Outspoken MDC Alliance vice president Tendai Biti has argued that former Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa handled the country’s coffers better than the Mthuli Ncube.

Main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) vice president and legislator Tendai Biti Ncube was appointed Finance minister in 2018 after President Emmerson Mnangagwa controversially won the first election without late former Zanu PF leader Robert Mugabe.
Speaking to NewsDay on Monday about the current national budget consultations, the former Finance minister said Ncube was a liar. Biti mocked the former banker for failing to meet targets of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP).
Biti who was the country’s Finance boss during the Government of National Unity was replaced by Chinamasa after the 2013 elections. He said Chinamasa was a better Finance minister than Ncube. “Mthuli is a complete liar. Mthuli is a fraud. He failed to meet the targets of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP). He said the economy would average in the TSP 9% growth, he didn’t. This year’s growth is minus 10%. He said he will fund the budget but he failed.
“For the 2020 budget for instance, we were talking to MPs, there is an ongoing workshop for Parliamentarians. The 2020 budget is funded by 30%. Therefore he is maintaining a budget deficit through non delivery. “So you can’t say there are surpluses when there are no medicines at Parirenyatwa Hospital. When there are no doctors at Harare Hospital. When teachers are not going to school. The broad money supply has increased hence inflation. If you go into a supermarket the prices of goods are high,” Biti said.
Recently, Mnangagwa’s government unveiled its new economic blueprint the National Development Strategy-1 (NDS-1) citing that it is expected to provide the guardrails and springboard needed for the economy to take off. Ncube said TSP, from which the new programme takes over, has managed to deliver its primary goal of stabilising the exchange rate and prices.
Biti said Ncube will fail to achieve targets from his policies because he lacks courage to confront the real cause of problems which include corruption. “If he failed on the TSP, he will fail on the NDS because he does not have the courage of addressing structural reforms that are required to cure this economy.
“And also they won’t allow him because part of the problem that we have is that this country is too much corrupt. Mr Mnangagwa and his lot are too corrupt. “At least Chinamasa tried but the environment was too much for him. In the end he gave up and joined the boys. That is why he started issuing treasury bills. He became part of the problem. “But when he started, he thought he could make a difference. But Mthuli from the word go, totally right off. He is a joke but one that is not funny,” Biti added. Zimbabwe is being buffeted by its worst economic crisis in over a decade, including scarcity of basics like water, electricity, fuel and staple grain.
The Zimbabwe dollar marginally lost ground to the United States dollar in Tuesday’s weekly forex auction, after trading at $81.81 against US$1 weakening by $0.14 from the premium of $81.67 recorded last week.
The official exchange rate has sustained stability for over two months as the premiums continue to hover around $81.
Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) allotments to industry Tuesday rose, further-reaching a new high of US$32.9 million coupled with the official exchange rate stability.
The auction first reached the peak in September this year after allotting US$31.6 million to industry.
In total, the main auction received US$30.6 million while the SMEs auction received a total of US$2.2 million.
Hopewell Chinono being led back to prison after court.
I want the citizens to know that my doctor @nmaboreke wants me to have toxicology tests in London or Johannesburg bcoz Zimbabwe doesn’t have the capability.
But I can’t bcoz the State is holding on to my passport!
Watch a live interview with Mdc Alliance Bulawayo Women’s Wing leader Tendai Masotsha in the aftermath of an audio that has gone viral on social media depicting to be her voice.
Reports just received indicate that an Airforce of Zimbabwe plane crashed on Tuesday afternoon Dabuka Railway hump marshalling yard in Gweru.
According to ZimEye.com source there were two occupants in the plane who both died on the spot. The sources indicated that one of the victims was a wing pilot while the other was a cadet on training.
No official comment has yet been made by the Air Force.
Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo has said that he will no longer involve himself in the Chief Mvuthu succession wrangle indicating that the selection of a chief remains the prerogative of the royal family and traditional leaders something he deliberately refused from the Ndiweni Family when he fought to eliminate Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni last year.
Chief Mvuthu, born Nyangayezizwe Mlotshwa of Mvuthu area outside Victoria Falls died in March 2014 aged 61.
Since then, the Mlotshwa family has failed to choose a successor.
The family is divided with one faction in support of the late chief’s brother Mr Saunders Mlotshwa as the successor while others back his eldest daughter Silibaziso, now aged 24 saying she is being victimised just because she is a woman.
The late chief left behind three daughters and Silibaziso, now married, says she is the rightful heir to the throne.
The family nominated Mr Mlotshwa as the successor in December 2014 saying it is against the Ndebele culture for a woman to succeed her father as a chief but Silibaziso challenged that in court arguing that she is the one who should take over from her father.
Mr Mlotshwa is a son to the late chief’s brother Simon who is also late. The family said he is eligible to take over because his father was a chief.
Mvuthu villagers in 2018 formed an imbizo, a gathering of villagers from the same chieftaincy led by community elders to push the family to resolve the succession dispute.
They petitioned the Mlotshwa family and Government to urgently install a substantive chief saying the wrangle was retarding development in the community.
The family convened a meeting on September 28 this year following a High Court order which nullified the nomination of Mr Mlotshwa as a potential successor and ordered the Hwange District Development Coordinator (DDC)’s office to restart the selection process with respect to human rights.
Chief Sikhobokhobo of Nkayi chaired the September meeting at the late chief’s homestead on behalf of the Matabeleland North Provincial Chiefs’ Assembly but the gathering could not agree on one name.
Mlotshwa family spokesperson Dr Effie Mlotshwa-Sithole yesterday said the family stands by its choice.
She however could not be drawn into commenting further, saying the family was engaging relevant Government authorities on the issue.
Chief Sikhobokhobo could not be reached on his mobile phone.
Silibaziso has vowed to stand for her right and has refused to bow to the family’s plea for her to step down for her uncle.
Yesterday she referred questions to her lawyer Mr Thulani Ndlovu of Sansole and Senda Legal Practitioners who could not be reached for comment.
In an interview, Minister Moyo said Government will wait for recommendations from the Chiefs’ Council.
“The Constitution is very clear in Chapter 16 that we have to follow tradition and we will follow that process. I know that people are arguing about what traditions to follow and we as Government cannot dictate what tradition should be followed but we have structures that can resolve it.
“The family and provincial assembly of chiefs for Matabeleland North are the ones that must recommend what they think to the President. The recommendation will also be looked at by the national council of chiefs because we know that these are traditionalists.
“They will weigh the pros and cons of what to do and once the recommendation comes to us, we will forward to the President,” said Minister Moyo.
ZIMBABWE continues to record an increase in Covid-19 cases with 39 more pupils testing positive at John Tallach High School in Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland North Province.
The new cases bring the total number of pupils who have tested Covid-19 positive at the school to 184.
Three Covid-19 deaths and 48 new infections were recorded in the country on Sunday with the national recovery rate now at 85.9 percent. Two of the deaths were reported in Bulawayo province while one was from Masvingo.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, a majority of the new cases were recorded in Matabeleland North Province following the John Tallach outbreak. The school with an enrollment of 623 pupils had 145 pupils testing positive last week. After another round of testing over the weekend 39 more tested positive.
Despite the rising Covid-19 cases at learning institutions, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education says schools are strictly following regulations put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19 which has killed 268 Zimbabweans so far.
Under the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), hugs, handshakes and sharing of desks are not permitted in schools.
Break and lunch time must be staggered to prevent crowding by learners while sporting activities are banned. A classroom should only accommodate a maximum of 35 pupils to allow for social distancing.
Acting Matabeleland North Provincial Medical Director Dr Munekayi Padingani said yesterday:
“At John Tallach, the figure is now at 184 who have tested positive after testing the whole school. Those who are positive are going to be isolated, and discharged based on the national guidelines. And the rest have to be retested and we shall do it the same day. There are 400 who are negative, and we shall retest this coming Sunday. So, all the learners are at school, with the positive ones in isolation and those who tested negative in quarantine.”
He said at George Silundika High School, two health workers at the clinic tested positive for Covid-19.
“There were two health workers at George Silundika clinic that tested positive for Covid-19. The contact tracing has been done and no one is positive. The son of one of the workers who was sick stays with them. He tested positive.
However, at the school no one is positive,” said Dr Padingani.
Two weeks ago, Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care warned of the possibility of the country being hit by a second wave of Covid-19 saying ignorance, denial and wishful thinking could lead to more deaths.
Schools have become the latest institutions to be hit by the virus after their phased reopening which started on September 28.
Chief Magistrate Mr Munamato Mutevedzi has expressed disquiet over alleged “delay tactics” being employed by former University of Zimbabwe Vice Chancellor Levi Nyagura and his defence team.
Nyagura who is facing charges of criminal abuse of office, is said to have illegally awarded former First Lady Mrs Grace Mugabe a doctorate in 2014.
The case has been pending since 2018 and Nyagura has changed lawyers in between and unsuccessfully made cocktail of applications prompting a delay in trial commencement.
The matter has been postponed on several occasions at the instigation of the defence, which cited various reasons each time the matter was brought to court for trial.
The matter was set for trial but Nyagura indicated that he had sought the services of a new lawyer-Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara who was represented by Advocate Tafadzwa Mapuranga who indicated that the former was engaged at the High Court.
He sought for a postponement of the matter on the basis that Adv Zhuwarara who was instructed by Nyagura last Friday needed time to go through the record for him to prepare for trial.
The postponement did not go down well with both the magistrate and the prosecution which accused Nyagura and his defence team of playing games with the court.
Mr Mutevedzi said; “This matter has been pending since 2018 and the accused person should have instructed a lawyer of his choice long time back. Why did he instruct him on Friday? Who was holding him back? I have been very tolerant with this matter. We cannot continue to be told that the matter can’t proceed to trial every time it’s set down for trial. We cannot do what suits the defence always. You cannot just wake up and impose trial dates of your choice. I want Adv Zhuwarara to come to court and answer certain questions.”
Mr Mutevedzi has briefly stood down the matter to allow Adv Zhuwarara to appear before him.
THE trial of Wicknell Chivayo, his company-Intratrek and former Zimbabwe Power Company chairman Stanley Kazhanje today failed to kick-off after the prosecutor handling the matter failed to attend court for the hearing.
Chivayo, who is also representing his company and Kazhanje appeared at the Harare magistrates court where their fraud trial was supposed to have kicked-off, but prosecutor Mr Brian Vito was said to be in Bulawayo.
Mr Vito is said to have incurred a breakdown in Bulawayo.
Magistrate Mr Trynos Utahwashe rolled the matter to tomorrow when Mr Vito is expected to have returned from Bulawayo.
The matter was set down for trial after the Supreme Court reversed Chivayo acquittal by the High Court on fraud involving US$5,6 million emanating from the Zimbabwe Power Company’s Gwanda solar project.
Initially, the trial had been set for today and tomorrow.
Ms Farirai Undenge appeared for the State while advocate Lewis Uriri appeared for Chivayo and his company and also stood in for advocate Sylvester Hashiti who is representing Kazhanje.
Reports just received indicate that the Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T has recalled two more MDC Alliance councillors, Batanai Masunda Epworth Local Board Chairman and Kudakwashe Chatambudza councillor ward four in the same council.
The party accused the two of no longer having allegiance to the Supreme Court instituted party.
The Government has started investing the debacle which saw Zimbabwe disqualified from the COSAFA Men’s U17 Championship.
The Young Warriors were found guilty for fielding over-age players at the tournament. They had played one game, a 1-1 draw against Angola which was nullified.
Botswana, Eswatini and Comoros teams were also thrown out of the competition.
In an interview with the Herald, Deputy Minister of Sport, Tino Machakaire, said they are disappointed with the expulsion of the Young Warriors.
“As a ministry, we were very disappointed to learn of the disqualification of our Under-17 boys,’’ he said.
“The boys have a lot of potential and are playing quite well. This development is a setback that will affect their play.
“We are currently looking into the matter. However, let me state that as a Ministry we do not condone corruption of any sort, or any underhand dealings.
“I can firmly assure you that this matter will be duly resolved.’’
Botswana and Eswatini FAs have already taken measures, with the latter suspending its CEO over the matter.
ZIFA, meanwhile, have appealed against their disqualification.-Soccer 24
Antoine Griezmann has denied any rift with his Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi and distanced himself from the claims by his former agent and his uncle about the Argentine star.
Eric Olhats, who stopped managing Griezmann over three years ago, accused Messi of running a “regime of terror” at Nuo Camp while the French forward’s uncle said it was not easy to play in the same club as the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Messi was unhappy with the remarks and responded by saying he’s “tired of being the root of every problem at this club”.
In an interview with Movistar on Monday, as cited by Reuters, Griezmann cleared the air on the issue.
He said: “I have been putting up with comments for a long while and now it’s time to say enough.
“My agent is my sister, but she doesn’t speak.
“Neither do my parents. As no one speaks, Eric offers an opinion but that can do a lot of damage and create doubts about my relationship with Leo.
“Leo knows I have a lot of respect for him. I learn from him.
“My uncle doesn’t know how football works. A journalist wants a phrase out of you … I told Leo I have nothing to do with them. I don’t speak to them.”
Griezmann, 29, joined Barca from Atletico Madrid in 2019 for €120 million.-Soccer 24
Members of the Kadewere Foundation today visited bedridden staunch Warriors supporter Alvin ‘Aluvah’ Zhakata at Parirenyatwa Hospital where he is currently admitted.
Zhakata was on Saturday afternoon attacked by thugs and sustained numerous injuries which include three broken ribs.
The foundation is a non-profit organization whose aim is to help both youths and adults in the realization of their sporting dreams.
Pardon Kadewere, brother to in-form Warriors and Olympique Lyon hit man Tino, confirmed the visit.
“Kadewere Foundation went to the hospital in Parirenyatwa to see Aluvha who is not feeling well,” he said.-Soccer 24
Tinashe Sambiri|A self-declared war veteran threatened to shoot MDC Alliance councillor for ward 18, Chiredzi West, Gilbert Mutubuki following skirmishes over the distribution of land.
Members of the MDC Alliance youth assembly and the People-Power movement challenged the partisan distribution of land in the area, arguing the process should done in an objective manner.
During the heated argument, a war veteran threatened to shoot Councillor Mutubuki, Makomborero Haruzivishe and representatives of the People-Power movement.
See report below:
We were mobilising People-Power to confront corruption involving land distribution in Chiredzi West, Ward 8.
War veterans were distributing land on partisan basis and leaving out women and youths under the pretext that they were opposition supporters.
The war veterans were also giving land to those who already own multiple farms.
So the People-Power Movement went on Saturday 22 November to distribute 150 hectares of land to the people.
The exercise was very successful but was however disturbed towards the end when Zanu PF youths and war veterans came to violently disrupt the process. However, they were stopped by vigilant youths.
The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has found Ahmad Ahmad, the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and a FIFA Vice-President, guilty of having breached art. 15 (Duty of loyalty), art. 20 (Offering and accepting gifts or other benefits) and art. 25 (Abuse of position) of the 2020 edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics, as well as art. 28 (Misappropriation of funds) of the 2018 edition.
The investigation into Mr Ahmad’s conduct in his position as CAF President during the period from 2017 to 2019 concerned various CAF-related governance issues, including the organisation and financing of an Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, his involvement in CAF’s dealings with the sports equipment company Tactical Steel and other activities.
In its decision, following an extensive hearing, the adjudicatory chamber ruled that, based on information gathered by the investigatory chamber, Mr Ahmad had breached his duty of loyalty, offered gifts and other benefits, mismanaged funds and abused his position as the CAF President, pursuant to the FIFA Code of Ethics.
Consequently, the adjudicatory chamber found that Mr Ahmad had breached arts 15, 20 and 25 of the current edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics, as well as art. 28 of the 2018 edition, and sanctioned him with a ban from all football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level for five years. In addition, a fine in the amount of CHF 200,000 has been imposed on Mr Ahmad.-FIFA
The best defense is to avoid lightning. Here are some outdoor safety tips that can help you avoid being struck:
Do
Be aware Check the weather forecast before participating in outdoor activities. If the forecast calls for thunderstorms, postpone your trip or activity, or make sure adequate safe shelter is readily available.Go indoors Remember the phrase, “When thunder roars, go indoors.” Find a safe, enclosed shelter when you hear thunder.
Safe shelters include homes, offices, shopping centers, and hard-top vehicles with the windows rolled up.Seek shelter immediately even if caught out in the open If you are caught in an open area, act quickly to find adequate shelter. The most important action is to remove yourself from danger. Crouching or getting low to the ground can reduce your chances of being struck, but does not remove you from danger.
If you are caught outside with no safe shelter nearby, the following actions may reduce your risk:
Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges, or peaks.
