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.
Former Mamelodi Sundowns and South Africa national team defender Anele Ngcongca has died.
Ngcongca was involved in a car crash in KwaZulu Natal province on Monday morning and died on the scene. He was 33.
His female companion is in a critical condition in hospital.
The defender had recently signed for AmaZulu FC after leaving Sundowns.
Usuthu are yet to release a statement, but an unnamed official at the club confirmed the development to the Citizen newspaper.
“Ja, it’s true,” said the official. “I got a call in the morning from someone who was at the scene saying they found my number in his (Anele) phone and he has been in an accident and passed on.
“It is really sad, and I am still in shock. I spoke to him yesterday because we had an event we were supposed to go together but he changed his mind. He said he’d meet me today but now I heard this.”-Soccer 24
Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has admitted the defensive blunder his side made against Atletico Madrid on Saturday cost them the game.
The Catalans lost the match 1-0 after Gerard Pique failed to cut out Angel Correa’s pass to Yannick Carrasco who skipped past the stranded Marc-Andre ter Stegen before slotting into an empty net from 35 yards.
“We just cannot allow ourselves to concede a goal like that,” Koeman told reporters.
“The goal was our mistake, you cannot afford to lose the ball like that and concede a goal so late in the half. It’s always tough to create many chances against Atletico, but when you lose the ball against them, you have to do better than that.”
Barca have now lost three games in their eight outings this season.-Soccer 24
WHO‘s Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, launched today, outlines three key steps: vaccination, screening and treatment. Successful implementation of all three could reduce more than 40% of new cases of the disease and 5 million related deaths by 2050.
Today’s development represents a historic milestone because it marks the first time that 194 countries commit to eliminating cancer – following adoption of a resolution at this year’s World Health Assembly.
Meeting the following targets by 2030 will place all countries on the path toward elimination:
90% of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by 15 years of age70% of women screened using a high-performance test by age 35 and again by 4590% of women identified with cervical disease receive treatment (90% of women with pre-cancer treated and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed).
The strategy also stresses that investing in the interventions to meet these targets can generate substantial economic and societal returns.
An estimated US$ 3.20 will be returned to the economy for every dollar invested through 2050 and beyond, owing to increases in women’s workforce participation. The figure rises to US$ 26.00 when the benefits of women’s improved health on families, communities and societies are considered.
“Eliminating any cancer would have once seemed an impossible dream, but we now have the cost-effective, evidence-based tools to make that dream a reality,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “But we can only eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem if we match the power of the tools we have with unrelenting determination to scale up their use globally.”
Cervical cancer is a preventable disease. It is also curable if detected early and adequately treated.
Yet it is the fourth most common cancer among women globally. Without taking additional action, the annual number of new cases of cervical cancer is expected to increase from 570 000 to 700 000 between 2018 and 2030, while the annual number of deaths is projected to rise from 311 000 to 400 000. In low- and middle-income countries, its incidence is nearly twice as high and its death rates three times as high as those in high-income countries.
“The huge burden of mortality related to cervical cancer is a consequence of decades of neglect by the global health community. However, the script can be rewritten,” says WHO Assistant Director-General Dr Princess Nothemba (Nono) Simelela.
“Critical developments include the availability of prophylactic vaccines; low-cost approaches to screening and treating cervical cancer precursors; and novel approaches to surgical training. Through a shared global commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and leaving no-one behind, the countries of the world are forging a new path to ending cervical cancer. “
The strategy is launched at a challenging time, however.
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges to preventing deaths due to cancer, including the interruption of vaccination, screening and treatment services; border closures that reduced the availability of supplies and that prevent the transit of skilled biomedical engineers to maintain equipment; new barriers preventing women in rural areas from travelling to referral centres for treatment; and school closures that interrupt school vaccine programmes. To the extent possible, however, WHO urges all countries to ensure that vaccination, screening and treatment can continue safely, with all necessary precautions.
“The fight against cervical cancer is also a fight for women’s rights: the unnecessary suffering caused by this preventable disease reflects the injustices that uniquely affect women’s health around the world,” says Dr Princess Nothemba Simelela. “Together, we can make history to ensure a cervical cancer-free future.”
The launch is being celebrated with a day of action across the globe, as ministries of health, partners, and cancer advocates engage in activities to improve access to cancer prevention and treatment for girls and women.
Around the world, monuments are being illuminated in the cervical teal, from Niagara Falls in North America to The Dubai Frame, to city skylines across Australia. (More information about the events in countries around the world and monument lightings will be posted on WHO’s event site:
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|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.
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.”
WHO‘s Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, launched today, outlines three key steps: vaccination, screening and treatment. Successful implementation of all three could reduce more than 40% of new cases of the disease and 5 million related deaths by 2050.
Today’s development represents a historic milestone because it marks the first time that 194 countries commit to eliminating cancer – following adoption of a resolution at this year’s World Health Assembly.
Meeting the following targets by 2030 will place all countries on the path toward elimination:
90% of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by 15 years of age70% of women screened using a high-performance test by age 35 and again by 4590% of women identified with cervical disease receive treatment (90% of women with pre-cancer treated and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed).
The strategy also stresses that investing in the interventions to meet these targets can generate substantial economic and societal returns.
An estimated US$ 3.20 will be returned to the economy for every dollar invested through 2050 and beyond, owing to increases in women’s workforce participation. The figure rises to US$ 26.00 when the benefits of women’s improved health on families, communities and societies are considered.
“Eliminating any cancer would have once seemed an impossible dream, but we now have the cost-effective, evidence-based tools to make that dream a reality,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “But we can only eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem if we match the power of the tools we have with unrelenting determination to scale up their use globally.”
Cervical cancer is a preventable disease. It is also curable if detected early and adequately treated.
Yet it is the fourth most common cancer among women globally. Without taking additional action, the annual number of new cases of cervical cancer is expected to increase from 570 000 to 700 000 between 2018 and 2030, while the annual number of deaths is projected to rise from 311 000 to 400 000. In low- and middle-income countries, its incidence is nearly twice as high and its death rates three times as high as those in high-income countries.
“The huge burden of mortality related to cervical cancer is a consequence of decades of neglect by the global health community. However, the script can be rewritten,” says WHO Assistant Director-General Dr Princess Nothemba (Nono) Simelela.
