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.

Peace is simple. Peace begins within. Peace begets peace. Peace breeds prosperity.

In our fractured nation, I wish you all a blessed Unity, Peace and Prayer day and we pray for unity and peace in our country.

Winning Zimbabwe for real change.Change that delivers!

God Bless you

 
 For justice, peace, a shared vision, true unity and the cause of freedom,

Adv Nelson Chamisa
President MDC Alliance

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.

Peace is simple. Peace begins within. Peace begets peace. Peace breeds prosperity.

In our fractured nation, I wish you all a blessed Unity, Peace and Prayer day and we pray for unity and peace in our country.

Winning Zimbabwe for real change.Change that delivers!

God Bless you

 
 For justice, peace, a shared vision, true unity and the cause of freedom,

Adv Nelson Chamisa
President MDC Alliance

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

FreeJacobMafume

FreeAllanMoyo

FreeShiellaChisirimunhu

NoToSlaveWages

WeDemandALivingWage

SolidarityWithAllPoliticalPrisoners

Justice

ZimbabweanLivesMatter

Mdc Alliance Namibia
Rundu Branch Spokesperson
Robson Ruhanya

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.

Peace is simple. Peace begins within. Peace begets peace. Peace breeds prosperity.

In our fractured nation, I wish you all a blessed Unity, Peace and Prayer day and we pray for unity and peace in our country.

Winning Zimbabwe for real change.Change that delivers!

God Bless you

 
 For justice, peace, a shared vision, true unity and the cause of freedom,

Adv Nelson Chamisa
President MDC Alliance

THE IDEA OF UNITY-
22 Dec 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.

Peace is simple. Peace begins within. Peace begets peace. Peace breeds prosperity.

In this our fractured nation, I wish you all a blessed Unity, Peace and Prayer day and we pray for unity and peace in our country.

Winning Zimbabwe for real change.Change that delivers!

God Bless you

 
 For justice, peace, a shared vision, true unity and the cause of freedom,

Adv Nelson Chamisa
President MDC Alliance

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

There are unconfirmed reports that the Eagleliner bus which left Johannesburg for Zimbabwe yesterday overturned in Louis Trichardt South Africa today in the morning.
The accident happened on N1 near Ingwe Hotel outside Makhado towards Musina in Vhembe District accident involving several vehicles. The road is confirmed to be closed.

Those with relatives that boarded the bus have been asked to check with authorities as a number of passengers injured.

By A Correspondent- A Gwanda municipal police officer has been found drowned after failing to arrive home from work.

Amon Siduli, 55, was last seen leaving work on Saturday at 7PM.

His family raised the alarm when he did not arrive home in Garikai Township, and he failed to report for work on Sunday.

A search party finally found his body lodged against a tree after water subsided in a previously flooded river on Monday morning.

Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena said: “Our officers responded to reports of a body in the Manzamnyama River.

“The body had no visible injuries and was recovered to Gwanda General Hospital, but a post-mortem was waived by a magistrate.

“As police we urge members of the public not to attempt crossing flooded rivers as they risk drowning.”

A large crowd gathered to witness the recovery of Siduli’s body. He was still wearing his work uniform.

Locals blamed the low-lying bridge which is impassable when the river is flooded. They believe Siduli attempted to cross the flooded bridge and was swept away.

“Since the rains started last week, we have been experiencing floods. Some of the water is flowing into our houses and soon there will be a disaster. There must be proper drainage systems and foot bridges to avert such disasters,” said local resident Thembelani Sibanda.

The Civil Protection Unit (CPU) last week warned of heavy rains that will persist until the end of December, with flooding in places.

-ZimLive

By A Correspondent- Workers at Beitbridge Municipality yesterday reportedly staged a 2-hour sit-in protest over the nonpayment of COVID-19 allowances.

According to the publication, the 50 workers who protested said they decided to protests as a way to seek an audience with their superiors since they could not yield any result otherwise. The workers are reportedly demanding that the council pay them their 3 months allowances of $75 per month.

The publication alleges that:

To show their displeasure, the workers parked their service vehicles at the Dulivhadzimu and Main town offices and did not report to their usual workplaces between 7 AM and 9 AM.

This forced the management led by the Director of Administration, Mr Sathulani Moyo, to convene an urgent crisis meeting to salvage the situation. The workers said they were getting a raw deal because they were meant to perform their duties without proper personal protective gear and uniforms.

This comes barely a week after Bulawayo City Council workers also downed their tools as they were protesting late salary payments and low wages.

By A Correspondent- The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) came out guns blazing yesterday, slamming the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) for undermining business confidence following latest moves to charge Value Added Tax (VAT) on rice retrospectively.

Reports at the weekend suggested the tax collector was planning to charge VAT on rice packaged in 25kg bags and below retrospectively from February 2017.

The plan has unsettled business.

Yesterday, the CZR warned that Zimra’s controversial move confirmed government’s lack of clear and consistent policies, adding that it would affect millions of low-income families.

A VAT exemption for rice was announced through Statutory Instrument (SI) 9 of 2006, before being amended through SI 20 of 2017.

CZR said the regime under which rice was standard rated only remained in force until February 16, 2017 when SI 26A of 2017 was published repealing SI 20 of 2017.

It said the effect of the repeal was to restore the position set out in SI 9 of 2016 that all rice, including prepacked rice in packages of less than 25kg, would be exempt from VAT.

“The decision by Zimra lays bare the need for policy consistency,” CZR president Denford Mutashu said in a statement yesterday.

“Zimra was quiet for three years, not indicating that VAT was to be collected on rice. It is only recently that it has sought to collect the VAT which was previously and still is exempt. We wish to point out that it is an established principle of law that no tax can be imposed on a party, unless the same is clearly set out in legislation. At present, the law is that rice is exempt from VAT and even the Zimra system has not been and is presently not charging VAT,” Mutashu said.

He said the decision violated property rights and would affect business confidence.

“We believe that for this economy to attract both local and foreign investment there is a need to have respect for the rule of law and policy consistency,” he said.

“As CZR, we state unequivocally that the VAT directive undermines His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s pro-business stance enunciated by the Zimbabwe is open for business mantra.

“It is also important to note that it is illegal for Zimra to enforce collection of VAT on rice in retrospect and as well as currently as the laws do not provide for it.  More importantly it is morally incorrect to attempt to charge VAT when rice is a staple food and we believe that charging will increase the price of this staple food which will affect low income families,” Mutashu said.

He said dialogue between CZR and the government should continue on the issue.

The Standard reported on Sunday that tough times lay ahead for some players in the rice supply chain as government was insisting on collecting a 15% VAT backdated to February 2017.

The payment of VAT running into millions of United States dollars could leave some players in financial distress or out of business altogether.

Earlier appeals by dealers for government to reconsider the VAT demand were rejected by Finance secretary George Guvamatanga.

In a September 23 letter, Guvamatanga said while Treasury noted the justification given for failure to charge and remit VAT as well as industry concerns over the financial burden that may result from collection of the outstanding taxes, the request for exemption could not be entertained.-newsday

By A Correspondent- Mines minister Winston Chitando was yesterday kicked out of Parliament by angry MPs after he came late to give oral evidence.

Chitando had been invited to appear before the Edmond Mkaratigwa-led Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines to speak on the ministry’s action plan in response to mining disasters.

An invite from the Parliament of Zimbabwe read: “The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines will be meeting with the Minister of Mines and Mining Development at 1100 hours at Parliament Building to discuss the follow up on the ministry’s action plan concerning mine disasters.”

MPs waited for Chitando to appear before them, but he was late. He arrived more than an hour late, which irked the legislators.

However, Chitando’s deputy Polite Kambamura arrived on time for the meeting, but he refused to give oral evidence on behalf of his superior.

Kambamura told MPs that Chitando was stuck in traffic in the central business district.

“We are trying to call him, but we are not getting any response. The last time that we spoke to him he said he was stuck in traffic congestion,” Kambamura told MPs.

This further annoyed the MPs who vented their anger on him.

“I have already made a ruling based on the information brought to us through the deputy minister (Kambamura). MPs have been waiting patiently and because of these delays — and as you can see it is now already in the afternoon and we cannot proceed with the meeting as scheduled,” Mkaratigwa said.

“The issue at hand is a serious one and considering the mine accidents that have happened, the bodies that are buried underground and inside mine shafts and the business of retrieving presumably dead bodies now are very urgent. It should not be set aside because we have postponed this meeting several times.

“Postponing the meeting to next year gives the ministry ample time to run around in conjunction with the efforts that have already been initiated by this portfolio committee whereupon we set up some sub-committees specifically for the Esigodini issue and another one in Chegutu,” he said.

When Chitando later arrived for the meeting, MPs did not entertain him, they turned him away.