Never lie flat on the ground. Crouch down in a ball-like position with your head tucked and hands over your ears so that you are down low with minimal contact with the ground.Never shelter under an isolated tree.Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter.Immediately get out of and away from ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water.Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (barbed wire fences, power lines, windmills, etc.).Separate If you are in a group during a thunderstorm, separate from each other. This will reduce the number of injuries if lightning strikes the ground.
Don’t
Don’t stay in open vehicles, structures, and spaces During a thunderstorm, avoid open vehicles such as convertibles, motorcycles, and golf carts.
Be sure to avoid open structures such as porches, gazebos, baseball dugouts, and sports arenas. And stay away from open spaces such as golf courses, parks, playgrounds, ponds, lakes, swimming pools, and beaches.Don’t stay near tall structures Do NOT lie on concrete floors during a thunderstorm. Also, avoid leaning on concrete walls. Lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.
Indoor Safety Tips
Even though your home is a safe shelter during a lightning storm, you may still be at risk. About one-third of lightning-strike injuries occur indoors. Here are some tips to keep safe and reduce your risk of being struck by lightning while indoors.
Avoid water Do NOT bathe, shower, wash dishes, or have any other contact with water during a thunderstorm because lightning can travel through a building’s plumbing.Avoid electronic equipment Do NOT use your computers, laptops, game systems, washers, dryers, stoves, or anything connected to an electrical outlet.
Lightning can travel through electrical systems, radio and television reception systems, and any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring. Equip your home with whole-house surge protectors to protect your appliances.Avoid corded phones Corded phones are NOT safe to use during a thunderstorm.
Do NOT use them. However, it is safe to use cordless or cellular phones during a storm.
Avoid windows, doors, porches, and concrete Do NOT lie on concrete floors during a thunderstorm. Also, avoid leaning on concrete walls. Lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.
Credit :Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
Tinashe Sambiri|An irate Masvingo woman bashed controversial cleric, Isaac Makomichi for allegedly giving love charm to a “small house” who snatched the lady’s husband, it has emerged.
It has been a bad week for the controversial preacher who was reportedly booed at a shopping centre in Masvingo.
According to impeccable sources, the said woman confronted Makomichi and accused him of using juju to destroy her marriage.It is understood the small house who snatched the woman’s husband is a member of Makomichi’s church.
“The angry woman confronted the prophet and slapped him for destroying her marriage.He tried to explain his position to her but she would not listen,” a source said.
The husband also reportedly sold his belongings and gave all the money to the said “small house.”
Contacted for a comment on the matter, Makomichi said :” Sorry I am in a meeting, I will call you back later.”
The best defense is to avoid lightning. Here are some outdoor safety tips that can help you avoid being struck:
Do
Be aware Check the weather forecast before participating in outdoor activities. If the forecast calls for thunderstorms, postpone your trip or activity, or make sure adequate safe shelter is readily available.Go indoors Remember the phrase, “When thunder roars, go indoors.” Find a safe, enclosed shelter when you hear thunder.
Safe shelters include homes, offices, shopping centers, and hard-top vehicles with the windows rolled up.Seek shelter immediately even if caught out in the open If you are caught in an open area, act quickly to find adequate shelter. The most important action is to remove yourself from danger. Crouching or getting low to the ground can reduce your chances of being struck, but does not remove you from danger.
If you are caught outside with no safe shelter nearby, the following actions may reduce your risk:
Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges, or peaks.
Never lie flat on the ground. Crouch down in a ball-like position with your head tucked and hands over your ears so that you are down low with minimal contact with the ground.Never shelter under an isolated tree.Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter.Immediately get out of and away from ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water.Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (barbed wire fences, power lines, windmills, etc.).Separate If you are in a group during a thunderstorm, separate from each other. This will reduce the number of injuries if lightning strikes the ground.
Don’t
Don’t stay in open vehicles, structures, and spaces During a thunderstorm, avoid open vehicles such as convertibles, motorcycles, and golf carts.
Be sure to avoid open structures such as porches, gazebos, baseball dugouts, and sports arenas. And stay away from open spaces such as golf courses, parks, playgrounds, ponds, lakes, swimming pools, and beaches.Don’t stay near tall structures Do NOT lie on concrete floors during a thunderstorm. Also, avoid leaning on concrete walls. Lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.
Indoor Safety Tips
Even though your home is a safe shelter during a lightning storm, you may still be at risk. About one-third of lightning-strike injuries occur indoors. Here are some tips to keep safe and reduce your risk of being struck by lightning while indoors.
Avoid water Do NOT bathe, shower, wash dishes, or have any other contact with water during a thunderstorm because lightning can travel through a building’s plumbing.Avoid electronic equipment Do NOT use your computers, laptops, game systems, washers, dryers, stoves, or anything connected to an electrical outlet.
Lightning can travel through electrical systems, radio and television reception systems, and any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring. Equip your home with whole-house surge protectors to protect your appliances.Avoid corded phones Corded phones are NOT safe to use during a thunderstorm.
Do NOT use them. However, it is safe to use cordless or cellular phones during a storm.
Avoid windows, doors, porches, and concrete Do NOT lie on concrete floors during a thunderstorm. Also, avoid leaning on concrete walls. Lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.
Credit :Centre for Disease Control and Prevention
Inserted by Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
For more information follow /like our Facebook page :Zimbabwe Online Health Centre
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance has strongly condemned the killing of innocent citizens in Uganda.
37 citizens were shot dead by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s security offices last week.
Read full statement below: The MDC Alliance condemns the recent state-sponsored violence in Uganda.
The violence resulted in the arbitrary arrest of opposition figures including National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu popularly known as “Bobi Wine”. The violent arrests were effected under the pretext of enforcing COVID 19 rules.
However, the disproportionate use of force by the security forces resulted in the death of more than 37 unarmed civilians while many were injured.
Elections continue to be highly contentious in authoritarian states across the continent including in Zimbabwe.
Fascist regimes including Uganda and Zimbabwe are invoking the COVID 19 pandemic as an excuse to stifle dissent. Opposition leaders and supporters are constantly targeted for harassment, assault, arbitrary arrests, abductions and extrajudicial killings among other human rights violations.
These atrocities violate national constitutions, regional and continental law including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. These legal instruments guarantee political rights and multiparty democracy. Similar state-sponsored violence in the context of elections was witnessed in Tanzania and the Ivory Coast following their recent disputed electoral processes.
Political competition and plurality are the hallmark of a democratic society and must be celebrated and embraced as key stimulants for societal development. We call upon Ugandan authorities to take sufficient measures to ensure that the upcoming January 2021 elections are held in line with democratic principles and the electoral playing field is levelled to allow fair electoral competition where all political parties have unfettered access to potential voters and the will of the people prevails.
We further call upon the East African Community, the African Union and the rest of the international community to take proactive measures to ensure the conflict in Uganda does not further deteriorate and the January 2021 elections are held in line with domestic and international law governing the conduct of democratic elections.-MDC Alliance
THREE Covid-19 deaths and 48 new infections were recorded in Zimbabwe in the past 24 hours with reports that the national recovery rate is now at 85.9 percent.
Two of the deaths were reported in Bulawayo province while one was from Masvingo.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, 28 of the new cases were recorded in Matabeleland North province whose cases recently shot up following the outbreak of the global pandemic at John Tallach High School in Ntabazinduna.
The report shows that 11 of the cases were recorded in Bulawayo, three from Masvingo, four in Mashonaland West and one case in Manicaland.
“We recorded three deaths and 48 new cases after carrying out 1 404 PCR tests in the last 24 hours. Of the 48, only one is a returnee from Zambia and the rest are locals,” read the statement from the Ministry.
“As at 22 November 2020, Zimbabwe had 9 220 confirmed cases, including 8 250 recoveries and 268 deaths.”-Chronicle
By A Correspondent| CMG International Media Group has announced a two-day ZAA Virtual Summit penciled for 26 and 27 November, to create an engagement platform for diaspora home-based stakeholders.
The online event, in partnership with WorldRemit, is aimed at finding solutions and sharing ideas on various disciplines and industries and registration can be made on http://www.zimachievers.com/summit/.
The summit will run under the theme; Promoting critical conversation between the diaspora and home-based communities for collaboration and sustainable development.
“The ZAA has been celebrating Zimbabwean achievers for ten years and constantly encouraging collaborations and synergies between all Zimbabwean communities around the world. We are delighted to methodically engage as we seek to empower each other and in turn improve our prospects as a country,” said Conrad Mwanza of CMG International.
“The prevailing situation around the world signals a radical shift in the general way of things. It presents new challenges as well as new opportunities for our communities. The ability to adapt and improve on the old ways while innovatively discovering new things is a dynamic that is within our people. ZAA Virtual Summit seeks to bring those ideas on one table.”
The virtual summit will be split into different sessions steered by a moderator and panellists. There will be exchanges on different disciplines such as business and leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, youth, music, real estate, and science & technology, among others.
CMG International also said that they will note sustainable recommendations and incubate community ideas from the summit to effect positive change at the individual, community, and national levels.
The summit sponsorship is the latest in a series of community initiatives embarked on by WorldRemit (https://wrm.app.link/zaa2020), with the international money transfer company supporting several local causes.
Some of the speakers and panellists include philanthropist and social entrepreneur Tanya Masiyiwa who has a remarkable record as a business executive. Tanya is also renowned for championing global community building through initiatives such as edtech start-up Simba Education, STAR Leadership Academy, Asheshi Foundation and most notably HigherLife Foundation where she heads the Office of Design and Innovation.
Universal Music Group executive Sipho Dhlamini, who is the Managing Director for South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa will also share insights at the summit. An industry veteran, Dhlamini has wide experience at running international record labels, artist management and established studios around the world. He also produced the acclaimed opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and related events among his achievements in a glittering career.
Inventor of the driverless car Will Sachiti, Multiple Global Award Winner Dr Hazel Herrington, Sony ATV Africa A&R Manager Munya Chanetsa, musician Tamy Moyo and Canada based real estate investors and authors Zeb and Colleen Tsikira, among others, will also speak at the event.
By A Correspondent| ZINASU President, Takudzwa Ngadziore has questioned the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly’s position on the exoneration of Bulawayo Women’s Assembly chairperson Tendai Masotsha of any wrong doing in the abduction of Tawanda Muchehiwa.
Ngadziore repeated what has been said on social media that Masotsha could have been an infiltrator send to spy on the party, citing her role in the abduction of Muchehiwa by suspected state security agents.
“I also seek to know the Position of the @mdczimbabwe Youth Assembly following the investigation done on Tendai Masotsha by the Party.Tawanda Muchehiwa isn’t only a student but also a Youth. Bottom line remains ZANU-PF Ferret should pay BUT Masotsha is a cancer to the Movement,” said Ngadziore.
Social media is currently on fire over a leaked audio in which Masotsha threatens to spill the beans on what she says was a plan by Muchehiwa to cause mayhem in Bulawayo through burning down government buildings.
1)This audio raises a lot of questions.Assuming it’s Masotcha speaking & let’s say everything she is saying there is true & @TeeMuchehiwa confided in her (1)Why wld Tawanda need money from Masotcha to buy food 4 pple in safe houses if Tawanda had been given money from “America? “
2) So Tawanda was given money from America to only buy explosives & hire gunmen but that money wasn’t supposed to buy food for pple in safe houses? (2) If Tawanda confided in Masotcha that he wanted to carry out terrorist activities (kuita misikanzwa) as she puts it, why didn’t
3) Masotcha reprimand him semunhu mukuru? So she was ok giving such a person her flyers & become complicity in the terrorist attacks Tawanda allegedly wanted to commit? Or, Masotcha now wants to justify selling out Tawanda?
4) If Tawanda told Masotcha all these plans,as a senior leader of the party,who else did she tell about Tawanda’s plans since she seemed not to approve of them? What did she do to dissuade the young man? (5) Is Masotcha now cooking up this story to blackmail the MDC investigating
5) team in order to safeguard her party position? 6) Is Masotcha creating this fable inorder to justify state security agents abducting Tawanda? If so, who is she working for? (6) Armed with information on Tawanda’s alleged plans, as a ‘responsible’ citizen that she wants
6) portray, why didn’t she report the case to the police & let police handle the issue? Did she sell this her story to the Ferret team? If she did, why didn’t she use the police? What’s her relationship with the Ferrets?
7) Why does she sound like she used the allegations she had on Tawanda to stifle the Timba investigations? What had Tawanda’s ‘bombs’ to do with MDC-A that gave her power over Timba’s investigations? What information did Masotcha volunteer to Tawanda’s family when he was abducted
8) given that she knew about Tawanda’s alleged shenanigans? Why, if she is a responsible leader, does she want to use her story of bombs to blackmail Tawanda’s family against asking questions around his abduction yet she could have used same infor to assist family to search for
9) him when he was missing. Wasn’t it going to help the family better understand Tawanda’s ordeal had they known about the alleged …s if Masotcha’s story is true? Was Masotcha paid to come up with this narrative to exonerate herself & justify Tawanda’s abductions.
10) What did Masotcha, as a responsible senior leader do to defend Tawanda from abduction? If she didn’t do anything, isn’t it dereliction of duty for a senior party member to fail to protect ordinary party supporters? So the Timba team didn’t find fault with that?
11) When everything is said & done, this audio speaks so much about Masotcha than it reveals anything about Tawanda. I don’t want to pretend like I know what happened but I don’t think anyone wld begrudge me for thinking this Masotcha woman works for the system. Maonerowo angu.
By A Correspondent| Two Hwange women have asked Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to carry out investigations into incidents in which they were shot by bullets, which were recklessly and indiscriminately fired during a police raid on alleged illegal coke vendors.
In the case of 25 year-old Twaboni Nyoni of Madumabisa Village 2 in Hwange in Matabeleland North province, she was shot by a stray bullet discharged by a ZRP officer only identified as Hove on 25 August 2020 as she was seated at her homestead.
As a result of the shooting, Nyoni sustained injuries on one of her breasts and can no longer breastfeed her three month-old son on that particular breast.
In another case, 46 year-old Zulani Mudenda of Madumabisa Village 2 in Hwange, was also shot on 25 August 2020 from a firearm belonging to a ZRP officer, who was among a team of law enforcement agents meant to be dealing with some alleged illegal coke vendors in the mining town of Hwange.
Mudenda was shot as she was coming from work and walking to her homestead between 1900 hours and 2000 hours. She had just passed a huge white pick-up truck when she then noticed three police officers who were on foot. Without any warning being given, one of the police officers discharged a bullet which hit the unsuspecting and unarmed Mudenda in the stomach.
As a result of the shooting, she sustained serious injuries on the stomach, severe loss of blood that upon admission at a local hospital she required a transfusion of five pints of blood and the extent of her injuries required specialised treatment at Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo.
Apart from the pain which she endured, the incident left Mudenda severely traumatised and unable to fully cope with life while also fearing for her safety and that of her family.
Represented by Prisca Dube of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Nyoni and Mudenda recently wrote letters of complaint to the Officer-In-Charge of Hwange Police Station protesting against some ZRP officers’ conduct and demanding that they be held accountable for their unlawful actions.
Dube asked the Officer-In-Charge of Hwange Police Station to immediately investigate the unwarranted use of force, by the discharging of firearms by ZRP officers, which resulted in Nyoni and Mudenda sustaining injuries and to provide the full details of the perpetrators and full incident reports.
The human rights lawyer also wants the Officer-In-Charge of Hwange Police Station to indicate the steps which ZRP is taking or will be taking to ensure that justice is not only done but is actually seen to be done for Nyoni and Mudenda.
By Learnard Koni- The status of paralysis in which Zimbabwe has slipped into for the past 40 years might be traced back to the early 1980s.
A number of economic policies have been formulated and subsequently implemented in Zimbabwe and yet the economy is still in the intensive care unit. This puzzle has been so difficult to read as the country cannot find who is to blame.
This is the question that is probably being asked by many Zimbabweans locally and in the disapora. The country’s economic policies have in the past failed.
Thank God, this analysis does not seek to address issues to do with the “blame game”, but rather attempts to demystify Zimbabwean economic policy dynamics by critically examining the success/failure of economic policies implemented in Zimbabwe since 1980.
Zimbabwe has had many economic blue prints from Esap, Zimprest, ZimAsset and the current new Zimbabwe National Development Strategy (NDS).
The only thing that is needed in Zimbabwe aren’t economic blueprints but good politics and paying our debts rather than eating more than we can chew. The economy has been nose diving due to the lack of monitoring.
Are these blueprints achieving their objective? The former British territory, Zimbabwe has been an independent nation for 40 years now and is one of only 23 countries with a GNI per capita below $2,000.
Low-income countries typically rely heavily on agriculture, and in Zimbabwe, farming accounts for 67% of total employment.
The problem is that the Zanu PF government has never had an economic strategy since 1980, all it did was benefitting from a strong economy left by Ian Smith and it started spending, looting and stealing.
