State Media

ABOUT 330 blank stamped fake Covid-19 certificates were recovered by police from two suspects at Chirundu Border Post, as law enforcement agents intensify operations to weed out criminals engaging in fake documents.

The two suspects are Simbarashe Tsetse (24) and Freddy Katamanga (31).

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests in a statement.

“They were arrested on December 3, 2020 for originating fake Covid-19 certificates for travellers at Chirundu Border Post,” he said.

“The suspects were arrested after a tip off from members of the public, leading to the recovery of 334 blank stamped Covid-19 certificates, two tubes containing glass capillaries, two testing kits, two receipt books, three plastic capillaries, Covid-19 test record register, methylated spirit bottle and one packet of new needles in their office at Self-Med Complex.”

Asst Comm Nyathi said the duo had no medical qualifications and had just received US$120 from two complainants who intended to cross the border.

Following an investigative article published by The Herald recently exposing some individuals working at Harare Central and Chitungwiza Central hospitals for issuing fake Covid-19 certificates, police vowed to investigate and bring to book all those who engage in the illegal practice.

According to the Zimbabwean regulations following World Health Organisation guidelines, travellers must produce a PCR Covid-19 clearance certificate issued by a recognised health facility within 48 hours before leaving the country.

Most institutions charge around US$65 for the required PCR test for Covid-19, a test that is required within 48 hours before leaving the country by road or air.

To avoid the inconvenience or to cut costs, some wishing to cross the borders have resorted to paying US$20 bribes to health staff in order to be issued with a fraudulent certificate showing they tested negative to Covid-19.

Cross-border traders, job-seekers and others desperate for cheaper certificates are the major clients of the corrupt cartels.

Three miners died last week at Kunyu Mine in Mudzi after they were crushed by two ore wagons which fell into a shaft.

Two of the victims died on the spot, while the other died on admission to hospital.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident.

“A mine accident occurred on December 1, 2020 at Kunyu Mine, Banze, Mudzi where three miners lost their lives,” he said. “Two ore wagons fell into an inclined mine shaft and crushed the miners.

“Two of the victims died on the spot while the other died on admission at All Souls Mission Hospital. Investigations into the incident are in progress.”

The incident comes after at least 30 illegal gold miners are reportedly trapped underground at Bindura Ran Mine after the shaft collapsed recently.

Only six miners were rescued at the mine. Early last month, bodies of two of the five miners trapped after a mine shaft collapsed at Task Mining Syndicate in Chegutu on September 8 were retrieved by artisanal miners who were continuing to search for the other three bodies.

The body of Shingai Gwatidzo (20), which was among the two that were retrieved on Saturday was buried at Borgan Villa resettlement area in Mhondoro.

It was in an advanced state of decomposition.

Fellow artisanal miners defied a Government directive to stop the search for the bodies of their trapped colleagues after all hope was abandoned of finding the five alive.

A police officer attached to the CID Minerals Flora and Fauna Unit was also trapped to death when the ground he was standing on carved and gave in at Magobo illegal mining site in Shamva.

Tinashe Sambiri| President Nelson Chamisa has said Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF cannot stop the people’s revolution.

Speaking at the memorial service for his late mother in Gutu on Saturday, President Chamisa said he was aware of the Zanu PF leader’s plan to dismantle the MDC Alliance.

According to President Chamisa, the wave of change is not confined to a building.

“They think that they are destroying us, yet they are strengthening us.

A people’s revolution is not confined to a building.Actually the cracks they are creating are fortifying our walls.

I know that they are desperate to annihilate the MDC Alliance,” said President Chamisa.

“Don’t underestimate the commitment of the children of change.The wave of change is unstoppable.

Those who are trying to dismantle the people’s party are wasting their time. We are unstoppable -that’s an undeniable fact. I have seen one CIO guy here, Tino is his name.
Tino do your job, go and tell Mnangagwa that we are determined.Yes, we know you guys…
,” added President Chamisa.

Tinashe Sambiri| President Nelson Chamisa has said Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF cannot stop the people’s revolution.

Speaking at the memorial service for his late mother in Gutu on Saturday, President Chamisa said he was aware of the Zanu PF leader’s plan to dismantle the MDC Alliance.

According to President Chamisa, the wave of change is not confined to a building.

“They think that they are destroying us, yet they are strengthening us.

A people’s revolution is not confined to a building.Actually the cracks they are creating are fortifying our walls.

I know that they are desperate to annihilate the MDC Alliance,” said President Chamisa.

“Don’t underestimate the commitment of the children of change.The wave of change is unstoppable.

Those who are trying to dismantle the people’s party are wasting their time. We are unstoppable -that’s an undeniable fact. I have seen one CIO guy here, Tino is his name.
Tino do your job, go and tell Mnangagwa that we are determined.Yes, we know you guys…
,” added President Chamisa.

A MAN here reportedly killed his eight-year-old nephew, dismembered the head and cooked it.

The 22-year-old suspect from Matova Village near Gokomere Mission under Chief Zimuto ,was found by alert neighbours stewing the boy’s head in a pot after barricading himself inside his hut.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the juvenile’s torso was

found stashed in a nearby shallow pool.

“We will release the name of the suspect and the deceased tomorrow (today) but the suspect is in police custody and investigations are underway to determine his mental state,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

“He was found cooking the boy’s head in a kitchen hut, while the remaining parts of the body were recovered in a shallow pool, wrapped in a mosquito net.

“Investigations are underway.”

According to sources, the incident occurred when the boy, who was in Grade 2 at Matova Primary School, sought shelter from the heavy rains at his uncle’s home on Friday.

The suspect is alleged to have killed the boy before cutting off his head.

A search for the boy yesterday morning led to the recovery of his head after a relative forced his

way into the suspect’s kitchen

where he had locked himself from inside.-The Sunday Mail

Tinashe Sambiri |Zanu PF spokesperson, Patrick Chinamasa instructed the police to arrest and detain MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti, it has emerged.

According to MDC Alliance spokesperson, Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, Hon Biti presented himself to be police after being informed that there was a plan to arrest him.

There are claims that Hon Biti threatened Russian national Tatiana Aleshina.

Advocate Mahere argued Chinamasa literally ordered the police to arrest Hon Biti.

“Zanu PF spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa said the police should arrest Hon Biti.

This suggests that the police received instructions from the Zanu PF spokesperson.

Mr Nick Mangwana also ordered the police to arrest Hon Biti.

When Hon Biti was in police custody, he was denied food.He was also exposed to Coronavirus because the police officers were not wearing face masks.There were no sanitizers at the police station,” said Advocate Mahere.

Hon Biti was granted $ 10 000 bail.

DECEMBER 5, 2020

The ZRP has issued a statement after a video of a female police officer smacking schoolchildren during a campaign  and said the force doesn’t condone acts of violence of any form:

VIDEO ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS DEPICTING A POLICE OFFICER ASSAULTING STUDENTS.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police is concerned with the conduct of the police officer as seen in the video that has gone viral on social media. We understand the incident happened at Kwekwe High School where the police officers had gone to conduct an awareness campaign on 3′ December 2020.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police does not condone such conduct during awareness campaigns and investigations are underway to verify the facts with the Kwekwe District Command and Midlands Province. If confirmed, appropriate action will be taken against the member. The police applaud the public for bringing the matter to our attention.

NYATHI.P

Assistant Commissioner Senior Staff Officer

To the Commissioner General of Police Police General Headquarters

VILLAGERS in Muchini area of Buhera South have been left in a state of shock following the gruesome murder of three senior citizens, with a 17-year old boy confessing to having committed the crime.

The senior citizens; one aged 86, his 74-year-old wife and her 80-year-old sister were allegedly murdered in cold blood at around midnight on Thursday by the teenager from the same village.

In his confession, the 17-year-old said: “I arrived at around 11pm from a bar intending to kill them because they killed my parents when I was still young.

“I only wanted to kill the man because his wife actually liked me a lot and I do not know why I killed her,” he said.

Buhera South legislator, Cde Joseph Chinotimba who is related to the deceased, said they are yet to come to terms with loss of three family members.

“We are shocked as a family because we can’t even begin to think of what could have gone wrong to this extent of killing three people, especially for a boy as young as 17,” he said.

Police officer commanding Chipinge District Chief Superintendent Kennedy Nyaumwe confirmed the incident, saying investigations were underway. — ZBC.

A MAN here reportedly killed his eight-year-old nephew, dismembered the head and cooked it.

The 22-year-old suspect from Matova Village near Gokomere Mission under Chief Zimuto ,was found by alert neighbours stewing the boy’s head in a pot after barricading himself inside his hut.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the juvenile’s torso was

found stashed in a nearby shallow pool.

“We will release the name of the suspect and the deceased tomorrow (today) but the suspect is in police custody and investigations are underway to determine his mental state,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

“He was found cooking the boy’s head in a kitchen hut, while the remaining parts of the body were recovered in a shallow pool, wrapped in a mosquito net.

“Investigations are underway.”

According to sources, the incident occurred when the boy, who was in Grade 2 at Matova Primary School, sought shelter from the heavy rains at his uncle’s home on Friday.

The suspect is alleged to have killed the boy before cutting off his head.

A search for the boy yesterday morning led to the recovery of his head after a relative forced his

way into the suspect’s kitchen

where he had locked himself from inside.-The Sunday Mail

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa says sustained attacks by Zanu-PF and the MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe will not break his spirit as he responded to criticism that he is not showing any appetite to fight back.

Chamisa told hundreds of people that attended a memorial service for his late mother at their rural home in Masvingo’s Chiwara area yesterday that his political career was far from over.

“The people’s party cannot be broken.

“Where you try to break it, you are giving it more strength. Where there are cracks, that is where the strength starts.

“Do not underestimate the commitment of the agents of change in Zimbabwe. I want to thank all MDC cadres, you are wonderful.”

Chamisa described himself as a survivor.

“I am a survivor, no matter what they plan. I have always been one since long back when my mother failed to conceive or would always have a miscarriage,” he said.

“She had to hide my pregnancy to the community with coats and jerseys. After seven years of barreness, she later fell pregnant and gave birth to me.

“I did not know about this even when I grew up, until another prophet from a Pentecostal church whom I will not mention by name came to my office when I was now a lawyer.

“He told me about my mother’s challenges falling pregnant and I phoned her in his presence and she admitted,” he said.

Chamisa, who has been criticised for being too quiet and lacking strategy to unseat Zanu-PF, said being quiet was a strategy in itself.

“People ask why I remain quiet in the face of relentless attacks by Zanu-PF and its stooges,” he said.

“If you are in possession of the ball, do not do tactics that will make you lose control. Keep your eyes on the ball.

“A dog that has the bone should not bark, lest the bone falls and it is picked up by others.

“Others ask me why I do not make noise like (popular Ugandan opposition leader) Bobi Wine.

“Let me tell you, he acknowledges my contribution to the democratic struggle here. Every struggle has its own unique tactics. We know the winning formula.

“The victory of the people is confirmed.

“The victory of the people is certain. It is not going to be withdrawn. Do not be afraid, we will get there. We arrived long back.”

– Standard

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Hopewell Chin’ono has never been one to hold back his opinion.

Even as a young journalism student in the early 1990s, he was not afraid to speak out and demand accountability.

