Khama Billiat assisted the winning goal in Kaizer Chiefs’ 1-0 away victory in the CAF Champions League on Tuesday.
The solitary goal was netted by Leonardo Castro who pounced on a left-sided cross from Billiat to slot into the back of the net.
The victory saw the Soweto giants progress to the group stages on a 1-0 aggregate victory.
Meanwhile, Willard Katsande was a notable absentee from the Chiefs squad on the day. The Zimbabwean was left out for the trip, and no reason was explained by the club.
But according to Soccer Laduma, Katsande is believed to have tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently isolating.-Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Consuming a healthy diet throughout the life-course helps to prevent malnutrition in all its forms as well as a range of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and conditions.
However, increased production of processed foods, rapid urbanization and changing lifestyles have led to a shift in dietary patterns.
People are now consuming more foods high in energy, fats, free sugars and salt/sodium, and many people do not eat enough fruit, vegetables and other dietary fibre such as whole grains.
The exact make-up of a diversified, balanced and healthy diet will vary depending on individual characteristics (e.g. age, gender, lifestyle and degree of physical activity), cultural context, locally available foods and dietary customs.
However, the basic principles of what constitutes a healthy diet remain the same.
For adults A healthy diet includes the following: Fruit, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils and beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat and brown rice).
At least 400 g (i.e. five portions) of fruit and vegetables per day (2) , excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava and other starchy roots.
Less than 10% of total energy intake from free sugars (2, 7) , which is equivalent to 50 g (or about 12 level teaspoons) for a person of healthy body weight consuming about 2000 calories per day, but ideally is less than 5% of total energy intake for additional health benefits (7) . Free sugars are all sugars added to foods or drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, as well as sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.
Less than 30% of total energy intake from fats (1, 2, 3) . Unsaturated fats (found in fish, avocado and nuts, and in sunflower, soybean, canola and olive oils) are preferable to saturated fats (found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee and lard) and trans- fats of all kinds, including both industrially-produced trans- fats (found in baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks and foods, such as frozen pizza, pies, cookies, biscuits, wafers, and cooking oils and spreads) and ruminant trans- fats (found in meat and dairy foods from ruminant animals, such as cows, sheep, goats and camels).
It is suggested that the intake of saturated fats be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake and trans- fats to less than 1% of total energy intake (5) . In particular, industrially-produced trans -fats are not part of a healthy diet and should be avoided (4, 6) . Less than 5 g of salt (equivalent to about one teaspoon) per day (8). Salt should be iodized.
For infants and young children In the first 2 years of a child’s life, optimal nutrition fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive development. It also reduces the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing NCDs later in life.
Advice on a healthy diet for infants and children is similar to that for adults, but the following elements are also important: Infants should be breastfed exclusively during the first 6 months of life. Infants should be breastfed continuously until 2 years of age and beyond.
From 6 months of age, breast milk should be complemented with a variety of adequate, safe and nutrient-dense foods. Salt and sugars should not be added to complementary foods.
Practical advice on maintaining a healthy diet Fruit and vegetables Eating at least 400 g, or five portions, of fruit and vegetables per day reduces the risk of NCDs (2) and helps to ensure an adequate daily intake of dietary fibre.
Fruit and vegetable intake can be improved by: always including vegetables in meals; eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks; eating fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season; and eating a variety of fruit and vegetables.
Fats Reducing the amount of total fat intake to less than 30% of total energy intake helps to prevent unhealthy weight gain in the adult population (1, 2, 3) .
Also, the risk of developing NCDs is lowered by: reducing saturated fats to less than 10% of total energy intake; reducing trans -fats to less than 1% of total energy intake; and replacing both saturated fats and trans- fats with unsaturated fats (2, 3) – in particular, with polyunsaturated fats.
Fat intake, especially saturated fat and industrially-produced trans- fat intake, can be reduced by: steaming or boiling instead of frying when cooking; replacing butter, lard and ghee with oils rich in polyunsaturated fats, such as soybean, canola (rapeseed), corn, safflower and sunflower oils; eating reduced-fat dairy foods and lean meats, or trimming visible fat from meat; and limiting the consumption of baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks and foods (e.g. doughnuts, cakes, pies, cookies, biscuits and wafers) that contain industrially-produced trans- fats.
Salt, sodium and potassium Most people consume too much sodium through salt (corresponding to consuming an average of 9–12 g of salt per day) and not enough potassium (less than 3.5 g). High sodium intake and insufficient potassium intake contribute to high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease and stroke (8, 11) .
Reducing salt intake to the recommended level of less than 5 g per day could prevent 1.7 million deaths each year (12) .
People are often unaware of the amount of salt they consume. In many countries, most salt comes from processed foods (e.g. ready meals; processed meats such as bacon, ham and salami; cheese; and salty snacks) or from foods consumed frequently in large amounts (e.g. bread). Salt is also added to foods during cooking (e.g. bouillon, stock cubes, soy sauce and fish sauce) or at the point of consumption (e.g. table salt).
Salt intake can be reduced by: limiting the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g. soy sauce, fish sauce and bouillon) when cooking and preparing foods; not having salt or high-sodium sauces on the table; limiting the consumption of salty snacks; and choosing products with lower sodium content.
Some food manufacturers are reformulating recipes to reduce the sodium content of their products, and people should be encouraged to check nutrition labels to see how much sodium is in a product before purchasing or consuming it.
Potassium can mitigate the negative effects of elevated sodium consumption on blood pressure. Intake of potassium can be increased by consuming fresh fruit and vegetables.
Sugars
In both adults and children, the intake of free sugars should be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake (2, 7) . A reduction to less than 5% of total energy intake would provide additional health benefits (7) . Consuming free sugars increases the risk of dental caries (tooth decay).
Excess calories from foods and drinks high in free sugars also contribute to unhealthy weight gain, which can lead to overweight and obesity. Recent evidence also shows that free sugars influence blood pressure and serum lipids, and suggests that a reduction in free sugars intake reduces risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (13) . Sugars intake can be reduced by:
limiting the consumption of foods and drinks containing high amounts of sugars, such as sugary snacks, candies and sugar-sweetened beverages (i.e. all types of beverages containing free sugars – these include carbonated or non‐carbonated soft drinks, fruit or vegetable juices and drinks, liquid and powder concentrates, flavoured water, energy and sports drinks, ready‐to‐drink tea, ready‐to‐drink coffee and flavoured milk drinks); and eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks instead of sugary snacks.
Credit:WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
It is with great sadness and regret that we come to you our fans with news that our Chillspot recordz management has been sentenced to 6 months behind bars because of participation in the New year’s Eve bash which was organised by Dammah.
Firstly we would like to apologise to our government for not heeding the call not to host any shows on the 31st of December.
We would also like to extend our apologies to our community for any risk of contracting this deadly coronavirus that we put you through.
It is also important to note that we are very unsettled by the harsh Judgement of 6 months because our executives are really not criminals they are actually young men with a passion for entertainment.
Also to note is DJ Fantan and Levels are fathers with dependants who look up to them for support especially during this lockdown. We pray for their wives and children and would have hoped for a lighter sentence which considers these facts and also acknowledgement that they have never broken the law prior to this moment but have contributed immensely towards youth empowerment over the past couple of years. Chillspot has changed the lives of so many youths some of them formerly street kids that are now reputable super stars. Some former drug junkies that are now rehabilitated and singing for the world.
To our fans we thank you for your support during this trying time. We never planned on running we never ran but it only took two days for media to make it look like our executive producers were fugitives.
To our artists the Judgement has come in but it does not mean that the depot is also going behind bars. Our team will look into releasing the projects that were scheduled to come out before all this began. Let’s pray for a speedy release of our Executive producers. #Sawa
My prayers and thoughts go out to Fantan, Levels and the entire Chillspot family. These young men have been very influential in the music industry.
They have helped identify various talents, Enzo Ishall, Uncle Epaton, Herman to name just a few. The work they do at Chillspot is going a long way in creating employment for the ghetto youths and alleviating poverty among the ghetto youth.
I am glad that the law took its course and rightfully. However, my wish would have been for a lenient sentencing given that they admitted to their crime.
The influence they have will go a long way in creating awareness among the ghetto youths on the reality that is COVID-19. My wish would have been for them to serve community service by giving back to the community in the form of awareness campaigns, using the power of music to educate the public.
I fear that if they are locked up for long, it will undo the good they are doing for the ghetto youths. However, justice has been served and we can not dispute it. Let this serve as a caution for future law breakers.
Tinashe Sambiri|The level of police barbarism has reached a shocking level-especially in the ancient of Masvingo.
In Masvingo city, overzealous cops assaulted residents indiscriminately on Wednesday morning – under the guise of enforcing lockdown restrictions.
Residents who spoke to ZimEye.com said their relatives sustained serious injuries after being bashed by the cops.
“My brother sustained a broken arm after being assaulted by a police officer as he tried to explain that he wanted to buy medicine for his child. The cops would have none of it,” said one resident.
An MDC Alliance official who spoke on condition of anonymity said:
“The level of police barbarism is shocking.Two cops tried to trip me to the ground but I resisted.They also attempted to hit me with a baton stick but I told them there was no reason for me to run away.
I saw people being bashed by the ruthless cops.People are now trapped between the pandemic and police barbarism.,” said the official.
MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA DISTRICT MOURNS WITH THE BEREAVED RUHANYA FAMILY.
Mdc Alliance Namibia district expresses its solidarity with the Ruhanya family after losing a pillar , unifier and source of progress.
The district comprehends the pain that the bereaved is undergoing at this particular juncture.The late Mrs Esnita Mugomba, was described as a mother figure who contributed to the Ruhanya and the country at large since she managed to produce great minds. Mdc Alliance Namibia sends this condolence message in honour of the great job exhibited through the revolutionary commitment and dedication in the sons and daughters she mothered.
Mdc Alliance Namibia shall continue remembering you as a significant figure in the national development because you manufactured teachers, doctors, lecturers, politicians and political analysts who are instrumental in unearthing senseless and barefaced in the country. May your dear soul rest in eternal peace Mai Glory, Mbuya VaZibwowa or Mai VaSekai as she was called in the community of Zibwowa, Zaka District in Masvingo Province.
You fought a good fight by giving us social democrats who always sacrifice to fight for socio-economic transformation in the national democratic revolution.
Go well, go well Mama, God shall overtake your assignment of guiding and strengthening your surviving sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters. You blessed Zimbabwe through your organic and pragmatic seed. We salute you as Mdc Alliance Namibia, let God comfort your family to eternity.
Rest in peace our Mother Zororai murugare Mai Thank you for making us see the bright sun Thank you for raising great leadership May your rest in power
Tinashe Sambiri|The level of police barbarism has reached a shocking level-especially in the ancient of Masvingo.
In Masvingo city, overzealous cops assaulted residents indiscriminately on Wednesday morning – under the guise of enforcing lockdown restrictions.
Residents who spoke to ZimEye.com said their relatives sustained serious injuries after being bashed by the cops.
“My brother sustained a broken arm after being assaulted by a police officer as he tried to explain that he wanted to buy medicine for his child. The cops would have none of it,” said one resident.
An MDC Alliance official who spoke on condition of anonymity said:
“The level of police barbarism is shocking.Two cops tried to trip me to the ground but I resisted.They also attempted to hit me with a baton stick but I told them there was no reason for me to run away.
I saw people being bashed by the ruthless cops.People are now trapped between the pandemic and police barbarism.,” said the official.
By Chido Mbewu | MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa, has been caught with pants down after failing to social distance, at a funeral he presided over recently.
Chamisa nicknamed the ‘funeral’ pastor, has in the past year alone presided over more funerals than any other church pastor, a concerned ZimEye reader noted.
Never mind the threat of Covid-19, with infections on a steep rise, the country recorded 34 deaths in a day, with 17,194 confirmed coronavirus cases and 418 deaths as of January 6, 2021.
In order to contain the rapid spread of the coronavirus, and to also build resilience among citizens, regulations and protocols have been put in place, among these is social distancing, which Chamisa was clearly in violation of during the late Senator Christine Java (nee Rambanepasi)’s funeral. Chamisa failed to lead by example.
Consuming a healthy diet throughout the life-course helps to prevent malnutrition in all its forms as well as a range of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and conditions.
However, increased production of processed foods, rapid urbanization and changing lifestyles have led to a shift in dietary patterns.
People are now consuming more foods high in energy, fats, free sugars and salt/sodium, and many people do not eat enough fruit, vegetables and other dietary fibre such as whole grains.
The exact make-up of a diversified, balanced and healthy diet will vary depending on individual characteristics (e.g. age, gender, lifestyle and degree of physical activity), cultural context, locally available foods and dietary customs.
However, the basic principles of what constitutes a healthy diet remain the same.
For adults A healthy diet includes the following: Fruit, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils and beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat and brown rice).
At least 400 g (i.e. five portions) of fruit and vegetables per day (2) , excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava and other starchy roots.
Less than 10% of total energy intake from free sugars (2, 7) , which is equivalent to 50 g (or about 12 level teaspoons) for a person of healthy body weight consuming about 2000 calories per day, but ideally is less than 5% of total energy intake for additional health benefits (7) . Free sugars are all sugars added to foods or drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, as well as sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.
Less than 30% of total energy intake from fats (1, 2, 3) . Unsaturated fats (found in fish, avocado and nuts, and in sunflower, soybean, canola and olive oils) are preferable to saturated fats (found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee and lard) and trans- fats of all kinds, including both industrially-produced trans- fats (found in baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks and foods, such as frozen pizza, pies, cookies, biscuits, wafers, and cooking oils and spreads) and ruminant trans- fats (found in meat and dairy foods from ruminant animals, such as cows, sheep, goats and camels).
It is suggested that the intake of saturated fats be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake and trans- fats to less than 1% of total energy intake (5) . In particular, industrially-produced trans -fats are not part of a healthy diet and should be avoided (4, 6) . Less than 5 g of salt (equivalent to about one teaspoon) per day (8). Salt should be iodized.
For infants and young children In the first 2 years of a child’s life, optimal nutrition fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive development. It also reduces the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing NCDs later in life.
Advice on a healthy diet for infants and children is similar to that for adults, but the following elements are also important: Infants should be breastfed exclusively during the first 6 months of life. Infants should be breastfed continuously until 2 years of age and beyond.
From 6 months of age, breast milk should be complemented with a variety of adequate, safe and nutrient-dense foods. Salt and sugars should not be added to complementary foods.
Practical advice on maintaining a healthy diet Fruit and vegetables Eating at least 400 g, or five portions, of fruit and vegetables per day reduces the risk of NCDs (2) and helps to ensure an adequate daily intake of dietary fibre.
Fruit and vegetable intake can be improved by: always including vegetables in meals; eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks; eating fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season; and eating a variety of fruit and vegetables.
Fats Reducing the amount of total fat intake to less than 30% of total energy intake helps to prevent unhealthy weight gain in the adult population (1, 2, 3) .
Also, the risk of developing NCDs is lowered by: reducing saturated fats to less than 10% of total energy intake; reducing trans -fats to less than 1% of total energy intake; and replacing both saturated fats and trans- fats with unsaturated fats (2, 3) – in particular, with polyunsaturated fats.
Fat intake, especially saturated fat and industrially-produced trans- fat intake, can be reduced by: steaming or boiling instead of frying when cooking; replacing butter, lard and ghee with oils rich in polyunsaturated fats, such as soybean, canola (rapeseed), corn, safflower and sunflower oils; eating reduced-fat dairy foods and lean meats, or trimming visible fat from meat; and limiting the consumption of baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks and foods (e.g. doughnuts, cakes, pies, cookies, biscuits and wafers) that contain industrially-produced trans- fats.
Salt, sodium and potassium Most people consume too much sodium through salt (corresponding to consuming an average of 9–12 g of salt per day) and not enough potassium (less than 3.5 g). High sodium intake and insufficient potassium intake contribute to high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease and stroke (8, 11) .
