FOUR more people in Bulawayo succumbed to Covid-19 in the last 24-hour cycle bringing the total number of deaths in the province to 72.
The country also recorded 65 new cases bringing the total number of cases to 9 046.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the 65 new cases are local cases with the highest number of 31 cases having been reported in Bulawayo. Mashonaland West recorded 13 new cases while Masvingo and the Midlands recorded the least number, each with one case.
“As of November 19, 2020 Zimbabwe, has now recorded 9 046 confirmed cases, 8 195 recoveries and 265 deaths,” reads the statement.
“Eleven new recoveries were reported and the national recovery rate stands at 90,6 percent and active case go up to 586 today.”
So far, Bulawayo province has recorded 1 889 cases, 1 653 recoveries, 164 active cases and 72 deaths and Matabeleland South province has recorded 891 cases, 803 recoveries, 80 active cases and eight deaths, while Matabeleland North has 291 cases, 153 recoveries, 135 active cases and three deaths.
Diversified media group Zimbabwe Newspapers 1980 Ltd’ online streaming service, Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN) will be ready to launch in the next 18 months following its award of a free to air television licence, general manager Ms Nomsa Nkala has said.
Reacting to news that ZTN has been awarded a free to air television licence, Ms Nkala said: “We have put in a lot of work creating and building the ZTN brand, so we are excited that we have come this far. We are also looking forward to the next phase of our journey especially contributing to the growth of film and television in Zimbabwe. It’s an exciting time for us.”
Ms Nkala added: “Expect ZTN to be live within the 18 months set by the regulator. We are getting ready to launch our channel.”
ZTN is among six applicants that have been awarded a free-to-air television licence by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ).
The new stations include Rusununguko Media (Pvt) Ltd trading as NRTV, Jester Media trading as 3K TV, Acacia Media Group trading as Kumba TV, Fairtalk Communications trading as Ke Yona TV and Channel Dzimbahwe trading as Channel D.
Fourteen companies had applied for the television licences, including ZTN, but six were awarded after meeting the requirements, ending decades of monopoly by the public broadcaster, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).
The move is in fulfilment of the 2013 Constitution and also to gives credence to the country’s push of implementing media reforms.
“The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe wishes to advise the public that the process of licencing new television services has been completed,” said BAZ board chairman Mr Charles Sibanda this morning.
“The authority processed the applications in terms of the requirements of the Broadcasting Services Act [Chapter 12:06} including conducting public inquiries to determine applicant’s suitability to be issued with broadcasting services licences.”
“The new licensees shall have eighteen (18) months to rollout their plans and go on air, in line with section 11 (7) of the Broadcasting Services Act [Chapter 12:6].
“In the event of failure to broadcast, the licences will be availed to other aspirants through a similar process,” said Mr Sibanda.
Recently, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso Moyo said the implementation of various reforms by the Second Republic has given credence to re-engagement efforts.
Mbizo legislator Settlement Chikwinya (MDC-Alliance) who is the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Broadcasting Services chair, hailed the milestone of awarding licences to private players.
Zimbabwe has embarrassingly been kicked out of the 2020 COSAFA U17 tournament taking part in Port Elizabeth South Africa over age cheating.
The annual development tournament for the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) only in its second day has been thrown into disarray.
Reports reaching ZimEye.com indicate that the entire teams of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini have all been disqualified from the event after failing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans, a device that reflects the age of humans based on the organs and tissues in the body.
Meanwhile, the tournament’s remaining teams include hosts SA, Zambia, Malawi and Angola.
There are plans to cut down the involvement of middlemen in the procurement of medical drugs, so as to make the prices affordable, Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro has said.
Dr Mangwiro, who was representing Vice President and Health Minister Constantino Chiwenga, said this today while addressing volunteer community health workers and local rapid response teams for public health support measures against Covid-19 in Kadoma.
“Our medical drugs are expensive that even if someone was to travel to Botswana, spend a night in a hotel and buy the medication, the price remains lower than what someone can buy for in Zimbabwe,” he said.
“We are planning to cut middlemen who just want to line their pockets at the expense of citizens, resulting in prices of medication going up.
“The Government is also working towards the production of more drugs locally.”
Meanwhile, Dr Mangwiro said Government plans to have up to 1 000 volunteer community health workers in the fight against Covid-19.
Already, up to 700 volunteers have been trained covering all the country’s 10 provinces.
The first 200 community health workers were trained in July and a request for more volunteers was filed with Government and immediately granted.
A number of African countries have adopted the use of community health workers to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
The High Court on Friday released investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono on bail, two weeks after he was arrested on charges of obstructing justice.
The journalist spent over 40 days in a Harare maximum security prison after he was arrested in July for allegedly inciting protests through Twitter posts.
He is among tens of government critics who have been detained in the past four months.
High Court judge Tawanda Chitapi ruled Friday that a magistrate’s court erred in denying Chin’ono bail.
The judge, however, warned the journalist against posting messages deemed as obstructive to justice on his Twitter page.
“Justice Chitapi found that the magistrate grossly misdirected herself in denying the journalist bail,” the journalist’s lawyer Douglas Coltart said.
Mr Chin’ono says he is being persecuted for speaking out against corruption cases in which President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s family was implicated.
In October, a High Court judge released him on bail on condition that he does not tweet any material that incites protests.
The latest arrest was linked to a tweet in which the journalist said he had information that prosecutors would not challenge a bail application by ZANU PF linked Henrietta Rushwaya, who had been caught at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport trying to smuggle six kilogrammes of gold to Dubai.
One of her accomplices had told detectives the gold belonged to First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa.
Chinono was charged with “contempt of court and defeating or obstructing the course of justice” over the tweet.
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has made forced cross-cutting changes to his Presidential Guard (PG) Brigade several months after his wife Auxillia clashed with one of the most senior officers in the unit.
According to The News Hawks, The changes reflect Mnangagwa’s continued coup-proofing strategy and search for stability in the military forces which brought him to power through a coup in November 2017.
The PG, responsible for providing protection to the President and his deputies and securing Harare district, is a force trained to fight in built-up areas such as cities and towns. The unit is also part of Mnangagwa’s forceful presidential motorcade.
The changes in the PG have seen the unit’s second-in-command, Colonel David Nyasha, being recently replaced by Mnangagwa’s former aide-de-camp, Never-Jones Makuyana, while Nyasha is understood to have been posted to army headquarters.
Security sources said Nyasha opted out of the yellow beret unit after he clashed with his superior, Brigadier-General Fidelis Mhonda.
Makuyana, who at the time was a lieutenant-colonel, was deployed to army headquarters after Mnangagwa changed his security team following the White City Stadium explosion in Bulawayo in 2018 which claimed the lives of some security personnel and injured several high-ranking government officials.
“Makuyana miraculously escaped unscathed, but his service pistol was damaged by shrapnel from the blast,” a source said, adding Makuyana is now PG second-in-commander.
Mhonda took over from Anselem Sanyatwe, who was briefly promoted to Major-General before being posted to diplomatic service in Tanzania.
Military sources said Sanyatwe was retired from the army because he was seen as too loyal to Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga who engineered the coup during his tenure as Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
The removal of Sanyatwe and other top commanders widened the political rift between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga who are now strange political bedfellows.
Following a spat with the First Lady, which went viral on social media platforms, former officer commanding 1 Presidential Guard, Samson Murombo, who later became one of Mnangagwa’s aides-de-camp, was deployed to the Nyanga-based All Arms Battle School in what sources said was a result of the clash with Mnangagwa’s wife.
Lt-Col Mangezi took over as 1PG commander, while Lt-Col Arison Chicha took the reigns at 2PG. Before taking charge of 1 Presidential Guard Battalion, which is next to Mnangagwa’s official residence, Murombo was in charge of 2 Presidential Guard in Dzivaresekwa.
Murombo was in the news last year in July after an audio recording of the enraged First Lady was leaked, showing her interference and Grace Mugabe-style political grandstanding.
Mnangagwa’s wife accused Murombo of spying on her and plotting to kill the President. Her outbursts betrayed the First Family’s paranoid disposition and concerns about their security.
“You are spying on me,” Auxillia railed at Murombo on the audio, not giving him a chance to respond to allegations even though he pleaded with her to hear him out.
Auxillia’s rantings had echoes of Grace’s shrieks of outrage against military figures.
“Get away! I’m just a mere woman, a grandmother. Go shoot Mnangagwa, I ask for pardon. Don’t shoot me, I have children. Just shoot Mnangagwa, because I know this is all about him.”
Sources said another junior officer, identified as Captain Promise Manjoro, whom the First Lady accused of spying on her, was also redeployed to Wafa Wafa Training School. Before his latest redeployment, Manjoro was the adjutant (senior administration officer) at 2PG and before that he was part of the First Lady’s Security personnel.
The Presidential Guard unit, which played a key role in toppling former president Robert Mugabe, underwent several changes after the coup code-named Operation Restore Legacy. Two years ago, a number of low-ranking officers from 2PG were transferred to 1PG.
This, according to sources, was part of Mnangagwa’s coup-proofing strategy, while it was also calculated to contain Chiwenga. Presidential spokesperson George Charamba could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print.
A ZIMBABWEAN nurse has been acquitted after standing trial on charges of abusing Facebook to mobilise and incite some medical practitioners to stage protests against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government over poor remuneration and working conditions.
Moses Sigauke, a nurse at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital had been on trial since July when he was arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers at the state-run medical facility and charged with incitement as defined in section 187 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
During trial, prosecutors told Mbare Magistrate Kudzai Zihove that Sigauke recorded and posted a video on Facebook urging medical practitioners to protest while he was in police detention at Mbare Police Station, where he had been detained together with 10 nurses.
The 11 nurses had been arrested on 6 July 2020 and charged with contravening some national lockdown regulations during a protest over poor salaries and working conditions.
The prosecutors alleged that Sigauke posted a video on Facebook encouraging other nurses to gather at Mbare Police Station and join some detained nurses in demonstrating against government for not heeding their demands to improve their working conditions.
According to the state, Sigauke posted a message on Facebook which reads; “Ngatingouya tizadze camp tese tiite demo yedu tiri mu camp. Handiti ndimo munonzi muri illegal,” which if loosely translated means; “Let’s all gather at the police station and stage our demonstration.”
By posting such a message, prosecutors charged that Sigauke had incited nurses to gather at Mbare Police Station and demonstrate and cause violence.
But Magistrate Zihove on Thursday 19 November 2020 acquitted Sigauke, who was represented by Tinashe Chinopfukutwa and Rudo Bere of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, after discharging him at the close of the prosecution case.
Magistrate Zihove ruled that prosecutors failed to present tangible evidence during trial to prove that Sigauke had committed an offence.
Last month, Sigauke was among 11 nurses, who were acquitted after they were arrested by ZRP officers in July and charged for allegedly contravening some national lockdown regulations during a demonstration against poor remuneration.
FC Platinum are considering bringing back Norman Mapeza after firing head coach Pieter de Jongh.
De Jongh’s sacking came after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) barred him from sitting on the bench in the Championship League as he is not a holder of the CAF A coaching license or a valid Pro license which are required for all coaches participating in the football body’s inter club competitions.
The club released a statement yesterday communicating the way forward and it has emerged that Mapeza is likely to replace the Dutchman.
Talks are underway and sources close to the developments have confirmed that a deal could be signed at the end of today once the parties agree on the terms.
Should they reach an agreement, this will mark Mapeza’s second stint at FC Platinum after his initial successful five-year stay which ended mid-last year.
The former Warriors coach is currently unattached to any side since his departure at South African team Chippa United in February. His move to TTM in September fell through on the eleventh hour after disagreements with the executive.
Meanwhile, Mapeza’s former assistant Lizwe Sweswe is also in the picture as the club is considering him as another option to replace De Jongh.
Sweswe left Mandava last month and has since joined Zifa Central Region Division One side Trukumb Mine.-Soccer 24
FC Platinum are set to dismiss head coach Pieter de Jongh.
The decision follows the club’s appeal to have the coach him on the bench for the CAF Champions League
The Dutchman is not a holder of CAF A coaching license or a valid Pro license which is required for all coaches participating in the football body’s interclub tournaments.
The Platinum miners have taken decisive action and are expected to formally announce the decision by the weekend.
De Jong joined the club in January from Highlanders and has courted controversy since the switch.
The opinionated coach was constantly active on social media taking jibes at his former club Highlanders as well as hitting out at ZIFA and the Warriors’ preparations for games.
He is also understood to have pushed former FC Platinum interim and assistant coach Lizwe Sweswe out of the club.
Sweswe went on to join Zifa Central Region Division One side Trukumb Mine.
Ironically, Sweswe who does hold the CAF A coaching license has been linked with sensational return to the club with fans calling for his reinstatement.-Soccer 24
David Luiz and Dani Ceballos were reportedly involved in a brutal fight at training which left the latter bleeding.
The incident is said to have happened on Friday during the international break. Luiz and Ceballos were not part of the Brazil and Spain squads and remained in London where they have continued to train.
According to The Athletic, the pair was involved in a bust-up following a rowdy challenge on Luiz. The Brazilian defender reacted angrily and punched the Spaniard in the face, and left him bleeding from the nose.
Team-mates and staff then stepped in to diffuse the scuffle. The players were sent home by coach Mikel Arteta and reported for duty on Tuesday.
Both Luiz and Ceballos have since iron out their issues and apologised to their team-mates.-Soccer 24
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has said a return to legitimacy is the only solution to the country’s deepening political crisis.
Addressing journalists in Harare on Friday, President Chamisa described the persecution of veteran journalist Hopewell Chin’ono as a desperate attempt by Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration to muzzle alternative voices.
“Zimbabwe is in a deep crisis.Journalism is not a crime.The persecution of Hopewell Chin’ono indicates that Zimbabwe is a Banana Republic in which journalists are harassed for exposing corruption,” said President Chamisa.
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has extended his contract with the EPL giants with two more years.
The Spaniard’s current deal was expiring at the end of this season after arriving at the club in 2016. His current five-year stay at the Etihad is his longest spell in charge of a club since he began his managerial career in 2008.
Speaking after signing the new deal, Pep said: Ever since I arrived at Manchester City I have been made to feel so welcome in the club and in the city itself.
“Since then we have achieved a great deal together, scored goals, won games and trophies, and we are all very proud of that success.
“Having that kind of support is the best thing any manager can have. I have everything I could possibly want to do my job well and I am humbled by the confidence the Owner, Chairman, Ferran and Txiki have shown in me to continue for two more years after this season.
“The challenge for us is to continue improving and evolving, and I am very excited and about helping Manchester City do that.”-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|The MDC Alliance Assembly of Women has accused Zanu PF of trying to cause chaos in the popular movement by soiling party Secretary General Charlton Hwende’s image.
The MDC Alliance of Women has also endorsed the outcome of the “Tendai Masotsha Inquiry” presented by the Investigation Committee.
See statement below:
MDC ALLIANCE ASSEMBLY OF WOMEN STATEMENT ON THE OUTCOME OF LEADER TENDAI MASOTSHA INQUIRY
The MDC Alliance Assembly of Women welcomes the decision of the Bulawayo Province AOW Chair, Tendai Masotsha inquiry by the Investigation Committee.
Leader Masotsha has been exonerated from the allegations that she aided Tawanda Muchehiwa’s abduction in July.
The committee found no evidence to the allegations and we are satisfied with the internal process and the brief prepared by the committee which was appointed by the National Council.
The Chairlady has been cleared and she can now freely execute her duties as the Chairperson.
We also believe that the Secretary General, Hon Charlton Hwende has no personal interest in the outcome of the case and was not part of the investigation committee.
He has only acted in the best interest of the collective decision by defending the National Council to appoint the Investigating Committee which comprised of experts within the party.
We are also aware that the attack on the person of SG Hwende is not aimed at him as an individual but it is a deliberate ploy to bring the MDCA into disrepute .
We continue to defend and support the party in every progressive decision made and we plead with sympathizers and supporters of the party to always dialogue with us on matters relating to the assembly in efforts to find inclusive solutions to the challenges that our party may face, we are here to listen and to serve you. Masotsha is a victim of state sponsored repression who equally deserves our support.
We also demand justice for all victims of state sponsored abductions and torture including Tawanda Muchehiwa who is still recovering from gruesome torture .
ZANU PF is the main culprit in the instigation of state sponsored violence and repression, so we will not be distracted by sideshows in our collective act to demand the respect of Human Rights in Zimbabwe.
We take this opportunity to wish Ldr Masotsha well in taking Bulawayo Province to greater heights in terms of mobilising women for MDC Alliance during these trying times.
We believe in the able leadership of President Nelson Chamisa as we continue to fight for a people’s government.
Monica Mukwada Secretary – MDC Alliance Assembly of Women
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has described the barbaric killing of innocent citizens by the authorities in Uganda as alarming and unacceptable.
According to media reports from Uganda, 28 civilians were shot dead by Ugandan security forces on Friday morning.
In a brief statement released on Friday, President Chamisa condemned the ruthless killing of civilians in Uganda.
“Disturbing news from Uganda.. All Dictators like Yoweri Museveni abuse the military to kill innocent civilians, victimize People’s leaders like Bobi Wine.
Dictators think they are invincible until they are swept away by the winds of change.
None of them learns from the debacle and tragic end of the other!The killings and political developments in Uganda are a real cause for concern. Dictatorship must go in Africa,” said President Chamisa.
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has described the barbaric killing of innocent citizens by the authorities in Uganda as alarming and unacceptable.
According to media reports from Uganda, 28 civilians were shot dead by Ugandan security forces on Friday morning.
In a brief statement released on Friday, President Chamisa condemned the ruthless killing of civilians in Uganda.
“Disturbing news from Uganda.. All Dictators like Yoweri Museveni abuse the military to kill innocent civilians, victimize People’s leaders like Bobi Wine.
Dictators think they are invincible until they are swept away by the winds of change.
None of them learns from the debacle and tragic end of the other!The killings and political developments in Uganda are a real cause for concern. Dictatorship must go in Africa,” said President Chamisa.
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|Popular Botswana musician, musician Odirile Vee Sento, says he is changing his name to VEENIMBI, hoping to attract riches similar to those of the late controversial Harare socialite and businessman, Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure.
Vee paraded his mansion and said he would be called “Veenimbi” after the late Harare socialite.
Vee would not hide his admiration for Ginimbi.
“I have been inspired by Ginimbi, I will work very hard.
I have changed my name to VEENIMBI, it’s a cool name after all.
People must work hard, less talking please – we can also make it,” said Vee.
MDC ALLIANCE ASSEMBLY OF WOMEN STATEMENT ON THE OUTCOME OF LEADER TENDAI MASOTSHA INQUIRY
The MDC Alliance Assembly of Women welcomes the decision of the Bulawayo Province AOW Chair, Tendai Masotsha inquiry by the Investigation Committee.