Economic prosperity all about trust. The most important question asked is, do the people have trust in the government? Trust is the most valuable currency in economics.
People and institutions local and abroad should have trust in the current government and the question still remains why do the people not “`trust“` the government?
Every year end people are fed with lies and propaganda that the economy is performing very well. Come the following year you hear the same government singing from a different script, that previous year’s econmy was bad and that the year coming shall be promising and shall be great in economic performance.
This is despite that the results will be speaking for themselves on the ground. The government of late has been focusing on winning elections than fixing the economy.
There is need to revitalise the dying economy which is in the sludge. The economic war is the best foot forward to development.
People are tired of a government which boasts and hit its chest for winning elections whilst the majority is living in abject poverty. Economic blueprints such as the previous Esap, Zimprest and ZimAsset were just means of covering up the massive looting of country’s resources.
Not even a single economic blueprint has improved the country’s ailing economy and not even an assessment was carried to evaluate whether it was a failure or not. Does the government do evaluations on these policies/ blueprints to establish their effectiveness before jumping or eloping to the next policy?
Policy making is meant to be incremental. These politicians must stop the looting and smuggling of minerals. Proper accountability of minerals and security must be put in place.
The money should also be channelled to infrastructure development and improving the lives of citizens. No country was developed by foreigners from UK, US, Canada, China, Japan, India or Russia and the economy must be owned and controlled by the citizens.
The government should learn to support local entrepreneurs through home grown economic policies not these Breton Woods.
By A Correspondent-Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has appealed to Treasury for support to set up more magistrates courts, as well as refurbish prisons which are currently in a deplorable state.
In his presentation during a parliamentary pre-budget seminar this week, Ziyambi said courts were needed in areas such as Epworth, Mabvuku and Dzivarasekwa in Harare.
“We are also appealing to the Finance ministry to ensure that we have access to courts in rural areas where people travel long distances to access justice”.
On prison infrastructure, Ziyambi said it needed refurbishment so that prisoners have descent accommodation. He said there were plans to construct an open prison in Marondera, which Treasury should also support with a budget allocation to solve overcrowding at the country’s prisons.
Ziyambi said lack of magistrates courts had resulted in some court cases taking longer to finalise, thereby denying people justice.
Conditions in Zimbabwean prisons have been described as inhuman and a “death trap”.-newsday
By A Correspondent- THE trial date for Simba Chikore, the late former President Robert Mugabe’s son-in-law, who is facing charges of flouting tender regulations, has been slated for January 18 next year.
Chikore, who is husband to the late Mugabe’s daughter Bona, is said to have acted in contravention of procurement regulations which stipulate that any project above the US$10 000 threshhold must go to formal tender.
The offence was allegedly committed when he was still Air Zimbabwe chief operating officer.
The State was, however, ready for trial yesterday, but Chikore, through his lawyer Brighton Pabwe of Venturas and Samukange, argued before Harare magistrate Trynos Wutawashe that he was served with State papers two days before his trial date.
Chikore is being charged with criminal abuse of duty as a public officer. It is the State case that on August 20 2017, Chikore signed a memorandum of agreement with Safeguard Security Company for provision of security services without following procedure.
He entered into a contract for 10 security guards valued at US$16 445 per month which was above US$10 000 threshold for a informal tender.
The State, represented by Panganai Chiutsi, alleges that his conduct was contrary to the terms of the repealed Procurement Act, which stated that any procurement of services above US$10 000 up to US$50 000 required an informal tender procurement procedure.
The accounting officer was supposed to have advertised the tender in newspapers and thereafter evaluate bids, but he did not.
Chikore, although he was not the accounting officer, is alleged to have engaged the services of Safeguard, a task which was supposed to be carried out by accounting officer Ripton Muzenda.
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission has taken the corruption fight to the private sector calling on whistleblowers to contact the anti graft body on its whatsapp number.
Said the ZACC in a tweet: We must as a country stand up against corruption in the private sector. Whistle blow corruption in the private sector using our WhatsApp platform 0719 529 483. We need to stamp out corruption in our country!
We must as a country stand up against corruption in the private sector. Whistle blow corruption in the private sector using our WhatsApp platform 0719 529 483. We need to stamp out corruption in our country! pic.twitter.com/qvQw2IsVsz
— Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (@ZACConline) November 24, 2020
By A Correspondent- Divisions rocked teachers unions recently over salary negotiations with government following a workers’ strike which lasted for about two months.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general Raymond Majongwe says the 41% salary offer by government, which will see teachers now earn $19 000, is not a negotiated offer, but is a salary imposed by government on teachers.
He said teachers could not be blamed for the bad behaviour of pupils during the teachers’ strike.
The following are excerpts of an interview between NewsDay senior reporter Miriam Mangwaya (ND) and Majongwe (RM) on different issues pertaining to the education sector in the country. ND: As a teachers’ representative body, what is your role in promoting access to education in the country?
RM: Our role is simply to serve the interests of the teachers in promoting their rights and welfare. We also fight to ensure that the education sector continues to survive in this harsh economic environment. Trade unionism is a necessary evil in every country, but in Zimbabwe, we have been labelled enemies of the State, an appendage of the opposition party, the MDC, which is not true. PTUZ was formed in 1997, while the MDC was formed in 1999, but government has maliciously politicised activism by our union. This has reduced teachers to low class citizens, a common phenomenon in the (late former President Robert) Mugabe regime, which is continuing in this so-called new dispensation. Zimbabwe celebrates a high literacy rate of above 90% which was made possible by the underpaid teachers, nevertheless. Teachers’ union leaders are beaten, threatened and prosecuted on arbitrary arrests. Teachers are not pursuing political agendas but are patriots, dedicated to foster education among learners.
ND: What is your reaction to the latest salary offer by the government?
RM: The new salary offer is not a product of dialogue. The Cabinet decided and imposed its offer. There was no collective bargaining in reaching the salary increase, which is unconstitutional. But this has resulted in us as teachers’ unions creating a united front. This is the important thing that has happened in the history of trade unionism. We are pushing for a teacher sector federation where all teachers’ unions are going to come under one body and fight for one good cause. We would be able to challenge the Public Service Commission to engage the Education minister and take legal positions as one body. We are going to approach the courts soon so that they don’t allow the Apex Council to continue existing illegally because its term expired 18 months ago. As it is right now, wrong people are making unfavourable decisions on behalf of the civil servants, which is to the workers’ disadvantage.
ND: What is the situation at schools, and the authorities’ preparedness in dealing with the likely second wave of COVID-19?
RM: Zimbabwean schools, save for those that are privately-owned, do not have the capacity to deal with this pandemic. They don’t have the necessary resources such as sanitisers, personal protective equipment and thermometers. Most schools do not even have running water. Pupils in poverty-stricken rural areas are going to school without masks. Of much concern is that the teachers have not been trained to deal with the disease. Social distancing is difficult to observe at most over-enrolled government schools. I conducted a survey in high-density suburb schools recently and found out that most schools have an average enrolment of 46 pupils in one class, which is against the World Health Organisation guidelines. The situation at John Tallach Secondary School should be an eye-opener for the government, but it appears the authorities are not even fazed. In short, schools opening amid the coronavirus pandemic is just a ticking time bomb.
ND: Are the candidates confident enough to sit for the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) end of year examinations after learning was disrupted by the lockdown and teachers’ strike?
RM: The candidates have made it very clear that they are not prepared because they have not met the minimum threshold of syllabi coverage for them to be able to sit for their examinations. Government is also not considering the plight of children living with disabilities, particularly those with visual and hearing impairments who could not access radio lessons that were being offered during the lockdown. Rural pupils were also affected by the digital divide in accessing radio lessons. Most rural parents have no smart phones, radios and other gadgets that could enable their children to participate in the radio or online lessons. Basically, the radio and online lessons were accessible to the children of the elite. Therefore, it is not fair for Zimsec to treat all candidates equally given those circumstances.
ND: How has the teachers’ strike impacted learning at schools?
RM: For the record, teachers were not on strike. They were incapacitated. Government claimed that it had provided the Zupco buses to relieve teachers of transport challenges, but buses did not cater for all their needs and workers could not go to work while facing a number of problems that had to be addressed financially. Parents continued to send their children to school when they knew very well that teachers were incapacitated and were at their homes. That led to immorality among pupils at schools, you are aware of the sex orgies and drug abuse videos that went viral on social media. Teachers cannot be blamed for that. What do you want a teacher to do when the law now permits the child to get pregnant and be the readmitted at school? Pupils can drink beer, take drugs as much as they want but the law states they can’t be expelled and a lowly paid teacher is expected to instil morality on such children. Government should know that bad macro socio-economic policies impact more on education rather than reactive measures by teachers.
ND: What were the teachers’ surviving tactics during the time they were incapacitated?
RM: Government has turned teachers into criminals. Because of the meagre salaries they get they have ventured into illegal mining, vending, cross-border trading and all other forms of side businesses because they have families to take care of. Some have gone to the extent of running makeshift schools which is against the law. As a result, their focus has been divided between hustling and their profession, which has impacted on the quality of learning in schools. The government should ensure that the teachers’ demands are met. We expect the 2021 budget to improve the teachers’ working environment in terms of infrastructure and above all, their salaries which should be at least above the poverty datum line.
ND: Finance minister Mthuli Ncube recently said the government was the best paying employer, what do you say about that?
RM: When someone has a tendency of speaking the opposite of the truth, they start believing in their lies. Government can’t declare that it is the best payer when its employees are the poorest. It’s actually an insult. Even a street vendor is surviving better than a civil servant. How can he (Ncube) say a salary of US$190 is the best in this country? Mthuli Ncube needs to be reminded that austerity will never lead to prosperity. It’s as good as believing that one can walk to heaven on foot. Teachers are flooding masowe (apostolic church shrines) and traditional healers to seek medical attention because they can’t afford hospital bills and government brags about being the best employer. Policymakers are deliberately detaching themselves from reality.
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) allegedly lost US$21 000 ($2 million) to a syndicate of employees working in its cash office through misrepresentation of money paid for fuel levies.
The levy is only payable in US dollars. According to sources, the rogue employees are said to be linked to either Grace Mugabe or Robert Mugabe era Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development, Nicholas Goche.
The matter came to light on November 7 when Zinara finance director Mr Adam Zvandasara requested Mr Chenjerayi Chibatamoto who is a financial controller to verify purported fuel levy receipts submitted by a company called PurOil Private Limited.
Following the checks, Mr Chibatamoto noticed anomalies in the manner the transactions were captured in its Sage Pastel Accounting system.
“Preliminary internal investigations revealed that on October 21, 2020 Mr Marlon Chikomo the finance executive of PurOil visited Zinara head office and paid US$15 840 being fuel levy for 264 000 litres of petrol.
Mr Chikomo said he was served by a male cashier who gave him an electronic receipt number REC33816 which he was supposed to use to obtain a Direct Fuel Import Licence.
“A check in the Zinara Pastel Accounting System revealed that the receipt submitted by PurOil was not recorded in the system. Instead the receipt number reflects in the system as belonging to Westemead Pvt Limited which allegedly paid US$80 for fuel levy.
“However, a further search for the transactions in the accounting system revealed that both the US$15 840 and US$80 were not recorded as fuel levy collections for October 21, 2020, and could not be traced to the Zinara bank statements,” reads part of Zinara’s statement to police.
The investigations also noted that the office bank record of October 21, which was supposed to be signed by five employees in the cash office (names supplied) and attached to the daily transactional report was missing.
Further investigations showed that PurOil paid US$5 280 on November 12 for the fuel levy for importation of 88 000 litres but the transaction was not recorded in the accounting system. Investigations showed that receipts issued to the company belonged to one Zenda valued at $20 and was for prepaid tolling cards.
The transaction was also not captured in the daily cash office banking records for the day. National ZRP spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed investigations into the matter.
“The ZRP can confirm receiving a report on the alleged fraud at the Zinara cash office,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zinara also reported Mr Jeremia Singende, who also works in the cash office, to the police for allegedly using fake sick leave notes fraudulently obtained from Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals to absent himself from duty.
A letter from Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals signed by its acting clinical director Dr Tapiwa Magure on November 12, 2020, confirmed that a sick note presented by Mr Singende was fake and corruptly obtained.
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his political fixers are trying to nail Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga over his ally, Deputy health minister John Mangwiro’s scandal of coercing state-owned medical supplies entity NatPharm to award a US$5.6 million Covid-19 tender to a Chinese company in which he had a personal interest, The NewsHawks reported.
This is part of the ongoing power struggle between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga who are fighting over who should rule the country from 2023.
Mnangagwa and Chiwenga were close allies in 2017 when they toppled the late former president Robert Mugabe, but no sooner had their mentor gone than they started fighting in a new power struggle.
Informed sources this week told The NewsHawks that Mnangagwa and his allies, through the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) and the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (Sacu), are pushing to implicate and nail Chiwenga into the corrupt deal.
Mangwiro intervened after NatPharm had blocked the Chinese company in which he had an undeclared interest – Young Health Care Limited – from getting a tender to supply vital Covid-19 materials.
This even after Young Health Care had reduced its inflated quote by a staggering US$2.6 million.
After an investigation, Zacc recommended that Mangwiro, Chiwenga’s deputy and his personal physician, be investigated and prosecuted for criminal abuse of office.
“The actions of the deputy minister signal a personal interest in the tender, and this should have prompted him to declare his interest,” a stinging internal Zacc memo leaked to online media, first to ZimLive, said after a review of tender NAT TCB FWWK 04/2020 for the supply of laboratory equipment, reagents and consumables for Covid-19 to NatPharm.
This shady deal came soon after the US$60 million Covid-19 supplies scandal involving Drax International, local businessman Delish Nguwaya and Mnangagwa’s family.
Sources said this week Zacc is pressuring the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz) officials to say that Mangwiro was acting under instruction from Chiwenga while he was in China over the corrupt deal.
“What is happening here is this; Zacc and Sacu think that Chiwenga is the one behind Mangwiro in the deal. Their story is that when Chiwenga was in China he brokered the deal and then assigned Mangwiro to execute,” a source told The NewsHawks.
“They say Chiwenga wanted to bring the supplies through Mangwiro from China where he had gone for medical review, but since it was urgent they decided to send a plane to deliver instead of waiting for him to bring the materials, which they initially thought of.
“For that to happen, Mangwiro had to prevail over NatPharm to give Young Health Care a supply contract.
That’s where the Praz people come into the equation over adjudication. In a bid to get his way, Mangwiro became desperate and even called them during awkward times like around 10pm to secure the tender.
They say this was because he was under pressure from his own boss, Chiwenga. Now Zacc wants Praz officials to say that Chiwenga was involved; that he is the principal in the deal and Mangwiro is just a runner.”
Another source added: “This might all be true, but then the problem is that the whole issue is now political; it’s now a power struggle issue.”
Zacc’s investigation over the tender, carried out between August 31 and September 4, says one of the Health ministry’s directors Dr Gibson Mhlanga, then acting health secretary, wrote to NatPharm on July 15, 2020, instructing the company to “make direct procurements of supplies from Young Health Care.”
Zacc said this was in violation of PRAZ Circular 1 of 2020 which decrees that “only Praz-listed suppliers are sources of Covid-19 supplies.”
“Initial quotation by Young Health Care for supply of commodities under direct procurement, where prices quoted by Young Health Care Limited were exorbitant amounted to US$5.6 million, which was coincidentally the same amount that was in the ministry coffers, suggesting that the company had inside information,” the Zacc report said.
Zacc said after NatPharm insisted on a competitive bidding process, Mangwiro – a medical doctor appointed to deputy minister in September 2018 – demanded that the tender be delayed to allow Young Health Care to register with Praz.
“When NatPharm insisted on competitive bidding, Young Health Care Limited subsequently submitted a bid price of US$3.6 million for the same items. This saw a reduction of 36 percent in the price,” the report said.
Zacc said when the emergency 48-hour tender was finally floated on 5 August and closed on 7 August, 22 bidders including Young Health Care Limited made bids. Young Health Care, according to the Zacc probe, missed out on the tender.
Zacc, citing the then acting NatPharm managing director Zealous Nyabadza, said this angered Mangwiro who summoned the company’s top managers late at night “to explain why the tender was not awarded to Young Health Care Limited.”
“The deputy minister also demanded that a purchase order be issued that same night. The adjudication team was picked from their homes around 10PM and were interrogated by Mangwiro until the early hours of the following day.
The deputy minister threatened the team with dismissal for failing to award Young Health Care the contracts,” the report said. Zacc also found that Young Health Care had also been given a purchase order by NatPharm for nucleic acid, purification machines, transport media and reagents.
After delivering on two of the four purification machines and about 6% of the other two orders, the company reportedly requested an advance “contrary to the terms and conditions of the contract signed with NatPharm, which stipulates that payment should be made seven days after delivery.”
