By A Correspondent | The controversial businessman Genius Kasungure has died in a car accident early Sunday morning, multiple sources have confirmed.

Former Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere confirmed the development which happened in Harare.

“Genius Kadungure~This is unbearable. A youngman who worked hard and enjoyed hard is no more! The flower has wilted! Go well Boss Ginimbi. MHDSRIP,” said Kasukuwere in a tweet.

The former minister’s main source spoke to ZimEye at around 4am while sobbing heavily. They said “my brother, I will send a picture, the Rolls Royce is burnt to ashes.”

Another source, a newsreader told ZimEye they passed through the place where Ginimbi’s car was burning. They said, “This morning when i passed through his car was burning.”

It could not be established how the accident happened and details were still coming in at the time of writing.

Former Minister @Hon_Kasukuwere 's source has confirmed this video is of the late @GeniusKadungure at the accident scene in Harare Sunday morning. – MORE DETAILS ON https://t.co/eY98GsdO0a pic.twitter.com/ucAemlDo3b

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) November 8, 2020

Another source writing from the socialite's Twitter account, confirms Ginimbi's sudden death in car accident. https://t.co/penUfSA2Dx

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) November 8, 2020

Multiple sources have confirmed the death of flamboyant businessman and socialite Genius Kadungure better known as Ginimbi in a car accident this morning.

Former Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere confirmed the development which happened in Harare.

“Genius Kadungure~This is unbearable. A youngman who worked hard and enjoyed hard is no more! The flower has wilted! Go well Boss Ginimbi. MHDSRIP,” said Kasukuwere in a tweet.

The former minister’s main source spoke to ZimEye at around 4am while sobbing heavily. They said “my brother, I will send a picture, the Rolls Royce is burnt to ashes.”

Another source, a newsreader told ZimEye they passed through the place where Ginimbi’s car was burning. They said, “This morning when i passed through his car was burning.”

It could not be established how the accident happened and details were still coming in at the time of writing.

Former Minister @Hon_Kasukuwere 's source has confirmed this video is of the late @GeniusKadungure at the accident scene in Harare Sunday morning. – MORE DETAILS ON https://t.co/eY98GsdO0a pic.twitter.com/ucAemlDo3b

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) November 8, 2020

Another source writing from the socialite's Twitter account, confirms Ginimbi's sudden death in car accident. https://t.co/penUfSA2Dx

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) November 8, 2020

Exiled former Zanu PF National Commissar Savior Kasukuwere has tweeted that socialite Genius Kadungure better known as Ginimbi has died.

Kasukuwere’s Twitter post follows another post by HSTV which says a person suspected to be the powerful businessman had died in a car crash early morning.

“Genius Kadungure~This is unbearable. A youngman who worked hard and enjoyed hard is no more! The flower has wilted! Go well Boss Ginimbi. MHDSRIP,” said Kasukuwere.

This is a developing story, more details coming….

Former MDC-T Spokesperson Obert Gutu has sensationally apologised to Zimbabweans for calling for sanctions against ZANU PF saying he feels ashamed of having played a part in it.

Have you been cooperating with the US, Mr Mnangagwa? As the mass murderer on 1 Aug 2018, and a well known election rigger, do you think congratulating the pioneer of the ZIDERA Act, will make @JoeBiden overlook your crimes against humanity?

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) November 8, 2020

Posting on Twitter as Joe Biden was confirmed the winner of the United States of America elections in which Trump is challenging the outcome, Gutu appeared to suggest that the same problems experienced by Zimbabwe had been imported to the economic powerhouse.

“I would like to sincerely apologize to all patriotic Zimbabweans for having played a part in the calling for the imposition of unilateral & punitive sanctions against Zimbabwe ?? by some powerful Western nations. I’m very sorry & ashamed of having let down my beloved country,” said Gutu.

Gutu resigned from MDC-T where he had assumed the vice presidency post following the split that followed late trade unionist Morgan Tsvangirai’s death in February of 2018.

He has since then been critical of opposition politics while appearing to view politics from the angle of Zanu-PF.

Hon Job Sikhala has described Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s statement on US elections as mere grandstanding.

Watch video below :

A man from Zaka District in Masvingo Province was last week beaten to death by his relatives on suspicions that he possessed mubobobo, a magical way of having sexual intercourse with women without their consent.

Masvingo assistant provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed the murder of 73-year-old Patrick Mhou of Mhou Village, Chief Nhema on Tuesday last week.

He died after being attacked by his brothers from the same village, Prosper Mhou (34), Evans Mhou, (28), Solomon Mhou, (38), Aaron Mhou, (38), and Solomon Fushai, (62), of Village Chipinda in the same area who was accompanied by his wife, Emily Chekenyere (44).

“Patrick Mhou had a long outstanding dispute with his brothers who accused him of using mubobobo to have supernatural sex with women,” Asst Insp Dhewa said.

“On 27 October around 9PM, the five brothers and Chekenyere went to Patrick’s homestead where they woke him up and started beating him all over the body until he fell unconscious.

They took him back into his bedroom hut and left him there.

The following day at around 6am, Menace Denhere, (38), of Matiza Village under Chief Nhema passed through Patrick’s house wanting to greet him and saw his bedroom door half open. He opened the door and saw Patrick sleeping with no sign of life.”

Police said Denhere told Fushai who later went and handed himself to the police in Zaka.

Patrick had bruises on the thighs, blisters on the feet, buttocks and backbone, deep cuts on the right eye and bruises on the forehead. He had swollen testicles and bruises above the ribs.

His body was taken to Ndanga District Hospital for a post-mortem and investigations are in progress.

In a separate incident a 19-year-old woman committed suicide after she was turned away by her mother for coming back home in the evening from her boyfriend’s house.

Neighbours in Masvingo said on Saturday last week, Bertha Muchatsikwa, (19), of 2496 Save Street, ZBS, Masvingo, was in the company of her boyfriend, Stanford Madzivo, (20), who resides in the Majange area when she arrived home towards dusk.

When they arrived at Muchatsikwa’s place, the mother denied her entry and advised her to go back to where she had been since she had come home late. The two lovebirds are said to have waited outside the house for some time thinking that the mother would relent and open for Muchatsikwa but she did not.

The two later on went to Madzivo’s place where they engaged his relatives to intercede on behalf of the two lovers but to no avail resulting in Muchatsikwa spending the night at Madzivo’s place.

At around 6pm the following day, Madzivo escorted Muchatsikwa back to her house and left her there.

The mother again chased Muchatsikwa away and she went back to her boyfriend’s place. When she arrived at the house she found that her boyfriend was not around and she hanged herself on a tree in the yard using a hosepipe.-The Sunday News

NON-EXAMINATION classes will not attend school daily but instead will alternate attendance days to allow for proper implementation of social distancing rules, as the last group of classes resume learning tomorrow.

Early Childhood Development classes going up to Grade Five, as wellas Forms Ones and Twos return to school tomorrow and will join the ongoing intense crash programme designed to ensure that pupils catch up on lost learning time.

Authorities have designed an ad-hoc learning programme entailing intensified one-on-one learning, provision of self-study guidelines and rigorous homework in order to accelerate catching up. The 2020 and 2021 examination classes, which returned to school in September and October respectively, are already undertaking the improvised learning regime.

Government is encouraging hot-sitting at schools that may have inadequate infrastructure and resources to properly implement Covid-19 prevention regulations. “Hot-sitting” is when the school day is split into morning and afternoon sessions for different classes to allow for sharing of classrooms and other resources at schools.

The development comes as education authorities have started compiling names of teachers who have not been reporting for duty since schools reopened, ostensibly to initiate disciplinary procedures.

Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson Mr Taungana Ndoro told The Sunday Mail that only classes that will sit for this year’s public examinations should attend school every day.

“For all other levels, school authorities are encouraged to follow alternate schooling days with some learners coming on particular days of the week,” said Mr Ndoro.

“We envisage that some schools are likely to face challenges in implementing social distancing requirements because of inadequate infrastructure.