Leader Masotsha has been exonerated from the allegations that she aided Tawanda Muchehiwa’s abduction in July.
The committee found no evidence to the allegations and we are satisfied with the internal process and the brief prepared by the committee which was appointed by the National Council. The Chairlady has been cleared and she can now freely execute her duties as the Chairperson.
We also believe that the Secretary General, Hon Charlton Hwende has no personal interest in the outcome of the case and was not part of the investigation committee. He has only acted in the best interest of the collective decision by defending the National Council to appoint the Investigating Committee which comprised of experts within the party.
We are also aware that the attack on the person of SG Hwende is not aimed at him as an individual but it is a deliberate ploy to bring the MDCA into disrepute .
We continue to defend and support the party in every progressive decision made and we plead with sympathizers and supporters of the party to always dialogue with us on matters relating to the assembly in efforts to find inclusive solutions to the challenges that our party may face, we are here to listen and to serve you. Masotsha is a victim of state sponsored repression who equally deserves our support. We also demand justice for all victims of state sponsored abductions and torture including Tawanda Muchehiwa who is still recovering from gruesome torture . ZANU PF is the main culprit in the instigation of state sponsored violence and repression, so we will not be distracted by sideshows in our collective act to demand the respect of Human Rights in Zimbabwe.
We take this opportunity to wish Ldr Masotsha well in taking Bulawayo Province to greater heights in terms of mobilising women for MDC Alliance during these trying times.
We believe in the able leadership of President Nelson Chamisa as we continue to fight for a people’s government.
Monica Mukwada Secretary – MDC Alliance Assembly of Women
Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance leader, President Nelson Chamisa has said a return to legitimacy is the only solution to the country’s deepening political crisis.
Addressing journalists in Harare on Friday, President Chamisa described the persecution of veteran journalist Hopewell Chin’ono as a desperate attempt by Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration to muzzle alternative voices.
“Zimbabwe is in a deep crisis.Journalism is not a crime.The persecution of Hopewell Chin’ono indicates that Zimbabwe is a Banana Republic in which journalists are harassed for exposing corruption,” said President Chamisa.
Sydney Powell, who’s speaking, is your own campaign manager. How do her allegations translate to news or anything near the truth? When you quote your own campaign manager, announcing fake news, are you not damaging the reputation of the US & the health of world politics?
A Kwekwe man died after consuming a concoction given to him by a prophet in a bid to cure perennial stomach problems.
The man, Decent Mutekeri (22), died after he drank a blue coloured concoction that had been administered to him by a prophet belonging to an unnamed Apostolic sect. Police have since launched a manhunt for the prophet, Munyaradzi Mutomba (30), who reportedly fled after discovering that his healing process had gone wrong. Midlands provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Joel Goko confirmed the incident.
“On November 16 around 1600 hours, the accused person approached the now deceased at Mbizo 16 tuck shop and informed him that the Holy Spirit had shone him that Mupeperi had stomach challenges and had been sent to treat him. The now deceased consented and they drove in his unregistered Toyota Mark X to the prophet’s house,” said Inspector Goko.
At Mutomba’s house in Mbizo 15 Mutekeri was given a blue concoction that he consumed.
After consuming the blue substance, the now deceased reportedly left for his homestead.
His friends later visited him and he was vomiting a blue like substance. Upon being quizzed, Mutekeri told his friends about the concoction and the supposed healing process.
“The friends then decided to call the prophet who went to the now deceased’s place. Upon arrival, he found the now deceased vomiting and told him that it was part of the healing process,” said Inspector Goko.
The prophet reportedly gave him the remaining concoction to drink which he did.
The following day, upon noticing that Mutekeri’s condition continued to deteriorate, they took him to a surgery in the central business district where he had a scan.
The scan revealed that Mupeperi was suffering from renal failure and referred him to Kwekwe General Hospital where he died upon admission.-Chronicle
By A Correspondent- A 36 year old Shamva cannabis grower was sentenced to 5 years behind bars yesterday by Bindura provincial magistrate Tinashe Ndokera.
Chenjerai Zebron pleaded guilty to the charge.
The court heard that on November 17 the police received a tip-off that Zebron was selling dagga, they pounced on his house and found him packing the dagga in 2 x 50 kgs sacks.
He was asked to produce a license which he failed to produce.
The police quizzed him on who is the supplier is and he told them he was a grower.
He led the police to his garden where he was forced to uproot 533 plants of dagga.
By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) acting secretary-general Elias Hwenga yesterday appeared before a Harare magistrate facing charges of obstructing or defeating the course of justice after he allegedly fired subordinates who had exposed corruption within the organisation to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc).
The State, represented by prosecutor Ephraim Zinyandu, alleges that sometime in May 2020, some ZRCS employees received anonymous information through their emails which allegedly unearthed rampant corruption and they forwarded it to Zacc.
Following the submission of that information, Zacc launched a probe on three senior officials among them ZRCS board president Edson Mlambo, secretarygeneral Maxwell Phiri and Midlands provincial chairperson Vutete Mazorodze Hapanyengwi who are all facing fraud charges at the courts.
The complainants in the case, Davison Mutikori, Norman Takawira, Bernard Mupandira, Morris Machawira who are former ZRCS managers and Fidelis Muyedziwa, were fired following their participation in interviews during the Zacc probe, which led to the arrest of the three bosses.
After they were arrested, Mlambo and Phiri, who is still at large, then appointed Hwenga as the acting secretary-general who then signed letters which terminated the contracts of the four managers.
The complainants were served with suspension notices, called for a hearing, but the charges were later withdrawn before they responded to the allegations and were fired instead.
According to the State, almost every employee who was interviewed by Zacc during investigations on the bosses was fired as their superiors suspected that they had leaked information which resulted in them being investigated.
The State also alleges that the tip off to Zacc was written by one or more employees at ZRCS since it contained internal information which was only known to employees.
Hwenga, who is being represented by Admire Rubaya, applied for bail, but the State opposed, arguing that he was likely to tamper with evidence which was under his custody as the police had not yet retrieved the documents from him.
The State also argued that he was likely to interfere with the witnesses who are his former subordinates as he had already blocked their emails.
Hwenga was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate Ngoni Nduna.-Newsday
Twenty-eight people died in violent clashes between Ugandan security forces and supporters of detained opposition leader Bobi Wine this week.
In a statement this Friday, Ugandan police spokesperson Fred Enanga said the deaths were recorded in different areas.
He said:
We would like to inform the public that a total of 28 people have died following the violent political demonstrations, in multiple areas.
Wine (38), a Ugandan presidential aspirant, was detained by police on Tuesday, just moments after he had registered his nomination to challenge Yoweri Museveni in next year’s election.
The National Unity Party, to which the opposition MP whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, belongs, said he was forcefully pulled from his car and thrown into a van in Kampala after submitting his candidacy papers to election officials.
Museveni, 76, is one of Africa’s longest-serving rulers and had the constitution amended for a second time to allow him to run a sixth time in 2021.
By A Correspondent- A Chinese mining company, Zhong Jian has intensified efforts to search for illegal gold miners suspected to be buried alive in Premier Estate area in Penhalonga with the company claiming the exercise was costing it thousands of dollars.
The company told NewsDay yesterday that its staff was being stoned by locals almost on a daily basis, accused of burying the miners alive.
So far, two bodies have been recovered while several others are reportedly trapped in the pits that collapsed last weekend.
Zhong Jian general manager who identified himself as Xu said the search was costing the company hundreds of dollars.
“We came here on November 8, the following day, on November 9, we spoke with police who gave the illegal miners a two-day notice to vacate the area on November 11. Police told us they had given the miners a notice,” he said.
“On November 11, our company, together with the police gave an hour’s notice for illegal miners to leave the area.”
He added:
“Every pit we filled up was confirmed by police, we have been always working with police. On November 13, someone called the police claiming that he had a relative who was trapped in the pits.
Police then came to us asking for help to search for the bodies since we had the equipment, we helped the search and two bodies were found.
“We believe the other body was trapped for a long-time because it was in a state of decomposition.
“We have been searching the pits for days and this is now costing the company a lot of money, but, as a company, we are willing to help.”
But some locals have accused the company of burying the illegal miners alive.
Several bags and cellphones believed to belong to illegal miners were recovered from the mineshaft.
“Yes, police came and gave notice, but we think the company rushed to fill up the pits, they could have taken time, because in some instances, some miners did not hear about the notice as they were underground,” Thomas Muchaneta, one of the illegal miners said.
Another miner who only identified himself as Tuso added: “It is not clear if my friends were buried alive or they just used another exit to escape from the pits, but they left their phones charging and they are yet to take them, but I can’t name them at the moment.
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF yesterday said the party’s succession matrix would al-ways be guided by its constitution and remained a straitjacket where the most senior party member would succeed an incumbent party leader.
Addressing a Press briefing in Harare, acting national spokes-person Patrick Chinamasa said Zanu-PF remained guided by the constitution in dealing with the succession issue.
“Zanu-PF has a constitution and under that constitution, we sit as a congress to elect our president,” Chinamasa said.
“In 1977, a lot of the leaders had fallen by the wayside. The most senior person in rank remaining was (the late) Robert Mugabe and at the congress in Chimoio, he was elected president of Zanu then,” Chinamasa said.
“In November (2017), exactly on the basis of the precedence of 1977, exactly that is what happened when it became very clear that our constitution was being trampled upon by the G40 cabal and that they were threatening the stability of the nation, the party moved in and we elected, at our December congress, President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa as leader of Zanu-PF.”
Chinamasa also said Mnangagwa had become the target of the G40 cabal as it was clear, by virtue of him being the most senior in the party, that he was going to take over as president of the party and country.
The succession issue in Zanu-PF has remained a thorny issue that which at one time pitted Mugabe. Mnangagwa, former Vice-President Joice Mujuru and the G40.
Mnangagwa, in 2004 led a foiled palace coup dubbed the Tsholotsho Declaration that sought to catapult him from a distant position in the party hierarchy to the vice-presidency that could have immediately positioned him to take over from Mugabe.
Mujuru fell in 2014, but that did not herald the end of factionalism in the party, with the G40, backed by Mugabe, emerging to pose a serious threat to Mnangagwa.
The G40 cabal was, however, vanquished during a military coup that ousted Mugabe in November 2017.
Zanu-PF secretary for war veterans Douglas Mahiya supported Chinamasa, saying the most senior person in the party automatically took over.
Mahiya said: “We are guided by the revolutionary fundamentals to continue with the revolution forever.
“We were very clear, we did not tell the former President to resign; we did not say he must go away.
“We simply told him (Mugabe) that when your time is up, you do not mislead the nation or do the wrong thing against what is dictated by the revolution to give the power of this country to any other, other than the people.”
Mahiya said Mnangagwa was the most senior person to take over from Mugabe.
Chinamasa said a lot of developments occurred before and during the coup period, but the party was not yet ready to disclose them at the moment.
“Behind the scenes, a lot took place, but it is too early to say. The further from November 2017, the more likely we are going to tell you.”
He said the succession in Zanu-PF was a straitjacket and while it allowed everyone to manoeuvre “within the straitjacket, no one could manoeuvre outside it”.
Chinamasa described the month of November as a “sacred month” for the party and the country” as it gave birth to a “new dispensation” after years of “regrettable events”.
“We are yet to heal. These were the worst ever days in the chapter of the life of our President, ED Mnangagwa, worse than the hanging sentence because then, it was the enemy he had chosen to fight against notwithstanding any consequences.”
Chinamasa said the party had “already won” the 2023 elections two years before the polls are held despite several challenges the party has faced in turning around the economy that include natural disasters.
Chinamasa did not elaborate on how the party “has won” the elections but told journalists that under Mnangagwa, the government had weathered the storm and was on the right track.
“2023 is a dead rubber election. It’s over before voting,” Chinamasa declared, adding the ruling party had faced its fair share of challenges, including COVID-19, Cyclone Idai, sanctions and violence, among other issues.-Newsday
The late socialite and video vixen burial which was initially set to take place yesterday at Zororo Memorial Park in Harare did not proceed as planned after her father Ishmael Amuli allegedly disappeared with the burial order while other family members were waiting to take her body from Parirenyatwa Hospital mortuary to Doves Funeral Parlour.
Speaking during an interview with The Herald , Moana’s maternal uncle Austin Chimedza revealed that Moana’s burial might take longer than expected as the Amuli family had vanished with the burial order at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
“We now do not have any burial arrangements because we wanted the body to be taken to Doves but the Amuli family disappeared with the burial order. We had come to a truce and everything was in order and we thought the burial was going to take place today (yesterday).
“We are now waiting for him (Moana’s father) to come back to us and tell us the day of burial, but we are not burying her tomorrow. We are waiting to come to another arrangement with the Amuli family,” he said.
After disappearing with her burial order Moana’s father was later asked by police to come to an agreement with Moana’s maternal relatives. However, when he went back to Parirenyatwa for talks with his in-laws, he found them gone.
“The Dongos have not called us. We are at Parirenyatwa. They are the ones who are causing problems despite playing no part in raising this child.
“If they do not pitch up, tomorrow we take our daughter and go with her straight to our mosque in Belvedere and bury her,” he said.
The burial of the late socialite and fitness bunny had been deferred again to Friday after the family had come to an agreement. However, due to the latest incident, it seems not likely the burial will take place today as the family is still uncertain of Moana’s final resting place.
By A Correspondent| The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe has released the list of companies that have been awarded free to air television licenses and among them is the Zimpapers TV network and Rusununguko Media whose logo had a gun.
The six successful applicants excludes Trevor Ncube’s Heart and Soul TV, Supa Mandiwanzira’s AB Communications among others.
The six are
Jester Media Pvt Ltd trading as 3K TV
2. Zimbabwe Newspapers 1980 Limited trading as ZTN
3. Rusunguko Media Pvt Ltd trading as NRTV
4. Acacia Media Group Pvt Ltd trading as Kumba TV
5. Fairtalk Communications Pvt Ltd trading as Ke Yona
THE burial of late fitness trainer, video vixen and model Michelle “Moana” Amuli has yet again been stopped at the 11th hour on Friday morning as family wrangles continue to take centre stage.
Her burial was initially set for Wednesday at Zororo Park Cemetery along Seke Road and was later moved to Thursday and again to Friday before being called off again as her parents could not agree on religious rites and burial site.
The Amuli family continues to rob Moana of a decent send-off as they clash over the manner in which the late video vixen should be buried. Her father wants her daughter to have a Muslim burial, while the mother`s side wants to lay her to rest following Christian conventions.
Moana was brought up by her father after her mother left her as a baby in the custody of the father.
Moana clashed with her father two years ago when she turned into a party animal contradicting her father’s Muslim beliefs. He subsequently kicked her out of the family home.
When she died, her mother’s family hijacked the mourning to her mother’s Highfields home and barred her father’s family from attending.
The family has since dragged each other to court to decide on who should bury her.
Moana had just celebrated her 26th birthday when the Roll Royce Wraith that was being driven by Genius ‘Ginimbi’ Kadungure crashed and burst into flames along the Borrowdale Road in the capital a fortnight ago.
Moana died in the horrific accident that also claimed the lives of socialite Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure, Malawian businessman Limumba Karim and Mozambican model Alicha Adams.
Who do you think should be allowed to bury her remains?
Who do you think should be allowed to bury Moana remains?
By A Correspondent- Police in South Africa yesterday arrested a 27-year-old Zimbabwean national allegedly caught with 115 units of blasting cartridges and 100 units of explosive accessories.
The explosives were packed in boxes and hidden inside a truck trailer.
The driver was directed towards the searching bay, where the crime was detected, resulting in the arrest.
“The 27-year-old suspect was arrested in the early hours of today (yesterday), November 19, 2020 at about 1am by the South African Police Service members at Beitbridge Border Post jointly with the Musina Bomb Disposal Unit after he allegedly attempted to smuggle explosives into the country,” Limpopo province police spokesman Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said in a statement.
“The suspect was travelling from Zimbabwe to Alberton in the Gauteng Province. He will soon appear in Musina Magistrate’s Court on charges of possession of explosive materials,” he said.
Police were yet to establish the origins of the explosives, he said.
At the time of going to print, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority which is in charge of the Customs and Excise Department had not yet responded to how the truck loaded with the explosives made it through their electronic scanners, only to be nabbed on the South African side.
“I am checking with our loss control unit,” Zimra spokesperson Francis Chimanda said.
Zimbabweans have on several occasions been arrested on the South African side of the border with explosives, raising questions about how they would have passed the Zimbabwean side.
By Luke Tamborinyoka| Tomorrow, November 21 , marks exactly three years after Zimbabweans across the political divide united in support of a coup that forced Robert Mugabe to resign after a tenuous 37 years in office .
Soon after we pastured out Robert Mugabe , with the nation still drunk in the hope that we were now under a truly new dispensation , I gave a chilling warning to my fellow countrymen of their misplaced optimism on the aptitude of the incoming regime led by Emmerson Mnangagwa . Just after the coup , with Zimbabweans still going crazy in their grossly misplaced excited frenzy ahead of ED taking over the seat of power , I wrote the following piece ; giving the stark warning that we should not mistake brass for gold . I warned that Mr Mnangagwa and his incoming acolytes were not in any way an inspiring lot .
Today, as we suffer the ignominy of ED’s cluelessness and the plumbing depths of his incompetence and performance and electoral illegitimacy —– remember I had warned you beforehand .
Memory is always a fertile ground for deep reflection. I reproduce today my treatise, first published in November 2017, in which I counselled the nation against the drunken stupor and the misplaced faith in Mr . Mnangagwa , who today , together with his cronies , are fleecing the country dry through unbridled and wanton acts of avarice and corruption .
In November 2017 , with the echoes of misplaced national excitement still reverberating across the country after the fall of Robert Mugabe , I wrote the following piece warning you , my fellow citizens , that in ED , you were simply committing the cardinal error of mistaking brass , if not clay , for gold!
Mistaking brass for gold
It had to happen while I was right in the place of my birth. The time was six o’clock in the evening and, as if of significance, the day was Tuesday, 21 November 2017, exactly 10 days after the 52nd anniversary of The Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI).
I was at Chirodzero business centre in my beloved Domboshava, popularly known as pa Showground.
And then the radio blurted it out: President Robert Mugabe had finally resigned. This growth point in my area of birth suddenly burst to life—cars hooting, people shouting, touts whistling and vendors leaving their wares unattended.
I just felt numb, savouring the eerie scene around me in typical journalistic wonderment.
A vendor selling cucumbers suddenly developed a sudden bout of generosity and started moving around dishing out these freshly fruits for free.
That is how the news was received at this rural growth point in my home area, some 36 kilometers north-east of the capital city.