“Critical developments include the availability of prophylactic vaccines; low-cost approaches to screening and treating cervical cancer precursors; and novel approaches to surgical training. Through a shared global commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and leaving no-one behind, the countries of the world are forging a new path to ending cervical cancer. “
The strategy is launched at a challenging time, however.
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges to preventing deaths due to cancer, including the interruption of vaccination, screening and treatment services; border closures that reduced the availability of supplies and that prevent the transit of skilled biomedical engineers to maintain equipment; new barriers preventing women in rural areas from travelling to referral centres for treatment; and school closures that interrupt school vaccine programmes. To the extent possible, however, WHO urges all countries to ensure that vaccination, screening and treatment can continue safely, with all necessary precautions.
“The fight against cervical cancer is also a fight for women’s rights: the unnecessary suffering caused by this preventable disease reflects the injustices that uniquely affect women’s health around the world,” says Dr Princess Nothemba Simelela. “Together, we can make history to ensure a cervical cancer-free future.”
The launch is being celebrated with a day of action across the globe, as ministries of health, partners, and cancer advocates engage in activities to improve access to cancer prevention and treatment for girls and women.
Around the world, monuments are being illuminated in the cervical teal, from Niagara Falls in North America to The Dubai Frame, to city skylines across Australia. (More information about the events in countries around the world and monument lightings will be posted on WHO’s event site:
By Nomusa Garikai- The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic and political rot is that Zimbabweans have lost their work ethics, Dr Simba Makoni, former Zanu PF Minister of Finance during Mugabe’s days, told Trevor Ncube.
“We were very hard-working, we were very honest, we were very trustworthy, we were very caring and compassionate,” he said.
“We are not that anymore, not the majority of us anyway and certainly not those of us in leadership.
“We have changed because of our appetite for power and we have changed because of our love for material things.
“I think when we begin to associate a position of authority and responsibility with material wellbeing and acquisitions, that’s when the rot settles.”
Rubbish!
The ordinary Zimbabwean out there is still a very hard-working, very honest, very trustworthy, very caring and compassionate human being. It is impossible to see these attributes in a country where unemployment has soared to 90%. What is the point of being hard working when there are no decent jobs to be had.
Where Zimbabweans have been able to get work; in SA, Botswana, UK, etc. they are held in high regard as hard working and honest.
Zimbabweans’ greatest weakness of their inability to think for themselves. We prefer to let others do the thinking for us and we then just follow the leader blindly like sheep. This is a forte the white colonialists, then Zanu PF and now MDC leaders have all exploited to their selfish benefit at great expense to us, the ordinary people.
Zanu PF leaders betrayed the people, for which many Zimbabweans had suffered and many lost their lives, by deny them their freedoms and rights including the right to a free vote, starting with the first vote in 1980, and even the right to life. Mugabe and now Mnangagwa and rest of the Zanu PF cronies have all turned out to be corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs. And the very fact they have managed to remain in power for 40 years and counting speaks volume of just how naive, gullible and thoughtless ordinary Zimbabweans are!
It took 20 years or so for most Zimbabweans to finally admit that Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies were corrupt and murderous thugs and, to end the Zanu PF dictatorial strangle hold, the country needed to implement democratic changes. The people risked life and limb to elect Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends to deliver the democratic changes the nation was dying for.
MDC has been on the national political stage for the last 20 years, 5 of which in the 2008 to 2013 GNU, and yet has failed to implement even one reform. Mugabe bribe the MDC leaders with the trappings of high office and, as they say, the rest was history.
One would have thought after the nightmare of Zanu PF betrayal the people of Zimbabwe had learned the lesson and would be very careful and meticulous in their selection of the men and women the nation would entrust the important task of implementing the democratic reforms.
By electing Tsvangirai and company to champion the fight for free, fair and credible elections even after the MDC leaders had proven beyond all reasonable doubt during the 2008 GNU that they are breathtakingly corrupt, incompetent and sell-out; proved to the world that the people of Zimbabwe were not yet ready to end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance.
“How do we fix this?” asked Trevor Ncube.
“In this journey the first step is to acknowledge that we have a problem and unfortunately now in our country, certainly in our leadership, there is no acknowledgement that we have a problem or we have problems,” came the reply.
“In the few occasions we acknowledge that we have a problem, we pass the buck, it’s not our fault, we didn’t cause it, it was caused by somebody else. If it’s in the country, it’s our detractors from outside.
“So if you don’t acknowledge, accept and recognise that you have a problem, you can’t solve it.”
Gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and the crass lawlessness, which have earned Zimbabwe the pariah state status, are the root causes of Zimbabwe’s economic mess and political paralysis. But after 40 years of Zanu PF refusing to acknowledge these problems much less do something solve the problems; it should be obvious that Zanu PF itself is the number one problem.
Since Zanu PF has failed to solve the problems of mismanagement, etc. the nation should have found someone else who would. Indeed, the nation would have done so was it not for the fact that Zanu PF has rigged election to perpetuate its rule for the last 40 years. Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends were supposed to implement the reforms to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections.
Since MDC leaders have failed to get even one reform implemented in 20 years, the nation should be spending all its time, energy and treasure in getting the men and women who will get the reforms implemented.
Whilst Zimbabwe’s worsening economic meltdown left 90% of our people unemployed, the country’s basic services such as education and health care have all but totally collapsed after decades of under funding and millions of our people now live in abject poverty. The country’s ruling elite, from both sides of the political divide, are some of the wealthiest individuals on earth!
The poor are desperate to see an end to the economic meltdown, the ruling elite want the good times to continue!
Zanu PF will never implement the democratic reforms necessary for free and fair elections and risk losing the elections and it the absolute power, the wholesale looting and, worst of all, risk being held to account for all their past looting and murders.
No the solution to Zimbabwe’s economic mess and political paralysis not asking Zanu PF leaders to work hard much less to stop being corrupt. The solution is for the ordinary Zimbabweans themselves to put their thinking cap on and be masters of their own destiny. A thinking electorate will know what constitutes free, fair and credible elections and demand that the next elections are free and fair.
