Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has said Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa should stop blaming perceived political rivals for his own blunders.
In a message of encouragement to the nation, President Chamisa said Mr Mnangagwa’s administration has dismally failed to address the escalating problems affecting the nation.
Said President Chamisa:
It cannot be normal when government torments journalists and ordinary citizens.
They think they are correct while everyone else outside their administration is wrong.
They say journalists are wrong, citizens are wrong , South Africa is wrong…
It cannot be normal when children are not going to school because of Coronavirus.They don’t have alternative learning methods.
The blame game will not solve anything, let them admit failure.
It cannot be normal when citizens are being bashed by the police. Zimbabwe will never die, let us not lose hope, lets remain positive.
They are blaming perceived opponents instead of concentrating on resolving problems affecting the nation…
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has said Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa should stop blaming perceived political rivals for his own blunders.
In a message of encouragement to the nation, President Chamisa said Mr Mnangagwa’s administration has dismally failed to address the escalating problems affecting the nation.
Said President Chamisa:
It cannot be normal when government torments journalists and ordinary citizens.
They think they are correct while everyone else outside their administration is wrong.
They say journalists are wrong, citizens are wrong , South Africa is wrong…
It cannot be normal when children are not going to school because of Coronavirus.They don’t have alternative learning methods.
The blame game will not solve anything, let them admit failure.
It cannot be normal when citizens are being bashed by the police. Zimbabwe will never die, let us not lose hope, lets remain positive.
They are blaming perceived opponents instead of concentrating on resolving problems affecting the nation…
Tinashe Sambiri| Zanu PF stalwart, Oppah Muchinguri- Kashiri says the Chinese people are to blame for experimenting with the deadly Coronavirus.
This follows the death of Minister of State for Manicaland, Ellen Gwaradzimba.
Read Muchunguri-Kashiri’s remarks below:
Washaya mwana wangu washaya meaning she is dead, my daughter is dead. Mwana wangu washaya kani she is gone she is gone.
Takaedza kani takaedza meaning we tried everything we really tried to help her get better. The Lord has laughed at us we tried everything….the children. What about the children? They have killed me (Ellen’s death) has destroyed me. This has destroyed me. I am in pain, so much pain. …. What? drink ginger? I am not sick. I am well. I am not sick. It’s just people that are saying lies. They are lying. I am not sick. I am very well and healthy. They have said that I am sick but it’s not true. They have said that I am sick four times and even suggested that I have died four times. But it’s not true. Ok my children.
I suffered a lot with Ellen. I couldn’t sleep while she was sick. The doctors talked to me everyday, together with the children. She was in pain she was in so much pain. She has let us down today. Hazvina mhosva….. She took everything, all the medication…everything we tried. Vaccine?
No there is no vaccine yet in the country. I will never take the vaccine. I will not take “your” vaccine, I will not take your vaccine unless if it’s developed by our own people, Zimbabweans. If they develop our own vaccine. Why can’t we also develop our own vaccine. Why should we take that which is developed by others? Why can’t we also make our own vaccine? Let’s develop our own.
We are trying our own, we are also trying our own that which we are developing with the help of the Chinese maybe it will be successful maybe it will be successful. I do not know.
Chinotimba. I also heard that he is not well. I also heard that Chinamasa is sick….Chinotimba I heard that he is not well. I heard that he is not too well. But I am well and not sick. I am assisting a lot of people. I am the one helping a lot of people who are not well here in Manicaland. Ana Getty vese I brought them here everyone in Manicaland I am helping them. Bringing them here to help with their treatment. I am looking for resources to help them getting them treated.
It is not possible (to stay at home) I am going to the children. I can’t leave them alone Ellen’s children. I can’t do that. We left together with Ellen, we left their home while going to seek treatment. I left with their sick mother. They (other family members) were all sick but they got better. I can’t leave them. Zimbabweans are dying. This is serious. Covid 19 is serious.
The Chinese, the disease is now on a fresh peak now. Cases are rising again. They are the ones who started their experiments and things got out of hand and now their experiments are costing us. They cannot control this now. They have costed us…. those whom we call our all weather friends, look at what they have done to us.
We have to be strong. Indeed we have to be strong Let me attend to the children so that we can organise the funeral. We have managed to take the body to Doves so we need to do the heroes burial. We are liasing with the leaders. We are talking to the party leadership. Please forgive me so that I can start doing the job ….we are taking extra care we are wearing the masks 4 4, face screens, gloves everything.
We are drinking the medicines zinc garlic we are drinking we will not stop. But Covid 19 is killing- it is killing people. Its still a journey. We are protecting our health wearing masks, social distancing everything. Zvakaoma. This is a deadly disease, it is a killer disease. It has wrecked havoc.
These people, who are now at the top at ZBC, they are not doing anything. They are just busy promoting themselves (the top stalwarts at ZBC).
They are not even conscientising the public on the dangers of Covid-19…. On the safety of the president in the wake of Covid- 19…..Vanokanganiswa meaning he is not safe at all.
Our enemies are using the people around him (bodyguards) to spread the virus to our senior leaders. We are even suspecting that. It is well my son. Thank you.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance officials, Hon Job Sikhala (vice chairperson) and Advocate Fadzayi Mahere (national spokesperson) have been denied bail.
The two were arrested for allegedly communicating falsehoods.Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono was also arrested for exposing police brutality.
Today Harare Mayor, Jacob Mafume was granted bail.
In a statement, MDC Alliance Secretary for Welfare, Maureen Kademaunga said:
“Jacob Mafume has been granted bail. This brings relief but does not take away the abuse and unfair treatment suffered in the last 32 days behind bars.
A fair trial is a constitutional right that must be respected.”
The situation in the country has reached another level.
Emmerson Mnangagwa’s repression has simply run wild, with civic and political activists as well as journalists and the people’s elected representatives being harassed, abducted or incarcerated with reckless abandon, all for no apparent reason.
As I write, the mayor of Harare Clr Jacob Mafume, journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzai Mahere and vice chairperson Hon. Job Sikhala have been re-arrested for the second time in less than a year and are currently languishing in the country’s prisons on trumped up charges of communicating falsehoods. The irony is that it is Zanu PF itself that has institutionalised falsehoods. It is Zanu PF itself that has become a superspreader of perfidy and unbridled falsehoods as exemplified by its statements alleging growth in the country’s economy and the cheap allegation that victims of State-sanctioned abductions are faking their own abductions. They recently peddled yet another falsehood which has shocked millions on both sides of the Limpopo—the falsehood that President Nelson Chamisa and the MDC Alliance are funded by the ANC and President Cyril Ramaphosa.
They have even wheeled out a mere child barely in his puberty, Tafadzwa Mugwadi, to needlessly attack and make unfounded, disrespectful allegations against a revered institution called the ANC. A whole party abusing a child and in the process brazenly violating the cardinal provisions of the country’s laws protecting the rights of children!
The regime has now simply run amok. No one is safe as Mnangagwa’s government takes perfect cover under the lockdown to repress citizens and to engage in a vain but violent attempt to decimate the people’s project called the MDC Alliance. Since last year, a host of pro-democracy activists have seen the inside walls of the country’s dingy prisons as the regime takes advantage of the Covid-19-induced lockdown to escalate its repression of innocent citizens. The lockdown restrictions and the attendant proscription of gatherings are being applied selectively as Zanu PF’s DCC elections and the surrogates’ extraordinary Congress were allowed to proceed. Suffice to say what was extraordinary about the so-called extraordinary Congress was its inquorate credentials even after the regime had supplied this treacherous lot with Zupco buses!
Streetifyng the people’s anger is now more of an imperative than it was a few months ago when Zimbabweans exhorted each other to peacefully and constitutionally express themselves in July 2020. It is now urgent, given the exigency of the moment, for citizens to sreetify their genuine grievances in line with the dictates of the Constitution.
As the United States of America takes strident steps to impeach and force out an incumbent leader who unleashed untold violence against elected representatives as they sat at Capitol Hill to confirm Joe Biden as the elected President of the country, it appears we have our own Donald Trump here in Zimbabwe who has engendered and incited domestic terrorism against the country’s citizens.
Perhaps when this lockdown and its justifiable restrictions are finally over, Zimbabweans must seriously consider streetifying their anger in line with the provisions of the country’s Constitution. One hopes that soon, and very soon, the pandemic will allow us to enjoy our Constitutional rights without any fetter and hindrance, particularly the right to demonstrate and petition this murderous regime. And it is the regime itself that has given the signal for the citizens to loudly and unequivocally pronounce themselves regarding the unfolding situation in the country.
Today, I republish a piece I wrote in July last year urging my fellow citizens to streetify their disgruntlement, an exhortation that has become even more relevant as the economy implodes and human rights situation further deteriorates in Zimbabwe:
TimetosreetifythePeople’sAnger
As the regime frets and quacks in its boots over national murmurs for action on July 31, Zimbabweans must not be threatened out of their Constitutional right to peacefully streetify their anger at a clueless regime that has brought the country to these plumbing depths of penury.
Our only choice now is to seek succour and sanatorium in our sacred right to peacefully express our anger, which right is enshrined in section 59 of a Constitution that we made ourselves and affirmed in a referendum in May 2013.
We have become a nation of grievances. Every sector has a genuine grievance against this lot in government. Nurses, doctors, teachers, the rest of the civil service, journalists, judges, informal traders, villagers, traditional leaders, artisanal miners, farmers, nay every Zimbabwean, is now angry at this repressive and inept lot in government.
The regime has stolen elections; over eight million people are starving; they have stolen Covid-19 funds because they are corrupt while their cluelessness has seen biting poverty pervading the country amid a tough lockdown with no safety nets in this highly informal economy.
In our case, they have even pilfered a people’s party called the MDC Alliance, dubiously recalled the people’s elected MPs and councillors and given our funds to a pliable surrogate personified by Thoko-Zanu Khupe.They have worked very hard to make this nation angry.
We have reached that stage where as a nation we must now oblige their invitation to action. Indeed, the time has now come for every Zimbabwean to streetify their displeasure by going into the streets.
As a nation and as citizens, we have stuck to an orthodox script for far too long by transacting our politics in predictable and captured stadia such as the courts, the media, local government and Parliament, among other constricted platforms. We have tweeted our complaints and grievances adinfinitum , adnauseum . But no one has listened.
At a personal level, I have no problem with innovative 21st century platforms such as twitter and other social media platforms consistent with this brave, digital age. But perhaps we must now de-eliticize this struggle by going back to the basics-to the street language that dictators like Emmerson Mnangagwa perfectly understand. We must dismount from our high horses of elitism, abandon our laptops and resort to the basic language of rooftops and tree-tops to peacefully and Constitutionally make a sonorous call for the respect of citizen rights.
We must now support all calls for the legitimate and constitutional expression by the people. The party to which I belong has expressed its solidarity to any legitimate expression by despondent Zimbabweans, in this our nation where whole families are now surviving on less than US 35 cents a day.
We cannot individually be on twitter when collectively we are all on teeter—-tottering on the brink and struggling for a daily morsel.
We have to do more. We must not simply be cyber-activists, desktop revolutionaries and twitter gendarmes while avoiding the robust route our oppressors fear and that can change our tenuous lived circumstances.
We now need to “Luke” the Beast in the Eye.
If you are not angry enough, just take a peek again into the following abominable experience of the MDC Alliance trio of Joannah Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova. Maybe just maybe, one may get the motivation to join any loud but Constitutional expression by the despondent people of our land:
It is exactly 10:47 hrs on a serene Friday morning and the date is 15 May 2020. An ambulance screeches to an agonizing halt outside Parktown Hospital near Waterfalls, some 15 kilometers south of Harare.
A visibly traumatized female patient, face contorted and hair disheveled, is being helped out. Her face partially covered, the ambulance crew stretchers her out at breathtaking speed into the infirmary to avoid the desperate newshounds jostling for the prized photograph of this ghost-like figure visibly grimacing in pain.
It is clear the unfortunate woman in the ambulance is more desperate than the press corps. While the latter are stampeding for a simple scoop and a headline, the former is barely clinging to dear life!
It turns out the unfortunate woman at the mercy of the clicking cameras is Hon. Joanah Mamombe, the MP for Harare West. She has just had further scans and examinations done by a team of doctors in the city.
But the scary sight before us is starkly different from the affable, bubbly and beautiful legislator that our mortal eyes are accustomed to. Joanah is haggard and looks like an apparition, which is understandable given what she has gone through in the past 24 hours.
Already inside the hospital and wailing in agony are two other dedicated warriors for change, her colleagues Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova. The three MDC cadres were taken from inside a police station, driven to an unknown forest inside a fittingly black Datsun Wish vehicle where they were sexually abused, tortured and dumped some 70 kilometers away.
Theirs is a horrific tale of how they were taken from inside a police station, driven to a forest and taken into a pit where the solemn and despicable script of their predicament began.
Not only were they sexually abused. They had their breasts suckled by Emmerson Mnangagwa’s merchants of terror. Their anal regions were brutally pierced by gun bayonets while they were fed with a ghoulish faecal diet.
Yes, they were made to eat each others’ faeces and to drink each others’ urine by the regime’s morbid securocrats.
Now we are being told they faked all these things, including their own sexual abuse!
Now instead of the perpetrators facing justice, it is the three young women—the victims—who are before the courts!
Welcome to Zimbabwe’s Second Republic.
Indeed, welcome to our “new dispensation”. A dispensation that is shouting engagement but practically doing all it can to disengage from the rest of the civilized world!
With a government that sexually abuses women, including an Honourable Member of Parliament, who else can be accused of inviting the so-called sanctions?
From the pits in some unknown forest where many horrible and despicable things were done to them, they do not even remember much else. All they remember is that after what seemed like eternity, now with their clothes torn, they were dumped in the deathly quiet of the morning at some rural growth point where a sympathizer picked them up.
The place turned out to be the appropriately named Muchapondwa shops in Bindura South in Mashonaland Central province, some 70 kilometers away from the capital.
Muchapondwa is a Shona word which literally means “ youshallbekilled .” This is the place where the three female MDC cadres were found dumped and left for dead by the regime’s merchants of death.
Muchapondwa—the place whose name has a deathly ring to it.
The route they took will never be known, as the Devil’s itinerary is always a closely guarded secret!
We shall never know whether the three brave cadres were taken along the Shamva road, past Denda shops after turning left at Chabwino, via Mupandira and Nyava shopping centers before arriving at Muchapondwa.
We shall never know whether these peddlers of violence chose to go via Mazowe road to Bindura before turning right past Trojan Mine, Manhenga, then Chiveso before dumping their brutalized human cargo at Muchapondwa.
Or whether these merchants of darkness used the more direct route via my beloved Domboshava, past my late mother Pelagia Makumbe’s homestead at Makumbe village, negotiating those dangerous and nervy curves at Cheza before crossing the dry Nyaure river to bundle out their unwilling passengers at Muchapondwa.
Whichever of these three routes they used, what is certain is that it was a route to national shame.
