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.
For many years now, Ghana has successfully held free, fair and credible elections, a successful and stable democracy. And the country has benefited greatly for with stable and functioning democracy the nation has stamped out corruption and mismanagement, the scourge behind the criminal waste of human and material resources in many countries in Africa.
Ghana’s working and functioning democracy was an example for other African countries to follow; a lighthouse in the black stormy night, a beckon of hope. Reports of violence and vote rigging in this week’s elections has everyone holding his/her breath – has the flickering light been extinguished!
“Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has been re-elected after a tightly contested election on Monday,” reported BBC.
“Mr Akufo-Addo obtained 51.6% of the vote, compared with 47.4% won by his main rival, ex-President John Mahama, official results showed.
“Mr Mahama has not yet conceded defeat. His party has rejected the results, citing alleged irregularities.”
There are reports of elections related violence and five people killed!
There are many reasons why it has been near impossible to build and sustain a healthy and functioning democratic system of government in Africa. Whilst most leaders have praised to the high heaven the importance of free, fair and credible elections when they are the outside selecting to be elected.
However, once in power, most African leaders have, more often than not, worked tireless to undermine and corrupt the country’s democratic institutions to ensure the next elections will NOT be free, fair and credible. They have tasted power and giving it up again is simply unthinkable!
In Zimbabwe, the nation’s first elections to usher independence were not free, fair and credible because Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies told the voters the civil would continue if Zanu PF lost the elections. So the people voted to end the war.
And soon thereafter Mugabe launched the Gukurahundi massacre to force the late Dr Joshua Nkomo and his PF Zapu, the country’s main opposition party, to join Zanu PF. The 1987 Zanu PF and PF Zapu Unity Accord cleared the way for the imposition of the de facto one-party dictatorship that has ruled Zimbabwe for the last 40 years and counting.
Zimbabwe had its golden opportunity during the 2008 to 2013 GNU to implement the democratic reforms and dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship. Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends, who were entrusted the task of implementing the reforms, failed to get even one reform implemented in five years. They turned out to be breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent.
Worst of all, Zanu PF has learnt that as long as the party allowed MDC to win a few gravy train seats, the opposition will participate in elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process happened to be. The regime failed to produce a verified voters’ roll, a legal and common sense requirement, for example and still Nelson Chamisa and his MDC A participated in the 2018 elections regardless.
By participating in flawed and illegal elections the opposition have given the process credibility and the result legitimacy.
And so, as things stand, Zimbabwe has no hope of ever holding free, fair and credible elections. Zanu PF has the carte blanche powers to rig elections and, by participating in the flawed elections, MDC is providing the regime with the legitimacy cover!
Ever since the failed 2008 GNU Zanu PF and MDC have entered into a political arrangement; MDC will never implement any reforms to curtail Zanu PF dictatorial powers and will continue participating in flawed elections to give the result legitimacy. Zanu PF will rig the elections to secure 2/3 parliamentary majority and the presidency. Zanu PF will give MDC the surety of winning the remaining 1/3 of the parliamentary seats.
Sure, this Zanu PF and MDC is a marriage of convenience and trust is in short supply as each party is always on the lookout to increase its share of the spoils of power. This is a marriage of cats, there is always going to be a lot of growling, biting and swiping with those razor sharp claws but you will always get the kittens – proof the marriage was consummated!
This is Ghana’s eighth presidential election since the adapting a new 1992 multiparty democratic constitution – after years of military rule – and most elections have been judge free, fair and credible. Zimbabwe had a new constitution in 2013, another product of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. It was just another wasted opportunity as the new constitution has failed to deliver free and fair elections.
So given Ghana’s reputation of holding free, fair and credible elections the whole world await the reports of independent election observers to find out whether Ghana has become just another African country incapable of holding free, fair and credible elections.
Nelson Chamisa refused to concede defeat to Mnangagwa in July 2018, just as Morgan Tsvangirai refused to do the same to Mugabe in the July 2013 elections claiming Zanu PF had rigged the elections. However, no one of substance has ever taken Chamisa and Tsvangirai serious, how can one when MDC leaders participated in the elections even without something as basic to free and fair elections as a verified voters’ roll!
In 1992 Ghana had the opportunity to reset its dysfunctional political system and it would be heartbreaking if the country is slipping back to the dark days of violent and rigged elections. In 2008 to 2013 Zimbabwe had the opportunity to reset its dysfunctional one-party dictatorship and we botched-up.
Ghana has something to hold and cherish; we are still stuck with a corrupt and ruthless dictatorship, the 2008 GNU changed nothing!
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.
ZAKA – A Chiredzi teacher has been bleeding since Saturday after a senior Police officer allegedly assaulted and broke his nasal cavity following a squabble over the sale of beer at night.
Godwell Maposa who is a teacher at Chiredzi Primary School has since been transferred to Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare from Masvingo to undergo a nasal cavity operation, The Mirror has been told.
Sources told The Mirror that the Police boss rents a beer outlet at Jerera Growth Point in Zaka and he is in the habit of shutting down all other outlets before the statutory time and leaves his bar open.
On the fateful day he 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.
Zaka Officer-in-charge, Chief Inspector Ronald Moyo declined to comment when called by The Mirror. He referred questions to Police Spokesperson Charity Mazula before switching off his phone.
National Police Spokesperson Paul Nyathi asked The Mirror to call later but his mobile became unreachable.
“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,” said Maposa.
Police is said to have also thrown teargas into Chademana Bar to disburse patrons.
Maposa was first taken to Musiso Hospital where he was referred to Masvingo Provincial and then to Parirenyatwa.
Sources said that the same Police Boss recently assaulted a detective Samakande for reporting to superiors in Masvingo that there were no Police officers manning Jerera Police Base.
Former energy minister Fortune Chasi has castigated the demolition of houses in Budiriro saying the decision to conduct the operation now can only be done by people with functional brains.
Chasi expressed his views in a Twitter post which says;
“BUDIRIRO DEMOLITIONS: hapana munhu ane dzaka kwana ano pwanyira vanhu dzimba nguva ino unless they are USING KIDNEYS FOR THINKING,” said Chasi.
Over 100 families were left homeless after the City of Harare and the Zimbabwe Republic Police descended on Budiriro early this week where they razed down people’s houses.
Eye witnesses said the police used force, beating up people and firing shots to intimidate those who were resisting the operation.
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.
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
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.
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.
“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.
As SA battles with a spike in the number of daily recorded Covid-19 cases, the country continues to drop on the list of countries with the most Covid-19 infections.
According to Worldometer, SA has dropped two spots to number 18 on the list.
Worldometer is a data source that tracks real-time statistics on several topics, including Covid-19. The numbers change daily as updates stream in.
In the world stats, SA was overtaken by Ukraine, which has more than 858,700 cases of Covid-19. However, Ukraine’s death toll remains lower than SA’s by 8,277.
To date, SA has 836,764 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 22,747 deaths.
According to the health ministry, there were 8,166 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. This is an increase from less than 5,000 cases that were reported daily in the past few weeks.
Health minister Zweli Mkhize said out of 173 new Covid-19 related deaths reported in the past 24 hours, 90 were in the Eastern Cape, 52 were in the Western Cape, 13 in the Free State, 10 in KwaZulu-Natal and eight in Gauteng.
The recovery rate now stands at 90.4%, with 756,671 people in SA having recovered so far.
On Wednesday, Mkhize confirmed that the country was in a second wave of Covid-19 infections. He said the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng were the key drivers of this new wave.
Mkhize said the age group 15-19 years showed the highest number of cases over the past two days, a trend that is due to young people attending large gatherings with little-to-no social distancing and wearing of masks.
“This is a new issue and this is what is most worrying. It is believed to be due to a number of large parties with young people drinking alcohol with no adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions. We have had a report from KwaZulu-Natal where you could see this pattern is much more widespread than previously thought.
“If this trajectory continues, our health-care systems will be overwhelmed. Hence, part of the recommendations being tabled by provinces are now looking at how to contain these large gatherings and parties. The decision will be made by the NCCC.”
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.
Soldiers being commanded in a march past President Emmerson Mnangagwa
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.
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.
I hope I find you all in one piece. Let your hearts be strong during this time. I know MDC members do not want to read or they do not like to read long articles or they do not like to read some other type of articles, but I beg you for once, try this one.
They say the darkest moments are before dawn.
We have been heavily attacked by sell-outs and enemies of our struggle. The institutions of our Country are so captured that some odd things are happening.
I will not waste your time to read what you all already know. I feel I must just share my views on things that have caused the family members of MDC help the enemy brake our revolution momentum without them knowing. Me included. Please read with sober mind.
A) MDC/ MDC T/ MDC A
A lot is being said in our circles about these names. Some conflate the three and some try to make stories out of this. Of late this has led to zanufied parliament taking advantage and recall members of parliament elected under MDC A and replace them with MDC T members. The same confusion has led to bogus people calling themselves MDC T to get help of zanufied institutes and take over Harvest House. When this is happening the victim that loses is the MDC member. Some of it is mainly because MDC member has failed to define and differentiate three things above. Its high time we discuss and know the following.
a) MDC
MDC is a political party formed in 1999 and adopted a constitution in January 2000. Article 1 of the adopted constitution reads
ARTICLE 1
NAME, SYMBOL AND HEADQUARTERS OF THE PARTY
The name of the political Party shall be the Movement for Democratic Change (hereinafter referred to as “MDC” or where appropriate “Party”).
The Party’s symbol is an open palm with its borders in black on a white background encircled by the Party’s slogan “Chinja maitiro” “Guqula Izenzo” written in black. The Party’s logo is a black circle incorporating the Zimbabwe bird in grey on an orange background which represents a wheel on which is also embedded the Party’s flag in black, red, yellow and green blocks arranged in bands.
The Party’s flag is rectangular. It is one and half times longer than it is wide. It is a horizontal multi-colour, comprising from top to bottom equal bands of green, yellow, red and black. At the centre of the flag is the Party symbol in its original colours with the words “MDC” written in white on the black band of the flag.
The Party is headquartered at Harvest House, No.44 Nelson Mandela Avenue, Harare and shall have offices at such other places as may be determined from time to time by the National Council.
It is in this Article where we get the identity of MDC. It has no “T” nor “A”. More important parts from the above that each member of MDC must note and let no one abuse their party are the following: i) The name is MDC only ii) The head office is 44 Nelson Mandela avenue Harare.
These two items must be noted by anyone interested in MDC. In 2000 MDC had already acquired Harvest as its Head office and adopted a name MDC.
MDC has a legal status. The legal status is in article 2 of its constitution.
ARTICLE 2 LEGAL STATUS
2.1.The MDC shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession, capable of Suing and being sued and acquiring and disposing of property in its own name.
2.2 The MDC shall have the power to do everything necessary or conducive to the furtherance of its aims, values and objectives
It is clear that once one identifies the party by its name and head office and all details in article 1 you need to check the legal status.
It is clear from article 2 that MDC is a body corporate. Which means it is guided by Companies Act 24.03. The Act defines a body Corporate.
It is also clear that MDC has a perpetual succession. That is to say members come and go but MDC remains.
MDC can be sued or sue in her own name. iv) MDC can acquire or dispose property in her own name. The points that state clearly that “in its own name” should not be taken lightly. Something has to be done under the name MDC for it to bind MDC. If it is done under any other name then its not binding to MDC until it ratifies it.
MDC has a membership as guided by article 5 of its constitution and the members are issued with cards. The members have also obligations and rights in the party MDC. I will not repeat them.
MDC has organs that rank from Congress to branch.
MDC has office bearers. Of note is the president of the party, whom the constitution gives the power of being the leader and ChiefPrincipal of the party. It is the role of being a principal that one uses to transact or act on behalf of a juristic person as MDC. When ever a president of the party represent the Party MDC and sign contracts, agreements or invoices, he is exercising the role of principal. Any office bearer who is given a role in MDC constitution when he transact on behalf of MDC in terms of that role is exercising role of principal. However the President is said to be Chief principal. His powers are spelt in article 9.1 of constitutions. One has to be an authorised person to act on behalf of MDC then state the fact in doing business, that he is actually acting on behalf of MDC.
Decisions on party issues in MDC operate on Committee principle. No single person can decide on behalf of the party unless that decision relates to well spelt functions of that office bearer. Article 10.1 of MDC constitution reads;
“ARTICLE 10
PARTY COMMITTEES
10. General provisions applying to all Committees:
10.1 The Party shall operate through the Party Committee system and accordingly it shall be the duty of the Secretary
General to ensure that all committees are functioning and submitting reports to the National Executive.”
It is clear that in MDC decisions are made by way of resolutions of Committees and the minutes are send to office of Secretary General. To clear out the possibility that a member of MDC can claim ownership of MDC by may be having contributed something or sacrificed something the constitution of MDC spells out how it indemnifies senior members..
9.22 Indemnity
Senior office bearers of the Party and other members of the National Council shall not be liable to the Party and its members for any loss arising from any mistake or omission made in good faith.
Senior office bearers of the Party and other members of the National Council shall be entitled to an indemnity out of the assets of the Party (including future assets) against all costs, damages and expenses incurred by them, in respect of any liability incurred by them, in good faith, in the execution of their powers and duties.
This is for every member to realise that actually MDC is a separate person from it members and leadership. If a president spend his or her own resources MDC will reimburse such money from its own assets. If he makes a genuine mistake during the course of his or her duties MDC and its members will not hold him/her liable for such mistake. Take note the word. It says “MDC and its members” . Which means MDC is separate from its members and one can be liable to members or MDC or both.
When MDC wants to make an Alliance in her own name, she is guided by article 3.7 of her constitution it reads;
3.7 The MDC shall form alliances with political organisations, or united or popular fronts and may join national or international organisations which share the same social democratic values with it*
Very important. From her own constitution MDC states clearly that she shall form Alliance with other political parties. Bear with me that from point (a)(2) above on legal status that a thing has to be done in MDC’s name for it to be regarded as done by MDC. If an alliance is to be entered by MDC then a Principal, acting on authority of MDC and expressing the fact he/she is acting on behalf of MDC must sign the agreement on behalf of MDC. If a person who also hold an office in MDC signs some other documents or agreements which bear another name other than MDC then such document cannot bind MDC unless it is ratified by MDC.
The above issues as they relate to MDC have strong bearing in the way we must understand our current problems. I have deliberately avoided clouding these facts with my opinion for now. I will then put my opinion later after defining the other two remaining names.
b) MDC- T
In 1995 after General elections, there was a proposal to introduce a house of senate as part of parliament. There were disagreements in MDC over this matter. One group said it did not want MDC to participate in the senate issue and others wanted to participate.
While people want to group the people as followers of Tsvangirai versus followers of Welshman Ncube but the most senior person in the group that Prof Welshman Ncube belonged to was a Deputy President of MDC Gibson Sibanda. This fact has been underrated for political reasons but for current issue it cannot be ignored.
The other fact that remained unnoticed is the provision of article 6.2.4 of
MDC constitution” 6.2.4.1. A notice convening the Congress shall be sent to all Provinces and Districts by the
Secretary General on the direction of the National Council at least 2 (two) months before the date of the Congress.6.2.4.2. In addition, the notice convening the Congress shall be published once in a Newspaper of national circulation, thirty days before the Congress.”
This provision has been there from 2000. Only in 2014 Extra Ordinary Congress that article 9 was amended to give the president power to convene a Congress.
The reason I brought this is for people to remember that we held a congress of MDC in 1996. The camp led by Prof Ncube had the Secretary General and by that provision (6.2.4) he had the sole constitutional power to convene Congress. Their argument was bolstered by that fact and they did not recognise 2006 MDC congress.