We are facing an unprecedented wildlife conservation crisis. With COVID-19 impacting tourism to the point that earnings have been next to zero for nearly a year, you need to accept the fact that the funds required to save wildlife and the people who co-exist with it must still be committed by the Government.
If tourism is not providing the money needed to protect wildlife from extinction, you can still do something that hasn’t been done before but will have an almost immediate positive effect in 2021.
You and your fellow SADC Heads of State can establish regulated ivory and rhino horn trading authority. This would permit the orderly auctioning of both private and public currently stockpiled and registered inventory to consumers authorized by their governments to import these commodities.
It is that simple: Sell billions of US dollars-worth of wild products now in inventory before SADC’s wildlife is poached into extinction. Use the money raised to conserve the region’s wildlife. Trade, not any form of aid, will save SADC wildlife.
While establishing a legal market for SADC ivory and rhino horn trade is relatively straight forward — the expertise and the type of mechanism required already exists — it will nevertheless come with a storm of protest from the animal rights advocates who continue to have their own self-interest — not Southern Africa’s regional interest — at heart.
Acting as a lone nation to establish your own auction market for ivory and rhino horn may take more of your political capital than you are willing to expend. But acting together with other leaders, within the SADC framework, is a different story. It would involve using resources already available to take advantage of an opportunity already in place.
China unbanned ivory and rhino horn trade but suspended implementation of its decision. If the SADC countries act to establish a legal, fair, and balanced way to sell ivory and rhino horn to China, it will be encouraged to lift the ban.
In addition to ivory and rhino horn riches, Africa has deep mineral wealth. Much of it in wildlife protected areas. Therefore, why not ask the SADC to authorize the formation of an international commission to establish extraction protocols that protect our natural areas and yet yield funds to support economic development. This kind of bold move is demanded at a time when SADC economies are crippled by COVID-19.
Your Excellencies: Help save SADC residents and their wildlife. Show Donald Trump what “shithole countries” can do for themselves to protect their wildlife before he leaves office, at the end of January 2021. Signal to US President-Elect Joe Biden that the SADC countries are ending the eco-colonial racism that underlies the influence of traditional animal rights groups. Do it before Biden takes office to ensure maximum impact.
SADC countries will never be free, economically independent and self-reliant as long as they allow themselves to be guided in their wildlife policies by self-serving animal rights groups. SADC residents involved in a snap survey this month want you to show leadership and be bold enough to do what’s right for SADC wildlife and its people. They do not want you to choose a path that may please some of those in your governments, who benefit from the gifts that the animal rights groups shower on African decision-makers.
Nelson Mandela and Nkwameh Krumah made their marks on history by liberating South Africa and Ghana respectively, from colonial rule. This, your Excellencies, is your opportunity to do something equally historic for the continent’s wildlife and its people.
Respectfully submitted,
Emmanuel Koro
About the writer: Emmanuel Koro is a Johannesburg-based international award-winning independent environmental journalist who writes extensively on environment and development issues in Africa
Tinashe Sambiri|Genius Ginimbi Kadungure’s ex-wife, Zodwa Mkandla, has claimed the late socialite and controversial businessman never used juju.
Zodwa, quoted by The Sunday Mail said:
“I met him(Ginimbi) when he was 23 and it was in 2006. We were just friends then but he later on asked me out and we started dating in 2009; this was after three years of friendship.
He was a very traditional man who didn’t enjoy things like pizza; he was a sadza man served with mabhonzo and matumbu (beef bones and offals). During weekends, he would enjoy hosting his friends at our home in Domboshava
When we first met, Genius had nothing to his name — anga asina chinhu — but the man was such a hard worker. He would wake up at 5am to do his gas business. He continued to work hard throughout his life until he made it to the top,” she said.
She added: “I was the first in business, hence I was wiser. Genius had bigger business ideas but I always helped him with the wisdom. Likewise, I would go to him for business advice.
What I can say without any shadow of doubt is that Ginimbi was a go-getter and never used juju.If there are snakes which vomit money, why can’t people get them and be rich? I watched Genius grow from nothing to a millionaire through sheer hard work.
We all have our colours and his theme was white; what has that to do with mushonga (rituals)? I lived with Genius and I never saw any juju or rituals. The parties were just him having fun. Anga arimunhu aida zvekunakirwa hake.”
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
Henrietta Rushwaya has approached the High Court challenging the magistrates’ court decision to deny her bail on charges of attempting to smuggle gold to Dubai after four gold bars weighing 6kg were found in her baggage as she was leaving.
Rushwaya, who was arrested at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport late last month, is facing two more charges of attempting to bribe police officers with US$5 000 and unlawful possession of gold.
Through her lawyer, Mr Tapson Dzvetero, Rushwaya wants the High Court to set aside the decision of the lower court, arguing that magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna misdirected himself in holding that she was unsuitable for bail.
Although Rushwaya claimed to have huge investments and other interests in the country, Mr Nduna ruled she was a flight risk given her connections with the outside world, access to means to leave, and the strong State case against her that if proven would almost certainly result in a prison term.
In the High Court application Mr Dzvetero argued that the presumption of innocence works in favour of his client since he saw glaring weaknesses in the State’s case.
“The learned magistrate erred and grossly misdirected himself in concluding that the applicant has connections outside Zimbabwe when no evidence was placed before him to justify that position.
“The learned magistrate misdirected himself when he concluded that the applicant would interfere with witnesses and investigations when the state failed to provide cogent reasons and dismally failed to demonstrate how the accused would interfere.”
Mr Dzvetero said his client interests are in this country, and as such nothing can induce her to flee.
Rushwaya is being jointly charged with a Pakistan national Ali Mohammed, who is out of custody on a $100 000 bail. Her other co-accused are CIO officers Raphios Mufandauya and Steven Tserayi and one of her subordinates at the Zimbabwe Miners Federaton, Gift Karanda. All except Mohammed were denied bail in the lower remand court.
The State is yet to file its response to the bail appeal. Charges against Rushwaya arose on October 26, when detectives from CID Minerals, Fauna and Flora Unit stationed at RGM Airport heard that Rushwaya intended to smuggle gold to Dubai.
They tracked her as she underwent check-in processes and other immigration formalities. Detectives placed her under surveillance and alerted the CAAZ scanner operators to thoroughly examine her baggage.
