In a case that has left a Nyanga family at sixes and sevens, it is alleged that the avenging spirit of a businessman who was robbed and murdered by his five neighbours 36 years ago is demanding five virgins and 75 beasts as appeasement.

lt is said Costa Kafikira’s spirit is accusing his then neighbours in Tombo Village under Chief Saunyama — Willard Sakupwanya, Charles Fombe, Tsakadzai Mautsi, Tambuzwa Matseketsa and a Benyu of poisoning his alcohol, robbing and murdering him before dumping his body near Gairezi River.

Four of the alleged murderers are now late, save for Fombe.

Kafikira’s family says they stand guided by the laws of the land and will not accept human beings as appeasement for his loss of life.

They, however, will accept the 75 beasts.

Said Kafikira’s nephew, Paul Dzinduwa, in an interview with The Weekender: “The spirit is demanding a virgin and 15 beasts from each of the perpetrators’ families, thereby making it five girls and 75 beasts. We, however, stand guided by the laws of the land when it comes to compensation or appeasement of avenging spirits. We know that the appeasement of avenging spirits with girls, women or any human being was outlawed. All we pray for is justice to prevail so that our uncle rests in peace. We need justice.”

It is said the avenging spirit is manifesting on Matseketsa’s daughter-in-law — Riona — who now dresses and speaks like the late Kafikira.

All this was revealed when the Matseketsa family recently approached the Kafikiras to chart the way forward.

Riona was clad in a pair or grey trousers, a red shirt and a tie. Kafikira’s relatives said the outfit resembles the clothes that Kafikira was last seen wearing.

“When my uncle left home the day he was last seen, he was dressed in the clothes Riona came wearing,” said Dzinduwa.

Kafikira was murdered in 1984 and his remains were discovered by herd boys three years later near Gairezi River.

His family identified him by his metal identity card and the family heirloom belt that was found near his skeleton.

“We searched for him for years and could not find him. What hurts most is that the killers were part of the search team back then. They would mislead us knowing very well where they had dumped my uncle’s remains,” said Dzinduwa.

The Matseketsas claimed that their family members are dying in unclear circumstances, while some are battling for their lives.

A Nyanga traditional healer, Sekuru Shingirai Mukotsanjera, advised them to appease Kafikira’s avenging spirit.

“Four family members have already died and the avenging spirit keeps telling us that more woes will befall the family. It is said my late father was one of Kafikira’s assailants and we cannot deny or accept the claim since he is now late. But if it is true, we are wallowing in poverty because of my father’s transgression.

“We need to appease the avenging spirit and be at peace with the Kafikiras,” narrated the late Matseketsa’s son, only identified as Matseketsa.

Kafirika’s eldest son, Nicholas Kafikira, said he was deprived of his father’s love and care by the killers as his father was murdered while he was still in his youth.

The matter is yet to be brought before Chief Saunyama’s court.

Kafikira said his family will take the matter to the chief’s court when the remaining four families approach them.-Manica Post

By Harare Residents Trust| An 80-year-old citizen, Mary Usher and living with blindness, has had some serious challenges. Tenants have taken advantage of her advanced age and refused to pay rentals. Through the help of the Cranborne Residents Committee, two of the tenants have been successfully ejected from her house, but one stubborn tenant remains. All legal processes were taken, and now the Messenger of Court has demanded US$340 or ZW$20 584 in order to execute the eviction of the remaining tenant. Her only daughter is in Cape Town, SA and cannot come at this time due to COVID-19. Mbuya Usher largely survives on rentals paid by her tenants, if she is lucky to have paying tenants.

It is most unfortunate that we have people who exploit the elderly to live off her without paying anything for staying in her house.

Our expectation is that senior citizens of Mbuya Usher’s age should be assisted without making them pay huge amounts of money in order to execute justice. The residents’ leadership are therefore knocking on the doors of government offices to request them to waive the requirement to pay the Messenger of Court in order to execute a court order to evict a troublesome tenant.

For further details please get in touch with Frank Dembetembe, 0772335904 (Chairman), Wilson Namusi, 0773773525 (Secretary) and VaMatore, 0718 075 172, a member of the Committee. Their Committee wants justice for their senior citizens. They are urging young couples out there not to be irresponsible when staying at elderly people’s homes.
What is your take on stubborn tenants who refuse to pay their monthly rentals, and leave when they are given notice to vacate someone’s property? They want free accommodation.

VIDEO –

Interviewer – Good afternoon our viewers in Zimbabwe and around the world. We bring you this slide where we speak to one of the vendors who was arrested together with the late Hilton Tamangani to narrate what really transpired on the day when they were arrested.

Interviewee: I am (inaudible)… two years old. Inini ndinoita zvekutengesa nekuchinja mari pacorner Kwame Nkrumah naAngwa pane QV Phamarcy. It happened like that eeh musiwe Saturday, which is the 12th of October, we were doing our business as usual eeh inini nemamwe mayoungsters andinoita sei vandinoshanda navo. It’s like a full truck yema (inaudible) … yakabva ne-road yekuna eeh na Angwa. I think sevanhu vanenge vachingotengesa ndobva taita sei tatanga kutiza. Patange takutiza eeh ndobvataona another bigger truck inenge aya anonzi mangongongo aya, inenge ine about 60 or so, ndirikungofembera because I am not very sure … bva taona kuti panapa … tatoita sei tatokombwa. Tenge tisina option yekutiza napo because mapurisa vakazara ne the other side. Saka the only nzvimbo yatakagona kutiza napo ndeye basement because usually … panouya mapurisa mazhinji tinopinda chii-basement. And mu-basement imomo havaiti sei havasotiwana. Little did we know kuti panemunhu anenge atotengesa kuti tinopinda chii mu-basement. Then tadaro paya paya tahwanda mu basement muya muya matinopinda aaah vasvika muyamuya bvavatanga kurova ma-teargas. Unongoziva basement panhu pakavharika nemateargas vamwe varimunemamwe marooms vachingokosora …. Police [vakati] “you guys marova mapurisa … about three”. Tarova mapurisa? Zvaitikira kupi izvozvo? Ndekupi kwatarova mapurisa? And that day we were celebrating birthday raHilton, 29, so musi iwowo. And it is a well known fact kuti isusu tiri ma-supporters echii? eMDC. Saka patinenge tichiita zvinhu zvedu topfeka chii regalia. Saka that regalia I think ndochakanyanya kuattracta chii … vakazobata iye Hilton neumwe mupfanha anonzi David Tekere aaaah vakavabata paye paye haaa pakarohwa munhu. Inini ndakange ndakahwanda muneimwe room ndakange ndine other three guys but ndaingonzwa kuchema kwaiita munhu akuita sei, arikurohwa. Akarohwa! Almost 30minutes, uchinzwa munhu achiita sei, achirohwa! Ende whilst achirohwa paya paya paneroom yakabatwa vanaHilton yanga ine ma-helmets e-police anga akawanda … munhu wese. But ma-helmets aya manje, they belonged kune umwe mukomana aripa-building iyoyo. Akange amatenga ku-auction, that is 2016, for recycling unoziva … that is the reason yaakaita sei, yaakapa. Saka ivo vakenge vakuti ‘muriku organiser kupandukira hurumende. Already you have ma-helmets aya’ nechii ndoo most reason yavanyanya kuita sei kutirova zvakanyanya. [Then] vabata varova vana Hilton paya paya vazoita intensify their search vachibvavazo batawo vamwe munema rooms metenge tisiri. The first thing yavaita vasati vatanga kukurova vaitanga kusearcha votora mari. Some other guys lost about USD400, ini I lost about ini hangu ndange ndisina mari yakawanda ndenge ndine USD66, R254, ZWL $720 ma-bond but vamwe vapfanha vandanga ndinavo vange vanemari dzakaita sei dzange dzakawanda. Haa vatitora payapaya ndobva vatipfugamisa mumukoto aah bvavatanga kutirova zvakare nemambhoma. Ndopandakazonyanyanya kukwara because truck yavakatirongedza yaiva diki apa tanga takarongedzwa apa ne weight yake he was a big guy. Apa wese aiuya aitanga arova iye because ndiye aiwa pamusoro and he was crying like ‘vakomana mandiuraya. Mhosva yandaita ndeyei ko kani? Munondiurayira kuchinja mari here? Inga mari yacho matora wani? What else do you want from me guys? I am already dead. Musana wangu waita sei? Watyoka!’ Because kunezvimwe zvimambhoma zve-police zviye zvakamira zvakadai unoziva zvavanobata vakadai? Vachitenderedza vachirova pa-spinal. Saka I believe kuti akatyoka spinal ….

From there tasvika ku-Central vakatirova zvakare zvakasimba including mashefu anga akapfeka hat dze black hanzi ‘hee moita basa rekurova police, muchiti munotonga nyika inoyi. Nyika ino inevaridzi vayo,’ and some stuff kusvika vaneta ‘mofunga munotora nyika ino’. Ndopavakazotiisa muma cells next day. On sunday ndopavakatiitisa ma interviews paye vachida kuti pavhurwe case vakashaya kuti vovhura case ipi kusvika vazoita settle for assault. Saka vakambotanga vati eeeh we are suspecting you ne murder nekuti panemupurisa akambotsikwa nemota nekuti tawana helmet yechii yemupurisa uya iri pama helmets ange awanikwa paya paya. But the truth is helmet iyoyo vakatora umwe mpfanha anonzi zvikanzi Kevy come here, come here tora helmet iripapo undikandire vakati titambidze helmet iyo ndikati ‘mpfanha iwewe ukuisa ma fingerprints pa helmet yemunhu akafa’. From there vakomana vangavakakuvara vakachema vakasvika so we demanded medical attention and that was on Sunday denied medical till ma lawyers edu auya akasiya apa order akauya akati tipihwe medical attention but still we were denied. Then ava manheru eSunday vakauya zvakare vakatitora hanzi ‘takuenda kuchipatara’. Vakatiendesa paCentral paye paunosvika uchireporter ndobva taiswa pasi pema-tables pakatora two hours. Then after dzakuma 12 one kuHarare Hospital? Ivo vaiti hanzi tirikuenda vakutiendesa asi havana vakati ‘these guys are dangerous. So we can’t take them vasina ma leg irons’ saka ‘so we can not take them vasina chii they are trained’ whatever zvavaitaura hanzi ‘vanozotikanganisa kuti tivaendese saka ngavadzokere’.

That was on Sunday, then Monday, that is when we went to court, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday taingoenda ku-court taibva ku court that was around 7 taizosvika kuHarare Central Prison kuma 7pm. Wednesday, Thursday, eeh musi weFriday ndopatisina kuenda ku police pandakaona mukomana … azvimba muviri wese manje, azvimba body yese kubva kutsoka kusvika uku right side yake yese iyi yakange yaoma that was Thursday night because pane pamwe paakarohwa nebhodhoro range raka cracker.

I: Bhodhoro?

Interviewee: … bhodhoro! Kugoti uku musoro wake wawaclotta blood, zvekuti kana asimudze gumbo tatakuita wekujegera. Saka umwe prison officer akazonyatsoona akati ‘haa mpfanha akakwara uyu hazvichaite’ and then they had to negotiate his way kuti aende chii anoona ma nurses but fortunately takawana ma nurses anonzwisisa akamugadza pa wheelchair achitoti ‘akomana hameno mangwana toonana here nezvandiri kunzwa ini. Haa ndiri pa-tight’. Maziso ake aive eye red ndikamupa two… Wakubuda waitaura naye akakutarisa so you could see kuti hapasisina hupenyu. … That was on Friday makuseni bvaaswera aripo pachipatara chepajeri Harare Central Prison. Then the next morning sad news ndopatakanzi mumwe wenyu akashaya. And vamwe vese vaiva vakatyoka they were denied medical attention. Only ini ndakatozorapwa musi watapuhwa bail that was on Monday. Ndopandakazoenda kunoiswa plaster nekuonekwa ma internal injuries nekuti vakuti ndine ropa raka clotter mukati. Saka ndikupihwa mapiritsi ekuti akline. That’s the horror we went through. That was hectic especially mapurisa acho awe akawanda haa pakarohwa vanhu about 60 of them. Initially we were 12. Another one wechi 12 wacho is a lawyer ndakangomuona akamira pa gate akarohwa zvakasimba. Ndakanganwa zita rake but ndoziva kumuona. Pakazouya vanhu veku law firm kwavo manheru emusiwe Saturday that’s when they released him. And then the other one wechi 13 anonzi Tawanda akatokwanisa kutiza ku escaper akatsemuka musoro and ruoko but akakwanisa kuescaper akaenda.

TRANSLATION

Interviewer – Good afternoon our viewers in Zimbabwe and around the world. We bring you this slide where we speak to one of the vendors who was arrested together with the late Hilton Tamangani to narrate what really transpired on the day when they were arrested.

I sell goods and trade in forex at the corner of Kwame Nkrumah and Angwa Street where you have the QV Pharmacy. It so happened that on Saturday, 12th of October, while some youngsters, in actual fact my business colleagues, and I were going about our business as usual.

It’s like a full truck came from the direction of Angwa Street to which we, as as vendors usually do, began to flee. While running we saw another bigger police truck with about 60 or so I guess. We realised we had been surrounded. We had no escape route because police sealed the other side and usually when police raid in large numbers we hide in the basement. There police have always failed to find us except that this time around someone had sold out our hideout.

