Tinashe Sambiri|A war veteran based in Chilonga area, Chiredzi has vowed to resist eviction from “ancestral land”.

Government is planning to evict thousands of Shangaan people from their ancestral land to create space for a grass- growing project.

NGOs and pressure groups have condemned the move.

The war veteran fumed:
“Where shall we go? I spent 4 years in the battlefield and came back to build my home here.

Today, they are evicting me from my home. I also did not benefit from the land reform. So, what did I fight for? What did I suffer for?”

A 22-YEAR-OLD man from Patane village at Tuli in Gwanda is battling for life in hospital after he was stabbed several times in the chest and back while trying to stop a fight at a kitchen party.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena said:

“I can confirm that a man only identified as Mthokozisi and aged 23 is assisting police with investigations after he stabbed Allbright Molepo (22) at an illegal kitchen party held at Patane village on February 28 from around 7pm to 3am.

“The incident happened at around 3am and Molepo was ferried to Manama Hospital before he was transferred to Gwanda Provincial Hospital where he is in a critical condition,” said Insp Mangena.

Witnesses say a kitchen party was held in defiance of national Covid-19 protocol that prohibits gatherings.

Mr Molepo reportedly tried to stop a fight between Mthokozisi and his cousin 20-year-old Uluketsi Nare.

“There was a kitchen top up party at the village and it started at around 7pm and ended after the stabbing incident.

“Mthokozisi had a misunderstanding with Molepo’s cousin Uluketsi Nare and they started to fight. Molepo tried to stop Mthokozisi who got angry and stabbed him in the back and in the chest,” said the witness.- Chronicle

BUSINESSES in Bulawayo are counting losses following a five-day blackout in parts of the city centre due to an electrical fault at a Zesa substation in Belmont industrial area.

The fault has also caused a blackout in residential areas such as Suburbs, Woodlands and some parts of Ilanda.

Zesa technicians have since Monday been battling to restore power to the affected sections. Some businesses have been forced to shut down, only days after they reopened when the Government relaxed the lockdown on Monday.

Others have resorted to diesel generators and gas as alternatives.

Retail shops, restaurant and informal business operators who spoke to Chronicle yesterday said they have been adversely affected by the power outage.

Mr Martin Ndlovu, a manager at Billy’s Fry and Braai Restaurant said they are now forced to use a generator which consumes 60 litres of diesel daily.

“The situation has forced us to resort to using a generator which requires about 60 litres of fuel every day, which is unsustainable. In some cases, we end up throwing away some perishable products such as meat, vegetables and dairy foods because our generator does not operate during the night,” he said.

“We used about US$100 daily to fuel the generator because we have to take a risk as we do not want to lose our customers.”

Mr Wayne Cooke who operates a veterinary company said the blackout has forced them to suspend procurement of new stock of animal vaccines, which require a cold chain.

“We sell vaccines for livestock and they are supposed be kept at a temperature of between 2 and 10 degrees Celsius and this has forced us to destock the vaccines to avoid incurring losses. We are forced to buy at least 8 litres of diesel every day to power our generator as well as ice to keep the vaccines under the low temperatures,” he said.

“Most farmers rely on vaccines for their livestock since we are in the rainy season and animals need to be vaccinated to control the spread of diseases. Due to the power blackout, we are failing to supply our customers with enough vaccines.- Chronicle

The Government has released the 2021 schools calendar signaling the return to the standard education interface after the prolonged Covid-19 furlough.

The first term opens on Monday, March 15 for the three examination classes, and the rest of the classes a week later on Monday March 22, the first term will end on Friday June 4.

The second term begins on Monday June 28, ending Friday September 10, while the last term will start on Monday October 4, ending on Friday December 17.

The Herald has seen the calendar signed by Mrs Tumisang Thabela the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.

The resumption of face to face classes this month follows a thorough exercise by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary education and their Health and Child Care counterparts to ensure a safe return to the standard education interface.

Credit: The Herald

ZIMBABWE EVENING WEATHER REPORT AND FORECAST ISSUED AT 1600 HRS ON THURSDAY 04 MARCH 2021 VALID UNTIL SATURDAY 06 MARCH 2021.

PREAMBLE

Mostly sunny and warm conditions were experienced over provinces such as Masvingo, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland north with scattered clouds and thundershowers over Harare Metropolitan, Midlands as well as all Mashonaland provinces. The only significant rainfall recorded was 30mm ( Mvurwi).

FORECAST

FRIDAY 05 MARCH 2021: All Mashonaland Provinces and Harare Metropolitan Province should be mostly cloudy and warm with a chance of isolated afternoon thundershowers. The rest of the provinces should be mostly sunny and hot though mild in the morning.

IMPACTS

Day-time temperatures are expected to steadily rise as the week progresses.
Crops might show signs of moisture stress
Hot daytime conditions may lead to dehydration
ACTIONS TO TAKE

Keep hydrated: ensure you drink lots of water from protected sources.
Poultry producers should note that broilers are sensitive to temperature variations and therefore need to be checked regularly and adjustment made.
Farmer with crops that still need significant amounts of water should plan with irrigation in mind.
NB: Pfumvudza plots are easy to irrigate even by hand

EXECUTOR of the late socialite Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure’s estate Patricia Darangwa yesterday told the Kadungure family that they could not seek reversal of his unsigned will after they initially endorsed it.
Ginimbi died in a fatal accident on November 8, 2020, leaving behind a fleet of top-of-the-range vehicles and a multi-million-dollar mansion in Domboshawa.

Darangwa made the remarks in response to an urgent chamber application filed by Ginimbi’s sisters, Juliet and Nelia, and his father Anderson to reverse the unsigned will.

The family had sought an interdict to stop Ginimbi’s best friend Nomatter “Kit-Kat” Zinyengere from inheriting one of the deceased’s top-of-the-range vehicles.

