PROSECUTOR Tapiwa Kasema (45), who is facing allegations of criminal abuse of office, has been denied bail by Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna. Nduna ruled that Kasema was a flight risk as shown by his disappearance just before his arrest. Kasema was remanded to January 5 next year for routine remand.
It is alleged that on August 24, Musa Taj Abdul, Tapiwa Rudolf, Godfrey Mupanhanga and accomplices were arrested in Beitbridge over a spate of murder and armed robbery cases around Zimbabwe. On August 25, they were taken to court facing 53 counts of armed robbery, where they were denied bail and remanded in custody. On an unknown date in December 2020, Abdul applied for bail and the National Prosecuting Authority assigned Kasema together with two other officers to oppose the application.
On December 8, Kasema allegedly consented to the granting of bail without following laid-down procedure. The court heard that the offence came to light after the Central Investigations Department Homicide Division queried the release of the applicants on bail by the High Court on December 11, 2020, and it came out that Kasema had unlawfully consented to the release of the applicants.
A report was made to the police leading to Kasema’s arrest.
By Dr Masimba Mavaza | Zimbabwean judicial officers are feeling the heat of disrespect and unreasonable interference by the police and prosecutors. To think that the prosecutors are supposed to be lawyers is a farfetched thought.
What Zimbabwean magistrates and prosecutors are seeing is a total vindictive unreasonable managers and prosecutors who have become legal stooges and lawful zombies. Judicial interference is the actions of courts or judicial officers in matters that are interpreted by some as beyond their constitutionally established role. Judicial activism is a ruling issued by a judge that overlooks legal precedents or past constitutional interpretations in favour of protecting individual rights or serving a broader political agenda. The term may be used to describe a judge’s actual or perceived approach to judicial review.
It should be made very clear that judicial function is totally distinct from administrative duties. If this distinction is not carefully observed it will lead not only to interfering with due administration of Justice but total loss of confidence in the justice delivery process. The Zimbabwean justice system is one of the pillars that support our democracy. The rule of law gives people a legal recourse to hold those in power to account and putting sanity in the legal and social system. The practice of law either as a prosecutor, judge, magistrate or advocate is a noble practice which makes law a way of life and not only a course.
The Zimbabwean justice system is one of the pillars that support our democracy. The rule of law gives people a legal recourse to hold those who wrong them confidence and hope to face tomorrow. Between the rich and the poor, between the master and the servant, between the strong and the weak, it is freedom that oppresses, and the law that sets free.” Baptiste a French Reverend resigned. The purpose of law in a free and democratic society is to liberate, not to restrain. Our legal system and its independence from administrative interference helps contribute to a just society where power is constrained so that but this is a fragile system, built on trust in its legitimacy and full trust of those who are sworn to execute the law. The magistrates and prosecutors must be given the freedom of their courtrooms so that they exercise their duties without fear of embarrassment or unreasonable interference by those who have no understanding of the intricacy of the legal machinery. The movement of justice is not a paten it is born of free will and free thought.
Judicial officers are created by the Constitution and at the lower courts have their mandate from the Magistrates Court Act. Magistrates work can only be scrutinised or reviewed by judge depending on the rank and nature of sentence. The pervasiveness of a judgement or a sentence is not understood by the police officer whose legal qualification and experience is not a third of the judicial officer sitting on the seat of execution of justice. There is no way a Magistrate must be answerable to the police. If the magistrate’s judgement is so shocking and unreasonable, a higher court should review. If the higher court does not agree they correct not persecute the magistrate. Magistrates must not be persecuted for the incompetence of the prosecutors and the police. We are quite aware that, the inefficiency of the police and the prosecutors has not stopped politicians from trying to place their thumbs on the scales of justice. The message to those seeking to interfere in the administration of justice must be clear. Take your stinking paws off the justice system you damn, dirty politicians. Because thumbs are pressing on the scales all too often and the attitude of those involved is a casual indifference to the long-term damage they are causing. Let’s start with the low-hanging fruit — the Nemadire scandal. There can be no clearer example of attempted administrative interference. The facts of the case are that an accused entered Zimbabwe, at the Airport she was approached by police officers who were carrying her bag and said that the bag was hers and it contained five kgs of Cocaine. She was dragged to court on the charges of dealing in dangerous drugs alternatively possession. In Zimbabwe possession is a fineable offence while dealing is a jailable offence. The police were over excited with a big find and they forgot the basic investigative rules. There was no evidence of possession neither was there evidence of dealing. Accused was represented and accused pleaded in the alternative. The court understood as all would have that when the police charge you with an alternative it means they do not have a strong case or no evidence. How can a seasoned officer collect a bag and claim that it was yours. That was the inexperience of the police and they hoped the court to bolster their case. This then passed through the sloppy prosecution who did not make their case water tight. They were emotionally exhilarated by the fact that cocaine was found. Who does that? The magistrate was faced with a dilemma. If the case goes to trial possession was going to be difficult as the police had broken the chain of possession. So in the best interest of justice he accepted the plea in the alternative, which he proceeded to convict and sentenced as to the guide lines. The pressure, which the police do not even bother, denying anymore, was constant. It came from the prosecutor’s office, do these prosecutors know that the court is not the arm of the prosecution. If you bring a dead case to court magistrates are not the Christ, they cannot resuscitate a dead case. Prosecutors always walk into court unprepared hoping the court to assist them in bolstering their cases. The prosecutor and the police attempted to exert influence on a judicial proceeding. So much for the independence of the Public Prosecution Service, one could certainly be forgiven for being left with that impression that prosecutors are babies of magistrates, they look up to the bench to clean their mess.
There is a different case if the magistrate or prosecutor receives a bribe during the performance of that duty it’s another thing. It should never be assumed that he has been bribed simply because we don’t agree with an outcome of a matter. If we do so we run the risk of wrongly inciting the general public against our judicial officers. We also run the risk of effecting wrongful arrest thereby attracting civil suits against government. In the case of Nemadire the statute gives an option of a fine or 5 years imprisonment or both such fine and imprisonment. He gave both fine and imprisonment which imprisonment he wholly suspended for 5 years on usual conditions. Unless one is a repeated offender only then the court can sentence otherwise but the option of a fine should be given first. It is always trite that the starting point is the fine then if there are aggravation circumstances the court should move to another level of imprisonment or both. So given the above scenario what sentence was he supposed to give and from where. There is need to carefully study every scenario before action. The accused was charged with dealing alternatively possession of dangerous substances but was convicted of possession which carries a lighter sentence .Administrative work is usually punishable by disciplinary action and under rare circumstances does it amount to a criminal offence.
Taking a magistrate to a police station to explain his actions in a sitting court is embarrassing and demeaning. The police are not supervisors of the magistrates or prosecutors they must stick to police work and let magistrates do judiciary work.
If the rebellious attitude is coming from the police what do you expect the public to do. This mentality that any unpopular decision means that someone has been bribed must be condemned. Parliament makes laws, not the courts. This is hardly a controversial belief, but the truth. if the judgement is in accordance with the law then the police must take their bullying abusive nature to parliament not to a poor magistrate. The courts are committed to protecting rights that have flown out of interpretation of the scope of our police force. A sitting magistrate was smeared and the legitimacy of the judiciary and the judicial process was damaged — all because the police force was angry with the lenient sentence. But inappropriate interference in the justice system doesn’t follow strict legal lines. The proper procedures were followed, but the police disagreed and saw an opportunity to score political points. The last thing we should want is police deciding what sentences accused persons must get. But the prosecution and the police, adorably unaware of the hypocrisy they would set themselves up for, begged to differ. They placed their thumbs on the scales of justice and then magistrate and a prosecutor were arrested. The prosecution and the police are behaving badly and there is a huge cost. The legitimacy of our justice system is fragile. Pull on one thread and the whole thing can unravel. But, of late, our politicians are not content to simply tug at one golden thread. Instead, we have seen in 2017 a lawyer a prosecutor and a magistrate being arrested for granting bail. The lawyer Mr Wilson Manase and the Magistrate and a prosecutor al formed a fully constituted court were arrested, when will this end. This is a dangerous precedent that risks undermining an important democratic institution. Because, when the public loses confidence in the justice system, when prosecutions are built on politics and when we lose trust in judges, there will be no going back. We will be left slamming our fists in the dirt screaming in pain. The issues, with which they were dealing, as is the case with all the other issues that come before them, were issues of law. So magistrates must not be questioned at a police station for what they did in a constitutionally properly constituted court. The guiding principle is that they decide cases according to the laws and usages of this country, and not according to such political views, if any that they might happen to hold. We have nothing to learn on this issue from what is happening to our courts. The suggestion that magistrates’ reasoning should be vetted by Police is devoid of merit. True to their oath of office, which they take in public, they have to be free from police harassment. Vetting would imply that they might not comply with that oath. More fundamentally, police would open the door to political interference with the justice system. This would damage public confidence in their independence and impartiality. Many judicial decisions have political consequences but it is a quite different thing to say judges have made decisions for political reasons.
Our magistrates must be proud to say that they “have done nothing that the other courts would not have done in similar circumstances”. The interference is “both unprincipled and useless”. It would be unprincipled because it would be “an overt attempt to stuff the court with afraid creatures, It would be useless because “judges’ decisions are not influenced by their political views on police or prosecutor’s emotions or anything else,
We must always remember that judicial independence is the concept that the judiciary should be independent from the other branches of government. That is, courts should not be subject to improper influence from the other branches of government or from private or partisan interests. Judicial independence is important to the idea of separation of powers. Judicial independence serves as a safeguard for the rights and privileges provided by the constitution and prevent executive and legislative encroachment upon those rights. It serves as a foundation for the rule of law and democracy. The rule of law means that all authority and power must come from an ultimate source of law. Under an independent judicial system, the courts and its officers are free from inappropriate intervention in the judiciary‘s affairs. With this independence, the judiciary can safeguard people’s rights and freedoms which ensure equal protection for all.
The effectiveness of the law and the respect that people have for the law and the government which enacts it is dependent upon the judiciary’s independence to mete out fair decisions. Furthermore, it is a pillar of economic growth as multinational businesses and investors have confidence to invest in the economy of a nation who has a strong and stable judiciary that is independent of interference
The abuse of power by judge’s magistrates and prosecutors must be checked by the administrative powers put in place within the judicial system. That is to say the magistrates must be subject to a review of their work by their superiors not by the police or prosecutors.
Again the Prosecutor General Hodzi was wrong to refer the prosecutor to police for breaking an administrative rule not a criminal law. A mere suspicion of corruption must not be taken as corruption. Let the prosecutors and Magistrates face disciplinary measures which are internal and not rushing to the police and the press for a purely administrative case.
The president of Zimbabwe is a lawyer and he is looking One day the president will crack the whip and it will be soon.
Tanzanian giant, Simba SC have fallen by a solitary goal in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the Caf Champions League against FC Platinum of Zimbabwe.
Perfect Chikwende scored the only goal to give his team a slight advantage ahead of the second leg.
The 21-time Tabzanian champions came into the match hoping to get at least a draw and stand a better chance of winning the second leg at home. The Tanzania Mainland League champions qualified for the second preliminary round after a 1-0 aggregate win over Plateau United of Nigeria.
On the other hand, Platinum made it to the next round on a 4-1 aggregate win after eliminating Costa De Sol of Mozambique. The Zimbabwean champions won the first leg played in Maputo 2-1 before claiming a 2-0 win in the return leg played in Harare on Saturday.
The Msimbazi-base side came into the match without the services of the injured Aishi Manula and the sick John Rafael Bocco.
In the absence of Manula, the Belgian coach Sven Vandenbroeck will start Ben Kakolanya between the posts while Rwanda striker Meddie Kagere will step in for Bocco.
The East African outfit looked a more dangerous side but failed to capitalise their chances.
However, it was the Zvishavane-based side who scored in the 17th minute courtesy of Perfect Chikwende.
Simba intensified their attacks in the second half. In the 68th minute, Chris Mugalu teed the advancing Larry Bwalya. The latter unleashed a good strike that was destined for the back of the net but the goalkeeper pulled a fantastic save to deny him.
Mugalu thought he had equalized in the 75th minute but the assistant referee had his flag up for offside. He, later on, squandered a big chance when a cross from the right found him unmarked but he narrowly missed the target.
The Tanzanian champions will now need a 2-0 win in the second leg to make it to the group stages of the annual competition.
Last season, Simba failed to make it past the preliminary stage after losing on the away goal rule to UD Songo of Mozambique.
The second leg is planned for Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on January 5 or 6, 2021.
Mnangagwa having a feel of one of the sample NRZ coaches
South African firm Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group (DIDG) is suing the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) for “unlawfully” terminating a $400m (R5.85bn) tender awarded to it in 2017.
DIDG, a consortium of Zimbabweans registered in SA, partnered with Transnet to recapitalise NRZ.
As part of the deal, NRZ leased 13 locomotives, 200 wagons and 34 passenger coaches from Transnet.
But DIDG and Transnet allegedly failed to provide proof of funding within 12 months of the framework agreement and the Zimbabwean government, which owns NRZ, removed the “exclusivity clause” from the deal to allow other interested parties to approach the government.
The Zimbabwe government on July 30 terminated the tender after a series of cabinet meetings and consultations with DIDG.
Christmas cancelled in Zimbabwe due to Covid-19 second wave The Zimbabwean government effectively banned Christmas parties due to Covid-19, but defiant revellers say they will, even if it means hosting bush … NEWS5 days ago In court papers filed on December 21 through lawyers Atherstone & Cook, DIDG claimed the cancellation was “grossly unreasonable” and argued that they did not breach any of the tender conditions.
DIDG also claimed that Zimbabwe’s transport minister Joel Matiza had vested interests and there was bidding by people lurking on the sidelines to take the contract.
“The termination was irregular in that the decision to terminate was not made by [NRZ] but was made by external forces including the minister of transport,” DIDG alleged in court papers.
DIDG said the cancellation cost it and Transnet close to a quarter of a billion US dollars, which they seek to claim through another lawsuit.
“As a result of the defendant’s unlawful and/or unjustified cancellation of the tender, the plaintiffs have suffered damages to the tune of US$235,984,757 [R3.44bn],” read the court papers.
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In January NRZ’s debt stood at $575m (R8.41bn), while Transnet in SA made a loss of R3bn for the six months that ended in September. Some in government have questioned DIDG’s capacity based on problems faced by Transnet in SA.
DIDG, however, said it had surety of up to $1bn (R14.62bn) via African Export-Import Bank and SA and regional banks.
MDC-T interim secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora says he has already won the presidency of the party at the extraordinary congress to be held this Sunday.
The MDC-T is set to hold its elective congress this weekend after it was cancelled at the last minute six days ago by party interim leader Thokozani Khupe following allegations that Mwonzora was manipulating the voters’ roll.
Patrick Chinamasa, the ZANU PF acting spokesperson also recently told reporters in Harare that the ruling party has already won the 2023 general elections.
Chinamasa did not explain how the party “has won” the elections two years before they are held but told journalists that under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe had turned around a corner. Chinamasa said:
:2023 is a dead rubber election. It’s over before voting.”
However, Khupe and Mwonzora faced off in a stormy meeting on Monday to resolve the dispute over the voters’ roll to be used at the party’s congress.
Accusations against Mwonzora were that he allegedly tried to sneak in a “doctored” voters’ roll stuffed with names of his backers who were not part of the 2014 MDC-T structures.
This was after the Supreme Court ruled in March this year that the party should convene an elective congress to replace the late founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who died in February 2018.
“I believe there are efforts to try to scuttle my chances of winning. However, they will not succeed. The people shall speak,” Mwonzora said in an interview.
Khupe and Mwonzora are seen as the frontrunners for the MDC-T presidency at the elective congress where they will also battle it out with party acting chairman, Morgen Komichi and deputy national chairman Elias Mudzuri.
As the chaos in Khupe’s party continues before its congress, last Saturday during a national council meeting at Mudzuri’s house, the party resolved to audit the voters’ roll.
At another meeting on Monday, Mwonzora allegedly struggled to present his version of the voters’ roll which he claimed represented the party’s 2014 structures.
Khupe was said to be armed with a copy of the 2014 structures favoured to the party by suspended organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe.
An insider said the party was contemplating using a printed roll fearing that a soft copy could be hacked and manipulated.
Khupe’s former aide, Witness Dube who is now an ally of Mwonzora, said the MDC-T needed “healing” to reconcile warring factions torn apart by the upcoming elective congress.
There have been fights for assets, which have at times turned physical and violent, as opposing factions within the opposition party push for control of the party.
“I am very grateful and proud of the 10 years I spent with Khupe. However, this congress is about the millions of Zimbabweans looking up to MDC for economic, political and social reforms for the better,” Dube told NewsDay.
“I am optimistic that this congress will give MDC an opportunity to heal when campaigns fold and that focus will return to assuming the role of being the official opposition.”
The congress, however, hangs in the balance if the High Court rules in favour of Bhebhe, who is seeking its postponement.
Bhebhe filed an urgent chamber application at the Bulawayo High Court last Friday seeking an interdict stopping the holding of the congress until matter challenging his suspension and subsequent expulsion from the party is resolved.
However, High Court judge Justice Christopher Dube Banda postponed the matter to this week after the respondents’ lawyer, Tawanda Tawengwa argued that the respondents could not prepare opposing papers because they were served with the applicant‘s court papers very late on Tuesday last week. The matter is set to be heard any day from today.
The former Nkayi South legislator was recently expelled from the MDC on charges that he was an MDC Alliance lackey, which he denies.
STATE owned enterprise, Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) is targeting 500 000 metric tonnes of strategic grain reserves in the next three years to ensure national food security.
The effects of climate change which have led to successive drought have seen government mandating the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) to focus on strategic grain reserves to address the issue of low yields.
The authority’s new board Chairman, Mr Ivan Craig says maximum utilisation of land is ARDA’s main thrust in increasing food self-sufficiency. “We shall do our best for the sake of the nation but the key thrust is to rebuild strategic grain reserves,” he said.
ARDA is also responsible for advancing farming production and rural development.
Its mandate is derived from the ARDA Act that seeks to promote development to reduce poverty.
Lands Agriculture Water and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Anxious Masuka last week announced the appointment of agriculture expert and Zimbabwe Agriculture Society chairman Mr Ivan Craig as the new Agricultural Rural Development Authority(Arda) board chairperson while former CZI president Mr Sifelani Jabangwe is now the new COTTCO board chairperson.
Former Arda acting chairperson, Dr Johannes Makhadho has been transferred to be the deputy chairperson for the Agriculture Research Council.
COMMISSIONER General for the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), Ms Faith Mazani, is set to resign from her post next month pending re-appointment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The tax authority’ board confirmed Mazani’s departure in a public statement dated Monday, 21 December 2020.
It said Mazani, who joined the tax body in February 2018, will leave Zimra with effect from the end of January 2021 to join the IMF early February.
“We wish to advise the public and all stakeholders that the Commissioner General, Ms Faith Mazani, will be leaving the authority with effect from 31 January 2021,” said the board.
“The Zimra board of directors congratulates Ms Mazani for her pending re-appointment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with effect from 01 February 2021.”
The Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T has dismissed Mthwakazi proponents’ wishes to have Zimbabwe restored to the pre1893 boundaries where Mthwakazi was a seperate state from Zimbabwe.
Speaking in an interview on the prospects of the 1987 Unity Accord between Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe, the acting party spokesperson, Dr Tapiwa Mashakada said it was critical that Zimbabweans realised that the country belonged to everyone regardless of one’s colour, creed, tribe or gender.
“This unity is cherished, that is why we all celebrate Unity Day which came about as a result of the amalgamation of PF-Zapu and Zanu (PF).”
He called for national cohesion based on peace, security, stability, democracy and inclusive development.
Zimbabwe must remain a devolved but unitary state. MDC-T condemns any form of secessionism in Zimbabwe,” he said.
CHAOS continues to reign supreme at the Forbes Border Post as only haulage truckers with Covid-19 certificates are being allowed entry into either Zimbabwe or Mozambique, leading to long queues and delays.
Truck drivers interviewed said the issuance of clearance letters and other processes has been relatively slow, especially during this festive season.
“The situation has worsened during this period. I have been here for three days and the queue is moving at a snail’s pace.
“We have all the necessary documents but we end up losing patience, worsening the delays,” said one truck driver, Mr Tendai Sibanda.
Another trucker, Mr Abednico Mleya accused customs officials of causing the delays.
“I am from Mozambique and I have been here for four days. It looks like I will spend the Christmas holiday here because the process is slow. The customs officials are taking their time and it seems the situation is getting worse.”
A customs official who requested anonymity citing protocol said: “Everything is normal save for the closure of the border to ordinary citizens. However, truckers with Covid-19 certificates are not facing any problems in entering Mozambique. Yes, the process has been a bit slow because we have registered high numbers of trucks that are passing through the border post.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has wished all Zimbabweans a merry Christmas and a prosperous 2021.
In a post on social media, President Mnangagwa said despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown and restrictions on liberty and other challenges encountered in 2020, Zimbabweans have allowed hope to prevail.