Reducing salt intake to the recommended level of less than 5 g per day could prevent 1.7 million deaths each year (12) .
People are often unaware of the amount of salt they consume. In many countries, most salt comes from processed foods (e.g. ready meals; processed meats such as bacon, ham and salami; cheese; and salty snacks) or from foods consumed frequently in large amounts (e.g. bread). Salt is also added to foods during cooking (e.g. bouillon, stock cubes, soy sauce and fish sauce) or at the point of consumption (e.g. table salt).
Salt intake can be reduced by: limiting the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g. soy sauce, fish sauce and bouillon) when cooking and preparing foods; not having salt or high-sodium sauces on the table; limiting the consumption of salty snacks; and choosing products with lower sodium content.
Some food manufacturers are reformulating recipes to reduce the sodium content of their products, and people should be encouraged to check nutrition labels to see how much sodium is in a product before purchasing or consuming it.
Potassium can mitigate the negative effects of elevated sodium consumption on blood pressure. Intake of potassium can be increased by consuming fresh fruit and vegetables.
Sugars
In both adults and children, the intake of free sugars should be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake (2, 7) . A reduction to less than 5% of total energy intake would provide additional health benefits (7) . Consuming free sugars increases the risk of dental caries (tooth decay).
Excess calories from foods and drinks high in free sugars also contribute to unhealthy weight gain, which can lead to overweight and obesity. Recent evidence also shows that free sugars influence blood pressure and serum lipids, and suggests that a reduction in free sugars intake reduces risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (13) . Sugars intake can be reduced by:
limiting the consumption of foods and drinks containing high amounts of sugars, such as sugary snacks, candies and sugar-sweetened beverages (i.e. all types of beverages containing free sugars – these include carbonated or non‐carbonated soft drinks, fruit or vegetable juices and drinks, liquid and powder concentrates, flavoured water, energy and sports drinks, ready‐to‐drink tea, ready‐to‐drink coffee and flavoured milk drinks); and eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks instead of sugary snacks.
Credit:WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has urged Zimbabweans to remain on high alert as the deadly COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the nation.
34 deaths were recorded in Zimbabwe in the last 24 hours and government sources have revealed hospitals are struggling to cope with the high incidence of COVID-19 cases.
Addressing mourners at the burial of Senator Christine Java Rambanepasi on Tuesday, President Chamisa said:
“The virus is upon us, let us remain vigilant as a nation.Remember nobody is safe, it can be you…
Let us all follow the laid down basic safety measures,” said President Chamisa.
He also described the late Senator Rambanepasi as an iconic woman who illuminated the nation with good works.
“I will not say much about the political side of her life.However let it be known that she was a dedicated cadre.”
President Chamisa at the burial of Senator Christine Java Rambanepasi
Government has suspended face-to-face meetings in the public service to ensure the safety of its employees and trimmed its workforce to 30 percent as the fight against Covid-19 intensifies.
This comes as 34 people died yesterday, while 1 365 cases were recorded. Harare recorded 777 of the new cases.
This was announced by the Acting Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Jenfan Muswere during an update on the Level Four lockdown that began yesterday.
The lockdown was announced by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care on Saturday with Acting President Kembo Mohadi giving policy direction on the implementation of the lockdown on Sunday.
Dr Muswere said the Public Service Commission (PSC) had streamlined to 30 percent, with the essential service workforce expected to be physically at work across all ministries and Government departments.
“Face-to-face meetings have been suspended. Meanwhile, strict Covid-19 protocols on PSC buses will be enforced. Knock-off time for Government employees shall be 3pm,” he said.
The minister reiterated that only essential services would be allowed to operate during the lockdown as stipulated by law, including closing at 3pm.
He said other commercial operations and services specified in Part 5 of the lockdown order, that is to say all formal businesses and registered informal traders, had been suspended as from yesterday.
“Regarding law and order, our security forces are on high alert and vigilant to arrest offenders.
“In particular, the Task Force noted the suspension of Matapi police officers for negligently allowing a super spreader event to proceed under their watch as well as the arrest of organisers of the big, illegal event that took place in Mbare on New Year’s Eve,” Dr Muswere said.
In an earlier interview, PSC Secretary Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe said the trimming of the workforce was aimed at minimising the risk of infection within the public service.
“We have directed that only 30 percent of the public service be at their respective workplaces as a way of decongesting the workplaces.
“Others will work from home and some on call and might be told to report for duty if those at work are overwhelmed or need to rest,” said Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe.
Those coming to work would be given safety nets to fall back on in the event they contracted or succumbed to Covid-19 complications.
Ambassador Wutawunashe said some benefits set out last year still stood, like giving those who fell sick, up to up to six months of sick leave on full-pay as well as paying all medical bills for front-line health staff.
Generally, civil servants are entitled to 90 days’ sick-leave on full salary if they are incapacitated by ill-health.-The Herald
Tinashe Sambiri |The MDC Alliance(Namibia) has described the level of police callousness in the ancient city of Masvingo as shocking.
Overzealous details from Rujeko and Chikato Police Stations-respectively- took turns to bash hapless residents on Wednesday morning.
One cop also attempted trip an MDC Alliance official near Benjamin Burombo Building.
“An overzealous officer attempted to knock me to the ground but I resisted,” said the official.
Also see statement below:
06 JANUARY 2021
MASVINGO RESIDENTS TRAPPED BETWEEN THE CATASTROPHIC PANDEMIC AND THE CALLOUSNESS OF THE CAPTURED POLICE, MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA CONDEMNS POLICE BRUTALITY IN MASVINGO.
Mdc Alliance Namibia absolutely condemns the callousness displayed by the Zimbabwe Republic Police belonging to Rujeko and Chikato Police Stations this morning.
It is quite astonishing that the purported central element of a democratic society is the one that is unleashing violence on the innocent citizenry who are struggling to make ends meet due to the negative impact of Covid-19 pandemic.
An objective police force must be subject to the rule of law. We reiterate that the police should be publicly accountable for the maintenance of peace and harmony in our societies.
In addition to that, social democrats in Namibia believe that for a country to grow industrially, the police must control crime and contribute to public order. This is in antithesis with the role to mediate and arbitrate disputes , regulating traffic and helping in times of emergencies. The police must desist from manipulating their legal mandate to use force and deprive citizens of their freedom to express themselves including just allowing them to produce their permits. This attempt to create an undemocratic society in Zimbabwe must be resisted with equal measure.
Moreover, Mdc Alliance Namibia demands an end to the merging of policing crime and politics. Police powers must be executed as per the dictates of the rule of law and not according to whims of a selfish politician or the police agent. State power should be used in a restrained fashion bearing in mind that the role of the police is to protect the citizenry not vice-versa. It is imperative for the police force to realise that law enforcement requires a delicate balancing act considering the democratic rights of the citizens enshrined in the supreme law of the country.
Furthermore, the wild behaviour of the Police Force in Masvingo today resembles a captured police that has already declared citizens the enemies of the state. It reflects the non-democratic police behaviour mentored by the totalitarian Zanupf government. This overzealous police must protect democratic liberties while maintaining effectiveness against crime, hubbub and pandemonium since they are trained to see themselves as exemplars of moral behaviour as law enforcers. By beating up and injuring dozens in Masvingo today, the police demonstrated that they are political animals who should remove their Zanupf political jackets and begin to serve the country without fear or favour.
In a nutshell, Mdc Alliance Namibia demands that the police in Zimbabwe divorce themselves from abusing the police power to exploit force and engage in summary punishment and use of covert surveillance supporting a dictatorial regime and its rotten and diabolic practises. Citizens must constitutionally resist this kind of thugocracy.
The Aftermath of COVID19- Rehabilitating a battered body, mind and soul Expect to have continuous sharp pain coming from the joints, lack of sleep and mild memory loss. My story and stories of survivors who relied on home treatment coming soon. pic.twitter.com/oenAPm3Qjl
— Muzvare Shonga Betty Makoni (@MuzvareBetty) January 6, 2021
By A Correspondent- Thousands of students writing Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council “O” and “A” Level examinations were yesterday caught in the crossfire due to the absence of clear-cut directives which resulted in them turned back or delayed by police as the 30day COVID-19-induced lockdown came into effect.
Police restricted human and vehicular movements into city centres, leading to long queues that inconvenienced those in the essential services, and examination students were not spared.
Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Toungana Ndoro confirmed the unfortunate development, adding that all affected students were allowed to sit for their examinations.
“There were a bit of challenges, but we did not have any case of a student or learner who was willing to write exams who failed to write the examination,” Ndoro said.
Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the development, saying the issue had been resolved.
“We have noted that as traffic was being screened, some parents with pupils were delayed. Some alerted the police and were allowed to go,” he said.
“We appeal to parents to make advance arrangements with the local police. Parents who raised alarms were assisted.”
In a statement last night, acting Information minister Jenfan Muswere said invigilators and students should be allowed free passage at police checkpoints.
Teacher unions yesterday said although the students were later allowed to write the examinations, they were psychologically affected by the delay, which would obviously affect their performance.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou said the affected students were subjected to psychological trauma and accused government of being short-sighted in planning for the welfare of the examination classes.
“There were cases of pupils being delayed for examinations at the roadblocks,” Zhou said.
“Some arrived late, but the good thing is they were allowed to write. It should be noted that the pupils were exposed to psychological trauma.
“There is short-sightedness in the way the government plans its things. Government was supposed to provide dedicated buses that carry pupils, especially in urban centres. The problem was national.”
Zimbabwe Teachers Association chief executive Sifiso Ndlovu also confirmed receiving reports of pupils arriving late for examinations due to the roadblocks.
“The good thing is that they were allowed time to finish the examination, but there was obviously a panic response from the pupils. There should be designated buses to take pupils and teachers to examination centres,” Ndlovu said.
Meanwhile, it was business as usual in the country’s most high-density suburbs in the country’s towns and cities, with only strict enforcement on people going into city centres as Zimbabwe went into day one of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Information secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana admitted that the majority of people in urban centres ignored the lockdown restrictions.
“There was a compliance problem with level 4 lockdown today. Too many shops were open. For clarity purposes, outlets allowed to trade and, that’s from 8am to 3pm, are supermarkets, food outlets — no sitting in, hotel bars and restaurants to serve in-staying guests only,” Mangwana tweeted.
While police officers were alert at all points leading into the city centre in Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare, Masvingo and other cities, people continued roaming around in the suburbs with others not observing set COVID-19 prevention measures, including proper wearing of face masks.
Beerhalls and bottlestores in most suburbs were “officially” closed, but continued operating clandestinely against lockdown guidelines.
In Glen View high-density suburb in Harare, it was business as usual as residents went about their normal daily routines.
Police in Bulawayo said residents complied with the lockdown regulations, though some residents who spoke to NewsDay complained about alleged police brutality starting Monday evening.
Pumula resident Thubelihle Moyo said he was assaulted by police officers on Monday evening while queueing for transport back home.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said: “Although we do not have statistics for the total number of people arrested for defying lockdown regulations, there is a bit of compliance.”
He, however, bemoaned congestion at some financial institutions, where hundreds of people spent the better part of the day in queues to access money.
There was confusion in Gweru in the morning as police officers manning roadblocks were not clear on the letters people had to produce.
In Chiredzi, residents complied with the lockdown regulations with most of the shops closed and the town almost deserted.
There was no enforcement in Marondera as people went about their businesses.
In Magunje, Mashonaland West province, it was business as usual, with people moving around without face masks and there were no law enforcement agents by midday.
Later in the day, police swooped on money changers and street vendors at Tsotsi business complex.-Newsday
By A Correspondent- Reinstated Air Zimbabwe workers have now been sent on forced unpaid leave and are demanding that the airline, technically insolvent and under administration, immediately withdraws these orders, which they believe are illegal, and reinstates them without loss of salaries and benefits in compliance with the Supreme Court ruling.
The Supreme Court overturned Airzim’s botched mass dismissals using three months’ termination notices and upheld the Labour Court decision ordering reinstatement of the workers or payment of damages in lieu of reinstatement.
There was a brief period in 2015 when employers found, via another court ruling, that they had a right to fire a worker on three months notice, but Parliament then intervened to block that route, retrospectively, and restore the position that had been accepted that while an employer could dismiss permanent staff without cause, such as in a redundancy programme, compensation would generally be a great deal more than just three months salary.
But the airline argues that it has no capacity to pay or compensate the more than 300 workers that it reinstated.
Airzim was placed under reconstruction in terms of the State-Indebted Insolvent Companies Act in 2018, for being technically insolvent and is encumbered with a US$341 million debt, 92 percent of which is owed to Zimbabweans and Zimbabwean companies.
The workers had complied with the company directive to report for work and collect their reinstatement letters after the company had written to their lawyer Mr Caleb Mucheche advising his clients that they had been reinstated in compliance with the superior court’s ruling. However, when they complied with the company directive to collect their reinstatement letters, they were also given letters dated December 12 putting each reinstated worker on unpaid leave with effect from December 7, 2020, until further notice.
In a letter to Air Zimbabwe dated December 30, 2020, Mr Mucheche said the move was in flagrant violation of, and in contempt of the Supreme Court judgment which ordered reinstatement or payment of damages.
“To add insult to injury, our clients have not been paid their back pay arrears salaries and benefits accrued from July 2015 to 7 December 2020, which is one of the main bones of contention and reasons for our clients’ High Court application for your (Airzim administrator Mr Reggie Saruchera) removal as administrator filed on 24 December 2020 under case Number HC 7667/20,” he said.
In their recent application filed at the High Court shortly before being reinstated, the workers claimed that Mr Saruchera was grossly mismanaging the company’s affairs and violating workers’ Constitutional labour rights. Mr Mucheche said Mr Saruchera’s conduct in sending his clients on forced leave bolstered their grounds for his removal as administrator.
“We demand that you immediately withdraw your illegal letter dated 12 December 2020 purporting to place or send them on forced unpaid leave by unconditionally reinstating them with their salaries and benefits within 24 hours of receipt of this letter in compliance with the Supreme Court ruling dated 7 December 2020.
“Failure of which our clients will take appropriate legal measures that include, but not limited to, a declaratory relief seeking among other things jail or fine or criminal recourse for contempt of the Supreme Court judgment plus punitive costs,” said Mr Mucheche.
Last month, Airzim complied with the Supreme Court ruling, which made it clear that the retrospective statutory changes in labour law made in 2015 after a large batch of workers were dismissed on notice, overrode the common law enunciated in the Zuva Supreme Court judgment of that year, and overrode it retrospectively, and permanent staff fired then on notice are deemed to be protected and should be reinstated or compensated.
The judgment confirmed that the Labour Amendment Act of 2015 gave more protection to permanent contract workers who can no longer be simply dismissed by an employer giving notice, usually three months’ notice, and critically gave this protection retrospectively, so those fired between the Zuva judgment and the enactment of the amendment were also protected.
The affected workers had greatly benefited from the legal protection brought about by the action of the Government and Parliament of Zimbabwe through retrospective enactment of Labour Amendment Act No. 5 Airzim’s reaction to the Supreme Court ruling is likely to trigger a similar action in other companies that laid off employees following the July 2015 Zuva judgment that allowed employers to dismiss staff on three months’ notice.
Some companies did, after the Labour Act was amended, did convert the three-months notice to redundancy and used the recognised formulas to compensate staff.-statemedia
By A Correspondent- A cyclist was killed in a collision with a scotch-cart in Filabusi, Matabeleland South, police said.
The incident happened at around 9PM on January 2 between Sibasa and Silalatshani, Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena said.
Police said the driver of the donkey-drawn cart and the victim shared the same name.
“The scotch-cart was being driven by 28-year-old Melusi Sibanda who was by himself. Upon reaching the 3km peg, a 39-year-old man also named Melusi Sibanda who was riding a bicycle going in the opposite direction was hit by the pulling bar of the scotch-cart and sustained serious injuries resulting in his death,” Inspector Mangena said.
The victim’s body was taken to Filabusi District Hospital for a post-mortem.