“Alternatively, schools may split the schooling day, with some classes coming in the morning and others in the afternoon, with groups alternating every fortnight.”-The Sunday Mail

Hon Job Sikhala has described Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s statement on US elections as mere grandstanding.

Watch video below :

Tinashe Sambiri|The late MDC Alliance MP for Glen View North, Hon Kennedy Dinar, will be laid to rest in Gutu District on Sunday November 8.

According to MDC Alliance Secretary General, Charlton Hwende, Hon Dinah will be laid to rest in Gutu, Masunda Village.

“Hon Dinah will be laid to rest in Gutu, Masunda Village on Sunday.

All MDC Alliance provincial leaders across the country are encouraged to attend the burial,” said Hwende.

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Youth Assembly leader, Tererai Obey Sithole has been involved in a terrible accident.

However, Sithole is in a stable condition.

Speaking to ZimEye.com, in an interview on Saturday morning, MDC Alliance Youth Assembly spokesperson, Stephen Sarkozy Chuma said:

“It’s true the chairman was involved in an accident but I can confirm that he is in a very stable condition.

He is currently being attended to at a private hospital in Bulawayo to check if there are internal injuries.

We thank God for saving his life and indeed the Commander still has an uncompleted mission to serve Zimbabwe.

He said the accident happened while he was on his way from visiting our Mashonaland West Youth Chairman, Collen Mapfumo who was also involved in an accident.”

Sithole posted on Facebook :
“And the Lord said it’s not yet time for me, I just cheated death. I have been involved in a road traffic accident. Please keep me in your prayers.”

Party officials who spoke to ZimEye.com accused Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa of plotting to eliminate MDC Alliance Youth Assembly leaders.

“We have to fortify the security of our members as a matter of urgency.Mr Mnangagwa wants to eliminate all influential party members,” said the MDC Alliance official.

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Youth Assembly leader, Tererai Obey Sithole has been involved in a terrible accident.

However, Sithole is in a stable condition.

Speaking to ZimEye.com, in an interview on Saturday morning, MDC Alliance Youth Assembly spokesperson, Stephen Sarkozy Chuma said:

“It’s true the chairman was involved in an accident but I can confirm that he is in a very stable condition.

He is currently being attended to at a private hospital in Bulawayo to check if there are internal injuries.

We thank God for saving his life and indeed the Commander still has an uncompleted mission to serve Zimbabwe.

He said the accident happened while he was on his way from visiting our Mashonaland West Youth Chairman, Collen Mapfumo who was also involved in an accident.”

Sithole posted on Facebook :
“And the Lord said it’s not yet time for me, I just cheated death. I have been involved in a road traffic accident. Please keep me in your prayers.”

Party officials who spoke to ZimEye.com accused Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa of plotting to eliminate MDC Alliance Youth Assembly leaders.

“We have to fortify the security of our members as a matter of urgency.Mr Mnangagwa wants to eliminate all influential party members,” said the MDC Alliance official.

Tinashe Sambiri|Five family members tested positive for Coronavirus in Rujeko Suburb Masvingo.

According to Ministry of Health and Child Care sources at Benjamin Burombo Building in Masvingo, the five are: the father who works at Flamboyant Hotel, the mother who works in an operating theatre at Masvingo Provincial Hospital, 2 Grade 7 children at Rujeko Primary School and another in a lower grade.

Commenting on the issue, former Masvingo Central MP Jeffryson Chitando said:

“The biggest question is the lack of enforcement of COVID-18 restrictions.

The level of poverty in the country is also affecting ordinary citizens so they cannot adhere to strict regulations.

There is free movement and face masks are at times not worn.

Some of the homemade face masks are substandard.

A face mask in local stores is going for US$3 which is beyond the reach of the majority.

The government is adamant that schools are safe and necessary precautions have been put in place to curb COVID -19 spread.

The government is failing to prove that our children are safe in schools.Do our schools have the necessary testing equipment?Teachers who are supposed to take care of pupils are not reporting for duty.”

A police officer from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Support Unit allegedly shot and killed an innocent man by pumping four bullets into his chest in Mberengwa on Tuesday morning.

The victim, Lodrick Matsweru (26), was visiting a friend, Danidzirai Muzhanduki, at Village 3 Rudway in Chief Bvute’s area.

On the fateful day, Matsweru was sleeping when he heard a knock on the door around four AM. When he opened the door, he was met with a hail of bullets and died instantly.

The police officers were looking for an armed robber but opened fire without asking any questions or verifying the identity of the person who opened the door.

Reports indicate that police were looking for either Tichaona Muzhanduki or Doubt Chiponda suspected to have robbed a crew of a fuel tanker of some money.

The cops, some of whose names are in the hands of The Mirror allegedly tried to run away after the shooting but were blocked by angry villagers who had gathered at the scene.

It is further alleged that the robber had US$31 000 on him and the cops may have had an interest in that money.-The Mirror

Below is President Nelson Chamisa’s congratulatory message to US President-Elect Joe Biden:

Congratulations President-Elect @JoeBiden and Vice President-Elect @KamalaHarris. In electing you, Americans have spoken and delivered a historic and progressive result whose implications for democracy and diversity will inspire many beyond American borders and around the world.

Let us all build a peaceful, prosperous, democratic and free world. We are inspired to fight for what is right. We will not give up!

Hon Job Sikhala has described Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s statement on US elections as mere grandstanding.

Watch video below :

Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Youth Assembly leader, Tererai Obey Sithole has been involved in a terrible accident.

However, Sithole is in a stable condition.

Speaking to ZimEye.com, in an interview on Saturday morning, MDC Alliance Youth Assembly spokesperson, Stephen Sarkozy Chuma said:

“It’s true the chairman was involved in an accident but I can confirm that he is in a very stable condition.

He is currently being attended to at a private hospital in Bulawayo to check if there are internal injuries.

We thank God for saving his life and indeed the Commander still has an uncompleted mission to serve Zimbabwe.

He said the accident happened while he was on his way from visiting our Mashonaland West Youth Chairman, Collen Mapfumo who was also involved in an accident.”

Sithole posted on Facebook :
“And the Lord said it’s not yet time for me, I just cheated death. I have been involved in a road traffic accident. Please keep me in your prayers.”

Party officials who spoke to ZimEye.com accused Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa of plotting to eliminate MDC Alliance Youth Assembly leaders.

“We have to fortify the security of our members as a matter of urgency.Mr Mnangagwa wants to eliminate all influential party members,” said the MDC Alliance official.

Tinashe Sambiri|The late MDC Alliance MP for Glen View North, Hon Kennedy Dinar, will be laid to rest in Gutu District on Sunday November 8.

According to MDC Alliance Secretary General, Charlton Hwende, Hon Dinah will be laid to rest in Gutu, Masunda Village.

“Hon Dinah will be laid to rest in Gutu, Masunda Village on Sunday.

All MDC Alliance provincial leaders across the country are encouraged to attend the burial,” said Hwende.

Tinashe Sambiri|Five family members tested positive for Coronavirus in Rujeko Suburb Masvingo.

According to Ministry of Health and Child Care sources at Benjamin Burombo Building in Masvingo, the five are: the father who works at Flamboyant Hotel, the mother who works in an operating theatre at Masvingo Provincial Hospital, 2 Grade 7 children at Rujeko Primary School and another in a lower grade.

Commenting on the issue, former Masvingo Central MP Jeffryson Chitando said:

“The biggest question is the lack of enforcement of COVID-18 restrictions.

The level of poverty in the country is also affecting ordinary citizens so they cannot adhere to strict regulations.

There is free movement and face masks are at times not worn.

Some of the homemade face masks are substandard.

A face mask in local stores is going for US$3 which is beyond the reach of the majority.

The government is adamant that schools are safe and necessary precautions have been put in place to curb COVID -19 spread.

The government is failing to prove that our children are safe in schools.Do our schools have the necessary testing equipment?Teachers who are supposed to take care of pupils are not reporting for duty.”