It is an indictment against this illegitimate regime that it could allow State-paid merchants of violence to abuse defenseless women a mere four days after Mothers’ Day; that day when the sanctity of feminine power is celebrated worldwide.
How could any sane person abuse and indignify women, including a revered Member of Parliament, barely 96 hours after the world has celebrated the chastity of women?
Nothing beats this barbarism, which is well beneath the sacred value of humanity— ubuntu .
The police owe this nation an explanation as to how these women were taken out of their custody. The police spokesperson Paul Nyathi had confirmed to a local daily that they had three women in their custody. Hours later, the ZRP tweeted that the women were no longer in their custody.
Someone must tell us what happened between the time of confirmation and the time of denial.
Who could have the temerity to abduct people from inside a police station, unless it was the police themselves who handed over these women to a more insidious State security unit? I am well aware that the police can hand you over to more ruthless goons. Some 13 years ago, I was brutally assaulted and tortured for three continuous days together with several other party colleagues inside the infamous room 93 in the basement of the Law and Order section at Harare Central police station.
Yes, that infamous room at the misnamed Law and Order section where neither law nor order prevails!
Room 93 has visible blood stains on the walls—probably a trick to unsettle you psychologically. And I knew the guys who brutalized us for three continuous days without food and water were definitely not police.
But when the police hand you over and allow you to be taken out of their custody, as happened to the three female cadres, it can only be worse. I have a sneaking feeling that the police tweet announcing that the three were no longer in police custody was a feeble attempt to absolve themselves by letting the world know that the “prisoners” were now being held by a separate, more callous unit of the State. I still have the hunch that the tweet was a Pontius Pilate gesture by the police to wash their hands and absolve themselves from what was to come.
In case something happened to the three women, the police through their tweet might have been absolving themselves of any responsibility.
Yet ED as a person can’t absolve himself. Whether it was the police, the CIO or the army, it’s his government all the same so he must take full responsibility for what happened to these girls.
Listening to the girls’ sordid and horrific tale of abuse and torture is akin to listening to a story of death. Indeed, something inside them has died, judging by the trauma and fear that is still palpable in their eyes to this day. Their lives will never be the same again.
I still have the same feeling after my own traumatic experience as I still can’t stand the sound of banging doors. Any banging door makes me cringe as it is synonymous with the sound of the doors that were banged as a new set of torturers entered the room to show their expertise at dastardly acts. For me, the banging doors that signalled yet another session of torture were banged for three unforgettable days from Wednesday, 28 March to Saturday, 31 March 2007.
It must be said that SADC and Africa have let Zimbabweans down. Maybe these brothers and sisters of ours want first to literally see rivers of flowing blood in the country for them to appreciate that there is a monumental human rights crisis in Zimbabwe. Otherwise what will it take for drastic action to be taken against this deranged man on the citadel of power?
First it was August 1 2018, when this regime’s soldiers callously murdered six people in broad daylight. SADC and Africa maintained the silence of the grave.
Today, one of the widows of the slain six, Suspicious Kumire from Domboshava, is having to do menial jobs at Santa Heights private school, an opportunity given to her by the benevolent principal Mrs Mapfumo to enable her to raise fees for her two children that are enrolled there.
It is always a dispiriting sight to see this widowed mother and the hapless kids that have been orphaned by Mnangagwa’s guns. Yet the scarfed murderer lied to diplomats that his government was owning up to its culpability by looking after the orphans, in line with the recommendations of a Commission that he set up himself. And yet he has not complied with the recommendations and the situation on the ground is that the widows, widowers and orphans from the August 1 2018 violence are suffering,
Still, SADC and Africa have kept loudly quiet.
Then we saw more violence in January 2019 when several more innocent Zimbabweans were killed by State security agents. The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, an independent Constitutional Commission, investigated and held the State liable for those murders.
Still, SADC and Africa have kept sonorously quiet.
Yet Article 4(h) of the constitutive Act of the African Union allows the continent to intervene in member States in respect of “ gravecircumstances .”
What more “grave circumstances” is Africa waiting for when three innocent women, including a member of Parliament, are taken from police custody by State security agents, are sexually abused and made to eat their own faeces and drink their urine?
Article 4(o) of the same constitutive Act of the AU calls for the rejection of impunity on the continent. Yet we are seeing the ghastly and abominable version of the same impunity unfolding in Harare.
SADC and the whole of Africa have lost their voice. Not even a whimper of condemnation!
Maybe we are expecting too much from our African leaders. These are the same guys who on 27 June 2014 came up with the Malabo protocol. The protocol, aimed at expanding the remit and mandate of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights, contains Article 46 A in which sitting African Heads of State have made themselves immune from any manner of investigation and prosecution while still in office.
The world has equally let us down. By now the International Criminal Court would have pounced on Mnangagwa for gross crimes against humanity, as it has done before when it intervened in countries that are non-State parties to the Rome Statute.
Yet the politics of the referral system, the duplicity of the big powers, the geopolitics of the UN Security Council, including the abuse of the veto power, will mean that the deranged Mnangagwa will be shielded by his known allies in the P5 from prosecution.
ED and his merchants of violence have found convenient succour and a perfect sanatorium in the porous and imperfect international criminal justice system.
Through the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), the world has made a promise to the vulnerable and the violated, a promise that it is failing to fulfill—the promise that the world will not stand by and watch while rogue regimes run amok. Yet people are being killed and abused in Zimbabwe and no one cares a hoot.
We are simply on our own and others have suggested that if this regime has run amok, then maybe we must also run amok.
With his hands dripping in the blood of the country’s citizens, Mnangagwa still bestrides the country like an untouchable Colossus, well aware of the weaknesses of international criminal law. After all, nothing has happened to him, notwithstanding an unchecked and an unparalleled blood-soaked legacy that stretches back to Gukurahundi, if not before.
Covid-19 is real and the casualty figures keep going up. But the repression is also going up and pained by government that has become a danger to its own citizens, others are even suggesting that perhaps it is time for us to ignore this lockdown. Maybe, just maybe, it is time to lock up our courage, buckle ourselves up and confront this regime.
True, there is a pandemic out there but I truly understand the impatience when some of my troubled fellow citizens posit that this regime is a worse virus than Covid-19. They can come to your house and rape your wife or kill your children, even if you are in isolation and you have numerous masks and sanitizers.
No one is safe from this corona government!
Indeed, no mask or sanitizer can protect you from this murderous regime of Emmerson Mnangagwa. Joanna, Cecilia and Netsai had their PPE but they still could not mask themselves from the naked brutality of this despotic regime. Corona or no corona, we are at the mercy of these vampires in government.
You could presume yourselves to be safe from Covid-19 but there is no guarantee you are safe from this scarfed corona virus that is illegitimately holding the levers of the State.
No leader voted by the people can murder, rape and abuse in this horrendous way the same citizenry that elected them into office. This callousness betrays his presence at the helm of the State has nothing to do with the people.
Skeptics have even argued that it may be better to die of Covid-19 in a gathering in the streets than to be plucked away alone to your abuse and to your death from what you may presume to be the safety of your home.
These skeptics are now even arguing that it may be worthwhile dying while in gathering to confront this regime than remaining locked down in your home only to be confronted yourself by this murderous lot.
Does anyone think that these thugs were maintaining social distance when they were abusing these women? A government that rapes and sexually abuses women?
Indeed, Mnangagwa is simply worse than the corona virus.
What happened to these three grave cadres from our own version of Hitler’s Third Reich could happen to you, your sister or your daughter. Pastor Martin Niemoller, a German Lutheran pastor, had this to say about Hitler during the horrific era of the Third Reich:
“ First , theycamefortheSocialists , andIdidnotspeakout — becauseIwasnotasocialist .
So in the same vein, tomorrow, Mnangagwa’s regime may be coming for you. And there may be no one left to speak for you.
This regime has angered everyone. Everyone is suffering except Mnangagwa and his inner circle who are fleecing the country through avarice, unbridled sleaze and corruption.
They have fractured livelihoods. They have decimated the burgeoning informal sector through Murambatsvina 2.
Any action that may take place in this country will have happened at the instigation of no one else but the regime itself.
Their provocative acts have wittingly and unwittingly mobilised all of us to Constitutionally express ourselves.
Only recently, they called the equally suffering police to go for three weeks training in Ntabazinduna and in Shamva as a way of quelling legitimate public expression.
But nothing must stop us. After this justifiable lockdown, which the regime is abusing to terrorise citizens, it may be the time to streetify our grievances. The Constitution allows it!
Future generations will judge us harshly if we remain silent amid these gross human rights abuses. We must do something robust that will enable us to stare history in the face with the pride and conviction that as a people, we boisterously expressed ourselves in a significant way when the moment demanded it.
A MAN from Bulawayo’s high density suburb of Nguboyenja battered his wife for asking him why he had called out another woman’s name while they were having sex.
The court heard that on 08 December last year at around 9PM while Sikhanyisiwe Moyo (28) and Thabo Ngwenya were having a nice time in between the sheets, Thabo pulled a shocker.
As he reached the point of no return Thabo called out an unfamiliar name — “Bridget” — much to the shock of his wife.
Sikhanyisiwe asked why he was calling her Bridget. The court heard that Thabo stood up and went to urinate in a container which had drinking water. Sikhanyisiwe tried to show him the bucket which they use for urinating, but he did not listen to her, the court heard.
The situation spiralled out of control as a discomfited Thabo hurled insults at his wife.
“Akungitshiye wena wule lothuvi, mtwane wule (Please leave me prostitute, daughter of a prostitute).
He strangled her, forcing her to fall on the children who were sleeping on the floor. The court heard that the fuming Thabo told his wife to vacate their matrimonial home while calling their children puppies.
Zimbabweans on Friday circulated the below disturbing picture while suggesting Emmerson Mnangagwa is in danger of contracting COVID-19. Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri told ZimEye in an exclusive interview on Friday she fears for Mnangagwa’s security because of enemies amid the COVID pandemic. The interview beamed on ZimEye.com is below…
OPPAH MUCHINGURI ATTACKS CHINA FOR ALLEGEDLY CREATING COVID, I AM TAKING ZINC BUT PEOPLE ARE DYING ALL OVER https://t.co/iA2uD1mczv
Mnangagwa picture with the late Ellen Gwaradzimba who passed away of COVID Friday morning, as well as the late Agric Minister Perrance Shiri who is said to have also died of COVID-19
It's a simple art of communication with Gen. Tongogara's chick, if it offends you I am sorry, go vent your anger on top of the graves of those who've died as a result of her statements since last year
STATE MEDIA: Beitbridge authorities are investigating a case in which 23 Malawian border jumpers disappeared from Beitbridge main police station while awaiting transportation to Harare pending deportation to their country.
Two of the immigrants are reported to have tested positive for the Covid-19 condition.
The group comprises; Ousmane Austin (27), Yamaya Saidi (26), Sumati Jamali (18), Hake Idrasl (23), Hajira Joe (23), Edward Master (18),
Fatima Mark (27), Musa James (27), Bernard Chimenya (25), Dennis Bwala (18), Gladys shucha (24), Enock Halwa (24), Juiro Ajalu (18),
Frank Mayazi (28), Blessings Wiseman (21), and Witness Mdala (21).
Others include; Erison Lestah (24), Lejabo Mbewe (23), Fulani Witness (30), Adam Musa (22), Mark Musa (20), Madson Mwinjiro (37) and Matola Yusuf (19).
It is reported that two were busted by the police as they sought to illegally leave the country on Monday morning at around 4 AM.
The group had allegedly entered the country illegally and were in transit to South Africa when they were arrested on a footpath near the old border post offices.
A security source said following their arrest they were charged for exit by evasion under the immigration act.
“They were taken to court, where they appeared before Miss Vavariro Nhau who warned, cautioned and released them to immigration authorities for further management.
After which, arrangements were made that they are kept at the main police station pending transportation to Harare. The International
Organisation for Migration (IOM) sponsored their transportation under the regional facility for stranded migrants,” said the source.
The official said when a Zupco bus arrived in Beitbridge on Thursday, it was discovered that all the migrants had absconded.
The police officer commanding Beitbridge, Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo, and the Assistant Regional Immigration officer in charge of Beitbridge, Mr Nqobile Ncube could not be reached for comment.
Last year two Malawian border jumpers who tested positive to Covid19 during profiling and screening at the Beitbridge Quarantine and
Isolation Centre located at the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) hotel escaped from isolation.
One of the escapees was intercepted by security agents as he sought transport to Malawi at the closed Dulivadzimu Long-distance Bus Terminus.
His accomplice could not be found.
The two are part of 41 Malawians who were intercepted by security agents on patrol after skipping the border from South Africa.
The group was intercepted while seeking transport to Malawi at a local truck stop.
After interception they were taken for profiling and screening where seven men and one woman tested positive and were put into isolation.
The woman has a minor child who tested negative and the immigrants were put into isolation pending further PCR tests, while 32 were transferred to Harare pending repatriation to Malawi.
Barcelona have confirmed the final presidential candidates ahead of the crucial election on January 24.
Former club president Joan Laporta, Victor Font and Toni Freixa are the final three candidates.
According to a club statement, Laporta, whose reign lasted from 2003 to 2010, received the most validated signatures while another candidate, Emili Rousaud, withdrew his bid earlier on Thursday during the validation process.
The statement reads: “The Electoral Board met this Thursday at the Auditori 1899 at the Camp Nou to announce the definitive candidates for the FC Barcelona presidential elections scheduled for Sunday 24 January.
“Following validation of the signatures presented, members Joan Laporta, Víctor Font and Toni Freixa have been declared official candidates for the FC Barcelona presidency, pursuant to article 48.5 of the Club Statutes.
“During the validation procedure, member Emili Rousaud announced to the Electoral Board that he was withdrawing his bid to stand for election.”-Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Emmerson Mnangagwa has described the passing on of Manicaland Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Cde Ellen Gwaradzimba as a heavy blow to the nation’s thrust of grassroot development.
In a condolence message, Mnangagwa said the said he learnt with great shock and sadness the passing on of Dr Gwaradzimba whom she described as an educationist par excellence whose thirst for development was highly commendable.
“A freedom fighter, long time educationist and passionate advocate for devolved development the late Senator Gwaradzimba will be remembered for her role in wartime educational programmes,
“The country has thus lost a promising cadre who pushed for grassroot development with extraordinary fervency,” said Mnangagwa.
The President also described the late’s leadership qualities as admirable especially considering the role she played when Manicaland was hit by the devastating Cyclone Idai.
“Gwaradzimba exhibited admirable leadership qualities when Manicaland was hit Cyclone Idai. At the time of her demise she was working on a masterplan designed to make the whole province less vulnerable to disasters,” he added.
He also urged the Gwaradzimba family and nation at large to take solace in the fact that Dr Gwaradzimba contributed immensely to the history of Zimbabwe.
“On behalf of ZANU PF, Government, my family and my own behalf,I wish to express my deepest condolences to the Gwaradzimba family especially the children of the departed to take solace from her outstanding place in the history of our country both before and after independence,” he said.
