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.

By A Correspondent- Deputy Chief Magistrate Mrs Bianca Makwande today ruled that MDC Alliance MP Joana Mamombe stands on her own on allegations of faking abductions sometime in May this year while her co-accused Cecilia 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.

Vice President and Health minister Constantino Chiwenga has vowed to bring to book people who are selling fake Covid-19 certificates.

Zimbabweans intending to travel out of the country are required to get tested about 48 hours before leaving while some companies also demand that their workers produce Covid-19 certificates before they return to work as part of efforts to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

More to follow……

A Mazowe sex worker who stole a client’s mobile phone on the pretext of charging it was fined $3000 last week at Concession magistrates courts

Portia Maramba of Stories mine, Mazowe pleaded guilty to the charge.

In her own plea of guilty Maramba who confirmed to be a sex worker said the phone acted as leverage since the complainant had refused to pay for two rounds they had together.

“Your worship l admit the charge but l took the phone as compensation to the two rounds l gave him since he did not pay me,” said Maramba.

Prosecutor Moses Kuimba told the court that sometime in October Morgan Bimha hooked Maramba and went to her house.

Upon arriving, Bimha gave Maramba his mobile phone to charge whilst enjoying the pleasantries of the night and he slept over her house.

When he was about to leave he asked for his charged phone but Maramba refused to give him.

He left and filed a police report leading to the recovery of his mobile phone and the arrest of the accused.

By A Correspondent- 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.

World Toilet Day on Friday made a bigger splash than this month’s third anniversary of the overthrow of Mugabe.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights called on the Mnangagwa government to ensure that everyone has access to a clean and safe toilet by 2030. It seems as likely to happen as the government’s promise that we will by then be an ‘upper middle income country’.

A recent government report said the majority of urban suburbs were exposed to drinking sewage – contaminated because of poor sanitation management by local authorities.

The situation is particularly bad in Bulawayo, where taps have been dry for months and people in poor suburbs face a daily struggle to get water. Diarrhoea outbreaks are a particular threat to young children – with or without toilets.

Bulawayo used to be an important industrial centre but it has been laid low over the last 20 years. Latest government figures show that now only 9% of Zimbabwe’s exports are manufactured goods.

We in the diaspora are glad that, despite the Covid crisis, remittances sent back home have risen sharply and now contribute some US$658 million a year to the economy.

An small contribution in the form of a bribe would have been made by the Malawian millionaire Propheteer Shepherd Bushiri, who abandoned his gullible flock in South Africa to escape fraud charges he was facing there. He appears to have passed through Zimbabwe back to Malawi without a problem.

The MDC Alliance said this showed how easily border management could be manipulated by corruption and bribery. The Profit said he and his wife had fled South Africa for their lives. ‘My wife and I strongly believe in our innocence but this cannot be proved if our lives are not preserved’, he said.

Under the Mnangagwa regime, there’s been no let up in corruption. The latest scandal involves the Red Cross whose acting secretary-general has been charged with firing subordinates who had reported corruption to the Anti-Corruption Commission.

You couldn’t invent it if you spent the whole day sitting on your brand new toilet – even if it was connected to a water supply . . .

By A Correspondent- The MDC Alliance trio Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova have been hauled back to court and are appearing at Rotten Row magistrates court ZimEye has learnt.

Said a source privy to the development:

The trio are appearing in court 14 Rotten Row today on continuation of their trial. This is nothing but psychological warfare against their liberty .

The Magistrate last week on Thursday 19 November 2020 further remanded them for the 104th time since 13 May 2020. Today, it is expected that the magistrate will give a ruling on whether to split the case into two or leave it as one case.

We are not sure what they want parrellel trials for unknown ulterior motives. There is a lot of misdirection of the due process.

The State’s Regional court has not been challenged so far. Zimbabweans now know of the gross abuse of state institutions by the powers that be. Time and resources are being wasted.

We pray that the trio are unchained and they start breathing normally.”

A Rushinga spirit medium aid Kingston Kazasi 81 was allegedly murdered by two unknown Mozambicans in Rushinga last week.

The two suspects claimed to have come from Zenga village in Mozambique.

Mashonaland Central province acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Fedelis Dhewu confirmed the case.

“I can confirm a murder case in Rushinga where an 81-year-old man was killed with machetes,” Dhewu said.

Allegations are that the two suspects dressed in black arrived at Kazasi’s homestead pretending to pay for services they got from the late spirit medium Everisto Meki popular Hokoto.

The unsuspecting Kazasi who was sleeping in his room.was called by his wife Esteri Kazasi(62).

Upon getting out they requested for cigarettes from the now deceased and were given.

They further asked for a room to sleep claiming that their motorbike had a tyre puncture.

They were given a room to sleep but instead, they turned violent and pulled machetes which they used to assault Kazasi.

He died on the spot and the duo fled in the dark.

Police are investigating the matter and appealed to anyone with information to the effect of the murder to report at any police station.

By A Correspondent- The Supreme Court upheld a US$168 000 claim last week while reserving another claim on technical grounds. 

Nhari filed the Supreme Court appeal after losing the case to the Mugabe’s at the High Court which judged that it had no jurisdiction to determine cases pertaining to employment and labour law.

While upholding other claims, the upper court referred back to the High Court Nhari’s US$588 000 “delictual damages” claim, saying it could not be determined under the Labour Act.

-dailynews

“Wadhumira uchiti twabam?,” Panganayi Java is asked by an unnamed man soon after the preacher paying out a lump-sum to the victim of the accident he is accused of causing..

By A Correspondent- Authorities are launching a nationwide probe into donated coronavirus funds and other materials, amid fears that significant portions of these gifts were looted by politically connected individuals.

This emerged in Harare at the weekend when Auditor General Mildred Chiri spoke to legislators, where she revealed that she would be carrying out a thorough national audit into all the donated Covid-19 funds and materials.

It also comes after the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission interrogated deputy Health and Child Care minister John Mangwiro last week, pending the finalization of his corruption allegations docket relating to a coronavirus tender.

-dailynews

By A Correspondent- 5 ruling party top officials from Mashonaland East landed themselves in hot soup after they reportedly boycotted President Mnangagwa’s visit to the province last week.

The 5 provincial co-ordinating committees (PCC) members namely Moses Mataruse, Clifford Ngirazi, Phillip Songore, Bester Jokonya, and Mike Mamire ‘s absence were notable when President Mnangagwa addressed the provinces’ leadership.

Sources that spoke to the publication said the members were absent from President Mnangagwa’s meeting but were seen earlier that day campaigning for candidates contesting in the DCC Polls:

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

When contacted for comment on of the PCCs Moses Mataruse said he had a headache:

These are works of aggrieved party members who lost their posts in the previous elections. So they want to take their revenge on us. Our loyalty to President Mnangagwa is still as strong as ever.

I did not attend the meeting because I had a terrible headache. Surely, people cannot make a fuss about me being absent on that one party meeting. These are baseless accusations aimed at tarnishing our image.

Another PCC Clifford Ngirazi said he was attending a funeral when the meeting took place. The absence of the PCCs has fueled widespread speculation that there is intraparty infighting in Zanu PF.

-newsday

By A Correspondent| Philanthropic traditional healer Sekuru Banda has intervened in the ongoing dispute between the late socialite, Moana’s parents over the funeral programme saying both the mother and father should work to have their daughter buried peacefully.

Yesterday, Sekuru Banda visited Moana’s father Ishmael Amuli in Domboshawa where he donated groceries to the family while committing to continue helping until the burial of their video vixen daughter.

He pleaded with Moana’s Father to keep the family issues away from social media and to map a way forward so that Moana may be buried as soon as possible.

Speaking to ZimEye after meeting Amuli, Sekuru Banda said he felt the need to intervene as the dispute was only giving media people stories while widening the rift between the parents.

“Washing dirty linen in public on such a serious issue defies our ubuntu as Africans, society should not watch while people fight, so i felt should not be a spectator yet i can help reconcile the families,” said Sekuru Banda.

He also committed to assist the family until the burial of their daughter.

Moana’s body is still at a mortuary at Parirenyatwa with all burial now in limbo as the parents fight over control of the funeral programme.

On Friday, Moana’s mother approached the High Court seeking cancellation of the burial order, which stipulates that the body of the late socialite would only be collected in the presence of both parties.

Moana born Mitchelle Amuli died in a car crash that also claimed the life of controversial businessman Genius Kadungure and two other foreigners from Malawi and Mozambique.