07-11-2020

MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Chairman, Obey Teererai Sithole was involved in a serious road accident today in the early hours of the morning.

The accident occurred at around 04:20 hours when the National Youth Commander was coming from attending yet another accident involving Mashonaland West Youth Chairman, Collen Mapfumo.

Cde Luther, as the Chairman is popularly referred to is in a very stable condition and being checked for internal injuries at a Bulawayo hospital.

As the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly, we wish our Commander a quick recovery.

We are also very much concerned by the state of our roads which have become death traps for the public under ZANU PF maladministration.

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) has queried why other public sector employees such as soldiers, police officers and prison guards are paid more than teachers.

ZIMTA chief executive Sifiso Ndlovu on Friday said it was unfortunate that the government has resorted to intimidatory tactics rather than addressing teachers’ incapacitation.

This comes after Primary and Secondary Education secretary Tumisang Thabela on Friday wrote a circular to provincial education directors (PEDs) to provide names of teachers that are not reporting for duty so that their salaries will be docked.

Ndlovu said: Unfortunately, it is an intimidatory tactic they are using to the unsuspecting educators who are toiling under poor salaries.

We will support a process which seeks to capacitate teachers to go back to work so that we can resolve the crisis in education and resolve it for the benefit of the public.

This is public education that is suffering. So in our view, there is no teacher who has failed to report for work because they want to, but (cannot) because the employer has failed to meet their side of the budget.

To make matters worse, they have even used a discriminatory approach to workers. They are treating other civil servants differently, especially the security forces, and teachers have to be treated as the lowest rank.

The government has of late resorted to arm-twisting its poorly paid workers to make them report for duty. Recently, more than 1 000 nurses were struck off the payroll after they refused to resort to the normal 40-hour working week following the government’s unilateral decision to terminate the flexible working hours arrangement.-Newsday

Watch the live video loading below…….

https://fb.watch/1CpzXQ1VQE/

watch the live video loading below…….(please be patient as it uploads)

https://fb.watch/1CpzXQ1VQE/

By A Correspondent- Florence Ziyambi, the estranged wife of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, has accused the Cabinet minister of engaging in an extra-marital relationship with an official from the Sheriff’s office.

Florence alleged that Minister Ziyambi has been using her lover to falsify information on return of services in the couple’s on-going divorce matter.

She said Ziyambi was lying before the court to please his mistress as he was fond of embarrassing her [Florence].

Florence made the remarks in her opposing founding affidavit after Ziyambi approached the High Court seeking leave to serve her with divorce summons through publication in local newspapers.

In his application before the High Court, Ziyambi argued that he had attempted several times to serve the divorce summons to Florence, in vain.

High Court judge Justice Jacob Manzunzu granted Ziyambi’s application on 2 November 2020 and allowed him to serve the divorce summons through the newspapers.-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Florence Ziyambi, the estranged wife of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, has accused the Cabinet minister of engaging in an extra-marital relationship with an official from the Sheriff’s office.

Florence alleged that Minister Ziyambi has been using her lover to falsify information on return of services in the couple’s on-going divorce matter.

She said Ziyambi was lying before the court to please his mistress as he was fond of embarrassing her [Florence].

Florence made the remarks in her opposing founding affidavit after Ziyambi approached the High Court seeking leave to serve her with divorce summons through publication in local newspapers.

In his application before the High Court, Ziyambi argued that he had attempted several times to serve the divorce summons to Florence, in vain.

High Court judge Justice Jacob Manzunzu granted Ziyambi’s application on 2 November 2020 and allowed him to serve the divorce summons through the newspapers.-Newsday

By A Correspondent- The Progressive Teachers Union (PTUZ) has accused the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education of ‘unbridled arrogance’ after the government on 6 November directed provincial education directors (PEDs) to provide names of striking teachers so that their salaries are docked.

In a statement on Saturday, PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou said teachers are not at work not by choice but are genuinely incapacitated.

Zhou said government officials have not even bothered to respond to communiques directed to them by individual teacher unions as well as by the United Front of Teacher Unions.

Said Zhou:

Our humble submission to all teachers is that its game on next week as our incapacitation enters a decisive phase. We will no eat threats.

No amount of threat and brutality can drive teachers to schools. Only the capacitation of teachers is an antidote to real incapacitation faced by teachers.

Zhou urged school heads not to compile the names of absent teachers, saying they should remember that they are also wallowing in poverty as the rest of the teachers.

Most teachers have not reported for duty since schools reopened for examination classes on September 28 after a six-month coronavirus-induced closure, demanding a review of their salaries.-DailyNews

 By A Correspondent- A ZESA employee from Concession was electrocuted today while fixing electricity in Mazowe.

Sources familiar with the incident claimed that the man who is yet to be identified by the police touched a charged wire and was  electrocuted.

Said the source:

“This man was working together with his colleagues and he touched a live line. He was electrocuted and he died on the spot.”

Efforts to get a comment from the police was work in progress by the time of writing.

More details to follow…..

By A Correspondent- Gift Karanda, a former Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) employee has denied State claims that he implicated First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and her son, Collins, in Henrietta Rushwaya’s attempted gold smuggling incident.

Karanda accused the police of making up statements. He said this when he appeared before magistrate Ngoni Nduna for bail hearing on Friday.

Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operative Raphinos Mufandauya (37) also denied having any links with Rushwaya.

Mufandauya, through his lawyer Joshua John Chirambwe, claimed he was the one who arrested Rushwaya and had never met her prior to the airport incident on October 26, 2020.

Mufandauya is a CIO operative at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.

He is accused of facilitating the smuggling of 6kg of gold using his airport pass to assist three other accomplices to evade security checks.

However, Detective Inspector Michael Chibaya, the investigations officer in the case, said he was unhappy that the defence wanted to scandalise the police.

Chibaya also denied that Mufandauya was the one who arrested Rushwaya.

More: NewsDay

By A Correspondent- A government official has urged citizens to avoid complacency after five Masvingo family members recently tested positive to SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus.

The infected people include two parents, their two children and a minor relative.

Masvingo provincial COVID-19 taskforce spokesperson Rogers Irimai said the five, from Rujeko high-density suburb, were asymptomatic and self-isolating at home.

He said:

Our rapid response team is busy doing contact tracing to establish who the patients have been in contact with recently.

The teachers and classes at the school where the kids are going are likely to be placed under quarantine, the other kids they play with in their neighbourhood, as well as the workplaces of the parents.

Irimai added that Zimbabwe, like any other country, risked the second way of coronavirus infections following the gradual relaxation of lockdown regulations.

A second wave can be more dangerous and come with a stronger strain of the virus, Irimai said.

As of 6 November 2020, Zimbabwe had recorded 8 471 coronavirus positive cases, 7 983 recoveries and 250 deaths.

More: NewsDay

By A Correspondent- Following electricity tariff hikes of 50% on 23 September and of similar percentages on 1 October and 1 November 2020 by power utility ZESA, Energy and Power Development Minister Zhemu Soda has warned members of the public and businesses to brace for another increase.

Soda was asked by Members of Parliament why the price of electricity was doubled in a short space of time and his response was that tariffs were too low.

He said:

You will notice that for 300kwh, the average cost per unit is around $6,33 whereas the optimum level that is supposed to be achieved is around US$0,10 cents if we are to restore the tariff to where it was in March.

I will also indicate that the country is importing power at an average of US$0,9 cents and for independent power producers who are also feeding onto the grid, the payment that is being done is US$0,9 cents.

So, you will realise that there is a subsidy because the average cost per unit is US$0,6 cents whereas the country is importing power at US$0,9 cents.

In terms of policy… domestic consumers are subsidised.

Soda added that power tariffs were not exorbitant at all and the critical issue that is being addressed by the increases is ZESA’s viability in terms of the cost that it is incurring in order to generate, transmit and distribute power.-DailyNews

Henrietta Rushwaya allegedly made frank calls to First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa when she was cornered by security services at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport last week.