So while in the basement hideout, police got in there and started throwing teargas. As you know, the basement is an enclosed place and with the teargas people in other rooms kept coughing. … the police [said] ‘you guys beat up police officers … about three’. We assaulted police officers? Where on earth did that happen? Where did we assault police officers? And that day, we were celebrating Hilton’s birthday – that was his 29th. And it is a well known fact that we are MDC supporters. So when we go about our business we wear our party regalia. So it is that regalia which I think drew the attention … they caught Hilton and another guy called David Tekere aaaah they caught them and severely beat them. I was hiding in another room with three other guys but I heard from his cries that he was being beaten. He was beaten! For almost 30minutes, the cries reported a sustained beating! And whilst he was being beaten there is a room where Hilton and his colleagues were caught, which had many police helmets … everybody. But now these helmets, belonged to another guy who is based at the same building. This guy had bought the helmets at an auction, that is 2016, for recycling you know … that is the reason he gave. So the cops were now saying ‘you are organising a uprising against the government. Already you have these helmets’ and that is the prime pretext they used to beat us so badly. [Then] they caught and beat up Hilton and his colleagues, intensified their search and caught others who were hiding in other rooms that we had not been in. The first thing they did before beating you up is to search and seize money. Some other guys lost about USD400, I lost about (as someone without lots of money) I had USD66, R254, ZWL $720 (bond) but other guys I was with had huge amounts of money. So they took us and made us kneel in the alley then they started to beat us up again with button sticks and would start by beating him [Hilton] up. That is when I got severely injured because the truck they piled us in was small yet with his weight he was a big guy. All who came started by beating him up because he was at the top of the stack and he cried saying ‘guys you have killed me. What crime have I really committed? You kill me for dealing in forex? Yet you have taken all my money? What else do you want from me guys? I am already dead. What has become of my spine? It’s broken!’ Because there is a type of button stick used by police, the one that is like this, which they hold like this and spin as they hit the spine. So I believe that he broke his spine ….

From there when we arrived at Central [Police Station] they and their black-hat police chefs severely beat us again and taunted us saying ‘hee you make it your job to beat up police officers, and brag that you will rule this country. This country has its owners,’ they taunted us until they were tired and continued to say ‘you think you will win this country?’ Then they put us in the cells the next day. On Sunday they conducted interviews with a view to filing a criminal case against us, and kept fumbling until they settled for an assault charge. So at first they said ‘we are suspecting you committed murder’ because there is a case of a police officer who was run over by a car and so they said that ‘we have found the helmet of the deceased policemen amongst the other helmets that had been discovered earlier on’. But the truth is that in the case of the helmet-murder case they took one guy called Kevy and trapped him saying ‘come here, come here, take that helmet over there and throw it to me’. They said ‘give us that helmet’ before I weighed in saying “my boy you are putting your fingerprints on the helmet of the deceased.’ From there the guys who were injured cried on arrival and so we demanded medical attention and that was on Sunday when our lawyers left behind an order that we get medical attention but still we were denied. Then on Sunday evening they [police] came and took us again and said ‘we are going to the hospital’. They took us to Central, there where complainants stand when they report their cases then we were put under the tables for two hours. Then at or about 12 noon to 1 p.m. Harare Hospital? They told us that they were taking us to hospital but they did not save to say ‘these guys are dangerous. So we can’t take them without leg irons’ therefore ‘so we can not take them because they are trained’ whatever they were saying they added ‘they will create trouble for us if we take them so they must go back’.

That was on Sunday, then Monday, that is when we went to court, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday we kept going to court and would leave court around 7 p.m. and would arrive at Harare Central Prison at or about 7 p.m. On Wednesday, Thursday and eeh on Friday were the days we did not go to the police whereupon I saw Hilton really swollen all over from the toes to his right side which was now badly affected and stiff … that was Thursday night because he had also earlier on been assaulted using a cracked bottle.

Interviewer: bottle?

Interviewee: … bottle! Besides a blood clot to the head, we had to support him when he tried to lift up his leg. So one prison officer who clearly saw what was happening remarked ‘haa this young man is injured we can’t ignore this anymore’ and then they had to negotiate his way so that he is attended to by the nurses but fortunately we got served by very understanding nurses who put him on a wheelchair while he remarked ‘guys with the way I am feeling I do not know if we will see each other tomorrow. I am in pain’. His eyes were red and I gave him two … as you exited the clinic you spoke to him and once he looked at you you could see that there was no more life in him. … That was on Friday morning and so he spent the whole day at Harare Central Prison clinic. Then the next morning sad news we were told that your mate had died. And the other inmates who had broken limbs were denied medical attention. Save for me, I was treated on the Monday we were granted bail. That is when I went to get a plaster and got checked for internal injuries because they said I have blood that clotted right inside me. So I am being given pills to clean the clot. That’s the horror we went through. That was hectic especially considering that there were many policemen about 60 of them who severely beat up the people. Initially we were 12. The 12th guy, a lawyer I saw standing at the gate, was also severely beaten up. I have forgotten his name but can recognise him when I see him. People from his law firm came on Saturday evening and that’s when they released him. And then the thirteenth guy is called Tawanda who actually managed to escape despite an injury to the head and hand.

…………………………………………………………………………………

By Jane Mlambo| Investigative journalist Hopewell has saved the leading daily newspaper, The Newsday after its Twitter account with more than 500 000 followers was reported for suspicious activities and subsequently restricted.

Chin’ono who has gained international recognition as a leading voice against corruption and human rights abuses in Zimbabwe used his influence to beg Twitter to reconsider its decision on Newsday’s account as well as another belonging to one Yvonne Maphosa.

“Last night I wrote to @twitter regarding the suspension of twitter accounts of critical voices in Zimbabwe of @TamukaKagoro77, @NewsDayZimbabwe & @Mamoxn

“I would like to thank Twitter for quickly responding & reactivating these accounts,” said Chin’ono.

Twitter wrote back to Chin’ono telling him that they had reactivated the accounts.

He was also given the greenlight to flag any impacted accounts in future, something that will come as a blow to the people who had begun a campaign to report all pro-democratic voices for restriction.

In the past, the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services as well as Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana had countless problems with Twitter after their accounts were restricted due to claims that they were responsible for spreading fake news.

Paul Nyathi

All eyes are on government spokesman Nick Mangwana after the mastermind of the BUDIRIRO 4 house demolishing and leader of Tembwe Housing Cooperative Caleb Kadye, himself a bigwig in the ruling Zanu PF party, who was arrested on Tuesday has been set free without trial.

Mangwana is notorious for knowing well in advance the demolishings 3 weeks before. On the 13th November 2020, he publicly announced that some properties would be destroyed, while not disclosing the location.

“Police officers arrested Kadye, the chairperson of Tembwe Housing Cooperative, on December 8, 2020,” read a police statement on Tuesday.

“Kadye, together with two other members of the housing cooperative, Frank Sithole and Talent Machaba, were charged with malicious damage to property,” the statement added.

It is alleged that the trio resisted the execution of a judgement by the Harare City Council and the Sheriff of the High Court to demolish hundreds of houses under the Tembwe Housing Cooperative in Budiriro. The trio allegedly pelted a police truck with stones and damaged the windscreen.

Darlington Marange of Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum appeared before the courts on behalf of the trio. Darlington Marange insisted that the trio be released as they had been unlawfully over detained at Budiriro Police Station.

Meanwhile the Forum has since established that the Harare City Council demolished houses belonging to the Tembwe Housing Cooperative members on the basis of a court order which targeted a different housing cooperative. As a result, at least 140 houses were destroyed exposing children, the elderly and people with disabilities to the elements.

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa, has pointed out that the heartless demolition of citizens’ homes in Budiriro, Harare is a reflection of the destructive nature of Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.

Speaking after visiting the victims of the demolitions on Thursday, President Chamisa described the Zanu PF government’s carefree attitude towards the plight of suffering citizens as puzzling and unacceptable.

“We have just witnessed the worst form of violation of human rights.

Children have been left in the open despite the heavy rains.

This is totally unacceptable.This is a clear reflection of the Zanu PF administration’s destructive nature.

We view the demolition citizens’ homes as a heartless act.There should be mechanisms in place to ensure the safety of the affected families.

In actual fact you do not pull down buildings before looking at the consequences,” said President Chamisa.

According to
Harare Mayor, Councillor Jacob Mafume efforts are being made to seek donations to help the affected families.

“There are plans to set up temporary structures for the affected families.We are therefore appealing for donations to help the victims.We are also looking at long term solutions to their predicament,” said Mayor Mafume.

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa, has pointed out that the heartless demolition of citizens’ homes in Budiriro, Harare is a reflection of the destructive nature of Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.

Speaking after visiting the victims of the demolitions on Thursday, President Chamisa described the Zanu PF government’s carefree attitude towards the plight of suffering citizens as puzzling and unacceptable.

“We have just witnessed the worst form of violation of human rights.

Children have been left in the open despite the heavy rains.

This is totally unacceptable.This is a clear reflection of the Zanu PF administration’s destructive nature.

We view the demolition citizens’ homes as a heartless act.There should be mechanisms in place to ensure the safety of the affected families.

In actual fact you do not pull down buildings before looking at the consequences,” said President Chamisa.

According to
Harare Mayor, Councillor Jacob Mafume efforts are being made to seek donations to help the affected families.

“There are plans to set up temporary structures for the affected families.We are therefore appealing for donations to help the victims.We are also looking at long term solutions to their predicament,” said Mayor Mafume.

Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Youth Assembly will this weekend take the #One Million Campaign to Mashonaland West Province.

The One Million Youth Voices Rally will be held at Mamina Growth, Mhondoro Ngezi Constituency, on Sunday.

The #One Million Campaign seeks to magnify the MDC Alliance’s support base in the rural areas.

MDC Alliance Youth Assembly spokesperson, Stephen Sarkozy Chuma told ZimEye.com on Friday, the party was determined to fortify its support base in both rural and urban areas.

“We are raring to go and we are ready for the big event,” said Chuma.

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Namibia has said Local Government Minister July Moyo is solely responsible for the demolition of citizens’ homes in Budiriro, Harare.

See full statement below:

10 DECEMBER 2020

MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT JULY MOYO IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HEARTLESS DEMOLITIONS OF HARARE HOUSES, MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA ECHOES.

Mdc Alliance Namibia condemns the heartless demolitions being presided by clueless Zanupf regime through the central government without finding an alternative shelter for the people in this rainy season.

These actions against the citizenry are ill-timed, evil and diabolic.

We want to make it clear that our Mayors and Councillors are completely against this satanic act meant to blackmail our diligent local government officials.

This has been barely proven by the incarceration of our Mayors in the likes of former His Worship Harare Mayor , Herbert Gomba and the incumbent Jacob Mafume on spurious charges while the archibishops of corruption are walking. These Zanupf shenanigans are concocted to create a false impression that the national democratic revolutionaries are the ones of who are corrupt.

Mdc Alliance Namibia is convinced that this is a Zanupf ploy to decampaign our local government prospective candidates in the by-elections and the impending 2023 harmonised elections since they realised the potential of the political behemoth’s (Mdc Alliance) grip on local councils.

This is the highest level insanity and political ineptitude of a rogue regime which has dismally failed to put the economy on a sounder footing. We are cognisant of their sadist efforts to politically assassinate the impressive reputation of our Mayors and Councillors.

Social democrats in Namibia demand the restoration of the executive powers of mayors in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabweans must blame the central government because our local council is centrally controlled by the Local government Minister, July Moyo and his cronies who act under strict Zanupf directives.

We are strongly against this centralisation of power by the central government. We demand devolution of power as stipulated in the 2013 national constitution of Zimbabwe.

Moreover, we reemphasize that the right to decent shelter is a provision enshrined in the supreme law of the country. Desperate Zanupf government must respect the sanctity of life of their fellow Countrymen.

How can they expose innocent citizens to these horrific conditions in a catastrophic rainy season ? We want to seriously conscientise town and city dwellers to strategize a way out of this madness. Lets demand justice to the victims of these diabolic demolitions. Zimbabwe is not a Zanupf private property, it belongs to us all. It’s now imperative to all social democrats across the globe to resist this Zanupf gross misgovernance and moronic behaviour.

DecentShelterIsARight

ZimbabweIsForUsAll

NoToHeartlessDemolitions

ZanupfMustGo

WeNeedOurCountryBack

HandsOffOurCouncillors

FreeMadzokere

FreeMaengahama

HandsOffChitungwizaCouncillors

Mdc Alliance Namibia
Rundu Branch Spokesperson
Robson Ruhanya

The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) has criticised the government for making nurses apologise for the industrial action they embarked on over poor salaries and working conditions.

ZINA president, Enock Dongo issued a statement saying the government violated both Zimbabwean and intentional laws to satisfy their interests. He said:

As ZINA we have been left dismayed by the attitude shown by the government of Zimbabwe towards nurses. The attitude is not only in contempt of court but it is also grossly unjust, with the conduct being to coerce nurses into submission to unlawful directives.

