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MDC-T congress started at Rainbow Towers, Harare this Sunday morning with wild cheering directed at presidential hopeful and current secretary general Douglas Mwonzora.

Mwonzora’s arrival at the venue was greeted by excited cheering by supporters.

The opposition official had occasion to walk the grounds at the hotel, waving at ecstatic followers.

In some few hours, the Mwonzora was set to contest interim party leader Thokozani Khupe and top party politicians Elias Mudzuri and Morgen Komichi for president.

Except for Mwonzora whose support was visible judging by the number of followers chanting his name, the other candidates have kept a low profile.

The MDC-T extraordinary congress was ordered by the Supreme Court in March this year following a party leadership wrangle ignited by the death of founding opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai February 2018.

Speaking earlier in an interview, Mudzuri expressed confidence he would win the election, suggesting his opponents paid money to hire people to come and cheer them.

He said those chanting his opponents’ names were people who were not going to vote anyway.

“The delegates who are going to vote are quiet. They are just seated waiting for the time. These are just campaigning for their candidate,” Mudzuri said.

“I am best candidate to win and I’m confident.”

Mwonzora, on his part, also said expressed confidence he was winning but accused opponents of waging a smear campaign linking him to the embezzlement of party funds.

He denied the claims.

Mwonzora said if he won the party presidency, he was going to work with both Zanu-PF and his former allies in MDC Alliance to improve the lives of all Zimbabweans.

He added, “We are happy that the MDC Alliance has not sought to disturb our congress. It’s a plus on their part.”

Meanwhile, congress delegate Isabel Mwonzora was unequivocal in claims her father was best suited for the MDC-T top job.

“Mwonzora is the only one who can fit into Morgan Tsvangirai’s shoes. He has delivered the constitution in 2013, he has brought back Harvest House to the party, he has also delivered on the finances from government under the Political Finance Act,” Isabel said.

“Zimbabwe is for everyone. We must be able to tolerate each other regardless of political differences. We expect him (Mwonzora) to work with Zanu-PF for the good of the country.

“Mwonzora will also make sure that we will go to the 2023 elections in a fair environment. Mwonzora will fight military chiefs in the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to institute reforms for fair elections. Come 2023, Mwonzora will go to state house.”

By A Correspondent- Several truck drivers and other motorists have described as a nightmare, their experience at Beitbridge Border Post where they spent Christmas after getting stuck for days on the South African side of the continent’s busiest point of entry.

Owing to the rigorous Covid-19 screening on the South African side, there was traffic build-up which stretched more than 10 kilometres.
For days on end, the truckers, as well as other private vehicles, were stuck in the queue with reports that around 15 people died allegedly from exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke. Speaking from Beitbridge, a trucker for a Zimbabwean-based logistics company said the nightmare had been so bad that many passed out while seated in their vehicles.

“I arrived in Musina four days before Christmas and the situation was bad. I had been alerted about the jam, but did not expect it to be so bad,” Saidi Limbe, a 47-year-old trucker said.

Limbe is of Malawian descent but was born in Zimbabwe. He says he has been driving trucks along the Beitbridge route, but he has never witnessed such congestion.

“We ran out of food and water, and it was very hard to cope in the afternoon in searing heat. I rationed my water and at least I had a bit to carry me through,” he said.

The few swigs of the precious liquid ensured that Limbe did not pass out.

“I needed to stay awake because robbers were pouncing on us. It was mostly smash-and-grab.”

The South African side had to deploy soldiers on Thursday to ease the situation which was fast escalating.

an official at the Zimbabwe border said it had all been happening on the South African side.

“They deployed the army because there was a huge traffic jam from Musina to the border and they couldn’t untangle the traffic so that it could then cross over to Zimbabwe.

“The army went in and sorted the matter and we have now started receiving massive volumes of lighter vehicles into Zimbabwe. We are coping on the ground, but we are under pressure,” the official, who preferred not to be named, said.

The official said the deaths of some people at the border may have triggered the response by border authorities.

The South African media has been reporting on the crisis showing footage of desperate people including babies strewn along the road.

Besides lack of water, there were no toilets and many relieved themselves right where they were parked, thus raising fears of diseases like typhoid and dysentery.

South African officials have hinted that they doubted if Zimbabwe had the manpower to handle the large quantities of travellers.

“A lot of buses are already cleared, passengers are already cleared and they are waiting for transiting into Zimbabwe and so we have a problem there as well,” a South African border official said.

Meanwhile, the jam raised serious concerns over the new Covid-19 strain which has been reported in South Africa and the United Kingdom.

In fear that the border chaos might fuel the spread of Covid-19 after 15 people, four of whom are haulage truck drivers, reportedly died at the border queues, the South African government yesterday suspended all coronavirus screening on haulage truck drivers to try and ease the congestion.

The validity of Covid-19 certificates for truck drivers in the neighbouring country has also been extended from 72 hours to 30 days after it was noted that it was taking more than five days to cross the border.

A letter by the South African Home affairs ministry director of general health Sandile Buthelezi, which was seen by The Standard, said that they had given the nod to waiver the screening of drivers.

“The validity period for tests for truck drivers has been increased to 30 days in our revised direction to minimise inconvenience,” Buthelezi said in the letter.

The congestion at Beitbridge has also affected the lives of more than 60 000 people in Beitbridge town.

Town clerk Loud Ramagkapola said business in Beitbridge had been disrupted.

“Truck congestion has disturbed the normal flow of traffic and business in the town. We have seen lots of littering and open defecation. Post the congestion, we have a lot of cleaning up to do.

Apart from fear of Covid-19 and other diseases, there will be a lot of damage to our roads,” Ramagkapola said.

South Africa right now is affected by the new strain of Covid-19. researchers in Britain say the new strain of Covid-19 is more infectious (71% more transmissible) and it mostly affects younger people.

The new variant of the novel coronavirus has ravaged parts of Britain prompting more than 40 countries to ban travellers from Britain.

In Zimbabwe, concerns have also been raised especially with the background of rampant illegal crossing of immigrants from South Africa.

However, the chief coordinator for the Covid-19 National response Agnes Mahomva said there was no need to panic.

“There is really no need to panic because nothing has changed in terms of our response to Covid-19. We still need to observe the World Health Organisation regulations of sanitising, practicing social distancing and limiting unnecessary gatherings. These are super spreaders of the disease,” Mahomva said.

She said people must remain vigilant and not be complacent. Mahomva said many people were no longer wearing masks or maintaining social distancing.

On border preparedness, she said: “But really we should also be responsible because we hear that some people are buying fake Covid-19 certificates and officials are taking bribes.”

Portia Manangazira, the director of epidemiology and Disease Control at the Health ministry, said people should limit movement.

“Children from schools which reported cases of Covid-19 should be kept in isolation at home to make sure the disease is not spread further. The new strain is more virulent and we need to observe the regulations. Stop being complacent and irresponsible,” she warned.

Zimbabwe has been recording a sharp rise of Covid-19 cases with two people dying on Christmas holidays.

Prominent journalist and Zimbabwe Union of Journalists secretary-general Foster Dongozi succumbed to Covid-19 last Wednesday and was buried at his rural home in Sanyati yesterday.

Information ministry permanent secretary Nick Mangwana has since urged all journalists and professionals who were in contact with Dongozi to present themselves for testing.

By A Correspondent- A 36 year old Beatrice farmer was on Christmas Day left counting his losses after a bolt of lightning struck and killed his 15 cattle.

Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza confirmed the incident, saying that the owner of the beasts, Obert Karombe had since notified the police about the disaster.

It is reported that, on the day, at around 4am, Karombe’s cattle, which consisted of seven cows, three heifers, a steer and four calves, were in the paddock at his farm.
A bolt of lightning struck them all dead. Karombe then disposed of the beasts by burying them.

The value of the cattle is said to be ZWl560 000.-

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) evicted its former employees from company accommodation at flats in the Avenues area of Harare on Christmas Day.

At least four families, including two which are headed by widows, were evicted from Hatley House flats along Josiah Tongogara Avenue. Children, the youngest who is seven months old, as well as young girls and boys were among those that were left out in the open.

Gender activist groups in Harare have since taken up the matter and moved swiftly to assist the affected women and children.

Thandolwenkosi Makubaza, the programmes development and fundraising manager of Padare Enkundleni Men’s Forum on Gender, yesterday confirmed that the women and children were taken to Musasa Project for assistance since it was raining.

“Yesterday on December 25 I was visiting my aunt along Josiah Tongogara Avenue, across Hatley House flats owned by ZBC. I then saw about four families that had been thrown out in the open near the road with all their property and children and it was raining,” Makubaza said.

“Many of them were women and children, and one of the women had a seven-month-old baby. When I approached them, I saw three ladies, two of them widows, and one married woman who had a baby strapped on her back. They said they had just been thrown out of the flats because their tenancy had expired as they were no longer employees of the ZBC.”