He wrote:
My fellow Zimbabweans,
The year has been filled with challenges. The threat of COVID-19 and it’s the subsequent disruption of businesses and the economy has forced us all to reinvent and reevaluate our normal lives.
In spite of all this, you, the people of Zimbabwe, have conducted yourselves with dignity amidst these challenging times.
Even in the face of quarantines, lockdowns and serious restrictions to our daily liberties, the hope and optimism of the Zimbabwean people prevailed.
My hope is firmly anchored in Zimbabweans. I am certain that our collective action and shared vision can lead us to prosperity.
Over and above everything, we need to thank the Almighty for opening up the heavens.
In 2021, let us work our land, let us be the breadbasket we used to be.
Over and above all, unity as a people of this nation will take us into the promised land.
May I wish you all fellow citizens a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
Highlanders have appointed Mandla Mpofu as their new head coach to replace Mark Harrison who returned to England due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mpofu signed a one-year performance-based contract for the 2021 season. He had served as the first assistant coach in the senior team before the latest promotion.
Confirming the news, Bosso chairman Kenneth Mhlophe told the Chronicle: “We have appointed Mandla Mpofu to take over the role of the head coach and he will be assisted by Bekithemba Ndlovu.
“Mandla’s (current) contract with Highlanders expires at the end of the year and we agreed as an executive to give him a performance-based one-year contract. The other coaches still have running contracts with the club.”
Explaining why the club failed to retain the services of Harrison, Mhlope said: “We are not in good financial standing to pay Harrison, and he is well aware of our situation, but we have kept our doors open to working with him in future if the situation improves.
“Our benefactors, who paid Harrison’s salary, were also hit hard by effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and could not continue paying him.”
The appointment at the top is Mpofu’s second in just over a year. In mid-2019, he took over the reins after the departure of Madinda Ndlovu, but his short tenure did not yield the best results and was demoted to his previous role following the arrival of Dutchman Pieter de Jongh.-Soccer 24
Iker Casillas 7 hhģhas returned to Real Madrid to take up a role as the club foundation’s assistant general director.
The former goalkeeper started his career as a youth player at Los Blancos before featuring in the first team from 1999 to 2015, winning 19 titles including three Champions Leagues and five Spanish championships.
The appointment comes four months after Casillas officially retired from playing at the age of 39 due to a heart attack suffered in training in May 2019.
In confirming the news, the Spain giants said on Tuesday: “Real Madrid CF have announced that Iker Casillas has joined the Real Madrid Foundation as an assistant to the general director.
“Iker Casillas is a Real Madrid legend who represents the values of our club and is the best goalkeeper in our history.”
The foundation carries out football-related actions, such as recently funding internships for young players in China and organising workshops on sports psychology.-Soccer 24
Former Egypt international Mohamed Aboutrika has claimed that Mohamed Salah is unhappy at Liverpool and the Reds are considering selling him.
Aboutrika said he called the 28-year who told him that he was frustrated at not being made captain for the recent Champions League tie against FC Midtjylland. The forward expected to lead as the most experienced player in the team, but the armband went to 22-year-old Trent Alexander-Arnold.
“I called Salah about his situation at Liverpool, and he is upset, but that would never affect his performance on the field,” Aboutrika told beIN Sports, as cited by Goal.
“I know that Salah is not happy in Liverpool, he told me the reasons why he is not happy, but they are secrets, and I cannot talk about it in public. One of the reasons that made Salah angry was that he was not the captain against Midtjylland.”
Salah publicly expressed his dismay at not getting the armband and also reiterated his admiration for Real Madrid and Barcelona, two clubs regularly linked with him.
And Aboutrika believes that move will happen in future.
“If Salah was a player at Real Madrid or Barcelona, and playing at the same level as Liverpool, he would’ve won the Ballon d’Or, and it is normal for a Spanish newspaper to ask Salah about Real Madrid and Barcelona,” added the 42-year-old.
“In my opinion, Liverpool are considering selling Salah for economic purposes.
“I do not have any influence over Salah’s decisions, he is my friend and brother, and he is smart enough to know what is best for him.”-Soccer 24
Norman Mapeza has revealed that only two players in his squad are battling fitness issues ahead of the Champions League – first round, first-leg – clash against Simba SC of Tanzania this afternoon.
The Platinum Boys host the East African at the National Sports Stadium in Harare. Kick-off is at 3 pm.
Speaking ahead of the match, Mapeza confirmed that Silas Songani is out of selection while Ralph Kawondera is doubtful.
“It has been good so far I can’t complain, I think Silas Songani picked up a knock against Costa do Sol, so he is out then we are assessing Ralph Kawondera, he got injured against Eagles FC, but everyone else is okay,” the gaffer said.
Assessing their opponents, Mapeza said: “We are playing a quality team with a lot of quality players if you check in their squad they have got players from Ivory Coast from Zambia and Mozambique and it clearly shows their intentions towards this tournament.
“We have been talking to the boys we have some video analysis that we did and the guys are ready.”-Soccer 24
What are the signs and symptoms of typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever?
Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever have similar symptoms̵.
People usually have a sustained fever (one that doesn’t come and go) that can be as high as 103–104°F (39–40°C).
Other symptoms of typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever include
Weakness
Stomach pain
Headache
Diarrhea or constipation
Cough
Loss of appetite
Some people with typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever develop a rash of flat, rose-colored spots.
What do you do if you think you have typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever?
The only way to know for sure if an illness is typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever is to have a sample of blood or stool (poop) tested for Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi.
If you have a fever and feel very ill, see a doctor immediately.
How are typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever treated?
Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever are treated with antibiotics.
Ď bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, the bacteria are not killed and their growth is not stopped when antibiotics are taken. Your doctor may order special tests to see if the bacteria causing your infection are resistant. Results from those tests may affect what antibiotic treatment you receive.
People who do not get appropriate antibiotic treatment may have fever for weeks or months and may develop complications. People who do not get treatment can die from complications of the infection.
The danger from typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever doesn’t end when symptoms disappear.
Even if your symptoms seem to go away, you may still be carrying Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi. If so, the illness could return, or you could pass the bacteria to other people. In fact, if you are a healthcare worker or work at a job where you handle food or care for small children, you may not be able to return to work until a doctor has determined you no longer carry the bacteria.
If you are being treated for typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever, it is important to do the following to lower the chance that you will pass the bacteria on to someone else.
Keep taking antibiotics for as long as the doctor has recommended.
Wash your hands carefully with soap and water after using the bathroom.Do not prepare or serve food for others.
Source: Centre For Disease Control And Prevention
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 pointed out that the concept of unity has been drowned by violence and lawlessness in the country.
Below is President Chamisa’s Unity Day Message :
THE IDEA OF UNITY- MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa Unity Day Message 22 December 2020
Fellow Zimbabweans,
The bold font of divisions, destruction, violence and anarchy continues to override the voices of love, unity, peace, reason and development in our country.
This is largely because our nation-building project has not fulfilled the promise of the glorious days of independence.
We need true unity, peace and prayer to heal and build our nation. Peace and unity are the necessary ingredients for development and the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms and rights.
However, it is important to understand the idea of unity. Unity is not about the coming together of bodies, commanded by the powerful in society. It is not an event signified by elite political pacts. Unity is a process by which minds are drawn together organically to achieve a common purpose.
Unity does not mean the absence of difference. Instead, it is a process that acknowledges, recognises and celebrates difference as a natural part of a normal society. Therefore, unity does not necessarily mean uniformity among peoples. Rather it recognises and promotes diversity and the beauty of it.
Indeed, unity does not mean compulsory conformity of the minority to the majority merely because the majority demand compliance. Rather, unity behoves the majority to recognise and respect minorities in whatever form because they matter too.
Politically, unity is a process in which parties of different political and ideological persuasions are allowed to pursue their cause while they come together to face common threats.
Unity does not criminalize diversity and alternative views. It is not tyranny of the centre. This why the devolution process, which is encapsulated in our Constitution, is essential for unity. Unity does not mean sweeping pain and tears of a people under the proverbial carpet. Rather, it is a process that is undergirded by truth-telling, acknowdgement of pain, remorse and reconciliation.
Where there is unity of purpose there is difference but a commitment to development and prosperity. Genuine unity does not produce an impoverished society. It exalts a people to prosperity. On this day, we should be celebrating. But too many of our people are in great pain because of socio-economic burdens that have become unbearable.
Currently, we experience too many divisions, violence, and hatred. This has made Unity Day become trite, vacuous and meaningless without the values and practices of unity that I have outlined. It has become a reminder of the ogre of violence, intolerance and hate speech that continue to engulf our nation.
Violence is intolerable. We note with disdain an increase in abductions and torture against its citizens including young leaders and activists. We have hundreds of MDC leaders in detention or on remand facing trumped-up politically-motivated charges. The consistent and persistent denial of citizens’ rights is a form of violence against political opponents.
The harassment, intimidation, illegal arrest of opposition leaders, activists, and professionals is repugnant to unity and peace. It’s deplorable how professionals have been harassed and persecuted during the course of the year simply because they have dared to exercise their freedoms. Unity does not mean a suppression of fundamental rights and freedoms. It celebrates and protects them.
Unity is not built on force. It is built upon foundations of love, understanding and appreciation of difference and diversity.
In a New Zimbabwe, under our new government, we propose a National Unity, Peace and Prayer Day. We do so in recognition of the fact that unity, peace and prayer are interconnected.
We recognise that unity is not merely a political slogan but rather, it is a reality that we must experience in all spheres, be it in our families, churches, workplaces civic organisations or government.
Nation building is an ongoing project that must produce conditions of unity in diversity. But we cannot build a nation when there is persecution. We call for an end to political persecution. Nation building requires justice to be done for the aggrieved in our communities.
We deserve to be united by our values, aspirations, constitution and human rights. No single organization is bigger than Zimbabwe. We must imagine a better, just and more prosperous Zimbabwe in which our diversity is celebrated, not condemned.
We owe it to ourselves and future generations as God’s people to embrace one another in unity, to pray for the prosperity of our nation. Prayer works with works. We should not wait for divine intervention when we can change our behaviour.
This day, I call upon families and all people of this country to embrace this day as a day we express our unity with one another. A day we find peace. A day we seek the Lord as we prepare for Christmas and the New Year holidays.
This day, I join you all in demanding true unity, peace and prosperity for us all as a people. We in the MDC are ready to play our part in finding a lasting solution to the national issues that bring us together as a nation. We will unite the nation and bring peace in the name of our Lord, without resorting to any forms violence which we abhor.
Tinashe Sambiri|Construction workers were forced to work overnight to repair the main road in Masvingo’s Central Business District before Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s trip to Chivi District.
Mr Mnangagwa commissioned a village water project on Wednesday.
“Workers were called back from holiday to repair the city’s main road before Mr Mnangagwa’s trip to Chivi.
Mr Mnangagwa commissioned the Chombwe Piped Water Project.
We had just closed for Christmas when we were called back. It really disrupted our programmes,” a source told ZimEye.com.
Disgruntled government officials accused of Mr Mnangagwa of wasting taxpayers’ money as he should have assigned the Minister of State for Masvingo Province to handle the official opening of the village project.
“How can a whole President travel all the way from Harare to Masvingo to commission a low key village programme? This man is wasting State resources,” fumed a senior government official.
Tinashe Sambiri|Construction workers were forced to work overnight to repair the main road in Masvingo’s Central Business District before Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s trip to Chivi District.
Mr Mnangagwa commissioned a village water project on Wednesday.
“Workers were called back from holiday to repair the city’s main road before Mr Mnangagwa’s trip to Chivi.
Mr Mnangagwa commissioned the Chombwe Piped Water Project.
We had just closed for Christmas when we were called back. It really disrupted our programmes,” a source told ZimEye.com.
Disgruntled government officials accused of Mr Mnangagwa of wasting taxpayers’ money as he should have assigned the Minister of State for Masvingo Province to handle the official opening of the village project.
“How can a whole President travel all the way from Harare to Masvingo to commission a low key village programme? This man is wasting State resources,” fumed a senior government official.
While the project is a community initiative, Zanu PF’s Ezra Chadzamira has claimed the programme is the ruling party’s baby.
“This is a Zanu PF baby- we are working hard to empower our people across the province,” claimed Chadzamira.
What are the signs and symptoms of typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever?
Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever have similar symptoms̵.
People usually have a sustained fever (one that doesn’t come and go) that can be as high as 103–104°F (39–40°C).
Other symptoms of typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever include
Weakness
Stomach pain
Headache
Diarrhea or constipation
Cough
Loss of appetite
Some people with typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever develop a rash of flat, rose-colored spots.
What do you do if you think you have typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever?
The only way to know for sure if an illness is typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever is to have a sample of blood or stool (poop) tested for Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi.
If you have a fever and feel very ill, see a doctor immediately.
How are typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever treated?
Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever are treated with antibiotics.
When bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, the bacteria are not killed and their growth is not stopped when antibiotics are taken. Your doctor may order special tests to see if the bacteria causing your infection are resistant. Results from those tests may affect what antibiotic treatment you receive.
People who do not get appropriate antibiotic treatment may have fever for weeks or months and may develop complications. People who do not get treatment can die from complications of the infection.
The danger from typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever doesn’t end when symptoms disappear.
Even if your symptoms seem to go away, you may still be carrying Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi. If so, the illness could return, or you could pass the bacteria to other people. In fact, if you are a healthcare worker or work at a job where you handle food or care for small children, you may not be able to return to work until a doctor has determined you no longer carry the bacteria.
If you are being treated for typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever, it is important to do the following to lower the chance that you will pass the bacteria on to someone else.
Keep taking antibiotics for as long as the doctor has recommended.
Wash your hands carefully with soap and water after using the bathroom.Do not prepare or serve food for others.
Source: Centre For Disease Control And Prevention
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
By A Correspondent- The Thokozani Khupe-led MDC-T plans to tighten its grip at Marondera Town Council by electing Dominic Matangira the deputy mayor of the farming town.
Matangira, who recently attained Alderman status after serving the local authority several years, dumped the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC Alliance, a move that shocked his colleagues.
The deputy mayoral post became vacant after the recall of Bornface Tagwireyi by Khupe. He was accused of showing allegiance to Chamisa in the last mayoral elections.
MDC-T provincial administrator Wellington Makonese confirmed that Matangira was poised to be the deputy mayor of the farming town.
“I am aware that the elections will be held on Wednesday (today) and that councillor Matangira is the candidate,” he said.
MDC-T secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora, during his visit to Marondera recently confirmed that Matangira was the incoming deputy mayor.
Marondera council has been the playground for the MDC-T after its mayoral candidate Simbarashe Nyahuye beat Tagwireyi by a single vote.
A total of six MDC Alliance councillors have been recalled including former mayor Chengetai Murova.
MDC-T has 11 out of 12 councillors, while Zanu PF has a solitary representative.-newsday
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Youth Secretary General, Gift Ostallos Siziba, says he is grateful for the love and support he received before and during his father’s funeral.
Ostallos’ father, Reverend Herbert Siziba was buried in Bulawayo on Monday.
“Thank you! We thank everyone for the love, act of solidarity and support you gave us during the difficult time. The Siziba family is indeed and truly grateful for the love you have shown us.
May God above bless each and everyone one of you abundantly,” Ostallos said in a statement.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has wished all Zimbabweans a merry Christmas and a prosperous 2021.
In a post on social media, President Mnangagwa said despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown and restrictions on liberty and other challenges encountered in 2020, Zimbabweans have allowed hope to prevail.
He wrote:
My fellow Zimbabweans,
The year has been filled with challenges. The threat of COVID-19 and it’s the subsequent disruption of businesses and the economy has forced us all to reinvent and reevaluate our normal lives.
In spite of all this, you, the people of Zimbabwe, have conducted yourselves with dignity amidst these challenging times.
Even in the face of quarantines, lockdowns and serious restrictions to our daily liberties, the hope and optimism of the Zimbabwean people prevailed.
My hope is firmly anchored in Zimbabweans. I am certain that our collective action and shared vision can lead us to prosperity.
Over and above everything, we need to thank the Almighty for opening up the heavens.
In 2021, let us work our land, let us be the breadbasket we used to be.
Over and above all, unity as a people of this nation will take us into the promised land.
May I wish you all fellow citizens a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
By A Correspondent- A woman suspected to be Zimbabwean, reportedly drowned in the Limpopo River together with her 2 children on Monday as they were attempting to cross into South Africa. Newzroom Afrika reports.
According to an eyewitness that spoke to the publication, the boat they were using to cross the river capsized a few meters from the river bank. The man who narrated the incident said the woman and her daughter were the first to be swept away by the strong currents when tragedy struck.
Other people also died in the same accident that claimed the lives of the 3 family members according to the publication which stated that a mother lost her 3-year-old son and a son among the survivors also lost his mother.
Zimbabweans usually use the illegal route to cross into South Africa to look for greener pastures. A few weeks ago a woman fell in the crocodile-infested Limpopo river but she managed to safely swim to the river bank after the incident.
By A Correspondent- The late Vice-Presidents John Landa Nkomo and Joseph Msika are some of the beneficiaries of “questionable” long-term Cold Storage Commission (CSC) lease agreements beyond the company’s specified tenure periods.
This is contained in a 2016 forensic audit into the financial operations of the State-owned meat processor by Auditor-General Mildred Chisi.
According to the report, the CSC leased most of its properties as at June 2015, but the Auditor-General raised eyebrows over some of the agreements which extended beyond the company’s specified tenure periods.
“During the period under review, CSC leased most of its properties (commercial, residential buildings, ranches and feeding lots and equipment) and signed lease agreements for properties with 247 tenants as at June 30, 2015 from which the following key findings were noted: (1) lease agreement beyond the specified tenure periods,” the report reads in part.
“Although CSC management informed us that CSC has short-term leases (six months tenure) and long-term leases (10 years), there were a number of lease agreements with tenures of up to 35 years.”
Chiri said there appears to be no standard rates/charges and there is no documentary evidence to support the rates applied.
According to the report, Nkomo’s estate has a 35-year lease expiring on February 1, 2040. The estate is paying US$252 in monthly rentals.
Msika’s estate also has a 35-year lease expiring on February 1, 2040 paying US$298 in monthly rentals.
Nkomo passed away on January 17, 2013 at the age of 78 and Msika on August 4, 2009 aged 86.
Other beneficiaries of long-term lease agreements is the late Retired Major General Javan Maseko’s estate, whose expiry date is listed as February 1, 2040.
The estate was listed as paying US$164 per month.
Maseko served in the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (Zipra) high command and at independence, he played a pivotal role in the integration of former warring forces, the Zipra, Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army and the Rhodesian Front.
One of the longest serving State parastatal bosses and former CSC chief executive officer Ngoni Chinogaramombe is also listed as a beneficiary.
The audit report lists him as having a 30-year lease expiring on March 31, 2041 and paying US$1 584 in monthly rentals.
Chinogaramombe served the country’s then internationally recognised sole meat processor and marketer for almost 34 years, having joined in 1984 and rose through the ranks to become its chief executive officer in 2005.
He left the company in 2019.
Lands and Agriculture minister Anxious Masuka recently approached the High Court seeking an order to place the CSC under judicial management.
In March 2019, government signed a “multi-million” deal with a United Kingdom-based investor Boustead Beef (Pvt) to resuscitate CSC.
Under the deal, the UK investor was to inject a total of US$400 million over the next fice years to revive the company, which has been dormant for the last two decades.
However, all has not been well at the company, with employees accusing Boustead Beef (Pvt) of stripping CSC assets for resale.
At its peak, the beef processor and marketer used to handle up to 150 000 tonnes of beef and associated by-products annually and exported to the European Union, where it had an annual quota of 9 100 tonnes of beef.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has pointed out that Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa is worse than President Robert Mugabe because the current Zanu PF leader has taken brutality and persecution of opposition activists to “unprecedented levels.”
Hon Biti argued that compared to Mr Mnangagwa, Mugabe was a political saint.
“Jacob Mafume’s continued detention exposes the regime’s ruthless capture of state institutions and its unrelenting malice.
Emmerson is a vindictive character without any boundaries .Sadly the State is now reproducing itself in his own image.Mugabe now appears saintly.
This man is surely turning in his grave .The latest faux pas from the regime is around a National Dress.
An illegitimate group of people unable to command love respect and trust from the citizen can never foist a sense of identity or nationhood. Crocodiles don’t build nations…
The Mnangagwa regime has taken the assault on workers rights to new and unprecedented levels .
The devaluation of wages and payments in ZWL$ represents vicious attack on working people .The physical arrests torture and convictions of workers on dubious spurious charges is a new low for Zim,” argued Hon Biti.
In a statement, ARTUZ condemned the conviction and sentencing of its Gender and Welfare representative for Masvingo Province Sheila Chisirimunhu:
“@edmnangagwa has taken us back to Rhodesia. Cde Sheila sentenced to 16 months imprisonment for protesting against underpayment.