Metals were detected in her hand luggage leading to a search in full view of CID Minerals Flora and Fauna Unit detectives and other stakeholders at the airport.
Rushwaya was found in possession of 6kg of gold worth around US$372 000.
GENEVA — African soccer confederation president Ahmad Ahmad was banned for five years by FIFA on Monday for financial misconduct.
The ban was announced during the Madagascan official’s campaign to be re-elected for four more years as the head of African soccer. His position also makes him a FIFA vice president.
The FIFA ethics committee found “Ahmad had breached his duty of loyalty, offered gifts and other benefits, mismanaged funds and abused his position as the CAF President.”
Ahmad, a former government official in Madagascar, was also fined 200,000 Swiss francs ($220,000).
Ahmad’s first four-year term was clouded with allegations of financial wrongdoing and misconduct at the Confederation of African Football headquarters in Cairo.
He was detained by French authorities in Paris on the eve of the Women’s World Cup for questioning about a CAF equipment deal with a company that appeared to have little connection with soccer.
“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 organization and financing of an Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, his involvement in CAF’s dealings with the sports equipment company Tactical Steel and other activities,” FIFA said in a statement.
“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 Jane Mlambo| MDC-T Presidential aspirant Elias Mudzuri has opposed a proposal to have a virtual extra-ordinary congress to elect substantive leader to replace the late Morgan Tsvangirai saying economic conditions in the country pervades delegates from spending long hours online following congress proceedings including voting.
The MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe was ordered by the Supreme Court to hold an extra-ordinary congress to replace Tsvangirai but due to COVID-19, they have not been able to fulfill the court order.
As Zimbabwe battles a second wave, the EOC now hangs in the air as the police are unlikely to grant them permission as was the case when the July deadline lapsed.
“Our economically disadvantaged delegates have no means to stay online for long hours in order to cast their votes while some are neither tech savvy nor equipped to cast their votes virtually,” said Mudzuri.
Mudzuri will battle it out with Khupe, Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora and Morgan Komichi while Organising Secretary Abednico Bhebhe was suspended.
By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe National Roads Administrator ZINARA is rocked by yet another scandal The Herald reports. The road administrator reportedly lost US$21 000 ($2 million) when a group of employees working in the cash office misrepresented money paid for fuel levies.
The matter only came to light 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 according to the publication.
A report from ZINARA to the police about the alleged theft reads in part:
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.
Furthermore, ZINARA also noted that:
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.
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.
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.
ZRP confirmed receiving the report from ZRP. ZINARA has headlined for different scandals over the years including one in which $39 Million was siphoned out of ZINARA through questionable deals.
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.
The sister to the late socialite and businessman Ginimbi(Genius Kadungure) has dispelled widespread stories that they will burn clothes belonging to her late brother as per instruction in an assigned will that surfaced after the socialite’s demise 2 weeks ago, the Daily News reports.
Juliet Kadungure was speaking to the Daily News when she said:
It’s surprising that people are saying his things are supposed to be burnt and at the same time saying we should meet the Master of the High Court. For what if the things are to be burnt?
Nothing is going to be burnt. Do you know the cost of his clothes alone before we go into jewellery and his bedroom?
The clothes he was wearing on the fateful day alone cost thousands, and you think we will go on to burn such. The Gucci shirts?
This is after it headlined that he Ginimbi had left an unsigned will that stated that his cars must be sold and the proceeds must be donated to charity, his mansion must be turned into a hotel or a museum and his clothes must be burned and someone named Kit Kat must inherit his Lamborghini.
Ginimbi’s lawyers said he did not leave any will and this week the Master of the High Court will sit down with the Kadungure family and creditors and debtors to determine how his estate can be handled.
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.
Zimdancehall musician Platinum Prince has released a song that speaks about the ongoing drama surrounding the burial of socialite Moana Amuli who died in a car accident that also claimed popular businessman Genius Kadungure.
By A Correspondent- Teachers yesterday claimed that were being threatened a Zanu-PF-sponsored group led by Martin Mazivisa.
Mazivisa fronts a shadowy parents union called Zimbabwe Parents Union (ZPU), which has been trying to force teachers to return to work.
ZPU was recently endorsed by Labour minister Paul Mavima.
The teachers allege that Mazivisa, who claims to be well-connected, has been sending threatening messages to teachers’ unions that have refused to accept government’s 41% salary offer. In the massages, Mazivisa is said to have threatened to unleash Zanu-PF youths to “deal with them”.
He is also being accused of joining teachers unions’ WhatsApp groups and threatening them with unspecified action.
This comes at a time some teachers’ unions have refused to return to work until government agrees to their US$520 salary demand. They also said there has been a rise in cases of COVID-19 at schools, which exposes them to the virus.
Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) national co-ordinator Harison Mudzuri said his union would not be moved by Mazivisa’s threats.
Mudzuri said political parties should not involve themselves in salary disputes between government and its employees.
The PTUZ official said by refusing to return to work, teachers were not playing politics, but rasing genuine grievances.
“The PTUZ has received reports of teachers that are being threatened with unspecified action by people from a certain political grouping for exercising their constitutional rights,” Mudzuri said.
A teacher interviewed by NewsDay, who refused to be named, said Mazivisa had threatened them.
“Mazivisa is always abusing the Zanu-PF party name by threatening teachers. In fact, he is building his political career through abusing teachers by mobilising parents against them. He is canvassing for the Mhondoro constituency seat in the forthcoming 2023 harmonised elections and is trying to endear himself with the party,” the teacher said.
In response, Mazivisa told NewsDay that teachers should not expect salaries if they did not return to work.
“I have no political ambitions as alleged, but I am a nation builder. These teachers are trying hard to derail President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s plans by pushing the opposition agenda, but our position as parents is that we are telling them to go back to work while the government addresses their grievances because government increased their salaries to $19 000,” Mazivisa said.
In response to the threats on teachers, Zanu-PF acting national spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa said anyone soiling the party’s image should be exposed.
“Yes, you must write about all those trying to abuse our good name and expose them because some of them are crooks. Zanu-PF is a people’s party which has a listening president,” Chinamasa said.