In an address to journalists after he was kicked out of Parliament, Chitando said his ministry was working with the Department of Civil Protection (DCP) to co-ordinate rescue operations at the affected mines.

“There is actually activity that is taking place and rescue operations are being co-ordinated by the DCP in Esigodini and also there is mobilisation taking place for Chegutu. So, by January 11 a lot of developments would have been covered,” Chitando said.

Mine disasters have affected the country in the past few months, with several artisanal miners having been buried alive after mine shafts collapsed.

The incidents happened in Bindura, Esigodini, Chegutu and several other places. Chitando is set to appear before the committee on January 11 next year after MPs agreed to postpone the hearing.-newsday

By A Correspondent- A group of thugs attempted to kidnap Michelle “Moana” Amuli’s daughter in the wee hours on Saturday at her grandfather Ishmael Amuli’s Domboshava home.

Amuli told H-Metro that the father of Moana’s daughter, Lloyd Chipomho, had taken the little girl to its grandfather Amuli so that she could get used to Domboshava.

Said Amuli:

There is a girl who was claiming to be from the Daily News and claimed she had a hamper for my granddaughter. I asked why she would bring a hamper for such a young child at 3 am.

My wife advised me not to open for them because she suspected they were up to no good as a genuine visit to get my granddaughter would have been during the day.

She feared they wanted to kidnap the child and people would in turn accuse or blame us if anything bad happened to the child.

When I wanted to engage them I discovered they wanted to be violent. My wife then dragged me inside, locked the door and hid the keys. That is when this girl, who claimed to be from a newspaper then broke the door. I got out of the house through then broken down the door to find out why they were even accusing me of stealing the child when her father brought her.

The father brought the child and said she should at least get used to my place as well as his home in Kuwadzana and I was grateful to my son-in-law. Now they accuse me of going to Kuwadzana and kidnapping my grandchild.

Kuvaoga’s envoy drove to Domboshava in a kombi and a lady, understood to be a friend of Moana, within the team, was later arrested for knocking down Amuli’s door.-BMetro

By A Correspondent- The Shamva mine wrangle pitting miner John Maungwa against Chantelle Chikafu, who once masqueraded as President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s daughter, has claimed the scalp of Mashonaland Central provincial police commander, Commissioner David Mahoya, who was transferred for “ignoring” his bosses’ directives.

Reports from Bindura yesterday indicated that Mahoya was forced out of the province with immediate effect after his bosses were riled by his defiance to implement their directive to obey a court order giving unfettered mining rights to Maungwa of Wickman 23 gold claim which had been invaded by Chikafu and Shamva North legislator Oscar Gorerino.

Mahoya has been reportedly siding with Chikafu and Gorerino in defying court orders granted by the High Court directing that should Maungwa resume mining operations without interference.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) legal services acting director wrote a letter dated December 4 to Mahoya, which is in the possession of NewsDay, advising him to obey the court orders and allow Maungwa access to his mine.

But the provincial police boss reportedly clandestinely allowed Chikafu and Gorerino’s gangs to mine at Maungwa’s mine.

He was transferred to Masvingo province as the provincial commander and will be replaced by Commissioner Priscilla Makotose from Mashonaland West provincial headquarters.

National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the transfer of Mahoya together with 83 other senior cops nationwide, saying the transfers were necessitated by recent promotions.

However, sources in the police force said Mahoya’s transfer was directly linked to the way he handled the Shamva mine wrangle.

“When there have been promotions, there are transfers to fill in the gaps that would have been left either by death or the need for job rotation so that the organisation benefits from the expertise that certain officers have,” Nyathi said.

Chikafu was recently ordered off the mine by the High Court, which ruled that Maungwa had a legal right to the property. Despite the ruling, Chikafu has remained on the ground, claiming she enjoyed protection from Sibanda and Ncube.

High Court judge Justice Jacob Manzunzu in his order on April 29 directed that Maungwa be restored possession of Wickman 23 Mine, which Chikafu and some Zanu PF youths invaded and illegally occupied on April 17.

This was followed up by another order by Justice Tawanda Chitapi on November 25 giving exclusive mining rights to Maungwa, which Mahoya also reportedly defied.

By A Correspondent- The opposition Zapu party has claimed that the late former President Robert Mugabe forced the late former Vice-President Joshua Nkomo to sacrifice his party Zapu resulting in it being swallowed by Zanu PF in order to stop the 1980s Matabeleland genocide.

Addressing an event to commemorate the Unity Day which was born out of the Unity Accord signed by Mugabe and Nkomo in 1987, Zapu spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa claimed the accord was only to end the Gukurahundi massacres which human right groups say claimed 20 000 lives from Matabeleland and Midlands.

“Zanu PF only had one condition that it wanted met in order to stop the madness, and it was that PF Zapu must be swallowed by Zanu PF and cease to be an opposition party. This was the condition that summed up what is now known as the Unity Accord Agreement document,” Maphosa said.

“The 1987 Unity Accord document is quite weird and makes for sorry reading. There is nothing about unity discernible in any of its clauses. It is just a requirement that PF Zapu surrenders to the British Conservative Party project of 1963 with Mugabe as its leader in perpetuity,” he said.

He said for Zimbabweans, the 1987 Unity Accord document meant PF Zapu ceding all its rights to existence to Zanu.

“The party then and now uses ethnic lenses in deciding every aspect of national policy. To them, anybody and anything that was not Zanu at that time represented the enemy, hence the use of the toxic reference to dissidents equating PF Zapu and the Ndebele speaking people alone with that term. It is a tribalist mindset,” he said.

Maphosa said it was sad that for 34 years Zimbabwe had been celebrating what is disguised as unity day after the loss of thousands of lives in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.-newsday

By A Correspondent- Police in riot gear on Saturday accidentally struck a baby with a truncheon in Chiredzi barely two days after the world commemorated Human Rights Day on Thursday last week.

The 11-month-old baby was struck by the police while strapped on its mother’s back.
The mother was trying to gain entry into Tshovani Stadium to attend a wedding when the incident happened.

This was after thousands of people thronged the stadium to witness the wedding of Chiredzi-born self-styled comedian Douglas Zvarevashe, who tied the knot with Noria Mutepfu.

The wedding was organised by Zanu PF bigwigs, including Chiredzi West MP Farai Musikavanhu, and was sponsored by businessman James Charumbira.

The mob that was being targeted by the police witnessed one of the officers accidentally striking the baby with a baton.

As a result, they started throwing stones, accusing the police of lacking professionalism.

This led to running battles between the police and the mob, which left several people nursing injuries.

The event attracted thousands of people who crammed the stadium, violating COVID-19 regulations which stipulate that a wedding should not be attended by people exceeding 100.

This led the organisers to seek the assistance of police to disperse the crowd.

When this reporter arrived at the venue, the police threatened to beat him up, before barring him from entering the stadium.

He was only released after the intervention of the ZRP press and liaison officer, Assistant Inspector Tawanda Siziba.

The woman, whose baby was beaten, was whisked away by the police.

Chiredzi ZRP Chief Superintendent Shengedzani Muleya said the police must act professionally, adding that the public should not disturb the law enforcement agents whenever they are performing their duties.

“As police in Chiredzi, we have a good working relationship with journalists and such overzealous behaviour should be condemned,” she said.

National police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said he was yet to receive such a report.

The condition of the baby could not be established by the time of going to print last night as efforts to locate the woman and her baby proved fruitless.

-newsday

By A Correspondent- Prosecutor Tapiwa Kasema (45), who is facing allegations of criminal abuse of office, will spend another night in custody after Harare Magistrate Ngoni Nduna set his bail ruling for Wednesday.

Kasema was arrested for consenting to bail in a case involving four armed serial robbers.

He works at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) as a principal law officer.

It is alleged that on August 24, armed robbers Musa Taj Abdul, Tapiwa Rudolf, Godfrey Mupanhanga and accomplices were arrested in Beitbridge over a spate of murders and armed robbery cases committed in and 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.

Sometime this month, Abdul applied for bail and the NPA 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 procedures.

The court heard that the offence came to light after the CID Homicide queried the release of the accused 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 then made to the police leading to the arrest of Kasema.

He will spend another night in custody after Nduna postponed the hearing to tomorrow.

-dailynews

Today marks 33 years since the signing of the Unity Accord and the coming together of the two revolutionary parties in 1987.

Decades have passed since that historic event of our Unity Accord.However,its conceptualization must now go beyond narrow interpretation.

Therefore today as we remember and celebrate Unity Day,let us re-commit 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.

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.T

he common goal for every Zimbabwean is to continue strengthening the unitary State that is Zimbabwe and which is home to multitude cultures, all co-existing 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.