French striker Mousa Dembele has been loaned to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid for the rest of the season.
The 24-year-old has of late struggled for game time at Les Gones after the arrival of Zimbabwean striker Tino Kadewere, who has formed a regular and lethal partnership with Memphis Depay and Karl Toko Ekambi.
Dembele’s move is a loan deal with Atletico having an option to buy when it’s done.
He was replaced at Lyon by Algerian striker Islam Slimani, who joins the Ligue 1 log leaders from Leicester City.- Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe national team has arrived in Cameroon for the rescheduled 2020 CHAN tournament.
The Warriors left the country on Wednesday and connected via Ethiopia. They underwent COVID-19 tests upon their arrival, and all the results came negative.
The team is now expected to hold its first training in Cameroon this evening at 6 pm WAT (7 pm Zim time). They are camped in Yaoundé and will play their Group A games at the 40,000 seat-Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium.
Zdravko Logarusic’s men will clash against the hosts in the opening game on January 16 before playing Burkina Faso four days later.
They round-up their group stage campaign against Mali on January 24.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has said Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa should stop blaming perceived political rivals for his own blunders.
In a message of encouragement to the nation, President Chamisa said Mr Mnangagwa’s administration has dismally failed to address the escalating problems affecting the nation.
Said President Chamisa:
It cannot be normal when government torments journalists and ordinary citizens.
They think they are correct while everyone else outside their administration is wrong.
They say journalists are wrong, citizens are wrong , South Africa is wrong…
It cannot be normal when children are not going to school because of Coronavirus.They don’t have alternative learning methods.
The blame game will not solve anything, let them admit failure.
It cannot be normal when citizens are being bashed by the police. Zimbabwe will never die, let us not lose hope, lets remain positive.
They are blaming perceived opponents instead of concentrating on resolving problems affecting the nation…
Azam striker Prince Dube has resumed training after recovering from a hand injury which kept him out of action for over a month.
The 23-year old hurt his left hand’s ulnar muscle during his side’s 1-0 defeat by Young Africans in the Tanzanian Premier League in late November.
He underwent a successful operation in South Africa.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Azam said: “Our striker, Prince Dube, officially started competitive training with his teammates on Thursday after recovering from injuries to his left arm that sidelined him for six weeks.”
Dube could mark his return in Saturday’s league game against Coastal Union.-Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
NRM’s Yoweri Museveni still in the lead at 63.92% and NUP’s Robert Kyagulanyi with 28.36% from the 29.4% of the total number of votes counted so far – Preliminary accumulative results released by @UgandaEC#NBSUpdates#UgVotes2021#UgandaDecides2021
Tinashe Sambiri| Zanu PF stalwart, Oppah Muchinguri- Kashiri says the Chinese people are to blame for experimenting with the deadly Coronavirus.
This follows the death of Minister of State for Manicaland, Ellen Gwaradzimba.
Read Muchunguri-Kashiri’s remarks below:
Washaya mwana wangu washaya meaning she is dead, my daughter is dead. Mwana wangu washaya kani she is gone she is gone.
Takaedza kani takaedza meaning we tried everything we really tried to help her get better. The Lord has laughed at us we tried everything….the children. What about the children? They have killed me (Ellen’s death) has destroyed me. This has destroyed me. I am in pain, so much pain. …. What? drink ginger? I am not sick. I am well. I am not sick. It’s just people that are saying lies. They are lying. I am not sick. I am very well and healthy. They have said that I am sick but it’s not true. They have said that I am sick four times and even suggested that I have died four times. But it’s not true. Ok my children.
I suffered a lot with Ellen. I couldn’t sleep while she was sick. The doctors talked to me everyday, together with the children. She was in pain she was in so much pain. She has let us down today. Hazvina mhosva….. She took everything, all the medication…everything we tried. Vaccine?
No there is no vaccine yet in the country. I will never take the vaccine. I will not take “your” vaccine, I will not take your vaccine unless if it’s developed by our own people, Zimbabweans. If they develop our own vaccine. Why can’t we also develop our own vaccine. Why should we take that which is developed by others? Why can’t we also make our own vaccine? Let’s develop our own.
We are trying our own, we are also trying our own that which we are developing with the help of the Chinese maybe it will be successful maybe it will be successful. I do not know.
Chinotimba. I also heard that he is not well. I also heard that Chinamasa is sick….Chinotimba I heard that he is not well. I heard that he is not too well. But I am well and not sick. I am assisting a lot of people. I am the one helping a lot of people who are not well here in Manicaland. Ana Getty vese I brought them here everyone in Manicaland I am helping them. Bringing them here to help with their treatment. I am looking for resources to help them getting them treated.
It is not possible (to stay at home) I am going to the children. I can’t leave them alone Ellen’s children. I can’t do that. We left together with Ellen, we left their home while going to seek treatment. I left with their sick mother. They (other family members) were all sick but they got better. I can’t leave them. Zimbabweans are dying. This is serious. Covid 19 is serious.
The Chinese, the disease is now on a fresh peak now. Cases are rising again. They are the ones who started their experiments and things got out of hand and now their experiments are costing us. They cannot control this now. They have costed us…. those whom we call our all weather friends, look at what they have done to us.
We have to be strong. Indeed we have to be strong Let me attend to the children so that we can organise the funeral. We have managed to take the body to Doves so we need to do the heroes burial. We are liasing with the leaders. We are talking to the party leadership. Please forgive me so that I can start doing the job ….we are taking extra care we are wearing the masks 4 4, face screens, gloves everything.
We are drinking the medicines zinc garlic we are drinking we will not stop. But Covid 19 is killing- it is killing people. Its still a journey. We are protecting our health wearing masks, social distancing everything. Zvakaoma. This is a deadly disease, it is a killer disease. It has wrecked havoc.
These people, who are now at the top at ZBC, they are not doing anything. They are just busy promoting themselves (the top stalwarts at ZBC).
They are not even conscientising the public on the dangers of Covid-19…. On the safety of the president in the wake of Covid- 19…..Vanokanganiswa meaning he is not safe at all.
Our enemies are using the people around him (bodyguards) to spread the virus to our senior leaders. We are even suspecting that. It is well my son. Thank you.
By A Correspondent- ZBC News yesterday ran a story on Proton Bakeries where the company dismissed viral social media reports that the bread manufacturer is shielding COVID-19 positive cases and ordering them to continue working risking the lives of other employees.
Proton reportedly told the national broadcaster that only 30 out of 1000 employees tested positive for COVID-19 and they were in self-isolation.
This came after social media including EX Marondera MP Caston Matewu started urging people to boycott Proton Bakeries’ bread until they dealt with alleged the COVID-19 case at their bakery.
By A Correspondent- 90-year-old liberation war hero Morton Malianga has died. His death was announced on Twitter by the Sunday Mail which promised to give more details later.
The NewsHawks Posted a short biography about Malianga and said he was one of the pioneers of the liberation struggle:
Moton Dizzy Paul Malianga, one of the pioneers of Zimbabwe’s armed liberation struggle, has died. Born in 1930, Malianga was jailed 10 years by the racist Rhodesian regime for his nationalism. He was VP of the National Democratic Party and later Zapu’s public affairs secretary.
Morton was born at Old Umtali Mission on 8 June 1930. His father was a teacher and evangelist and at one time the editor of the Methodist Church paper called Umbowo. He went to St Francis Xavier College, Kutama for his primary education and finished in 1947. Later he went to Khaiso Secondary School, Adams College and Ohlange Institute in South Africa.
He attained his Matriculation Certificate in 1953. After leaving school he worked as a clerk in a department store in South Africa, and in 1955 was promoted to manager. In 1957 he obtained a professional certificate in accountancy, ASCA (SA).
He returned to Zimbabwe 1957 after having been involved with the South African ANC. He became a teacher in Highfields. In 1958 he joined the ANC. In 1959 he left teaching to dedicate his time to politics after the arrest of many nationalist leaders in February 1959, among them Maurice Nyagumbo.
After the arrests, consultations were made amoung those who were outside leading to the formation of the National Democratic Party (NDP) in 1960. Malianga became its Vice President at its first congress in November 1960 and he held this position until 1961.
He was Secretary for Public Affairs in ZAPU 1962.He was a leading figure in the opposition against Joshua Nkomo and formation of ZANU in 1963, becoming its Cario representative and, in 1964, its Secretary for Youth and Culture.
Details of how he died and any burial arrangements are still sketchy, we will update this article if new details emerge.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has expressed concern at the violation of human rights by Ugandan “dictator” Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Hon Biti accused Museveni of “trouncing” democracy.
“@HEBobiwine is not safe in Uganda . Yoweri Museveni is in a deranged umbrageous status quo . We pray for peace . We pray for safety of every Ugandan compatriot. Most importantly we pray that this is the day dictatorship is liquidated in Uganda #musevenimustfall
Uganda is a tragedy that has already unfolded .The rise of nationalism and populism across the globe has allowed tin pots such as Magafuli and Kaguta Museveni to cynically trounce democracy decency and human rights .
It will take a long time to roll back the new age of cynicism and tyranny,” argued Hon Biti.
Headache is one of the commonest complaints. The reality is that headaches have caused us to overuse the “over the counter” self medications such as paracetamol, aspirin, Paineeze, cafenol, disprin, anadin etc depending on what your nearest store has in stock. Did you know that paracetamol is one of the drugs that is very toxic to the liver?
PRIMARY HEADACHES:
These are headaches directly emanating from head area.
TENSION headache is the commonest type of primary headache. It feels like one has a tight band tied across the forehead. Can also be described as pressure headache.
SINUS headache is experienced when the sinuses are inflamed/infected.
MIGRAINE headache is usually one sided and preceded by funny strange smells or funny visuals. It has gradual onset. Can be relieved by vomiting.
CLUSTER headache. Always one sided headache and is usually around the eye. The 5th cranial nerve called Trigeminal nerve is involved. Lasts about 3 hours. Typically can present with the dropping of the eyelid, pupil is unable to dilate, some nasal discharge is present and tears run down the cheek.
HORMONAL headache is common in women around their monthly periods due to a drop in the levels of estrogen.
SECONDARY HEADACHES: These headaches are a result of underlying serious medical problems such as systemic conditions like cancer, high blood pressure, flu, meningitis, bleeding in the head, anaemia, brain tumors and inflammation of the temporal artery in the sides of the head.
OTHER CAUSES of headache can be dehydration, lack of sleep, toothache, stress, anxiety, side effects of other medications. Some people can have headache from family planning tablets.
I urge you to think about what could be causing your headache before jumping to take the nearest available painkiller. Always address the cause
Dr AJ 11/01/21
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has expressed concern at the violation of human rights by Ugandan “dictator” Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Hon Biti accused Museveni of “trouncing” democracy.
“@HEBobiwine is not safe in Uganda . Yoweri Museveni is in a deranged umbrageous status quo . We pray for peace . We pray for safety of every Ugandan compatriot. Most importantly we pray that this is the day dictatorship is liquidated in Uganda #musevenimustfall
Uganda is a tragedy that has already unfolded .The rise of nationalism and populism across the globe has allowed tin pots such as Magafuli and Kaguta Museveni to cynically trounce democracy decency and human rights .
It will take a long time to roll back the new age of cynicism and tyranny,” argued Hon Biti.
Tinashe Sambiri| Zanu PF stalwart, Oppah Muchinguri- Kashiri says the Chinese people are to blame for experimenting with the deadly Coronavirus.
This follows the death of Minister of State for Manicaland, Ellen Gwaradzimba.
Read Muchunguri-Kashiri’s remarks below:
Washaya mwana wangu washaya meaning she is dead, my daughter is dead. Mwana wangu washaya kani she is gone she is gone.
Takaedza kani takaedza meaning we tried everything we really tried to help her get better. The Lord has laughed at us we tried everything….the children. What about the children? They have killed me (Ellen’s death) has destroyed me. This has destroyed me. I am in pain, so much pain. …. What? drink ginger? I am not sick. I am well. I am not sick. It’s just people that are saying lies. They are lying. I am not sick. I am very well and healthy. They have said that I am sick but it’s not true. They have said that I am sick four times and even suggested that I have died four times. But it’s not true. Ok my children.
I suffered a lot with Ellen. I couldn’t sleep while she was sick. The doctors talked to me everyday, together with the children. She was in pain she was in so much pain. She has let us down today. Hazvina mhosva….. She took everything, all the medication…everything we tried. Vaccine?
No there is no vaccine yet in the country. I will never take the vaccine. I will not take “your” vaccine, I will not take your vaccine unless if it’s developed by our own people, Zimbabweans. If they develop our own vaccine. Why can’t we also develop our own vaccine. Why should we take that which is developed by others? Why can’t we also make our own vaccine? Let’s develop our own.
We are trying our own, we are also trying our own that which we are developing with the help of the Chinese maybe it will be successful maybe it will be successful. I do not know.
Chinotimba. I also heard that he is not well. I also heard that Chinamasa is sick….Chinotimba I heard that he is not well. I heard that he is not too well. But I am well and not sick. I am assisting a lot of people. I am the one helping a lot of people who are not well here in Manicaland. Ana Getty vese I brought them here everyone in Manicaland I am helping them. Bringing them here to help with their treatment. I am looking for resources to help them getting them treated.
It is not possible (to stay at home) I am going to the children. I can’t leave them alone Ellen’s children. I can’t do that. We left together with Ellen, we left their home while going to seek treatment. I left with their sick mother. They (other family members) were all sick but they got better. I can’t leave them. Zimbabweans are dying. This is serious. Covid 19 is serious.
The Chinese, the disease is now on a fresh peak now. Cases are rising again. They are the ones who started their experiments and things got out of hand and now their experiments are costing us. They cannot control this now. They have costed us…. those whom we call our all weather friends, look at what they have done to us.
We have to be strong. Indeed we have to be strong Let me attend to the children so that we can organise the funeral. We have managed to take the body to Doves so we need to do the heroes burial. We are liasing with the leaders. We are talking to the party leadership. Please forgive me so that I can start doing the job ….we are taking extra care we are wearing the masks 4 4, face screens, gloves everything.
We are drinking the medicines zinc garlic we are drinking we will not stop. But Covid 19 is killing- it is killing people. Its still a journey. We are protecting our health wearing masks, social distancing everything. Zvakaoma. This is a deadly disease, it is a killer disease. It has wrecked havoc.
These people, who are now at the top at ZBC, they are not doing anything. They are just busy promoting themselves (the top stalwarts at ZBC).
They are not even conscientising the public on the dangers of Covid-19…. On the safety of the president in the wake of Covid- 19…..Vanokanganiswa meaning he is not safe at all.
Our enemies are using the people around him (bodyguards) to spread the virus to our senior leaders. We are even suspecting that. It is well my son. Thank you.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance officials, Hon Job Sikhala (vice chairperson) and Advocate Fadzayi Mahere (national spokesperson) have been denied bail.
The two were arrested for allegedly communicating falsehoods.Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono was also arrested for exposing police brutality.
Today Harare Mayor, Jacob Mafume was granted bail.