She said the women told her that the process of trying to evict them began in 2015. They also claimed that ZBC still owed them a lot of money which was part of the reason why they continued to stay at the flats.

“They said ZBC decided to throw them out on Christmas Day, dumping them onto the streets on a rainy day. As a gender activist and a women rights activist, I was affected by this kind of treatment especially on vulnerable women and children.

“The fact that these are widows and there were children, including a seven month-old baby that were sleeping under plastic covers at a time when there is Covid-19 and dysentery unsettled me. It was difficult to turn my back on them,” Makubaza said.

She then initiated a process of getting temporary shelter for them at Musasa Project.

“I approached a number of organisations that we work with and Musasa Project fortunately took up the case and ran around to ensure the children and their mothers have shelter. A passer-by, Chris Jimu of Heylinks, also stopped to try and find out what was happening and he offered to assist,” she said.

“He packed their property into his truck and took it to his warehouse for safekeeping as the company is currently on holiday. He also volunteered to take the woman who has a seven-month-old baby and her husband to his house.”

Makubaza said the women would receive counselling at Musasa Project. However, the centre was unable to take in the boys and young men over 12 years as it is a shelter for women.

“We found a well-wisher who took in two boys. The Women in Law in Southern Africa (WILSA) is now looking at the legal issues pertaining to their case,” she said.

Efforts to get a comment from the Musasa Project director Sharon Matingwina were fruitless as she was not picking her phone.

ZBC spokesperson Rumbidzayi Moyo confirmed the evictions.

“This issue has been at the courts since 2015. However, all tenants were requested to vacate Hatley House after it was condemned by the City of Harare. There have been no existing tenancy agreements between ZBC and any tenant at Hatley House since then. The matter has been to the High Court,” Moyo said.-standard

By A Correspondent- The MDC Alliance provincial youth assembly has been given a task of recruiting 12% of the targeted one million new first-time voters as the party forges ahead with its recruitment drive in a campaign dubbed #OneMillionVotes.

The MDC Alliance youth assembly in November launched a voter registration campaign in Bulawayo targeting one million first-time voters, particularly the youth, to guarantee a crushing victory against the Zanu-PF candidate President Emmerson Mnangagwa in any upcoming elections.

Government has suspended the holding of elections citing Covid-19 restrictions, but the main opposition party said it did not want to be caught unawares when the suspension is lifted.

Voter registration, however, is not suspended. MDC Alliance youth secretary-general Gift Ostallos Siziba said Bulawayo had been given a target of recruiting 12% of the one million first-time voters.

“The second capital of our motherland, Bulawayo, has been given a task to recruit 12% of our total target. It’s a new wave of generational transformation, ideological clarity and class consciousness,” Siziba said.

“New recruits are the cream of our struggle for change.”

In 2018, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said 60% of registered voters for that year’s general elections were 40 years and below, meaning that the youth vote will play a decisive role in the 2023 poll outcomes.

However, research shows that participation by the youth has been low amid calls to create political, structural and physical spaces that allow for their meaningful participation.

According to analysts, this could include allocating quotas among other initiatives to young people and prioritising youth empowerment.

In August, the Community Youth Development Trust (CYDT ) petitioned Parliament protesting over lack of youth representation from the district up to the national level as they demanded a 30% quota.

The CYDT in their petition argued that they approached Parliament to ensure that the rights of the youth are constitutionally guaranteed.-standard

By A Correspondent- Aspiring MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora was yesterday exposed by one of his top allies who described him as “a deceitful and crooked trickster” as the fight for the presidency reaches a chaotic climax ahead of the party’s extraordinary congress expected today.

Partson Murimoga, who was behind the first lawsuit challenging the late MDC founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s appointment of Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri as his co-deputies alongside Thokozani Khupe in 2016, claimed that Mwonzora was behind the court action.

Murimoga lost the lawsuit after the High Court ruled that he was not qualified to challenge Tsvangirai’s appointments. But a year later, party activist Elias Mashavira used the same arguments to successfully challenge Chamisa and Mudzuri’s appointments at the same court.

In March this year, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Chamisa’s MDC Alliance and went on to reinstate Khupe as the MDC-T leader before ordering an extraordinary congress to elect Tsvangirai’s successor.

After the ruling, Mwonzora, who was the party’s lawyer in defending Murimoga’s case, abandoned the MDC Alliance to side with Khupe. The two have been using the Supreme Court judgement to launch a vicious onslaught against Chamisa and his camp, including recalling the party’s legislators and councillors from their seats.

The stunning Murimoga revelations shed new light on the tussle for the control of the country’s main opposition party and will raise fresh questions about Mwonzora’s character, even as he claims that winning the MDC-T presidency would be part of his agenda to restore Tsvangirai’s legacy.

Murimoga told The Standard that he had decided to speak out because the runup to the congress had revealed Mwonzora’s true colours. He said he was afraid that the opposition party would fall into wrong hands.

He claimed the MDC-T secretary-general, whom he described as a “cunning and dishonest politician”, had squandered party funds, adding that this was making it difficult for the party to hold a credible congress today.

Murimoga said Mwonzora was not happy after Tsvangirai elevated Chamisa ahead of him despite the fact that he had beaten the former ICT minister for the post of secretary-general at the 2014 congress.

“I was sent by Mwonzora to make the court application,” he said. “I believed in constitutionalism and I agreed. Mwonzora could not do the application because of his position. We used Zivanai Macharaga as our lawyer.

“He asked me to do it. As you know, I was very close to him. I was his campaign manager in 2014 when he beat Chamisa.

“I also composed his campaign song and we jointly composed two albums that include the popular Tsikamutanda track. I campaigned for him then, but now I don’t have anything good I can tell the people about him.”

Murimoga said he had learnt the hard way that Mwonzora was a sly politician, who could not be trusted with the party’s finances as he had failed to pay back some monies that he borrowed from him over the years.

“We were very close to each other, but I have realised that Mwonzora is not honest. He is a crook who doesn’t honour promises and he is too scandal-ridden,” he charged.

“He is bad at managing finances. In 2016, he drove to Bulawayo to borrow US$2 000 to avoid arrest after abusing trust funds; he has not paid back the money up to now.

“He even fails to manage his law firm. He drove to come and borrow US$300 from me to renew the licence for his legal firm and I struggled to recover the money. He was no longer picking my calls and I had to use one MP’s mobile number.”

Murimoga said he was not supporting any of the candidates gunning for the MDC-T presidency today, who include Elias Mudzuri and Morgen Komichi, but he reserved most of the criticism for Mwonzora.

“I don’t support either Khupe or Mwonzora as I stand for the constitution,” he said.

“I don’t hate Mwonzora, but what I saw in him does not inspire confidence; he can’t be a leader. If he is made to head a burial society, not a single corpse will be buried.

“His life is a mess and he can’t surely be a leader. I worked with him. At the moment, Mwonzora is staying at a hotel and it’s possible that he is using the party monies that he is failing to account for.”

In the run-up to the congress that has been postponed twice since the Supreme Court ruling, Mwonzora has been accused by his rivals of squandering US$60 000 in party finances.

The MDC-T got the money from the government under controversial circumstances as the MDC Alliance insists that it is entitled to the funds under the Political Parties Finance Act being the party that sponsored legislators in Parliament.

But Mwonzora rubbished the allegations, telling The Standard that the accusations that he abused party finances were part of mudslinging by his rivals ahead of the congress.

“The (claims) are just false and malicious,” he said. “It’s part of the mudslinging that has characterised this congress. How on earth can one person withdraw money from the (party) account?

“These falsehoods are being peddled by people who are afraid of losing at congress. The good thing is that MDC-T people see through this rubbish.”

MDC-T acting spokesperson Tapiwa Mashakada said the congress was going ahead as planned and once again dispelled claims that party finances had been abused.

Chief Ndlovu, the party’s deputy treasurer, accused Mwonzora’s camp of squandering money meant for transport for congress delegates. He said the party’s coffers had been milked dry.

Mudzuri last week also said the congress was being threatened by the abuse of party funds.

-standard

By A Correspondent- MDC Alliance vice-chairperson Job Sikhala has said President Emmerson Mnangagwa has proved to be one of the worst authoritarian leaders to ever lead Zimbabwe, an accusation that comes as the nation next month marks the second anniversary of the bloody fuel price protests which were violently quashed by the military.

An estimated 17 civilians were shot dead, and several others were left nursing injuries in the crackdown against citizens demonstrating against an over 150% hike in fuel prices.

Sikhala told the Standard in an interview yesterday that citizens must commemorate the January killings in honour of the deceased victims.

“January is a month which we must commemorate as the month in which citizen’s rights were grossly violated by the Mnangagwa regime, through dragnet arrests that were carried out between January 14 to 17, 2019. I personally represented hundreds of victims of this sad period at Chitungwiza magistrates courts,” Sikhala said.

Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Women’s Assembly United Kingdom South West District, through the office of President Nelson Chamisa, has donated Christmas presents to the needy in Zimbabwe.

In a statement, the MDC Alliance Women’s Assembly UK South West District accused Zanu PF of impoverishing millions of Zimbabweans.

Read statement below:

As we all know, Christmas is a time for giving those less fortunate than us.

In accordance with this tradition, the UK MDC A South West District Women’s Assembly carried out a fundraiser that saw many people in the MDC UK and Ireland as well as other well wishers donate money towards President’s Christmas Cheer Fund.

The funds raised were used to buy hampers containing basic groceries which were donated by President Chamisa to deprived families in Zimbabwe.

Let’s not forget that the reason why there are starving families is because of the Zanu government which has presided over the worst deterioration of living standards in the history of Zimbabwe.

Let’s not forget that people are starving because Zanu continues to steal money from the economy. The ruthlessness of the corruption is happening because the man who made himself President of Zimbabwe is the biggest crook and most ruthless individual to burden our people.

Zimbabweans will do so much better under a Chamisa presidency, everyone knows this.

A special thanks to everyone who donated towards this good cause and a big thank you to His Excellence Adv Nelson Chamisa and VP Lynnete Karenyi who presented the hampers on 23 December 2020 in Harare.

Seasons Greetings

By
MM Ndoro

MDCA WA Organising Department UK and IRELAND

MDC Alliance Donates To The Needy

Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Women’s Assembly United Kingdom South West District, through the office of President Nelson Chamisa, has donated Christmas presents to the needy in Zimbabwe.

In a statement, the MDC Alliance Women’s Assembly UK South West District accused Zanu PF of impoverishing millions of Zimbabweans.

Read statement below:

As we all know, Christmas is a time for giving those less fortunate than us.

In accordance with this tradition, the UK MDC A South West District Women’s Assembly carried out a fundraiser that saw many people in the MDC UK and Ireland as well as other well wishers donate money towards President’s Christmas Cheer Fund.

The funds raised were used to buy hampers containing basic groceries which were donated by President Chamisa to deprived families in Zimbabwe.

Let’s not forget that the reason why there are starving families is because of the Zanu government which has presided over the worst deterioration of living standards in the history of Zimbabwe.

Let’s not forget that people are starving because Zanu continues to steal money from the economy. The ruthlessness of the corruption is happening because the man who made himself President of Zimbabwe is the biggest crook and most ruthless individual to burden our people.

Zimbabweans will do so much better under a Chamisa presidency, everyone knows this.

A special thanks to everyone who donated towards this good cause and a big thank you to His Excellence Adv Nelson Chamisa and VP Lynnete Karenyi who presented the hampers on 23 December 2020 in Harare.

Seasons Greetings

By
MM Ndoro

MDCA WA Organising Department UK and IRELAND

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Youth Assembly official, Netsai Morova, has described police’s Law and Order Department as the devil’s cage.

Netsai, Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe and Cecilia Chimbiri were arrested, rearrested, tortured and jailed for speaking on behalf of millions of suffering Zimbabweans.

Below is Netsai’s emotive statement:

While the rest of the world was celebrating the birth of Christ, our Lord and saviour, this Christmas…

I had to start my day by visiting the devil’s cage, Zimbabwe Republic Police – ZRP CID law and order to report in line with Satan’s bail conditions.

Our crime is rightfully demanding food on the table and accountability of COVID-19 relief funds for everyone.

Save us Jesus Christ!

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Youth Assembly official, Netsai Morova, has described police’s Law and Order Department as the devil’s cage.

Netsai, Joana Ruvimbo Mamombe and Cecilia Chimbiri were arrested, rearrested, tortured and jailed for speaking on behalf of millions of suffering Zimbabweans.

Below is Netsai’s emotive statement:

While the rest of the world was celebrating the birth of Christ, our Lord and saviour, this Christmas…

I had to start my day by visiting the devil’s cage, Zimbabwe Republic Police – ZRP CID law and order to report in line with Satan’s bail conditions.

Our crime is rightfully demanding food on the table and accountability of COVID-19 relief funds for everyone.

Save us Jesus Christ!

FIVE people, including four members of the same family died in an accident while seven others were seriously injured when a Toyota D4D collided head-on with a Zupco kombi near Josiah Tungamirai Airbase in Gweru on Christmas Day.

The accident occurred at around 6am when the Toyota D4D which was coming from Mvuma with 11 people on board collided head on with the Zupco kombi which was coming from Gweru Central Business District (CBD) with two people on board.

A police officer said on approaching the Josiah Tungamirai Airbase, the driver of the Toyota D4D lost control of the vehicle and it swerved to the right, encroaching onto the right lane ahead of an oncoming commuter omnibus resulting in the head-on collision.

The police officer said three people, a conductor from the kombi and two passengers in the Toyota D4D died on the spot while two other passengers died at Gweru Provincial Hospital.

“The accident occurred at around 6am when a Toyota D4D which was going towards Gweru CBD collided with a commuter omnibus which was driving towards Mvuma. It is suspected that the driver of the Toyota D4D lost control of the vehicle and swerved to the right. He encroached onto the right lane ahead of an oncoming commuter omnibus and the two vehicles collided head on.

Three people died on the spot while two others died at Gweru Provincial Hospital where they were receiving treatment. Seven other passengers were also injured and are receiving treatment at Gweru Provincial Hospital,” said the source.

Of the five victims, the source said four were from the same family.

“The four who died from the Toyota D4D are members of the same family. They included a woman and her two children and their sister-in-law. Ironically the sister-in-law had just been involved in an accident in Manicaland and they were coming from the scene,” said the source.

-State Media

By Douglas Mwonzora| Yesterday the Acting Deputy Treasurer General wrote a letter to all EOC delegates were he made serious accusations against me. The accusations are false and malicious and were calculated to affect my chances at the Congress. They were also calculated to cause my arrest and detention just before Congress. This was planned with one Murimoga who was instructed to make a false report to the Police and SACU. The Treasurer General is currently out of the country. The correct position regarding the party finances is as follows:

1. The Party received ZWL 7.9 million around June 2020. Of this amount a total of ZWL 3.5 million was set aside for congress. This translated into USD $35 000 and was put in the custody of the Acting Treasurer General.
2. The party then received another ZWL $14.9 million as part of the government grant. The Finance and Administration Committee chaired by the Secretary General sat and resolved on how this money was to be spent. Specifically it set aside money for Congress. Its recommendations were adopted by the Standing Committee chaired by the Acting President. Mr Chief Ndlovu sat and actively participated in both the meetings of the Finance and Administration Committee and the Standing Committee meetings.
3. Unfortunately on the 19th of December 2020, the Extraordinary Congress was postponed. However, some delegates had already travelled but their travel expenses had to be paid still.
4. The National Standing Committee then sat and reviewed the party’s financial position. It unanimously agreed that the money for Congress was no longer enough. The President, National Chairman and the Secretary General were then tasked to raise some more resources for Congress to deal with the transportation of the delegates of congress.
5. The Standing Committee also received a breakdown of all the expenses incurred to date including preparation of the voter’s roll and ballot papers etc.

Delays associated with accessing COVID-19 tests at a mobile laboratory inside the border post was cited as reasons for snaking queues of trucks outside the port of entry.

The Health Department has stopped requesting 72-hour COVID-19 test results from travellers leaving the country through the Beitbridge border post in Musina, Limpopo.

Delays associated with accessing COVID-19 tests at a mobile laboratory inside the border post was cited as reasons for snaking queues of trucks outside the port of entry.

At least eight people are said to have died while queuing.

Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba says they will instead be strengthening their screening services.

“We used to demand the 72-hour results but because people have heard that as government we have put a mobile laboratory at the port health, which test you in case you don’t have those results or in case they have expired. But now people would abuse the system, they would drive from Cape Town going to neighbouring countries without the results hoping they would be tested there. So what we have decided; we will remain with the screening there,” she says.

Limpopo reported its highest number of new infections in one day, with over 600 recorded in the last 24 hour window.

-SABC

By A Correspondent| National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) leader, Professor Lovemore Madhuku has urged government to finalise the implementation of political reforms being driven through the POLAD platform so that no one complains of an uneven political field come 2023.

Madhuku made the remarks in an interview with The Sunday Mail where he said political reforms should anchor economic reforms government is putting in place.

“In 2021, we must achieve all the necessary electoral and political reforms under the Polad platform,” said Prof Madhuku

“We want to see the strengthening of Polad in order to achieve the political reforms because come the year 2023, we do not want to see anyone complaining about the playing field.

“We want these political reforms to anchor the economic reforms that are currently being implemented.” said Madhuku.

Yesterday 26 December 2020, Zimbabwe recorded 83 new COVID-19 cases to take the cumulative total to 12963 and 341 deaths.

According to Ministry of Health and Child Care, no deaths were recorded yesterday.