By A Correspondent- MDC-T interim president Thokozani Khupe and acting secretary general faced off in a stormy meeting yesterday to resolve the dispute over the voters roll to be used at the party’s extraordinary meeting slated for this weekend.

The opposition party postponed its congress last weekend to this Sunday after the principals failed to agree on a voters roll to be used.

Mwonzora allegedly tried to sneak in a doctored voters roll staffed with names of his backers who were not part of the 2014 structures, that according to the Supreme Court ruling in March, have to convene the elective congress to replace the late founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

The party was also forced to hold a national council meeting at deputy national chairman Elias Mudzuri’s home where they resolved to audit the voters roll.

At a meeting yesterday, Mwonzora allegedly struggled to produce 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.

The meeting was attended by all the candidates that include Mudzuri and acting chairman Morgen Komichi.

Also in attendance was Gift Chimanikire, who was the deputy organizing secretary and Gandi Mudzingwa, the secretary for elections.

Each of the four presidential candidates was accompanied by two election agents.

“The meeting was stormy and it was resolved that the party uses Bhebhe’s list of the 2014 structures. Mwonzora struggled to produce his roll,” an insider said.

“As we speak (yesterday evening) the eight election agents are in a meeting verifying the structures under the supervision of Mudzingwa and Chimanikire. They are comparing  Mwonzora’s roll and the one supplied by Bhebhe.

“On Wednesday, provincial structures represented by the provincial chairman,  organizing secretary and secretary general will come and  verify the provincial structures. The voters roll will now be presented to the national standing committee for approval for use at the congress.”

All the teams report to Komichi who was given the role to oversee the verification process.

The insider said the party was contemplating using a printed roll fearing that a soft copy could be hacked and manipulated.

At the national council meeting held on Saturday, Komichi accused Mwonzora of hacking computers at the party headquarters.  

Komichi wrote on his Twitter handle last night that:

“The legacy of president Dr Richard Morgan Tsvangirai can only be restored by the 2014 congress delegates. So all the 2014 congress delegates are welcome to the EOC [extraordinary congress] to elect a genuine replacement of our beloved late president on 27th December 2020.”

Mashakada was not reachable for comment yesterday.

-newsday

By A Correspondent- Property mogul Ken Sharpe’s Augur Investments is demanding USS1 million defamatory damages from the MDC Alliance and its vice president Tendai Biti for allegedly slandering his company on social media.

In summons filed before the High Court, the applicants are Augur Investments and Tatiana Aleshina, who are alleging that Biti and the opposition party scandalised their good standing over the Harare Airport Road tender through Twitter posts.

Aleshina is also the complainant in a criminal case in which Biti is accused of assaulting her outside the Harare Magistrates’ Courts earlier this month.

In the defamation case, Biti and the MDC Alliance have both been cited as respondents because the purported libellous message allegedly appeared on their official Twitter pages.

Augur and Aleshina want an order for removal of the tweets posted on December 4 and 13 implicating them in the Harare Airport Road scandal and for the defendants to print a retraction and apology in three widely circulating newspapers.

In one of the tweets, Biti allegedly wrote:

“I have been at CID Law and Order since I am being charged with the most spurious, the most desperate of all charges. It is said that I called someone an idiot and that is said to be an assault.

“No amount of harassment will prevent us from fighting and exposing corruption. The Harare Airport Road Project was a total sink where thousands of hectares of land were illegally and fraudulently transferred to Augur Investments and its shelf companies. The land must be returned to the city and it citizens.”

Augur argued that the tweets portrayed them in bad light as they alleged that they were involved in fraudulent transactions and stole land from the City of Harare. They further argue that the MDC Alliance and Biti’s Twitter handles have a huge following locally and abroad such that the Tweets were widely read.

“The plaintiffs never committed the acts that the first defendant attributes to them. The comments are false, frivolous and vexatious. The plaintiffs’ conduct regarding the subject matter concerned has always gal and in good the parties con reads the summons.

Biti and his party yet to respond to the suit.

-online

Augur Investments is demanding US$1 million defamatory damages from the MDC Alliance and Harare lawyer Tendai Biti for allegedly slandering the company on social media.

Biti and the MDC Alliance have both been cited as respondents because they allegedly posted libellous messages on their official Twitter pages.

In summons filed before the High Court, the applicants are Augur Investments, owned by Ken Sharpe, and Russian national Tatiana Aleshina.

They allege that Biti, who is the MDC Alliance vice president, and his party scandalised their good standing over Harare Airport Road tender through tweets.

Augur and Aleshina want an order for the removal of the tweets posted on December 4 and 13 implicating them in the Harare Airport Road scandal and for the defendants to print a retraction and apology in three widely circulating newspapers.

Augur argued that the tweets portrayed them in a bad light as they alleged that they were involved in fraudulent transactions and stole land from the City of Harare.

– Daily News –

THE Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR) has expressed concern over the state of roads in Bulawayo which are littered with potholes.

This has prompted the civic society group to petition the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) demanding that it should fix the roads as the potholes had worsened due to the rains.

In the petition sent to the BCC yesterday, the MIHR said people were not happy about the dilapidated state of the roads and wanted prompted action from the local authority as the potholes were now a menace.

“As Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights we urge the local authority to quickly move in and close these potholes before people die because of them. We also urge the Zimbabwe National Roads Authority (Zinara) to disburse funding to local authorities for them to be able to maintain roads.

“Zinara is collecting funds from cars through taxes every quarter and if that money is not returned to fix the roads, why should motorists continue paying? It will reach a point where motorists will refuse to pay because it seems by paying Zinara, they are actually funding the damage of their vehicles,” part of the petition read.

The human rights group said the road network in the city should not be a death trap because of failure by the authorities to fix the roads, adding that the loss of life on unmaintained roads is a human rights violation.

It said the most affected roads are Khami Road, Luveve Road, Joshua Nkomo Road and Plumtree Road to the city centre, while roads in high-density suburbs such as Pumula, Njube, Magwegwe, among others were in a sorry state.

In the low-density areas they said the worst roads were in Paddonhurst’s Netherby Road, Dillon Road in Parklands and Hillside suburbs.

Recently the BCC indicated that $20,7 million will be disbursed under the Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers Programme to fund the completion of road construction works to gravel standard.

“The contract awarded to Bitumen World for the surfacing of several sections did not commence, as such the said sections now require re-formation before the surfacing can be applied.

The roads in question were Maduna between Intemba Road and Ngwenya shops, Murchison between Scone and Adair, Luveve Road and Nkulumane Road,” the council’s latest minutes read.

The minutes also stated that the 2020 Zinara allocation was $16,4 million for road maintenance and Zinara disbursed the balance of $10,3 million during the first week of October for routine maintenance.

The council said focus was on pothole patching for the listed roads and the reconstruction of Wingrove, Woodstock and Walsall roads in the vicinity of Renkini country bus terminus.

The BCC minutes also revealed that the $11 million budget which was meant for the rehabilitation of Masiyephambili Road from Emakhandeni flyover to Luveve Road was now inadequate, prompting the local authority to suspend the programme and carry it forward to next year.

“Zimdollars were no longer adequate to carry out the work. It was planned that the reconstruction works suspended last year would be funded by Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers this calendar year.”

State Media

THE Second Republic has the political will and boldness to confront the past so as to ensure national healing and closure, President Mnangagwa has said.

In his speech on the occasion to mark the signing of the historic Unity Accord that was signed on this day by the revolutionary parties, ZANU and ZAPU, in 1987—the President said the Accord brought about peace which must forever remain a key feature of national development.

“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 and bring about healing and closure”.

“I am encouraged by the success we are scoring towards building greater national cohesion and singleness of purpose informed by 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 traditional leadership and stakeholders of Matabeleland Provinces and parts of Midlands Province,” he said.

The President described unity as the bedrock of national stability which must be entrenched through the full participation of all Zimbabweans through policies such as Devolution.

“Decades have passed since that historic event of our Unity Accord. However, its conceptualisation must now go beyond narrow interpretation. Therefore, today as we remember and celebrate Unity Day, let us re-commit 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”.

The President said the common goal for every Zimbabwean is to continue strengthening the unitary State that is Zimbabwe and which is home to multiple cultures, “all co-existing 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”.

Zimbabwe is one of the most peaceful nations in Africa and a destination of choice for tourists thanks to the Unity Accord, which remains key to driving the country’s development agenda towards Vision 2030, to become a middle class economy.

“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 national 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 prosper leveraging on their potential and 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”.

And towards equalisation and development that leaves no one behind, under the Second Republic budgeting, administration and the execution of development projects is being done in a way to give a voice to communities.

Zanu PF has hailed founding fathers — Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo — for selflessly putting the country’s interest ahead of their own through the signing of the Unity Accord.

Today, Zimbabwe marks 33 years since the signing of the Unity Accord between liberation parties ZANU and ZAPU to form Zanu PF.