The High Court in Harare will today have to pass a decision on the burial of socialite and fitness trainer Michelle “Moana” Amuli to settle the dispute between her parents over her burial.

This comes after the deceased’s mother Ms Yolander Kuvaoga, represented by her lawyer Mr Jerome Madondo, made an urgent chamber application at the High Court to nullify the burial order issued on November 18.

The application is meant to prevent her estranged husband Mr Ishmael Amuli from abnegating their prior agreement that Moana be buried at Zororo Cemetery.

She wants the court to grant an interim interdict to stop the burial until the finalisation of the matter.

High Court Judge Justice Pisirai Kwenda last week deferred the matter to today by consent of both parties’ lawyers.

The judge wants to hear the two parties’ oral evidence before making an informed decision on the dispute.

He also wants Mr Amuli’s lawyer Mr Marcus Zvirahwa to file his opposing papers.

“This matter be deferred to Monday 23rd of November 2020 at 3pm which shall be the return date for this matter,” Justice Kwenda said.

“The first respondent(Amuli) shall file his notice of opposition by 9am on Monday 23rd November 2020. The applicant and first respondent shall attend the hearing on Monday 23rd November 2020 to give oral evidence.”

In her founding affidavit, Moana’s mother said she made an agreement with Mr Amuli that their daughter be buried at Zororo Cemetery in the presence of the deceased’s relatives and friends.

She said Mr Amuli later told her that Moana would be buried according to the rights of Islam in her absence, contrary to what they had agreed earlier on.

“I have a reasonable apprehension that I, together with other female sisters, colleagues and relations would be excluded from the funeral rites which would be unconscionable,” Kuvaoga argued.

She said Mr Amuli stated that she would be excluded from the funeral gathering which in her opinion would be unacceptable as she is Moana’s mother.

Ms Kuvaoga told the court that Moana had remote ties to Islam as evidenced by her lifestyle.

“I do not wish or desire that anyone be excluded from the occasion on the basis of gender or creed as this goes against not only my sense of community according to custom but of the general persona of my deceased daughter who embraced everyone. The deceased was a popular personality with a huge following. Apparently, it would be unfair not only to me, but to other people and relations who knew her personality,” she said.

Mr Kuvaoga said Mr Amuli had not seen Moana for over a year. Ms Kuvaoga said Mr Amuli had changed the burial place from Zororo Cemetery to Warren Hills to exclude from the funeral gathering.

“I aver that this matter is urgent on the reasons that the burial is on 20 November 2020 and belated hearing would prejudice me. There would be nothing to motivate in that matter since the object of the lawsuit would become dead.

“I therefore submit that there would be no remedy for a cause rendered academic,” she said.

Ms Kuvaoga said once Moana was buried, the position becomes irreversible and it would be unfair for her and other mourners to be denied an opportunity to bid her farewell.

Thanks Makore (56) who is facing charges of masterminding the murder of his seven-year-old nephew, Tapiwa Makore, approached the High Court seeking bail.

The bail appeal was heard by Justice Tawanda Chitapi who reserved the ruling to November 24.

Police arrested Mr Makore last week and they believe he is the mastermind behind Tapiwa’s murder that occurred in September in Murewa. Investigating Officer (IO) told the High Court that Thanks Makore commissioned his twin brother Tapiwa Makore Snr and Tafadzwa Shamba to commit the heinous crime.The accused is the one who employed or gave the contract to these two accused or his accomplices. He promised to pay them US$1 500 to his accomplices who killed Tapiwa Makore.

After the commission of the offence, the accused is said to have received the head and the arms of the deceased,” the IO told the court.

In opposing bail it was the state’s argument that police are yet to conclude their investigations and if Mr Makore was to be freed he might interfere with witnesses, and that he might seek assistance to skip bail from his employer, the American Embassy.

The applicant is likely to interfere with witnesses if granted bail. So far, we are done at Damofalls where his first wife resides. We are left with Warren Park where his second wife resides,” the police officer told the court.

We are still doing investigations and we are yet to finish searching. One of the main witnesses is related to the applicant. In fact, he is the son of the applicant’s young brother so the accused might interfere with the witness. American Embassy employs the applicant, so if granted bail he might seek transfer and relocate from Zimbabwe and abscond.

The IO argued that considering the nature of the offence Thanks Makore is facing that carries a capital sentence upon conviction, he would abscond if granted bail. Another issue the IO raised was that Thanks Makore had a target on his back and if released his safety would be compromised.

Another issue is when we were carrying out searches at his Damofalls residence, there was a mob who were looking for the applicant. In fact, they were throwing stones at his house so if granted bail he might be attacked by the mob.

Makore said he wanted to be released on bail so he can continue taking care of his family and raise legal fees for the murder trial.

Makore’s lawyer questioned how the police arrived at the conclusion that his client was the mastermind of the murder when it took them two months after the crime had been committed to arrest him

For the record our members are not reporting for duty because they are incapacitated and scared of contracting corona virus. We dont want to invigilate learners we never taught. We are focused on the #SaveOurEducationZW campaign to resolve crisis in the education sector.

— Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe,ARTUZ (@ARTUZ_teachers) November 23, 2020

All travellers from Tanzania will be tested for Covid-19 at Zimbabwean points of entry using the PCR test, the Ministry of Health and Child Care has said.

Previously, travellers would submit their Covid-19 clearance certificates upon arrival at airports or borders, but it had been noticed that travellers arriving aboard Air Zimbabwe and Air Tanzania were submitting inconsistent records.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s chief director preventive services Dr Gibson Mhlanga said the move is in public interest.

PCR tests directly detect the presence of an antigen, rather than the occurrence of the body’s immune response, or antibodies.

The latest move by the ministry comes as the country is set to reopen its borders in phases beginning with private passenger vehicles and pedestrians from December 1 while assessments would be undertaken regarding public transport.

Border posts that fall into the first phase are Beitbridge, Plumtree, Victoria Falls, Chirundu, Nyamapanda and Forbes.

The Government’s resolution to reopen land borders for passenger traffic in phases was recommended by the Department of Immigration. About 500 000 people crossed through Beitbridge Border Post per month in both directions before the national lockdown began on March 30.

Ordinarily, between 13 000 and 15 000 people pass through Beitbridge post daily, a situation that requires scrutiny to guarantee safe movement of travellers and ensure that the health protocols against the spread of Covid-19 can still be followed and enforced.

According to the Daily News tensions are running high in the ruling party Zanu PF following their just ended DCC polls. War Veterans in Mashonaland Central where Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe is the chairman are reportedly requesting that he be investigated for his alleged affiliation to the now-defunct G40.

This was revealed in a letter that was leaked that was seen by the publication which reads in part:

We understand there is an ill constituted and unsanctioned team of provincial members of our party which went to Zanu PF HQ and misrepresented themselves that they had been sent by the province to clean out G40 elements from our province.

“The first secretary and president had met provincial chairpersons on the 12th October 2020 and advised them to ensure clean members participate in the DCC elections.

A well-constituted team was then supposed to carry out the directive from the president. However, we understand that about four members aligned to one of the factions in the province decided to carry out the mission themselves for their own benefit,

Consequently genuine and deserving party members were corruptly and unfairly removed from the list, leaving well-known G40 members to participate.

These have remained link persons of the exiled G40 kingpins, yet they are left to participate in the DCC elections against the directive from the president. In the interest of the party, we request that further investigations be carried out and disciplinary action be taken in line with our constitution.

May I also remind you of our complaint against the unfair and uncalled for removal of war veterans from the provincial leadership chat group, whose audio evidence was given to you by the undersigned. “We wait to be apprised of the outcome of the investigations and follow up action.

This comes after several reports that other party bigwigs are also under fire from provinces for example Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi whose post is reportedly being challenged by Mary Mliswa Chikoka and in some provinces like Masvingo and Harare where party bigwigs are fighting for seats at the top.

Last month by-elections in Kwekwe turned bloody as 2 factions fought over who should be the party’s candidate to fill the vacant parliamentary seat left by NFP member Blackman Matambanadzo.

The chief co-ordinator on COVID-19 in the Office of the President and Cabinet Agnes Mahomva says that there is no need for panic following a burst in Covid-19 cases at John Tallach High School just outside Bulawayo.

She denied claims of COVID-19 positive cases at Prince Edward High School in Harare.

“In terms of schools remaining open, we are progressing very well. If we get cases in one corner, do we suddenly lock out everything? Not really. You look, you investigate and just like I said we investigate and then we talk about the evidence.

“We also don’t want to jeopardise other schools that are following all our guidelines and our standard operating procedures and nothing is happening there,” Mahomva said.