The 83 confirmed cases were all local transmissions.

51 new recoveries were also reported yesterday taking the cumulative total to 10519 representing an 81.1 percent recovery rate.

Below is the full update from Government….

Home Affairs Director of Ports of Entry Stephen Van Neel has requested that truck drivers preparing to travel towards the Beitbridge Border post consider using other ports of entry during the festive season.

This comes as hundreds of truck drivers remain stuck in queues, stretching as long as ten kilometres.

Over ten people are confirmed to have died at the border in Musina, Limpopo in the period starting December the 14th. Van Neel says border officials are working towards clearing the backlog of trucks that have been stuck for several days.

“We have to see whether we can push transport to other ports. If we could be able to speak to the transport sector and truckers we would like to ask them to maybe use other ports of entry and offload some of the pressure on Beitbridge.”

On Christmas Day, SABC News reporter Pimani Baloyi and Cameraman Hulisani Livhebe were taken on an exclusive tour of the port of entry.

They found only one traveller being processed inside the immigration office, with over 10 officials ready to process more. A further walk into the facility revealed sedans as well as bakkies, taxis and buses queuing to exit South Africa after being cleared. Officials say there seems to be a challenge with Zimbabwe’s capacity to accept large quantities of travellers.

Neel said: “A second dependency is also that what is it that Zimbabwe can receive and as we can see here now that there are a lot of busses are already cleared, passengers are already cleared and they waiting for transiting into Zimbabwe so we have a problem there as well.”

Some commuters and light vehicle motorists were hopeful that they will spend the remainder of Christmas with their families after they were cleared speedily.

“It wasn’t really that bad just starting from today and also the papers, we were cleared very fast but the only problem that is hindering us right now is the trucks over there,” said one.

“For me, I don’t want to lie because I just arrived, I think it is only two hours now and I’m going to the Zim side. I think for now I have done everything my bus is already cleared and they have stamped the passports. I am now going to Zim side now,” added another traveller.

Outside the border post though, truck drivers remain frustrated as they remain stuck in snaking queues.

“It’s four days now still on the road and where I am now and the border is about 5 kilometres. So I think I will take another four days to reach the border, I don’t know what to do and I have got groceries and presents for my kids and I don’t know what to do worth the groceries and it’s hot here,” one told the SABC News crew.

“I was hoping to spend Christmas with my family but we are now waiting here, it;s four days now,” added another.

-SABC

By A Correspondent- MDC-T Congress delegate Isabel Mwonzora was unequivocal in claims her father was best suited for the MDC-T top job.

“Mwonzora is the only one who can fit into Morgan Tsvangirai’s shoes. He has delivered the constitution in 2013, he has brought back Harvest House to the party, he has also delivered on the finances from government under the Political Finance Act,” Isabel said.

“Zimbabwe is for everyone. We must be able to tolerate each other regardless of political differences. We expect him (Mwonzora) to work with Zanu-PF for the good of the country.

“Mwonzora will also make sure that we will go to the 2023 elections in a fair environment. Mwonzora will fight military chiefs in the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to institute reforms for fair elections. Come 2023, Mwonzora will go to state house.”

All Genuine MDC Supporters that were in the MDC T Structures when our Late President Dr Tsvangirai passed on are advised to stay away from this Zanu-PF Charade at the HICC.

For the record President Tsvangirai was Constitutionally replaced by President Nelson Chamisa and before he passed on he left President Chamisa in charge of the Party and the MDC Alliance.

Zanu-PF has now booked this outfit at the HICC and has even provided them with ZRP “to maintain Law and Order” but in reality they are there to ensure that their project of running an opposition Party in Zimbabwe succeeds.

We are not worried as there are over 50 opposition parties in Zimbabwe and a good number were created by CIO and are now controlled by the Military Intelligence.

The MDC Alliance remains one of the few opposition parties genuinely fighting for a People’s Government. We must not waste time with side shows but remain focused on our goal of achieving a truly Democratic Developmental State in Zimbabwe.

2021 is the year of People’s Action using our Constitutionally guaranteed rights we must organize ourselves and fight for a Zimbabwe we want. Many people think the current onslaught by Munangagwa is on Chamisa and the MDC Alliance. That is not correct Democracy and the People’s right to be governed by a Leader of their Choice under attack and we must all defend and resist…

Hon Charlton Hwende MDC Alliance Secretary General

By A Correspondent- What was intended to be a night of passion turned into a nightmare when a sex worker “detained” her client for more than two hours, demanding a top up on the money she had charged him for sex as compensation for a condom which broke during sex.

The incident happened on Tuesday at a lodge in Northend suburb (name supplied).

It is reported that fearing the worst, the hooker only identified as Rose, who had charged her client US$15 for a night, turned drama queen after the latter refused to pay the US$25 “risk fee”.

According to sources, the argument that led Rose to hold her client hostage started after she accused him of poking her “roughly”.

Rose reportedly thought that her client deliberately broke the condom to “fix” her and as a result she was adamant that she would not let him go until he paid her the risk fee because he had risked her health.

“The drama started after one of the regular sex workers at the lodge detained her client following a misunderstanding over a condom which she claimed had broken during sex.

“Shouting on top of her voice, she accused her client of being negligent and in the process, she was forcing him to pay up US$25 on top of the US$15 they had initially agreed for a night. But the client courted Rose’s anger when he turned down her demands saying the money was too much leading to a scuffle.BMetro

By A Correspondent- Information ministry permanent secretary Nick Mangwana has urged all journalists and other media persons who interacted with late veteran scribe Foster Dongozi at a recent Gweru workshop to immediately get tested for Covid-19.

Dongozi, who was Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) secretary general, died from Covid-19 at Parirenyatwa Hospital on Wednesday.

He fell critically sick upon his return from a workshop which was organised by the ministry in Gweru.

Mangwana on Saturday urged journalists who interacted with the veteran union leader to get tested for the dreaded disease.

“All members of the media, and allied professionals who had contact with Mr. Foster Dongozi within two weeks of his tragic demise are required to go for testing at Harare Central Fire Station for COVID-19.

“We will advise of centers in Gweru and Bulawayo doing the same test,” Mangwana said on Twitter.

Tinashe Sambiri| MDC Alliance Secretary General, Hon Charlton Hwende has described 2021 as a year of people’s action.

In a statement released yesterday, Hon Hwende pointed out that President Nelson Chamisa was constitutionally elected to replace the late legendary MDC President and former Prime Minister, Right Honourable Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.

Below is Hon Hwende’s statement:

All Genuine MDC Supporters that were in the MDC T Structures when our Late President Dr Tsvangirai passed on are advised to stay away from this Zanu-PF Charade at the HICC.

For the record President Tsvangirai was Constitutionally replaced by President Nelson Chamisa and before he passed on he left President Chamisa in charge of the Party and the MDC Alliance.

Zanu-PF has now booked this outfit at the HICC and has even provided them with ZRP “to maintain Law and Order” but in reality they are there to ensure that their project of running an opposition Party in Zimbabwe succeeds.

We are not worried as there are over 50 opposition parties in Zimbabwe and a good number were created by CIO and are now controlled by the Military Intelligence.

The MDC Alliance remains one of the few opposition parties genuinely fighting for a People’s Government. We must not waste time with side shows but remain focused on our goal of achieving a truly Democratic Developmental State in Zimbabwe.

2021 is the year of People’s Action using our Constitutionally guaranteed rights we must organize ourselves and fight for a Zimbabwe we want. Many people think the current onslaught by Munangagwa is on Chamisa and the MDC Alliance. That is not correct Democracy and the People’s right to be governed by a Leader of their Choice under attack and we must all defend and resist…

Hon Charlton Hwende MDC Alliance Secretary General

Tinashe Sambiri| MDC Alliance Secretary General, Hon Charlton Hwende has described 2021 as a year of people’s action.

In a statement released yesterday, Hon Hwende pointed out that President Nelson Chamisa was constitutionally elected to replace the late legendary MDC President and former Prime Minister, Right Honourable Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.

Below is Hon Hwende’s statement:

All Genuine MDC Supporters that were in the MDC T Structures when our Late President Dr Tsvangirai passed on are advised to stay away from this Zanu-PF Charade at the HICC.

For the record President Tsvangirai was Constitutionally replaced by President Nelson Chamisa and before he passed on he left President Chamisa in charge of the Party and the MDC Alliance.

Zanu-PF has now booked this outfit at the HICC and has even provided them with ZRP “to maintain Law and Order” but in reality they are there to ensure that their project of running an opposition Party in Zimbabwe succeeds.

We are not worried as there are over 50 opposition parties in Zimbabwe and a good number were created by CIO and are now controlled by the Military Intelligence.

The MDC Alliance remains one of the few opposition parties genuinely fighting for a People’s Government. We must not waste time with side shows but remain focused on our goal of achieving a truly Democratic Developmental State in Zimbabwe.