In a statement, MDC Alliance Secretary for Welfare, Maureen Kademaunga said:
“Jacob Mafume has been granted bail. This brings relief but does not take away the abuse and unfair treatment suffered in the last 32 days behind bars.
A fair trial is a constitutional right that must be respected.”
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has said Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa should stop blaming perceived political rivals for his own blunders.
In a message of encouragement to the nation, President Chamisa said Mr Mnangagwa’s administration has dismally failed to address the escalating problems affecting the nation.
Said President Chamisa:
It cannot be normal when government torments journalists and ordinary citizens.
They think they are correct while everyone else outside their administration is wrong.
They say journalists are wrong, citizens are wrong , South Africa is wrong…
It cannot be normal when children are not going to school because of Coronavirus.They don’t have alternative learning methods.
The blame game will not solve anything, let them admit failure.
It cannot be normal when citizens are being bashed by the police. Zimbabwe will never die, let us not lose hope, lets remain positive.
They are blaming perceived opponents instead of concentrating on resolving problems affecting the nation…
MAJOR QUESTION TO CHINOTIMBA: If you drop dead today, what will we remember you for? Cde Chinos taking over 10 minutes to answer this | INTERVIEW ON https://t.co/eY98GsdO0a
David Drury cross examines Detective Constable Moyo & tells Magistrate Utahwashe that the arrest of @advocatemahere@daddyhope & Hon.Sikhala is deliberate.
In opposing the release of @advocatemahere on bail, Prosecutor Muchemwa leads evidence from Detective Constable the I.O who tells Magistrate Utahwashe that the lawyer is not a suitable to be set free on bail.
The situation in the country has reached another level.
Emmerson Mnangagwa’s repression has simply run wild, with civic and political activists as well as journalists and the people’s elected representatives being harassed, abducted or incarcerated with reckless abandon, all for no apparent reason.
As I write, the mayor of Harare Clr Jacob Mafume, journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzai Mahere and vice chairperson Hon. Job Sikhala have been re-arrested for the second time in less than a year and are currently languishing in the country’s prisons on trumped up charges of communicating falsehoods. The irony is that it is Zanu PF itself that has institutionalised falsehoods. It is Zanu PF itself that has become a superspreader of perfidy and unbridled falsehoods as exemplified by its statements alleging growth in the country’s economy and the cheap allegation that victims of State-sanctioned abductions are faking their own abductions. They recently peddled yet another falsehood which has shocked millions on both sides of the Limpopo—the falsehood that President Nelson Chamisa and the MDC Alliance are funded by the ANC and President Cyril Ramaphosa.
They have even wheeled out a mere child barely in his puberty, Tafadzwa Mugwadi, to needlessly attack and make unfounded, disrespectful allegations against a revered institution called the ANC. A whole party abusing a child and in the process brazenly violating the cardinal provisions of the country’s laws protecting the rights of children!
The regime has now simply run amok. No one is safe as Mnangagwa’s government takes perfect cover under the lockdown to repress citizens and to engage in a vain but violent attempt to decimate the people’s project called the MDC Alliance. Since last year, a host of pro-democracy activists have seen the inside walls of the country’s dingy prisons as the regime takes advantage of the Covid-19-induced lockdown to escalate its repression of innocent citizens. The lockdown restrictions and the attendant proscription of gatherings are being applied selectively as Zanu PF’s DCC elections and the surrogates’ extraordinary Congress were allowed to proceed. Suffice to say what was extraordinary about the so-called extraordinary Congress was its inquorate credentials even after the regime had supplied this treacherous lot with Zupco buses!
Streetifyng the people’s anger is now more of an imperative than it was a few months ago when Zimbabweans exhorted each other to peacefully and constitutionally express themselves in July 2020. It is now urgent, given the exigency of the moment, for citizens to sreetify their genuine grievances in line with the dictates of the Constitution.
As the United States of America takes strident steps to impeach and force out an incumbent leader who unleashed untold violence against elected representatives as they sat at Capitol Hill to confirm Joe Biden as the elected President of the country, it appears we have our own Donald Trump here in Zimbabwe who has engendered and incited domestic terrorism against the country’s citizens.
Perhaps when this lockdown and its justifiable restrictions are finally over, Zimbabweans must seriously consider streetifying their anger in line with the provisions of the country’s Constitution. One hopes that soon, and very soon, the pandemic will allow us to enjoy our Constitutional rights without any fetter and hindrance, particularly the right to demonstrate and petition this murderous regime. And it is the regime itself that has given the signal for the citizens to loudly and unequivocally pronounce themselves regarding the unfolding situation in the country.
Today, I republish a piece I wrote in July last year urging my fellow citizens to streetify their disgruntlement, an exhortation that has become even more relevant as the economy implodes and human rights situation further deteriorates in Zimbabwe:
TimetosreetifythePeople’sAnger
As the regime frets and quacks in its boots over national murmurs for action on July 31, Zimbabweans must not be threatened out of their Constitutional right to peacefully streetify their anger at a clueless regime that has brought the country to these plumbing depths of penury.
Our only choice now is to seek succour and sanatorium in our sacred right to peacefully express our anger, which right is enshrined in section 59 of a Constitution that we made ourselves and affirmed in a referendum in May 2013.
We have become a nation of grievances. Every sector has a genuine grievance against this lot in government. Nurses, doctors, teachers, the rest of the civil service, journalists, judges, informal traders, villagers, traditional leaders, artisanal miners, farmers, nay every Zimbabwean, is now angry at this repressive and inept lot in government.
The regime has stolen elections; over eight million people are starving; they have stolen Covid-19 funds because they are corrupt while their cluelessness has seen biting poverty pervading the country amid a tough lockdown with no safety nets in this highly informal economy.
In our case, they have even pilfered a people’s party called the MDC Alliance, dubiously recalled the people’s elected MPs and councillors and given our funds to a pliable surrogate personified by Thoko-Zanu Khupe.They have worked very hard to make this nation angry.
We have reached that stage where as a nation we must now oblige their invitation to action. Indeed, the time has now come for every Zimbabwean to streetify their displeasure by going into the streets.
As a nation and as citizens, we have stuck to an orthodox script for far too long by transacting our politics in predictable and captured stadia such as the courts, the media, local government and Parliament, among other constricted platforms. We have tweeted our complaints and grievances adinfinitum , adnauseum . But no one has listened.
At a personal level, I have no problem with innovative 21st century platforms such as twitter and other social media platforms consistent with this brave, digital age. But perhaps we must now de-eliticize this struggle by going back to the basics-to the street language that dictators like Emmerson Mnangagwa perfectly understand. We must dismount from our high horses of elitism, abandon our laptops and resort to the basic language of rooftops and tree-tops to peacefully and Constitutionally make a sonorous call for the respect of citizen rights.
We must now support all calls for the legitimate and constitutional expression by the people. The party to which I belong has expressed its solidarity to any legitimate expression by despondent Zimbabweans, in this our nation where whole families are now surviving on less than US 35 cents a day.
We cannot individually be on twitter when collectively we are all on teeter—-tottering on the brink and struggling for a daily morsel.
We have to do more. We must not simply be cyber-activists, desktop revolutionaries and twitter gendarmes while avoiding the robust route our oppressors fear and that can change our tenuous lived circumstances.
We now need to “Luke” the Beast in the Eye.
If you are not angry enough, just take a peek again into the following abominable experience of the MDC Alliance trio of Joannah Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova. Maybe just maybe, one may get the motivation to join any loud but Constitutional expression by the despondent people of our land:
It is exactly 10:47 hrs on a serene Friday morning and the date is 15 May 2020. An ambulance screeches to an agonizing halt outside Parktown Hospital near Waterfalls, some 15 kilometers south of Harare.
A visibly traumatized female patient, face contorted and hair disheveled, is being helped out. Her face partially covered, the ambulance crew stretchers her out at breathtaking speed into the infirmary to avoid the desperate newshounds jostling for the prized photograph of this ghost-like figure visibly grimacing in pain.
It is clear the unfortunate woman in the ambulance is more desperate than the press corps. While the latter are stampeding for a simple scoop and a headline, the former is barely clinging to dear life!
It turns out the unfortunate woman at the mercy of the clicking cameras is Hon. Joanah Mamombe, the MP for Harare West. She has just had further scans and examinations done by a team of doctors in the city.
But the scary sight before us is starkly different from the affable, bubbly and beautiful legislator that our mortal eyes are accustomed to. Joanah is haggard and looks like an apparition, which is understandable given what she has gone through in the past 24 hours.
Already inside the hospital and wailing in agony are two other dedicated warriors for change, her colleagues Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova. The three MDC cadres were taken from inside a police station, driven to an unknown forest inside a fittingly black Datsun Wish vehicle where they were sexually abused, tortured and dumped some 70 kilometers away.
Theirs is a horrific tale of how they were taken from inside a police station, driven to a forest and taken into a pit where the solemn and despicable script of their predicament began.
Not only were they sexually abused. They had their breasts suckled by Emmerson Mnangagwa’s merchants of terror. Their anal regions were brutally pierced by gun bayonets while they were fed with a ghoulish faecal diet.
Yes, they were made to eat each others’ faeces and to drink each others’ urine by the regime’s morbid securocrats.
Now we are being told they faked all these things, including their own sexual abuse!
Now instead of the perpetrators facing justice, it is the three young women—the victims—who are before the courts!
Welcome to Zimbabwe’s Second Republic.
Indeed, welcome to our “new dispensation”. A dispensation that is shouting engagement but practically doing all it can to disengage from the rest of the civilized world!
With a government that sexually abuses women, including an Honourable Member of Parliament, who else can be accused of inviting the so-called sanctions?
From the pits in some unknown forest where many horrible and despicable things were done to them, they do not even remember much else. All they remember is that after what seemed like eternity, now with their clothes torn, they were dumped in the deathly quiet of the morning at some rural growth point where a sympathizer picked them up.
The place turned out to be the appropriately named Muchapondwa shops in Bindura South in Mashonaland Central province, some 70 kilometers away from the capital.
Muchapondwa is a Shona word which literally means “ youshallbekilled .” This is the place where the three female MDC cadres were found dumped and left for dead by the regime’s merchants of death.
Muchapondwa—the place whose name has a deathly ring to it.
The route they took will never be known, as the Devil’s itinerary is always a closely guarded secret!
We shall never know whether the three brave cadres were taken along the Shamva road, past Denda shops after turning left at Chabwino, via Mupandira and Nyava shopping centers before arriving at Muchapondwa.
We shall never know whether these peddlers of violence chose to go via Mazowe road to Bindura before turning right past Trojan Mine, Manhenga, then Chiveso before dumping their brutalized human cargo at Muchapondwa.
Or whether these merchants of darkness used the more direct route via my beloved Domboshava, past my late mother Pelagia Makumbe’s homestead at Makumbe village, negotiating those dangerous and nervy curves at Cheza before crossing the dry Nyaure river to bundle out their unwilling passengers at Muchapondwa.
Whichever of these three routes they used, what is certain is that it was a route to national shame.
It is an indictment against this illegitimate regime that it could allow State-paid merchants of violence to abuse defenseless women a mere four days after Mothers’ Day; that day when the sanctity of feminine power is celebrated worldwide.
How could any sane person abuse and indignify women, including a revered Member of Parliament, barely 96 hours after the world has celebrated the chastity of women?
Nothing beats this barbarism, which is well beneath the sacred value of humanity— ubuntu .
The police owe this nation an explanation as to how these women were taken out of their custody. The police spokesperson Paul Nyathi had confirmed to a local daily that they had three women in their custody. Hours later, the ZRP tweeted that the women were no longer in their custody.
Someone must tell us what happened between the time of confirmation and the time of denial.
Who could have the temerity to abduct people from inside a police station, unless it was the police themselves who handed over these women to a more insidious State security unit? I am well aware that the police can hand you over to more ruthless goons. Some 13 years ago, I was brutally assaulted and tortured for three continuous days together with several other party colleagues inside the infamous room 93 in the basement of the Law and Order section at Harare Central police station.
Yes, that infamous room at the misnamed Law and Order section where neither law nor order prevails!
Room 93 has visible blood stains on the walls—probably a trick to unsettle you psychologically. And I knew the guys who brutalized us for three continuous days without food and water were definitely not police.
But when the police hand you over and allow you to be taken out of their custody, as happened to the three female cadres, it can only be worse. I have a sneaking feeling that the police tweet announcing that the three were no longer in police custody was a feeble attempt to absolve themselves by letting the world know that the “prisoners” were now being held by a separate, more callous unit of the State. I still have the hunch that the tweet was a Pontius Pilate gesture by the police to wash their hands and absolve themselves from what was to come.
In case something happened to the three women, the police through their tweet might have been absolving themselves of any responsibility.
Yet ED as a person can’t absolve himself. Whether it was the police, the CIO or the army, it’s his government all the same so he must take full responsibility for what happened to these girls.
Listening to the girls’ sordid and horrific tale of abuse and torture is akin to listening to a story of death. Indeed, something inside them has died, judging by the trauma and fear that is still palpable in their eyes to this day. Their lives will never be the same again.
I still have the same feeling after my own traumatic experience as I still can’t stand the sound of banging doors. Any banging door makes me cringe as it is synonymous with the sound of the doors that were banged as a new set of torturers entered the room to show their expertise at dastardly acts. For me, the banging doors that signalled yet another session of torture were banged for three unforgettable days from Wednesday, 28 March to Saturday, 31 March 2007.
It must be said that SADC and Africa have let Zimbabweans down. Maybe these brothers and sisters of ours want first to literally see rivers of flowing blood in the country for them to appreciate that there is a monumental human rights crisis in Zimbabwe. Otherwise what will it take for drastic action to be taken against this deranged man on the citadel of power?
First it was August 1 2018, when this regime’s soldiers callously murdered six people in broad daylight. SADC and Africa maintained the silence of the grave.
Today, one of the widows of the slain six, Suspicious Kumire from Domboshava, is having to do menial jobs at Santa Heights private school, an opportunity given to her by the benevolent principal Mrs Mapfumo to enable her to raise fees for her two children that are enrolled there.
It is always a dispiriting sight to see this widowed mother and the hapless kids that have been orphaned by Mnangagwa’s guns. Yet the scarfed murderer lied to diplomats that his government was owning up to its culpability by looking after the orphans, in line with the recommendations of a Commission that he set up himself. And yet he has not complied with the recommendations and the situation on the ground is that the widows, widowers and orphans from the August 1 2018 violence are suffering,
Still, SADC and Africa have kept loudly quiet.
Then we saw more violence in January 2019 when several more innocent Zimbabweans were killed by State security agents. The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, an independent Constitutional Commission, investigated and held the State liable for those murders.
Still, SADC and Africa have kept sonorously quiet.
Yet Article 4(h) of the constitutive Act of the African Union allows the continent to intervene in member States in respect of “ gravecircumstances .”
What more “grave circumstances” is Africa waiting for when three innocent women, including a member of Parliament, are taken from police custody by State security agents, are sexually abused and made to eat their own faeces and drink their urine?
