30 years later, some 24 days before his 66th birthday.
His life was a tenuous journey in which he was prejudiced of the Presidency following his watershed victory in the elections held on 29 March 2008. Given his mammoth love for the country and its people, he humbled himself and settled for the junior post of Prime Minister.
Morgan Tsvangirai was to rescue the country from a debilitating crisis and poise the nation for stability, growth and development in a mere four years as premier of Zimbabwe. Driving a stability and growth agenda through the Government Work Programme that was steered by the Prime Minister’s Office, Tsvangirai showed his competence on the wheel of government during his four year stint in government. Indeed, the song DollarfortwoyakauyanaTsvangirai will forever stand as testimony to the verdict by ordinary Zimbabweans that the man’s tenure as Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister was synonymous with affordable prices of basic commodities and a “livable” country.
As the nation stood on the cusp of a crucial election in which he was expected to win resoundingly, mother Fate again intervened. This time, cruel fate took him to the grave, leaving a despondent nation shell-shocked.
He was a man I knew so well. To me, he was a father, a man I served for a decade as his spokesperson until his death.
A boss.
A friend.
We travelled the world and across the country together. We spent many times talking about the country and the people he so much loved.
Tokyo, Washington, London, Canberra, Beijing, Paris, Berlin, the Swiss Alps in Davos and many other world capitals, I had the privilege of accompanying him as his spokesperson. During those trips across the globe, he often charmed the world and gave revered speeches to bemused audiences, especially during his stint as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe and leader of the country’s opposition.
We travelled together to Windhoek, Pretoria, Luanda, Maputo, Nairobi, Accra, Dar es Salaam, Abidjan, Lagos and many other African capitals. Across the whole of Africa, I saw for myself the respect African citizens gave to this courageous African who had chosen to confront—with nothing but his bare hands and an unstinting tenacity—the murderous regime of one of Africa’s tyrants.
In the country, we travelled together from Plumtree to Chipinge, from Nyanga to Chirundu and from Mt. Darwin to Binga down in the Zambezi escarpment as he engaged in his favourite pastime—-meeting ordinary people and getting their input into how the democratic struggle ought to be prosecuted. The last time we traversed the country together for one-and-half months—sometimes sleeping in the car—-was the period between January and February 2017 when we sought the ordinary people’s input into the MDC Congress resolution to enter into a formidable alliance with other political players.
We sat together until late in the night after that tour as we penned his piece after that highly informing jaunt. The piece, in keeping with his natural disposition as a listening leader, was entitled “ IheardYou .” The people had unanimously and unequivocally endorsed the formation of an Alliance. This is how the MDC Alliance was formed, which Alliance is now being tenaciously fought by Zanu PF through the mercenary and treacherous lot that has sought to betray both Tsvangirai’s legacy and the last hope of the generality of the people of Zimbabwe.
Tsvangirai was a boss any rational person could wish for; the only boss I know who could afford to attend funerals of relatives of his underlings, as he did in 2015 when he came unannounced to my rural home in Domboshava for the burial of my grandmother, Martha Tamborenyoka Gombera.
He was a leader who would wait to give an ear to everyone, whatever their social station. He often had tiffs with his security personnel, whom he always wanted to relax their tight protocols and allow ordinary people to shake his hand and to speak to him.
Party members and ordinary villagers would come from as far away as Mt. Darwin and be granted an ear at his residence, first in Strathaven and later in Highlands; even against the advice of security personnel who often wanted to refer these ordinary party members to channel their grievances and concerns through their respective provincial leaders.
Not with Tsvangirai, who would insist he wanted to get the untainted, raw concerns from ordinary supporters, undiluted by the strictures and drudgery of officialdom, party hierarchy and bureaucracy.
That was vintage Tsvangirai. Always a man of the people.
His death came as a shock….especially against the background of my last two moments with him.
The first of our last two personal and direct engagements was on Friday, 5 January 2018 after his meeting with Emmerson Mnangagwa who had come to visit him at his Highlands home.
It was at that meeting at his residence that he intimated to me the details of his private discussion with Mnangagwa. At the same meeting, he told me to tell the world that he was about to leave the country and he would leave Vice President Nelson Chamisa as acting President and he asked me to call Chamisa. The other two VP Mudzuri and VP Khupe had previously acted in his absence and this was going to be Chamisa’s first stint as acting President. Chamisa declined to be the acting, saying Khupe hated him so much and it was not going to be good to have a sulking Khupe publicly throwing all sorts of invective when the boss was not in good health. Chamisa said he did not want an impression of a fight in the cockpit when the President was being treated in hospital. Chamisa respectfully declined and suggested that his acting Presidency be passed over to Mudzuri. It was then that President Tsvangirai told me to issue a statement communicating to the world that VP Mudzuri would be acting President.
For the record, present in the meeting that Friday afternoon when Chamisa declined to act as President, apart from Tsvangirai himself, was his wife Elizabeth, his brother Manaseh Tsvangirai, President Tsvangirai’s uncle innocent Zvaipa and myself. .
It is ironic that after I had issued the communication that Mudzuri was the acting president, Khupe took issue with me, saying that as the only VP elected at Congress, she was the one who should always act in the President’s absence. I referred her queries to the President, under whose authority and direction I had done the communication. President Tsvangirai just laughed at the whole matter and said if Khupe had issues around the acting Presidency, she should contact him.
Ironically, a month later, Mudzuri, for whom Khupe had raised concerns when he was was chosen to act, was to dispute my communication of the President’s directive that Chamisa was now the acting party leader. President Tsvangirai gave me the directive to communicate that Chamisa was now the acting President on the 7th of February 2018 after he learnt that Khupe, Mudzuri and Mwonzora were meeting with amai Joyce Mujuru in Cape Town for alliance without his knowledge, and without the involvement of Chamisa who had given the responsibility to negotiate with other political leaders on his behalf.
My last face-to-face meeting with my boss was on Monday, 8 January 2018, the day before he left for South Africa, never to come back alive. The previous Friday, he had asked me to draft a belated New Year’s message to the people of Zimbabwe, in which he was hinting at his imminent retirement.
He told me that it was important to signal to the world that he would not hold the nation at ransom; that he would not hold on to the party presidency if his doctors told him his health would not permit him to withstand the rigorous of an election campaign. He wanted to give advance notice to the people of Zimbabwe on the possibility of his retirement, which he would only confirm upon his return after consulting his doctors.
He perused his script, made minor corrections and certified that I distribute it, only for the same script to cause a major furore in the party, with some misguided elements lying that the statement did not have president Tsvangirai’s blessings. It is important to state that present at the foyer of his Highlands residence as he authenticated that statement hinting at a possible retirement was his brother Manasseh and Jameson Timba, who later arrived as the President and I were finishing the work on his script, in which he hinted at handing over the baton to others. It was a possibility which he said he would only confirm upon his return depending on the advice from his doctors.