“He sort of kept a record of when a lecturer missed class,” recalls former classmate Njabulo Ncube. “He would say, ‘We came here to learn and lecturers missing classes cannot be tolerated’. At one time, he took the matter to the principal of the college.”

Some 30 years later, the independent journalist and anti-corruption campaigner remains as forthright, a symbol of defiance for many in a country where few dare to protest.

‘Will not be cowed’
On Monday, Chin’ono will appear in court for allegedly inciting public violence following his endorsement of planned anti-government protests in late July.

Chin’ono’s latest troubles began in June after he used social media to expose allegedly corrupt coronavirus-related contracts for the $60m acquisition of protective equipment for healthcare workers. Along with top government officials, Chin’ono and other journalists also linked the son of President Emmerson Mnangagwa to the scandal – allegations denied by both Collins Mnangagwa and the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), the party that has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980.

“ZANU-PF has noted with concern the systematic well-choreographed and sponsored attacks on the integrity of the first family by unscrupulous characters such as Hopewell Chin’ono this time targeting the president’s son,” spokesman Patrick Chinamasa said at a news conference on July 4. “We are aware that these baseless attacks did not start today but need to stop forthwith.”

It was a chilling warning, prompting Chin’ono to say on Twitter that his “life is now in danger” but also to declare that he “will not be cowed to fear”.

On July 20, less than two weeks before the opposition-organised protests, police smashed a glass door as they raided Chin’ono’s Harare home and took him away, charging him with “incitement to participate in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of peace or bigotry”.

He spent 45 days in prison. Upon his release in September on bail, he shed light on the poor state of the penal system and prisons in the country, which he likened to “concentration camps”.

Two weeks ago, he was arrested again and charged with contempt of court but prosecutors later dropped the charges. He has since been charged again with attempting to “defeat the course of justice” following his criticism of the country’s National Prosecuting Authority in the case of a gold smuggler with political connections.

“It’s all designed to intimidate journalists,” Chin’ono, who denies all charges, told Al Jazeera. “I am not intimidated. If they do this to me, other journalists will think twice about reporting corruption.”

Unperturbed, he has continued posting to his 172,000 Twitter and 63,000 Facebook followers.

“In 1980 [when Zimbabwe attained independence from Britain], I was 9 years old. Today, I am 49, [and] the same people who told me that I was the future are saying they will be with us until 2030 as they continue to loot everyone’s future,” he wrote on Facebook recently. “I won’t allow my children’s future to be stolen as mine was through corruption, looting and plunder. No.”

‘A brilliant journalist’
Born in Harare on March 26, 1971, Chin’ono entered journalism somewhat circumstantially, he confesses.

At the age of 18, he was commissioned by Prize Beat Magazine to profile Jamaican reggae star Dennis Brown, who in 1989 toured Zimbabwe. Clad in a school uniform, he showed up for an interview with Brown at his Holiday Inn suite in the capital, Harare.

“I spent hours with Dennis and his wife talking about reggae, smoking and drinking,” Chin’one recalls. “It became a big party.”

From those early days onwards, his future career was sort of cut out for him. He enrolled at the Zimbabwe Institute of Mass Communication, where he excelled.

“He is a brilliant journalist,” says Ncube, the current coordinator of the Zimbabwe National Editors Forum. “In college, he was on top of the class and well-liked.”

After graduating in 1993, he left Zimbabwe to advance his studies in the United Kingdom, where he later worked for broadcasters such as BBC and ITV.

He eventually settled back in Zimbabwe in 2007, but the state of his country under then-President Robert Mugabe left him dismayed.

“The economy was totally changed. Prices were unbelievably high and shops were empty,” he says. “The state had collapsed and corruption was institutionalised.”

Propelled by the dire economic situation at home and the impact it was having on Zimbabweans, Chin’ono began filming Pain in my Heart, a compelling documentary on the state of Zimbabwe’s affairs.

“The documentary was a juxtaposition of two stories of a political matter around two people infected with HIV and suffering from AIDS. The other was getting medication from a church while the other could not afford medication,” he says. “The other lived while the other died from AIDs-related complications.”

After the success of Pain in my Heart – which, in 2008, won Chin’ono the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Award, the Kaiser Family Foundation Award for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Reporting in Africa, and the CNN African Journalist of the Year Award – he set up Television International in Zimbabwe, a news production house, and continued collaborating with international broadcasters for special assignments.

Throughout, he has remained committed to exposing injustice.

“I believe in a society that respects the rule of law, that respects the vote and a society that does not encourage corruption,” Chin’ono says. “Those are my core beliefs.”

On social media, many seem to share Chin’ono’s views, and a cursory scan of comments shows overwhelming support and messages of solidarity. Some offer prayers for protection; others simply write notes of encouragement.

“Brother Hopewell, we can’t thank you enough for the work you are doing fighting corruption in our country,” reads one comment. “Hopewell our hope, corruption destroys lives. My wish is that one day all our people will join hands in fighting evil corruption,” says another user.

Prominent Zimbabwean author
Chin’ono himself often takes to social media to criticise the government, but things have not always been so abrasive between him and Mnangagwa’s administration.

When Mnangagwa took over in a military coup in November 2017 and pledged political and economic reforms, Chin’ono, like many other Zimbabweans, threw his weight behind the ZANU-PF stalwart.

“I supported the idea of reforms he [Mnangagwa] was pursuing,” Chin’ono says. “I thought he was genuine and there was no point in criticising the coup itself because it had happened and was irreversible. For purposes of progress, it was sensible to support his reforms.”

“Fast forward to October 2018, I had realised there were no reforms,” he says, noting it was then that he “started making noise”.

In August of that year, six opposition supporters were killed when soldiers opened fire on people protesting against what they viewed as an attempt by the ZANU-PF party to steal tightly contested elections. Meanwhile, Zimbabweans continue to struggle to cope with a deepening economic crisis characterised by sky-high inflation and foreign currency shortages, as well as a devastating mix of a rapidly weakening currency, stagnant salaries and high unemployment.

Human rights campaigners and rights groups have also decried an “unprecedented” clampdown on dissent that has resulted in the arrests of dozens of activists and opposition officials. The government has denied stifling opposing voices.

But just before his return to court, Chin’ono says he will keep up his fight against wrongdoing.

“Fighting corruption is something that we should all do, and it’s not my fight alone,” he says. ‘We don’t have to wait for a moment of inspiration to start fighting corruption. It’s something we should do every day.’

For former schoolmate Ncube, this kind of determination by Chin’ono is nothing new.

“I remember, we had an accommodation problem at the college in those days and he fought for that. We were struggling and yet there were newly built hostels at the college that were yet to be officially opened,” he says.

In the end, under sustained pressure from Chin’ono and others, school officials allocated the rooms to the students.

“I am not surprised he is taking on authorities,” Ncube says.

SOURCE : AL JAZEERA

Paul Nyathi

Professor Jonathan Moyo has revealed that Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo is involved in an extramarital affair with his Personal Assistant who has previously been in trouble with his wife, Loice Matanda Moyo.

In his Twitter thread, Professor Moyo said:

@MinisterSBMoyo‘s PA Lynette Mahlaba has been AWOL from circa Feb 2020 & not seen at the Ministry since lockdown. Staff say she’s training for posting in SA or on maternity leave. Truth is SB lied to wifey that he fired his PA in Feb yet he moved her to a Kuda Tagwirei bldg!

The Kuda Tagwirei bldg is on 11 Argyle Drive, Newlands, Harare. That’s where @MinisterSBMoyo, who has a private office there, has literally been hiding his PA from his wife, under the false pretext that he fired her in Feb; yet she’s still with him on the Ministry’s payroll!

It is an open secret in the foreign affairs ministry that @MinisterSBMoyois in a relationship with his PA. Things came to a head in Feb when SB’s wife said she didn’t want to see the PA at the Ministry. SB then moved her to a Tagwirei bldg, but lied that he had fired her!

It is not clear what work, if any, @MinisterSBMoyo‘s PA has been doing over the last nine months from a Tagwirei bldg; save that she has been drawing her salary from Foreign Affairs, where she is supposed to have been fired by SB; who also has an office in the Tagwirei bldg!

Another blur on Lynette Mahlaba’s extant employment situation is that a CV she posted on her LinkedIn status shows she holds two jobs: one since 2012 as the Project Coordinator at “With Love Foundation”, she cofounded & another (undescribed) since 2014 with Foreign Affairs!

It is no surprise that @MinisterSBMoyo hid Lynnette Mahlaba in a Tagwirei bldg. Since becoming foreign minister, SB has been Tagwirei’s dark business partner. They’ve done dodgy deals, like the SOTIC/NOIC USD 1,2bn scam; in which USD 12m was pocketed as “1% arrangement fee

…..The SOTIC/NOIC scam is relevant to the #SBMoyoSexScandal, as it explains the context in which SB was able to hide Lynnette Mahlaba in Tagwirei’s Newlands bldg for nine months; while she has been AWOL at the Ministry, after SB lied to his wife that he had fired his PA!

After SB hid his AWOL PA at a Tagwirei bldg in Feb he started to criminally abuse his office & to manipulate staff promotion protocols to get his PA who is at PAO level, appointed at Deputy Ambassador level in SA by dislodging Tendai Mudambo in Cape Town, as Consul General!

To dislodge Ms Tendai Mudambo – the Consul General – to aid his AWOL PA marooned in Tagwirei’s Newlands hideout, SB connived with Sifelani Tarwirei, the finance officer & Hilbert Mada, the CIO liaison officer, at the Cape Town Consulate to fabricate a case against Mudambo!

….Just last Tuesday,@MinisterSBMoyo upped the ante against Ms Mudambo, Zim’s Consul General in Cape Town & got Zim’s Ambassador to SA, David Hamadziripi, to go to Cape Town to investigate Mudambo, on charges trumped up by Tarwirei & CIO’s Mada; maliciously prompted by SB!

….When I first raised the #SBMoyoSexScandal here, there was a noisy reaction from SB quarters. Most of it was ignorant & crap. While I understood where

@nickmangwana & @VascoDaGappah were coming from; they were personal & focused on the forest, at the expense of the trees!

Some like @iMisred & @caesarzvayi baldly denied the maternity story & vowed they knew where Lynnette Mahlaba lives. Caesar announced he is her neighbour. But when you are said to be staying at a guest house or a hotel, it does not mean you don’t have a home where you live!
As I type this, Harare Mayor @JMafume is in jail without bail, as if he is charged for a capital crime; when he’s alleged to have shown favour to his sister by allocating her a stand. Yet @MinisterSBMoyo is free, having shown favour to his mistress. Why the double standard?

It is capture by Tagwirei for @MinisterSBMoyo to have private offices in Kuda’s Newlands bldg. *It is a crime for SB to keep his “fired” PA on govt payroll, while not doing govt work. *It is a crime for SB to use deceit to dislodge Ms Mudambo to create a vacancy for his PA!
SB Moyo is yet to respond to this supposed corruption case. Ironically Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission ZACC is headed by SB Moyo’s wife Justice Loice Matanda Moyo.
Source: Jonathan Moyo Twitter

ZRP On Twitter has detailed how a man brutally beheaded a nine year old boy and shaved the head before using it for ritual purposes to get rich.