Mangena added: “I want to urge scotch-cart owners to use reins for easy control of the donkeys when using scotch-carts while cyclist should have lights and reflecting jackets. It’s clear from the details we have that darkness was a major contributing factor.”
By A Correspondent- Tragedy struck a community in Rutenga after a jealous wife allegedly axed her drunk husband before turning the axe on the couple’s minor child and later hanged herself.
axed husband
Said a source privy to the development:
“A Rutenga man slept at the beer Hall drinking with colleagues on the 31st of December 2020. He also spent the New year drinking with friends before deciding to go home.
graves
He went back home on the 2nd of January drunk. That early morning, his wife asked him where he has been.
The guy could not give a good explanation since he could hardly talk as he was badly drunk. He simply proceeded to sleep on a bed.
The wife grabbed an axe and axed him to death. She took another axe and axed their child before she hanged herself.
By A Correspondent| Zimbabwe government has threatened travellers using fake COVID-19 test certificates that face the full mighty of the law.
This followed the discovery of several fake certificates at the Beitbridge border post.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information Nick Mangwana said the Zimbabwean government had made a decision to prosecute to the full extent of the law anyone who presents a Fake Covid-19 certificate
“Many of people entering or exiting SA have Fake Covid-19 Certificates, and some don’t have any proof of a Covid-19 test at all.
“Govt has made a decision to prosecute to the full extent of the law anyone who presents a Fake Covid-19 certificate. Those without will be quarantined,” said Mangwana.
The man whose name literally means “why did we go to war?” Kudakwashe Tagwirei walks scotfree as DJ Fanton and DJ Levels are jailed for 6 months for violating COVID regulations.
The ZANU PF tenderprenure, Tagwirei partied on new years eve at a function captured on video, while together with a group of youths.
But mere commoners who are, Mbare’s New Year Eve music gig organisers- Dhama, DJ Fantan and DJ Levels have been jailed for six effective months for violating the Covid-19 regulations.
Harare provincial magistrate Mrs Vongai Guwuriro had initially jailed the trio for 12 months before setting aside six months of the sentence.
The six months were set aside for three years on condition that they will not commit a similar offence within that period.
By A Correspondent| Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has issued a statement refuting social media claims that an officer killed a child while attempting to hit a kombi loading at an unregulated point along Second Street in Harare.
According to the police statement, they conducted comprehensive investigations which revealed that a team of police officers were on duty along Second Street near Bindura commuter rank.
The police added that the officers tried to arrest a kombi crew for picking passengers at an undesignated point.
“The public is advised that comprehensive investigations conducted by the police command has revealed that a team of police officers was on traffic enforcement duties along Second Street near Bindura bound commuter rank, Harare on 4th January 2021 at 12 noon when one of the members tried to arrest a kombi crew for picking passengers at an undesignated point and contravening COVID-19 regulations,” the police said.
“The member smashed a Windscreen on the kombi and the fragments hit the mother and the baby. A fracas occurred as the mother and members of the public remonstrated against the officers. After negotiations by the parties, the mother and the baby were taken to West End Clinic where medical checks revealed that no injuries had been sustained by the baby or mother,” the police added.
Nyathi said both the police and the mother did not report the incident despite it having gone viral on social media.
He further denied claims that the child died as confirmed by medical personnel who examined the child.
“Surprisingly the police officers and the mother decided not to report the incident. They ignored the fact that the incident had been captured by various people through smart phones and posted on social media.
“The child is not dead as alleged on social media and this has been confirmed by medical personnel who are now in touch with the police and parents. The child was checked by medical experts on the same day and was not admitted at the hospital,” said the police.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has written admitting that one of their members truly smashed a windscreen onto a child on Monday in Harare. Below was their statement:
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has taken note of the social media post titled ‘Police Officer strikes, kills little baby with baton in Harare. The public is advised that comprehensive investigations conducted by the police command has revealed that a team of police officers was on traffic enforcement duties along Second Street near Bindura bound commuter rank, Harare on 4th January 2021 at 12 noon when one of the members tried to arrest a kombi crew for picking passengers at an undesignated point and contravening COVID-19 regulations.
The member smashed a windscreen on the kombi and the fragments hit the mother and the baby. A fracas occurred as the mother and members of the public remonstrated against the officers. After negotiations by the parties, the mother and the baby were taken to West End Clinic where medical checks revealed that no injuries had been sustained by the baby or mother. There were no life threatening injuries to the two.
Surprisingly the police officers and the mother decided not to report the incident. They ignored the fact that the incident had been captured by various people through smart phones and posted on social media.
The child is not dead as alleged on social media and this has been confirmed by medical personnel who are now in touch with the police and parents. The child was checked by medical experts on the same day and was not admitted at the hospital.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police does not condone acts of smashing kombis’ windscreens and in the process endangering innocent members of the public’s lives. The ZRP reiterates that action will be taken against the errant police officers. The Zimbabwe Republic Police Command is now taking to task the concerned members to account for their actions.
More information will be released as inquiries continue.
Police Refutes Claims that an officer killed a child while attempting to hit a kombi along Second Street in Harare pic.twitter.com/PJKKr2HQVM
By A Correspondent| Three suspects who allegedly killed an illegal fuel dealer from Cowdray Park suburb in Bulawayo for intervening in a street fight have appeared in court.
Clifford Sibanda (24) of New Lobengula suburb, Fisani Ncube (27) and Bizwelihle Ncube (27) both of Emakhandeni suburb allegedly ganged up and stabbed Blessing Taruona (28) before indiscriminately attacking him all over the body using a knobkerrie resulting in his death.
The three accused persons appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Shepherd Mjanja facing a murder charge in connection with the death of Taruona.
They were remanded in custody to January 16.
The trio is also linked to a series of robbery cases under case numbers CR53/04/20 and34/12/20, which occurred in Magwegwe.Prosecuting, Mr Terence Chakanyuka said on December 28 last year at around 5PM, the three accused persons went to an area near Garikai houses in Cowdray Park where they started participating in a gambling school.
The court heard that the trio then left and went to a nearby tuck-shop where they confronted one Justice Makomborero of Cowdray Park who they accused of swindling them of their money during gambling.
They accosted him and demanded their money back.A misunderstanding ensued resulted in Taruona intervening in the scuffle to stop the fight.
.“A fist fight ensued between one of the accused persons, Sibanda and the now deceased. Sibanda then stabbed the late Taruona with a knife on his abdomen and he sustained a deep cut,” said Mr Chakanyuka.
Taruona tried to flee upon realizing that he had been injured, but the three accused persons chased after him.
The court heard that the accused persons caught up with him and Sibanda took a knobkerrie from his satchel and struck him on his forehead and he fell down.
Fisani picked a stone and hit Taruona on the ribs as Sibanda continued striking him on the head several times with a knobkerrie until he lost consciousness and later died on the spot.
Soon after committing the alleged offence, the trio fled from the scene leaving the deceased lying in a pool of blood.
A police report was made leading to the three men.
By A Correspondent| Gateway Stream Music and Kayse Connect successfully hosted the Best of Both Worlds Pay-Per-View show on 2 January 2021 live from the Harare International Conference Centre. The show which was live streamed exclusively on the Gateway Stream Music mobile and web application, featured the music artists of the moment Jah Prayzah and Winky D on the same stage for the first time in Zimbabwe.
The show which was over-subscribed, was live-streamed exclusively on the Gateway Stream Music mobile and web application from the Harare International Conference Centre. In compliance with the current COVID-19 national lockdown restrictions there was no live audience present.
“We are pleased that we finally managed to host the much awaited and publicised Best of Both Worlds PPV virtual show. We are encouraged by the uptake as the show was over-subscribed relative to how we had scoped the platform. We had fans watching from 36 countries across the globe. We are proud to be exporting our Zimbabwean talent initially to our own diaspora market, however, this will expand into more countries and beyond just the Zimbabwean diaspora” said Taremeredzwa Chipepera Head of Business Information Systems and Gateway Stream.
The concept of Gateway Stream Music is premised on the desire and need to empower artists so that they can monetise their music and art. “We are most excited at the prospect of our local artists having the opportunity to monetise their works not only in this era of Covid-19 induced lockdowns but clearly it is the way of the future! The future is truly here now!” he said. Gateway Stream Music offers a real prospect for Zimbabweans both local and in the diaspora to play a part in supporting our artists by purchasing their music, art and live streaming their shows on PPV on the Gateway Stream Music application. This is also an opportunity for the country to earn foreign currency.
The Janet Manyowa “Sounds of Victory” Extended Play (EP) launch held on 13 December 2020 was the first Pay-Per-View (PPV) live streaming show powered by Gateway Stream Music. This inaugural live streaming event was a resounding success which delivered a flawless video and sound production. Fans can also look forward to more exciting acts in 2021 from the country’s top artists and some from the region.
About the Gateway Stream Music Application
The Gateway Stream Music Web and Mobile Application is a music platform that is built for both musicians and users. Musicians are able to upload their music, live stream their shows using the Pay Per View platform in the Gateway Stream Music App, set pricing, manage inventory, socialise with their fans and receive revenue for all purchases through a revolutionary wallet function located in the App.
A unique feature of the application is the socialisation capability where artistes can interact with their fans and share content in the same way as they would on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp.
The Gateway Stream Music App will give artistes access to consumers and ensure that they can earn revenue for their trade, reducing the risk of losing earnings through piracy. Gateway Stream Music is a subsidiary of Rainbow Tourism Group.
Users can look forward to listening to their favourite local music, buying music, livestreaming album launches and connecting with their favourite artists on the Gateway Stream Music App. The App is available from the Google Play Store for Android devices and Apple App Store for IOS devices.
By A Correspondent| The Zimdancehall promoters DJ Fantan and producer DJ Levels together with Dhama have been slapped with 12 months jail sentence with 6 months removed on the grounds that they did not waste court’s time by pleading guilty without trial.
The trio pleaded guilty of violating lockdown regulations when they first appeared before Harare Magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti yesterday.
By Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo- The recent lockdown statement done by the Vice President and Health Minister Dr Chiwenga left me with the assumption that Government was supposed reach out to many stakeholders, considering all the Economic implications of Covid-19 pandemic before arriving on the decision to lockdown the country.
If you go through the statement made by Chiwenga you can safely conclude that it was hurriedly made without considering push and pull factors on the economic recovery path. What is the difference between stopping cross border traders, and allowing tourists to do their business? Cross border improves tax remittances, circulation of the USD currency, and movement of good and services etc.
You must put proper Economic Development plans before you arrive on such irrational decisions. We have over 13 million people facing starvation, who survive on vending, and our economy largely depend on vending and informal business, and Advisory council was supposed to be consulted !!!
Government pay attention to this :
1. Covid-19 is here to stay, and it’s a new norm. 2. No need to lockdown the country, rather provide statutory instruments which create a conducive environment to enable Business to function in a normal, whilst you put across measures to safeguard citizens
3. The country is bleeding through corruption in the public sector.
4. Looted funds must be directed towards health sector 5. We need a sound Development Policy in line with implications of Covid-19 pandemic
6. Any measures put in place to have the vaccine around in Zimbabwe?
7. Decisions must involve policymakers, to strengthen capacity and restore market confidence
8. Complement ideas from across Political divide to have a way forward for Zimbabwe
9. Address fundamentals affecting informal sector. Locking the country down without putting mechanisms to address trade barriers and poverty issues is a cause of concern
10. Develop a Strategic Thinking Approach in all Strategic areas of Governance
11. Policing Human Rights must not be partisan and must remain impartial
12. We need a proper Health policy which is well informed on our current trajectory
13. Economy is industry, increase of productivity, and therefore we expect a review of 2020/21 Budget statement 14. Citizen perspective is critical on crucial decisions. We are living in the modern day society (21st century), and inclusivity of ideas is very important
15. Our country does not have enough PPEs, safety clothing, better renumerations for frontline workers and health workers, and this is where we expect a proper Economic Recovery framework to address all these fundamentals
16.Last but not least, you are building a museum along Bulawayo road, is that necessary?
17.Why can’t you erect a five star state of the art hospital to cater for 20 000 people?
18.In Zambia, your counterpart Edgar Lungu is building a state of the art hospital in every district, and it’s now three (3) solid years since you assumed Presidency, we don’t have any building or infrastructure which is named after you, and this needs deep introspection on key priorities.
19. Lack of priorities on key issues affecting our nation
20. We need a reshuffle at cabinet level.
Discard all Presidential Advisors, and bring in a new competent team around you.
Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo is the Head of Zimbabwe Institute of Strategic Thinking – ZIST, and he can be contacted at [email protected]
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and other stakeholders have retrieved the body of a tourist who slipped and fell into the Victoria Falls gorge on New Year’s Day.
The tourist was identified as Roy George Tinashe Dikinya from Harare. His body was discovered on Sunday, stuck between rocks.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority spokesperson Tinashe Farawo announced the development in a tweet late Tuesday.
Farawo said:
The body of a tourist who fell into Vic Falls gorge on new year’s day has been retrieved. Thanks to Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimparks conservation partners & other stakeholders.
The retrieval mission was conducted by the police and its sub-aqua team, Zimparks rangers, Mine Rescue Association representatives, Victoria Falls tourism players and the members of the Zimbabwe Rafting Association.
Meanwhile, the government has said it will secure the area around the Victoria Falls gorge to prevent tourists from falling over into the deep ravine.
By Jane Mlambo| MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa has laid into controversial cleric Passion Java, confessing little knowledge about him except his hilarious lifestyle as shown in his social media videos.
Chamisa was speaking at the funeral of Buhera senator Christine Rambanepasi who was the mother to the controversial cleric Passion and late MDC Alliance legislator Vimbai Tsvangirai’s husband Batsirai Java.
“Prophet Passion. Twabam handizivi kuti nyaya yavo ndeyei asi vanotapira,” he said drawing laughter from mourners.
Passion Java has made a name for himself not for his clerical role but as a socialite who flaunts his riches on social media.
Despite the statement that a police officer has killed this child (in video) being repeated 9 times on the footage, the government spokesperson Nick Mangwana has said Zimbabwe Republic police is still to receive a report of a child who has been killed by the officer. DO YOU KNOW OF THIS INCIDENT & WHERE YOU THERE? – CONTACT ZIMEYE IN CONFIDENCE
We have checked and so far @PoliceZimbabwe have no report of a baby that has been killed. Maybe they receive one later but nobody is yet to report a dead baby. They said they are investigating the skirmishes in this video.
By A Correspondent- The National Social Security Authority (NSSA) has appointed Mr Arthur Johnson Manase as substantive general manager/ chief executive officer (CEO) after serving in an acting capacity for one year.
NSSA has not had a substantive general manager since April 2018 when Mrs Elizabeth Chitiga was dismissed on allegations of maladministration and abuse of public funds.
The authority announced in a statement that Manase’s appointment is with effect from 1 January 2021. NSSA further said Manase’s appointment was duly done in terms of Section 25 of the NSSA Act (Chapter 17:04)and Section 17 (2) of the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act (Chapter 10:31).
Said NSSA:
The NSSA board is pleased to announce the appointment of Arthur Johnson Manase as substantive general manager/chief executive officer of NSSA with effect from 1 January 2021.
The authority also said Manase’s appointment was approved by Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima with the concurrence of President Mnangagwa.
Prior to his secondment to NSSA in an acting capacity, Manase was executive director at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
He also served as executive dean at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) from January 2001 to November 2003 before moving to Air Zimbabwe where he served as a legal counsel/head secretarial and corporate affairs.
Manase is presently enrolled for PhD studies with the UZ, holds a Master of Laws from Cambridge University, Bachelor of Laws and a First Class Bachelor of Law (Honours) all from UZ.
NSSA is a statutory body established in terms of the NSSA Act of 1989 to provide social security, which is run as a pay-as-you-go pension scheme.
By A Correspondent| A record 34 people died from Covid-19 in 24 hours as the country recorded 1 365 cases, the highest figure since the outbreak of the virus last year.
This brings the total number of recorded Covid-19 cases to 17 194 and 418 deaths.
Recoveries now stand at 11 813, with a national recovery rate of 69 percent.