Sadly, he was to return with his body lying in the soft requiem of death; the inimitable raspy and raucous laughter never to be heard again at Harvest House.
Yes, he left for the infirmary in South Africa on Tuesday, 9 January 2018, never to return alive to the country and the people he loved so much. He regularly phoned and at one point asked me to come over to South Africa so we could discuss a lot of issues, including the book that I was assisting him to write—-Service and Sacrifice. (The book is with the publisher and will most likely hit the bookstands any time in the aftermath of this lockdown).
I told then acting president Mudzuri that president Tsvangirai wanted me in South Africa. The then acting president promised to facilitate my trip before logistical impediments were deliberately thrown in the way to ensure that the trip never materialized.
President Tsvangirai later called to express his regrets that I had failed to turn up in South Africa. On Wednesday, 7 February 2018, he called again using a hospital staffer’s cellphone and told me that he had learnt and had even seen pictures to the effect that Mudzuri, Khupe and Mwonzora had left the country for a meeting in Cape Town without even the courtesy of informing him, leaving Chamisa as the only VP still in the country. He said he was reverting to his first position on Friday, 5 January 2018 when he had delegated Chamisa to be the acting President. I could tell he was angry at the team that was in SA without his knowledge when he asked me to issue a statement communicating that Chamisa was now the acting President until his return from South Africa.
There are some who took issue with my statement but this is the Presidency we are talking about, a whole institution which has its own unique ways of operation and in which the whims of an individual staffer cannot just hold sway. Even the then chief of staff Sessel Zvidzai can testify to the veracity of the President’s position when it comes to who was acting President at the time of Morgan Tsvangirai’s death.
President Tsvangirai told me from South Africa that his health was slowly failing him and that the thrust of the book— ServiceandSacrifice —should change into a valediction and not to remain as a simple story of the party’s capacity to deliver to the people as shown during the era of the inclusive government.
I felt tears swelling in my eyes before assuring him that he would be fine and he would rejoin us in the struggle soon.
Alas, that was never to be.
My father.
My boss.
My friend.
He was a close friend who would at times call me and my wife for dinner and to assure me that he took cognizance of my loyalty and committed service to the party and to himself, oftentimes with no salary. He once invited me and my wife to his house for dinner where he shared many of his thoughts on a variety of issues in a convivial atmosphere. Also present at that meeting at his house in June 2017 was a mutual friend, Sydney Masamvu.
As the party and the nation mourned him, I could help but reminisce on the many moments we shared; the many thoughts he intimated to me on controversial subjects such as family politics, succession and his vision for the future.
In our last conversation when he called from South Africa, he told me he had instructed the medical executives at the hospital where he was receiving treatment that apart from the members of his immediate family, I was also to be informed about his health. That is how the medical staff kept in contact with me until they called to relay the tragic message that he had passed on.
In his final moment, I would have loved the leadership then to give this man a befitting send-off. I sincerely hoped that the needless cockpit stampede should have been put in abeyance, at least in the veneration of this doyen of our struggle.
His will remain a story of fortitude and tenacity and there is no doubt that Morgan Tsvangirai left ineradicable footprints on the sands of the country’s history.
Today, on this 14th February 2021; I would like to take this opportunity to join the rest of our beloved nation in remembering and celebrating the life and legacy of the late Dr. Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.
Our beloved political legend and icon sadly passed away on 14th February 2018.
May this day be never forgotten. Indeed, may this day forever remain as one of the saddest days of our beloved nation.
On my part, I am certainly one of his compatriots who prayed earnestly for him to defeat the prostate cancer that eventually took away his precious life.
I earnestly prayed that he would not just defeat the prostate cancer but also rise up even stronger to lead us into the long promised land of freedom and democracy.
Sadly, this was not meant to be. As fate would have, his brave fight culminated in a devastating defeat. The deadly disease eventually won.
And so on this globally venerated day of love and romance, our undisputed champion for democratic change passed away in South Africa.
Unfortunately, he was unable to finish what many, including me, would have desperately wanted him to do.
Indeed, many of us would have wished him to continue his life-long fight until final victory.
Three years later, we are still struggling to come to terms with this ghastly reality. Our doyen for the struggle for democratic change in our beautiful motherland is no longer with us.
Forever.
But what legacy exactly did Tsvangirai leave for us as he departed to the world yonder?
It is my considered view that Tsvangirai left us one of the richest legacies we could have ever wished for.
According to him, the most important thing that we needed most as a country was to love each other most sincerely.
Not just in word but in deed also.
In this regard, Tsvangirai led us from the front.
To him the talk about us loving each other no matter what, was not mere talk. Neither was it some form of easy political rhetoric.
Tsvangirai exuded love, totally.
He not only loved his own personal family; but he also loved both the members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and the broader nation at large.
He was a most genuine lover of humanity.
Throughout his political career, his bitter rival Robert Mugabe and his ZanuPF cohorts consistently labelled him a traitor or sellout.
They called him ugly face.
They physically and criminally harassed him
He had to endure physical violence from both the Zimbabwe Republic Police and ZanuPF
He had to unnecessarily spend so many days in the criminal courts and so many nights in the detention centres like the Chikurubi maximum security prison.
He had to recuperate in hospital beds after being viciously assaulted by the regime-backed militants
He had to fear for his life almost all the time.
He had to face fake treason charges headlong.
He had to flee the country and find refuge in such countries as Botswana
Yet in all this, he never dared to harbour any form of hatred against his violent detractors.
He continued to march on forward; in his unbridled quest for democratic change in his beloved motherland.
Relentlessly.
Indeed, no amount of hatred or politically motivated persecution from Mugabe and his ZanuPF was enough to stir him into an abyss of raw anger and bitterness.
Tsvangirai remained resolute. Tsvangirai remained determined. Tsvangirai remained so loving and caring. Tsvangirai remained willing to forgive and forget.
In all this, he taught us that our love must always defy all the odds against us.
Vincere caritate – conquer with love!
He taught us to conquer evil and hatred with so much unconditional love.
This explains why in 2008, he was more than willing to give up on his personal ambition to become the President of our beautiful motherland.
Political history will record that Tsvangirai won the popular vote, unofficially in 2002 and officially in 2008.
Yet because of his love for his people and beloved country; he chose to accept the apparently politically inferior role of the Office of the Prime Minister.
Political history will record that a truly loving Tsvangirai resolutely declared that he would rather lose out on his personal political ambitions than to walk over dead bodies of fellow Zimbabweans and step over the flowing blood of his dead supporters.