The incident occurred on Friday. Police tweeted as follows:

The ZRP confirms the gruesome murder of a 9-year-old boy at Matova Village Chief Zimuto, Masvingo on 4/12/20 by suspect Clever Chitiga (22) for assumed ritual purposes. The minor was beheaded using a kitchen knife before the head was shaved in hot water and pounded in a mortar using a pestle.

The head was boiled in a pot in preparation for feasting and the body of the victim was wrapped in a mosquito net before it was submerged in a nearby dam. Meanwhile Police have arrested the suspect and recovered several exhibits.

Members of the public are warned against strange, superstitious and unjustified beliefs for wealth; all perpetrators of crime will be arrested. #notomurder

The unfortunate incident comes a few months after the gruesome murder of Tapiwa Makore suspected to have been murdered by his uncle Tapiwa Makore and a local headman Tafadzwa Shamba. Tapiwa’s young body is yet to be buried as his head and other parts are yet to be recovered.

Source: ZRP Twitter

Tinashe Sambiri| President Nelson Chamisa has said Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF cannot stop the people’s revolution.

Speaking at the memorial service for his late mother in Gutu on Saturday, President Chamisa said he was aware of the Zanu PF leader’s plan to dismantle the MDC Alliance.

According to President Chamisa, the wave of change is not confined to a building.

“They think that they are destroying us, yet they are strengthening us.

A people’s revolution is not confined to a building.Actually the cracks they are creating are fortifying our walls.

I know that they are desperate to annihilate the MDC Alliance,” said President Chamisa.

“Don’t underestimate the commitment of the children of change.The wave of change is unstoppable.

Those who are trying to dismantle the people’s party are wasting their time. We are unstoppable -that’s an undeniable fact. I have seen one CIO guy here, Tino is his name.
Tino do your job, go and tell Mnangagwa that we are determined.Yes, we know you guys…
,” added President Chamisa.

Tinashe Sambiri |Zanu PF spokesperson, Patrick Chinamasa instructed the police to arrest and detain MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti, it has emerged.

According to MDC Alliance spokesperson, Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, Hon Biti presented himself to be police after being informed that there was a plan to arrest him.

There are claims that Hon Biti threatened Russian national Tatiana Aleshina.

Advocate Mahere argued Chinamasa literally ordered the police to arrest Hon Biti.

“Zanu PF spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa said the police should arrest Hon Biti.

This suggests that the police received instructions from the Zanu PF spokesperson.

Mr Nick Mangwana also ordered the police to arrest Hon Biti.

When Hon Biti was in police custody, he was denied food.He was also exposed to Coronavirus because the police officers were not wearing face masks.There were no sanitizers at the police station,” said Advocate Mahere.

Hon Biti was granted $ 10 000 bail.

Tinashe Sambiri |Zanu PF spokesperson, Patrick Chinamasa instructed the police to arrest and detain MDC Alliance vice president, Hon Tendai Biti, it has emerged.

According to MDC Alliance spokesperson, Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, Hon Biti presented himself to be police after being informed that there was a plan to arrest him.

There are claims that Hon Biti threatened Russian national Tatiana Aleshina.

Advocate Mahere argued Chinamasa literally ordered the police to arrest Hon Biti.

“Zanu PF spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa said the police should arrest Hon Biti.

This suggests that the police received instructions from the Zanu PF spokesperson.

Mr Nick Mangwana also ordered the police to arrest Hon Biti.

When Hon Biti was in police custody, he was denied food.He was also exposed to Coronavirus because the police officers were not wearing face masks.There were no sanitizers at the police station,” said Advocate Mahere.

Hon Biti was granted $ 10 000 bail.

Tinashe Sambiri| President Nelson Chamisa has said Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF cannot stop the people’s revolution.

Speaking at the memorial service for his late mother in Gutu on Saturday, President Chamisa said he was aware of the Zanu PF leader’s plan to dismantle the MDC Alliance.

According to President Chamisa, the wave of change is not confined to a building.

“They think that they are destroying us, yet they are strengthening us.

A people’s revolution is not confined to a building.Actually the cracks they are creating are fortifying our walls.

I know that they are desperate to annihilate the MDC Alliance,” said President Chamisa.

“Don’t underestimate the commitment of the children of change.The wave of change is unstoppable.

Those who are trying to dismantle the people’s party are wasting their time. We are unstoppable -that’s an undeniable fact,” added President Chamisa.

Schools will once again open in a phased approach next year with only those in Form Four this year returning on 4 January to finish writing their remaining papers.

Other pupils will only return to class in another phased approach with some classes especially Form One expected to start school as late as February 2021.

Those going into Form One, who are Grade Seven this year, started writing public examinations last week on Thursday and will only finish on 17 December.

Those writing Ordinary level examinations will have some of their papers overlapping into early next year. Other non-examination classes will close this term on 18 December and initially the Government had indicated that schools will then reopen on 4 January 2021.

However, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Director of Communications, Mr Taungana Ndoro, told Sunday News yesterday that the ministry will employ the same method of phased opening of schools next year as a way of decongesting and further implementing the Standard Operation Procedures.

He said only pupils who have not finished writing their public examinations will return on 4 January to finish the papers while phased dates for other classes will be announced in due course.

“We are opening schools on January 4 2021 to allow the Ordinary Level candidates to finish their examinations. Other returning pupils will have to come in February most probably after the Form 4 students finish their examinations,” he said.

Mr Ndoro said Grade Seven results will be released early next year but definitely before 31 January.

This comes as the ministry will tomorrow open the online application platform for Form One pupils wishing to be enrolled into boarding schools next year.

The Government introduced the Form One online application in 2016 for boarding schools to plug profiteering by some schools who were making parents pay for entrance tests.

Most schools were now conducting their own assessments for pupils and make them sit for entrance tests after paying money, rendering Grade Seven examinations irrelevant.

Some schools would call many prospective pupils for interviews when they could only enrol a few classes.

“We expect the Grade 7 results to be out before January 31. The Form 1 pupils will enrol after the Ordinary level candidates have finished their examinations. The idea is to continue decongesting our schools and following the Standards Operation Procedures amid the Covid-19 pandemic. We will have a phased schools reopening,” said Mr Ndoro.

According to a circular released last week by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the online platform will run from tomorrow to 31 January.

Under the method, pupils have to apply through the Electronic Ministry’s Application Platform (EMAP) where an applicant is allowed to place three applications at each given time although there is room for the upward review of the number of applications accepted until the closing date.

“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education will be launching online the Electronic Ministry’s Application Platform (EMAP) for Form 1 boarding place enrolment from Monday 7th of December to January 31 2021.

An applicant is allowed to have three maximum active applications at any given time in order to decongest traffic on the platform. The schools will notify the successful applicants through sms. Once offered a place by a school an applicant can decline it and once declined a place cannot be reclaimed back.

The enrolment will start after the official publication of the 2020 Grade 7 Zimsec results,” reads a statement from the ministry.

This year, following premature closure of schools in March as a preventive measure against Covid-19, the Government introduced a phased approached to schools opening where Phase One of the reopening was on 28 September and was meant for the Grade 7s, Forms 4 and Upper Sixth followed by Grade 6, Form 3 and 5s on 26 October under the second phase.

In Phase Three, schools opened on 9 November 2020 with the rest of the learners which covered ECD A and B, grade 1,2,3,4,5 and Forms 1 and 2.

However, an industrial action by most teachers affected learning resulting in the Government taking a decision to postpone some of the public examinations into next year.

Reopening of schools were, however, affected when about 300 schoolchildren at various schools contracted the virus. Mr Ndoro said the disease has been contained at most schools with 50 percent recoveries recorded in the past few weeks.

The hardest hit school was John Tallach High in Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland North Province where about 185 pupils and teachers tested positive. However, the situation has since been contained.

-State Media

By A Correspondent- Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu and his wife Sikhanyisiwe, a Matabeleland North Senator, are said to be in a stable condition after they both tested positive for coronavirus.

According to the party’s acting spokesman Patrick Chinamasa, the couple is self-isolating separately in Harare.

Reports on Saturday had claimed that Mpofu and his wife were both admitted at a hospital following their COVID-19 diagnosis.

Mpofu and his wife are the latest high-profile figures to contract the virus, after the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance, George Guvamatanga was hospitalised for an extended period of time due to COVID-19.

The disease has been blamed for the death of freelance journalist Zororo Makamba in March; lands and agriculture minister Perrance Shiri in July and ZBC reporter Janet Makamba on Saturday.

By A Correspondent- A Zvishavane woman has been arrested for allegedly marrying another man while her marriage to her first husband was still in force.

Moreblessing Maridza (41) of Platinum Park in Zvishavane appeared before the local magistrate, Archie Wochionga facing bigamy charges last week and was convicted on her own plea of guilty.

She was sentenced to six months in prison, however, three months were suspended on condition that she pays a fine of $5 000.

The other three months were suspended on condition on she does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.

Maridza told the court that her first husband, James Chivandire is mentally challenged and has failed to be intimate with her for the past 12 years.

The court heard that Maridza and Chivandire wedded under Chapter 5.11 of the Marriage Act which prohibits a man or a woman from marrying more than one spouse.

In 2012 Maridza went on to marry a second husband, David Mhuru and wedded him under the same Marriage Act and the two started living together.

The matter only came to light in September when an officer at the Registrar-General’s office observed that Maridza had two valid marriage certificates.

The State proved that Maridza married and wedded Mhuru while fully aware that she was legally married to Chivandire under Marriage Act Chapter 5.11.-statemedia

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government is under pressure to resolve complications arising from episodes such as the Gukurahundi atrocities in Matabeleland and Midlands, election violence and Operation Murambatsvina.

Siphosami Malunga, the executive director of the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (Osisa), will deliver the NTJWG’s highly anticipated lecture from between 10:00am and 11:30am.

Yassin Nhara, who is part of the NTJWG’s secretariat, will host the lecture and Thobekile Matimbe, a community manager at Paradigm Initiative, a civic organisation which promotes digital rights and inclusion in Africa, will moderate the plenary session of the lecture.

This year’s lecture will be held under the theme, “Hate speech and its impact on transitional justice”.

NJTWG vice-chairperson Paul Themba Nyathi said the theme was carefully selected because to achieve reconciliation in any environment full of past hurt and pain, there was a need to use constructive language.

“Hate language will worsen feelings of the hurt,” Nyathi said.

“Words have the capacity to instigate people into violence and at the same time, words can inspire people to unite forgive and forget.

“Hate speech is responsible for all the disasters we have experienced in the world.

“In Rwanda, it took one person to describe another tribe as cockroaches and one million people were dead in 100 days.

“Gukurahundi took someone to use uncomplimentary language to instigate violence and cause the murder of 20 000 people.

“Things do not just happen, they take some careless language and in countries with ethnical diversity, use of language should be well thought out.”

At the height of Gukurahundi, politicians such as the late Robert Mugabe and Mnangagwa were accused of using hate language to fuel the conflict.

Mugabe referred to then Zapu leader Joshua Nkomo as a snake. Zapu officials and their supporters were the targets of the army killings.

Mnangagwa, who was Security minister at the time, referred to “dissidents” as cockroaches that needed a deadly pesticide to be exterminated.

Malunga is a Zimbabwean human rights lawyer with extensive experience in transitional justice and governance in Africa. He has been the Osisa executive director since 2013.