According to NewsHawks, Rushwaya, with the help of state and airport security, was given safe passage after the closed-circuit television system (CCTV) had already been switched off. The publication quoted its source as saying:

What happened was that after airport security and police had intercepted the gold, Rushwaya started fretting and moving up and down making calls. Among several people she called, she dialled the First Lady, but she didn’t answer.

Apparently, at that time President Mnangagwa and the First Lady were not yet aware of what was happening.

CIO Director-General Isaac Moyo and his agents were already in the picture, trying to manage the situation.

They tried to reach Mnangagwa, but it took a while for them to find him. Rushwaya never found Auxillia. So those delays changed the course of events.

… By the time Moyo spoke to Mnangagwa, they were already behind the situation as events were moving too fast, even if they still had a fighting chance to act to protect the President.

Auxillia never got an opportunity to return Rushwaya’s call…

-NewsHawks

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson, George Charamba, has taunted MDC Alliance Youth Assembly chairperson Obey Sithole after he miraculously escaped death in a car accident in Bulawayo.

Iwo matayi amunotenga kuMbare for retreading aya!!!!! [laughing emoji] (It’s because you buy worn-out car tyres from Mbare).

Sithole asked his followers to keep him in their prayers, saying it was only by the grace of God that he has escaped with his life from the accident.

He wrote:

And the Lord said it’s not yet time for me, I just cheated death. I have been involved in a road traffic accident. Please keep me in your prayers.

In a statement earlier on Saturday, the MDC-A said Sithole was coming from attending to the car accident of Mashonaland West Youth Chairperson when he was also involved in an accident.

Paul Nyathi

Education Minister Cain Mathema has opposed his Deputy who early this week expressed fears that there will be chaos when schools fully open next week as the schools are generally not ready to receive learners.

Primary and Secondary Education deputy minister Edgar Moyo yesterday admitting that they don’t have enough teachers to cater for such huge volumes.

Schools are expected to open on Monday for Forms 1 and 2, Grades 1 to 5 and Early Childhood Development, meaning they will be operating at full throttle after closing in March due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

Teachers refused to return to work when schools reopened September for examination classes citing poor salaries.

However, despite teachers’ unions and other stakeholders advising government not to open schools yet, the ministry went on to announce a phased reopening of schools.

“The successful re-opening of phase three would require more teachers to attend classes because their numbers currently are insufficient to handle large volumes of students who will be coming in, which is about three million,” Moyo said.

Minister Mathema however says that when the last classes go back to school next week they will find that adequate measures informed by World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines have been put in place to ensure safety of pupils.

The Minister said in keeping with social distancing rules, the classes would be broken into smaller groups handled by additional teachers already employed at schools, while examinations will see pupils spread across more classrooms or sitting in spacious halls to minimise chances of infection.

Mathema said schools will not be allowed to crowd learners as some schools will do hot-seating while others students will be given specific dates for coming to school.

“Let us not get the impression that there is anarchy. There is no anarchy at schools. We are ready to welcome all learners back to school. It is all systems go, we are starting our exams in December.

“Let us allow the school heads to manage the schools as best as they can under the situation. We have recruited 5 300 more teachers. So it is those teachers who will assist us to manage the situation,” said Minister Mathema.

He said the ministry has done what needed to be done in terms of adherence to WHO protocols, including breaking classes into smaller groups and ensuring masks and sanitisers are available and used.

“What we want is to see all teachers at work. We are not happy that some teachers are not at work. We want them back to manage learners under the Covid-19 situation,” said Minister Mathema.

“Government through the Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Ministry is negotiating with all civil servants’ representatives and we hope the results of these negotiations will see all the teachers coming back to work.

“We have managed the situation under Covid-19. Let’s hope they will agree with the Government. We want the teachers back, the learners want them back and the parents want them back.”

But the industrial action by some teachers will have an impact.

“We will definitely experience a serious shortage of teachers to successfully attend to the extra classes created by social distancing requirements,” said National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) president Mr Arthur Maposa.

National Association of Primary Heads (NAPH) president Mrs Cynthia Khumalo said there is also a challenge of adequate teachers reporting for duty.

Meanwhile, most private schools have been adhering to Government’s laid down protocols. Dr Tapera Chikandiwa, director of Higher Achievers School said they have further broken classes to ensure social distancing protocols are maintained.

Source: State Media

A SCUFFLE broke out at the Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries in Bellville, Cape Town, this week when current church members tried to block former members from entering the church.

The former members accuse the church of scamming them out of money they invested in housing and other projects.

Police came to the scene and advised the protesters to approach a land claims court.

The members signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2016 with a subsidiary of the church’s investment arm, giving them rights to a residential stand in Zimbabwe. But the company has neither delivered the stand nor reimbursed their money as promised.

The same group protested on 17 July and threatened to cause havoc.

On Sunday, about 20 people held posters that read: “We did not come to work for you Walter Magaya” and “We want our money from you Walter Magaya”.

The church was founded in 2012 by Magaya and also has branches in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Australia.

A man who gave his name as Austin Madzivire begged the protesters to write down their names, mobile numbers and to return on Tuesday to meet with the finance office.

“The church has already started paying but there is a challenge that some of the numbers in our records are outdated. A few people have already been paid their money. Come back during the week. We let police leave the scene because we know you are within your rights,” he said.

After writing their names down, the protesters warned that if they return Tuesday and do not get their money, they will disrupt the church every Sunday until they are paid.

Stanley Mudzingwa said he quarrels every day with his wife about the R40,000 he invested with the PHD. “I have tried to engage the church since 2018 … They keep on giving me false promises,” he said.

A woman demonstrating told GroundUp she had invested R34,000 for a housing project. “All I want is my money. I am struggling with four children. Since lockdown I am not working. When I went to Zimbabwe to claim they said go back to Cape Town where you paid your money.”

One of the demonstrators said: “I wish the new faces fighting with us would open their eyes and learn from our situation. This church used to have an overflow. We would come here and stand the whole services because all seats were taken but look now …. the church is left with a handful of new faces. Where are all those people who used to fill the church?”

A police officer from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Support Unit allegedly shot and killed an innocent man by pumping four bullets into his chest in Mberengwa on Tuesday morning.

The victim, Lodrick Matsweru (26), was visiting a friend, Danidzirai Muzhanduki, at Village 3 Rudway in Chief Bvute’s area.

On the fateful day, Matsweru was sleeping when he heard a knock on the door around four AM. When he opened the door, he was met with a hail of bullets and died instantly.

The police officers were looking for an armed robber but opened fire without asking any questions or verifying the identity of the person who opened the door.

Reports indicate that police were looking for either Tichaona Muzhanduki or Doubt Chiponda suspected to have robbed a crew of a fuel tanker of some money.

The cops, some of whose names are in the hands of The Mirror allegedly tried to run away after the shooting but were blocked by angry villagers who had gathered at the scene.

It is further alleged that the robber had US$31 000 on him and the cops may have had an interest in that money.-The Mirror

Ali Mohammed, who is Henrietta Rushwaya’s co-accused in the ongoing gold smuggling case has been nailed by the State amid fresh evidence that he facilitated Rushwaya’s trip to Dubai.

The court heard that from the retrieved phone call records Mohammed facilitated Rushwaya’s trip to Dubai and as such could not dissociate himself from the smuggling case.

The court also heard that Mohammed was in the country on a business trip and his visa expired.

The court also heard that Mohammed generated commercial invoices as well as packing lists specifying the weight of each bar of gold.

Rushwaya was arrested on October 26 at the Robert Mugabe International Airport as she attempted to smuggle 6kg of gold to Dubai.

State Media

Private kombis and pirate taxes remain banned from carrying commuters and travellers as part of the precautions to contain the spread of Covid-19.

However, owners of suitable kombis can still apply to join the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (zupco) franchise.

In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works insisted that only zupco was allowed to ferry passengers.

zupco, and the private buses and kombis operating under its franchise, meet set health and safety standards that minimise risk to passengers.

They only allow passengers to board and disembark at designated bus stops and terminuses.