A total of 4 880 PCR tests were conducted yesterday.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, all the recorded 1 365 new cases are local transmissions, with 777 recorded in Harare alone. Bulawayo had 110 new cases, Masvingo (93), Mashonaland East (90), Midlands (78), Mashonaland Central (72), Mashonaland West (63), Manicaland (49), Matabeleland North (27) and Matabeleland South (6).
The highest number of deaths was recorded in Harare (10), while other provinces that recorded deaths were Manicaland (8), Bulawayo (7), Mashonaland West (3), Mashonaland Central (2), Masvingo (2), Mashonaland East (1) and Midlands (1).
“25 of the deaths occurred at institutional level with 9 at community level. All provinces reported cases today,” reads an update from the ministry. Bulawayo has the highest incidence per capita followed by Harare and Matabeleland South. Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West have the lowest incidence of Covid per capita.”
Kaizer Chiefs veteran midfielder, Willard Katsande, was left out of the side that faced Angolan outfit, Primero de Agosto, last night in the Caf Champions League after testing positive for coronavirus.
South African media suggests that the former Zimbabwe Warriors captain was in self-isolation in South Africa and could not make it to Angola. Soccerladuma reported:
According to Siya sources close to the club, Katsande is believed to have tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently isolating.
Amakhosi’s veteran shot-stopper, Itumeleng Khune, was also not part of the squad in Angola that travelled to Angola but reasons for his absence were not stated.
Meanwhile, Katsande’s compatriot, Khama Billiat played a huge part in Kaizer Chiefs’ 1-0 victory against the Angolan outfit.
Billiat set off down the left flank before crossing into the goalmouth where co-striker Leonardo Castro kneed the ball past goalkeeper Tony Cabaça and into the net.
Amakhosi will now advance to the Champions League group stages with a 1-0 aggregate.
Kaizer Chiefs return to FNB Stadium on Saturday where they clash with Maritzburg United in a DStv Premiership tie.
M E M O R A N D U M TO OFFICER COMMANDING CHITUNGIZA DSTRICT FROM OFFICER IN CHARGE EPWORTH MEMO /21 DATED 05/01/21 SUBJECT: CRIMINAL MATTERS OF INTEREST: VIOLATING A DEAD BOBY: ZRP EPWORTH
This memo serves to put on record that:-
The informant is Phillipa Mazhindu NR 63-582121V25, a female adult aged 47 of KB78 Muguta Extension,Epworth,Harare, cell number 0771 682 954 and is not employed. She is mother to the deceased.
The deceased is Melisa Mazhindu Nr Unknown, a female adult aged 20 years residing at KB78 Muguta Extension and was not employed.
The accused are two male adults with only one known as Bigman and further particulars kown but stay in Muguta area, Epworth, Harare.
On 02/01/21 at around 0130 hours informant Phillipa Mazhindu was at her homestead in the sitting room with two other female mouners. The two accused persons entered the room and sat on the sofas whilst drinking beers and smoking cigarettes. One of the accused persons popularly known as Bigman with no further particlulars known stated that “ machembere maswera sei, musikana uyu munoziva kuti ndaimuda zvikuru, zvino azoshaya ndisati ndamusvira, asi kunyange zvake afa kudaro handifunge kuti pangaite chakaipa ndikazadzikisa chido changu asati avigwa, nekuti yangu yakatomira.”
Phillipa Mazhindu cautioned Bigman against that but he stood up and went to uncover the corpse which was lying in the room covered with a white cloth, slept on its top and made up and down movements of copulation on the corpse but with his clothes put on whilst the other accused was blocking Phillipa Mazhindu and the other two women from interfering with the activity.
Phillipa Mazhindu had to scream whilst calling people who were outside who then came and removed the accused from the corpse and pushed the two outside.
On 05/01/21, ZRP Epworth received the report and attended the scene.
Investigations are underway and the accused are being charged with VIOLATING CORPSES as defined in section 111 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23, RRB 4633444 refers.
Prominent Gweru based businessman Mr Phillemon Mubata has died.
Popularly known as Spoks, the Chronicle learnt that the businessman (54) who had interests in the mining sector and was also the owner of Central Region Soccer League team Real BVM FC succumbed to Covid-19 at his home in Nashville suburb in Gweru on Sunday.
He once played football up to division one for the now defunct Power Cells FC in Gweru.
Family spokesperson Mrs Jenifer Sibanda confirmed his death.
“Mr Mubata passed on around 2AM on Monday. He passed on while admitted to a local private hospital in Gweru and we are sad to announce that it was Covid-19. We are hurt, he was a jolly good man and he has left a vacuum which will be difficult to fill,” she said.
Mrs Sibanda said Mr Mubata’s four children tested Covid-19 negative.
“Mourners are gathered at his house in Nashville. Only 30 mourners are allowed at the house in line with the new Covid-19 regulations announced by the Government. We are practicing social distancing and people are constantly being sanitised because we are aware that Covid-19 is real,” said Mrs Sibanda.
Mr Mubata ran a mine in Shurugwi.
Zimbabwe Miners Federation spokesperson Mr Dosman Mangisi said the mining sector had lost a champion of artisanal miner’s rights.
He said Mr Mubata is a past ZMF committee member and technical director.
“He was a fighter for mining rights. He is one of the miners who started from scratch before going to own a mill and a mine. He was in ZMF committees as technical advisor. His works speak for themselves as they are visible on the ground. As ZMF we moan with his family and the whole industry. We lost someone who transformed the mining sector which contributes to the GDP,” said Mr Mangisi.-Chronicle
Prominent Gweru based businessman Mr Phillemon Mubata has died.
Popularly known as Spoks, the Chronicle learnt that the businessman (54) who had interests in the mining sector and was also the owner of Central Region Soccer League team Real BVM FC succumbed to Covid-19 at his home in Nashville suburb in Gweru on Sunday.
He once played football up to division one for the now defunct Power Cells FC in Gweru.
Family spokesperson Mrs Jenifer Sibanda confirmed his death.
“Mr Mubata passed on around 2AM on Monday. He passed on while admitted to a local private hospital in Gweru and we are sad to announce that it was Covid-19. We are hurt, he was a jolly good man and he has left a vacuum which will be difficult to fill,” she said.
Mrs Sibanda said Mr Mubata’s four children tested Covid-19 negative.
“Mourners are gathered at his house in Nashville. Only 30 mourners are allowed at the house in line with the new Covid-19 regulations announced by the Government. We are practicing social distancing and people are constantly being sanitised because we are aware that Covid-19 is real,” said Mrs Sibanda.
Mr Mubata ran a mine in Shurugwi.
Zimbabwe Miners Federation spokesperson Mr Dosman Mangisi said the mining sector had lost a champion of artisanal miner’s rights.
He said Mr Mubata is a past ZMF committee member and technical director.
“He was a fighter for mining rights. He is one of the miners who started from scratch before going to own a mill and a mine. He was in ZMF committees as technical advisor. His works speak for themselves as they are visible on the ground. As ZMF we moan with his family and the whole industry. We lost someone who transformed the mining sector which contributes to the GDP,” said Mr Mangisi.-Chronicle
ZIMBABWE’S participation at this year’s CHAN tournament was thrown in disarray following the declaration of additional national COVID-19 lockdown measures and the blanket suspension on all sporting activities announced by the Sports and Recreation Commission at the weekend.
The local football mother-body, ZIFA, who were already battling to contain a serious Covid-19 outbreak in the Warriors camp, yesterday said football was in deep crisis.
The Warriors are expected to feature at the sixth addition of the CHAN tournament set to begin in Cameroon in exactly two weeks time.
They were scheduled to leave for Cameroon next Monday but the trip now needs fresh clearance from the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation.
ZIFA spokesperson, Xolisani Gwesela, yesterday said they have since approached both the Sports Commission and CAF for guidance.
They have also sought relief for FC Platinum who are currently representing the nation in the CAF Champions League.
“We have seen and read the additional lockdown measures announced by the Government and we respect the move because it is meant to safeguard peoples’ lives and good health,” said Gwesela.
“But as you know we have the CHAN tournament coming up and we also have a club that is participating in the CAF inter-club competitions.
“So we have written to the Sports Commission for guidance and permission for the national football team to remain in camp and to continue with their preparations for the CHAN tournament.
“We have also applied for special waiver to allow FC Platinum to continue with their participation in the CAF Champions League,” said Gwesela.
ZIFA had been granted permission last November to prepare and participate in CAF tournaments following the gradual lifting of the initial lockdown measures. But they will need to re-apply to the Government for special waivers.
The new Covid-19 measures were announced in response to the surge in coronavirus cases, which have almost doubled between November 2020 and December 31, 2020.
The Warriors’ camp was hit by an outbreak of coronavirus last week after nine players and five officials, including coach Zdravko Logarusic, returned positive tests.
The team members were tested upon their return from the Christmas break and there are fears of more positive cases after repeat tests were conducted at the weekend for those that had initially tested negative.
With almost half of their squad and the majority of their technical team, who include coach Logarusic, down with the virus, ZIFA find themselves in a catch-22 situation head of the CAF deadline to register their final squad of 23 players, which has been set for this Wednesday.
“The players that tested positive are still in quarantine and will be tested again after 10 days from the date they returned the positive tests. Those that were negative have been tested again and we are still waiting for the results.
“It is indeed a crisis. We have since notified CAF of the situation that we find ourselves in,” said Gwesela.
The additional lockdown measures have also thrown doubt on the resumption of the domestic Premiership that had been scheduled for next month. The new lockdown measures will only be reviewed on January 31.
The Premier Soccer League had hoped to get the 2021 season underway in February after investing in health and safety protocols for the safe return of the game.
Most of the clubs had hoped to regroup this week to continue with their pre-season preparations after they had released their players for the Christmas break.
PSL chairman, Farai Jere, yesterday said the stakeholders will meet this week to discuss the new lockdown developments.
“We are yet to sit down with the stakeholders to make an assessment of these new lockdown measures. We have to try and find ways to minimize the impact on football.
“This is something that was only announced last night so we can probably only be able to discuss from Monday going forward.
“But from the onset of this pandemic, as PSL we have always maintained that health comes first. This is a natural disaster and we have accepted that it’s a force majeure, which no one has control over.
“Covid-19 is real and we would need to protect our constituency and those around us from the pandemic in the best way possible,” said Jere. -The Herald
ZIMBABWE’S participation at this year’s CHAN tournament was thrown in disarray following the declaration of additional national COVID-19 lockdown measures and the blanket suspension on all sporting activities announced by the Sports and Recreation Commission at the weekend.
The local football mother-body, ZIFA, who were already battling to contain a serious Covid-19 outbreak in the Warriors camp, yesterday said football was in deep crisis.
The Warriors are expected to feature at the sixth addition of the CHAN tournament set to begin in Cameroon in exactly two weeks time.
They were scheduled to leave for Cameroon next Monday but the trip now needs fresh clearance from the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation.
ZIFA spokesperson, Xolisani Gwesela, yesterday said they have since approached both the Sports Commission and CAF for guidance.
They have also sought relief for FC Platinum who are currently representing the nation in the CAF Champions League.
“We have seen and read the additional lockdown measures announced by the Government and we respect the move because it is meant to safeguard peoples’ lives and good health,” said Gwesela.
“But as you know we have the CHAN tournament coming up and we also have a club that is participating in the CAF inter-club competitions.
“So we have written to the Sports Commission for guidance and permission for the national football team to remain in camp and to continue with their preparations for the CHAN tournament.
“We have also applied for special waiver to allow FC Platinum to continue with their participation in the CAF Champions League,” said Gwesela.
ZIFA had been granted permission last November to prepare and participate in CAF tournaments following the gradual lifting of the initial lockdown measures. But they will need to re-apply to the Government for special waivers.
The new Covid-19 measures were announced in response to the surge in coronavirus cases, which have almost doubled between November 2020 and December 31, 2020.
The Warriors’ camp was hit by an outbreak of coronavirus last week after nine players and five officials, including coach Zdravko Logarusic, returned positive tests.
The team members were tested upon their return from the Christmas break and there are fears of more positive cases after repeat tests were conducted at the weekend for those that had initially tested negative.
With almost half of their squad and the majority of their technical team, who include coach Logarusic, down with the virus, ZIFA find themselves in a catch-22 situation head of the CAF deadline to register their final squad of 23 players, which has been set for this Wednesday.
“The players that tested positive are still in quarantine and will be tested again after 10 days from the date they returned the positive tests. Those that were negative have been tested again and we are still waiting for the results.
“It is indeed a crisis. We have since notified CAF of the situation that we find ourselves in,” said Gwesela.
The additional lockdown measures have also thrown doubt on the resumption of the domestic Premiership that had been scheduled for next month. The new lockdown measures will only be reviewed on January 31.
The Premier Soccer League had hoped to get the 2021 season underway in February after investing in health and safety protocols for the safe return of the game.
Most of the clubs had hoped to regroup this week to continue with their pre-season preparations after they had released their players for the Christmas break.
PSL chairman, Farai Jere, yesterday said the stakeholders will meet this week to discuss the new lockdown developments.
“We are yet to sit down with the stakeholders to make an assessment of these new lockdown measures. We have to try and find ways to minimize the impact on football.
“This is something that was only announced last night so we can probably only be able to discuss from Monday going forward.
“But from the onset of this pandemic, as PSL we have always maintained that health comes first. This is a natural disaster and we have accepted that it’s a force majeure, which no one has control over.
“Covid-19 is real and we would need to protect our constituency and those around us from the pandemic in the best way possible,” said Jere. -The Herald
Government has suspended face-to-face meetings in the public service to ensure the safety of its employees and trimmed its workforce to 30 percent as the fight against Covid-19 intensifies.
This comes as 34 people died yesterday, while 1 365 cases were recorded. Harare recorded 777 of the new cases.
This was announced by the Acting Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Jenfan Muswere during an update on the Level Four lockdown that began yesterday.
The lockdown was announced by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care on Saturday with Acting President Kembo Mohadi giving policy direction on the implementation of the lockdown on Sunday.
Dr Muswere said the Public Service Commission (PSC) had streamlined to 30 percent, with the essential service workforce expected to be physically at work across all ministries and Government departments.
“Face-to-face meetings have been suspended. Meanwhile, strict Covid-19 protocols on PSC buses will be enforced. Knock-off time for Government employees shall be 3pm,” he said.
The minister reiterated that only essential services would be allowed to operate during the lockdown as stipulated by law, including closing at 3pm.
He said other commercial operations and services specified in Part 5 of the lockdown order, that is to say all formal businesses and registered informal traders, had been suspended as from yesterday.
“Regarding law and order, our security forces are on high alert and vigilant to arrest offenders.
“In particular, the Task Force noted the suspension of Matapi police officers for negligently allowing a super spreader event to proceed under their watch as well as the arrest of organisers of the big, illegal event that took place in Mbare on New Year’s Eve,” Dr Muswere said.
In an earlier interview, PSC Secretary Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe said the trimming of the workforce was aimed at minimising the risk of infection within the public service.
“We have directed that only 30 percent of the public service be at their respective workplaces as a way of decongesting the workplaces.
“Others will work from home and some on call and might be told to report for duty if those at work are overwhelmed or need to rest,” said Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe.
Those coming to work would be given safety nets to fall back on in the event they contracted or succumbed to Covid-19 complications.
Ambassador Wutawunashe said some benefits set out last year still stood, like giving those who fell sick, up to up to six months of sick leave on full-pay as well as paying all medical bills for front-line health staff.
Generally, civil servants are entitled to 90 days’ sick-leave on full salary if they are incapacitated by ill-health.-The Herald
Government has suspended face-to-face meetings in the public service to ensure the safety of its employees and trimmed its workforce to 30 percent as the fight against Covid-19 intensifies.
This comes as 34 people died yesterday, while 1 365 cases were recorded. Harare recorded 777 of the new cases.
This was announced by the Acting Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Jenfan Muswere during an update on the Level Four lockdown that began yesterday.