He holds a law degree from the University of Zimbabwe obtained in 1994 and a Masters in International Law from the University of Oslo, Norway, in 2007.

Malunga began his career with law firms in Zimbabwe before moving to Botswana.

He later joined the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in the United Nations’ Transitional Administration in east Timor in 2000 as an advisor to the Transitional Justice minister and later as senior defence trial attorney with the UN Serious Crimes Panel.

From 2003 to 2006, he worked with the UN in Afghanistan to rebuild the justice sector and later moved to the United Nations Development Programme’s Governance Centre in Oslo where he led the United Nations Development Programme’s efforts to integrate conflict prevention in demographic governance policy and programming.

He was the senior governance advisor and regional programme manager for the Regional Bureau for Africa.

He later moved to Johannesburg to work under the United Nations Development Programme’s east and Southern Africa office until 2011 when he took up his current position.

Source – the standard

SOME Zanu-PF members yesterday boycotted voting in the party’s district coordinating committee elections after names of their preferred candidates were removed from ballot papers under controversial circumstances.

The voting commenced very late in most parts of the country because of delays in the delivery of voting materials.

There was drama in Marondera after party members from wards 10 and 11 in Marondera Central refused to cast their votes after realising their candidate Lawrence Katsiru’s name was missing on the ballot paper.

In Goromonzi some Zanu-PF members also failed to locate the name of their preferred candidate, Bornface Mutize, on the ballot papers.

Both Katsiru and Mutize were eyeing the chairmanship posts in their respective areas.

A survey in Marondera east and West constituencies showed that ballot papers arrived after 4pm when some of the voters had already gone home.

There was also chaos in Chiredzi after hundreds of voters were turned away as their names did not appear in the voters’ roll.

By midday most ballot papers were still being photocopied at various locations.

In Mashonaland West, polling had not started by 5pm yesterday afternoon, with rival camps at the party district office where ballot papers were being sorted, with names of some candidates missing.

Voting started late in most districts of Mashonaland Central as most areas took time to vote due to poor logistics.

Politburo member Josiah hungwe said voting would continue today in Muzarabani, Guruve and Mbire where heavy rains disrupted the voting process.

There was chaos in Bindura after some candidates distributed flyers to voters giving out a list of their favourite candidates.

Zanu-PF spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa was not picking calls yesterday.

THE families of six illegal miners, including four from one family, that were trapped underground when a mine collapsed in Matshetshe, Esigodini, will conduct a burial ritual at the site, as authorities have decided it would be too dangerous and costly to attempt any effort to retrieve the bodies.

Nkosilathi Ndlovu (29), Christopher Dube (23), Ndumiso Dube (19) and Blessed Ncube (24), all members of one family, were trapped alongside Nduduzo Ntini (28) and another miner only identified as Mlilo when a flash flood triggered a collapse on their illegal mining claim on 10 November.

Families of the six have seen hopes of a rescue dashed when a rescue effort was abandoned 11 days after the tragic disaster as the mine was flooded, making it too risky to proceed with the operation.

Hopes of a retrieval have also since faded, with Chief Government Mining Engineer, Engineer Michael Munodawafa noting as part of his observations after a study of the area that it was too dangerous to attempt any rescue operation.

“The debris caught up within the shaft 1 headgear (more than 1m height) suggest the shafts were at one time entirely flooded and thus it can be deduced that water inundation underground and depreciation of oxygen occurred.

“The area is unsafe to conduct any rescue operation as it is characterised with friable ground, loose rock material and debris posing danger for further collapse. A visit on the seventh day showed some further collapse on both sides of the trench and inside the radius of the shaft,” he said.

Eng Munodawafa noted that if an effort to retrieve the bodies was initiated, it would take over a year of continuous work before any fruitful results were realised. Furthermore, indications are that the mine, forfeited by its previous owner in 2013, was operating illegally.

“Some debris surrounding the shafts was washed into the two shafts filling them up. Going by the assumed shaft depth of 60m, any excavation to the mine bottom would entail opening up more than 100m diameter pit from surface, excavating 160 000 cubic metres (450 000t) of rock and more than one year and two months of continuous work. The excavated material should be dumped out of the dam reservation area.

The said Patridge NWC mine registration number 35541 was forfeited on 15 May 2013 and is located at the site where the accident occurred approximately 1,5km north west and there is no way a mine claim could have been registered across the river and within a dam reservation thus the deduction that any mining was illegal,” he said.

As part of his recommendations, he exhorted that the families be allowed to carry out burial rituals at the site.

Eng Munodawafa recommended that no further action be taken with the families of the deceased encouraged to conduct their burial rituals at the site. In addition, he recommended that the alleged owner of the mine, Ms Sakhile Ndlovu, be prosecuted for operating illegally and for her actions in the aftermath of the mine collapse.

When Sunday News visited the site of the collapse last month, villagers expressed outrage at Ms Ndlovu, who they said had delayed rescue efforts by denying ownership of the claim while she hastily pulled down evidence of any mining activity.

“The area of the accident to be back filled so that there is no further access by illegal panners in the future. Relatives of the deceased (need) to be allowed access to the scene of the accident for the purpose of seeing the place and doing rituals before or after backfilling. The purported owner Sakhile Ndlovu needs to be prosecuted for carrying out illegal mining, tampering with the scene of the accident prior to the investigation and negligence which resulted in the death of the six miners,” he said.

Speaking to Sunday News, a distraught Ms Moddy Ndlovu, who lost a son and three grandchildren in the accident, said the family was yet to conduct any burial rituals despite the fact that they had access to the site.

“Nothing has happened since that time when we went to try and initiate some kind of rescue mission for the boys stuck down there. The last time we were told that there would not be any attempt to dig them up because the place is dangerous and there might be more accidents if they tried to do any work there. So we were told the collapsed mine would serve as their place of burial.

“…We have not done any rituals to bid farewell to them. We are just moving on and it is painful. We are allowed to go to the site but there is no further communication with any authority and I think that’s the end of it,” she said.

Source – sundaynews

Correspondent

A Gwanda couple were tragically killed in a car crash head on with a haulage truck at Mbalabala 60km from Bulawayo on the Bulawayo Gwanda highway on Saturday afternoon.

Shocked eye witnesses told ZimEye.com that the pick-up they were travelling in with a third person slipped on the wet road and went straight on to the oncoming haulage truck.

The three died on the spot.

More details to follow

State Media

ZANU-PF Secretary for Administration Dr Obert Mpofu has gone on self-isolation after testing positive for Covid-19.

Zanu-PF acting spokesperson Cde Patrick Chinamasa last night confirmed that Dr Mpofu was in self-isolation at his house in Harare.

“I can confirm that our Secretary for Administration tested positive for the Covid-19 pandemic and has gone on self-isolation in Harare,” said Cde Chinamasa.

He could not provide more information on when Dr Mpofu tested positive.

Dr Mpofu is the latest high-profile individual to test positive for the pandemic with others being Ministry of Finance and Economic Development Permanent Secretary Mr George Guvamatanga, Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Cde Lovemore Matuke, Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Deputy Minister Cde Vangelis Haritatos and Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Cde Larry Mavima.

National hero and Retired Chief Air Marshal Perrance Shiri who was the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Perrance Shiri succumbed to the pandemic on 29 July.

State Media

POLICE have arrested two people and confiscated more than 300 blank stamped Covid-19 certificates, as the net closes in on people who are making fake certificates and selling them to travellers intending to cross the borders.

Zimbabwe reopened its land borders last week but travellers are required to present valid Covid-19 certificates obtained within 48 hours. Most laboratories charge around US$60 for the certificates and this has resulted in the mushrooming of scammers who are issuing the certificates for as little as US$20.

National police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the two, Simbarashe Tsetse (24) and Freddy Katamanga (31) were arrested after originating fake Covid-19 certificates for travellers at Chirundu Border Post.

He said the duo was arrested after a tip-off from members of the public leading to the recovery of 334 blank stamped Covid-19 certificates, two tubes containing glass capillaries, two testing kits, two receipt books, three plastic capillaries, Covid-19 test record register, a methylated spirit bottle and one pack of new needles at their offices at Self-Med Complex.

“This is what the police have been monitoring which led to the arrest at Chirundu where two suspects were found with equipment which they were using to issue fake Covid-19 certificates to travellers. The two were in the process of receiving USD$120 from two people who intended to travel to Zambia.

So, we want to warn the public that they must go to Government institutions and medical institutions which have been cleared by the Government and Ministry of Health and Child Care to issue Covid-19 certificates,” he said.

Asst Comm Nyathi said travellers should avoid back yard premises and people who move around committing various offences under the name of Covid-19. “The police will ensure that the law takes its course on anyone found committing criminal acts under the guise of Covid-19.

Those that will be found buying the fake certificates will also be arrested as long as they are aware that what they are doing is criminal which means they are also conniving with those issuing the certificates and certainly the law will take its course,” he said.

Beitbridge District Medical Officer Dr Lenos Samhere said yesterday the Department of Port Health was on the lookout for travellers using fake documents.

He said since the reopening of the borders to the general public mainly motorists and pedestrians they have been intercepting a number of travellers with fake documents at the Beitbridge Border Post.

Dr Samhere said most of the documents had purportedly come from some clinics in the border town though there is none registered with the ministry to offer such services.

“At some point we intercepted travellers with certificates they claimed to have acquired at the district hospital, a time when our Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine had broken down,” he said.

“As far as we are concerned no laboratory has registered with us to indicate they offer such services as required by our standard operational procedures.

“What should happen is that these labs should notify our Port Health, which will then relay the message to the South Africans to accept their certificates. The same applies with those coming from South Africa, we have names of those authorised to do such tests.”

Dr Samhere said they had agreed in principle with their counterparts at the South African border to exchange a list of approved/ registered laboratories which offer PCR tests. He said only those with PCR tests results would be allowed to leave or enter the country.

Some of the travellers who have been turned away were using results from rapid or antigen tests.

“The position is clear from both countries that we will screen travellers based on PCR results and not any other tests.

Our appeal is that travellers must not lose their valuable money to bogus syndicates,” said the medical doctor.

Dr Samhere said the Port Health department had a verifiable list of approved testing points at various points across the county.

GOVERNMENT is finalising a nationwide rollout plan for Covid-19 vaccines, amid indications that Zimbabwe could take delivery of a substantial amount of doses next year.

Authorities have been designing distribution and vaccination prioritisation criteria strategies, with two extensive studies to assess the country’s readiness for a rollout having been undertaken.

Zimbabwe has recorded 10 424 cases of Covid-19, 8 754 recoveries and 280 deaths since March.

Chief Co-ordinator of the national response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Agnes Mahomva, said last week that preparations for deployment of vaccines were underway through a multi-sectoral taskforce working in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO). She said Zimbabwe would not deploy experimental vaccines that have not been properly tested for safety.

“Zimbabwe will only rollout approved Covid-19 vaccines that have been analysed and found to be effective and safe for use,” said Dr Mahomva.

“Government is guided by science when deciding which vaccines Zimbabwe will approve and use.”

Zimbabwe is part of a global ground-breaking initiative led by WHO, known as Covax, which plans to secure and distribute millions of doses of vaccines to African countries, once licensed and approved. The initiative, which seeks to secure at least 220 million doses for the continent, will enable fast and equitable distribution of the vaccines.