Barely an hour earlier, I had accompanied President Morgan Tsvangirai to a rally at Africa Unity Square, just outside Parliament building in Harare. My boss had just been invited by the war veterans to address the burgeoning crowd, reflecting the inclusive atmosphere and the national convergence that had inadvertently developed in the country on the eve of Mugabe’s departure.
The euphoria and wild scenes of celebration that rippled in all the cities and rural growth points at the news of Mugabe’s resignation had a ring of irony to them. Mugabe had finally achieved with his departure what he had failed to achieve for all of his 37 years of incumbency—he had finally united a divided nation. if nation-building is the immediate task of a newly-installed national leadership, then Mugabe ironically united the nation on the day he left office.
The kaleidoscopic atmosphere of people of all political colors charging into the streets and celebrating in unison was an unprecedented national marvel. It gave life and poignant meaning to those sacred words in the preamble to our Constitution; “ We , the people of Zimbabwe , united in our diversity ……….”
For a nation torn by hatred and intolerance, the unity across the political, racial and ethnic divide on the day of Mugabe’s departure was a marvelous scene to watch. This national celebration had been building up in the last hours of Mugabe’s tenure, starting with the massive demonstration attended and addressed by both ruling party and opposition leaders in Harare on Saturday, 18 November 2017—a first in the history of the country.
Never again, one hopes, should one man and his family be allowed to capture the State to fertilize their profligate disposition; what with the recent reports of the former First Lady splashing scarce foreign currency buying plush properties across the world. The former President’s sons were a notorious lot known for partying and wild binges and it is no wonder that the younger of the Mugabe sons, Bellarmine Chatunga, recently splurged US$60 000, buying a trendy wrist watch at a time whole families in the country are surviving on less than US$1 per day.
The country deserves to start afresh, even though, if the truth be told, the signs are not encouraging given the nature of the characters itching to step in..
The army played midwife to this so-called new dispensation, having unconstitutionally held the President under house arrest for over a week. Moreover, some of the characters presumed to take over the running of country, such as Emmerson Mnangagwa, are not themselves without any blemish as they have been the cogs of Mugabe’s wickedly tenuous stay in office.
I do not wish to dampen the nation’s carnival atmosphere at this hour through needless pessimism but the incoming lot equally has a bloody past. They will most probably have a bloody future. Unless and until they take advantage of this new day to break away from their dark past, there could really be no reason for celebration.
This could be a dim and unpopular view in a country drunk with hope amid the euphoria on the departure of an icon-turned-villain. Yet this should be a moment for sober reflection so that as a nation, we don’t wander in the same if not worse political terrain ever again.
Suddenly, it seems as if everyone has always been against Mugabe and the man appears to have had no sympathizer in the country. For a man who claimed to have won past elections and whose rallies, including the ones held only a few weeks ago, were filled with mammoth crowds, one question still lingers unanswered: Where are those mammoth Mugabe crowds today?
Or is it a chilling realization that we could be a nation of hypocrites, who lie and fawn at politicians when we do not mean it? Had this man suddenly become so unpopular in a matter of days, even in his own party?
Judging by the huge celebrations and the impression that everyone was in the opposition, the question still remains; Where have the millions of Mugabe’s supporters suddenly disappeared to?
Why have all those chants of “ Gushungo chete chete ” suddenly turned into a sonorous national chorus of “ Gushungo kwete kwete ?
In one fell swoop, the man’s so-called mammoth support has suddenly ebbed into a shocking nothingness.
My fellow ciuntrymen, let us not—in the drunken stupor of the moment—forget what needs to be done. And that is poising the country for legitimacy, growth and prosperity.
It all starts with a leadership that can give Zimbabweans a reason to hope again. Given the optimism around the person of Emmerson Mnangagwa, the man expected to take charge, one hopes that his unrepentant supporters who appear to have so much faith in him, including some prominent diplomatic missions, have not grossly misplaced their faith.
Indeed, Mnangagwa’s record and credentials are not impeccable and Zimbabwe could be committing the cardinal error of mistaking brass for gold!
Luke Tamborinyoka is the Deputy Secretary for Presidential Affairs in the MDC Alliance led by Advocate Nelson Chamisa . He is a multiple award-winning journalist who was once elected and served as the secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists . Tamborinyoka also served as spokesperson for almost 10 years to the country’s democracy icon , Morgan Tsvangirai , until the latter’s death in 2018 . He is an ardent political scientist who won the Book Prize when he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Political Science at the University of Zimbabwe . You can interact with him on Facebook or on the twitter handle @ luke_tambo .
By A Correspondent- An individual only identified as “KIT KAT” was listed as the heir to the late businessman and socialite Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure’s Lamborghini vehicle.
This was revealed in an unsigned will purportedly made by Kadungure, which was submitted to the Master’s Office at the High Court this week.
A Harare man, Nomatter Zinyengere, claiming to be Kadungure’s best friend, this week registered the deceased’s estate and unsuccessfully tried to push the Master of High Court into accepting the unsigned will.
It is not clear if Zinyengere was “KIT-KAT” but an online check identified him (Zinyengere) as the director of a South African registered company called KAT Group, which was incorporated in August 2019.
The will show that Kadungure owned the Domboshava mansion, a company called Infinity Gas, an undisclosed fleet of vehicles and several other companies.
Ranros Estate Administrators, who are the custodians of the unsigned will, wrote a cover letter seeking the speedy acceptance of the unsigned document as the actual last will and testament for the distribution of the estate.
The letter read in part:
The deceased died before signing his last will and testament. We are therefore kindly asking your office to urgently convene a meeting with all beneficiaries so that you can accept the will and issue the court sealed letters of administration.
The deceased had a running business in Botswana and it stopped operations on November 9, 2020. The laws of that country require the estate to be reported to the Master of High Court within 14 days so that operations will resume.
The major fear of the beneficiaries is that the business partners of the deceased in Botswana might take advantage of and vandalise the assets of the deceased.
Genius’s father Anderson Kadungure and sisters Juliet and Neria were listed as possible beneficiaries of the estate.
However, the Office of the Master through a letter signed by K F Chigomararwa, an Additional Master of High Court in charge of the Deceased Estates, refused to accept the unsigned will.
Chigomararwa asked the Kadungure family members and other beneficiaries to attend a meeting on Wednesday next week to sort out the way forward and deal with administrative details such as the appointment of the executor.”
Chiredzi Rural District Council Ward 9 councillor Mukachana Chauke has died.
He died reportedly on his way to Harare to seek medical care after getting seriously injured in a kombi accident in Chingele, Chiredzi South, yesterday.
Remarks by Finance minister Professor Mthuli Ncube that government workers are the highest paid in the country outstripping private sector employees is an open confirmation that Zimbabwean workers are under modern day slavery.
Professor Ncube bragged that Government is currently the highest paying employer in the country and pay scales for public servants far outstrip what private sector players are giving their employees.
He went as far as challenging anyone who disputed his assertion to come forward.
Minister Ncube’s comments come after civil servants this week accepted a 41 percent salary increase by Government, including allowances, with teachers getting an additional 10 percent risk allowance, breaking an impasse that had seen the tutors refusing to return to work for several weeks, crippling efforts to resume learning and examinations following Covid-19 disruptions.
“The lowest paid civil servant right now is on $14 500. A teacher right now will be earning close to $19 000. And the lowest paid civil servant is actually an office orderly. We are way ahead of the private sector in general,” Minister Ncube said, adding that the hard working public servants were well looked after.
Compared to what other public workers are earning in other countries, Zimbabwean workers both in government and private sector are working under slavery.
By A Correspondent- Police yesterday threatened to tighten COVID-19 lockdown enforcement measures, accusing citizens of being complacent and ignoring set regulations to combat the spread of the virus as the country is experiencing the second wave of the pandemic.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said citizens had become “too relaxed” in the face of rising COVID-19 cases, hence the need for tighter enforcement.
“The police reminds Zimbabweans that the country is still under COVID-19 lockdown measures which include a curfew which runs from 2200hrs until 0600hrs the following day. The enforcement of these health, safety and security measures is still paramount,” Nyathi said.
“Police has noted with concern that some sections of the public no longer value wearing of face masks, observe social distancing guidelines, sanitisation and public gathering restrictions.
Nyathi added: “COVID-19 is real and the public should avoid being complacent and co-operate with law enforcement agents to curtail the spread of the pandemic.”
He said restrictions on gatherings remained in place with not more than 100 people in churches, 50 or less at funerals and only low-risk sports allowed. Weddings, birthdays, house parties, political and other social gatherings and all-night prayers remain banned, so are casinos, night clubs and bars.
“Police has intensified patrols, surveillance, checks and other measures to ensure arrests are affected and the law takes its course without fear or favour. Those found operating shebeens or selling and drinking liquor while closed inside bars, night clubs and other premises will be dealt with,” Nyathi said.
“In the same vein, kombis or private vehicles which are pirating within cities and on inter-city routes will be impounded. Besides, the drivers will be taken to the owners who are obviously not taking heed of the government call to be responsible and law-biding citizens.”
A total of 224 037 people have been arrested since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown in March while 23 180 vehicles have been impounded.
Nyathi also warned officers engaging in corruption at COVID-19 checkpoints, roadblocks and other enforcement sites that the long arm of the law would catch up with them.
ZANU PF will not hesitate to name and shame ministers sleeping on the job as Zimbabwe starts implementing National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) meant to contribute towards making the country an upper middle-class economy by 2030.
President Mnangagwa recently launched a five-year economic blueprint that succeeds the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) that ran from October 2018 to the end of this year.
Addressing a special press conference that reflected on Operation Restore Legacy of November 2017, that ushered in a developed focused New Dispensation, Zanu PF acting spokesperson Cde Patrick Chinamasa said the country was in safe hands under the unifying and progressive stewardship of President Mnangagwa.
“There is a need now to effectively focus on implementation, implementation, implementation. The success of the NDS1 will depend on effective implementation.
“Zanu PF will throughout the implementation period keep a stern eye on Ministries, Government departments, parastatals and other State institutions and agencies responsible for implementation of various facets of the National Development Strategy 1 and will not hesitate to name and shame those ministers and state institutions and agencies considered to be sleeping on the job and being lax in the implementation of NDS1,” he said.
Cde Chinamasa further said; “His Excellency the President has to be applauded for coming up with this economic document which aims at creating a prosperous Zimbabwe with an economic growth of 5 percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rate per annum, thus joining Africa fastest growing economies.”
“Over the past few years Africa has been home to some of the fastest growing economies and we are happy that through effective implementation of this document and our concerted efforts, Zimbabwe will be counted among the top.”
After spending 4 years in Namibia it was time to go back to my country Zimbabwe at the end of 2020.
I announced the news to friends .Some disapproved my decision to return home while others encouraged me.
Bearing in mind my benefits as far as paying customs duties for my car, furniture and groceries, i compiled all documents needed at the boarder so that i return home without any challenges with Zimra officials.
I arrived at the Victoria Falls Boarder at around 2pm and boarder officials were more than happy to serve me as a returning citizen.
In order for one to benefit customs free benefits on my car and other things in my possesion my passport had to be stamped as a returning resident by immigration officials. After this, Zimra would just have to award me free duty for my car and my other valuables.
The problem started with the immigration official who demanded “something” in order for her to stamp my passport with a Returning Resident Stamp despite the fact that my papers were in order.
Nothing was amiss. I qualified as a returning resident according to the law.
I was forced to comply and I gave her “something” and my passport was stamped RR.
I moved to Zimra. They were happy to serve me as well.
After processing almost everything, scrutinizing all my papers which were inorder, they demanded US$100 inorder for them to stamp my papers. I refused to pay that money.
From the time i refused to pay the money, they stopped working on my papers. I went and reported them to their boss. I told him that his subordinates were corruptly demanding money from me but the supervisor refused to listen. Infact, he defended his juniors.
I went and reported to the police officers at the boarder, but i was shocked that even the police wanted something from me!
I found out that every boarder official, immigration, zimra, health officials, security and police are used to getting something from returning residence at the Victoria Falls Boarder post.
I then decided to stage a one man protest. I made a lot of noise such that everything came to a stand still and finally my papers were processed. My car and property was then cleared.
At exactly 1200pm i left the boarder.
This marked a record 10 hours stuck at the boarder!
After the boarder experience i was welcomed by Hwange Police Station.T hey were not mounting a roadblock but they identified my car from the Station that it was a new car.
They demanded temporary registration plates which i had forgotten to get at the boarder. My car was impounded. I went back to Victoria to collect the temporary plates but when i came back with the plates i found them with a new offence, they refused to release my car.
Its obvious that they wanted “something” in order for them to release my car.
Thanks to the dispol who ordered them to release my car.
In Murehwa my car was impounded again despite the fact that the Road Traffic Act says i can drive my car with temporary plates for 14 days. They took my car saying i must have number plates or i must produce a receipt which shows that i have purchase number plates.
I left my car to buy the number plates in Harare. When i returned back with a receipt showing that i had purchased number plates, they claimed that my receipt was fake and refused with my car. I spent a night in Murehwa then the next morning the dispol ordered them to release my car.
There are no plates at CVR despite the fact that we are paying plates in USD and one wonders whats the problem there. The police keeps on terrorising motorists on the roads for number plates which we paid for and the government is failing to deliver.
This is the experience which you will meet as a returning resident.
Corruption is too much in Zimbabwe . Chihuri was better and i wonder why they removed him.
By A Correspondent- Zanu-PF says political parties that are shunning President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s dialogue overtures and preferring violent confrontations will be dealt with by the law.
This comes as MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has constantly rejected Mnangagwa’s invitation to join the Political Actors Dialogue after the hostly-contested 2018 elections. Polad, a platform for political parties that fielded presidential candidates in the 2018 harmonised elections to contribute to social, economic and political progress, was launched in May 2019 and 18 political parties were represented in 2019
MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has refused to engage President Emmerson Mnangagwa under the Polad grouping where other actors command near zero political support.
Chamisa has said that the negotiations have been unable to bridge “gaps between us” and they will be resorting to mass action against Mnangagwa. He said he had tried to broker talks between Mnangagwa and himself over a political and economic crisis he said had left the country “angry and traumatised.”
“They are refusing to have this dialogue,” Chamisa said. “I have been patient with him for too long and I am considerate. I can easily mobilise a committee and call for an emergency dialogue, the Constitution allows for that.”
Chamisa once said President Emmerson Mnangagwa should step aside and allow him to lead an envisaged transitional authority that should take the country to the next elections in 2023.
He also described Mnangagwa’s opposition party partners within POLAD as “noisy puppies”.
Chamisa’s longstanding reluctance to drop Mnangagwa’s legitimacy issue as a pre-condition for opening talks has angered the hard-line faction of the ruling party.
This is the Michael Reza blade blantly traumatizing the girls in court 14. He's allocated dubious political cases that end up having created evidence. He's working with the JOC Whatever Mangwana and Chinamasa say publicly is Reza is later heard saying in Court. pic.twitter.com/RWmfBc3eLU
We are all aware what has been going on in local authorities, the MDC run local authorities, Harare, Bulawayo, you name them, Masvingo… Gweru, anywhere you see the footprints of @mdczimbabwe, you must immediately smell corruption," says – @ZANUPF_Official Patrick Chinamasa pic.twitter.com/NHNVdVsasj
By A Correspondent| The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, Commissioner Jamesina King has written to President Emmerson Mnangagwa regarding the arrest and detention of journalist Hopewell Chin’ono.
Speaking during the 67th Ordinary Session of the ACHPR, held virtually, Commissioner King said she wrote the letter to President Mnangagwa on 15 October 2020.
At that time, Chin’ono was facing charges of incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace or bigotry or alternatively incitement to commit public violence.
The journalist, was, however, rearrested on fresh charges of defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi is set to deliver judgment on Chin’ono’s bail bid, on Friday, 20 November 2020, after he was denied bail by Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa, on the fresh charges.
“Journalists and other media practitioners play an important role … they provide the public with the necessary information to develop an opinion and make informed decisions,” Commissioner King said.
“However, despite their indispensable role in society, journalists are often targets of threats, intimidation, harassment, arbitrary arrest, detentions, and disappearances, in addition to physical attacks, which have sometimes resulted in murder.”
A police operation has prevented a man crossing the Beitbridge border post with explosives.
Limpopo police spokesperson Col Moatshe Ngoepe said the 27-year-old suspect was travelling from Zimbabwe to Alberton in Gauteng.
He was arrested at 1am on Thursday by border police together with the Musina bomb disposal unit.
“The explosives were carried in packaged boxes and loaded inside a truck trailer. The driver was directed towards the searching bay and when the packages were opened, 115 units of blasting cartridges and 100 units of explosives accessories were discovered. He was immediately arrested.”
The suspect will soon appear in the Musina magistrate’s court on charges of possession of explosive materials.
The origin of the explosives and the motive is not known at this stage. Police investigations are continuing, said Ngoepe.
OPEN LETTER : TO: H.E DR LAZARUS M. CHAKWERA ON THE FIRST HUNDRED DAYS OF ADMINISTRATION.
Salutation
Your Excellency, congratulations on a fantastic interview granted the Pan African Visions Magazine (November Edition). Premised on your foresightedly assuring statement in search for a new Malawi. Your Excellency, l wish to anchor this communication on your statement : “I am here to serve Malawians, nothing more, nothing less. The success of Malawians, their prosperity, their aspirations fulfilled, their future ensured, their country secured, their lives assured, is what must define the success of this administration” For a secured Malawian generation to serve as an example to the rest of Africa, with humility, may you consider this outlook for Africa with Malawi as the torch:
AN ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL FOR AFRICAN ELECTORAL DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE SYSTEM
Preamble
With a defined commitment to safeguarding a nation’s and its people’s sovereignty that state constitutions are formulated. The spirit of articulation of such a constitution and a significant aspect is that of the masses being immersed in the collective exercise of its construction as a commitment to their present and their future. Meaning that, the articulation of a constitution should be tempered to the reality of the masses and that it responds to the peoples’ interests. This way, the masses can identify with it and therefore fight for it to be respected and defended.
Herein, a state’s constitution should be formulated to recognize several important rights that broadly and significantly address any endemic socio-economic and political challenges.
On the notion of the many socio-politico-economic drawbacks of many African states, a way forward to constitutional formulations that guarantee real sovereignty of states and practical freedom for its peoples is the consideration of the underlying social structures of the African cultural and communal milieu.
1- Electoral Tensions A critical review of the western-style multiparty democratic electoral system and its performance as corresponds to periods leading to; during elections; and aftermaths reveal high political rigidity and tensions; which easily escalate into the many consequential civil unrests and conflicts in the many African States.
Multi-party democracy as exercised in many African states seem to be mere traps to teasingly test the fragility of that same system.
The system is alien to the African tradition of communal interest and safeguarding. In many cases, the multiparty system has rather crumbled and undefined the history and legacy of unity and commonality of a people; generating pointless tensions and scars of scorn and hate.