2021 is the year of People’s Action using our Constitutionally guaranteed rights we must organize ourselves and fight for a Zimbabwe we want. Many people think the current onslaught by Munangagwa is on Chamisa and the MDC Alliance. That is not correct Democracy and the People’s right to be governed by a Leader of their Choice under attack and we must all defend and resist…

Hon Charlton Hwende MDC Alliance Secretary General

Tinashe Sambiri| MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has warned Zimbabweans to be wary of the dangers posed by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

President Chamisa also encouraged Zimbabweans to ” love one another.”

“APPRECIATING YOU..Love is everything.Thank you for all your love and amity this 2020. Whatever is beautiful and peaceful.Whatever is memorable and enjoyable.

Whatever is great and fantastic. May it be all yours this holiday season and in the coming 2021 ! Let’s love one another as God has loved us. Merry Christmas from my heart to yours.

Enjoy prayerfully. Care to avoid COVID-19.God bless you!!”

IN a horrific incident, three boerbel dogs attacked and killed a nine-year old boy in Kadoma.

Facts emerging are that the boy Nigel Sabiti of 268, Pixie Combi was invited to play with his friend, 10-year-old Jayden Ogachukwu Nwaozuzu of 278 within the same neighbourhood last Thursday afternoon around midday where he met his fate.

According to ZRP Kadoma district spokesperson DCRLO Sgt Crymore Muriro, Jayden was left with the dogs by his father Christopher, a Nigerian national who had instructed him to clean the dog kennels.

Sgt Muriro said Nigel went to his friend’s house as usual and little did he know that his friend was cleaning the kennels and the dogs were roaming in the yard.

While Nigel was searching for his friend around the yard, the vicious security dogs suddenly got sight of the stranger, together with his younger brother, Tendai, 5, and another friend Tatenda.

Tendai rushed into a garage while Tatenda also sustained serious injuries on his leg. Nigel, who only rushed into an open tuckshop was mauled until his brother Taiwan da, 17, rushed to the scene and salvaged the overpowered boy.

Nigel was rushed to Kadoma General Hospital where he succumbed to serious wounds sustained during the horror incident.

He was buried in Bluegrass on Saturday.

Credit- H-Metro

Is government in a position to avert disaster as Chimanimani area faces another cyclone?

Watch video below:

The president of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Dr Takavafira Zhou has made a bold claim that the Apex Council was bribed by the government to weaken workers’ fight for better salaries and working conditions.

The Apex Council is the main negotiating arm for Zimbabwean civil servants. It is leading teachers unions such as PTUZ and ZIMTA, to push for better wages and improved working conditions for the government’s workforce.

However, PTUZ, a militant group often accused of dabbling in opposition politics by authorities, has accused its partner of betrayal saying the Council accepted some government concessions. In a statement, Zhou said:

The real traitors or architects of civil servants suffering and poverty are Apex Council leaders whose hands are greased by gvt to betray workers through landing posts in gvt parastatals where they receive hefty emoluments in foreign currency.

No amount of misinformation, disinformation and outright lies can fool teachers, who in essence are professionals gifted with critical thought and rigorous analysis that can unravel betrayal after betrayal by Apex Council leaders.

Gvt must mellow down to a more constructive approach permeable to reason and facts rather that believing a casus belli (an excuse) proffered by Apex Council in which they see opposition politics in genuine labour issues.

Positive criticism nourishes leadership while self-pollination stifles debate, is parochial and weakens the ultimate output. Lies have short legs and capital and labour are strange bad fellows.

The moment labour leaders whip members to accept hogwash and starvation salaries, such leaders would have stopped to represent workers and must be jettisoned from leadership.

Social dialogue fosters industrial harmony and productivity, as opposed to collective begging, threats and outright fabrication of reality. Section 65 of the constitution is clear on workers’ rights and collective bargaining. Why Apex cling to a moribund, archaic and obsolete Statutory Instrument 141 of 1997 as opposed to section 65 of the constitution baffles logic and common sense…

Indeed, government workers, be it teachers, soldiers, police officers, health personnel etc have a dispute of right emanating from gvt unilateral reduction of their salaries from US$520 to US$550 (for teachers) in October 2018 to the current US$140.

Government workers say their salaries are insignificant and as a result, are incapacitated to execute their contractual duties and responsibilities.

A Bulawayo man from Bellevue suburb has been dragged to court for physically abusing his wife and telling her to go back to South Africa, her country of birth, and sell her “buttocks” to generate money for the upkeep of their children.

Lettie Nkomo, who has been married to Menias Nkomo since 2010 has been left with no choice but to turn to the courts to help her find peace in her marriage as her husband has ignored a protection order which barred him from physically, verbally and emotionally abusing Lettie and has continued being abusive.

Lettie said: “He insulted me saying I’m a useless, stupid woman who does not know anything and told me to return to my parents together with my children.

“He told me to remove all my belongings from our bedroom saying ‘hamba eSouth Africa uyothengisa izibunu zakho (go and sell your “buttocks” in South Africa) to support the children since I cannot do anything’.”

“My husband always shouts at me thereby violating the Protection order which was granted in my favour on 20 November 2020,”she told the court.

Lettie also revealed that her hubby has since chucked her out of their matrimonial bedroom.

“He chucked me out of our bedroom, I now sleep with our children in their spare bedroom. He always tells me to return to South Africa with the kids,” she said.

She reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of her hubby.

Menias appeared before magistrate Amanda Ndlovu at the Tredgold magistrates’ court. He was facing a physical abuse charge.

He denied the charge.

He was remanded in custody to 04 January 2021 for commencement of trial.

Hardlife Mhaka prosecuted.

POLICE in Bulawayo rescued a man who feared for his life at the hands of his wife by confiscating an axe that she was threatening to use on him for wanting out of their marriage.

This came to light at the Bulawayo Civil Court where Faith Ncube was seeking a protection order against her husband Robson Mbasera.

Ncube claimed her husband was verbally and physically harassing her and their children.

“I am applying for a protection order against my husband because he is abusive. He verbally abuses me together with the children. He also physically abuses me and tells our children that he is not their father and that I’m having an affair with a police officer.

“We are currently on separation and whenever he comes to where I am staying and finds a male visitor, he alleges that he is my boyfriend. When he also comes, usually around midnight he enters the house through the window and threatens to kill me saying my mother will collect my corpse at the mortuary,” complained Ncube.

She said Mbasera was also in the habit of shouting at her sisters, labelling them prostitutes.

“He tells me that he hates me and my family. He also shouts at my sisters saying they are prostitutes and that is why they are not married. He also annoys me by saying since I’m disabled he wants to marry another wife and start a new life,” she said.

In his counter argument, Mbasera refuted all the allegations as fabrications. He said he was the one who was living in perpetual fear after his wife threatened to axe him.

“I am opposed to her application. Firstly, what happened is that where she stays is my workplace. I am a caretaker there. She has two sisters who came to stay with us and their children. That is when we started having a conflict and I left to look for another place.

“In fact, she is the one who is violent she once threatened to axe and stab me with a knife. The axe was taken by the police and is being kept at the Bulawayo Central Police Station. The police even counselled us so that we live amicably and that is when she asked for forgiveness and promised not to do it again,” said Mbasera.

Presiding magistrate Nomasiko Ndlovu ordered both parties to keep peace by not verbally and physically abusing each other.

Ncube was also ordered not to deny her husband access to the house.

MARRIAGE won’t cure poverty!

This advice comes after a man from Zaka in Masvingo province stirred a scandal when he allegedly “married off” his married daughter to another man, claiming her first husband was not financially suited to be an in-law.

According to reports Ruramai Maronjese who was married to Aleck Hove reportedly eloped with her lover Davison Magwaro allegedly with the blessing of her father Alfred Maronjese.

Hove and Ruramai have two children together aged two and five.

It is reported that sometime in September this year, Ruramai who was staying with her husband in Mberengwa left him under the pretext that she was visiting her parents in Zaka while in fact she was eloping with Magwaro to his rural home in Mushinyi Village in Bikita.

Following a tip-off from neighbours that his wife had eloped with Magwaro to his rural home he reportedly followed them.

He however, faced stiff resistance from the two lovebirds when he located them, leading him to lodge a complaint against Magwaro at Chief Mpakwa.

His complaint which B-Metro is in possession of reads: “Davison Magwaro took my wife Ruramai Maronjese with whom I have two children. We got married in 2016 before he took her in September this year. My wife left me under the pretext that she was visiting her parents in Zaka. He should pay me three beasts as compensation for destroying my marriage”.

In his response Magwaro said he didn’t know that Ruramai was married. His response however, elicited shock after it emerged that he eloped with Ruramai while he was staying with the couple in the same area in Mberengwa.

For his greedy actions, Alfred who also attended the court session received a backlash from Chief Mpakwa.