Through the Covax initiative, vaccines that pass regulatory approval will be delivered equally to all participating countries in proportion to their populations.

Provisionally, the WHO distribution mechanism will allocate vaccines to all countries until they have enough doses to cover 20 percent of their population.

Zimbabwe has an estimated population of 16 million, meaning the country could potentially get up to 3,2 million doses under the first phase.

The Sunday Mail has gathered that vaccination of frontline health care workers and the elderly who are most vulnerable to the virus will be prioritised when the vaccines are deployed.

In addition to the Covax initiative, Government will mobilisedomestic financial resources to procure additional jabs for the country, said Dr Mahomva.

She said any vaccine authorised by WHO under the Covax facility would have to undergo rigorous regulatory scrutiny by local experts.

“Let me update you on two processes taking place in preparation for vaccine deployment,” said Dr Mahomva.

“There is an important aspect of research which is part of vaccine development and is being led by the National Institute of Health and Research under the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

“Secondly, there are the actual rollout preparations, including resource mobilisation for approved vaccines that have been analysed and found to be effective and safe for use. On this front, Zimbabwe conducted its first baseline readiness assessment on October 13 using the Covax facility template.

“A follow up assessment was conducted on November 26 and both these assessments had the participation of the national Inter-agency Co-ordination Committee on Immunisation and the Zimbabwe Immunisation Technical Advisory Group.”

She said Government led the two studies in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF and Covid-19 vaccination stakeholders.

“Results of these assessments have shown that Zimbabwe has made good progress in preparing for the rollout of a safe and approved Covid-19 vaccine.

“More preparations are of course still in progress.

“These additional preparations include finalisation of both internal funding mechanisms through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and external funding applications for the vaccine itself and of course for the actual rollout processes.”

She said the preparations are informed by experiences from the country’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).

Added Dr Mahomva: “When Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic, it was clear that there was a need to develop not only safe vaccines but also to ensure that everyone had access to these vaccines. This is because the introduction of vaccines will not end the pandemic if only a few countries have access to the vaccine.

“This realisation pushed WHO, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation and other global leaders on immunisation such as UNICEF to come up with a Covid-19 global access facility — in short Covax, to address this issue.

“The Covax facility led by WHO and GAVI is there to accelerate the development and manufacture of safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines in order to guarantee rapid, fair and equitable access to vaccines for all countries, once of course the vaccines have been confirmed safe, effective and ready for deployment.”

Moderna, a US biotechnology company, has produced a vaccine that it says provides nearly 95 percent immunity against the virus, while another vaccine with almost equally the same efficacy has been produced by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech.

Another vaccine developed by the University of Oxford provides around 70 percent protection. China and Russia already have approved vaccines, but both are yet to complete the final round of tests on people.

Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) coronavirus/COVID-19 situation report as of 05 December 2020:

New cases: 70
Locals: 50
Returnees: 20 – from South Africa
Deaths: 10
Recoveries: 46
PCR Tests Done: 1 577
National Recovery Rate: 81.4%
Active Cases: 1 482
Total Cumulative Cases: 10 617
Total Recoveries: 8 844
Total Deaths: 291

Covid-19 has claimed 10 more lives in Zimbabwe, pushing the overall death toll to 291 since the pandemic broke out in the country in March.

Of the deaths, nine were reported by Harare Province retrospectively while one new death was reported by Bulawayo.

This was reported by the Ministry of Health and Child Care in a daily update released this evening.

The deaths come at a time when Zimbabwe is recording a surge in new Covid-19 cases, which hit 667 this week alone.

Today, 70 new cases were recorded, compared to 123 reported yesterday.

Today, 1 577 PCR tests done, implying a positivity rate of 4,4 percent.

Of the new cases reported today, 50 were local transmissions while 20 were returnees from South Africa.

Encouragingly, 46 new recoveries were reported, leaving the national recovery rate at 81,4 percent while active cases shot up to 1 482 today.

As of December 5, Zimbabwe has now recorded 10 617 cases 8 844 recoveries and 291 deaths.

State Media

SCHOOLS will once again open in a phased approach next year with only those in Form Four this year returning on 4 January to finish writing their remaining papers.

Other pupils will only return to class in another phased approach with some classes especially Form One expected to start school as late as February 2021.

Those going into Form One, who are Grade Seven this year, started writing public examinations last week on Thursday and will only finish on 17 December.

Those writing Ordinary level examinations will have some of their papers overlapping into early next year.
Other non-examination classes will close this term on 18 December and initially the Government had indicated that schools will then reopen on 4 January 2021.

However, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Director of Communications, Mr Taungana Ndoro, told Sunday News yesterday that the ministry will employ the same method of phased opening of schools next year as a way of decongesting and further implementing the Standard Operation Procedures.

Mr Taungana Ndoro

He said only pupils who have not finished writing their public examinations will return on 4 January to finish the papers while phased dates for other classes will be announced in due course.

“We are opening schools on January 4 2021 to allow the Ordinary Level candidates to finish their examinations. Other returning pupils will have to come in February most probably after the Form 4 students finish their examinations,” he said.

Mr Ndoro said Grade Seven results will be released early next year but definitely before 31 January.

This comes as the ministry will tomorrow open the online application platform for Form One pupils wishing to be enrolled into boarding schools next year.

The Government introduced the Form One online application in 2016 for boarding schools to plug profiteering by some schools who were making parents pay for entrance tests.

Most schools were now conducting their own assessments for pupils and make them sit for entrance tests after paying money, rendering Grade Seven examinations irrelevant.

Some schools would call many prospective pupils for interviews when they could only enrol a few classes.

“We expect the Grade 7 results to be out before January 31. The Form 1 pupils will enrol after the Ordinary level candidates have finished their examinations. The idea is to continue decongesting our schools and following the Standards Operation Procedures amid the Covid-19 pandemic. We will have a phased schools reopening,” said Mr Ndoro.

According to a circular released last week by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the online platform will run from tomorrow to 31 January.

Under the method, pupils have to apply through the Electronic Ministry’s Application Platform (EMAP) where an applicant is allowed to place three applications at each given time although there is room for the upward review of the number of applications accepted until the closing date.

“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education will be launching online the Electronic Ministry’s Application Platform (EMAP) for Form 1 boarding place enrolment from Monday 7th of December to January 31 2021.

An applicant is allowed to have three maximum active applications at any given time in order to decongest traffic on the platform. The schools will notify the successful applicants through sms. Once offered a place by a school an applicant can decline it and once declined a place cannot be reclaimed back.

The enrolment will start after the official publication of the 2020 Grade 7 Zimsec results,” reads a statement from the ministry.

This year, following premature closure of schools in March as a preventive measure against Covid-19, the Government introduced a phased approached to schools opening where Phase One of the reopening was on 28 September and was meant for the Grade 7s, Forms 4 and Upper Sixth followed by Grade 6, Form 3 and 5s on 26 October under the second phase.

In Phase Three, schools opened on 9 November 2020 with the rest of the learners which covered ECD A and B, grade 1,2,3,4,5 and Forms 1 and 2.

However, an industrial action by most teachers affected learning resulting in the Government taking a decision to postpone some of the public examinations into next year.

Reopening of schools were, however, affected when about 300 schoolchildren at various schools contracted the virus.
Mr Ndoro said the disease has been contained at most schools with 50 percent recoveries recorded in the past few weeks.

The hardest hit school was John Tallach High in Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland North Province where about 185 pupils and teachers tested positive. However, the situation has since been contained.

Tinashe Sambiri| President Nelson Chamisa has said Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF cannot stop the people’s revolution.

Speaking at the memorial service for his late mother in Gutu on Saturday, President Chamisa said he was aware of the Zanu PF leader’s plan to dismantle the MDC Alliance.

According to President Chamisa, the wave of change is not confined to a building.

“They think that they are destroying us, yet they are strengthening us.

A people’s revolution is not confined to a building.Actually the cracks they are creating are fortifying our walls.

I know that they are desperate to annihilate the MDC Alliance,” said President Chamisa.

“Don’t underestimate the commitment of the children of change.The wave of change is unstoppable.

Those who are trying to dismantle the people’s party are wasting their time. We are unstoppable -that’s an undeniable fact. I have seen one CIO guy here, Tino is his name.
Tino do your job, go and tell Mnangagwa that we are determined.Yes, we know you guys…
,” added President Chamisa.

A BULAWAYO man is living a “hellish” life at the hands of his abusive wife who is said to be a shebeen queen and allegedly takes pleasure in beating him up.

Raphael Dube from Mzilikazi claimed his alcoholic wife Tapiwa Mhlanga challenges his authority when drunk by frequently beating him up.

Dube, who was seeking a protection order at the Bulawayo Civil Court said whenever he tried to reprimand his wife over her drinking habits and conduct of entertaining a lot of men at home, she turned violent.

Narrating his ordeal, he cited frequent battery and threat to his life as reasons for his prayers for a protection order.

“I am applying for a protection order against my wife Tapiwa Mhlanga and we got married in 2016. She physically abuses me. She also consumes alcohol and unlawfully sells it at our house.

“Whenever I reprimand her about her drinking habits and her conduct of entertaining a lot of men at our house, she becomes violent and insults me. She also tears off my clothes. This happened on several occasions and I have made several reports at Barbourfields Police Station to no avail,” complained Dube.

Dube, who was seemingly sick of living in an abusive marriage, said his wife was also economically abusing him.

“She is also economically abusive as she has been with my bank card for over three years and she doesn’t buy food in the house. I no longer feel safe at home,” he grumbled.

Mhlanga, who was not opposed to her husband’s application instead submitted that he was the one who was the source of their marital disputes because of his infidelity.

“I am not opposed to his application for a protection order but he is the one who is behind the source of our problems. The other time he was working at Turk Mine, he was in the habit of going out with his friends and would switch off his phones. I later discovered that he was having an affair with a neighbour and I saw their pictures in the phone.

“As if that is not enough, I also caught him red-handed naked at Siphiwe Moyo’s house. When I tried to make a report at the police station, they made a counter-one that I had stolen their money amounting to $30. After busting him he approached my parents and asked for forgiveness. I however, forgave him in a bid to save my marriage,” said Mhlanga.

In the interest of peace and order the presiding magistrate Nomasiko Ndlovu granted a reciprocal order which compels the couple to keep peace by not verbally and physically abusing each other.

The magistrate also ordered Mhlanga to return her husband’s bank card.B-Metro

A MAN here reportedly killed his eight-year-old nephew, dismembered the head and cooked it.

The 22-year-old suspect from Matova Village near Gokomere Mission under Chief Zimuto ,was found by alert neighbours stewing the boy’s head in a pot after barricading himself inside his hut.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the juvenile’s torso was

found stashed in a nearby shallow pool.

“We will release the name of the suspect and the deceased tomorrow (today) but the suspect is in police custody and investigations are underway to determine his mental state,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

“He was found cooking the boy’s head in a kitchen hut, while the remaining parts of the body were recovered in a shallow pool, wrapped in a mosquito net.

“Investigations are underway.”

According to sources, the incident occurred when the boy, who was in Grade 2 at Matova Primary School, sought shelter from the heavy rains at his uncle’s home on Friday.

The suspect is alleged to have killed the boy before cutting off his head.