On the premise that a peoples’ peaceful communal way of being can be broken and sacrificed in the name of a system of democracy by multiparty election, one can only allude to the fact that the promoters of such a system are not faithful. Again, the conditionalities of the imposition of such a system on Africa reinforces the belief in an intent dull on the interest of the continent and its peoples. So, therefore, these elections are tale guided by western and eastern interests; at the detriment of the African.
2- Communalism/Ubuntu ▪︎African history has a nostalgic legacy of strength in Unity and commonality through acceptance and embrace of diversity. ▪︎African empires prospered not just for conquests but for the embrace of brotherliness and the spirit of commonality, common ancestry, and the concept that each is the other’s keeper. ▪︎Wars were not won just by kills but by how the victor has been able to embrace and welcome the former enemies into the family fold to build and develop together, towns and villages. ▪︎The idea that, there was a winner and the winner takes all was out of place in the conception of good and bad within the African cultural milieu. ▪︎It is therefore difficult to characterize as African any of the many elections so far held on the continent as representative of the people and culture. ▪︎ No election in the name of a multiparty democratic system has passed the test of Africanism as embodied in the African culture of inclusiveness for all, irrespective of beliefs, ethnicity, sex, numerical strength, or weakness. ▪︎Looking to the future hereon, AFRICA must interrogate ways to get out of the quagmire of tensions due to the multiparty electoral system.
3- African Model Solution A template solution-which is an African People’s blueprint to redeem her identity, pride and personality, is herein, proposed on the foundation of the African anthropological perspective concerning the real democratic credence of a society and its cultural idiosyncrasy.
A foremost justification of the western-style multiparty electoral system is the idea that it responds to popular direct expression of a people’s choice.
Many proponents of this system, however, ignore the fact that there are more aptly indigenous governance and selection of leadership systems in Africa. Autochthonous election systems for many African traditional and cultural leadership positions, thoroughly, requires the direct influence of the people or their cultural representatives.
So from this premise of African sociopolitical and cultural science that the following governance structure is proposed:
4- Structures • An executive branch, • Legislature: congress, and a senate, • Judiciary, • State Institutions.
The Executive Branch Categorization
Category One :
• 1a- Identify political parties who are impactful and visible, and in good standing by the electoral institutions of each State in Africa. Such parties should have had representation in Parliament to date or before. The ruling political party would be given the opportunity for 12 individuals from its structures as representatives on the executive council. The other parties would each nominate 7 individuals as their representatives. • 1b-Three National Executive members of the National Houses of Chiefs and Queen Mothers; • 1c-Three National Executive members of the first three major religious bodies; • 1d- A representative each from three minor religious bodies. • 1e- 3 representatives from the physically challenged associations. A key factor in nominations put forth would be a requirement for adherence to GENDER PARITY. The category one representatives would gather as an Assembly.
Category two :
The function of this assembly is to elect individuals for the following positions: • A President and a Vice President • Ministers Individuals selected for these positions would then form the Cabinet. Their appointment will however be subject to approval by a CONGRESS and SENATE.
The Legislative Branch The legislature would consist of a congress and a senate.
1-The Congress categorization and representations: Congress would be constituted by the following categorization: • 1a- 5 prominent Chiefs and 5 prominent Queen- Mothers or their representatives from each Region or Province of a State recognized by a Chieftaincy Act. • 1b- Representation from Trade Union registered with the Labour Department. Each Trade Union shall nominate a male and female from the National and Regional levels. In Federal Republics like Nigeria and Ethiopia; these representatives shall be nominated from the Federal level and an agreed number from the States. • 1c- An agreed number of the physically challenged should also be nominated.
2-The Senate Categorization and nomination: The Senate as the second Chamber will be represented solely by the following traditional African setup: • The leadership of the Regional Houses of Chiefs; • Leaders of recognized Queenmothers Associations; Herein a case for example, in Ghana, the Senate will replace the current established Council of State. Physically challenged representation should be presented in the Senate.
The Judiciary Branch
The judiciary would comprise: 1- High courts bench, 2- Lower courts bench.
The High Courts Bench: This bench would be filled by the following nominations: • 1a- through the Regional Houses of Chiefs and QueenMothers’. The nominations shall be anchored on the individual’s professional duties, Services and Integrity. • 1b- There shall be a higher number of nominees-out of which an agreed number shall be elected by CONGRESS and endorsed by the SENATE.
The Lower Courts Bench: Same principles as in the nominations for the high courts’ bench shall apply to the lower Courts.
State Institutions nominations Heads of all State: -Institutions shall be appointed through a proven record anchored on professional discipline; service and integrity. -Important consideration herein, would be that an individual must rise through the ranks of the institution to be qualified for the highest position of each Institution and be guided by professionalism and Integrity. -It is indispensable that all nominations and criteria for nominations be guided by the values of adherence to gender balance.
5- Advantages of the African governance structure The author believes that the proposed governance model can bring forth the following advantages: • A cost-effective and sustainable democratic model; • It embraces varied and high representativeness of the citizenry and its interests in a traditionally African perspective; through the three arms of the governance system • It would reduce ethnic and political party tensions and conflicts as currently experienced with the western-style multiparty electoral system; • It is a Democratic model that conforms to the socio-cultural value systems in Africa.
6- Executive Powers The check on Executive Power Exercise: -The Executive powers of the President will be reduced to the Cabinet. -Herein, decisions at Cabinet meetings-Chaired by the President would be put through a vote on a balance requirement of a 2/3 majority secret votes for approval or otherwise rejection. -To further check on the powers of the executive. A final decision on the matter will be referred to the Congress for secondment and to the Senate for endorsement.
7- Local Governance revitalization • The Local government system will be strengthened with the empowerment of Traditional Councils that would have the right and authority to appoint at their local government jurisdictions. • Elections of the head of the Local Governments will be through the casting of the ballot to endorse or reject a nominee. • This will deepen grassroots participatory democracy. • Public Accountability/ Transparency Assembly or Forum will be instituted for the programmes of action and implementation with a summary of expenditures being made public; to ensure grassroots ownership.
Conclusion The solution to deepening African democratic processes and fortifying the defense of the sovereignty of states and practical emancipation of its citizenry is a bold reception of the African indigenous socio-political perspective. Africa possesses deep wisdom of culture and idiosyncrasies in governance and leadership selection; grounded on peacemaking; integration of its diverse peoples, and communal solidarity.
Aggressive competitiveness, unguarded tension, and contempt created in our communities by the western-style multiparty electoral system should point Africans back to their heritage rule of ‘each been the other’s keeper’.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest esteem and consideration. Benjamin Anyagre, DFCIMS (Pan-Africanist) [email protected]
RESCUE teams tasked to retrieve six miners who have been trapped for eleven days in a mineshaft in Esigodini, Matabeleland South, have abandoned their mission as the mine is flooded with water, making it too risky to proceed with the operation.
The six miners are feared dead after the mine they were working in collapsed following heavy rains that pounded Matshetshe area in Esigodini last week.
The trapped Matshetshe Mine workers have been identified as Nkosilathi Ndlovu (29), Christopher Dube (23), Ndumiso Dube (19) and Blessed Ncube (24), all members of one family from Gwanda, as well as another miner only identified as Mlilo also from Gwanda and Ndumiso Ntini (28) from Lupane.
The mine is owned by Ms Sakhile Ndlovu.
Authorities said the rescue team, drawn from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Civil Protection Unit (CPU) and How Mine, could not continue with the operation as they could not risk losing more lives by trying to rescue the trapped miners.
Relatives of the victims, who initially had high expectations that the rescue mission would yield positive results, have since lost hope of seeing the remains of their loved ones as they are now feared dead.
When a Chronicle news crew yesterday visited the scene, the area had been deserted.
Makeshift structures with abandoned cooking utensils, safety shoes and empty beer bottles could be seen strewn all over the place.
The news crew spoke to villagers including Ms Patience Ncube, the mother of one of the trapped miners, Ntini.
The visibly shaken Ms Ncube, who is a widow, said her only son was the sole breadwinner who took over the responsibility of taking care of her and his siblings following the death her husband last year.
“I am really traumatised and shattered emotionally. In fact, the loss of my one-and-only son is so devastating given that he was the sole breadwinner. He left Lupane in 2016 to come here in Esigodini to do gold panning, which turned out to be his source of income,” she said.
“When my husband passed away last year, my son assumed the role of looking after us and, therefore, we have been left poorer following his untimely death. What is even more painful is that I will not be able to bid him farewell because authorities told us that it was too risky to continue with the rescue mission due to circumstances beyond their control.”
However, Mr Robert Dube from Nsindi area in Gwanda, whose son Ndumiso Dube and a nephew Christopher Dube, were among the trapped said if authorities were unable to retrieve the bodies, families should be given the greenlight to continue with the efforts to retrieve the victims.
“All we want is for the bodies of our relatives to be retrieved even if they are dead so that we can have some closure.
Experts visited the mine area to assess the situation and they told us that they couldn’t continue with rescue mission as it was dangerous to dig up the area. What pains me the most is that I don’t know whether my son and nephew are still alive or not,” he said.
“Maybe they tried hanging in there with the hope that they will be rescued only to realise that it was in vain. We, therefore, request to be assisted by having the bodies of our children retrieved so that we can give them a decent burial if need arises. If the experts are unable to help us, there are some gold panners who are used to digging in such areas and they can be given the go ahead to find people who can help us,” he said.
Mr Dube said his son and nephew had been working at the mine for the past one-and-a-half months and he last spoke to them two weeks ago.
He said the whole incident had left his family devastated and they keep hoping that their son would miraculously survive.
“My son Ndumiso has three children. The eldest are twins who are two years old while the other one is two weeks old. My son hadn’t met his youngest child which is really painful. His wife is really devastated and so is the entire family,” he said.
Mr Cecil Ndlovu, a local traditional leader, told Chronicle that the only member to escape when his colleagues were trapped had earlier warned the victims against going deeper, but they somehow ignored his advice.
He said the miners had set up camps on the banks of Thekwane River as they embarked on the gold mining activities.
Mineshaft
“These activities have been going on for several years and we had never witnessed such an incident. Gold panning is a dangerous enterprise, but sadly due to unemployment local youths have resorted to this activity. What is worrying is that we have now entered the rainy season, which makes gold panning riskier,” he said.
Another villager, who only identified herself as MaTshuma, said: “We are traumatised as a community following this unprecedented incident in our area. While gold panning has turned into a lucrative business and a source of income for locals, I believe traditional leaders should also engage the community and conscientise them on the dangers associated with it, especially during the rainy season.”
Mr Before Thambo, a gold panner, said despite the incident, they will not stop the mining activities.
“We are unemployed and therefore gold panning is the only source of livelihood for us. We also have people from other areas coming here in search of gold including the trapped miners. It is sad that some of our colleagues were trapped in the mine shaft and might not even make it alive,” he said.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they were working with the district development coordinator for Umzingwane and the local CPU subcommittee in the operation. He said they have since informed affected families that it is too dangerous to carry out rescue operations.
“So far, the rescue effort has been stopped by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development officials. They are saying the mine is flooded with water such that there was a possibility of the ground caving in due to the rains,” he said.
Ms Sakhile Ndlovu, the mine owner, refused to comment, saying she was still in shock and traumatised and needed time to recover.
“I cannot say anything right now because I am in a bad state of mind. I need some rest because I am traumatised,” she said.
Patrick Chinamasa, the ZANU PF acting spokesperson told reporters in Harare that the ruling party has already won the 2023 general elections.
Chinamasa did not elaborate on how the party “has won” the elections but told journalists that under Mnangagwa, the government had weathered the storm and was on the right track.
“2023 is a dead rubber election. It’s over before voting,” Chinamasa declared, adding the ruling party had faced its fair share of challenges, including COVID-19, Cyclone Idai, sanctions and violence, among other issues.
I am determined and committed to restore value system in MDCT and realise the total restoration of DR Morgan Richard Tsvangirai's Legacy. pic.twitter.com/eaEMcmHfuJ
THE Government has adjusted vehicle tolling and licensing fees keeping in line with the prevailing economic situation and to ensure that the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (zinara) adequately supports road authorities with meaningful disbursements for road development and rehabilitation.
The new tariffs contained in the latest Government Gazette are with effect from today.
According to the new tariffs, tolling fees for light motor vehicles that fall under class one will now pay $120 up from $45 and class two vehicles will now pay $180 reviewed from $80.
Buses, which are class three vehicles, are now paying $240 up from $90.
Heavy vehicles (class four) that were paying $115 are now required to pay $300 while haulage trucks (class five) now pay $590 up from $225.
Class seven, which is the residential discount for people living near a tollgate and who frequently pass through the facility, is now $600 up from $250.
Vehicle licensing has been adjusted from $750 to $1 800 for light motor vehicles and vehicles with a net mass of 10 750kg and above will now have to pay $30 000 up from $11,250.
zinara public relations and marketing manager, Mr Tendai Mugabe, said the adjustment of the tariffs was aimed at supporting road authorities for them to execute the duties diligently.
“This adjustment is meant to ensure that we make meaningful disbursements to our road authorities,” said Mr Mugabe.
“We believe that this will go a long way in improving our road infrastructure. We are approaching the rainy season a period where most of our roads get damaged in terms of erosion and potholes.
“This adjustment means that we will be ready to repair our roads at the shortest possible time.”
Mr Mugabe said the various road projects across the country attested to Zinara’s commitment to fund a road network that meets international standards.
“If you go to any district right now, there is a capital road project underway. Our desire and objective is to see a road network that helps Zimbabwe to meet the targets of Vision 2030.
“We want to see a road network that transforms Zimbabwe into a regional transport hub and this adjustment will go a long way in the realisation of this vision.”
Mr Mugabe said zinara was doing everything to ensure that public funds that it handled were not abused.
“We have plugged several leakages and recently we introduced a risk and loss control department in the organisation, which in our view is critical to our operations,” he said.
“We are enhancing our internal control systems and monitoring at tollgates as a way of fighting corruption.”
A well maintained national road infrastructure facilitates trade leading to economic improvement of most Zimbabweans including those living in rural areas.
Through zinara, the Government has been able to rehabilitate thousands of kilometres of road networks both in rural and urban areas countrywide.
There may be complications and delays in winding up the estate of late businessman Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure as the will submitted this week is unsigned, with the Master’s Office at the High Court now calling a meeting of family members and other potential beneficiaries for next week to sort out the way forward and deal with administrative details such as the appointment of the executor.
It is understood, although this cannot be confirmed, that the bulk of the estate, including the businesses and Domboshava mansion are to be assigned to a trust under the unsigned will although there are individual beneficiaries, including it is said someone called “KIT KAT” who is the listed heir of Kadungure’s Lamborghini vehicle.
The will would probably make it clear who would be sharing the revenue from the proposed trust as well as who would be the trustees, or at least how these would be appointed.
Generally the wishes of a dead person expressed in a will are followed, although the law makes provision for the continued maintenance of those being looked after by the estate before the death, along with other concerns.
A Harare man, Mr Nomatter Zinyengere, claiming to be Mr Kadungure’s best friend, this week registered the deceased’s estate and unsuccessfully tried to push the Master of High Court into accepting the unsigned will.
Although Genius’s father Anderson Kadungure and sisters Juliet and Neria were listed as possible beneficiaries of the estate, Mr Zinyengere has been leading the legal process.
It was not immediately clear if Mr Zinyengere was “KIT-KAT”. An online check identified Zinyengere as the director of a South African registered company called KAT Group, which was incorporated in August 2019.
The will shows that Kadungure owned the Domboshava mansion, a company called Infinity Gas, an undisclosed fleet of vehicles and several other companies.
The custodians of the unsigned will, Ranros Estate Administrators, wrote a cover letter seeking the speedy acceptance of the unsigned document as the actual last will and testament for the distribution of the estate.
They argued that some of Kadungure’s companies in Botswana have stopped operating since that country requires an estate to be reported to the authorities before operations can resume.
“The deceased died before signing his last will and testament. We are therefore kindly asking your office to urgently convene a meeting with all beneficiaries so that you can accept the will and issue the court sealed letters of administration.
“The deceased had a running business in Botswana and it stopped operations on November 9, 2020. The laws of that country require the estate to be reported to the Master of High Court within 14 days so that operations will resume.
“The major fear of the beneficiaries is that the business partners of the deceased in Botswana might take advantage and vandalise the assets of the deceased,” reads part of the letter.
However, the Office of the Master through a letter signed by K F Chigomararwa, an Additional Master of High Court in-charge of the Deceased Estates, refused to be pushed into accepting the unsigned will.
Instead, she asked the Kadungure family members and other beneficiaries to attend a meeting on Wednesday next week.
“We are, however, not convinced by the reason, given that a company is a separate legal persona from its owner and that same is usually run by directors. Thus, in our view, the death of the shareholder or a director does not necessarily affect the day-to-day running of a company.
“We, however, we will convene the inquiry, with regards to the will on Wednesday November 25, 2020, at 11.30am at this office, before the undersigned.
“Depending on the outcome of the inquiry, the issue of executorship may also be discussed.
“Kindly notify the deceased’s family and interested parties of the said meeting in order that they may attend,” reads the response.
Efforts to get official confirmation of the developments from the Master of High Court Mr Eldard Mutasa failed. Mr Mutasa refused to comment on the issue.
Sources said the unsigned will state the Domboshava mansion, while part of the proposed trust, should be turned into a hotel to be run by the trustees.
Ginimbi died on the spot on November 8 along Liberation Legacy Way in Harare when his speeding Rolls Royce collided head-on with a Honda Fit.
It veered off the road and hit a tree before catching fire. He was with two foreigners who had come for the Saturday night party of a friend Mitchelle Amuli.
Limumba Karim from Malawi and a Mozambican, who was only identified as Alishia and the birthday girl, Mitchelle were burnt beyond recognition after the doors of the Rolls Royce jammed on impact and it took many hours for police and the Fire Brigade to retrieve their remains from the wreckage.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) is set to transfer several billions of the debt it holds to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development after completing a debt consolidation exercise.
This comes after Cabinet in 2013 approved the takeover of the US$1,35 billion RBZ debts by the Government in what was expected to pave the way for the smooth recapitalisation of the central bank.
The earlier decision to have the RBZ debt assumed by the Government attracted public outcry over concerns taxpayers and corporates would bear the brunt of paying off debts they did not know how they were accrued.
Business Weekly has it in on good authority that the new planned transfer of the unspecified debt currently sitting on the books of the central bank, will make the RBZ debt free for the first time in two decades. However, the move will capacitate the bank and pave way for investment by both local and foreign investors. It will also improve the ability of the central bank to engage in fruitful commercial relationships, including the bank’s ability to mobilise significant external lines of credit needed by the country.