Sheila to serve 10 months in prison. This is an attempt to silence the exploited working class. We are appealing this and this gvt wont know peace.”
Tinashe Sambiri|Construction workers were forced to work overnight to repair the main road in Masvingo’s Central Business District before Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s trip to Chivi District.
Mr Mnangagwa commissioned a village water project on Wednesday.
“Workers were called back from holiday to repair the city’s main road before Mr Mnangagwa’s trip to Chivi.
Mr Mnangagwa commissioned the Chombwe Piped Water Project.
We had just closed for Christmas when we were called back. It really disrupted our programmes,” a source told ZimEye.com.
By A Correspondent- MDC-T interim secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora says he is confident of winning the presidency of the party at the extraordinary congress to be held this Sunday.
The MDC-T is set to hold its elective congress this weekend after it was cancelled at the last minute six days ago by party interim leader Thokozani Khupe following allegations that Mwonzora was manipulating the voters’ roll.
However, Khupe and Mwonzora faced off in a stormy meeting on Monday to resolve the dispute over the voters’ roll to be used at the party’s congress.
Accusations against Mwonzora were that he allegedly tried to sneak in a “doctored” voters’ roll stuffed with names of his backers who were not part of the 2014 MDC-T structures.
This was after the Supreme Court ruled in March this year that the party should convene an elective congress to replace the late founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who died in February 2018.
“I believe there are efforts to try to scuttle my chances of winning. However, they will not succeed. The people shall speak,” Mwonzora said in an interview.
Khupe and Mwonzora are seen as the frontrunners for the MDC-T presidency at the elective congress where they will also battle it out with party acting chairman, Morgen Komichi and deputy national chairman Elias Mudzuri.
As the chaos in Khupe’s party continues before its congress, last Saturday during a national council meeting at Mudzuri’s house, the party resolved to audit the voters’ roll.
At another meeting on Monday, Mwonzora allegedly struggled to present his version of the voters’ roll which he claimed represented the party’s 2014 structures.
Khupe was said to be armed with a copy of the 2014 structures favoured to the party by suspended organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe.
An insider said the party was contemplating using a printed roll fearing that a soft copy could be hacked and manipulated.
Khupe’s former aide, Witness Dube who is now an ally of Mwonzora, said the MDC-T needed “healing” to reconcile warring factions torn apart by the upcoming elective congress.
There have been fights for assets, which have at times turned physical and violent, as opposing factions within the opposition party push for control of the party.
“I am very grateful and proud of the 10 years I spent with Khupe. However, this congress is about the millions of Zimbabweans looking up to MDC for economic, political and social reforms for the better,” Dube told NewsDay.
“I am optimistic that this congress will give MDC an opportunity to heal when campaigns fold and that focus will return to assuming the role of being the official opposition.”
The congress, however, hangs in the balance if the High Court rules in favour of Bhebhe, who is seeking its postponement.
Bhebhe filed an urgent chamber application at the Bulawayo High Court last Friday seeking an interdict stopping the holding of the congress until matter challenging his suspension and subsequent expulsion from the party is resolved.
However, High Court judge Justice Christopher Dube Banda postponed the matter to this week after the respondents’ lawyer, Tawanda Tawengwa argued that the respondents could not prepare opposing papers because they were served with the applicant‘s court papers very late on Tuesday last week. The matter is set to be heard any day from today.
The former Nkayi South legislator was recently expelled from the MDC on charges that he was an MDC Alliance lackey, which he denies.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s problems are being compounded by paranoid hangers-on like the spokesperson for the presidency George Charamba.
This was said by investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ino through a post on his Facebook page.
Chin’ono asserted that the likes of Charamba try to create relevance by creating false alarm within the ruling establishment.
Oblivious to the fact that they are being lied to, the country’s leaders then respond irrationally embarrassing themselves internationally. Said Chin’ono:
People like George Charamba create their relevance to the regime by inducing false alarm, panic, paranoia and fear to the “system.”
Sadly they are listened to by their bosses who at times are oblivious to how they are being played.
This has contributed to Mnangagwa’s problems and authored many of his failures.
They hate a normal country because it takes away their importance and because they can’t thrive in a merit-based society.
They rely on CHAOS to perpetuate their false importance to the political elites!
They create false narratives that induce fear into their bosses who are then pushed to respond irrationally embarrassing themselves internationally!
By A Correspondent- A bulk fuel tanker went up in flames on Tuesday while offloading fuel at Bindura Council fuel station.
The truck burnt and exploded and it became a center of attraction to Bindura residents.
Mashonaland Central police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe confirmed the case.
“I can confirm that a fuel tanker exploded in Bindura yesterday and investigations are on going,” Mundembe said.
A dreadlocked guy popularly known as Rasta braved the fire and moved it away from buildings after the driver became confused.
Witnesses said a pump which was used to decant fuel from the tanker was first to catch fire.
“A small pump which was being used caught fire first and a heroic dreadlocked moved the truck away from the 2 filling stations while it was burning,” Joseph Dimba said.
“If rasta did not brave the fire all the two filling stations would have been gutted down by fire.”
Some residents applauded Freda Rebecca fire department for extinguishing the fire while denouncing council for not having a single fire engine.
“Freda Rebeca is always ready to assist it assisted in extinguishing the fire but the service station owners (council) do not even own one fire engine,” Sekai Muda said.
Meanwhile, Environmental Agency (EMA) Mash Central environment and publicity officer said fuel industry should follow proper safety procedures.
‘we urge fuel operators to follow the standard procedures when doing their work. Engines must be switched off. In this case they were supposed to use force of gravity to offload fuel but used a pump to decent sparking the fire. Regards the spillage of fuel we will be taking action in line with statutory instrument 11 of 2017,” he said
ZimRights said it has noted with concern the conviction and sentencing of Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) Masvingo Gender and Social Welfare Secretary Sheila Chisirimunhu (54) for exercising her constitutional rights.
In a Twitter thread, ZimRights said Chirisamhuru was arrested for holding a banner inscribed, “USD salaries now!” at Masvingo District Education Offices on 22 June this year and has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for that. Below is the post:
ZimRightsLIVE notes with concern the conviction and sentencing of ARTUZ Masvingo Gender and Social Welfare Secretary Sheila Chisirimunhu (54) for exercising her right to demonstrate as enshrined in section 59 of the Constitution.
Chisirimunhu was convicted and sentenced to an effective 10 months in prison and is at Mutimurefu Prison.
Chisirimunhu a widow and has been a teacher for almost 35 years, was arrested on 22 June 2020 for demonstrating against low teacher’s salaries at Masvingo District Education Offices.
She was holding a banner inscribed, “USD salaries now!” For that, she charged with inciting public violence and released on 500 ZWL bail after spending a night in cells on the 23rd of June 2020.
Represented by Advocate Martin Mureri from [Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights], Chisirimunhu has been in and out of court until her sentence on December 21.
ZimRights reminds the State of Section 59 that guarantees the right to demonstrate and petition.
Peaceful demonstrations and petitioning against low wages in the civil service does not warrant any arrest nor imprisonment.
Section 65 of the constitution, (1) also states that: Every person has the right to fair and safe labour practices and standards and to be paid a fair and reasonable wage.
It is therefore sad, for workers to be jailed for demanding fair and living wages. The government must respect human rights and freedoms as enshrined in the constitution.
By A Correspondent- Former legislator for Masvingo Central, Jeffreyson Chitando (MDC Alliance) torched a social media storm when he urged Zimbabweans to abandon the Unity Day and instead turn it into Patriotism Day.
Chitando said there was nothing to celebrate about the Unity Accord which was signed in 1987 by the late former President Robert Mugabe and the late Vice-President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo to end the friction between Zanu-PF and-PF Zapu.
He said Unity Day only invoked sad memories of the massacred and displaced masses of Matabeleland and Midlands.
“The Zimbabwean government must seriously consider changing December 22 Unity Day to Patriotism Day. The continued commemoration of a forced unity after the late Father Zimbabwe Joshua Nkomo was cowed into submission to join Zanu-PF is an insult to the people of Matabeleland.
“The most appropriate and perpetual name must be Patriotism Day,” Chitando said.
By A Correspondent- Workers of a road construction company that is contracted to widen the Harare-Beitbridge highway had their festivities dampened when they were called back from leave to patch up a bad stretch of road in Masvingo.
The workers had been granted Christmas off days but were ordered back to work in order to repair a damaged road at Croco Motors in Masvingo where President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s motorcade was expected to pass through this Wednesday.
The development was confirmed by a worker who spoke to Masvingo Mirror on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the press.
He said:
We had just closed for Christmas when we were called back. It really disrupted our break.
President Mnangagwa is in Chivi where he is launching the Chombwe Piped Water Project.
The President @edmnangagwa arrives in Chivi for the commissioning of the Chombwe Piped Water Scheme. The scheme which stopped operating in 1995 will once again provide water to thousands of villagers following an injection of devolution funds .@MoLAWRR_Zim pic.twitter.com/QusgZx5GO7
By A Correspondent| Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna has denied prosecutor Tapiwa Kasema bail on charges of criminal abuse of office.
He ruled that Kasema was a flight risk as shown by his disappearance when he realised that his conduct of consenting to the bail of Musa Taj Abdul and two others was likely to be prosecuted.
The matter was remanded to 5 January 2021 for routine remand.
By A Correspondent- The Thokozani Khupe-led MDC-T has demanded that its members should pay $1 in subscriptions in order to assist bereaved party members at funerals, adding that its membership was now 1,5 million which would translate to a lot of money.
This was said recently by the party secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora in Marondera while addressing party delegates during his campaign trail for the MDC-T presidency.
“Starting on January 1, every month, if you are a true member of the MDC-T, you are supposed to pay subscriptions of a dollar, not United States dollars, but one bond. If paying a dollar each month is boring, you can just pay $12 for the whole year. The money will be directed to our fund so that if an MDC-T member dies, the money will cater for the funeral,” he said.
“We calculated and realised that the MDC-T has 1,5 million members and this means that every month, we will be having $1,5 million and this translates to US$15 000 every month. The secret is that we do not get sick and die at the same time. That money will be enough in times of crisis,” he said.
The MDC-T congress failed to kick off at the weekend after its leaders clashed over a manipulated voters roll.
Mwonzora is eyeing the MDC-T presidency alongside Khupe and Elias Mudzuri.
He also said the MDC-T was looking for money to compensate victims of political violence.
“Zanu-PF has its war veterans, they are paid monthly for their contribution. In Mashonaland East province, there are a lot of people that were affected by political violence during the Robert Mugabe era. We hear stories of people being thrown in Wenimbe Dam. We are saying it is time for the victims of political violence to be compensated,” he said.-newsday
By A Correspondent- Corpses continue to pile up at Mpilo Central Hospital mortuary in Bulawayo due to delays by relatives in collecting the bodies for burial and authorities are reportedly mulling conducting pauper burials.
Mpilo Central Hospital is the second largest health facility in the country after Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare.
Of late, it has been plagued by power failures that are disrupting service provision, including the functioning of its mortuary.
Last week, authorities at the 900-bed health institution said the situation at the mortuary left a lot to be desired.
“The other issue we have is about the mortuary. Currently, there are about 400 bodies, which is way above the facility’s body carrying capacity,” said Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive and clinical director Xolani Ndlovu.
Mpilo mortuary has a carrying capacity of 30 bodies.
He said carrying out pauper’s burials to reduce pressure on the mortuary was the panacea, although it involved a lot of processes.
According to the country’s statutes, bodies that are not claimed after a period of nine months should be given pauper’s burials by the State.
Ndlovu said the situation at the mortuary was exacerbated by intermittent power cuts that had seen the hospital relying on back-up generators, which are consuming 1 000 litres per day.
He said the lives of about 465 patients, including 81 children in the neonatal ward and 98 patients in the surgical wards admitted at the hospital, were at risk due to power outages.
Meanwhile, Tsholotsho District Hospital is overwhelmed by its overloaded mortuary at a time the health facility is enduring prolonged power cuts.
Tsholotsho district medical services administrator Gerald Chakandibata said the situation at the mortuary was dire.
“Our mortuary is too small. It has a capacity to carry five bodies, but currently there are nine,” he said.
“The situation is worsened by these rampant power cuts we are experiencing here in Tsholotsho.”
He said the unreliable power supply had had ripple effects on water provision at the health facility.
Tsholotsho District Hospital started operating in 1951 as a rural health centre before it was upgraded to a district hospital in 1991.
Under the late Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith and President Robert Mugabe, also late, Christmas was not so miserable and it is sad that people are yearning for the “good” old days.
At least one had tea with milk and bread spread with jam and cash to take to the rural areas.
People had clean water good roads, jobs, health, but two years into President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s five-year term, Zimbabweans are foregoing basic necessities on Christmas day let alone soft drinks which are now considered a luxury.
Some are wondering if the heavens have been taken over by Satan.
Is our good Lord seeing what is happening in our country? I wouldn’t be surprised if people started organising resistance groups.
Who still remembers the 2017 promises which Mnangagwa made to the people? Maybe bank queues are now perfect baits to lure fed-up people to revolt.
The Holy Scriptures in Proverbs 29 vs 2 are being fulfilled When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
By A Correspondent- A taxi driver from Mabvuku was arraigned before the courts on allegations of raping and infecting his minor daughter with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) five years ago.
The man (47), who cannot be named to protect the identity of the minor, told magistrate Estere Chivasa that the rape charges were fabricated by his estranged wife after a dispute over the child’s custody.
Prosecutor Panganai Chiutsi told the court that on two occasions, sometime in 2015, the complainant who was then 12 years old was left in the custody of her father by her grandmother.
Later in the evening, her father raped her twice and ordered her not to reveal the crime to anyone.
In 2019, the accused raped the minor again, but she told her aunt who, however, concealed the matter.
On May 9, 2020, she developed warts on her privates and told her aunt who she was now living with as she wanted to seek medical help, leading to the arrest of the accused.
By A Correspondent- Shamva miner, John Maungwa, who is involved in a bitter mining wrangle with a woman who once masqueraded as President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s daughter Chantelle Chikafu was arrested on Monday for allegedly stealing gold ore from “his own mine”.
Maungwa is still in police custody after Chikafu made a report that the miner had stolen 390 tonnes of gold ore, which she had mined together with Shamva North MP, Oscar Gorerino (Zanu-PF).
He had returned to his mine after High Court judge Justice Jacob Manzunzu on April 29, ruled that he be restored possession of Wickman 23 Mine in Umfurudzi Game Park, which Chikafu’s gang working in cahoots with Gorerino, had violently grabbed from him.
Mashonaland provincial police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe could not confirm or deny Maungwa’s arrest. He told NewsDay that he could not readily get the information.
“I didn’t manage to get the information. There is no one in the office to ask because we took an early break. I will give you the information tomorrow (today) morning,” Mundembe said.
But a source close to the matter confirmed Maungwa’s arrest. He alleged that it was a ploy by Chikafu and Gorerino to fix him for winning the court case which gave him unfettered mining rights.
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) and the police had also allowed Maungwa to mine undisturbed in compliance with the court order.
“He has no case. How can he steal his own ore? These people were illegally mining on his mining claims and when the High Court restored him to resume operations Chikafu then made a report that Maungwa had stolen her gold ore. This is just a way by Chikafu and Gorerino to fix him because he has won the rights to his mine,” he said.
The source also alleged that the timing of Maungwa’s arrest was meant to coincide with the holidays so that he stays long in police custody.
“To show you that they wanted to fix him, the police officer, a detective Pasipanodya from Bindura Criminal Investigations Minerals and Flora and Fauna who arrested him, tricked him telling him that he was supposed to go to court. Maungwa went to the courts and waited for the detective, but he was in no show. When he realised that the courts were about to close for the day he appeared and ordered him to the police station where he advised him that he had orders to detain him,” the sources said.
He also said he suspected that Pasipanodya could be working in cahoots with Chikafu and Gorerino in the mine wrangle.
Maungwa’s arrest came soon after the mine wrangle also claimed the scalp of Mashonaland Central police commander Commissioner David Mahoya who was abruptly transferred for ignoring his bosses’ directives to restore Maungwa to his mine in compliance with a High Court order by Justice Tawanda Chitapi of November 25.
Mahoya had been reportedly siding with Chikafu and Gorerino in defying court orders granted by the High Court directing that Maungwa should resume mining operations without interference.-newsday
MDC-T secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora says he is confident of winning the presidency of the party at the extraordinary congress to be held this Sunday.
The MDC-T is set to hold its elective congress this weekend after it was cancelled at the last minute six days ago by party interim leader Thokozani Khupe following allegations that Mwonzora was manipulating the voters’ roll.
However, Khupe and Mwonzora faced off in a stormy meeting on Monday to resolve the dispute over the voters’ roll to be used at the party’s congress.
Accusations against Mwonzora were that he allegedly tried to sneak in a “doctored” voters’ roll stuffed with names of his backers who were not part of the 2014 MDC-T structures.
This was after the Supreme Court ruled in March this year that the party should convene an elective congress to replace the late founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who died in February 2018.
“I believe there are efforts to try to scuttle my chances of winning. However, they will not succeed. The people shall speak,” Mwonzora said in an interview.
Khupe and Mwonzora are seen as the frontrunners for the MDC-T presidency at the elective congress where they will also battle it out with party acting chairman, Morgen Komichi and deputy national chairman Elias Mudzuri.
As the chaos in Khupe’s party continues before its congress, last Saturday during a national council meeting at Mudzuri’s house, the party resolved to audit the voters’ roll.
At another meeting on Monday, Mwonzora allegedly struggled to present his version of the voters’ roll which he claimed represented the party’s 2014 structures.
Khupe was said to be armed with a copy of the 2014 structures favoured to the party by suspended organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe.
An insider said the party was contemplating using a printed roll fearing that a soft copy could be hacked and manipulated.
Khupe’s former aide, Witness Dube who is now an ally of Mwonzora, said the MDC-T needed “healing” to reconcile warring factions torn apart by the upcoming elective congress.
There have been fights for assets, which have at times turned physical and violent, as opposing factions within the opposition party push for control of the party.
“I am very grateful and proud of the 10 years I spent with Khupe. However, this congress is about the millions of Zimbabweans looking up to MDC for economic, political and social reforms for the better,” Dube told NewsDay.
“I am optimistic that this congress will give MDC an opportunity to heal when campaigns fold and that focus will return to assuming the role of being the official opposition.”
The congress, however, hangs in the balance if the High Court rules in favour of Bhebhe, who is seeking its postponement.
Bhebhe filed an urgent chamber application at the Bulawayo High Court last Friday seeking an interdict stopping the holding of the congress until matter challenging his suspension and subsequent expulsion from the party is resolved.
However, High Court judge Justice Christopher Dube Banda postponed the matter to this week after the respondents’ lawyer, Tawanda Tawengwa argued that the respondents could not prepare opposing papers because they were served with the applicant‘s court papers very late on Tuesday last week. The matter is set to be heard any day from today.
The former Nkayi South legislator was recently expelled from the MDC on charges that he was an MDC Alliance lackey, which he denies.
By A Correspondent- Agricultural extension officers around the country have threatened to go on a strike after the government failed to give them COVID-19 risk allowances.
Sources alleged that the extension workers alleged that even though they risked their lives in educating peasant farmers about Pfumvudza at the height of the coronavirus outbreak, they got nothing while office workers were paid over $20 000 as COVID-19 risk allowances.
A source is quoted as having said:
We risked our families by hosting these agricultural demonstrations with farmers when the country was on level five lockdown, but the government chose to pay those who were in offices COVID-19 risk allowances including those in the human resources department and general hands.
This government has reduced us to farm workers. We do all the donkey work, for example, crop and livestock assessment but we are not paid anything.
Is this government different from the government that runs hospitals whereby staff is paid handsomely for just collecting information just like us?
They are now focusing on advertising Pfumvudza on every platform, but they are forgetting those who implemented and made the Pfumvudza programme a success.
With no PEPs and other protective clothing, we managed to train farmers countrywide.
The permanent secretary for the Agriculture, Lands, Water and Rural Resettlement ministry John Bhasera confirmed the matter, but refused to comment and referred questions to the Public Service Commission.
Sheila Chisirimunhu, is a 53 year old mother with 5 dependence. She is a primary school teacher who has served for 30 years.The gvt of Zimbabwe slashed teacher salaries from USD 500 monthly to USD 30 per month.
Sheila joined other teachers and peacefully protested against the illegal salary slash. Sheila was arrested and charged with public violence. No incidence of violence was ever reported during and after the protest.
Sheila was ridiculously convicted for public violence. Her crime was asking for the restoration of her salary. Sheila was sentenced to 16 months in prison, sentencing was done a couple of days after the commemorations of 16 days of Gender Based Violence. She will serve 10 months in prison.
A male counterpart who was jointly accused with her was freed. Both the conviction and sentencing are an assault on freedom to petition duty bearers and labour justice.