Government said it was concerned over the illegal operation of private kombis, which mainly ply urban routes while others were plying the intercity routes despite a ban under the national lockdown regulations.

“This is a health-induced transport strategy, that is meant to ensure that the further spread of Covid-19 is contained,” said the ministry.

Covid-19 remains a threat as new cases were being recorded.

Zimbabwe is recording cases ranging between five and 45 almost daily while more deaths continue to be recorded, a situation described by experts as worrying and indicative of the fact that “we are not yet out of the woods”.

Government said the ban on private kombis was not designed to disadvantage those who invested in the transport business, but to preserve lives in the wake of the health threat.

It has been noted with “great concern” that the operators who resist working with zupco, were usually the unregistered ones, and do not meet the requirements.

“We direct that private kombi and bus operators who intend to operate in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare, Masvingo and any other town or urban area, to register and work with zupco.

“The service is open to all kombi and bus owners who meet the stated requirements,” said the ministry.

To register, operators should have a current vehicle licence, vehicle insurance, certificate of fitness, passenger insurance and VID clearance.

Drivers of the vehicles under the zupco franchise should have a valid driver’s licence, medical fitness, retest, defensive driving certificate and Government authority. Kombi or bus operators plying intra-city routes in Harare or any city and town in Zimbabwe without a zupco sticker, and pirate vehicles (mshikashika), using undesignated pick-up points, risk being penalised and having their vehicles seized as provided for by law.

Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation (ZMF) boss Henrietta Rushwaya frantically tried to call First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa in vain.

Witnesses and other well-placed sources told The NewsHawks that as police moved in to strike and bust the smuggling racket involving 6kg of gold – with 99.99% purity levels – Rushwaya anxiously made several calls, watching with horror her illicit bid to salt away bullion worth at least US$330 000 collapse.

As a result of the quality of the gold, a new problem has now arisen in court as to where it came from. Investigators say the gold could only have been taken from the state-run Fidelity Printers and Refiners (Pvt) Ltd, a bullion buying company owned by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

Fidelity Printers has capacity to refine gold to purity levels of 99.5% or more. Rushwaya’s gold was of the highest quality – 99.99% – purity pointing to a wider network involving Fidelity, ZMF and security agents, as well as their political handlers.

Fidelity Printers public relations officer Xelisani Moyo declined to comment over the phone.

In a well-calculated attempt to hide the gold heist, Rushwaya, with the help of state and airport security, was given safe passage after the closed-circuit television system (CCTV) had already been switched off.

“What happened was that after airport security and police had intercepted the gold, Rushwaya started fretting and moving up and down making calls. Among several people she called, she dialled the First Lady, but she didn’t answer,” a source close to Rushwaya said.

“Apparently at that time President Mnangagwa and the First Lady were not yet aware of what was happening. CIO Director-General Isaac Moyo and his agents were already in the picture, trying to manage the situation. They tried to reach Mnangagwa, but it took a while for them to find him. Rushwaya never found Auxillia. So those delays changed the course of events.”

The source said events moved too fast for Mnangagwa’s people to stop the drama.

“By the time Moyo spoke to Mnangagwa, they were already behind the situation as events were moving too fast, even if they still had a fighting chance to act to protect the President. Auxillia never got an opportunity to return Rushwaya’s call.

“There was a hive of activity to contain the situation. The CIO bosses were sweating on how to protect the President from the fallout of the well-coordinated bust involving police, CID and military intelligence.

“Intelligence needed to do that for two reasons: they had immediately picked that Auxillia and her son Collins were implicated by Karanda upon arriving at the airport after an urgent call from Rushwaya and there was also Stephen Tserayi, a CIO operative, involved.

“So it was an emergency and it was thus critical for Moyo and his team to act swiftly to protect their ultimate boss: Mnangagwa. State Security Minister Mudha (Owen Ncube), who is close to Mnangagwa, was also anxious about the situation.”

At that stage, the clumsy attempt – to be followed by a series of sequenced and related actions playing out behind the scenes and in the public domain to cover up the smuggling scandal which had gone horribly wrong – had started.

Rushwaya called the First Lady and Karanda, one of the arrested suspects, as she is close to them. She is related to the Mnangagwa family, despite official attempts to distance the President from her now.

That is one way in which officials and Mnangagwa’s supporters are trying to create a buffer between the President and Rushwaya to avoid him becoming collateral damage.

But the digital footprint of their printed remarks in the public record is betraying them.

When Gogo Mary Rushwaya, mother to Martin Rushwaya who is currently deputy chief secretary for administration and finance in the Office of the President and Cabinet, died last year, Mnangagwa attended the funeral at Number 4 Glen Lorne Drive in Glen Lorne suburb, Harare.

It was publicly said there that the families are related.

Gogo Rushwaya was Henrietta’s aunt, making the arrested gold dealer a cousin to Martin, former Ministry of Defence permanent secretary.

Sources said it was initially not clear to the police whether Karanda implicated Auxillia and Collins as name-dropping in a bid to help Rushwaya wriggle out or he was simply telling the truth.

But his statement was all the same initially recorded by police. It was supposed to form part of the docket from which the suspects are facing smuggling, criminal abuse of office and attempting to defeat the course of justice charges.

However, after realising that they had created an even bigger crisis by bringing Auxillia and her son’s names into the racket, they retreated and made frantic efforts to delete the record. But it was too late.

Sources said political pressure was at that point irresistibly mounting to protect them.

However, CID and military intelligence agents who were involved were working behind the scenes to ensure that the suspects did not wriggle out and tamper with the record. In the end, they managed to delete names.

Chief Inspector Michael Chibaya from Harare CID Law and Order told magistrate Ngoni Nduna this week during a bail hearing that Tserayi and his accomplices had demanded that Auxillia and Collins’ names be deleted.
While that was happening, Moyo, after talking to Mnangagwa, moved swiftly to boot out Tserayi to create a safe distance between the President and the scandal.

“Tserayi was at the airport and after the gold smuggling drama he returned to work in town and, as you know, he worked with the President’s close security unit. But that evening, last week on Monday, he was told that Mnangagwa and Moyo don’t want to see him anywhere near the President. He was told to go away. There was no due process followed,” a top security source said.

“The following day, he was arrested, out of fury and to create plausible deniability. When his phone went offline around midday on Tuesday last week, we knew he was gone.”

As these events were unfolding, The NewsHawks was in action. It was the first media platform to post on Twitter Rushwaya’s arrest after a source close to Mnangagwa’s family had sent in a tip, and later details.

Soon after getting a tip, The NewsHawks swung into action and called police to verify. Police asked for time to check, but instead of coming back with an answer, they posted their statement on Twitter, confirming Rishwaya’s arrest. At that point The NewsHawks broke the story. Other media platforms immediately followed. The NewsHawks then went on to report Tserayi’s quick removal on Tuesday and a day later, Wednesday, his arrest.

After their names has been deleted from the record, Auxillia moved to distance herself and Collins from the smuggling case.

“I do not engage in illegal narrow-minded pursuits like gold smuggling,” she said on social media.
Auxillia then publicly challenged police to issue a statement on the matter.

“I have no dealings nor involvement with Miss Henrietta Rushwaya of any illegal kind. I am challenging the police through their relevant office to issue a statement,” she said.

Police sources said this was almost certainly political interference and an obstruction of the course of justice.

Yet police obliged.

But Chibaya said police had not even interviewed Auxillia and Collins due to protocol hurdles.

When The NewsHawks yesterday asked Nyathi to explain how the First Lady and her son’s names disappeared from the dockets, he said: “With all due respect, that case is now before the courts, so it is now sub judice for the police to comment on it.”

The brazen cover-up continued with statements from the ruling Zanu PF and Information permanent secretary issued to protect Mnangagwa’s family.

“Following the arrests, government has been made aware that there are some individuals and groups, including one of the suspects in the case, who are abusing the First Family’s name in their illegal activities,” Mangwana said.