She said the continued closure of schools would be tantamount to punishing students who would be deprived of education.

Mahomva said people should just follow COVID-19 regulations and desist from rushing to funerals like what happened when socialite Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure and actor Lazarus “Gringo” Boora were being buried.

Zanu-PF commissar Victor Matemadanda is recuperating after he fell seriously ill amid suspicious that he was poisoned at a ruling party event a week ago.

Matemadanda was taken ill after attending a Zanu-PF Mashonaland East provincial coordinating committee (PCC) meeting held in Marondera on November 13, sources said.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, his deputy Constantino Chiwenga and several other top ruling party officials attended the meeting.

Party insiders revealed that Matemadanda is suspected to have been poisoned at the function. He has been receiving treatment from his Mt Pleasant home in Harare after complaining of stomach pains and vomiting soon after the meeting.

The Zanu-PF commissar has not been seen in public since then, although the insiders said he was responding well to treatment. They, however, said he was still “not out of danger”.

“He is now better, but the situation was terrible,” the insider, who requested anonymity, said.

“I talked to him today (yesterday), he is now doing well.

“He was vomiting and complaining of severe stomach pains. I think it was food poisoning.”

Matemadanda, who is also the Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans Association secretary-general, yesterday would neither confirm nor deny that he was unwell.

Matemadanda Survives Poisoning – ZimEye
Victor Matemadanda
He referred all questions to acting party spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa who he said “has all the details”.

“Cde Chinamasa has got the details,” Matemadanda said in a terse response.

Chinamasa was not picking calls, but he issued a statement late last night confirming that the Defence deputy minister “suddenly fell seriously ill” on November
14.

“Matemadanda’s sudden illness was accompanied by itchiness of the eyes, sweating profusely, swelling of the body and vomiting badly, resulting in him rushing for medical attendance,” he said.

Chinamasa said the war veterans’ leader was recovering with only itchiness in the eyes persisting. The Zanu-PF spokesperson told The Standard that he was not aware of the allegations that Matemadanda was poisoned.

He said only doctors could speak about the poisoning allegations after carrying out tests..

Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa refused to comment on Matemadanda’s alleged illness and poisoning, saying it was a personal matter that he alone could respond to.

“How am I supposed to know about someone’s personal health?

“I am a government spokesperson and how is that a government issue? Phone him and hear from him,” Mutsvangwa said.

Matemadanda has been traversing the length breadth of the country restructuring the ruling party that is in the process of conducting district coordinating committee (DCC) elections to reintroduce the controversial structures banned by the late former president Robert Mugabe in 2014 accusing them of fanning factionalism in the ruling party.

The position of Zanu-PF commissar has always been a contentious seat with history replete with cases of his predecessors dying in mysterious accidents during party restructuring exercises.

These include the late former Defence minister Moven Mahachi, Border Gezi and Elliot Manyika.

Cases of alleged poisoning in Zanu-PF top ranks have become common with Mnangagwa being one of the “victims” after he was taken ill during a rally in Gwanda in 2017
Mnangagwa suffered a “severe bout of abdominal discomfort, vomiting and diarrhoea”.

He was alleged to have eaten ice-cream from Mugabe’s Gushungo Dairies, a claim that further strained relations between Mnangagwa and the then president.

Mnangagwa told a memorial service for Masvingo iron lady Shuvai Mahofa in 2017 that, just like she was poisoned at a Victoria Falls Zanu-PF meeting in 2015, he was also a victim of poisoning in Gwanda.

Mahofa, a close Mnangagwa ally, allegedly succumbed to poisoning in 2017.

Chiwenga also nearly died last year after he was allegedly poisoned.

The VP spent several months battling for his life in hospitals in South Africa, India and China.

After Chiwenga’s return, he made headlines for refusing to take food at Zanu-PF and government functions, let alone drinking water.

Source – the standard

State Media

The National Social Security Authority (NSSA), has increased its minimum pension for the Pension and Other Benefits (POBS) to $1 000, while the Accident Prevention and Workers’ Compensation scheme minimum pensions have also been increased to $1 000 with effect from November 1, 2020.

This follows a 2020 ad-hoc actuarial valuation that was undertaken recently.

NSSA acting general manager, Arthur Manase, earlier told this publication that the increased frequency of actuarial valuations had been necessitated by inflationary pressures in the local environment.

“NSSA implements a liability-driven asset mix, which is guided by actuarial recommendations conducted from time to time.

“While statutorily these actuarial valuations are carried out once every three years, the authority is permitted to conduct such valuations more frequently when the environment is unstable,” said Mr Manase earlier this year.

With regards to the latest review of the Authority’s benefits, Mr Manase said:

“The ad-hoc actuarial valuation recommended a 200 percent increase across the board, subject to a minimum retirement pension of $1000.

“This effectively means that the minimum pension for the Pension and Other Benefits Scheme increased five-fold from the $200 that was set in October 2019, while that of the Accident Prevention and Workers Compensation scheme has been increased from $240 to $1 000.”

Additionally, NSSA also increased the funeral grant for both schemes from $2 000 to $5 000.

Prior to the latest substantial changes to benefits, the authority has since April 2020 been paying monthly discretionary bonuses, while it waits for the outcomes of the actuarial valuation.

In the interim, the discretionary bonuses that were paid were staggered as follows: April to July (100 percent of monthly pension), August (150 percent of monthly pension), and September to October (200 percent of monthly pension).

According to Mr Manase, the next actuarial valuation is set for the upcoming year. But the authority is actively implementing strategies to ensure that benefits are consistently viable.

“Going forward, NSSA will be implementing a self-adjusting mechanism on insurable earnings, which is expected to improve the contributions income thereby allowing the authority to review benefits pay-outs in line with changes in the economy,” said Mr Manase.

All things being equal, social protection consists of policies and programmes structured to reduce poverty and vulnerability by promoting efficient labour markets, diminishing people’s exposure to risks and enhancing their capacity to protect themselves against interruption or loss of income.

But in implementing its mandate, NSSA is being constrained by low economies of scale, precipitated by an increasingly informalised economy; inflationary pressures, and generally poor compliance.

State Media

Several Government Ministers who made presentations during the pre budget parliamentary seminar held last week said Zimbabwe’s economy is poised for growth because of policies being implemented by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The 2021 Budget presentation comes at a time when the economy is expected to grow by an average 5 percent a year, around 28 percent in total, over the five-year tenure of the newly-announced economic policy — the National Development Strategy (NDS1 2021-2025) — in line with President Mnangagwa’s Vision of transforming the economy to an upper middle income status by 2030.

In her address at the seminar, Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza said the state of the economy was not gloomy as stated in some sectors.

“There is a misperception out there. The misperception out there is that industry is gloomy. But that is not the correct perception when we look at industry in terms of the National Development Strategy 1,” she said.

“Already we have seen, since the introduction of the forex auction system, recoveries. We are already witnessing its impact. There are companies that are already celebrating the auction system and one is Lafarge and the price of cement is beginning to stabilise. Other companies that are doing well are Delta Beverages, Schweppes and Varun Beverages and yesterday I was at Nestle. Nestle’s capacity utilisation has moved to 85 percent and what this shows is that there is confidence in investing in Zimbabwe.”

While Covid-19 had disrupted operations of some companies there are some that actually registered growth.

“All in all we had about 400 plus companies that continued to operate (during the Covid-19 lockdown), especially in the pharmaceutical industry with some increasing their production.

“Other companies that continued to operate were fertiliser companies and other companies right now who are doing well include those companies which are producing cooking oil, the milling companies and those involved in detergents,” she said.

She said the tobacco industry has doubled production during the lockdown while the leather industry would soon receive US$15 million from Common Market of East and Southern Africa following the adoption of a new leather industry strategy by Cabinet.

Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Deputy Minister Vangelis Haritatos said Government was working on increasing hectarage of land under irrigation with several dams under construction or having been completed countrywide.

The dams include Marowanyati in Buhera that was recently commissioned by President Mnangagwa and Causeway between Mashonaland East and Manicaland, Mutange in Gokwe, Gwayi-Shangani in Matabeleland North, Chivhu Dam in Mashonaland East and the Tuli-Manyange Dam in Gwanda among others.

As a sign of growth, Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando said his ministry had this year alone handled 17 000 applications for mining claims.

“At the moment we do have 17 000 applications for mining titles which shows a massive interest in mining. Traditionally we handle between 2 500 to 3 000 applications per year and with increased funding we hope to process them,” Minister Chitando said.