Efforts to get a comment from secretary for finance, George Guvamatanga, were unsuccessful this week as he had not responded to enquiries from this publication by the time of going to print.
Since its taking over the reins in 2017, the New Dispensation identified sustainable resolution of both national and domestic debt among key issues that needed to be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
In terms of total public debt, Zimbabwe has about $9,8 billion as domestic debt, while the foreign debt still stands around US$8,1 billion, with 70 percent of these liabilities being arrears.
Government is pursuing multilateral partners in its efforts to clear outstanding external debt to reopen access to concessional lending from global lenders and reestablish ties with global partners.
Upon transfer, the RBZ debt reportedly running into several billions (ZWL)will be evaluated by Treasury to ascertain whether the financial liabilities were contracted for or on behalf of the Government.
Once certified by Treasury, the debt will then be dealt with in terms of a comprehensive debt strategy the same way as other national or public liabilities are or would be dealt with.
Sources said part of the debt to be transferred to Treasury dates back 20 years ago, while a significant portion relates to legacy debts, blocked funds and obligations for services rendered to the Government.
Sources would not provide the exact debt figures to be transferred to the ministry of finance, but the central bank indicated in its July 2020 economic review that the liability had reached $366,335 billion (US$4,77bln), from $23,28 billion (US$2,5bln) 12 months earlier.
“Some of the debts go back 20 years ago. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has completed
consolidation of the debt and it will be transferred to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.
“The process of transfer to the Ministry has started and the Ministry is now in the process of verification, once completed, the debt will be transferred and consolidated into national debt,” one source said.
Sources at the RBZ said that it was necessary for the central bank to assume the debts, especially from blocked funds, non-performing loans at banks, International Air Travel Association and services rendered to the Government, to make the country attractive once again to foreign investment.
ZANU PF yesterday said the party’s succession matrix would always be guided by its constitution and remained a straitjacket where the most senior party member would succeed an incumbent party leader.
Addressing a Press briefing in Harare, acting national spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa said Zanu PF remained guided by the constitution in dealing with the succession issue.
“Zanu PF has a constitution and under that constitution, we sit as a congress to elect our president,” Chinamasa said.
“In 1977, a lot of the leaders had fallen by the wayside. The most senior person in rank remaining was (the late) Cde Robert Mugabe and at the congress in Chimoio, he was elected president of Zanu then,” Chinamasa said.
“In November (2017), exactly on the basis of the precedence of 1977, exactly that is what happened when it became very clear that our constitution was being trampled upon by the G40 cabal and that they were threatening the stability of the nation, the party moved in and we elected, at our December congress, President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa as leader of Zanu PF.”
Chinamasa also said Mnangagwa had become the target of the G40 cabal as it was clear, by virtue of him being the most senior in the party, that he was going to take over as president of the party and country.
The succession issue in Zanu PF has remained a thorny issue that which at one time pitted Mugabe. Mnangagwa, former Vice-President Joice Mujuru and the G40.
Mnangagwa, in 2004 led a foiled palace coup dubbed the Tsholotsho Declaration that sought to catapult him from a distant position in the party hierarchy to the vice-presidency that could have immediately positioned him to take over from Mugabe.
Mujuru fell in 2014, but that did not herald the end of factionalism in the party, with the G40, backed by Mugabe, emerging to pose a serious threat to Mnangagwa.
The G40 cabal was, however, vanquished during a military coup that ousted Mugabe in November 2017.
Zanu PF secretary for war veterans Douglas Mahiya supported Chinamasa, saying the most senior person in the party automatically took over.
Mahiya said: “We are guided by the revolutionary fundamentals to continue with the revolution forever.
“We were very clear, we did not tell the former President to resign; we did not say he must go away.
“We simply told him (Mugabe) that when your time is up, you do not mislead the nation or do the wrong thing against what is dictated by the revolution to give the power of this country to any other, other than the people.”
Mahiya said Mnangagwa was the most senior person to take over from Mugabe.
Chinamasa said a lot of developments occurred before and during the coup period, but the party was not yet ready to disclose them at the moment.
“Behind the scenes, a lot took place, but it is too early to say. The further from November 2017, the more likely we are going to tell you.”
He said the succession in Zanu PF was a straitjacket and while it allowed everyone to manoeuvre “within the straitjacket, no one could manoeuvre outside it”.
Chinamasa described the month of November as a “sacred month” for the party and the country” as it gave birth to a “new dispensation” after years of “regrettable events”.
“We are yet to heal. These were the worst ever days in the chapter of the life of our President, Cde ED Mnangagwa, worse than the hanging sentence because then, it was the enemy he had chosen to fight against notwithstanding any consequences.”
Chinamasa said the party had “already won” the 2023 elections two years before the polls are held despite several challenges the party has faced in turning around the economy that include natural disasters.
Chinamasa did not elaborate on how the party “has won” the elections but told journalists that under Mnangagwa, the government had weathered the storm and was on the right track.
“2023 is a dead rubber election. It’s over before voting,” Chinamasa declared, adding the ruling party had faced its fair share of challenges, including COVID-19, Cyclone Idai, sanctions and violence, among other issues.
THE Government is currently the highest paying employer in the country and pay scales for public servants far outstrip what private sector players are giving their employees, Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube says.
The Treasury chief said he had information for remuneration levels across all sectors of the economy and challenged anyone who disputes his assertion to come forward.
Minister Ncube’s comments come after civil servants this week accepted a 41 percent salary increase by Government, including allowances, with teachers getting an additional 10 percent risk allowance, breaking an impasse that had seen the tutors refusing to return to work for several weeks, crippling efforts to resume learning and examinations following Covid-19 disruptions.
National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC), Apex Council chairperson Mrs Cecilia Alexander, confirmed the deal saying the Government had increased the basic salary only, but they finally settled for increments that include allowances. Further, the public servants annual bonuses will be based on basic salary, transport and housing allowances.
The Treasury chief stressed the point that the latest increase will see the least — paid civil servant earning about $14 500, while the lowest-paid teacher will earn nearly $19 000.
“The lowest paid civil servant right now is on $14 500. A teacher right now will be earning close to $19 000. And the lowest paid civil servant is actually an office orderly. We are way ahead of the private sector in general,” Minister Ncube said, adding that the hard working public servants were well looked after.
Minister Ncube said this in an interview with Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN) on Tuesday evening, on the Government’s new five-year economic development blueprint, the National Development Strategy (NDS1), which runs over the period January 2021 to December 2025 and was launched by President Mnangagwa on Monday.
The Treasury chief was responding to a question on whether the Government will adopt a different approach in its remuneration of civil servants, to ensure that it gives its workers a sustainable and living wage, during the period of the new economic framework, given that under the TSP, priority appeared to be inclined towards sustaining budget surpluses.
He said Treasury was not in any way fixated on achieving surpluses when funding Government programmes through the national budget, but avoiding unsustainable budget deficits that negatively impact the country and citizens in future while making sure expenditure was keeping within distance of revenue capacity.
The Treasury chief has previously said that he expects the proportion of public employment costs to fall to about 42 percent of budget by year end and to keep trending towards deemed sustainable levels of around 30 percent of total revenues, to create provision for investment in developmental projects.
Essentially, what this means is that the proportion of public employment costs in particular and any other recurrent expenditure in general, in order to be sustainable, should tally or only have slight mismatch with the Government’s revenue inflow threshold to leave some space for other key programmes.
Notably, the Finance minister is on record saying, and more recently in his 2021 pre-budget strategy paper, that he announced last month, that the Government wage bill had risen from 48 percent of total revenues in 2009, to a peak of about 78,3 percent in 2017, before receding to around 61 percent in 2018.
Clarifying the issue of public servants’ wages this week, Minister Ncube said the Government was currently the best payer among employers in the country, doing better than the majority of private sector players with its lowest paid workers, among them the office orderly, now on a monthly salary of about $14 000.
But importantly, Minister Ncube said the national budget surpluses were not the priority, but only a positive consequence of its significant efforts aimed at ensuring that the Government lives within its means and that it does not run unsustainable budget deficits that create problems in the future.
“We will not maintain budget surpluses; in fact it was never our target. Our target is to eliminate huge budget deficits or running small budget deficits. So, we will be running small budget deficits.
“And besides… if you run large budget deficits because of wages or whatever the reason is, how are you going to finance it? Where are you going to borrow from if you have got arrears clearance?
“In terms of local borrowings, in the presence of high inflation, which is what we have now, of course it will drop, which will be excellent, but you do not want to over borrow domestically either because you have to pay very high interest rates, that citizens have to pay up in future in the form of higher taxes,” he said.
The Treasury chief stressed that
when you are going through this kind of transition for now, it was more prudent for the Government to maintain small budget deficits and this results in a surplus, the better.
During the period of the short term transitional stabilisation plan, the Government has managed to keep the budget almost balanced while current account deficits turned into surpluses.
Zimbabwe’s fiscal deficit, as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), declined from minus 10,5 percent in 2017 to a surplus in 2019 and with an almost balanced budget in 2020.
The budget surplus resources, the finance minister said, have been used to cover obligations arising from emergencies such as natural disasters and unforeseen pandemics such as Covid-19, social protection and development of key infrastructure like roads, bridges and dams.
Patrick Chinamasa addressing a ZANU PF press conference
ZANU PF will not hesitate to name and shame ministers sleeping on the job as Zimbabwe starts implementing National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) meant to contribute towards making the country an upper middle-class economy by 2030.
President Mnangagwa recently launched a five-year economic blueprint that succeeds the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) that ran from October 2018 to the end of this year.
Addressing a special press conference that reflected on Operation Restore Legacy of November 2017, that ushered in a developed focused New Dispensation, Zanu PF acting spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa said the country was in safe hands under the unifying and progressive stewardship of President Mnangagwa.
“There is a need now to effectively focus on implementation, implementation, implementation. The success of the NDS1 will depend on effective implementation.
“Zanu PF will throughout the implementation period keep a stern eye on Ministries, Government departments, parastatals and other State institutions and agencies responsible for implementation of various facets of the National Development Strategy 1 and will not hesitate to name and shame those ministers and state institutions and agencies considered to be sleeping on the job and being lax in the implementation of NDS1,” he said.
Chinamasa further said; “His Excellency the President has to be applauded for coming up with this economic document which aims at creating a prosperous Zimbabwe with an economic growth of 5 percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rate per annum, thus joining Africa fastest growing economies.”
“Over the past few years Africa has been home to some of the fastest growing economies and we are happy that through effective implementation of this document and our concerted efforts, Zimbabwe will be counted among the top.”
A Kwekwe man died after consuming a concoction given to him by a prophet in a bid to cure perennial stomach problems.
The man, Decent Mutekeri (22), died after he drank a blue coloured concoction that had been administered to him by a prophet belonging to an unnamed Apostolic sect. Police have since launched a manhunt for the prophet, Munyaradzi Mutomba (30), who reportedly fled after discovering that his healing process had gone wrong. Midlands provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Joel Goko confirmed the incident.
“On November 16 around 1600 hours, the accused person approached the now deceased at Mbizo 16 tuck shop and informed him that the Holy Spirit had shone him that Mupeperi had stomach challenges and had been sent to treat him. The now deceased consented and they drove in his unregistered Toyota Mark X to the prophet’s house,” said Inspector Goko.
At Mutomba’s house in Mbizo 15 Mutekeri was given a blue concoction that he consumed.
After consuming the blue substance, the now deceased reportedly left for his homestead.
His friends later visited him and he was vomiting a blue like substance. Upon being quizzed, Mutekeri told his friends about the concoction and the supposed healing process.
“The friends then decided to call the prophet who went to the now deceased’s place. Upon arrival, he found the now deceased vomiting and told him that it was part of the healing process,” said Inspector Goko.
The prophet reportedly gave him the remaining concoction to drink which he did.
The following day, upon noticing that Mutekeri’s condition continued to deteriorate, they took him to a surgery in the central business district where he had a scan.
The scan revealed that Mupeperi was suffering from renal failure and referred him to Kwekwe General Hospital where he died upon admission.-Chronicle
Covid-19 infections are on the increase in schools with the number of students that have tested positive at John Tallach High School in Matabeleland North having risen to 115, while new cases have also been reported at Prince Edward High School in Harare.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga yesterday said Government is worried about the spike in Covid-19 cases at schools.
VP Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care, said at John Tallach, it is suspected that a pupil attended a funeral in South Africa and contracted Covid-19 before returning to school.
The VP said Government is still investigating the source of Covid-19 at Prince Edward but did not give the number of recorded cases.
Addressing teachers and senior Government officials at Thornhill Primary School in Gweru, where he had gone to donate Covid-19 personal protective equipment to teachers, pupils and their parents, the VP said the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Covid-19 will go around the country holding meetings with community leaders on the need for vigilance in the fight against the pandemic.
“I could have addressed the schoolchildren but because of the spike which has visited us, we have over 100 pupils affected at John Tallach Secondary School and so far, investigations tell us that one of the pupils went to attend a funeral in South Africa and the child came back and joined other children.
“We also have another spike in Harare at Prince Edward High School and we are still investigating the source of the spike. We are going through a very difficult time, not only as a country but as the entire world because of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
“You can only be productive if you are healthy. So, the Ministry of Health and Child Care officials will be going around the country spreading the gospel of following WHO rules and regulations to mitigate against the spread of Covid-19.-Chronicle
A Malawian pastor, Blessing Mduli Chirwa was shot dead in South Africa during the night of Saturday, 14 November 2020.
Pastor Chirwa, who stayed in Cape Town’s Joe Slovo Park, was killed in an area called Deft.
According to Nyasa Times, Chirwa was reportedly shot by armed robbers in Deft because he resisted them from stealing his car.
The Church of Central African Presbyterian (CCAP) in Joe Slovo where he belonged were busy preparing his burial arrangements.
Chirwa’s murder comes barely four days after Prophet Shepherd Bushiri of the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) Church skipped bail and returned to his native country, Malawi, citing safety concerns.
Bushiri and his wife Mary were arrested in South Africa on fraud and money laundering charges and appeared in court last month for alleged financial misdeeds amounting to 102 million rands.
They were granted bail of 200,000 rands each on November 4 and handed in their passports but they still managed to leave the country.-Nyasa Times
Malawi Principal Resident Magistrate Viva Nyimba has ordered the release of Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary who were arrested based on South Africa’s provisional request to detain them pending formal extradition request.
Nyimba argues that his ruling is based on the legality of the arrest and not what happened in South Africa, which she said is a case for another day.
He has therefore ruled that the arrest was illegal.
The two who are accused of fraud and money laundering involving over R1 million fled from South Africa last week in violation of their bail condition.
The Bushiris argue that their lives are in danger in South Africa where the public is reportedly seeking to kill them.
South Africa wants them extradited to be tried according to that country’s laws.
Meanwhile, the preacher’s R5.5 Centurion property in Pretoria which was attached to the bail he was granted last week has since been forfeited to the state after he fled to Malawi.-ZBC News
Prince Edward High School in Harare has recorded coronavirus cases amid calls by Members of Parliament for the government to immediately close schools.
Addressing teachers and senior Government officials at Thornhill Primary School in Gweru where he had gone to donate Covid-19 personal protective equipment for teachers, pupils and their parents on Wednesday, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said the government was still investigating the source of cases in schools.
This comes after another school, John Tallach in Matebeleland North has recorded 122 cases while Kwekwe Polytechnic and Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic have indefinitely suspended lectures after some of their students had contracted the coronavirus.
VP Chiwenga who doubles as the Minister of Health and Child Care said:
I could have addressed the school children but because of the spike which has visited us, we have over 100 pupils affected at John Tallach Secondary School and so far, investigations tell us that one of the pupils went to attend a funeral in South Africa and the child came back and she has affected 100 other children.
We also have another spike in Harare at Prince Edward High School and we are still investigating the source of the spike. We are investigating as to find the source of that spike. We are going through a very difficult time, not only as a country but as the entire world because of the Covid-10 pandemic.-Chronicle
MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA FUMES OVER THE INCESSANT INCARCERATION OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST, HOPEWELL CHIN’ONO.
Mdc Alliance Namibia would like to express its serious disgruntlement in the way our captured police and courts are handling journalists and political activists in the motherland.
The further victimisation and incarceration of the innocent investigative journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono must be resisted with equal measure.
Social democrats must stand in solidarity with those who are unearthing senseless corruption, smuggling, human butchery and gross abuse of basic human rights. Our encouragement as a district is that all progressive Zimbabweans must pent-up their outrage demanding the immediate release of Hopewell Chin’ono and other prisoners of conscience in the names of Last Maengahama and Tungamirai Madzokere.
It is quite pathetic to see Zimbabweans in the country folding their hands neglecting the one who has sacrificed it all to confront the vicious and insensitive regime that feeds on the blood of the innocent citizenry. What mesmerises us is that Hopewell is very cognisant of the murderous legacy of these Zanupf sadists who are currently in charge of our beloved country.
Zimbabweans who are scratching their heads for a single nutritious meal per day must regain their consciousness and realise that Hopewell has absolutely no appetite for personal enrichment but he has displayed varlour , mettle and nerve to fight against Zanupf shenanigans. Those who don’t have a comfortable life should come out in their astounding numbers in solidarity with our Hero.
Moreover, the arbitrary arrest and detention of Hopewell Chin’ono should be viewed by right-minded citizens as a societal malady which demands urgent attention. Citizens must gather courage to speak audibly against the abuse of basic universal freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.
The citizens must cudgel their brains to figure out the reason why Hopewell had also courageously documented horrible experiences of the political violence during the campaign for the 2008 Presidential run-off through his film , A Violence Response. These films came at a juncture when the motherland was undergoing excruciating economic and political upheavals. Only a few managed in the political leadership to pronounce the revolutionary message he has publicly said, knowing fully well the risk that he was taking by unraveling corruption in the authoritarian Zanupf regime and their surrogates.
Furthermore, fewer social democrats have solidly stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of Zimbabwe as he has done.
Mdc Alliance Namibia Rundu Branch Secretary General Simbarashe Ndoda postulated that ,” our members of parliament, councillors and general membership must pledge their solidarity by demanding justice and freedom of Hopewell Chin’ono and other political prisoners. It is clear that he is fighting for socio-economic transformation, so why not flood the Zanupf sponsored courts displaying our zeal for his freedom as well as that of other prisoners of conscience who were arbitrarily arrested as way of breaking their revolutionary spirit? Lets stand in our numbers advocating for political liberty and Constitutionalism in the country. Social democrats must be reminded that Leadership is Activity and anyone can lead anywhere.
It is worth a glance to note that the offence for which Hopewell Chin’ono was initially arrested for has since been dropped. He was deliberately charged with contempt of court , for a tweet in which he categorically stated that Chief Justice Malaba had been seen at the Magistrates Court on the day he was unjustifiably denied bail during previous hearings.