It is an undeniable fact that the Zimbabwe Nurses Association took government to court twice in the last month. On both occasions, the High Court ruled that nurses were correct and were entitled as a matter of right to continue with the flexible working hour system. Both judgments are a matter of public record under case numbers HC6507/20 and HC7099/20. Having seen that the courts have declared them wrong, it has now become evidently clear that the government sees itself as if it is above the law. This is the only conclusion to be derived from the actions of a government that ignores two clear court orders.

This happened at Harare hospital on Monday the 7th of November 2020 and currently, nurses at United Bulawayo Hospital are being asked to write apology letters. All this is being done because government can simply ignore a court order if it wants.

State media on their part, instead of reporting the true outcome of the court cases, have been referring to nurses as “defiant” whilst calling ZINA “misleading”.

All this has no factual or legal basis and amounts to misleading the nation on the true state of affairs regards the dispute between nurses and government. What they omit to state is that before taking government to court and even after both judgments came out, we have written to government to meet so that we can resolve this issue amicably but on all occassions we have not even received the courtesy of a response.

Dongo said the government should be the one apologising to the nurses for acting in a manner which the court said was incorrect.

He added that the employer should pay nurses their salaries as ordered by the court “rather than put its own conditions on things.”
– Health Times

Tinashe Sambiri|Controversial Masvingo preacher, Isaac Makomichi has sensationally claimed women should use menstrual blood as love charm to tame their husbands.

Makomichi’s remarks have sparked widespread criticism with church leaders and women’s groups accusing the controversial cleric of using “muti” to hoodwink his followers.

Makomichi shocked all and sundry when he ordered women to use their menstrual blood “to charm their husbands.”

The outspoken preacher has been under fire for “distributing” love charm to the late Mitchelle Moana Amuli.

Writing his Facebook page called “Sir Isaac Makomichi Love Potions” the preacher claimed:
“Ropa rekumazuva evakadzi can be used semupfuhwira,munhu waunodanana naye unomuisira mumvura yekugeza,kuti adzikame uye kufumura mupfuhwira yaakadyiswa nevamwe vakadzi.

But inini handikurudzire munhu kuti azviite.Asi kana anyanyonetsa murume ndibate titaure.”

Sources say Makomichi demanded half of Marry Mubaiwa’s wealth to reunite her with Constantino Chiwenga in less than 24hrs.

A man identified as Nobert said Makomichi must leave Masvingo as he was destroying marriages.

“This man is an agent of the devil. He wants our women to charm us so that they can control us.
He must delete his page or else we will beat him up…

Asked for a comment, Makomichi said he was determined to stop men from abandoning their respected familes.

A 55-YEAR-OLD Filabusi man went berserk and allegedly axed his wife (34) to death before committing suicide by drinking a pesticide.

Mr Zama Mafu of Sidingimpilo Village under Chief Maduna had a week ago reportedly walked in on his wife, Simelokhuhle Dube, in the couple’s matrimonial bed with one of his neighbours, leading to an altercation.

The couple appeared to have made up, but Mafu allegedly became violent on Tuesday night.

It could not be established if the latest outburst was connected to Dube’s alleged infidelity.

Mafu allegedly viciously axed his wife twice on the head and she is suspected to have died instantly.

Neighbours found her body in a pool of blood in a bush on Wednesday at around 6AM, about 300m from the couple’s homestead.

Neighbours said Mafu could have killed his wife on Tuesday at around 8PM and immediately drank a poisonous dipping chemical.

When police attended the crime scene on Wednesday, they found him home in a critical state and rushed him to Filabusi District Hospital where he died on the same day.

He was not able to explain the motive behind the brutal murder, as he could not speak.

Matabeleland South acting police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena yesterday decried the violent killing and suicide.

She urged members of the public to be civil when handling domestic disputes.

She said people should learn to engage third parties for counselling and advice whenever they face challenges to avoid intimate partner violence.

Inspector Mangena said Dube’s body was discovered by a villager who was walking to his fields.

“We are investigating a murder case where a 55-year-old Filabusi man axed his wife on December 8 about 300 metres from their homestead.

“When the body was discovered, police were notified and attended the scene and found the woman lying in a pool of blood,” said Insp Mangena.

“Police also observed that Simelokhule Dube had two deep cuts on her head and the axe used in committing the crime was recovered next to her body.”

Insp Mangena said police tracked footprints near the body to Mafu’s homestead.

“We managed to arrest him although we learnt that he had already taken poison in an attempt to take his life. He was already critical and was rushed to Filabusi District Hospital where he died,” she added.

Sources close to the family said the couple led a happy and peaceful life until Dube allegedly cheated and was caught red handed with their neighbour.

Family members were engaged to solve the dispute days ago and the couple resolved to forgive each other before the gory killing.

The incident comes after the country joined the world in commemorating 16 days of Activism Against Gender based Violence which ended yesterday.

This year’s commemorations were held under the theme: “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent and Collect.”-Chronicle

The independent

VICE-PRESIDENT and Health minister Constantino Chiwenga has agreed to reinstate dozens of ministry directors he unilaterally fired two months ago, making a dramatic U-turn after mounting pressure and the threat of a costly lawsuit, it has emerged.

Chiwenga, who flew to China for medical attention last week despite having, ironically, earlier banned such trips, sent 27 ministry directors on forced leave in October claiming to be undertaking a systemic restructuring exercise.

The exercise became the subject of intense controversy, after it emerged the government was forking out millions of dollars since their suspension in July to simultaneously remunerate both the suspended and acting officials.

The restructuring exercise climaxed when the directors were sent on forced leave to pave way for investigations into the abuse of funds when former Health minister Obadiah Moyo was still at the helm.

Moyo is standing trial on allegations of awarding a company called drax International a Us$60 million tender for the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the fight against Covid-19.

At the same time, seven senior officials at the national drug supplier Natpharm were fired.

Health services Board (HSB) communications manager Tryfine Dzukutu confirmed that some of the directors were already back at work, saying two of them were reinstated last week.

But sources close to the restructuring exercise, which is ostensibly being rolled out to “achieve greater efficiency as envisaged in the National Health Strategy” told the Zimbabwe Independent that the number of recalled staffers was high, as fears of attracting legal action mount. A source in the Ministry of Health and Child Care said the manner in which the restructuring exercise was being done, in particular putting staffers on indefinite paid leave, presented grave legal ramifications, if they are challenged in the courts. The source revealed that the exercise was also gobbling substantial amounts of money.

In the correspondence undersigned by HSB chairperson Paulinas Sikhosana, seen by this newspaper, dated July 10 advising the workers to go on indefinite paid leave, the institution did not give any specific charges or reasons for the move.

In written responses to questions sent by the Independent, Dzukutu said: “The recalled members are two deputy directors recalled from indefinite leave namely (a pharmacy and lab scientist) to facilitate service delivery within the ministry. These two members were recalled on December 2, 2020 in their existing capacities.”

However, Dzukutu could not explain the nature of advice HSB had received from the Attorney General nor the reasons why the officials had been placed on indefinite leave saying it was an “in-house and confidential issue.”

She said the restructuring was merely meant to improve efficiency.

A “new ministry structure”, Dzukutu said, was one of the intended objectives of the ongoing restructuring exercise.

“The new approved ministry structure has not been implemented as yet, so their (reinstated staffers) positions will only be determined after its implementation,” she said.

As reported by this newspaper in October, the staffers sent on paid leave include director and deputy director laboratory services, director and deputy director pharmacy services, director procurement and administration services, deputy director administration and logistics and chief scientist Microbiology Laboratory. The human resources director, deputy human resources director, chief engineer and hospital management services directors were also placed on paid leave.

Operations directors and procurement officers at the country’s central hospitals were also sent on paid leave. In the aftermath of sending the top officials on indefinite leave, the ministry, which is mired in a web of scandals relating to the management of Covid-19 funds, subsequently elevated new staffers to assume those positions in an acting capacity, but enjoying improved perks.

Though investigations by the Independent showed that the restructuring exercise was bleeding the fiscus millions of dollars as the government paid double salaries to the workers placed on indefinite leave and those elevated to act in their position, Dzukutu said the process had transformed the ministry into a transparent structure.

A salary schedule within the ministry seen by this newspaper in October showed that the monthly net salary of a medical director stood at ZW$25 000 (US305) while that of a non-medical director varied between ZW$16 000 (US$195) and ZW$18 000 (US$220).They both receive a weekly 40 litres fuel allocation and the US$75 Covid monthly allowance.

She said:
“The objectives of the restructuring exercise that were achieved by sending some members on indefinite leave include, to structure the ministry into an efficient, transparent, effective and tightly integrated health agency of the Republic of Zimbabwe; (and) to configure the ministry into a nationally integrated health agency that is disciplined, efficient, transparent and effective.”

Though sources told this newspaper this week that some of the workers who had been on indefinite leave had since been retired, Dzukutu said “for cadres earmarked for early retirement, the process has not been finalised.”

Health and Child Care public relations manager Donald Mujiri did not respond to questions on the cost of the restructuring exercise and the specific reasons why the workers sent on indefinite leave in July were recalled to work this month.

Dadaya High School in Zvishavane, Midlands Province is the latest school in Zimbabwe to be hit by the coronavirus after 32 learners tested positive for the novel virus.

The development led to the closure of the learning institution as a way to keep the students safe. Authorities say they are collaborating with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to contain the situation.

This comes as calls for the government to seal off schools are increasing after a handful of schools have recorded coronavirus cases.

The government is however determined to see the current academic year through saying they will order the closure of schools if the situation further deteriorates.

Teachers unions have said the government is putting the lives of both the learners and teachers in danger.

The President of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Dr Takavafira Zhou recently insinuated that the government was waiting to see the virus running havoc in schools for them to order the closure.

Schools were reopened in phases from the 28th of September after they were prematurely closed in March after the country had recorded its first coronavirus case.

Some stakeholders were against the reopening of schools saying the schools were not prepared to keep teachers and learners safe.

The government maintained all measures necessary to curb the transmission of the coronavirus were in place.

LOCAL Government minister July Moyo and Harare Metropolitan Provincial minister Oliver Chidawu have been implicated in the ongoing City of Harare corruption scandal, after they allegedly tried to unprocedurally secure the release of the local authority’s human capital director Cainos Chingombe.

Chingombe is facing corruption allegations at the Harare Magistrates Court, in a case in which he allegedly transferred Us$130 000 meant for the provision of water, sanitation, education and recreational services into his personal bank account.

He allegedly bought a top-of-the-range car with the money. He appeared before Harare regional magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa on Tuesday, charged with criminal abuse of office and was remanded in custody to December 21.

Chingombe was initially released from remand on December 4 and tasted freedom for barely 24 hours, before he was arrested again on December 5.

Government and council sources allege that during his brief release, Moyo and Chidawu made strenuous efforts to get the charges against Chingombe dropped, including issuing verbal instructions to officials from the special Anti-Corruption Unit (sacu) housed in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s office, which was investigating him.

Sacu is also understood to be considering pressing charges of attempting to defeat the course of justice against the two ministers, according to sources.

In addition to that, municipal sources said Moyo and Chidawu also allegedly facilitated the clandestine reinstatement of Chingombe, who was serving a suspension along with City of Harare’s finance director Tendai Kwenda and other council executives on separate abuse of office allegations, in a matter that has reportedly caught the attention of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc).

Sources allege that Chingombe was reinstated to his position in October at the behest of Moyo and Chidawu, reportedly working with the chairperson of the council’s human resources committee and Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume, who is himself also facing corruption charges.

The Zimbabwe Independent was informed that the two ministers allegedly last week frantically tried to block the arrest of Chingombe by giving verbal instructions to Sacu chairperson Thabani mpofu saying chingombe’s reinstatement was a political decision made “by the powers that be”.

Information obtained from city of Harare officials indicates that Chingombe, following his unprocedural reinstatement, is now being primed to take over as Harare town clerk with the incumbent Hosiah Chisango facing corruption allegations.

A well-placed source alleged this week that following the initial arrest of Chingombe, Moyo and Chidawu tried to have him released, but mpofu refused to buckle to political pressure insisting he was in possession of evidence allegedly linking the director to massive looting that has been playing out at the beleaguered municipality.

“The two ministers played a critical role in the comeback of the human capital director in close collaboration with the council committee on human resources and the mayor. This was seen as a political move to consolidate power in the city of Harare. There are strong indications that chingombe was now having meetings with minister Moyo as he was now tipped to take over as acting town clerk,” an official source alleged.

Allegations are that Mafume, chairing a full council meeting and having received instructions from the two ministers, enabled the re-appointment of Chingombe despite the existence of a tribunal report that implicated Chingombe in allegations of milking the city council of millions.

There are also allegations that when the team from Sacu arrested councillors who were to move a motion on the reinstatement of Chingombe, Chidawu also called Mpofu pleading for the release of the councillors. The appointment of Chingombe went ahead despite reservations raised by a section of councillors on the existing disciplinary issues against Chingombe, sources further revealed.

“The re-appointment of Chingombe had the backing of Mafume who chaired the full council meeting which readmitted him in October. This appointment was despite the existence of some disciplinary issues around Chingombe,” the source said.

A tribunal report dated may 24, 2018 containing allegations against Chingombe has since been submitted to Sacu and Zacc. Chingombe was at the time arrested on allegations of double dipping, awarding monstrous retrenchment packages and awarding top executives unjustified allowances.