He said the ministry would also repossess 210 mining claims that were lying idle under the “use it or lose it policy”.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Dr Sibusiso Moyo said Government would continue with the engagement and re-engagement drive and marketing the country as a safe destination for investment and tourists.

Government has instituted various fiscal and monetary policy measures that have seen stability in prices and foreign exchange markets while several infrastructure projects that include dam and road construction have been embarked upon.

The pre-budget seminar was attended by MPs, Cabinet ministers and experts drawn from the private sector.

Paul Nyathi

ZANU PF has confirmed that it’s national political commissar Victor Matemadanda is recovering at home after being attended to by doctors following a suspected poisoning case as power tensions in the ruling party get nasty.

Matemadanda, who is also the Deputy Minister for Defence and War Veterans Affairs and the secretary-general of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, survived the poisoning a fortnight ago.

Matemadanda narrated to ZimEye.com how he got poisoned after a man came to him soon after they had seen off President Emmerson Mnangagwa after a gathering in Marondera.

According to him a man pretended to be removing something from his cap and it was at that moment that he smelt a horrible stench which almost suddenly made him feel dizzy and sick.

The party’s acting National Secretary for Information and Publicity Patrick Chinamasa confirmed in a statement on Saturday that Matemadanda has not been well though deliberately avoiding mentioning that he was poisoned.

“Zanu PF wishes to inform the party membership and the generality of the public that the national political commissar has not been well since last Saturday, the 14th November 2020,” Chinamasa said.

“The commissar’s illness was accompanied by itchiness of eyes, swelling of the body and vomiting that led to him being rushed to hospital.

“He has since been attended to and is recovering well as other symptoms have disappeared except itchiness of eyes which is still persisting. Medical tests are being carried out and the doctors are examining the situation to establish what could have caused such illness.”

Looting of funds at the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) appears never to be coming to an end anytime soon despite an outcry from members of the public.

In the latest looting innocent, the authority has 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.

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.

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa, has reprimanded army generals over meddling in politics.

President Chamisa also took a swipe at Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration for “attempting to replace the ballot with the bullet.”

Speaking after signing the book of condolences at the Ghanaian embassy following the death of former military boss and ex-President of the west African country, Flight Lieutenant
Jerry Rawlings, President Chamisa told the military junta to stay out of politics.

President Chamisa, quoted by NewsDay said:

“The fact that President Rawlings was able to allow for a smooth handover-takeover and having allowed people to vote, we salute him and we hope that in Zimbabwe, we are not going to continue to see the replacement of the ballot by the bullet or the replacement of the voice of the people in villages and in communities by the sound of the gun.

Let it be about the people, about the civilians defining who they want to govern them and not the military,” he said.

“We stand in solidarity with the people of Ghana and the President of Ghana on the untimely loss of a giant in Africa.”

The first thing that we celebrate as we remember him (Rawlings) is his ability to be an answer to repression.

Of course, it was a military response but people had suffered and what he did most fundamentally was to be able to hand over authority and power to civilian establishment and that is the most important thing that he did.

To end dictatorship and making sure democracy is made possible, so we salute him for his contribution to democracy and making it a reality and setting Ghana on the path of stability, on the path of democracy and civilian authority.

Most importantly, he managed to set some of the institutional markers to issues of handover-takeover. When he came in, he was the one who introduced the issue of having a definite day for handover, so on January 7, there has to be handover-takeover in Ghana, but a month before that, there has to be an election,” added President Chamisa.

AS cases of child killings and kidnappings continue to rise, police have arrested a 38-year-old man from Rusape for allegedly killing his epileptic son.

National Police Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident saying the suspect, Daniel Sarapo, is assisting police with investigations.

He said the alleged murder occurred on September 22 at Kanyangira village, Chief Makoni, Rusape.

“On the day the grandmother of the victim visited the suspect, Daniel Sarapo (38), to inform him that his son was no longer going to school as he was now epileptic,” said Asst Comm Nyathi, “The suspect then allegedly heated some water and tried to force the victim, Devine Sarapo (10), to a bath. He assaulted the victim using a plank and the grandmother who had gone out, later came back and found Devine Sarapo dead.”

The suspect is alleged to have secretly buried the body in a forest in the company of 10 other people without observing the usual cultural rites.

“The matter came to light when the grandmother of the victim visited her other son in Kuwadzana, Harare who directed her to report the matter to the police,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

“Investigations into the matter are now in progress.”

The news of Sarapo’s death follows the recent beheading of four minors in Chivhu by their mother.-The Sunday Mail

Emmerson Mnangagwa last month made drastic changes to his security team after nearly 20 soldiers from the Presidential Guard Brigade, including some that were deployed to his motorcade, tested positive for Covid-19 a few days before the arrival of his visiting Malawian counterpart Lazarus Chakwera, The NewsHawks can reveal.

Zimbabwe has in the past few weeks recorded a surge in deaths related to the respiratory disease after the authorities in Harare eased regulations to contain the pandemic at a time some countries in the West have reintroduced lockdowns. Most of these fatalities have been recorded in the country’s second largest city, Bulawayo.

Sources told The NewsHawks that soldiers from the 1 Presidential Guard Barracks, which is located next to State House along Josiah Chinamano Avenue in Harare, last month tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting their commanders to deploy security personnel from 2 Presidential Guard Barracks in Dzivaresekwa.

Mnangagwa’s security includes the Central Intelligence Organisation, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (VVIP Police Protection Unit) and the military which includes the Presidential Guard and the Special Air Services.

Soldiers from the barracks where cases of Covid-19 were recorded, sources said, are responsible for Mnangagwa’s security in around the capital.

The yellow beret military personnel from Dzivaresekwa provide security to the head of state when he travels outside the capital to places such as his Sherwood Farm in Kwekwe.

“Some officers who form part of the team, including the dreaded rifle-wielding soldiers in the Land Cruisers, tested positive. This posed a big risk to everyone on the motorcade. To deal with the situation, 2PG (2 Presidential Guard) had to provide security,” a source from the Health ministry told The NewsHawks.

The drastic security changes came less than three years after Mnangagwa rotated the security personnel in the Presidential Guard Brigade after the 2017 coup.-The NewsHawks

MISSING KIDS FOUND https://t.co/c86nYfwZAO

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) November 22, 2020

IN a chilling incident, a man was attacked by yet to be identified assailants who cut open his head and removed the brain, gouged his eyes, slashed off his right ear and stabbed him all over the body before dumping his naked body near a house in Mzilikazi in Bulawayo.

The naked and heavily mutilated body of the man was discovered near Mashumba shops opposite Happy Valley Tavern yesterday morning.

A portion of the man’s brain was found in a bushy area close to a stream and vegetable garden approximately 65 metres away from where the body was lying. It is also suspected that the assailants washed the body in a sewer stream near the scene before dumping the body near a house in the area. Police also identified three bloodied stones which are believed to have been used to crush the man’s head.

ZRP National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police were investigating a case of murder.

“The body seems to have been dragged and dumped away from the murder scene. The deceased is yet to be identified and the motive is not yet known.

There are no suspects at the moment,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.-Soccer 24

COVID-19 is ripping through educational institutions in the country with latest statistics showing that more than 150 learners and teachers at schools and colleges have tested positive.

Sunday News has gathered that 145 pupils and their teachers in schools in Bulawayo, Harare and Matabeleland North have tested positive while 10 cases have been reported at polytechnic colleges. John Tallach High School in Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland North leads the pack with 140 pupils and four teachers having tested positive resulting in the school being cordoned off.

Wise Owl Primary in Harare has recorded three cases while Emakhandeni Primary School in Bulawayo has recorded two cases. It is also understood that six positive cases were recorded at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic in Gwanda and while four others were reported at Kwekwe Polytechnic recently.

Director of Communications and Advocacy in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Mr Taungana Ndoro told Sunday News yesterday that of the affected schools, John Tallach in Matabeleland North was the most ‘surprising’ looking at the figures.

“Only few schools out of 9 625 schools in Zimbabwe have learners who tested positive for the virus which are John Tallach, Wise Owl (3) and Emakhandeni Primary School (2). John Tallach is a unique case and we are actually surprised as to what happened.

“The rest of the schools in the country are observing Standard Operating Procedures to the book, go to places like Manicaland, Masvingo and the Midlands there are no cases of Covid-19 in schools.

Out of the schools that have incidents of Covid-19, some cases really have nothing to do with the schools mentioned, like a teacher at a school in Bulawayo who tested positive for the virus but was actually not attending classes as she claimed she was incapacitated, so it had nothing to do with learners, the school and the education system,” he said.-The Sunday News

High drama, confusion and controversy have become the hallmarks of the late socialite and fitness trainer Michelle “Moana” Amuli’s burial with the feud surrounding her interment dividing opinion among society.