“What kind of father are you? You destroyed your daughter’s marriage out of greed. Even though your daughter is above 18 years you were not supposed to push her to leave her husband for another man when their marriage was still subsisting,” charged Chief Mpakwa.

He insisted that marrying off his daughter to another was not a ticket out of destitution.

Ruramai said she was no longer interested in her first husband.

It also emerged during trial that Hove once caught the two – Ruramai and Magwaro – having sex in their matrimonial bedroom.

After being provided with enough evidence, Chief Mpakwa said he fined Magwaro three beasts as punishment for bedding a married woman.

Source – bmetro

Returning residents without valid PCR negative Covid-19 test certificates will undergo mandatory quarantine while visitors without the certificates will be denied entry as Zimbabwe enforces public health controls to minimise risks of spreading Covid-19 infections.

Those leaving Zimbabwe must also have such certificates.

Zimbabwe and South Africa, which have similar health rules, are working together to smoothen operations at Beitbridge Border Post to handle huge numbers of travellers this festive holiday, largely by having checks done before people arrive to clog the approaches to the border.

The Ad Hoc Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on Covid-19 yesterday urged Zimbabweans not to loosen their guard after a new variant of the virus was detected in South Africa, with Zimbabweans being implored to forgo traditional Christmas festivities to stop infection rates rising.

Taskforce member and Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa, announced the enforcement of travel measures and warned of higher risks yesterday.

“All persons traveling in or out or transiting through Zimbabwe should possess a valid PCR negative Covid-19 certificate from certified local and international laboratories. In this regard, any returnee without the required PCR certificate will be put under mandatory quarantine.

“All foreigners who do not present valid PCR negative Covid-19 certificates will be denied entry into the country, and all persons who wish to travel outside the country should not present themselves at ports of entry and exit without the requisite PCR certificates,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

She said decongestion measures at the ports wre being implemented, including setting up of check points prior to arrival at the border posts. Law enforcement agents had been deployed to enforce adherence.

Minister Mutsvangwa confirmed that meetings were being held between Zimbabwe and South Africa to address the congestion at Beitbridge.

Minister Mutsvangwa thanked Zimbabweans for standing with their Government and supporting efforts put in place to curb the pandemic.

“My fellow Zimbabweans, we have come so far and despite our losses. We have continued to be resilient. Let us keep up our fighting spirit, as this is the only way we can win the war against Covid-19.”

She acknowledged festive holidays were associated with merrymaking but reminded the nation of the new normal where large gatherings are banned.

“The threat posed by Covid-19 has not receded but has increased as there is a new strain of the virus. Now more than ever, we need to practice protective and preventive measures such as wearing our masks in public spaces, washing or sanitizing our hands and physical distancing,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

“High level meetings have been held between Zimbabwe and South Africa, as part of efforts to address challenges and ensure the smooth flow of traffic at Beitbridge Border Post,” she said.

Speaking at the same briefing Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Kazembe Kazembe said his ministry was collaborating with their South African counterparts in this regard.

Vice chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on Covid-19, Professor Amon Murwira, talked of the new variant that has been detected in other countries, emphasising the importance of not loosening guard.

“We are in a new normal. What it means is that we know there is Covid-19, and there is a new variant which is being reported internationally. We cannot lose our guard. While we enjoy our Christmas we want to enjoy it alive by observing all the measures that have been put in place,” he said.

Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr John Mangwiro explained the nature of viruses which he said tend to mutate. His emphasis was to avoid unnecessary travel and implored total adherence to containment measures.

“Viruses continuously mutate. Let’s keep safe, and the best treatment is prevention and we are all aware of the several measures, sanitisation, social distancing, wearing of face masks and not travel unnecessarily, let’s stay home let’s stay safe.”

MDC-T’s former organising secretary, Abednico Bhebhe’s bid to bar the party’s Supreme Court sanctioned Extraordinary congress scheduled for this Sunday today suffered a huge setback.

This comes after the Bulawayo High Court n Bulawayo has dismissed Bhebhe’s urgent application with costs.

The congress which is meant to elect the heir to the party’s late founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai who succumbed to cancer on 14 February 2018 is scheduled for this weekend at Harare International Conference Centre.

Meanwhile, the congress is in jeopardy after the party’s deputy Treasurer-General, Chief Ndlovu, claimed he had no transport money for delegates after the reinstated Secretary-General, Douglas Mwonzora allegedly withdrew close to $6 million from the party’s account.

The congress was last week postponed over irregularities in the voters’ roll which supporters of the incumbent president, Thokozani Khupe, said had been tampered with by presidential aspirant Douglas Mwonzora.

It had been postponed from the initial date, 31 July after police said the event could not go on due to the coronavirus.

More: MDC-T Twitter

“But as govt we are not waiting for elections, we sat down and decided that the cities belong to us, Zanu-pf.

By A Correspondent | The pages of history were opened clearly during the week when the ZANU PF coupist, Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa unashamedly announced that government has passed a decision that the cities are owned by his party, ZANU PF, after all.

This is despite the millions of votes that were passed in favour of Nelson Chamisa’s MDC Alliance party during the 2018 elections.

The development is the latest clearest legal evidence of Mr Mnangagwa personally rigging the 2018 elections to favour his ZANU PF party. Nelson Chamisa was removed in a military coup carried out on 1 Aug 2018, as evidence presented before the Motlanthe Commission reveals of the military level plan earlier announced by Mnangagwa’s office on the 15th December 2017.

A SADC level Supreme Court review passed this year, ruled that Mr Mnangagwa’s election victory is not credible, strengthening Mr Chamisa’s ongoing legal challenge against Mnangagwa.

Mr Mnangagwa’s announcement during the week follows several acts of sabotage by the government in the cities that have seen a trail of demolitions of properties to allegedly punish residents for voting MDC Alliance. The government has openly blamed the MDC Alliance party for the systemic failures, but Mr Mnangagwa is seen in another video recording (file copy from the Mugabe days) instructing his juniors that all council operations by the MDC Alliance must be blocked (video).

This time speaking during a dangerously crowded rally in Chivi, Mr Mnangagwa announced (in full):

“MDC Councils have failed. They have failed. I think when we hold the next elections, we’ll put ZANU PF councils in the cities.

“But as government we are not waiting for elections, we sat down and decided that the cities belong to us, Zanu-pf.

“So we are on a plan to fix our cities, because the MDC Councils have done what? They have failed.

“We’ll fix them on our own so that things work well for us (ZANU PF). VIDEO:

WHAT SHOULD CHAMISA DO NOW, SEEING THIS CLEAR EVIDENCE OF A CRIME?

B Metro

Mothusi Bashimane Ndlovu popularly known by his stage moniker ‘Madlela Skhobokhobo’ has challenged the Bulawayo business community to partner the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service in different rehabilitation programmes to help inmates successfully reintegrate back into society when they are released from prison.

Madlela made this challenge after visiting Khami Maximum Prison, where he had an opportunity to meet inmates.

In an interview, Madlela said he decided to visit inmates at Khami Maximum Prison as a way of showing solidarity and support as some prisoners rarely get visitors.

“I was invited by the Arts Ambassador of Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service Bulawayo Metropolitan province, Clarence Garura to visit inmates at Khami Maximum Prison and from this tour I can tell you that this was more of an eye opening visit to me.

“I never knew that we had such a big community that lives behind these walls and most of them really enjoy the music that I play. From this rare visit I had an opportunity to get to get to know about some of the challenges they face as I talked to them on a one on one basis,” he said.

Madlela said he met the most talented artistes behind bars, who really need the support of the community if they are to leave a life of crime and use their skills feed themselves and their families.

“I never thought inmates were this active in terms of art so, when I got the invitation from Garura I just thought it was one of those visits that I usually do when I go out there. But with Khami Maximum Prison the environment was different as inmates had been told that I was coming and they were really waiting to prove to me that they could do better in terms of their presentations.

“During entertainment sessions, inmates were invited to the centre court, where more than 1 500 inmates came for entertainment and to be honest with you I really enjoyed myself with what I saw as these guys gave their best from imbube, gospel, drama and comedy. I really enjoyed myself such that I was given a different picture of what I used to hear about how inmates were being treated while in prison. I now got to understand the issue of rehabilitation and for sure ZPCS is at work,” he said.

Madlela said the determination of the prisoners moved him to make an undertaking to become the mentor of a group called the Khami School of Arts (khasa). The group showcased one of their best plays called ‘Mathousand’ which preaches against gender based violence.

“I never thought inmates were so much up to date with what is happening outside their world, some of their plays showed me that they follow what is happening in our community on a daily basis and that really showed me that as a community we have a part to play in assisting ZPCS in the rehabilitation programs of these inmates.

“These guys need to be kept abreast and I doubt if ZPCS can be able to provide all those requirements alone, so I would like to believe that’s where we are supposed to chip in with the support of the business community as we work towards developing these guys,” he said.