In a statement, Zanu PF acting secretary for Information and Publicity Patrick Chinamasa thanked the show of selflessness by the late former leaders.

“After years of internal instability and disturbances in the southern provinces and parts of Midlands, on 22 December 1987, our founding fathers led by the late national heroes Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe and Cde Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo took the selfless giant step to bury our differences bring about unity, peace, stability, harmony and tranquillity.”

Zanu PF applauded President Mnangagwa for continuing on the path of entrenching the ideals of unity through bringing opposition parties together to contribute to nation building.

A platform for opposition parties to interface with the ruling party was created through the formulation of the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad).

“Zanu PF congratulates the President and First Secretary of the party His Excellency Cde ED Mnangagwa for his continued resilience in consolidating the gains of the Unity Accord and fostering the spirit of unity and dialogue through the creation of the POLAD platform to ensure that dialogue becomes the cornerstone of democracy.”

In the statement, Zanu PF also commended the President for the formulation of the healing processes to bring closure to the Gukurahundi issue.

“As the Unity Day marked the end of regrettable disturbances which were unfolding in the southern provinces, Zanu PF commends President ED Mnangagwa and his Government for tireless efforts and bravery in engaging the Matabeleland collective groups: chiefs, churches, civic society, affected individual families and youths in order to bring finality on the emotive Gukurahundi issue.

“Zanu PF applauds the President for creating platforms for open discussions on this issue as part of the national healing process.

“This gesture of statesmanship by the President is indeed in fulfilment of the spirit of the Unity Accord and the aspirations of our founding fathers.”

Paul Nyathi

One of the Zimbabwean men arrested at a lodge in Polokwane for dealing in illicit cigarettes earlier in the year, appeared before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

Walter Madhongi (25) was arrested on 20 October by the Directorate of Priority Crimes’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation members.

According to a statement by Hawks Limpopo Spokesperson, Capt Matimba Maluleke, a tip-off about people selling illicit cigarettes at a lodge in Polokwane was received and followed up.

“The team proceeded to the said lodge and found 330 cartons of Remington Gold cigarettes hidden in one of the rooms. The cigarettes, to the value of R87 000, were seized and Madhongi and a 42-year-old man were arrested,” Maluleke explained.

The accused appeared in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court.

“Madhongi pleaded guilty and sentenced to pay a fine of R40 000 or three years’ imprisonment, of which half is suspended. He should also pay a defects fine of R5 000,” Maluleke explained.

Maluleke said that the case against Madhongi’s co-accussed was “withdrawn by the court as Madhongi admitted to be the sole owner of the cigarettes”.

Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) coronavirus/COVID-19 situation report as of 21 December 2020:

New cases: 97
Locals: 97
Returnees: 0
Deaths: 2
Recoveries: 88
PCR Tests Done: 1 205
National Recovery Rate: 81.4%
Active Cases: 1 988
Total Cumulative Cases: 12 422
Total Recoveries: 10 112
Total Deaths: 322

THE drama with late Michelle “Moana” Amuli’s parents appears far from over as the pair clashed heavily early on Saturday morning.

This time the feud is over who should take charge of their granddaughter.

A delegation for Moana’s mother, Yolanda Kuvaoga allegedly stormed Ishmael Amuli’s Domboshava home at around 3am demanding Moana’s daughter.

Her father, Lloyd Chipomho, is said to have taken her to Amuli for her to get used to Domboshava.

A lady, understood to be a friend of Moana, within the team allegedly knocked down Amuli’s door in the ensuing melee and was later arrested for her troubles.

Amuli said they came in a kombi at around 3am:

“There is a girl who was claiming to be from the Daily News and claimed she had a hamper for my granddaughter. I asked why she would be bring a hamper for such a young child at 3am.

“My wife advised me not to open for them because she suspected they were up to no good as a genuine visit to get my granddaughter would have been during day. She feared they wanted to kidnap the child and people would in turn accuse or blame us if anything bad happened to the child.

“When I wanted to engage them I discovered they wanted to be violent. My wife then dragged me inside, locked the door and hid the keys. That is when this girl, who claimed to be from a newspaper then broke the door. I got out of the house through the broken down door to find out why they were even accusing me of stealing the child when her father brought her.

“The father brought the child and said she should at least get used to my place as well as his home in Kuwadzana and I was grateful to my son-in-law. Now they accuse me of going to Kuwadzana and kidnapping my grandchild.”

He said, even though they have capacity to hit back, they would let the law take its course.

Watch video below:

H-Metro

Congestion persisted at Beitbridge Border Post yesterday, with large numbers of Zimbabweans driving north and hoping to be home for Christmas and New Year, although the surge is only a third as large as the normal year end rush.

But curfews and health checks are delaying processing at the border post.

Traffic at Chirundu and Kariba border posts is also significantly lower compared to the same period last year, but there is no real surge as there are few people on either side trying to get home for Christmas.

South Africa is different as many Zimbabweans work or live there and besides the normal festive season surge in traffic, many of these have been unable to come home and return to work since the start of Covid-19 lockdowns on both sides of the border.

Until December 1, only commercial cargo, bodies for burial, returnees and diplomats on Government business were allowed into either country.

And while Zimbabweans in South Africa had an absolute right to come home, it was a one-way trip until the lockdowns were lifted as they would not be able to get back to South Africa.

Zimbabwe opened its land borders, including Beitbridge, at the beginning of this month, with private motorists and pedestrians now travelling under strict regulations to manage the risk of Covid-19.

Implementation of the curfew on the South African side of the border runs between 10pm and 4am coupled with strict Covid-19 screening, which is slowing down the movement of traffic.

After 10pm only commercial cargo is allowed to travel through Beitbridge Border Post, resulting in vehicles piling up on both sides of the border.

Travellers continue to need at least 48 hours to pass through Sadc’s busiest inland port of entry once time in the queues is taken into account

Although, there appears to be many people at the border, 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 delays,” said one border official.

According to a cross-border transporter, Mr Trust Ndlovu, the slow movement of traffic at the border was 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 1km since arriving at the border at 5am,” said Mr Ndlovu.

“When the Government reopened the land borders, most of us were happy that we would be able to transport groceries and all the basic commodities we have failed to move 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.”

Mr Albert Pinjisi who was travelling from South Africa said he had spent more than six hours to cross from South Africa to Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwean side and have been waiting in this queue for a very long time.”

Security staff are strictly screening travellers for valid documents which included passports and Covid-19 clearance certificates. It is understood that a total of 1 015 people have since December 10, been arrested at the border for violating immigration laws.

Authorities at Chirundu Border Post are handling between 400 and 500 travellers a day compared to around 1 500 during the same period in years gone by.

Regional Immigration officer Mr Joshua Chibundu said most of the people being cleared at the border were truck drivers.

“We are mostly clearing truck drivers who have been travelling even during the Covid-19 restrictions. There has been a marginal increase in the volume of traffic in recent days but it still falls far short of the numbers during normal times,” said Mr Chibundu.

One of the major stumbling blocks for travellers had been the sparse distribution of laboratories authorised to issue Covid-19 certificates while the 48-hour validity period had also deterred travellers.

Those who need to get tested and issued with Covid-19 certificates in Mashonaland West province have to travel to Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital.

“The certificate is valid for only 48 hours and that affects the planning of people who have to go to Zambia and conduct their business and come back within 48 hours.

“This means less time for some to conduct their business if they are coming from Harare and any other part of the country,” said a traveller at Chirundu.

The situation at Kariba Border Post had not changed with the usual low volume of traffic being the order of the day.

Traffic is expected to increase marginally as Christmas Day gets closer.

Thanks Makore, who is on remand and had been granted bail on charges of allegedly murdering his seven-year old nephew Tapiwa for suspected ritual purposes, has been rearrested by the police on allegations of defeating or obstructing the course of justice by destroying evidence.

He was arrested last Friday a few hours after being granted $10 000 bail by the High Court on the grounds that there was no evidence linking him to the killing. Two other suspects remain on remand in custody on murder charges, including Thanks’ brother Tapiwa (Senior).

Investigators now allege that when Tapiwa Makore (Snr) was arrested in September, Thanks allegedly drove to Murehwa Police Station where he asked for keys to Tapiwa Makore’s house. He then went to the house and allegedly destroyed and burnt some evidence which linked to the commissioning of the crime.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrest and said investigations were still in progress.

“Thanks Makore has been rearrested by the police on allegations of defeating or obstructing the course of justice. He was arrested after being granted bail and investigations are still in progress,” he said.

On Friday night, Thanks Makore had his kitchen hut at his Murehwa homestead destroyed by fire, a few hours after being granted bail by the High Court.