The row started when Ginimbi’s family refused to surrender the top-of-the range Lamborghini vehicle bequeathed to his friend, Kit-Kat.

The Kadungure family wanted Kit-Kat to produce a birth certificate to prove that he was, indeed, the one mentioned in the will.

Darangwa said the family had made a lot of misrepresentations in the urgent application and, as such, the matter should be struck off the roll of urgent cases.

“It is respectfully submitted that this matter is not urgent. The master’s decision accepting the unsigned will was arrived at on November 25, 2020. The applicants were present when the decision was made. It was made with and based on their consent,” she said.

She said the fact that the family took three months to file an urgent chamber application showed that there was no urgency.

Darangwa also said section 8(6) of the Wills Act (Chapter 6:06) gave the applicants the right to appeal against the decision of the master within 30 days, but they chose to do so three months later.

“The applicants have exhibited no urgency whatsoever in their handling of the present matter. They have carelessly abstained from action. The applicants cannot seek an interdict against the first respondent, barring her from carrying out her duties as an executor. The letters of administration that empower her remain valid and extant,” Darangwa said.

She said the applicants had failed to disclose material facts that had a bearing on their application, for instance, disclosing to the court that they signed affidavits confirming that they had no objections to the unsigned will.

“So they cannot turn around and claim belatedly that the second respondent erred in accepting it or that they were unduly influenced to accept it,” she said.

Darangwa complained that the Kadungure family members were paying no regard to the fact that the executor had already made significant. -Newsday

Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri has appointed the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Board led by Major-General Gibson Mashingaidze (Retired).

Other board members are Cde Irene Zindi, Major-General Evaristo Dzihwema (Rtd), Lieutenant-Colonel Getrude Moyo, Brigadier-General Alex Mazinyane (Rtd) and Mr Lameck Jackson.

Other members are Remigio Makoni, Rido Mpofu, Tinaye Chigudu, Archibald Kufa, Susan Madzivadondo, Lifneth Moyo and Batsirai Musona.

Accepting the appointment, Major-General Mashingaidze (Rtd) promised to hit the ground running.

The board was appointed following consultations with President Mnangagwa and his deputies during the process of enacting the War Veterans Act.

Announcing the new board yesterday, Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri, who was accompanied by her deputy Victor Matemadanda, said the appointment marked the first practical step of operationalising the VLS (Veterans of the Liberation Struggle) Act.

“In coming up with the members of the board whose composition has already been outlined by the Secretary for Defence and War Veterans Affairs, issues of gender balance and fair regional representation were considered in line with sections 17 and 18 of the Constitution.

“Equally, due prominence was given to the appointment of Veterans with critical qualifications that are essential in driving various processes and assignments that the board will be expected to accomplish,” she said.

Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri tasked the board to immediately create an empowerment vehicle for veterans of the liberation struggle.

She said the envisaged empowerment vehicle would be 100 percent owned by a fund controlled by veterans of the liberation struggle.

“Your appointment coincides with the implementation of National Development Strategy 1 (2021-2025) whose thrust is anchored on a transformative and inclusive development agenda.

“It is critical for veterans of the liberation struggle to play a key role, both as actors and beneficiaries in the new development trajectory.

“To this end, your activities should be informed by and feed into the milestones of NDS 1,” said Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri.

She said among other functions, the board was expected to advise the Minister on the establishment of any scheme in terms of this act or on any matter relating to any scheme and to administer through the Chief Director, the veterans of the liberation struggle fund.

The other functions included addressing issues relating to rights, benefits and the general welfare of veterans of the liberation struggle. – Herald

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance deputy chairperson and Zengeza West MP, Hon Job Sikhala has said the so called Patriotic Bill is meant to close all democratic avenues.

Hon Sikhala questioned the logic behind the introduction of the bill at a time the nation is battling to contain the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Hon Sikhala Sikhala believes the introduction of the bill is a case of misguided priorities.

“The motion pushing for the immediate introduction of the so called Patriotic Bill being discussed in Parliament today shows how misguided we are as a people in terms of our priorities.

The county is burning you spend time pushing the law criminalizing meeting anyone from USA or EU,” argued Hon Sikhala.

Some teachers’ unions on Wednesday said that teachers are financially incapacitated and would not be able to report for duty until their salaries and working conditions are improved.

Speaking to NewsDay, Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) president Obert Masaraure said the government risks a repeat of what happened in late 2020 when schools were reopened in the absence of teachers. Said Masaraure:

It is very unfortunate and tragic that the government of Zimbabwe is opening up schools without capacitating the teachers who ordinarily teach there.

The teachers will neither be able to show up for duty nor pay the school fees for their own children.

Government is acting like the proverbial fool who repeats the same mistake and expects different results. The crisis of September 28 will haunt us.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou echoed Masaraure’s sentiments, saying the opening of schools this month will be “mission impossible” for teachers as they are financially incapacitated. He said:

As teachers who are nearer the schools and classrooms, we want to tell Mnangagwa that teachers will not be able to report for work on March 15, 2021, as they are grossly incapacitated.

There is no need for the State to be inconsiderate by giving teachers an impossible mission of opening schools on March 15.

Teachers are demanding a basic salary of US$520 or its equivalent in the local currency, roughly ZWL$43 160.00.

However, the government insists that it has no capacity to pay in foreign currency or the equivalent in local currency.

Schools will re-open for the 2021 calendar on a phased approach with examination classes commencing on March 15 while the rest of the learners will resume classes on March 22.- NewsDay

Tinashe Sambiri|A war veteran based in Chilonga area, Chiredzi has vowed to resist eviction from “ancestral land”.

Government is planning to evict thousands of Shangaan people from their ancestral land to create space for a grass- growing project.

NGOs and pressure groups have condemned the move.

The war veteran fumed:
“Where shall we go? I spent 4 years in the battlefield and came back to build my home here.

Today, they are evicting me from my home. I also did not benefit from the land reform. So, what did I fight for? What did I suffer for?”