A search for the boy yesterday morning led to the recovery of his head after a relative forced his

way into the suspect’s kitchen

where he had locked himself from inside.-The Sunday Mail

ZIMBABWE School Examination Council (zimsec) examinations started in earnest last week but some candidates failed to sit due to failure to obtain national identity cards.

John Mhandu (not his real name) missed two of  his Ordinary Level papers in Mathematics and Commerce.

“I had registered to write five subjects that I failed last year when I was still a formal pupil. Back then, there was no need for me to have an ID card.

“But I’m now a private learner at a local college and the law requires me to have one. I hoped to have obtained an ID card by now but my plans were derailed by the lockdown. I still hope though that I will be able to write the other three subjects,” said Mhandu.

A ZIMSEC directive makes it compulsory for candidates, particularly private pupils, to produce any form of national identity documents – passport or driver’s licence, in order to sit for an examination.

“The issue of ID cards falls under the Registrar General’s office, we are not sure whether the pupil(s) in question have missed examinations because of the documents or other issues.

“Candidates should be organised enough to get ID cards in time as the law is clear. Without an ID, you will not be allowed into the examination room,” said Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education communications and advocacy director Mr Taungana Ndoro.

However, some pupils currently do not have any of the documents. The Registrar General (RG)’s Department, which issues national identity documents, was forced into a long break due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Government began a nationwide lockdown on March 30 as a way to curb the spread of Covid-19. The lockdown has since been relaxed with all essential services and registered informal traders now allowed to resume work. But, while noble, the lockdown complicated operations at the RG’s office that was already struggling to meet the public’s demand for crucial national documents.-The Sunday Mail

VILLAGERS in Muchini area of Buhera South have been left in a state of shock following the gruesome murder of three senior citizens, with a 17-year old boy confessing to having committed the crime.

The senior citizens; one aged 86, his 74-year-old wife and her 80-year-old sister were allegedly murdered in cold blood at around midnight on Thursday by the teenager from the same village.

In his confession, the 17-year-old said: “I arrived at around 11pm from a bar intending to kill them because they killed my parents when I was still young.

“I only wanted to kill the man because his wife actually liked me a lot and I do not know why I killed her,” he said.

Buhera South legislator, Cde Joseph Chinotimba who is related to the deceased, said they are yet to come to terms with loss of three family members.

“We are shocked as a family because we can’t even begin to think of what could have gone wrong to this extent of killing three people, especially for a boy as young as 17,” he said.

Police officer commanding Chipinge District Chief Superintendent Kennedy Nyaumwe confirmed the incident, saying investigations were underway. — ZBC.

DECEMBER 5, 2020

VIDEO ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS DEPICTING A POLICE OFFICER ASSAULTING STUDENTS.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police is concerned with the conduct of the police officer as seen in the video that has gone viral on social media. We understand the incident happened at Kwekwe High School where the police officers had gone to conduct an awareness campaign on 3′ December 2020.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police does not condone such conduct during awareness campaigns and investigations are underway to verify the facts with the Kwekwe District Command and Midlands Province. If confirmed, appropriate action will be taken against the member. The police applaud the public for bringing the matter to our attention.

NYATHI.P

Assistant Commissioner Senior Staff Officer

To the Commissioner General of Police Police General Headquarters

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance (Namibia) has slammed Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa for prioritizing the dead while the living are suffering.

The party also took a swipe at Mr Mnangagwa for abusing Mbuya Nehanda’s legacy.

Read full statement below :

04 DECEMBER 2020

ZANUPF IS A BETRAYAL OF THE LIBERATION DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS OF MBUYA NEHANDA, MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA ECHOES.

Mdc Alliance Namibia is absolutely disturbed by Zanupf President’s utterances when he postulated that “This momument represents Nehanda, the spirit medium, who played a crucial role in the liberation struggle that gave us independence we celebrate today”.

In as much as we concur that our heroines and heroes must be honoured for sacrificing their sweat and blood for the emancipation of all citizens from yoke colonialism, we differ in prioritising the dead before improving the livelihoods of those who are alive.

Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa must stop paddling lies through hypocrisy.

As expatriates, we are really infuriated by the pretence from the Zec and Court imposed President who deceives the nation. We completely disagree that there is any independence in Zimbabwe due to the presence of heavy-handedness from a regime that does not respect human rights in the motherland. Mnangagwa said more statues of First and Second Chimurenga heroes will be constructed , including that of the late autocratic Mugabe whom he toppled in a military coup in November 2017. Mdc Alliance Namibia satirises this level Political ineptitude in Zanupf. As social democrats, we expect Zanupf to embrace the revolutionary dreams and aspirations of the liberation struggle. Zanupf must stop its political rhetoric, there is only phoney independence because citizens are scattered around the world seeking economic and political refugee due to gross misgovernance.

Moreover, Mdc Alliance Namibia have raised serious concerns on the Zanupf government’s commitment to construct expensive statues but dismally failing to to finance the needs of desperate civil servants and the general populace who are wallowing in excruciating agony as a result of artificial poverty. Zanupf must halt its hypocritical stance and confront the demand for genuine independence where one man one vote is guaranteed. The fallen heroes and heroines cannot applaud the senseless statues when their people are being butchered every now and then for demanding justice and freedom from Zanupf terrorists. Zanupf President must concentrate on putting the economy on a sounder footing than their extravagance on minor things.

Nehanda was executed in 1898 on charges of murdering Native Commissioner Hawkins Polard in 1896. She was butchered in the same way Mdc Alliance activists and leadership are facing 41 years after independence.

Zanupf must replace their simulacrum of phoney independence with genuine political liberty and freedom after defeating colonialism.

Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa also equated Mbuya Nehanda to Jesus Christ because of her fundamental role fighting for total liberation. He must realise that his lack of respect to the lives of the citizens is a clear reflection that Dambudzo Mnangagwa does not respect the sacrifice made by our gallant revolutionary fighters.

In a nutshell, Zanupf must finance the economy first before financing the dead heroes and heroines. They are not a priority although we acknowledge everything that they did to liberate us from the colonial hegemony.

PeoplePower

FreeJacob

HandsOffVpBiti

ZanupfMustGo

NoToFlagIndependence

FreeChitungwizaCouncillors

Mdc Alliance Namibia
Rundu Branch Spokesperson
Robson Ruhanya

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance (Namibia) has slammed Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa for prioritizing the dead while the living are suffering.

The party also took a swipe at Mr Mnangagwa for abusing Mbuya Nehanda’s legacy.

Read full statement below :

04 DECEMBER 2020

ZANUPF IS A BETRAYAL OF THE LIBERATION DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS OF MBUYA NEHANDA, MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA ECHOES.

Mdc Alliance Namibia is absolutely disturbed by Zanupf President’s utterances when he postulated that “This momument represents Nehanda, the spirit medium, who played a crucial role in the liberation struggle that gave us independence we celebrate today”.

In as much as we concur that our heroines and heroes must be honoured for sacrificing their sweat and blood for the emancipation of all citizens from yoke colonialism, we differ in prioritising the dead before improving the livelihoods of those who are alive.

Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa must stop paddling lies through hypocrisy.

As expatriates, we are really infuriated by the pretence from the Zec and Court imposed President who deceives the nation. We completely disagree that there is any independence in Zimbabwe due to the presence of heavy-handedness from a regime that does not respect human rights in the motherland. Mnangagwa said more statues of First and Second Chimurenga heroes will be constructed , including that of the late autocratic Mugabe whom he toppled in a military coup in November 2017. Mdc Alliance Namibia satirises this level Political ineptitude in Zanupf. As social democrats, we expect Zanupf to embrace the revolutionary dreams and aspirations of the liberation struggle. Zanupf must stop its political rhetoric, there is only phoney independence because citizens are scattered around the world seeking economic and political refugee due to gross misgovernance.

Moreover, Mdc Alliance Namibia have raised serious concerns on the Zanupf government’s commitment to construct expensive statues but dismally failing to to finance the needs of desperate civil servants and the general populace who are wallowing in excruciating agony as a result of artificial poverty. Zanupf must halt its hypocritical stance and confront the demand for genuine independence where one man one vote is guaranteed. The fallen heroes and heroines cannot applaud the senseless statues when their people are being butchered every now and then for demanding justice and freedom from Zanupf terrorists. Zanupf President must concentrate on putting the economy on a sounder footing than their extravagance on minor things.

Nehanda was executed in 1898 on charges of murdering Native Commissioner Hawkins Polard in 1896. She was butchered in the same way Mdc Alliance activists and leadership are facing 41 years after independence.

Zanupf must replace their simulacrum of phoney independence with genuine political liberty and freedom after defeating colonialism.

Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa also equated Mbuya Nehanda to Jesus Christ because of her fundamental role fighting for total liberation. He must realise that his lack of respect to the lives of the citizens is a clear reflection that Dambudzo Mnangagwa does not respect the sacrifice made by our gallant revolutionary fighters.

In a nutshell, Zanupf must finance the economy first before financing the dead heroes and heroines. They are not a priority although we acknowledge everything that they did to liberate us from the colonial hegemony.

PeoplePower

FreeJacob

HandsOffVpBiti

ZanupfMustGo

NoToFlagIndependence

FreeChitungwizaCouncillors

Mdc Alliance Namibia
Rundu Branch Spokesperson
Robson Ruhanya

Tinashe Sambiri| MDC Alliance official and social media analyst, Antony Taruvinga, has said President Nelson Chamisa remains the nation’s hope despite relentless efforts by Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF to bring him down.

He implored Zimbabweans to remain optimistic in spite of Mr Mnangagwa’s attempt to thwart the people’s struggle.

“I would like to thank Pres. Nelson Chamisa for standing strong in the wake of monumental electoral theft.

Not only the President but all Comrades who remained glued to the struggle even in the face of incessant challenges.

Following the 2018 elections, the going has been sadly torturous. We were robbed of everything including Parliamentary and council victories. Like I always say, let’s focus on 2023.

Prepare not only to vote but vote, win, secure and defend, at all costs, our victories.

Lawyers are advised to think about the name challenges that the party has faced.

While it is clear that the Judiciary is 100% captured, lawyers must close any loophole that might be exploited. MDC CHAMISA! The struggle continues,” Taruvinga posted on Facebook.

Tinashe Sambiri| MDC Alliance official and social media analyst, Antony Taruvinga, has said President Nelson Chamisa remains the nation’s hope despite relentless efforts by Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF to bring him down.

He implored Zimbabweans to remain optimistic in spite of Mr Mnangagwa’s attempt to thwart the people’s struggle.

“I would like to thank Pres. Nelson Chamisa for standing strong in the wake of monumental electoral theft.

Not only the President but all Comrades who remained glued to the struggle even in the face of incessant challenges.

Following the 2018 elections, the going has been sadly torturous. We were robbed of everything including Parliamentary and council victories. Like I always say, let’s focus on 2023.

Prepare not only to vote but vote, win, secure and defend, at all costs, our victories.

Lawyers are advised to think about the name challenges that the party has faced.

While it is clear that the Judiciary is 100% captured, lawyers must close any loophole that might be exploited. MDC CHAMISA! The struggle continues,” Taruvinga posted on Facebook.

Paul Nyathi

News just in indicate that senior ZBC TV reporter Janet Munyaka has passed on due to the Covid-19.

Sources close to the reporter indicated that Munyaka died on Saturday evening after being rushed to hospital.