The tribunal report also implicates former acting town clerk Josephine Ncube.

The tribunal according to the report noted that, the former finance director, one Mandizvidza was funding the executive payroll on verbal communication of the amount due which varied every month from Chingombe’s.

Such funding was made without any request for documentary justification by Chingombe for the amount transferred. Information is that after transferring the amount to the executive payroll account, the finance director was allegedly barred from verifying or inspecting the net amount transferred to each employee’s account.

The executive payroll and executive salaries during Chingombe’s time as human capital director were neither audited nor reconciled and approval of the amounts transferred to individuals rested with Chingombe or Ncube.

efforts to get comments from July Moyo were fruitless as his two cell phone numbers were unreachable while text messages were not responded to.

Chidawu denied playing a role in the reinstatement of Chingombe.

“I don’t know about that. I was not involved in any way,” he claimed. He also denied trying to facilitate the withdrawal of charges against Chingombe saying: “I didn’t do any such thing.”

Mpofu said he could not comment on the issue since it was now before the courts.

Mafume said: “The issue is that we acted on a recommendation by the human resources committee and I then chaired the full council meeting which unanimously approved of his reinstatement. As the law requires, we then submitted it to the ministry which did not object to our decision.”

Source – The Independent

Paul Nyathi

The mastermind of the BUDIRIRO 4 house demolishing and leader of Tembwe Housing Cooperative Caleb Kadye, himself a bigwig in the ruling Zanu PF party, who was arrested on Tuesday has been set free without trial.

“Police officers arrested Kadye, the chairperson of Tembwe Housing Cooperative, on December 8, 2020,” read a police statement on Tuesday.

“Kadye, together with two other members of the housing cooperative, Frank Sithole and Talent Machaba, were charged with malicious damage to property,” the statement added.

It is alleged that the trio resisted the execution of a judgement by the Harare City Council and the Sheriff of the High Court to demolish hundreds of houses under the Tembwe Housing Cooperative in Budiriro. The trio allegedly pelted a police truck with stones and damaged the windscreen.

Darlington Marange of Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum appeared before the courts on behalf of the trio. Darlington Marange insisted that the trio be released as they had been unlawfully over detained at Budiriro Police Station.

Meanwhile the Forum has since established that the Harare City Council demolished houses belonging to the Tembwe Housing Cooperative members on the basis of a court order which targeted a different housing cooperative. As a result, at least 140 houses were destroyed exposing children, the elderly and people with disabilities to the elements.

HERBALISTS and traditional healers expressed their dissatisfaction about the way Government is handling the integration of its members into the national delivery system.

Chief among the herbalists’ bone of contention is the process that herbalists must go through for their herbs to be clinically tested and certified.

The herbalists say the US$1 500 which is required from herbalists for them to have their herbs tested and certified is beyond the reach of many.

Mavis Mwarowangezvo, a traditional healer and herbalist, said Government is not sincere in its approach to issues related to herbalists.

“Honestly speaking, where does a poor person like me get US$1 500 just to have a herb which has been in use since time immemorial tested? In my view, the fees are part of deliberate efforts to lock out people like us from practising commercially,” Mwarowangezvo said.

Mwarengezvo also urged authorities to treat foreign herbs the same way they are treating the local ones.

Mwarewangezvo said foreign herbs are being sold commercially without the required clearance.

“I am not against foreign herbs. What we are saying is that, just like local herbs, they must be regulated, tested and monitored when they are sold commercially. This must be done for the safety of the general public,” Mwarewangezvo said.

Sekuru Friday Chisanyu, the president of the Zimbabwe National Practitioners Association (ZINPA) weighed in, adding that some of the laws protects foreign herbs at the expense of the local ones.

He added that local herbs are often stigmatised, resulting in Zimbabweans preferring foreign herbs ahead of the locally produced ones.

“When a local herbalist sells his products on the streets, the authorities do not take any action. However, when that same herbalist went on to open a traditional pharmacy, then issues to do with clearance and regularisation suddenly crops up. In my view, the laws protect foreign herbs,” Sekuru Chisanyu said.

Over the years, there has been an influx of foreign herbs, mostly from India and China, among other countries.

Government has, however, been at the forefront in the recognition and development of traditional medicine.

Recently, local doctors embarked on clinical tests to ascertain the effectiveness of a powder made from local herbs, against Covid-19.

The powder, called Bhanan’ana, was discovered by prominent herbalist Dr Kenneth Chivizhe.

Dr Chivizhe is conducting the tests with the assistance of Dr Tichaona Sithole under the supervision of the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe.

Sekuru Chisanyu applauded this development, saying Government has at last revisited its system.

“Government has always recognised our work. What was lacking was the physical, financial and technical support to facilitate research and development. Government has realised that it cannot implement the traditional medicine policy without actually engaging the traditional healers,” Sekuru Chisanyu said.

GOVERNMENT has no plans at all to stop coal mining and instead plans to make the venture one of its main drivers of the economy, Mines Minister Winston Chitando has said.

Chitando was speaking at Tuesday’s post-cabinet media briefing in Harare.

According to the End Coal organisation, coal is the single biggest contributor to environmental pollution and contributes 46 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.

It also accounts for 72 percent of global Green House Gases from the electricity sector, one of the major causes of positive climate forcing or global warming.

However, the minister said the country’s carbon emissions were insignificant for government to consider alternative sources of energy.

“There are plans to have a huge increase in thermal power, and coke oven being established,” said Chitando.

“The plan is to extract our coal; it is for coal to take a key role in the development of our economy.

“If you look at the total carbon emissions of Zimbabwe and you look at what other countries are emitting, we are only emitting a small fraction.

“Even after implementing all our coal projects, we will be emitting a very small insignificant level of carbon emissions.”

Coal mining has been affected by a number of factors in the past decade that include calls for cleaner forms of energy such as solar power, wind farming and where capacity permits nuclear.

Efforts to setup solar farms in the country have been affected by corruption.

Currently, production at Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) is at 100 000 tonnes per month with projections of up to 200 000 tonnes per month next year, according to Chitando.

EnergyMix

The Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Joel Biggie Matiza, has through Statutory Instrument 296 of 2020 reviewed Vehicle Registration and Licensing regulations. Reads the SI:

IT is hereby notified that the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development has, in terms of section 52 of the Vehicle Registration and Licensing Act [Chapter 13:14], made the following

regulations:—

1. These regulations may be cited as the Vehicle Registration and Licensing (Amendment) Regulations, 2020 (No. 21).
2. The Third Schedule to the Vehicle Registration and Licensing, 1999, published in Statutory Instrument 427 of 1999, as amended by Vehicle Registration and Licensing (Amendment) Regulations, 2019 (No. 19), published in Statutory Instrument 171 of 2019, is repealed and substituted by the following—

Change of Ownership for Motor Vehicle (Buying new plates) 5 800,00
Change of Ownership for Motor vehicle (Retaining existing plates) 1 500,00.
Change of Ownership for motorcycle/trailer (Buying new plates) 6 000,00.
Change of Ownership for motorcycle/trailer (Retaining existing plates) 1 500,00.
Replacement cost for Lost PSV Motor Vehicle Number Plate 6 000,00
Replacement of lost Motor Vehicle Number Plate 6 000,00.
Replacement of lost PSV Trailer/Motor 5 300,00.
Duplicate Third Plate 1 750,00
Garage Plate 4 800,00
Garage Licence (50% to be remitted to government) 6 000,00
Temporary Identity Cards (T.I.C) 2 500,00
Abnormal Load Plate (AVR) 5 000,00
Change of address for motor vehicle is ordinarily kept at night 300,00
Change of vehicle particulars 300,00
Cancellation of registration 300,00
Advice of sale of motor vehicle 300,00
Authorisation of Change of Ownership 4 000,00
Duplicate Registration Book 750,00
Search fees 415,00
Vehicle licensing booklet 4 000,00”.

Paul Nyathi

The Zimbabwe Republic Police has issued a stern warning to beneficiaries of the open to abuse goverment Pfumvudza Agriculture Inputs Programme never to tamper around with the inputs distributed by goverment.

A 26-year-old man who stays at Cranborne Police Camp in Harare will soon be summoned to court to answer to allegations of requesting to caress and suck his workmate’s manhood while they were bathing.

Todd Manyeruke, upon being summoned, is expected to appear at the Harare Magistrates’ Court charged with indecent assault.

It is the State’s case that sometime in March this year, at around midday Manyeruke and another man (name withheld) were bathing in a common bathroom at Cranborne officers’ mess.

The State alleges that it was when Manyeruke looked at the man and he continued starring at him. Irked by the way he was looking at him, the man asked him why he was staring at him.

Manyeruke reportedly told him that he had a good manhood before asking to fondle and suck it. Unpleased with Manyeruke conduct, the man lodged a complaint with the police.

A docket was then compiled and handed to the National Prosecuting Authority to consider on whether to prosecute Manyeruke or not.

ZBC chief correspondent Reuben Barwe has been elected secretary for Information and Publicity in Makoni following Zanu PF District Coordinating Committee (DCC) elections.

ZBC is a state broadcaster which has also come under fire for alleged biased partisan reporting prompting some to call for in-depth media reforms.

Recently, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) said it had initiated disciplinary measures against Harare Civil Magistrates Court’s Milton Serima for unconstitutionally standing for election in the Zanu PF DCC in Mt Darwin.

Barwe’s victory comes when the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has said it was investigating magistrate Milton Serima after it emerged that he was contesting in ZANU PF’s District Coordinating Committee elections in Mt Darwin.

Another public office holder, Gweru prosecutor, Namatirai Chipere, subsequently resigned after reports which suggested that he started campaigning for a spot in the Zanu PF DCCs.

The Zimbabwean constitution prohibits the participation of public office holders in political affairs.

Gweru prosecutor Namatirai Chipere, was also found to have strayed after he started campaigning for a spot in the Zanu PF DCCs. He subsequently resigned.

The Constitution prohibits judicial service officials from taking part in political activities.

Zanu PF held DCC elections as part of its restructuring exercise which it hopes will enhance coordination of the party activities ahead of 2023 elections.

Zanu PF national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri said the party would investigate “the complaints.”

“The elections were affected by a few administrative and logistical challenges and the party has taken note of those challenges and we are putting in place corrective measures so that we do not experience this in the future. The situation was also compounded by incessant rains which damaged roads and made some polling stations inaccessible,” she said.

MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzai Mahere condemned the move by Barwe to contest ZANU PF elections.

Hopewell Chinono also condemned the move.

Some senior members of the ruling ZANU PF have accused eliminated Generation 40 (G40) and Gamatox factions of causing chaos during the recently held party district coordinating committee (DCC) elections.

Meanwhile, liberation war icon and one of the remaining Zanu PF founders, Rugare Gumbo, upon president Emmerson Mnangagwa to disband the DCCs which he says will fuel growing factional and tribal wars.

Zanu PF secretary for security in the politburo, Lovemore Matuke, told the Daily News on Thursday that the remnants of G-40 and Gamatox continue to attempt to weave their way back into Zanu PF. He said:

They (alleged G40 and Gamatox remnants) want to come back to Zanu PF because it’s cold out there. People struggle to survive outside Zanu PF.

G40 was allegedly being led by the former first lady, Grace Mugabe while some of the kingpins include exiled ministers, Jonathan Moyo, Patrick Zhuwao and Walter Mzembi.

The Gamatox faction was reportedly being led by the former Vice President, Joice Mujuru and it became defunct with her ouster from the ruling party in 2015.

Speaking to the Daily News, ZANU PF political commissar, Victor Matemadanda who is also the deputy minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs said:

If someone was G40, it doesn’t mean that he is not going to come back to the party … for now, I am busy with DCC elections and can’t comment further.

Both G40 and Gamatox fought against Mnangagwa’s Lacoste faction which eventually won.

Other Zanu PF insiders who spoke to the Daily News yesterday said ruling party bigwigs were worried about the resurgence of the two factions.

TheY claimed that the G40 and Gamatox factions wanted to bounce back into Zanu PF and rekindle their yester-year fights with Mnangagwa from within.

More: Daily News

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa, has pointed out that the heartless demolition of citizens’ homes in Budiriro, Harare is a reflection of the destructive nature of Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.

Speaking after visiting the victims of the demolitions on Thursday, President Chamisa described the Zanu PF government’s carefree attitude towards the plight of suffering citizens as puzzling and unacceptable.

“We have just witnessed the worst form of violation of human rights.

Children have been left in the open despite the heavy rains.

This is totally unacceptable.This is a clear reflection of the Zanu PF administration’s destructive nature.

We view the demolition citizens’ homes as a heartless act.There should be mechanisms in place to ensure the safety of the affected families.

In actual fact you do not pull down buildings before looking at the consequences,” said President Chamisa.

According to
Harare Mayor, Councillor Jacob Mafume efforts are being made to seek donations to help the affected families.

“There are plans to set up temporary structures for the affected families.We are therefore appealing for donations to help the victims.We are also looking at long term solutions to their predicament,” said Mayor Mafume.

Police officers have been blamed for perpetrating Gender Based Violence (GBV) as they lack proper training on how to handle GBV cases in order to provide timely services to victims.