A month ago, the kitchen hut of Tapiwa Makore Senior, twin brother to Thanks and the principle suspect in the killing, was also gutted by fire, giving rise to suspicion that the same person is trying to force the brothers out of the community.

By Saturday, Thanks Makore’s hut and gazebo at the homestead were totally destroyed, with a CID forensic team sifting the ashes as they conducted investigations.

Thanks Makore was given bail on the murder charges last Friday after Justice Tapiwa Chitapi said there was no evidence linking him to the offence.

The State’s case was weak as there was nothing connecting him with the offence and that police did not find anything at his house as was alleged by a police informant.

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.

Police say they will heavily deploy officers on major highways, residential areas, industrial and Central Business Districts and conduct increased foot and motorised patrols on all major and feeder roads, checking for wanted persons and those who move around with stolen property.

In a statement yesterday, police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga warned drivers not to drive while under the influence of alcohol or other substances which could affect their judgment on the roads.

He said the festive season was characterized by a lot of movements as the volume of traffic increased on the roads.

“Zimbabweans normally take this opportunity to visit relatives, friends and engage in various social activities. Of particular interest is the issue of road traffic accidents which take centre stage during this period. It is sad to note that most road traffic accidents during the festive season are caused by speeding, drunken driving, misjudgment, overtaking errors, failure to observe traffic rules and regulations and mechanical faults.

“Motorists must therefore ensure that vehicles are roadworthy before embarking on journeys and avoid using worn out tyres especially during this rainy season,” he said.

Traffic police officers mann a roadblock in Eastlea, Harare yesterday. Picture by Innocent Makawa

All defective vehicles and those not displaying number plates would be accounted for by police officers.

“We are also appealing to travellers not to board private and unregistered vehicles, especially mushikashika, as others have lost lives, property and some have been left injured after attacks by criminals using these vehicles.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police will work together with the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ), Vehicle Examination Department (VED), ZINARA and other stakeholders to conduct awareness campaigns. This therefore entails the need for vigilance on the part of road users.

“It is paramount for all to recognise that road safety is a collective responsibility.

Besides traffic issues, police would also deploy officers to curb robbery, murder, rape, stock theft and unlawful entry cases. We urge the public to secure their premises and property during the holidays,” said Comm-Gen Matanga.

He advised the public not to move around with large sums of money or keep such amounts at home or business premises to prevent robbery cases.

3 boys aged 10 and 11 reportedly drowned in a disused shaft they were swimming in Kuwadza in Harare over the weekend.

The shaft was left open by the Harare City Council, and it was filled with rainwater in which the boys were swimming when tragedy struck.

The incident was confirmed by ZRP National Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi who told the publication that:

The trio was play­ing in the shaft al­legedly left by Harare City Coun­cil in Kuwadzana 5, in the Pad­docks area. The shaft is filled with wa­ter. Re­ports are that at first they would go in the shaft one at a time. But they de­cided to jump in all of them, that is when they drowned.

The trio was play­ing in the shaft al­legedly left by Harare City Coun­cil in Kuwadzana 5, in the Pad­docks area. The shaft is filled with wa­ter. Re­ports are that at first they would go in the shaft one at a time. But they de­cided to jump in all of them, that is when they drowned.

Their par­ents started look­ing for them the whole night, but could not lo­cate them. The fol­low­ing day, a Harare City Coun­cil em­ployee found some clothes at the scene and also one of the bod­ies was float­ing.

ZRP Urged people to avoid water bodies.-The Herald

A lecturer at Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) has filed a $3 million defamation lawsuit against a female student who claimed that he failed her last year as punishment for spurning his love advances.

Three independent examiners brought in the university remarked her module and all agreed she had failed sport science.

Dr Tapiwa Mudyahoto, a holder of a PhD from Fort Hare University, wants Nomsa Mwashita, a Bachelor of Education student at GZU, to compensate him for tarnishing his image through making what he called “baseless and false” allegations.

In summons dated December 12 filed by Dr Mudyahoto at the Masvingo Civil Court, which have since been served on Mwashita through Chihambakwe Law Chambers, Dr Mudyahoto wants the student to pay defamation damages and costs of the suit.

He also gave Mwashita seven days to respond to the suit.  In his application, Dr Mudyahoto said that Mwashita was one of 24 students part one students that were doing a module in sport science that he taught in the second semester.

After results came out, Dr Mudyahoto alleged that Mwashita upon noticing that she had failed the module made allegations that she was being punished for turning down his advances. Yet Dr Mudyahoto said he was cleared of any wrongdoing after the engagement of independent examiners who remarked Mwashita’s work.

He further alleged that Mwashita made a second “malicious” allegation against him by claiming that while in his office he had showed his manhood to her but then abandoned her case midway after being asked to prove her allegation against him by university authorities.

Dr Mudyahoto said he suffered damaged equivalent to $3 million which Mwashita must pay him. Mwashita has not yet filed papers opposing the suit.-The Herald

OLD AND WORN UNITED STATES DOLLAR NOTES

It has come to the attention of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (the Bank) that some persons are refusing to accept old and worn United States dollar (U.S. dollar) notes alleging that they are old and mutilated and therefore of no value.

For the benefit of the transacting public and as already advised by the USA Embassy in Zimbabwe in its Tweet on 16 November 2020, the Bank wishes to inform and restate the position of the United States Government that U.S. dollar notes do not expire no matter their age, and that the U.S. Government does not even consider old, worn notes to be mutilated as long as more than half of the note is intact, and the value of the note is clear.

John P. Mangudya Governor

21 December 2020

Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance, through its youth assembly, has intensified efforts to defeat Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF.

MDC Alliance Youth Assembly spokesperson, Stephen Sarkozy Chuma, quoted by NewsDay, said the #One Million Campaign was progressing well.

“The #OneMillionCampaign is our vehicle to victory in the fight against Mnangagwa’s corrupt military dictatorship.

The campaign seeks to mobilise, educate, recruit and radicalise new one million youth voices that will take this regime head-on to solve the economic, social and political rot in the country,” Chuma told the publication.

“We are convinced the source of this decay is an illegitimate regime that stole the will of the majority who happens to be young people. We are now going village by village through the #OneMillionCampaign to coalesce young people to reclaim their stolen victory,” he added. 

Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance, through its youth assembly, has intensified efforts to defeat Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF.

MDC Alliance Youth Assembly spokesperson, Stephen Sarkozy Chuma, quoted by NewsDay, said the #One Million Campaign was progressing well.

“The #OneMillionCampaign is our vehicle to victory in the fight against Mnangagwa’s corrupt military dictatorship.

The campaign seeks to mobilise, educate, recruit and radicalise new one million youth voices that will take this regime head-on to solve the economic, social and political rot in the country,” Chuma told the publication.

“We are convinced the source of this decay is an illegitimate regime that stole the will of the majority who happens to be young people. We are now going village by village through the #OneMillionCampaign to coalesce young people to reclaim their stolen victory,” he added. 

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance spokesperson, Advocate Fadzayi Mahere has dismissed Auxillia Mnangagwa’s so called national dress arguing cultural matters are deeper than the cloth.

Advocate Mahere also described Auxillia Mnangagwa’s controversial dress code as meaningless and divorced from ordinary citizens.

“The people must be included in all matters that affect them.

Elite-driven imposition of matters such as “dress” won’t secure buy-in.

Citizens must trust the process and understand the intended objective before they can get on board. Lessons should have been learnt from “the scarf”.

You can’t microwave culture, identity or national symbols. It’s deeper than a piece of cloth.

There are matters of social cohesion, plurality, national unity & common understanding that must precede such an endeavour,” argued Advocate Mahere.

Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Students Council has said Auxillia Mnangagwa’s national dress is irrelevant at a time the majority of citizens are wallowing in poverty.

In an interview with ZimEye.com on Sunday, MDC Alliance Students Council Secretary General, Rujeko Hither Mpambwa, described the so called national dress as an insult to the suffering Zimbabweans.

“We view the whole thing as an insult to the suffering Zimbabweans.

Actually Mrs Mnangagwa is simply imposing her personal interests on the entire nation.

Cultural matters cannot be determined by an individual.

Nobody has the right to redefine the culture of the nation,” argued Mpambwa.

“As students we we totally reject Mrs Mnangagwa’s dress code.The attempt to force the nation to buy her own choice of fashion is unfortunate and disturbing,” added Mpambwa.

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has said Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa is a man living in a delusional world.

According to Hon Biti, 10 million people have been subjected to untold suffering due to Mr Mnangagwa’s callousness.

“2020 was the worst year for all workers.10 m people faced a humanitarian crisis, with 79% of the people being plunged into extreme poverty.

On the human rights front , there was massive closure of political space.

There was an increase in abductions,torture and abuse of human rights.

The persecution of journalists and activists was a huge indictment.The attacks on the democratic movement were unprecedented and pathological.