The equipment received by NatPharm was worth US$124 630.40. Mangwiro “insisted on pre-payment and tasked the technical team from NatPharm procurement to visit Young Health Care Limited in their country office and verify available stock in order to compel the NatPharm acting MD to make a prepayment to Young Health Care Limited”, the report said.
The verification team found that items amounting to US$127 643.20 were in stock instead of the US$922 000 requested for pre-payment.
In the end, Zacc said Mangwiro’s alleged actions “violated the evaluation process since the technical team did not have the mandate to carry out the verification of supplies.”
Nyabadza wrote to the health ministry permanent secretary Jasper Chimedza on 26 August “informing him of the pre-payment issue and seeking guidance on how to proceed”, but received no reply “prompting him to decline taking Mangwiro’s instruction to pre-pay Young Health Care.”
“Given the extent to which the deputy minister was involved in the said tender process, indications are that he was acting on his own capacity and not on behalf of the ministry… The conduct of the deputy minister during this tender process warrants further investigations for criminal abuse of office for possible violation of Section 174 of the Criminal Law Codification Act [Chapter9:23],” the report said.
“Apart from this provision, further investigations should be conducted to ascertain possible violation of Section 14 of the Public Finance Management Act [Chapter22:19] by the deputy minister through giving ministerial directives having financial implications when he demanded prepayment of undelivered goods to Young Health Care.
There is need for further investigations into the possible violation of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act [Chapter 22:23] as the conduct of the Deputy Minister might have compromised the independence of NatPharm as a procurement entity.”
Sources said this issue shows that the anti-corruption campaign has now become the new political battleground between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga.
By Jane Mlambo| The MDC Alliance has come under increasing pressure following a leaked audio in which MDC Alliance Bulawayo provincial Women’s Assembly Chairperson Tendai Masotsha was heard saying ZimLive editor, Mduduzi Mathuthu’s nephew Tawanda Muchehiwa told her that there was a serious plot to bomb government buildings.
This comes on the back of an MDC Alliance internal inquiry which exonerated Masotsha of any wrongdoings in the abduction and torture of Muchehiwa.
The report was heavily opposed by Mathuthu, Muchehiwa and Professor Jonathan Moyo who felt the MDC Alliance had failed the nation by not doing justice on an issue of infiltration.
Following the leaked audio, in which Masotsha threatens to spill the beans on what she says were plans by Muchehiwa to cause mayhem in the country, the noise has peaked again with the party being accused of protecting an infiltrator.
Below are reactions from social media users over the leaked audio:
Elias Mambo
Dear @nelsonchamisa This Cheyahumani is something else… @hwendec nyaya ngaidziriswe iyo… I said it here and I will not hesitate to say it..This is one classical example of infiltration.. @JamesonTimba did you listen to the audio
Professor Jonathan Moyo
TENDAI MASOTSHA’S audio is a confession by a senior MDC-A official that she conspired with Mnangagwa’s Ferret Force; as an informant cum agent provocateur to get Tawanda abducted & tortured for ALLEGEDLY planning with 20 people, some foreigners with guns to burn public buildings!
Tawanda Muchehiwa
Tendai Masotsha sounds exactly like my abductors when they were torturing me. That she claims I told her of these plots further suggests she was source of that fake intel. That conversation never happened. Only sit-down was in a car with @DrNyashaForMP. Did he overhear this?
Chambii
If Ms Masotcha was rescued from Police cells by CIOs and then later defended by Mr Hwende what does this tell us? This tells us a story and goes back to same Integrity Committee needed in the party, the SG needs to clear his name. Those who attacked me where are you?
Zanu PF national commissar Victor Matemadanda, who was allegedly poisoned during a party meeting a fortnight ago, yesterday claimed that there were people in the ruling Zanu-PF party that wanted him dead.
Matemadanda has revealed exclusive details of the poisoning to ZimEye.com in a wide ranging interview over the incident. He says he was attacked shortly ‘after the president had finished his address.’
NewsDay in an interview that the people celebrated his sudden illness with the hope that he was dying, but insisted that this was “part of the game” which would not deter him from working “for the good of the party”.
Reports of Matemadanda’s poisoning come as the ruling party is in a tense moment as it is set to hold internal elections to choose district co-ordinating committee (DCC) members as it moves to galvanise grassroot structures.
Some Zanu-PF bigwigs were said to be already canvassing for support to stand as candidates in the 2023 general elections, while others were allegedly unhappy with the party’s restructuring exercise which the Defence and War Veterans deputy minister is spearheading.
“Don’t expect people to love you,” Matemadanda said.
“Whatever happened will not deter me from my assignment. Even if I were to die, many precious lives have been lost for this country and I am not special, for as long as I am serving as per my appointment and I am doing something right in the party,” he said.
He said there were some in the party whom he thought were working together with him, only to realise they were saying bad things behind his back which revealed that they had their own issues.
“Even if it is my assignment that people would hate me for, I will do what I was assigned to do. No one kicks a dead dog, and if you then see people taking up stones when they approach your home, it means there is a vicious dog, and so it means I am biting them,” he said.
He refused to either confirm or deny that he was indeed poisoned, but referred questions pertaining to those allegations to the Zanu-PF acting party spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa.
“That is for comrade Chinamasa to say. He is the person qualified to speak for the party, I am not the party. I am just a drop (of water) in the party, but what I can say is that I am at work, I have my energy and I am raring to go,” Matemadanda said.
“It doesn’t matter where I fell sick. There are mortuaries in those hospitals and it doesn’t matter where I fell sick and how. What is important is that I am fine and I am back.”
Chinamasa issued a statement on Saturday that Matemadanda fell ill a week ago and had been rushed to hospital.
His illness, Chinamasa said, included itchiness of the eyes, sweating profusely, swelling of the body and vomiting badly.
He fell ill during a Zanu-PF provincial co-ordinating committee meeting in Marondera last week and was rushed to hospital.
Matemadanda said after his illness, he was now aware of how much he was hated and loved in equal measure and alleged that there were some people who celebrated his illness and wished him dead.
“I now know people’s perceptions about me. Some were posting saying ‘you should have died’. I wish them well because they have exposed themselves. I had my obituaries and messages before I died, so it gave me a picture of what people would say if I were to die.
“What makes me happy is that the number of those who were sympathising (with me) is more than those who wished me dead.”
He added: “My mother would hide sugar from us as I was good at stealing, and so when I grew up, I was diagnosed with diabetes and the doctor said I should not take sugar as it was dangerous for my health. I said to myself, if sweet things like sugar can kill, who am I to be liked by everybody when sweet things can also kill.
“Some people should be free to hate me and others should love and like me, but you would want to understand why would people hate you that much?”
Matemadanda alleged that some people hated him despite that he was merely a representative of the party, Zanu-PF, adding: “I cannot wish those to love me, but their hate obviously tells me of my effectiveness. So I will keep on working for the good of my party because it shows that I am doing something good.”
The Zanu-PF political commissar said he was committed to the party and country to the extent that he had to walk around the city one day to listen to people’s concerns and to assist the party with a strategy to address their concerns.
“I walked around Harare to listen to people’s concerns and to help my party and my President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) to solve the problems in the country. Zanu-PF has a manifesto that is people-centred and I am at the centre of that as the national commissar, and so I went and spoke to the people about their needs.”
Speculation was rife that Matemadanda was actually targeted by rivals in Zanu-PF after several names were dropped from the list of potential candidates for DCC elections expected to be held soon.
Jacob Mudenda at the NUST Center where DNA Tests are done.
GOVERNMENT is working on a law that will guide the process of exhumations of the remains of Gukurahundi victims in Matabeleland and the Midlands with the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) expected to conduct the genetic studies.
Last month President Mnangagwa held a consultative meeting with traditional leaders from Matabeleland provinces at State House in Bulawayo.
During the meeting it was resolved that traditional leaders will now take over the exhumation and reburial of victims of Gukurahundi in Matabeleland and Midlands, while Government will fund the process as part of initiatives to bring closure to the emotive issue and promote national healing.
The Second Republic has made a commitment to confront the country’s past by resolving outstanding issues associated with the disturbances that took place soon after Independence.
Government is also set to start issuing civic documents to children of the victims of the disturbances, including death certificates for those who died.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting with tertiary institutions in Matabeleland at Nust yesterday, the Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda said Government is in the process of working on a law that will be used as a guideline when the process of exhumations of Gukurahundi victims starts.
“Genetic studies will assist us in a big way as we exhume a number of our fallen heroes in various parts of this country and outside whose relatives want their bodies exhumed. The same will apply to the victims of the Gukurahundi incident,” he said.
“It is important that the remains of those that are to be exhumed are properly identified and Nust will play a critical role in this exercise. We need a law to guide us and Government is putting in place that law to guide us in terms of how these exhumations should be conducted with the greatest dignity of human remains.”
The director of Nust Applied Genetic Testing Centre (AGTC), Mr Zephaniah Dhlamini said they were prepared to conduct the genetic studies once there is a law to guide them.
“There are mass graves of Gukurahundi victims in Matabeleland and if we are asked to do the genetic studies, we can do it, but we need a law to guide us. That law has many databases, you can have a criminal database of habitual criminals then there is a missing persons database and in that missing database it will cover whether you were missing from the liberation war or Gukurahundi era, the law will be there to provide for that,” he said.
“If a mother comes forward and says she is missing a child under those circumstances then her DNA is taken and put in the database. Should a mass grave be found in the area or vicinity where she suspects the child was when those bones were profiled, then we go to that database and compare the bones. We need that law in place and political will to bring this to closure using science not speculation.”
Adv Mudenda also commended Nust’s AGTC for partnering Mpilo Central Hospital in conducting Covid-19 PCR tests. Nust is also assisting Mpilo and United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) in repairing broken down ventilators as well as producing hand sanitisers and masks.
“In the same vein, I am also acutely aware that Nust has been in the process decentralising testing from Bulawayo and producing face masks and 2000 litres of hand sanitizers per week with plans to expand this productive capacity,” he said.
“I must also commend Nust’s Applied Genetic Testing Centre for partnering Mpilo Central Hospital in conducting Covid-19 PCR tests in line with the principle of devolution.”
Adv Mudenda challenged the country’s tertiary institutions to be proactively innovative in an effort to be transformative of Zimbabwe’s socio-economic environment through the Fourth Industrial Revolution template anchored on Education 5.0
“The Education Model 5.0 resonates profusely with the constitutional dictate on national development as espoused in Section 13 of our Constitution. However, in order for tertiary institutions and the academia to fully conceptualise the tenet of Education 5.0, cognisance must be taken of the historical antecedents pronounced by our regional Sadc leaders in their ‘Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan’ as read together with the ‘SADC Protocol on Science, Technology and Innovation,’” he said.
“The crux of these two seminal documents is that the development matrix must be science and technology-driven at all times.”
Three Kwekwe teenagers recently reportedly lured a 7-year-old with a $5 note before taking turns to rape the helpless minor.
The youths aged 18, 16 and 15 cannot be named.
While two of them are still on the run, one of them, the eldest, has been arrested and arraigned before a Kwekwe Magistrate Mrs Sheryl Tembo facing rape charges.
He was granted $2 000 bail.
He will be back in court on December 3.
The State led by Ms Yeukai Mugumba has it that, at a date not known to the State, but between September and October this year, the three teenagers were at their Old Flat in Westend Suburb in Kwekwe.
The complainant was playing with her friends when one of the accused called her into the flat and she consented.
One of the accused then told her to get into the bedroom and again she complied.
He then told her that he would give her a $5 note if she removed her clothes.
After she removed her clothes, the accused person went on to rape the juvenile.
After the heinous act, he then gave the juvenile the $5 he had promised in an attempt to buy her silence.
The other two boys would also reportedly take turns to rape the minor before releasing her.
The act reportedly happened on several occasions from September to October.
The matter came to light when the juvenile broke the news of the act to her father.
The father reported the matter at Amaveni Police Station leading to the arrest of one of the accused whilst the other two are still at large.
A medical report presented in court showed that the juvenile has been ‘facing multiple episodes of sexual assault.’
ZIFA president Felton Kamambo has painted a gloomy picture for local football, raising fears that the intended bio-bubble tournament set for next month could fail.
At the weekend Kamambo said that they are yet to secure sponsorship for the bio-bubble tournament, with Zifa sources saying hope is pinned on the Premier Soccer League securing funding.
“We can’t confirm the kick-off date for now. A lot is being done to make sure this bio-bubble tournament goes on.
“We have approached a number of corporates for funding, but nothing concrete has come out. The PSL is looking for potential sponsors as well.
“It is still work in progress,” Kamambo said.
Sources said both Zifa and PSL will have to work round the clock to make the bio-bubble tournament that they intended to hold next month a success.
For the competition which is meant to afford the Warriors technical team an opportunity to scout for players that will do duty at the Chan tournament in January to be successful, it means the bio-bubble event will see games played during the Christmas holidays.
To be able to participate in a bio-bubble tournament which is meant to test the country’s state of preparedness to have a fully-functional 2021 league, most clubs indicated that they need at least six weeks to work on conditioning of players.
Some Premiership clubs, including traditional giants Highlanders and Dynamos entered their third week of training yesterday, while others like Ngezi Platinum Stars as well as Chicken Inn are in their second week.
Harare giants Caps United who concluded Covid-19 tests at the weekend are in their first week of training.
“As it is everyone is in the dark and we’re training without knowing what will happen. No update has come from Zifa through the PSL and it will be foolish of us as clubs not to worry when no one is briefing us about developments,” said a club official.
Another official said it will be wise for the national team coach to move around the country and assess players at their clubs if Zifa, who say they have spent substantial amounts in getting league teams tested for Covid-19, fail to get a sponsor.
“Failure to have games played will lead to serious cries when some the Chan squad is announced. Already, there are some who are spreading rumors that the Chan squad has been selected but on what merit will these players be called up? Will they use history or what? Let the coach have a long camp or move around and monitor players while they train. Maybe that way, they can justify whatever selection that will be done without competition,” said the source.
Informal sector miners use highly dangerous means to mine.
Expanding gold mining in Zimbabwe is key to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s plans to revitalise the country’s economy, especially at a time when the price of the metal is soaring on world markets.
But violence and turmoil are disrupting the sector and the government’s centralised selling system is leading to lost tax revenue and foreign exchange.
Joining calls for reforms coming from within Zimbabwe is a new report published by the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG), which summarises the challenges and outlines steps which the government, mining companies, civil society and international actors could take to meet them.
Issues highlighted by the report:
Artisanal and small-scale miners who dig with little or no machinery and often without licences – and who produce 63 percent of reported gold production – are attacked and killed by armed “machete gangs” intent on taking over their diggings or simply robbing them.
Ruling party politicians have been accused of backing illegally encroaching artisanal miners or even machete gangs. There is also tension between artisanal miners and the industrial mining companies that hold most exploration rights.
Adding to the sector’s woes, miners are forced to sell through a subsidiary of the country’s central bank, which often pays late and at rates substantially below the world gold price. This encourages smuggling and it is estimated that more than $1.5 billion worth of gold leaves Zimbabwe illegally each year, often for Dubai.
Among the ICG’s recommendations for action:
The government should include give artisanal mining cooperatives legal standing, pay gold producers at world prices to reduce smuggling and strengthening mining dispute resolution mechanisms;
Mining companies should cooperate with artisanal miners;
Bodies representing artisanal miners should professionalised;
Multiultilateral organisations such as the International Monetary Fund – and South Africa – should include metrics on mining when assessing Zimbabwe’s reform efforts.
Harare City Council officials yesterday spent the better part of day clamping vehicles not displaying parking discs in the city centre, in direct defiance of a recent Supreme Court ruling that found the practice to be “illegal”.
The Supreme Court ruled that the council can fine offenders under its 1983 regulations and if the motorist does not pay within four days, they should be prosecuted.
A municipal officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “Clamping is continuing as we are yet to get a directive from our bosses to stop.”
However, Harare City Council spokesperson Mr Michael Chideme told The Herald that they stand guided by the court ruling, unless they decide to appeal.
Our news crew yesterday observed council officials clamping vehicles across the town.
In the Supreme Court, ruling Justices Elizabeth Gwaunza, Tendai Uchena and Lavender Makoni, ruled that it was illegal for municipal police to clamp and tow away cars in the CBD.
The ruling followed a challenge by a Harare motorist, Ms Melody Muza, whose car had been clamped and towed away for not displaying a parking disc in May last year.
Heavy storms coupled with localised heavy downpours, strong winds and lightning are expected across the country until Saturday, following the storms across the southern, western and central areas yesterday.
The Meteorological Services Department (MSD), in conjunction with the Department of Civil Protection, has put out an alert with motorists in particular advised to be cautious on the roads as flash flooding may occur.
Yesterday, widespread thunderstorms were experienced, with heavy falls in excess of 30mm in 24 hours being noted. Only Mashonaland East and Central, and Harare, remained sunny.