While teachers affiliated to the PTUZ and the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union (Artuz) have refused to return to work despite the salary hike, cases of COVID-19 being recorded at various schools across the country have been cited as a cause for concern.
PTUZ secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said: “Most centres of learning have no sanitisers, no running water, no COVID-19 testing kits.”
He said in many schools, classes were too big to enforce social distancing.
His assertions come as more schools continue to record COVID-19 cases. A minute sent to parents of students at Chinhoyi High School.
The note said there was a suspected COVID-19 case at the school, adding that for the next 10 days, no one was allowed to leave or enter the school.
John Tallach, a mission-run school in Matabeleland North recorded 122 COVID-19 positive cases, while schools in Masvingo and other areas have also recorded positive cases.
However, the chief co-ordinator on COVID-19 in the Office of the President and Cabinet Agnes Mahomva assured NewsDay that there was no need for panic.
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.
By A Correspondent- The Judicial Service Commission has been joined to a case in which Harare regional magistrate Bianca Makwande had been personally slapped with costs after she ordered MDC Alliance MP Joana Mamombe to be detained for mental examination.
Mamombe is on trial for allegedly falsifying her own abduction and on September 24 was placed in the custody of a superintendent at Harare Remand Prison after Makwande made the ruling which was later overturned by High Court Judge Esther Muremba.
Former Mamelodi Sundowns defender Anele Ngcongca has tragically passed away in a motor accident in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday morning, according to reports.
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.
Sekuru Banda and Mr Ishmael Amuli (in green t-shirt) yesterday
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
President Chakwera arriving in S.A. to snatch Bushiri
Fugitive prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, Mary, were issued with diplomatic passports bearing decoy names and applied with cosmetic facial changes before being smuggled out of South Africa in Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera’s hired jet, sources said.
Several insiders in the government’s security cluster – including diplomatic and military intelligence sources, police officers, and bureaucrats – told the Sunday Independent this week that Bushiri left in Chakwera’s plane last Friday following an operation planned by Malawian intelligence officials and executed by its embassy in Pretoria.
They said Bushiri and his wife were fetched from their home in Centurion in a Malawian embassy vehicle ahead of a scheduled 6pm flight as Chakwera wrapped up his meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
They were driven to Air Force Base Waterkloof as part of an elaborate plot that involved senior Malawian and South African politicians and government officials and the alleged exchange of money.
The plot, which kicked off with whisking off Bushiri’s children back to Malawi, was hatched three weeks ago after the prophet complained to Chakwera through embassy officials that he had abandoned him after campaigning for and funding his successful presidential bid.
Sources said the rattled Bushiri, who is the spiritual leader of the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church (ECGC), sought the Malawian government’s intervention after his lawyers told him he faced a minimum 15-year jail term because the National Prosecuting Authority had a strong case of fraud and money-laundering against him.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Tyrone Seale yesterday dismissed claims that the president worked with Chakwera to help Bushiri evade justice by arranging a decoy state visit and allowing his ministers and officials to co-operate with the Malawians.
“There is no basis to that. And you would have seen in the week when the president gave interviews in which he said this was disappointing and he said that he had asked for a report to be prepared for him to give the background to what happened here,” Seale said.
“This visit was part of a solidarity tour that President Chakwera was undertaking around the region.
“It’s pretty similar to what our president did in 2018 when he went to Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia to introduce himself to neighbouring leaders and to discuss relations between the countries.
“President Chakwera undertook a similar solidarity tour and it was deemed feasible and safe to undertake the visit physically with the necessary Covid-19 controls in place.”
Seale referred further enquiries to government communications and information system (GCIS) director-general Phumla Williams who failed to respond to questions.
However, in a statement last Sunday, GSIC said the government was “able to confirm that fugitives Mr Shepherd Bushiri and Ms Mary Bushiri did not leave South Africa aboard a flight on which President Lazarus Chakwera and his delegation travelled”.
Malawi’s information minister, Gospel Kazako, has repeatedly told the media this week that Chakwera’s government had no idea how Bushiri left South Africa.
According to highly placed sources, however, this is how the Bushiris have been smuggled:
Bushiri approached Chakwera for help through the Malawian embassy; Chakwera instructed the embassy to hatch a plan to save Bushiri and his multi-million rand assets or smuggle him out of South Africa;
Malawian intelligence operatives at the embassy considered options, including smuggling him through Mozambique, whisking him off in the presidential jet, or lobbying for Mary’s acquittal and a lesser sentence for Bushiri;
After spending two weeks in jail, Bushiri was given the options and flatly refused the SA jail option; Chakwera, through the Malawian embassy, then lobbied the Ramaphosa administration for assistance;
The Malawians banked on their constitution which protects diplomats and bars extraditions unless the suspect was sought for murder or treason.
Some members of the judiciary were then lobbied to ensure Bushiri was released on “soft” bail with less stringent conditions, no attachment of his bank accounts and assets except the R5m property in Centurion;
Both governments agreed to approve Chakwera’s request for a state visit and use it to smuggle Bushiri out via Air Force Base Waterkloof;
An advance team was then sent to SA to finalise logistical preparations for Bushiri’s escape;
The Bushiris were fetched from their home in Centurion in a Malawian embassy vehicle and issued with false diplomatic passports and had facial cosmetic changes applied on them;
However, SA police, military and diplomatic officers at Waterkloof raised questions about three passengers – two males and a female – whose names did not appear on Chakwera’s preapproved passenger list;
With rumours that the Bushiris failed to report to the police station, the officials got more suspicious as the height of two passengers resembled that of Bushiri and Mary;
A fracas ensued as the military police wanted to detain the three passengers, but the Malawians sought Department of International Relations and Co-operation Minister Naledi Pandor’s intervention;
Pandor dispatched officials to sort out the problem and they agreed the three suspicious passengers would be allowed to board Chakwera’s plane at OR Tambo; Chakwera’s plane made a stopover at OR Tambo, 25km from Waterkloof, to pick up the advanced team which included the Bushiris;
Bushiri and Mary, with facial cosmetics to disguise them, were whisked onto the place through the diplomatic entrance; Three members of the advance team were left behind to secure and dispose of Bushiri’s assets;
The plane left SA shortly after 10pm last Friday and landed in Malawi after midnight;
The Malawian government ordered a media blackout at the airport before Chakwera’s arrival;
The Bushiris disembarked from the plane immediately after Chakwera and his wife;
Some journalists managed to capture footage of the Bushiris disembarking; but the Malawian intelligence later confiscated and classified it as top secret;
In SA, intelligence officers and some government officials lobbied or spun journalists and editors to blame the country’s porous borders and corruption for Bushiri’s escape.