So Emmerson’s remarks reflect another Zim not shared by the ordinary citizens . His is a world of delusion .

In the real world the Zimbabwean is suffering , alienated , isolated, fatalistic and hungry,” argued Hon Biti.

ZAPU has said it regrets signing the Unity Accordl with Zanu PF 3 decades ago on 22 December 1987, New Zimbabwe reports. The matter came to light as the party which was formed on 10 December 1961 was celebrating its 59th anniversary when the acting party president Isaac Mabuka who was addressing senior party officials said:

Only one condition was given by Zanu PF’s Mugabe in order for Gukurahundi to stop that Zapu signs the never negotiated unity accord document and agree to be swallowed by his party

As a result, Zapu went in and the physical killings stopped albeit with the scorched earth policies of the government continuing up to this very day. What followed were years of unsuccessful efforts to reform the Zanu PF government as well as prescribing Zapu’s social, economic and developmental component into the resultant government’s policy.

The Zapu component in the government also called in the government to respect, protect and promote human rights, but the calls fell on deaf ears,

Eventually, Zapu got fed up and in 2009 severed the unity accord ties and pulled out from both Zanu PF as well as government. A resolution was taken at the White City Stadium and marked the first step of Zapu’s revival, followed by a special convention at McDonalds Hall in 2009 and later in 2010 at the ZITF Congress.

The Zapu structures, after these events, were revived and became independent from Zanu PF. It has been a tumultuous journey, with the party operating in the most hostile of environments with close to zero budgets, but the loyal members and committed leaders. The party saw through its 2016 congress.

However, we lost our sitting president (Dumiso Dabengwa) in 2019. We are preparing the upcoming 2021 (elective) congress. Zapu has proved to be the most resilient political party of all time After surviving the worst adversities and still be able to celebrate its 59th anniversary.

ZAPU’s President Dumiso Dabengwa died in May last year and the party said they are putting their house inorder as they prepare for the upcoming elections. Meanwhile the country will tomorrow commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the accord ZAPU is regretting.

Pindula

NETONE has reinstated and for the second time fired its former chief executive officer, Lazarus Muchenje on alleged criminal abuse of duty charges.

Muchenje who was dismissed from Netone on July 9 recently made an urgent chamber application at the High Court challenging his dismissal and an interim order was granted in his favour suspending the letter of termination.

In dismissing Muchenje, NetOne served him with a letter advising him of termination of his contract. Muchenje today received a letter of withdrawal of the July termination which was signed by the acting chairperson Susan Mutangadura.

In that letter, NetOne was advising Muchenje that they were withdrawing the July 9 dismissal and that he should await further communication.

“As you are aware, on 9th July 2020, NetOne Cellular (PVT) limited delivered a letter to you terminating your fixed terms contract of employment on notice in terms of section 12 (4) of the Labour Act (chapter 28.01).

“You then filed an urgent chamber application seeking to challenge the termination of the contract in case No. HC 3611/20. The matter was argued before Justice Chinamhora and a judgement in the matter is still pending.

“Netone Cellular(PVT) limited hereby withdraws the letter of 9 July 2020 informing you of the termination of your contract. By extension, that termination of your contract is hereby withdrawn,” reads the letter.

At that very moment, Muchenje received another letter which was terminating his contract of employment for the second time. The letter which was again signed by Mutangadura was advising Muchenje of his removal from the position of chief executive officer of Netone.

“The Ministry of ICT Postal and Courier Services and his Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe have expressed concern about the long drawn out dispute between you and NetOne Cellular Pvt Limited.

“They both note that your relationship with the institution (NetOne Cellular Private Limited) has irretrievably broken down and that it is in everyone’s best interests that the parties disengage,” reads the letter.

It further stated that President Mnangagwa has given his endorsement for Muchenje’s removal from the office of chief executive officer of NetOne.

“In the circumstances by this letter and exercising its rights, NetOne Cellular Private Limited hereby terminates your employment contract on three months’ notice.

Since NetOne Cellular Private Limited does not require your services it hereby waived the need for you to work. You will not be required to report for duty. The notice period will be taken into account in calculating your terminal benefits,” reads the letter.

It further stated that Muchenje’s employment was terminated with immediate effect.

Charles Laiton the Newsday Senior Court reporter died at Parirenyatwa Hospital today, Nehanda Radio reports. Laiton reportedly succumbed to a kidney ailment according to a relative Sophia Chalenga who confirmed his death to the publication and said:

He was not well after being diagnosed with a kidney ailment and we took him to Harare Hospital where he was admitted and discharged last week.

However, his health deteriorated again last Friday and he was admitted at Parirenyatwa Hospital and was placed in a Covid-19 isolation ward.

According to the publication:

Laiton joined Alpha Media Holdings publishers of NewsDay, The Independent and The Standard in June 2010 as a reporter rising through the ranks to the position of senior court reporter.

Prior to joining the media, he worked as a court interpreter and rose through the ranks to become principal court interpreter in charge of Mashonaland province and later Manicaland province.

Burial arrangements are yet to be announced. We will update this article if new details.

Suspected armed robber Douglas Mutenda, who was released on bail after law officer Mr Douglas Chesa consented to bail on December 8, is now on the run.

Mutenda is facing several counts of armed robberies and was released on $5 000 bail on December 9 when the State consented on the basis that some of his co-accused were out on bail.

But he failed to turn up on Friday for routine remand and Harare magistrate Mrs Judith Taruvinga issued the warrant of arrest.

Mutenda was supposed to stand trial for his armed robbery charges on February 17 next year with co-accused Prince Makodza, Carrington Marasha, Liberty Mupanhanga, Godfrey Mupamhanga, Spicer Takawira and Musafare Mupanhanga.

On January 21 next year, Mutenda was supposed to be tried at Harare magistrates’ court on other armed robbery charges with Eddison Mashamhanda, Spicer Takawira, Prince Makodza, Musafare Mupanhanga, Nevanji Madanhire, Christopher Mashamhanda and Dudzai Chidangwara.

Mutenda was also expected to appear in court on December 30 for routine remand on similar charges with Musa Taj Abdul, Musafare Mupamhanga, Godfrey Mupanhanga, Spicer Takawira, Carrington Marasha, Benjamin Chitunhu and Conwell Kasambarare.

Mutenda was initially denied bail when he applied at the High Court on October 20 this year.

The State led by Mr Chesa opposed the application, arguing that they had a very strong case against him.

Mr Chesa also told the court that Mutenda had led to recoveries of some of the stolen items, that there was a CCTV footage that showed him at the crime scene, that his accomplices implicated him and there were phone calls linking him to the offence, all of which left the prosecution with a very strong case against him.

High Court Judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi dismissed Mutenda’s bail application on grounds that he was likely to abscond and that he was facing a serious offence.

Barely a month after his bail application was dismissed at the High Court, Mutenda engaged a different lawyer and approached the same court, and went before a different judge.

New lawyer Mrs Concilia Maheya made a fresh bail application citing changed circumstances on December 8. In that application, Mutenda argued that his co-accused, Musafare Mupanhanga, Spicer Takawira, Benjamin Chitunhu and Conwell Kasambarare, had been granted bail.

He also argued that he had no pending cases as the State had alleged.

Mr Chesa responded to the fresh bail application on the same day consenting.

“The present application is based on changed circumstances, which the respondent (State) is of the view that they tilt the scales in favour of the applicant,” he said.

“In the initial application, neither the then legal representative nor the investigating officer who gave oral evidence in court told the court that there were other accused persons who are facing the same charges, already on remand and are out on bail.

“The applicant (Mutenda) is linked to the commission of the offence through implication by his co-accused. He was arrested at his home and no recoveries were made from him. Further, no formal identification parade was conducted to allow the respective victims to finger the applicants as having been part of the gang that committed the offence. The only probable link being the CCTV coverage and call history of his cell phone.”

Mr Chesa said in his consent papers that issues of the CCTV and call history were to be tested and determined during trial.

He said there was need to have proof from the police on whether Mutenda was on the run or not, as there was no evidence presented before the court in that regard.

Justice Benjamin Chikowore, acting on Mr Chesa’s consent, granted Mutenda bail on December 9, a day after he made his application.

Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Students Council has said Auxillia Mnangagwa’s national dress is irrelevant at a time the majority of citizens are wallowing in poverty.

In an interview with ZimEye.com on Sunday, MDC Alliance Students Council Secretary General, Rujeko Hither Mpambwa, described the so called national dress as an insult to the suffering Zimbabweans.

“We view the whole thing as an insult to the suffering Zimbabweans.

Actually Mrs Mnangagwa is simply imposing her personal interests on the entire nation.

Cultural matters cannot be determined by an individual.

Nobody has the right to redefine the culture of the nation,” argued Mpambwa.