Speaking during the commemoration of 16 days of activism against gender based violence at the National Gallery in Bulawayo on Friday, Prisca Dube said the ability to deal with GBV issues should be a pre-requisite for all members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police. The commemorations were organised by Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).

Dube said victims find it hard to get redress because many justice systems and legal frameworks were poorly equipped for prosecuting GBV. Furthermore, some police officers were not trained in handling GBV issues, so victims felt let down when they didn’t get help after reporting.

“All police officers should be trained on managing cases of GBV. I know of a case where one woman was sexually abused and when she went to report, the officer-in-charge said he could not attend to the victim because he was responsible for stocktheft cases. This makes the victim vulnerable to more abuse,” said Dube.

Women Association of Survivors director Kudakwashe Kunze said it was very hard to deal with sexual harassment because it was institutionalised, and women had suffered for a long time.

“Women are being coerced into sex, while many fear reporting perpetrators as some police are said to be part of the abusive chain.

“We have cases of girls who get raped and in some instances when they report the issue the police officers offer their assistance in exchange for sex. It’s really sad because women really don’t know where to go and report.

“The only way is for government to actively deal with all forms of sexual harassment in all sectors,” said Kunze.-statemedia

The Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) says it is now accepting US dollars and prepaid vouchers to ease congestion at tollgates during the festive season.

Speaking at a media briefing in Harare this Thursday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Hon Joel Biggie Matiza, said the move was a short term measure.

Motorists have been using the local currency, and electronic money – bank cards and mobile money.

More to follow…..

By A Correspondent- A 55 year old Filabusi man went berserk and allegedly axed his wife (34) to death before committing suicide by drinking a pesticide.

Mr Zama Mafu of Sidingimpilo Village under Chief Maduna had a week ago reportedly walked in on his wife, Simelokhuhle Dube, in the couple’s matrimonial bed with one of his neighbours, leading to an altercation.

The couple appeared to have made up, but Mafu allegedly became violent on Tuesday night. It could not be established if the latest outburst was connected to Dube’s alleged infidelity.

Mafu allegedly viciously axed his wife twice on the head and she is suspected to have died instantly. Neighbours found her body in a pool of blood in a bush on Wednesday at around 6AM, about 300m from the couple’s homestead.

Neighbours said Mafu could have killed his wife on Tuesday at around 8PM and immediately drank a poisonous dipping chemical. When police attended the crime scene on Wednesday, they found him home in a critical state and rushed him to Filabusi District Hospital where he died on the same day.

He was not able to explain the motive behind the brutal murder, as he could not speak.

Matabeleland South acting police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena yesterday decried the violent killing and suicide. She urged members of the public to be civil when handling domestic disputes.

She said people should learn to engage third parties for counselling and advice whenever they face challenges to avoid intimate partner violence.

Inspector Mangena said Dube’s body was discovered by a villager who was walking to his fields.

“We are investigating a murder case where a 55-year-old Filabusi man axed his wife on December 8 about 300 metres from their homestead.

“When the body was discovered, police were notified and attended the scene and found the woman lying in blood,” said Insp Mangena.

“Police also observed that Simelokhule Dube had two deep cuts on her head and the axe used in committing the crime was recovered next to her body.” Insp Mangena said police tracked footprints near the body to Mafu’s homestead.

“We managed to arrest him although we learnt that he had already taken poison in an attempt to take his life. He was already critical and was rushed to Filabusi District Hospital where he died,” she added.

Sources close to the family said the couple led a happy and peaceful life until Dube allegedly cheated and was caught red handed with their neighbour.

Family members were engaged to solve the dispute days ago and the couple resolved to forgive each other before the gory killing. The incident comes after the country joined the world in commemorating 16 days of Activism Against Gender based Violence which ended yesterday.

This year’s commemorations were held under the theme: “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent and Collect.”

Both men and women suffer from GBV but in most cases, it affects women and girls more just like in other countries that have a patriarchal system in society.

GBV does not only comprise physical abuse, rape and attempted rape, but also includes sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, forced early marriage, domestic violence, marital rape, trafficking, female genital mutilation and economic abuse.

Statistics from the Zimbabwe Republic Police indicate that from the period July-September this year, a total of 1 128 cases of rape were reported. During the same period a total of 3 310 cases of domestic violence were also reported.

According to the recently released Stopping Abuse and Female Exploitation (SAFE) Zimbabwe Technical Assistance Facility report produced together with the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe, violence against women and girls shot up by 38,5 percent during the first two months of the lockdown (April to May 2020) compared to the preceding two months before the national lockdown (February to March 2020.-statemedia

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa, has pointed out that the heartless demolition of citizens’ homes in Budiriro, Harare is a reflection of the destructive nature of Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.

Speaking after visiting the victims of the demolitions on Thursday, President Chamisa described the Zanu PF government’s carefree attitude towards the plight of suffering citizens as puzzling and unacceptable.

“We have just witnessed the worst form of violation of human rights.

Children have been left in the open despite the heavy rains.

This is totally unacceptable.This is a clear reflection of the Zanu PF administration’s destructive nature.

We view the demolition citizens’ homes as a heartless act.There should be mechanisms in place to ensure the safety of the affected families.

In actual fact you do not pull down buildings before looking at the consequences,” said President Chamisa.

According to
Harare Mayor, Councillor Jacob Mafume efforts are being made to seek donations to help the affected families.

“There are plans to set up temporary structures for the affected families.We are therefore appealing for donations to help the victims.We are also looking at long term solutions to their predicament,” said Mayor Mafume.

By A Correspondent- A business lady had to summon her athletic skills and sprinted to a police station to report her stepdaughter who had turned her into a punching bag after she allegedly barred her from running her father’s business.

Thandiwe Babbage, who is the wife to Babbage, delivered the message to her stepdaughter, Jernine, that she had been appointed to manage the butchery business by her husband who is not feeling well and admitted to hospital.

Upon hearing the message Jernine allegedly lost her cool and became violent.

Onlookers who were at the business premises said Jernine charged at her stepmother and grabbed her by her neck resulting in her stepmother’s gold necklace breaking.

Thandiwe tried to free herself but she firmly held her.

The marauding Jernine allegedly rained fists on her hapless stepmother.

The prosecutor Patson Muchingami said: “She grabbed her stepmother by the neck leading her gold necklace to break.

She then hit her several times with fists all over the body.”

The value of the damaged gold necklace is US$1 015.

Thandiwe, who had been severely pummeled, only broke free after a Good Samaritan intervened, the court heard. She sprinted to a police station where she made a report leading to the arrest of Jernine.

She appeared before magistrate Learnear Khumalo at Tredgold magistrates’ court.

She was facing physical abuse charges as defined in section (3) (1) as read with section four of the Domestic Violence Act Chapter 5:16 and malicious damage to property as defined in section 3(I) (h) as read in section four of the Domestic Violence Act.

She denied the charge.

She was remanded out of custody to next week Tuesday for continuation of trial.

 By A Correspondent- A senior ZRP officer reportedly assaulted a teacher from Chiredzi Primary School and broke his nose or nasal cavity which led to the former seeking medical attention since he has been bleeding continuously, Masvingo Mirror reports.

The teacher, Godwell Maposa had reportedly asked the police Boss who runs a bar at Jerera Growth Point why he was instructing bars to close while he was holding a beer in his hand. The police officer reportedly is in the habit of closing all other outlets before closing time and he reportedly leaves his bar open.

According to the publication on the fateful day in question which saw Maposa’s nose being broken by the officers:

He( the senior police officer) is said to have done the same and went and shut Chademana Bar where Maposa was drinking from. Maposa allegedly asked the senior Police officer why he was closing bars and yet he (the senior Police officer) was holding a quart in his hand.

This infuriated the Police boss who ganged up with several junior officers and then followed Maposa. They forced him to pull out of the road and allegedly assaulted him all over the face with clenched fists and booted feet.

Narrating the incident, to the publication, Maposa said:

I was thrown into the back of a Police truck and slept in holding cells. I was released on Sunday at around 2pm after I paid admission of guilt fine and the bleeding has been going on for the past five days,

The police officers reportedly used teargas to disperse patrons at the Chademana Bar. Maposa has since been transferred to Parirenyatwa hospital for a nasal cavity operation.-MasvingoMirror

BUSINESS nearly came to a standstill at Beitbridge Border Post on Wednesday morning when a suspected illegal migrant slipped and fell into the Limpopo River while walking on the “engineer’s track” under the Alfred Beit Bridge (Old Limpopo Bridge).

The bridge is 540 metres long and the woman fell into the water when she was halfway along the bridge at around 9am.

Travellers gathered on the New Limpopo Bridge to catch a glimpse of the woman as she laboured to escape from the crocodile danger zone.

The unidentified migrant was among a group of border jumpers heading to South Africa when the incident occurred.
According to one border official, the border jumper managed to swim across to South Africa.

“It was just her lucky day, that place is infested with crocodiles and sometimes hippopotamus,” said the source.

Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe could not be reached for comment yesterday. However, he said recently that they had started with festive season operation named ‘Zizo Jika Izinto’ to combat crimes including illegal immigrants, drug peddlers, smugglers, armed robbers, illegal firearms, and those operating shebeens.

Col Ngoepe said the police hit the ground running from November 16 and that they will continue up to early next year.

So far, Col Ngoepe said they had arrested nearly 4 000 people for various offenses in Limpopo Province.
Since the start of the Covid-19 induced lockdowns in South Africa and Zimbabwe in March, illegal migration and smuggling has become rife at crossing points a few metres away from the main port of entry.

Common illegal crossing points are Spillway (500 metres east of border), Dulivhadzimu Gorge (3km west of border) and the railway line at the Old Limpopo Bridge.

The police and other security agencies have been carrying out periodic raids at these points.

Chronicle also understands that the Department of Immigration (Beitbridge) has intercepted 313 people from 1 December to date for illegal migration. 

-State Media

By A Correspondent| Sweden’s National Audit Office has granted Zimbabwe’s Office of the Auditor General US$200,000 towards public sector auditing.

The timely contribution, made through UNDP, will enable the implementation of special audits such as the Cyclone Idai and COVID-19 response and recovery. The grant will also enable the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) to employ digital tools and systems to increase effectiveness and efficiency in their statutory mandate.

“Our intention is to adjust our support to the current situation to enable OAG to carry out their important mandate as well as possible” says the Swedish Auditor General Mrs Helena Lindberg.

Speaking during the virtual event to receive the grant, UNDP Resident Representative, Georges van Montfort said “Given their important mandate as the protector of public accounts, it is important that the OAG remains capable in spite of COVID-19. This timely contribution from the people of Sweden will contribute to institutional strengthening of the OAG to carry out its constitutional mandate”

Ms Chiri, Auditor General of the OAG noted in her closing remarks that audits had previously been delayed due to a lack of automated processes. She further stated that the funding and technical support received from the Swedish National Auditors Office to modernise systems would enhance the institutions auditing capacity ensuring transparency and accountability of public resources in the country.

This US$200,000 contribution builds on previous cooperation between UNDP, Parliament of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe’s Office of the Auditor General, Swedish National Auditor’s Office. It was also supported by the Embassy of Sweden in Zimbabwe and the European Union.

With the previous support, the OAG was able to conduct outstanding audits and bringing them up to date, in the process making concrete recommendations flagging corporate governance issues and enabling timely submission of annual audited reports to the Parliament.

Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals have, with immediate effect, suspended all hospital visiting hours at the back of a resurgence in coronavirus infections across the country and an increase in reported cases within the institution.

In a statement, the Hospital said the measure has been necessitated by the need to protect inpatients, staff members and visitors. The notice read:

Please be advised that we have suspended all the visiting times due to the surge in the number of COVID-19 local infections and an increase in reported cases within our institution.

This measure has been necessitated by the need to protect inpatients, staff members and visitors.

To ensure continued patient support from relatives, only the recorded next of kin shall be allowed in the ward day space for updates on patient’s progress and any other requirements needed for the proper management of the admitted patient.

This notice is going to be implemented with effect from 9 December 2020 and may be revoked anytime depending on the circumstances on the ground.

By A Correspondent| A circulating list of Zanu PF members elected into the District Coordinating Committees has exposed ZBC reporter Reuben Barwe who is also named in the Makoni DCC as the party’s Secretary for Information and Publicity.

Its not confirmed if it is a genuine list but considering that a number of civil servants including Magistrates, Prosecutors and many others contested the just ended elections, the election of Barwe could as well be true.

Below is the Makoni DCC list….

By A Correspondent| High Court judge Joseph Musakwa has dealt a major blow to former legislator Munyaradzi Kereke who had approached the court seeking permission to appeal against his conviction on rape charges.

In his judgement, Musakwa said he found no reason to interfere with the magistrate and High Court’s rulings on Kereke’s conviction.

He said the Harare businessman’s reasons to appeal were not convincing.

Musakwa also said he found out that the evidence by Kereke’s witnesses was poor and clearly crafted in a bid to win the case.

The judge also ruled that Kereke’s witnesses did not help him at all.

“…Then there is the testimony of the two witnesses who did guard duties at the applicant’s other residence, 75 Walis road road, Mandara.