Article 4(o) of the same constitutive Act of the AU calls for the rejection of impunity on the continent. Yet we are seeing the ghastly and abominable version of the same impunity unfolding in Harare.
SADC and the whole of Africa have lost their voice. Not even a whimper of condemnation!
Maybe we are expecting too much from our African leaders. These are the same guys who on 27 June 2014 came up with the Malabo protocol. The protocol, aimed at expanding the remit and mandate of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights, contains Article 46 A in which sitting African Heads of State have made themselves immune from any manner of investigation and prosecution while still in office.
The world has equally let us down. By now the International Criminal Court would have pounced on Mnangagwa for gross crimes against humanity, as it has done before when it intervened in countries that are non-State parties to the Rome Statute.
Yet the politics of the referral system, the duplicity of the big powers, the geopolitics of the UN Security Council, including the abuse of the veto power, will mean that the deranged Mnangagwa will be shielded by his known allies in the P5 from prosecution.
ED and his merchants of violence have found convenient succour and a perfect sanatorium in the porous and imperfect international criminal justice system.
Through the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), the world has made a promise to the vulnerable and the violated, a promise that it is failing to fulfill—the promise that the world will not stand by and watch while rogue regimes run amok. Yet people are being killed and abused in Zimbabwe and no one cares a hoot.
We are simply on our own and others have suggested that if this regime has run amok, then maybe we must also run amok.
With his hands dripping in the blood of the country’s citizens, Mnangagwa still bestrides the country like an untouchable Colossus, well aware of the weaknesses of international criminal law. After all, nothing has happened to him, notwithstanding an unchecked and an unparalleled blood-soaked legacy that stretches back to Gukurahundi, if not before.
Covid-19 is real and the casualty figures keep going up. But the repression is also going up and pained by government that has become a danger to its own citizens, others are even suggesting that perhaps it is time for us to ignore this lockdown. Maybe, just maybe, it is time to lock up our courage, buckle ourselves up and confront this regime.
True, there is a pandemic out there but I truly understand the impatience when some of my troubled fellow citizens posit that this regime is a worse virus than Covid-19. They can come to your house and rape your wife or kill your children, even if you are in isolation and you have numerous masks and sanitizers.
No one is safe from this corona government!
Indeed, no mask or sanitizer can protect you from this murderous regime of Emmerson Mnangagwa. Joanna, Cecilia and Netsai had their PPE but they still could not mask themselves from the naked brutality of this despotic regime. Corona or no corona, we are at the mercy of these vampires in government.
You could presume yourselves to be safe from Covid-19 but there is no guarantee you are safe from this scarfed corona virus that is illegitimately holding the levers of the State.
No leader voted by the people can murder, rape and abuse in this horrendous way the same citizenry that elected them into office. This callousness betrays his presence at the helm of the State has nothing to do with the people.
Skeptics have even argued that it may be better to die of Covid-19 in a gathering in the streets than to be plucked away alone to your abuse and to your death from what you may presume to be the safety of your home.
These skeptics are now even arguing that it may be worthwhile dying while in gathering to confront this regime than remaining locked down in your home only to be confronted yourself by this murderous lot.
Does anyone think that these thugs were maintaining social distance when they were abusing these women? A government that rapes and sexually abuses women?
Indeed, Mnangagwa is simply worse than the corona virus.
What happened to these three grave cadres from our own version of Hitler’s Third Reich could happen to you, your sister or your daughter. Pastor Martin Niemoller, a German Lutheran pastor, had this to say about Hitler during the horrific era of the Third Reich:
“ First , theycamefortheSocialists , andIdidnotspeakout — becauseIwasnotasocialist .
So in the same vein, tomorrow, Mnangagwa’s regime may be coming for you. And there may be no one left to speak for you.
This regime has angered everyone. Everyone is suffering except Mnangagwa and his inner circle who are fleecing the country through avarice, unbridled sleaze and corruption.
They have fractured livelihoods. They have decimated the burgeoning informal sector through Murambatsvina 2.
Any action that may take place in this country will have happened at the instigation of no one else but the regime itself.
Their provocative acts have wittingly and unwittingly mobilised all of us to Constitutionally express ourselves.
Only recently, they called the equally suffering police to go for three weeks training in Ntabazinduna and in Shamva as a way of quelling legitimate public expression.
But nothing must stop us. After this justifiable lockdown, which the regime is abusing to terrorise citizens, it may be the time to streetify our grievances. The Constitution allows it!
Future generations will judge us harshly if we remain silent amid these gross human rights abuses. We must do something robust that will enable us to stare history in the face with the pride and conviction that as a people, we boisterously expressed ourselves in a significant way when the moment demanded it.
The updates are courtesy of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights…
ZLHR: At Harare Magistrates Court, we have since morning been waiting for Magistrates to hand down rulings in the case of Hon. Job Sikhala and Fadzai Mahere
ZLHR: Advocate Mahere has now been brought in courtroom 11.
Advocate Fadzai Mahere in court
ZLHR: Advocate Mahere has now been brought to court & proceedings have commenced with Prosecutor Muchemwa handing over a report compiled by Police regarding complaints she filed on Monday
ZLHR: David Drury protests against contents of the police report and requests that the court visits Harare Central Police Station to see for it the inhuman conditions obtaining at the police station.
Zimbabwe's dancehall promoters, DJ Fantan, Levels and Dammer are at High court for their bail hearing pending appeal. The trio were convicted for breaking COVID-19 regulations when they hosted a party on new year's eve in Mbare.
By A Correspondent| Lawyers representing freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono will now file an appeal at High Court against Harare Magistrate Lazini Ncube’s decision to deny him bail after ruling that the media practitioner had a propensity to commit offences.
Magistrate Ncube dismissed Chin’ono’s request to be set free from prison on bail after ruling that the freelance journalist is not a suitable candidate to be granted bail.
The Magistrate said he agreed with prosecutor’s fears that if granted bail Chin’ono might commit other offences, a position which the judicial officer said was well founded.
Magistrate Ncube remanded Chin’ono in custody to 18 February 2021.
Chin’ono’s lawyers are now working on filing an appeal at High Court to challenge Magistrate Ncube’s decision denying bail to the freelance journalist.
Meanwhile, Harare Magistrate Ngoni Nduna will on Friday 15 January 2021 hand down his ruling on a bail application filed Zengeza West constituency legislator Hon. Job Sikhala.
In his submissions, Hon. Sikhala argued that he is a suitable candidate for bail as he had not breached any of his conditions in the cases that are pending in court.
By A Correspondent| Busy-as-a-bee artiste Luckson Chikutu popularly known as Manluckerz is featuring in a documentary that chronicles his journey from Zimbabwe to Sweden.
The documentary titled “Chezhira- Where is Home?” was recorded and produced by Saymore Ngonidzashe Sayid’Ali Kativu under The Nexus Think at Zarawi Trust and will premiere online on January 19, 2021.
The educational documentary is inspired by Manluckerz’s journey and is a culmination of two fellow countrymen from Zimbabwe working to help each other on their journeys of life in a foreign land. Saymore, the producer of the documentary about identity asked ManLuckerz if he could interviewed ManLuckerz while he was attending the Digital Summer School Viadrinicum 2020 with the European-University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) themed “Transsectoral Lab on (Post-)Migration. (Dis-)Integrative Encounters”.
A brotherhood was immediately born between Manluckerz and Saymore owing to the two’s passion to help others grow, one would say their spirits of Ubuntu reconnected in the faraway land of Sweden. Saymore produced the documentary simultaneous to his studies with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences with his team from The Nexus Think Tank at Zarawi Trust, a Zimbabwean based hybrid entity working in the field of development.
“To fully know who we are as a people, we must be ready and willing to discover ourselves through the stories of others. Saymore was curious as an anthropologist to understand the importance of and what becomes of one’s identity when you are far from home for so long as Chezhira has been and in this age of globalisation.
“The story follows the name Chezhira, how it came to be and the power behind one’s identity in determining the path of life”, said Chezhira
“When my young brother from Zimbabwe approached me while doing his summer studies on migration to help him, I could not let the opportunity pass by. In the spirit of Together as one (TAO), we helped each other as we always do. After his summer studies were over, we both saw an opportunity to tell a story that would hopefully inspire others when Saymore pitched it.
The documentary is an educational piece that also shows Manluckerz’s versatility in showbiz and how his talent is manifested in several roles that he does as an artist. Manluckerz has proven himself as a musician releasing several albums over the years. He is also a dancer of great magnitude on stage and an accomplished writer behind the scenes.
So influential is Chezhira that he was nominated for Zimbabwe’s flagship awards the National Arts Merit Awards and has scooped several awards as one of the most outstanding Africans in the diaspora.
By A Correspondent- The late former president Robert Mugabe’s business empire has crumpled amid revelations that Gushungo Dairy Estate is being leased to a company linked to a millionaire businessman.
A once thriving chicken and pig enterprise at the former Zimbabwe’s strongman Zvimba home, has also collapsed.
Details obtained this week indicate that Mugabe’s widow, Grace, is struggling to run the vast estate resulting in the business nosediving to an estimated 20% capacity utilisation.
Mugabe who ruled Zimbabwe with an iron fist for 37 years but was removed via a military assisted takeover in November 2017 left a huge business portfolio mainly in farming with 21 farms, according to a government commissioned land audit.
This is in stark contrast with the one-man one-farm land policy his administration touted while Mugabe and his family turned into notorious land barons.
In 2015, Grace evicted 80 families who settled at part of the Gushungo Dairy Estate, but ever since the death of her husband things have turned for the worse.
At the core of the late shrewd politicians’ estate is Gushungo Holdings, incorporating Gushungo Dairy Estate, Gushungo Dairy Parlour and Alpha Omega all located in the 1 200 hectare Foyle Farm in Mazowe 40km north of Harare.
Foyle Farm was previously owned by a white ex-commercial farmer who was forcibly booted out at the height of the chaotic land reform programme. The property was initially run by the state-owned Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) before Mugabe grabbed it after the parastatal had bought farming equipment.
The Zimbabwe Independent gathered that Grace was failing to run the dairy business and had been forced by circumstances to lease the farm to a leading agricultural firm.
Signs of financial problems started showing in May 2019 after Gushungo Dairy Farm auctioned five combine harvesters, five Toyota Hilux pick-up trucks and other farm equipment. Mugabe later died on September 6, 2019.
Workers at the expansive farm revealed yesterday that they were recently told by management that they would soon receive payouts to allow the new owner to decide on the number of people the business required.
Grace’s new partners have since set base beginning from January 2 with an initial arrangement of maize planting while the dairy part of Gushungo estate is expected to commence business in the next three months.
Gushungo Dairy’s 400-strong workforce is crying foul over proposed packages described as “peanuts”.
Mugabe’s farm manager Boydo Sokisi declined to comment before referring questions to alpha omega operations manager Joseph Chiputwa who also refused to respond.
“I cannot discuss such matters over the phone,” Chiputwa said.
The agriculture company refuted they were in partnership with the Mugabe family but pressed further about other existing lease deals on one of the former first family’s property, it ducked the question.
However, sources close to the Mugabes said since the death of the former president, business had been seriously depressed.
“Things have not been looking good at Gushungo Dairy so Grace decided to lease the business. It started in December 2020 and she will be receiving rentals,” said the source who cannot be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.
“Grace failed to keep the business afloat and it affected the 400-strong workforce as some employees have been laid off.
“Some of the workers were redundant and they had to let them go. Capacity utilisation at Gushungo had seriously tumbled to 20%.”
It is also understood that apart from things falling apart at Gushungo Dairy in Mazowe, the situation is the same at Mugabe’s rural Kutama home. a thriving chicken and pig business with 6 000 egg layers and 1 000 pigs has also collapsed.
“There is not much happening in Mugabe’s businesses including the one at his rural home where he was buried in Zvimba. The situation is equally bad at other farms such as Highfied in Norton which does beef cattle farming. Ever since Mugabe died things collapsed,” added the source.
By A Correspondent- Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister Ellen Gwaradzimba has reportedly succumbed to COVID-19.
This was revealed by Sports Deputy Minister Tinoda Machakaire ina post on Facebook that said:
It is with a very sad heart that I inform you of the passing on of the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs. My sincerest condolences to the Gwaradzimba and the entire Manicaland province family on the untimely passing on of Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba.
She succumbed to COVID-19. We have been robbed once again of a hardworking and dedicated cadre.
May her soul rest in eternal peace.
I am praying for peace and comfort for her family and those of us who knew her.
A 32-year-old man allegedly linked to the recent US$2.5 million in-transit-cash heist was yesterday (January 14) shot dead in Masvingo at Ndanga Business Centre, Zaka district, at around 18:00hrs, TellZim can reveal.
The man who has been identified as Andrew Zigara was on the run after some of his other accomplices were nabbed by the police on allegations of taking part in the heist.
Zigara was gunned at Ndanga Business Centre while trying to run away from Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Harare homicide section officers who had tracked him.
It is alleged that he was shot in the back while making a run for it and died upon admission at Ndanga Hospital about 30 minutes later.
Zigara was hiding in the area, which is reportedly his home area, after he realized that he was wanted by the police in connection with the heist.
The CID officers also managed to track the deceased’s long-time friend identified only as Jefias who has since been taken for questioning.
National police spokesperson, Ass Commissioner Paul Nyathi said more investigations were under way.
“Police is investigating the case of the US$2.7 million ZB Bank cash-in-transit heist. I can confirm that one of the suspects was yesterday shot at Ndanga where he was hiding. He tried to flee, resulting in him being shot and unfortunately he died upon admission at Ndanga hospital,” said Nyathi.
It is alleged that the deceased had given Jefias US$50 000 to buy two houses in Rujeko C and Mucheke B, which he bought and registered them using his name (Jefias) and that of Zigara’s wife.
The exact amount recovered from the operation is yet to be known.
Other suspects in the Gwebi heist have since appeared before the courts while some are still at large dodging the long arm of the law.
On November 30, 2020, other armed robbers got off with US$300 00 at Chivi growth point after staging a daring heist targeting cash delivery to a Mukuru money transfer agency booth .
NRM’s Yoweri Museveni still in the lead at 63.92% and NUP’s Robert Kyagulanyi with 28.36% from the 29.4% of the total number of votes counted so far – Preliminary accumulative results released by @UgandaEC#NBSUpdates#UgVotes2021#UgandaDecides2021
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba has died, deputy youth minister Tinoda Machakaire has confirmed.
Posting on Facebook, Machakaire said Gwaradzimba succumbed to COVID-19.
“It is with a very sad heart that I inform you of the passing on of the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs. My sincerest condolences to the Gwaradzimba and the entire Manicaland province family on the untimely passing on of Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba. She succumbed to COVID-19,” said Machakaire.
Makandiwa 10 months after prophesying he has cure for COVID, now announces 1 billion people to die because it is a One-World-Order agenda, he is telling the TRUTH or LYING? – PROGRAM COMING UP 6pm ZIM TIME
By NewsDay |Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 dilemma is likely to escalate if serious precautions to prevent its further spread are not taken, with official statistics yesterday revealing that one person is dying every hour in the country due to the respiratory disease, health experts have said.