“As students we we totally reject Mrs Mnangagwa’s dress code.The attempt to force the nation to buy her own choice of fashion is unfortunate and disturbing,” added Mpambwa.

By A Correspondent- A lecturer at Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) has filed a $3 million defamation lawsuit against a female student who claimed that he failed her last year as punishment for spurning his love advances.

Three independent examiners brought in the university remarked her module and all agreed she had failed sport science.

Dr Tapiwa Mudyahoto, a holder of a PhD from Fort Hare University, wants Nomsa Mwashita, a Bachelor of Education student at GZU, to compensate him for tarnishing his image through making what he called “baseless and false” allegations.

In summons dated December 12 filed by Dr Mudyahoto at the Masvingo Civil Court, which have since been served on Mwashita through Chihambakwe Law Chambers, Dr Mudyahoto wants the student to pay defamation damages and costs of the suit.

He also gave Mwashita seven days to respond to the suit.  In his application, Dr Mudyahoto said that Mwashita was one of 24 students part one students that were doing a module in sport science that he taught in the second semester.

After results came out, Dr Mudyahoto alleged that Mwashita upon noticing that she had failed the module made allegations that she was being punished for turning down his advances. Yet Dr Mudyahoto said he was cleared of any wrongdoing after the engagement of independent examiners who remarked Mwashita’s work.

He further alleged that Mwashita made a second “malicious” allegation against him by claiming that while in his office he had showed his manhood to her but then abandoned her case midway after being asked to prove her allegation against him by university authorities.

Dr Mudyahoto said he suffered damaged equivalent to $3 million which Mwashita must pay him. Mwashita has not yet filed papers opposing the suit.

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Republic Police has redeployed 84 senior police officers throughout the country.

Commissioner Moses Magandi has been moved from Gweru to head the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Harare, replacing CID director Comm Chrispen Charumbira who was recently arrested for criminal abuse of office.

Asst Comm Patrick Majuta has been transferred from CID Law and Order section in Harare to CID headquarters as the deputy director for law and order.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday said the transfers were necessitated by recent promotions.

“When there have been promotions, there are transfers to fill in the gaps that could have been left either by death or the need for job rotation so that the organisation benefits from the expertise that certain officers have,” he said.

Some of the transfers include Comm A Moyo from PGHQ Command Agriculture to the PGHQ crime as chief staff officer.

Asst Comm Mthimukulu was transferred from Mashonaland East to Police General Headquarters (PGHQ) administration as senior staff officer, while Asst Comm D Dhlakama was moved from Manicaland provincial headquarters to PGHQ internal investigations as senior staff officer.

In Harare province, Comm W Tembo was transferred from the PGHQ Admin to Harare provincial headquarters as Officer Commanding.

In Mashonaland East, Asst Comm SG Ndou was transferred from CID to Mashonaland East provincial headquarters as Acting Officer Commanding while Asst Comm G Mugonda from Murehwa district headquarters was transferred to Mashonaland East provincial headquarters as Asst Commissioner crime.

Commissioner P Makotose from Mashonaland West provincial headquarters to Mashonaland Central provincial headquarters as Officer Commanding.

In Mashonaland Central Comm David Mahoya was transferred to Masvingo as provincial headquarters as officer commanding.

Asst Comm Florence Marume was transferred from Mutare Central district headquarters to Masvingo provincial headquarters as Asst Comm in charge of administration.

In Matabeleland North, Commissioner Erasmus Makodza will remain Matabeleland North provincial headquarters as Officer Commanding.

Under CID, Asst Comm B Bangajena was transferred from Manicaland provincial headquarters to CID headquarters a deputy director commercial crimes department.

By A Correspondent- A Zimbabwean born South African based hearse driver was this week jailed for 15  years for smuggling explosives with over R 400 000 into South Africa from Zimbabwe, The Herald reports.

Wisper Ndiwen was arrested in July and he had been in remand since then after he was found with explosives in the hearse van he was driving from Zimbabwe where he had delivered a body.

According to Captain Maluleke of The Hawks in South Africa:

On July 26, 2020, at Beitbridge Border Post, the police were busy with their routine stop and search duties when they stopped a hearse that was coming from Zimbabwe and searched it.

Instead of finding a coffin in the hearse, they discovered explosives with an estimated value of over R420 000 and subsequently arrested Ndiweni who was the driver of the vehicle.

This is a second jail sentence imposed on explosives’ smugglers in the month of December alone. Patson Banda (25) and Life Mbazi (33) were recently sentenced to 15 years’ direct imprisonment by the Musina Magistrate’s Court for smuggling explosives.

According to the publication, over 30 people have been arrested in the Beitbridge Musina area for smuggling explosives worth millions of dollars between the 2 countries Zimbabwe and South Africa.

-statemedia

Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Students Council has said Auxillia Mnangagwa’s national dress is irrelevant at a time the majority of citizens are wallowing in poverty.

In an interview with ZimEye.com on Sunday, MDC Alliance Students Council Secretary General, Rujeko Hither Mpambwa, described the so called national dress as an insult to the suffering Zimbabweans.

“We view the whole thing as an insult to the suffering Zimbabweans.

Actually Mrs Mnangagwa is simply imposing her personal interests on the entire nation.

Cultural matters cannot be determined by an individual.

Nobody has the right to redefine the culture of the nation,” argued Mpambwa.

“As students we we totally reject Mrs Mnangagwa’s dress code.The attempt to force the nation to buy her own choice of fashion is unfortunate and disturbing,” added Mpambwa.

By A Correspondent- Thanks Makore, on remand on charges of allegedly murdering his seven-year old nephew Tapiwa for suspected ritual purposes, had his kitchen hut at his Murehwa homestead destroyed by fire on Friday night, a few hours after being granted $10 000 bail by the High Court on the grounds that there was no evidence linking him to the killing.

A month ago, the kitchen hut of Tapiwa Makore Senior, twin brother to Thanks and the principle suspect in the killing, was also gutted by fire, giving rise to suspicion that the same person is trying to force the brothers out of the community.

By Saturday, Thanks Makore’s hut and gazebo at the homestead were totally destroyed, with a CID forensic team sifting the ashes as they conducted investigations.

Thanks Makore’s older brother, Shadreck, said he was alerted of the incident by their cousin who resides at the homestead.

“My cousin brother who is currently staying at Thanks’ homestead woke me up at midnight and alerted me of the incident. When I woke up, I noticed that the hut and gazebo were on fire.

“I am still wondering how the kitchen caught fire because it’s barely a month since we witnessed Tapiwa Makore Senior’s hut also being burnt to ashes,” he said.

A villager from the neighbourhood, Tendai Muzura, said he was surprised to see the fire damage. “I was passing through Makore’s homestead when I realised that his hut had been reduced to ashes. We made a police report with my fellow villagers who were equally shocked,” he said.

Another witness who only identified herself as Rita, said the fire could have been caused by someone seeking revenge for the murder of Tapiwa Makore Junior.

“When the incident occurred, I was fast asleep and I only woke up to see Makore’s house burning. Now, what is troubling us is the person behind these fires because sometime early this month, Tapiwa Makore Senior’s hut was also reduced to ashes. I personally think that whoever is behind these fires, is seeking revenge for the murder of Tapiwa,” she said.

Thanks Makore was given bail last Friday after Justice Tapiwa Chitapi said there was no evidence linking him to the offence.

The State’s case was weak as there was nothing connecting him with the offence and that police did not find anything at his house as was alleged by a police informant.

Thanks Makore was originally suspected of masterminding the murder of the seven-year-old and is alleged to have offered to pay US$1 500 for the head and arms of the deceased.

Meanwhile, Chief Mangwende of Murehwa has agreed to the burial of the boy’s remains without the head on January 9 next year, as the family seeks closure to his case.

Yesterday, there reports that some Damofalls residents gathered at Thanks Makore’s Ruwa house over the weekend to protest the decision by the High Court to grant him bail.

Residents confirmed the brief protest.

“Yes, I saw a handful of people gathered at his gate. I was some metres away so I could not hear what they were saying. Later on, I heard that they were protesting why he was given bail. They were there for a couple of minutes before they dispersed, but I did not see Thanks Makore outside,” said a resident who refused to be named.

Another resident, a vendor at the shops near Makore’s house, confirmed the protest. “When it happened, I was not here. However, when I came back, I heard from some people that there was drama outside Thanks’ house, right at the gate. I am not sure what it was all about but I think residents are angry that he got bail.”

-statemedia

By A Correspondent- 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.

Ambassador Wutawunashe also said the Pay As You Go pension scheme, which sees civil servant pensions paid out of contributions made by working members, is being replaced with the Defined Benefit Pension Plan whereby pension contributions from working civil servants are invested to fund their future pensions.