By A Correspondent | A man who has been searching for his wife since she disappeared while on her way to South Africa on the 2nd March, updates ZimEye saying she has been found. VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance deputy chairperson and Zengeza West MP, Hon Job Sikhala has said the so called Patriotic Bill is meant to close all democratic avenues.

Hon Sikhala questioned the logic behind the introduction of the bill at a time the nation is battling to contain the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Hon Sikhala Sikhala believes the introduction of the bill is a case of misguided priorities.

“The motion pushing the immediate introduction of the so called Patriotic Bill being discussed in Parliament today shows how misguided we are as a people in terms of our priorities.

The county is burning you spend time pushing the law criminalizing meeting anyone from USA or EU,” argued Hon Sikhala.

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance deputy chairperson and Zengeza West MP, Hon Job Sikhala has said the so called Patriotic Bill is meant to close all democratic avenues.

Hon Sikhala questioned the logic behind the introduction of the bill at a time the nation is battling to contain the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Hon Sikhala Sikhala believes the introduction of the bill is a case of misguided priorities.

“The motion pushing the immediate introduction of the so called Patriotic Bill being discussed in Parliament today shows how misguided we are as a people in terms of our priorities.

The county is burning you spend time pushing the law criminalizing meeting anyone from USA or EU,” argued Hon Sikhala.

Some teachers’ unions on Wednesday said that teachers are financially incapacitated and would not be able to report for duty until their salaries and working conditions are improved.

Speaking to NewsDay, Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) president Obert Masaraure said the government risks a repeat of what happened in late 2020 when schools were reopened in the absence of teachers. Said Masaraure:

It is very unfortunate and tragic that the government of Zimbabwe is opening up schools without capacitating the teachers who ordinarily teach there.

The teachers will neither be able to show up for duty nor pay the school fees for their own children.

Government is acting like the proverbial fool who repeats the same mistake and expects different results. The crisis of September 28 will haunt us.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou echoed Masaraure’s sentiments, saying the opening of schools this month will be “mission impossible” for teachers as they are financially incapacitated. He said:

As teachers who are nearer the schools and classrooms, we want to tell Mnangagwa that teachers will not be able to report for work on March 15, 2021, as they are grossly incapacitated.

There is no need for the State to be inconsiderate by giving teachers an impossible mission of opening schools on March 15.

Teachers are demanding a basic salary of US$520 or its equivalent in the local currency, roughly ZWL$43 160.00.

However, the government insists that it has no capacity to pay in foreign currency or the equivalent in local currency.

Schools will re-open for the 2021 calendar on a phased approach with examination classes commencing on March 15 while the rest of the learners will resume classes on March 22.- NewsDay

Read full statement below:

By Dr Philan Zamchiya| Critical reflections on the Zimbabwe Government’s order to force out the people of Chilonga in Chiredzi for grass farming: Three Big IDEAS why a national moratorium for all rural evictions is necessary.

Dear Reader, I argue for a moratorium on the continued rise of large-scale acquisitions of customary land for private ‘investments’ in the marginalised rural areas of Zimbabwe to allow for a post-colonial democratic national resolution of the three issues articulated below. The latest such unchallenged trend is epitomised by the recently gazetted Statutory Instrument 50 of 2021. This Communal Land (Setting aside of Land) (Chiredzi,) Notice, 2021) by Minister of Local Government, Urban and Rural Development orders about 12 000 people occupying or using 12 940 hectares of customary land in Chilonga communal area in Chiredzi to depart immediately and permanently. This is meant to pave way for lucerne grass farming by Dendairy Private Limited. This is a local company in Zimbabwe which produces dairy products like ice-cream and yoghurt. For emphasis, this is not an isolated case, as land rights holders-vulnerable women and men- living on marginal customary land face similar types of evictions in marginal places like Hwange and Chipinge districts. Now to the reasons.

First, the government is partly basing its decision on a narrow belief that private big estates are the only vehicle for economic transformation despite widespread evidence to their detrimental effects on the vulnerable people’s diverse livelihoods on the African continent. In line with this narrow pathway, the Minister of Local Government, July Moyo, romanticised such land acquisition in Chilonga as a way to ensure big livestock production and generate foreign currency for the nation. Conversely, the government portrays modes of production by the Shangaan people in Chilonga as pristine and unable to drive economic rural development. This approach is problematic because it is premised on a narrow development transition pathway that envisions big companies (like Dendairy PVT LTD) led farming in the countryside as the only viable model or the real deal. The logic also reflects some of the flawed modernisation narratives of the colonial era, 40 years after gaining independence from British colonial rule. However, from the rich empirical data on livelihoods gathered by Masvingo Centre for Research Advocacy and Development (MACRAD, p3) the people of Chilonga are already involved in diverse crop farming and livestock production. They are producing sorghum ( xibedlani , xitishi and mutode), millet (mahuvu and mpowo), some maize, sweet potatoes, cotton, pumpkins (mandunghu) and groundnuts(timanga). They also own cattle, sheep and close to 100% of the households own goats. Why then would the Government choose to destroy and disrupt the local livelihoods?

One alternative pathway to rural development would also require an emphasis on development projects that ensure that men and women living in rural areas do not lose their customary land. For the avoidance of doubt, this is not an argument to maintain the status quo, or to preserve low productivity in Zimbabwe’s marginalised rural areas. For those who intend to create a strawman, I am not saying private investments in agriculture in the countryside should be eschewed. Rather, I am envisioning an alternative pathway where investments will be directed towards ends that lead to people centred and people driven rural development in line with their developmental needs. It is a scenario in which the Ministry of Agriculture, for example, channel massive agricultural investment into the support of diverse livelihoods , crop and livestock farming activities by the people of Chilonga. I am inclined to apply de Schutter (2011, p. 262)’s logic in this case. That the people of Chilonga can better be helped by private investments upstream and downstream of their production process of small grains and livestock, focusing on the provision of public goods that can improve productivity and access to markets, and on institutional innovations that can strengthen their position and allow them to obtain better earnings in ways that enable them to reinvest for expanded reproduction and therefore contributing to wider economic development. A moratorium would allow the nation space to envision such alternative rural development models as viable options.