Currently, the daily infection rate has reached the 1 000 mark, as the second wave of COVID-19 ravages the country.
Statistics by the Health and Child Care ministry on Wednesday showed that on the day, the country recorded 38 new deaths and 1 017 new infections.
This took the death tally to 589 and total infections to 24 256.
The recovery rate has plummeted to 56,3% from around 94% early November 2020, and the positivity rate is 29%, and 10 000 active cases.
As the virus spreads, reports yesterday by the Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe Association (MDPPZA) warned that hospitals were running out of oxygen due to an increased demand.
“With this wave, demand for oxygen is on the rise since most of the COVID-19 patients are suffering from shortness of breath. We are losing many patients due to shortages of oxygen,” MDPPZA president Johannes Marisa told NewsDay yesterday.
Another health expert and Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive officer, Solwayo Ngwenya, said the figures by the Health ministry were “controlled”, adding that more people than those recorded could actually be dying from the coronavirus.
“The Zimbabwean figures are controlled, and so we are only commenting on a figure that has been published. There are many people who are dying of COVID-19 and some of them are said to be negative because we are using a narrow diagnostic criteria, whereby you are only recorded if you are PCR [polymerase chain reaction] positive or RTA positive,” Ngwenya said.
“There are people with clear signs and symptoms and also radiological x-rays that show they are positive, but they are not recorded. From the official figures published yesterday (Thursday) of 38 deaths in 24 hours, that actually shows you that at least one person is dying every hour,” he said.
Ngwenya said partying and the opening up of borders without strict measures during the festive season could have worsened the COVID-19 situation
“We are yet to see the worst to come from this virus. Disaster is looming. People must keep safe or else we are going to see a lot of tears, burials, families losing breadwinners, businesses closed, and other terrible things ahead,” he said.
“People must follow the advice of social distancing and masking up, as well as avoiding crowded places and organising illegal parties.”
The sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 infections came as government disclosed plans to craft a vaccination policy to deal with the pandemic.
The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) said that in order for the COVID-19 vaccination policy to work effectively, the government and other relevant stakeholders should provide it for free, especially to the most vulnerable groups.
ZADHR executive director Calvin Fambirai said government needed to be orderly in rolling out its vaccine.
“ZADHR implores the government to urgently outline its vaccine roll out and distribution plan. We further call upon the Ministry of Health to guarantee that it will make efforts to ensure the availability of a safe, effective and free vaccine to most Zimbabweans and the tenets of equity will be applied to prioritise high risk and vulnerable groups,” Fambirai said in a statement.
“To prepare for the vaccine, there is a need to revamp the health system infrastructure such as cold chain facilities in hospitals and clinics, training of health workers and putting in place necessary logistical support needed for an enormous vaccination campaign targeting millions of Zimbabweans.”
As ZADHR emphasised on the need for adequate health infrastructure in order to deal with the pandemic, some of the country’s top health institutions closed some of their facilities.
Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals yesterday said it had suspended chemotherapy sessions for cancer patients because COVID-19 infection among its staff had spiralled out of control.
“We would like to advise our patients on chemotherapy and the general public that our radiotherapy centre is not being spared by the effects of COVID-19,” the hospital said in a statement.
“We are having some staff members and patients being affected and this is posing serious risks to the department.”
The hospital said its specialists had warned that it would be dangerous to administer chemotherapy to COVID-19-infected patients, or placing a patient on chemotherapy machines, only for them to get infected by the coronavirus.
Chitungwiza Municipality-owned St Marys Clinic also closed its operations due to a surge in infections.
In a statement, the Chitungwiza town clerk Tonderai Kasu said the clinic would be temporarily closed following a surge in COVID-19 cases which has left the institution severely understaffed.
Kasu said the clinic would, however, remain open for emergency cases only, while non-emergency cases would be referred to Zengeza Clinic.
“Over the last one week, seven Chitungwiza City health department frontline health workers have tested positive for COVID-19 and one of our frontline health workers has died after previously having tested positive for COVID-19.
“We also now have a total of 21 of our frontline health workers that are currently in self-isolation because they are contacts of the positive cases. As a result of the current severe staff shortages, and with immediate effect, Chitungwiza Municipality will be temporarily closing one of its municipal clinics, St Mary’s Clinic,” Kasu said.
We visited the so called Swaziland – South Africa border gate . Look at this so called border gate. ??♀️ people have been moving up and down these areas for years and years. Remove this thing and let our people move freely #OpenTheBorderspic.twitter.com/viwJ3d4wNz
Last month the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria handed down judgment in a R2-billion damages claim against South Africa by 25 dispossessed Zimbabwean farmers, some of whom were South African citizens, arising from findings by the Constitutional Court in 2018.
The Constitutional Court had found there to have been a “conspiracy” related to a “stratagem” initiated by the Government of Zimbabwe to destroy, in bad faith, individual recourse to the regional human rights court, the SADC Tribunal, arising from Zimbabwe’s land seizure programme.
In its December judgment, the High Court first upheld the plaintiffs’ application for condonation (holding that their claims had not, as the President and SA Government had contended) prescribed, i.e. become irrecoverable due to the expiry of a three-year period.
The plaintiffs, it held, were quite entitled first to have declared invalid, as it was by the Constitutional Court, President Jacob Zuma’s assent to the suspension and then abolition of all right of access by individual SADC citizens to the Tribunal set up under the SADC Treaty.
The court went on to dismiss all but one of the defendants’ exceptions (legal defences intended to avert a trial) to the plaintiffs’ claims for compensation against South Africa for its participation in the conspiracy.
In respect of the single exception allowed – which the court erroneously presented in its judgment as two exceptions – the court upheld the SA Government’s contention that the claims must fail because it was not the claimants’ pleaded case that “only” President Zuma’s assent had caused the loss.
The claimants are seeking leave to appeal from the High Court against that ruling and they filed an application for leave to appeal this week (January 12). This points out that it was indeed not the claimants’ case that only President Zuma’s complicity caused their loss. Their case was that there was a conspiracy between Zimbabwe, South Africa and other SADC states acceding to what it called Zimbabwe’s “stratagem” and “masterplan”. The Constitutional Court has already found exactly that.
Nor (the plaintiffs contend in seeking to appeal the ruling) does it matter, as the High Court thought, that the SADC Treaty permits decisions by the Summit (the heads of state) to be taken by three-quarters of the leaders. The Summit has consistently applied consensus as the requirement – and did so here. The support by President Zuma for President Mugabe’s scheme was indeed, as a fact, needed for it to succeed.
The application also seeks leave to appeal against a second order: one that treated legal causation as a further basis for exception, when it was not (erroneously numbering it as a second ‘Exception 1’ in the order it made).
The court elsewhere in its judgment dismissed the separate exception which had contended that President Zuma had owed no legal duty to SADC citizens, only to SA citizens.
Yet it proceeded, as part of the single exception it upheld, to find that essentially the same kind of losses caused by the same conduct of President Zuma were irrecoverable, as a matter of ‘legal causation’ where they were suffered by SADC citizens who happened not to hold South African citizenship.
Speaking for the plaintiffs today, their attorney, Willie Spies said: “The plaintiffs seek leave to appeal because they believe that the Constitutional Court clearly held President Zuma to have plotted with President Mugabe, and some other SADC leaders, to destroy individual access to the region’s only international law and human rights Tribunal.
“We believe there are reasonable prospects that the Supreme Court of Appeal will disagree with what the High Court has held on causation: its judgment, also on causation, delivered in relation to Covid-19 insurance in the same week supports that belief. And it is of great importance to all citizens of SADC to establish whether it is correct that, while President Zuma owed them a legal duty, when he breached that duty their devastating losses are as yet not recoverable”.
THE Civil Protection Unit (CPU) is on standby for evacuations in flood prone areas of the country after the Meteorological Service Department (MSD) warned that tropical cyclones and serious floods remain a real danger in the second half of the 2020/21 rainy season.
The weather forecaster predicted extremely heavy rains exceeding 30 millimetres (mm) in 24 hours to sweep across most parts of the country this week.
“Heavy storms, flash floods, flooding and tropical cyclones cannot be ruled out as the season progresses,” read an MSD statement yesterday.
Already, some dams in the country are spilling and rain continues to fall in abundance in a rainy season expected to end in March.
The ground is already supersaturated with water in most areas, so all rain water immediately becomes run-off and increases the chances of dangerous flash flooding countrywide.
The MSD had predicted normal to above normal rainfall in the 2020/21 rainy season owing to the La Nina climate pattern in Pacific Ocean, with improved rains expected across the Sadc region.
The weather forecaster said the country has recorded more than 300mm of rains so far across most parts the country, pointing to significant rainfall.
Normally from October to December the country receives subdued rainfall compared to the January to March second-half of the rainy season.- Chronicle
“Fadza Mutengi weDoro” might be a song, but something worse than it was the conclusion in Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s nation address at the beginning of the year.
Constantino Chiwenga
As he ended his strict lockdown regime, VP Chiwenga who himself is an alcoholic, said:
“Just to be clear, restaurants, bottle stores and bars are closed for 30 days except for bars and restaurants serving hotel residents.”
Today supermarkets and other retail outlets continue to sell alcohol despite the ban under the recently announced stricter lockdown regulations.
Vice-President, Dr Constantino Chiwenga who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care announced that only bars and restaurants serving hotel residents are allowed to sell alcohol.
The Government position was further explained by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi who cited provisions of Statutory Instrument (SI) 10 of 2021.
“The only places that are allowed to sell alcohol are hotels for their residents. If there’s a bottle store in a supermarket, it’s supposed to be closed. The SI banned the sale of alcohol by bottle stores and supermarkets, except hotels.
Those chain supermarkets have segments, if they have a bottle store in the supermarket, the bottle store should be closed,” said Minister Ziyambi during an interview last week.
A tour around Gwanda’s Central Business District (CBD) this week showed that supermarkets are still selling alcohol.
It was the same situation in the town’s western suburbs where it was business as usual in Jahunda, Phakama, Spitzkop, Senondo and Ultra High. There was also a hive of activity at shebeens which openly sold beer to their patrons.
There has been an influx of shebeens in Gwanda town since March when Government enforced lockdown regulations.
An imbiber who spoke to this news crew said the decision to ban the sale of alcohol by supermarkets and bottle stores was harsh since only the rich could drink at hotels.
“People from the western suburbs like us cannot drink at hotels so it means Government is saying we should stop drinking beer. This is why you see shebeens sprouting because people want their beer,” said Mr Dumisani Dube.
An informal trader who is now a shebeen queen at Senondo suburb said the Government ban had boosted her business as she is now serving more patrons than before the ban.
“I’m an informal trader who was greatly affected by the lockdown as we were forced to stop operating. I have now resorted to selling beer and business is looking good after Government banned sale of alcohol by supermarkets and bottle stores,” said the woman who refused to be named.
Sex workers said they were also among the people who have been forced to devise new ways of operating following the enforcement of stricter lockdown regulations.
“They said the closure of bars and nightclubs had adversely affected them since these were the places where they operated from. The established and innovative ones have however, improvised and are working from home.
One of the ladies of the night said they now do what they have termed “mobile sex”.
“Last year was very hard for us and now, we’ve started the year with bars being closed. We’ve now decided to work from home and reach out to clients on the phone. If the day is not busy, I go and stand by the gate to lure potential clients,” said a woman who refused to be named.
Risk takers have however, remained on the streets and target mostly small-scale miners popularly known as ogweja who have been allowed to continue reporting for work. – Chronicle/Additional reporting
Bulawayo City Council workers have downed tools over poor salaries, a development that has crippled some critical services such as refuse collection and burials.
Residents are failing to access primary health care as clinics are closed. At Hyde Park Cemetery, relatives of a deceased person had to scoop water from a grave, which is normally the work of council employees.
An undertaker at a local parlour said they had to deepen a grave that did not meet the standard depth as council workers were nowhere to be seen.
The stink of uncollected garbage at sanitary lanes in the city and some residential areas has already become intolerable.
The ongoing strike started on Wednesday and workers have vowed not to return to work until their grievances are addressed. Council has a workforce of about 3 600 employees. The least paid BCC worker earns a basic salary of $1 900.
According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat), the latest Poverty Datum Line (PDL) for an average family of five stands at 17 244,07.
The workers who fall under the Zimbabwe Urban Councils Workers Union (ZUCWU) have accused council management of failing to address the issue of poor salaries.
In December last year, the workers staged a sit-in as they demanded to be paid Covid-19 allowances and asked management to increase their salaries, which they said lagged far behind the living wage range.
The sit-in saw long winding queues at council clinics in a number of suburbs as people waited patiently hoping to be attended to by nurses.
The ZUCWU Bulawayo branch chairperson Mr Ambrose Sibindi yesterday confirmed that the council workers were on strike.
He said what workers were being paid could hardly meet basics which was a confirmation that council was insensitive to the plight of its workers.
“Yes, it is true that we are on strike because we are incapacitated due to poor salaries. This is an ongoing process and we will not return to work unless our demands are met. The employer negotiates in bad faith and has grossly proved that in terms of priorities, workers’ salaries are at the bottom and we demand an immediate stop to that,” he said.
He said some workers are paid a basic salary of less than $2 000 when the PDL is around $20 000 a month. “Most workers’ families cannot afford even basics because of these poor salaries,” he said.
Mr Sibindi said the industrial action was meant to push council management to increase the workers’ salaries as agreed at the December 7 works council meeting.
He said council management was unilaterally changing agreements reached at works council meetings which was unfair labour practice.
Mr Sibindi accused council management of failing to meet its obligation of increasing salaries and paying salaries on time.
Government recently approved Bulawayo City Council (BCC’s) over $16 billion 2021 budget, which will see residents fork out more for services.
Rates have already increased by 372 percent with effect from this month following Government’s December approval of the city’s $551 million supplementary budget.
Mr Sibindi said there was no excuse for council to fail to review workers’ salaries upwards following the approval of the 2021 budget.
Acting Bulawayo town clerk Mrs Sikhangele Zhou said council was in the process of engaging the workers. She, however, said council was yet to realise money from the new budget.
“Some of the workers are on strike because they want a salary increment. We are saying while our budget has been approved, we haven’t seen the correlation between the new budget and the collect sheet. We have seen what would be realised from the new budget especially during the lockdown period,” she said.
“Sadly, while the employer is still working on considering their request, they decided to down tools, but we are engaging the workers.”
Mrs Zhou said the strike affected mostly services such as solid waste management and refuse collection.
“Generally, we had a problem yesterday and we also noted that general hands and undertakers did not turn up and our cemeteries, resulting in some funeral parlours doing some of the work.
The refuse collection did not honour yesterday’s schedule and it is quite unfortunate that workers resorted to downing tools before we got to the negotiating table, but we are still trying to convene meetings to engage them,” she said.