There is no doubt that Tsvangirai really loved his beloved country and wished it to enjoy peace, freedom and democracy.
This is certainly one of his greatest legacies as one of the most outstanding political leaders in the entire history of our beloved country.
But as fate would have it, Tsvangirai sadly passed away without successfully leading us into the long awaited promised land of freedom and democracy.
However, I am so happy that his life-long fight for democratic change was not in vain.
Today, as we commemorate the third full year since his passing away; Tsvangirai’s legacy of love lives on.
Tsvangirai did not leave us leaderless.
Tsvangirai certainly pointed out his successor to all of us.
Tsvangirai passed on the leadership mantle to one of the most consistent and loyal cadres of our movement.
Tsvangirai passed on the leadership baton stick to none other than our dear President Advocate Nelson Chamisa.
To put it in a biblical context; if Tsvangirai was our Moses, then Chamisa is certainly our Joshua who has been tasked to finally lead us into our promised land.
Indeed, as we mark our full third year since his passing away, we have absolutely no doubt that Tsvangirai’s legacy of love will continue until final victory.
I for one cannot wait for that day to dawn when the long suffering people of Zimbabwe will finally cross the river Jordan into the long promised land of freedom and democracy.
I want to be there when the people of Zimbabwe celebrate the dawn of freedom and democracy
I want to be there when the long suffering masses of Zimbabwe sing and dance all across the country in celebration of the end of this brutal military regime.
I want to be there when Zimbabwe finally reaches its TRUE potential and step up as one of the most admired and respected countries not just in Africa but across the whole world
I want to be there when our beautiful motherland finally achieves its political destiny and becomes the truly GREAT ZIMBABWE it was always meant to be.
By A Correspondent- Douglas Mwonzora on Friday reportedly snubbed President Mnangagwa POLAD meeting that was held on Friday because he feels the dialogue must happen between his party and Zanu PF and other stakeholders outside POLAD.
In an interview with the publication, Mwonzora’s spokesperson Witness Dube said Mwonzora did not attend what would have been his inaugural meeting because they want a broad-based dialogue with the President and other stakeholders:
The MDC T president did not and will not attend Polad in its current form. We are canvassing for a broad-based dialogue which will include other stakeholders like churches, traditional leaders, labour bodies, student bodies, other political parties that did not have presidential candidates, captains of industry and all manner of Zimbabwean leadership in their diversity.
Dube however said they were not pulling out of POLAD just yet:
We have not pulled out of Polad. Our understanding is that Thokozani Khupe went into the platform as a presidential candidate.
MDC-T as a party is now going to sit and give a policy direction on its participation in Polad. Political, economic and structural conditions have drastically changed since the formation of Polad.
So we now need a more enriched approach to national questions, which includes other stakeholders outside 2018 presidential candidates and their immediate parties.
Meanwhile, today the MDC T held a memorial for Morgan Tsvangirai who died on this day 3 years ago.-standard
As we remember the great leader Morgan Richard Tsvangirai I have a few contributions of how I know him. My contribution is based on my experience as technical staff. I will reserve the rest on his work as a trade unionist to politicians. I hope one day his history will be properly written by people who know him. Most of people who wrote his history are fake. In fact these people wrote that history after he took political office. They have scant history of his time as a trade union leader. People who worked with him like Gilbert Marembo can relate a better accurate history of Morgan. In fact Morgan really wanted Marembo among his close team at MDC. Unfortunately Marembo declined, and it is understandable as he did not want to leave the ZCTU and let it fall into the hands of vultures.
There are three outstanding issues that remain etched in my mind when I think of Morgan. He was first of all a forgiving person. In fact too much forgiving to the detriment of his career as a trade unionist. Secondly he was NOT an office man. Office was very confining to him and he would rather be out there with his working folk. And finally I know him as a person who liked reading. He was a reading adict and would read anything even if it was in Chinese. And indeed he read.
When I joined the ZCTU in 1995 straight from the college after a recommendation from the then Editor of The Worker Newspaper Charles Rukuni, I was astounded by Cde Tsvangirai’s forgiveness attitude. Whatever mistake one did he had in his heart that part of forgiveness. He always gave people second chances. From union officials to ZCTU staff he treated them the same. I remember even some of his deputies at ZCTU worked nocturnal hours to tarnish and distroy him. At the end of the day he would forgive them and pretend nothing happen. As a cub reporter at The Worker I was also bound to to make mistakes due to excitement as a young reporter. I remember I even wrote articles that were not palatable to him. He would call you into his office reprimand you and that’s it. He would say you are a young man and still learning the ropes, he would give you advice but never gagged you. He would try by all means to make you feel better and also understand the politics of the Labour movement. He gave our publication The Worker unfettered independence and freedom to write articles without complaining as long as the facts are correct. He would say this is what we are fighting for at national level. Do you remember articles like “Matongo bites the dust”? Matongo was a Deputy ZCTU President and later became the MDC Chairperson. He defended the writer to the hilt while some wanted the writer to be fired. He believed in really Press Freedom.
He always called me “Young Man” and when I made a mistake he would say “Young Man come to my office”. I knew I would be reprimanded but he would at the end say I know you are on a learning curve. He was a great leader. Great leaders give young people a chance. They do not say I do not want to see you face again. Ironically if you give someone a chance, that person will be loyal to you for ever. That was his vision.
As I reflect about his perchant for forgiveness, I now realize that this could also have been his weakness. Later in life I noticed how the likes of Sikhala and Biti took advantage of this and went on to insult him in the media and all over. I remember Sikhala visiting ZCTU Affices in without any shoes and ZCTU staff asking for cigarettes. Even the current MDC A President was camped at ZCTU under an Organisation called ZURO. He had come with his colleague Dennis Murira and Takawira Musavengana working under Timothy Kondo the then ZCTU Advocacy officer.
I was hurt when Job Sikhala insulated Tsvsngarai’s mother. Biti even called Tsvangirai Gumbura. But Tsvangirai was so forgiving that he roped them back into the party.
The man was approachable. I recall that I was the first reporter to request him an interview his wife Susan while he was at ZCTU. He was hesitant at first and did not want to involve his wife in trade union issues. He eventually capitulated. I wanted to understand what a sort of husband he was. That interview is still fresh in my mind. The story was in The Worker and it was widely read. Morgan was not particularly happy with the picture of Susan that I took. He wanted a better picture but he let it go. But I had taken the real Susan the housewife with unkempt hair. By them he was not into the current hair designs. Readers loved it. She was by then the real Susan. No make-up.