Second, Zimbabwe’s land laws do not explicitly mention the right to CONSENT in line with the universal principle of Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) and the national 2013 constitution. A moratorium would allow the Government to entrench the universal right to self-determination in order to protect vulnerable communities such as the people of Chilonga. The current land laws give power to the President, local authorities and traditional leaders and responsible Ministers to act on behalf of men and women who live on customary land. This limits the power of the actual land rights holders to say YES or NO to development projects. The outdated Communal Lands Act does not explicitly mention the need to seek consent from the communities. FPIC is an international principle that gives people the right to say YES or NO to developmental projects therefore upholding the universal right to self-determination (FAO 2014, p.12). FPIC at a policy implementation level, entails that the rights-holders-men and women- must make decisions free from undue influence, coercion, bribe and fear. Prior means that consent must be sought before the project starts and that there should be sufficient time to make a decision before the commencement of the investment project. In addition, the rights-bearers must be informed before making a decision. That means having accurate, understandable, accessible and complete information about the investment on an on-going basis. Finally, consent refers to the collective decision made by the rights-holders (including women, youths and people with disabilities) which can be a Yes or a No or a conditional Yes and can be revisited during the different stages of the investment project. None of those principles were applied to the vulnerable land rights holders -men and women-of Chilonga.

On comparative basis, South Africa has an explicit (albeit temporary) law that entrenches the FPIC principle that govern the acquisition of customary land. The Interim Protection of Informal Land Rights Act (IPILRA) of 1996 is meant to protect informal rights to land such as the right to use, gain access to or to occupy land under customary law in the former homeland areas. Consequently, IPILRA requires that the holder of informal land rights must consent to dispose of such a right. Section 4 notes that the land right, ‘… can only be disposed by a majority of the holders of such rights present or represented at a meeting convened for the purpose of considering such disposal and of which they have been given sufficient notice, and in which they have had a reasonable opportunity to participate’. South Africa’s jurisprudence has strengthened the right to give consent. In 2018, the North Gauteng High Court ruled that the Xolobeni community in Eastern cape, has a right to say no to a mining project, in line with IPLRA and the international principle of FPIC.

Third, even in the context of the Zimbabwean state using its expropriation powers, as happens elsewhere, the current compensation model for customary land reinforces a pervasive neo-colonial policy line that casts land under customary tenure as being of little or no economic value. Or what De Soto (2002) infamously termed ‘dead capital’. A moratorium would allow the nation to revisit the compensation model. Where rural inhabitants have lost land held under customary tenure such as in Chisumbanje for biofuel production or for Tokwe-Mukosi dam in Masvingo, state officials have routinely contended that investors are only obliged to pay for improvements on the land, rather than the land itself. This practice prevails despite the 2013 constitutional recognition of customary land rights. Policymakers mistakenly fail to fully recognize customary land rights because such rights are not formally registered, ultimately depriving affected communities of fair and adequate compensation. However, not only is land undervalued, so too is the value of agricultural and other productive activities such as hunting and gathering by the affected people of Chilonga, in a context where neither the market value nor cost of restoring diverse rural livelihoods is clear. The current trend is one of underplaying losses in the wider ecosystem. Equally important is the understating of non-monetary losses in contemporary compensation models. Non-material losses are central to human development such as cultural rights, identity and citizenship, belonging, history and memory. In Chilonga, there are a number of sacred hills and scared areas such as Chigwejiva Sala for rainmaking ceremonies and cultural activities. All that is not explicitly modelled in Zimbabwe’s current compensation models.

I therefore emphasise the need for the Zimbabwe Government to put a moratorium on rural evictions until the nation can collectively revisit this narrow pathway to rural development based on an envisioned teleological transition to big private investors acquiring huge tracts of customary land in the marginal areas as in the colonial era. A moratorium would: (a) allow the nation to debate and promote an alternative rural development model that protects customary land rights for vulnerable men and women without taking away their land; (b)allow for the entrenchment of the right to self-determination in line with the universal principle of FPIC and (c) provide space for an evaluation of the current compensation models for loss of customary land, land rights and wider livelihoods and cultural rights.
The three ideas suggested here are not exhaustive but are big propositions that can lead to securing customary land rights for vulnerable women and men in the marginal areas (like the people of Chilonga) and foster inclusive rural development, particularly in the context of a renewed rush for ‘cheap’ customary land in Zimbabwe by local and foreign investors.

By Dr. Phillan Zamchiya, 03 March 2021, (contact pres1zamchiya@gmail.com)

By A Correspondent| Wife to Zimbabwe’s vice president Constantino Chiwenga, Marry has accused the country’s judiciary of being compromised saying she has been subjected to imprisonment just to shut her out of their children’s life.

Posting on Twitter yesterday, Marry Chiwenga said she missed her children while warning the powerful vice president that power is not permanent.

“I miss my children so much, 17months I have been shut out completely, subjected to imprisonment by my husband to keep me away, the judiciary is compromised…these are young children…power is not permanent,” said Marry.

Marry and her estranged husband have been embroiled in a bitter divorce case that has spilled in the courts.

By A Correspondent| MDC Alliance Secretary General Charlton Hwende has criticised the white owned Dendairy company for evicting 12,500 blacks in Chiredzi.

His comments come as Norton MP Temba Mliswa and Harare East MP Tendai Biti were in parliament yesterday blocked from grilling Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa on authorising a White Farmer to evict 12500 Shangaan blacks for a grass growing project.