“These two witnesses, Taurai Bwanaisa and Norest Ndoro disowned certified extracts of an occurrence book they are supposed to have complied regarding the applicant’s movements.

“One wonders if they could not corroborate the occurrence book, how else could they have credibly supported the applicant’s movement alibi,” he said.

Musakwa said the issue about the pistol was also properly analysed.

“The surrender of the pistol to Mirirai Chiremba a few hours after the rape is no mere coincidence. It was badly choreographed incident that found no taker in an alert witness,” said the judge.

Kereke is said to have raped his minor relative at gun point 2011.

By A Correspondent- Parliament has exposed government for its failure to address the plight of soldiers by not providing essentials that include medical aid and allowances, as well as adequate food rations, resulting in the military personnel “marching on empty stomachs”.

This was revealed on Wednesday in a report by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs chaired by Umzingwane MP Levi Mayihlome (Zanu-PF) which was presented during debate on the Finance Bill to do with the 2021 National Budget.

Mayihlome said as a result of poor budgetary support of the army, morale was low, hence, the need to boost determination in the army and equip the soldiers with modern technology as the current one was archaic.

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube, in his 2021 budget statement announced in November allocated the Defence and War Veterans Affairs ministry $23,75 billion instead of their proposed budget of  $158,4 billion.

Mayihlome said the 2021 salary allocations showed that the Finance ministry did not take into cognisance the approved military salary concept.

“An army marches on its stomach. Rations are an institutional requirement, but the allocations are so paltry, one would get the impression that someone thinks he is doing the military a favour,” Mayihlome said.

“The most seriously distressed expenditure items in the ministry were employment costs that currently do not reflect the approved military salary concept.  On funeral benefits for the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF), no funds were allocated for funerals, yet it is part of their conditions of service,” he said.

The report said ZDF members, their families and war veterans were failing to access healthcare services, posing a danger to the effectiveness of the army.

He said the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) was grossly or not funded on funeral and medical expenses for the military and their dependents.

“Currently, using PSMAS (Premier Service Medical Aid), but the claims are not being honoured. Thinking of PSMAS — can someone tell me how soldiers on operations or on important training exercises are expected to access or benefit from the use of PSMAS?”

Mayihlome said the ZDF had not been paid travel and subsistence allowances (T&S) paid when soldiers were deployed and as a result a huge backlog has been accumulated.

“The ZDF has accumulated a backlog on T&S, medical supplies and services where the war veterans, the ZDF members and their dependents are failing to access free health services,” he said.

On allocation of food, he said it was too paltry to serve that purpose.

He said as a result of Ncube’s paltry allocations to the army, the focus was now on the welfare of soldiers, instead of focusing on their training and acquisition of new combat technology.

“The military need to have the appropriate tools of the trade, when there is peace so that they practice with those tools for there is no room for trial and error in actual combat. The military must not exist to be paid monthly salaries, they must be equipped and trained for war. It follows also that military commanders should not spend most of their time thinking about how to feed and accommodate soldiers, those are given, that is why it is institutional, rather commanders ought to spend most of their time thinking about the immediate and long term threats, making strategy and operational plans, and training their men to meet those plans.”

The Defence and Home Affairs Committee said the dilapidated equipment was a danger to security.

He said Battlefield Recovery and Evacuation (BRE) was last procured over 30 to 40 years ago, adding that there was need to keep abreast with modern security techniques.

In their recommendations, the Defence and Home Affairs committee said that the military salary concept must be fully implemented to fulfil the conditions of service for the ZDF in order to boost their morale.

“Treasury should adequately finance all institutional provisions and inescapable expenditure items to guarantee an efficient discharge of statutory obligations. These relate to, medical supplies and services, payment of travel and subsistence allowances, rations, uniforms and ceremonial dress, research, training and development to enhance self-sustenance,” the committee said.

They also recommended a phased approach to replacement of the ZDF capital equipment as well as support for digitisation.

In June this year, Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri told the committee that morale among ZNA members had hit rock bottom as a result of inadequate provisions, adding that this will force many to engage in corrupt activities to make ends meet.

She said soldiers were facing a myriad of challenges in the discharge of their duties, including hunger, inadequate transport and obsolete machinery.-newsday

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe Republic Police has revealed that Bulawayo businessman, Edmore Cyprianos who died on Tuesday might have committed suicide.s.

Cyprianos who was the Managing Director of Cypriano Electrical and also ran Donnington Meat Supplies and was running a livestock and farming venture according to the publication reportedly left his home on Tuesday without telling his wife where he was going and was later found hanging from a tree in Matobo.

This was revealed by Matabeleland South acting provincial police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena who said:

The deceased, Edmore Cyprianos (49) of 7 Bishop Gaule Avenue, Kumalo was found hanging from a tree in a bushy area by a passerby on 8 December 2020.

He had left his house in the morning without notifying his wife where he was going. The body was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals and is awaiting post-mortem results.

In this instance we do not know why he committed suicide but we assume it could be problems hence our advice to members of the public to get counselling.

Cyprianos who was a known Highlanders super fan was an avid swimmer and the founder of  Stingrays Swimming Academy, his 3 sons at one point also represented Zimbabwe in swimming competitions.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- US $100 000 and R250 000 reportedly went missing in the estate of Plumtree businessman Ondrej Gombar who succumbed to cancer early last year..

According to the publication, at the deathbed of Gombar who originated from South Africa, who was into borehole drilling, $100 000 and R250 000 was recovered and it was recorded in inventory that was filed with the Master of High Court.

Gombar who had no family and was buried by his workers and friends and the community had properties in Harare and Plumtree and his lawyer  Mr. Bhekithemba Mlauzi registered the estate but the money mysteriously went missing which prompted Mlauzi to launch an investigation into the whereabouts of the cash.

Drill Deep, Gombar’s Borehole Drilling Company has accused Mlauzi’s Law Firm of benefiting from the cash according to the publication,

The community, wrote the company last year, suspecting that people who first entered the house had taken the money and “your Mr Mlauzi with help of Roman Catholic Community chairperson” had removed the money and registered it as part of Gombar’s estate.

However, the Lawfirm which employs Mlauzi counter accused Drill Deep employees and said they suspected Gombar died of poisoning in a letter they wrote to ZRP:

After burial and in defiance of the law, he (director) took all records, documents, property and monies left by the deceased into his custody without due process. This is in violation of the Administration of Estates Act and is a criminal offence,

We call upon the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s CID Homicide to act with speed and cause the exhumation of the deceased and subsequent examination of his body. This obviously calls upon the confiscation of all assets and stopping of all activities.

Law Society of Zimbabwe said they are investigating the allegations leveled against Mr. Mlauzi even though there is no formal complaint against him.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- A Pumula South resident is puzzled by a strange sight she witnessed this week when she woke up to find a dead snake wrapped in black cloth and stitched with red thread on its side at her gate.

The snake believed to be a Black Mamba reportedly measured about 1 meter was discovered at 6 Am at the gate of Ms. Liana Muparadzi and since then speculation has been rife over what might have lead to the strange incident.

Daring residents reportedly moved the snake around and reportedly discovered it was stitched on the side with a red thread and it was tied by a black cloth on 2 different parts.

Ms Muparadzi narrated the incident and said she was puzzled by the snake because her children are writing grade 7 examinations:

I had no electricity at the house so I had just sent my child to go to our neighbours and ask what time it was. As she was about to leave the house, I observed that there was something that looked like a snake at the gate. I ordered my child to backtrack as I advanced with a hoe. It was a snake but when I drew closer to it, I got worried that it wasn’t moving and more shocking was that it was wrapped in a black cloth.

My mind raced as I tried to understand what could have happened, how it ended by my gate, who could have dumped it. I also connected the snake to noise that our dog made all night long as it barked non-stop for the better part of the night.

One of the residents that had gathered at the scene spoke to the publication and said:

This doesn’t make sense; we have heard some of these stories that people own snakes but we just downplayed the stories as myths. But today we have come across this snake which leaves us very worried about its origins and how it ended up being there. We can speculate and all, but this is just a clear testimony that some people practise witchcraft.

The snake was taken away by Parks officials according to another resident:

The councillor came together with the police and council rangers who took it away. They placed it in a sack before they left with it

Another resident said people are just being superstitious but the snake has been dead for days. Traditional healers and religious leaders reportedly offered to help the family of Ms Muparadzi in different ways.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- Zanu-PF’s vanquished Generation 40 and Gamatox have joined forces in a bid to destabilize President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the party ahead of the 20203 polls, a senior official from the liberation movement has said.

Zanu PF secretary for security in the politburo, Lovemore Matuke, also said remnants of the former two factions were also responsible for the chaos that marred the district co-ordinating committee election this past weekend.

More to follow……

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By A Correspondent- A Beitbridge man, who allegedly beat his three-year-old step daughter to death because she was crying when he wanted to catch some sleep has been arrested.

Matabeleland South acting police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena yesterday confirmed that Mulaleli Sibanda had been nabbed.

Sibanda sneaked out of hospital and went into hiding soon after staff at Beitbridge District Hospital pronounced the victim, Charmaine Moyo dead on arrival.

“He is currently detained under guard at the Beitbridge District Hospital. He was arrested in Mberengwa and investigations are ongoing. He is expected in court soon,” Mangena said.

On Wednesday last week, Sibanda was sleeping with his wife Phathisiwe Dube and the now-deceased Charmaine when she started crying.

He woke up in rage, punched and kicked the toddler until she bled from the mouth, ears and nose.

Sibanda then escorted the child and her mother to hospital, but later disappeared.

He is also alleged to be a wanted man in Mberengwa for other crimes.

In another matter, a gunman John Sithole of Chipinge who last week exchanged gun fire with the police in Dulivhadzimo has been given a pauper’s burial.newsday

By A Correspondent- Members of Parliament on Wednesday demanded that Primary and Secondary Education minister Cain Mathema must explain the issue of the Geography paper examination boob and the fact that children at rural schools ended up writing examinations under candlelight at night.

Norton MP Temba Mliswa (independent) demanded that Mathema must explain the boob where students had to write the Ordinary Level Geography paper with incomplete material.

The independent MP also demanded that Mathema explain why some papers were delivered late forcing students at rural areas to write under candlelight.

The issue of the “sham” examination was validated by the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general Raymond Majongwe in an interview with NewsDay on Wednesday, who said the chaos, also affected the Ndebele and Mathematics examinations for the visually-impaired.

Mathema was, however, absent in the House as MPs demanded answers, saying that the chaos was disturbing.

“Madam Speaker, the question I have to the Primary and Secondary Education minister is a very disturbing one.  I have just been informed in my constituency that the ‘O’ Level Geography examination that was written yesterday had no map and they proceeded to write examinations without a map.

“May the responsible minister respond as to why they went ahead with examinations for Geography  without a map? What Geography is it when you have no map?”

Magwegwe legislator Anele Ndebele (MDC Alliance) also questioned why Mathema has not been fired over the exam boob.

But the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Tsitsi Gezi said their questions were specific and, therefore, Mathema will need time to investigate the issue and come up with a detailed response in the House.

Mliswa could have none of it, saying:  “Madam Speaker, this question is very clear.  The minister is aware that examinations are being written and this is urgent.  It actually requires you, the chair to demand for that answer now because how many more examinations are going to be written without the necessary requirements?  So it actually requires an urgent intervention.”

MPs then demanded that Mathema must issue a comprehensive ministerial statement over the boob.

In their response, the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) blamed their external printer who did the printing of the examination papers.

Zimsec spokesperson Nicolette Dhlamini said: “

It is unfortunate that this was caused by our external printer. It was an oversight by the printer who was not familiar that some maps were left out in some exam papers. It is not an issue that Zimsec was not prepared for these exams. We are well-prepared for the examinations.

“It is true that some schools were affected. The main challenge was that our external printer was not familiar on how these maps would be inserted for the exams. There were several schools affected in every district, but as Zimsec, we were well-prepared for the exams even after the June exams. The disturbances that happened when schools began to open made it difficult for us in the sense that we were waiting for confirmation to go ahead with examinations. It is not an issue of preparedness,” Dhlamini argued.-newsday

By A Correspondent- Nurses are up in arms with government after officials demanded that they apologise for taking it to court over flexible working hours, saying that government sees itself as if it is above the law.

The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina) yesterday said they were dismayed by the attitude shown by the government towards nurses.

They said the government should actually be apologising to them for acting in a manner which the court said was incorrect.

“The attitude is not only in contempt of court but it is also grossly unjust, with the conduct being to coerce nurses into submission to unlawful directives,” Zina president Enock Dongo said.

According to Zina, on Monday this week, nurses at Harare Hospital as well as at United Bulawayo Hospital were asked to write apology letters.

“All this is being done because government can simply ignore a court order if it wants.

“It is an undeniable fact that the Zimbabwe Nurses Association took government to court twice in the last month. On both occasions, the High Court ruled that nurses were correct and were entitled as a matter of right to continue with the flexible working hour system. Both judgments are a matter of public record under case numbers HC6507/20 and HC7099/20,” he said.

The nurses said they now felt like they have been stripped of their decency, dignity and livelihoods with threats of withholding their December salaries.

“It has now become evidently clear that the government sees itself as if it is above the law.

“This is the only conclusion to be derived from the actions of a government that ignores two clear court orders.