What ever that transpired from 2005 to 2008 is not my concern for now. In 2008 we had the first harmonised elections. At that time we had to field candidates for election from councillor to Member of Parliament and then a presidential candidate.
The requirement for a party to contest election have always been guided by electoral Act. This is the distinction that we all need to take up. For purposes of election the electoral act accept any form of political organisation. It has nothing to do with acquiring asserts, perpetual succession, disposing of assets or any legal liabilities or obligations outside election issues. This means a group of people can come together and give a name to their contesting team and when the election over it ends there.
There was a challenge that there were two groups of people using the name MDC and if they were to enter election the votes would split. The Tsvangirai led MDC group decided to put a T in front their MDC and name it MDC T. What ever the T was to stand for is not a matter of concern for now but the following facts emerge
i) A new name was introduced. ii) In terms of electoral Act it was a political party.
This party MDC T did not come from a congress resolution that MDC is now adding a T on its name, neither was there a National Council that they are Changing MDC party name to MDC T. If ever those resolutions existed they were never ratified by congress of MDC held in Bulawayo in 2011 or Extra Ordinary Congress held in 2014. However the same name was used again in 2013 harmonised election.
It remains clear that the president of MDC and the congress elected leadership would do every day operations in the name of MDC but when it comes to elections and campaigns they do it in the name MDC T. What one can say there was never any constituting document for MDC T beside the electoral law provisions. This does not make it a non entity. It is an entity. It had members following it. However by looking at the constitution of MDC you can confidently say MDC T is not MDC . From article 2 of MDC constitution you can deduce that only actions done in MDC name are then binding on MDC. There is no record that MDC ever changed her name to MDC
T or resolution that was ratified by any congress that MDC T is MDC trade name or contracts entered in the name MDC T are also binding to MDC.
What is clear is members were recruited and issued MDC party cards and belonged to MDC. Come election time there is MDC T contesting another MDC.
This is where the whole issue of confusion starts. Some members of MDC hold membership cards clearly written MDC. They attend Congress of MDC but they believe they are MDC T. Non has ever received a card in the name MDC T.
Remember anything done in the name MDC by an official of
MDC belongs to MDC but anything done in the name of MDC T by an MDC official can only belong to MDC after MDC ratified such decision.
It brings us to important issues affecting us.
While MDC T was operating from 44 Nelson Mandela it does not change the fact that the building harvest house belong to MDC. Mr Tsvangirai was a separate person to MDC or MDC
T.
The president and National Executive of MDC were also acting as MDC T executive.
MDC T received funding from Government would pay for expenses and some paid to cover MDC expenses and buy MDC assets.
To an ordinary person there became a thin line of division between MDC T and MDC. Each Congress of MDC no member of MDC challenged the way things were happening.
Now come to October 2017. Mr Tsvangira had a vision of uniting opposition parties in what he called big tent. He mobilised 6 other political groupings to form an Alliance. While MDC constitution state that MDC shall enter into alliance with other political organisations and a resolution of 2014 congress to join hands with other parties the following facts remain true
In an alliance agreement signed in 2017, Mr Tsvangirai as president of MDC T signed the agreement to form an Alliance of seven parties.
The party he was standing for is clearly stated as MDC T. iii) He is also clearly stated as its president and Principal.
Within the seven political parties was another party called MDC.
The president and Principal of this party was Prof Welshman Ncube.
By appending signatures on that agreement it proves that Mr Tsvangirai knew the party he was representing was MDC T and not MDC. This is so in two respect
He did not state it that I am standing for MDC.
He saw the name MDC also appearing on another party with its own principal. vii) What ever the reason Mr Tsvangirai could give for such action and what ever Prof Ncube could give for such action there are two side of story that bring same result
a) By not acting on behalf of MDC but acting on behalf of
MDC T the Alliance agreement does not bind MDC at all.
This is by article 2 of its constitution. It has to be done in
MDC name to bind MDC. What ever the legal status of MDC T the point is Mr Tsvangirai entered an agreement on behalf of MDC T. Does MDC T has perpetual succession? Can MDC own or dispose property. That is the challenge we have. MDC T was just a grouping of people who were using a structure of another party. On this case it stood on its own and someone stood as its President. Without ratification of that decision by MDC it cannot be MDC’s decision.
b) While Prof Ncube acted on behalf MDC the question then that arises is did he have the authority to stand as Principal of MDC regarded as president of MDC the body Corporate. If yes then it throws everything in dispute to dust bin. What it then it means all the congress that the Tsvangirai led grouping held were null and void. The congresses that made Prof Ncube president are valid. However you go to article 3.7 you discover that it was put in place in 2006 congress and the Prof Ncube grouping did not put it in. By that MDC would not have entered alliance using that provision neither could they have used 2014 EOC. If it is proven that Prof Ncube had no right to contract on behalf of MDC the body Corporate then it means MDC the body corporate did not enter into any Alliance. That is why I say MDC the body Corporate never entered into Alliance agreement . It was not part of the seven parties.
To conclude on the issue of MDC T it clear that it was an entity of MDC people who believed in Mr Tsvangirai. Without a constitutive document. Without a document one cannot then bring perpetual succession of such organisation. To those that believe in T standing for Tsvangirai, how then would MDC Tsvangirai stand after his death? If people were grouped around Tsvangirai as their binding item, it must be accepted that people have freedom to move and look for a leader within MDC. If there was an MDC T the can be MDC C or Z. People have choice.
As for MDC the body corporate it remains like that.
c) MDC A
This is the name that has brought us were we are. For zanu it a name the hate because of defeat of 2018. They will do anything to destroy it.
To the electorate it is a party led by Nelson Chamisa or Wamba as they call him. When the Supreme court ruling came out there was a panic from our leadership which was then spread to the membership. Some of the statements were then used by the enemy to wedge a war against our revolution. Blame it on who ever you want. I do not care. My concern is MDC member to know his or her rights and know how to defend the party.
No doubt that the name MDC A is derived from the Alliance agreement. What ever explanation one can give we cannot run away from the constitution document of MDC A. Unlike MDC T which had no record of how it existed, MDC A has a constitutive document.
The membership of MDC A is clearly shown as a group of seven political entities. No individual can claim to be a member of MDC A. You can only be a member through membership of another group.
Bear with me in this. Of all the 7 political parties non of them brought their own constitutions to be part of the Alliance agreement. Each political organisation was governed by their own laws. I would not know what other political parties say in their constitutions. However as we can prove from the Alliance document that there was a party called MDC T as represented by Mr Tsvangirai we can safely say that party had no constitutive document. It never held a congress under the name MDC T to elect leadership and adopt a constitution. However that political grouping contested election 2008 and 2013 as such. In terms of electoral law it was a political party. We only note that such name was also used in 2018 election. ZEC cannot register another party where there is already another one using the same name. It is assumed that this MDC T is the same as the previous MDC T in previous election ; save for one fact. In March 2018 this MDC T held a congress in the name MDC T. This is after the signing of MDC A agreement signing. The questions that then arises are
How could MDC T that signed Alliance agreement be the same as the one that held congress in Bulawayo?
Did this MDC T that held congress in Bulawayo ever ratified the decision of Mr Tsvangirai to enter an Alliance with 7 parties? iii) Did the leadership of MDC T elected in Bulawayo accept the concept of Alliance?
It is a fact that MDC T that was represented by Mr Tsvangirai in Alliance agreement was just a group of unknown members. While he legally stood as the president of such grouping no one knows how he became president of that grouping.
After Tsvangirai’s death the grouping had all the right to find a leader. Since it had no structures of its own but using MDC’ s structures there was a National Council of MDC that sat and chose Mr Nelson Chamisa as president of MDC. It must be noted that it was MDC T that was using MDC structures and not MDC using MDC T structures. MDC T has no membership cards.
When it was decided that Mr Chamisa must replace Mr Tsvangirai as the presidential candidate there are few facts an MDC member must never miss to observe
From the onset MDC the body corporate was never part of MDC A.
In that case Mr Chamisa could not replace Mr
Tsvangirai in MDC A as president and Principal of
because Mr Tsvangirai had not entered the agreement as MDC but as MDC T.
In that case he could replace him as MDC T president. Which is just a group of people in MDC who followed Tsvangirai by my definition. This had nothing to do with MDC body corporate. iv) Those who followed Mr Chamisa to the so called MDC T had no membership cards from MDC T or posts from MDC T however we know all of them had membership cards of MDC and were office bearers of MDC.
v) When ever they stood for MDC T they will express the fact and when they are standing for MDC they would also express. One notable example is a notice to convene a Congress written by Mr Mwonzora as Secretary General of MDC. He was conscious of the fact of which party he was representing when calling for Congress.
From the agreement it can be proven that after the death of Mr Tsvangirai as the presidential candidate of Alliance a replacement had to be put in place. The criteria of replacing a presidential candidate is laid down in the agreement.
Following facts emerge
Someone from among Alliance partners had to replace him.
It is clearly stated in article 3.0.(b) of agreement that an “individual” is selected. Which means while all know for a fact that Alliance had 7 juristic persons as members but on this clause it state that an individual must be selected from Alliance partners.
It is clear that since membership of the Alliance was about 7 equal partners the selection process was through principals.
Whether Nelson Chamisa was a legit president of
as declared by MDC National council or legit President of MDC T which we have no evidence of it constitutive documents, the point that remains is a presidential candidate was selected by 7 principals. Of the remaining 6 they chose Mr Chamisa. His selection was as an individual. Which means he is the rightful candidate of MDC A.
Having proved Mr Chamisa as rightful MDC A
presidential candidate the benefit he has is that his facial image becomes part of the logo of MDC A.
No one can take that away from him.
MDC A entered election and got seats under that name.
In October 2018 Prof Ncube dissolved their structure of MDC. This process had been taken to mean dissolving MDC or their MDC by hijackers. There is difference in dissolving a party and dissolving a structure. As in MDC constitution article 19. We never heard a congress that was held with a motion to dissolve the party MDC by Prof Ncube led MDC.
What members of MDC should not is that people get MDC membership from branch not National. When they get a card they become members of MDC and not members of Tsvangirai or Ncube. Most people spend their lives as MDC members but never taken any position of leadership. They are not eligible for Congress but they remain members with rights and obligation stated in article 5. So if Prof Ncube had said he wants to dissolve MDC and he convened a congress to do so all MDC members cease to have a party.
The fact is he dissolved structures from branch upwards and integrated with those that were following Tsvangirai.
When MDC held congress in Gweru he was elected VP among three others. A constitution was presented and he accepted it. So it means MDC has become one again.
While it was congress of MDC there other members of MDC that were re admitted into the party from PDP. They came as individual to their own party. This does not make it MDC Alliance or an Alliance. This is the point which was misrepresented upon the pronouncement of SC. Some statements were later on abused by enemy and we still fail to defend MDC properties because we are stuck on some statements.
I fully understand that the motive was to defend the gains of MDC A which defeated Mnangagwa hands down. I also stand by the fact I am MDC A electoral law. However I must and so as you must not give away your rights on a silver plate because of anger. Sober up.
MY OWN PROPOSAL
MDC Membership orientation.
I feel our MDC membership must be given orientation to understand who they are.
MDC the body corporate that was formed in 1999 must be defended for following reasons
i) It is the one that gives membership card. ii) It is the one that has a legal status well spelt.
It is the one that has perpetual succession. If we are to build a party that our children will inherit succession must be our priority.
It is the one that has a constitution we have all been following.
It is the one that own MRT house.
If we do not defend MDC we give room MDC T and all its accessories to claim right over MDC.
An understanding of SC ruling and its implication cannot be achieved by any member of MDC if he or she does not understand the differences in MDC/ MDC T/ MDC A you end up denying of who you are thereby losing right to what belongs to.
As we have seen that Mr Tsvangirai has always conflated MDC and MDC T and at one point people had started to think it is the same, let that conflation not confuse you. From onset MDC T is just an electoral organisation without assets. Stand up and defend Gweru congress of MDC.
For Record again understand that MDC as a party never entered into Alliance of MDC A. What entered MDC A is a group of people from MDC who followed Tsvangirai. iii) The SC was about MDC as a body corporate and not MDC T or MDC A. As it constitution states MDC only honours things done in her own name. Anything done in MDC T or MDC A is not for MDC.
If MDC did not enter elections in 2018 at all how can an MP or councillor be recalled for not belonging to MDC?
If MDC T has no constitution or membership cards of its own how can it recall an MP or councillor using MDC constitution from MDC A seat?
If article 1 of MDC states clearly its name and identity as MDC and headquartered at 44 Nelson Mandela how can MDC T with a constitution claim ownership of MRT house.
How does MDC T become part of SC ruling.
What the SC ruled over was Mr Chamisa’s legitimacy as MDC the body corporate’s president. The court never ruled over Mr Chamisa’s presidential candidature of 2018 as MDC A president. Giving him to sole right to be the facial logo of MDC A. This logo is the one that gave all seating MPs and councillors right to be in office. The same logo is different from that of MDC or MDC T.
There is no way anyone claiming right of membership in MDC can claim right in MDC A when MDC never entered alliance agreement.
Italy’s 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi has died aged 64, his family says.
Rossi became a household name after leading the Azzurri to victory at the tournament in Spain, finishing as top scorer and being named best player.
At club level he first came to prominence as a prolific scorer for Vicenza, earning a move to Juventus and later playing for AC Milan.
His death was announced on Thursday, following what Italian media report had been a long illness.
Rossi’s wife Federica Cappelletti posted a picture of them together on social media with the words “Per sempre” (“forever”).
She did not disclose the cause of his death.
Rossi scored 20 goals in 48 appearances for the Italian national side, and more than 100 Serie A goals during spells with Vicenza, Perugia, Juventus, Milan and Verona.
Following his performances at the 1982 World Cup, he was awarded the Ballon d’Or which at the time was given to the European footballer of the year.
After retiring from football in the late 1980s, Rossi worked as a pundit for Sky, Mediaset and Rai.
The Italian football federation (FIGC) said flags would fly at half-mast at its headquarters in Rome and its technical centre in Florence.
“Pablito’s passing away is another moment of deep pain, a wound to the heart of all fans that is difficult to heal,” said FIGC president Gabriele Gravina.
“We’ve lost a friend and an icon of Italian football.
“In spurring the national team on to success in 1982, he had Italians celebrating in squares across the country, both for him and with him.
“He indelibly tied his name to the Azzurri and, through his style of play, inspired numerous strikers of future generations.”
European football’s governing body, Uefa, said “a moment of silence” would be held before Thursday’s Europa League matches to honour the player.
A statement from Vicenza, who Rossi helped win promotion to Serie A in 1977, said: “Sometimes there are simply no words to express the pain we are all experiencing.”
Milan, where he played in the 1985-86 season, said Rossi would “forever be in our memory”.
World Cup success was Rossi’s ‘personal redemption’
Rossi wrote his name into footballing folklore with his displays at the 1982 World Cup – although he nearly missed the competition after being implicated in a match-fixing scandal.
Although Rossi maintained his innocence, he was banned from football for three years after being accused of taking part in the 1980 Totonero scandal.
This suspension was reduced to two years on appeal, meaning he was available to play at the World Cup in Spain.
Rossi later described going on to win the tournament as a “personal redemption”.
The tournament started with a whimper for both Italy and Rossi. The Juventus striker failed to score in the opening group stage as Italy drew all three games to scrape through.
The Italians looked far from World Cup contenders – until Rossi, whose performances had come under criticism, found his sharpness in front of goal in the crucial meeting with Brazil in the second group stage.