“Others, especially non-essential workers were already working from home because of the Covid-19 regulations and those are not affecting service delivery. “Health personnel are an essential service and they are supposed to be at work. In terms of the labour laws on collective job action they are not allowed to go on strike.” -Chronicle
Air Zimbabwe is this year focusing on expanding routes and flying more aircraft as it moves to promote tourism and trade.
In a statement, the airline, which was placed under reconstruction in terms of the State Indebted and Insolvent Companies Act in 2018, described 2020 as a “tough and tumultuous year” due to the adverse impact of Covid-19.
“We look back at 2020, a tough and tumultuous year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with great appreciation and gratitude for all the support, feedback and engagements we have had with you our valued customers.
“Our focus in 2021 is fleet augmentation, route expansion and service delivery,” said Air Zimbabwe acting chief executive officer Mr Joseph Makonese.
The parastatal has been declared technically insolvent and was saddled with a US$341 million debt overhang, 92 percent of which was owed to local creditors. In the past, the airline as part of its fleet augmentation programme, has acquired aircraft such as the 282-seater long-range Boeing 777-200ER and an Embraer ERJ145 regional aircraft.
“While there have been delays in the deployment into service of the ERJ145, we expect the aircraft to be serviceable by the end of January 2021. We are in the process of acquiring a second ERJ145 for deployment into service in the first half of 2021,” said Mr Makonese. The deployment of the aircraft would allow Air Zimbabwe to initially fly Harare to Johannesburg twice daily and the Johannesburg to Bulawayo route four times per week. “Tourists and traders to Dar es Salaam will also have the convenience to connect between Harare-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls-Dar es Salaam with a return on the same day three times weekly. Domestic flights will also be increased to promote the tourism industry through our Flame Lily packages,” he said.
Mr Makonese said regional expansion is poised with the proposed addition of Lusaka, Lubumbashi and Kinshasa as destinations as the year progresses. Though scheduled operations were suspended globally from the end of the first quarter in 2020 due to the Covid-19 travel restrictions, Mr Makonese said Air Zimbabwe was able to operate cargo and repatriation flights. -Herald
A MAN from Bulawayo’s high density suburb of Nguboyenja battered his wife for asking him why he had called out another woman’s name while they were having sex.
The court heard that on 08 December last year at around 9PM while Sikhanyisiwe Moyo (28) and Thabo Ngwenya were having a nice time in between the sheets, Thabo pulled a shocker.
As he reached the point of no return Thabo called out an unfamiliar name — “Bridget” — much to the shock of his wife.
Sikhanyisiwe asked why he was calling her Bridget. The court heard that Thabo stood up and went to urinate in a container which had drinking water. Sikhanyisiwe tried to show him the bucket which they use for urinating, but he did not listen to her, the court heard.
The situation spiralled out of control as a discomfited Thabo hurled insults at his wife.
“Akungitshiye wena wule lothuvi, mtwane wule (Please leave me prostitute, daughter of a prostitute).
He strangled her, forcing her to fall on the children who were sleeping on the floor. The court heard that the fuming Thabo told his wife to vacate their matrimonial home while calling their children puppies.
A Bulawayo woman who failed to execute her maintenance award of US$150 monthly for eight years due to bungling by a magistrate, will now claim her dues now in excess of US$12 000 after intervention of the High Court. Ms Manyara Masedewe was awarded the order for payment of US$150 spousal maintenance, but a Bulawayo magistrate reportedly bungled and set aside the order without a court hearing and without the woman’s knowledge.
The magistrate dumped the maintenance order after receiving a letter from the husband’s lawyers through a document he termed “judgment clarification”.
But that said “judgment clarification”, according to legal experts, is not provided for in the Magistrates’ Court Act and all variations to a maintenance order can be effected after a court application by one the parties and with both parties given an opportunity to address the court.
That clarification has seen Ms Masedewe going for eight years without receiving spousal maintenance.
Ms Masedewe, who was entirely depended on her husband during marriage, said she had been living a miserable life due to the non-payment of the maintenance.
The Chief Magistrate’s Office asked the High Court to intervene on the basis that the mother and ex-wife was never asked to give her views before the first order was clarified out of existence.
On December 15, 2020, Justices Nokuthula Moyo and Thompson Mabhikwa set aside the “judgment clarification” after the magistrate admitted to bungling.
“In this matter, the learned magistrate erred by revisiting an order that he had given in a maintenance case on the strength of a letter that had been written by a firm of lawyers representing one of the litigants in the case.
“The learned magistrate upon receipt of a letter by lawyers from one of the parties in the matter, sought to amend the order he had initially given through the inscriptions in the record of a paragraph titled ‘judgment clarification’.
“The learned magistrate concedes the error and wishes to have the order granted under the title ‘judgment clarification’ set aside.
“Accordingly, the order of the magistrate under case number M56/2014 issued on October 5 2015 and titled ‘judgment clarification’ is hereby set aside,” ruled the High Court.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Mrs Bianca Makwande wrote to Ms Masedewe on December 20, informing her of the development.
This means Ms Masedewe can now proceed to claim her maintenance, which is now in excess of US$12 000.
Ms Masedewe, who was married to a businessman Mr Munetsi Blessing Masedewe under the Marriages Act, separated with her husband in 2012 and was awarded US$150 monthly maintenance.
The usual and routine spousal maintenance was issued: “The respondent (Mr Masedewe) is ordered to pay $150 monthly maintenance for the applicant with effect from November 2012. The maintenance will be paid through the applicant’s bank on or before the end of each month and will run until the order is either varied or the applicant dies or remarries whichever is earlier.”
When the woman won custody of the minor child some two years later, a different magistrate in the same court separately ordered Mr Masedewe to pay monthly maintenance of US$280 for the minor child. Again the child order is the standard one: “Respondent is hereby ordered to pay $280 monthly maintenance for the minor child until the child attains 18 years or is self-sufficient whichever occurs sooner. Respondent is also ordered to pay school fees for the minor child.”
But there were now two separate maintenance orders issued by two different magistrates, although one was for the ex-wife and other for the child.
One of the magistrates after communicating with Mr Masedewe’s lawyer, unilaterally and without any court hearing, issued what he called a “judgment clarification”.
The debt is in excess of US$12 000, but efforts to have Mr Masedewe prosecuted for non-compliance with the spousal maintenance order of 2012 proved fruitless as the man’s lawyers always produced the “judgment clarification” as his defence, and police do not have discretion to alter a court order.
Legal expert and former head of the Harare Civil Court Mr Brighton Pabwe said a correction of a judgment can only be done after a formal application, which means both parties are told and both given the opportunity to address the court.
Another former magistrate Mr Reginald Mutero, who is now practicing at Caleb Mucheche Law Chambers said only judges, in terms of the High Court rules, can make changes without hearing.
“In the Magistrates’ Court Act, there is nothing called judgment clarification. There are provisions for correction, interpretation and variation and the parties have to first make an application. However, in terms of the High Court Rule 449, judges can do so on their own,” he said. – Chronicle
Sharon Ncube’s Christmas Day turned from a blissful day to a miserable one after her intoxicated husband battered her while demanding to know what visitors wanted at their matrimonial home at night.
Sharon stays with her husband James Ngwenya (52) and their children at Ross Camp police camp.
According to a state outline, on 25 December last year Ngwenya came home from a beer binge and confronted his wife, questioning her why she was “entertaining” visitors at night.
Sharon tried to talk to him as he was making the visitors uncomfortable.
But, the court heard, the visibly drunk hubby went a gear up in embarrassing his wife. The wife fired back and told Ngwenya to respect the visitors.
An argument ensued and Ngwenya resorted to punching his wife several times with fists.
Ncube bolted out of the house and her husband pursued her. He caught up with her outside the house and handed her more punches.
He even went on to strangle her, Ncube managed to free herself from the firm grip of her hubby and sprinted to Mzilikazi Police Station.
She reported the matter leading to the arrest of Ngwenya.
He appeared before magistrate Shepherd Munjanja on 09 January and pleaded not guilty to physical abuse charge.
He was remanded out of custody to 15 February.- B-Metro
@MKomichi pleads with Mwonzora MDC members as the party explodes: "I am aware many MDCs members are angry at each but time is running out. Reconcile and unite 2023 is by the corner. Show Leadership Tsvangirai did it & why not you." pic.twitter.com/3Cc2EUBhZ1
Prominent Zimbabwean sculptor Lazarus Takawira succumbed to COVID-19 on Wednesday and will be buried this Thursday.
He was 69.
Takawira’s friend Olivier Sultan confirmed the news on social media. He wrote:
I am terribly sad to announce the death of my dear friend, sculptor Lazarus Takawira from COVID-19.
Takawira was born in Nyanga in 1952 and he celebrated women through his sculptures.
His mother was a traditional pottery maker and he held her in great esteem.
Much of his career was themed on the woman figure and he openly voiced his love for the women in his life.
The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) director Nicholas Moyo had this to say:
Our hearts were immediately filled with sorrow upon hearing the news of Lazarus’ passing. Our most sincere condolences go out to the Takawira family which has lost a father, grandfather and icon of Zimbabwean stone Sculpture.
… The death of Lazarus is a big blow to the local arts industry. While he began working in sculpture under his brother John’s guidance in the early 1970s over time his style, subject matter and approach changed considerably as he worked almost exclusively in Springstone, an exceptionally hard and heavy local stone that gave his work a beautiful finish.
Takawira was a recipient of many local and international awards including the National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) (2008), Award of Merit, Zimbabwe Heritage Exhibition, National Gallery of Zimbabwe (1993), Award of Distinction, Zimbabwe Heritage Exhibition, National Gallery of Zimbabwe(1991).
He also received a Certificate of Excellence, Zimbabwe Heritage Exhibition, National Gallery of Zimbabwe (1990), Award of Merit, Zimbabwe Heritage Exhibition, National Gallery of Zimbabwe (1989), Certificate of Excellence, Zimbabwe Heritage Exhibition, National Gallery of Zimbabwe (1988) and the Commission for Old Mutual, (1987)- The Herald
Statement by Trevor Ncube on the arrest of Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, Hopewell Chin’ono and Job Sikhala
The arrest of Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, Job Sikhala and Hopewell Chin’ono represents a chilling attack on freedom of expression by the State.
That the three have been charged under a law that was struck down by the Constitutional Court in 2014 makes the violation of their rights to free speech even more pernicious. The words of Chief Justice Malaba are worth repeating: “Government is prohibited from appointing itself as a monitor of truth for people.” Muzzling those who call for state accountability is a cynical abuse of power.
What should have received urgent attention from the State are allegations of police brutality. The State has a duty of care to its citizens, and when there’s an incident that leads to speculation about possible police brutality, the State should reassure the public that it will investigate and hold any offender accountable, as was the case with the video of the woman seen cradling her child.
Zimbabwe’s constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression and the State must curtail its assault of this right. Over the past six months Hopewell Chin’ono has been in and out of the courts and Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison on charges relating to his work as a journalist. An attack on Chin’ono’s rights to freedom of expression limits the rights of citizens to know what is going on in the country. The response of the state should be to set the record straight, not to arrest or harass those who express themselves freely.
It is the responsibility of the State to ensure the safety of its citizens, and to guarantee the comfort and security of those it incarcerates. Images of Chin’ono and others in leg irons is meant to intimidate those who dare ask uncomfortable questions of the State.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC MDC Alliance spokesperson, Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, has revealed that the regime is deliberately exposing opposition members to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
Mahere has been subjected to degrading treatment while in custody and potentially exposed to Covid-19.
“There were no temperature checks or sanitisers at the police entrance.
No social distancing is observed in the waiting area or holding cells. No masks are available in the cells and cellmates had old masks.
The toilet was a pit latrine surrounded by a puddle of urine. There is no separation between the beds and toilet walls as well as privacy during menstruation.
A pungent smell exists because of lack of aeration. The cell blocks are small and seven inmates were crowded in each room. You have to walk barefooted and women take off their undergarments,” Mahere complained through her lawyer, David Drury.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC MDC Alliance spokesperson, Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, has revealed that the regime is deliberately exposing opposition members to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
Mahere has been subjected to degrading treatment while in custody and potentially exposed to Covid-19.
“There were no temperature checks or sanitisers at the police entrance.
No social distancing is observed in the waiting area or holding cells. No masks are available in the cells and cellmates had old masks.
The toilet was a pit latrine surrounded by a puddle of urine. There is no separation between the beds and toilet walls as well as privacy during menstruation.
A pungent smell exists because of lack of aeration. The cell blocks are small and seven inmates were crowded in each room. You have to walk barefooted and women take off their undergarments,” Mahere complained through her lawyer, David Drury.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC MDC Alliance Youth Assembly leader, Netsai Marova has posted a strong message on Facebook encouraging Advocate Fadzayi Mahere to remain strong and resilient…
Mahere, MDC Alliance vice chairperson Hon Job Sikhala and journalist Hopewell Chin’ono were arrested for allegedly communicating falsehoods.
Netsai, Joana Mamombe and Cecilia Chimbiri are victims of State brutality- last year they were abducted, tortured and assaulted for speaking on behalf of suffering Zimbabweans.
“Tears and sweat of the courageous are the only raindrops that precede the sushine to freedom for all.
The cock shall crow, heralding the begining of a new day. Hang in the people’s spokes Fadzayi Mahere. This too shall come to pass.
NoWomanNoRevolution
FreeAllPoliticalPrisoners,” wrote Netsai Marova on Facebook.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC MDC Alliance official, Happymore ‘Bvondo’ Chidziva has called for national solidarity in the fighting against Zanu PF oppression.
Chidziva denounced the persecution of MDC Alliance vice chairperson Hon Job Sikhala, party spokesperson Advocate Fadzayi Mahere and journalist Hopewell Chin’ono.
In a strong message to the Zanu PF administration, Chidziva said:
They want to silence you the People’s spokes. Let the regime be warned this year is a different year, tanyarara zvakwana they must arrest us all.
We can’t continue watching as if these are people shooting movies lets put a stop to this …
Both the regime and us must see to it kuti for us all to be proud of Zimbabwe this must end either through action or realisation. We can’t be a country that is known just for political persecution.
Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Presidency is under threat as factional battles intensify in Zanu PF.
Party youths who declined to be named believe Saviour Kasukuwere is a better leader than Mnangagwa.
“It’s now 3 years after elections and Mnangagwa has failed to fulfil his promises.Mnangagwa hates democracy…
He only cares about his pocket and power. His 2030 vision is a joke. Mugabe had the 2020 vision and I think it was better than Mnangagwa’s so called vision.
Saviour Kasukuwere is the one who can rebuild the party, he is better than Mnangagwa.
We are sick and tired of Mnangagwa’s brutality.He is persecuting opposition members at will,” said one Zanu PF youth.
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has recovered US$456 000 and vehicles from the US$2.5 million stolen in the cash-in-transit heist that happened in Gwebi last week.
So far police have recovered the following out of the total stolen in the cash-in-transit heist:
US$456 000
Vehicles:
white Toyota Hiace,
Charcoal grey Baby Quantum,
Toyota Lexus and
Honda Fit, all purchased from the loot.