Zimbabweans have to ponder the reason why this charge was withdrawn and why is Hopewell still jailed if the original charge was withdrawn? Mdc Alliance Namibia shall never cease to fight for a people’s government and corruption-free Zimbabwe. The law enforcement agents must desist from fulfilling Zanupf agendas.
Moreso, they are currently charging him for obstructing the course of justice, again for a tweet in which he announced that suspected gold smuggler, Henrietta Rushwaya would be granted bail by consent. Hopewell openly cited that he had received classified information from reliable sources in the National Prosecuting Authority.
Astonishingly, when Rushwaya the alleged smuggler appeared in court, the state did not oppose her bail since she was tipped to get a fine of about $90 000 RTGS before the inculcable- about turn was made the following morning.
It became visible that his report was authentic, for indeed , the prosecution had consented to bail under dubiously porous conditions.
The clueless rogue regime is piling pressure on Hopewell to name his sources in the NPA against his work ethics and he was also conceding his fundamental rights in Section 61(2) which states that, “Every person is entitled to freedom of the media , which freedom includes protection of the confidentiality of journalists’ sources of information”. Hopewell completely rejected to be cowed into submission. Lets fight together with him, we are social democrats, we are revolutionary fighters for justice.
To conclude, the national constitution of the country stipulates that justice delayed is justice denied. Lets not wait to celebrate when they release him at their own time. Bail is a right in Constitutional Democracy.
Mdc Alliance Namibia acknowledges that Hopewell sacrificed his dignity in defence of journalism and that is quite applausible but citizens must rise to compliment his revolutionary commitment and dedication.
More Chinese investors are planning to invest in Zimbabwe’s manufacturing and service sectors, taking advantage of the country’s industrialisation drive, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Guo Shaochun said yesterday at a special policy dialogue forum on China-Zimbabwe relations.
Ambassador Guo said his country is committed to furthering cooperation between the two countries, but does not believe in providing loans to its allies such as Zimbabwe, as that creates an unnecessary debt burden.
Instead China believes in win-win investment models.
“We are going to invite more Chinese investors to come into Zimbabwe, through BOT for instance, where Zimbabweans will take over after 15 years or so. It is not a true argument that Chinese investors are not interested in manufacturing. We have Sinosteel that has invested in Zimasco and now that company has reclaimed lost glory. So many companies are interested in investing in Zimbabwe and we need to invite more,” he said.https://c81c16cf5a9b0a9ebadef6f52cace076.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
The appetite by foreign nations to invest in Zimbabwe was previously hampered by red-tape.
However, the Second Republic through President Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is Open for Business policy” has seen the ease of doing business improving.
“China and Zimbabwe enjoy a time-honoured friendship. Our cooperation has made great progress in recent years. To support Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, China is actively engaged in big infrastructure projects that support the development of the country and smaller ones that improve daily life for the people, such as building schools and hospitals. Last week, the residents in Mwenezi District of Masvingo cheered and danced as Chinese engineers worked on new boreholes for the community.https://c81c16cf5a9b0a9ebadef6f52cace076.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
“Their happy faces are a great delight to us too. This is a wonderful example of President Xi Jinping’s vision for China-Africa relations, a China-Africa community of shared future that pursues win-win cooperation and delivers happiness for all of us,” said the Ambassador.
The Second Republic has reduced the period from starting a business from 32 days to 11 days. It now takes 150 days to start a construction permit down from 208 days. The property registration period has been cut down from 36 days to 14 days and because of these reforms, Zimbabwe is in Africa’s top five nations for doing business.
“We always support the industrialisation of Zimbabwe and (Chinese) companies that are operating in Zimbabwe always make good use of resources in the country. For instance Sunny Yi Feng (in Norton) is employing over 1 400 people and producing tiles for export that will earn the country foreign currency,” said Ambassador Guo.
“I have been here for one-and-a-half years and I have seen that enterprises want to enter the Chinese market through political channels.
“Recently, there was a Chinese Expo, which was attended by President Xi Jinping and only one Zimbabwean company exhibited there. Zimbabwean enterprises lost the opportunity to market their products,” he said.
During the discussion, Ambassador Guo also urged the media to be sensitive to the cultural differences and variations in work ethics, for instance on working hours and definitions of human rights.
Some Chinese firms could be accused of overworking workers, when in fact they are working around the clock to meet deadlines and all the while paying their employees the due overtime.
The seminar that was co-hosted by Mr Ibbo Mandaza saw scholars zeroing in on some of the development achievements of China that might assist Zimbabwe towards the requisite economic and social reforms necessary for growth and development.-Herald
Visa restrictions for overstayers and entrepreneurs have been relaxed, the UK Border Force makes the below update – FULL TEXT:
Home Office in Croydon, London
If you’re in the UK
You are expected to take all reasonable steps to leave the UK where it is possible to do so or apply to regularise your stay in the UK.
If you intend to leave the UK but have not been able to do so and you have a visa or leave that expires between 1 November and 30 November 2020 you may request additional time to stay, known as ‘exceptional assurance’, by completing the online form.
If you are granted ‘exceptional assurance’ it will act as a short-term protection against any adverse action or consequences after your leave has expired. If conditions allowed you to work, study or rent accommodation you may continue to do so during the period of your exceptional assurance. Exceptional assurance does not grant you leave.
After you’ve completed the form, you’ll be told what you’ll need to submit to show why you can’t leave the UK.
For example, if you can’t leave the UK because you can’t find a flight before your leave/visa expires, you’ll need to submit a copy of a confirmed flight ticket. If you can’t leave the UK because you have coronavirus, you’ll need to submit confirmation of your positive coronavirus test result.
If you’ve already completed the form to request exceptional assurance and you’re waiting on the outcome, you do not need to email us or complete the form again. We are considering all requests and we will contact you to let you know the outcome. During this time, you will not be treated as an overstayer or suffer any detriment in any future immigration applications for this consideration period.
If you’ve already been given assurance but your circumstances have changed or you’re unable to leave the UK by the assurance date previously given, you must reapply through the online form. You’ll need to clearly state that you’re making a subsequent application. You’ll be asked to provide new supporting evidence.
If you intend to stay in the UK and wish to regularise your stay
If you decide to stay in the UK, you should apply for the necessary leave to remain in the UK. You’ll also be able to submit an application form from within the UK where you would usually need to apply for a visa from your home country.
You’ll need to meet the requirements of the route you’re applying for and pay the UK application fee.
The terms of your leave will remain the same until your application is decided. If you are switching into work or study routes you may be able to commence work or study whilst your application is under consideration.
If your leave expires after 31 October 2020
You can submit an application form from within the UK where you would usually need to apply for a visa from your home country.
You’ll need to show your application is urgent, for example if you need to start a new job or course of study, please provide full details of this in a covering letter with your supporting documents.
You’ll need to pay the fees and meet all requirements of your visa as normal, except the need to submit the application in your home country.
This is being kept under review.
If you have overstayed your leave
If your visa or leave expired between 24 January 2020 and 31 August 2020 there will be no future adverse immigration consequences if you didn’t make an application to regularise your stay during this period. However, if you have not applied to regularise your stay or submitted a request for an exceptional assurance you must make arrangements to leave the UK.
Application and Service Centres in the UK
Most UK Visa and Citizenship Application Centres (UKVCAS) have reopened for existing customers. You can check which UKVCAS centres are open and book an appointment if you have not already done so.
UKVCAS Service Points are essential services and will remain open throughout the UK so customers can continue to book and attend appointments to progress their visa applications.
Service and Support Centres (SSCs) are essential services and will remain open. SSCs are offering a reduced number of appointments because of coronavirus. As more appointments are made available UKVI will invite you to arrange an appointment by email or post.
If you’re a Student or Child Student applicant in the UK and have given your fingerprints before
If you’re applying in the UK as a Student or Child Student (including Tier 4 student), UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) may be able to reuse your fingerprints.
If UKVI can reuse the fingerprints you’ve already given, you’ll be emailed with instructions on how to send them an image of your face and your supporting documents.
This will mean you do not have to attend a UKVCAS or an SSC service point appointment to provide biometric information.
If you cannot send the information through the instructions given, you’ll be able to book an appointment.
English language testing centres in the UK
You can book a test at most of the approved English Testing Centres in the UK.
For more information on how you can book your English Language Test, contact either:
We have contacted you if you made an appointment to attend a UKVCAS that is still temporary closed to let you know it has been postponed. You’ll be contacted when you can book a new appointment.
Your immigration status in the UK will not change as a result of you not being able to attend an appointment.
If you’re on a Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa and your business has been disrupted
You no longer need to employ at least 2 people for 12 consecutive months. The 12 month period you’re required to employ someone for can be made up of multiple jobs across different months.
Time when your employees were furloughed will not count towards the 12 month period.
If you’ve not been able to employ staff for 12 months by the time your visa expires, you’ll be allowed to temporarily extend your stay to give you time to meet the requirement.
These arrangements will continue for applications made after 31 May 2020, where the jobs you’re relying on were disrupted due to coronavirus.
If you’ve applied for a Student or Child Student visa (including Tier 4 visas) and are waiting for a decision on your application
You can start your course or studies before your visa application has been decided if:
your sponsor is a Student sponsor
you have been given a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS)
you submitted your application before your current visa expired and you show your sponsor evidence of this
the course you start is the same as the one listed on your CAS
If you’ll be working at a different NHS site than your usual place of work because of coronavirus
You can work at any NHS hospital during the coronavirus outbreak if your sponsor can maintain their sponsorship duties.
Sponsors will not need to notify UKVI of the change in your place of work.
If you do any different or extra work due to coronavirus
You can carry out supplementary work in any role at any skill level during the coronavirus outbreak. There is no restriction on the number of hours you can work.
Changes to the current restrictions on the number of hours you can work or volunteer
There is no longer a limit on the number of hours you can work or volunteer each week if you’re a:
Student (including Tier 4 student) working for the NHS in a list profession
tier 2 worker and your NHS job is a second job
visiting academic researcher
holder of a short-term visa and are permitted to volunteer
If you’re a pre-registration nurse in the UK, the deadline for you to sit the Occupational Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) has been extended to 31 December 2020. If you do not pass on the first attempt, you’ll have until 31 May 2021 to pass the exam.
Most UK Visa Application Centres (VACs) have resumed services where local restrictions allow.
Priority and Super Priority services are only available in some locations. If available, you’ll be able to purchase these services when booking your appointment.
For more information, and for updates to the status of VACs, including opening times in your country, check with:
TLS contact if you’re in Europe, Africa and parts of the Middle East
Ongoing global restrictions mean some UKVI services will remain closed. Where services are resuming, existing customers will be contacted.
English language tests are available in most countries but may be temporarily suspended in some countries due to coronavirus restrictions. You can find a list of all approved test centres outside the UK. Check the SELT provider’s website to find out when tests are available and to make sure the test centre is open. Do not contact the test centre directly.
For more information on how you can book your English Language Test, contact either:
Applying for a visa if your visa application centre (VAC) is closed
You can apply for a visit visa from any UK VAC. You should apply for all other UK visas from the country you’re living in.
This concession has been extended to 31 March 2021.
If your VAC is closed due to coronavirus restrictions, you can apply online and select a VAC in another country worldwide to submit your application and biometrics. You’ll need to make sure you’re permitted to travel to that country beforehand.
You’ll be able to make any type of UK visa application. You must select the country where you would like to submit your biometrics at the start of your application.
If you’ve already submitted your application through Access UK and now intend to submit your new application at a different VAC from the one selected in that application, you’ll need to make a new application and select the VAC where you’ll submit your application.
As VACs reopen their services, we will prioritise returning customer passports.
If the VAC where you applied is still closed we will not be able to return your passport.
If your passport is in a VAC, and a decision on your application has been made, the VAC will contact you to arrange collection.
If your application has not been decided, we will not contact you to return your passport until it has. If you would like your passport returned, even if your application has not been decided, please contact the VAC to arrange collection.
To see if the VAC is open for passport return in your country, check with:
TLS contact if you’re in Europe, Africa and parts of the Middle East
We are continuing to reopen more VACs where local restrictions allow and social distancing can be maintained.
British nationals abroad who need to apply for a passport
Her Majesty’s Passport Office is accepting online passport applications.
If you’re advised that you must book an appointment at your nearest VAC to submit your passport application, you should check if it’s open.
If your country’s VAC is still closed, you won’t be able to apply for a British passport until it reopens.
If you urgently need to travel to the UK, you should contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to discuss your options. You can also check the latest travel advice from the FCO.
If you’re applying for a Global Talent visa
If your endorsement from an endorsing body has expired because you’ve not been able to make an application for a visa, you may still be eligible.
Your endorsement will be accepted if both:
it was granted on or after 24 January 2020
you apply for your visa before 1 January 2021
Applications that do not meet these requirements will be considered on a case by case basis.
If you’re applying for a Start-up or Innovator visa
If your endorsement from an endorsing body has expired because you’ve not been able to travel to the UK, you may still be eligible for a visa. We will consider all applications on a case by case basis.
If your 30 day visa to work, study or join family has expired
If your 30 day visa to travel to the UK for work, study or to join family has expired, or is about to expire, you can request a replacement visa with revised validity dates free of charge until the end of this year. This does not apply to other types of visas.
This process will be in place until the end of 2020.
To request a replacement visa you can either:
contact the Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre
arrange to return your passport to your VAC if it has re-opened
Contacting the Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre:
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We are dealing with a high number of requests and will reply as soon as we can. Please do not contact us again unless you need to tell us about a change in your circumstances.
You’ll be contacted when our VACs reopen to arrange for a replacement visa to be endorsed in your passport. Your replacement visa will be valid for 90 days.
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Please do not travel to the VAC with your passport until you have checked our commercial partner websites for the process in place for re-submitting your passport for your replacement visa, as this may vary depending on your geographical location:
TLS contact if you’re in Europe, Africa and parts of the Middle East
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If you’re applying to enter the UK or remain on the basis of family or private life
If you’re unable to travel back to the UK due to coronavirus travel restrictions and your leave has expired, a short break in continuous residence will be overlooked. You are expected to make your next application as soon as possible.
There will be no future adverse immigration consequences if there has been a short break of continuous residence if your leave expired between 1 March 2020 and 31 August 2020. However, if you did not make a valid application to stay by 31 August 2020, you must now make arrangements to leave the UK.
If you intend to leave the UK but have not been able to do so and you have a visa or leave that expires between 1 November and 30 November 2020 you may request additional time to stay, known as ‘exceptional assurance’, by completing the online form.
If your leave expires after 31 October 2020, you can make your application from inside the UK where you would usually need to apply for a visa from your home country if:
your application is urgent, for example if you have a family emergency and cannot apply from outside the UK
you cannot apply from outside the UK due to coronavirus
This is being kept under review.
If you’re here with 6 months’ leave as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner and your wedding or civil ceremony has been delayed due to coronavirus you may request additional time to stay, also known as ‘exceptional assurance’, by completing the online form and providing evidence of when your wedding will take place.
Otherwise, you can apply to extend your stay for a further 6 months to allow the ceremony to take place.
Changes to the minimum income and adequate maintenance requirement
If you’ve experienced a loss of income due to coronavirus up to 1 January 2021, we will consider employment income for the period immediately before the loss of income, provided the minimum income requirement was met for at least 6 months immediately before the date the income was lost.
If your salary has reduced because you’re furloughed we will take account of your income as though you’re earning 100% of your salary.
If you’re self-employed, a loss of annual income due to coronavirus between 1 March 2020 and 1 January 2021 will usually be disregarded, along with the impact on employment income from the same period for future applications.
If you’re unable to provide specified documents
In some cases, we will be able to decide your application without seeing certain specified documents if you cannot get them due to coronavirus. Otherwise, you may be asked to submit the specified documents after the date of application.
Changes to the English language requirement
If you’re asked to take an English language test as part of your application, you can apply for an exemption if the test centre was closed or you couldn’t travel to it due to coronavirus when you applied.
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Namibia has called for nationwide protests at the persecution of prominent journalist Hopewell Chin’ono.
The panicky Zanu PF administration is tormenting Chin’ono for exposing corruption in the so called new dispensation.
Read the MDC Alliance statement below:
18 NOVEMBER 2020
MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA FUMES OVER THE INCESSANT INCARCERATION OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST, HOPEWELL CHIN’ONO.
Mdc Alliance Namibia would like to express its serious disgruntlement in the way our captured police and courts are handling journalists and political activists in the motherland.
The further victimisation and incarceration of the innocent investigative journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono must be resisted with equal measure.
Social democrats must stand in solidarity with those who are unearthing senseless corruption, smuggling, human butchery and gross abuse of basic human rights. Our encouragement as a district is that all progressive Zimbabweans must pent-up their outrage demanding the immediate release of Hopewell Chin’ono and other prisoners of conscience in the names of Last Maengahama and Tungamirai Madzokere.
It is quite pathetic to see Zimbabweans in the country folding their hands neglecting the one who has sacrificed it all to confront the vicious and insensitive regime that feeds on the blood of the innocent citizenry. What mesmerises us is that Hopewell is very cognisant of the murderous legacy of these Zanupf sadists who are currently in charge of our beloved country.
Zimbabweans who are scratching their heads for a single nutritious meal per day must regain their consciousness and realise that Hopewell has absolutely no appetite for personal enrichment but he has displayed varlour , mettle and nerve to fight against Zanupf shenanigans. Those who don’t have a comfortable life should come out in their astounding numbers in solidarity with our Hero.
Moreover, the arbitrary arrest and detention of Hopewell Chin’ono should be viewed by right-minded citizens as a societal malady which demands urgent attention. Citizens must gather courage to speak audibly against the abuse of basic universal freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.
The citizens must cudgel their brains to figure out the reason why Hopewell had also courageously documented horrible experiences of the political violence during the campaign for the 2008 Presidential run-off through his film , A Violence Response. These films came at a juncture when the motherland was undergoing excruciating economic and political upheavals. Only a few managed in the political leadership to pronounce the revolutionary message he has publicly said, knowing fully well the risk that he was taking by unraveling corruption in the authoritarian Zanupf regime and their surrogates.
Furthermore, fewer social democrats have solidly stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of Zimbabwe as he has done.
Mdc Alliance Namibia Rundu Branch Secretary General Simbarashe Ndoda postulated that ,” our members of parliament, councillors and general membership must pledge their solidarity by demanding justice and freedom of Hopewell Chin’ono and other political prisoners. It is clear that he is fighting for socio-economic transformation, so why not flood the Zanupf sponsored courts displaying our zeal for his freedom as well as that of other prisoners of conscience who were arbitrarily arrested as way of breaking their revolutionary spirit? Lets stand in our numbers advocating for political liberty and Constitutionalism in the country. Social democrats must be reminded that Leadership is Activity and anyone can lead anywhere.