Rossi scored a hat-trick as Italy won 3-2 to reach the semi-finals, then scored both goals against Poland as Italy set up a meeting with West Germany in the final.
A tense final swung Italy’s way when Rossi scored the opening goal in the second half, the Azzurri going on to win 3-1 and become world champions for a third time.
“On one hand I felt fulfilled. I said to myself, ‘you’ve made it’,” Rossi later said about the triumph.
“On the other hand, I was disappointed that all of this just ended. The World Cup was over.
“[But] when you win something important it’s not just about the trophy. It’s about the group you win it with, it’s about your entire career that took you there.”
‘Iconic Rossi part of Italian history’ Italy’s triumph sparked an outpouring of emotion back home, providing national unity and joy at a time when the country was beset by political and social unrest.
Those images of Rossi and his team-mates becoming world champions will forever be ingrained in the country’s culture, says Italian journalist Daniele Verri.
“We are all shocked here because Paulo Rossi is such an iconic figure for Italian football,” Verri told BBC World Service.
“He is part of Italian history that goes beyond football.
“For those who were lucky enough to see him play in the 1982 World Cup we cannot ever forget what he did.
“The images of Spain 82 are part of Italian culture.”
Namibia’s founding president, Sam Nujoma, may have contracted Covid-19 from one of his bodyguards, local media reported on Tuesday, citing his doctor.
Nujoma, 91, who was admitted to hospital on Sunday, was reportedly in a stable condition and was not in intensive care.
Daily newspaper The Namibian reported that his personal doctor, Tshali Ithete, had said Nujoma might have contracted the coronavirus from one of his bodyguards, who has since died.
Ithete told the paper that seven people who had been in close proximity to Nujoma have contracted the disease.
He explained that Nujoma had been hospitalised in order to receive the best treatment, despite his Covid-19 symptoms having subsided.
According to the Informante newspaper, Nujoma’s wife, Kovambo , has tested negative for the virus. She has been temporarily moved out of the house due to the high number daily visitors.
President Hage Geingob has appealed for calm following Nujoma’s admission in hospital.
“The founding president is receiving treatment in hospital, is in a stable condition and is showing encouraging signs of improvement,“ he said in a statement on Monday.
“I wish to reassure the Namibian people that there is no cause for concern at the moment. I appeal for calm and wish to assure that the Namibian public will be informed regularly on progress regarding the medical condition of the founding president.“
Nujoma served three terms as the first president of Namibia, from 1990 to 2005.
He was a founding member and the first president of the ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation in 1960.
As leader of the national liberation movement, Nujoma played an important role in campaigning for Namibia’s political independence from South African rule.
Dramatic MDC-T MP Hon Priscilla Misihairambwi on Thursday brought the august house down when she walked across and knelt in front of Finance Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube and thanked him profusely clapping her hands for allocating funds towards the purchase of sanitary pads for school going girls and young women.
She said his allocation of money for pads to girls was an act of compassion never witnessed on previous budgets.
ZANU PF legislators and some opposition legislators joined as Hon Misihairambwi was thanking the Minister.
Her stunt, however, was condemned by other parliamentarians from the opposition MDC Alliance who felt she was taking it too far and could have thanked the Minister without being dramatic. Some of opposition MPs who protested included Mbizo MP, Settlement Chikwinya and Magwegwe MP Anele Ndebele.
But Norton MP, Temba Mliswa supported Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga, saying she was free to express herself in any manner, just as members of opposition were free to do so.
Critics have said that it sets a bad precedent in the august house as other rituals that are common could end up being used. They add that it treats a civil servant as some god-like status for doing their job.
On the other hand, others insist that Misiharabwi-Mushonga should be allowed to express herself as she pleases in her culture as parliament has many rituals that are rooted elsewhere.
THE Mayor of Harare, Councillor Jacob Mafume has apologised for the “heartless” ongoing demolition of houses in Harare.
Speaking on his official Twitter page, Councillor Mafume said he is sorry for the pain that has been caused to the victims who have been victimised twice.
1. have come from jail into a storm. I have asked the officials to compile the court orders that are there advertise them on all platforms. Those with a legal basis be allowed to prove.Need to be humane always in Covid 19 times. In the meantime we hold in abeyance all processes pic.twitter.com/di0iRt1lL4
2.I am sorry for the pain that have been caused to the victims who have been victimized twice. land barons should be brought to account first.We now have a humanitarian crisis which should have been foreseeable.We need to show empathy in this hard times. @bbmhlanga@elias_mambo
3.We as full council will develop a post judgement policy and also a policy on how to regulate the sale of land for land without title deeds. Before purchase of land people must check with district offices development control will be given a standard operating procedure.
A senior Zanu-PF official from Chirumanzu District in the Midlands province drowned after he tried to cross a flooded river to cast his vote during the party’s District Coordinating Committee (DCC) elections.
Muchato Masvinu – the District Chairperson for Chirumanzu – was allegedly swept away while his wife watched in horror as he tried to cross Shashe River to reach a polling station on Sunday.
Because of the heavy rains that have been pounding the country, the ruling party abandoned elections at some polling stations in Gokwe North and Shurugwi North as they had become inaccessible.
The decision to abandon the elections was taken to protect the lives of party members.
Zanu-PF acting national spokesperson, Patrick Chinamasa confirmed the incident in Gweru while addressing a Press conference on Tuesday.
Chinamasa is leading a supervisory team overseeing the Zanu-PF DCC elections in the Midlands province.
“We have received some bad news to the effect that one of our senior party members, Cde Muchato Masvinu, who was the District Chairperson for Chirumanzu drowned after he was swept away as he tried to cross flooded Shashe River. Cde Masvinu wanted to cross the river to get to a polling station that was across to cast his vote during the DCC elections. It is on a sad note that we announce his passing on,” he said.
Chinamasa said Mrs Masvinu rushed to call other villagers who conducted a search which started on Sunday when Masvinu was swept away. They found his body on Monday afternoon downstream.
“Mrs Masvinu who was accompanying her husband to the polling station watched helplessly as he was being swept away. His body was recovered today around 12 midday following a search by fellow villagers,” he said.
Chinamasa said burial arrangements were underway.
“Our deepest condolences are with the Masvinu family and the whole province at large,” he said.
The US$100 000 and R250 000 in cash recovered on late Plumtree businessman Ondrej Gombar’s deathbed was recorded in an inventory filed with the Master of High Court, but has reportedly disappeared under unclear circumstances, with interested parties accusing each other of theft.
Gombar, a businessman of South African origin in the borehole drilling sector, died on February 8 last year at his Plumtree home after battling cancer for years.
When he died, it was not in dispute that he had US$100 000 and R250 000 on his bed and that the money was declared when the estate was registered by the late businessman’s lawyer, Mr Bhekithemba Mlauzi.
Gombar had no relatives in Zimbabwe and he was buried by his workers, friends and some community members.
Mr Mlauzi stated in the inventory that the late businessman owned Drill Deep (Pvt) Limited, a house along Dombodema Road in Plumtree, a house in Marlborough West in Harare and a plot in Plumtree along with several vehicles, drilling machinery and equipment.
The inventory also shows Gombar had US$100 000 and R250 000 in cash at the time of
death.
However, the money went missing and the executor has launched investigations to establish the truth. Drill Deep and the law firm are accusing each other of taking over the cash.
Drill Deep Pvt Ltd has written to Kossam Ncube & Partners, the law firm to which Mr Mlauzi is attached, accusing it of benefiting from the cash.
The community, wrote the company last year, suspects 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.
In another letter to the police, the lawyers counter-accused Drill Deep employees and the leadership of stripping the estate of money and assets before finalisation of the estate.
“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,” reads the letter.
The lawyers, on behalf of Mr Mlauzi, have since written to the police indicating that they suspected their client died of poisoning and they requested an exhumation of the body to enable pathologists to examine the corpse.
“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,” reads the letter to the police.
Law Society of Zimbabwe corporate communications manager Mr Richard Chidza said they were investigating the allegations against Mlauzi although there was no formal complaint raised against him.
“The Law Society of Zimbabwe has instituted investigations into the allegations against Mr Mlauzi although we have not received an official complaint yet. We are trying to piece together the facts of the matter after reading the allegations from some media reports,” said Mr Chidza.
Business came to a standstill at Beitbridge Border Post on Wednesday morning when a suspected illegal migrant slipped and fell into the crocodile-infested Limpopo River, while walking on an engineer’s track under the Alfred Beit-Bridge (Old Limpopo Bridge).
The bridge is 540 meters long and the woman fell into the water when she was halfway through around 9am.
Travellers gathered on the New Limpopo Bridge to catch a glimpse of the woman as she laboured to escape from the crocodiles.
The unidentified migrant was among a group of border jumpers heading to South Africa.
Social media was awash with the video of the border jumper walking finding her way through the river to cross to South Africa.
“It was just her lucky day as that place is infested with crocodiles and sometimes hippopotamuses,” said a witness.
Limpopo police spokesperson, Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe, could not be reached for comment on the matter yesterday.
Meanwhile, in an earlier interview with the state media, Ngoepe said that the South African Police Srvice recently launched a festive season operation named “Zizo Jika Izinto” (Things will change) 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.
Nearly 4 000 people have since been arrested for various offences in Limpopo province.
The people were nabbed for crimes including murder, attempted murder, business and house robberies, rapes and sexual assault, burglaries, assaults, and possession of unlicensed firearms.
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
A TEENAGE girl who was doing Form Four at Magwegwe High School committed suicide by taking poison after her mother rebuked her for playing with boys fearing that she would fall pregnant.
A family member who spoke to B-Metro on condition of anonymity as she was not cleared to talk to the media said Penny Mlauzi got worried after she observed unbecoming behaviour from her daughter Nokuzola Lakisha Mkhwananzi (17).
The source went on to say Mlauzi scolded her warning her to stop indulging in sex.
“She got worried after seeing Lakisha playing with different boys in the area.
As a responsible parent she had to step in, strongly warning her to stop playing with boys and indulging in sex as that would result in her falling pregnant. She told her to concentrate on her school work,” said the source.
But it seems the teenage girl did not take kindly to wise counsel from her mother. The source went on to say on 2 December at around 5 am Mlauzi who, is an airtime vendor, left for her vending business.
“She left her with the housemaid aged 19 and went to sell her airtime at Magwegwe terminus. Later on at around 8 am their maid went to bath and left Nokuzola alone. She went to her bedroom where it is believed she gulped 100ml of insecticide. An empty bottle of the insecticide was found in her wardrobe,” said the source.
The maid, the source said, found her lying on the floor frothing from the mouth and unable to speak. She informed a neighbour who called an ambulance but she breathed her last in her hands.
“While she was still conducting first aid on her she breathed her last and the ambulance crew pronounced her dead upon arrival,” said the source.
Her mother reported the matter to the police.
A source close to investigations said the late Nokuzola’s friend revealed that Nokuzola had fallen pregnant. However, she reportedly did not want her mother to know.
“Her friend said the late had tested pregnant and warned her friends that if they disclosed the pregnancy to anyone or her parents she would commit suicide and on countless occasions she had threatened to commit suicide,” said the source.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed: “We urge youths to refrain from engaging in sex but concentrate on preparing for their future. They should shun friends who don’t share the same vision with them. The road to your destiny begins now,” he said.-B-Metro
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.-B-Metro
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 its part, instead of reporting the true outcome of the court cases, has 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
Today marks the 72nd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the global roadmap for protecting the social, economic, political and cultural rights of every individual.
2020 has been a difficult year for the world, and for Zimbabwe. The devastating impacts of COVID-19 pandemic have been felt by every country.
That is why the theme for this year is: “Recover Better: Stand Up for Human Rights.
It focuses on the need to build back better by using human rights and the Universal Declaration for Human Rights as the roadmap for the recovery efforts.
Although COVID-19 is a public health issue, the measures designed to halt the spread often have adversely impacted the whole spectrum of human rights – civil, political, economic and social rights.
And very often, it is the people who are already vulnerable that are most affected. The pandemic has also eroded the hard-won achievements on gender equality.
The negative impact of the pandemic range from the heightened risk of gender-based violence; unmet needs for sexual and reproductive health rights to loss of jobs, livelihoods, access to education and increased burden of unpaid care work.
For example, we know that due to school closures, 4.6 million learners in Zimbabwe could not enjoy their right to education. Service delivery has been impacted and many – especially in the informal economy – have found it hard to make ends meet.
The UN has worked with the Government and partners to address not only the immediate public health challenges, but also to support innovative ways to mitigate against the secondary impacts of the pandemic.
Support provided includes access to learning through online and radio lessons, support to delivery of health services, water and sanitation, food, nutrition and psychosocial and protection services.
The UN has also supported partners to ensure access to services for women and girls affected by gender-based violence and for women to access safe market spaces to continue their livelihoods.
The pandemic is a human tragedy, but at the same time it presents us with an opportunity we cannot miss – an opportunity to make human societies more equal as envisioned in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To build back better and more inclusively.
Efforts to address and recover from the impact of COVID-19 will be sustainable only if they simultaneously address inequalities through advancing universal social protection, including universal health coverage, and protect the environment for current and future generations.
That is why, going forward, as the UN Secretary-General said, people and their rights must be front and centre of the response and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tinashe Sambiri|President Nelson Chamisa has described the outcome of the Presidential election in the Republic of Ghana as a sign of a bright future for Africa.
President Chamisa described President Nana Akufa Addo’s victory in the Presidential election in Ghana as a big moment for Africa.
“A BIG MOMENT FOR GHANA…
Congratulations President Nana Akufa Addo for winning the Presidential election in Ghana.
Thank you Ghana for setting the example and leading the way.
Peace is simple. Democracy is viable. Transparency matters. God bless Ghana.
God bless Africa! #Godisinit,” said President Chamisa in a brief statement.
Tinashe Sambiri|President Nelson Chamisa has described the outcome of the Presidential election in the Republic of Ghana as a sign of a bright future for Africa.
President Chamisa described President Nana Akufa Addo’s victory in the Presidential election in Ghana as a big moment for Africa.
“A BIG MOMENT FOR GHANA…
Congratulations President Nana Akufa Addo for winning the Presidential election in Ghana.
Thank you Ghana for setting the example and leading the way.
Peace is simple. Democracy is viable. Transparency matters. God bless Ghana.
God bless Africa! #Godisinit,” said President Chamisa in a brief statement.
In a separate statement President Chamisa denounced the demolition of houses in Harare:
“The heartless and cruel demolition of citizens’ homes is a violation of human rights and an attack and assault on the dignity & security of persons.
This command politics based on iron-fisted governance style must be resisted by us all!Those responsible, Stop it!
EndtheDemolitions.”
I’m in Budiriro..Heavy downpours here in Budiriro where some families are exposed and suffering after their houses were arbitrarily demolished by authorities…This cruelty and heartlessness is unacceptable! pic.twitter.com/5i11FPdy07
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance has pointed out that Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is wholly responsible for the demolition of houses in Budiriro, Harare.
In a statement, MDC Alliance described the Harare demolitions as a heartless act.
Read full statement below :
HARARE DEMOLITIONS: A HEARTLESS ACT
The MDC Alliance condemns the callous, disproportionate demolitions of homes that are currently being carried out by Central Government, in particular the Ministry of Local Government – Mr July Moyo, the Provincial Minister – Mr Oliver Chidawu and the Provincial Development Co-ordinator – Mr Tafadzwa Muguti.
The demolitions have resulted in people losing their homes, savings and their only available shelter in the middle of the rainy season.
Families with young children, the old and the infirm have been rendered homeless by this heartless act.