The Dendairy company is displacing the blacks at a time when barely a few kilometers away the ZANU PF businessman Billy Rautenbach’s ethanol project, has failed dismally 11 years after displacing thousands of blacks from their ancestral properties. Below is the transcript:

HON. T. MLISWA:  Madam Speaker, my supplementary question is that Government is seized with removing illegal settlers.  These are not illegal settlers but legal settlers; they have been there for a very long time – nine years.  They are 12 000 of them and not only that but those who live off them it will be 50 000 and over one person…

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  What is the question?

HON. T. MLISWA:  The question is, have we now gotten to a point of reversing the Land Reform Programme where we now have to vacate our ancestral lands?  I might as well go and inform saSabhuku inini, kuti chiendai zvenyu nekuti Hurumende ichakubvisai pano apa.  What is the cost of 12 000 people vis-à-vis one farmer? 

The Government has enough farms to be able to give.  The Hon. Minister is embarking on an underutilisation programme that can identify farms.  So why do we not wait for that process to happen? Identify and give to him but we cannot afford to reverse the Land Reform Programme, the gains of the struggle.  The Indigenisation Empowerment Act, he repealed it again.  What are the people of Zimbabwe going to be left with when the little that they have in land they do not have?  My question is very clear, they are not illegal; they are legal.  Is it now going to be a standard measure for the whole country?  Can we now go as Members of Parliament to say kumaruwa kwamuri uku, Hurumende kana yakusvika pano, musavake inotora.

*HON. ZIYAMBI:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  I thank Hon. Mliswa but he had misdirected himself in the sense that these people are being relocated to another place.  He has misdirected himself as if this is a new way of doing things but the law that I cited allows the President to possess the land that you occupy if there is a project of national importance and the law has been in practice for a long time.  This is part of our law and if he was unaware of it, this is the law and this is a fact.

It is not just a decision that was done overnight that such hay could be grown in that area.  People are being relocated and are being advised of the reasons why they are to be resettled and if houses are going to be constructed, that will be done.  They have been informed of the reasons behind their relocation.  – [HON. T. MLISWA: Inaudible interjection.] –  The Hon. Member does not want a response but simply wants an argument but this is what the law states and that is the position at law.  I thank you. – [HON. T. MLISWA: Inaudible interjection.] – 

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order, order! Hon. Mliswa, please may you approach the Chair?

HON. BITI:  On a point of clarification Madam Speaker!  Thank you.  My point of clarification to the esteemed Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and Leader of the House is …

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Biti please, may you be connected?

HON. BITI:  Yes, I am trying to do that.  Madam Speaker Ma’am, my point of clarification is to the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and esteemed Leader of the House.  On what basis do we now call a grass making project a national project?

Secondly, on what criteria are we giving this land and ejecting 12 500 people to one Dendairy farmer, the Coetzee brothers?  On what criteria is grass growing a national project that justifies the disbursement of people from their cultural land?  It is not justified Hon. Speaker Ma’am.

HON. ZIYAMBI:  Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.  Madam Speaker, I am actually surprised that the Hon. Member who knows the laws very well can actually attest to what I was saying that it is within the confines of the law is speaking, the way he is speaking. He is now pretending to be an agriculturalist to question the type of grass and how we should move forward in terms of cattle rearing.  I am actually surprised that he is saying that.  I think there is insincerity in the way the Hon. Member is asking because he knows the law very well and he knows that the President is empowered to do that. As to the criteria of which farmer has been given that particular land surely, it is not relevant to me. What I am here to answer is that the policy framework, if we have a project of national importance which the agriculturalist will say that we will ensure that our heard is improved, all the experts have said this is the route to go.  I am sure if he wants to go and join the agricultural college and argue with them, I think so be it but what I have said is what is obtaining and is within the confines of the law.  I thank you.

          HON. MARKHAM: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir.  I just want to follow up on his question. The first question is very simple who is going to resettle 12500 people, the Dendairy or the State?  Secondly, the State has failed to resettle a lot of people including Cyclone Idai and Tokwe-Mukorsi victims.  My issue with this is there is an exercise being run very adequately by the Ministry of Agriculture on identifying land that is not being used. Why are we displacing 12500 people, which can be equated to another Land Reform Programme, for one company which we do not know how it was selected.  I do not care if it was the biggest dairy company in the country; it does not have to go to one place other than for easy of management.

          The issue with this is this is obviously going to require a statement from the Minister of Local Government. He must make sure that everything is covered clearly because it has major ramifications on the Land Reform Programme because we have got issues like the Global Deed Settlement, we have got Statutory Instrument 62 and now we are getting 12500 people displaced. We want all this wrapped into one banner and brought to this Parliament so that we can discuss it and see where we stand because there are now 12500 people, we are playing with their lives – [HON. BITI: Inaudible interjection.)

          THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. M. KHUMALO): Order Hon. Biti.

          HON. ZIYAMBI: Hon. Speaker the Hon Member simply repeated what Hon. Biti was saying, I think I have exhausted – [HON. BITI: Inaudible interjection.] –

          THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Biti, order please.

          HON. ZIYAMBI: Secondly, Mr. Speaker, I think we may belabour ourselves with nothing.  The SI was recently gazetted and this Parliament is going to consider it and once it considers it, I think the esteemed Hon. Members, if they feel that there is something amiss with it, they discuss with the Parliamentary Legal Committee and then it can be tabled here if they so feel that there is something that is not within the confines of our laws, that is contained in that particular Statutory Instrument.

           HON. T. MLISWA: I have a question Mr. Speaker.

          THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mliswa, please sit down.

          HON. T. MLISWA: I am invited by Parliament and I have the right to speak.  Last week, I was not here I have only came today but you do not want me to speak.  This Parliament is for the ZANU PF and MDC, you do not allow independent members to speak – [HON. BITI: Allow him to speak, allow the independent to speak.] –  I do not come for virtual meetings.

          THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. T. Mliswa, I have not asked you to speak, you must follow procedure.