The lockdown was announced by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care on Saturday with Acting President Kembo Mohadi giving policy direction on the implementation of the lockdown on Sunday.
Dr Muswere said the Public Service Commission (PSC) had streamlined to 30 percent, with the essential service workforce expected to be physically at work across all ministries and Government departments.
“Face-to-face meetings have been suspended. Meanwhile, strict Covid-19 protocols on PSC buses will be enforced. Knock-off time for Government employees shall be 3pm,” he said.
The minister reiterated that only essential services would be allowed to operate during the lockdown as stipulated by law, including closing at 3pm.
He said other commercial operations and services specified in Part 5 of the lockdown order, that is to say all formal businesses and registered informal traders, had been suspended as from yesterday.
“Regarding law and order, our security forces are on high alert and vigilant to arrest offenders.
“In particular, the Task Force noted the suspension of Matapi police officers for negligently allowing a super spreader event to proceed under their watch as well as the arrest of organisers of the big, illegal event that took place in Mbare on New Year’s Eve,” Dr Muswere said.
In an earlier interview, PSC Secretary Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe said the trimming of the workforce was aimed at minimising the risk of infection within the public service.
“We have directed that only 30 percent of the public service be at their respective workplaces as a way of decongesting the workplaces.
“Others will work from home and some on call and might be told to report for duty if those at work are overwhelmed or need to rest,” said Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe.
Those coming to work would be given safety nets to fall back on in the event they contracted or succumbed to Covid-19 complications.
Ambassador Wutawunashe said some benefits set out last year still stood, like giving those who fell sick, up to up to six months of sick leave on full-pay as well as paying all medical bills for front-line health staff.
Generally, civil servants are entitled to 90 days’ sick-leave on full salary if they are incapacitated by ill-health.-The Herald
Tinashe Sambiri|The late MDC Alliance Senator, Christine Java Rambanepasi was a mother, fighter and brave cadre, President Nelson Chamisa has said.
President Chamisa commended the Java family for giving Senator Rambanepasi a befitting send-off.
“Senator Rambanepasi was a mother, fighter and brave cadre.She was a veteran of the struggle for freedom.
At the same time we remember her as a great mother.
I am happy with all the work that has been done here. I really appreciate your effors.
Our mother was a woman of dignity and integrity,” said President Chamisa.
President Chamisa also urged the Java family to remain strong following the death of Senator Rambanepasi.Senator Rambanepasi’s sons, Apostle Java and Passion Java acknowledged President Chamisa’s presence at the funeral.
Tinashe Sambiri|The late MDC Alliance Senator, Christine Java Rambanepasi was a mother, fighter and brave cadre, President Nelson Chamisa has said.
President Chamisa commended the Java family for giving Senator Rambanepasi a befitting send-off.
“Senator Rambanepasi was a mother, fighter and brave cadre.She was a veteran of the struggle for freedom.
At the same time we remember her as a great mother.
I am happy with all the work that has been done here. I really appreciate your effors.
Our mother was a woman of dignity and integrity,” said President Chamisa.
President Chamisa also urged the Java family to remain strong following the death of Senator Rambanepasi.Senator Rambanepasi’s sons, Apostle Java and Passion Java acknowledged President Chamisa’s presence at the funeral.
Tinashe Sambiri|ARTUZ Secretary for Welfare Masvingo, Sheila Chisirimunhu, who was sentenced to 10 months in prison has been released on ZWL $ 2000 bail.
See full statement below:
A Masvingo High Court Judge today released jailed Masvingo Province Artuz Secretary for Gender and Social Welfare Sheila Chisirimunhu who was sentenced to 10 months in prison on bail.
We therefore celebrate the defeat of Satan concurrently demanding her immediate acquittal since it was her right enshrined in the supreme law of the country to demonstrate and petition for a better living wage. We are grateful to the Judge who did not oppose bail for our own Sheila Chisirimunhu.
Holding a placard inscribed :We demand 520US is not nowhere near inciting public violence. Zanupf must desist from capturing the judiciary system. A living wage is what all right thinking Zimbabweans must fight for versus enduring slave wages at the hands of an insensitive and corrupt regime.
Thank you Artuz leadership for leading the hashtag #FreeSheilaCampaign. I appreciate the role played by all social democrats around the globe. Your demand for non-selective application of the law to citizens has been granted through this historic bail after imprisonment. We reinterate that criminals criminals are walking free while political prisoners languish in hell- hole prisoners.
Obadiah Moyo stole 60 million US dollars, Mupfumira, Chombo only to mention but a few, these are the criminals who eat on behalf of starving teachers. They must face justice, they are genuine candidates for imprisonment. Sheila Chisirimunhu is a trade unionist who is obliged to the fight against peaceful slavery.
We will not sit and relax until Sheila Chisirimunhu has been acquitted.
Tinashe Sambiri|The high incidence of COVID-19 cases in Zimbabwe is a direct result of Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa regime’s gross incompetence, MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has said.
Hon Biti argued the fragile health system has been further stretched by the escalating COVID-19 cases.
“The National Health System has collapsed . Long before the Covid implosion a vulnerable health delivery system had been mulcted by shortages, corruption&poor wages .With the Covid implosion, a fragile system has all but collapsed. This man has failed and failed in absolute terms,” argued Hon Biti.
“The new Covid Regulations SI10 of 2021 are a potpourri of confusion and disaster .
Policy making should never be knee jerk . It should always be subject to expert advice. The decision to tighten LockDown is a complete disaster that will affect livelihoods .
Jan is already a tough month
The illegitimate regime has no capacity to govern. Focus should have been on more tests, face masks , social distancing , sanitizaton and restrictions on entry from Countries with new Covid variants.
Force and conscription of people s livelihoods and freedoms will not address Covid 19,” added Hon Biti.
Tinashe Sambiri|The high incidence of COVID-19 cases in Zimbabwe is a direct result of Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa regime’s gross incompetence, MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has said.
Hon Biti argued the fragile health system has been further stretched by the escalating COVID-19 cases.
“The National Health System has collapsed . Long before the Covid implosion a vulnerable health delivery system had been mulcted by shortages, corruption&poor wages .With the Covid implosion, a fragile system has all but collapsed. This man has failed and failed in absolute terms,” argued Hon Biti.
“The new Covid Regulations SI10 of 2021 are a potpourri of confusion and disaster .
Policy making should never be knee jerk . It should always be subject to expert advice. The decision to tighten LockDown is a complete disaster that will affect livelihoods .
Jan is already a tough month
The illegitimate regime has no capacity to govern. Focus should have been on more tests, face masks , social distancing , sanitizaton and restrictions on entry from Countries with new Covid variants.
Force and conscription of people s livelihoods and freedoms will not address Covid 19,” added Hon Biti.
Grace Kwinjeh / In this coronavirus pandemic season, Nelson Chamisa is as good as the politics he plays, meaning he either shapes up or seals his own fate to political doom just like US President Donald Trump did.
Zimbabweans are once again faced with the reality of the pain, sorrow and tears that come with Covid-19, in just over a few days, known people or friends, have either died, or have tested positive to the virus.
We are trying to imagine a Zimbabwe whose politicians are compassionate to our suffering. Imagine just for this once, a country in which the Coronavirus is not a tool to score political points.
We are imagining a country in which politicians give citizens reprieve or rest from the incessant political bickering, which has been an emotionally exhausting and draining process.
The strain and anxiety from the pandemic is in itself enough, meaning that we have to be spared in this season from any further emotional bludgeoning by power hungry politicians.
Woefully disheartening is in the insanity that some would seemingly harbour a secret wish for the pandemic to further escalate, as a self-fulling prophecy, which proves that they are the naturally anointed leaders who could have saved tormented Zimbabweans, from this evil pandemic causing chaos everywhere.
We have suffered enough, the pain and trauma are real, necessitating empathetic, compassionate leaders, whose responses to the pandemic are sensitive, full of love and care. Responses that unite us as humanity, give hope, above all saves lives.
We have reached full capacity to take anymore pain.
One just has to rewind this tape a bit to understand how playing politics with people’s lives can result in painfully lethal consequences.
I argue here that, this kind of retrogressive politics has resulted in the high fatality rates suffered in the United Kingdom (UK) now at over 75,000, with a high record of 58,784 new cases just last Monday alone – according reports this is a result of the fast-spreading new strain of the Coronvirus.
Meanwhile, in the US there are more than 20.7million confirmed cases and 353,000 fatalities.
Consequently, as I have argued before, the machismo leaders in these countries, were more concerned with power retention, rationale science leading to procrastination and a resulting senseless loss of lives, black women or minorities suffering the most.
A lot of the measures Johnson is taking now could have been taken months ago.
Before I even get far with Chamisa’s response, I tried to find what his shadow minister for health (name?) has been offering as an alternative in response to the pandemic, to both government, citizens and even their party supporters, I found nothing.
More intriguing as I argue further, is that, is it a mere coincidence that Mbare an apparent MDC-Alliance stronghold, recorded the highest number of Covidiots, over the festive season, who in their hundreds attended against all wisdom a New Year’s eve super spreader crossover bash.
This is exactly what is problematic with patriarchal models of power, rooted in neo-liberal thinking, they are more about power and playing to the gallery of market forces and in our instance donors too, devoid of empathy or reason.
I don’t write in a vacuum, but with a bigger picture in mind.
Take for instance, countries that did well in responding to Covid-19, which include Belgium, never mind how deeply polarised the politics is – that is the whole point I attempt to make.
The first reaction to the imminent danger posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, when the country became a hot spot in Europe, this was after failing to form a government for months, a result of the never ending bickering among the political parties, the pandemic jolted them into action.
In the split of a second, the first female Prime Minister of Belgium was elected, backed by all the opposition political parties, with a clear mandate to handle the pandemic.
Today, former Prime Minister, Sophie Wilmès is counted among the global leaders, who rose to the challenge of the pandemic, building resilience and mitigating its negative impact.
In Chamisa’s instance masses are only as important as they are vehicles for accessing power and retaining it. Not educating or giving supporters proper information on Covid-19 and its dangers, has nothing to do with President Mnangagwa going on leave, it has nothing to do with Harvest House being taken.
It absolutely has nothing to do with the MDC-T camp and its own internal contradictions.
It has everything to do with what you really care for.
Up to yesterday Trump remained fixated on the Presidential election, oblivious to the incredible pain and suffering around him.
A response to the Covid-19 pandemic should now be less political, meaning it is time for us as a nation to unite and fight, save ourselves. Politics of doom and gloom are not going to benefit any particular political party.
A ruling party is at times as good as the party opposing it. So Killer Zivhu will have kodak moments holding a ventilator just to rub it into our sorry faces.
Chamisa misses the point that this is no longer about him and his unsatiable quest for the State-House, but, about Zimbabweans and how as a nation, we put aside our differences, unite and fight for survival.
Surviving future generations will judge were each person stood on this day.
By failing to put the nation first in response to the pandemic, Chamisa is just digging himself in, like Trump into a political hell hole, from which he will have difficulty to climb out.
Kwinjeh is a journalist based in the Americas Twitter @gracekwinjeh
A Lupane man allegedly beat his friend, who later died in hospital, following a dispute over a cap.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Glory Bhanda confirmed the incident which happened on Saturday.
“On 2 January 2021 at 1pm Moffat Moyo (37) and Thandazani Ngwenya were drinking beer at Sivalo business centre under Chief Mabikwa.
“A misunderstanding ensued between the two after Ngwenya alleged that Moyo had stolen his cap. Moyo left intending to go to his homestead but Ngwenya followed him armed with a knobkerrie and assaulted him several times on the head,” said Insp Bhanda.
She said Moyo escaped from Ngwenya and informed his brother Mr Phibeon Moyo who escorted him to St Luke’s Hospital where he was transferred to Mpilo Central Hospital for further management.
“His condition deteriorated on 3 January and he died while on admission. The accused vanished after committing the offence and is still at large.
“As police we are concerned about these unnecessary killings which are on the increase. If people have disputes they should engage third parties who will assist them to come to a common understanding,” said Insp Bhanda.
The murder follows the killing of three people in Matabeleland South province during the Christmas period.
The first case occurred in Tjehanga Village in Bulilima District under Chief Masendu where Putshu Moyo alias Mabutho/Kuzvinetsa whose age could not be obtained allegedly fatally stabbed Lizwe Mguni (26). The two neighbours had had a dispute on December 18 while drinking beer at a local shop at about 10pm.
Matabeleland South Police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena said the second murder case was also in Bulilima District in Bambadzi area under Chief Madlambuzi where Finios Mlalazi (42) struck Nkululeko Makhaba (48) with a log on the head and he died on the spot.
The two were earlier at Bambadzi Business Centre and had a dispute over an undisclosed issue.
She said the third murder happened in Bhazha area of Matobo District on December 23 when a man axed his wife to death.
“Sidingulwazi Hlabangani (26) of Tungwane B Village under Chief Masuku struck his wife Sinini Maphosa (21) when a dispute over an unknown issue ensued,” she said. — Chronicle
Chief Justice Luke Malaba has suspended all regular court operations and scaled back other courthouse activities, with the Sheriff and Messenger of Court ordered to stop evictions and executions, following a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases.
The suspension of court business comes after Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also Health and Child Care Minister, announced fresh 30-day lockdown regulations on Saturday following a spike in coronavirus cases.
In a memo also known as the Practice Direction issued on Sunday, which applies to the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the High Court, the Labour Court, the Administrative Court and the Magistrates’ Courts, Chief Justice Malaba said the reintroduction of Level IV national lockdown measures had necessitated the issuance of the practice direction to guide court operations, filing of pleadings, process and handling of cases before the courts for the duration of the lockdown period.
He said with effect from yesterday, the filing of new cases, process, documents, pleadings and papers shall be suspended for 30 days up to February 3, unless the period is earlier extended or revoked.
Only initial remands, urgent applications and bail applications shall be entertained.
In addition, registries shall be open for litigants and legal practitioners on week days between 8am and 3pm to accept process related to matters specified in the Practice Direction note.
The Sheriff and the Messenger of Court shall only serve process relating to urgent applications, but shall not conduct any evictions, executions or sales in execution flowing therefrom, according to the notice.
Litigants, lawyers and witnesses shall at all times be subjected to temperature checks and sanitisation of hands at entry into court premises.
They are also required to wear face masks in the manner prescribed by law, avoid person to person contact, and maintain social distancing as prescribed by law.
“Any person who does not comply with the requirements specified . . . shall not be allowed entry into courthouse or shall be asked to leave the court premises or courtroom or courthouse,” said Chief Justice Malaba.
“Entry into court premises/ courthouses/ courtroom shall be limited to litigants, their legal practitioners, necessary witnesses and identified members of the press.”
Further, entry into court premises or courthouses will strictly not be permitted to the public who have no business at court while litigants who are required to attend court in a province or district other than where they are normally resident, shall obtain the necessary letters of clearance at the nearest police station.
Chief Justice Malaba said the time limited by any rule for the filing of process, pleadings, documents and/ or papers was suspended for the duration of the lockdown.
“Any act required by the rules to have been done during the period of the lockdown within a specified period of time, shall be done within the specified limit calculated from the first business day following the last day of the lockdown period,” he said.
All pending civil cases are deemed to have been postponed and the registrars and clerks of court of the respective courts will reset the matters in consultation with the parties in line with set guidelines.
Similarly, all pending criminal cases on remand by virtue of the practice direction, have been rolled over for a period of at least 30 days.-The Herald
Chido Mbewu/ In response to recently announced new Covid-19 rules and regulations, Air Zimbabwe has made flight adjustments.
See the statement below….
The air transport business was recently granted the green light to continue operations with strict adherence to Covid-19 containment and prevention guidelines under a 30 day lockdown period.
As part of its compliance measures as well as ensuring the health and safety of staff and customers, Air Zimbabwe, therefore, wishes to advise of the following:Sales offices shall operate in line with the stipulated business hours 0800hrs – 1500hrs Monday to Friday and 0800hrs – 1100hrs on Saturday.
Harare Interline (airport) office shall operate 0800hrs – 1600hrs Monday to Saturday to cater for flights movement.