Morgan Richard Tsvangirai was NOT an office man. He would spend weeks without visiting our office. He believed in spending most of his time with workers. He would visit companies and most employment units he could afford. He would also visit each and every union. I had a feeling the office stiffled him as he wanted to be outdoors. He wanted to meet workers, and be among them to discuss their issues and proffer solutions. I remember his labor forums in places like LIZ Hotel and Anglican Church. His adversaries (I won’t name them for now) would follow him to the labour forums grudgingly. He would give them time to expose themselves to the audience. Some of them would sweat because they would be trying to defend a rougue regime. Such was his tactic of letting them expose themselves. He would even call for a meeting in Masasa industrial area and all Workers Committees in that area would mobilises workers to attend these meetings. This was one of the greatest things that I witnessed. Workers in Masasa would come in their thousands. Workers in Southerton would come in their thousands. He had a gift of uniting workers. This endeared him to the masses and this explains his popularity. I guess the situation has changed now. It’s not easy to assemble such workers. I remember every company in industrial areas in Zimbabwe used to get a copy of The Worker Newspaper and workers would congregate to read the few copies. At Coca-Cola for instance the late Cde Cephas Makuyana was our agent and he made sure that every worker had a copy of the publication. Such was the dedication by comrades! But things have changed and we can no longer live in the past. Times change.
To me there is no doubt that Morgan Richard Tsvangirai was self taught. Whenever he was in the office he would voraciously read anything before him. He would come early in the office and spend hours reading whatever was at his disposal. This explains why he could stand up to any debate. He was well informed on any developments in any subject. He was well read. From economics, labour issues and law. You would think he was a lawyer. Sometimes you would not realise that he has been in the office for 3 days if you did not go to his office. He would be immersed in books voraciously going through books.
But I also credit the ZCTU for having a robust Education and Training Department. There is no better training that you can get outside the trade union movement. The training can sharpen you and even if you do not have a university degree you can be above those who have degrees. Tsvangirai got more than a PHD. Fetishism has killed this Country as people believe in papers on your walls. You may have degrees but they mean nothing if they are not used for the benefit of the country and its citizens. Tsvangirai proved it as he outsmarted everyone who had higher qualifications than him. Some even became jealous of him. He performed better than some of the professors like Lovemore Madhuku despite his limited academic education.
The last time I had one on one with him was when he was in the PM’s office. The ZCTU had asked me to take a trade union delegation from the Netherlands to meet him. He called his whole office to see me and he seemed surprised that I was still with the ZCTU . He still called me young man despite the fact that I was married and in my forties.
Morgan you were a great man. May your soul rest in peace. Surely one day someone will write a correct history of you. It might be me, who knows?
Kaitano Tembo’s SuperSport United bounced back from a three-game winless run with a morale-boosting 2-1 victory over Cape Town City in a DStv Premiership match played at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium today.
The Zimbabwean tactician, who this week admitted that the fixture schedule was weighing heavy on his side after two defeats on the trot, saw them return to their best and collected three points against a battling City.
Gamphani Lungu thrust them in front in the 23rd minute when he latched on to a brilliant Evans Rusike assist.
United could have doubled their advantage on the stroke of half time when Kuda Mahachi’s pinpoint cross missed both his Warriors teammate Rusike and Bradley Grobbler by inches.
Lungu’s goal was the difference between the two sides at the half time interval.
Two minutes after the restart, City levelled matters through Bradely Ralani, whose shot from outside the box beat Rowen Williams in goal for SuperSport.
Tembo made a change in the 76th minute, bringing Thamsanqa Gabuza for Rusike and it proved to be the turning point minutes later.
Gabuza headed home a Grobbler cross to restore Matsatsantsa’s lead and the goal proved to be the winner.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has described the late MDC founding President Dr Morgan Tsvangirai as a champion of freedom.
President Chamisa also described Dr Tsvangirai as a great mentor.
Read President Chamisa’s statement below:
Today is MORGAN TSVANGIRAI DAY:
CELEBRATING A LEGACY OF LOVE..We lost a peacemaker, doyen of democracy and freedom champion.
My father, mentor and a friend,I salute u for the free leadership mentorship and tutorship. You taught me love, forgiveness, humility, principle, consistency and loyalty. I and we ( all your true mentees) will never be purchased to compromise the PROMISE. The project promise is intact, uncompromisable and underailable.
We will WIN Zimbabwe for change! We are holding tight..Chinhu takabata!! Rest in Power Mdara!
Godisinit chinhu takabata machinja ese achapuhwa korona! Kunagumo kune nyaya Vamira pamuganhu kuti NDI!
Tinashe Sambiri|The late MDC leader, President Morgan Tsvangirai was a brilliant leader who contributed immensely to the economic turnaround during the GNU era, the MDC Alliance Namibia has said.
President Tsvangirai affectionately called Dollar For Two by MDC supporters and Zimbabweans in general, fearlessly challenged Robert Mugabe’s political hegemony and in 2008 he defeated the former strongman in the Presidential plebiscite.
See statement below:
MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA COMMEMORATES THE DEATH OF THE LATE MORGAN TSVANGIRAI IN TWO POPULAR NAMES, $1 FOR TWO AND CHINGWA CHEVANA(BREAD FOR CHILDREN)
14 FEBRUARY 2021
This day marks the 3rd Anniversary since the death of the founder of our democratic project MDC Alliance party.
Mdc Alliance Namibia celebrates with the rest of the globe in honour of the revolutionary life lived by our Icon of Constitutional Democracy the late President Dr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai. The sweetest moment brought by our late President was when he was sworn in as the Prime Minister on 11 February 2009. We witnessed the dawn of a new era because the leader managed to revamp the economy in a very short while.
Zimbabweans saw cash crisis , poverty, hunger, inflation and economic instability vanishing into thin air. The economy was promptly put on a sounder footing for five years from 2009-2013 when Zanupf stole elections thinking that the situation will remain stable without our father of governance. May your dear soul continue to rest in power. We saw affordable prices and availability of bread in shops. We salute your love and organic leadership Save!
Apart from the good governance exhibited by the Mdc led by the late President Morgan Tsvangirai, prior to this astounding political score, the democratic legend endured a lot of incarceration at the hands of the ruthless totalitarian Zanupf government. Shortly before the presidential election of 2002 , in which our political dynamo Morgan Richard Tsvangirai was a hot candidate, he was unceremoniously charged with treason for allegedly plotting to assassinate the clueless Zanupf Mugabe.
Although he was later acquitted, it transpired after enduring a long tiresome trial on politically-concocted charges but was again charged with treason in 2003 after calling for the mass protests to overthrow a rogue regime and its autocratic leader. This varlour and nerve to confront Zanupf Satanists in the eye is what inspires us to continue embracing dangerous freedom against peaceful slavery.