Hi, my name is Brain Matsilele. I come from Masvingo in Mwenezi district. May you help me locate my wife whom I lost contact with on the 2nd of March 2021.

She was intending to visit me and I last talked to her when she was about to cross the border. I never heard from her from about 11 o’clock in the morning of the said day. I don’t know what actually happened to her not to arrive to where I live. I’m very perplexed and in the middle of taking my life. The stress am facing is way above my consumption. My wife’s name is Difinite Mandimo. She is my first girlfriend and consequently became my wife. I never in my life dated any other woman. And I feel like losing this woman is equivalent to loose my life.

There is no way that she could not communicate with me when all things are equal with her. I don’t even know where to start to search her whereabout. I’m stressed to the point that I’ve stopped working. My heart is pumping increased at a geometric progression. I’m a useless man. I don’t know where to start. I don’t know how to search. I’m very shocked and willing to take my life away. I’ve no reason to live in the absence of my wife. She only told me that she boarded a bakkie and that was the last i heard from her.

I don’t even know how you should search but am putting my last hope in your search. If she was arrested i would like to know the place in which she is being kept. If she is dead i want to see her body and peacefully end my life…

Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
A 61-year-old businesswoman from Johnsly area under West Nicholson policing area lost R200 000 to four unknown gunmen who raided her homestead on Tuesday evening.

Egneter Dhlamini, who is co-owner of Nthabeni Store and Cophital Mine 22 in the area, was raided at around 10 pm.

The gunmen, who are still at large, are alleged to have arrived at the homestead dressed in blue work suits with yellow reflectors and armed with one firearm.

Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena said investigations were in progress.
She said the police were appealing to anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the robbers to contact the nearest police station.

“The suspects found the complainant asleep in her bedroom. Her four relatives were sleeping in separate rooms.

They broke the door to the house and forced everyone out demanding to be given some money by Dhlamini,” said Inspector Mangena.

She said the quartet threatened to kill the five people if they resisted taking orders or attempted to alert neighbours.
During the fracas, Dhlamini tried to resist prompting the suspects to fire two shots in the air.

Inspector Mangena said the woman collected R200 000 from her bedroom and handed the money to the four men who fired another two shots before disappearing into the darkness.

“We advise members of the public not to keep large sums of money at their houses to avoid the unnecessary loss of valuables to criminals,” said Inspector Mangena. -@tupeyo – Chronicle

VIDEO LOADING

A report circulated since the 27th of February of a supposed female ghost walking on the railway line. The incident reportedly happened near Zimphos Country Club.

Preliminary checks performed by ZimEye however established the said ghost to be a mere human being walking with a fire torch. A video conparator is presented below….

While the school calendar for this year is still being finalised it is likely that there will be three normal-length terms each of 60 teaching days, meaning exceptionally short school holidays once weekends and public holidays have been taken into account.

Already yesterday, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education said schools would not break for the traditional first school holidays incorporating the Easter and Independence Day holidays, but there would be no classes on these public holidays.

Normally when schools can open for the first term early in January the first term ends shortly before the big batch of late March and April public holidays with the second term ending just before the Heroes and Defence Forces long weekend.

The school calendar is likely to be finalised this week.

With almost 12 weeks of the year taken up before most classes resume on March 22, a week after the three examination years return on March 15, and with each term being over 12 weeks once public holidays are counted in, there appears to be only around a total of three to four weeks for the three school holidays this year.

Representatives of school heads yesterday welcomed the phased re-opening later this month, but said that some cash-strapped schools were still short of personal protective equipment.

Government wants to ensure a safe re-opening of schools in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines and recently completed a monitoring exercise on the preparedness of schools to conduct classes without risking a spike in infections.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education said it was encouraged by the innovations of some schools to use other spaces like halls and common rooms for classes in compliance with social distancing regulations.

Under the guidelines, classes need to be split or otherwise rearranged to have smaller numbers to allow more space between pupils.

The ministry also allayed fears of possible rent-seeking behaviour by schools increasing fees and gave assurance that social distancing protocols would not result in learners losing their places.

“Some schools have been innovative in utilising other spaces within the schools for classes, spaces like common rooms and halls to ensure adherence to social distancing regulations,” said the Ministry’s spokesperson Mr Taungana Ndoro.

“School fees have to be approved by Government. The state of preparedness in most schools is encouraging save for a very few and we are working on that to ensure everyone will be ready possibly by the end of this week,” he said.

National Association of Secondary Heads president Mr Arthur Maposa and his National Association of Primary Heads counterpart Mrs Cynthia Khumalo both welcomed the decision saying the re-opening of schools was long overdue.

“We have been waiting for a long-time to return to normal classes and it’s a relief that classes are now resuming,” said Mr Maposa.

“Our appeal is for Government to sort out the outstanding issues with teachers’ unions before the resumption of classes so that there won’t be disruptions when we finally start.

“There are issues of personal protective equipment and the vaccinations for stakeholders which must be clearly explained as well to ensure an incident-free resumption.”

Mrs Khumalo hailed the decision to resume classes, but highlighted a few areas of concern which she said needed to be addressed.

“We are happy schools are re-opening because children have suffered for so long. They are used to going to school and they want to return. We still have challenges of PPE and some schools cannot afford to provide them because of the huge utility bills accrued during the lockdown period.

“Some parents might find it difficult to get these PPE so we appeal to Government to provide them,” said Mrs Khumalo.

Child President Mukudzeiishe Madzivire also welcomed the move to re-open schools.

He said despite the threat posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, pupils wanted the re-opening of schools.

“Online learning has been helpful for some but it has not been as effective for those living in areas where network connectivity is a challenge.

“Re-opening schools solves this problem. Our only plea is that children are kept as safe as possible throughout the coming school days,” said Madzivire.

Most parents commended the decision to resume classes despite the threat of the pandemic saying they were determined to play a part in the protection of children.