Zvishavane recorded 16mm, Plumtree 9mm and Nkayi 5mm.
The MSD said more moisture was drifting into the country from the north-western parts of the country, the Victoria Falls area, right through to Gonarezhou in the south-eastern parts of the country.
Today, the storms are expected to start off in Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands, Masvingo and Bulawayo Metropolitan as moisture drifts in from a cloud system over Botswana.
They will be accompanied by “strong winds as well as lightning and possibly hail”, said the MSD in an alert issued yesterday at 4pm.
“Similar conditions should spread north-eastward to affect all Mashonaland provinces as well as Harare Metropolitan from Thursday into Friday, and slightly ease off on Saturday 28 November.
“The Meteorological Services Department will continue monitoring and issue updates as the system progresses.”
Citizens have been urged to stay indoors during thunderstorms, but if caught outdoors, should not seek shelter under isolated trees or small sheds.
If no shelter is available, people are advised to try to couch as low as possible, with only their feet touching the ground.
But when it is not raining, the summer sun will be hot and the MSD advises drinking adequate amounts of water and keeping our of the sun between 11am and 3pm when it is hottest.
“Wear sunscreen when engaged in outdoor activities if possible,” said the MSD.
All citizens, especially motorists, are discouraged from crossing flooded rivers as they risk being swept away.
A former top police officer, Senior Assistant Commissioner Edmore Veterai, who was now a leading sugar cane farmer in Chiredzi, has died.
Snr Asst Comm Veterai (Retired) died yesterday afternoon at his house in the sugarcane growing town with reports indicating he had been unwell with an undisclosed ailment.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday confirmed the death.
“That is true, but we are waiting for more details,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
Fellow cane farmers and other members of the Chiredzi community expressed shock over his death.
Commercial Sugar Cane Farmers Association of Zimbabwe (CSFAZ) chair Retired Major Admore Hwarare said he was gutted by Veterai’s death.
“It is unbelievable that he is no more. I just received the news of his passing on a few minutes ago and I am at loss of words. We are shocked by his death,” he said.
He will fondly be remembered in the sugar cane industry for founding and becoming the inaugural chair of the Zimbabwe Sugar Development Association (ZSDA). Veterai retired from the police force in 2013 and served as ZSDA chair for more than a decade.
ZSDA spokesperson Mr Saul Chin’anga yesterday said Veterai will be remembered for his unparalleled determination to achieve set goals for farmers.
During his time as Officer Commanding for Matabeleland North, like his then boss, Commissioner General, Augustine Chihuri, Veterai also publicly declared his political allegiance to Zanu PF.
During Veterai’s era Matabeleland North had became a mine field for human rights activists, journalists and politicians from the MDC.
It was joy to the people of the region when he was transferred from the province.
“We welcome the transfer of Veterai from the province. In fact the transfer was long overdue because this man was a Zanu (PF) activist masquerading as a police officer. It was virtually impossible to hold meetings in the province under Veterai,” said Tabitha Khumalo, the MDC –T then deputy spokesperson.
President Mnangagwa yesterday promoted 54 Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) officers to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel effective November 10.
The changes reflect Mnangagwa’s continued coup-proofing strategy and search for stability in the military forces which brought him to power through a coup in November 2017.
Conferring new ranks on the team, 48 men and six women at Army Headquarters in Harare yesterday, ZNA Brigadier Administration Staff, Brigadier-General Milton Vudzijena challenged the officers to continue working hard.
“Your promotion today is a true reflection of the confidence that the ZDF has in your ability to perform at a higher level,” he said.
“This is a reward for your hard work and steadfastness towards serving our country, Zimbabwe. This translates to more workload and greater responsibility.
“I solemnly urge you to take your leadership roles with dexterity and confidence as your subordinates will inevitably look up to you for guidance. Further, you are expected to be fair in judgment in order to retain the respect and trust of your subordinates. I urge you to reinforce the values of integrity, patriotism, professionalism and teamwork.”
Brig-Gen Vudzijena said promotion was earned by men and women of integrity.
“Promotions are the means through which the ZNA identifies men and women of integrity, who are relevantly qualified and experienced to satisfy its efficiency needs and professional aspirations,” he said.
Brig-Gen Vudzijena called on the officers to continue supporting Government initiatives to turn around the economic fortunes of the country.
“Our nation is undergoing a progressive socio-economic transformation, which we are directly part of,” he said.
“Let us all arise and employ our respective initiatives and innovativeness in the various posts that you have been assigned to, in complementing and supporting Government’s developmental programmes.”
One of the promoted, Lieutenant-Colonel Tichadini Masanganise thanked the President for the promotion saying they will continue to work for the improvement of the ZNA and the nation at large.
“As newly-promoted Lieutenant-Colonels, we thank His Excellency for this entrusting us with responsibility through this promotion has re-energised us, we will continue working hard for the betterment of the ZNA and nation at large,” he said.
“It is common knowledge that this elevation in rank and status is associated with an increase in duties and responsibilities on our shoulders.”
The Commander in Chief Zimbabwe Defence Forces President Mnangagwa yesterday promoted 54 Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Majors to the rank of substantive Lieutenant colonels.
President Mnangagwa made the promotions under the Defence Act and they are with effect from November 10.
Conferring new ranks on the Lieutenant colonels, 48 men and six women, at Army Headquarters in Harare yesterday, ZNA Brigadier Administration Staff, Brigadier General Milton Vudzijena challenged the officers to continue working hard.
“Your promotion today is a true reflection of the confidence that the ZDF has in your ability to perform at a higher level,” he said.
“This is a reward for your hard work and steadfastness towards serving our country, Zimbabwe. This translates to more workload and greater responsibility.
“I solemnly urge you to take your leadership roles with dexterity and confidence as your subordinates will inevitably look up to you for guidance. Further, you are expected to be fair in judgment in order to retain the respect and trust of your subordinates. I urge you to reinforce the values of integrity, patriotism, professionalism and teamwork.”
Brigadier-General Vudzijena said promotion was earned by men and women of integrity.
“Promotions are the means through which the ZNA identifies men and women of integrity, who are relevantly qualified and experienced to satisfy its efficiency needs and professional aspirations,” he said.
Brig-Gen Vudzijena called on the officers to continue supporting Government initiatives to turn around the economic fortunes of the country.
“Our nation is undergoing a progressive socio-economic transformation, which we are directly part of,” he said.
“Let us all arise and employ our respective initiatives and innovativeness in the various posts that you have been assigned to, in complementing and supporting Government’s developmental programmes.”
One of the promoted, Lieutenant Colonel Tichadini Masanganise thanked President for the promotion saying they will continue to work for the improvement of the ZNA and the nation at large.
“As newly promoted Lieutenant Colonels, we thank His Excellence for this entrusting us with responsibility through this promotion has re-energised us, we will continue working hard for the betterment of the ZNA and nation at large,” he said
“It is common knowledge that this elevation in rank and status is associated with an increase in duties and responsibilities on our shoulders.” -Herald
THE Government is investigating the debacle that led to the disqualification of the Young Warriors from the COSAFA Championship over an age-cheating scandal.
The Botswana Football Association have already suspended their chief executive, Mfolo Mfolo, over the same age-cheating scandal.
Their Under-17 national youth team were also expelled from the tournament.
The Eswatini and Comoros Under-17 national teams were also thrown out of the tournament.
The Eswatini authorities have promised action and have made it clear heads will roll.
“The Ministry takes this moment to apologise to all Emaswatini for the huge embarrassment that this matter has brought to the country,’’ the Eswatini authorities said.
“The ministry, on behalf of His Majesty’s government, wishes to make it clear that it strongly condemns any form of cheating in sport and will stop at nothing to ensure that all who were involved in such, and cheating in its entirety, are removed from our sport.”
With the championships being used by the Confederation of African Football, as qualifiers for their Under-17 championships, this is a huge blow for the expelled nations. Interestingly, the BFA said they deliberately sent in players between the ages of 14 and 15 to prepare a national team which, in about two years’ time, will be able to represent the country well at the Under-17 championships.
“According to our protocols, in terms of team selection, we target players of 14 to 15 years so that they are in our structures of the team for, at least, a two-year cycle,’’ the BFA said.
“We ask the nation, and the entire football fraternity, to remain calm as we await a full report from CAF and COSAFA.
“The BFA NEC has, with immediate effect, set up a three-man team to investigate the issue and we expect them to give us findings within a week’s time.
“The BFA has also suspended its CEO, Mfolo Mfolo, pending completion of the investigations.’’ ZIFA said the Young Warriors were expected home yesterday.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association would like to inform the football fraternity and the nation that ZIFA has not received any response from CAF, following our appeal against the disqualification our Under-17 team from this year’s edition of the COSAFA Youth Championship,’’ the association spokesperson, Xolisani Gwesela, said in a statement.
“COSAFA has insisted that in the absence of communication from CAF, the expulsion stands and the team should travel back to Zimbabwe.
“Consequently, the team will return home (yesterday).
“This does not mean that ZIFA has abandoned its appeal against disqualification, but we have taken this decision to avoid further straining the committed and innocent Young Warriors whose premature exit was disappointing and questionable.
“The Association would like to express its gratitude to all Zimbabweans who have supported the indefatigable Young Warriors whose participation in the COSAFA tournament was promising.
“ZIFA would like to reiterate that the Executive Committee remains committed in developing the beautiful game in the country.’’ The Government said it is conducting investigations into the issue.
Youth, Sport, Art and Recreation deputy minister, Tino Machakaire, said they did not condone any underhand dealings and were disappointed with the expulsion of the Young Warriors.
“As a ministry, we were very disappointed to learn of the disqualification of our Under-17 boys,’’ he said.
“The boys have a lot of potential and are playing quite well. This development is a setback that will affect their play.
“We are currently looking into the matter. However, let me state that as a Ministry we do not condone corruption of any sort, or any underhand dealings.
“I can firmly assure you that this matter will be duly resolved.’’
Team manager, Prosper Kadewere, said the Young Warriors had been deflated by the developments.
Michelle “Moana” Amuli ‘s mom, Yolanda Kuvawonga (left) listens to applicant lawyer, Advocate Paidamoyo Madondo (centre) during court proceedings on funeral arrangements for video vixen, Michelle “Moana” Amuli at the High Court in Harare yesterday.
THE family of Michelle “Moana” Amuli will have to wait a little longer to know how and when the socialite will be buried after the High Court reserved judgment in an application by her mother Ms Yolanda Kuvaoga to cancel the burial order issued to her estranged husband Mr Ishmael Amuli.
Moana died in the accident that claimed the lives of Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure, Limumba Karim from Malawi and Alichia Adams from Mozambique more than two weeks ago.
Kadungure has since been buried while the remains of the other two have been repatriated to their home countries.
Ever since the crash, Moana’s mother Ms Kuvaoga and Mr Amuli have been haggling over how to bury her, with the mother favouring a Christian burial while the father wants to bury his daughter with Islamic rites. The different types of funeral would take place at different cemeteries.
Yesterday, High Court Judge Justice Pisirai Kwenda heard oral evidence from the estranged couple over the burial dispute and reserved judgment to tomorrow, saying he wanted time to make an informed decision on the matter. Giving oral evidence before the court Kuvaoga said they had initially agreed to bury Moana the Christian way, but the father suddenly changed his mind after he got the burial order.
“My plea is that let us do what we have agreed on the first time. Initially, we had agreed that the deceased will be taken to Doves, spend the night there and will be taken to my house for about two to three hours, then proceed to Zororo Cemetery for burial,” she said.
Mr Amuli told the court that they were not objecting to what Kuvaoga wanted, but they were following the Islamic culture. “We are not objecting to what she wants but according to our culture a deceased person does not sleep in the house,” he said.
“We agreed that the body will be taken to Doves then to her place before burial. According to our culture we do not bury the deceased in a coffin, we bury them the Islamic way. In all those processes the applicant (Kuvaoga) is allowed to be present.
Kuvaoga, represented by her lawyer Mr Jerome Madondo, last week approached the High Court on an urgent basis seeking an interim interdict to stop the burial until the finalisation of the matter, but Amuli’s lawyer Arshiel Mugiya dismissed the application arguing that the court cannot nullify a burial order that was lawfully obtained.
Mr Silence Chimundikira shows stands built on a road, land barons have become a menace to residents in Chitungwiza. There has been alocation of stands on inappropriate designations.
The owners of four houses in a close in Unit N, Chitungwiza, no longer have access to a road after land barons allocated a stand in the midst of the road leading up to the houses.
The person, who was allocated the stand is already constructing a house, which is now at window level.
Two of the homeowners that were affected by the development Messrs Suspicion Kubandikira and Trust Mashekere, who bought stands in the close in 2010 said they were now forced to park their cars elsewhere since they can no longer drive up to their homes.
Even our news crew had to park its vehicle six houses away from the affected houses as the road is practically impassable.
The two showed this paper offer letters dated February 2010 issued by former Chitungwiza housing director Jemina Gumbo proving that the affected people were indeed the real beneficiaries of the stands.
“Allocation of infill residential stand offer letter stand number 3099 Unit N your application to be allocated a residential stand in Chitungwiza Municipality Area has been successful,” read part of the offer letter.
Interestingly, the cost of servicing the stand was valued at $200.
Messrs Kubandikira and Mashekere said the problem started last year after Bernadate Square and Brighton Garura who sold them the stands started demanding extra payment.
“We bought the 200 square metre stands in 2010 from Bernadate and Garura at a cost of US$3 000 each.
“They then facilitated our paperwork at council, including offer letters, site plans and lease agreements,” said Mr Kubandikira.
“The problem came last year when they approached us saying we need an extra US$1 500 of which we declined.
“To our surprise violent youths came and assaulted us before pegging the road. Four houses including mine no longer have access to the road.”
Mr Mashekere chipped in saying they had lost hope as the suspected land barons boast of having close links to Chitungwiza Municipality, the Judiciary and security forces.
“The paperwork is from the local authority, but surprisingly Bernadate and Garura came and showed us new papers dated 2019 indicating that we had actually invaded their new stand situated in the road,” he said.
The parties are now fighting each other in the courts. Concerted efforts to get in touch with Square and Garura were fruitless as they were not answering their mobile phones the whole of yesterday.
Chitungwiza Residents Trust director Ms Alice Kuveya recently lambasted council officials for conniving in corrupt activities.
“Honestly, as residents we are tired of corrupt council officials. We are asking the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), and the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to take action now.
“As residents we will continue to fight for our properties.
“There is not going to be a stand in the middle of the road. The owner should go and get back his money,” she said.
This is just a tip of an iceberg with Chitungwiza Municipality officials recently having allegedly altered a stand layout plan in Unit N Extension before allocating a residential stand in the middle of a road that has been in existence since 2006.
The below is an exclusive interview with Deputy Defence Minister Victor Matemadanda on Sunday.
I was forcing myself to be normal,
It was not an allergy
It was a gas
there is no one whose hand I shook.
President had finished addressing
ZimEye: vaMatemadanda
ZimEye: How are you feeling today?
ZimEye: Did you manage to get that (other) doctor?
Matemadanda: I am still to contact him I was still trying to reach him.
ZimEye: Are you sure this was poison and was not an allergic reaction?
Matemadanda: Aaah, other tests indicate to that [effect]. ZimEye: They indicate to an allergy?
Matemadanda: No, to some poison.
ZimEye: Is there a name for the poison?
Matemadanda: Aaah, it’s a gas they said they will confirm for me by about Tuesday, I don’t know after analysing. ZimEye: By Tuesday? Matemadanda: It’s a gas which they are saying entered my body.
ZimEye: And you suppose that gas was released from the assailant’s palm? Matemandanda: I did not see…it was so swift the person came saying they want to remove something from my cap. Upon that moment that is when I inhaled. At one time I thought they were removing an insect and it was the insect that was smelling, but I later realised that it something else when it began reacting.
ZimEye: And you smelt something strong upon that moment?
Matemadanda: Yes, yes, yes, right there. Not strong to the point of realising what it was. Do you know these green insects [ zvipembenene]? So I thought that because we are now in November, ~I thought it was that insect.
ZimEye: It was a chipembenene on top of the cap? Matemandanda: No, I did not see it. The man just said there is something on top of your cap, so I just assumed when I smelt the strong scent, as the man indicated.
ZimEye: And have you ever reacted to a chipembenene?
Matemadanda: Aah, no.
ZimEye: I am just assuming it was.
Matemadanda: Aaah, no. I think it was…It’s just that when it happened it was unexpected, I only realised upon recollection that on top of the cap there was nothing because I had just come out of the hall where the president was addressing. I did not go elsewhere. So I had only escorted him to the car.
ZimEye: So you had gone back to sit down?