Madlela said it was high time communities create time to visit prisons in order to fully appreciate the daily struggles of inmates. Inmates are expected to have at least two pairs of uniforms but that is no longer possible due to economic hardships currently being experienced as a nation.

“Some of the inmates that I saw were wearing old uniforms that I think should be replaced of which it’s not an issue of blaming ZPCS because feeding 1 500 inmates with three course meal per day is not an easy thing to do as an organisation. Instead it’s high time we chip in and assist to the best of our ability.

“I am calling the business community to assist as we all know everyone is a potential prisoner and we all never know what tomorrow has in store for us so let’s work towards improving this place.

“From my discussions with inmates I discovered that most of them had lost hope. I would like to tell them that God has a plan for everything that happens in one’s life. In fact, these guys should take this time to come up with unique ideas that can later improve their lives.

“Personally I am going to continue visiting these guys and talking to them with the hope that my words will one day change some people to be productive in our society,” he said.

Khami Maximum Prison Rehabilitation Officer, Adias Bhasvi, thanked the musician for visiting and said he hopes the visit will inspire inmates to take art seriously.

“Rehabilitation is not a one day thing, but it is a process that involves the mind-set of an individual so Madlela’s visit might seem simple, but I know that we are going to have a lot of oMadlela coming out of this place.

“Let it not end on Madlela, but let’s develop a culture of visiting our relatives and friends who are in prison as this is a therapy that helps the inmates in a long way,” he said.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa continues with his double standards on the Covid-19 restrictions as he is making his way to Bulawayo for his annual church gathering at the Trade Fair grounds.

The National Thanks Giving and Dedication Service will be held in Bulawayo this Sunday.

The annual event will be broadcast live on ZBC TV and live streamed on various social media platforms.

Speaking to ZBC News in Bulawayo ahead of the service, Faith for the Nation Campaign Chairperson Prophet Andrew Wutawunashe underscored the need for the nation to gather and pray for the progress achieved this year.

“Our national is a Godly nation, and it is important that we come together and give thanks to God,” he said.

“The thrust of this year is embodied in our theme, we are saying we are celebrating the progress of our nation towards our national vision 2030 and thanking God for the progress he has given us. Thanking God for the wisdom he has given our leadership and grace for the rains that are falling and that we have advances in sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure and peace building.

“The national thanks giving gives a very good synergy between the leadership and the churches. It is very unifying event and it is also something that is growing. It is also synonymous with God’s grace in helping us to build a new republic and a new dispensation. We are also carrying on from the President’s unique call when he called upon the nation to fasting and praying and he is also coming to officiate this occasion.

“It is fitting that as a nation we give thanks and that also we petition the Lord to continue helping us fight Covid-19. The nation experienced a providential year of God’s grace, and progress was made in all the benchmarks envisioned for the Second Republic. We’re therefore inviting people from all walks of life to join us during this important event.”

With several deaths already recorded at the Beitbridge border post, the transport and freight forwarding industries have called for urgent intervention saying “a humanitarian disaster is unfolding”.

The industries said the situation was “creating a potential Covid-19 catastrophe which also threatens a cholera outbreak”.

In an open letter to health minister Zweli Mkhize, the organisations called for an urgent intervention, outlining its “grave conditions”, but have not received response.

Federation Eastern and Southern Africa Road Transport Associations CEO Mike Fitzmaurice said Covid-19 regulations and restrictions introduced at the beginning of December had severely compromised the flow of traffic through both sides of the border post.

“There is only one place for testing with a single entry and exit point, creating a massive bottleneck that stretches from Musina [Limpopo] on the SA side to the border post, and for more than 20km on the Zimbabwe side.

“The congestion, aggravated by the annual increase in traffic at this time of the year, has already cost SA lost revenue. During the first three weeks of December, the cost of delays at Beitbridge was almost R88m per week. Queue time delays for trucks amounted to R609m per week, amounting to R2,092,860,000 to date,” he said.

SA Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) chairperson Dr Juanita Maree said the losses to the SA economy added to the R442m already lost during the 27-day blockage to northbound traffic that took place last month.

Maree said drivers in the queues had run out of food, had no water for drinking or washing and there were no toilet facilities.

“Criminals are looting and stealing from the trucks and drivers have given up hope of getting home to be with their families, while sitting in unbearable heat of more than 40 degrees.”

Furthermore, reports of corruption were rife with some traffic officials alleged to be accepting bribes of R1,000 from drivers who jump the queue.

Maree believes that the way to decongest the border is to suspend Covid-19 testing for drivers and close the border at night for travellers and bus traffic. Currently, the one testing point is open during the day only.

“The southbound trucks with no loads should then be moved across in batches alternating with loaded trucks. The northbound truck traffic can be pushed through at night.

“The situation is desperate as this disaster is having a severe impact on supply chains throughout Africa. Much-needed goods — including essential items — are simply not reaching their destination. There is no quick solution but if government is willing to partner with the private sector, we can restore the smooth flow of goods and people across the border, preventing a humanitarian disaster and the economic collapse of the region,” she said.

TimesLIVE

WHAT was intended to be a night of passion turned into a nightmare when a sex worker “detained” her client for more than two hours, demanding a top up on the money she had charged him for sex as compensation for a condom which broke during sex.

The incident happened on Tuesday at a lodge in Northend suburb (name supplied).

It is reported that fearing the worst, the hooker only identified as Rose, who had charged her client US$15 for a night, turned drama queen after the latter refused to pay the US$25 “risk fee”.

According to sources, the argument that led Rose to hold her client hostage started after she accused him of poking her “roughly”.

Rose reportedly thought that her client deliberately broke the condom to “fix” her and as a result she was adamant that she would not let him go until he paid her the risk fee because he had risked her health.

“The drama started after one of the regular sex workers at the lodge detained her client following a misunderstanding over a condom which she claimed had broken during sex.

“Shouting on top of her voice, she accused her client of being negligent and in the process, she was forcing him to pay up US$25 on top of the US$15 they had initially agreed for a night. But the client courted Rose’s anger when he turned down her demands saying the money was too much leading to a scuffle.

B Metro

LEAD President Linda Masarira has flaunted her new husband on social media in her post where she described 2020 as a tough year.

She said despite the year being tough, she was lucky to find love.

“2020 was a tough year, fortunately I found love. I will forever remember 2020 as the year I found my “Mr Perfect” the man of my dreams. Musikavanhu will never forsake thee…

“I am verily grateful. Thank you for loving me Baba Mlotshwa, Mazibuko, Mwelasi, Pondolunye njenge mkomo,” said Masarira.

MDC-T’s former organising secretary, Abednico Bhebhe’s bid to bar the party’s Supreme Court sanctioned Extraordinary congress scheduled for this Sunday today suffered a huge setback.

This comes after the Bulawayo High Court n Bulawayo has dismissed Bhebhe’s urgent application with costs.

The congress which is meant to elect the heir to the party’s late founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai who succumbed to cancer on 14 February 2018 is scheduled for this weekend at Harare International Conference Centre.

Meanwhile, the congress is in jeopardy after the party’s deputy Treasurer-General, Chief Ndlovu, claimed he had no transport money for delegates after the reinstated Secretary-General, Douglas Mwonzora allegedly withdrew close to $6 million from the party’s account.

The congress was last week postponed over irregularities in the voters’ roll which supporters of the incumbent president, Thokozani Khupe, said had been tampered with by presidential aspirant Douglas Mwonzora.

It had been postponed from the initial date, 31 July after police said the event could not go on due to the coronavirus.

-Pindula

THE Premier League in England is the most followed European league among Zimbabwean football fans, but French giants Lyon have suddenly become everyone’s second favourite team as striker Tino Kadewere continues to shine on the big stage.

On Wednesday night, Kadewere was at it again, providing an assist and scoring one for his team, which cruised to a 3-0 win over Nantes in a league match.

It was another big night for Zimbabwean football as Marshal Munetsi, in the same league but turning out for Stade Reims, also made it on the score sheet in their 3-1 win over Bordeaux away from home.

It was Munetsi’s first goal for his club this season, hitting the back of the net five minutes later after being introduced in the 83rd minute to put the result of the match beyond doubt.

While the spotlight has been on Kadewere, Munetsi has also been flying the country’s flag high, having made 14 appearances for his side in the league alone.

Kadewere has simply become the mainstay for Lyon, proving his worth one match after the other.

At the time that he was signed, there were doubts among some that he would be able to command a regular starting berth considering the calibre of strikers that Lyon already had.

But he has cemented his place in a front three that also includes Toko Ekambi and captain Memphis Depay.

-Newsday

Government spokesperson, Nick Mangwana has urged journalists who had contact with the late veteran journalist Foster Dongozi in the last two weeks to take Covid-19 tests after it emerged that he died of the deadly pandemic.

Dongozi attended a media workshop organised by government in Gweru to unpack the National Development Strategy among other meetings he participated prior to his demise.