The government has curtailed the freedom of assembly and criminalised Trade Unionism. We demand Sheila’s freedom! #FreeSheila
Police have just been to the Midlands MDC Alliance offices in Gweru… But on a serious note who would keep weapons and in an office for that matter ? The abuse is just sickening! pic.twitter.com/joR1iYTK00
If this were a football game, one could say that Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has just gone in with a two-footed tackle. The EFF Commissar has sparked a fierce debate online, after arguing that Nelson Mandela ‘wasted’ his 27 years behind bars.
The EFF representative argues that the former president ‘sold out’ when he agreed a deal with the apartheid government. He accuses Madiba of failing to understand racism, suggesting that the memory of man does nothing to confront ‘white supremacy’. Ndlozi, who denounced the Springboks’ World Cup triumph last year, is no stranger to controversy.
WHAT MBUYISENI NDLOZI SAID ABOUT NELSON MANDELA
“I think the truly wasted years are the 27 years that resulted in an empty reconciliation deal. In Mandela’s memory, blacks are silenced in the false hope to appeal to the morality of whites! It will be 27 years next, that morality is nowhere! What exactly do we gain by remembering Mandela? In what way does it help us confront white supremacy?”
“How does it help black people earn respect & dignity in the eyes of whites in farms? Why cling to a memory that renders blacks into docility in the face of white supremacy?”
“Mandela once said he fought against black domination… this was at the height of apartheid. Where in the world have black people dominated as ‘blacks’? For by definition, to be ‘black’ meant to be under white subjugation. The man never understood the racism problem… shame!”
Malawi will close its borders for 14 days and restrict public gatherings to 100 people following a new surge in cases of the coronavirus, the southern African nation’s presidential task force on Covid-19 said on Tuesday.
After nearly two months without new positive cases, Malawi on Tuesday recorded 46 new infections, bringing the total number of infections to 6,248, with 187 deaths, according to the health ministry.
Malawi’s borders and airports re-opened in October as positive cases fell, although some experts fear the real figure may be higher as just over 80,000 tests have been conducted.
Malawi has a population of around 19 million.
Though small in size – about one-tenth the size of South Africa – Malawi is among the top 10 in the continent in terms of population density, making it vulnerable to the fast-spreading respiratory disease.
The task force said in a briefing in the administrative capital Lilongwe that only essential services personnel and traffic carrying essentials like fuel and medicines would be allowed through the borders.
It said Malawians deported from other countries would also be allowed to enter the country. Those returning would be required to go into mandatory isolation facilities at airports, the officials said.
Labour minister Ken Kandodo tested positive for Covid-19 this week and had been admitted to hospital, where he reported to be in stable condition.
Zimbabwean music maestro Thomas Mapfumo channeled his revolutionary rasp and talked tough about Africa at the third edition of African Crossroads.
The Chimurenga music legend was the headline performer and guest of honour at the event which was screened from seven hubs on December 10 and 11.
His prerecorded set included liberation-era songs while his interview ranged from decolonial sonics and African unity to clueless leaders and new-school protest artists.
Africa can only survive as one unit because every foreign interest is currently coming to Africa with vested interests to get a piece of the continent, Mapfumo noted, adding that regional intergovernmental bodies did not quite capture the dream of one Africa.
The intergovernmental organisations such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) seek among other to achieve economic development, enhance peace and security, stimulate growth, alleviate poverty, enhance the standard and quality of life of the people of the region. However, critics such as Mapfumo have pointed out the evident failures of regional bodies and the continental organisation in meeting expectations of African people.
“I don’t see any use of these small groups like SADC, the African Union and things like that,” he said. “Africa is a divided continent. They are not thinking right, and they are not moving in the right direction.”
The Lion of Zimbabwe is not new to speaking his mind on matters Pan-African. Some of the biggest hits, “Africa”, “Vanhu Vatema”, “Zimbabwe-Mozambique” and “Tongosienda” urge bonds of solidarity on the continent. Economically themed “Vanhu Vatema” is as relevant than ever as African countries continue to record inordinate trade deficits, rank poorly on resource wealth despite being among the most naturally endowed, and fail to account for mineral and oil resources with better living standards for citizens.
“Tongosienda”, strongly worded against Apartheid and insurgency, has been overtaken by xenophobia, Afrophobia, homophobia, terrorism and state violence.
Mapfumo is attuned to the aspirations of the youths and remains an engaged, conscientious and inspirational voice from exile. While his early message was tied to state policy, revolutionary parties and the regional bodies they control represent a state-led Pan-Africanism that is often seen as the brotherhood of the elites against the citizens. Music and youth-driven people power movements are creating new, organic space for the Pan-African dream. During the interview, conducted by John Mambira and screened in the Sound Exhibition segment of Africa Crossroads, Mapfumo urged young artists to be led by their own courage and conscience.
“Every one of us was born a politician,” said Mapfumo, widely regarded as a role model for protest artists. “When you see wrong things being done by the leaderships, you are supposed to point at those things and say this is wrong… ‘Emancipate yourself from mental slavery’… You must be someone who can speak up, someone who is not afraid, someone who is able to point injustices and say this not good. You must always stand with the people because people are the power,” said the Chimurenga legend.
Mapfumo’s December 11 performance coincided with the reissue of Take One, his genre-defining first group Hallelujah Chicken Run Band’s retrospective compilation. He revisited this phase in an interview with Mambira, retelling the story of how he became the influential folk-rock innovator. As a young member of a rock band, Mapfumo was immersed in Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Rolling Stones, the Beatles and others. During a Texan Rock Band Contest, Mapfumo’s band had to endure the taunts of a Rhodesian racist: “Shut up you, kaffirs! Shut up you, kaffirs!” as they played the Rolling Stones’ “Last Time.”
“Then this young man called Passmore was from Zambia – Zambia was already independent. He was offended so he jumped at the white man and grabbed his neck. He had to be unfastened by the police,” Mapfumo recalled.
“That incident pained me – I don’t want to lie. I started thinking, don’t we have our own music identity as blacks? These people are now telling us not to sing in their languages. That is how I conceived Chimurenga music. I told myself that I had to find myself.”
Mukanya yodeled and growled his struggle message for more than an hour at Africa Crossroads, drawing his set from 1970s and 1980s, the first two decades of his mbira-driven canon. His Blacks Unlimited band was a symbolic mix of long-time pillars and youthful energy, featuring long- lead guitarist Zvamaida Murwira, backing vocalist and dancer Ratidzo Dangarembga, mbira player Eric Miller, bassist Christopher Muchauraya and others.
His one-hour set, “Shumba”, “Ngoma Yekwedu”, “Munhu Mutema”, “Nyoka Musango”, “Tozvireva Kupiko”, “Chirizevha Chapera”, “Bhutsu Mutandarika” and other songs, drew from his high-octane early years. Musical longevity is usually marked by vocal phases, smooth to deep to hoarse, but a key Chimurenga trick has enabled 75-year old Mapfumo to avoid this. Even as a young revivalist, back in the early 1970s, Mapfumo already personified sekuru, the elder connoisseur of tradition, expressing his folksy repertoire in a gravelly voice. As he ages, nature is blending into initiative.
Mapfumo’s revivalist legacy is best captured by Mokoomba, Nobuntu and Jah Prayzah, young Zimbabwean artists who have made international inroads by foregrounding their respective Tonga, Ndebele and Shona identities. “Thinking about where you are coming from is very important. If people hear that you are Zimbabwean, they will expect you to sing the Zimbabwean way. That’s cultural exchange. We were accepted in America we brought our own music. All the big names in Africa, Salif Keita, Kela Kuti, Franco of Congo did not succeed from playing other countries’ music,” he said.
His position on Zimdancehall, a genre he has previously called bubblegum although it has since risen to be the biggest in the country, is still uncompromising. “Actually these kids, they are destroying our culture because Zimdancehall doesn’t belong to Zimbabwe; that’s Jamaican style of music,” he said. “Why should we adopt Jamaican culture. We are Zimbabweans. We got our own music. We promote our own culture rather than promoting Jamaican culture.”
This, however, contradicts his earlier point to Marimba: “Every generation comes with its own things. We were young yesterday; the youths of today like their own things. We can’t despise them because that’s their own things. We should give our children space to do their own things and succeed; if we can help them, we come in.”
Zimdancehall, in fact, best represents the protest side of Mapfumo’s legacy in the current setting. The foremost dancehall artists of the past decade did a lot to Zimbabweanise the borrowed genre by blending home influences and heavy local language use. On the other hand, the breakout stars of 2020, Poptain and Nutty O, are good examples of artists who have heeded Mapfumo’s advice of doing it in English or patois to compete internationally. Winky D released a culturally themed 2019 album. Winky D, whom Mapfumo previously criticised, before warming up to recently received a regional award and is widely regarded as one of the best dancehall artists in Africa.
Mapfumo’s performance at Africa Crossroads shows that he is far from done, despite announcing retirement earlier this year. Music remains his running meditation. “Even the drop of a spoon, that sound I can change it into music,” he said, revealing that he has recorded more than a 100 tunes on his phone for his band to catch up with.
Please help pass this message: By Lovemore Fana of Guinea Fowl, Gweru.
Above is the photo of Innocent Fana who went missing from King George V1 Memorial school in Bulawayo on 10th December 2020. Innocent is a boarder at the above mentioned school but because of his brightness, the boarding decided to make him a day scholar at Milton boys high school while still boarding at King George V1. The boy is 18yrs old, stout, has short hair and is physically handicapped. Innocent can walk freely but has straight hands and no elbows, meaning he needs special care and assistance in bathing, eating e.t.c. As it stands neither King George V1 school where he disappeared from, nor Milton boys high school know where he is. Us (relatives) don’t know where he is.
I’m therefore appealing to members of the public who see him or know where he is to please contact me on the following cell numbers: 0772431813/0716437164, or 0782150932, 0773661129, 0773267506
Innocent, please contact me as soon as you get hold of this message. Everybody has been traumatized by your disappearance. I’m worried sick about you my dear brother. You know you are not just a brother but a son to me.
THE Thokozani Khupe-led MDC-T has demanded that its members should pay $1 in subscriptions in order to assist bereaved party members at funerals, adding that its membership was now 1,5 million which would translate to a lot of money.
This was said recently by the party secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora in Marondera while addressing party delegates during his campaign trail for the MDC-T presidency.
“Starting on January 1, every month, if you are a true member of the MDC-T, you are supposed to pay subscriptions of a dollar, not United States dollars, but one bond. If paying a dollar each month is boring, you can just pay $12 for the whole year. The money will be directed to our fund so that if an MDC-T member dies, the money will cater for the funeral,” he said.
“We calculated and realised that the MDC-T has 1,5 million members and this means that every month, we will be having $1,5 million and this translates to US$15 000 every month. The secret is that we do not get sick and die at the same time. That money will be enough in times of crisis,” he said.
The MDC-T congress failed to kick off at the weekend after its leaders clashed over a manipulated voters roll.
Mwonzora is eyeing the MDC-T presidency alongside Khupe and Elias Mudzuri.
He also said the MDC-T was looking for money to compensate victims of political violence.
“Zanu PF has its war veterans, they are paid monthly for their contribution. In Mashonaland East province, there are a lot of people that were affected by political violence during the Robert Mugabe era. We hear stories of people being thrown in Wenimbe Dam. We are saying it is time for the victims of political violence to be compensated,” he said.
President of the Zimbabwe Council of Chiefs, Chief Fortune Charumbira addresses members of the National Council of Chiefs from Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South and other stakeholders during a consultative meeting held at a Bulawayo hotel yesterday. Following proceedings on the left is the Matabeleland Collective chairperson Ms Jenni Williams and Bulawayo Provincial Development Coordinator (PDC) Mr Paul Nyoni.
THE National Council of Chiefs has started consulting key stakeholders as part of efforts to resolve the emotive issue of Gukurahundi as directed by President Mnangagwa.
The consultations will be followed by a comprehensive strategic plan incorporating inputs from stakeholders, which will guide Government in terms of implementing some of the resolutions to fully address the subject.
In October, President Mnangagwa met the National Council of Chiefs at State House in Bulawayo on the issue of Gukurahundi including a number of developmental issues the traditional leaders wanted addressed.
The meeting was a follow-up to previous ones held between chiefs and President Mnangagwa, the last one being a consultative engagement at the same venue between the Head of State and chiefs from Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South during the same month.
In the last meeting, it was resolved that traditional leaders will take over the reburials of victims of Gukurahundi in Matabeleland and Midlands while the Government will be involved in funding the process as part of initiatives meant to address the issue and promote national healing.
Speaking to journalists soon after a closed-door meeting with chiefs from Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South provinces in Bulawayo yesterday, National Council of Chiefs President, Chief Fortune Charumbira said they agreed as chiefs that it was best to engage key shareholders with genuine interest in addressing the issue.
“As directed by His Excellency, the President, Cde E D Mnangagwa that there is a need to fully address the issue of Gukurahundi, we met today with chiefs from Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South who are part of the National Council of Chiefs and the Office of the President and Cabinet including the Matabeleland Collective to fine-tune the process,” he said.
“The institution of chiefs will lead the process and we want to be thorough and ensure that there is transparency in this whole process and we are not rushing in as much as we need timelines. We need to first invite people with ideas to support the process as a first step, and once we are done with consultations, we will then develop a strategic plan based on the inputs from various stakeholders and the best way to undertake this process.”
Chief Charumbira, however, could not give specific dates on how long the consultation process would take.
“We will convene meetings with stakeholders so that they can make an input into this process. It is not exclusively a process for traditional leaders since we have so many people who can assist us in terms of ideas, some of which would be considered in implementation of the process,” he said.
Chief Charumbira said there were destroyers of peace who have misrepresented the process, using social media to peddle lies.
“They are deliberately misrepresenting what came out from the meeting between the President and the Chiefs’ Council. Some of it sounding very tribal and destructive. It should be noted that this is a process for the people of this country to ensure unity,” he said.
Chief Charumbira said the programme is community-led with the victims in the villages expected to speak out and give ideas on how their emotions should be appeased.
“There has been talk of exhumations and we are not aware of any of those. However, as chiefs we were simply directed to go to the people and let them speak out. If ever there will be any exhumations, it is the families who will request with good reasons,” he said.
“What I am aware of is that most families in their own cultures are not interested in these exhumations, but if they believe that exhumations are a way for resolving their issues, then that will be looked into in terms of the laws governing exhumations including the cultural processes.”
Chief Charumbira said no traditional leader will move from one area, district or province to another to direct or dictate how the issue of Gukurahundi should be resolved. He said each chief with people in his or her own community will find a way to resolve the issues.
Chief Charumbira said the Gukurahundi process had to be institutionalised for sustainability.
“The provincial chiefs’ assembly should lead this process not individual chiefs or some groupings of people who are not even part of the cultural institution of this country to take a lead in this process. The provincial chiefs’ assembly will then report to the national structure, which is the National Council of Chiefs,” he said.
“We welcome all those people that feel they have ideas that strengthen this process so that it achieves better results.
However, culturally, no person who does not belong to the affected family or clan, is allowed to direct or lead cultural processes or even exhumation processes. This issue of Gukurahundi is led by traditional leaders and the structures start from village head to chiefs, but these will do so under an institution,” he said.
Chief Charumbira said the demands by affected families should be within the realm of reasonableness culturally for them to be implemented.
Senator Chief Matupula, who is representing chiefs in Matabeleland North, said they have noted with concern that there were some people who were using Gukurahundi to gain political mileage.
“We have people discussing these issues in hotels and they are not being sincere because Gukurahundi is a very pertinent and sensitive issue which should be handled with care not for political or monetary gain. It should be a sincere process leading to national healing among our people,” he said.
Chief Matupula said it was imperative to have the issue resolved in villages with traditional leaders being the only people who are supposed to speak to villagers about their issues.
“We believe first of all we need to identify the relevant stakeholders, those who can come and assist chiefs, those interested in the issue. Many people get interested in this issue for various reasons,” he said.
“If people are genuinely interested in this issue for the sake of national healing then it becomes easy for us to identify the role they can play.
Chief Matupula said in Matabeleland North, they were working with the Office of the President and Cabinet, Ministries of Local Government, Justice, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC), State Security organs, war veterans, the civil society, traditionalists, religious and cultural leaders
“For now, there are no exhumations and this is all going to come from the people. When we gather those issues, they will then be consolidated and put together into a document from the outreach programme and presented to the relevant authorities. The document will be analysed and responses given to the people,” said Chief Matupula.
Representing chiefs from Matabeleland South, Chief Nyangazonke said there is a need to collectively address the issue by including historians, traditional healers and civil organisations.
“We also looked at the set-up of our province and there are a lot of shrines and people have different beliefs. We are also giving greenlight to those that would want to conduct rituals in those shrines to do so. We have to do consultations with elders who have knowledge on issues of that magnitude,” he said.
ZANU PF Masvingo provincial chair Ezra Chadzamira has warned party supporters against abusing social media platforms like WhatsApp, Twitter among others and creating imaginary conflicts that do not help to build the party.
Addressing a Provincial Coordinating Committee meeting in Chivi on Sunday, Chadzamira said the party does not tolerate indiscipline.
Party business, Chadzamira said, is not conducted on social media platforms, but members must follow protocol if they have issues they want to be attended to.
“This social media abuse should stop and let us stop posting lies against our party leaders.
“Let us work with the leadership and display peace, unity and development amongst ourselves as we are geared towards 2023 elections. In politics you won’t succeed if you don’t respect the leadership,” he said.
Chadzamira’s warning comes after demonstrations against him that had been instigated by losing party officials in the recently held District Coordinating Committee (DCC) elections flopped.
Speaking at the same meeting, Zanu-PF National Secretary for Legal Affairs Paul Mangwana said it was better for disgruntled members to leave the revolutionary party instead of causing unnecessary friction from within.
“The doors are wide open. If you want to leave the party, you can go. The party will remain stronger.”
Regardless of a few malcontents, Mangwana urged Zanu-PF members not to lose direction and to continue working tirelessly in building the party.
He said every Zimbabwean should uphold the values and principles of the former freedom fighters who participated in the liberation struggle.
At the same meeting Zanu-PF National Secretary for Security Lovemore Matuke urged party leadership to desist from holding secret meetings, saying that this was the source of the divisions.
“If you feel aggrieved by any development within the party, you should seek recourse through the relevant party channels and in doing so, loyalty and discipline as expressed through understanding and adherence to the party constitution, ethics and guiding principles must always be at the core,” he said.
Last week, President Mnangagwa urged party members to desist from discussing their grievances through both the mainstream and online media platforms.
In Masvingo Province, the abuse of social media has already claimed the scalp of former Chivi South legislator Mr Killer Zivhu who was expelled from the party.
A Harare magistrate who last year fined a Venezuelan $700 for carrying 5kg cocaine worth US$469 000 in her luggage as she flew into Harare from Brazil, has been arrested for criminal abuse of office as graft-busters move up the ladder into the courts.
In a declaratory ruling on appeal, the High Court thought five years jail was the appropriate sentence although the Venezuelan had already been deported by that time, there being no additional grounds to hold her.
But that recent ruling raised suspicions over why the magistrate was so lenient.
Normally, even possession of a few grammes of cocaine attracts a jail term and the judge noted there was no legal precedent for sentencing someone with such a huge quantity of dangerous drugs.
Magistrate Morgan Nemadire tried Venezuelan Delcy Deymar Rodriguez Guererro who had been arrested for possessing 5kg cocaine and with the overwhelming evidence convicted her on the alternative more minor charge, rather than the main more serious charge, before imposing a sentence of a small fine.
Nemadire’s arrest follows investigations by the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (Sacu) with the assistance of the police.
It also comes at a time when the cogs of the justice delivery are under scrutiny after a senior prosecutor, Tapiwa Kasema, last week consented to the granting of bail to four members of a gang suspected to be the biggest robbers in Zimbabwean history.
That consent prompted police to arrest him.
Yesterday, the head of Sacu Mr Tabani Mpofu confirmed the arrest of the magistrate but could not divulge more details concerning the case.
Nemadire is expected to appear in court soon.
Aggrieved by the sentencing leniency for Guererro, the Prosecutor-General’s Office then appealed to the High Court against both the conviction on the minor charge rather than the main chare and against the sentence, saying it was too lenient even for the lesser charge.
Guerrro, a native of Venezuela, who was deported to her home country, should have served five years in prison for possession of cocaine valued at $469 000 after the High Court quashed a lower court’s sentence in a judgment delivered recently and made the conviction on the main charge.
Justice Joseph Musakwa observed that the trial court was too lenient with Guererro and ruled that a declarator on the appropriate sentence was called for even though she had been deported.
“In that respect, a sentence of five years’ imprisonment should have been imposed,” said Justice Musakwa.
“The verdict of the lower court is set aside and substituted with . .. guilty of the main charge and not guilty of the alternative charge; the sentence is set aside and substituted with the following . . . five years’ imprisonment.”
Justice Musakwa bemoaned a dearth of comparative legal authorities on cocaine-related matters from the country’s jurisdiction. He said the few cases available pale into insignificance when compared with the matter involving the Venezuelan national.