They said their worry was that some private schools would try and raise fees beyond their reach and appealed to Government to take action against errant schools.- Herald

I just wanna say Happy Birthday kuna Amai Mwari akuwedzereyi makore akawandisa ekurarama muchengetwe na Ishe nhasi izuva renyu enjoy your birthday Momz

THREE brothers from Zhombe are on the run after allegedly brutally killing a father and his son with knobkerries over three stolen donkeys.

The incident occurred at Bhaparara business centre in Zhombe on Friday at around 5pm.

Midlands Provincial Police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the incident.

“Zimbabwe republic police is investigating a case of murder where two men died after being assaulted with knobkerries all over their bodies over stolen donkeys by three male adults. The incident occurred at Bhaparara business centre, Zhombe on February 28 at about 5pm,” he said.

Insp Mahoko said Mr Helken Ncube (54) and his son Khulekani (27), both of Mudzingwa village under Chief Malisa in Zhombe, died in hospital following the attack by Lee, Mpilo and Moffat Moyo.

The Moyo brothers, Insp Mahoko, said alleged that Mr Ncube and his son had stolen their three donkeys sometime in December last year.

“A misunderstanding arose between them resulting in accused persons assaulting Mr Ncube and Khulekani. The three accused persons went away leaving Mr Ncube and Khulekani lying on the ground,” he said.

Insp Mahoko said the matter was reported to the police who attended the scene and no arrest was made.

“The father and son were referred to Kwekwe General Hospital where they both died upon admission,” he said.

Insp Mahoko appealed to members of the public who might have information about the assailants to inform any nearest police station.

He urged members of the public to desist from using violence to solve misunderstandings.-
Chronicle

While the school calendar for this year is still being finalised it is likely that there will be three normal-length terms each of 60 teaching days, meaning exceptionally short school holidays once weekends and public holidays have been taken into account.

Already yesterday, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education said schools would not break for the traditional first school holidays incorporating the Easter and Independence Day holidays, but there would be no classes on these public holidays.

Normally when schools can open for the first term early in January the first term ends shortly before the big batch of late March and April public holidays with the second term ending just before the Heroes and Defence Forces long weekend.

The school calendar is likely to be finalised this week.

With almost 12 weeks of the year taken up before most classes resume on March 22, a week after the three examination years return on March 15, and with each term being over 12 weeks once public holidays are counted in, there appears to be only around a total of three to four weeks for the three school holidays this year.

Representatives of school heads yesterday welcomed the phased re-opening later this month, but said that some cash-strapped schools were still short of personal protective equipment.

Government wants to ensure a safe re-opening of schools in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines and recently completed a monitoring exercise on the preparedness of schools to conduct classes without risking a spike in infections.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education said it was encouraged by the innovations of some schools to use other spaces like halls and common rooms for classes in compliance with social distancing regulations.

Under the guidelines, classes need to be split or otherwise rearranged to have smaller numbers to allow more space between pupils.

The ministry also allayed fears of possible rent-seeking behaviour by schools increasing fees and gave assurance that social distancing protocols would not result in learners losing their places.

“Some schools have been innovative in utilising other spaces within the schools for classes, spaces like common rooms and halls to ensure adherence to social distancing regulations,” said the Ministry’s spokesperson Mr Taungana Ndoro.- The Herald

The incessant rains that have rendered some communities in Nyaminyami including Mola and Mayovhe inaccessible except through boats have left one person dead and damaged 16 homesteads.

With communication cut off, modalities for the transfer of serious health cases from Mayovhe, Mola and Chalala clinics by boat to Kariba District Hospital instead of the nearby Siakobvu Hospital are being worked out.

The area received a staggering 262mm of rain on February 27, 113mm a day earlier, and 63mm on February 28.

Rains have persisted in recent days, registering a rainfall average for the week 265,5mm for some areas including Siakobvu.

Engineers from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development visited the affected areas yesterday amid indications that a contractor would be engaged to temporarily restore connectivity while a long-term solution is being worked out.

There are fears that food distribution for the drought-prone region, where little agricultural activity is undertaken owing to inclement weather conditions and wild animals would be affected.

As of yesterday, the washed away section of the Siakobvu-Bumi Hills road, especially at the notorious Ndepa Escarpment, remained characterised by gullies and debris, including boulders and mud.

Ndepa, whether in fair weather or not, is a steep descent which only customised vehicles can tame.

Kariba District assistant district development coordinator, Ms Patience Mubango, said stakeholders including Bumi Hills and Padenga who have boats and ferries, have been engaged to assist in the transfer of serious cases.-The Herald

Harare magistrate Mr Richard Mangosi has revoked bail in the matter of MDC-Alliance youth activist and former Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) secretary-general Makomborero Haruzivishe after ruling that he was in wilful default when he absconded court proceedings.

Haruzivishe was in court for default enquiry after being issued with a warrant of arrest for failing to attend court since last year. He was arrested last year for participating in illegal demonstrations in Harare.

He was on bail pending trial for participating in a public gathering with intent to cause public violence and violating the Covid-19 national lockdown regulations.

In his defence Haruzivishe had told the court that he was in isolation as he was living with a person who had tested positive to Covid-19. He was remanded in custody to March 19. -Herald

Government’s plans to reopen schools in two weeks might hit a snag after teachers’ unions yesterday declared that their members would not report for duty until their salaries and working conditions are improved.

Cabinet on Tuesday announced a phased reopening of schools after a lengthy COVID-19-induced break, with examination classes supposed to report for lessons on March 15, while the rest of the classes will open a week later.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure told NewsDay that as long as government failed to meet teachers’ grievances, there would be massive failure by teachers to return to work due to incapacitation.

Teachers are demanding a basic salary of US$520 or its equivalent in local currency, but government insists that it has no capacity to pay in foreign currency or the equivalent in local currency.