“All members of the media, and allied professionals who had contact with Mr Foster Dongozi within two weeks of his tragic dimise are required to go for testing at Harare Central Fire Station for Covid-19 testing. We will advise of centres in Gweru and Bulawayo doing the same test,” said Mangwana.

Tinashe Sambiri| MDC Alliance Secretary General, Hon Charlton Hwende has described 2021 as a year of people’s action.

In a statement released yesterday, Hon Hwende pointed out that President Nelson Chamisa was constitutionally elected to replace the late legendary MDC President and former Prime Minister, Right Honourable Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.

Below is Hon Hwende’s statement:

All Genuine MDC Supporters that were in the MDC T Structures when our Late President Dr Tsvangirai passed on are advised to stay away from this Zanu-PF Charade at the HICC.

For the record President Tsvangirai was Constitutionally replaced by President Nelson Chamisa and before he passed on he left President Chamisa in charge of the Party and the MDC Alliance.

Zanu-PF has now booked this outfit at the HICC and has even provided them with ZRP “to maintain Law and Order” but in reality they are there to ensure that their project of running an opposition Party in Zimbabwe succeeds.

We are not worried as there are over 50 opposition parties in Zimbabwe and a good number were created by CIO and are now controlled by the Military Intelligence.

The MDC Alliance remains one of the few opposition parties genuinely fighting for a People’s Government. We must not waste time with side shows but remain focused on our goal of achieving a truly Democratic Developmental State in Zimbabwe.

2021 is the year of People’s Action using our Constitutionally guaranteed rights we must organize ourselves and fight for a Zimbabwe we want. Many people think the current onslaught by Munangagwa is on Chamisa and the MDC Alliance. That is not correct Democracy and the People’s right to be governed by a Leader of their Choice under attack and we must all defend and resist…

Hon Charlton Hwende MDC Alliance Secretary General

Tinashe Sambiri| MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has warned Zimbabweans to be wary of the dangers posed by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

President Chamisa also encouraged Zimbabweans to ” love one another.”

“APPRECIATING YOU..Love is everything.Thank you for all your love and amity this 2020. Whatever is beautiful and peaceful.Whatever is memorable and enjoyable.

Whatever is great and fantastic. May it be all yours this holiday season and in the coming 2021 ! Let’s love one another as God has loved us. Merry Christmas from my heart to yours.

Enjoy prayerfully. Care to avoid COVID-19.God bless you!!”

IN a horrific incident, three boerbel dogs attacked and killed a nine-year old boy in Kadoma.

Facts emerging are that the boy Nigel Sabiti of 268, Pixie Combi was invited to play with his friend, 10-year-old Jayden Ogachukwu Nwaozuzu of 278 within the same neighbourhood last Thursday afternoon around midday where he met his fate.

According to ZRP Kadoma district spokesperson DCRLO Sgt Crymore Muriro, Jayden was left with the dogs by his father Christopher, a Nigerian national who had instructed him to clean the dog kennels.

Sgt Muriro said Nigel went to his friend’s house as usual and little did he know that his friend was cleaning the kennels and the dogs were roaming in the yard.

While Nigel was searching for his friend around the yard, the vicious security dogs suddenly got sight of the stranger, together with his younger brother, Tendai, 5, and another friend Tatenda.

Tendai rushed into a garage while Tatenda also sustained serious injuries on his leg. Nigel, who only rushed into an open tuckshop was mauled until his brother Taiwan da, 17, rushed to the scene and salvaged the overpowered boy.

Nigel was rushed to Kadoma General Hospital where he succumbed to serious wounds sustained during the horror incident.

He was buried in Bluegrass on Saturday.

Credit- H-Metro

THE price of a standard loaf of bread has risen by 13,8 percent this week to $82 from $72 and consumers feel the move is not justified.

Some retailers, who had already effected the latest price adjustment on Wednesday, said they were caught off-guard by the latest increase by suppliers.

While the country has recently been enjoying price stability on the back of a stable exchange rate, consumers say the latest bread price increase comes as a surprise.

Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) president, Mr Denford Mutashu, also expressed shock but suggested that the move could be linked to rising cost of production.

“We (retailers) were caught off-guard by the increase in the price of bread but may point to continued increase in rates and utilities charges that have not respected stability in the economy brought about by the forex auction system,” he said.

“The increases in the cost of production may have piled pressure on bakers. It’s difficult to hold price as a business when costs increase.”

National Bakers Association of Zimbabwe president, Mr Dennis Wallah, had not responded to written questions from Business Chronicle by the time of going to print yesterday.

Through the weekly Foreign Currency Auction Trading System introduced in June this year, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has managed to stabilise the exchange rate with the Zimbabwe dollar this week easing marginally against the United States dollar to 81,78 from 81,73 last week.

National Consumer Rights Association spokesperson, Mr Effie Ncube, said as an organisation they were outraged by the conduct of the bakery industry, which has decided to raise the price of bread during the festive season.

“This will deeply affect poor and low-income households and rob them of celebrating Christmas and New Year with bread on the table.

“This price hike has no business justification whatsoever,” he said.

“It’s industry just profiteering by abusing poor consumers and taking advantage of the festive season.

“We urge the Government to step in and prevent this punitive and unjustifiable bread price hike.

“Bread is a basic commodity that should never be priced beyond low-income households who constitute the majority of consumers,” said Mr Ncube.

Meanwhile, the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has revealed that the local milling industry’s capacity utilisation has dropped below 20 percent as maize-meal and flour imports pile pressure on local producers.

GMAZ has raised fears that the sector could suffer massive job losses due to loss of business on account of weakening grip on domestic market.

In a position paper on import duty and surtax imposition on imported mealie-meal and wheat flour, the milling industry now wants the Government to cap the quantity of imports as well as review import permits.

The Government gazetted Statutory Instrument No 119 of 2020, which suspended import duty on maize-meal and wheat flour in May this year as part of measures to enhance supplies of basics.

This was prompted by challenges in mobilising maize and wheat imports due to Covid-19-lockdown related constraints.

The Government then instructed the milling industry to also assist by importing some of the maize and wheat.

Since April, GMAZ claims that its members have imported 148 000 tonnes of wheat and 160 000 tonnes of maize.

“Regrettably the milling industry’s capacity utilisation is below 20 percent due to the local market which is flooded with imported maize-meal and wheat flour,” it said.

MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa has remembered the mother to the late party founder Morgan Tsvangirai, Gogo Tsvangirai after sending his deputy Linette Karenyi Kore with an assortment of groceries for Christmas.

Confirming the news on Twitter, party deputy spokesperson Clifford Hlatywayo said Chamisa had send his deputy, Karenyi with the groceries to Gogo Tsvangirai.

“A season of love &giving
⁦@mdczimbabwe⁩ VP ⁦@KarenyiKore⁩ delivering food stuffs on behalf of President ⁦@nelsonchamisa⁩ to Gogo Tsvangirai, mother to the former Zim Prime Minister &MDC President late great icon,father of democracy Dr Morgan Tsvangirai in Buhera,” said Hlatywayo

By Jane Mlambo| Two people were reported dead of the coronavirus pandemic in Zimbabwe on 25 December 2020.

94 people were reported positive of Covid-19 on Christmas day taking the cumulative total to 12880 cases

154 recoveries were also reported yesterday leaving the country with a total number of active cases at 2071.

Zimbabwe is currently going through a second wave which has seen a sharp rise in number of infected people every day .

Other countries including South Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America are already retaining lockdown restrictions to contain the second wave which is believed to be hitting the youthful population.

President Chamisa Christmas Message

Tinashe Sambiri| MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has warned Zimbabweans to be wary of the dangers posed by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

President Chamisa also encouraged Zimbabweans to ” love one another.”

“APPRECIATING YOU..Love is everything.Thank you for all your love and amity this 2020. Whatever is beautiful and peaceful.Whatever is memorable and enjoyable.

Whatever is great and fantastic. May it be all yours this holiday season and in the coming 2021 ! Let’s love one another as God has loved us. Merry Christmas from my heart to yours.

Enjoy prayerfully. Care to avoid COVID-19.God bless you!!”

Latest on the situation at Beitbridge Border Post: watch video below-

Tinashe Sambiri|Irate Zimbabweans have castigated Zanu PF leader, Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa for travelling all the way from Harare to Masvingo Province to open a watertap.

Irate Zimbabweans told ZimEye.com the official opening of the Chongwe Water Project could have been done by government officials in Masvingo.

“This man never ceases to amaze me- someone else was supposed to handle the programme.How can a whole President travel all the way from Harare to Masvingo Province to open a tap? Our economy is already choked,” posted Mai Lisa on Facebook.

“This is ridiculous, I think Mnangagwa is merely seeking relevance,” observed Rudo.

“The man is just confused,” commented Charmaine.

Mr Mnangagwa, who was surrounded by heavily armed soldiers and intelligence officers, commissioned the Chongwe Water Project on Sunday.