Usually, people found in possession of small quantities of cocaine ranging from 1,7 grammes to 10 grammes are sent to jail without the option of a fine.
The trial court was lenient with Guererro on the grounds that it was expensive to keep foreigners in local prisons, adding that she had complained of ill-health. This was despite the fact that the prosecution in the trial court had submitted that a fine would trivialise the gravity of the offence and would be a mockery to the justice delivery system.
The trial court heard that on October 18, 2018, police on duty at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport received a tip-off that Guererro was travelling to Harare from Brazil and was suspected to be carrying dangerous drugs.
When Guererro disembarked from her flight, she proceeded to the clearance counter in the arrivals hall to clear her passport. She was arrested as she was getting her passport stamped.
The long delays at Beitbridge Border Post have seen a Zimbabwean woman collapsing and dying in an Eagleliner bus yesterday afternoon while waiting to be cleared to leave South Africa, almost 36 hours after arriving at the border.
The woman, whose identity is yet to be established, was travelling from Johannesburg to Harare, according to border sources and had been stuck in the queue on the South African side since Monday morning.
“We are yet to get full details on the women’s death, but what we have so far is that she had been at the border for over 24 hours. She was travelling in a Harare bound bus when she complained of fatigue before collapsing. The bus crew tried to render first aid to no avail,” said an official from South Africa.
The woman was pronounced dead by emergency services workers who were called to the bus and her body was taken to Musina Government Mortuary.
Both Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo and the Zimbabwe Embassy in South Africa said they were yet to get details or the identity of the woman.
"I have it on good authority that CIO agents were paid USD300 in cash today by Goz; the CIO is the only organisation to be selectively paid in hard currency."
BULAWAYO has recorded two more Covid-19 related deaths as the country recorded 97 new cases in the last 24-hour cycle, bringing the total number of cases to 12 422.
So far, the total number of people who succumbed to the deadly virus now stands at 322 while the national recovery rate stands at 81,4 percent.
Coronavirus cases are on the rise.
A total of 1 581 PCR tests were conducted yesterday and positivity was 6,6 percent.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, all the 97 new cases local transmissions. The highest number of 50 cases was reported in Harare followed by Bulawayo which had 16 new cases.
Mashonaland East recorded 12 new cases while Masvingo had nine new cases. The Midlands has five cases. Matabeleland North and Manicaland had two new cases each while Mashonaland Central recorded one case.
“As of December 21, 2020 Zimbabwe, has now recorded 12 422 confirmed cases, 10 112 recoveries and 322 deaths,” reads the statement.-Chronicle
By A Correspondent- This month marks a year after the controversial prophet Talent Chiwenga said truck drivers and builders are lazy people who will die before 40.
He said this is because of the nature of their work, while adding that the two are worthless professions.
He mocked the texture of truck drivers and builders’ hands likening them to the backside of a tortoise’s backside.
Said Chiwenga:
“Greeting the person and then you’ll see that their hands are in such a terrible shape, hardened like a tortoise’s backside, and you ask yourself: are these real human hands?
“And the person literally thinks that they have a career, handling bricks.
“They will not be able to reach 40 years, the bricks destroy your back; it is just the same thing as driving a truck from DRC to Zimbabwe.
“This is hard labour, when you see a person reaching 10 years while doing such a job as a truck driver; they are a lazy, nyope.
“They don’t want to think. That (truck driving) is not a profession, a person could confidently say that they are a truck driver.
“For a person to do this job for over 10 years, travelling 5000 km, 5000 km 5000 km, sitting behind a big steering wheel like this, driving a mere gonyimbi(haulage truck).
“People are lazy but that laziness manifests itself in three dimensions: there are some people who are lazy because they do not have energy to work, they are weak people. I personally saw such people while growing up.
“To hold a simple plough, they are hit by a plough like this, while failing to bring it down.
‘They end up nearly killing someone’s child and you tell them to stand up and go and sit somewhere else.
“If you tell them to lead the cows, the whip hits them from behind, it goes the other way.
“They do not have ability to see the thing; they don’t have the excellency that some of us have.
“We used to finish everything using one hand; The other hand doing the driving, while my father would be saying, hurry up there is more field work tomorrow.
“We used to do it better than the person who is pulling. So now, you can end up being lazy, you are at loss of physical power. Or you can have physical power and you are at loss of mental power; now that one (the latter) is a serious disaster.”
THE Gafa as Zimbabwean dancehall musician Winky D is popularly known did the nation on Monday after he was declared as this year’s Best Dancehall Artiste at the African Entertainment Awards United States of America (AEAUSA).
Riding high on his recent release Ragga Msambo trilogy, Winky D managed to shun competition from some of the world’s best musicians among them Patoranking, Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy, Samini, Navy Kenzo, Bebe Cool and Prince Bright.
AEAUSA is a non-profit organisation established in New Jersey in the USA to support, celebrate and uplift African Entertainment since 2015. The company uses entertainment as a platform to showcase an Africa that is united, self-sufficient, willing and able to evoke social change that matters most in the communities of Africans all over the world.
Taking to his social media pages yesterday, Winky D dedicated the award to his fans who have supported him on a career spanning about two decades.
He added that the award is a present for the festive season which is happening on a different note this year as it is subdued due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Allow me to express hearty appreciation to my musical family, the Gafas to whom I dedicate this award. I am forever humbled by the Gafa family’s uncompromising confidence and unwavering commitment to the Vigilance musical journey.
Surely, we are stronger together. This is a befitting festive bonus for the trilogy,” said Winky D.-Chronicle
FC PLATINUM skipper Petros Mhari has rallied his teammates to focus on avoiding conceding at home as they look to begin their CAF Champions League first round tie against Tanzanian giants Simba SC on a positive footing at the National Sports Stadium this afternoon.
The match, which kicks off at 3pm behind closed doors, will be broadcast live on ZBC Television.
Mhari, who is one of the most experienced players in the Zimbabwean side, yesterday said they do not expect to leave anything to chance.
The platinum miners are mindful of the strength of their opponents, who reached the quarter-finals of the same competition two years ago, and are aiming for a clean sheet ahead of the second leg set for the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on January 6.
“Of course we know one or two things about Simba from watching them play in the Tanzanian league and also in these interclub competitions,” said Mhari.
“But since we are starting at home, we just need to make sure that we get a positive result out of this match. In fact, it would be best if we avoid conceding goals at home because these goals have the tendency of coming back to haunt you in the second leg.
“Football is just a game played over 90 minutes. We need to execute our game-plan well and make sure that we maintain maximum concentration the entire match,” Mhari said.
FC Platinum have reached the group stages in their last two consecutive campaigns and the target for this year is to go beyond the last 16 for the first time.
However, they face a tall order considering they are coming from a background of complete lockdown which saw football being cancelled this year while their opponents have been playing continuously.
FC Platinum had not played a competitive match since February 2020 but they still had it in them to beat Costa do Sol of Mozambique, home and away, in the preliminary round.
Mhari and his teammates are looking to build on the momentum to get their campaign going.-Chronicle
THREE passengers, including a minor, onboard a pirating Toyota Noah drowned when the vehicle was swept away after its driver attempted to cross a flooded river in Zvishavane at the weekend.
The three got out of the car through the windows but unfortunately drowned.
The other seven passengers and the driver managed to disembark from the vehicle and swam to safety.
Acting police spokesperson for Midlands Province, Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende confirmed the incident which she said occurred on Sunday around 6PM at Mutorahuku River near Kashamba Primary School on the outskirts of Zvishavane town.
She said the pirating Toyota Noah had 10 people on board.
“Police in Zvishavane are investigating a case in which three passengers drowned after the driver of a vehicle they were travelling in tried to cross a flooded river.
“The incident occurred on Sunday at around 6PM at Mutorahuku River near Kashamba Primary School on the outskirts of Zvishavane,” said Asst Insp Mukwende.
She said the deaths could have been avoided if the driver had not attempted to drive across the flooded river.
“Circumstances are that on the said date one Cornelius Manduku (48) of Village Runyararo under Chief Jahana in Insiza was driving a Toyota Noah from Zvishavane on the way back to Insiza with 10 passengers on board.
“Upon arrival at Mutorahuku River near Kashamba Primary School they found the river flooded,” she said.
Asst Insp Mukwende said the driver proceeded and attempted to cross the flooded river resulting in the car being swept away with 10 people on board.
She said the police identified the three deceased passengers Tariro Makwa (24), Aneno Manduku (39) and a minor Gertrude Mudhonga (9).
“The three, Manduku, Makwa and Mudhonga got out of the car through the windows and unfortunately drowned, while the other seven passengers and the driver managed to swim out of the flooded river,” said Asst Insp Mukwende.-Chronicle
Warriors head coach Zdravko Logarusic is likely to select either Dynamos captain Partson Jaure or Chicken Inn defender Ian Nekati to captain the Warriors at the sixth edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) to be held next year.
An insider told NewsDay that one of the two defenders will likely get the armband as both have gained invaluable experience by playing for the regular Warriors team. He said:
He (Loga) is likely to choose between Jaure and Nekati. Remember Nekati was the captain before the CHAN qualifiers and it is likely to be a toss-up between him and Jaure. It is highly likely one of them will be given the armband.
Jaure wore the skipper’s armband in 2014 when the Warriors reached the semi-finals in South Africa and also during the qualifiers for next year’s edition.
Zimbabwe is one of the only three teams that have appeared at the biennial soccer showcase since its inception in 2009 along with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The Warriors will play hosts Cameroon in the opening match before facing the Stallions of Burkina Faso in the second match of Group A and conclude their group matches with a clash against the Eagles of Mali.
The tournament kicks off on January 16 and winds down on February 7. – NewsDay
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has pointed out that the concept of unity has been drowned by violence and lawlessness in the country.
Below is President Chamisa’s Unity Day Message :
THE IDEA OF UNITY- MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa Unity Day Message 22 December 2020
Fellow Zimbabweans,
The bold font of divisions, destruction, violence and anarchy continues to override the voices of love, unity, peace, reason and development in our country.
This is largely because our nation-building project has not fulfilled the promise of the glorious days of independence.
We need true unity, peace and prayer to heal and build our nation. Peace and unity are the necessary ingredients for development and the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms and rights.
However, it is important to understand the idea of unity. Unity is not about the coming together of bodies, commanded by the powerful in society. It is not an event signified by elite political pacts. Unity is a process by which minds are drawn together organically to achieve a common purpose.
Unity does not mean the absence of difference. Instead, it is a process that acknowledges, recognises and celebrates difference as a natural part of a normal society. Therefore, unity does not necessarily mean uniformity among peoples. Rather it recognises and promotes diversity and the beauty of it.
Indeed, unity does not mean compulsory conformity of the minority to the majority merely because the majority demand compliance. Rather, unity behoves the majority to recognise and respect minorities in whatever form because they matter too.
Politically, unity is a process in which parties of different political and ideological persuasions are allowed to pursue their cause while they come together to face common threats.
Unity does not criminalize diversity and alternative views. It is not tyranny of the centre. This why the devolution process, which is encapsulated in our Constitution, is essential for unity. Unity does not mean sweeping pain and tears of a people under the proverbial carpet. Rather, it is a process that is undergirded by truth-telling, acknowdgement of pain, remorse and reconciliation.
Where there is unity of purpose there is difference but a commitment to development and prosperity. Genuine unity does not produce an impoverished society. It exalts a people to prosperity. On this day, we should be celebrating. But too many of our people are in great pain because of socio-economic burdens that have become unbearable.
Currently, we experience too many divisions, violence, and hatred. This has made Unity Day become trite, vacuous and meaningless without the values and practices of unity that I have outlined. It has become a reminder of the ogre of violence, intolerance and hate speech that continue to engulf our nation.
Violence is intolerable. We note with disdain an increase in abductions and torture against its citizens including young leaders and activists. We have hundreds of MDC leaders in detention or on remand facing trumped-up politically-motivated charges. The consistent and persistent denial of citizens’ rights is a form of violence against political opponents.
The harassment, intimidation, illegal arrest of opposition leaders, activists, and professionals is repugnant to unity and peace. It’s deplorable how professionals have been harassed and persecuted during the course of the year simply because they have dared to exercise their freedoms. Unity does not mean a suppression of fundamental rights and freedoms. It celebrates and protects them.
Unity is not built on force. It is built upon foundations of love, understanding and appreciation of difference and diversity.
In a New Zimbabwe, under our new government, we propose a National Unity, Peace and Prayer Day. We do so in recognition of the fact that unity, peace and prayer are interconnected.
We recognise that unity is not merely a political slogan but rather, it is a reality that we must experience in all spheres, be it in our families, churches, workplaces civic organisations or government.
Nation building is an ongoing project that must produce conditions of unity in diversity. But we cannot build a nation when there is persecution. We call for an end to political persecution. Nation building requires justice to be done for the aggrieved in our communities.
We deserve to be united by our values, aspirations, constitution and human rights. No single organization is bigger than Zimbabwe. We must imagine a better, just and more prosperous Zimbabwe in which our diversity is celebrated, not condemned.
We owe it to ourselves and future generations as God’s people to embrace one another in unity, to pray for the prosperity of our nation. Prayer works with works. We should not wait for divine intervention when we can change our behaviour.
This day, I call upon families and all people of this country to embrace this day as a day we express our unity with one another. A day we find peace. A day we seek the Lord as we prepare for Christmas and the New Year holidays.
This day, I join you all in demanding true unity, peace and prosperity for us all as a people. We in the MDC are ready to play our part in finding a lasting solution to the national issues that bring us together as a nation. We will unite the nation and bring peace in the name of our Lord, without resorting to any forms violence which we abhor.
Hundreds of Zimbabweans returning to the country for Christmas are spending up to two days to pass through Beitbridge Border Post as congestion persists at Sadc’s busiest inland port of entry.
Even commercial cargo is piling up on either side raising fears that most Zimbabweans, who rely on groceries from the neighbouring country, may spend the festive season without food.
There are long queues on either side of the border, despite official statistics showing that Christmas period traffic has declined by almost 70 percent this year compared to previous years.
The decline is attributed to Covid-19 travel restrictions. South Africa is home to many Zimbabwean migrant workers and a majority of them were not able to travel through the borders at the peak of the Covid-19 induced lockdowns in both countries.
Until December 1 only commercial cargo, bodies for burial and returnees, and diplomats on Government business were allowed to travel into either country.
Zimbabwe opened its land borders, including Beitbridge at the beginning of this month. Private motorists and pedestrians are now travelling under strict Covid-19 management protocols, which also come with curfews running between 10PM and 6AM in both countries.
However, the implementation of the curfew on the South African side of the border which runs between 10PM and 4AM coupled with strict Covid-19 screening is slowing the movement of traffic into either country.
After 10PM only commercial cargo is allowed to travel through Beitbridge Border Post, resulting in vehicles piling up on either side of the border. Travellers continue to spend at least 48 hours to pass through the border.
Although there appear to be many people at the border due to congestion, official statistics show that less than one-third of the usual volume of traffic during peak periods is using the border.
“Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the border used to handle at least 30 000 travellers per day and currently, the average figure is 6 500.
“The issue of implementing curfew regulations and slow Covid-19 screening has caused a lot of chaos,” said a border official.
An average of 50 Zimbabweans are arriving from South Africa by road daily under the self-repatriation facility.
According to an informal cross-border transporter, Mr Trust Ndlovu, the slow movement of traffic at the border is likely to see some families having a dull festive season.
“Something has to be done about the situation here. Imagine I haven’t moved for one kilometre since arriving at the border at 5 AM,” said Mr Ndlovu yesterday afternoon.
“When the Government re-opened the land borders, most of us were happy that we will be able to transport groceries and all the basic commodities we had failed to do at the peak of the lockdown.
“If we look at the rate at which things are moving here, we won’t manage to make deliveries to all our clients. This will be disastrous.”
Mr Albert Pinjisi who was travelling from South Africa said he had spent more than six hours at the border due to long queues. Another motorist, Mr Brian Tshabangu said; “We have a crisis here, we don’t know if we will be able to cross over to South Africa today. We have cleared everything on the Zimbabwe side and have been waiting in this queue for a very long time.”
Our news crew observed security officers strictly screening travellers for valid documents including passports and Covid-19 clearance certificates.
A total of 1 015 people have since December 10 been arrested at the border for violating immigration laws. -Chronicle
Three passengers, including a minor, onboard a pirating Toyota Noah drowned when the vehicle was swept away after its driver attempted to cross a flooded river in Zvishavane at the weekend.
The three got out of the car through the windows but unfortunately drowned. The other seven passengers and the driver managed to disembark from the vehicle and swam to safety.
Acting police spokesperson for Midlands Province, Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende confirmed the incident which she said occurred on Sunday around 6PM at Mutorahuku River near Kashamba Primary School on the outskirts of Zvishavane town.
She said the pirating Toyota Noah had 10 people on board. “Police in Zvishavane are investigating a case in which three passengers drowned after the driver of a vehicle they were travelling in tried to cross a flooded river.
,
“The incident occurred on Sunday at around 6PM at Mutorahuku River near Kashamba Primary School on the outskirts of Zvishavane,” said Asst Insp Mukwende.
She said the deaths could have been avoided if the driver had not attempted to drive across the flooded river.
“Circumstances are that on the said date one Cornelius Manduku (48) of Village Runyararo under Chief Jahana in Insiza was driving a Toyota Noah from Zvishavane on the way back to Insiza with 10 passengers on board.
“Upon arrival at Mutorahuku River near Kashamba Primary School they found the river flooded,” she said.
Asst Insp Mukwende said the driver proceeded and attempted to cross the flooded river resulting in the car being swept away with 10 people on board.
She said the police identified the three deceased passengers Tariro Makwa (24), Aneno Manduku (39) and a minor Gertrude Mudhonga (9).
“The three, Manduku, Makwa and Mudhonga got out of the car through the windows and unfortunately drowned, while the other seven passengers and the driver managed to swim out of the flooded river,” said Asst Insp Mukwende.
She said the matter was reported to the police in Zvishavane who then attended the scene.
Asst Insp Mukwende warned motorists against crossing flooded rivers. “We appeal to motorists to exercise extreme caution and never attempt to cross flooded rivers.
“The rainy season is upon us and most rivers will be flooded so drivers should not risk lives by attempting to cross flooded rivers and streams,” she said. – Herald
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has pointed out that the concept of unity has been drowned by violence and lawlessness in the country.
Below is President Chamisa’s Unity Day Message :
THE IDEA OF UNITY- MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa Unity Day Message 22 December 2020
Fellow Zimbabweans,
The bold font of divisions, destruction, violence and anarchy continues to override the voices of love, unity, peace, reason and development in our country.
This is largely because our nation-building project has not fulfilled the promise of the glorious days of independence.
We need true unity, peace and prayer to heal and build our nation. Peace and unity are the necessary ingredients for development and the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms and rights.
However, it is important to understand the idea of unity. Unity is not about the coming together of bodies, commanded by the powerful in society. It is not an event signified by elite political pacts. Unity is a process by which minds are drawn together organically to achieve a common purpose.
Unity does not mean the absence of difference. Instead, it is a process that acknowledges, recognises and celebrates difference as a natural part of a normal society. Therefore, unity does not necessarily mean uniformity among peoples. Rather it recognises and promotes diversity and the beauty of it.
Indeed, unity does not mean compulsory conformity of the minority to the majority merely because the majority demand compliance. Rather, unity behoves the majority to recognise and respect minorities in whatever form because they matter too.
Politically, unity is a process in which parties of different political and ideological persuasions are allowed to pursue their cause while they come together to face common threats.
Unity does not criminalize diversity and alternative views. It is not tyranny of the centre. This why the devolution process, which is encapsulated in our Constitution, is essential for unity. Unity does not mean sweeping pain and tears of a people under the proverbial carpet. Rather, it is a process that is undergirded by truth-telling, acknowdgement of pain, remorse and reconciliation.
Where there is unity of purpose there is difference but a commitment to development and prosperity. Genuine unity does not produce an impoverished society. It exalts a people to prosperity. On this day, we should be celebrating. But too many of our people are in great pain because of socio-economic burdens that have become unbearable.
Currently, we experience too many divisions, violence, and hatred. This has made Unity Day become trite, vacuous and meaningless without the values and practices of unity that I have outlined. It has become a reminder of the ogre of violence, intolerance and hate speech that continue to engulf our nation.
Violence is intolerable. We note with disdain an increase in abductions and torture against its citizens including young leaders and activists. We have hundreds of MDC leaders in detention or on remand facing trumped-up politically-motivated charges. The consistent and persistent denial of citizens’ rights is a form of violence against political opponents.
The harassment, intimidation, illegal arrest of opposition leaders, activists, and professionals is repugnant to unity and peace. It’s deplorable how professionals have been harassed and persecuted during the course of the year simply because they have dared to exercise their freedoms. Unity does not mean a suppression of fundamental rights and freedoms. It celebrates and protects them.
Unity is not built on force. It is built upon foundations of love, understanding and appreciation of difference and diversity.