“It is very unfortunate and tragic that the government of Zimbabwe is opening up schools without capacitating the teachers who ordinarily teach there. The teachers will neither be able to show up for duty nor pay the school fees for their own children. Government is acting like the proverbial fool who repeats the same mistake and expects different results. The crisis of September 28 will haunt us,” Masaraure said.

He said government should ensure voluntary vaccination of teachers and mandatory testing of all participants in the physical school ecosystem to ensure adherence to COVID-19 standard operating procedures.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou said currently, teachers’ salaries ranged from $14 000 to $19 000, a situation which rendered them incapacitated.

Zhou accused government of reneging on its November 2020 promise to pay them US$520 or its equivalent by July 2021.

“The message from President Mnangagwa was clear and loud that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education must prepare to open schools in line with WHO [World Health Organisation] regulations. Indeed, the timelines would have been sound if government was preoccupied with the urgent resolution of the welfare of teachers and prioritisation of health and safety of teachers and pupils,” he said.

“As teachers who are nearer the schools and classrooms, we want to tell Mnangagwa that teachers will not be able to report for work on March 15, 2021 as they are grossly incapacitated. There is no need for the State to be inconsiderate by giving teachers an impossible mission of opening schools on March 15.”

Zhou accused the civil servants’ negotiating body, Apex Council, of failing to represent government workers.

He said the National Joint Negotiating Forum and Apex Council could not serve the interests of civil servants and teachers as they did not have the interests of civil servants at heart.

But Apex Council president Cecilia Alexander dismissed the claims, saying teachers were the most represented in the Apex Council. “The few individuals who criticise the Apex Council are those betraying the workers’ struggle. They are not giving any service,” Alexander said.

Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said schools would open as planned.

“The ministry has come up with catch-up strategies that will see all continuing classes starting with 2020 work. Syllabi have been compressed to enable accelerated coverage. Both primary and secondary levels have three levels of accelerated compressed syllabus each. This will result in work being covered in much shorter time,” he said. Newsday

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…..

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The Twitter account of the ZANU PF activist Matigari has been suspended after hoisting a series of threats against veteran journalist Hopewell Chin’ono as well as several women. Matigari is the ghost account of the activist Taurai Chinyamakobvu – THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY…

Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Youth Assembly has condemned the move by Mr Mnangagwa’s administration to evict thousands of Shangaan people from their ancestral land.

Villagers in the area have also vowed to fight for their land.

See the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly statement:

Chilonga Evictions: Mnangagwa In Smith Robes*
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly Condemns Chilonga Evictions

03-03-2021

MDC Alliance Youth Assembly condemns in strongest terms the senseless and heartless capitalistic move by Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime to evict more than 12 000 people of Shangaan origin from their ancestral land.

In this anti-people agenda, the regime is evicting citizens to pave way for a lucerne grass/alfalfa project by Dendairy- a company owned by Mnangagwa’s friends.

Armed with a rotten piece of legislation, the Communal Lands Act, Mnangagwa’s blue eyed boy, July Moyo is evicting Chilonga residents from their ancestral lands for years to pursue crude capitalistic interests.

This latest new low by the regime simply shows that Mnangagwa cares more for grass than the people he purports to represent or lead.

For a person who claims to be a veteran of the liberation struggle, Emmerson Mnangagwa must always remember that the liberation legacy was about addressing the land question.

Mnangagwa must be reminded that our defiance as a people has always been centred on the land question, protecting gains and completion of the unfinished business of the liberation agenda.

At the centre of that agenda is people power and people’s interests first!

Anything else that fronts selfish personal interests against the people’s share of national cake is provocation and calls for defiance.

It is disturbing that successive dictators that took charge of the affairs of our country since the Ian Smith era have this provocative syndrome to dare citizens by removing them from their ancestral lands of years.

In the 1970s, colonial dictator, Ian Douglas Smith stripped the Tangwena people of their Garaesi traditional land, but as always people power reigned supreme.

Remember Grace Mugabe, wife to the late dictator, Robert Mugabe!

Armed with imagined power of his husband’s invincibility, Grace led the evictions of people from Manzou farm for a parochial and petty zebras project at the expense of the people.

As always, people defied and people power reigned supreme.

Fronting the criminal Billy Rautenbach, the same Mnangagwa regime is in another tug of war with the Chipinge community over a bio-energy project that is set to displace thousands from their traditional land.

It is daring that in this day and age, Emmerson Mnangagwa again wants to drag us on this path of stripping people of their traditional land at the expense of petty selfish interests.

What is unmistakable from the Chilonga evictions is the regime’s patronizing and belittling attitude towards minority groups.

It is clear that after causing havoc in urban and town councils, Mnangagwa’s regime is now misdirecting their energies in destroying the rural social fabric which is closely attached to land.

Rural areas remains a doyen of our cultural heritage and the sentimental value of land goes beyond its economic value as there is traditional significance attached to it.

In this regard evicting citizens from their traditional land is akin to uprooting their cultural roots and economically stripping them naked.

For a man of color, Mnangagwa is behaving worse than Ian Smith and risks suffering the same fate as the latter.

People will simply defy privatization of their traditional heritage and Mnangagwa too is not immune to defiance!

Defy or die!

StopEvictions
DefyOrDie

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

Tinashe Sambiri|Former Harare Mayor Councillor Ben Manyenyeni has said Zimbabweans should not read much into Kembo Mohadi’s resignation.

According to Manyenyeni, Mohadi’s resignation will not change the country’s political dynamics.

He argued:
I resonate with the view that appointments or removals of Vice Presidents are not matters of national impact.

Such matters are internal ZanuPF processes and projects dealing with internal dynamics.

The country will continue to be run the Zanu way.

This has been demonstrated enough times before.

In most of them nothing really changes other than the Joshua Nkomo appointment which stopped the loss of life and brought peace back to the southern regions.

The results of English Premier League have more impact here than the appointment of a Vice President – both are indeed sideshows in our daily hustles as ordinary patriots.