Bookings can be made online via our website www.airzimbabwe.aero and sales enquiries can be directed to the following contact details:
Chido Mbewu/ Former Mwenezi East MP Kudakwashe Bhasikiti is under the spotlight for alleged crimes committed in his Mwenezi East constituency during the run up to the 2008 harmonised elections.
Artist, human rights activist and torture survivor, Silvanos Bhanditi Mudzvova , makes the damning allegations on social media. “Bhasikiti was involved in party politics since 2000 and only get elected 2008 when Mwenezi was divided into 2 East &West. Bhasikiti was figured in rape, intimidation, torture & murder as such European Union included him on sanctions list.”
Bhasikiti responds saying, “Silvanos Bhanditi Mudzvova you are such an ashamed lier.If you were a real known person I would successfully sue you for http://deformation. You know Bhasikiti was elected peacefully March 2008.Your effort to link Bhasikiti to to military operations are futile.”
Good Day. Today we are in Mwenezi East. Mwenezi was one constituency between 2000-2005 elections. MP was Isiah Shumba zanu pf. Bhasikiti was involved in party politics since 2000 and only get elected 2008 when Mwenezi was divided into 2 East &West. Bhasikiti was figured in rape,
— silvanos Bhanditi Mudzvova (@Silvanosbhandit) January 5, 2021
By Joseph Takunda I welcome on to the political scene the re-energised and revitalised MDCT led by Senator Douglas Mwonzora. Since its recent Congress, the MDCT has been hogging the limelight away from the main opposition party the MDC Alliance with the endorsement of the ruling party ZANU PF.
Despite clear evidence that Mwonzora and MDCT are being forced on Zimbabweans as the “patriotic” opposition by President Mnangagwa, it’s my “hope” that the judicial constructed party will continue to “steal” headlines from the MDC Alliance.
I hope Mwonzora will politically position his party so that it can “threaten” and “rattle” the support base of the main opposition MDC Alliance. I strongly believe that a robust and battle hardened MDCT will force the complacent,arrogant, and ineptitude MDC Alliance into action so that it can strategically reposition itself to become Zimbabwe’s ruling party in 2023.
Therefore, I posit that the rise of Mwonzora is a catalyst for the MDC Alliance to regroup, refocus and reenergise with an eye for the 2023 election. Chamisa needs a “clever” Mwonzora who can politically threaten to knock him off his “pedestal” as Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader and hopefully awaken him from the slumber to reposition him for Zimbabwe’s presidency in 2023.
So, I am “tactically” supporting Senator Mwonzora to be the “trojan horse” that uplifts Nelson Chamisa into ACTION in 2021 and hopefully rope to victory in 2023.
Fellow countrymen, I have been an opposition supporter for the last 22 years and if it means supporting Mwonzora to leverage the MDC Alliance into power, so be it !!!
Chido Mbewu/ Local media reports that Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri is reportedly battling Covid-19.
While no further details are given on Muchinguri’s condition and whereabouts, it is also reported that, Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister Ellen Gwaradzimba and Former Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) Commissioner-General Retired Major-General Paradzai Zimondi are both battling the deadly virus.
Gwaradzimba is reported to have been airlifted to Harare.
Meanwhile, latest statistics released by the ministry of health on new Covid-19 infections, indicate a disturbing spiral of new cases at 1 365 and 34 deaths in the past 24 hours.
We have checked and so far @PoliceZimbabwe have no report of a baby that has been killed. Maybe they receive one later but nobody is yet to report a dead baby. They said they are investigating the skirmishes in this video.
A BULAWAYO man from Emakhandeni has been remanded in custody for allegedly stealing a client’s money at Anto driving school.
The accused person Enos Mashingaidze (64) allegedly converted Kudakwashe Hasera (35), the self employed complainant’s money, which had been paid for a VID test into his own use. This happened sometime during the month of September.
Mashingaidze appeared before Bulawayo Magistrate Jekoniah Ncube at Tredgold Court on 29 October where he admitted to the laid allegations and he was remanded in custody till 21 November.
Prosecutor Tanyaradzwa Kamanga said, “The accused converted complainants money to his own use. The value involved is RTGS $350 and US$ 25.”
Hasera said, “Sometime in the month of September 2019, I approached Mashingaidze who is an instructor at Anto Driving School and became his student.”
Furthermore, during the same month Hasera enquired as to how much it was to hire a car for test to VID and the accused said it was RTGS$ 350-00 which he paid with an additional US$25. Due to some problems he stopped.
During the month of October, that is mid-month, Hasera approached the accused so that they can go to VID and he started changing stories up to date.
There was no other witness except the complainant who only knows the accused in connection with this case.
Below is the full statement by the Acting Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Jenfan Muswere on the lockdown measures which came into effect today.
LOCKDOWN STATEMENT BY THE ACTING MINISTER OF INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND BROADCASTING SERVICES, HON J MUSWERE.
Fellow Zimbabweans, I address you on the first day of our National Lockdown that was pronounced by the Hon Minister of Health, who is also the Vice President, Cde CGDN Chiwenga on the 2nd of January 2021.
This report also comes on the backdrop of the statement released by the Acting President, Cde KCD Mohadi on the 3 of January, which gave policy direction and how the nation will conduct itself over the course of the lockdown.
Whilst the flattening of the curve of the Covid 19 infections in the last few months gave us hope, the reality on the ground nationally and globally is that there is a spike in Covid-19 cases, and we ought to be vigilant as a nation, hence the need to adhere to the measures announced for the lockdown.
For the avoidance of doubt, the country has reverted back to level 4 lockdown as stipulated within SI 10 of 2021.
Essential services and emergencies will continue to operate within the confines of the regulations.
Other commercial operations and services specified in Part 5 of the lockdown order that is to say all formal businesses and registered informal traders are suspended as from today.
My fellow countrymen and women, events of the past two to three weeks do not need me to remind you that Covid-19 kills. Let us be responsible and do our part to fight this war against Covid-19.
The Covid-19 Taskforce met yesterday, 4th of January 2021 to review the situation pertaining to the resurgence of Covid-19 cases and the following issues were raised and addressed:
1. On Surveillance, as of 1 January 2021. Zimbabwe’s cumulative cases of COVID-19 stood at 14 084, with 11 347 recoveries, and 371 deaths. The number of new cases has almost doubled in two months from 8 374 on 1 November to the current 14 084.
There is a recovery rate of 80,6%, with 12 753 being a result of local transmission. New cases increased from 833 in week 51 to 1 204 in week 52
2. Regarding law and order, our security forces are on high alert and vigilant to arrest offenders.
In particular, the Task Force noted the suspension of Matapi police officers for negligently allowing a super spreader event to proceed under their watch as well as the arrest of organisers of the big, illegal event that took place in Mbare on New Year’s Eve.
3. On Primary and Secondary Education, the commencement of the 2021 School calendar has been deferred till further notice to allow for monitoring of the COVID-19 pattern.
Further to this, the nation is advised that teachers including invigilators as well as pupils sitting for exams will be given free passage to their respective schools, subject to them having a clearance letter from the Ministry authorities For Higher and Tertiary Education students, classes will continue online while final exam classes will be allowed free passage to sit for their examinations
4. Media practitioners are considered to be part of essential services as stipulated in SI 200 and in this regard, pending the production of new Accreditation cards by the Zimbabwe Media Commission, journalists will continue to use 2019 Press cards whilst the ZMC puts in place modalities for registration for the current year with immediate effect.
Support staff for the Media Industry at large will have exemption letters issued through the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services on request from their media houses
5. Concerning information and risk communication, the Subcommittee will continue to hold awareness campaigns in line with Covid 19 regulations and disseminate COVID-19 messages through the media focusing on behaviour change.
Sub-national structures have already begun engaging key stakeholders such as traditional, political and religious leaders to ensure that the message cascades down to the grassroots.
6. Pertaining to cross border movement, entry through land borders will only be permissible for citizens and returning residents upon production of valid Covid-19 Free Certificates issued within 48 hours.
There shall be no exit of travellers through land border posts except for commercial and transit cargo transporting essential goods and services.
It must be reiterated that only International Airports remain open to ordinary travellers for both exit and entry in which entry clearances are subject to strict production of Covid-19 Free Certificates.
Government wishes to advise Zimbabweans abroad that use of fake Covid 19 certificates not only puts your own loved ones at risk, but perpetrators are liable to prosecution
7. Moving onto Government employees, The Public Service Commission has put in place measures to ensure the safety of its workforce including streamlining the size of essential services workforce expected to be physically at work to 30% across Ministries.
Face to face meetings have been suspended. Meanwhile, strict Covid-19 protocols on PSC buses will be enforced. Knock-off time for Government employees shall be 15.00hrs
8. Members of the public, entities in essential services such as mining, communication and telecommunication, agriculture production and security companies are advised that movement and exemption letters will now be issued by the respective line Ministries
May I once again take this opportunity to reiterate the Acting President’s call which said: “We all have the responsibility to adhere to set guidelines. When we work together against the pandemic, we will save lives and ensure a healthy and productive citizenry”.
We all have a collective responsibility to ensure our personal safety, the safety of our loved ones and that of the nation at large. We can stop covid 19.
Let us all play our part. Social and physical distancing, staying at home, masking up ones and that of the nation at large. We can stop covid 19, let us all play our part Social and physical distancing, staying at home, masking up and personal hygiene including sanitising and frequently washing our hands with soap and running water will do the trick.
Good Evening and God bless Zimbabwe. I thank you
Hon J Muswere
Acting Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services
Yah our police officers are sometimes overzealous for nothing, you tend to wonder with their behavior when executing duties they tend to behave as if they are not coming from Zimbabwean communities, they should respect brotherhood and the suffering of people on the ground
The body of the late Emmanuel Chimwanda has now arrived at his home in Southerton. He will be buried at his rural home in Gutu on Thursday. We continue to mourn his passing & are grateful for his service to Zimbabwe as a principled member of the police service among other roles. pic.twitter.com/lIBFpSuCjQ
— Citizens' Coalition for Change (@CCCZimbabwe) January 5, 2021
Thousands of learners either missed or were late for exams because of transport challenges and delays at roadblocks.Trs also failed to travel to invigilate. These sham examinations should simply be called off! @MoPSEZim are you proud of this chaos? #SaveOurEducationZW#FreeSheila
— Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe,ARTUZ (@ARTUZ_teachers) January 5, 2021
By A Correspondent- Mbare’s New Year Eve music gig organisers Dhama, DJ Fantan and Levels admitted to violating the Covid-19 regulations by hosting the show when they appeared at the Harare magistrates court today.
Dama, born Simbarashe Chanachimwe, DJ Fantan born Arnold Kamudyariwa, and Tafadzwa Kadzimwe known as Levels admitted to “partaking and contravening a public gathering during a national lockdown period” when they appeared before Harare provincial magistrate Mrs Vongai Guwuriro.
Chanachimwe was represented by lawyer Mr Tafadzwa Hungwe while Kamudyariwa and Kadzimwe were represented by lawyer Dumisani Mtombeni.
Mr Micheal Reza and Mr Taddy Kamuriwo are appearing for the State.
Tinashe Sambiri|ARTUZ Secretary for Welfare Masvingo, Sheila Chisirimunhu, who was sentenced to 10 months in prison has been released on ZWL $ 2000 bail.
See full statement below:
A Masvingo High Court Judge today released jailed Masvingo Province Artuz Secretary for Gender and Social Welfare Sheila Chisirimunhu who was sentenced to 10 months in prison on bail.
We therefore celebrate the defeat of Satan concurrently demanding her immediate acquittal since it was her right enshrined in the supreme law of the country to demonstrate and petition for a better living wage. We are grateful to the Judge who did not oppose bail for our own Sheila Chisirimunhu.
Holding a placard inscribed :We demand 520US is not nowhere near inciting public violence. Zanupf must desist from capturing the judiciary system. A living wage is what all right thinking Zimbabweans must fight for versus enduring slave wages at the hands of an insensitive and corrupt regime.
Thank you Artuz leadership for leading the hashtag #FreeSheilaCampaign. I appreciate the role played by all social democrats around the globe. Your demand for non-selective application of the law to citizens has been granted through this historic bail after imprisonment. We reinterate that criminals criminals are walking free while political prisoners languish in hell- hole prisoners.
Obadiah Moyo stole 60 million US dollars, Mupfumira, Chombo only to mention but a few, these are the criminals who eat on behalf of starving teachers. They must face justice, they are genuine candidates for imprisonment. Sheila Chisirimunhu is a trade unionist who is obliged to the fight against peaceful slavery.
We will not sit and relax until Sheila Chisirimunhu has been acquitted.
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Assembly Of Women has strongly condemned the shooting of a pregnant woman in Lupane by overzealous cops.
The pregnant woman was shot and injured as police opened fire on a commuter omnibus.
In a statement the MDC Alliance Assembly Of Women spokesperson, Barbara Tanyanyiwa slammed the barbaric behaviour of cops who shot the woman.
Below is Tanyanyiwa’s statement:
The incident that happened in Lupane whereby police opened fire on a suspected stolen kombi and injured a pregnant woman who was a passenger was very unfortunate.
Citizens are no longer safe at all as those that are supposed to protect them are the ones that are harassing them.
There was no need for the police to open fire as they were not sure whether the car was stolen or not. They acted in a barbaric manner and this must be denounced in toto by every Zimbabwean.
As the MDC A Assembly of women, we say no to such kind of acts as police should be protecting the people instead of injuring them.
We condemn the shooting incident in strongest terms and demand the reprimanding of the police officers involved.
This is the reason why we have been calling for reforms because we are not safe at all. Our rights are being violated everyday especially by the security forces and the government has been turning a blind ear on this.
We wish the woman a speedy recovery and hope that the government will chip in to pay her bills and make sure that she gets proper treatment.
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Assembly Of Women has strongly condemned the shooting of a pregnant woman in Lupane by overzealous cops.
The pregnant woman was shot and injured as police opened fire on a commuter omnibus.
In a statement the MDC Alliance Assembly Of Women spokesperson, Barbara Tanyanyiwa slammed the barbaric behaviour of cops who shot the woman.
Below is Tanyanyiwa’s statement:
The incident that happened in Lupane whereby police opened fire on a suspected stolen kombi and injured a pregnant woman who was a passenger was very unfortunate.
Citizens are no longer safe at all as those that are supposed to protect them are the ones that are harassing them.
There was no need for the police to open fire as they were not sure whether the car was stolen or not. They acted in a barbaric manner and this must be denounced in toto by every Zimbabwean.
As the MDC A Assembly of women, we say no to such kind of acts as police should be protecting the people instead of injuring them.
We condemn the shooting incident in strongest terms and demand the reprimanding of the police officers involved.
This is the reason why we have been calling for reforms because we are not safe at all. Our rights are being violated everyday especially by the security forces and the government has been turning a blind ear on this.
We wish the woman a speedy recovery and hope that the government will chip in to pay her bills and make sure that she gets proper treatment.
Tinashe Sambiri|The high incidence of COVID-19 cases in Zimbabwe is a direct result of Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa regime’s gross incompetence, MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has said.
Hon Biti argued the fragile health system has been further stretched by the escalating COVID-19 cases.
“The National Health System has collapsed . Long before the Covid implosion a vulnerable health delivery system had been mulcted by shortages, corruption&poor wages .With the Covid implosion, a fragile system has all but collapsed. This man has failed and failed in absolute terms,” argued Hon Biti.
“The new Covid Regulations SI10 of 2021 are a potpourri of confusion and disaster .
Policy making should never be knee jerk . It should always be subject to expert advice. The decision to tighten LockDown is a complete disaster that will affect livelihoods .
Jan is already a tough month
The illegitimate regime has no capacity to govern. Focus should have been on more tests, face masks , social distancing , sanitizaton and restrictions on entry from Countries with new Covid variants.
Force and conscription of people s livelihoods and freedoms will not address Covid 19,” added Hon Biti.
Liverpool paved the way for Manchester United to go atop the Premier League with a 1-0 loss at Southampton on Monday.