Before his arrest two weeks ago, the Mayor of Harare, Councillor Jacob Mafume ordered a stop to all demolitions.
He protested against the grossly unreasonable timing of the demolitions and in view of the wet season and the ongoing Covid19 pandemic.
He stated that the execution of any court orders held by Council should be carried out in a humane manner and that Council should weigh in favour of regularizing settlements as opposed to destroying them.
We are of the firm view that most of the houses being destroyed can be regularized and should therefore not be destroyed.
At the centre of the crisis are Zanu PF land barons and illegal co-operatives whose corrupt conduct has led to the arbitrary allocation of land in a manner that does not comply with council by-laws.
The current demolitions have been triggered by Zanu PF in-fighting where urban land is being used as an election tool as well as a sword against those who have fallen out of favour with the system.
Unsuspecting members of the public and bona fide buyers who have been duped by the land barons and are left to bear the brunt of the illegality.
Additionally, it is reported that the Provincial Minister for Harare, Mr Oliver Chidawu has an interest in the demolition of houses because a large section of the land which the Zanu PF land barons and co-operatives raided belongs to him.
The Provincial Minister took advantage of the absence of the Mayor over the last fortnight to push council staff to execute the demolitions.
We demand an immediate end to the demolitions as they are anti-poor and their timing is causing untold suffering and indignity to people who are already victims of corrupt land barons. We further demand and end to Central Government interference in the affairs of the City of Harare.
The Harare Provincial Minstry must stop giving unlawful instructions to council staff, particularly when this causes loss and harm to the people whom council are meant to serve.
We call for the urgent implementation of the devolution clauses in the Constitution and reform to the Urban Councils Act to enable local authorities to serve the people without interference from Central Government.
Women councillors across Zimbabwe are a minority in local authorities and have suggested to Emmerson Mnangagwa, who agreed to “panel beat” democracy, that systems be put in place to ensure at least 30 percent of all local government councillors are women.
The women councillors made their case during the inaugural Zimbabwe Local Government Association of Zimbabwe (Zilga) women councillors’ indaba, which was held under the banner of “Women in Local Government Forum” (WILGF) in Victoria Falls yesterday, and with President Mnangagwa officiating.
WILGF Midlands chapter president, Councillor Idirashe Dongo, said women wanted to see something closer to the constitutional ideal of gender equality and there was a need for a sustainable way to attain equality in terms of decision making in local government.
Women councillors said their participation at all levels of decision making is critical for the development of the country as local government plays a fundamental role in the day-to-day lives of women, the elderly, youth and men by virtue of being closest to the general populace.
“Women’s representation at the local level is thus critical for prioritising women’s practical and development needs as well as localising the Sustainable Development Goals through policy decisions on education, primary healthcare, water and sanitation, transport and a host of other services,” said Cllr Dongo.
“Our key concern is the underrepresentation of women in local government in Zimbabwe despite the constitutional provisions under Section 17 on gender balance. Accordingly women in local government forum is appealing to you, Your Excellency, for consideration of our key concern. The same provision of extending a quota in the National Assembly be extended to local government with a 30 percent quota.”
Emmerson Mnangagwa said local government is the bedrock of national governance as has accepted the WILGF argument.
He said it was necessary to consider extending the women’s quota to councils, urging women councillors to equally develop and implement concrete strategies to realise their objectives.
“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.
Mnangagwa said local government entities play a role in the country’s governance structures at local community level.
“The most critical level of government is the local government entities which run our communities at local level. Local authorities are the bedrock of State power. So I would not have made a mistake to abuse that State power . . . because we have applied this (women quota system) in the National Assembly, where we agreed as political parties that we should comply with the African Union Charter as well as the Sadc Charter which requires member States to progress towards a 50-50 gender parity,” he said.
Mnangagwa said the setting up of public institutions such as the Gender Commission and the Women Micro Finance Bank as well as the domestication of international conventions and protocols on women issues are some of the interventions Zimbabwe has made to achieve women empowerment.
But he noted that there have been fewer women councillors in recent years and deliberate efforts should be made to reverse the trend.
“Going forward, it is at such forums that you should invite ministries such as Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement and of Mines and Mining Development among others to unpack and explain broad economic policies that propel development and improved standard of life for our people.
“The Second Republic is about action, and those issues that put bread and butter on the tables of our people,” he said.
Mnangagwa appeared to stress the need to widen democratic space through increasing women participation in decision making processes. In doing so, it was important for women forums to develop and implement concrete strategies for the realisation of those objectives.
“These strategies must take into account the present realities of demography, geographical spread as well as socio-economic status and education levels of women. As women leaders, it is important that you introspect and reflect on the factors that militate against the involvement and advancement of women in decision making,” he said.
Mnangagwa said the first past-the-post electoral system led to less women in Parliament and within local authorities. He said under the Second Republic, his Government stood ready to consider options and proposals that will see the inclusion of more women in decision making bodies.
He agreed that women and girls bear the brunt of poor service delivery by local authorities.
Mnangagwa said riding on the successes of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme, Government continues to strike the balance between women empowerment, emancipation and economic growth.
Mnangagwa said Government is working on a raft of measures to support local authorities with $19,5 billion having been allocated for devolution in the 2021 National Budget. Those funds should translate into the speedy development of social and economic infrastructure in the communities.
“At Central Government level, we have embarked on a vigorous infrastructure development programme with the construction and rehabilitation of major highways, dams and irrigation schemes to push forward economic development. Women and youths must take advantage of the vast employment and empowerment opportunities which are associated with these ongoing national development projects,” said Mnangagwa.
The President said ongoing constructions of major roads create opportunities for councils to respond with equal measure by developing complementing modern world class business facilities, products and services.
“I, thus, urge you to turn your respective councils into local economic development engine-rooms through crafting council resolutions which are in tandem with the national economic focus, drive and vision. In addition, councils must seek stronger collaboration with universities and vocational training centres towards improved service delivery leveraging on the ongoing innovations and inventions as well as technical and entrepreneurial programmes,” he said.
In attendance were Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda and President of the Senate Mabel Chinomona, several Cabinet ministers, the Zilga leadership, the leader of the opposition in Parliament Thokozani Khupe and other delegates.
Local Government Minister July Moyo presented Mnangagwa with a walking stick on behalf of local government while Zilga also gave him a ceramic jar as a gift. -Herald
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.”
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. -Chronicle
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. -Chronicle
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Namibia has described Constantino Chiwenga as a political hypocrite.
The party also accused Chiwenga of abandoning local health facilities to seek medical services out of the country.
Read full statement below :
09 DECEMBER 2020
VICE PRESIDENT CONSTANTINO GUVHEYA CHIWENGA’S POLITICAL HYPOCRISY AND SELFISHNESS UNEARTHED, MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA NOTED WITH FURY.
Mdc Alliance Namibia is greatly transfixed by the political hypocrisy and selfishness exhibited in the clueless Zanupf regime.
Barely some few some months after publicly banning health tourism , ailing Chiwenga has been flown out to China for his routine medical check up. After pretending to be objective and sensitive to the financial implications of relying on foreign hospitals for medical services, the desperate Zanupf Vice President and Health Minister declared that government will no longer provide foreign currency to assist cabinet ministers to globe trot hunting medical treatment in sophisticated health facilities in the diaspora.
As an external Mdc Alliance district, we want to castigate this futile attempt to hoodwink the unsuspecting masses by paddling political lies. The nation has to know that Zanupf will never transform its corrupt tendencies.
Moreso, it is quite pathetic and illogical for our Health Minister to abandon his own hospitals which are dilapidated in favour of those in the diaspora because they are well taken care of by the host governments. We would like to urge Zanupf morons to revamp the health fraternity to benefit the general citizenry.
The Health Minister must learn to walk his talk, he must realise that it’s no longer time for political rhetoric but real delivery of his intentions to change the ugly face of our health sector. It is imperative to point out that the sorry state of our hospitals and clinics emanate from the stinking corruption and nepotism practised with impunity. Former Health Minister Obadiah Moyo looted US$60 million Covid-19 funds but he was not even detained only to be given 50 000 RTGS as his bail.
The amount could have gone a long way in assisting our people.
Moreover, Moyo Obadiah is walking free as we speak right now. Zanupf leaders must respect the basic human rights which includes basic health care and right to life. They must commence to pay more attention to the sanctity of human life by investing more on renovating the torn and tattered health fraternity to avert unnecessary expenditure by the government through careless financing of hospital bills to Zanupf officials.
Addressing journalists in his capacity as Health Minister, he reluctantly uttered that the state had halted footing the medical bills of all senior government officials in order to maintain the national medical bill. To quote him verbatim he said, “We will not export our patients . We will not make referrals to our patients. Altogether, the export bill was too high and that is what we want to do away with”. This is a clear reflection that some animals are more equal than others and this makes Zimbabwe epitomise “a new Animal Farm” owned by insensitive Zanupf morons where inequality has become a national religion.
To wind up, Mdc Alliance Namibia condemns this selective application of the law with all its organs. Zanupf must begin to respect our national coffers.
Our hospitals are being plundered by greedy and the insatiable appetite for personal egos in a frustrated regime that does not want to ensure the existence of equal health facilities for all. We demand that Chiwenga and his cronies should make sure that the basic health facilities are gotten in the country.
I’m in Budiriro..Heavy downpours here in Budiriro where some families are exposed and suffering after their houses were arbitrarily demolished by authorities…This cruelty and heartlessness is unacceptable! pic.twitter.com/5i11FPdy07
CHIREDZI – Chiredzi residents have vehemently rejected council proposal to buy three new vehicles for senior officials valued at RTGS$20m in the 2021 budget.
The residents warned council that its coffers are going to run dry if the local authority persists on buying the vehicles because residents will immediately stop paying rates.
United Chiredzi Residents and Rate Payers Association (UCHIRRA) advocacy officer Bernard Dachi told a budget consultative meeting held in the lowveld town that residents will not entertain the idea of new vehicles for senior officials.
He said the proposed budget as it stood ignored the plight of the residents and sustained the lofty lifestyles of council officials. He said council must as of now prioritise on service delivery to residents
Chiredzi Town Secretary Charles Muchatukwa told The Mirror that council is going to consider residents’ input when they review the proposed budget.
In the budget, council proposed to buy vehicles for the council chairman, secretary, housing director vehicles at a cost of $4, 5m $8 2m $6, 7m respectively.
The chairman is Gibson Hwende, secretary Charles Muchatukwa and housing director Emily Paradza.
“We are seriously opposed to the acquisition of new vehicles in the face of the current economic situation. This is a waste of resources. If officials go ahead and buy the cars then they are digging their own grave because that’s the last they will get revenue from rate payers,’’ said Dachi.
Dachi also called for the scrapping of the council policy where vehicles are disposed of to senior officials every five years at book value.
Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association (CHRRA) chairperson, Jonathan Muusha also said vehicles should only be purchased after the condition that senior managers get them after five years is scrapped.
‘’We have no problems with the purchasing of vehicles but at least council should revise its policy. We want the duration of five years before a car is disposed of to be stretched to seven years and after that the vehicle should be auctioned,’’ said Mupamombe.
“We will consider all your inputs and see what we can do when we review the proposed budget,’’ said Muchatukwa at the meeting.
The father of a 9-year-old boy who was murdered and his head cooked by his uncle on Friday, 4 December 2020 in Matova Village under Chief Zimuto in Masvingo Province has spoken about the hair raising incident.
Trevor Mapxashike (also known as Mapwashike) was killed by his uncle Clever Chitiga (22) who then shaved his head before cooking it.
Chitiga in a cousin to Henry Mapwashike (48), Trevor’s father. Chitiga and Henry’s homesteads are a few metres apart.
Henry had five children and Trevor (9) was his third child and was doing Grade 2 at Matova Primary School. Speaking to The Herald on Tuesday, Henry said:
I almost collapsed, after forcing the door to one of his rooms, open. A trail of blood, which we believed to be my son’s, led us to his head which was being stewed in a big pot.
The door had been locked from inside and I had to gain entry through the window and opened it from inside.
My mother, who accompanied me to Clever’s homestead, used a stick to shove the head so that we could properly see what was in the pot and to our shock, it was my son’s head which was being stewed.
He had shaved it using a broken beer bottle and pounded it with a pestle and mortar.
… [Trevor] was an intelligent and obedient boy. He was left by his mother when he was only eight months old and was staying with my father since I had remarried.
Henry told The Herald that he harboured no hard feelings towards his brother [cousin] for murdering his son. He said:
My only appeal and prayer are for the family to unite and get to the bottom of this because I think there is something behind this.
We need to sit down and cleanse our family because this is strange and bizarre. It’s unheard of.
When I got to Clever’s homestead, he had already fled from the scene after I had asked him if he had seen my son.
I believe there was juju at play because from what I know, Clever never had a history of mental illness.
In fact, his discreetness and the way he tried to conceal evidence of his diabolic act smacks of someone who is mentally stable.
He (Clever) was dull at school and had a history of violence. He once bit off his younger brother’s finger for restraining him from assaulting his nephew and also torched a car that had been left in the custody of his father for safekeeping by a friend.
… I can not eat food, I am still unable to look at cooked meat after what I saw. I am relieved that we were able to bury my son today (yesterday) at Gokomere Mission cemetery.
The pot, which he was using to cook my son’s head, was taken by the police together with the pestle and mortar, which will be used in court.-The Herald
Human Rights Day commemorates the day the General Assembly of the UN adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The UDHR is one of UN’s major achievements as well as the first enunciation of human rights across the world.
Adopted on 10th December 1948, the Declaration stipulates universal values and a shared standard of achievement for everyone in every country.
While the Declaration is not a binding document, it inspired over 60 human rights instruments that today make a common standard of human rights.
It is the most translated document around the globe available in over 500 languages.
2020 Theme: Recover Better – Stand Up for Human Rights
This year’s Human Rights Day theme relates to the COVID-19 pandemic and focuses on the need to build back better by ensuring Human Rights are central to recovery efforts.
We will reach our common global goals only if we are able to create equal opportunities for all, address the failures exposed and exploited by COVID-19, and apply human rights standards to tackle entrenched, systematic, and intergenerational inequalities, exclusion and discrimination.
10 December is an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of human rights in re-building the world we want, the need for global solidarity as well as our interconnectedness and shared humanity.
Under UN Human Rights’ generic call to action “Stand Up for Human Rights”, we aim to engage the general public, our partners and the UN family to bolster transformative action and showcase practical and inspirational examples that can contribute to recovering better and fostering more resilient and just societies.-UN
THE bribery trial of ZIFA president Felton Kamambo is likely to attract the wide interest of the football community, including the world governing body FIFA, as the Zimbabwe football leader battles to clear his name on accusations of vote-buying during the 2018 elections.
The ZIFA elections, for a long time, have been marred by such allegations. But this is the first time that a case of this nature has been prosecuted in Zimbabwe.
Interestingly, former president of the association, Phillip Chiyangwa, who lost to Kamambo in the December 2018 ballot, is the complainant and one of the two main witnesses. The other witness is Kamambo’s former campaign manager, Robert Matoka, who played the middleman’s role in the alleged bribery case.
According to Article 27.1 of the FIFA Code of Ethics, which deals with issues to do with bribery, both the giver and receiver of the bribe are equally liable for the offence.
FIFA, a body that has also been tainted by allegations of corruption over the years, are clear in their statutes that they do not condone such practices.
“Persons bound by this code shall not accept, give, offer, promise, receive, request or solicit any personal or undue pecuniary or other advantage in order to obtain or retain business or any other improper advantage to or from anyone within or outside FIFA,” reads Article 27.1 of the FIFA statutes.