Matemadanda: I did not even go back to sit down, I was now going to my own car, when I started feeling funny, I rushed to go sit inside the car. I felt a dizziness, what was like a flue, or something so I thought it was a reaction to the smell; I rushed to go into the car and said to my boys let’s go into the car. But it just continued getting worse, because there developed an element of hunger, so I told them go buy me some sadza at OK Supermarket there, but when I began eating that is when I started vomiting, so ….
ZimEye: But when this person came to touch you were sat down?
Matemandanda: No, President had finished addressing. That is when I escorted him to his car, to see him off, so when I left to go to my own car, that is when this man came saying: Cde there is something on top of your cap, so he opened his palm saying he is removing something; He was enlarging the veranda (of my cap), that is when I inhaled that gas, and I felt it was something unusual, there is an odour which I did not understand, but I was not quick to realise it could be something dangerous, that is when I thought ‘it is a chipembenene, I don’t know.’ But the reaction just developed gradually.
ZimEye: Do you think we could get video footage?
Matemadanda: Aaaah, because president had already left, and the camera people usually only focus on the president, I don’t know but I asked for them . I don’t know if we will find the footage.
ZimEye: Then suddenly you were now hungry; when was the last time you had had some food?
Matemadanda: I had breakfast, when I got to the meeting I had told myself I would not eat in public, but I drank water which I had carried with me to the meeting. And I did not eat anything, and there is no one whose hand I shook, and I did not drink any water there.
ZimEye: But this hunger you insist it came from that smell, that powder?
Matemadanda: I wouldn’t, me I am diabetic, but I am not (sic)…but when I became hungry, I never thought it was something abnormal, because hunger was not as extensive to the point where I would scream for food to be bought, normally I would ask to drive home to eat there.
But I actually bought sadza at OK, but I don’t know how it is connected, for to say what, I don’t know.
ZimEye: Suddenly you are confused?
Matemadanda: Yes, there was some lapsing like as if I want to sleep, or some confusion that is mild, such that if you force to gather strength it could come back, but some laziness suddenly became the order of the day.
ZimEye: And that came from that very moment just after the person had touched your cap, that is when you became confused?
Matemadanda: Aaaaah, I … it was sort of a gradual thing that was happening as I was moving and responding to this thing, but in the final analysis, I could see while walking it’s like I want to forget this and that. I could not make up how that was now happening. So I was forcing myself to be normal, but knowing that there is a dizziness, a confusion, what what what.
ZimEye: If ZBC had published or broadcast especially this statement on poison, do you feel that there would be a more diligent search to establish who did this?
Matemadanda: I had never…in fact I had never because what I know is that these things end up in some hands where a lot of speculation emerges. It might end up creating enemies for me because what happens is people start following scenarios and going …
Even vaChinamasa paya pavakataura (when he said) … I was saying it shouldn’t be a thing that is trying to confirm the speculation that is around. Because what I know is the narratives that will be drawn, will end up creating enmity with people unnecessarily. So even as it is now I was going to respond today, but I would not give them a statement, I don’t want.
ZimEye: You want to wait for the tests on Tuesday?
Matemadanda: I want to see, but all the same I am getting myself treated, so, I don’t see the need and use, otherwise it is just a learning curve where I should try and be more cautious; But otherwise I don’t want to be all hyper about it and the speculative reporting that is accompanying it because in the end there is nothing that it gives me, apart from people creating their narratives; if I once quarelled with someone and so forth.
By Daniel Molokele | In 1734, Alexander Pope published his much celebrated poem entitled, “An Essay on Man”.
It is in the said poem that he wrote one of his most famous lines ever:
“Hope springs eternal in the human breast”
This particular line quickly went viral and soon achieved proverbial status.
But more importantly, it is still as resonant today, as much as when it was initially written; now almost 300 years later.
But what exactly did Alexander Pope mean to say with this particular line that immediately attained iconic status?
It is now a widely held view that what he meant to say was so simple.
He simply meant to say that “it is human nature to keep on hoping against all odds”.
Indeed, it is human nature to always find cause for optimism especially when faced by the more realistic odds of a bleak future.
Be that as it may, the efficacy or veracity of Alexander Pope’s legendary words must have been put under a severe test in the context of the prevailing set of political circumstances affecting Zimbabwe during this past week, as the nation took time to reflect on the long-term implications of the November 2017 coup that led to the downfall of one of Africa’s worst dictators ever, Robert Mugabe.
During the past week, it was absolutely difficult to find many Zimbabweans who are still as hopeful about our country’s future prospects as much as they were about three years ago in the aftermath of the coup led by the military.
Indeed, hopes were so high back then.
Expectations for a better tomorrow were so unlimited.
Almost everyone celebrated and embraced the coup with the now clearly mistaken assumption that it was the dawn of a new peaceful, prosperous and democratic Zimbabwe.
Indeed, during the past week I persnally, was forced to realise as to how far sceptical a lot of my fellow Zimbabweans have become about the future of our beloved motherland.
This is unmistakably, a far-cry from the high levels of optimism that swept across the streets of the entire country roughly during the same period three years ago.
Indeed, during November 2017 a wave of optimism and renewed hope about the future of our nation flooded the entire country like the mighty Zambezi river in full overflow at the Victoria Falls.
Yet a mere three years later now, all the high expectations and euphoria have now totally evaporated like the rare rain water in the thirsty dry sands of a desert.
Any cursory glance across Zimbabwe from the Zambezi to the Limpopo river would have clearly revealed the stark contrast of the national political mood today, when compared to three years ago.
During the past week, there was clearly no street celebrations nor any wild parties similar to those that were seen all over Zimbabwe during November 2017.
Indeed, the mood across our beloved motherland was very sombre and nonchalant.
To all practical purposes and intents, it is now beyond any reasonable doubt that many Zimbabweans have now totally lost hope about the future of a country that a mere 40 years ago, was once highly regarded as a bright prospect across all of Africa.
Indeed, during this past week a lot of Zimbabweans took to social media to confess or apologise for their active role in the spectacular street march that helped to politically and constitutionally validate the coup against our long serving dictator; the now deceased Robert Mugabe.
Many further expressed regret at how their were easily deceived into publicly endorsing what eventually turned out to be huge political sham and total affront against the democratic aspirations of the long-suffering Zimbabwean majorities.
Today, there is a clear public consensus across all quarters that a lot of Zimbabweans were all taken on one hell of a huge political ride to nowhere during November 2017.
It was all but a huge political mirage!
Today, there is now overwhelming evidence that the so called “New Dispensation” is anything but new at all.
If anything there is now mounting evidence that it is now proving to be worse than the so-called older dispensation that was led by the late dictator Mugabe.
As such, as our country marked its third anniversary of the November 2017 coup, a lot of the initial goodwill that was evident at that time, has now been totally lost.
It is also evident that from a socio-economic perspective, life has now become so much tougher for many Zimbabweans, when compared to what it was like prior to November 2017.
Put even more succinctly, the majority of Zimbabweans are now even more desperate to such an extent that they now seem to view the period before the November 2017 coup as the good old days.
Worse still a growing number of Zimbabweans now even think that Mugabe was a better leader than Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Some are now even missing him in the most fondly of all terms.
But can we conclusively say that all hope for a new Zimbabwe is now totally lost?
In this regard, I have a clear and unequivocal answer.
It is my humble view that it is too early to give up on all hope for now.
I verily believe that inspite of the obvious setbacks that our country has experienced in the last three years, it is still too early to write off Zimbabwe and declare it a totally lost cause or failed state.
There is still a glimmer of hope for a better future.
Indeed, during this past week, one particular ray of hope still managed to shine bright in total defiance against the dark clouds of political gloom and doom that were hovering across the future of our beloved motherland.
That ray of hope was none other than Hopewell Chinono (@daddyhope)
I was one of the people who personally attended the Harare High Court bail application proceedings for Hopewell Chinono on Friday 20th November morning.
I vividly remember that it was a jam-packed courtroom on that morning.
I have attended several bail hearings in the same courtroom F before; but I have never seen it so full as it was on Friday morning.
Just like me, most of the people who were jam-packed in the courtroom had specifically come in solidarity with Hopewell Chinono.
Some of the recognisable names I could easily identify in the courtroom included Douglas Coltart who was one of Hopewell Chinono’s defence team of lawyers.
I also spotted the feisty and outspoken Fadzai Mahere.
There were also some legislators who had accompanied me: Trevor Saruwaka (Mutasa Central), Jacob Nyokanhete (Masvingo Urban) and James Chidakwa (Mabvuku-Tafara)
On my part, I was also pleasantly surprised to discover that I had positioned myself right next to the shoulder of the most popular politician in the country today; President Advocate Nelson Chamisa.
But I do digress.
I listened intently as Justice Tawanda Chitapi delivered his bail application judgment; word by word, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, page by page, until the very end.
Throughout the reading of the judgment, Hopewell Chinono was asked to stand up.
And so he remained erect, towering tall and strong, throughout the reading of the judgment.
As he stood tall, I felt that it was a very crucial turning point for me as to how I personally viewed the state of political affairs in our beloved motherland.
Hopewell Chinono was not just standing up for himself.
Hopewell Chinono was also standing up for the long suffering millions of Zimbabweans not just here in Zimbabwe but also all across the Diaspora.
Hopewell Chinono was not standing up merely against corruption but even more crucially, he was standing up against an increasingly paranoid and repressive regime.
Hopewell Chinono was standing up not just for his own generation but also for all our future generations.
It was in that particular moment and time that I came to realise that therein lay the answer that we as a nation we have been searching with regards to the future of our beloved motherland.
Hopewell Chinono was simple doing his personal patriotic duty.
Hopewell Chinono was also daring me and millions of his fellow Zimbabweans not just here at home but also across the Diaspora to start playing their individual roles in helping to define the political future of our beloved motherland.
In a week were many openly enthused as to how so much we had been sold a democratic dummy by the military in November 2017; it was also fitting that Hopewell Chinono was able to end that very same week still standing tall, in total defiance of the increasingly intolerable and repressive regime.
What is now needed is for more and more Zimbabweans to start realizing that it is actually their patriotic duty to also start standing up in total defiance against this increasingly brutal regime.
We owe it not just to ourselves but also to our future generations.
Our posterity will judge us favourably if we all start standing up in unison in order to defend the democratic future of our country.
We are our own liberators.
Indeed, as the iconic late Robert Nesta Marley put it in his now celebrated ‘Redemption Song’, none but ourselves can liberate us from this increasingly unpopular and oppressive regime.
Now is the time to stop looking forward to some specific individuals like Hopewell Chinono to continue to be victimised on our behalf as a nation.
Of late Hopewell Chinono has been busy playing his patriotic part.
But his individual contribution may never be sufficient to bring any realistic political change in Zimbabwe.
What we now urgently need to save our beautiful motherland is more of us to start standing up tall, like Hopewell Chinono and defy this unpopular and oppressive regime.
As the late John Fitzgerald Kennedy put it at his presidential inauguration January 1961; “Ask not what your country can do for you. But ask what you can do for your own country”.
Now is also the time to stop blaming others for the failure of political leadership in this country.
Now is the time to listen to the inspirational lyrics of the famous song, “Man in the Mirror” by the late iconic entertainer Michael Jackson.
Now is the time to start living by the proverbial words of the late Mahatma Gandhi that challenge us to “be the change that we seek to see in the world”.
Change is still possible in Zimbabwe.
Progressive democratic change for that matter.
But for that to happen we must start talking less and start acting more.
We must tone down on all the empty rhetoric especially on social media.
We must stop agonising and start organizing.
What Zimbabwe really needs today is for all of us to join hands and unite in a determined and defiant fight against this unpopular regime.
Now is the time to go beyond the misplaced trust on political parties.
Now is the time to unite and build a broad based all stakeholders national coalition for all forces for progressive change in Zimbabwe.
Indeed, now is the time for all of us both at home and in the Diaspora to unite and start exercising our Constitutional rights especially as enshrined under Section 59.
“Every person has the right to demonstrate and to present petitions …”
Now is the time for all of us to rise up and join the likes of Hopewell Chinono and stand tall for the prospect of a new peaceful, prosperous and democratic Zimbabwe.
The Under-20 national team were forced to find a new training ground yesterday when the artificial pitch at the ZIFA Village was stripped off.
The turf, which was installed from funding secured from FIFA, was auctioned five years ago to settle a debt owed to former ZIFA spokesperson, Nicky Dhlamini-Moyo.
It now belongs to Tynwald Secondary School. The Under-20 team, who are camped at the ZIFA Village, have been using the pitches there for their training sessions.
However, it all changed yesterday when the artificial surface was stripped off by those who bought it.
The Young Warriors, who are under the guidance of coach Tonderai Ndiraya, will compete at the COSAFA tournament, which again will be staged at the Nelson Mandela Bay in Port Elizabeth, from December 3 to 13. They are in Group A, alongside hosts South Africa, Mozambique and Lesotho.
Zimbabwe last won the COSAFA championships in 2007.
However, the Young Warriors appear to have lost their way in recent years.
They were humiliated 1-5 by Zambia in South Africa in 2016 and, after a goalless draw against Malawi, crashed out in the first round.
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised concern over the surge of Covid-19 cases in Zimbabwe in the past few weeks, with the country recording 88 new cases and five deaths yesterday alone.
The 88 cases, all of which were local transmissions were recorded after 555 PCR tests were conducted.
Of the deaths, four were reported in Bulawayo and one in Masvingo.
Presently, Zimbabwe has 747 cases, with Bulawayo leading with 216 cases followed by Matabeleland North 195, Harare 84, Matabeleland South 75 and Mashonaland West 60.
Other provinces have considerably lower numbers.
WHO country representative Dr Alex Gasasira yesterday told ZBC News that: “We know the virus spreads when we give it the opportunity to spread, when we don’t comply with the preventive measures, when we gather in groups.
“These are the factors that help the virus to spread.
“As we all know, the Government has been easing some of the restrictions that are in place to control the transmission. And the reason this was done is to show that the economy and other aspects of the livelihoods can be restored.
“We should continue to comply with the preventive measures.”
Dr Gasasira said as Zimbabwe is set to reopen borders in phases beginning with private passenger vehicles and pedestrians from December 1, citizens must comply with preventive measures.
Last Friday, Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro told reporters in Kadoma after launching the Covid-19 community health workers’ programme that it was a myth that the coronavirus does not thrive in warm temperatures.
“I urge people to continue complying with the preventive methods.
“It is not true that the virus does not thrive in hot environments.
MDC-Alliance member Joana Mamombe will have to face trial separately from her two co-accused Cecelia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova — after she was declared mentally unfit to comprehend court proceedings.
Mamombe will stand trial on her own on charges of faking her abduction in May, while Chimbiri and Marova now face the start of their trial on December 7.
The trial of the three has been postponed several times as a result of Mamombe’s illness.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Mrs Bianca Makwande yesterday ruled that since there were conflicting medical assessments of when Mamombe would be fit for trial, with one doctor predicting nine months, the rights of the other two accused meant that the trials now had to be split.
In her ruling on the State’s application for separation of trial, Mrs Makwande said one doctor indicated that Mamombe required nine months to heal while another doctor, only identified as Dr Mavunganidze, said she would recover within a month.
The conflicting reports left the court clueless on when she would heal.
“In my view, the separation of trial will not prejudice the accused.
“Reports from the doctors are conflicting and at the end of the day, it is unclear whether she will be able to stand trial before six months or not,” she said.
Although the deputy chief magistrate considered that the separation of trials would be cumbersome as two courts had to sit for the same matter, she noted that it would be in the best interests of Chimbiri and Marova to be tried within a reasonable time.
The State, led by Mr Michael Reza, applied for separation of the trials arguing that Mamombe was not mentally fit to stand trial, hence it was prudent to prosecute her co-accused while she took her medication.
Mamombe was declared not mentally fit to comprehend trial proceedings after she underwent medical examinations by three different doctors.
But Mamombe, through her lawyer Mr Alec Muchadehama, who is also appearing for Chimbiri and Marova, told the court that she wanted to approach the High Court for review of Mrs Makwande’s decision.
Chimbiri and Marova are expected back in court on December 7 for trial.
Zanu PF national political commissar Victor Matemadanda yesterday went out in the streets of Harare to show off that he had survived death by a whisker after he was poisoned by his party collegues in Marondera a fortnight ago.
In his mini “roadshow,” Matemadanda interacted with the business community, vendors, illegal money-changers, students and the general public as he walked through the streets.
The highly colourful dressed Matemadanda said the forces behind his poisoning will never deter him from carrying out his duties in the party where in recent years all national political commissars have left the seat he is occupying slain or fleeing.
Matemadanda survived the poisoning after being admitted in hospital for two weeks with a swollen face and itching eyes.