Mnangagwa’s spokesman George Charamba has also weighed in, a peddling conspiracy theory that The NewsHawks were investigating his boss in a bid to link him to some dealers, especially David Crosby who is said to be one of the biggest gold traders in Zimbabwe. Crosby was recently arrested for trying to defeat the ends of justice over a gold case.

–NewsHawks

GLENVIEW North National Assembly member, Kennedy Dinah (MDC Alliance), who died on Thursday at Chitungwiza Central Hospital, is set to be buried today.

Details of his burial arrangements remained sketchy by late last night.

MDC-A deputy chairperson Mr Job Sikhala confirmed that Mr Dinah would be buried today, but could not give more details.

“I heard that the burial is there tomorrow (today). We will revert to you surely, as soon as we get the burial arrangements,” said Mr Sikhala.

Mr Dinah died after a short illness.

Announcing his death, the MDC Alliance said: “We are saddened to learn of the untimely death of MDC-Alliance MP for Glen View North Hon Kennedy Dinah who passed on at Chitungwiza General Hospital this morning after a short illness.

“Our heartfelt condolences to the Dinah family. We have lost a dedicated and loyal cadre. We extend our sincere condolences to the Dinah family on this untimely loss. May his soul rest in peace.”

FORMER Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operative, Raphios Mufandauya who is jointly charged with Henrietta Rushwaya, businessman Ali Mohamad, Steven Tserayi and Gift Karanda has denied being part of the suspected gold smuggling syndicate.

Through his lawyer Joshua Chirambwe, Mufandauya said he instead initiated the arrest of Rushwaya last week at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport where the Zimbabwe miners boss was attempting to smuggle 6kg of gold to Dubai.

The former spy said he was at the airport on the day when Rushwaya was arrested as part of his duties which involved extracting information from prominent people.

“My client, is actually supposed to be a witness in the matter and nailing him is an attempt to avoid certain truths,” said Chirambwe during Mufandauya’s bail hearing Friday.

However, the investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Michael Chibaya, during cross examination said Mufandauya instead made sure Rushwaya had safe passage at the airport.

Chirambwe insisted his client should be granted bail because other accused persons have been granted bail for serious matters such as murder, rape and treason.

He also claimed there was no evidence linking Mufandauya to the alleged smuggling allegation and tampering with CCTV cameras at the airport as Rushwaya went through pre-departure clearance.

Meanwhile, Karanda, who is alleged to have name dropped the First Family to save Rushwaya from arrest said through his lawyer Dumisani Mthombeni he was not found in possession of the gold yet he was being charged for unlawful possession of the precious mineral.

Karanda said he never accompanied Rushwaya to the airport claiming he was at his home when Rushwaya was arrested.

It was his submission that he was initially arrested on a charge of impersonation, “confirming state’s confusion”.

“In his warned and cautioned statement, he never mentioned that the gold belonged to the First Lady as alleged but it is an insensitive and false allegation which is deliberately said to try and scandalise both himself and the First Lady.

“Whoever is alleging this is deliberately trying to advance a very sinister agenda through these false allegations,” said Mthombeni.

All Africa

State Media

TEACHERS who have been absconding from work risk action being taken against them as the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is now demanding the list of all those who have not been reporting for duty since the reopening of schools in September.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has directed the ministry to take appropriate action against those teachers who are not reporting for duty and apply the principle of “No work no pay”.

Provincial Education Directors have been directed to gather attendance information including names of teachers at all the schools and submit it to Head Office every Friday until further notice.

Primary and secondary schools in Zimbabwe closed in March, just a week before the end of the first term following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following the relaxation of Covid-19 regulations, Government reopened schools in phases starting with examination classes — Grade 7, Form Four and Six which opened on September 28. All teachers were supposed to report for duty with effect from the date but some did not citing incapacitation.

On October 26 Grade Six, Form Three and Five reopened and the last group is reopening on Monday.

According to a memorandum from Primary and Secondary Education permanent secretary Mrs Tumisang Thabela all provincial education directors and schools authorities should submit names of teachers who have not been reporting for duty since September 28.

“Please refer to the attached minute from the Public Service Commission on the above-mentioned subject dated 26 October 2020 (Submission of names of teachers not reporting for duty since 28 September 2020). The Public Service Commission has requested for details of teachers that have not reported for duty since the opening of Phase 1 classes on 28 September 2020 in the format prescribed in the template provided,” wrote Mrs Thabela.

She said while provinces and districts have been submitting attendance statistics for teachers and learners to the Command Centres, these did not have names.

“In view of the above, Provincial Education Directors are hereby directed to submit the details of teachers that have been absent from duty for the period 28 September to 6 November to Head Office through their respective Human Resources Directors by end of day Wednesday, 11 November for onward submission to Public Service Commission,” said Mrs Thabela.

“Henceforth, Provincial Education Directors are further directed to gather attendance information including names of teachers at all the schools and submit to Head Office every Friday until further notice.”

The PSC said it noted with concern that from September 28 to date, some teachers in schools that have Zimsec Examination classes have not been reporting for duty.

“The Commission is therefore directing the ministry to take appropriate action against those teachers who are not reporting for duty on the bases of the Public Service regulations as well as the ‘No work no pay’ principle,” said PSC secretary Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe.

Responding to the latest developments, the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) chief executive officer Dr Sifiso Ndlovu said the approach by PSC is unreasonable as Government and the teachers are in salary negotiations aimed at finding a lasting solution to the educators’ incapacitation.

“This development by PSC smacks of intimidation and is a direct threat to the public educators. Its not like they have been absent by choice but have been and are still incapacitated as we speak. We have been in salary negotiation and thought we were on the road to finding a lasting solution but before we know it, there is this sad development by PSC unless they are saying no one is listening to us anymore,” he said.

Paul Nyathi

First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa has made a rather uncomfortable suggestion that single mothers and young girls are turning into prostitution to take care of their families.

In a speech read on her behalf by Zimbabwe Women’s Bank chief executive Dr Mandas Marikanda at an interface meeting with single mothers and girls in Chivhu, the First Lady said these women should do away with prostitution and start the highly labour intensive Pfumvudza crop planting programme.

“I have come here as a follow up after I was informed that most of the women who had turned into social vices to earn a living are willing to shun their acts and start doing projects to feed their families,” she said.

“As women, you should be firm enough to work hard and bring food to the table. Let us embrace the Pfumvudza programme, which is meant to alleviate hunger, especially in rural areas. This will help you secure food at household level.

“I also urge you to embrace small grain farming so that you can secure healthy food for your children.”

“As the patron of Angel of Hope Foundation, I have come with new projects which can help you earn a living. Some of these projects include baking, manufacturing detergents like soap and lotions. I hope you will embrace the knowledge I am giving you and use it to transform your lives,” she said.

The First Lady also discouraged women from terminating pregnancies as it could affect their health.

“For those who were impregnated out of wedlock and got dumped, do not lose hope,” she said.

“Do not ever think of terminating that pregnancy because you might risk having diseases like cervical cancer. There is life after break-ups and as a woman you have to take responsibility of your children by working hard to bring food to the table.”

One of the vulnerable women, Pamela Katsora, narrated her experience as a sex worker and thanked the First Lady for showing concern.

“I got into this profession when I was 16 years old. I thought it was the only solution to life. The experience was painful as I could be beaten or sometimes used for peanuts,” she said.

“I am so excited that Amai has come to our rescue with her projects. We want more of these projects so that we become prominent business women. We will never look back at our painful life again.”

Source: State Media

Paul Nyathi

Education Minister Cain Mathema has opposed his Deputy who early this week expressed fears that there will be chaos when schools fully open next week as the schools are generally not ready to receive learners.

Primary and Secondary Education deputy minister Edgar Moyo yesterday admitting that they don’t have enough teachers to cater for such huge volumes.

Schools are expected to open on Monday for Forms 1 and 2, Grades 1 to 5 and Early Childhood Development, meaning they will be operating at full throttle after closing in March due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

Teachers refused to return to work when schools reopened September for examination classes citing poor salaries.