It is worth a glance to note that the offence for which Hopewell Chin’ono was initially arrested for has since been dropped. He was deliberately charged with contempt of court , for a tweet in which he categorically stated that Chief Justice Malaba had been seen at the Magistrates Court on the day he was unjustifiably denied bail during previous hearings.
Zimbabweans have to ponder the reason why this charge was withdrawn and why is Hopewell still jailed if the original charge was withdrawn? Mdc Alliance Namibia shall never cease to fight for a people’s government and corruption-free Zimbabwe. The law enforcement agents must desist from fulfilling Zanupf agendas.
Moreso, they are currently charging him for obstructing the course of justice, again for a tweet in which he announced that suspected gold smuggler, Henrietta Rushwaya would be granted bail by consent. Hopewell openly cited that he had received classified information from reliable sources in the National Prosecuting Authority.
Astonishingly, when Rushwaya the alleged smuggler appeared in court, the state did not oppose her bail since she was tipped to get a fine of about $90 000 RTGS before the inculcable- about turn was made the following morning.
It became visible that his report was authentic, for indeed , the prosecution had consented to bail under dubiously porous conditions.
The clueless rogue regime is piling pressure on Hopewell to name his sources in the NPA against his work ethics and he was also conceding his fundamental rights in Section 61(2) which states that, “Every person is entitled to freedom of the media , which freedom includes protection of the confidentiality of journalists’ sources of information”. Hopewell completely rejected to be cowed into submission. Lets fight together with him, we are social democrats, we are revolutionary fighters for justice.
To conclude, the national constitution of the country stipulates that justice delayed is justice denied. Lets not wait to celebrate when they release him at their own time. Bail is a right in Constitutional Democracy.
Mdc Alliance Namibia acknowledges that Hopewell sacrificed his dignity in defence of journalism and that is quite applausible but citizens must rise to compliment his revolutionary commitment and dedication.
Tinashe Sambiri|Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa and Ugandan leader, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni have perfected the art of butchering their political opponents at an alarming pace, the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly has said.
In a statement, the MDC Alliance described Museveni and Mnangagwa as the worst dictators in the world.
Read full statement below :
19-11-2020
For Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and his partner in human slaughter, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, human life -particularly the survival of opposition members, does not matter at all as long as power retention is part of the equation.
From Harare to Kampala, the opposition can not breath as two ruthless dictators go for the broke in pursuit of power at the expense human life.
Zimbabwe and Uganda might be thousands of miles apart, but the dictatorial tastes of the two rulers running the affairs of these two former British colonies are Siamese-like.
Clearly Mnangagwa and Museveni have gone through an apprenticeship on how to butcher opposition lives from their respective predecessors, Robert Gabriel Mugabe and Idi Dada Amin and passed with distinction.
For them, to be is to be worse than their predecessors as far as violations to basic human rights is concerned.
Just as Mnangagwa used the military to slaughter unarmed civilians on 01 August 2018, the world this week woke up to some shock images of mass murder in Kampala as Museveni employed the same script used in Harare.
For Dambudzo and Kaguta, the opposition do not have rights at all!
General elections presents a pocket to slaughter opposition members like chickens in the name of ‘safeguarding sovereignty and peace’.
If not shot with live ammunition, the opposition members are guaranteed mindless and degrading treatment in form of torture, beatings and arbitrary detention.
Just as Hon Tendai Biti was abducted at Chirundu border post under the guise of arrest, Ugandan opposition leader, Robert Kyagulanyi is currently undergoing through the same experience.
It is time progress movements and parties in Africa come together for the common good of extricating ourselves from this bondage of black skin, white masks.
Oppression anywhere is oppression everywhere!
Africa cries for new ideas, new politics and new leaders.
In solidarity with the oppressed beautiful people of Uganda.
#AfricanLivesMatter!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDCAllianceYouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
Tinashe Sambiri|Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa and Ugandan leader, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni have perfected the art of butchering their political opponents at an alarming pace, the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly has said.
In a statement, the MDC Alliance described Museveni and Mnangagwa as the worst dictators in the world.
Read full statement below :
19-11-2020
For Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and his partner in human slaughter, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, human life -particularly the survival of opposition members, does not matter at all as long as power retention is part of the equation.
From Harare to Kampala, the opposition can not breath as two ruthless dictators go for the broke in pursuit of power at the expense human life.
Zimbabwe and Uganda might be thousands of miles apart, but the dictatorial tastes of the two rulers running the affairs of these two former British colonies are Siamese-like.
Clearly Mnangagwa and Museveni have gone through an apprenticeship on how to butcher opposition lives from their respective predecessors, Robert Gabriel Mugabe and Idi Dada Amin and passed with distinction.
For them, to be is to be worse than their predecessors as far as violations to basic human rights is concerned.
Just as Mnangagwa used the military to slaughter unarmed civilians on 01 August 2018, the world this week woke up to some shock images of mass murder in Kampala as Museveni employed the same script used in Harare.
For Dambudzo and Kaguta, the opposition do not have rights at all!
General elections presents a pocket to slaughter opposition members like chickens in the name of ‘safeguarding sovereignty and peace’.
If not shot with live ammunition, the opposition members are guaranteed mindless and degrading treatment in form of torture, beatings and arbitrary detention.
Just as Hon Tendai Biti was abducted at Chirundu border post under the guise of arrest, Ugandan opposition leader, Robert Kyagulanyi is currently undergoing through the same experience.
It is time progress movements and parties in Africa come together for the common good of extricating ourselves from this bondage of black skin, white masks.
Oppression anywhere is oppression everywhere!
Africa cries for new ideas, new politics and new leaders.
In solidarity with the oppressed beautiful people of Uganda.
#AfricanLivesMatter!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDCAllianceYouthAssemblyNationalSpokesperson
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Students Council has accused Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration of exposing learners in colleges and universities to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
This comes after seven students at Chinhoyi University of Technology tested positive for Coronavirus.
Speaking to ZimEye.com on Thursday, MDC Alliance Students Council Secretary General, Rujeko Hither Mpambwa said the government should ensure the safety of learners in colleges and universities.
100 pupils also tested positive for Coronavirus, exposing the ineptitude of Mr Mnangagwa’s administration.
“The Zanu PF system is simply playing with our lives.They must address the situation before it gets out of hand.
I can say the Zanu PF administration is insensitive to the plight of students . Coronavirus is real so they have to put safety measures in place to avoid dire consequences,” said Mpambwa.
“There are no adequate facilities to protect students and lecturers from the deadly pandemic -everything is pathetic -no safety nets in place,” she added.
Tinashe Sambiri|The MDC Alliance Students Council has accused Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration of exposing learners in colleges and universities to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
This comes after seven students at Chinhoyi University of Technology tested positive for Coronavirus.
Speaking to ZimEye.com on Thursday, MDC Alliance Students Council Secretary General, Rujeko Hither Mpambwa said the government should ensure the safety of learners in colleges and universities.
100 pupils also tested positive for Coronavirus, exposing the ineptitude of Mr Mnangagwa’s administration.
“The Zanu PF system is simply playing with our lives.They must address the situation before it gets out of hand.
I can say the Zanu PF administration is insensitive to the plight of students . Coronavirus is real so they have to put safety measures in place to avoid dire consequences,” said Mpambwa.
“There are no adequate facilities to protect students and lecturers from the deadly pandemic -everything is pathetic -no safety nets in place,” she added.
Deputy Health and Child Care Minister Dr John Mangwiro was formally questioned by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) on Tuesday on allegations of applying pressure that was inappropriate, although ultimately unsuccessful, on NatPharm to buy medical supplies from a company in which the Deputy Minister had a personal interest.
The company in the end lost out in a competitive tender to other companies that quoted lower prices, although the process had started with a possible intention for direct purchase without seeking other bids before a competitive tender was floated and adjudicated.
Recently Dr Mangwiro issued a statement denying interfering in the process for the supply of the materials by Young Health Care to NatPharm, saying he only convened a meeting at night in August this year to establish what was causing delays at a time when infections were surging.
Dr Mangwiro was quoted describing the allegations that he abused office by interfering in NatPharm’s dealings with Young Health Care Limited for the procurement of Covid-19 supplies as malicious, mischievous and calculated to cause alarm, despondency and sensationalise the public.
But Zacc questioned him over the matter on Tuesday when he visited its offices in the company of his two lawyers.
Zacc spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure confirmed the questioning yesterday. “We have called him in for a warned and cautioned statement. The docket is not yet complete and we are still waiting for more vital information,” he said.
Although the details were still sketchy, The Herald understands Dr Mangwiro was questioned following a report recently compiled by Zacc that he allegedly applied what was seen by some as pressure during the tender bidding process for the supply of laboratory equipment, reagents and consumables for Covid-19 to NatPharm.
The initial investigation carried out by Zacc between August 31 and September 4, was triggered by an anonymous letter dated
August 18 to Zacc alleging that NatPharm and the Ministry may not have followed procedures during the procurement. Zacc interviewed Natpharm officials including the acting managing director and officers from National Microbiology Reference Laboratories in connection with the allegations.
“Given the extent to which the deputy minister was involved in the said tender process, indications are that he was acting on his own capacity and not on behalf of the ministry. The actions of the deputy minister signal a personal interest in the tender and this should have prompted him to declare his interest,” said the memo.
The memo recommended further investigations into the possibility that there had been criminal abuse of office and possible violation of the Public Finance Management Act through giving ministerial directives having financial implications when he allegedly demanded prepayment of undelivered goods to Young Health Care.
The memo states that initially Young Health Care was to supply the required goods under direct procurement, where there is no competitive bidding. Young Health Care quoted $5,6 million, which was coincidentally the same amount that was in the ministry coffers, suggesting that the company might have had inside information.
“When NatPharm insisted on a competitive bidding process, Young Health Care subsequently submitted a bid price of US$3,6 million for the same items. This saw a reduction of 36 percent in the price,” ZACC said.-The Herald
"Bom**clot, if you used to be a thief, can you ever be a greater criminal than me? I will burn you up my friend!" – Mai Titi pic.twitter.com/WQLNUzEc6R
Self-proclaimed Prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary handed themselves over to police in Lilongwe, Malawi on Wednesday.
Times 360 of Malawi posted on its social media channels that Bushiri and his wife had handed themselves over at Lilongwe Police Station this morning.
Bushiri and his wife left South Africa under unclear circumstances last week after they were granted R200 000 bail each.
The Enlightened Christian Gathering church leader, his wife and three others are accused of fraud involving around R102 million.
On Saturday, Bushiri said that they had fled because they believed their lives were in danger in South Africa and they would not get a fair trial.
Meanwhile, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday issued warrants of arrest for the Bushiris, when it emerged they had not appeared for their Friday check-in with police.-News24
Zimbabwe’s largest mobile money platform, EcoCash, has moved to create a new level of customer convenience by automating its key customer support services, including PIN resets and automatic reversals for failed transactions and of funds sent by mistake to the wrong person.
In a development that is set to significantly enhance its customer experience, the EcoCash said this has been made possible due to the major core system upgrade it carried out less than a year ago.
Mr Eddie Chibi, the Chief Executive Officer of Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe, the holding company of EcoCash, said the group was focused on enhancing customer experience by leveraging digital innovations to deliver convenient, automated customer solutions.
“We believe that the success of our products and services is driven by the experience of our customers, which enables repeat usage and ultimately customer loyalty.
“To that end, our teams have been working hard to roll out various digital innovations to ensure our customers have a hassle-free journey when they use our products and when they interact with our services – especially at this time when the world is struggling to cope with the effects of Covid-19,” Mr Chibi said.
“The upgrade of our EcoCash platform has helped in this regard in that it added modules to the platform that offer customers extra convenience in a safe and secure environment” he said.
Mr Givemore Jojo, Cassava Smartech’s Chief Commercial Officer, who is in charge of the overall customer experience Cassava Smartech’s business units, said EcoCash was taking advantage of its features-rich platform to improve the experience of its customers and channel partners by deploying end-to-end automation processes.
“On our upgraded EcoCash platform we have now been able to activate a number of modules, that offer real convenience to our customers, such as the auto-reversal capabilities for failed transactions when our customers are purchasing Zesa tokens.
“This has brought great relief to customers as failed transactions are automatically reversed back into the customers’ wallet in less than 10 minutes,” Mr Jojo said.
He said for the customers’ convenience, EcoCash was working closely with its partners Powertel and Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) to educate customers on the purchase of the ‘‘lifeline’’ Zesa tokens, in particular to dispel the misconception that electricity tokens are only cheaper at the beginning of a calendar month.
(The lifeline tariff is the price of the first 50 units of power that is charged at a base tariff of ZW$1,67 per unit, compared to ZW$3,65 for the next 51-200 units, ZW$9,92 for the next 201-300 units, and ZW$15,57 for over 301 units in a particular month.)
Mr Jojo noted that over 70 percent of traffic to all EcoCash customer touch-points (shops) was attributed to two human self-induced errors: PIN resets and peer-to-peer transaction reversals, owing to customers mistakenly sending money to the wrong person.
“To help address that, we have now launched the EcoCash Web Portal, as well as a USSD solution, which empower customers to reset their own PIN numbers and to similarly initiate funds reversals. The Web and USSD initiatives are very safe and easy to use,” he added.
Customers can use the USSD solution by simply dialling *150#, or they access the EcoCash Selfcare Web Portal by making a once-off registration on https://selfcare.ecocash.co.zw/portal/
“We are really excited about these self-care initiatives as we can already see the convenience they have begun to offer our customers, in a secure environment,” Mr Jojo said.
INTERVIEWING THE STATE SECURITY MINISTER AFTER HE FORCED A PROVINCIAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER TO BUY A NEWSPAPER IN HARARE AND BRING IT OVER TO KWEKWE – FOLLOW THE LIVE COVERAGE ON https://t.co/eY98GsdO0apic.twitter.com/Xb11JyZXgT
By Simba Chikanza | Last week Wednesday, State Security Minister Owen Ncube was heard telephoning one of his Personal Assistants, a Provincial Intelligence Officer, saying, bring me my Herald newspaper over to Kwekwe.
The PIO whose name was not immediately available) had to drive from Harare to Kwekwe to drop the newspaper to Kwekwe.
He then ordered the PA, “I want you here in two hours with my newspaper.”
The PA ended up rushing to go purchase a newspaper and drive down all the way to the Midlands province in a rush obeying the minister’s orders.
After that, Minister Ncube went on to say of the officer, “vafana ava vakapusa vanofunga kuti vakadzidza saka tirikuvamhanyisa nema newspaper.”
The PA was forced to drive all the way to Kwekwe to bring a newspaper which he doesn’t even read.
The development has brought questions in the minister’s suitability for the job.
Minister Owen Ncube who doesn’t have O Level papers, responded to ZimEye.com in the following brief interview”……
1. You appear to be more efficient on your job than all other State Security ministers since 1980, what’s your secret to success in the job?
2. Considering your predecessors had degrees, does education matter for the top job?
3. Ndirikuda ku clarifier a story over your announcement on sending your PIO last Wednesday from Harare to Kwekwe to bring a newspaper all the way from capital city. Was that not a waste of public funds?
Minister Mudha answered with a brief chuckle, “haaa, I am not allowed to speak to the press,” he said.
But we have interviewed previous state security ministers with no problems, why now?, he was asked. To which he replied with the same,
“I am not allowed to speak to the Press. ” He said before quickly putting the phone down
FATHER to the late Mitchel Moana Amuli differed with his wife on the way he wanted their daughter buried.
Ishmael Amuli stopped his wife Yolanda Kuvawonga from taking the body of Moana to lie in state at her house in Highfield before burial arguing that it was against their culture and religion.
One of the Amuli’s family members, Sala Saidi said their culture does not allow the burial of Moana in a coffin. Instead, they just wrap the body and take it straight to the grave.
“Moana is our daughter and we expect to bury her in accordance with our custom and religion,” said Saidi.
Scenes at Doves
“Doves has undertakers who are ready to meet each and every religion and cultural belief so this is what the family wants.
“We do not want the body of Moana be taken to Highfield overnight since there will be no body viewing due to its condition.
“The body was expected to be taken to Domboshava not Highfield but for progress’ sake we agreed that the body will pass through Highfield from the parlour and taken straight for burial at Zororo Cemetery along Seke Road.
“Saka zvekuti body irare mumba tazvimisa,” said Saidi.
The Kuvawonga family spokesperson concurred with Saidi saying the body is expected to be collected from Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals’ mortuary this morning where it will be taken to the parlour.
“Tomorrow (today) we are to collect the body at Parirenyatwa by 9am and take it to Doves for a burial service,” he said.
“Today’s programme has been delayed and we failed to collect the burial order and connect with Zororo cemetery officials.
“The body is expected to pass through Highfield before burial, which we expect to be conducted at around 3pm but the final program will be announced by 11am when everyone will be expected at Doves Funeral Services Chapel,” he said.
Your Excellency, congratulations on a fantastic interview granted the Pan African Visions Magazine (November Edition), premised on your foresightedly assuring statement in search for a new Malawi.
Your Excellency, l wish to anchor this communication on your statement :
“I am here to serve Malawians, nothing more, nothing less. The success of Malawians, their prosperity, their aspirations fulfilled, their future ensured, their country secured, their lives assured, is what must define the success of this administration.”
For a secured Malawian generation to serve as an example to the rest of Africa, with humility, may you consider this outlook for Africa with Malawi as the torch:
AN ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL FOR AFRICAN ELECTORAL DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE SYSTEM
Preamble
With a defined commitment to safeguarding a nation’s and its people’s sovereignty that state constitutions are formulated. The spirit of articulation of such a constitution and a significant aspect is that of the masses being immersed in the collective exercise of its construction as a commitment to their present and their future, meaning that, the articulation of a constitution should be tempered to the reality of the masses and that it responds to the peoples’ interests. This way, the masses can identify with it and therefore fight for it to be respected and defended.
Herein, a state’s constitution should be formulated to recognize several important rights that broadly and significantly address any endemic socio-economic and political challenges.
On the notion of the many socio-politico-economic drawbacks of many African states, a way forward to constitutional formulations that guarantee real sovereignty of states and practical freedom for its peoples is the consideration of the underlying social structures of the African cultural and communal milieu.
1- Electoral Tensions
A critical review of the western-style multiparty democratic electoral system and its performance as corresponds to periods leading to; during elections; and aftermaths reveal high political rigidity and tensions; which easily escalate into the many consequential civil unrests and conflicts in the many African States.
Multi-party democracy as exercised in many African states seem to be mere traps to teasingly test the fragility of that same system.
The system is alien to the African tradition of communal interest and safeguarding. In many cases, the multiparty system has rather crumbled and undefined the history and legacy of unity and commonality of a people; generating pointless tensions and scars of scorn and hate.