The Reds remain tied on points with United after the defeat. However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men can overtake them when they visit Burnley.
Southampton wasted no time going ahead at St. Mary’s, with former Liverpool forward Danny Ings stinging his former team with a wonderful lobbed finish after being picked out behind a makeshift Liverpool defence by a James Ward-Prowse free kick in the second minute.
The goal marked the 50th Premier League goal of Ings’ career between stints at Southampton (36), Burnley (11), and Liverpool (3).
Liverpool, who Jurgen Klopp said had been making “lemonade” out of a recent string of poor performances, could not recover a result this time around, setting the stage for United to take control of the league next week.
Southampton coach Ralph Hasenhuettl fell to his knees at the final whistle as his players celebrated.
“He [Hasenhuettl] is very passionate and he brings that passion into the game, and it’s great for us to see that,” goalscorer Ings told Sky Sports.
Southampton took the lead early and held on against Liverpool.
Klopp, whose side were held to a goalless draw by Newcastle United in their last outing, was disappointed with the display.
“They [Southampton] put a lot of work in. Our decision-making was just not good, that is how it is when you don’t have momentum. We should have had much more chances,” he said.
The league leaders were left frustrated again when Kyle Walker-Peters went unpunished after bringing down Sadio Mane in the penalty area.
“The best situations we had were with Sadio having the ball at his feet,” Klopp told Sky Sports. “For anyone to say he’s a diver is the biggest joke … He had two situations where other teams would get a penalty.”-ESPN
Jurgen Klopp was left furious with some decisions by VAR after Liverpool suffered their second Premier League defeat of the season at Southampton.
Klopp was aggrieved his side were not awarded either of their two second-half penalty appeals, with a Kyle Walker-Peters challenge on Sadio Mane and Jack Stephens’ handball while blocking a Georginio Wijnaldum shot going unpunished by referee Andre Marriner.
Speaking after the match, the gaffer mentioned Manchester United’s penalty record.
“What Andre Marriner did with Sadio Mané tonight, I’m not sure that’s okay,” Klopp said.
“Man Utd had more penalties in two years than me in five and a half years.”
Meanwhile, Manchester United will move three points ahead of Liverpool if they win their game in hand at Burnley, which is scheduled five days before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side visit Anfield.-Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe Football Association has proposed to CAF to postpone the CHAN tournament set to start on January 16 in Cameroon.
The proposal comes after a surge in coronavirus cases across the continent and the Warriors camp has not been spared.
Fourteen members of the national team – nine players and five officials – tested positive for the virus, a development which has seen the suspension of training for the past week.
ZIFA spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela told the Herald: “At the moment we are grounded. Our players are still in quarantine and they will only be retested after 10 days (on Thursday) to see if there are any recoveries. We also have another group of players on standby.
“But we have proposed to CAF that the tournament be postponed to safeguard the health of the players since Covid-19 cases have been on the rise across the continent.”
ZIFA submitted a bloated 33-man squad for the CHAN tournament. The main list contains twenty-three players while the second one has ten stars on standby.-Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Tinashe Sambiri|The late MDC Alliance Senator, Christine Java Rambanepasi was a mother, fighter and brave cadre, President Nelson Chamisa has said.
President Chamisa commended the Java family for giving Senator Rambanepasi a befitting send-off.
“Senator Rambanepasi was a mother, fighter and brave cadre.She was a veteran of the struggle for freedom.
At the same time we remember her as a great mother.
I am happy with all the work that has been done here. I really appreciate your effors.
Our mother was a woman of dignity and integrity,” said President Chamisa.
President Chamisa also urged the Java family to remain strong following the death of Senator Rambanepasi.Senator Rambanepasi’s sons, Apostle Java and Passion Java acknowledged President Chamisa’s presence at the funeral.
Former Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has been added to the first-team coaching staff.
The 36-year old was with the club’s under-16 squad before his latest appointment. He will now work together with coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“I am delighted to be returning to the club as a first-team coach,” Fletcher said.
“It’s a very exciting time for this young team, and I am looking forward to taking the next steps in my coaching career by working with Ole and his staff.”
Fletcher, who was a product of United’s youth academy, made 300 first-team appearances, winning five Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the Champions League.-Soccer 24 Zimbabwe
Here are seven steps you can take to navigate this wave of information and decide who and what to trust:
Assess the source
Who shared the information with you and where did they get it from? Even if it is friends or family, you still need to vet their source. To check for fake social media accounts, look at how long profiles have been active, their number of followers and their most recent posts. For websites, check the “About Us” and “Contact Us” pages to look for background information and legitimate contact details.
When it comes to images or videos, make it a habit to verify their authenticity.
For images, you can use reverse image search tools provided by Google and TinEye. For videos, you can use Amnesty International’s YouTube DatViewer, which extracts thumbnails that you can enter into reverse image search tools.
Other clues that a source may be unreliable or inaccurate include unprofessional visual design, poor spelling and grammar, or excessive use of all caps or exclamation points.
Go beyond headlines
Headlines may be intentionally sensational or provocative to get high numbers of clicks. Read more than just the headline of an article – go further and look at the entire story. Search more widely than social media for information – look at print sources such as newspapers and magazines, and digital sources such as podcasts and online news sites. Diversifying your sources allows you to get a better picture of what is or is not trustworthy.
Identify the author
Search the author’s name online to see if they are real or credible.
Check the date
When you come across information, ask yourself these questions: Is this a recent story? Is it up to date and relevant to current events? Has a headline, image or statistic been used out of context?
Examine the supporting evidence
Credible stories back up their claims with facts – for example, quotes from experts or links to statistics or studies. Verify that experts are reliable and that links actually support the story
Check your biases
We all have biases, and these factor into how we view what’s happening around us. Evaluate your own biases and why you may have been drawn to a particular headline or story. What is your interpretation of it? Why did you react to it that way? Does it challenge your assumptions or tell you what you want to hear? What did you learn about yourself from your interpretation or reaction?
Turn to fact-checkers
When in doubt, consult trusted fact-checking organizations, such as the International Fact-Checking Network and global news outlets focused on debunking misinformation, including the Associated Press and Reuters.
Information, misinformation and disinformation
Information is what we call things that are accurate to the best of our current knowledge. For instance, COVID-19 stands for coronavirus disease 2019 and is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. One of the difficulties with any new pathogen, like this coronavirus, is that information changes over time as we learn more about the science.
Misinformation, on the other hand, is false information.
Importantly, it is false information that was not created with the intention of hurting others. Misinformation is often started by someone who genuinely wants to understand a topic and cares about keeping other people safe and well. It is then shared by others who feel the same.
Everyone believes they are sharing good information – but unfortunately, they are not. And depending on what is being shared, the misinformation can turn out to be quite harmful.
At the other end of the spectrum is disinformation. Unlike misinformation, this is false information created with the intention of profiting from it or causing harm. That harm could be to a person, a group of people, an organization or even a country. Disinformation generally serves some agenda and can be dangerous. During this pandemic, we are seeing it used to try to erode our trust in each other and in our government and public institutions.
How to navigate misinformation and disinformation
It helps to think of misinformation and disinformation spreading in the same way as viruses. One person might share fake news with their friends and family, and then a handful of them share it with more of their friends and family, and before you know it, potentially harmful or dangerous information is taking over everyone’s newsfeed.
But just as we can protect against COVID-19 with hand washing, physical distancing and masks, we can slow down the spread of misinformation and disinformation by practising some information hygiene. Before sharing something, ask yourself these questions:
How does this make me feel?
Why am I sharing this?
How do I know if it’s true?
Where did it come from?
Whose agenda might I be supporting by sharing it?
If you know something is false, or if it makes you angry, don’t share it to debunk it or make fun of it. That just spreads the misinformation or disinformation further. Learn more about how you can report misinformation online.
Good places to go for reliable information are the websites of your national Ministry of Health or the World Health Organization. Remember, though: information will change as we learn more about the virus.
What WHO is doing
WHO has developed guidance to help individuals, community leaders, governments and the private sector understand some key actions they can take to manage the COVID-19 infodemic.
For instance, WHO has been working closely with more than 50 digital companies and social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitch, Snapchat, Pinterest, Google, Viber, WhatsApp and YouTube, to ensure that science-based health messages from the organization or other official sources appear first when people search for information related to COVID-19. WHO has also partnered with the Government of the United Kingdom on a digital campaign to raise awareness of misinformation around COVID-19 and encourage individuals to report false or misleading content online. In addition, WHO is creating tools to amplify public health messages – including its WHO Health Alert chatbot, available on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Viber – to provide the latest news and information on how individuals can protect themselves and others from COVID-19.
Source: World Health Organization
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Assembly Of Women has strongly condemned the shooting of a pregnant woman in Lupane by overzealous cops.
The pregnant woman was shot and injured as police opened fire on a commuter omnibus.
In a statement the MDC Alliance Assembly Of Women spokesperson, Barbara Tanyanyiwa slammed the barbaric behaviour of cops who shot the woman.
Below is Tanyanyiwa’s statement:
The incident that happened in Lupane whereby police opened fire on a suspected stolen kombi and injured a pregnant woman who was a passenger was very unfortunate.
Citizens are no longer safe at all as those that are supposed to protect them are the ones that are harassing them.
There was no need for the police to open fire as they were not sure whether the car was stolen or not. They acted in a barbaric manner and this must be denounced in toto by every Zimbabwean.
As the MDC A Assembly of women, we say no to such kind of acts as police should be protecting the people instead of injuring them.
We condemn the shooting incident in strongest terms and demand the reprimanding of the police officers involved.
This is the reason why we have been calling for reforms because we are not safe at all. Our rights are being violated everyday especially by the security forces and the government has been turning a blind ear on this.
We wish the woman a speedy recovery and hope that the government will chip in to pay her bills and make sure that she gets proper treatment.
Tinashe Sambiri|ARTUZ Secretary for Welfare Masvingo, Sheila Chisirimunhu, who was sentenced to 10 months in prison has been released on ZWL $ 2000 bail.
See full statement below:
A Masvingo High Court Judge today released jailed Masvingo Province Artuz Secretary for Gender and Social Welfare Sheila Chisirimunhu who was sentenced to 10 months in prison on bail.
We therefore celebrate the defeat of Satan concurrently demanding her immediate acquittal since it was her right enshrined in the supreme law of the country to demonstrate and petition for a better living wage. We are grateful to the Judge who did not oppose bail for our own Sheila Chisirimunhu.
Holding a placard inscribed :We demand 520US is not nowhere near inciting public violence. Zanupf must desist from capturing the judiciary system. A living wage is what all right thinking Zimbabweans must fight for versus enduring slave wages at the hands of an insensitive and corrupt regime.
Thank you Artuz leadership for leading the hashtag #FreeSheilaCampaign. I appreciate the role played by all social democrats around the globe. Your demand for non-selective application of the law to citizens has been granted through this historic bail after imprisonment. We reinterate that criminals criminals are walking free while political prisoners languish in hell- hole prisoners.
Obadiah Moyo stole 60 million US dollars, Mupfumira, Chombo only to mention but a few, these are the criminals who eat on behalf of starving teachers. They must face justice, they are genuine candidates for imprisonment. Sheila Chisirimunhu is a trade unionist who is obliged to the fight against peaceful slavery.
We will not sit and relax until Sheila Chisirimunhu has been acquitted.
Tinashe Sambiri|The high incidence of COVID-19 cases in Zimbabwe is a direct result of Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa regime’s gross incompetence, MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has said.
Hon Biti argued the fragile health system has been further stretched by the escalating COVID-19 cases.
“The National Health System has collapsed . Long before the Covid implosion a vulnerable health delivery system had been mulcted by shortages, corruption&poor wages .With the Covid implosion, a fragile system has all but collapsed. This man has failed and failed in absolute terms,” argued Hon Biti.
“The new Covid Regulations SI10 of 2021 are a potpourri of confusion and disaster .
Policy making should never be knee jerk . It should always be subject to expert advice. The decision to tighten LockDown is a complete disaster that will affect livelihoods .
Jan is already a tough month
The illegitimate regime has no capacity to govern. Focus should have been on more tests, face masks , social distancing , sanitizaton and restrictions on entry from Countries with new Covid variants.
Force and conscription of people s livelihoods and freedoms will not address Covid 19,” added Hon Biti.
Here are seven steps you can take to navigate this wave of information and decide who and what to trust:
Assess the source
Who shared the information with you and where did they get it from? Even if it is friends or family, you still need to vet their source. To check for fake social media accounts, look at how long profiles have been active, their number of followers and their most recent posts. For websites, check the “About Us” and “Contact Us” pages to look for background information and legitimate contact details.
When it comes to images or videos, make it a habit to verify their authenticity.
For images, you can use reverse image search tools provided by Google and TinEye. For videos, you can use Amnesty International’s YouTube DatViewer, which extracts thumbnails that you can enter into reverse image search tools.
Other clues that a source may be unreliable or inaccurate include unprofessional visual design, poor spelling and grammar, or excessive use of all caps or exclamation points.
Go beyond headlines
Headlines may be intentionally sensational or provocative to get high numbers of clicks. Read more than just the headline of an article – go further and look at the entire story. Search more widely than social media for information – look at print sources such as newspapers and magazines, and digital sources such as podcasts and online news sites. Diversifying your sources allows you to get a better picture of what is or is not trustworthy.
Identify the author
Search the author’s name online to see if they are real or credible.
Check the date
When you come across information, ask yourself these questions: Is this a recent story? Is it up to date and relevant to current events? Has a headline, image or statistic been used out of context?
Examine the supporting evidence
Credible stories back up their claims with facts – for example, quotes from experts or links to statistics or studies. Verify that experts are reliable and that links actually support the story
Check your biases
We all have biases, and these factor into how we view what’s happening around us. Evaluate your own biases and why you may have been drawn to a particular headline or story. What is your interpretation of it? Why did you react to it that way? Does it challenge your assumptions or tell you what you want to hear? What did you learn about yourself from your interpretation or reaction?
Turn to fact-checkers
When in doubt, consult trusted fact-checking organizations, such as the International Fact-Checking Network and global news outlets focused on debunking misinformation, including the Associated Press and Reuters.
Information, misinformation and disinformation
Information is what we call things that are accurate to the best of our current knowledge. For instance, COVID-19 stands for coronavirus disease 2019 and is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. One of the difficulties with any new pathogen, like this coronavirus, is that information changes over time as we learn more about the science.
Misinformation, on the other hand, is false information.
Importantly, it is false information that was not created with the intention of hurting others. Misinformation is often started by someone who genuinely wants to understand a topic and cares about keeping other people safe and well. It is then shared by others who feel the same.
Everyone believes they are sharing good information – but unfortunately, they are not. And depending on what is being shared, the misinformation can turn out to be quite harmful.
At the other end of the spectrum is disinformation. Unlike misinformation, this is false information created with the intention of profiting from it or causing harm. That harm could be to a person, a group of people, an organization or even a country. Disinformation generally serves some agenda and can be dangerous. During this pandemic, we are seeing it used to try to erode our trust in each other and in our government and public institutions.
How to navigate misinformation and disinformation
It helps to think of misinformation and disinformation spreading in the same way as viruses. One person might share fake news with their friends and family, and then a handful of them share it with more of their friends and family, and before you know it, potentially harmful or dangerous information is taking over everyone’s newsfeed.
But just as we can protect against COVID-19 with hand washing, physical distancing and masks, we can slow down the spread of misinformation and disinformation by practising some information hygiene. Before sharing something, ask yourself these questions:
How does this make me feel?
Why am I sharing this?
How do I know if it’s true?
Where did it come from?
Whose agenda might I be supporting by sharing it?
If you know something is false, or if it makes you angry, don’t share it to debunk it or make fun of it. That just spreads the misinformation or disinformation further. Learn more about how you can report misinformation online.
Good places to go for reliable information are the websites of your national Ministry of Health or the World Health Organization. Remember, though: information will change as we learn more about the virus.