However, despite teachers’ unions and other stakeholders advising government not to open schools yet, the ministry went on to announce a phased reopening of schools.

“The successful re-opening of phase three would require more teachers to attend classes because their numbers currently are insufficient to handle large volumes of students who will be coming in, which is about three million,” Moyo said.

Minister Mathema however says that when the last classes go back to school next week they will find that adequate measures informed by World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines have been put in place to ensure safety of pupils.

The Minister said in keeping with social distancing rules, the classes would be broken into smaller groups handled by additional teachers already employed at schools, while examinations will see pupils spread across more classrooms or sitting in spacious halls to minimise chances of infection.

Mathema said schools will not be allowed to crowd learners as some schools will do hot-seating while others students will be given specific dates for coming to school.

“Let us not get the impression that there is anarchy. There is no anarchy at schools. We are ready to welcome all learners back to school. It is all systems go, we are starting our exams in December.

“Let us allow the school heads to manage the schools as best as they can under the situation. We have recruited 5 300 more teachers. So it is those teachers who will assist us to manage the situation,” said Minister Mathema.

He said the ministry has done what needed to be done in terms of adherence to WHO protocols, including breaking classes into smaller groups and ensuring masks and sanitisers are available and used.

“What we want is to see all teachers at work. We are not happy that some teachers are not at work. We want them back to manage learners under the Covid-19 situation,” said Minister Mathema.

“Government through the Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Ministry is negotiating with all civil servants’ representatives and we hope the results of these negotiations will see all the teachers coming back to work.

“We have managed the situation under Covid-19. Let’s hope they will agree with the Government. We want the teachers back, the learners want them back and the parents want them back.”

But the industrial action by some teachers will have an impact.

“We will definitely experience a serious shortage of teachers to successfully attend to the extra classes created by social distancing requirements,” said National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) president Mr Arthur Maposa.

National Association of Primary Heads (NAPH) president Mrs Cynthia Khumalo said there is also a challenge of adequate teachers reporting for duty.

Meanwhile, most private schools have been adhering to Government’s laid down protocols. Dr Tapera Chikandiwa, director of Higher Achievers School said they have further broken classes to ensure social distancing protocols are maintained.

Source: State Media

Journalist and anti-corruption campaigner Hopewell Chin’ono will spend the weekend in prison after a magistrate postponed his bail hearing to Monday.

Chin’ono was rearrested at his home in Harare, on Tuesday evening for allegedly breaking his bail conditions.

He was first arrested in July after publishing a series of investigations into corruption by senior public officials. He was held in an overcrowded cell in Chikurubi Maximum Prison for almost six weeks pending trial on charges of inciting violence.

On his release in September, Chin’ono was effectively banned from using social media for anything that could be seen as critical of the Zanu-PF government. He did, however, give a series of media interviews in which he described the horrific conditions he faced in prison.

His lawyer Beatrice Mtwetwa, told the court on Friday that Chin’ono, who has not yet faced trial, was being detained with convicted prisoners and had been held for more than 48 hours before being brought to court.

He was brought to court just before the end of the day on Thursday, which his lawyers said was a deliberate tactic to delay proceedings.

The new charge is related to comments Chin’ono made about possessing classified information from the national prosecuting authority relating to Henrietta Rushwaya, the president of the Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation, who was arrested last week at Harare’s airport and has been charged with attempting to smuggle gold to Dubai.

According to court papers, Chin’ono “claims to be engaged in a relationship with the national prosecution authority thereby jeopardising the integrity of the case against himself and that of Henrietta Rushwaya.” Rushwaya has denied any wrongdoing.

Chin’ono, who denies the new charge against him, was brought to court in leg irons.

Tinashe Sambiri|A senior MDC Alliance member has described Thokozani Khupe and Douglas Mwonzora’s political project as a sinking boat.

MDC Alliance Midlands provincial spokesperson, Takavafira Zhou on Thursday urged party members to distance themselves from the “doomed” Khupe-Mwonzora project.

“We are clear as the MDC Alliance that being an MP or councillor is more of providing service and self-sacrifice.

Selfish leaders will not be tolerated in the MDC Alliance. Our grassroot support is solid and intact.

All those who wish to serve their personal interests or work with Mwonzora and Khupe must come out in the open because they are free to do so.

Our structures here will stand with President Chamisa, we are clear on the matter. So naysayers must calm down because President Chamisa is firmly in charge, everything is in order,” Zhou said.

THE reopening of schools for the last batch of pupils next week might be chaotic, with Primary and Secondary Education deputy minister Edgar Moyo yesterday admitting that they don’t have enough teachers to cater for such huge volumes.

Schools are expected to open on Monday for Forms 1 and 2, Grades 1 to 5 and Early Childhood Development, meaning they will be operating at full throttle after closing in March due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

Teachers refused to return to work when schools reopened September for examination classes citing poor salaries.

However, despite teachers’ unions and other stakeholders advising government not to open schools yet, the ministry went on to announce a phased reopening of schools.

“The successful re-opening of phase three would require more teachers to attend classes because their numbers currently are insufficient to handle large volumes of students who will be coming in, which is about three million,” Moyo said.

He, however, said government would ensure teachers returned to work, adding that a solution might be found soon.

“Attendance by learners started at 95% and attendance by teachers was at 39% of total teachers. These figures have continued to decline,” he said.

He added: “The teachers, including the school administrators, have been able to keep classes going in schools with a few exceptions where heads appear to be failing in their responsibilities by being absent themselves.”

Moyo also said there was need to procure 10 million washable masks which are not readily available.

“The supply of masks is being closely monitored. NatPharm is supplying to the best of its ability. Phase three requires 10 million masks at three masks per learner and per teacher,” he said.

The deputy minister said the masks that government had procured were used by June examination candidates and invigilators.

“The schools have not had the capacity to produce masks owing to late payment for the masks produced,” he said.

In order to enforce social distancing, Moyo said there would be hot sitting at some schools.

“The 2020 and 2021 examination classes will attend school everyday. For phase three classes, the week will be split with some learners coming on a particular day and others on the other.

Another strategy is to split the day with some learners coming in the morning and others coming in the afternoon,” Moyo said.

Meanwhile, education authorities in Chinhoyi raised the red flag over the readiness of the country to fully open schools next week.

Newsday

07-11-2020

MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Chairman, Obey Teererai Sithole was involved in a serious road accident today in the early hours of the morning.

The accident occurred at around 04:20 hours when the National Youth Commander was coming from attending yet another accident involving Mashonaland West Youth Chairman, Collen Mapfumo.

Cde Luther, as the Chairman is popularly referred to is in a very stable condition and being checked for internal injuries at a Bulawayo hospital.

As the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly, we wish our Commander a quick recovery.

We are also very much concerned by the state of our roads which have become death traps for the public under ZANU PF maladministration.

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Alliance Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

By Tinashe Sambiri|MDC Alliance Youth Assembly leader, Tererai Obey Sithole has been involved in a horrific accident.

However, Sithole is in a stable condition.

Speaking to ZimEye.com, in an interview on Saturday morning, MDC Alliance Youth Assembly spokesperson, Stephen Sarkozy Chuma said:

“It’s true the chairman was involved in an accident but I can confirm that he is in a very stable condition.

He is currently being attended to at a private hospital in Bulawayo to check if there are internal injuries.

We thank God for saving his life and indeed the Commander still has an uncompleted mission to serve Zimbabwe.

He said the accident happened while he was on his way from visiting our Mashonaland West Youth Chairman, Collen Mapfumo who was also involved in an accident.”

Sithole posted on Facebook :
“And the Lord said it’s not yet time for me, I just cheated death. I have been involved in a road traffic accident. Please keep me in your prayers.”

Drama involving vice President Constantino Chiwenga and his estranged wife Marry Mubaiwa continues to unfold after reports of the powerful politician’s move to dump truckload of the former model’s clothes and household property at her offices in Harare’s Eastlea suburb.