Moreover, Mdc Alliance Namibia continues to get revolutionary appetite from the sacrifice and mettle displayed by Morgan Richard Tsvangirai during his fight for socio-economic transformation. On March 11, 2007, the father of the democratic project Morgan Richard Tsvangirai became the centre of international attention after he was the victim of a brutal and sadist attack by Zanupf-captured thugocratic police force.
It occurred while on his way to attend a prayer meeting arranged by local churches to pray for Zimbabwe’s political and economic woes. Our father was seized , arbitrarily arrested , tortured by the Zanupf police, other Mdc officials were brutalised and imprisoned for believing in the vision of the visionary. May your dear soul turn against those who are working with Zanupf masquerading as your ambassadors for complete change.
Furthermore, we celebrate our late President Morgan Richard Tsvangirai’s resistance to accept flag independence because he showed us an unwavering commitment to the national discourse until he passed on this day in 2018. In the weeks leading up to the runoff election , social democrats who subscribed to the vision and ideology of the Mdc were harassed and attacked , some were butchered in cold blood. Their houses were burnt together with party offices. Our leader was repeatedly detained by the biased police who were working on direct instructions from Zanupf. As Mdc Alliance Namibia, the blood and sweat of Morgan Richard Tsvangirai and all victims of Zanupf human butchery shall continue to inspire us to soldier on with the fight against senseless and barefaced corruption as well as gross abuse of universal basic human rights.
In a nutshell, as a district we shall continue to honour the 14th of February annually since it reenergises our focus to defend the legacy of confrontation left for us by Save. We will remember this day appreciating his successful effort in grooming the energetic and pragmatic President in the name of none other than Advocate Nelson Chamisa, Wamba Dia Wamba. Rest in eternal peace Save, forever we shall defend your legacy against political hypocrites such as the desperate Mwonzora, Khupe, Komichi, Mashakada, Dumbu, and a few who now believe in Zanupf satanism.
A repository of fearlessness and courage himself, Dr Morgan Tsvangirai would always encourage young people to take the destiny of the country’s politics and economics into their own hands.
In one of our meetings with Dr Tsvangirai at his home in Highlands, Harare sometime in 2017, he nailed it through the old adage, “mutambirwi gwinyawo” to a group of youths who had come to lobby for represention quotas in the party.
Loosely translated the adage meant to encourage those with a keen interest on something to take the initiative by leading from the front.
A firm believer in youths, Dr Tsvangirai taught us that young people can lead.
From Learnmore Jongwe to Nelson Chamisa, Dr Tsvangirai’s MDC had young faces in position of leadership right from the party’s inception in 1999.
As history will rightly record, the Youth Quota which sought to have youths in decision making positions was Dr Tsvangirai’s legacy too!
Probably the biggest political master class of Dr Tsvangirai was his appointment of Nelson Chamisa as the leader of the newly born of MDC Alliance at a time when he was unwell late in 2017.
Again this was a show of confidence in young people in top leadership positions.
Nelson Chamisa was exactly what the doctor ordered!
Just at 39 about to turn 40 in February of 2018, Dr Tsvangirai’s young and most trusted lieutenant took the nation by storm as he outpaced ZANU PF’s old and tired candidate, Emmerson Mnangagwa enroute to victory in the 2018 General Elections.
Three years on after the demise of Dr Tsvangirai on this day, the National Democratic Movement faces incessant attacks from Mnangagwa’s military dictatorship working in cahoots with black market judicially reconstituted opposition.
At the receiving end of persecutions by Mnangagwa’s evil regime are MDC Alliance members and youths.
Three of our female youth leaders were abducted and sexually abused and are still facing persecution by prosecution in captured courts.
Since 07 December 2020, one of our own, Alan Moyo has been languishing at Harare Remand Prison pre-trial!
Stinking unbridled corruption and poverty authored by Emmerson Mnangagwa’s evil regime is threatening to expunge and devour our very own existence as a generation.
Worse than Covid-19, this military regime is threatening to wipe out our very existence because of unchecked looting at the expense of the people.
It is time we take heed of Dr Tsvangirai’s timeless advice- ‘mutambirwi gwinyawo’.
It is time we take the bull by its horns and take Mnangagwa’s dictatorship head on!
Freedom has never been served on a plate like sadza hence we must be prepared to fight for it.
Dr Tsvangirai and those of yesterday taught us to fight for our rights and freedoms.
“We don’t want this movement to be a one generation movement”, Dr Tsvangirai challenged us to keep National Democratic Struggle alive.
It is time we defy the status quo if are to survive!
Our choices are very much limited, either we defy or die!
DefyOrDie
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
2021 has been designated as the International Year of Health and Care Workers (YHCW) in appreciation and gratitude for their unwavering dedication in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO is launching a year-long campaign, under the theme – Protect. Invest. Together. It highlights the urgent need to invest in health workers for shared dividends in health, jobs, economic opportunity and equity.
This year, we are calling on your support and action to ensure that our health and care workforces are supported, protected, motivated and equipped to deliver safe health care at all times, not only during COVID-19. Today, we ask that you to add your voice to those calling for additional investments in health and care workers.
Campaign objectives
Ensure the world’s health and care workers are prioritised for the COVID-19 vaccine in the first 100 days of 2021.
Recognize and commemorate all health and care workers who have lost their lives during the pandemic.
Mobilize commitments from Member States, International Financing Institutions, bilateral and philanthropic partners to protect and invest in health and care workers to accelerate the attainment of the SDGs and COVID-19 recovery.
Engage Member States and all relevant stakeholders in dialogue on a care compact to protect health and care workers’ rights, decent work and practice environments.
Figure Bring together communities, influencers, political and social support in solidarity, advocacy and care for health and care workers.
Source: WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
Tinashe Sambiri|The late MDC founding President Dr Morgan Tsvangirai was a man of love, MDC Alliance deputy spokesperson Clifford Hlatywayo has said.
President Tsvangirai died on February 14 2018.
The iconic leader was a brave man who spent his life fighting for freedom from Zanu PF oppression.
Hlatywayo wrote on Twitter:
“President Tsvangirai taught us LOVE. If there is love,there will be:
No looting No abductions No Election rigging No arbitrary arrests No illegal detentions No abuse of state institutions No violence against one another No partisan distribution of food aid RIPMorgan
President Tsvangirai taught us LOVE. If there is love,there will be: No looting No abductions No Election rigging No arbitrary arrests No illegal detentions No abuse of state institutions No violence against one another No partisan distribution of food aid#RIPMorganpic.twitter.com/sV7l8klZ2a
— Clifford Hlatywayo MP Chipinge South (@CliffordHlatyw1) February 14, 2021
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has described the late MDC founding President Dr Morgan Tsvangirai as a champion of freedom.