What WHO is doing
WHO has developed guidance to help individuals, community leaders, governments and the private sector understand some key actions they can take to manage the COVID-19 infodemic.
For instance, WHO has been working closely with more than 50 digital companies and social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitch, Snapchat, Pinterest, Google, Viber, WhatsApp and YouTube, to ensure that science-based health messages from the organization or other official sources appear first when people search for information related to COVID-19. WHO has also partnered with the Government of the United Kingdom on a digital campaign to raise awareness of misinformation around COVID-19 and encourage individuals to report false or misleading content online. In addition, WHO is creating tools to amplify public health messages – including its WHO Health Alert chatbot, available on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Viber – to provide the latest news and information on how individuals can protect themselves and others from COVID-19.
Source: World Health Organization
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
Tinashe Sambiri|The late MDC Alliance Senator, Christine Java Rambanepasi was a mother, fighter and brave cadre, President Nelson Chamisa has said.
President Chamisa commended the Java family for giving Senator Rambanepasi a befitting send-off.
“Senator Rambanepasi was a mother, fighter and brave cadre.She was a veteran of the struggle for freedom.
At the same time we remember her as a great mother.
I am happy with all the work that has been done here. I really appreciate your effors.
Our mother was a woman of dignity and integrity,” said President Chamisa.
President Chamisa also urged the Java family to remain strong following the death of Senator Rambanepasi.Senator Rambanepasi’s sons, Apostle Java and Passion Java acknowledged President Chamisa’s presence at the funeral.
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Assembly Of Women has strongly condemned the shooting of a pregnant woman in Lupane by overzealous cops.
The pregnant woman was shot and injured as police opened fire on a commuter omnibus.
In a statement the MDC Alliance Assembly Of Women spokesperson, Barbara Tanyanyiwa slammed the barbaric behaviour of cops who shot the woman.
Below is Tanyanyiwa’s statement:
The incident that happened in Lupane whereby police opened fire on a suspected stolen kombi and injured a pregnant woman who was a passenger was very unfortunate.
Citizens are no longer safe at all as those that are supposed to protect them are the ones that are harassing them.
There was no need for the police to open fire as they were not sure whether the car was stolen or not. They acted in a barbaric manner and this must be denounced in toto by every Zimbabwean.
As the MDC A Assembly of women, we say no to such kind of acts as police should be protecting the people instead of injuring them.
We condemn the shooting incident in strongest terms and demand the reprimanding of the police officers involved.
This is the reason why we have been calling for reforms because we are not safe at all. Our rights are being violated everyday especially by the security forces and the government has been turning a blind ear on this.
We wish the woman a speedy recovery and hope that the government will chip in to pay her bills and make sure that she gets proper treatment.
A pregnant woman was allegedly shot and injured by police during a high-speed chase in Lupane, Matabeleland North along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway after boarding a suspected stolen kombi with her two children.
The kombi ended up plunging into a river. The driver and a teenager who was travelling with him escaped.
The woman had boarded the kombi in Sabela Village going to Lupane Centre enroute to Bulawayo and police started pursuing the commuter omnibus suspected to have been stolen.
They opened fire and shot the woman.
In an interview at the family home in Bulawayo’s Pumula South, Ms Sithembiso Moyo (28) said she was shot on December 28 last year near Lupane Centre and she sustained a deep wound and fractured left shoulder.
Ms Moyo said inside the kombi, there were three people the driver, a woman and a teenager.
She said while heading towards Lupane Centre, three police vehicles started chasing their vehicle and then shot at it from behind.
The driver and a teenager escaped and the granny who had also been in the kombi had been a hitchhiker.
“As we were heading towards Lupane Centre I heard bullets hitting the vehicle. I then hurriedly tried to hide my two children under the seats so that they could be safe from the bullets. In the process that is when a bullet hit my left shoulder,” said Ms Moyo.
“The driver and the teenager then jumped from the moving vehicle and fled before the kombi fell off a bridge and stopped. Police tried to track them down but failed.”
Ms Moyo was then ferried by an ambulance to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo where she was admitted. She said she was discharged after some days as there were no specialists to assist her.
Ms Moyo revealed that during her admission to the hospital some members of police from Criminal Investigations Department (CID) visited her.
She said she was appealing for assistance to get specialist treatment as she was in pain.
“I buy painkillers for R300 every week and I am dressed by an individual here once a day, instead of twice as per doctor’s instruction. I am charged R50 for dressing daily which is difficult for me to afford.
“The police officer who shot me, a Nkala, promised to foot medical expenses but he has gone silent,” said Ms Moyo in intense grief.
She said she is still traumatised because of the shooting.
“I’m five months pregnant so I am not comfortable and this has disturbed the future of my children. I cannot sleep at night. I sleep on one side because of pain with no help,” said Ms Moyo.-Chronicle
Sir John Bell, regius professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford, says there is a “big question mark” over the new South African strain of coronavirus.
South Africa recently detected a new aggressive variant of the coronavirus which might be different from the one detected in the United Kingdom.
The strain detected in South Africa could be resistant to current vaccines, Bell said adding that if a new vaccine is required to fight the new fast-spreading strain, it could take just six weeks to do so.
However, despite the mutated variant resulting in a national lockdown in South Africa and Matt Hancock having said he is “incredibly worried” about the mutation, Bell is optimistic.
He said:
Everybody should stay calm. It’s going to be fine. But we’re now in a game of cat and mouse, because these are not the only two variants we’re going to see. We’re going to see lots of variants.
The Oxford vaccine rollout began in the UK today. Over half a million doses of the new jab are now available to vulnerable groups.
South Africa recently recorded a surge in the number of coronavirus cases prompting the government led by Cyril Ramaphosa to revert the country to a stricter level IV national lockdown.
Tinashe Sambiri|The high incidence of COVID-19 cases in Zimbabwe is a direct result of Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa regime’s gross incompetence, MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has said.
Hon Biti argued the fragile health system has been further stretched by the escalating COVID-19 cases.
“The National Health System has collapsed . Long before the Covid implosion a vulnerable health delivery system had been mulcted by shortages, corruption&poor wages .With the Covid implosion, a fragile system has all but collapsed. This man has failed and failed in absolute terms,” argued Hon Biti.
“The new Covid Regulations SI10 of 2021 are a potpourri of confusion and disaster .
Policy making should never be knee jerk . It should always be subject to expert advice. The decision to tighten LockDown is a complete disaster that will affect livelihoods .
Jan is already a tough month
The illegitimate regime has no capacity to govern. Focus should have been on more tests, face masks , social distancing , sanitizaton and restrictions on entry from Countries with new Covid variants.
Force and conscription of people s livelihoods and freedoms will not address Covid 19,” added Hon Biti.
By A Correspondent- It was almost business as usual in some residential areas in Harare on the first day of the Level 4 lockdown, as people could be seen wandering along streets.
A survey conducted by the state media on Tuesday morning revealed that at Warren Park 1 shops, large numbers of people could be seen roaming around the shopping centre.
Some people even had the audacity to drink beer in public though they kept one eye on the road just in case security services came.
High numbers of people were also observed at Mbudzi Roundabout on the Harare-Masvingo highway.
Meanwhile, in central Harare, there were fewer people compared to the previous days and most businesses were shut.
There were police roadblocks on major roads leading into the city centre and at most of them, it took up to an hour to pass.
Worryingly, reports suggest that some Ordinary Level pupils could have been delayed to arrive for their examinations due to the congestion at checkpoints.-statemedia
HIGH COURT ENDS TEACHER’S 18-DAY DETENTION OVER POOR SALARY PROTEST
MASVINGO High Court Judge Justice Neville Wamambo on Tuesday 5 January 2021 ended the 18-day detention of Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) leader and Masvingo teacher Shilla Chisirimunhu, who had been sentenced to serve 16 months in prison after she was convicted for participating in a protest demanding improved salaries and working conditions for teachers.
The 53 year-old Chisirimunhu, who is a widow, and is represented by Martin Mureri of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, petitioned the Masvingo High Court on 31 December 2020 seeking to be admitted on bail pending the determination and outcome of her appeal against both conviction and sentence. The ARTUZ leader was sentenced to serve 16 months in prison after she was convicted on 18 December 2020 by Masvingo Magistrate Mbonisi Ndlovu and found guilty of participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of the peace or bigotry as defined in section 37 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. She was arrested in June 2020 together with Obert Masaraure, the ARTUZ President, after they allegedly participated in a demonstration held in Masvingo, where teachers protested against poor salaries and unfavourable working conditions and demanded to be paid a monthly salary amounting to US$520.
Her appeal against both conviction and sentence, which was filed by Mureri at Masvingo High Court is yet to be set down for hearing.
While Chisirimunhu was jailed, Masaraure, who had also been on trial facing the same charges of participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of the peace or bigotry as defined in section 37 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, was acquitted by Magistrate Ndlovu.
On Tuesday 5 January 2021, Justice Wamambo ordered Chisirimunhu to pay bail amounting to RTGS$2 000 and to report at Chesvingo Police Station in Masvingo once every last Friday of the month.
Justice Wamambo also ordered Chisirimunhu to continue residing at her given residential address until the finalisation of her appeal lodged at Masvingo High Court against both conviction and sentence.
By A Correspondent| Masvingo High Court Judge Justice Neville Wamambo on Tuesday 5 January 2021 ended the 18-day detention of Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) leader and Masvingo teacher Shilla Chisirimunhu, who had been sentenced to serve 16 months in prison after she was convicted for participating in a protest demanding improved salaries and working conditions for teachers.
The 53 year-old Chisirimunhu, who is a widow, and is represented by Martin Mureri of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, petitioned the Masvingo High Court on 31 December 2020 seeking to be admitted on bail pending the determination and outcome of her appeal against both conviction and sentence.
The ARTUZ leader was sentenced to serve 16 months in prison after she was convicted on 18 December 2020 by Masvingo Magistrate Mbonisi Ndlovu and found guilty of participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of the peace or bigotry as defined in section 37 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
She was arrested in June 2020 together with Obert Masaraure, the ARTUZ President, after they allegedly participated in a demonstration held in Masvingo, where teachers protested against poor salaries and unfavourable working conditions and demanded to be paid a monthly salary amounting to US$520.
Her appeal against both conviction and sentence, which was filed by Mureri at Masvingo High Court is yet to be set down for hearing.While Chisirimunhu was jailed, Masaraure, who had also been on trial facing the same charges of participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of the peace or bigotry as defined in section 37 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, was acquitted by Magistrate Ndlovu.
On Tuesday 5 January 2021, Justice Wamambo ordered Chisirimunhu to pay bail amounting to RTGS$2 000 and to report at Chesvingo Police Station in Masvingo once every last Friday of the month.
Justice Wamambo also ordered Chisirimunhu to continue residing at her given residential address until the finalisation of her appeal lodged at Masvingo High Court against both conviction and sentence.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has learnt with deep sadness of the passing on of Bekezela Maduma, the Secretary General of Gwanda Residents Association on 31 December 2020.
Maduma’s death is a great loss not only to his family, but the entire Matabeleland region.
Up until his death, Maduma actively worked with ZLHR and other civil society organisations in the protection and promotion of human rights.
Maduma championed challenging of human rights violations and represented the interests of Matabeleland at various forums.
At the time of his death, Maduma was leading litigation efforts aimed at ensuring access to safe, clean and potable water to the residents of Gwanda.
ZLHR will always value the contribution to fostering a culture of human rights that he made. As a partner, a client and a human rights defender, we salute Maduma for actively pursuing redress for violations for many people in Matabeleland region. Through several advocacy and litigation efforts, Maduma worked towards protection and promotion of human rights, democracy and constitutionalism in Zimbabwe.
Maduma will be sadly missed by all those who were privileged to share some moments with his worthy existence. ZLHR family expresses deepest condolences to the Maduma family, friends and colleagues.
By A Correspondent| A prison officer from Chikurubi Maximum Prison, Pilate Chirume is in the eye of a storm after his alleged leaking of pictures of an ailing inmate who is being denied medical access.
According to a message circulating on social media, Chirume is now under arrest, charged with espionage and has no one to stand for him.
“He is being accused of taking photographs of abused prisoners and leaking them to the media. He needs urgent help. Is still at Chikurubi Max Prison now as l write this at 08:47 am Zimbabwe time. Those who can help by contacting lawyers for Human Rights please do,” reads one of the messages shared on social media.
#ZimLockdownUpdates MUTARE: – People have adhered to the new lockdown measures put in place by Government. Public service buses are ferrying the essential service staff to their workplaces. Most shops in town are closed save for large retail supermarkets and pharmacies. pic.twitter.com/OHdZa0Axkp
— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) January 5, 2021
If the @MYANC & @SABCNews do not restrain & reign @Sophie_Mokoena whose fake news reporting & tweeting is directed only at undermining a neighboring country & President @edmnangagwa for no apparent reason, I will seek permission to leak a bombshell on why the ANC delegation came pic.twitter.com/AoGq6ty0yY
By A Correspondent- The Government will secure the area around the Victoria Falls gorge to avoid repeats of tragic incidents like the one that killed a Harare man over the festive season.
This comes as search units are battling to retrieve the body of Roy Dikinya who plunged to his death while taking pictures with a friend. His body has since been located some 100m at the fall’s Danger point.
The search units are now waiting for the delivery of suitable equipment from a mine in Matabeleland South to be brought to Victoria Falls today although Government has appealed for any other company with suitable equipment to come forward and assist.
Mugwadi was one of more than a dozen Zanu-PF employees and their family members who caught the virus at the party’s Harare headquarters.
The party’s secretary for administration Obert Mpofu and his wife Sikhanyisiwe also into isolation after testing positive for the respiratory illness, although they were reported to be stable.
At the time, Zanu-PF had been hosting party meetings at his HQ including a cocktail for journalists.
The 15-story building was temporarily sealed off to allow for disinfection processes.
Organisers of the 31 December cross over gala at Matapi hostels in Mbare, Tinashe Chanachimwe (Dhama) and dancehall producers DJ Fantan, real name Arnold Kamudyariwa and Levels (Tafadzwa Kadzimwe) have entered guilty pleas for breaching Covid-19 regulations over New Year’s Eve party attended by 1000s in Mbare.
The three admitted to breaching Covid-19 regulations and their lawyer has mitigated their conviction by telling the court that they are all first time offenders who should not be taken to jail as they will be exposed to hard core criminals.
Jailed Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe member Sheila Chisirimunhu who was sentenced to 16 months in prison has been granted ZWL$2000 bail.
This was confirmed by ARTUZ President Obert Masaraure.
Chisirimunhu, a gender and welfare secretary for the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), began her jail time in December last year amid outrage from trade union movements and human rights campaigners.
By Farai Maguwu| Whilst it is clear the new Covid 19 variant has emerged in UK and South Africa and can only be imported into the country, government has left airports open, thereby making the whole country vulnerable to those flying in. Hotels will remain open, meaning hotel staff can easily contract the virus from visiting tourists or business people and in turn they will carry it to their relatives locked up at home. Nationwide restaurants and bars have been closed except those in hotels serving largely foreign delegates who must be the biggest suspects in terms of spreading the new variant.
Mines, which are now in the hands of the ruling elites, to remain open. Thus the only poor people allowed to travel are those helping to make the elites rich – the workers. Their travel is also restricted between home and workplace. On what basis is mining an essential service? Essential to who? Go tell it to the poverty stricken villagers in Marange that mining is an essential service. Tell those who sit in darkness around Hwange colliery and thermal power station that mining is an essential service. They will ask, essential for who?
Agriculture, which is also now in the hands of the ruling elites to remain open. Like mine workers, those working for the ruling elites on farms will be allowed to travel between home and farm.
The informal sector, where people live on hand to mouth has been banned. Even those selling tomatoes at a street corner are banned. Very interestingly, Vice President Chiwenga did not explain how government is going to supply food to the citizens he locked up. Who then shall come to the rescue of the poor Zimbabweans who are marooned on the no man’s land between poverty and starvation
Thus Zimbabweans are locked up in their homes but foreigners and the ruling elites are free to go wherever they want.