In a New Zimbabwe, under our new government, we propose a National Unity, Peace and Prayer Day. We do so in recognition of the fact that unity, peace and prayer are interconnected.
We recognise that unity is not merely a political slogan but rather, it is a reality that we must experience in all spheres, be it in our families, churches, workplaces civic organisations or government.
Nation building is an ongoing project that must produce conditions of unity in diversity. But we cannot build a nation when there is persecution. We call for an end to political persecution. Nation building requires justice to be done for the aggrieved in our communities.
We deserve to be united by our values, aspirations, constitution and human rights. No single organization is bigger than Zimbabwe. We must imagine a better, just and more prosperous Zimbabwe in which our diversity is celebrated, not condemned.
We owe it to ourselves and future generations as God’s people to embrace one another in unity, to pray for the prosperity of our nation. Prayer works with works. We should not wait for divine intervention when we can change our behaviour.
This day, I call upon families and all people of this country to embrace this day as a day we express our unity with one another. A day we find peace. A day we seek the Lord as we prepare for Christmas and the New Year holidays.
This day, I join you all in demanding true unity, peace and prosperity for us all as a people. We in the MDC are ready to play our part in finding a lasting solution to the national issues that bring us together as a nation. We will unite the nation and bring peace in the name of our Lord, without resorting to any forms violence which we abhor.
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance has challenged Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa to release jailed ARTUZ Gender and Social Welfare Secretary for Masvingo Province, Sheila Chisirimunhu.
Chisirimunhu was sentenced to 10 months in prison.
See statement below :
21 DECEMBER 2020
MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA DISTRICT DEMANDS THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF ARTUZ MASVINGO PROVINCE GENDER AND SOCIAL WELFARE SECRETARY SHEILA CHISIRIMUNHU.
Mdc Alliance Namibia district condemns the attempt by Zanupf terrorists to silence dissenting voices in the education fraternity. The conviction and sentencing of the Gender and Social Welfare Secretary from the vibrant teachers union(Artuz) led by the astute and radical leader President Obert Masaraure epitomises the serious weaponisation of the law to put opposition on mute.
Madam Sheila was convicted and sentenced to 10 months in prison which must be resisted by all right thinking teachers who comprehend the need to offer solidarity to a comrade who is being incarcerated for demanding a living wage. Teachers must continue fighting without deterrence.
Moreover, demonstrating against slave wages or unsalted peanuts in the civil service does not warrant any arrest worse imprisonment. Section 59 of the supreme law of the country provides the rights to demonstrate peacefully against gross misgovernance.
Zanupf must respect human rights and freedoms. Being incarcerated for demanding what is due is not only satanic but diabolic. Mdc Alliance Namibia district urges all genuine revolutionaries in the teaching fraternity to join hands against Zanupf authoritarianism. Sheila deserves solidarity from the rest of the civil servants who are wallowing in abject poverty.
Lets peacefully rise and constitutionally confront this unjust conviction against an innocent victim of Zanupf artificial poverty manifesting in suicidal policies in the education sector, rampant corruption and stomach politics of plunder and self-enrichment.
In a nutshell, all teachers and social democrats home and abroad must embrace dangerous freedom to win against monocracy in Zanupf goons. Zimbabweans must unite to reclaim the fruits of independence.
It is now imperative for Progressive Teachers’Union (PTUZ), ZIMTA and other Unions to drop their hypocrisy and offer solidarity to fellow comrades who appear to be confrontational for genuine transformation in the education sector.
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance has accused Zanu PF of trampling on the fundamental principles of national unity.
In a statement the vibrant movement also accused Zanu PF of using the unity accord to create a One -party State.
See statement below:
22 DECEMBER 2020
THE UNITY ACCORD WAS A FUTILE ATTEMPT TO CREATE A ONE-PARTY STATE (MONOCRACY), MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA POSTULATES.
Social democrats in Namibia agree with fellow opposition party ZAPU which was rejuvenated in 2009 after realising the hypocritical nature of Zanupf’s quest for peace and tranquillity in Zimbabwe after independence in 1980. Mdc Alliance Namibia is cognisant of the pretence and deception subjected to PF ZAPU then leader Cde Joshua Nkomo by the late Cde Robert Mugabe who deceived his opponent on the 22 December 1987.
It is clear that the Unity Accord was an unsuccessful attempt to get over the lunatic, dark and ugly chapter in the history of our motherland where more than 20 000 innocent citizens were ruthlessly butchered in cold blood for supporting a visionary leader different from Zanupf’s. The Unity Accord was the genesis of autocracy and totalitarianism in Zimbabwe since it generated state capture of the army, the police and the rest of securocrats.
This day is not worth celebrating because it epitomises DISUNITY than UNITY in the country. To date, the victims of Gukurahundi were never compensated or given any attention according to the fake agreement. The murderers and terrorists were not made accountable up to now. Sarcastically, the late Robert Mugabe called it ‘a moment of madness’ that deserves to be forgotten.
Moreover, the opposition ZAPU says it regrets signing the Unity Accord in 1987 with then ZANU after the ruling party has allegedly refused to abandon its hegemonic and violent tendencies in violation of the legendary agreement. This is incontrovertible evidence to prove that the Unity Accord laid the foundation of a One-party State. Now that ZAPU’s leader is deceased, Zanupf is now concentrating on the political behemoth (Mdc Alliance) through its surrogates in the names of Khupe,Mwonzora and cronies to decimate the people’s project. The effort to establish a One-party was resisted by ZAPU and the vibrant Mdc Alliance when they tried to use captured courts to usurp power from President Advocate Nelson Chamisa. “This will never come to fruition as long as social democrats in the country still exist under the sun. We are going to use all our organs to defend Constitutional Democracy in the motherland”, echoed Mdc Alliance Namibia Rundu Branch Spokesperson, Robson Ruhanya.
Moreso, celebrating Unity Day is tantamount to celebrating Flag Independence without deliverables. No Unity, No Tranquillity, No Harmony and No basic universal freedoms but they continue to force people to celebrate their festival of absurdities. The revival of ZAPU was a clear testimony of fake unity between the two parties. Trampling on human rights does not reflect any unity but politics hate and rhetoric. 22 December must be used to advocate for the compensation of the victims of state-sponsored mass killings during Gukurahundi.
To wind it up, Mdc Alliance Namibia advocates for a serious investigation of those who butchered our Matebeleland and Midlands relatives, friends and comrades. Perpetrators of these atrocities must be brought to book then we can commemorate the day together. #NoToImpunity #WeDemandJusticeToGukurahundiVictims
What are the signs and symptoms of typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever?
Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever have similar symptoms̵.
People usually have a sustained fever (one that doesn’t come and go) that can be as high as 103–104°F (39–40°C).
Other symptoms of typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever include
Weakness
Stomach pain
Headache
Diarrhea or constipation
Cough
Loss of appetite
Some people with typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever develop a rash of flat, rose-colored spots.
What do you do if you think you have typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever?
The only way to know for sure if an illness is typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever is to have a sample of blood or stool (poop) tested for Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi.
If you have a fever and feel very ill, see a doctor immediately.
How are typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever treated?
Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever are treated with antibiotics.
When bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, the bacteria are not killed and their growth is not stopped when antibiotics are taken. Your doctor may order special tests to see if the bacteria causing your infection are resistant. Results from those tests may affect what antibiotic treatment you receive.
People who do not get appropriate antibiotic treatment may have fever for weeks or months and may develop complications. People who do not get treatment can die from complications of the infection.
The danger from typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever doesn’t end when symptoms disappear.
Even if your symptoms seem to go away, you may still be carrying Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi. If so, the illness could return, or you could pass the bacteria to other people. In fact, if you are a healthcare worker or work at a job where you handle food or care for small children, you may not be able to return to work until a doctor has determined you no longer carry the bacteria.
If you are being treated for typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever, it is important to do the following to lower the chance that you will pass the bacteria on to someone else.
Keep taking antibiotics for as long as the doctor has recommended.
Wash your hands carefully with soap and water after using the bathroom.Do not prepare or serve food for others.
Source: Centre For Disease Control And Prevention
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA DISTRICT DEMANDS THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF ARTUZ MASVINGO PROVINCE GENDER AND SOCIAL WELFARE SECRETARY SHEILA CHISIRIMUNHU.
Mdc Alliance Namibia district condemns the attempt by Zanupf terrorists to silence dissenting voices in the education fraternity. The conviction and sentencing of the Gender and Social Welfare Secretary from the vibrant teachers union(Artuz) led by the astute and radical leader President Obert Masaraure epitomises the serious weaponisation of the law to put opposition on mute.
Madam Sheila was convicted and sentenced to 10 months in prison which must be resisted by all right thinking teachers who comprehend the need to offer solidarity to a comrade who is being incarcerated for demanding a living wage. Teachers must continue fighting without deterrence.
Moreover, demonstrating against slave wages or unsalted peanuts in the civil service does not warrant any arrest worse imprisonment. Section 59 of the supreme law of the country provides the rights to demonstrate peacefully against gross misgovernance.
Zanupf must respect human rights and freedoms. Being incarcerated for demanding what is due is not only satanic but diabolic. Mdc Alliance Namibia district urges all genuine revolutionaries in the teaching fraternity to join hands against Zanupf authoritarianism. Sheila deserves solidarity from the rest of the civil servants who are wallowing in abject poverty.
Lets peacefully rise and constitutionally confront this unjust conviction against an innocent victim of Zanupf artificial poverty manifesting in suicidal policies in the education sector, rampant corruption and stomach politics of plunder and self-enrichment.
In a nutshell, all teachers and social democrats home and abroad must embrace dangerous freedom to win against monocracy in Zanupf goons. Zimbabweans must unite to reclaim the fruits of independence.
It is now imperative for Progressive Teachers’Union (PTUZ), ZIMTA and other Unions to drop their hypocrisy and offer solidarity to fellow comrades who appear to be confrontational for genuine transformation in the education sector.
THE IDEA OF UNITY- MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa Unity Day Message 22 December 2020
Fellow Zimbabweans,
The bold font of divisions, destruction, violence and anarchy continues to override the voices of love, unity, peace, reason and development in our country.
This is largely because our nation-building project has not fulfilled the promise of the glorious days of independence.
We need true unity, peace and prayer to heal and build our nation. Peace and unity are the necessary ingredients for development and the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms and rights.
However, it is important to understand the idea of unity. Unity is not about the coming together of bodies, commanded by the powerful in society. It is not an event signified by elite political pacts. Unity is a process by which minds are drawn together organically to achieve a common purpose.
Unity does not mean the absence of difference. Instead, it is a process that acknowledges, recognises and celebrates difference as a natural part of a normal society. Therefore, unity does not necessarily mean uniformity among peoples. Rather it recognises and promotes diversity and the beauty of it.
Indeed, unity does not mean compulsory conformity of the minority to the majority merely because the majority demand compliance. Rather, unity behoves the majority to recognise and respect minorities in whatever form because they matter too.
Politically, unity is a process in which parties of different political and ideological persuasions are allowed to pursue their cause while they come together to face common threats.
Unity does not criminalize diversity and alternative views. It is not tyranny of the centre. This why the devolution process, which is encapsulated in our Constitution, is essential for unity. Unity does not mean sweeping pain and tears of a people under the proverbial carpet. Rather, it is a process that is undergirded by truth-telling, acknowdgement of pain, remorse and reconciliation.
Where there is unity of purpose there is difference but a commitment to development and prosperity. Genuine unity does not produce an impoverished society. It exalts a people to prosperity. On this day, we should be celebrating. But too many of our people are in great pain because of socio-economic burdens that have become unbearable.
Currently, we experience too many divisions, violence, and hatred. This has made Unity Day become trite, vacuous and meaningless without the values and practices of unity that I have outlined. It has become a reminder of the ogre of violence, intolerance and hate speech that continue to engulf our nation.
Violence is intolerable. We note with disdain an increase in abductions and torture against its citizens including young leaders and activists. We have hundreds of MDC leaders in detention or on remand facing trumped-up politically-motivated charges. The consistent and persistent denial of citizens’ rights is a form of violence against political opponents.
The harassment, intimidation, illegal arrest of opposition leaders, activists, and professionals is repugnant to unity and peace. It’s deplorable how professionals have been harassed and persecuted during the course of the year simply because they have dared to exercise their freedoms. Unity does not mean a suppression of fundamental rights and freedoms. It celebrates and protects them.
Unity is not built on force. It is built upon foundations of love, understanding and appreciation of difference and diversity.
In a New Zimbabwe, under our new government, we propose a National Unity, Peace and Prayer Day. We do so in recognition of the fact that unity, peace and prayer are interconnected. We recognise that unity is not merely a political slogan but rather, it is a reality that we must experience in all spheres, be it in our families, churches, workplaces civic organisations or government.
Nation building is an ongoing project that must produce conditions of unity in diversity. But we cannot build a nation when there is persecution. We call for an end to political persecution. Nation building requires justice to be done for the aggrieved in our communities.
We deserve to be united by our values, aspirations, constitution and human rights. No single organization is bigger than Zimbabwe. We must imagine a better, just and more prosperous Zimbabwe in which our diversity is celebrated, not condemned.
We owe it to ourselves and future generations as God’s people to embrace one another in unity, to pray for the prosperity of our nation. Prayer works with works. We should not wait for divine intervention when we can change our behaviour.
This day, I call upon families and all people of this country to embrace this day as a day we express our unity with one another. A day we find peace. A day we seek the Lord as we prepare for Christmas and the New Year holidays.
This day, I join you all in demanding true unity, peace and prosperity for us all as a people. We in the MDC are ready to play our part in finding a lasting solution to the national issues that bring us together as a nation. We will unite the nation and bring peace in the name of our Lord, without resorting to any forms violence which we abhor.
LIONEL Messi says his failed attempt to leave Barcelona in the summer has affected his form this season.
In August the Argentina forward said he wanted to exercise a clause in his contract which he said allowed him to leave on a free transfer.
But Barcelona refused, saying his €700 million release clause had to be met.
“I dragged everything into the start of the season a bit,” Messi (33) told Spanish television channel La Sexta.
“The truth is right now I’m feeling fine, but in the summer I had a very bad time.”
Messi equalled Brazil legend Pele’s record of 643 goals for a club by scoring for Barcelona in Saturday’s draw against Valencia.
It was Messi’s ninth goal in 17 appearances this season for Barcelona, who are fifth in La Liga.
Messi, who can leave Barcelona for free when his contract runs out at the end of the season, is able to negotiate with other clubs from January 1.
Barcelona interim president Carlos Tusquets, who took over until elections in January after Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned in October, has said that “economically speaking” Messi should have been sold in the summer.
Barcelona’s players agreed to wage cuts in November that will save the 26-time La Liga champions €122 million.-Chronicle
At least 10 000 suspected ghost workers have been struck off the Government payroll after a biometric registration exercise as the Second Republic walks the talk on its reforms aimed at restoring order in the civil service.
The eliminated names are of those whose biometric data was non-compliant under the exercise that was assisted by the World Bank.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has also reassured its workers that their welfare remains a top priority in the coming year promising continued engagement on sustainable salaries while new non-monetary incentives, including another 120 buses to boost the fleet that brings civil servants to and from work, are being worked out.
Other existing non-monetary incentives such as affording civil servants housing schemes and duty rebate on vehicle imports will also be retained in 2021.
During last week’s workshop for the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Service Labour and Social Welfare, the PSC and the Apex Council grouping staff associations, PSC head of human capital development and management, Mr Moses Mhike, said the exercise of flushing out ghost workers was continuous.
“Ghost workers are no longer an issue. We have managed to account for those on the Salary Service Bureau,” he said.
“We conducted a biometric exercise to get the data of all civil servants and comparing with the Registrar’s office. We realised that about 10 000 were not biometric compliant and traced them at each and every work station.”
PSC Secretary Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe said the PSC simply eliminated ghost workers by withdrawing salaries to those who were non-complaint to the biometric exercise.
“We made sure that we stopped paying those non complaint and only the legitimate ones came forward. However, the exercise should be an ongoing thing,” he said.
The biometric registration was implemented with the assistance of the World Bank as part of efforts to weed out ghost workers and modernise management of the civil service.-The Herald
Extremely long traffic jams remain at the Beitbridge border post between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
One commuter told SABC News on Tuesday that “nothing is moving, everything is standing still”.
Newzroom Africa spoke to passengers who explained that several travellers had to leave in search for food, as they had been stuck at the border post for hours, while others had been queueing for days.
“Everyone here is very hungry. I’ve volunteered to walk to the Shell to buy water as people have no water and it’s very hot here”
Long queues were forming as cars and truck were backed up as far as 12 kilometres between Beitbridge and Musina. Several passengers told reporters that they had been queueing for more than three days.
COVID-19 DELAYS While the post is usually busy over the festive season, additional delays were caused by earlier curfew times. Furthermore, travellers must be cleared under strict COVID-19 protocols.
Transport spokesperson, Matome Moremi-Tauetsoala explained that the situation will be addressed as the department is aware of congestion at the Beitbridge border post.
“Our team from SAPS and traffic have re-strategised their plans and they will put them into action not so long. The matter will be addressed and also the Minister of Home Affairs will be making an announcement that will also enhance the plans that we have now. We are calling on motorists to be patient with each other in the meantime.”
The Global Compensation Deed agreement reached between the former white commercial farmers and the government of Zimbabwe on 29 July 2020 is expected to bring closure to the long-outstanding land dispute. The Compensation Deed specifies that the white commercial farmers who were evicted from their land without compensation under the fast-track land reform programme implemented from 2000 will be paid a total of US$ 3.5 billion for the improvements on the farms. The value of the land is excluded from the official agreed figures. The evaluation process began under President Robert Mugabe, but speeded up under the Emmerson Mnangagwa government.
The land question remains contentious, debated along ideological, political and economic lines. The dispute with global capital remains on the altar of sanctified ‘property rights’, the rule of law, and the observation of human rights. With compensation figures agreed and timelines set, however, the joint resource mobilisation committee will now be at work. What will this settlement mean for Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector, the national economy and politics, and geopolitics?
On the government’s part, this step is consistent with the ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’ mantra adopted after the November 2017 coup. It is premised on the idea that appeasing global economic powers opens up access to foreign direct investment (FDI). Under the ‘national reconciliation’ rubric, Zimbabwe’s first Prime Minister Robert Mugabe and South Africa’s President Mandela adopted similar policies in 1980 and 1994 respectively. In both cases this was effectively a capitulation to global geopolitics and international capital dictates – deferring the resolution of the land questions for both countries.
The Second Republic identified the resolution of the land question as a necessary step to appease global capital and gain reintegration into the global community – but this time also to meet the conditions set out in the United States of America sanctions law. The 2018 Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) (S494) amendments demanded the enforcement of ‘the SADC tribunal rulings’ and compensation of the ‘dispossessed Zimbabwean commercial farmers and agricultural companies’. Established in 1992 by Article 9 of the SADC Treaty, the tribunal court lasted until 2010 when it was suspended at Zimbabwe’s bidding. Prospects of resuscitation are miniscule.
I argue that expectations that the ‘Compensation Deed’ will enable Zimbabwe’s welcoming into the global community, regaining food security, propelling economic growth and inclusive development are patently false, if over ambitious.
The first of these arguments is based on the issue of full respect for property rights: this entails payment for the full value of land and developments. However, Section 72 (3) of Zimbabwe’s constitution only covers ‘improvements’, not the land itself. That is why, beyond the US$ 3.5 billion agreed for farm improvements, an additional value of $3.2 billion for the value of land was agreed upon only in secrecy.
Secondly, most Zimbabweans were excluded from the deliberations (the government signed an elite deal with the former white farmers). It is little wonder there is broad opposition from varied sections of the population. Third, the agreement sought only to address property clauses; eschewing some aspects specified under United States sanctions centring on respect of human rights and the rule of law. ZANU (PF)’s unrelenting state-led abuses would have to stop. Fourth, not all the 3,000 dispossessed former white farmers voted in favour of the agreement. At least 4.5 per cent voted against the Deed, who combined with those holding land under bilateral trade agreements, also excluded from this Deed, may end up sustaining the land dispute. Moreover, ongoing land grabs, and joint ventures between former white commercial farmers, some foreigners, and resettled farmers as well as contract farming continue to displace the peasantry.
Finally, compensating the former colonisers confirms that ‘Black Lives Don’t Matter’ as some have argued. Importantly, there is no debate about the fact that this land was stolen from indigenous Africans during colonisation, from the late 1800s. Africans were proletarianised to work in the minority white economy and an exclusionary white-led accumulation model replaced Hurudza – the emerging black farmers.
Where was the sanctified ‘Property Clause’ during colonial dispossessions? This Eurocentric techno-modernistic conception predominating the land reform discourse was only applied after the ‘Land Apportionment Act of 1930’ to subjugate the Africans and protect the new white owners. This history is significant, yet only the veterans of the liberation struggle had voiced uneasiness over lack of compensation for Africans’ century-long land deprivation. Regrettably, as Zimbabwe prepares to borrow at least US$ 6.7 billion, mortgaging future generations, this history is disremembered, while the national economy, already in crisis, will likely continue sliding.