The matter has now been taken to the High Court, which is tomorrow expected to rule over the dispute between the deceased’s parents over her burial.

The feud between the late socialite’s parents has hogged much of the limelight since Moana died alongside Malawian businessman Limumba Karim and Mozambican model Alicha Adams when Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure’s Rolls-Royce vehicle collided with a Honda Fit along Borrowdale Road a fortnight ago.

Kadungure died in the accident and was buried last week on Saturday inside the grounds of his million-dollar mansion in Nyamande Village, Domboshava.

The quartet was heading to Ginimbi’s mansion in Domboshava coming from Moana’s 26th birthday party at Ginimbi’s Dreams Nightclub, formerly Sankayi, situated in Harare’s Avenues area.

The interment of Moana was delayed as the family had to follow a lengthy deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing process to verify her remains after she was burnt beyond recognition.

A chain of events has continued to play out for the past days disrupting all the proposed funeral arrangements for Moana that included a church service at Doves parlour and a stopover at the accident scene along Borrowdale Road.

Initially, Moana was supposed to have been buried last Wednesday at Zororo Park Cemetery along Seke Road. but the burial was later moved to Thursday before being stopped again at the 11th hour as family wrangles took centre stage. her parents could not agree on religious rites and burial site.

The deceased’s mother Yolander Kuvaoga and father Ishmael Amuli, who are on separation, have so far failed to agree on how their daughter should be buried with the husband flexing his muscles to follow their Muslim cultural rites, which his wife is against.

“I am Muslim and my daughter should be buried as per our tradition.

“Her body should not lie in state in Highfield as they wanted,” Moana’s father said earlier.

As the chaos and drama took centre stage, Moana’s mother, represented by her lawyer Jerome Madondo, made an urgent chamber application at the High Court on Friday to nullify the burial order that was issued on Wednesday.

The application is meant to stop her estranged husband, who is being represented by Marcus Zvirahwa, from reneging on their prior agreement that Moana was to be buried at Zororo Cemetery along the Harare-Chitungwiza road.

Moana’s mother wants the court to grant an interim interdict to stop the burial until the finalisation of the matter.

High Court judge Justice Pisirai Kwenda on Friday deferred the matter to tomorrow by consent from both parties’ lawyers as he wants to hear the two parties’ oral evidence before making an informed decision on the dispute.

The judge also wants Amuli’s lawyer Zvirahwa to file his opposing papers.

“This matter be deferred to Monday November 23, 2020 at 3pm, which shall be the return date for this matter,” Kwenda said.

“The first respondent (Amuli) shall file his notice of opposition by 9am on Monday November 23, 2020. The applicant and first respondent shall attend the hearing on Monday November 23, 2020 to give oral evidence.”

In her founding affidavit, Moana’s mother said she had an agreement with Amuli that their daughter be buried at Zororo Cemetery in the presence of the deceased’s relatives and friends.

She said Amuli later told her that Moana would be buried according to the rites of Islam in her absence, contrary to what they had earlier agreed on.

“I have reasonable apprehension that I, together with other female sisters, colleagues and relations, would be excluded from the funeral rites, which would be unconscionable,” Kuvaoga argued.

She said Amuli stated that she would be excluded from the funeral gathering, which in her opinion would be unacceptable as she is the deceased’s mother.

Moana’s mother also told the court that her daughter had remote ties to Islam as evidenced by her lifestyle.

“I do not wish or desire that anyone be excluded from the occasion on the basis of gender or creed as this goes against not only my sense of community according to custom, but of the general persona of my deceased daughter, who embraced everyone,” she said.

“The deceased was a popular personality with a huge following. Apparently, it would be unfair not only to me, but to other people and relations who knew her personality.”

Moana’s mother said Amuli had changed the burial place from Zororo Cemetery to Warren Hills to exclude her from the funeral gathering, adding that it would be unfair for her and other mou

The Zimbabwe Universities Union members met today on 18 November 2020 in the Minister’s boardroom (Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education Innovation, Science and Technology Development) at 1100hours and resolved that the situation in our universities is no longer attainable. The salaries buying power has been eroded and as a result, universities staff are poorly remunerated.

The Union has therefore resolved to exercise the right of workers as enshrined in the labour Act 28:01, Section 104.

The employees are aggrieved as follows:

The State universities salaries have lost value and have been eroded whilst services, utilities and basic commodities are quoted in United State Dollars or foreign currency.
The employer has neglected the agreement to meet the regional parity level salaries for state universities.
The state universities employees have been denied to exercise their right to negotiate as enshrined in the Labour Act.
The state universities employees hereby demand that;

The purchasing power of State universities employees’ salaries be retained to the level of July 2018 salaries.

The employees demand that the employer makes urgent steps to attain the regional level salary scales as per the agreement of 2010.
The employer must urgently redress the salary disparity created in October 2019 (NDI/01).
The above are employees’ demands. We are therefore giving notice to engage in a collective job action. The notice to strike is with effect from 23 November 2020.

Thank you,

University of Zimbabwe
National University of Science and Technology
Zimbabwe Open University
Great Zimbabwe University
Harare Institute of Technology
Chinhoyi University of Technology
Gwanda State University
Midlands State University
Bindura University of Science Education
Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology
Lupane State University
Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa, has reprimanded army generals over meddling in politics.

President Chamisa also took a swipe at Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration for “attempting to replace the ballot with the bullet.”

Speaking after signing the book of condolences at the Ghanaian embassy following the death of former military boss and ex-President of the west African country, Flight Lieutenant
Jerry Rawlings, President Chamisa told the military junta to stay out of politics.

President Chamisa, quoted by NewsDay said:

“The fact that President Rawlings was able to allow for a smooth handover-takeover and having allowed people to vote, we salute him and we hope that in Zimbabwe, we are not going to continue to see the replacement of the ballot by the bullet or the replacement of the voice of the people in villages and in communities by the sound of the gun.

Let it be about the people, about the civilians defining who they want to govern them and not the military,” he said.

“We stand in solidarity with the people of Ghana and the President of Ghana on the untimely loss of a giant in Africa.”

The first thing that we celebrate as we remember him (Rawlings) is his ability to be an answer to repression.

Of course, it was a military response but people had suffered and what he did most fundamentally was to be able to hand over authority and power to civilian establishment and that is the most important thing that he did.

To end dictatorship and making sure democracy is made possible, so we salute him for his contribution to democracy and making it a reality and setting Ghana on the path of stability, on the path of democracy and civilian authority.

Most importantly, he managed to set some of the institutional markers to issues of handover-takeover. When he came in, he was the one who introduced the issue of having a definite day for handover, so on January 7, there has to be handover-takeover in Ghana, but a month before that, there has to be an election,” added President Chamisa.

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa, has reprimanded army generals over meddling in politics.

President Chamisa also took a swipe at Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration for “attempting to replace the ballot with the bullet.”

Speaking after signing the book of condolences at the Ghanaian embassy following the death of former military boss and ex-President of the west African country, Flight Lieutenant
Jerry Rawlings, President Chamisa told the military junta to stay out of politics.

President Chamisa, quoted by NewsDay said:

“The fact that President Rawlings was able to allow for a smooth handover-takeover and having allowed people to vote, we salute him and we hope that in Zimbabwe, we are not going to continue to see the replacement of the ballot by the bullet or the replacement of the voice of the people in villages and in communities by the sound of the gun.

Let it be about the people, about the civilians defining who they want to govern them and not the military,” he said.

“We stand in solidarity with the people of Ghana and the President of Ghana on the untimely loss of a giant in Africa.”

The first thing that we celebrate as we remember him (Rawlings) is his ability to be an answer to repression.

Of course, it was a military response but people had suffered and what he did most fundamentally was to be able to hand over authority and power to civilian establishment and that is the most important thing that he did.

To end dictatorship and making sure democracy is made possible, so we salute him for his contribution to democracy and making it a reality and setting Ghana on the path of stability, on the path of democracy and civilian authority.

Most importantly, he managed to set some of the institutional markers to issues of handover-takeover. When he came in, he was the one who introduced the issue of having a definite day for handover, so on January 7, there has to be handover-takeover in Ghana, but a month before that, there has to be an election,” added President Chamisa.

Why Did It Take ZBC, ZANU PF 6 Days To Publish Matemadanda's Sudden Illness And Even After Still Avoid Poisoning Mention Revealed By ZimEye?