From the recovered money, US$38 000 was recovered from one Kelvin Musakwa, (25), a brother to one of the three ZB bank security details also implicated in the heist.
The ZB trio is caged and returns to court on February 18 after police successfully applied for a warrant for further detention citing that they were still following up on indications that could lead to possible recovery.
The arrest of Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, Job Sikhala and Hopewell Chin’ono represents a chilling attack on freedom of expression by the State.
That the three have been charged under a law that was struck down by the Constitutional Court in 2014 makes the violation of then rights to free speech even more pernicious.
The words of Chief Justice Malaba are worth repeating: “Government is prohibited from appointing itself as a monitor of truth for people.”
Muzzling those who call for state accountability is a cynical abuse of power. What should have received urgent attention from the State are allegations of police brutality.
The State has a duty of care to its citizens, and when there’s an incident that leads to speculation about possible police brutality, the State should reassure the public that it will investigate and hold any offender accountable, as was the case with the video of the woman seen cradling her child.
Zimbabwe’s constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression and the State must curtail its assault of this right. Over the past six months, Hopewell Chin’ono has been in and out of the courts and Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison on charges relating to his work as a journalist.
An attack on Chin’ono’s rights to freedom of expression limits the rights of citizens to know what is going on in the country. The response of the state should be to set the record straight, not to arrest or harass those who express themselves freely.
It is the responsibility of the State to ensure the safety of its citizens, and to guarantee the comfort and security of those it incarcerates. Images of Chin’ono and others in leg irons is meant to intimidate those who dare ask uncomfortable questions of the State.
By A Correspondent- Three Harare-based Zimbabwe Republic (ZRP) officers were on Wednesday hurled before a Harare magistrate on allegations of mounting an illegal roadblock in the city centre and demanding a bribe from a motorist.
Norest Nyasha Chikore, Osivinda Maphosa and Prisca Nyadongo appeared before magistrate Judith Taruvinga on a charge of criminal abuse of duty.
The trio was not asked to plead and was, however, remanded on $2 000 bail each.
Prosecutors said the accused persons mounted an unsanctioned roadblock at corner Leopold Takawira Street and Nelson Mandela Avenue pretending to be enforcing traffic laws.
They then arrested a motorist, Anthony Hwingwiri, and demanded US$30 bribe.
The whole incident was being watched by officers from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) who promptly arrested the three police officers.
By A Correspondent- Two Shamva men were dragged to Bindura Magistrates Courts yesterday for possessing fishing nets without a license.
Trust Chabvundura (42) and Tatenda Foya (25) of Tippery, Shamva, pleaded guilty to the charge before Magistrate Samantha Dlamini who fined them ZW$2 000 each or 30 days imprisonment.
Prosecutor Edward Katsvairo told the court that on January 12 at around 0500hrs, the accused persons proceeded to Daglin Dam with two nets intending to fish.
Takaruza Changanamu who is a security guard at Daglin farm, discovered the accused and intercepted them.
Changanamu asked for a license from the accused which they failed to produce, and they were arrested.
By Son Of The Soil Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Presidency is under threat as factional battles intensify in Zanu PF.
Party youths who declined to be named believe Saviour Kasukuwere is a better leader than Mnangagwa.
“It’s now 3 years after elections and Mnangagwa has failed to fulfil his promises.Mnangagwa hates democracy…
He only cares about his pocket and power. His 2030 vision is a joke. Mugabe had the 2020 vision and I think it was better than Mnangagwa’s so called vision.
Saviour Kasukuwere is the one who can rebuild the party, he is better than Mnangagwa.
We are sick and tired of Mnangagwa’s brutality.He is persecuting opposition members at will,” said one Zanu PF youth.
The arrest of Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, Job Sikhala and Hopewell Chin’ono represents a chilling attack on freedom of expression by the State.
That the three have been charged under a law that was struck down by the Constitutional Court in 2014 makes the violation of then rights to free speech even more pernicious.
The words of Chief Justice Malaba are worth repeating: “Government is prohibited from appointing itself as a monitor of truth for people.”
Muzzling those who call for state accountability is a cynical abuse of power. What should have received urgent attention from the State are allegations of police brutality.
The State has a duty of care to its citizens, and when there’s an incident that leads to speculation about possible police brutality, the State should reassure the public that it will investigate and hold any offender accountable, as was the case with the video of the woman seen cradling her child.
Zimbabwe’s constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression and the State must curtail its assault of this right. Over the past six months, Hopewell Chin’ono has been in and out of the courts and Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison on charges relating to his work as a journalist.
An attack on Chin’ono’s rights to freedom of expression limits the rights of citizens to know what is going on in the country. The response of the state should be to set the record straight, not to arrest or harass those who express themselves freely.
It is the responsibility of the State to ensure the safety of its citizens, and to guarantee the comfort and security of those it incarcerates. Images of Chin’ono and others in leg irons is meant to intimidate those who dare ask uncomfortable questions of the State.
By A Correspondent- Jailed MDC Alliance spokesperson, Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, has told the court that the regime is deliberately exposing opposition members to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
Mahere revealed that she has been subjected to degrading treatment while in custody and potentially exposed to Covid-19.
“There were no temperature checks or sanitisers at the police entrance.
No social distancing is observed in the waiting area or holding cells. No masks are available in the cells and cellmates had old masks.
The toilet was a pit latrine surrounded by a puddle of urine. There is no separation between the beds and toilet walls as well as privacy during menstruation.
A pungent smell exists because of lack of aeration. The cell blocks are small and seven inmates were crowded in each room. You have to walk barefooted and women take off their undergarments,” Mahere complained through her lawyer, David Drury.
Tinashe Sambiri|A trigger-happy prison officer attempted to shoot freelance journalist Frank Chikowore in Harare on Thursday morning as MDC Alliance vice chairperson Hon Job Sikhala and Hopewell Chin’ono arrived at court.
Chikowore was doing his duty as usual when prison officers threatened to assault him.One officer then pointed a fully loaded firearm at Chikowore and threatened to shoot him.
The MDC Alliance has described the incident as shocking:
“This is how journalists are treated by Zimbabwe Prisons & Correctional Service in Zimbabwe.
Freelance journalist Frank Chikowore was saved from being shot by a prison officer today at Harare Magistrates Court while recording a video as @daddyhope & Hon. Sikhala arrived at court,” the party said in a brief statement.
MDC Alliance Namibia spokesperson Robson Ruhanya said: “The country is being run by callous individuals who do not value human rights.They are ready to spill blood anytime…”
By A Correspondent- |MDC MDC Alliance Youth Assembly leader, Netsai Marova has posted a strong message on Facebook encouraging Advocate Fadzayi Mahere to remain strong and resilient…
Mahere, MDC Alliance vice chairperson Hon Job Sikhala and journalist Hopewell Chin’ono were arrested for allegedly communicating falsehoods.
Netsai, Joana Mamombe and Cecilia Chimbiri are victims of State brutality.Last year they were abducted, tortured and assaulted for speaking on behalf of suffering Zimbabweans.
Said Marova:
“Tears and sweat of the courageous are the only raindrops that precede the sushine to freedom for all.
The cock shall crow, heralding the begining of a new day. Hang in there people’s spokes Fadzayi Mahere. This too shall come to pass.
NoWomanNoRevolution
FreeAllPoliticalPrisoners,” wrote Netsai Marova on Facebook.
By A Correspondent- Kudakwashe Bhasikiti has said he never resigned from ZANU PF following allegations that he recently quit the MDC Alliance to rejoin the ruling party.
The former Mwenezi East legislator was kicked out of ZANU PF in 2014 on allegations of being a member of the Mai Mujuru-led Gamatox faction which was reportedly trying to remove the then President Robert Mugabe from power.
Bhasikiti announced recently that he was dumping MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa arguing that his party no longer exists.
He said:
I was not kicked out of the MDC Alliance but I had to quit after realising that I could no longer belong to a party which does not exist. I supported Chamisa but since he no longer has a party, I decided to leave him.
Now people are attacking my person saying I want to go back to Zanu PF but I want to tell them that I never resigned from Zanu PF.
Everyone likes the old Zanu PF which believed in the politics of gutsaruzhinji. Unfortunately, the current Zanu PF has derailed from that principle and if they mend their ways I would support them.
What I wanted was for MDC Alliance to become ideologically like Zanu PF during its founding days but they have refused.
After the 2017 military coup of 2017 which ousted Mugabe from power and scattered G40 functionaries, Bhasikiti tried to find his way into Zanu PF after pleading with the Zanu PF Masvingo Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) for readmission but he was turned down.
By A Correspondent- A villainous robber broke into a couple’s bedroom at night and forced them to be intimate while recording a video, after robbing them of cash.
Luzondano Mudenda (31) of Moniff low-density suburb in Beitbridge allegedly sprayed the couple with an irritant before robbing them of property worth R6 570.
He was dragged before Beitbridge magistrate Toindepi Zhou on Tuesday charged with robbery and possession of dangerous drugs.
Mudenda denied the charges but was remanded in custody to February 16 for trial.
The State alleged that Mudenda, in the company of accomplices who are still at large, broke into businessman Edson Moyo’s house on January 5 at around 1 AM wielding machetes, axes and logs.
Prosecutor Munyonga Kuvarega further alleged that the robbers assaulted Moyo and his wife with an axe handle and stole valuables such as mobile phones, a radio, diamond rings, necklaces, R570 and groceries worth R6 570.
The suspects allegedly later forced Moyo and his wife to be intimate while they recorded a video before spraying them with an irritant.
Mudenda’s luck however ran out when Moyo saw him on 9 January at 3 PM and made a police report which led to his arrest.
By A Correspondent- The South Africa National Defence Force (SANDF) has started deploying helicopters to patrol over the Limpopo River and 108 people using illegal crossing points have since been nabbed.
The air patrols follow this week’s decision by the South African government to close its borders, including Beitbridge Border Post.
A recent report by the International Organisation Migration concluded that there would be a spike in Covid-19 cases in both countries due to illegal activities at the border.
The SANDF said Wednesday 108 undocumented persons had been nabbed and goods worth R200 000 had been recovered following air operations it conducted. It also said illicit cigarettes worth R 466 107 had been seized.
Early this month, South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the SANDF will be deploying helicopters to hover above the Limpopo River and the SAPS will have boats in it.
The minister said this after inspecting the Beitbridge border, where he saw dozens of Zimbabweans trying to make their way illegally into South Africa.
“You can’t just come with your fraudulent documents. The person who wants to enter your country with a fraudulent document is undermining your sovereignty, is undermining the order in your country, is undermining al the laws,” the minister said.
By A Correspondent- Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono is likely to be jailed for 20 years if convicted for communicating falsehoods, a Harare magistrate heard yesterday.
This was revealed by an investigating officer from the CID Harare Law and Order section, Lovemore Marwisa, while giving evidence before magistrate Lazini Ncube, where he argued that the accused was not eligible for bail because he was likely to abscond considering the possible penalty for the offence he was facing.
“We have overwhelming evidence against the accused as we managed to retrieve the chats that he posted on his Facebook and Twitter accounts while committing the offence. We also have an affidavit prepared by the woman whose child was falsely reported to be dead,” Marwisa said.
“The accused is facing a level 14 offence, which when convicted, he is likely to be sentenced to a jail term not exceeding 20 years,” he said.
The State, represented by prosecutor Nancy Chandakaona, opposed the granting of bail on the basis that he was facing a serious offence, hence was likely to abscond if granted bail.
This was after Ncube had dismissed his application to challenge placement on remand.
Chin’ono, MDC Alliance deputy chairperson Job Sikhala and the MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere, who are facing a similar charge of publishing falsehoods, argued in court that section 31(a)(iii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, which they were being charged under, was actually a “non-existent” law.
But Ncube ruled that there were only minor amendments to that law, which involved a few words. The magistrate insisted that the whole section was still in existence.
Chin’ono allegedly posted falsehoods on Twitter to the effect that a police officer had killed a baby with a truncheon. This was after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
Police, however, dismissed the reports, saying the child was alive and that both the mother and the child had not sustained any injuries following the scuffle with a Harare police officer.
The police, however, did not publish the identity of the woman.
Chin’ono’s lawyer Harrison Nkomo said his client was not likely to abscond since he had already surrendered his passport to the State as part of his bail conditions on other pending cases.
Chin’ono also stands accused of inciting public violence and obstructing or defeating the course of justice.
He was denied bail at the magistrates’ court on both charges, but was later granted bail at the High Court after several attempts.
Through his lawyers, Chin’ono complained that the prison officers were defying court orders after they failed to isolate him from other inmates although he was a COVID-19 suspect.
The prison officers were also said to have defied a court order to the effect that Chin’ono must not be brought to court in leg irons.
A prison officer told the court that his superiors were demanding a written court order so as to comply with the directives.-newsday
By A Correspondent- Jailed MDC Alliance deputy chairperson Job Sikhala, who is being charged on allegations of communicating falsehoods through social media, yesterday wept in court, lamenting that he was being abused by prison officials.
Sikhala complained saying that it was inhuman treatment for him to be brought before the courts in leg irons and handcuffed, adding that this was in defiance of a court order barring the prison officials from handcuffing and putting leg irons on accused persons in the court.
Prison officers had argued that there was no problem in them handcuffing or placing leg irons on prisoners from the remand prison to the courts.
Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna, however, dismissed the application, in which he was challenging being placed on remand.
Sikhala was arguing that the law under which he was being charged was non-existent.
He is being charged under section 31(a)(iii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
Appearing for the State, prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti alleged that Sikhala used a Facebook account under the name “Job Wiwa Sikhala” and falsely published that a police officer had killed a nine-month-old child, allegations which the police have dismissed.
Addressing journalists outside the courtroom prior to the proceedings, Sikhala said he was not a criminal and did not deserve to be treated like one.
“There are real criminals who have stolen money in our country, and who have committed very heinous crimes through corruption but they have never been treated this way. I have not committed any crime, but I am being ill treated,” Sikhala said.
In the courtroom, Sikhala fumed and went on to threaten a prison officer saying that he would charge towards him if he dared come near him.
He said he (prison officer) was the one who orchestrated all the abuse he was subjected to.
“Usaswedera padhuze neni mudhara iwe. Usanditarira mhani (Don’t come near me you old man. Don’t look at me). We are humans, we are humans, why this ill-treatment?” Sikhala shouted, as he charged towards the senior prison officer, before he broke into tears.
The prison officer had to retreat as Sikhala threatened him, and Jacob Ngarivhume, the Transform Zimbabwe leader, who had attended court in solidarity with Sikhala, consoled him.
So bitter was Sikhala that the magistrate had to reprimand him against interjecting during court proceedings.
Sikhala’s lawyer Jeremiah Bamu told the court that it was unconstitutional for the prison officers to bring an unconvicted person in handcuffs and leg irons to court.
Nduna ordered a superior in the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services to appear before him so that he explained why they were defying court orders.-Newsday