He was accompanied in his tour of the city by Zanu PF Harare provincial interim executive members led by chairperson Godwills Masimirembwa, Godfrey Gomwe (vice chairman), Ephraim Fundukwa (Secretary for Administration), Kudakwashe Damson (Political Commissar), Hardlife Maposa (Secretary for Security), and Betty Kaseke (Women’s League chairperson), among others.
Matemadanda told journalists and members of the public that he had recovered and was raring to go. He hinted that he was possibly poisoned because his assailants took advantage of him never wanting to be guarded.
“I am alive. I am moving around. I am not a ghost. It’s the normal Matemadanda on the move. I don’t think I should waste my time on that. They have talked about me being poisoned. I have never wanted to be an over-protected commissar.
“I want to meet the people, but it’s up to people. There is nothing I can do. My job demands that I must meet the people and I am not going to be deterred. I will be with the people. I will live with the people,” said Matemadanda.
He said Zanu PF was geared to transform citizens’ livelihoods by implementing the Zanu-PF 2018 general elections’ manifesto.
Matemadanda said he was determined to ensure that everything pledged by President Mnangagwa and Zanu PF would be delivered.
“So essentially, I want to support the President’s programmes and here I am looking at how things are being done. I want to see the movement of people. How they are doing their business including the level of morale in Harare and elsewhere,” he said.
“I have been impressed by the fact that people are happy that the exchange rate is now stable.
“They can plan their business and they are saying their business are picking up. I think this is very important.”
Zanu-PF Harare province chair, Masimirembwa, commended Matemadanda for the interactive meeting with the people.
“We expect him to visit all the six zones in Harare and get to understand the challenges facing the people. He showed that he is indeed the Commissar of the people and is exercising the servant leadership that His Excellency President Mnangagwa pronounces on a daily basis.
“He is a foot soldier of President Mnangagwa. As Harare Province we are very happy,” said Masimirembwa.
A 19-year-old has been arrested for allegedly raping his 36-year-old neighbour while she was on her way from church.
Thomas Moyo from Esigodini was not asked to plead when he appeared before Gwanda magistrate, Ms Lerato Nyathi facing a rape charge. He was remanded in custody to December 4.
Prosecuting, Miss Ethel Mahachi said Moyo allegedly raped the woman on September 5 at around 3PM while she was on her way from church.
“On 5 September at around 3PM the complainant was on her way home from church alone when she met the accused person.
Moyo proposed love to the complainant who turned him down and went on to rebuke him for being disrespectful.
“The complainant proceeded her way leaving Moyo behind. Moyo then followed the complainant and upon reaching a bushy area he grabbed her from behind and pushed her to the ground. The complainant tried to scream for help but Moyo placed his t-shirt in her mouth to stop her from making noise,” she said.
Ms Mahachi said Moyo then raped the complainant and threatened to kill her if she reported the matter and he left her in the bush.
She said the complainant proceeded to a nearby homestead where she sought assistance and narrated what the accused person had done to her.-Chronicle
THREE Covid-19 deaths and 48 new infections were recorded in Zimbabwe in the past 24 hours with reports that the national recovery rate is now at 85.9 percent.
Two of the deaths were reported in Bulawayo province while one was from Masvingo.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, 28 of the new cases were recorded in Matabeleland North province whose cases recently shot up following the outbreak of the global pandemic at John Tallach High School in Ntabazinduna.
The report shows that 11 of the cases were recorded in Bulawayo, three from Masvingo, four in Mashonaland West and one case in Manicaland.
“We recorded three deaths and 48 new cases after carrying out 1 404 PCR tests in the last 24 hours. Of the 48, only one is a returnee from Zambia and the rest are locals,” read the statement from the Ministry.
“As at 22 November 2020, Zimbabwe had 9 220 confirmed cases, including 8 250 recoveries and 268 deaths.”-Chronicle
ZIMBABWE continues to record an increase in Covid-19 cases with 39 more pupils testing positive at John Tallach High School in Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland North Province.
The new cases bring the total number of pupils who have tested Covid-19 positive at the school to 184.
Three Covid-19 deaths and 48 new infections were recorded in the country on Sunday with the national recovery rate now at 85.9 percent. Two of the deaths were reported in Bulawayo province while one was from Masvingo.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, a majority of the new cases were recorded in Matabeleland North Province following the John Tallach outbreak. The school with an enrollment of 623 pupils had 145 pupils testing positive last week. After another round of testing over the weekend 39 more tested positive.
Despite the rising Covid-19 cases at learning institutions, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education says schools are strictly following regulations put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19 which has killed 268 Zimbabweans so far.
Under the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), hugs, handshakes and sharing of desks are not permitted in schools.
Break and lunch time must be staggered to prevent crowding by learners while sporting activities are banned. A classroom should only accommodate a maximum of 35 pupils to allow for social distancing.
Acting Matabeleland North Provincial Medical Director Dr Munekayi Padingani said yesterday:
“At John Tallach, the figure is now at 184 who have tested positive after testing the whole school.
Those who are positive are going to be isolated, and discharged based on the national guidelines. And the rest have to be retested and we shall do it the same day. There are 400 who are negative, and we shall retest this coming Sunday. So, all the learners are at school, with the positive ones in isolation and those who tested negative in quarantine.”
He said at George Silundika High School, two health workers at the clinic tested positive for Covid-19.-Chronicle
The MDC Alliance condemns the recent state-sponsored violence in Uganda.
The violence resulted in the arbitrary arrest of opposition figures including National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu popularly known as “Bobi Wine”. The violent arrests were effected under the pretext of enforcing COVID 19 rules.
However, the disproportionate use of force by the security forces resulted in the death of more than 37 unarmed civilians while many were injured.
Elections continue to be highly contentious in authoritarian states across the continent including in Zimbabwe.
Fascist regimes including Uganda and Zimbabwe are invoking the COVID 19 pandemic as an excuse to stifle dissent. Opposition leaders and supporters are constantly targeted for harassment, assault, arbitrary arrests, abductions and extrajudicial killings among other human rights violations.
These atrocities violate national constitutions, regional and continental law including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. These legal instruments guarantee political rights and multiparty democracy. Similar state-sponsored violence in the context of elections was witnessed in Tanzania and the Ivory Coast following their recent disputed electoral processes.
Political competition and plurality are the hallmark of a democratic society and must be celebrated and embraced as key stimulants for societal development. We call upon Ugandan authorities to take sufficient measures to ensure that the upcoming January 2021 elections are held in line with democratic principles and the electoral playing field is levelled to allow fair electoral competition where all political parties have unfettered access to potential voters and the will of the people prevails.
We further call upon the East African Community, the African Union and the rest of the international community to take proactive measures to ensure the conflict in Uganda does not further deteriorate and the January 2021 elections are held in line with domestic and international law governing the conduct of democratic elections.-MDC Alliance
Five people were struck by lightning last night at Hippo Valley Mill in Chiredzi while they were on their way to work.
A police report says one of the five died on the spot, while four others were taken to Hippo Valley Medical Centre for treatment.
Police say the deceased, Herbert Mukwetura aged 21 of Chishamiso Village, was on his way to work at Tongaat Hullets Hippo Valley Mill with four of his workmates.
The report further says upon reaching flyover point at the mill, the five were struck by a bolt of lightning and fell down.
They were taken to Hippo Valley Medical Centre where Mukwetura was pronounced dead.
The tragedy happens when the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) is warning members of the public about weather-related hazards including floods, hailstorm, lightning among others as the rain season has started.
Some schools have since been destroyed by hailstorm across the country, including in Chipinge and Chimanimani Districts in Manicaland Province, risking refreshing memories of tropical Cyclone Idai which swept the Eastern and Southern parts of Zimbabwe.
Victims are yet to fully recover from the disaster that has seen the international community and the government disbursing funds to cushion them from the impact. -ZBC News
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has said the granting of television licences is a gimmick meant to appease Emmerson Mnangagwa’s bootlickers.
Biti added Zimbabweans should not expect much from the new television stations.
“It is an indictment of the regime that 40 years after independence the country has one Television Station.
Purported licensing of other players is a sham process of liberalization of airwaves. Army and ZANU acolytes have been granted licenses.
This is gross abuse. Thank God for @DStv,” Hon Biti wrote on Twitter.
Tinashe Sambiri|Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly ordered the immediate suspension of five Zanu PF officials who snubbed the Provincial Coordinating Committee meeting he chaired in Mashonaland East Province.
Mnangagwa addressed the Mashonaland East PCC members at Marondera High School, but five of the six Chikomba district members namely Moses Mataruse, Clifford Ngirazi, Phillip Songore, Bester Jokonya and Mike Mamire snubbed the meeting.
Party stalwarts accused them of being aligned to the G40 faction.
“They have let down other party members by failing to attend such an important meeting. They are leaders of the party at district level so they should have heard what the President was saying and give feedback to the party supporters in the grassroots. They should come out in the open and state the side they are aligned to so that we select new leaders if need be,” a party official said.
Own Correspondent|Controversial Masvingo cleric Isaac Makomichi has finally spoken about claims that Michelle Moana Amuli was a beneficiary of his love charms.
Different sources have alleged that Moana was a beneficiary the controversial preacher’s love charms.
Makomichi has been evading questions related to the issue.
Makomichi was booed by an angry mob at Majange Shopping Centre in Masvingo on Sunday.
Makomichi then responded: ” Her mother must inherit the charm and make money through attracting rich guys -you will remain poor and single if you don’t do that.”
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Secretary General and MP for Kuwadzana East, Hon Charlton Hwende has embraced the One Million Voices Campaign.
The One Million Voices Campaign is the initiative of the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly.
In a statement Hon Hwende said: Today( Sunday) we launched the 1 million voices campaign in Kuwadzana East.
This is an Initiative of the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly which seeks to recruit youths aged between 16-35 register them to vote and recruit them to be card carrying mdc alliance Members.
We are now going to be doing a door to door Campaign.”
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Secretary General and MP for Kuwadzana East, Hon Charlton Hwende has embraced the One Million Voices Campaign.
The One Million Voices Campaign is the initiative of the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly.
In a statement Hon Hwende said: Today( Sunday) we launched the 1 million voices campaign in Kuwadzana East.
This is an Initiative of the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly which seeks to recruit youths aged between 16-35 register them to vote and recruit them to be card carrying mdc alliance Members.
We are now going to be doing a door to door Campaign.”
Dear Editor – MASH WEST MDC ALLIANCE PEC MEETING SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2020 AT CHINHOYI PARTY OFFICE.
MESSAGE OF APPRECIATION TO ALL PEC MEMBERS
Special thank you to all the members who sacrificed their services and attended to our PEC meeting today at Chinhoyi Party Office.
It’s thru such sacrifices that is taking our Provincial politics’ to a national political status level,great meeting,great minds. God bless and hope you have all travelled well back to your bases.
Dear Editor – MASH WEST MDC ALLIANCE PEC MEETING SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2020 AT CHINHOYI PARTY OFFICE.
MESSAGE OF APPRECIATION TO ALL PEC MEMBERS
Special thank you to all the members who sacrificed their services and attended to our PEC meeting today at Chinhoyi Party Office.
It’s thru such sacrifices that is taking our Provincial politics’ to a national political status level,great meeting,great minds. God bless and hope you have all travelled well back to your bases.
Staunch Warriors fan Alvin ‘Aluvah’ Zhakata was on Saturday afternoon attacked by thugs and rushed to Parirenyatwa Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition.
Details of the incident are still sketchy but a friend of the daredevil fan confirmed that he was attacked and taken to the medical facility.
A nurse at Parirenyatwa, where Zhakata is currently being attended to, revealed that doctors are still trying to determine the extent of the injuries.
Zhakata made headlines on the African continent when he traveled by road from Cape to Cairo for last year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Egypt.-Soccer 24
The status of paralysis in which Zimbabwe has slipped in the past 40 years might be traced back to the early 1980s.
By Leonard Koni | A number of economic policies have been formulated and subsequently implemented in Zimbabwe and yet the economy is still under intensive care.
This puzzle has been so difficult to read as the country cannot find who is to blame.
This is the question that is probably being asked by many Zimbabweans locally and in the diasapora.
The country’s economic policies have been facing failures. Thank God, this analysis does not seek to address issues to do with the “blame game”, but rather attempts to demystify Zimbabwean economic policy dynamics by critically examining the success/failure of economic policies implemented in Zimbabwe since 1980.
Zimbabwe has had many economic blue prints from Esap, Zimprest, ZimAsset and current new Zimbabwe National Development Strategy (NDS).
The only thing that is needed in Zimbabwe aren’t economic blueprints but good politics and paying our debts rather than eating more than we can chew.
The economy has been nose diving due to the lack of monitoring. Are these blueprints achieving their objective?
The former British territory, Zimbabwe has been an independent nation for 40 years now and is one of only 23 countries with a GNI per capita below $2,000. Low-income countries typically rely heavily on agriculture, and in Zimbabwe, farming accounts for 67% of total employment.
The problem is that the Zanu PF government has never had an economic strategy since 1980, all it did was benefitting from a strong economy left by Ian Smith and it started spending, looting and stealing. Economic building is all about trust.
The most important question asked is, do the people have trust in the government?
Trust is the most valuable currency in economics. People and institutions local and abroad should have trust in the current government and the question still remains why do the people not “`trust“` the government?
Every year end people are fed with lies and propaganda that the economy is performing very well. Come the following year you hear the same government singing from a different script, that previous year’s econmy was bad and that the year coming shall be promising and shall be great in economic performance and yet the results will be speaking for themselves on the ground.
The government of late has been focusing on winning elections than fixing the economy. There is need to revitalise the dying economy which is in the sludge.
The economic war is the best foot forward to development. People are tired of a government which boasts and hit its chest for winning elections whilst the majority is living in abject poverty.
Economic blueprints such as the previous Esap, Zimprest and ZimAsset were just means of covering up the massive looting of country’s resources. Not even a single economic blueprint has improved the country’s ailing economy and not even an assessment was carried to evaluate whether it was a failure or not.
Does the government do evaluations on these policies/ blueprints to establish their effectiveness before jumping or eloping to the next policy? Policy making is meant to be incremental.
These politicians must stop the looting and smuggling of minerals. Proper accountability of minerals and security must be put in place.
The money should also be channelled to infrastructure development and improving the lives of citizens.
No country was developed by foreigners from UK, US, Canada, China, Japan, India or Russia and the economy must be owned and controlled by the citizens.
The government should learn to support local entrepreneurs through home grown economic policies not these Breton Woods.
Tinashe Sambiri|Ugandan Presidential candidate, Bobi Wine has condemned the killing of hapless civilians by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’ s security forces.
The opposition leader was arrested for allegedly breaching locklown rules.He also said two of the people who were shot dead by security forces were his personal friends.
See Bobi Wine’s statement below :
Last evening after reaching home, I watched what has happened for the past three days while I was illegally detained at Nalufenya!
It was then that I appreciated the full extent of the brutality meted out on Ugandans by security forces.
I watched as armed, non-uniformed gangs roamed the streets of Kampala shooting indiscriminately at unarmed citizens.
I watched as they aimed gunshots at buildings without caring who may be hit. I watched as helpless citizens were clobbered by the very people who should keep them safe.
Well, as we prepare to issue a formal statement on the murder and maiming of Ugandans, my thoughts are with those families that lost loved ones. I send my deepest condolences to all of them, and wish those who are wounded a quick recovery.
In fact, I learnt last night that two of the dead were personally known to me and were good friends, including a young man who was at a furniture shop and lost his life when soldiers shot directly into his workplace. He died instantly. We are still taking stock of how each of the 37 citizens lost lives and others continue to die in hospitals. Sending our prayers to them, as we also try to reach out to those we can to commiserate with them.
If any Ugandan still had any doubts about why we need FREEDOM, this must communicate to all of us. No one is safe, until we get rid of the tyrant who has lived by the gun! Gen. Museveni is hell-bent on keeping power at whatever cost. He doesn’t mind killing thousands of people to keep in power against the will of the citizens.
Sadly for him, WE THE PEOPLE OF UGANDA are now determined than ever before to get our freedom.
Museveni is panicking, yet again trying to subdue the citizens into fear and apathy. But not now. The election is approaching and despite all these illegalities and violence, we are soon getting our freedom!
NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, WILL STOP THE WIND OF CHANGE SWEEPING OVER OUR NATION.
Stakeholders have been challenged to work together and retrieve the bodies of six Esigodini gold panners who are feared dead after a mine shaft collapsed two weeks ago.
It’s been two weeks of misery and despair for the families of the six gold panners who are feared dead following a mine accident that occurred at Patridge Mine in Esigodini, as rescue efforts have since been abandoned.
The Chairperson of the Umzingwane Civil Protection Committee, Mr Peter Mahlathini told the Parliamentary portfolio committee on Mines and Mining Development this Monday that experts are against undertaking any rescue operation at the mine as it is considered too risky.