More details to follow.

Paul Nyathi

State Media reports that a member of little known People’s Democratic Party, Nqobizitha Khumalo, has revealed how he involved himself in faking abductions and causing terror in the country through trained militias since the turn of the millennium.

The media presents a long narration of acts of terrorism by Khumalo claimed to have been leaked chats on social media. In the chats that the media did not share, Khumalo is reported to have said he has experience in faking abductions and other unsavoury acts from as early as 2000 meant to attract international spotlight and condemnation on the country a serious offence in the country.

He said as one-time commander of a vigilant group known as DRC, he has first-hand experience of the modus operandi of the vigilante groups that still exist today.

“Well, I was once an area commander of the DRC. It was one of the organs put up for the final push on the Mugabe regime. While I will deny the accusation that it was a terrorist organisation, I will point out that it wasn’t a Sunday school picnic either.

“DRC was trained on how to conduct mass uprisings and we were shown videos of the Orange Spring; how to confront an armed person and how to diffuse the power of tear smoke. The possibility of providing some cannon fodder for the regime was also discussed in order to make the international community angry and garner international sympathy and the idea of provoking fire in order to create dead bodies was also discussed,” he said.

Mr Khumalo said the August 1, 2018 demonstrations were pre-planned by his group to tarnish the elections with snipers having been planted on strategic locations to spark rebellion.

“The plan was that an armed person or persons should fire at police from the crowd so the police would retaliate and massacre civilians to draw international sympathy. Which is why a cartridge was found on the fifth floor of ZCTU offices. A sniper was put there to knock off a few heads so as to provide the necessary dead bodies.”

In 2008 after March 29, Khumalo said his group had to seek refuge at the British embassy and later transferred to the American embassy.

He said they again moved to the South African embassy where we were sheltered by IOM (International Organisation for Migration) for three days before being taken to Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre where they stayed from June to September.

“We went there with high hopes. We thought our presence would incite the change we wanted but it seemed we were soon forgotten as the leadership discussed their GNU (government of national unity).”

He said he was one of the planners of operation Mbuya Varwara that involved hatching a self-abduction plot where they sneaked out of the camp in the dark and made phone calls to a sympathetic pastor who came to collect them.

“This is on record. There were nine of us. We were sheltered at a church and we all took up pseudonyms. Mine was Joao Joao. I am still missing (up to this day). Mbuya Varwara was the code name to identify the plot on the phone.

“One of the planners is now in the information department of the Transform Zimbabwe party. The whole thing was planned. The whole camp was in uproar. Please check your archives. The din attracted the attention of the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees. In the meantime, we were carried to a plot in the Mount Hampden area where we were hidden just near the Air Force radar guarded by Air Force guards. I could give the name of the woman farmer but I don’t think it is proper to do so. What I am saying is verifiable,” he said.

A MAN from Masvingo allegedly stumbled on a used condom in his lover’s handbag, accused her of cheating on him before stabbing her with a kitchen knife causing her to die due to excessive bleeding.

According to a source last week on Thursday Tawedzerwa Bvumburai (38) visited his girlfriend Melody Chipumo (33) at her workplace at Manyama Business Centre. While he was there he searched his lover’s handbag and stumbled on a used condom and questioned her about it.

“She told him that her friend had used the bag so it was left by her and he understood. He then left for his home in village 37, Manyama area under Chief Charumbira,” said the source.

However, after a drinking spree on Tuesday this week he had a change of heart. He armed himself with a kitchen knife and walked from his home, to his girlfriend’s workplace.

The source revealed that he arrived there at around 1.30 am and knocked at the door.

“His unsuspecting girlfriend came out and he started to accuse her of being a woman of loose morals who sleeps around with men while they made a vow that they would marry each other,” said the source.

At the height of the argument, the source said, Bvumburai, who had put the kitchen knife in his pocket drew the knife before stabbing Melody once on the right side breast.

“She tried to flee but he stabbed her once on the back causing her to fall and bleed excessively,” said the source.

Bvumburai took to his heels leaving his lover wailing on the ground. According to a source close to investigations an identified man heard the wailing and rushed to the scene and found Melody half dead.

“He informed her boss Edweek Museve (28) who quickly ferried her to Masvingo Provincial Hospital but she died upon arrival,” said the source.

A police report was made.

Masvingo deputy police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Kudakwashe Dewa confirmed: “We are appealing for information that may lead to the arrest of Tawedzerwa Bvumburai (38) who stabbed his girlfriend Melody Chipumo, who later died on arrival at the hospital.

We urge community members to seek counselling from third parties whenever they are faced with a dispute rather than to take the law into their hands.”

He appealed to anyone who might have information that might lead to the arrest of Bvumburai to contact Masvingo rural police on 0392263729 or CID Masvingo on 0392262931 or send a WhatsApp message on 0775996945.-B-Metro

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has dealt opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa another blow after allocating a paltry $2,3 billion to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec), an amount inadequate to conduct by-elections next year.
Chamisa lost 32 MPs and 165 councillors to recalls by rival MDC-T faction led by Thokozani Khupe. He has been itching for by-elections that were already suspended on October 2 by Vice-President and Health minister Constantino Chiwenga, citing COVID-19 fears, in order to regain lost political ground.

But his dream appears shattered after Zec disclosed it is financially incapacitated to run the parliamentary and council by-elections after Treasury allocated the electoral body only $2,3 billion for electoral activities for 2021 against a demand of $12 billion.

In his remarks at a post budget consultative meeting on Thursday before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Zec chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana said the electoral body was in financial doldrums to hold any credible by-election unless government provides the $12 billion needed for the exercise.

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube allocated Zec $2,3 billion in the 2021 National Budget against $12 billion which the com-mission had said it wanted for electoral activities in the coming year.

Silaigwana pleaded with Parliament to persuade Treasury to adjust the commis-sion’s 2021 budget allocation warning the much-awaited by-elections will remain a pipe-dream without the funds.

“We are very truthful when we say we need $12 billion instead of the $2 billion which is just a drop of our budget. It does not help us much,” Silaigwana said.

Asked by Chegutu West legislator Dexter Nduna whether it meant Zec was currently not operational without the $12 billion, Silaigwana said: “Sure.”

“We also highlighted that the allocation was not adequate to support our programmes that encompasses delimitation and the by-elections for the coming year and beyond.

“What was allocated against the bid is only a total of 19% hence our cry for the committee to assist the commission so that it will be able to realise its obligations.”

His sentiments were echoed by Zec chief inspector, Jane Pamhidzirai Chigidji who said the commission’s capacity to conduct credible electoral activities will be question-able if it was poorly funded.

“It’s a drop in the ocean if we are to have credible elections,” Chigidji said.

“So we are just appealing to Parliament to discuss this issue so that at the end of the day, we are able to carry out our duties and conduct credible elections.

“There are delimitation issues that have to be dealt with before we have an election. Can we then have a credible election if we don’t consult stakeholders?”

Silaigwana also advised the legislators that efforts to engage Treasury on the issue have not yielded desired results.

Political analyst, Professor Chakaodza, however said the underfunding of Zec was a calculated move by President Mnangagwa to avoid the by-elections at all cost.

“The political landscape has never been even since Zimbabwe attained its independence in 1980,” Chakaodza said.

Source – newsday

Paul Nyathi

News just in indicate that senior ZBC TV reporter Janet Munyaka has passed on due to the Covid-19.

Sources close to the reporter indicated that Munyaka died on Saturday evening after being rushed to hospital.

More details to follow.

The ZRP has finally issued an official statement on the social media video where a Kwekwe based police officer is seen smacking school children during a campaign and said the force doesn’t condone acts of violence of any form:

VIDEO ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS DEPICTING A POLICE OFFICER ASSAULTING STUDENTS.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police is concerned with the conduct of the police officer as seen in the video that has gone viral on social media. We understand the incident happened at Kwekwe High School where the police officers had gone to conduct an awareness campaign on 3′ December 2020.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police does not condone such conduct during awareness campaigns and investigations are underway to verify the facts with the Kwekwe District Command and Midlands Province. If confirmed, appropriate action will be taken against the member. The police applaud the public for bringing the matter to our attention.

NYATHI.P

Assistant Commissioner Senior Staff Officer

To the Commissioner General of Police Police General Headquarters

Paul Nyathi

Reports just received indicate that ZESA CEO Sydney Gata survived an assassination attempt in the streets of Harare.

According to sources, unidentified gunmen shot at Gata’s vehicle along Airport Road on Saturday afternoon.

Gata was a few months ago suspended by then Energy Minister Fortune Chasi and put on ZACC investigation.

He was unceremoniously reinstated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa who subsequently dismissed Chasi instead.

More details to follow…….

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance (Namibia) has slammed Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa for prioritizing the dead while the living are suffering.

The party also took a swipe at Mr Mnangagwa for abusing Mbuya Nehanda’s legacy.

Read full statement below :

04 DECEMBER 2020

ZANUPF IS A BETRAYAL OF THE LIBERATION DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS OF MBUYA NEHANDA, MDC ALLIANCE NAMIBIA ECHOES.

Mdc Alliance Namibia is absolutely disturbed by Zanupf President’s utterances when he postulated that “This momument represents Nehanda, the spirit medium, who played a crucial role in the liberation struggle that gave us independence we celebrate today”.

In as much as we concur that our heroines and heroes must be honoured for sacrificing their sweat and blood for the emancipation of all citizens from yoke colonialism, we differ in prioritising the dead before improving the livelihoods of those who are alive.

Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa must stop paddling lies through hypocrisy.

As expatriates, we are really infuriated by the pretence from the Zec and Court imposed President who deceives the nation. We completely disagree that there is any independence in Zimbabwe due to the presence of heavy-handedness from a regime that does not respect human rights in the motherland. Mnangagwa said more statues of First and Second Chimurenga heroes will be constructed , including that of the late autocratic Mugabe whom he toppled in a military coup in November 2017. Mdc Alliance Namibia satirises this level Political ineptitude in Zanupf. As social democrats, we expect Zanupf to embrace the revolutionary dreams and aspirations of the liberation struggle. Zanupf must stop its political rhetoric, there is only phoney independence because citizens are scattered around the world seeking economic and political refugee due to gross misgovernance.

Moreover, Mdc Alliance Namibia have raised serious concerns on the Zanupf government’s commitment to construct expensive statues but dismally failing to to finance the needs of desperate civil servants and the general populace who are wallowing in excruciating agony as a result of artificial poverty. Zanupf must halt its hypocritical stance and confront the demand for genuine independence where one man one vote is guaranteed. The fallen heroes and heroines cannot applaud the senseless statues when their people are being butchered every now and then for demanding justice and freedom from Zanupf terrorists. Zanupf President must concentrate on putting the economy on a sounder footing than their extravagance on minor things.

Nehanda was executed in 1898 on charges of murdering Native Commissioner Hawkins Polard in 1896. She was butchered in the same way Mdc Alliance activists and leadership are facing 41 years after independence.

Zanupf must replace their simulacrum of phoney independence with genuine political liberty and freedom after defeating colonialism.

Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa also equated Mbuya Nehanda to Jesus Christ because of her fundamental role fighting for total liberation. He must realise that his lack of respect to the lives of the citizens is a clear reflection that Dambudzo Mnangagwa does not respect the sacrifice made by our gallant revolutionary fighters.