“It is government as well which should stop acting in contempt of court judgments and allow nurses to work flexible hours.

“Lastly, it is government which should pay nurses their salaries as ordered by the court rather than put its own conditions on things,” Dongo said.

The nurses said even if government did not respect their profession, it should at least respect the courts.-newsday

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By A Correspondent- Three former senior officials at Mutare town council, including former town clerk Obert Muzawazi have been arrested following an investigation by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) for selling residential stands without authority.

Muzawazi, Christian Sithole, who was a former senior community officer, and Isdore Bingura, who was former legal officer at the council, were yesterday arraigned before Mutare magistrate Nyasha Kuture who remanded them to December 30.

The trio, which is denying corruption allegations, was granted $10 000 bail each.

The State alleges that on January 19, 2008, Muzawazi corruptly sold stand number 7539 Murambi East measuring 3 000 square metres at $2,5 million to Tinotenda Muzawazi.

Bingura and Sithole witnessed the signing as representatives of Mutare City Council.

No tender procedures were followed.-Newsday

By A Correspondent- A 12 year old girl drowned while swimming in a pit on Tuesday in Pumula high-density suburb in Bulawayo.

Acting Bulawayo chief fire officer Lynos Phiri confirmed the incident yesterday.

“It is a 12-year-old girl from Pumula. Her body was retrieved by the fire brigade from a pit on December 8,” Phiri said.

Most of the pits were left open after the local authority extracted sand for the rehabilitation of the city road network.

Meanwhile, Phiri said they attended to 17 distressed calls from residents due to flooding that was caused by the rains that pounded the city from last week.

“We have attended to 17 calls from Emakhandeni, Cowdray Park, Pumula East, Old, Nkulumane, Emganwini, Belmont and Eliona,” he said.

Phiri said that the flooding in those areas was mostly caused by poorly constructed durawalls and urged residents to ensure there is smooth movement of water.

By A Correspondent- Human rights groups yesterday said Zimbabwe witnessed severe increased violations of people’s rights this year due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown and pleaded with government to end the use of State agents against the people.

In statements to commemorate the International Human Rights Day yesterday, activists said there was need for government to end torture, arbitrary arrests and abductions of citizens.

This year’s commemorations were held under the theme Recover Better — Stand Up for Human Rights.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said State actors were used to violate basic rights in Zimbabwe.

“Sadly, in Zimbabwe, State actors have over the past year abused and exploited enforcement of regulations enacted to curtail human mobility and interaction thereby providing government with a smokescreen to escalate a systematic assault on human rights defenders and ordinary citizens and restricting their fundamental rights and freedoms in a bid to consolidate executive power,” the ZLHR statement said.

They said human rights violations in Zimbabwe had been followed keenly by regional and international blocs, with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) issuing Resolution 443 on the human rights situation in the country, which condemned the deteriorating situation and implored government to stop curtailing freedoms of expression and assembly.

The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) weighed in saying: “The advent of the lockdown in Zimbabwe saw citizens being subjected to human rights violations by State security agents deployed to enforce lockdown regulations.

“Frontline personnel such as healthcare professionals operated with minimum or no access to personal protective equipment, leaving them exposed to COVID-19.”

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition said:  “In Zimbabwe, human rights violations in the form of abductions, torture, arbitrary arrests, as well as intimidation of journalists for exposing corruption, have been prevalent.”

Some of this year’s victims of government’s human rights abuses include journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, who was arrested on spurious charges, trainee journalist Tawanda Muchehiwa, and MDC Alliance MP Joanah Mamombe (Harare West), Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova who were allegedly abducted and tortured by State agents and tortured.

The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (Viset) also said human rights violations were witnessed in Zimbabwe this year after armed forces were unleashed onto the streets and harassed people while forcing vendors out of business.

“For vendors and informal traders, the advent of the lockdown also brought the pain of destruction of marketplaces and loss of wares through ‘clean-up’ operations by local authorities countrywide,” Viset executive director Samuel Wadzai said.

ZimRights said COVID-19 impacted on the economic rights of youths as enshrined in section 20 of the Constitution which guarantees access to education, the right to participate, and protection from harm and exploitation.

“The day finds Zimbabwe suffering a multitude of crises.  Since the advent of COVID-19 in March 2020, Zimbabwe’s economic, political, social and cultural states have continued to deteriorate.  The civic and democratic spaces continue to shrink, and human rights violations, impunity, constitutional violations and discrimination on the basis of political affiliation have continued to increase.”

ZimRights said corruption was also on the increase with senior government officials fingered in the abuse of COVID-19 funds at the expense of the poor citizens.

Workers’ rights were also infringed with nurses having been beaten up for demonstrating and teachers harassed.-newsday

A Bulawayo man who felt he “married the wrong woman” lamented before a court that he was no longer interested in his wife who stabbed him on seven different occasions with a knife.

Elelwani Moyo from suburbs said his fears went a gear up after his wife Nosizo Moyo who had been using different knives to attack him bought another “sharp blade” which she threatened to finish him off with.

He said for the past three years they had been married, he was harassed, coercively controlled, intimidated and abused by a woman who promised to love him for the rest of his life when they got married on 23 December 2017.

He made the revelations after his wife, who was seeking a restraining order against him, claimed he had been physically abusive to her barely two months into their marriage.

“I have been married to Elelwani Moyo since 23 December 2017 under the Marriages Act Chapter 5:11. Two months into the marriage and up to date he has been abusive towards me. He assaults me with fists and sometimes he uses a belt. Three weeks ago, he banged my head against the wall. I eventually left and went to my parents’ house. He also insults and calls me barren and when he beats me up, he threatens to kill me,” claimed Nosizo.

Elelwani, who was not opposed to the application, pleaded with the presiding magistrate Nomasiko Ndlovu to grant a reciprocal order saying he was the one who was on the receiving end.

“I am not opposed to the application but I want the court to grant a reciprocal order. The reason being that since we got married, she has made my life hard. She has been physically, verbally and emotionally abusive to me and my family. She is aggressive to everyone who is related to me.

“Things worsened in June 2018, when I had to sleep on the floor sometimes just to avoid her. She would come and pour cold water on me as a way of provoking me. As if that was not enough, in October this year, she stabbed me with a knife and I have scars all over my body,” he said amid sobs.

He produced different pictures of the knives his wife used to attack him with, and said he didn’t report her to the police thinking she would change.

“The abuse went on until 2019 when she bought different knives to attack me. I just reported once to the police thinking she would change. She has stabbed me more than seven times and she does it on different occasions and with a different knife. She bought another one which she says she wants to kill me with,” said Elelwani adding that his wife was also using an electrical cord to assault him.

When asked by the magistrate if he was still interested in the marriage, shaking his head in disbelief, Elelwani said: “It is hard to stay with her. She made my life hard and miserable. She is also denying me access to the house”.
Nosizo also said she was no longer interested in her husband.

After observing that the two parties’ marriage seemed to have irretrievably broken down with no prospect for a restoration, the magistrate who had initially suggested to refer them for counselling later granted a reciprocal order compelling them to keep peace by not physically, verbally and emotionally abusing each other.-statemedia

By A Correspondent- A man from Entumbane suburb reportedly stormed into a spare bedroom where a minor was sleeping alone and undressed before asking to have sex with her.

The man cannot be named so as to protect the identity of the 15-year-old teenager.

A source close to investigations said sometime in November 2019 the minor’s aunt ordered her niece to sleep with her and her husband on their matrimonial bed.

It is said during the night the uncle started to caress the unsuspecting minor while rubbing her buttocks with his manhood.

The source said the minor screamed and jumped off the bed.

“Her aunt who was in deep sleep woke up and her niece told her what her uncle was doing. She inspected her private parts and told her not to be worried since her uncle did not have sex with her. She begged her not to tell anyone about the incident. She then told her to sleep on the floor,” said the source.

The source went on to say on 20 March this year when the minor was sleeping alone in her bedroom her uncle stormed into her bedroom.

“He said he was looking for his stuff. After searching he sat on the chair and undressed, and then asked to warm himself in her blankets. The minor refused and bolted out of the room. He followed her and offered her $20 but she refused to accept it.

After that she phoned her aunt who once again told her not to disclose the matter to anyone and she never told anyone,” said the source.

The source revealed that on 17 June the man sneaked into the blankets of his niece.

“He was stark naked as he sneaked into her blankets, he tried to have sex with her, the minor who was in deep sleep felt her uncle’s organ between her legs and grabbed his hand. She screamed for help. She fled to the kitchen where she sought refuge,” said the source.

On 18 June the minor fled and sought refuge at her friend’s place in Emganwini.

Last week she visited her aunt, and during the night her uncle, still determined to taste her forbidden fruit, reportedly sneaked into her blankets and tried to have sex with her but she refused.

Seeing that her uncle was not giving up the minor reported the matter to the police leading to his arrest.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed:

“We urge parents to be responsible and respect their matrimonial bedrooms and not put the lives of the minors at risk,” he said.

Insp Ncube also urged parents and guardians never to trust anyone with their children saying any laxity exposed their children to rape or indecent assault.

By A Correspondent- A man who bust his wife with her boss while getting cosy in a secluded area, is in a prickly situation after he later fled home stark naked when his wife tried to stab him with a pair of scissors while he was sleeping.

Boniface Makoni from Bulawayo’s Killarney suburb reportedly fought off his wife Sarudzai Makoni before he ran naked out of the house in full view of their six-year-old daughter.

Boniface, who is employed as a fitter and turner by a local bakery and now staying at a friend’s house said before the near tragic incident, he found his wife who works at Trek Petroleum Service along Fort Street with her supervisor Shingirai Nyamaropa at a private area in Glengarry suburb.

It is reported that when Boniface bust the two lovebirds following a tip off, Nyamaropa managed to flee from the scene leaving his ‘partner-in-crime’ to face the consequences alone.

This came out at the Bulawayo Civil Court where Sarudzai was seeking a protection order against her husband claiming he was abusing and embarrassing her in front of her bosses.

“I have been married to Boniface Makoni since 2012 and in terms of the Marriages Act Chapter 5:11. My husband is very violent. He physically assaults me. He does all this in front of our six-year-old child and the abuse has left her traumatised.

“We are currently on separation but he sends people to take pictures of the house where I am staying so that he can make duplicate keys and enter the house. I am afraid that he will harm me, as he is also making false accusations while calling me names and coming to my workplace to embarrass me in front of my bosses,” complained Sarudzai.

She begged the court to stop her husband from going to her workplace.

In his counter argument Boniface Makoni said his wife was ashamed of her actions and her application for a protection order was a plot to stop him from using their matrimonial property.

“I am opposed to her application on the grounds that she is my wife. On 30 June 2020, after a tip-off, I found my wife Sarudzai Makoni parked in a secluded place in Glengarry suburb with Shingirai Nyamaropa with whom she is having a love affair. Unfortunately, Nyamaropa, who happens to be my wife’s supervisor at Trek Petroleum Service, sped off.

“Contrary to her allegations that I am violent, a few days after I bust her with Nyamaropa on 7 July 2020 she is the one who tried to stab me with a pair of scissors.

“While I was sleeping, she stormed into the bedroom holding a sharp pair of scissors intending to stab me. I held onto her hands and asked my daughter to call my neighbour. As she was trying to stab me, I ran out of the house stark naked with my daughter crying,” said Boniface.

He said everyone at his wife’s workplace was aware of Sarudzai and Shingirai’s affair.

“During my absence, she took most of our matrimonial property and went to stay at our newly built house in Hopeville. She is denying me access to that house. In my opinion, the application seeks to restrict me from having access to our matrimonial property we acquired during the subsistence of our 13-year marriage.

“I was the sole breadwinner before she got a job at Trek Petroleum Service Station. This whole application is based on lies. I have never laid a hand on her. She is just ashamed of her actions and is also making efforts to destroy my reputation.

“She just wants to secretly dispose of our matrimonial property,” fumed Boniface.
Sarudzai hit back saying whenever they had a misunderstanding, Boniface took the child with him and threatened to commit suicide with her.