As part of the restricting of the civil service there was need to fully adopt Information Communication Technology for modernisation.

By A Correspondent- Daring thieves stole a gate at St Alois Hunyani Catholic Church in Chitungwiza.

This was revealed by Tendekai Mwashita who posted and said:

Stolen from St Alois Hunyani Catholic church in Chitungwiza is a Giant Chocolate brown Gate. All those who might have any leading information to the stolen Gate kindly report to the nearest police station or contact Parish Priest Fr Gutu on +263 77 301 8309 or Parish Chairperson Mr Garawada on +263 77 339 4784

By A Correspondent- Tension has once again gripped the Zanu-PF Mutare district after the ruling party politburo ordered the rerun of the district co-ordinating committee chairmanship elections after chaos rocked the first round of the party electoral contest.

The first round was marred by allegations of massive rigging with some ballot papers found in bins while others were burnt, amid an outcry by some voters that there were party members that were paid to vote more than once.

Four candidates are vying for the hot seat in Mutare, and these are Binali Yard, Clever Muparutsa, Cecilia Gambe and war veteran Ivan Mbengo.

Preliminary results showed that Muparutsa had won the election but it was later revealed that Yard had won the election, which caused confusion and prompted demonstrations at the Manicaland provincial headquarters office.

The election exposed factionalism in the party with Zanu-PF Manicaland provincial party chairman Mike Madiro reportedly backing Muparutsa. On the other hand, Yard is allegedly being backed by Zanu-PF national chairperson, Oppah Muchinguri.

Both Madiro and Muchinguri are fighting for the control of the province.

Yard yesterday refused to comment, and directed questions to party’s acting spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa.

Yard’s supporters yesterday said they were sure their preferred candidate would win the election.

“We need fairness in this election, if there is fairness, we are going to win, it was clear that our candidate Yard was rigged from winning (sic),” said a supporter who refused to be named.

“We are saying let’s go for a rerun, the best candidate is going to win the election. As supporters of Yard, we are following what President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been saying that let the voice of the people be the voice of God, and we have been on the ground and we are campaigning.”

Muparutsa’s supporters said they have accepted the rerun directive by the politburo, adding that it was a hard pill to swallow.

“We did not want the rerun because we believed we had won the election, but there is nothing we can do because the politburo passed a resolution that there should be a rerun,” another supporter said.

Muparutsa was not immediately available for comment.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya has threatened to freeze the bank accounts of businesses which are taking advantage of the lower forex auction rate to make exchange gains through either importing or retailing.

Speaking at the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) 6th Annual Business Review Conference last week on Thursday, Mangudya said businesses were inflating supplier receipts or using higher exchange rates to make exchange gains.

“We are used to arbitrage opportunities, its arbitrage. It is the spirit of arbitrage and that is what is happening a lot in Zimbabwe so we are using moral suasion. We have our FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit), CID (Criminal Investigation Department), the police. You see, these things are so difficult to police. You need to have introspection, self-discipline, because it’s not there if you can imagine . . . You need to selfpolice yourselves,” he said.

“The FIU comes and closes your accounts, freezes them, when you are doing third party transactions…When we get hold of you we just close your accounts then you come to my office because the best way to make a person come to my office and tell me what he was doing is to freeze it. If you hit the pocket he won’t be able to transact . . .

“They now have associate companies in South Africa so they issue invoices from South Africa, come to Zimbabwe – transfer pricing, we are watching you. So they come to the auction for US$10 000 but the product is US$4 000. The other US$6 000 is what is transfer pricing… that mentality does not help the country.”

Currently, the official forex rate stands at US$1:$81,76 against a parallel rate ranging between US$1:$110 to $120.

Companies then go to the official forex auction and buy the US dollar more cheaply to either make US dollar gains through inflating prices from suppliers or to retail goods at a forex rate ranging between $91 and $110.

This is why in the 2021 National Budget, VAT registered operators’ systems were ordered to be interfaced with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority server with effect from December 1, 2020 to capture US dollar sales.

Failure to do so will result in operators being denied a tax clearance certificate.

“The instruments are there. We have got plenty of statutory instruments in Zimbabwe but compliance is our weakest point in Zimbabwe,” Mangudya said.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- The opposition Zapu party and political analysts have described the Unity Day holiday as a commemoration that has lost relevance as it no longer reflects the tenets of the unity accord which was signed in 1987.

They said government should first solve the issues of national peace and reconciliation pertaining to the Matabeleland and Midlands victims of the Gukurahundi massacres of the 1980s.

Acting Zapu president Isaac Mabuka told the Southern Eye in an interview that it was better for the holiday to be changed to Gukurahundi Victims Day, to remember the 20 000 lives lost during the massacres.

The remarks come as the country prepares to commemorate the Unity Day, which is celebrated every year on December 22.

The day was declared a national holiday as a result of the Unity Accord which was signed on December 22, 1987 by two political parties, Zanu, which was then, led by the late former President Robert Mugabe, and Zapu which was led by the late former Vice-President Joshua Nkomo.

Mabuka said the Unity Day celebrations could only have relevance if they reflected that the day was being celebrated to mark an official end to the mass killings of innocent civilians in Matabeleland and the Midlands.

“We prefer a Unity Day which does not coincide with the signing of the unity accord by Mugabe and Nkomo,” Mabuka said.

“Unity Day is no longer relevant to us as Zapu and I do not see how it is linked to the Unity Accord signing,” Mabuka said.

Ibhetshu likaZulu secretary-general Mbuso Fuzwayo said the Unity Day should be changed to a day to remember the victims of the Gukurahundi.

“How can Unity Day be memorable when it was born out of the suffering of innocent people who were tortured, raped, and over 20 000 civilians were massacred by those who were against multi-party democracy? They were killed in order to have a one party State,” Fuzwayo said.

“It is of no relevance to us as it is an important day to them, born out of the blood of innocent citizens killed by their government,” he said.

Human Rights Activist Effie Ncube said there was nothing worth celebrating on Unity Day as the commemorations had no meaning.

“This is because the government has not addressed the key issues which were supposed to be addressed by the Unity Accord, and one of them is the 1980s Gukurahundi genocide. Everything is still outstanding in terms of national peace and reconciliation, and compensation of victims of the genocide. Government has not addressed anything to that extent, so there is nothing worth celebrating,” Ncube said.

He added: “Unity Day should be a day to mourn the victims of Gukurahundi. We should also mourn the standard of living which has deteriorated since Gukurahundi. There is loss of jobs, poverty and hunger. That is why we cannot celebrate.”

-newsday

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has ordered police to tighten lockdown restrictions during the festive season.

Mnangagwa also said that Zimbabwe was preparing to roll put the coronavirus vaccine, with the country among the first due to receive the much-needed antidote for the lethal virus.

During his State of the Nation Address, Mnangagwa said Zimbabweans should cooperate with the police as they enforce tougher lockdown restrictions during the festive holidays.

He said the biggest danger was that people are not complying with the current restrictions and preventative measures.

Zimbabwe has so far recorded 12 325 cases of the virus with 320 people.  

Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe will only roll out vaccines that have been analysed and found to be effective and safe.

By A Correspondent- Main opposition MDC Alliance youths led by party president Nelson Chamisa have launched a campaign to dethrone President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the 2023 elections.

The youths intend to mobilise one million votes mainly from Zanu-PF strongholds in rural areas.

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma, the MDC Alliance youth spokesperson said the campaign dubbed #One Million Campaign was progressing well.

“The #OneMillionCampaign is our vehicle to victory in the fight against Mnangagwa’s corrupt military dictatorship,” Chuma said.

“The campaign seeks to mobilise, educate, recruit and radicalise new one million youth voices that will take this regime head-on to solve the economic, social and political rot in the country.”

In the 2018 elections, Mnangagwa won the presidential elections with a thin margin which was disputed by the MDC Alliance leader.

The opposition party youths believe if they can mobilise one million votes to add to their urban support base, their party would form the next government.

“We are convinced the source of this decay is an illegitimate regime that stole the will of the majority who happens to be young people. We are now going village by village through the #OneMillionCampaign to coalesce young people to reclaim their stolen victory,” Chuma said.

He claimed that villagers in the countryside were yearning for new leadership in the country.

“So far we have received overwhelming response from young people particularly those in the rural areas who are showing unparalleled zeal to confront those looting the national cake at the expense of the people. We can confirm that so far we have managed to bulldoze our way into traditional hotspots of violence which Zanu-PF misconstrues to be its strongholds.”

The MDC youths have been to Masvingo’s district of Zaka, Kwekwe in Midlands, Mhondoro in Mashonaland West and Bulawayo to campaign.

The youths also mobilised oversubscribed campaigns in Gwanda and Chiredzi.

-newsday