A highly placed source said: “Even though the passports were not saying Bushiri, he was using a decoy name. Their surnames are not Bushiris but they look like the Bushiris, with few cosmetic changes here and there.
“A bit on Bushiri’s face and on the wife as well there were few cosmetic changes. Those cosmetic changes fitted the profiles of those people on the passports. The fracas started, the back and forth, the minister of Dirco and by that time it was now obvious to the ordinary men and women in enforcement that no, no it appears here there might be some smuggling taking place.
“They searched and searched, luggage to luggage but they couldn’t find the luggage with Bushiri’s name. But there were people, with diplomatic passports, who looked like them. The face does not fit this one of Bushiri but the height and eyes do somehow look the same.
“But then the government decided that these people that are suspicious, who the military intelligence said they must be detained to ascertain their bonafides, must be released.
“Then the Malawian president and the Malawian foreign minister started putting pressure on us, saying you have never treated us this way, we feel like you are ill-treating us. There is nothing sinister there. These are my people, they came here first. At OR Tambo they used the diplomatic entrance to go to the tarmac. But even on that side, money exchanged hands.”
Another source said the Malawian intelligence’s plan involved getting Bushiri’s children back to that country first to ensure they were not used as bait.
“The first conclusion was, let’s get the kids here. The kids must be in Malawi before the operation starts. They were testing the waters with this operation so that if it failed, they were going to smuggle him through Mozambique. They would give him his passport and he would cross from Mozambique to Malawi. The other option was, remain here and let the wife come home, you face the music and we would intervene diplomatically for a lesser sentence. But the guy refused and told the president that, no, he wants out. He does not even want to be in jail here. The two weeks he spent there are hell,” the security cluster insider.
A military source said members of the army were concerned about the government’s role in the matter because it sent a wrong message about the country.
“Everybody is surprised. The statement is issued by the Malawians, not by our foreign affairs. Why would a plane fly for 25km and land again, with such huge costs. What was at stake? And why has the government not sent a diplomatic note of protest to Malawi? Why did the NPA not appeal the release of Bushiri on bail because it was obvious he was a flight risk?” the source asked.
A diplomatic source said South Africans should make peace with the fact that Bushiri was not coming back to face justice.
“The Malawians have decided to try Bushiri that side. So, there is no coming back for Bushiri. Interpol can’t extradite him. They can only arrest Bushiri to make sure he appears in court in Malawi.”
This comes against the backdrop of media reports in Malawi last week that Chakwera played a role in Bushiri’s smuggling, and that he was protecting the fugitives.
Lilongwe Magistrates Court this week released the Bushiris unconditionally after ruling the charges against them were illegal. They handed themselves in after International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) issued a warrant for their arrest at the request of the South African government.
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.
Sekuru Banda and Mr Ishmael Amuli (in green t-shirt) yesterday
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.
FOUR company officials from Savanna Land Developers appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court at the weekend on charges of swindling government of over $2,5 million.
The quartet, who comprised Garikai Chikono (35), Tipei Chipato (36), Eliot Mukuze (37) and Solomon Kamhote (30) were not asked to plead, but were remanded in custody to today when they appeared before Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna for bail application.
Government is being represented by Samuel Chitambara, the Salary Service Bureau (SSB) paymaster.
Prosecutor George Manokore said Savanna Land Developers offered residential stands for sale to civil servants whose monthly deductions were effected through SSB.
Savanna is represented by Chikono, who was arrested in his personal capacity after withdrawn cash from his firm’s account the SSB had erroneously deposited some money into.
“During the rerun processing of the payroll, an amount of $2 597 544,58 which was supposed to be transferred to FBC Micro Plan Finance (Pvt) Ltd bank account was erroneously transferred to accused (Savanna Land Developers’) FBC bank account number 6115346460193 which was supposed to receive $3 980 only on June 15, 2020,” part of the State papers read.
“After receiving the funds, the accused (Chikono), acting in common purpose with his co-director, Tipei Chipato who are all signatories to their FBC bank account, intentionally made 25 debit transactions of varying amounts to various bank accounts beneficiaries mainly through internet banking from their account thereby leaving a balance of$856 207,12 in their account.”
The anomaly was discovered, leading to the arrest of the four officials.
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
THE Under-17 Zimbabwe national soccer team is expected to return home Monday following their disqualification from the Confederation of Southern African Football Association Youth Championship.
In a statement, Zimbabwe Football Association communications manager, Xolisani Gwesela, said the team is coming back home as the Confederation of African Football has not yet responded to their inquiries over their disqualification from the event.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association would like to inform the football fraternity and the nation that ZIFA has not received any response from the Confederation of African Football (CAF), following our appeal against the disqualification of our Under 17 team from this year’s edition of the COSAFA Youth Championship.
“COSAFA has insisted that in the absence of communication from CAF, the expulsion stands and the team should travel back to Zimbabwe. The on going tournament also serves as the qualifiers for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations finals. Consequently, the team will return home tomorrow (Monday). 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.”
CAF officials were not responding to calls on their mobile phones.
Gwesela did not reveal the name of the player that resulted in the disqualification of the squad.
In a statement, COSAFA said the disqualification of Botswana, Comoros Islands, Eswatini and Zimbabwe from the 2020 COSAFA Men’s Under-17 Championship on the basis of fielding over-age players has forced a reset of the competition.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Youth Competitions Committee made the decision to disqualify the teams from the zonal qualifier tournament for the 2021 Africa Under-17 Cup of Nations on Friday.
“The quartet all had at least one player fail their magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans that were conducted in the host country prior to the start of the competition.
The tournament regulations stipulate that “an age eligibility test will be obligatory and will be performed on all participating players upon arrival in the host city. The test will be performed by the CAF Medical Services in accordance with the protocol of the F-Marc in a health facility duly accredited in the hosting country using an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) apparatus. The cost of the MRI test will be covered by CAF.