The signing of the Compensation Deed fortifies historical injustices, signifying that indeed black indigenous Africans continue not to matter. No wonder destitute former farm workers, excluded from the United States sanctions law, are also missing in the agreement as indigent former farm owners are prioritised.
Oddly, as neoliberalism takes root under the Second Republic, this external outlook solidifies how Africans are side-stepped and replaced by the Bretton Woods institutions in policy formulation processes and influence, notwithstanding local opposition from war veterans and some civil society groupings that might increase. Under the influence of the Chinese-Commandist-Capitalist model epitomised by the patronage prone ‘Command Agriculture’, of the Second Republic, the voices and interests of ordinary citizens are side-stepped.
Also torn in policy confusion, akin to the ruling party, is the opposition in its various fractions, providing neither alternative policies, narratives nor hope. Thus, the Chinese-Commandist-Capitalist patronage policy framing is motivated and driven by corruption, managed in familial and military closets. In spite of its Western outlook, serving only to hoodwink the global community, the patronage-prone policy advances an elite-centred primitive accumulation.
The technocratic land reform programme of the 1980s and 1990s was viable, nevertheless slow. Overemphasis of property rights eschewing the right to development for indigenous populations partly slowed the programme. Regrettably, Britain and the USA refused to honour the Lancaster House conference promises, never mind the various versions of explanations for the decisions. With the World Bank continuing to play an active role in the consummation of the Deed, can Zimbabwe expect a different outcome relative to the 1998 conference commitments and eventual default? The verdict is still to come out.
Nevertheless, this renders no excuse for the ongoing corruption and unrelenting human rights abuses in Zimbabwe today.
Parallel market Zipit rates have held steady within the 110-115 range although it seems that volume sellers were scarce within the past couple of days. At the same time, the local currency slipped against the US Dollar at the latest and last auction of 2020. The Zimbabwe dollar was down 0.061% to trade at 81.7866 for the rest of the year from 81.7368 in the previous week.
The depreciation comes as the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe noted that reserve money was down by $1.76 billion to $15.99 billion in the week to December 11. Government deposits with the Central Bank increased by $1.68 billion while a total of $72.88 million was injected into the economy through issuance of currency.
At the auction, bids came in lower as they totaled 347 from the previous week’s 485 as companies entered their closed periods. A total of US$29.58 million was apportioned to both the Main Auction (US$27.91m) and SMEs (US$1.67m) which is down from US$31.9 million allotted last week. Highest and lowest allotted bids remained unchanged at 86 and 80 respectively. Likewise the spread between bids remained at 7.50%.
Raw materials continued to receive the highest allocation at US$13.8 million, Machinery and Equipment US$4.85 million, Fuel, Electricity and Gas US$2.7 million, Services $2.9 million. Other amounts below US$2 million were allotted to Consumables, Retail and Distribution, Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals and Paper and Packaging.
The difference in the average weighted rate and the highest bid was flat this week as it came in at 5.39% the same as the previous auction. The difference between the parallel market rate and the weighted average rate remained flat at 27.35% amid speculation that input purchases for the current agriculture season had pushed up the rate although it remained range bound.
The UK entered a new lockdown as it discovered a new strain of the coronavirus, and this has affected world travel and markets. Cryptocurrencies reacted in a bearish manner at week opening despite increased uptake of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. As a result Bitcoin lost 1.90% to $23 126.24. Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash also saw a day of losses on the market with the former shedding 5.13% to 618.94 whilst the latter closed 9.58% weaker at $327.50.
A lot of people are going to be travelling this Christmas season. A popular question we often get is how much is the cost of travelling from here to there. Now we have you covered.
From
To
USD$
Harare
Mutare
$10.00
Harare
Rusape
$7.00
Harare
Marondera
$2.00
Harare
Bulawayo
$15.00
Harare
Norton
$2.00
Harare
Chegutu
$5.00
Harare
Kadoma
$8.00
Harare
Kwekwe
$10.00
Harare
Gweru
$12.00
Harare
Mt Darwin
$10.00
Harare
Bindura
$4.00
Harare
Mazowe
$2.00
Harare
Nyamapanda
$10.00
Harare
Honde Valley Hauna
$11.00
Harare
Chivhu
$4.00
Harare
Nyanga Centre
$10.00
Harare
Nyanga Nyamaropa
$10.00
Harare
Nyanga Ruwangwe
$10.00
Harare
Masvingo
$6.00
Harare
Chinhoyi
$3.00
Harare
Gokwe Centre
$10.00
Harare
Gokwe Nembudziya
$10.00
Harare
Chiredzi
$12.00
Harare
Zvishavane
$10.00
Harare
Murambinda
$7.00
Harare
Murewa (Via Enterprise)
$3.00
Harare
Murewa via Macheke
$4.00
Harare
Murewa Mukarakate
$4.00
Harare
Chipinge
$14.00
Think we missed a town? Get in touch with the missing information:
BY DR MASIMBA MAVAZA |Apostle Talent Chiwenga is a controversial street preacher who has a strong belief that he is the only one correct and everyone else is wrong. He believes that he is the mouth piece of God and that his word comes from God at least that is what his followers to believe. He is known to have a passion for insulting anyone and everyone. He lacks diplomacy and is known for rebuking church members in church while he is beaming their photos on the screen.
Those who have listened to his preaching do accept that he is knowledgeable of bible passages but he misses a lot on interpretation. Apostle Chiwenga has unexplainable obsession with Vice President Chiwenga, his own cousin brother. He does not mince his words and he will insult the vice president at any time he gets to do so. He again has become a renowned enemy of another Emmanuel Makandiwa. Talent Chiwenga’s beef with prophet Makandiwa is not known. Chiwenga hates Makandiwa with a passion.
Talent Chiwenga has become blubber who pukes vitriol on any politician and any person for no reason. He now is in a serious belief that everybody is against his life. He lives in a fear and he is always running away from his shadow. But Chiwenga has become so notorious that he has to do anything to be famous.
Last year Chiwenga while coming from South Africa was involved in a car accident where he killed his wife and two church members. Talent Chiwenga drove while he was sleepy tired and in his own words he was over speeding. In his ever righteous mentality Chiwenga claimed that he was set up by the CIO and that they wanted to kill him. He claimed further that they are the ones who caused his accident.
Up to this day Chiwenga has refused to be a man of God and take responsibility of his mistakes. He has been seeing shadows and he killed his wife in this accident and obviously blamed CIO.
Many people who commented on this believed that Chiwenga is a member of a cult which needs blood from him so that he can be rich and famous. This explains why Chiwenga with all helpers around him chose to go and drive himself to South Africa to receive some supernatural powers. his form of powers needs him to spill the blood with his own hands. His first blood was that of his wife and the others were collateral damage.
In 2020 in July Chiwenga again was involved in another car accident, which he admits in a video posted on You Tube that he deliberately opted to have a head on even though he could have avoided the accident. He admitted having decided to go for the car instead of pulling off the road or change a lane. He actually took pride in killing the occupants of the other car and he indeed insisted that he will not offer any apology. He tried to cover up his underworld activities by blaming ZANU PF. he dedicated an hour in his video to insult Masimba Mavaza whom he blamed for writing about him. This was the other blood he spilled in less than a year. Whose blood is he gunning for next and blame the CIO again for his callous shenanigans.
One psychiatrist Dr M Patel from the United Kingdom described the behaviour of Chiwenga as narcissistic.Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a long-term, mental health condition. NPD causes you to think that you are more important than other people. You need to be the centre of attention and to be admired by others. You want to control the people and events in your life. It is hard for you to stop your behaviours, even when you hurt others. You have trouble asking for help and trusting other people. These thoughts and behaviours cause problems with your relationships and daily activities. As a result you believe that you are always right and everybody is after your life. The exact cause of NPD is not known. NPD commonly occurs in early adulthood. NPD may develop if you did not have a secure relationship with your parents, or if that security was disrupted. Without secure attachment, you may not have learned how to respond appropriately to events and emotions. Chiwenga has never talked about his parents even one day; he only attacks his cousin brother who is the vice president of Zimbabwe.
Because Chiwenga has a mental disorder he sees his brother as a threat to him. He is not happy that his brother is being celebrated and this makes him feel challenged. He then goes against his brother and anyone whom he thinks that is doing better than him.
Not only is he angry with his brother, he is angry with anyone above him. He sees himself as the spokesperson of God. He wants to personalise God and that’s why he claims that his words are directly coming from God.
Chiwenga has shown signs of mental health which are
Feeling of uniqueness and superiority
Extremely high sense of self-importance and a desire for high status
Preoccupation with beauty, power, or success
Requiring extreme admiration and envy
Sense of entitlement
Lack of caring for others
Arrogance or egotistical behaviour.
Chiwenga is a person who thinks he’s always right, even if he is not. He has exhibited high signs of arrogance and he believes that he is hated or despised by many people.
The actual point is Talent Chiwenga is a know-it-all a smarty-pants or what is called smart aleck he is an egotistical lost preacher. Talent Chiwenga is someone who thinks is always right but is, in fact, not right is often described as being cocksure. He is completely confident in his own ability or knowledge but with no justification. He thinks God was only found by him seven years ago.
The suspicion is that Chiwenga is deep is spiritualism which is a system of belief or religious practice based on supposed communication with the spirits of the dead, especially through him. He has to shed blood for his powers to be recognised and he covers it all up by claiming that God has sent him. His church may be built on the blood of his wife not that of Jesus.
As a church leader he was supposed to be a strong but compassionate and wise leader. Recognition of the spiritual dimension of the human experience broadens the avenues of compassionate medical care and is not limited by culture or religion so the lack of compassion by Chiwenga and his love to insult shows that he is the son of the devil pretending to be working for God. If you describe someone or something as compassionate, you mean that they feel for that in pain or in emotional grief. The false consensus effect, also known as consensus bias, is a pervasive cognitive bias that causes people to “see their own behavioural choices and judgments as relatively common and appropriate to existing circumstances”. In other words, they assume that their personal qualities, the false-consensus effect which is on Talent Chiwenga can be contrasted with pluralistic ignorance, an error in which people privately disapprove but publicly support what seems to be the majority view when the majority in fact shares their (private) disapproval. So Talent Chiwenga has a mental health problem which most of his followers have failed to understand and have given him the Dutch courage. Talent Chiwenga is an arrogant someone who is arrogantthinks he is better or more important than other people and behaves in a way that is rude and too confident. He has become proud and thinks that he is now at the level of God. Talent Chiwenga is so conceited. Someone who is conceited behaves in a way that shows they think they are very intelligent, skilful, or attractive. he is self-satisfied showing how pleased he is about your own situation in a way that annoys other people.
The way he attacks others shows that he is self-opinionated and has become very blasphemous. Talent Chiwenga may benefit from these few verses from the bible. God seeks humble men. Proverbs 12:23
(A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly.)
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble. From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult. Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. …
The High Court in Malawi has ruled that the legal extradition review of Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) leader prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary to South Africa be discontinued which means that the fierce legal battle for extradition procedures may now begin in earnest in the courts.
This follows a request by Director of Public Prosecution Steven Kayuni to withdraw a review application challenging Lilongwe principal resident magistrate Viva Nyimba’s decision to free the Bushiris unconditionally on the basis that there was no any warrant of arrest against them.
In his argument, Kayuni said the court should withdraw the review applications as there is a formal extradition request from South Africa where the two were on bail for fraud, theft and corruption charges.
Lawyer representing the Bushiris, Wapona Kita told the court that they have no objection to the state’s request.
This made Judge Mwale to rule that the case be discontinued as both parties have agreed.
Kita has since said that his clients are satisfied with the withdrawal as the magistrate’s court decision still stands.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has asked government to follow existing laws when processing the extradition of the then Bushiris, who fled South Africa amid charges of fraud and money laundering, observing that they have concerns of security that needs to be addressed.
Minister of Homeland Security Richard Chimwendo Banda said last week that he signed the extradition document following the laws governing extradition processes.
Extremely long traffic jams remain at the Beitbridge border post between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
One commuter told SABC News on Tuesday that “nothing is moving, everything is standing still”.
Newzroom Africa spoke to passengers who explained that several travellers had to leave in search for food, as they had been stuck at the border post for hours, while others had been queueing for days.
“Everyone here is very hungry. I’ve volunteered to walk to the Shell to buy water as people have no water and it’s very hot here”
Long queues were forming as cars and truck were backed up as far as 12 kilometres between Beitbridge and Musina. Several passengers told reporters that they had been queueing for more than three days.
COVID-19 DELAYS While the post is usually busy over the festive season, additional delays were caused by earlier curfew times. Furthermore, travellers must be cleared under strict COVID-19 protocols.
Transport spokesperson, Matome Moremi-Tauetsoala explained that the situation will be addressed as the department is aware of congestion at the Beitbridge border post.
“Our team from SAPS and traffic have re-strategised their plans and they will put them into action not so long. The matter will be addressed and also the Minister of Home Affairs will be making an announcement that will also enhance the plans that we have now. We are calling on motorists to be patient with each other in the meantime.”
Twenty-three people believed to be Zimbabwean nationals were injured when an Impala Tours bus they were travelling in overturned a few kilometres after passing Makhado town on Monday evening.
The cross-border bus was travelling from Johannesburg to Zimbabwe along the N1 highway.
The highway is one of the major roads which links South Africa and the rest of Sadc countries north of the Limpopo River.
According to the Ministry of Transport in Limpopo, one person was critically injured, while four others incurred serious wounds.
The ministry provincial spokesperson, for Limpopo, Mr Matome Moremi said 18 other passengers had minor injuries.
“The matter is still under investigation. We cannot give too many details at this stage.
“What are getting from the ground is that a total of 23 people from that bus were injured,” he said.
Our news crew is reliably informed that the injured were taken to Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital for treatment.
The incident comes a few months after nine Zimbabweans were killed in a road accident in Polokwane when a bus they were travelling in overturned.
The N1 highway has become a death trap with over 40 people including Zimbabweans and Malawians have died in accidents in the last eight months.
The liberation icon, Joshua Nkomo, said at the signing of the Unity Accord in 1987, “… unity is not just the signing of documents, unity is what follows.”
What has followed is a country at odds with its own ideals, a country that speaks the rhetoric of unity yet its citizens are imprisoned by deeply rooted divisions made worse by the government’s inability to acknowledge the trauma and suffering of its citizens.
The injustices of the past continue to be swept under the carpet. The colonial era injustices, the liberation war era injustices, and post-independence injustices must all be negated through a national process of truth telling, nation building, national healing and rehabilitative restorative justice.
The Gukurahundi atrocities remain glossed over and dismissed as mere “disturbances” while the victims continue to live with the trauma of. unhealed wounds left to fester through insincerity and negligence. The very fabric of the Zimbabwean dream continues to be eroded by the plague of greed and corruption as our people languish in poverty and hunger.
Murambatsvina left many homeless and hopeless. Violent elections and politically instigated violence have left many dead and wounded.
Government policies have eroded the peoples’ savings and wealth. Pensioners and the vulnerable are without any cushion against the brutality of the harsh economic circumstances.
This is not unity. True peace and reconciliation require us to sincerely address the divisions in our society, to give voice to those who are marginalised and oppressed, to work together in common purpose to ensure the promises of liberation are enjoyed by every single Zimbabwean without fear or favour. Until this day comes, we cannot claim to be united or free.
We cannot preach unity when we pursue economic policies that widen the divide between the rich and the poor. We have seen the imposition of austerity measures that punish the poor, for the mistakes made by the selfish, ruling elite.
These economic policies do not unite us. They divide us.
Inequality is growing. It’s one of the biggest threats to the security of our country, and to our unity as a people.
This is not the unity Joshua Nkomo signed for.
The MDC will continue to fight for a truly united Zimbabwe where the ideals of freedom, democracy, peace, and reform belong to every citizen of our beloved nation.
True unity must be beyond just the unity of parties or its leaders. It must be a unity of all people of our beautiful Zimbabwe in vision, ideals, values and destiny.
We must all build the Zimbabwe we deserve and want-the shared Zimbabwean dream.
The entire country is in an anti corruption drive. The country is fighting corruption and Jonathan Moyo is taking up the mantle and defending a corrupt Magistrate, why would he do that?
Judicial Insiders have revealed that the Lunat fraud case (Ishmail Moosa Lunat and Mohamed Iqbal Lunat) involving 1.4 Million USD is set to go under review as the Magistrate Morgan Nemadire faces charges of abuse of office and corruption. In October 2019, Magistrate Morgan Nemadire imposed a ZWL$700 fine on a Venezuelan national, Delcy Daymar Rodriguez Guererro, who was convicted of possessing more than 5kg of cocaine worth US$500,000. He has now been arrested for this decision and charged with abuse of public office(Corruption).
Morgan Nemadire is no stranger to controversy as he also freed Wicknell Chivayo who was jointly charged with the late Genius Kadungure (Ginimbi), saying there was no evidence linking Chivhayo to the alleged offence. In 2008 Harare Magistrate Morgan Nemadire issued an arrest warrant against central bank governor Gideon Gono and his aide, Fortune Chasi, who failed to attend a court hearing where they were scheduled to testify in former Minister Bright Matonga’s trial.
In a surprise turn of events, former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo defended Nemadire for acquitting Ishmaiel Moosa Lunat. This has raised the eyebrows of investigators at the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission.
Prof Jonathan Moyo has been a staunch defender and supporter of the Lunats, exposing that the former Information Minister was contracted to win the Public Relations battle on behalf of the Lunats who managed to walk away with 1.4 Million USD they defrauded from Zakariya Patel. Prof Jonathan Moyo said “The same Magistrate On 30 Nov 2020, Morgan Nemadire acquitted Ishmaiel Moosa Lunat of allegations of fraud levelled against him by Mohammed Zakariya Patel.”
Insiders revealed that a review and investigation of Morgan Nemadire’s cases will expose that Nemadire corruptly acquitted Lunat, when the evidence points and proves that Lunat is guilty. Jonathan Moyo is now in overdrive defending Lunats because he clearly has something to gain from the Lunat – Nemadire alliance. Why is Jonathan Moyo taking such interest in the Lunat and Patel case?
We publish here the address by the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, his Excellency Dr ED Mnangagwa on the occasion of Unity Day.
Today, the 22nd of December 2020 marks our Unity Day where we commemorate the historic signing of the 1987 Unity Accord by our leaders and Founding Fathers of the two liberation movements, ZANU and ZAPU.
Prior to that historic signing, an alliance was forged during the protracted struggle, resulting in our hard-won victory against settler colonialism and the attainment of our independence.
To this day, the Unity Accord which delivered and cemented lasting peace and unity, remains the bedrock of our nation’s stability.
Decades have passed since that historic event of our Unity Accord. However, its conceptualisation must now go beyond a narrow interpretation.
Therefore, today as we remember and celebrate Unity Day, let us recommit ourselves to the important virtues that bind us as a people and equally incorporate the importance of our unity within the transformative national economic agenda.
Our common goal should be to continue strengthening our unitary State, which is home to multiple cultures, all coexisting in harmony under one flag and one National Anthem. Individually and collectively, we bear the responsibility to bequeath present and future generations, an economically developed, modern and prosperous country.
Fellow countrymen;
The peace dividend of the Unity Accord should continue to permeate across all levels of our socio-economic spectrum.
The national peace which the Accord delivered must be safeguarded, cherished and nurtured towards driving our national development agenda.
As we focus on the future, and inspired by the new national trajectory of economic development; I challenge us all to draw from the fundamental principles of the Accord to unify and collate our collective capabilities, competencies and skills for the attainment of Vision 2030.
On its part, my administration remains decisive in ensuring that all Zimbabweans, have a sense of belonging and that they flourish and proper leveraging on their potential and our abundant natural resource endowments. This is indeed what our Founding Fathers envisaged when they committed to entrench unity as a critical pillar of our great nation.
Dear Compatriots;
Peace building, conflict resolution and management must remain a binding feature of our national development agenda. Where there are differences, we must aim to settle and resolve them through dialogue and engagement. Further guided by our national Constitution, heritage and traditional value systems; toxic politics and divisive tendencies have no room in our society. By and large, we are a peaceful people and nation.
My administration has the political will and boldness to confront the past to bring about healing and closure.
I am encouraged by the successes we are scoring towards building greater national cohesion and singleness of purpose informed by the lessons from the disturbances which characterised the early years of independence.
To date, a concrete course of action has been drawn out following inclusive interventions and meetings held with the traditional leadership and stakeholders of Matabeleland Provinces and parts of Midlands Province.
Recently, the Victoria Falls City Council an opposition dominated Local Authority granted me Freedom of the City of Victoria Falls. That gesture attest to the enduring lesson to our political actors on the need for maturity and always acting in the national interests.
Let us drive on this important Day to reaffirm our resolve to defend our national peace, sovereignty, independence and the right to chart and embark on the development of our great country.