In a bid to save the two parties’ marriage which is now on the verge of collapse, presiding magistrate Nomasiko Ndlovu referred them for counselling and they are expected to come back to court on 8 January 2021.-statemedia

POLITICAL pressure to remove the chairperson of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) the independent constitutional body created to combat corruption and crime – Loyce Matanda-Moyo (pictured) is mounting, as ruling party bigwigs feel the heat of intensifying scrutiny over their corrupt activities.
Since coming into office in March last year, Matanda-Moyo (whose name on Zacc social media accounts is spelt Loyce and not Loice), has been slowly, but steadily turning on the heat under senior officials’ chairs.
This is despite widespread criticism of Zacc and her team that they are not yet ready to deal with the big fish in Zanu PF and President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s inner circle in and out of government. There
have also been protests that Zacc is being used as an attack dog to settle personal vendettas
and political scores.
However, informed government sources said there was pressure on Mnangagwa from his political allies and other disgruntled voices, as well as aggrieved parties to redeploy Matanda-Moyo, a self-styled corruption-buster, to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) or back to the judiciary bench.
One of the cases which Zacc touched which has ruffled political feathers within Mnangagwa’s inner circle is that of Joram Gumbo, a source said.
Matanda-Moyo, the source continued, had after holding Gumbo’s feet to the fire been pressured from the top to wait with the case or stall it.
“She has come under political pressure on some cases,” the source said. “I know for sure that Zacc and herself were told several times to wait with the Gumbo case, at one point or another. It’s one of those cases which is politically charged.”
Gumbo, a former Transport and Energy minister, was last year arrested and hauled before the courts on criminal abuse of office charges arising from four separate counts of corruption involving US$37 million.
In a subsequent cabinet reshuffle, Mnangagwa demoted Gumbo, but retained him in his office as Minister of State for Presidential Affairs (Monitoring and Implementation of Government Programmes),
showing he still supported him despite the corruption allegations against him.
The sources said Matanda-Moyo, wife to powerful Foreign Affairs minister Sibusiso Moyo who was the face of the 2017 military coup which brought Mnangagwa to power, has of late been hinting that she may or may not be there going forward.
She gave hints on her possible departure during a meeting with opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume on Friday last week and at a meeting with Zacc commissioners on Monday, a key source said.
Ngarivhume said he had a meeting with Zacc on Friday last week and Matanda-Moyo hinted at leaving.
“Yes she hinted on that, but I initially thought it was just an off-the-cuff remark with no particular meaning attached it,” he said.
“She suggested that she may not be there in the next cycle (tenure), and now on reflection she sounded sure-footed about it.”
This has raised fears at No. 872 Betterment Close, Mount Pleasant Office Park – Zacc’s headquarters –that she is under pressure from restless political actors and could thus be facing removal and redeployment. When she came in, she said she was ready to withstand political pressure and intimidation. Zacc has other offices in Harare in Strathaven, Showgrounds, Herbert Chitepo
and Highlands, as well as Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo and Mutare.
“There are various forms of pressures for her redeployment or removal. Mnangagwa is under pressure
from his disgruntled allies to remove her. There is pressure from those who fear they would be targeted, those who are scared – the guilty are always afraid – and those who are aggrieved,” a top official source said.
“She could be redeployed or removed anytime due to political and other pressures. Considerations are that she may be sent back to bench or go to the NPA, and swap places with (Kumbirai) Hodzi. These issues are still being considered, but in the corridors of power they are being spoken about more openly. Even at Zacc, some people already know about this issue.”
Hodzi – Mnangagwa’s ally – was controversially appointed to his post in January last year following interviews in December 2018.
In the public interviews, he came 6th, but no reason was given on why he was chosen ahead of the other five better candidates. He has openly indicated he is a Mnangagwa supporter.
Before becoming prosecutor-general, he had acted in that position since July 2018.
In November 2019, during the interviews for the substantive post of prosecutor-general, Hodzi was grilled by the Judicial Service Commission panel on his failure to effectively prosecute high-profile corruption cases in his first 93 days in office and on pre-emptying of investigations through premature press briefings.
Sources said Matanda-Moyo has been giving several clues in meetings on her departure.
“First, she gave a hint during a meeting with Ngarivhume and second, after that in a meeting with commissioners.
That was last week on Friday and also on Monday this week respectively when she said she may or may not be there going forward since she is still a judge and can go back to the bench,” a source said.
“The signals were clear to everyone that she is indicating she might be going.”
After the meeting with Ngarivhume, Zacc said on its Twitter timeline on Monday it was “deeply indebted” to him for his “kind gesture to visit us and we welcome suggestions
from all our people without any bearing on creed, colour or political, religious affiliation on
how best the fight against corruption can be stepped up to higher levels”.
Matanda-Moyo is a High Court judge. She was president of the Labour Court. At one stage she was also Director of Public Prosecution in the Attorney-General’s office.
She worked in private practice previously. Requests for a meeting with her this week to discuss the issue failed as she said she was busy.
She also did not reply to questions sent to her at her own request.

ZIMBABWE’s foreign missions are struggling because they have been neglected, with workers staying in dilapidated houses while vehicles used by top officials are run-down.

This was revealed in the National Assembly by Kindness Paradza, the chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs during debate on the Finance Bill to do with the 2021 National Budget.

The report also discussed the state of embassies.

The committee’s report noted that the diplomatic missions and those manning them risked being kicked out of rented premises and accommodation after Finance minister Mthuli Ncube allocated inadequate funds in the 2021 budget.

The Foreign Affairs ministry requested for $55,2 billion or US$672, 600 but was allocated $9,4 billion (US$114,100), or 17% of its bid.

“Some embassies abroad are dilapidated, while other residences have been abandoned.

“For example, the ambassadors’ residences in New York, South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique,” Paradza said.

“Non-payment of rentals is still a major threat, in some cases; staff have been evicted or locked out,” he said.

Paradza said government’s failure to pay its workers in foreign lands had resulted in perennial salary arrears amounting to US$20,3 million incurred between September 2010 and October 2020 for both home-based and foreign-based diplomats.

“Consequently this means Zimbabwe has been breaching international labour law by not paying workers accordingly,” he said.

Paradza said as a result, morale was low at most embassies as members of staff were failing even to pay school fees and medical bills for themselves and their families.

The Makonde MP said there were inadequate vehicles for embassies in Sweden and Cuba and the employees were resorting to using vans.

He said the vehicles of diplomatic missions were in a deplorable state.

“The ministry will find it difficult to establish new embassies in Abu Dhabi, Ankara and Kigali.

“The ministry will risk losing its land in Zambia, Tanzania, Addis Ababa and Abuja.”

The Foreign Affairs Committee also said the budget for embassies which was in local currency, risked erosion by inflation.

THE family of the late Tapiwa Makore junior who was killed in a suspected ritual murder in September has written to the Commissioner General of the Zimbabwe Republic Police requesting DNA test results for his body parts which are yet to be released.

In a letter dated 3 December and addressed to the Commissioner General of Police and copied to the Prosecutor General, the Makore family through their lawyer Tabitha Chikeya said the DNA test results have taken longer than anticipated after they were promised to get them within 21 days from the date samples were collected.

Ms Chikeya told ZBC News that the results will expedite the delivery of justice and help the family get the closure.

“The family has waited for a long time and we ae requesting the Zimbabwe Republic Police to give us the results after the laboratory indicated that the results were collected by the police,” she said.

The body parts which were sent to the laboratory include legs, a human skull, abdomen and palm.

ZRP National Spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi could not comment on the issue saying he is not yet aware of the existence of such a letter.

In another development, the High court has deferred ruling in the bail application of one of the accused, Thanks Makore who was arrested last month in connection with the case.

Three other suspects Tafadzwa Shamba, Tapiwa Makore senior and Maud Hunidzarira are still in custody awaiting trial.

High Court has reserved judgment in the case in which Marry Mubaiwa is appealing for the return of her passport to enable her travel to South Africa for treatment.

Mubaiwa is facing a slew of charges including attempted murder of her former husband, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, fraud, money laundering and assault.

She is a holder of two passports that are being held by the clerk of court at Harare magistrates’ court as part of her bail conditions.

Mubaiwa unsuccessfully applied for the return of her passport at the remand court to enable her travel to South Africa to seek medical attention. She took the matter up to the High Court on appeal, arguing she required immediate and urgent treatment across the Limpopo.

Mubaiwa said she suffers from “severe lymphoedema of all limbs and multiple wounds on both legs, feet, arms and hands”.

Justice Benjamin Chikowero heard submissions from both parties’ legal counsel and reserved judgment to a later date.

He said he required sufficient time to go through the lawyers’ submissions.

Acting for Mubaiwa, Ms Beatrice Mtetwa told Justice Chikowero that her client was in severe pain and required urgent treatment in South Africa as the health facilities in the country were incapacitated to deal with her problem.

She said there were no specialists in the country to deal with her medical condition, thus it was in the best interest of justice to allow her travel across the Limpopo to get treatment. But in her counter-submission, prosecutor Ms Sharon Fero dismissed the defence contention that there were no specialists in the country.

She said the State got in touch with the Ministry of Health and Child Care which confirmed that Mubaiwa’s diseases had underlining conditions which could be attended to by a multidisciplinary team of specialist doctors locally given the nature of her condition.

Ms Fero urged the court to dismiss the appeal, saying the defence misrepresented to the court when it was clear that there were specialists in the country who could handle Mubaiwa’s condition. Earlier, Justice Chikowero had stood down the matter to the afternoon, demanding to see Mubaiwa’s wounds.

However, when she was brought to court, Justice Chikowero had changed his mind.

NewsDay

PARLIAMENT has exposed government for its failure to address the plight of soldiers by not providing essentials that include medical aid and allowances, as well as adequate food rations, resulting in the military personnel “marching on empty stomachs”.

This was revealed on Wednesday in a report by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs chaired by Umzingwane MP Levi Mayihlome (Zanu PF) which was presented during debate on the Finance Bill to do with the 2021 National Budget.

Mayihlome said as a result of poor budgetary support of the army, morale was low, hence, the need to boost determination in the army and equip the soldiers with modern technology as the current one was archaic.

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube, in his 2021 budget statement announced in November allocated the Defence and War Veterans Affairs ministry $23,75 billion instead of their proposed budget of $158,4 billion.

Mayihlome said the 2021 salary allocations showed that the Finance ministry did not take into cognisance the approved military salary concept.

“An army marches on its stomach. Rations are an institutional requirement, but the allocations are so paltry, one would get the impression that someone thinks he is doing the military a favour,” Mayihlome said.

“The most seriously distressed expenditure items in the ministry were employment costs that currently do not reflect the approved military salary concept. On funeral benefits for the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF), no funds were allocated for funerals, yet it is part of their conditions of service,” he said.

The report said ZDF members, their families and war veterans were failing to access healthcare services, posing a danger to the effectiveness of the army.

He said the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) was grossly or not funded on funeral and medical expenses for the military and their dependents.

“Currently, using PSMAS (Premier Service Medical Aid), but the claims are not being honoured. Thinking of PSMAS — can someone tell me how soldiers on operations or on important training exercises are expected to access or benefit from the use of PSMAS?”

Mayihlome said the ZDF had not been paid travel and subsistence allowances (T&S) paid when soldiers were deployed and as a result a huge backlog has been accumulated.

“The ZDF has accumulated a backlog on T&S, medical supplies and services where the war veterans, the ZDF members and their dependents are failing to access free health services,” he said.

On allocation of food, he said it was too paltry to serve that purpose.

He said as a result of Ncube’s paltry allocations to the army, the focus was now on the welfare of soldiers, instead of focusing on their training and acquisition of new combat technology.

“The military need to have the appropriate tools of the trade, when there is peace so that they practice with those tools for there is no room for trial and error in actual combat. The military must not exist to be paid monthly salaries, they must be equipped and trained for war. It follows also that military commanders should not spend most of their time thinking about how to feed and accommodate soldiers, those are given, that is why it is institutional, rather commanders ought to spend most of their time thinking about the immediate and long term threats, making strategy and operational plans, and training their men to meet those plans.”

The Defence and Home Affairs Committee said the dilapidated equipment was a danger to security.

He said Battlefield Recovery and Evacuation (BRE) was last procured over 30 to 40 years ago, adding that there was need to keep abreast with modern security techniques.

In their recommendations, the Defence and Home Affairs committee said that the military salary concept must be fully implemented to fulfil the conditions of service for the ZDF in order to boost their morale.

“Treasury should adequately finance all institutional provisions and inescapable expenditure items to guarantee an efficient discharge of statutory obligations. These relate to, medical supplies and services, payment of travel and subsistence allowances, rations, uniforms and ceremonial dress, research, training and development to enhance self-sustenance,” the committee said.

They also recommended a phased approach to replacement of the ZDF capital equipment as well as support for digitisation.

In June this year, Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri told the committee that morale among ZNA members had hit rock bottom as a result of inadequate provisions, adding that this will force many to engage in corrupt activities to make ends meet.

She said soldiers were facing a myriad of challenges in the discharge of their duties, including hunger, inadequate transport and obsolete machinery.

Paul Nyathi

Highly placed sources within the Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T have indicated that the vengeful leader will next week recall all MDC Alliance women councillors who did not attend ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa’s meeting with women councillors from around the country.

According to the sources, Khupe is very angry at the stance taken by the councillors who she personally sent notices to attend the indaba.

Khupe herself attended the meeting.

In the meeting, Mnangagwa assured the meeting that he will over ride the constitution and introduce a quota for women councillors as is the case with women in parliament.

You are advocating for an improvement in your representation at local government level. We fought for democracy and there was a lot of sacrifice by the girl child and boy child for us to achieve that democracy. Currently councillors are elected on the basis of that democracy,” he said.

“You are now asking me to panel-beat democracy in order to meet our needs rather than our needs to be met through plain democracy. Fortunately, I am in agreement with you, and that is granted, and I will ask the Minister of Local Government to begin the process,” said the President to a thunderous applause from the councillors.

Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) coronavirus/COVID-19 situation report as of 10 December 2020:

• New cases: 74
• Locals: 74
• Returnees: 0
• Deaths: 1
• Recoveries: 106
• PCR Tests Done:1703
• National Recovery Rate: 83.5%
• Active Cases: 1 523
• Total Cumulative Cases: 11081
• Total Recoveries: 9 253
• Total Deaths: 305