“In the event that a participating team has one or more players who do not pass the MRI test for eligibility, then the applicable team will be disqualified and will have to return home as soon as is practically possible.”
MRI scans are used across the world to determine whether players are eligible for Under-17 competitions.
According to COSAFA, doctors look for bone fusions in the human wrist, which are highly unlikely to occur before the age of 17, with a more than 99% accuracy rate.
“If the fused bone can be seen on the MRI scans, then it is proof that the player is older than 17. It is certainly not an issue that affects Southern Africa alone. Guinea were disqualified from appearing at the 2019 FIFA Under-17 World Cup after being found guilty of fielding two ineligible players in the continental finals, where they finished third.”
Zimbabwe and the other nations’ punishment will see them miss the next two Africa Under-17 Cup of Nations, and by consequence the next FIFA Under-17 World Cup.
The 2020 COSAFA Men’s Under-17 Championship restarted as a four-team tournament on Sunday and is expected to be played on a round-robin basis, with the top two teams advancing to a final on November 29.
The matches which have been played to date will be regarded as warm-up games and will have no bearing on the new tournament format.
There are also fixtures on Tuesday and Thursday, before the final positions are decided next Sunday, including a third-fourth play-off.
The two sides that reach the final based on their position in the group will have already achieved one ambition by qualifying for the Cup of Nations that is scheduled for Morocco in the middle of next year.
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.
Nearly 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be shipped and flown to developing countries next year in a “mammoth operation”, the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF said on Monday, as world leaders vowed to ensure the fair distribution of vaccines.
UNICEF said it was working with over 350 airlines and freight companies to deliver vaccines and 1 billion syringes to poor countries such as Burundi, Afghanistan and Yemen as part of COVAX, a global COVID-19 vaccine allocation plan with the World Health Organization (WHO).
“This invaluable collaboration will go a long way to ensure that enough transport capacity is in place for this historic and mammoth operation,” said Etleva Kadilli, director of UNICEF’s Supply Division, in a statement.
COVAX – co-led by GAVI vaccine group, the WHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations – aims to discourage governments from hoarding COVID-19 vaccines and to focus on first vaccinating the most at risk in every country.
At a G20 summit this weekend, leaders of the biggest 20 world economies pledged to ensure the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, drugs and tests so that poorer countries are not left out.
Even before the pandemic hit, access to vaccines was unequal with around 20 million babies not receiving vaccines that could save them from serious diseases, death, disability and ill health, according to the WHO.
“We need all hands on deck as we get ready to deliver COVID-19 vaccine doses, syringes and more personal protective equipment to protect frontline workers around the globe,” said UNICEF’S Kadilli, who is working with the Pan American Health Organization and the International Air Transport Association.
UNICEF’s role with COVAX stems from its status as the largest single vaccine buyer in the world.
It said it procures more than 2 billion doses of vaccines annually for routine immunisation and outbreak response on behalf of nearly 100 countries.
Drugmakers and research centres worldwide are racing to develop COVID-19 vaccines, with large global trials of several of the candidates involving tens of thousands of participants well underway.
Pfizer Inc and BioNTech could secure emergency U.S. and European authorisation for their COVID-19 vaccine next month after final trial results showed a 95% success rate and no serious side effects.
Moderna Inc last week released preliminary data for its vaccine showing 94.5% effectiveness.
The better-than-expected results from the two vaccines, both developed with new messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, have raised hopes for an end to a pandemic that has killed more than 1.3 million people and wreaked havoc upon economies and daily life.
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.
File picture of a headline of Mnangagwa’s poisoning
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) allegedly lost $21 000 (USD2 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.- Herald
Botswana announced yesterday that it is re-opening some of its borders to passenger traffic from December 1.
This comes a few weeks after Zimbabwe’s Cabinet approved the gradual re-opening of its land borders on the same day to passenger traffic starting with private motorists and pedestrians.
The borders include Beitbridge, Plumtree, Victoria Falls, Chirundu, Nyamapanda and Forbes and preparations are already underway and at various stages.
Public transport is expected to start using the borders in the first quarter of next year. Zimbabwe shares Plumtree, Maitengwe, Mpoengs and Mlambapele borders with Botswana.
The authorities at Plumtree border were processing three million travellers annually before the Covid-19 induced lockdowns, making the port of entry the second busiest after Beitbridge which handles seven million people yearly.
In a media statement yesterday, Botswana’s Ministry of Transport and Communications said the move was part of that country’s re-opening of the economy.
“Cross-border public passenger transport operations were suspended during the first national lockdown (March 2020) due to the Covid-19 outbreak, and this affected many businesses especially cross-border passenger road transport operations.
“As part of government’s effort to open up the economy, a decision to lift the suspension of cross border passenger road transport operations has been taken, as a means to provide services to members of the public and business community across the borders,” said the Ministry.
According to the media statement, routes including Tlokweng Border Gaborone-Johannesburg, Gaborone-Zeerust, Gaborone-Rustenburg, Ramatlabama Border, Gaborone-Mafikeng, Lobatse-Mafikeng, Martins drift Border, and Palapye-Johanesburg mainly with South Africa and Namibia will open on December 1.
The others routes to open are the Botswana- Ramakgwebana border, Francistown-Bulawayo, Francistown-Harare and Francistown-Lusaka.
The Ministry said cross-border public transport operators must adhere to strict Covid-19 management protocols.
“The following conditions shall apply; abide with Covid-19 protocols, clean the interior and exterior of the vehicles with water and soap or sanitise two to three times a day or after every trip.
In addition, a passenger shall present a valid 72-hour negative Covid-19 result to either bus operator, conductor or driver before boarding the bus and a person shall not be allowed to use public transport without wearing a mask,” read part of the statement.
Under the new set up, public transport operators shall keep a register of all passengers on board which shall be open for inspection by the Director of Health Services or a law enforcement officer
Selling inside a public service vehicle is prohibited and touting is banned.
Further, Public service vehicles shall load as per the authorised seating capacity stated in their passenger permits and there will be no standing passengers. -Chronicle
What we are fighting for today is our children’s future!
I am 49 years old, my generation has had its time destroyed by this repugnant regime!