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) November 22, 2020

MATEMADANDA POISONING: ZANU PF finally confirms ZimEye investigation on the commissar's poisoning last week. The ruling party does not at all speak of the notorious attack which happened in Marondera last week. FULL STORY ON https://t.co/eY98GsdO0a pic.twitter.com/AOnfP5Ossi

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) November 21, 2020

MATEMADANDA POISONING: ZBC finally confirms ZimEye investigation on the commissar's poisoning last week. The state media does not at all touch on notorious attack which happened in Marondera last week. FULL STORY ON https://t.co/RMz9FsvEJW pic.twitter.com/r0gzsaFeHv

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) November 21, 2020

ORIGINAL ARTICLE PUBLISHED ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

By A Correspondent | ZANU PF’s most powerful person, next to Emmerson Mnangagwa, the national commissar Victor Matemadanda has been poisoned.

Matemadanda has revealed that he was poisoned during last week’s Provincial Coordinating Committee meeting in Marondera which was also attended by the party leader, Mnangagwa.

During the function and immediately just after Mnangagwa had flown off in his military helicopter, a suspected assailant whose identity could not be established at the time of writing, walked over to the place where the commissar was sitting down, and released a powder which made Matemafanda instantly dizzy, confused and then eventually seriously ill.

The assailant, who the man says he cannot remember as he, Matemadanda became instantly confused, and lost memory, had pretended to be assisting the commissar, saying “there is something on your cap let me help you.”

“While they ( the assailant) were doing this, a smelly powder was released from their hands, and immediately I became dizzy,” said Cde Matemadanda.

“The powder I inhaled disturbed me until I had to tell people I am now going to the car.

” As I sat inside the car I suddenly became very hungry and began sweating heavily;

” Then I told the boys I was with, let’s to go OK supermarket to buy some food; when we got there I couldn’t eat and wanted to vomit.

“That was on Saturday, and on Sunday I spent the whole day feeling like vomiting, and feeling a certain bitter taste in the mouth; I did not suspect anything at the time.

“In the evening on Sunday, that’s when I began vomiting, in fact Saturday I vomited 3 times in the night, in the afternoon I had vomited 2 times. On Sunday night I spent the whole night vomiting; this happening 5 times.

“From the morning, I started feeling a swelling at the throat; then I said let’s go to work, but soon after that I started feeling twitching in the eyes and I began rubbing my eyes.

“My body started reacting and my face started swelling.

“I then approached a doctor who then attended to me.

” I think from the experience I once got in 2016, I then obtained the same treatment I once got back then,” he concluded.

Pictures seen by ZimEye show Matemadanda’s face still swollen and sweaty as at Friday the 20th November 2020.

The incident has left questions regarding who could have motives to poison Matemadanda. The attacker could be reacting to their disappointment over their failure during the ongoing district elections, which are happening around the country.

Commenting on the developmemt, analyst, Dr Masimba Mavaza, said he, Matemadanda. is now feeling better. ”

He was asked over the possibility that the man might be suffering from covid-19, to which ZimEye was told, “he was tested and was found to be COVID negative.”

Since independence 1980, every other political commissar has suffered either an assassination, or a humiliating ouster. The list of victims includes:

Mayor Urimbo,

Maurice Nyagumbo,

Movern Mahachi,

Border Gezi,

Elliot Manyika,

Webster Shamu

Engelbert Rugeje – who served after the 2017 coup, and was given a humiliating removal, and a few weeks ago had his house attacked by a 7 armed gang, one of whom found with a ZANU PF card.

Engelbert Rugeje’s immediate predecessor Saviour Kasukuwere fled Zimbabwe after his house was pounced on by skilled snipers.

– this is a developing story refresh this page for more.

By A Correspondent- A senior government official employed in the education sector served as a principal for the Red Cross Independent College in violation of the Public Service Act.

Investigations carried out by The Standard revealed that Last Kakora is a civil servant in the teaching profession.

However, between March and August 2015, he served at the elite Red Cross Independent College located in Kambuzuma, Harare. He worked as the institution’s principal in charge of administration and other prime duties as would be assigned by the Red Cross, earning a monthly gross salary of US$1 200.

The Public Service Act, the supreme law governing operations of civil servants, does not allow double dipping by government workers. During the time that Kakora was principal at the Red Cross College, he also drew salaries and allowances from government as he doubled as a teacher positioned at Rusununguko High School in Marondera.

Contacted for comment yesterday, Kakora denied any wrongdoing.

“I have always been a volunteer at Red Cross and reports that I served in any permanent position are unfounded. I will get back to you, but those reports you got are unfounded,” he said.

However, documents gleaned by this publication such as the archived payroll at the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society and the contract signed by Kakora at the institution proved his him wrong. Weak supervision in schools by government’s district school inspectors has seen scores of teachers double-dipping by getting contracted to other organisations.

-standard

By A Correspondent- The blistering sun scorches vast swathes of lush green land in the picturesque Mazowe Valley, 40 kilometres north of Harare, as the November heat takes a toll on the baked surface below.

It is mid-morning on a Tuesday and employees at plots surrounding Gushungo Dairy Estates are toiling in the fields under the searing heat; sweating like a sinner in church, while road construction workers take turns to dig trenches, pounding and cracking the earth.

Driving on the tarred road that leads to Alpha Omega Dairy, one sees a sea of poverty. It is evident from the small grass-thatched mud houses that most villagers are living in squalor.

The majority of them have — at one time or another — worked for the dairy company belonging to the late former president Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace, who once bestrode and dominated Zimbabwe’s political landscape like colossuses.

At one time Grace, whose family seized more than 20 farms during Mugabe’s reign — including the one where the dairy is built — once described her late husband and herself as farmers, who have installed a state-of-the-art plant at Gushungo Estate.

She claimed it was the second-biggest dairy in Southern Africa, capable of milking 64 cows at a time. She said the Mugabe owned a herd of more than 2 000 cattle.

Like a haunted island, Alpha Omega — loosely translated to mean the beginning and the end — is now derelict.

It is now a monument to failure.

If a name is anything to go by, it is apparent that the business came to a screeching halt with the end of Mugabe’s 37-year-rule in 2017 when his longtime ally, Emmerson Mnangagwa, ousted him in a military coup.

Before the coup, Alpha Omega benefitted from patronage as government departments and state institutions stampeded to order milk, yogurt and ice cream.

Some of Gushungo’s major buyers included the army, police, parastatals and government hospitals. The company, known for scooping prizes during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair and Harare Agricultural Show, which were part of the Mugabe hero-worshipping cult, has become a pale shadow of its former self. Alpha Omega is a subsidiary of the former first family’s business empire, Gushungo Holdings.

During Mugabe’s time in power the company was touted as a model of success of the chaotic land reform programme in which Mugabe and his cronies seized white-owned commercial farms and associated businesses for self-aggrandisement in the name of correcting a historical injustice.

Most of the farms grabbed by Zanu-PF leaders and their supporters are now largely unproductive and derelict.

Only a few are thriving.

However, the multi-million-dollar business has fallen on hard times and cannot compete with other dairy companies on the market.

In fact, it now resembles a ghost factory that stands as an ominous power symbol capturing the imaginations and ambitions of the Mugabe family.

Upon arrival, we find the parking lot empty, with only one delivery truck in sight. There is skeletal staff on the premises lingering around.

The yesteryear hive of activity is gone and workers’ crestfallen faces tell a story. The milk-manufacturing plant has gone mute, while the sales department that used to welcome hundreds of clients daily looks deserted.

“Not much production happens here anymore,” one of the employees says.

When The NewsHawks team, posing as clients, enquired about products like the Appertina yogurt and Alpha Omega ice cream, they were met with evasive and unclear answers as to when the dairy products would become available.

An order of five cartons of Appertina yogurt would only be available for dispatch by Monday the following week.

Most of Alpha Omega’s products have disappeared from the shelves of major retail outlets around the country as the multi-million-dollar business empire faces viability challenges.

A half-empty refrigerator in the sales area contained only the Mnandi brand of sour milk. Other products like fruit juices and ice cream were out of stock.

“Yogurts will only be available next Monday. We only made one delivery this week,” an employee said.

The NewsHawks also spoke to a security guard, who said delivery trucks have not been dispatching products daily due to a scarcity of raw materials.

“Business has been very low, we only have one delivery truck going out weekly, but the fresh milk business is still going well.

“We have customers from time to time,” the guard said.