President Chamisa also described Dr Tsvangirai as a great mentor.
Read President Chamisa’s statement below:
Today is MORGAN TSVANGIRAI DAY:
CELEBRATING A LEGACY OF LOVE..We lost a peacemaker, doyen of democracy and freedom champion.
My father, mentor and a friend,I salute u for the free leadership mentorship and tutorship. You taught me love, forgiveness, humility, principle, consistency and loyalty. I and we ( all your true mentees) will never be purchased to compromise the PROMISE. The project promise is intact, uncompromisable and underailable.
We will WIN Zimbabwe for change! We are holding tight..Chinhu takabata!! Rest in Power Mdara!
Godisinit chinhu takabata machinja ese achapuhwa korona! Kunagumo kune nyaya Vamira pamuganhu kuti NDI!
MDC Alliance deputy chairman Job Sikhala has appealed to Glen View South MP Vincent Tsvangirai (MDC-T) to back off and stop picking up fights with “elder” politicians like Jonathan Moyo and Alex Magaisa.
Tsvangirai who replaced her late sister Vimbai as Glen View South legislator penned a hard hitting opinion piece accusing Magaisa and Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya of fighting MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora.
But Sikhala reminded Vincent of the sacrifices he made to campaign for him in Glen View South.
“My beloved young brother Vincent Tsvangirai. You know how much I sacrificed walking all roads door to door in Glen View South for your win. Please take heed of Pedzisai Ruhanya’s advice. Don’t create enemies or become angry on behalf of others. Pedzisai Ruhanya, Jonathan Moyo are adults,” Sikhala appealed.
Sikhala added: “He (Vincent) is young. He needs advice. Fighting people who never provoked you is the most dangerous expedition. He should not be used to fight wars beyond his reach.”
In his reply by a blog article by Alex Magaisa, a Chamisa ally, Vincent Tsvangirai touched a raw nerve when he fingered Magaisa as the rabble rouser in MDC Alliance, also insinuating that Magaisa brought the G40 into Chamisa’s party leading to disenchantment among voters and members.
Tsvangirai also accused Magaisa of being behind his father election defeat to Robert Mugabe in 2013. Magaisa was advisor to Morgan Tsvangirai for a few years ending in 2013.
Ruhanya has since responded to Vincent accusing him of being Mwonzora’s “political toddler”.
Ruhanya further vowed to expose Tsvangirai as a matric dropout who has no academic certificate to his name.
“Douglas Mwonzora has without provocation drawn the battle lines with Alex Magaisa and myself by sending a political toddler whose only qualification is his father’s surname to play games. I receive his invitation with delight and I shall play the game of facts and nothing but facts.
“The first is that Zanu-PF has captured MDC-T and this is public information with facts as clear as a goat’s behind Mwonzora. From expelling MPs, Councillors, to militarily assisted in taking over Harvest, political finances money to being given venue and ZUPCO buses for congress,” Ruhanya said.
With ALL this persecution and suffering, one wonders why anyone who purports to be wanting to advance Morgan Tsvangirai’s legacy would do so by supporting the very things and people he was fighting against.
By A Correspondent- Job Sikhala has asked people with information about one Crispen Makedenge to come forward and help him locate the man who tortured him when he was still working for the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
Sikhala said he wanted to help Makedenge who is said to be going through a hard time as photos of him surfaced and started circulating on social media.
Sikhala said nations are built on love as he appealed for information that might help him locate the ex-cop:
Anyone with this man Chrispen Makedenge’s location please inbox me. Despite having tortured me, Gabriel Shumba, Taurai Magaya at the Kabrit Barracks, I have got a Valentine gift for him. Nations are ruled on love for diversity not cruelty. Love conquers even the pain in my heart.
A photo of Makedenge is circulating on social media and Pedzisai Ruhanya and Hopewell Chin’ono have used the photo to warn others against torturing people and said:
Next time be careful Varakashi when you torture innocent people on behalf of ZANU PF. This man, Crispen Makedenge once tortured Hon @JobSikhala1 and Gabriel Shumba over bogus allegations that they they torched a ZUPCO bus in Highfields. He was a law and order officer. Look now!
This man is called Crispen Makedenge. He used to head the Law & Order section, torturing opposition politicians like @JobSikhala1, and he even intimidated me. See him today! Brokenness personified
Today we fondly remember the passing on of our icon Dr M R Tsvangirai. Sadly the party he left us is split & under serious threat to disintegrate. I urge all my colleagues to remember the Zimbabwean dream which MT sacrificed for, come together & rebuild the MDC. MHSRIP
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said his impending review of the tough lockdown to slow down Covid-19 infections will be influenced by the situation on the ground.
Mnangagwa is expected to announce new lockdown measures this week as restrictions imposed a fortnight ago expire tomorrow. He told mourners at the burial of the late Retired Lieutenant-General Douglas Nyikayaramba at the National Heroes Acre in Harare that Zimbabweans must remain vigilant as Covid-19 still posed a potent threat.
“The war against the global Covid-19 pandemic is far from over,” Mnangagwa said.
“We are in the thick of it. We dare not lose it.
“Each Zimbabwean who falls to the pandemic is a grim reminder that the pandemic is real and a danger to our nation.”
“These measures are predicated on strict enforcement and adherence to World Health Organisation (WHO) protocols and the roll-out of our vaccination programme.”
Zimbabwe’s Covid-19 cases have been going down in the past few days after a second wave that began early this year left thousands infected and killed hundreds of people.
Zimbabwe is expected to roll out its vaccination programme this week after receiving a donation 200 000 doses of China’s Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine.
Nyikayaramba, who was Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Mozambique, died of Covid-19 last week.
By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe Stock Exchange- listed retail giant OK Zimbabwe says its CEO Alex Siyavora will leave the group at the end of next month, after assuming the role just over two years ago. He will be replaced by (operations and marketing) Maxen Karombo, according to OK Zimbabwe chairman Herbert Nkala.
“The company’s group chief executive officer will be retiring from the company with effect from 31 March 2021,” Nkala said in a market update released on Friday.
The outgoing OK Zimbabwe CEO joined Zimbabwe’s largest retail operation as finance director in 2001 before rising to his current role in 2017, taking over from the illustrious Willard Zireva who left after steering the firm for about 16 years.
A highlight of Siyavora’s tenure was overseeing an extensive refurbishment of the group’s 67 branches, along with leading a rebranding and innovation programme that is meant to position the group to take on stiff competition from a cluster of recent entrants into the market.