“Such acts are prohibited regardless of whether carried out directly or indirectly through, or in conjunction with, third parties.
“In particular, persons bound by this Code shall not accept, give, offer, promise, receive, request or solicit any personal or undue pecuniary or other advantage for the execution or omission of an act that is related to their official activities and is contrary to their duties or falls within their discretion.”
Kamambo, who has always maintained his innocence, is accused of bribing about 32 councillors to vote for him at the last election that ushered him into office two years ago. He got 35 votes to Chiyangwa’s 24.
The COSAFA boss withdrew from a possible second round, handing Kamambo victory, after the first round had failed to settle the contest.
Kamambo had won more votes in the first round but failed to secure enough backing, according to the ZIFA constitution, to win the contest without the need for a second round.
Bribery charges were brought up by Kamambo’s estranged election manager Matoka earlier this year and the Police Commercial Crimes Unit acted swiftly.
The duo fell out after the elections and Matoka claimed Kamambo could have used unorthodox means, including bribing the electorate, to win the watershed elections.-The Herald
THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has opened online applications for 2021 Form One boarding places.
The Electronic Ministry’s Application Platform (Emap) for Form One boarding enrolment opened on Monday and will run up to January 31.
Parents can now start applying online for their children.
According to the ministry, there are 262 boarding schools with a total capacity to accommodate 320 students. The Emap platform has had its share of headaches and like most platforms which experience huge traffic once a year. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education director of communication Mr Taungana Ndoro confirmed that Emap had been opened.
“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has opened the electronic platform for enrolling Form 1 boarding places for 2021. Parents and guardians who wish to send their children to boarding schools are advised to start applying through the platform www.emap.co.zw with effect from Monday 7 December 2020 to January 31, 2021,” he said.
“An applicant who has been offered a place at one school will not be eligible to apply or be considered for a place at any other school unless the offer is declined.
“Successful applicants will be notified through a short message service (SMS) by the respective school heads. Parents and guardians are however advised that there are limited boarding places.”
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) said they were looking ahead to 2021 for new negotiations with their employer.
In a statement, Zimta president Mr Richard Gundani said it took both diplomatic persuasion and appeal to “political institutional power” to unlock the last round of talks under the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC).
“True, it was a prolonged campaign which at one time was on the brink of closing the 2020 campaign without any betterment of the levels of remuneration and stalled at ZWL $3500.
“Although the outcomes were not the best from our original demand, we achieved results that had just a palliative effect, allowing for normalcy to prevail in schools,” he said.
Mr Gundani said the last round of talks in November secured for entry level D1 grade teachers a total package of $19 975 from a target of $42 432, representing 47 percent of the targeted income.
“In USD equivalent terms the targeted amount was October 2018 level of USD $520. At interbank rate the entry level award in equivalent is US$245 at the reigning auction rate of 81,6. Government agreed that the next negotiations will move towards the US$520 envisaged target,” he said.
Mr Gundani said current allowances will be built into the future awards, technically meaning they will mataphosise into the salary.
“The 2020 bonus will be inclusive of housing and transport allowances. Work in progress now and way forward. Zimta has continued to do diligent research on 2021 salary demands using available economic data and membership expectations, anchored on 2020 experiences.
“Sector specific allowances are being actively followed given that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education endorsed previously submitted demands and were awaiting treasury concurrence,” he said.-Chronicle
The very emotional message that was displayed by a nurse on strike
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 its part, instead of reporting the true outcome of the court cases, has 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.”
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.
As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, transportation officials around the world have been looking for ways to keep passengers and crew safe on board planes.
On November 25, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) released new guidelines for the country’s airline industry, which it oversees.
The document, titled Technical Guidelines for Epidemic Prevention and Control for Airlines, Sixth Edition, contains advice about the best hygiene practices to carry out on aircraft and in airports.
But one of those suggestions — that personnel like flight attendants wear disposable diapers so they don’t need to use the bathroom — has raised some eyebrows.
A section on PPE advises cabin crew on flights to and from high-risk countries to wear “medical masks, double-layer disposable medical gloves, goggles, disposable hats, disposable protective clothing, and disposable shoe covers.”
The next sentence reads: “It is recommended that cabin crew members wear disposable diapers and avoid using the lavatories barring special circumstances to avoid infection risks.”
While such advice may seem dramatic, it’s no secret that lavatories can be the germiest place on an airplane. In August, a woman traveling from Italy to South Korea contracted coronavirus during her trip, and a visit to the bathroom — the only place where she didn’t wear an N95 mask — was named as the possible source of her infection.
Airplane bathroom design was already a hot topic before COVID-19, but the pandemic has focused efforts to come up with new solutions.
Japanese airline ANA announced earlier this year that it was testing out a prototype of a new hands-free lavatory door. Meanwhile, Boeing successfully applied for a patent on a “self-cleaning lavatory” that would use UV light to clean 99.9% of bathroom germs after every use.
PROMINENT Bulawayo businessman and Stingrays Swimming Club coach Eddie Cyprianos has died.
Information surrounding his death remain sketchy, but his body was reportedly found in the Matobo area in a suspected case of suicide on Wednesday.
Social media has been awash with news of his passing, with many mourning the electrical engineer, whose kids Andressious, Brendon and Denilson are among the country’s best swimmers.
Cyprianos is a former Matabeleland Amateur Swimming Board chairperson, who together with his wife, Nokuthula, the current chairperson of the Bulawayo Amateur Swimming Board, transformed the sport through their passion evident in their three sons Denilson and Andesious and Brendon.
The three Cyprianos brothers rank among the mainstay of Zimbabwean swimming, and hold a number of junior and senior national records.
Cristian Brothers College (CBC) where Denilson is the current head boy, are among those that have mourned the passing away of Cyprianos.
“The board of governors, headmaster, staff and boys of Christian Brothers college offer their sincere condolences to Mrs Nokuthula Cyprianos, mother of outgoing head boy, Denilson, Andesious and Brendon on the untimely passing away of Edmore Cyprainos. This is a great loss to the whole CBC family. Mr Cyprainos will be remembered for his great passion for swimming, his unwavering support for the college as a whole. Our prayers are with the family,” read the CBC statement.
The first and only legal Driverless Car in Europe was started by a Zimbabwean, @williamsachiti, the CEO and Founder of driverless Car Kar-go… Streaming live on ZimEye Thursday 8pm CAT brought to you by @worldRemit…. interview by @kimjayde. pic.twitter.com/oPmUsYOwNi
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Controversial MDC-T secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora has said that MDC Alliance Masvingo Urban Ward 3 councillor Tarusenga Vhembo was expelled from the party by mistake.
Vhembo is among three other MDC Alliance councillors from Masvingo Urban whose seats have since been declared vacant.
In a letter dated December 4 addressed to acting City of Masvingo Town Clerk Edward Mukaratirwa, Moyo declared vacant Wards 3, 4, 5 and 7 led by Vhembo, Godfrey Kurauone, Daniel Mberikunashe and Richard Musekiwa respectively.
Mukaratirwa told TellZim News that he was out of office and could not give an official comment.
Mwonzora told TellZim News that Mberikunashe, Kurauone and Musekiwa deserved to be expelled but the name of Vhembo appeared on the list by mistake.
“The expulsions were effected on September 30. A number of councillors across various municipalities have been expelled. The recent letters from the ministry of Local government are just confirmation of the expulsions.
“It is unfortunate that Vhembo made the list. It was an error. Vhembo was not supposed to be there. It was a mistake,” said Mwonzora.
Mberikunashe, however, said that they have since received the letter from Mukaratirwa informing them of their fate.
“The Town Clerk forwarded the letter to us and I tell you I feel a huge relief. It was only a matter of time and Mwonzora was taking too long.
“If he had not expelled us people would have thought that we were with them. We are fully behind our president Nelson Chamisa and no amount of intimidation can ever move us,” said Mberikunashe.
Though it remains unclear whether the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) would be able to conduct by-elections next owing to financial constraints, Mberikunashe believes that the electorate would vote them back into office again.
“We are confident that the will of the people will never be subverted. We will be voted back again much to the dislike of the enemy,” said Mberikunashe.
Mwonzora has spared City of Masvingo Mayor and Ward 2 councillor Collen Maboke, Ward 1 councillor Selina Maridza and Ward 9 councillor Babylon Beta.
It remains unclear whether or not these three have crossed the floor to join the Khupe camp.
Chamisa had been fighting with Maboke, who assumed the mayoral post against the party’s directive which had opted for Kurauone.
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Almost 700 children in the eThekwini metropolitan area are believed to be part of extensive child-begging networks that operate within the city, raking in at least R2 million each month.
As South Africa’s campaign of 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children ends and the world observes International Human Rights Day today, research by IOL, coupled with insight from private investigators and a Durban NGO, has revealed rampant exploitation of children which involved parents and guardians renting out their children to begging syndicates in the city.
Minor children, including newborn babies, are being traded and strategically used in begging gimmicks that form part of a larger organised movement perpetuating human trafficking, drug abuse and sexual slavery.
Police have called on anyone with information relating to the syndicates to come forward, in the hope that they could identify the masterminds behind the child trafficking scam.
“We urge those who are in possession of such information to contact the police, so that the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit can be brought on board,” said police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala
Gail Elson, the spokesperson for Durban NGO iCare, which has been working in the rehabilitation of street children for more than 18 years, said child-begging networks were extensive and well organised.
“In the Durban central area alone, there are a high number of children who are used by these networks. The exploitation is absolutely happening on our streets and is highly organised. There are actually gangs that are formed in different areas and they each report to a leader,” said Elson.
She said children were divided into various groups to strategically target
Income through begging
Income through drugs
Income through sexual exploitation
“We especially see an influx in children being brought onto the streets during the festive season as the syndicates look to target the increase in tourists and holidaymakers,” said Elson.
Elson said street children could make a minimum of between R70 and R100 a day begging, almost all of which was handed to the leaders. On good days, the number could go from R150 to R250 a day. During the festive season and religious holidays, that could go as high as R700 a day.
A rough calculation based on an average of R100 a day for 700 street kids revealed that begging networks could be raking in more than R2 million a month across the city, hardly any of which remained with the children.
Elson said that in some instances, once a child turned 18, they were no longer considered “valuable” and were either kicked out of home or shunned by the syndicate.
“When the child turns 18 their parents or guardians are unable to benefit from a child care grant. Alternatively, they cannot be trafficked to beg, so they are seen to be of little value. The heartbreaking part of this is that these young people are supposed to be our future. Instead, due to circumstances, they are forced onto the streets and have to learn how to survive,” said Elson.
During research into the child-begging ring, it was revealed that, in some instances, children were brought into the city from far-flung regions, given areas to work and abused physically, emotionally and sexually.
One of the victims IOL spoke to was 14 year-old Sipho* (not his real name). Sipho has nowhere to go. Both his parents died when he was young, placing him in the care of his aunt.
He was brought to Durban three years ago as an 11-year-old from Hambanathi, a township about 40km outside the Durban CBD by a man who had negotiated a fee with his aunt.
When he returned to Hambanathi after a year, his aunt had moved away, leaving him destitute and dependent on the streets for survival.
After a period within a syndicate, Sipho left due to the abuse he suffered at the hands of his trafficker. He often moves between the beachfront and Sandile Thusi Road (Argyle Road).
“I used to make about R70 a day and I had to give everything to the boss. If I didn’t, I would be beaten up and robbed. Sometimes I have to do certain things for men (sexual acts) and they would pay the boss. He would give me a R10 or a R20. I would either buy glue or food,” said Sipho.
There was no protection from his “boss” or the elements; his only possessions, a piece of cardboard and his glue.
But Sipho’s story is not unique, says private investigator Vis Munien.
In his more than 20 years as a private investigator, Munien has seen this script many times. He too, is well aware of the begging networks. Play Video
“Just because it’s not on TV or highly publicised doesn’t mean that it’s not happening. In my experience and working on various cases, these networks are operating all around the city.
“I would say including the city centre and the suburbs, you are looking at approximately 700 children affected by this. Although it is very difficult to track,” said Munien.
He said that in most instances, children were lured by traffickers under false pretences or taken advantage of due to their poor socio-economic conditions.
Munien said he was shocked to discover the role of parents and guardians using the syndicates as a means of income.
“In essence, the parents and guardians of these victims play a part in the trafficking of their children. In some instances, they set a price or negotiate terms. I’m not sure if any of them consider the risks involved.
“Their child could be raped or murdered being part of these syndicates but, I suppose, for them the monetary value outweighs the illegality and danger posed to the minors,” he said.
Munien said economic power always rested with the trafficker.
“From what I have gathered in my interviews with child beggars, the trafficker is a shady figure who claims around 80 to 90% of whatever income is derived by the victim through begging. In some instances, he or she takes everything and offers the victim only clothing or food. This is not always the case, and many traffickers use violent means to keep their victims in check,” said Munien.
However, the eThekwini municipality said it was not aware of begging syndicates operating in the city. Under its by-laws, begging was illegal.
“We are not aware of a syndicate operating in the city.The Nuisances and Behaviour in Public By-law clearly states: No person may approach any pedestrian or a person inside a motor-vehicle on any public road or public road intersection or any other public place for the purposes of begging from such pedestrian or person in a motor-vehicle. It is, therefore, illegal to solicit money by begging in our city,” said eThekwini municipal spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development said while it was initially unaware of the syndicates, it would be investigating.
“The offences are a violation of Children’s Rights as outlined in Section 28 of the Constitution and also a violation of Section 284 of the Children’s Act with regard to Child Trafficking,” said spokesperson Mhlabunzima Memela.
“We urge anyone with information pertaining to the investigation to contact the department of social development or their nearest police station.”
Memela said the department ran multiple programmes to raise awareness and combat child trafficking.
“There is Provincial 365 Days Child Care and Protection Plan which has key activities that are intending to strengthen awareness on Child Abuse including Child Trafficking through commemoration of the Child Protection Week, International Children’s Day to ensure upholding children’s rights at all times, National Children’s Day which focuses on awareness on measures that were put in place by the government in order to strengthen protection of children and 16 Days of Activism of No Violence against Women and Children.”
He said there was also a Provincial Holiday Programme Plan that included activities on life skills programmes aimed at empowering children on all forms of abuse. It included child trafficking and their rights as well as the protocols in place for the management of child abuse cases, which included reporting of child abuse and services by the government in respect of survivors of child abuse and trafficking.
Estranged wife to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa has told a High Court judge that her client’s health is fast deteriorating and needs urgent attention.
Mtetwa was making submissions during a bail variation hearing for Marry Chiwenga – Mubaiwa before Justice Benjamin Chikowero.
Mubaiwa is seeking relaxation of her bail conditions and release of her passport to enable her travel to South Africa for treatment.
Mubaiwa is suffering from lymphoedema, which has caused swelling of her arms and legs including severe puss dripping wounds which are giving her sleepless nights because of pain.
“Her wounds have worsened and we can bring her to court so that you can have sight of her wounds. They are also on her thighs, but she can’t show them to the public.
“It’s so difficult that she has to move around with a machine that drains liquids and puss from the wounds and a container which collects the discharge,” said Mtetwa.
Justice Chikowero demanded that she be brought to court for him to see the wounds physically.
The state, led by Sharon Fero, is opposed to Mubaiwa’s application.
“From the state’s response, it’s clear they have two fears that she might abscond because she has links in South Africa.
“The state says it requires independent opinion on whether the applicant can have treatment in Zimbabwe and has since written to the health permanent secretary to confirm,” she said.