The downturn in the company’s fortunes—just like the rest of the economy—has resulted in employees, including shopfloor workers like guards and milkers, leaving in droves.

Most of the workers believe Grace, Mugabe’s widow, has abandoned the dairy project. The Mugabe family hardly visits the farm anymore, workers said.

Grace has actually been out of the country since before the Covid-19 lockdown early this year. Production at Gushungo Farm, which supplies critical raw materials for the dairy estate, has declined over the years, villagers around also testified.

“The cattle have no food, so you cannot expect miracles at Alpha Omega,” another Gushungo Dairy employee said.

Gamuchirai Mapako, a former worker, said she decided to quit last year after a series of unpaid salary payments.

She has had to turn to vending to eke out a living.

“Before I quit, I used to earn $190. That money could not get me through the week and I hear that things are still bad,” Mapako, a former security guard, said.

Another worker, who is selling kitchen wares for a living, told The NewsHawks that the company was struggling to pay salaries.

“I earn $1 200 and the money always comes a month after the normal pay date. It used to be better when Amai (Grace) used to frequent this place.”

Grace is reportedly staying in Singapore, while her business empire crumbles.

“This project needs someone to really focus their energy on it. A lot needs to be revived at the farm.

There is no way the cattle will get enough to eat without production at the farm. For the process to be complete, more attention needs to be put at the farm,” a worker at Gushungo dairy, Mary Mupasiri, said.

Gushungo Farm has also been affected by the frequent breakdown of boreholes and lack of pasture for the dairy cows. At Gushungo Butchery, a security guard offered to buy meat on credit for The NewsHawks team in exchange for US dollars.

His young family is struggling to survive, he says.

“Just give me your dollars and I will get meat on credit, but you will not get a receipt,” he said.

The butchery could be mistaken for a dumpsite, with old farm equipment that includes tractors, trucks and combine harvesters strewn all over the yard. Our news crew also visited Amai Mugabe High School, an upmarket educational institution nestled in the Mazowe Valley which looked almost deserted.

Only a few students from the examination classes could be seen in the corridors of the school, a result of Covid-19 and dereliction.

A staffer seemed animated as he took the team on a school tour. The state-of-the-art furniture, lecture rooms, laboratories and dormitories look deserted as only a handful of students go about their daily learning routine.

Amai Mugabe School used to attract children of top Zanu-PF politicians and civil servants. It was highly regarded. There were reports that senior government officials were cajoled into enrolling their children at the school.

Some of them did as instructed, feigning support and to curry favour with the Mugabes. But many parents have withdrawn their children from the school since Mugabe’s fall.

The tuition fee, although still expensive, has been cut in the past year to attract students. Students are required to pay US$2 985 per term for boys, while girls pay US$2 945.

The multi-million-dollar Gushungo Holdings, which used to be touted as a model of success of the controversial land reform programme despite reeling under a US$20 million debt, is now a ghost project—it is dying with the decline of the Mugabe political dynasty.

By A Correspondent- Kingdom Embassy leader Passion Java was humiliated in Mutare after his clothes were soiled by a Zanu-PF youth official on Friday, who accused him of not respecting President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

There was drama near Java’s church premises in the eastern border city when controversial Zanu-PF youth chairperson for ward 11, Heaven Chihono, popularly known as “Shorty”, pounced on Java.

After committing the offence, Chihono ran into the crowd and disappeared.

Chihono said had been sent by his “superiors” to attack Java for not respecting Mnangagwa.

He accused Java of showing off and not respecting Mnangagwa’s government.

“My brother, I was working on orders from my superiors,” Chihono told this journalist.

“This was the reason why there was no much resistance, we told some bouncers from here in Mutare that we would come after them.

“I took brake fluid oil, mud, water and urine and I put it in one bottle, then I soiled him. He is not respecting our president.”

“I disarmed one of the guards, I took his pistol.

“I do not think he is trained. I then returned his pistol after I soiled his boss.”

Soon after the incident, Java went to Mutare Central Police Station to request for protection as he headed for interviews with a local radio station.

Java was also escorted by a local bouncer, Clyde Jani, a close confidant of Sports deputy minister Tino Machakaire.

Zanu-PF youth chairperson Tawanda Mukodza yesterday condemned the wayward behaviour of the party youth.

“Zanu-PF is an ideological party,” Makodza said. “We don’t condone such behaviour. We don’t do such behaviour in the name of the party.

“If it is true that he is using the name of the party to do such things, we are going to take disciplinary action against him.

“We are always talking of discipline in our meetings, but let me find out first what happened on the ground and carry out our own investigation.

“I don’t lead rebels.”

Meanwhile, Java caused a stir in Mutare as hundreds of his supporters jostled to have a glimpse of him.

Business was brought to a standstill as the self-proclaimed prophet reportedly showered his supporters with cash.

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By A Correspondent- An Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) in Zimbabwe pastor is claiming over $13 million from the church as he accuses it of neglecting him after he was involved in a car accident.

Alfred Mujeyi issued summons against his former employer where he argues that the church has not taken care of his medical bills since the accident that happened in 2006.

According to Mujeyi, on November 3, 2006, he was sent by the church to preach during a crusade at Zesa Munyati as part of his pastoral duties.

He was involved in an accident on his way to Munyati and did not receive proper treatment on time as doctors were on strike.

“To this end, the plaintiff ended up spending a month in the intensive care unit (ICU), a month at Avenues Clinic and another three weeks at Parirenyatwa Hospital,” Mujeyi said in his declaration.

“Upon his final discharge, he was transferred from Chakari to Halfway (service) assembly for pastoral duties where he was for only five days.

“Due to his condition, he was transferred again to Dombwe where he spent seven months serving pastoral duties.”

Mujeyi said after he was discharged from hospital, he worked for the church at Parktown Elf Flats until the assembly was closed and he was transferred to Vince Mine.

“Throughout this whole time, the plaintiff had been suffering severe pain and trauma from the accident,” he said.

“As a result of the accident, the plaintiff now has slurred speech, forgetfulness, continuous head pain and has become unemployable.”

The pastor said although he was injured during the course of duty, he was never reimbursed or offered assistance in paying medical bills.

Mujeyi also said he was not receiving any salary from the church during that period.

“As such, the defendant (AFM) is liable for the care of its employees who are injured during the scope of their employment,” he said.

“The defendant has neglected, failed or ignored the request by the applicant to assist him in paying the following: medical bills from Avenues admission at $3 000 000, medical bill from Opt Prof Kalanga at $5 600 000, pain and suffering at $931 000 and loss of future earnings capacity at $3 870 720.

“Despite demand, the defendant has, however, failed to honour their legal obligation towards the plaintiff, who was injured during the course of his employment with the defendant.

“The plaintiff is left with no option, but to take legal action.”

The church is yet to file appearance to defend.

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By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe needs an independent commission to effectively address the emotive Gukurahundi issue as the statutory National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) has proven to be a disaster, critics say.

Parliament’s standing rules and orders committee recently called on the public to nominate persons to be considered for appointment as members of the NPRC whose five-year term expires in February 2021.

The deadline for submission of the nominations is December 4, 2020.

However, the process does not affect the position of current chairperson Sello Nare, who was sworn into the post in March 2018. Nare took over from the late former speaker of Parliament Cyril Ndebele.

Established under Section 251 to 253 of the constitution adopted in 2013, critics argue the commission has failed in its mandate to ensure post-conflict hearings and reconciliation particularly with regard to the mass killings in Matabeleland in the 1980s.

Critics dismiss it as a mere talk-show body with nothing to show for its existence Effie Ncube a Bulawayo-based activist, said a special commission independent from government claws can be better placed to do the job.

“The Gukurahundi genocide is a complicated matter that requires a special commission with the necessary complete set of skills and experience in international law, forensic exhumations, psychosocial support, and mass atrocity criminal investigations and prosecutions,” Ncube said.

“This means the body must include and be led by people, who have investigated and prosecuted genocide and crimes against humanity in other countries.

“Time is also of essence.

“Therefore, there must be a body entirely dedicated to addressing the Gukurahundi genocide.”

There have been reports of underfunding of the NPRC to ostensibly frustrate its work. In December, 2018, the NPRC appeared before the parliamentary portfolio committee on justice, legal and parliamentary affairs and senate’s thematic committee on human rights and pleaded incapacitation because of inadequate funding from the Treasury.

Mbuso Fuzwayo, the coordinator of the Ibhetshu LikaZulu pressure group that has been vocal in its push for Gukurahundi redress, weighed in saying lack of political support from the government remains a bulwark to the NPRC to carry out its mandate.