“We did make engage experts from How Mine, as well as engineers from the Ministry of Mines and there was consensus that it was too risky to search for the miners as the ground is unstable.”
The families of the victims of the mine accident four of whom are from one family say all they want is closure.
” As families of these children, we are not satisfied with the rescue mission efforts or at least efforts to retrieve the bodies from the time this incident happened to now. All we want is closure as we have waited 13 days for any kind of news but nothing has materialised.”
The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining development Honourable Edmond Mukaratirwa called on stakeholders to mobilise resources for the rescue operation to resume.
“We were here on a fact-finding mission to establish what transpired and to come up with recommendations to deal with this sad situation. But one thing for certain we don’t believe enough was done to search for the victims, and we are calling on government and the private sector to do whatever it takes to retrieve the bodies from the shaft so that families here can find closure.” said Honourable Mukaratirwa.
The committee further recommended the speedy formalisation of artisanal miners and the need to draw up a model to minimise mining accidents in the country.
Five people were struck by lightning last night at Hippo Valley Mill in Chiredzi while they were on their way to work.
A police report says one of the five died on the spot, while four others were taken to Hippo Valley Medical Centre for treatment.
Police say the deceased, Herbert Mukwetura aged 21 of Chishamiso Village, was on his way to work at Tongaat Hullets Hippo Valley Mill with four of his workmates.
The report further says upon reaching flyover point at the mill, the five were struck by a bolt of lightning and fell down.
They were taken to Hippo Valley Medical Centre where Mukwetura was pronounced dead.
The tragedy happens when the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) is warning members of the public about weather-related hazards including floods, hailstorm, lightning among others as the rain season has started.
Some schools have since been destroyed by hailstorm across the country, including in Chipinge and Chimanimani Districts in Manicaland Province, risking refreshing memories of tropical Cyclone Idai which swept the Eastern and Southern parts of Zimbabwe.
Victims are yet to fully recover from the disaster that has seen the international community and the government disbursing funds to cushion them from the impact.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga who doubles as the Minister of Health and Child Care has made a huge embarrassment of himself by failing to explain the photosynthesis process.
The former army boss claimed that humans breathe carbon while they get oxide from trees.
Through photosynthesis, leaves pull in carbon dioxide and water and use the energy of the sun to convert this into chemical compounds such as sugars that feed the tree.
As a by-product of that chemical reaction, oxygen is produced and released by the tree. Humans and other living organisms then take in that oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide which is again absorbed by trees.
File picture of elephants in Hwange National Park.
Zimbabwe sold 32 baby elephants to China in October 2019, after tearing them away from their wild families in 2018, for the latter country’s use in zoos.
The transaction was very controversial and criticised by many, including fellow African countries.
The elephants, estimated to have been 2 to 6 years old, were separated from maternal herds and held at Hwange National Park for nearly a year before being flown out to China.
The Humane Society released a video and photos which it said shows the small elephants being held in a fenced in area at Hwange National Park.
Zimbabwean wildlife authorities did not comment on the statement.
Ivonne Higuero, secretary-general of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates such trade addressed the situation. In a press conference ahead of the export, she characterised the likely Chinese destinations for the elephants as “perfect” and “good”. Her description was based on what she’d heard from Zimbabwean authorities and the watchdog’s previous leadership.
Now, filmmaker and author Karl Ammann has secured footage of the young elephants in a zoo facility in China. The Canary has sought an assessment of the footage from a number of wildlife experts, including an elephant specialist with 37 years of experience. None of them consider the elephants’ current predicament ‘perfect’ or ‘good’. In fact, they argued that the situation these “sentient, intelligent, cognitive” beings are currently forced to endure is a “dramatic negative change in their welfare” – evident in the heartbreaking signs of stress they’re exhibiting that will cause them to suffer “throughout their most likely significantly shortened lives”.
In short, the overwhelming reaction to the footage was that this isn’t an ‘appropriate or acceptable’ destination for the elephants at all – which is the very standard that the watchdog is meant to uphold.
As previously reported, Zimbabwe exported the elephants to China just before the watchdog implemented a landmark rule change that would have made the sale near impossible.
THE Covid-19 cases in schools are rising following reported cases in schools in Matabeleland region and Matopo High School in Matabeleland South is the latest school to be quarantined after 10 Covid-19 cases were recorded.
The number of cases at John Tallach High School in Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland North has since risen while Emakhandeni Primary school in Bulawayo has also recorded some cases.
Two weeks ago, Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care warned of the possibility of the country being hit by a second wave of Covid-19 saying ignorance, denial and wishful thinking could lead to more deaths.
Schools have become the latest institutions to be hit by the virus after their phased reopening which started on September 28.
In the latest case, Matopo High school has been turned into a quarantine centre to prevent the further spreading of the virus after 10 cases were recorded.
Matabeleland South Provincial Medical Director, Dr Rudo Chikodzore said they were yet to establish the number of schools that have recorded positive cases in Matobo District as results were still coming in.
She said samples had been collected from a number of schools. “We collected a number of samples from various schools in Matobo District as part of the rapid response to check on the situation in schools. Some of the results came out positive in some of the schools but we are still to compile a final report as we are still receiving results. We don’t have the conclusive number of schools because the results are still coming in,” she said.
Dr Chikodzore said Covid-19 rapid response teams follow up on suspicious cases or cases that come through the Covid-19 hotline.
“All our districts have been on high alert since the outbreak in March and our teams have been monitoring the situation at schools since the re-opening,” she said.
Matobo District Development Coordinator who is also the chairperson of the district taskforce committee on Covid-19, Mr Obey Chaputsira said Matopo High School had been placed under quarantine following the recording of the 10 cases.
Acting Matabeleland North Provincial Medical Director Dr Munekayi Padingani said the number of pupils and teachers that had tested Covid-19 positive at John Tallach had risen to 145.
Dr Padingani said the school was yesterday waiting for results of other samples.
The Ntabazinduna-based school has since been closed and turned into an isolation and quarantine centre in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.
“The number of positive cases has risen to 145 including pupils and teachers and we are waiting for other results which we expect today. What we did was that after we were invited by the school, we went there and tested the first five and removed them from the school to isolate at home. One is in Hwange while the other four are in Bulawayo. When their results came out positive, we went back to school and tested 86 others and 41 of the tests came out positive. That’s when we established an isolation and quarantine centre within the school where testing is taking place,” said Dr Padingani.
He said the school was turned into a quarantine and isolation centre because pupils could not be sent to isolate at their homes as that would have exposed their families to the virus.
No other school has reported any Covid-19 cases in Matabeleland North, Dr Padingani said.
Despite the rising Covid-19 cases at learning institutions, Primary and Secondary Education communication and advocacy director Mr Taungana Ndoro told Chronicle that schools are strictly following regulations.
Under the schools Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), hugs, handshakes and sharing of desks are not permitted in schools.
Break and lunch time must be staggered to prevent crowding by learners while sporting activities are banned.
A classroom should only accommodate a maximum of 35 pupils and to allow for social distancing.
FINANCIAL services provider, CABS, has partnered with global money transfer agency, WorldRemit, to facilitate collection of Diaspora remittances through the bank’s branches countrywide.
CABS managing director Mr Mehluli Mpofu said: “You can now collect cash from any CABS branch nationwide upon production of a valid WorldRemit reference number and Identification documents.
“All cash payouts will be made in United States Dollars only and all transaction fees, charges and commissions will be borne by the remitter. The receiver will be paid the full amount stated in the message,” he added.
Earlier this year, the World Bank forecast that in the wake of the
Covid-19 induced economic crisis, remittances to Sub Saharan Africa would fall by 23.1 percent, but WorldRemit is bucking the trend. Last month, WorldRemit, said it had recorded increased demand for their remittance services to Zimbabwe.
The company said then that the continued growth was being driven by the number of cash collection points being made available during Covid-19, with key partnerships formed with companies such as Mukuru and OK retail stores.
Pardon Mujakachi, head of Sub-Saharan Africa and country director for Zimbabwe at WorldRemit said: “We are continuously looking at how we respond to the increasing demand for our product in the diaspora and innovate payout options for customers at home. The customer demand creates opportunity for growth and the expansion of our footprint especially in the hard to reach areas of Zimbabwe. Our aim is to ensure that everyone everywhere has access to our service.”
Zimbabwe has a sizeable population living and working in various parts of the world. According to official statistics, Zimbabwe received US$635 million in diaspora remittances in 2019, up from US$619 million dollars in 2018.
Prophet Shepherd Bushiri who heads the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church
Three arrest warrants for rape have been authorised against Sheperd Bushiri, after two women came forward to detail their alleged ordeals at the hands of the pastor back in August. These are additional warrants to the ones issued on behalf of the self-proclaimed prophet’s fraud charges, and his successful attempts to flee the country earlier this month alongside wife Mary.
The Bushiris were earlier this month released on R200 000 bail each for charges relating to theft, money laundering, and fraud in connection with an alleged R100 million investment scheme. Bail conditions included them not travelling beyond Gauteng and the North West. They were also expected to report to a police station twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays.
However, both Mary and Shepherd Bushiri were able to sneak their way out of SA and into Malawi. Since then, the additional charges have been piling up.
On Monday, three counts of rape were added to the millionaire’s charge sheet.
The government has reiterated its commitment to investigating and swiftly extraditing the fugitive evangelical couple. In a statement, SA relevant Cabinet authorities said they would investigate the matter and use all the legal instruments to bring back the couple to South Africa to face criminal charges.
Following newspaper reports which detailed how the couple was smuggled out of the country, the government said the story by the Sunday Independent made “false claims and assertions from unnamed sources”. The paper also published a claim about Lesotho, which was allegedly used as an escape route for the Bushiris. But Cabinet rejects this notion:
“This story sought to embarrass and implicate the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, and unnamed Ministers in crimes and conspiracy, for which the Sunday Independent has produced absolutely no evidence and will not be able to substantiate.”
“Government cautions the public in South Africa and elsewhere to treat news coverage on this matter with caution and circumspection, in view of baseless reports that emerged this past week.”
Adam Moloi was one of the relatives who were with Mugabe on his death bed.
ZIMBABWEAN businessman Adam Molai, who is married to former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s niece Sandra Mugabe, has dispelled rumours that his businesses grew because of his relationship to the former First Family.
Molai is a Zimbabwean industrialist and founder of TRT Investments which manages a diversified sector portfolio and operations in Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Botswana, and whose latest interests have seen a foray into the US and European markets.
He has also been involved in Zimbabwe’s tobacco sector and says all his businesses are start-ups and he would still have been where he is if he was not Mugabe’s nephew-in-law.
Speaking to a Nigerian publication over the weekend, Molai narrated how he grew his businesses at a time virtually everyone with access to the Mugabe family used the relationship to make money through any means fair or foul.
“My entrepreneurship did not start in Zimbabwe. My entrepreneurship started even when I was on my educational journey in the United Kingdom, even when I was on my educational journey in Canada. By the time I came home to Zimbabwe, I was investing funds which I made from these entrepreneurial exploits during my days living in the Diaspora.
“So, I didn’t get any bank loans in Zimbabwe, there’s no bank that can say they gave me a loan when I got back to Zimbabwe. I came back with capital that I deployed into the businesses that I established when I got back to Zimbabwe,” he said.
Molai added: “And that was way before I got married. I only got married years after I was already in business, and, unless we were able to do some miracle business, within a year of my having gotten married, I had already been given the title of Zimbabwe’s National Business Person of the Year.
“This was for businesses that had been developed pre-my getting married. This was from businesses that had been developed pre my getting married. I’ve always said to people if there was an albatross that was actually a big hindrance to an ability to drive business to the level and scale you want to, it was that political expectation.
“If you look at all the businesses we’ve embarked on, we’ve never had one tender in any country in the world and we don’t do government business. We’ve never been tenderpreneurs – doing tenders I call tenderpreneurship; it’s like hunting in a zoo. Where’s the fun? The animal is caged, right? And you say I went hunting. The animals already caged. So, for me, the hunt is what we enjoy.”
Molai, who was with the late former strongman during his last days in Singapore, said if his businesses were founded on his relationship to Mugabe, they would have crumbled when the former Zimbabwean strongman passed on last year in September.
“If that had been the case the growth of our businesses post ‘his’ departure from the political scene could have meant our business would have crumbled. But instead they’ve grown.
FORMER Air Zimbabwe chief operations officer and the late former President Mugabe’s son-in-law Simba Chikore has been summoned back in court to answer to allegations of hiring security services from Safeguard Security company in 2017 without following proper tender procedures.
Chikore is today expected to appear at the Harare Magistrates’ Court for trial on criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.
He is alleged to have hired the security services for US$16 445 instead of the recommended US$10 000.
By CHRA| Residents of Harare should brace themselves for mass demolitions after the Provincial Development Coordinator (PDC), for Harare, Mr Muguti instructed Harare City Council to unleash demolitions on illegal settlements.
He made the remarks at a full council meeting held in Harare at Town House last week.
“All illegal settlements should be evicted and those who have an opportunity to be regularized, planning should commence immediately through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works”, declared Mr Muguti.
He went on to warn that “there will be no regularization without prosecution.”The City of Harare obtained a High Court Order to demolish “illegal” settlements in the City and twenty housing cooperatives will be affected by the recent High Court Order.
However, residents who were allocated stands on wetlands by the City of Harare in areas like Mabvuku (behind Simudzai Primary School) and Tafara (near Tafara Cemetery) are living in fear of being homeless.
Land grabs in the City of Harare has been perpetuated by partisan politics and corruption in the management of both state and council land.
CHRA calls on depoliticisation of land governance in Harare an issue that has seen the emergency of land barons and partisan corrupt allocation of stands in the City
FORMER Air Zimbabwe chief operations officer and the late former President Mugabe’s son-in-law Simba Chikore has been summoned back in court to answer to allegations of hiring security services from Safeguard Security company in 2017 without following proper tender procedures.
Chikore was expected to appear at the Harare Magistrates’ Court for trial on criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.
He is alleged to have hired the security services for US$16 445 instead of the recommended US$10 000.
This is the second time that Bona Mugabe’s husband is being arrested in as many years.
He was arrested at Robert Mugabe International airport in October 2018 on kidnapping charges before being acquitted.
He was being charged with kidnapping and unlawfully detaining Bertha Zakeyo, a former Zimbabwe Airways legal officer, against her will.
ZANU PF Political Commissar and Deputy Minister for Defence and War Veterans Affairs Victor Matemadanda has paraded himself in the city of Harare to show that he is out of danger after a health scare.
Matemadanda who was last week hospitalised following a poisoning scare is said to have already returned to work at the ZANU PF headquarters.
Matemadanda toured the Central Business District on foot, interacting with Hararians as he tried to allay fears over his health, which was first exposed by ZimEye.com.
He was accompanied by ZANU PF provincial chairman Goodwills Masimirembwa.
DEPUTY Chief Magistrate Mrs Bianca Makwande today ruled that MDC-ALLIANCE member Joana Mamombe stands on her own on allegations of faking abductions sometime in May this year while her co-accused Cecelia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova jointly appear on the same charges.
Mrs Makwande, in her ruling on the State application for separation of trial, said there were conflicting doctors’ reports on when Mamombe will heal from mental ailments she is suffering from, leaving the court with no clue on whether she will heal or not.
She said one doctor indicated that Mamombe will heal in nine months while another noted that she will be fine within a month.
“In my view, the separation of trial will not prejudice the accused. Reports of the doctors are conflicting and at the end of the day, it is unclear whether she will be able to stand trial before six months. Justice requires that each accused stands trial within reasonable time,” said Mrs Makwande in her ruling.
Chimbiri and Marova are expected to return to court on December 7 for trial.
Mr Michael Reza appeared for the State while lawyer Mr Alec Muchadehama represented Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova.
FC Platinum new coach Norman Mapeza says his immediate task is to work on the Champions League preliminary round fixture against Costa do Sol of Mozambique this weekend.
Mapeza took over the team on Friday after Pieter de Jongh was sacked by the club on the same day.
The gaffer conducted his first training session on the following day as preparations for the trip to Mozambique continued.
Speaking to H-Metro about how things have been going in the camp, he said: “The immediate task is to work on the plan against Costa do Sol.
“I have to see the squad and start working from there you know I can’t say much because I haven’t seen much of these guys for quite some time.
“So it’s better to have a look first then maybe we can talk about what will be the plan for the future.”-Soccer 24
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti has said the granting of television licences is a gimmick meant to appease Emmerson Mnangagwa’s bootlickers.
Biti added Zimbabweans should not expect much from the new television stations.
“It is an indictment of the regime that 40 years after independence the country has one Television Station.
Purported licensing of other players is a sham process of liberalization of airwaves. Army and ZANU acolytes have been granted licenses.
This is gross abuse. Thank God for @DStv,” Hon Biti wrote on Twitter.