Fellow Countrymen;
Equalisation and development that leaves no one behind validates out unity and belonging as a people. Under my administration, budgeting and the execution of projects are being used as a medium to give a voice, power and responsibilities to communities so that they decide which priority is and best for them. We have shifted our development paradigm to be more people centred.
In this regard, my government continues to diligently implement the Devolution Policy. This transformative policy is informed by our desire and commitment to bring about, balanced growth, modernisation, industrialisation and overall development which leave no one and no area of our country behind. This policy further underpins and reflects our pursuit to preserve unity and peace through the democratic participation of all communities in national development.
In the 2021 National Budget, a total of 19, 5 billion dollars was allocated for the implementation of devolution projects in the various Districts and Wards of our country. I, therefore, challenge all our people throughout the country to be active participants in deciding, crafting, prioritising, implementing and also monitoring projects undertaken under the auspices of their Local Authorities, through devolution Funds. The development course and destiny of our communities is now in our hands.
The important role of national infrastructure in connecting and uniting communities cannot be over emphasised.
To this end, Government has embarked on extensive modernisation and expansion of our national infrastructure for sustainable economic growth.
The completed and ongoing road, energy, mining, agriculture and irrigation development projects, among others, are impacting communities, and engender inclusive national development and progress.
Meanwhile, remarkable steps forward are evident in our economy. The successes delivered and the firm development foundation laid out by the Transitional Stabilisation Programme cannot be ignored. As such, we are stirred up and positive as we set out on another leg of our journey towards Vision 2030 as outlined in the National Development Strategy -1 (2021-2025). To bolster national unity let us consolidate the prevailing macro-economic stability and to ensure inclusive economic growth.
Meanwhile, the current agricultural season has had a good and promising start. Beyond this season, climate proofing our Agriculture through vigorous dam construction and irrigation development will remain a priority as we move to become a food secure nation.
The establishment of sustainable agriculture value chains and related exports are equally key.
Allow me to highlight that the Second Republic is built on a firm grasp and understanding of history as a material force for nation-building. To this end, our country was honoured by the African Union to host the Museum of African Liberation. This will go a long way towards the immortalisation of our rich liberation history and heritage. This, along with the telling of the “African Story by Africans” should mark a re-awakening in harnessing our past, as a strong building block for a harmonious, united nation and continent.
As we live in unity with our neighbours and take our place within the comity of nations, I am grateful that our citizens who had sought sanctuary in Botswana are back home and integrated with their families and communities. We thank the Government and people of Botswana for hosting them.
In the same vein, we recognise and commend the Pan-African spirit demonstrated by the Government of Kenya, which accorded the Shona speaking community in that country, Kenyan citizenship and further made Shona, one of the official languages.
Fellow Zimbabweans;
As we move into the future we must broaden the significance of Unity Day by recognising that unity and peace must be firmly rooted in our day to day interactions, daily chores and activities.
In the spirit of this Unity Day, I further urge families, communities, organisations, churches and other institutions to embrace national symbols such as our diverse languages, music, art and dance as well as our national fabric and dress to reinforce our oneness, national pride and identity.
Such an attitude will rally us to unleash our full potential towards economically prosperous and empowered society and the realisation of the Zimbabwe we want.
Finally, I once again appeal to the nation to remain mindful of the fact that Covid-19 is still with us. During this Festive season and beyond, our safety and that of our loved ones is priority. Let us never let our guard down.
With these remarks I wish you all Happy Unity Day as well as a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
Reports just received indicate that a Zimbabwean woman collapsed and died at the Beitbridge border post while waiting on a bus on Tuesday.
A report by eNCA indicates that Passengers travelling with the woman told reporters she “complained of fatigue and asked fellow passengers to pray for her”. She was reportedly also “feeling dizzy” and passed away soon after.
According to the bus driver, the woman approached him to ask if she could exit the bus because it was hot and she needed fresh air. She collapsed while exiting the bus, and passengers rushed to assist her.
The bus driver explained that they “held her and gave her water”. Her condition improved and she exited the bus. However, when she returned, she was unable to remain upright. The driver added:
“Some of the ladies in the bus started praying for her and pouring water on her head and giving her some water to drink. As time went by, she lost consciousness and passed away”.
A Zimbabwean citizen has died, after collapsing near the Beitbridge border post in Limpopo. It's believed she had been on a bus since yesterday afternoon. @SiphamandlaGoge reports. #DStv403pic.twitter.com/z6empKRPuI
THE late former Vice-President Dr Joshua Nkomo believes football was an effective vehicle to bring the people of Zimbabwe together and was instrumental in healing a past chequered with violence at the football stadia.
When the late Vice-President returned from prison in 1975, he, along other nationalists like Herbert Ushewokunze, was perturbed that tribalism was taking hold in most spheres of life including football.
He found it disgusting that some people were divided between Matabeleland Highlanders (now Highlanders) and Mashonaland United (now Zimbabwe Saints) in Bulawayo.
At the centre of the controversies were the tribal factions as the former club was viewed as a team for the Ndebeles and the latter a creation of the Shonas.
The rivalry between the two teams is said to have been so fierce that sometimes violent clashes between the supporters were the order of the day, before and after matches.
Former Highlanders chairman, Ndumiso Gumede, yesterday spoke at length about how the late Vice-President Nkomo was instrumental in convincing the then leaders of Mashonaland United and Matabeleland Highlanders to change the teams’ names.
Nkomo felt the names created tribal tensions at a time nationalists wanted unity to fight Ian Smith’s colonial regime.
Then in March 1975, the late nationalist invited the leadership from the two clubs and instructed them to drop the name Matabeleland and Mashonaland on their teams.
“He was a great man who had a deep passion for people. Maybe it was because of his background as a social worker, he just loved people. So he came to football games on many occasions either as an official guest or just for fun. He had this belief that football can be used as the bridge to bring people together.
“You definitely cannot forget the big role he played when he and other ex-political prisoners came out of detention in the mid-1970s. He was really worried that there were tensions that were centred largely on tribal grounds, especially in Bulawayo.
“He felt the names of the biggest two teams in the province — Matabeleland Highlanders and Mashonaland United — were actually fuelling the gravity of this problem.
“So he called the former Bulawayo Town Clerk, Mike Ndubiwa, and the clubs’ leadership and then persuaded them to drop the names that had the tribal connotations. We agreed to drop Matabeleland on our name and Mashonaland United changed their name completely to Zimbabwe Saints.
“All that was because he wanted people to work together and not to be divided by those silly tribal biases. Later on the Government decided that there should be a football trophy to commemorate unity and we played that for a number of years,” said Gumede.
He said ever since Bosso adopted the name Highlanders, the club’s identity changed and the narrative now transcends geographical, ethnic and racial borders and has become a symbol of national pride.
“I am surprised there are still some people who still think that Highlanders is a team for Matabeleland people. It’s not like that. The team is only housed in a certain region but the principle is that “ithimu yezwe lonke,” (loosely translated to “The team of the whole nation”).
“It’s a much wider and more encompassing team. It stands for something bigger. We have always had players from different backgrounds, coming from all over the country to play for Highlanders and at some point we were the only team with white players when many had none.
“That’s how football ought to be. It shouldn’t see race, tribe or gender,” said Gumede.
Three years ago, there was a heated debate whether the late Vice-President was Highlanders or Dynamos supporter following an interview carried by our sister paper, The Sunday News, with one of his former head of security, Nehemiah Nyathi.
Nyathi, who served as part of Dr Nkomo’s security team from May 1980 until July 1, 1999 when the Vice-President passed on, said Father Zimbabwe kept tabs on the country’s two biggest teams — Highlanders and Dynamos.
It was suggested in that interview that Dr Nkomo was an avid Dynamos supporter who would always demand to be kept posted on the team’s fixtures, results and log standings.
This claim was, however, disputed by journalist Ezra “Tshisa” Sibanda and Jabulani Hadebe of the Joshua Nkomo Foundation, who said Nkomo was a staunch Highlanders fan. But whatever his loyalty was, the debate shows he was a football enthusiast and a people-centered person who saw football as a uniting force.
Asked on how Dr Nkomo viewed the perception that Dynamos was a team for the Shona tribe while Highlanders was for the Ndebeles, Nyathi said the late Vice-President disliked such divisive notions.
“This talk of Dynamos belonging to Shona people and Highlanders being a Ndebele team comes from people who lack knowledge. There has never been a time when Highlanders has been dominated by Ndebele players.
“It (Highlanders) always had a mixture of people from different ethnic backgrounds. Dr Nkomo was against racial and tribal segregation and would always implore football administrators not to discriminate players on racial or tribal grounds,” Nyathi said.
A larger-than-life character that he was, Dr Nkomo has always volunteered his time to football matters. In 1984 he saved the situation at Highlanders, who suddenly found themselves without a chairman following the unexpected resignation of Malcom King midway through his term.
Highlanders members then unsuccessfully tried to lure back Gumede, whom King had served under as vice-chairman before assuming the chairmanship of Bosso.
“People tried to persuade me to take up the position but I refused because I had been there before. At the time, I felt that when I went to ZIFA it was an elevation.
“So coming back to lead Highlanders was like climbing from the university to do ‘O’ Level because I felt I had done my part and left the club with offices and their own properties.
“Then some courageous people approached the late Vice-President Nkomo and out of the blue I received a phone call. He said can you please come to my office we need to discuss something.
“When I got there he fired right away. “Who do you think you are?” “People want you to lead the club and you are refusing. What is that? You are the funniest person that I have ever seen because elsewhere people are fighting for positions and you are busy refusing. What’s that?”
“He went on to persuade me and before I knew it he had already called a journalist from The Chronicle and said “I am with Gumede right now, he has agreed to be the chairman.” So I changed my mind and had to do it. That’s just how influential he was.
“Then there was another incident again when we quarreled with the Bulawayo City Council over the increases in stadium rates which we felt were too steep.
“The Council insisted that we will not play at the stadium if we do not pay what they asked for and we said fine we will use Ross Camp.
“But we had a big problem with Ross Camp because we needed a much bigger venue for the big games, especially against Dynamos. So the Vice-President called myself, Frank Valdemarca from ZIFA and Ndubiwa of Bulawayo City Council to discuss the impasse.
“He lambasted Ndubiwa and openly told him that the amenities were meant for sport and sportspeople should be allowed to have access. We were very happy to hear Ndubiwa being lambasted but little did we know that he had also reserved some of his arsenal for us.
“He then turned to us and said “you football people don’t you know that these facilities were built at a huge cost. Don’t you know that they also need regular maintenance? So where do you think the Council will get the money from if you refuse to pay? I want to hear that you are paying for using the amenities.”
“So we had to find each other with the Council as we left his office and I must say we never had any more problems that time, thanks to his interventions,” said Gumede.
The multi-million-dollar High Glen Stadium in Budiriro remains a pipe-dream for Harare City Council, with land invaders having built almost 500 houses on the site, many of them rebuilds after previous structures were demolished.
In February last year, council said the 45 000-seater High Glen stadium would be completed in four years, but almost two years down the line, there is nothing to show except the almost 500 houses. While the houses on the site have been demolished almost annually, the site has neither been fenced nor has work started.
Land barons have been illegally subdividing land set aside for social amenities such as sports facilities, schools and recreation land, and for subdividing wetlands where development approval is now impossible.
The Government has made it clear that regularisation of such buildings cannot be contemplated. Potential regularisation may be possible only on stands that follow approved layout plans but where building started before services were put in place.
Recently around 190 houses on an invaded school site in Budiriro were demolished, an action resulting in the Government staying council plans for demolition until the end of the rainy season, but there are council officials who believe that the stadium site could be a special case for earlier demolition since houses have already been demolished there but people came back and rebuilt them.
Acting Harare town clerk Engineer Zvenyika Chawatama last Tuesday said more demolitions were on cards to pave way for the stadium. “The stand has been planned and set aside for the stadium,” he said.
“There are structures on the site put up by land invaders. These have been demolished and will be demolished again in due course.”
Eng Chawatama said while council was yet to conceptualise and adopt the stadium implementation model, that will be done during the master plan review process.
The High Glen stadium is expected to cater for high-profile games both domestic and international. Council had budgeted to spend $1,4 million on the designs of stadium using the pool of reserved funds provided for in the 2019 capital budget under the department of housing and community services. These were to be released to facilitate preliminary works of the designing and drawing of plans for construction of High Glen Stadium.
The stadium is part of the city’s infrastructure development programme and part of council’s responsibility to provide recreational facilities to residents.
At the moment, Harare has five stadiums including Rufaro, Gwanzura and Dzivaresekwa. Council spokesperson Mr Michael Chideme recently said the stadium was meant to see people around the Budiriro area coming to watch football matches, musical galas, and other sporting activities.
"Today marks 33 years since the signing of the Unity Accord and the coming together of the two revolutionary parties in 1987," Mnangagwa. What's your take on the unity accord of 1987?
Crippling debt, lack of transparency and endemic corruption are sadly all too familiar stories in southern Africa. But now, in a landmark court ruling, Zimbabwean citizens have successfully demanded accountability from their government.
For citizens seeking truthful disclosure about exactly how much debt the country is in, the ruling made in their favour on 1 December signals a big victory in the fight for transparency. However, it stands to be seen to what extent government will comply with the ruling.
The ruling comes at a time when government has been pushing for constitutional amendments that would make the executive unaccountable to legislature regarding all foreign debts. Such an amendment would be a big blow to the quest for transparency. The government stands accused of guaranteeing loans from pan-African multilateral lender, Afreximbank, and other financiers using national resources without disclosure about the terms of the deals.
Harare North legislator Allan Norman Markham and the Community Water Alliance Trust, a civil society organisation, took finance minister Mthuli Ncube, the central bank and Afreximbank to court in September last year over the issue of full disclosure of financial agreements made by government and external lenders.
In his litigation, Markham sought the nullification of a USD500 million loan facility from Afreximbank to back the Zimbabwe currency, because it had been awarded without parliamentary approval. Zimbabwe had reportedly offered platinum production as collateral for the loan, in a move that showed lack of transparency.
Headquartered in Cairo, Egypt, Afreximbank was established in 1993 by African and non-African private and institutional investors for the purpose of financing, promoting and expanding intra-African and extra-African trade. However, most transactions between the government and Afreximbank have been made without full disclosure, in violation of section 300 (3) of the Constitution.
Zimbabwe’s finance ministry permanent secretary, George Guvamatanga, admitted, in earlier opposing papers, that the USD500 million loan should have had parliamentary approval, but argued that cancelling such loan would be a breach of contract.
Zimbabwe’s high court ruling compels finance minister Mthuli Ncube to publish all loans and guarantees entered into by government from 1 January 2019 to 1 December 2020. The finance ministry is also expected to gazette all details of the Afreximbank loans by January 2021.
The court did not grant Markham’s application to nullify the USD500 million loan facility but ruled that the terms of the agreement be made public.
1- Talent Chiwenga labels people who doubt his 90 day prophecy, "mad." He also says the 90d have not elapsed. "Are you sure the 90d have gone past? Are you really sure about it, or it's a speculation," he asks. He then contradicts self saying the 90 days have elapsed… pic.twitter.com/uX7sxivTKF
3- In the 90day prophecy, Chiwenga clearly mentioned that it would be a public event. He said "vachabvisa mabhachi vamwe vakabuditsa madundundu avo pachena…" He also said the event would happen "90 days from today," which means the public event should have happened by Dec 2018. pic.twitter.com/9mt0nklWA9
CLAIM: Talent Chiwenga says he is the only person who speaks genuinely for God, implying the only accurate voice of thought in Zimbabwe.
“The govt was supposed to invite the church, us, and me in particular, because I happen to be the only voice in Zimbabwe that speaks genuinely for God. (Video below inside article).
Is this true?
Talent Chiwenga
Apostle Chiwenga while Mocking Mayor Mafume, says: I Speak The Mind Of God, I'm Just Like Hopewell, I'm Just Like Joshua Nkomo, I've Got More Followers Than You Can Ever Have, Mayor Mafume Is Naïve, Opposition Is Infiltrated, Car Accident Was Not Ordinary pic.twitter.com/LT5YQwNWLK
By Religion Reporter| Where are the two coffins? What happened to the 90 days of back November 2018 ? And where is Joab, where is Adonijah? – After failing to predict the Coronavirus and other plagues, the preacher who once claimed ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa did not send soldiers to shoot people on the 1st of August 2018 (saying that God told him so, contradicting several LIVE video broadcasts of Mnangagwa literally doing it), Talent Chiwenga has said he is the only voice of God in the country.
“The government was supposed to invite the church, us, and me in particular, because I happen to be the only voice in Zimbabwe that speaks genuinely for God. (Video)
“You may hate me for all I care, but this is the truth.
“When they invite these people that they call prophets, men of God, bishops, they invite them to ratify the ungodly acts they are doing against the citizens and these so called men of God, the bishops , the prophets, they do not have the voice of God in them they have not heard from God.” – Talent Chiwenga
Meanwhile, the people of Kuwadzana, Harare were the worst brutalised by soldiers in August 2018 when Emmerson Mnangagwa deployed the army to kill many while changing election results, and on the 4th August local clinics told ZimEye.com of how military trucks would arrive at night and officers begin assaulting residents. Being reminded of these atrocities could not be any more hurting.
A soldier clearly fires live ammunition at protesting citizens
Soldiers move in to disperse crowds of opposition Movement for Democratic Change supporters outside the party’s headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 1, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings
An armed soldier points his gun at an innocent aged vendor
MINISTER of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube says 2021 will be a better year for Zimbabwe pinned on the projected positive performance of the agricultural sector.
Prof Mthuli Ncube was speaking to CNBC Africa Chief Editor Godfrey Mtizwa on a special economic programme.
He said the country has experienced negative growth owing to climate change-induced drought, COVID-19 pandemic though a positive growth rate of 7.4 percent will be registered next year.
“We expect a better 2021, we had a negative growth due to the pandemic and climate change-induced drought but next year we have projected a 7.4% growth. We are going to achieve this by taming inflation and stabilising the exchange rate. The growth projection is pinned on a better agricultural season which will mean better power supply for local industries,” he said.
On the current account surplus, Professor Ncube said the year will end on a USD1.2 billion surplus which improved from last year’s USD900 million owing to the introduction of the local currency, import substitution as well as export competitiveness.
“We expect Foreign Direct Investment to continue trickling in the natural resources sector, we have generous incentives. We have launched the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange with the whole point being to attract investors in the mining sector. What is critical is stability, we continue improving the environment of doing business,” he said.
Zimbabwe has arrears with international financial institutions which currently stands at USD6 billion while the foreign debt is at USD9 billion though the domestic debt is at less than 3% of GDP.
“We expect an economic recovery in 2021, a figure is high because we are coming from a low base, negative growth rate….we are expecting a better 2021. The fiscal position looks very strong, we have key infrastructure projects such as road construction, dam construction, power investment and Zimbabwe is a very peaceful and stable country compared other African countries hence the ability to attract foreign direct investment.
“National Development Startegy1 covers the next five years, inclusive growth, devolution agenda, stable environment, infrastructure ICT, creating USD 12 billion mining sector, resuscitation of ZISCO Steel and clearance of arrears,” he said.
Former Kaizer Chiefs winger Junior Khanye believes Khama Billiat is failing to get a perfect combination which has cost the Soweto giants in front of the goal this season.
Amakhosi have scored just seven goals in eight games this season, and they sit in the 13th position after picking seven points.
Speaking on iDiski TV, as cited by Goal, Khanye expressed his disappointment on Leonardo Castro whom he thinks is not linking up well with Billiat.
“I was happy to see Khama Billiat having a much better first half (against Bloemfontein Celtic),” he said. “The reality is that boy is giving them game after game, but the guy who receives his passes will be too far, and Castro is in the starting line-up week in, week out.
“Look at every team list, he is there. What is he giving to Chiefs?
“Can he create space for himself? He is lazy. When the team is attacking, he stops and drops and starts running slow. There is no work rate there. He is tall but cannot win areal balls. It tells you about his timing when the ball flies over him.”-Soccer 24
Gavin Hunt has admitted getting under pressure at Kaizer Chiefs following the team’s poor run this season.
AmaKhosi are rooted in the 13th position after winning one game in their eight games this term. They have picked just seven points out of a possible 24.
Speaking after their 1-1 draw against Bloemfontein Celtic on Saturday, coach Hunt said coaching Chiefs is the most stressful job he has ever had in his 25-year-career.
“Yes. It certainly is (the most stressful job),” the gaffer said, according to the Citizen. “It’s only been a few games, but it certainly is.
“It hasn’t been easy. Things have gone against us a little bit, but sometimes you’ve got to work harder for those things.”
Hunt also said the draw against Celtic was technically a defeat to him as he lost out on two crucial points.
“On the evidence of the chances created, I think it’s two points lost. We had some great opportunities in the first half, and they didn’t have any that I recall.
“They scored a wonder goal, and that was it. It’s more a matter of two points lost than the one gained,” he added.-Soccer 24