On the premise that a peoples’ peaceful communal way of being can be broken and sacrificed in the name of a system of democracy by multiparty election, one can only allude to the fact that the promoters of such a system are not faithful. Again, the conditionalities of the imposition of such a system on Africa reinforces the belief in an intent dull on the interest of the continent and its peoples. So, therefore, these elections are tale guided by western and eastern interests; at the detriment of the African.
2- Communalism/Ubuntu
▪︎African history has a nostalgic legacy of strength in Unity and commonality through acceptance and embrace of diversity.
▪︎African empires prospered not just for conquests but for the embrace of brotherliness and the spirit of commonality, common ancestry, and the concept that each is the other’s keeper.
▪︎Wars were not won just by kills but by how the victor has been able to embrace and welcome the former enemies into the family fold to build and develop together, towns and villages.
▪︎The idea that, there was a winner and the winner takes all was out of place in the conception of good and bad within the African cultural milieu.
▪︎It is therefore difficult to characterize as African any of the many elections so far held on the continent as representative of the people and culture.
▪︎ No election in the name of a multiparty democratic system has passed the test of Africanism as embodied in the African culture of inclusiveness for all, irrespective of beliefs, ethnicity, sex, numerical strength, or weakness.
▪︎Looking to the future hereon, AFRICA must interrogate ways to get out of the quagmire of tensions due to the multiparty electoral system.
3- African Model Solution
A template solution-which is an African People’s blueprint to redeem her identity, pride and personality, is herein, proposed on the foundation of the African anthropological perspective concerning the real democratic credence of a society and its cultural idiosyncrasy.
A foremost justification of the western-style multiparty electoral system is the idea that it responds to popular direct expression of a people’s choice.
Many proponents of this system, however, ignore the fact that there are more aptly indigenous governance and selection of leadership systems in Africa. Autochthonous election systems for many African traditional and cultural leadership positions, thoroughly, requires the direct influence of the people or their cultural representatives.
So from this premise of African sociopolitical and cultural science that the following governance structure is proposed:
4- Structures
• An executive branch,
• Legislature: congress, and a senate,
• Judiciary,
• State Institutions.
The Executive Branch Categorization
Category One:
• 1a- Identify political parties who are impactful and visible, and in good standing by the electoral institutions of each State in Africa. Such parties should have had representation in Parliament to date or before. The ruling political party would be given the opportunity for 12 individuals from its structures as representatives on the executive council. The other parties would each nominate 7 individuals as their representatives.
• 1b-Three National Executive members of the National Houses of Chiefs and Queen Mothers;
• 1c-Three National Executive members of the first three major religious bodies;
• 1d- A representative each from three minor religious bodies.
• 1e- 3 representatives from the physically challenged associations.
A key factor in nominations put forth would be a requirement for adherence to GENDER PARITY. The category one representatives would gather as an Assembly.
Category two :
The function of this assembly is to elect individuals for the following positions:
• A President and a Vice President
• Ministers
Individuals selected for these positions would then form the Cabinet. Their appointment will however be subject to approval by a CONGRESS and SENATE.
The Legislative Branch
The legislature would consist of a congress and a senate.
1-The Congress categorization and representations:
Congress would be constituted by the following categorization:
• 1a- 5 prominent Chiefs and 5 prominent Queen- Mothers or their representatives from each Region or Province of a State recognized by a Chieftaincy Act.
• 1b- Representation from Trade Union registered with the Labour Department. Each Trade Union shall nominate a male and female from the National and Regional levels. In Federal Republics like Nigeria and Ethiopia; these representatives shall be nominated from the Federal level and an agreed number from the States.
• 1c- An agreed number of the physically challenged should also be nominated.
2-The Senate Categorization and nomination:
The Senate as the second Chamber will be represented solely by the following traditional African setup:
• The leadership of the Regional Houses of Chiefs;
• Leaders of recognized Queenmothers Associations;
Herein a case for example, in Ghana, the Senate will replace the current established Council of State.
Physically challenged representation should be presented in the Senate.
The Judiciary Branch
The judiciary would comprise:
1- High courts bench,
2- Lower courts bench.
The High Courts Bench:
This bench would be filled by the following nominations:
• 1a- through the Regional Houses of Chiefs and QueenMothers’. The nominations shall be anchored on the individual’s professional duties, Services and Integrity.
• 1b- There shall be a higher number of nominees-out of which an agreed number shall be elected by CONGRESS and endorsed by the SENATE.
The Lower Courts Bench:
Same principles as in the nominations for the high courts’ bench shall apply to the lower Courts.
State Institutions nominations
Heads of all State: -Institutions shall be appointed through a proven record anchored on professional discipline; service and integrity.
-Important consideration herein, would be that an individual must rise through the ranks of the institution to be qualified for the highest position of each Institution and be guided by professionalism and Integrity.
-It is indispensable that all nominations and criteria for nominations be guided by the values of adherence to gender balance.
5- Advantages of the African *governance* *structure
The author believes that the proposed governance model can bring forth the following advantages:
• A cost-effective and sustainable democratic model;
• It embraces varied and high representativeness of the citizenry and its interests in a traditionally African perspective; through the three arms of the governance system
• It would reduce ethnic and political party tensions and conflicts as currently experienced with the western-style multiparty electoral system;
• It is a Democratic model that conforms to the socio-cultural value systems in Africa.
6- Executive Powers
The check on Executive Power Exercise:
-The Executive powers of the President will be reduced to the Cabinet.
-Herein, decisions at Cabinet meetings-Chaired by the President would be put through a vote on a balance requirement of a 2/3 majority secret votes for approval or otherwise rejection.
-To further check on the powers of the executive.
A final decision on the matter will be referred to the Congress for secondment and to the Senate for endorsement.
7– Local Governance revitalization
• The Local government system will be strengthened with the empowerment of Traditional Councils that would have the right and authority to appoint at their local government jurisdictions.
• Elections of the head of the Local Governments will be through the casting of the ballot to endorse or reject a nominee.
• This will deepen grassroots participatory democracy.
• Public Accountability/ Transparency Assembly or Forum will be instituted for the programmes of action and implementation with a summary of expenditures being made public;
to ensure grassroots ownership.
Conclusion
The solution to deepening African democratic processes and fortifying the defense of the sovereignty of states and practical emancipation of its citizenry is a bold reception of the African indigenous socio-political perspective. Africa possesses deep wisdom of culture and idiosyncrasies in governance and leadership selection; grounded on peacemaking; integration of its diverse peoples, and communal solidarity.
Aggressive competitiveness, unguarded tension, and contempt created in our communities by the western-style multiparty electoral system should point Africans back to their heritage rule of ‘each been the other’s keeper’.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest esteem and consideration.
Benjamin Anyagre, DFCIMS
(Pan-Africanist) [email protected]
Opposition MDC-T interim leadership is considering holding the Supreme Court-sanctioned Extraordinary congress online due to the coronavirus.
About 4000 delegates are expected to attend the congress scheduled to take place between December 12 and 20 this year.
The congress is meant to elect the substantive successor to the party’s founding leader, the late former Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai.
The party’s interim Secretary-General, Senator Douglas Mwonzora, confirmed the report adding that a virtual meeting was a possibility. He said:
It is an option that we are considering. However, there are other options, including decentralisation of the congress.
The congress is premised at bringing to an end the prolonged leadership crisis that has caused divisions in the biggest opposition party in the country.
The party’s national council last week held a virtual meeting which nominated four presidential candidates, the interim leader, Thokozani Khupe, Mwonzora, acting chair Morgen Komichi and Elias Mudzuri.
LONDON – Supermarkets are the most common places that people have visited in the days leading up to a positive coronavirus test reported to the Test and Trace app in England, new data suggests.
Public Health England (PHE) collated the data using the NHS Test and Trace app – meaning that the figures were based on members of the public who had the app and had tested positive for COVID-19.
PHE said the data did not prove where people were contracting coronavirus.
This week’s government Test and Trace data showed that of those who tested positive, some 60.5% had their close contacts traced.
By analysing the contacts and retracing the steps of the 128,808 people who’d reported they had tested positive between 9 November and 15 November, PHE data has uncovered the most frequent locations people with the virus had been, prior to testing positive.
During the increased national restrictions in England, supermarkets have remained open for shoppers. The data suggests they are the primary setting where those who had tested positive with the disease reported to have been.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Supermarkets are one of the very few places that people can visit during lockdown so it is unsurprising that they feature strongly when people are asked where they have visited.
“Retailers continue to follow all safety guidance to make their premises COVID-secure.”
The second most common location reported by those who tested positive for COVID-19 were secondary schools, followed by primary schools, and then hospitals, and then care homes.
Of those who tested positive for COVID-19 in the days analysed by PHE, 18.3% of them said they had visited a supermarket.
Approximately 9,789 common locations were reported in total – of which the below list calculates the percentage of the most frequent.
Proportion of all common locations reported in PHE data:
Supermarket – 18.3% Secondary school – 12.7% Primary school – 10.1% Hospital – 3.6% Care home – 2.8% College – 2.4% Warehouse – 2.2% Nursery preschool – 1.8% Pub or bar – 1.6% Hospitality – 1.5% University – 1.4% Manufacture engineering – 1.4% Household fewer than five – 1.2% General practice – 1.1% Gym – 1.1% Restaurant or cafe – 1.0% In the most recent week, 124 clusters of COVID-19 were recorded in English secondary schools, with the PHE data charts showing the virus is most prevalent among the older age group.
The total number of outbreaks in secondary schools in England is 822, while primary schools have recorded 732 clusters since records began.
Shopping, attending childcare educational settings and eating out were among the top three activities reported by people testing positive before experiencing any symptoms, the data showed.
The PHE data suggests that the number of contacts by exposure was highest among households and household visitors.
PHE charts also suggest that infection rates appear to be levelling off or even declining in some parts of England, such as the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber.
Cases are lower but are still rising in places such as London, the South East and the West Midlands.
And while COVID-19 rates appear to be falling in England for most adult age groups, the PHE data suggests they are continuing to rise among people over 70.
The highest rate is still among 20 to 29-year-olds, which stood at 362.1 cases per 100,000 people in the week to 15 November, a fall from 389.9 in the previous week.
Infection rates appear to be dropping in 30 to 39-year-olds, 40 to 49 year-olds, 50 to 59-year-olds, and 60 to 69-year-olds, but slightly rising for 70 to 79-year-olds, from 146.1 to 147.5.
For those aged 80 and over, rates have climbed from 235.5 to 245.3, while also increasing for 10-19 year-olds, from 232.8 to 257.4.
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The new data comes as government scientific advisers are warning that mixing at Christmas poses “substantial risks” – particularly for older people – and there is “far too much emphasis” on having a normal festive period.
Professor Andrew Hayward of University College London (UCL) said the country was “on the cusp” of being able to vaccinate older populations and it would be “tragic” to throw away the gains made in suppressing the disease.
Meanwhile, a leading World Health Organisation (WHO) official suggested families could meet for picnics in the park during the festive season, adding that this year will be “a different Christmas but that does not mean it cannot be a merry one”.
A 27-year-old suspect was arrested at the Beitbridge border post at around 1am on Thursday by members of the Limpopo police and the Musina Bomb Disposal Unit.
He allegedly attempted to smuggle explosives into the country. After having been directed to the searching bay, a total of 115 units of blasting cartridges and 100 units of explosives accessories were discovered in the truck.
Police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said he was arrested immediately. The suspect was reportedly travelling from Zimbabwe to Alberton, Gauteng.
The explosives were carried in packaged boxes and had been loaded inside the truck’s trailer.
The origin of the explosives and motive are not yet known, but police investigations are continuing.
The man is set to appear in the Musina Magistrate’s Court soon on charges of the possession of explosive materials.
In Polokwane, Limpopo, on November 9, three men and a woman were arrested for transporting explosive materials
The explosives were believed to be the same used to blast open ATMs and all three suspects were immediately arrested.
They have since appeared in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on a charge of possession of explosive materials.
Albert Gumbo, a 40-year-old Zimbabwean truck driver, was sentenced to 10 years in jail following his conviction and sentencing at the Musina Magistrate’s Court last month.
In July, the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation received a tip-off about a truck that was transporting explosives from Zimbabwe into South Africa.
Upon searching the truck, 75 explosive fuse caps and 145 rolls of detonators were found and seized.
Local power utility, ZESA, has reviewed electricity prices and powerbands for the month of November. The changes were revealed to TechZim who contacted ZETDC to make an inquiry on the prices after the power utility had hinted on reviewing them. These tariffs took effect on the 14th of November. Below are new prices and powerbands as revealed to TechZim:
Consumption Bands Price (ZWL$) Est Price including 6% REA First 50 units 1.63 1.7278 Next 50 units 3.27 3.4662 Next 100 units 5.73 6.0738 Next 100 units 8.17 8.6602 300 units and above 10.28 10.8968 Prices for first time purchases:
50 units $86.30 100 units $259.70 200 units $ 866.02 300 units $1732.00
Below are the old tariffs and powerbands for comparison.
Consumption Bands kWh Price (ZWL$) Estimated Price incl. 6% REA 1 – 50kWh 1.67 1.7702 51 – 200kWh 3.65 3.869 201 – 300kWh 9.92 10.5152 Above 300kWh 15.57 19.5042 The new ZESA tariffs and powerbands show that the upper and lower powerbands are a little bit cheaper at ZWL$1.63 (from ZWL$1.67) and ZWL$10.28 (from ZWL$15.57). But the bands in the middle are where the prices have increased.
With the old prices you bought 51 – 200 units at a static ZWL$3.65, but now the next 50 units are priced at ZWL$3.27 while the next 100 units are at ZWL$ 5.37.
All of those units were under one charge but are now separately charged at a more expensive price.
THE Kadungure family were reportedly handed a US$5000 bill to cover expenses related to Michelle “Moana” Amuli’s funeral.
Moana was burnt beyond recognition as Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure’s Rolls Royce caught fire after hitting a tree last week on Sunday.
Scenes at Parirenyatwa where Moana’s parents clashed
Kadungure family members were among the mourners who spent the better part of yesterday at Doves Funeral Parlour while Moana’s families were holed in a closed-door meeting over the collection of the body.
Kadungure family spokesperson, Darlington Kadungure, said they received a list from Moana’s mother.
“We are here to represent the Kadungure family and we have a list of what they expect us to settle for the burial of Moana,” said Kadungure.
A Centurion property, valued at R5.5-million and owned by fugitives Mary and Shepherd Bushiri, has been forfeited to the state after the pair violated their bail conditions by leaving South Africa.
Magistrate Thandi Theledi asked for the Bushiris to be called three times at their hearing on Thursday.
This was down to record in court that the Bushiris were not present.
The couple’s legal team in South Africa said they were not informed of their movements and only know what they have seen in the media.
READ: Shepherd Bushiri hands himself over to Malawian authorities
The magistrate ruled that the Bushiris have forfeited their property which was tied to their bail to the state.
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe anti-corruption commission (ZACC) interrogated depute Health and Child Health Care minister John Mangwiro pending the finalisation of his corruption allegations docket relating to a coronavirus tender.
Mangwiro is alleged to have arm twisted executives of the national Pharmaceutical Company to award a US$5.6 million COVID 19tender to a firm Young Health care which authorities claim was not registered to participate in Government tenders at the time.
THE MINISTRY of Health and Child care has dismissed as false social media reports claiming that a pupil at John Tallach has succumbed to Covid-19.
This follows 100 confirmed cases recorded at the school earlier this week.
ACTING Matabeleland North Provincial Medical Director (PMD) Dr Munekayi Padingani has dismissed as false rumors that John Tallach High School urged members of the public to practice Ubuntu as false messages being sent on social media platforms are distressing and causing untold harm to the affected school and families with pupils at the school.
“I heard that rumor. I called people on the ground and they told me that it is not true. That is why as a country we are updating our Covid-19 statistics every day so that people are aware of what is happening to avoid these falsehoods. If there is a death, people will be informed through our daily ministry report. We are not going to hide anything,” said Dr Padingani
Yesterday, the school’s Development Committee (SDC) representative Mr Zibusiso Ncube appealed to members of the public to desist from sending unverified information which is causing panic to pupils, teachers and parents.
“People are putting the head under unnecessary pressure. The affected kids have parents and some of the information is causing panic. The situation is under control and we are working closely with the Government officials to manage the outbreak. Members of the public should desist from spreading falsehoods regarding the situation at the school,” he said. Mr Ncube said the outbreak is receiving the highest attention from Government and as the SDC would meet today to play their part in assisting the affected pupils and teachers. He also said the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland which runs the school has also been very supportive.
“As the SDC we are meeting today. We want to look after our kids and teachers. We are concerned about their welfare. Food has to be provided because the school is in isolation for 14 days. We will connect virtually with the head who is on the ground so that he updates us on what is needed,” he said.
By A Correspondent- Suspended Zimbabwe Miners Federation leader Henrieta Rushwaya insists she will not interfere with witnesses and is not a flight risk after applying for bail at the high court in a six kg gold smuggling case.
This comes as she has spent 18 days in remand prison after Harare Regional Magistrate Ngoni Nduna denied her bail in the matter.
By A Correspondent| Local driving schools have hailed the recently introduced electronic learners license testing (ELLT) system for improving their business environment and country standards while curbing corruption in the issuance of provisional learners licenses.
Electronic learners license tests were introduced by government to promote openness and efficiency while curbing rampant corruption, blamed for accidents on the roads.
Prosper Dowa, chief executive officer of Safety Driving School hailed the new system for boosting demand for driving lessons.
“I applaud government and minister of Transport for the bold step that is safe especially during the time of COVID-19,” Dowa said.
“As an upcoming entrepreneur, I turn challenges into business opportunities and as Safety Driver Training we started computerized provisional lessons back in 2016 ( website based exams preparation, illustration of traffic signs and diagrams, question and answers and we also assess those students online) as a way of expanding our reach to our clients who are all over the country.”
“We are currently working to introduce a syllabus that suits all Southern African Development Committee (SADC) countries.
“Learners who are coming to us really like the computerized lesson because of its self-interaction ability as well as SADC traffic signs, an advantage when obtaining international drivers licence,” he said.
Dowa pleaded with government to quicken the introduction of electronic provisional license tests at all Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) depots across the country.
Scores of people who recently undertook the provisional driver’s license tests hailed the new system saying it had made the whole process transparency as opposed to the old system which was prone to abuse by VID officers.
Transport minister, Biggie Joel Matiza said they introduced the Electronic Learner’s Licence Testing System to enhance transparency and reduce human involvement in the issuance of drivers’ licences.
“With the new system, students can never predict which questions they are going to receive and the grading is done as soon as a student completes the final question. This not only cuts down on waiting time, but also prevents any kind of corruption between the students and the official on duty, who might accept bribes for passing a student, when they actually failed,” said Matiza.