Mtetwa submitted that the state misdirected itself by seeking information from the permanent secretary of health regarding the issue of possibilities that her client be treated locally.
“This court should take judicial notice that the applicant is the current wife of the Health minister and permanent secretary falls under the command of the minister.
“State has to admit that the permanent secretary cannot give an independent opinion especially when he has not examined the applicant. The permanent secretary will never give an independent opinion,” she said.
“The health ministry is not the registrar of health specialists. There is no statutory board. They have no relevant information with regards to registration of specialists. So, the state has gone to the wrong sector to seek information.”
“The state has not in any way contested the information from specialists like Dr Makarau who said there are no specialists in Zimbabwe. The state has not refused that she was receiving medication in SA prior to her arrest. So, trying to seek help from that country cannot amount to her trying abscond.”
“We respectfully submit that there is no basis that she will abscond. She has always abided by her bail conditions. The state cannot say she will abscond without giving basis. Medication in SA is not a recent invention; she was being treated there before her arrest,” Mtetwa said.
Mubaiwa is facing attempted murder, fraud, money laundering and assault charges.
The charges arose following her fallout with VP Chiwenga who also filed for divorce against her.
The Zimbabwean government is facing legal battle over Mbuya Nehanda. This is coming from one Mr Shamuyarira who has claimed to be a relative or a descendant of Mbuya Nehanda.
Mbuya Nehanda is an icon and the force behind the war of liberation. She became the unseen present fighter all the times. Zimbabwe glorified her in songs and named hospital wings and streets after her name. It is because of this that many would die to be associated with her.
As for Mr Shamuyarira who purports to be Nehanda’s relative the Zimbabwean government must request a family tree from the Shamuyariras. We must look into History and look at the age of Mbuya Nehanda and the age of Hwata. Historically they are 14 years different. If this is true Hwata can never be a parent of Nehanda. It will mean that father and daughter have age difference of fourteen years. When a good thing is about to happen there are so many people who will come up and claim to be related to the hero.
Mbuya Nehanda lived in the Hills around Mazoe , Zimbabwe. In those hills were various sub-chiefs including HWata and Chidamba. The Mbare people lived in the Harare area and Mbare was named after the Mbare people who stayed in that area. The Mbare people most of them are believed to have been murdered by the white settlers after having been sold out by Hwata who told the settlers the caves the Mbare people hid. It is believed the settlers detonated dynamites at the entrances of the caves the Mbare people have hidden killing thousands of them. So Hwata sold out the Mbare people and up to this day Hwata has blood in his hands. However it is believed that in the Chidamba Village lived the famous spirit medium Mbuya Nehanda. She had great authority even before the 1896-7 Rebellion. There was a village in the area called Nehandas. She was a powerful woman spirit medium that was committed to upholding traditional Shona culture, she was instrumental in organizing the nationwide resistance to colonial rule during the First Chimurenga of 1896-7. Even Lobengula recognized her as a powerful spiritual medium in the land. Nehanda was held in great esteem in the whole country. However the colonial powers presented her as a weak skinny under fed looking woman. According to historical sources the original Nehanda was daughter of Mutota the first Monomatapa who was living in the escarpment North of Sipolilo in about 1430. Mutota was the founder of the Mutapa state, Mutota also had a son who later became the second Monomatapa, and the son was called Matope. Matope was Nehanda’s half brother, and to increase the power of Matope, Mutota ordered his son to commit incest with his half sister, Nyamhika, who became widely know as Nehanda. This incest ritual is believed to have increased Matope’s ruler and his empire, due to this Matope handed over a portion of his empire to Nehanda who became so powerful and well known that her spirit lived on in the human bodies of various spirit mediums over the years until almost 500 years later when we find it occupying the body of the Mazoe Nehanda. Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana was considered to be the female incarnation of the oracle spirit Nyamhika Nehanda. As white settlement increased in the land, according to sources Nehanda initially welcomed the occupation by the Pioneers and counseled her followers to be friendly towards them “Don’t be afraid of them” she said “as they are only traders, but take a black cow to them and say this is the meat with which we greet you.” Unfortunately relationships became strained when the settlers starting imposing taxes, forced relocations, forced labor,and many acts of banditry.
As colonialism began to get its grip on the natives of Zimbabwe , there was military drive to rid of the British settlers. The collective efforts of the locals to get rid of the British colonialist in the period of 1896-7 have become known as the First Chimurenga war. Due to the cultural beliefs of the locals, the leading roles behind the rebellion were by three spirit mediums. The rebellion was initiated in Matabeland in May 1896, the leading role there being Mukwati, in October 1896 Kaguvi and Nehanda from Mashonaland joined in; these were the three critical people behind the rebellion
Mbuya Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana was the spirit medium that was the inspiration behind the 1896-97 first Chimurenga war. She was based in the northern plateau of Mashonaland and was influential in resisting colonial encroachment and she used her religious authority to mobilise the masses against the Europeans. She was born around 1863 and she died in 1898 after being executed by the colonial authorities in Salisbury. In her life history there was never a mention of the Shamuyarira Follwing Mbuya Nehanda was a religion. Mbuya Nehanda in the person of Charwe was very central in the religious organisation of all indigenous Shona tribes in the Central, Eastern and Western plateau of Zimbabwe. She was believed to be possessed by super-natural ancestral spirits and thus she was the centre of communication between the living Shona societies and the underworld. As a religious figure, she even had influence in the installation of chiefs and political figures in most Shona speaking societies in the Mashonaland regions. Due to close links between early political structures and religion, Mbuya Nehanda found her influence in the mainstream politics of her time. She was influential in warning the people against accepting the entry of the Europeans in the Mashonaland region.One of her common political rhetoric was when she warned the locals that Mashonaland was plagued by a drought because of the presence of the Europeans. She thus agitated the people to take up arms against the foreigners. She did so with the belief that she was the link between the people of the Mashonaland and the ancestors.
Mbuya Nehanda in Chains With Her Accomplices Mbuya Nehanda was hunted down by the colonial regime of the British South Africa Company due to her widespread influence and her denunciation of colonisation. Mbuya Nehanda was arrested and was brought to Salisbury for the judgment. She was convicted without a trial and was executed in 1898 in Salisbury. She was hanged on a tree and her body was left dangling for all to see that she has been actually killed. Before her death, Mbuya Nehanda left behind a political oracle. In a frenzy of grief and torment, Nehanda prophesied that her bones were going to rise again. This prophecy has been interpreted differently by the locals. The bulk of the locals, especially nationalists interpreted it as the rise of nationalist sentiments in Rhodesia from the 1940s as the spirit of Nehanda.It was in fact the basis on which the war of the Second Chimurenga was fought. For this reason among others, the spirit of Mbuya Nehanda has been treated with great sacrality among conservative Zimbabwean traditionalists. There are some claims that in the contemporary society, the spirit of Nehanda is still in control of the religious and spiritual life of the the land of the Shona people, Zimbabwe. In August 2015, Robert Mugabe lashed out at Britain for displaying the skulls of Zimbabwe’s liberation war heroes.It was believed that Mbuya Nehanda’s skull was among the remains that were being displayed at the British Museum. The repatriation of these remains has been delayed and no reasonable progress. Many people have voiced serious concerns and believe the government is not being serious about repatriation. As a nation we need to be serious we can not sing about heroes when they are displayed in the UK museums. What freedom do we celebrate when those who fought for our freedom are bound and physically detained in a museum for all to see and humiliate them. The president of Zimbabwe must take presidential powers and demand the bones to be in Zimbabwe sooner than later.
Whistle blowers have alerted the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission of a bishop who received US$100 000 as tithe from suspected proceeds of crime.
ZACC chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo said the commission has since effected investigations on the church leader.
“From investigation right now, we are dealing with curation cases involving two bishops, from different congregations. One is alleged to have received illicit proceeds of crime to the tune of US$100 000 in the name of tithing.
“But there was never an inquiry into how a person can tithe US$100 000 as 10%.
“So, the churches are also guilty of corruption in receiving these proceeds of crime; there is of course corruption in the churches.”
Another bishop is also being probed for allegedly squandering money from schools run by his church.
“They have destroyed mission schools. So, we are also investigating those alleged corruption matters,” she said.
The ZACC boss said her commission has since signed a Memorandum of Understanding with local churches with a Bishop representing the churches in the steering committee.
“We are bringing in the church on board in the fight against corruption. So, what the church is doing is some of them have already started including anti-corruption messages in their services.
“And we have also started encouraging the churches to encourage their congregates to declare acts of corruption.”
Moyo added, “We said if they come to ZACC, we can also deal with the matter, having a soft spot for the bible verses which they believe in. So, we want to encourage the church to fight corruption within that sector and also help build values because the church can do a lot in preventing corruption.”
Moyo said the names of the Bishops will remain confidential until investigations are over to protect whistle blowers and avoid victimisation of congregates.
The High Court has reserved judgment in the case in which Marry Mubaiwa is asking for her passport, to travel to SA for treatment. Justice Chikowero shocked the courtroom when demanded to see Mubaiwa’s wounds.
Alarmed with the insensitive, heartless and callous decision by the MDC Alliance led Harare City Council to demolish houses in Budiriro during the rainy season;
Aware that the uncouth decision is premised on a City Council Resolution empowering council to get a court order to demolish the so called “illegal structures”;
Shocked with the crocodile tears shed by opposition party leaders in accusing the Zanu PF Government of being complicit in the demolition of these houses when opposition city fathers, as a matter of fact, passed the demolition resolution in question;
Concerned with the timing of the demolitions during this rainy season more so during a time of a serious pandemic;
Conscious of the efforts made by the Justice Uchena Commission to document the nefarious activities of land barons and efforts to prosecute such land barons;
WE THE ZANU PF YOUTH LEAGUE wish to put on record the following;
The Revolutionary Youth League commiserates with the residents of Budiriro who earlier this week had their houses demolished by the heartless Harare City Council on the basis of a court order obtained at the instigation of a meeting of the Councillors from Harare City Council. It must be noted from the outset that our commiseration with these unfortunate victims is not in any way an endorsement of illegal settlements or the illegal activities of land barons who under the slumber of Harare City Council have been allowed to run amok while city fathers make rich pickings.
It has been exposed by the new dispensation how councillors working in cahoots and under instruction from senior leaders of the MDC Alliance have illegally parcelled out land to their business allies and cronies.
We are yet to see the MDC Alliance take any action to reprimand, let alone discipline any of their party members implicated and exposed as members of this land baronage cartel. All we have seen to date are the proverbial attempts to throw mud on the wall hoping some of it would stick, in this instance all blame has been put on Zanu PF as if it has a majority in the Harare City Council.
The demolitions that happened in Budiriro must be exposed for the cheap attempt at politicking that they are. Following the demolitions, we have seen a splurge of messages from members of the opposition saying that the demolitions are a Zanu PF move. Confronted with evidence that the demolitions were authored by a city council resolution the narrative has shifted to state that the land barons who gave out the land are members of Zanu PF as if such a claim sanitises victimising house owners during the current rainy season.
This narrative is depraved for a number of reasons. Firstly, the official position from Zanu PF on land barons is known. President Mnangagwa is on record having called out land barons. Beyond mere words, the President and First Secretary appointed the Justice Uchena led commission to investigate and document the activities of these so called land barons. Prosecutions founded on due process have been initiated against implicated land barons. Secondly, simple logic suggests that if in deed these land barons were appendages of Zanu PF then Zanu PF would have moved to protect these land barons, which protection we have not seen coming.
It is curious that these demolitions and the attempts to demonise Zanu PF have come at a time when the Zanu PF Government has swooped on Local Authorities investigating both elected Councillors and Management members alike to prosecute them for illegal activities. Names that come to mind in this regard include Jacob Mafume, Cainos Chingombe and Tendai Kwenda the latter two being council management employees. Interestingly allegations have been made that management employees are immune from prosecution because they are linked to ZANU PF by virtue of their appointment involving the Ministry of Local Government an insinuation that is not only false but is rendered void by the current arrests.
The move to demolish houses in Budiriro on the basis of a court order obtained in 2017 is clearly an attempt to divert attention of the masses from the thievery happening in the sunshine city council offices. Without disregard for the law we call upon Harare to city council to implement the following;
Halt demolitions on account of the rainy season and covid19 pandemic,
Communicate with owners of houses illegally built before demolishing such houses to allow them an opportunity to remove their valuables and seek alternative accommodation,
Depoliticise demolitions by working with Government to seek alternative accommodation for potential victims of demolitions before demolishing houses,
First seek ways to regularise such illegal settlements before resolving to demolish such houses,
Be diligent and detect such illegal settlements before whole communities are built up to protect citizens from land barons and future demolitions.
We acknowledge that some such land barons have been or are in the process of being prosecuted and the Youth League takes this opportunity to urge the Judiciary, the National Prosecuting Authority, the Zimbabwe Republic Police and ZACC to expedite the neutralisation of this menace of land barons.
The Youth League would also like to warn all land barons that their days are numbered. We would also like to warn the MDC Alliance to desist from creating crisis in Zimbabwe as a means to create a podium for them to attack ZANU PF without just cause. Such actions expose deep desperation and a thirst for relevance even at the cost of regard for human life.
#TrustED
#NoToSanctionsAgainstZimbabwe
#LandBaronsMustFall
#HousingForAll
#NoToDemolitionsWithoutAlternativeShelter
For and on Behalf of the Zanu PF Youth League
Cadre Tendai Chirau
Acting Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs- Zanu PF Youth League
cc: Hon Cde. July G. Moyo – Minister of Local Government and Public Works MP
Hon Cde. Daniel Garwe – Minister of Housing and Social Amenities MP
PROMINENT Kadoma gold dealer Kevin Magwaza has filed a US$1,9 million claim against his erstwhile business partner Spencer Tshuma, who had booted him out of a joint business venture and assumed control of the rich gold mine on the strength of an unlawful court order.
Magwaza spent a year away from his mining business fighting Tshuma in the courts to regain control of his Etna Estate Mine, on the outskirts of the gold mining town of Kadoma.
Magwaza is the owner of the mine by virtue of a certificate of registration issued on April 5, 2019 in accordance with the provisions of Mines and Minerals Act.
In a claim filed at the High Court last week, Magwaza is seeking an order compelling Tshuma to pay him US$1 693 200 being the net value of gold the former would have realised from his lawful mining operations at his mine from July 22, 2019 to the June 18, 2020 when Tshuma unlawfully barred him from accessing his mining location.
In addition, he wants Tshuma to pay him another US$244 800 being the monetary value of the 4 800 grams of gold Magwaza would have realised from his 400 tonnes of gold ore stockpile at Etna mine, which was unlawfully appropriated Tshuma when he unlawfully took control of the mine.
Before he was ejected from the mine, Magwaza said he was in peaceful and undisturbed productive occupation and carrying out mining operations at Etna Mine producing an average of 120 grammes of gold per day.
At the time he was evicted he had also accumulated 400 tonnes of gold ores at the mining location. On average the gold ore at the mining location yields an average of 12 grammes per tonne.
However, around the July 22, 2019 Magwaza’s operations were abruptly stopped by Tshuma after messenger of court had served an ex-parte order obtained at Kadoma magistrate’s court under case number CGK 718/19 relating to a claim and dispute exclusively between Tshuma and one Sebastian Magodo.
“Subsequent to the service of the ex-parte order, the defendant (Tshuma) on his own accord forcibly ejected and barred the plaintiff (Magwaza) and all his employees from the mining location, notwithstanding the fact that defendant neither had any registered mining rights over the mine nor an enforceable court order against the plaintiff,” said Magwaza in the summons prepared by his lawyers Mutamangira and Associates.