The group operates some of the country’s most recognised retail outfits, including Bon Marche, OK Mart and the OK Supermarket chain.
During Siyavora’s tenure OK was named winner of the top performing companies listed on the ZSE in 2018. OK also received runner-up awards in 2019 and 2020, among other accolades, while it extended its store footprint across the country.
“Mr Maxen P Karombo will be appointed to the position of group chief executive officer with effect from the 5th of April 2021,” said Nkala.
“Max is a marketer by profession, and business leader by practice. He joins OK Zimbabwe from Delta Corporation where he was executive director (operations and marketing) for 10 years,” he said.
Karombo earned a Masters degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Technology Management (Hons) degree from the University of Zimbabwe.
“He was first certified as a chartered marketer in 1999 by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK) and is a recipient of the Outstanding Marketing Personality of the Year from the Marketers Association Zimbabwe,” Nkala said.-standard
By A Correspondent- Two Chitungwiza residents have taken Local Government minister July Moyo and the local authority to court over the poor drainage system in the town, which is causing flooding.
Several houses in Chitungwiza have been flooded this season after heavy rains due to poor drainage.
In an urgent chamber application filed at the Harare High Court, Daniel Tapfira and Emmerson Shereni Ndokwani argued that government’s failure to ensure Chitungwiza had a proper drainage system violated their constitutionally guaranteed rights.
Tapfira and Ndokwani cited Chitungwiza Town Council and Moyo as first and second respondents respectively. They are seeking an interim order forcing government and the Chitungwiza municipality to maintain, repair and install a functional water drainage system in the town.
The duo want particular attention paid to areas that include Seke’s Unit N Extension, Unit G, Unit A and Unit B.
Tapfira and Ndokwani said because of government’s failure to maintain, repair and/or install a functional drainage system, they were victims of flash floods that hit the town last month.
They said the drainage system in Chitungwiza was in a state of disrepair with the storm water drains covered with dirt or grass and in some cases, council neglected to maintain or even install a functional drainage system.
“My house is on a corner stand and the storm water drain pipes and bridge near my house have collapsed due to lack of maintenance by council,” Tapfira said.
“When we experience heavy rains, the surface runoff water collects in the broken storm water drain, which is adjacent to my house and cannot be channelled anywhere as the pipes are broken.
“The water, therefore, accumulates into my yard and into my house.”
On January 30, Chitungwiza council attributed the flash floods to illegal construction on wetlands, stream banks and waterways. But Tapfira said council’s claims were untrue, claiming he did not experience any flooding until the drainage pipes collapsed.
“The floods are also a result of first and second respondents’ failure to have a comprehensive and sound policy and plan to deal with settlements on wetlands and respondents’ failure to develop local environmental action plans, which maintain wetlands as open spaces so that they perform their natural functions of absorbing water and avoid flooding,” he said in his founding affidavit.-standard
By A Correspondent- The South African Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has said 20 land borders leading into South Africa will be opened on Monday but quickly pointed out that anyone caught with a fake COVID-19 certificate will be banned from entering South Africa for 5 years, South Africa’s TimesLive reports.
Motsoaledi according to the publication reportedly said:
…anyone arriving at a border with a faked Covid-19 test result would be turned back and barred from SA for at least five years.
We appeal to travellers to ensure that they have all the requisite travel documents, including valid Covid-19 tests, when they present themselves to officials at our borders.
Truck drivers should adhere to laws, regulations and agreements in place in the border area. This will go a long way in minimising congestion.
The 20 land borders that will open on Monday include borders leading into South Africa from Zimbabwe, Bostwana, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, and Swaziland.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe is yet to make a decision about reopening land borders. The Ministry of Home Affairs said they will first consult with the National COVID-19 taskforce before making a decision on the issue.-timeslive
MDC T is planning to hold a virtual memorial service for the founding father of the MDC Morgan Tsvangirai who died on 14 February 2018.
This was contained in a memo that notified members of the virtual memorial which will start from 10.30 and Professor Lovemore Madhuku will give a speech during the memorial.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE 3rd ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING ON OF PRESIDENT MORGAN RICHARD TSVANGIRAI
The MDC T family is seized with the preparations to commemorate the 3rd Anniversary of the passing on of our icon, the late President Morgan Richard Tsvangirai. The event will take place on 14 February 2021.
I was tasked by President Douglas Mwonzora to lead the team organizing the event. The memorial service will be held virtually due to COVID 19 restrictions currently in force. Professor Lovemore Madhuku will deliver a memorial lecture. The event will start at 1030am and will be live streamed.
We have consulted widely with the senior Tsvangirai family members during the preparations. A public event will be announced later when full lockdown restrictions are lifted. Please note that there will be no Party gatherings since the event will be virtual.
By A Correspondent- Dorothy Mabika has reportedly replaced the late Manicaland Minister of State and Devolution Ellen Gwaradzimba who died from COVID-19 last month.
The news that Mabika is now the new Manicaland senator was first shared by Member of Parliament for Shurugwi North Constituency Tinashe Ngarandi who took to social media to congratulate the new senator in a post that said:
Congratulations to Cde D Mabika for winning the Manicaland Senatorial Post to replace Dr. Ellen Gwarwadzimba.
Not much is not known about Mabika who in 2013 was suspended as a Zanu PF women affairs official. Mabika in 2013 was acquitted of stock theft after she was accused of stealing 6 beasts that were donated by prominent Chipinge farmer and alleged Zanu PF benefactor Dawis Joubert to former President Robert Mugabe.
She reportedly altered the party books to conceal her crime and claimed the cattle died because of lack of food:
….Mabika was being charged with stealing six bull calves donated to Zanu PF by Chipinge farmer Dawid Herculus Joubert and attempting to tamper with party documents to conceal the crime.
Dorothy Mabika also headlined in 2013 for accusing Didymus Mutasa who at that time was the Presidential Affairs Minister and Zanu PF secretary for administration of politically persecuting her because she turned down his love interests.
By A Correspondent- Senior Zanu PF officials in the Midlands Province are reportedly worried over outspoken Norton independent MP Temba Mliswa’s motives for commissioning various development projects in his village in Shurugwi.
There are concerns that Mliswa may contest in one of the Shurugwi constituencies during the 2023 general elections.
A senior Midlands ruling party leader who spoke to The News Hawks said even President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s allies, July Moyo and Owen Ncube are in panic mode, while Shurugwi South MP Edmond Murakatigwa is said to be the most vulnerable.
The official is quoted as saying: The Zanu PF Midlands leadership is panicking over Mliswa’s political moves and development activities, which are community-based yet clearly electoral at the same time.
Mukaratigwa is obviously the most affected, but even some national leaders from our province, including the President (Emmerson Mnangagwa)’s allies like July Moyo and Owen Ncube, are panicking.