“We might have people of integrity, people who are committed in doing their work but as long as there is a government that is politicking about this issue, nothing will be done in resolving the Gukurahundi issue by the NPRC,” Fuzwayo said.

“The NPRC’s role is no longer clear…we also have the president meeting the chiefs minus the commission, and the question is: Do they have the constitutional man-
date to address Gukurahundi?

“Why is he undermining what Zimbabweans asked for (NPRC) to make sure that it fails? A body free from government tentacles is the only option.”

The NPRC lost seven years of its 10-year lifespan as it was not operational from 2013 as expected after the promulgation of the constitution due to lack of an enabling Act to operationalise it.

It has a backlog of cases.

In February 2019, former MDC Alliance proportional representation legislator Concillia Chinanzvavana (pictured) had to take President Emmerson Mnangagwa to the Masvingo High Court seeking a ruling forcing him to extend the tenure of the NPRC by 10 years from 2018 when it was sworn in as prescribed by the constitution.

Justice Joseph Mafusire ruled in her favour meaning the NPRC will be operational until 2028, but to date, its lifespan has not been extended and is set to expire in 2023.

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By A Correspondent- Harare City Council officials are in the eye of a storm after awarding a 23-year lease of Harava Dam at a cost of $3 000 to a Zanu-PF official, who is now using the water for brick moulding at a time the local authority is struggling to supply residents with the commodity.

Harava Dam supplies raw water to Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant and the treated water is pumped to areas like Sunningdale, Chitungwiza, Hatfield, Mbare, among other areas.

Council confirmed the government was now investigating how an individual was given the lease for Harava Dam.

It also emerged that the matter was discussed when council officials met Harare provincial development coordinator (PDC) Tafadzwa Muguti, who quizzed them on the matter early this month.

“Government is investigating how an individual was given the lease of Harava Dam when the dam is supposed to feed the whole city.

“The individual makes bricks, the dam has dried up,” the City of Harare said.

Harare mayor Jacob Mafume yesterday said they were investigating how the dam was leased to an individual.

“We are looking into the circumstances of the lease of that dam,” Mafume said.

“We have noted that the purpose that it was intended for is not the purpose that it is being used for, so we are going to relook into the issue with a view to its cancellation.

“It is one of our water sources, therefore, it is important for us to maintain its ownership with the city and that it be used in an ecologically sensitive manner.”

He said the lease was signed before his time and he was nowhere near the process.

Former deputy mayor Enock Mupamaonde reportedly signed the lease on behalf of council after recommendations by the city valuator and estate manager Emmanuel Mutambirwa.

“The person, who got the lease came masquerading as a state agent and worked his way until he got the lease,” said a council official.

“The lease was later signed by the deputy mayor, then Mupamaonde, after a finance committee meeting,” a council official said.

Mutambirwa confirmed the leasing of the facility to a Zanu-PF official only identified as Zhakata, but added that everything was above board.

“I don’t award leases. I just write a recommendation to the council and council decides whether it is possible or not,” he said.

“Prior to that, a person applies for the lease, then we send it to planning. They then planned and I think it takes three years of so, they then return the report to us for us to report to the council and all this was done.

“The finance committee approved that and the full council adopted, then we also did an advert in terms of the law which then culminated into a lease agreement.”

He said he was not aware that the Zanu-PF official was using water from the dam to mould bricks.

“I am not aware of that, but when we went to the PDC’s office, we engaged the lessee, but he said he was not involved in brick moulding and fingered people from the nearby areas including an area called Mayambara,” Mutambirwa said.

“We knew he was from Zanu-PF and he did all processes for about three to four years before he was granted the lease.”

According to the Water Act, water bodies in the country are managed by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, which provides local authorities, including Harare, with potable water.-standard

By A Correspondent- A US$100 000 cremator bought by Bulawayo City Council in Japan in 2017 is still stuck in South Africa after the local authority failed to pay R120 000 in taxes.

The cremator was impounded while on transit to Bulawayo by the South African Revenue Services (SARS), which queried its destination.

Council in June engaged the Covid-19 national taskforce led by Vice-President Kembo Mohadi to assist in having the cremator released from South Africa.

Town clerk Christopher Dube submitted a report to council seeking authority to pay R120 000 to SARS as costs of suit to facilitate the release of the cremator.

However, latest council minutes show that the Covid-19 lockdowns are hampering negotiations for the release of the cremator.

Council’s chamber secretary Sikhangele Zhou said Covid-19 had also become a stumbling block in trying to bring the cremator to Bulawayo.

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By A Correspondent- Zanu PF has released a statement following revelations that the party’s political commissar Victor Matemadanda was poisoned at an event last week.

The ruling party said Matemadanda sought medical attention after he fell ill and he is recovering well. Read the full statement which says nothing about the cause of the illness below:

FOR IMMIDIATE PRESS RELEASE
21 NOVEMBER 2020

Department: Information a, Publicity

ZANU PF STATEMENT ON THE HOSPITALISATION OF CDE MATEMADANDA

ZANU PF wishes to inform the Party membership and the generality of the public that the National Political Commissar, Cde Victor Matemadanda has been unwell since last Saturday, the 1 of November 2020.

CdeVictor Matemadanda’s sudden illness was accompanied by itchiness of eyes, sweating profusely, swelling of the body and vomiting badly, resulting in him rushing for medical attendance.

He has since been attended to and is recovering well as other symptoms have disappeared except itchiness of eyes which is still persisting. Medical tests are being carried out and the doctors are examining the situation to establish what could have caused such illness.

As such, members of the public and the Revolutionary Party structures and membership in particular will be kept informed of the situation in due course.

ZANU PF wishes the National Commissar, Cde Matemadanda a quick recovery.

Cde P.A Chinamasa Acting Secretary for Information and Publiciry & Party Spokesperson

STAY HOME. STOP COVID

THE Government has expressed concern over the growing trend of people flouting Covid-19 pandemic lockdown regulations amid growing calls for their tightening as figures mainly in the Matabeleland region continue to surge.

This comes with reports that the Matabeleland region accounts for 62 percent of new cases recorded in the country in the past 30 days (as of last Friday).

Last week the Bulawayo provincial Covid-19 taskforce said it was recommending that the city goes back to either complete lockdown or suburb specific lockdown as officials try to quickly combat the continued increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in the cityGiving her weekly Covid-19 update on Friday, the Chief Co-ordinator of the national response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Agnes Mahomva said it was worrying that the public was acting as if the lockdown had been lifted. She said the general complacency in adhering to the lockdown regulations was now hampering the country’s efforts in containing the pandemic.

“Lockdown orders are very much still in place, however, people are just not adhering to them. Government is therefore working to strengthen enforcement and urges the public to do its part by adhering to all existing lockdown orders including all other recommended public health and social measures. It is unfortunate that many people are of the impression that the country is no longer under lockdown, which is not true. The lockdown order is still there, public bars, nightclubs, house parties, beerhalls, casinos, movie theatres and betting houses are still not permitted to operate,” said Dr Mahomva.

She said even though a number of relaxations have been made since the lockdown was declared on 30 March, there was a need to realise that the main principles of the lockdown and the curfew were still in place.

Meanwhile, Dr Mahomva revealed that the rising figures in the Matabeleland region was worrying noting that there was a need for health officials and lockdown enforcement agents work together to effectively contain the pandemic.

“In the past 30 days, we have had 730 new cases of which 260 are from Bulawayo, this translating to 36 percent of the cases, 99 (14 percent) are from Matabeleland North and 95 (13 percent) are from Matabeleland South. This means in the past 30 days; 62 percent of the recorded cases are from the Matabeleland region.

“In terms of deaths in the past 30 days, the country recorded 26 deaths of which 19 are from Bulawayo, which translates to 73 percent. This is honestly a worrying trend and shows us the need to strictly adhere to the lockdown regulations so that we manage to contain the spread of the pandemic in the country,” she said.

Last week, police also warned members of the public that that the country was still under Covid-19 lockdown measures which include a curfew which runs from 2200 hours till 0600 hours the following day and that enforcement of health, safety and security measures was still paramount.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police reminds the public that gatherings allowed by the Government should strictly observe and comply with the requirement of 100 or less people at church gatherings, 50 or less people at funerals, low risk sports and sports clubs. Let us take note that weddings, birthday, house parties, political and other social gatherings which include musical shows and concerts are still banned.

Church leaders are warned against hosting or convening all night prayers. It is also clear that night clubs, bars, beer-halls and casinos are not allowed to operate under these Covid-19 safety measures,” reads part of the statement.