This is despite the fact that their divorce settlement case is pending in court.

Chiwenga had earlier written to Marry’s lawyers notifying them of his intention, but the lawyers protested the move, arguing that it was unilateral and unfair.

Chiwenga’s decision to take Marry’s clothes from the couple’s mansion in Borrowdale Brooke and dump them in Eastlea is the latest episode in a long-running divorce saga. 

In this latest drama, it has emerged the Vice-President’s lawyers phoned Marry’s father, Kenny Mubaiwa, to inform him that they were delivering her belongings and cars at the Mubaiwas’ Glen Lorne home, to which he also protested.

MDC Alliance youth leader Obey Tererai Sithole has cheated death after being involved in an accident this morning.

Details on the accident are still sketchy but Sithole confirmed that no one was injured in the accident.

Sithole posted the pictures of his vehicle with the message below…

“And the Lord said it’s not yet time for me, I just cheated death. I have been involved in a road traffic accident. Please keep me in your prayers,” said Sithole

FRETTING like a cat on a hot tin roof as law enforcement agencies closed in on her in a dramatic public spectacle now a monkey on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s back, suspended Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation (ZMF) boss Henrietta Rushwaya frantically tried to call First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa in vain.

According to an online news platform, The News Hawks, witnesses and other well-placed sources told said, as police moved in to strike and bust the smuggling racket involving 6kg of gold – with 99.99% purity levels – Rushwaya anxiously made several calls, watching with horror her illicit bid to salt away bullion worth at least US$330 000 collapse.

As a result of the quality of the gold, a new problem has now arisen in court as to where it came from. Investigators say the gold could only have been taken from the state-run Fidelity Printers and Refiners (Pvt) Ltd, a bullion buying company owned by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

Fidelity Printers has capacity to refine gold to purity levels of 99.5% or more. Rushwaya’s gold was of the highest quality – 99.99% – purity  pointing to a wider network involving Fidelity, ZMF and security agents, as well as their political handlers.

Fidelity Printers public relations officer Xelisani Moyo declined to comment over the phone.
In a well-calculated attempt to hide the gold heist, Rushwaya, with the help of state and airport security, was given safe passage after the closed-circuit television system (CCTV) had already been switched off.

“What happened was that after airport security and police had intercepted the gold, Rushwaya started fretting and moving up and down making calls. Among several people she called, she dialled the First Lady, but she didn’t answer,” a source close to Rushwaya said.

“Apparently at that time President Mnangagwa and the First Lady were not yet aware of what was happening. CIO Director-General Isaac Moyo and his agents were already in the picture, trying to manage the situation. They tried to reach Mnangagwa, but it took a while for them to find him. Rushwaya never found Auxillia. So those delays changed the course of events.”

The source said events moved too fast for Mnangagwa’s people to stop the drama.

“By the time Moyo spoke to Mnangagwa, they were already behind the situation as events were moving too fast, even if they still had a fighting chance to act to protect the President. Auxillia never got an opportunity to return Rushwaya’s call.

“There was a hive of activity to contain the situation. The CIO bosses were sweating on how to protect the President from the fallout of the well-coordinated bust involving police, CID and military intelligence.

“Intelligence needed to do that for two reasons: they had immediately picked that Auxillia and her son Collins were implicated by Karanda upon arriving at the airport after an urgent call from Rushwaya and there was also Stephen Tserayi, a CIO operative, involved.

“So it was an emergency and it was thus critical for Moyo and his team to act swiftly to protect their ultimate boss: Mnangagwa. State Security Minister Mudha (Owen Ncube), who is close to Mnangagwa, was also anxious about the situation.”

At that stage, the clumsy attempt – to be followed by a series of sequenced and related actions playing out behind the scenes and in the public domain to cover up the smuggling scandal which had gone horribly wrong – had started.

Rushwaya called the First Lady and Karanda, one of the arrested suspects, as she is close to them. She is related to the Mnangagwa family, despite official attempts to distance the President from her now.

That is one way in which officials and Mnangagwa’s supporters are trying to create a buffer between the President and Rushwaya to avoid him becoming collateral damage.

But the digital footprint of their printed remarks in the public record is betraying them.

When Gogo Mary Rushwaya, mother to Martin Rushwaya who is currently deputy chief secretary for administration and finance in the Office of the President and Cabinet, died last year, Mnangagwa attended the funeral at Number 4 Glen Lorne Drive in Glen Lorne suburb, Harare.

It was publicly said there that the families are related.

Gogo Rushwaya was Henrietta’s aunt, making the arrested gold dealer a cousin to Martin, former Ministry of Defence permanent secretary.

Sources said it was initially not clear to the police whether Karanda implicated Auxillia and Collins as name-dropping in a bid to help Rushwaya wriggle out or he was simply telling the truth.

But his statement was all the same initially recorded by police. It was supposed to form part of the docket from which the suspects are facing smuggling, criminal abuse of office and attempting to defeat the course of justice charges.

However, after realising that they had created an even bigger crisis by bringing Auxillia and her son’s names into the racket, they retreated and made frantic efforts to delete the record. But it was too late.

Sources said political pressure was at that point irresistibly mounting to protect them.

However, CID and military intelligence agents who were involved were working behind the scenes to ensure that the suspects did not wriggle out and tamper with the record. In the end, they managed to delete names.

Chief Inspector Michael Chibaya from Harare CID Law and Order told magistrate Ngoni Nduna this week during a bail hearing that Tserayi and his accomplices had demanded that Auxillia and Collins’ names be deleted.

While that was happening, Moyo, after talking to Mnangagwa, moved swiftly to boot out Tserayi to create a safe distance between the President and the scandal.

“Tserayi was at the airport and after the gold smuggling drama he returned to work in town and, as you know, he worked with the President’s close security unit. But that evening, last week on Monday, he was told that Mnangagwa and Moyo don’t want to see him anywhere near the President. He was told to go away. There was no due process followed,” a top security source said.

“The following day, he was arrested, out of fury and to create plausible deniability. When his phone went offline around midday on Tuesday last week, we knew he was gone.”

As these events were unfolding, The NewsHawks was in action. It was the first media platform to post on Twitter Rushwaya’s arrest after a source close to Mnangagwa’s family had sent in a tip, and later details.

Soon after getting a tip, The NewsHawks swung into action and called police to verify. Police asked for time to check, but instead of coming back with an answer, they posted their statement on Twitter, confirming Rishwaya’s arrest. At that point The NewsHawks broke the story. Other media platforms immediately followed. The NewsHawks then went on to report Tserayi’s quick removal on Tuesday and a day later, Wednesday, his arrest.

After their names has been deleted from the record, Auxillia moved to distance herself and Collins from the smuggling case.

“I do not engage in illegal narrow-minded pursuits like gold smuggling,” she said on social media.
Auxillia then publicly challenged police to issue a statement on the matter.

“I have no dealings nor involvement with Miss Henrietta Rushwaya of any illegal kind. I am challenging the police through their relevant office to issue a statement,” she said.

Police sources said this was almost certainly political interference and an obstruction of the course of justice.

Yet police obliged.

But Chibaya said police had not even interviewed Auxillia and Collins due to protocol hurdles.

When The NewsHawks yesterday asked Nyathi to explain how the First Lady and her son’s names disappeared from the dockets, he said: “With all due respect, that case is now before the courts, so it is now sub judice for the police to comment on it.”

The brazen cover-up continued with statements from the ruling Zanu PF and Information permanent secretary issued to protect Mnangagwa’s family.

“Following the arrests, government has been made aware that there are some individuals and groups, including one of the suspects in the case, who are abusing the First Family’s name in their illegal activities,” Mangwana said.

Mnangagwa’s spokesman George Charamba has also weighed in, a peddling conspiracy theory that The NewsHawks were investigating his boss in a bid to link him to some dealers, especially David Crosby who is said to be one of the biggest gold traders in Zimbabwe. Crosby was recently arrested for trying to defeat the ends of justice over a gold case.

-Newshawks