They don’t want Mliswa here. They say he will cause divisions and chaos – the sort of problems associated with him when he was Zanu PF Mashonaland West chairman.
So his political manoeuvres and development activities in Shurugwi South are not welcome by some political heavyweights here, although the community and villagers are happy.
Mliswa originally comes from Shurugwi South under Gamwa Section, Shamba Circuit, Ward 5 in an area called Mliswa Village.
He was previously Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial chair during the late former president Robert Mugabe’s rule and is also a former Hurungwe West MP.
Today, on this 14th February 2021; I would like to take this opportunity to join the rest of our beloved nation in remembering and celebrating the life and legacy of the late Dr. Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.
Our beloved political legend and icon sadly passed away on 14th February 2018.
May this day be never forgotten. Indeed, may this day forever remain as one of the saddest days of our beloved nation.
On my part, I am certainly one of his compatriots who prayed earnestly for him to defeat the prostate cancer that eventually took away his precious life.
I earnestly prayed that he would not just defeat the prostate cancer but also rise up even stronger to lead us into the long promised land of freedom and democracy.
Sadly, this was not meant to be. As fate would have, his brave fight culminated in a devastating defeat. The deadly disease eventually won.
And so on this globally venerated day of love and romance, our undisputed champion for democratic change passed away in South Africa.
Unfortunately, he was unable to finish what many, including me, would have desperately wanted him to do.
Indeed, many of us would have wished him to continue his life-long fight until final victory.
Three years later, we are still struggling to come to terms with this ghastly reality. Our doyen for the struggle for democratic change in our beautiful motherland is no longer with us.
Forever.
But what legacy exactly did Tsvangirai leave for us as he departed to the world yonder?
It is my considered view that Tsvangirai left us one of the richest legacies we could have ever wished for.
According to him, the most important thing that we needed most as a country was to love each other most sincerely.
Not just in word but in deed also.
In this regard, Tsvangirai led us from the front.
To him the talk about us loving each other no matter what, was not mere talk. Neither was it some form of easy political rhetoric.
Tsvangirai exuded love, totally.
He not only loved his own personal family; but he also loved both the members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and the broader nation at large.
He was a most genuine lover of humanity.
Throughout his political career, his bitter rival Robert Mugabe and his ZanuPF cohorts consistently labelled him a traitor or sellout.
They called him ugly face.
They physically and criminally harassed him
He had to endure physical violence from both the Zimbabwe Republic Police and ZanuPF
He had to unnecessarily spend so many days in the criminal courts and so many nights in the detention centres like the Chikurubi maximum security prison.
He had to recuperate in hospital beds after being viciously assaulted by the regime-backed militants
He had to fear for his life almost all the time.
He had to face fake treason charges headlong.
He had to flee the country and find refuge in such countries as Botswana
Yet in all this, he never dared to harbour any form of hatred against his violent detractors.
He continued to march on forward; in his unbridled quest for democratic change in his beloved motherland.
Relentlessly.
Indeed, no amount of hatred or politically motivated persecution from Mugabe and his ZanuPF was enough to stir him into an abyss of raw anger and bitterness.
Tsvangirai remained resolute. Tsvangirai remained determined. Tsvangirai remained so loving and caring. Tsvangirai remained willing to forgive and forget.
In all this, he taught us that our love must always defy all the odds against us.
Vincere caritate – conquer with love!
He taught us to conquer evil and hatred with so much unconditional love.
This explains why in 2008, he was more than willing to give up on his personal ambition to become the President of our beautiful motherland.
Political history will record that Tsvangirai won the popular vote, unofficially in 2002 and officially in 2008.
Yet because of his love for his people and beloved country; he chose to accept the apparently politically inferior role of the Office of the Prime Minister.
Political history will record that a truly loving Tsvangirai resolutely declared that he would rather lose out on his personal political ambitions than to walk over dead bodies of fellow Zimbabweans and step over the flowing blood of his dead supporters.
There is no doubt that Tsvangirai really loved his beloved country and wished it to enjoy peace, freedom and democracy.
This is certainly one of his greatest legacies as one of the most outstanding political leaders in the entire history of our beloved country.
But as fate would have it, Tsvangirai sadly passed away without successfully leading us into the long awaited promised land of freedom and democracy.
However, I am so happy that his life-long fight for democratic change was not in vain.
Today, as we commemorate the third full year since his passing away; Tsvangirai’s legacy of love lives on.
Tsvangirai did not leave us leaderless.
Tsvangirai certainly pointed out his successor to all of us.
Tsvangirai passed on the leadership mantle to one of the most consistent and loyal cadres of our movement.
Tsvangirai passed on the leadership baton stick to none other than our dear President Advocate Nelson Chamisa.
To put it in a biblical context; if Tsvangirai was our Moses, then Chamisa is certainly our Joshua who has been tasked to finally lead us into our promised land.
Indeed, as we mark our full third year since his passing away, we have absolutely no doubt that Tsvangirai’s legacy of love will continue until final victory.
I for one cannot wait for that day to dawn when the long suffering people of Zimbabwe will finally cross the river Jordan into the long promised land of freedom and democracy.
I want to be there when the people of Zimbabwe celebrate the dawn of freedom and democracy
I want to be there when the long suffering masses of Zimbabwe sing and dance all across the country in celebration of the end of this brutal military regime.
I want to be there when Zimbabwe finally reaches its TRUE potential and step up as one of the most admired and respected countries not just in Africa but across the whole world
I want to be there when our beautiful motherland finally achieves its political destiny and becomes the truly GREAT ZIMBABWE it was always meant to be.
A NINE-year-old girl from Matobo, Matabeleland South province, was killed by a crocodile at Hovi River while she was washing her lunch box last week.
Matabeleland South Police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena confirmed the incident which happened on Monday. She identified the girl as Shalom Moyo and advised members of the community to desist from sending children to fetch water especially at rivers where there are crocodiles. Shalom’s parents Mr Gift Moyo and Happiness Ndlovu said their daughter was the first born in a family of three. The Moyo family, who are from How Mine, had visited their relatives in Matobo when the incident happened.
“We rushed and got to the scene immediately after a little girl who witnessed the incident shouted for help after seeing Shalom being attacked by the crocodile. When we got to the river her bloodied body was floating in the water,” said Mr Moyo.
Ward 17 Councillor Max Majahana said a few years ago another child was attacked by a crocodile at the same river.
“Rangers from Matopos National Park arrived a few hours after the incident to hunt and shoot the creature but unfortunately it vanished into the muddy water as the river was flooding,” said Clr Majahana.- The Sunday News