It is not about myself, but the millions of Zimbabweans without clean drinking water in townships, your relatives dying without medical care in their homes and the millions of jobless youth watching the sun goes by due to corruption!
You reap what you sow, if you sow stupidity and idiocy following side shows, that is what you will reap, and that is how you will be defined as!
This is not Hopewell’s fight, the anti-corruption struggle is a fight for every Zimbabwean with a brain!
So when you hear them say “…why doesn’t he keep quiet?” It means that they don’t grasp what this is about!
I am not going to lower my standard to accommodate mediocrity, or a corrupt lifestyle that gives up on moral uprightness whilst it destroys millions of citizens who live in penury!
As I slept on the floor with 2 blankets in Chikurubi Prison, knowing that I have a comfortable home in Chisipite, I did it knowing that the future will be kind to my efforts when I am gone!
I don’t live for today, I live for tomorrow, for what I will leave behind when I am gone!
I can’t stay away from being a journalist because that is who I am, a journalist!
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.
Continued price and currency stability are central to the 2021 national budget set to be presented on Thursday since with stability companies can plan and people can save, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube told a pre-budget seminar.
“The overarching goal for this Budget is to support macroeconomic stability in terms of prices and currency stability and stability in the general environment. Because with stability we can do so much: companies can plan, people can save, citizens can postpone consumption and they can invest because they will know that the value of their currency is being preserved.
“In terms of specific measures, we will continue to support the Foreign Currency Auction System that we have put in place.”
Several Government Ministers who made presentations during the seminar held last week said Zimbabwe’s economy is poised for growth because of policies being implemented by the Second Republic.
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.- state media
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.
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.
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
By Dr Masimba Mavaza | There was outpouring of get well soon wishes for Cde Victor Matemadanda from all over the world. Zimbabweans all over have received the news of Cde Matemadanda’s poisoning with shock. Social media was awash with wishes for quick recovery after ZimEye and some other agencies broke the news of Cde Matemadanda’s poisoning. Wishes for a speedy recovery have continued pouring in from all walks of life and politicians and none politicians ever since the National Political Commissar of ZANU PF cde Victor Matemadanda was poisoned on the 14th November 2020 in Marondera east of Harare Zimbabwe. The secretary General of ZANU PF UK and Europe Cde Xavier Zvavare posted on the ZANU PF page on Saturday evening to wish cde Matemadanda a quick recovery.
Cde Mambo Wesiriya texted
“Get well soon Cde!”
Cde Hilton Mabhurukwa posted
“Get well soon you our National Commisar Cde Matemadanda.
Icho ✊?✊?✊?✊?✊???”
On Sunday morning a Cde only identified as Jo5 posted
“Speedy recovery cde commissar”
Cde Collin Riva posted
“Get well soon Cde. Aluta continua.”
Many comrades on the group expressed their best recovery wishes with cde Kapfunde Tapedza Nhamo offering a prayer for cde Matemadanda. Sekuru Nyathi Absolom Kunzwa a patriot and an elder in the Adventist church prayed for the veteran politician and wished him a quick recovery. Speaking to this correspondent a staunch ZANU PF supporter and a business man cde Abide Shumba said “ dogs bark and run after moving cars. If people are after you cde Matemadanda it means you are doing something right. Keep fighting cde Aluta !!! Continua!!!!”
Since then, the virtual world has been pouring with love and good wishes for the whole Matemadanda family.
“Praying for your speedy recovery Sir. Love and prayers”, and for Cde Victor he wrote: “Get well soon brother. Lots of love.”
Mr Welcome Bhebhe an immigration lawyer posted on social media “Victor, get well soon. I am sure of my courageous younger brother……he will soon be fit and fine in a day or two cde, don”t worry…every thing will be fine my brave cde….Look after yourself and everyone at home…..Love you all……take care.”
“love and positive energy”. “love and positive energy And you shall be back to health n happiness soon! champ!” Cde Never Katiyo wrote on Saturday night.
Get well soon and become an icon again for”Get well soon sir, my sincere prayers for your speedy recovery.”
Cde E Rugeje former NOC said “Hoping you recover real sooooon sirÂ… sending across lots of positivity 2023 is beckoning. Please get well soon”,
Cde Fanuwell Sibanda of Zim24/7 posted
“Oh no! Take care, Sir! Get well soon! Sending you tonnes of love and good wishes! We need you alive comrade get well soon.”
Cde Matemadanda is now recovering at home after an attempt on his life by yet unnamed assailant who used some sort of poisonous powder which poisons by inhaling.
Cde Matemadanda has provoked some big wigs who had hoped to impose their candidates in the DCC elections and some by elections taking place. Not every one in the party is happy with Victor Matemadanda.
Some senior ZANU PF officials have camped at the President’s farm in Kwekwe making sure no one else will meet the president. They are feeding the president with lies about other senior members and they are trying to create their own line up to take over reigns in the DCCs.
If these people who boast of being too close to the president and being the favourites of the president are not whipped to sanity the name of the president will be dragged in the mud. “Pane vakura misoro” and they must be taught how to follow the path of the party.
Speaking on condition pf anonymity one senior party member said “There are people who are claiming ownership of the president. They are always around the president and they feed the president lies in order for them to gain positions. Imagine a whole minister commands two cars from Harare to bring him a copy of the herald to Kwekwe. If he is not reprimanded then things do fall apart”
However Cde Matemadanda said he is recovering well and he is not suspecting any person for this. Whoever is aiming to kill me will have to pass through God first. My life is for my God. My country and my president. I am not afraid of death and it only death which defines us. I will be back to work with more vigour and power. I will not be threatened. Neither poison nor threat of death will remove me from the love of my country my president and above all this the love of God. I will not be the first to die for my country. I will be just another person. While I am still alive ZANU PF will always be number one.”
Cde Matemadanda thanked all those who have wished him well. He said “ cdes the fight is real. I am humbled by your love for me and my family. I am more than encouraged to stand up and fight for our party our nation and our beings. I am now more purposed to fight. I will wake up everyday to know that I have you holding fort with me. Mu ZANU PF iwe neni tinebasa”.
ZANU PF is for all of is and your heart felt wishes have touched me and have given me positive energy. I will not disappoint. May God bless you too.”
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
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