In a nutshell, Zanupf must finance the economy first before financing the dead heroes and heroines. They are not a priority although we acknowledge everything that they did to liberate us from the colonial hegemony.

PeoplePower

FreeJacob

HandsOffVpBiti

ZanupfMustGo

NoToFlagIndependence

FreeChitungwizaCouncillors

Mdc Alliance Namibia
Rundu Branch Spokesperson
Robson Ruhanya

Tinashe Sambiri| MDC Alliance official and social media analyst, Antony Taruvinga, has said President Nelson Chamisa remains the nation’s hope despite relentless efforts by Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF to bring him down.

He implored Zimbabweans to remain optimistic in spite of Mr Mnangagwa’s attempt to thwart the people’s struggle.

“I would like to thank Pres. Nelson Chamisa for standing strong in the wake of monumental electoral theft.

Not only the President but all Comrades who remained glued to the struggle even in the face of incessant challenges.

Following the 2018 elections, the going has been sadly torturous. We were robbed of everything including Parliamentary and council victories. Like I always say, let’s focus on 2023.

Prepare not only to vote but vote, win, secure and defend, at all costs, our victories.

Lawyers are advised to think about the name challenges that the party has faced.

While it is clear that the Judiciary is 100% captured, lawyers must close any loophole that might be exploited. MDC CHAMISA! The struggle continues,” Taruvinga posted on Facebook.

By A Correspondent- A bus belonging to Rimbi on Monday last week crushed its conductor near the corner of Samuel Parirenyatwa Street and First Avenue, Bulawayo with four passengers on board.

Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the fatal road accident.

“I can confirm that on November 30, a man from Budiriro 4 in Harare, whose age is unknown, was standing behind the Rimbi Bus together with the conductor of the bus,” Ncube said.

“The driver of the bus tried to reverse and knocked down the conductor. He died on the spot.”

Ncube said investigations were in progress

A 25-year-old woman suffering from severe depression and admitted to Mount Darwin District Hospital disappeared from her ward on October 20 and was found at Concession, some 136km away, two days later unconscious and with her hands tied.

The hospital did not report the patient was missing to relatives or the police until October 22; when the woman’s aunt heard the news she rushed to Mt Darwin Police Station to make the initial missing person’s report.

Wendy Chinomungu of Rushinga was found bruised while her hands were tied with a rope at a farm in Concession. Her face was swollen. She was rushed to Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare where she later died. Preliminary checks showed the woman had been sexually assaulted.

Ms Chinomungu had a condition known as melancholia (severe depression) and was admitted on September 30 to Mt Darwin Hospital. Owing to the condition, she was initially unable to walk, bath and eat on her own. She would be carried to the toilet and was experiencing recurring mood swings.

Despite having the family members’ contact details, the hospital staff only informed the aunt two days after she vanished according to the records.

The aunt, Ms Fariya Musandirire was the first to report to the police while the hospital administrator followed up later.

Some farm workers in Concession found the woman lying unconscious three days after she left the hospital and told the farm owner who immediately reported the case to Glendale Police Station. She was rushed to Concession Hospital and was immediately transferred to Parirenyatwa Hospital where she later died.

A post-mortem report shows that the death was due to “severe head trauma”. The pathologist said the death was not a result of natural causes.

When The Herald visited Mt Darwin Hospital, it was clear that the security at the institution was lax. On arrival at the hospital’s main entrance, the security guard on duty did not bother to write down the visitors’ names and vehicle registration numbers. There were no temperature checks, neither were there sanitisation in line with Covid-19 regulations. Cars would get in and out without any searches.

The security fence is badly damaged and no longer serving the intended purpose.

In an interview, the hospital’s senior nursing officer Mr Forbes Makamba confirmed the disappearance of Ms Chinomungu and also attributed the incident to laxity.

 “Yes I know of the incident. When it happened, I was in Bindura attending a workshop,” he said. “She was admitted here on September 30 after she was brought in by her relatives. The relatives had a recommendation letter from a Roman Catholic priest called Father Simoko.

“She had melancholia. She was easily irritable and withdrawn. She could hardly walk, talk, bath herself and even eat on her own. She could not do anything on her own.

“Her aunt wanted to stay here but I refused because we wanted to examine her and try to establish what could have caused the depression. We suspected the depression could be a result of some family problems, hence we advised the relatives to stay away a bit and allow her to recover.

“After a few days, we noticed some improvements on her health. She was now able to walk and do her laundry. She was also able to eat, but she still had challenges in walking,” Mr Makamba said.

“I informed the relatives that they could now visit Wendy. The day they visited, that is when she had absconded from the hospital. I was away.”

However, Mr Makamba insisted that the patient disappeared on October 22, the day when the police report was made. But other staff said she vanished two days before, when Mr Makamba was still away and the official post-mortem and police documents show that she went missing on October 20.

Bureaucracy at the hospital also contributed to the delay in reporting the missing patient’s case to the police.

“I was told that the nurse on duty that night noticed the patient was missing and she informed the security department. The security details were supposed to immediately report to the administration but they waited until the following morning.

“That is when they informed the administrator who later went to the police,” Mr Makamba said.

Mr Makamba said an independent board of inquiry had since been constituted to investigate the case.

Prior to the patient’s disappearance, some expensive juices and other food would be seen on her table daily but no one knew the source.

The Herald tracked down Wendy’s uncle Mr Chikuya Chikuya, who stays in Mudimu village under Chief Dotito, to get an account of what could have transpired to their niece.

Ms Chinomungu was staying with Mr Chikuya, who is married to Mrs Musandirire, prior to her hospitalisation. Mr Chikuya is a brother to Wendy’s late mother.

In an interview, Mrs Musandirire said her niece disappeared on October 20 and that the hospital officials were trying to cover-up for their delay in making a police report. She confirmed all relatives were barred from visiting Ms Chinomungu at the hospital.

“On October 15, we received a text message from Mr Makamba, the matron, telling us that our niece’s health was improving. We asked if we could visit her and he agreed. On that day, we failed to go due to transport challenges.

“On October 22, in the morning, we received a text message from the matron again, advising us to go to the hospital and see a nurse called Karasa. Coincidentally, we were planning to visit our niece on that same day,”’ she said.

Mrs Musandirire did not find her niece in the women’s ward.

“At first I thought she had been moved to another bed. I then approached a nurse who was in the ward and she referred me to the sister-in-charge, Mrs Karasa. We sat down and she told me that my niece was missing from the hospital from October 20. It was so unbelievable and I was hurt,” she said.

The nurse reportedly asked the aunt to personally go and report the case to the police.

“She indicated to me that the hospital had not made a police report for a missing person, some two days after her disappearance. She asked me to go and report to the police that my niece was missing from hospital. Is this how Government hospitals handle issues of this nature?

“At first I refused to go to the police, but I later decided to comply. Police officers treated me well and asked me to bring my niece’s photos to assist in the search. Later in the day, we heard she had been found at Concession,” she said.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident saying Chinomungu’s aunt was the one who reported the case.

“Police have opened a docket for murder and investigations are in progress.

“The matter was reported to the police on October 22 by Feriya Musandirire. We want to establish what really happened. The post-mortem results indicated that she died from a severe head trauma and we want to know whether she was assaulted at home, at the hospital or at Concession where she was later found,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

-State Media

Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) Chairperson Sydney Gata has survived an apparent assassination attempt after gunmen shot at his vehicle on Airport Road in Harare, according to law enforcement sources.

Verification was awaited at the time of writing after sources were quoted by news site zimlive.com alleging so.

Gata is a close ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa who reportedly saved when former Energy minister Fortune Chasi wanted to wield the axe on his corruption accused board.

More to follow….

Addressing friends and relatives at the memorial service of his late mother gogo Chamisa, MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa traced his journey on how he became the ICT minister during the government of national unity and transformed the ministry in a way that left Zanu Pf stalwarts accusing him of using juju.

WATCH THE VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

By A Correspondent- Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of re-imposing a second national Covid-19 lockdown during deliberations on the second coronavirus wave in cabinet.

Mnangagwa initially declared a nationwide lockdown on March 27as a way of trying to contain the spread of the pandemic, which has since been gradually eased.

Although in principle, the lockdown still remains in force, business has virtually returned to normalcy in the country, with many people on the streets and vast crowds at market places, without observing social distancing.

Face masks are often improperly donned, despite police often descending heavily on offenders.

The result has been a second wave of cases, with the country now reporting high daily infections, prompting health practitioners to lobby for another nationwide lockdown.
This was supported by a number of cabinet ministers.

Official sources said chairperson of the ad hoc Covid-19 taskforce, Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri presented a report in cabinet on new coronavirus infections, which painted grim picture for Zimbabwe.

The chairperson (Muchinguri-Kashiri) had reported that the country was in grave danger and had expressed concern over the rapid increase in Covid-19 cases. For instance, she pointed out that the country had recorded 594 cases in the previous week, including in schools,” a source said.

“Some ministers actually proposed that there should be a return to the time when we had a stringent lockdown as countries in Europe are doing. South Africa has also in-
dicated that as things stand, another tough lockdown would be necessary. But such proposals were shot down immediately by the President who indicated that what was needed was to ensure more vigilant enforcement of the existing control measures.”

“In fact, the meeting ended up approving requests from hospitality industry players like bars and restaurants to extend operating times by two more hours to allow them to do more business. So they will now be allowed to operate up to 8pm. There was also a proposal to reconsider the reopening of ports of entry especially considering how immigration and customs officials at the Beitbridge Border Post were infected over the same week, but this was also shot down,” the source added.

Instead, according to the source, Mnangagwa said law enforcement must do its job to enforce the existing lockdown measures.

“He was worried that people were relaxing and said the police must ensure that people comply with existing control measures,” an official said.

Zimbabwe has now recorded more than 10 129 coronavirus cases and 277 deaths.

-Newsday

MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa Speaks On State-Party Conflation and how the Late Perrence Shiri harassed his uncle following his visit to his house at Manyame Base in the company of the late Learnmore Jongwe.

WATCH VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

By A Correspondent- Daring armed robbers early this week pounced on a Cash In Transit SafeGuard vehicle and managed to overpower the guards before they got away with the cash box.

The incident that occurred on Monday 30 November in Chivi was confirmed by ZRP National Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi who said:

We have since launched a manhunt for the robbers and we appeal to anybody with information that may lead to the arrest of suspects to come forward.

According to the publication, this is what happened on the day SafeGuard was supposed to deliver cash to a Mukuru Booth at Chivi:

Details are that the Safeguard crew had come to deliver cash to a Mukuru money transfer booth housed at the shop when gangsters using an unmarked, high-powered sky-blue Toyota GD6 vehicle attacked the security servicemen.

The armed robbers fired three warning shots into the air with a pistol, disarmed the Safeguard crew and took away their 3 x Star pistols and cash box containing an amount of cash which could not be ascertained by the time of writing.

They then sped off from the scene on their Toyota GD6 vehicle.The unknown armed robbers were later seen at Mhandamabwe Business Centre, driving at high speed towards Zvishavane along the Masvingo-Mbalabala Highway.

Cases of robberies have increased over the last few months with Beitbridge recording the most daring armed robberies as reporters of armed robbers shooting at motor vehicles that usually stop to clear a way on barricaded roads are reported.TellZim