“From the 22nd of July 2019 the defendant was in effective control and carrying out mining operations at Etna Mine registration number 16014 at the exclusion and expense of the plaintiff.
“The defendant also processed all the 400 tonnes of gold ore left at the mine by plaintiff and sold all the gold retrieved there from for his sole benefit.”
Magwaza said he instituted proceedings for the return of his mining location which were vigorously defended and delayed by Tshuma, but ultimately won all his cases to have control and occupation of the mine returned to him on June 18, 2020 through an order granted in his favour by the High Court in case number HC 6272/19.
“As a result of the defendant’s action, the plaintiff lost business as he could not carry out mining operations at his own mining location wherein he had exclusive rights to do so,” argued Magwaza.
“The defendant had no right at law, whatsoever to stop the lawful mining operations of the plaintiff. Furthermore, the defendant had no lawful right to carry out mining operations at plaintiff’’s mine and deplete the mineral resources to his benefit.”
To this end, Magwaza urged the court to allow his claim to the total sum of US$ 1 938 000at the prescribed rate calculated from the date of issue of summons to date of full and final settlement.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) arrested a 46-year-old police brigadier and her husband on Thursday morning 10 December in relation to the investigation of self-proclaimed Prophet Shepherd Bushiri. The pair are expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Thursday morning.
Bushiri and his wife Mary skipped the country for Malawi shortly after receiving R200 000 bail each. Their bail conditions clearly stipulated that they were not to leave the country under any circumstances, hence the Department of Correctional Services recently sent a formal extradition request to Malawian authorities.
The pair, along with three others were accused of fraud, money laundering and theft to the tune of R100 million.
According to Colonel Katlego Mogale, a 46-year-old Brigadier based at the Organised Crime of the Detective Service Head Office and her 50-year-old husband are appearing in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Thursday morning following their arrest for corruption and defeating the ends of justice.
“The pair handed themselves to the team of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation tasked with the investigation of criminal activities relating to Prophet Shepherd Bushiri,” said Mogale.
Their warrants of arrest were authorized yesterday [Wednesday 9 December 2020] in relation to an amount of R500 000 that was allegedly paid to the Brigadier.
“The investigation started as an Inquiry and it was converted into a case docket in February 2020,” added Mogale.
When asked if the Brigadier received R500 000 from Bushiri himself, Mogale could not confirm. She could only confirm that the Brigadier received a “gratification” in connection to the investigation into Bushiri. Mogale said further information would be revealed during the pair’s court appearance in Pretoria.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), on Monday 16 November 2020, confirmed that Bushiri opened a case against police officers in 2018.
According to Ipid spokesperson Ndileka Cola, a case of alleged police corruption and cash extortion was opened by Bushiri’s lawyer on his behalf in Sunnyside, Pretoria.
It is alleged that the police officers investigating several allegations of rape against Bushiri were trying to extort money from him so that they could make his rape charges disappear.
As part of the investigation process, Ipid required Bushiri to provide crucial information about the allegations and to acquire witness statements but Bushiri’s “non-availability due to his busy schedule” has, according to Cola, been giving Ipid Investigators a challenge to proceed with the case.
“Mr Bushiri has been provided with feedback on the matter, he is well aware that the Investigator will proceed with his case as soon as he co-operates fully with [the] investigation process,” said Cola.
Zimbabwe international Ovidy Karuru says he was disappointed with the eventual outcome of their DStv Premiership match against Kaizer Chiefs last night.
Karuru, who joined Leopards last week,was handed his debut by the Lidoda Duvha technical team and came back to haunt his former paymasters with a first half brace to give them a 2-0 at the half break.
To Karuru and Leopards’s disappointment, his countryman Khama Billiat leveled matters with four minutes of regulation time left.
“I want to thank God for giving me this opportunity to represent Black Leopards,” Karuru told SuperSport TV after the match.
“Thank you to Mr Thidiela for calling me to come and join this team. And thank you to the technical team for keeping on pushing me and believing me.
“We didn’t come here to draw. We came here to attack and win the game. The coach gave us confidence as you could see. Chiefs are not doing well at the moment so we wanted to capitalise on that one,” he said.-Soccer 24
Tottenham Hotspur coach Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United are now favourites to win the Europa League following their elimination from the Champions League on Tuesday.
United lost 3-2 to RB Leipzig to finish third in the group and dropped down to the second-tier competition.
Mourinho, who guided United to the Europa League trophy in 2017, told reporters ahead of Spurs’ Thursday’s home game against Antwerp that teams like the Red Devils don’t belong to the level of the Europa League.
“The teams that drop from the Champions League are strong and normally don’t belong to the level of the Europa League,” he said.
“United are one of the top teams. The group was very hard with Paris St Germain and Leipzig. We knew it was not going to be easy for any of them.”
Spurs are second in Group J with 10 points but can leapfrog Antwerp to top spot with a victory.-Soccer 24
After an action-packed last group stage match day in the UEFA Champions League, the round of 16 list has been confirmed.
Niklas Süle and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting‘s second half goals propelled defending champions Bayern to a comfortable 2-0 win over Lokomotiv Moscow in Group A.
Still in Group A, Atletico Madrid beat RB Salzburg 2-0 courtesy of goals from Mario Hermoso and Yannick Carrasco.
Bayern go through on top of the pile followed by Diego Simeone’s men.
In Group B, Karim Benzema fired Real Madrid past Borussia Mönchengladbach with a double in the 2-0 win, a result which saw Zinedine Zidane’s men go through as group winners.
Inter Milan, who anchor the group, played out a goalless draw with Shaktar.
Moving on to Group C, Manchester City thrashed Marseille 3-0 thanks to goals from Ferran Torres, Sergio Aguero and an own goal by Álvaro González.
In that same group, which Pep Guardiola’s men won, Porto, who finished second, lost 0-2 to Olympiakos.
In Group D, group winners Liverpool played out a 1-1 stalemate with FC Midtjylland while runners-up Atalanta edged Ajax 1-0.
Below is the full list of teams which made it to the Round of 16, with the draw slated for Monday.
PSG Lazio Porto Bayern Sevilla Leipzig Atlético Chelsea Man City Atalanta Juventus Liverpool Barcelona Dortmund Real Madrid Borrusia Monchengladbach
Tinashe Sambiri|President Nelson Chamisa has described the outcome of the Presidential election in the Republic of Ghana as a sign of a bright future for Africa.
President Chamisa described President Nana Akufa Addo’s victory in the Presidential election in Ghana as a big moment for Africa.
“A BIG MOMENT FOR GHANA…
Congratulations President Nana Akufa Addo for winning the Presidential election in Ghana.
Thank you Ghana for setting the example and leading the way.
Peace is simple. Democracy is viable. Transparency matters. God bless Ghana.
God bless Africa! #Godisinit,” said President Chamisa in a brief statement.
In a separate statement President Chamisa denounced the demolition of houses in Harare:
“The heartless and cruel demolition of citizens’ homes is a violation of human rights and an attack and assault on the dignity & security of persons.
This command politics based on iron-fisted governance style must be resisted by us all!Those responsible, Stop it!
EndtheDemolitions.”
I’m in Budiriro..Heavy downpours here in Budiriro where some families are exposed and suffering after their houses were arbitrarily demolished by authorities…This cruelty and heartlessness is unacceptable! pic.twitter.com/5i11FPdy07
Warriors star Khama Billiat came to Kaizer Chiefs’ rescue last night with a crucial equalizer which secured a point against Black Leopards in the DStv Premiership.
Amakhosi had trailed 0-2 in the first half thanks to Billiat’s Warriors teammate Ovidy Karuru’s first half brace which appeared to have gotten three points in the bag for Leopards.
Gavin Hunt’s men however fought back in the second stanza, which saw Nkosingiphile Nhlakanipho Ngcobo pull one back in the 69th minute before Billiat restored parity with four minutes remaining.
The Zimbabwean winger capitalized on a rebound after an attempted clearance by a Leopards defender had hit the post to slot home from close range his first goal of the season.-Soccer 24
I’m in Budiriro..Heavy downpours here in Budiriro where some families are exposed and suffering after their houses were arbitrarily demolished by authorities…This cruelty and heartlessness is unacceptable! pic.twitter.com/5i11FPdy07
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance has pointed out that Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is wholly responsible for the demolition of houses in Budiriro, Harare.
In a statement, MDC Alliance described the Harare demolitions as a heartless act.
Read full statement below :
HARARE DEMOLITIONS: A HEARTLESS ACT
The MDC Alliance condemns the callous, disproportionate demolitions of homes that are currently being carried out by Central Government, in particular the Ministry of Local Government – Mr July Moyo, the Provincial Minister – Mr Oliver Chidawu and the Provincial Development Co-ordinator – Mr Tafadzwa Muguti.
The demolitions have resulted in people losing their homes, savings and their only available shelter in the middle of the rainy season.
Families with young children, the old and the infirm have been rendered homeless by this heartless act.
Before his arrest two weeks ago, the Mayor of Harare, Councillor Jacob Mafume ordered a stop to all demolitions.
He protested against the grossly unreasonable timing of the demolitions and in view of the wet season and the ongoing Covid19 pandemic.
He stated that the execution of any court orders held by Council should be carried out in a humane manner and that Council should weigh in favour of regularizing settlements as opposed to destroying them.
We are of the firm view that most of the houses being destroyed can be regularized and should therefore not be destroyed.
At the centre of the crisis are Zanu PF land barons and illegal co-operatives whose corrupt conduct has led to the arbitrary allocation of land in a manner that does not comply with council by-laws.
The current demolitions have been triggered by Zanu PF in-fighting where urban land is being used as an election tool as well as a sword against those who have fallen out of favour with the system.
Unsuspecting members of the public and bona fide buyers who have been duped by the land barons and are left to bear the brunt of the illegality.
Additionally, it is reported that the Provincial Minister for Harare, Mr Oliver Chidawu has an interest in the demolition of houses because a large section of the land which the Zanu PF land barons and co-operatives raided belongs to him.
The Provincial Minister took advantage of the absence of the Mayor over the last fortnight to push council staff to execute the demolitions.
We demand an immediate end to the demolitions as they are anti-poor and their timing is causing untold suffering and indignity to people who are already victims of corrupt land barons. We further demand and end to Central Government interference in the affairs of the City of Harare.
The Harare Provincial Minstry must stop giving unlawful instructions to council staff, particularly when this causes loss and harm to the people whom council are meant to serve.
We call for the urgent implementation of the devolution clauses in the Constitution and reform to the Urban Councils Act to enable local authorities to serve the people without interference from Central Government.
Tinashe Sambiri|President Nelson Chamisa has described the outcome of the Presidential election in the Republic of Ghana as a sign of a bright future for Africa.
President Chamisa described President Nana Akufa Addo’s victory in the Presidential election in Ghana as a big moment for Africa.
“A BIG MOMENT FOR GHANA…
Congratulations President Nana Akufa Addo for winning the Presidential election in Ghana.
Thank you Ghana for setting the example and leading the way.
Peace is simple. Democracy is viable. Transparency matters. God bless Ghana.
God bless Africa! #Godisinit,” said President Chamisa in a brief statement.
The father of a 9-year-old boy who was murdered and his head cooked by his uncle on Friday, 4 December 2020 in Matova Village under Chief Zimuto in Masvingo Province has spoken about the hair raising incident.
Trevor Mapxashike (also known as Mapwashike) was killed by his uncle Clever Chitiga (22) who then shaved his head before cooking it.
Chitiga in a cousin to Henry Mapwashike (48), Trevor’s father. Chitiga and Henry’s homesteads are a few metres apart.
Henry had five children and Trevor (9) was his third child and was doing Grade 2 at Matova Primary School. Speaking to The Herald on Tuesday, Henry said:
I almost collapsed, after forcing the door to one of his rooms, open. A trail of blood, which we believed to be my son’s, led us to his head which was being stewed in a big pot.
The door had been locked from inside and I had to gain entry through the window and opened it from inside.
My mother, who accompanied me to Clever’s homestead, used a stick to shove the head so that we could properly see what was in the pot and to our shock, it was my son’s head which was being stewed.
He had shaved it using a broken beer bottle and pounded it with a pestle and mortar.
… [Trevor] was an intelligent and obedient boy. He was left by his mother when he was only eight months old and was staying with my father since I had remarried.
Henry told The Herald that he harboured no hard feelings towards his brother [cousin] for murdering his son. He said:
My only appeal and prayer are for the family to unite and get to the bottom of this because I think there is something behind this.
We need to sit down and cleanse our family because this is strange and bizarre. It’s unheard of.
When I got to Clever’s homestead, he had already fled from the scene after I had asked him if he had seen my son.
I believe there was juju at play because from what I know, Clever never had a history of mental illness.
In fact, his discreetness and the way he tried to conceal evidence of his diabolic act smacks of someone who is mentally stable.
He (Clever) was dull at school and had a history of violence. He once bit off his younger brother’s finger for restraining him from assaulting his nephew and also torched a car that had been left in the custody of his father for safekeeping by a friend.
… I can not eat food, I am still unable to look at cooked meat after what I saw. I am relieved that we were able to bury my son today (yesterday) at Gokomere Mission cemetery.
The pot, which he was using to cook my son’s head, was taken by the police together with the pestle and mortar, which will be used in court.-The Herald
WHO today launches a year-long global campaign for World No Tobacco Day 2021 – “Commit to Quit.” The new WHO Quit Challenge on WhatsApp and publication “More than 100 reasons to quit tobacco” are being released today to mark the start of the campaign.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to millions of tobacco users saying they want to quit. The campaign will support at least 100 million people as they try to give up tobacco through communities of quitters.
“Commit to Quit” will help create healthier environments that are conducive to quitting tobacco by advocating for strong tobacco cessation policies; increasing access to cessation services; raising awareness of tobacco industry tactics, and empowering tobacco users to make successful quit attempts through “quit & win” initiatives.
WHO, together with partners, will create and build-up digital communities where people can find the social support they need to quit. The focus will be on high burden countries* where the majority of the world’s tobacco users live.
WHO welcomes new contributions from partners, including private sector companies that have offered support, including Allen Carr’s Easyway, Amazon Web Services, Cipla, Facebook and WhatsApp, Google, Johnson & Johnson, Praekelt, and Soul Machines.
Quitting tobacco is challenging, especially with the added social and economic stresses that have come as a result of the pandemic. Worldwide around 780 million people say they want to quit, but only 30% of them have access to the tools that can help them do so. Together with partners, WHO will provide people with the tools and resources they need to make a successful quit attempt.
“Smoking kills 8 million people a year, but if users need more motivation to kick the habit, the pandemic provides the right incentive,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
WHO released a scientific brief earlier this year showing that smokers are at higher risk of developing severe disease and death from COVID-19.
Tobacco is also a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and diabetes. Moreover, people living with these conditions are more vulnerable to severe COVID-19.
Both global and regional cessation tools will be rolled out as part of the campaign. WHO’s 24/7 digital health worker to help people quit tobacco is available in English and will soon be released to support people in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish.
“Millions of people worldwide want to quit tobacco – we must seize this opportunity and invest in services to help them be successful, while we urge everyone to divest from the tobacco industry and their interests,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director of Health Promotion.
To create environments conducive to quitting tobacco, WHO has worked with partners and countries around the globe to implement tobacco control measures that effectively reduce the demand for tobacco.
WHO calls on all governments to ensure their citizens have access to brief advice, toll-free quit lines, mobile and digital cessation services, nicotine replacement therapies and other tools that are proven to help people quit. Strong cessation services improve health, save lives and save money.
Source:WHO
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
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Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance has pointed out that Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is wholly responsible for the demolition of houses in Budiriro, Harare.
In a statement, MDC Alliance described the Harare demolitions as a heartless act.
Read full statement below :
HARARE DEMOLITIONS: A HEARTLESS ACT
The MDC Alliance condemns the callous, disproportionate demolitions of homes that are currently being carried out by Central Government, in particular the Ministry of Local Government – Mr July Moyo, the Provincial Minister – Mr Oliver Chidawu and the Provincial Development Co-ordinator – Mr Tafadzwa Muguti.
The demolitions have resulted in people losing their homes, savings and their only available shelter in the middle of the rainy season.
Families with young children, the old and the infirm have been rendered homeless by this heartless act.
Before his arrest two weeks ago, the Mayor of Harare, Councillor Jacob Mafume ordered a stop to all demolitions.
He protested against the grossly unreasonable timing of the demolitions and in view of the wet season and the ongoing Covid19 pandemic.
He stated that the execution of any court orders held by Council should be carried out in a humane manner and that Council should weigh in favour of regularizing settlements as opposed to destroying them.
We are of the firm view that most of the houses being destroyed can be regularized and should therefore not be destroyed.
At the centre of the crisis are Zanu PF land barons and illegal co-operatives whose corrupt conduct has led to the arbitrary allocation of land in a manner that does not comply with council by-laws.
The current demolitions have been triggered by Zanu PF in-fighting where urban land is being used as an election tool as well as a sword against those who have fallen out of favour with the system.
Unsuspecting members of the public and bona fide buyers who have been duped by the land barons and are left to bear the brunt of the illegality.
Additionally, it is reported that the Provincial Minister for Harare, Mr Oliver Chidawu has an interest in the demolition of houses because a large section of the land which the Zanu PF land barons and co-operatives raided belongs to him.
The Provincial Minister took advantage of the absence of the Mayor over the last fortnight to push council staff to execute the demolitions.
We demand an immediate end to the demolitions as they are anti-poor and their timing is causing untold suffering and indignity to people who are already victims of corrupt land barons. We further demand and end to Central Government interference in the affairs of the City of Harare.
The Harare Provincial Minstry must stop giving unlawful instructions to council staff, particularly when this causes loss and harm to the people whom council are meant to serve.
We call for the urgent implementation of the devolution clauses in the Constitution and reform to the Urban Councils Act to enable local authorities to serve the people without interference from Central Government.
Human Rights Day commemorates the day the General Assembly of the UN adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The UDHR is one of UN’s major achievements as well as the first enunciation of human rights across the world.
Adopted on 10th December 1948, the Declaration stipulates universal values and a shared standard of achievement for everyone in every country.
While the Declaration is not a binding document, it inspired over 60 human rights instruments that today make a common standard of human rights.
It is the most translated document around the globe available in over 500 languages.
2020 Theme: Recover Better – Stand Up for Human Rights
This year’s Human Rights Day theme relates to the COVID-19 pandemic and focuses on the need to build back better by ensuring Human Rights are central to recovery efforts.
We will reach our common global goals only if we are able to create equal opportunities for all, address the failures exposed and exploited by COVID-19, and apply human rights standards to tackle entrenched, systematic, and intergenerational inequalities, exclusion and discrimination.
10 December is an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of human rights in re-building the world we want, the need for global solidarity as well as our interconnectedness and shared humanity.
Under UN Human Rights’ generic call to action “Stand Up for Human Rights”, we aim to engage the general public, our partners and the UN family to bolster transformative action and showcase practical and inspirational examples that can contribute to recovering better and fostering more resilient and just societies.-UN
Tinashe Sambiri|President Nelson Chamisa has described the outcome of the Presidential election in the Republic of Ghana as a sign of a bright future for Africa.
President Chamisa described President Nana Akufa Addo’s victory in the Presidential election in Ghana as a big moment for Africa.
“A BIG MOMENT FOR GHANA…
Congratulations President Nana Akufa Addo for winning the Presidential election in Ghana.
Thank you Ghana for setting the example and leading the way.
Peace is simple. Democracy is viable. Transparency matters. God bless Ghana.
God bless Africa! #Godisinit,” said President Chamisa in a brief statement.
In a separate statement President Chamisa denounced the demolition of houses in Harare:
“The heartless and cruel demolition of citizens’ homes is a violation of human rights and an attack and assault on the dignity & security of persons.
This command politics based on iron-fisted governance style must be resisted by us all!Those responsible, Stop it!
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Namibia has described Constantino Chiwenga as a political hypocrite.
The party also accused Chiwenga of abandoning local health facilities to seek medical services out of the country.
Read full statement below :
09 DECEMBER 2020
VICE PRESIDENT CONSTANTINO GUVHEYA CHIWENGA’S POLITICAL HYPOCRISY AND SELFISHNESS UNEARTHED, MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA NOTED WITH FURY.
Mdc Alliance Namibia is greatly transfixed by the political hypocrisy and selfishness exhibited in the clueless Zanupf regime.
Barely some few some months after publicly banning health tourism , ailing Chiwenga has been flown out to China for his routine medical check up. After pretending to be objective and sensitive to the financial implications of relying on foreign hospitals for medical services, the desperate Zanupf Vice President and Health Minister declared that government will no longer provide foreign currency to assist cabinet ministers to globe trot hunting medical treatment in sophisticated health facilities in the diaspora.
As an external Mdc Alliance district, we want to castigate this futile attempt to hoodwink the unsuspecting masses by paddling political lies. The nation has to know that Zanupf will never transform its corrupt tendencies.
Moreso, it is quite pathetic and illogical for our Health Minister to abandon his own hospitals which are dilapidated in favour of those in the diaspora because they are well taken care of by the host governments. We would like to urge Zanupf morons to revamp the health fraternity to benefit the general citizenry.
The Health Minister must learn to walk his talk, he must realise that it’s no longer time for political rhetoric but real delivery of his intentions to change the ugly face of our health sector. It is imperative to point out that the sorry state of our hospitals and clinics emanate from the stinking corruption and nepotism practised with impunity. Former Health Minister Obadiah Moyo looted US$60 million Covid-19 funds but he was not even detained only to be given 50 000 RTGS as his bail.
The amount could have gone a long way in assisting our people.
Moreover, Moyo Obadiah is walking free as we speak right now. Zanupf leaders must respect the basic human rights which includes basic health care and right to life. They must commence to pay more attention to the sanctity of human life by investing more on renovating the torn and tattered health fraternity to avert unnecessary expenditure by the government through careless financing of hospital bills to Zanupf officials.
Addressing journalists in his capacity as Health Minister, he reluctantly uttered that the state had halted footing the medical bills of all senior government officials in order to maintain the national medical bill. To quote him verbatim he said, “We will not export our patients . We will not make referrals to our patients. Altogether, the export bill was too high and that is what we want to do away with”. This is a clear reflection that some animals are more equal than others and this makes Zimbabwe epitomise “a new Animal Farm” owned by insensitive Zanupf morons where inequality has become a national religion.
To wind up, Mdc Alliance Namibia condemns this selective application of the law with all its organs. Zanupf must begin to respect our national coffers.
Our hospitals are being plundered by greedy and the insatiable appetite for personal egos in a frustrated regime that does not want to ensure the existence of equal health facilities for all. We demand that Chiwenga and his cronies should make sure that the basic health facilities are gotten in the country.
By A Correspondent- Police yesterday nabbed five men suspected of being part of a vehicle theft and smuggling syndicate.
The thieves were caught after they allegedly smuggled a stolen white Toyota Hilux single cab vehicle from South Africa and drove it to Zimbabwe, but they ran out of fuel along the Bulawayo – Beitbridge Road.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday confirmed the arrest.
“A white Toyota Hilux single cab was stolen in South Africa on December 3 and it was driven to Zimbabwe. Police managed to arrest five suspects in Mazunga area,” Nyathi said without naming them.
“The area where they were arrested is 255km along Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road, after the vehicle had run out of fuel. Investigations are still in progress.”
Nyathi said they had received a report from the South African side that a hired car had gone missing.
“We received a report that a white Hilux which belonged to a car rental company had been hired on December 3 and was supposed to be returned on December 4. The car was not returned and on December 5 a report was made to the Beitbridge Police that a vehicle was missing.
“The five were caught when they tried to refuel the car after they had run out of fuel. Investigations are still ongoing.”
In 2018, a 63-year-old South African national Willem Schalk Janzen-Root was jailed for seven years in Zimbabwe over vehicle smuggling charges.
Janzen-Root was believed to be part of a vehicle trafficking syndicate which uses Zimbabwe as a transit route for luxury cars from South Africa for resale in other countries.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday promoted 1 089 Zimbabwe Republic Police junior and senior officers to the ranks between inspector and commissioner.
Reads the police notice:
ZIMBABWE REPUBLIC POLICE: 2020 PROMOTION EXERCISE FOR COMMISSIONED RANKS
The Zimbabwe Republic Police would like to inform the nation that His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde E D Mnangagwa has promoted ZRP senior and junior officers with effect from 08 December 2020 as follows;
PROMOTED TO COMMISSIONER:
Assistant Commissioner Charles Musavengana
Assistant Commissioner Bazibi Dube
Assistant Commissioner Steven Kazingizi
Assistant Commissioner Ndofandaedza Jaboon
Assistant Commissioner Richard Mahoya Basera
Assistant Commissioner Winston Muzah
Assistant Commissioner Nelson Charumbira
Assistant Commissioner Grace Sundirai Ndou
TOTAL: 08
PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER TOTAL 24
PROMOTED TO CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT TOTAL 48
PROMOTED TO SUPERINTENDENT TOTAL 168
PROMOTED TO CHIEF INSPECTOR TOTAL 232 PROMOTED TO INSPECTOR TOTAL 609
The promotions are in line with the Government’s vision 2030 and the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s quest to improve service delivery to Zimbabweans. Vacancies had arisen due to retirements and natural causes
By A Correspondent- A man, his wife and son died on the spot after a vehicle they were travelling in collided with a truck in Mbalabala along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road.
Matabeleland South acting provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Loveness Mangena confirmed the accident which occurred on Saturday at around 3PM at the 66-kilometre peg along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road.
She said Mbuso Moyo (55) was travelling with his wife Patience Ncube (40) and 13-year-old son Mpumuzi when he lost control of his vehicle and it encroached onto the lane of oncoming traffic.
“I can confirm a fatal road accident which occurred at Mbalabala area along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road where three people died on the spot. Mbuso Moyo was driving a Toyota twin cab along the said road headed towards Gwanda.
“When he got to the 66-kilometre peg, he lost control of the vehicle and encroached onto the oncoming traffic lane where a Hodo Sino Truck was approaching headed for Bulawayo.
“The driver of the truck moved to the extreme left side of his lane in order to avoid the vehicle but without luck, which resulted in a head on collision. Moyo, his wife and child died on the spot and their bodies were taken to Filabusi District Hospital mortuary,” she said.
Insp Mangena said preliminary investigations had shown that the cause of the accident was speeding. She urged motorists to adhere to road regulations and exercise extreme caution when travelling along roads especially during the rainy season.
“We urge motorists to observe road regulations and exercise extreme caution in order to avoid loss of life. Especially now that we are in the rainy season where roads will be slippery and vision will be blurred, drivers have to be very cautious and where necessary they would rather park their vehicles until it’s conducive for them to drive,” she said.
Meanwhile, police in Bulawayo are investigating a traffic accident which occurred on Monday where a pedestrian died on the spot. The accident occurred in North End opposite house number 15 Queens Road at 8.30AM.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube who confirmed the incident yesterday said the victim, whose name has been withheld because her next of kin is yet to be informed, sustained severe head injuries.
“Kudzaishe Blessing Chinyakuza, a male adult aged 24 years, was driving a Nissan Bluebird along Queens Road due north with no passengers on board. A female adult aged 49 years residing in North End Bulawayo was walking along the road due north,” said Insp Ncube.
“Circumstances are that Chinyakuza hit the woman when he lost control of the motor vehicle, which veered off to the left side of the road and hit a precast wall at House Number 13 Heany Road North End, Bulawayo.”
Insp Ncube said the woman’s body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) mortuary for post-mortem.
“The cause of the accident was due to excessive speeding and investigations are in progress under Bulawayo Central Traffic department.
“We appeal to motorists to be considerate while behind the steering, roads are slippery during this period and there are high chances of one losing control of the vehicle and putting lives of other road users at risk,” said Insp Ncube.-statemedia
THE Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) was yesterday accused of presiding over “sham” examinations for several ‘O’ level subjects with schools around the country receiving incomplete material or students writing tests under candle light.
Students and invigilators around the country discovered that the Geography question paper, which included questions on map reading, was incomplete and the map missing, leading to panicky schools making last minute enquiries to neighbouring examination centres to find out if they had the correct paper.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general, Raymond Majongwe confirmed the chaos, adding that Ndebele and Mathematics examinations for the visually impaired were also affected by the chaos.
“The Geography examination paper had missing papers countrywide. There was also the Ndebele examination which had a serious mix up between Paper One and Paper Two. It just shows you how shoddy it is and it’s not just this one, there is a Mathematics paper which was written by visually impaired persons last week, who diagrams were badly labelled. The question papers were inadequate, and pupils had to be dictated the question papers while they typed on braille for them to be able to write the exam,” Majongwe said.
Efforts to get a comment from Zimsec officials were fruitless, but Primary and Secondary Education permanent secretary Tumisang Thabela told NewsDay that she had not yet received the reports.
Thabela, however, said that her ministry was going to investigate the issue.
“I have not received such a report. Let me find out with our director of communications,” Thabela said.
He said there were a lot of blunders which made it difficult to believe that these were just general mistakes.
“It just means people aren’t doing their work and why are we forcing these exams when we are actually not ready for them? The tragedy now is, we are affecting pupils with COVID-19 and we are ultimately going to come up with shoddy processes and shoddy exam outcomes,” he said, adding that the brand Zimsec had gone up in smoke.
Sources in the ministry said that in Wedza district only one school — Rambanepasi Secondary School was not affected after the school authorities managed to get 53 question papers that had the map, while the rest of the schools including Chigwedere, Chemhanza, Mount St Mary’s, St Annes Goto, Matsine and Gumbonzvanda high schools had incomplete question paper, but students proceeded to write the exam.
In other places, the examination papers arrived late with pupils having to write in the dim lights of candles.
In Hurungwe reports are that several schools were affected but the students still sat for the incomplete examination.
“Usually, Geography Paper One has a map for studying and then candidates answer 12 questions. However, at two different centres in Karoi the invigilators discovered that the examination paper had missing pages as the map was not there, with only questions available. The maps are always attached to the examination papers,” an official who declined identification said.
“The whole process is a sham. I think authorities should have postponed the examinations as it is evident that they were ill-prepared to conduct them. The whole process discredits the holding of examinations in the country.”
In Mashonaland East, 90 schools reported a similar problem except for Rambanepasi Secondary School in Wedza which got 53 examinations papers which were complete.
Reports from Chipinge were that the exam paper arrived late and pupils were forced to write under candle light.
“In Chipinge the paper, which was supposed to be written from 2pm to 4pm, arrived late at some examination centres. Pupils at the affected schools were forced to sit for the exam after 8pm using candle light. We don’t know what’s really taking placing at Zimsec,” a stakeholder Marian Mhlanga said.
She also said some pupils, who lived in faraway places, had to leave without sitting for the exam.
“Some schools had to write papers which had already been opened because they had to borrow them from other schools which had already written in the afternoon,” Mhlanga said.
